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diff --git a/41828.txt b/41828.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 01510d4..0000000 --- a/41828.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13808 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, General Bounce, by G. J. Whyte-Melville, -Illustrated by Frances E. Ewan - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere 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 - - - - - -Title: General Bounce - or The Lady and the Locusts - - -Author: G. J. Whyte-Melville - - - -Release Date: January 12, 2013 [eBook #41828] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GENERAL BOUNCE*** - - -E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Matthew Wheaton, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images -generously made available by Internet Archive/American Libraries -(http://archive.org/details/americana) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 41828-h.htm or 41828-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41828/41828-h/41828-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41828/41828-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive/American Libraries. See - http://archive.org/details/generalbounceorl00whyt - - - - - -GENERAL BOUNCE - - -[Illustration: "'Where have you been all day? You promised to -drive me out--you know you did!'" - -_Page 77_] - - -GENERAL BOUNCE - -or - -The Lady and the Locusts - -by - -G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE - -Author of "Katerfelto," "The Interpreter," "Market Harborough," etc. - -Illustrated by Frances E. Ewan - - - - - - - -London -Ward, Lock & Co., Limited -New York and Melbourne - - - - -PREFACE - - -Where the rose blushes in the garden, there will the bee and the -butterfly be found, humming and fluttering around. So is it in the -world; the fair girl, whose sweetness is enhanced by the fictitious -advantages of wealth and position, will ever have lovers and admirers -enough and to spare. - -Burns was no bad judge of human nature; and he has a stanza on this -subject, combining the reflection of the philosopher with the _canny_ -discrimination of the Scot. - - "Away with your follies of beauty's alarms, - The _slender_ bit beauty you clasp in your arms; - But gi'e me the lass that has acres of charms, - Oh, gi'e me the lass with the _weel-plenished_ farms." - -Should the following pages afford such attractive young ladies matter -for a few moments' reflection, the author will not have written in -vain. - -May he hope they will choose well and wisely; and that the withered -rose, when she has lost her fragrance, may be fondly prized and gently -tended by the hand that plucked her in her dewy morning prime. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - CHAP. PAGE - - I. My Cousin 9 - - II. The Abigail 26 - - III. The Handsome Governess 41 - - IV. "Libitina" 58 - - V. Uncle Baldwin 72 - - VI. The Blind Boy 85 - - VII. Boot and Saddle 101 - - VIII. The Ball 116 - - IX. Want 130 - - X. Superfluity 146 - - XI. Campaigning Abroad 161 - - XII. Campaigning at Home 177 - - XIII. The World 194 - - XIV. To Persons about to Marry 204 - - XV. Penelope and her Suitors 212 - - XVI. Forgery 225 - - XVII. Club Law 236 - - XVIII. The Strictest Confidence 247 - - XIX. Dispatches 259 - - XX. Dawn in the East 276 - - XXI. Hospital 292 - - XXII. The Widow 303 - - XXIII. "Stop her" 309 - - XXIV. King Crack 323 - - XXV. "Dulce Domum" 333 - - XXVI. "Eudaemon" 347 - - XXVII. Flood and Field 360 - - XXVIII. "The Sad Sea Wave" 374 - - - - -GENERAL BOUNCE - -_OR, THE LADY AND THE LOCUSTS_ - - - - -CHAPTER I - -MY COUSIN - - AN ENGLISHMAN'S HOLIDAY--ST. SWITHIN'S IN A CALM--THE - MERCHANT'S AMBITION--"MON BEAU COUSIN"--CASTLES IN THE AIR--A - LIVELY CRAFT--"HAIRBLOWER" AND HIS COLD BATH - - -Much as we think of ourselves, and with all our boasted civilisation, -we Anglo-Saxons are but a half-barbarian race after all. Nomadic, -decidedly nomadic in our tastes, feelings, and pursuits, it is but the -moisture of our climate that keeps us in our own houses at all, and -like our Scandinavian ancestors (for in turf parlance we have several -crosses of the old Norse blood in our veins), we delight -periodically--that is, whenever we have a fortnight's dry weather--to -migrate from our dwellings, and peopling the whole of our own -sea-board, push our invading hordes over the greater part of Europe, -nor refrain from thrusting our outposts even into the heart of Asia, -till the astonished Mussulman, aghast at our vagaries, strokes his -placid beard, and with a blessing on his Prophet that he is not as we -are, soothes his disgust with a sentiment, so often repeated that in -the East it has become a proverb--viz. that "There is one devil, and -there are many devils; but there is _no_ devil like a Frank in a round -hat!" - -It was but last autumn that, stepping painfully into our tailor's -shop--for, alas! a course of London dinners cannot be persisted in, -season after season, without producing a decided tendency to gout in -the extremities--hobbling, then, into our tailor's warehouse, as he -calls it, we were measured by an unfledged jackanapes, whose voice we -had previously heard warning his brother fractions that "an old gent -was a waitin' inside," instead of that spruce foreman who, for more -years than it is necessary to specify, has known our girth to an inch, -and our weight to a pound. Fearful that in place of the grave habit of -broadcloth which we affect as most suitable to our age and manner, we -might find ourselves equipped in one of the many grotesque disguises -in which young gentlemen now-a-days deem it becoming to hide -themselves, and described by the jackanapes, aforesaid, who stepped -round us in ill-concealed admiration of our corpulence, as "a walking -coat, a riding coat, a smoking coat, or a coat _to go to the stable -in_!" we ventured to inquire for "the person we usually saw," and were -informed that "the gent as waited on us last year had gone for a few -months' holiday to the Heast." Heavens and earth, Mr. Bobstitch was -even then in Syria! What a Scandinavian! rather degenerate to be sure -in size and ferocity--though Bobstitch, being a little man, is -probably very terrible when roused--but yet no slight contrast to one -of those gaunt, grim, russet-bearded giants that made the despot of -the Lower Empire quake upon his throne. And yet Bobstitch was but -obeying the instinct which he inherits from the sea-kings his -ancestors, an instinct which in less adventurous souls than a tailor's -fills our watering-places to overflowing, and pours the wealth, while -it introduces the manners, of the capital into every bight and bay -that indents the shores of Britain. - -Doubtless the citizens are right. Let us, while we are in Scandinavian -vein, make use of an old Norse metaphor, and pressing into our service -the two Ravens of Odin, named Mind and Will, with these annihilate -time and space, so as to be, like the Irish orator's bird, "in two -places at once." Let us first of all take a retrospective glance at -Mrs. Kettering's house in Grosvenor Square, one of the best houses, by -the way, to be had in London for love or money. We recollect it well, -not so many years ago, lit up for one of those great solemnities which -novelists call "a rout," but which people in real life, equally -martially as well as metaphorically, designate "a drum." To us -creeping home along the pavement outside the _fete_, it seemed the -realisation of fairyland. Row upon row, glaring carriage-lamps, like -the fabulous monsters keeping watch, illuminated the square and -adjoining streets, even to the public-house round the corner, that -night driving a highly remunerative trade; whilst on a nearer -inspection magnificent horses (horses, like ladies, look most -beautiful by candle-light), gorgeous carriages--none of your Broughams -and Clarences, but large, roomy, well-hung family coaches, with -cartoons of heraldry on the panels--gigantic footmen, and fat -coachmen, struck the beholder with admiration not totally unmixed with -awe. Then the awning that was to admit the privileged to the inner -realms of this earthly paradise, of which the uninitiated might know -but the exterior; what a gauzy, gaudy transparency it was, no -unfitting portal to that upper storey, from which the golden light was -hardly veiled by jalousies and window-blinds. Ever and anon, much -lashing of bay, brown, or chestnut sufferers, and the interference of -a tall policeman, with a hat made on purpose to be assaulted by -bludgeons, betokened the arrival of a fresh party, and angelic beings -in white robes, with glossy hair, tripped daintily up the steps over a -cloth, not of gold exactly, but of horse-hair, amongst a phalanx of -unwashed faces, gazing half enviously at such loveliness in full -dress. How beautiful we used to think these apparitions as we plodded -home to our quiet chambers! but young Bareface, our connecting link -with the great world, who goes to all the _best_ places, through the -influence of his aunt, Lady Champfront, assures us they don't look -half so beautiful inside, and that he sees quite as pretty faces, and -hair quite as nicely done, at the little gatherings in Russell Square -and Bloomsbury, to which even we might go if we liked. A radical dog! -we don't believe a word of it. Never mind, let us look at that house -in the dead time of year. Without and within, from attics to basement, -from the balcony facing the square to the empty bird-cage overlooking -a precipice of offices at the back, Repose and Ennui reign supreme. -Were it not for the knocking of the workmen next door, we might as -well be in the Great Desert. There _is_, we presume, a woman in -possession, but she has gone to "get the beer," and if you have ever -sighed for a town-house, now is the time to be satisfied with your -rustic lot, and to hug yourself that you are not paying ground-rent -and taxes, church-rate, poor's-rate, and water-rate, drainage, -lighting, and paving, for that ghastly palace of soot and cobwebs, -dust, dreariness, and decay. There is a scaffolding up in every third -house in the square; and workmen in paper caps, with foot-rules -sticking out of their fustian trousers, and complexions ingrained with -lime-dust, and guiltless of fresh water, seem to be the only -inhabitants of this deserted region, and even they are "between earth -and heaven." Brown and parched are the unfortunate shrubs in those -gardens of which discontented householders "round the corner" covet so -to possess a key; and the very birds, sparrows, every feather of 'em, -hop about in dirty suits of plumage that can only be described as of -that colour unknown to naturalists, which other people call "grimy." -Who would be in London in the autumn? Not Mrs. Kettering, certainly, -if she might be elsewhere; and although she had possessed this -excellent and commodious family mansion, with all its boudoirs, -retreats, and appurtenances, so well described in the advertisement, -but a short time, and was not the giver of that "reunion of -fashionables" we have depicted above (indeed, the hostess of that -evening has since been economising up two pair of stairs at Antwerp); -yet Mrs. Kettering having plenty of money, and being able to do what -she liked, had wisely moved herself, her fancies, her imperials, and -her family to the coast, where, obeying the instinct for freedom that -has driven Bobstitch to the desert, she was idly inhaling the salt -breezes of the Channel, and dazzling her eyes with the sun-glint that -sparkled over its dancing waves. - -Some few years have elapsed since the events took place which we shall -endeavour to describe; but the white cliffs of our island change -little with the lapse of time, though the sea does make its -encroachments ever and anon when the wind has been blowing pretty -steady from the south-west for a fortnight or so, and the same scene -may be witnessed any fine day towards the middle of August as that -which we are about to contrast with the dulness, closeness, and -confinement of the great town-house in Grosvenor Square. - -First, we must imagine a real summer's day, such a day as in our -island we seldom enjoy till summer has well-nigh given place to -autumn, but which, when it does come, is worth waiting for. Talk of -climate! a real fine day in England, like a really handsome -Englishwoman, beats creation. Well, we must imagine one of these -bright, hot, hay-making days, almost too warm and dusty ashore, but -enjoyable beyond conception on the calm and oily waves, unruffled by -the breeze, and literally as smooth as glass. A sea-bird occasionally -dips her wing on the surface, and then flaps lazily away, as if she -too was as much inclined to go to sleep as yonder moveless fleet of -lugger, brig, bark, and schooner, with their empty sails, and their -heads all round the compass. There is a warm haze towards the land, -and the white houses of St. Swithin's seem to glow and sparkle in the -heat, whilst to seaward a modified sort of mirage would make one fancy -one could plainly distinguish the distant coast of France. - -Ashore, in those great houses, people are panting, and gasping, and -creating thorough draughts that fill their rooms with a small white -dust of a destructive tendency to all personal property. The children -up-stairs are running about in linen under-garments, somewhat more -troublesome than usual, with a settled flush on their little -peach-like cheeks, and the shining streets are deserted, save by the -perspiring pot-boy, and the fly-men drinking beer in their shirt -sleeves. Only afloat is there a chance of being cool; and -sailing-boat, gig, dinghy, and cobble, all are in requisition for the -throng of amateur mariners, rushing like ducklings to the refreshing -element. - -It was on just such a day as this that Mrs. Kettering found it -extremely difficult to "trim the boat." A mile or so from the shore, -that boat was slowly progressing, impelled by the unequal strength of -her nephew Charles, commonly called "Cousin Charlie," and its worthy -proprietor, a fine specimen of the genus "seaman," who certainly had -a Christian name, and probably a patronymic, but had sunk both -distinctions under the sobriquet of "Hairblower," by which appellation -alone he was acknowledged by gentle and simple, bold and timid, -delicate ladies and bluff fishermen, along many a mile of sea-board, -up and down from St. Swithin's. - -"The least thing further, Master Charles," said Hairblower, ever and -anon pulling the stripling's efforts round with one hand. "Don't ye -disturb, madam--don't ye move, Miss Blanche; it's not _your_ weight -that makes her roll." And again he moistened the large, strong hand, -and turned to look out ahead. - -In vain Mrs. Kettering shut up her parasol, and shifted her seat; in -vain she disposed her ample figure, first in one uncomfortable -position, then in another; she could _not_ "trim the boat," and the -reason was simple enough. Mrs. Kettering's weight was that of a lady -who had all her life been "a fine woman," and was now somewhat past -maturity; whilst her daughter and only child, "Blanche," the occupant -of the same bench, had but just arrived at that period when the girl -begins to lengthen out into the woman, and the slight, lanky figure, -not without a grace peculiar to itself, is nevertheless as delicate as -a gossamer, and as thin as its own gauzy French bonnet. - -Mother and daughter were but little alike, save in their sweet and -rather languid tone of voice--no trifling charm in that sex which is -somewhat prone, especially under excitement, to pitch its organ in too -high a key. Mrs. Kettering was dark and brown of complexion, with -sparkling black eyes, and a rich colour, much heightened by the heat. -Not very tall in stature, but large and square of frame, well-filled -out besides by a good appetite, a good digestion, and, though nervous -and excitable, a good temper. Blanche, on the contrary, with her long -violet eyes, her curving dark eyelashes, and golden-brown hair, was so -slight of frame and delicate of tint as to warrant her mother's -constant alarm for her health; not that there was any real cause for -anxiety, but mamma loved to fidget, if not about "dear Blanche," about -something belonging to her; and failing these, had a constant fund of -worry in the exploits and escapades of graceless "Cousin Charlie." - -"Now, Charlie, my own dear boy" (Mrs. K. was very fond of Charlie), "I -know you must be over-heating yourself--nothing so bad for growing -lads. Mr. Hairblower, _pray_ don't let him row so hard." - -"Gammon, aunt," was Charlie's irreverent reply. "Wait till we get her -head round with the flood; we'll make her speak to it, won't we, -Hairblower?" - -"Well, Master Charles," said the jolly tar, "I think as you and me -could pull her head under, pretty nigh,--howsoever, we be fairish off -for time, and the day's young yet." - -"Blanche, Blanche!" suddenly exclaimed Mrs. Kettering, "look at the -weed just beyond that buoy--the alga, what's its name, we were reading -about yesterday. Charlie, of course _you_ have forgotten. I shall soon -be obliged to get a finishing governess for you, Blanche." - -"Oh no, dearest mamma," said the young girl, in her soft, sweet voice, -which always drew Hairblower's eyes, in speechless admiration, to her -gentle countenance. "I could never learn with any one but you; and -then she might be cross, mamma, and I should hate her so after you!" -And Blanche took her mother's plump, tightly-gloved hand between her -own, and looked up in her face with such a fond, bewitching -expression, that it was no wonder mamma doted on her, and Hairblower -and "Cousin Charlie" too. - -Mrs. Kettering was one of those people whose superabundant energy must -have a certain number of objects whereon to expend itself. Though a -pleasant, cheerful woman, she was decidedly _blue_--that is to say, -besides being a good musician, linguist, draughtswoman, and worsted -worker, she had a few ideas, not very correct, upon ancient history, a -superficial knowledge of modern literature, thought Shakespeare -_vulgar_ and Milton _dry_, with a smattering of the 'ologies, and -certain theories concerning chemistry, which, if reduced to practice, -would have made her a most unsafe occupant for a ground-floor. With -these advantages, and her sunny, pleasant temper, she taught Blanche -_everything_ herself; and if the young lady was not quite so learned -as some of her associates, she had at least the advantage of a -mother's companionship and tuition, and was as far removed as possible -from that most amusing specimen of affectation, an English girl who -has formed her manner on that of a French governess. - -Mrs. Kettering had gone through her share of troubles in her youth, -and being of a disposition by no means despondent, was rather happy -under difficulties than otherwise. We do not suppose she married her -first love: we doubt if women often do, except in novels; and the late -Mr. K. was a gentleman of an exterior certainly more respectable than -romantic. His manners were abrupt and commercial, but his name at the -back of a bill was undeniable. The lady whom he wooed and won was old -enough to know her own mind; nor have we reason to suppose but that in -pleasing him she pleased herself. Many a long year they toiled and -amassed, and old Kettering attended closely to business, though he -never showed his books to his wife; and Mrs. Kettering exercised her -diplomacy in migrating once every five years further and further -towards "the West End." Their last house but one was in Tyburnia, and -then old Kettering put a finishing stroke to his business, made a shot -at indigo which landed him more thousands than our modest ideas can -take in, and enabling him to occupy that mansion in Grosvenor Square -which looked so dull in the autumn, placed Mrs. Kettering at once on -the pedestal she had all her life been sighing to attain;--perhaps she -was disappointed when she got there. However that may be, the -enterprising merchant himself obtained little by his new residence, -save a commodious vault belonging to it in a neighbouring church, in -which his remains were soon after deposited, and a tablet, pure and -unblemished as his own commercial fame, erected to his memory by his -disconsolate widow. How disconsolate she was, poor woman! for a time, -with her affectionate nature: but then her greatest treasure, Blanche, -was left; and her late husband, as the most appropriate mark of his -confidence and esteem, bequeathed the whole of his property, personal -and otherwise, to his well-beloved wife, so the blow was to a certain -degree softened, and Mrs. Kettering looked uncommonly radiant and -prosperous even in her weeds. - -Now, it is very pleasant and convenient to have a large property left -you at your own disposal, more especially when you are blessed with a -child on whom you dote, to succeed you when you have no further -occasion for earthly treasure; and, in the eyes of the world, this was -Mrs. Kettering's agreeable lot. The eyes of the world, as usual, could -not look into the cupboard where the skeleton was; but our poor widow, -or rather our rich widow, was much hampered by the shape which no one -else knew to exist. - -The fact is, old Mr. Kettering had a crotchet. Being a rich man, he -had a right to a dozen; but he was a sensible, quiet old fellow, and -he contented himself with one. Now, this crotchet was the invincible -belief that he, John Kettering, was the lineal male representative of -one of the oldest families in England. How he came to have lost the -old Norman features and appearance, or how it happened that such a -lofty descent should have merged in his own person as junior clerk to -a large City counting-house, he never troubled himself to inquire; he -was satisfied that the oldest blood in Europe coursed through his -veins, and with the pedigree he supposed himself to possess (though -its traces were unfortunately extinct), he might marry whom he -pleased. As we have seen, he did marry a very personable lady; but, -alas! she gave him no male heir. Under a female succession, all his -toil, all his astuteness, all his money, would not raise the family -name to the proud position he believed its due. He could not bear the -idea of it; and he never really loved poor Blanche half so much as -that engaging child deserved. When all chance of a son was hopeless, -he resolved to bring up and educate his only brother's orphan child, a -handsome little boy, whose open brow and aristocratic lineaments won -the old man's favour from the first. - -"Cousin Charlie," in consequence, became an inmate of the Kettering -family, and was usually supposed by strangers to be the elder brother -of pretty little Blanche. - -These intentions, however, were kept a dead secret; and the children -knew as little as children generally do of their future prospects, or -the path chalked out for them through life. With all his fancied -importance, old Kettering was a good, right-feeling man; and although -it is our belief that he revoked and destroyed several testamentary -documents, he ended by leaving everything to his wife, in her own -power, as he worded it, "in testimony of his esteem for her character, -and confidence in her affection,"--previously exacting from her a -solemn promise that she would eventually bequeath the bulk of her -wealth to his nephew, should the lad continue to behave well, and -_like a gentleman_--making a provision for Blanche at her own -discretion, but not exceeding one-eighth of the whole available -property. - -The testator did not long survive his final arrangements. And though -her promise cost his widow many a sleepless night, she never dreamed -of breaking it, nor of enriching her darling child at the expense of -her nephew. - -Mrs. Kettering was a woman all over, and we will not say the idea of -uniting the two cousins had not entered her mind; on the contrary, -brought up together as they were, she constantly anticipated this -consummation as a delightful release from her conflicts between duty -and inclination. She was, besides, very fond of "Cousin Charlie," and -looked eagerly forward to the day when she might see this "charming -couple," as she called them, fairly married and settled. With all -these distractions, it is no wonder that Mrs. Kettering, who, though a -bustling, was an undecided woman, could never quite make up her mind -to complete her will. It was a matter of the greatest importance; so -first she made it, and then tore it up, and then constructed a fresh -one, which she omitted to sign until things were more certain, and -eventually mislaid; while, in the meantime, Blanche and "Cousin -Charlie" were growing up to that age at which young people, more -especially in matters of love-making, are pretty resolutely determined -to have a will of their own. - -The bridegroom presumptive, however, was one of those young gentlemen -in whose heads or hearts the idea of marriage is only contemplated as -a remote possibility, and a dreaded termination to a life of -enjoyment--in much the same light as that in which the pickpocket -views transportation beyond the seas. He believes it to be the common -lot of mankind, but that it may be indefinitely postponed with a -little circumspection, and in some cases of rare good fortune even -eluded altogether. - -It is curious to observe at what an early age the different instincts -of the sexes develop themselves in children. Little Miss can scarcely -waddle before she shoulders a doll, which she calls her baby, and on -which she lavishes much maternal care, not without certain wholesome -correction. From her earliest youth, the abstract idea of wife and -motherhood is familiar to her mind; and to be married, though she -knows not what it is, as natural and inevitable a destiny as to learn -music and have a governess. Young Master, on the contrary, has no idea -of being a "pater familias." His notion of being grown up is totally -unconnected with housekeeping. When "he is a man, he means to be a -soldier, or a sailor, or a pastry-cook--he will have a gun and -hunters, and go all day to the stable, and eat as much as he chooses, -and drink port wine like papa;" but to bring up children of his own, -and live in one place, is the very last thing he dreams of. "Cousin -Charlie" entertained the usual notions of his kind. Although an -orphan, he had never known the want of a parent--uncle and aunt -Kettering supplying him with as kind and indulgent a father and mother -as a spoilt little boy could desire. And although he had his childish -sorrows, such as parting from Blanche, going to school, being whipped -according to his deserts when there, and thus smuggled through that -amusing work, the Latin Grammar; yet, altogether, his life was as -happy as any other child's of his own age, on whom health, and love, -and plenty had shone from the day of its birth. - -Of course, old John Kettering sent him to Eton, that most aristocratic -of schools, where Charlie learnt to swim--no mean accomplishment; -arrived at much perfection in his "wicket-keeping" and "hitting to the -leg," as, indeed, he deserved, for the powers of application he -evinced in the study of cricket; was taught to "feather an oar" in a -method which the London watermen pronounced extremely inefficient; and -acquired a knack of construing Horace into moderately bad English, -with a total disregard for the ideas, habits, prejudices, and -intentions of that courtly bard. Of course, too, he was destined for -the army. With _his_ prospects, in what other profession could he get -through his allowance, and acquire gentlemanlike habits of -extravagance in what is termed good society? Old Kettering wanted to -make his nephew a gentleman--that was it. When asked how Charlie was -getting on at Eton, and what he learnt there, the uncle invariably -replied, "Learn, sir! why, he'll learn to be a gentleman." - -It is a matter for conjecture whether the worthy merchant was capable -of forming an opinion as to the boy's progress in this particular -study, or whether he was himself a very good judge of the variety he -so much admired. Our own idea is, that neither birth, nor riches, nor -education, nor manner, suffice to constitute a gentleman; and that -specimens are to be found at the plough, the loom, and the -forge, in the ranks, and before the mast, as well as in the -officers' mess-room, the learned professions, and the Upper House -itself. To our fancy, a gentleman is courteous, kindly, brave, and -high-principled--considerate towards the weak, and self-possessed -amongst the strong. High-minded and unselfish, "he does to others as -he would they should do unto him," and shrinks from the meanness of -taking advantage of his neighbour, man or woman, friend or foe, as he -would from the contamination of cowardice, duplicity, tyranny, or any -other blackguardism. "_Sans peur et sans reproche_"--he has a "lion's -courage with a woman's heart"; and such a one, be he in a peer's robes -or a ploughman's smock--backing before his sovereign or delving for -his bread--we deem a very Bayard for chivalry--a very Chesterfield for -good breeding and good sense. We are old-fashioned though in our -ideas, and doubtless our sentiments may be dubbed slow by the young, -and vulgar by the great. Still, even these dissentients would, we -think, have been satisfied with "Cousin Charlie's" claims to be -considered a "gentleman." - -Nature had been beforehand with old Kettering, and had made him one of -her own mould. Not all the schools in Europe could have spoiled or -improved him in that particular. And his private tutor's lady -discovered this quality, with all a woman's intuitive tact, the very -first evening he spent at the vicarage of that reverend Crichton, who -prepared young gentlemen of fifteen years and upwards for _both_ the -universities and _all_ the professions. - -"What do you think of the new pupil, my dear?" said Mr. Nobottle to -his wife--a dean's daughter, no less!--as he drew up the connubial -counterpane to meet the edge of his night-cap. "He was a wild lad, I -hear, at Eton. I am afraid we shall have some trouble with him." - -"Not a bit of it," was the reply; "he is a gentleman every inch of -him. I saw it at once by the way he helped Tim in with his -portmanteau. Binks, of course, was out of the way,--and that reminds -me, Mr. Nobottle, you never _will_ speak to that man,--what's the use -of having a butler? And then, he's such a remarkably good-looking -boy--but I daresay you're half asleep already." - -And, sure enough, patient Joseph Nobottle was executing a prolonged -and marital snore. - -Mrs. Nobottle found no occasion to recant her predictions; and Charlie -was now spending his summer vacation with Mrs. Kettering at St. -Swithin's. - -We have left the party so long in their boat, that they have had ample -time to "trim" or sink her. Neither of these events, however, took -place; and after pulling round a Swedish brig, an enormous tub, very -_wholesome_-looking, as Hairblower said, and holding a polyglot -conversation with an individual in a red night-cap, who grinned at the -ladies, and offered them "schnapps," they turned the little craft's -head towards the shore, and taking "the flood," as Charlie had -previously threatened, bent themselves to their work, and laid out -upon their oars in a style that satisfied even the seaman, and -enraptured the lad. - -"What a dear boy it is!" thought Mrs. Kettering, as she looked at -Charlie's open countenance, and his fair golden curls, blowing about -his face, browned by the weather to a rich manly hue, and lit up with -the excitement and exercise of his work. Many qualms of conscience -crossed Mrs. Kettering's mind, in the transit of that mile and a half -of blue water which sparkled between "the Swede" and the shore. Much -she regretted her want of decision and habits of delay in not -completing the important document that should at once make that -handsome boy the head of his family; and firmly she resolved that not -another week should pass without a proper consultation of the -universal refuge, "her family man-of-business," and a further legal -drawing-up of her last will and testament. Then she remembered she had -left one unfinished, that would make an excellent rough draft for the -future document; then she wondered where she had put it; and then she -thought what a husband the handsome cousin would make for her own -beautiful girl; and rapidly her ideas followed each other, till, in -her mind's eye, she saw the wedding--the bridesmaids--the -procession--the breakfast--and, though last, not least, the very -bonnet, not too sombre, which she herself should wear on the occasion. - -Not one word did Mrs. Kettering hear of a long-winded story with which -Hairblower was delighting Blanche and Charlie; and which, as it seemed -to create immense interest and sympathy in his young listeners, and -is, besides, a further example of the general superstition of sailors -as to commencing any undertaking on a Friday, we may as well give, as -nearly as possible, in his own words. - -"Blown, Master Charles?" said the good-humoured seaman, in answer to a -question from hard-working Charlie. "Blown? Not a bit of it; nor yet -tired; nor you neither. I _was_ a bit bamboozled though once somewhere -hereaway. It's a good many years past now; but I don't think as _I_ -shall ever forget it. If you'd like to hear it, Miss Blanche, I'll -tell it you, as well as I can. You see, it was rather a 'circumstance' -from beginning to end. Well, the fact is, I had built a smartish craft -very soon after I was out of my time, and me and a man we used to call -'Downright' went partners in her, and although maybe she was a trifle -crank, and noways useful for stowage, we had pretty good times with -her when the mackerel was early, and the prices pretty stiffish. But -there never was no real luck about her, and I'll tell ye how it was. -My uncle, he promised to help me with the money for her of a Friday. -She was put upon the stocks of a Friday--finished off of a -Friday--sailed her first trip of a Friday--and went down of a Friday; -so, as I say, Friday's the worst day, to my mind, in the whole week. -Well, the _Spanking Sally_--that's what we called her, Miss--always -carried a weather helm. And one day--it was a Friday, too--me and my -mate was coming in with a fairish cargo--Downright he said all along -she was over-deep in the water--with a light breeze from the -nor'-nor'-west, and the tide about half-flood, as it might be now. I -had just gone forward to look to the tackle, when the wind suddenly -shifted right on the other tack, and looking out down Channel, I saw -what was coming. Black, was it, Master Charlie? Not a bit; it was a -white one; and I knew then we should get it _hot and heavy_. It takes -something pretty cross to frighten _me_, but I own I didn't like the -looks of it. Well, afore I could douse foresail the squall took her. -She capsized, and down she went; and though me and Downright stood by -for a start to windward, we never knew exactly how it was till we -found ourselves grinning at each other over a spare oar that happened -to be on board when she misbehaved, for all the world like two boys -playing at see-saw with their mouths full of salt water. Downright he -was an older man, and not so strong as me; so when I saw two was no -company for one oar, I left it; and thinks I, if I can get off my -fisherman's boots and some of my clothes, I may have a swim for it -yet. - -"The squall was too soon over to get up anything like a sea, and -Downright he held on to his oar and struck out like a man. Well, what -between floating and treading water, I got most of things clear. I was -as strong as a bull then, and though it was a long swim for a man I -had before me, I never lost heart noway. Downright, too, kept on close -in my wake; we didn't say much, you may be sure, but I know _I_ -thought of his missus and four children. At last I hear him whisper -quite hoarse-like, 'Hairblower, it's no use, I be goin' down now!' And -when I turned on my back to look at him he was quite confused, and had -let the oar cast off altogether. I couldn't see it nowhere. I tried to -get alongside of him, but he was gone. I saw _the bubbles_ though, -and dived for him, but it was no use, and after that I held on alone. -The sun was getting down too, and queer fancies began to come into my -head about Downright. Sometimes I thought he was in heaven _then_, and -once I'll swear I heard something whisper to me, but I couldn't tell -what it said. The gulls, too, they began to stoop at me, and scream in -my ears; one long-winged 'un flapped me on the cheek, and for a bit I -scarcely knew whether I was dead or alive myself. At last, as I came -over the tops of the rollers, I saw the spars in the harbor, and the -chimneys at St. Swithin's, and for awhile I thought I should get home -after all, so I turned on my side to get my breath a bit. I ought to -have made a buoy, as I calculated, about this time, but seek where I -would, I couldn't see it nowhere, only looking down Channel to get my -bearings a little, I saw by the craft at anchor in the bay that the -tide was on the turn. My heart leapt into my mouth then. I had pulled -a boat often enough against the ebb hereabouts, and I knew how strong -it ran, and what my chance was, swimming, and nearly done too. First I -thought I'd go quietly down at once, like my mate did, and I said a -bit of a prayer, just inside like, and then I felt stronger, so I -thought what was best to be done; and says I, ''bout ship' now is our -only chance, and maybe we shall get picked up by some fishing craft, -or such like, afore we drift clean out to sea again. Well, the Lord's -above all, and though I thought once or twice I was pretty nigh out of -my mind, I _was_ picked up at last by a Frenchman. _He'd_ no call to -be where he was; I think he was there special, but I knew very little -about anything else, for I was in the hospital nine weeks afore I -could remember as much as I've told you. Howsoever, Friday's an -unlucky day, Miss Blanche, you may take your Bible oath of it." - -Hairblower did _not_ tell them that half his earnings as soon as he -got well went to the support of his mate's widow and her four -children; perhaps it was as well he did not, for Blanche's eyes were -already full of tears, and Charlie felt more than half inclined to -embrace the honest seaman, but a bump against the shingle disturbed -all their comments, at the same time that it broke through Mrs. -Kettering's day-dreams, and Blanche had hardly got as far as "Here we -are, mamma, and here's----" when she was interrupted by Cousin -Charlie's vociferous "Look alive, aunt. Hurrah! three cheers--who'd -have thought it? There's Frank Hardingstone!" - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE ABIGAIL - - BLANCHE'S BOUDOIR--A LADY'S LADY'S-MAID--MRS. KETTERING AT - LUNCHEON--AN HOUR'S PRACTICE--THE "MAN OF ACTION"--FOOD FOR THE - MIND--A FRIEND IN NEED--A VISIT TO DAVID JONES - - -Whilst Mr. Hardingstone offers an arm--and a good strong arm it is--to -each of the ladies, and assists them slowly up the toilsome shingle, -let us take advantage of Blanche's absence to peep into her pretty -room, where, as it is occupied only by Gingham, the maid, we need not -fear the fate of Actaeon as a punishment for our curiosity. - -It is indeed a sweet little retreat, with its chintz hangings and -muslin curtains, its open windows looking upon the shining Channel, -and all its etceteras of girlish luxury and refinement, that to us -poor old bachelors seem the very essence of ladylike comfort. In one -corner stands the book-case, by which we may discover the pretty -proprietor's taste, at least in literature. Divers stiffish volumes on -the sciences repose comfortably enough, as if they had not often been -disturbed, and although scrupulously dusted, were but seldom opened; -but on the sofa, near that full-length glass, a new novel lies upon -its face, with a paper-cutter inserted at that critical page where the -heroine refuses her lover (in blank verse), on the high-minded -principle that he is not sufficiently poor to test her sincerity, or -sufficiently sensible to know his own mind, or some equally valid and -uncomplimentary reason--a consideration for the male sex, we may -remark _en passant_, that is more common in works of fiction than in -real life--while on the table a drawing-room scrap-book opens of -itself at some thrilling lines addressed "To a Debutante," and -commencing, "Fair girl, the priceless gems upon thy brow," by an -anonymous nobleman, who betrays in the composition a wide range of -fancy and a novel application of several English words. Flowers are -disposed in one or two common glass vases, with a womanly taste that -makes the apartment in that hired house like a home; and loose music, -of the double-action pianoforte school, scatters itself about every -time the door opens, in a system of fluttering disorder, which -provokes Gingham to express audibly her abhorrence of a place that is -"all of a litter." "She can't a-bear it--can you, Bully?" smirks the -Abigail; and Blanche's pet bullfinch, the darling of her very heart, -makes an enormous chest, and whistles his reply in the opening notes -of "Haste to the wedding!" breaking off abruptly in the middle of the -second bar. Gingham is very busy, for she is putting Blanche's "things -to rights," which means that she is looking over the young lady's -wardrobe with a view to discovering those colours and garments most -becoming to her own rather bilious complexion, and losing no -opportunity of acquainting herself with Blanche's likes, dislikes, -feelings, and disposition, by reading her books, opening her letters, -and peeping into her album. - -Now, Gingham had been with Mrs. Kettering for many years, and was a -most trustworthy person; so her mistress affirmed and thought. -Certainly, with all her weaknesses and faults, she was devotedly -attached to Miss Blanche; and it is our firm belief that she loved her -young lady, in her heart of hearts, better than her perquisites, her -tea, or even a certain Tom Blacke, whose dashing appearance and -assured vulgarity had made no slight impression on her too susceptible -feelings. "Every Jack has his Gill," if he and she can only find each -other out at the propitious moment; and although the Gill in question -_owned_ to two-and-thirty, was by no means transparent in complexion, -and had projecting teeth, and a saffron-coloured front, yet she was no -exception to the beautiful law of nature, which provides for every -variety of our species a mate of fitting degree. - -When a lady confines herself studiously to the house, avoids active -exercise, and partakes heartily of five meals a day, not to mention -strong tea and hot buttered toast at odd times, the presumption is, -that her health will suffer from the effects of such combined -hardships. With patients of Gingham's class, the attack generally -flies to the nerves, and the system becomes wrought up to such a pitch -that nothing appears to afford the sufferer relief, except piercing -screams and violent demonstrations of alarm upon slight and often -imaginary occasions. Gingham would shriek as loudly to encounter a -live mouse as Mrs. Kettering would have done to face a raging lion; -and an unexpected meeting with any individual, even residing in the -same house, was apt to produce a flutter of spirits and prostration of -intellect, truly surprising to those who are unacquainted with the -delicate organisation of a real lady's-maid _not_ on board wages. In -this critical condition, Mrs. Gingham, on the first evening of her -arrival at St. Swithin's, "got a start," as she expressed it, which -influenced the whole destiny of her after life. Coming down from -dressing her lady, she wended her way, as usual, to "the room," that -sanctum in which the etiquette of society is far more rigidly enforced -than up-stairs, and to which "plush and powder" would find it far more -difficult to obtain the entree than into master's study or "missus's" -boudoir. Expecting to see nothing more formidable than the butler, -Gingham's alarm can be more easily imagined than described, when on -entering this privileged apartment, she found its only occupant a -goodish-looking, flashily-dressed young man, "taking a glass of sherry -and a biscuit," and making himself very much at home. - -A suppressed scream and sudden accession of faintness made it -imperative on the new arrival to exert himself, and by the time they -had got to "Goodness! how you frightened me, sir," and "Dear _Miss_, I -beg a thousand pardings!" they became very good friends, and the timid -fair one was prevailed on to sit down and partake of the refreshments -hospitably provided by the butler at his mistress's expense. - -Tom Blacke very soon informed the lady that "he was assistant to a -professional gentleman" (in plain English an attorney's clerk), and -had merely looked in to see if the house was let, to inform his -employer. "I am very unhappy, miss, to have been the cause of alarming -of you so, and I trust you will look over it, and may feel no ill -effects from the haccident." To which Gingham, who was a lady of -elaborate politeness, as became her station, and, moreover, much -mollified by the constant use of the juvenile title "Miss," -courteously replied that, "Indeed, it had given her _quite a turn_, -but she could not regret a meeting that had introduced her to such a -polite acquaintance." So they parted with many "good evenings," and an -openly expressed hope that they should meet again. - -Tom Blacke was a scamp of the first water, but not deficient in -shrewdness, to which his professional pursuits added a certain amount -of acquired cunning. He naturally reflected that the sensitive, -middle-aged dame whom he had thus alarmed and soothed was probably an -old and esteemed servant of the family at No. 9. The whole -arrangements looked like being "well-to-do." The butler poured out -sherry as if it was small beer, and probably in such an establishment -the confidential maid might have saved a pretty bit of money, to -which, even encumbered with the lady in question, Tom Blacke would -have had no earthly objection. He was, as he said himself, "open to a -match," and being a rosy, dark-whiskered fellow, with good teeth and -consummate assurance, though he never looked at _you_ till you had -done looking at _him_, he resolved to lay siege forthwith to the heart -of Mrs. Gingham. A nervous temperament is usually susceptible; and -though her fingers are occupied in folding Blanche's handkerchiefs, -and "putting away" her gloves, shoes, and etceteras, the Abigail's -thoughts are even now far away round the corner, up two pair of -stairs, in the office with Tom Blacke. - -"Goodness gracious! Missus's bell!" exclaims Gingham, with a start, as -if she had _not_ expected that summons at its usual time--viz. when -Mrs. Kettering came in to shake her feathers before luncheon--and she -runs down, palpitating as if the house were on fire. Though we must -not stay to see Blanche take her bonnet off and smooth those sunny -ringlets, we may go and wait for her in the luncheon-room, to which -she is soon heard tripping merrily down, with even brighter eyes than -usual, perhaps from the excitement of meeting Cousin Charles's friend, -Mr. Hardingstone, whom sly Blanche knows but very little, and with -whom she is consequently extremely diffident, notwithstanding the -deference of his manner, and the respectful, almost admiring tone in -which he always addresses the young girl. - -"Blanche, have you fed Bully? and practised your music? and read your -history? Women should never neglect history. And looked for the name -of that weed, whilst we think of it? and shall I give you some -chicken?" said Mrs. Kettering, without waiting for an answer, as she -sat down to a very comfortable repast about three o'clock in the -afternoon, which she called luncheon, but which was by no means a bad -imitation of a good dinner. - -"No, dear mamma," said Blanche; "besides, it's too hot for lessons; -but tell me, mamma, what did Mr. Hardingstone mean about a mermaid, -when he whispered to 'Cousin Charlie,' and Charlie laughed?" - -"A mermaid, Blanche? pooh! nonsense; there's no such animal. But that -reminds me--don't forget to look over that beautiful thing of -Tennyson's; girls should always be 'up' in modern literature. Do you -know, Blanche, I don't quite like Mr. Hardingstone." - -"O mamma," said Blanche, "such a friend of Charlie's--I'm sure we -ought to like him; and I'm sure he likes _us_; what a way he came down -through that horrid shingle to help you out of the boat; and did you -see, mamma, what nice thin boots he had on? I think I should like him -very much if we knew him better. Not so much as 'Cousin Charlie,'" -added the young girl, reflectively, "or dear darling Hairblower. How -shocking it was when his partner went down, mamma. Did you hear that -story? But I am sure Mr. Hardingstone is very good-natured." - -"That reminds me, my dear," said Mrs. Kettering, who was getting -rather flushed towards the end of the chicken; "I do hope that boy has -not gone to bathe: I am always afraid about water. Blanche, hand me -the sherry; and, my dear, I must order some bottled porter for -_you_--you are very pale in this hot weather; but I am always fidgety -about Charlie when he is bathing." - -From the conversation recorded above, we may gather that Mrs. -Kettering, who, as we have said, was inclined to be nervous, was -rapidly becoming so upon one or two important points. In the first -place, with all a mother's pride in her daughter's beauty, she could -not be blind to the general admiration excited thereby, nor could she -divest herself of certain misgivings that Blanche would not long -remain to be the solace of her widowhood, but that, to use her own -expression, she was "sure to be _snapped up_ before she was old enough -to know her own mind." The consequence was, that Mrs. Kettering -much mistrusted all her male acquaintance under the age of -old-fellow-hood--a period of life which, in these days of "wonderfully -young-looking men," seems indefinitely postponed; and regarded every -well-dressed, well-whiskered biped as a possible subverter of her -schemes, and a probable rival to "Cousin Charlie"; she kept him at -bay, accordingly, with a coldness and reserve quite foreign to her own -cordial and demonstrative nature. Frank Hardingstone she could not -dislike, do what she would. And we are bound to confess that she was -less guarded in her encouragement of that gentleman than of any other -male visitor who appeared in the afternoons at No. 9, to leave a small -bit of glazed paste-board, with an inward thanksgiving for his escape -from a morning visit, or to utter incontrovertible platitudes while he -smoothed his hat on his coat-sleeve, and glanced ever and anon at the -clock on the chimney-piece, for the earliest moment at which, with -common decency, he might take his departure. - -Then the safety and soundness of Blanche's heart was scarcely more a -matter of anxiety than that of Charlie's body; and the boy seemed to -take a ghastly delight in placing himself constantly in situations of -imminent bodily peril. Active and high-spirited, he was perpetually -climbing inaccessible places, shooting with dangerous guns, riding -wild hacks, overheating himself in matches against time, and, greatest -anxiety of all, performing aquatic feats--the principal result of his -Eton education--_out of his depth_, as his aunt observed with -emphasis, which were totally inexcusable as manifest temptations of -fate. - -He was now gone off on an expedition with his friend and senior, -Hardingstone; but well did Mrs. Kettering know that yonder blue, -cool-looking sea would be an irresistible temptation, and that her -nephew would "bundle in," as he called it, to a moral certainty, the -instant he got away from the prying gaze of the town. - -"In the meantime," thought she, "it's a comfort to have Blanche safe -at her studies; there is nothing like occupation for the mind to keep -foolish fancies out of a young girl's head; so bring your books down -here, my love," she added, aloud, "and after we have read the last act -of 'Don Carlos,' you can practise your music, while I rest myself a -little on the sofa." - -With all its beauties, "Don Carlos" is a work of which a few pages go -a long way, when translated into their own vernacular by two ladies -who have but a slight acquaintance with the German language; and -Blanche soon tired of the princely step-son's more than filial -affection, and the guttural warmth with which it is expressed; so she -drew mamma's sofa to the open window, shut the door to keep her out of -the draught, and sat down to her pianoforte with an arch "Good-night, -mammy; you won't hear any of my mistakes, so I shall play my lesson -over as fast as ever I can." - -Snore away, honest Mrs. Kettering, in the happy conviction that you -have given your daughter ample occupation of mind, to say nothing of -fingers, in the execution of those black-looking pages, so trying to -the temper and confusing to the ear. Snore away, and believe that her -thoughts and affections are as much under your control as her little -body used to be, when you put her to bed with your own hands, and she -said her innocent prayers on your knee. So you all think of your -children; so you all deceive yourselves, and are actually surprised -when symptoms of wilfulness or insubordination appear in your own -families, though you have long warned your neighbours that "boys will -be boys," or "girls are always thoughtless," when they have complained -to you of their parental disappointments and disgusts. You think you -know your children--you, who can scarce be said to know _yourself_. -The bright boy at your side, who calls you by the endearing -appellation of "the governor," you fondly imagine he is drinking in -those words of wisdom in which you are laying down rules for his -future life of frugality, usefulness, and content. Not a bit of it. He -is thinking of his pony and his tick at the pie-shop, which will make -a sad hole in the sovereign you will probably present to him on his -return to Mr. Birch's. - -You describe in well-chosen language the miseries of a -"bread-and-cheese" marriage to your eldest daughter, a graceful girl, -whose fair, open brow you think would well become a coronet, and she -seems to listen with all attention to your maxims, and to agree -cordially with "dear papa," in worldly prudence, and an abhorrence of -what you call "bad style of men." When her mother, with flushed -countenance and angry tones, despatches you to look for her to-night -between the quadrilles, ten to one but you find her in the tea-room -with Captain Clank, "that odious man without a sixpence," as your -energetic spouse charitably denominates him. And yet, as child after -child spreads its late-fledged wings, and forsakes the shelter of the -parental nest, you go on hoping that the next, and still the next, -will make amends to you for all the shortcomings of its seniors, till -the youngest--the Benjamin--the darling of your old age--the treasure -that was, indeed, to be your "second self"--takes flight after the -rest, and you feel a dreary void at your heart, and a solemn, sad -conviction that the best and holiest affections of an earthly nature -are insufficient for its happiness--that there must be something -better to come when everything here turns to heart-ache and -disappointment. - -But Blanche will not think so for many a long day yet. Though the -minims and crotchets and flats and sharps were mixed up in sadly -puzzling confusion, not a frown of impatience crossed that pure, open -brow. Blanche's own thoughts were a panacea for all the provocations -that the stiffest piece of musico-mechanism, or mechanical music, -could inflict. It is a task beyond our powers to detail the vague -ideas and shadowy dreams that chased each other through that glossy -little head; nor have we any business to try. A young girl's brain is -a page of poetry, without rhyme certainly, probably without much -reason, but poetry notwithstanding. Before the world has lost its -gloss of novelty, that gloss which is like the charm that dazzled the -eyes of their mortal visitors, and made the fairies' straws and -withered leaves and cobwebs look like purple hangings, and tapestry, -and ivory, and gold--before life has borne away much to regret, and -sin brought much to repent of--before the fruit has been plucked which -still hangs from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, there is a -positive pleasure in the mere act of thinking; and that intellectual -luxury Blanche enjoyed to the utmost, whilst her fingers were tripping -over the pianoforte keys, and Mrs. Kettering was snoring comfortably -on the sofa. - -Now, Frank Hardingstone was prime favourite and _beau ideal_ with -"Cousin Charlie," who, like all boys, had selected an idol a few years -older than himself, and clothed him with those imaginary attributes -which youth considers essential to constitute a hero. Frank was a -country gentleman, in possession of his property at the early age of -five-and-twenty, and, truth to tell, somewhat bored with his position. -If we were to describe him, we should say he was "a man of action" -rather than "a man of feeling," or "a man of business," or "a man of -refinement," or "a man of pleasure," or a man of anything else. He -looked energetic too, and vigorous, with his brown healthy complexion, -his open forehead, clear penetrating eye, and short clustering hair -and whiskers. Had he been the least thing of a coxcomb in dress or -manner, the ladies would have voted him very handsome; but he was -plain to simplicity in his attire, and rather abrupt in his address, -so they abused him amongst themselves, but were very civil to him -notwithstanding. The men, particularly the sporting ones, who are -always ready with their judgments and opinions, pronounced that he -"looked a good one all over," alluding, as we understand the phrase, -not so much to his virtue as his corporeal powers, and capability of -resisting fatigue. We are not so far removed from a state of barbarism -in the present day as we are prone to flatter ourselves. When young -King James called the grim old Douglas "his Graysteil," that royal -heart was attached to Earl Angus for his magnificent frame, skill in -feats of arms and efforts of strength, not for the giant's wisdom, -which was doubtful, or his honesty, which was entirely negative; and -so amongst any assemblage of young gentlemen now in the nineteenth -century, the quality which excites most admiration seems to be a -certain combination of activity and recklessness, which they call -_hardness_. "Was Rakes in time for parade?"--"Oh yes, he drank four -bottles of claret, and never went to bed--he's a deuced _hard_ fellow, -Rakes" (applause). "Was Captain Cropper hurt when he tumbled over -that gate and broke his horse's neck?"--"Hurt? not he; you won't often -see _him_ hurt--there are not many fellows so _hard_ as Cropper" -(great applause); and thus it seems that the brain is chiefly honoured -according to its capacity, not of reasoning, but of cellarage--and the -head only becomes the noblest portion of the human frame when it may -be fallen on with impunity. Tell these "physical force" gentlemen of a -"clever horse," and every ear is erect in motionless attention--talk -to them of a clever man, their shoulders are elevated in pity--of a -clever woman, their mouths are drawn down in disgust. But Frank -Hardingstone was, to use their favourite word, "a great card" amongst -all the associates of his age and standing. Square and muscular, with -temper, courage, and address, he could walk, run, leap, ride, fence, -play cricket, box, and swim with the best of them, and they never -suspected that this powerful frame contained a mind capable and -energetic as the casket in which it was concealed. - -Frank was a well-informed, well-judging man--loved mathematics, logic, -and such strong intellectual food--enjoyed working out a sum or -problem, or otherwise exercising his powerful mind, and would go to an -iron foundry, or to see a ship built, or even to the Polytechnic, for -sheer amusement. Had he been born to work for his livelihood, he would -have made a capital engineer; as it was, he ought to have been in the -navy, or the artillery, or anything but an idle man, living at his own -place in the country. He had no relations, consequently nothing to -keep him at home; people said that when alone he had no established -dinner-hour--a grievous sin in our gastronomic age: he was too -energetic to care very much for farming, although he did _occupy_ -certain acres of his own land; and too practical to be enthusiastic -about field-sports, though he was a good shot, and rode right well to -hounds. Altogether, Frank was out of his place in the world; and, not -having arrived at that age when, if a man don't fit his destiny, he -makes his destiny fit _him_, was in danger of becoming bored and -careless, and a useless member of society. Luckily, Cousin Charlie's -private tutor, Mr. Nobottle, held his cure close to Hardingstone -Hall, and leave to course over certain grounds thereunto belonging -being applied for and granted, an introduction took place between the -squire and the clergyman's volatile pupil, which struck up an -immediate alliance of obliger and obliged. - -No two people could well be more different in disposition and -appearance than were Frank and Charlie. The man--strong, sedate, -practical, acute, and penetrating; the boy--light, active, hot-headed, -and romantic, jumping to conclusions, averse to reasoning and -reflection, acting on the impulse of the moment, and continually -getting into scrapes, which his friend as continually had to get him -out of. Yet after they had known each other a few months they became -inseparable. Charlie went regularly, after his studies at the rectory, -to pass the rest of the day at the hall; and Frank found a renewed -pleasure in boating, cricket, hunting, shooting, and even fishing, -from the keen enjoyment with which the "young one" entered upon these -diversions. As for the "young one" himself, he thought there was -nothing in the world equal to Hardingstone--so strong, so plucky, so -well-read, so sagacious, with such faultless coats, and such a good -seat upon a horse, he was the boy's hero (we have all had such in our -day), and he worshipped him accordingly. So ill could he bear to lose -sight of his Mentor, even during the sunshiny hours of the vacation, -that he had begged Hardingstone to come over to St. Swithin's, no very -great distance from his own place, and had promised to introduce him -to the "Aunt Kettering," and "Blanche," of whom he had heard so much -in the intervals of their amusements "by thicket and by stream." The -promise was made and kept--and Frank was living at the Royal Hotel, -disgusting the landlord by the simplicity of his habits, and the -waiter by his carelessness as regarded dinner, whilst he was growing -day by day in the good graces even of Mrs. Kettering, and finding, as -he himself thought with great penetration, a vast deal of sound merit -in the fresh, inexperienced mind of Blanche. "Your cousin looks all -the better for sea-bathing, Charlie," said Hardingstone to his young -companion, as they toiled slowly along the broiling parade, where -every sunbeam was refracted with tenfold power from glaring houses -and a scorching pavement. "It braces the system just as good head-work -braces the intellect. People don't train half enough, I think--even -women ought to have sound minds in sound bodies; and look what -indolent, unmeaning, insipid wretches half of them are--not like your -aunt. Now that's what I call a vigorous woman, Charlie; she'd do in -the colonies or anywhere--she's fit to be a queen, my boy, because -she's got some energy about her. As for you, young gentleman, you work -hard enough out-of-doors, but you neglect your brains altogether--I -don't believe now that you have opened a book since you left -Nobottle's." - -"Wrong again, Frank, as usual," replied Charlie; "I read for an hour -this very morning, whilst I was dressing; I am very fond of reading -when it's not _dry_." - -"And may I ask what your early studies were, my industrious young -philosopher?" - -"'Parisina' and 'The Bride of Abydos'--by Jove, old fellow, it's -beautiful." - -Frank made a face as if he had swallowed a pill. "'Parisina' and 'The -Bride of Abydos,'" he repeated, with intense disgust; "a boy of -sixteen--I beg your pardon--a young _man_ of your age reading Byron; -why, you'll arrive at a state of mental delirium tremens before you -are twenty, particularly if you smoke much at the same time. I daresay -you are 'up' in 'Don Juan' as well--not that I think _he_ is half so -bad for you; but no man should read sentiment in such an alluring garb -as Byron dressed it, till his heart is hardened and his whiskers -grown. All poetry, to my mind, has a tendency to make you more or less -imbecile. You should read Bacon, my boy, and Locke, and good sound -reasoning Butler; but if you must have works of imagination, take to -Milton." - -"Hate blank verse," remarked Charlie, who opined--in which prejudice -we cannot help coinciding a little--that poetry is nothing without -jingle; "I can't read three pages of 'Paradise Lost.'" - -"Because your brain is softening for want of proper training," -interrupted Hardingstone; "if you go on like this you'll very soon be -fit for Jean Jacques Rousseau, and I shall give you up altogether. No, -when you go back to Nobottle's, I shall give him a hint to put you -into a stiffish course of mathematics, with a few logarithms for -plums, and when you are man enough to grapple with a real intellectual -difficulty you will read Milton for pleasure, and like him more and -more every day, for you will find----" - -"Oh! bother Milton," interrupted Charlie; "Frank, I'll bet you -half-a-crown you don't jump that gate without touching;" and he -pointed to a high white gate leading off the dusty road into the fresh -green meadows, for they were now clear of the town. - -Frank was over it like a bird, ere the words were out of his admiring -disciple's mouth, and their conversation, as they walked on, turned -upon feats of strength and agility, and those actions of enterprise -and adventure which are ever most captivating to the fancy of the -young. - -Charles Kettering, we need scarcely say, entertained an extraordinary -fondness for all bodily exercises. Intended for the army, and "waiting -for his commission," as he expressed it, he looked forward to his -future profession as a career of unalloyed happiness, in which he -should win fame and distinction without the slightest mental -exertion--an effort to which, in truth, Charlie was always rather -averse. Like most young aspirants to military honours, he had yet to -learn that study, reflection, memory, and, above all, common sense, -are as indispensable to the soldier's success as to that of any other -professional man; and that, although physical courage and light -spirits are very useful accessories in a campaign, a good deal more is -required to constitute an officer, since, even in a subordinate grade, -the lives of his comrades and the safety of his division may depend on -his unassisted judgment alone. Charlie had good abilities, but it was -a difficult matter to get him to apply them with anything like -diligence; and his friend Hardingstone, whose appreciation of a -favourite's good qualities never made him blind to his faults, saw -this defect, and did all in his power to remedy it, both by precept -and example. - -Mrs. Kettering's misgivings as regarded her nephew's duck-like -propensities were founded on a thorough knowledge of his taste and -habits. Another mile of walking brought the pair once more to the -beach, where it curved away completely out of sight of St Swithin's. -The heat was intense; Charlie took his coat off, sat down upon a -stone, and gazed wistfully at the sea. - -"Don't it look cool?" said he; "and don't I wish, on a day like this, -that I was a 'merman bold'? I say, Frank, I must have a dip--I shall -bundle in." - -"In with you," was the reply; "I haven't had a swim since I breasted -the Mediterranean last year; only we won't stay in too long, for I -promised your cousin to bring her some of that seaweed she spoke -about;" and in another minute, in place of two well-dressed gentlemen -standing on the beach, a couple of hats and a heap of clothes occupied -the shore, whilst two white forms might be seen, ever and anon, -gleaming through the blue waves as their owners dived, floated, turned -upon their sides, kicked up their feet, and performed all those antics -with which masterly swimmers signalise their enjoyment of their -favourite element. We often hear people wishing they could fly. Now, -we always think it must be exactly the same sensation as swimming; you -are borne up with scarcely an effort--you seem to glide with the -rapidity of a bird--you feel a consciousness of daring, and a proud -superiority over nature, in thus mastering the instinctive fear man -doubtless entertains of water, and bidding ocean bear you like a steed -that knows its rider. The horizon appears so near that your ideas of -distance become entirely confused, and the "few yards of uneven" water -seem to your exulting senses like as many leagues. You dash your head -beneath the green transparent wave, and shaking the salt drops from -your brow, gallantly breast roller after roller as they come surging -in, and with a wild, glad sense of freedom and adventure, you strike -boldly out to sea. All this our two gentlemen bathers felt and -enjoyed, but Frank, who had not followed this favourite diversion for -a length of time, was even more delighted than his young companion -with his aquatic amusements; and when the breeze freshened and the -dark blue waters began to show a curl of white, he dashed away with -long, vigorous strokes to such a distance from the shore as even -Charlie, albeit of anything but nervous mood, thought over-venturous -and enterprising. The latter was emerging from the water, when, on -looking for his companion, it struck him that Frank, in the offing, -was making signals of distress. Once he saw a tremendous splash, and -he almost thought he heard a cry through the roar of the tide against -the shingle. "By all that's fearful, he's in grief," was Charlie's -mental exclamation; and whilst he thought it the gallant boy was -striking out for life and death to reach his friend. What a distance -it seemed! and how his knees and thighs ached with the long, -convulsive springs that shot him forward! Charlie never knew before -what hard work swimming might be; and now he has reached the spot he -aimed at--he raises himself in the water--what is this? Merciful -Heaven! Hardingstone is down! but there is a swirling circle of green -and white not ten yards before him, and the lad dives deep below the -surface and comes up holding his friend's motionless body by the hair; -and now they are both down again, for Charlie is blown, and has not -before practised the difficult feat of rescuing a man from drowning. -But he comes up once more, and shakes his head, and coughs and -clutches tightly to the twining hair, that even in the water has a -death-like clamminess in his fingers. He is frightfully blown now, and -a wave takes him sideways and turns him over--he is under -Hardingstone, and this time he only comes up for an instant to go -under again, with a suffocating feeling at his chest, and a painful -pressure on his ears. Now he gulps at the salt water that appears to -fill body, and lungs, and head; and now he seems to be whirling round -and round; everything is green and giddy--there is something crooked -before his face--and a feeling of pleasing languor forbids him to -grasp it. The Great Uncertainty is very near--a glare of white light -dazzles his eyes, and the waters settle over him, as he holds on to -Hardingstone's hair with the clutch of a drowning man. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE HANDSOME GOVERNESS - - BLIND-MAN'S BUFF--AN UNCEREMONIOUS INTRODUCTION--THE - MUSIC-MISTRESS--A CATHEDRAL TOWN--THE YOUNG LADIES' - SEMINARY--MARY DELAVAL AND HER ADMIRER--AN ATTACK REPULSED--THE - MILITARY ROUTED--A PRECARIOUS LIVELIHOOD - - -Little, indeed, do one half the world know how the other half live. -Fortunate is it for us all, that we have neither the invisible cap, -nor the shoes of swiftness, that did their owner such good service in -the fairy tale. We might be astonished, not to say disgusted, could we -follow our nearest and dearest for one short half-hour after they have -left our sight; could we see them, when they think no mortal eye is -upon their actions, we might smile or we might weep, according as our -temperament bordered upon the sentimental or the cynical. Yet is there -One that always watches. How comes it that when we hide ourselves from -man, we think no shame to expose our follies to man's Creator? Will a -day come when everything shall be made known? when there will be no -more hypocrisy--no more respectability--no more difference between -vice on the house-top and vice in the corner? There will be some -strange shifting of places when that day does come--much shrinking and -wincing from the general Show-up--much scarlet shame, and livid -remorse, when the brow can no more be covered, nor the past undone. -'Tis a pity we should think so little of payment till the bill comes -due;--in the meantime we go blindly on, deceiving and deceived--we -know but little of our neighbour, and we trust in heaven our neighbour -knows nothing whatever about us; so we grope about in the dark, and -call it Life. - -Mrs. Kettering, on the sofa, knew nothing of what Blanche was thinking -about, not six feet from her--knew nothing about Charlie, struggling -convulsively for life half-a-mile out at sea--knew nothing about the -woman she had left to take charge of her town-house--a pattern of -respectability, sobriety, and trustworthiness, then reeling out of -"The Feathers," as drunk as Chloe, to use an old Eton expression, -highly derogatory to the character of Horace's young and tender love, -she who bounded from the bard's classical advances like a frightened -kid. Our Chloe, meanwhile, was grasping a door-key, and calling for -gin, regardless that she had left a tallow-candle flaring close to a -heap of shavings in the back scullery, that "the airy-gate," as she -called it, was "on the latch," and there was nobody to answer the -front door. This last piece of carelessness was the means of -inflicting an additional disappointment on one who had already in her -short life known troubles and disappointments more than enough. Mary -Delaval had walked up to the grim lion-headed knocker with a weary -step and heavy heart; but when her summons was again and again -unheeded, and the chance of finding out even Mrs. Kettering's address -became hopeless, she moved away with the heavy, listless air of one -who has shot the last arrow from the quiver without attaining the -mark, and begins to doubt if courage and energy are indeed qualities -of the slightest advantage to our welfare, and whether blind fortune -is not the controller of all here below. - -The sun beat fiercely upon the pavement, and there was not a breath of -air to refresh those arid gardens in the parched and dusty square--yet -Mary put her thick, suffocating veil down before her face and -quickened her pace as she went home from her hopeless errand; for to -these inconveniences she was obliged to submit, because in the freest -country in the world, and the most civilised capital in Europe, she -was walking on foot, without a companion or a man-servant. - -"Gad, that's a good-looking woman!" said Captain Lacquers to his -friend, Sir Ascot Uppercrust; "fine-ish goer, too, but tires over the -pavement. If it was not so cursedly hot, 'Uppy,' we might cross over -and get a look at her." - -"Women rather bore me," replied Sir Ascot, who, being very young and a -Body-guardsman, was of course _blase_; "but I don't mind, to oblige -you,--only promise you won't let her speak to me." So, as Captain -Lacquers turned up his moustaches, Sir Ascot went through the same -pantomime, for practice against the time when his own should grow; and -the couple sauntered carelessly on, and, by a dexterous manoeuvre, -came "right across the bows" of Mary Delaval. - -We may be asked what two such undeniable dandies as good-looking -Lacquers, of the Lancers, and Sir Ascot Uppercrust, of the Body-guard, -should be doing in London at this time of the year. We cannot tell; -for love or money probably--a redundancy of the one and a deficiency -of the other being the two causes that generally drive young gentlemen -to the metropolis, when their confiding companions are all "faded and -gone." Be it how it may, there they were, and Mary Delaval wished them -anywhere else, as, following in her wake, they made sundry -complimentary remarks upon her figure, ankles, and general appearance, -which might have been gratifying if overheard casually, but which, -under the circumstances, were doubtless extremely impertinent and -reprehensible. - -"I think I'll get forward, and ask her if she's going home," said -Lacquers; and, curling his great black moustaches, he quickened his -pace to add this crowning insult to an unprotected woman. - -Mary's blood boiled in her veins--she was a soldier's daughter, and -her father's spirit swelled her heart till it felt as if it would -choke her--she clenched her long slender hand, and thought, almost -aloud: "Oh, if I were but a man to strike the coward to the -earth!--oh, if I were but a man to shoot him as he stands!" In such a -mood women have shed blood ere now, but the excitement cannot -last--the reaction too surely arrives; and, alas for woman's pride and -woman's weakness! Mary returned the bold insolent stare with the -defiant glance and the lofty carriage of a queen, and then--she burst -into tears. It was too much; fatigue, anxiety, and disappointment had -overcome her nerves, and she could have killed herself for the -weakness, but she sobbed like a child. - -Lacquers was a good-natured man, and a good fellow, as it is called, -at heart--he was pained and thoroughly ashamed of himself. He took his -hat off as if she had been a duchess, and with a readiness that argued -this was not a first offence, and did more credit to his ingenuity -than his candour, he begged her pardon, and assured her he thought she -was "his cousin"--"Quite a mistake, ma'am, I assure you--pray forgive -me--good-morning;" and so bowed himself off arm-in-arm with his -companion, who had preserved an immovable stoicism, almost -preternatural in one so young, during the whole interview. - -As Mary Delaval walked on, and gradually recovered her composure, she -reflected somewhat bitterly on her lot, and looked back upon her life -with a feeling of discontent, that for a moment seemed almost to -upbraid Providence that she had not had a fair chance. It was but for -a moment--Mary had been schooled in adversity, and had profited by its -lessons. In some situations of life such a temperament as hers might -have been prone to grow fastidious and uncharitable. Her ideal of good -would have been very high, and she would have looked down with -contempt upon the grovelling spirits that constituted the mass of her -fellow-creatures. But poverty and dependence had taught her many a -lesson, hard to learn, but harder to forget. What had she to do with -pride?--a question to be asked, if you contemplated her tall, graceful -figure, with its majestic sweep and lofty gestures--her goddess-like -head, set on as if the Greek had carved its proportions with his -unerring chisel--her dark, deep-set grey eye, with its long lashes, -veiling a world of penetration, reflection, ay, and sentiment, for the -happy man who could bid it kindle into love--her faultless profile and -firm determined mouth, her father's legacy, with the courage it -betokened--her low, lovable brow, with its masses of thick, dark brown -hair plainly braided on each side of that pale, haunting face, -beautiful in the deep expression which arrives only with the maturity -of womanhood; with all this she might have been a queen, yet what had -she to do with pride?--a question not to be asked of a friendless, -desolate woman, trudging along the streets in the dreary isolation of -loneliness in London, wasting her beauty in the strife for bread, -wearing her talents threadbare in the drudgery of a daily -music-mistress. What a lot if there were nothing beyond! To rise early -in that dingy atmosphere--to breakfast hurriedly on such a spare meal -as the lady's-maid next door would deem insufficient for her -mistress's poodle--to leave the dreary lodging for the scarce less -dreary street; day after day to make the same round, waiting upon -vulgar parents and stupid children--day after day to bend rebellious -fingers over the soul-breathing chords--to dissect the harmony of -heaven into "one--two--three--four," "one--two--three--four,"--and -day after day to return, wearied out in body and mind, to the solitary -room which cannot be called a home, and the rent of which, dear on -account of _the situation_, swallows up the hard-earned coins that -should decorate and supply its vacuity; with nothing to cheer, nothing -to amuse, nothing to console, not even the consciousness of that -beauty which is only a cause of annoyance and remark; and, above all, -with nothing to love--what a lot would this be, were there not a -something to look forward to--a humble hope that this is but a state -of trial and probation--a humble confidence that the reward is sure to -come at last! - -And who was Mary Delaval? One of the many instances of a child -suffering for the sins of its parents. We have said her father was a -soldier, but, alas! her mother never was, properly speaking, Mrs. -Delaval. Poor woman, she committed her one fault, and dearly she -atoned for it. She shut the door upon herself, and her sex took good -care that it should never again show a chink open to let her in. Trust -them for that! she was not a proper person to be visited, and she -remained outside. Captain Delaval would have married her, had he -thought such a sacrifice on his part would have improved her position, -for he loved her dearly; but he knew it could be of no use, in a -worldly point of view, the only one in which he considered the -subject, so he put it off and put it off, till too late. She never -complained of the injustice done her, but it broke her heart. Rich in -beauty and accomplishments, she had run away with the handsome, young -artillery officer rather than be forced into a match which she -detested, by a step-mother she despised. She had but one child, and on -that child, it is needless to say, she doted foolishly. Delaval was a -curious fellow, easy-tempered to a fault, careless of the world's -opinion, and of everything but his own comfort and indulgences; a -gallant soldier, notwithstanding, as brave as a lion, and a perfect -authority in the code of honour adopted by his profession. Yet, for -all this, he allowed the mother of his child to go upon the stage, -under a feigned name, that he might live in luxury upon her earnings. -Fortunately, it may be, for all parties, the artillery officer caught -cold out duck-shooting, and was honoured with a military funeral some -ten days afterwards. He left all he had, a small pittance, to the -woman he had so deeply injured, and she retired with her daughter into -a humble cottage in the West of England, where, for a time, they lived -as happy as the day is long. Her whole energies were devoted to the -education of her child. She taught her all she had herself learned--no -mean list of acquirements--and young Mary Delaval (for, by the -deceased officer's wish, they always bore his name) was skilled far -beyond other girls of her age in the graceful accomplishments of -womanhood, as well as in those deeper studies which strengthen the -mind and form the character of youth. But Mary's girlhood had an -advantage, in which her mother's was deficient. That mother, with the -earnestness of one into whose soul the iron had deeply entered, -impressed upon her daughter the lesson she had herself so painfully -learned: "Put not your trust in man," was the substance of many a -tearful entreaty, many a sage homily, from the repentant sinner to her -innocent child; and, though the girl's faith was sadly shaken in the -integrity of the creature, it was anchored all the more firmly in -reliance on his Creator. The mother's health was but precarious. Often -she thought, "What will become of Mary when I must leave her alone in -the world?" and, having little else to bestow, she bequeathed to her -darling that best legacy of all, the heritage of an immortal soul. -Poor thing! her own constitution had been sadly broken by anxiety and -disappointment, and the heart-wearing conviction that she had given up -home, comfort, friends, good fame, everything, to fasten her young -pure love on an unworthy object. Oh! the sickening misery of that -moment, when first the idol's shrine is found to be a blank! when -first the dreary misgiving dawns upon us, that the being for whom we -have sacrificed our earthly all, and offered it with a smile--whom we -have endued with all the attributes for which our own heart -yearns--whom we have clothed with the gorgeous colouring of fancy, and -decked in the false glitter of our own imagination--whom we have -raised upon a pedestal, to place our neck beneath its feet, is but a -stock or a stone, after all! Poor idolaters! are we not rightly -punished? Have we not exalted man to be our God? and shall we worship -the thing of clay with impunity? No; the very crime is made to bear -its own atonement. Better that we should bow down to the dust, with -crushed and empty hearts, than live on in the vain mockery of a false -worship, in the degradation of a soul's homage to a mortal deity. - -Poor Mrs. Delaval (for as such was the penitent lady known) bore her -punishment without a murmur; but it was a sad task to leave Mary among -strangers, when failing strength and wasting limbs warned her that she -must soon depart. The girl was in the first lovely bloom of womanhood, -bright and beautiful as if she had never known sorrow or self-denial; -and must she leave her now, when most she wants a mother's care? God's -will be done! There is a humble grave, in the corner of a retired -churchyard, far away in the West, marked by a plain grey stone, and -the initial letters of a name--nothing more; and there the spring -daisies are growing over the head of one who loved not wisely--who -erred, and was forgiven, but not here. - -Mary Delaval was left to fight single-handed against the world. A hard -battle it is for those who are not furnished with the sinews of war. - -The small sum bequeathed to her by her mother's care was invested in a -savings bank, _which failed_. By the way, the failure was casually -mentioned in the morning papers, and trustees of savings banks, as -they sipped their coffee, remarked, "Ah! another of these concerns -broke: gross rascality somewhere, no doubt." We hope it proved a -warning to them, to look a little carefully into affairs which they -had pledged themselves to superintend, and not to grudge -half-an-hour's labour, when such a trifling effort might ward off the -direst calamities from their humble neighbours. What was Mary to do? -Besides her beauty and the mourning on her back, she had literally -nothing. And yet the girl's heart never sank for a moment; she was -possessed of that invincible Anglo-Saxon resolution, for which there -is no better name than the colloquial one of "pluck." Had she been a -man, she would have distinguished herself; as it was, perhaps the -humble part she had to play required more courage, self-command, and -self-reliance than the career of many a hero. One advantage she had -over many others equally indigent--her talents were brilliant, her -education had been excellent, and the natural conclusion at which she -arrived was, that she must be a governess or teacher in a school. The -former situation there was much difficulty in attaining, qualities -which are prized in a lady being considered great drawbacks to a -governess; but youth and good looks are not so much out of place in -the latter; and Mary, after considerable difficulty, and a voluminous -correspondence, found herself installed as second assistant in one of -those strongholds of innocence and propriety, termed a young ladies' -seminary. - -How different the life on which the orphan now embarked from all her -previous experience of the world! She had been a merry little girl, in -barracks, petted by officers from every regiment in the service -(soldiers are all fond of children), and spoilt by papa, who thought -nothing in the world equal to his little pet. She had grown into -womanhood in the closest retirement of a small out-of-the-way village, -associating only with her refined and cultivated mother, and preparing -for a life of difficulty by study and reflection; and now she found -herself the inmate of a house in which there were thirty pupils, and -where she had not even a room of her own, to escape from the gossiping -chatter of the girls, or the solemn platitudes of Miss Primrose, the -venerable Calypso who presided over these isolated nymphs. There never -was such a place for ladies' schools as the cathedral town of -Bishops'-Baffler; but, as we believe all these repositories of beauty -and education are conducted upon the same principles, it is needless -to describe them. Health and morals are studiously attended to, and -the use of the back-board inflexibly insisted on, the male sex, of -course, strictly prohibited, and the arts and sciences, giving the -former the preference, impartially administered. Young ladies are -likewise taught to lie perfectly flat on their backs for several -hours, we may say, literally, on a stretch, though of the object and -intention of this feat, whether it is viewed in the light of a dreary -penance, an innocent recreation, or a time-honoured institution, it -does not become us, in our ignorance, to give an opinion. - -But Bishops'-Baffler, with all its advantages of salubrious air, -constant bell-ringing, and redundancy of ecclesiastics, has one -considerable drawback to those who take upon themselves the -responsible charge of young ladies in the vicinity of a cavalry -barracks. The morals of a cathedral town are not very easily -deteriorated; but an order from the Horse Guards, determining that a -certain number of jaunty forage-caps, jingling spurs, and dyed -moustaches, should be continually swaggering up and down the principal -thoroughfares of any city, though it adds to the liveliness, is not -supposed to conduce much to the general respectability of the place; -and with all our terrors of invasion, and our admiration, as -civilians, of the military character--particularly the mounted arm--we -confess to a partiality for it chiefly when removed beyond flirting -distance from our dwelling-house, and acknowledge with grief and shame -that its vicinity, in our own experience, has invariably over-roasted -our mutton, multiplied our cobwebs, and placed our female -establishment generally at sixes and sevens. But if we, an independent -bachelor, are thus fain to be removed from the insidious sounds of -"stable-call" and "watch-setting," from the fascinating sights of -"watering-order" and "guard-mounting," what must have been good Miss -Primrose's care and anxiety to preserve her tender fledgelings from -the roving glances of those dashing serjeant-majors, far more -brilliant warriors than the very lieutenants and captains of the sober -foot regiment that preceded them; or the dangerous proximity of those -good-looking officers in their braided frock-coats and their -well-cultivated moustaches, which serve equally as an amusement to -themselves and a terror to their foes--a defence in war and an -occupation in peace? Miss Primrose was a large woman; but she ought to -have been a giantess to cover her brood as she would have wished, -when, walking two-and-two along the pavement, they were continually -encountering "the Loyal Hussars," mounted and dismounted, or -entangling in the very sheep-fold of their innocence some wolf in -undress uniform, who would persist in taking the wrong side of the -"trottoir," and then jingling his spurs together in feigned apologies; -merely, Miss Primrose well knew, as a pretext for peeping under their -parasols and "uglies" at the pretty faces, blushing not in anger -beneath those defences. - -But what made the principal of the establishment, as she called -herself, more wrathful than anything else, was to perceive that the -figure on whom these warlike glances rested with the greatest marks of -approval and admiration was not one of the young ladies upon whom she -"lavished a mother's care, and conferred a gentlewoman's education" -(see advertisement)--not one of the lady pupils for whom she felt, as -she expressed it, "she was responsible, body and soul," but the -majestic person, and the sweet, sad face, of the junior assistant, -Mary Delaval! "Had it been myself, for instance," thought Miss -Primrose, drawing up her ample frame with a proud consciousness that, -twenty years ago, she, too, had a lover, "or even Miss Meagrim" (the -senior assistant, a gaunt and forbidding damsel), "who certainly has a -'genteel' figure, or little Miss Dashwood, or rosy Miss Wright, I -could have understood it; but the idea of that dowdy thing, with her -pale face and her shabby mourning! it only shows the extraordinary -tastes men have, and the unaccountable creatures they are from -beginning to end." - -And so poor Miss Primrose fell to ruminating on certain passages of -her own early career, and a blight which nipped her young affections -in the bud through the inconstancy of man. - -"Have you served?" says a Frenchman to his acquaintance. "Have you -suffered?" might women as well ask of each other; and there are few -amongst them, we fancy, but at one time of their lives have gone -through the freemasonry of sorrow. - -Miss Primrose did not look like a heroine; yet she, too, had had her -romance. Well, it had softened her character, for naturally she was a -strong-minded woman; and the pretty gipsies over whom she presided -little thought how much that austere lady sympathised with all the -innocent "_espiegleries_" and girlish follies she thought it right to -rebuke so severely. - -Now, even Miss Primrose could not help remarking that, notwithstanding -the open admiration Mary Delaval everywhere excited, no London beauty -of half-a-dozen seasons could have accepted the homage due to her -charms with greater coldness and carelessness than did the junior -assistant. The girl seemed to live in a separate world of her own, -apart from the common pleasures and foibles of her sex. She was kind -and courteous to all, but she made no confidences, and had no female -friend. She continued to wear her mourning-dress for years after the -usual term that filial affection imposes, and with that mourning she -seemed to bear about with her the continual memory, almost the -companionship, of her dead mother. Even Miss Meagrim, whom she nursed -through the jaundice, and who, with returning health, and a fresh -accession of hideousness, confessed she owed her life to Miss -Delaval's care, owned that she could not make her out; and truth to -tell, both that inquisitive lady and the formidable Miss Primrose -herself, were a little afraid of their stately assistant, with her -classical beauty and her calm, sad face. - -Years rolled on, and Mary Delaval, now in the mature bloom of -womanhood, was still junior assistant at Miss Primrose's, and might -have remained there till her glorious figure was bent, and her glossy -braids were grey, had it not been for that order from the Horse -Guards, mentioned above, which moved the head-quarters of the "Loyal -Hussars" from Waterbridge to Bishops'-Baffler. Much commotion was -there in the town when this regiment of "_Cupidons_" in pelisses -marched in with all the honours of war; nor were the chaste retreats -of our academical sanctuary entirely free from the excitement that -pervaded the neighbourhood. Miss Primrose had her "front" freshly -oiled, curled, and submitted to a process which, we believe, is termed -"baking"; Miss Meagrim appeared with new ribbons in her cap, of a hue -strangely unbecoming to her complexion; whilst a general feeling -amongst the pupils in favour of "a walk," whenever the weather -afforded an opportunity, argued that the attraction, whatever it might -be, was decidedly out-of-doors. Mary Delaval alone seemed supremely -indifferent to the movements of the military, and yet her destiny it -was that the arrival of these gaudy warriors influenced in a manner -she of all people could least have foreseen. - -We have said that of the usual pleasures of her kind she was utterly -careless; but there was one enjoyment of which Mary never wearied, and -in which she lost no opportunity of indulging when she could do so -without attracting observation. This was, listening to a military -band. It reminded her of her childhood--it reminded her of her -mother--and she could stand entranced by its sounds for hours. In the -gardens where the band played there used to be a porter's lodge kept -by an old fruit-woman, much patronised by the Primrose establishment, -and with this ancient Pomona Mary made interest to occupy her little -secluded parlour, and listen to the music, whenever her school duties -permitted the indulgence. Now it happened that one sunny afternoon, -when Mary, in her usual sombre attire, was snugly enjoying from her -hiding-place the harmonious efforts of "the Loyals," a certain wealthy -manufacturer's lady was seized with a _physical_ giddiness as she -promenaded in the gardens, and Captain D'Orville, _the_ great card of -the regiment, came clanking into the porter's lodge to get a glass of -water for the dame, upon whom he was in close attendance. Mary was -eager to assist in a case of distress, and the Captain, an avowed -admirer of beauty, was completely staggered by the apparition he -encountered in place of the grimy old woman he had expected to find -within. D'Orville was a gentleman of experience, and, as became a man -of war, fertile in resources. He spilt half the tumbler of water over -Mary's black gown, which _coup-de-main_ gave him an opportunity of -excusing himself at length for his awkwardness, and prolonging his -interview with the beautiful woman he had so unexpectedly fallen in -with. The next day came a magnificent dress, and a note full of -apologies, couched in the most respectful language, and addressed -_Mrs._ Delaval. "I wonder how he found me out," thought Mary, "and why -he did not put _Miss_." There was no signature to the note, and it was -impossible to send the dress back, so she folded it in her drawer, and -wondered what she ought to do, and what her mother would have advised. -After this, wherever Mary went, there was Captain D'Orville; at -church, in her school walks, when she went out with Miss Primrose--he -seemed to have an intuitive knowledge of her movements, and never to -lose an opportunity of gazing at her. Mary was a woman, after all; she -thought it was "very disagreeable," yet was the excitement not -altogether unpleasing. Gaston D'Orville was strikingly handsome; in -fact, generally considered "the best-looking fellow in the Loyals," -with a peculiar charm of manner, and a thorough knowledge of the whole -art, method, and practice of war as carried on against the weaker sex. -What chance had the friendless teacher's heart against such a -conqueror? This--there was no treachery in the citadel--there was no -gratified vanity to be the enemy's best auxiliary, no trifling pique -nor unworthy jealousy to make a conquest valuable merely as a -conquest. Mary was one of the few women who can see things as they -are, and not through the glasses of their own imagination or -prejudice; and when she came to know him better, she perceived the -hollow selfishness of the hardened man of the world, with a -perspicuity of which he would have supposed "the handsome governess" -totally incapable. That she _should_ know him better he took good -care, but his advances were so well timed, so respectful, and in such -thoroughly good taste, that it was impossible to take umbrage at them, -and Mary found herself, she scarce knew how, meeting Captain D'Orville -_by accident_, walking with him as far as the end of the street, -amused by his conversation, and interested in his character, before -she had time to think where or how she had made his acquaintance, and -in what manner such an acquaintance was likely to end. And D'Orville -himself was really in love, in his own way, with "the handsome -governess." - -"There is no fool like an old one," he confided to his friend -Lacquers, of the Lancers, in an epistle addressed to that philosopher -at Brussels. "If I were a 'marrying man,' which you well know I am -_not_, I should spend the rest of my life, unjust as would be the -monopoly, with this glorious Mrs. Delaval. I always call her by that -matronly title; it is so much more respectful, and must make her feel -so much more independent. She is only a teacher, my dear fellow, a -teacher in a girls' school; and yet, for dignity and grace, and real -'high-bred' manner, she might be a duchess. Such a foot and hand! I -can take my oath she has good blood in her veins. Altogether, she -reminds me of your old mare, Sultana--as beautiful as a star--and -looks as if she would die rather than give in. I never in my life saw -a woman I admired half so much; you know I am generally pretty -hard-hearted, but upon my word I begin to fear I have a soft place in -me somewhere. And then, my dear Lacquers, what makes the thing so -exciting is this--I do not believe she cares one toss of a halfpenny -for me after all, and that if I were fool enough to offer to marry her -to-morrow, she would quietly balance the advantages and disadvantages -of the plan, and accept, or very likely _refuse_ me, with her calm, -condescending dignity, extremely unflattering as it is, and without -moving a muscle of her beautiful, placid countenance. Don't she wish -she may have the chance? and yet, absurd as it sounds, I am horribly -in love with her. You will laugh at me 'consumedly,' and sometimes I -feel half inclined to laugh at myself, dodging about the stupidest of -places, as deeply smitten as if I were a cornet, regretting I ever -came here, and yet not man enough to leave and go on detachment, which -I have the option of doing. I shall see her again this evening, and -come to a decision one way or the other, for this can't go on. In the -meantime, don't show me up to a soul, and believe me," etc. - -That very evening, a tall, good-looking man, in undress uniform, -might have been seen, as indeed he was seen, by Miss Primrose's -housemaid, walking a magnificent grey charger, with its bridle over -his arm, close to the foot-pavement in Crozier Street, deep in what -seemed an interesting conversation with a beautiful woman in black. - -"So you don't believe we unfortunates ever _are_ disinterested, Mrs. -Delaval? I am afraid you have a very bad opinion of the whole sex," -said the gentleman, with a slight tremor in his voice, extremely -unusual to him, and contrasting strangely with the steady, measured -tones of his companion. "I cannot give an opinion where I have so -little knowledge, Captain D'Orville," was the reply; she began to know -him well now, and liked to talk _out_ with him, as a woman never does -with a man for whom she cares; "I can only judge by what I see. It -appears to me that you all live wholly and entirely for yourselves. -If you are clever, you pervert your talents to get the better of -your friends in every allowable species of dishonesty; if you are -brave, your courage is but made subservient to your vanity and -self-aggrandisement; if you are rich, your money is devoted to your -own indulgence and your own purposes. I never hear, now-a-days, of -anything noble, anything disinterested, such as I have read of. But I -am talking great nonsense," said Mary, checking herself, and smiling -at her own enthusiasm, unconscious of the burning admiration with -which the hussar's eyes were riveted on her face. Like all _fast_ -reckless men, there was a spice of romance about D'Orville, and he -liked to bring out the latent powers of a mind somewhat akin to his -own daring intellect, more particularly when that mind belonged to -such a person as his companion. - -"I could prove that men _may_ be disinterested, even in the nineteenth -century," said he, and again his voice trembled as it sank almost to a -whisper--"that there _are_ men who would give up station, profession, -ambition, everything,--the present they enjoy, and the future they -look forward to,--for the sake of one whom they esteemed--admired--in -short, whom they _loved_." She would not understand him, and the calm -brow was as calm as ever while she answered, "I cannot think so. I have -seen quite enough as a child, for you know I am half a soldier -myself, to give me no inclination to prosecute my studies in human -nature. And yet I have my ideal of a hero too, but in these days there -is no such character as a Leonidas, a Curtius (you know, we -governesses must not forget our history), a William Tell, or a -Montrose." - -"I'll wear thy colours in my cap, thy picture next my heart," muttered -D'Orville; and then, carried away by the impulse of the moment, and -forgetful of all his worldly prudence and good resolutions, he hurried -impetuously on--"Listen to me, Mrs. Delaval; I may be presumptuous to -speak thus to you on such short acquaintance, but you must have seen -my regard--my attention--my devotion; I cannot bear to see you wasted -here, thrown away in such a place as this--you who are meant for -society and brilliancy, and everything that is worth having in life. -Will you rely upon _me_? will you suffer me to rescue you from this -obscure lot? will you consider?" Mary stopped dead short, drew herself -up, and looked her admirer full in the face: "I am so unused to this -sort of language, Captain D'Orville," she observed, without a vestige -of emotion, "that I do not clearly understand you. If what you have to -say is fit for me to hear, pray explain yourself; if not, I wish you a -good evening;" and pausing for an instant while she kept him, as it -were, "chained in her eye," she turned round, and walked calmly and -deliberately straight home to Miss Primrose's. - -The hussar was completely taken aback by the simplicity with which his -attack had been repulsed. There he stood, opposite the grey horse, -utterly confounded, and not knowing whether to advance or retreat. -Should he laugh the thing off, and descend to the meanness of -pretending he had been in jest? He could not--no, he _dared_ not meet -that calm, contemptuous eye. What an eye it was, and how he felt its -influence even now! Should he hurry after her, and make a _bona fide_ -proposal of marriage, such as no woman could receive but as a -compliment? Psha! what! marry a governess? What would the mess say, -and Lacquers, and his brother profligates? No, the good grey horse was -galloped back to barracks, and D'Orville was the life and soul of the -supper-party, which he returned just in time to join. What a -contrast it was, with its brilliant lights, flushed countenances, -noise, excitement, and revelry, to the still summer evening, and the -pure, sweet face of Mary Delaval. - -[Illustration: "She turned round and walked calmly and deliberately -home." - -_Page 56_] - -The wealthy manufacturer's lady thought Captain D'Orville very absent -and _distrait_ next day in the gardens; but from that time till he -went on leave he devoted himself exclusively to her service, and she -never dreamed that there was such a being in the world as the handsome -governess at Miss Primrose's, or the loss that establishment had -sustained in its junior assistant's departure. - -And now Mary had been long dragging on her weary existence as a -music-mistress in London. Miss Primrose's severe comments on the -impropriety of evening walks with cavalry officers led to a dignified -rejoinder from her teacher, and the conversation terminated in a small -arrear of salary being paid up, and Mary's wardrobe (with the -exception of a certain very handsome dress, afterwards sold cheap as -"returned") being packed for travelling. In London she obtained -sufficient employment to keep her from starving, and that was about -all. A situation as "Governess in a private family" was advertised -for, and again and again she was disappointed in obtaining one, till -at length hearing accidentally that Mrs. Kettering was in want of a -"finishing governess" for Blanche, Mary Delaval proceeded to the -town-house to make inquiries, and failing to obtain even the -wished-for address, was returning in hopeless despondency, when she -encountered the impertinences we have already detailed, and which were -alone wanting to fill the bitter cup of dependency to overflowing. -Poor Mary! hers was "a black cloud" through which it was indeed -difficult to see "the silver lining." - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -"LIBITINA" - - THE DROWNING MAN CATCHES AT A BOAT-HOOK--A BRITISH - FISHERMAN--THE MOTHER STRUCK DOWN--THE SICK-ROOM--WATCH AND - WARD--THE VISITOR THAT WILL NOT BE DENIED--A PRESSING - SUITOR--THE CHIEF MOURNER - - -To keep a gentleman waiting any length of time, either in hot water or -cold, is decidedly a breach of the laws of politeness, to repair which -we must return as speedily as possible to "Cousin Charlie" and his -friend, lying somewhat limp and blue at the bottom of "Hairblower's" -dinghy; this worthy, under Providence, having been the means of saving -the rash swimmer and the gallant boy who strove to rescue him from an -untimely death, which a very few seconds more of submersion would have -made a certainty. That Hairblower's boat-hook should have been ready -at the nick of time was one of those "circumstances," as he called -them, which he designated "special," and turned upon the fact of his -having started a party of amateurs in the morning on a sort of marine -picnic, from which they had returned prematurely, the gala proving a -failure, with no greater loss than that of a spare oar and one or two -small casks belonging to the seaman. It was on the hopeless chance of -picking up these "waifs and strays" as they drifted down with the -tide, that "Hairblower" was paddling about in a shallow skiff, -denominated "a dinghy," when his attention was arrested by an -adventurous swimmer striking boldly out at a long distance from the -beach. As he said himself, "There's no depending on these gentlemen, -so I thought it very likely I might be wanted, and stood 'off and on' -till I saw Mr. Hardingstone making signals of distress. It's no joke -that cramp isn't, half-a-mile out at sea; and I might have been too -late with the boat-hook if it hadn't been for Master Charles--dear, -dear, there's stuff in that lad you might cut an admiral out of, and -they're going to make 'a soger' of him!" - -He had contrived to pull the two exhausted swimmers into his little -craft; and although Charlie very soon recovered himself, his friend, -who was farther gone in his salt-water potations, gave them both some -uneasiness before he came thoroughly to his senses. - -Whilst our hardy seaman is putting them upon their legs, and -administering hot brandy-and-water in a fisherman's house near the -beach, we may spare a few lines to give some account of "Hairblower," -and the qualities by which he earned that peculiar designation. Born -and bred a fisherman, one of that daring race with which our sea-board -swarms, and from which Her Majesty's navy and the British merchant -service recruit their best men, he was brought up from his very -childhood to make the boat his cradle, and the wave his home. Wet or -dry, calm or stormy, blow high, blow low, with a plank beneath his -foot, and a few threads of canvas over his head, he was in his -element; and long ere he reached the full strength of manhood he was -known for the most reckless of all, even amongst those daring spirits -who seem to think life by far the least valuable of their earthly -possessions. Twice, as a boy, had he _volunteered_ to make up the crew -of a lifeboat when the oldest hands were eyeing with doubtful glances -that white, seething surf through which they would have to make their -way to the angry, leaden sea beyond; and the men of Deal themselves, -those heroes of the deep, acknowledged, with the abrupt freemasonry of -the brave, that "the lad was as tough as pin-wire, _heart_ to the -backbone." His carelessness of weather soon became proverbial, and his -friends often expostulated with him on his rashness in remaining out -at sea with a craft by no means qualified to encounter the sudden -squalls of the Channel, or the heavy seas which come surging up from -the Atlantic in a real Sou'-Wester. His uncle at length promised to -assist him in building a lugger of somewhat heavier tonnage than the -yawl he was accustomed to risk, and the _Spanking Sally_, of ill-fated -memory, was the result. On the first occasion that the young skipper -exultingly stamped his foot on a deck he could really call his own, he -earned the nickname by which he was afterwards distinguished. His -uncle expressed a hope that the owner would now be a trifle more -careful in his ventures, and suggested that when it blew hard, and -there was a heavy cargo on board, it was good seamanship to run for -the nearest port. "Blow," repeated the gallant lad, while he passed -his fingers through thick glossy curls that the breeze was even then -lifting from his forehead--"Blow, uncle! you'll never catch me putting -_my_ helm down for weather, till it comes on stiff enough to blow -every one of these hairs clean out of my figure-head!" From that hour, -and ever afterwards, he was known by the _sobriquet_ of Hairblower, -and as such we verily believe he had almost forgotten his own original -name. - -Hardingstone was soon sufficiently recovered to walk back to his -hotel, and with his strong frame and constitution scouted the idea of -any ill effects arising from what he called "a mere ducking." Once, -however, on their way home, he pressed Charlie's hand, and with a tear -in his eye--strange emotion for him to betray--whispered, "Charlie, -you've the pluck of the devil; you've saved my life, and I shall never -forget it." We are an undemonstrative people: on the stage, or in a -book, here would have been an opportunity for a perfect oration about -gratitude, generosity, and eternal friendship; but not so in real -life; we cannot spare more than a sentence to acknowledge our rescue -from ruin or destruction, and we are so afraid of being thought -"humbugs," that we make even that sentence as cold as possible. - -Mrs. Kettering, though, was a lady of a different disposition. She was -in a terrible taking when her nephew returned, and she observed the -feverish remains of past excitement, which the boy was unable to -conceal. Bit by bit she drew from him the whole history of his gallant -efforts to save Hardingstone, and the narrow escape they both had of -drowning; and as Charlie finished his recital, and Blanche's eyes -sparkled through her tears in admiration of his heroism, Mrs. -Kettering rang the bell twice for Gingham, and went off into strong -hysterics. - -"Dear me, miss, how providential!" said the Abigail, an hour or so -afterwards, popping her head into the drawing-room, where Blanche and -Charlie were awaiting news of his aunt, having left her to "keep -quiet"--"Dr. Globus is down here for a holiday, and Missus bid me send -for him if she wasn't any better, and now she _isn't_ any better. What -shall I do?" - -"Send for him, I should think," said Charlie, and forthwith despatched -a messenger in quest of the doctor, whilst Blanche ran up-stairs to -mamma's room with a beating heart and an aching presentiment, such as -often foretells too truly the worst we have to apprehend. - -The curtains were drawn round Mrs. Kettering's bed, and Blanche, -hoping it might only be one of the nervous attacks to which her mother -was subject, put them gently aside to see if she was sleeping. Even -that young, inexperienced girl was alarmed at the dark flush on the -patient's face, and the heavy snorting respirations she seemed to draw -with such difficulty. - -"O mamma, mamma!" said she, laying her head on the pillow by her -mother's side, "what is it? I beseech you to tell me! Dear mamma, what -can we do to help you?" - -Mrs. Kettering turned her eyes upon her daughter, but the pupils were -distorted as though from some pressure on the brain, and she strove to -articulate in vain. Blanche, in an agony of fear, rushed to the -bell-rope, and brought Gingham and Charlie running up hardly less -alarmed than herself. What could the lad do in a case like this? With -the impetuosity of his character, he took his hat and hastened to Dr. -Globus's house with such speed as to overtake the messenger he had -previously despatched; Gingham was sent down to hunt up a prescription -of that skilful physician, which had once before been beneficial; and -Blanche sat her down in her mother's room, to watch, and tremble, and -pray for the beloved form, stretched senseless within those white -curtains. - -She could scarce believe it. In that very room, not six hours ago, she -had pinned her mother's shawl, and smoothed her own ringlets. Yet it -seemed as if this had occurred to some one else--not to herself. With -the unaccountable propensity great excitement ever has for trifling, -she arranged the disordered toilet-table; she even counted the -curl-papers that lay in their little triangular box; then she went -down on her knees, and prayed, as those pray who feel it is the last -resource. When she rose, a passion of weeping somewhat relieved her -feelings, but with composure came the consciousness of the awful -possibility--the separation that might be--to-night, even; and the -dim, blank future, desolate, without a mother. But the familiar noises -in the street brought her back to the present, and it seemed -impossible that this should be the same world in which till now she -had scarcely known any anxiety or affliction. Then a soothing hope -stole over her that these dreadful misgivings might be groundless; -that the doctor would come, and mamma would soon be better; and she -would nurse her, and love her more and more, and never be wilful -again; but in the midst, with a pang that almost stopped her heart, -flashed across her the recollection of her father's death--the -suspense, the confusion, the sickening certainty, the dreary funeral, -and how, in her little black frock, she had clasped mamma's neck, and -thought she had saved all, since she had not lost her. And now, must -this come again? And would there be no mother to clasp when it was -over? Blanche groaned aloud. But hark! the door-bell rings, there is a -steady footstep on the stair, and she feels a deep sensation of -relief, as though the doctor held the scales of life and death in his -hands. - -Gingham, in the meantime, whose composure was not proof against -anything in the shape of serious illness or danger, had been wandering -over the house with her mistress's keys in her hand, seeking for that -prescription which she had herself put by, not three days before, but -of which she had totally forgotten the hiding-place. Music, -work-boxes, blotting-books were turned over and tumbled about in vain, -till at length she bethought her of her mistress's writing-desk, and -on opening that "sanctum," out fell a paper in her lady's hand, which -ignorant Gingham herself at once perceived was meant for no such eyes -as hers. She caught a glimpse, too, of her own name between its folds, -and even in the hurry and emergency of the moment we are not prepared -to say that female curiosity could have resisted the temptation of -"just one peep," but at that instant "Cousin Charlie" and the doctor -were heard at the door, and as Gingham thrust the mysterious document -into her bosom, the former entered the room, and rated her soundly for -prying about amongst Aunt Kettering's papers when she ought to have -been up-stairs attending to herself. - -Dr. Globus felt Mrs. Kettering's pulse, and turned to Blanche (who was -watching his countenance as the culprit does that of the juryman who -declares his fate) with a face from which it was impossible to gather -hope or fear. - -"Your mamma must be kept _very_ quiet, Miss Blanche," said the doctor, -with whom his young friend was a prime favourite. "I must turn you all -out but Mrs. Gingham. I should like to remain here for a while to -watch the effect of some medicine I shall give her; but we cannot have -too few people in the room." And to enhance this significant hint he -pointed to the door, at which Charlie was lingering with a white, -anxious face. - -"But tell me, _dear_ doctor," implored Blanche, in an agony of -suspense, "_pray_ tell me, is there any danger? Will _nothing_ do her -any good?" - -Poor girl, did you ever know a doctor that would reply to such a -question? - -"We must keep her quiet, my dear," was all the answer she got; and -Blanche was forced to go down-stairs, much against her will, and wait -in blank dismay, with her hand clasping Cousin Charlie's, and her eyes -turned to the clock, on which the minutes seemed to lengthen into -hours, whilst ever and anon a footstep overhead seemed to indicate -there would be some news of the patient; yet no door opened, no step -was heard upon the stairs. Not a word did the cousins exchange, though -the boy moved at intervals restlessly in his chair. The calm, -beautiful evening deepened into the purple haze of night over the -Channel, the lamps began to twinkle in the street, and still the -cousins sat and waited, and still nobody came. - -When the door was shut, and Globus was left alone with his patient, a -solemn, sagacious expression stole over the worthy doctor's face. He -had long been the personal friend of Mrs. Kettering, as well as "her -own medical man"; and although he would probably have felt it more had -he not been called in professionally, yet it was with a heavy heart -and a desponding brow that he confessed to himself there was little or -no hope. He had put in practice all that skill and experience -suggested--he had sent for a brother physician of high local repute, -and now there was nothing more to be done save to wait for the result; -so the kind-hearted man sat himself down in the chair Blanche had so -lately occupied, and pondered over the many changing years, now like a -dream, during which he had known that life which in yonder bed was -dribbling out its few remaining sands. He remembered her the merry, -black-eyed girl (once he thought her eyes brighter than those of Mrs. -Globus); he saw her again the sparkling bride, the good-humoured -matron, the doting mother, the not inconsolable widow. It was only -yesterday he bowed to her on the parade, and thought how young she -looked with her grown-up daughter; he was to have dined with them -to-morrow; and the uncertainty of life looked him startlingly in the -face. But the pride of science soon came to the rescue, and the -practised healer forgot his private feelings in his professional -reflections. And thus Dr. Globus passed his holiday--one afternoon of -the precious fourteen, in which he had promised himself the fresh -breezes and the out-of-doors liberty of St. Swithin's. Mrs. Globus and -the children were picking up shells on the beach; his brother, whom he -had not seen for ten years, was coming to dinner; but the doctor's -time is the property of the suffering and the doomed, and still Globus -sat and watched and calculated, and saw clearly that Mrs. Kettering -must die. - -The hours stole on, candles were brought into the drawing-room, and -the cousins tried in vain with parched lips and choking throats to -have some tea. A ring at the door-bell heralded the arrival of the -other doctor, a stout man in a brown greatcoat, smelling of the -night-dew. Blanche ran out to meet him--it was a relief to do -something--and beckoned him silently up-stairs. She even stole into -the sick-room, and caught a glimpse of her mother's figure, recumbent -and covered up; but the curtains were half closed, and she could not -see the dear face. Globus kindly drew her away, and shut her out, but -not before the frightened girl had glanced at a dark-stained -handkerchief on the floor, and sickened with the conviction that it -was clotted with blood. Outside, the little housemaid was sitting on -the stairs, crying as if her heart would break. Poor Blanche sat down -by her in the darkness, and mingled her tears with those of the -affectionate servant. She began to get hopeless now. After a while she -went down again to Cousin Charlie, and was surprised to find it so -late; the clock pointed to five minutes past ten; and with trembling -hands she closed the windows, listening for an instant to the dash of -the waves outside, with a strange, wild feeling that they never -sounded so before. Then she covered up "Bully," who had been whistling -ever since the lights were brought; but she had not the heart to -exchange a syllable with Cousin Charlie; and that poor lad, affecting -a composure that his face belied, was pretending to spell over the -evening paper, of which he was vacantly staring at the advertisement -sheet. Again there is a movement above, and the two doctors adjourn to -another room to discuss the patient's case. Great is the deference -paid by the local Esculapius to the famous London physician. What Dr. -Globus recommended--what Dr. Globus said--what Dr. Globus -thought--were quoted by the former ever afterwards; yet could one have -witnessed the consultation of these two scientific men, it might have -been instructive to observe how professional etiquette never once gave -way to the urgency of the moment--how the science of curing, like that -of killing, has its forms, its subordination, its ranks, its -dignities, and its "customs of war in like cases." Gingham was left -with the patient, and the weeping housemaid stood ready to assist, the -latter showing an abundance of nerve and decision, when called upon to -act, which her behaviour on the staircase would scarcely have -promised. Even Gingham was less flustered than usual, now there was -really something to be frightened at. Woman is never seen to such -advantage as when tending the sick; the eye that quails to see a -finger pricked, the hand that trembles if there is but a mouse in the -room, will gaze unflinchingly on the lancet or the cupping-glass, will -apply the leeches without a shudder, or pour the soothing medicament, -drop by drop, into the measured wine-glass, with the steadiness and -accuracy of a chemical professor. Where man with all his boasted nerve -turns sick and pale, and shows himself worse than useless, woman -vindicates the courage of her sex, that unselfish heroism, that -passive devotion, which is ever ready to bear and be still. They seem -to have a positive pleasure in alleviating the pangs of the sufferer, -and taking care of the helpless. Look at a bustling matron, blessed -with a large family of children, and whatever may be the opinion of -the "paterfamilias," however much he may grunt and grumble (so like a -_man_!) at having the quiver as full as it will hold, she, in her -heart of hearts, welcomes every fresh arrival with the hospitable -sentiment of "the more the merrier"; and much as she loves them all, -lavishes her warmest affections on the last little uninteresting -morsel of underdone humanity, which, on its first appearance, is the -most helpless, as it is the least attractive, of Nature's germinating -efforts; unless, indeed, she should own a dwarf, a cripple, or an -idiot amongst her thriving progeny--then will that poor creature be -the mother's chiefest treasure, then will woman's love and woman's -tenderness hover with beautiful instinct round the head which Nature -itself seems to have scouted, and the mother will press to her heart -of hearts the wretched being that all else are prone to ridicule and -despise. So in the sick-room, when "pain and anguish wring the brow," -woman wipes the foaming lip and props the sinking head. Woman's care -speeds the long doubtful recovery, and woman's prayers soothe the -dying hour, when hope has spread her wings and fled away. In works -like these she vindicates her angel-nature, in scenes like these she -perfects that humble piety of which it appears to us she has a greater -share than the stronger sex. The proud Moslem boasts there will be no -women in his material paradise; let us look to ourselves, that the -exclusion for us be not all the other way. - -Blanche sits vacantly in the drawing-room, and thinks the doctors' -consultation is to be endless, and that it is cruel to keep her so -long from her mamma. Charlie puts down the paper, and drawing kindly -towards his cousin, finds courage to whisper some few words of -consolation, which neither of them feel to be of the slightest avail. -He has been thinking that Uncle Baldwin ought to be sent for, but he -dares not excite more alarm in his companion's mind by such a -suggestion, and he meditates a note to his friend Hardingstone to -manage it for him. Uncle Baldwin, better known in the world as -Major-General Bounce, is Mrs. Kettering's brother, and lives in the -midland counties--"he should be sent for immediately," thinks Charlie, -"if he is to see my aunt alive." Blanche is getting very restless, and -thinks she might soon go up-stairs and see----Hush! the bedroom door -opens--a rapid footstep is heard on the stairs--it is Gingham running -down for the doctors--Blanche rushes to the door and intercepts her on -the landing-place--the woman's face is ashy pale, and her eyes stand -strangely out in the dubious light--her voice comes thick and husky. -The young girl is quite composed for the instant, and every syllable -thrusts straight to her heart as the maid stammers out, "O Miss -Blanche! Miss Blanche! your mamma----" - - * * * * * - -The sun rose, and the waters of the Channel glittered in the morning -light, but the shutters were closed at No. 9--and honest Hairblower -drew his rough hand across his eyes, as he sought to get some news of -"poor Miss Blanche." He met Hardingstone coming from the house, -whither the "man of action" had repaired on the first intelligence of -their calamity, and had made himself as useful as he could to the -afflicted family. "Do she take on, poor dear?" said Hairblower, -scarcely restraining the drops that coursed down his weather-beaten -cheeks. "Such a young thing as that, Mr. Hardingstone, to go loose -without a mother--and the poor lady, too, gone down like in a calm. -They will not be leaving, sir, just yet, will 'em? I couldn't bear to -think of Miss Blanche cruising about among strangers, till she begins -to hold up a bit--she should come out and get the sea-air, as soon as -she is able for it, and I'll have the boat covered in and ready day -and night----O Mr. Hardingstone, what _can_ I do, sir, for the poor -young lady in her distress?" Frank shook the honest fellow's hand, and -could scarcely command his own feelings enough to reply. He had done -everything that was necessary in the house of death, had sent off an -express for the General, sealed up Mrs. Kettering's jewel-boxes, -writing-cases, etc., and performed all those offices of which the two -children, for so we might almost call them, were incapable, and which, -even in the presence of the Destroyer, are still hard, cold matters of -business, and _must_ be attended to, like the ordering dinner, and the -arrangement for the funeral, though the survivors' hearts may ache, -and their wounds burst out afresh, till they too wish their bodies -were laid at rest beneath the sod, and their spirits were away, free -and unmourning, with the loved one in those realms with which, sooner -or later, we are all to be acquainted. - -On the child's misery it would not become us to dwell. There are -feelings over which a veil is drawn too sacred to be disturbed by -mortal hand. Well might Margaret Douglas exclaim, in the old ballad-- - - "True lovers I may have many a one, - But a father once slain, I shall never see mair." - -And when a young, affectionate girl is wailing for a parent, the voice -of sorrow cannot be hushed, nor the tears dried, till grief has had -its course, and time has cured the wounds now so excruciating, which -ere long shall be healed over and forgotten. "Cousin Charlie," -boy-like, was more easily consoled; and although at intervals his kind -aunt's voice would seem to sound in his ears, and the sight of her -work, her writing, or any other familiar object associated with -herself would bring on a fresh accession of grief, yet in the society -of Frank Hardingstone, and the anticipation of Uncle Baldwin's -arrival, he found objects to divert his thoughts, and direct them to -that brilliant inheritance of the young, the golden future, which -never _shall_ arrive. He was, besides, a lad of a sanguine, -imaginative disposition, and these are the spirits over which sorrow -has least power. The more elastic the spring, the more easily it -regains its position; and a sensitive organisation, after the first -recoil, will rise uninjured from a shock that prostrates more material -souls to the very dust. - -Over the rest of the household came the reaction that invariably -follows the first sensations of awe inspired by sudden death. There -was an excitement not altogether unpleasing in the total derangement -of plans, the uncertainty as to the future created amongst the -domestics by the departure of their mistress. The butler knew he -should have to account for his plate, and was busied with his spoons -and his inventory; the footman speculated on the next place he should -get, with "a family that spent nine months of the year in London"; the -very "boy in buttons" thought more of his promotion than of the kind -mistress who had housed, clothed, and fed him when a parish orphan. -Gingham herself, that tender damsel, was occupied and excited about -Miss Blanche's mourning, and her own "breadths" of black and "depths" -of crape usurped the place of unavailing regrets in a mind not -calculated to contain many ideas at a time. Besides, the pleasure of -"shopping," inexplicable as it may appear to man's perverted taste, is -one which ravishes the female mind with an intense delight; and what -with tradesmen's condolences, the interminable fund of gossip created -thereby, the comparing of patterns, the injunctions on all sides "not -to give way," and the visits to linen-drapers' shops, we cannot but -confess that Gingham's spirits were surprisingly buoyant, considering -the circumstance under which she swept those costly wares from their -tempting counters. Tom Blacke, too, lost no time in assuring her of -his sympathy. - -"O, Miss Gingham," said wily Tom, as he insisted on carrying a huge -brown-paper parcel home for her, and led the way by a circuitous route -along the beach, "O, Miss Gingham, what a shock for your affectionate -natur' and kindly 'eart! Yet sorrow becomes some people," added Tom, -reflectively, and glancing his dark eyes into Gingham's muddy-looking -face, as he offered her an arm. - -"Go along with you, Mr. Blacke," replied the sorrowing damsel, -forgetful of her despondency for the moment, which emboldened him to -proceed. - -"You ought to have a home, Miss Gingham--you ought to have some one -to attach yourself to--you that attaches everybody" (he ventured a -squeeze, and the maiden did not withdraw the brown thread glove which -rested on his arm; so Tom mixed it a little stronger)--"a 'onest man -to depend on, and a family and such like." - -Tom flourished his arm along a line of imaginary olive branches, and -Gingham represented that "she couldn't think of such a thing." - -"Service isn't for the likes of you, miss," proceeded the tempter; -"hindependence is fittest for beauty" (Tom peeped under the bonnet, -and "found it," as he expressed himself, "all serene"); "a cottage and -content, and a 'eart that is 'umble may 'ope for it 'ere;" with which -concluding words Mr. Blacke, who was an admirer of poetry, and -believed with Moore _that_ would be given to song "which gold could -never buy," imprinted a vigorous kiss on those not very tempting lips, -and felt that the day was his own. - -Ladies of mature charms are less easily taken aback by such advances -than their inexperienced juniors. The position, even if new in -practice, is by no means so in theory, and having often anticipated -the attack, they are the more prepared to receive it when it arrives. -Ere our lovers reached No. 9 he had called her by her Christian name, -and "Rachel" had promised to think of it. As she closed the -"area-gate" Gingham had given her heart away to a scamp. True, she was -oldish, uglyish, wore brown thread gloves, and had a yellow skin; yet -for all this she had a woman's heart, and, like a very woman, gave it -away to Tom Blacke without a return. - -In good time General Bounce arrived, and took the command from Frank -Hardingstone, with many gracious acknowledgments of his kindness. The -General was a man of far too great importance to be introduced at the -conclusion of a chapter. It is sufficient to say, that with military -promptitude and decision (which generally means a disagreeable and -abrupt method of doing a simple thing) he set the household in order, -arranged the sad ceremony, over which he presided with proper gravity, -packed Cousin Charlie off to his private tutor's, paid the servants -their wages, and settled the departure of himself and niece for his -own residence. - -Do we think ourselves of account in this our world?--do we think we -shall be so missed and so regretted? Drop a stone into a pool, there -is a momentary splash, a bubble on the surface, and circle after -circle spreads, and widens and weakens, till all is still and smooth -as though the water had never been disturbed; so it is with death. -There is a funeral and crape and weeping, and "callings to inquire," -then the intelligence gets abroad amongst mere acquaintances and utter -strangers, a line in the _Times_ proclaims our decease to the world. -Ere it has reached the colonies we are well-nigh forgotten at home. - -Mrs. Kettering was at rest in her grave; the General was full of his -arrangements and his responsibilities; Charlie was back amongst his -mathematics and his cricket and his Greek and Latin; the servants were -looking out for fresh places; and the life that had disappeared from -the surface was forgotten by all. By all save one; for still Blanche -was gazing on the waters and mourning for her mother. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -UNCLE BALDWIN - - NEWTON-HOLLOWS AND ITS GROUNDS--BACHELORS' BILLETS--THE HEIRESS - AND HER COMPANION--GENERAL BOUNCE--A GENTLEMAN FARMER--THE - LADIES' CLUB--A WOMAN'S IDEAL - - -In an unpretending corner of the "Guyville Guide and Midland Counties' -Directory" a few lines are devoted to inform the tourist that -"Newton-Hollows, post-town Guyville, in the Hundred of Cow-capers, is -the seat of Major-General Bounce, etc., etc., etc. The lover of the -picturesque obtains, from the neighbourhood of this mansion, a -magnificent view, comprising no less than seventeen churches, a vast -expanse of wood and meadow-land, the distant spires of Bubbleton, and -the imposing outline of the famous Castle Guy." Doubtless all these -beauties might have been conspicuous had the adventurous tourist -chosen to climb one of the lofty elms with which the house was -surrounded; but from the altitude of his own stature he was obliged to -content himself with a far less extensive landscape, seeing that the -country was closely wooded, and as flat as his hand. But -Newton-Hollows was one of those sweet little places, self-contained -and compact, that require no distant views, no shaggy scenery, no -"rough heath and rugged wood," to enhance their charm. Magnificent old -timber, "the oak and the ash, and the bonny ivy tree," to say nothing -of elms and chestnuts, dotted the meadows and pastures in which the -mansion was snugly ensconced. People driving up, or rather along, the -level approach, were at a loss to make out where the farms ended and -the park began. Well-kept lawns, that looked as if they were fresh -mown every morning, swept up to the drawing-room windows, opening to -the ground; not a leaf was strewn on sward or gravel; not a weed, nor -even a daisy, permitted to show its modest head above the surface; and -as for a rake, roller, or a gardener's hat being left in a place where -such instruments have no business, why, the General would have -made the unfortunate delinquent eat it--rake, roller, or -"wide-a-awake"--and discharged him besides on the spot. No wonder the -flower-garden adjoining the conservatory, which again opened into the -drawing-room, looked so trim and well-kept: "Master's" hobby was a -garden, and, though utterly ignorant of the names, natures, and -treatment of plants, he liked to see every variety in his possession, -and spared no expense on their cultivation; and so a head gardener and -five subalterns carried off all the prizes at the Bubbleton and -Guyville horticulturals; and the General complained that he could -never get a nosegay for his table, nor a bit of fruit for his dessert -fit to eat. Yet were there worse "billets" in this working world than -Newton-Hollows. The Bubbleton "swells" and county dignitaries found it -often "suit their hunting arrangements" to go, over-night, and dine -with "old Bounce." He would always "put up a hack for you," than which -no effort of hospitality makes a man more deservedly popular in a -hunting country; and his dinners, his Indian dishes, his hot pickles, -his dry champagne, his wonderful claret ("not a headache in a -hogshead, sir," the General would say, with a frown of defiance), were -all in keeping with the snug, comfortable appearance of his dwelling, -and the luxurious style which men who have served long in the army, -and often been obliged to "rough it," know so well how to enjoy. Then -there was no pretension about the thing whatever. The house, though it -ranged over a considerable extent of ground, particularly towards the -offices, was only two storeys high--"a mere cottage," its owner called -it; but a cottage in which the apartments were all roomy and -well-proportioned, in which enough "married couples could be put up" -to furnish a very good-sized dinner-table, and the bachelors (we like -to put in a word for our fellow-sufferers) were as comfortably -accommodated as their more fortunate associates, who travelled with -wives, imperials, cap-boxes, and ladies'-maids. - -It is a bad plan to accustom unmarried gentlemen to think they can do -without their comforts; it makes them hardy and independent, and -altogether averse to the coddling and care and confinement with which -they expect to find matrimony abound. As we go through the world, in -our desolate celibacy, we see the net spread in sight of many a bird, -and we generally remark, that the meshes which most surely entangle -the game are those of self-indulgence and self-applause. You _must_ -gild the wires, and pop a lump of sugar between them too, if you would -have the captive flutter willingly into the cage. When young Coelebs -comes home from hunting or shooting, and has to divest himself of his -clammy leathers or dirt-encumbered gaiters in a room without a fire -and with a cracked pane in the window, he takes no pleasure in his -adornment, but hurries over his toilet, or perhaps begins to smoke. -This should be avoided: we have known a quiet cigar do away with the -whole effect of a bran-new pink bonnet. But if, on the contrary, he -finds a warm, luxurious room, plenty of hot water, wax candles on the -dressing-table, and a becoming looking-glass, the quarry lingers over -the tie of its neckcloth with a pleasing conviction that that is not -half a bad-looking fellow grinning opposite, and moreover that there -is a "deuced _lovable_ girl" down-stairs, who seems to be of the same -opinion. So the thing works: vows are exchanged, _trousseaux_ got -ready, settlements drawn out, the lawyers thrive, and fools are -multiplied. Had Newton-Hollows belonged to a designing matron, instead -of an unmarried general officer, it might have become a perfect mart -for the exchanges of beauty and valour. Hunting men are pretty usually -a marrying race; whether it be from daily habits of recklessness, a -bold disregard of the adage which advises "to look before you leap," -or a general thick-headedness and want of circumspection, the -red-coated Nimrod falls an easy prey to any fair enslaver who may -think him worth the trouble of subjection; and for one alliance that -has been negotiated in the stifling atmosphere of a London ball-room, -twenty owe their existence to the fresh breezes, the haphazard -events, and surrounding excitement of the hunting-field. - -General Bounce's guests, as was natural in the country where he -resided, were mostly men like mad Tom, - - "Whose chiefest care - Was horse to ride and weapon wear;" - -nor, like him, would they have objected to place gloves in their caps -or carry any other favours which might demonstrate their own powers of -fascination, and their rank in the good graces of the heiress. Yes, -there was an heiress now at Newton-Hollows. Popular as had always been -the General's hospitality, he was now besieged with hints, and -advances, and innuendoes, having for their object an invitation to his -house. What a choice of scamps might he have had, all ready and -willing to marry his niece--all anxious, if possible, to obtain even a -peep "of that little Miss Kettering, not yet out of the school-room, -who is to have ever so many hundred thousand pounds, and over whom old -Bounce keeps watch and ward like a fiery dragon." - -But the passing years have little altered Blanche's sweet and simple -character, though they have rounded her figure and added to her -beauty. She is to "come out" next spring, and already the world is -talking of her charms and her expectations. A pretty picture is so -much prettier in a gilt frame, and she will probably begin life with -the ball at her foot; yet is there the same soft, artless expression -in her countenance that it wore at St. Swithin's ere her mother's -death--the same _essence_ of beauty, independent of colouring and -features, which may be traced in really charming people from the -cradle to the grave, which made Blanche a willing child, is now -enhancing the loveliness of her womanhood, and will probably leave her -a very pleasant-looking old lady. - -"And Charlie comes home to-morrow," says Blanche, tripping along the -gravel walk that winds through those well-kept shrubberies. "I wonder -if he's at all the sort of person you fancy, and whether you will -think him as perfect as I do?" - -"Probably not, my dear," replied her companion, whose stately gait -contrasted amusingly with Blanche's light and playful gestures. -"People seldom come up to one's ideas of them; and I am sure it is not -your fault if I do not expect to meet a perfect hero of romance in -your cousin." We ought to know those low thrilling tones; we ought to -recognise the majestic figure--the dark sweeping dress--the braided -hair and classical features of that pale, serious face. Mary Delaval -is still the handsome governess; and Blanche would rather part with -her beauty or her bullfinch, or any of her most prized earthly -possessions, than that dear duenna, who, having finished her -education, is now residing with her in the dubious capacity of part -chaperon, part teacher, and part friend. - -"Well, dear, he _is_ a hero," replied Blanche, who always warmed on -_that_ subject. "Let me see which of my heroes he's most like: Prince -Rupert--only he's younger and better-looking" (Blanche, though a -staunch little cavalier, could not help associating mature age and -gravity with the flowing wigs in which most of her favourites of that -period were depicted); "Claverhouse, only not so cruel,--he _is_ like -Claverhouse in the face, I think, Mrs. Delaval; or 'bonnie Prince -Charlie'; or Ivanhoe,--yes, Ivanhoe, that's the one; he's as brave and -as gentle; and Mr. Hardingstone, whose life he saved, you know, says -he rides most beautifully, and will make a capital officer." - -"And which of the heroes is Mr. Hardingstone, Blanche?" said her -friend, in her usual measured tones. Blanche blushed. - -"Oh, I can't understand Mr. Hardingstone," said she; "I think he's -odd-_ish_, and quite unlike other people; then he looks through one -so. Mrs. Delaval, I think it's quite rude to stare at people as if you -thought they were not telling the truth. But he's good-looking, too," -added the young lady, reflectively; "only not to be compared with -Charlie." - -"Of course not," rejoined her friend; "but it is fortunate that -we are to enjoy the society of this Paladin till he joins his -regiment--Lancers, are they not? Well, we must hope, Blanche, to use -the language of your favourites of the middle ages, that he may prove -a lamb among ladies, as he is doubtless a lion among lancers." - -"Dear Charlie! how he will enjoy his winter. He is so fond of hunting; -and he is to have Hyacinth, and Haphazard, and Mayfly to ride for his -own--so kind of Uncle Baldwin; but I must be off to put some flowers -in his room," quoth Blanche, skipping along the walk as young ladies -will, when unobserved by masculine eyes; "he may arrive at any moment, -he's such an uncertain boy." - -"Zounds! you've broke it, you fiddle-headed brute!" exclaimed a -choleric voice from the further side of a thick laurel hedge, -startling the ladies most unceremoniously, and preparing them for the -spectacle of a sturdy black cob trotting rebelliously down the farm -road, with a fragment of his bridle dangling from his head, the -remaining portion being firmly secured to a gate-post, at which the -self-willed animal had been tied up in vain. Another instant brought -the owner of the voice and late master of the cob into the presence of -Mrs. Delaval and his niece. It was no less a person than General -Bounce. - -"Uncle Baldwin, Uncle Baldwin," exclaimed Blanche, who turned him -round her finger as she did the rest of the establishment, "where have -you been all day? You promised to drive me out--you know you did, you -wicked, hard-hearted man." - -"Been, my dear?" replied the General, in a tone of softness -contrasting strangely with the flushed and vehement bearing of his -outward man; "at that--(no, I will _not_ swear)--at that doubly -accursed farm. Would you believe the infernal stupidity of the -people--(excuse me, Mrs. Delaval)--men with heads on their shoulders, -and hair, and front teeth like other people--and they've sent the -black bull to Bubbleton without winkers--without winkers, as I live by -bread; but I won't be answerable for the consequences,--no, I won't -make good any damages originating in such carelessness; no, not if -there's law in England or justice under heaven! But, my sweet -Blanche," added the General, in a tone of amiable piano, the more -remarkable for the forte of his previous observations, "I'll go and -get ready this instant, my darling; you shan't be disappointed; I'll -order the pony-carriage forthwith. Holloa! you, sir; only let me catch -you--only let me catch you, that's all; I'll trounce you as sure as my -name's Bounce!" and the General, without waiting for any further -explanation, darted off in pursuit of an idle village boy, whom he -espied in the very act, _flagrante delicto_, of trespassing on a -pathway which the lord of the manor had been several years vainly -endeavouring to shut up. - -General Bounce was such a medley as can only be produced by the action -of a tropical sun on a vigorous, sanguine Anglo-Saxon temperament. -Specimens are becoming scarcer every day. They are seldom to be met -with in our conventional and well-behaved country, though here and -there, flitting about a certain club celebrated for its curries, they -may be discovered even in the heart of the metropolis. On board -transports, men-of-war, mail-steamers, and such-like government -conveyances, they are more at home; in former days they were -occasionally visible inside our long coaches, where they invariably -made a difficulty about the window; but in the colonies they are to be -seen in their highest state of cultivation; as a general rule, the -hotter the climate, the more perfect the specimen. - -Our friend the General was a very phoenix of his kind. In person he -was short, stout, square, and active, with black twinkling eyes and a -round, clean-shaved face--small-featured and good-humoured-looking, -but choleric withal. His naturally florid complexion had been baked -into a deep red-brown by his Indian campaigns. If Pythagoras was right -in his doctrine concerning the transmigration of souls, the General's -must have previously inhabited the person of a sturdy, snappish -black-and-tan terrier. In manner he was alternately marvellously -winning and startlingly abrupt, the transition being instantaneous; -whilst in character he was decided, energetic, and impracticable, -though both rash and obstinate, with an irritable temper and an -affectionate heart. He had seen service in India, and by his own -account had not only experienced sundry hair-breadth 'scapes bordering -on the romantic, but likewise witnessed such strange sights and -vagaries as fall to the lot of few, save those whose bodily vision is -assisted by that imaginative faculty denominated "the mind's eye." - -The General was a great disciplinarian, and piqued himself much upon -the order in which he kept the females of his establishment, Blanche -especially, whose lightest word, by the way, was his law. Indeed, like -many old bachelors, he entertained a reverence almost superstitious -for the opposite sex, and a few tears shed at the right moment would -always bear the delinquent harmless, whatever the misdemeanour for -which she was taken to task. The men, indeed, found him more -troublesome to deal with, and the newly-arrived were somewhat alarmed -at his violent language and impetuous demeanour; but the older -servants always "took the bull by the horns" fearlessly and at once, -nor in the end did they ever fail to get their own way with a master -who, to use their peculiar language, "was easily upset, though he soon -came round again." What made the General an infinitely less -disagreeable man in society than he otherwise would have been, was the -fact of his having a farm, which farm served him as a safety-valve to -carry off all the irritation that could not but accumulate in an easy, -uneventful life, destitute of real grievances as of the stirring, -active scenes to which he had been accustomed in his earlier days. If -a gentleman finds it indispensable to his health that he should be -continually in hot water--that he should always have something to -grumble at, something to disappoint him, let him take to farming--his -own land or another's, it is immaterial which; but let him "occupy," -as it is called, a certain number of acres--and we will warrant him as -much "worry" and "annoyance" as the most "tonic"-craving disposition -can desire. Let us accompany our retired warrior to his farm-yard, -whither, after an ineffectual chase, he at length followed his black -pony, forgetful of Blanche and the drive, on which, in the now -shortening daylight, it was already too late to embark. - -In the first place, the bull was come back--he had been to Bubbleton -_minus_ his winkers, but no one in that salubrious town caring to -purchase a bull, he had returned to his indigenous pastures and his -disgusted owner--therefore must the bailiff hazard an excuse and a -consolation, in which the words "poor," and "stock," and the "fair on -the fifteenth," are but oil to the flame. - -"Fair! he'll be as thin as a whipping-post in a week--if anybody bids -five shillings for him at the fair, I'll eat him, horns and all! What -weight are those sheep?" adds the General, abruptly turning to another -subject, and somewhat confusing his deliberate overseer by the -suddenness of the inquiry. "Now those turnips are not fit for sheep! I -tell you they ought to be three times the size. Zounds, man, _will_ -you grow larger turnips? And have I not countermanded those infernal -iron hurdles a hundred times? a thousand times!! a hundred thousand -times!!! Give _me_ the pail, you lop-eared buffoon--do you call _that_ -the way to feed a pig?" and the General, seizing the bucket from an -astonished chaw-bacon, who stood aghast, as if he thought his master -was mad, managed to spill the greater part of the contents over his -own person and gaiters, rendering a return home absolutely -indispensable. He stumped off accordingly, giving a parting direction -to some of his myrmidons to catch the black cob, in as mild a tone and -with as good-humoured a countenance as if he had been in this heavenly -frame of mind the whole afternoon. - -Now the General, when he first began to live alone, and to miss the -constant interchange of ideas which a military life encourages, had -acquired a habit of discoursing to himself on such subjects as were -most interesting to him at the time; so as he toddled merrily along, -much relieved by the bucolic blow-up, and admired his sturdy legs and -swung his short arms, all the way up the long gravel-walk towards the -house, his thoughts framed themselves into a string of disjointed -sentences, now muttered scarcely above a whisper, now spoken boldly -out in an audible tone, which would have led a stranger to suppose he -was carrying on a conversation with some one on the other side of the -screening Portugal laurels. "Thick-headed fellows, these -bumpkins," soliloquised the General, "not like my old friends at -Fool-a-pore--could make them skip about to some purpose: there's -nothing like a big stick for a nigger--never mind. I'm young enough to -begin again--man of iron--what an arm! what a leg! might have married -a dozen peeresses, and beauties by hundreds--didn't though. Now, -there's Blanche; I shall have fifty fellows all after her before -Christmas--sharp dogs if they think they can weather old -Bounce--Rummagee Bang couldn't. By the by, I haven't told Mrs. Delaval -that story yet--clever woman, and good judgment--admires my character, -I'll bet a million--an officer's daughter, too, and what a magnificent -figure she has--Bounce, you're an old fool! As for Charlie, he shall -stay here all the winter; there's mettle in that lad, and if I can't -lick him into shape I'm a Dutchman. He'll show 'em the way with the -hounds, and I'll put him up to a thing or two, the young scamp. -Snaffles! Snaffles!!" roared the General, as he concluded his -monologue, and passed the stables on his way to the house, "don't take -any of the horses out to-morrow till you get your orders. Do you -_hear_ me? man alive!" And by this time, having reached home, he -stumped off to dress for dinner, keeping up a running fire along the -passages, as he discovered here a hearth-broom, and there a -coal-scuttle, ready for him to break his shins over, and observed the -usual plate and tea-cup standing sentry at each of the ladies' doors. - -We may be sure that not the least comfortable of the rooms at -Newton-Hollows was especially appropriated as Blanche's own, and that -young lady was now sitting opposite a glass that reflected a smiling -face, enduring with patience and resignation the ceremony of having -"her hair done." A French maid, named "Rosine," a very pretty -substitute for bilious-looking Gingham, was working away at the -ivory-handled brushes, and occasionally letting fall a thick glossy -ringlet athwart the snow-white cape in which the process of adornment -was submitted to, whilst Mary Delaval, buried in an arm-chair drawn -close to the blazing fire, and enveloped in a dressing-gown, with an -open book in her hand, was quietly listening to Blanche's remarks on -things in general, and her own self and prospects in particular. - -That hour before dinner is the period chosen by women for their most -confidential intercourse, and the enjoyment of what they call "a cozy -chat." When Damon, in the small hours, smokes a cigar with Pythias, -more especially if such an indulgence be treason against the rules of -the house, he opens his heart to his fellow-trespasser, in a manner of -which, next morning, he has but a faint recollection. He confides to -him his differences with "the governor," his financial embarrassments, -the unsoundness of his horses and his heart, the latter possession -much damaged by certain blue eyes in the neighbourhood; he details to -him the general scandal with which he is conversant, and binding him -by promises of eternal secrecy, proceeds deliberately to demolish the -fair fame of maid and matron who enjoy the advantage of his -acquaintance; finally, he throws his cigar-end beneath the grate and -betakes him "to perch," as he calls it, with an infatuated persuasion -that the confidences which he has broken, will be respected by his -listener, and that his debts, his difficulties, his peccadilloes, and -the lameness of his bay mare, will not form the subject of -conversation to-morrow night, when he, Damon, has gone back to London, -and Pythias takes out his case to smoke a cigar with Dionysius. But -the ladies by this time are fast asleep, dreaming, bless them, as it -shall please Queen Mab--they must not wither their roses by sitting up -too late, and though tolerant of smoking sometimes, they do not -practise that abomination themselves, so tea-time is _their_ hour of -gossip, and heartily they enjoy the refreshment, both of mind and -body, ere they come down demure and charming, in low evening dresses, -with little or no appetite for dinner. - -"Never mind Rosine," said Blanche, as that attendant concluded an -elaborate plait by the insertion of an enormous hair-pin; "she can't -speak a word of English. I agree with you that it is very charming to -be an heiress, and I shall enjoy 'coming out,' and doing what I like; -but I wish, too, sometimes, that I were a man; I feel so restrained, -so useless, so incapable of doing any good. Mrs. Delaval, I think -women are shamefully kept back; why shouldn't we have professions and -employments? not that I should like to be a soldier or a sailor, -because I am not brave, but I do feel as if I was fit for something -greater than tying up flowers or puzzling through worsted work." - -"There was a time when I, too, thought the same," replied Mary, "but -depend upon it, my dear, that you may do an infinity of good in the -station which is assigned you. I used to fancy it would be so noble to -be a man, and to do something grand, and heroic, and disinterested; -but look at half the men we see, Blanche, and tell me if you would -like to change places with one of them. Caring only for their dress, -their horses, and their dinners, they will tell you themselves, and -think they are philosophers for saying so, 'that they are easy, -good-tempered fellows, and if they can only get enough to eat, and -lots of good hunting and good claret, they are perfectly satisfied.' -Indeed, my dear, I think we have the best of it; we are more resigned, -more patient, more contented; we have more to bear, and we bear it -better--more to detach us from this world, and to wean us from being -entirely devoted to ourselves. No, I had rather be a woman, with all -her imperfections, than one of those lords of the creation, such as we -generally find them." - -"But still there are great men, Mrs. Delaval, even in these days. Do -you think they are all selfish and egotistical, and care only for -indulgences?" - -"Heaven forbid, my dear; I only argue from the generality. My idea of -man," said Mary, kindling as she went on in her description, "is that -he should be brave, generous, and unselfish; stored with learning, -which he uses not for display, but for a purpose; careless of vanity -and frivolous distinction; reliant on himself and his own high -motives; deep and penetrating in his mental powers, with a lofty view -of the objects of existence, and the purposes for which we are here. -What does it signify whether such a one is good-looking in person or -taking in manner? But as I am describing a hero, I will say his frame -should be robust and his habits simple, to harmonise with the vigour -of his intellect and the singleness of his character." - -"You have described Mr. Hardingstone exactly," exclaimed Blanche, with -rising colour, and a feeling not quite of pleasure at her heart. Yet -what signified it to her that Mary Delaval's Quixotic idea of a -pattern man should typify so precisely her old friend Frank? Mary had -never seen him; and even if she had, what was that to Blanche? Yet -somehow she had taught herself from childhood to consider him her own -property; probably because he was such a friend of Charlie; and she -was a thorough woman--though she fancied she ought to have been born a -hero--and consequently very jealous of her rights, real or imaginary. -Silly Blanche! there was a sort of excitement, too, in talking about -him, so she went on--"He is all that you have said, and people call -him very good-looking besides, though I don't think him so;" and -Blanche coloured as she spoke, and told Rosine not to pull her hair so -hard. - -"Well, my dear," said Mary, "then I should like to know him. But never -mind the gentlemen, Blanche; there will be half-a-dozen here to dinner -to-day. To return to yourself--you have a bright career before you, -but never think it is traced out only for your own enjoyment. As a -girl, you may in your position be an example to your equals, and a -blessing to your dependents--think what a deal of good you can do even -about a place like this; and then, should you marry, your influence -may be the means of leading your husband and family into the right -way. I have had a good deal of trouble, as you know, but I have always -tried to remember, that to bear it patiently, and to do the best I -could in my own path without repining, was to fulfil my destiny as -nobly as if I had been a dethroned queen, or a world-famous heroine. -No, my dear, this world is not a place only for dancing, and driving, -and flirting, and dressing.--Good gracious! there's the dinner-bell! -and my hair not 'done' yet." And away Mary rushed in the midst of her -lecture, to complete those arrangements which brought her out, some -ten minutes afterwards, the handsomest woman within fifty miles of -Guyville. - -Notwithstanding the lofty aspirations of these ladies, their contempt -for the approbation of the other sex, and the short time they allowed -themselves for adornment, two more tasteful and perfectly-finished -toilettes have been seldom accomplished than those which at the -well-lighted dinner-table enhanced the attractions of the pretty -heiress and her handsome governess. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE BLIND BOY - - THE GRUB BECOMES A BUTTERFLY--FAREWELL AND HOW D'YE DO--NOT - WHAT WAS EXPECTED--THE GENERAL'S HOBBY--BLANCHE'S - BIRTHDAY--FAMILY ARRANGEMENTS--"GIVE YOU JOY"--A COUNTRY - DINNER-PARTY--TURNING THE TABLES--"THE COQUETTE" - - -Meanwhile the eventful Friday has arrived which has promoted "Cousin -Charlie" to the rank of manhood. The _Gazette_ of that day has -announced the appointment of "Charles Kettering, Gentleman, to be -Cornet in the 20th Lancers, vice Slack, who retires," and the young -one, who has been cultivating the down on his upper lip for months, in -anticipation of this triumph, turns up those ends, of which there is -scarcely enough to take hold, and revels in the consciousness that he -is a boy no longer, but an officer, a cavalry officer, and a -gentleman. Old Nobottle, whom the pupil has attached to himself as an -imaginative boy often does a sober old gentleman, is of the same mind, -and has confided to Mr. Hardingstone his opinion of Charlie, and the -bright deeds he expects from him. "The lad has all the makings of a -soldier, sir," said the clergyman; "the cheerful spirits, the gallant -bearing, the love of action, and the chivalrous vanity--half -courageous, half coxcombical--which form the military character; and -if he has a chance, he will distinguish himself. _If_ he has a chance, -do I say? he'll make himself a chance, sir; the boy is cut out for a -recruit, and he'll learn his drill and know his men, and keep his -troop-accounts smarter than any of 'em." Nobottle was waxing -enthusiastic, as the old recollections stole over him, and he saw, in -fancy, a certain young artillery officer, gay amongst the gayest, and -brave amongst the bravest, consulted by his seniors for his science -and professional knowledge, and thanked in general orders for "his -distinguished gallantry" in more than one decisive action. How -different from the slouching, slovenly old man, in yesterday's white -neckcloth, who may now be seen budding his roses, poking about his -parish, and stuffing stupid young gentlemen with as much learning as -shall enable them to pass their dreaded examinations. Poor old -Nobottle, you _would_ marry for love, you _would_ sacrifice your -profession and your commission, your prospects and your all, for the -red-nosed lady, then, to do her justice, a very pretty girl, who now -occupies the top of your table. Like Antony, you were "all for love -and the world well lost," and, after a time, you found that the -exchange was against you: what you took for gold turned out to be -dross,--that which was honey in the mouth became bitter as gall in the -digestion; in short, you discovered Mrs. N. was a failure, and that -you did not care two pins for each other. Then came poverty and -recrimination and the gnawing remorse of chances thrown away, that -could not possibly recur again. Fortunately for you, a classical -education and Church interest enabled you to take orders and get a -living, so you work on, contentedly enough, now that your sensations -are deadened and yourself half torpid; and although, when your better -feelings obtain the mastery, you cannot but acknowledge the -superiority of the present warfare in which you are engaged over that -in which you spent your gaudy youth, yet, ever and anon, that foolish -old heart still pines for the marshalling of men and the tramp of -steeds, "the plumed troop and the big wars, that make ambition -virtue." - -Hardingstone breakfasted at the rectory on the morning of Charlie's -departure; he was to drive him to the station, and our young friend -must indubitably have been late for the train, had he not been -rescued, by a man of decision, from the prolonged farewells of the -inconsolables he left behind. Binks, the butler, was overwhelmed by -sorrow and strong beer; Tim, the tea-boy, who had never before seen a -half-sovereign, sobbed aloud; the maids, on whom Charlie's good looks -had made an impression proportionable to the softness of each -damsel's heart, laughed and wept by turns; whilst Mrs. Nobottle, -generally a lady of austere and inflexible disposition, weakened the -very tea which she was pouring out for breakfast with her tears, and, -finally, embraced Charlie with hysterical affection, and a nose redder -than ever. The good rector took him aside into his study, and blessed -him as a father blesses a son. "You have never given me a moment's -uneasiness, my dear boy, since you came here," said the old man, with -a trembling voice; "you have been a credit to me as a pupil, and a -comfort as a friend; and now, perhaps, I shall never see you again. -But you won't forget your old pedagogue, and if ever you are in -difficulties, if ever you are in distress, remember there is a home -here to which you may always apply for advice and assistance. God be -with you, my boy, in the temptations of a barrack, as, if it should be -your lot, in the perilous excitement of a battle. Do your duty -wherever you are, and think, sometimes, of old Nobottle." - -Why was it Charlie's cigar would _not_ light, as he was borne away on -the wheels of Frank Hardingstone's dog-cart? The tinder was quite -wet, though there was not a drop of rain in the sky, and he turned -away his head from his companion, and bent sedulously over the -refractory tobacco. Could it be that Charlie was crying? 'Tis not -improbable. Despite his recently-acquired manhood, he had a soft, -affectionate heart, and if it now gave way, and came unbidden to his -eyes, Frank liked him all the better for it. - -And as he was whirled along on the London and North-Western, how the -young soldier's thoughts ran riot in the future. Would he have changed -places with any dignitary in the world, monarch, prince, or peer, or -even with the heretofore much-admired Frank Hardingstone? Not he. None -of these held a commission in the 20th Lancers; and were to be pitied, -if not despised, accordingly. What a lot was his! Two months' leave at -least, and at his time of life two months is an age, to be spent in -the gaieties of Newton-Hollows, and the attenuation of Haphazard, -Hyacinth, and Mayfly, the mettle of which very excellent steeds Master -Charlie had fully resolved to prove. All the delights of Bubbleton -and the county gaieties, with the companionship of Blanche, that more -than sister, without whom, from his earliest boyhood, no enjoyment -could be half enjoyed. And then the flattering pride she would feel in -her officer-cousin (Charlie felt for his moustaches so perseveringly, -that a short-sighted fellow-traveller thought he had a sore lip), and -the request he should be in amongst the young ladies of the -neighbourhood, with a romantic conviction that love was not for him, -that "the sword was the soldier's bride," etc. Then the dreamer looked -forward into the vistas of the future; the parade, the bivouac, and -the charge; night-watches in a savage country--for the 20th were even -then in Kaffirland--the trumpet alarum, the pawing troop-horses, the -death-shock and the glittering blade; a certain cornet hurraing in the -van, the admiration of brother officers, and the veteran colonel's -applause; a _Gazette_ promotion and honourable mention in dispatches; -Uncle Baldwin's uproarious glee at home; and Blanche's quiet smile. -Who would not be a boy again? Yet not with the stipulation we hear so -often urged, of knowing as much as we do now. That knowledge would -destroy it all. No, let us have boyhood once more, with its vigorous -credulity and its impossible romance, with that glorious ignorance -which turns everything to gold, that sanguine temperament which sheds -its rosy hues even over the bleak landscape of future old age. "Poor -lad! how green he is," says worldly experience, with a sneer of -affected pity at those raptures it would give its very existence to -feel again. "Happy fellow; he's a boy still!" says good-natured -philosophy with a smile, half saddened at the thoughts of the coming -clouds, which shall too surely darken that sunny horizon. But each has -been through the crucible, each recognises that sparkle of the virgin -gold which shall never again appear on the dead surface of the metal, -beaten and stamped and fabricated into a mere conventional coin. The -train whizzes on, the early evening sets in, tired post-horses grope -their way up the dark avenue, wheels are heard grinding round the -gravel sweep before the house, and the expected guest arrives at -Newton-Hallows. - -"Goodness! Charlie, how you _have_ been smoking," exclaims Blanche, -after their first affectionate greeting, while she shrinks a little -from the cousinly embrace somewhat redolent of tobacco; "and how -you're grown, dear--I suppose you don't like to be told you are grown -now--and moustaches, I declare," she adds, bursting out laughing, as -she catches Charlie's budding honours _en profil_; "'pon my word -they're a great improvement." Charlie winced a little. There is always -a degree of awkwardness even amongst the nearest and dearest, when -people meet after a long absence, and the less artificial the -character, the more it betrays itself; but Blanche was in great -spirits and rattled on, till the General made his appearance, bustling -in perfectly radiant with hospitality. - -"Glad to see ye, my lad--glad to see ye; have been expecting ye this -half-hour--trains always late--and always _will_ be till they hang a -director--I've hanged many a man for less, myself, 'up the country.' -Fact, Blanche, I assure you. You'll have lots of time to dress," he -observed, glancing at the clock's white face shining in the -fire-light--and adding, with a playful dig of his fingers into -Charlie's lean ribs, "We dine in half-an-hour, _temps militaire_, you -dog! We must teach you that punctuality and good commissariat are the -two first essentials for a soldier." So the General rang a peal for -hand candles that might have brought a house down. - -And Charlie was well acquainted with all the inmates of Newton-Hollows -save Mrs. Delaval. Of her he had often heard Blanche speak as the most -delightful of companions, and indulgent of governesses, but he had -never set eyes on her in person; so as he effected his tie before the -glass, and drew his fingers over those precious moustaches to discover -if change of air had already influenced their growth, he began to -speculate on the character and appearance of the lady who was to -complete their family party. "A middle-aged woman," thought -Charlie--for Blanche, on whom some ten years of seniority made a great -impression, had always described her as such--"forty, or -thereabouts--stout, jolly-looking and good-humoured, I'll be bound--I -know I shall like her--wears a cap, I've no doubt, and a front, too, -most probably--sits very upright, and talks like a book, till one -knows her well--spectacles, I shouldn't wonder (it's no use making -much of a tie for _her_)--pats Blanche on the shoulder when she gives -her precedence, and keeps her hands in black lace mittens, I'll bet a -hundred!" With which mental wager Master Charlie blew his candles out, -and swaggered down-stairs, feeling in his light evening costume, as -indeed he looked, well-made, well-dressed, and extremely like a -gentleman. - -Mischievous Blanche was enchanted at the obvious start of astonishment -with which her introduction was received by her cousin--"Mr. -Kettering, Mrs. Delaval." Charlie looked positively dismayed. Was this -the comfortable, round-about, good-humoured body he had expected to -see?--was that tall, stately figure, dressed in the most perfect -taste, with an air of more than high-breeding, almost of command, such -as duchesses may be much admired without possessing--was that the -dowdy middle-aged governess?--were those long, deep-set eyes, the orbs -that should have glared at him through spectacles, and would black -lace mittens have been an improvement on those white taper hands, -beautiful in their perfect symmetry without a single ornament? Charlie -bowed low to conceal the blush that overspread his countenance. The -boy was completely taken aback, and, when he led her in to dinner, and -heard those thrilling tones murmuring in his ear, the spell, we may be -sure, lost none of its power. "She is beautiful," thought Charlie, -"and nearly as tall as I am;" and he was pleased to recollect that -Blanche had thought him grown. Ladies, we opine, are not so -impressionable as men--at least they do not allow themselves to appear -so. Either they are more cautious in their judgments, which we have -heard denied by those who plume themselves on knowledge of the sex, or -their hypocrisy is more perfect; certainly a young lady's education is -based upon principles of the most frigid reserve, and her decorous -bearing, we believe, is never laid aside, even in tea-rooms, -conservatories, shaded walks, and other such resorts, fatal to the -equanimity of masculine understanding; therefore Mary Delaval did by -no means lose her presence of mind on being introduced to the young -gentleman, of whose deeds and sentiments she had heard so much. Woman -as she was, she could not but be gratified at the evident admiration -her appearance created in this new acquaintance, and truth to speak, -"Cousin Charlie" was a youth whose allegiance few female hearts would -have entirely scorned to possess; yet there was no occasion to tell -the young gentleman as much to his face. - -A very good-looking face it was too, with its wide, intellectual brow, -round which the brown silky hair waved in such becoming clusters--its -perfect oval and delicate high-bred features, if they had a fault, too -girlish in their soft, winning expression--in fact, he was as like -Blanche as possible; and had his moustaches been shaved, could he -indeed have submitted to the sacrifice, his stature lowered, and a -bonnet and shawl put on, he might well have passed for his pretty -cousin. There was nothing effeminate though about Charlie, save his -countenance and his smile. That slender, graceful figure was lithe and -wiry as the panther's--those symmetrical limbs could toil, those -little feet could walk and run, after a Hercules would have been blown -and overpowered; and when standing up to his wicket, rousing a horse, -or putting him at a fence, there was a game sparkle in his eye that, -to use Frank Hardingstone's expression, "meant mischief." Some of -these good-looking young gentlemen are "ugly customers" enough when -their blood is up, and Cousin Charlie, like the rest, had quite as -much "devil" in his composition as was good for him. The "pretty page" -only wanted a few years over his head, a little more beard upon his -lip, to be a perfect Paladin. - -But the spell went on working the whole of dinner-time; in vain the -General told his most wondrous anecdotes, scolded his servants at -intervals, and pressed his good cheer on the little party--Charlie -_could_ not get over his astonishment. Mrs. Delaval sat by him, -looking like a queen, and talked in her own peculiarly winning voice -and impressive manner, just enough to make him wish for more. She was -one of those women who, speaking but little, seem always to mean more -than they say, and on whom conscious mental superiority, and the calm -subdued air worn by those who have known affliction, confer a certain -mysterious charm, which makes fearful havoc in a young gentleman's -heart. There is nothing enslaves a boy so completely as a spice of -romance. An elderly Strephon will go on his knees to a romping -schoolgirl, and the more hoydenish and unsophisticated the object, the -more will the old reprobate adore her; but beardless youth loves to -own superiority where it worships, loves to invest its idol with the -fabulous attributes that compose its own ideal; and of all the -_liaisons_, honourable and otherwise, that have bound their votaries -in silken fetters, those have been the most fatal, and the most -invincible, which have dated their existence from an earnest boyish -heart's first devotion to a woman some years his senior, of whom the -good-natured world says, "To be sure she _is_ handsome, but Lor'! -she's old enough to be his mother!" - -Not that Charlie was as far gone as this: on the contrary, his was an -imaginative poetical disposition, easily scorched enough, but almost -incapable of being thoroughly _done brown_. Of such men, ladies, we -would warn you to beware; the very temperament that clothes you in all -the winning attributes of its own ideal can the most easily transfer -those fancied attractions to a rival, inasmuch as the charm is not so -much yours as his, exists not in your sweet face, but in his heated -and inconstant brain. No, the real prize, depend upon it, is a -sensible, phlegmatic, matter-of-fact gentleman, anything but "wax to -receive," yet if you can succeed in making an impression, most -assuredly "marble to retain." Such a captive clings to his affections -as to his prejudices, and is properly subjected into a tame and -willing Benedict in half the time it takes to guess at the intentions -of the faithless rover, offering on a dozen shrines an adoration that, -however brilliant, is - - "Like light straw on fire, - A fierce but fading flame." - -Again was Charlie struck, as he swaggered off to open the door for the -ladies, by the graceful movements of Mary's majestic figure. Again the -half-bow with which, as she passed out, she acknowledged his courtesy, -made a pleasing impression on the boy's fancy; and as he lingered for -a moment, ere he shut out the rustle of their dresses and the pleasant -tones of the women's voices, and returned to the arm-chair and the -claret decanter, he could not help hoping "Uncle Baldwin" would be a -little less profuse than usual in his hospitality, and a little less -prolix in his narrative. - -"The young ones drink no wine at all now-a-days," remarked the -General, as Charlie a second time passed the bottle untouched, and his -host filled his glass to the brim. "Fault on the right side, my lad; -we used to drink too hard formerly--why, bless you, when I encountered -Tortoise, of the Queen's, at the mess of the Kedjeree Irregulars, we -sat for seven hours and a half to see one another out, and the two -black fellows fainted who were 'told off' to bring in claret and pale -ale as they were wanted. Tortoise recovered himself wonderfully about -the eighth bottle; and if he hadn't been obliged to be careful on -account of a wound in his head, we should have been there now. Drunk! -how d'ye mean? Not the least--fact, I assure you." - -Charlie got up and fidgeted about, with his back to the fire, but the -General would not let him off so easily. - -"Show you the farm to-morrow, my boy, you'll be delighted with my -pigs--Neapolitans every hair of 'em. What? no man alive shall presume -to tell me they're not the best breed! And I'll tell you what, -Charlie, I've secured the handsomest short-horned bull in this -country. Two hundred, you dog!--dirt cheap--and if you're fond of -stock you'll be charmed with him. Poultry too---real Cochin -Chinese--got three prizes at the last show; average height two feet -seven inches--rare beauties. Hens and chickens in knee-breeches, and a -cock in trunk-hose!" With which conclusion the chuckling old warrior -permitted Charlie to wheedle him off into the drawing-room, whither -they entered to find the ladies, as usual, absorbed in worsted work -and sunk in solemn silence. - -Pleasantly the evenings always passed at Newton-Hollows even with a -small party like the present. Music, cards, cockamaroo, and the -eternal racing game, of course, which gives gentle woman an insight -into the two fiercest pleasures of the other sex--horse-racing and -gambling--and introduces into the drawing-room the slang and confusion -of the betting-ring and the hazard-table, served to while away the -time. And though the General was even more diffuse than was his wont -in personal recollections and autobiography, Blanche scarcely -listened, so absorbed was she in her delight at having got Cousin -Charlie back again, whilst that young gentleman and Mary Delaval were -progressing rapidly in each other's good opinion, and exclaiming, in -their respective minds, "What an agreeable person! and so _different -from what I expected_!" - -Blanche's birthday was always kept as a period of great rejoicing at -Newton-Hollows, and a very short time after Charlie's arrival that -auspicious anniversary was ushered in, as usual, by the General's -appearance at the breakfast-table bearing a cotton-stuffed white and -green card-box, highly suggestive of Storr and Mortimer. This was -quietly placed by the side of Blanche's plate, and when the young lady -made her appearance, and exclaimed, "Dear, kind Uncle Baldwin, what a -love of a bracelet!" though we might have envied, we could not have -grudged the General the grateful kiss bestowed on him by his -affectionate niece. Uncle Baldwin's mind, however, was intent upon -weightier matters than jewels and "happy returns." He was to celebrate -the festival with a dinner-party; and whilst he had invited several of -the _elite_ of Bubbleton to celebrate his niece's birthday, he was -anxious so to dispose and welcome his guests as that none should have -reason to consider himself especially favoured or encouraged in the -advances which all were too eager to make towards the good graces of -the heiress; therefore the General held a solemn conclave, as was his -wont, consisting of himself and Mrs. Delaval, who on such occasions -was requested, with great pomp, to accompany him to his study, an -apartment adorned with every description of weapon used in civilised -or savage warfare, and to take her seat in his own huge arm-chair, -while he walked up and down the room, and held forth in his usual -abrupt and discursive manner. - -"I have such confidence in your sound sense, Mrs. Delaval," said he, -looking very insinuating, and pausing for an instant in his short, -quick strides, "that I always consult you in my difficulties." This -was said piano, but the forte addition immediately succeeded. -"Reserving to myself the option of acting, for dictation I cannot -submit to, even from you, my dear Mrs. Delaval. You are aware, I -believe, of my intentions regarding Blanche. _Are_ you aware of my -intentions?" he interrupted himself to demand in a voice of thunder. - -Mary, who was used to his manner, answered calmly, "that she was not;" -and the General proceeded, in a gentle and confidential tone-- - -"The fact is, my dear madam, I have set my heart on a family -arrangement, which I mention to you as a personal friend, and a lady -for whom I entertain the greatest regard." - -Mary bowed again, and could hardly suppress a smile at the manner in -which the old gentleman assured her of his consideration. - -"Well, though an unmarried man _as yet_, I am keenly alive to the -advantages of the married state. I never told you, I think, Mrs. -Delaval, of an adventure that befell me at Cheltenham--never mind -now--but, believe me, I am no stranger to those tender feelings, Mrs. -Delaval, to which we men of the sword--ah, ah--are _infernally_ -addicted. What? Well, ma'am, there's my niece now, they all want to -marry her. Every scoundrel within fifty miles wants to lead Blanche to -the altar. Zounds, I'll weather 'em, the villains--excuse me, Mrs. -Delaval, but to proceed--I am extremely anxious to confide my -intentions to you, as I hope I may calculate on your assistance. My -nephew, Charlie, to be explicit, is the----Holloa! you woman, come -back--come back, I say; you're carrying off the wrong coop. The dolt -has mistaken my orders about the Cochin Chinas. In the afternoon, if -you please, Mrs. Delaval, we'll discuss the point more at leisure." - -And the General bolted through the study window, and was presently -heard in violent altercation with the lady who presided over his -poultry yard. - -Though not very explicit, Mary had gathered enough from the General's -confidences to conclude he was anxious to arrange a marriage -eventually between the two cousins. Well! what was that to her? He -certainly was a very taking boy, handsome, gentle, and high-spirited; -nothing could be nicer for Blanche. And she was so fond of him; what a -charming couple they would make. "I am so glad," thought Mary, -wondering when she might congratulate the bride-elect; "so _very_ -glad; dear, how glad I am." Why should Mary have taken such pains to -assure herself how glad she was? Why did she watch the _charming -couple_ with an interest she had never felt before, as she joined them -on their return from their morning walk? A walk, the object of which -(tell it not in Bubbleton) had been to pursue the sport of rat-hunting -in a certain barn, with a favourite terrier of Charlie's, a sport that -Blanche was persuaded to patronise, notwithstanding her horror both of -the game and the mode of its destruction, by her affection for -Charlie, and her childish habit of joining him in all his pastimes and -amusements. How alike they were, with their delicate skin, their deep -blue eyes sparkling with exercise and excitement, and their waving -brown hair clustering round each flushed and smiling face. How alike -they were, and what a nice couple they certainly did make. And Mary -sighed, as again she thought how _very_ glad she was! - -No further interview took place that day with the General, whose many -avocations scarcely permitted him time for the elaborate toilette -which, partly out of respect for Blanche's birthday, partly in -consideration of his dinner-party, he thought it advisable to perform. -He certainly did take more pains with himself than usual; and as he -fixed an order or two in an unassuming place under the breast-lap of -his coat, a ray of satisfaction shot through his heart that beat -beneath those clasps and medals, while the old gentleman thought aloud -as usual, "Not such a bad arrangement after all! She certainly did -look very queer when I talked of Blanche's marrying. No doubt she's -smitten--just like the one at Cheltenham. Bounce! Bounce! you've a -deal to answer for. If ever I _do_, it's time I thought of it; don't -improve by keeping. 'Pon my life, I might go farther and fare worse. -Zounds! there's the door-bell." - -"Lady Mount Helicon!" "Captain Lacquers!" "Sir Ascot Uppercrust!" and -a whole host of second-rate grandees were successively announced and -ushered into the brilliantly-lighted drawing-room, to be received by -the General with the _empressement_ of a bachelor, who is host and -hostess all in one. Blanche was too young and shy to take much part in -the proceedings. Charlie, of course, was late; but Bounce was in his -glory, bowing to the ladies, joking with the gentlemen, and telling -anecdotes to all, till the announcement of "dinner" started him across -the hall, convoying stately Lady Mount Helicon, and well-nigh lost -amidst the lappets and flounces of that magnificent dame, who would -not have been here at all unless she had owned an unmarried son, and a -jointure entirely out of proportion to the present lord's finances. -The rest of the party paired off after their illustrious leaders. Sir -Ascot Uppercrust took Blanche, who was already lost in surprise at his -taciturnity. Miss Deeper skilfully contrived to entangle young -Cashley. Kate Carmine felt her heart beat happily against the arm of -Captain Laurel, of the Bays. Mr. Gotobed made a dash at Mary Delaval, -but "Cousin Charlie," who that instant entered the room, quietly -interposed and led her off to the dining-room, leaving a heterogeneous -mass of unappropriated gentlemen to scramble in as they best might. -Mary was grateful for the rescue; she was glad to be near somebody she -knew. With a flush of shame and anger she had recognised Captain -Lacquers, though that worthy dipped his moustaches into his soup in -happy unconsciousness that the well-dressed aristocratic woman -opposite him was the same indignant damsel who would once have knocked -him down if she could. With all her self-possession, Mary was not -blind to the fact that her position was anomalous and ill-defined. She -had found that out already by the condescending manner in which Lady -Mount Helicon had bowed to her in the drawing-room. With the men she -was "that handsome lady-like Mrs. Delaval"; but with the women (your -true aristocrats after all) she was _only the governess_. - -Dinner progressed in the weary protracted manner that the meal does -when it is one of state and ceremony. The guests did not know each -other well, and were dreadfully afraid (as is too often the case in -good society) of being over civil or attentive to those whose position -they had not exactly ascertained. It argues ill for one's stock of -politeness when one cannot afford to part with ever so small a -portion, save in expectation of a return. So Lady Mount Helicon was -patronising and affable, and looked at everything, including the -company, through her eye-glass, but was very distant notwithstanding; -and the gentlemen hemmed and hawed, and voted the weather -detestable--aw! and the sport with the hounds--aw--very moderate--aw -(it was d----d bad after the ladies went away); and their fair -companions lisped and simpered, and ate very little, and drank as much -champagne as appearances would allow; and everybody felt it an -unspeakable relief when Blanche, drawing on her gloves, and blushing -crimson at the responsibility, made "the move" to Lady Mount Helicon; -and the muslins all sailed away, with their gloves and fans and -pocket-handkerchiefs rescued from under the table by their red-faced -cavaliers. - -When they met again over tea and coffee, things had thawed -considerably. The most solemn high-breeding is not proof against an -abundance of claret, and the General's hospitality was worthy of his -cellar. The men had found each other out to be "deuced good sort of -fellows," and had moreover discovered mutual tastes and mutual -acquaintances, which much cemented their friendships. To be sure, -there was at first a partial reaction consequent upon the difficulty -of breaking through a formal circle of ladies; but this feat -accomplished, and the gentlemen grouped about cup-in-hand in becoming -attitudes, and disposed to look favourably on the world in general, -even Sir Ascot Uppercrust laid aside his usual reserve, and asked -Blanche whether she had seen anything of a round game called "turning -the tables," which the juvenile philosopher further confided to her he -opined to be "infernal humbug." In an instant every tongue was -unloosed. Drop a subject like this amongst a well-dressed crowd and it -is like a cracker--here and there it bounces, and fizzes, and -explodes, amongst serious exclamations and hearty laughter. Lady -Mount Helicon thought it wicked--Kate Carmine thought it "fun"--Miss -Deeper voted it charming--Lacquers considered it "aw--deuced -scientific--aw"--and the General in high glee exclaimed, "I vote we -try." No sooner said than done; a round mahogany table was deprived of -its covering--a circle formed--hands joined with more energy than was -absolutely indispensable--white arms laid in juxtaposition to dark -coat sleeves--long ringlets bent over the polished mirror-like -surface; and amidst laughing entreaties to be grave, and voluble -injunctions to be silent, the incantation progressed, we are bound in -truth to state, with no definite result. Perhaps the spell was broken -by the bursts of laughter that greeted the pompous butler's face of -consternation, as, entering the room to remove cups, etc., he found -the smartly-dressed party so strangely employed. Well-bred servants -never betray the slightest marks of emotion or astonishment, though we -fancy their self-command is sometimes severely put to the test. But -"turning the tables" was too much for the major-domo, and he was -obliged to make his exit in a paroxysm of unseemly mirth. Then came a -round game of forfeits--then music--then dancing, the ladies playing -by turns--then somebody found out the night was pouring with rain, and -the General declared it would be sure to clear in an hour or so, and -nobody must go away till after supper. So supper appeared and more -champagne; and even Lady Mount Helicon was ready to do anything to -oblige, so, being a fine musician, she volunteered to play "The -Coquette." A chair was placed in the middle of the room, and everybody -danced, the General and all. Blanche laughed till she cried; and there -was but one feeling of regret when the announcement of her ladyship's -carriage broke up the party, just at the moment when, in accordance -with the rules of the dance, Charlie sank upon one knee before the -Coquette's chair, occupied by stately Mrs. Delaval. He looked like a -young knight prostrate before the Queen of Beauty. - -When Blanche laid her head upon her pillow, she thought over all her -uncle's guests in succession, and decided not one was to be compared -to Cousin Charlie; and none was half so agreeable as Mr. Hardingstone. -Mary Delaval, on the contrary, scarcely gave a thought to Captain -Lacquers, Sir Ascot Uppercrust, Captain Laurel, or even Mr. Gotobed, -who had paid her great attention. No, even as she closed her eyes she -was haunted by a young upturned face, with fair open brow and a -slight moustache--do what she would, she saw it still. She was, -besides, a little distracted about the loss of one of her gloves--a -white one, with velvet round the wrist--what could have become of it? - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -BOOT AND SADDLE - - "THE GRAND MILITARY"--SPORT, BUT NOT PLEASURE--WARLIKE - ADVANCES--SOME OF ALL SORTS--AN EQUESTRIAN FEAT--THEY'RE - OFF--RIDING TO WIN--FOLLOW-MY-LEADER--WELL OVER AND WELL - IN--HOME IN A HURRY--A CLOSE RACE--THE HEIRESS WITH MANY - FRIENDS--A DAY'S AMUSEMENT - - -"Card of the running 'orses--_cor_-rect card! Major, dear, you always -take a card of me!" pleads a weather-worn, good-looking, -smart-ribboned card-woman, standing up to her ankles in mud on -Guyville race-course. Poor thing! hers is a strange, hard, vagabond -sort of life. This very morning she has heard mass (being an -Irish-woman) seventeen miles off, and she will be on her legs the -whole of the livelong day, and have a good supper and a hard bed, and -be up at dawn to-morrow, ready and willing for a forty-mile tramp -wherever money is to be made; so, in the meantime, she hands up -half-a-dozen damp cards to Gaston D'Orville, now Major in "The -Loyals," and this day principal acting-steward of "The Grand Military -Steeple-Chase." - -The Major is but slightly altered since we saw him last at -Bishops'-Baffler. His tall figure may, perhaps, be a trifle fuller, -and the lines of dissipation round his eyes and mouth a little deeper, -while here and there his large whiskers and clustering hair are just -sprinkled with grey; but for all this, he is still about the -finest-looking man on the course, and of this fact, as of every other -advantage of his position, no one is better aware than himself. Yet is -he not a vain man; cool and calculating, he looks upon such "pulls in -his favour," as he calls them, much as he would on "a point in the -odds,"--mere chances in the game of life, to be made the most of when -opportunity offers. He has just got upon a remarkably handsome white -horse, to show the military equestrians "the line" over which they are -to have an opportunity of breaking their necks, and is surrounded by a -posse of great-coated, shawl-handkerchiefed, and goloshed individuals, -mostly striplings, who are nervously ready to scan the obstacles they -are destined to encounter. - -There are nine starters for the great event, and professional -speculators at "The Kingmakers' Arms" are even now wagering that not -above three ever reach "home," so low an opinion do they entertain of -"the soldiers' riding," or so ghastly do they deem the fences flagged -out to prove the warriors' metal. Four miles over a stiff country, -with a large brook, and a finish in front of the grand-stand, will -furnish work for the horses and excitement for the ladies, whilst the -adventurous jocks are even now glancing at one another aghast at the -unexpected strength and height of these impediments, which, to a man -on foot, look positively awful. - -"I object to this fence decidedly," observes a weak, thin voice, -which, under his multiplicity of wraps, we have some difficulty in -identifying as the property of Sir Ascot Uppercrust. "I object in the -name of all the riders--it is positively dangerous--don't you agree -with me?" he adds, pointing to a formidable "double post and rail," -with but little room between, and appealing to his fellow-sufferers, -who all coincide with him but one. - -"Nothing for a hunter," says the dissentient, who, seeing that the -exploit has to be performed in full view of the ladies in the stand, -would have it worse if he could. "Nothing for any horse that is -properly ridden;--what do you say, major?" - -"I agree with Kettering," replies the Major; for our friend "Charlie" -it is, who is now surveying the country on foot, in a huge white -great-coat, with a silver-mounted whip under his arm, and _no gloves_. -He is quite the "gentleman-rider," and has fully made up his mind to -win the steeple-chase. For this has poor Haphazard been deprived of -his usual sport in the field, and trained with such severity as Mr. -Snaffles has thought advisable; for this has his young master been -shortening his stirrups and riding daily gallops, and running miles -up-hill to keep him in wind, till there is little left of his original -self save his moustaches, which have grown visibly during the winter; -and for this have the ladies of the family been stitching for days at -the smartest silk jacket that ever was made (orange and blue, with -gold tags), only pausing in their labours to visit Haphazard in the -stable, and bring him such numerous offerings in the shape of bread, -apples, and lump-sugar, that had Mr. Snaffles not laid an embargo on -all "tit-bits," the horse would ere this have been scarcely fit to run -for a saddle! - -Mrs. Delaval having been as severely bitten with the sporting mania as -Blanche, they are even now sitting in the grand-stand perusing the -list of the starters as if their lives depended on it--and each lady -wears a blue and orange ribbon in her bonnet, the General, who escorts -them, appearing in an alarming neckcloth of the same hues. - -The stand is already nearly full, and Blanche, herself not the least -attraction to many of the throng, has manoeuvred into a capital -place with Mary by her side, and is in a state of nervous delight, -partly at the gaiety of the scene, partly at the coming contest in -which "Cousin Charlie" is to engage, and partly at the anticipation of -the Guyville ball, her first appearance in public, to take place this -very night. Row upon row the benches have been gradually filling, till -the assemblage looks like a variegated parterre of flowers to those in -the arena below. In that enclosed space are gathered, besides the -pride of the British army, swells and dandies of every different -description and calibre. Do-nothing gentlemen from London, glad to get -a little fresh air and excitement so cheap. Nimrods from "the shires" -come to criticise the performances, and suggest, by implication, how -much better they could ride themselves. Horse-dealers, and -professional "legs," of course, whose business it is to make the most -of everything, and whose courteous demeanour is only equalled by the -unblushing effrontery with which they offer "five points" less than -the odds; nor, though last not least, must we omit to mention the -_elite_ of Bubbleton, who have one and all cast up from "the Spout," -as that salubrious town is sometimes denominated, as they always -do cast up within reach of their favourite resort. Some of all -sorts there are amongst _them_. Gentlemen of family, without -incumbrances--gentlemen with incumbrances and no family; some with -money and no brains--some with brains and no money; some that live on -the fat of the land--others that live upon their wits, and pick up a -subsistence therewith, bare as might be expected from the dearth of -capital on which they trade. In the midst of them we recognise Frank -Hardingstone, sufficiently conspicuous in his simple manly attire, -amongst the chained and velveted and bedizened tigers by whom he is -surrounded. He is talking to a remarkably good-looking and -particularly well-dressed man, known to nearly every one on the course -as Mr. Jason, the famous steeple-chase rider, who has come partly to -sell Mr. Hardingstone a horse, partly to patronise the "soldiers' -performances," and partly to enjoy the gay scene which he is even now -criticising. He is good enough to express his approval of the ladies -in the stand, taking them _en masse_, though his fastidious taste -cannot but admit that there are "some weedy-looking ones among 'em." -All this, however, is lost upon Frank Hardingstone, who has ears only -for a conversation going on at his elbow, in which he hears Blanche's -name mentioned, our friend Lacquers being the principal speaker. - -"Three hundred thousand--I give you my honour, every penny of it!" -says that calculating worthy to a speculative dandy with enormous red -whiskers, "and a _nice_ girl too--devilish well read, you know, and -all that." - -"I suppose old Bounce keeps a bright look-out though, don't he?" -rejoins his friend, who has all the appearance of a man that can make -up his mind in a minute. - -"Yeees," drawls Lacquers; "but it might be done by a fellow with some -energy, you know; she _is_ engaged to young Kettering, her -cousin--'family pot,' you know--and she's very spooney on him; still, -I've half a mind to try." - -"Why, the cousin will probably break his neck in the course of the -day; you can introduce me to-night at the ball. By the way, what are -they betting about this young Kettering? Can he ride any?" - -"Not a yard," replies Lacquers, as he turns away to light a cigar, -whilst Lord Mount Helicon--for the red-bearded dandy is no less a -person than that literary peer--dives into the ring to turn an honest -"_pony_," as he calls it, on its fluctuations. - -"Look here, Mr. Hardingstone," exclaims the observant Jason, forcibly -attracting Frank's notice to a feat which, as he keeps his eyes fixed -on the stand, is going on behind him. "That's the way to put 'em at -it, Major! well ridden, by the Lord Harry!" and Frank turns round in -time to witness, with the shouting multitude and the half-frightened -ladies, the gallant manner in which D'Orville's white horse clears the -double post and rails to which Sir Ascot had objected. - -The Major, it is needless to say, is a dauntless horseman, and, on -being remonstrated with by Sir A. and his party on the impracticable -nature of the leap which he had selected for them, and the young -Mohair of the Heavies suggesting that the stewards should always be -compelled to ride over the ground themselves, made no more ado, but -turned the white horse at the unwelcome barrier, and by dint of a fine -hand and a perfectly-broken animal, went "in and out" without -touching, to the uproarious delight of the mob, and the less loudly -expressed admiration of the ladies. - -"That's what I call _in-and-out-clever_," observes Mr. Jason, as the -shouting subsides, thinking he could not have done it better himself; -and he too elbows his way into the mass of noise, hustling, and -confusion that constitutes the betting-ring. - -"We ought to throw our 'bouquets' at the white horse!" says Mrs. -Delaval's next neighbour, a bold-looking lady of a certain age; and -Mary recognises, with mingled feelings, her military adorer and his -well-known grey charger, now showing the lapse of time only by his -change of colour to pure white. "I'm afraid its all very dangerous," -thinks Blanche, to whom it occurs for the first time that "Cousin -Charlie" may possibly break his neck; but the General at this instant -touches her elbow to introduce "Major D'Orville," who, having -performed his official duties, has dismounted, and works his way into -the stand to make the agreeable to the ladies, and "have a look at -this Miss Kettering--the very thing, by Jove, if she is tolerably -lady-like." - -How different is the Major's manner to that of Lacquers, Uppercrust, -and half the other unmeaning dandies whom Blanche is accustomed to see -fluttering round her. He _has_ the least thing of a military swagger, -which most women certainly like, more particularly when in their own -case that lordly demeanour is laid aside for a soft deferential air, -highly captivating to the weaker sex; and nobody understands this -better than D'Orville. The little he says to Blanche is quiet, -amusing, and to the purpose. The heiress is agreeably surprised. The -implied homage of such a man is, to say the least of it, flattering; -and our cavalier has the good sense to take his leave as soon as he -sees he has made a favourable impression, quite satisfied with the way -in which he has "opened the trenches." At the moment he did so, on -turning round he encountered Mary Delaval. She looked unmoved as -usual, and put out her hand to him, as if they had been in the habit -of meeting every day. With a few incoherent words he bent over those -long well-shaped fingers; and an observant bystander might have had -the good luck to witness a somewhat unusual sight--a Major of Hussars -blushing to the very tips of his moustaches. Yes; the hardened man of -the world, the experienced _roue_, the dashing _militaire_, had a -heart, if you could only get at it, like the veriest clown then -'squiring his red-faced Dolly to "the races"--the natural for the -moment overcame the artificial--and as Gaston edged his way down -through nodding comrades and smiling ladies, the feeling uppermost in -his heart was, "Heavens! how I love this woman still! and what a fool -I am!" But sentiment must not be indulged to the exclusion of -business, and the Major too forces his way into the betting-ring. - -There they are, hard at it--_Nobblers_ and noblemen--grooms and -gentlemen--betting-house keepers and cavalry officers--all talking at -once, all intent on having the best of it, and apparently all layers -and no takers. "Eight to one agin Lady Lavender," says a stout -capitalist, who looks like a grazier in his best clothes. "Take ten," -lisps the owner, a young gentleman, apparently about sixteen. "I'll -back Sober John." "I'll take nine to two about the Fox." "I'll lay -against the field _bar three_." "I'll lay five ponies to two _agin_ -Haphazard!" vociferates the capitalist. "Done!" cries Charlie, who is -investing on his horse as if he owned the Bank of England. At this -moment Frank Hardingstone pierces into the ring, and drawing Charlie -towards the outskirts, begins to lecture him on the coming struggle, -and to give him useful hints on the art of riding a steeple-chase; for -Frank with his usual decision has resolved not to go into the stand to -talk to Blanche till he has done all in his power to insure the -success of her cousin. "Come and see the horse saddled, you conceited -young jackanapes; don't fool away any more money; how do you know -you'll win?" says Frank, taking the excited jockey by the arm and -leading him away to where Haphazard, pawing and snorting, and very -uneasy, is being stripped of his clothing, the centre of an admiring -throng. "I know he can beat Lady Lavender," replies Charlie, whose -conversation for the last week had been strictly "Newmarket"; "and -he's five pounds better than the Fox; and Mohair is sure to make a -mess of it with Bendigo--he owns he can't ride him; and there's -nothing else has a chance except Sober John, a great half-bred brute!" - -"Do you see that quiet-looking man talking to Jason there?" says -Frank; "that's the man who is to ride Sober John--about the best -_gentleman_ in England, and he's getting a hint from the best -_professional_. Do you think _you_ can ride like Captain Rocket? Now, -take my advice, Charlie, Haphazard is a nice-tempered horse, you -_wait_ on Sober John--keep close behind him--ride over him if he -falls--but whatever you see Captain Rocket do, _you do the -same_--don't _come_ till you're safe over the last fence--and if -you're not first, you'll be second!" Charlie promised faithfully to -obey his friend's directions, though in his own mind he did not think -it possible an _Infantry_ horse could win the great event--Sober John, -if he belonged to any one in particular, being the property of -Lieutenant Sharpes of the Old Hundredth, who stood to win a very -comfortable sum upon the veteran steeple-chaser. - -"They look nervous, Tim, most on 'em," observes Captain Rocket, while -with his own hands he adjusts "the tackle," as he calls it, on his -horse; and his friend "Tim" giving him a "leg up," he canters Sober -John past the stand, none of the ladies thinking that docile animal -has the remotest chance of winning. "He seems much too quiet," says -Blanche, "and he's dreadfully ugly." "Beauty is not absolutely -essential in _horses_, Miss Kettering," replies a deep, quiet voice at -her elbow. Major D'Orville has resumed his place by her side. Though -he thinks he is paying attention to Blanche, he cannot, in reality, -forbear hovering about Mrs. Delaval. That lady, meanwhile, with -clasped hands, is hoping with all her heart that Captain Rocket may -_not win_. If "wishes were horses," we think this young gentleman now -tearing down the course upon Haphazard, throwing the dirt round him -like a patent turnip-cutter, would have a good many of hers to bear -him on his victorious career. By the way, Mary has never found her -glove; we wonder whether that foolish boy knows anything about it. And -talking of gloves, look at that dazzling pair of white kids on a level -with his chin, in which "Mohair, of the Heavies," is endeavouring to -control Bendigo. He has had two large glasses of sherry, yet does he -still look very pale--another, and yet another, comes striding past -like a whirlwind--Sir Ascot rides Lady Lavender, and Cornet Capon is -to pilot the Fox. It is very difficult to know which is which amongst -the variegated throng, and the ladies puzzle sadly over their cards, -in which, as is usually the case at steeple-chases, the colours are -all set down wrong. Each damsel, however, has one favourite at least -whom she could recognise in any disguise, and we may be sure that -"blue-and-orange" is not without his well-wishers in the grand-stand. - -Major D'Orville is an admirable cicerone, inasmuch as besides being -steward, he has a heavy book on the race, and knows the capabilities -of each horse to a pound, whatever may be his uncertainty as regards -the riders. "Your cousin has a very fair chance, Miss Kettering--he -seems to ride uncommonly well for _such a boy_; Sir Ascot wants -nerve, and Mohair can't manage his horse." "See, they've got 'em in -line," exclaims the General, who is in a state of frantic excitement -altogether. "Silence, pray! he's going to--ah, the blundering -blockhead, it's a false start!" Major D'Orville takes out his -double-glasses, and proceeds quietly without noticing the -interruption, "Then the Fox has been lame, and Capon is a sad -performer; nevertheless, you shall have your choice, Miss Kettering, -and I'll bet you a pair of gloves on the----By Jove, they're off," and -the Major puts his glasses up in scarcely veiled anxiety, whilst Mary -Delaval's heart beats thick and fast, as she strains her eyes towards -the fleeting tulip-coloured throng, drawing gradually out from the -dark mass of spectators that have gone to witness the start. - -How easy it looks to go cantering along over a nice grass country, -properly flagged out so as to insure the performers from making any -mistakes; and how trifling the obstacles appear over which they are -following each other like a string of wild geese, more particularly -when you, the spectator, are quietly ensconced in a comfortable seat, -sheltered from the wind, and viewing the sports at a respectful -distance. Perhaps you might not think it quite such child's play were -you assisting in the pageant on the back of a headstrong, powerful -horse, rendered irritable and violent by severe training (of which -discipline this unfortunate class of animal gets more than enough), -rasping your knuckles against his withers, and pulling your arms out -of their sockets, because he, the machine, is all anxiety to get to -the end, whilst you the controlling, or who ought to be the -controlling power, have received strict injunctions "to wait." If your -whole energies were not directed to the one object of "doing your -duty" and winning your race, you might possibly have leisure to -reflect on your somewhat hazardous position. "Neck-or-nothing" has -just disappeared, doubling up himself and Mr. Fearless in a -complicated kind of fall, at the very place over which you must -necessarily follow; and should your horse, who is shaking his head -furiously, as you vainly endeavour to steady him, make the slightest -mistake, you shudder to think of "Frantic" running away with her rider -close behind you. Nevertheless, it is impossible to decline "eternal -misery on this side and certain death on the other," but _go you -must_, and when safe into the next field there is nothing of any -importance till you come to the brook. To be sure, the animal you are -riding never would _face water_, still, your spurs are sharp, and you -have a vague sort of trust that you may get over _somehow_. You really -deserve to win, yet will we, albeit unused to computation of the odds, -willingly bet you five to four that you are neither first nor second. - -In the meantime, our friends in the stand make their running -commentaries on the race. "How slow they are going," says Blanche, -who, like all ladies, has a most liberal idea of "pace." "_He's -over!_" mutters Mary Delaval, as "blue-and-orange" skims lightly over -the first fence, undistinguished, save by _her_, amidst the rest. "One -down!" says a voice, and there is a slight scream from amongst the -prettiest of the bonnets. "Red-and-white cap--who is it?" and what -with the distraction of watching the others, and the confusion on the -cards, Bendigo has been caught and remounted ere the hapless -Lieutenant Mohair can be identified. Meanwhile the string is -lengthening out. "Uppy is making frightful running," says Major -D'Orville, thinking how right he was to stand heavily against -Lady Lavender; "however, the Fox is close upon him; and -that's Haphazard, Miss Kettering, just behind Sober John." -"Two--four--six--seven--nine--what a pretty sight!" says Blanche, but -she turns away her head with a shudder as a party-coloured jacket goes -down at the next fence, neither horse nor rider rising again. One -always fancies the worst, and Mary turns pale as death, and clasps her -hands tighter than ever. And now they arrive at the double post and -rails, which have been erected purposely for the gratification of the -ladies in the stand. The first three bound over it in their stride -like so many deer. Captain Rocket pulls his horse into a trot, and -Sober John goes in-and-out quite as clever as did the Major's white -charger. Mr. Jason is good enough to express his approval. Charlie -follows the example of his leader, and though he hits it very hard, -Haphazard's fine shape saves him from a fall. Blanche thinks him the -noblest hero in England, and nobody but D'Orville remarks how very -pale Mrs. Delaval is getting. Mohair essays to follow the example -thus set him, and succeeds in doing the first half of his task -admirably, but no power on earth will induce Bendigo to jump _out_ -after jumping _in_, and eventually he is obliged to be ignominiously -extricated by a couple of carpenters and a handsaw. His companions -diverge, like a flight of wild-fowl, towards the brook. The Fox, who -is now leading, refuses; and the charitable Nimrods, and dandies, and -swells, and professionals, all vote that Capon's heart failed him, and -"he didn't put in half enough powder." The Major knows better. The -horse was once his property, and he has not laid against it without -reason. The brook creates much confusion; but Sober John singles -himself out from the ruck, and flies it without an effort, closely -followed by Haphazard and Lady Lavender. The rest splash and struggle, -and get over as they best can, with but little chance now of coming up -with the first three. They all turn towards home, and the pace is -visibly increasing. Captain Rocket is leading, but Charlie's horse is -obviously full of running, and the boy is gradually drawing away from -Lady Lavender, and nearer and nearer to the front. Already people -begin to shout "Haphazard wins"; and the General is hoarse with -excitement. "Charlie wins!" he exclaims, his lace purple, and the ends -of his blue-and-orange handkerchief floating on the breeze. "Charlie -wins! I tell you. Look how he's coming up. Zounds! don't contradict -_me_, sir!" he roars out to the intense dismay of his next neighbour, -a meek old gentleman, who has only come to the steeple-chase in order -that he may write an account of it for a magazine, and who shrinks -from the General as from a raving madman. "Now, Captain Rocket," -shouts the multitude, as if that unmoved man would attend to anything -but the business in hand. They reach the last fence neck-and-neck, -Haphazard landing slightly in advance. "Kettering wins!" "_Blast_ -him!" hisses D'Orville between his teeth, turning white as a sheet He -stands to lose eighteen hundred by Haphazard alone, and we question -whether, on reliable security, the Major could raise eighteen-pence. -Nevertheless, he turns the next instant to Blanche, with a quiet, -unmoved smile, to congratulate her on her cousin's probable success. -"If he can only 'finish,' Miss Kettering, he can't lose," says the -speculator; but he still trusts that "if" may save him the price of -his commission. - -What a moment for Charlie! Hot, breathless, and nearly exhausted, his -brain reeling with the shouts of the populace, and the wild excitement -of the struggle, one idea is uppermost in his mind--if man and horse -can do it, _win he will_. Steadily has he ridden four long miles, -taking the greatest pains with his horse, and restraining his own -eagerness to be in front, as well as that of the gallant animal. He -has kept his eye fixed on Captain Rocket, and regulated his every -movement by that celebrated performer. And now he is drawing slightly -in advance of him, and one hundred yards more will complete his -triumph. Yet, inexperienced as he is, he cannot but feel that -Haphazard is no longer the elastic, eager goer whom he has been -regulating so carefully, and the truth shoots across him that his -horse is beat. Well, he ought to last another hundred yards. See, the -double flags are waving before him, and the shouts of his own name -fall dully upon his ear. He hears Captain Rocket's whip at work, and -is not aware how that judicious artist is merely plying it against his -own boot to flurry the young one. Charlie begins to flog. "Sit -_still_!" shouts Frank Hardingstone from the stand. Charlie works arms -and legs like a windmill, upsets his horse, who would win if he were -but let alone--Sober John shows his great ugly head alongside. -Haphazard changes his leg--Major D'Orville draws a long breath of -relief--Captain Rocket, with a grim smile, and one fierce stab with -his spurs, glides slightly in advance--and Haphazard is beaten on the -post by half a length, Lady Lavender a bad third, and the rest -nowhere! - - * * * * * - -Blanche is dreadfully disappointed. The General thinks "the lad -deserves great credit for being second in such good company;" but the -tears stand in Mary Delaval's eyes--tears, we believe, of gratitude at -his not being brought home on a hurdle, instead of riding into the -weighing enclosure with the drooping self-satisfied air, and the -arms hanging powerless down his side, which distinguish the -gentleman-jockey after his exertions. The boy is scarcely -disappointed. To have been so near winning, and to have run second for -such an event as the "Grand Military," is a feather in his cap, of -which he is in no slight degree proud; and he walks into the stand the -hero of the day, for Captain Rocket is no lady's man, and is engaged -to risk his neck again to-morrow a hundred miles from here. So he has -put on a long great-coat and disappeared. The General accounts for -Charlie's defeat on a theory peculiarly his own. "_Virtually_" says -he, "my nephew won the race. How d'ye mean _beat_? It was twenty yards -over the four miles. Twenty yards from home he was a length in front. -If the stewards had been worth their salt, we should have won. Don't -tell _me_!" - -There is more racing, but the great event has come off, and our -friends in the stand occupy themselves only with luncheon. Frank -Hardingstone comes up to speak to Blanche, but she is so surrounded -and hemmed in, that beyond shaking hands with her he might as well be -back at his own place on the south coast, for any enjoyment he can -have in her society. Major D'Orville is rapidly gaining ground in the -good graces of all the Newton-Hollows party. He has won a great stake, -and is in brilliant spirits. Even Mary thinks "what an agreeable man -he is," and glances the while at a fair glowing face, eating, -drinking, and laughing by turns, and discussing with Sir Ascot the -different events of their exciting gallop. Lacquers, with his mouth -full, is making the agreeable in his own way to the whole party. -"Deuced good pie--aw--ruin me--aw--in gloves, Miss Kettering--aw--lose -everything to you--aw;" and the dandy has a vague sort of notion that -he might say something sweet here, but it will not shape itself into -words very conveniently, so he has a large glass of sherry instead. -Our friend Captain Lacquers is not so much "a man of parts," as "a man -of figure." Charlie, somewhat excited, flourishes his knife and fork, -and describes how he lost his race to the public in general. Gaston -D'Orville, with his most deferential air, is winning golden opinions -from Blanche, and thinking in his innermost soul what a traitor he is -to his own heart the while; Mrs. Delaval looks very pale and subdued, -and Bounce thinks she must be tired, but breaks off to something else -before he has made the inquiry--still everybody seems outwardly to be -enjoying him or herself to the utmost, and it is with a forced smile -and an air of assumed gaiety that Frank Hardingstone takes his leave, -and supposes "we shall all meet at the ball!" - -Fancy Frank deliberately proposing to go to a ball! How bitterly he -smiles as he walks away from the course faster and faster, as thought -after thought goads him to personal exertion! Now he despises himself -thoroughly for his weakness in allowing the smile of a silly girl thus -to sink into a strong man's heart--now he analyses his own feelings as -he would probe a corporeal wound, with a stern scientific pleasure in -the examination--and anon he speculates vaguely on the arrangements of -Nature, which provide us with sentimental follies for a _sauce -piquante_ wherewith to flavour our daily bread. Nevertheless, our man -of action is by no means satisfied with himself. He takes a fierce -walk over the most unfrequented fields, and returns to his solitary -lodgings, to read stiff chapters of old dogmatic writers, and to work -out a tough equation or two, till he can "get this nonsense out of his -head." In vain, a fairy figure with long violet eyes and floating hair -dances between him and his quarto, and the "unknown quantity" _plus_ -Blanche continually eludes his mental grasp. - -We do not think Frank has enjoyed his day's pleasure, any more than -Mary Delaval. How few people do, could we but peep into their heart of -hearts! Here are two at least of that gay throng in whom the shaft is -rankling, and all this discomfort and anxiety exists because, -forsooth, people never understand each other in time. We think it is -in one of Rousseau's novels that the catastrophe is continually being -postponed because the heroine invariably becomes _vivement emue_, and -unable to articulate, just at the critical moment when two words more -would explain everything, and make her happy with her adorer. Were it -not for this provoking weakness, she would be married and settled long -before the end of the first volume: but then, to be sure, what would -become of all the remaining pages of French sentimentality? If there -were no uncertainty, there would be no romance--if we knew each other -better, perhaps we should love each other less. Hopes and fears make -up the game of life. Better be the germinating flower, blooming in the -sunshine and cowering in the blast, than the withered branch, defiant -indeed of winter's cold and summer's heat, but drinking in no dew of -morning, putting forth no buds of spring, and in its dreary, barren -isolation, unsusceptible of pleasure as of pain. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE BALL - - THE COUNTRY BALL--A POETICAL PEER--BLANCHE'S PARTNERS--SMILES - AND SCOWLS--MAMMA'S ADVICE--THE GENERAL'S POLITICS--THE MAJOR'S - STRATEGY--"HOME"--THE DREAMER--THE SLEEPER--AND THE WATCHER - - -Bustle and confusion reign paramount at "The Kingmakers' -Arms"--principal hotel and posting-house in the town of Guyville. Once -a year is there a great lifting of carpets and shifting of furniture -in all the rooms of that enterprising establishment. Chambermaids -hurry to and fro in smart caps brought out for the occasion, and -pale-faced waiters brandish their glass-cloths in despair at the -variety of their duties. All the resources of the plate-basket are -brought into use, and knives, forks, tumblers, wine-glasses, German -silver and Britannia metal, are collected and borrowed, and furbished -up, to grace the evening's entertainment with a magnificence becoming -the occasion. Dust pervades the passages, and there is a hot smell of -cooking and closed windows, by which the frequenters of the house are -made aware that to-night is the anniversary of the Guyville Ball, a -solemnity to be spoken of with reverence by the very ostler's -assistant in the yard, who will tell you "_We_ are very busy, sir, -just now, sir, on account of _the ball_." Tea-rooms, card-rooms, -supper-rooms, dancing-rooms, and cloak-rooms, leave but few apartments -to be devoted to the purposes of rest; and an unwary bagman, snoring -quietly in No. 5, might chance to be smothered ere morning by the heap -of cloaks, shawls, polka-jackets, and other lady-like wraps, -ruthlessly heaped upon the unconscious victim in his dormitory. The -combined attractions of steeple-chasing and dancing bring numerous -young gentlemen and their valets to increase the confusion; and, were -it not that the six o'clock train takes back the Londoners and -"professionals" to the metropolis, it would be out of the power of -mortal functionaries to attend to so many wants, and wait upon so many -customers. - -That tall, pale, interesting-looking man in chains and ringlets has -already created much commotion below with his insatiable demands for -foot-baths and hot water. As he waits carelessly in the passage at -that closed door, receiving and returning the admiring glances of -passing chambermaids, you would hardly suppose, from his unassuming -demeanour, that he is no less a person than Lord Mount Helicon's -_gentleman_. To be sure, he is now what he calls "comparatively -incog." It is only at his club in Piccadilly, or "the room" at -Wassailworth, where he and the Duke's "own man" lay down the law upon -racing, politics, wine, and women, that he is to be seen in his full -glory. To give him his due, he is an admirable servant, as far as his -own duties are concerned, and a clever fellow to boot, or he would not -have picked up seven-and-thirty pounds to-day on the steeple-chase -whilst he was looking alter the luncheon and the carriage. We -question, however, whether he could complete his toilet as -expeditiously as his master, who is now stamping about his room -reciting, in an audible voice, a thundering ode on which he has been -some considerable time engaged, and elaborating the folds of his white -neckcloth (old fifth-form tie) between the stanzas. - -Lord Mount Helicon is a literary nobleman; not one of - - "Your authors who's all author, fellows - In foolscap uniforms turned up with ink;" - -but a sportsman as well as a scholar, a man of the world as well as a -man of letters; given overmuch to betting, horse-racing, and -dissipation in general, but with as keen a zest for the elegances of -literature as for those beauties of the drama to which he pays fully -more attention, and one who can compute you the odds as readily as he -can turn a lyric or round a flowing period. Had his lordship -possessed a little more common sense and a slight modicum of prudence, -forethought, reflection, and such plebeian qualities, he need not have -failed in any one thing he undertook. As it was, his best friends -regretted he should waste his talents so unsparingly on versification; -whilst his enemies (the bitter dogs) averred "Mount Helicon's rhyme -was, if possible, worse than his reason." Being member for Guyville -(our readers will probably call to mind how the columns of their daily -paper were filled with the Guyville Election Committee's Report, and -the wonderful appetite for "treating" displayed by the "free and -independent" of that town during their "three glorious days")--being -member, then, of course it is incumbent on him to attend the ball; so -after a hurried dinner with Lacquers, Sir Ascot, Major D'Orville, and -sundry other gentlemen who _live_ every day of their lives, behold him -curling his red whiskers and attiring his tall, gaunt form in a suit -of decorous black. - -"Deuced bad dinner they give one here," said his lordship to himself, -still hammering away at the ode. "Wish I hadn't drunk that second -bottle of claret, and smoked so much. - - When the thunders of a people smite the quailing despot's ear, - And the earthquake of rebellion heaves-- - -No, I can't get it right. How those cursed fiddlers are scraping! and -either that glass maligns me, or I look a little drunk! This life -don't suit my style of beauty--something must be done. Shall I marry -and pull up? Marry--will I! Bow my cultivated intellect before some -savage maiden, and fatten like a tethered calf on the flat swamps of -domestic respectability. Straps! go down and find out if many of the -people are come." - -"Several of the townspeople have arrived, my lord; but few of the -county families as yet," replies Straps, whose knowledge of a member -of parliament's duties would have qualified him to represent Guyville -as well as his master. Lord Mount Helicon accordingly completes his -toilet and proceeds to the ball-room, still mentally harping on "the -thunders of a people," and "the quailing despot's ear." - -The townspeople have indeed arrived in very sufficient numbers, yet is -there a strong line of demarcation between their plebeian ranks and -those of "the county families" huddled together at the upper end of -the room. Britannia! Britannia! when will you cease to bring your -coat-of-arms into society, and to smother your warm heart and sociable -nature under pedigrees, and rent-rolls, and dreary conventionalities? -When you do, you will enjoy yourself all the more, and be respected -none the less. You will be equally efficient as a chaperon, though the -trident be not always pointed on the defensive; and the lion may be an -excellent watch-dog, without being trained to growl at every -fellow-creature who does not happen to keep a carriage. His lordship's -business, however, lies chiefly with those, so to speak, below the -salt. Voters are they, or, more important still, voters' wives and -daughters, and, as such, must be propitiated; for Mount Helicon, we -need scarcely inform our readers, is not an English peerage, and my -lord may probably require to sit again for the same incorruptible -borough. - -So he bows to _this_ lady, and flirts with _that_, and submits to be -patted on the shoulder and twaddled to by a fat little man, primed -with port, but who, when not thus bemused, is an influential member of -his committee, and a staunch supporter on the hustings. Nay more, with -an effort that he deserves infinite credit for concealing with such -good grace, he offers his arm to the red-haired daughter of his -literally _warm_ supporter, and leads the well-pleased damsel, -blushing much, and mindful "to keep her head up," right away to the -county families' quadrille at the top of the room, where she dances -_vis-a-vis_--actually _vis-a-vis_--to Miss Kettering and Captain -Lacquers. - -That gentleman is considerably brightened up by his dinner and his -potations. He has besides got his favourite boots on, and feels equal -to almost any social emergency, so he is making the agreeable to the -heiress with that degree of originality so peculiarly his own, and -getting on, as he thinks, "like a house on fire." - -"Very _wawm_, Miss Kettering," observes the dandy, holding steadily by -his starboard moustache. "Guyville people always make it so hot. -Charming _bouquet_!" - -"Your _vis-a-vis_ is dancing alone," says Blanche, cutting short her -partner's interesting remarks, and sending him sprawling and -swaggering across the room, only to hasten back again and proceed with -his conversation. - -"You know the man opposite--man with red whiskers? That's Mount -Helicon. Good fellow--aw--if he could but dye his whiskers. Asked to -be introduced to _you_ to-day on the course. Told him--aw--I couldn't -take such a liberty." Lacquers wishes to say he would like to keep her -society all to himself, but, as usual, he cannot express clearly what -he means, so he twirls his moustaches instead, and is presently lost -in the intricacies of "La Poule." We need hardly observe that -manoeuvring is not our friend's forte. Blanche's eyes meanwhile are -turned steadily towards the lower end of the room, and her partner's -following their direction, he discovers, as he thinks, a fresh topic -of conversation. "Ah! there's Hardingstone just come in--aw. Why don't -he bring his wife with him, I wonder!" - -"His wife!" repeated Blanche, with a start that sent the blood from -her heart; "why, he's not married, is he?" she added, with more -animation than she had hitherto exhibited. - -"Don't know, I'm sure," replied the dandy, glancing down at his own -faultless _chaussure_; "thought he was--aw--looks like a married -man--aw." - -"Why should you think so?" inquired Blanche, half amused in spite of -herself. - -"Why--aw," replied the observant reasoner, "got the married _look_, -you know. Wears wide family boots--aw. Do to ride the children on, you -know." - -Blanche could not repress a laugh; and the quadrille being concluded, -off she went with Cousin Charlie, to stagger through a breathless -polka, just at the moment the "family boots" bore their owner to the -upper end of the room in search of her. - -Frank was out of his element, and thoroughly uncomfortable. Generally -speaking, he could adapt himself to any society into which he happened -to be thrown, but to-night he was restless and out of spirits; -dissatisfied with Blanche, with himself for being so, and with the -world in general. "What a parcel of fools these people are," thought -he, as with folded arms he leant against the wall and gazed vacantly -on the shifting throng; "jigging away to bad music in a hot room, and -calling it pleasure. What a waste of time, and energy, and everything. -Now, there's little Blanche Kettering. I _did_ think that girl was -superior to the common run of women. I fancied she had a heart, and a -mind, and 'brains,' and was above all the petty vanities of flirting, -and fiddling, and dressing, which a posse of idiots dignify with the -name of society. But no; they are all alike, giddy, vain, and -frivolous. There she is, dancing away with as light a heart as if -'Cousin Charlie' were not under orders for the Cape, and to start -to-morrow morning. She don't care--not she! I wonder if she _will_ -marry him, should he ever come back. I have never liked to ask him, -but everybody seems to say it's a settled thing. How changed she must -be since we used to go out in the boat at St. Swithin's; and yet how -little altered she is in features from the child I was so fond of. -It's disappointing!" And Frank ground his teeth with subdued ferocity. -"It's disgusting! She's not half good enough for Charlie. I'll never -believe in one of them again!" - -Well, if not "half good enough for Charlie," we mistake much whether, -even at the very moment of condemnation, our philosopher did not -consider her quite "good enough for Frank"; and could he but have -known the young girl's thoughts while he judged her so harshly, he -would have been much more in charity with the world in general, and -looked upon the rational amusement of dancing in a light more becoming -a sensible man--which, to do him justice, he generally was. - -Blanche, even as she wound and threaded through the mazes of a crowded -polka, skilfully steered by Cousin Charlie, who was a beautiful -dancer, and one of whose little feet would scarcely have served to -"ride a fairy," was wondering in her own mind why Mr. Hardingstone had -not asked her to dance, and why he had been so distant at the -steeple-chase, and speculating whether it was possible he could be -married. How she hoped Mrs. Hardingstone, if there should be one, was -_a nice person_, and how fond she would be of her, and yet few people -were worthy of _him_. How noble and manly he looked to-night amongst -all the dandies. She would rather see Mr. Hardingstone frown than any -one else smile--there was nobody like him, except, perhaps, Major -D'Orville; he had the same quiet voice, the same self-reliant manner; -but then the Major was much older. Oh no--there was nothing equal to -Frank--and how she _liked_ him, he was _such_ a friend of Charlie; and -just as Blanche arrived at this conclusion, the skirt of her dress got -entangled in Cornet Capon's spur, and Charlie laughed so (the -provoking boy!) that he could not set her free, and the Cornet's -apologies were so absurd, and everybody stared so, it was quite -disagreeable! But a tall, manly figure interposed between her and the -crowd, and Major D'Orville released her in an instant; and that deep, -winning voice engaged her for the next dance, and she could not but -comply, though she had rather it had been some one else. Frank saw it -all, still with his arms folded, and misjudged her again, as men do -those of whom they are fondest. "How well she does it, the little -coquette," he thought; "it's a good piece of acting all through--now -she'll flirt with D'Orville because he happens to be a great man here, -and then she'll throw him over for some one else; and so they 'keep -the game alive.'" Frank! Frank! you ought to be ashamed of yourself! - - * * * * * - -In the meantime, Lord Mount Helicon must not neglect a very important -part of the business which has brought him to Guyville. In the pocket -of his lordship's morning coat is a letter which Straps, who has taken -that garment down to brush, in the natural course of things, is even -now perusing. As its contents may somewhat enlighten us as well as the -valet, we will take the liberty of peeping over that trusty domestic's -shoulder, and joining him in his pursuit of knowledge, premising that -the epistle is dated Brook Street, and is a fair specimen of maternal -advice to a son. After the usual gossip regarding Mrs. Bolter's -elopement, and Lady Susan Stiffneck's marriage, with the indispensable -conjectures about "ministers," a body in whose precarious position -ladies of a certain age take an unaccountable interest, the letter -goes on to demonstrate that - - "it is needless to point out, my dear Mount, the advantages you - would obtain under your peculiar circumstances by settling - early in life. When I was at Bubbleton last autumn (and Globus - says I have never been so well since he attended me when you - were born--in fact, the spasms left me altogether), I made the - acquaintance of a General Bounce, an odious, vulgar man, who - had been all his life somewhere in India, but who had a niece, - a quiet, amiable girl, by name Kettering, with whom I was much - pleased. They have a nice place, though damp, somewhere in the - neighbourhood of your borough, and I dined there once or twice - before I left Bubbleton. Everything looked like _maison - montee_; and from information I can rely on, I understand the - girl is a great heiress. Between ourselves, Lady Champfront - told me she would have from three to four hundred thousand - pounds. Now, although I should be the last person to hint at - your selling yourself for money, particularly with your talents - and your position, yet if you should happen to see this young - lady, and take a fancy to her, it would be a very nice thing, - and would make you quite independent. She is prettyish in the - 'Jeannette and Jeannot' style, and although her manner is not - the least formed, she has no _prononce_ vulgarity, and would - soon acquire our 'ways' when she came to live amongst us. Of - course we should drop the General immediately; and, my dear - boy, I trust you would give up that horrid racing--young - Cubbington, who has hardly left school, is already nearly - ruined by it, and Lady Looby is in despair--such a mother too - as she has been to him! By the by, there is a cousin in our - way, but he is young enough to be in love only with himself, - and appeared to me to be rather making up to the governess! - Think of this, my dear Mount, and believe me, - - "Your most affectionate mother, - - "M. MT. HELICON. - - "P.S.--Your book is much admired. Trifles _raves_ about it, - and your old friend Mrs. Blacklamb assures me that _it made - her quite ill_." - -Primed with such sage counsel, his lordship determined to lose no time -in "opening the trenches." After enacting sundry duty-dances, by which -he had gained at least one prospective "plumper," he accordingly -"completed the first parallel" by obtaining an introduction to General -Bounce, which ceremony Captain Lacquers performed in his usual easy -off-hand style--the introducer shouting into each man's ear his -listener's _own_ name, and suppressing altogether that of his new -acquaintance, an ingenious method of presenting people to each other -without furthering their intimacy to any great extent. The General, -however, and the member had known each other previously by sight as -well as by name, the former having voted and spoken against the latter -at the past election, with his peculiar abruptness and energy; but -Mount Helicon was the last man in the world to owe an antagonist a -grudge, and being keenly alive to the ridiculous, was prepared to be -delighted with his political opponent, in whom he saw a fund of -absurdity, out of which he promised himself much amusement. - -"Glad to make your acquaintance, my Lud," said the General, standing -well behind his orders and decorations, which showed to great -advantage on a coat tightly buttoned across his somewhat corpulent -frame--"Don't like your politics--what? never did--progress and all -that, sir, not worth a row of gingerbread--don't tell _me_--why, what -did Lord Hindostan say to me at Government House, when they threatened -to report me at home for exceeding my orders? 'Bounce,' says his -Excellency--'Bounce, _I'll see you through it_'--what? _nothing like a -big stick for a nigger_. _Stick!_ how d'ye mean?"--and the speaker, -who was beginning to foam at the mouth, suddenly changed his tone to -one of the sweetest politeness, as he introduced 'My niece, Miss -Kettering; Lord Mount Helicon.' A second time was Frank Hardingstone -forestalled; he had just made up his mind that he would dance with -Blanche only _once_, sun himself yet _once_ again in her sweet smile, -and then think of her no more--a sensible resolution, but not very -easy to carry out. Of course he laid the blame on her. "First she -makes a fool of D'Orville," thought he, "a man old enough to be her -father--and now she whisks away with this red-bearded radical--to -make a fool of him too, unless she means to throw over Charlie; and -who is the greatest fool of the three? Why, you, Frank Hardingstone, -who ought to know better. I shall go home, smoke a cigar, and go to -bed; the dream is over; I had no idea it would be so unpleasant to -wake from it." So Frank selected his hat, pulled out his cigar-case, -and trudged off, by no means in a philosophical or even a charitable -frame of mind. - -There was a light twinkling in the window of his lodgings over the -Saddlers, some three hours afterwards, when a carriage drove rapidly -by, bearing a freight of pleasure-seekers home from the ball. Inside -were the General and Blanche, the former fast asleep, wrapped in the -dreamless slumbers which those enjoy who have reached that time of -life when the soundness of the stomach is far more attended to than -that of the heart--when sentiment is of small account, but digestion -of paramount importance. Age, as it widens the circle of our -affections, weakens their intensity, and although proverbially "there -is no fool like an old one," we question if in the present day there -are many Anacreons who-- - - "When they behold the festive train - Of dancing youth, are young again;" - -or who, however little they might object to celebrating her charms "in -the bowl," would, for "soft Bathylla's sake," wreathe vine-leaves -round their grizzled heads. No: Age is loth to make itself ridiculous -in _that_ way; and the General snored and grunted, heartwhole and -comfortable, by the side of his pretty niece. How pretty she looked--a -little pale from over-excitement and fatigue, but her violet eyes all -the deeper and darker from the contrast, whilst none but her maid -would have thought the long golden brown hair spoiled by hanging down -in those rich, uncurling clusters. She was like the pale blush rose in -her bouquet--more winning as it droops in half-faded loveliness than -when first it bloomed, bright and crisp, in its native conservatory. -The flower yields its fragrance all the sweeter from being shaken by -the breeze. Who but a cousin or a brother would have gone on the box -to smoke with such a girl as Blanche inside? Yet so it was. Master -Charlie, who danced, as he did everything else, with his whole heart -and soul, could not forego the luxury of a cigar in the cool night -air, after the noise and heat and revelry of the ball. As he puffed -volumes of smoke into the air, and watched the bright stars twinkling -down through the clear, pure night, his thoughts wandered far--far -into the future; and he, too, felt that the majesty of a sad, sweet -face had impressed itself on his being--that she had been watching him -to-day through his boyish exploits--and that her eye would kindle, her -cheek would glow, when military honours and distinction were heaped -upon him, as heaped he was resolved they should be, if ever an -opportunity offered. To-morrow his career would begin! To-morrow, ay, -even to-day (for it was already past midnight) he was to embark for -the Cape; and scarce a thought of the bitterness of parting, perhaps -for ever, shaded that bright, young imagination, as it sketched out -for itself its impossible romance, worth all the material -possibilities that have ever been accomplished. So Charlie smoked and -pondered, and dreamed of beauty and valour. We do not think he was in -very imminent danger of marrying his cousin. - -Perhaps, were he inside, his flow of spirits would only disturb the -quiet occupants. Blanche is not asleep, but she is dreaming -nevertheless. With her large eyes fixed vacantly on the hedge-row -trees and fences, that seem to be wheeling past her in the carriage -lamp-light, she is living the last few hours of her life again, and -seeing their past events more clearly, as she disentangles them from -the excitement and confusion amongst which they actually occurred. Now -she is dancing with Lacquers or Sir Ascot, and wondering, as she -recalls their commonplace chatter and trite remarks, how men so -insipid can belong to the same creation as "Cousin Charlie," or -another gentleman, a friend of his, of whom, for the first time in her -life, she feels a little afraid. Now she laughs to herself as she -recollects Cornet Capon's agony of shyness, and the burning blushes -with which that diffident young officer apologised for tearing her -dress. Anon she sees Major D'Orville's commanding figure and -handsome, manly face, while the low musical voice is still ringing in -her ear, and the quiet deferential manner, softened by a protective -air of kindness, has lost none of its charm. Blanche is not the first -young lady, by a good many, who has gone home from a ball with a -flattered consciousness that a certain gallant officer thinks her a -"very superior person," and that the good opinion of such a man is -indeed worth having. The Major was "a dangerous man"; he betrayed no -coxcombry to mar the effect of his warlike beauty and chivalrous -bearing. He never "sank" the profession, but always spoke of himself -as a "mere soldier," whilst his manner was that of a "finished -gentleman." He had distinguished himself, too, on more than one -occasion; and the men all had a great opinion of him. Woman is an -imitative animal; and a high reputation, especially for courage, -amongst the gentlemen, goes a long way in the good graces of the -ladies. Add to these the crowning advantage, that the Major, except in -one instance of which we know the facts, came into the unequal contest -with a heart perfectly invulnerable and case-hardened by intercourse -with the world, and a selfishness less the result of nature than -education. When a man, himself untouched, makes up his mind that a -woman _shall_ love him, the odds are fearfully in his favour. Blanche -_liked_ him already; but if "in the multitude of counsellors there is -safety," no less is there security in the multitude of admirers; and -ere the Major's image had time to make more than a transient -impression, that of Lord Mount Helicon chased it away in the mental -magic-lantern of our fair young dreamer. He had taken her in to -supper; and how pleasant he was! so odd, but so agreeable--such a -command of language, and such a quaint, absurd way of saying -commonplace things. Not so bad-looking either, in spite of his red -whiskers; and such a beautiful title! How well it would sound! and -Blanche smiled at herself as the idea came across her. But a handsome, -manly fellow leaning against the wall was looking at her with a stern, -forbidding expression she had never seen before on that open brow, and -Blanche's heart ached at the vision. Mr. Hardingstone was surely very -much changed; he who used to be so frank, and kind, and -good-humoured, and to lose no opportunity of petting and praising the -girl he had known from a child; and to-night he had never so much as -asked her to dance, and scarcely spoken to her. "What right had he to -look so cross at me?" thought the girl, with the subdued irritation of -wounded feelings; "what had I done to offend him, or why should I care -whether I offend him or not? Poor fellow, perhaps he is in low spirits -about Cousin Charlie's going away so soon." And Blanche's eyes filled -with tears--tears that she persuaded herself were but due to her -cousin's early departure. - -Like the rising generation in general, Charlie was a great smoker. His -ideas of "campaigning" were considerably mixed up with tobacco, and he -lost no opportunity of qualifying for the bivouac by a sedulous -consumption of cigars. He dashed the last bit of "burning comfort" -from his lips as the carriage drove into the avenue at Newton-Hollows. -Protracted yawns prevented much conversation during the serving-out of -hand-candlesticks. Good-nights were exchanged; "We shall all see you -to-morrow before you go, dear," said Blanche, as she disappeared into -her room; and soon the sighing of the night wind was the only sound to -disturb the silence of that long range of buildings, where all were -sunk in slumber and repose--all save one. - -At an open window, looking steadfastly forth into the darkness, sat -Mary Delaval. She had not stirred for hours, and she might have been -asleep, so moveless was her attitude, had it not been for the fixed, -earnest expression of her dark grey eye. One round white arm rested on -the window-ledge, and her long black hair fell in loose masses over -the snowy garments, which, constituting a lady's _deshabille_, reveal -her beauties far less liberally than the costume she more inaptly -terms "full dress." Mary is reasoning with herself--generally an -unsatisfactory process, and one that seldom leads to any definite -conclusion; sadly, soberly, and painfully, she is recalling her past -life, her selfish father, her injured mother, the hardships and trials -of her youth, and the ray of sunshine that has tinged the last few -weeks with its golden light. She never thought to entertain folly, -madness, such as this; yet would she not have had it otherwise for -worlds. Bitter are the dregs, but verily the poison is more than -sweet. And now he is going away, and she will never, never see him -again; that fair young face will never more greet her with its -thrilling smile, those kindly joyous tones never more make music for -her ear. To-morrow he will be gone. Perhaps he may fall in action--the -beautiful brow gashed--the too well-known features cold and fixed in -death: not if prayers can avert such a fate. Perhaps he will return -distinguished and triumphant; but in either case what more will the -poor governess have to do with the young hero, save to love him still? -Yes, she may love him _now_--love him with all her heart and soul, -without restraint, without self-reproach, for she will _never_ see him -again. On that she is determined; their paths lie in different -directions, like two ships that meet upon the waters and rejoice in -each other's companionship, and part, and know each other no more. It -was foolish to sit up for him to-night; but it is the last, _last_ -time, and she could not resist the temptation to wait and watch even -for the very wheels that bore him home; and now it is over--all -over--he will never know it; but she will always think of him and pray -for him, and watch over Blanche for _his_ sake, and love him, adore -him dotingly--madly--to the last; and cold, haughty, passionless Mary -Delaval leant her head upon her two white arms, and sobbed like a -broken-hearted child. - -We wonder if any man that walks the earth is worthy of the whole -idolatrous devotion of a woman's heart. Charlie was snoring sound -asleep, whilst she who loved him wept and prayed and suffered. Go to -sleep too, foolish Mary, and pleasant dreams to you: "Sorrow has your -young days shaded;" it is but fair that your nights should glow in the -rosy, fancy-brightened hues of joy. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -WANT - - LODGINGS IN LONDON--A CONVIVIAL HUSBAND--THE WIFE GIVES HER - OPINION--FAMILY PLEASURES--FAMILY CARES--DRESSING TO GO - OUT--THE DRUNKARD'S VISITORS--CHEAP ENJOYMENT--WHO IS THE - OWNER?--LONDON FOR THE POOR - - -As you walk jauntily along any of the great thoroughfares of London, -you arrive, ever and anon, at one of those narrow offshoots of which -you would scarcely discover the existence, were it not for the paved -crossing over which you daintily pick your way on the points of your -jetty boots. All the attention you can spare from passing events is -devoted to the preservation of your _chaussure_, and you do not -probably think it worth while to bestow even a casual peep down that -close, winding alley, in which love and hate, and hopes and fears, and -human joys and miseries and sympathies, are all packed together, just -as they are in your own house in Belgravia, Tyburnia, or Mayfair, only -considerably more cramped for room, and a good deal worse off for -fresh air. That noble animal, the horse, generally occupies the -ground-floor of such tenements as compose these narrow streets, whilst -the dirty children of those bipeds who look after his well-being, -embryo coachmen, and helpers, and stablemen, play and fight and -vociferate in the gutter, with considerable energy and no little -noise, munching their dinners _al fresco_ the while, with an appetite -that makes dry bread a very palatable sustenance. A strong "smell of -stables" pervades the atmosphere, attributable perhaps to the -accumulation of that agricultural wealth which, in its _right_ place, -produces golden harvests; and the ring of harness and stamp of -steeds, varied by an occasional snort, nearly drown the plaintive -street organ, grinding away, fainter and fainter, round the corner. -Shirts, stockings, and garments of which we neither know the names nor -natures, hang, like Macbeth's banners, "on the outward walls." Washing -appears to be the staple commerce, while porter seems the principal -support, of these busy regions; and as the snowy water-lily rises from -the stagnant marsh, so does the dazzling shirt-front, in which you -will to-day appear at dinner, owe its purity to that stream of soapy -starch-stained liquid now pouring its filthy volume down the gutter. -Dirty, drowsy-looking men clatter about with pails and other apparatus -for the cleansing of carriages, whilst here and there an urchin is -pounced upon and carried off by some maternal hawk, with bare arms and -disordered tresses, either to return with a smeared mouth and a -festive slice of bread and treacle, or to admonish its companions, by -piercing cries, that it is undergoing summary punishment not -undeserved. The shrill organ of female volubility, we need hardly say, -is in the ascendant; and we may add that the faces generally met with, -all dirty and careworn though they be, are gilded by an honest -expression of contentment peculiar to those who fulfil their destiny -by working for their daily bread. - -In one of the worst lodgings in such a mews as we have faintly -endeavoured to describe, in a dirty, comfortless room, bare of -furniture, and to which laborious access is obtained by a dilapidated -wooden staircase, sits our old acquaintance Gingham, now Mrs. Blacke, -but who will never be known to "the families in which she lived" by -any other than her maiden patronymic. Though in her best days a lady -of no fascinating exterior, she is decidedly altered for the worse -since we saw her at St. Swithin's, and is now, without question, a -hard-featured and repulsive-looking woman. She has lost the -"well-to-do" air, which sits more easily on those who live at -"housekeeping" than on those "who find themselves," and everything -about her betrays a degree of poverty, if not of actual want, sadly -repugnant to the habits of an orderly upper-servant in a -well-regulated establishment. - -Of all those who sink to hardships after having "seen better days," -none bear privation so ill as this particular rank. They have neither -the determination and energy of "the gentle," nor the happy -carelessness and bodily vigour of the labouring class. It is -lamentable to watch the gradual sinking of a once respectable man, who -has been tempted, by the very natural desire of becoming independent, -to leave "service" and set up on his own account. From his boyhood he -has been fed, housed, and clothed, without a thought or care of his -own, till he has spread into the portly, grave, ponderous official, -whom not even his master's guests would think of addressing save by -the respectful title of "Mister." He has saved a "pretty bit o' -money"; and on giving warning, announces his long-concealed marriage -to the housekeeper, who has perhaps saved a little more. Between them -they muster a _very_ few hundred pounds; and on this inexhaustible -capital they determine to set up for themselves. If he takes a -public-house, it is needless to dwell on the almost inevitable -catastrophe. But whatever the trade or speculation on which he -embarks, he has everything to learn; education cannot be had without -paying for it; business connections cannot be made--they must _grow_. -Those are positive hardships to _him_, which could scarcely be felt as -wants by others of his own sphere, who had not always lived, as he -has, on the fat of the land. Discontent and recrimination creep into -the household. The wife makes home uncomfortable, and "the husband -goes to the beer-shop." The money dwindles--the business -fails--fortunate if the family do not increase. "Trade _never_ was so -bad," and it soon becomes a question of assignees and ten shillings in -the pound. The man himself is honest, and it cuts him to the heart. -Only great speculators can rise, like the Phoenix, in gaudier -plumage after every fresh insolvency; and hunger begins to stare our -once portly acquaintance in the face. At last he is completely "sold -up," and if too old to go again into service, he will probably think -himself well off to finish in the workhouse. And this is the career of -two-thirds of those who leave comfortable homes for the vague future -of a shadowy independence, and embark upon speculations of which they -neither understand the nature nor count the cost. - -But we must return to Gingham, bending her thin, worn figure over some -dirty needlework, and rocking with her foot a wooden cradle, in which, -covered by a scanty rug not over-clean, sleeps a little pinched-up -atom of a child, contrasting sadly with those vigorous, brawling -urchins out of doors. There is a scanty morsel of fire in the grate, -though the day is hot and sultry, for a "bit of dinner" has to be kept -warm for "father"; and very meagre fare it is, between its two delf -plates. A thin-bladed knife and two-pronged fork lie ready for him on -the rough deal table, guiltless of a cloth; and Gingham wonders what -is keeping him, for he promised faithfully to come back to dinner, and -the poor woman sighs as she stitches and rocks the child, and counts -the quarters told out by the neighbouring clock, and ponders sadly on -old times, than which there is no surer sign of a heart ill at ease. -Well-to-do, thriving people are continually looking forward, and -scheming and living in the Future; it is only your worn, dejected, -hopeless sufferer that recalls the long-faded sunshine of the Past. - -Gingham's marriage took place at St. Swithin's as soon after Mrs. -Kettering's death as appearances would allow, and was conducted with -the usual solemnities observed on such occasions in her rank of life. -There was a new shawl, and a gorgeous bonnet, and a cake, with a large -consumption of tea, not to mention excisable commodities. Tom Blacke -looked very smart in a white hat and trousers to match, whilst -Hairblower signalised the event by the performance of an intricate and -unparalleled hornpipe, such as is never seen now-a-days off the stage. -Blanche made the bride a handsome present, which was acknowledged with -many blessings and a shower of tears. Gingham's great difficulty was, -how ever she should part with Miss Blanche! and "all went merry as a -marriage bell." But they had not long been man and wife ere Tom began -to show the cloven foot. First he would take his blushing bride to -tea-gardens and such places of convivial resort, where, whilst she -partook of the "cup that cheers but not inebriates," he would sip -consolatory measures of that which does both. After a time he -preferred such expeditions as she could not well accompany him on, and -would come home with glazed eyes, a pale face, and the tie of his -neckcloth under his ear. The truth will out. Tom was a drunken dog. -There was no question about it. Then came dismissal from his employer, -the attorney. Still, as long as Gingham's money lasted, all went on -comparatively well. But a lady's-maid's savings are not inexhaustible, -and people who live on their capital are apt to get through it -wonderfully fast. So they came down from three well-furnished rooms to -a kitchen and parlour, and from that to one miserable apartment, -serving all purposes at once. Then they moved to London to look for -employment; and Tom Blacke, a handy fellow enough when sober, obtained -a series of situations, all of which he lost owing to his convivial -failing. Now they paid two shillings a week for the wretched room in -which we find them, and a hard matter it often was to raise money for -the rent, and their own living, and Tom's score at "The Feathers," -just round the corner. But Gingham worked for the whole family, as a -woman will when put to it, and seemed to love her husband the better -the worse he used her, as is constantly the case with that -long-suffering sex. "Poor fellow," she would say, when Tom reeled home -to swear at her in drunken ferocity, or kiss her in maudlin kindness, -"it's trouble that's drove him to it; but there's good in Tom -yet--look how fond he is of baby." And with all his faults, there is -no doubt little Miss Blacke possessed a considerable share of her -father's heart, such as it was. - -But even gentle woman's temper is not proof against being kept -waiting, that most irritating of all trials; and Gingham, who in her -more prosperous days had been a lady of considerable asperity, could -"pluck up a spirit," as she called it, even now, when she was -"_raised_,"--so, surmounting the coffee-coloured front with a dingy -bonnet, and folding her bare arms in a faded shawl, she locked baby -in, trusting devoutly the child might not wake during her absence, and -marched stoutly off to "The Feathers," where she was sure to find her -good-for-nothing husband. - -There he was, sure enough, just as she expected, his old black coat -glazed and torn, his pinched-up hat pressed down over his pale, sunken -features, his whole appearance dirty and emaciated. None but his wife -could have recognised the dapper Tom Blacke, of St. Swithin's, in -that shaky, scowling, dissipated sot. Alas! she knew him in his -present character too well. There he was, playing skittles with a -ponderous ruffian, in a linen jacket and high-lows, who looked like a -showman of a travelling menagerie, only not so respectable; and a -little Jew pedlar, with a hawk eye and an expression of countenance -that defied Mephistopheles himself to overreach him. There was her -husband, betting pots of beer and "goes" of gin, though the cupboard -was bare at home and the child crying for food--marking his game with -a trembling hand, cheating when he won, and blaspheming when he lost, -like the very blackguard to which he was rapidly descending. - -Gingham shook a little as she advanced, twirling the door-key -nervously round her finger; but she determined to try the _suaviter in -modo_ first, so she began, "Tom! Tom Blacke! dinner's ready, ain't you -coming home?" - -"Home! Home be ----! and you, too, Mrs. Blacke; we won't go home till -mornin'--shall us, Mr. Fibbes?" Mr. Fibbes, although appearances were -much against him, in his linen jacket and high-lows, was a man of -politeness where the fair were concerned, so he took a straw out of -his mouth, and replied, "Not to cross the missus, when sich is by no -means necessary; finish the game first, and then we'll hargue the -pint--that's what _I_ say." - -"O Tom, _pray_ come away," said poor Gingham, who had caught sight of -the chalked-up score, and knew, by sad experience, what havoc it would -make with the weekly earnings. "I durstn't leave the child not a -minute longer; I've kept your bit of dinner all hot for you--come -away, there's a dear!" - -"Not I," said Tom, poising his wooden bowl for a fresh effort, and, -irritated by his failure, bursting forth upon his wife. "How _can_ I -leave these gentlemen in their game to attend to you? Come, let's have -no nonsense; be off! _be off!_" he repeated, clenching his fist, and -raising his voice to a pitch that called forth from the large man the -admonitory remark that "_easy does it_," whilst the little Jew's eyes -glittered at the prospect of winning his game. - -But Gingham was roused, and she went at him fiercely and at once: -"Shame--shame on ye!" she exclaimed, in a low, hoarse voice, -gradually rising, as she got more excited, and her pale features -worked with passion, "with the child cryin' at home, and me obliged to -come and look for you in such a place as this; me that slaves and -toils, and works my fingers to the bone," holding up her -needle-scarred hands to the by-standers, who were already collecting, -as they always do when there is a prospect of _a row_. "Call yourself -a man!--_a man_, indeed!--and let your wife and child starve whilst -you are taking your diversion, and enjoying of yourself here? And you -too," she added, attacking the large man and the Jew with a suddenness -which much startled the former, "_you_ ought to be ashamed of -yourselves, you ought; keeping of him here, and making of him as bad -as yourselves--though perhaps _you're_ not husbands and fathers, and -don't know no better. Ay, do, you coward! strike a woman if you dare! -Was it for this I left my place and my missus? Oh dear, oh dear, -whatever shall I do?" and Gingham, throwing her apron over her head, -sank upon a bench in a passion of weeping, supported by a phalanx of -matrons who had already collected, and who took part in the -altercation, as being to all intents and purposes a Government -question. - -Tom Blacke was furious, of course. Had it not been for the large man, -he would have struck his wife to the ground--alas! not the first time, -we fear, that she had felt the weight of a coward's arm; but that -ponderous champion interposed his massive person, and recommended his -friend strongly "not to cross the missus." Truth to tell, Mr. Fibbes -had a little shrew of a black-eyed wife at home, who ruled the roast, -and kept her great husband in entire subjection; besides which, like -most square, powerful men, he was a good-natured fellow, though not -very respectable; and having won as much beer as he wanted from Tom, -willingly lent his good offices to solder up the quarrel, which ended, -as such disturbances generally do, in a sort of half-sulky -reconciliation, and the wife marching off in triumph with her captured -husband. The women, as usual, had formed the majority of the crowd, -and of course sided with the injured lady; so Tom Blacke, after a few -ineffectual threats, and an oath or two, left the ground with his -still sobbing wife, promising himself an ample revenge if she should -dare to cross him at home, when there was no one by to take her part. - -When they arrived at the desolate room which served them for home, -"baby" was awake, and crying piteously to find its little self alone. -On what trifles do the moods and tempers of the human mind depend! The -child set up a crow of delight to see its father, instead of the -hideous howl in which it had been indulging, and stretched out its -little arms with a welcome that went straight to the drunkard's heart. -In another moment he was dancing the little thing up and down in -perfect good humour; and poor Gingham, thoroughly overcome, was -leaning her head against his shoulder in a paroxysm of reconciled -affection, and going through that process of relief known to ladies by -the expressive term of "having a good cry." - -How many a matrimonial bicker has been interrupted and ended by the -innocent smile of "one of these little ones"! How many an ill-assorted -couple have been kept from separation by the homely consideration of -"what should be done with the children"! How many an evil desire, how -many an unkind thought, has been quenched at its very birth by the -pure, open gaze of a guileless child! The stern, severe man, disgusted -with the world, and disappointed in his best affections, has a corner -in his heart for those whom he prizes as his own flesh and blood; the -passionate, impetuous woman, yearning for the love she seeks in vain -at home, her mind filled with an image of which it is sin even to -think, and beset by the hundred temptations to which those are exposed -who pass their lives in wedded misery, pauses on the very threshold, -and is saved from guilt when she thinks of her darlings. Sunshine and -music do they make in a house, with their bright, happy faces, the -patter of their little feet, and the ringing echoes of their merry -laugh. Grudge not to have the quiver full of them. Love and prize them -whilst you may; for the hour will come at last, and your life will be -weary and your hearth desolate when they take wing and fly away. - -So Tom Blacke and his wife are reconciled for the time, and would be -comparatively happy, were it not for the grinding anxiety ever -present to their minds of how to "make both ends meet"--that -consideration which poisons the comfort of many a homely dwelling, and -which in their case is doubtless their own fault, or at least the -fault of the "pater familias," but none the less bitter on that -account. - -"There is the baker to pay, and the rent," sighed Gingham, enumerating -them on her fingers; "and the butcher called this morning with his -account; to be sure it is but little, and little there is to meet it -with. I shall be paid to-day for the plain-work, and I got a bit of -washing yesterday, that brought me in sevenpence-halfpenny," she -proceeded, immersed in calculation; "and then we shall be -three-and-eightpence short--three-and-eight-pence! and where to get it -I don't know, if I was to drop down dead this minute!" - -"I _must_ have a little money to-day, too, missus," said Tom, in a -hoarse, dogged voice; "can't ye put the screw on a little tighter? A -man may as well be starved to death as worried to death; and I can't -face 'The Feathers' again without wiping off a bit of the score, ye -know." Gingham's eye glanced at the Sunday gown, hanging on a nail -behind the door--a black silk one, of voluminous folds and formidable -rustle, the last remnant of respectability left--and she thought -_that_, too, must follow the rest to the pawnbroker's, to that -receptacle of usury with which, alas! she was too familiar, and from -which even now she possessed sundry mocking duplicates, representing -many a once-prized article of clothing and furniture. - -Tom saw and interpreted the hopeless glance. "No, no," said he, -relenting, "not quite so bad as that, neither; I wouldn't strip the -gown off your back, Rachel, not if it was ever so; I couldn't bear to -see you, that was once so respectable, going about all in rags. We -_might_ get on, too," added he, brightening up, with an expression of -desperate cunning in his bad eye--"we might get money--ay, plenty of -it--if you were only like the rest: you're too mealy-mouthed, Mrs. -Blacke, that's where it is." - -"O Tom, what would you have me do?" exclaimed his wife, bursting -afresh into tears; "we've been honest as yet through it all, and I've -borne and borne because we _were_ honest. I'd work upon my bare knees -for you and the child--I'd starve and never complain _myself_, if I -hadn't a morsel in the cupboard; but I'd keep my honesty, Tom, I'd -keep my honesty, for when _that's_ gone, all's gone together." - -"Will your honesty put decent clothes on your back, missus?" rejoined -Tom, who did not see that the article in question was by any means so -indispensable; "will your honesty put a joint down before the fire, -such as we used to sit down to every day, when we was first man and -wife, and lived respectable? Will your honesty furnish a bellyful for -this poor little beggar, that's whining now on my knee for a bit to -eat?" Gingham began to relent at this consideration, and Tom pursued -his advantage: "Besides, it's not as if it was to do anybody any harm; -there's Miss Blanche got more than she knows what to do with, and the -young gentleman--he's away at the wars. _Honesty_, indeed! if -honesty's the game, you've a right to your share, what Mrs. Kettering -intended you should have. I think I ought to know the law; and the -law's on our side, and the justice too. Ah! Rachel, you used not to be -so difficult to come round once," concluded Tom, trying the _tender_ -tack, when he had exhausted all his other arguments; and recalling to -his wife's mind, as he intended it should do, their early days of -courtship, and the carriage of a certain brown-paper parcel by the -sea-shore. - -But Gingham felt she had right on her side; and when we can indulge -the spirit of contradiction never dormant in our natures, and fight -under the banner of truth at the same time, it is too great a luxury -for mortal man, or especially mortal woman, to forego, so Gingham was -game to the last. "No, Tom, _no_!" she said, steadily and with -emphasis, "I _won't_ do it, so don't ask me, and there's an end of -it!" - -Her husband put the child down in disgust, banged his hat upon his -head, as if to go back to "The Feathers," and was leaving the room, -when a fresh idea struck him. If he could but break down his wife's -self-respect he might afterwards mould her more easily to his purpose, -and the course he proposed to adopt might, at any rate, furnish him -in the meantime with a little money for his dissipation; so he turned -round coaxingly to poor Gingham, and asked for his bit of dinner, and -put the infant once more upon his knee, ere he began to sound her on -the propriety of applying for a little assistance to her darling Miss -Blanche. "You ought to go and see your young lady, Rachel," said he, -quite good-humouredly, and with the old keeping-company-days' smile; -"it's only proper respect, now she's grown to be a great lady, and -come to London. I'll mind the child at home; it likes to be left with -its daddy--a deary--and you brush yourself up a bit, and put on your -Sunday gown there, and take a bit of a holiday; you needn't hurry -back, you know, if they ask you to stay tea in the room, and I'll be -here till you come home; or if I'm not, I'll get one of the neighbours -to look in. So now go, there's a good wench." - -Mrs. Blacke had not heard such endearing language since the sea-side -walks at St. Swithin's--she felt almost happy again, and nearly forgot -the "three-and-eightpence" wanting for the week's account. Sundry -feminine misgivings had she, as to her personal appearance being -sufficiently fine to face the new servants, in the exalted character -of Miss Blanche's late lady's-maid; but women, even ugly ones, have a -wonderful knack of adorning themselves on very insufficient materials, -and Tom assured her the black silk looked as good as new, and that -bonnet always _did_ become her, and always _would_--so she gave the -child a parting kiss, and her husband many injunctions to take care of -the treasure, and started in wonderfully good spirits; Tom's last -injunction to her as she departed being to this effect--"If Miss -Blanche should ask you how we're getting on, Rachel, you put your -pride in your pocket--mind that--put your pride in your pocket, do you -understand?" So the drunkard was left alone with his child. - -We have already said Tom was fond of the little thing--in fact, it was -the only being on earth that had found its way to his heart. Man must -love _something_, and Tom Blacke, the attorney's clerk, who had -married for money as if he had been a ruined peer of the realm, cared -just as little for his wife as any impoverished nobleman might for the -peeress with whom his income was necessarily encumbered; but the more -indifferent he was to the mother, the fonder he was of the child; and -with all his liking for skittles and vulgar dissipation (the whist and -claret of higher circles), he thought it no hardship to spend the rest -of the afternoon with an infant that was just beginning to talk. He -fully intended, as he had promised, to remain at home till his wife -returned, but a drunkard can have no will of his own. When a man gives -himself up to strong drink he chooses a mistress who will take no -denial, for whom appetite grows too fiercely by what it feeds on, -whose beck and call he must be ever ready to obey, for she will punish -his neglect by the infliction of such horrors as we may fancy pictured -in the imagination of the doomed--till he fly for relief back to the -enchantress that has maddened him; and whilst the poison begets thirst -as the thirst craves for the poison, the liquid fire poured upon the -smouldering flame eats, and saps, and scorches, till it expires in -drivelling idiocy, or blazes out in raving, riotous madness. Mr. -Blacke was tolerably cheerful up to a certain point, when he arrived -at that state which we once heard graphically described by the -sergeant of a barrack-guard, on whom the duty had devolved of placing -an inebriated warrior in solitary confinement--"Was he drunk, -sergeant?" said the orderly officer. "No, sir." "Was he sober, then?" -"No, sir." "How? neither drunk nor sober! what d'ye mean?" "Well, sir, -the man had been drinking, no doubt, _but the liquor was just dying -out in him_." - -So with Tom Blacke--after an hour or so the liquor began to _die out -in him_, and then came the ghastly reaction. First he thought the room -was gloomy and solitary, and he got nearer the child's cradle for -company--the little thing was again asleep, and he adjusted its -coverlet more comfortably--ah! that slimy, crawling creature! what is -it? so near the infant's head--he brushed it away with his hand, but -swarms of the same loathsome insects came climbing over the cradle, -chairs, and furniture. Now they settled on his legs and clothes, and -he beat them down and flung them from him by hundreds, shuddering with -horror the while; then he looked into the corners of the room, and put -his hands before his eyes after each startled glance, for hideous -faces grinned and gibbered at him, starting out from the very walls, -and mopping and mowing, shifted their forms and places, so that it was -impossible to identify them. He could have borne these, but worse -still, there was a Shape in the room with him, of whose presence he -was fearfully conscious, though whenever he manned himself to look -steadily at it, it was gone. He could not bear to have this visitant -_behind_ him, so he backed his chair hard against the wall. In -vain--still on the side from which he turned his head the grim Shape -sat and cowered and blinked at him. He knew it--he felt it--mortal -nerves could bear it no longer. He grew desperate, as a man does in a -dream. Should he take the child and run for it? No! he would meet It -on the narrow stairs, and he could not get by there. Ha! the window! -bounding into the air, child and all, he might escape. He was mad -now--he was capable of anything. Come along, little one!--they are -blocking up the room--they cover the room in myriads--the Shape is -waving them on--light and freedom without, the devil and all his -legions within--Hurrah! - -Fortunate was it for the hope of the Blacke family that Mrs. Crimp was -at this instant returning to her lodgings above, accompanied by -several promising young Crimps, with whom, as she toiled up the common -staircase, she kept up a running fire of objurgation and entreaty. The -homely sounds, the familiar voices, brought Tom Blacke to himself. The -vicinity of such a material dame as Mrs. Crimp was sufficient to -destroy the ideal in the most brandy-sodden brain, and the horrors -left their victim for the time. But he dared not remain to encounter a -second attack. He could not answer for the consequences of another -hour in that room alone with the child; so he asked his neighbour, a -kind, motherly woman, and as fond of a baby as if she had not nursed a -dozen of her own, to keep an eye upon his little one, and betook -himself straight to "The Feathers," to raise the accursed remedy to -his lips with a trembling hand, and borrow half-an-hour's callousness -at a frightful sacrifice. Tom thought he knew what was good for his -complaint, and "clung to the hand that smote him" with the confirmed -infatuation of a sot. So we leave him at the bar, with a glazed eye, a -haggard smile, and the worm that never dies eating into his very -vitals. - -In the meantime, Gingham, with the dingy bonnet somewhat cocked up -behind, and her bony fingers peeping through the worn thread gloves, -is making her way along the sunny pavement in the direction of -Grosvenor Square. The old black silk gown looks worse than she -expected in that searching light, and she feels nervous and shy at -revisiting her former haunts; nor does she like leaving home for many -hours at a time. But as she walks on, the exercise does her good. The -moving objects on all sides, and the gaudy bustle of London in the -height of the season, have an exhilarating effect on her spirits. It -is so seldom she has _an outing_; moped up for days together in that -mews, the very change is enjoyment; and the shops, with their cheap -dresses and seductive ribbons, are perfect palaces of delight. She -cannot tear herself from one window, where an excellent silk for her -own wear, and a frock "fit to dress an angel," as she thinks, for -baby, are to be sold, in tempting juxtaposition, respectively for a -mere nothing. If she was sure the colour of the silk would _stand_, -she would try and scrape the money together to buy it; but a pang -shoots through her as she recalls the fatal "three-and-eightpence," so -she walks on with a heavy sigh, and though she knows she never can -possess it, yet she feels all the better for having seen such a dress -as _that_. - -And these, and such as these, are the pleasures of the poor in our -great metropolis. Continual self-denial, continual self-restraint, -continual self-abasement--like Tantalus, to be whelmed in the waters -of enjoyment which must never touch the lip. In the country the poor -man can at least revel in its freshest and purest delights. We have -been told that "the meek shall inherit the earth"; and the -day-labourer, mending "my lord's" park fence, has often far more -enjoyment in that wilderness of beauty than its high-born proprietor. -While the latter is in bed, the former breathes the sweet morning air -and the scent of a thousand wild flowers, whose fragrance will be -scorched up ere noon. The glad song of birds makes music to his -ear--the whole landscape, smiling in the sunlight, is spread out for -the delight of his eye. Not only the park, and the waving woods, and -the placid lake, are his property for the time, but the cheerful -homesteads, and the scattered herds, and the hazy distance stretching -away as far as those blue hills that melt into the sky. He can admire -the shadow of each giant elm without disturbing himself as to which of -them must be marked for the axe; he can watch the bounding deer -without caring which is the fattest to furnish a haunch for solemn -dinners and political entertainments, where people eat because they -are weary, and drink because they are dull. The distant view he looks -upon is to him a breathing, sparkling world, full of light and life -and hope--not a mere county, subdivided into votes and freeholds, and -support and interest. His frame is attempered by toil to the enjoyment -of natural pleasures and natural beauties. The wild breeze fans his -brow--the daisies spring beneath his feet--the glorious summer sky is -spread above--and the presence of his Maker pervades the atmosphere -about him. For the time the man is happy--happier, perhaps, than he is -himself aware of. To be sure he is mortal, and in the midst of all he -sighs for beer; yet is his lot one not unmixed with many pure and -thrilling pleasures; and if he can only get plenty of work, there are -many states of existence far worse than that of an English -field-labourer. - -Not so with the sons of toil in town--there, all enjoyment is -artificial, all pleasure must be paid for--the air they breathe will -support life, but its odours are far different from those of the wild -flower. If their eyes are ever gladdened by beauty, it is but the pomp -and splendour of their fellow-creatures, on which they gaze with -sneering admiration--half envy, half contempt. If their ears are ever -ravished by music, there is a tempting demon wafting sin into their -hearts upon the sounds--there is a mocking voice of ribaldry and -vulgar revelry accompanying the very concord of heaven. What pleasure -_can_ they have but those of the senses? Where have they to go for -relaxation but to the gin-shop? What inducement have they to raise -themselves above the level of "the beasts which perish"? - -Honour to those who are working to provide intellectual amusements for -the masses, and that education of the soul which places man _above_ -the circumstances by which he is surrounded! Much has been done, and -much is still left to do. Those waves must be taught to leap ever -upwards, to fling their separate crests towards the sky; for if the -tempest should arise, and they should come surging on in one gigantic -volume, they will make a clear breach wherever the embankment happens -to be weakest; and who shall withstand their force? - -Can we wonder to find the lower classes sometimes discontented, when -we think of their privations and their toils? Shall a man starve with -but half-an-inch of plate-glass betwixt his dry white lips and the -reeking abundance of luxurious gluttony? and shall he turn away -without a murmur, die, and make no sign? Shall a fellow-creature drag -on an existence of perpetual labour, with no pleasures, no -relaxations, almost no repose; and shall we expect this dreary, -blighted being to be always contented, always cheerful, always -respectful to his superiors? Is it to be all one way here below? shall -it be all joy, and mirth, and comfort, and superfluity with the one; -and all want, and misery, and grim despair with the other? Forbid it, -Heaven! Let us, every man, put his shoulder to the wheel--let each, in -his own circle, be it small or great, do all in his power for those -beneath him--beneath him but in the accident of station, brothers in -all besides--live and let live--stretch a helping hand to all who need -it--treat every man as one who has an immortal soul--and though "they -shall never cease out of the land," yet will their wants be known and -their hardships alleviated, and the fairest spirit of heaven--angelic -Charity--shall spread her wings widest and warmest in London for the -poor. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -SUPERFLUITY - - LONDON FOR THE RICH--A GOLDEN IMAGE--THE LADY OF FASHION--LIFE - WELL SPENT--BOOK-WRITING AND BOOK-MAKING--THE DAY OF THE - DRAWING-ROOM--GOING TO MY CLUB--THE AWFUL MOMENT--GOD SAVE THE - QUEEN - - -London for the rich, though, is a different thing altogether. "Money -cannot purchase happiness," said the philosopher. "No," replied a -celebrated wit, himself well skilled in circulating the much-esteemed -dross, "but it can purchase a very good imitation of it;" -and none can gainsay the truth of his distinction. What can it do -for us in the great Babylon? It can buy us airy houses--cool -rooms--fragrant flowers--the best of everything to eat and -drink--carriages--horses--excitement--music--friends--everything but a -good appetite and content. London for the rich man is indeed a palace -of delights. See him at the window of his club, in faultless attire, -surrounded by worshippers who perform their part of the mutual -contract most religiously, by finding conversation and company, both -of the pleasantest, for him who provides drag and dinner, equally of -the best. Though they bow before a calf, is it not a golden one? -though they "eat dirt," is it not dressed by a French cook? See him -cantering in the Park--an animal so well broke as that would make John -Gilpin himself appear a fine horseman. What envious glances follow him -from the humble pedestrian--what sunny smiles shine on him from lips -and eyes surmounting the most graceful shapes, the most becoming -neck-ribbons! No, admiring stranger! You are not in the Bazaar at -Constantinople--you are amidst England's high-born beauties in the -most moral country on earth; yet even here, with sorrow be it said, -there is many a fair girl ready to barter love, and hope, -and self-respect, for a box at the opera and an _adequate_ -settlement--only it must be large enough. Within fifty yards of this -spot may Tattersall's voice be heard any Monday or Thursday -proclaiming, hammer in hand, his mercenary ultimatum, "The best blood -in England, and she is to be sold." Brain-sick moralists would read a -lesson from the animal's fate. Our men of the world are satisfied to -take things as they are. Meanwhile the calf has shown himself long -enough to his idolaters; he dines _early_ to-day--a quarter past -eight--therefore he canters home to dress. Man has no right to insult -such a cook as his by being hungry, so he trifles over a repast that -Apicius would have envied, and borrows half-an-hour's fictitious -spirits from a golden vintage that has well-nigh cost its weight in -gold. What an evening is before him! All that can enchant the eye, all -that can ravish the ear--beauties of earth and sounds of heaven--the -very revelry of the intellect, and "the best box in the house" from -which to see, hear, and enjoy. The calf is indeed pasturing in the -Elysian fields, and we need follow him no longer. Can he be otherwise -than happy? Can there be lips on which such fruits as these turn to -ashes? Are beauty, and luxury, and society, and song, nothing after -all but "a bore"? Nature is a more impartial mother than we are prone -to believe, and the rich man need not always be such an object of envy -only because he _is_ rich. - -But pretty Blanche Kettering enjoyed the glitter and the excitement, -and the pleasures of her London life, even as the opening flower -enjoys the sunshine and the breeze. It requires a season or two to -take the edge off a fresh, healthy appetite, and _ennui_ scowls in -vain upon the _very_ young. Gingham thought her young lady had never -looked so well as she did to-day, of all days in the year the one in -which Blanche was to _be presented_. Yes--it was the day of the -Drawing-room, and our former Abigail forgot the supercilious manners -of the new porter, and the high and mighty ways of the General's -gentleman, and even her own faded black silk, in a paroxysm of -motherly affection and professional enthusiasm, brought on by the -beauty of her darling, and the surpassing magnificence of her costume. -Blanche was nearly dressed when she arrived, standing like a little -princess amongst her many attendants--this one smoothing a fold, that -one adjusting a curl, and a third holding the pincushion aloft, having -transferred the greater portion of its contents to her own mouth. - -Would that we had power to describe the young lady's dress; would that -we could delight bright eyes, should bright eyes condescend to glance -upon our page, with a critical and correct account of the materials -and the fashion that were capable of constituting so attractive a -_tout ensemble_--how the gown was brocade, and the train was silk, and -the trimmings were gossamer, to the best of our belief!--how pearls -were braided in that soft brown hair, and feathers nodded over that -graceful little head, though to our mind it would have been even -better without these accessories--and how the dear girl looked -altogether like a fairy queen, smiling through a wreath of mist, and -glittering with the dewdrops of the morning. - -"Lor', miss, you do look splendid!" said Gingham, lost in admiration, -partly at the richness of the materials, partly at the improvement in -her old charge. Blanche was a very pretty girl, certainly, even in a -court dress, trying as is that costume to all save the dark, tall -beauties, who do indeed look magnificent in trains and feathers; but -then the Anglo-Saxon _blonde_ has her revenge next morning in her -simple _deshabille_ at breakfast--a period at which the black-eyed -sultana is apt to betray a slight yellowness of skin, and a drowsy, -listless air, not above half awake. Well, they are all very charming -in all dresses--it's lucky they are so unconscious of their own -attractions. - -Blanche was anything but a vain girl; but of course it takes a long -time to dress for a Drawing-room, and when mirrors are properly -arranged for self-inspection, it requires a good many glances to -satisfy ladies as to the correct disposition of "front, flanks, and -rear"; so several minutes elapse ere Gingham can be favoured with a -private interview, and she passes that period in admiring her young -lady, and scanning, with a criticism that borders on disapprobation, -the ministering efforts of Rosine, the French maid. - -A few weeks of London dissipation have not yet taken the first fresh -bloom off Blanche's young brow; there is not a single line to herald -the "battered look" that will, too surely, follow a very few years of -late hours, and nightly excitement, and disappointments. The girl is -all _girl_ still--bright, and simple, and lovely. With all our -prejudices in her favour, and our awe-struck admiration of her dress, -we cannot help thinking she would look yet lovelier in a plain morning -gown, with no ornament but a rose or two; and that Mary Delaval's -stately beauty and commanding figure would be more in character with -those splendid robes of state. But Mary is only a governess, and -Blanche is an heiress; so the one remains up-stairs, and the other -goes to Court. What else would you have? - -It is difficult for an inferior at any time to obtain an interview -with a superior, and nowhere more so than in London. Gingham was -secure of Blanche's sympathy as of her assistance; but although the -latter was forthcoming the very instant there was the slightest -hesitation perceived in her answer to the natural question, "How are -you getting on?" Gingham was deprived of her share of the former by a -thundering double-knock, that shook even the massive house in -Grosvenor Square to its foundation, and the announcement that Lady -Mount Helicon had arrived, and was even then waiting in the carriage -for Miss Kettering. - -"Good-bye, good-bye, Gingham," said Blanche, hurrying off in a state -of nervous trepidation, she scarcely knew why; "I mustn't keep Lady -Mount Helicon waiting, and of course she won't get out in her -train--come again soon--good-bye;" and in another moment the steps -were up, the door closed with a bang, and Blanche, spread well out so -as not to get "creased," by the side of stately Lady Mount Helicon, in -a magnificent family coach, rich in state-liveried coachman and -Patagonian footmen, to which Cinderella's equipage in the fairy tale -was a mere costermonger's cart. - -As the stout official on the box hammer-cloth, whose driving, -concealed as he is behind an enormous nosegay, is the admiration of -all beholders, will take some little time to reach the "string," and -when placed in that lingering procession, will move at a snail's pace -the whole way to St. James's, we may as well fill up the interval by -introducing to the reader a lady with whom Blanche is rapidly becoming -intimate, and who takes a warm--shall we say a _maternal_?--interest -in the movements of our young heiress. - -Lady Mount Helicon, then, is one of those characters which the -metropolis of this great and happy country can alone bring to -perfection. That she was once a merry, single-hearted child, is more -than probable, but so many years have elapsed since that innocent -period--so many "seasons," with their ever-recurring duties of -card-leaving, dinner-receiving, ball-haunting, and keeping up her -acquaintance, have been softening her brain and hardening her heart, -that there is little left of the child in her world-worn nature, and -not a great deal of the woman, save her attachment to her son. She is -as fond of him as it is possible for her to be of anything. She is -proud of his talents, his appearance, his acquirements, and in her -heart of hearts of his wildness. Altogether, she thinks him a great -improvement on the old lord, and would sacrifice anything for him in -the world, save her position in society. That position, such as it is, -she has all her life been struggling to retain. She would improve it -if she could, but she will never get any farther. She belongs to the -mass of good society, and receives cards for all the "best places" and -most magnificent entertainments; but is as far removed as a curate's -wife in Cornwall from the inner circle of those "bright particular -stars" with whom she would give her coronet to associate. - -Lady Long-Acre _bows_ to her, but she never _nods_. Lady Dinadam -invites her to the great ball, which that exemplary peeress annually -endures with the constancy of a martyr; but as for the little dinners, -for which her gastronomic lord is so justly renowned, it is needless -to think of them. She might just as well expect to be asked to -Wassailworth. And although the Duke is hand-and-glove with her son, -she well knows she has as much chance of visiting the Emperor of -Morocco. Even tiny Mrs. Dreadnought alternately snubs and patronises -her. Why that artificial woman, who has no rank and very little -character, should be one of "the great people" is totally -inexplicable; however, there she _is_, and Lady Mount Helicon looks up -to her accordingly. Well, there are gradations in all ranks, even to -the very steps before the throne. In her ladyship's immediate circle -are the Ormolus, and the Veneers, and the Blacklambs, with whom she is -on terms of the most perfect equality; while below her again are the -Duffles, and the Marchpanes, and the Featherheads, and a whole host of -inferiors. If Lady Long-Acre is distant with _her_, can she not be -condescending in her turn to Lady Tadpole? If Dinadam, who uses -somewhat coarse language for a nobleman, says he "can't stand that -_something_ vulgar woman," cannot Lady Mount Helicon cut young -Deadlock unblushingly in the street, and turn the very coldest part of -her broad shoulder on Sir Timothy and Lady Turnstile? "City people, my -dear," as she explains for the edification of Blanche, who is somewhat -aghast at the uncourteous manoeuvre. Has she not a grand object to -pursue for eighteen hours out of every twenty-four? Must she not keep -alive the recollections of her existence in the memories of some two -or three hundred people, who would not care a straw if she were dead -and buried before to-morrow morning? Is it not a noble ambition to -arrive at terms of apparent intimacy with this shaky grandee, or that -superannuated duchess, because they _are_ duchesses and grandees? Can -horses and carriages be better employed than in carrying cards about -for judicious distribution? Is not that a delightful night of which -two-thirds are spent blocked up in the "string," and the remainder -suffocated on the staircase? In short, can money be better lavished, -or time and energy better applied, than in "keeping up one's -acquaintance"? - -This is the noble aim of "all the world." This it is which brings -country families to London when their strawberries are ripe, and their -roses in full bloom. The Hall looks beautiful when its old trees are -in foliage, and its sunny meadows rippled with the fresh-mown hay. -But, dear! who would be out of London in June? except, of course, -during Ascot week. No, the gardener and the steward are left to enjoy -one of the sweetest places in England, and the family hug themselves -in the exchange of their roomy chambers, and old oak wainscoting, and -fresh country air, for a small, close, ill-constructed house, redolent -of those mysterious perfumes which are attributed to drains, and grimy -with many a year's accumulation of soot and other impurities, but -happy, thrice happy in its _situation_--not a quarter of a mile from -St. James's Street, and within a stone's throw of Berkeley Square! -Year after year the exodus goes on. Year after year has the squire -sworn stoutly that he will enjoy _this_ summer at home, and perjured -himself, as a man invariably does when he attests by oath an opinion -in defiance of his wife. While there are daughters to marry off, and -sons to get commissions for, we can account in a measure for the -migratory movement, though based, we conceive, on fallacious -principles. But when John has got his appointment, through the -_county_ member after all, and Lucy has married the young rector of -the adjoining parish, who fell in love with her at the _county_ -archery meeting, why the two poor old folks should make their annual -struggle, and endure discomfort, is only to be explained by the -tenacity with which English people cling to their national -superstitions and their national absurdities. - -Even little Blanche, living in one of the best houses in Grosvenor -Square, and going to Court under a peeress's "wing," sighed while she -thought of Newton-Hollows and its shrubberies, and her garden just -blooming into summer luxuriance. As they toiled slowly down St. -James's Street, envying the privileged grandees with the _entree_ -through St. James's Park, our pretty heiress would fain have been back -in her garden-bonnet, tying up her roses, and watching her carnations, -and idling about in the deep shades of her leafy paradise. Not so the -chaperon. She was full of the important occasion. It was her pleasure -to _present_ Miss Kettering, and her business to arrange how that -maidenly patronymic should be merged in the title of Mount Helicon: -for this she was herself prepared to lapse into a _dowager_. Who but a -mother would be capable of such a sacrifice? Yet it must be; none knew -better than her ladyship--excepting, perhaps, the late lord's man of -business, and certain citizens of the Hebrew persuasion, collectors of -noblemen's and gentlemen's autographs--how impossible it was for -"Mount" to go on much longer. His book on the Derby was a far deeper -affair than his "Broadsides from the Baltic"--where the publisher lost -shillings on the latter, the author paid away hundreds on the -former--and the literary sportsman confessed, with his usual -devil-may-care candour, that "between black-legs and blue-stockings he -was pretty nearly told-out!"--therefore must an heiress be -supplied from _the canaille_ to prop the noble house of Mount -Helicon--therefore have the Mount Helicon arms, and the Mount Helicon -liveries, and the Mount Helicon carriage, been seen day after day -waiting in Grosvenor Square--therefore does their diplomatic -proprietress speak in all societies of "_her_ charming Miss -Kettering," and "_her_ sweet Blanche," and therefore are they even now -arriving in company at St. James's, followed by the General in his -brougham, who has come to pay his respects to his sovereign in _the -tightest_ uniform that ever threatened an apoplectic warrior with -convulsions. "My dear, you look exquisite," says the chaperon, "only -mind how you get out, and don't dirty your train, and recollect your -feathers; when you curtsey to the Queen, whatever you do, don't let -them bob in her Majesty's face." Blanche, albeit somewhat frightened, -could not help laughing, and looked so fresh and radiant as she -alighted, that the very mob, assembled for purposes of criticism, -scarcely forbore from telling her as much to her face. "Don't be -nervous, my dear," and "_Pray_ don't let us get separated," said the -two ladies simultaneously, as they entered the palace; and Blanche -felt her knees tremble and her heart beat as she followed her -conductress up the stately, well-lined staircase, between rows of -magnificent-looking gentlemen-officials, all in full dress. The -kettle-drums of the Life Guards booming from without did not serve to -reassure her half so much as the jolly faces of the beef-eaters, every -one of whom seems to be cut out to exactly the same pattern, and, -inexplicable as it may appear, is a living impersonation of Henry -VIII.; but she took courage after a time, seeing that nobody was the -least frightened except herself, and that young Brosier of the Guards, -one of her dancing-partners, and to-day on duty at St. James's, was -swaggering about as much at home as if he had been brought up in the -palace instead of his father's humble-looking parsonage. Blanche would -have liked it better, though, had the staircase and corridor been a -little more crowded; as it was, she felt too conspicuous, and fancied -people looked at her as if they knew she was clutching those two -tickets, with her name and her chaperon's legibly inscribed thereon, -for the information of an exalted office-bearer, because this was her -first appearance at Court, and she was going _to be presented_. -Innocent Blanche! The gentlemen in uniform are busy with their collars -(the collar of a uniform is positive strangulation for everything but -a _bona fide_ soldier), whilst those in civil vestures are absorbed in -the contemplation of their own legs, which, in the unusual attire of -silk stockings and "shorts," look worse to the owner than to any one -else, and that is saying a good deal. The General is close behind his -niece, and struts with an ardour which yesterday's levee in that same -tight coat has been unable to cool. The plot thickens, and they add -their tickets to a table already covered by cards inscribed with the -names of England's noblest and fairest, for the information of the -grand vizier, and--shall we confess it?--the gentlemen of the press! -Lady Mount Helicon bows right and left with stately courtesy: Blanche -seizes a moment to arrange her train and a stray curl unobserved; and -the General, between gold lace and excitement, breaks out into an -obvious perspiration. Blanche's partners gather round her as they -would at a ball, though she scarcely recognises some in their military -disguises. And those who have not been introduced whisper to each -other, "_That's_ Miss Kettering," and depreciate her, and call her -"very pretty _for an heiress_." Captain Lacquers is magnificent; he -has exchanged into the "Loyal Hussars," chiefly on account of the -uniform, and thinks that in "hessians" and a "pelisse" he ought not to -_be bought_ under half-a-million. He breakfasted with "Uppy" this -morning, and rallied that suitor playfully on his advantage in -attending the Drawing-room, whereas Sir Ascot was to be on duty, and -is even now lost in jack-boots and a helmet, on a pawing black -charger, outside. D'Orville is there too, with his stately figure and -grave, handsome face. His hussar uniform sits none the worse for those -two medals on his breast; and his beauty is none the less commanding -for a tinge of brown caught from an Indian sun. He is listening to the -General, and bending his winning eyes on Blanche. The girl thinks he -is certainly the _nicest_ person _here_. By a singular association of -ideas, the whole thing reminds the General of the cavalry action at -Gorewallah, and his energetic reminiscences of that brilliant affair -are by no means lost on the bystanders. - -"Blanche, my dear, there's Sir Roger Rearsby--most distinguished -officer. What?--I was his brigade-major at Chutney, and we--D'Orville, -_you_ know that man--how d'ye mean?--why, it's Colonel Chuffins. I -pulled him from under his horse in the famous charge of the Kedjerees, -and stood across him for two hours--_two hours_, by the god of -war!--till I'd rallied the Kedjerees, and we swept everything before -us. I suppose you'll allow Gorewallah was the best thing of the war. -Zounds! I don't believe the Sepoys have done talking of it yet! Look -ye here: Marsh Mofussil occupied the heights, and Bahawdar Bang was -detached to make a demonstration in our rear. Well, sir----" - -At this critical juncture, and ere the General had time to explain the -strategy by which Bahawdar Bang's manoeuvre was defeated, he and his -party had been swept onward with the tide to where a doorway stemmed -the crowd into a mass of struggling confusion. Lappets and feathers -waved to and fro like a grove of poplars in a breeze; fans were -broken, and soft cheeks scratched against epaulettes and such -accoutrements of war; here and there a pair of moustaches towered -above the surface, like the yards of some tall bark in a storm; whilst -ever and anon a heavy dowager, like some plunging seventy-four that -answers not her helm, came surging through the mass with the sheer -force of that specific gravity which is not to be denied. As the -state-rooms are reached, the crowd becomes more dense and the heat -insufferable. A red cord, stretched tightly the whole length of the -room, offers an insuperable barrier to the impetuous, and compels the -panting company to defile in due order of precedence--"first come -first served" being here, as elsewhere, the prevailing maxim. And now, -people being obliged to stand still, make the best of it, and begin to -talk, their remarks being as original and interesting as those of a -well-dressed crowd usually are. "Wawt a crush--aw"--says Captain -Lacquers, skilfully warding off from Blanche the whole person of a -stout naval officer, and sighing to think of the tarnish his beloved -hessians have sustained by being trodden on--"there's Lady Crane and -the Miss Cranes--that's Rebecca, the youngest, she's going to -be presented, poor girl!--aw--she's painfully ugly, Miss -Kettering--aw--makes me ill to look at her." Poor Rebecca! she's not -pretty, at least in a court dress, and is dreadfully frightened -besides. She knows the rich Miss Kettering by sight, and admires her -honestly, and envies her too, and would give anything to change places -with her now, for she has a slight _tendresse_ for good-looking, -unmeaning Lacquers. Take comfort, Rebecca, you will hardly condescend -to speak to him, when you go through the same dread ordeal next year, -in this very place, as Marchioness Ermindale. The Marquis is looking -out for a young wife, and has seen you already, walking early, in -shabby gloves, with your governess, and has made up his mind, and will -marry you out of hand before the end of the season. So you will be the -richest peeress in England, and have a good-looking, good-humoured, -honest-hearted husband, very little over forty; and you will do pretty -much what you like, and never go with your back to the horses any -more; only you don't know it, nor has it anything to do with our -story, except to prove that the lottery is not, invariably, "all -blanks and no prizes"--that a quiet, unassuming, lady-like girl has -fully as good a chance of winning the game as any of your fashionable -beauties--your dashing young ladies, with their pictures in -print-books, and their names in the clubs, and their engagements a -dozen deep, and their heart-broken lovers in scores--men who can well -afford to be _lovers_, seeing that their resources will not admit of -their becoming husbands. Such a suitor is Captain Lacquers to the -generality of his lady-loves, though he means honestly enough as -regards Blanche, and would like to marry her and her Three per Cents, -to-morrow. Misguided dandy! what chance has he against such a rival as -D'Orville? Even if there were no Frank Hardingstone, and Cousin -Charlie were never to come back, he is but on a par with Sir Ascot, -Lord Mount Helicon, and a hundred others--there is not a toss of a -halfpenny for choice between them. Nevertheless, he has great -confidence in his own fascinations, and not being troubled with -diffidence, is only waiting for an opportunity to lay himself, his -uniform, and his debts at the heiress's feet. - -The Major, meanwhile, whom Lady Mount Helicon thinks "charming," and -of whom she is persuaded _she_ has made a conquest, pioneers a way for -Blanche and her chaperon through the glittering throng. "It _is_ very -formidable, Miss Kettering," says he, pitying the obvious nervousness -of the young girl, "but it's soon over, like a visit to the dentist. -You know what to do, and the Queen is so kind and so gracious, it's -not half so alarming when you are really before her; now, go on; -that's the grand vizier; keep close to Lady Mount Helicon; and mind, -don't turn your back to any of the royalties. I shall be in the -gallery to get your carriage after it's over. I shall be so anxious to -know how you get through it." - -"Thank you, Major D'Orville," replied poor Blanche, with an upward -glance of gratitude that made her violet eyes look deeper and lovelier -than ever; and she sailed on, with a very respectable assumption of -fortitude, but inwardly wishing that she could sink into the earth, -or, at least, remain with kind, protecting Major D'Orville and Uncle -Baldwin, and those gentlemen whose duty did not bring them into the -immediate presence of their sovereign. - -These worthies, having nothing better to do, began to beguile the time -by admiring each other's uniforms, criticising the appearance of the -company, and such vague impertinences as go by the name of general -conversation. Lacquers, who had just caught the turn of his hessians -at a favourable point of view, was more than usually communicative. -"Heard of Bolter?" says he, addressing the public in general, and -amongst others a first cousin of that injured man. "Taken his wife -back again--aw--soft, I should say--fact is, she and Fopples couldn't -get on; Frank kicked at the poodle directly he got to the railway -station; he swore he would only take the parrot, and they quarrelled -there. I don't believe they went abroad at all, at least not together. -Seen the poodle? Nice dog; they've got him in Green Street; very like -Frank; believe he was jealous of him!" A general laugh greeted the -hussar's witticism, and the cousin being, as usual, not on the best of -terms with his relation, enjoyed the joke more than any one else. -Major D'Orville alone has neither listened to the story nor caught the -point. Blanche's pleading, grateful eyes haunt him still. He feels -that the more he likes her, the less he would wish to marry her. "She -is worthy of a better fate," he thinks, "than to be linked to a -broken-down _roue_." And as is often the case, the charm of beauty in -another brings forcibly to his mind the only face he ever really -loved; and the Major sighs as he wishes he could begin life again, on -totally different principles from those he has all along adopted. -Well, it is too late now. The game must be played out, and he proceeds -to cement his alliance with the General by asking him to lunch with -him at his club "after this thing's over." - -"We'll all go together," exclaimed Lacquers, who had been meditating -the very same move against his prospective uncle-in-law, only he -couldn't hit the right pronunciation of a _dejeuner a la fourchette_, -the term in which he was anxious to couch his invitation. - -"Not a member, sir," says the General, with a well-pleased smile at -the invitation; "cross-questioned by the waiter, kicked out by the -committee--what?--only belong to 'The Chelsea and Noodles'--don't -approve of clubs in the abstract--all very well whilst one's -a bachelor--eh? D----d selfish and all that--wife moping in a -two-storied house at Bayswater--husband swaggering in a Louis Quatorze -drawing-room in Pall Mall. Can't dine at home to-day, my love; where's -the latch-key? Promised to have a mutton-chop at the club with an old -brother-officer. Wife dines on chicken broth with her children, and -has a poached egg at her tea. Husband begins with oysters and ends -with a pint of claret, by himself too--we all know who the old -brother-officer is--lives in the Edgeware Road!--how d'ye mean?" -Lacquers goes off with a horse-laugh; he enjoys the joke amazingly; it -is just suited to his comprehension. "Then we'll meet in an hour from -now," says he, as the crowd, surging in, breaks up their little -conclave; "should like to show you our pictures--aw--fond of high art, -you know--and our staircase, Arabian, you know, with the ornaments -quite Mosaic. _A-diavolo!_" And pleased with what he believes to be -his real Spanish farewell, our dandy-linguist elbows his way up to -Lady Ormolu, and gladdens that panting peeress with the pearls and -rubies of his intellectual conversation. - -All this time Blanche is nearing the ordeal. If she thought the crowd -too dense before, what would she not give now to bury herself in its -sheltering ranks? An ample duchess is before her with a red-haired -daughter, but everywhere around her there is room to breathe, and -walk, and _to be seen_. Through an open door she catches a glimpse of -the Presence and the stately circle before whom she must pass. -Good-natured royalties, of both sexes, stand smiling and bowing, and -striving to put frightened subjects at their ease, and carrying their -kind hearts on their handsome open countenances; but they are all -whirling round and round to Blanche, and she cannot tell uniforms from -satin gowns, epaulettes from ostrich plumes, old from young. It -strikes her that there is something ridiculous in the way that a -central figure performs its backward movement, and the horrid -conviction comes upon her that she will have to go through the same -ceremony before all those royal eyes, and think of her train, her -feathers, her curtsey, and her escape, all at one and the same -agonising moment. A foreign diplomatist makes a complimentary remark -in French, addressed to his neighbour, a tall, soldier-like German -with nankeen moustaches. The German unbends for an instant that frigid -air of military reserve which has of late years usurped the place of -what we used to consider foreign volubility and politeness--he stoops -to reply in a whisper, but soon recovers himself, stiffer and -straighter than before. - -Neither the compliment nor its reception serves to reassure Blanche. -In vain she endeavours to peep past the duchess's ample figure, and -see how the red-haired daughter pulls through. The duchess rejoices in -substantial materials, both of dress and fabric, so Blanche can see -nothing. Another moment, and she hears her own name and Lady Mount -Helicon's pronounced in a whisper, every syllable of which thrills -upon her nerves like a musket-shot. She reaches the door--she catches -a glimpse of a tall, handsome young man with a blue ribbon, and a -formidable-looking phalanx of princes, princesses, foreign -ambassadors, and English courtiers, in a receding circle, of which she -feels she is about to become the centre. Blanche would like to cry, -but she is in the Presence now, and we follow her no farther. It would -not become us to enlarge upon the majesty which commands reverence for -the queen, or the beauty which wins homage for the woman; to speak of -her as do her servants, her household, her nobility, or all who are -personally known to her, would entail such language of devoted -affection as in our case might be termed flattery and adulation. To -hurrah and throw our hats up for her, with the fervent loyalty of an -English mob--to cheer with the whole impulse of every stout English -heart, and the energy of good English lungs, is more in accordance -with our position and our habits, and so "Hip, hip, hip--God save the -Queen." - -"Oh, dear! if I'd only known," said Blanche, some two hours -afterwards, as Rosine was brushing her hair, and taking out the costly -ostrich plumes and the string of pearls, "I needn't have been so -frightened after all! So good, so kind, so considerate, I shouldn't -the least mind being presented every day!" - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -CAMPAIGNING ABROAD - - SHIFTING THE SCENE--UNDER CANVAS--A VETERAN AND A YOUNG - SOLDIER--THE CHARMS OF A BIVOUAC--ORDERS FOR THE MORROW--A - SOLDIER'S DREAM--AN EARLY START--THE MARCH--THE - ENGAGEMENT--FORTUNE OF WAR--CHARLIE'S COMMAND--THE BLUE ONE - DOWN! - - -In the "good old times" when railways were not, and the _nec plus -ultra_ of speed was, after all, but ten miles an hour, he who would -take in hand to construct a tale, a poem, or a drama, was much -hampered by certain material conditions of time and place, termed by -critics the unities, and the observance of which effectually prevented -all glaring vagaries of plot, and many a _deus ex machina_ whose -unaccountable presence would have saved an infinity of trouble to -author as well as reader. But we have changed all this now-a-days. -When Puck undertook to girdle the earth in "forty minutes," it was no -doubt esteemed a "sporting offer," not that Oberon seems to have been -man enough to "book it"; but we, who back Electra, should vote such a -forty minutes "dead slow"--"no pace at all!" Ours are the -screw-propeller and the flying-express--ours the thrilling wire that -rings a bell at Paris, even while we touch the handle in London--ours -the greatest possible hurry on the least possible provocation--we ride -at speed, we drive at speed--eat, drink, sleep, smoke, talk, and -deliberate, still at full speed--make fortunes, and spend them--fall -in love, and out of it--are married, divorced, robbed, ruined, and -enriched, all _ventre a terre_! nay, time seems to be grudged even for -the last journey to our long home. 'Twas but the other day we saw a -hearse clattering along at an honest twelve miles an hour! Well, -forward! is the word--like the French grenadier's account of the -strategy by which his emperor invariably out-manoeuvred the enemy. -There were but two words of command, said he, ever heard in the grand -army--the one was "_En avant! sacr-r-re ventre-bleu!_" the other, -"_Sacr-r-re ventre-bleu! en avant!_" So forward be it! and we will not -apologise for shifting the scene some thousands of miles, and taking a -peep at our friend Cousin Charlie, fulfilling his destiny in that -heaven-forsaken country called Kaffirland. When it rains in South -Africa it rains to some purpose, pelting down even sheets of water, to -which a thunderstorm at home is but as the trickling of a gutter to -the Falls of Niagara--Nature endues her whole person in that same -leaden-coloured garment, and the world assumes a desolate appearance -of the most torpid misery. The greasy savage, almost naked, crouching -and coiling like a snake wherever covert is to be obtained, bears his -ducking philosophically enough; he can but be wet to the skin at the -worst, and is dry again almost before the leaves are; but the British -soldier, with his clothing and accoutrements, his pouches, haversacks, -biscuits, and ammunition--not to mention Brown Bess, his mainstay and -dependence--nothing punishes him so much as wet. Tropical heat he -bears without a murmur, and a vertical sun but elicits sundry jocose -allusions to beer. Canadian cold is met with a jest biting as its own -frost, and a hearty laugh that rings through the clear atmosphere with -a twang of home; but he hates water--drench him thoroughly and you put -him to the proof; albeit he never fails, yet, like Mark Tapley, -he _does_ deserve credit for being _jolly_ under such adverse -circumstances. - -Look at that encampment--a detached position, in which two companies -of a British regiment, with a handful of Hottentots, are stationed to -hold in check some thousands of savages: the old story--outnumbered a -hundred to one, and wresting laurels even from such fearful odds. Look -at one of the heroes--the only one visible indeed--as he paces to and -fro to keep himself warm. A short beat truly, for he is within shot of -yonder hill, and the Kaffirs have muskets as well as "assagais." No -shelter or sentry-box is there here, and our warrior at twelvepence a -day has "reversed arms" to keep his firelock dry, and covers his -person as well as he can with a much-patched weather-worn grey -great-coat, once spruce and smart, of the regimental pattern, but now -scarcely distinguishable as a uniform. To and fro he walks--wet, -weary, hungry, and liable to be shot at a moment's notice. He has not -slept in a bed for months, and has almost forgotten the taste of pure -water, not to mention beer; yet is there a charm in soldiering, and -through it all the man is contented and cheerful--even happy. A slight -movement in his rear makes him turn half-round; between him and his -comrades stands a tent somewhat less uncomfortable-looking than the -rest, and from beneath its folds comes out a hand, followed by a -young, bronzed face, which we recognise as Cousin Charlie's ere the -whole figure emerges from its shelter and gives itself a hearty shake -and stretch. It is indeed Charlie, "growed out of knowledge," as Mrs. -Gamp says, and with his moustaches visibly and tangibly increased to a -very warlike volume. The weather is clearing, as in that country it -often does towards sundown; and Charlie, like an old campaigner, is -easing the tent-ropes, already strained with wet. "I wish I knew the -orders," says the young lancer to some one inside, "or how I'm to get -back to head-quarters--not but what you fellows have treated me like -an alderman." "You should have been here yesterday, my boy," said a -voice from within, apparently between the puffs of a short, wheezing -pipe. "We only finished the biscuit this morning, and I could have -given you a mouthful of brandy from the bottom of my flask--it is dry -enough now, at all events. The baccy 'll soon be done too, and we -shall be floored altogether if we stay here much longer." "Why the -whole front don't advance I can't think," replied Charlie, with the -ready criticism of a young soldier. "If they'd only let us get _at_ -these black beggars, we'd astonish them!" "Heaven knows," answered the -voice, evidently getting drowsy, "our fellows are all tired of -waiting----By Jove," he added, brightening up in an instant, "here -comes 'Old Swipes'; I'll lay my life we shall be engaged before -daybreak, the old boy looks so jolly!"--and even as he spoke, a hale, -grey-headed man, with a rosy countenance and a merry, dark eye, was -seen returning the sentry's salute as he advanced to the tent which -had sheltered these young officers, and passing on with a -good-humoured nod to Charlie, entered upon an eager whispered -conversation with the gentleman inside, whose drowsiness seemed to -have entirely forsaken him. "Old Swipes," as he was irreverently -called (a nickname of which, as of most military sobriquets, the -origin had long been forgotten), was the senior captain of the -regiment, one of those gallant fellows who fight their way up without -purchase, serving in every climate under heaven, and invariably -becoming grey of head long ere they lose the greenness and freshness -of heart which in the Service alone outlive the cares and -disappointments that wait on middle age. - -Now, Charlie had been sent to "Old Swipes" with dispatches from -head-quarters. One of the general's _aides-de-camp_ was wounded, -another sick, an _extra_ already ordered on a _particular service_; -and Charlie, with the dash and gallantry which had distinguished him -from boyhood, volunteered to carry the important missives nearly a -hundred miles through a country not a yard of which he knew, and -threading whole hordes of the enemy with no arms but his sabre and -pistols, no guide but a little unintelligible Hottentot. From the Kat -River frontier to the defenceless portals of Fort Beaufort, the whole -district was covered with swarms of predatory savages; and but that -Fortune proverbially favours the brave, our young lancer might have -found himself in a very unpleasant predicament. Fifty miles finished -the lad's charger, and he had accomplished the remainder of his -journey walking and riding turn-about with his guide on the hardy -little animal of the latter. No wonder our dismounted dragoon was -weary--no wonder the rations of tough beef and muddy water which they -gave him when he arrived elicited the compliment we have already -mentioned to the good cheer of "The Fighting Light-Bobs," as the -regiment to which "Old Swipes" and his detachment belonged was -affectionately nicknamed in the division. The great thing, however, -was accomplished--wet, weary, and exhausted, Charlie and his guide -arrived at their destination by daybreak of the second day. The young -lancer delivered his dispatches to the officer in command, was -received like a brother into a subaltern's tent, already containing -two inhabitants, and slept soundly through the day, till awakened at -sunset by a strong appetite for supper, and the absolute necessity for -slackening the tent-ropes recorded above. - -"Kettering, you must join our council of war," said the cheery voice -of the old captain from within; "there's no man better entitled than -yourself to know the contents of my dispatches. Come in, my boy; I can -give you a pipe, if nothing else." - -Charlie lifted the wet sailcloth and crept in--the conclave did not -look so very uncomfortable after all. Certainly there was but little -room, but no men pack so close as soldiers. The old captain was -sitting cross-legged on a folded blanket in the centre, clad in a -russet-coloured coat that had once been scarlet, with gold lace -tarnished down to the splendour of rusty copper. A pair of regimental -trousers, plentifully patched and strapped with leather, adorned his -lower man, and on his head he wore a once-burnished shako, much gashed -and damaged by a Kaffir's assagai. He puffed forth volumes of smoke -from a short black pipe, and appeared in the most exuberant spirits, -notwithstanding the deficiencies of his exterior; the real proprietor -of the tent, a swarthy, handsome fellow, with a lightning eye and huge -black beard and whiskers, was leaning against the centre support of -his domicile, in a blue frock-coat and buckskin trousers, looking very -handsome and very like a gentleman (indeed, he is a peer's younger -son), though no "old clothes man" would have given him eighteenpence -for the whole of his costume. He had hospitably vacated his seat on a -battered portmanteau, "warranted solid leather," with the maker's -name, in the Strand--it seemed so odd to see it there--and was -likewise smoking furiously, as he listened to the orders of his -commander. A small tin basin, a canister of tobacco, nearly finished, -a silver hunting-flask--alas! quite empty--and a heap of cloaks, with -an old blanket in the corner, completed the furniture of this warlike -palace. It was very like Charlie's own tent at head-quarters, save -that his cavalry accoutrements gave an air of finish to that dwelling, -of which he was justly proud. So he felt quite at home as he took his -seat on the portmanteau and filled his pipe. "Just the orders I -wanted," said the old captain, between his whiffs; "we've been here -long enough, and to-morrow we are to advance at daybreak. I am -directed to move upon that 'Kloof' we have reconnoitred every day -since we came, and after forming a junction with the Rifles, we are to -get possession of the heights." - -"The river will be out after this rain," interrupted the handsome -lieutenant; "but that's no odds; our fellows can all swim--'gad, they -want washing!" - -"Steady, my lad," said the veteran, "we'll have none of that; I've got -a Fingo at the quarter-guard here that'll take us over dry-shod. I've -explained to him what I mean, and if he don't understand it now he -will to-morrow morning. A 'Light-Bob' on each side, with his arms -sloped, directly the water comes in at the rent in these old boots," -holding up at the same time a much-damaged pair of Wellingtons, "down -goes the Fingo, poor devil, and out go my skirmishers, till we reach -the cattle-ford at Vandryburgh." - -"I don't think the beggar _will_ throw us over," replied the -subaltern. "I suppose I'd better get them under arms before daybreak; -the nights are infernally dark, though, in this beastly country, but -my fellows all turn out smartest now when they've no light." - -"Before daybreak, certainly," replied "Old Swipes"; "no whist _here_, -Kettering, to keep us up very late. Well," he added, resuming his -directions to his subaltern, "we'll have the detachment under arms by -four. Take Sergeant Macintosh and the best of the 'flankers' to form -an advanced guard. Bid him make every yard of ground good, -particularly where there's _bush_; but on no account to fire unless -he's attacked. We'll advance in column of sections--_mind -that_--they're handier that way for the ground; and Harry--where's -Harry?" "Here, sir!" said a voice, and a pale, sickly-looking boy, -apparently about seventeen years of age, emerged from under the -cloaks and blankets in the corner, where he had been lying half -asleep, and thoroughly exhausted with the hardships of a life which it -requires the constitution of manhood to undergo. Poor Harry! with what -sickening eagerness his mother, the clergyman's widow, grasps at the -daily paper, when the African mail is due. How she shudders to see the -great black capitals, with "Important News from the Cape!" What a hero -his sisters think Harry! and how mamma alone turns pale at the very -name of war, and prays for him night and morning on her knees till the -pale face and wasted form of her darling stand betwixt her and her -Maker. And Harry, too, thinks sometimes of his mother; but oh! how -different is the child's divided affection from the all-engrossing -tenderness of the mother's love! The boy is fond of "soldiering," and -his heart swells as "Old Swipes" gives him his orders in a paternal -tone of kindness. "Harry, I shall entrust you with the rear-guard, and -you must keep up your communications with the sergeant's guard I shall -leave here. He will probably be relieved by the Rifles, and you can -then join us in the front. If they don't show before twelve o'clock, -fall back here; pack up the baggage, right-about-face, and join 'the -levies,' they're exactly five miles in our rear; if you're in -difficulties, ask Sergeant File what is best to be done, only don't -club 'em, my boy, as you did at Limerick." - -"Well, sir," said the handsome lieutenant, "we've all got our orders -now, except Kettering; what are we to do with him?" - -"Give him some supper first," replied the jolly commandant; "but how -to get him back I don't know; we've had a fine stud of oxen for the -last ten days, but as for a horse, I have not seen one since I left -Cape Town." - -"We're doing nothing at head-quarters, sir," exclaimed Charlie, with -flashing eyes; "will you allow me to join the attack to-morrow, with -your people?" - -The three officers looked at him approvingly, and the ensign muttered, -"By gad, he's a trump, and no mistake!" but "Old Swipes" shook his -grey head with a half-melancholy smile as he scanned the boy's -handsome face and shapely figure, set off by his blue lancer uniform, -muddy and travel-stained as it was. "I've seen many a fine fellow go -down," thought the veteran, "and I like it less and less--this lad's -too good for the Kaffirs; d----n me, I shall never get used to it;" -however, he did not quite know how to refuse so soldier-like a -request, so he only coughed, and said, "Well--I don't approve of -_volunteering_--we old soldiers go where we're ordered, but we _never -volunteer_. Still, I suppose you won't stay here, with fighting in the -front. 'Gad, you _shall_ go--you're a _real_ good one, and I _like_ -you for it." So the fine old fellow seized Charlie's hand and wrung it -hard, with the tears in his eyes. - -And now our three friends prepared to make themselves comfortable. The -old captain's tent was the largest, but it was not water-tight, and -consequently stood in a swamp. His supper, therefore, was added to the -joint stock, and the four gentlemen who, at the best club in London, -would have turned up their noses at turtle because it was _thick_, or -champagne because it was sweet, sat down quite contentedly to half-raw -lumps of stringy beef and a tin mug only half filled with the muddiest -of water, glad to get even that. - -How they laughed and chatted and joked about their fare! To have heard -them talk one would have supposed that they were at dinner within a -day's march of Pall Mall, London--the opera, the turf, the ring, each -and all had their turn; and when the sergeant on duty came to report -the "lights out," said lights consisting of two lanterns for the whole -detachment, Charlie had just proposed "fox-hunting" as a toast with -which to finish the last sip of brandy, and treated his entertainers -to a "view-holloa" _in a whisper_, that he might not alarm the camp, -which, save for the lowing of certain oxen in the rear, was ere long -hushed in the most profound repose. - -Now, these oxen were a constant source of confusion and annoyance to -the "old captain" and his myrmidons, whose orderly, soldier-like -habits were continually broken through by their perverse charge. Of -all the contradictory, self-willed, hair-brained brutes on the face of -the earth, commend us to an ox in Kaffirland. He is troublesome enough -when first driven off by his black despoilers, but when recaptured by -British troops he is worse than ever, as though he brought back with -him, from his sojourn in the bush, some of the devilry of his -temporary owners, and was determined to resent upon his preservers all -the injuries he had undergone during his unwilling peregrinations. -Fortunately, those now remaining with the detachment were but a small -number, destined to become most execrable beef, large herds retaken -from the savages having already been sent to the rear; but even this -handful were perpetually running riot, breaking out of their "kraal" -on the most causeless and imaginary alarms when in the camp, and on -the march making a point of "knocking up" invariably at the most -critical moment. Imagine the difficulties of a commander when, in -addition to ground of which he knows comparatively nothing, of an -enemy outnumbering him hundreds to one, lurking besides in an -impenetrable bush, where he can neither be reached nor seen--of an -extended line of operation in a country where the roads are either -impassable or there are none at all--and, above all, of a trying -climate, with a sad deficiency of water--he has to weaken his already -small force by furnishing a cattle-guard, and to prepare himself for -the contingency of some thousands of frantic animals breaking loose -(which they assuredly will should his position be forced), and the -inevitable confusion which must be the result of such an untoward -liberation. The Kaffirs have a knack of driving these refractory -brutes in a manner which seems unattainable to a white man. It is an -interesting sight to watch a couple of tall, dark savages, almost -naked, and with long staves in their hands, manoeuvring several -hundred head of cattle with apparently but little trouble. Even the -Hottentots seem to have a certain mysterious influence over the horned -troop; but for an English soldier, although goaded by his bayonet, -they appear to entertain the most profound contempt. - -Charlie, however, cared little for ox or Kaffir; the lowing of the one -no more disturbed him than the proximity of the other. Was he not at -last in front of the enemy? Should he not to-morrow begin his career -of glory? The boy felt his very life-blood thrill in his veins as the -fighting propensity--the spirit of Cain, never quite dormant within -us--rose to his heart. There he lay in a corner of the dark tent, -dressed and ready for the morrow, with his sword and pistols at his -head, covered with a blanket and a large cloak, his whereabout only -discernible by the red glow from his last pipe before going to sleep; -the handsome lieutenant was already wrapped in slumber and an enormous -rough great-coat (not strictly regulation); the ensign was far away in -dreamland; and Charlie had watched the light die out from their -respective pipes with drowsy eyes, while the regular step of the -sentry outside smote less and less distinctly on his ear. He had gone -through two very severe days, and had not been in a bed for weeks. -Gradually his limbs relaxed and tingled with delightful languor of -rest after _real_ fatigue. Once or twice he woke up with a start as -Fancy played her usual tricks with the weary, then his head declined, -his jaw dropped, the pipe fell to the ground, and Charlie was fast -asleep. - - * * * * * - -Far, far away on a mountain in Inverness the wild stag is _belling_ to -the distant corries, and snuffing the keen north air as he stamps ever -and anon with lightning hoof that cuts the heather tendrils asunder -and flings them on the breeze. Is he not the great master-hart of the -parcel? and shall he not be circumvented and stretched on the moor ere -the fading twilight darkens into night? Verily, he must be stalked -warily, cautiously, for the wind has shifted and the lake is already -ruffling into pointed, white-crested waves, rising as in anger, while -their spray, hurried before the tempest, drifts in long-continuous -wreaths athwart the surface. Fitful gusts, the pent-up sobs of rising -fury, that must burst or be released, chase the filmy scud across that -pale moon, which is but veiled and not obscured; while among the ferns -and alders that skirt the water's edge the wind moans and shrieks like -an imprisoned demon wailing for his freedom. Mists are rising around -the hazy forms of the deer; cold, chilling vapours through which the -mighty stag looms like some gigantic phantom, and still he swells in -defiance, and _bells_ abroad his trumpet-note of war. Charlie's -finger is on the trigger; Uncle Baldwin, disguised as a Highlander, -whispers in his ear the thrilling caution, "Take time!" The wind howls -hideously, and phantom shapes, floating in the moonlight, mock and -gibber and toss their long, lean arms, and wave their silver hair. No, -the rifle is _not_ cocked; that stubborn lock defies the force of -human fingers--the mist is thickening and the stag moves. Charlie -implores Uncle Baldwin to assist him, and drops upon his knees to -cover the retiring quarry with his useless weapon. The phantoms gather -round; their mist-wreaths turn to muslin dresses, and their silver -hair to glossy locks of mortal hues. The roaring tempest softens to an -old familiar strain. Mary Delaval is before him. Her pale, sweet face -is bent upon the kneeling boy with looks of unutterable love, and her -white hand passes over his brow with an almost imperceptible caress. -Her face sinks gradually to his--her breath is on his temples--his -lips cling to hers--and he starts with horror at the kiss of love, -striking cold and clammy from a grinning skull! Horror! the rifleman, -whose skeleton he shuddered to find beneath his horse's feet not -eight-and-forty hours ago! What does he here in the drawing-room at -home? _Home_--yes, he is at home, at last. It must have been -fancy--the recollections of his African campaign! They are all gone to -bed. He hears the General's well-known tramp dying away along the -passage; and he takes his candle to cross the spacious hall, dark and -gloomy in that flickering light. Ha! seated on the stairs as on a -throne frowns a presence that he dare not pass. A tall, dark figure, -in the shape of a man, yet with angel beauty--no angel form of -good--glorious in the grandeur of despair--magnificent in the pomp and -glare of hell--those lineaments awful in their very beauty--those -deep, unfathomable eyes, with their eternity of suffering, defiance, -remorse, all but repentance or submission! Could mortal look and not -quail? Could man front and not be blasted at the sight? On his lofty -forehead sits a diadem, and on the centre of his brow, burned in and -scorched, as it were, to the very bone, behold the seal of the -Destroyer--the single imprint of a finger. - -The boy stands paralysed with affright. The Principle of Evil waves -him on and on, even to the very hem of his garment; but a prayer rises -to the sleeper's lips; with a convulsive effort he speaks it forth -aloud, and the spell is broken. The mortal is engaged with a mortal -enemy. Those waving robes turn to a leopard-skin _kaross_, the -glorious figure to an athletic savage, and the immortal beauty to the -grinning, chattering lineaments of a hideous Kaffir. Charlie bounds at -him like a tiger--they fight--they close--and he is locked in the -desperate embrace of life or death with his ghastly foe. Charlie is -undermost! His enemy's eyes are starting from their sockets--his white -teeth glare with cannibal-like ferocity--and his hand is on the boy's -throat with a grip of iron. One fearful wrench to get free--one last -superhuman effort of despair, and.... Charlie wakes in the -struggle!--wakes to find it all a dream; and the cold air, the -chilling harbinger of dawn, stealing into the tent to refresh and -invigorate the half-suffocated sleepers. He felt little inclination to -resume his slumbers; his position had been a sufficiently -uncomfortable one--his head having slipped from the pistol-holsters on -which it had rested, and the clasp of his cloak-fastening at the -throat having well-nigh strangled him in his sleep. The handsome -lieutenant's matter-of-fact yawn on waking would have dispelled more -horrid dreams than Charlie's, and the real business of the coming day -soon chased from his mind all recollections of his imaginary struggle. -Breakfast was like the supper of the preceding night--half-raw beef, -eaten cold, and a whiff from a short pipe. Ere Charlie had finished -his ration, dark though it was, the men had fallen in; the advanced -guard had started; Ensign Harry had received his final instructions, -and "Old Swipes" gave the word of command in a low, guarded -tone--"Slope arms! By your left--Quick march!" - -Day dawned on a spirit-stirring scene. With the swinging, easy step of -those accustomed to long and toilsome marches the detachment moved -rapidly forward, now lessening its front as it arrived at some narrow -defile, now "marking time" to allow of its rear coming up, without -effort, into the proper place. Bronzed, bold faces theirs, with the -bluff, good-humoured air of the English soldier, who takes warfare as -it comes, with an oath and a jest. Reckless of strategy as of -hardship, he neither knows nor cares what his enemy may be about, nor -what dispositions may be made by his own officers. If his flank be -turned he fights on with equal unconcern, "it is no business of his"; -if his ammunition be exhausted he betakes himself to the bayonet, and -swears "the beggars may take their change out of that!" - -The advanced guard, led by the handsome subaltern, was several hundred -paces in front. The Hottentots brought up the rear, and the "Fighting -Light-Bobs," commanded by their grey-headed captain, formed the -column. With them marched Charlie, conspicuous in his blue lancer -uniform, now respectfully addressing his superior officer, now jesting -good-humouredly with his temporary comrades. The sun rose on a jovial, -light-hearted company; when next his beams shall gild the same arid -plains, the same twining _mimosas_, the same glorious landscape, shut -in by the jagged peaks of the Anatola mountains, they will glance back -from many a firelock lying ownerless on the sand; they will deepen the -clammy hue of death on many a bold forehead; they will fail to warm -many a gallant heart, cold and motionless for ever. But the men go on -all the same, laughing and jesting merrily, as they "march at ease," -and beguile the way with mirth and song. - -"We'll get a sup o' brandy to-night, anyhow, won't us, Bill?" says a -weather-beaten "Light-Bob" to his front-rank man, a thirsty old -soldier as was ever "confined to barracks." - -"Ay," replies Bill, "them black beggars has got plenty of lush--more's -the pity; and they doesn't give none to their wives--more's their -sense. Ax your pardon, sir," he adds, turning to Charlie, "but we -shall advance right upon their centre, now, anyways, shan't us?" - -Ere Charlie could reply he was interrupted by Bill's comrade, who -seemed to have rather a _penchant_ for Kaffir ladies. "Likely young -women they be, too, Bill, those niggers' wives; why, every Kaffir has -a dozen at least, and we've only three to a company; wouldn't I like -to be a Kaffir?" - -"_Black!_" replied Bill, in a tone of intense disgust. - -"What's the odds?" urged the matrimonial champion, "a black wife's a -sight better than none at all;" and straightway he began to hum a -military ditty, of which fate only permitted him to complete the first -two stanzas:-- - - "They're sounding the charge for a brush, my boys! - And we'll carry their camp with a rush, my boys! - When we've driven them out, I make no doubt - We'll find they've got plenty of lush, my boys! - For the beggars delight - To sit soaking all night, - Black although they be. - - And when we get liquor so cheap, my boys! - We'll do nothing but guzzle and sleep, my boys! - And sit on the grass with a Kaffir lass, - Though smutty the wench as a sweep, my boys! - For the Light Brigade - Are the lads for a maid, - Black although she may be." - -"Come, stow that!" interrupted Bill, as the _ping_ of a ball whistled -over their heads, followed by the sharp report of a musket; "here's -music for your singing, and dancing too, faith," he added, as the rear -files of the advanced guard came running in; and "Old Swipes" -exclaimed, "By Jove! they're engaged. Attention! steady, men!--close -up--close up"--and, throwing out a handful of skirmishers to clear the -bush immediately in his front and support his advanced guard, he moved -the column forward at "the double," gained some rising ground, behind -which he halted them, and himself ran on to reconnoitre. A sharp fire -had by this time commenced on the right, and Charlie's heart beat -painfully whilst he remained inactive, covered by a position from -which he could see nothing. It was not, however, for long. The -"Light-Bobs" were speedily ordered to advance, and as they gained the -crest of the hill a magnificent view of the conflict opened at once -upon their eyes. - -The Rifles had been beforehand with them, and were already engaged; -their dark forms, hurrying to and fro as they ran from covert to -covert, were only to be distinguished from the savages by the rapidity -with which their thin white lines of smoke emerged from bush and -brake, and the regularity with which they forced position after -position, compared with the tumultuous gestures and desultory -movements of the enemy. Already the Kaffirs were forced across the -ford of which we have spoken, and, though they mustered in great -numbers on the opposite bank, swarming like bees along the rising -ground, they appeared to waver in their manoeuvres, and to be -inclined to retire. A mounted officer gallops up, and says a few words -to the grey-headed captain. The "Light-Bobs" are formed into column of -sections, and plunge gallantly into the ford. Charlie's right-hand man -falls pierced by an assagai, and as his head declines beneath the -bubbling water, and his blood mingles with the stream, our volunteer -feels "the devil" rising rapidly to his heart. Charlie's teeth are set -tight, though he is scarce aware of his own sensations, and the boy is -dangerous, with his pale face and flashing eyes. - -The "Light-Bobs" deploy into line on the opposite bank, covered by an -effective fire from the Rifles, and advance as if they were on parade. -"Old Swipes" feels his heart leap for joy. On they march like one man, -and the dark masses of the enemy fly before them. "Well done, my -lads!" says the old captain, as, from their flank, he marks the -regularity of their movement. They are his very children now, and he -is not thinking of the little blue-eyed girl far away at home. A belt -of _mimosas_ is in their front, and it must be carried with the -bayonet! The "Light-Bobs" charge with a wild hurrah; and a withering -volley, very creditable to the savages, well-nigh staggers them as -they approach. "Old Swipes" runs forward, waving them on, his shako -off, and his grey locks streaming in the breeze--down he goes! with a -musket-ball crashing through his forehead. Charlie could yell with -rage, and a fierce longing for blood. There is a calm, matronly woman -tending flowers, some thousand miles off, in a small garden in the -north of England, and a little girl sitting wistfully at her lessons -by her mother's side. They are a widow and an orphan--but the handsome -lieutenant will get his promotion without purchase; death-vacancies -invariably go in the regiment, and even now he takes the command. - -"Kettering," says he, cool and composed, as if he were but giving -orders at a common field-day, "take a sub-division and clear that -ravine; when you are once across you can turn his flank. Forward, my -lads! and if they've any nonsense _give 'em the bayonet_!" - -Charlie now finds himself actually in command--ay, and in something -more than a skirmish--something that begins to look uncommonly like a -general action. Waving the men on with his sword he dashes into the -ravine, and in another instant is hand-to-hand with the enemy. What a -moment of noise, smoke, and confusion it is! Crashing blows, fearful -oaths, the Kaffir war-cry, and the soldiers' death-groan mingle in the -very discord of hell. A wounded Kaffir seizes Charlie by the legs, and -a "Light-Bob" runs the savage through the body, the ghastly weapon -flashing out between the Kaffir's ribs. - -"You've got it _now_, you black beggar!" says the soldier, as he -coolly wipes his dripping bayonet on a tuft of burnt-up grass. While -yet he speaks he is writhing in his death-pang, his jaws transfixed by -a quivering assagai. A Kaffir chief, of athletic frame and sinewy -proportions, distinguished by the grotesque character of his arms and -his tiger-skin _kaross_, springs at the young lancer like a wild-cat. -The boy's sword gleams through that dusky body even in mid-air. - -"Well done, blue 'un!" shout the men, and again there is a wild -hurrah! The young one never felt like this before. - - * * * * * - -Hand-to-hand the savages have been beaten from their defences, and -they are in full retreat. One little band has forced the ravine, and -gained the opposite bank. With a thrilling cheer they scale its rugged -surface, Charlie waving his sword and leading them gallantly on. The -old privates swear he is a good 'un. "Forward, lads! Hurrah! for _blue -'un_!" - -The boy has all but reached the brink; his hand is stretched to grasp -a bush that overhangs the steep, but his step totters, his limbs -collapse--down, down he goes, rolling over and over amongst the -brushwood, and the blue lancer uniform lies a tumbled heap at the -bottom of the ravine, whilst the cheer of the pursuing "Light-Bobs" -dies fainter and fainter on the sultry air as the chase rolls farther -and farther into the desert fastnesses of Kaffirland. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -CAMPAIGNING AT HOME - - THE SOLDIER IN PEACE--THE LION AND THE LAMB--"THE GIRLS WE - LEAVE BEHIND US"--A PLAIN QUESTION--THE STRONG MAN'S - STRUGGLE--FATHERLY KINDNESS--THE "PEACE AND PLENTY"--A - LADY-KILLER'S PROJECTS--WAKING THOUGHTS - - -In a neat, well-appointed barouche, with clever, high-stepping brown -horses and everything complete, a party of three well-dressed persons -are gliding easily out of town, sniffing by anticipation the breezes -of the country, and greeting every morsel of verdure with a rapture -only known to those who have been for several weeks in London. Past -the barracks at Knightsbridge, where the windows are occupied by a -race of giants in moustaches and shirt-sleeves, and the officers in -front of their quarters are educating a poodle; past the gate at -Kensington, with its smartest of light-dragoon sentries, and the -gardens with their fine old trees disguised in soot; past dead walls -overtopped with waving branches; on through a continuous line of -streets that will apparently reach to Bath; past public-houses -innumerable, and grocery-shops without end; past Hammersmith, with its -multiplicity of academies, and Turnham Green, and Chiswick, and -suburban terraces with almost fabulous names, and detached houses with -the scaffolding still up; past market-gardens and rosaries, till -Brentford is reached, where the disappointed traveller, pining for the -country, almost deems himself transported back again east of Temple -Bar. But Brentford is soon left behind, and a glimpse of the "silver -Thames" rejoices eyes that have been aching for something farther -afield than the Serpentine, and prepares them for the unbounded views -and free, fresh landscape afforded by Hounslow Heath. "This is really -the country," says Blanche, inhaling the pure air with a sigh of -positive delight, while the General exclaims, at the same instant, -with his accustomed vigour, "Zounds! the blockhead's missed the turn -to the barracks, after all." - -The ladies are very smart; and even Mary Delaval (the third occupant -of the carriage), albeit quieter and more dignified than ever, has -dressed in gaudier plumage than is her wont, as is the practice of her -sex when they are about to attend what they are pleased to term "a -breakfast." As for Blanche, she is too charming--such a little, -gossamer bonnet stuck at the very back of that glossy little head, so -that the beholder knows not whether to be most fascinated by the -ethereal beauty of the fabric, or wonder-struck at the dexterity with -which it is kept on. Then the dresses of the pair are like the hues of -the morning, though of their texture, as of their "trimmings," it -becomes us not to hazard an opinion. Talk of beauty unadorned, and all -that! Take the handsomest figure that ever inspired a statuary--dress -her, or rather undress her to the costume of the Three Graces, or the -Nine Muses, or any of those _dowdies_ immortalised by ancient art, and -place her alongside of a moderately good-looking Frenchwoman, with -dark eyes and small feet, who has been permitted to dress _herself_: -why, the one is a mere corporeal mass of shapely humanity, the other a -sparkling emanation of light and smiles and "tulle" (or whatever they -call it) and coquetry and all that is most irresistible. Blanche and -Mary, with the assistance of good taste and good milliners, were -almost perfect types of their different styles of feminine beauty. The -General, too, was wondrously attired. Retaining the predilections of -his youth, he shone in a variety of under-waistcoats, each more -gorgeous than its predecessor, surmounting the whole by a blue coat of -unexampled brilliancy and peculiar construction. Like most men who are -not in the habit of "getting themselves up" every day, he was always -irritable when thus clothed in "his best," and was now peculiarly -fidgety as to the right turn by which his carriage should reach the -barracks where the "Loyal Hussars," under the temporary command of -Major D'Orville, were about to give a breakfast of unspeakable -splendour and hospitality. - -"That way--no--the other way, you blockhead!--straight on, and short -to the right!" vociferated the General to his bewildered coachman, as -they drew up at the barrack-gate; and Blanche timidly suggested they -should ask "that officer," alluding to a dashing, handsome individual -guarding the entrance from behind an enormous pair of dark moustaches. - -"That's only the sentry, Blanche," remarked Mary Delaval, whose early -military experience made her more at home here than her companion. - -"Dear," replied Blanche, colouring a little at her mistake, "I thought -he was a captain, at least--_he's very good-looking_." - -But the barouche rolls on to the mess-room door, and although the -ladies are somewhat disappointed to find their entertainers in plain -clothes (a woman's idea of a hussar being that he should live and die -_en grande tenue_), yet the said plain clothes are so well put on, and -the moustaches and whiskers so carefully arranged, and the fair ones -themselves received with such _empressement_, as to make full amends -for any deficiency of warlike costume. Besides, the surrounding -atmosphere is so thoroughly military. A rough-rider is bringing a -young horse from the school; a trumpet is sounding in the -barrack-yard; troopers lounging about in picturesque undress are -sedulously saluting their officers; all is suggestive of the show and -glitter which makes a soldier's life so fascinating to woman. - -Major D'Orville is ready to hand them out of the carriage. Lacquers is -stationed on the door steps. Captain Clank and Cornet Capon are in -attendance to receive their cloaks. Even Sir Ascot Uppercrust, who is -here as a guest, lays aside his usual _nonchalance_, and actually -"hopes Miss Kettering didn't catch cold yesterday getting home from -Chiswick." Clank whispers to Capon that he thinks "Uppy is making -strong running"; and Capon strokes his nascent moustaches, and -oracularly replies, "The divil doubt him." - -No wonder ladies like a military entertainment. It certainly is the -fashion among soldiers, as among their seafaring brethren, to profess -far greater devotion and exhibit more _empressement_ in their manner -to the fair sex than is customary in this age with civilians. - -The latter, more particularly that maligned class, "the young men of -the present day," are not prone to put themselves much out of their -way for any one, and treat you, fair daughters of England, with a -mixture of patronage and carelessness which is far from complimentary. -How different you find it when you visit a barrack or are shown over a -man-of-war! Respectful deference waits on your every expression, -admiring eyes watch your charming movements, and stalwart arms are -proffered to assist your delicate steps. Handsome, sunburnt -countenances explain to you how the biscuit is served out; or -moustaches of incalculable volume wait your answer as to "what polka -you choose their band to perform." You make conquests all around you, -and wherever you go your foot is on their necks; but do not for this -think that your image never _can_ be effaced from these warlike -hearts. A good many of them, even the best-looking ones, have got -wives and children at home; and the others, unencumbered though they -be, save by their debts, are apt to entertain highly anti-matrimonial -sentiments, and to frame their conduct on sundry aphorisms of a very -faithless tendency, purporting that "blue water is a certain cure for -heart-ache"; that judicious hussars are entitled "to love and to ride -away"; with other maxims of a like inconstant nature. Nay, in both -services there is a favourite air of inspiriting melody, the burden -and title of which, monstrous as it may appear, are these unfeeling -words, "The girls we leave behind us!" It is _always_ played on -marching out of a town. - -But however ill our "captain bold" of the present day may behave to -"the girl he leaves behind him," the lady in his front has small cause -to complain of remissness or inattention. The mess-room at Hounslow is -fitted up with an especial view to the approbation of the fair sex. -The band outside ravishes their ears with its enchanting harmony; the -officers and male guests dispose themselves in groups with those -whose society they most affect; and Blanche finds herself the centre -of attraction to sundry dashing warriors, not one of whom would -hesitate for an instant to abandon his visions of military -distinction, and link himself, his debts, and his moustaches, to the -fortunes of the pretty heiress. - -Now, Sir Ascot Uppercrust has resolved this day to do or die--"to be a -man or a mouse," as he calls it. Of this young gentleman we have as -yet said but little, inasmuch as he is one of that modern school -which, abounding in specimens through the higher ranks of society, is -best described by a series of negatives. He was _not_ good-looking--he -was _not_ clever--he was _not_ well-educated; but, on the other hand, -he was not to be intimidated--not to be excited--and _not_ to be taken -in. Coolness of mind and body were his principal characteristics; no -one ever saw "Uppy" in a hurry, or a dilemma, or what is called "taken -aback"; he would have gone into the ring and laid the odds to an -archbishop without a vestige of astonishment, and with a carelessness -of demeanour bordering upon contempt; or he would have addressed the -House of Commons, had he thought fit to honour that formidable -assemblage by his presence, with an equanimity and _insouciance_ but -little removed from impertinence. A quaint boy at Eton, _cool hand_ at -Oxford, a deep card in the regiment, man or woman never yet had the -best of "Uppy"; but to-day he felt, for once, nervous and dispirited, -and wished "the thing was over," and settled one way or the other. He -was an only son, and not used to be contradicted. His mother had -confided to him her own opinion of his attractions, and striven hard -to persuade her darling that he had but to see and conquer; -nevertheless, the young gentleman was not at all sanguine of success. -Accustomed to view things with an impartial and by no means a -charitable eye, he formed a dispassionate idea of his own attractions, -and extended no more indulgence to himself than to his friends. -"Plain, but neat," he soliloquised that very morning, as he thought -over his proceedings whilst dressing; "not much of a talker, but a -_devil to think_--good position--certain rank--she'll be a _lady_, -though rather a _Brummagem_ one--house in Lowndes Street--place in -the West--family diamonds--and a fairish rent-roll (when the mortgages -are paid)--that's what she would get. Now, what should I get? Nice -girl--'gad, she _is_ a nice girl, with her 'sun-bright hair' as some -fellow says--good temper--good action--_and_ three hundred thousand -pounds. The exchange is _rather_ in my favour; but then all girls want -to be married, and that squares it, perhaps. If she says 'Yes,' sell -out--give up hunting--drive her about in a phaeton, and buy a yacht. -If she says 'No,' get _second leave_--go to Melton in November--and -hang on with the regiment, which ain't a bad sort of life, after all. -So it's hedged both ways. Six to one and half-a-dozen to the other. -Very well; to-day we'll settle it." - -With these sentiments it is needless to remark that Sir Ascot was none -of your sighing, despairing, fire-eating adorers, whose violence -frightens a woman into a not unwilling consent; but a cautious, quiet -lover, on whom perhaps a civil refusal might be the greatest favour -she could confer. Nevertheless, he liked Blanche, too, in his own way. - -Well, the band played, and the luncheon was discussed, and the room -was cleared for an impromptu dance (meditated for a fortnight); and -some waltzed, and some flirted, and some walked about and peeped into -the troop-stables and inspected the riding-school, and Blanche found -herself, rather to her surprise, walking _tete-a-tete_ with Sir Ascot -from the latter dusty emporium, lingering a little behind the rest of -the party, and separated altogether from the General and Mary Delaval. -Sir Ascot having skilfully detached Lacquers, by informing him that he -had made a fatal impression on Miss Spanker, who was searching -everywhere for the credulous hussar; and having thus possessed himself -of Blanche's ear, now stopped dead-short, looked the astonished girl -full in the face, and without moving a muscle of his own countenance, -carelessly remarked, "Miss Kettering, would you like to marry me?" -Blanche thought he was joking, and although it struck her as an -ill-timed piece of pleasantry, she strove to keep up the jest, and -replied, with a laugh and low curtsey, "Sir Ascot Uppercrust, you do -me too much honour." - -"No, but will you, Miss Kettering?" said Sir Ascot, getting quite -warm (for him). "Plain fellow--do what I can--make you happy--and all -that." - -[Illustration: "'Sir Ascot Uppercrust, you do me too much honour.'" - -_Page 182_] - -Poor Blanche blushed crimson up to her eyes. Good heavens! then the -man was in earnest after all! What had she done--she, the pet of -"Cousin Charlie," and the _protegee_ of Frank Hardingstone--that such -a creature as this should presume to ask her such a question? She -hesitated--felt very angry--half inclined to laugh and half inclined -to cry; and Sir Ascot went on, "Silence gives consent, Miss -Kettering--'pon my soul, I'm immensely flattered--can't express -what I feel--no poet, and that sort of thing--but I really -am--eh!--very--eh!" It was getting too absurd; if she did not take -some decisive step, here was a dandy quite prepared to affiance her -against her will, and what to say or how to say it, poor little -Blanche, who was totally unused to this sort of thing, and tormented, -moreover, with an invincible desire to laugh, knew no more than the -man in the moon. - -"You misunderstand, Sir Ascot," at last she stammered out; "I didn't -mean--that is--I meant, or rather I intended--to--to--to--decline--or, -I should say--in short, _I couldn't for the world_!" With which -unequivocal declaration Blanche blushed once more up to her eyes, and -to her inexpressible relief, put her arm within Major D'Orville's, -that officer coming up opportunely at that moment; and seeing the -girl's obvious confusion and annoyance, extricating her, as he seemed -always to do, from her unpleasant dilemma and her matter-of-fact -swain. - -And this was Blanche's first proposal. Nothing so alarming in it, -young ladies, after all. We fear you may be disappointed at the blunt -manner in which so momentous a question can be put. Here was no -language of flowers--no giving of roses and receiving of -carnations--no hoarding of locks of hair, or secreting of bracelets, -or kidnapping of gloves--none of the petty larceny of courtship--none -of the dubious, half-expressed, sentimental flummery which _may_ -signify all that mortal heart can bestow, or _may_ be the mere -coquetry of conventional gallantry. When _he_ comes to the point, let -us hope his meaning may be equally plain, whether it is couched in a -wish that he might "be _always_ helping you over stiles," or a -request that you will "give him a _right_ to walk with you by -moonlight without being scolded by mamma," or an inquiry as to whether -you "can live in the country, and _only_ come to London for three -months during the season," or any other roundabout method of asking a -straightforward question. Let us hope, moreover, that the applicant -may be _the right one_, and that you may experience, to the extent of -actual impossibility, the proverbial difficulty of saying--No. - -Now, it fell out that Major D'Orville arrived in the nick of time to -save Blanche from further embarrassment, in consequence of his -inability, in common with the rest of his fellow-creatures, "to know -his own mind." The Major had got up the _fete_ entirely, as he -imagined, with the idea of prosecuting his views against the heiress, -and hardly allowed to himself that, in his innermost soul, there -lurked a hope that Mrs. Delaval might accompany her former charge, and -he might see her _just once more_. Had D'Orville been thoroughly -_bad_, he would have been a successful man; as it was, there gleamed -ever and anon upon his worldly heart a ray of that higher nature, that -nobler instinct, which spoils the villain, while it makes the hero. -Mary had pierced the coat-of-mail in which the _roue_ was encased; -probably her very indifference was her most fatal weapon. D'Orville -really loved her--yes, though he despised himself for the weakness -(since weakness it is deemed in creeds such as his), though he would -grind his teeth and stamp his foot in solitude, while he muttered, -"Fool! fool! to bow down before a woman!" yet the spell was on him, -and the chain was eating into his heart. In the watches of the night -_her image_ sank into his brain and tortured him with its calm, -indifferent smile. In his dreams _she_ bent over him, and her drooping -hair swept across his forehead, till the strong man woke, and yearned -like a child for a fellow-mortal's love. But not for him the childlike -trust that can repose on human affection. Gaston had eaten of the tree -of knowledge, the knowledge of good and evil; much did the evil -predominate over the good, and still the galling thought goaded -him almost to madness. "Suppose I should gain this woman's -affections--suppose I should sacrifice my every hope to that sweet -face, and find her, after all, like the rest of them! Suppose _I_, -too, should weary, as I have wearied before of faces well-nigh as -fair--hearts even far more kind--is there no green branch on earth? Am -I to wander for ever seeking rest and finding none? Am I to be cursed, -like a lost spirit, with longings for that happiness which my very -nature will not permit me to enjoy? Oh that I were wholly good, or -wholly bad! that I could loathe the false excitement and the dazzling -charms of vice, or steep my better feelings in the petrifying waters -of perdition! I _will_ conquer my weakness. What should I care for -this stone-cold governess? I _will_ be free, and this Mrs. Delaval -shall discover that _I_ too can be as careless, and as faithless, and -as hard-hearted as--_a woman_!" With which laudable and manly -resolution our dashing Major proceeded to make the agreeable to his -guests, and to lose no opportunity of exchanging glances and mixing in -conversation with the very lady he had sworn so stoutly to avoid. But -with all his tactics, all his military proficiency in manoeuvring, -he found it impossible to detach Mary from her party, or to engage her -in a _tete-a-tete_ with himself. True-hearted and dignified, with her -pure affection fixed upon another, she was not a person to descend to -coquetry for the mere pleasure of a conquest, and she clung to the -General for the purpose of avoiding the Major, till old Bounce became -convinced that she was to add another name to the list of victims who -had already succumbed before his many fascinations. The idea had been -some time nascent in his mind, and as it now grew and spread, and -developed itself into a certainty, his old heart warmed with a thrill -he had not felt since the reign of the widow at Cheltenham, and he -made the agreeable in his own way by pointing out to Mary all the -peculiarities and arrangements of a barrack-yard, interspersed with -many abrupt exclamations and voluminous personal anecdotes. Major -D'Orville hovered round them the while, and perhaps the very -difficulty of addressing his former love enhanced the charm of her -presence and the fascination against which he struggled. It is amusing -to see a thorough man of the world, one accustomed to conquer and -enslave where he is himself indifferent, awkward as the veriest -schoolboy, timid and hesitating as a girl, where he is _really_ -touched--though woman-- - - "Born to be controlled, - Stoop to the forward and the bold." - -She thereby gauges with a false measure the devotion for which she -pines. Would she know her real power, would she learn where she is -truly loved, let her take note of the averted eye, the haunting step, -ever hovering near, seldom daring to approach, the commonplace remark -that shrinks from the one cherished topic, and above all the quivering -voice, which, steady and commanding to the world beside, fails only -when it speaks to her. Mary Delaval might have noted this had her -heart not been in Kaffirland, or had the General allowed her leisure -to attend to anything but himself. "Look ye, my dear Mrs. Delaval, our -stables in India were ventilated quite differently. Climate? how d'ye -mean? climate makes no difference--why, I've had the Kedjerees -picketed in thousands round my tent. What? D'Orville, you've been on -the Sutlej--'gad, sir, your fellows would have been astonished if I'd -dropped among you there." - -"And justly so," quietly remarked the Major; "if I remember right, you -were in cantonments more than three thousand miles off." - -"Well, at any rate, I taught those black fellows how to -look after their nags," replied the General. "I left them -the best-mounted corps in the Presidency, and six weeks after my back -was turned they weren't _worth a row of pins_. Zounds, don't tell me! -jobbing--jobbing--nothing but jobbing! What? No _sore backs_ whilst I -commanded them--at least among _the horses_," added our -disciplinarian, reflectively; "can't say as much with regard to the -_men_. But there is nothing like a big stick for a nigger--so let's go -and see the riding-school." - -"I have still got the grey charger, Mrs. Delaval," interposed the -Major, wishing old Bounce and his Kedjerees in a hotter climate than -India; "poor fellow, he's quite white now, but as great a favourite -still as he was in 'the merry days,'" and the Major's voice shook a -little. "Would you like to see him?" - -Mary understood the allusion, but her calm affirmative was as -indifferent as ever, and the trio were proceeding to the Major's -stables, that officer going on before to find his groom, when he met -Blanche, as we have already said, and divining intuitively what had -taken place by her flushed countenance and embarrassed manner, offered -his arm to conduct her back to her party, thereby earning her eternal -gratitude, no less than that of Sir Ascot, who, as he afterwards -confided to an intimate friend, "was _completely in the hole_, and -didn't the least know what the devil to do next." - -And now D'Orville practically demonstrated the advantage in the game -of flirtation possessed by an untouched heart. With the governess he -had been diffident, hesitating, almost awkward; with the pupil he was -eloquent and winning as usual. His good taste told him it would be -absurd to ignore Blanche's obvious trepidation, and his knowledge of -the sex taught him that the "soothing system," with a mixture of -lover-like respect and paternal kindness, might produce important -results. So he begged Blanche to lean on his arm and compose her -nerves, and talked kindly to her in his soft, deep voice. "I can see -you have been annoyed, Miss Kettering--you know the interest I take in -you, and I trust you will not consider me presumptuous in wishing to -extricate you from further embarrassment. I am an old fellow now," and -the Major smiled his own winning smile, "and therefore a fit chaperon -for young ladies. I have nobody to care for" (D'Orville, D'Orville! -you would shoot a man who called you a liar), "and I have watched you -as if you were a sister or a child of my own. Pray do not tell me more -than if I can be of any service to you; and if I can, my dear Miss -Kettering, command me to the utmost extent of my powers!" What could -Blanche do but thank him warmly? and who shall blame the girl for -feeling gratified by the interest of such a man, or for entertaining a -vague sort of satisfaction that after all she was neither his sister -nor his daughter. Had he been ten years older she would have thrown -her arms round his neck, and kissed him in childlike confidence; as it -was, she pressed closer to his side, and felt her heart warm to the -kind, considerate protector. The Major saw his advantage, and -proceeded--"I am alone in the world, you know, and seldom have an -opportunity of doing any one a kindness. We soldiers lead a sadly -unsatisfactory, desultory sort of life. Till you 'came out' this year, -I had no one to care for, no one to interest myself about; but since I -have seen you every day, and watched you enjoying yourself, and -admired and sought after, I have felt like a different man. I have a -great deal to thank you for, Miss Kettering; I was rapidly growing -into a selfish, heartless old gentleman, but you have renewed my -youthful feelings and freshened up my better nature, till I sometimes -think I am almost happy. How can I repay you but by watching over your -career, and should you ever require it, placing my whole existence at -your disposal? It would break my heart to see you thrown away--no; -believe me, Miss Kettering, you have no truer friend than myself, none -that admires or loves you better than your old chaperon;" and as the -Major spoke he looked so kindly and sincerely into the girl's face, -that albeit his language might bear the interpretation of actual love, -and was, as Hairblower would have said, "uncommon near the wind," it -seemed the most natural thing in the world under the circumstances, -and Blanche leaned on his arm, and talked and laughed, and told him to -get the carriage, and otherwise ordered him about with a -strangely-mixed feeling of childlike confidence and gratified vanity. -The party broke up at an early hour, many of them having -dinner-engagements in London; and as D'Orville handed Blanche into her -carriage, he felt that he had to-day made a prodigious stride towards -the great object in view. He had gained the girl's confidence, no -injudicious movement towards gaining her heart _and_ her fortune. He -pressed her hand as she wished him good-bye; and while he did so, -shuddered at the consciousness of his meanness. Too well he knew he -loved another--a word, a look from Mary Delaval, would have saved him -even now; but her farewell was cold and short as common courtesy would -admit of, and he ground his teeth as he thought those feet would spurn -him, at which he would give his very life to fall. The worst passions -of his nature were aroused. He swore, some day, to humble that proud -heart in the dust, but the first step at all events must be to win -the heiress. This morning he could have given up all for Mary, but -_now_ he was himself again, and the Major walked moodily back to -barracks, a wiser (as the world would opine), but certainly not a -better man. - -Care, however, although, as Horace tells us, "she sits behind the -horseman," is a guest whose visits are but little encouraged by the -light dragoon. Our gallant hussars were not inclined to mope down at -Hounslow after their guests had returned to town, and the last -carriage had scarcely driven off with its fair freight, ere phaeton, -buggy, riding-horse, and curricle were put in requisition, to take -their military owners back to the metropolis; that victim of -discipline, the orderly officer, being alone left to console himself -in his solitude, as he best might, with his own reflections and the -society of a water-spaniel. To-morrow morning they must be again on -the road, to reach head-quarters in time for parade; but to-morrow -morning is a long way off from gentlemen who live every hour of their -lives; so away they go, each on his own devices, but one and all -resolved to make the most of the present, and glitter, whilst they -may, in the sunshine of their too brief noon. - - * * * * * - -St. George's clock tolls one, and Blanche has been asleep for hours in -her quiet room at the back of the house in Grosvenor Square. Pure -thoughts and pleasant dreams have hovered round the young girl's -pillow, and the last image present to her eyes has been the kind, -handsome face of Major D'Orville--the hero who, commanding to all -besides, is so gentle, so considerate, so tender with her alone. -"Perhaps," thought she, as the midnight rain beat against her -window-panes, "he is even now going his bleak rounds at Hounslow" -(Blanche had a vague idea that the hussars spent the night in -patrolling the heath), "wrapped in his cloak, on that dear white -horse, very likely thinking of _me_. How such a man is thrown away, -with his kindly feelings, and his noble mind, and his courageous -heart. 'Nobody to care for,' he said; 'alone in the world';" and -little Blanche sighed a sigh of that pity which is akin to a softer -feeling, and experienced for an instant that startling throb with -which love knocks at the door, like some unwelcome visitor, ere habit -has emboldened him to walk up-stairs, unbidden, and make himself at -home. - -Let us see how right the maiden was in her conjectures, and follow the -Major through his bleak rounds, and his night of military hardships. - -As we perambulate London at our loitering leisure, and stare about us -in the desultory, wandering manner of those who have nothing to do, -now admiring an edifice, now peeping into a print-shop, we are often -brought up, "all standing," in one of the great thoroughfares, by the -magnificent proportions, the architectural splendour, of a building -which our peaceful calling debars us from entering. Nevertheless we -may gaze and gape at the stately outside; we may admire the lofty -windows, with their florid ornaments, and marvel for what purpose are -intended the upper casements, which seem to us like the bull's-eyes -let into the deck of a three-decker, magnified to a gigantic -uselessness; we may stare till the nape of our neck warns us to -desist, at the classic ornaments raised in high relief around the -roof, where strange mythological devices, unknown to Lempriere, -mystify alike the antiquarian and the naturalist,--centaurs, -terminating in salmon-trout, career around the cornices, more -grotesque than the mermaid, more inexplicable than the sphinx. In vain -we cudgel our brains to ask of what faith, what principle these -monsters may be the symbols. Can they represent the _insignia_ of that -corps so strangely omitted in the _Army List_--known to a grateful -country as the horse marines? Are they a glorious emanation of modern -art? or are they, as the Irish gentleman suggested of our martello -towers, only intended to puzzle posterity? Splendid, however, as may -be the outward magnificence of this military palace, it is nothing -compared with the luxury that reigns within, and the heroes of both -services enjoy a delightful contrast to the hardships of war, in the -spacious saloons and exquisite repasts provided for its members by the -"Peace and Plenty Club." - -"Waiter--two large cigars and another sherry-cobbler," lisps a voice -which, although somewhat thicker than usual, we have no difficulty in -recognising as the property of Captain Lacquers. That officer has -dined "severely," as he calls it, and is slightly inebriated. He is -reclining on three chairs, in a large, lofty apartment, devoid of -furniture, and surrounded by ottomans. From its airy situation, -general appearance, and pervading odour, we have no difficulty in -identifying it as the smoking-room of the establishment. At our -friend's elbow stands a small table, with empty glasses, and opposite -him, with his heels above the level of his head, and a cigar of -"_sesquipedalian_" length in his mouth, sits Sir Ascot Uppercrust. -Gaston D'Orville is by his side, veiling his handsome face in clouds -of smoke, and they are all three talking about the heiress. Yes; these -are the Major's _rounds_, these are the hardships innocent Blanche -sighed to think of. It is lucky that ladies can neither hear nor see -us in our masculine retreats. - -"So she refused you, Uppy; refused you point blank, did she? 'Gad, I -like her for it," said Lacquers, the romance of whose disposition was -much enhanced by his potations. - -"Deuced impertinent, I call it," replied the repulsed; "won't have -such a chance again. After all, she's not _half_ a nice girl." - -"Don't say that," vociferated Lacquers, "don't say that. She's -_perfect_, my dear boy; she's enchanting--she's got _mind_, and -that--what's a woman without intellect?--without the what-d'ye-call-it -spark?--a--a--you recollect the quotation." - -"A pudding without plums," said Sir Ascot, who was a bit of a wag in a -quiet way; and "A fiddle without strings," suggested the Major at the -same moment. - -"Exactly," replied Lacquers, quite satisfied; "well, my dear fellow, -I'm a man that adores all that sort of thing. 'Gad, I can't do without -talent, and music, and so on. Do I ever miss an opera? Didn't I half -ruin myself for Pastorelli, because she could dance? Now, I'll tell -you what"--and the speaker, lighting a fresh cigar, forgot what he was -going to say. - -"Then _you're_ rather smitten with Miss Kettering, too," observed -D'Orville, who, as usual, was determined not to throw a chance away. -"I thought a man of your many successes was _blase_ with that sort of -thing;" and the Major smiled at Sir Ascot, whilst Lacquers went off -again at score. - -"To be sure, I've gone very deep into the thing, old fellow, as you -know; and I think I _understand_ women. You may depend upon it they -like a fellow with brains. But I ought to settle; I 'flushed' a grey -hair yesterday in my whiskers, and this is just the girl to suit. It's -not her money I care for; I've got plenty--at least I can get plenty -at seven per cent. No, it is her intellect, and her refusing Uppy, -that I like. What did you say, my boy? how did you begin?" he added, -thinking he might as well get a hint. "Did you tip her any poetry? -Tommy Moore, and that other fellow, little What's-his-name?" Lacquers -was beginning to speak very thick, and did not wait for an answer. -"I'll show you how to settle these matters to-morrow after parade. -First I'll go to----Who's that fellow just come in? 'Gad, it's -Clank--good fellow, Clank. I say, Clank, will you come to my wedding? -Recollect I asked you to-night; be very particular about the date. Let -me see; to-morrow's the second Sunday after Ascot. I'll lay any man -three to two the match comes off before Goodwood." - -D'Orville smiles calmly. He hears the woman whom he intends to make -his wife talked of thus lightly, yet no feeling of bitterness rises in -his mind against the drunken dandy. Would he not resent such mention -of another name? But his finances will not admit of such a chance as -the present wager being neglected; so he draws out his betting-book, -and turning over its well-filled leaves for a clear place, quietly -observes, "I'll take it--three to two, what in?" - -"Pounds, ponies, or hundreds," vociferates Lacquers, now decidedly -uproarious; "thousands if you like. Fortune favours the brave. Vogue -la thingumbob! Waiter! brandy-and-water! Clank, you're a trump: shake -hands, Clank. We won't go home till morning. Yonder he goes: -tally-ho!" And while the Major, who is a man of conscience, satisfies -himself with betting his friend's bet in hundreds, Lacquers vainly -endeavours to make a corresponding memorandum; and finding his fingers -refuse their office, gives himself up to his fate, and with an -abortive attempt to embrace the astonished Clank, subsides into a -sitting posture on the floor. - -The rest adjourn to whist in the drawing-room; and Gaston D'Orville -concludes his rounds by losing three hundred to Sir Ascot; "Uppy" -congratulating himself on not having made such a bad day's work after -all. - -As the Major walks home to his lodgings in the first pure -flush of the summer's morning, how he loathes that man whose -fresh unsullied boyhood he remembers so well. What is he now? -Nothing to rest on; nothing to hope for--loving one--deceiving -another. If he gain his object, what is it but a bitter perjury? -Gambler--traitor--profligate--turn which way he will, there is nothing -but ruin, misery, and sin. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE WORLD - - SELLING THE COPYRIGHT--THE POLITICIAN'S - DAY-DREAMS--TATTERSALL'S AT FLOOD--A DANDY'S DESTINY - - -"Can't do it, my lord--your lordship must consider--overwritten -yourself sadly of late--your 'Broadsides from the Baltic' were -excellent--telling, clever, and eloquent; but you'll excuse me--you -were incorrect in your statistics and mistaken in your facts. Then -your last novel, 'Captain Flash; or, the Modern Grandison,' was a dead -loss to us--lively work--well reviewed--but it _didn't sell_. In these -days people don't care to go behind the scenes for a peep at -aristocratic ruffians and chivalrous black-legs--no, what we want is -something original--hot and strong, my lord, and lots of nature. Now, -these translations"--and the publisher, for a publisher it was who -spoke, waved his sword of office, a huge ivory paper-cutter, towards a -bundle of manuscripts--"these translations from the 'Medea' are -admirably done--elegant language--profound scholarship--great -merit--but the public won't look at them; and even with your -lordship's name to help them off, we cannot say more than three -hundred--in point of fact, I think we are hardly justified in going as -far as that;" and the publisher crossed his legs and sat back in his -arm-chair, like a man who had made up his mind. - -We have almost lost sight of Lord Mount Helicon since the Guyville -ball, but he now turns up, attending to business, as he calls it, and -is sitting in Mr. Bracketts' back-room, driving as hard a bargain as -he can for the barter of his intellectual produce, and conducting the -sale in his usual careless, good-humoured manner, although he has a -bill coming due to-morrow, and ready money is a most important -consideration. The little back-room is perfectly lined with -newspapers, magazines, prospectuses, books, proof-sheets, and -manuscripts, whilst the aristocracy of talent frown in engravings from -the walls--faces generally not so remarkable for their beauty as for a -dishevelled, untidy expression, consequent on disordered hair pushed -back from off the temples, and producing the unbecoming effect of -having been recently exposed to a gale of wind; nevertheless, the -illegible autographs beneath symbolise names which fill the world. - -Mr. Bracketts, the presiding genius of the place, is a remarkable man; -his broad, high brow and deep-set flashing eyes betray at once the man -of intellect, the champion whose weapon is the brain, whilst his -spare, bent frame is attenuated by that mental labour which produces -results precisely the converse of healthy physical exertion. Mr. -Bracketts might have been a great poet, a successful author, or a -scientific explorer; but, like the grocer's apprentice who is clogged -with sweets till he loathes the very name of sugar, our publisher has -been surfeited with talent till he almost pines to be a boor, to -exchange the constant intellectual excitement which wears him to -shreds for placid ignorance, a good appetite, and fresh air. How can -he find time to embody his own thoughts who is continually perusing, -rejecting, perhaps licking into shape those of others? How can he but -be disgusted with the puny efforts of the scribbler's wing, when he -himself feels capable of flights that would soar far out of the ken of -that every-day average authorship of which his soul is sick?--so -beyond an occasional slashing review, written in no forbearing spirit, -he seldom puts pen to paper, save to score and interline and correct; -yet is he, with all his conscious superiority, not above our national -prejudices in favour of what we playfully term _good_ society. We fear -he had rather go to a "crush" at Lady Dinadam's than sup with Boz. He -is an Englishman, and his heart warms to a peer--so he lets Lord Mount -Helicon down very easy, and offers him three hundred for his -manuscript. - -"Hang it, Bracketts," said his lordship, "it's worth more than -that--look what it cost me; if it hadn't been for that cursed -'Sea-breeze' chorus I should have been at Newmarket, when -'Bowse-and-Bit' won 'The Column'--and I should have landed '_a Thou_' -_at least_. But I was so busy at it I was late for the train. Come, -Bracketts, spring a point, and I'll put you 'on' about 'Sennacherib' -for the Goodwood Cup." - -"We should wish to be as liberal as possible, my lord," replied Mr. -Bracketts, shaking his head with a smile, "but we have other interests -to consult--if I was the only person concerned it would be -different--but, in short, I have already rather exceeded my powers, -and I can go no farther!" - -"Very well," said Lord Mount Helicon, looking at his watch, and seeing -it was time for him to be at Tattersall's; "only if it goes through -another edition, we'll have a fresh arrangement. It's time for me to -be off. Any news among the fraternity? Anything _good_ coming out -soon?" - -"Nothing but a novel by a lady of rank," returned Mr. Bracketts, with -a meaning smile; "and we all know what that is likely to be. Capital -title, though: 'Blue-bell; or, the Double Infidelity'--the name will -sell it. Good-morning; good-morning, my lord. Pray look in again, when -you are this way." And the publisher, having bowed out his noble -guest, returned to his never-ending labours, whilst Lord Mount Helicon -whisked into the street, with five hundred things to do, and, as -usual, a dozen appointments to keep, all at the same time. - -Let us follow him down to Tattersall's, whither, on the principle of -"business first and pleasure afterwards," he betakes himself at once, -treading as it were upon air, his busy imagination teeming with a -thousand schemes, and his spirits rising with that self-distilled -elixir which is only known to the poetic temperament, and which, -though springing to a certain extent from constitutional recklessness, -owes its chief potency to the self-confidence of mental -superiority--the reflection that, when all externals are swept away, -when ruin and misfortune have done their wickedest, the productive -treasure, the germ of future success, is still untouched within. - -"If the worst comes to the worst," thinks his lordship, "if -'Sennacherib' breaks down, and Blanche Kettering fights shy, and the -sons of Judah thunder at the door of the ungodly, and 'the pot boils -over,' and the world says 'it's all up with Mount,' have I not still -got something to fall back upon? Shall not my very difficulties point -the way to overcome them? and when I am driven into a corner, _won't_ -I come out and astonish them all? I've got it _in_ me--I know I have. -And the reviewers--pshaw! I defy them! Let them but lay a finger on my -'Medea,' and I'll give them such a roasting as they haven't had since -the days of the 'Dunciad.' Byron did it: why shouldn't I? If I could -only settle down--and I _could_ settle down if I was regularly cleaned -out--I think I am man enough to succeed. Bring out a work that would -shake the Ministry, and scatter the moderate party--then for Progress, -Improvement, Enfranchisement, and the March with the Times (rogue's -march though it be), and Mount Helicon, at the head of an invincible -phalanx, in the House, with unbounded popularity out of doors, an -English peerage--fewer points to the coronet--a seat in the -Cabinet--why not? But here we are at Tattersall's;" and the future -statesman is infernally in want of a few hundreds, so now for "good -information, long odds, a safe man, and a shot at the favourite!" - -As he walked down the narrow passage out of Grosvenor Place, now -bowing to a peer, now nodding to a trainer, now indulging in quaint -_badinage_, which the vulgar call "chaff," with a dog-stealer, who -would have suspected the rattling, agreeable, off-hand Mount Helicon -of deep-laid schemes and daring ambition? Nobody saw through him but -old Barabbas, the Leg; and he once confided to a confederate on -Newmarket Heath, "There's not one of the young ones as knows his -alphabet, 'cept the Lively Lord; and take my word for it, Plunder, -he's a deep 'un." - -If a foreigner would have a comprehensive view of our system of -English society all at one glance, let him go into the yard at -Tattersall's any crowded "comparing day," before one of our great -events on the turf. There will he see, in its highest perfection, the -apparent anomaly of aristocratic opinions and democratic habits, the -social contradiction by which the peer reconciles his familiarity -with the Leg, and his _hauteur_ towards those almost his equals in -rank, who do not happen to be "of his own set." There he may behold -Privy Councillors rubbing shoulders with convicted swindlers, noblemen -of unstained lineage, themselves the "mirror of honour," passing their -jests for the time, on terms of the most perfect equality, with -individuals whose only merit is success; and that indescribable -immunity some persons are allowed to enjoy, by which, according to the -proverb, "one man is entitled to steal a horse, when another may not -even look at a halter." But this apparent equality can only flourish -in the stifling atmosphere of the ring, or the free breezes of -Newmarket Heath. Directly the book is shut my lord is a very different -man, and Tom This or Dick That would find it another story altogether -were he to expect the same familiarity in the county-rooms or the -hunting-field which he has enjoyed in that vortex of speculation, -where, after all, he merely represents a "given quantity," as a layer -of the odds, and where his money is as good as another man's, or, at -least, is so considered. Nay, the very crossing which divides -Grosvenor Place from the Park is a line of demarcation quite -sufficient to convert the knowing, off-hand nod of our lordly -speculator into the stiff, cold bow and studiously polite greeting of -the "Grand Seigneur." Verily, would-be gentlemen, who take to racing -as a means of "getting into society," must often find themselves -grievously deceived. But Lord Mount Helicon is in the thick of it. -Tattersall greets him with that respectful air which his good taste -never permits him to lay aside, whether he is discussing a matter of -thousands with Sir Peter Plenipo, or arranging the sale of a -forty-pound hack for an ensign in the Guards; therefore is he himself -respected by all. "_You_ should have bought two of the yearlings, my -lord," says he, in his quiet, pleasant voice; "Colonel Cavesson never -sent us up such a lot in his life before." - -"Ha! Mount!" exclaims Lord Middle Mile, with a hearty smack on his -friend's shoulders, "the very man I wanted to see," and straightway he -draws him aside, and plunges into an earnest conversation, in which, -ever and anon, the whispered words--"Carry the weight," "Stay the -distance," and "Stand _a cracker_ on Sennacherib," are distinctly -audible. - -"I can afford to lay your lordship seven to one," observes an -extra-polite individual, who seems to consider the laying and taking -the odds as the normal condition of man, and whose superabundant -courtesy is only equalled by the deliberate carefulness of his every -movement, masking, as it does, the lightning perception of the hawk, -and, shall we add, the insatiable rapacity of that bird of prey? Mount -Helicon moves from one group to another, intent on the business in -hand. He invests largely against "Nesselrode" (not the diplomatist nor -the pudding, but the race-horse of that name), and backs "Sennacherib" -heavily for the Goodwood Cup. He takes the odds to a hundred pounds, -besides, from his polite friend, "who regrets he cannot offer him a -point or two more," and, on looking over the well-filled pages of his -book, hugs himself with the self-satisfied feeling of a man who has -done a good day's work, and effected the crowning stroke to a -flourishing speculation. - -As he walks up the yard a quick step follows close upon him, a hand is -laid upon his shoulder, and a well-known voice greets him in drawling -tones, which he recognises as the property of our military Adonis, the -irresistible Captain Lacquers. "Going to the Park, Mount?" says the -hussar, with more animation than he usually betrays. "If you've a mind -for a turn, I'll send my cab away;" and the peer, who cultivates -Lacquers, as he himself says, "for amusement, just as he goes to see -Keeley," replying in the affirmative, a tiny child, in top-boots and a -cockade, is with difficulty woke, and dismissed, in company with a -gigantic chestnut horse, towards his own stables. How that urchin, -who, being deprived of his natural rest at night, constantly sleeps -whilst driving by day, is to steer through the omnibuses in -Piccadilly, is a matter of speculation for those who love "horrid -accidents"; but it is fortunate that the magnificent animal knows his -own way home, and will only stop once, at a door in Park Lane, where -he is used to being pulled up, and where, we are concerned to add, his -master has no business, although he is sufficiently welcome. "The -fact is, I want to consult you, Mount, about a deuced ticklish -affair," proceeded the dandy, as he linked his arm in his companion's, -and wended his way leisurely towards the Park. - -"Not going to call anybody out, are you?" rejoined Mount, with a -quaint expression of countenance. "'Pon my soul, if you are, I'll put -you up with your back to a tree, or along a furrow, or get you shot -somehow, and then no one will ever ask me to be a 'friend' again." - -"Worse than that," replied Lacquers, looking very grave; "I'm in a -regular fix--_up a tree_, by Jove. Fact is, I'm thinking of -marrying--marrying, you know; devilish bad business, isn't it?" - -"Why, that depends," said his confidant; "of course you'll be a great -loss, and all that; break so many hearts too; but then, think--the -duty you owe your country. The breed of such men must not be allowed -to become extinct. No; I should say you ought to make the sacrifice." - -Lacquers looked immensely comforted, and went on--"Well, I've -made arrangements--that's to say, I've ordered some of the -things--dressing-case, set of phaeton-harness, large chest of -cigars--but, of course, it's no use getting everything till it's all -settled. Now, _you_ know, Mount, I'm a deuced domestic fellow, likely -to make a girl happy. I'm not one of your tearing dogs that require -constant excitement; I could live in the country quite contentedly -part of the year. I've got resources within myself--I'm fond of -hunting and shooting and--no, I can't stand fishing, but still, don't -you think I'm just the man to settle?" - -"Certainly; it's all you're fit for," replied his friend. - -"Well, now to the point. I've not asked the girl yet, you know, but I -don't anticipate much difficulty there," and the suitor smoothed his -moustaches with a self-satisfied smile; "but, of course, the relations -will make a bother about settlements, 'love light as air,' you know, -and 'human flies,' and that; still we must provide for everything. -Well, _my_ lawyer informs me that I can't settle anything during my -brother's lifetime, and he's just a year older than myself--that's -what I call 'a stopper.' Now, Mount, you're a sharp fellow--man of -intellect, you know--'gad, I wouldn't give a pin for a fellow without -brains--what do you advise me to do?" - -This was rather a poser, even for a gentleman of Lord Mount Helicon's -fertile resources; but he was never long at a loss, so as he took off -his hat to a very pretty woman in a barouche, he replied, in his -off-hand way, "Do? why, elope, my good fellow--run away with -her--carry her off like a Sabine bride, only let her take all her -clothes with her--save you a _trousseau_. Has she money?" - -"Plenty, I fancy; from what I hear, I should think Miss Kettering -can't have less than----" - -"The devil!" interrupted Lord Mount Helicon, in a tone that would have -made most men start. "You don't mean to say _you_ want to marry Miss -Kettering?" - -"Well, I think _she_ wants to marry _me_," rejoined Lacquers, -perfectly unmoved; "and you know one can't refuse a lady; but it's -only fair to say she hasn't actually _asked_ me." - -Lord Mount Helicon felt for a moment intensely disgusted. Blanche's -beauty, and her simple, pretty manner, had touched him, as far as a -man could be touched who had so many irons in the fire as his -lordship, but the impulse for _fun_, the delight he experienced in -quizzing his unsuspecting friend, soon overcame all other feelings, -and he proceeded to egg Lacquers on, and assure him of his undoubted -success, for the express purpose of amusing himself with the hussar's -method of courtship. "Besides," thought he, "such a flat as this -hanging about her will keep the other fellows off; and with a girl -like _her_, I shall have little difficulty in 'cutting _him_ out.'" So -he advised his friend to take time, and "allow her to get accustomed -to his society, and gradually entangled in his fascinations; and then, -my dear fellow," he added, "when she finds she can't live without -you--when she has got used to your engaging ways, as she is to her -poodle's--when she can no more bear to be parted from you than from -her bullfinch, then speak up like a man--bring all your science into -play--come with a rush--and win cleverly at the finish!" - -"Ay, that's all very well," mused the captain, "that's just my idea; -but in the meantime some fellow might cut me out. Now, there's our -Major--D'Orville, you know ('gad, how hot it is! let's lean over the -rails)--D'Orville seems to be always in Grosvenor Square. He's an old -fellow, too, but he has a deuced taking way with women. I don't know -what they see in him either. To be sure he _was_ good-looking; but -he's a man of no education" (Lacquers himself could scarcely spell his -own name), "and he must be forty, if he's a day. Look at this fellow -on the black cob. By Jove! it's old Bounce, and talk of the -devil--there's D'Orville riding with Miss Kettering next the rails. -This _is_ a go." - -Now, the little guileless conversation we have here related was hardly -more worthy of record than the hundred and one nothings by the -interchange of which gentlemen of the present day veil their want of -ideas from each other, save for the fact of its being overheard by -ears into which it sank like molten lead, creating an effect far out -of proportion to its own triviality. Frank Hardingstone was walking -close behind the speakers, and unwittingly heard their whole dialogue, -even to the concluding remark with which Lacquers, as he leaned his -elbows on the rails, and passed the frequenters of "the Ride" in -review before him, expressed his disapprobation of the terms on which -Major D'Orville stood with Blanche Kettering. Poor Frank! How often a -casual word, dropped perhaps in jest from a coxcomb's lips, has power -to wring an honest, manly heart to very agony! Our man of action had -been endeavouring, ever since the Guyville ball, to drive Blanche's -image from his thoughts, with an energy worthy of better success than -it obtained. He had busied himself at his country place with his farm -and his library and his tenants and his poor, and had found it all in -vain. The fact is, he was absurdly in love with Blanche--that was the -long and short of it--and after months of self-restraint and -self-denial and discomfort, he resolved to do what he had better have -done at first, to go to London, mingle in society, and enter the lists -for his lady-love on equal terms with his rivals. And this was the -encouragement he received on his appearance in the metropolis. He had -a great mind to go straight home again, so he resolved to call on the -morrow in Grosvenor Square, to ascertain with his own eyes the utter -hopelessness of his affection, and then--why, then make up his mind to -the worst, and bear his destiny like a man, though the world would be -a lonely world to him for evermore. Frank was still young, and would -have repelled indignantly the consolation, had such been offered him, -of brighter eyes and a happier future. No, at his age there is but one -woman in the universe. Seared, callous hearts, that have sustained -many a campaign, know better; but verily in this respect we hold that -ignorance is bliss. Frank, too, leaned against the rails when Mount -Helicon and Lacquers passed on, and gazed upon the sunshiny, gaudy -scene around him with a wistful eye and an aching heart. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -TO PERSONS ABOUT TO MARRY - - A LOUNGE IN THE PARK--THE NOON OF FASHION--THE FAIR - EQUESTRIAN--A LOVER ON FOOT--BOUNCE'S COMFORTERS--THE LAST ROSE - OF SUMMER--A FRIEND'S ADVICE - - -It was high noon in the great world of London--that is to say, it was -about half-past five P.M.--and the children of Mammon were in full -dress. In the streets, gay, glittering, well-appointed carriages were -bowling smoothly along, with sleek horses stepping proudly together, -and turning, as coachmen say, on a sixpence, guided by skilful pilots -who could drive to an inch. Inside, shaded by parasols of the most -gorgeous hues, sat fair delicate women, dressed to the utmost -perfection of the art, with aerial bonnets at the very back of their -glossy hair and dainty heads, bent down as they reclined upon their -cushions till every upward glance shot from beneath those sweeping -eyelashes bore a tenfold shaft of conquest against the world. Anon -taper fingers in white kid gloves were kissed to a dandy on the -pavement, and the fortunate dandy bowed, and sprang erect again, a -taller man by an inch. 'Tis always judicious to _appear_ on the best -of terms with smart ladies in coroneted carriages. Bond Street was in -a state of siege--"Redmayne's" looked like a beehive--"Hunt and -Roskell's" resembled a flower-show--country cousins were bewildered -and overcome--quiet old gentlemen like ourselves were pining for their -strawberries and their roses--wearied servants meditated on the charms -of beer--the narrow strip of sky overhead smiled blue as the -Mediterranean, and the tide of carriages in Piccadilly was like the -roar of the ocean. In the Park, though the space was greater, yet did -the crowd appear no less--double lines of carriages blocked up the -drive by the Serpentine, and unassuming broughams with provokingly -pretty faces inside halted perforce amongst the matronage of England, -defiant in the liveries and escutcheons of their lawful lords. In the -Ride the plot was thickening still, and half a country seemed -to be gathering on "the broad road"--we speak literally, not -metaphorically--mounted on steeds worth a prince's ransom, we ought to -say, but here our conscientious regard for verity compels us to stop -short, and to remark that although every now and then our eye may be -gladdened by that most beautiful of all spectacles, a handsome woman -on a fine horse, yet in many sorry instances the gentlemen of England, -who "sit at home at ease," effectually prevent their wives and -daughters from enjoying a like sedentary composure, by mounting them -on the veriest "_rips_" that ever disgraced a side-saddle. "He'll do -to carry a lady," they say of some wretch that has neither pace nor -strength nor action for themselves, and forthwith gentle woman, blest -in her ignorance, tittups along, nothing doubting, upon this tottering -skeleton. Fortune favours her own sex, but _if_ anything happens a -woman is almost sure to be hurt. No--to carry a lady a horse ought to -be as near perfection as it is possible for that animal to -arrive--strong, fast, well-shaped, handsome, and fine-tempered, his -good qualities and his value should correspond with the treasure and -the charms which are confided to his charge. But we have said there -are exceptions, and Blanche's bay horse, "Water King," was a bright -particular star among his equine fellows. Humble pedestrians stopped -to gaze open-mouthed on that shapely form--the marble crest, the silky -mane, the small quivering ear, the wide proud nostril, and the game -wild eye--the round powerful frame, hard and smooth and well-defined -as sculptured marble, showing on the "off-side" its whole lengthy -proportions uninterrupted save by girth and saddle-flap, and the -little edge of cambric handkerchief peeping from the latter. -High-couraged as he was gentle, few horses could canter up the Ride -like "Water King," and as he bent himself to his mistress's hand, -snorting in his pride, his thin black tail swishing in the air, and -his glossy skin flecked with foam, many a smart philosopher of the -"_nil admirari_" school turned upon his saddle to approve, and drawled -to his brother idler, "'Gad, that's a monstrous clever horse, and -_rather_ a pretty girl riding him." Major D'Orville thought they were -a charming couple as he accompanied Miss Kettering and her steed with -the careful air of proprietorship seldom assumed save by an accepted -suitor. The Major was a delightful companion for the Park. He knew -everybody, and everybody knew him. He had the knack of making that -sort of quiet disjointed conversation which accords so well with an -equestrian _tete-a-tete_. Defend us at all times from a long story, -but especially on horse-back! The Major's remarks, however, were -seldom too diffuse. "You see that man on the cream-coloured horse," he -would say; "that's Discount, the famous money-lender. He gave a dinner -yesterday to ten people that cost a hundred pounds, and he is telling -everybody to-day all the particulars of the 'carte' and the 'bill.' Do -you know that lady with the dark eyes and a netting all over her -horse?--that's Lady Legerdemain--she keeps a legion of spirits, as she -says, and will raise the dead for you any night you like to go to her -house in Tyburnia proper." "How shocking!" Blanche replies, with a -look of incredulity. "Fact, I assure you," returns the Major. "Sir -Roger Rearsby asked to see an old brother-officer who was killed at -Toulouse, and they showed him his own French cook! but Lady -Legerdemain says the spirits are fallible, just like ourselves. Who is -this in uniform?--why, it's 'Uppy'--he don't look very disconsolate, -does he, Miss Kettering?" and the Major smiled a meaning smile, and -Blanche looked down and blushed. "Some men would not 'wear the willow' -so contentedly," proceeded D'Orville, lowering his voice to -half-melancholy tone--"it's setting too much upon a cast to ask a -question when a negative is to swamp one's happiness for life. I -honour the man that has the courage to do it, but for my part I -confess I have _not_." "I never knew you were deficient in that -particular," replied Blanche, looking down again, and blushing deeper -than before. Blanche! Blanche! you little coquette, you are indeed -coming on in the atmosphere of London--you like the Major very much, -but you do not like him well enough to marry him--yet you would be -unhappy to lose him, you spoilt child!--and so you lead him on like -this, and look more bewitching than ever with those downcast eyes and -long, silky lashes. Notwithstanding their difference of years, our -pair are playing a game very common in society, called "Diamond cut -diamond." "I am a thorough coward in some things," returned D'Orville, -not without a flush of conscious pride, as he remembered how his -spirit used to rise with the tide of battle; "like all other cowards, -nothing would make me bold but the certainty of success." He pressed -closer to "Water King's" side, and sank his voice almost to a whisper -as he added--"Could I but hope for _that_, I could dare anything. -Could I but think that my devotion, my idolatry, was not entirely -thrown away, I should be----" The Major stopped short, for Blanche -turned pale as death, and her head drooped as if she must have fallen -from her horse. - -What made the girl start and sicken as though an adder had stung her -to the quick? What made her lean her little hand for support on "Water -King's" strong, firm neck? Because her brain was reeling, and -everything--joy--sunshine--existence--seemed to be passing away. Was -it for the mute reproach conveyed by that pale face amongst the -crowd--was it for the calm, broad eye, bent on her "more in sorrow -than in anger," and seeming, as it gazed, to bid her an eternal -farewell? - -Frank Hardingstone had seen it all. Unobserved himself among the -pedestrians that thronged the footway, he had marked Blanche and her -cavalier as they paced slowly down the Ride, had marked the girl's -flush of triumph as her admirer drew closer and closer to her side, -had marked that nameless "something" between the pair which people can -never entirely conceal when they "understand each other," and had -drawn his own conclusions from the sight. But the decencies of society -must be preserved, though the heart is breaking, and Frank drew -himself up and took his hat off with a bow that did honour to his -qualities as an actor. The old gentleman in gaiters and the tall boy -from Eton on either side of him never guessed the amount of mental -agony undergone by a fellow-creature whom they actually touched! -Civilisation has its tortures as well as barbarism. Blanche, too, -returned the courtly gesture, but her weaker nature was scarcely equal -to the effort, and had it not been that Uncle Baldwin had fidgeted up, -on the instant, in more than his usual hurry to get home, she was -conscious that her strength must have given way, and--feel for her, -beautiful and daring Amazons who frequent the Ride!--that she must -have burst into tears, and made a scene in the Park! - -Now old Bounce, albeit a gentleman of extremely punctual habits, as is -often the case with those who have nothing to do, and, moreover, a man -of healthy appetite and a strong regard for the dinner-hour, had never -before betrayed such a morbid anxiety to get home and dress as on the -occasion in question. The fact is, he, too, was restless and excited, -although the sensation had its own peculiar charms for the veteran, -who entertained at sixty a spice of that romance which is often -erroneously considered peculiar to sixteen. Yes, "the boy with the -bow" no more disdained to take a shot at Bounce than at Falstaff, and -our old friend was even now balancing on the brink of that eventful -plunge which, if not made before "the grand climacteric," it is -generally thought advisable to postpone _sine die_. Mary Delaval had -made an unconscious conquest. The feeling had been gradually but -surely developed, and the constant presence of such a woman had been -too much, even for a heart hardened by more than forty years of -soldiering, baked by an Indian sun, and further defended by triple -plies of flannel, worn for chronic rheumatism, and usually esteemed as -effective a rampart against the assaults of love as the "aes triplex" -of Horace itself. First the General thought, "This Mrs. Delaval was a -very nice creature. Zounds! it's lucky for her I'm not a younger man!" -then he arrived at "_Beautiful_ woman, begad. _Zounds!_ it's lucky for -_me_ she's not half aware of her attractions!" and from that the -transition was easy and natural to "Sensible person; such manners, -such dignity; fit for any position in the world. Zounds! I'll make her -Mrs. Bounce--do as I like--my own commanding-officer, nobody else to -consult--of course _she_ won't throw such a chance away." This latter -consideration, however, although he repeated it to himself twenty -times a day, had hitherto prevented the General from making any -decided attack. When a man, even an old one, _really_ cares for a -woman, he is always somewhat diffident of success, and Mary's -sexagenarian suitor, though bold as brass in theory, was like any -other lover in practice. But the breakfast at the barracks had -wonderfully encouraged the General. He found Mrs. Delaval constantly -at his side. He knew nothing of her previous acquaintance with -D'Orville, still less could he guess at the secret which lay buried in -her heart, and which was fading her beauty and deepening her -expression day by day. How could he tell whose tears they were that -blistered the newspaper on that "African Mail" column?--so the natural -conclusion at which he arrived was, that the same charms which had -done such execution in India, and had driven the Cheltenham widow to -the verge of despair, were again at their old tricks; and that, having -succeeded in attaching the most adorable of her sex, it only remained -for him, in common humanity, to present her with all that was left of -his fascinating self. And now began in earnest the General's qualms -and misgivings. It was a tremendous step; he had never done it before; -though often on the brink, he had always drawn back in time, and yet -many of his old friends had got through it. Mulligatawney had married -a widow--by the by, was Mrs. Delaval a widow? he never thought of -asking--perhaps her husband was alive! At any rate this state of -uncertainty was not to be borne, and after consulting one or two of -his old cronies, and getting their opinions, he would take some -decided step--that he would--ask the question, and stand the shot like -a man. The General agreed with Montrose-- - - "He either fears his fate too much, - Or his deserts are small, - Who dares not put it to the touch, - To win or lose it all." - -In pursuance of this doughty resolution, our veteran warrior took -advantage of his niece's long _tete-a-tete_ with Major D'Orville to -drop behind on the black cob, and sound his two old friends, -Mulligatawney of the Civil Service, and Sir Bloomer Buttercup of no -service at all, save that of the ladies, on the important step which -he meditated taking. - -"Lonely place, London," said the General, reining in the cob, and -settling himself into what he considered a becoming attitude, "at -least for a bachelor. No solitude like that of a crowd.--What?" - -"Better be alone than bothered to death by women," growled -Mulligatawney, a thin, withered, sour-looking individual, with a long -yellow face. "I _like_ London, _en garcon_, only Mrs. Mulligatawney -always _will_ come up whenever I do. Egad, you bachelors don't know -when you're well off." - -"Poor bachelors," simpered Sir Bloomer Buttercup, riding up with his -best air, he having dropped behind (a young rogue!) to make eyes at a -very smart lady on the _trottoir_. "Poor fellows, nobody lets us -alone, Bounce, and yet we're perfectly harmless--innocent as doves. I -wish I was married, though, too; it fixes one, eh? keeps the butterfly -constant to the rose;" and Sir Bloomer heaved his padded chest with an -admirably got-up sigh, still shooting _oeillades_ at the nowise -disconcerted lady on the _trottoir_. You would hardly have guessed Sir -Bloomer to be sixty-five; at least, not as he appeared before the -world on that cantering grey horse. To be sure, he had his riding -costume on; riding hat, riding wig, riding coat, trousers, boots, and -padding; not to mention a belt, the loosening of which let the whole -fabric fall to pieces. They say he is lifted on his horse; we have -reason to believe he could not _walk_ five yards in that dress to save -his life. Perhaps if we saw him, as his valet does, divested of his -beautiful white teeth, his dark hair and whiskers, his florid healthy -colour, and that stalwart deep-chested figure of buckram and wadding -which encases the real man within, we might not be disposed to -question the accuracy of Burke's "Peerage and Baronetage" in point of -dates. But as he sits now, on his high broke horse, in his -well-stuffed saddle, the very youngest of the shavelings who aspire to -dandyism call him "Buttercup" to his face, and plume themselves on -his notice, and quote him, and look up to him, not as a beacon, but an -example. - -"You're _right_, sir," says the General, with his accustomed energy, -in a tone that makes the black cob start beneath him. "Don't tell -me--should have married forty years ago. Never mind; better late than -never. Now, I'll tell you, I've thought of it. We're not to live -entirely for ourselves. How d'ye mean? I've thought of it, I tell -you!" - -"_Thought_ of it, have you?" rejoined Mulligatawney, with a grim -smile; "then at _your_ time of life, Bounce, I should recommend you to -confine yourself to _thinking_ of it." - -"Not at all, my dear fellow," lisps Sir Bloomer. "Bounce, I -congratulate you. Introduce me, _pray_. Is she charming? young? -beautiful? graceful? Happy Bounce--lucky dog--irresistible warrior!" -The General feels three inches taller, and resolves to settle the -matter the instant he gets home. But Mulligatawney interposes with his -sardonic grin. "No fool like an old one. You'll excuse me, but if you -ask my advice, I'll give it you in three words, 'Do and Repent'; -you'll never regret it but once--_experto crede_." The General turns -from one to the other, like the Wild Huntsman between his ghostly -advisers, the Radiant Spirit on his white charger, and the Mocking -Demon on his steed from hell--he feels quite incapable of making up -his mind. - -"Delightful state," says Sir Bloomer;--"Always in hot water," growls -Mulligatawney. "Lovely woman; affectionate nurse; take care of you -when you're ill," pleads the one;--"Cross as two sticks; open carriage -in an east wind; give a ball when you've got the gout," urges the -other. "Interchange of sentiment; linked in rosy chains; heaven upon -earth," lisps the ancient dandy;--"Always quarrelling; Kilkenny cats; -if you _must_ go to the devil, go your own way, but not in double -harness," grunts the world-worn cynic: and the General turns his cob's -head and accompanies his niece home, more perplexed than ever, as is -usually the case with a man when, bethinking him that "in the -multitude of counsellors there is safety," he has been led into the -hopeless labyrinth of "talking the matter over with a few friends." - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -PENELOPE AND HER SUITORS - - RECONNOITRING--BLANCHE'S ALBUM--"SITTING HIM - OUT"--CROSS-PURPOSES--A SMITTEN DANDY--HAIRBLOWER IN - LONDON--THE TRUE-BLUE KAFFIRS--WETTING A PLANT--GOOD ADVICE--A - CURE FOR LOW SPIRITS--THE REAL GLASS SLIPPERS - - -"Look who it is, Rosine!" exclaimed Blanche, as her maid rushed to the -window of her dressing-room, commanding as it did a view of Grosvenor -Square, and a peep at every visitor who came to that front door, which -was even now reverberating from a knock applied by no feeble hand. - -"Il n'y a pas de voiture, mademoiselle," replied Rosine; "ce n'est -qu'un monsieur a pied--mais il n'est pas mal, lui, je trouve." The -latter observation escaped Rosine more as a private reflection of her -own than a remark for her lady's ear, and was indeed no more than due -to the general appearance of Frank Hardingstone, as he stood at that -well-known door, his strong heart beating like a girl's. - -"Run, and say I'll be down directly, Rosine, if it's any one for me," -said Blanche, her colour rising as she thought _who_ it was likely to -be, and wondered why he had not called before, and determined to -punish him and keep him waiting, and be very cold when they _did_ -meet, and so show him that she did not choose to be accountable to -_him_ indeed for her actions, and would ride in the Park with whom she -pleased, and was utterly indifferent to his good opinion, and -independent of him altogether--and thus resolving, our consistent -young lady looked at herself in the glass, and was pleased to see that -her eyes were bright and her hair smooth, and that she should -confront Frank armed with her best looks, which proves how entirely -careless she was of that gentleman's admiration. - -In the meantime the object of all this severity was kicking his heels -in the spacious drawing-room appropriated to morning visitors, whither -he had been conducted by an elaborately polite footman, who after -informing him that "the General was _hout_, and Miss Kettering at -_'ome_," made a precipitate retreat, leaving him to his own thoughts -and the contemplation of his well-dressed figure in some half-dozen -mirrors. Frank soon tired of these resources, and found himself driven -to the table for amusement, where he found the usual litter of -handsomely-bound books, costly work-boxes, grotesque paper-cutters, -and miniatures painted in all the glowing colours of the rainbow. He -was nervous (for him)--very nervous, and though he took one up after -another, and examined them most minutely, he would have been sorely -puzzled to explain what he was looking at. Nor did a contemplation of -Blanche's portrait in ivory serve to restore the visitor's composure, -albeit representing that young lady smiling with all her might under a -heavy crimson curtain. He shut up the case with a savage _snap_, and -replaced it with a bitter sneer. But if the representation of Miss -Kettering's outward semblance met with so little favour, neither did -her album, which we may presume was the index of her mind, seem to -afford greater satisfaction to this discontented young man. It opened -unfortunately at some lines by Lord Mount Helicon, "addressed to B---- -on being asked whether the disfigurement of the object was not a -certain cure for any man's love," and was entitled-- - -"THE FADED FLOWER. - - "I spied a sweet Moss-rose my garden adorning, - With a blush at her core like the pink of a shell, - And I wrung from her petals the dewdrop of morning, - And gathered her gently and tended her well. - For the bee and the butterfly round her were humming, - To whisper their flattering love-tale, and fly; - And too surely I knew that the season was coming, - When the flower must fade and the insect must die. - - So deep in the shade of my chamber I brought her, - And sheltered her safe from the wind and the sun, - And cared for her kindly and dipped her in water, - And vowed to preserve her when summer was done. - Though dark was my dwelling, this darling of Flora, - Like a spirit of beauty, enlivened the gloom; - Yet more than I loved her I seemed to adore her, - Less fond of her fragrance than proud of her bloom. - - But long ere the brightness of summer was shaded, - My Moss-rose was drooping and withering away; - Her perfume had perished, her freshness had faded-- - The very condition of life is decay. - And now more than ever I cherish and prize her, - For love shall not falter though beauty depart; - And far dearer to me, because others despise her, - That Moss-rose, all withered, lies next to my heart." - -"Rubbish," growled Frank; "that any man in his senses should write -such infernal nonsense, and then have the face to put his name to it! -_His_ moss-rose, indeed! and this is what women like. These are the -coxcombs they prefer to a plain, sensible, true-hearted gentleman--put -wisdom, talent, courage, faith, and truth in one scale, and weigh them -against a soft voice, a large pair of whiskers, and varnished boots in -the other--why, the boots have it twenty to one! and it is for this -thoughtless, ungrateful, unfeeling, volatile, ill-judging sex that we -are all prepared to go through fire and water, sacrifice friends, -country, fame, position, honour itself! Blanche! Blanche is as bad as -the rest, but _I_ at least will no longer be such a fool. I have no -idea of becoming a _pis-aller_--a substitute--a stop-gap--if this -hair-brained peer should change his mind, and that warlike _roue_ find -some one he likes better than Miss Kettering. O Blanche! Blanche! that -I had never known you, or having known you, could rate you at your -real value, and give you up without a struggle!" - -"How do you do, Miss Kettering? What a beautiful day!" Only the last -sentence of the foregoing, be it observed, was spoken aloud; Frank had -just schooled himself to the point of separation for ever, when the -door opened and Blanche entered, looking so exactly as she used, with -the same graceful gestures, and the same kind smile, that her empire -was, for the moment, completely re-established; and although she, -too, had meant to be very reserved and very distant, she could not -forbear greeting her old admirer with all the cordiality of bygone -days. These young people loved one another very much; each would have -given the world to pour forth hopes, and fears, and misgivings, and -vows, and reproaches, and pardons, into the other's ear, but the lip -_will_ tremble when the heart is full, and they got no further than -"How do you do?" and "What a beautiful day!" Blanche was the first to -regain her composure, as is generally the case with a lady, perhaps -from her being more habituated to losing it--perhaps from her whole -training being one of readier hypocrisy than that of man. Be this how -it may, the deeper water, when stirred, is longer in smoothing its -ruffled surface; and whilst the lover's lip shook, and his heart beat, -the girl's voice was steady and tranquil, though she dared not trust -herself, save with the commonplace topics and every-day -conversation of society. They tried Chiswick--the new singer--the -Drawing-room--Lady Ormolu's ball--the opera--and the Park; this last -was tender ground, and Blanche coloured to the temples when Frank -hesitated and stammered out (so different from his usual manly, open -address) that he "_thought_ he had seen her yesterday, and her horse -was looking remarkably well. By the by, was she not riding with----" - -"Major D'Orville," announced the polite footman, with the utmost -stateliness; and our handsome hussar made his appearance, and paid his -respects to Miss Kettering in his usual self-possessed and dignified -manner, contrasting favourably with poor Frank's obvious embarrassment -and annoyance, now heightened by the intrusion of so unwelcome a -visitor at such an unlucky moment. A few seconds more might have -produced an explanation, a reconciliation--possibly a scene--but that -cursed door-knocker could not be still, even for so short a space; and -Mr. Hardingstone was once more at a dead-lock. - -And now began another game at cross purposes, which, though not -uncommon amongst ladies and gentlemen who are of opinion that "two -form pleasanter company than three," is, nevertheless, a dull and -dreary recreation when persisted in for any length of time. It is -termed "sitting each other out," and was now performed by Frank -Hardingstone and the Major in its highest perfection. But here again -the man of war had an advantage over the civilian. Besides the -occupation afforded him by his moustaches, of which ornaments even -D'Orville acknowledged the value in a case like the present, he was -thoroughly at his ease, and consequently good-humoured, lively, and -agreeable; whereas Frank was restless, preoccupied, almost morose. He -had never before appeared to such disadvantage in Blanche's eyes. But -if he hoped to obtain her ear by dint of patient assiduity, and an -obvious intention to remain where he was till dinner-time, he must -have been grievously disappointed, for again a thundering knock shook -the house to its foundations, and "Lord Mount Helicon" was announced -by the polite footman, with an extra flourish on account of the title. -His lordship greeted Blanche with the greatest _empressement_, nodded -to the gentlemen with the most hearty cordiality, as though rivalry -was a word unknown in his vocabulary, and settled himself in an -arm-chair by the lady's side with a good-natured assurance peculiarly -his own. - -"Do you ride to-day, Miss Kettering?" said he, with the most -matter-of-course air. "I promised the General to show him my famous -pony, so I have ordered 'Trictrac' (that's his name) to be here at -five--perhaps you'll allow me to accompany you." - -Frank looked intensely disgusted: he had brought no hacks to town, and -if he had, would never have proposed to ride with his lady-love in -such an off-hand way. Even the Major opened his eyes wider than usual, -and gave an extra twirl to his moustaches; but "Mount" rattled on, -nothing daunted: "We shall have Lacquers here directly. I met him as I -drove up Bond Street, coming out of Storr and Mortimer's, and I taxed -him on the spot with the accusation that he was going to be married. -He couldn't stand the test, Miss Kettering! he blushed--actually -blushed--and tried to get rid of me by an assurance that he was very -busy, and that we should meet again in the Park. But I know better; -he's coming here, I can take my oath of it. His hair is curled in five -rows, and he never wears more than four, save for particular -occasions. He is very fidgety about his 'chevelure,' '_his_ -chevalier,' he calls it; and went the other night to hear 'The -Barbiere,' as he himself acknowledged, 'to get a wrinkle, you know, -about dressing and shaving and all that.'" - -Blanche laughed in spite of herself; and Frank, seizing his hat in -ill-concealed vexation, bade her a hurried farewell, and rushed out of -the house, just as the redoubtable Lacquers made his appearance, "got -up," as Lord Mount Helicon had observed, with the greatest -magnificence, and fully resolved in his own mind to push the siege -briskly with the heiress, and at least to lose no ground in her good -graces for want of attention to the duties, or rather, we should say, -the pleasures of the toilette. - -Poor Frank was very wretched as he stalked down the sunshiny street, -and almost vowed he would never enter _that_ house again. He felt a -void at his heart that quite startled him. He had no idea he was so -far gone. For a time he believed himself really and utterly miserable; -nor did the reflection that such a feeling was a bitter satire on his -boasted strength of mind--on that intellectual training of which he -was so proud--serve to administer much consolation. Like the ruined -gamester, who - - "Damned the poor link-boy that called him a duke," - -Frank felt inclined to quarrel with the world in general, and buttoned -his coat with savage energy when the poor crossing-sweeper held out -her toil-worn hand for a penny. He relented too, and gave her money, -and felt ashamed that he should have thought for an instant of -visiting his own afflictions on that hard-working creature, the more -so as a sailor-looking man in front of him had evidently given a -trifle to the poor industrious woman. - -Frank thought he recognised those broad shoulders, that large, loose -frame and rolling gait; in another moment he was alongside Hairblower, -and clasping the delighted seaman's hand with a warmth and cordiality -by no means less vigorously returned. - -"The last person as I ever expected to come across hereaway," said -Hairblower, his broad, honest face wrinkling with pleasure. "I little -thought when I came cruising about this here place as I should fall -in with friends at every corner; and pretty friends they've showed -theirselves, some on 'em." - -As the seaman spoke these last words in bitter and desponding tones, -Frank remarked that he looked pale and haggard; and though his clear -eye and good-humoured smile were the same as ever, he had lost the -well-to-do air and jovial manner which used to distinguish him at St. -Swithin's. Frank asked if there was anything wrong: "You know I'm an -old friend, Hairblower; I can see something has happened--can I assist -you? At any rate, tell me what is the matter." - -The tears stood in Hairblower's eyes, and again he wrung Frank's hand -with a grasp like a vice, and his voice came hoarse and thick as he -replied, "God bless you, Mr. Hardingstone, you're a real gentleman, -_you_ are, and though I'm a plain man and poor--_poor_, I haven't five -shillings left in the world--you think it no shame to be seen walking -and talking with the likes of me in the broad daylight, and that's -what I call _manly_, sir: no more didn't Master Charlie--poor lad! -he's far enough now; many's the time he's said to me, 'Hairblower,' -says he--but that's neither here nor there. Well, Mr. Hardingstone, -things has gone cross with me now for a goodish bit: the fishin' 's -not what it used to be, nor the place neither. Bless ye, I've seen the -day when I could take and put my ten-pound note on the old table at -home, ay, and another to the back of that! but times is altered now, -betterer for some, worserer for others. I've had my share, mayhap, but -I've been drifting to leeward a long while back, and I've had a deal -of way to fetch up. Well, sir, I'm pretty stiff and strong yet, and -the Lord's above all, so I thought I might just get things together a -bit, and streak up here to London town, and so look out for a berth in -some of these here ships a-going foreign. I've neither chick nor child -to care for me at home, and I reckoned as a voyage wouldn't hurt me no -worse now than five-and-twenty years ago. Well, sir, to make a long -story short, I got a bit o' money together, as much as would buy me an -outfit and chest, and such like, for I meant to ship as second mate at -the worst, and I always liked to be respectable; and when I'd got -that I'd got _all_, but I didn't owe no man a farthing, and so would -be ready to clear out with a clean breast. Lord, sir, what a place -this here town is for sights: go where I would there was something to -be seen. To be sure I hadn't many shillings to throw away, and I just -looked straight afore me, and I never so much as winked at the mammon -horse, nor the stuffed sea-serpent, nor the biggest man in Europe, nor -the fattest woman, nor the world turned upside down, nor none on 'em, -till I was brought up all standing by a board, where they offered to -show me some True-blue Kaffirs, all alive and as dark as natur'. Well, -sir, I knew a very respectable Kaffir family once, on the coast of -Africa, where we used to land a boat's crew, at odd times, for fresh -water and such like; and, thinks I, I'll just go and have a peep at -the True-blues, and see if they remind me of my old friends. There -they was, Mr. Hardingstone, sure enough. Old True-blue was a stampin', -and yellin', and hissin', and makin' of such a disturbance as he never -got leave to do at home, and his wives, five or six on 'em, was -yowlin', and cryin', and kickin' up the devil's delight, as _I_ never -see them when they was living decently in the bush. Well, sir, when -the True-blues held on for a while to have their beer, the company was -invited to go and inspect 'em closer, and pat 'em, and feel 'em, and I -made no doubt they was Ingines myself, when I got the wind of 'em; but -just as I was castin' about to see if I could fish up an odd word or -two of their language, only to be civil, you know, to strangers, -True-blue's wife--she comes up and lays hold of me by the whiskers, -and grins, and smiles, and points, and pulls at 'em like grim Death; -and old True-blue himself--he comes up and has a haul, too, and grins, -and chatters, and looks desperation fierce, and so they holds me -amongst 'em. You see, Mr. Hardingstone, they're not used to beards, -'cos it's not their natur', nor whiskers neither. Well, I looked -uncommon foolish, and the company all began to laugh; and I heard a -voice behind me say, 'Why, it's Hairblower!' and I turns round, and -who should I see but an old friend of mine, by name Blacke, as was a -lawyer's clerk at St. Swithin's: _friend_, is he?" and Hairblower -ground his teeth, and doubled a most formidable-looking fist, as he -added, "if ever I catch him I'll give him his allowance; _friend_, -indeed! I'll teach him who his friends are." - -For a while the seaman's indignation was too strong for him, and he -walked on several paces without saying a word, forgetful apparently of -his companion and his situation, and all but his anger at the unworthy -treatment to which he had been subjected. As he cooled down, however, -he resumed: "Well, Mr. Hardingstone, in course we went out together, -and we turned into a Tom-and-Jerry shop to have some beer, and spin a -bit of a yarn about old times; and I asked him about his missus, and -he remembered all the ins-and-outs of the old place, and I liked to -talk to him all about it, 'specially as I shouldn't see it again for a -goodish while; and we had some grog and pipes, and was quite -comfortable. After a time, a chap came in--a big chap, in a white -jacket and ankle-boots--and he took no notice of us, but began -braggin' and chaffin' about his strength, and his liftin' weights and -playin' skittles and such like; and Blacke whispers to me, -'Hairblower,' says he, 'you're a strong chap; put this noisy fellow -down a bit, and perhaps he'll keep quiet.' Well, he kept eggin' of me -on, and at last I makes a match, stupid like, to lift a heavier weight -than the noisy one. So the landlord, he brings in half-a-dozen -fifty-sixes, and I beats him all to rubbish. So he was somethin' mad -at that, and offered to play me at skittles for five pounds, or ten -pounds, or twenty pounds; and I said it was foolish to risk so much -money for amusement, but I'd play him for a sovereign, 'cos, ye see, -my blood was up, and I wasn't a-goin' to knock under to such a -land-lubber as this here. 'Sovereign!' says he, 'I don't believe as -you've got a sovereign,' and he pulls out a handful of notes and -silver, and such like; and, says he, 'Afore I stake,' says he, 'let me -see my money covered; it's my belief that this here's a plant.' 'You -ought to be ashamed of yourself,' says Blacke, the first time he spoke -to him; '_my_ friend's a gen'l'man, and can show _the ready_ against -all you've got--coin for coin, and shillin' for shillin'.' With that I -pulls out my purse and counts my money down on the table--eleven -golden sovereigns and a five-pound note. So we gets to skittles quite -contented, and I puts my purse back in my jacket pocket, and gives it -to Blacke to hold. Well, sir, I polished him off at skittles, too, and -he paid his wager up like a man, and treated us all round, and behaved -quite sociable-like; so we got drinkin' again--him and me and -Blacke--at the same table. After a time my head began to get bad--I -never felt it so afore--and the mixture I was drinkin' of--gin it was -and beer--seemed to taste queerish, somehow, but I thought nothing of -it, and drank on, thinking as the stuff would soon settle itself; but -it didn't though; for in a little while the room and the tables and -the chairs seemed to be heavin' and turnin' and pitchin', and I felt -all manner of ways myself, and broke out into a cold sweat, and says -I, 'I think I'll go out into the fresh air a bit, for I'm taken bad,' -says I, 'someway; but don't ye disturb yourselves, I'll soon be back -again.' So Blacke he helped me out, and directly I got into the yard -where the skittles was, I see the place all green-like, and after that -I remember no more till I found myself on the landlord's bed -up-stairs; and by that time it was ten o'clock at night, so I up and -asked what was become of my friend; and the landlord he told me both -the gentlemen was gone, and that they had said I didn't ought to be -disturbed, and that I was _often so_; and they was goin' away without -payin' the score, but the landlord was a deep cove, and he wouldn't -let them off without settling, so they paid it all, and so walked -away. Well, I got my jacket and walked away too; and all in a moment I -thought I'd _heard_ of such things, and I'd feel in my pocket to see -if my purse was safe. There was _the purse_ sure enough, but the -_money_ was gone, every groat of it--there wasn't a rap left to jingle -for luck, Mr. Hardingstone. Well, sir, it all came across me at -once--I'd been hocussed, no doubt--they drugged my lush, the thieves, -and then they robbed me--and my old friend Tom Blacke, as I've known -from a boy, was at the bottom of it. The landlord, he thought so too; -but he was in a terrible takin' himself for the character of his -house, and he gave me half-a-crown, and begged I'd say nothin' about -it; and that half-crown, all but sixpence I gave just now to a poor -creatur' that wanted it more nor me, is the whole of my fortun', Mr. -Hardingstone. But it's not the money I care for--thank God, I can work -and get more--it's the meanness of a man I once thought well of. -That's where it is, sir, and I can't bear it. Blacke by name, and -black by natur'--he must be a rank bad 'un; and I'm ashamed of him, -that I am!" - -Hairblower got better after making a clean breast of it. He had no -friends in London--none to confide in, none to advise him; and his -chance meeting with Frank Hardingstone "did him a sight of good," as -he said himself, and "made a man of him again." Nor was the rencontre -less beneficial to Frank. When a man is suffering from that imaginary -malady (none the less painful for being imaginary) which originates in -the frown of a pretty girl, there is nothing so likely to do him good -as a stirring piece of real business, to which he must devote all his -energies of body and mind. Byron recommends a sea-voyage, with its -accompanying sea-sickness; the latter he esteems a more perfect cure -than "purgatives," or "the application of hot towels." Not but that -these unromantic remedies may be extremely effective; but, failing -such counter-irritants, we question whether a visit to Scotland-yard, -and an interview with those courteous and matter-of-fact gentlemen who -preside over our well-organised metropolitan police force, be not as -good a method of cauterising the wound as any other, more particularly -when such a visit is undertaken for the express purpose of seeing a -friend through an awkward scrape. Frank soon had Hairblower into a -cab, and off on his way to the head-quarters of that detective justice -which is anything but blind; where the seaman, having again told his -unvarnished tale, and been assured that his grievances should meet -with the promptest attention, was dismissed, not a little comforted, -though at the same time most completely puzzled. Frank's assistance to -his humble friend, however, did not stop here. He _liked_ Hairblower, -partly, it must be confessed, because the seaman was so strong and -plucky, and possessed such physical advantages as no man despises, -though he who shares them himself often rates them higher than the -rest of the world. Frank enjoyed associating with men of all sorts, -but more especially he relished the society of such daring spirits as -are accustomed to look death in the face day by day, in the earning of -their very subsistence, and to trust their own cool heads and strong -hands amidst all the turmoil of the deep, "blow high, blow low." Many -a wild night had he been out in the Channel with his sailor friend, -when an inch or two more canvas, or a moment's neglect of the helm, -would have made the reckless couple food for those fishes after which -they laboured so assiduously; and our two friends, for so we must call -them, notwithstanding their difference of station, had learned to -depend on each other, and to admire reciprocally the frame that labour -could not subdue, the nerves that danger could not daunt. So now the -gentleman talked the sailor's affairs over with him as if he had been -a brother. He gave him the best advice in his power; he recommended -him to go back to St. Swithin's to prosecute the fishing trade once -more, and with the same delicacy which he would have thought due to -one of his own rank, he offered to _lend_ him such a sum of money as -would enable him to begin the world again, and expressly stipulated -that he should be repaid by instalments varying with the price of -mackerel and the success of the fishing. - -"If once you get your head above water, I know you can swim like a -duck," said Frank, grasping the honest fellow's hand, "so say no more -about it. We'll have rare times in the yawl before the summer's quite -done with; and till then, God bless you, old friend, and good luck to -you!" - -As Hairblower himself expressed it, "you might have knocked him down -with a feather." - -How different the world looked to Frank when he parted with his old -companion from what it had seemed some few hours before, as he left -the great house in Grosvenor Square. There is an infallible recipe for -lowness of spirits, nervousness, causeless misery, and mental -irritation, which beats all Dr. Willis's restorative nostrums, and -emancipates the sufferer more rapidly than even the famous "Ha! ha! -Cured in an instant!" remedy. When oppressed with _ennui_, the poet -says-- - - "Throw but a stone, the giant dies!" - -and so, when the bright sky above seems leaden to your eyes--when the -song of birds, the prattle of children, or the gush of waters, fall -dully upon your ear--when the outward world is all vanity of vanities -and existence seems a burden, and, as Thackeray says, "Life is a -mistake"--go and do a kindly action, no matter how or where or to -whom; but, at any sacrifice, at any inconvenience, go and do it--and -take an old man's word for it, you will not repent. Straightway the -fairy comes down the kitchen chimney, and touches your whole being -with her wand. Straightway the sun bursts out with a brilliant smile, -the birds take up a joyous carol, the children's voices are like the -morning hymn of a seraph choir, and the babbling of the stream woos -your entranced ear with the silver notes of Nature's own melody. Those -are now steeds from Araby which seemed but rats and mice an hour or -two ago. That is a glittering equipage which you had scouted as a -huge, unsightly pumpkin. You yourself, no longer crouching in dust and -ashes, start upright, with your face to heaven, attired in the only -robe that preserves eternal freshness, the only garment you shall take -away with you when you have done with all the rest--the web of -charity, that cloak which covers a multitude of sins. You have, -besides, this advantage over Cinderella--that whereas her glass -slippers and corresponding splendour must be laid aside before -midnight, your enchantment shall outlast the morrow; your fairy's wand -can reach from earth to heaven; your kindly action is entered in a -book from which there is no erasure, whereof the pages shall be read -before men and angels, and shall endure from everlasting to -everlasting. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -FORGERY - - OUR HUMBLE ACQUAINTANCES--THE SCRATCH OF A PEN--A SCOUT'S - INFORMATION--THE MAJOR'S MEDITATIONS, NOT FANCY-FREE - - -In the meantime, whilst the higher characters of our drama are -fluttering their gaudy hour in the bright sunshine of fashionable -life, whilst the General and Blanche and Mary, and Mount Helicon and -D'Orville and Lacquers, and all of that class are driving and dining, -and dressing and flirting, and otherwise improving their time, grim -Want is eating into the very existence of some amongst our humbler -friends, and Vice, too often the handmaid of Penury, is shedding her -poison even on the scanty morsel they wrest from the very jaws of -danger and detection. - -Tom Blacke, as we have already seen, has overleapt the narrow boundary -which separates dissipation from crime; and poor Gingham knows too -well that opportunity alone is wanting to confer on him a notoriety -infamous as that which is boasted of by his more daring associates. He -is out now at all hours, chiefly, however, during the night, and -obtains supplies of money for which she cannot account, and about -which she has been taught it is better not to question him. He drinks, -too, with more circumspection than was his wont, and has dreadful fits -of despondency, during which he trembles like a child, and from which -nothing seems to arouse him save the prattle of his infant. He is very -diligent, too, in making inquiries as to the sailing of divers ships -for the United States; and, being a sharp fellow, has acquainted -himself thoroughly with the geography of that country, and the amount -of capital requisite to enable a man to set up for himself under the -star-spangled banner. He has already hinted to his wife that if he -could but get hold of a little money he should certainly emigrate; and -by dint of talking the matter over, Gingham, although she has a -dreadful horror of the sea, contracted at St. Swithin's, is not -entirely unfavourable to the plan. Poor woman! she has not much to -regret in leaving England. Let us take a peep at their establishment -in the Mews, as they sit by the light of a solitary tallow candle, the -mother stitching as usual, though her eyes often fill with tears, -whilst ever and anon she glances cautiously towards the cradle, to see -if the child is asleep, and listening to its heavy, regular breathing, -applies herself to the needle more diligently than before. This is the -hour at which Tom usually goes out; but to-night he shows no signs of -departure, sitting moodily with his chair resting against the wall, -and his eyes fixed on vacancy. At length he rouses himself with an -effort, and bids Rachel make him some tea. - -"I'm glad you're not going out to-night, Tom," says his wife; "I feel -poorly, somehow, and its lonesome when you're away for long." - -"I'd never go out o' nights, lass," replies Tom--"never, if I wasn't -drove to it. But what's a man to do?--this isn't a country for a poor -man to live in--there's no liberty here. Ah, Rachel, you're made for -something better than this; stitching away day after day, and not a -gown or a bonnet fit to put on. You're losing your looks too--you that -used to be so genteel every way." Mrs. Blacke smiles through her -tears; he has not spoken to her so kindly for many a long day. -"There's a country we might go to," he adds, looking sideways at her, -to watch the effect of his arguments, "where a man as is a man, and -knows his right hand from his left, needn't want a good house to cover -him, nor good clothes to his back. We'd be there in six weeks at the -farthest--what's that?--why, it's nothing; and the child all the -better for the sea air. There's a ship to start next Thursday, first -class, and all regular. In two months from this day we might be in -America; and they don't _keep_ a man down there because he is down. -Rachel, I'd like to see you dressed as you used to be; I'd like to -bring up the little one to be as good as its parents, at least. I'd -like to be there now; why, the dollars come in by handfuls, and silk's -as cheap as calico." - -How could woman resist such an El Dorado? How could such an inducement -fail to have its due weight? His wife feels that she could start -forthwith, but there is one insuperable difficulty, and she rejoins-- - -"Ah, that's all very well, Tom, and we might get our heads above water -over there, it's likely enough. But how are we to get to -America?--people can't travel nor do anything else without money; and -where is it to come from?" - -"_You know_," replied Tom, with a meaning smile on his pale, anxious -face; and while he speaks the clock of a neighbouring church strikes -ten. - -"Any way but _that_, Tom," says his wife, with a shudder. "I'd do -anything, and bear anything for you; but not _that_, Tom--not _that_, -as you've a soul to be saved!" - -"It must be that way, or no way at all, missus," Tom hisses between -his teeth, keeping down his anger and a rising oath with a strong -effort. "I've done all _I_ can; it's time for _you_ to take your -share. Why, look ye here, Rachel; a hundred pound's a vast of money--a -hundred pounds is five hundred dollars. Oh, I'm not going blindly to -work, you may depend. If we could begin life with half that, over the -water, it would be the making of us. I'd leave off drinking--so help -me heaven, I would!--take the pledge, and work like a new one. You'd -have a house of your own, Rachel, instead of such a dog-hole as this; -and I'd like to see one of them that would take the shine out of my -wife on Sundays, when she was tidied up and dressed. Then we'd put the -little one to school, when she's old enough, and we'd keep ourselves -respectable, and attend to business, and be a sight happier than we've -ever been in this miserable country. And all just for the scratch of a -pen; Rachel, d'ye think I'd refuse _you_ a trifle like that, if you -was to ask me?" - -"O Tom, I never could do it," says his wife; "good never would come of -such a sin as that." - -"Well, Rachel," rejoins her husband, "there's some men would make ye. -Well, you needn't draw up so; I'm not going to come it so strong as -all that. Let's talk it over peaceably, any way. And first, where's -the harm? There's Master Charlie, if ever he comes back from the wars, -isn't he to marry Miss Blanche? And so it's six to one, and -half-a-dozen to the other. And what's a hundred pounds out of all -their thousands? Besides, didn't the old lady mean to leave you as -much as that? and didn't you deserve it? And if she had lived, -wouldn't she have signed her own name; and where's the harm of your -doing it for her? You can write like your old mistress, Rachel," adds -the tempter, with a ghastly smile; "there's pen and ink yonder on the -mantelpiece. Come!" Rachel wavers; but education and good principles -are still too strong within her, and she assumes an air of resolution -she does not feel, as she takes up her work, and replies-- - -"Never, Tom, never!--not if you was to go down upon your bended knees. -O Tom, Tom! don't ask me, and don't look at me so, Tom. I've been a -good wife to you; don't ask me to do such a thing, Tom; don't." - -Her husband pauses for a moment, as though nerving himself for a -strong effort, and answers, speaking every word distinctly, and as if -in acute physical pain-- - -"Then it must come out, wife; you must know it all, sooner or later; -and why not now? Rachel, _I'm wanted_--they're looking for me, the -bloodhounds--it's my belief they were after me this very morning. If I -don't cross the seas on my own account, the beaks will send me fast -enough on theirs." - -"O Tom, Tom! what have you done?" interrupts his wife, clasping her -hands, and straining her eyes, dilated with horror, upon her husband's -working features. "It's not---- Tom, I can't bring myself to say it. -You haven't lifted your hand against another?" - -"No, no, Rachel," says he; "not so bad as that, lass, not so bad as -that; but it's fourteen years, anyhow, if they bring it home to me. -_I_ must cut and run, whatever happens. Now, there's some men would be -off single-handed, and never stop to say good-bye; but I'm not one of -that sort. I couldn't bear to leave you and the child; and I won't -neither. Rachel, do you mind the time when we sat on the beach at St. -Swithin's, and what you said to me there? Well, dear, that's past and -gone, now; but you're not changed, anyhow. Will you do it, Rachel, for -_my sake_?" - -The poor woman wavers more and more; she is white as a sheet, and the -perspiration stands in beads on her lip and forehead. Tom produces a -pen and ink, and a certain document we recognise as having lain in -Mrs. Kettering's writing-case the night she died at St. Swithin's. But -his wife shrinks from the pen as from a serpent, and he has to force -it into her fingers. - -"It's the _last time_, Rachel," he pleads; "I'll never ask you to do -such a thing again. It's the _last time_ I'll do wrong myself, as I -stand here. It's but a word, and it will be the saving of us both; ay, -and the little one yonder, too--think what she'd be growing up to, in -such a place as this. You sign, dear, and I'll witness--I can write my -own name, and my old master's too; he's dead and gone now, but he -didn't teach me law for nothing." - -She does not hear him; her whole being is absorbed in the -contemplation of her crime. But she _does it_. Pale, scared, and -breathless, she leans over the coarse deal table; and though the -dazzling sheet is dancing beneath her eyes, and her hands are icy -cold, and her frame shakes like a leaf, every letter grows distinct -and careful beneath her fingers, and burns itself into her brain, the -very facsimile of her old mistress's signature. The clock strikes -eleven; and at the first clang she starts with the throb of -newly-awakened guilt, and drops the pen from her failing grasp. But -the deed is done. From that hour the once respectable woman is a -felon; and she feels it. To-morrow morning, for the first time in her -life, she will awake with the leaden, stupefying, soul-oppressive -weight of actual law-breaking guilt; and from this night she will -never sleep as soundly again. - - * * * * * - -Tom prided himself, above all things, on being "up to trap," as he -expressed it. He thought his own cunning more than a match for all the -difficulties of his situation and the vengeance of the law. He was -considered "a knowing hand" amongst his disreputable associates, and -had the character of a man who was safe to keep his own neck out of -the noose, whatever became of his comrades'. But, though a bold -schemer, he was a very coward in action, and his nerves were now so -shattered by hard drinking that he was almost afraid of his own -shadow. A bad conscience is always the worst of company, but to a man -not naturally brave it is a continual bugbear--a fiend that dogs his -victim, sleeping or waking--sits with him at his meals, pledges him in -his cups, and grins at him on his pillow. Tom possessed this familiar -to perfection. Like all "suspected persons," he conceived his -movements to be of more importance in the eyes of Justice than they -really were; and although the "hocussing" and robbery of Hairblower -richly deserved condign punishment, he was suffering from causeless -alarm when he informed his wife that he was "wanted" on that score. -The truth is, the police were on a wrong scent. The landlord either -could not, or would not, give them any actual information as to his -guests; he "remembered the circumstance of the gentleman being taken -ill--did not know the parties with whom he was drinking--thought they -were friends of the gentleman--the parties paid for their liquor, and -went away, leaving the other party asleep--it was no business of -his--had never been in trouble before, he could swear--commiserated -the party who had got drunk, and gave him half-a-crown out of sheer -humanity--had known what it was to want half-a-crown himself, and to -get drunk too--was doing an honest business now, and thought publicans -could not be too particular." So the blue-coated myrmidons of Scotland -Yard got but little information from Boniface; and for once were -completely at fault, more especially as Hairblower, _more suorum_, did -not know the number of the note he had lost--could swear it was for -five pounds, but was not quite clear as to its being Bank of England. -Under these circumstances, Tom, had he only known it, might have -walked abroad in the light of day, and put in immediate practice any -schemes he had on hand. Instead of this he chose to lie in hiding, and -only emerged in the evening, to take his indispensable stimulants at -one or other of the low haunts which he frequented. Men cannot live -without society; the most depraved must have friends, or such as they -deem friends, on whom to repose their trust; and Tom Blacke, in an -unguarded moment of gin and confidence, let out the whole story of the -will (though he was cunning enough to omit the forgery) and boasted -what an engine he could make of it to extort money from Miss Blanche's -guardian, and how he was certain of getting _at least_ a hundred -pounds, and detailed the proposed plan of emigration, and, in short, -explained the general tenor of his future life and present fortunes to -Mr. Fibbes; of all which matters, though by no means a gentleman of -acute perception, that worthy did by degrees arrive at the meaning, -quickening his intellects the while with many pipes and a prodigious -quantity of beer. Now, Mr. Fibbes had been concerned in his earlier -youth in a business from which his size and his stupidity had -gradually emancipated him, but which, compared with his present trade, -might almost be called an innocent and virtuous calling. It consisted -in ascertaining by diligent and clandestine vigilance the relative -merits of race-horses as demonstrated by their _private trials_, and -is termed in the vernacular "touting." What may be the _moral_ guilt -of such forbidden peeps we are not sufficient casuists to explain, but -it is scarcely considered amongst the least particular classes a -_respectable_ way of obtaining a livelihood. Nor did the association -gain additional lustre from the adhesion of Mr. Fibbes, who, until his -great frame grew too large to be concealed, and his hard head too -obtuse to make the best of his information, was the most presuming, as -he was least to be depended on, of the whole brotherhood. In this -capacity, however, he had made the acquaintance of Major D'Orville, a -man who liked to have tools ready to his hand for whatever purpose he -had in view; and Mr. Fibbes had been careful to keep up the -connection, by respectful bows whenever they met in the streets, or at -races, or such gatherings as bring together sporting gentlemen of all -ranks. On these occasions Mr. Fibbes would make tender inquiries after -the Major's health, and his luck on the turf, and the well-being of -his white charger, and sundry other ingratiating topics; or would -inform him confidentially of certain rats in his possession which -could be produced at half-an-hour's notice, without fail--of terriers, -almost imperceptible in weight, which could be backed to kill the rats -aforesaid in an incredibly short space of time--of toy-dogs surpassing -in beauty and discreet in behaviour--or of the pending match against -time which "The Copenhagen Antelope" meant to _square_ by running _a -cross_, or, in other words, losing it on purpose to play booty. Primed -with such conversation he amused the Major, who liked to study human -nature in all its phases, and they seldom met without a lengthened -dialogue and the transfer of a half-crown from the warrior's pocket -into Mr. Fibbes' hand; the latter accordingly lost no opportunity of -coming across his generous patron. - -Now, Mr. Fibbes had observed, by hanging about Grosvenor Square and -making use of his early education, that Major D'Orville was a constant -visitant at a certain house in that locality; indeed, on more than one -occasion he had held the white horse at the very door which was -honoured by the egress and ingress of Blanche Kettering herself. We -may be sure he lost no time in discovering the name of the owner, and -mastering such particulars of her fortune, position, general habits, -and appearance as were attainable through the all-powerful influence -of beer; so when Tom Blacke made his ill-advised confidences to his -boon companion, omitting neither names, facts, nor dates, Mr. Fibbes, -who, to use his own words, was "not such a fool as he looked," put -_that_ and _that_ together quite satisfactorily enough, to be sure he -had some information well worth a good round douceur, for the ear of -his friend the Major. And he waylaid him in consequence, the first -sunshiny afternoon on which, according to his wont, D'Orville appeared -in the neighbourhood of his lady-love's domicile. - -"Want yer horse held, Major?" said he, leaning his huge, dirty hand on -the white charger's mane. "Haven't seen your honour since we won so -cleverly at Hampton--no offence, Major!" - -"None whatever, my good fellow," said the Major, who, by the way, was -never in a hurry, though few men loved going _fast_ better; "none -whatever; but I'm busy now, I've no time to stop. Good-day to you." - -"Well, but, Major, see," pleaded Mr. Fibbes, still smoothing the white -horse's mane, "I've got something at my place you _would_ like to look -at--she's a _real_ beauty, she is--I refused five sovereigns for her -this blessed mornin'; for I said, says I, no, says I, not till the -Major has seen her, 'cause she _is_ a rare one--not that you care for -such in a general way, Major, but if once you clapped eyes on -'Jessie,' you'd never rest till you got her down at the barracks. I -never see such a one." - -"Such a what?" inquired D'Orville, gradually waxing curious about such -manifold perfections. - -"Why, such an out-an'-outer," retorted Mr. Fibbes, half angrily; "none -of your _brindles_--I can't abide a brindle--they may be good, but -they look so _wulgar_. No, no, Jessie's none of your brindles." - -"Well, but _what_ is she, my good fellow?" said the Major; "I can't -stay here all day." - -"_Bul_," replied Mr. Fibbes, throwing into the monosyllable an -expression of mingled anger and contempt, which, having given the -Major sufficient time to digest, he followed up by the real topic on -which he was anxious to enlarge. "No offence, Major," he repeated, -"but I've got something else to say--you'll excuse me, sir--but you've -stood a friend to me, and I won't see you put upon. Major, there's a -screw loose here--it's not _on the square_, you understand." - -"What do you mean?" said the Major, amused in spite of himself, at the -ungainly nods and winks with which Mr. Fibbes eked out his mysterious -communication. - -"Well, Major," replied his informant, "what I mean is this here. Some -men would hold out in my place, and I've seen the day when my -information was worth as much as my neighbours'; but when I've to do -with a real gent, why, I trusts to him, and he gives _what he -pleases_. Now, Major, look at that there house--it's a good house -up-stairs and down, fixtures and furniture all complete, I make no -doubt--Major, there's _a man of straw_ in that house." Mr. Fibbes -paused, having delivered himself of this oracular piece of -information; but, finding his listener less interested in the -discovery of the artificial stranger than he had reason to expect, he -proceeded in his own way to clear up his metaphor. "What I says is -this--a bargain's a bargain; now the young woman as owns that house -has got _the boot on the other leg_--my information's _good_, Major, -you may depend on it; there's another horse in the stable, -sir--there's a young gent as owns all the property they keep such a -talk about; I won't ask ye to believe my naked word, Major" (such a -request, indeed, would have been superfluous), "but what should you -say if I was to tell you--I've spoke to the party as has _seen the -will_?" - -"Why, I should say that if you have any information that is really -well-authenticated, I'll pay you fairly for it, as I always have -done," replied D'Orville, unmoved as usual, though in his innermost -heart a tide of doubts and hopes and fears was swelling up, in strange -tumultuous confusion. - -"Well, Major," whispered his informant, "as far as I can learn, for I -ain't no scholar, you know--but _as_ far as I can learn, there's been -a will found, and by that will the young lady as owns this here house -don't own it by rights, and can't keep it much longer. There's a old -gentleman as lives here, rayther a crusty old gentleman, so my mate -tells _me_, and he knows _nothing_ good or bad; but it stands just as -I've said, you may depend; and instead of Miss Kettering, if that's -her name, being such a grand lady, why she's no better off than I am, -and that's _where_ it is. My mate wouldn't deceive _me_ no more than -I'm deceivin' you. Thank ye, Major, you always was a real gentleman; -thank you, sir, and good-day to you. You won't come up and take a look -at Jessie?" So saying, Mr. Fibbes put his dirty hand, not quite empty, -however, into his pocket, and with a snatch at his rough hat, and an -awkward obeisance, took his departure, his linen jacket and -ankle-boots fading gradually in the direction of the nearest -public-house, whither he proceeded incontinently to "wet his luck," -after the manner of his kind. - -D'Orville laid the rein on his favourite's neck, and paced along at a -slow, thoughtful walk, the white horse wondering, doubtless, at his -master's unusual fit of equestrian meditation. And what were the -suitor's feelings as he pondered over the news he had just received, -the downfall of his golden castles in the air, the blow which would -surely fall heavy on that bright, happy girl, whom he had been -endeavouring to attach to himself day by day? Did he mourn over his -withered hopes of wealth and ease? did he regret the melting of the -vision, and pine for the domestic future, now impossible, which he had -contemplated so often of late? or did he chivalrously resolve to give -his hand to a penniless bride where he had been wooing a wealthy -heiress, and to love her even more in her misfortunes than he had -admired her in her prosperity? Alas! far from it. Some fifteen years -ago, indeed, young Gaston D'Orville would have sacrificed his all to a -woman, almost to any woman, and been well pleased to throw his heart -into the bargain; but fifteen years of the world have more effect on -the inner than the outward man, and the boy of five-and-twenty thinks -that a glory and a romance which the man who is getting on for forty -deems a folly and a bore. The Major was not prepared to give up -_everything_, at least for _Blanche_, and his first sensations were -those of relief, almost of satisfaction, as he thought he was again -free--for of course this arrangement couldn't go on; it would be -madness to talk of it now: no, he would make his bow while it was yet -time: how lucky he had never positively committed himself: nobody -could say _he_ had behaved ill. Of course he would take proper -measures to ascertain the truth of that rascal's report; and if it had -foundation, why, he was once again at liberty. He had his sword and -his debts, but India was open to him, as it had been before, and a -vision stole over him (the hardened man of the world could scarce -repress a smile at his own folly)--a vision stole over him of military -distinction, active service, a return to England--and Mary Delaval. So -the Major drew his rein through his fingers, pressed his good horse's -sides, and cantered off, but did not, _that_ afternoon, pay his usual -visit in Grosvenor Square. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -CLUB LAW - - A VALID EXCUSE--AN ANONYMOUS LETTER--A RECIPE FOR - ANNOYANCES--THE GENERAL ON THE PAVE--SECOND CHILDHOOD--RUNNING - THE GAUNTLET--A SUIT OF CLUBS--SETTLED AT LAST--THE FRIEND IN - NEED - - -"Who the deuce ever heard of 'military duty' interfering with dinner? -and what's the use of being one's own commanding-officer if one can't -give oneself leave?--What?--read that, Blanche!" We need hardly -observe that it was General Bounce who spoke, as he tossed a note -across the luncheon-table to his niece, and proceeded to bury himself -in his other dispatches. The General was none of your dawdling, -half-torpid, dressing-gown and slipper gentlemen, who consider London -a fit place in which to spend the greater part of the day in -_deshabille_--not a bit of it. The General was up, shaved, and rosy -and breakfasted, and prepared to fuss through his day, every morning -punctually at eight. On the one in question he had reviewed a -battalion of Guards who were at drill in the Park, utterly unconscious -of their inspection by such a martinet, and had been good enough to -express his disapprobation of their dress, method, and general -efficiency, to a quiet, unassuming bystander whom he had never set -eyes on before, but who happened to be a peer of the realm, and whose -son, indeed, commanded the very regiment under discussion. The peer -was quite alarmed at the denunciations of a casual acquaintance, so -fierce of demeanour and of such warlike costume, the General never -stirring abroad, for these morning excursions, save in a military -surtout, buttoned very tight, a stiff black stock and buckskin -gloves, armed moreover with a bamboo walking-stick, which he -brandished with great impartiality. After his strictures on the -sovereign's body-guard he proceeded into the City by a hansom cab; -there was no cab-rebellion in those days, but, nevertheless, Bounce -succeeded in having a violent altercation with his driver, which -resulted in that observer of human nature setting him down for a -madman, and his own discomfiture on referring the dispute to an -impartial policeman. From thence he visited his stables, and -instructed divers helpers belonging to the adjoining mews in the -proper method of washing a carriage, a lesson received by those -worthies with much covert derision. The General was by this time ready -for "tiffin," as he still called it--a meal at which, for the first -time in the day, he met the ladies of his establishment, read his -notes, letters, etc., and arranged with Blanche the details of the gay -life they were every day leading. That young lady, in a very pretty -morning-gown, now occupied the head of the table; Mary was up-stairs -with a headache--she was very subject to them of late--yet a skilful -practitioner might have guessed the malady lay elsewhere; and whilst -the General, with his eyebrows rising into his very forehead, perused -a dirty, ill-conditioned-looking missive, which seemed to afford him -great astonishment, his niece glanced over her military suitor's -excuse for not dining with them, in which he expressed his regret that -duty and the absolute necessity of his presence in barracks would -prevent his having that pleasure, but did not as usual suggest any -fresh arrangements for rides, drives, or walks, which should insure -him the charms of her society. Blanche was a little hurt and more than -a little offended; yet, had she closely examined her own feelings, she -would probably have been surprised to find how little she _really_ -cared whether he came or not. "Well, Uncle Baldwin," she said, with -her usual merry smile, "you and I will dine _tete-a-tete_, for I don't -think poor Mrs. Delaval will be able to come down. We shall not -quarrel, I fancy--shall we?" The General was dumb. His whole soul -seemed absorbed in the missive which hid his face, but, judging from -the red swollen forehead peeping above, indignation appeared to be the -prevailing feeling inspired by its contents. It was not badly -written, though in an unsteady hand, nor was it incorrectly spelt; it -bore no signature, and was to the following effect-- - - "GENERAL BOUNCE, - - "Sir,--This from a friend.--Seeing that you would probably be - averse to an exposure of family matters, in which Miss - Blanche's name must necessarily appear, a well-wisher sends - these few lines to warn you that _all has been discovered_. - The late Mrs. K.'s will has been found, in which she devises - everything, with the exception of certain legacies, to C----. - The writer has seen it, and knows where it is to be found. His - own interests prompt him to make _everything_ public, but his - regard for the family would induce him to listen to terms, - could he himself be guaranteed from loss. General, time is - everything: to-morrow may be too late. If you should be - unwilling to disturb muddy water, an advertisement to X. Y., - in the second column of the _Times_, or a line addressed to P. - Q., care of Mr. John Stripes, Bear and Bagpipes, corner of - Goat Street, Tiler's Road, Lambeth, would meet with prompt - attention. Be wise." - -We regret to state that the General's exclamation, on arriving at the -conclusion of this mysterious document, was of a profane fervour, -inexcusable under any provocation, and very properly amenable to a -fine of five shillings by the laws of this well-regulated country. It -was repeated, moreover, oftener than once; and without deigning to -explain to his astonished niece the cause of his evident discomposure, -was followed by his immediate departure to his own private -snuggery--by the way, the very worst and darkest room in the house, -whither our discomfited warrior made a tremulous retreat, banging -every door after him with a shock that caused the very window-frames -to quiver again. - -"Zounds! I won't believe it!--it's impossible--it's a forgery--it's a -lie--it's an artifice of the devil! Why, it's written in a clerk's -hand. 'Gad, if I thought there was a word of truth in it, I'd go to -bed for a month!" burst out the General, as soon as he was safe in his -own sanctuary, choking with passion, and tugging at the black stock -and tight frock-coat as if to put his threat of retiring into -immediate execution. It was one of his peculiarities, which we have -omitted to mention, to adopt this method of avoiding the common -annoyances and irritations of life. When anything went wrong in the -household, the General made no more ado but incontinently proceeded to -_strip and turn in_. When there was an _emeute_ below stairs, and -Newton-Hollows was in a "state of siege"--a calamity which occurred -about once in two years--the proprietor used to go to bed till the -disturbance had completely blown over. When the news arrived of Mrs. -Kettering's death, her brother gave vent to his feelings between the -sheets, although he was obliged to get up within a few hours and -travel post-haste to join the afflicted family at St. Swithin's; nay, -it is related of him that, on one occasion, when an alarming fire -happened to break out in a country-house where he was staying on a -visit, nothing but the personal exertions of his friends, who hurried -after him, and carried him off by force from his chamber, where he was -rapidly undressing, prevented his being burnt alive in his nightcap. -At the present crisis the General had already divested himself of -coat, waistcoat, etc., ere the sight of a clean change of apparel, -laid out ready for his afternoon wear, altered the current of his -ideas, and he bethought him that it would be wiser to walk down to his -club, amuse himself as usual in his habitual resorts, and thus drive -this impertinent "attempt at extortion," for so he did not hesitate to -call it, entirely from his mind, than place himself at once _hors de -combat_ amongst the blankets. So, instead of his night-gear, the -General struggled into a stiffer black stock and a tighter frock-coat -even than those which he had discarded, and arming himself with his -formidable bamboo (how he wished the head and shoulders of his unknown -correspondent were within its range), strutted off to Noodles', -feeling, as he cocked his chin up, and threw his chest out, and struck -his cane against the sunny pavement, that he was still young and -_debonnaire_, as in the _beaux jours_ at Cheltenham twenty, ay, thirty -years ago. - -No place makes a man forget his years so much as London. In the great -city, one unit of that circling population rapidly loses his -individuality. There nothing seems extraordinary--nothing seems out of -the common course of events--there, it is proverbial, people of all -pretensions immediately find their own level. If a man thinks he is -wiser, or better, or cleverer, or handsomer, or stronger, or more -famous than his neighbours, in London he will be sure to meet those -who can equal, if not excel him, in all for which he gives himself -credit; and so if an elderly gentleman begins to feel at his -country-place that all around him speaks of maturity, not to say -decay--that his young trees, and his old buildings, and his missing -contemporaries, and the boy to whom he gave apples standing for the -county, and the village he remembers a hamlet growing into a town, and -all such progressive arrangements of Father Time, hint rather -personally at old-fellowhood--let him come to London, and take his -diversion amongst a crowd of fools more ancient than himself: he will -feel a boy again--Regent Street will not appear altered to his -enchanted eye, though they _have_ taken down the colonnade in that -well-remembered thoroughfare. Pall Mall is as much Pall Mall to him as -it was when he trod it in considerably tighter boots, never mind how -many years ago. At his club the same waiter (waiters never die) will -bring him the paper, and stir the fire for him, just as he used to do -when the Reform Bill was a thing unheard of, and he can contemplate -his bald head in the very same mirror that once reflected locks of -Hyacinthine cluster. He meets an old crony, and he is shocked (though -but for the moment) to find him so dreadfully altered--it is possible -the old crony, in his heart of hearts, may return the compliment, but -in all human probability he will greet the friend of his boyhood as if -he had seen him the day before yesterday. If a very demonstrative man, -and it should be before two o'clock in the day--for in the afternoon -our English manners are all squared to the same pattern--the old crony -may perhaps exclaim, with languid rapture, "Why, I haven't seen you -_for ages_; I don't think you were in London _all_ last season!" Why -should our gentleman from the country undeceive him, and tell him they -have not met for more than twenty years, and remind him with -mellowing heart of boyhood's sunny hours and joyous escapades? The old -crony will only think him _a twaddle_ and _a bore_, and thank his -stars that he has stuck to London and the world, and his gods, such as -they are, and is a much _younger_ man of his age than his rustic -friend. And so our country mouse will find in a day or two that the -artificial sits quite as easily upon _him_. When he has visited two or -three of his old haunts he will feel as if he had never left them. He -will go, perhaps, to some well-remembered palace of revelry, and find -there, it may be, one contemporary out of a hundred with whom he once -drank deep of dissipation and amusement, but he forgets the other -ninety-nine. He feels as if the world had gone along with him, and -that threescore years and odd were, after all, as the French king's -courtiers said, _L'age de tout le monde_; so he lifts the cup of -pleasure once more with shaking hands to his poor, dry old lips, and -pours its flood, erst so luscious, over a palate, alas! deadened to -all but the intoxication of the draught. Why is it that we so -sedulously strive to deceive ourselves about the lapse of time? Why do -we so wilfully close our eyes to that certainty that every passing -moment brings an instant nearer? It must come! Why will we not look -the shape steadily in the face? We are not afraid to front our -fellow-man in the struggle for life and death; why should we shrink -from the shadowy foe, from whom there is no escape? Perhaps, like all -other distant horrors, it will lose half its terrors when it does -approach--perhaps it will turn out a friend after all. Man lives in -the future; can he not carry his future a little beyond life? Will it -be such a bereavement to lose a poor, old, worn-out frame, with its -gout and its rheumatism, and its hundred aches and pains, and burdens -dragging it day by day towards the earth from whence it sprung? But -where will the disembodied self find shelter? "Ay, there's the rub," -and so "conscience doth make cowards of us all." - -Well, young or old, boys will be boys, whether at one score or three, -and all the sermonising in the world will not empty St. James's Street -towards four o'clock on a summer's afternoon, or prevent one nose -being flattened against those club-windows from which the _terrarum_ -_domini_ of the present day look upon the world with a mixture of -good-humoured satire and careless contempt. Stoics are they in manners -and principles, Epicureans in tastes and practice, and Philosophers of -the Porch on the clear bright evenings--or rather midnights--when they -assemble to smoke in gossiping brotherhood. But now, in the afternoon, -laws human and divine would vote it "bad style" to have anything in -their mouths save the tops of their canes and riding-whips, and these -are scarcely removed to make a passing remark on the unconscious -General as, having accomplished the crossing of Piccadilly, he sweeps -under the guns of battery No 1, on his way to his own resort, where he -too will stand at a window and make comments on the passers-by. -Talking of these batteries, we can recollect, old as we are, when we -preferred to thread the press of Piccadilly, and so dodging down Bury -Street to bring up eventually opposite Arlington Street, rather than -face the ordeal of passing under those great guns. Yet was our cab -well hung and well painted, our tiger a pocket-Apollo, and our horse -well-actioned and in good condition, while no one but ourselves and -the dealer who sold him to us could be aware of his broken knee. What -strategy wasted! What skill in charioteering thrown away! How should -we then, in our shy and sensitive boyhood, have winced from the truth, -that no one probably in that dreaded window would have thought it -worth while to waste a single monosyllable on anything so -insignificant as ourselves. Verily, _mauvaise honte_ is a -contradictory foible; but of this weakness the General, like most men -who have arrived at his time of life, has but a small leaven. He -toddles boldly down, under the battery, masked as it is by the _Times_ -newspaper, and nods familiarly to a well-brushed hat and luxuriant -pair of grey whiskers just peering above the broadsheet. The whiskers -return the salutation, and a stout gentleman at the fireplace, where -he has been standing for the last three-quarters of an hour, hatted, -gloved, and umbrellaed, as though prepared for instant departure, -carelessly remarks, "Old Bounce is getting devilish shaky;" to which -the grey whiskers reply, "No wonder; he's an oldish fellow now. Why, -Bounce'll be a lieutenant-general next brevet. By the by, when _are_ -we to have a brevet?" the whiskers forgetting, as after the lapse of -so many years it is natural they should, that they were at school with -"the oldish fellow," who was then a "younger fellow" than themselves. -However, they have talked about him quite long enough, and pass on to -a fresh topic by the time the General himself arrives at Noodles'. - -This very excellent and exclusive club seems to bear to institutions -of a like nature much the same relation that Greenwich and Chelsea -Hospitals do to the crews and battalions of our forces by land and -sea. Should the warrior who enlists under the banner of Fashion have -the good fortune to escape the various casualties common in his -profession, such as absenteeism, imprisonment, marriage, or any other -sort of ruin, he is pretty safe to anchor at Noodles' at last. There -he brings up, after all his perils and all his triumphs, amongst a -shattered remnant of those who set sail with him in the morning of -life, when every wind was fair and every channel practicable. Many -have been lured by the siren on to sunken rocks, and gone down "all -standing"--many have lost their reckoning and drifted clean away, till -they can "fetch up" no more--many have been captured by crafts trim -and flaunting as themselves, and towed away as prizes into different -havens, where they ride in somewhat wearisome monotony--and of many -there is no account, save that which shall be rendered when the sea -gives up its dead. Yet a few crazy old barks have made the haven at -last--worn, leaky, and sea-worthless, with bulging ribs and warped -spars, and tackle strained, yet are they still just buoyant enough to -float--can still drift with the tide, and, above all, are still -disposed to take in cargo on every available opportunity. As London is -now constituted, you can almost tell a man's age by the clubs he -frequents. "Tell me your associates, and I will tell you your -character," says the ancient philosopher. "Tell me your club, and I -will tell you your age," says the modern "ingenious youth," as that -sporting Falstaff Mr. Jorrocks calls him, who begins with huge cigars, -gin and soda-water, and billiards, much bemused, at Trappe's. Anon, as -his collars get higher, and the down upon his cheek begins to justify -a nobler ambition, he aspires to the science of numbers, and lays the -odds to more experienced calculators at "The Short-Grass." But our -youth is becoming a man-about-town, or thinks he is, and must have the -_entree_ to more than one of these luxurious republics; so according -to his rank, his profession, or his pretensions, he affects another -afternoon club, esteeming it, whichever it may be, the best and _most -select_ in London. Here he has a plentiful choice. If a professional -or a politician, he will find associations purposely established for -those of his own practice or opinions; and here they are looming like -a city of palaces--the Conflagrative, the Anarchic, the Regency, the -Hat-and-Umbrella, the Chelsea, and the Peace and Plenty. Is there not -the Megatherium for the literary, and the Munchausen for the -travelled? But peradventure our youth is fast, and aspires to be a man -of figure; so shall his carriage be seen waiting at the Godiva, or -himself shall face the ballot at Blight's. For a time all goes on -smooth and sunny; but the young ones keep growing up, and they rather -jostle him in his chair, and "people let in such boys now-a-days"; so -in disgust he abdicates a sovereignty conferred by years, and retreats -to quieter resorts, where the cutlet is equally well dressed and the -wine a thought better. So we find him presiding over house-dinners at -Alfred's, or winning the odd trick after a quiet _parti carre_ at -Snookes's. But even from these celestial seats he must be ousted at -last. Still that pressure from below keeps increasing year by year, -"and the young men of the present day are so slangy, and so noisy, and -so disagreeable," that he can stand it no longer, and puts his name -down for the first vacancy in that last refuge recommended by his old -friend Sapless. Behold him at length shouldered into the harbour, and -safely landed at Noodles'. - -Thither we have likewise brought the General, and given him ample time -to spell through the papers, and reconnoitre his acquaintance as they -pass up and down St. James's Street. But the General is ill at -ease--he cannot get that infernal anonymous letter out of his head; do -what he will, he cannot prevent himself from glancing at the second -column of the _Times_, and poring over a map of London in search of -Goat Street, Tiler's Road, Lambeth. He fancies, too, as a man is apt -to do when self-conscious of anything peculiar, that people look at -him strangely; and if two men happen to whisper in a window, he cannot -help thinking they must be talking about him. At last he gets nervous, -and determines to take counsel of a friend; nor is he long in -selecting a recipient for his sorrows, inasmuch as the most remarkable -object in the room is Sir Bloomer Buttercup, who is standing in an -attitude near the fireplace (Sir Bloomer, for certain mechanical -reasons, cannot sit down in that particular pair of trousers), and to -him the General resolves to confide his annoyances, and by his advice -determines to abide. Although, probably, no man in this world ever -managed his own affairs so badly as Sir Bloomer Buttercup--partly, it -must be owned, in consequence of his having the most generous heart -that ever beat under three inches of padding--yet in all matters -unconnected with self, his judgment was as sound as his penetration -was remarkable. No man had got his friends out of so many scrapes, no -man had given such good counsel, and no man had probably done so many -foolish things as kind, good-natured Sir Bloomer; and when he minced -after the General into an empty room on those poor, gouty, shiny toes, -he really felt as ready as he expressed himself, to "see his old -friend through it, whatever it was." - -"I'll tell you what, Bounce," lisped the old beau, as the General -concluded his tale with that most puzzling of questions, "What would -you advise me to do?"--"I'll tell you what. I think I know a fellow -that can sift this for us to the bottom. You know, my dear boy, that I -have occasionally been in slight difficulties--merely temporary, of -course, and entirely owing to circumstances over which I had no -control" (Sir B. had spent two fortunes, and was now living on the -recollection of them, and the possible reversion of a third)--"but -still difficulties--eh?--a ten-knot breeze was always more to my fancy -than a calm. Well, I've been brought in contact with all kinds of -fellows, and I do know one man, a sort of a lawyer, that's in with -every rogue in London. He could get to the rights of this in -twenty-four hours if we made it worth his while. He's a clever -fellow," added Bloomer reflectively, "a very clever fellow; in fact, a -most consummate rascal. Shall I take you to him?" - -"This instant," burst out the General, with a terrific snatch at the -bell; "I'll send for my brougham--what?--it'll be here in five -minutes. Zounds! not go in a brougham? Why not?" - -Sir Bloomer had frightful misgivings as to the effects on his costume -of the necessary attitude in which carriage exercise must be taken; -but in the cause of friendship he was prepared to hazard even a -rupture of the most important ties, and he replied heroically, "I'll -see you through it, Bounce; what o'clock is it? Ah! I promised--never -mind--they must be disappointed sometimes; and for the sake of your -charming niece, I'd go through fire and water a good deal farther than -the City. Bounce, Bounce, what an angel that girl is! She mustn't be -told a syllable of this--not a syllable; with me, of course, it's -secret as the grave." So the pair started, firmly persuaded that not a -soul in London, save their two selves, knew a word about the letter, -or the will, or the dethronement of poor little Blanche from her -pedestal as an heiress. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -THE STRICTEST CONFIDENCE - - KEEPING A SECRET--LADY MOUNT HELICON "AT HOME"--A CHAPTER OF - FINANCE--WHY LACQUERS WENT TO THE BALL--EXOTICS IN A - CONSERVATORY--MRS. BLACKLAMB AND HER CAVALIER--IMPORTANT - DISCLOSURES--A LONG WAY OFF, AND FARTHER THAN THAT - - -You must be an individual of an equally sanguine temperament and -confiding disposition, if you believe that what you impart to your -neighbour in the modern Babylon under seal of the strictest secrecy, -might not as well be published in the leading article of the _Times_ -newspaper. How "things get about" is one of those inexplicable -mysteries for which nobody is able or willing to account. Some people -lay it to servants--some to the amiable generosity in imparting -information for which the fair sex are so remarkable; the latter, -again, say that "every bit of scandal in London originates at those -horrid clubs!" but few will allow that Rumour owes a large portion of -her ubiquity to that organisation of mankind which makes a secret -utterly valueless unless shared with another. What is the use of -knowing something we must not tell? In the strictest confidence, of -course, it was told us under promise that we would not breathe a -syllable to a single soul--we only make an exception in your favour -under the same solemn obligation. You, of course, in mysterious -conclave with Tom, will bear in mind our prohibition, and, acting as -we have done, Tom shall become a party to the treason. Still upon -oath, it will not be long, we think, before Jack and Harry are -empowered to join chorus, and whilst our cherished mystery becomes -patent to the world in general, we ourselves feel completely absolved -from the consequences of our breach of trust. In the whole of Lady -Mount Helicon's crowded rooms to-night, we believe Blanche herself is -the only person that is not aware of her own precarious position; and -the girl, happy in her ignorance, looks brighter and more blooming -than usual, though _the world_ will admire her less on this occasion -than it has ever done before. Yes, this is one of Lady Mount Helicon's -"At Homes," with a small italicised "_Dancing_" in the corner; and a -very brilliant affair it is, as the hostess herself is fully -persuaded:--the front and back drawing-room, and the boudoir beyond -that, are thrown open and lighted with dazzling brilliancy, whilst a -softer lustre shed upon the conservatory and balcony, craftily covered -in for the purpose, lures to those irresistible man-traps without -betraying their insidious design. Below stairs, libraries and -school-rooms and other resorts, devoted in every-day life to far more -practical uses, are now cleared and emptied for the reception of -shawls, cloaks, and coverings, and the production of countless cups of -tea and glasses of lemonade. Lady Mount Helicon's own maid, in a -toilette of gorgeous magnificence, presides over this department, -casting the while glances of covert scorn and envy at a younger and -prettier assistant in a more becoming cap, on whom the dandies, as -they enter, impress with unnecessary circumlocution the propriety -of taking great care of their gregos, paletots, and other -sheep's-clothing. In the dining-room preparations are making for a -"stand-up supper" of unparalleled luxury, but we think it right to -warn the champagne-drinking guests, that on passing the door in the -morning we spied several hampers of that popular fluid, labelled with -the _maker's name_, and much as we admire its chemical preparation and -laudable cheapness, we are concerned to admit that "the splendid -sparkling of that house at 45_s._" always disarranges our internal -economy for several days after an indulgence in its delights. Mount -Helicon himself never drinks his mother's champagne, and to his -abstinence he attributes his own unfailing health. At Dinadam's, or -Lord Long-Acre's, or Wassailworth, he does not by any means practise -the same self-denial. Still it is doubtless good enough for a ball, -and what with the young ladies, and the old gentlemen, and the -servants, will experience a very fair consumption. A bearded band -meanwhile is in waiting up-stairs, elaborately dressed, and from the -conductor in white kid gloves to _the Piccolo_ in a chin-tuft, -rejoicing in boots of jetty brilliancy, and neckcloths dazzling with -starch. The whole establishment is so utterly at variance with its -usual routine, and the house looks so entirely changed when thus -stripped and lighted for reception, that if the old lord, who never -permitted these _bouleversements_, could but come back, he would -scarcely recognise his former home, and would unquestionably be glad -to return to the quiet of his family vault. The presiding genius of -the scene, the hostess herself, is already at her post. A very capital -dressmaker, an abundance of well-selected jewellery, and a mysterious -compound much enhancing the beauty of the human hair, have turned her -out a very personable dame, and as she stands in the middle of her -ball-room, as yet "monarch of all she surveys," and spreads her -rustling folds, and buttons her well-fitting gloves, the possibility -of her marrying again seems no such absurdity after all, nor does she -herself look upon such an event as by any means a remote contingency. -But soon the knocker is at work, the chariot wheels are clattering in -the street, and stentorian voices, louder in proportion to their -indistinctness, announce the fast-arriving guests. Unlike a country -ball, the feathers of the ladies require but little shaking after a -short drive from the next street, nor, fresh from their own impartial -mirrors, need they hazard the opinion of perhaps an unbecoming -reflector; so they troop up-stairs with small delay, their glossy -locks, white shoulders, and gossamer draperies showing to the greatest -advantage in the well-lighted ball-room. The earliest arrivals of -course receive the most affectionate greeting, proportionately -decreased as the plot thickens, till the shake by both hands, and -graceful little compliment about "looking so well," subsides into a -stately courtesy and the coldest welcome good-breeding, not -hospitality, will admit. At last all individual figures are well-nigh -lost in the crush. A mass of charming dresses and well-made coats are -swaying and struggling in the doorways, the band is pealing forth a -melody of Paradise, and the votaries of the quadrille are striving to -adhere to their superstitious evolutions by treading on each other's -toes, entangling each other's dresses, begging each other's pardon, -and generally complaining of the heat of the atmosphere and crowded -state of the room. It is at this juncture that "General Bounce" and -"Miss Kettering" make their appearance, the General having placed a -guard upon his lips, and neither during the dinner nor the drive -hinted at his misgivings and inner discomfiture. "Poor Blanche!" he -mutters, as he follows her up the wide, stately staircase; "she'll -know it soon enough, if it's true--zounds! a girl like that would be a -prize without a penny--the young fellows now-a-days are not like what -_we_ used to be." And as the General arrived at this conclusion he -bowed his bald head nearly into Lady Mount Helicon's bosom, in return -for her stately, measured greeting. That greeting, both to himself and -Blanche, was colder than usual; the girl, frank and unconscious, did -not perceive the change, but her uncle caught himself saying, almost -aloud, "Zounds! is it possible that this old cat knows it too?" The -music ceased, the dancers walked about, the wrongly-paired ones -looking for "mamma," or "my aunt," inwardly longing to get rid of each -other, and glancing in every direction for their own particular -vanities, the more fortunate couples likewise keeping a sharp look-out -for the chaperons, but this in order to avoid them, and hinting that -"It's much cooler on the staircase," or "Have you seen the -conservatory?" to prolong the delicious interview. The tea-room begins -to fill, and incautious youth presses that domestic beverage on beauty -nothing loth, nor reflects that charming as are those ringlets -drooping over the cup, and rosy as are the lips that whisper their -soft affirmative, it would be as well that he should distinctly know -his own mind as to whether he would like this celestial being to make -tea for him during the rest of his life, and whether it would be -always as sweet as it is now. For the first time in her experience of -a London season Blanche, begins to think it a "stupid ball." She has -not yet been asked to dance; and spoilt by her previous successes, she -feels hurt at the neglect. "The best men," as they are called, have -not yet, indeed, arrived--if, as is somewhat uncertain, they will come -at all, for they sometimes throw Lady Mount Helicon over; and "Mount" -himself is still detained at the "House." But there are plenty of -beardless dandies and gay young guardsmen, who are far more prone to -dance; and yet they all seem to keep aloof. To be sure, whenever they -_have_ asked her formerly she has always been "engaged"; but she would -like to stand up now, even with young Deadlock, if it was only for -"the look of the thing." However, she hangs contentedly on the -General's arm, and "bides her time." It is not long coming. A tall, -good-looking man, with features expressive only of a kind disposition -and a general air of self-satisfaction, bows and sidles and screws -himself towards Blanche and her chaperon, receiving as his natural -homage the smiles of the old ladies on whose toes he is treading, and -regardless of the imploring looks of the young ones who hope he is -going to ask them to dance. His glossy hair is curled distinctly in -five rows, which, according to Lord Mount Helicon's account, betokens -weighty intentions; and it is no other than our friend Captain -Lacquers, who has dined temperately, abjured his usual cigar, and come -here for the especial purpose of meeting Miss Kettering. A bow, an -indistinct murmur about "not engaged," and "honour," and "delighted," -and the couple are off, tripping gracefully round amongst the whirling -confusion of the _Valse des Fantassins_, truly "a mighty maze, but not -without a plan." - -To explain the intentions of our rotatory hussar, we must take the -liberty of putting the clock back a few hours--an impossibility only -permitted to the novelist--and record a conversation which took place -between Lacquers and his friend Sir Ascot that very afternoon, in a -secluded window of the Godiva Club. - -"Well out of this business about Miss Kettering," said the latter, who -was becoming more communicative since he had found so little -difficulty in speaking his mind to Blanche on a previous occasion. -"You've heard of the smash? Not a penny, after all. Downright -swindling, I call it--that old Bounce must be a deep one. They tell me -that, except the life-interest of the house in Grosvenor Square, she -hasn't a brass farthing. It's frightful to think of," added the old -head on young shoulders, scanning with rigid attention his companion's -face, in which concern was more apparent than surprise. - -"Poor thing, poor thing" rejoined Lacquers; "I had no idea it was so -bad as that. They told me she was sure to have Newton-Hollows, at any -rate. She must feel it sadly, poor girl; I wonder how she looks since -it all came out." - -"Oh, I fancy very few people know it as yet," suggested Sir Ascot, who -was somewhat uncharitable in his conclusions. "I daresay they'll try -to brazen it out, at least till the end of the season. They may if -they like, for all I care. I never knew any good come of these -_half-bred_ ones, and _I'll_ have nothing more to do with them!" - -Lacquers heard as though he heard him not. He was trying to think, and -his well-cut features were gathered into an expression of hopeless -perplexity, at which his companion could scarce forbear laughing -outright. At last he had recourse to the never-failing moustache; and -drawing inspiration from its touch, he began-- - -"Uppy, you're a safe fellow--eh?--wouldn't throw a fellow over, and -put him in the hole, you know. You've got some brains, too--made a -capital book on the Ascot Stakes. Now you understand finance and -arithmetic, and that--what should _you_ say a married fellow could -live upon? Of course he wouldn't require so many luxuries as a single -one; but what do you think, now, a fellow like _me_, for instance, -could do with?" - -Sir Ascot looked completely taken aback. "Why, you'd never be such a -fool as to think of----" - -"That's neither here nor there, old boy," interrupted Lacquers; "of -course if I _do_ you shall have the earliest intelligence. But come, -here's a book and a pencil; let's see how the thing would work with -good management and strict economy. _Strict economy_, you know, of -course." Lacquers had a great idea, _in theory_, of strict economy. So -the young man sat down, and went deep into the various items of rent, -and stable expenses, and opera-boxes and pin-money, and cigars and -travelling; Sir Ascot arriving at the conclusion that a quiet couple -might manage to exist upon something over two thousand a year; whilst -Lacquers thought it was to be done, with _strict economy_, of course, -for about five hundred less; but as they both entirely overlooked an -indispensable item termed "housekeeping," we think it needless to -record their calculations for the benefit of the inexperienced. - -"Well," said Lacquers, when he had finished his arithmetic and put his -betting-book once more into his pocket, "I think it can be done--I -believe a fellow _ought_ to marry, you know; what does Shakespeare say -about 'Solitude being born a twin'? it certainly sobers him"--(Sir -Ascot smiled as he admitted that was undoubtedly a strong -argument)--"and altogether married fellows get into more respectable -habits. Look at a breakfast in a country-house; you see all the -married ones up and dressed with the lark, while the single men come -dawdling down at all hours. Yes, there's a good deal to be said on -both sides, like a Chancery lawsuit; but I'll think it over, Uppy, my -boy, I'll think it over." And Lacquers did think it over, and arrived -at a conclusion as honourable to his heart as it was antagonistic to -that worldly wisdom by which all with whom he associated thought it -right to regulate their every action. Here was a man spoilt by the -accident of personal beauty and good birth and position. From his -earliest boyhood he had never been taught that there was any ulterior -object in life save to shine in society, if not intellectually, why, -physically, with a handsome person and fine clothes--a far more -effectual passport than all the talents to the good graces of the -world. What wonder that the tree grew up as it had been bent? what -wonder that the hussar had scarcely two ideas beyond his uniform and -his betting-book, and his seat upon a horse? that he looked on the -world at large as the butterfly on the sunny square enclosed by the -garden wall--a mere stage for display, a mere hot-bed for physical -enjoyment, to be got the most out of during the bright, gaudy hours of -noon; and afterwards--why, afterwards, when the sun goes down and the -chill dews of evening clog his fading wings--the butterfly must do the -best he can, and perish as he may. With such an education, the sole -manly quality left was courage, and it was only the touchstone of a -gentle face like Blanche's that brought out the latent generosity of a -character overlaid with faults, for which its training was more to -blame than its organisation. We are obliged to confess that Lacquers -was vain, thoughtless, self-opinionated, frivolous, ignorant, and -empty-headed, but there _was_ some good in him, and it was brought -out, as it always will be when it exists at all, by a woman's smile, -and, above all, by a woman's misfortunes. - -Lacquers made up his mind that he would marry Blanche Kettering -without a sixpence. The young lady's consent he rather prematurely -counted on as a matter of course, but in making this resolution he -deserves some credit for the readiness with which he was prepared to -sacrifice all that to him was precious in life, at the feet of his -lady-love. He was a younger brother, and, it is needless to add, -considerably involved--of course he must bid farewell to all those -amusements and pursuits which have hitherto constituted his actual -existence. No more Derbys and Hamptons, and Richmond breakfasts, and -Greenwich dinners, all vanities enticing enough in their way--no more -stalls at the opera, and supper-parties in the suburbs, likewise -vanities of a more dangerous tendency--no more hunting in -Leicestershire and deer-stalking in Scotland, yachting at Cowes and -philandering at Paris--all these must be given up; and worse than all, -the profession he delights in, the regiment he is devoted to, must be -offered at the shrine of domestic respectability. That these would be -privations no man could feel more keenly than Lacquers, yet was he -prepared to go through with it, and had it been necessary, we firmly -believe he would have cut off his very moustaches and laid them at the -feet of Blanche Kettering! Therefore it was that he appeared on the -evening in question at Lady Mount Helicon's ball; therefore it was -that his manner had assumed a softness and diffidence which made -Blanche confess to herself, as she leaned on his arm in the intervals -of the dance, that he was "really very much improved"; and therefore -it was that he suggested the old excuse of "looking at the flowers in -the conservatory," and skilfully availing himself of a general rush -down-stairs connected with supper, managed to entice his partner into -a secluded corner of that love-making retreat, which had indeed been -already occupied by several pairs for the same purpose, and having -furnished her with a cup of tea, and himself with an ice to keep them -both quiet, he entered with much circumlocution on one of those -embarrassing interviews such as, we are quite sure, no lady who -condescends to glance over these pages but must have experienced at -least _once_ before she had been out two seasons. - -"That's a case," said Mrs. Blacklamb, as she swept down to supper on -Lord Mount Helicon's arm, her dark, haughty features writhing with -something between a smile and a sneer, while she caught a glimpse of -Blanche's well-cut profile, and one of Lacquers's faultless boots in a -mirror opposite their retreat. "Will it _be_, do you think?" she added -with a softening expression, for all women warm towards a love-affair, -and even Mrs. Blacklamb, with her many faults, was a very woman, -perhaps rather too much so, in her heart of hearts. - -"I hope not," replied Mount, with a smile into his companion's face. -"I'm very much in love with her myself. If it hadn't been for 'the -Division' I should have been where Lacquers is at this moment. Look -what my patriotism has cost me, but I don't regret it _now_," and he -emphasised the monosyllable with an almost imperceptible pressure of -the arm that hung upon his own, a movement that had little effect on -Mrs. Blacklamb, with whom flirtation (whatever that comprehensive word -may mean) was the daily business of life. - -"Why, you know you would have married her, and too happy if she had -only been the catch you all thought she was," replied the lady. "I -must say I could not help being delighted, though I was sorry for -_her_, poor girl, to see you all 'getting out' just as you do when -some racehorse breaks down, trying which could be first to pull -himself clear of the scrape, and leave his neighbours in the lurch. -Major D'Orville behaved _shamefully_, and you still worse, for she -really was fond of _you_." - -"Mount's" imperturbable good-humour was proof against quizzing, so the -sneer fell harmless, and he replied carelessly, "Fond? of course she -was, but not so _very_ fond--no. Mrs. Blacklamb, I'm easily imposed -on by ladies. I think it's my diffidence that stands so much in my -way; even where my affections are most irrevocably engaged, where I -worship is hopeless constancy, and I feel my heart breaking, and -my--my--my hair coming out of curl, I dare not ask my enslaver more -than whether she will have a glass of wine. Give Mrs. Blacklamb some -champagne, and I'll have a little sherry, if you please;" so the pair -went on jesting and philandering and making fools of each other and of -themselves, but they troubled their heads no more about the couple in -the conservatory; and when "Mount" deserted his fair companion and -returned into the ball-room, as he said, "to dance just once with Miss -Kettering, in common decency," he sought her in vain, for she was -gone. - -"Uncle Baldwin," said Blanche, when they reached home, and lingered a -moment in the drawing-room before retiring--"Uncle Baldwin, I've got -something to say to you." Blanche blushed and hesitated, and looked at -the little white satin shoe she was resting on the fender in every -possible point of view. "To-night at the ball, I--that's to say, -Captain Lacquers--in short, I dare say you remarked--in the -conservatory, you know--Oh, Uncle Baldwin, _he proposed_ to me," and -Blanche, half-laughing, half-crying, and blushing over her neck and -shoulders, hid her face on the breast of the General's coat, as she -used to do when she had been a naughty little girl and repented, ten -years ago. - -"Zounds! Blanche, what did you say?" burst out the General, in a -terrible taking, as he thought now everything must come out. "Yes or -No, my darling, don't keep me in suspense--which is it, heads or -tails? in or out? I mean, Yes or No?" - -"No!" whispered Blanche, to the General's inexpressible relief, who -cooled down into a prolonged _whew_, like the escape of steam from a -safety-valve; but it was rather difficult to say it, he seemed so -sorry and so patient and considerate. "Do you know, Uncle Baldwin, I -never thought so highly of Captain Lacquers as I do to-night." - -"Probably not, my dear," grunted the General, "you never knew before -he thought so highly of you. But, Blanche, as we are here, and--and -it's not very late--zounds! they've put that clock on again--well, -dear, I too have got something to tell you; but mine, I am sorry to -say, is bad news. Prepare yourself, my dear Blanche. I'm sure you will -bear it well, my little pet, and as long as I have a roof over my head -you will have a home; but, in short, it's no use mincing the matter, -Blanche, you're not an heiress after all--you won't have a sixpence -beyond what I can leave you, and that's little enough, heaven knows. -They've found your mother's will, my dear, and a most unfair and -unreasonable will it is; but still, my pretty Blanche, it makes you a -penniless young lady, after all!" - -"Is that the worst?" answered Blanche, looking up with an air of -immense relief, though she had turned deadly pale; "is that all, Uncle -Baldwin? dear me, I'm not worse off than half the other girls I know. -We shall leave this house, I suppose," she added, looking round at the -ample room and its stately furniture, jumping at once to conclusions, -as young ladies will do, "and we shall live entirely at -Newton-Hollows, and I shall be there all the time my garden looks most -beautiful; but we shan't have to send away Mrs. Delaval, shall we?" -(The General winced.) "And when will it all be settled? and when shall -we go?" - -"Blanche, you're a diamond," said the General, his eyes filling with -tears; "you've the pluck of ten women. You ought to have commanded the -Kedjerees. Go to bed now, my dear, and to-morrow we'll look things -boldly in the face, and see what is best to be done." So the General -stumped off with his bed-candle, more than ever doating on his niece, -more than ever persuaded that she inherited her sterling qualities -from his side of the house, and not from that "poor, foolish old -Kettering," as he called him, and more than ever indignant with all -the young men of his acquaintance, except Lacquers, for not being on -their knees to Blanche. "They've no energy; they've no devotion; -zounds! they've no chivalry amongst 'em--none whatever! If I was such -a fellow as any one of these, 'gad, I'd go to bed and never get up -again;" with which soliloquy the General proceeded to divest himself -of his ball-going attire, and prepared for his refuge from all the -ills of life. - -To those who are conversant with the habits of ladies, it is needless -to mention that Blanche did not, by any means, follow her uncle's -excellent advice and example, in betaking herself to immediate repose. -The fair sex will easily comprehend how she sought Mrs. Delaval's -room, and how the two ladies sat up in "their wrappers" and consoled -each other, and talked it all over, backwards and forwards, and came -to no very logical conclusions; and, above all, how the proposal and -its reception were quite as engrossing a topic, and were quite as much -dwelt on as the loss of Blanche's fine fortune; nor will it escape -their observation that Mary's greater worldly experience would clearly -foresee the substitution of one cousin for another in this revolution -amongst the Kettering possessions, and how a marriage between the two -was the only plan to make everything right; and how the fair young -face, with its kind eyes, that had haunted her so long, was farther -from her now than ever. She knew, of course, long ago, that it was -hopeless and impossible--that must surely have been a great -consolation! When a child cries for the moon, and a cloud comes and -covers up the coveted bauble, and hides it away, the urchin has small -comfort in being told that it is just as near the object of its -desires as when it could see it, and look, and long, and stretch its -tiny hands. When the beggar-maiden sets her affections on King -Cophetua, without a hope, in these days, of the famous fabulous -_mesalliance_ being perpetrated, the fact that it does not, in -reality, remove him one iota farther than before from her humble self, -helps but little to assuage the pang inflicted on her infatuated heart -by his Majesty's nuptials with one of his own degree. The impossible -may be increased in love, if not in logic, and Mary was lying awake -and desponding, long after Blanche had forgotten all the excitement -and changes of the evening in happy, dreamless slumbers. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -DISPATCHES - - SOCIAL LIBERTY--DOMESTIC ECONOMY--A GAZETTE FROM THE CAPE--A - MAN OF MANY IRONS--A TRUE FRIEND--A REAL HERO--COUPLES, NOT - PAIRS--OH ME MISERUM!--GATHERED IN THE DEW - - -Mary Delaval, in London, was one of the many flowers born to "waste -their sweetness on the desert air," for London is, indeed, a desert to -those who are in it and not of it, whose destiny seems to have been -warped into a strange unfitness in the great, struggling, noisy, -pompous town; whose proper place would seem to be in some quiet, -secluded nook, the ornament and the joy of a peaceful home, instead of -the ever-shifting surface of that seething tide which drifts them here -and there in aimless restlessness. Verily, Fortune does sometimes -shuffle the pack in most inexplicable confusion--_Ludum insolentem, -ludere pertinax_--she seems to take a perverse pleasure in smuggling -the court-cards into all sorts of incongruous places, and to carry out -the Latin poet's metaphor, _trans-mutat incertos honores_, or, in -plain English, palms the trumps, with dexterous sleight-of-hand, where -they seem utterly valueless to influence the result of the game. As -society is constituted, such a woman as Mary, with her queenly -dignity, her charming manner, her striking beauty, and, above all, her -noble, well-cultivated mind, was just as thoroughly _tabooed_ and -excluded from the circle of her so-called superiors as if she had been -a quadroon in the United States, whose very beauty owes its brilliance -to that African stain which, in the Land of Freedom and Equality, -makes a shade of colouring the badge that entitles man to lord it -over his brother more despotically than over the beasts of the field. -Thank God for it, we have no slavery in England; and the time cannot -be very far distant when slavery shall be a word without a meaning in -the dictionary of every language on the face of the globe. Already, -from East to West, the trumpet-note has sounded, and those stir in -their sleep who have drugged themselves into insensibility, and -stopped their ears against the voice of the charmer, but cannot -smother the still small whisper within. Scarcely has its last peal -died away beneath the blushing Western wave, ere its echoes are caught -up in the very heart of the Morning Land, and even now, while we -write, a barbarian despot is quailing on his celestial throne, and the -voice of Liberty--real Liberty, Civilisation, and Christianity--is -thundering in the ears of millions and millions of immortal beings, -hitherto held in thraldom, throughout that mysterious empire, which -for ages has been a sealed book to all other nations upon earth. Shall -not England still be in the van, as she has always been? Never yet has -she failed in the good cause, and never will she. Has she not ever -struck for Freedom and the Cross? inseparable watchwords, that the -experience of the world has taught us must go hand in hand, or not at -all; and where she strikes, good faith, she drives well home. Has she -not ever been the first assailant in the breach? stood the outmost -bulwark in the gap? and will she fail now? Believe it not. Her destiny -would seem the brightest that Providence has yet ordained for any -nation since the world began. Formidable and glorious without, she is -setting her house in order within. Steadily and gradually the good -cause--the universal brotherhood of the soul--is progressing -everywhere; through wars and rumours of wars, through political clouds -and private disappointments, there seems to be in all men's minds a -settled conviction that "the good time's coming"; and if, as we firmly -believe, England shall bear the glorious banner in the van, why, night -and morning will we go down upon our knees and thank God that we are -Englishmen! But what has all this to do with a penniless governess, -sitting up two pair of stairs in Grosvenor Square? Thus much, as we -think: our social system is yet a long way from perfection--there is -yet much to be improved and much prejudice to be taken away--we have -too much class-feeling and class-isolation, and, perhaps, on no people -do these shortcomings in our charity fall so heavily as on those to -whom we entrust the education of our children. What is it in which we -are so superior to them that entitles us to hold ourselves thus aloof, -and, for all the courtesy of our wayfaring salutation, virtually "to -pass by on the other side"? What is it that constitutes the talismanic -qualification for what we modestly term _good_ society? Is it birth, -that accident on which we so rationally plume ourselves? They -generally possess even that negative advantage. Is it education, -intellect, cultivation of mind? We do not entrust our darlings to -their care because they are _inferior_ to us in attainments, or we -should teach the pupils ourselves. Is it manner? We do not quarrel -with a peer for being gross, or a millionaire for being vulgar--and -those of whom we are speaking generally show no want at least of -decorum in their demeanour and conversation. Is it money? God forbid! -Is it then mere frivolity and assumption in which we excel? For shame! -No; the truth must out; there is a leaven still left in us of the very -essence of vulgarity, the feeling that we are ill at ease with a -so-called inferior, or the domineering spirit which every schoolboy -knows too well, prompting us to exult in every chance advantage we may -possess over a fellow-creature. Of these amiable causes we may take -our choice; but one or other it is which leaves the governess to pine -up-stairs in her school-room, while revelry and pleasure and -good-fellowship are laughing below. - -Now, Mary had, indeed, little of this sort of neglect to complain of; -yet was she lonely and sad during the London season which Blanche -enjoyed so much. She could not, of course, accompany her to all the -balls and "At Homes" which were fast becoming the business of the -girl's life; if she had, we think the worshipful body of chaperons -would have lost nothing in dignity, and gained a good deal in grace, -beauty, and good-humour by her adhesion. So she felt she was too much -separated from Blanche, whom she dearly loved; and it was with a -sensation almost of satisfaction, for which she was, nevertheless, -quite angry with herself, that she heard of the entire disturbance of -all the family arrangements, and the loss of fortune sustained by the -young heiress. "Ah," thought Mary, "perhaps I may be of some use to -her now in her distress; at any rate, I can give her good counsel and -practical instruction how to _bear_--none better;" and had it not been -for a certain marriage, which seemed more than ever indispensable, -Mary would have been ashamed to confess to herself how glad she was. - -The General, it is needless to say, was a man of vigorous execution -when he had once made up his mind. He had ascertained, as he believed, -the validity of the will, had paid Gingham her legacy, with a gratuity -over and above on his own account, and now held a council of war with -the two ladies, before breakfast, in which he discloses his plans with -a degree of meekness nothing could ever have brought him to, save a -misfortune affecting his beloved Blanche. - -"No going abroad this year, my dear," said the General, looking the -while less warlike than usual; "glad of it--what? A German -watering-place--bah! an association of blackguards in an overgrown -village, robbing the public to soft music in the open air. No, my -dear, we'll get to Newton-Hollows before the strawberries are -done--and I'm glad of it. We'll let this great house--you're tired of -it, Blanche, and so am I; what's the use of a house all up and -down-stairs? You should have seen my bungalow at Simlah--a man could -get about in that and hear himself speak. Well, we'll put down two of -the carriages and one of the footmen--that pompous one. Zounds, if he -had stayed a week longer I must have bastinadoed him--and we'll start -Poulard: confound him, he never gives one a dinner fit to eat, and -wouldn't dress a cutlet for Mrs. Delaval, only the day before -yesterday, because we dined out--I'll trounce him before he goes. -Then, my dear, we'll keep your scrubby pony for the little carriage, -and 'Water King' can go down home with the others, and you'll ride a -deal more there than in London, Blanche. Manage? I'll manage--how d'ye -mean? I'm only a steward till Charlie comes back. I must write to -Charlie by this mail, and we'll have him safe and sound from the -Kaffirs--and rejoicings when he comes home, and a--who knows -what?"--(Mary Delaval got up at this juncture, went to fetch her work, -and sat majestically down to it, as the General went on.)--"Yes, we'll -make it all right when Charlie comes back. Let me see, we ought to -have a mail to-day. Zounds, these servants they read all the -news--money market, foreign intelligence, every one of their own -cursed advertisements for places they won't keep six months--and then, -if I ask whether the paper's come, 'Please, sir, it's not ironed.' -Ironed! 'Gad, I'll iron them--wish I'd my Kitmugar here--bamboozle -them well on the soles of their feet--there's no liberty in this -country. Blanche, ring the bell, there's a dear--oh, here it comes;" -and the General's further strictures were cut short by the entrance of -his old, pompous servant, who laid the paper out for his master's -perusal with a strange air of mingled pity and concern. The General -put on his spectacles, deliberately unfolded the sheet, and after a -glance at the money market, in which consols had, as usual, fluctuated -the fraction of a fraction, he turned to the well-known column in -which the budget of the African mail was likely to be detailed; -Blanche leaning over his shoulder the while, and Mary watching them -with an eager glance that seemed almost prescient of evil. -Suddenly the General's face flushed up to a purple hue. "Engagement -with the Kaffirs," he muttered; "gallant repulse of the -enemy--capture--loss--strong position--brilliant success of the Light -Brigade--O my boy! my boy!" And, forgetful of all around, the old man -leaned his head upon the table and gave way to a passion of grief that -was frightful to contemplate. There it was, sure enough, in distinct, -choicely-printed types--there was no mistaking the name, or the -regiment, or the authenticity of the report, and Blanche, with -bloodless lips and stony eyes, could see nothing but that one line of -hopeless import--"Missing, Cornet Kettering, of the 20th Lancers." -Yes, she had skimmed through killed and wounded, with the agonising -fear of seeing her cousin returned in that awful list, and a deep sigh -of relief was rising to her lips as she recognised no beloved name -among the sufferers, when it was frozen back again by the startling -truth. And there she stood, utterly colourless, her hair pushed back -from her temples, and her eyes staring wildly and vacantly, as she -kept her finger pressed on the dreadful line, of which she too well -comprehended the meaning. - -The General rocked to and fro in an agony of grief, his broken -exclamations of childish despair strangely mingled with those warlike -sentiments of honour and resignation which become second nature in the -soldier's character. - -"My boy, my boy! my gallant, handsome, light-hearted Charlie! I might -have known it must be so--I've seen it a hundred times--the youngest, -the fairest, the happiest, go down at the first shot. That pale, -tender lad at the sortie from Bayonne--my subaltern at Quatre Bras--my -_aide-de-camp_ in the Deccan, always the brightest and the most -hopeful--and now my boy, my Charlie! Why did I let him go? a soldier's -fate, poor lad. Well, well, every bullet has its billet--but, oh, he -need never have gone to that savage country. O my boy, my boy! you -were more than a son to me, and now you're lying mangled and rotting -in the bush below the Anatolas." - -Mary alone preserved her presence of mind. Utter despair is the most -powerful of sedatives; and she walked deliberately across the room, -took the paper from Blanche's unresisting hands, and satisfied herself -of the worst. A special paragraph of nearly six lines was devoted to -the fate of "this gallant and promising young officer, who was last -seen waving his men on in a brilliant attack which he led against a -numerous horde of savages; the enemy were driven from their defences -at all points; but we regret to learn Cornet Kettering was reported -missing at nightfall, and we have reason to fear, from the barbarous -and ferocious character of Kaffir warfare, it will be almost -impossible to recover or identify his remains." - -And was this the end of all? Was this the fate of the -bright, happy, beloved boy, whose image, as she last saw -him, radiant in health and hope, had never since left her -mind?--mangled--defaced--butchered--dead!--that awful word comprised -everything--never to see him more, never to hear his voice; to feel as -if it was all a dream, as if it had never been; as if there was no -Past, and there would be no Future--that the deadening, heavy, -soul-sickening Present was to be all! But she could not give him up -like this: the report was dated immediately previous to the departure -of the mail, and there might be a possibility of error. Steadily, -calmly, closely, like a heroine as she was, Mary read through the -whole official account of the engagement, word for word, and line for -line; how "the Brigadier had received information of the enemy's -movements, and had held himself in readiness, and had given such and -such orders, and executed such and such movements," all detailed in -the happy, self-satisfied style which characterises official accounts -of the game of death; how in a previous report his Excellency had been -apprised of the capture of so many head of cattle, and the submission -of so many chiefs with hard names; and how the Brigadier had great -pleasure in informing his Excellency of the further capture of several -thousand oxen, and the discomfiture of more chiefs, and all with a -loss of life trifling compared to the important results of this -brilliant _coup-de-main_. How the troops, and the levies, and the -Hottentots, had each and all reaped their share of laurels, by their -gallantry in attack, their steadiness under fire, and general -cheerfulness and good discipline through long, toilsome marches and -harassing privations; and how the Brigadier's own thanks were due to -officers commanding regiments, and officers commanding companies, and -his _aides-de-camp_, and his quartermaster, and his medical staff, and -all the brave fellows who had won their share in the triumph of the -hour; and the report concluded with a few feeling words of manly -regret for those who had earned a soldier's grave, amongst whom poor -"Old Swipes," shot down as he led his men so gallantly to the attack, -was not forgotten; whilst a line of concern for the uncertainty -attending Cornet Kettering's fate (otherwise honourably mentioned in -the dispatch) wound up the whole. All this Mary read with a painful -distinctness that seemed to burn every word into her brain, and from -it she gathered, indeed, small hope and small consolation. Truly, war -is a fine thing in the abstract! The martial music, the flaunting -colours, the steady tramp of bold, bronzed men, exulting in their -freemasonry of danger, the enthusiasm of the spectators, the -professional charlatanry (we use the word with no disrespectful -meaning) which pervades the brotherhood,--all this is taking enough -when the engine is in repose; and then the joys of a campaign, the -continual change of scene, the never-flagging excitement, the little -luxuries of the bivouac, the rough good-fellowship of the march, and -the boiling, thrilling excitement of the encounter--all these -doubtless have their charms when the machine is put into action; but -there is a sad reverse to the picture, and those who read with the -military enthusiasm of ignorance such captivating accounts of -brilliant strategy and daring heroism, should recollect that the same -Gazette which makes captains and colonels, makes also widows and -orphans; that eyes are gushing and hearts breaking over those very -lines that bid the uninterested peruser thrill with warlike ardour and -half-envious pride in the deeds of arms of his countrymen. The -greatest hero of the age has recorded his opinion of those scenes in -which he reaped his own immortal laurels, when he said, "he prayed God -he might never again see so frightful a calamity as a national war;" -and his opinion has been often quoted, to the effect that a battle won -was the next most horrible sight to a battle lost. Far and wide -spreads the crop of misery that springs from that iron shower. Its -effects are not confined to wasted fields and blackened houses, and -devoted ranks stretched where they fell in all the ghastly distortions -of violent death. Far, far away, in happy homes and peaceful families, -women and children must wail and pine in vain for him whom they will -never see again on earth; and the ounce of lead that carries death -into that loyal, kind heart, scatters misery and grief, and penury, -perhaps, and ruin, over the gentle dependents here at home in England, -that have none to trust to, none to care for them, save him who lies -cold and stiff upon the field of glory. Glory! when will men learn the -right meaning of the word? - -Well, three lines in the Gazette had brought misery enough to the -inmates of the house in Grosvenor Square. How paltry to them now -seemed the household cares and little money arrangements that had -occupied their morning consultation. What was there to arrange for -now? What signified it how things went? He would never return to -enjoy the fruits of their care. What mattered it who had the house, -and the fortune, and the plate, and the personalities, and all the -paltry dross, which now showed its real value?--to-morrow it will -begin again to resume its fictitious appearance, for grief passes as -surely as does the cloud. But to-day, the General and Blanche are -almost stupefied, and can think of nothing but Charlie--dear, _dear_, -lost Charlie. The old man sits rocking to and fro, in violent -paroxysms, frightful in one of his age--who would have thought he had -so much feeling left in him?--and Blanche is exhausted with weeping, -and lies with her face buried, and her long golden hair trailing over -the sofa cushions, incapable of thought or exertion. Mary alone -retains her presence of mind; Mary alone vindicates her noble nature -in the hour of trial; Mary alone is fit to command; and Mary alone -resolves upon what is best to be done, and proceeds at once to put her -schemes into execution. There is but one person to apply to for advice -and assistance: there is but one friend in whom the bereaved family -can confide; who should it be but kind, generous, bold-hearted Frank -Hardingstone? Mary puts on her bonnet and shawl: out of the confused -mass in the hall she selects Mr. Hardingstone's card, ascertains his -address, and without saying a word about her intentions, sallies forth -to seek him out, primed with the eloquence of a woman's hopeless, -unselfish love. - -Frank has lingered on in London, he scarce knows why. He is training -his strong, masculine mind to bear the loss of Blanche--for he feels -that Blanche is lost to him--just as he would train to make any other -effort, or endure any other suffering. His mornings are spent in close -and severe study; his afternoons in those athletic exercises at which -he is so proficient; and in the evening he goes into _men's_ society, -as gentlemen do when they are sore about the other sex, and tries to -be amused, and to enter into the frivolities and pastimes of his -associates, and succeeds sometimes indifferently badly, sometimes not -at all. Strange visitors are admitted to Frank's morning-room at the -hotel where he puts up--the waiter cannot make him but at all. Now, an -engineer, in his Sunday clothes, but with a rough chin and grimy -hands, is closeted with him all the morning, and the waiter overhears -casual expressions, such as "power," and "gradients," and "angles," -and "the motive," and "the bite," and "the catch," which, on the -principle of _omne ignotum pro terribili_, make his hair stand on end. -Then, just as he had made up his mind that Mr. Hardingstone is -_professional_, and not a _real_ gent after all, some live Duke or -magnificent Marquis comes in with his hat on, and says, "Frank, my -dear fellow, how goes it?" and the waiter's conclusions are again -completely upset. Then an archaeologian, with smooth white neckcloth -and well-brushed beaver, steps gravely up-stairs, and remains for -hours discussing the probable site of some problematic edifice which -there is reason to suppose _might_ have been pulled down by the -Confessor; and on this interesting topic they lavish a store of -knowledge, penetration, and research rather disproportioned to the -result arrived at, till the archaeologian stays to have luncheon, and -shows no small energy even at that. The waiter begins to think Mr. -Hardingstone is a gent connected with the British Museum (for which -institution he entertains a superstitious reverence), and possibly a -fellow-labourer with Layard and Rawlinson. But again, twice a week, an -individual is admitted whose general appearance is so much the reverse -of the respectable, sleek archaeologian, that the waiter finds it -impossible to reconcile the contradiction of Mr. Hardingstone's being, -as he terms it, "_in_ with both." This latter visitor is of athletic -frame, and remarkably forbidding countenance, none the less so from an -originally snub nose having been smashed into a sort of plaster over -the adjoining territory. His hair is cut as short as is consistent -with the use of scissors, and his arms, in very tight sleeves, hang -down his sides as if they were in the last stage of powerless fatigue. -He dresses as though he kept a horse, yet is his gait that of a man -who is continually on his legs, active as a cat, and of no mean -pedestrian powers. He remains with Mr. Hardingstone about an hour, -during which time much shuffling of feet is heard, and much hard -breathing, with occasional expectoration on the part of the visitor. -The windows are invariably thrown wide open during the interview; and -at its conclusion, the stranger being supplied with beer, for which -fluid he entertains a remarkable predilection, wipes his mouth on his -sleeve, and expresses his satisfaction at the hospitality of his -entertainer, and the warmth of his reception, by stating, in -reprehensibly strong language, that he has had "a--something--good -bellyful." This too is a professor, and a scientific man; but his -profession is that of pugilism, his science the noble one of -self-defence. So the waiter is again all abroad: but when Mary Delaval -puts up her veil, and taking out a plain card with her name written -thereon, requests the astonished functionary to "take it up to Mr. -Hardingstone, and tell him a lady wishes to see him," even a waiter's -self-command is overcome, and he can only relieve his feelings by the -execution of an infinity of winks for his own benefit, and the -frequent repetition of "Well, this beats cock-fighting!" as he ushers -the lady up the hotel stairs, and points out to her the rooms occupied -by the mysterious guest. - -Most people would have considered Frank hardly prepared to receive -visits from a lady, both in respect of his costume and the general -arrangement of his apartment. He was sitting in his shirt-sleeves, -unbraced, and with his neck bare; his large loose frame curled up on a -short, uncomfortable sofa, in anything but a graceful position, and -his broad manly countenance gathered into an expression of intense, -almost painful attention. A short pipe between his strong white teeth -filled the room with odours only preferable to that of _stale_ -tobacco-smoke, with which its atmosphere was generally laden; and the -book on his knee was a ponderous quarto, to the full as heavy as it -looked, and fit for even Frank's large intellect to grapple with. The -furniture was simple enough; most of that which belonged to the hotel -had been put away, and a set of boxing-gloves, two or three foils, a -small black leather portmanteau, and a few books of the same stamp as -that on the owner's knee, comprised almost the only objects in the -apartment. The morning paper was lying unopened on the window-sill. -When he saw who it was, Frank started up with a blush, snatched the -short pipe out of his mouth, set a chair for his visitor, and sitting -bolt upright on the short sofa, stared at her with a ludicrous -expression of mingled shyness and surprise. He was glad to see her, -too--for why?--she belonged in some sort to Blanche. - -"Have you seen the morning paper?" began Mary, in her low, measured -tones, though her voice shook more than usual. "Have you seen those -disastrous tidings from the Cape? Oh, Mr. Hardingstone, we are all in -despair! Charles Kettering has, in all probability, been"--she could -not bring herself to say it--"at least he is missing--missing, -gracious Heaven! in that fearful country!--and we have only heard of -it this morning. The General is incapable of acting; he is completely -paralysed by the blow; and I have come--forgive me, Mr. -Hardingstone--I have come to you as our only friend, to ask your -advice and assistance; to entreat you to--to----" Poor Mary broke -down, and went into a passionate fit of weeping, all the more violent -from having been so long restrained. - -Frank was horrified at the intelligence; he made a grasp at the paper, -and there, sure enough, his worst fears were confirmed. But this was -no time for the indulgence of helpless regret; and when Mary was -sufficiently composed, he asked her with a strange, meaning anxiety, -"How Blanche bore the fatal tidings?" Heart of man! what depths of -selfishness are there in thy chambers! At the back of all his sorrow -for his more than brother, at the back of all his anxiety and horror, -he hated himself to know that there was a vague feeling of relief as -if a load had been taken off, an obstacle removed. He would have laid -down his life for Charlie; had he been with him in the bush, he would -have shed the last drop of his blood to defend him; yet now that his -fate was ascertained, he shuddered to find that his grief was not -totally unqualified; he loathed himself when he felt that through the -dark there was a gleam somewhere that had a reflection of joy. - -"Blanche's feelings you may imagine," replied Mary, now strangely, -almost sternly composed; "she has lost a more than brother" (Frank -winced); "but of feelings it is not the time to talk. You may think me -mad to say so, but something tells me there may still be a hope. He -is not reported killed, or even wounded; he is 'missing'; there is a -chance yet that he may be saved. These savages do not always kill -their prisoners" (she shuddered as she spoke); "there is yet a -possibility that he may have been taken and carried off to the -mountains. An energetic man on the spot might even now be the means of -preserving him from a hideous fate. These people must surely be -amenable to bribes, like the rest of mankind. Oh, it is possible--in -God's mercy it is possible--and we may get him back amongst us, like -one from the dead." - -Frank grasped at her meaning in an instant; and even while he did so, -he could not help remarking how beautiful she was--her commanding -sorrow borne with such dignity and yet such resignation. He drew down -his brows, set his teeth firm, and the old expression came over his -face which poor Charlie used to admire so much--an expression of grim, -unblenching resolve. - -"You're right, Mrs. Delaval, it might be done," he said, slowly -and deliberately. "How long has the mail taken to come to -England--twenty-eight days?--the same going out. It is a desperate -chance!--yet would it be a satisfaction to know the worst. Poor -boy!--poor Charlie!--game to the last, I see, in the general order. -What think ye, Mrs. Delaval; would it be any use?" - -"If I was a man," replied Mary, "I should be in the train for -Southampton at this moment." - -Frank rang the bell; the waiter appeared with an alacrity that looked -as if he had been listening at the keyhole. "Bring my bill," said -Frank to that astonished functionary, "and have a cab at the door in -twenty minutes." - -"You are going, Mr. Hardingstone?" said Mary, clasping her hands; "God -bless you for it!" - -"I am going," replied Frank, putting the short pipe carefully away, -and pulling out the small black portmanteau. - -"You will start to-day?" asked Mary, with an expression of admiration -on her sorrowing countenance for a decision of character so in -accordance with her own nature. - -"In twenty minutes," replied Frank, still packing for hard life; and -he was as good as his word. His things were ready; his bill paid; his -servant furnished with the necessary directions during his master's -absence; and himself in the cab, on his way to his bankers, and from -thence to the railway station, in exactly twenty minutes from the -moment of his making up his mind to go. - -"Tell Blanche I'll bring him back safe and sound," said he, as he -shook hands with Mary on the hotel steps; "and--and--tell her," he -added, with a deeper tint on his bronzed, manly cheek, "tell her that -I--I had no time to wish her good-bye." - -We question whether this was exactly the message Frank intended to -give; but this bold fellow, who could resolve at a moment's notice to -undertake a long, tedious voyage, to penetrate to the seat of war in a -savage country, and, if need were, to risk his life at every step for -the sake of his friend, had not courage to send a single word of -commonplace gallantry to a timid, tender girl. So it is--Hercules is -but a cripple in sight of Omphale--Samson turns faint-hearted in the -lap of Delilah--nor are these heroes of antiquity the only champions -who have wittingly placed their brawny necks beneath a small white -foot, and been surprised to find it could spurn so fiercely, and tread -so heavily. Mary should have loved such a man as Frank, and _vice -versa_--here was the _beau ideal_ that each had formed of the opposite -sex. Frank was never tired of crying up a woman of energy and courage, -one who could dare and suffer, and still preserve the queenly dignity -which he chose to esteem woman's chiefest attraction; and so he -neglected the gem, and set his great, strong heart upon the flower. -Well, we have often seen it so; we _admire_ the diamond, but we _love_ -the rose. As for Mary, she was, if possible, more inconsistent still. -As she walked back to Grosvenor Square she thought over the heroic -qualities of Mr. Hardingstone, and wondered how it was possible he -should yet remain unmarried. "Such a man as that," thought Mary, -revolving in her own mind his manifold good qualities, "so strong, so -handsome, so clever, so high-minded, he has all the necessary -ingredients that make up a great man; how simple in his habits, and -how frank and unaffected in his manner; a woman might acknowledge -_him_ as a superior indeed! Mind to reflect; head to plan; and energy -to execute! She would be _proud_ to love him, to cling to him, and -look up to him, and worship him. And Blanche has known him from a -child, and never seen all this!" and a pang smote Mary's heart, as she -recollected _why_, in all probability, Blanche had been so blind to -Frank Hardingstone's attractions; and how _she_, of all people, could -not blame her for her preference of another: and then the fair young -face and the golden curls rose before her mind's eye like a phantom, -and she turned sick as she thought it might even now be mouldering in -the earth. Then Mary pulled a letter from her pocket, and looked at it -almost with loathing, as the past came back to her like the shade of a -magic-lantern. She saw the gardens at Bishops'-Baffler; the officers -in undress uniform, and the grey charger; the evening walks; the quiet -summer twilight; the steeple-chase at Guyville; and her eyes filled -with tears, and she softened to another's miseries as she reflected on -her own. "Selfish, unprincipled as he is," thought Mary, "he must love -me, or he never would make such an offer as this. And what am I, that -I should spurn the devotion of any human being? Have not I, too, been -selfish and unprincipled, in allowing my mind to dwell alone on him -who in reality belonged to another? Have I not cherished and -encouraged the poison?--have I not yielded to the temptation?--do I -wish even now that it was otherwise?--and am I not rightly -punished?--have I not suffered less than I deserve?--and yet how -miserable I am--how lonely and how despairing!--there is not another -being on earth as miserable as I am!" - -"By your leave, ma'am," said a rough, coarse voice; and Mary stepped -aside to make way on the pavement for a little mournful procession -that was winding gloomily along, in strange, chilling contrast to the -bustle and liveliness of the street. It was a little child's funeral. -The short black coffin, carried so easily on one man's shoulder, -seemed almost like a plaything for Death. It was touching to think -what a tiny body was covered by that scanty pall--how the little -thing, once so full of life and laughter, all play and merriment and -motion, could be lying stiff and stark in death! It seemed such a -contradiction to the whole course of nature--a streamlet turning back -towards its source--a rosebud nipped by the frost. Had the grim Reaper -no other harvest whitening for his sickle? Was there not age, with its -aches and pains and burdens, almost asking for release? Was there not -manhood, full of years and honours, its appointed task done on earth, -its guerdon fairly earned, itself waiting for the reward? Was there -not crime, tainting the atmosphere around it, that to take away would -be a mercy to its fellow-men, and a deserved punishment to its own -hardened obstinacy, having neglected and set aside every opportunity -of repentance and amendment? Was there not virtue willing to go, and -misery imploring to be set free? And must he leave all these, and cut -off the little creeping tendril that had wound and twisted itself -round its mother's heart? There was the mother first in the slow -procession--who had so good a right to be chief mourner as that poor, -broken woman? Who can estimate the aching void that shall never be -quite filled up in that sobbing, weary breast? She is not thinking of -the funeral, nor the passers-by, nor the crape, nor the mourning; she -does not hear rough condolences from neighbours, and well-meant -injunctions "to keep up," and "not to give way so," from those who -"are mothers themselves, and know what a mother's feelings _is_." She -is thinking of her child--her child shut down in that deal box--yet -still hers--she has got it still--not till it is consigned to the -earth, and the dull clods rattle heavily on the lid, will she feel -that she has lost it altogether, when there will come a fearful -reaction, and paroxysms of grief that deaden themselves by their own -violence; and then the wound will cicatrise, and she will clean her -house, and get her husband's dinner, and sit down to her stitching, -and neighbours will think that she has "got over her trouble," and she -will seem contented, and even happy. But the little one will not be -forgotten. When the flowers are blooming in the spring--when the -voices of children are ringing in the street--when the strain of music -comes plaintively up the noisy alley--when the sun is bright in -heaven--when the fire is crackling on the hearth--then will her lost -cherub stretch its little arms in Paradise, and call its mother home. - -As Mary made way for the poor afflicted woman, who for an instant -withdrew from her mouth the coarse handkerchief that could not stifle -her sobs, she recognised Blanche's former maid, poor Gingham. Yes, it -was Mrs. Blacke, following her only child, her only treasure, her only -consolation, to the grave. Poor thing! her sin had been too heavy for -her to bear; with her husband's example daily before her eyes, what -wonder that she strove to stifle her conscience in intoxication? Then -came "from bad to worse, from worse to worst of all"; the child was -neglected, and a rickety, sickly infant at all times, soon pined away, -and sickened and died. The mother was well-nigh maddened with the -thought that it _might_ have been saved. Never will she forgive -herself for that one night when she left it alone for two hours, and -coming back, found the fever had taken it. Never will she drive from -her mind the little convulsed limbs, and the rolling eyes that looked -upward, ever upward, and never recognised her again. And now her home -is desolate, her husband is raving in the hospital, and her child is -in that pauper-coffin which she is following to the grave. Mary -Delaval, do you still think you are the most miserable being on the -face of the earth? - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -DAWN IN THE EAST - - MILITARY CRITICISMS--GARE LES FEMMES!--THE MAJOR AT HOME--A - BITTER PILL--"I'M A-WEARY"--VERY NEAR THE BORDER--DAY DAWNS IN - THE EAST--THE BETTER ANGEL--A BRAIN FEVER--A SICK-NURSE IN - SPURS - - -"'Gad, I thought the Major was very crusty this morning," remarked -Cornet Capon, as he removed a large cigar from his lips, and watched -its fragrant volume curling away into the summer air. "How he gave it -you, Clank, about leading the column so fast, and about riding that -old trooper instead of your own charger! I can't help thinking -D'Orville's altered somehow; used to be such a cheery fellow." - -"_You_ needn't talk, my boy," retorted Captain Clank to his subaltern; -"I heard him tell you that if you would attend a little more to your -_covering_, and less to your _overalls_, you would be quite as -ornamental, and a good deal more useful to the regiment; but I agree -with you--he _is_ altered. He's like all the rest of 'em--a capital -fellow till you get him in command, and then he's crotchety and -cantankerous and devilish disagreeable. Give us another weed." - -These young officers were not very busy; they were occupied in, -perhaps, the most wearisome of all the duties that devolve on the -dragoon, and their task consisted of lounging about a troop-stable, -attired in undress uniform, to watch the men cleaning and "doing up" -their respective horses. They could but smoke, and talk over the -morning's field-day to while away the time. Neither of them was -encumbered with an undue proportion of brains--neither of them could -have engaged in a much deeper discussion than that which they now -carried on; yet they did their duty scrupulously, they loved the -regiment as a home, and looked upon the B Troop as their family; and -although their thoughts ran a little too much on dress, fox-hunting, -driving, and other less harmless vanities, they were, after all, good -comrades and tolerably harmless members of society. Cornet Capon's -ideas oozed out slowly, and only under great pressure, so he smoked -half a cigar in solemn silence ere he resumed, with a wise look-- - -"There's something at the bottom of all this about the Major, Clank. -Did you notice where he halted us after the charge--all amongst that -broken ground at the back of the Heath? We shall have half the horses -in the troop lame to-morrow." - -"Old 'Trumpeter' was lame to-day," returned Clank, with a grim smile, -"and that's why D'Orville was so savage with me for riding him. You're -right, Capon. The Major's amiss--there's a screw loose somewhere, I'm -sure of it, and I'm sorry for it." - -"He lost 'a cracker' at Newmarket last week, I _know_," said Capon, -thoughtfully; "I shouldn't wonder if he was obliged to go--let me -see--Lipstrap'll get the majority, and I shall get my lieutenancy. -Well, I shall be sorry to lose him, though he _does_ blow me up." - -"Pooh! man, it's not _that_," rejoined Clank, who was a man of -sentimental turn of mind, and kept Tommy Moore in his barrack-room. -"You young ones are always thinking about racing. I've known D'Orville -hit a deal harder than that, and never wince. Why, I recollect he -played a civilian, at Calcutta, for his commission and appointments -against the other's race-horses and a bungalow he had up in the hills. -'Gad, sir, he won the stud and the crib too--and not only that, but I -landed a hundred gold mohurs by backing his new lot for the -Governor-General's Cup, and went and stayed a fortnight with him at -his country-house besides--best billet _I_ ever had--furniture and -fittings and fixings all just as t'other fellow left them. -No--D'Orville's as game as a pebble about money--it isn't _that_." - -Cornet Capon opened his eyes, smoked sedulously for about five -minutes, and then asked Clank, "What the devil there was to bother a -fellow, if it wasn't money?" - -"Women!" replied the Captain, looking steadily at his companion; -"women, my boy. I've watched the thing working now ever since I was a -cornet, and I never knew a good fellow thoroughly broke down that -there wasn't a woman at the bottom of it. Now, look at Lacquers; when -Lacquers came to us, there wasn't such another cheery fellow in the -Hussar Brigade--it did me good to see Lacquers drink that '34 we -finished in Dublin--and as for riding, there wasn't another -heavy-weight in that country could see _the way he went_--and now look -what he's arrived at. Never dines at mess--horses gone to -Tattersall's--sits and mopes in his barrack-room, or else off to -London at a moment's notice--and closeted all day with agents and -men-of-business--and what is it that's brought him to this pass? Why, -that girl he wants to marry, who won't have anything to say to -him--and why she won't is more than I can tell, unless she's got a -richer chap in tow somewhere else. Capon, my boy, you're younger than -me, and you've got most of your troubles to come. Take my advice, and -stick to the regiment, and horses and hunting and that; but keep clear -of women; they're all alike--only the top-sawyers are the most -mischievous--you keep clear of 'em all, for if you don't you'll be -sorry for it--mark my words if you're not." - -This was a long speech for the Captain, and he was quite out of breath -at its conclusion; but the Cornet did not entirely agree with him. He -had got a _tendresse_ down in the West--a saucy blue-eyed cousin, -whose image often came before the lad's eyes in his barrack-room and -his revelry and his boyish dissipation; so he contented himself with -remarking profoundly that "Women were so different, it was impossible -to lay down any general rule about them any more than horses;" and -expressing his conviction that, whatever might be the secret grief -preying upon the Major's spirits, it could have nothing to do with the -fair sex, "for you know, Clank, D'Orville's a devilish _old_ -fellow--why, he must be forty if he's a day." - -So the pair jingled into the mess-room to have some luncheon, and -ordered their buggy, to drive up to London afterwards, and spend the -rest of the day in the delights of the metropolis--since this it is -which makes Hounslow such a favourite quarter with these light-hearted -sons of the sword. - -The Major was altered certainly, not only in temper, but even in -appearance. He had got to look quite aged in the last few weeks. How -strange it is that time, so gradual in its effects on the rest of -creation, should make its ravages on man by fits and starts, by sudden -assaults, so to speak, and _coups-de-main_, instead of the orderly and -graduated process of blockade! We see a "wonderfully young-looking -man"--we watch him year by year, still as fresh in colour, still as -upright in figure and as buoyant in spirits as we recollect him when -we were boys--we admire his vigour--we envy him his constitution, and -we make minute inquiries as to his daily habits and mode of life--"he -never drank anything but sherry," perhaps, and forthwith we resolve -that sherry is the true _elixir vitae_. All at once something -happens--he loses one that he loves--or he has a dangerous -illness--or, perhaps, only meets with severe pecuniary losses and -disappointments. When we see him again, lo! a few weeks have done the -work of years. The ruddy cheek has turned yellow and wrinkled--the -merry eye is dim--the strong frame bent and wasted--the man is old in -despite of the sherry; and Youth, when once she spreads her wings, -comes back no more to light upon the withered branch. - -Hair has turned grey in a single night. We ourselves can recall an -instance of a young girl whose mother died suddenly, and under -circumstances of touching pathos. Her daughter, who was devotedly -attached to her, was completely stupefied by the blow. All night long -she sat with her head resting on her hand, and her long black tresses -falling neglected over the arm that supported her throbbing temples. -When the day dawned she moved and withdrew her hand. One lock of hair -that had remained pressed between her unconscious fingers had turned -as _white as snow_. That single lock never recovered its natural hue. -Like the Eastern virgins, it mourned in white for a mother. - -Well, the Major looked old and worn as he sat in his lonely -barrack-room, surrounded by many a trophy of war-like triumph or -sporting success. Here was the sabre he had taken from the body of -that Sikh chief whom he cut down at the critical moment when, six -horses' length ahead of the squadron he was leading, he had been -forced to hew his way single-handed through his swarming foes. There, -spread out on a rocking-chair, was the royal tiger-skin perforated by -a single bullet, that vouched for the cool hand and steady eye which -had stretched the grim brute on the earth as he crouched for his fatal -bound. On the chimney-piece those enormous tusks recalled many a -stirring burst over the arid plains of the Deccan, when the boldest -riders in India thought it no shame to yield the "first spear" to the -"Flying Captain," as they nicknamed our daring hussar. Nor were these -exploits confined to the East alone. On the verdant plains of merry -England had not Sanspareil, ridden by his owner, distanced the cream -of Leicestershire in a steeple-chase, never to be forgotten whilst the -Whissendine runs down from its source; and did not that spirited -likeness of the gallant animal hang worthily above the cup that -commemorated his fame? Yes, the Major had earned his share of the -every-day laurels men covet so earnestly, and truly it was only -opportunity that was wanting to twine an undying leaf or two amongst -the wreath. Yet did he look haggard, and _old_, and unhappy. His hair -and moustaches had become almost grey now, and as he sat leaning his -head upon his hand, with an open letter on his knee, the strong -fingers would clench themselves, and the firm jaw gnash ever and anon, -as though the thoughts within were goading him more than he could -bear. Like some gallant horse that feels the armed heel stirring his -mettle the while he champs and frets against the light pressure of the -restraining bit, a touch too yielding for him to face, too maddening -for him to overcome, so the Major chafed and struggled, and while he -scorned himself for his weakness, submitted to the power that was -stronger than he; and though he strove and sneered, and bore it with a -grim, sardonic smile, was forced to own the pang that ate into his -very heart. - -"And this is what you have come to at last," he said, almost aloud, as -he rose and paced the narrow room, and halted opposite the -looking-glass that seemed to reflect the image of his bitterest enemy; -"this is what you have come to at last. Fool--and worse than fool! -After chances such as no man ever so threw away--after twenty years of -soldiering, not without a certain share of distinction--with talents -better than nine-tenths of the comrades who have far outstripped you -in the race--with a brilliant start in life, and wind and tide for -years in your favour--with luck, opportunities, courage, and above -all, experience, what have you done? and what have you arrived at? -Three words in a dispatch which is forgotten--a flash or two of the -spurious, ephemeral fame that gilds a daring action or a sporting -feat--the reputation of being a moderately good drill in the -field--and a chance word of approbation from fools, whom you know that -you despise. Truly a fair exchange--a most equal barter. This proud -position you have purchased with a lifetime of energy spent in vain, -and that thorough self-contempt which is now your bitterest -punishment. Money, too; what sums you have wasted, lavished upon worse -than trifles!--but let that pass. Had you the same fortune and the -same temptations you would spend it all again. The dross is not to be -regretted; but oh! the time--the time--the buoyancy of youth, the -vigour of manhood that shall never come again. Fool! fool!" and the -Major groaned aloud. "And what have I lived for?" he added, as he sat -himself down and leaned his head once more upon his hand, looking into -his past life as the exile looks down from a hill upon the lights and -shades of the cherished landscape he shall see no more. "I have lived -for self, and I have my reward. Have I ever done one single action for -a fellow-creature, save to indulge my own feelings? have I not schemed -and flattered, and worked and dared all for self? and this is the -upshot. The first time I try to do a disinterested action--the first -time I strive to break from the fetters of a lifetime, to be free, to -be _a man_, I am foiled, and scouted, and spurned. Refused!--refused! -by a poor governess--ha! ha!--it is, indeed, too good a joke. Gaston -D'Orville on his knees, at forty, a grey old fool--on his knees to a -wretched, dependent governess, and she refuses him. By all the demons -in hell--if there _is_ a hell--it serves him right. Laugh! who can -help laughing? And yet what a woman to lose--a woman who could write -such a letter as this--a woman who knows me better, far better, than I -know myself; she would have shared with me every dream of -ambition--she would have appreciated and encouraged the few efforts I -have ever made to be good--she would have understood me, and with her -I could have been happy even in a cottage--but no! forsooth. Her -mightiness, doubtless, thinks the poor major of hussars, pretty nearly -ruined by this time, no such great catch. And is she not right? What -am I, after all, that I should expect any human being to give up -everything for _me_? Broken-down, old, worn-out, if not in body, at -least utterly out-wearied and used-up in mind, why should I cumber the -earth? Gaston, my boy, you have played out your part--you have got to -the end of your tether--'tis time for the curtain to drop--'tis time -to lie down and go to sleep--there is not much to regret here--you -have seen everything this dull world has to show. Now for 'fresh -fields and pastures new'--at all events the waking will be glorious -excitement--to find out the grand secret at last--where will it be, -and how? I might know in ten minutes--many an old friend is there -now--not badly off for company at any rate--there was poor Harry, the -night before we were engaged at Chillianwallah he thought he was -_there_. How well I remember him, as he told me his dream just before -we went into action! He thought he was disembodied--floating, floating -away through the blue night sky--hovering over the sea--bathing in the -moonlight--flitting amongst the stars, and ever he got lighter and -lighter, and ever he rose higher and higher, till he reached a cool, -quiet garden, without a breeze or a sound, and there he saw his mother -walking, as he remembered her before she died, when he was yet a -child. And she placed her hand upon his brow, and the thin transparent -hand clove through him--for he, too, was a spirit--till it struck -chill like ice around his heart, and he awoke. Poor Harry, I saw him -go down with a musket-shot through his temples; and he knows all -about it, too, now. Pain! the pain is nothing. A dislocated ankle is -far more acute agony than it would take to kill an elephant--'tis but -a touch to a trigger, and the thing's done." - -D'Orville got up coolly, and calmly walked across the room, took a -certain oblong mahogany box from under his writing-table, and quietly -unlocking it, drew his hand along the smooth, shining barrel of a -pistol. He examined it well, pricked the touch-hole, shook the powder -well up into the nipple, and then, having wiped the weapon almost -caressingly, laid it down on the table at his elbow, and pursued his -reflections, more at ease now that he had prepared everything for his -escape. - -"Well, it can be done in a moment, so there need be no hurry about it. -In the meantime, let me see--I should like to leave some remembrances -to the fellows in the regiment. There's that sabre--how game the old -white-bearded chief died!--I almost wish I hadn't cut him down. -'Faith, I shall see him too. I expect he won't give me so warm a -welcome as Harry--it's a pity I can't take him his sword back again. -Well, Lacquers always admired it, and I'll leave it him. Poor -Lacquers, he's a good fellow, though a fool. I'll leave a note, too, -asking him to take care of the white horse, and shoot him when he's -done with him: let him follow his master, poor old fellow! Yes; -there's very little to arrange--one advantage in having got through a -good property. I don't think there'll be much quarrelling over _my_ -will. And now, to consider the journey. I must have been very near it -often before; and yet, somehow, I never looked at it in that light. -'Tis a different thing in action, with the excitement of duty, and -watching the enemy, and keeping the men in hand, and that confounded -smoke preventing one from seeing what is going on. No, I've never been -_quite_ so near as now; but I must some day, even if I should put it -off--I _must_ go at last--and why not now? What matter whether at -forty or seventy? Time is not to be reckoned by years. I am old, and -fit for nothing else. When the fruit is ripe, it had better be -plucked; why should people let it hang and rot, till it drops off the -tree, all spoilt and decayed? How do I know I may not want some of -my manly energy where I am going? _Going_--how strange it -sounds! Well, now to ticket the sabre, and write a line to poor -Lacquers"--(D'Orville indited a few words in his firm, bold hand; if -anything, firmer and bolder than usual)--"and now for 'a leap in the -dark'--face the Styx, if there be such a place, just like any other -_yawner_; and so, steady, steady!" - -His hand was on the pistol--the lock clicked sharp and true up to the -cock--one touch of the trigger, and where would Gaston D'Orville have -been?--when his eye chanced to light upon the seal of Mary's letter. -It was a casual seal, accidentally selected from a number of others, -but the device was somewhat uncommon, and now struck D'Orville with a -strange, painful distinctness that surprised him. It was but an eye, -surrounded by an obliterated motto; yet it served for an instant to -divert his attention; and--on such trifles turns the destiny of -man--he laid down the pistol, and took up the letter to examine it -more closely. The eye seemed to fascinate him. Turn which way he -would, that eye seemed to watch him; steadily, unremittingly, an eye -that never closes or slumbers seemed to be above him, around him, all -about him; he rose from his chair, and still the eye followed him; he -walked to the window, and the eye watched him steadily from out the -blue summer sky. A trumpet-note pealed from the rear of the building; -it was one of those merry stable-calls so dear to every cavalry -soldier's heart. The familiar strain brought D'Orville to himself; the -tension of his brain relaxed. As the excitement subsided, the -visionary disappeared, and the real resumed its sway over strong -nerves and a powerful intellect. Mechanically he put the pistols away, -and carefully locked them in their case. Still the eye seemed to be -watching him; and a vague feeling of shame began to take possession of -him, as the suspicion rose in his mind that there was _cowardice_ at -the bottom of the resolution which he had made, as he thought so -boldly, a few minutes ago. - -D'Orville was a naturally brave man, and the force of habit and -education had taught him to scorn anything in the shape of fear as the -vilest of all degradation. To betray a woman in his code might be -venial enough; but to shrink from aught in earth, or heaven, or hell, -was a stain upon his honour _not_ to be thought of. In his career of -active service he had seen the advantage of courage too often, had -discovered too frequently how much more rare a quality it is than is -generally supposed, not to appreciate its value and worship it as an -idol, although conscious of possessing it himself. It now dawned upon -him that suicide was after all but a desperate method of running -away--that the sentry had no right to desert his post until regularly -relieved. By the by, in Mary's letter was there not something about -warfare as compared to religion?--some parallel drawn between the -Christian and the soldier? Again he perused that letter carefully, -attentively, word for word: but the bitterness was past; the writer -was no longer the poor governess, spurning a suitor whom she ought to -have been proud to accept, but the high-minded, pure-hearted woman, -feeling for his sorrows, appreciating his good qualities, and pointing -out to him those consolations which for her could take the sting from -earth's most envenomed shafts. One or two expressions reminded him of -his mother--the mother he had loved and lost as a boy. Again he seemed -to see that gentle lady bending her graceful head over him, as she -spoke of other worlds, and other duties, and other pleasures totally -unconnected with this lower earth. He remembered the very gown she -wore; he seemed to hear her low, sweet, serious tones, as she called -him "my darling boy," and insisted on those miraculous stories which -she was herself fully persuaded were truths, and which the boy drank -in, childlike, nothing doubting. Ah! what if they should be true after -all? What if the whole history should be something more than a legend -of priestcraft, an old woman's fable? D'Orville had thought but little -on such matters; he had heard them discussed by clever men of opposite -opinions, and it never struck him that either side could demonstrate -very satisfactorily the futility of the adversary's arguments; but he -was wise enough to know that the boasted human intellect has but a -narrow horizon, that "the two-foot dwarf" sees little beyond the -garden-wall, and that "there are more things in heaven and earth than -are dreamt of in our philosophy." Here were the only two beings he had -ever _respected_ in the world, shaping their whole conduct, as they -formed all their opinions, upon circumstances which they seemed to -believe facts, as firmly as they believed in their own identity. Well, -what of that? These might be facts or they might not. But stay: was -there not something wanting in the whole scheme and constitution of -life, as he had tried it? Could any man have had better chances of -being happy here than he had had? Was he happy? Was he satisfied? Was -there not always a shadow somewhere athwart the sunlight? Was there -not always a craving for something more? As a boy, he longed to be an -officer; no sooner was that distinction gained than he longed for -fame, first in the boyish arena of mere field-sports, then in the -daring exploits of real war. Had he not for a time drunk his fill of -both? and was his thirst quenched? Could he sit down, "_uti conviva -satur_," and say "Enough"? No, no, he knew it too well. Then came the -daily craving for excitement--that longing for something unattainable, -which, more than all besides, argues the inferiority of our present -state--the necessity for a _to-morrow_, even when the sun of to-day -has for us set its last. Well, had he not wooed excitement in all her -haunts? Had he not gambled and raced and speculated, and shone in the -world of fashion, and sunned himself in the smiles of Beauty? And had -not the goddess ever fleeted away when just within his grasp? Was not -his heart still empty, his desire unslaked? Even had he not endured -this disappointment--had the only woman he really loved consented to -be his--did he not feel in his innermost soul, was he not forced to -confess to himself, that still there would have been a want?--still -would to-morrow have been the goal, still to-day but the journey. Yes, -disguise it how he might, deaden his sensations with what opiates he -would, he could not but own that hitherto his world had been "stale, -flat, and unprofitable." Had he not been so weary of life, that he had -voluntarily, even now, been within the wag of a finger of laying it -down, to go he cared not whither, so as it was anywhere but here? - -Then if there was nothing in the present that could satisfy his soul, -might he not presume that there was a future for which it was -specially created and intended? Yes, there might be something to live -for after all--there might be a career in which to win more than fame -and more than honour--which at any rate should satisfy those longings -and aspirations here, and might be the portal to such a glorious -hereafter as he could not even picture to his world-wearied -imagination--and if so, what scheme so probable, what religion so well -supported by historical proof and logical deduction, as that which he -had learnt at his mother's knee? One by one, thoughts came back to him -that had lain dormant for more than thirty years; one by one he -recalled the miraculous facts, the touching sufferings that had awed -his boyish imagination and moved his boyish heart. For the first time -for more than thirty years, he thought as a reality of the Great -Example who never quailed nor flinched, nor shrank one jot from His -superhuman task. Did he admire courage? There was One who had faced -the legions of hell, unaided and alone, with but human limbs and a -human heart to support Him through the dread encounter. Did he admire -constancy? There was One who voluntarily endured the obloquy of the -world, the agonies of the most painful death, and moved not an eyelash -in complaint or reproach. Did he admire self-denial--that most heroic -of all heroism? What had that One given up to walk afoot through this -miserable world, with such a prospect as the close of His earthly -career!--and for whom?--even for him amongst the rest--for him who -till this very moment had never thanked Him, never acknowledged Him, -never so much as thought of Him. The strong man's heart was touched, -the well was unsealed in the desert, and, as the tears gushed from his -unaccustomed eyes, Gaston D'Orville bent the knees that had not bent -for half a lifetime; and can we doubt that he was forgiven? - - * * * * * - -In four-and-twenty hours D'Orville was laid upon his small -camp-bedstead in a brain fever. The excitement of his late life; the -reaction consequent on his abandonment of his awful resolution; the -strong revulsion of feeling, into which we have no right to pry, had -been too much for a constitution already shaken by years of -dissipation and hard service beneath an Indian sun; and for days -together life and death trembled in the balance so evenly that it -seemed a single grain might turn the scale. And of all his comrades, -who was it that watched at his bedside with the attention, almost the -tenderness, of a woman--sitting up by him at night, giving him his -medicine, smoothing his pillow, and tending him with a brother's -love?--who but Lacquers! the unmeaning, empty dandy--the fellow with -but two ideas, his dress and his horses--the ignorant, grown-up -schoolboy that could scarcely write his own name; but, for all that, -the staunch, unflinching comrade, the true-hearted, generous friend. -When the lamp, after flickering and fading, and well-nigh dying out -altogether, began once more to flame up pretty steadily, and the -Major, gaunt and grim, with nearly white moustaches, and a black -skull-cap, and haggard hollow cheeks, began to experience the -superhuman appetite of convalescence, and the wonderful longing for -open air and country scenery, and such simple natural pleasures, which -invariably comes over those who have been near the confines of Life -and Death, as though they brought back with them from that mysterious -borderland the earlier instincts of childhood; when, in short, the -Major was getting better, and could sit at his window and see the -white charger go to exercise, or the regiment get under arms below, -many and long were the conversations between him and Lacquers on the -thoughts and feelings which almost insensibly had sprung up in each of -them. Lacquers did not conceal his disappointment as regarded Blanche. -Poor fellow, he had made her an honest, disinterested offer, and it -had not entered into his calculations that he might be repulsed. - -"I know I'm not good enough for her, D'Orville," the humbled dandy -would sigh, as he poured his griefs into his friend's ear. "I'm not -very 'blue,' and that sort of thing, though I suppose I've got natural -talents just like other fellows; but I stood by her when all the rest -gave way, and I was the only one amongst 'em that really liked her for -herself and not for her money. Why, you yourself, D'Orville" (the -Major winced), "you yourself never made up to her after you heard of -the smash, nor Mount Helicon, nor Uppy, nor any of 'em; to be sure she -had refused Uppy; do you remember how glum he looked that night at -'The Peace'? but I don't believe he'd have proposed to her ten days -later. She might have liked me much better when she came to know -me--mightn't she? and I would have read history and grammar, and Latin -and Greek, and that, and made myself a scholar for her sake. I can't -help feeling it, Major, and that's the truth. She's the only woman I -ever really cared for; and what have I to live for now?" - -Then it was that D'Orville showed himself an altered man--then it was -that the thoughts which had first flashed across him when he -contemplated self-destruction, and had since been progressively -developing themselves on a bed of sickness, bore their fruit, as such -thoughts will sooner or later where a man has a heart to feel or a -brain to reason. He explained to Lacquers the views he now entertained -of life, its duties, and its charms--how different from those on which -he had hitherto acted! He pointed out to him the utter insufficiency -of everything on earth to constitute happiness, when unconnected with -a grand object and a future state of being. He talked well, for he was -in earnest; and he reasoned closely, for his was a penetrating -intellect, ever ready to strip at a moment's notice the illusive from -the real. He had all his life been an acute man--saw through a fallacy -in an instant, and, to do him justice, never hesitated to expose it: - - "Called knavery, knavery--and a lie, a lie." - -Such a mind, when convinced of truth, is doubly strong; and Lacquers -listened, much admiring, though, it must be confessed, not always -quite understanding the deductions of his mentor. Yet was he too, ere -long, stirred with a noble ambition, a desire to fulfil his -destiny in life with some credit to himself and benefit to his -fellow-creatures--a longing to be useful in his generation--to feel -that he was part of the great scheme, and, however humble might be his -task, yet that its fulfilment was a fair condition of his very -existence, and was conducive to the well-being of the whole. - -"But what can I do, however willing I am?" he would say. "An officer -of hussars cannot be a Methodist preacher, or even a moral -philosopher, without doing more harm than good. If I thought I had -talents for it, and eloquence and learning, I'd sell out to-morrow, -and go to South Africa as a missionary, or anywhere else--Gold Coast, -Sierra Leone--anything rather than be a useless drone cumbering the -earth in a life without an aim." - -"Not the least occasion for that," replied D'Orville. -"Fortune--accident--call it rather Providence--has placed you in a -certain station, and it is fit for you to fulfil the duties of that -station without repining or restlessness, because, forsooth, it does -not happen to square exactly with some vague notions of your own. You -may do a deal of good, though you _are_ an officer of hussars. Why -should a soldier be necessarily an irreligious or an immoral man? It -is not his profession that should bear the blame, however convenient -it may be to make the red coat a scapegoat. We must have troops. We -cannot be secure from war. Do you suppose a man leading a squadron -gallantly against an enemy, doing the best he can for all--cool, -confident, and daring--is not fulfilling his duty every whit as well -as he who is on his knees in the rear praying for his success the -while? Our calling bids us look death in the face oftener than other -men, and that very fact should give us trust in Him on whom alone we -can depend at the last gasp. We are always nearer His presence than -those who are not so exposed: and, for my part, I think it a proud and -honourable privilege. Then, in barracks, may you not improve the -_morale_ of all about you in a thousand ways? You may look to the -bodily well-being of your troop. Why?--first, because it's your duty; -and secondly, because it's a pleasure to you, and a credit to have -them smart and clean and well-disciplined! Why should you totally -neglect their minds? They, too, have a future as well as a present. -The one is not less a reality than the other. Ay, it's startling -enough, because people slur it over, and don't talk of it, or allow -themselves to think of it; but it's none the less true for all that. -You may shut your own eyes as close as you please, but you won't -prevent the sun from shining just the same. I grant you that the task -is a difficult one. So much the more credit in fulfilling it, by an -effort that does require some sacrifice and some self-denial. I have -lived forty years in this world for _myself_--the careless, -thoughtless life that a tolerably sagacious dog might have led--and I -have never been really happy. Come what may, I hope to do so no more. -I have found out the true secret that turns everything to gold, and I -don't grudge a share of my good fortune to my friends." - -"You're right, D'Orville," said Lacquers, shaking the Major by the -hand; "you're right, though I never looked at it in that light before. -I see that I have an object in life--that I have a task to perform; -and I see--no, I don't see my way quite through it; but I trust I -shall have courage and patience to do the best I can. D'Orville, I -feel happier than I did. I'm not much of a book-worm, and I can't -quite express what I feel; but, old fellow, you talked of exchanging, -and going to India; well, I'll go too--we'll get appointed into the -same corps--I'm good enough to be broiled in that country, at any -rate--and I'll never leave you, old boy, for you're the best friend I -ever had!" Little Blanche Kettering might have done worse than take -poor, ignorant, good-looking, blundering, warm-hearted Lacquers. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -HOSPITAL - - DOWN AMONGST THE DEAD MEN--CHARLIE'S PRESERVER--A SICK MAN'S - VISIONS--MENTAL PROSTRATION--THE DYING MAN'S GUESTS--DISCHARGED - WITHOUT A PENSION--LEADEN HOURS--HOW'S THE PATIENT?--"WELCOME, - FRANK"--HOMEWARD BOUND - - -We left Cousin Charlie, some chapters back, in a sufficiently -unpleasant predicament. His arm broken by a bullet, a Kaffir's assagai -through his shoulder, stunned moreover by a crushing blow from the -butt-end of a musket (Birmingham-made, and sold in the gross at -nineteen shillings apiece), not to mention a roll of some fifty feet -down an almost perpendicular ravine, the boy lay senseless, and to all -appearance dead. The tide of war rolled far away from the _kloof_ that -had been defended so fiercely, and won with such loss of life; and ere -the young lancer had recovered his senses, an outlying band of the -enemy, driven from their fastnesses far on the right, wound stealthily -through this very ravine in full retreat. Fortunately they had that -day got such a taste of English discipline as made them loth to -improve any further acquaintance with "Brown Bess"; and although they -stripped the lad from head to foot, believing him to be stone-dead, -they had no time to stay and practise those horrid mutilations with -which these demons signalise their triumph over a fallen foe. Not a -shred of clothing, however, did they leave on the body; even his -boots, the most useless articles conceivable to a Kaffir, were carried -off as the spoils of war. For aught we know, to this day Charlie's -smart jacket forms the ceremonial dress of some burly chief. Very -tight, and worn with long, black legs, _au naturel_, it is doubtless a -most imposing costume. Be that how it may, the white man was left -naked and weltering in his wounds, whilst the routed party, who had -wasted but little time in stripping him, made the best of their way to -a more respectful distance from the British posts. Charlie never -stirred for hours. The moon rose, and bathed in her cold light the -crisp, rugged scenery and the ghastly accessories of that fatal glen. -Here, a stunted jagged bush threw its smoke-blackened twigs athwart -the clear night sky, and beneath it, bleached by the moonlight, lay -some grinning corpse that had dragged itself there to die, whilst a -clean musket-barrel shining in those pale beams showed it had been a -British soldier when morning dawned. There, hurled in a fantastic -heap, lay the swarthy bodies of some half-dozen Kaffirs, one balanced -on the verge of a blank bare cliff, his arms and head dangling, limp -and helpless, over the brink--his comrades piled above him, as they -fell in their desperate efforts to escape. Yonder, where the moonbeams -glimmered through the twinkling foliage, frosting the leaves with -silver, and shedding peace and beauty over the unholy scene, a Fingoe -auxiliary stirred and groaned in his last mortal agony, his dusky skin -welling forth its very life-drops on the trampled sward. Shout and -curse and clanging blow, all the riot and confusion of the strife, had -long since died away. The writhing Fingoe groaned out his soul with a -last gasping sigh, and save for the short yelp of a famished jackal in -the adjoining thicket, silence slept upon the glen, and Night shared -with Death her dominion over that blood-stained, devastated spot. -Charlie came to himself--not that he knew where he lay, or was -conscious of aught save a numbed sense of pain, and a confused -stupefied idea, first that he was in bed, then that he was on the deck -of a ship, heaving and plunging over the rolling waters. As sensation -gradually returned, an intolerable thirst, so fierce as to amount to -positive agony, began to rage in his dry, choking throat; then, with -that unaccountable instinct to rise which is the first impulse of a -man who is knocked down, he made a sort of abortive, staggering effort -to get to his feet, it is needless to say in vain. The blood welled -freshly from his wounds, the branches overhead spun round him, and he -was again insensible. But the effort saved his life: the slight -movement was seen, and in another instant a dark Fingoe girl was -kneeling over him, with her hand upon his heart. The poor young savage -had been stealing distractedly through the glen, looking for the body -of her lover. She had missed him from his hut at nightfall. She knew -there had been a severe engagement, and, like a very woman, faithful -even unto death, she had glided away in the darkness to seek him out, -succour him if wounded, and mourn over him if succour should come too -late. It was a woman that alone recognised the body of the last of the -Saxon kings, on the fatal field of Hastings. When earl and thane and -liegeman saw but a mangled, mutilated corpse, Edith the swan-necked -knew her lover and her lord. Keen was the eye, unerring was the -instinct of affection, and Edith's fame lives in history and song; but -our poor Fingoe girl was but a nameless savage, a wretched, ignorant -heathen, debased almost to the level of the brute; yet she, too, had a -woman's heart, and cherished a woman's love--she, too, recognised her -barbarian lover, gashed and defaced by assagai and war-club, and it -was whilst she wept and moaned over his mangled remains that her eye -caught the stir of Charlie's white body, and her heart, softened by -grief, bid her, woman-like, again come to the assistance of the -suffering and the helpless. She threw a _kaross_ over his naked body. -Light-footed as an antelope, she darted to a neighbouring spring, -shuddering the while--for that, too, was polluted with blood--and -returned with a skin of the clear, cold water. She bathed his brow and -temples--she poured the grateful drops between his blackened lips--and -as he groaned and stirred once more, she knew there was life in him -yet. The huts of her countrymen (half-armed auxiliaries to the British -force) were at no great distance, and, savage as she was, the maiden -would not leave a fellow-creature, particularly such a good-looking -one as Charlie, to die like a dog without assistance. Her shapely -limbs bore her rapidly back to her people. Alas! there was scarce a -family amongst them that had not lost a member, and she soon returned -with four stalwart Fingoes, who carried Charlie's senseless frame to -their encampment, where they tended him with such knowledge of surgery -as they possessed, far more efficient, despite of sundry charms and -superstitions, than our College of Surgeons at home would easily -believe. There were other wounded soldiers in the encampment, and -Charlie, though not recognised, was judged to be an officer, and met -with all the attention from these poor fellows that they could spare -from their own sufferings. But it was to the Fingoe girl that, under -Providence, he owed his life. Night and day she tended him like a -child, and when at length a convoy arrived from head-quarters with a -train of waggons to carry off all the sick to Fort Beaufort, it was -with difficulty the poor savage maiden was dissuaded from accompanying -him even into the distant settlements, and long and wistfully she -gazed after the waggon that bore her white charge out of her sight. -Charlie had not yet recovered his consciousness, and had scarcely -spoken; and when he did, muttered but a few incoherent words; yet the -girl had saved his life, and nursed him in his agony, and it was hard -to give him up! - -When our hapless lancer really came to himself he was lying on a -comfortable bed, with all the necessary appliances and alleviations -for sickness, nowhere so efficient as in an English military hospital. -His first sensation was one of pleasing languor, almost of luxury, in -the new feeling of complete repose; for, in the Fingoe hut, and yet -more in the jolting, slow-moving waggon, his powerless limbs had never -been able to dispose themselves in _real_ rest, and the change was -positive delight. He was too weak to take any note of time or -place--he was conscious of but one feeling, that of bodily ease; and -he could no more undergo the mental exertion of recalling past events, -or judging from present circumstances, than he could play the physical -one of getting out of bed. He knew he was bandaged--he knew he had not -strength to stir a finger were it to save his life, nor did he wish to -do so--he knew he was lying between clean sheets, in a bed, somewhere; -it seemed strange, for he had not been in a bed for so long, and he -was quite satisfied to take things as they were, and gaze drowsily -upon the wall, and hear a stealthy footfall in the room, far too -languid to turn his head, and so drop off to sleep again quite -contentedly. And when the surgeon of the Light-Bobs--a gallant fellow, -whose only fault was that he never would keep his confounded lint and -bandages and tourniquet far enough in the rear--saw his patient in -this second slumber, and listened to his soft breathing, and placed -his finger on the fluttering, scarce-perceptible pulse, he stroked his -chin with a self-satisfied air, and smiled, and muttered to himself, -"He'll do now, _I think_--not above twenty--young constitution--never -drank, I'll be bound. It's been touch-and-go; but I believe now he'll -pull through." - -So Charlie got over the crisis, and slept, and struggling hard with -the ebbing tide, little by little gained ground and footing, and inch -by inch, as it were, reached the shore. - -As consciousness returned with returning strength, memory began to -unravel its tangled skein of dim fantastic recollections, and by -degrees the march, the engagement, the last brilliant charge, -separated themselves from the ghastly moonlight glen, the dark -phantom-shape that had saved him, the strange huts of the savages, and -above all those excruciating sufferings in that jolting waggon. But -with convalescence came the weary longing to be well, the restlessness -of protracted confinement, the loathing of those tedious, monotonous -days--their only event that unvarying meal--their only amusement to -gaze upon the sunlight brightening that white-washed wall. How Charlie -pined to feel the free, fresh breeze of out-of-doors; how horse and -hound and field-day, the bounding charger, the jovial march, the -cheerful mess, seemed to mock him with their phantom-like delights, as -his body lay pinioned and helpless on that loathed couch, and his mind -went soaring away in vision after vision of waving woods and rugged -hills, and, above all, the glorious summer air, that he would fain -have bathed in like a lark--have drunk into his very being as the true -_elixir vitae_! - -Of serious thoughts as to his late proximity to another world, of -gratitude for his narrow escape from death, we fear we must confess -our patient was altogether innocent. The sick-bed is the last place -in the world to promote such grave reflections: and those who trust to -an illness as a means of making them better and wiser men, will -generally find that they have leant upon a broken reed. The exhaustion -of physical pain acts little more upon the body than the mind. The -latter partakes of the languor which pervades its tenement, and has -generally but strength to pine in helpless inactivity, and gaze idly -on the balance of life and death, with scarce a wish even to turn the -scale. If a man never reflects when well, still less can he expect to -have power to do so when sick; and many a death-bed, we fear, has -owned its tranquillity to the mere prostration, intellectual as well -as physical, which quiets the departing sufferer. 'Tis an -uncomfortable notion; but we hold it too true, nevertheless. Charlie -had an instance in his very next neighbour, a gallant private of the -Light-Bobs, who occupied the adjoining bed to our young lancer. He, -too, had been shot down in the fatal ravine, had been nursed in the -Fingoe huts, and forwarded to Fort Beaufort in the waggon-train. For a -time his wounds went on favourably enough, and he seemed to have a far -better chance of recovery than poor Charlie. But he had been a -drunkard in early life; his constitution was sapped with strong -liquor; something unintelligible "supervened," as the medical officer -said; and the man was doomed--doomed, as surely as if he had been -sentenced to death by court-martial. - -In the earliest stages of his own recovery, Charlie would lie and -listen to the poor fellow's ravings, till he shuddered at the wild -imaginings of that delirious brain. Now the man would fancy himself -back in England, amongst the low haunts of vice and debauchery which -seemed most familiar to his mind. He would shout out ribald toasts and -drinking-songs, and roar fierce oaths of mingled pain and exultation, -till he roused every pale inmate of the ward. Then would a frightful -reaction take place, and he would lie still as a corpse, hand and -foot, but mutter and roll his eyes and gnash his teeth, like one -possessed. He peopled the place, too, with frightful apparitions; -amongst which a pale girl, with her throat cut from ear to ear, and -the enemy of mankind, seemed, by his expressions, to be the most -frequent visitors. With these he would hold long conversations, -ludicrous even through their horrors, and would display much ingenuity -in their imaginary questions, to which he poured forth voluble answers -of abuse and blasphemy. Of his satanic disputant he generally seemed -to get the better, by his own account; but the mutilated girl always -brought on a fit of trembling that was frightful to behold. Once, -after a visit from this spectre, which he detailed at considerable -length, he tore all the bandages from his wounds, and was obliged to -be pinioned in a strait-waistcoat. After this he got quieter, not so -much from the restraint as the weakness and loss of blood consequent -on his paroxysm. He would listen with marked attention to the -chaplain, who visited him daily; and when the good man was gone, would -mumble out incoherent words of repentance and amendment; but could -never fix his mind upon their meaning for two seconds at a time. Then -he would give it up in despair, and would shout and sing again more -boisterously than ever. At length it became evident, even to Charlie's -enfeebled perceptions, that he was sinking fast; and as the sand of -life ebbed more and more rapidly, the dying man became more and more -composed and tranquil, till he promised to make as peaceful an ending -as ever did glorified saint in Popish calendar. The eye lost its -unnatural glitter, the pain ceased entirely, and the pulse became -quiet and regular--but oh, so weak for that active, muscular frame! -The youngest tyro would not have been deceived by the change; it was -obvious that his very hours were numbered; yet now, for the first -time, he seemed to recognise place and people--called Charlie by his -name, and asked Mr. Kettering after "the reg'ment," and whether the -old major was shot dead when he forced the river so smartly, and the -colour-sergeant (he never could abide that colour-sergeant) lost his -life in the very middle of the stream; then he remembered how Charlie -had led the assault, and from that time he seemed to confide in him, -and whispered to him his plans, and his little spites against his -comrades, and his longing for his old life; for he made no doubt of -getting well. And so he slept for a few hours (the doctor came in and -looked at him asleep, and shook his head), and woke about noon, and -asked for something to drink; but his lips were quite black, and -Charlie saw that he was somehow changed even before the man told him -he was conscious of it himself. - -"It's all up, Mr. Kettering," said he, in a husky whisper, "it's all -up with me this turn. What's the time o' day now? Twelve o'clock? I -shall be a dead man at sundown;" and then he told Charlie how he had -received a warning, and he knew there was no hope "_here_ nor yet -_yonder_," he said, with a ghastly smile; for he had dreamt that he -was standing sentry on a rampart over against the ocean, and the sun -was setting in a golden haze, and the waters gleamed like molten gold; -and he laid his firelock down, and rested and gazed with delight upon -the scene; but a girl rose from the waves, far off between him and the -sunset, and wrung the water from her long black hair, and pressed it -with both hands to her throat, and seemed to staunch a ghastly wound -that gaped at him even at that distance, and ever the blood flowed and -flowed, and the sea became crimson, and the sun went down in blood-red -streaks, and the sky darkened to the colour of blood, and everywhere -there was blood, blood, nothing but blood; and the girl screamed to -him in agony, saying, "Pray! pray!" and he knew that if he could speak -a prayer before the sun went down he might be saved; and he strove and -gasped, but he was choked; and still the sun dipped and dipped, and a -fiery rim only was left above the sea, and still he could not speak; -and it went down too; and the girl tossed up her arms with a shriek, -and all was dark; and then with a convulsive effort he cried aloud, -and his mouth was full of blood--and so he awoke. "And I shall never -stand sentry nor carry a firelock again," he said; and from that time -he spoke no more, but folded his hands and lay quiet, as if asleep. -The afternoon shadows lengthened on the hospital-wall--the evening -drew near--at half-past six the dying man muttered a request for -drink--at seven the sun went down, and he was dead!--peacefully, -quietly he parted, like a child going to its rest. Charlie never knew -it was all over till the doctor came; and they took him away and -buried him, and there was a vacant place by Charlie's bedside; and so -Her Majesty lost a soldier, and a recruit was enlisted and sent to the -_depot_ at home, and his place in the ranks was filled, and he was -forgotten, just as peers, poets, conquerors, sovereigns, and sages are -forgotten, only a little sooner--for the grim Reaper makes no -distinction, and the monarch oak of the forest perishes as surely as -the weed by the wayside. - - * * * * * - -Week after week Charlie lay in that weary bed. One by one patients -became convalescents, and convalescents went back to their duty, and -still he was not allowed to move. A fresh action was fought, and more -wounded were brought in, and yet Charlie was unfit for duty--in fact, -was unable to rise. The doctor was hopeful and good-humoured, as -doctors generally are, not being invalids themselves, and told him "he -was going on most satisfactorily, and all that was wanted was a little -time, and patience and quiet;" but at length even he hinted at -sick-leave, and talked of a return to England, and the necessity of -care and avoidance of exposure to weather, even after the wounds were -healed; and Charlie's dearest hopes of rejoining his regiment, and -tasting once more the excitement of warfare, were dashed to the -ground. The kind doctor had written to his patient's friends in -England, and assured them of his safety--on the rejoicings thereby -created at Newton-Hollows we need not now enlarge--so that all anxiety -on that score had passed away, and there was nothing to do now but to -get well and embark for home. What a tedious process that same getting -well was! Charlie began to pine, and grow dispirited and nervous. He -had no friends, no one to speak to but the doctor; and the gallant -boy, who would have faced a whole tribe of Kaffirs single-handed and -never moved an eyelash, was now so completely weakened and broken down -that he would lie and weep for hours, like a girl, he knew not why. At -last he began to give way to despondency altogether. One day in -particular, when the ward was again emptied of its recovered inmates, -and the boy was left quite alone in that long, dull room, he lost -heart entirely. "I shall never get well now," he said aloud in his -despair; "I shall never see the bright blue sky again, nor the -regiment, nor Blanche, nor Mrs. Delaval, nor any of them--sinking, -sinking, day by day, and scarcely twenty! 'Tis a hard lot to die like -a dog, in such a hole as this. Ah! Frank always talked of death as the -ever-present certainty, and the next world will be a happier one than -this, I do believe, though this has been a happy one to me. I used to -think I shouldn't mind dying the least--no more I should, in the free, -open air, leading a squadron, with the men hurraing behind me; or -falling neck and crop into a grass-field with 'Haphazard,' alongside -the leading hounds." (Charlie was barely twenty, and to him the -hunting-field was just such an arena of glory as was the tilt-yard to -a knight of the olden time.) "No, I could die like a man at home, but -to rot away here in a hospital, thousands of miles from merry England, -without a friend near me, it's hard to bear it pluckily, as it ought -to be borne. Frank! Frank! I want some of your dogged resolution now. -If I could see your dear old face once more, and shake you by the -hand, I should be a different fellow. Ah! it's too late now; I shall -never see you again, and you will hardly know what became of me. But -you won't forget me, old boy, will you?" and poor Charlie gave way -once more, and turned his wet cheek down upon his pillow, as he heard -the doctor's step along the passage; for he was ashamed of his -weakness, though he knew it was but the effect of his wounds. Hark! -there is some one with him; the doctor is bringing a visitor to -see him. He knows that firm, heavy tread. Is it one of his -brother-officers?--how kind of them! No, that is no dragoon's step: it -is familiar, too, and yet he cannot remember where he has heard it. Is -he dreaming? Over the doctor's shoulder peers a well-known face, -embrowned with travel, but with the old kind, frank expression beaming -through those manly features. In another instant Charlie is clasping -Frank Hardingstone's strong hand in his own two emaciated ones, and -after an abortive "How are ye, old fellow?" and a vain effort to laugh -off his emotion, is sobbing once more like a woman or a child. - -"So you came out all the way from England on purpose to look after -me," said he, when the first burst of feeling had subsided; "how like -you, old Frank--how kind of you!--and what did they say about me at -home? and wasn't Blanche sorry for me when she thought I was killed? -and did Uncle Baldwin and--and Mrs. Delaval read the dispatch? and -where are they all now? You know I'm to have sick-leave, and we'll go -back together. When does the doctor think I shall be able to sail? -Frank, he's a shocking muff; I've been in this bed for thirteen weeks, -but I shall get up to-day--of course he'll let me get up to-day;" and -so Charlie ran on, and Frank was soon forcibly withdrawn from the -patient, whose over-excitement was likely to be as prejudicial as his -late despondency; but the maligned doctor whispered to him as he went -out, "Your arrival, sir, has done more for my patient than the whole -pharmacopoeia: he'll be well now in a fortnight." - -The doctor was right. From that day Charlie began to mend. Many a long -hour Frank sat by his bedside, and talked to him of home, and of his -prospects, and of his cousin (honest Frank), and settled over and over -again their plans of departure, to which Charlie was never tired of -listening; and after every one of these visits the boy's appetite was -better and his sleep sounder, and in a few days he got out of bed, and -then he was moved into the hospital-sergeant's room, who readily -vacated his apartment for the young officer; and then he got out on -Frank's arm into the summer air, for which he had so pined--pleasant -it was, but yet not _so_ pleasant as he thought it would be, when he -lay in that dull ward; and then his voracity became something -ridiculous, and at the end of about three weeks Frank helped him up -the companion-way of the _Phlegethon_, 200 horse-power, -homeward-bound; and although wasted to a skeleton, his large eyes -looked bright and clear, and now that he was really on his way to -England he was well. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -THE WIDOW - - FAMILY ARRANGEMENTS--MOTHER AND SON--SEPARATE INTERESTS--A - WIDOW'S DAY-DREAMS--FEMALE CONFIDENCES--THE RULE OF CONTRARY - - -"My dear Mount, I think, after all, I shall spend the winter at -Bubbleton," said Lady Mount Helicon to her hopeful son, as they sat -one sunny afternoon in her well-furnished drawing-room. London was -emptying fast; a few of the lingerers still contrived to keep up a -semblance of gaiety, and those who stayed on, like Lady Mount Helicon, -because they had no country-houses to go to, voted it _so_ much -pleasanter now the crush and hurry of the season was over. But even -these could not conceal from themselves that they were but "the last -roses of summer," that "all the world" was rushing out of town, and -they had no business here any longer. The water-carts were getting -very slack, and the dust unbearable; the Ride and the ring were -fitting haunts for a hermit, and the Serpentine was gloomy as the -Styx. Dinadam was inhaling appetite in his deer-forest--Long-Acre was -tempting Providence in his yacht--Mrs. Blacklamb was breaking hearts -at Cowes--ministers had celebrated their many defeats during the -session by their annual fish-dinner at Greenwich--and grouse were -advertised at five shillings a brace in Leadenhall Market. Yes, the -season was over, and Mount would not have been here instead of in -Perthshire had it not been for the absolute necessity of his writing -his autograph in person for the ulterior disappointment of a Hebrew, -and his own immediate benefit. He was an excellent son when he had -nothing better to do, and now sat for hours with his mother and talked -over his own plans and hers with the most perfect open-heartedness. - -"Bubbleton," said he, "mother, and why Bubbleton?" - -"Can't you see, Mount?" replied her ladyship; "Bubbleton is within -visiting distance of Newton-Hollows." - -"What then?" rejoined her son; "I thought you had made up your mind to -drop them when you found they were of no use." - -"So I should, my dear," confessed the diplomatic lady, "if things had -turned out as I expected; but don't you see that the game is not yet -half played out? That unfortunate boy who went off to the Cape has -been severely wounded; you know they put on mourning for him, thinking -he was dead; and it is quite on the cards that he may not recover; he -never looked strong; then our little friend is as great an heiress as -ever; and I am sure, with _your_ eloquence, you could easily persuade -her that it was jealousy, or pique, or something equally flattering, -that made you so remiss for a time, and it would be all _on_ again. -Besides, I have been making a good many inquiries lately in a -roundabout way, and I find that, even if the 'beau cousin' should -return safe and sound, there will be a large sum of ready money to -which the girl will be entitled when she comes of age. You want money, -Mount, I fancy?" - -"Not a doubt of it, my dear mother," replied he; "this has been my -worst year for a long time, and you know I never holloa before I'm -hurt. Goodwood _ought_ to have pulled me through, if 'Sennacherib' -hadn't failed at the last stride. I am afraid to say, and I can -believe you had rather not hear, what that odd six inches cost me. No, -mother, I can't go on much longer; I don't see my way a bit. If a -general election comes I shall have to bolt." - -"Listen to me, Mount," said her ladyship. "I have a plan that may save -us all yet. I shall take a house at Bubbleton for the winter, and -wherever I have a roof over my head you know I am too happy to give -you a home. You can send down two or three horses, and hunt quietly -in the neighbourhood, instead of going off to Melton with eight or -ten, and losing a fortune at whist; and of all places I know, -Bubbleton is the most likely for something to _turn up_--then _if_ we -should arrange matters with Miss Kettering, everything will go -smoothly; but there is one thing I must beg of you, my dear Mount, and -that is to give up the turf. It is all I ask," said her ladyship, with -tears in her eyes--"all I ask in return for my devotion to your -interests is to sell those horrid race-horses, and give the thing up -altogether." - -Mount made a wry face--"Sennacherib," notwithstanding his defeat, -which, as usual, was from no lack of speed or stamina, but entirely in -consequence of _the way the race was run_--"Sennacherib" was the very -darling of his heart; and he had, besides, amongst his yearlings, -_such_ a filly, that promised, as far as babies of that age can -promise, to have the speed of the wind. Must these treasures go to -Tattersall's? Must the hopes of Olympic triumphs and future mines of -wealth be all knocked down to the highest bidder, as the stud of a -nobleman declining racing? It was a bitter pill; but he knew his -mother was a strong-minded woman--he knew that if she insisted on the -sacrifice being made a part of the bargain, nothing would induce her -to fulfil her share unless he fulfilled his. He recollected how, in -his father's time, crabbed as that respectable nobleman undoubtedly -was, my lady always got her own way in the long-run, and he determined -to make a virtue of necessity and give in, consoling himself with the -reflection that, when all was arranged, he could easily buy some more -horses with his wife's money. So he promised with a good grace, and -his mother kissed him, and called him "her own dear boy"; and the pair -separated--my lord to get upon "Trictrac" and ride down to Richmond, -whither there is no occasion for us to follow him--my lady to write -sundry little notes to her friends, to consult with her agent about -letting her house in London--and then, with a good book upon her knee, -to indulge in dreamy castle-building schemes for upholding the -integrity of the house of Mount Helicon, not unmixed with rosier -visions as regarded her own prospects for the future. - -This pair, whatever might be their failings as regarded the rest of -the world, seemed at all events blamelessly to fulfil their duties -each towards the other. Yet behind this apparent sincerity and -affection each was playing a separate game, totally irrespective of -aught but self; each was actuated solely by motives of interest; each -had a separate path to pursue, a separate object to attain. Mount -Helicon came readily into his mother's views for the best of all -reasons. Everything that could save the disbursement of a shilling was -now of paramount importance to him. After a problematic trip to Norway -in Long-Acre's yacht he would literally not have a roof to cover him. -It was all very well to make a great merit of giving up Melton, and to -dwell on the sacrifice he made on his mother's account in foregoing -the delights of that very charming place; but Mount had now neither -hunters nor the means of getting them, and a man at Melton without -money or horses is like a fish out of water, or a teetotaller at an -Irish wake. Everything had failed with him lately. Successful as were -his literary schemes, their profits were but a drop in the ocean -compared with his necessities. Goodwood had nearly finished him, and -he hardly dared think of Doncaster, so unfortunate were his -investments on the coming St. Leger. He could see only one way out of -his difficulties--to sell himself and his title to some wealthy young -lady, and he rather fancied giving Blanche the opportunity of becoming -a purchaser; that which he would have considered a mere pittance some -six months ago he now looked upon as a very fair competence; and the -chance of young Kettering's death, with the reversion of that large -property, was a contingency by no means to be despised; so he -submitted, with as good a grace as he could, to selling his -race-horses, and spending the winter at Bubbleton with his mother, -inwardly resolving that when he had secured his object he would break -out again into fresh extravagances, and shine with redoubled -splendour. - -Lady Mount Helicon, too, had her own ends to further in her -affectionate and hospitable invitation to her son. She had found out -that his agreeable qualities, his large acquaintance, and his -brilliant reputation, always succeeded in filling her house with -those whom she was pleased to term "the best men," fastidious -individuals who never condescended to dine with her when Mount and she -kept separate establishments. Now my lady calculated that with her -title, her cook, and her celebrated son, she would create a prodigious -sensation at Bubbleton, where neither rank, talent, nor faultless -cutlets are as common as in London; and that with these attractions in -her house, she would have an opportunity of seeing all the male -eligibles whom that salubrious locality might bring together. And she -could thus judge of them at her leisure, and pick and choose at her -caprice. That was the end in view. The idea of entering once more into -the holy bonds of matrimony had long been present to her ladyship's -mind; and when she consulted her looking-glass, and saw reflected her -large, comely form, her still healthy complexion, and her -well-arranged hair, by courtesy called auburn, but sufficiently red to -lose little of its youthful appearance from an occasional silver line, -she grudged more and more that all these charms should be wasted on a -widow's lonely lot, and resolved that when the time came, and the -_man_, it would be no fault of hers if she did not stand again at the -altar in the coloured robes of a bride who adds the advantage of -experience to the ripe maturity of autumnal beauty. Bubbleton, then, -was the very place from which to select the fortunate man. Its -frequenters were many of them steady-going, respectable gentlemen of -middle age, and like all unmarried middle-aged men, unless completely -ruined, sufficiently well-to-do in the world. Such are by no means -ineligible matches for a widow; and then, should none of these be -found willing to aspire to such happiness, might not General Bounce -surrender at discretion, if properly invested--more particularly -should the other matrimonial scheme progress favourably, and the -relationship thus created afford opportunities for surprises, -_coups-de-main_, or the tardier but no less fatal advances of a -regular blockade? He certainly had paid her attention in London; he -was a stout, soldier-like man for his years; above all, he had a -charming place at Newton-Hollows, and a good fortune of his own. Yes, -_faute de mieux_, the General would do very well; and then the two -families might live together, and if Blanche _did_ succeed to -everything, what a piece of luck it would be for them all! And her -ladyship, with all her knowledge of the world, actually deluded -herself into the idea that the two establishments could keep the peace -for an hour together in the same house, or that Mount, after he had -got all he could, and had no further use for his mother, would hear of -such an arrangement for one single moment. So Lady Mount Helicon rose -and smoothed her hair in the mirror over the chimney-piece, and looked -at a miniature of herself, done before she married, and lying on the -drawing-room table; and persuaded herself she was wonderfully little -altered since then, and returned in haste to her good book and her -seat with her back to the light, you may be sure, as a knock at the -door announced an arrival, and her well-powdered figure-footman -ushered in Lady Phoebe Featherhead. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -"STOP HER" - - THE VOYAGE HOME--"WHOM TO MARRY"--DISINTERESTED ADVICE--THE - LOOKER-ON SEES MOST OF THE GAME--A FOG IN THE CHANNEL--FRANK'S - STRIKING ARGUMENTS--LADIES FIRST--THE REMNANT ON THE - WRECK--HOPE ON THE HORIZON--HAIRBLOWER'S OFFER - - -In these days of steam and perpetual locomotion everybody has been a -voyage of some sort over the seas; and one of these uncomfortable -expeditions is so like another, that it is needless to describe the -transit of Frank Hardingstone and Cousin Charlie from the Cape home. -There were but few passengers on board the _Phlegethon_, and those -were as much bored with the length and monotony of their voyage as -passengers usually are; they ate, drank, smoked, walked the deck, -pestered the professionals with perpetual questions as to when they -should make the Needles, and otherwise comported themselves so as to -lengthen as much as possible the apparent duration of their -imprisonment. Charlie was as idle and impatient as the rest. Frank -alone seemed an exception to the general rule; when not reading hard -in his cabin he was sure to be found studying steam in the -engine-room, "shooting the sun" with the captain, or learning -navigation with the mate. "There's a good man spoilt in making that -chap a gentleman," was the constant remark of these worthies, who -contracted an immense love and admiration for Frank. Yet of late he -had maintained a grim reserve very foreign to his usual open -demeanour, and more especially in the society of Cousin Charlie. He -did not shun him, nor did that careless and good-humoured young -gentleman perceive any difference in his friend's manner; but Frank -could not conceal from himself that he was not thoroughly at ease with -the boy for whom he had endured so much. He felt that he had given up -his dearest hopes for his young _protege_--that he had sacrificed to -him the inestimable treasure of Blanche Kettering's love; he had on -one or two occasions even done such violence to his feelings as to -touch upon the subject of their approaching marriage in his -conversations with her cousin, and had been surprised and disgusted at -the coldness with which so engrossing a topic was received by the -young gentleman most concerned. Frank could have borne it better, he -thought, had Charlie been worthy of the blessing in store for him--had -he appreciated the unspeakable bliss which others would have given all -on earth to enjoy; but to yield her to one who scarce seemed willing -to stretch out his hand to receive her--to resign all that made life -valuable to another, and to find that other appreciated the object as -little as the sacrifice--this was indeed a hard task; but Frank -thought it his duty so to act, and resolved, with his usual -determination and forgetfulness of self, that he would lose no -opportunity of forcing upon Charlie the absolute necessity of marrying -the only woman he had himself ever loved. Thus the voyage drew to a -close. Contrary winds were baffled by the power of steam; the good -ship stemmed the mountain waves of the Bay of Biscay, and at length -the coast of England was hailed; and, though labouring in a heavy gale -of wind and a cross-pitching sea, they were steaming steadily up the -Channel, and congratulating themselves that to-morrow they would once -more set foot on English ground. Frank and Charlie were on deck, -enjoying the broken gleams of an afternoon's sun, that shone fitfully -through the mists and storm-rack driving fast overhead; and their -conversation naturally enough turned upon their own plans and -intentions when they should get ashore. Charlie was full of his horses -and his anticipations of sport in game-preserve and hunting-field, -with sundry speculations as to the state of "Haphazard's" legs, much -damaged by the never-to-be-forgotten steeple-chase; and it was with -difficulty Frank could command his attention whilst he made a final -effort to impress upon him the absolute necessity of his making up -his mind and marrying his pretty cousin forthwith. - -"It's not fair upon any one," said Frank, holding manfully on to the -mizen-topmast stay, "it's not doing as you'd be done by, to keep a -thing of this sort off and on; it's not fair upon your family; it's -not fair upon your uncle; and, above all, it's not fair upon Miss -Kettering herself. I conceive that you are bound, as a gentleman, to -make all necessary arrangements, so that the business may be concluded -within a month of your arrival at Newton-Hollows." - -Charlie looked rather aghast. "Well, but," said he, "I should have to -leave the regiment. You wouldn't have me bring Blanche out to -Kaffirland--poor little Blanche, she'd be frightened to death, and I -know I should have to sell out--Frank, I couldn't bear to leave the -regiment. I like soldiering better than anything." - -"We can't help that," rejoined his friend. "You've a duty to perform -in life, and you must go through with it. You're not to live for -yourself alone; and look how many people are interested in this -question. In the first place, there's your cousin. In consequence of -this will they've found, you have been the innocent cause of robbing -her of a princely inheritance; this is the only method by which you -can replace her in her former advantageous position. It was evidently -intended all through by your uncle and your poor aunt that this -marriage should take place, and their wishes ought to be your law. -Then the General has set his heart upon it, I _know_, and you are both -under great obligations to that kind old man. But all these -considerations are as nothing compared with the feelings of Blanche -herself. Charlie, would you begin by supplanting her in her -birthright, and finish by breaking her heart?" - -Charlie looked wofully disconcerted. This was altogether a new light, -and he stammered out, "Of course I should like to do what's right, but -I don't want to give up the army;--and--and--I'm very fond of Blanche, -you know, and all that, but I don't think I quite like her well enough -to marry her." - -"Not like her!" exclaimed Hardingstone, to whom this latter reason -was totally incomprehensible, "not like such a girl as that--the -loveliest, the sweetest, the most angelic, the most ladylike creature -on the face of the earth--I've never seen anything the least to be -compared to her in _my_ experience; and you talk of not liking her!" - -"Hang it, Frank!" interposed the lad, "I wish you'd marry her -yourself. I'll go shares with her in fortune; there's more than enough -for us both, and you're much fitter to be a respectable man than I -am." - -The shaft went deep into his heart, but the strong man never winced or -failed for a moment. "What right have you," he broke in, almost -fiercely, "what right have you to talk of giving her money, and laying -her under obligations? Like Falstaff," he added, relapsing into his -usual manner, "you owe her yourself and the money too. For Heaven's -sake, Charlie, don't tamper with the happiness of a lifetime--honour, -duty, expediency, all point one way--do not, for a mere whim, neglect -that which, left undone, you will repent ever afterwards. Promise me, -_now_ promise me, Charlie, that you will marry your cousin before you -again leave Newton-Hollows." - -Charlie bit his lip, stroked his moustaches, looked first one way, and -then another; and finally, blushing crimson over his wasted face, -exclaimed, "Never, Frank--if you must know it, you had better know it -now--never, I tell you, and for the best of all reasons; of course it -goes no farther, but the fact is, I--I like somebody else much -better." - -"And do you think you are the only person that has to sacrifice -inclination--nay, happiness, existence itself--to duty? Do you think -you are to be exempt from the common lot of man--to receive everything -and give up nothing? Do you owe no duty to your cousin? Are you not -all-in-all to her? And are you to destroy all the hopes of her -lifetime, to break her young heart, as you have destroyed her -prospects, for your own selfish gratification? Trust me, Charlie, she -loves you, and whether you care for her or not, unless your word is -irrevocably pledged to another, it is your duty to marry her, and -marry her you must!" - -"You're wrong, Frank," said Charlie, with a roguish smile; "you're -wrong--you're a sharp fellow generally, but you're out of your -reckoning here. Blanche has exactly the same regard for me that a -sister has for a brother--but love, as you and I understand the word, -bless you, she hasn't a notion of it, as far as I am concerned; but -I'll tell you whom I think she _does_ love, Frank--ah! you may wince -and turn pale, but you ought to know, and I'll tell you. Frank, do you -remember the Guyville ball?--why! you're not pale now--I should never -have mentioned it if you hadn't driven me into a corner, but now out -it shall come. Do you remember when you came up and turned away -without asking her to dance, while we were waltzing together? Well, -when Blanche looked up, her eyes were full of tears, and she said to -me, 'What's the matter with Mr. Hardingstone? I'm afraid he's offended -with us.' And I said, 'Blanche, you little flirt, he thinks you've -jilted him.' And she blushed over her face and neck and shoulders--ay, -redder than you are now, old boy; and she followed you with such a -loving, piteous look--and I saw it all in a moment. Yes, Frank, -Blanche is over head and ears in love with you, and I'm glad of it, -for there's no other man in the world that's worthy of her; and _you_ -shall marry her, Frank, and _I_ won't, and I'll get drunk at the -wedding--but let's go below now. These cold evenings make me cough, -and I suppose the steward will manage some supper for us, though it -_is_ blowing so hard;" with which gastronomic aspiration hungry -Charlie disappeared down the hatchway, and left an altered man behind -him, to pace the deck in a confused state of tumultuous, almost -delirious happiness. - -Frank was anything but a vain man; he always considered himself as -possessing no attractions for the other sex; and that such a girl as -Blanche Kettering should look upon him favourably was a happiness he -had scarcely allowed himself to picture in his dreams; but now that it -was suggested by another, now that it appeared to impartial eyes -neither an impossibility nor an absurdity, a thousand trifling -circumstances rose in his recollection--a thousand little lights and -shades of looks, and tones, and expressions, came back to him distinct -and vivid, with a meaning and a colouring they had never possessed -before, and he could hardly restrain the happiness that gushed up in -his bosom and sparkled in his eye, as after a few minutes of delicious -solitude on deck, he joined the party at supper in the cabin, and one -and all remarked that now the voyage was nearly over, the grave Mr. -Hardingstone appeared to be quite a different man. To their questions -as to the weather, he stated that it was "a beautiful night"; which -caused the captain to look at him as an undoubted lunatic, inasmuch as -the sea was getting up rapidly, and a thick mist was driving over the -face of the waters. With the passengers he joked and laughed, and -played _vingt-et-un_, and made himself so universally popular and -agreeable, that those very persons who had all along voted him an odd, -reserved, uncomfortable sort of fellow, now almost regretted that they -should so soon be parted from such a rand of good-humour and merriment -as they discovered, all too late, in their fellow-passenger. - -The night grew blacker as the mist increased with the somewhat -moderating gale, and a long, heaving swell came rolling up from the -Atlantic, each succeeding sea appearing to rear its gigantic volume -higher, farther, fiercer than its predecessor, and still the good ship -steamed on through the darkness. A light at her foretop, and an -indistinct glimmer at the binnacle, only made the surrounding -obscurity appear more palpable, and through the dense fog, which -seemed to pervade the very deck, and to hang around the spars and -tackle, it was difficult to distinguish the two phantom figures at the -wheel and the look-out man in the bows. The captain ever and anon -dived to his cabin to consult his chart, and re-appearing on the wet, -slippery deck, cast an anxious eye at the ship's compass, and the -course she was lying--then glanced to windward, where some huge wave -flung its crest of foam into the light, and sporting with that -powerful steamer as with a plaything, dashed its beating spray, in -wantonness of strength, high over the protecting bulwarks, till the -very yards dripped and streamed with brine. A few gruff words, -unintelligible to the landsmen, were addressed to the struggling -steersmen, and again the captain glanced anxiously at the compass, and -knit his brows and seemed ill at ease. Between the decks, confiding -passengers snored in their berths and dreamt of home. Little thought -they of darkness and fog and driving seas. They had paid their -passage-money, and they were to be delivered safe at their -destination--was it not in the bond? They were, besides, in the -Channel; and the ladies on board derived unspeakable relief and -consolation from the knowledge that they were once more in -soundings--and they, too, slept the sleep of innocence and security. -So midnight passed, and still the good ship held steadily on. - -But the captain grew more restless and disturbed, and he ordered the -steam to be slackened, and a sailor to be slung over the side, and to -heave the lead; and these were wise and seamanlike precautions, but -they were a few minutes too late. As the words left his mouth, a shock -that made that huge fabric shake again brought him to the deck. True -to his seaman nature, he shouted to "back the engines," even as he -fell; but she was aground, and it was too late. Ere he recovered his -legs he knew too well what had happened. Sea after sea came pouring -over the deck; one of the men at the wheel was washed overboard, the -other barely saved as he clung for dear life to the helm: everything -that was not secured went at once by the board, and the dashing waves -plunging heavily into the engine-room, put out the fires, and reduced -that triumph of man's ingenuity to a mere helpless log upon the -waters. The seamen came tumbling up to the forecastle, every man as he -had slept, half-dressed, and even now scarce awake; yet such is the -force of habit, that confusion prevailed more than alarm, and here and -there even a jest arose to lips which in a few hours might probably be -silenced for ever. But if not sole mistress on deck, Fear could boast -of undivided dominion below. Shrieks and sobs and wailing prayers -burst from the affrighted passengers, as they rushed tumultuously from -their respective berths into the saloon, and asked wildly what had -happened, and inquired with white lips if there was any danger; one -said, "Is there any hope?" and the panic increased as it spread, and -wives clung upon their husbands' breasts, and pressed their children -to their sides, and screamed in an unbearable agony of fear; and one, -a strong, stout man, shouted for help as though terror had turned his -brain, and raved of his wife and his little ones at home--that home, -on firm dry land, that he had never known how to prize before; then a -white-haired minister, one of honest John Wesley's followers, proposed -in a calm, steady voice that each and all should kneel down and pray; -but the affrighted mass, now wavering and struggling to the hatchway, -paid no attention to the good man's suggestion; for each strove to -reach the deck as though it were a haven of safety, each instinctively -shrank from the idea of perishing in that dark, dreadful cabin, and -the selfishness of man came out and developed itself even in that -maddened crowd as they pushed each other aside and struggled who -should be first to reach the door. - -"Charlie! where are you?" exclaimed Frank Hardingstone's unshaken -voice, as he emerged already dressed from his cabin into the seething -confusion of the saloon. - -"Here!" said Charlie, struggling to free himself from the embraces of -a stout old Frenchwoman, who, wild with terror, was choking the lad as -she clung round his neck and implored him to be her preserver--"Here! -Frank, we're aground, I think; I want to get on deck and make myself -useful, if this old woman would let me go!" - -Charlie freed himself from the venerable dame's embrace, but she clung -hard to his garments, and he was forced to slip out of the -dressing-gown which he had put on at the first moment of alarm, and -leaving it in her grasp, to make his escape clad only in his shirt and -trousers. When he reached the deck he found Frank already there, -having put himself under the captain's orders, and now lending his -assistance to restore discipline as far as possible, and to clear the -wreck. The huge ship heaved and shivered in her throes, as wave after -wave washed her farther on to the shoal; the fog, too, added to the -confusion of the scene, and as it became doubtful whether her timbers -could stand against the violence of these successive shocks, even the -sturdy seamen began to hint at her going to pieces--and the cry, -though none knew whence it first arose, thrilled from stem to stern, -"The boats! the boats! Launch the boats!" - -"By Him that made me! I'll strike the first man dead that stirs -without orders," cried the captain, heaving a broad axe above his -head, his voice rising through the confusion of the crew and the dash -of the leaping waves. - -"Can the boats live in such a sea?" whispered Frank, as he stood by -the captain's side, prepared to lend him any assistance he might -require. - -"Undoubtedly, sir!" was the reply; "it's our only chance. We'll get -the women and children in first. Mr. Hardingstone, you're a _man_! -take charge of the larboard boat--let no man into it without -orders--we may save them all yet!" and the captain sprang to the -starboard boat, laid hold of the "davits," and sang out, "Lower away, -men, easy!" whilst Frank, in a hurried whisper, gave his orders to -Charlie, who was as cool as a cucumber throughout. - -"Charlie, keep the hatchway with the steward--he's a bold -fellow--don't let a single man up till the women and children are all -on deck. If any fellow runs rusty, _knock him down_!" - -By this time order was to a certain degree restored--the passengers -were indeed in a frightful state below, when they found their egress -barred, as they thought, so arbitrarily, from all hopes of safety; but -on deck every man had his own duty to perform, and the magic power of -discipline, assisted by the dawn, which was now struggling into light, -bid fair to give them every chance of safety that knowledge and -experience could suggest. But one man was mutinous. A strong, -black-bearded fellow, with a dogged, lowering countenance, who had -been most assiduous in helping Hardingstone to lower away the larboard -boat, no sooner found it launched than he made a rush for the side, to -place himself, as he hoped, in safety, regardless of the helpless and -the weak. - -"Stand back!" said Frank, in a voice of thunder; "wait for your turn." - -"Turn be ----," growled the man; "who made _you_ skipper? D'ye think -I'd lose my life for a land-lubber like you?" - -"I warn you!" said Frank, clenching his fist, and looking dangerous. -The man advanced as though to push him aside. Frank drew himself -together and struck out. He knocked him clean off his legs on to the -deck, where he lay stunned and bleeding. - -"Serve him right," cried Charlie from the hatchway--an observation -which was echoed by the crew; and Frank had no further difficulty in -preserving discipline at the station of which he had taken the -command. One by one, pale trembling women, and bewildered little -children, pattering on the deck with bare feet, and enveloped in -shawls, petticoats, anything that had been first caught up in the -hurry of the moment, were handed through the hatchway, and lowered -carefully over the side into the heaving boats. There they clung -together, shivering and drenched with spray, some of the women with -scarce any other covering than their white night-dresses, their long -wet hair hanging about their shoulders; but even in that extremity -thinking only of their children, and regardless of their own -sufferings and danger. Poor things! how scared they were by the first -minute-gun that boomed from the wreck! for the captain, assisted by -Frank Hardingstone's coolness, and now equal to any emergency, had not -neglected the precaution of making every possible signal of distress. -Then the male passengers were drafted singly, and handed over the side -by the dauntless seamen. Some behaved gallantly enough, and offered to -stand by the ship and the captain to the last; some trembled and -cowered, submissively obeying every order given them, and apparently -rendered totally helpless by fear. One sturdy little boy, of some ten -or eleven years, clung manfully to a toy, the property of his infant -sister; and when compelled to lay hold of the guiding-rope with both -hands, seized the bauble between his teeth, and so reached his mother -in the boat. The rough sailors gave him a cheer. - -At length the passengers were disposed of; a few cloaks and -pea-jackets were thrown in to cover the women; the ship's compass was -placed in one of the boats; a crew of seamen were told off, and seized -the oars; the mate took the command; strict injunctions were given for -the boats to keep together; and they shoved off into that heaving sea. -It was now broad daylight, and the rain falling heavily. - -"Thank God, sir," said the captain, with a sigh of relief, "we've -disposed of the passengers. The wind's falling now, with this wet, -and they'll make the land in three or four hours. I trust in -Providence every hair of their heads will be saved; and we've nothing -to think of but ourselves." - -"There's a dozen of us left," said Frank, looking round on the -dripping group, who were clinging to the different parts of the wreck, -consisting of one or two subordinate officers, the boatswain, and a -few old, weather-beaten seamen; "that boat will hold us all, if she -will swim; but she's rather a cockle-shell for such a sea as this," he -observed, pointing to a small, shallow skiff that hung at the stern, -and which had not yet been lowered. - -"It's our best chance," said the captain, looking very grave, as -another rolling sea made the wreck heave and quiver and strain, as if -she must go to pieces; "but she'll never hold us all. I'll stand by -the ship to the last; and you two gentlemen, to whose coolness, under -Providence, the passengers owe their lives, will bear witness I did my -duty. God bless you! Lower away, men; cheerily, oh!" So the boat was -lowered, and as she touched the water she filled and sank, and -appeared again, bottom uppermost, some fifty yards away; and so the -last chance of escape was cut off. The little party looked at each -other in blank dismay; even Frank's bold heart tightened itself for an -instant in the pressure of despair. Only the gruff boatswain found -words to say, "That bit plug, that didn't ought to have been -neglected, 's worth exactly twelve men's lives. This here's a stopper -over all, blessed if it ain't." There was nothing to be done now but -to wait manfully for death. Poor Charlie was already half-dead with -cold; but Frank took off his own pea-jacket and wrapped it round the -lad, and lashed him to the foremast; for though the weather had -moderated considerably, a sea came every now and then driving over the -deck, and carrying everything before it. The wreck was by this time -filling fast, and sinking gradually: already she had settled by the -stern, and only her bows and a part of the forecastle remained above -water. On this the sufferers were congregated, and few words did they -interchange, for consolation or hope there was none in this world. -Their powder was exhausted--true, there was plenty below, in the -powder-magazine, but that was long ago swamped, so that their very -cries for help must be silenced--that iron voice, their sole chance -of rescue, must be dumb. The fog, too, began to clear away, and a -bright gleam of sunshine ever and anon shone out upon the yellow, -foam-crested waves, and glistened on the white wings of the dipping -sea-gulls. By degrees the blue sky peered overhead, and the gap -widened and widened, and the mists rising in wreaths from the waters, -now heaving and subsiding into rest, floated lazily away, and the -discoloured sea became bright and blue, and the sun burst forth into a -glorious autumn day, and the warmth of his rays almost comforted those -poor wet wretches, clinging hopelessly to the wreck. It seemed hard to -die on such a day, but exhaustion was beginning to tell upon some of -the sufferers, and the lassitude of despair was creeping over them -with its drowsy influence, and the reason of more than one began to -give way. So they waited and spoke not, and some strove to pray, and -some shut their eyes as if in sleep; and noon came, and the day was -bright and hot, and the sea-birds screamed and soared, and everything -was full of joy and life, and only that little circle of twelve were -doomed to die. Frank and Charlie were together, and every now and then -each pressed the other's hand, but neither spoke. The captain, who was -nearest them, seemed stupefied with despair; and he, too, spoke not. -They were a silent company. The day crept on: every minute was -precious, yet the minutes dragged on like lead. Once the captain -stirred, and Frank, glancing eagerly at his face, was aware of a -strange light upon it, and a gleam in his fixed eye that was almost -unearthly. Was it insanity? Could it be hope? Frank's breath stopped -as he followed the direction of the captain's gaze, but he could see -nothing, save the glancing waters and the hopeless sky-line. But still -the captain stared, and the old boatswain, too, was looking eagerly in -the same direction, and another seaman seemed to wake from his stupor, -and Frank strained his eyes, and at last he was aware of a black speck -on the horizon, and, ere he could trust his sight, the stout old -captain burst into tears, and a feeble cheer rose from the exhausted -seamen, a cheer that thrilled through Frank's very marrow, for he knew -that they were saved. - -"What is it?" said Charlie, faintly, opening his heavy eyes. - -"It's a boat," was the reply--"a boat; the bitterness of death is -past, thank God! thank God!" - -Then came the painful suspense, the agony of hope and fear; it might -after all be but a spar, or a black fish, or anything save what they -wished. No--it was a boat, a real boat; but her crew might not see -them--they might be fishing--they might never think of the wreck; then -the poor exhausted fellows strained their throats in a feeble hail, or -rather a hoarse, desperate shriek. But the boat is bearing down upon -them--she nears them. "Wreck ahoy! hilli-ho!" Never was music like to -this on mortal ear. Her sharp nose comes dancing and dipping over the -waves, the glance of her oars flashes in the sun; now they can -distinguish the forms of the rowers--now the cheery voices of their -countrymen gladden their very heart's core--and now she is alongside; -and despair is over--suspense and misery are forgotten--and the past -is like a dream. - -The steamer had struck far nearer the shore than her reckoning had -given the captain reason to suppose, and her guns had at length been -heard by some fishermen on the beach at St. Swithin's. There was a -heavy sea running; but the lifeboat was soon manned, and our old -friend Hairblower himself took the stroke-oar, and manfully those -gallant fellows pulled till they reached the wreck. They had fallen in -with the ship's boats about half-way from the shore, and now brought -the welcome news of their almost undoubted safety. - -"To think of you and Master Charles being aboard, sir," said -Hairblower, who seemed to consider the whole matter of the wreck as an -every-day occurrence. "This is, indeed, what may well be called 'a -circumstance,' if ever there was 'a circumstance' hereaway;" and he -settled his two friends comfortably in the stern of the lifeboat, ere -he busied himself to place the rest of the rescued seamen where they -would least interfere with the efforts of the oarsmen. They were soon -safely disposed, and by sundown, wet, weary, and exhausted, they stood -once more upon that shore which they had scarcely dared to hope they -should ever see again. - -When Charlie woke the following morning in a comfortable room at the -Royal Hotel, the first person that greeted his opening eyes was -honest Hairblower. That worthy had taken entire possession of his -former _protege_, and now made his appearance with a steaming glass of -hot brandy-and-water, the only orthodox breakfast, in his opinion, for -a man who had been wrecked the day before; though rather disgusted at -Charlie's obstinacy in refusing this specific, he was extremely -anxious to assist him through his toilet, and was only to be got rid -of by an assurance that his young favourite would be down to -breakfast, where he would answer all his questions, and listen to all -his protestations, in an incredibly short space of time. Hairblower -accordingly drank the brandy-and-water himself, and waited patiently -during what appeared to him an unreasonably long period to spend in -the process of adornment. - -When Frank and Charlie met in the coffee-room, the sailor too made his -appearance, and, with much circumlocution, managed to deliver himself -of a request which had evidently been all the morning brewing in his -mind. - -"If it was not a liberty, Master Charles, and you, too, Mr. -Hardingstone, I should make bold to ask of you both to let me join -company in a cruise. I conclude as you're bound to London this -afternoon at the latest--soon as ever you've got rigged out decent and -presentable. Well, gentlemen, you see I've a little business, too, in -London town. I haven't been there not since, Mr. Hardingstone, you -lent me a hand so kind, and I've got to be there, sooner or later, -about the fishing business; for, you see, my mates, they wish me to be -spokesman like with our governor, and he can't leave London--so, in -course, I must go to him. Now, if it wasn't too great a liberty, I -should be proud if you gentlemen would let me wait upon you, just for -the voyage like. I can't bear to part with you so soon: and though -you've no luggage, seeing all your traps is still aboard, and spoilt -by now, and I can't be useful to you, I should like just to see you -and Master Charlie safe into London town, and shake you both by the -hand there afore we part." - -Need we say the permission was joyfully granted, and that the -afternoon train bore the trio in company to the metropolis, whence -Charlie and Frank were to start next day together for Newton-Hollows? - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -KING CRACK - - THE TOAD WITHOUT THE JEWEL--AN INCLINED PLANE--TWO HEADS ARE - BETTER THAN ONE--THE FIRST PARALLEL--THE FAMILY GONE OUT--A - PLAN OF THE CITADEL--HOW TO GET IN--NO QUARTER--A TRIP BY - RAIL--STRANGE COMPANY - - -"Sweet are the uses of adversity" to some malleable natures, which, -bending to the storm, rise from it softened and refreshed as from an -April shower; but there are desperate and rebellious spirits on whom -grief and misfortune seem to have an exactly opposite effect. Such are -more prone to kindle into resistance or smoulder in despair, and -whilst the humbled penitent kneels meekly to kiss the rod, the -hardened offender gnashes his teeth in impotent fury, and glories in -his mad career as he forces himself from bad to worse, even to the -very threshold of destruction--"game," as the poor fool calls it, -"game to the last." - -Such was the disposition of Tom Blacke. When his child died, the whole -of his better nature seemed to have followed the infant to the grave. -He had nothing now to care for in the world; and it is needless to -enlarge upon the danger of such a state. His wife's misconduct--for -she, poor woman, maddened by despair, had but followed her husband's -example, in drowning sorrow with drunkenness--added fuel to the -flames; and Tom was descending, just as gradually and as surely as one -who walks step by step into a cellar, down into the lowest abyss of -infamy and crime. The gradations are imperceptible, there are many -windings in the path, but it never fails to terminate in the black -gulf. At first the wayfarer may be easily checked and turned aside; -but every onward step increases his velocity and his helplessness (the -laws of gravitation are no less true in the moral than the physical -world), and though a gossamer might have held him at starting, a chain -of iron shall not break his fall as he nears the bottom. The -beginning, too, is as insidious as it is effectual. The cheerful -glass, the harbinger of good fellowship and kindliness, who would be -such a churl as to deny a man the harmless pleasure of indulging in -moderation with a friend? But one cheerful glass creates a craving for -another, and ere long the liquor begins to have a charm of its own -independent of the company. Then the dose must be increased, or it -loses its power, and nightly indulgence begins to be followed by daily -reaction; so a trifling stimulant is taken in the morning, just to -steady the nerves and keep the cold out--a salutary precaution in this -damp climate! Then the pleasure becomes a necessity, and partial -intoxication begins to be the normal condition of the man. Meanwhile -the habit is expensive, but who can doubt that the moral sense becomes -blunted in so unnatural a state? and the drain on his means is -supplied by the toper's application of his wages or other resources to -his own brutal gratification. Self-indulgence soon destroys the sense -of self-respect, and the temptation to procure money is irresistible, -for without money how can he purchase drink? So the man first begins -to lie, then to cheat, and lastly to steal. He has now arrived at the -second stage in his downward journey. He has enlisted in a profession -which has its rules, its customs, its triumphs--nay, to a certain -extent, its pleasures--but from which there is no release. The -drunkard is now a thief, and, to deaden the stings of conscience, no -less a drunkard still. Then comes madness, for a state of habitual -excitement can but be called madness, and visions of daring -recklessness rise in the brandy-sodden brain--perhaps a sort of false -ambition to triumph amongst his fellow-ruffians impels him to crimes -of deeper dye than any he has yet contemplated, perhaps a vague -longing for peril, perhaps a morbid thirst for blood. The wretch plots -under the inspiration of brandy, and spurs himself to action with the -same maddening stimulant. His nerves fail him at the critical moment, -or the frenzy of despair dyes his hand with the ineffaceable stain of -murder. In the one case a living death in the hulks separates him for -ever from his fellow-men; in the other, the just retaliation of the -law leaves his body quivering on the gallows, whilst his name becomes -a byword and a curse in the mouths of generations yet unborn. This is -the third and last stage of the downward journey; further we dare not -follow the culprit; but few arrive at this awful ending without having -gone regularly through all the previous gradations. Tom Blacke had -only reached the second stage. He was now a professional thief and -receiver of stolen goods. The lodgings in the Mews could now show -curiosities and valuables that any one but a policeman would have been -surprised to find in such a place. Gold watches, silks and shawls and -trinkets, yards of brocade, ells of lace, and last, not least, a -caldron always on the boil for the manufacture of that all-absorbing -fluid which is called "white soup," and sold by the ounce, surrounded -the once virtuous Gingham in her once respectable home. She, too, was -on the downward track, and she drank to stupefy the sense of guilt, -which she could not altogether stifle, and from which she had not -energy to extricate herself. Mr. Blacke, however, as he began again to -be called, allowed no conscientious scruples to interfere with -business. He dressed well now, always had plenty of money at command, -might be seen at many places of public resort, and though aware that -the police had their eye on him--to use a common expression, that they -were only giving him "rope enough to hang himself," and would -undoubtedly "want" him ere long--he appeared resolved to live out his -little hour with the usual blind recklessness and infatuation of his -kind. - -Blacke was a plotting villain, and he had been for some time -meditating a daring sweep that should eclipse all his previous doings, -_and, if not thwarted_, realise a share of booty that would place him -above want for the rest of his life. In order to discover and -frustrate his plans, we must take the liberty of overhearing a -conversation carried on between him and his confederate, in a small -snug parlour off the bar of that very public-house in which -Hairblower had been so shamefully hocussed and robbed on his former -visit to the metropolis--an excursion he was not likely soon to -forget. - -"Bring a quartern of gin," said Tom to the flaunting maid who waited -on him, as he took his seat at the council-table, with a bloodshot eye -and shaking hand, that showed such a stimulus was by no means -unnecessary. "Shut the door, girl," he added, in a threatening voice, -as the undiluted spirit was placed on the table between him and his -companion; "this gentleman and me has matters of business to talk -over; see that we're not disturbed--d'ye understand?" The girl gave a -saucy smile of intelligence, and left the two worthies to their -consultation. - -"My service to you," said Tom, abruptly, as he lifted a brimming -wine-glass full of gin to his shaking lips. - -"Here's luck," laconically replied the gentleman addressed, wiping his -mouth on the back of his hand, and turning his glass down upon the -table to show how religiously he had drained every drop. - -There was an ominous silence--Tom felt the moment had arrived to -explain the whole of his plans, and he paused a little, like some -skilful general, as he ran over in his mind how he should impart them -in the clearest manner to his companion, a man of somewhat obtuse -intellect, though strong and resolute in action, and who was indeed no -other than Mr. Fibbes. That worthy's appearance had decidedly changed -for the worse since we had the honour of making his acquaintance at -the truly British game of skittles, or even since we last took leave -of him in earnest conversation with his patron, Major D'Orville. He -had sustained two domestic afflictions, from each of which he had -suffered severely: the one in the loss of his little black-eyed wife, -who had been suddenly taken from him, and who, although, as he himself -said, she was a "rum 'un when she was raised," had certainly kept him -out of a deal of mischief; the other, in the premature death of his -pride and prime favourite, Jessie, whose sufferings during distemper -and subsequent dissolution he averred would have moved "a 'eart of -stone." Under the influence of these combined sorrows Mr. Fibbes had -neglected his person, and taken more decidedly to drinking than -formerly, and was now seldom or never in his right senses; a fact -sufficiently attested by his bloated red face, his dull leaden eye, -and general appearance of dissolute recklessness. He was indeed ripe -for mischief, or, to use his own words, "up to anythink, from skinning -a pig to smothering a Harchbishop," a frame of mind very likely to -lead to dangerous consequences. Tom filled his glass once more, and -opened the plan of his campaign. - -"It must be done to-night, Mr. Fibbes," he remarked, with polite -energy; "this is the last night we can manage it cleverly, on account -of the moon. See now--I've been down in the neighbourhood to make -sure. My missus, she knows the place as well as I know you. Bless you! -she was bred and born there. But I wouldn't trust to that. I've been -waiting down about there for a week. At last, the family they all goes -out a hairin' in the phaeton or what not--I walks boldly up to the -front door and rings the bell. Up comes the housekeeper, all in a -fluster, settling of a clean cap--thinks I, the footman's gone with -the carriage, and the butler's out shootin', and directly his back's -turned, the under butler he's off courtin', and the boy when the -coast's clear, he runs out to play cricket, so there's no one left but -the women--trust me for managin' of _them_." - -"Good," said Mr. Fibbes, approvingly, as he filled and emptied his -glass. - -"'Is the General at home?' says I, quite promiscuous, and looking up -and down the portico like a harchitect. - -"'No, sir,' says she, politely enough; 'did you wish to see him?' - -"'It's of no consequence,' says I, pulling a bundle of prints and a -measuring-line out of my pocket, 'merely a small matter of business; -the General's confidential servant would do as well.' Ye see I knowed -the butler was out, else he'd have answered the door. - -"'Perhaps you'll leave a message, sir,' says she. - -"'O ma'am,' says I, 'it's a matter of no importance, only I _am_ going -to town by the train to-night. Perhaps, ma'am, as you seem to be the -governess, or a relative of the family, you might give me permission -to do all I want.' - -"'What is it?' says she, looking as pleased as Punch. - -"'Well, ma'am,' says I, 'the fact is, I'm engaged in preparing a work -for publication that shall comprise all the principal seats of the -nobility and gentry in the Midland Counties; would you oblige me by -glancing over the proofs? and if there are any that strike your fancy, -pray favour me by acceptin' of them,' says I. 'Your noble family owns -one of the finest residences we have yet surveyed, and we shall be -proud to do justice to it.'" - -"Good," again grunted Mr. Fibbes, who was beginning to weary of the -detail, and wanted more gin to keep him awake. - -"Well," resumed Tom, "with that she takes me into the hall, and shows -me over the drawing-room, and the dining-room, and the conservatories; -and she stops and pints out a statue--rank indecent, I calls it, -without a rag of clothin' to bless itself--and the pictures, and what -not; but I wasn't satisfied with this here; what I wanted was to know -where the plunder was stowed, and though pictures may be very -profitable to them as sells 'em, the plate-basket's more in my line of -business than those shammy gold frames that make such a show, and -isn't worth half-a-crown a yard. 'You'll excuse me, miss,' says I -(they likes to be called miss when the bloom's off 'em a little), 'but -I've always understood as the offices in this house is a perfect -pattern as regards servants' accommodation and general arrangement. -Now, my governor, he's building a country residence for the Earl of -Aircastle, and if it wasn't takin' too great a liberty, I might ask to -be allowed to inspect the basement; I could get a hint or two that -would please his lordship, who's a very particular man--uncommon.' -With that she hesitated a little, and looked hard at me, so I goes at -her again: 'I wouldn't detain _you_, miss,' says I, 'but perhaps you'd -be so good as to ring for any of the hupper servants, and they could -do all I want.' - -"'Oh,' says she, smiling again, 'I'll show you over the offices -myself.' With that, blessed if she didn't take me down-stairs, and -walk me through the sculleries, and the kitchen, and the -pantry, and the servants' hall, and the back-kitchen, and the -housemaid's closets--precious corners they was, too, for a game of -hide-and-seek--and the butler's room, where he sleeps the nights he -isn't off to Bubbleton on the sly; and I could put my hand on the -plate-chest in the dark, and I know where the General keeps his money, -and there's gold watches and such like in the drawing-room, that would -make a matter of a hundred pounds directly they saw old Sharon's -back-shop; and I kept my eyes open, as you may easily believe, and -I've got it all in my head now, let alone a bit of a plan I've taken -of the place just in the rough;" and with this Tom pulled a sheet of -paper out of his pocket, and proposed with its aid to elucidate the -manoeuvres he proceeded to put in practice. "You and I can do it -all," said Tom, "just the same as we stripped the old hall near -Devizes. I don't relish more than two, not if a job's any way -ticklish, and I do like to finish off my work neatly, I confess. Now, -look ye here, Mr. Fibbes, this is how we'll act--the station's not ten -minutes' walk from the house, and the mail-train stops there about -12.50. There's a luggage-train comes by about three in the mornin' -that would bring us back quite handy, and we should have plenty of -time to finish off handsome, and so be home to breakfast. Take another -drain, Mr. Fibbes: talking's dry work." - -Mr. Fibbes seemed to think the same of listening, and acquiesced with -great good-will. - -Tom Blacke got up, opened the door to see no one was eaves-dropping, -peeped into the cupboard, and into a red-curtained snuggery off the -bar, commanded by a small window in the room he now occupied; and -having satisfied himself that both were empty, proceeded to unfold his -plans. - -"We'll leave the trap behind us this turn, Mr. Fibbes. We can carry -all _we_ shall want; there's my light valise and the blue bag will -hold everything; we shan't take anything that's very hot, nor yet very -heavy. You mind to put on the green spectacles, just for the journey, -and I'll be the man with the prospectuses, the same as before, for the -station-master's a smart chap, and maybe he'll know me again." - -"I mustn't forget the jemmy," grunted Mr. Fibbes. - -"The jemmy!" replied Tom, in a tone of injured feeling; "what's the -use of the jemmy? This ain't a rough job, Mr. Fibbes; you seem to take -no pride in your profession! No, no; you just put the centre-bit in -your coat-pocket for a precaution, and leave the rest to me. The -back-scullery's our place; it's got a regular sash window, and opens -with a common hasp; there's a shutter, too, but I see a cobweb across -it when I was there, and I think maybe they sometimes forget to fasten -it. So you and me we alights at the station as though to walk into -Bubbleton, then we come quietly up to the house, takes a bit of brown -paper and treacle, and so breaks a pane in that scullery window -without a chink of noise, then in goes a hand to unhasp it, and you -and me, Mr. Fibbes, we walks in without a hinvitation. Now, look you -here," and Tom produced his chart of the interior, "we goes quietly -into the butler's room--he's safe to be at Bubbleton, because it's a -theatre night--we takes a piece out of the cupboard with a -centre-bit--none of your noisy jemmies--and we stows away the plate in -the blue bag; then we creeps along the passage, and so up the -back-stairs there" (pointing to the plan with his finger) "into the -drawing-room; and here, Mr. Fibbes, I shall want your assistance, in -case of haccidents. Ye see one of the ladies she sleeps above the -drawing-room, and ladies is mostly light sleepers. Now, from what I've -heard tell of this one--the governess she was--she's as likely as not -to come down if she hears any disturbance. She might know _me_, for -she's seen me along of my missus in Grosvenor Square. If she should -walk in--. Take another drain, Mr. Fibbes--what's that noise?" broke -off Tom, abruptly, his white face beaded with perspiration, and his -lip working in guilty trepidation. - -"Noise? there's no noise," replied his confederate, looking doggedly -up to him, though a strange light shone too in his bloodshot eyes; "if -she _should_ walk in, what then?" - -"Why, run the long knife into her," hissed out the less daring -villain; "it makes no noise, and she'll tell no tales." - -"Share and share alike, and it's a bargain," said Mr. Fibbes, dashing -his great hand heavily down on the table. "D----n me, Tom, you're a -deep 'un; you put me in front in that last job, and so help me I didn't -clear five pounds. I'll have none of these games this turn, and if I -_have_ to whip out the 'bread-winner,' I'll be allowed something -handsome over and above, see if I won't." - -"Of course, Mr. Fibbes," replied Tom, "honour amongst gentlemen. You -understand the plan now, I think, or would you like me to go over it -once more?" - -"Bother the plan," remarked Mr. Fibbes, who was a man of action rather -than a man of science; "let's have another quartern and be off--why, -it's getting dark now." - -"Easy," said Tom, "we'll just call at my place for the instruments, -and so walk on to the station. It's a nice fresh night for a jaunt -into the country; but what a thing it is when gentlemen can combine -business with pleasure!" - -Mr. Fibbes grunted a hoarse laugh of approbation, and, having finished -their gin, these two worthy members of society walked off, arm-in-arm, -on their nefarious expedition. It is needless to say that -Newton-Hollows was the house for which they were bound. General Bounce -and his unconscious family, resting peacefully and securely as usual, -were to be robbed, and, if any resistance arose, were to be murdered -before daylight, and this because Tom Blacke, being, as he said, -connected with them by marriage, and having received many acts of -kindness from the warm-hearted old General, had obtained a sufficient -knowledge of the inside of his dwelling and the habits of his -household to make a descent upon his property with every prospect of -success. After a vehement discussion with Mr. Fibbes, who was -extremely anxious to travel first class, and whose aristocratic -prejudices were so shocked when he found his confederate would by no -means consent to this imprudent arrangement, that he nearly threw up -the job altogether, the worthy couple stowed themselves away in a -roomy compartment of the second class, and were soon steaming along -from the lights of London, into the dark, broken masses of the cool, -fresh country. - -Though, in this instance, the power of steam seemed friendly to the -purpose of these two finished ruffians, they could not divest -themselves of certain superstitious misgivings, which probably they -would not have entertained had they been bounding along on two -free-going horses, like the gentlemen highwaymen of the olden time, -or even bowling merrily down the road in the light spring-cart, and -behind the "varmint" bay mare that made the pride of a cracksman in -the early part of the present century. But the rail! there was a deal -of insecurity about the rail. That electric telegraph, too, was the -devil. At every station they almost expected to see the face of some -too well-known detective glaring in behind the station-master's lamp, -and to hear the unwelcome though civil greeting with which he would -request the favour of their company. Then might he not be even now in -the next carriage, separated from them by that half-inch of woodwork? -Mr. Fibbes scowled as he contemplated the possibility of such -proximity, and clutched more than once at the long knife. Still they -sped on, uninterrupted; half the journey was already satisfactorily -performed. A succession of respectable good-humoured second-class -passengers got in and out, and handed their bundles and pattens and -umbrellas across the two housebreakers, and entered into conversation -with them, and thought the dark smaller man a vastly accommodating -person, and his morose companion a stout well-to-do grazier coming -home from Smithfield, judging of them just as we cannot help judging -of our temporary companions, particularly when travelling, and making -probably no worse shots than we all do in these fancy biographies _a -la minute_. But there was a man in the next carriage to the two -professionals who puzzled everybody. A stout fellow he was, with a -shiny hat, but no power on earth could get him to utter a syllable. -Some thought he was dumb, and some made sure he was drunk. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -"DULCE DOMUM" - - HALF-ENGAGED--THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER--SELF-SACRIFICE--"DINNER'S - ON THE TABLE"--"THE MEMENTO MORI"--AN ADVOCATE FOR MATRIMONY--A - FAIR GOOD-NIGHT - - -We must return to Newton-Hollows, now mellowing in the last tints of -fading autumn, its dahlias already cut off by the morning frosts, its -well-kept gravel-walks, despite the gardener and his staff, strewed -here and there with the withered leaves of the declining year. A light -mist, rising in smoke-wreaths from the sward, anticipates the early -twilight of the shortening day, and the fire burning brightly in the -library is none the less acceptable for its contrast to the gathering -shades of out-of-doors, which seem to stalk nearer and nearer to the -unshuttered windows. - -Blanche has just come in, fresh and blooming, from an errand of mercy -amongst the poor in the adjoining village. Her bonnet is even now -hanging on her arm, and her long clustering hair is damp and limp with -the dews of evening. Is that a tear clinging to her eyelashes? or is -it only the moisture of heaven caught as it fell, and prisoned in -those silken meshes? Blanche is often in tears now, and loves to be -alone. She and Mary ride and walk together as usual, but the -unreserved confidence that used to exist between them is gone. It has -been dying a natural death ever since the former paid her memorable -visit at Frank Hardingstone's hotel; and though it has flickered up -again with an expiring flash or two, it is now finally extinct. Our -young lady has aged much since her thoughtless days of only last -spring. Pique, disappointment, anxiety, and self-communing have been -doing their work silently and surely, shading the fair young brow, -indeed, but at the same time tempering and mellowing the careless, -buoyant heart. Blanche has begun to find that life is not all _couleur -de rose_, even for the young, and the lesson has not been without its -usual salutary effect. Though no longer the wealthy heiress--and, to -do her justice, she seldom dwells upon that as a misfortune--she is -beginning to feel that she too has a part to act on the stage of life, -or rather that, no longer acting the vain part of every-day frivolity, -she has a _reality_ to fulfil. So she is never so happy now as when -busying herself about her poor people, her decrepit old women, and her -little ragged children, to whom she does acts of unassuming kindness, -in the performance of which she forgets her own annoyances and -heart-burnings, though her woman nature is as yet but half-trained, -and she has occasional fits of despondency and bursts of reactionary -sorrow, which make her very unhappy for the time. Blanche has had a -fresh grievance, too, for the last few days, connected, of all things -in the world, with Cousin Charlie's return--that return which was to -have been such a jubilee of rejoicing, and which she now almost dreads -to look forward to. The girl feels as if she had lost her -self-respect, and turn which way she will, the sting ever rankles in -her breast, ever reminds her of what she chooses to consider her -degradation. The fact is, she has sustained an interview with Uncle -Baldwin in the formidable study; and the General, who is not given to -beat about the bush when he has an object in view, has developed to -her, in as few words as possible, his projects for her future welfare, -and proposed to her, point blank, that on her cousin's return from -abroad she should marry him forthwith. Blanche, as in nature bound, -made sundry hesitating objections, all of which her uncle chose to -consider as mere maiden modesty, _de rigueur_ on such an occasion; and -as Blanche could not say she _didn't like him_, and as Uncle Baldwin -had always been so kind, in fact, a second father to her, and made -such a point of it, and it would prevent Charlie going back to those -horrid Kaffirs, and was to make them all so happy, and, above all, had -been her dearest mother's wish--why, the girl gave in, as girls often -do on the most important topic of their lives, paralysed, as it would -seem, by the amount of the stake at issue, and yielded a sort of -conditional half-promise, which, notwithstanding the bursts of -applause that it met with from the General, the instant it passed her -lips, she would have given worlds to be able to recall. But there was -another consideration, buried deep in Blanche's little heart, which, -although she would have been very angry to be told so, although she -would not allow it even to herself, had far more weight in inducing -her to listen favourably to these advances on the part of her -unconscious cousin, than all the General's skilful sophistry and -affectionate eloquence; and this was a feeling which, as it is the -usual accompaniment of love, resembles that epidemic in so far that, -where it rages most fiercely, it is invariably most stoutly denied. -Men take it freely enough, and when under its influence commit sundry -absurdities, which, if they make "angels weep," certainly make their -fellow-mortals laugh, and of which they have generally the grace to be -heartily ashamed; but with women, as we believe its seeds are never -altogether dormant in those gentle beings, so its virulence, when -unchecked, pervades their whole system, and one of its commonest and -least startling effects is that species of moral suicide which is best -described by the vulgar adage of "cutting off one's nose to spite -one's face," and which produces that most incomprehensible of all -vagaries termed "marrying out of pique." - -Now we need hardly say, that we have written in vain "for that dull -elf who cannot picture to himself" how Blanche Kettering, from her -very pinafore days, had been over head and ears in love with Frank -Hardingstone: not a very sufficient reason, it may be said, for -consenting to marry some one else; but yet a natural consequence of -that inverted state of feelings we have described above, which under -the name of jealousy is capable of more extravagant feats than this. -And of whom was pretty Blanche jealous? Why, of her own fast friend -and dearest associate, the peerless Mary Delaval! The more she thought -over the characters of the two, so suited to each other in every -possible way--which very similarity Blanche was not philosopher enough -to perceive was an insuperable obstacle to any tenderer feeling than -respect--the more she considered their corresponding strength of mind -and hardihood of spirit, their equally high standard of worth and -elevation of sentiment--the more she reflected on the opinions she had -heard each of them express (the bass notes of that moral duet had sunk -deep into her heart)--the more she thought over that memorable day, -when, at a word from Mary, and at a moment's notice, Frank had started -for South Africa, without so much as coming to wish her (Blanche) -good-bye--the more her heart sank within her as she linked those two -commanding figures in the halo of love, blurred even to her mental -vision by the tears which filled her eyes as she contemplated the bare -idea of such a union. Blanche had long struggled against this feeling; -she had hoped against hope, as she firmly believed, rather than give -Frank Hardingstone up; but now she would deceive herself no more; he -was actually corresponding with Mrs. Delaval, which, to say the least -of it, she must confess was very indelicate. This was the second -letter Mary had received from him. Why had he written to Mary from the -Cape? It was surely very strange; and Mary had never offered to show -her either of the letters--of course she would rather die than _ask_ -to see them. Poor Blanche! little do you guess the cause of your -friend's unusual reserve as regarded these important missives. Mary -Delaval, quickened by her own experience of a hopeless love, saw it -all--saw that her high-minded, manly correspondent was devoted heart -and soul to Blanche; and she pitied him, even as she pitied herself, -for a misplaced attachment. But it was not for _her_, of all people, -to do aught that might shake Blanche's affection for Cousin -Charlie--_she_ could not be so selfish, so traitorous, as to lend her -assistance to anything, however slight, that might in the most remote -manner wean Blanche from her cousin, and leave him free. So Mary, -treasuring the letter, as containing oft-repeated mention of the -beloved name, placed it in her bosom, but did not volunteer to show a -single line of it to a living soul. Therefore is Blanche desponding -and unhappy; therefore, as gloomy thoughts sweep like shadows across -her mind, the tears gather in her eyes, as she leans her head upon the -marble chimney-piece, and sorrows all alone in the deepening twilight. - -"And this is the day I thought I was to have been so happy," thinks -poor Blanche--"the day I have been looking forward to ever since we -heard Charlie was coming home. Ah! I wish I could meet him now as I -used to do in the happy days when we knew nothing about marrying and -money and family arrangements. And poor Charlie, after all his -sufferings!--Uncle Baldwin says it will break his heart if I don't -marry him. And dear mamma, if she had lived, she would have been so -glad to see it all settled! And so I suppose it _must_ be; and then -Mr. Hardingstone will very likely marry _her_, and everybody will be -happy and contented but _me_. Ah! well, there must always be some one -sacrificed; and I suppose I must be the victim this time; but it _is_ -hard to give up all my hope, all my sunshine--to have no future any -more. Yes; I hear the autumn wind sighing round the house. I am not -yet twenty; and it will be all autumn to me for the rest of my life. -Oh, it _is_ hard--very hard!" and Blanche pressed her brow against the -chimney-piece and wept bitterly. - -"Blanche, dearest Blanche, what is it?" whispered a gentle voice close -beside her, and she felt Mary Delaval's arm passed caressingly round -her waist. Blanche started up, and checked her tears. She could have -borne anything but this. She could not endure to be consoled by her -triumphant rival. "Nothing," she replied, withdrawing herself almost -rudely from the encircling arm--"nothing; I'm only tired and nervous, -waiting for these people. I think I'll go and dress, for it's getting -late; and--I think--I think I'll go by myself, Mrs. Delaval," said -Blanche; and she hurried away, leaving Mary surprised and hurt at the -first unkind words she had ever heard from Blanche's lips. "Anything -but that," said the girl as she walked up-stairs, swelling with -indignation; "anything but that _she_ should come and _triumph_ over -me." And she banged her door angrily; and Mary, in the drawing-room, -heard it, and was grieved. - -_Triumph_, indeed!--was that poor pale face one of _triumph_? Were -those deep eyes, hollowing day by day; that sad brow, on which care -seemed visibly to rest, as a cloud rests upon the hill, and softens -even while it darkens--were these the outward signs of satisfied -affection and _triumphant_ love? Blanche, Blanche, you think yourself -very unhappy; but little do you know the struggle going on in the -bosom of that faithful friend with whom you are now so unjustly at -variance. Little do you guess that she has torn the one only image, -the fulfilment of the ideal of a lifetime, from her heart, and vowed -to worship it no more; and prayed that the very thought which made the -sunshine of her existence might pass away; and all for you. So it is -in life: we make a sacrifice which costs us nothing; we give that -which perhaps we are all well satisfied to get rid of; and the world -says, "How noble! how generous! how disinterested!" or we yield up the -one dear hope that has cheered us all our journey; we consent to -travel the rest of the way in darkness and dreariness and listless -despair, and the world thinks us only stupid and disagreeable; those -who look below the surface perhaps suggest that we are bilious; and -the one for whom we have made all this ruin, for whose well-being and -security we are stretched helpless, exhausted, bleeding by the way, -thanks us blandly at the most, and takes it much as a matter of -course, and passes by, very likely, on the other side. - -But "fight who will and die who may," the outward world goes on much -the same notwithstanding. The clock goes round, and dinner-time -arrives; and whatever may be the sorrow brooded over and locked up in -the inner life, we dress for dinner when the time comes, and look in -the glass and dry our eyes, and have a glass of sherry after our soup; -and the tyrant Custom, and the motley jester Society, bid us sit -between them; and this woos from us a vapid smile, and that lays his -iron hand upon our brow and dares us to stir; and we are all the -better for the hypocrisy and the restraint. - -Thus, although the ringing of the door-bell that announced the -long-expected arrival of the guests from Africa vibrated through the -very hearts of the ladies in their dressing-rooms, even as it vibrated -through the ground-floors and offices of Newton-Hollows, we are not to -suppose that it crumpled a fold of muslin or moved a single ringlet -out of its place with its agitating summons. Below-stairs, indeed, the -old butler settled himself hastily into his coat, and rushed to the -door with as hearty a welcome for the travellers as if it had been his -own house; whilst from a gallery that overlooked the hall divers -lighted candles might be seen glancing, and pretty faces looking down -from beneath smart caps, all eager to get a glimpse at Cousin Charlie, -whose wounds and exploits had made him a second Roland in the -estimation of these admiring damsels; while sundry exclamations might -have been overheard, as, "Which is him?" "That's Master Charles, him -in the pea-jacket." "Lor', how thin he's growed!" and, "Well, he's a -genteel figure, let alone those 'orrid moustaches," from the upper -housemaid, who was a new acquisition since Charlie's departure, and -having once been engaged to a journeyman glazier, thought herself a -judge of young men. But the General had rushed from his den in the -meantime, half-dressed as he was, and had pulled Charlie into the -well-lighted drawing-room, and had shaken Frank Hardingstone a hundred -times by the hand, and was never tired of reiterating his welcome, and -his delight at seeing them both once more. - -"God bless you, Frank!" exclaimed the General for the twelfth time, as -he fidgeted about the room in braces and shirt-sleeves. "What! you've -brought him back safe and well? D----n me, sir (God forgive me for -swearing), I tell you I'll _never_ forget it. Zounds, don't tell me! -Brought him back, sir, like a resurrectionist! I never thought to see -this day, sir--I tell ye--Gratitude! how d'ye mean? And you, Charlie, -my trump of a boy--thanked in Orders--General Orders, by all the gods -of war! Ah, I hadn't lectured you over the old port for nothing. You -took 'em in flank, the rascals. _In flank_, or I'll eat 'em. Don't -tell _me_; couldn't be done otherwise. Lads! lads! it's too much: you -make me feel like a child again. What?" and the old General's eyes -began to overflow with the fulness at his heart; so he relapsed into a -state of unusual gruffness, and stirred the fire fiercely to conceal -his emotion; and finally hurried them off to dress. "None of your -licentious camp habits here, Charlie. Dine to a minute, you dog! I -trust you'll find your room comfortable, Frank, my boy. I saw to the -fire myself not half-an-hour ago. What? Ring for what you _want_, and -my servants will bring you what they _have_." So the old gentleman -toddled off to finish his own personal adornment, and the guests, with -beating hearts, well concealed from each other, proceeded to dispatch -theirs as quickly as might be. - -If ever there was a banquet that to all appearance should have been -one of triumphant hilarity, it was the sumptuous dinner to which our -party sat down that day in the bright, warm, cheerful dining-room at -Newton-Hollows. Notwithstanding Lady Mount Helicon's sneers, no man -understood better than the General that process which is -conventionally called "doing things well." The servants glided about -noiselessly as if shod with velvet--the doors were never left open, -still less closed with a bang--no bumps and thumps of tray-corners -against projecting wood-work disturbed the conversation, to irritate -the host while they alarmed his guests. Nor as the different courses -made their appearance, did a gush of cold air accompany them from -below-stairs, tainted but not warmed by the odours borne with it from -the kitchen. The soup was as hot as the plates, the champagne iced to -a turn, even as the haunch was roasted. Glasses were filled -noiselessly by the butler, as a matter of course (by the way, an -immense pull for the ladies), and everything was handed to everybody -at the instant it was wanted, and this, to our humble ideas, is no -mean auxiliary to the general success of an entertainment. The old -Roman _bon vivant_ evidently knew a thing or two about dinner-giving -(he called them suppers), or he would not have so dilated on the -necessity of attention to trifles, _vilibus in scopis_, _in mappis_, -etc. The General, too, understood these details thoroughly, and -therefore it was disrespectful youth voted _nem. con._ that -Newton-Hollows was "a rare shop at feeding time," and that "old -Bounce, if he was rather a bore out hunting, was nevertheless the boy -to dine with, and no mistake!" - -"The boy," however, on this occasion seemed to have all the hilarity -of the meeting to himself. Of the four individuals that constituted -his party, each was acting a part, each had set a guard upon his and -her lips, and was originating broken, disjointed sentences, vainly -endeavouring to form a matter-of-course unrestrained conversation. -The ladies were even more reserved than the gentlemen. Blanche was -thinking how brown and handsome Frank looked after his voyage--so much -more manly than her cousin--and wondering why he should say so little -to _her_, and yet pay no attention whatever to Mary. That lady again -was full of tender alarms and anxieties about Cousin Charlie, his -wasted figure, and his frequent cough, and gulping down the tears she -could scarcely repress, as she glanced ever and anon at his glittering -eye and emaciated face. "Perhaps," she thought, "he will never live -after all to be Blanche's husband." A thrill shot through her at the -thought that then he would indeed be all her own: but if this was joy, -good faith! it was a joy near akin to tears. As for Frank, he was more -in love than ever. Nor indeed is this to be wondered at. If a -gentleman having voluntarily surrendered himself to that epidemic, -which, like the measles, we must all go through sooner or later, and -which, like that indisposition of childhood, is prone to cure itself -by its own progress--if a gentleman, then, having undergone a -favourable eruption, and, at the very crisis of his disorder, shall -voluntarily absent himself from his charmer, to return from a -sea-voyage amongst rough companions, and contemplate her for the first -time, attired in all the brilliancy of dinner costume, and further -embellished by the favourable disposition of light, which sets off -such entertainments, and which is generally considered highly -conducive to female beauty, he need not be surprised to find that he -is less a rational being than ever, or that the disease for which -absence is considered so unfailing a cure should come out with -redoubled virulence under such an interruption of that salutary -course. But Frank, though in love, was also disappointed. His hopes -had risen most unreasonably since Charlie's disclosures on the evening -preceding their memorable shipwreck. He had indulged in such -day-dreams as, for a sensible man--which, to do him justice, he -generally was--were the acme of absurdity; and now because Blanche had -neither thrown herself into his arms when they met--a feat, indeed, -she could hardly have conveniently accomplished, "dinner" being -announced at that interesting moment--nor had spoken to him more than -she could possibly help--for which reserve she likewise had excellent -reasons, the principal one being that she could by no means trust her -voice--our philosophic gentleman was disappointed, forsooth, and -consequently hurt, and the least thing sulky. Charlie, again, though -more at ease in his mind than the others, was tired and exhausted: he -was always tired now towards the evening; and although rejoiced to be -once more at home, once more gazing his fill on the only face he had -ever much cared to look at--an indulgence that partook, he knew not -why, of the nature of a stolen pleasure--yet his satisfaction was of -that inward kind which does not betray itself by outward signs of -mirth, but which, more particularly in failing health, flows on in a -deep silent current, that to the superficial observer has all the -appearance of apathy and cold, selfish carelessness. - -But the General was in his glory. Fond of eating and drinking himself, -his delight was to see his friends eat and drink too; and as he urged -on his guests the different good things for both purposes that smoked -on the table or sparkled on the sideboard, he monopolised the -conversation with the same zest that he demolished a considerable -share of the entertainment. - -"Charlie, you eat nothing, my boy," said the General: "that haunch was -roasted a turn too much; let me give you a bit of the grouse. Zounds! -we must fatten you up here--what? commissariat disgraceful at the -Cape! 'Gad, sir, we wouldn't stand it in India. I broke three -commissaries myself in the Deccan, because there was no soda-water in -camp--fact, I pledge you my honour, Mrs. Delaval. I don't believe -Charlie's had a morsel to eat since he went into training for the -steeple-chase." - -"You wouldn't have said so if you'd seen him getting well at Fort -Beaufort," remarked Frank, rousing himself from his fit of -abstraction; "his voracity was perfectly frightful! I wish you could -have seen him, Miss Kettering, in a black skull-cap, as thin as a -thread-paper, on crutches, asking every ten minutes what o'clock it -was, dreading to die of starvation between two o'clock dinner and five -o'clock tea; you never beheld anything so thin and so hungry." - -Blanche laughed her old merry laugh; and Charlie, stealing a look at -Mary Delaval, saw her eyes were full of tears. How his heart leapt -within him, and how a chill seemed to gather round it the moment -after, and curdle his very life-blood, as the possibility flashed -across him, that even now it might be _too late_. Too late!--he was -but twenty-one, yet something warned him that his was no secure -tenure, that there might be truth in the startling suspicion that had -of late obtruded itself like a death's head on his moments of -enjoyment--that the world might be no world for him when autumn again -shed her leaves, and the browning copses and cleared fields brought -back the merry field-sports he loved so well. No more football--no -more cricket--no more panting excitement and rosy out-of-doors -exertion--no more sharp gun-shot ringing through the woodland, nor -hound making music in the dale, nor airy steed careering after the -pack, fleeting noiselessly o'er the upland. And though these were -hard, bitter hard to leave, 'twas harder still to give up the opening -dream of ambition, the budding promise of manhood; and harder, harder -than all, the first glowing reality of woman's love. It is well to -perish with trust unshaken in that glorious myth; to sleep before that -too is discovered to be a dream. But Charlie shook off these moments -of despondency with the elasticity of his age and character. In that -bright, luxurious room, with those friendly faces around him, -encircled by beauty, wealth, and refinement, death seemed -_impossible_. Have we never felt thus wrapped in security ourselves; -and when some "silver cord has been loosed--some golden bowl broken" -from amongst our own immediate associates, have we not felt almost -angry at the unmannerly visitor who intrudes thus without knocking, -and pauses not to wipe his shoes for Turkey carpet more than sanded -floor? "_Pauperum tabernas regumque turres_," he has the _entree_ of -them all. - -The General was a little disappointed with his guests, when, on the -retirement of the ladies, a magnum of undeniable claret exhaled its -aroma for their immediate benefit, and he found it did not by any -means disappear with that military rapidity to which he was accustomed -in his younger days. Charlie's cough was a sufficient excuse for his -abstemiousness; and Frank Hardingstone, though he could drink a -bucketful on occasion, would not open his lips on compulsion; so the -General found himself in consequence obliged to grapple with the giant -almost single-handed. This, to do him justice, he undertook with -considerable _gusto_, and by the time he had got to the bottom of his -measure, had arrived at that buoyant state in which gentlemen are more -prone to broach such matters of business as they may think it -expedient to undertake, than to explain clearly the method by which -their desired ends can most readily be attained. Accordingly, when -Frank and Charlie rose to join the ladies in the drawing-room, our old -soldier called the latter back to the fire-place, and filling himself -a large bumper of sherry as an orthodox conclusion to the whole, bid -his nephew sit down again for five minutes, and have a little quiet -conversation on a subject which should not be too long postponed. -"Just three words, Charlie," said the General, sipping his sherry; -"won't you have a whitewash, my boy? Three hundred and sixty-five more -glasses in the year, you know. You won't? Well, Charlie, I'm right -glad to see you back again. To-morrow I must go over everything with -you as regards money matters. Frank has told you all about the will. -What? Zounds! it was very singular--I confess I expected it all -along." The General was one of those truest of prophets whose -predictions are reserved until the fulfilment of events. Finding that -Charlie took this extraordinary instance of foresight very coolly, he -proceeded, as he thought, to beat about the bush in a most skilful -manner. - -"Well, Charlie, and how d'ye think we're all looking, eh? Wear well -and struggle on, don't we? I've taken pretty good care of your cousin -for you, my boy, during your absence. How d'ye think she's looking, -eh?" - -Charlie, who had not thought about it at all, answered, "Very well." - -And the General filled himself another glass of sherry and went -on--"By Jove, Charlie, I congratulate you on _that_, eh? Shake hands, -my lad. Zounds! we'll drink Blanche's health. Now I've put everything -_en train_. We can have the lawyers down at a moment's notice. -Blanche's _things_, to be sure, will have to be got; women can't do -without such a quantity of clothes. Why, when Rummagee Bang's widow -was burnt--however, that's neither here nor there. Now tell me, -Charlie, when do you think it ought to come off?" - -"My dear uncle, I can't think what you're talking about," replied -Charlie, trying to look as if he didn't understand; "I don't see what -I've got to do with Blanche's things." - -"Talking of?" resumed the General, "why, the wedding, to be sure. What -else should I be talking of? You're quite prepared, I suppose. I've -arranged it all with Blanche; she cried and all that, but _I_ know the -sex, Charlie, and _I_ could see--zounds, sir! she's _de_-lighted. -Never was such an arrangement--keeps all the money together, fulfils -everyone's intentions. What?--and then it's been such a long -attachment, ever since you were both children, corals and long -petticoats. Petticoats! How d'ye mean?" - -"But, Uncle Baldwin," pleaded Charlie, with some difficulty getting in -a word edgeways, "don't you think all this is somewhat premature?" - -"Premature! what the devil?" replied the General--"zounds, sir! not at -all premature; quite the contrary, been put off too long, in fact. -Never mind, better late than never. These things should be done out of -hand. Why, sir, when I was at Cheltenham in '25, the very year of that -claret, by the way," pointing to the empty magnum, "there was a -handsome widow wanted to marry me at twelve hours' notice. Did I ever -tell you how I got off, Charlie? 'Gad, sir, Mulligatawney, of the -Civil Service, got me out of the town in a return hearse; but even -death couldn't part us, my boy--zounds! she followed me to Bath, and I -was laid up on the second-floor of the York House with the scarlet -fever--_the scarlet fever!_ and I was as well as you are--till we -starved her out; and when they said I was disfigured for life she gave -in." The General chuckled till the tears came into his eyes; then, -recollecting his moral was somewhat anti-matrimonial, checked himself -into supernatural gravity, and resumed on the other tack. "But -marriage is a respectable state, Charlie; there's nothing like it, so -Mulligatawney tells me, to sober a man. Marriage, Charlie," said the -General, oracularly, with a solemn shake of the head, "marriage is -like that empty decanter. It comes in sparkling and blushing, like -sunrise on a May morning. What?--You draw the cork, and the first -glass is heaven upon earth--that's the honeymoon; then you fill -another--same flavour, but not quite equal to the first. Never mind, -try again; so you keep sipping and sipping, to analyse, if you can, -the real taste of the beverage, and before you satisfy yourself you -come to the end of the bottle; then, sir, when you get to the bottom -you can see through it, and you find how empty it is! Not that I mean -exactly that," said the General, again catching himself up, as he -found that his metaphor, having taken a wrong turn, had led to a -somewhat unexpected conclusion. "But we can't stop here all night," -added he; "so tell me, my boy, when I may begin to send out -invitations for the breakfast." - -Charlie blushed up all over his emaciated face, as he replied, pulling -vehemently at his moustaches, "Why, uncle, it's best to be explicit, -and I like to be straightforward about everything, so I may as well -tell you at once, I--I'm hardly prepared to marry--in fact, I'm rather -adverse to it--in short," said Charlie, gaining courage as he went on, -"I've no immediate idea of marrying at all, and, with all my respect -and brotherly affection for her, certainly not Blanche." - -"_Certainly not Blanche!_" repeated the General, in something between -a shriek and a moan. "_Certainly not Blanche!_--and why, in the name -of all that's de--de--disgusting? _Certainly not Blanche!_ Zounds! I -see it all now; you've got a _black wife_--don't deny it!--a black -wife and a swarm of piebald picaninnies. Oh dear! oh dear! that I -should live to see this day--I shall never get over it--it's killing -me now;----, I feel it here, sir, in the pit of my stomach! I'll go to -bed," he vociferated, untying his neckcloth on the spot; "I'll go to -bed this instant, and never get up again!" With which lugubrious -threat the General, regardless of Charlie's protestations and -remonstrances, did in effect stump furiously off to his den, whence -his dressing-room bell was forthwith heard pealing with alarming -violence; nor did he appear any more that evening, leaving the -gentlemen to drag out a weary sitting, still at cross purposes, each -in the society of her he loved best in the world. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -"EUDAEMON" - - NIGHT-WALKERS--A "NICE JOB"--CLEARING THE PLATE-BASKET--JUST IN - TIME--DRUM-HEAD COURT-MARTIAL--FIRST LOVE--A RAT BEHIND THE - ARRAS--ON THE TRAIL--AN EFFECTUAL OPIATE - - -It was a soft dark night--such a night as is peculiar to our temperate -climate towards the close of autumn. There was no moon, and not a star -to be seen, yet was it not _pitch_ dark, save under the gigantic trees -or in the close shrubberies that surrounded Newton-Hollows. A man -could see about ten yards before him, and one bound on an evil errand, -by cat-like vigilance and circumspection, might have made out the -figure of an honest man at that distance, and remained himself unseen. -The night-wind sighed gently through the half-stripped hedges; and the -fragrance of the few remaining autumnal flowers floated lightly on the -breeze. It was a beautiful night for the purpose. "Quite -providential," Mr. Fibbes said, as, clad in a long great-coat, he -stumbled up the dark lane that led from Newton station to General -Bounce's residence. His companion made no answer; Tom Blacke was -pre-occupied and nervous. It may be that the stillness of the hour, -the soothing tendency of all around him, brought back too painfully -the innocent days of the past--it may be that he contemplated with -some misgivings the hazardous undertaking of the immediate future. Mr. -Fibbes, however, allowed no such gloomy reflections to influence his -spirits, and the pair proceeded in silence, save where the latter, -stumbling in some unseen rut, anathematised the slovenly finish of -"these here country roads," and sighed for the gas-lit pavement of -his beloved London. Once Tom halted, grasping his comrade's arm with a -low "Hush!" and whispering in his ear, "that there was a step behind -them, walking when they walked, and stopping when they stopped." - -"Hecho," replied Mr. Fibbes, accounting for the phenomenon by natural -causes, but prefixing a superfluous aspirate to the name of the -invisible nymph. "Hecho," said he; "I've often knowed it -so--'specially at night. But, Tom, what's up, man? blessed if you -ain't a-shakin' all over,--have a drain, man, have a drain!" and the -never-failing remedy was forthwith produced in a goodly case-bottle -from the great-coat pocket. Nor did the doctor neglect his own -prescription, and much refreshed the twain proceeded on their way. A -slight difficulty occurred in scaling the park-railings, Mr. Fibbes -affirming with many oaths that nothing but his weight and the age of -his nether garments saved him from being impaled there for life; and -the tremendous disturbance occasioned by a panic-stricken -cock-pheasant compelled a halt of several minutes' duration, lest the -inmates of the Hall should have been aroused by the vociferous -rooster. All was at length still--the church clock at Guyville chimed -the half-hour after one. The night grew more cloudy, and the wind died -away into a low, moaning whisper. The pair stole across the lawn, like -two foul shades returning to the nether world. A heavy foot-mark -crushed Blanche's last pet geranium into the mould. Tom shook like an -aspen leaf, much to the covert indignation of Mr. Fibbes, and they -reached the scullery window unheard and unsuspected. - -"Gently, now!" Why does Tom shake so, and even Mr. Fibbes, with his -bull strength and iron nerves, feel so ill at ease, so willing even -now to go back a guiltless trespasser, and leave the job undone? But -no--it has been boasted of in anticipation at their flash resorts; -what would the professionals think? Why, the very detectives would -sneer to learn that "Leary Tom" and "the Battersea Big 'un" had been -frightened at their own shadows, and after a long journey into -the country had returned bootyless to London, the sleepers -undisturbed--the "crib uncracked." "Gently, again!"--a jackdaw on the -roof brings their hearts into their mouths; were it not for the -case-bottle they would "drop it" even now. Another pause, and Mr. -Fibbes, summoning all his energies, proceeds to act. Gently and -stealthily he produces the brown paper, and the treacle with which it -is to be smeared. Lightly he applies it to the selected pane, Tom -turning the dark-lantern deftly on the job. How ghastly the white face -on which a chance ray happens to gleam! Warily--gradually--the heavy -hand presses harder, harder still, and the glass gives way; but the -faithful treacle absorbs every stray fragment, and not a particle -reaches the ground either without or within. Fortune favours the -rogues; the shutters have not been put up. They are in for it now, and -both gather confidence, Mr. Fibbes assuming the initiative. A large -dirty hand gropes through the broken pane, and the hasp of the window -is moved cautiously back; but with all their care it gives a slight -click, and again they pause and listen with beating hearts. "The -grease," whispers Mr. Fibbes to his confederate, and the sashes being -plentifully smeared with that application, the window opens -noiselessly to the top. Admittance thus gained to the body of the -place, our housebreakers are now fairly embarked on their enterprise. -Their shoes are pulled off and stowed away in their pockets. The -centre-bit is got in readiness, and Mr. Fibbes feels the edge of his -long knife with a grim sense of dogged, bloodthirsty resolution. All -is, however, in their favour. The scullery door is left open, and they -reach the passage on the ground-floor without the slightest noise or -hindrance. And here we may remark for the benefit of those who are -affected by nervous apprehensions of their houses being "burglariously -entered and their property feloniously abstracted," to use the -beautiful language of the law--that there is no precautionary measure -better worth observing than that of carefully locking _on the outside_ -the door of every room on the ground-floor, and leaving the key in the -lock. There are three things, it is said, of which the housebreaker -has a professional horror--a little dog loose, an infant unweaned, and -a sick person _in extremis_. The first is an abomination seldom -permitted where there is anything worth stealing; the second, a -misfortune which Nature kindly suffers only to exist at considerable -intervals; the third, a calamity to which we may hope not to be -subjected _very_ often in a lifetime. In the absence, then, of these -unwelcome defences, every door secured as above makes an additional -fortification against the enemy. The thief having perhaps effected a -skilful and elaborate entrance into your dining-room, where he finds -no booty but an extinguished lamp and a volume of family prayers, must -commit a fresh burglary before he can reach your study, or wherever -you keep your small stock of ready money for household expenses; and -though he came in at the window, reversing the usual order of things -with an unwelcome visitor, he finds it no easy matter to get out at -the door. The probability is he will hardly work through three solid -inches of mahogany, for he cannot conveniently pick the lock, if the -key is left in it, without some little noise. Thus (although to the -damage of your upholstery) you get an additional chance of being -aroused, and a few minutes more time to betake yourself to your -weapons, whether they consist of an unloaded blunderbuss, a -twelve-barrelled revolver (out of order), or a hand-candlestick and a -short brass poker. In the meantime, your _placens uxor_, uttering -piercing shrieks out at the window, alarms the country for miles -round, and, what is more to the purpose, frightens the robber out of -his wits, who decamps incontinently, leaving no further marks of his -visit than a window-frame spoilt, an inkstand or a jar of curry-powder -upset, and a small box of lucifer-matches, his own property, and -seized on by you as the _spolia opima_ of this bloodless victory. - -Stealthily, noiselessly, like the tiger on his velvet footfall, our -two ruffians glide along the passage towards the butler's -sleeping-room, where the plate is kept. Small need have they of the -dark lantern, so accurately have they studied the plan of the house, -so apt are they in their nefarious trade. But they have reckoned -without their host upon that official's absence at Bubbleton; the late -arrivals from Africa have kept him at home. However, he has been -celebrating their return so cordially that, as far as being aroused -and making an alarm goes, he might as well be a hundred miles off. -They pass the lantern twice or thrice across his sleeping, -open-mouthed face, and Fibbes feels the edge of his knife once more, -with devilish ferocity, ere the centre-bit is brought into play, and a -hole bored in the plate-cupboard, which soon makes the robbers masters -of its contents. That receptacle is emptied, and its treasures -transferred to the blue bag, with astonishing silence and celerity. -The adepts, growing bold with impunity, almost regret the deep -slumbers of the inmates, sufficiently attested by the prolonged snores -resounding from that portion of the basement where the other male -servants repose, and arguing that the jollifications of the evening -have not been confined to the somnolent butler alone: had the garrison -been more on the alert, think the invaders, there would have been more -satisfaction in foiling them, and it would have been a "more -creditable job" altogether. Hush! is that a footfall along the -passage? They stop and listen intently. The kitchen clock ticks loudly -throughout the darkness, but other sound is there none. They resume -their labours. By this time the plate is packed; the great object of -the foray has been attained--melted silver tells no tales--and there -is nothing further to be done than to strip the drawing-room of such -portable articles as are worth the carrying, and so decamp in triumph. -Up the back-stairs they steal. The General hates a door to _slam_, in -which aversion we cordially agree with him; and the green-baize one -communicating with the offices revolves noiselessly on its hinges. So -they glide through without hindrance, and on past that statue the -nudity of which had shocked Tom's sense of propriety on a previous -occasion. Mr. Fibbes, who is of a facetious humour when under -excitement, seizes the dark-lantern, and turns its glare full upon -this work of art, with a high-seasoned joke. They reach the -drawing-room door; for the space of a minute they listen intently; -prolonged snores from the direction of the General's apartment pervade -the house; other sounds there are none. Cautiously the lock is turned, -and the door thrown quickly open, that no creaking hinge may betray -them by its moan. A gleam of light well-nigh blinds them, accustomed -to the darkness of the passages through which they have been groping; -and Mr. Fibbes, who enters first, starts back, paralysed for a moment -by the unexpected apparition of a female figure robed in white, and -shining like some unearthly being in the strong light of his lantern -turned full upon the place she occupies. The figure starts up, and -utters a long piercing shriek. There is no time for deliberation; Tom -hisses a frightful oath into his confederate's ear, and the big -ruffian gripes Blanche's white throat in one hand, whilst the other -gropes in his dress for the long knife. Already the blade quivers -aloft in the candle-light. Crash!--a terrific blow levels the villain -to the floor. Tom, turning madly to escape, finds himself in the -powerful grasp of Frank Hardingstone, who shakes him as a terrier -would shake a rat--Frank's extremely airy costume being highly -favourable to such muscular exertions. Bells peal all over the house; -lights are seen glancing along the passages; female voices rise shrill -and high, in scream and sob and voluble inquiry. Charlie and Mary -Delaval meet on the stairs, and he only exclaims, "What is it? Thank -God, _you_ are safe!" The General rushes tumultuously down in a scanty -cotton garment, disclosing the greater portion of a pair of extremely -sturdy supporters, and in which, crowned with a red nightcap, and -armed moreover with a short brass poker, he presents the appearance of -some ancient Roman of "the baser sort," inciting his brother-plebeians -to an agrarian tumult. "Guard, turn out!" shouts the General, in a -voice of thunder. "Murder, thieves! Let me get at 'em; _only let me -get at 'em_!" And he bursts into the drawing-room, where he beholds -Frank still shaking Tom Blacke, who is by this time nearly strangled; -Blanche in a "dead faint" on the sofa; Mr. Fibbes' huge body extended -senseless on the floor, and standing over him, apparently ready to -knock him to shivers again the very instant he should show the -slightest symptom of vitality, our old friend, rough, honest, -undaunted Hairblower! - - * * * * * - -"Drum-head court-martial!" exclaimed the General, as he struggled -hastily into a somewhat warmer costume than that which he had worn -during the brunt of the action--"drum-head court-martial at three in -the morning. Zounds! I only wish I was in India, I'd have 'em hanged -in front of the house before breakfast-time. Frank--hollo!--march the -prisoners into my study, under escort, my boy, and be d----d to them. -No, I will _not_ swear," and the General took his place at his -study-table, with all the pomp and circumstance of a district -court-martial, as the hapless housebreakers, with their arms pinioned -behind them, and guarded by the whole male strength of the -establishment, were paraded before him, Hairblower bringing up the -rear, and keeping his eye steadily fixed on Mr. Fibbes, as if only -watching his opportunity for an insubordinate movement on the part of -that individual to knock him down again. Mr. Fibbes maintained a -dogged silence throughout; save once, when he muttered a complimentary -remark, containing the figurative expression, "white-livered son of a -----," supposed to be explanatory of the state of prostration in which -he saw his fellow-prisoner. Tom Blacke was utterly unnerved; he cried, -and shook, and staggered like a man with the palsy, and would have -gone down on his knees to the General, had he not been forcibly held -up by the two tall footmen, who seemed to mistrust even the slightest -movement as preparatory to a fresh outbreak of ferocity. "This once," -pleaded the wretched coward, "forgive me this once, General, for the -sake of my poor wife--Miss Blanche's maid she was, sir--only this -once, and I'll confess all--the forgery and everything--you might -transport me for life, but you won't be hard upon me, General--this -job wasn't my doing, 'twas him that set me on it; 'twas his plan, I'll -swear," pointing to Mr. Fibbes, whose countenance was expressive of -intense contempt and disgust. "Well," muttered that gentleman, as if -this was indeed a climax, "well, I am ----," something which he -certainly was _not_, however much the mode of life he affected might -eventually lead to such a consummation. "Forgery!" exclaimed the -General, "what? Zounds! here's something of importance! swear him--no, -he's on his trial--take his words down in writing--forgery -indeed!--here's a pretty discovery!" As Blacke became more composed, -out it all came--how his wife had forged Mrs. Kettering's name, and -obtained the legacy, and got the will proved, through that knowledge -of the law which he was always ready to turn to evil account--the -whole confession, which was indeed full and satisfactory, for he was -frightened into telling the truth, closing with another earnest appeal -for mercy, and another denunciation of his dogged confederate. - -The General was in raptures--Blanche was an heiress once more--even -Charlie's contumacious refusal to be married against his will was now -a matter of secondary importance. In his delight he would have let -both the rogues go, and pledged himself not to prosecute them, had -Frank Hardingstone not reminded him that the duty he owed to civilised -society would hardly admit of such injudicious lenity; so the -prisoners were marched off, still under a numerous and voluble escort, -and carefully locked into a coal-house, whence, it is needless to -observe, they made an easy escape within two hours, when their -temporary gaolers, after beer all round, returned to their repose--nor -should we omit to mention that they were retaken by the London police -within five days, and eventually transported--Mr. Fibbes for fourteen -years, and Tom Blacke, in consideration of divers little matters that -came up against him, for the term of his natural life. - -But in the meantime, the General, his guests, and servants, returned -to their respective couches. Blanche, after the administration of such -restoratives as ladies alone understand, was put to bed by Mary -Delaval, who would not leave her till she saw her sink into a quiet -refreshing slumber--then the governess too sought her room, and oh! -what a happy heart she carried with her to her rest. "Thank God, _you_ -are safe!" It was but five words--yet what depths of joy and hope and -tenderness that short sentence opened up--what a different world it -was now--true, they were far apart as ever in reality, but she felt -that in the bright realms of fancy they were linked in a bond that -could never be forgotten--"yes, he loved her." 'Twas _his cousin's_ -scream that had disturbed him in his chamber; 'twas _his cousin_, his -betrothed wife, as she had once thought, who was in peril and -distress; yet in all the hurry and confusion of the moment, _she_, the -poor governess, was uppermost in his thoughts. "Thank God!" he said, -"_you_ are safe!"--yes, he loved her, he loved her, and he was hers -for evermore. They would never be united in the material world; other -duties, other affections would supplant her in his outer life, his -every-day existence--but when the cloud of sorrow overshadowed -him--when joy more than common flooded him in its golden light--when a -strain of music, or a gleam of sunshine, or the song of a bird, or the -ripple of a stream touched his higher nature--whenever the springs of -feeling gushed up in his inmost heart, then would her image rise to -vindicate its sovereignty over its spiritual being--then would she -claim him and possess him as her own, her _very_ own. First love is a -fatal illusion--the plant may never come into full bloom--it may -blossom but to be cut down--it may be nipped by bitter frosts or rent -by the blustering gale--it may be trodden into the dirt by rude feet, -and covered by grass mould, or spotted by the slime of trailing -reptiles. For years it may be buried and forgotten, yet when the south -wind breathes its fragrance over earth, when the gentle rain descends -from heaven, its fibres will again put forth their leaves; from its -burial-place the meek plant will again raise its head above the -surface, and its perfume will steal over the senses like a sigh from -Paradise. So thought Mary with regard to that superstition. To do them -justice, women in general cling with wonderful tenacity to this -article of their faith. Poor things! they seldom have it in their -power to observe it practically, but their adoration in theory for the -holiness and inviolability of first love is all the more disinterested -and edifying. So Mary lay awake for hours in an ecstasy of happiness, -and when she did close her eyes what wonder that her dreams, take -whatever shape they would at first, invariably resolved themselves -into a circle of merry-makers, and in the middle a figure on its knees -before her, with fair, upturned face, and tender, smiling lips, -whispering, "Thank God, _you_ are safe!" - -It is now high time that we should explain by what fortunate train of -circumstances Hairblower and Blanche should have met at that critical -moment, when the astonished girl found herself in the grasp of a -ruffian, who but for the timely intervention of the seaman's arm, -would in all probability have murdered her on the spot. Her champion's -own account of his proceeding was so intermixed with professional -terms and peculiar phrases, which in his vocabulary possessed an -entirely different meaning from that which is found attached to them -in Johnson's Dictionary, or any other standard authority on the -English language, that we prefer giving it in our own words, merely -observing that the whole robbery and rescue was a proceeding which he -designated "special," and should, indeed, be considered, so he said, -"a circumstance from beginning to end." Hairblower, then, having -transacted his fishing affairs with his "governor," as he called him, -in which interview, we have since been informed, the "governor," a -shrewd, hard-headed man of business, got very much the better of the -seaman; and having failed in his intention of making a ceremonious -call on his foreign friends, "the True-blues," who were then making a -tour of the provinces, was irresistibly impelled by a species of -morbid curiosity to revisit the scene of his former misfortunes. So he -actually turned into the very public-house where he had been robbed on -his previous visit to London; and finding no one there but the -bar-maid (a late acquisition), very quietly had his dinner and drank -his beer in the small snuggery of the bar, which we have mentioned as -being lighted by a window from the identical room in which Tom Blacke -and Mr. Fibbes were in the habit of holding their nefarious -consultations. The seaman had paid for his liquor, and was in the act -of departing--in fact, the girl thought he had already gone, when the -two housebreakers entered the door, and Hairblower, resisting his -first impulse, which was to do battle on the spot with the twain, "one -down, t'other come on," shrank back unobserved into the little room he -had been occupying, and taking off his shoes, concealed himself behind -an old-fashioned chest that stood against the wall. His first idea was -to remain in hiding till the two worthies should have arrived at the -height of their jollification, and then, bursting in upon their -banquet, to administer to each what he termed "his allowance." The -conversation, however, which he overheard was of such a nature as to -modify considerably this desire for immediate blows, and when the -horrid method of silencing the alarm likely to be raised by some -female watcher was discussed in cold blood as a matter of regular -business, the listener's hair stood on end as he resolved, come what -might, to prevent this deliberate and inhuman murder. - -But Hairblower was completely in the dark still as to the "where" and -the "when" of the intended burglary. He could not therefore warn the -inmates, nor had he time to inform the police. He could but watch the -plotters, lie still, and listen. Little thought Tom Blacke, when he -looked outside the door and peeped through the red-curtained window, -as he imagined to make all safe, that the avenger in the shape of his -old sailor friend was within five yards of him; little thought Mr. -Fibbes, in his acoustic speculations about "Hecho," that in this -instance hers was a substantial frame dogging his every footstep, a -strong heavy arm ready and willing to strike him to the earth. They -thought they were secure at least of all _outside_ the house, and they -took their measures accordingly. - -But honest Hairblower enjoyed one of those enviable organisations to -which fear seems positively unknown, and when he reflected that, in -his ignorance of where they were bound and when their plot was to be -ripe, his only chance was never to let the ruffians out of his sight -till he could place them in safe custody, it seemed to him the most -natural thing in the world, alone and unarmed, to dog the footsteps of -two desperate men, one of whom was an acknowledged murderer. He -followed them accordingly from the house; he waited on the opposite -side of the street whilst they got their implements from Tom's -lodgings; he arrived at the station twenty yards behind them, stole up -and heard them take tickets to "Newton," took a similar one himself, -and sat down in the very next carriage to them, with the collar of his -pea-jacket pulled high over his face, and a guard placed upon his -lips, lest his old acquaintance should by any means overhear and -recognise his voice. As he journeyed down, he thought over every -possible plan by which he could frustrate the robbery. If he gave them -into custody with the railway people, he could prove nothing; they -were two to one; they would not hesitate to swear black was white, and -they might easily turn the tables upon him, and perhaps succeed in -transferring him to durance vile instead of themselves. If he asked -for assistance from a fellow-passenger (and there was one stout-made -countryman in whom Hairblower was sorely tempted to confide) he would -probably not be believed, or at any rate the explanation and -consequent watching would be very likely to place the ruffians on -their guard. No, he would do it all himself. He could rely on his own -stout heart and powerful frame; he would hunt them to the world's end. -At Newton station great caution was necessary. He remained in the -train till they had left the platform, then nimbly jumped out as it -was on the point of starting, and delivering up his ticket, got clear -of the building in time to distinguish their footsteps stealing up the -lane not fifty yards ahead of him. This distance he cautiously -diminished. Like most sailors, he could see pretty well in the dark, -and was used to going barefoot, so taking his shoes off once more, he -had no difficulty in keeping within earshot of the chase. At last they -reached the house; Hairblower no more knew whose it was than the man -in the moon; but he had determined, as soon as they were all safe -inside, to make a dash at Tom Blacke, knock him senseless, close with -Fibbes, and alarm the inmates; thus, he thought, they will be taken in -the fact. Had he known his dear Miss Blanche was in jeopardy, perhaps -he might not have been so cool. Fortunately, sailors are so used to -every sort of difficulty that it is next to impossible to put one -wrong, and Hairblower managed to creep through the scullery window -nearly as deftly as either of the professionals, with whom proficiency -in such exercises is a necessary part of their trade. Whilst they -robbed the butler's pantry he stood behind the door; but the moment, -he thought, had not yet arrived. In that small room, he calculated, he -had hardly space to "tackle" with them properly, and with admirable -coolness waited a better opportunity, and followed them up-stairs. As -they entered the drawing-room he was close upon them; and had it not -been that he was as much startled as Fibbes himself at the apparition -of "Miss Blanche," his arm would have been raised an instant sooner, -and might perhaps have saved that young lady a fainting-fit, as it did -save her life. As he turned to seize Tom Blacke he beheld him in the -grasp of Mr. Hardingstone, and then Hairblower felt indeed that he -could have encountered a host; but by this time the house was alarmed, -and further violence unnecessary. - -Now, although we are aware that it is not customary for well-nurtured -damsels to sit with lighted candles in drawing-rooms at an hour when -the rest of the family have retired to rest, yet allowances must be -made for such as have the misfortune to be in love. This was Blanche's -case, and being unable to sleep, she wisely slipped on her -dressing-gown, and stole down-stairs for the purpose of getting the -last new novel, then lying on the drawing-room table, and -administering it as the never-failing soporific. When there, she found -the room so much more comfortable than her own, that she lit the -candles and sat quietly down to read, till disturbed by what she -thought at the moment a frightful apparition. Her delight at -recognising Hairblower when she came to her senses was only equalled -by the enthusiasm of that formidable auxiliary himself, who with -difficulty refrained from embracing her on the spot, a mode of worship -in which Frank Hardingstone would willingly have joined. That -gentleman, we have reason to think, was in love too; at least, on the -night in question he was restless and fidgety, and courted slumber in -vain. Then he heard a door open, and got up and put on a few clothes, -and then he fancied he distinguished a stealthy footfall in the -passage below; so he too left his room, and arrived on the scene of -action in the nick of time. How the disturbance of that night -influenced the destiny of several of the party it is not now necessary -to state, nor can we tell what Frank saw, heard, or felt, to induce -him the following morning to send to Bubbleton for his horses, and to -make such arrangements as argued his intention of protracting his -visit at Newton-Hollows during some considerable portion of the -hunting-season. We are satisfied, however, although she did not say -so, that this arrangement was by no means unwelcome to Blanche -Kettering. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - -FLOOD AND FIELD - - A FAMILY PARTY--A HUNTING MORNING!--HAND-AND-GLOVE--GONE - AWAY!--NEVER MORE--FOLLOW-MY-LEADER - - -It was the last day of the Old Year, and he seemed to have resolved on -making a peaceful ending, such as the thirty-first of December seldom -vouchsafes in any climate but our own. Thoroughly English, too, was -the party assembled round the breakfast-table at Newton-Hollows, from -the red face of the old butler struggling in with the hissing urn, to -the corresponding colour of Frank Hardingstone's coat, betokening that -he meant to enjoy our national sport of fox-hunting. Blanche was -already down, looking charming in a riding-habit, as all pretty women -do; and Mary's quiet face showed more animation than usual, perhaps in -consequence of an arrangement which was broached, apparently not for -the first time. - -"I am _so_ glad we persuaded him not to ride," observed Blanche, -appealing as usual to Mr. Hardingstone; "he will _not_ take care of -that cough--men are such bad patients! Now with Mary to drive him in -the pony-carriage, he can keep himself well wrapped up, and the air -will do him good." - -"Undoubtedly," replied Frank, "Mrs. Delaval must take good care of her -patient" (Mary looked as if she _rather_ thought she would); "and I -shall be completely at your service, Miss Kettering; you know I am -_not_ an enthusiast about hunting, like Charlie." - -"Oh, I shall do very well with old Thomas and Uncle Baldwin, if he can -only keep up with me," replied Blanche; "so I won't ask you to stay -with _me_." - -Frank seemed to think this would be no great sacrifice; but, as she -spoke, the subject of their conversation entered the breakfast-room, -and took his place as usual at Mrs. Delaval's side. Poor Charlie! he -looked thinner than ever, and the cough, though not so violent, was -every day more and more frequent. To be sure his eye was bright, and -his colour at times brilliant; everybody seemed to think he was -better, save the Bubbleton doctors, and they never would give an -opinion one way or the other. - -"So Haphazard is to be disappointed of his gallop again," complained -Charlie, as he stretched his wasted hand for his tea-cup. "I have had -quite enough of being nursed, Blanche, even by you. I really think I -might ride him, just to see them find. I could get off if I felt -tired, you know." - -"Get off when the hounds are running!" replied Blanche, "not you. Now -be a good boy just this once, Charlie. Mary has promised to drive you -in my pony-carriage with Scrub: she says you shall see everything if -you'll only trust yourself with her; and nobody will take such care of -you as Mary, I know," added she, rather mischievously. Charlie made no -further objections, and Mrs. Delaval kept her eyes immovably fixed on -the pattern of her tea-cup. - -"Late, of course--servants always are late, except for dinner. -Charlie, my boy, how are ye this morning? You've got no breakfast. -Zounds! why is everything cold? Blanche, my sweet girl, ring all the -bells, and kick that old fool into next week, if he don't bring hot -mutton-chops instanter. I can't stay a moment. I must be off to -Snaffles, or he'll make some cursed mistake. It's very singular that -nobody ever understands my directions," said the General, bustling -into the room in a state of more than usual ferment, as is generally -the case with occasional sportsmen on a hunting-morning. The General -had been up since daybreak, but had not yet succeeded in snatching a -quiet five minutes for his own breakfast; and even now, as he fussed -about in a short green coat and high Napoleon boots, it seemed -doubtful whether he would settle down to his meal, or be off on -another visit to the stables, for the further confusion of the -unfortunate Snaffles. Hunger carried it for the moment, but the -trampling of hoofs and grinding of wheels on the sweep at the -front-door soon drew our party to the window, from which Blanche's -eyes were delighted by the appearance of her favourite Water King, his -fine coat glistening in the morning sun, his long thin tail whisking -about as usual, and his rounded form seen in all its beauty under the -unmounted side-saddle. "Isn't he a darling?" exclaimed Blanche from -the window, as the horse stepped proudly round to the door, pointing -his small ears and glancing in every direction as though looking for -his mistress. Old Thomas on a steady brown; Frank's two hunters, -well-bred, weight-carrying animals; the General's black cob, and the -little pony-carriage, completed the cavalcade, which was at length got -into marching order, not without much difficulty and the issue of -several contradictory orders from Uncle Baldwin, who, what with his -anxiety about Blanche's mounting and his care that Charlie should be -properly wrapped up, to say nothing of his directions to every one -concerning that undiscoverable passage, "the shortest way," was -already in a white heat, and altogether in a state quite the reverse -of what we should suppose anticipatory of a day's _pleasure_. - -However, Blanche was in the saddle at last, and pacing quietly on with -Frank by her side. The General, too, was mounted, but by no means as -yet under way--so much had to be impressed on the butler in case of -the Field stopping to luncheon; so much on Snaffles, who remained at -home, about sundry brood mares in the paddocks, all in an interesting -situation; so much on the keepers, who neglected the earth-stopping -generally; and so _very_ much on the bailiff, who invariably appeared -at the last moment, that had it not been for the determination evinced -by the black cob, his master would have remained at the front-door -till dinner-time; that animal, however, a resolute Roman-nosed -conveyance, seeing his stable companions rapidly deserting him, and -rejoicing moreover in a stiff neck and perfectly callous mouth, made -no more ado, but took the bit between his teeth, and lowering his head -to the well-known angle of insubordination, rushed doggedly to the -front, bearing the General rapidly past the pony-carriage in a manner -more ludicrous than dignified. Charlie was in fits. Even quiet Mrs. -Delaval laughed outright; and this simple incident, perhaps, made -their drive far more lively--we will not say more agreeable--than it -would otherwise have been, inasmuch as they had started in solemn -silence; and, like all couples who feel that they are more to each -other than either dares to confess, they might have remained -unwillingly mute during the precious hours, from sheer inability to -talk upon any topic but one, and a nervous dread of entering on that -one lest an explanation should at once dispel the dream that had been -the happiness of their lives. Now, however, they chatted gaily enough; -and certainly if ever there was a situation calculated to raise the -spirits of mortals, it was that in which our young lancer and his -lady-love found themselves, on their way to Crop Hill, that -thirty-first of December--a drive never afterwards to be effaced from -the memory of the gentle charioteer. It was one of those beautiful -balmy mornings that (when we get them) make an English winter more -delightful than that of any other country in the world. It can only be -described by the expression which it brought to every one's lips, -"What a hunting morning!" There had been heavy rain in the night, and -the freshened pastures seemed actually to smile in the sun, as ever -and anon he shone out with chastened beams over copse and meadow and -upland; the very hedges, leafless though they were, seemed to breathe -the fragrance of spring; mid-winter as it was, Nature seemed to be not -dead, but sweetly sleeping; the robin hopped merrily from twig to -twig; the magpie jerked and chattered, and flew before the -pony-carriage, lighting now on this side of the lane, now on that, now -disturbing its mate, now soaring away over the high thick hedge -towards the distant wood. As they emerged into a line of fair open -pastures from which their view, unchecked by fence on either side, -swept over a rich green vale, dotted with cattle and clothed with -hedge-row trees, they caught sight of their mounted friends cantering -merrily along the grass ahead of them, Blanche's habit fluttering in -the soft, light breeze, her cavalier's red coat and shining -stirrup-irons glistening in the sun, and the General bumping steadily -behind them on the high-stepping black cob, who, albeit usually an -animal of imperturbable sobriety, had contracted a fatal passion for -the chase, which on occasions like the present put him into a state of -rebellious excitement that lasted throughout the day, and produced a -sad reaction in the stable on the morrow. - -"That's the best fellow in England," said Charlie, as he pointed out -his friend to his companion. "I shall be glad when it's settled, Mrs. -Delaval, as _I_ know it soon will be." Mary thought they were on -tender ground, and applied herself diligently to her driving without -producing any great increase of pace on the part of philosophical -Scrub. "Ah!" said Charlie, and his voice trembled as he spoke, "I've -envied Frank all my life, and I envy him more than ever now." - -"You _do_?" replied Mary, glancing quickly at him, while her heart for -the moment seemed to stand still. - -"Not his bride, Mrs. Delaval," replied Charlie, "for his bride you'll -see she will be. No, no; I'm very fond of Blanche, but not in that -way." Mary was blushing crimson, and it was surprising what a deal of -driving that little pony required as Charlie proceeded. "But I envy -him all he has that I can never have again--health, strength, all that -makes life enjoyable--all that was once mine, but that I feel I have -now lost for ever." - -"Don't say so," replied Mary, though her rising tears almost choked -her utterance, "don't say so. With care and good advice, and all of -_us_ to nurse you, oh, you must, you _shall_ get well;" but even as -she spoke she felt a sad foreboding at her heart. Charlie caught her -glance, though it was almost instantly averted, and he proceeded as if -half to himself-- - -"I could bear it well enough if I was like Frank in one respect, if I -knew my life was bound to another's, and that other the one I cared -most for in the world. I could struggle on for _her_ sake; but no, I -shall leave none such behind _me_, and perhaps it is better." - -"Do you think we are so heartless?" she burst forth; "do you think we -can part with you without a murmur? With _you_, for whom we have -watched and prayed and longed all those dreary months; dreary indeed -whilst you were----" Mary stopped short. She felt she had said too -much, but it was Charlie's turn to blush now. His breath came quick -and short; the boy dared not look the woman in the face, but he put -his hand into his bosom and drew out a glove--a white kid glove it was -formerly, now sadly soiled and discoloured, for a gallant heart had -been beating against it many a long month--but with a rim of velvet -round the wrist; there was no doubt of its identity, nor of the fair -hand it once had fitted. Charlie drew it out and pressed it to his -lips. She turned on him one swimming glance. They understood each -other; the moment had at length arrived when-- - -"_Gently_, Ravager! back, hounds, back!"--and the loud crack of a -hunting-whip disturbed their romantic _tete-a-tete_ at this critical -moment, and announced the proximity of that well-known pack -denominated the Hark-holloa Hounds, trotting gently on towards the -place of meeting, and rapidly overtaking the pony-carriage and its -pre-occupied inmates. The noble impulse of equine emulation, usually -dormant in the shaggy form of Scrub, was now aroused by the inspiring -influence of the passing pageant, and the clean, dainty-looking, -motley-coloured pack; the neat, well-appointed servants in their -bright scarlet coats and glossy velvet caps; the well-bred, -well-groomed, hunting-looking horses they bestrode stepping airily -along, jingling their bits, and snorting to the morning breeze. All -these objects raised the mettle of Blanche's quiet pony, and Mary had -now enough to do in earnest, as he tugged at the reins and drew them -rapidly on in rear of the pack towards a slight elevation in the -distance crowned by a windmill, and rejoicing in the dignified title -of Crop Hill. A renewal of the tender subject was impossible, for as -they neared the trysting-place the plot thickened rapidly, and -sportsman after sportsman cantering by on his covert-hack had a bow -for Mrs. Delaval, and a word to exchange with Charlie; now -congratulating him on his return, now condoling with him for his -inability to ride, now cordially hoping that he will soon be in the -saddle, with an inquiry after the welfare of the celebrated Haphazard. -Charlie's spirits rose as they proceeded, and ere they reached the -windmill he was a boy again. - -"Yoi, over there!" holloaed the huntsman, standing in his stirrups and -waving the willing pack into the cover, a patch of sunny gorse lying -on the south side of the hill, and commanding a vale of large green -pastures that to contemplate alone brought the light into Charlie's -eye. - -"This way," said the General, sidling and piaffing and coming tail -first towards the pony-carriage, for the double purpose of placing it -in a favourable position for viewing the proceedings, and of -exhibiting his own horsemanship before the eyes of Mrs. Delaval. The -General was under the impression that if there was one thing in which -more than another he excelled, it was the art of _manege_ equitation, -and perhaps on an animal less self-willed than the black cob he might -have been a very Bellerophon, but certainly at the present juncture he -jerked, and fumed, and kicked, and wiped his brows in anything but a -graceful mode of progression. - -"This way," said he, after a violent effort which brought the cob -broadside on across Scrub, whose recognition, however, his excited -friend disdained to acknowledge. - -"From the brow of this hill you can see for miles. If we don't find -here--how d'ye mean, _don't_ find here? If there's no fox in the gorse -I'll eat this hunting-whip!" eyeing his own iron-handled one as he -spoke. "If you keep along the--(Stand _still_, you brute!)--if you -keep along the brow, Mrs. Delaval--(Zounds! _will_ you stand -still?)--you'll be able to--Tally-ho! he's away, d'ye see him, yonder -by the oak! now they have it. Forward! forward!!" Charlie could not -resist a prolonged screech of delight, though he coughed for five -minutes afterwards, and the General went off at score, as eager for a -start as if he had been riding the best horse in England, and bumped, -and thumped, and scuttled, and slid down the hill, towards a friendly -hand-gate, as only an elderly gentleman can, who has survived all his -passions save this one alone! What a scurry there was over the vale -below! Immediately in the foreground a group of foot-people, a keeper -in velveteen, and a labourer with a terrier in his arms, laughed and -gazed and vociferated, and made sundry uncomplimentary remarks on the -sportsmen whose prowess they could so effectually overlook. Lower -down careful grooms on second horses, a steady-going dark-coated -array, had diverged nearly at right angles to the line of chase, and -keeping studiously together, seemed to be holding perseveringly for -some point of their own, well down-wind. At the bottom of the hill, a -horse-breaker, on a four-year-old rearing straight on end, was -endeavouring to make the passage of a white gate that had slammed to, -unpropitiously, just in front of him. As the man had dropped his whip -and did not dare get off, he was likely to remain there some little -time longer. Just in front of him again came the Field, a motley mass -of colours, red predominating--streaming like a flight of wild-fowl, -as they crossed the enclosures, but huddling confusedly together as -often as they reached the fence, under the mistaken notion that there -is safety in numbers. - -Amongst them were men of all sorts and ages, ranks, weights, and -sizes--some plying elbows and legs as they shot occasionally to the -front, only to drop back to their native obscurity when the fatal -necessity of jumping should arrive---some holding steadily on, -satisfied to be in good company, with no more idea of where the hounds -were than if they had been in the next county--discreet spirits -breaking the hearts of valorous horses by keeping them back--eager -enthusiasts rapidly finishing their too sorry steeds by urging them -forward--but still one and all convinced that they were distinguishing -themselves by their prowess, and prepared to swear over their wine -that they had been all day in the front rank. To the right of these -might be seen the General in a line of his own, leading him through a -deep ridge and furrow field, in which he laboured like a boat in a -heavy sea--already its inequalities had brought him to a slack rein, -and even at that distance the rider's heels could be plainly -distinguished in convulsive persuasion. - -Five minutes more at that pace would unquestionably reduce the black -cob to a walk. A field farther forward than these, and released from -the turmoil and confusion in their rear, struggled a devoted band, the -forlorn hope of the chase--those adventurous spirits who "mean -riding," but "don't know how"--though small in number, great in -hairbreadth 'scapes and thrilling casualties. There a rood and a half -of fence was seen tumbling into a field with a crash like the falling -of a house, followed by a headlong biped describing a parabola in the -air, and closely attended by a huge dark object which resolved itself -into a rolling steed. Farther on again a crashing of rails was heard, -and a reckless pair seen balanced across a strong piece of -field-upholstery, only to subside dully into a fatal ditch gaping to -receive them, not in vain-- - - "_Rider and horse in one red burial blent._" - -A wisp of scarlet lying motionless on the greensward, and a loose -horse galloping furiously to the front, completed this ill-fated -portion of the panorama, and carried the eye forward to where some -half-dozen detached cavaliers were gradually diminishing till they -looked like red balls bouncing over a billiard-table, as independent -and nearly abreast each sped his own line across the distant fields. -These were indeed the "chosen few"--the deacons of the craft, quick, -quiet, wary, and resolute--they had surmounted all the obstacles of -the commencement, all the struggle for a start, and were now enjoying -their reward. Each man as he took his horse well by the head settled -himself in his saddle, and scanning his ground with keen and practised -eye, crashed through the impervious bullfinch or faced the -uncompromising timber, enjoying a deep thrilling ecstasy totally -incomprehensible to the rational portion of mankind. A Frenchman once -remarked to us, anent this particular form of lunacy, "Monsieur, nous -ne cherchons pas nos emotions, nous Francais, a nous casser le cou." -But deep and stirring were the _emotions_ of our English enthusiasts -as they strained after the fleeting pack, now diminished to a few -white, scattered dots, glancing over the green surface a field ahead -even of these. - -"Happy fellows!" exclaimed Charlie, watching the first flight, where -his own place should have been, with straining eyes. "It looks -uncommonly like a run!--but where's Frank? he ought to be forward with -the hounds. Oh! he's philandering there on the right with Blanche;" -and Charlie's mouth drew itself down into an expression of intense -disgust--although in love himself, he could not understand Venus being -allowed to interfere with Diana. "If we keep down this lane," -exclaimed he, still bending his gaze on the disappearing pack, "we -shall come in upon them again, to a certainty, with this wind. -Wilmington Copse is his point, I'll lay my life. Go along, Scrub!" and -the pony-carriage was again set in motion, not without flagellation of -Blanche's favourite, bumping and swaying down an extremely bad road at -the best speed it could muster. Ever and anon the drivers cast a look -over the vale at the fast-disappearing chase, but the excitement was -rapidly subsiding. All the reds had by this time vanished, save one -extremely cautious sportsman in a lane; the more sober colours were -gradually fading into the distance. The horse-breaker was gone, the -keeper in velveteen shouldered his gun, the labourer put down his -terrier, and the pedestrians were lounging home to dinner. After two -miles or so of severe exertion the panting Scrub was again pulled up -at Stoney Cross, a place where four byroads met, commanding an -extensive view of the surrounding country. Mary was almost as keen -about the run as her companion, so catching is excitement, -particularly hunting excitement. "Listen," said she, intently eyeing -the distance, "can you hear anything?" - -"Nothing but Scrub blowing," replied Charlie; "no, they're having an -_extraordinary_ run--we shall never see them again!" - -Both strained their eyes till they watered. Profound silence reigned -over the landscape, save when the wintry wind moaned softly through -the boughs of some leafless poplars overhead. The sun had disappeared; -a dark grey haze was creeping over the distance; even Nature seemed to -be suffering a reaction after the excitement of the last half-hour, -and Charlie too felt despondent and melancholy; the air was moist and -chill, the sky dark and lowering; it was the last day of the -year--would he ever see another? Must he leave this pleasant world, -pleasant even in the subdued melancholy of winter's russet garb, and -lie in the damp, cold earth, whilst his friends and comrades were full -of life and hope and energy? The last time--was this indeed the _last -time_ for him of the sport he loved so passionately? No more to back -his gallant steeds, and feel his life-blood thrill as they bounded -beneath him in the real ecstasy of motion; no more to join the jovial -scarlet throng, with bit and bridle ringing round him, and laugh and -jest and cordial greeting passing from lip to lip in that merriest of -merry meetings at the covert side; no more to stand in the deep -fragrant woodland and cheer that chiming music to the echo, sweeter to -him than the very symphony of heaven; and when silence, startling from -its suddenness, succeeded to those maddening sounds, and warned him -they were _away_! others would race with the racing pack, and revel in -the whirlwind of _pace_, glancing over pastures like hawks upon the -wing, but his place would be vacant in the front rank, and he--where -would he be? Hard! hard! now that life was so sweet and sparkling, now -that the cup was crowned with that last drop that bid it brim with -happiness--the consciousness of love. And must it be put untasted by? -Hard--hard, yet perhaps better so! - -"I hear them, I'm certain," said Mary, raising her taper hand in the -air; "that must be the horn. We shall see the finish after all!" - -"Not yet," cried Charlie, all his melancholy reflections dispelled on -the instant. "See, they've checked on the plough yonder. Now they -acknowledge it. Well hunted, my beauties! Look! look! did you see -him?--there, in the middle of that large field, beyond the spinney!" - -Mary looked and looked, and at length made out a dark speck stealing -away in the distance too slowly for a crow, too smoothly for a dog; -had she not been told she never would have suspected that minute -object was the fox. - -"He's not killed YET," observed Charlie; "there'll be some _grief_ -before HE'S in hand! See, he's pointing straight for the forest--by -Jove! they'll have to swim the Gushe. What a capital fox!" And now, -once more, the pageant passed in full view of the pony-carriage; but -oh! how altered! Despite the check there were but two men near the -hounds, and even these were a full field behind them (after dinner -they acknowledged to twenty yards); then came one solitary individual -in a cap, who was indeed the huntsman, and who was now riding in the -combined enjoyment of a horse completely exhausted, and a morbid dread -lest the more fortunate twain in his front should press too much on -his treasures--a needless fear, could he but have seen the mode in -which these treasures were increasing the distance between themselves -and their pursuers. Behind him again was a gentleman (clerical) -standing by his horse, apparently investigating his stirrup-irons with -minute interest. He never could be got to explain clearly why he had -stopped at this exciting moment. Gaining gradually upon the latter -came another red-coat, making the most of an extremely slow canter; -and not a soul besides was to be seen on the line of the hounds. What -had become of them all? Where was the Field? Why, pounding down the -very lane in which the pony-carriage had drawn up, pulling and -hustling, and grinning and clattering--coat-tails flying, neck-cloths -streaming, the leaders' faces bathed in perspiration, the rearward -horsemen plastered with mud, all riding like grim Death, all frantic -with hurry and excitement--the General and his black cob not the least -furious of the throng. Few noticed the carriage, all were intent on -some object in the extreme distance, possibly the bridge at Deep-ford, -inasmuch as the hounds were now pointing straight for the Gushe. - -It was quite a relief to watch Frank Hardingstone's unmoved face as he -cantered quietly by, and smiled and spoke to them, without, however, -relaxing in his vigilant care of Blanche. That young lady looked -prettier than ever--her violet eyes dancing with excitement, and her -long fair curls floating over her riding-habit. - -"He's going to _have_ it," screamed Charlie, in a state of tumultuous -excitement, as they watched Frank turn away from his charge, and -leaping the fence out of the lane, take a direct line for the calm, -deep, silent river, and consequently for the hounds, who were already -struggling in the stream, throwing their tongues occasionally as they -were swept along by its force, to land considerably lower down than -they had calculated. One of the foremost sportsmen went gallantly in -with them, but his horse was already exhausted, and, after sinking -twice, rider and steed emerged separately on the hither side, glad to -get off with a ducking. - -"Blanche, you foolish girl, stop! I desire you to stop!" exclaimed -the General, foaming with excitement, and himself with difficulty -pulling the black cob across the road. But Blanche either would not or -could not stop: Water King's mettle was excited; he had been following -Frank Hardingstone's horse all day, and true to his name, he was not -to be deterred by the perils of a swim. Taking the bit between his -teeth, he bounded out of the lane at the spot where his leader had -jumped the fence, and tore away over the level water-meadows, -regardless of the volley of imprecations which the General sent after -him as of the feeble grasp which strove to check him in vain. - -Frank meanwhile, all unconscious, sped steadily down to the stream. -Already his cool resolute eye had marked the safest place at which to -land. "If I can only get _out_," thought Frank, "there's never much -difficulty about getting _in_." Already had he gathered his horse well -up on his haunches, turned his stirrup-irons over his saddle-bow, -knotted the thong of his whip to his rein in case of dissolving -partnership on emergency, and sliding quietly down the bank, was -immersed in deep water, laying his weight as much as possible along -his horse's neck, when a faint scream, a rushing sound close behind -him, and a tremendous splash by his side, made him turn wildly round -and well-nigh pull his unfortunate steed over him in the water. How -shall we describe his sensations at what he saw? Water King plunging -and rearing himself above the surface; Blanche clinging helplessly to -her horse's neck, her white face glancing on him for an instant with -an expression of ghastly terror; another furious plunge, a faint, -bubbling scream, and the limp skirt of a riding-habit disappearing -beneath the whirling wave. The horror-stricken sportsmen in the lane -saw a lady's hat floating on the stream some fifty yards lower down. -But assistance was near at hand; twenty men were soon gathered on the -bank. People never know how these things are done. Frank was away from -his horse in an instant; he believes he dived for her twice; but two -minutes had scarcely elapsed before he was hanging over her exhausted -form on the bank, regardless of the surrounding crowd, regardless of -his usual self-command and reserved demeanour, pouring forth the -torrent of his feelings, so long dammed up, in words that were but -little short of madness. - -It was fortunate, indeed, that Scrub's fatigue had prevented the -pony-carriage from going any farther on the line of the crowd, who -were by this time blocking up the narrow passage of Deep-ford Bridge, -as Blanche, despite her wet clothes, was too much exhausted to attempt -riding home, and was accordingly placed by Mary in her own little -equipage. The pony made small difficulty about retracing his steps -towards his stable, and the cavalcade proceeded rapidly to -Newton-Hollows; Frank riding alongside in his dripping garments, with -an expression of unspeakable joy on his manly features never seen -there before or since; Mary praying inwardly with heart-felt -gratitude, and the General sobbing like a child. As they turned in at -the gates, Charlie was the only one of the party who retained his -composure sufficiently to observe, with an expression of deep -interest, "I wish we knew whether they've killed their fox." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - -"THE SAD SEA WAVE" - - THE HONEYMOON--OUTWARD-BOUND--A FULL REPORT--THE HOPES OF - SPRING--THE BLIGHT OF AUTUMN--ALL ALONE - - -And of all places in the world, where did they choose to spend their -honeymoon? Why, at St. Swithin's; there they had first met--there the -girl had first seen her young ideal of manly perfection--there Frank -had first surrendered the self-control he held so dear. When at the -end of a twenty-seventh chapter the gentleman saves from drowning the -lady after whom he has been hankering through the previous twenty-six, -it is needless to specify how "bride-cake must be the issue." "Hot -water" after cold is a fair conclusion; so the dressmaker in Old Bond -Street was written to--and the man-of-business came down from -Lincoln's Inn--and there was a gathering of friends and relatives--a -breakfast to the grandees--a dinner to the tenants--a ball to the -labourers--and the bells of Newton ringing almost without cessation -for eight-and-forty hours--the bridesmaids smiled and sparkled--the -bride wept and trembled--the bridegroom looked like a fool--everything -was strictly orthodox, save the interference of the General, who -wanted to set the clergyman right during the sacred ceremony, and very -properly received a rap over the knuckles from that dignitary, which -was no less than he deserved--the county paper devoted a column and a -half to its description of the ceremony--the _Morning Post_ dismissed -it in three lines under the head of "Fashionable Intelligence"; and so -the knot was tied, and Frank Hardingstone, M., took Blanche -Kettering, N., and they became man and wife. - -We must now shift the scene to where we first introduced the -characters of our somewhat lengthened narrative; nor will we, after -the fashion of sundry eminent divines, prolong our "in conclusion" to -an indefinite abusing of the listener's patience and the Queen's -English. The honeymoon is over--they never last more than a week -now-a-days--and the relatives of the principal performers have broken -up the _tete-a-tete_, and joined the happy pair at St. Swithin's. It -is a mild sunny afternoon about the middle of February. At the -sea-side, where there are no bare trees and leafless hedges to destroy -the illusion, it might be midsummer, so soft and balmy is the air, so -bright the beams glinting on the Channel, so hushed and peaceful the -ripple of the ebbing tide; the fishing-boats seem asleep upon the -waters; a large square-rigged vessel looms almost motionless in the -offing; and a group of five persons are congregated about an invalid's -couch on the beach. As Mary Delaval moves round it to place a cushion -more comfortably at his back, we recognise the delicate features and -waving moustaches of our young lancer. It is indeed the wasted face of -Cousin Charlie, attenuated to an unearthly beauty, and wearing the -calm, gentle expression of those who are ere long to be summoned home. - -"Outward-bound," says a stout seaman-like man, shutting up the glass -with which he has been diligently conning the distant ship. -"Outward-bound, and an Indiaman, as I make her, Miss Blanche; I beg -your pardon." Hairblower never can call her by her matronly title. - -"If that's an Indiaman, I'll eat her," exclaims the General; "don't -tell me--I should know something of that class of ship at any rate. -Look at her spars! She's bound for the Baltic; I can take my oath. -Indiaman!--if she's not a Dutchman, _I am_." - -The General's appearance indeed gave weight to this assertion. His -stout, short frame enveloped in a jacket and trousers--for, out of -compliment to the locality, he thought it necessary to appear in -nautical costume--possessed that well-filled appearance which custom -has chosen to consider indigenous to the Hollander. The General's -love-making did not progress very rapidly, but he had still a -hankering to stand well in the opinion of Mrs. Delaval; and when he -considered the care and attention with which she tended poor Charlie, -administering to all his wants and fancies as only a woman can, he -thought that such a wife would indeed be a treasure for an elderly -gentleman who was beginning to experience sundry twinges at the -extremities, reminding him most unpleasantly of good things long since -consumed, and claret bottles emptied in life's thirsty noon. - -"What do _you_ think, darling?" says Blanche, sidling up to her -husband, and placing her arm confidingly within his. Like all -newly-married women she is a little _gauche_, and wears her happiness -with too demonstrative an air, appealing on all occasions to her lord, -and hanging on his every word and look as if there were no one else in -the universe. To do the sex justice, however, this is a fault of which -they are invariably cured in less than a twelvemonth, and radically -too--we cannot call to mind a single instance of a relapse. - -"How should I know, my dear?" replies Frank, awaking from deep -thought; "yet stay, may it not be the very ship in which your old -friend D'Orville was to sail?" with a malicious glance at Blanche, who -looked up at him with such an open smile as showed how little -impression the handsome Major's attentions had ever made on _her_ -young heart. "Let me see, what day was he to start? I've got his -letter in my pocket." - -"Pocket!--letter!--what? read it!" exclaimed the General--"that will -prove the thing at once--you'll see she's a Dutchman." - -Blanche glanced at Mary; and even that grave face brightened into a -smile--while Frank, seating himself on the shingle, drew a letter from -his pocket and began to read. - -"Cannot resist--hem--congratulations--hem--blessings in -store--hem--leaving this country for a long absence." ("Ah! here it -is.") "As I am going out in command of troops, I shall have the -pleasure of once more rubbing up my seamanship by a voyage round the -Cape. We embark at Gravesend on the --th, and shall probably sail -when the tide suits the following day." ("'Gad--I believe it is the -Indiaman!") "Lacquers accompanies me, having got the majority in my -corps, and has become a _great_ soldier--perhaps thanks to your -success in the attack on which I now write to congratulate you." -("Here's a long story about _you_, Blanche--shall I read it?") Blanche -passed her little hand over his mouth, and Frank proceeded. "As I -shall probably not have another opportunity of writing to my English -friends for four or five months, I will not apologise for the length -of my present epistle, but give you all the news I can to enliven your -honeymoon--a piece of presumption which, I conclude, is like refining -refined gold or painting the lily. London is not very full, although -Parliament has brought its regular quantum of members who stand in awe -of their constituents--no small number in these reformed and reforming -days. _I_ recollect, my dear Frank, though _you_ don't, when all the -electors for a county met in the Justices' room, and returned the -Lord-Lieutenant's nominee with as little discussion as my -orderly-sergeant will make this afternoon when he reports 'the -officers' baggage gone on board.' However, they won't stand that kind -of thing now. Talking of Parliament, you read Mount Helicon's speech -on the Tallow question, of course. It quite took the House by storm. -Honourable members expected _something_ from the author of 'Broadsides -from the Baltic,' and they were not disappointed. Not a word, however, -taken from that exceedingly clear and voluminous pamphlet; and where -he can have picked up such an additional store of information is a -mystery to every one. The speech, however, has floored his party. Its -whole tone, every sentiment it breathed, was so diametrically opposite -to their policy, that they found themselves at its conclusion without -a leg to stand on. Having selected him for their mouthpiece, they were -furious, and no wonder. What can he be at? We soldiers are -plain-dealing men, and cannot understand all this mining and -counter-mining. His lady-mother, I understand, is still at Bubbleton. -You must have seen something of her in the winter, unless you had only -eyes and ears for one--particularly as I hear she gives out -everywhere that she has refused General Bounce. If your abrupt uncle -is the man I take him for, she never had an opportunity." (Frank was -here obliged to pause, the General's delight at this portion of the -letter venting itself in a series of chuckles that threatened to choke -him. It was with difficulty he restrained himself from relating the -whole story of the widow at Cheltenham, as a narrative bearing -irresistibly on the case in point. He swallowed it, however, and Frank -proceeded.) "We never thought her ladyship a great beauty, but they -tell me now she is dreadfully altered--disappointed about her -son--disappointed in her winter campaign--dreadfully sore at the -slights she fancies she has received from the Dinadams, who passing -through Bubbleton on their way to Wassailworth, had no time to return -the visit she paid them at their hotel--and conscious of growing old, -without having done the slightest good in her generation. No wonder -the worn-out fine lady is sick of her wretched world, such as it -is--no wonder she is startled to discover that she has spent a -lifetime of illusions, and never found out the _real_ world after all. -You will smile, my dear Frank, at my moralities, but I do begin to see -things a little clearer than I used; and if I have reason so bitterly -to regret the forty years I have spent in selfish uselessness, what -must be the feelings of threescore years and odd, with the world -slipping from under its feet, the waking moment rapidly approaching, -and the feverish dream leaving not one solid reality behind it--not -one satisfactory reflection to gild the past--not one well-grounded -hope to hold a beacon through the dark cold voyage of the future?" - -[Illustration: "Frank ... drew a letter from his pocket, and began to -read." - -_Page 376_] - -Hairblower, who had been listening attentively with a puzzled -expression of countenance, brightened up considerably at a metaphor -which had reference to his own daily occupations, and muttered -something about "ballast aboard," and the "anchor apeak"; whilst Mrs. -Delaval stole a longing, lingering look at poor Charlie, who had -closed his eyes as if wearied out and half asleep. Frank read on. - -"Tell young Kettering I have many inquiries after his health from his -friends here, amongst others an old fellow-campaigner in Kaffirland -whose tent he shared, and who is full of Kettering's famous attack in -support of the Rifles. He says it was one of the most dashing things -of the war, and the service can ill afford to lose so gallant an -officer. He sends his own and his terrier's kindest remembrances." - -Charlie's eyes opened wide; he did not seem drowsy now. The long -wasted fingers of his right hand closed as if upon the handle of his -sword, and a light stole over his countenance as if the sun had just -gleamed athwart it--the soldier-spirit was stirring in that powerless -frame. He looked handsomer than ever, poor boy, poor boy! - -"His admiring well-wisher," the letter went on to say, "who, by the -way, is one of the best-looking fellows in London, got his promotion -in that very action, and is now on leave, making up for past -privations by every kind of dissipation which the village affords. I -do not see much of him; but dining last night at the 'Peace and -Plenty,' he told me that our mutual friend, Sir Ascot, was going to be -married. Mrs. Hardingstone will be amused to hear this. The fortunate -lady is a Miss Deeper, who threw over young Cashley, as in duty bound, -for the baronet. Laurel, too, has carried off pretty Kate Carmine at -last; they are the poorest couple in Christendom, and the happiest. I -met Sir Bloomer Buttercup yesterday at the 'Godiva.' He and -Mulligatawney were, as usual, discussing the matrimonial question; the -latter more 'Malthusian' than ever, since Mrs. M. has taken up the -Rapping theory. Sir Bloomer thinks that now he can only pretend to a -widow, but is still determined to marry as soon as his affairs can be -put 'on a footing.' We are all of opinion if he waits till then he -will die a bachelor. You are aware I have got my promotion, and am -going out to take the command of one of the smartest regiments in the -service. I trust it will not deteriorate in any way whilst in my -hands. Lacquers unites with me in congratulations and cordial good -wishes to the whole of your party. If Mrs. Delaval is with you, -remember me most kindly to her, and believe me," etc. - -"Well done the Colonel," said Frank, folding up his letter and putting -it in his pocket. "I never saw a man so changed and so improved. -Blanche, don't you regret now?--eh?" Blanche laughed, and called him -"a goose"; but Mary applied herself more assiduously than ever to the -invalid's cushions; and whatever may have been her thoughts, she kept -them most carefully to herself. We can guess, however, that -notwithstanding the many good qualities developing themselves in her -old admirer, she never for an instant thought of comparing him with -that poor helpless boy whom they were now obliged to carry into the -house, lest even the soft evening breeze should strike too chill upon -his lacerated lungs. Next to Mary, however, perhaps none tended the -sufferer with such patience and gentleness as Hairblower--that -worthy's view of the malady and its cause was peculiar to himself, and -he clung to it with heroic obstinacy. "It all came of making him a -soger," said the seaman, with a tear running down his weather-beaten -cheek; "goin' about half-dressed in them monkey-jackets and sleepin' -out o' nights without a dry thread to bless theirselves--it's enough -to kill a cat, let alone a gentleman. Now, if he'd had a dry plank -above and below, and a hammock to swing in, and watches to keep all -regular and ship-shape, he'd have lived to be an admiral--see if he -wouldn't. But he's better, is Master Charlie, much better, now the -_salt_'s gettin' into him. Oh, he'll be well in no time now, will -Master Charlie--not a doubt of it!" - -"Not a doubt of it," echoed the General, the illness of whose -favourite was a sad cause of grief and anxiety, which vented -themselves in a more than customary abruptness and irritation. -"Better? How d'ye mean? Zounds, sir, don't talk to me of doctors! I -tell ye the lad's rallying--rallying, sir. What? If that boy's not -a-horseback in June, I 'll----" And here the warm-hearted old -General's courage invariably gave way, and as he thought of the -alternative he would burst into tears, and stump hastily off to hide -his emotion. - -There never was such a February as that. Even inland people -congratulated themselves on enjoying at last a _really_ mild winter; -and in such a sheltered, sunshiny situation as St Swithin's, the -weather would have borne comparison with any boasted climate of the -warm Mediterranean. Like some poor, draggled, pining bird, the invalid -seemed to drink in health and strength from the very sunbeams; and as -he lay full-length upon his couch, drawn as near the waves as the tide -would allow, and basked in the warmth, and inhaled the soft fresh -breezes of the Channel, he looked so composed, so happy--and the -cough, though frequent, became so much less violent, that all agreed -there never was "anything so providential as bringing him down to St. -Swithin's"--"these illnesses are only fatal when not taken in -time"--"positively it was the very saving of the boy's life." But Mary -looked very pale, and shook her head. She seldom spoke much now. - -One evening, just at sundown, Charlie begged to speak to Uncle Baldwin -alone. He was lying as usual close to the open window, and as the -breeze fanned his cheek he seemed to drink in its fragrance with a -keener zest than he had shown for days. He felt better and stronger, -too; he was able to sit up, and his voice was steadier and fuller than -it had been since he came home. He spoke almost jestingly of his -present state; but the words of hope which he thought it right to -affect, in consideration of his uncle's feelings, were belied by the -topic on which he sought an interview. - -"Uncle," said he, "you've been a father to me, and I've never been -strong enough to thank you till to-day." - -"Stronger, my boy--to be sure you are--virtually, you're quite well. -Don't tell----" There was something in Charlie's smile that checked -the General, and the boy went on-- - -"Life's very uncertain, uncle, and if--you know I only say _if_--I -should not get over this business, I want you to arrange two or three -little matters for me. This is a beautiful world, uncle, and a -pleasant one; but I sometimes think I'd rather _not_ live now. I--I -don't mind going. No, I don't seem as if I belonged so much to this -earth--I can't tell why, but I _feel_ it, I'm sure I do. Well, dear -Uncle Baldwin, when I'm _gone_, I want you to give as much of my money -to poor Gingham as will enable her to go out and join her husband in -Australia. I know she wishes it, and I think it would come better from -me than any one. If I get well, I mean to do it myself; but I like to -make sure; and--and--uncle"--a deep blush spread over Charlie's -face--"all the rest I wish to go to Mrs. Delaval; but don't let her -find out it's from me. Promise me, dear Uncle Baldwin--promise me -this." - -The General started. He began to see what he now thought himself very -blind not to have seen long ago, but he promised faithfully enough; -and Charlie, lying back as if a weight had been taken off his mind, -added, with a placid smile, "One thing more, uncle, and I will not -trouble you any more--take care of poor Haphazard, and never let him -run in a steeple-chase again." The General's heart was in his eyes, -but he concealed his feelings from the invalid; and this too he -promised, much to Cousin Charlie's satisfaction, who talked on so -cheerfully, and avowed himself to feel so much better, that when at -last Uncle Baldwin left him he joined the rest of the party more -sanguine than any of them of his ultimate recovery, and vowed "he -could not have believed what the sea-air would do." "You may sigh, -Mrs. Delaval, and shake your head, but he's as strong to-day as ever -he was in his life. Lungs!--his lungs are as good as mine. What?--he's -only outgrown his strength--don't tell me, the lad's six feet high. -Why, I saw Globus this very day, and he assures me confidently that he -thinks Charlie will be quite well by the spring." - - * * * * * - -Spring bloomed into summer and summer faded into autumn. When London -became empty--that is to say, when some thousand or two of its -millions took their departure from the swarm--we went, as is our -custom, to court health and sea-breezes at St. Swithin's. Though we -follow blindly the example of our kind, rushing tumultuously to -crowded resorts and overflowing watering-places, yet do we love -solitude in the abstract as do most men who have outlived their -digestions, and consequently we were not disappointed to find the day -after our arrival so gusty, gloomy, and disagreeable, that the -fair-weather visitors were compelled to remain indoors, and we had the -beach pretty well to ourselves. There was a thick haze over the -Channel, and a small drizzling rain beat in our face. We may be -peculiar, but we confess we have no objection to a fog, and rather -like a drizzling rain; so we breasted the breeze, and walked boldly -on till we got clear of the town, and keeping steadily along -"high-water mark," could enjoy our humour of sulking undisturbed. - -But one figure shared our solitude--a tall, handsome woman, dressed in -the deepest mourning, short of widow's weeds, that we ever saw. As we -passed her, she was gazing steadily to seaward, and we caught but one -glimpse of her countenance; yet that face we never have forgotten. -Care had hollowed the eyes and wasted the pale cheek, and streaked the -masses of dark hair with many a silver line, but the deep expression -of holy beauty that sat on those marble features was that of an -angel--some spirit sorrowing for the spirit-band from which it was -parted, and yearning for its home. She was listening intently to the -regular and monotonous gush of the Channel waves as they poured in -their steady measured music, like a requiem for the dead. A -well-beloved voice spoke to her on the sighing breeze, an old familiar -strain was borne upon the rolling waters: she was communing with -another world, and we left her, but not alone. - -Mary Delaval has never quitted St. Swithin's. Marble, wrought to -warlike trophies, blazons in a lengthened inscription the blighted -fame and early death of a blooming warrior, who dragged his sinking -frame hither to gaze upon the shining waters, and so to die. But it is -not in the stately aisle or over the speechless stone that Mary weeps -for her lost hopes, and mourns her buried love. No, she had rather -wander by the lonely shore and listen to the "sad sea waves," as they -murmur their mournful tale of the unforgotten Past. Day by day, ay, -night by night, she glides about amongst the poor, ever on errands of -mercy--ever eager but for one thing on earth--to do good--to fulfil -her destiny--to die _here_ where _he_ died--and so to go to _him_. By -the bed of sickness, in the abode of misery--ay, in the very den of -vice, if it be but hallowed by grief, that pale sad face is as well -known as the High Church curate's or the parish doctor's; but the poor -respect her sorrows; and the rough fishermen, the busy artisans, the -very careless romping children will turn out of the path, and forbear -to intrude upon the presence of the "dark lady," as she sits looking -wistfully to seaward, or wanders dejectedly along the beach. They seem -to feel that she is _with_ them, but not _of_ them--a sojourner here, -but not for long. - -We love to gaze on the blooming merry faces of the young--we -can admire the bright, hopeful girl--the contented, happy -matron--childhood--prime--and old age. All have their beauties, all -reflect more or less vividly the image of their Creator; but never in -mortal features have we seen such a heavenly expression as that borne -by Mary Delaval with her aching heart; deeper than hope, holier than -joy, it hallows those alone whose every tie to lower earth is torn -asunder, whose treasure is not here, whose home is beyond the -grave--of whom Infinite Mercy has said, "Blessed are those that mourn, -for they shall be comforted." - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GENERAL BOUNCE*** - - -******* This file should be named 41828.txt or 41828.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/1/8/2/41828 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions 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. 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