"I am sure I beg your pardon, Jack," said aunt Dora, suddenly stopping short, and feeling guilty. "I never meant to neglect you. Poor dear boy, he never was properly tried with female society and the comforts of home; but then you were dining out that night," said the simple woman, eagerly. "I should have stayed with you Jack, of course, had you been at home." ture, and laid aside his paper once had written. "It is difficult to more to know what it meant. think of any consolation in such a bereavement," wrote Mr. Shirley's niece; "but still it is a little comfort to feel that I can throw myself on your sympathy, my dear and kind friend." "Little calculating thing!" Miss Leonora said to herself as she threw down the mournful epistle; and then she could not help thinking again of Frank. To be sure, he was not of her way of thinking; but when she remembered the "investigation" and its result, and the secret romance involved in it, her Wentworth blood sent a thrill of pride and pleasure through her veins. Miss Leonora, though she was strong-minded, was still woman enough to perceive her nephew's motives in his benevolence to Wodehouse; but these motives, which were strong enough to make him endure From this little scene Miss Leonora turned away hastily, with an exclamation of impatience. She so much annoyance, were not strong enough to tempt him from Carlingford and his Perpetual Curacy, where his honour and reputation, in the face of love and ambition, demanded that he should remain. "It would be a pity to balk him in his self-sacrifice," she said to herself, with again a somewhat grim smile, and a comparison not much to the advantage of Julia Trench and her curate. She shut herself up among her papers till luncheon, and only emerged with a stormy front when that meal was on the table; during the progress of which she snubbed everybody who ventured to speak to her, and spoke to her nephew Frank as if he might have been suspected of designs upon the plate-chest. Such were made an abrupt end of her tea-making, and went off to her little business room with a grim smile upon her iron-grey countenance. She too had been taken in a little by Jack's pleasant farce of the Sinner Repentant; and it occurred to her to feel a little ashamed of herself as she went up-stairs. After all, the ninety-and-nine just men of Jack's irreverent quotation were worth considering now and then; and Miss Leonora could not but think with a little humiliation of the contrast between her nephew Frank and the comfortable young Curate who was going to marry Julia Trench. He was fat, it could not be denied; and she remembered his chubby looks, and his sermons about selfdenial and mortification of the flesh, much as a pious Catholic might think of the Lenten oratory of a fat friar. But then he was perfectly sound in his doctrines, and it was undeniable that the people liked him, and that the appointment was one which even a Scotch ecclesias- the unpleasant consequences of the tical community full of popular struggle between duty and inclinarights could scarcely have objected tion in the bosom of Miss Leonora; to. According to her own principles, the strong-minded woman could not do otherwise. She threw herself into her arm-chair with unnecessary force, and read over the letter which Miss Trench herself and, save for other unforeseen events which decided the matter for her, it is not by any means so certain as, judging from her character, it ought to have been, that duty would have won the day. CHAPTER XLII. more beaten him, but humbled him in his own eyes, which is perhaps, of all others, the injury least easy to forgive. It was, however, with an appearance of the profoundest submission that he stood awaiting the approach of the man he had tried so much to injure. Frank Wentworth once went up Grange Lane, a thought ful and a sober man. Exhilaration comes but by moments in the happiest of lives and already he began to remember how very little he had to be elated about, and how entirely things remained as before. Even Lucy; her letter very probably might be only an effusion of friendship; and at all events, what could he say to her what did he dare in honour say? And then his mind went off to think of the two rectories, between which he had fallen as between two stools: though he had made up his mind to accept neither, he did not the less feel a certain mortification in seeing that his relations on both sides were so willing to bestow their gifts elsewhere. He could not tolerate the idea of succeeding Gerald in his own person, but still he found it very disagreeable to consent to the thought that Huxtable should replace him-Huxtable, who was a good fellow enough, but of whom Frank Wentworth thought, as men generally think of their brothers-in law, with a half-impatient, half-contemptuous wonder what Mary could ever have seen in so commonplace a man. To think of him as rector of Wentworth inwardly chafed the spirit of the Perpetual Curate. As he was going along, absorbed in his own thoughts, he did not perceive how his approach was watched for from the other side of the way by Elsworthy, who stood with his bundle of newspapers under his arm and his hat in his hand, watching for "his clergyman" with submission and apology on the surface, and hidden rancour underneath. Elsworthy was not penitent; he was furious and disappointed. His mistake and its consequences were wholly humiliating, and had not in them a single saving feature to atone for the wounds of his self-esteem. The Curate had not only baffled and "Mr. Wentworth, sir," said Elsworthy, "if I was worth your while, I might think as you were offended with me; but seeing I'm one as is so far beneath you"-he_went on with a kind of grin, intended to represent a deprecatory smile, but which would have been a snarl had he dared-"I can't think as you'll bear no malice. May I ask, sir, if there's a-going to be any difference made?" "In what respect, Elsworthy?" said the Curate, shortly. "Well, sir, I can't tell," said the Clerk of St. Roque's. "If a clergyman was to bear malice it's in his power to make things very unpleas ant. I don't speak of the place at church, which ain't neither here nor there-it's respectable, but it ain't lucrative; but if you was to stretch a point, Mr. Wentworth, by continuing the papers and suchlike it ain't that I valley the money," said Elsworthy, "but I've been a faithful servant; and I might say, if you was to take it in a right spirit, an 'umble friend, Mr. Wentworth," he continued, after a little pause, growing bolder. "And now, as I've that unfortunate creature to provide for, and no one knowing what's to become of her " "I wonder that you venture to speak of her to me," said the Curate, with a little indignation, “after all the warnings I gave you. But you ought to consider that you are to blame a great deal more than she is. She is only a child; if you had taken better care of her-but you would not pay any attention to my warning;-you must bear the consequences as you best can." “Well, sir," said Elsworthy, "if with a pathetic turn of voice. "Not you're a-going to bear malice, I as I'm casting no blame on you, as haven't got nothing to say. But is well known to be" there ain't ten men in Carlingford as wouldn't agree with me that when a young gentleman, even if he is a clergyman, takes particklar notice of a pretty young girl, it ain't just for nothing as he does it -not to say watching over her paternal to see as she wasn't out late at night, and suchlike. But by gones is bygones, sir," said Els worth, "and is never more to be mentioned by me. I don't ask no more if you'll but do the "You won't ask no more?" said the Curate, angrily; "do you think I am afraid of you? I have nothing more to say, Elsworth. Go and look after your business I will attend to mine; and when we are not forced to meet, let us keep clear of each other. It will be better both for you and me." The Curate passed on with an impatient nod; but his assailant did not intend that he should escape so easly. "I shouldn't have thought, sir, as you'd have borne malice," said Elsworthy, hastening on after him, yet keeping half a step behind. "I'm a humbled man-different from what I ever thought to be. I could always keep up my head afore the world till now; and if it aint your fault, sir-as I humbly beg your pardon for ever being so far led away as to believe it was-all the same it's. along of you." "What do you mean?" said the Curate, who, half amused and half indignant at the change of tone, had slackened his pace to listen to this new accusation. "What I mean, sir, is, that if you. hadn't been so good and so kindhearted as to take into your house the the villain as has done it all, him and Rosa could never have known each other. I allow as it was nothing but your own goodness as did it; but it was a black day for me and mine," said the dramatist, "Never mind what I'm well known to be," said the Curate; "the other day you thought I was the villain. If you can tell me anythink you want me to do, I will understand that--but I am not desirous to know your opinion of me," said the careless young man. As he stood listening impatiently, puasing a second time, Dr. Marjoribanks came out to his door and stepped into his brougham to go off to his morning round of visits. The Doctor took off his hat when he saw the Curate, and waved it to him cheerfully with a gesture of congratulation. Dr. Marjoribanks was quite stanch and honest, and would have manfully stood by his intimates in dangerous circumstances; but somehow he preferred success. It was pleasanter to be able to congratulate people than to condole with them. He preferred it, and nobody could object to so orthodox a sentiment. Most probably, if Mr. Wentworth had still been in partial disgrace, the Doctor would not have seen him in his easy glance down the road; but though Mr. Wentworth was aware of that, the mute congratulation had yet its effect upon him. He was moved by that delicate symptom of how the wind was blowing in Carling ford, and forgot all about Elsworthy, though the man was standing. by his side. 7 "As you're so good as to take it kind, sir," said the Clerk of St.. Roque's, "and, as I was a-saying, it's well known as you're always ready to hear a poor man's tale, perhaps you'd let bygones be bygones, and not make no difference? That wasn't all, Mr. Wentworth," he continued eagerly, as the Curate gave an impatient nod, and turned to go on. "I've heard as this vil-, lain is rich, sir, by means of robbing of his own flesh and blood;-but it ain't for me to trust to what folks says, after the experience I've had, and never can forgive myself for be ing led away," said Elsworthy; "it's joribanks's prescriptions. As the well known in Carlingford "For heaven's sake come to the point and be done with it," said the Curate. "What is it you want me to do ?" "Sir," said Elsworthy, solemnly, "you're a real gentleman, and you don't bear no malice for what was a mistake-and you ain't one to turn your back on an unfortunate family-and Mr. Wentworth, sir, you ain't a-going to stand by and see me and mine wronged, as have always wished you well. If we can't get justice of him, we can get damages,' " cried Elsworthy. "He ain't to be let off as if he'd done no harm -and seeing as it was along of you 66 sense of injury waxed stronger The "Hold your tongue, sir!" cried the Curate. "I have nothing to do with it. Keep out of my way, or at least learn to restrain your tongue. No more-not a word more," said the young man, indignantly. He went off with such a sweep and wind of anger and by annoyance, that the slower and had ever before heard an oath issue older complainant had no chance from the respectable lips of the to follow him. Elsworthy accord- Clerk of St. Roque's. When he went ingly went off to the shop where down into the shop again, the outhis errand-boys were waiting for cries sank into frightened moans. the newspapers, and where Rosa Not much wonder that the entire lay up-stairs, weeping, in a dark neighbourhood became as indignant room, where her enraged aunt had with Elsworthy as it ever had been shut her up. Mrs. Elsworthy had with the Perpetual Curate. shut up the poor little pretty husband and wife took up their powretch, who might have been peni- sitions in the shop after this, as far tent under better guidance, but who apart as was possible from each by this time had lost what sense of other, both resenting in silent fury shame and wrong her childish con- the wrong which the world in science was capable of in the general had done them. If Mrs. stronger present sense of injury and Elsworthy had dared, she would resentment and longing to escape; have exhausted her passion in abuse but the angry aunt, though she of everybody-of the Curate for not could turn the key on poor Rosa's being guilty, of her husband for unfortunate little person, could not supposing him to be so, and, to be shut in the piteons sobs which now sure, of Rosa herself, who was the and then sounded through and cause of all. But Elsworthy was through the house, and which con- dangerous, not to be approached or verted all the errand-boys with spoken to. He went out about out exception into indignant parti- noon to see John Brown, and dissans of Rosa, and even moved the cuss with him the question of heart of Peter Hayles, who could damages; but the occurrences which hear them at the back window took place in his absence are not t◆ where he was making up Dr. Mar- be mixed up with the present nar rative, which concerns Mr. Frank Wentworth's visit to Lucy Wodehouse, and has nothing to do with ignoble hates or loves. been very full of affairs of my own. I thought at one time that my friends were forsaking me. It was very good of you to write as you did." Upon which there followed another little pause. "Indeed, the goodness was all on your side," said Lucy, faltering. "If I had ever dreamt how much you were doing for us! but it all came upon me so suddenly. It is impossible ever to express in words one-half of the gratitude we owe you," she said with restrained enthusiasm. She looked up The Curate went rapidly on to the green door, which once more looked like a gate of paradise. He did not know in the least what he was going to do or say he was only conscious of a state of exaltation, a condition of mind which might precede great happiness or great misery, but had nothing in it of the common state of affairs in which people ask each other "How do you do?" Notwithstanding, at him as she spoke with a little glow the fact is, that when Lucy entered of natural fervour, which brought that dear familiar drawing-room, the colour to her cheek and the where every feature and individual moisture to her eyes. She was not expression of every piece of furni- of the disposition to give either ture was as well known to him as thanks or confidence by halves; if they had been so many human and even the slight not unpleasant faces, it was only "How do you sense of danger which gave piquancy do?" that the Curate found himself to this interview, made her resolute able to say. The two shook hands to express herself fully. She would as demurely as if Lucy had indeed not suffer herself to stint her grabeen according to the deceptive titude because of the sweet susrepresentation of yesterday, as old picion which would not be quite as aunt Dora; and then she seated silenced, that possibly Mr. Wentherself in her favourite chair, and worth looked for something better tried to begin a little conversation than gratitude. Not for any conseabout things in general. Even in quences, however much they might these three days, nature and youth be to be avoided, could she be had done something for Lucy. She shabby enough to refrain from due had slept and rested, and the unfor- acknowledgment of devotion seen misfortune which had come in great. Therefore while the Perpetto distract her grief, had roused all ual Curate was doing all he could the natural strength that was in to remind himself of his condition, her. As she was a little nervous and to persuade himself that it about this interview, not knowing would be utterly wrong and mean what it might end in, Lucy thought of him to speak, Lucy looked up it her duty to be as composed and at him, looked him in the face with self-commanding as possible, and, her blue eyes shining dewy and in order to avoid all dangerous and sweet through tears of gratitude exciting subjects, began to talk of and a kind of generous admiration; Wharfside. for, like every other woman, she felt herself exalted and filled with a delicious pride in seeing that the man of her unconscious choice had proved himself the best. "I have not heard anything for three or four days about the poor woman at No 10," she said: "I meant to have gone to see her today, but somehow one gets so selfish when-when one's mind is full of affairs of one's own." "Yes," said the Curate; "and speaking of that, I wanted to tell you how much comfort your letter had been to me. My head, too, has SO The Curate walked to the window, very much as Mr Proctor had done, in the tumult and confusion of his heart, and came back again with what he had to say written clear on his face, without any possibility of mistake. "I must |
