TheHonbleMrsVereker 10000453

PR INT E D BY
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AN D co G ATE sw a mm ’
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an s .
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.
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AN D K IN G sr on-on - n s.
TH E
H O N E MRS V EREK ER
E E
. .
a n ovel .
BY TH E AU TH O R
P H YLLIS , ”
MO LLY B AWN , ”
MRS .
”
G E O FF RE Y , &c .
This is an e v il born with all its te eth :
IN ONE V O L UM E .
O
L NDO N
F . V . WH ITE Co .
,
31, S O UTHAMPTO N STREET STRAN D W C , , . .
1 889 .
# 754 £ 4 4,
PO P U L A R N E W NO V E LS .
N ow Ready, the Seventh E dition of
AR MY S O C IE T Y By JO N STR N G EH WIN TER , A Author of

B oo ties
’
a B by .
. C loth gil t, 63 also pic ture oards ,

. b
Also, n ow R eady, in Cl ot h G il t, 83 6d each .
m
. .
G AR RISO N G O S SIP , G athered in Blan kha pt on . By JO H N

A
S T R N G E W N TE R b
I Al so pict ure oards , 23
BABY B h mA H Al pi u b d
.
A G
S IE E y t e sa e UT O R. so ct re oar s , 23
H E S By S R DA H R
. .
IN TH E S IR B t IR AN I. O B E RTS , ar
B O WN H ABI
. . .
THE TH
G IRL IN A S i g NE l By R T port n
u b
ov e
DWA D K A D A
. .
M rs E R E NN R l s o pic t re oards , 2 3
B Y W MAN W i Bu Mb A A D Auth f T
. . .
’ “ he
O S IT .
y rs . LE X N ER, or o
W A
’
oo in g O t l so p c t re oards , 23
M O A C H C By mA H
. .
OI E th e sa
’
N S . e UT O R.
K ILL E D IN
u
TH O N By M EDWA D K D A PE . rs . E R E N N AR . lso
d
p ic t re boar S , 23
IN A G A S C O UN RY B
.
R S yM H L C AM AT rs. O V E TT- E RO N . l so
u b
. .
p ict 2
re oards, 3.
A DEVO UT LO V R By mA H E th e sa e UT OR
By mA H
. .
T HE C F A
O ST O E LI th e sa e UT O R.
O UTSID E R By HAW M A Al pi u b d
.
TH E LE Y S RT. so ct re oar s, 23
By M E DWA D K A D A
. .
A GH
S TR I AS A DIET rs . R ENN R lso
u b
. .
pict d re oar s, 23 .
TWI G H T TAL S
LI B M DWA D K A E Ill u t d y rs. E R ENN RD s rate .
BE TWE E N B M A A D
. .
SHE C AM E A .
y rs. LE X N ER FR SE R .
C U ADE O B B HA “ ”
TH E R S TH E X F A E C E LS IO R y RET R TE l so
u b
. .
pic t r e d oar s, 23
C UR B A
.
ND S N AFFLE B S B A DA H R B t y IR N L O B E R TS, ar
B y M WA D K A D
. .
A A G O O D THIN G
RE L . rs . E D R EN N R .
D R AM AC S B T
E F E M. F y H E H O N B LE RS E TH E R STO N H AUG H
By M y
. . .
TH E B E
H ON MRS V L . Au h . E RE K E R .
.
th e t or of
“
oll
F . V . W R I TE A; c o .
,
8 1 , S outh at on S tr ee t, S tr an d, L on don , W . O .
TH E HONOURABLE MRS VEREK ER . .
CHAPTER I .
A kn igh t ther e w as , an d tha t a w o rthy m

an,
That f
ro mh ime h
t e t t at h e fi rs t began
To r ide n o ut , he l o ved c h iva lry,
Trut h an d hon Our , fr e edo md an court e s y.
IT see m ed t o himthat the O l d church l ooke d

quain ter than ever He had been te n ye ars away
from
.
hi s n ative p ari sh so that it w as n atural e n o ugh

that he should fin d m
,
—
ost thin gs stran ge an d yet
fam iliar to o The Autum n s un shi n e shot a r uby bar
am ily pe w direct fro mthe sid e

.
o f light across the f
win dow with ex actly the sam

,
, e precision as whe n he
was a boy an d his gre at gran d father glared down -
upo n him fro mthe slab opposite with j ust as

,
m ali n an t an d e m
g , i n e n tly ston y an eye as whe n l as t ,
he sat here petrifi ed be n e ath t h e s te rn regard

B ut so m
.
ethin g abo ut the whole con ductin g o fthe

service struck himas bein g ludicrous He w as n o t .
in an y wise profan e he had an hon est he althy love

, , ,
for his ch urch rit ual an d his be li e f in his God w as

,
as so un d as the ch urch bell itsel f; b ut there w as a
touch o f O ld w orldismO f a co m
- forta bl e d row sin ess
abo ut e verythin g th at am used h im
, ,
.
2 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
Certain ly the ch urches abroad with their florid

pictures an d flower decke d altars an d dimsoft lights
,
-
, ,
an d shades an d glitteri n g can dles that shin e like
stars an d m usic so heaven ly sweet as to m

,
,
ove th e
very soul within on e were a bad preparation for the
cal mappreciation o fa coun try service with its dron
,
in g o ut O f tun e choir an d its wi n dows fo r the m

,
,
- -
, ,
ost ,
part of plain glass through which the light fell with

,
a co arse white n ess th at w as to s ay the least o f it , ,
distin ctly i n artistic An d yet after all there w as a

.
, ,
sen se of rest in this quiet d ull O ld b uildin g a — , ,
n e arn ess to the desirable O blivion o f the grave that
held an d en chain ed both m

,
in d an d heart an d satis
fi e d the m
,
delicately
When last he sat in this worme aten pew he w as
.
n in e tee n to da he w twe ty- i e T ye rs !

y
-
as n n n e n a
a terri ble la pse o f ti m e ! All the faces roun d him

.
,
with the exception o f o n e here an d there were n e w

to himth o ugh so m e at least am
,
on gst the youn ger

members O f the con gregation must have been pretty
,
n im ble on their li m bs when he left ho m e Then .

,
,
—
his father the old squire w as alive n o w there w as , ,
n o o n e to keep ho use at the gr an d O l d pl ace up ther e
am on gst the n oddin g pin e trees that even fro m ,
this distan ce cast their shadows across the ch an cel ,
save he .
How the s un light win e red sparkled on the ston e

flo orin g shin in g sh arply through the glorious raim
, ,
, en t
o f the Beloved Apostle August s un shin es were n o
doubt the sam
.
e everywhere ; ye ars c an n ot ch an ge
them He was a little glad perh aps when the ser
mon which was about the death O f Absaloman d
.
, ,
, ,
TH E H O N O URABLE MRS . V E RE K E R . 8
had been graphic d escription s o f ho w th at

full of
rfidio us perso n m u st h ve looked w h d gli ng

pe
m
a e n an
idway betwee n earth an d sky fro m h is treac hero us

locks cam e to an e n d an d he w as fre e to leave the
som
, ,
bre shadows within an d wan der forth in to

Nature s m
,
agn ifi ce n t display o f light o utsid e

’
.
Mrs Mardyke the rector s wi fe w as w aitin g fo r ’
him He rem em
.
, ,
. bered her well with her soft in te lli ,
gen t eyes an d iron grey hair ; it w as scarcely greyer

,
-
than when last he saw her te n years ago Man y a

tim e an d o ft she had don e h imgood service stan din g
.
between hi man d the rector s wrath when that fatal

,
’
Latin gram mar had on ce again been the cause O f a

,
ro w ro y al betwee n the m odern Men tor an d Tele

mh u
ac s.
He would have liked to s tay an d talk with her

abo ut O ld ti m es but a slen der han d w as thrust
through his arman d a charm
,
in g face w as uplifte d to
his
Both belon ge d to his cousin Dorothy Ayl m
.
er He .
had re n ewed acquain tan ce Wi th her a fortn ight ago

in to w n so that her greetin g w as e m pty o f the
sole m n ity th at m
,
arked the other
S o you have really com

.
e said she with a little

pretty afl e c ted air O f aston ish m
, ,
,
'
en t In spite o f .
your assuran ce in Berkeley Square an d the in terest

with which I have watched the idlin g O f that arm
,
y
o f work m en up at the Chase for the last te n days I
n ever r ea l ly believed yo u wo uld co n de m
,
n yourse lfto
a solitary co n fi n e m en t o fthis kin d ”

.
a o —
I can t be solitary I shall h ve y u o ccasion
’
.
ally s aid he
, .
4 TH E H O N OUR ABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. .
True ! Eve n in th e dire st cases I have h e ard

th e re is al w ays c on s ol ation to be fo un d if on e o n ly ,
kn o w s t he r ight w ay to l o ok fo r it Yo u e viden tly .
do Well P an d whe n do yo u start agai n ? ”
My dear girl ! what an un ci il question Here v
have I been a ho m
.
eless wan de rer for the l ast ten

year s doin g m
, y d uty n obly an d yet whe n, I d o ,
—
de sce n d upon the paren tal n e st weary an d foot sore -
—I amat on ce com man ded to move on It isn t ’
The proverbial forty win ks m

.
fair ight at le as t be
c o n c e d e d to m
.
”
e
Make the mfifty said she

.
, Wh at I wan t to .
kn ow is about the afterwards My o wn con victio n .
is th at yo u will fin d the orty lon g an d wh at is

f — ,
your n ext destin ation P Wagga wagga The'

-
plain s O f Tartary Or the p lace where the Bon g

tree gro w s
“
N o t the l atter certain ly Fromall I h ave read
it would be usele s s to go there without a com
.
pan ion
P e rhaps however you will co m
.
e
Im
.
, ,
’
afraid I can t regretfully
’ ”
I would do a
great de al for you but I m
, .
— — ust draw the li n e ‘
there
“ At the rese n t m m m
.
p o e n t y o u can d o so ethi n g
fo r m e at all even ts Tell m e who is t h e old lady
with the white rin glets bo win g to m

.
e so r cio u s l y
g a
fro m behin d th at m on um
,
en t ? ”
That is Mrs Macken zie o f Gran ge She is on e

O f the m
. .
ost affordin g people I kn ow al ways except

in g Aun t Jem im N ow go over an d m
,
a . ake yo ur
v er best bow if yo u w an t to kn o w eve n o n e pe ac e

y
ful hour in this d e serte d village Tell her yo u .
TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E RE R BE
. . 5
r em em ber perfectly what a grower O f roses sh e is ,
an d give her to un derstan d th at yo u kn ow she has
r he um atic gout in her l e f t han d Sh e is tre m . eu

do usl y pro ud of tha
With the word roses it all cam e back to himan d
h e c o uld see hi m self again w an derin g am
, ,
on gs t a
very garde n o f sweets m ade up o f roses o n ly yello w ,
an d whi t e an d red He co uld see his father too

movin g fromtree to tree admirin g the on e flower
.
, ,
that w as his ow n special hobby an d scarcely he s din g

,
th e e n d less cackle o f the O ld lady who hob bled a f t er

h imvol ubly discoursin g on the rival virtues o f this
tre atm
,
e n t an d that for the beloved plan t

He pressed her han ds very warm
.
ly an d qui te w on
her he ar t by the two or three j udicious re m
,
arks he
made He was very like his father she said but

m
.
, ,
perh aps n t quite so han dso e o t quite but good

o n ,
—
e n ough to look at in s pite o f all The cackle w as
o f th e s am e order as he re m em bered an d am
.
,
used
himin part He gave her his arman d took her
,
down to where her carriage waited for her at a s m

.
,
all
side gate an d re fused her pressin g i n vitation to

l un cheon because he felt there m ust still be so m
,
e of
the O ld folk who would expect to shake h imby the
,
han d .
As the h uge an d an cie n t b arouche rolled away he ,
turn ed an d looked back up the ch urchyard path an d

so look g m — half sm
,
in e t two e ar n est eyes ili n g h alf -

,
—
un sure th at were his un doin g !
It w as all over in a m om e n t He stood an d .
,
stared at her an d as he stared de fen celess though t

less O farm
, , ,
our she wal ked alb e it un con s ciously i n to

, , ,
. .
his heart She stood j ust a little way fromhimfull

.
,
o f a lovely i n d ecisio n an d then her body swayed a
little an d she cam e to himan d very shyly held o ut

,
her han d
Everyon e seem s to be clai m
.
in g yo u as an O ld
frien d Why n ot I said she softly she w as look
in g at him
.
,
in a ge n tle frie n dly fash ion Her fac e

w as e n tir ely colo urless except fo r her m
.
, o uth wh ic h ,
w as re d as on e o f Mrs Macke n zie s roses Il e t e y e s

’
were dark an d so m ourn ful as to give hime vmat

. .
this e arly m om
,
e n t a sharp pan g of regret fo r her

They rested on himso m
.
bre an d tho ughtful eve n

whils t the red m outh s m iled
I expect I amthe O ldest acquain tan ce O f all
.
wen t on this lovely apparition as he held her han d

I w as quite a baby whe n l ast we m
.
e t an d p arted
Moreover with a little lo w laugh I amafraid I

.
,
”
must con fess that I reme m

, ,
ber n othi n g at al l abo ut

it
A b aby ! repeated he am
”
use d an d fasci n ated
8 0 youn g ! S urely the n I m
, .
a
y be exc u s ed i f I t o o
decl are I have forgotte n ”
Who w as she this beauti ful girl ? He torm

.
en te d
his brai n to try an d recall som ethin g that m
,
ight
le ad to t h e solution o f the m ys tery .
N 0 ; you will n o t guess it she s aid as if readin g

”
his dile m m
, ,
She shook her he ad slightly ; she see m

.
ed very
youn g barely twe n ty yet there was an air about h er
that puzzle d him
, ,
“ I w as on e o f th e R ow to n s O f Rye lan ds
an d I
kno w that I kn ow yo u becaus e the b o y s h ave so

,
Til E H O N O UR ABLE MR S V E RE R BE . .
of e told m
t n e about yo u an d talked o fyo u an d in
deed m ad e m m
, , ,
, e quite f ri e n dly wi th you r na e at
leas t .
”
Why O f course cried he brighten in g An d

om
, , , .
o u are like yo ur f ther t oo A n d Charl ie T

y a
they were schoo l fellows o f m in e An d you m

.
, , ,
-
ust be
th e little sister who cam
.
e so lon g afterward s when ,
t hey in dee d were gre at boys gro w n Yes I do

re m em ber It al m ost see m s to m
, , .
,
e in de e d that
your very n am e co m es b ack to m
.
, ,
e —
Cis was it r or .
Cissy ? or
Cecil n ow an it ple ase you! The O ld Cis has
’
faded o ut o f all re m em
,
bran ce ! Did she sigh as ”
she s aid it S urely the fain test shadow deepe n e d

the already t oo m ourn ful curves of the youn g lips
Why what m
.
“ f
atters th at s aid he eagerly i ”
, , , ,
the world has gain ed a n e w Cecil

Ah ! I don t kn ow that she said quickly
’ ”
O ld d ays believe m e h ave their char m

.
, ,
”
, , .
B ut said he as if p uzzled “
whe n last I w as at
hom
, , ,
e te n years ago where were you the n ? N o t

, ,
here ”
In Brighton with an aun t O f m

.
in e I lived
with her fo r a lo n g ti m e Then I cam e ho m
.
,
e .
,
an d
She paused abruptly .
T hey are all gon e she Wen t on again pres en tly

Charlie is in In dia To min
, ,
speaki n g n ervo usly
Africa an d dad dad is dead I on ly amleft

.
,
— ”
S he spoke wi th i n describable m
. .
,
elan choly To St
Joh n in d e ed it see m ed m
. .
, , ore than that The l o w .
deli cat e ac ce n t s we re s uggestive O f de pair B ut in s .

8 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE K E B
. .
a m
ome t n sh e had s haken 03 her d epression an d
mor
,
on ce e turn e d
her e yes o n his .
An d so as a fac t yo u had forgotte n our p as t

, ,
frie n ds hip sh e s ai d
”
She was sm
.
,
ilin g again sh e had apparen tly e n tirely

fl un g 0 6 the to uch o fdejection that had caught h e r
an d w as looki n g at h imwi th a glan ce th at w as
,
brill ian t .
“ An
d if I h ave s aid he boldly ; “ an d if I e ve n
d eclare that I d o n ot so m
,
uch as regret it can yo u

won der whe n I see be fore m
,
, e the chan ce o f a fresh

frien ds hip be fore which th at e arlier on e s inks i n to
in sign ifican c e
The word s in the m selves were sufi c ien tly i m pres
sive to attract her b ut the look that acco m pa n i e d
themtho ugh altogether respectful w as so arden t so
,
un den i ably ad m
, , ,
iri n g that it startle d her As if

displeased by it an d s urprise d she m
.
,
, oved back a ,
s tep or two an d a to uch o f h aute u

, r grew upo n
her face
’
With a last courteous word or two that were , ,
however en tirely devoid o f that first frie n dlin ess

that had charm ed himshe t urn e d asid e an d slippe d
,
in to a gro up n e ar her an d presen tly he co uld se e ,
that she had gon e dow n the ce n tral p ath an d h ad ,
steppe d in to a perfectly appoin te d carriage that

stood outsi d e the e n tran ce gate .
A carriage in con n ectio n with the Ro wto n s—in

his tim e a sadly d e ficie n t race so far as m on ey w as
—
,
c on ce rn e d struck St John as stran ge They had . .
always bee n poor

— n ay ever on the verge o f ban k ,
uptcy ; b ut perhaps that old aun t in B right on had

, ,
TH E
H O INO URABLE MRS V E R E R BE
'
. . 9
don e th e correct thin g by her an d had left he r her

mon ey at her death
,
He s tood starin g after the carriage as it rolled

a w ay los t in tho ught un til a gen tl e ta o n his arm
p
ro us e d him
, ,
CH APTER II .
That f i
a rer w as t o s ee
h ar mi th s e l ily u p on
g h is s tal ké re e n ,
f
An d r esh e r t han t he Ma y w it h fl ow e rs n ew
( Fo r w it h th e r o s e co l o ur s t ro ve h er hue
I
’
n ot w hic h was t h e fi n er O f th e m
B E WILDE R E D sweet cousi n asked Mis s Ayl m er
s aucily He s m
, ,
iled at her in turn throwin g o ff the

t uch o f glam our that w as holdi n g himan d told
.
,
him self as he had O ften told him

,
, self d urin g the last

fortn ight th at she w as i n deed very pretty Her
face w as piq uan te origi n al d elicio us m
.
,
, ore decidedly ,
lovely perhaps th an the o n e that tho ugh beyon d h is

sight still stood o ut in a bold if soft light be fore h is
men tal vision ; but to himthere could be n o com
, ,
parison
Are you losin g your head am
.
on gst all the

in tricate win din gs o f these n e w O ld frie n ds ? she
we n t o n Y o u s hould have trusted m
. ore to m y
g ui d an ce I laun ched yo u s afely w he n I s e n t
.
y o u to
Mrs Macken zie b ut I fe ar sin ce th at you have gon e

.
, ,
hopelessly to wreck To j udge by your face you .

,
ar e q uite —
lo st it O h ! h o w d ye do Captain ’
Farq uhar with a brillian t s m

, ,
ile an d a glan ce that

said pl ai n ly th is s m ile was m or him
, ,
e an t f alon e .
10 TH E H ON OURAB LE MR S V E RE K E R
. .
The youn g m an th us f avo ured drew u by her si d e

p ,
an d looked distrustfully at St John That he h ad

accepted that ch arm
. .
in g greetin g as specially his o w n ,
o n e co uld see at a glan ce by his un dis u ised delight

g .
Misguide d youth !
What I w as goin g to say con ti n ued Mis s
Ayl m
,
er bl ithely addressin g herself agai n to her

,
cousin “ is th at to avoid the social sho als an d

, ,
quicks an ds tha t aboun d in this ben ighted n eighbour

hood would take 3 Stan ley The un wary traveller
, .
un doubtedly gets Ah ! s o glad to see yo u Mr

Vesey beam i n g o n a tall callow youn g m
.
,
an an d
givin g hima s m ile the v e ry fac si m

, ,
ile of that j ust -
bestowed o n Farquh ar That the n e w co m er

m
-
.
regarded it as a tribute to his own char s w as

beyon d question He too ran ge d up alon gside an d
.
,
glowered with equal politen ess on Farquhar an d St .
John .
I thought you were still in town s aid he

I mn ever still an ywhere return ed she ; which
.
,
’ ”
w as the l iteral truth tho ugh she didn t m

,
ean it ’
I ve an aun t as wi th a swiftly co m
, .
’
— ”
prehen sive
glan ce at him you have good reaso n to kn ow an d
,
she draws m
,
e whithersoever she listeth At presen t

she is determ
.
i n e d I shall vegetate down here an d

muse upon m
,
si n s so th at — Wh a t ! y ou Mr S u
y , n , .
d orlan d ! Why I quite thought yo uwere in the Isle

o f Wight or the San dwich Isles or som
,
— ew her e , .
What has kept you here

This speech w as acco m pan ie d by a glan ce an d
sm ile every bit as delicious a s those given to the
o thers Mr S un derlan d a h uge yo un g m
. .
, an with a ,
TH E H O N OURABLE MRS V E BE K E R. . ll
flufl y face
'
herculean shoulders grows crim

an d son
be n e ath the man d a trifle con fused
,
.
,
— — —
Well e r yo u see I I full stop Y o u se e, ,
” -
.
the fact is that I hadn t an opportun ity o f sayin g ’
good bye to you las t Friday an d as I kn ew yo u

-
— —
,
would be sa e to be n ch rch I thought that er

f i u
—I d wait un til to day Youve been s r—so ex
,
’ ’
-
tre m e ly k in d to m
.
e th at I — —
I did n t quite l ike to
,
’
go with o ut sayi n g
N o w h o w sw eet o fyo u s aid Mis s Ayl m
, e r with , ,
the slightest s uspicion of laughter in h e r ton e I .
quite won dered w ould yo u go Do you kn ow

'
fran kly an d with an o ther ch arm

,
in g glan ce that I
should have been very m
, ,
uch dis appoin te d if yo u

hadn t waited
’ ”
Y o u see mto be the esse n ce of good n at ure

.
said her co usin to her in a lo w ton e He w as feelin g

i n ten sely a m The three stran ge youn g m
.
,
used en
stood roun d her whilst she con versed with himan d

.
see m
, ,
ed n o t to thi n k it at all derogato ry to their

d ignity to wait upo n her m oods It w as evide n t
that she h ad them
.
in very good train in g He wo uld

h ave liked to say so but it wo uld have been im
.
, p os
s ible with those six watch f ul eyes .
Ah ! you will see l ater o n s aid she an swerin g ”
his last re m
, ,
ark Good n atured doe sn t expre ss it ’

-
I sim ply s ee mto live for others A perfect sain t I

. .
am if o ly I get m — m m
.
, n
y du e I d o so eti es ! .
Well w ith a v ag ue frien dly sweepin g glan ce

,
”
, ,
aroun d h er that i n cl udes all he r atte n dan t s atellites
It s gettin g late isn t it There is so m

, .
’
, ethi n g ’
suggestive o fl un cheon in the air an d I do t f n cy , n

’
a
12 TH E H O N O URABLE MR S V E RE K E R
. .
the rector w ill like us to bivouac am on gst th e tom bs

What ! are yo ucom in g with m
,
so I ll say good
’
e
All of you goin g to see m e hom e ? How very very ,
kin d
If yo u will allo w us ! exclai m
.
e d Vesey an d S un ”
de rlan d in a breath Farq uhar looked black

.
- .
I shall be o n ly too glad N eed I say it Good

bye Hilary ifyou can co m e down to m
.
orrow I w ill -
n or two in deportm
, , ,
g ive yo u a lesso e nt
”
m
.
“ Wh sho u d t I co e s id St Joh ”
l ?
’
y n n o w a n
I can t com e un der the head o f trum

. .
’
pery as there ,
are thr ee alr e ady

”
.
An other ! cried she tragically An d then

”
chan gin g her ton e to o n e o f th e utm

.
os t s uavity ,
F o wr I How n ice ! Aun tie w ill be please d !

' ”
Here she caught F arq uh ar s eye an d th at gallan t ’
H ussar overcom
,
e by whatever he saw in hers gave

w ay to s udde n m
, ,
irth
It is so m r m
.
an y ye ars si n ce I h ave see n o u utual

aun t ,said St John hat I can h ardly fl atter m
.
, t
y
se lf I have still a place in her regard ; b ut
Hope for n othin g said Dorothy calm ly She
”
re m em
.
,
—
bers yo u perfectly N ow are yo u ready
I thin k if you were to in troduce m
.
e to yo ur
frien ds I sho uld feel m ore at ho m e s aid St Joh n ”
n d the cere m
.
,
g raciously A . o n y h avi n g bee n gon e
through they all crosse d the stile i n to the deep

,
woods beyon d an d strolled leisur ely towards the tin y

man sion over which Miss Aylmer sen ior lorded it
,
'
trium phan tly .
a !
After all , aun tie w asn t

’
pl e as e d ! As t h ey walke d
m en .
as th o u b ro ugh the m
gh t ,
they al l fel t to be
tie said Dorothy m

eekly You
com e fromch urch It was there
.
,
by an eloquen t gesture poin te d

an d
h “? t h e t re m bli n g youn g m en aro un d her .
I s h all coun te n an ce n o s uch un godly thi n g as

al l e r s o
n the Day o f B e st said Miss Ayl m
”
er sen ior
“1 e n o r m Whoever those person s m
, , ,
ous capi tals y

re fuse to receive themin m
. a
b e I ho se
m y u G o
wavin g her m itten ed h an d m

, .
h o e ajes t ically
G o h om e at on ce ! Qui t m m
.
pre ises !
”
me d
y
W i t h this an d witho ut m
, ore ado she slam
,
.
14 TH E H ON OURABLE MR S V E RE K E R
. .
dow n the wi n dow sash wit h a re soun din g ban g

-
low e red th e bli n d in dign an tly an d retired fro m

,
vie w .
D ead sile n ce e n sued St John wh o w as con scious

. .
,
o f h avi n g grow n exceedi n gly red looked n ervously

,
at Dorothy to see h o w she w as be ari n g up un der
thi s m ost un fortun ate con tr etem p s I f he expe c ted
t o fin d her writhin g in the throes o f sham e an d e m

.
b arras sm e n t he w as soo n extraordin arily en lighten ed ;
h e w as quite prepared to pity her to help her so far

as lay in hi s power o ut o f her p ai n ful dile m ma but
, ,
, ,
one
g lan ce at her w as s uf fi cie n t to dispel all t ho ught
o fa n ecessity f o r s uch ki n dly i n terve n tio n
Miss Aylm
.
er w as be n din g slightly forward an d

h ad give n hersel f up a prey to silen t b ut ago n izi n g
mi rth There was n ot so much as o n e sign of
.
chagrin an d as his eyes travelled
at her thr ee co m
,
pan io n s
g with
s up pressed m irth .
A fter a surprised
John to his further
w as l aughi n g im
,
l e ss fas hion an d w as begin n i n g to

,
it w as a di sease O f an in fectious
alo n e to the ave n ue o f the Ayl m ers an d whether h er
ha d n ot caught it when Dorothy o n ce m
, .
, ore foun d:
7
said she There is the side

to it without loss of time ; she m ight draw
in d agai n an d if so I for o n e would n o t
, , , ,
fo r the con sequen ces I have hear d o fan o ld!

.
TH E H O NO URABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 15
blun derbuss of m y g ran d fa ther s th at is h idd e n a w ay

’
som ewhere in on e of her secret recesses .
She caught up her skirts an d led th e w ay to a ,
secluded walk hedged in by laurels where safety

might in deed be supposed to dwell
,
S he m
.
ust h ave been readin g her Bible said ,
Dorothy when she h ad wiped her eyes

, She is .
alway s specially bad whe n full o f Holy Writ .
Why on e arth doesn t she go to church an d hear ’
it read there asked St John with som e j ust in dig .
n atio n .
The Rector is youn g She doesn t approve of ’
h im Crabbed age an d youth you kn ow ca n n o t

.
dwell together without s an guin ary e n gagem

.
en ts
taki n g place every n o w an d the n
”
At that rate poor you ! s aid her cousin co m

.
”
,
pas sion ately

Oh as for m e I m te m
.
per proof I defy her

’
-
com placen tly to ro use m

, , .
,
, e All this as ton ishes .
y o u bec a use
y o u are n e w to it B u t with a little
s apien t n od at the other three youn g m
.
,
“
en thes e
rprises the m Yo u
,
al l kn o w an d n ow n othi n g s u
c an t i m agi n e wh at a co m fort th at is wh en it co m
.
,
’
es
t o a pass age of arm
,
s s uch as to ok place j ust n o w .
We are all quite aware th at there are certain d ays

when Aun tie will n ot have us at an y price This .
,
”
w ith an other lo w irrepressible laugh is o n e of

the m Un fortun ately we n ever kn ow whe n the
, ,
attack is co m
.
,
in g on or I should have been able to

warn yo u I amsorry with a pretty con trite s m
,
.
,
”
ile ,
that sh e should h ave been taken bad as Betty ’
calls it on this yo ur first day but believe m

,
, , e yo u , , ,
16 TH E H ONO URABLE MR S V E RE K E R
.
‘
m
h ave gain e d so ethin g by ge tti n g rid O f her s o
e as il A n d n ow o aw a , do , al l o f u or I sh l l
y g y yo a
ms put
.
,
e t a l e ct ure t h e le n gth o f all yo ur ar

g
together ”
O bedien t to her com man d they dwin dled aw ay

.
John re m
,
slowly on e by on S ai n ed to the l as t
e .
‘
.
He had a q uestion to ask that he fel t he could n o t

take hom e w ith h imun an s w ered
Y o u told m e yo u wo uld be m
.
y M e n tor he s ai d
”
“ In str uct m o re I go in o n e s m all m

.
,
e be f atter I
me t Miss Rowton to day Where does she live n ow
.
-
.
Alon e at Ryelan ds
Dorothy stared at himas if
,
Miss Rowton
on ly hal fun derstan din g There is n o Miss Rowton .
an d Ryel an ds is a thi n o f the p ast save f

n ow , g or
four gaun t wal ls Then a light broke in upon her

”
Cec il ! yo u m
. .
e an she said But yo u are al l

, .
wron g there She is n o lon ger Miss An y thin g S he

. .
is the H on Mrs V e re ke r
. .
CHAPTER III .
An d saidé , C ous in mi ne w hat ail e th that
That ar t s o p al e an d de adly for t o se e P

Why crie d s t
’
t ho u W ho hath t hee don e ofl c n ce
’
MRS . MACK E N Z IE S roses were lookin g their loveliest

’
on the sple n did aftern oon she h ad chose n to re i n tro -
d uce to the coun ty her n ew o ld frien d as she in siste d -

,
o n cal lin g St Joh n who h ar dly care d f or the app e l
lation ; she see m

.
,
ed in deed to throw touch of , ,

TH E H ON OURABL E MRS . V E RE K E R . 17
mi to it He w as on the brin k O f thirty an d

in d him
sarcas n
it w as as tho ugh she would perpetually re m

. ,
t h at youth would n o t last fo r ever an d that he w as

ro m
,
s tan din g o n the borderlan d th at divided it f
middle age fromthat stage of life when on e be comes

,
c o n scious that ther e is a past
With youth there is n aught but the presen t

e xcept it be a m
,
ysterious delicious thought or two,
a bo ut an ide al f uture With age a ll is past (in e very

.
s e n se o f the word an d there is n othin g reli able n o t

) , ,
e ve n the future which , even if O btain ed holds o ut

, ,
n o prospect o f pl eas u re .
Mrs Macke n zie w as a clever perh aps a rather

.
,
un pleasan t old lady b ut she certai n ly liked St Joh n

an d bel ieve d hi m an
, .
,
acq uisition to the rather

mawkish society aroun d an d deemed it high time
t h at he should settle down am on gst the man d m
,
arry , ,
an d h ave he irs as all respec table people do

, .
She h ad two n ieces The Macken zie girls as

—
they were un iversally called who were glad en ough
to stay with her the greater part o f every ye ar their
fat her s parson age holdi n g high ran k am
,
’
on gs t the
un co m fortable places o n the earth They were what .
rude people called terrible girls Tall ugly .

,
plain at all even ts (I believe there is n o s uch thin g

as an ugly wo m o f the m
,
an n o w a days with two os

) - -
t
re m
,
arka b le n oses it co uld be yo ur luckless f ate to
se e — san dy hair an d a thin ven eer o f kin dlin ess

,
an d charity th at w as q uite in sufli c ie n t f o r the c on
eeal m e n t o f the bittern ess that l urked be n e ath To

on e o f these n ieces it w as Mrs Macke n zie s dre am
.
’
.to
see St J ohn wedded
. If the laws o f the coun try h ad
.
2
18 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E B
. .
perm itted o f h is espo us in g both sh e wo uld have

regarded him with even a m
,
ore lovin g eye .
There was quite a goodly gatherin g at the Gran ge

on th is particular day There was Colon el Scott 8
con firm ed old bachelor beam in g aw ay am
. .
,
on gst t he
'
girls with a face as red as a s un beaman d a s m

,
ile
that stretche d his kin dly m outh fromear to e ar
, ,
There w as Bobby Blair a frie n d an d cousin of S t

John s who had com e do wn with himan d who ran
, .
’
, ,
the colon el very close with the girls an d in deed at

the presen t m om en t w as disti n guishin g hi m
, , ,
, self an d ,
utterly routi n g that fascin atin g veteran by th e e x

trem e d elicacy with which he balan ced hi m se lfo n th e
edge o f the foun tain an d thrum med Old Bob
,
Ridley on a real an d origin al banjo They were a .
little depressed perhaps because he hadn t bee n

, ,
’
able to blacke n his f ace b ut so f ar as it we n t t h e
perform
, , ,
an ce w as a gre at s uccess
There were m
.
ore girls than surroun d ed Bobby an d

the colon el an d through the open in gs in the
shrubberie s an d am
,
, on gst the roses an d in all the ,
pri vate walks pretty figures could be seen flittin g

, ,
here an d there gen erally with a taller less grace ful

form beside the mwhilst on the several ten n is co urts
, ,
momen to us battles were bein g fought an d victories

,
lost an d w on
To the right th ere were ten ts that gleam
.
ed like
con ical sugar loaves in the rays o f the autum n su n ,
in which te a i ced claret an d other cups an d in de ed

an ythin g yo u m
, , , , ,
ight d esire w as to be foun d To do .
Mrs Macken zie j ustice l ack of hospitality was n ot

.
,
o n e ofh er f ailin gs .
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 19
St John , as
. wastural w as the hero of the
but na ,
hour .All t h e girls attached or un attache d (exce pt

,
a fe w be n ighted bein gs who were very f ar gon e in
dee d in o ther d ire ctio n s ) gravitate d to wards him , ,
an d an gled f or or ope n ly asked f or i n tro d uction s to
him Dorothy Ayl m

, ,
er w ho held a little court o f

h e r o w n an d w as in d epen d en t o f stray adm
.
,
irers
whispered to himsoftly as he stood by her side for
, ,
a m om
,
e n t that she hoped he would n ot lose sight o f

,
t he fact that a haughty spirit we n t be fore a fall an d

try to keep hum
,
ble She in sin uated too that it

behoved himto walk circum
.
, ,
spectly an d with h is
'
eyes upon the groun d as in the presen t backward

state o f the laws in En glan d hare m
, ,
s were n ot O pe n ly,
ackn owledge d .
He had laughed at her an d w as quite aware that

all her s aucy whisperin gs were on ly m
,
ean t to brin g
that scowl to F arq uhar s dark face ; b ut in truth h e
’
had hardly heard her Just then he had see n s om

. e
o n e s ittin g o ver there be n eath th e barbe rry b ushes ,
that were weighe d d own with their wealth of yellow

blooman d he had thought for n othin g else
They had m
.
,
It w as M rs Verc her . e t on ce or
.
twice s in ce that first Sun day in the churchyard an d

he had becom e accusto m ed to see her in m
,
an y
colours ; b ut n ever un til n ow w itho ut th e m She
w as d ressed in a plain white cam

.
bric gown wi tho ut

a s uspicio n o f blue or pi n k or m
,
aize an ywhere It
see m e d the sim
.
,
plest of gown s yet the experien ce d

ld see at a glan ce that it n ever w as m
,
eye co u ad e o ut
ofP aris an d that the fe w little scraps of lace that lay
This charm
,
in it h ere an d there were pricel e ss in

g
—
.
2 2
20 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. .
c ostum e w as cro wn ed by a big white hat rather o f ,
the coal scuttle type

-
It struck St John as he m
.
ove d n e arer to her th at

—
.
.
, ,
s e w s si g ularly pale to day paler eve n th an w as

h a n ,
her wo n t Her eyes looked larger darker an d

t ho ugh the ide a see m ed ab surd to him
.
, ,
—fr ighten ed
The red lips too betrayed m
.
ore open ly that sus

c io n o f m at had s u gested itself to him
, ,
p i el an choly th g
o n fi rst seei n g her an d th at h ad so m ehow fascin ated
him more than all the radian ce o fher beauty He
,
w as a m an i n dee d stran gely alive to i m

.
pression s o f
—
, ,
this s ort ten der hearted hon es t an d ever ready t o

-
be to uched by re al distress in m
, ,
an or chil d or
wom an .
He coul d hardly fail to see that she looked n er

vous restless an d an ticipatory Fro mtim e to ti me
she turn e d her h ead fromright to le ft an d back
.
, ,
again as tho ugh expectin g b ut n o t desirin g th e

approach o f som
, , ,
eon e St John was still a good w ay

fro m
. .
her when he saw this expectan cy die an d the

dar k tro ubled eyes con ce n trate the m
,
selves upon
som e object that t o himas yet w as un k n own
,
Her pallor died too an d a hot an d al m

.
ost cruel
c ol o ur fl am
,
ed i n to h er face It dyed cheek an d

throat an d brow an d gave h imthe ide a that for t he
.
momen t she was suffocatin g She seeme d too to .

, ,
m
shrin k a little an d yet she ben t deliberately forward
an d co m pelled her un willin g feature s to formthe
,
selves in to a s m ile the s addest St John tho ught e

, .
h ad ever seen
What co uld it m He had paused so m
.
ean ew at
in his e asy stride towards her an d n o w look e d in t e ,

TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE RBE . . 21
dire ction her eyes had taken There he saw a m an
em ergin g fro mon e of the te n ts who w ith a rather

.
, ,
in differen t air w as walkin g direct toward s Mrs

That it m
.
,
V e re ker ight be Mr V ere ke r n e ver for a

momen t suggested itselfto St John It was stupid
. .
o f h im
. .
if yo u will but so it w as
He was a m iddle sized m
.
,
an po w erq -
y b uilt w ith
a r em
, ,
arkably rep uls ive expressio n It w as n ot so

much the thick sodden ed features that displeas ed
.
y o u or the d ark an d hideous h air th at w as fa st

d is appe arin g fromthe bald prom
, ,
in en t forehead or
the cun n in g m alice of the s m
, ,
all light bl ue eye s b u t -
the air o f i n solen t m

,
as t ery that distin guish e d the
en tire figure an d sho n e m ost con spicuously in t h e

slow walk which w as odiously aggressive
Just n ow adde d to al l these othe r charm
.
,
, s a dash ,
of s u ll en n ess w as thrown in that heighten ed e ach .
As he reach e d Mrs V ereker he pause d an d ben t

slightly over her an d m utt e red som
.
,
ethin g to which
she appare n tly m
,
ade n o an swer
He waite d a m om en t an d then wen t on m

.
uch to
St John s un ackn owled ge d re lief He w as som
,
’
e
dis agreeable acquain tan ce n o doubt som
. .
e fellow
belon gin g to the coun ty whomit w as im
,
possible,
quite to ign ore He w as glad the stran ger had s een

the wisdomof n ot con tin uin g th e con versation with
.
her as if he had he St Joh n would have felt it his

, , , , .
,
du ty to in terfere con sideri n g the very un pleasan t

con dition in which it h ad s ee m ed to himthat the
,
repulsive lookin g guest d ecidedly w as

-
.
Who c ould he be St John felt an i n tuitive

hatred t oward s h im ye t h e coul d hardly have
.
,
. .
ex plain ed why An d on e thin g that shoul d have

be en in his favo ur see m ed on ly to m ilitate the m
.
ore
agai n st h im In spite o f his brutish appe aran ce it
was im
.
,
po ssibl e for on e in St John s position n ot to ’
se e that the m —
.
an w as o r at all e ve n ts was o rigin ally
m ean t to be — a ge n tle m an !
H o w d ye d o Mrs V ere ker sai d St John

’
com in g up a little frombehin d an d the refore ben d

.
, .
,
in g over her chair to m

,
ake his pre se n c e kn own .
Sh e starte d sharply as if still a little un st run g , ,
an d the n turn ed a pale b ut d isti n ctly reli eved f ace
to ward s him It w as m . ore than relie ve d it was ,
pleased .
St Jo hn w as doubly glad first in that sh e was so

un m istakably sin cere in her welco m e of him; an d
.
, ,
s ec o n dly because he hope d to be able to co m bat fo r

a while at leas t the tro uble that see m
,
ed to lie heavy
o n her It was as I say stupid b ut he d i d n ot as
yet con n ect that troubl e with the m
.
, , ,
an who had
addressed her in passin g by
sh e s ai d m
.
Is that yo u ovin g he r skirts to on e

side so as to m ake roo m for himbeside h e r on the
,
broad garden chair I quite thought you were n t

.
’
h ere to day as I hadn t se en yo u un til n o w

,
- — ’
Was there a suspicion of reproach in her ton e

There was n on e in h er sm ile ce rtain ly which w as ,
sof t an d frien dl y .
”
You shoul d n ot hid e yourself away lik e thi s ,
respo n d e d h e gail y How

,
co u l d o n e hop
. e to s e e
y ou sh u
,
t u p in suc h a le af y bower ? W h at a pl ace
to ch o ose ! Di d y o u re a lly w an t to esc a p e us al l or
w as ther e som
,
e partic u lar ogre

TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R. . 23
.
H t pped d ead short feelin g as if in n oce n tly

e s o
h e h ad m ade s o m
, , ,
e bétise He was con scious that she

h ad glan ce d q uic kly at himan d that her pale face
.
h ad fl ush e d crim
,
son
m
.
—
I ca e here I sat here she began con fusedly ,
”
,
n o t as you t hi n k —
to escape an yon e b ut to
b ecaus e som etim
, ,
e s I like to sit an d thin k an d ,
b esid es to day I was tired I

- —
H er whole air w as ful l o f an alm ost childish d is
tr ess I t w as pl ai n that his abs urd rem ark wi th the
escape in it had to uched som

.
,
wo ,e grievously
s ore s pot in her n ervous n a ture How pain fully
s she w as to d o away with the i m
.
an xio u p ressio n tha t

sh e believe d he h ad f orm ed The sudd en hurt
c olo ur in her cheeks re m in ded h imin stan tly of the
.
fl ush he had n otice d j ust be fore the com in g ofthat

un ple asan t fellow who h ad s aid a word or two to her
be for e he St John had j oin ed her Som ehow this
r em em
.
, .
,
bran ce cause d a con n ection to arise in his

min d an d he vaguely won dered if she had in deed
felt fear at the approach o f that m It see m
,
an ed
im
.
pertin en t th e very idea an d yet he co ul d n ot

divest him sel fof it an d som ehow he hate d him
,
self
in th at he too by his i n j udicious ill chosen re m
,
, , ark ,
-
,
had brought that cruel colo ur to her brow It

an n oye d h im too that she should seek to m
.
ake
excus es for herself in that n ervous m

, ,
is erable way
It s eem ed to put h imoutside the pale ofher frien d
.
,
ship an d yet s u r ely — though he did n ot as yet kn ow

why yet s urely i n stin ct told h im
—
,
that she wan te d

frie n ds B u t— could he be her f rien d ?
Why m
.
ake excus es abo ut it said b e with an ,

24 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R. .
ass um p t io n o f lightn es s so well d on e that it d e ce ive d
her b ut which he was far fromfeelin g Do you

thin k other people have n ot kn own the c harm
.
,
s of
solitude on a heaven ly eve n in g such as this The
on e gre at won der th at re m ai n s is why we are here ?
Why n o t deep in so m e m
,
ystic wood with the book

most beloved ofour souls between our fin gers an d a
,
silen ce un speakable an d there fore delicious to hedge , ,

”
us in .
The wood s would probably prove in suflic ien t ”

'
said she sm
,
ilin g again an d eviden tly relieved by the

n con c e m o f his m
, ,
appare n t u an n er We sho ul d all

ter a bit—which wo ul d m
.
rub agai n st e ach other af ean

fi rst tete d tétes an d the n tin y coteries an d as th e
’
- -
, , ,
— —
woods thicken ed societies an d after that th e ,
Del uge or the presen t state ofaffairs all over again

, .
”
St John l aughed
I d gi ve m —
. .
y v ote f o r the téte d téte he s ai d -
tha t at all even ts ; though I mn ot s ure th at eve n

, ,
’
ifon e co ul d arran ge the m

,
to will they wo uld n o t in

tim e grow m
,
on oton ous I spoke wi thout reason a

momen t sin ce Solitud e is all very well in its w ay
.
but yo u kn ow it is possi ble to get too m

.
,
, , uch o f even
a good thi n g He looked at her Y ou were n ot
”
mean t to be a recluse he s aid

. .
”
.
,
N s aid she quickly You are right there

As a ch ild I w as the m
.
,
at le ast erriest creature

Do you rem em seein g him
.
, .
ber ? Well hesitate

—he was in deed vain ly strivin g with a fickle
memory to re me m ber anyt hin g abo ut her youth
which n ow it see m s to h imm
,
, ust have bee n worthy ,
o f all re collectio n I w as I laughe d all day I

. .
,
TH E IIO N O URABLE MRS . V E RE RBE . 25
thin k, held out l ovin g arm

an d s o fcom pan ion ship to
e very ot her chil d I k n e w As a girl .
She paused .
Yes go on As a girl ? asked he gen tly She

h ad see m e d so ea ge r so glad in her p as t m em
. .
, ,
orie s
that h e w as an xious t o keep her m
, , ,
in d there But
s h e turn e d to h im
.
n ow a face o ut o f which all e ager
n ess an d s weet d e s ire w as go n e an d o n ly ho e le ss

p
n es s re m
,
ai n ed .
I don t kn ow I can n ot tell you There was n o

’
tim
. .
e, she said I had n ot realize d I w as a girl

”
, ,
when
She s tarted perceptibly at this m om en t an d St
John l ookin g up saw the repulsive lookin g m
.
,
an -
, ,
who h ad before approached her n ow crossin g the ,
g r as s th at lay betwee n her an d on e o fthe te n ts .
CHAPTER IV .
For, G o d it w ot , m my full
en a f te
o n find
A lordes so n do sha e an d villain y m .
An d he t hat will have pric e o fh is g e n t ry

’
m
An d w il l hi s elfé do n o ge n tle deedee
N or f o llow his g e n tl e a n cestry that dead is,
H e is n ot g en tl e , be he duke or earl ;
For villain s in ul dee dés f mk
a e a churl.
“
ST . JO H N tched h imas he c am
wa e ; as for Mrs .
V ere ker she sat q uite still an d let her large path etic
, ,
e yes grow f ull of a sicken i n g expectatio n they n e ver

o n ce q uitt e d th e ad van cin g f orman d she d rew a
breath o frelie fas h e cam
,
e closer an d sh e coul d re ad ,
. .
his feature s m
o re closely . N 0 , h e w as n ot as bad as
us ual ! S he sho ul d n ot be disgraced j ust t
y ,
e be
The h l
eavy- ookin g stran er
g pped be side h er sto
am
,
an d laid his h an d f iliarly upon he r shoulder H e .
eve n sho ok her s lightly to an d f ro It was t he

fam
.
il iar ity o f possession

A sudden passion ate de sire to flin g him
.
backwards
to loose her at all hazards fro m that co n tam
,
in atin g
t ouch to ok posse ssion o f St Jo hn an d h e hal fraised
his arm It was an al m ost im perce ptible m ovem
.
, ,
. en t ,
but she saw it an d like a flash o f lightn in g the re

cam e to him rom
,
an en treaty f h er white se t face .
It was a revelation !
Com e ! said the m
”
an in a surly to n e o f in dis
p ut ab l e au thority B ut o n e m .an o n e ar t h co ul d
have had power thus to add ress her ! At on c e th e
truth lay bare to St Joh n — —
This br ut e w as h e r
. .
hus ban d !
H is armfell to his sid e powerl ess Though h e
h ad o f co urs e received a form romMr
.
al visit f .
V ereke r an d return ed it yet it so chan ce d that t he

m en had n ot foun d the m
, ,
t wo selve s face to face un til

this m om en t .
S t John w as co n scious of a shock that for an

in fin itesi m al spac e o f tim —
.
e so short as hardly to be
n otic ea ble — paralyzed h im But what a world of .
t houghts ran through it That this should be her

.
husban d ! H er s Th e lawful possessor o f t hat

te n d er sle n der re fin ed creature ! To him it seem
.
ed
mon strous ! It was a sacrilege a disgrace to an y
, ,
decen t m
,
,
oral c ode , .
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R 27
m
. .
Co me ! lo k h said V ereker gra y H e

o s ar p
more otice
.
,
too k n o n of St John than if h e had n o t .
been there If it is t ea yo u still wan t yo u can

n ty o f that w he n yo u reach hom
. ,
t l A nd a
dam
g p
I mn ot goin g
e e e .
n e d s ight bette r qu ality too

’
to waste an y m o re o f m m
.
y t i e i n t hi s in fern al
hole ”
Mrs e e er rem —
.
V r k ain ed sp e c hl ess
e ih spite of her
how o fa m om
.
en t sin ce d egradation had d e scen de d ,
upon h e r an d before St John , She hard ly kn e w . .
w hy e xactly b ut she had shrun k w ith a se n s e o f

rom the m om
,
sicken in g d istas te f e n t when he s ho uld
s tan d b e sid e her an d se e the trage dy of h er yo u n

g
l ife l ai d bare before hi m A wild lon gin g to tell him .
to go away h ad held her as sh e saw her husban d

approachin g thou h h e w as by n o m e an s so drun k
g ,
as usual b ut she had n o t h ad the cou

, rage to d o it .
Why don t you get up said Verch er with an

’
an gry sn arl D ye thin k I mgoin g to s t ick here

’ ’
.
all day dan gli n g after you Go an d say good bye -
t o the o ld wom
,
an G e t thro ugh with the us ual

.
p o lit e li es a s fa s t a s y o u ca n an d l e t a s c le ar o ut o f ,
”
t his .
P e rhaps sh e had lost her head a little but still she

made himn o an sw er n or did she move An in te n sely
,
, .
an gu is h e d e xpre ss ion grew upo n h er lips

D e hear m
.
’
e con tin ued he in a thick thr ea t
cu in g ton e an d as he spoke h e gave her a little
It w as slight an d quite un harm
,
s ho ve ful but it
m
.
, ,
ad e S t John s blood boil an d his very so ul withi n

’
him
.
,
rose up in revolt
That the m an had bee n drin kin g w as cle ar to him
.
.
28 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. .
His eyes were he avy an d wan d erin g his lips

tre m
,
ulo us .
Mrs V e reker rose hastily an d hel d out her han d

to S t Joh n She look ed straight at himan d there
.
w as so m
. .
,
ethin g in her face a cur ious defian ce

min gled with so stron g an en treaty that it at on ce
, ,
restored to himhis us ual self possessio n He cam

,
-
e
quickly forward sm
.
ilin g , .
Goin g so soon ? he said pleasan tly ”

Well I
can t but say there is reas on in the m
.
,
’
ove O n ce th e
ades an d the even in g co m
.
s un f es o n
He broke o bruptly He felt un equal wit h
f
f a .
—
—
the best in ten tion s possible to the task o f run n i n g
down the delicious autum n twilight In ste ad there
fore of m
.
,
akin g a fin ish to his hypocritical begin n i n g
he m
,
ade a f rien dly advan ce t owards V e reker .
This is Mr V ere ker I thin k he said with th e ”
gracious n ess that disti n guished him He held o ut

.
, ,
his han d to that deplorable gen tle m

.
an with s uch a
s ucce ssful atte m pt at gen iality as m ade him aft er

ward s s uspect hi m self O f havin g within himt he
germ s of a m odern Machiavelli P ray i n trod uce
m
.
”
e.
Mrs V e re ker
. got through the in trod uction an d ,
her husban d s ulkily did his part .
We have been hitherto un fortun ate en ough to

m iss e ach other wen t on St John still with am
,
”
azi n g
.
,
c ordiality He spo ke rapidly as if afraid if he on ce

.
,
s to ppe d he wo uld n o t b e able to go on again .
Vercher growle d o ut a civil word or two that as h e

av e t hem so un de d un civil an d St Joh n feelin g
m
g , .
,
ore d espicable than e ver gave h is han d to th e ,

TH E H ON OURABLE MRS . V E RE K E R . 29
so ttish l ookin g brute before him H e foun d his

-
reward perh aps in the glan ce o f al m

.
ost passion ate

gratitude that shon e in Mrs V e re ke r s eyes S he ’
made hima very slight little in clin ation as an adieu

. .
as she m
,
ove d away with her husban d but he had the

a n ce stil l in his m m o co n sole him
,
g l e ory t for so col d

a f arewell
He stoo d starin g so m
.
ewhat vacan tly aft er her

when sudden ly a han d w as laid upo n his arm
,
Won derin g about s uch a un ion as that said a ,

”
voice at his el bow choleric yet ge n ial

, Tryin g to .
piece it To brin g it in to lin e 9

Give it up dear ,
boy Call it a vile cas e o f b uyin g an d sellin g an d

.
,
be don e with it .
”
It was old Colon el Scott who w as speakin g on e of

‘
the fe w residen ts in Bren t who mchan ge o f scen e

,
an d acqua in tan ce an d the ge n eral we ar an d tear o f
life had failed to t urn out o f the youn ger m an s

’
me mory He w as a rich old bachelor livin g alon e

,
in a quai n t an d an cien t b arrack o f a place so m

.
,
e
miles fromthe Chase an din very comfortable circum
,
stan ces s o com

,
fortable in d eed that it w as n ot in

the power o f wom an to in d uce him to al ter the m
,
He w as a m
.
an h asty in word b ut slow in deed an d , ,
s low to active wrath an d with a he ar t o f gold
Clear m
.
,
at t er o f barter an d exch an ge he wen t ,
o n with an an gry sn ifl A sweet creature ; sixteen

'
.
,
s ir s h e w as by Jove an i n n oce n t trustin g child

when forced by her father in to a m
, , , ,
arri age with a
vicious scoun drel like that ”
He kept wavin g his arm

.
s here an d there as if
V e re ke r an d his Wife an d the Wi fe s father were in
’
, ,
so TIE H ON OURABLE MRS VE RE K E R
. .
full view an d he was poin tin g the mo ut to an

,
appreci ative audien ce Co n foun d such fathers say .

,
I said he
”
Yet it hardly see m s to m

.
,
e th at old Rowton w as
t he sort o fm an to f orce an yon e in to an ythin g ”
Then call it cajolin g It co m es to the sam

.
e .
thin g in the lon g run That fellow V e reke r virtually .
bought her Rowton w as hard up an d literally sold

.
,
the girl All th e world kn ows o f it She w as firs t

co m man ded then en treated fin ally told that her
. .
father s rui n lay in her refus al to w e d the m

, ,
'
an an d
—there w as the en d The m urder was acco m

,
plished
For m urder it w as as s ur ely as m m
. .
y he ad rests o n
y
sho ulders ”
Is his drun ken n ess the on ly thin g again st him

.
as ke d St J oh n abruptly
.
, .
“ Again st V ere ke r ? N0 ! He is a bad sort all

through Youve heard o f Black San dy eh
.
’
,
A n otorious po acher hereabouts Well yes ,
cas ually ”
Youll prob ably forma closer acquain tan ce with

.
him as the yo un g birds dis appe ar s aid the Co lon el ”
grim
,
ly .
—
He is called Black San dy a rathe r
—
peculiar sobriquet ifyo un otice because Nature has
e n dowed h imwith re d hair on his head an d black ,
”
eye s an d black bea r d a rare con j un ction !
of him an d
,
Rare certain ly
,
But what .
V e re ke r
Black San dy h an dsom e as the
h ad a d augh ter , as
father is ugly V e re ke r he threw out h is h an ds a

”
bit ad m
.
,
,
ired her style Need I go in to it ? An d .
it was after the sacrifi ce o f that pretty ch ild too an d ,

TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K ER
. . 31
she , wife cam

th e e to kn ow it It is a m iserable
or Cecil V e re ke r be l ieve m
.
,
afl air all thro ugh f

'
”
e , .
She kn ows ? said St John who had pal ed a ”

.
,
Oh It was town talk ; an d you kn ow how

ye s !
ry ho m
,
as ed o n e s d e arest f rie n d is t o h u
’
p l e r e t o on e
with ill n ews She kn ows it P oor poo r child

-
Why I feel for her sir as though she were m

. . .
,
y o w n
B y Jo ve ! If she were to bolt to m

, , , .
orrow I d h ardly
’
-
l ay a crum b of blam e at her door .

”
Don t say that to her said St John s harply

’ ”
Such a step is always dam or the wo m

.
, ,
n s to ry f an
He m m
.
ade a rete ce f so e sort d le ft t h

p n o an e ,
c olon el He wan dere d listlessly for a whil e pon der

.
,
in g in a rather in defin ite w ay on what he h ad j ust

heard with such a stran ge n e w sen sation tuggin g at
his he art as n o t on ly aston ished but d istressed h im
,
Fin ally turn in g a com

.
,
er o f a yew h edge c ut in to
th e sh apes o f an un lim ited n um
,
ber of cocks he
ca m e upon Dorothy Ayl m
,
e r sitti n g all alon e , .
He forgot to express surprise at this un preceden te d

even t He droppe d upon the garden chair ofwhich
.
sh e w as p art own e r an d looked f air at her
Yo u were n o t altogether ope n wi th m

, .
e abo ut
Mrs V ere ke r he s ai d abruptly hardly carin g what

”
she m
.
, ,
igh t thin k .
C HAPTER V .
For in such cas es wo mh en ave such sorrow .

”
NO s aid she slowly . What is it then I m

is d s e
reveal in g
82 TH E H O NO URABLE MRS VE RE K E B
. .
Don t m e et m
’
e in that spirit said he with som e ,
”
,
agi tatio n He paused an d the fact that she w as

s tarin g at him cam e ho m
.
,
e to his n otice What I

mean is that Colon el Scott has j ust en listed my
.
sy m pathies for your frie n d he said co m

,
pellin g h is
”
man n er to grow brighter less particular an d yet

, ,
— —
failin g to un d o that fi rst im pression Yo u scarcely
ar ed m
.
p rep e fo r
H e pause d ; an d she still sat silen t regar din g him ,
wi th an in creased earn estn ess

Yo u speak of her as m
.
y frie n d she sa id a t l a s t
”
lookin g at the buckles on her shoes an d m

, ,
ovin g he r ,
pretty feet slowly hither an d thither on th e gravel

— m
,
a d o u speak corr ect ly

n She is th t n d I
y a . a a ,
—
hers P erhaps I tho ught it better n ot to discus s
her or her con cern s even with you; I said to m
.
yself
that soon er or later yo u wo uld be sure to m eet him
,
Yo u wo uld be s ure to fin d o ut for yourself An d

—
.
besides c are fully there was n o n ecessity to

Spe ak
”
.
It was a reb uke an d he felt it He co loured

, .
slightly .
Non e o f co urse ! But I con fe ss curiosity has

n o w seized upo n m Y o u wil l allow m e that c om
,
mon fault
.
“
I have n ot regarde d yo u as faultles s s aid she ”
with a flickeri n g s m
,
ile She was evide n tly un e asy

. .
S t John felt he w as bei n g cruel in a degree b ut he

.
felt also tha t he s hould kn ow

S uch a crim e as it see m
.
s he s aid A satyr , .
wedded to an an ge
Y o u spe ak war m ly s aid sh e , .
TH E H ON O URABLE MR S V E RE K E R
. . 53
Sh e raised her eyes an d look e d curiously at him

an d as tho ugh i n stan tly divi n i n g th at in h im
,
, she
s aw a frie n d o f Cecil V e re ke r s — without wai tin g to
’
go d eeper then in to the m ean in g of so stran ge an d

s udde n a frie n dship she lean t forward an d gave w ay
, ,
to the regretful tho ughts that fill e d her

m
.
—
Is it n o t sh a eful horri ble she crie d An d .
n othi n g ca n be don e f or her ; n othi n g If yo u on ly

kn ew h er as I do an d how swee t how charm
.
, in g , ,
h o w childish she is your heart wo uld bleed for her

, .
I can see yo u alre ady feel for her an d I k n ow I c an ,
s pe a k ope n ly to yo u because i n deed Hilary to do

n dly desire to allow h im
, , , ,
o u j us tice — with a f rie t

y , a
least on e good poin t y o u are always re ady to b e
t o uched by a re al grie f; an d besides o n e c an be sure

tha t yo u will n ot go ab o ut gossipin g abo ut this an d
t h at Though in deed everybody kn ows how n u
happy she is poor little darlin g so you m
.
, ,
ay as wel l
m m
, ,
-
na
y y o u h ad better — he ar the truth f ro e her
frie n d than trust to ch an ce stories fro m
, ,
an other
”
he with m
.
,
Y o u a r e her frien d asked ore ,
e arn es tn ess in his ton e than he w as quite aware o f

am
.
“ Why “
y o u see s aid she I”
n o t a se n ti
men tal person Nature spared me that for which
, ,
I amd uly grate ful The ordin ary w om

.
,
an f rien d
ships I amn o t give n to ; but I con fe s s I love Cecil
.
v ery warm ly In deed with an irrepressible

‘
glan ce betwee n the yew cocks to where on the lawn

beyon d a n um ber of youn g m
,
en
(an d o n e in
p ar
t icular) are m aki n g the m selves am iable to a n um

,
be r
o f yo un g wo m en In deed I love n o on e as I do
her .
”
31 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
I amglad o f it S he wan ts a true frien d s aid

St Joh n with a to uch of m
.
,
. elan choly .
“ Ah that is on ly too true Well she has o n e

in m
.
,
An d do yo u k n ow n ai ve ly I assure yo u ”
e
I amthe greatest com

.
, ,
fort to her Y e s yo u
mightn t thin k it but I am
.
,
’
St John did n ot feel even in cli n ed to sm

.
,
. ile It .
w as s aid in s uch good faith ; an d lookin g i n to h is

cousin s ho n est eyes he felt an in creased re spec t an d
’
regard for her m ake war m

,
his heart
I ams ure o f it he s aid si m
.
“
ply ,
”
Yes O n e . .
c an un derst an d P o or soul ! her o n e stroke o f l uc k

.
has bee n the fi n din g o f you

Well n ot m
.
e in p articul ar b ut j ust a goo d fr ie nd

, , .
That is what she wan ts O n e can n ot go on for ev e r .
be ari n g thin gs in silen ce That would j ust e n d b y .
breakin g on e s he art If yo u are thoroughly un

’
happy actually r outed by un kin d circum

.
— stan ce s ”
s aid Miss Ayl m

,
er sh akin g her pretty he ad pro

believe m
,
“
fo un dly e there is n othi n g like heari n
, g
yourself say so o ut loud ,
She has s aid so to you

“
Am I tel lin g too m uch ? asked D o rothy draw
She ex am
,
in g b ack a little in ed his feature s an d

Re m em
.
,
the n looked reas sured ber al l this is

an d re m em
.
,
sacred she said ”

ber to o th at they
married her to that wretch when she w as on ly six
, ,
tee n ; even n ow she is on ly n in etee n an d fan cy ,
what a life there is b e fore her !

P eople don t al ways reach O l d age ”
’
She look ed at hi msh a rply .

TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R. . 35
O h ! you me saidan m she

A h ope les s
hi
”
d y m
, .
hope He isn t a a
.
’
an thirty f ore th
our an d in -
,
—
s pite o f of everythin g — hesitatin g perceptib ly ,
”
I feel positively certain he won t die un til he is ’
n i n ety There is n t a ch an ce o fit ’
What an awful speech It con tain s the ger m

. .
s
of m urder said he tryin g but vain ly to spe ak
”
, , , ,
with un con cern

I don t care how it soun d s recklessly to m
.
’ ”
e
it see m
, ,
s n othin g less than a sin that all o n e s w eet , , ,
l on g li fe sho ul d be wasted on
What ? asked St John slowly She waved
”
.
, .
his question to on e side .
Why can t she get a divorce

’
sh e sa id with a
little frown Talk of law ! there isn t an ythin g o f ’
the sort worth speakin g about If I were the m

.
an .
at the wheel I k n ow what I sho uld do I d separate ’

.
e very couple who didn t ge t on beautifully with each ’
other I should in deed defian tly I thin k it a ”
sham
.
.
,
e ful thi n g th at in this e n ligh ten ed age a poor

wo m an is to be ch ain ed etern ally to a m
, ,
ost detest
able m an without hope o f escape un til kin dly
, ,
Death steps in .
”
My dear girl these Socialistic views are startlin g

to a si m ple person like m yself If every m
,
arried .
c o uple could get a divorce on ly beca use thei r

te m pers didn t agree don t yo u thin k there wo ul d
’ ’
be very fe w un divorced people left ? He atte m

,
pted ”
a to n e o f lightn ess th at ill accorded with his m ood

But co m
.
e that is n ot all he said regardin g he r ,

”
,
fixedly .There was a question in his eyes an d she ,
an s we r e d it .
. .
N0 There is m ore She turn ed her head

rom h im
.
aw ay f Yo u h ave g ue s s e d it
“ . sh e ,
said .
“
I h ave see n it retur n e d he ”
He is a c o n
fi rm
.
,
ed drun kard That is what you do n o t car e to

tell m
.
e He spoke with a c old self con trol that

.
”
-
le ft her cer tai n o f th e fact that he w as i n w ardly full

o f a p assi on ate r age ag ai n s t th e f at e th at had seized
upo n her frie n d

Ah yo u have see n h iman d see n him
.
so An d
yet yo u c an advocate the cause o f s uc h i m moral
,
j ustice as would co m p el a wo m an to c le a ve t o s uch

~
as h imt ill death did the m p art ? Y o u still thin k a

wo m
,
an in her po sitio n who s e every ho ur is an i n s ult
am
, ,
an i n f y a he art bre ak sho uld n o t seek fo r a

,
-
,
s eparation
“ —
She wo uld ot get it i if th e re w as n o wor s e
n f
beyo n d .
If I co ul d n ot ge t it I wo uld take it cried she

im Are wo m
, , ,
pet uo usly . e n slave s to be d e stroyed ,
like th at ?
After all I amn ot s ure that sh e h as been wi s e
in her selection o fyo u as a fri e n d s aid he gravely ”
Y ou co un sel very e xtre m em

, .
e as ur e s ”
I thin k on ly that youth is b ut fo r a short ti m

.
e
ter that co m
, ,
an d af e s n othi n g wort h cari n g for sai d ,
s h e who w as still so yo un g that s h e bel ieved in her

,
o w n w ord s S O w hy n o t g i n al l we can n o w ?
“
a
An d fre e do mis the firs t t h in g

.
If she coul d get a

s e paration fromthat m an s h e m
.
ight still learn th e ,
l e s son o f li fe s s w ee tn ess ’ ”
respon d ed h e m
.
A s eparation o odily Wh at .
TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 37
g ood wo u ld th a t d o her It w o ul d n o t e n able h e r
to m arry again
”
.
Dorothy raised her eyes They reste d o n his for

a m om e n t an d then she coloured slowly warm
.
, ly , .
What is th at to yo u? sh e said Why sho uld ” ’
y o u thi n k o f t ha t
“
I hardly kn ow Why does o n e thin k o f an y
s aid he lam
.
thin g ely he felt with those earn e st

, ,
e yes o n his Yet the idea n aturally presen ts itself

She is so youn g al m
. .
o st as yo u s uggested a child
It is on ly re ason able to suppose that she m
.
, , ,
ight yet
love an d be loved in return
, .
He paused as if there w as n othin g le ft to be said ,
b ut prese n tly belied that ide a .
What a conj un ct ion he broke o ut with a ”
v ehe m
,
en ce th at would n o t be repressed She

M ay God forgive the m an who m
.
an d he ade th at
marriage
“ Am e n s aid Miss Aylm
.
,
”
er It was her father . .
I saw you spe akin g to old Colon el Scott so I sup

pose he told yo u so m
,
uch He is very hot on th e .
s ubject Yes ; it w as her o wn father an d he kn ew I

.
,
If he is in heave n n o w whic h I h ardly dare believe

I feel I am at liberty to ab use him if n o t o f co urse
, ,
—
—
,
o n e sho ul d show le n ie n cy B ut I gre atly do ub t

me that that on e deed alon e has sen t himwhere he
.
would n o t be so s urely it behoves us to be ge n tle

to w ards h imhere
,
”
.
,
Be he in Heaven or Hell it w as a cursed act

ram
, ,
said St Joh n with a bittern ess th at shook his f

.
, e .
Hil ary ! H er to n e w as s tartled

”
She turn e d
com
.
pletely roun d as if a little shock e d an d as if th e ,

38 TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. .
better to se e him Why d o you spe ak like that

.
She is a s tran ger to yo u Hilary Sh e

pause d an d a rather frighten ed expression darken e d
,
her eyes I do n ot un derstan d How is it with

. .
y o u she s aid
I hardly kn ow m
.
yself If you kn ow in a low

.
,
ton e respect the kn owledge There w as a lon g

p ause between the man d then he le an t towards her
.
,
.
,
Does he ill tre at her ? he said

-
”
Y o u have he ard m
.
an y thin gs said she with a , ,
slight fro wn you can j udge

, She was very p ale .
”
.
Y o u are I k n ow a staun ch frie n d ; b ut wh at I

, ,
would still further kn ow is does he ill treat he r ,

-
bodily ? Does he hur t her ?

”
He see m ed to sicke n as he asked the question

Yet he asked it as if determ
.
in ed to probe the cruel

woun d that w as killin g h im
,
Yo u forget a little coldly

, a little tro uble d , ,
th at I said I w as her c on fidan te When she p uts

her trust in m
.
e an d whe n yo u k n ow she d oes yo u
sho uld n ot ask m

, ,
e s uch a q uestio n
”
I aman swere d ; you n eed betray n othin g sai d

.
“
,
he .
—
Then the n why does she n ot sue for the
d ivorce you spoke o fa while sin ce ? ”
Ah ! you see reason for it n ow said she A

wo m an m ust be prove d black an d bl ue fro m
.
,
ill usage -
before a m an wil l len d her a helpin g h an d I

declare I hate all m
.
en ! with a secon d glan c e

through the yew cocks to where Farquhar am on gst
others is dispor tin g him self am
,
, on gst th e livin g
fashio n plates upon the lawn
- He is too far off for
.
h er to se e with what a lugubrious face his disportin g

TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R. . 89
is carrie d on Well shall I tell you wh y sh e

re frain s from seekin g j ustice fo r her wron gs ?
.
,
Becaus e there are still wo m en in the world (abject

creatures I call the m ) w h o rather th an l a
y b ar,e
their private live s to the critica l eyes o f a pryin g

fer m ar tyr dom
.
w orld wo uld s uf 1 She is o n e o f

the m
,
”
.
She looks like it said St Joh n slowly

,
. .
I don t kn ow that she is wron g s aid Dorothy

’ ”
with a s udde n swift aban do n m

, ,
en t o f her position .
I daresay if I were in her place (however bad it is )

I to o sho uld shrin k froma scrutin y that always c on
,
de m n s the wo m an an d co n do n es the m
”
, an .
Dorothy s aid St John slowly pain fully

”
Tell m Do yo u m
. .
, , ,
e this ean that he has uplifted

h is han d again st her ? —
That he h as str uck her ?
He pause d an d drew his breath hard Y o u have
al m m but it see m
.
ost al lowed e to believe it ; b ut — s

im p oss ible I Th at ge n tle f r ail child I mu st h av e
mistaken you; but yet she cowered before him I

— —
s aw it She w as afraid I thin k Gre at Heaven !
.
, .
that s uch a thin g sh o uld be ! He stood up an d ”

,
lo oked down at her with a face as white as de ath

I f this tho ught o f m
.
in e is a lie say so l he ”
e n tre ated vehe m

,
e n tly .
—
I w ill say n othi n g n othin g ! You should n ot
as k m said she n ervously
”
e ,
.
Y o u could den y s uggested he regardin g her

”
wi t h a so m
, ,
bre glan ce
B ut she re m
.
ain ed sil e n t .
He walked up an d down upon the gravel be fore

h e r as if un ce rtai n how to p ro c eed ; an d the n
,
40 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE R BE
. .
sudden ly as it were fl un g his pre se n t though t from

him
Co m so m
.
e! a truce t o
bre re flection s s aid he at
I have som
,
l ast stoppin g opposite to her

, e n ew s .
t hat I wo uld te l l yo u My sister Lady Bes sy

G ifford is co mi n g to m
.
,
e n ext week
”
Oh I a m
.
,
glad I cried Dorothy q uickly She , .
will put a little life in to us an d we are so die away ,

-
down here that w e wan t it Besides do you

,
— .
kn ow — she has a special fan cy for Mrs V e re ker . .
An d
Yes she is co m
in g so me o f her frie n d s with
an d
her Yo u m ust help m e to m

,
. ake her visit a

pleasan t on e said St John rather quickly as if
”
raid o fwhat her n ext words m

.
, , ,
af ight be
He turn ed away an d thus cam
.
e face to face with

Captain Farquh ar who w as hurryin g towards him
I leave yo u a com
.
,
p an ion s aid he to his cousi n ”
sm
, ,
ilin g an d forthwith str uck in to a bye p ath an d

,
-
w as lost to view .
CHAPTER VI .
I g ave her all m

y h eart an d all m h ught
v t o .
”
TH E RE w as a wrathful cloud upon F arquhar s brow ’

,
as wi th a dis tin ct air o f protes t he took St John s

’
.
, ,
vacated pl ace n ext Dorothy .
Y o u look worried An ythin g w ron g ? aske d ”
Miss Ayl m
.
er ever so sweetly
, Ne uralgia .
TH E H O NOURABLE MRS V E RE K E R . . 41
N o, s aid Farquhar shortly

Som
.
e o f your lady frien ds been tre atin g you

badly perhaps I n otic ed yo uwere rather em p r es s é
j us t n o w with on e o f those Macken zie girls Yo u

ldn t m in d tha t you kn ow it s ever so m
.
s ho u uch
’ ’
, ,
be tter than a too thache or a he adache or a , ,
I thin k it is so disgrace ful o f you to talk like

that said Farquhar in dign an tly
, Do I ever even .
s ee an
y g ir l b u t yo u Wh e re a s y o u— y o u
He see m ed to fin d a diffi culty in goin g on for a
mome n t or two It seems to me that you can t be ’
happy for even on e short fi ve m

.
i n utes w ithout an
ad m irer witho ut som
, eon e m ad e n ough to thi n k he
ca n wake n love in yo ur bre ast
I haven t see n a m ad m
.
an to day I hope un less

’
-
, , ,
i n deed it be you with quite an an xious glan c e at

h im An d as to adm irers who adm ires m
,
e n o w in
especial m
.
,
a
y I ask ?
”
That co usin ofyours I watched himfromover

,
th ere poin tin g to the distan t lawn “

An d o n e
would im agin e by his m
.
,
an n er that life or de ath
depe n ded upon wh at you m ight say to him H e

see m
.
e d to h an g upon your words
S he regarde d h im
.
Did it strike you so ? ”
e arn estly Do you kn ow that thought too

occurred to m
.
, ,
e Yet I would be sorry to believe it

.
really w as so .
”
A coquette s speech I bitterly Good He ave n s !

’
d o you ever dre amof th e m

. .
ischief yo u c an do with ,
your soft looks an d so ft words an d

Do you ever thin k o f how m
, ,
uch folly yo u can

cramin to on e se n ten ce ? she i n te rrupte d im ”
42 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E B E K E B
. .
pa t ie n tly Soft words soft looks A fter all I

don t thin k you can co m plain o f a surfeit of them
.
.
, ,
’ ”
.
You evad e what I would as k said he still ”
an gry though a little puzzled by her m

, ,
an n er wh ich
Do you m
, ,
w as n ot as in s ouc ian ts as us ual ean to

tell m e that St John w as n ot m
.
aki n g love to yo u?
”
She see m ed to reflect awhile ; her eye was on him

.
an d she see m
,
ed to e njoy the despairin g an ger that

w as fast getti n g the better of him .
Well I don t thin k he w as she said at las t

,
’
,
”
.
Y ou s ay that hon estly

Should I say it d ishon estly
How should I kn ow There w as s uch m isery
in his face that she could n ot co n sider h imas rude
“
as he re ally w as I c an on ly say that there is
.
al w ays Vesey beside you an d if n ot Vesey Sun der

, ,
—
lan d an d n ow your cousin Yo u can t exist it ’
see m s to m e witho ut o n e or the other of the m

.
, ,
”
You should put yo ursel f in ; I ms ure I en d ure

, .
a goo d de al o f yo u s aid she thoughtfully ”
En d ure ! That is a good word for m

, , .
e n o thi n
g ,
at all f o r you E n dur e I As fo r the o thers

“ I con cl ude fro mall this t h at
.
y o u are a cc us i n
g
me of bein g a flirt said she very calmly It ,
” “
, .
wo ul d save trouble if yo u said it outright but I

k n ow it is the habit of som
,
e people to d uck an d ,
swerve an d
Ifyo u m e an that I shrin k froms ayi n g what I
,
thin k you are wron g s aid he hotly If it is to

be the last word between us I declar e m ost sole m
, ,
n ly ,
that I believe yo u to be the cruellest flir t livi n g !

“
Sh e m “
N ow so m
”
Ah ! e ditated a little e .
TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. . 43
girls are in dign an t she said at last “ if

that epithet
is applied to the m m
, ,
; so e do n o t c a re I co n fess I
am It argues a wan t of m
.
o f the l at ter class oral

to n e in m ess too that I am
.
e n o doubt b ut I co n f
quite willin g to run alon e without that It is sham

, , , ,
e
ful of m
.
e I s uppo se b ut I really should n ot feel

, ,
in the le ast aggrieved ifyou were to go eve n further

an d try to wither m
,
e with the word coquette ’
There w as som
.
ethin g in her ton e that tho ugh

it in creased his an ger left himwithout a word save
,
, ,
o n e sin gle protest .
Have I n o re ason he said .
Who cares for reason ? return ed she boldly ”
It is an obsolete thin g Y ou accuse m e of m

.
an y
thin gs that have n o re ason in the mso w hy should

.
m
,
argue f ro poi nt ? I tell there ”

y o u th a t y o u w as ,
a rather wicked little light in her eyes as she n o w
spoke that I like you an d Mr Vesey an d Mr

“
Sun derlan d an d m n very m ry m

. .
, , ,
y co u si u ch ve u ch
i n deed but though yo u see mto doubt it I fe e l
, ,
,
— —
as it I could get on witho ut yo u all very well
— for
a tim
,
e . She put in the last clause with a settled

”
af fectatio n as tho ugh afraid o f brin gin g to a he ad

,
the growin g wrath upon his face

O f co urse I m e an on ly for a ti m
.
e she con tin ue d ,

“
pret tily . But
Will yo u say open ly that yo ur cousin is n othin g
to y o u ? O f m ysel f I do n o t spe a k I a s k n o ,
question I have loved yo u lo n g a d bitterly n —

m m
.
ost i bly b u t I do n o t a sk y o u to w a ste a
m
er a
It w as m
s
thought on m
,
e y o wn f ol ly fro fi rst to
last B ut of him
.
.
. .
De ar Arthur do yo u thin k you are quite well P

Y o u kn ow I hi n ted a m om
,
e n t sin ce at toothache
an d o u to ok m kin d ly in q uiry u
,
y y p so shortly t h a t
I could n ot he lp believin g I had struc k the n ail o r —
—
rather the to oth o n the head ”
An swer m
.
e said he ”
About Hilary ? About m

.
,
c o usi n P I wo u ld
y
do a good d eal to soothe a sufferin g m an an d I feel ,
s ur e your tooth is a four pron ged on e but ho w c an - —

I say he is n othin g to m
,
e P She spoke with quit e ”
a n ervo us air .
What l cried he sprin gin g to his feet

”
Th en
it is true Y o u would tell m
.
,
e t hat
That he is very closely co n n ected wi th m e P
Why yes Do pray sit down again an d let us argue

it o ut Bein g m
.
y co u s i n how co u ld I possibly sa
y
he w as n othi n g to m
.
,
e ?
P sh aw an rily
g y o u k n ow very well wh a t I
mean t He looked relieved however an d presen tly
,
.
, ,
a wist f ul expre ssion fi lled the eyes he fixed o n her

Doro thy said he I wish yo u would tell m
.
”
, , e
hon es tly that you care n othin g for all these fellow s
who are fo r ever dan glin g after yo u
O h ! I can t I couldn t in deed I like th e m
’ ’
al l so m uch an d they are so kin d to m

.
, ,
,
e It wo uld .
be the b asest in gratitude N ever w e re there ki n de r .
people Y o u wo uld n o t surely coun sel suc h utter

.
—
he art les sn e s s An d an d you too ! You dan gle a
. .
good deal o n your o w n acco un t don t you ? ’
Her eyes are i n n oce n ce itself as she m

,
ake s this
m
,
ild sugge stion

“ Do n t clas s m
.
e with th e others said he with

’
,
TH E H O N O URABLE M R S V E RE K E R
.
. 4 5
in dign an t re proach T ey all look happy wh ils t I !

h
Do I look happy P Look at m

.
,
e an d see
”
How co uld a m
.
,
an w i th a tooth
No n se n se My to oth is as soun d as your o w n

B ut I tell yo u I am the m o st m
. .
iserable b eggar alive

AmI to un derstan d t hen by what yo u say that yo u
.
still i n te n d to con tin ue your e n couragem

, ,
e n t o f al l
three o f the mP
“
If yo u can call it e n co ura ge m en t m ourn fully ”
Tho ugh how yo u ca n I An d as for t hat yo u m

, .
ight
as well m our when yo u are abo ut it as I am
,
ake it f
s ure I like yo u as well as an y o f the m

,
”
.
As w el l I O h Dorothy
Don t yo u believe m
,
Quite as well kin dly,

”
. e
’
the n P I ass ure yo u I

I do n t wan t to he ar an ythi n g m
’
ore i n terrupte d ,
he brus quely Fo ur in your t rain ! an d to be on ly

o n e o f the m N 0 th an k m
.
,
, y o u ! I ll t ake ysel f o u
’
t
o f yo u r w ay at o n c e
Y o u aren t goin g this m om

.
’
e n t are yo u? said ,
O h,the soon er the b e tter

He had said this pre tty o fte n an d Miss Ayl m
.
er
t ho ugh she s ighed pro fo un dly an d m
, ,
an a ed to look
g
a grieved w as n o t terribl
y u pset by the t hr e a t
g , .
S h e w as a little at a lo s s perh aps to k n ow w h at to

say n ext whe n there cam
,
e an i n terr uption fro mthe
e astern side o f the garden that red uced both her
an d Farq uh ar to sile n ce .
It con sist ed o f a s uccession o f pierci n g shrieks ,
that b ut fo r th e excessive heat of the day would

, ,
have fro ze n the blood in th ei r vei n s .

46 TH E H O N O UR ABLE MR S V E RE K E R
. .
Mr Blair overcom
. e by the p athos of
, O ld B o b
Ridley an d a specially high n ote had over balan ce d
”
-
hi m
, ,
self an d fallen backwards in to the foun tain ,
banjo an d all !
He w as at presen t bein g extricate d by his adm irers ,
an d eve n n ow as Dorothy an d Farquhar stared
pan ic stricken in the direction o f the spot fr om

,
w he n ce the shrieks h ad com e he appeared drippin g , ,
in deed b ut still appar e n tly in the highest sp irits

, ,
holdin g his banjo aloft as though in defian ce o f

Fate an d followed by a bevy o fsym pathetic m aiden s
Catchin g sight o f Dorothy he waved the stre am

.
,
in g ,
banjo towards her as he w as swept in to the ho use

De ar Bobby said Miss Aylm
, .
er te n derly who
”
had m
, , ,
e t Mr Blair in Town on various occasion s

.
,
an d wh o w as in deed a distan t con n ec t io n o f h is
What a m
.
is fortun e ! I hope they w ill see that h e

is properly dried But what courage un der ad
How I do love h im
.
v ersity ! She spoke in l ow ”

!
but beautifull y distin ct to n es clear an d full offeelin g , .
This w as the e n d o f all thin gs

That m
.
akes fi ve I s aid Farquhar with a groan , ,
n o t loud b ut deep an d with a last i n dign an t glan ce

, , , ,
he turn ed an d le ft her .
CHAPTER VII .
F or Troilus ull f f
as t h er s oul e souh
g t.
Without é w ord , on m
hi al way she t hou ht g ,
”
L ADY B E SSY GIFFORD w as a sm all wom an livel y

air ; an d on e o f the m
,
an d f ost cul tivated coquette s

. . 47
in E urope She w as n ot in the least pretty but

ar m
.
,
s h e w as t h at f ore desirable thin g attractive

H e r n ose h ad a d isti n ctly upward curve her m
, .
outh ,
w as l arge — her teeth in deed perfection ; an d as she ,
laughed a good deal this coun ted Her h air w as so

light as to be al m
, .
ost grey an d her eyes were too ,
dar k to s uit it
Her com
.
plexion w as in deed all she had t o boast

o f an d certai n ly she s aid as m
, uch as she dece n tly
could about it on all occas ion s It w as un de n iably
, .
lovely an d it w as her o w n ; whether her eyebrows

,
w ere
Her han ds an d feet were exquisite ly form ed an d ,
s h e h ad a pe rf ect ta len t for dressi n g herse l f It w as

whi spered here an d there am on gst her m
.
an y cro n ies
that eve n the im mortal Worth had o n ce been in

—
debte d to her fo r a valuable hin t a wrin kle as ,
”
h
s e c lled
a it — when reduced to despair over th e
beauti fyin g o fa hideous blon de .
She w as on e year youn ger than her broth er who ,
w a s twen ty n in e b ut she looke d at le ast fi ve ye ars his

-
,
j un ior Wh ether this w as because he showed older

th an his ye ars or because o f her m
.
, aid who belon ged ,

“
to the class called priceless tre asures let who will ,
”
decide It would be the i n vidious on e who w ould

.
give it again st Lady Bessy

She w as i n deed charm in g so sym
.
, , pathe tic so gay , , .
St John her brother w as very fon d o f her though

.
, , , ,
perhaps n o w an d then he h ardly approved of her

, .
But wh at will yo u P
He w as in a degree particular without bein g
, , ,
oppressively so whilst as for her she s aid an d did

, ,
48 TH E H O N OURABLE MRS V E R E K EB
. .
exactly what she pleased So far providen tially .

, ,
she had kept within the drawn lin e an d had n o t in

curre d the scorchin g con dem o f the m
,
n ation ore
s erio us m in ded port ion o fher set This she said
-
”
.
, ,
proved the in n ate stern vi rtue that distin g uished

Accordin g to the m
,
her .
”
ore frivolo us o f her ao
quain tan ce it proved n othin g save th at there is
more in luck than good man agemen t an d that she
, ,
w as a favo urite o f the gods in that she had up to
this escaped the lyn x eyed dragon s of Soc iety

-
.
She had had a h usban d on ce but fortun ately h is

fore fathers h ad clai m ed h ime arly in her m
,
arrie d
life It see m
. m
ed quite a lo g i e ago n ow q uite
n t —
three years He had been a well bre d scoun dre l o f -
the m ost un m
.
itigated type an d to do her j ustice

she had been a m e t o him
, , ,
ode l wi f ; b ut she w as gl ad
w he n freedomon ce agai n daw n ed fo r her The .
sin gle sign o fgrace he h ad shown in his disgrace ful

life w as to take hi m self o ut o f it before he had had
ti m e to squan der m ore than halfof his huge in com e .
.
The other half fell to his widow an d le ft her richer

than m
,
ost .
She held herself as havin g fallen low in the world

when she could coun t le ss than four strin gs to
her bow an d i n deed she could n o m
, , , ore he lp he r
coquetries than a bird could help flyin g such cap
tive s were her soci al bread an d ch e e se her daily
s usten an ce she could n ot have existed witho ut the m
,
an d o n the whole her s ucce sses were i n n oce n t e n ou h

g
an d she co uld spe ak o f m
,
an y an aspiran t to her h an d
w h o eve n after rejection w as n o w her frien d

, , This .
proved n o t on ly clevern ess but a good heart ; an d

, ,
TH E H O N O URABLE MR S V E RE K E R
. . 49
on e oth er thin g lay to h e r cre dit that she n ev e r

willin gly so ught to an n ex the le gitim
,
ate prey o f an
y
other wom an
There w as al w ays a lon e m

.
an or two ab o ut th an k ,
Heaven ! sh e would say ; a fe w lost un attache d

”
,
creatures an d these suite d her well She would n ot

, .
have it on her co n scie n ce (ge n erally a ver y elastic

ban d) to deprive an other wo m a n o f wh at w as ri ht ly
g
h ers . She wo uld in deed swe ar by all he r gods
, , ,
that she h ad n ever don e an yon e so shabby a tri c k as

tha t P erh aps she h adn t
’
.
She adored St John an d spen t a go od d e al o f he r

superfl uous tim e arran gin g m o r h im
.
,
arriages f that
should keep himat ho m e an d put an e n d to his ,
etern al wan deri n gs Hither to she h ad bee n un suc

B ut n o w that he w as ho m
.
,
c e s s ful e again w i th a
prospect of stayin g there fo r som
.
,
e con sid e rable

period hope flowed freely in her vei n s ag ain an d
she w a s as kee n abo ut the ran gin g o f himas ever
, ,
This desire ofhers to see himcom

.
fortably estab
l ish e d w as t h e m ore un selfi sh o f her be cause durin g
his m
, , ,
an y pro lo n ge d abse n ces she w as virt ually t he
mistress o fThe Chase She had come do wn there

,
e very aut um
.
n by his speci al w ish brin gin g h e r ,
frie n ds w i th her an d h ad there acted C h atelain e

, ,
an d e n te rtai n ed the co un ty w ith a f ree han d an d o n

the whole h ad very m
,
, uch e njoyed he rsel f .
The Chase w as a very de sirable place in w h ich to

u t in a m o n th or two or eve n t hree ; an d her re
p
c e t io n by the ge n try ro un d w as al w ays m
,
p ost fl att e r
in gly cordial She had t w o coun try se ats o f her

o w n ; b ut n o n e so m
.
eho w t hat she lo ve d as she did

, ,
4
50 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE R BE
. .
—
The Ch ase an d course the com
, of in g o fa wife to
,
St John wo uld put an e n d to her re ign there

. Ye t .
,
fo r the s ake o f keepin g her broth er n ear her an d fo r

th e s ake o fhis wel fare she sought m
,
ost hon estly to

get himthe wom roma very
,
an who shoul d o ust her f
coveted position Beyon d doubt there was

.
her
She arr ived som
.
ewh at late in the aftern oon an d

h avin g h urri e d to the roo mth at was always kept
,
sacred for her an d thrown aside her d usty wraps an d

made herself lovely in the n ewest te a gown she sen t
,
for her b rother w ho h urried to an swer her s um mon s

,
Quite a little m
, .
ass o f white l ace an d dead l e af -
satin fl un g itsel fin to his arm s

Why how charm
.
in g you look said b e holdin g ”
her back fromhim after the fift h e m

, , ,
brace ve
he m en tly pressed upo n him Bless m
,
e wh at a .
,
get up ! Do yo u wan t to turn the heads ofall o ur

-
rusti cs ? An d as for the rest why I believe tim e ,
has skipp e d yo u Y ou look a lit tle gi rl still

”
odio us com plim

. .
“ An e n t ! laughin g Why ”
should you thin k m e youn g un less so m e thin g in m

.
y,
appe aran ce h as s uggested age Pouf! yo u are n o

'
courtier ”
I amon ly hon est What real courtier w as ever

.
that P B esides you wron g m

.
e Etern al yo ut h
see m s to be your portion Co m
.
,
e ! you sho uld give

me the receipt
.
”
.
A q uiet con scie n ce says she saucily , D e ar .

,
dear Hi lary how sweet it is to see yo u again S it

down beside m e here an d tell m
.
,
e al l t h e n ews
There is plen ty of tim

.
e they can n ot wan t their te a

TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE R BE
. . 61
yet Well to be gin with I do hope yo um ean stayi n g

this ti m
.
, ,
e an d that we shall n ot see an an n o un ce

men t n ext week in those vile Society papers sayin g
,
y o u ar e o ff t o the S an d w ich Isles or an

y e q uall y ,
c ivilised spot .
I shan t go without givin g you an address cer

’
,
tain ly said he laughin g

”
What an an swer ! Why can t you m ak e m

, .
’
e
h appy P Why can t yo u settle down lik other m ’

en e
an d co m e to an chor P said his sister im patie n tly So

man y delightful people waitin g to receive you with
.
open arm s an d yo u hurryin g hither an d thither

over the face o f the un kn own globe without a s e m
,
blan ce of m e an in g in yo ur behavio ur shootin g at

wild beas t s cacklin g over d ecayed re m
,
n an ts of
an i m als both o ut o f tim e an d out o f m

,
in d Call
tha t sen sible con d uct P Waste o f val uable ti m
.
eI
call it .Why can t yo u m arry Hilary like other
’
, ,
hon est people an d drop in to a possible lin e of life P

Yo u m
,
e an yours Is it possible P said he h alf ”
m
.
,
j esti n gly Well it see s a s tho ugh I were goi n g

Here I am Isn t The Chase
.
,
t o ple a se yo u at las t
’
. .
a s af e an chorage P ”
Tolerably so If you will re m ai n in it B ut

stayin g here is n t al l No m
. .
an would stay here

’
without an in duce m
.
en t
Yo um e an that I m ust give the old place a m
.
is
tress As to m
. arri ge
a — I say Bessy who h av e , ,
y o u bro u ght dow n with yo u ? N o girls on t h e
look o ut I trust Non e in their thi rd seaso n ?

-
An swer m Froman y girl so desperate as

.
,
e ho n estly .
that I warn you I sh all turn an d flee

,
.
”
62 TH E IIO N O URABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
I h aven t brought a g irl at all R e st e asy I

’
. .
gave yo u yo ur opport un iti e s in that w ay al l through

t h e se ason an d n ow I am determ in e d to leave yo u
to chan ce Ne m esis m
,
us t overtake yo u soo n er or
.
later P ray t he gods it be so on er No I

sho uldn t dre amo f brin gi n g gir ls abo ut with m
.
.
,
’
e
I don t see the use o fthe m s aid Lady B e ssy n aively

.
’ ”
.
,
They are n either fish fle sh n or fowl n o r good red

herrin g n o w a days A sham
, , ,
e I call it b ut the
- -
as thrust the m
.
, ,
w edd in g rin h al l o ut o f si ht
g The
g
-
m arried wo m
.
an carries the day n ow

”
o un
y g
AmI to un de rs tan d th at yo u h ave bro ught a
.
widow or two for m y s ubj u g a tio n P

Don t flatter yoursel f saucily
’
Widows are ”
at a pre m ium N0 gettin g themfor love or m

.
,
on ey
I ve brought yo u o n e or two o f the wo m e n you m
. .
’
et
l ast Jun e in town an d o fwhomyo u were graciously ,
pl eased to expre ss yoursel f as con ten ted wi th They

if e m
.
a re q uite correct in en tly agreeable warran ted

, ,
to go e asy an d give n o trouble an d to be up to the

t as k o f a m usin g them
, ,
s elves Th at s a great poin t ’
gain ed I n ever perm it m ysel f to be in tim

.
ate with
wom e n who require the ir ho stess to am use the m

.
That s the real re adin g o f an un con vertible bore !

’ ”
Give m e th e ir n am es s aid her broth e r lyin g ”
b ack with lazy con te n tm

, ,
e n t in a loun gin g chair an d

yawn in g happily Nothin g like a sis ter when all is .
t old. Yawn s an d stretches an d lazy po ses n ever

, ,
awake wrath ful je alo usy within her bre ast
Mrs Dam
.
eron for on e All she wan ts is Bertie

H awtrey (he s com
. .
in g) a con servatory or a secl uded

’
Then the re is Lady E us tace Fen m

, ,
corn e r . ore give

TH E H O N OURABLE MRS V E RE R BE
. . 58
h er a p e n an d in k an d anem pty rooman d she ll be ,

’
h appy fo r ever Dear soul she thin ks she write s

O h w hy does she th in k so m
.
,
s o n n ets — thin ks I uch P

Still she s useful so m e ti m
,
,
’
es an d h er n ovels are n t ,
’
b ad Be sides her h usban d poor fellow with a ”
is s uch a co m fo rt ! H e ll help m
.
, , ,
pro foun d sigh e

’
thro ugh .
”
N ow Bessy stern ly ,I sin cerely hope

”
,
that
“
My darlin g boy ! N o w why should you say
an ythin g so shocki n g P Not at all n ot at all I , ,
as s ure yo u throwin g out her pretty han ds in plai n

”
,
tive protest O n the con trary he is as all the

.
, ,
world kn ows perfectly devoted to th at little leggy

,
cre ature at the Cri You kn ow . .
I don t s aid St John in dign an tly

’
,
”
. .
No P Where were yo u born P Maud Darrell

sh e calls herself S uch pres um ptio n George
B lun t tells m e her re al n am
.
e is Maryan n e Moun sey ”
St John groan ed Not m

.
uch hope to be got o ut

o f the co m
. .
pan y so far .
Well go on Who else P asked he There w as

s om
. .
,
e resign ation in his air

O n ly the De v e rils Y o u kn ow them I gave
.
. .
v e ry fe w i n vitation s b e caus e I kn e w you co uld

recruit your forces fromthe n eighbourhood an d if
,
n te n d to re m or so m m
,
y o u i ai n here f e ti e which , ,
”
with a kee n glan ce I hope yo u do it is esse n tial , ,
that yo u should s tan d in wel l w ith the n ext doors .
Beside s yo u have Bobby Blair here have n t yo u? ’
an d he is an un li m ited n um ber o f guests in him

,
self
Bre n t is rath er m ore afford in g th an m
.
os t c o un try
54 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS . V E RE H RE .
p laces It positively
. sw ar ms with girls s o why ,
shoul d I brin g an y P To begin with there is ,
Dorothy as pretty a creature as o n e n eed look for

, .
”
She is pre ttier than ever I thi n k , .

”
So P Well there are the Macke n zie girls they d ’
help to squar e twice as m

,
uch be auty as eve n Doro thy

can boast an d there are ple n ty o fothers
, Ifyo uare .
thin kin g of givin g a b all or an ythin g o f th at sor t

, ,
o u wi ll fin d B u t I re ally wish yo u wo uld

y
a ss ure m e Hilary that you are n o t goin g abroad
, ,
again
”
.
“ E er again P H o w co uld I ass re

v u yo u o f that P
B e happy o n o n e poin t at least speakin g d ecis ively , ,
I h ave n o in te n tion o f leavin g En glan d at presen t ,
ifat all .
“
No ? Really ? She spran g to her fe e t an d
”
clapped her han ds in a pretty excite m e n t She .
looked very hard at her brother Who is it P ”
must be a woman Dorothy ? You

.
cried she ; “ it
might do worse than Dorothy She is chic all

.
.
,
through N ot Ros a M ac ke n zie ! Mrs M orell P

Mrs V e reker P S he is lovely in her ow n m
. .
. elan choly ,
w ay .
A pan g shot through St John s he ar t M el an

.
’
.
c h o ly — ,
did it n o t i n deed des cribe her ?
”
I wish you would n ot sit wi th your back to the

l ight wen t o n his sis ter lightly
”
O n e can t see
’
where the i n gen uous blush co m

.
, ,
es in But o f .
,
course s uch a prude as yo u are would n ot let yo ur

well regulated m in d stray after a m arr ied wo m
,
- an !
Co m e be fran k with m e who is it P
I e n vy yo u the live lin e ss o f your i m

, ,
agin ation ,
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R . . 55
sa i d St John laughin g
. Why should it be an yon e P
.
Why sho uld I n o t stay here for the love of the

thi n g .
”
Ah ! quite so ! But w ha t thin g P That is th e

les s on I woul d learn .
The love o fan En glish coun try the gree n fields , ,
the sin gin g bird s the

The lo w o f the m ilkm
,
aid an d the son g o f th e

“
,
s w in e i n terrupted she without apology P o uf

What do yo utake m It is very co m plim
.
,
e f or ? en tary
o f yo u m y de ar to give m e the ro le o f an in én ue
g
o n e still so youn g th at to deceive her is si m
, , ,
ple ; but ,
o n the whole I pre fer to be t re ated as a ration al

bein g If you won t tell m
,
e why don t I kn ow
’ ’
myself suffi cien tly to be sure that I shall learn

. .
,
all without help An d n o w wh at is to be the firs t

move in your hospitable game P
.
,
”
I tho ught of a ball The peopl e roun d here have

bee n un an i m
.
ously kin d an d ,
A di n n er party first then a ba said she , .
S ay Frid ay week An d who will you ask ? ”

.
Why everybody I s uppose The V ere kers the

he we n t on to en um erate a goo d m
.
, , ,
an y people ,
b ut Lady Bessy w as n o t atte n din g She had heard

t h e n am es o f the guests fir st m
.
en tion ed an d she ,
stoppe d at that .
—
Yes yes excellen t she s aid presen tly when he ”
m m
, ,
“
p a u se d Bless
. e ! it is fi ve o clock H o w ti e ’
.
d oes run in agreeable society Ther e ! Yo u sho uld

b e civil to m
.
e for a week f or th at R un away

Hilary an d tell the mI ll be dow n in a m om
.
,
,
’
en t .
- —
By the bye B obby Blair is here P
-
”
56 TH E H O N O UR ABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. .
Yes .
Very good ”
Whe n he w as go n e she stood s ti ll for a m

.
in ute o r
so gazin g at the do or as if she still could see h im
,
, .
It is M rs Ve re ke r she said at last in a lo w to n e

.
,
”
, .
CHAPTE R VIII .
Approach s gan the f des t in y

’
a tal
That Jo vis b a t h in dis p os it i on
An d to yo u a n gry Parcse s is t ers thre e,

m
m
,
”
Co i t te t h t o do ex ec ut io n .
TH AT St John kn ew at this tim e th at he w as in

love with Mrs V e re ke r he hi m
.
. sel f in all hon esty ,
would h ave been the fi rst to stre n uo usly den y

He adm
.
ired like d piti e d her ; but that w as all

, , .
There his feelin g for her as he believed ste ppe d

If it ever o c c urr e d to himth at the st re n gth o f
, , .
his liki n g an d pity w as very m uc h o ut o f propor

t io n to the l en gth o f his k n o wled ge o f her which ,
exten de d over on ly a week or t w o he would h ave ,
ar ue d an d very j us tly th at hers w as a n e xc e

p
g
w hi c h n o m
, ,
tio n al case an co uld d w e ll upon

un to uched an d th at pity fro mall side s ho w eve r
,
, ,
care les s w as accorded h er

What a terrible ab an don m
.
,
en t o f yo uth o f hope
the fa in te st gli m mer of joy lay in the
, ,
o f e ve n
life to w hic h s he had been con de m

,
n ed — wedded
t o a drun k ard a m an de ad to all the d e cen cie s o f
society w itho ut o n e re d e e m
,
— in g virtue to which a
e n tle wo m an m i h t C li n
g willi ng bec aus e o f it
g g , , ,
. . 57
to co n don e th e grosser faults No there was n o . ,
light f r her an ywh e re

o
Her d ark m elan choly eyes h aun ted h im; the

.
act ually see m ed to h urt h im

,
s ad resign ed lips
durin g t hose m om en ts when b e perm itted hi m

, , ,
self
t o dwell upo n the m an d those m om en ts cam e
much too ofte n ; un con sciously yet with a sett led
,
p ersiste n cy
He w as hardly aware o f the m
.
; he still believed
in the i n tegrity o f the frie n d s hip th at m ade his
so u l sick whe n his m in d lin gered o n the details

of her m artyrdo m
He wo uld n ot ad m it that he loved an o ther m

.
an s
’
wife yet he w as daily tort ure d by so s tron g a

,
d esire to see her that it should have warn ed

h im He fought with this d esire fi ercely as on ly
,
hon ourable m
.
,
an an would an d he persisten tly

kept away fromV e re ker s Court ; givin g hi m
,
self’
always as a re aso n f o r his abse n ti n g him self fromit

that he dete sted the m
,
aster o n the gro un ds o f his
dr un ke n n ess an d w an ton n e ss It m ade his bloo d
boil it w oul d m ake the blood o f an y ho n est m

.
an
boi l he to ld him sel f on ly to thin k of himan d so

,
, , ,
they were bette r apart

He m
.
e t Cecil very f reque n tly however at the

ho us es ro un d d urin g this autum
, ,
n which he re
luc ta n tly fe l t w as set ap art fro mall th e other
, ,
aut um ns he h ad e ver kn own At the G ran ge

perhaps he saw m
.
,
o st o f her though she w as

o ft en er to be foun d at that m
, ,
odest house wh ere

Doro t hy Avl m er m
.
ain t ai n ed an un dyin g warfare

w i th h e r a un t .
58 TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E RE H R E
. .
Miss Je m im a however w as t oo sto ut a w arrior

, ,
to be en coun tered frequen tly an d after on e o r ,
t wo trials o f her stre n gth St John w as forced t o

con fess him
.
,
self a van quished fo e an d with abj e c t

cowardice dre w back fro mbattle an d re fus ed t o
,
meet that valian t spin ster again on her ow n

,
gro un d
Fro meve ryon e he he ard tales o f V e re ke r s
.
’
,
brutality Mrs Macken zie who w as an in veterat e

. .
,
g o s sip w
, as n ever tired o f reciti n g th e last n e w
thin g in scan dal where th e H on Fran cis w a s .
—
con cern e d the dis hon o urable Fran c is as she calle d
-
h im an d O ld Co lon el Scott w as very little behin d

—
han d with h er He san g his dispraises from
morn in g till n ight
.
It was a terrible little place for gossip as al l

sm co un try sides m
,
all ust be thro ugh lack o f

men tal food to give themwider vision The in
,
habitan ts were literally buried alive so far as ,
c ulture wen t with an exception here an d there

goin g n owhere an d learn in g n othin g fresh fro m
, ,
year s en d to ye ar s e n d To those accustom

,
’ ’
. ed to
travel an d to the ever chan gin g possibilities o f a
-
li fe carri e d on in a capital the n arrow m i n dedn es s -
o f tho s e etern ally co n de mn ed to o n e s m

,
all ce n tr e
,
an d th at o ut o f the world would hardly be con ,
c e ivab l e .
At Bren t they had grown gradually d e ad to th e

belie f that there w as i n deed a larger existen ce
outside an d beyon d th e o n e they led Wh at they
t ho ught o n s uch an d s uch a poi n t m
.
ust be correct
an d woe betide the rash m em ber of their c o m
,
TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE H R E
. . 59
mu ity who
n weak m
in aom en t d are d to question
it S uch a o n e as ve n tured to differ with the m
, ,
the s ubj ect o f social right an d wron g m

.
on us t
n ec e ss ar ily be w an ti n g in morality an d en tirely ,
lo st to al l sen se o f decen cy an d order

St John strove hard to tre at m
.
ost o f the stori e s

a bo ut F ran cis V e re ke r as m
.
ere c an ar ds e xagger
at io n s ari s i n g o ut o f his m
,
iserable failin g Br utal

ised by drin k he m
.
ight be ; but b eyon d that

It w as agon y to himto believe otherwise for her ,
sake But as he began to live his li fe in this

.
dul l little n eighbo urhoo d opportun ities w e re

give n hi mto prove the tr uth o f m
,
ost o f the
gossip
It w as an exception ally fin e autum
.
n an d tho ugh
n ow well i n to Septe m ber the days were warmas

,
tho ugh they were loose fragm

,
en ts of July dropped ,
by the Clerk of the We ather an d picked up late r

so m ehow i n to the boso mo f the
,
an d th rust in
mon th where they should n ot be There w as a

t e n n is p arty at Colon el S c ott s who had a sp e cial
’
d e light in gathe rin g roun d him the youth ful

,
me m bers o f the society am on g st which he lived .
These b ursts o f hospitality o n his part were

w elco m ed by the elders becaus e tho ugh he o n ly
, ,
de s ire d the son s an d daughters the l atter could

n o t accept i n vitatio n s un less acco m
,
pan ied by their

c h apero n es
It w as a charm
.
in g aftern oon The sun still rode.
high in he aven an d c ast its rays as lovin gly on the

eart h ben e ath as though its m
,
erriest days were n o t

lon g overp ast St John stridin g alon g the road
. .
,
60 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E R E R B E
. .
that wo uld lead h imto Colon el Scott s hom e with ’
his m
,
in d full o f a n ervo us hope that there h e

sho uld m eet Mrs V ere ke r w as so far absorbed in
his o wn m editatio n s th at when a d ark formj um
.
,
pe d
over the wall that skirted on e side of the road h e ,
started visibly
The n e w com er w as n otice able en ough in hi m
.
-
sel f
to attract atte n tion eve n h ad h is co m i n g been fore
shadowed m ore gen tly A huge grim
,
y forbiddin g .
, ,
looki n g creature with a touch o f the forge abo ut

him yet n o t race o f hon e sty which a s a rule
,
belon gs to the village blacks m

, , ,
ith Shock tufts o f

san dy hair stuck o ut o n every side fro mun der a
.
most disreputable cap an d tw o of the blackest most

villain o us eyes looked hard at St John fro m
, ,
.
,
ben e ath th e s an dy eyebrows There w as charac ter .
in the face n o do ubt ; b ut bad character an d o n

the whole he stood reve aled as a m
,
ost repulsive
obj ect Two furry legs were stickin g out of his le ft
.
po cket
What s the tim e m is ter if a m an m
.
’
ight ax P , ,
s aid he in a gr uff voice wo uld be civil but wholly

, ,
-
,
in solen t
S t John after a ste ady gl an ce at h imtook o ut
.
.
, ,
h is watch
he s aid He looked at the m
.
“ Five to fo ur an .
,
agai n with a so rt o f seco n dh an d i n teres t It w a s .
Blac k S an dy the worst character in the village

the fath e r o f the girl with whomFran cis V ere ke r s
, ,
’
n am e h ad been so un pleas an tly m ixed up A .
thorough goin g s co un drel he d e cide d as he s tudie d

low erin g coarse d e m
-
the m
,
an s
’
oralise d face in , , ,
. . 61
wh ich li ttle o f an y dece n t h um an ity re main ed
Yet in spit e o f all he pi tie d the fellow ! He m

.
ight
indeed perh aps have spoke n to h im m
, ,
— ight have
said so m
, ,
e ki n dly word to this Pariah this creature ,
cast o ut e v e n by his low as s oci ates o f the village
tavern b ut t h at som ethin g happen ed that at thi s

m om en t attracted as m
,
uch the at te n tion o f th e

ru ffian as o f the gen tle m an .
It w as the so un d of horses hoo fs thun derin g ove r ’
the sto n y ro ad S uch a soun d could com e o n ly

fromhorse s co m
.
ple t ely lost to all con trol A .
secon d l ater bro ught in to view a pha eton swayin

g
wildly fro mside to side an d com in g towards the m
,
with a fe ar ful rapidity It w as apparen t to an yon e

.
lookin g o n th at the two cobs in it were wild with

fear an d h ad c e ased to pay an y he e d to the ad
m
,
on ition s o f their driver could th at driver have

been equal to an argum
,
en t But she was n o t . .
The cobs were well kn own to St Joh n an d it -
the secon d glan ce to t el l himthat

.
,
n eeded n o t
Mrs V ere ke r w as the sole occupan t of the phaeton

. .
Whatever h ad frighten ed the poor bruta they were

n early m ad with rage an d tore alo n g at an asto un d
in g pace that left their m

,
istress powerless Evi

den tly th e groomhad been fl un g o ut so m e ti m
.
,
, e
a o ; but sh e still held on
g .
As the cob s in their fran tic race drew n e arer ,
St John whose n erve w as n o w like iron co uld s e e

.
, ,
that Mrs V e re ker tho ugh w hite as death still held

the rein s fi rm ly In a m
.
, ,
in ute or two they wo uld

w here he stood with Black S an dy beside h im
.
p ass
and he realis ed th at n ow or n ever w as to be m

, ,
ad e
. .
that woul d flin g the mon their h aun ch es

'
the e fiort
ce the mto reason

,
an d red u
H e glan ced at the m an beside him

.
an d saw th at
he was lean in g forward a w ild look of exultation on

his face It w as a horrible look an d at the tim
,
e
madden ed St John His help was n ecessary an d
.
, , ,
. .
,
he should h ave it He caught Black San dy by th e

arm an d swun g him
.
fi ercely to an d fro
Tis a w om
.
an I
“ Man ! ’
he s aid .
At this in stan t the in furiated cobs rushed by ; h e

spran g forward an d seized the rein s The y were .
powerful brutes an d woul d in all probability have

mastered himhad n ot an other b and come to his
,
aid.
Black San dy was beside him ! Together they

force d b ack th e pon ies an d presen tly with a , ,
soothin g word or two an d the in stin ctive kn o w

ledge that they h ad foun d their m
,
as t ers the
terrified creatures stood quite still tre m
,
blin g b ut , ,
s ubdue d .
Mrs V ere ke r w as very white but when he had

ti m ad recovered her co m
.
,
e t o go is her she h posur e

It w as s uch a m
.
,
“
ere n othin g she said in a , ,
rather pan tin g little w ay O n ly a sow an d her .
little on es that cros sed the ro ad but Magic ,

”
poin ti n g to the o ff pon y can n ot en d ure a pig

“
I amso m
, .
uch obliged to yo u an d to ,
She glan ced at San dy an d then as quickly with, , ,
drew her gaze as if what she saw offen ded her

If you h ad n o t com
.
,
e I don t kn ow what would ’
have happen ed My groomtried to get o ut b ut

,
“ am
.
,
he fe ll an d in a di s tressed ton e I raid he

”
af ,
, ,
O h ! w h a t a co m
fort ”
sa id s heeage rly
That m
w a s s o a fr
a id t h a t
,
. I
She sa
' an to o has bee n k i n d
req ue s t H is h e a r t s e e m
. ed
Without k n o w i n g — w hilst e ve n
S t e rn l
y f o r b i dd i n g hi m —
sel to b e li e v e it h e kn e w
f
t he
tr ut h S h e w as ke t pe n n i l e s s m i d
Wom
p A n
y a rr e
a n w il l un de r s tan d
the c r ue l t y t h e de gradatio n
, ,
O f uc h t r a n n
s th
Am
y y a s at
is e r a b l e s h am
.
e had cre p t i n t o h e r l e ve l e e
y s
7
an d it h ur t h i mlike the ; ;
.
s ta b o f a k fe ! U n i
was ca r e ful t o c o n cea l from

.
he r a ll k n o w l g
e d e o f h e r
64 TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
con fusion an d his voice w as j ust ordin arily cheerful

,
an d co urt e o us as he an swered her .
Is that all I c an do fo r yo u? he said You .
are goin g on t o Co lo n el Scott s I s uppose Don t

’ ’
.
,
o u thi n k I h ad bett e r un dertake t hese tro uble

y
som e brutes so far ? He held o ut to her half a
”
-
c rown as he s poke
N0 give it to h im you s aid she drawi n g

.
, , ,
back
St John we n t roun d to wh e re the m
.
an stoo d still
with h is h an d o n the bridle o f the cob n e ar h im

.
,
Mrs V e re ke r is very m
.
uch oblige d ; she d e s ired

me to give yo u this said he h oldin g o ut the half
.
”
, ,
crown
Blac k San dy who so far had stood m
.
, otion le s s
as if dazed at the po n ie s he ad s n o w s udde n l rew
’
y g
i n to life He upreared his gigan tic fram
,
. e an d ,
looked first at St John an d the n at Mrs V ere ke r

His expression chan ged slow ly fromstolid in diffe r
. . .
e n ce to a slow rage an d fro mthat to a boilin g fury

,
Delibe rately he took the coin that St John o ffere d

h imspat upon it an d witho ut a word fl un g it right
.
, , ,
i n to Mrs V e re ke r s face
.
’
.
A se con d lat e r he had cleared the wall an d h ad

d isappe are d in to the thi c k b rus h wood on his l e ft .
CHAPTE R IX .
“ If n o l ove is
, OG od ! w hy f ee l I so ?
An d if love is , w hat thin g an d w hich is he ?
m m m f y P
If l ove b e goo d, ro w h en ce co e th w oe
m
If it b e w ic k , a w on de r t hin ke th e
’
m
When ce e v ry tor en t an d advers ity,
’
Th t m fl my m u y thi k
a co es o ove a to e savo r n
F m I thi t th m e h I d i k
or o re rs e or t at r n .
”
ST JOH N S fi rst
thought w as to overtake an d hal f
’
kil l h imbut a seco n d s reflection showed h imthe

.
im
,
possibility o f bein g able to do this It had all .
h appe n ed so s udde n ly so un expectedly an d n ow

t h e fellow w as so far ahead that to run h imd own
, ,
w as o ut o f the questio n His secon d thought w as .
for Mrs V e re ke r ; she w as lyin g b ack in the phaeton

.
,
v ery p ale an d n ervo us .
“ Y o u ar e frighten e d said St John He w as . .
pale too an d his eye s were flashi n g

, That .
sco un drel I shall take care that he lives to regret

,
this day .
”
No n o said she e agerly She le an ed towards

h iman d laid on e tre m blin g han d upon his arm
.
, ,
Th at is what I feared B ut to oblige m

.
e if I ask
m m
.
,
u o u will take n o n otice o f it P i u

y o y r o s e e y o
will n o t m ove in this m That m

.
,
atter an — bruta lly

there are reason s believe m
.
as he has behave d — e
—
h e is to be pitie d forgiven
”
She w as stam merin g hopelessly an d again that

.
s h am
,
ed look grew withi n her eyes She stoope d .

,
as if to arran ge her skirts b ut in re ality to hi de her ,
face an d the little action w as so i n e ffectual so

, ,
5
66 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
childish that an yon e would have bee n sorry for her

, .
O ld Colon el Scott s revelation about Black San dy s

’ ’
d aughter rose to St John s m in d an d of course h e

.
’
,
un d erstood .
Well as yo u wish said he carelessly

, ,
”
B ut it .
is over good of yo u to let that sco un drel go un

pun ished An d n ow you are lookin g very m uch
un n erve d s uppose yo u give m
.
,
e a place b eside yo u
an d let m
, ,
e drive these re f ractory little beasts to t h e

haven where you would be ”
O h ! if you w ill said she She m

.
”
ove d to on e
sid e an d very w illin gly m ade room fo r him Th e
.
,
groomh ad com e up by this tim

.
,
e an d had taken h is
Are yo u to o com
,
s eat behin d . in g to Colon e l

Scott s P she aske d
’ ”
Yes I w as o n m
.
, y w a
y there Y o u ar e s ure y o u .
are f eelin g all right n o w P That yo u would n o t

rather turn an d go hom eP
H om eI No ! s aid she with a quick certain ty ,
that told its own tale .
They were a little late wh en they arrived but n o

on e took m uch n otice o f the mexcept Lady Bessy
,
who arched her brows slightly an d looked at Blair , ,
who happe n ed to be besid e her .
Well I n ever said she un der her breath

Never what P dem ng m
.
, , ,
an ded th at yo u an with
lively in terest Is there an ythin g un d er the sun

.
o u h av e n ever don e yet P

y
One ! said she
”
I ve n ever m ade a f ool of
’
m
.
yselfat all eve n ts ; for those who ha ve S he

broke o ff abruptly an d turn ed away
What s for the m
.
P asked he your blessin g P

’
,
. . 67
The other thin g said she , .
Good he aven s ! don t say that ! en treated he

’ ”
.
Con sider what a fool I ve been about yo u ever ’

, ,
sin ce we were both born

To her this open flirtation of St John s with ’
Mrs V e re ke r see m ed the v ery ac m

.
,
e o f folly She
loved her brother too well n ot to shrin k froman y
. .
thin g that m ight co m prom ise himin the eyes of his

world She wan ted to m arr
y h im an d m a rry h im
well an d to see h imdeliberately com pro m ise him

.
,
self would ruin all her sche m

,
es The fact that .
Mrs V e reker w as lookin g very white an d n ervous as

.
she crossed the terrace towards her hos t o n ly add e d

to her belief that so m eth in g m ore than ordin ary had
h appen ed betwee n her an d St John . .
I sh oul d n t won der if he were to fall desperately

’
in love with her He is j ust the sort o f m

. an to let
pity be akin to love an d of course she is to be

pitied O n e m ust ad m
,
,
. it that But I wish she .
w ould look for co n solation elsewhere

”
In the m ean tim

.
e Mrs V ere ker havin g greeted

, .
,
C olon el Scott had gon e swi ftly to where Dorothy

Aylm er w as sittin g ben e ath the bran chin g lim
,
bs o f
a h uge beech
Dorothy can yo u let m

.
, e have hal f a crown ? - -
s h e said s oftly yet with s uch ev iden t even pain ful

, , ,
a n xiety th at Dorothy t urn i n g her sho ulder to Mr

,
.
Vesey who w as sitti n g as n early in her pocket as he

c o uld m
,
an age drew her down caressin gly on the

,
s e at beside her
Now don t give w ay to v ulgar excite m

.
’
en t she
m
,
s aid when I tell yo u that I a at presen t n ot

5—2
,
TH E H ON O URABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
on ly the proud possessor o f two shillin gs an d the

i n valuable six pen c e b ut that I c an eve n l ay m, y
han d on on e poun d ten Y o u have on ly to say the .
word arid all shall be yours Ah ! I kn ew I h ad .
been too abrupt You pale ! O n e should brea k.
s uch tid in gs with a velvet ton gue l ”
Mrs V e reker s m
. iled fain tly .
“
K eep the rest you rich girl she said b ut “
len d m I owe it to som

, , ,
e the h al f c ro wn - ebody . .
To the butcher the b aker the can dlestick

maker P
, ,
—
No to your c o usi n to Mr St John The
pon ies c am e to grief on m m
. . .
,
y w a
y here an d a an
helped m
,
e she hesitated as if n o t kn owin g ,
how to go on
What s the m
.
atter with yo u ?
’
s ai d Dorothy
pro m ptly Yo u kn ow it does yo u go od to spe a k
What m Com e te ll m
.
o ut an hel ped yo u ? e w as
it Hil ary P S urely yo u are n ot goi n g to reward him

.
, ,
with hal fa crown P - -
No It w as Black San dy ! Even with Dorothy ”
she looke d shy an d distressed as she m

.
e n tion ed the
man s n ame He caught t he pon ies by the head
’
an d I borrowed the m on ey fro myour co usin to pay

.
,
h im an d an d n ow I wan t to pay yo ur cousi n

,
—
back again .
So soon P Is thy servan t a Jew that he

Well you are right I thi nk Here is the m
, , o n ey .
get that debt off your con scien ce as soon as ever you
can
Wh at a co m
.
fort th at yo u h ave it said Mrs

V e re ker with the fi rst gleamo f s un shin e o n her
, .
,
TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R . . 69
c h ar m
in g face
t the day had yet seen
t ha I w as .
“
s o afraid u wo ld itho u t pe ny I ll go ’
y o u b e w a n
an d pay h im
.
at o n ce I ass ure yo u Doro thy I w as

so as ha m
.
, ,
ed at havin g to borrow it that I didn t ’
kn ow which w ay to look I ll co m
,
e b ack in a ’
momen t
.
Her brow h ad quite cl e are d Her s m

.
ile w as on ce
more n atural She move d in her pre tty slow
.
.
, ,
g race ful fashi on o ver the gras s sayin g a word or t w o ,
a s she we n t to those who add re s sed her b ut s te i

pp g n
on ly when she cam

,
e to S t John . .
She slipped the hal f crown i n to his han d -
Than k you so m
.
uch she said I shouldn t

” ’
h ave kn own what t o do witho ut yo ur help to—

.
,
day ,
though certain ly that l uckle ss coin did good to

n obody I cam e out without m y p u rse a s y o u
kn ow b ut Dorothy has bee n m
.
,
, y b an ker .
”
He coloured slightly b ut his ton e when he spoke,
w as st udi ously careless

Was that privilege d en ied m
.
e P s aid he
What a hurry you were in to get out of m
.
y deb t
Y o u are certain ly hon est gl an cin g at the m
.
,
”
on ey in
h is han d b ut gl an ci n g n o w at her
, , y o u a re as ,
c ertai n ly very un f rien dly .
O h ! n ot that she said ”
The n w hy n ot let m
.
,
e be yo ur creditor as well as
Dorothy P
It is n o t the sam e thin g O n e c an see that I
h ave kn own her all m
. .
y li fe y o u are a stran ger !

”
I see said he s hortly They were stan din g

,
”
.
n e ar an old w ell picturesquely hidde n by h an gin g
ivy an d as he spoke alm

,
,
ost un con sciously as it
,
70 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RH E BE
. .
e md he d ropped the h lf crow i to it

s e e C m a -
n n o e,
let mt ke y u b ck t your frie ds he s id

,
e a o It a o n
”
a
h rdly b m
.
,
can a usi g to y u to st d here

e a ith n o an w
m e.
Are t y u m y frie d t
no ? I m sorry
o I use d n , oo a
that cold word stran ger s aid she so gen tly that
, ,
”
, ,
his short lived an ger died Her eyes were full o f

- .
tears She crossed th e lawn to where Lady Bessy

.
w as sitti n g al l un aware o f the thoughts with which

,
that rather highly strun g person w as regardin g her- .
She looked so dej ected however that Lady Bessy , , ,
who preferred to thin k she w as sufferin g the throes

o fs lighted love received her very kin dly
, .
Can t eve n s uch a day as this throw a little

’
:
warm th in to you? she said You look positively

Have so m
.
froze n e te a ? Bobby go an d get Mrs

Bless m
.
.
,
V e reke r a cup o f te a e what a white l ittl e

.
,
object you are If yo u were to pose as the real an d

origin al m e diaeval s ain t or the Christian m artyr who ,
h as bee n so dre rdfully lon g drown ed n o o n e would ,
thin k you overdid the part Well what is it P .

,
What has Hilary been s ayin g to you ?

Hilary ? Mr St John ? What should he say P. .
”
She had lin gere d over the pron un ciation of his

C hristian n am e as tho ugh it w as de ar to her an d a ,
tin y fleck o f colo ur had crept in to e ach ch eek

Did he tell yo u the pon ies ran away wi th m
.
e an d
on ly that he m et m
,
e h al f w a here d stopped
y
-
a n
themI daresay I should b e well white r even th an

—
I amby this tim
, ,
e ”
So that w as how it cam

.
,
e about th at he arrive d
with h er Lady Bessy grew e ve n m

. ore frien dly .
TH E H ON O UR AB LE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 71
Beastly thin gs pon ies she s aid Give m e

”
the m
.
, ,
ost racke tty horse in E urope in pre feren ce to

the m An d so they bolted an d d estroyed your
.
,
n erve f or o n e day The on ly an tidote for that sort

o f thi n g is to h ave the m
.
bolt again That restore s

on e s balan ce ; an d if they do go m ake the m
.
’
take
m
,
y o u so f ar f ro Bren t th at
yo u will n ever be abl e
to fi n d your w ay back again D ullest hole I kn ow ”
I thi k perh ps I amas happy here as I

. .
n a ,
— ,
s hould be an yw here said Mrs V e reke r with h er ”
There w as som
, .
,
e yes o n the groun d ethin g in h er

to n e th at m
.
ade Lady Bessy sin cerely sorry f or h er
Y o u are n o t very happy I amafraid she sai d

.
im
, ,
pulsively an d with bad taste perhaps b ut so

kin dly that it would be im
, , ,
possible to b e an gry with

her Mrs V e reke r raised her eyes an d fixed the m
. .
o n her The re was a world of despair in their dark

.
depths .
CHAPTE R X .
H ave so m uh
e r t on her advers ity l
S he s to od al o n e ;
S he had n o w ight to w ho to m mk a e her m
oan .
ST JO H N with n o very settle d design in his m in d

made straight for Dorothy when Mrs V ereker with
.
, ,
a little bow h ad dis m issed him Miss Ayl m

.
, ,
er w as
pleased to receive himgracious ly
.
,
So it w as H ilary to the rescue P said she gaily

What would have beco m
.
e of her if you hadn t been ’
o n the spot j u s t as those tre achero us co hs were
l ayin g her f als e P oor Cecil she hasn t m u c h

’
p P
72 TH E H ON O URABLE MR S V E RE K E R
. .
n erve at an y ti m e b ut to day s eem

, s to have fin ished
-
her She certain ly owes yo u a debt of gratitude ”
She is d eter m in ed to owe m e n othi n g it see m

. .
s .
She felt weighed down with care un til she had

repaid m e the utter m ost farthin g o f the triflin g s um
s h e w as obliged to borrow f ro m me By the bye .
- -
,
”
lookin g kee n ly at his cousin why is she obliged to

borrow ? AmI to un d ers tan d that that fellow
,
”
P
Does a wo m an n ever le ave her p urse a t ho m eP ”
with an evasive s m ile Are we all so m

. ethodical
that yo u
“
There is m ore than that in it Som ethin g in
her m
.
an n er betrayed her
Som ethin g in your m an n er will betray

yo u
before lon g thought Dorothy but with a wisdom
, ,
rarely exercise d by her she k e pt the thought to ,
herself)
Y o u study her very care fully she s aid dem
.
urely , .
I hope n o t Not purposely at all even ts It

’
would be an im pertin en ce to tre at her or an y wom

.
, .
an
in that w ay But I co n fess I pity her an d feel fo r

.
“
her He paused I feel for her as I n ever
felt for an y other wo m
.
an he s aid e arn e stly

He hon estly m e an t an d wished to con vey the im
, , .
pression that wh at he fel t for her w as co m

,
, passio n
fo r the life she led ; b ut his word s were certai n ly
il l cho s e n an d Dorothy laughed a little
-
, .
Y o u are fran k to a faul t s h e s aid An d let

madd if i n deed you w ish to be a frien d to her
.
,
e —
distin ctly i m
, ,
pruden t ”
Y ou m
.
isun derstan d said he with a slight , ,
frow n .
TH E H ON OUR ABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. . 73
If I d o that is your fault n ot m in e An d

in deed I do n ot m
, , . ,
—
is un derstan d so far wit h a ”
mean in g glan ce at him But I warn you that

, ,
others m
.
ay She p aus ed an d the n wen t on in a

.
”
,
lower ton e an d o n e tin ged with deepest regret

,
She is very forlorn very solitary ; she calls for ,
on e s te n derest care
’
.
”
Dorothy ! began he sharply but she checke d

”
m
, ,
hi .
It is all true w hat you thin k sh e we n t on ”
Th at that m
.
,
— an n ever gives her a pe n n y ! Is n t ’
it a sham Her cheeks fl ushed an grily an d her

”
e? ,
e y e s sp ar kled with righte ous in dign atio n He

pays her bills but always in sists on seein g the m
.
fi rst an d tho ugh she is ever be auti fully dressed it

, ,
is o n ly because he takes a sel fi sh pride in heari n g his

w ife call ed the b est gown ed wom an in the co un ty
”
-
.
It is well his pride run s that w ay ; but do yo u

mean to say she has n o allowan ce P ”
“ N o t a farthin g
; an d it is so awkward for th e
p oor little thin g som e ti m es Now to— day for ex am ple
.
,
—o f course it would have been n othin g if she c o uld

have gon e hom e an d got her o w n m, on ey an d se n t ,
it to you ; b ut to feel she should first explain every

thin g to himan d be un der com , pl im en t to himfor
what every other wi e w o ld reg rd as a right that
f u a —
is galli n g I assure yo u there were tears in he r
e yes whe n she asked m o r th at m
.
e f iserable tw o an d
sixpe n ce O h ! I felt as if such a m
-
. an as Fran ci s
V e re ke r should be gro un d to de ath .

”
I
’
An d how w ill she repay you? His expre ssion ”
w as cold al m ,ost stern .

. .
She will still h ave to ask h imfor it ; but then

it will be for m e n ot f or you
An d what differe n ce wi ll that m

, .
ake ?
O h n on se n se s aid she re dden in g Do you

mean to say that youhaven t hear d he is jealous or
, , .
preten ds to be je alous o f every m

,
an th at spe aks to
,
her ? That is why I wo uld have yoube careful Hilary

lest yo u m e s till m
, ,
ake h e r li f ore un bearable to her ,
i ste d ple s ter Ah !

n a o f a an — to Lady Bessy w ho
w ith so m e others had strolled up to the m Is
.
, ,
“
.
,
there n o tea to be h ad an ywhere ? I have been

i n in g for m i ne fo r the last h al f ho ur
p
-
It s co m
.
’
i n g said Lady Bessy ”
I le ft word
that a special con sign m
.
,
en t sho uld be le ft here till

called for It appears it won t have lon g to wait ’
Cecil glan cin g at Mrs V e re ker who had com

. .
”
, e
.
,
with her li ke you has been on the verge o f te ars

fo r t e n m in utes or so ; but here it com
, ,
es Lady .
E ustace I kn ow yo u n ever forget who takes s ugar

,
an d who doesn t w ill po r the ”

u u u P
’
yo , o t t e a
I go o n the pri n ci ple t hat every well regulated -
person takes sugar s aid Lady E ustace in her deep ”
voice th at would h ave m

,
ade her fo rtun e o n th e
I declare that sen tim

,
tragic stage . en t before

liftin g the teapot an d I gen erally fin d that n o o n e
,
s ays a word agai n st th e s ugar afterwards : Sweets to

the sweet you kn ow Every on e here take s ugar P
,
’
.
She looked ro un d T here w as n ot a disse n tien t

m urm
.
ur an d she laughe d
ai d, in her m
.
,
“ Tol d so ! she s ”
il d b assoon
y o u
Though I do thin k I m
.
ight have been let offduty

n ow that I am down here for a rest .
TH E H ON O URABLE MR S V E RE K E B
. . 75
Res t ! Is such a thin g kn own to youP asked

Mr Blair
. Aweso m
. e tales hav e been han ded dow n
—
to us th at sleep an d you are two that n ever do
yo ur eyelids clos e in sl um ber ; an d really when on e
re m em bers the n um
,
ber o f works o f fi ction the —

yearly am —
oun t o f lies yo u flin g upon the Lon don
market on e is boun d to believe the fabulous tale
,
.
”
O n e is n ever b oun d to believe an ythi n g That

is the speci al ch ar mo f the age in which we live
.
As for yo ur fabulous tale o f m

.
e l e arn th at there is
Mo m
,
n othi n g in it ! en ts I have kn own whe n heroes ,
heroin es plots an d co un ter plots were alike abhor

-
ren t to m
, ,
B ut on e s frien dliest frien ds are those

’
e .
w h o will n o t believe th at O n ce ! said Lady

.
”
E ustace lookin g roun d upon her audien ce with the

ti n y te apot uplifted tragically in o n e m
, ,
assive h an d ,
whils t the other poin ts her tale I we n t for a holi

day to a ho use th at shall be n am
,
eless I wen t to
resh m
.
re f y tired br ain It w as deep in the co un try
an d I thought m yself fortun ate in m

.
,
y selectio n o f a
breathin g spot I told m ysel f that here if an y

w here I should fi n d people who woul d seek to m
.
,
ake
me happy So far I gue ssed the truth The y were

,
fi lled with de sign s for m

. .
y w el fare an d t o st art with

they gave m e a sitti n g roo m to m
, . ,
-
yself to which ,
n o n e o f the other gue s ts w e re to seek e n t ran ce o n
pain o f de ath o r a crue l m

— en tion in m y n ext book !
P erfect soli t ude they arran ged w as to be m in e for
fi ve lon g ho ur s in eve ry day d uri n g which tim
, ,
e I
w as to c udgel m
,
y wretched br ai ns f o r fresh ide a s

Solitude fo r m e who craved o n ly the h um
.
the shock
of m
, ,
an d whose sole desire w as to f orget for the

’
en , ,
76 TH E H ON OURAB LE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
ti m e bein g that such t hin gs as pen s an d in k an d

, ,
ideas were in the world ! I wen t to that place sai d ”
the n ovelist s adly for res t ; I le ft it m

, ,
ore fagged
more spiritless than I had ever been in m
, ,
, y li fe
be fore ! ”
St John broke in to laughter He could n ot resist

. .
a glan ce at L ady Bessy who return ed it with a ,
valian t effort at n ot un derstan din g its drift Where .
w as n ow her theory abo ut her n ovelist P Where

we re the char m s o f her e m pty roomh er pen s her
in k upon which she had so depe n ded as a m
, ,
, ean s o f
e n s urin g the etern al happin ess o f Lady E ustace P
It w as cruel s aid Dorothy who po s sessed quite
,
”
,
a t ale n t f o r bei n g able to f all i n to the bre a ch at an

y
mo men t But on e m us t s uffer for the m an y very
often an d t hose three weeks m art rdo mo f o urs

.
,
’
, y y
g a ve n o do ubt to the world an in calcul able ple as ure
What w as the n am e o f the book that arose from

.
, ,
it P
I hardly re m em b e r It w as o n e o f m y m aide n
e fforts said Lady E ustace s m

.
”
ilin g even whilst s h e
deeply growled ! Poor wom
, ,
an she could n t help it ;

’
,
Nature n o t she w as an swerable for that basso p r o

, ,
fun do of hers An d I daresay everyon e else has

.
forgotten too That is the worst o f this rapid age

S he had give n the m
.
in wh ich w e live the special

”
charmof it a m om
.
e n t ago so w as boun d to explain

t o the m Nothin g is re m em
,
the darker side bered

.
beyon d to day except with a sigh o f con scious

merit that overpowered themlike the breath o f a
, ,
g ra m p u s by the ,
speci al
few who dwe l l upo n a goo d
t hin g whe n they get it

“ AmI a special fe w ? dem
.
,
an ded Mr B lair at .
t h is mome t Im nust be I kn ow n o o n e who

c an appreci ate a good thin g better th an m I am
. .
e .
s ure t here w as t hat vo l a u ven t last n ight that ,
I
But here fortun ately so m
,
ebody choke d himo ff , .
The i n satiable reader Lady Eustace w as roar ”
is the an i m
,
“
in g de e ply ,
al we authors dre ad beyon d
al l others No soon er is on e book fi n ished than (n o

matte r how soul satisfyin g it m
.
ay- — an d her e
s h e looked as tho ugh an y o f her s wo uld s atis f y the

s o uls o f m illion s up he takes an other rushi n g ,
through it at railway speed an d so o n to its suc

Not on e m om
, , ,
c essor . en t is spared to the joys th e ,
g rie fs the an guis h the i n dign ation

, o f those h e roes
, ,
a n d heroi n es j ust fl un g aside ; those who h ad bee n
their faithful com pan ion s for at the very leas t a whole
l on g twe n ty fo ur hours -
Verily we write for an un .
r ege n erate p ublic

”
.
Lady E ustace wo un d up her haran gue an d her

t e apot at the s am em om en t There w as n o t an other .
drop o f Bohe a in t h e l atter .
M r Blair I r e gret to say w as con vulsed with

.
, ,
l aughter ; the others had better se n s e or taste an d

o n ly m
,
ildly stared at her .
Y o u h ave been badly used said Mr Bl air at

la st who w as w ith out sham
.
,
e
But they m
.
,
I h ave been sligh t ed yes us t

harde n the m selves to m
-
.
,
iscon ception who vol un tarily

yield their talen ts to th e world said Lady Eustace ,
”
,
with a resoun din g sigh

Don t m in d e mthey are all je alous o f you
.
’ ’ ”
said Mr Blair re gardless o f an an gry n udge from

, ,
.
,
78 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
Lady B essy who feared he w as goin g too far She

, .
n e ed n o t h ave fe ared however Lady Eustace c n

tirely agreed with the se n ti m
.
,
e n t thro wn o ut an d
beam
,
ed upon the author of it When on e do es

meet an agreeable
.
Here Lady Bessy put an e n d to h im .
Agreeable she said She le an ed forward an d

so placed her charm
.
in g pers on that Mr Blair w as .
exactly as if he w as n owhere Experie n ce h as

taught m
.
e that to be a strictly agreeable perso n o n e
should have n o opin io n of on e s ow n That wouldn t ’

.
’
s uit you Lady Eustace would it P with an adorable

sm ile an d an e m phasis that flattered that m
, ,
assive
person im men sely O n e should si m

,
ply be a
machin e woun d up to agree with everybody I ma
.
machin e I agree with everybody But it takes

.
. .
talen t I can tell you An d to get through the

stre amo f p ublic opin ion in this little coun try place
.
,
without wettin g on e s petticoats on e has to hold

’
the mup pretty high I can tell yo u

,
”
.
,
Which te acheth the le sson th at un less on e has ,
pretty feet o n e should n ever be cen sorious put in ”
Mr Blair m
, ,
ildly
Even th at would n t be s uffi cien t ; the feet m
.
,
’
ay
escape n otice the fac e n ever said Farquhar who

h ad j ust com
, , ,
e up To be agree able to a ll the

world a w om an m
.
ust be pretty
”
“ The n I mdo n e fo r
.
,
’
s aid Lady Bessy with her ”
merry laugh N0 ! n ot a word o f con solation from

, ,
an ybody ; I sho u l d co n sider con tradicti on an in s ult

As if m n o t as go od as yours m m
.
y eyes were y i n d ,
as e fli cie n t with a crushin g glan ce at Mr Blair

,
”
.
,
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS . V E RE K E R . 79
w h o w as eviden tly full of argum en t I kn ow I ve .

’
h a d a n arrow escape o f bei n g pretty ; b ut I ha ve

’
e scape d I h av e see n m yselfoccasion al ly an d to do

my frien ds men frien ds you un d erstan d j ustic e
.
,
— —
h o wever abs urd they m an cied the m
, ,
ay h ave f selves
a bo ut m e I don t re m em ber that on e of the mever
’
e ve n in his i n s an est mom en ts called m

, ,
e a be auty
It s with an in terrogative glan ce m

, .
“
’
,
”
y n ose is n t , ,
’
it P B ut I ve p ulled thro ugh pretty well in spite

’
o f it
Dear little cruelly m

.
ali n ed n ose ! s id ”
g a -
,
B lair so pathetically that they all laugh

, .
CHAPTER XI .
An d drun ken n es s is eke a f

o ul r e cor d
Of an y m an
Dr in k m o re a tte mp erly,
Win e mk h m a et an to lo s e w r et ch e dl y
H is m
i d n .
”
DIN NE R at the Ch ase w as well at an e n d th e wom en

had gon e to the drawi n g roo m the m
,
e n w e re still -
,
lin gerin g over their win e V ere ke r who h ad got .

,
through the courses in his usual silen t s ulle n fashion

h ad j ust asked his host fo r so m
, ,
e bran dy St John . .
,
who would have liked to refuse it b ut hardly kn ew

how to m
,
an age it gave a rel uctan t order to on e o f t he
men an d let stron g misgivin gs take possession of

,
Up to this , V e re ker had pl ain ly been holdin g

himselfi n. He had taken his cham pagn e sparin gly ,
80 TH E H ON O URABLE M S V E RE K E R
. .
an d h ad in been quite sob er tho ugh so m

'
e fl ect e of
t he wo m en regarded h imwith doubt It w as i n de e d

,
im possible to himn o w to lo ok the p art so un usual to

.
h imas his fe atures were swolle n an d redd e n ed an d

his voice had attain e d a perm
, ,
an e n t gr uf
f i n dis tin ct
n ess .
S till he had got thro ugh the din n er very re spec t

ably f , or himan d ha d give n n o occasio n
, fo r th e
throwin g o f a s ton e But n o w as tho ugh h is
.
,
patien ce w as exhausted or as tho ugh the ho ur , ,
bein g close o n te n o clock he fel t the e n d o f his

’
,
probation w as at han d an d the hour o f relea se n i gh

he s urre n dered him sel f to the De m on that held h im
, ,
boun d an d chain ed an d the m ad cravi n g f or s tro n g
drin k th at h ad rui n ed his body an d w as i m

,
perillin g
his soul rose within h iman d con quered h im
, , .
He dran k an d dran k d e e ply h urriedly as if to

make up for lost time Some of the men seein g
, , ,
how it would shortly be with himrose fromthe

.
,
table an d St John w ith a sicken i n g re m em

,
, .
, bran c e
o f the p ale be auti ful frighten ed face awaitin g
their return in the drawin g roo m
, , ,
s beyon d join ed -
the me agerly
,
V ere ke r had foun d w i th the bran dy his voice

an d w as n ow arg ui n g lo udly i n sole n tly o n so m
, , ,
e
political s ubject with a m
, ,
eek old baron et who , ,
livin g in the n ext coun ty w as n ot so well aw ar e ,
o f his oppo n e n t s b e setti n g sin as those residin

’
g
roun d Bre n t an d therefore persisted in debatin g
the question at issue with h imin a high key that
,
, ,
g rew gr ad ually offe n ded as V e re ke r waxe d un be ar

,
abl e .
TH E H O N O UR ABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. . 81
O ld Colon el Scott bre akin g in to the discussion

s o ught to fi n ish the m
, ,
atte r by carryi n 6 Sir

g 0
He n ry an d by so doin g o n ly i n cre ased V e reker s

,
’
vicio us wrath an d gave in crea sed zest to his in s ul t

,
in g retorts Fin ally Sir He n ry w as drawn away

who though in a dan gerous m
.
,
an d V e re ke r , ,
ood ,
still kn ew what he w as about fin ished an other ,
glass of bran dy an d wen t with the others towards

the draw in g roo m
,
-
.
Co lon el S cott in a fin e fren zy caught hold of St

, , .
J ohn an d poured his in dign ation in to h is c ars

A d am n ed un m
.
an n erly fell ow sir By Jove ! , .
he o ught to be c ut by the co un ty an d so he would , ,
b ut for tha t poor li ttle wife o f his

”
Who gave her to him P dem an ded the m

.
ild
Sir Hen ry who w as as an gry as it w as possible for
himto be
,
An i m pecun io us papa said som

.
ebody stan din g ,
by with a shr ug
,
.
A rascally papa ! growled the Colon el fiercely ”

.
By George ! he ought to have swun g for it ; but

h e o n ly died in his bed two m o n ths afterwards ”
P ity he did n t die two m

.
on ths b e fore said Sir

’
,
”
He n r y who thought this so n e at that it n early

restored himto his won ted good hum
,
our -
.
,
—
An d have yo u heard have yo u heard s aid ,
the Colon el drawin g St John aside that he has

,
“ .
,
sen t that poor devil o f a Black San dy to prison P

Som e sm all o chi n g afi ra By Jove sir
'
p a y ! y o u .
,
s hould have see n the con victed po acher s eye whe n

’
V e re ke r s e n te n ce d himto a m on th s har d labour ’
There w as battle m
.
urder an d s udd en death in it

, ,
6
62 TH E H ON O UR ABLE M RS . V E RE K E R .
s pec ially m urder P on m y so ul ! I felt f

’
t h
ras cal whe n I re m em
. o r e
bered everythin g V e re ke r of
a ll m e n to be down upo n him S uch con f
, .
oun ded
con siderin g what has co m
.
sharpn ess e an d gon e ”

, .
Here the Colon el began to win k so hard with his

left eye that it occurred to St John in a dull way .
that soon the lon g s ufferin g lid would fall to ris e n o

-
more
What be cam
.
e o f the girl P s aid he

Ran away to t own so m
.
e people s ay An yhow
she disappeared The father sm
, .
,
ashed her u
p e
n ight when the truth cam

. on
e o ut an d she w as gon e
n ext m
,
orn in g They are a gipsy lot I believe an d

n ot up to m
.
, ,
uch good In fact there s n o do ubt

’
betwee n you an d m
.
, ,
e that the fellow is a blood ,
t hirsty scoun drel b ut yet on e can t help seei n g he

’
w as b adly used Pon m so ul ! s aid the Co lo n el

’
y
tis m
.
,
’
y opi n io n two u ld take a clever f
’
ellow to
decide which w as th e bigger scoun dr el of the two ,
he or our respecte d frie n d in side who has j ust sen t

him
, ,
to prison ”
I wish som
.
ethin g could be don e with V e re ke r ,
for his wi fe s s ake s aid St Joh n in a low ton e

’ ”
With h imthe m
. .
, ,
iserable drun kard said the

Colon el con te m
,
'
ptuously who n ever took an ythin g ,
stron ger th an water Tell yo u wh at in a c on fi ”

.
,
d en tial w ay when Black San dy gets o ut again if

I were V ere ke r I d keep m
, ,
y w
, e ather e y e
’
ope n -
.
But you see a fellow perpetually fuddled can t keep

’
,
an open eye ! By Jove ! sir when they put s uch ,
fellows as that o n the be n ch it s a s urer sign than

’
,
an
y th at the co un try is goin g to the dogs .
”
TH E H O N O URABLE M RS V ERE K E R
. . 83
won der what he is doin g n ow ? sai d St

I
John un easily Both m
.
e n walked in to the l arger
draw i n g roo man d looked apprehen sively aro un d

.
t he m
It w as an i n ten se relief to o n e of the mto fi n d
.
th at Mrs V ere ke r w as sitti n g alon e p arti ally

.
,
hidden by a he avy satin curtain that h un g n e ar

her V e re ker w as stan din g on the hearthrug look
i g down at Dorothy Aylm
.
n —
er who dain ty sweet
in her si m
, , ,
ple white robe w as lyi n g back in a ,
lo un gin g ch air wi th lowered lids an d a di stin ctly

, ,
d isdain ful expression o n her pretty face She w as .
playin g with a huge fan th at she waved to an d fro

in dole n tly yet with a s uspicion o f ri s in g an ger
,
.
Y o u an d I hold s uch e n tirely di f feren t views

s h e w as s ayin g in a cle ar con te m
,
, ptuo us ton e with ,
o ut troubli n g hersel f to look at V e re ke r who w as

gazin g at her with a m ost obj ection able ad m
,
iratio n .
He frown ed heavily yet still looked at her in the

dull brutal w ay that w as all that w as le ft to him
,
“ Look here said he thickly “

I ll tell y ou ’
s om ethin g I mn o t such a fool as you thin k m

.
,
’
. e .
I can see through you I kn ow what s in your ’
min d this momen t for all your preten ce at

.
m m
,
c our tesy Youre c l n g e

. a li a
’
da n e d l con
il -
dit io n e d fellow
”
.
—
I assure yo u you exaggerate a l ittle s aid she
, , ,
coolly I n ever swe ar

Her m
.
e an in g flashed thro ugh his d ull brain .
H a ! I see Y o u were always a s aucy on e s aid

He paused for a m om
.
,
he . en t then : Well I don t , ,

’
care the d evil w hat yo u thin k he said polite ly ”

.
, ,
—
6 2
. .
Miss Ayl m er rose without haste an d crossed th e

roo mto where Mrs Macke n zie w as sitti n g
, ,
de m
. .
Wh at s he don e n ow ’
an ded th at veteran
with the liveliest hope S he turn ed upon Dorothy .

,
who w as a little pale on e o f her satirical o ld

sm
,
iles
It s abs urd perm
.
’
ittin g s uch a person to go about
,
without a keeper s aid Doro thy an grily ”
Go on m
, , .
y de ar go o n , s aid the old l ady , ,

”
,
joyously w ith growi n g expectation

, .
He is quite un accoun ta ble ! They ought to lock

hi mup .
”
righteous laws o f our tight little islan d

The
won t perm’
it that Yo u can lock up a thief or a .
,
ven dor o f papers or a sedi tious orator ; but the ,
drun kard the greatest pest o f all society lets go

, ,
free ; n ay eve n tolerates an d tries to bli n d its eyes

, ,
to his de fects be b e rich an d o f good birth Bah !

, .
”
said Mrs Macke n zie with an eloquen t sn i ff Well

b ut yo u have n t told m e m
. .
, ,
y de ar ; wh a t h as o
’
ur ,
social n uis an ce been doin g n o w

“
Nothi n g Nothin g to si gn ify in the sumtotal
.
o f his vices He has on ly been un bearably coarse

.
he She laughed an grily He o n ly swore at

m
.
e.
Is that all ? Wh at a trifle to m

P o uf ! ake a
fuss abo ut s aid the old gossip in dig n an tly

, , .
Cle arly she con sidered herself do n e o ut o f a good

thin g .A n yon e m ight do that ! But on e e x
e c t e d better th in gs o f V e re ke r He ave n s ! Lo ok
p
I do pity th at little m
.
at his eyes . o use o f a wife

o f h is to n ight
”
-
.
TH E H ON O URAB LE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 85
girl said Dorothy sadly

P oor But Mrs
”
M acke n zie wan ted to be am

. .
, ,
used n o t to be drawn
in to a sym pathetic m
,
ood ; she there fore picked up

h e r shawl an d other belo n gin gs an d m
, ,
arched across
t h e roomto where Lady Bessy w as stan d in g o n the

,
h e arthrug tal kin g to on e o f th e n eighbour in g

,
s q uires
O n her w ay she p asse d an otto m an a s m

.
all on e
t h at w as fi lled to overflowin g by an extre m

, ,
e ly pretty
g irl with a g y
a m ischievo u s fa ce d ar k provoki n g
bril lian t com
, , , ,
e yes plexio n an d a gen eral air of

wo ld be con te pt that on ly m
m
, ,
u - —
ean t coquetry an d
Mr Blair The latter as a rule w as a host in him
. .
, ,
s elf
.
He was apparen tly payin g extravagan t court to

th e pretty coquette an d Mrs Macke n zie who w as
o r her rather im
, .
,
always o n the look o ut f r tis f

or
p a
possible n ieces regarded himkeen ly She kn ew

his n am e w as Blair an d th at he h ad co m
.
,
, e to the
co un try with St John who w as in deed a cousin o f
his . She kn ew also that he had bee n m
.
, , ,
akin g
v iolen t love to Ros a her eldest n iece at the last

, ,
te n n is affair they had been at but beyon d this

She co uld ask Lady Bessy abo ut h im Lady Bessy
, ,
w as o f co ur se his co usin also an d could give her a

wr i n kle as to the youn g m
, , ,
an s soci al positio n etc

’
.
,
She dropped i n to a cosy satin lin ed n est an d pro -
ce e de d to i n terrogate L ady Bessy .

. .
CH AP TER XII .
S in gin g he w as , or fl ut in g all the day ;

H e w as as f res h as is t h e m o n th of M ay .
”
TH AT youn g m an over there in dicatin g Bobbv by ”
Blair I thin k is his n am

,
a wave o f her h an d ; e
Tel l m e m
.
y de ar
,
wh at B lai r,is he s aid she .
Lady Bessy laughed .
He s Bobby Blair she said The old squire

’
,
.
,
who w as the father o f the s aucy little coquette

glan ced at the ottom
,
an wh ere his d aughter s at with
her extrem ely atten tive cavalier an d sheered o ff

fromLady Bessy (wh ose face w as n o w turn e d to
,
Mrs . probably with a V iew to m akin g
i n quiries about Mr Blair o n his own accoun t

. .
Yes I dares ay doubtfully Bobby wit h

a gl an ce at the un co n scio us yo un g m
.
, , ,
an in question
is quite the sort o f o f un dis cip lim d n am

,
— — e I
should associate with a person o f his style I m ean
o f co urse th e yo un g m
.
an so reprehen sibly take n u

p
with Miss Carton What Blair is he ? ”
Im sure I don t kn o w eve n though he is m

.
’ ’
,y
cousin s aid L ady Bes sy w ith a little shrug an d a
”
li ttle rem
.
, ,
in der Bobby ! in a cle ar distin ct ”
to n e that re ached the otto m

.
,
an w here Mr B lair w as
sitti n g very close to his com

.
pan ion Who ar e .
y o u ? Mrs M a cke n zie wan t s to kn ow
The last scion o f a m

. .
ost respectable race re

spon de d Bobby m eekly ifprom
,
ptly
Th en yo u should get m
.
arri e d at on ce
’
It s .
. . 87
yo u r obvious duty said Lady B essy with an

a lm o s t im
,
perceptible s n eer
So I shall the m om
.
en t I fin d an yon e who will

h ave m
,
e with an arde n t look at Miss Carton who

”
re fused to accept it an d fl un g it back at himwith a

, ,
d ark an d love ly glan ce fro mher o w n eyes

,
Alas
t h at m om e n t see ms a lon g w ay o ff still I pro m
.
— ise
all m
,
y o u to”
La dy Bessy I sh arry the very in s tan t
I can get so m
, ,
—
eon e I kn ow an other spe aki n g
g l an ce at Miss Carto n to s ay Yes to m e .

”
I exp e ct youll die an old bachelor at that ’
rate , said that youn g lady scorn fully but always ,
with the lovely look I don t belie ve an yon e will .

’
e ver say Yes to you

She edged away fro mhimas she spoke with a
.
charm in g disdain an d a littl e sm ile that shot from

,
un d er the lon g l ashes .
O h don t say that e n treat ed he hurryin g

’
ter her alon g the ottom

, ,
af an in a slidin f shio
g a n
Don t dash m
.
’
y l ast hope Everyo e s ays o to
m
n n .
e. I w as j ust goin g to ask you to take pity on a

wretc hed orphan but if you won t ’
Here his voice w as lost b ut the m um ble m um

,
ble
mumble that still could be heard w as replete with
, , ,
fervid e n tre aty .
“
What I wan t to kn ow is persisted Mrs Mac , .
ken zie who had listen ed to the foregoin g dialogue

,
w ith a disg usted expres sion an d who w as in herself ,
a wal ki n g B urke s Lan ded Gen try if he is on e

“ ’ ’
,
o f the Blair s o f Warw ick
O h dear n o A con n ection of cour se that s

,
.
,
’
the wors t o f the Blairs everyon e obj ection able or , ,

88 TH E H ONO URABLE MRS V ERE K E R . .
otherwis e is a ,
—
cousin but he poin tin g
to Bobby , ,
who is n ow eviden tly growin g very e n e rgetic an d

who in the vehem en t p ursuit o f his argum
,
en t has
brought him self an d his co m
, ,
pan ion so close to the

e n d o f th e ottom an th at it is q uite a m iracle as to
how she at least hold s on
, H e we n t on Lady
, .
,
”
Bessy after a le n gthen ed stare at the peril ous

,
position of her co usin an d his n e w foun d frien d -

,
belon gs to the e lder bran ch who look down o n a ,
War wickshire Blair as bein g a rather poor affair ”
Eh ? said Bobby catchin g his o w n n am

.
”
e again
Still levellin g m
, .
e to the d ust What is it n ow

What are you s ayin g about m
,
eh e
Merely that you are a rather poor affair said

Lady Bessy m
,
alicio usly
P overty is n ot a cri m
.
e Bessy said Mr Blair

Rather is it a m ark o f m
, , .
,
s everely . orality as ,
e very Su n day school book will sho w yo u

- Rugged
virtue as a rule acc om
.
pan ies it Look here ! sud

yo ull fall off this ottom
.
de n ly to Miss Carton
’
an
i yo u go an y farther
f an d then — what will your papa
He m
,
say ?
”
oved i n ward an d pulled her lightly
af ter him Y ou wouldn t like to m
. ake an e xhi
’
bitiou o f yourself would you An d why seek thus

mumble again
,
to avoid on e who ,
.
I re ally thin k I d r ather fall o ff than listen to ’
o u an y lon ger s aid Mis s Carton I do wis h

y
o n ow I m
.
,
o u would go away D as tired o f yo u as

’
y .
,
ever I can be she pouted prettily this little”
coun try b elle an d lifte d on e dim

, ,
pled shoulde r
again st h im
,
“I o ! s aid Mr
”
Bl air in a t ragic ton e H e
g . .
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
s
ro e . There w as
deepest dej eet ion in his loo k an d
to n e Aft er that crue l dism issal I dare n ot lin ger
But be fore I go let m
. .
e tell yo u that you are the
un ki n dest girl I ever m

,
”
et .
Tis well to be first in on e s ow n lin e retorted

’ ’ ”
she lightly wavin g himan adie u where upo n he left

,
, ,
her an d drew n ear to Lady Bessy still stan din g

, ,
upo n the hearth rug con versin g with Mrs Macke n zie .
,
w h o whe n she h ad on ce caught a person in her web

,
rar ely let her go un til she h ad s ucked all in f or
mation out o f her all vi tality said her victims , .
She w as i n deed a sort o f social spid er She had .
n ow drawn Lady Bessy so deep in t o a discussio n
abo ut V e re ke r an d his wi f e th at Lady Bessy hardly ,
n oticed the arrival o f Mr Blair un til he touche d .

,
her ligh tly o n the shoulder

Well ! what is it said she i m
.
patien tly
Don t stir Som
.
’
ethin g wron g with your h air
.
pins B u t— do n t stir I e n tre at you

’
as if in an
”
an d I ll settle the mf
.
, ,
agon y o f apprehe n sio n

’
, or
”
yo u
moved u e sily but other
.
She n ise took n o n otice

a w
f himbei g so f i terested i
,
n Mrs M acke n zie s

’
o n , ar n .
n ews as t o be f oolishly forgetful o f the versatility of

his powers O n e feeble protest in deed she m
,
. ade , ,
O h ! don t you are run n in g that hairpin right

’
in to m n othin g m
,
y he ad she s aid — b ut ore The

real n ature of the atrocity he w as about to com m
.
,
it
n ever occurred to her
He had pulled a bit of withered dejected m

.
ost
m m mistleto e in
,
—
,
iserable istletoe o u t o f his pocke t

t he early aut um n — good n es s kn ows where he had
90 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E B
. .
got it a
,n d with de f t m i schievo u s fi n gers
, h ad wove n
it in to the pretty coil o f hair that crown ed her head .
This don e he proceeded to lay his han ds upon her

should ers an d stoopin g ove r her im
,
, , prin ted a chaste ,
salute o n either cheek .
Really Bobby ! I really w ish you wouldn t !

,
’
s aid she in di gn an tly .
It w as a l az y in dign ation however an d suggeste d , ,
the idea that she was on ly in dign an t becaus e he had

acted vulgarly in thus e m bracin g her p ublicly It .
w as the sort o f an ger on e would show to a brother if

he were to kiss on e in a crowded drawin g room -
.
My dear girl I woul dn t said he on ly I

,
— ’
,
”
,
tho ught you expected it Ifyo u w ill go abo ut with

mistleto e stuck in your head like the straws of an
.
Ophelia in the very m

,
iddle of August what c an—

m
,
y o u expect ? I awfully sorry

’
— b u t I ass ur e yo u I
quite tho ught th at He pauses as if overcom e
with regret
Lady Bessy in swift dis m
.
ay raises her han d to h e r
well ordered head There s ure e n ough was a sprig

- .
, ,
o f the kissi n g pl an t !
G oo d He aven s ! said she softly was there ,
ever s uch a f ool ! She regarded the guilty Blair with

a witheri n g eye Yo u m us t h ave kept it sin ce l ast
Christm b ut why for m om
.
as y d i s c fi tu re ? W as
there n o other en em
,
y in the gate
Bobby turn ed upon her an eye that reduce d her
atte m pt at witherin g to n aught .
Misun derstood By Bessy G ifl ord That sh all '

’
be written on m
. .
y gr a ve sto n e he s aid “ in spite o f ”
Miss Mon tgom

, ,
ery in spite o f all the copyrights in

,
TH E H ON OURABLE MR S V E RE K E B
. . 91
th e w orl d ! The devotion of years it seems goe s, ,
fo r othin g
n .
Well I can t have this sort of thin g You

,
’
.
ar en t a baby thou h
’
g y o u a c t like on ,e s aid L a dy ,
”
B essy frigidly Go back to your K itty that s — ’
Mi ss Carton s n am
.
—
e isn t it she ’
with a little ’
v ague s uspicio n o f co n te m pt acts like on e too !

G o back to her—if i n deed she is so far lost to co m
,
mon sen se as still to be ready to receive you ”
She sort o f told m e she didn t wan t m

.
e said ’
In deed I m
,
Mr Blair quite un abash ed ight go

fa rther an d say she desire d m
. .
y abse n ce B u t as y o u
t hus barbarously thr ow m
, .
,
e over I ll tr her g i ’ ’
y a a n
What a co m
.
,
“ Yes do
fort sighed Lady Bessy
”
as he m ove d away Her eyes followed him H e

, .
,
. .
rejoin ed Miss Carton on th at tin y loun ge but hardly

received a welco m
,
e
“ No do n t co m e here I ms ure you have that
.
’ ’
.
,
horrid thin g behin d yo u said the little coun try

flirt edgin g away fromh im Go back to Lady
,
.
,
Bessy she s uits you She peeped behin d his back ”
an d there saw the dil apidated sprig o f m

,
.
,
istletoe
Y o u shan t co m
.
e a bit n earer she s aid She

’
— ”
pouted charm
, ,
in gly Not a bit .

”
Miss Carto n said he He had thought of , .
callin g her K itty b ut really the acquain tan ce was ,
This grows serio us Would you d oubt

'
too fresh
m
. .
Bless m ej cul tes M M cke zie t thi

.
a s
m
e a a rs . a n
ome t who h h d her gl sses fixed upo himf

n as a a n or
mi utes I do believe he is p p i g
,
th l st fi
e a ve n ro os n
—he
,
to he r r ! I positively —chokin g ,
”
be lieve he
92 TH E H ONOURABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
is askin g h e r to marry him in

— a
p ublic dr aw i ng
room I
Y o u n eedn t be un easy about himat all eve n ts
’
, ,
”
said Lady Bessy in difl eren tly He s always doin g

'
’
He proposes to so m
.
it ebody or other every n i ght

e to m with a sc om
.
o f his li f — e ful l augh

” “ if t he
I don t kn ow a sin gle girl o fm
, ,
s upplies f all short

’
y
acquain ta n ce to who m he hasn t m
.
ade an o ffer o f h is
’
heart an d han d He says they like it ; that they

expect it of h im m
.
; an d th at it akes the pl ain o n es
very happy to be able to go about afterwards an d

say they have re fus e d him It n ever co m es to .
an ythin g
He seem s to be a person of very rem

.
arkable
man n ers said Mrs Macken zie still with her glasses
”
levelled an d ben t o n Blair whomshe persists in

.
, ,
e xam
,
in in g thus as though he were a very rare an d

,
distin ct species
The m ost re m
.
arkable I kn ow said Lady Bes sy

A m isfortun e happen ed to himwhe n
,
“
iro n ically .
he w as seven te en which perhaps acco un ts for a good

deal His m
,
. e n tal grow th stopped there He will .
con tin ue to be seven te en un til he dies Nothin g

but a t roubleso m
.
e boy ”
Good gracious m m
.
de ar ! d o u tell so ?
y ,yo e
But on whose authority ?

”
My ow n sim ply I kn ow him said Lady

O h it s a m ere theory o f m
, .
,
B essy car elessly in e ’
there s som
, .
, ,
o f co urse b ut —
, ethin g in it ! ’ ”
“ No thin g ! thought Mrs Macken zie relieved as .

,
s h e s an k back in her ch air Just on e o f her fad s ”
S he w as t hin kin g abo ut thos e un m

. .
arriageable
TH E H ON O URAB LE MR S V E RE K E R
. . 93
n ieces of hers an d o f all the att en tion he had

s h own Ros a at the ir l ast m
,
eetin g Rosa w as n o t .
-—
h e re to n ight perh aps had she bee n that little ,
forw ard Carton girl would have bee n n o w here .
What yo u say about his proposin g is very

s in gular said the old lady sharply That might
go o n for som m
.
,
—
e ti e for so lon g as he w as !
re fused —but s uppose som ebody shoul d accep t

hi m
—
She thought o f Ros a d ear skin n y Rosa ! No !
She would n ot re fuse him
O h n on sen se ! Who on e arth would m
.
arry
said Lady Bessy hastily an d with m

,
Bo bby arked
con te m
,
pt .
She spoke clearly an d Mr Blair heard her He

s ee m
.
, .
ed in deed si n gul arly alive to all her utter

He broke off in th e m
, ,
an c e s . iddle o f his twen ty

fi ft h s ubstan ti al re ason why Miss Cart on should
accept h is addresses an d the n oble o f fer o f his he art
,
an d h an d an d t urn ed his eyes o n Lady Bessy For

an i n stan t a curio us light c am e in to the m For an
, .
in stan t on ly ; then it w as gon e an d the old m

.
is ,
c hie vo us expres sio n brighte n ed his face .
Woul dn t you ’
said he ten derly starin g ,
s traight at Lady Bessy She shrugged h er .
s ho ulders laughed a little an d then crossed the

roomto where S t John w as sittin g beside Mrs
, ,
. .
V e re ke r
It see m
.
e d to be an established re stin g place with -
S t Joh n n ow O ne m ight alm ost t hin k he had

in herited it so n aturally did he clai mt he chair
. .
n ext hers as his o wn .

. .
As Lady Bessy approached the cushion e d seat

behin d the c urtain s where he an d Mrs V ere ker sat
som eon e else cam
.
,
e up too It w as V e reke r frown .

,
in g sull en an d co n siderably t he worse fo r we ar

, , .
He lur ched a little as he walked an d to uched a tabl e ,
or a chair as he p assed it with an eviden t view t o

st e adyin g him
,
self But he w as un fortun ately quite

alive to the cir cum stan ce s roun d himan d a c on
.
s um in g j ealousy w as drivin g himto an open

,
declaration o f it
H a ! Lady Bessy c om
.
e to the rescue too By

Jove ! it seem s to m e it w as ti m
.
e ! he said with a ”
dan gerous l augh an d an in solen t m

,
otion of the
h an d to where St John an d his co m
,
pan ion were

.
sitti n g His wife started as she heard it an d every

.
,
to uch ofcolo ur forsook her face

I thin k it m I had better go hom
.
ust be late e .
,
”
she said in a n ervous h urried w ay t urn in g to St

, , , .
John It w as the worst thin g she could have

.
don e
P ray d on t let m e fright you from
.
’
your n est ”
abom in able ass um

,
s aid V e re ke r with an , ption o f

cour tesy “ Though after all perhaps yo u are
I dares ay it is tim e to go hom
.
, ,
right . e Decidedly .
“
late as you say Let s hope with a cold sn eer it ’ ”
isn t too l ate ! But whe n wom

.
, , ,
’
en take to hidin g
behin d curtain s with their
Som ebody pushed h imback abruptly an d killed
the vile word on his lips It was Colon el Scott w ho
h ad com e up in tim e to hear him St John had
.
,
. .
spr u n g to his feet as if shot his f ace as white as
death ; but the Colon el with a glan ce checke d him

,
.
, ,
TH E H ON OURABLE MR S V E R E K E R
. . 95
Re al ly the m an w as too f ar gon e to kn ow e xactly
the en orm ity o f his word s .
—
Not a word n ot a word ! s aid the old Colon el
”
w arn in gly Man can t you see how it is with ’
h im an d re m em
.
,
— — ber her
Mr s V e re ke r w as looki n g ve ry fain t She m
. ade .
a step f orward an d St John after o n e gl an ce at her

face woul d h ave o ffered h e r his arm b ut Lady
.
, ,
Bessy who w as a wom an o f m

,
uch resource w as
b e foreh an d with hi m She drew Mrs V e re ker s arm
, ,
’
. .
thr ough hers in a brisk an d pleasan t fashion an d

moved towards the door
, ,
—
Y o u look tired n othin g like bed for that sort
of thin g s aid she in her m
, ost care fully m atter o f
,
-
fact to n e i n sti n ct te achin g her th at an y other ton e

at the m om en t wo uld in fallibly lead to tears on the
part o f her tre m blin g com pan io n an d with the room
full o f curious o n lookers th at would m
,
ean perdition .
She looke d over her shoulder an d caught the

Colon el s eye which w as as bright n o w as it w as
’
Don t lose sight o f him she

,
t we n ty years ago
’ ”
said softly in dicati n g V e re ke r who see m

.
,
, ed a little ,
s ubdued ; an d the n she led Cecil with a high h an d
t hrough the bril lian tly lit room s to the hall outside -
.
Th e la tter clun g to her at first in a frighten ed n e r ,
vous fashion but when the ord eal of goin g through

the room s w as past she recovered h erself an d
loo ked though extre m ely pale quite com
,
, posed , .
That s right keep up your cour age whispere d

’ ”
Lady Bessy givin g her arma little frien dly squeeze

, ,
Afte r all it w as n othin g So m an y m

.
,
e n are ill
te m
.
,
p ered n o w an d then an d ,
. .
She m ight h ave gon e o n in this kin dly at tem pt at

preten din g she kn ew n othin g o f V e re ke r s un fortu ’
n ate failin g but f o r V e r e ke r s wi fe ’

, .
Cec il turn ed her eyes upon her an d s uch despair

such m elan choly s uch utter m
, ,
isery shon e in their

clear depths th at Lady Bessy s voice died fro mhe r
, ,
’
God help yo u m
, .
y de ar she s aid so ftly feeli n

g
”
an al m ost m otherly sym

, , ,
pathy for the un happy child

be fore her .
An d then th e Colon el who had un dert aken th e ,
pilotin g o f the un ple as an t husban d appeared with ,
the husban d in tow the V ere ke r carriage w as an

,
n oun c e d an d prese n tly t h e h ate ful sce n e w as at an

,
e n d.
St John h ad com
. e i n to the hall h ad bidde n h e r ,
good bye an d n ow stood bes ide his sister sile n t

-
motion less as if listen in g hopeles sly to the soun d of

, , ,
—
wheels th at were carryin g her away to w ha t ?
The Colon el w as th e first to bre ak the e m barras s
in g quiet that had falle n upon the m
Well you kn ow he s a d am
.
n rasc al ! s aid that

’
, ,
an cie n t warrior spl utterin g with di sgust an d rage

, .
c
‘
Good Heaven s Why w as he cre ated An d that
poor pretty little w i fe o f his That good little
soul ! For her disc o m fi ture it woul d see m By
,
.
,
Jove ! —fi erce ly it s a c at an n in e t ails sir he

’
-
’
-
, ,
—
ought to get an d an d I on ly wi sh I had the lay
,
in g o n o f it
TH E H ON O URABLE MR S V E R E K
. ER . 97
CHAPTER XII I .
H ave pity m
on
y b it t t er earcs
’
s mt ar
mi bumbl p
,
An d take ne e ray er t o t hin e heart .
Al as I have n o lan guage to te l l

Th
’
efl e c t é , n or the to r mt f m
en i o ne h e ll .
HAV E yo u an y o ther n am e exce pt Doro thy ? ”
ask e d Farq uh ar le an i n g b ack o n the arde n ch air

g
an d ta ki n g o n e kn ee i n to his e m
, ,
brace H is face .
w as replete with hon est af fection Need o n e say

he w as lookin g at the youn ger Mis s Aylm
.
er
Yes s aid she
”
By the g race o fm y god fa ther
an d god m
,
others I stan d reve aled as Dorothy Matilda

Swee t n am e Matilda eh ? She shot a m
.
ischievo us ”
glan ce at h imfro mun der her lon g lashe s

, ,
It was S un day aftern oon ; an d m

.
ost o f the in
h abitan ts o f Bre n t were asse m bled at The Chase ,
w here Lady Bessy ope n ed hospi table doors betwee n
t h e servic e s Aftern oon t e a there h ad in deed

beco m
.
, ,
e an in st itution o n S un day an d w as cried

dow n as i m
,
proper by on ly o n e person the valian t

s in s ter at the cott age Mi s s Je m m a Ayl m
,
p i er !,
N o t so n i c e as Dorothy s aid he cautio usly ”
Th at is the s w eete st n am
.
,
e in the w orld ”
said she w ith care ful aston ishm

.
“ Is it ? ”
en t
She sat up quite straight an d stared at h im H as
, .
there bee n a special Act o f P arliam

, .
e n t about it
Am I in deed the posses sor o f the sweetest n am
, , e to
be foun d an ywhere
The sweetest n am e to m e s aid he sl owly
He repeated th e n am
.
,
Dorothy .
”
e li n gerin gly ,
thc ughtfully as if in lo ve w ith it

, .
. .
Yes Y o u have
it quite right w ith un s e n ti ”
men tal briskn ess You eviden tly kn ow it by

.
,
hea rt Dorothy Y o u look as if yo u were tryin g ’
to spell it It is quite si m
. .
ple with ge n ial e n ”
c o ura e m
.
,
e nt
“ There is n o deception t ho ugh a
g
perverse in clin ation m
.
,
ight le ad o n e to put two rs

in to it But don t yo u let yourself be led away like
.
’
th at ; you kn ow what Mr Mardyke s ays that all

o ur n at ural i m
.
,
pulses ar e sin ful Not that I see an y

obj ection m
.
ysel f to the two rs quite the con trary ,
excep t that perhaps in prin t th ey look a l ittle s uper

fl uous
I don t kn ow an y n am
.
“ ’
e I pre fer to it said ,
Farquhar still tho ughtful , .
Yo u n ever he ard it be fore did you a s ke d she
ben din g a m
, ,
ischievo usly e n quirin g gl an c e upon

h im . I co n clude it is quite n e w to yo u by the ,
ex traordi n ary in tere s t yo u betray in it An d ye t

it is kn o wn to a fe w I believe My godm
.
other , .
w as n t the brillian t i n ven tor o fit

’ ”
.
F arq uh ar laughed .
It s uits yo u he s aid ”
Bein g the very sweetest n am

.
,
e ? Well it is ,
better than yours certain ly I don t th in k I eve r , .

’
he ard on e so aggravatin g as th at Ar thur Farquhar !

Good H eave n s ! what a co m
.
bi n ation Now if it .
h ad bee n Arker Farquh ar I co ul d un d e r s tan d an d

let it trip lightly fromm
,
y to n gue b ut a s it is l -
“ The
n why
p ut the m to gether ? s aid he with
”
adm irable prom

,
ptitude Why n o t le ave o ut on e

an d call m r e an d si m
.
,
e Art h ur p u ple
Is that wh at you are m
,
ourn fully Arth ur .

,
TH E H ON OUR ABLE M RS V E R E K E R
. . 99
p ure an d sim pl e O h ! don t be th at I t rem in ds

’
l ly o f that m
. .
o n e so p ain fu elan choly old lege n d about

Sim ple Sim on .
”
Well b ut look here said he still holdin g on to

an ide a th at h as ope n ed up to hi m
, , ,
rich vistas o fjoy

If as yo u say you obj ect to m n am
.
y fu ll e why n o t
call m Som eti m es you do but so seldom
, , ,
e Arth ur , ,
I believe I co uld coun t the occasion s on the fin gers

o f o n e h an d An d it is very hard o n m e becaus e
som ehow I can t keep fromthin kin g o f yo u an d

.
,
’
,
addressi n g Dorothy ”
yo u a s ,
.
Yes I kn ow It is very rude o f yo u

, ,
”
gen tle resign ation .
Non se n se I certain l y shoul dn t be rude to

.
’
Does that m ean that you coul d be rude to som e

body else Fie what an ign oble n ature you
ack n owledge yo u r sel f to
S ay yo ull call m e Arth ur fo r the f uture

’ ”
im
,
patien tly After all why shouldn t you? ’ ”
said Miss Ayl m er becom

.
,
“ Why in deed in g
, ,
s udde n ly grave In deed w ith such gravity did she

appe ar to be po n deri n g the m
.
,
atter th at a gl ad hope ,
a woke in his breast If she would accede to his.
reques t what a con siderable step it would be towards

the desired en d he h ad in view
S udden ly she aroused hersel ffromher m
.
editation
an d t urn ed upo n h im two lovely eyes alight with a
brillian t discovery .
O r why n ot Captain Farquhar she s aid .
Farquhar you see without the Arker be g —

pardon Arthur—that too will solve on e problem I
, ,
—
.
,
7 2
TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R.
m
ust n ever gain thin k o f yo u as Arthur
n e ver a
That happy title o f yo ur s will m

,
Farq uh ar ake all
thin gs sm
.
oot
She speaks with an air o f i n te n se relief with all ,
the blithen ess o f o n e who has gain ed a satis factory

issue o ut o f all her diffi culties
An d really as for your Christian n am
.
e said
she I don t see w hy I should m
, ,
“ ’
ake s uch a fuss
—
,
abo ut it as I , o f co urse I sh all n ever wan t to us e

,
it ”
Do yo u m
.
e an that s aid Farquhar his brow ,
clo udin g Do yo u thin k it is an hon es t thin g o f

m
.
y o u to keep e d an glin g af te r y o u all da

y lo n g on e
day kin d to m So m eti m

,
e the other , es I thin k

y o u h ave n o co n s cie n ce Wh at do
y o u cal l yo u
. rsel f ,
I won der ? ”
A m aid o f hon our return ed she saucily

What do you call m
.
.
e There ! Don t look as ’
if yo u wan ted to e at m e ; I am n o t Rich m on d born

I don t thin k I ever in all m
.
y li fe saw an yo n e w i t h
s uch an awful te m per as yo u h ave Really at

tim es yo u q uite fri ghte n m
.
e Are yo u goin g to .
even in g service
Are yo u? s aid he treati n g this irrelevan t
”
re m
,
ark as a thi n g o f co urs e To con ver s e w ith

Dorothy is to trip lightly fro m o n e s ubj e ct to
.
an other witho ut an i n stan t s w arn in g

’
.
O f co urse
”
Then so amI doggedly

.
.
,
Let us hope it will do yo u good s aid sh e with

m
, ,
p io u s sw e e t n ess Co e ”
ri s i.n
g
“
l e t us joi
,
n th e ,
”
o therso
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. . 1 01
Th e others are scattere d in little heaps all over

the sh ave n lawn
One m om
.
e n t don t go yet e n tre ated Farquhar

’
There is som
, , ,
an gry still b ut af
, raid to lose her e .
t hin g else I wan t to say

The so m ethin g else is plain ly the basest fabri
c atio n ; ye re adie lie got up to delay the fatal
hour o f partin g
I can t liste n to an y m
.
’
ore to day It is S un day -
s ai d Miss Aylm
.
,
er dressin g the last word in capitals

“ No m
, .
ore fightin g on the Sabb ath p leas e ! It

makes me very un happy but I can n ot help seein g
,
t hat I exercise a m
,
ost inj ur ious effect upon yo u

m me poor
.
For others y o u are al l s iles — fo r —

wretched un offen din g m
,
, e — al l frown s ! ”
O h Dorothy !
,
Dorothy aga in I with deep reproach I .
tho ught I h ad give n you a suflic ie n t hin t ! Well

n ever m in d with n oble con don e m
,
,
”
e n t it is on ly
“
,
part of a studiously cruel whole Not a word If . .
there is an ythin g you wish to say an y apolo gy you

would like to offer m
,
ake Mo n d ay yo ur da o f expia
y
tion Le t the rem
,
ai n der o f this s acred da h v

y a e
so m e s light elem
.
en t of rest about it .
”
Farquhar w as too far stricke n by this eloquen t

reproach to m ake an
y reply He s o ught in.deed
valian tly to cudgel his brain s for a rejoi n der but ,
they had re ached the advan ce group o n the lawn

before he had put it together an d then Miss Aylm er
romhiman d san k in to a low chair
,
s lipped away f ,
with a so ft little sigh that he co uld n ot help feelin g

m m
,
was ean t for on e o frelie f H e was quite iserable

.
1 02 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E REK E R . .
as it w as but he fel t he would be m

, ore m iserable if
he wen t away so he stayed
Som e o f the m
.
,
e n were h an din g ro un d th e t e a
an d Dorothy with a lovely s m ile took hers from

,
, ,
S un derlan d Vesey in the backgroun d han ded her

.
, ,
cake an d w as likewise re w arded Farquhar felt that

he was growin g m
, .
urderous Still he sat o n

Lady Bessy w as laughin g gaily over so m
. .
,
e n ews
she h ad heard by th e m orn in g s post an d which she ’
,
w as n ow retailin g to Mrs M acken zie who tho ugh

it w as abo ut a m
.
, ,
utual frien d an d w as r is que e n o ugh

t o satis fy m
,
ost eviden tly thought it poor Bobby

, .
Blair at a little distan ce w as teac hi n g Rosa M acke n

zie how to m ake a daisy ch ai n He had Mi ss Carton
o n the other side o f h iman d v aried his t uition s by
.
in structin g the latter how to n ibble a straw w ith

him ; this is an extre m ely scie n t ifi c g ame an d ca n ,
be worked o ut by two people on ly E ach takes an .
e n d o f the straw betwee n their lips an d e ats ,
steadily through un til th e cen tre is re ached The

poin t an d question o f this n oble p as tim
.
e is who , ,
will reach it first ! There is ge n erally a good deal

o f con fusion at the e n d !
Mrs V ereke r w as sittin g o n a garden seat with

.
—
St John beside her ; V e re ke r w as absen t S atur day
n ight w as al w ays a h ard n ight with h im an d upo n
.
—
Cecil s pale face a fain t glow had rise n a ce rtain
’
sen se o f en joym
,
en t brighten ed her large dark eyes .
To h er as yet St John was but a frie n d an d she

l e t a gen tle deligh t in his society give som
.
, , ,
e colour
to her m iserable life .
Where have yo u been Dorothy ? asked Lady ,

TH E H O N O URABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
B essy bre akin g

, her com men ts on the little
ofl
'
on dit j ust related to Mr s M acke n zie Miss

Aylm
. .
er n ot with you
The gods forbid ! said Dorothy She n ever
”
.
takes her walks abroad on Sun days an d she thin ks ,
the fact o f your givi n g us t e a an d cake here o n the

seven th day an act so im
, pious tha t she won ders (all
thro ugh e ach week o f your stay) why the he aven s
don t crus h yo u
’
.
”
“ I like that s aid Lady Bes sy Yet I go to

, .
church an d she doesn t I won der which o f us is ’
In m
.
t h e bette r Christi an o f the two opi n ion

”
y
cheerfully she is as b ad an old wo m
.
,
“
an as ever I
me t an d so you may tell her with m

,
, y love a nd a ,
kiss
”
.
Why does n t she go to church

’
Is sh e a
M ethodist ? a sked Mr Blair who h as devour ed
”
.
,
o n e straw with the assistan ce o f Miss Carton

,
an d ,
is n o w selectin g a secon d .
“
I have so ofte n told you Because she doesn t .
’
approve o f Mr Mardyke
B ut there is an other church about three m

. .
iles
fro m this ; why n ot do her devotion s there
Farquhar gave hima n u dge an d a warn in g glan ce ,
an d Lady Bessy l aughed .
Wh at s the joke said Bobby

’
My de ar fellow she could m

.
urder th e rector o f
,
tha t rural parish said Farquhar He san k o n the

”
ass beside him Miss Carton h ad flown af

.
,
g r . ter the
trial o f skill at the first straw an d Miss Rosa ,
Macke n zie h ad seen fit to follow her Haven t .

’
y o u h e ar d the s to ry M r H artley the rector of .

,
1 04 TH E H O N O URABLE MRS VE RE K E R
. .
th e eighbourin g p arish you m

n en tion m arrie d a
wi fe who w as a con n ectio n o f Miss Ayl m

,
er sen ior .
She died an d le ft Mr Hartley with fourteen childre n

or there abouts o n e or two m
.
,
, ore or le ss don t sig n i fy ’

.
”
Not at all n ot at all s aid Mr Blair w ith

, ,
”
.
,
feelin g
Jus t so Well Miss Ayl m
.
er thought she d pl ay ’
my Lady Boun tiful to the se motherless babes an d

.
,
i n deed to the rector hi m

,
, sel f an d w as in an d o ut o f ,
the house at all hours season able or otherwise ”
Very m uch o f the oth e rw i s e I should s ay from

, .
my fortun ately slight kn owledge of her remarked

, ,
Mr Bl ai r m
,
. ildly
, .
“
At all eve n ts it appears sh e worried the poor
man almost in to a fever so that at last he w as driven
,
to seek som e m
,
e an s o f gettin g rid o f her an d her

sy m pathy He decided on takin g an other wife an d
caused the report o f his in te n ded secon d m
.
,
arri age
to be l ar gely circul ated Down cam e the irate

spi n st er upon h imwith all s ails set : Mr Hartley
.
Mr Hartley ! What is this I he ar ? cried she

You goi n g t o be m
. .
arried agai n ! Yo u with your ,
s ain ted Maria scarcely cold in her grave Have you

co n sidered everythin g ? What are you goin g to do
wit h your fam ily
I n cr ea s e it m a am I s aid he
’
.
,
Mr Blair laid back o n the grass an d roare d

Need I rem
. .
ark s aid Farquhar that she would

”
, ,
willi n gly en d ure the tortures o f the rack rather

than lis te n to the discourse o fs uch a m an as th at ?
”
Yo u two d o see mto be e n joyi n g yourselves ,

”
said Lady B e ssy lookin g at Mr Bl air w ho w as still

, .
,
TH E H O N O UR ABLE MRS V E RE K E R. . 1 05
l ost in dmiration of the goade d m

a an s re ply
’
S uppose you com

.
e here an d te ll us what it w as al l
Ask Farquhar said Bobby ”

H e s the pe rp s
’
t rator o f the joke I mthe i n n oce n t victi m He

.
,
’
would m ake m As yo u m
, .
e liste n a see f o r yo u rsel f

y
He dragge d hi m
.
,
I ve bee n cryin g ever sin ce

’
sel f
”
o ver the grass an d seated him

.
sel f as close to her as

circum stan ces would perm I mstarvin g he
,
it .
’
,
”
sai d As h e alw ays w as whe n cake w as an ywhere

‘
roun d ob dy to ok y otice this re m

.
n, o an n o f ark — Lady
B essy because she w as coquettin g wit h a squire or
,
two who had d roppe d in fo r t e a an d h er—an d

—
D orothy because she w as too i n dign an t with F ar
,
u h ar to thin k o f an ythin g else He h d bee

q a n .
“
la ughin g he had bee n j o kin g o d io u s word !
alm
, ,
ost un der her n ose as it were when he kn ew , ,
h e w as un der the ban o f her disple as ure Really

thin gs were com
.
in g to a pretty pass !
O n e o f the footm e n passin g by caught Mr Bla ir s ’
.
atte n tion .
What have you got there Brooks ? ,
Cake sir ,
.
”
What cake ? ”
Spo n ge an d plumsir
Sam e old gam
.
,
e said Mr Blair with th e ut

”
most dejection How lon g is this to last ? Is

.
, ,
“ .
t here n ever to be an y chan ge ? I shoul d thin k the

o rigi n al i n ve n to rs if they copyr ighted the receipts
o f those two deadly co m po un ds m us t have m

,
ade b
t his tim
y ,
e a colossal fort un e I won d er if they ate

m uch o f the the m m m
.
selve s an d if they brought the ,

1 06 THE H O N O URAB LE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
to an e rly grave
a a sm
Bessy —
artgivin g her
,
n udge s urely you are n ot so far gon e in the

delight s o f your presen t co n versation as to be lost
to a sen se of m y m isery
Oh are you there ? said Lady Bessy castin g a ”
c arele ss gl an ce at h iman d the n

, ,
goi n g b ack to
, h er
in terrupted téte-atete with her squire -
I amb ut I shan t be lo n g here if I ve got to

.
’ ’
c on s um e an y m ore pl umcake s aid Mr Bl air

, ,
”
mourn fully I feel ass ured that an other piece will

, .
,
fin ish m givin g her gown a d eterm

.
e Bessy
.
— ,
”
in ed
t ug don t you eve n care to le arn that p resen tly I
’
shall be n um bered with the de ad

N0 such luck said Lady Bessy turn in g an grily
towards him It is m
, ,
y.opi n io n that
yo u will b ury
the lot o f us Really Bobby I w ish yo u would
re m em ber that lace floun ces aren t m
.
, ,
ade o f ca s t
’
iron
An d this from you s aid he plain tively , .
There s o t cake over there sir put in Brooks

’ ’ ”
who w as begi n n in g to look profo un dly sorry for h im

, , ,
O t ! O n a day lik e this Well rele n tin g

’ ”
, ,
le t s see it He spoke in a ton e o fdeep resign ation

’
.
”
.
He saw it an d subseque n tly ate a co n siderable

am
,
oun t o f it after which he recovered his s ere n ity

an d be cam e the artless happy Bobby to who mthey
, ,
were accusto m
, ,
ed .
TH E H ON OURABLE MR S V E RE K E R. . 1 07
CHAPTER XIV
That p ity run n eth s oon in g e n tl e heart

Is p r oved ev ery day, as m my
en a se e ,
As w el l b y w or k by aut h or ity ;
as
Fo r ge n tl e heart é kith e t h gen tl e n e ss

m
.
I s ee w ell t hat ye have on y di str ess
m
,
Co p
ass ion
”
.
M RS V E RE K E R
. rose to go .
It is gettin g late she said ,

”
.
even in g service if I delay an y lon ger .
She looked so won derfully bright an d light

hearted as she stood s m ilin g dow n o n St Joh n who
w as still s ittin g o n the garde n se at that som
.
,
e of
those presen t m
,
arv elled .
Are yo u goin g to church ? s aid Dorothy

We ll so amI Let us walk thr ough the wood
.
.
,
to gether .
”
Why shouldn t we al l go ? cried Lady Bessy

’
,
sprin gin g to her feet I don t thin k I w as ever at ’
eve n in g service in m
.
y li fe W h y s ho uld n t I fi n d .
’
what it is like
Why in deed ! I mglad you thought o f it ’
be fore it w as too late s aid Mr Blair scram

,
bli n g up
fro m the grass with the eviden t in te n tio n of ac co m
.
, ,
pan yin g her .
Ar e you goin g asked she with open dis f avo ur , .
Certain ly ! Have yo u n ot in vited us o n e an d

al l ? I to o pin e to hear the vicar for the secon d
tim e to day An d Miss Aylm
, ,
— . er has j ust spoke n o f

a woo d an d woods are d an gero us thi n gs
, an d I ,
1 08 TH E H O N OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
thought ifyou wouldn t m in d that I d ask you to ’ ’
look afte r m
, ,
e till I get to the other side

”
.
Was there ever such a fool ? said Lady Bes sy

’
with a little sn iff o f hopeless con te m

,
pt addre ssin g ,
n obody in p articular .
Here everybody vowed they would love a wal k

'
through the scen ted even in g woods with a pro spec t

o f a vaulted roof an d very i n dif feren t m us ic an d a
dimreli gious light (evolved o ut o f com
, ,
posi tion
can dles stuck in little brass s ticks ) at th e e n d o f it .
Lady Eus tace led the w ay with o n e of Lady Bessy s ’
s quires in tow an d out o f te m per an d all the rest

, ,
followed .
It w as a delight ful old wood full o f quai n t old

paths all leadin g ulti m at ely to the sam
,
, e fi n ish St . .
Joh n who had been strollin g leisurely alon g with

Mrs V e re ker foun d him
,
self prese n tly alon e with

her o n on e o fthe m
.
, ,
.
,
Do you always go to ch urch in the evenin g

asked he prese n tly
Always in the s um mer an d autum

.
,
n an d as , ,
lon g as the light an d the dry we ather lasts In

win ter I can n ot som etim
, .
es be s ure of goin
because Mr V ere ker objects to m
, , ,
y taki n g o ut the
horses I amalways sorry when th e win ter co m

.
. es ,
”
s aid she with a little sigh Goin g to church gives

m Im
.
,
e s uch a ch an ce o f ean h astily s uch -
a sen se o f rest o f co m fort s uch a freedo mfro m

— ,
She broke o ff an d c oloured violen tly

Yes yes s aid St John som
.
,
, ewhat hastily
,
”
.
, .
She w as so terribly con fused that an ger as well as

TH E H O N O URABLE MRS VE RE K E R
. . 1 09
grie f rose in his breast for her Why sho uld she .
s how s uch con f usion in his prese n ce w as he n o t her

He turn ed s udden ly towards her an d com
,
frie n d
e d her to m
,
p e l l eet his eyes

Why do you n ot trust m
.
e ? he said Why ”
.
will you e n courage this con strain t Y o u s aid yo u

wo uld treat m e as a f r ie n d ; b ut do
y o u ? Do y o u
thin k slowly an d redden in g perceptibly but
”
s peaki n g with settled determ

, , ,
in ation that I do n o t ,
kn ow I wo uld have yo u be yoursel f when with

me Ifun h appy be fran kly so ; ifhappy why be
.
, , ,
th at too
”
It would be im
.
I t woul d n ot do she s aid ”
am m
, ,
o ssible Whe I u h ppy I ust be so l

p n n a a o n e ;
t ha t is m
.
, ,
y fa te W h e n I she p.aus ed a n d looke d

fi xedly be fore her witho ut seein g in a little desperate
w ay th at m ade h imm As for m
,
iserable y h app
y
momen ts said she presen tly with a fain t smile
.
”
, , ,
they are so fe w it is hardly worth while talkin g

a bo ut the m
,
”
Yo u were h appy this afte m —

.
oo n I thin k ”
said ,
he e agerly wis tfully

, , .
Yes Th at is q uite true she spoke as if sur

.
,
prised at hersel f “ I can n ot tell you how pe ace ful

i t a l l seem
.
—
ed b ut n ow n o w it is over an d on e has
, ,
to go b ack an d ,
What I can n ot be ar is s aid St John as she

paused the thought that yo u do n ot trust m
. .
, ,
“ e .
,
Y o u trust Dorothy an d she wo uld te ll yo u t hat I , ,
,
—
to o c an be a loyal frie n d an d I thin k yo u n ee d ,
on e .
Y ou m —
ust n ot thin k that that I do n ot trust
1 10 TH E H ON OUR ABLE MRS V E R EK E R
. .
”
o
y ,u s aid she e arn estly An d as for wan tin g
.
frien ds who is there in al l this wide world w h o

wa ts the m m
,
n ore — —
but b ut what c an they do for
,
on e ? O h ! she stopped short upon the path an d

”
,
clen chin g on e little white bare han d pressed it pas

ai n st her boso m
,
sion at e l
y ag C an t yo u see h o w
’
it is with m I m ust tell yo u this I m

.
e n ow — ust
I amfrigh ten ed ! I shal l have to go hom
.
e soon
an d I don t kn ow how I shall fin d h iman d the dre ad
,
’
o f it m akes m
,
e feel sick — sick

”
Her eyes as she looked at himwere actually terri

.
fi e d an d St John s he art died withi n him

’
. .
—
H e h e would n o t hur t yo u? h e s aid He
”
.
felt choked as he asked the question

N0 ! He has n ever to uched m
.
e — y et
”
She .
d rew a sharp breath But he will soo n she s aid

”
Som eti es I thi k th t he will kill m

m
.
, ,
n a e — in on e
o f h is furies .
Don t d w ell o n th at said b e yo u are n ot alto

’ “
,
”
,
gether so without protection

Y o u wo uld speak o f the l aw in terrup ted she
with a bitter s m
,
ile On ce d ead wh at good could

th e l aw do m
.
,
e an d I co uld be s afely don e to death

be fore that august armco uld re ach m e Well .
,
recklessly as for that why n eed I care To be

dead quietly de ad asl eep within m
, ,
y gr ave wh a t a
desirable solution o f the m ystery called m

, , ,
y lif e
She waited for a m om
,
that would be en t an d then

”
.
said very gen tly I wi sh I w as dead

, ,
”
.
Don t spe ak lik e that en treate d he sharply

’ ”
Good Hea ven s ! thi n k of your age ; there m

.
,
ust be
som e good thin g in sto re for youin the future ”
.
. . 111
Nothi n g ! Nothin g at all There you are .
w ron g An d th at said she speakin g in a ”
is what t e rrifie s m
.
, ,
frighte n ed whi sper “

e He
w i l l live an d I shall live an d it will be the sam
.
,
e
horrible life al w ays There is n o chan ce fo r m
, ,
e no .
,
hope o f escape It will go o n for ever an d ever

.
un less as I say he she broke off abruptly

It w as a m iserable m
.
, ,
arriage said St John in a ”

.
,
low to n e
That is true b ut you m
.
ust n o t say a word agai n st

my father cried she an xiously I kn ow everyon e
,
”
bl am es himb ut I don t believe he kn ew ; I don t

.
,
’ ’
He loved m He w as fon der of m

, .
e . e th an he w as
—
even o f the boys an d an d I thin k when he foun d
o ut it killed him Why look
,
, you e agerly . wh at , , ,
did he gain by it He kn ew he had heart dise ase an d

there was n o m on ey an d he fe ared leavin g m
,
e here
m
,
al l alon e
(O h ! how I w is h he h ad so le f t e an d
then cam e this chan ce o f givin g m e m ore m on ey

th an I had ever dre am ed o f an d he grasped it O h
c ur s ed m
.
, ,
on ey ! cried she coverin g her eyes with

”
What it h as bro ug ht m
,
her h an ds e to A
quick shiver ran thro ugh her slight fram
.
e Then .
s udden ly sh e turn ed to St John an d looked straight

m
.
,
at hi
do n ot blam e m
.
ather do ”
You y f yo u ? s h e ,
a sked feverishly I kn ow it is the fashion to c o n

de m n h im
.
,
here an d eve n Dorothy tho ugh she is

, ,
silen t will n ot believe But he did N O T kn ow You

un derstan d don t yo u you exo n erate him
. .
,
’
Fro mm
, ,
y so ul I be l ieve he could n ot h ave don e ,
it said St John w here upon she b urst o ut cryin g

”
. . .
,
1 19 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
Do n t d o th at said he ’
Don t What good
, .
’
.
will it do you
“ Ah ! what goo d can an ythin g do m e
”
s aid she
She w as tre m
.
,
blin g with n ervous agita tion an d St , .
John taki n g on e o f her h an d s drew it through his

arm Im pulsively as he did so he i m
, ,
priso n ed it
with th e other han d P assion w as dead within him
.
, ,
at the m om
.
en t ; he felt on ly a divin e sorrow for h er .
P oor soul ! What w as to be the e n d o f it ? S o

sweet a li fe so yo un g a life an d all as hopelessly
adri f t as thistledown be fore t he win d
As tho ugh she un derstood his thought his m
.
otive , ,
she showed n o an ger at his to uch In stead sh e

moved her fin gers within his gladly restfully un til
.
,
they foun d a position com fortable to the m

, , ,
; th e
pretty slen der tre m blin g fin gers ! they see m ed to
fi n d a ho m e withi n his bro ad p al m
, ,
!
Wh at a frie n d I am said he prese n tly in a c on ,
”
,
trite ton e I have on ly hel ped to di stress yo u ”
Oh n o ! Y o u have don e m
.
,
,
e
g ood s aid sh e ,
”
sweetly After all to speak e ases on e ; an d I

kn ow you will n ot betray m
.
,
e B ut we sh al l be l ate
Com
.
,
lookin g a little s tartled e let us h urry ; an d

m
.
y eyes s t oppi n g ag ai n
,
an d raisin g her fac e ,
“
an xio usly to his are the y r ed ? Will the oth e r s
n otice t he md o you thi n k ?
,
”
,
They look a little que e r s aid S t John hon e stly ,

.
, .
H e h ad be e n t oo lo n g a tra ve l le r to be a cleve r
c o urtier Here wait a m om en t ’
A lit tle stre amran g gurglin g by an d stoopin g h e

.
.
,
, , ,
wetted his h an dkerchi e f an d b ro ught it b ac k t o ,
her an d helpe d her to hold it to h er eye s

,
The re .
TH E H ON O URABLE MR S V E R E K E R
. . 1 13
su lt w as so far satis factory th at with the assistan ce

m m
,
o f the declin i n d a l i ht t h t de ost t hi n gs

g y g a a
o b s c ure she eluded all com men t fromthose asse m

,
b l ed at th e ch urch gate waitin g for the mas they

,
c am
,
e up
Th e vica r go o d m
.
, an h ad re aso n to be pro ud o f
,
h is c o n g re gati on to n ight It w as full to overflowi n g

-
So m uch o f the co un ty ele m e n t se ldo mgrac ed th e

. .
w alls o f th e old church for an eve n i n g service The

p ews we re all c rowded alm ost to an un com
.
fortable
p itch a cir cum s tan ce th at gave joy to m
,
ore than the

Farquhar took a m
,
v ica r. e an ad van tage o f it to get

a s cl o se to Dorothy as he co uld an d i n deed a re at
g
deal clo s er an d I re gret to s ay spen t his ti m
, , ,
e
mumblin g apologies in to her ear un til for very fe ar o f
,
the vicar s wrath she forgave h imal l the sin s he h ad

,
’
n o t co m mi tte d ; whilst Mr Blair who was sittin g

Mi ss Carton an d Ro sa Macke n zi e m
.
,
atwe e n ade
him s e l f so extre m e ly tro ubl e s o m

,
e th at the lat te r h ad
to thre at en h imwith a vis i tation fro mthe s e xton
wi th a view to turn in g himo ut an d ge ttin g hima
more commodious seat else where ; probably on a
,
to m bston e in the churchyard P rovide n tially he

fe ll a sleep lat e r o n whe n the ser m
.
, on w as in full
swin g so pe ace w as restored
I h ave s aid the vi car w as a wor thy m
.
,
an b ut I do n t
’
,
thin k I said (which w as quite as true ) that he w as

the st upidest creature alive yet stran ge to say he , ,
w a s sa t urated with th e con viction th at he w as gi fted

beyo n i his fellows O rigin ality w as the targe t at
wh ich h e ai m
.
e d an d h e ho n estly believed h e h ad
,
str uck t he b ull s eye in it To betray this origin ality

’
.
,
8
1 14 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
to seek in every way to de m on strate it an d disse m i ,
n ate a un ivers al k n owle dge o f it w a s the r ulin g

p as sion o f his life An d his serm
,
on s were the gre at

mediumby which he hoped to attain his en d H is
.
texts alon e as he tho ught showed pow er an d darin g

, ,
—the latter quality in deed could n ot be den ied

the m He fo ught lon g an d valian tly w ith th e O ld
Testam
.
en t every week o f his li fe with a view to

gettin g so m e thi n g origin al out o f it ; an d to do him
,
j ustice as a rule he s uc c eeded As to whether the

, ,
i— .
-
—
text bei g chosen h e s ucceed e d in explain in g it or
n
beatin g an y m oral m e an in g o ut o f it I amn ot

,
prepared to swe ar .
To n ight he w as speciall y felicitous in his cho ice .
When he stood up in his p ulpit an d O p e n ed h is ,
Bible an d gave o ut the words : An d he s aid sho ot !

,
an d he shot ! there w as h ardly an yon e pre s en t w ho

”
w as n ot con scio us o f a slight ele c tric sho c k H ad .
it occurred in Irelan d d urin g th e pre s e n t cri sis I ,
should hardly like to d w ell upo n the c o n seque n ce s .
Everyo n e in deed started in t o in stan t life Was it .
a breech lo ader a c an n on
-
or a pea shooter th at w as -
Everyon e h ad an i m mediate sen s e

, ,
abo ut to go o f f
o f relie f in th at th e m i ssile whatever it w as h ad
passed the mby that they were still so un d in
, , ,
win d an d li m b although it had skim med by themas

,
it were .
The vicar n otin g the e ffe c t w as delighted an d

b egan his serm
, , ,
on (which had n othin g whatever to do

with h is text ) with a sprightlin ess born o f his lat e
trium ph Dron e dron e dron e we n t the vicar s voice
.
, , ,
’
b uzz b uzz b uzz wen t a fly on the pain ted wi n dow

, , ,
TH E H ON OURABLE MR S V E RE RB E
. . 1 15
pan e on th e right han d o f the aisle ; sn ore sn ore

s n ore wen t an old wo m
, ,
an in a back pew It w as all

a s sed uctive as dis tan t m
.
,
usic !
Cecil V ere ker n ot th in kin g ofthe shootin g or the
bein g shot the assassin or the victimsat in a hal f
,
mourn ful half ecstatic reverie d wellin g on thin gs

, ,
-
, ,
so vague t hat they were as delicious as they were

,
un satis factory So wo uld her whole life be she

thought ; pre s en t torture m in gled with dream
.
,
s too
s weet to be at ta in able
It w as very warm Lady Bessie that m

.
. os t awake ,
o f all people began to feel dro w sy ; the little

,
children o n the ben c hes kept n oddi n g n oddin g

That b uzzin g fly grew alm
.
,
ost in support able The .
clerk who had take n it in to his an cien t n oddle that

,
the we ather w as goin g to ch an ge an d w ho n ursed

his rheum atis m as tho ugh it w a s a b aby had fi r m
,
ly ,
closed all the w i n do ws Mr Blair h ad s un k in to a

soun d sl um
. .
ber .
The v icar w as at t he height o f h is disco urse He

w as provi n g trium phan tly so m e im
.
pos si ble thin g

H avin g m
.
ad e a poi n t as he s uppo s ed he p aused to

, , ,
let th e artful n ess of it sin k in to th e hearts of his

h earers It w as j ust this im portan t m om en t that on e
o f t hose l uc kless school childre n overcom
.
e by fatigue
-
a n d im
,
patie n ce s hould elect to be at a tattoo a

, ,
regular double k n o ck o n that part o fthe pew wh ere

-
,
its sh ort legs could re ach It w as a loud do uble .
k n ock ; it re ached un fortun ately even to th e sleepy

ears o f Mr Blair H e started in to in stan t life an d
looked wi ldly ro un d him
. .
,
Com
.
e in I sho uted he with ste n torian l un g s

—
.
,
3 91
. .
There w as an awful silen ce Th e vicar ben t o ver

the p ul pit an d glared at him then bro ught his
.
serm on to an un tim
,
ely e n d Everyon e listen ed in

.
breathless aw e to the ble ssin g very slowly delivered , ,
after which there was a gen eral rout

Well Bobby youve don e it thi s ti m
.
’
e at all
eve n ts ! said St John as they tum
, , ,
”
.
,bled over e ach
other in to the o uter air .
CHAPTE R XV .
“ N ow loo k ye , is n o t th is an h igh o ll y ? f
m f
Who ay n o t be a o ol, if b ut he lo ve
TH IS w a y
—t h is w ay Sh ! Com e this way ! ”
whispers Dorothy pokin g o ut her char m

.
i n g he ad
from
,
be h in d a rhodode n dron b us h as F arq uh ar the

n ext m
, ,
orn in g w as walkin g up the t in y aven ue that

led to Miss Je m ima Aylm
,
er s syl van retre at ’
Lon g tim e accusto m

.
ed to pitfalls whe n within the

precin cts o f this spin ster s hom e Mr Farq uhar
’
, .
,
witho ut a secon d wasted on surprise t urn ed towards ,
the peepin g apparition that sto o d with its fi n ge r on

,
its lip an d disappe ared with it up a side wal k

, .
“ A n other yard or two an d o u wo uld have be e n a

y
de ad m an ,
s aid Miss Ayl m
”
er j un ior whe n they had, ,
e n tered the little cop s e an d sto od sn ugly s urro un d e d

by green ery th at hid the mfro mall obs ervatio n
,
She w as w aterin g her plan ts in the g rass plo t an d

I n eve r kn ew her in a wors e te m
,
p er Matilda .
,
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E B
. . 1 17
th at
’
s th e h ous e mid a yo u kn ow, as ke d pe r mi i ss on
her m
mt
,
t o go h o othe r w ho is alw ays ailin g

e o se e
more or less an d Aun t Jemima was furious

, ,
.
,
C o n s iderin g sh e had it all h e r o w n w ay an d didn t

’
,
l e t the gir l go I d on t se e why she is furious but so

’
, ,
it is P e rhaps the prickin gs o f h e r c on scien c e doe s

Well how d ye do ? I hope your te m
.
it.
,
’
per is
O h Do rothy !, I hope yo u are n ot

goi ng to
b egin it over again all .
I be gin it I like that ! Why it was you who

m
.
, ,
y este d
r ay grossly — yes, g ros s l y i n s ul te d e , .
”
My darlin g gir l
O h tut ! Non sen se Your darlin g girl i n deed
Well wit h a b eam in g s m
, ,
,
”
ile to day is too lovely ,
-
t o be ab used by quarrellin g An d besides I ve ’
been at it t ooth an d n ail with Aun t J em im

.
, ,
a sin ce
early dawn so I thin k I ve had en o ugh o f it I ll ’ ’
B ut yo u m
.
,
l e t yo u o fl ust allow th at
’
Yes ye s I feel I behaved b adly though I m

.
’
, .
,
no t q uite s ure how said Captain Farquhar quite ”
to ack n owle dge hi m

, ,
an xio us self in the wron g

n o w th at his go d dess see m
,
ed pre pare d to forgive

h im B ut I say Dorothy how you can go o n
livin g this sort o f life in fear an d tre m
.
, , ,
blin g whe n
whe n there is an other life you m
, ,
ight accept p asses

m m
,
y co prehe n sion I can t bear to t hin k o f ou as

y
’
chain ed to the caprices o f that m iserabl e old w o m

.
an ,
who do esn t kn ow what a priceless treasure dwells

’
w ithin her d oors Why can t yo u m ake u o u r ’
m
p y
in d to cut it all an d m arry m
.
e ,
Why in deed ! echoed she airily

”
, .
1 18 TH E H ON OUR ABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
I do w ish darlin g you woul d try to be serious

if for even on e m om
, , ,
en t
One m om
.
en t To what e n d ? S uch an in
”
fin ite sim al portio n o f ti m e could con tain n o good

worth m e n tio n in g ”
Five m
.
in utes then , .
Well doub tfully I ll try Go o n Y ou were

” ’
advis i n g m
, , . .
e to c ut it al l C ut what .
These daily worries that are tro ublin g yo u so

much Your aun t s er peculiarities for on e thin g
.
— — ’
an d — an d all the rest o f it

”
Im
.
ight re fie ctive ly She p aused an d placin g

”
the ste mof the flower she held in her m

.
, ,
outh ,
choppe d it slowly with her pretty white teeth with

an expression so f ull o f earn est i n ward arg um en t
that fo r about the thousan dth tim
, ,
e his spirits
soared heave n ward .
“ B u sho uld I by s uch an irrevo cable ac t achieve

t
—
, ,
th e e n d to wards which yo u poin t s hould I c ut it

as you so tersely an d graphically p ut it You
’
al l
with a m
,
t o o I thin k ild an d frie n dly gl an ce at

h im h ave pec uliarities by w hich I pres um
, ,
e yo u
mean tempers
, ,
”
.
Have I said he rue fully I used to thin k, .
I w as on e ofthe e asiest goi n g fellows an ywhere b ut

so m ehow you m ourn fully have m ade m
,
e do ubt
”
it Is it n ot stran ge that yo u whomI love above

, , ,
—
should be the on e to ro use in m
.
all others — e an evil
passion
“I
mso dreadful ly sorry said Miss Ayl mer with
’
,
”
,
overpowerin g co n trition as to voice Her eyes as a

con trast look warmw ith m
.
irth s ub due d .
TH E H O N O UR ABLE MR S V E R E K E R
. . 1 19
I can t be ill te m’
pered really wen t on F arq u
-
,
h ar rec urrin g in offen ded accen ts to his grievan ce

, .
I don t thin k you n eed be afraid of that Aufon d

’
Im all right I m
.
,
’
certain B ut when a fellow s put
’ ’
m m
.
o ut y o u k n ow a n d u n h appy he so eti es w il l
s how sym ptom s o f tem
, , ,
per .
How stran ge said Dorothy with a li ttle s hort

”
b urs t o f irrepressible laughter let m

, ,
“
e con f ess in
turn th at I ofte n show sym pto m
,
s of it w ithout bein g
in the l e ast un h appy
”
An d there s on e thin g to be said for m

.
’
e wen t
The m
,
o n her lover an xiously an who c an get on

.
with his servan ts is they say s afely to be trusted ;

youre a w o m
, ,
’
an so yo u o ught to kn ow all about
that ; an d I have had m in e eve ry o n e o f the m
,
fo r
y e a r s There s a groo m ’
n o w Be n n ett is his n am e
K n ow h im
. .
, ,
Very well in deed ! said Dorothy drily ”

He .
gets drun k every Saturday n i ght in the St John

Ar m
.
s does n t he
’
,
Non sen se ! Who told you that That old

wom an M acke n zie I s uppose She m ust live
in the St Joh n Arm
.
. s hersel f to kn ow all she

prete n ds t o k n ow Not a b it o
. f it Jer ry is .
as —
ste ady as a ro ck j ust as steady as an y o f
them ”
Here Miss Ayl m

.
er laughed again b ut he disdain ed

to take an y n otice o f her un see m ly m erri m
,
e n t He
decided upon m
.
istakin g her laugh for a yawn an d

thus m ai n tain his dign ity .
“
You re tired I bore yo u said he
’
, L e t us , .
ch an e t h e subj ec t
g .
. .
On the con trary you in terest m e m, ore th an I

can s ay Well an d wh at abo ut Ben n ett
Nothin g I won t go back to him ! m
.
,
.
’
e an in gly ,
an d with a repro ach f ul glan ce at her But yo u

kn ow Redm on d that old b utler o fm
.
i n e ; we ll I ve ’
g iven himwarn in g about h alf a dozen ti m

, ,
es an d - -
still he w on t go I Does that look as if I had a b ad

’
tem per ? I ass ure yo u I can t get himto leave m e

’
I couldn t get rid ofh imif I tried an d I have tried

.
’ ”
Typ e o fyour wi fe whe n yo u get on e ! No m

, .
at
ter how hard you m a

y try yo u wo n t be a ble to ge
, t
’
rid o fher either Y o u s peak so feelin gly about yo ur

.
butler that t his tho ught I have s uggested sho uld

,
app al yo u
If the wife were you it wouldn t If it were an y

’
o ther wo m
.
,
an o n e arth I dare say it wo uld B ut it

n ever sh al l be an y other wo m
.
”
an .
Y o u don t k n ow O n e grows tired of everythi n g

’
in tim e even o f on e s favo urite b elief; yo u m

.
ight
’
of m et m
,
row t ired e to o even if you di d

g g e no
matter how impossible it n ow see ms Impossible to

, ,
m am
.
y o u th at is — n ot I ack n owled e
g to e I as
tireso m
.
, , ,
e a person as I k n o w ”
He open ed his m
.
outh as if to s pe ak b ut she
stopped himby layin g a little im
,
perio us han d upon

his lips .
Don t ! sh e s aid apprehen si vely I kn ow yo u

’
.
are goin g to say that thin g about Age can n ot

w ither an d I hate the word s ta le I wish it ’
could be expun ged fro mevery diction ary ; b ut I s up

.
ose th at woul d be a cri m e Well , eve n if yo u

p
h aven t a te m o u h av e so m
.
er ethi n g el s e
’
p y , .
TH E H O NO URABL E MRS V E RE K E R
. . 12 1
What n ow ?
”
an xio us ly .
A sister .
”
W hy I thought you quite like d Jan e .

”
As a frien d at a distan ce—a con siderable dis

tan c e y es i m men sely She is so good so solid s o
,
— .
, ,
e arn e st so pai n sta ki n g so e n tirely an d alwa s al l

, y ,
th e re s o full o f e n ergy O h how full o f e n ergy

, ( ,
SO
Oh ! I do ! in terrupted he im
s ay, th at ll
’ ”
patien tly Youve m

. ade her o ut a p ara go n a c o n
’
,
—
solidation o f all all the virtues If she be that
what is the m
.
,
atter with her What fault do yo u

fi n d wi th her ?
Non e N on e O n ly mildly somethin g
warn s m th at if I were to live in th e sam
. .
, ,
e ,
e
house with her I should shortly be han ged for
murder
,
”
.
Y o u woul d n t h ave to live wi th her eagerly

’ ”
She h as an y am oun t o f m
.
,
on ey of her o w n Y o u
kn ow her m other w as an heiress ; m
.
in e wasn t She ll ’ ’
be very glad I dares ay to leave m

.
y pl ace an d set u
p
an est ablish m en t for herself som
,
e w here ”
How well you un derstan d the m

.
aiden sister
s aid Miss Aylm er ad m

,
irin gly As a profo un d

s tuden t o f hum
.
an n at ure I do n t believe there is

’
your equal Whe n people h ave b e e n m aster an d
mistress in a house for t w en ty years or so I have

.
always un derstood th at they ar e fi lled with bo un dless
delight when asked to give up the keys to an other

Espe cially w hen they co m
.
e to Jan e s age ’ ”
She isn t so V ery old if you co m

.
'
e to th at —sh e ,
is on ly
1 22 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE H RE
. .
She is with gen tle in sisten ce the very oldest “

, ,
person I kn ow
She is on ly ten years older than I aman yway
.
That doesn t m em
.
ake her a f ale Methusel ah

’ ”
Twill serve s aid Miss Ayl m

.
’ ”
, er If you s aid .
she w as t we n ty or on ly t wo ye ars older than you it

wouldn t m
, , ,
ake an di f
f ere n ce It wo ld n t alter th e
’ ’
y u .
true fact that age h as caught h e r I have a theory

It is all m
.
a bo ut Jan e y o w n It is a s e cret I t
soun ds wild b ut I feel s ure there is so m
. . .
ethin g in it
I believe lean i n g con fide n tially towards him that
.
,
”
, ,
when you were a baby it w as yo ur step sis ter who -
died an d n ot your m other Take m y word fo

. r it ,
Jan e is by al l the laws o f the lan d Mrs Farquhar

your m
.
—
,
an d oth er ! I hope an xiously you are ,

”
,
al ways respect f ul to her .
“
May the he ave n s forbid the truth o f such a
theory as that s aid Farquhar with pious horror
,
”
, .
I feel the relation ship ackn owledged quite close ,
en ough Jan e as a step sister goes a lon g w ay ! -

”
Here he gave w ay to irrevere n t m

.
,
irth in which
Dorothy join e d him
,
“B
ut re ally s aid he prese n tly as if very pro
perly asham ed o f hi m self it s a low thin g o f m
, ,
“ ’
, e
to s n eer at her Jan e isn t h al f a bad sor t At

.
’
.
he art she is quite so un d .

”
“ Don t spe ak o f her as if she w ere a potato

’
,
re rovin l y
p g
She has been very good to m
.
e e ver sin ce I can
rem em
,
ber ”
“ Lo n g m
.
ay she wave with a light yawn an d a

,
stretch o f her pretty l ithe body Let her c on

TH E H ON OURABL E MR S V E RE K E R
. . 1 23
tin n e in good deeds . F ar be it fromme to pre ve n t
her ”
I kn ow what you m
.
O f course , ean by that said ”

,
he in an offen ded to n e B ut I do n t c are

’
m
.
doggedly — I shan t give yo u up un til I ac tually

’
s ee yo u m arried to an oth e r m an Every word yo u .
s ay goes in at on e ear an d out at the other

”
.
An d a very good thi n g too In at o n e e ar an d

o ut at the m outh m
.
ight caus e co n siderable c o n

—
fusion if yo u were t o repe at for i n stan ce wh at I
have j ust been sayin g o f the i m maculate Jan e
, ,
Com e let us talk o f som ethin g m

.
ore agreeable ;
Hilary s ball for exam
,
’
p le , .
”
Thursday n ext isn t it ,

’
She n odded her he ad

Are n t you goin g to ask m
.
e wh at I i n te n d to
’
we ar ? she said presen tly It struck himthat a

”
.
rich quick colo u

, r le ap t i n to her cheeks a s she said
this an d he won dered at it

,
.
“ I didn t thi n k o f it’

s aid he slowly bei n g
em ployed in puzzlin g o ut the m
, ,
e an in g o f th at rare
bl ush a s udde n tho ugh t s triki n g h im I
”
.B ut , ,
s ho uld like to kn ow
”
Don t se n d m
.
e a bo uquet said she cruelly

’
, ,
divin in g his though t at on ce “ It wo uld o n ly

make matters worse
.
What m
.
atters ?
”
W hy yo u see wi th a rather aw kward li ttle

, ,
”
laugh it would be sure to be a lovely bouquet an d

“
it would on ly m ake an odious co m

, ,
parison betwe e n
it an d m y gow n ope n to everyon e The fact is .
,
”
s aid she de sperat e ly I w an t to prepare yo u fo r the

,
1 24 TH E H ON OUR ABLE MRS V E R E H RE
. .
gown It won t be so fresh or so pretty as an y o f ’
the others ; in d eed rather m

.
”
iserably I should n t , ,
’
won der if it proves the shabbiest there O f co urse .

,
”
turn in g away her head I k n ow I oughtn t to care ,

’
.
I kn ow with a forced little laugh I ought to be

,
”
,
abo ve al l s uch f olly as wishi n g to be as well gown e d

as those who h a e v m —
o ey b ut I do care for all
n ,
that .
”
“ O h Dorothy—Doro thy s aid he sh arply It

w as agon y to himto see he r t h us c ast down
.
,
— hi s
pretty bright saucy girl
, If I m ight say som
, e .
thin g en tre ated he ”
B ut you m She turn ed to h imwith a

.
,
ay n ot I
lovely gle amin her eyes h al ftears half w rath half

so m
, ,
ethin g else he hardly dared to believe in N ot

eve n o n e syllable o f it Tut I mn ot such a baby
, .
’
.
that I can t live through it An d on e can t have

’
.
’
on e s cake an d eat it you kn ow an d I had such a

’
lovely m
, ,
o n th in town It took every pen n y I pos .
sessed an d n o w I shall go barefoot like the beggar

maid She laughed I ve thought out a costume
, ,
” ’
for the co m
. .
i n g wi n ter however speakin g quite , ,

”
gaily again n o w Necessity you kn ow is the

mother of in ven tion an d the paten t I shall take
.
, ,
or m in e will certain ly n ot be tam

,
o ut f pered with .
I have ordered tw o or three n ice clean secon dhan d

meal bags in which I shall c ut holes for my head
, ,
an d ar m
,
s an d thus equipp ed I shall d e fy t h e world

This costum e will be cheap an d I flatter m
.
,
ysel f , , ,
highly effective .
”
He re she spran g to her feet

Go ho m
.
e she crie d What ! have I n othin g .

TH E H O N O URAB LE MR S V E RE K E R
. . 1 25
better to do thin k you th an to sit here fro mm om
Go hom
, ,
t o dewy eve liste n in g to yo u e good

youth go hom
.
, ,
e ! Y ou have be e n here an un co n
s c io n ab l e ti m
,
e al l day lon g in fac t

All day s hor t it h as see m to m
, .
ed s aid ”
e ,
Farquhar He go t up however an d took the

h an d she held o ut to him He held it closely
.
, ,
an d looked at her with a w arm

.
,
an d e arn est expr e s
sion in his eyes It w as as tho ugh he would have

.
spoke n b ut he s uppress e d the desire He rais e d

his hat however an d im
, .
prin ted a li n ge rin g kiss

upo n th e s m
, ,
all h an d he held
Y o u se n d m e away yet I believe whe n I am

.
, , ,
gon e you will have n othin g to do s aid he

, ,
”
.
Y o u are w ron g I shall go an d c ut holes in

those bags for m ad an d arm
.
y he s re t ort ed she
with a pretty lit tle m
, ,
o ue af ter w hich she dis

appe ared am
,
o n gs t the shrubberies an d he took h is

lo n ely w ay ho m
,
e w ards .
B ut n ever yet h ad he carried t h e re so light a

heart She had co n fid e d in him She had b e e n
. .
actually un e asy abo ut her ap pe ar an ce at th i s b all ,
lest he should thin k her gown shabby M o de st a .
lover as he w as he co uld n o t but be ce rta in t hat

she thought m
,
ore o f his opin io n than o f tha t o f

others His darlin g girl ! As if she m
. igh tn t
’
kn ow that were she in deed dres sed o n ly in that

s ac k o f which she jested she wo uld be t o him
, ,
the de arest th e m ost precious the m

,
,
os t b e autiful ,
thi n g in all this blessed world .
An d so o n an d o n Dear He ave n ! H o w s w e e t
atho m
.
,
a thin it is to b yo u an d f s deep in love !

g e n
g
1 26 TH E H ON OURABLE MR S V E RE K E B
.
C H APTER XVI .
”
In fel l ow ship w ell coul d sh e l augh an d car
‘
p.
As I bes t m
igh t , I b id fro mhimm
y s orro w .
”
TH E d an ces were growin g low dow n o n the card s ;

fo r the p ast ho ur a good m an y o f the m h ad bee n
got thro ugh o n the upper steps o f the m ost un
frequen ted staircases an d in secl uded corn ers where
th e pryin g light w as diman d there w as roo mon ly
,
for two
Lady Bessy in a very special go wn that see m
.
ed
to em it electric sparks as she m
, ,
oved had give n up ,
doin g hostess lon g ago an d w as n o w flirtin g to her

he art s con ten t alm
,
os t as dilige n tly as Mr Blair

’
who however had bro ught that pleas an t pasti m

, .
,
, , e
to the level o f a fin e art an d w as therefore hard to ,
be at Mrs Macke n zie w as radian t in a terrible

. .
g ow n o f th e colo ur o f beetroot an d a cap th at

Lady Bessy devo utly hoped h adn t its m atch in
’
Europe an d w as enjoyin g herself i m

, men sely goin g ,
ab o ut an d s ayi n g
, un pardon ably rude thin gs to
every frien d she had Dorothy in spite o f a
gown that un den iably had seen its bes t day m
.
,
an y ,
a d an ce a o w as looki n g as sweet as un c ut flowers

g , ,
whilst the H on Mrs V e re ker who w as clad like a

. .
,
sn owdrop looked like on e although her eyes were

, ,
brillian t an d a fleck of lovely red had crept in to her

cheeks .
She had bee n dan cin g a good deal with St John

There could be n o doubt that m
. .
uch as he s ought ,
(
TH E H ON O URAB LE m a
s . V E RE RB E . 1 27
to con ceal the fact for her sake the host was m ore
devoted to her th an t o an y other wo m
, ,
an in the
roo m Mrs M acken zie s sh arp old eyes n oted this

’
. .
,
an d
grew an gry be n e ath it an d she wa i t ed her
t im
,
e to thrust a barb or two in to his side for it

A youn g an d eli gible m
.
an wastin g his days

philan derin g after a m wom
,
arried an when the

coun ty w as literally overstocked with m
,
arriage able
girls on ly too will in g to accept the han dkerchie f

thrown ! It w as abom
,
in able ! These n in etee n th

ce n tur y wives who were on ly half wives should be ,
s uppressed at all risks trod un der broken like the

, ,
b utterflies they were .
She seized upon St John after a while b ut w as

too wil y to m
.
,
ake her attack direct .
It goes well your dan ce she said graciously

, ,
”
.
Lady Bessy is in deed a host in herself I w as .
goin g to say host a n d hostess as on e has see n little

Ah ! ah ! Yo un g m
,
o f yo u . e n w il l love d arkn ess
rather than l ight whe n a pretty girl or let us — —

sa
y
— wo m an is in the w a y .
”
Ap r op os ? said he
”
.
Why n othin g ! A ge n eral observation All

ng m
.
y o u e n are alike
”
I thought you m ight be suggesti n g that m

.
y
w ays were evil He cast a rather curious glan ce
romun der his half closed lids It w as a
.
at her f -
.
look a trick he had whe n an gry

Tut ! Not worse than m
, , .
ost n o doubt An d as
for m e I am n ot difi cul t I kn ow m world to o well
.
,
, y ,
for that See ! There goes your cousin Dorothy

It is s urely o n e o f the am
. .
azin g thi n gs o f li fe ,
1 28 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE H RE
. .
how on e girl can look well in a dowdy gown an d ,
an other c an t
’ ”
.
u n n —
Yo r ho ey has its sti g as usual said he
I ama m m
.
,
an o u will there fore p rdo i

y , a n
y g n o r
an ce My pretty cousin is her gown dowdy

.
,
It w as that so lon g ago that really I have

forgotten to rem ark o n it said this terrible o ld ,
”
lady with a yawn St John looked at Dorothy

a d his he art s m ote him That pretty child to
. .
, ,
n —
wan t fo r an ythin g whe n he had m
.
or e than he kn ew
what to do with ? For the ti m e bein g he felt
depressed an d altogether selfish an d un worthy
She m ust be the prettie s t cre ature o f m
.
,
“
y
acquai n tan ce he said for will yo u believe m
”
e
I fan cied her lookin g sin gularly charm

, , ,
i n g to n ight -
Fi n e fe athers as we all kn ow m
.
ake fin e birds b ut
Dorothy see m
, , ,
s to be stro n g e n o ugh in Nature s ’
fa l lals to do witho ut the m

”
- .
“ Ah ! Y o u h ave n t h ad eyes fo r her or i n deed

’
,
fo r an yon e w ith a wo uld b e pl ayful laugh s ave

”
-
fo r Mrs V e re ke r yo u see mvery atte n tive ther e

, ,
— ”
diggin g at himlight ly with her fan an d lo o kin g

.
,
odiously at h imthro ugh her ble ared old eyes

,
Goin g to run away wi th her ? ”
Y o u are an old frie n d Mrs Macken z ie said

he in a disgusted ton e but pe rm it m
.
, ,
e to s a
, , y ,
that
P ouf I m y g ood boy ! Why give yo ursel f t h o s e
virtuous airs in terrupted she un m ove d They , .
don t suit your age An d why be shocked or

’
.
o ffen ded ? I really thin k a debt o f gratitude would

be due to the m an who wo u ld take her away from
TH E H ON OURAB LE MRS V E RE K E R. . 1 29
th at deplorable person her husban d Yo u have , .
h eard Black San dy is o ut a gai n O n e wo uld kn ow

it by V e re ke r s face if by n othi n g else Hatred
’
a n d fe ar o f himare th e o n ly e m otion s that m

.
, ,
, iser
a ble creature s featu r es can be t ray I guessed his
’
e n em
.
—
y w as let loose again upo n the phe asan ts or
m the m om
,
on V e re ke r as th e case , ay b e — en t
I saw th e latter s brow to n ight Did you n o tice ’
-
.
t h e frown thereo n
No shortly
,
”
.
H a ! h a ! j ust carries out wh at I first s aid that ,
o u h d n o eyes f o r an ythi n g b ut No
y a n o
Co m
.
,
e n ow I have n t said a word have I

, B ut
’
,
s eriously yo u sho uld see t o V e re ke r rather than to

, ,
his wife Tut ! what a spitfire it is ! An d to attack

a n old wom
.
an too Bad en ough to attack a youn g

B ut see you I give yo u a hi n t ; V e re ke r s
’
on e
fa ce is on fi re so is his te m per Believe m

.
, ,
e there
is m is chief brewin g for som

.
, ,
e on e Let us h0 pe n ot .
fo r your poor little frie n d Cecil

”
.
“
She is your frie n d too is she n ot ? s aid S t , .
J ohn in a to n e t hat wo uld have been furious if he

h ad let him
,
self go B ut she was so very old so

v ery n e ar the grave this cruel old wo m
.
,
an ,
Quite so O wr frie n d I sho uld o f co urse have

.
, ,
s aid . Really he looks as ferocious as an un fed

t iger I won der how lon g society ro un d here is
m an d his —
.
oin g to e n d ure h i er—little weak

g
n ess
Y o u as on e o f the le ad ers of the society sho ul d

, ,
kn ow said S t John coldly

”
O h ! A poor old wo m an like m

. .
, ,
e ! How should
9
1 30 TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E RE K E B
. .
I dare in terfere
to It is in her i n terest alon e I
s peak S urely w ith an other odious old leer you
”
ul to m S uch ch arms uch grace

.
, ,
sho uld be grate f e .

, ,
such die away be auty should attract an yo n e

-
A .
dain ty dish to se t be fore a K in g I say n ot a satyr ’

,
like V e reker What ! Goin g ! Well au r evoir

.
, .
”
She kissed her withered though still beautiful han d

t o himan d feelin g m
, ightily re freshed both in body
,
an d spirit took her wicked old w ay to where the

,
H e idse ck w as to be foun d
St John his colour som
.
ewhat gon e his eye s

In on e of the h alls he m
.
, ,
al ight we n t o n his w ay
, et
.
the object of the late discussion an d with a cruel ,
pain at his heart stayed to say a word to her en

p ass an t W as sh e ever to be ope n to s uch v ile
co m men ts as these The poor lovely frien dless

.
t ortured thi n g fo r whomhe wo uld h ave freely

, , ,
given his very li fe if s uch sac rifice could help her

t he very so ul o f him
,
He kn e w it n ow if he had n ever kn own it be fore

by the passion ate alm
, ,
ost un con trollable well of pity

an d love th at rose withi n h im
,
as he looked on her
th at she w as the on e wo m o r h im
,
an in the world f
P erhaps so m
.
ethin g of his agitation his kee n

sym pathy an d vehe m
,
e n t affection shon e in his

eyes as he addressed to her the fe w words that cam
, ,
t o his lips bec ause she started an d p aled a little

h im witho ut an swerin g
, , ,
an d looked at Good
Heave n s ! what a childish cre ature she seem
.
ed ,
clad al l in her pure white an d with a soul as whit e

as her garm
,
en ts shin in g through her starry eyes

Neither he n or sh e saw V ere ker who had com
.
e out ,
TH E H ON O UR AB LE MR S V E R E K E R
. . 1 31
fro mthe supper roo m an d l ean in g again st the

-
portal o f the door stared at the mste adily As he

, ,
.
,
watched a slow but devilish fire lit withi n his eyes

, .
He s atisfied his s 1 ght an d the n ben t his gaze on

the floor an d a s m all s m
,
, ile as devilish as the fire , ,
cur ved th e corn ers o f his lips Then h e looked .
agai n
This secon d ti m e C e cil saw h im S aw th e ste ady

.
stare the cruel m e an in g o f it the evil sm

.
ile a ll
In s tan tly the h appy light died fromher face It
, , , .
al m m
.
,
g rew os t livid She see ed o.n the poin t o f
fain ti n g .
V e re ke r who h ad see n the ch an ge chuck led

softly an d turn ed b ack in to the roo mhe had j ust
, ,
quitte d So ! He h ad n ow a hold over her his

im maculate sain t !
.
,
Dorothy Aylm er pas sin g at the m om

, en t we n t ,
q uickly up to Mrs V e re ker . .
Wh at is it Cecil The he at the , ,
— —
Yes yes the heat She roused h ersel f .
”
s uflic ie n t ly to s ay this an d she c aught Dorothy s

’
a rmas though
,
it were an an chor an d cl un g ,
n ervo usly to her .
Hilary go an d get her an ice Iced water

C ham
. .
,
pagn e an ythin g s aid Doro thy softly but ”
m
, , , ,
q uickly ; she h ad dis issed F a rq uh ar who w a s ,
fortun ately her p artn er with a gl an ce As St ,

. .
J ohn wen t for the ice she drew Mrs V ere ke r in to

a ti n y an te room
.
,
. o n her le f
- t han d .
“ What has h appen ed she s aid “ Fran cis

? .
,
o f cours e B ut wh at n e w thin g
.
I do n t kn ow said Cecil whose teeth were

’
,
”
,
—
9 2
1 32 TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E R E K E B
. .
chatterin g as if with in te n se cold B ut all day

he has bee n in a terrible te m
.
per ; an d j ust n o w ,
whe n I w as tal ki n g to Mr St John I caught his

an d there w as som
. .
,
e ye ,
ethin g in hi s expression
t h at— th at She shuddered an d w as sile n t .
Is that really a ll asked Doro thy My

m
.
dear girl it isn t so very uch He —’

h e — is n o t
q uite hi m
.
,
self I daresay It is pretty late n o w

, .
,
an d
N0 There is m
. ore in it than that I don t .
’
t hin k he is
“ What did he take
at din n er asked Mi s s
Ayl m er who as I have b efore s aid w as n othin g if

, , ,
n o t practical
Nothin g O n ly h al f a t um bler of cham

.
pagn e
I ass ur e you Do rothy he has been m
. .
ost careful all

That is what un n er ves m
, ,
day . e He looked j ust .
n o w as — as i
“ Yes de ar I k n ow Don t go i n to it Let us ’
.
, ,
.
c h an ge the s u bje ct ! V ho were yo u with though

.
, ,
w h e n he saw you ?
Yo ur cousin Mr St John
Ah ! s aid Dorothy It w as the m
. . .
,
”
ildest ej ac u.
latio n an d con veyed n ot hin g to her listen er but to

herself it m
, ,
ean t a gre at de al S he drew Mrs

V e re ke r away fro m h e r n ervo us dre ad s w hich
. .
, ,
in deed wer e daily in creasin g an d presen tly res tored

her to a m o re he althy fram e of m
, ,
i n d She w as .
,
however un easy about her an d Hilary an d wo uld

, ,
h ave liked to assure hersel f that however it w as ,
w ith St John Cecil w as h e art whole But Mrs -
V e r e ke r shr an k fro m an y q ue st io n in g o n that

.
, . .
TH E H O N O UR ABLE MR S V E RE K E R . . 1 33
s ubject , which a lon e see med to D orothv a bad
Yo u have a good man y frien ds Yo u shoul d

be so fearful You have m
.
n ot e an d Lady Bessy
.
,
an d
Not Lady Bessy I thin k , . She is kin d alw ays ,
Well n ever m i n d her She is on ly a bird o f

, .
p assage Y ou have Hilar y certain ly

.
, .
”
A bird of passage too She stifled a sigh as , .

”
s h e s aid this — a sigh however that Dorothy he ard, , .
P erhaps n ot By the bye what do yo u thin k - -
m?
.
,
”
o fh i
I h aven t thought of him Why should I thi n k

’
o f h im She see m
.
ed to freeze even towards this

h e r o n e real frien d who mshe m
,
ight co n fide in
whe n it cam
,
e to the great touch o f al l .
To tell a direct un truth wo uld have bee n beyon d -
h er She kn ew in spite of the poverty o f her

—
.
,
r eligious up brin gin g all about the wicked n ess o f ,
l yi n g an d where liars are pop ularly s uppo s ed to go

,
to An an ias an d Sapphira were old frie n ds o f hers

She h ad an im men se admiration for George Wash
. .
in gto n an d n ever he ard his n amem en tion e d w ithout

thin kin g o f that im mortal hatchet An d ye t she
,
could cal m
.
ly tell Dorothy that sh e n ever tho ugh t o f

St Joh n
. .
It w as j ust s uch a little equivocation a word so

sm all as to be writte n in i n fin ite si m
,
al ch aracters ,
like the gn at s speech in Mr Lewis Carroll s won der

’
.
’
ful book .
O h C ecil ! said Dorothy who w as n ot an gry

,
”
,
1 34 TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
with h er feel in g as if un der the hopel ess circum

stan ces she would have s aid the s am
,
e thin g hers el f
That w as what was so com
.
for table about Dorothy ;

she always m ad e allowan ce f or circ um stan ces An d .
then
S urely you m ust have thought of him an d ,
he such a frie n d
Well I h aven t said Mrs V e reke r foldin g her
’ ”
an ds tightly an d looki n g at th e m
.
, , ,
as tho ugh her

h ,
life d epen ded upon her scrutin y o f those slen der

trem blin g fi n gers Then sudde n ly all at on ce as it
.
, ,
were she li fted her head an d grew de fian t

, .
Is he that sort o f person she asked coldly

Is on e supp osed to thin k of him I con fess h e
.
h as n o t struck m e in that light He d id n o t

s uggest him selfto m
.
e as o n e of the fatig ui n g order .
However you should kn ow What h as he don e

, .
,
then or s aid or writte n or le ft un don e that he

should be un fortun ate en ough to brin g down on h im
, , , ,
the eyes o fall his fello w creatur es -
She w as al m ost flippan t n ow but Dorothy w ho ,
had a great heart o f her o wn saw thro ugh her

I shoul dn t have asked you she s aid si m
.
,
’
ply ,
”
,
an d took the other s cold little h an d an d f on dled it

’
gen tly lovin gly

Mrs V ere ker resis ted her for a m om
.
,
en t sile n tly
Then she abruptly drew her han d away fromthe
. .
kin dly on es th at held it but o n ly to throw it roun d ,
Dorothy s n eck an d to press her face again st her

’
boso m
,
She did n ot cry ; she on ly lay there q uite sile n tly

with Dorothy s arm
,
s roun d her I
’
. . 1 35
C H APTE R XVII .
Such is the w orl d, w hos o it ca n b e ho l d !

’
In each es tat e is l ittl e h ear té s r e s t,
G od len d us e ach to ta ke it for t he bes t ! ”
A F OOTSTE P drawin g rapidly n e ar rouse d both ,

.
Dorothy gen tly rais e d he r frien d an d put he r a

little back fromher
,
It i s Hilary she said softly ”
St John cam e in with som e iced cham

.
,
. pagn e ,
l ookin g rather an xious ; a swift glan ce at Mr s

V e r e ke r who w as qui te co m
.
,
posed b ut d eadly pale , ,
in creased his an xiety

Dorothy in d uced her to take so m e of the cham
.
p agn e whilst St John who m an like w as feeli n g

so m
.
, , ,
ewhat awkward pret en ded to be strugglin g with

,
a thoro ughly obedie n t li n k in his cuf f .
It is our dan ce he s aid presen tly to Mrs ,

”
.
V e re ke r .
—
But if yo u are too tired too
O h yes she is quite too tired said Doro thy
, ,
”
,
who i n dee d thought they had dan ced together q uite

e n o ugh for on e n ight —
I thin k the n ight is very
mild if she were to go in to the garden for a little
.
—
bit J ust to give her som —
e air Not n ot to be
— this rather ste m
. .
lon g Hilary ly sh e is tire d
ou m m m
,
y u s t re e ber
I ll re m em
.
’
ber s aid St John ,
”
. .
B ut Dorothy had her doubts o f 1 t H e threw a .
shawl roun d Mrs V ere ke r who got up as ifeager to

.
,
re ach th e coolin g blessed in fl uen ce ofthe n ight an d ,
together they disappe ar e d in to the c on servatory on

lw TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R. .
t heir l eft that led by m ean s o f steps to the lam p l it -
garden s be n eath
Not that the lam m
.
p s wer e n ee d e d ; a ag n ifi ce n t
moon illumin ed all the heaven s an d shed a radian ce ,
p ure as crystal upon the e arth ben eath : the garden

the ston e balcon ies t he m
,
arble s tatues that l urked

,
in every corn er were all lit by it ; an d fl un g o ut

, .
th e ir be auties eagerly as though to do hon our to

,
Dian a fair It w as as tho ugh the Quee n o f N igh t

h ad risen in all her m m
.
aj es ty to u t to sh e th
p a e
pun y prete n sion s of the Chin ese lan tern s that so

liberally but so futilely so ught to light the pleasure
, ,
groun ds o fThe Chase

“ AmI to ask n o question s ? ” asked St John
.
stoppin g short as they cam e to a m

.
abr uptly ore

deserted com er o f the vast shrubberies A charm
,
in g com er rich in the m

.
usic o fa d roppi n g foun tain

that she d its m
,
elody slowly sadly n ote by n ote as, ,
it were sin gin g to the tall white hollyhocks that

,
sto od up like virgi n ghos ts aroun d it

What ques tion would you ask s aid she tre m
.
u
l ously . As if restless or desirous of gain i n g all that
,
th e n ight co uld give her she loose n ed the so f , t

Syri an shawl that he had boun d roun d her an d ,
t hre w it o n a garde n seat that stood n e ar Like a .
c hild or a very yo un g girl she shook hersel f

slightly an d m ade a m ovem
,
e n t as if sh e would
have flun g out her arm
,
s to the sweetn ess o f th e

d ewy dark but s udden ly restrain e d herself H e r
—
, .
whole life though the thought did n ot then occ ur

to her — w as on e lo n g restrain t
I kn ow som
.
e thin g h as trouble d d he
”
y ou sa i , .
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE H RE
. . 1 37
member u comp t f th
Y o u re other day that
o r ac o e
u were t com t m whe

,
y o o e io e n n d i stress o f a n
y
k in d Well I wil l n ot en force that n ow Y ou
, .
— —
h ave con fi ded in Dorot hy I thin k an d that shoul d
s uflic e m e .She is very good very true , .
There w as n evertheless a n ote of reproach in his

, ,
v o ice .
Dorothy is the older frie n d s aid she n uoer

she hesitate d lookin g at himwistfull y
, ,
t ain ly , ,
h avin g i n dee d heard th at reproachful n ote an d ,
b ein g d istressed by it ; b ut the ways o f the world

w ere un kn own to her an d she kn ew n o t how to get
h erself o ut o fh e r dile m ma But you are a frie n d

,
She plucked a leaf froma

.
,
t oo she s aid at l ast

”
.
,
b ush n e ar her an d pull ed it t o bits —

It it was n t
’
v ery m
.
,
uch she s aid I thin k Dorothy thoug ht

”
me foolish but she crumpled up the remain s o f

, ,
”
the lea fan d held it spas m odically in her sm all p al m

, ,
It w as Fran cis h e he w as an gry with m

.
— e I thi n k
—I amsur e though I o n ly saw his face an d ye t

,
she turn ed to h imwith a

, ,
what h ad I don e
miserable excitemen t You have been with me
“ .
al l t he eve n i n g sho ld k ow cried wit ”

y o u u n s h e h
sudden aban don m
, ,
e n t w ha t had I don e ? ”
,
Her voice ceased Her h an d open ed an d the

crum
.
,
pled leaf fell to the gro un d ; fell dead as h er

l ife
. She covere d her face with all her pre tty o ut
spread fin gers an d bur st in to tears She h ad n ot
cried with Dorothy but n o w all her heart se e m
.
,
, ed
to bre ak withi n her .
It is cruel cr uel she sobbed with all th e veh e ”
m
, ,
en ce ofa child who had been brought up without

1 38 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
con tradiction an d had on ly waked fromchildhood s ’
happy dreamto fin d herself a slave

,
Why don t .
’
y o u spe a k with p a ssio n ate pe t ula n c e Yo u

heard m
.
e What have I don e

Nothin g m
.
y de ar n othin g
, s ai d h e
, sooth i n gly , ,
sh e looked s uch a f rail childish little thin g tall for

her age as her n urse m
, ,
i ght have said stan din g there

in the m oon light that he an sw ered her as he m
,
, ight
h ave an swered an yon e specially youn g w ho w as ,
re fr actory but dear , .
O h ! I n ever saw an ythin g like his face when h e

looked at m e s aid she ; an d n o w a certain am
”
o un t
o f i n dign atio n m
, ,
in gled with her grief He looked .
j ust as if
She paused as though in search o f a sim ile that
sho uld express all her horror .
But w he n w as this Y o u see I kn ow n othin g ;

he w as in deed rather bewildered
Whe n you stood an d spoke to m
.
e in the hall
j ust n ow j ust as Dorothy cam e up to us you

re m em
, ,
ber
Yes But why should he show an ger the n
.
P erh ap s he paused it w as very hard to ,
go on .
“
No it w as n ot that s aid she pal in g It was
so m ethin g m
.
, , ,
ore But w ha t I can n ot te ll I shal l

kn o w however be fore m
. .
orn in g O h I sh e paused
her bre ath as though to com
, ,
.
,
an d drew in pel
con trol o f herself Som eti m es she wen t on in
.
,
”
a low exh austed voice I feel as if I couldn t go on ’

, ,
an
y lo n ger
Cecil ! exclaim
.
e d he with a p assion ate f orget

”
,
TH E H ON OURABLE MR S V E RE K E R
. . 1 39
fuln ess thi n gs He w as shocked when he had

o f al l
e arin g her in stan t an ger The m

.
s aid it f ore n u
h appy the m ore un sophisticated sh e w as th e m
.
,
, ore ,
he w as boun d to respect her But she w as n o t

There w as al m
.
an gry ost a suspicion of gladn ess in

her voice as she spoke to h im
.
Y o u call m The n I m
.
e that she s aid ay call

”
m m
.
,
y o u Hil ary a y I ? I a alw ays wit h a fa i n t ”
m
, ,
n n f —
s ile thi ki g o you as as that an d n o w that
o u don t m n d it will be s uch a co m m
, ,
y i ’
, fort to e ! ”
she sighed but I wish don t you said she that

, ,
’
,
”
,
the world w as all differe n t ? ”
I wish this ! said he in a hur ried ton e carried

”
away by the co m passion the love that w as con s um

,
in g
him th at you an d I h ad m
,
“
, e t be f ore before
t his
”
Ah ! said she It w as a m
.
”
ysterious little cry
an d o n ce again she t urn ed to h imas if with an
.
,
im pul sive desire to hold o ut her ar m s but again

Yo u m us t n ot speak to m
,
she restrain ed herself . e
like that she said s adly ,

”
Never n ever at all .
, .
It is too late I
With what sad prophetic truth the words fell
upo n the air Whe n she had s aid the mshe stood
silen tly her head be n t down her white sweet ar m
.
, s , ,
han gin g loosely dejectedly by her sides Was sh e

, , .
“
s or ry that it w as too l ate S t Joh n s he art
’
w as be atin g so wildly as al m ost to s uffo cate h im

.
He caught on e o f the h an ds an d crushed it within

his o wn but al l the l aws o f co urtesy of m an hood
forbade m
, , :
ore th an th at .
“ Do n t b elieve it
’
he s aid in a stifled ton e ”
.
,
1 40 TH E H O N O URAB LE MRS V E RE K E R . .
Great Heaven ! to o n e youn g as you are too

late can have n o m
,
—
ean in g Hope hope always ;
o n e n ever k n ows when help m ay co m
.
e
He felt him
.
self it w as t h e sorriest reason in g To

, .
a cre ature like th at (too yo un g to k n o w the divi n e
patien ce that co m es later o n ) to preach hope w as

but to parry m
,
iserably with the sword o f de

struction
Help Fro mwhere From
.
aske d she “
I amtir edo f waitin g for Heave n

. .
Heaven She .
ceased speakin g abruptly an d then a s if a l ittle

frighten ed d rew closer to him O h ! n o I am
, ,
.
, ,
s or r y I s ai d th at What hav e I to trust to but

hel p fr o mHeave n an d yet som etim
.
es I feel as if
that as ifall thin gs had forsake n m
,
— e as if every
thin g was slippin g away All that m

,
. a kes li fe worth
h avin g Lo ve frie n dship all
“ Am Is m
. , , .
I n othin g y frie n d ship n othi ng
asked he a t o uch o fdesp air in his to n e Frie n dship

what a m ockery that word n ow see m
.
, ,
e d O h ! that
hi s w ay lay ope n to himth at he dared spe ak
.
A
passion ate an alm ost un gove m
.
,
ab le desir e to take
her in his arm s an d press her lovely m

,
elan choly
fac e close again st his breast an d thus to com
,
fort
her seized hold on him He could n ot take h is
,
eyes fromher as she stood ther e in the cold bril

.
,
lian c e o fth e m oon light gown ed all in white as be st

, ,
suited her with her face as white as her robe an d

her large dark m ourn ful eyes gleam
, ,
in g as the rays
from heaven fe ll straight in to them She had ta ken
, ,
fo n e of her lo n g gloves that she m

.
of ight run he r
fin ge rs through the dew that lay on e ach le af an d
. . 1 41
flower but n ow the pretty n ake d

, arm w as han gin g
lis tlessly by her sid e .
H er threat w as w h ite r t han the dove,

H e r e el ids as
y t he seals o f l ove
An d as t he doors oflove her lips .

”
He t ook the little bare han d that hun g so idly at

her side an d held it in a pressur e that w as s tron ger
than he kn ew H is he art w as beatin g to see her
.
,
so youn g so helpless so given up body an d soul

to her t orm en tor w as an guish t o h im Un til to
, ,
.
,
n ight he h ad don e re t battl e with his love f

g a o r
her but at this i n stan t he kn ew hi m self van qui shed

The li ttle wi n ged god reign ed trium
, .
phan t an d all
hope o f peace within himfro mthis ti m
,
e forth lay , ,
dead
Am
.
“
Y o u do n ot spe ak he s aid un stead ily “
I n othin g to you If to lay down m

, .
y li fe co uld
help yo u I would do it an d yet you stan d
there cold im passive you give m
,
, , e n o word ,
Cecil
She starte d an d slowly as if frighte n e d yet
fascin ated drew her h an d fro mhis clas p
, ,
There
w as a d ull red m
, .
ark upo n the pallor o f it St . .
John saw it .
“ Did I do that said he shocke d Did I , .
hur t you He to ok t h e han d again very gen tly

this tim
,
e an d pressed the re dde n ed spot with te n der

vehe m
,
en ce to his lips
I amtired said she very fai n tly
.
,
”
I will , .
ret urn to the house alon e Al on e will be , .
better
1 42 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
O h ! don t that Have I o ffe n de d you

’
say .
I take back everythin g I said He rele ased her .
han d This on ly I repeat if ever you should

wan t m — wan t a fm re mem
.
,
e en d— ber
I wan t on e n ow s aid she with a fain t s mile ”
I thin k I hardly kn ow m
.
, ,
y w a
y b ack to t h e
house ”
.
C HAPTER XV H I .
Min e heart is n ow in tribulatidun
TH EY fin d the n ext dan ce n e arly fin ishe d as they

get back to the bal l roo man d Mr Blair happe n in g
-
provide n tially to catch St Jo hn s e ye m

.
, ,
ade a sign al
’
o fdi stre ss that m ight have m

.
,
elted the heart o f a

Je fferies He had eviden tly been havi n g a b ad
ti m e o f it ; an d j ust n o w had bee n jostled so m
.
e
what i m politely i n to a corn er with his partn er a —
spin ster so si m perin g so old so affec tion ate th at
she had reduced himt o th e poin t o f tears For
, , , ,
man y min utes in deed he had been wishin g hi mself

.
, ,
dead .
St John as his host felt boun d to go to the

.
, ,
rescue
Mrs Dam
.
eron w as swi n gin g ro un d in her usual

sen suous fashion in Bertie H aw tre y s ar m
.
s talki n g ’
al l the tim e as if to rem

,
, in d o n e that life is short .
Lady Eustace talkin g too b ut rather as if cen turie s

o f e arthly e n joym
, ,
e n t l ay be fore her h ad stopp e d

short by Blair an d his Dam sel an d m
,
.
ade a pl ace ,
TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE H RE
. . 1 43
fo r Lady Bessy besid e her wh o w as dan cin g with ,
Farquhar .
Yo u here ! said Lady Bessy lookin g with

”
un d is guise d am use m
,
e n t at the wretched Blair .
Why how is that ? Rosa Macken zie to say

, ,
n othi n g o f Miss Carto n ar e ,
Farquhar whispered a word in her e ar an en t

“ the D am
,
sel who w as be gin n in g to look like

,
”
v i n e ar L ady Bessy l aughed an d sh r ugged her

g .
s houlders an d lowered h er voice h al f a to n e

, .
B ut re ally yo u should n o t be here Y o u sho uld .
be with the little Carton gir l she wen t on to ,

”
Blair I saw her pin in g all alon e j ust n ow in

f roo m
.
o n e o f the o f s .
Just n o w isn t n ow apparen tly retorted Mr

’
B lair who w as n ot in the best o f te m

.
, ,
,
pers I see .
her over there poi n tin g to the other side of the

”
roo m She s got S un derl an d to pin e with her

,
’
so I suppos e she is all right Yo uve got sym

.
,
pathy ’
for everyon e b ut m e it see m

.
,
s
O h ! there s Dorothy Dorothy com
.
,
’
e h ere
r1 ed Lady B es sy turn in g her sho ulder o n him
.
, ,
, .
Why where have yo u been all n ight you

, ,
erratic girl ? How h ave yo u bee n ge t ti n g o n ,
eh ? It s bee n qui te a little s uccess don t yo u

’
,
’
thin k
“ It h as bee n a n ight a m
.
on gst n i ghts return ed ,
Dorothy p ausin g bes i de her bre athless her ex

, , ,
p re s s ive face al l o n e sweet lovely glow O h how

I ha ve e njoyed m
.
yself old rags an d all , .
N o n se n se ; you look as n ice as possi ble Very

fe w to co m pare with yo u in m m
.
y esti atio n Wh at s .
’
1 44 TH E H O NOURABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
yours Captain Farquhar ? this with a m

, ischievous ,
littl e n w uc
Miss Aylm
.
er kn ows what I th in k said Farquhar , ,
rather coldly .
But I don t Wha t an an swer ! Is there frost

’
.
in the air th at I should receive so c uttin g a rep ly

,
t o an in n oce n t q uestio n I ve always said the ir ’

a
down here is bad Bad for the m orals In fact

it is too exhilar ti g too fresh too m
. .
,
a n — uch o f it ,
alto e ther
”
g
It isn t hal f a bad place said Dorothy calm
.
’
ly , , .
Though with quite a dread ful glan ce at Farquhar

I con fess it is a place where good m
, ,
an n ers do n o t
obtain ”
de m
.
What have I don e n o w an ded F arquhar
in dign an tly There w as a sen se o f i nj ury full upon

h im She had scarcely looked at h imal l th e
.
. ,
even i n g had had her card pretty n early full whe n

he cam
, ,
e early in the n ight to as k her for a dan ce ,
an d n ow — n o w whe n s ure ly b e w as the aggrieve d

,
o n e she took upon hers elf all the airs o f a perso n

,
di stin ctly i n dign an t .
Did I s ay you had done an ythin g s aid sh e

coldly .
No n ot in words ; but you hi n t at it yo u look

it That is so barbarously unj ust so like a wom
,
. an , ,
s aid he bitterly
Well what would you have m —
.
e be like a
man ?i asked she cal mly with quite an un prej u

,
”
,
diced air
Why are yo u an gry with m
.
e a sked he in
turn . Good Heave n ! Have I n ot spe n t an

TH E H ON OUR ABLE MR S . V E RE K E R . 1 45
e ven in g sufi cien tly m iserable already that you

l d seek to m ake it m
,
s hou ore so ”
Y o u didn t look in the leas t m

.
iserabl e ; I n ever
’
saw an yon e so in ten s ely h appy as you l ooke d w he n
d an cin g with Miss Cart o n .

”
That is ben eath you Dorothy said he reproach , ,

”
fully You kn ow there is on ly o n e perso n in the

roomI care to dan ce with an d that is you O h !
.
my darlin g if you on ly kn ew how charm

.
,
, in g yo u
look how s uperior to everyon e else here to n ight yo u
,
-
,
w o ul d un derstan d that Really Dorothy I thin k .

, ,
—
I n ever kn ew how how
P retty I w as O h yes I kn o w I m pretty s ai d
.
, ,
’
,
D orothy with all the delicio us i n solen ce o f youth

, .
But other people are pretty to o That hideous

C art on girl for exam
.
ple She turn ed petulan tly ”
rom h im
.
,
away f
If yo u woul d on ly listen to m
.
e Dorothy
Dorothy m
,
Dorothy ! a little loud er ”

y sweet .
,
heart
Im our sweetheart said she in dign an tly ”
’
n ot v
co m pelled to hear himlest others shoul d

, ,
Co m e away fromthis
.
B ut i n dee d you are

, , .
,
an d I ll prove it to
’ ”
y o u .
Y o u are evi d e n tly ben t o n provin g it to all the

world said she an grily ; b ut he looked so deter
”
min ed t o settle the matter then an d there that she

,
t ook his arman d him

,
in to the n earest con servatory

, , .
Well I n ever kn ew two people so fon d o f

,
quarrellin g said Lady Bessy ”
I did s aid Blair prom

, .
ptly Shall I give you

their n am
.
,
es
. .
No I don t care to hear about them Your

’
are m
. .
acq uain tan ces as a r ule , ore eccen tric than

,
proper I s uppose Captain Farquhar forgot he w as

my partn er However all s fair in love an d war so
.
I forgive him; an d besides the dan ce is over B ut

.
, ,
how I mto get thro ugh these people to the other

.
side of the room

If you wan t a pilot take m e s aid Blai r H e
, , .
looked at her with deepest en tre aty Wouldn t she ’
com e to his rescue an d save himfromthe dam

.
sel
That youn g old girl had fasten ed upon himagain
,
an d w as growi n g so f on d that he felt de ath or

i n stan t flight were all that were left him There
,
w as n o in term
.
ediate course
O h ! n o yo u m ustn t dreamo f givi n g yoursel f
.
so m uch t ro uble for m

,
e s aid Lady Bes sy cruelly ”
I shall be able to m
, .
an age be autif ully ; j ust a littl e

squeeze roun d there an d a dive n ear that door an d
, ,
I shall be free P r ay don t put yo urself out

.
’
.
Enjoy yo urse lf while yo u can ”
m m
.
“
B essy ! ur u red he in a fre n zied ton e
Lady Bessy gave w ay to grimm
.
,
irth Then sh e .
rele n ted .
Well ifyou w ill be so good she s aid spe akin g

reluctan tly for the ben efi t o f the Dam
, , ,
sel an d
slippi n g her dain ty fin gers through his armshe le d
,
h imaway determ in ed t o be reve n ged upo n himfor

I f she did n t give h ima dan ce sh e
,
al l th at
’
certain ly led hima dan ce for the n ext twe n ty

.
,
min utes or so
At the e n d o f th at tim
.
e h avin g en joye d hersel f

b eyon d m e asur e sh e cam
,
e up wi th Dorothy w h o
, ,
TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. . 1 47
was stan din g somewhat within shadow in the outer

h all .
Not dan cin g Dorothy ? s aid she , Why .

,
where are your feet child Do yo u kn ow tha t

morn in g is breakin g an d that pleasure is b e gin n in g
.
,
to loose his hold o f the hel m What do yo u

,
mopin g here ?
,
”
I hardly kn ow return ed D orothy who w as

B ut I mafraid th at
, ,
looki n g un e asy Oh ’
B essy I amafraid he is very bad to n ight

.
,
Her eyes were m

.
,
ore expressive than her words

erred to follow th e m
,
an d Lady Bessy wisely pre f .
They led her to a group at the upper e n d o f the

hall n e ar the door which stoo d ope n
, , .
It con siste d o f Mrs V e re ke r an d St Joh n .

,
.
,
Farquh ar an d the H o n Fran cis The latter w as

, . .
n ot ex actly dr un k b ut he h ad evide n tly t ake n

en ough to let loo se within himthe Devil th at
,
possessed h im Neith er Lady Bes sy n or Dorothy

.
had heard wh at had j ust bee n s aid b ut they co uld

see Mrs V e re ker shri n k away fro mher h usban d
,
.
,
an d un f
, or tun ately the step she took led her to St
, .
John s side It w as the last straw the on e thin g

’
wan ted to drive V e re ke r s s m

.
,
o ulderin g an ger in to ’
flam e The evil passion the un certain j ealo usy

.
, ,
th at all n ight lon g h ad lai n ran klin g in his bre ast

stirred within himan d grew full of li fe
,
Do yo u m
.
,
e an to stay here in defin itely ? he s aid

savagely AmI to con sider m y self well rid o f
m
.
yo u Do yo u choose hi for y o ur Whe n he
had got so far as tho ugh even as ham

, ed o f himsel f ,
he st opp e d short an d goin g up to his w i fe laid his

, , ,
—
10 2
. .
han d with a wicked grip upon her soft roun de d arm .
She did n ot even flin ch though the cruel fin gers ,
s un k deep in to her fle sh ; an d on ly th at her fac e

grew whiter she showed n o sign o f an y feelin g
,
whatsoever
St John with a swi ft m ovem en t caught h iman d
.
fl un g hi mb ackwards
.
, ,
He wo ul d h ave fallen b ut
that Farquhar put his arm o ut an d steadied
.
him
have co m
.
O h ! I should e s aid Mrs V ereker

n ot ,
.
,
in an agon ised ton e It w as all she said an d she

.
,
spoke very low St John s eyes were blazin g an d

. .
’
his n os trils dilated .
Take c are ! Take care ! s aid Farquh ar sharply ”
with a glan ce at h imthat we n t o n to Mrs

,
V e re ker an d m
.
e an t a good de al Doro thy at this

mo men t we n t quickly across the hall an d s tood by
.
, ,
, ,
Mrs V e re ker
. .
Hilary it is yo ur o w n hous e she s aid with a ”
Farquh ar in the m e an ti m
, , ,
t o uch o f severity e had

drawn V e r eke r in to a pri vate roo m It h ad b e e n
.
, ,
very q ui e tly don e con sideri n g all thin gs an d the

fe ar o f a p ublic exp os e w as al m
, ,
o st at an e n d
Are yo u goin g ho m e with h im
.
? asked St Joh n .
,
addressi n g Mrs V e re ke r He w as still p ale an d

al m ost trem
. .
,
blin g with un govern able dis gus t an d

fury .
“ Why should yo u Lady Bes sy will be o n ly
too ple ase d to receive yo u for to n ight -
.
Lady Be ssy who he ard thi s tho ugh she w as

herself un see n m
, ,
ade a little f ace She felt sorry

B ut t o co m pro m
.
,
fo r Cecil ise Hilary ! After all

w h o w as th e re she co uld co n s ider be fore him
.
,
TH E H ONOURABLE MR S V E RE RBE
. . 1 49
O r come to m e,
”
said Dorothy ; th at will be
better ”
I shall go hom e with him said Mrs V e reker

.
”
.
,
slowly
crie d Dorothy im
.
B ut why w hy patien tly

Re ally he looks un safe Don t be so i m
.
, ,
po ssible .
’
,
Cecil Do wh at is wi s e st for yo u
Yes That is wh at I m
. .
“
ust do said Mrs
V e re ke r her fac e like m
. .
,
, arble her eyes on th e ,
ro un d I sh all o wherever he oes ”

g g g
At th at m om en t the door o f the roomon their
. .
left open ed an d F arquhar cam , e o ut again with

V e re ke r The latter looked s ubd ued but s ullen
Whatever Farquhar had s aid to himhad brought
. .
himto a se n se o f the fi tn ess o f thi n g s for the

,
momen t
,
“ Are o u re ady ? he s aid to his wi f e

”
in a thick
y
s urly ton e that to the li ste n ers so un ded so o m
, in o us ,
that even Lady Be ssy s he art died within her an d I ’
t hin k h ad it bee n pos sible to do so she wo uld at

this m om
,
e n t have pers uaded Cecil t o s tay ben e ath

her brother s roof ’
Mrs V e reker witho ut an swer m

.
oved toward s the

door an d Farquhar gave her his arm The carriage
.
, ,
w as waiti n g o utside the hor ses i m

.
,
p atie n tly p a win g

,
the gravel He h an ded h e r in to it an d the n

.
, ,
givin g a very n eces sary shove to V e re ke r with as

im pas sive a coun ten an ce as he co uld m
,
an age c on
s ide rin the co n te m pt th at fi lled h im he drew b ack

g
t h e foot m
, ,
an closed th e door an d prese n tly it w as ,
all over s ave fo r the di stan t roll o f the carriage

,
w heels in the d istan ce After a while this to o ceased . .

1 50 TH E H ON OUR AB LE MR S . V E RE K E R.
CHAP TER XIX .
0 D eath al as w hy , w il t t hou do md y ?
e e
Accurs ed b e t hat day w h ich t hat N at lir e

S how m e to be a livin g creat fire
TH E dawn w as j ust breakin g as they re ache d th eir

house Mrs V e reker goin g swiftly through th e
. .
,
h all began to asce n d the staircase with a wild hope

o f reachi n g her roo m
, ,
without i n terruption O n c e
there she m
.
, ight expect peace —of a kin d Leis ure .
to thin k over an d dwell upon an d torture herself

with m em ories o f the sham e the hum
, , ,
iliation to ,
which she had been subj ected P erhaps too there .

, ,
were forbidden thoughts too sweet to be O pen ly ,
allowed an d th at yet wo uld f

, orce their w ay in spite
o f all opposition .
P eace o fan y kin d however w as d e n ied her

See here ! roared V e re ker fromthe foot of th e
.
s taircase Where are yo u goin g I ve a word to ’
m m
.
sa
y to y o u y l ady be fore
, y o u t urn in Co e , .
back here D ye hear .

’
She stopped an d fo r a secon d hesitated Perhaps

poor soul a s udden deter m
.
, ,
in ation to rebel s uggeste d

i tself to her b ut if so it fell dead She cam
,
, e slowly ,
.
down stairs again her lovely face like de ath ,

.
Y o u tho ught better o f it s aid he with a

”
Ha!
Com
, .
fi e n dish gri n e in here He caught h er

han d with an in drawn hissin g bre ath an d alm
. .
os t , ,
flun g her in to the library She staggered an d .
seiz ed hold o f a table to steady herself V ereker .
turn ed an d deliberately locke d th e d oor .

. . 1 51
Now I ll have it out with you he said

’
I don t kn ow what you m

.
,
’
e an said she le an in g ,
”
,
agai n st the table an d p an tin g Gre at He aven ! w as .
there n o help an ywhere

Don t you Yo ull kn ow soon I wan t to learn
’ ’
fro m o u wh at s the m
.
y e an i n g o f you
’
r — f r ie n d s hip
with o ur exceedin gly civil hos t o f to n ight o ur — -
in teresti n g acquain tan ce eh What s the m

— ean i n g ’
o f his att e n tion to you his die away looks his -
sm iles for you an d his frown s fo r m D am

, ,
,
e n
y ou ! cried
”
he with a b urst o f f
, u ry W h y do n t ,
’
y o u spe a k
Wh at is there to say return ed she icily
So m
.
ehow n ow that his in s ults pour ed thick an d fast

upon her s h e w as con scio us of a growi n g calm
,
There s this I sho uted he drum m

.
,
in g with
’
,
brutal drun ken force upon the table again st which

,
she stood un til the table shook an d e ach secon d

see m
, ,
ed to bri n g the stron g hard fi st within reach o f ,
her delicate face That as I h ave you I ll hol d ’
m
.
y o u ! D y e he ar
’
Yo u d go t o hi n
’
o w wo u ld n t ,
’
y o u t o cry an d whi n e fo r s ucco u r ag a i n st the br u te

o fa h usb an d ! Eh Youd go to your lover eh ’
,
He thrust his face so n e ar to hers that she dre w

back a bit
Y ou wi ll be sorry fo r this in the m
.
orn in g she ,
said
I mdrun k you m
.
’
e an But n ot so drun k le t
m
.
, ,
e tell yo u th at I h ave n t bee n u to yo u r oi n gs

’
, p g
on with th at f ellow Do you thi n k I ve been blin d ’
all this tim

.
e That I have n t seen the glan ces that ’
passed betwe en yo u H ah ! m
?
y i m m a cu l ate a n gel ,
1 52 TH E H ONOURABLE MRS V E RE H R E
. .
I
’
m so drown e d in liquor as yousuppose I can
n ot
still s e e m ore than I amin te n ded to see There ;

.
why don t you go to your lover

’
Take your white
face o ut of this I m sick of it Take it to him !
”
’
She m
.
,
ove d towards the door He rose abruptly .

,
an d fol lowin g her caught her an d d rew her b ack
in to the full glare o f the lam

,
p
By Heaven ! If I thought you would take m
.
at m word I d d sh yo li e g i st th t w ll ”
u f u
’
y a r
, o t a a n a a ,
he said I d kill you as soon as I d look at yo u ;

’ ’
so beware Let m
.
ay so on er
, , e o n ce c atch yo u
.
trippin g an d say your last prayer He stood over

h er as he spoke the words com
.
,
in g thickly through
This m
,
his pur ple lips an of good birth o f dece n t
e ducation was partly by n ature (which som etim

.
,
, , es
plays sad pran ks) partly through vice an d gen eral
de m
,
oralization so brutal that he spoke an d acted as

might a costermon ger Roman ce so dear to us (an d
, ,
deservedly so) hides m

.
an y thi n gs : B ut in re al li fe
we shall oft en fin d s uch a deform ity as this .
Now I ve warn ed you he wen t on still le an in g

’
, ,
over her as tho ugh exultin g in his coarse stre n gth

Love himifyo u will
,
that kept her in his power

o r him
.
,
e at yo u r h eart o ut f if it s uits you b ut r e

memb er this that you are m in e an d m
,
in e you sh all
re m Do you hear m
, ,
ai n e
yo u h it o f w ax ? Y ou
bloodless fool ! Not bloodless for himeh on ly to

.
,
—
your husban d Marble to m
,
e
. b ut willin g e n o ugh ,
”
to
She wren ched herself free fromhimbe fore h e
!
could fin ish his sen ten ce an d stood pan tin g be fore

h im
,
w ith cr uel in dign atio n Her white lips parted as .

TH E H O N O URABLE MRS . V E RE K E R . 1 53
tho ugh she woul d speak b ut n o word s cam e She

clen ched her han ds an d stood starin g at himas
.
,
though were power given her she wo uld willin gly

slay h imwith her ow n right h an d It w as a m
, ,
ost
mourn ful thin g to see her pure lovely childlike face
.
thus tran sfigured by p as sion .
O h ! th at I were as stron g as you she s aid in

low v ehem
, en t to n es .
He laughe d ; an d turn in g to the table poured out

an d swallowed a gla ss o f bran dy The spirit acted
like fi re o n tow ; his drun ke n m
.
ood chan ge d an d
grew in to absolute fury
What ! Yo u would d e fy m
.
“
e he said y u
“ o
, ,
y ou I Why see here !

”
He caught her sudden ly an d ben t her b ackward s

an d the n forw ard s sh akin g her violen tly as if to
show his m ram
,
astery over her s l ight f e an d the n

with a brutal burst o f rage dashed her fromhim
, ,
She cam
.
,
e heavily again s t a bookcase b ut her ,
sen ses did n o t desert her an d she stood erect clin gin g
to it desperately For a m om
,
. en t she thought he w as
goin g to kill her an d she grew sick an d fain t ; b ut
the action seem e d to have partly sobered himan d
,
he m
,
ade n o f urther advan ce toward s her A slight

touch o f sham
.
e grew o n his face

There go to bed he said roughly He m
.
, ,
”
oved .
to on e side an d she we n t slowly towards the d oor

, .
As she wen t she staggered

I didn t m
.
’
ean t o hurt you he said in a dogge d , ,
an gry to n e Here ! drin k this be fore yo u go ”

. .
He held out to her a glass o f win e an d seein g sh e

m
,
ade n o e ffort to take it thrust it in to her han d

, .
1 54 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. .
She held it for a m om en t an d then d eliberately ,
dropped it o n th e floor The glass broke in t o a

thousan d fragm
. .
en ts She raised her head an d

looked himfull in the face for fully a m
.
in ute very
stran gely Som
,
ethin g in that lon g in ten se gaze

discon certed him As she wen t o ut an d closed the
.
,
door behi n d her he bre athed m

.
ore freely
She devil ! I ll tam
, .
-
e her yet he s aid between
’
,
”
,
his teeth .
He wen t back to the bran dy an d dran k stead ily

un til the cal mp allor o f the e arly d awn h ad grown
i n to cle arer d aylight The n he threw him . self
he avily on a loun ge an d dropped in to a sleep that
w as al m
,
ost in sen sibility He woke about t e n

o clock ran g for m
.
’
ore bran dy an d after that fell
At two he roused him self an d m
, ,
asleep again ade
a prete n ce at e ati n g som ethin g b ut m

.
ore as an
e xcuse to get down m
,
ore bran dy than fo r an ythin g

else . Hardly three solid m orsels p assed his
lips
He w as subject to these attacks o f the d em
.
on w h o
over n ed himan d f or a day or so m eti m es two or
g , ,
three would drin k con tin uously n ay raven ously

un til on the very borders o f deliri um
, , , ,
; o n ce or
t wice in dee d he h ad over stepped those bo un ds -
As a rule these attacks cam

, , .
e on aft er a period o f
forced abstin en ce an d he had kep t hi m self pretty
steady for the b all at The Chase For m
,
on ths
together som etim
.
es he woul d go on drin kin g hard ,
c e rtain l v b ut rarely gettin g beyo n d the sott ish stat e

,
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K ER
. . 1 55
of stupidity that n ow characterised himan d th en

would com e a ti me when he revolted fromall e ffort
,
at respectability an d would
g ive hi mse lf u p a w illi ng
prey to his torm

,
en tor .
Shortly after his preten ce at lun cheon h e sen t

for Cecil s m aid an d asked where her m
,
’
istress w as
Th e girl who h ad been a s uffi cien tly lon g ti m
.
,
e in
the house to un derstan d his m oods said pro m
,
ptly
th at her m
,
istress h ad go n e for a walk in the groun ds ,
though she h ad j ust le ft her lyin g down in her o w n

room She w as particularly attached to Cecil an d
thus sought to shield her fromwhat m
.
,
i ght prove a
scen e V ere ker believed her an d on ce m
. ore s an k
,
back on his loun ge .
The day wore o n an d n o o n e called For this

, .
Cecil w as devoutly than kful She felt that if

Dorothy or St John had co m
.
e she co uld n ot have

seen them A very agon y o f s ham
.
,
e degradation
an d m isery w as overwhelm
.
, ,
in g her They h ad b e en
witn esses o fth at m
, .
ost di sgraceful scen e in the hall

at The Ch ase but she felt too a s tho ugh they m us t
thro ugh som e occult m
,
ean s be aware o f th e horrible

,
orde al through which she h ad pass ed o n her return

hom e .
Her shoulder hurt her terribly She had been .
flun g with crashin g force agai n st the sharp edge o f

the bookcase an d all her ten der flesh w as bruised
, ,
an d w as eve n n o w be gi n n in g to grow black She .
had thought of n othi n g else b ut o fV e r e ke r s co n d uct

’
towards her an d her utter po w erless n ess to e s cap e

fromhimal l thro ugh her sleepless n ight ; but
,
s tran ge to say n o tears h ad rise n o ut of her desperate

1 56 O
TH E H O N URABLE MRS V E RE K E R . .
m
usi n g She sat an d — — —
bro od ed dry eye d sure
on ly o fthis th at the worst w as n o t yet co m
.
e
She kn ew her h usb an d well by this tim
.
,
e She
had certain ly m
.
— ay God help al l s uch — suflic ie n t
cause to do so There w as m ischief l urkin g s till

within himan d soon er or later it wo uld bre ak o ut
.
She would be the victimof it She dre aded th e

.
,
approachin g din n er ho ur with a horrible si n ki n g o f
her heart that would n ot be subdue d .
With a view to rousin g herself to help her failin g ,
courage she fl un g a shawl over her shoulders an d

, ,
toward s even in g wen t in to the ope n air She walked .
swiftly as ifhopin g exertio n wo uld brace her n erves

b ut after h alf an ho ur s e ager p urs uit o f m
, ,
- -
en tal
’
stren gth she ackn owledged that she had gain ed

,
n othin g by this rapid walk .
Sh e h ad in d eed s uffere d on e further sho c k

Am on gst the shrubberies she h ad espied a m
.
, ,
an peer
at her thro ugh the lac ed bo ughs — a m an with an

in
g
un dyin g r an cour in his eyes
It w as Black San dy She could n ot m istake him
.
She kn ew he had bee n rele ased fromthe prison

.
whither her husban d as m agistrate h ad se n t him som e
tim e sin ce an d th at his depredation s as an ae co m

sh e d po acher h ad bee n as n um
, ,
p l i ero us as ever in s it e
p
e she re m em
, ,
o fhis t aste o fj ail li f bered th at day lon g

a o whe n he h ad i n s ulted her — th at day when S t
g
John h ad be e n al m
.
o st a stran ger to her (how o dd

—
th at n ow soun ded ) an d a quick se n se o f fear drove
her back to th e ho use In deed her n erves were all
The m
.
,
un strun g an s f ace h aun ted her as s h e took

’
h e r ho m Som
.
,
e w ard w ay What was th e re in it

. e
. . 1 57
thin g beyon d a com mon an ger There w as de

term
.
in ation settled purpose an un chan geable

patien ce a waitin g for som
, ,
ethin g that w as bo un d
to com
.
,
e .
It puzzled her an d distressed her in a vague w ay

, ,
an d it w as with a sen se o f relie f she o n ce agai n
en tere d her ow n room What w as the m an waiti n g
What h ad she don e to h imthat he should

.
fo r ,
look at her so stran gely

All other tho ughts however were prese n tly
swallowed up in the fear that her husb an d m
, ,
ight
p u t i n an appe aran ce at din n er She d id n o t dar e
sen d down word that she would n ot co m
.
e as were , ,
he s ufi cie n tly recovered to din e in public he would

n ot s ub m
,
it to her absen ce b ut wo uld in sist on her

com
,
i n g down stairs O n ce before there had been

.
un ple asan tn ess arisin g o ut o f her desire fo r solitude

—un ple asan tn ess o f so m arked a n atur e that she did
n o t care to risk a repetitio n o f it .
Slowly the dayli ght died ; the gold an d blue of

the m orn in g had deepe n ed in to grey an d n o w at th e ,
last darkn ess fell upon the lan d It fell upon her
heart too when her m
.
aid told her th at M r V e re ke r
was in the drawi n g room She rose precipitately

, , .
when the m
.
aid s aid this an d go t he rsel f in to her
gown in haste a pretty creamcoloured dress th at

,
— -
gave an addition al ch armto her be auty though she

w as j ust n o w too distre s s ed in m
,
in d to thin k o f
—
e ffect o f an y sort an d h urried down s tairs She .
w as a l ittle late b ut on e gl an ce at V e re ke r t old her

,
this fact would pass un n oticed

He m an aged to get i n to the di n i n g roomh o w
.
-
,
. .
ever without assistan ce an d sat all through dinn er

, ,
quite quiet save for a lur ch n o w an d again or a call

for ch am
, ,
pagn e This latter he sipped slowly as if

or it an d fin ally a sked on e of the m
.
,
n o t carin g f , en
for bran dy a gl ass o f which he threw in to the

t um
,
bler of H eidsec k that stood at his elbow

P l ain ly the cham
.
,pagn e w as too weak to grati fy his

heated p al ate
He deliberately helpe d him
.
self to every dish ,
e n t ree s an d all b ut t ho ugh he played with what he

,
with difi c ril ty placed on his plate he ate n othin g , .
Mr s V e re ke r at the head o f the table ate j us t as

much Her brain seemed on fire What would the
.
, ,
. .
e n d o f it all be
Fromti m e to tim e she gl an ce d at himan d som e

thin g sin gularly m
,
align in his n at urally b ad c o un te
n an ce m ade her fe ar a bre ak out l ater on She sat-
al m ost m
.
otion less un til dessert bein g on the table

the m e n retir ed an d she w as le ft alo n e with hi m
, ,
A hal f form ed n otion of callin g on e o f themback

, .
as a sort of protection occurred to her b ut whilst
she puzzled over an excuse to do so the m

,
an w as ,
gon e an d the door closed

,
.
She had see n the bran dy he had asked for an d

taken an d though with m an y throes o f re m orse
an d horror h ad hoped he wo uld take m ore an d m
, ,
,
ore
un ti l he s an k in to in se n sibility P oor so ul ! She .
h ad le arn ed to hope fo r wh at h appy wives wo ul d

have shrun k fromin an guish an d d espair .
He was lookin g t erri bly sodd en an d disgustin g ;

his hair hun g dam ply on his forehe ad an d o n e o f ,
his sleeve l in ks had n o t bee n faste n e d The c ufl

'
- .
TH E H ON OURAB LE MRS V E RE H RE . . 1 59
hun g wide open so that the fat white armin side

, ,
could be seen
This see m ed to trouble h im All through d in n er
.
he h ad m ade abort ive atte m

.
pts to faste n it an d n o w
when the m
,
e n were gon e an d he an d she were alo n e
an d sile n ce deep as de ath h un g over th e roo mhe

,
began o n ce again to fum

,
ble with the refractory l in k

Again it failed himslippin g thro ugh his palsied
.
ers w ith a persisten cy th at see m

,
fin g ed to his dull
brain dem on iac an d created in hima desire for
,
con quest
“ Com e here an d faste n this d am
.
n ed th i n g he
’
called to his wif e in a broke n in distin ct voice

She un derstood himhowever Practice had m
.
,
ade
perfect She rose fro mher seat an d cam

, .
e up to
h im
.
,
an d let her delicate fi n gers un dertake the t as k
com man ded But though she could con tro l her
movemen ts the soul within her would n ot be
.
sile n ced an d the t errible shrin kin g disgust an d

, ,
hatred that betrayed itself o n her face w as writte n

there in letters o f fire .
Thro ugh all his drun ke n n ess he saw it

It offen ds yo u to to uch m
.
e eh said b e with a
Y ou shrin k fromm
,
wicked sn arl e Y o u thin k

me the very devil eh I ll give truth to that
. .
Som
,
—
tho ught of your s be fore I die e expres sion .
in her frighten ed face caught his s en s e s an d str uck

him wron gly
Ah ah ! Youd l augh at m
.
, y
’
de ath wo uld n t ,
’
y ou
’
Two u ld be a rele ase eh ? an d le ave
y o u fre,e
to join your lover Why cur s e y ou I cried he

ro mhis chair an d staggeri n g towards her as
.
, ,
risin g f
1 60 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE H R E . .
sh e backed in a terrifie d m an n er away from h im

D ye thin k I wan t yo u Co m
.
’
e ! I ll show you ’
what I m e an I ll have n o wan ton in m

.
y ho u se !
O ut yo u go an d m
.
, a
y the d evil pro sper
y o u
He flun g back the shutters an d open ed the broad ,
win dow ; the n catchin g her swun g her through it

, ,
o n to the gravel be n e ath the w i n dow sill b e in g on ly -
oot or t w o fromthe groun d

,
a f
Now dam
.
n yo u ! go to perditio n yo ur o w n
he shouted slam med down the win dow again

,
w ay ! ,
an d b an ged the sh utters thus leavi n g her alon e in ,
t he c ol d darkn e s s o f the n ight o uts ide .
J IIAP TE R
‘
XX .
G o d w ot , l ov e an d I be far as un der ;
I mdi p d b t my I g
a s os e e so a o
m m m
,
U y d t h
n to p l d k ea to a an a e w o e.
”
FO R wh ile she w as con scious on ly o f a thr ill

a
in g se n s e o f re li e f The swe et n i ght win d ble w

.
upon her he at e d forehe ad ; s h e w as alon e No

lo n ger co uld she se e that bloated m
.
alig n an t sottis h , ,
face !
She stood tre m blin g viole n tly an d lean in g
, ,
ag ai n st the w all b ut h ardly co n s c io us o f what h ad

,
re ally h app e n e d Then slowly by degree s th e

truth cam
.
, , ,
e to h e r sh e h ad be e n fl un g o ut o fdoors
by that brute wi thin ! That b rute who w as ye t ,
h e r h usban d She h ad b e e n spoke n to addre ss ed

tre ate d as though she were the verv scumof t he
, ,
TH E H ONOURABLE MRS V E R E H RE
. . 1 61
ea rth .
—
She she I Not an o the r wom an b ut she ,
herself!
She looked down at her h an ds as if to con vin c e
h e rself an d the n ran h e r fi n ger l ightly ye t feve r
ishly up an d down her b are arm The n all at o n c e
,
th e whole e n orm
.
, ,
ity o f th e thi n g fl ashed upon her

an d a wild stormo f p as sio n s w ept over her
,
It .
shook h e r frail body an d blan ched her cheek but it ,
gave brigh tn ess to her eye She stood up as though .
stron g in herself an d disdain in g further the s upport

,
o f the wall an d swore to h e r s e l f th at as he h ad
don e to her so would she do to him He h ad cast

, ,
.
,
h e r forth he had ab an do n e d her— sh e wo uld n ever

,
re turn .
But where to go ? The n ight in spite o f its ,
beauty w as cold e n ough It w as eleven o clock an d ’
ro mthe we st Her arm

.
, ,
a chill win d ble w f s her

b oso mw as bare an d there w as n o coverin g n e arer
. ,
than the house an d that she h ad told herself she

,
would n o t re e n te r -
.
W here to go ! In stin ctive ly her tho ughts turn ed

t o St John
. H e w o uld help her
. He w o uld tell .
her what to do It w as a lon g walk there b ut sh e

gave n o thought to di stan c e in her the n wild m
.
,
o od
an d m
, ,
o vin g ac ro s s t h e g ar de n e n te red the wo od o n

,
her right that led by a p ath she kn ew to The

Chase .
As she ran e agerly o n ward s looki n g like the

wraith o f so m
,
e forlorn thin g in her light flo ati n g

gown she re m em bere d w hat St John had s aid to
her an d so m e c ourage cam e wi th the m em
.
,
,
ory .
When or if ever she w as in trouble she w as to

, , ,
11
1 62 TH E H ON OUR ABLE MR S V E RE K E R
. .
co m e to him! He would be ready to take h er part

to de fe n d her again st the world She w as sur e of
h im She did n o t eve n won der what the help w as
.
he would offer she tho ught on ly o f his power to

,
h e lp h er an d a stron g e ager desire for reven ge

o n th e m an who m
, ,
she hated welled up in her heart , .
S t John wo uld see that she w as ave n ged !

.
Her n erves were quiverin g her h e art throbbin g

with a pain ful haste She who had bee n the m
,
ost
patie n t of m
.
,
ortals n ow d w elt on ly on a lo n gin g fo r

,
retrib ution It is hard to be patien t when the fi rst

.
fl ush o f a vile wron g is stron g upon us ; it is on ly

later when the woun d is he alin g an d m erci ful
Ti m
, ,
e is perfecti n g its cure an d we are b e gin n in g t o

,
forget th at we tell o urselves at l ast th at we gro w

c al man d forgivin g o fttim es m
,
— istakin g apathy for

pardon
The m oon cam e slowly fro mbehin d the b an ks o f
.
cloud that up to this had di m med its glory Weird

m
.
g li pses o f it fell thro ugh the overh an gin g bran che s
that form ed a n et work above her head A fe w star s

-
.
studded th e he aven s The soft sweet dew o fn i gh t

cl un g to her n aked arm
.
,
s a s she sped swi ftly o n wards .
She w as n o t cold n ow she w as con scious o f

n othin g b ut an over m
,
asteri n g d e s ire to re ach S t
John No tho ugh t o f love for h imw as in her he art

.
. ,
n o t e n der s urety o f a love return ed It w as on ly

safety she see m
.
ed to be seekin g an d a w ay o ut o f ,
her troubles that had grown greater than sh e

,
could be ar .
The stron g deep bracken with its odour o f eart h

an d o f al l thin gs gree n m
,
ade a so f t r ustl in g as sh e
,
TH E H ON OURABLE M RS V E R E H RE
. . 1 63
pa sse d thr ough it ; o n ce a dark thin g spran g up

ben eath her feet an d fled like a Spirit away It w as
a tim id brown cre ature a hare yet for the m om
.
en t
The m usic o f a stre am
,
it startled her —that on e

sleepless thin g cam
.
— e to her through all the drowsy

n oises o f the n ight f allin g with a se n se of rest upon
,
her brain .
The win d had al together died away A won derful .
still n e s s reig n ed .
H ard overhead the hal lit f -

c r es cen t sw im s,
The t en der-c ol oure d n ight draw s hardly breath ,

”
The n ight is l is te n in g .
Her steps began to grow a little slower it sud

de a ly appear e d t o her th at she had co m
,
e a lon g ,
l on g w ay an d with the sen se o f growin g fatigue

cam e a sharp terrible thought It m
,
ust be late ; .
—
suppose he should be gon e to bed that she could
n ot see him
Her bre ath cam e sh arply She felt as though .
she could n ot live out the n ight witho ut speaki n g

to h im An d if if so cruel a thi n g s hould happe n
.
,
as th at this w alk o f hers sho uld be in v ai n what ,
w as she to do Go back again All thro ugh this

aw f ul slum — —
b e rin g sile n ce alon e worn o ut in so ul
an d body !
A sen s ation of fain tn ess crept over her as she

dwelt on it N0 she coul d n ot go back Fate
.
,
.
could n ot so e n tirely have ab an don ed her She fel t

that she w as trem
.
blin g an d growi n g icy cold ; an d

,
s o gre at w as her reli e f whe n o n turn in g a cor n er , ,
sh e s udde n ly thro ugh the terrible darkn ess saw ,
—
,
11 2
. .
lights shin in g in the library win do w s o f The Ch as e

— t he roo m —
where he always sat at n ight th at for
a m om en t her n erve gave w ay an d she san k shiver ,
in g upo n the trun k o f a falle n tree clo s e by

It w as on ly a m om
.
e n tary weakn ess however ,

.
With a re n ewal of hope she spran g to her fe et an d , ,
gain in g the b alco n y steps began eagerly to ascen d

them
,
Th e re w as a slight fire b urn in g in the library

grate an d St John his armo n the m an t e l i e c e
p
stood looki n g m
.
, , ,
oo dily i n to it L ady Be ssy an d all

the other guest s h ad le ft that m
.
orn i n g so that h e
w as in a m
,
e as ure e n tirely alon e Lady Be s sy wit h

Lady Eus tace Fe n m
.
,
ore h ad run up to town for a

,
day or two escor ted by Blair an d o n e or two other

o f the m e n ; the rest h ad p ass ed the m
,
selves o n to
various other co un try h o uses .
St John had bee n rather glad o f their goi n g It

gave himlib e rty to dwell on the o n e con sum
. .
in g
tho ught o f his life on C e c il V e re ke r All day h e
, .
h ad let his love for h e r hold full s w ay an d h ad

lin gered w ith a p ass ion ate fon dn e ss over this s m
,
ile
that word a to uch of the h an d a glan ce fro mt h e
,
melan choly eyes that he could n ot but see brighten ed

, ,
fo r him
,
alon e .
How yo un g she w as how defen s el e ss ! That last

,
s ce n e at the close of his d an c e h ad q uicke n e d both

, ,
his love for her an d his fe ar He had spe n t a .
terrible n ight after she had gon e b ut n ext day

th t m om
,
a in
g
—h ad n o t d ar e d fo r her s a
,
k e t o ca l l ,
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE H R E
. . 1 65
at V e reke r He had n ot m
Court . istaken the ex
pression of her husban d s eyes as they caught his ’
n or the evil m
, ,
e an in g o f his hal f uttered words -

.
How stran gely thin gs were ordered If she had .
been his his w ife ! How he woul d have adored

, ,
prized treas ured her An d that devil ! th at brute !

he treated her as though she were on ly m
.
,
ade to be
trodden on by him
If she h ad bee n his I This thought see m
.
e d to
c lin g to h im as he sat in his library alon e with the
lam ps lighted an d the s m

,
all b ut cosy fi re th at
effectually killed the slight suspicion ofd am

, ,
p in the
air b urn ed cheerily upon the he arth
, With all the .
t e n der folly o f a lover he h ad drawn a little d ai n ty

,
s ati n lin ed ch air close to his o w n f

- avouri te lo un e
g
an d h ad pictured her to hi m
,
self as sittin g in it ,
gazin g silen tly happily at the glowin g logs han d

in h an d with h imperh aps to o m
, , ,
, uch at pe ac e at, ,
touch with e ach other to care fo r c on versation

He grew alm
, .
ost to thin k she w as r ea lly in that

pretty chair ; dress ed all in w hite as he loved to
see her : His wife ! P erhaps the m
,
other of his
children .
A log had fallen with a crash in to the fire The .
sparks flew upwar ds with a little roar ; the vi sion

fad e d the ch air w as e m pty
He rose an d pushed it fromthe hearthrug an d
.
,
starin g at the fire told hi m sel f that all s uch dream

, ,
in g w as but van ity she wo ul d n ever com e to him

,
she would n ever

A slight n oise at on e ofthe win dows startled him
For a m m
.
H e raise d his head o en t his h eart failed

.
. .
hi mH that fellow m
ad urdere d her at last Was
that her ghost looki n g in at him
.
He strode forward an d fl un g open the win dow

an d drew her in o ut o f the gro w i n g m
,
i sts of the
n igh t .
CHAPTER XXI .
F or all that co m m by
es , co es n ec ess it
y;
i i m
”
Thus, to b e l orn , t y d s es t in y.
SH E ca me in very quietly b ut he kn ew of course

that som
,
ethin g had h appen ed She w as very p ale

an d her dark eyes were gle am
.
,
in g the lovely red

mouth was parted an d her breath came through it
,
in little n ervo us gasps Her han ds w ere as cold as

.
death
Y o u youI he h ad s aid at the fi rst m om
.
“
, en t of
un con querable s urprise ; b ut when he had felt her
han ds he said n othi n g m
,
ore un til he h ad drawn her
close to the fi re an d placed her in that very chair
he h ad been givin g to her in i m a in at io n h al f an
g
hour ago .
What h as he don e ? he asked then in a low ”
stern ton e The stern n ess w as m

, ,
. ean t for V ereke r ;

but in her un strun g state it fri ghten ed her She
held out on e han d to h imappe alin gly with a little
.
piti able expression in her eyes He k n el t down .
beside her an d took the han d an d chafe d it betwee n

,
his own
Y ou are frozen ! May Go d forgive him h e
.
”
,
TH E H ON O URABLE MR S . V E RE H R E . 1 67
sa id broken ly Go on ; tell m e wh at has h ap

.
p en e d ”
She told h imas briefly as she could She did

.
n o t cry ; she see m e d to hersel f to spe ak al m

.
,
ost
callously B ut she forgot how her face spoke for
her Misery w as im
.
prin ted upo n it

So I cam
. .
e to yo u she said ”
St John got up an d wen t back to the m

, .
. an tel
piece .
If eve n Bessy were he re he s ai d , .
Why ! Where is she ? asked Cecil in a ”

,
startled ton e .
Go n e to to wn for a day or two Great He aven

o n e wo uld thi n k th at m
.
is fortun e pur s ued yo u B ut .
don t let that distre ss yo u I shall

’
.
I don t care in terrupted sh e recklessly She

’ ”
got up fro mthe ch air o n which she w as sittin g an d

.
,
wen t t o an other o n e n e ar the ce n tre table With

a m
.
iserable ab an don she thre w her lovely n aked

arm s upon this t able an d l e t her head fall on
them
,
What does it m
.
att e r abo ut an ythin g she s aid

Im tired of it all I mworn out I wish I were
.
’ ’
. .
dead
She did n ot speak with excite m
.
en t ; b ut slowly
in a lifeless fashion that se n t each word ho m
,
e , .
“
Non se n se ! s aid he roughly a sharp pan g at”
,
his hear t Don t t alk like that That is what ’
m
. .
an
y f ool ight s a
y whe n the w orld we n t a littl e bit
wron g Besides there isn t a word of truth in it ’
No o n e eve r yet hon estly wished him

. .
,
selfin the grave

Com
.
e sit up .
”
. .
He l aid his h an d h e avily upon her shoul der an d

sh e ob e yed himl i f
,
ti n g her h e ad an d lean in g b ack

,
in her ch air Ever sin ce she h ad reached h er go al

a ch an e h ad c o m m
.
,
g e over her The w ild exci t e e n t .
h ad d ie d an d o n ly a certai n ty o f the hopeles s n e s s

,
o f h er po si tio n h ad stay e d w ith her A fter al l .

,
wh at c ould St John wh at could a n yon e do for her

.
,
She w as bo un d irrevocably to h er h usban d an d ,
D e ath al on e could be her saviour .
Well slo w ly,

”
The n I w on t say it B ut I ll
.
’
.
’
tell yo u w hat I s ha ll s ay an d this at l e ast is true , , , .
I w i sh he w as de ad ! No ! I do n t c are w heth e r it ’
is w i ck e d or n ot I w ish with all m

— y so ul he w a s
de ad !
”
She spran g to her feet an d presse d her han ds

a ain st her br e ast
g .
“ I thin k “ f
she s aid i I on ce kn ew I sh oul d
n ever see himagain my heart wo uld b urst my
, ,
bosomfor very joy

,
”
.
Y o u don t kn o w wh at yo u are s ayi n g began

’
,
St o hn
7
I d o An d I amgl ad to h ave said it for on ce

I h ave alw ays wan t ed to say it fromthe first hour
.
, .
I should like to kill hi m

,
in which we were wed ded .
on ly
She broke off abr uptly an d the glitter faded o ut ,
o fher eyes le avi n g a t o uc h o f horror in ste ad
Y ou will h ate m
.
,
e she said But with a ” ”
lon g he art broken s gh so et es I feel alm

m m
,
.
,
i - i os t
m rst tim
,
—
,
a d Hil ary — un co n s ci o usly

”
fo r the fi e
—she c alled himby his Christian n am
. ,
e an d slowly
s tep by step sh e drew n e ar e r to h im
, ,
, Must I go .
TH E H O N O URABLE MR S . V E RE K E R .
back to him Is there n o w ay out of it There

w as absolute agon y in her gl an ce I have ho m e
so m uch m
.
— ust it go on for ever O h try to

thin k o f so m em ean s o f escape .
”
Her eyes were b urn i n g in to his she put out o n e

han d an d l aid it im
,
plorin gly upon his sleeve

A shiver ran through St Joh n He gazed al m
.
ost
vacan tly at the sm all clin gi n g fi n gers as a very t e m
. .
pest o f passion swayed his soul

In a sort o f d um
.
b fashio n he tri e d to realize th at

this tem ptation had com e to himthrough her who ,
h ad n o kn owled ge o f what she w as doi n g an d that ,
therefore doubly it should be resisted ; but his

b
heart cried o ut for her an d wo uld n ot be sile n c e d .
Surely there w as a w ay ! He co uld lift her o ut

o f al l her tro ubles An d she wo uld go with h im
He did n ot for a m om en t doubt that He m
. .
ight
n ay he co uld m
.
,
ake her so e n tirely h appy th at this
prese n t tort ure wo uld fade fromher m em ory like a

b ad dre amfor he kn ew what as yet she s carcely
—
kn ew—that she loved him
,
—
An d then h e looked d o wn i n to the uplifte d
lovely face the cle ar eyes an d the un ble m ished
soul that sh on e thro ugh theman d he told hi m
, ,
self
it w as i m
,
pos sible Better an ythin g th an the cr uel

.
,
d ull awake n in g to the fact o f hon our gon e o f every

s w eete st feelin g e m
,
bittered Wo uld she live whe n

it cam
.
e t o t h at
—
Still to give her back To actually de liberat ely
.
,
thrust her g i i to
a a n n t h e f a —
power o th t brute that
in carn ate villain ! His fi n gers clos ed tightly over
the tr e m blin g h an d that turn e d its pal mgladly
,
1 70 TH E H ON O URABLE MR S V E RE H R E
. .
upward s an d clun g to his an d on ce again Satan

held h im
,
Have you ever thought o f a w ay ? he asked ,
hoarsely rapidly be n din g over her

s aid she m
.
, ,
—
Oh n o n o o urn fully shakin g her
It w as because I co uldn t that I cam
, , ,
head e to ’
o u wo uld k n ow o f so m
.
y o u I w as s ure
y ethi n g
— t hat yo u wo uld be able to help m
.
”
e .
Her lips quivered her eyes filled with tears she

gazed at himhope fully ye t with all the chi ldish
, ,
es t charm
,
a ban do n th at w as o n e o f her chie f s It

con q uered h im He told hi m
.
. self he would be a
very devil to betray such un con scio usn ess as
that .
—
Well I can n ot he s aid sharply brutally as
it see m ed to hi m
, , ,
s e lf There is n o w ay ”
At that she be gan to c ry sile n tly m

. .
iserably yet
, , ,
with a sobbi n g sig h here an d there as tho ugh she

were worn o ut H ad heave n an d e arth both
.
deserted her
She laid her head down upon his should er the ,
pretty di shevelle d head th at the n ight breeze had -
played with an d the t e ars fell slowly helplessly

, ,
down her cheeks There was n t t h e fain test s us

.
’
ic io n o f p as sion in the actio n or an ide a o f sof te n

p
in g himo n ly a se n se o f tr ust an d a forlorn givin g
,
up o f all hope —
If he failed if he co uld s uggest t o
.
her n o w ay o ut o f her diflic ultie s all w as in deed ,
over !
His o wn eyes re m ai n ed dry b ut his lips
gre w
har d an d stemas m
,
i ght the lips o f o n e suppre s

His arm
,
sin g de adly p ai n s closed roun d her

.
,
TH E H O N O UR ABLE M RS V E RE K E R . . 1 71
however an d he drew her to h iman d held h er

, ,
so witho ut a word What w as it he c o uld say

.
P resen tly un able to he ar tho s e cr uel he art

broke n sobs an y lon ger he p ut her fro mhim
, ,
, ,
holdi n g her still but with han ds that held h e r

,
sho ulders with a he avy press ure

Cecil this is m
.
ad n ess he said Thin k thin k ”
There w as som
, , .
, ,
for he aven s s ake ethin g so strai n ed

”
’
.
,
so un n atural in his voice that it startled her i n to a

s udden calm She glan ced at himwith frighte n ed
,
eyes that hurt him! A t errible pan g shot

.
e ye s ,
through his he art an d h e felt as tho ugh he were a

an th at m
,
g re ater br u te th an at V e re ke r s Co ur t
’
.
My darlin g don t look like th at he cried tr ust’ ”
me still Take heart I will fin d some w ay presen tly

, ,
.
, ,
b ut j ust n o w He broke o ff feelin g how power ,
le ss to help were his words an d how terrible his in ,
ability to in terf ere My poor child ! My poor

“
.
darlin g ! Cecil ! Wh at ca n I do ? ”
“ Nothi n ! I see th at n o w N o o n e c an help

g
me But at first I thought It w as foolish but
.
— —
It is a gre at dis appoin tm
.
en t Do yo u thin k I co uld .
run away she asked s udden ly doubtfully , .
“ No no What co uld yo u do O n e re ads o f

such thin gs but it is really i m
, .
— po s sible ; you are

too youn g ”
But yo u m ight help m

.
e .
That is j ust the o n e thin g I can t do s aid he ’
Yo u m
, ,
t urn in g very p ale ust kn ow Cecil th at

for a m an to help a wom
.
, ,
an to le ave her h usb an d
m ean s in the world in which we live m

,
— L e an s
“ Yes I h ve he rd said she But she spoke ”
a, a , .
1 72 TH E H ON OURAB LE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
lis tl essly, though the opin ion s of th e world were

as
o f little m om en t She see m ed however to se e

t hat there was n o use in an y further argum
.
, ,
en t
what amI to do n ow ? she asked
.
“ Well ”
, ,
p rese n tly with an air o f utter we ari n ess Y ou
can n ot help m I amfors aken by all M ust I go

.
,
hom H om e wh at a m
. .
e , ockery it is ! ”
Yes yes ; an d at on ce ! said St John with ”
Yo u m
.
, ,
en ergy . ust l eave this be fore it is kn own

that you have bee n here ”
She looked at h im
.
At o n ce n er vo usly Oh
so m e tim e o f co urse To m
.
,
no ! orro w when t h e -
light dawn s but n o t n ow Let m

.
,
, e wai t un til
.
No N ow I with a d ecision he felt to be

”
abo m in able But there w as so m

.
. ethin g about her

that forbid the thought o f hesitation o f an y kin d
She to whomevil w as un kn own sho uld be kept
.
fromevil
, ,
An d who shoul d be her best g uard ian

.
b ut he who w as her truest lover ?

But why Why can t I stay here un til the ’
light com es It w as plain n ow that she w as

begin n in g to thin k himexcee din gly un kin d
Im im
.
possible h e s aid
,
”
p atien tly grow in g, ,
t ow ards his wits e n d I f it

’
w as. discovere d — if
”
he on ce kn ew o f it .
“ B ut he can n ot hear N0 on e kn ows s ave you

an d m
.
e I can sit here can t 1 un til the day ’
dawn s ? an d then creep o ut an d hom

.
, ,
e an d n o on e , ,
the wiser He will be asleep then with a shudder ”
“ Yo u m
.
, .
ust n o t p ass the n ight here s aid he ”

, ,
very p ale
O h ! Ifyou will n ot let m She rose from

.
e her
TH E H O NO URABLE MR S . V E RE K ER . 1 73
e t
s a ,gry reproach in her eye s
an I shan t go to .
’
V e re ke r Co urt however she said defian tly I”
S he will n ot t urn m
, , .
sh all go to Dorothy
”
e o ut
Why do you speak to m exclai m

. .
e like that ? ed
he flushin g crim son —
Can t you se e can t you ’ ’
un derst an d how it is with m

.
,
e Wh y will yo u
com l m e to expl ain ? Do n t u k ow th t f I ’
p e y o n a i
did n t thi n k o f your good n am e n ow n ow when
’
ave appe ale d to m

, ,
y o u h e fo r help I should be th e ,
gre ates t blackguard on the face o f the earth

Som ethin g in his ton e in his expression betrayed ,
all to her —
His love a kn owledge of her position
.
a k n owle dge too of the world s cruelty ; an d ’

-
,
s tron ger than all else a certain ty of her ow n love for

h im
,
all at l ast lay cle ar .
A rich flood of colour ro se to her cheek her lips

p arted sl ightly an d her breath cam e through the m
,
quickly Her eyes were fixed o n his as though she

could n ot re m ove the m eyes sham
.
— ed bewildered , ,
h orri fi ed yet fi lled withal with a d ivi n e joy

Do n o t look at m
.
,
e like th at said he in a ”
, ,
choked ton e It can t be helped n o w It is too ’
late fo r regre t ; we m ust on ly m

. .
ake the be st o f it
Tho ugh for m

.
yself s aid he with a to uch o f deter

”
m in ation I feel n o regret Com

, , ,
e! ”
He did n ot at te m
.
,
pt to take h e r h an d He felt at
th e m om en t th at he could n ot trust hi m
.
selfto do it .
But he we n t to the win dow an d threw it wide lettin g

a r ush o fsweet m
,
ild n ight win d en ter

I should n o t h ave co m
.
,
e she said in a lo w ,
”
, ,
shocked voice ; her he ad n ow had s un k Upon her

bosom .
1 74 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE H RE
. .
I amglad you cam e said he ; then he m ,

ove d
forward an d she followed in to the open air
In sile n ce they wen t through the m
.
, ,
oon lit wood ;

in silen ce en tered th at s m aller on e th at led to
Dorothy s hom e O n ce they cam

’
e to a little brook
an d as she spr an g across it she stum
.
,
bled slightly
o r him
,
an d but f would have fallen As he held her

fo r that in stan t in his arm s he felt her bosom
.
heave an d kn ew th at she w as cryin g He pressed

, .
her to his heart then in an ago n y o f d espair b ut

al m ost im mediately released her After that how
, , ,
ever he kept her han d in his strivin g in a dum

.
,
b
sort of way to co m fort both her an d him
, ,
sel f He
made n o attem
.
pt to con sole her in words ; in deed

th e re w as n othi n g he co uld say
Presen tly they cam e to th e Cottage an d m
.
aki n
g
her stan d s t ill wi thin the shadow o f so m
,
e shrubs he ,
poin ted to a particular wi n dow

That is her roo mI thin k he s ai d
.
b ut wh at
”
if I should be m
, ,
is take n
You are It is the on e farther on said she in
.
,
”
,
a voice broke n by te ars But if she shoul d n o t be

.
awake
I shall stay here un til you m ake s ure o f th at .
Go an d throw a pebble at the win d ow Don t b e .

’
n ervo us ; I sh all w ait un til I see yo u saf ely ho used

Good n ight m
.
”
y d arlin g !
He took her s udden ly in his arm

-
,
s an d kissed h e r ,
ge n tly .
TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R.
. 1 75
CHAPTER XXII .
Let n ot this w retch edw oe thin e h earts gn aw .

”
Do n o r '
mreceived her with lovi g word s creepin g n ,
d own through the darkn ess on tiptoe an d open in g

the door fo r her so that Miss Je m im a m
,
, ight n ot
waken to ask awkward question s She drew the
tre m
.
blin g Cecil up stairs be fore she would hear a

word safe i n to the shelter o f her o wn roo man d then
,
com
, ,
forte d her an d cried over her an d w as as in dig ,
n an t with the c ause ofall her woe as an y stricken he art
co uld desire Dorothy w as i n deed on e of the m ost

sym
.
path etic creatures on e arth

B ut alas ! she preached the s am e serm
.
on as St
John had don e She see m
, .
ed to h ave taken her

text fro mh im Cecil m
.
ust go b ack to h e r h usban d

You m e an I m ust go back to m
. .
y de ath s aid ,
”
Mrs V e re ker ; an d you can say that in cold blood

.
Then Dorothy asked if he h ad actually struck her

but this she de n i e d vehe m
,
en tly It is on e o f the
stran ge thin gs about a wom she will hate a m
.
an an
revile an d scorn h imopen ly b ut ifyou ask her ifhe

,
has raised his h an d agai n st her she will recoil fro m

,
t h e question an d will lie h e artily rather th an ac

kn owledge herselfa victimto s uch in dign ity It is
,
n o t him
.
she woul d spar e in thus lyi n g but her o wn ,
decen t pride an d self respect -
I al m
.
ost wish he had said Dorothy Then ”
at le a st yo u wo uld have occ asio n ag ain st h im such

, .
,
,
,
as the l aw wo uld he ar
”
.
B ut Mrs V e reker wo uld say n othi n g about th at

.
. .
brutal dashin g o f her again st the bookcase ; an d

whe n Dorothy had pers uaded her to get in to her
bed w as so careful about the w ay she took off t h e
b ody o f her gown that the form
,
er kn ew i n stan tly
t h at there w a s so m e cause for the extre m
,
e cautio n
A chan ce let her see a crim
.
son brui se fast turn in g ,
purple upon the delicate shoulder

, .
Her he art grew sick within her ; yet what can a

wom an do ? She m ade a gre at de al o f her guest ,
grievin g secretly h an gin g over her with little fo n d

,
atte n tio n s kin dli n g a fire for he r with her o wn

han ds an d p uttin g her in to on e o fher warmdre ssin g
,
She even stole down to the pan try at im

,
gown s
min en t dan ger of rousin g her ever alert aun t an d
.
,
rescued a ro ast chicken an d so m

,
e bread an d b utter
ety in sisted o n m
,
an d brin g in g it b ack in s af aki n g
Cecil e at som e o f it
m st rvi g m
.
I a a n f—
ysel ro used up at this un
e arthly ho ur S urely you will n ot let m
. e f e el m
y
selfa right down greedy on e ?
-
”
Th us i m portun ed Cecil ate som ,ethin g an d ,
presen tly Dorothy tucked her in to bed where ex

han sted she fell in to a dre am
, ,
l e ss sle ep
But n ext day D orothy took h e r ho m
.
,
e Scan dal .
,
above al l thin gs w as t o be avoid e d an d t his t rue an d

, ,
e arn e st frien d did the b e st she co uld for her S h e .
would have like d in d e e d to keep her fo r eve r n e ar

her to shi e ld an d com fort her b ut the im
, ,
pos si bili t y
,
o f s uch a proj e c t co n q uere d h e r .
She bad e her sad li ttle gue st o f a n i ght farewe l l

on the door step o f the Court an d the n w i th a
miserable s en se of havin g b e en faithle ss to her—of
, , .
. .
havin g ban don e d her ruthl e ssly to the wil e s of he r

a
en e m y —wen t slowly aw ay up the drive .
H alf w ay b e tween the house an d the gate she

-
e n co un tered V e re ke r looki n g sodde n p urple ab o m

,
i , ,
n abl e an d in e fl e c t h al f d run k
Y ou m
.
, , ,
v d e ar s aid he w ith un d ue
! ”
Ha !
, ,
levity W hat good win d blo w s you he re to day ? -
Com e to see th at little colourle s s wife of m

.
in e ?
Why youre worth a dozen o f her eh ?
,
’
,
”
It w as plain th at he kn ew n othin g of l ast n igh t s ’
work H ad forgotte n his o w n share in it an d

. ,
believed his wife to be as usual in her o w n

room
, ,
Yo ur co m pli m en t overpowers m
.
e s aid Dorothy
whose m o uth h ad grown m
, ,
uti n o us To be supe ~ .
rior to your wife is to be s uperior i n deed an d

un h appier th an m
,
ost A fact you h ave n o t as yet .
take n to h eart
”
What d ye m
.
e an s aid b e
’
partially sobere d ,
by her eyes w hich were flashin g fire

, .
Y o u kn ow she s aid An d if n o t it is a pity

Y o u h ave m
.
, ,
n o o n e sho uld tell yo u arried an
e h as m
.
an gel an d yo ur wi f ar ried a devil ! I wo n d e r

I w on der cried she stam
,
,
”
pi n g her foot that you,
“
,
have the hardihood to stan d there an d look an y

d ece n t wo m an in the f ace whe n
y o u k n o w h o w yo u
treat Cecil .
”
By Jove ! I n ever kn ew how pretty you were

un til n o w ! Go it m y de a r ! p a s s io n tr an sfor m s
m
,
y o u ! s ”
aid the iser a ble cre at u re wi th a loose
detestable s m
, ,
ile His dulled brain failin g to catc h

.
th e righteo us an ger th at fill e d her he put o ut his ,
12
. .
ar m an d sudde n ly with a l urch e n circled h er waist

with his arm
, , ,
For an in stan t on ly She flun g h imfro mher

.
ted her han d an d gave h im

.
,
an d wi tho ut hesita tion li f
a very he arty resoun din g blow across his f ace
Even as she did so St John cam

, .
e upon the
sce n e seized V ereker an d hurled h imbackwards ;
.
,
b ut for this in terven tion it m

,
i ght perhaps have gon e

badly with Dorothy fo r V ere ker on ce roused w as a ,
s avage beast an d would have thought as little o f

,
striki n g her as if she w as a dog b ut she eviden tly

did n o t thin k so She so far believed in herself as
to dee mherself a good m
.
atch f o r this wretched
drun kard .
“
No I will have n o in terfere n ce she s aid
placin g herself between the tw o m
.
, ,
”
en Yo u
men acin gly to V ereker will go home at on ce
.
,
“ ”
.
,
Y o u are right there s aid he By Jove wh a t

I d like (vin dictively ) to have the tam
.
, ,
a vixen ! in g
’
o f yo u Yes I mgoin g after s uch a reception as

.
,
’
,
tha t He placed his han d to his cheek w hic h

.
”
,
showe d a good respectable colo ur for on ce He

h ardly see m
.
ed to see that St John w as presen t his

in tellect bein g so clo uded after his m
.
,
an y hour s o f
d e bauch as to be capable o f thin kin g o fo n e s ubject

alon e He turn ed abruptly on his heel an d with a
last m
.
,
alicious gl an ce at Dorothy w alked away
! I do hope I h ave n o t m
.
,
“ Oh ade it worse f or
her cried she re m orse fully when he w as o ut o f

What a terrible t e m
, , ,
si ght per shon e o ut o f h is

eyes An d she she is n ot fit for excite m
.
.
— e n t o f an y
kin d to day -
.
”
. . 1 79
She stayed with you last n ight Yo u kn ew I

brought her to you What o f her Dorothy spe ak
I im plore you said St John drawin g her arm
.
, ,
through his an d leadin g her fromthe m

.
, ,
, ai n ave n ue
in to a side walk that led to the wood

she exclai m
.
What is there to say ed v e h e

me n tly She w as lookin g pale an d troubled He
,
co ul d see th at her eyes were red fromcryin g

. .
Yo u bro ught her ho m

.
e t o day To such a -
ho m e ! Go o n tell m
.
e how she passed the n ight

, .
Did she sleep Why ar e you so silen t Dorothy

He stopped short an d caught her arm
,
H as , .
H as an ythin g fresh h appe n ed ?

Oh ! n othin g n o thin g with a sigh , There
,
”
.
is n othin g to tell
Nevertheless let m
.
e he ar it An ythin g abo ut
must touch me Tell m
.
,
h er — his face palin g e .
what you kn ow
There w as s uch a passion o f an xiety in his m
.
an
n e r th at it struck Dorothy as bei n g dan gero us an d

, ,
an gered her .
Her—her ! Who ? she asked coldly Why , .
do yo u spe ak of her like this What is she to yo u ?

What s hould she be s ave an acquain tan ce a ,
—
frien d ? After all has n ot this un happy b usin ess
”
arise n because o f him ? Je alo usy in a m

,
an like
V e re ke r is ever the precur sor o f brutality H ad St

John n ot been m
. .
ad e n o ugh to f all in love with

Cecil the latter m
,
ight have bee n spared this
last in dign ity Dorothy s heart grew hot within ’
her an d she looked at her com pan ion with m

.
arked
,
dis favour “ Ifyo u are talki n g ofMrs V ere ke r .

.
—
(
12 2
1 80 TH E H ON O URABLE MR S V E RE H RE
. .
Do n ot m i sj udge m e Dorothy in terrupte dwaist

with som It wo uld be im
, ,
e agi tation “
p o s sib l
misj udge her ; but as for me you kn o w how it is

.
Im
.
,
Y o u ar e o ur best fr ien d do n o t give us up ust

con fide in som
, .
e on e if on ly for he r good an d who

, ,
should it be but you? I e n tre at you to aban don

con ven tion alis min this m atter an d try to believe
that I love her w ith si n glen ess o f he art I amh al f

,
mad with misery at the thought of her bein g in that

.
brute s power yet I would n o t dare so m

’
uch as
bre athe to her that that there m ight be a re m
,
— edy
—a m —
e an s o f e sc ape A d ye t is it the kin der
n .
thin g t o leave her al on e de fen celess in his , ,
power
I can t be ar to thin k of that either said
’
,
Dorothy an d th e n she be gan to cry She had a

terrible m she sobbed m
.
,
ark o n he r sho uld e r iserably

”
,
—
.
She s aid he ad h n o t str ck her

u b u t how did ,
sh e get it the n ? It w as a cruel bruise an d she

tri e d so hard to hide it that I kn ew it m ean t som
, ,
e
th in g ! It m us t h ave h appen e d to her quite l ately ,
as she co uld n o t h ave had it the n ight o f yo ur
dan ce ; it w as as high up as this poin tin g to her ,
“
o w n sho uld er ; o n e wo uld h ave see n it whe n sh e
wore her even in g gown It m ade m. e feel sick .
O h ! wh at is to be the e n d o f it ?
St John had turn ed de adly white an d an awful
. ,
c urse p assed his lips .
Can n othi n g be don e w en t on Dorothy st il l

Was th e re ever so m
,
cryin g bitterly “
. i serabl e a
case ? If sh e were a b ig s tro n g girl it wo uld n o t
be so b ad b ut she is so s m
,
all an d s l i h t an d f rag ile ;

, g
TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V ERE K E R . . 1 81
on e woul d thin k a he avy win d would sway her

ully afr a id o f h im Yet it wo uld
,
an d she is so awf
be folly to co un sel her to run away fromhim

.
Un less she ran away with m

.
e s aid he in a ”
d ull m
, ,
,
e asured ton e .
O h n o ! cried Dorothy shocked

,
”
What a ,
.
thin g to say ! How dar e yo u say it ! F ar bett e r

—
for her to die th an to to
—
Then there is n othin g an d probably she will
die said he coldly He looked like o n e turn ed
”
A blow ! b e repe ated to hi m

.
, ,
in to ston e .
”
self ,
as tho ugh stun n ed A brui se o n her delicate

.
flesh ! A blow ! ”
He turn ed aside abruptly an d struck across the ,
fi eld o n their right He h ad eviden tly forgotte n all

orgave him
.
abo ut Dorothy b ut she f , .
CHAPTER XXIII .
No g en tl en ess of bl oode my h mbi d

a t e n .
”
CALL that act n g ! I don t s aid Colon el Scott ’ ”
with supre m e con tem

-
, ,
pt It w as a fortn ight later

.
,
an d they were all taki n g af tern oon te a with Miss

Je m ima Ayl m er That truculen t m aide n n o w an d
then so far best irred hersel f as to s um mon all her

.
n e ighbo urs to bre ak cake be n e ath her roof an d woe ,
—
betide the on e who re used her in vi tation for the
f
n ext six m on ths his or her bon es were n ot left worth
pickin g
Lady B e ssy who with som
.
, e of the other guests

1 82 TH E H ON OURAB LE MRS V E RE H RE
. .
w as s till at The Chase always m ade a

p oi t f
a cceptin g the s um
n o
m
,
on s declarin g that she would

n ot m
,
iss it for an yt hin g an d hither she had dragged

,
Lady Eustac e Mr Blair an d the rest She alw ays

wore her m
.
, , .
ost elaborate gow n on these occasion s

an d her m
,
ost frivolous bon n et with a view to work

in g up Miss Je m im a s te m
,
per (who looked upo n

’
fin ery o f that sort as a device o f the Devil to e n s n are

un wary souls) to the requis ite pitch .
Mrs V e reker was sittin g on a l ow loun ge n ear

.
the fire She w as lookin g w on derq y bright an d

.
pretty an d in s uch good spiri ts for her that St

John who w as watchin g her an xiously froma
.
, , ,
distan ce felt a se n se o f co m fort warmhis he art

,
V e re ke r had re m em bered later o n so m

.
,
ethin g of his
c o n d uct toward s her on th at luck l ess n ight an d
h ad had the grace to be s ullen ly asham

,
e d o f it .
He had shown his con trition by lettin g her alon e

an d keepin g out o f the w ay which acco un ted f o r the
touch o f happin ess that n o w illum

,
in e d her face
St John warn ed by a word or two fro mDorothy
.
h ad o f l ate avoided bei n g see n too m

.
, ,
uch with her

A word a glan ce had explain e d to MmV ereker
.
t his ch an ge of m
.
,
an n er o n his p art an d gl ad in the ,
thought of his care for her glad that there w as

som eon e in the world who loved her an d on whom
,
she could rely she acquiesced in his d ecision n ot to

,
seek h er an d w as con ten t in the kn owledge that h e

,
w as always n ear .
Colon el Scott was waxin g el oquen t over th e

delin quen cies o f a litt le Am erican actress who had ,
cre ated quite a fur ore in the fashion able world

TH E H ON OURABLE MR S V E RE H R E
. . 1 83
a bout two or three years before He was a m an .
who l ived his life thoroughly if always respectably

an d who wo uld n o t h ave m
, ,
issed a n ew sen sation for

t h e world There w as so little tim e le ft himfor
the e n joym
.
,
en t of a heart throb he would say that -

, ,
he took care to secure all that he could

N0 n e w Pri m
.
a Do n n a there f ore n o fresh ten or

, , ,
no f oreign actress (he adored Sarah Bern hardt) we n t

o n un he ard by him He ran u to tow n as lightly
p
ro mbough to bough an d en chan ted
.
as a robin s kips f
his e ar or en chan ted his eye as the case m

,
, ight be ,
.
But he w as severe o n s uch art is ts as dis gusted his

sen se o fperfection He w as particularly har d on the
little Am erican who had m ade a s m
.
all reputa tio n
am
,
on gst the gilded youth of the Great Babylon .
H e w as n o w holdin g forth with a rig hteo us dis

pleasure ; whilst Miss Je m im a watched h im with an
ever in creasin g wrath that put his to sham
-
e
Lady Be ssy who w as n othin g if n o t m
.
ischievous
had led himto this blin d wall kn owi n g th at th e
, ,
word actress stan k in the n ostrils o f her grim

,
hostess an d hopin g that som e m errim en t m ight

res ult from an e n coun ter between her an d t he
,
gallan t Colon el who regarded the m, ai de n ve t eran
with aw e .
Call that actin g ? said the Colon el rushi n g

Pouf m ad am to Lady
,
“
ate de r M ”
o n his f y a
I amtoo old to fin d laughter in

,
Bessy No
gri m
.
aces or talen t either As a person who c an

,
.
disjoin t every fe ature an d turn a v ery n e arly pretty

face in to an al m
,
ost repulsive on e I gran t you she ,
has n o rival But where does the ar ti stic in stin ct

.
1 84 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. .
co me i n ? Where does her legiti m ate b usin ess lie
I sho uld say in tights an d ,
My dear Colon el ! protested Lady Bes sy very

feebly m ore as a m ean s of drawin g Miss Je m im
,
’
a s
to the en orm ity than for an y m

,
a tte n tio n oral

,
reason She yawn ed sleepily behin d her huge fan

.
,
an d gl an ced at the spin ster Y e s it w as al l goi n g

.
,
o n sple n didly ; a l urid fir e w as begi n n in g to b urn in
the orbs o f the chaste Je m im a There w as som e .
thin g bristlin g in her whole air the c ap o n her ,
an cie n t head had beg un to w a i n a fashio n tha t

g
mean t immediate war Lady Bessy regarded this
cap w i th ad m
.
iration It was a structure built o f

v elvet l ace an d ribbon s an d w as as like a hel m
.
et as
it m
, ,
ight be
Yes in burlesque she m ight m ake her m
.
“
, ar k ,
“
w e n t o n the Colon el all un c on scious She can
dan ce a little b ut as for co m
, .
edy ! He thre w up his

H e r atte m pts at se n ti m en t m
,
h an ds . ake o n e s ad .
”
—
Well that is s urely as it sho uld be
Chan ge a letter then an d m mad
.
ake the word

’
.
I for o n e foun d her partic ularly un pleas an t .

”
That class o f person ge n erally is eh so vulgar , ,
s aid Lady Eustace .
The re yo u wro n g the class Look at he

n am
.
ed a celebrated b url e sque actres s o f the day

S he is un utt e rab ly m
.
arvello usly v ul ar if u
g y o
like yet she n ever j ar s on o n e Wh en sh e co m

, ,
es
forw ard an d co n d e scen ds to am
.
,
us e us w hy we a re
am us ed m o st hon estly She has t e n ti m
,
e s the
talen t of th e Am
.
erican an d there fore we can pardon

an d ad m
,
ire h er audaci ty
”
.
TH E H ON O URABLE MR S . V E RE K E R . 1 85
Have you quite fin ished your licen tious con ver

s atio n P de m an ded an aw f ul voice at this j un ct ure
It w as M iss Je m im
.
,
a She h ad don e bristlin g she

.
,
h ad n ow sprun g an d h ad fas te n ed upon the l uck

,
l e s s Colon el who w as turn in g p urple ben e ath her

,
cl utch
Eh ! s aid he startl e d in to a m
.
”
, on osyll able He .
,
w h o so de arly loved his o w n voice
Yo u he ard m
.
e I thin k s aid the elder Mi s s ”
Aylm er w ith an un co m pro m

, ,
, isin g glare If yo u .
have fi n ished I beg to say that fo r the future I hope

o u will select so m e r roo m an m
,
y e oth th i ne fo r the
ai rin g evil se n ti m e n ts
My dear Miss Ayl m
.
er I assure you ,
h e w as n o t allo w ed to do even t hat

If I a m
.
N ot a word sir to j udge by wh at h as

gon e before I m
.
,
ust declin e to hear what still

re m
,
ai n s to be s aid
”
B ut you h ave m istaken m e m

.
y de ar He
h ad m ean t to say m ad amb ut un f
,
ortun ately a n e r
, , ,
v o us cough caught an d choked o f f the co n ciliatory

word an d Miss Je m im a m is un derstood h im
“ Don t dar e c all m
, .
e yo ur de ar cried she
’ ’
, ,
furio usly “ Yo u forget yo ur sel f Colon e l Scott

. .
,
O n e wo uld thin k I w as o n e o f those bold faced jigs -
o u h ave j ust been de s cribi n g who go abo ut un

y ,
clothed an d l ure the foolish to their d e struction

At your age yo u bad old m
.
,
an ! to e n co ur age s uc h
hussies I amhorrifi ed that I am Naked in

,
. .
, ,
dece n t
“
Miss Aylm er Madam O h I beg o f you
I e n treat ! I d o ass ure yo u! Bl e ss m e what ca n ,
. .
I say shouted the poor Colon el fallin g b ack in

his chair an d m
,
oppin g his heated brow with a large

silk ban dan a He felt crushed stricken
.
, .
Lady Eustace who had been deep in a d iscussion

Un e m
,
abo ut the ployed whose cause is so ably

ad voc ate d in Lon gm
,
an s Maga zi n c an d who w as
’ f
,
j ust provin g to Mr Blair that in their s ufferin gs lay

i n n um
.
erable plots for the con s truction of n ovels

w ith a purpose s uch as m ight s uit s uch writers as
,
”
Mr Besan t a n d herself here p ause d an d gaze d at

. ,
her hostess with a care ful scrutin y Surely here .
w as copy ready to her han d ! She stared at her

with a studious atte n tion an d prese n tly fell back in ,
he r chair with a s atisfied sigh Yes she would suit

very well she would pad in be autifully som
.
,
— ew her e
She let her glass drop fromher eye an d tur n ed

.
her glan ce on Blair .
Is she o ften like this P Is she subject to these

attacks she asked j udicially
Whe n ever she sees th e full m
.
,
oon or Lady
B essy replied that yo un g m an pro m
,
,
”
ptly They d .
’
h ave shaved her lon g ago but for the cap She , .
wears it n i ght an d day an d they are afraid to attack,
that eve n with a razor In fact s aid he con fi ”

.
, , ,
de n tial ly the razor isn t born that could do it ’ ”
Mean tim e Miss Jem im

, .
, a h ad re tur n ed th e
Colon el s rather p uerile charge
’
Yo u c an say n othin g s aid she gri m

.
ly Yo u
”
must on ly fast an d pray to be delivered out o f

, , .
te m ptation
The Colon el s face w as a study It w as plain
’
that she con sidered h imas on e given up body an d

.
TH E H O N OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 1 87
s oul wiles an d fascin ation s o f all th e Cory

to th e
h é e s in town H e 1 who wo ul d h ave see n the m all
p .
—well—an ythin g you like first—before he would

h ave relin qui shed his quiet pipe at t en an d his
com fortable four poster afterwards
-
She is religious it see m

.
s s aid Lady Eustace in ”
Really I ami m men sely

, ,
a low ton e to B lair
obliged to Lady B essy for bri n gi n g m

.
,
e here An y .
—
thin g s o origin al she does believe herselfreligio us ,
I s uppose
That s n ot the term Saved expresses it
’
.
’
better S he is save d like th e Methody Parson down

m
.
,
,
—
in the village an d the boot aker an d last ye ar s ,
’
bacon ! ”
A dead silen ce h ad fall en on the room ; th e l ull

that follows th e storm Lady Bessy was lyin g back .
s uffocatin g with laughter behin d the useful fan an d ,
n o o n e else f elt equal to breakin g the awkward

sile n ce Mrs V ereker w as rather frighten ed an d
St John w as am
. .
,
used Lady E ustace as I have s aid

’
.
, ,
in t en sely in te reste d .
Thr o ugh this un expected still n e ss ran g thr ee

words cle ar as a crystal b e ll
,
M y heart s tre as ure !

’ ”
TH E H O N O URAB LE MR S V E RE K E R
. .
C HAPTE R XXI V .
He m
u st reh ears e , as n igh as ev er he can,
E very w ord, if it be in his c harge ,
All s p k
ea he
’
n e er s o rudely an d s o large
Or el lés he m
u st te l l h is tal e un true ,
Or f ig
e ne thin gs, or fi n de w ordes n ew .
”
MISS JE MIMA pricked up her ears She w as n o w in

exalted fram e ofm in d ready for an y e m
.
an ergen cy
, ,
o n ly too an xious to do b attle wi th the froward It .
w as growi n g d usk an d th e fire which w as a n oble

, ,
o n e b uilt o f pin e logs threw vivid fl ashes o f ligh t
in to difi e ren t parts o f the roo mwith a m

, ,
align an cy
’
o f which so good an d he arty a fi re sho ul d h ave bee n
ash am e d ; it shon e brillian tly upon the thick lace

cur tain s that partly hid the lo wer win dow ; it shon e ,
too upon a pair of boots that showed ben eath the

,
curtain There were on ly the boots as e viden ce ;

.
but the n the voice w as the voice o f Farquhar

In these d ays fe w m e n talk o ut lo ud to the m
.
selves so Miss Je m im a m ust n ot be thought to o

sharp if she cam
,
e to the con c l usion that he stood

n ot alon e behin d that curtain a con clusion
stren gthen ed by the fact that Dorothy w as n owhere
to be see n It w as plain that Farquhar had bee n
addressi n g so m
.
e on e secure in the protection the

b uzz o f the outside con vers at ion gave himwhe n that
,
ll o f a m om
,
awkward l u en t sin ce had fallen on the

room It w as as thoug h a strin ged ban d had s ud
m
.
d l an d o f a li ce p p
r é c ns e stopped pl ayi n
g
'
m
e n y
m
, , .
P erh aps so e o f us h a ve s u f
f ere d fro s uc h b an ds ,
an d h ave k n own wh at Farq h ar u n ow kn ew — a desir e

TH E H ON O URABLE MR S V E R E K E R
. .
t h at the e arth m
ight open an d s w allow hi mup ,
ui ckly
dem
q .
Who s behin d that c urtain

’
an d ed Mi s s
Jem im a in a to n e calculated to m ake o n e quake
She h ad swun g herself roun d in the direction fro m

.
,
which the ab o m in able soun d h ad com e Her e agle

gl an ce fell upon the boots an d recogn i sed th e m
.
—
like that sacred bird sce n tin g th e quarry fromafar
, ,
she swooped down upon th e l uckless pair in th e

em brasure of the win dow an d prepared to m ake
short work o f the m

,
Whoever is behin d t hat curtai n I desire that

they stan d forth ! cried Miss Je m ima whilst the
”
,
rest o f her guests filled with an un holy joy l ay

, ,
b ack in their several chairs an d gave w ay to speech

less m
,
.
—
irth The curtain s p arted b ut slowly .
Dorothy cried the irate spin ster in sten torian

”
What do you m
, ,
to n es
. ean by stayin g over there ,
in the dar k
Even at this suprem e m om e n t Miss Je m im a
re m embered t h e Colon el an d his basen ess She

turn ed to h im
.
See ! she crie d poin tin g dram

.
atically t o th e
“ ”
curtain s what co m es o fyour at rocio us exam

,
ple
Were yo u spe akin g to m
, .
“
e Aun t ? asked Mis s ”
Dorothy with a suspicio us am

,
oun t o f in n ocen ce
Com e o ut said Miss Jem im
.
”
a in dign an tly
What do yo u m
, ,
ean by suc h con duct —

tho ugh ,
in deed when those whose white hairs with a

, ,
witheri n g gl an ce at the Colon el sho uld t e ach

them
,
better lead you in the w ay you sho uld n ot go

ou are n o t so m am
, ,
y uch to be bl e d .
”
1 90 TH E H ON OURABLE MR S VE RE KER
. .
m
But,
y d e r m mI re lly b g to y a
’
aa , a e sa
beg the Colo el feebly

an n
Co m e ut I y persisted Miss Jem

, ,
o i t ki g sa
"
n a, a n
otice f him d ddressi g herself to her

, ,
no n o an a n
Is t the com
,
niece . p y here good e o ugh f

no an n or
ou
y
P erhaps s uggested Mr Blair m
n o t, eekly .
, ,
regretfully Colo n el Scott is presen t ”
So amI retorted M iss Jem im

. .
a s ter n ly Do
m m m
, , .
y o u co n sider e in co pete n t to protect y n iece

Dorothy why don t yo u speak I in sist on kn owin g ’
who is the partn er ofyour ahe m

, .
— —
l in discreet c o n
d uct H ah ! C aptai n Farquh ar ! draggin g aside
the curtain with a firmh an d an d betrayin g that
.
tre m blin g culprit to a delighte d audien ce M ay

I ask you sir why yo u t h us culti vate the gloo m
.
, ,
I trust it is n o t because your d eeds ar e

evil
Eloque n t silen ce Farquhar appe ared be fore his .
public ben t a little as ifdesirous of con cealin g his

There w as a s uspicious heavin g m ove m
.
, ,
face . en t
about his sho ulders Agitation n o doubt .
, .
Stan d up sir ! Don t cower like a be ate n ’
houn d Let m
,
e te ll you o n ce f o r all th at I will n o t
s an ction an y such goin gs on in m

.
y ho use I in sist
your repe atin g o ut loud o n ce m

.
n o w on ore the
words I hear d you address to m y n iece ”
Words ! stam mered Farquhar in coheren tly

.
Ay words idle words m

, .
— — ost in delicate words I

call the mas addressed to an y m
,
,
aiden witho ut the
con se n t o f her guardian s I heard you sir Pre .

, .
varicatio n will avail yo u n othin g Your he art .

’
. . l
treas ure , ’
yo u called her , at the very to p of yo ur
lun gs ”
My dear Miss Aylm

.
er s aid Farquhar with a

pro m ptitude that did himhon our you really can t
, ,
’
,
be serious Why I w as but tellin g yo ur n iece

abo ut so m
,
e little bits o f br ic d br ac I have j ust got - -
over fromRom e Som e art tr easur es I ven tur ed -
to call the mthough i n deed they are hardly worthy

.
o f so pres um
,
ptuous a title ”
murmured Dorothy sweetly

.
D ea r Aun t
”
S uch a m
, , .
istake ! An ythin g so un likely How .
coul d yo u thi n k I sho uld allow
H um ph said Mi ss Je m im a with a glan ce ,
an d an acce n t o f the very d arkest s uspicio n .
It is really very serious said Farquhar ”
sym
, ,
pathetically that sort o f thin g grows o n o n e

,
so Have yo u con sulted Sir Wilkes Warren He is

.
the best authority n ow on all cases of deafn ess

“ Hum said Miss Je m im
.
ph ! ”
a agai n She .
sought to read e ac h in n o ce n t face but vain ly yet her , ,
un erri n g i n stin ct did n ot fail her She could n ot .
con tradict b ut she kn ew Art treasures w as it

she said with a saturn in e sm
.
, ,
ile “
Then if I were
ap tain Farquhar I sho uld go ho m
.
,
y o u C e an d keep
an eye o n the m J udgin g by the ton e in which yo u

, ,
S poke o f the mthey m

.
ust be priceless i n deed

,
I .
should be sorry if an ythin g were to happe n to

the m as I sho uld dearly like to see the m
P ray see that they co m e to n o harmbetween this
.
,
an d to m orrow as I shall then m

- ake it m b usin ess
y
to go over to your place an d take a look at the m
,
Like you I ama devoted ad m

.
,
irer o f art treasures .
”
1 92 TH E H ONOURABLE MRS V E RE H RE
. .
S he laid a m alicio us e m phasis upon the l ast words

an d with her thre at o f looki n g the mup on the
morrow turn ed away
,
.
She ll do it She s capable of an ythin g She

’ ’
saw th ro ugh yo u; yo u m ay expe c t her to m

. .
orro w -
,
”
s aid Dorothy in an aw e stricke n to n e

, She receive d -
.
n o an swer an d t urn in g a sh arp gl an ce o n Farq uh ar

, , ,
w as disgusted to see that he w as con v ulsed with

l aughter
Is it a ti m s aid she givin g himan
.
e to laugh
ma1 gn an t little shove She ll go I tell you
,
’ ”
So shall I said he risin g fromthe c us hion ed

. .
,
”
, ,
win dow seat on which he had s un k

-
I ve ple n ty ’
o f ti m e to ca tch the n ight m ail to provide m

.
yself -
,
w ith a stat uette or two an d be b ack here agai n by
to m orrow m
,
-
orn in g
If yo u had h ad an y co m mon sen se an y thou
.
g ht , ,
this would n o t have happen e d .

”
There youare wron g ; it w as because I w as full o f

thought fo r yo u that I forgot to lo w er m y voice ”
O h n on sen se It is alw ays the sam

, , .
, . e story an d ,
s uch a silly on e ”
What —m
.
y love for
yo u
N 0 ; your abs ur d forgetfuln ess th at there is an y
on e in the world but m
”
e .
Well there is n t s ai d he
,
’
,
”
.
She sighed eloquen tly .
I give it up she said ; y o,u a

”
re b eyo n d hope .
H as it taken yo u un til n o w to discover that i ’
O h forget m e f or a m om en t do I cried she , .
I wan t to talk sen se ”
“ An d d o o u thi n k that talkin g s en se wo ul d o m

.
y c
. .
pen sate m e for forgetti n g yo u for a mom en t It is

a m ost ridiculous idea said he However I
kn ow wh at you m ean you wan t to discuss so m
, .
,
ethin g
with m Y o u c an ; it w ill n o t make m
,
e . e forget
”
yo u
What I m
.
e an is that it was such a pity yo u said

R om
,
decl ared she with feelin g An ythi n g in

”
e
marble is so expen sive an d she has an un dyin g

.
, ,
belief that on ly m arble thi n gs c o me fromRom

,
e .
Now if you h ad s aid Japan or In d ia ! Cups an d

, ,
s aucers go for a son g n owadays Yo u have re gularly .
let yourself in for the statuettes an d yo u don t ’
wan t them the Hall is full al re ady

,
”
It isn t ; it s the e m
.
“ ’
ptiest ho use in En glan d
’
ul glan ce at her th at m
,
s aid he with a repro ach f

,
ade
her laugh in spite o f he rsel f An d as for o n e or

two m ore little m arble fi gur es why I do wan t the m
.
,
There is that boudoir I amprepar in g an d beauti fy

.
,
in g
”
Here there grew a m ischievous gleamin
his eyes as he caught an d kissed her han d behin d
,
the shade o fthe tabooed curtain Your bo udoir !

It wan ts a fe w gi m cracks still to m
.
ake it worth yo ur
a ccep tan ce
”
If yo u m e an to catch that m
.
ail yo u o u ht to go
g
at o n ce s aid she calm
”
ly —
There there yo u —
c an t take m m
, .
h n d with u so w ll
’
y a
y o yo u a
y as e ,
give it up at on ce .
”
I wish I could an d its own er too , B ut soon I , .
sh all be the own er said he un daun ted an d th en

”
it sh all take m
, , ,
e with i t
"
There w as a touch o f hum

.
ility in the l ast se n ten ce

Dorothy relen ted s m
,
t h at s aved the speech iled .

,
13 .
. .
s weetly an d se n t himo ff a happy m

,
an for th at ,
even in g at le ast .
Soon aft erwards they all rose an d b ade Mis s

Jem im
,
af arewe l l They were in deed very grateful to

her S he had given the ma m
.
. ost en joyable eve n in g .
She received Colon el Scott s adie ux with a frozen air ’
O h ! I really thin k you sho uld forgive him

.
n ow said Mrs V e re ke r with a little s m

,
. ile who
, ,
w as stan din g n ext her Her carriage had bee n the

.
first to be an n o un ced an d she w as hur ryi n g away

I ms ure he looks dre ad fully pe n ite n t !
.
,
’
She
m ade a pretty m oue at the Colon el over Miss
Je m im a s sho ul der which he caught an d retur n ed
’
, ,
perhaps n o t so prettily That w as h ardly to be .
expected .
St John who w as lookin g on w as s urprised by

.
, ,
this little to uch o f esp ieglerie in Cecil who up to , ,
this had always prese n ted herself or been pre

se n ted in the m ost so m
, ,
bre colo urs He thought it

altogether char m in g ; he s m iled in sym
.
,
pathy with
her an d the n s udden ly his heart see m
, ed to tighte n ,
an d he grew s adder f o r her than be fore Good .
heaven s ! had n o t her life been ruin ed for her at its

s tart what a m erry creature what a j oyo us brillian t
, , ,
child she would have been ! It w as as tho ugh a

,
sculptor had con ceived an d begun an exquisite

design ; that when halffin ished w as overthrown an d ,
le ft by the wayside de filed by d ust an d rain

Miss Je m im
.
a who regar ded her with distin ct

favo ur n odded her he ad so m ewhat gri m
,
, ly an d the n ,
exten ded her han d on ce again to the Colon el

Y ou m ust re formSam uel yo u m ust re form
.
”
, , ,
. . 1 95
she said still n oddin g the am azin g c ap an d Colon el
Scott n o t kn owin g how to reformbein g in n ocen t of

,
, ,
offen ce pre ssed t h e bon y han d an d beat a dis

,
hon ourable retreat She w as so old a frien d of his

.
,
that after all perhaps he didn t care what she ’
thought o fh im
, ,
She s a won derful wom

.
’
an he s aid when he had
made good his escape Astoun din g ! No on e c an
, ,
“
.
get over her b ut that little V e re ker cre atur e Even

that old she dragon can t resist her Bless m
.
-
y so ul !
’
h o w she pitc hed in to m

.
e this af tern oo n an d all for ,
n othin g sir al l fo r n othi n g

”
He w as gettin g dreadfully m
.
, ,
ixed up between the

two wo m en he w as describin g .
I hope n ot Colon el said Bobby Blair givi n g ”
hima playful dig in the ribs

, , ,
But there s n o
’
sm
.
oke without fire yo u kn ow an d she e viden tly

k n ows m ore about yo u th an m
, ,
ost Eh ? Go alon g .
with yo u fo r a sly dog ”
O h ! n o w really I give you m

.
y word ,proteste d ,
the Colon el w ho w as n evertheless (stran ge in con

Nothi n g o f the sort m
,
si sten cy ) flattered .
y de ar ,
sir She s on ly on e o f those old tabbies who alw ays

’
thin k the wors t o f every on e w ithout rhym

.
e or ,
reason But as I ve s aid that pretty cre atur e Mrs

’
V e re ke r h as overco m
.
, , , .
, e her She is the on e soul on .
—
e arth that h as n ot been attacked by that er co n —
— con de m n e d old maid
”
e r .
Have you seen V ere ke r lately asked St John

kn ockin g the ash o ff his cigar The three m
.
,
e n were
walkin g hom
.
e together as the Colon el s house w as ’
romthe Chase
,
n ot f ar f
—2
.
13
1 96 TH E H ON O UR ABLE MR S V E RE K E R . .
Yes terday P retty

yellow about the face H e
began the m om en t I saw himabout that un fortu
. .
, ,
n at e devil Black San dy It appears the l atter is

his old tricks on ce m
.
,
at — —
ore poachi g or else
n
V e re ke r wishes to thi n k so He d give so m ethi n g ’
to clap h imin to pri son again b ut som ehow from

.
what I can gather he s a fraid to do it him

, ,
self He ’
as m
.
,
uch as hin ted he d be obl iged if I d do it

’ ’
1
n ever m
.
e t so low a fe llo w ! O n e wo uld thi n k he d

’
don e that poor wretch in j ury e n ough without wan t

in g to persecut e h im in to his grave ”
He s afraid of him s aid Blair

.
’ ”
, .
D ye thin k that ? said the Colon el wheelin g

’ ”
Faith ! I ve often thought it m

,
roun d yself A
’
guilty con scien ce you kn ow Well he won t ge t m

. .
’
, e ,
to do his dirty wor k Besides he hadn t a tittle of .

,
’
eviden ce to brin g again st S an dy on ly his ow n con vic ,
tio n s To the de uce with his o w n con viction s say I

.
’ ”
,
.
As lon g as Black San dy is loo s e o n the coun ty ,
V e re ke r w ill be un e asy s aid Blair with a ton e o f

”
, ,
con viction “
I ve seen it in his eye whe n the fe l
’
l ow s n am e has been m
.
’
en tion ed An y talk o f
S an dy s h avin g thre aten ed h imeh ?
.
’
,
N o t th at I ever he ard o f s aid the Colon el

”
.
,
CHAPTER XXV .
“ N ow cert es
,
f
al s e Arc ite , thou shal t n o t so .
”
a a a !
An d tho u art f alse , I te ll t he e utterl y .
IN spite o f the fact that it w as O ctober the day w as

w ar m A hot
. sun , so brillian t as to be a b as e
. . 1 97
d eceiver a usurper o f Jun e s rights w as floodi n g the ’
drawin g roomat V e re ke r Court It put to sham

, ,
-
e .
t h e fire that b urn ed gaily in the grate

Upon o n e o f the tables a m ass o f autum
.
n fio Wers
lay scattered Mr s V e reker h ad ordered the m to be

se n t in here to her an d n ow stood over the mar
. .
ran gin g the min their several glasses She w as

,
h um min g a little merry Fren ch son g as she wen t

.
st oppin g occasion ally to ad m

,
o n with her w ork ire

so m
,
e o f the late dahlias which were un usually

fin e
Her good spirits see m
.
ed suited to the day O f

late in deed she had bee n so m ewhat h appier som
.
e
what m
, , ,
ore at pe ace with her life Eve r sin ce that

last abom in able di splay of his te m
.
per in the library ,
V ere ke r as I h ave s aid h ad been specially care ful

, ,
to keep o ut o f his wife s w ay an d for the past two or

’
,
three days had bee n po si tively civil This change .
puzzled her perhaps but it also rested her an d gave

, ,
her tired heart a season of repose lon g un kn own ,
t o it .
Yet still when she heard his step in the hall an d ,
his to uch upon the han dle o f the door the old ,
startled look spran g in to her face an d her han ds ,
grew cold She could n o t con quer the feeli n g o f

.
repugn an ce an d disgus t that filled her whe n ever he

drew n ear S he w as afraid o f h imtoo an d perh aps
.
,
this w as t he on e thin g she foun d it hardest to forg ive

h im ; she who un til she m
, ar ried h ad kn own n o
, ,
fear o f livin g creature who would h ave l aughed to

,
sc orn the thought th at she should cower before augh t

h um an w as n ow f
, allen so lo w f rom her happy chil d
1 98 TH E H O NOURABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
ish courage that she felt as though a cold clutch had

been laid upon her heart when ever her hus ban d
drew n ear
He cam
.
e in n ow lookin g bloate d hid eous His

huge formsee m
, , .
e d to stun t all his s urroun din gs .
He wen t over to the he arthrug an d poked th e fire

with his tre m
,
ulous h an d an d the n stoo d faci n g the

lon g be autiful roomwith his b ack again st the
,
chim
,
n ey piece - .
Well what sort o f an even in g had you yester

,
day ? he said at last seei n g his wife w as n o t

”
dispose d to spe ak to himor leave her occupation o f

,
arran gin g her flowers Did the old cat show her .
claws as us ual Who w as there St John ? .
Mr St John was there Everyon e was there

. . .
,
”
said Ceci l .
H ah ! B right t aste everyon e sho w ed St

Joh n n ow Must have been so m
. .
e speci al obj ect took

him to the old m
.
aid s paradise What could it be ’

.
,
eh ? ”
I dar esay if you ask him he could tell yo u

con te m
, ,
ptuously
I expect I mthe last
.
D ye thin k so
’
I don t
’
.
’
he d tell Not but what I thin k there s good in St

’ ’
He see m
. .
John with a sudden chan ge of ton e

”
s
rien dly sort Look here I wan t you to do som
.
,
a f e
th in g for m
.
”
e .
Mrs V e re ker did n ot look there Sh e be n t rather

more assiduously over her flowers an d bit her lips
. .
behin d the huge b un ch of themshe held to brin g

,
back the colour that had sudden ly ebbed .
Yes ? she said ”

.
TH E H O N OURAB LE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 1 99
There s that scoun drel that d evil Black S an dy

’
poachin g poachin g from

, , ,
at his old tricks agai n —

morn in g till n ight or rather fromn ight till mom
,
, , ,
in g. Why the de uce is he left at large like that ,
eh
He stopped as if waitin g for a reply an d Mrs
V e re ke r felt boun d to say so m
, , .
ethin g .
It soun ds like o n e of the riddles they are so

fon d o f l ayi n g before P arli am en t sh e said tryin g ”
to speak brightly though in reality she was warm

, ,
with an ger How did he dar e to m en tion that m

,
an s
’
n am
.
e to her !
“ Just
so Just so But in the m
. e an tim —
e why
.
,
the coun try wouldn t be safe if s uch vagabon ds were

’
a llowed to go loose un question ed about it Yo u

a ree with m
.
, ,
g e eh
I amn ot a politician said she coldly I am
,
on ly that m ost helpless o f all thi n gs a wo m

, , ,
— an
”
Not so helpless by Jove ! Y o u c an help m

.
“
, e
n ow if yo u w ill
, In the in terests o f society I
.
,
would have that fellow lock e d up again clapped in to ,
prison an d kept there It s di sgrace ful that he ’
should be let o ut to destroy all the gam

.
,
e in the
n eighbo urhoo d If I h ad m I d make it a
’
y w a
y
h an gin g m I wo uld pon m
.
atter y sou l — best w a

y
’
o f getti n g rid o f s uch v ar m

.
,
in t as that ”
It woul d get you rid o f him certain ly said

.
”
, ,
she She had given up her flowers n o w an d h ad

turn e d towards h ima brillian t spot o f colour on each
.
,
cheek .
He looke d at her sharply a curious glan ce an d

then as if p artially re assured by her cal mwe n t on
, ,
, ,
. .
Glad yo u see it in m y light Well I w an t y o u .

,
to give your assistan ce to this good caus e

”
Yo u ar e a m m
.
agistr ate u co n victed h i

yo
be fore ; why n ot do it again s aid she coldly , .
If yo u kn ow for a certain ty th at he h as bee n

tran sgressin g why sho uld you n o t se n d h imto
prison again ? Yo u o f all the m
,
a istrate s o n the
g
be n ch here see mbest acquain ted w ith his doin g s
,
An d yo u will have n othin g o n your m

, .
in d because o f
h is bein g lo c ked up He has n o wife depen den t o n
himn o child n ow to s upport
.
She looked steadily at h imas she said this som

.
, , ,
e
hope o f checkin g in himthat p urpose vaguely
hin ted at o f gettin g her to in d uce St John (who
w as also a m n d this wr etch e d m
.
a gistrate to se n to
) a
prison an im ated her to d are th us f ar She paled a

li ttle be n eath the glan ce he shot at her fromun der
.
,
his redden ed lids but she sho w ed n o further sign o f

,
cowardice
It would look like m alice m doin g it
.
y he s aid ,
”
.
There w as a ch an ge in his t o n e it w as n o w full o f

s uppres s ed hatred that m ight at an y m om en t
becom e violen ce Th is m an h ad so lo n g yielded
him self up a willin g victimto in te m

.
peran ce an d al l
vices that he hardly kn ew how to con trol him sel f
It w as I as yo u kn ow who last con victe d h im
.
”
.
, ,
Yes I kn ow ”
I spoke to Scott b ut he see m

.
,
ed un certain
, ,
altered with th e q uestio n an d spoke o f in s uf fi cie nt

p ,
eviden ce He is an old idiot savagely who

should have m ade a cquain tan ce with a to m
.
, ,
bston e
lon g ago But St John has n ot his excuse S t
. .
'
. .
TH E H ON O URABLE MR S . V E RE K E R . 201
John kn ow s h ave it fromhis o wn gam

. I ekeeper ,
that Black San dy w as foun d s n arin g birds in The

Chase on ly a week ago ”
He paused as if for a reply b ut n on e cam

.
, e , .
Well ? s aid he at last with a dark an d evil ,
frown .
It is so un in terestin g she s aid with an e ffort ,

”
, .
What have I to do with poachers an d their

n at ural e n e m
,
ies ?
She spoke quite quietly but she breathed hard
A crisis w as i m min en t an d she kn ew it ; but
, .
so m
,
ethin g within her revolted an d she felt she ,
sho uld obey its orders though death lay in ,
obedien ce
; a good de al with m
.
“ Nothin g with po achers

e
even though I amthat despicable thin g Fran cis

,
There is som
,
V e re ke r s aid he s ullen ly ethin g I

”
wan t don e an d you m ust do it for m

.
, ,
”
e !
she said She kept her han d m

,
“ Yes
?
”
ovin g
am on gst the dahlias lest he should see the tre m
.
blin g
,
o f it
AmI to say the sam

.
e thin g over an d over again

I wish this fello w San dy to be got rid o f for the
presen t I con sider hima dan gerous brute St
John is in a position as I have told yo u to co m mit
. . .
h imto pri s on He is s uch a special chum

, ,
o f yo urs
”
with an evil s m
.
,
ile that yo u will fin d n o diffi culty

in aski n g h imto see to it an d a s I kn ow he can
,
, , ,
re fuse yo u n othin g .
”
She threw her h ea d up sharply as if stun g an d

looked at him
, ,
Yo u seem won derfully well i n form

.
ed she said ,
202 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS VE RE K E R
. .
Yo u areright in this m at ter howeve r He will

m
us e e when I ask him
.
,
n o t re f — ”
Her to n e an d glan ce both told h imthat she

.
mean t to defy himthat she woul d n ot ask St John

, . .
He grew livid an d took a step n earer to her

What is it you m
, .
ean ? he said savagely ”
Th at youw on t ask h im
.
?
’
“T hat is what I m ean .

”
Y ou re fuse then , dr awi n g even n earer to her .
I distin ctly re fuse replied she in a low clear

”
, , ,
t o n e tho ugh her face w as n ow ashe n white

, .
Yo u won t do it I tell you you shall I

’ ”
s ho ute d he Dam n
y o u do y o u thi n k I ca n t
’
coerce you so far ? If I amwillin g to sell m

.
,
y sile n ce
for so s m all a price do yo u thin k you shall n o t b u

y
it ? If I con sen t to shut m
,
y eyes to yo u r littl e
in trigue with this precious Hilary of yo urs yo u ,
shall
S ilen ce cried she so im periously th at for the
momen t he paused Her han ds were cle n ched her
,
.
,
eyes flashe d fire There was a t errible an guish an

She w as tre m
.
,
o utrage d di gni ty in her whole air
blin g fromhe ad to foot but n ot because she w as

.
af rai d .
I shall n ot speak to Mr St John about that

man she said an d you kn ow w hy
. .
”
, ,
The word s had scarcely passed her lips when h e

raised his han d ; a vicious light cam e in to his eyes
he m ad e a s udd e n m ove m en t to ward s her .
TH E H O N O URABLE MR S . V E RE K E R. 203
C H APTER XXVI .
So m
uh c s orr ow had n ever u
creat r e
That is , or s hal l b e w h il e t h e w o rld my du

a re.
HE struck her ful l o n the forehe ad She staggered . ,
but caught at a ch air n e ar her an d p resen tly w as ,
able to stan d quite still No cry escap e d h e r O n c e

agai n the tho ught aro s e in her th at he m
. .
ean t to kill
her but this tim
, e she felt n o fear She w as alm ost .
con scious in deed o f bein g glad o f his brutality N ow

sh e m
.
ight in dulge the p assion ate hatred that for

lon g tim e had foun d a ho m e in her bre ast m— i ght
give a loose rein to the bitter scorn an d con te m pt
that scorche d her spirit Now too s urely she m . ight , ,
thin k without s uch gre at sin upon the deep un ,
happy love that filled her very bein g

That first tim e when he had actually ill treated -
her she had strive n with all her stren gth an d o n her
be n ded kn ees to co m
, ,
pel herself to forgiven ess an d

, ,
h ad very n early s ucceeded She h ad at least bro ught

herself as clo s e to con don e m
.
en t as e arthly so ul
can go .
There had been a suspicion o f j e alousy in that

fir st cruel attack an d she had m ade exc uses f or it
t o herself an d h ad sought to blot it fro mher

,
memory ; but this this was differen t O ut of sheer

,
— .
r eve n ge born o f a baf

, fl ed desire he h ad struck her ,
th at e vil blo w No ; she would n o t forgive Tho ugh

d e ath in deed were com
. .
in g (an d his face w as black

w ith fury) she would m , eet it an d her j udgm en t ,
h e re after without a tho ught o f pardo n for this br utal

,
tyran t.
2 04 TH E H ON OURAB LE MRS . V E RE K E R .
Will yo u give in dem an d ed he his bre at h
c om
,
in g thick an d fast
Not tho ugh yo u kil l m
.
e return ed she her ”
face like m red m

, ,
arble sa ve f or the d ull

, ark tha t ,
was n o w slowly coverin g her forehe ad

Her calm
.
n ess th at looked like an d w as in p art
de fian ce en rage d him He str uck her again the n

, , ,
.
, ,
caught her in a vicio us grasp shook her like a reed

ro mh im
, ,
an d fl un g her f
This ti m e she lost her balan ce s wayed an d cam

.
e , ,
heavily to the groun d strikin g her head again st t h e

s harp corn er o f an otto m
,
an as she fell .
Not carin g whether she lived or w as dead V e re ke r

lurched out o f the roomclosin g the door with a
,
m m
,
savage b a g behi d h
n n i —
That last ti e that n ight
in the library h e had felt so m e twin ges of re m
.
— orse
n ow he f
, elt n othin g on ly a s avage j oy in that h e
,
had pun is hed her .
By degrees con scio usn ess return ed to her ; sh e

rose to her k n ees an d f ro mthat got o n to her feet
, ,
an d the n stood lookin g ro un d her in a h al f d azed -
fashion She p ushed back the h air fro mher fore

.
head an d stare d vaguely at the fire which had

, ,
begun to burn low A lon g lon g sigh escaped her

Presen tly she m ade a m echan ical m ove m
.
, .
en t as if
to lift her right ar mto her throat b ut som
,
e thin g
som
, ,
e shootin g pain th at felt like the touch o f a red

hot iro n checked her an d a sen satio n o f sickn es s
al m ost overcam e her The arm
.
,
w as n o t broke n b ut
.
,
in fallin g she had severely brui s ed it She rais e d .
her l e ft han d then an d pre ss e d it agai n st th at side

romwhi c h the d ull i n tolerable thro b
,
o f her bro w f
. . 205
bin g an guish see m ed to be co m in g As she touched .
it she win ced an d let the han d fall agai n lan guidly
,
t o her side She saw then that there w as blood

.
upon it .
She w as in gre at pain She kn ew that at le ast

though as yet she w as so ben um bed in m
.
,
in d that
the whole truth had n ot co m e ho m e to her She
still stood o n the sam
.
e spot o n the carpet as though

she h ad forgotten she could m
,
ove
B ut n ow her eyes began to roam fro m
.
side to side
rn in g m em
,
as if with retu ory All at on ce they

con cen trated them
.
selves o n o n e object ; it w as a
mirror ; an d in it she saw reflected what brought
sen se m
,
em ory an d an abhorre n ce o f that m
, em ory ,
back to her w th a cruel rush

i
.
She looked an d looked again ; lettin g a horrible

sham
,
e sin k deep in t o her There she stood

revealed ! The s am e wo m
.
,
an she had see n an ho ur
a gon e yet w as it the s am e Th e ghastly pallor

that crim
, , ,
son streak the dull lack lustre eyes the -
rigid m outh did she kn ow the mP Her hair had

, ,
escaped fromits fasten in gs h ad com

,
e un don e an d
, ,
w a s han gi n g in i n artistic con fusion roun d her It

s e em ed to hold in an un tidy fram
.
e her stran ge ,
starin g face
It w as a hideous portrait of a m ost lovely wo m
.
an
An d to this he h ad brought her !

A low m oan broke fromher She put up her han ds
ro mher that pain ful se m
.
as if to hi de f blan ce o f
h ers elf
O h ! God have pity ! Mus t I s ubm
.
it to this
degradation
206 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
It was n o com mon expression o f despair that

burst fromher parc hed lips ; it w as an e arn est an
im
,
pas sion ed question She shran k an d cowered

romthe m irror an d tears that m
.
away f i ght have ,
been o f blood so agon ized were they ran down her

, ,
cheeks
Afte r a little while she m
.
ade an e fl ort an d boun d

'
up in so m
, ,
e wis e her loosen ed hair ; an d sought to

make herselfpresen table again as women will eve n , ,
in the ir direst ho urs M en call this van ity ; b ut

.
who shall say it is n ot an hon est virtue

The expression o n her face w as begin n in g to
chan ge as a fuller con sciousn ess grew on her The
, .
duln ess the apathy disappeared an d e very feature

began to assum
, , ,
e a look of hard an d un flin chin g

hatred terrible to see in o n e so youn g so gen tle
As re m em bran ce becam
, , .
e perfected so too this , , ,
deadly loathin g gain ed vigour She raised th e .
han d on which lay the stain o f blood an d her eyes

faste n ed them
,
selves upon it with a sort o f tigerish

rage This dain ty petted cre ature who in her old
hom
.
, ,
e poor as it w as had n ever kn own what it w as

, ,
to h ave a wish thwarted w as n o w the legal prey o f ,
a br ute who tre ated her as he would certain ly n o t
d are to treat an y other hum

,
an thin g .
She san k upon a loun ge an d crouched there

im movable with dark eyes starin g before her in to
,
an un see n f uture The old resign ation the gen tl e

patien ce w as all gon e fro mher Gon e too w as
.
,
.
, , ,
the soft girlishn ess that h ad bee n o n e of her chiefe s t

charm s She looked haggard an d years olde r
m
.
,
q
'
w ite a wo an .
THE H ON OURABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. . 207
Th e han ds that use d to rest in her leis ure m om en ts

in a pre tty idlen ess upon her kn ee s were n o w fir m ,
an d te n se ; the right o n e w as cle n che d an d with
the kn uckles of it she kept rubbi n g the palmof

,
the other up an d down up an d down ceaselessly

, ,
in a slow curious fashion

, She was thin kin g. .
Her thoughts all ran in on e groove That soon er

or late r there cam
.
e an e n d to al l thin gs O n e day
there would co m
.
e an en d to Fran cis V e re ker .
O ddly e n o ugh she had ce ased to believe that he

would do her to de ath either through wron g or
It see m
,
ac tual physical ill us age -

ed as though he
.
w as the o n e to die She h ad survived this last

brutal treatm en t o f his she could still thin k m
.
ove , ,
feel ; there w as n o reason that she should n ot s urvive

an other n ay a hun dred s uch Life was eviden tly
te rribly re m
.
, ,
, orselessly stron g within her There

, .
w as n o escape t h at w ay But he he would go !

Thin gs when they cam e to the worst always m
.
,
e n ded
ore as m
,
an d theref atters l a
y he w a s the o n e bo un d
to sin k in to th e grave Death w as waitin g for him
, , ,
.
,
so she devoutly praye d hoped believed — ,
The idea had a fascin ation for her She began .
e ve n to picture her li f e as it would be whe n he was

n o lon ger there to darke n it In this stran ge wild
fi t th at w as on her when all the decen t wom
.
— an hood
in her had bee o tr ged

n u a a fl ro n te d — whe n she h ad '
be en crushed an d bruised an d beaten as m

,
ight a
—
dog she lon ged for reven ge She felt as though
she c oul d hardly be sati ated n o m atter what for m
.
She saw the com

,
v e n ge an ce took —
in g life w ithout
him th at she hope d for an d with a p as sion ate
.
— ,
. .
e se of freedomthrew wide h er arm

s n s O h ! th e
joy of it the exul tation ! To kn ow himgon e
.
—
Her tyran t lowered re m ove l aid in th e
for ever d
very dust It w as im
.
, ,
. possible th at she should n o t

live to see it S urely she sho uld n ot die un til she
h ad seen her desire upon her en e m y ”
.
She was stil l crouchin g h urt an d spe n t an d fi erce

like so m e wo un ded an im when a footm
, , , ,
al an fl un
g ,
open the door an d an n o un ced Mr St John . . .

”
CHAPTE R XXVII .
S o feeble w er e he r s pi it
r s , an d s o lo w ,
An d chan ged so ,
t hat no m an con ldé kn ow
H er s p ee ch, n e it her her voice .
”
a a a
An d shor tly , turn ed w as al l p

u s ide dow n ,
Both hab it an d e ke di s po s ition .
”
TH E door had closed again an d the m an h ad dis ,
appe ared before S t John quite un ders tood that

som
.
ethin g had gon e terribly wron g with her S he

raised her head an d looke d at h imb ut beyon d
.
that e fl o rt m ade n o atte mpt to greet him He w as

,
'
horrified at the chan ge in her .
The blood stre aked fore h e ad the large dark e yes

-
the d eadly pallor o f the face all shocked h im; b ut

, ,
w h at w as worse than all w as the cruel cal m n ess
t h e stern n ess that see m

, ,
ed to disfigure the youn g

face
A sharp cry escaped himas he wen t quickly up
.
.
—
to her Was this Ce cil the ge n tle pre tty fragile , ,
TH E H O N O URABL S MR S . V E RE K E R . 209
c reature whomhe loved This I He felt half

mad an d a terrible imprecation fell from his
.
lips.
What has that D evil bee n doin g to you he

said prese n tly .
“ Not quite e n ough return ed she w ith a bitter

sm
, ,
ile After al l yo u see he h as failed again It

is m
.
.
, ,
arvellous how lon g li f e will stay in o n e Misery .
will n o t kill n or brutality Don t look so distressed ’
I ass ure you I w as seld o mm

.
, ,
ore alive to everythin g

than I amthis m om en t ”
Her to n e soun d ed stran ge to him The us ual

.
c h arm in g harm on y had al l died fro mit It w as

.
n o w stern h ard un m
.
,
usical , .
Cecil he began
She in terrupted him
.
We can n ot talk here

O ther people m m
.
in a q ui ck cold w ay a
y co e in
m m
.
, .
I f I co uld get to y o wn roo — she p a used

without m eetin g the ser van ts I m
,
e an I can t ’
have themkn ow at le ast n o t un til they m

, .
— ust ”
Well co m
, , .
e said he
, ,
”
.
Go to the door an d see if an yon e is in th e hal l ”
She see m
.
ed quite collecte d an d cold as if turn e d

i n to s ton e There w as so m
,
e thin g abo ut her that
a l arm ed him He open ed the door an d looked in to

.
the hall an d saw n o on e

Com
.
,
e he said again”
I m
.
,
ust fir st get rid o f this s ai d she to uchi n g

"
the woun d upon her forehead fro mwhich th e blood

, ,
w as sti ll slowly oozin g At an y turn o f the stair

ca se o n e o f the mm
.
igh t appear Good Heaven s 1

has t here n o t been h um
.
iliation en ough
21 0 TH E H ON OURABLE MR S V E R E K E R
. .
Though she spoke with see m in g excite men t she

s ee med to feel n o e m
,
otion She we n t to a vase .
where she had been arran gin g the dahlias e arlier

in the aftern oon an d thro w i n g the flo w ers to o n e
,
side saturated her han dke rchie fwith the water an d

began to wash away the blood She seem
, ,
ed to .
sicke n a little an d to white n as she sa w hers elf in

the m irror an d St John co m i n g up to her tried
to help her but she waved h imaside with a to uch
.
, , ,
o f im
,
patie n ce .
Whe n she had washed away the blood she we n t

quickly to the door passed St John al m ost as if she
did n ot see himan d ran in a q uick yet firmw ay
, .
, , ,
up the broad s tair cas e to her bo udoir She gain e d

it un seen by an y o f the dom
.
estics an d stan din g o n ,
the he arthrug ackn owledged that fact by a sigh o f

,
relie f .
St Joh n followed slowly His blood w as boilin g

. .
,
an d there w as a feelin g o f s uch devilish h atred in
his heart as see m ed to n um b h im He felt all at .
on ce as if the kn owle dge o f good an d evil had failed

h ima s if he k n ew o n ly the evil an d as if th at
, ,
were the on ly re al good A lon gin g to destroy w as

full upo n him
.
He followed her in to the pretty roo mthat alway s

.
struck himas bein g so specially suited to her s o

,
made up of the li ttle ten der delicate trifles th at

,
w ere so de ar to her an d stood there sile n tly look i n g

, ,
at her W itho ut spe aki n g
All thin gs see m

.
ed chan ged ; light was darkn e s s ,
darkn ess light He h ardly kn e w where the rig ht

.
lay or the wron g

,
—
Yesterday o n ly yesterday h e
.
TH E H O N OURABLE MRS . V E RE K E R . 211
would h ave shrun k fro maski n g her to leave he r

ho m e an d tarn ishin g her good n am —
e to day it -
see m ed the on ly thin g le ft fo r himto do He

,
an ced at her as she s at upo n the otto m

.
g l an with her
h an ds tightly folded stari n g at the carpet in a d um b

miserable way
, ,
Look h ere he said He touched her shoulder

, .
—
to ro use her to gain her atte n tion b ut she n ever—
moved Listen to me he said again She raise d ”
her eyes for a m om

.
.
,
en t .
That n igh t whe n he t hr ust you o ut yo u re —

me mber an d yo u came to me Do you re
—
me mber
.
Yes Go on She spoke with apathy an d yet

w i th a vague to uch o f i m
. .
,
patien ce .
That n ight he we n t on deliberately I w as

”
t em pted to say to you so m

, ,
ethin g that I re frain ed

fro m sayin g (altho ugh I con fess the te m ptation w as
al m ost too stron g for m e
) si m ply bec ause I tho ught
the ide a that filled m e wo uld h arm

,
y o u Now I .
thin k di fferen tly I do n o t hesi tate to say n ow all

that w as in m m
.
y i n d t h a t n igh t bec au se I re fuse t o
believe that an y m
,
an h as the right to keep o u here

y
an d s ubj ect
y o u to — to s u ch i n dign ity
”
He paused an d she looked at h imagain ; this

.
tim
,
e steadily an d without lowerin g her eyes

, .
What are you goin g to say ? she asked

sl owly
Wi ll yo u com e aw ay with m
.
e Will you le ave

th is brute s house Will yo u trust yo urself e n tirely
’
to m e
She hal l rose fro mher seat .
1 4 —2
212 TH E H O N O UR ABLE MR S V E RE K E R
. .
Wai t ! ”
said he q uickly there is m ore to be “
ti m
, ,
sa id In . e you wo uld get your divorce an d then ,
it wo ul d be
She put up her han d an d by a pere m ptory gesture
checked him He had spoke n very quietly without
,
even a s uspicion of p assion an d s he an swered him

.
,
in like m
,
an n er .
Don t go o n she s aid

’
I un derstan d all that
, .
u wo uld say all th at yo u ha ve s aid b ut it is u

yo , se ,
less ”
ou are an gry with m

.
“Y e perh ap s n o w s aid he
calm
, ,
“
ly B ut if yo u wo uld hear al l there is t o
.
be
Do n ot m istake m e i n terrupted she I fully
c om prehe n d the n ature o f yo ur pro po sal b ut I am
, .
dead to all sham e to all e m

,
— otio n I thin k be caus e I ,
feel n o an ger to wards yo u or i n deed an yo n e T ha t

n ight t o which you all ude I m
.
,
ight perhaps hav e

l isten e d to yo u b ut n ot n o w I shall n o t l e ave this
, .
,
—
I shall s tay o n here un til the en d !
“ The
en d Un til he kills yo u yo u m ean !
He will n ot kill m
,
e Her voice w as low an d .
—
curiously pe n etratin g Her f ce save for th at
a
te rrible cri m
.
—
son stain o n the forehe ad as white a s
death an d her l arge dark eyes h ad beg un to gleam
brillian tly ; she had fi xed the mupon the opposite
,
wall as if there she saw so m ethi n g an d St John as

he watched her grew s tran gely disturbed So m
.
, , ,
, e .
chan ge w as passi n g over her The lethargy w as .
gon e a hope that had cruelty in it w as n o w fi llin g

-
, ,
h e r whole bei n g H e r sad lips h ad lost n o t o n ly

t heir colour b ut th e childi s h m
.
elan choly that used

. . 21 3
to characterize th e m They were n ow pressed to .
gether cold stern un rele n ti n g

, , ,
.
“ No
; I sh all n ot die she wen t o n l e an in g for”
ward as if seein g som

, ,
ethin g o n the oppo site wall

All the world m
,
a
y die bu t I s h al l n o t — un til
She paused abruptly I c an n ot explai n it to yo u

she wen t o n ; I can n ot explain it to m
.
,
ysel f but
som
,
ethin g her e layin g her han d up on her heart

tells m e t h at if he were to strike m
, ,
e to the e arth
agai n an d agai n if he were to do his best to m urder

me still I should live No ; it is n ot I who shall
,
, .
die .
Who then ? aske dhe in vol un tarily Her whole ,

.
ton e w as s uggestive n o t o n ly o f her belief in her

o w n exe m ption fromde ath b ut o f the certain ty o f
,
an other s bei n g obli ed to s ucc um

,
’
g b to it .
He will She spoke with a n ervo us but glad

an d e a ger ass uran ce Don t ask m . e to expl ain
’
th at either ; I can t but I k n ow th at he w ill die

’
an d soo n — s oon ! She threw out her han ds .
O h cried she How c an it be soon en o ugh ?

,
She let her h an ds drop agai n upon her kn ee s an d

c l e n ched the m
,
un til t he n ails showed white ; h e r

e yes were still fi xed upo n t h e w al l as tho u h she
g
t here so m
,
s aw ethin g that fascin ate d whil st it re

p e l l e d her A s t
. ro n g sh udd e r ran th ro u h h er
g .
“
It is n o t j ust th at I sho uld s uffe r al w ays ! sh e ”
s a id her voice n ow n e arly a w hi sper He will

“
, .
di e — —
die an d the n
St John felt his he art gro w cold He wen t
. .
q u ickly up t o her He k n ew
. she w a s h al f delir io us ,
a n d he coul d n o t be ar to see her sle n der fi ure

g
. .
c rouchin g there with the sm all h an ds cle n ch e d an d

, ,
that t errible expression o f exultation on her death

like face What dre adful thin g had h appe n ed to
her his gen tle darlin g that she should have co m
, , e
t o this He stooped over her an d raised her forcibly
fro m the posi tion that h ad n o w becom
,
e in tolerable
to him She struggled slightly an d pushed himim
.
,
patien tly away

It is all dre amwork do n o t d w ell on it he
.
”
-
,
s aid with actual en treaty

It is n o t I amawake I feel as if I should
.
,
“
. .
n ever sleep again An d I tell yo u what I say is

.
true She w as growin g excited n ow

”
I don t ’
kn ow whe n the k n owledge fi rst cam e to m

. .
e but I
thi n k it w as when he stood over m

,
e with his han d ,
—
clen ched to strike or el se whe n he had str uck an d ,
w as lookin g down at his work — I can n ot be sur e

she broke o ff con fusedly an d pressed her h an d to
but so methi n g in his face the n told m
,
her brow e
— —
I should soon be free safe a lon e
She rose to her feet an d began to pace the room;
prese n tly she swaye d a little as if fain t but whe n
he wo uld h ave caught her she waved himaside I t
, ,
see m ed to himas tho ugh she could n o t e n d ure t h a t

.
he should touch her n ow A m iserable feelin g th a t.
sh e f elt herself lo w ered degraded in his sight o p

pressed him She we n t up to h iman d li fted h e r
, ,
eyes to his alm

.
,
— ost defian tly he thought

If he dies will yo u m arry m
, .
e ? she s aid ”
Don t talk like th at exclaim

.
,
’
ed he sharply ,
”
, .
B ad as he is I can n ot he ar yo u to speak th us o f
,
h is death
”
.
. . 21 5
—
Ah ! you he sitate you evade the question
Will yo u m arry m
,
e ? cr ied she obstin ately H e r ”
ton e was alm ost fi erce she cam

.
,
e closer to
him .
He would have drawn her closer still bein g fill e d ,
with a passion ate sorro w for her but she shook her ,
he ad
An s w er m N0 do n ot touch m
.
e !
”
she s aid e ; ,
on ly speak sp eak I will h ave an an swer ; or is it

,
th at yo u too ,
Do n ot say th at i n terrogate d he Yo u k n ow
n ow I am
.
,
y o u do n t thi n k it
’
Y o u k yo urs he art an d
so ul Y o u kno w that yo u trust m

.
. e —
If if yo ur .
husban d were t o die what thin g is there that could

keep m romyo u
,
e f
She sighed he avily An d this ti m e she did n ot

repulse himwhen he placed h is arm
.
s roun d her but

let her head fall forward o n his breast as m
,
ight a
child tired out an d worn with grievin g She did
ro mexhaustio n two large te ars
.
,
n o t cry but as if f
, , ,
gathered in her eyes an d rolled do wn her cheek

Go to your rooman d try to get som
, .
e sleep , ,
s aid St John ge n tly seein g in deed that a re action

.
,
h ad set in an d that she w a s on ce a gain o n the verge

,
o f un con scio us n ess The tired brain an d body were

.
n o w in a s tat e o f rebellio n .
Yes Go she said fain tly

.
,
”
Go away I , . .
wan t to be alon e ”
P ro m ise m
.
An d yo u will lie down e th at .
Shall I se n d Dorothy to you

O h n o I will have n obody here n ot even her
Now go ! She pressed him away fro m
.
, , .
her peevishly ,
21 6 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE RBE .
.
an d, af ter a l ast e n treaty or two that she would try

to sleep he le ft her
, .
CH AP TER XXVIII .
But for t o s p eaken o f her cons cien ce,
Sh e w as s o char ita bl e an d s o pitous .

”
H o l d t hy p eace ,
An d by m
i ne h e ad th ou shal t b e ease d soon .
”
WH Y what is the mtter M tild ske d a n ow , a a a
the you ger Miss Ayl m

,
er
n she p ssed through th , as a e
kitche n Matilda w as sitti n g on a low stool her

.
,
apron over her he ad sobbin g boistero usly Dorothy

laid very n atural e m
.
,
ph asis upon the n ow quar ”
rels both loud an d deep bein g m

,
atters o f d aily
o ccurre n ce betwee n Miss Je m im a an d h e r do m est ics .
Matilda pulled down her apron with a ban g an d

showed two scarlet lidded eyes to the sym
,
pathetic
-
Dorothy
O h Miss ! gaspe d the m
.
aid k n ow how
”
yo u
ill m m
, ,
y other h ave bee n o f late .

”
“ Y e s yes in deed Is she worse poor thin g .

, , ,
with ready in terest .
“ O h yes Mi s s O h ! de ar oh ! de ar I doubt if
.
, , ,
ever I ll see her alive again Y o ukn ow Miss Dorothy

’
.
, ,
I told you as how when I wen t to see her o n Sun day

—which w as m
,
y eve n in g o ut an d n ot b e holden t o ,
an ybody — with an an gry s n ort o f defian ce b urie d

in a so b direct e d at Miss Je m im
,
a
yo u k n o w
Miss how when I cam
, ,
,
e b ack I told yo u she looke d
, ,
—
like death that p ale yo u wo uldn t give tuppe n ce ,
’
ha pe n n y fo r her
’
.
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS . V E RE K E R . 21 7
Well , b ut if you he ard n othin g sin ce perhaps ,
Oh th at s j ust it Mi ss with a fre sh burst

but
’
Bobby Mitchamold B arty s boy cam

, , ,
o f te ars e ’
up here a wh il e ago an d to ld m
.
, ,
e she w as at the very
poi n t o f death an d th at she wan ted m

,
e an d sh e
sen t m e a m e ssage to com

, ,
e to her an d O h ! de ar
O h ! de ar the m
, ,
is tre s s s ays I can t go un less I d o ’
al l m m
, ,
y work fi rst an d pro ise to

,
be b ack here by fi v e
o clock
’
.
”
Well why don t yo u go ? s aid Dorothy ’

Good
n g yo ur ti m
, .
g r acio us wh at are
y o u w a sti e here fo r
cryin g like o n e silly an d yo ur poor m

, ,
other w aitin g
,
R un r un run away
”
fo r yo u , , .
B ut Miss Dorothy de ar yo u k n ow it is iro n in g

day an d the m
, ,
istress said I wasn t to stir un til I h ad ’
fo lded all the clothes fo r the m

,
an gle an d the iro n ;
an d there they are an d n ever a h an d n e ar the m

,
yet
All those ! s aid Dorothy gazin g with dis m
.
ay
”
,
at a h uge b as ket f ul stan di n g o n a tab l e n e ar

Yes Mis s All the m An d yo u kn o w n ow Mis s
.
Dorot hy that it would take m

. .
, ,
e t w o ho urs alo n e to
fol d the m O h ! if I d o n ly kn o w n l as t n ight I

,
’
could have folded the mthen an d m m

.
,
an
g led the ,
when I got back this even in g ”
Why n o t fold an d m an le the m

.
t o n ight u
g s -
g
gested Dorothy
“ Because the m i stress co m
.
es down pun ctual at

fi ve Miss to see they re folded ; an d in dee d I d
’ ’
m
risk all Miss an d go to y other on ly I mam
, , , ,
— ’
poor girl Miss Dorothy an d to throw up m

, , ,
, y pl ace
,
218 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS .
an d get n o character fromit w oul d be the ruin o f

me O h w hat shall I do
,
She had reco urse to the apron o n ce m

.
ore an d ,
disap pe are d behin d it

H o w far away does yo ur m
.
other live as ked
Dorothy who w as n o w o n the verge of te ars hers e l f

, .
Good Heaven s ! w as this a civilized coun try or w as

it n o t Were people to be debarred frompayin g a
l ast farewell to their n e arest an d de arest because a
fe w sheets an d towels wan ted foldin g for the iron or
the m an gle
Tis a lo n g w ay Miss It would take m

’
, e two
.
hours to get there an d two to get back an d it s ,

’
twelve n o w Miss Dorothy an d even if I coul d start

this m i n ute it would on ly give m e an ho ur at ho m
, ,
e
with poor m
,
other But I can t s tart n o w Miss w ith ’
all the mclo thes to be f olded an d dam

.
, ,
ped an d ,
settled .
”
Matilda said Dorothy sudde n ly yo u shall

, ,
start this i n s tan t ”
Lawks Miss your aun t would n ever forgive m

.
She as good as told m e I m ight take m m

.
, ,
y o n th s
’
warn in g if I left themclothes un don e .

”
They shan t be un don e Whe n fi ve o clock

’ ’
arrive s an d Aun t Je m im
.
,
a with it t o i n spect these
clo thes they shall be re ady for her

But who s to do the mMiss
.
,
’
,
I shall
”
.
You Miss ! O h
, Miss Dorothy yo u couldn t ,
’
.
What ! you with your h an d s Miss Y o u have n t a ,

’
tho ught o f how h ard a job it is an d

Yo uare w astin g val uable ti m
,
e Matilda de clared , ,
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. . 21 9
Dorothy severely Go an d m ake yo ursel f tidy an d
s tart a t o n ce or youll be late for clothes an d m

.
,
,
other
’
an d all I tell yo u you c an go in pe ace because I ll ’
see that Aun t J e m im

.
, ,
a is satis fied Now run away . ,
there s a good girl an d wh atever yo u do be back at

’
,
fi ve sh arp or I shall c atch it fo r letti n g yo u go

”
.
,
O h ! Miss Dorothy w as there ever an yon e like ,
o u I wo n der ? cried the gr te l M tild a spri n g

”
y a fu a
in g to her feet fresh hope in her m

, ,
, ois t eyes B ut .
,
in de e d M i s s I can t be ar to thi n k that yo u

’
Well do n t thin k it There go every m

, ,
,
’
in ute .
, ,
is precious Yet as the girl joyfully dis appeared

.
,
an d Dorothy t ur n ed her gaze upon the he aped u

p
-
basket full o f rough dried clothes upon the table -
n e ar it m
, ust he co n fe s sed th at her he art fain ted
wit hin her an d h e r co urage san k so low that she
,
fo un d a di f fi c ulty in raisin g it at all

S he h ad pledg e d her word however an d it m
.
ust
be don e It see m ed n o w a herc ule an task an alm
, ,
os t
un s urm
.
,
o un table diffi culty an d besides there w as the

chan ce o f Aun t Je m im romMrs
, ,
a s s udde n return f
’
.
Macke n zie s wh e re she had gon e to pay a visit her

’
, ,
de scen t upon the kitchen an d dis covery o f Dorothy

at her work Cle arly the gigan tic un dertakin g w as
n o t to be at te m
.
,
pted here She called upon Jan e

the other m
.
,
aid an d telli n g h e r t o c atch o n e h an dle

,
o f the clothes b asket she hersel f l aid hold of the

-
other an d together m istress an d m

,
,
aid s tar ted f or
the orchar d
This char m
.
in g spot l ay j us t behin d the Cottage

an d w as seldo m visited by the elder Miss Aylm
.
er .
Here then Dorothy elected to brin g her washin g ”

,
. .
as she n ow felt a certai n alloyed joy in callin g it in

an al m
,
ost certain hope that she would be able to

struggle with it un see n by hum an eye .
Yesterday s fin e weather had n ot deserte d to day

’
-
roma blue an d pe arly

,
an d a hot sun sho n e down f
sky With a fervour hardly to be expected Dorothy

.
, ,
—
with her lovely figure lithe an d yo un g an d stron g
well thrown back m
, ,
a n d — arched through the flower
garden basket in charge tre atin g the heavy thin g

with a n oble un con c e mun kn own by Jan e who
, ,
though born with a back m

, ,
ade to carry the d aily
b urden groan ed m
, ost lamen tably all the way fro m
the kitchen to the s un lit orchard .
Here they laid the basket o n the short crisp grass ,
an d Jan e h avi n g desired Miss Dorothy f o r abo ut the
twe n tieth tim e to be s ure an d call her to her help

when she cam e to the bigger articles s uch as sheets , ,
ran b ack t o the ho use to co n ti n ue her work there .
Dorothy toiled ste adily on foldin g p ullin g o ut

sm
, , ,
oothin g doin g all thin gs with an elaborate care

, ,
a s co n scie n tio us tyros always will She h ad fin ished

all the s m
.
aller thi n gs an d w as suflic ie n tly tired to
regard with h atred those still left It see m ed im

,
possible she could do the malon e an d yet she h ardly

.
liked to call o n Jan e t o co m

,
e to the re sc ue It
would be a risky thin g to do as Aun t Je m im
.
a wo ul d
be alm o st s ure to w an t a servan t for som

,
ethi n g o r
other j ust then an d if n o on e an swered the bell
, ,
a serio us squabble wo uld e n s ue .
With a sigh she drew out the e n d of a sheet .
Good gracious ! w as there n o other e n d to it ? It

s ee m ed as though it wo uld re ach fro mthat to th e
TH E H ON OURAB LE MRS V E R E K E R
. . 22 1
v ill age How could she fold s uch a thin g as that ?

.
How did Matilda do it It s udden ly occur red to

her that Matild a s m other w as a very tro ublesom
’
e
o ld wo m an an d th at she w as positively cert ai n she
,
wasn t half as ill as she said she w as Well if she

’
.
,
w as to die over this task that w as all a bout it but

it did see ma poor thin g to be slain by a shee t She
, ,
hoped they wo uldn t put it o n he r tom

.
’
bston e She
w as stil l laughi n g rather forlor n ly over this m
.
ild
joke when a voice broke o n her e ar
What on e arth ar e yo u doin g ? exclaim
.
,
ed
C aptai n Farquhar .
CHAP TER XXIX .
An d in that yo n der pl ac e
My lady fir s t mt e oo k un to her grac e .

”
An d yon d s o gladly gan s he

’
mb h ld
e e o
m
,
”
That to t he de ath y h ear t is to he r hol d .
DO RO TH Y S forlo rn
’
laugh al l at on ce became an
in ten sely joyous o n e

Earn in g m
.
y livin
g o fco u rse cried she throwi g
down the abn orm
, n , ,
ally lo n g sheet an d t urn in g to
greet h im She had fl un g her h at aside in the heat

.
o f her str uggle with her washin g an d the light ”

,
g l in ti n g thro ugh the bo ughs o f the apple tree above -
—
her he vy o with redde i g fruit shon e on her
a n w n n —
shapely head Her pretty cheeks were fl ushed with
.
her un won ted exercise her eyes shi n in g To ,
Farquhar at al l eve n ts she stood o ut th e re fro mall

.
, ,
th e re s t o f the world as the v e ry sw e et e st thin g in it .

222 TH E H O N O URAB LE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
B ut what has happen e d ? asked he detain in g ,
her han d Have al l the servan ts le ft in a body

All is tw o an d on ly on e o f themhas departed
.
this life j ust at presen t an d that on ly for a ti m

,
e
It w as Matilda Her m
, .
other is or thin ks she is

dyin g (she has been doin g it n ow for eight m
.
, ,
o n ths ) ,
an d Matilda n atural ly wished to go to her

”
.
Y es s aid b e with a p uzzled glan ce at the

”
clothes ; b ut surely she co uld go an d her m

, ,
“
other ,
could die without your havin g to kill your self like

this
“ There
y o u are wron g There y o u di f
f er fro m
Aun t Jem im Aun t Je m im
.
a a h as pri n ciples Work

first an d ple as ure afterwards is a favo urite m
. .
otto o f
hers If Matilda fin ished her foldin g o f these awful
clothes first she m
.
ight have the plea s ure o f seein g

her m
,
other expire later on But Matilda w as afraid

her m other m
.
ight expire be fore the clo thes were

don e So I sen t her o ff an d prom
. ised to do her ,
work fo r her .
”
How lon g have yo u been killin g yoursel f here

de m an ded Farquh ar al m ost stern ly , .
—
About an hour I thin k I s upp ose Though
if yo u ask m e how lon g it seem
, ,
s I should say a
mon th return ed she thoughtfully
,
”
Well give it up n o w pere m

.
,
ptorily
O h I can t ! I have pledge d m
.
,
’
y word t o
Matilda an d I m
,
ust either do or die

”
.
,
Non sen se ! I sh an t let yo u do an ythin g o f the’
kin d What folly ! The worst that c an happe n to

the girl is a severe scoldin g fromyo ur aun t
.
It wo uld be dism is sal fromm

.
y au n t ; a n d
. . 2 23
Matilda s people are very poor O h n o I co uldn t

’
.
, ,
’
e t her i n to s uch a scrape as th at n o t after tellin g

g
-
her to go said Dorothy gravely

”
Sit down there
an d talk to m
.
, ,
an d I d ar e s ay I ll be able to get
’
e
t hro ugh the rest o f the m be fore to m

,
orrow dawn s - .
”
I certain ly shan t sit down said he dogged ly

’ ”
If yo uar e d eterm
.
,
in ed to s acrifi ce yo ursel f lik e thi s ,
I sh all help yo u ”
She had perhaps m ean t to say m

.
“
Yo u!
”
, ,ore ,
b ut a s udde n fi t o f laught er choked her Don t be ’

.
abs urd she s aid

”
.
,
I shall certain ly do wh at I can sai d h e ”
un m Com e show m
, ,
oved . e how to begin an d we ll

, ,
’
get it fin ished as quickly as possible .

”
I really couldn t I sho uldn t like to ask yo u

’ ’
To com
.
,
said she growin g con fused e up here to

s it an d to be co m
.
,
p ya a vi , pe l led to
Here ! What s to be do n e with this thin g ?
’ ”
s aid he i m patie n tly seizin g hold o fthe sheet

, .
He too like her had fl un g his h at aside an d seein g

that he w as really deter m
, , , ,
in ed to see her through

with it she attacked the sheet an d told himhow to
, ,
hold it by the corn ers an d how to pull it this w ay an d

th at un til he quite e n tere d i n to the spirit o f the
thin g By the ti m
,
e the secon d sh e et w as fold ed

they felt l ike past m
.
,
asters o f the art an d wh e n
n um ber three w as in h an ds they gave the m

,
,s e lves
l e ave to en ter in to con ve rs ation o fa lighter de scrip

t ion than h ad adorn ed their labo urs fo r the pas t
hal fh o ur
-
Whe re w ere yo u all the m

.
orn i n g ? asked she

idly lookin g at him
,
over a white lin e n field .
. .
1 w to Th e Co urt to see Mrs V e re ke r

ent up
She w an ted to kn o w som
. .
et hi n g abo ut the local

con cert that is to co m e o ff at Christm as .
”
Yo u saw her ?
”
No She wasn t well the servan t s aid w as

.
—’
,
lyin g down Do yo u kn o w Dorothy I co uld n t ’
help fan cyin g there w as so m

.
, ,
ethi n g queer abo ut the

man s man n er I hope V e reker hasn t been at it
’
.
’
agai n
”
I thin k n o t I hop e n o t In deed I ms ure yo u

.
’
. .
,
fan c ied it because Fran cis h as bee n quite won der

fully i m
,
proved o f late He ha s let her a lo n e w hich .

,
is the gre ate s t boon the poor darlin g craves H o w

ever you have m ade m
.
, e a little un ea sy so I thi n k ,
I ll walk up there this eve n in g an d see her

’ ”
I ll go with yo u s aid h e pro m

.
’
ptly ,
”
, .
Now why ? said she j ud icial ly

, , .
Well j ust for a walk yo u kn o w He pause d

I can co m e can t I ? I co uld m
.
, , .
, ee t yo u at th e
’
cro ss road s yo u kn o w
I ce rtai n ly kn ow them s aid sh e ; b ut co n sider
.
,
in g yo u are h e re n o w whi c h m m
,
e a n s se ei n e on c e
g ,
to day I do n o t kn o w why yo u sho uld wan t t o se e

-
me t w ice
,
“ Do n t ou ?
’
And e t yo u are a cl e ve r girl
y y
said Farquh ar m
,
i ldly Try agai n

, A c hil d co uld
. .
“
u e ss it B e s id e s art fu lly d o o u c all this a
g y
visit ? Why I ve bee n about t e n yards aw ay fro m
.
, ,
o u ever s i n c e I ca m e ”
y
Thi s re m
.
in d e d her o f what he w as doin g for her ,
an d sh e r e le n ted .
True she said s w e e tly

,
”
T his is b ut a sorry
, .
TH E H ON OURABLE M RS V E R E K E R
. . 225
re c eption yo u h ave h ad Very well then ; yo u can

meet me at the cross ro ads abo ut six o clock There
.
,
’
.
That s the third I re ally believe th e re is on ly o n e

’
more left for us to do

.
The fourth sheet w as dragged fromthe basket

.
an d take n i n to h an ds th at h ad gro w n vigoro us a ai n

g ,
beca use o f the hope o f a speedy fin i sh to the ir

labo urs that n ow s us tain ed the m .
They have pulled it bia s wise an d cro ss wise an d

-
,
-
,
straight wise an d every other wise There were

-
momen ts when Captain Farquhar had been pul led

, .
n e arly 0 3 his b al an ce an d several m om en ts when

Miss Ayl m
,
er h ad bee n as n early as possible fallin g

in to his arm s so adm
, irably in earn est were they to
do a good day s work an d j ustice to the abse n t
’
,
Matilda Dorothy had fo un d her thoughts run n in g

with m uch co m passion o n that affl icte d m
.
ai d She
felt positive the poor g irl s m other m
.
us t be de ad
’
O n ly so m
.
ourn ful an occurre n c e could be re ason

s uflic ie n t fo r all the terrible toil t o the per f orm an ce ,
o f which she Doro thy h ad vol un tarily b ut i n o r

, , g ,
an tly pledged hersel f an d which i n dee d she h ad
n o w al m
, , , ,
ost got through

Her c he c ks were pin k as a n ewly ope n ed rose fro m
.
fatigue an d an xiety an d it can n o t but be said t hat

Farquhar him
,
self was con side rably the worse for

wear They both sighe d n ow an d t he n an d con ver
.
,
s atio n h ad f alle n l o w The sun still beat fon d ly

.
thro ugh the laden apple tre s though Dorothy felt e ,
a s tho ugh he sho uld have go n e to bed an hour agon e .
What a day it h ad bee n She did hope Jan e s ’
mother wo uldn t thin k o f dyin g for a lon g time yet

.
’
.
15
TH E H O N OUR ABLE M RS V E RE K E R
. .
At all even ts un til she had h ad tim e to recover

from fects o f Matilda s m
,
th e e f other s dissolution ’ ’
They h ad n ow co m
.
e to the shakin g of the huge

p iece o f li n e n — th at had gro wn positively h ate f ul to
the m T his con sisted o f an in stan tan eous uprisi n g
.
an d down flin gin g of th e f

-
our han ds which Dorothy
fro m con stan t study of M atilda s an d Jan e s m
, ,
ethod ’ ’
had learn ed to co n sider the on ly true m

,
an n er o f
reducin g a sheet to a proper fram e of m in d for the

waitin g m an gle
Little sharp an gry soun ds cam e fro mthe dam

.
p
lin e n as they did this ; reson an t re ports that s m ote
the air an d bre athed o f reproach an d de fian ce
Dorothy s ch arm
.
,
’
in g face grew pin ker an d F ar q uhar s ’
moral stren gth gave o ut

,
Let s wait awhile an d an d give it ti m

.
’
— e to dry a
bit It s the water in it that m
,
akes it so c o n
’
.
fo un de dly he avy said he ”

.
,
“ W ter
! There s n o water in it ; it is b ar ely
’
a
dam p pouted Dorothy

,
”
B ut it s the heavies t .
’
thin g certai n ly that I ever fel t an d I do hate ban g

in g m m
,
y a r s up an d dow n in th at j erky w ay H o w
ever it m us t be don e so co m
.
e on
Give us bre athin g tim
.
, ,
e said he ,
”
.
What s the good ’

— on ce don e we can rest .
Better fin ish it said she in a despairin g to n e b ut

”
he held o n to his two corn ers with so s teman d

, ,
im movable a grip an d with so open a determ ,

in ation
to carry on the w ar n o further j ust at pre sen t that
she s uccum
,
bed to it .
If it gets too dry Matilda will be able to do ,
n othin g wit h it she s aid as a last protest

”
, , .
TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 227
She can stick it in the streamor so m ewhere

What on e arth is the m
, ,
said he atter wi th her
mother ? Why couldn t she be ill some other day

.
but this
Oh h sh
, u ! P o or thin g ! she is I m
— al m ost sure ’
sh e is de ad s aid Dorothy
”
.
,
I b e t you an y thin g yo u like she isn t s aid ” ’

,
Farquhar in the aggrieved ton e o f o n e who h as been

Youll fin d Matilda will co m
,
thoro ughly don e . e ’
back to n ight with excelle n t accoun ts o f her

-
.
”
Y o u speak as tho ugh you wo uld be sorry if she

did s aid Dorothy with reproach which w as rather
”
un fair o f her as she w as con scio us all the ti m

, , ,
e of a
fe elin g in her o w n m in d th at wo uld she felt am
,
o un t
al m
, ,
ost to in dign ation sho uld Matild a return wi th a ,
b uoyan t air .
O h n o t sor ry s aid he rather sho cked o n ly

, , ,
— I can t bear to see yo u so thoro ughly don e up as

’
ar e at prese n t
”
y o u
I a mtired con fessed she with s uch utter
.
”
, ,
ab an do n an d with a gl an ce so full o f a desire f or
sym pathy that his pul ses began to beat qui ckly an d ,
a ragi n g h atred t owa rds th e ab se n t M atild a her

mother an d Miss Je mima tore at his heart All
,
, , .
I c an say is con tin ued sh e that if Matilda does

”
brin g back a good report of her m

, ,
other s co n dition ’
A lit tle m
,
that I hope it will be a las tin g on e ore

o f th at p o or o ld wo m
.
an s sciatica or wh atever it is
’
would be the death o fm m

, ,
e I have ho e a good deal

o f it ; I c an be ar n o m
.
ore .
I don t see why yo u n ee d be ar an ythin g cried

’ ”
he i m
,
atie n tly W h at folly it is yo ur s ubj cti g

p . e n ,
—
15 2
2 28 TH E H O N O URABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
yoursel fto sce n es like t his all becaus e ofyour aun t s ’
te m per ! Yo u can com e at an y m om

,
en t to where
n i n vitin g as it m ay appe ar in ot her ways
(u ) y o u
won t at all even ts have to tire y ourself to death
’
, ,
helpi n g yo ur servan ts ”
m
.
Would yo h veu a h ad e n o t help her — an d
her m other dyin g

Non se n se ! Yo u k n ow what I m e an
I kn o w this at al l eve n ts t h at ifwe do n t m ak e
’
haste with this sheet Aun t Je m im a te m

, ,
, per an d all , ,
will be down on us She seized upon the article in

.
”
que stion again an d he o f co urse followed her ex

am ple but n ot in sile n c e this ti m
, , ,
,
e He had fo un d .
his grievan ce he wo uld air it with the sheet

Servan ts i m
.
pose on you he said i n dign an tly ,

”
,
tho ugh holdin g o n vali an tly to the li n e n an d d rag

gin g an d shakin g it in obedie n ce to her m ovem
,
en t s
So lon g as you are there to stan d between the m
.
an d your aun t s wrath they f

’
eel them selves at liberty
to go an d see n o t on ly their m
,
others but their

thirty first co usin s should occasion arise They take
- .
every advan tage o f yo u an d as for that old tyran t ,
o f an aun t o f yo urs I ,
an xio usly an d peeri n g ro un d Not so

“
loud It is am az in g w hat s h e can he ar so m etim

.
. es ,
w he n she is n t w a n ted to he ar Her e ars are the

’
.
—
thin n est thin gs possible al l soun ds eve n the lo w est
go thro ugh the m I d hate to have s uch ac ut e
, ,
’
he arin g m yself on e would learn so m

.
, an y thi n gs
”
person ally un pleasan t
I won der if yo ur aun t ha s ever h eard m
.
y
O pin io n o f her said Farquhar still wrath ful
”
. , .
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R. .
Judgin g by the extreme cordiality of her man n er
towards yo u at al l ti m es I sho uld say she h ad re , ,

”
turn ed Dorothy with a little irrepressible bur st o f

mirth
,
Well I don t care She behaves abom

.
,
’
in ably to
.
yo u .I wo n der why it is yo u clin g to her as yo udo .

”
She s all I ve got yo u see (Take care yo u are

’ ’
, .
,
twistin g it ) I have n t a relation on e arth but her

.
’
,
an d — o f cou r se Hil ary an d his —

people but they
don t coun t They are n ot so clos t? as an aun t yo u
’
.
,
se e .She is the on ly person I suppose who wo uld , ,
reall y care whether I lived or died .
Dorothy s aid he with such a b ur st o f in dig

n atio n that she stopp e d s hort in her m
,
an ip ul ation
o f the sheet an d gl an ced at him His h an ds had
grown lim
.
p at his work an d he showed an evide n t ,
desir e to go to her ; he took i n deed on e step in her , ,
dire ction a disastro us step th at bro ught th e sheet

al m
,
ost to the groun d .
O h ! take car e take car e See what you are

, .
doin g cried Dorothy in an accen t so h eartren din g

that it reduced h imto a stan ds till
,
Now what .
,
have you don e ? Y ou are droppin g it O h ! do .
stay where you are How c an yo u be so wicke d .
as to delibe rately let it f all af ter all our trouble !

B ut thi s all co m es o f idle talkin g Now to o ur .
work again .
Good heave n s ! is n t it j erke d en ough yet said ’
he Is it possible that o n e can t sl e ep in a sheet ’
un less som
.
e wretched creature h as worked his or her

arm s o ut of their sockets in the preparation o f it ? ”
O f co urse if you don t w an t to fi n ish it

’
,
23 ) TH E H O N O URABLE MRS . V E RE RBE .
O f cours e
I wan t to finish it .
I can call Jan e

You shan t call an yo n e Dorothy Yo u kn ow it
’
is n t this bea stly thin g that is an n oyi n g m

, .
e ; it is
’
o f u —
the look yo r lovely tired face an d an d the fact
that I begin to doubt if you will ever give yoursel f
to m e.
”
I th in k you n eedn t teaze m e abo ut th at n o w

’
,
said Dorothy rather feebly S h e w as in deed tired

o ut an d despo n de n t an d so m ethi n g in the extre m
.
e ,
sadn ess o f his f ace h ad to uched h e r She would n ot

look at himagai n She faste n ed her eyes on the
.
sheet P erhaps after all you are right an d it is

.
, , ,
shaken e n oug she said with hesitation

It s worn o ut fromit
.
’
said Farquhar with ,
alacrity yet still very sadly Why would she n ever

give himan an swer ? S urely the real an swer to
.
,
that w as that she did n o t care for him .
What s the n ext thin g to be don e with it

’
he
sai d all udin g to the sheet
Fold it That s th e last m

.
,
. ove ’
.
The gods be praised retur n e d he piously ”
After that you will perhaps com e with m

, ,
e for a
stroll ro un d
After th at Aun t J e m im
.
“ No dejecte dly “ a
will wan t m
.
,
”
e .
Ah ! crestfallen At that rate I don t thin k ’
t his thi n g is j erked e n o ugh ; we m

.
,
ight as well do
all we can f or Matild a It looks queer doe sn t it ? ’
.
,
I thin k perhaps we had better give it an other

Not o n e stern ly Now ! Hold your corn ers
”
r s p high so it m
m —
.
,
tightly a d your
n ,a u l — ustn t
’
TH E H O N OURABLE MRS . V E RE KE R . 231
—
to uch the groun d you un derstan d an d co e m up
close to m e an d give m to m
,
e your corn ers in h d

an
y
There w as quite a prom
.
,
isin g soun d about the

com man d so far With arms uplifted Farquhar ad
.
ve n ced on her .
There That will do Now go back an d catch

the m iddl e o f it P ull it tight an d keep your arm
.
. s ,
up always Now tha t s all right ’ ”
Th e sheet w as m
. .
,
ost accurately divided in tw o

Farquhar w as n ow on ly hal f as far away fro mher as
.
he had been at the begin n in g Even in this fact he

foun d co m O n ce agai n she is sued her co m
.
fort
man ds On ce again the foldin g w as com men ced
.
.
,
an d prese n tly b ut a quarter o f the le n gth o f the
sheet stood between himan d her in an other m

— o
men t on ly half that distan ce ; he r pretty tired face ,
w as very close to his o w n her eyes grown lan guid

looked in to his What w as there in the mthat gave
,
himco urage
.
S dde ly regardless o a l co seque n ces o f

u n f l n —
Matilda s despair o f Miss Je m im
,
’
a s ,
wrath o f ’
Dorothy s o w n displeasure he caught the sheet an d

’
, ,
flin gin g it deliberately to o n e side caught Dorothy

in his arm
,
s .
I can t stan d it an y lon ger he cried ; you

’
m
,
us t e n d it o n e w ay or the other n ow ”
To his s urprise she m

.
ade n o e ffo rt to free herself

an d i n deed there w as so m
,
ethin g in the quick sigh

that escaped her that s avo ured of relief No do ubt .
she w as tired She glan ced at the sheet however

Wh at a sham
.
, .
e ! she said plain tively after

”
all the ti m e we have spen t over it ”

.
232 TH E B O N O URABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
Thin k o f all the tim e I have spen t exclaim ed ,
he . Doesn t that co un t with you ? I have waited

’
an d hoped an d e n d ured Dorothy say you will

m arry m
, .
,
e
“ Is that a c o m m an d ? s aid she with a fain t ”
,
laugh —
Well yes then
An d yo u love m
.
, .
e ?
I do—I thin k ”
My darlin g girl there is j ust on e thin g m

.
ore
Y o u wi ll m arry m
, .
e s oon Dorothy ? My sister as I

, ,
t ell yo u will be glad to take a ho use o f her o w n

m
, ,
an d yo u
y o u wi t h a little h u g will be istress
of m in e an d o fm art an d mli f
, , ,
y he y e an d everythi n g
Yo u will m arry m
, , .
e soo n
Don t yo u thi n k yo u are as b ad as Matilda ?

’
s aid she with an o ther low li ttle laugh Are n o t

m
.
,
y o u t oo t ak in g a dv a n ta ge o f y good n at ure
Yo u plead in a h appy m om e n t ; it seem s to m
, ,
e I ,
have n ot the stre n gth to say n o to an ythi n g ; those

c lothes h ave bee n too m uch for m e Y o u sh all have .
it all yo ur o w n w ay ”
I amtoo happy s aid he presen tly

.
I don t ’
believe it wil l last There is o n e thin g m

, ,
ore
Dorothy ; prom ise m
.
,
e th at yo u will n o t w ake t o
m orrow m orn in g an d go back o f every word of it ”
This is too m uch ! cried she p ushi n g h im

, .
away Good Heave n s ! is it possible you really

wan t m e n o t t o wake t o m orrow m
.
orn in g ? What
-
an i n hum an m on ster In such m ad h aste to be rid
o fm e No I shan t an s w er an y m
.
,
’
ore question s to
day There is fo ur o clock strikin g an d I have ’
man y thin gs to do before we go do wn to The Court

.
,
”
.
. . 2 33
Th e we is sweet to him .
I shall go in an d speak to your aun t at o n ce ,
said he t hi n kin g it wise to strike whilst the iro n is

,
hot .
N ow ? evide n tly startled So s oon ? Well .

,
ifyo u will B ut I warn yo u to be prepared for al l

.
thin gs She is quite as likely to fall upon your

.
n eck an d kiss you as t o t urn yo u o ut o f doors I .
don t kn ow which con tin gen cy wo uld be the worse

’
b ut in either case yo u have m m

,
y si n cere sy p athy .
”
I feel it will be th e latter sai d he

Your m
.
,
odesty is well placed said she saucily ,

”
.
Y o u eviden tly see yo u are n o t good en ough fo r

'
me Then all at on ce her mood chan ged an d

.
”
, ,
w ith a s udde n shy b ut lovely frien dli n ess she held

o ut her h an d to him
,
I thin k yo u are too good fo r m

.
e she said , .
CHAPTER XXX .
Though cl er kes m but l it

p rais e w o en a e,
The r e can n o m i humbl him q ui

an n ess ac te
As wo men ca n , n or ca n be hal f so tr ue
As wo mb
en e.
”
It she had said four o clock Hilary St

w as, as ,
’
. .
Joh n as he re ached t h e gates o f V e re ke r Co urt

he ard the hour chi m ed fromthe clock in the old
, ,
ivied tower a m t o verlooked the garde n s

In s/ in ctively he glan ced in its direction an d from
.
t
,
it to the ope n p atch o fgro un d that spread all ro un d

234 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS . V E RE K E R.
it .It coul d be dist in ctly seen fromthat part o fthe

ave n ue o n which he n o w sto od an d the t all late
hollyhocks an d glowi n g dahlias m
, ,
ad e a brilli an t bit
o f colo ur again st the grey sto n ework o f the an cie n t
buildin g A light breeze was stirri n g an d the

.
,
stately hollyhocks swaye d to an d f ro th e d ahl ia s ,
ben t their heads There was a pretty air o f life an d

feeli n g about the m
.
So m ethin g else w as m
.
ovi n g too A slen der figure .
dressed in white It we n t l an guidly as on e we aried

.
, ,
p au si n g o fte n as tho ugh oppressed by cruel tho ught
He aban don ed all ide a ofcallin g for m

, .
ally at the h all
d oor an d we n t straight to the tower garden as it

, ,
w as calle d .
He w as quite close to her be fore she heard his

step on the so f t sh aven sward an d whe n she did
hear h iman d looked up he w as alm
, ,
ost sorry tha t

he had co m
, ,
e .
She was lookin g very ill but she grew positively

astly as her eyes m
,
g h e t his T here w as a tin y

piece of black plaister on her right te m
.
ple an d a ,
n asty discolo ured bruised look al l roun d it
She stood st ill for a m om

.
,
en t an d then began to
t re m ble visibly Her eyes fell before his she seem
,
ed
fill e d with a sti n gi n g sh am
.
,
e He could n ot fail to
see th at she would gladly h ave blotted h imout o f
.
her sight that she shran k fromh im th at his

prese n ce w as in som
, ,
e way a horror to her an d as h e

watch e d her he told hi m
,
selfthat he had n ever been

really m iserable un til n o w .
Who told you I w as here she s aid her voice ,
so un din g harsh an d strain ed .

No on e I saw you through the trees d own

.
there If I had kn own

. He paused Of .
c o urse I can go away agai n he said , .
He turn ed abruptly away but she put out an

im
,
plorin g h an d .
O h ! n ot like that ! she cried — ”

But I h ad
t old m
.
y sel f I co uld n ever see you again I had

give n the servan ts orders to ad m it n o on e I m
.
e an t
—
to go away an ywhere
B ut why—why
Don t do that Don t try to ign ore it s aid she
’ ’
Whe I thin k when I re m em

. .
,
n — ber yesterday .
B ut s aid he again wh at have I don e that

an ish m m
, ,
y o u sho uld b e fro yo u r prese n ce bec aus e
o fyesterd ay s cruel work I can readily un derstan d

’
that all thin gs helpin g you to recall it m ust be

hateful to yo u; but do n ot I i m plore you harde n
your heart again st m
, ,
e The gross w ron g you

suffered at that m
.
an s h an ds is n o t to be lightly
’
forgotten but ,
That ! Do yo u believe I thin k o fthat ? in ter ”
rupte d she O h n o n o ! It see m

.
— , s to m e th at I
h ave forgotten a l l abo ut th at —

It is you what I .
s aid to you She turn ed abruptly away as if ,
un able to en d ure the though t t hat he w as lookin g

at her
What m orbid folly ! exclaim

.
ed he an grily ”
, .
What did you say ? No thin g ; n othi n g that

so un ded stran ge to m e Ifyo u did I have forgotten
.
,
it’9
Yo u h ave n o t said she m ourn fully Nor

S h e looked away fro m
, .
have I O h ! that I could

.
236 TH E H O N O URABLE MRS . V E RE K E R .
him then back again an d fin ally burst out with

an d
Believe believe that I w as m

,
deep agitation : ad ,
—
yesterday My head h e had hurt it here n er ”
n ded t e m
.
,
vo usly to uchin g the wo u ple an d I scarcely ,
kn ew what I said or did O h ! s urely excuses should

be m or m
.
”
a de f e !
She loo ked at him piti ful ly an d he to ok her han d ,
between both his o wn an d pressed it e agerly .
If I coul d on ly con vin ce yo u he s aid that ”

, ,
there w as n o thin g n othin g at all Why wi ll you

, .
disquiet yo ursel f goin g over it again ? ”
If yo u will let m e spe ak it will be a relie f I , ,
thin k I kn ow I s id to y thi gs th
a o u n at — O h ! how
it hur ts m e to re m em
.
ber ! She pressed the han d ”
he was n o t holdin g to her breast But in deed I

Never w as there a wom
, ,
w as distracte d an so
crushed so overwhelm
.
,
ed I can n ot bear to thin k .
o fit all an d yet — —

I fan cy if I were on ce to s a y it
—
,
to you I should n ot en dure such tort ure I here ”
sh e braced he rsel f as if for a s upre m

.
, ,
e e ffort : I
asked yo u to m arry m e if Fran cis di ed ,
She turn ed as ide an d covered her face ,

.
We ll wh at o f it ,
What w as there in that ? ”
“Y
s aid he tryin g to spe ak lightly o u kn ow it is
the o n e desire o f m m
.
,
y li fe to arry yo u to resc ue
m all this m at see m

,
y ou f ro isery th s to h ave e n
gulfed yo u O therwise you would n ot have said it

Com
. .
e forge t it Cas t these foolish thoughts behin d

,
.
”
yo u.
Alas ! sh e said What happy thoughts have

I to replace the m? An d besides they wi ll n ot be
.
It is o n e thin g more I owe him her

,
cast as ide
”
.
,
, . 23 7
c heek flushin g that he has m ade m e lower m y

s el f in your eyes
Th at he h as n ot ! Whatever cri m
.
es are his ,
y o u c an n ot l ay th at to his ch arge
”
Well there is st ill so m

.
— e thi n g con tin ue d she , ,
w ith a he avy sigh an d yet w ith a fain t to uch o f

m I s id I wished him
,
co f ort in her to en a — .
de ad That I lon ged for his death Will you try

t o be l ieve I did n ot m
. .
e an that She shuddered .
No—n o she s aid I do n o t lon g for it ”
I kn ow it If I m
. .
,
igh t advise yo u s aid he

.
,
”
,
gravely I shoul d beg yo u to go in an d lie down

, ,
a n d re st yo urself Y o u h ave n ot yet recovered

fro myesterday s un happy excite m
.
’
en t If you will
’
on !
Hush ! she lifte d her fi n ger an d stood m

”
otion
less as iflisten in g Her face p aled agai n un t il the
bruise upon th e white forehead showed al m
.
,
ost
black Her eyes dilated
. He is co m in g ! she .
”
breathed quickly pain ful ly It w as horrible to

see an y on e hum an thin g so m
.
,
uch in dre ad o f
an other .
St John lifted his he ad h ardly believin g so still

.
, ,
w as the air aroun d ; but prese n tly he saw that her

in stin ct sharpen ed by that fe ar she coul d n o t over
co m
,
e or con ceal w as truer than his V e re ke r

t urn ed the corn er an d cam e towards themwith the
.
,
slo uchin g lurchin g gait that had grown p ec uliar to

m
,
hi .
Fin e even in g he said addressin g S t Jo h n

,
”
,
. .
Very s aid St John He affected to be b usy

”
with a cigar he had tak en fromhis pocket so as to

. .
,
,
238 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS VE RE K E R
. .
a void shakin g h an ds with the con te m ptible br ute

before him He kn e w his voice w as un ste ady that
it w as with diflic ul ty he restrain ed hi m self fr om
.
,
catchin g himby the throat an d shakin g the v ery

life o ut of hi mso he con fin ed hi m , self t o a word .
V ere ke r who kn ew very well wh at the stron g

in te rest in the cigar m
,
e an t an d the altered to n e
half closed his eyes an d looked fro mSt John to
, ,
his wi fe an d b ack again with a slo w i n sole n t

sm
,
ile
Co m
.
e up to see Mrs V e re ker he we n t on

. .
Yes curtly ,
”
.
Ah ! She has bee n h urtin g herself you see

poin tin g deli berately to the m
, ,
ark o n Cecil s f ore ’
he ad . She m ust be c are ful yo u see Im al ways ,

’
warn i n g b er ~b ut she wo n t take advice I should n t ’ ’
won der if she cam e by so m

.
,
ethin g eve n n as tier if

—
she re fuses to liste n to re ason a h usban d s re ason ’ ”
There w as so m ethin g abo m in ably m

.
align an t
so m e thin g that looked like brutal am use m

,
en t in ,
the eyes he fixed on her .
St John thre w up his head an d looked the other

.
full in th e face H is eyes were blazi n g

. V e re ke r .
,
who had as usual been drin kin g laughed coarsely

St John m orward an d at the s am
,
. ade a ste p f e ,
in stan t so did Mrs V e re ker She got betwee n the

two m
. .
e n an d raised her h an d as if to warn her
h usban d back He laughed again louder this ti m

. e ,
— an d lightly b ut with a dan gero us swi ftn ess thre w

, , ,
her han d aside .
Don t be frighte n ed he s aid with an odious

’
I shan t hurt him I shan t spoil his

, ,
sn eer .
’
.
’
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R. . 239
beauty It doesn t belon g to m ’

e ; I on ly guard
an d pun ish wh at is m
.
an d c h erish , y o w n M ark .
that well ! cried he his hate ful s uavity dropped

”
, ,
an d a s avagery h ard ly to be described taki n g its
place . Get to the house wom an ,
Ce cil as if too frighte n ed too shocked to kn ow

, , ,
w hat to do stood still

, .
Go roared he shakin g his fi st at her Do

m
,
y o u dar e to de fy e p ublicly ? Wh
, at ! Do y o u
t hi n k yo ur glover can protect you? Go I I say ,
whilst you have still a rag o f character le ft yo u in ,
w hich to del ude Society Go ! or I ll ’

.
Leave us s aid St John sharply catchin g her

arm ro mth e
.
, ,
an d sh akin g her slightly to w ake her f ,
torpor in to which she had falle n Her n erves were .
n o lon ger un der her co n trol She w as crushed .

,
broken half in sen sible

, .
St John s voice however happily roused her his

.
’
, , ,
t ouch woke her to a fuller life ; an d with the pai n

ful start o f o n e wakin g fro ma hideo us dre amshe
,
brushed past her h usban d an d ran towards the

hous e .
C HAPTER XXXI .
Me mm b i g
re e
’
r n
Of m
y l i g vi n ;
My death w ish in g
”
Both ear ly a n d lat e .
IT w as the first ti me St John had he ard himO pen ly

sen s e o f di sgus t alm
.
brutal to her, an d a ost choked

2 40 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. .
hi mV stood lookin g aft er his wife un til sh e

e re ker
had disappe ared a curious s m

.
ile upo n his face

, .
Then he turn e d to St John who had turn ed an d .

,
w as walkin g abruptly away witho ut biddin g the

other the courtesy o f a good bye -
What ! goin g ! said V e re ker followin g h im

.
He see m ed am Don t let m

, .
used e drive yo u
’
he said ; yo u cam
.
away
” “
, e to see Mrs V ere ke r .
pray follo w her to the ho use an d fin ish your visit .
What ! you won t R ea lly goin g ? ’ ”
Yes said St John

”
, They had e n tered the
. .
sh rubberies n ow an d were in a rather un f reque n te d

part of the m St John could barely brin g him
,
. . self
t o an swer an d w as con scio us o n ly of a lon gi n g that
the fellow wo uld leave himbefore h is l ast re m
,
n an t
o f sel f con trol w as go n e

- He w as pale an d rigid
with the e ffort to s ubdue him
.
self He kn ew if he
o n ce let him sel f go n othin g could com
.
e o f it b ut
scan dal in which her n am e wo uld in fallibly be
m
,
ixed up an d that w as to be avoided at all risks

, .
There w as too the kn owle dge that a s truggle

between himan d V e re ke r would be an un fair o n e
, ,
Stron g an d powerful as that big bur ly brute looked ,
to the un critical eye St Joh n kn ew th at he w as so

dem
.
,
oralise d by drin k that th ere w as n o real stren gth

in himan d that if he St John o n ce had himby
the throat he coul d sh ake himas a terrier m
.
, , ,
ight a
rat an d af t erwards crush the life o ut of him Why
t he devil coul dn t the fellow leave him
.
,
alon e i n stead
’
of f ollowi n g himhere ? Surely som e dem o n w as
o adin g h im o n wards to his un doi n g

g .
St John walked s te adily forward takin g n o n otice

.
,
'
JB E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 24 1
of his com pan ion sm okin g his cigar with a fierce

n ess th at gave som e slight rel ief to his te m
,
per
Im
.
ust co n gratul ate yo u s aid V e re ke r with an

”
e vil s m ile o n the tam in g o f that charm

,
in g shrew
o fm
,
in e I bid her go in to the ho use an d she prac

.
tically re fuses ; you bid her go an d heigh presto

She obeys you ad m
, ,
s h e is o f f l ike a shot irably

Y o u should give m e a wrin kle m
. .
y de a r fellow To
me her husban d she is an ythin g but s ubservien t
, .
, ,
—
to you pray what are you to her
It woul d be im possi ble to describe the in solen t
v ile n ess o f hi s m an n er an d his m e an in g .
A frien d said St John in a dan gero usly q uiet

As I should be to an yon e who mI saw ill
.
ton e
He re m ove d his cigar fro m
.
t re ated by a cur
”
.
between his lips an d leisurely kn oc k e d the ash

of f it
Mean in g m e !
”
return ed V ere ke r with an un
o u kn ow to m m
,
p le asan t l augh Now. do y e it see s

that there are two curs in this case both fightin g for ,
a us eless bon e It is a pity we sho ul d be at cross

o u c an t ake her m
.
p u rposes Y y good St Joh n
an d welco m
.
.
, ,
e I don t wan t her ! ’ ”
Y o u sco un drel ! yo u dam

.
n ed vill ai n cried St
John violen tly He felt at the m om en t m
.
. ad with
g rie f an d rage He c aught V ere ke r by the thro at
s wayin g him backwards an d forwards with a m

.
,
i ghty
s tre n gth bo rn o f a fi erce j oy an d at l ast fl u n g him
fro m him
,
with all his force

The m
.
an f ell with a dull th ud upon the grass an d

l ay there m otion less St John stood a m om
,
en t
l ookin g do w n at him
. .
with a bitter h atred an d con

16
24 2 TH E H ON O UR ABLE MR S V E RE K E R . .
te m
pt th en turn ed on his heel an d strode away
, an d
in to the n ow gatherin g t wilight He wen t quickly

n o t d arin g to trust h i m
.
,
sel f an y lon ger with that

recum ben t figur e .
He walked swiftly e agerly an d by d e grees grew

cal er eve n a little asham
m ed of him
, ,
— self Beyon d .
doubt he had thirst ed for that blackguar d s blood ’
had bee n perilo usly n ear stam

,
pin g the vile life

o ut o f h im as he l a at his f eet He took ff his h t
y o a .
as he we n t throu h the cool woods an d let the wi n d

g ,
play upon his forehe ad He fel t e n tirely an d deeply

than kful that he had don e n o m ore than strike h im
.
to the e arth He hoped Cecil wo uld hear n othi n g

.
o f it ,an d rather believed she wo uld n o t a s there ,
w as n o on e to tell her except V e re ke r an d he would ,
probably be the last to do it

B ut how m uch m
.
ore of this w as there to be gon e

thro ugh ? How o ft e n wo uld he be m ove d thus to
righteo us w rath l V o uld the ti m e ever com e whe n
his s avage lon gin g to e n d that villain s power to ’
i n s ult an d harmthat poor child wo uld prove too

s tro n g fo r h iman d he sho uld stan d o ut be f ore the
w orld as a co m m on m
,
urderer ?
He dre w his bre ath sh arply an d his brow grew
dam
,
p It w as a terrible picture an d what added to

its horror w as the feeli n g that it m
.
,
ight prove tr ue
To day s e xp e rie n ce had taught himth at he co uld
.
’
-
n o t altoget h er tr us t hi msel f .
—
Well h e would wait awhile P erhaps he had
given hima lesson perhaps why m
.
— — an y thi n gs
might happen If the worst came to the worst
.
h e wo uld as k her on ce again to give hersel f to him

.
,
,
TH E H ON O UR ABLE MR S . V E RE K E R . 2 43
an d if she agai n re f —
used he wo uld go abroad fo r ,
ever
An d then he told him
.
self as a sh arp pan g shot ,
through his heart th at he coul d n ever le ave her

co uld n e ver aban don her She had called h im
,
frie n d ; he would n ot desert her in her sore n eed .
He would stay however thin gs turn ed o ut an d face

, ,
al l respo n sibilities fo r her s ake .
a o s
Me an tim e V e re ke r lay pro n e upon the sward as

quiet as if he w as de ad He w as n o t so m
, ,
. uch as
i n se n sible however His eyes were open an d he
gazed oddly at the sky above himn ow gro w in g
.
, ,
grey as t h e O ctober eve n in g began to clo se in It .
w as ple as an t e n o ugh lyi n g t h ere he tho ught o n the
soft grass with his heavy lim

, ,
, bs at rest an d his d ull , ,
b urn in g head close to the cool earth He felt lazy .

,
e n ervated un willin g to stir an d perhaps that blo w

o f St Joh n s h ad take n so m e thin g o ut o f h im
, ,
’
. .
Ah ! well he could reven ge it o n her For this

, .
o n e blo w o f her c ursed lover s she sho uld h ave a

’
score It w as really al m ost a l uxury to lie here

starin g at the cal mheave n s an d dre am
.
,
in g o ut ,
del icious pl an s o f ve n ge an ce to be all lowered o n the

head of o n e fragile powerless wom , an .
He stirred lightly an d laughed aloud in a so ft

, ,
devilish fas hio n as he tho ught o f all this He

must take care that S t John heard o f e ach br uise
, .
o n the ski n o f his f ai r l ady o therwise h is joy co uld
n o t be co m
,
plete S t Joh n w as evid e n tly very far

go n e an d by a j udic io us tre at m en t o f himan d h e r
. .
there w as n o doubt b ut he co uld lead himo n to

, , ,
—
16 2
244 TH E H ON O URABLE MR S V E RE K E R
. .
su ch an assault as wo uld pl ace the gallan t Ro m eo

within his power He k n ew how the law wo uld look
.
at it how the i nj ured h usb an d wo uld stan d o ut

w hite an d b lam
,
eless O ddly e n o ugh it n ever fo r

on e m om en t occurred to himth at his wife would
.
,
le ave himan d gl adly accept St John s protection

, .
’
.
D ulle d as his brain w as perverted as w as his n ature

s om e in stin ct told h imhe w as s afe in tr ustin g her
, ,
to keep her i n n oce n ce at all h azards an d that an ,
un h appy p assion for St John w as all that co uld be .
laid to her charge .
Well he wo uld get the better o f that cool

respectable yo un g m He would sweep h im
, ,
an yet
He h ad had man y an e n e m
.
o ut o f his p ath y ; but

w h o h ad overco m e h im
.
? He wo uld b affl e St Joh n .

,
as he had b af fl e d t hat poor de vil Bl ack San dy , ,
who
A slight n oise n e ar h im A little little n oise ! .
,
A vague creepin g soun d ! Slowly slowly with an

ul pre scien ce o f co m
, ,
awf in g e vil he t urn ed his head , ,
to see a d ark cro uchin g fig ure ste al through the

l aurels n e ar h imto fin d a relen tless s warthy face
,
b en t over his pro strate form

,
C H APTE R XXXII .
I a m n o w sl a w
Be hold m
y b l o ody w oun dés dee p an d w ide .
”
a a
When he least w ee n e t h, soon es t s hall he f

all .
”
I S E E D him Twas a fin e stroke I ve com to

’ ’
e
fin ish his job fo r h im s aid Black S an dy with a

. .
”
, ,
. . 24 5
sin ister glan ce at th at p art of the wal k down which

St John had gon e
. .
V e re ker s aid n othi n g It w as stran ge th e .
stran gest thin g po s sible but he fo un d th at he ,
couldn t stir Fe ar that cruel thin g that he had so

’
.
,
often in stilled in to others had n ow take n pos session

o f h im H is eye s O pe n ed wider
,
. an d glared at ,
Black San dy an d his face grew greyer than the

darken in g heaven s above h im Not a word passed
,
his lips The horrible n um

.
bn ess that had attacked

his lower lim
.
bs had se ized upon his ton gue also .
Black S an dy stooped lower an d thrust his han d

i n to his breast There w as a m ad gle amas of
,
dawn in g satisfaction in his eyes Slowly he dre w .
o ut his h an d again an d the cold brigh t gl itter o f
steel shon e throug h the fadin g li ght It see m

,
ed
to fascin ate V e re ke r He re m
.
oved his fixed stare

fro mthe m erred it to the m
.
an s f ace an d tran s f an s
’ ’
,
kn ife It w as lon g ; it w as sharp ; it w as as bright

It see m ed to hold h imas by so m
.
as silver e
subtle charmb ut at last he tore hi m self fro mthe
.
con t em
,
plation of it an d lifted his gaze blan kly to

the savage face above h im that every m om
,
en t
see m ed to co m
,
e n e arer an d n earer .
All at on ce the full awful kn owledge o f wh at w as

s urely com in g grew pl ai n to his bewil dered m
,
in d
an d a horrible scre am broke fromhis lip s
, ,
Black San dy killed it at its birth He laid his .
han d w ith a stron g stran glin g pres sure upon Vere

,
ker s thro at
’
Your tim e is com e m

.
y l ad s aid he Thi nk
n o w on m
, ,
y Bess thin k thin k TH IN K !

”
, , ,
24 6 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E B
.
He lifted his han d the kn i fe fl ashed brightly in

,
th e growin g d usk an d the n the han d desce n ded

With the glarin g ope n eyes o fthe doom ed m
, .
an fixed
upon it with all the aw ful horror of perfect con

s c io usn ess in the m
,
the k n ife san k deep in to the

,
quiverin g flesh .
O n ce twice thrice it rose an d fell ! There w as

an abo m
, , ,
in able crash in g forcin g n oise a wild con

vulsio n o f the arm
, ,
s an d legs a sicke n in g con tortion ,
o f the f e atures an un earthly groan an d the n an

,
— ,
etern al silen ce !
It w as over !
Black San dy rose to his feet with a fierce re ,
ve n ge ful chuckle
Thoult be the ruin o n o m ore wen ches m
.
’ ’
y
man said he He st ooped an d peered in to the
,
”
ace below hi m m
.
,
g h as tly de ad f a s if to ake s ur e o f
his work .
Thoult tell n o tales either he said He gave

’
the still war mcorpse a kick or two dragged the

.
,
butcher s kn ife o ut o f the gapin g woun d an d flun g

’
it far fro mhimi n to the distan t fi eld Then with .

,
o ut a backward glan ce he spran g through the

laurels an d w as soon a m ile away fromthat tragic
,
spot .
Slowly the even in g was growin g to n ight though

still daylight claim
,
ed a slight allegian ce The

son g of th e birds w as growin g fain ter m
.
ore i n ter
mitten t There in the shrubberies where m
,
an y of
the mslept the quiet w as al m

. ,
, ost perfect .
O n ce a little robin flew to the gro un d an d perche d

TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 2 47
upon the breast of the m urdere d m an w ith a

darin g a certain ty of s afety th at m
,
ight h ave s ur
prised on e lookin g froma distan ce on wh at see m
, ,
ed
a sleepin g f orm A last hym n o fpraise b urst from
the tin y creature s throat ; soon she m
.
ust seek her

’
rest ; she wiped her beak to an d fro on the edge o f

th e grey co at twittere d an d preen ed hersel f a bit
, ,
then shook her win gs an d disappeared She did .
n o t kn ow th at her little cl aws were then as red as
th e cri m son feathers of her bre ast

Still n o on e cam
.
e The short O ctober day w as

alm ost don e a touch of sole m
, .
, n ity grew upon the
air The sun h ad dropped fin ally ben e ath the

distan t hills an d the roar fro mthe sleepless ocean
.
soun ded louder as the sile n ce of earth becam

,
e
deeper .
A faint daw n breaks on yon der se dg e an d broaden s in that

b ed of w e eds ,
A br ight disc sho w s its radian t edge , the m oon n ow r ises
f mth
ro e r e eds ,
Its level rays of s il ver gl id e ac r oss th e st eel -dar k river t ide .
It w as as yet a very pallid m oon ; Dorothy an d

Farquh ar steppin g lightly over the steppin g ston es -
o f the s mall stre am

,
below there at the e n d o f the

meadow paused midway to look up at it
A baby of a m oon said she ad m
.
,
irin gly H ow
”
does it dare face the stron g old day ? I mafraid

, , .
however it is rather later th an we thought it .

”
It would be early if it w as July s aid he ,

”
.
P erh aps yo u had better n o t st ay very lon g I ll ’

.
wait for you at the e n d of the shrubberies N o w .

248 TH E H O N OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R .
t hat your aun t our aun t with a te n der squeeze ”
m
is in a good te m
,
o f the ar
“ per let us try an d
, ,
keep her there ”
I shan t be m
.
’
ore than a quarter of an hour ;
w ill th at do ? F a n cy Aun t Je m im a t aki n g it so
,
beauti fully Well yo u kn ow I warn ed yo u she

.
,
would eith e r kiss you or kill yo u

She did n either however She w as m
.
, ost for .
be arin g ; she w as in fact so agree able that sh e

rather put m
, ,
”
e o ut .
Dorothy laughed
See how glad she is to get rid o f m
.
e sai d
Doe sn t that thought m
,
she “ ake yo u q u a ke
’
.
Doesn t your h eart fail yo u Con sider what a life

’
I m ust h ave led her

”
“ I c an o n ly thi n k o f the li fe I am
.
goin g to lead
n ed b e pro m
o u ret u r ptly “ Where sh all I le ad
y ,
o u fi rst Vie nn a Y o u s aid o n ce u tho u gh t

y , y o
Vien n a would be in terestin g .

”
I have seen so little that everythin g would b e

in terestin g You kn ow it all you shall take m
,
j ust wherever you like That will s ave m

.
,
e th e .
t ro uble o f decidin g an d besides What s that ’
She poin ted to som

,
ethin g that lay half hidde n in

a b un ch o f t histles o n her right h an d ; she co uld
,
hardly see what it w as b ut it shon e a little as the

pale rays o f the youn g m
,
oon fell o n it an d attracte d ,
her atte n tion .
Farquhar did n ot at first see where he r gaze w as

dir ecte d an d she wen t up to the thistles an d dre w
ro m it a kn ife a m om
, ,
o ut f en t later she dropped it

romher
,
an d a sh arp cry broke f .

TH E H O NOURABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 2 49
O h ! Arthur look lo ok I is blood on it ! There

O h ! lo ok at m
, ,
h an d ! O h w hat shall I do
y
S h e fe ll o n her kn ees an d tried in a little fre n zied
fashion to rub of f the stain upon her pin k pal m in
t h e short de wy grass
Farquhar ben t over the knife an d exam
.
in ed it
closely .
It is stran ge It certain ly is blood he said .

,
s lowly What could h ave brought the kn ife here

It won t co m
.
e off cried Dorothy in terrible dis

’
, ,
t ress She w as gazin g with a shudderin g d ista ste at

Get m e so m
.
h e r han d . e water Where are you .

,
Arthur ; what are you doin g Don t to uch that ’
aw f ul kn ife with a vehe m en ce that startled h im

”
D on t I Let it lie there I tell yo u there is so m

.
,
’
e .
dre adful story con n ected with it .
Non se n se darlin g ! I daresay it is on ly

It is wh at I say the in strum en t ofsom
,
e terribl e
-
crim e I mcertain there is hum

.
’
an bloo d o n it !
Here she began to cry an d glan ced fe arfully aro un d ,
her an d clun g to Farquh ar with an hon est grip that

,
spoke o f un affecte d terror O h how da r k it is

Co m e com e up to the house with m
.
, .
, e an d let us t ell ,
C ecil .
”
She started at full speed fo r th e ho use an d F ar

n g his armi n to hers
,
q uh ar t ucki
, ran with her , .
She stopped on ly as they got to the high ban k that

le d direct to that part of the shrubberies where the
laurels grew .
It w as steep an d she w as a little o ut o f bre ath

from her run an d her excite m
,
en t so that she walke d ,
slowly up an d at the top p aused f

, or a while As she .
250 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R . .
s tood there som e stran ge un acco un table dislike to ,
go on to take an other s tep in the dire ction o f t h e

,
s hr ubberies took possessio n o f her
Let us go hom
, .
e she s aid turn in g a pale fac e ,

”
,
to Farq uhar I don t fee l as if I could go on ’

. .
Then don t darlin g Why should yo u Y o u

’
, .
l ook quite un n erved We n eed n o t go back by

that fi eld ; w e can go ro un d by Barrett s farm
.
i
’
; t
won t be hal f a m
’
ile o ut o fo ur w ay ”
Yes I kn ow But it see m

.
, s cowardly doesn t it
.
,
’
An d you s aid yo u he ard Cecil w as n ot well Pe r

haps if I wait a little I shall be able to overcom
.
, e
this silly
Speech failed her A wild a piercin g shriek re n t
the air It soun ded quite n e ar It cam
.
,
e in dee d
from the s hrubberies th at part o f the mthat w as
. .
, ,
—
n ot a hun dred yards dis tan t f romwhere she stood .
Great Heaven ! what has happe n e d ? she crie d ”
She drew herself fromF arq uhar s grasp an d sto od

.
e rect All her fear see m e d to have v an ished That

Co m com
. .
w as Cecil s voice she s aid e

’ ”
e
quickl y ! She wan ts m

.
,
”
e !
CHAPTER XXXIII .
They f
ound
The deade m
an , that m
ud r er
’
d w as all n e w .
0, blissful G od I that ar t so good an d true

m
,
”
Lo, how that t ho ub ew ray st ud
’
r e r al w ay.
M as V E RE K E R w as stan din g asigid r as
mitte sm
.
,
s n in to ston e , in t he cen tre o f th e all

. . 2 1 5
g rav elled walk th at ran betwee n the l aurels O n the
grass be fore her al m

.
ost at her feet lay the dead

, ,
body o f her husban d

There could be n o doubt that the screamthey
.
h ad hear d h ad co m e fromher lips yet it w as di ffi cult

to realize it as o n e gazed o n her m
,
arble f e atures .
Her eyes were riveted upon th at awful fig ure lyin g

so close to her ; her lips were tightly closed an d to
Farquhar it see m
,
ed as thoug h she did n o t breath e .
Dorothy ran to her an d tried t o pull her aside but ,
Mrs V e re ke r resi sted an grily

. .
It is Fran cis she s aid But w ho did it

”
.
,
Who
S he drew the n ails o f her fi n gers in to her pal m s ,
an d looked at Dorot hy with an awf ul fear in her

eyes
That will be discovered later o n Com
.
e away
Co m e cried Dorothy vehe m
.
n ow e n tly Do n o t
s tay here lookin g at at Co m e with m
. .
,
— — e Cecil I , ,
desire you ”
He can t be dead ! There m ust be life in h im

.
still s aid Mrs V e reke r pan tin g an d shiverin g

, .
, .
She fell on her kn ees beside Farquhar who w as ex

am
,
in in g the corpse “ —
His he art try if it beat s
. .
Dorothy run for bran dy fo r an ythin g He can t be

, , .
’
dead I tell yo u!
Mr s V e re ker go in doors with Dorothy I i m
,
plore
m
.
, ,
y o u
, s
”
a id Farq uh ar He sole n ly he
. is s urely ,
”
,
dead . As he said thi s he un covered his head

”
.
What do you kn ow about it sir ? cried she in ,
a pierci n g ton e Sen d fo r a doctor I tell yo u he

must be brought back to life It w as an acciden t
. .
.
252 TH E H ON O URABLE MRS V E RE K E R . .
—I me —I an Dorothy why do you stan d the re ,
idly ? Sen d fo r a doctor I tell yo u

”
.
,
I ll sen d at on ce said Farquhar

’
,
”
I ll do all .
’
that is n ece s sary if yo u w ill on ly go away

, H e .
w a s t e rribly distressed I ll see als o that the polic e ’
are co m mun icated with at on ce

.
”
.
The police ! Wha t for ? O h ! n o n o n o Her ”
voice grew in to a scre am He is n ot dead O h !

.
, ,
get help do som

. .
ethin g Dear dear Dorothy hel p

me n ow Oh ! why did I leave why did I go away
.
, , ,
She caught Farq uhar s arm Put your han d upon

.
,
’
his heart again she said yo u m

.
a y h ave be e n
”
mistaken
, ,
Farquhar shook his head He could n ot spe a k

So m
. .
eth in g in the shocked expre s sion o f his face co n

vin c e d her that all w as i n deed over She t urn e d .
with a gaspin g sigh to Dorothy an d fel l fain tin g

in to her arm
,
s .
Farquhar lifted her an d carr ied her as q uickly as

,
he could towards the ho use .
Who would hav e thought she wo uld have

take it like this
n ? s id he
a
”
Such a brute e r — .
-
er — as that poor fellow w as If he h ad adored !
her she could n ot have felt it worse Dorothy m

.
y .
,
poor girl this is an awful ord eal for yo u Will yo u

, .
be able to stay with her

I don t un derstan d her said Dorothy
’
Stay
, .
O f co urse I sh all s tay Do yo u thin k I wo uld lea ve

.
her n o w ? She spoke very bravely tho ugh her

face w as as white as a sheet an d she w as tre m
,
blin g
in every li m
,
b
What did she m
.
ean abo ut an acc iden t said h e .

. . 253
I don t kn ow I don t thin k she kn ew what sh e

’
.
’
w as sayin g Then sudden ly she broke o ut

. T hat .
kn ife Ar thur ! That kn ife ! ”
He gave her a startled glan ce but at this in stan t

s om e o f the wo m en who had see n the mfro mthe
,
upper win dows cam e run n in g o ut an xio us to kn ow

what w as the m atter with their m
,
istress
To the mhe resign ed his un con scious b urden an d
.
they an d Dorothy passed i n to the house

By this ti m e the alarmh ad spread an d m rom
.
en f
the s tableyard an d som e o f the in door m e n cam

,
e
h urryin g to h im Messen gers were sen t post haste
.
-
fo r doctors an d fo r the po lice whilst others lifted

the dead body o f their m aster an d c arried h im
,
i n doors There h ad been n o love lost between

master an d me n yet a terrible melan choly fell on
.
all an d those who spoke addressed e ach other in
bate d whispers with pale faces an d lips that trem

,
bled
Farquhar takin g two o f the m e n with h imas
.
, ,
w itn esses we n t down to th e fi eld th at he an d

Dorothy had so lately crossed un dream
,
in g o f evil, ,
a n d there se arched f or an d sec ured the kn i f e

The blood w as n ow al m
.
ost dry upon it b ut yet it ,
w as n o t witho ut a shudder that Farquhar to uche d

it As he an d o n e of the footm en were exam in in g
it a youn g lad a stable boy lately hired fromth e
.
-
, , ,
vill age spoke s udden ly

,
I seen j ust s uch an other said he yesterday ,

”
,
I were down yon der poin tin g in the direction of

,
”
the village
said Farquhar lookin g at him
.
Yes
with whom
, .
. .
Babbs , th e butcher , s ir. Hi m as s upplie s the

h ouse here .
Like this said Far quh ar regardin g the lad ,
with keen eyes An d where did B abbs get

.
h is eh ?
I dun n o sir Most l ike at Mr C um min s
,
“ ’ ’
Mr Cum m
, . .
,
O pposite hi s s tall in s he do deal in

. .
kn ives an d pots an d pan s an d s uch like

Cum min s repeated Farquhar slowly He h ad
.
,
”
.
,
folded the kn ife in his h an dkerchie f an d n o w w e n t

s il en tly b ac k to the ho use his com
,
pan ion s followi n g

The po lice had arrived by this ti m
, .
e an d Farquh ar
w as on ly too gl ad to s urre n der the kn i fe to th e m
,
He told themwhat the stable boy h ad said abo ut its

.
fac sim
- ile in Babbs possession an d m en t ion ed a l s o
’
—
,
—
that h e the boy believed it had been bo ught
at Cum min s The sergean t who see med an in
’
t e l l ige n t m an took the kn i fe an d gaze d at it so m

.
,
, e
w hat abstracted ly .
An d you have n o idea sir as to who there is — , ,
n o cl ue yo u say
,
Have you n ever thought hasn t— ’
it occurre d to yo u he paused as if slightly

em barrassed .
”
If I h aven t thought yo u h ave said Farquhar
’
, , .
What is your s uspicion Yo uthin k perhaps

a s udde n glan ce o f co m
,
prehen sion brighten ed h is

”
face Is it Black San dy ? he s aid
That w as m
. .
y tho ught sir s urely An d this
B ut o f cour se it is m ere surm

.
, ,
k n i fe is e n e ve rth e ,
less
Where is San dy n ow asked Farquh ar eagerly .
Ah ! that is j ust what I shall fin d o ut said the ”

,
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R . . 255
s ergean t He rose as he spoke I have already

sen t two o f m m
. .
y en to his ho use ; if n o t there they

will kn ow what to do It is hard to speak som e
ti m
.
es ; b ut yo u kn ow sir there were reason s

, ,
why
Y e s yes I kn ow
, , said Farquhar
, .
O f course th e n ews h ad spread like wild fire .
Barely h alf an ho ur after the discovery o f V e re ke r s

’
- -
d ead body the in telligen ce of his death w as c o n

,
v e ye d to Lady Bessy Gi f ford an d by her to St , .
John .
Good heaven s ! what an en din g y said s h e ”
Who co uld h ave don e it ? O f course he w as o n

the worst possible t erm s with his ten a t s b ut
n —
the n he w as on the worst possible term s with every
bo dy so t hat does n t coun t I co uld n am
’
e a good
roun d dozen o f people this m om en t m
.
,
akin g a
”
,
preten ce at coun tin g on her pretty taper fin gers

who would at an y m om
,
en t h ave been delighted to

murder himif they could have don e it with safety
, ,
O h ! poor w retch ! wh at a m
.
iserable stop to all

ways .
She had been talkin g in cessan tly an d had there ,
fore h ardly n oticed S t Joh n s extraordin ary silen ce

’
. .
He h ad n ot in deed on ce open ed his lips sin ce the

astly story w as tol d to h im
, ,
g h He h ad grown
e xtre m
.
ely p ale an d there w as a suppressed look

a bo ut h imas tho ugh he were keepin g guard over
,
hi m
,
s elf
.
What a scan dal we n t on Lady B e s sy An d

—it s ee m
.
s br utal to say so so e arly in the day ,
b ut w ha t a deliveran ce fo r her P oor little thi n g ! .

256 TIIE H O N O URABLE MR S V E RE K E R
. .
It is a fin e property too an d by the settle m

, , en ts
s he in herits everythin g It is n o t en tailed in an y
.
p a rt I thi nk W h at a hideo us catastrophe ! A nd
s he w as the on e to fin d him The un f

.
,
ortun ate !
C ertain ly m is fortun e see m s to follow so m
.
e people .
N o w w hy co uld it n o t h ave been an ybody else b ut

her ? It see m s s uch a pilin g up o f the agon y an d ,
s o un n ecess ary How c urious she should have been

.
—
there j ust then that she should h ave gon e there I
mean So late in the even in g too ! An d a very
,
un freque n ted p art o f the groun ds I am

.
,
told , .
S t John s face h ad t urn ed even greyer

’
.
She was in the habit of walkin g there he s aid , .
He said it deliberately ; an d s ayin g it he kn ew th at ,
he lied
Well it w as m
.
ost un happy I won d er if t hey

h ave foun d out an ythin g yet The m
, .
urderer who
.
,
ever it w as can hard ly hope to escape

, .
”
H o w yo u dwell upo n it cried he so s udden ly

”
with such sharp an ger that she looked at hima

, , ,
momen t in aston ish men t

,
How sho uld I n o t dwe ll upon it ? Is it s uch an

every day occurre n ce ? I tel l yo u m
-
y fl e s h cr ep t
when they first told m e ; as it is I amq uite un
n erved An d co m mo peopl e ser van ts h ow they

n —
at over the m
.
,
g lo i n or t h e n as t
y
, details It a ppe a rs .
that poor Cecil s w hite go w n w as q ui te stain ed with

’
hi s blood .
Not an other word Do you hear ? I can t ’
bear it exc lai m

.
ed he in a choked voice He
be gan to pace up an d down the roomas though
.
, ,
m
,
q u i et w as n o lo n ger pos s ible to hi L a dy Bessy .

. . 257
lay b ack in her chair an d gazed at hi mcom

p s a
s io n at ely.
P oor dear fellow ! How he feels it for her .
Ah ! a lover in a thousan d ! ell thin gs could '
h ardly h ave fal len out better Now I shall keep

himat ho m
.
e ; an d the property is everyt hin g that

is desirable All this ran through her m
.
”
in d .
I s uppose I h ad better go up there said St ,

”
.
John at last stoppin g opposite to her His voice

, , .
soun ded hoarse an d un n atural

I thin k n ot Not so soon To m
.
,
“ Oh ! orrow -
morn in g n ow Forgive me dearest Hilary if I say

. .
.
, , ,
I thin k you o ught to be sp ecia lly care ful j ust n ow .
Y o u see your atte n tion s there have always bee n s o

marked an d—an d on e should always thin k of the
,
fut ure an d above all thin gs be care ful to give n o

,
han dle for idle talk to

She stopped abruptly He had cease d his rapid
walk up an d down the rooman d h ad turn ed his
.
eyes on her with s uch a depth of an g uish in the m

,
that frighten ed puzzled an xious she had foun d it

im
, , ,
possible to go on When she recovere d herself

h e had le ft the roo m
.
.
2 58 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R.
.
Murder w ill out that see w e day by day

m m
.
Murder is s o w lat so an d abo in abl e

To G od, that is so j us t an d reas o n a ble ,
That he w ill n ot s uf
fe r it he led be ;
Though it bide a year
a or tw o, or three,
m
,
Murder w ill out this is

, y con cl us iOun.
”
H rs brain seem e d on fire ! H e wen t out of th e

house an d to wards an O ld s um m er hous e an d -
there flin gin g him sel f down upon the m

, ,
oulderin g
But on ly o n e thin g cam
,
s e at tried to thi n k e to
him It shut out all other though ts an d com

.
,
pe lled
him
.
,
to dwell on it alon e
It was a vision a m
.
iserable picture A tall

, .
,
sl en der white robed figu

,
-
re tran sfigure d by rage an d
,
hatred The clen ched han d s the flashin g eye s th e

.
, ,
blood stain on the low broad brow he coul d se e it

-
It w as in d elibly fixed upon his m em

, ,
all ory S he
had wishe d himde ad !
. .
She had spoken o f his

d eath as a thin g sure to h appen s oon S o on ! .
Merciful Heaven ! How ter ribly soon !

He got up an d began to pace h urriedly up an d
down It w as i m possible of course He w as m ad
or a m om en t to i m
.
.
,
e ve n f agin e othe rwise Those .
l ittle frail white h an ds could n o t — Yet h ow w as

it that she h ad been upon the epot an d without
h avin g m fort to s um mon help apparen tly
,
ade an e f
Dorothy had foun d her there He felt as though he

m She would kn ow so m
.
ust see Dorothy at on ce e

t hi g give h imso m
.
n l -
e help to destroy this awful
fe ar that w as drivin g himdistracte d To talk to .
. . 2 9 5
B essy w asim possible How e agerly with what a

sen se o f e n joym en t even a good wo m
.
,
an can glo at
,
over the hideous details o f a tragedy Th at picture .
—
o f o f her kn eelin g there with her white gown dye d
,
with
He fo ught o ff a touch of fain tn ess an d kn owin g ,
th at he sho uld see Dorothy there wen t straight ,
down to The Court in spite o f Lady Bessy s advice ’
It w as n ow n ight an d he had to m
.
,
ake his w a
y
through the trees o f the wood as best he m
,
ight It .
w as a sin gularly d ark n i ght an d he lost the p athway

o n ce or twice but at las t foun d him
,
, self walkin g
down the aven ue
The hall—
.
door stood O pen an d in side Farquhar ,
w as stan din g co n versi n g in l o w to n es with the

sergean t an d o n e of the police m en The latter .
looked heated an d excited Farquhar seein g St

John wen t up to h im at o n ce an d drew h im
. .
,
a side
We have a clue It is alm

.
,
ost sure he said in ”
To St John it see m ed o m
.
, ,
a wh isper . . in ous th at he
shoul d whisper an d on ce again that sen sation o f
fai n tn ess alm ost overcam e him He held him
,
sel f .
t ogether as we ll as he coul d but he w as obliged to

sit down o n the chair n e arest to him
,
A clue he repeate d .
—
Yes yes As yet we say n othin g Better give
her ti/ m She is so very excitable Ti m
.
e you kn ow e
'
—
.
, .
un til we are quite positive Y o u thin k so eh ?

”
Yes ti m
.
,
— e s aid St John The re w as a terrible

,
”
. .
e xpressio n on his f ace .
“ It will be a ad busin ess havi n g t o bre ak it to

b
he r
. Dorothy says she is a l ittle m ore com pose d
l7 2
-
m TH E H O N O URABLE MR S V E RE K E R . .
n ow . Just at th e tim
e I fir m
l y believed she w as
o ut o f her sen ses ”
The m
.
an who believes otherwise cried St

John wildly m
, .
ust be o ut o f his A d el icate fragile

, .
,
c re ature li ke th at to
Just as I say How she h ad the stren gth at all

Man y wo m
. .
en would have given in altogether

Few wom en were wron ged as she w as in ter ,
”
r upte d St John fi ercely

. What sh e e n d ured .
beforehan d n o on e kn ows I tell you sh e was driven .
to ih
Eh ! said Farquhar as if n ot un d erstan din g
”
,
as if p uzzle d Then he wen t on O h yes ! S he

red m ore than m
. .
,
e n du ost he said It is won der ”
The d eath I m
.
,
ful however how she feels it e an

I can t m
.
, , , .
Th at is stran ge ake it o ut I should

’
. .
have thought n o w that she would have bee n a little

, ,
callo us about it co n siderin g everyt hin g B ut

Dorothy tells m
.
,
e she is s uf
ferin g kee n ly ”
A groan burst fro mSt John He covered his

.
. .
face with his han ds

When m ust it be sai d to her ? he a sked in a ,
s tifle d to n e .
Well as I say there is n o n eed to h urry

, , .
B etter be absolutely s ure Th e police are n o w o n .
his track an d we expect

,
But St John h ad sprun g to his feet

. .
H is track ! Whose he aske d H e laid his .
han d s heavily on F arq uhar s should ers an d stared at ’
h im
,
as though his very so u l d epen ded upon the

an swer give n .
Why that scoun drel s the fellow we h ave been ’

,
TH E H O N C URABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
—
tal ki n g about Bl ack San dy return e d Farquhar
rather im
, ,
patien tly What the deuce had St John

been thin kin g about all this tim
. .
e The very
kn ife has been secured an d proved beyon d doubt
, , ,
to be his an
B ut St John n o lon ger he ard him He h ad
,
pushed Farquhar fromhiman d h ad rushed o ut

. .
agai n thro ugh the ope n h al l door in to the d arkn ess

-
,
the silen ce ofthe n ight .
Mean tim e an other tragedy w as bein g en acted

Th e m iserable m
.
,
urderer h ad been tracke d an d

brought to bay in an outhouse belon gin g to a farm er
ab o ut seven m iles fromthe scen e o f his cri m e He .
h ad run swi ftly thro ugh byways an d un frequen te d

p a rts o f the wooded co un try hopi n g to g ain a s e a
n th at l ay abo ut twe n ty m
,
p ort tow i les lower d ow n
upon the coast

Ill l uck however ran with him About a m
.
il e
fromthe outho use in which he w as subsequen tly
.
, ,
c apt u r ed h e fell over th e root o f a tree hidde n in
d an k grass cam
,
e heavily to the groun d an d tryin g

to rise foun d him
, , ,
self with a sprain ed an kle He

h ad m an aged to crawl alo n g an other m
.
,
ile h ad crept ,
in to the first shed th at he reached an d there

c overi n g hi m
, ,
selfwith straw an d other litte r hoped

t o lie un discovered un til m
,
orn in g
Here they fo un d him He m
.
ade n o e f fort to d en y
h is crim
.
e but like the half s avage that he w as

, , ,
fo ught with a brutal stre n gth for his liberty When

'
o verpowered he seized on e o f the gun s t urn ed it on ,

262 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE RBE
. .
hi mself d befor h ould be preve ted g

an e e c ave
him
, , n ,
elf f t l ou d
s a a a w n
B efo De th e tirely o quered himh g

.
re a
t he m full c ou t f wh t h d h ppe ed
n c n , e ave
a a c He
n o a a a n ex
presse d n o con trition see m

.
ed rather to glory in ,
what he had don e an d to the last w as distresse d

on ly by the tho ught that he had faile d to m
,
ak e
good h is escape .
Tw arn t fair he kept on repeatin g over an d

’ ’
, ,
over again Three to on e Tw arn t fair ! N 0 ’ ’
tim e given m Tw am
. .
e to e n joy what I don e t fair

’ ’
.
,
I say !
”
The farm er an d his wife an d a crowd of labourers , ,
were witn esses of hi s con fession He ackn owledged .
that he had bought the kn ife an d kept it clean

for a whole m
,
on th waitin g the opportun ity t o

,
requite the sed ucer o f hi s daughter An d after al l .
the waitin g the watchin g the prowli n g the fulfil

men t of his design he w as houn ded to death a fe w
, , ,
hours after he had laid his en em y low N0 tim

,
e to .
e n joy 1 t 1
”
Tw arn t
’ ’
fa1 r 7
o e o c 0
They brought his dead body b ack with the m .
The slayer an d the slain lay cold in death Stern

j ustice had m eted o ut her pun ishm
.
en ts with bl in d
im par tiality to both alike Both to her calmm in d .
were e qually guilty Both had destroyed a life I

.
TH E H O N O URABLE MR S V E RE K E R . . 263
CHAPTE R XXXV .
“ Al as I fo ul t hing is it , by y aith,
a mf
To say this word, an d oul er is the deed
"
f .
SH E mu t be told The soon er n ow the better

s
”
s aid Farquhar Dorothy had com e down to him

.
,
fromCecil s roo m where she h ad l e f

.
t the latter
’
,
s ittin g in an appar e n tly f rozen state starin g in to the

fire She had n ot spoken for quite an hour an d
Dorothy w as growin g seriously alarm
.
,
ed about her
If I didn t kn ow it w as i m
.
’
possible I should say
she has eve n so m ethin g m ore cruel upon her m
,
in d ”
I sho uld feel e asier if she would let m

,
she said e
talk to her about all this awful afl air but she '
shrin ks fromit with such an agon y o f horror th at I

,
am afraid to persist Th e very m en tion of a hope

that the m urderer m
.
ay be d iscovered an d the
mystery cleared up sen ds her almost out of her
,
min d She frighten s me woun d up poor Dorothy

,
.
, ,
tearfully
My darlin g it is a m
.
iserable thin g that you

should be thus m
,
ixed up in it See here Dorothy

Will you com e hom e with m e an d I ll get so m
.
, .
e on e
’
—
,
e lse Mrs Macken zie Lady Bessy (she is very good

m
.
,
n ature d
) or so
, eo ne — to sit with her Y o u loo k
awfu lly don e I can n ot bear to see you so pale an d
.
upset .
. n —
Mrs M cke zie Lady Bessy ! O h Arthur l
a ,
how hear tles s of you Do you wan t to fin ish the .
poor thin g Mrs Macken zie with her in satiable

.
,
264 TH E H O N C URABLE MRS . V E R E R BE .
cu riosity her cease le ss pum i

p g
n s her n ever e n d i g
-
surm
n
ises Why that wo m

, ,
an wo uld b e capable o f
probin g a m
.
an o n the rack to fi n d o ut wher e th e
pain w as worst ! An d then Lady Bessy with h e r ,
frivolities her little fashio n able i n an ities No

in deed ! I ll stay with her I m
, .
,
e curio us an d
’
a
y b
Im
.
,
ay be f rivolous but at all even ts than k goodn ess

I can hold m
, , ,
y to n
g u e ”
That is what you m

.
ustn t do n ow d ye see If
’ ’
m
,
y o u i n sist o n st ay i n g with her

yo u ust let h er
—
,
k ow that it w as Black San dy who who killed

n —
the poor fellow ”
Couldn t you tell her suggested Miss Aylm

.
’
er ,
with fl agran t cowardice

I could n t said he si m
.
’
ply if con tritely
”
I
wouldn t kn ow how to do it I shouldn t m
.
, ,
’
in d if .
’
sh e was l ike an yon e else — but she has taken it all

so badly ; an d er a wom
— — an always kn ows so m uch
better what to say .
”
Well I ll do it said she in a resign ed ton e

,
’
, .
Sh e turn ed away .
Don t go like that Dorothy en treated he

’
It is too m
.
, ,
“ Look here af t er all I w ill do it
, uch .
to expect o fyo u an d perhaps a good rous in g will b e

,
the best thin g fo r her When it is over an d sh e .

,
kn ows everythin g I wish both you an d she woul d ,
go to bed .
”
I feel as if I should n ever sleep again crie d ,
she wearily O h ! what a day it has bee n ! Shall

I ever be able to blot it o ut of m m
.
,
y i n d
You will I ll be with you said he foldin g
’ ”
her in his arm s P erhaps she foun d som e com

.
, ,
. for t
TH E H ON O URABLE MR S V E RE RBE
. . 2 65
in his ten d er e m
brace because ,
sh e began to cry
If you will really co m e to her let us go up ,
at on ce said she presen tly I begin to thin k

”
.
,
a shock o f an y sort will do her good

”
.
They wen t up h an d in han d Mrs V e reke r w as . .
still sittin g before the fire in the very attitude in

which Dorothy had le ft her She n either m oved .
n or spoke o n their e n tran ce an d w as n ot i n dee d
perh aps aware that Farquhar w as in the room

,
Her expression was strain ed her lips tightly ,
c lose d ; whe n Dorothy we n t up to her an d la d her

i
‘
han d upon her shoul der she started violen tly an d

looked roun d in a cur ious shrin kin g w ay as m
, ,
ight
s om
, , ,
e guilty thin g .
It is on ly Arthur said Dorothy n ervously

Cecil he h as com e to tell you so m
.
, ,
ethin g that you

mus t hear Try to n erve yourself dearest
,
. .
,
Mrs V e re ker spran g to her feet an d raise d both

.
,
her han ds to her head .
I won t he ar it ”
she cried hoar sely
’
, Go .
away . I wan t to he ar n othin g Do yo u un der .
stan d O h ! oh ! have I n ot s uffered en ough ? ”
She staggere d as if she woul d have fallen but when

Dorothy tried to place an armroun d her she
,
rep ul sed her alm

,
ost rudely Why won t you leave ’
me in peace ? she cried fiercely liftin g her miser

.
”
,
able eyes to Farquhar
It is what you m
.
ust he ar s aid he piti ful ly

I e n tre at yo u to lis te n to m
, ,
e On ce you kn ow .
a ll there will be n o n eces sity to speak of it

a ain
g .
2 36 TH E H ON OURABLE MR S V E R E K E R
. .
All repeate d she in a low to n e All she .

,
”
shuddere d .
Yes Everyt hin g is n ow kn own an d it is on ly

m
.
,
right that
yo u sho uld be ad e acq uai n ted with t h e
bare facts He the doer o f that awful dee d he ”
c o ul d n ot bri n g hi m self to say the word m

.
, ,
ur d ere r
in her hearin g has bee n fo un d I thi n k it
probable you m ay h ave alre ady s uspecte d him It
, .
w as
A cry sharp an d bitter burst fromher
, , .
Oh n o n o n o I she threw out her h an ds as if

f som
, , ,
to ward o f e frightful thin g Do n ot say it . .
Do n o t let it pass your lips Oh what shall I do .

, ,
what shall I do P She began to walk up an d down

”
like som e fre n zied cre ature Dorothy she cried

how c an you s tan d there so cal m
.
,
s udde n ly , ly with
s uch n ews wi thin yo ur he art ? Yo u who kn ow all ! ,
Wh o kn ow how it w as with us Have you n o he art .
-
no f eelin g ! ”
The m in d o f wom an is s w ift er to receive an im

pression than that of m an In a flash Dorothy .
un derstood the truth She grasped at the real

meanin g of the agon y that for the past in te rmin
.
able hours h ad beate n Mrs V e re ke r d own to the very

.
e arth She ran to her n ow an d caught her h an ds

.
,
.
It w as Black San dy ! she s aid blurtin g out

”
th e truth in a fashion th at see m

,
ed to Farquhar ,
who un derstood n othin g both un n ecess ary an d ,
dan gerous Do you he ar ? Black San dy ! There

.
is n o doubt at all about it The very we apon h e

He him self has m
.
used has been d iscovered . ade , ,
con fe s sion .
”
. . 267
Is it true s aid Mrs V ereker fain tly

Sure Positive Why com
. .
,
. e rouse yourself
.
, ,
n ow , an d liste n to it all Blac k San dy has been .
arrested I tell you Are you listen in g Yo u

must n ot fain t un til you hear every word givin g
, .
They caught himon ly a fe w

,
h e r a little sh ake
miles fromhere Red han ded as it were In the
.
c aus ed by the atte m

. .
s c ufl e pt to captur e he
man aged to seize a gun an d shot him
,
self He , .
l ive d lon g en o ugh however to declare that he , , ,
an d he a l on e w as guilty
”
.
,
—
She still held Cecil s h an d s n ow to support her ’
, , .
Mrs V e re ker had turn ed de adly white an d w as

tre m
.
,
blin g visibly b ut such a light h ad shot in to

,
her love ly eyes as n o o n e ever yet h ad seen there

it was a radian ce th at covered all her face
Oh ! I amtoo happy ! she cried an d fell back
.
”
,
upon the couch behin d her i n sen sible

Farquhar w as n ot on ly alarm ed but it m
.
,
ust be ,
con fessed a good deal scan dalized Whilst he w as .
rin gin g for th e s ervan ts an d orderin g bran dy an d ,
other thin gs he looked at Dorothy who w as sup

, ,
p orti n g h er fi ie n d s he ad an d f
'
o un d th at she w as
’
,
cryin g .
What is it ? he asked What w as there in

”
the fact ofher husban d s m

.
urderer bei n g discovere d

’
to m ak e her ha p y ?
p W h at a word
yo u k n ow j ust
An d why ar e yo u cryi n g m
, ,
n ow eh
, y d e arest ,
I don t kn ow ’
O h ! poor thin g I can t thin k
. .
’
ho w she bore it
”
.
—
It what ?
Well if I tell you you m
, ustn t ever speak ofit ,
’
.
268 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R . .
It is secre t m
a in d ; an d I shouldn t t ell you either
,
’
,
on ly I can t bear that you shoul d harbour an un kin d

’
—
thought of her Th e fact is she thought it w as
H il a ry who had killed h im
.
,
”
.
Hilary St John Good He aven s ! Why

.
E ven in her wil dest flights I can t see why sh e

’
s ho uld have fixed on him But allowin g that she .
did I d on t see why she should have gon e so

’
,
e n tir ely to ribbons over it
Ah ! what a thin g is a m
.
said Dorothy
”
an !
in fin ite co m
,
passion in her gl an ce Don t yo u s e e

’
Why she loves him

—
.
”
it ye t !
By Jove ! O f course What a situation it .
w o uld have been said Farquhar P oor girl !

” ”
Dorothy pushed himge n tly out ofthe room

.
,
CHAPTER XXXV I .
“ N ou h t g my th
a e w oful s pi it i
r n m
i ne heart
Declare on e po in t of all m
y sorrow s s
’
mt
ar .
”
MRS stirre d slightly an d open e d her

V ERE K E R
eyes Dorothy dism issin g the wom
.
,
.
, en by a gesture ,
we n t an d kn elt down beside her .
The dawn was already begin n in g to steal through

the curtain s d ul lin g an d deaden in g the light of
the on e lowered lam
,
p that w as sheddin g a rather

depressin g gleamover the lower e n d o f the room
Th e fir st sweet v ague warbl e of bird s c am e to the m
.
fromo utside an d caught the atten tion o f Mrs

,
.
,
V e re ker s still b ut h alf con scious brain

’
-
.
TH E H ON OURABLE MR S V E RE K ER
. . 269
It is m orn in g she s aid as if surprised an d uh

, , ,
c erta in She sighed heavily As yet she did n o t

r em em
. .
ber but the late an guish she had en dured

,
weighed on her an d crushed her spirit

Dorothy rose fromher kn ees pulled bac k th e
, .
curtain s an d let a flood o f p ale sh adowy light

illum
, ,
in e the darkn ess A star or two still lin gered

in the he aven s whilst up from
.
the east rose a pin k

fl ush cold an d tre m ul o us th at e ach m om
,
e n t grew
more decidedly in to a steady grey Through this
, ,
cam
.
e flashes an d bars o f a pearly shade that shon e

e xceedin g bright an d gave prom , ise o f a glorious
day .
N ight w an es th e p
va our s r o und th e mu t i
o n a n s curl ed,
m—
Mel t in to orn an d light aw ak es t he w orl d .
Man h as an oth er day t o sw ell t h e pas t

An d l ea d h im n ear t o l ittl e, b ut his las t .
To Fran cis V ere ke r however n o other day h ad , ,
bee n vo uchsafed He had been do n e to death with

all his im perfection s on his he ad Tim e to reform
.
— .
,
n —
to si k still lower to repen t was his n o lon ger
, .
S uch a very fe w hours had gon e by sin ce last h e

stood alive upon the earth an d n ow he had beco m e
mere earth himself an d his place woul d kn ow him
,
no m
,
ore !
S uch thoughts fl itte d through Dorothy s m in d as ’
she stood at the win dow gazin g on the sole m

,
n dawn
A rapid m ove m
.
en t on the part o f Mrs V e re ke r

ro used her fromher reverie an d sen t her quickly
.
back to the couch Cecil had risen an d w as lookin g

.
at her a little wildly That swi ft in r ushin g o f the

.
daylight h ad brought everythin g back to her .

. .
It is t rue Dorothy It all happen ed ? she

,
”
cried clin gin g to Dorothy n ervo usly

, O h ! poor .
Fran cis ! ”
Yes yes d earest But try to con trol your self

It is te rrible for you an d yo u m ust o n ly re mem
, , . .
, be r
n ow that yo u h ave f rien ds that love you an d that ,
al l th at h as happen ed w as by the ord eri n g o f God

”
.
I kn ow s aid she
,
”
She thr ew herself upon
.
Dorothy s bre ast an d as the girl s gen tle lovin g

’ ’
arm
, ,
s closed roun d her she burst in to a pass io n o f

,
t e ars
. They were the fi rst she h ad shed sin ce th e
fata l even ts o f yesterday an d they bro ught res t an d
com
,
fort to her overb urde n ed soul

There was so m
.
—
ethin g else Dorothy you kn ow
wha t I m
,
ean I feel n ow that I should have

.
tho ught of n othin g b ut poor Fran cis but I couldn t ’
e ar It w as horrible it see m
,
c on trol the f ed to burn

me like fire I she looked at Dorothy stran gely
.
,
.
, ,
I woul d rather be dead than en dure it again ”
I can t thin k how you cam

.
B ut how w as it
’
e
to believe that Hilary could have h ad an yt hin g to

do w ith it He has a te m
. per of cour se n o m
— an ,
—
worth a farthin g is witho ut o e but to to
n —
I kn ow I shall n ever forgive m yself for it
B ut that day som
. .
e thin gs had happen ed that whe n

I rem em bered the mafterwards terrifi ed m
,
e It , .
w as in t h e aftern oon — —
what day w as it yesterday
-
the day before — she grew bewildered I can t ’
tell w hen it was all see m s so con fused but we were

, ,
in the garden together Fran cis Mr S t John an d I

an d poor Fran cis w as n ot in a goo d te m
. .
, , ,
per I thin k
He s aid som
.
e thi n gs that an n oye d your co us in an d ,

TH E H ON OURAB LE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 271
—
I I was stupid an d coul d thin k of n othin g th at
might smooth matters It w as somethin g in your
righte n ed m
.
co u s in s f ace t hat f He looked so

’
e .
dark so an gry There w as a sort o f suppression

about h imthat str uck cold to m he art an d that
, .
y
terwards seem e d to m
,
af e full o f sign ifi can ce At

s uch a ti m e I should n ot h ave le ft themalon e
.
together Than k God n othin g cam —

e ofit b ut
She pause d an d wiped the m oisture fromher
.
brow .
H ow w as it you did go
Fran cis grew violen t an d ord ered m e in doors
He he said som
.
e dread ful thin gs an d though

shocked an d crushed by themI felt as if I dared n o t
,
stir un til Hilary Spoke He too told m e to go
I obeye d h imsen selessly I w as frighten ed

, .
away
an d ash am
. .
,
ed ofwhat poor Fran cis had said an d I ,
w as glad to go I wen t an y way It was cowardly

of m an d I blam ed m
. .
,
e yself the in stan t I foun d

myselfalon e
,
Well I thin k I should h ave gon e too s aid

An d I shoul d n t h ave blam ed m
, ,
Dorothy “ . yself ’
e ither
”
I h ad a sort of presen ti m
.
Y o u don t kn ow en t
’
l l on m e th at so m
.
fu ethin g w as goin g to happen that

o ught to have kept m e by his si d e P oor Fran cis
’
s id e I m
.
ean O h ! Dorothy is he dead ? R ea lly

.
,
dead she clun g sudden ly to Dorothy as if over

com e by n ervous horror Yes yes Don t m in d ’
m
. .
,
e b ut it w as s uch a shock
,
Where w as I ? .
Yo u we n t in doors
”
.
I did an d the n I ran to a win dow an d looked

272 TH E H ON OURAB LE MRS . V E RE K E R. .
o ut to see whether they were still in the towe r

gard en an d ifthey were quarrelli n g But they had
moved your cousin was walkin g rather in fron t
, .
, ,
towards the laurels you kn o w Fr an cis w as
som
, . .
ewhat behin d but I could see he w as talkin g

,
s till jibin g in a w ay he had b ut I f an cied Hilar

, y ,
did n ot care H e showed n o sign o f an ger tha t

I could d iscern Then they turn e d the com
.
er ;
al m
.
ost as they turn ed I saw Hilary lift his he ad

an d s ay som
,
stop short ethin g to Fran cis H is

man n er w as vehemen t fier ce I thin k it was I
.
,
, .
grew terrifi ed again b ut I hardly kn ew what to do

an d the n in a m om
, ,
en t it was all over They had

both gon e beyon d m
.
si
y g ht O n e I n ev er s aw aga in .
in life
”
.
She shuddered an d grew so pale that Dorothy

feared to let her con tin ue .
Not an other word n ow Don t go an y farther ’
So m
.
.
e other day you

Let m e te l l you al l Yo u can n ot i m a in e wh at
g
a co m fort it is to m
.
e to be able to thin k it all o u t

loud .
”
Well don t lin ger over it s aid Dorothy n e r

,
’
,
vous! y
There is little m
.
ore to add but I wan t yo u

am m m
,
u ite to u n derstan d I s ure y an n er whe n

q
fi rst yo u cam e on m
.
e as I stood looki n g down o u
o u th at awf ul sight — with a stron g shudder ”
“ mst h ave struck

, ,
u y o u a s bei n g str an ge b ut I
hardly kn ew what I w as doi n g I told m
,
yself there
could be but o n e m
.
ean in g for it all that there coul d ,
be b ut o n e person in the world who had don e that

TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE RB E
. . 273
d e ed . They had dis appeared together i n to that

un freq uen ted shrubbery an d Fran cis had n ever
c om
,
e o ut again He was dead ! I felt positive that

so m
.
ethin g further had occurred betwee n those two ,
an d th at Hilary who w as alre ady in a white he at o f
rage h ad de alt himFran cis a f

,
atal blow
”
But s urely it m
, , , .
ust have s uggested itself to you

th at Hilary had n o kn ife with h imth at could have
i n flicted such a woun d an d that besid es
I thought out n othin g I w as half m
,
ad I tell
n ly o n e thi n g see m
.
,
y ou. O ed c l e ar positive beyo n d , ,
d ispute an d that w as that Hilary had killed

m
, ,
Fran cis an d that it was all because of e I I have

,
s uf fered ever sin ce the tortures o f the lost Even

what amI but th e m
.
n ow , , ost un h appy creature

alive
She sighed heavily an d regarded Dorothy with

,
e yes f ul l o fan g uish .
I can t see that you have an ythin g to reproach

’
yourselfwith said that sym

”
, pathetic frien d takin g ,
o n e o f her han ds an d be gin n i n g to stroke it f o n dly .
O h Dorothy ! Is th at in gen uo us Can yo u say

th at with a cle ar con scien ce N ow when I have
ti m e to look b ack on eve rythin g what m
,
ust I thi n k
, ,
b ut that I wro n ged poor Fran cis grossly O utwardly

I w as loyal to h imin wardly I was a m
.
arried
wo m I had sworn to b e true to h iman d him

,
an , ,
—
o n ly an d I loved Hilary It is a sin it will take
al l m
.
,
y lif e to wipe o ut
”
.
Y o u shoul d go abro ad s aid Dorothy briskly

”
m
, .
! ui te a bro ad ever so f ar aw a f
y ro this C ha n
ge is
Y ou are growin g m
.
,
wh at yo u wan t . orbid un s o un d , .
18
TH E H ON OUR ABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. .
Your n erve s are overtaxed they will le ad an d

to wer
,
pretty dan ce if you don t get the better of 7 ’
You m
h ad
ust leave this d irectly after the fun eral .
’
t
Yes I should like to go with a little ga
i :
”
To get away fro mher e is th e on e thin

, ,
relie f . .
re ally crave I can be ready very soon an d

s tart alm
.
,
o st in a f ortn ight ”
.
Start soon er Why stay on he re a day lon ge r

.
than you n ee d
There is m y m o urnin g s aid she slowly shrin k , ,
in g a litt le as she did so .
Go up to town an d order it there You w ill b e .
o n the spot ; an d th e soon er ou are out of thi s t h e

y
bette r Then cross to Fran ce an d fromthat travel
.
, ,
travel travel at your own sweet will an ywhere b ut

towards Bre n t for at least a good twelve m
,
on ths
Co m
.
e there is sage advice take it ! ”
Will you com e with m

, ,
e aske d she an xiously
I h ave n ever gon e an ywhere by m

.
,
yself an d to
begin n ow seem s im possible to m Y o u will co m
,
e e .
,
Dorothy
Well you see began Miss Aylm er She hesi
tate d an d grew a char m
.
, ,
in g pin k I d on t s e e ’
if I go wit h yo u how I amto m

,
.
,
an age abo ut
,
Arthur ”
Cecil seem
.
Captain Farquhar e d puzzle d for

a m om en t an d then s aid very gen tly You are
en gaged to him I amglad of that H e is a good
, ,
m He will m
.
an ake yo u h appy
“ Well I d resay he is m
. .
a ,
ore likely to d o it than
an yon e else said Dorothy rather shyly
”
Co uld he n ot m eet us so m ewhere in Germ

.
, ,
an y
. . 21 5
deed ,
orSwitzerlan d ? said Mrs V e reker Do try an d . .
re arran ge it d ear es t
”
unf r , .
I could go so far with you ofcourse an d whe n

I had settled you som ewhere could com
,
son e back again

am w ith Arthur
,
’ ”
O r be m
.
arrie d there said Mrs V e re ker An y;

how I m m m
. .
,
ay rely upon
yo u to co e with e Y es
I shall speak to Captain Farquhar I amsure he
, ,
will spare you for a m

.
on th or so or el se he will
c om m
,
e with us O h ! how I p in e to get away fro

.
this ”
.
Yo u will se e Hilary be fore you go sai d
Dorothy abruptly ; why she hardly kn ew , .
No shortly .
I thin k ifyou don t Cecil you will lay yours elf ’

, ,
open to a charge o f un graciousn ess What has he

don e th at you should so slight h im
.
“
Nothin g I it is who have don e everythin g ”
Wh at n on sen se ! You had a m om

.
, , .
en t s idle ’
s uspicio n an d yo u are preparin g to m

, ake a lif e lon g -
worry out o f it ”
I could n o t look himin the face said Mrs

.
V e reke r vehe m
.
,
en tly An d it isn t on ly what yo u ’
all ud e to m n p ardon able s uspicion o f hi mb u

.
y u t
the fact that I on ce held him
, ,
in too kin dl y a regard .
—
O h ! that thought n ow n ow when p oor Fran cis
is for ever gon e se em s to lower m , e to the very
e arth
Still I thin k you should see him persiste d

.
It is treatin g himve ry harshly At

, ,
Dorothy . .
al l even ts he is a frie n d o f yo urs an d the very f act
n ge d h im m
, ,
o f o ur b e lievin g u ha ve wro sho uld ak e

y y o
18 — 2
276 TH E H ONO URABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. .
yo u m
or con sid erate toward s him B esides other
e
are so m
.
,
p e ople will call There e yo u will h ave to
us e t o receive himw hat

.
se e an d ifyo u ope n ly re f
, ,
will the world say

Yo u forget that I shall leave this be fore an yon e
can call ? I however coldly
f — , yo u thin k I
sho uld see yo ur co usin I will d o so

”
N o n o ! If it will m
, .
, ake you so very un happy ,
do n o t thin k o f it After all there is n o real reas on

why yo u should ever see himagain
.
,
”
.
That is what I thin k said Mrs V e reker Oh !

I hop e I shall n ever see himagain !
. .
,
C H APTER XXXVII .
S he said, I a m h md d ubtél
as a e , o es s.
SH E did see m evertheless

hi , n . The day after th e
fun eral,w h ich w asquite as largely an d respe c tably at
t en ded as though the deadV e re ker h ad bee n a m odern
sai n t St John we n t down to The Court It had
,
. .
n ot occ urred to Cecil th at an yo n e wo uld be likely
to call quite so soo n an d as sh e in te n ded le avi n g

h om e n ext day for an in d efin ite tim
,
e she had n o t
t hought it n ecessary to tell the ser van ts to adm
,
it
n o visito rs St John w as therefore ushered in to
. .
, ,
the library where she sat without an y w arn in g

, ,
bei n g gi ve n her .
She rose pale an d disturbed an d gave her han d

to h imin a m
,
echan ical w ay that be spoke thoughts

She s e e m
,
far distan t . ed con fused rather than dis

. . 277
tr esse d, b ut beyon d this betraye d n o e m otion what

soever It was a littl e shock to him to see that she
w as n ot in m
.
ourn in g an d he coul d n ot help n oticin g

,
that she loo ked shockin gly ill He could n ot help .
feelin g too that his prese n ce the re w as un desire d

, ,
by her
P erhaps I have co m
.
e too soon he said gravely ”
But I w as an xio us to see fo r m

.
, ,
yself h o w you
were an d besides there w as som
,
ethin g I wished to
say to yo u He paused b ut she said n othin g that
might lead himto hope he w as m
.
,
is take n in his first

s uggestion You are n ot lookin g well he s aid
”
.
, ,
g e n tly .
No That is hardly to be won d ered at I have .
fered said she

”
suf
It has bee n a terri ble tim

.
,
e I n eed hardly say .
—
how I how we all at The Cha se h ave felt for you .
Her own ton e w as so cold so un frien dly that he

felt it im
, ,
possible n ot to copy it in part It has .
—
been a great trial a grief said he spe akin g with
s om e difi culty an d alm ost hatin g him
, ,
,
self that he
felt hypocritical as he s aid it
S he m fort as if to say som
.
ade an ef ethin g con

ven tion al correct but af te r a va gue m urm ur that
did n ot reach himgave up the atte m
, ,
pt A quick
, .
flush born of d eep distress dyed her white face for a

m om en t an d at last she burst out
Do n o t m istake m
.
,
e I have n ot grieve d for

him I feel n o sorrow o f that sort
.
I feel n o grief;
I m ust be m
. .
n on e ade o f s t on e I thin k Surely

it was a d e ath to m ake an y wo m an weep but m
. .
,
y
te ars have refuse d to co m
,
e I kn ow n othin g on ly .
,
278 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS . V E RE K E R.
e s o f horror ! That clin gs to m e lives with
m
a s n e ,
”
e n ight an d day
, .
Yo u should leave this place E n tire chan ge is .
what you wan t ”
I amgoin g return ed she in difl ere n tly

.
” '
.
, ,
Y es He w as an d looked a little startled

I amglad of that
, , .
You have arran ged about it

—for your sake It will be a w ise m ove You
wi ll pro b ably l eave before Ch ristm
. .
as
”
I s hall go to m
.
orrow
”
-
Just at th e m om
.
H e w as s ilen t en t h e kn e w h e
So sh e had m
.
cou l d n ot have s poke n ade al l h e r

—
.
l n s an d w as le avin g d elibe rate ly — an d with out
o n e tho ught o f biddin g him

p a ,
fare well H e had had

n o part in her arran ge m
.
en ts She had treate d

himas though h e w e re t h e verie st stran ger
.
A
ke en sen se o floss o f dis appo in tm
— en t filled him
.
Y ou go abroad he said at len gt h sti y

An ywhere everywh ere I don t care w here I
,
’
, m .
.
ro m
.
,
g o so lon g as it is f ar f th is
An d to m
,
orrow he said
- Youc ertainl y lo st
n o tim
.
e H is ton e w as bitter
”
Tim Yo u thin k m
. .
e ! y h as te in d e c o rou s
”
sh e
But do you im
,
said icily a in e th at e ver s in ce

g
—that—that I have coun ted days an d hours as
.
,
y o u d o I t e ll yo u it h as bee n a ce n t u ry t o m e .
I co uld n ot live if I stayed here l on ger I feel as .
if to bre athe is diflicul She rose as sh e Spoke

an d presse d h er han d again st h er bosom So m e
thin g ofthe un n atural calmthat had posses s ed her

.
s in ce his en tran ce melted away She looked all

a t on ce like the old Ce c il the wom
, .
an he adored , .
TH E H ON O URABLE MRS . V E RE K E R . 2 79
He rose A passion of reproach an d pain

too,
d im med his eyes
.
,
You would have gon e witho ut seein g m

.
e
”
he
Yo u would h ave left m
,
said e witho ut a word
What has happen e d that you should tre at m

.
,
e so
Have we n ot bee n frien ds What has co m e be
t wee n us ?
”
Th e p ast ! s ai d she fain tly I n ever kn ew

”
.
,
—
I n ever felt the sin un til h e w as de ad I can n ot
bear to look at you cried she with a m
.
,
iserable
”
tre m
, ,
blin g of her voice Wh en I thin k of al l

when I rem em ber how I wron ge d him An d he
.
—
I feel as though I m
.
is gon e yself h ad bee n the

on e to sweep h im o ut o f m
.
y p ath .
”
To her each word she uttere d was a sword that

pierced an d hur t—to himeach word gave hope an d
,
com fort She loved himstill That terrible cold

n ess with which she h ad m e t him
.
w as a thin g of
n aught a m ere outco m e o fa sharp attack of horror
an d re m orse ; a re m
,
orse n aturall y exaggerate d at

s uch a ti m e as this Fresh courage filled hi s bre ast
. .
He took a step forward an d caught her han d in his , .
Who is goin g abroad with yo u? he asked .
Dorothy ”
You co uld n ot fin d an y better com

.
pan ion I
am glad fromm m
.
y so ul yo u are goin g away f ro

this though He checked him self Why
were you goin g without a w ord to m
.
,
e ? he asked ”
I hardl yk ow An d yet n — with a s udd e n flash

o f her lar ge m
.
,
our n ful eyes in to his I do kn o w ,
an d ou kn ow too
”
y O h !, .
. .
She drew way her han ds fromhis i m

a pat ie n tly
her face with the m I wish I had
,
an d covered .
n ever seen you she said

”
.
,
A sob broke her voice an d he could s e e the te ars

Her slen der fram
,
s te alin g through her fi n gers e
tre m
.
bled wi th the agitation th at ove rfi lled it .
Do n ot say that Cecil said he un steadily He ”
did n ot atte m
, , .
pt to go n e arer to her or try in an y w ay ,
to check her grief He walked over to the win dow

.
,
an d sto od there f o r a little while gazin g o ut o n b ut
seein g the cold dull autum

, ,
n ot n lan dscape
Gran t m
.
, ,
Presen tly he we n t b ack to her e on e .
favo ur he s aid Yo u ar e goin g away for a lo n g

”
ti m e I im B efore we part m ake m e a pro m

.
,
agin e is e
What prom
. .
,
ise asked she n ervous ly

A sim
.
ple on e said he with a sigh ”

Not t o
thin k o f m
.
, ,
e if possible an d I dares ay it will be very
possible un til all this late m elan choly m

, ,
atte r; is
man y m
,
on ths older Do n ot let your thought s

dwell on m
.
e whilst they are still s ad an d depressed .
I en tre at yo u cried he e arn estly n ot to let your

”
s el fassociate m
, ,
e with this tragedy that has f allen
i n to your life ”
Y o u a sk m
.
e to forget you
For the presen t yes— .
To forget ! O h if I could I An d you? S he ,
spoke with a sudden sharpn ess an d turn ed her gaze

upon himas though e ager to read hi s an swer in his
,
e yes .
He gave her n on e however How coul d he tell , .
her that he too would try to forget when he kn ew

, , ,
that every beat of his he art would be for her an d ,

TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R . . 28 1
h er alon e , un til they two shoul d m eet again ? An d

h ow tell her that either , To speak a sin gle word
borderin g upon love or lovers vo ws woul d he fe lt ’
he a desecratio n o fthis hour in which her m

, , , ,
in d w as
fi lle d with m em
,
ories however bitter of that dead

man who had been her husban d Silen ce was all
, ,
that w as le ft to him But silen ce som etim

.
. es is
g olde n .P erhaps she read in h i s eyes what his
to n gue dared n ot utter

At all even ts she refrain e d fromfurther q uestion
.
, .
H e r eyes fell be fore hi s an d with n ervous fin gers

r om
,
s h e pushed back the hair f her forehead .
My vi sit has bee n a lon g on e I thin k said he ”
makin g the ordin ary movemen t to go IfDorothy

, ,
t ravels with you she will perhaps fromtim

.
e to
t im e let m
, ,
, e kn ow how yo u an d she are gettin g o n .
Good bye - .
”
He held out his han d

Am om She see m
.
e n en treated she ed quite

un stm n ow an d m
.
n
g oved a ch air o ut of her w a
wi th the jerky m
, y
an n er o f on e preparin g f or an e f fort
al m ost beyon d her When you cam e you said
th ere was so m me
.
,
e thin g you wan ted to say to
She stam mered an d grew silen t

.
Well I —
Just n o w you aske d m e to m m
.
ake u pro se ”
yo a i
she wen t on presen tly as if to gain tim
,
e Why ?
B ecaus e I feare d your thoughts of m
, .
e at
presen t B ecause I believed you m ight te ach yo

s el f to thi n k hard thin gs o f m
.
”
e .
Hard th in gs O h ifyou on ly kn ew cri ed she ,

”
.
All h e r co oln ess forsook her The d eepest s elf .
repro ach b e traye d itself on her f ace Perh aps I .

282 TH E H O O N URABLE MRS V E RE K E R . .
x
shal l n ever se e yo u again wen t on h urrie dly

”
she
In de ed when I tell you what I n ow m

.
,
us t I feel
n ever wan t to s e e m
, ,
y o u w il l e again Y et say it I
w ill an d to you who h ave be e n m

.
ki n d est f r ie n d
y
It weigh s on m it m ake s m
.
,
e e feel guilty to wards
m m m
,
y o u .
”
Sh e ove d aw ay f ro h i an d we n t over to
the fi replace an d stood there with averte d face an d

, ,
her han ds c lasp e d be hin d her in a n ervo us grip

There w as a tim
.
e she said very low I d on t ’
kn ow how lo n g—so m e hours perhaps an awful ti m

, , ,
— e
when in m
,
y s ec r et so ul I believe d y ou g u ilt y o f
be in g th e m urd erer o fFran cis ! ”
S he ceased an d stood there m otion less scarce ly

breathin g waitin g for what he m
,
, ight say b ut h e ,
sai d n othin g Pre sen tly she looked roun d to fin d

him in the sam
.
e spot his eyes ben t upon the groun d:

,
H e looked grave an d sad

m
.
“O h ! u will n e ver f or ive h s i d

yo g e s e a
S he wen t toward s himthen stoppe d abruptly as

.
,
, ,
ifafraid to go farther
It cam e to m she s ai d re m
.
e
”
, orse fully I .
co u ldn t help it Not that that is an y excuse It

’
s eem ed to cry itself aloud in m

. .
y ear s a ll those
m is erable ho urs un til I thought I shoul d have gon e
m
,
ad .My on ly won der n ow is that I didn t N o ’

.
,
I can n ot hope for yo ur forgiven ess

”
.
“
Cecil ! crie d he
”
It is yo u w ho have to
.
fo rgive .She drew back a l ittle as she saw his

h aggard fac e an d in stin ctively put up her han d
, .
What other evil thin g w as abo ut to befall her As

o u si n n ed again s t m e so d id I s in again st u
B ut s urely m
y , y o .
y s in w as the gre a ter To d o u bt y o

. u ,
TH E H ON OURABLE MR S V E RE RBE. . 283
y ou poor chil d ! Lo ok at thos e little han ds He .

”
t ook on e lifte d it up an d dropped it gen tly Good

Im us t have been o ut o f m
, .
h e aven s y se n ses b u t
Y ou re m em
,
ber all you said that day That

day when yo u were sufl erin g fro m
.
—well we n eed
n o t call t hat to m in d n ow But you sai d stran ge .
t h in gs th at day about yo ur certain ty that he woul d

It all cam e back to m e each word see m
,
die soon ed
b urn ed in to m an d I told m
.
,
brain ysel f th t i
momen t ofdespair madn ess o h ! surely pardon able
y a, n a
—
—you had lifted up your han d again st hi It was m
,
a vile s uspicion but I h ave suf fered for it ”

.
,
He w as watchin g her an xiously an d n ow starte d at

th e ch an ge that cam
,
e over her If her expression

ofm
.
elan choly deepen ed still there grew with it a

t ouc h o f passion ate relie f A slow fl ush m
,
oun te d to .
h e r foreh ead an d her eyes filled with tears She

d rew closer to himan d volun tarily l aid her h an d in
.
Do n ot be d istresse d because of it she said ”
mu I amglad you so belie ved it see m

,
o rn fu lly s
m
.
,
t o lighte n b urde Now

own u c ot lto n. an n a
m
y y o
m
,
”
gethe o d e
r c n H il ry we
n p rt frie
e. ds a a as n
For tim e s id he so m
.
,
a ethi g i h eyes
,
”
a , n n er
e d i g the blood hill t hi he rt

s n n -c
o s a
For ever I thi k Som ethi g tell s m sh ll

.
n n e we a
e ch other m
.
,
se e a ore A d it i better so Th re
no . n s . e
is that between us that Her voice died away .
I w ill n ot believe it said he in a low un ste ady ,

”
,
ton e . There has bee n that betwee n us that can

n eve r be f orgotte n ; it is deathless it will surely ,
”
brin g us together again .
TH E H O N OURABLE MRS . V E RE K E R.
She s hook her head .
Be wise sh e said se e th e e n d as I d o
”
, ,
There shall be n o en d cried he passion at ely

”
An d yet it has c om
.
, ,
e said she with a heavy ,

”
,
s igh. It is here to day n ow ,

-
,
Say rather the begin n in g o fa n e w life said h e

”
return e d she She m

, .
True but apart

”
ade a
fain t gesture as though to d is m iss h im

, , .
Im
.
write aske d he e agerly

a
y
The m on osyll able fell from
.
,
No .
”
her softly b ut ,
fin ally
In t im e when m
.
on ths have gon e by you w il l

m m e to co m
, ,
p e r it e to you t o
N o n o cri e d sh e feverishly this tim

,
”
e Y ou
m
, , ,
ust n o t I forbid it The very tho ught is horrible

. . .
O h ! can n ot you see that it is to rture e ven to speak

to you n ow Go Go I en treat you
. .
, .
”
Good bye said he slowly

-
”
Sh e turn e d abruptly fro m himher fac e bur ie d in

, , .
h er h an d s an d so without a word a glan ce a to uch

, , ,
o fher c old sl en der fin gers he le f

, t her , .
G reat was th e st rife an d l on b e tw ixt the g mt

w ay
If t hat I haddé l e isure for to say .
WE LL af
t kn ow said Lady B essy
er all , yo u
co m
, , ,
fortably “ it w as abo ut as satisfacto ry a thin g as

,
”
c oul d have happen ed She lay back in her loun g
in g ch air her yellow h air m akin g a char m
.
,
in g con
tras t a gains t the oli ve gr ee n velve t behin d her -
.
TH E H ON OURAB LE MRS V E R E K E R
. . 28 5
She spoke con fide n ti ally in the low lazy ton e o f

o n e who is gro w in g al m ost too warman d cas t a
,
l an guid yet in terested glan ce at her two c om

,
, ,
n ion s Lady E us ta ce ret u rn e d the look in ki n d

p a
b ut Mr B lair who w as diligen tly tryin g to m

.
,
ake
s till m
.
,
ore un bearable a fi re of pin e logs that w as

a lre ady hot e n o ugh to roast a sal am an der let the log ,
h e w as holdin g drop an d turn ed on her a face full

o fm
,
ourn ful con stern ation .
Well s aid he you are the firs t person I ever

”
h e ard call a m
, ,
urder s atisfacto ry Y o u are growin g .
r ight d own blood thir sty The Iris h patriots are n t ’

-
.
in it with yo u
”
.
Don t try to be sillier than usual said Lady

’ ”
B essy with fin e con tem

,
pt Y o u k n ow very well
w hat I m
, .
ean as it was decreed that th at poor

c re ature w as to b e — er
Re m oved s ugges ted Mr Blair . .
Quite so ; that wil l do As he w as to be d on e .
aw ay with I can t help seei n g what a good th in g it

’
,
w as for th at poor little wi fe o f his an d Hilary

”
.
,
I can see I can quite un derstan d said Lady ”
E ustace with her us ual an i m

.
,
atio n Th at un for
t un at e little wo m
.
an I believe she didn t dare c all

’
,
h e r soul h er o w n An d o n e coul d see that she an d

.
Hilary were terribly in love with e ach other Re ally

if thin gs h ad gon e like th at m
.
uch lon ger on e ,
P o uf I Not a bit o f it said Lady Bessy sh ut

”
, ,
tin g up her huge red fan with a little crash Thin gs

would have been the s am e with thema hun dred
.
years hen ce as they were a m ,

on th ago but for that ,
t errible gipsy pe rson You are n ot as good a re ader

.
2 86 TH E H ON O UR ABLE MRS V E R E K E R
. .
o f charac t er as ght to be ifyou c ouldn t s e e

you o u ,
’
t hat Ce cil V ere ke r was the las t pe rso n in th e w o rl d

to a — — m ak e a fo ol o f hers elf
”
m
r
ool of herself when she m

.
S he ad e a f arrie d
Vercher said Lady E us tace rather shortly w ho

”
didn t like be in g acc use d ofwan t of m

, , ,
en tal in sigh t
’
To be cons ide red a k een stude n t o f hum

.
an n ature
w as her great d esire

It w as her fathe r m
.
ade a f ool o f h e r there sai d

”
She was on ly a baby at the tim

,
Lady Bes sy . e A .
l ittle un fledged thin g What could she kn o w of

men ” or their treachery an d crue lty an d wic ked
.
m
, , ,
n e ss
d em
.
What do you kn ow of the an d e d M r .
Blair H e had subsid e d in to a c hair n ow an d was

zin g pen sively at the n oble ife xtrem
.
,
g a ( ely d is tres s
in g) edific e he h ad erected in the grate It was n ow

blazin g half way up the chim
.
- n ey an d t hreate n ed
e very m om
,
en t to set the house afire

Too m
.
uch reto rted Lady B essy s e n ten tious ly

”
More sham
.
, ,
e fo r you! sai d he .
Eh said she with all the air o f on e who

,
re f uses to cr edit the e vi d en ce of h e r own cars .
Surest sign of a born coquette is to be w ell up

in th e faults an d faili n g s o f the other s ex said he
”
S e e what a l ot she m
, ,
un dis turbe d ust kn ow about

t hem
.
to be able thus to give an open opini on

”
Lady B essy stared at him

.
You are very rud e sai d sh e

So they ofte n tell m
.
,
re tu rn e d he, gazin
”
e , g
lacid ly in to th e fire
p
You are n t worth an argum
.
’
en t re torte d she , ,
afte r an other prolon ge d glan ce at himtin ged with ,
in dign ation An d as for that un fortun ate Fran cis

.
V e re ke r I don t believe after all h e was halfas bad

’
m an y othe r m
, , ,
”
as e n I k n ow
—
.
,
It is an u wa ra t ble
n r n a att ck an d I s tan d
a
al on e , m”
urm ure d Mr B lair sadly But I ll try
.
, .
’
t o en d ure to the e n d
”
.
I daresay th ere w ere faults on both sid e s said ”

,
Lady Eus tac e I daresay Ceci l didn t suit the

’
m
.
p oor an an d th at is a f atal f a u lt S h e w as very

—
.
,
cold you kn ow very un sophisticated n ot a bit the

w om
, ,
an o fth e world about her Just the very p erson

to bore a m
.
an w ho w as — er — rather wan tin g in

re fin e m en t lik e that m , uch to b e pitie d V ere ke r .
It is really on ly j ust to thin k all that said Lady ,

”
B e ssy —
Now in othe r han d s stron g han d s who —
can s ay what that m
.
an wo uld hav e bee n Quite

an other bein g n o d oubt ! As you say aflin ity has
m uch to do with m
, ,
arried happin ess

”
so
Here Mr Blair m
.
ade a so un d that was like a grun t

.
o f dis approval an d th at in stan tly dre w fou r eye s
upon him Four severe eyes

,
. .
What d o you thin k aske d Lady E u s tace
What w as your opin io n o f that poor m

. .
urdere d
creatu r e s i n ward state ? Might he h ave bee n re
’
d ee m ed eh with the help of a m

, ore powerful
spirit
I t hought hima regular sweep return e d Mr

B lair calm ly ; as black a on e as ever I m
.
,
et An d
I woul dn t m
.
as t o spirits en tion that word in con

’
n e c tion with him

,
if I were you I t recalls n u

m m m
.
p le a san t e orie s T o y w ay . o f t hi n kin

g he ,
288 TH E H ONOURABLE MRS . VE REK E R ..
had mre o ofthemthan was good for himwhils t

amo gst u ;
n s an d I can t se e that they re d ee m
’
ed him
much ”
m ith
.
Lady B es sy regard ed hi w a j udicial eye .
Was b e la ughin g
The m an is dead I she s aid stern ly .
Certain ly If he is n t he ought to be re ’ ”
turn e d Mr Blair m
.
, ,
ildly We have heard a good

d eal abo ut his d e m
. .
ise up to this We have i n deed .
been con siderably bored by very n asty details It .
would be un pardon able if he were n ow to re appear

an d chan ge o ur joy in to m ourn in g ”
.
O n e shoul dn t abuse th e dead said Lady

’ ”
,
B essy
dem an d e d he i m
.
Why n ot par tially It is

in m
.
,
y O pin io n less tre ason able th an exaltin g a de

,
fun ct sin n er in to a s ain t Yo u are n ow prepar in g

Ifyo u m
.
to cry up V e re ke r who w as we ll
, us t
,
do that sort of thin g why n ot take up Black San dy

an d can on ize him
,
Yo u are in a horrid te m per s aid Lady Bessy ”

, ,
j ust because yo u have bee n disappoin ted in o n e

day s shootin g So like a m
’
an So sel fis h As t o
t h at wretc h ed cre ature whose n am
.
e j ust n ow pas s e d
your lips pray n ever m en tion himin m y pres e n ce
It m akes m
,
agai n flesh creep ”

y
It w as s uch a pity s aid Lady E us tace dr eam
. .
”
ily
S uch a loss to m
.
,
e I shall always feel as if I h ad

.
”
been don e o ut of a good thin g .
As this w as ap rop os o f n othin g th at wen t before ,
Lady Bessy an d Blair gave up their quarrel to j o in

in a m utual stare at Lady E us tace .
TH E H O N O UR ABLE MRS . V E RE K E R 289
“ What w as the loss asked Lady Be s sy at l ast
Oh ! m m m
.
”
y de ar I ,s ure y
’
o u u st un derstan d ,
s aid Lady E ustace plai n tively Why that dre ad

ful gipsy cre ature dyi n g so im mediately after the
.
,
e ve n t I have always desir ed so gre atly to see a

re al live m
.
urderer close ; an d here w as an oppor

,
t un ity give n such as I sho ul d n ever h ave dared to

h o pe for O f course I could m
,
an age it in town b ut
t h e s e co urts are horrid ; an d besides the cri m

.
,
in al is
, ,
always so hedge d ro un d don t yo u kn ow Now here ’
I d aresay I co uld have got quite n e ar to h im I

.
, ,
might even have been happy en ough to exchan ge a

.
,
word or two with him S uch a chan ce ! An d all.
t h rown away because o f his stupidity

”
So m uc h copy gon e said Mr Blair sym

.
”
, p a th e ti .
c ally .
“
Yes yes ! You see it as I do It is re ally
e sse n tial that I sh o uld m ake m
, .
yself acquain te d w ith

a ll cl asses an d here w as a speci m en fresh straigh t
from
, , ,
the ac t as it were — with Cain s bran d burn in g ’
brightly o n his forehead N0 tim

,
e for it to fade
. .
R e ally it is very dishe arten i n g

”
exclaim
.
You are worse th an Bobby ! ed Lady

B essy with a shudder For Heave n s sake cease ’
I shall dre amall n ight o f

, .
s uch ghou l ish talk

For m
.
h orrors if yo u co n ti n ue it y p art I wo u ld
run a hun dred m
.
iles rather than see or speak to an

a ss assin o f an y sort No n o ; n o t an other word
.
, .
My n erves are quite un strun g; as it is If youbrin g

b ack that odious scen e to m m
.
y i n d I sh a ll be ,
o bliged to up stick s an d aw ay to the f ar west like ,
C e c il
.
”
290 TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V ERE K E R
. .
“
Mrs . ly gon e as far as N aples as
V e reker has on ,
y e t
,
”
sa id B lair ; at l eas t so I he ar , .
”
For on c e you:have a true story I had a lin e

'
from Dorothy this m

.
orn in g Cecil is better an d a

degre e m ore cheerful Two m
.
,
on ths n ow adays you

kn ow is quite a lon g tim
.
,
, e so I dare say she is be ,
g in n in g to forget
”
.
“W
ill Hilary go an d se e her on his way to
E gypt
I fan cy n ot . There is mthi g my t e iou so e n
lm
s r s
b ut that He a s a
a o e o e a itt d t mth t Cecil
o t dm
had forbi dde n him
.
to visit h er
”
.
Ah ! ye s O n e can see the heart w orkin gs

.
the re said Lady Eustace gro win g in terested

, I , .
should like to be n e ar her n ow to study her to s ee

day by day the d evelop m
, ,
en t o f
Youll e n d in an asylum
’
if you go o n like this ”
in terrupted Lady B essy un cerem

,
on iously Really
w e shall all grow to be m ere specim
.
,
e n s in your
e ye s be f ore l on g ”
May the s ain ts keep m romblossom

.
e f in g in to a
op l r thor ej aculated Mr Blair y
”
p u a au , pi o u sl . .
You n ee dn t be n ervo us abo ut it s aid Lad y

’ ”
Bessy who hadn t as yet for given him

,
,
’
I dar e s ay .
this fad of Cecil s won t last lon g I kn ow in h e r

’ ’
.
heart she is very d ee ply attached to Hilary In de e d .

,
their d evotion to each other was a thin g to see .

”
—
Well hardly whilst th e husban d w as alive
,
”
,
sai d Blair
Yes at an y tim
.
, e defian tly
”
Real hon e st , .
, ,
e arn est afl e c tio n with deep stress on e ach adj e c

'
”
is always a charm
,
tive “ in g thin g to witn ess I

, .
TH E H ON OURABLE MRS V ERE K E R
. . 291
h ope mtters
a will en d well for those two H ilary .
a d ores her an d she is q u ite the dearest l ittl e th in g

I shoul d altogether we lco m
.
,
e her as a siste r
pen sively is ex tre m
.
S he “ ely rich an d there is

s om
, , ,
e thin g a little cold a little speci al abo ut her

t h at w ill m —
, ,
ake her th e rage o f t e seaso

h n when
e ver sh e d oes appe ar .
I sho uldn t thin k St John would care abo ut

’
.
tha t s aid Blair n ursin g his kn e e

, , .
There yo u are wron g To have a dowdy an n u

in terestin g wo m e pleases n o m
.
,
an for a wi f an , Be .
s i d es, as I say there is a l ittle to uch o f h aute ur

,
abo ut her that will repel whilst it attracts S he is

— —
.
l ike the ch urch or perh aps un like t in th at she

i
is as s afe as sh e can be
”
.
When does she return ?

That is what n o o n e k n ows Not for ever so
Dorothy is to be m
.
l on g I believe
, . arrie d in April ,
an d af ter that I hope Cecil will feel lon ely an d

begin to lon g for hom
,
—
e an d Hilary ”
dem
.
Are yo u ever lo n ely an de d Mr B lair .
s ud d e n ly loo ki n g up at her
, .
“I ? No ! Why ? ”
It occ urre d to m e th at if you w ere you m ight

tegin to lo n g for ho m
,
e an d
P sha w ! said Lady Be s sy ri si n g , .
. .
m
An d w on der n ot, in e o w en lady bright
Though that I speak of love to youthus hliva '
O h ye l overs, that high upon the wheel

Be set of Fortun e , in good adven tu re,
G od l en é that ye fl n d ay love o f s te el ,
g m
An d lon é ay your life in j oy en dure !
'
”
BUT April cam e an d wen t an d s um m er succe e d e d

,
it an d foll owe d it to its grave an d an other Christ

m
, ,
as white n ed the world be f ore Cecil V ereker return ed

to her hom e It w as in deed eighteen m on ths sin ce
t h at terrible autum
.
n when sh e at las t looke d again

,
upo n t h e old Court

Wild March had com
.
e in like a lion had roare d ,
its loud e st an d n ow l ay cr ouchi n g on the groun d

o ld an d beate n an d dyi n g an d harm les s as an y lam
, ,
b
S weet m
, , .
oist win ds were blowin g out of the south ,
drivin g baby showers be fore it The roc ks were

b uildin g in the tall gaun t elm
.
s an d al l th e lan d w as
with swayin g m
,
ric h asse s o f yell ow dafl o dils

‘
Crocuse s in c oun tless thousan d s p urple an d white

made pretty groups here an d
,
an d parti c olo ure d
the re whilst th e phe asan t—

-
,
eyed n arcissi an d th e
ought for roo mw ith the tin ier
,
s cen ted jo n quils f ,
dain tier tags .
S uch a wil d ern e ss of sweets as the garden s were !

Old fashion e d garden s so m
-
e of the mwhere all thes e ,
be st ofN ature s treas ures were s uffere d to run w il d

’
.
N ow bloom
s th e l ily by t he bank
p m
,
The ri rose do w n t he b ras ;

The haw th orn s buddin g in t he l en ,
’
g
- m
An d il k w hite 1 8 t h e slae ”
.
TH E H O N OURABLE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 293
E very passin g win d bore on its win gs perfum es d e

licate ly rich In every hedge s m all birds were
buildin g their n ests ; their son gs m

.
ade co un tless
melodies Min gled with themwas the wild mad

music of the rushin g streamas it dashed over its
.
,
ston es an d by its se dgy ban ks al m ost te arin g the

pale bun ches of forget m romtheir hold
, ,
e n ot f - -
.
Cecil stood still an d looked all roun d her She

could n ot d en y to hersel f that a hom
.
e spri n g w as
more distin ctly exquisite than an ythin g she had

foun d abroad She had travelle d a good deal durin g
these pas t eightee n m
.
on ths a stran ge un accoun table

restlessn ess drivin g her fromplace to place an d n ow
,
that she had return ed to En glan d she scarcely ,
kn ew whether she w as glad or sorry

The ol d fam
.
iliar lan dscape the ten d er joys o f the

,
buddin g sprin g the pe culiar se n se of li fe ren e we d

,
that spoke to her in all aroun d touched her an d

m
, ,
ad e her pulses throb in un iso n with it but at ,
heart she felt lon ely an d depressed an d full o fa sick

lon gin g to fin d n ear her som ethin g or som
,
eon e
beloved .
Dorothy an d her h usb an d were in the North pay

in g a visit to an un cle o f F arq uhar s an d L ady
’
B essy whomshe re all y liked in spite o f her m

,
, an y
eccen tricities was at her own place fo r a won der

, , .
—
As for an yo n e else — why she h ardly cared for
,
an yon e el s e an d besides Well why should

she n ot thin k of him? she asked herself this
, ,
an grily — besides St John w as still in the East

. .
Even as she though t this she li fted her eyes an d

saw him com
,
in g to her acro s s the clos e ly shaven grass -

.
294 TH E H O N O URABL E MRS V E RE K E R
. .
H er ee me d to sto p be atin g
heart s For on e
momen t she thought she w as goin g to fain t Then
.
on c e m ore life surged stron gly alm

.
ost pain fully , ,
w ithin he r O h ! how he recalled that pas t te rrible

tim —
.
e h er past te rri ble exis te n ce S h e had hardly .
kn own with what a cowardly shrin kin g she had bee n

loo kin g ro un d on thi s spo t an d on th at —un til h e
cam e B ut n ow a full horror o f this pla ce m ad e
he re by a loveless m
.
ar riage w as fu ll upon her .
You 1 s he sai d I thought yo u were in .
Egypt ”
Well so I w as un til a m
.
on th ago said he ”
H e had com
.
, , ,
e up to her an d h ad take n the han d ,
He w as greatly bro n zed an d

'
she had n o t o fl ere d .

, ,
pe rhaps a trifle thin n er b ut he w as so st ron g so

, , ,
good to look at Deligh t shon e in his eyes

Bessy se n t m
. .
e word that yo u were thin kin g o f
com in g hom e ao —I thought of com in g ho m e too

Yo u kn ow you forbid m
.
,
e to se ek yo u whilst you
were abroad An d I obeyed you to the letter s
though I refus e to say what it cost m

.
e Have I n o t .
been obedien t Don t I d eserve a reward At all

’
even ts I have it said he gaily ; I amlookin g at

, ,
”
yo u n ow .
A charm in g thin g to look at too A very lovely

pic ture She w as the s am e Cecil he re m em
.
,
be red
yet scarcely th e sam e The weight of m
.
,
an y years
seem e d to have dropped fromher an d she s tood

.
there be fore himin her white serge gown like the

,
youn g girl that in re ality she w as She w as very .
pale certain ly an d n ervousn ess w as e vide n tly prey

in g upon her ; b ut he n oticed that the old m
, ,
iserab le
TH E H ON OUR AB LE MRS V E RE K E R
. . 295
fe ar w as gon e fromher eyes an d that th e pretty

n ded an d warm
,
o val o f the f ace w as rou er in ti n t .
She w as in d eed beautiful .
Y o u are lookin g better stron ger sai d h e with , , ,
all a lover s glad solicitude

’
These eighteen
mon ths have don e you a world o f good Surely
.
t hey were lon g e n ough to work a tho us an d cures

Did ever m
.
on ths drag so slowly I won der But

with a trium
,
n ow ,
”
phan t upliftin g of his head ,
they are gon e Dead Behin d us ! . .

”
When did you return as ke d she H ow

s tran ge th at you should co m e here to day I m
.
yself -
have on ly j ust arrived but I told n o on e of m

.
, ,
y
She regarde d himearn estly
,
in ten tion to be here

”
. .
Yet you kn ew she said w ith a soft blush , .
“
Yes I kn ew Do you thin k you co uld be here
s o n ear w itho ut m
.
, ,
y kn owi n g A n d why sho ul d I

Y o u h ave been a little cruel to m
,
n ot kn ow e ,
I thin k Yo u brought your servan ts ? ”
On ly m m an d Tho m
.
y aid pso n , There ar e .
a lways people in the ho use But I sh an t stay here ” ’

.
,
s h e we n t o n h urrie dly I couldn t Even these ’
fe w hours have con vi n ce d m

. .
,
e o f th at Every scen e .
brin gs back the past No I could n ot live here .

, .
”
Well you n eed n ot said he slowly

She coloure d warm ly an d hesitated for a m om
.
, , ,
en t -
O f co urse I un derstan d w h at yo u m
.
,
, ean she ,
”
s aid spe akin g rapidly as if to preve n t an y in terr up
tion fromh im That it is in m

, ,
.
y power to live
where I will But though I dislike this place I
h ave still a love for Bren t It really m e an s hom
.
,
e to
me Where on e w as born has always a claimon on e
.
.
,
. .
I thin k Dorothy lives here

'
On on e s afl ec tion s .
’
.
,
an d—all the fri en ds

I have ever kn own
You m is un derstood m
.
said he I did n ot ”
e
mean to suggest bani shme n t fromBren t What I

.
,
did m ean was that you m ight m

.
ake yourself a n e w
ho m e here if you would , .

”
I thin k n ot I can hear of n o house in the .
n eighbo urhood to be let or bo ught or ,

,
Accepted question ed he Then Th ere is .
on e , h e said slowly
”
He waite d awhile for her to
, .
spe ak but presen tly he saw that she would n o t

,
.
Her gaz e w as ben t upo n the groun d an d she w as ,
loo kin g stran gely troubled That little touch o f dis

tress wen t to his heart an d sen t himto her at on ce
.
.
,
Darlin g s aid he in a low vo ice will yo u dare

”
to tell m or m
, , ,
e that yo u do n o t car e f
”
e ?
O h ! I care for yo u cried she im petuously ,

”
, .
It is n ot that b ut
Y o u love m de m
,
e an d ed he drawi n g her i n to
his arm
,
s .
Yes I love yo u Oh ! she p aused an d

glan ced up at himthrough eyes warmwith tear s
. .
,
when I saw you com i n g towards m

,
e awhile a go ,
Yes — go What the n on .
I kn ew said she si m ply that I had n ever

A little trem ulous s m
, ,
been quite happy before ile .

”
broke upon her lips .
My beloved s aid he An d then after a pause

Well yo u m
. .
,
ust try to be q uite happy fo r th e

Y o u have a lon g lon g tim e to m
,
future . ake up , .
n I — —
A d love yo u so C e cil s o de e ply so tr uly th at , ,
TH E H O N OURABLE MRS vs nnxnn
. . 297
Impresum
a ptuous e ough n to believe that I c an
mke y u so Wh t ! te rs !
a o a a Why I will have n on e
—
.
to d y Nor a
y other da y an We shall begin to be
ha ppy from
. .
this hour .
”
He kisse d away the drops that woul d have falle n ,
an d at th at she l aughed It w as quite a n e w thi n g

to himthat laugh it told m
.
— ore than an ythin g e ls e ,
c oul d have d on e that she h ad in deed thrown o fl

'
, , ,
the spiri t of bon dage that had for so lon g oppressed

her an d was on ce m
, ore fulfi lle d with the spirit o f
youth
What amI to do about stayin g here
.
she
aske d prese n tly I do n t believe blushin g hotly ’ ”
.
,
an d looki n g rather abashed at her o w n w an t o f
courage I could sleep here It is al l very we ll

whilst you can rem
.
,
ain ; but af ter tha The

lon g d ul l evenin g an d the n ight woul d kill m e
Don t rem
.
ai n said he R un up to to wn with
’ ”
me My aun t Mrs St John will be delighted to

.
,
receive you an d to m
. . .
, ,
orrow I ll take you to Bessy -

’
She is for a won der in her own hom

.
,
, e n ow at , ,
Wyatts By the bye have you heard about her ?

.
- -
”
,
Heard what
Why her en gage m en t
Is she goin g to be m
.
,
arried ? sai d Ce cil in
ten sely in tereste d When o n e is goin g to be m

,
. ar rie d
on eself it is really aston ishin g with what ple as ure

on e he ars of the in te n d e d m
,
arriage of others To
whom
.
B lair .
Mr Blair ! ”
. With d istin ct disbelief Oh ! .
n on se n se .
TH E H O N O URABLE MRS V E RE K ER . .
I wish she coul d hear you said St John ,

”
.
,
laughin g .It is Blair n everthe le s s , .

”
Why I thought they were always—always

,
Why don t you go on ’

So they w er e — ao they
ar e Always quarrellin g ; sparrin g is perhaps the

m
.
p rope r w ord B u t .th e y see t o lik e it an d Bla ir , ,
as you kn o w or as
p,e rh aps y o u d o n t k n ow ha s bee n
’
,
in love with her ad an d on for five or six years

They are to be m
.
”
arrie d in Ju ne .
It is the fun n ie s t thin g said Ce cil We ll do”

, .
,
y o u k n ow ”
with , a ll t h e air o f o n e s ta tin g an n u
e xpecte d f act I like d Mr B lair They will be
, . .
ve ry happy I thin k an d h ope , .
N ot so happy as w e shall b e By the bye when - -
sh all w e be m Next m
.
,
arrie d on th
Certain ly n ot with shy in dign ation ,

”
There .
isn t an y reason for ha ste H ow coul d on e be ready

’
This is j us t the very en d of March, an d—n ewt

.
m th I
on
May, then
Oh ! n o.
”
Jun e That is the m on th on which B essy an d
Blair h ave decide d Th e 2 9 th is their day What .
do you say to th e l st e h ? ,
”
O f co urse on e can t go o n s ayin g n o for ever !

’
s aid sh e with such an adorable atte m

,
pt at reproach
that h e caught her in his ar m
, ,
s an d so put an e n d to
that ar gum
,
en t
If n ot n o it m
.
us t be ye s sai d he
’
.
,
so darlin g heart
”
, .
S he sai d it .
TH E E N D.
m
3 1 , Southa pton Street, Strand,
Jan uar y, 1 8 8 9 .
F V
. . WH ITE C 0 38
LI S T O F
PUBLICATIONS .
2 F . V . WH IT E Co .
’
s P ub lic at io n s .
NO VELS AT Al l l IBRARIES IN TO WN AND CO UNTRY . .
B E AUT IF U L JIM
By B by
.
JO HN S TR AN G E W I N TE R Author of
“
Bootles
’ ”
Mig n on s
’
V
,
a ,
are 2 o ls.
m m m —Academ
.
y th
m f y m
m
A sto r has t he
at er its o f ov e e n t an d l iv el in ess y .
Those w h o ha ve n ot read t h e w r ite r s pre v i o us n o v e l s ay b e sa e l rec o

mk y m mf
'
e n de d
to
p leasan
B t
fi
y mm
a e t h e ir
l
m
-da
rs t ac q u
e d c h ar
ai n tan ce W it h h e r in h er prese n t s
ac te r -J oh n B u ll
f
t or
.
Ji h i se l is a
k
.
m
m
eauti ful J i is as res h an d e n ga gin g a w o r as t h is ch ar in g w rite r h as
‘ ’
m
o d u d w hil t h t u t u f it s l t h pec uh ar s tren g t h w hi c h adds uch t o
—
p r ce e e s r c re o p o as a
,
t he effec t o f t he s to r as a w h o le y
Sc o l r a n . .
TH E MAS TE R OF R ATH K E LLY .
By H AW LE Y S MA RT, Auth or of
“
Th e O utsider,
”
Cl ev erl yW on , A
re
V
.
2 o ls .
An en te rtain in g rac on te ur , as th e author has alw a s sh ow n y himlf t b

m
se o e , it is
bf
mk by m y
do u t ul w het her an y o fh is p re v io us produc t n s h ave q ui te re ac h ed t he le v el of Th e
‘
M
m
t rai ts o f ge n uine Irish
m
as t “ o f R athk e ll y its pages , ar ed
’
an
”—
.
h u o ur ! o in g Post
. .
A CRACK CO U N TY
B
.
A yM WA
S port in g N ov el ED RD E N N ARD , Author K of Th e G ir l in
B Hb Kthe ro w n a it,
.
”
rs .
il led in th e O pen ,
"
drc 8 o ls V
m u
. .
m mm m
n g p ic t res o f th e h un t in g-deid an d t h e graph ic des c ri p
m
Toget h er w 1 th th e sti
t ion of t he run , e t W i t h i n al l M
’
in o r o en t s t h at atte n d a good t o be
K k y f
.
y ym
A C rac C o un t has spec ial eat ures o f its o w n
f m mm
Th e h ero ,
’
en n ard s n o ve ls
k
, .
Bo b J arre tt , 1 s t h o ro ugh l s
mk f y m
pat he t i c , as als o D o t Lan es ter , ro the en t
M
o
o use un t il s he 1 3 sa e l g ded in to t he h a ven
m m
w h en s h e a es h er ap pea ran ce o n
of at r 1 k y
A C rac C o un t 1 s an e x c e ll en t seq u e l to its aut h or s p re v io u
’
b f
on y .
ri gh t an d as cin at in g n o vels
”
—Morn in g Post .
s
.
A C RO W N OF S H AME
By FLO R E N C E MAR RYAT Auth f My Si t th A t
.
" “
F i g s er c ress ,
V . or o e ac n
th e Fo o tl igh ts , &c . 3 ols .
T H IS WICKE D W O RL D
By M H LO VE TT C AME RO N A2uthE f y
.
“ “
G rass Coun tr
”
In A
N th C u t y M d & 8 V l
rs . .
, or o a ,
or o( a diti
n r ai , c. o s. n on . )
H E R LAST RUN
By t h H bl M W ALTE R R D FO R BE S (E
.
v el in e M i c hell Farwell ) , Auth or

V
e on e rs. . .
F ort un e , Th e M an in C ords ,
” ”
of Fin gers an d disc . 2 ols .
TH E SU PE RIO R SE X .
By E HARO LD VAL LIN G S 2 V l

. o s.
A DAN GE RO US E XPE RIME N T

By L dy DUFFU S HARDY Auth f P ul Wy t
.
“ ’
Sacri ce, fi ” “
In S 1 ght
V
a , or o a n er s
of Lan d, s o. 3 ols.
TH E H ON . MRS V E RE K E R
By M ll y B w 2 V
. .
th e Auth o r o f P hyll i
”
o a a n, s, re. ol s.
F . V . WH I TE Cc .
, 3 1 , S o ut h a m
p t on S t re e t . S t r an d .
F V . . WH I TE Co .
’
s P ub l ic at io n s . 3
THE WORKS OF JOHN S TRANGE WINTER,

UNIFO R M IN ST YLE AN D P R IC E .
E ach in Pa p er C overs , 1 / C l o th , 1 16 . At all Boo ks ell ers Boo ks talls .
MY P OO R DICK .
(4 th E diti ) Ill u t t d by MAU on . s ra e R IC E G R E I F F E N H AG E N .
BO O TLE S
’
CH ILDRE N .
( 5th Edition ) Ill u by B A D

str at e d J E RN R P AR TR ID GE .
m m
. .
J ohn Stran ge Win ter is n ev er ore th oroughl at h o e than w h en delin eatin g y

y fi M
b k m y
the c h arac t ers of c hil dren , an d e ve r o n e W ill b e del i gh ted w ith th e dign i ed adge
oc c up ied w ith t h e lo v e af y
my
an d t h e q uain t P earl Th e oo is ain l fai rs of Terr
b k
.
m
o o s ) , b ut t h e ch i l dre n
m m
(th e so l di er serv an t w h o a p p e ars in an o f t h e prec edin g
b uzz in an d o ut of it s pages uch as t h e w o ul d c o e in an d o ut of a roo y in real
—
f b
li e , pe rvadi n g an d righ ten in g th e h ouse in w hich th e dw ell
”
Leica ter Dail y y .
TH E CON FE SSION S OF A PUB LISH E R .
m
uch disc us sed q uest ion of t he rel ati on s et w een a p u lish er an d h is c lien ts b b
m
The
furn i sh es M r J ohn S t ra n ge Win te r Wi t h ate rial for on e o f th e righte st tal es of th e b
b b y f m m m
.
A e l D ri n kw ate r s auto io graph is w ri t te n ro a h u oro us po

my
’
season t of
k
.
s t r ue w o rd is s po e n in Jes t , an d in t he c on
’
v iew ; yet h e re , as e lsew h er e
'
m
an
b f
.
yf m m
v ersat io n s o f t h e pu l i s h er an d h i s t oo in ge n uo u s s on ac ts c o e t o light th at are
y
w ort h of the atten tion of asp ir an ts to l i te rar a e
"
- Mor n g P ost . .
MIG N O N S H USB AND

’
. ( 8th E dit ion ) .
y f y
mh mt ml ym t
It i it l l t ull f hi h i ri ts , an d w r i tten in a dashin g st le that
p ov e s o r
y o
s a ca a s
p g ,
y its fun
m
w ill c h ar t e os e an ch ol o f re aders in to h eart en j o en of .
S co ts
m f J h St
an .
Win ter is e n o ugh M

m
’
Th to te l l th e reade r th at i gn on s
b k
e na e o o n ran ge
”—
Hu b s an d is a ris , livel yt l a e, W i th a l it tle p ath os b ut o re fun G r ap hic . .
T H AT IMP . ( 7th Edition ) .
B arrac k f b
li e is a an don e d fo r t he n o n ce, an d th e aut hor o f Bootl es a
y m y mf
’
B by
m
in t roduces r eade rs t o a co un t r h o e re ple te Wi th e ve r c o
m m
o r t , an d c o n tain in g
en an d w o en w h ose ac q uain tan c es h ip w e can o n l re gre t can n e v er losso in to y b
frien ds h ip
”
Whit eha l l Re vie w
h m b k i b igh t b y up m
. .
This c ar in g litt l e oo s r an d reez an d ha s t h e rin g of s re e

t rut h a out it b .
”
Va n it y F a ir .
,
MIG N O N S S E CRE T
’
. ( 1 1 th E dit ion .
)
“
M
ign on s Se c ret
In
’
Mr Wi n te r h as supplie d a c on t in uat ion t o t he n ev er-t o
f— B by y f y y
.
grac e ull an d to uc hin gl

’
b e- orgot t en
’
Boo tl es a . Th e st or is
Joh n B ull
”
to l d
m
. .
y y
m y t mgi
A l lit l t e st or It is l i gh tl t ouc h e d, an d h as so ew hat a tragic
te r
l on g w ay
i i
—
c e v er
It
n at o n
”
.
P anc h
i s eas
.
.
o i a n e w e have n ot seen t h e last o f M i gn on yet by a

.
F . V . WH I TE Cc .
, 3 1 , S o ut h a mp t on S t r e e t , S t r an d .
4 I
'
. V . W H ITE Oo .
’
TH . W O RK S O F J O H N S TR AN G E W INT E R ~ ( Co m s uO)
O N MARC H . ( 6th E dition ) .
humu
“
This short stor y is
—A m
c haract erise d by M r. Win ter s ’
c usto my ar truth in det ail
r, an d pat hos . ca de
m
o y
By ub
.
M
arc h , Mr J 8 Win te r h as adde d an ot he r litt l e ge
m
“ t o his
m
’
lis hin g On
k p
k
. . .
The st or is w ritt en Wi th h u our an d a y

m
well- of re gi e n t al s e tc hes
—
n o w n sto re .
”
dd 0! heelin g . Ar y an d N avy Ga zette .
IN ! UARTERS . ( m
. Edition .
)
In ! uarte rs is on e of t hose ratt lin g tal es ofsoldiers li fe w hic h the puhko have
’
lurn ed to t horoughl app rec iate —The G rap hic

”
y
B B—by y fmilit y f
. .
Th e ut hor of giv e s us here an ot h er sto r li e , w hic h

’
ooties o ar
be b
a a
few have tter desc ri Britiah ! ua rter ly Re view
"
e d. .
ARMY S OCIETY : Life in a Garriso n T o w n .
Cloth , 6/ al so in Pict ure B oards , 2/ (sth E dition .

)
mm
y
This discursive sto r , de al in g w ith l i e in a garrison tow n , is full of the pl eas an t f
B B by bmk f
m y y b km f en t w hic h has dis t in gu P luc , o r in ac t a
’ ’ ’
go an d ish ed oo ties
y
o ve a ,
ajorit of so e h al -do zen n ov el et tes w hic h t h e auth or has su i tte d to t h e e es

of rail w a oo s tall patron is e rs
"
Daay Tele gr ap h .
— .
b k k f
The stre n gth of t h e oo l ies in its s etch es o f l i e in a garrison tow n , w hic h are
un den ia l cle ver by It is pre tt cl ear t h at Mr Win te r draws f ro li e f 81 y . m — .
GARRIS ON G O SSIP Gathered

“
in Blan kha
in Pic t ure B
mpt on .
( A Seq uel to AR MY SO C IE TY . Cl oth, als o oards,

(4 th E dition )
m
.
G arrison G ossip ay f airl ran ! : w ith y C av alr y f t he vario us ot h a '

Li e,
’
an d
—
boo k
s w ith w hic h Mr Win te r has so agre ea l
. byb e guil ed our leis ure h o urs
”
S at ur day .
The n o vel ull f ym

ain tain s t h e re putat ion w hich its author has een ort u
—Grap hic
nate b f
en ough to gain in a spe c ial lin e of his o w n
k
. .
Those w h o are ac q uain ted w ith t h e p re v ious w or s of J ohn Stran ge Win ter w ill
to fin d G arrison G ossi p a livel sto r , an d assuredl t he w ill n ot b e disap y y y y
m b
‘
g: vn
te d
ig
Aca‘e n y
begu
.
n he does n ot allow hi self e ven a

.
o e n ta r lapse in to fl a es
”
m
Th e auth o r w ast es n o t i e : h e e gin s to b e h vel y at o n ce , an d
mm y m .
A SIE GE B AB Y .
m oth , s/e .
The stun w h ich giv es its title to this n ew sh eaf of stories

-
by m
the popul ar auth or
of B
ooties
'
aby fl
is a ver to uc h in g an d path etic on ey
M
A on gs t th e oth er
b
.
m m y
is ts is , pe rh ap s, t he est w rit te n , al t houg h
m m
stories , t h e o n e en tit l e d, O ut of th e
m
the tal e of true lo ve it e bodie s co e s to a elan c h ol en din g
’
ost .
Gentle a n
dy
.
W t high re puta
mk
’
This collection of tales John S trang e il
w l l
en han ce in er s a rea
m mk m— A d m
tion as a w rit er of sh ort stories I t is in vidio s to u e dis t in c tion s w h ere all are
B
a
by
.
good, b ut I us t a e sp ecial en tion of

’
Siege a w hi ch is a ra atic an d
pathetic tal e of t h e In dian tin
’
Lady s ictoria Mu y P l . .
,
F . V . WH I TE Co .
, 31, S o ut h a m
p t on S t r e e t , S t r an d .
P . V . WH I TE C o s P ub lic at io n s
.
’
. 5
MRS EDWARD KENNARDS S PO RTINO NO VELS

’
. .
At all Book sell ers an d Bo okstalls .
TH E GIRL IN TH E BR O WN H ABIT .
Cl th gilt a/s ; P i t u B d 2 (4 th E dit i )

full f g tl w mli m d
o , c re oar s, on .
h bl h
t u t h t mk h ki d timbl M K d w k i mk d by
N ll Fi t ge ld i p z era i i s an rre roac a e ero n e, o en e o an ne , an
d p t m m
i h i
’
r c ll n a V ir es a a e er n es a e. rs . e nn ar s or s ar e
h igh t ll ig
o n e as w e u ti as v h o ro hi g f
s n arra v e , an s or s en , w e n se arc n or so e
th g inw d b guli g f
ne an t d y ep ll f f i t n h dl y light up
or a w e y a or s e o ros can ar on an
t h i g b tt K ,
th d pi t u q u h u ti g t i fM
’
n e th f h
er an ese res an d c re s e n n s o r es o rs . enn ar
D a l l y fi elegrap h .
t h ose w ho have n ev er r dde n to h oun ds

”
f f
Th ere is a w on der ul resh n ess a out this n ov el w h ic h
Co urt Jour nal
.
b .
— .
cann ot f il t
a o char m even
K ILLE D IN TH E O PE N .
Cl oth gil t, Pic ture o ards 2/ B

(ard E dit ion ) . .
‘
K il l ed in t he O pen is a oo th at can n o t ail to e cite in terestb k Its ton e is f x
y ”—
y
.
th oroughl h ealt h l l l ust r ated Lo n do n N ews

y f —
. .
yb —
The stor i s in tere st in g an d W il l n ot ail t o b e pop ular Courl Jou
m
'
r nal
x y
. .
Th e en tire n o vel i s an i ate d, e c itin g an d t horo ughl en j o a le ”

H orn in g .
f m k
P ost
y y
.
I t is in tr uth a ve r good l ov e stor se t in a ra ew o r o f b oun ds an d horses ,

b ut on e th at c o uld be re ad W ith p leasure in depe n de n tl o f an y such attrac tion s ”
y .
F or tn ightl y R eview
K y —
.
is a ve r superior so rt ofh un tin g n ovel in dee d

'
ill ed i n t h e O p e n G rap hse . .
S TR AIGH T AS A DIE
B
.
C l oth gilt , P ic t ure oards , ( 3rd E dition )

m
m
.
k
I f you li e sp orti n g n ove ls I can rec o en d to youMrs K en n ard s S traigh t .
’
as
S trai g h t as a D ie is w ell an d pleasan tl w ritte n — G rap hic y

K y
. .
Mrs E dw ard en n ard can w rite , an d w rite w e ll H e r desc rip tion s of coun tr
my m mb y m
. .
life are of t h e ad ira le, an d h er stor Will be read to t he en d S o e of t he

an
l o v e pas sages b
etw ee n Dulc ie an d B o b are ull of eaut an d path os ”
Pletor ia l f b y
.
.
—
Wor l d .
y
A ver pleasan t, w holeso e, edi f in g stor of true l ove m y Il l u3 l rat ed London y .
—
A RE AL G OO D T H IN G .
C loth gil t , ( 3rd E dit ion )

m y y
.
Th ere are so e g ood c oun tr sc en es an d coun tr sp in s in A Real G ood Thin g

m
’
H k
The h ero, poor old op in s, is a stro n g c harac ter —Acade y
.
”
b m
b y
The titl e of t his n ov el e tra s t he order to w h ic h it el on gs , an d a ver livel ,
y
.
b
.
m
y y
Th e w ri ter i s en de n tl an en thusias t i n the atter of h un t
y m
re ada le s pec i e n it is
y x
.
in g, an d t here is alw a s so ethin g ver e hilaratin g in suc h descriptions as are h e re

f x b
m
to be o un d of e cel le n t run s Wi t h h orn an d h o un d an d gall an t h orse, w it h rav
m
an d stalw art y m b
en , an d Wi t h pre tt w o en q uite as rave
”
S l Ja es s Ga zel l e
’
.
— . .
TWIL IGH T T ALE S (m u um) .

se Cloth gut.
BY TH E SAME AUTH OR .
In Pa pe r Cover, l / C l o th, The Se con d Editio n of
A GLORIO US G ALLO P .
P . V . WH I TE Cc .
, 8 1 , S o ut h a mp t on S t re e t , S t ran d .
P . V . WH IT E Co .
’
NAWl ET S MART S S PO RTINO NOVELS

’
.
At all Boo ks el le rs an d Bo o k stalls .
TH E O UTSIDE R .
C loth g t , il Pi u B
c t re oards , 2 / (4 th E dition )
y M y m
.
S in ce t he deat hs of S urtees an d Wh te H
m
e l ville, Captain aw le S ar t has
y
w ort hil he ld his p lace at th e h ead o f t h ose w rit ers w ho de vo te the sel v es to s p ort
fn 8 N biects his readers kn o w preci s el w hat to e pect w h en th e tak e up y x y
b k y b k
m m m
In his late s t oo ( a p tain
‘
on e of h is oo s , an d t h e are n e v e r disappo in te d .
x
e c it in g ru —
H aw ie y S art gives us descript ion s of co vert -shootin g, s oki n g-roo gath e rin gs,
m m y
m m m
o s t gra p hi c s le
n s , an d a close f in ish ail in h is os t spiri te d an d
t .
m m
The so ew hat e lodra atic in ci den ts tow ards t h e en d of t h e n o ve l are t re ated in as
n atural a an n er as their n at ure pe r its Al toge th er , Th e O utsider is a t horo ughl y
’
x y
.
pleasan t an d e hilaratin g stor S at ur day Re vie w . .
BY TH E S AM E AUTH O R .
E ach in Paper C over , l / C l ot h ,
TH E PRIDE OF TH E PADDOCK .
O LE VE RLY WO N .
Cle verl yW on b ik
is a r s , ce n terin g tale in Mr aw le S art s usual ve in
m
H y m ’
y
desc ri ed —Aca de y b
. .
The rac e is vi gorousl

my m
. .
mm
is an ot h er o f t h e an ca pi tal spo rtin g tal es Th e w ay Tee t ot u
b
. .
is tres s w on h er h us an d, are
m
G ra n d N ati on al, an d t h e w ay Tee to t u s
’
w on t h e
’
uc h spiri t an d vigour —J ohn B ul l

to ld w it h
f fi m b y
. .
m
is a res h an d pleasan t sport i n g tal e in t he prol i c auth or s
’
os t ree z
an n e r . It is as tl a o e t e
v v h y b
a v erage of s uc h s to ri es — P icto ri al Wor l d . .
T H E H O N O URAB L E M R S F E T H E R S TO N H AUG H S
’
.
NEW NO V E L .
C lo t h, 3 16 .
DRE AM FAC E S .
By th e Author of Rob in Adair,

”
&c .
B R E T H ART E S N E W N O V E L ’
.
C l o th, 3 16 .
TH E CRUSADE OF TH E E XC ELS IOR

m
.
a . By the Au uk
t h or of
Th e L
p, the c of B earin g Ca .
k f
As a s etc h e r o fth e li e of t h e F ar West he is still un rivalled
m
'
H y y f
.
arte s readers w ill great l the a usin g acco un t o f t h e travel l ers li e at t h e

’
en j o
Mx e ican outp o st, an d th e v e r y
c l ev er w ay i n w hi c h at las t t he cas ta w a s are e xt ri y
y f y y
m m
os t e d In t hi s st or th e aut h or sh ow s a ac ul t of i n ven tion an d a l ite rar tac t so
y x
.
an ce as supe ri o r in p er
m y
n ot ew orth t h at w e ay e v e n v en t ure to e pec t an o t h er ro
an en t v al ue t o t h e de li gh t ul crusade o f th e f x “
m
’
E celsior as t he lat ter i s t o its
l g
e n t h p redecesso r G a ri el C o n r o
’ — b
Acade y y . .
S IR RAN DAI R O B E RT S N E W S P O RT IN G N O V E L
’
. .
C lot h g il t,
C URB AN D SN AFFLE
By Au th e t h or of “
In th e S hires,
”
&c .
P . V . WH ITE Cc .
, 3 1 , S o uth a mp t on S t re e t . S tr an d .
P . V . WH I TE Co .
’
MRS N l OVETT OAMERO N S NOVEl S

. .
’
.
At all Book se ll ers an d Books talls .
IN A G RASS CO U N TRY .
( A S to r y fL d S p t ) ( 7th E d ti
o o ve an) or . i on . C l oth gil t, P ict ure B oards, 2/
W e t urn y
w it h pl eas ure t o th e green co vers of In a G ras s C o un t r Th e t hree
m
’
k f
.
It i s w el l s etc h ed, ul l of ch arac te r,

fm
h e r o in es are c har in g eac h in he r o w n w ay
W th h p b m— t t h d yb dy—
— l t y
.
m m d d P uq h
i s tar d
o ser v a io n s o e n an wo en no oo ar o n an o a c ear s o r
full y f ly
”
c are tt d thw ri en d an e re ore e as i re a rec o en e c
th d y
. .
, .
Wh
mm d g d d mu—
h u b d p d of i d
gt m
en h t ed th a s are s t t or an e re is an o r or wo o e is ose n oo rs
b f bl t i g l
C u t y my b m u d th d pt
d
e o re i gl d t b
ress in i e, o n e s a o e a e o reco en a oo an a s n n ove .
S tu d y
”
I nG a rass id t
o n r a e sa o co e n er is escri ion . a r a
A N O RT H CO UN TRY MAID .
(3rd E dition ) . C loth , Pic ture B oards, 2/
A DE AD PAST .
( st d E dition ) . C lo t h , Pic ture B o ards ,
A DE V O UT LO V E R .
C loth.
y m
Th e s to r run s its c o urse s o o th l y , an d offers n o t a fe w o f t he aut hor s est b
m
‘
A on g t h es e is con s pic uo us h er gen uin e l o v e of n ature

m
N ot h in g
m
c haracteri st i c s
y y
. .
m
o re c har in g n o r t h o ro ug h l des c ri p t i ve o f rural E n gli s h sce n er can b e desired
eets th e y fi
m
t han t h e p ict ure o f t h e t ran q ui l V i llage in w h i c h G eo ffre
m m
D an e rst
y Mor n g P ost f f —
m
”
w o an w h o is t o p la so i po rt an t a part in his a t er l i e
b b
. .
Wit h o ut dou t , on e o f M rs Lo ve t t C a ero n s est an d pre tties t sto ri es Th e

m by m
’
. .
Mrs Lo v e tt C a ero n
m
ch arac t e r o f R o se de B r efo ur is ad ira l
m
draw n
—
. .
La dies Pictor ial

” ’
deserves great credi t for havin g ade a good w o an in te res tin g . .
BY TH E S AME AUTH O R .
E ach in Pa p er C over, 1 1 C l ot h ,
NE C K O R N O T H IN G .
y
it is p leas an t , eas readin g, an d th e charact ers ac t in a w ay on e can
—
understan d
f mfi
Satur day Revi e w
y y — m
. .
Acade y
m m mb
(6
is reall v e r b ri ght an d res dahl e ro r st to las .
m
is a ca p ital s t r ry o f h un tin g an d l o v e - ak g co n ed
b mm
.
m
N othin g pret t ier or o re n at ura l h as e en w ri t ten for so e t i e t h an th e scen e in
w hich L uc y
N ette rv xlle e trays h er c h e b
he d se cret W it h such h app re sult s
”
y .
Pictor ial Wor ld .
TH E MADN E SS OF MAR RIAGE

tt C m id fmit
.
Mrs b k
mg P
L ’
ove d a eron s oo s are n ever evo o er The in teres t in
yC ft—
. .
Dais a e is w ell s ustain ed. Al or

’
arew s n ost .
P . V . WH I TE Cc .
, 8 1 , S o ut h a m
pt on S t r e e t , S tr an d .
W H I TE
mu m
8 F V . . Co .
’
MRS . n nzn s
'
ho e .
At all Boo ksell ers an d Boo kstalls .
BY W OMAN S
’
WIT .
(8rd E dition ) Clo th Pic t ure Boards, 2/

m mi
.
x
Mrs Ale an der deserv es credit for eepin g h er readers k m
y
m
stified for so e ti e n
b
.
atter o f Mrs
m
th
h y f th m h l
R ut hv en s ru ies H o w t he w ido w s W i t dis co v ers
’
th e
’
e
f
. .
m
b
.
t reac er o it f it h
e h h l
an s d t h l ow s es e rse an e te e
p ; g e o v es in s e o e a v en ,
bh u d thh ight m h b l t d l himlf ; h kdah W h lm

t it N
s ra s i i l d i f ora s h h h t d
n vo v e
p t h g n or a season , w en s e as ac c e e e w ron an
l d ll f en s w e
t pmt h t t mt
ow a
eca se e r an as o een s ow o ec a re se an r
b k d y d bly —A h um
er an g tl er en h ld e s e h ds o e r, n o o en ion t e o s i ri o s e we is
i M Al x d ”
'
w itt
r en n rs. e an er s oo , an ver rea a . l e iiw .
I M Al x d
'
t l
M uh
I k pi g d k h m
t h l ly h w
yt y
n rs
c
.
ar
e
s
an er s
e c ear
t e
a e
s o s
U
n ee n ar s er
’
n ti l t he story s cl ose 1
MO NA S CH OIC E ’
. Cl oth a/s .
Mrs Al exan der has w rit te n a n o vel q uite w orth y of her

” —Ath e n¢r u m
—m
. . .
it is pl easan t an d un a fec te d S a r day Re vie w f ”
m
. .
y y b y y
m
Th e stor is pl e asan tl t ol d, an d so e o f t h e su si diar c h arac t ers are sp ec iall
Mk
Mr C ra i g, on a s un c l e , is i n deed a t ri u p h o f truth ul an d h u m f
good
m
'
x
. .
lin eat ion , an d w e t hin t hat on t h e w hole

’
o n a s C ho rc e
—
us t he c on si dere d Mrs M .
Ale an de r s bes t n ovel ”

'
S p ectator
—V am
. .
Like x d
all Mrs Ale . an
’
er s n ov e ls, th is is c l ear an d reada bl e. l y F air .
b ghtly w itt Wi th th e app earan ce

t hm
o f t h e ecce n tric
mt
e n n o v el .
y
ri -
r
o ldSco c an d d a n e w an ec i dedl y ori gin al e l e en is in tro duced in t o th e st or .
”
M or n in g Post
kb m
.
f b k by th
ml dy delight ul oo
66
w e do n o t n ow w h en w e ha v e read a ore e
sa e a . It is w ritten ri gh tl y an d happ il y . Whitehall R eview .
“
RITAS NEW NO VELS
’ ”
.
E ac h in Pa pe r Cover , l / C lo th, At al l Boo k se l l e rs an dBo oks talls .
TH E MYSTE RY OF A TURKIS H BAT H .
(2n d E dition ) .
yf k b
m y m
E ve r resh p iece of w or w hich Rita p u lish es , sh o w s an in crease of
pow er,
an d a dec ided adv an c e on t h e last The bookle t c on tain s so . e v er s art w ritin g
in deed Whitehal l R eview
. .
Th e ys ter o f a TurM i h t h h wy ll k B
w rough t out pl ot of slightl se n sa y
y
-
s a as a e
k
m
tion al in terest, an d is w ritten w ith this auth or s w ell - n ow n grac e of st le ”
’
.
Scots a n.
TH E SE V EN TH DRE AM . A Ro m an ce .
f
pow er ul an d in terest in g stud in w e ird effects o f ction
is y fi
It will
m m
a
h old th e cl ose att en t ion o f its reade rs fro
w ith c han g in g sensation s of w on der ”
rs t to las t, an d eep th e en tertain ed fi
— m
k .
S cots an . .
P . V . WH I TE Cc . , 8 1 , S o ut h a m
pt on S t re e t , S t r an d .
F . V . WH I TE Go .
’
s P ub li cat io n s . 9
PO PULAR WO R KS AT ALL BO O K S E LLE RS AN D

BO O K S TALLS .
By SAMUE L LAIN G .
A MODERN Z OROASTRIAN .
By th e Author of Mo dern Sc ien ce an d M o dern Thought ,
A S por t in g ! uixo te , ”
&c .
1 V ol . Cl oth, (S econ d E dition .

)
W e un derta k f f
m mk b
to predic t, w it h o ut ear o f ut ure regret fo r the predict ion , that
e
k
t his w or w ill b e ac kn ow ledge d as th e ar a l e sc ie n t i c an d p hil oso ph ical fi
m
os t re
k Th o se w h o h av e re ad Mr L a g n eed scarc e l b e to ld h o w deftl y y
b oo o f 1 887
f m k
. .
h e w eav es th e w eb o f crus hin g pr o o ro un d an d ro un d his argu e n ts , or h o w s il

f y m f
ull he adv an ces n e w dog a, W h ic h , o n th e ace o f it , are ce rtain l un an s w era le y b
m b k m
.
m m
Th ere are poin ts t h e oo o f s upre e in terest t o th e n o n -sci en tifi c reader , an d,
i n deed, i t t ea s w i th t o pical at ter
” — ’
S t S tep he n : R eview
. . .
o r u B ti h
ri s Z oroast rian has w ritten an in gen io us b k oo .
—Il l za tr at ed Lon don
y fi
In the st rict l scien ti c part o f the w or th e e pos ition is ad ira l e, such as k x mb
m b m k by b
m m
an y great te ac h e r igh t hav e e en glad to have w ritten , ar ed readth of grasp
m
W h IC h n o thi n g b ut a pe rc ep t ion of th e rel at iv e i po rtan ce of the parts
m
an d c learn e ,
b y b
b m x
u
my path etic dis
of t h t F it l l -w
rit ten , a le an d sy
b k
e s j e c can gi v e ro
. s c ea r
mb
oo can n ot b u
m
c uss ion o f so an of t h e great p ro l e s of e isten ce, th e t exercise a
great in fl uen c e on a large n u er o f readers
”
West in ster R eview
. .
By w . n . D AV E N P O R T a n u s .
CELEBRA W M
TED ENGLISH O N
E OF THE VICTORIAN ERA .
By th e Auth or of E n glan d on the Sea,

"
c o.
1 V ol . Cl oth,
'
B y P E R CY rn oa r n .
H I S TO R Y O F JA P A N .
1 V ol . Cloth,
, 8 1 , S outh a mpt on e et , S tran d .
10 F . V . WH I TE Co .
’
s P ub li c at io n s .
S E LEC T NO V EL S .
C ro w n S v a .
, C l o th , s e 6 d . . e ac h .
AT ALL B O O K S E L LE R S AN D B O O K S TAL L S .
DY F L O R E N CE I AB B Y A T .
1 THE H E IR PRE SUMPT IV E .
2 TH E H E ART OF JANE WARNE R .
3 UNDER TH E LILIE S AN D R O SE S .
4 H E R W O RLD AGAIN ST A LIE .
5 FACIN G TH E FOOT LIG H TS .
D Y A N N IE T H O M AS (M rs . P o n d e r C udli p ) .
6 H E R SU CCE SS .
7 FRIE NDS AND LO V E RS .
8 JE NIFE R .
9 KATE V ALLIAN T .
10 ALLE RT ON T OWERS .
BY LA D Y C O N S T AN C E H O W AR D
11 MATE D WITH A CLOW N .
12 MO LLIE DARLIN G .
13 O NLY A V IL LAGE MAIDE N .
BY m as n o v s ro r '
m
Recommen ded to Mercy
.
,
Author of .
BARBAR A S WARN IN G
’
14 .
DY M3 8 . AL E X AN D E R F R A S E R .
15 A PROFE SSIO NAL BE AUTY .
F . V . WH I TE CO , 8 1 , S o ut h a mt p on S t r ee t , S t ran d .
’
S E LE C T N O V E Ls Con tin ued) .
B Y H A R R I E TT J A Y .
1 6 A M AR RIAGE OF CO NV E NIE N CE .
B Y I Z A D U F F U S H AR D Y .
17 L OV E , HO N O UR AND O BE Y , .
18 N O T E ASILY JE ALO US .
19 ON LY A LOV E ST O RY .
B Y J E AN M I D D L E M AS S .
20 PO IS ON E D AR ROWS .
BY MRS . H . L O V E TT C AM E R O N .
21 A N O RTH CO UN TRY MAI D .
22 A DE AD PAST .
B Y L AD Y V I O L E T G R E V I L L E .
23 KE ITH S WIFE ’
.
BY N E L L IE F O R TE S C U E H AR R ISO N ,
Author of SO Run s My Dre am .

”
24 F O R O NE MAN S PLE ASU RE ’

.
B Y E D M UN D L E A TH E S .
TH E ACT O R S WIFE
’
25 .
F V
. . WH I TE 3 1 , S o ut h a mp t on S tre et , S t r an d.
12 I . V . WH I TE Co .
’
s P ub l icat io n s .
PO PULAR N O V E LS .
P ic t ur e B o ards , 2 5 . eac h .
A T AL L B O O K SE L L E R S AN D B O O K S TA LL S .
1 GARRIS O N G O SSIP . By JO H N STRAN G E

WINTE R Author of A Siege Baby
, In ,
”
Quarte rs O n March Mign on s Se c re t

” ” ’ ”
That Im
'
, , ,
p Mi gn o n s H usb an,d & c

’
,
”
.
(Fo ur th E d itio n
) .
ARMY S OC IE TY ; O r Life in a G arr iso n

”
2
Town By the sam
,
e Author (E ighth Edition )

. . .
3 TH E O UTSIDE R By H AWL E Y S M AR T .
,
Author of The P ride of the P addoc k,

”
Cleverly Won ,
”
Bad to Beat ,
”
Lightly
Lo st &c ,
”
.
4 BY W O MAN S
’
WIT . By Mrs ALE XAND E R , .
Author of Mon a s Choice The Wooin g O t ’ ” ” ’
The Adm
, ,
The Executor iral s Ward &c ,

” ’
,
”
.
5 TH E GIRL IN TH E B RO WN H ABI T . By
Mrs EDWAR D K E NN ARD Author of Straight as a
.
,
“ “
Die ,
”
Twilight Tales A Real Good Thin g ,
”
,
”
A Glorious Gallop A Crack Coun ty &c ” ”
m
, , .
6 KILLE D IN TH E OPE N By th e sa e .
Author .
7 STR AIGH T AS A DIE By Mrs E D WARD . .
K E N N ARD A uthor o f A Re al Good Thin g & c

”
, , .
8 IN A GRAS S CO UN TRY : A S to ry of
Lo ve an d Sport By Mr s H LOV E TT CAMERO N . . .
,
Author of Neck or Nothin g This Wicked ,

”
World A Devout Lover

,
”
The Madn ess of ,
”
Marriage &c (Sixth Edition ) ,

”
. .
9 A N O RT H CO UN TR Y MAI D By th e
sam
.
e Author
m Au h
.
A D E AD PAST . By the sa e t or .
F . V . WH I TE 3 1 , S o ut h a mp t on S t r e e t , S tr an d .
F . V J WH I TE Co .
’
P O P ULAR —
N O V E LS ( Con tin ued)
1 1 PO IS O N E D ARROWS By JE AN MIDD LE .
MAS S Auth or o f Wild Georgie Dan dy ” ”

, , ,
Patty s Partn er Nell y Jocelyn Widow

’ ”
, , ,
By Fair Mean s &c ”
m
.
,
12 O N LY A LO V E ST ORY . By IZ A Da s
H ARDY Author of Love Hon our an d O bey
, , , ,
The VVe sthorpe Mystery The Love that ,

”
He Passed by Love in Idlen ess Hearts ” ”
or Diam
, ,
on ds &c ,
”
.
13 TH E H E ART O F JANE WAR NE R . By

FLO RE N C E MARRYAT Author o f Facin g the ,
Footlights Her World again st a Lie ”

The
”
Heir P res um
, ,
ptive My o w n Child &c ,

”
, .
14 U N DE R TH E LILIE S AN D R O SE S By
the sam
.
e Author .
15 KATE V ALLIANT By AN N IE T H O M AS .
(M r s P e n der C udlip
) A uthor f Her S uccess ”
N O Me dium
. o , ,
Je n ifer Aller ton Towers

,
”
,
”
,
Frie n ds an d Lovers &c ,

”
.
16 KE ITH S WIFE ’
By Lady V I O LE T G RE .
V ILL E Author o f Z o e : A Girl O f Ge n ius

, ,
Creatures of Clay .
17 MATE D WITH A CLOWN By Lady .
CO N S TAN C E H O WAR D Author o f Sweetheart ,
an d Wi fe On ly a Village Maide n
,
”
Mollie ,
”
Darl in g Waitin g for the Prin ce &c

” ”
m
, , .
18 N O T E AS ILY JE AL O US . By IZ A Da s
HARDY Author , of L ove, Hon our, an d O bey, ”
&c .
19 FO R O NE MAN S PLE ASURE

’
. By
N E LLIE FORTE S C UE HARRISON Author of So
m
,
Run s My Dre a , &c”

.
F . V . WH I TE CO .
, 31 S o ut h a mp t on S tr e e t, S t ran d .
14 F . V . W H I TE Co .
’
s P ub l ic a t io n s .
O NE S H ILL IN G N O V E LS .
HO SE MARK E D
T C AN AL SO BE O BA
T I NE D IN C LO T H
At all B k
oo sellers an d B k
oo s tall s .
1 ’"
MY P OO R DIC K (F o ur th E dition
) . .
By JOH N STRAN G E WINTE R Author of Boo tle s ,

’
Baby Houp La &c (With Illustration s by

,
”
,
”
.
MAURIC E G RE IFFEN H AG E N ) .
2 ‘
BO O TLE S
’
C H ILDRE N ) (F ifth E ditio n
By the sam
. .
e Author .
(With Ill ustr ation s by
J B E RN ARD P ARTRI DG E )
. .
3 i "
TH E CO N FE SSIO N S OF A P UBLIS H E R
the sam
.
By e Author .
'
MIG N O N S H USBAN D (E igh th E ditio n )
’
4
By the sam
. .
e Author .
5 ’"
T H AT IMP (S e ve n th E ditio n ) By the
sam
. .
e Author .
6 i"
MIG N O N S S E CRE T (E l e ve n th E di
’
By the sam
.
tion .
) e Author .
7 i"
O N MAR C H (S ix th E dition
) B y t h e
sam
. .
e Author .
8 '
I N ! U ARTE R S (S e v e n th E ditio n
) yB
the sam
. .
e Author .
9 ?
A G LO RIO US GALLO P (S e c o n d E di .
tion ) By Mrs E DWARD K E NN AR D A uthor o f

. .
,
The Gi rl in the Brown Habit A Real G o od ,

”
Thin g &c , .
‘
TH E MYST E RY OF A TU RKI S H B ATH
'
10
m
.
(Seco n d Editio n
) By R ITA A uthor o f
. D a e ,
”
D urde n Sheba My Lord Con ceit &c ”
m
.
, , ,
11 ’"
TH E S E V E N T H DRE AM A Ro an c e
By the s am
. .
e Author .
12 ‘
TH E PR IDE O F TH E PADD OCK By .
HAWLEY SMART Author of The O utsi d er , ,
The Master o f Rathke lly &c ,

”
.
F . V . WH I TE CO .
F . V . WH I TE a C o .
’
s P ub l ic at ion s . 5
O N E S H ILLIN G N O V E LS
”
CLE V E RLY WO N By . H AWLE Y S MAR T .
”
A MILLIO N AIRE OF RO UGH AND
READY By BRE T HARTE Author of The
Luck o f Roarin g Cam
.
,
p &c ,
”
.
‘
DE V IL S FO RD
’
By BRET .
”
NE C K O R N O T H I N G A H un tin g S to ry .
By Mrs H LO V ETT CAM E R O N Author o f In

. .
,
a Grass Co un try
”
&c (Seco n d E ditio n ) , . .
‘
TH E MAD N E SS O F MAR RIAGE By .
Mrs H LOV E TT CAME R O N

. . .
”
TH E FAS H IO N OF T H IS W ORLD By
Com
.
HE LE N MATH E RS Author , of in thro the ’ ’
”
Rye , &c .
‘
A PLAYWRIG H T S DAUG H TE R
’
. By
Mrs . AN NIE E DWARDES , Author of Archie
Lovell &c ,
”
.
N O MEDIU M By AN N IE T H O MAS (Mrs . .
P en der C udlip) Author o f Her S uccess &c , , .
A MO ME N T OF MAD NE SS By FL O R E N C E .
MARRYAT, Author Of My Sister the Actress ,

”
&c .
SAV E D IN TIME By Mr s H OUSTO UN

Author o f Recommen ded to Mercy
. .
,
”
, &c .
E V E R Y IN C H A W O MAN . By Mr s .
HO USTO UN .
A PAU PE R PE E R By Maj o r ARTH UR .
GRIFF ITH S Author o f Fast an d Loose &c

”
, ,
.
’
TH E WE STH O RPE MY STE RY By IZ A .
D UFF US HARDY Author o f Love Hon our an d

’
, , ,
O bey &c ,
”
.
”
ST O RIE S O F TH E W ORLD (R
prin ted by P erm
e .
issio n ) .
TW O B LACK PE ARLS By MARIE C O NN O R .

,
”
Author of A Morgan atic Marriage B eauty s ,
’
Queen &c ”
mp t
.
,
WH I TE a: C O .
, 8 1 , S o ut h a on S tr e e t , S t r an d .
16 P . V . W H ITE Co .
’
s P ub l ic at io n s .
AT ALL NE WS AG ENI S , B OOK S E LLE R S AN D B OOK S TALLS

‘
.
,
on
O o cie
II MONTHLYMAGA
Z INE PRICE Is . .
E S TAB L IS H E D 18 62 .
R ITA S N e w Th re e -V o l u e N o v e l . S H E B A, c o
’
e n c e d in m mm
th e O C TO B E R N U M B E R an d S A R A H TY TL E R S N o v e l .
'
.
“
D U C H E S S F R AN C E S . in th e N O V E M B E R N U M B E R
”
m
.
‘
S O CIAL E C H O E S
"
e di te d b y M rs H u p h r y , a p p e a r e w h
, .
M on th ; a ls o A r ticl es b y w e ll -k n o w n W r ite r s .
The re is a mk
ar e d e le v ati o n in th e l i te rar
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c h arac t e r o f L on don So c ie t y y ’
mb m
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Sin ce it ch an ge d han ds s g S ta n da r d
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e r, full o f th e ligh t an d a usin g lite rature it pro

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is an e c e l le n t n u
Z t y
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cra r y Wor l d
feues o s uppl
m mk b
. .
th ia att rac tive agazin e ar ab le for varie ty of su jec t an d

—
. re .
excellen ce o f its lig ht h t e rat ure P a blic O pin ion

y k
.
dese rves great credi t fo r t h e even n es s w ith w h ic h it ee ps up

my m
’
Lo n don So c iet
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m m
to a h igh stan dard of e cel le n ce in its p art ic ul ar lin e , t hat , n a el , of w h o l es o e
Pict or ia l Wor ld —
m
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action an d agas in e isce llan ea
y f
. .
agazin es sh ow s n o si gn of ailin g t o preserve the t u

k m
Th is ga es t of t he n e it ha s
ta en fro th e firs t b—
It Is a o ve al l en t erta in in g, an d goes in largely for goo d
by k
.
W
m
fictio n w el l- n ow n auth ors
—
e
f
. .
th is a vo uri te agazin e Society H erald .
THE C H RIS T MAS N UM BE R O F
on on o cie
(I LL US TRAZ E D ),
At al l N e w sag en ts , B oo ks e ll e rs , an d B oo k s t alla
. . P r ice 1 1
CO N T AIN I I I
N G CO N TR B UT O N S BY TH E FO L L O WIN G AUTn o n s
J O H N S T R A N G E W IN T E R
H E L H O E Y—FLO R E N C E MAR R YAT—TH E AUTHO R or MO LLY
,
MRS C AS
BAWN —TH E C O UNTE SS D E BREMO N T—TH E AUTHO R or WH O Is
.
S Y L V I A 7 — M R S H L O V E T T C AM E R O N —J E SSI E S AL E L LO YD
W W P E N N —TH E AUTH O R O F MIS S M O LL Y — d E LL A C U R TIS
. .
“
an
(S H I S MI H )
. .
R LE Y T .
m
At all Booksellers, Vol LIV of LO NDO N SOCIETY, 780 pages, . .
han dso ely bound in cloth gilt, gilt edges , 1 03 6d Also Cases . .
for Binding, 23 each . .
P . V . WH I TE CO .

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PR INT E D BY

This is an e v il born with all its te eth :

31, S O UTHAMPTO N STREET STRAN D W C , , . .

N ow Ready, the Seventh E dition of

AR MY S O C IE T Y By JO N STR N G EH WIN TER , A Author of

. C loth gil t, 63 also pic ture oards ,

G AR RISO N G O S SIP , G athered in Blan kha pt on . By JO H N

A kn igh t ther e w as , an d tha t a w o rthy m

IT see m ed t o himthat the O l d church l ooke d

hi s n ative p ari sh so that it w as n atural e n o ugh

am ily pe w direct fro mthe sid e

o f light across the f

win dow with ex actly the sam

upo n him fro mthe slab opposite with j ust as

he sat here petriﬁ ed be n e ath t h e s te rn regard

ethin g abo ut the whole con ductin g o fthe

in an y wise profan e he had an hon est he althy love

for his ch urch rit ual an d his be li e f in his God w as

as so un d as the ch urch bell itsel f; b ut there w as a

Certain ly the ch urches abroad with their ﬂorid

an d shades an d glitteri n g can dles that shin e like

stars an d m usic so heaven ly sweet as to m

in g o ut O f tun e choir an d its wi n dows fo r the m

part of plain glass through which the light fell with

a co arse white n ess th at w as to s ay the least o f it , ,

distin ctly i n artistic An d yet after all there w as a

sen se of rest in this quiet d ull O ld b uildin g a — , ,

n e arn ess to the desirable O blivion o f the grave that

held an d en chain ed both m

n in e tee n to da he w twe ty- i e T ye rs !

a terri ble la pse o f ti m e ! All the faces roun d him

with the exception o f o n e here an d there were n e w

on gst the youn ger

n im ble on their li m bs when he left ho m e Then .

n o o n e to keep ho use at the gr an d O l d pl ace up ther e

am on gst the n oddin g pin e trees that even fro m ,

this distan ce cast their shadows across the ch an cel ,

How the s un light win e red sparkled on the ston e

had been graphic d escription s o f ho w th at

rﬁdio us perso n m u st h ve looked w h d gli ng

idway betwee n earth an d sky fro m h is treac hero us

bre shadows within an d wan der forth in to

agn iﬁ ce n t display o f light o utsid e

Mrs Mardyke the rector s wi fe w as w aitin g fo r ’

. bered her well with her soft in te lli ,

gen t eyes an d iron grey hair ; it w as scarcely greyer

than when last he saw her te n years ago Man y a

between hi man d the rector s wrath when that fatal

Latin gram mar had on ce again been the cause O f a

ro w ro y al betwee n the m odern Men tor an d Tele

He would have liked to s tay an d talk with her

had re n ewed acquain tan ce Wi th her a fortn ight ago

arked the other

S o you have really com

e said she with a little

your assuran ce in Berkeley Square an d the in terest

a solitary co n ﬁ n e m en t o fthis kin d ”

True ! Eve n in th e dire st cases I have h e ard

kn o w s t he r ight w ay to l o ok fo r it Yo u e viden tly .