.^
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 NEW AND POPULAR NOVELS 
 
 AT ALL THE LIBRARIES 
 
 THE SPORT OF CHANCRE. By William Sharp. 
 
 3 vols. 
 
 SWEET IS TRUE LOVE. By Katharine King, author 
 
 of ' The Queen of the Regiment,' ' Off the Roll,' &c. 2 vols. 
 
 A DOUBLE W'EDDING. Bythe Author of 'St. Olave's,' 
 
 ' Janita'sCross,' 'Annette,' &c. 3 vols. 
 
 THE GAY WORLD. By Joseph Hatton, author of 
 
 ' Clytie,' ' Cruel London,' &c. 3 vols. 
 
 CAST ON THE WATERS. By Hugh Coleman 
 
 Davidson, author of ' The Green Hills by the Sea.' 3 vols. 
 
 HURST & BLAGKETT, 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR 
 
 BY 
 
 JANE STANLEY 
 
 AUTHOR OF "A DAUGHTER OF THE GODS." 
 
 • There's a new foot on the floor, my friend, 
 And a new face at the door, my friend, 
 A new face at the door.' 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 HURST AND BLACKETT, LIMITED, 
 
 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 
 
 1888. 
 
 All Rizhts Reserved.
 
 Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/newfaceatdoor01stan
 
 V.I 
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 1 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 -O 
 
 Sc 
 
 ' Change here for Brent, Kingsbridge, Ivy- 
 
 ^j bridge ' 
 
 A poorly-dressed girl, in a third-class 
 carriage, sprang up and began collecting 
 bags and wraps. A young man, who look- 
 ed too pronounced a ' masher ' to be in the 
 ^> habit of travelling third-class, came to her 
 help. He had jumped in at the last station 
 ,. regardless of raihvay regulations, just as 
 ^ the train was beginning to move. Having 
 diligently studied his companion's very 
 regular profile, he" looked eagerly at the 
 full face now offered to his gaze. It was 
 
 VOL. I. B
 
 "Z A NEW FACE AT THE BOOK. 
 
 rather disappointing, he thought. There 
 was a want of roundness and colour for 
 which perfect outline of feature could 
 scarcely compensate. Even the deep-set 
 grey eyes had a cold look under their long 
 black lashes. 
 
 ' Not nearly so pretty as her photo,' was 
 his mental comment as he left her in charge 
 of a porter. Unconscious of his recog- 
 nition, Opal Carew watched the young man 
 passing out of the station, with the double 
 regret that their Avay lay no longer to- 
 gether and that she had not made more of 
 her opportunity. A born flirt of the quiet 
 kind, she did not usually let her chance 
 slip when fate threw a worthy prey in her 
 path. But she had been restrained by the 
 consciousness that no levity was permissi- 
 ble in the part she was about to play on a 
 new stage. The part itself was by no 
 means new to her : for ^-^^ years she had 
 been working as a governess. Homeless 
 and friendless, with no special advantages
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 6 
 
 of education, she found it diiFicult with all 
 her care and unwilling self-denial to make 
 both ends meet. She had been filling the 
 post of holiday governess in a family at 
 Dawlish, glad to escape the necessity of 
 finding board and lodging for herself dur- 
 ing the few weeks which elapsed between 
 her leaving one situation and entering an- 
 other. Dawlish in August had been a 
 pleasant change from London, but Opal 
 hated the country. As the train bore her 
 away from all signs of what she called 
 civilization to a reo;ion with which she was 
 destined to share a somewhat ghastly cele- 
 brity, she regretted vainly that her new 
 lot was cast in the wilds of Devonshire. 
 
 ' I might have held out a few weeks 
 longer. Life isn't worth having in a place 
 like this. Why, it isn't a place at all,' she 
 thought, as they stopped at a dreary coun- 
 try station with no sign of human habita- 
 tion save one public-house, a square, ugly 
 building of grey stone with a background 
 
 B 2
 
 4 A NEW FACE AT THE BOOK. 
 
 of grey hills, the beginning of the moors, 
 which were the pride of the district. 
 
 Xo one got out but Opal; she and her 
 dinted yellow box were quickly set down 
 and left on the platform. Just outside 
 the station stood a dilapidated-looking one- 
 horse fly. 
 
 ' From the Glebe House— Mr. Daman's ?' 
 said Opal. 
 
 The man touched his hat. 
 
 ' Can you shut it up ?' she asked, with 
 a disgusted glance at the vehicle. 
 
 It was still September, but a cold mist 
 was creeping up and a drizzling rain be- 
 ginning to fall. OjDal liked warmth and 
 shelter ; besides, she had a feather in her 
 hat. With a o'reat deal of creakins:, the 
 two sides of the fly were brought nearly 
 together, but a current of air poured in 
 through the gap, and the windows fell 
 down again as fast as Opal pulled them 
 up. She felt chilled to the bone as they 
 rattled up and down the stony lanes. The
 
 A NEAV FACE AT THE DOOR. O 
 
 ■drive seemed endless, and there was nothing 
 to break its dull monotony — not a liouse 
 nor even a cottage to be seen, no light of 
 household fires gleamed warm and bright. 
 
 Opal shuddered as she thought of the 
 daily walks which she must take with her 
 pupil, and pictured what the place would 
 be like in the winter. It would not be 
 easy to find an excuse for leaving. Ser- 
 vants might, and often did, object to a 
 neighbourhood — they could afford to pick 
 and choose ; but Opal wondered how it 
 would fare with a governess who com- 
 plained that the country was dull, or ob- 
 jected to walk through muddy lanes. She 
 had been thought lucky to get this place, 
 with only one pupil, a little girl of seven, 
 and kind people, who wished to make the 
 governess quite one of the family. 
 
 'Stupid people who want anyone to 
 amuse them, I daresay,' thought Opal. A 
 new place usually suggested agreeable 
 possibilities ; but Opal did not reckon on
 
 6 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 
 
 finding much excitement at Avonuisb, 
 '■ There are no men to govern in this wood/ 
 she repeated, dolefully. 
 
 A sudden jerk brought the horse to a 
 stand-still, and, looking out, Opal saw a 
 wooden gate with a square opening cut in 
 it like the entrance to a fowl-house on a 
 larger scale. The driver got down and 
 made her a sign to let down the Avindow 
 which she had been holding up for the 
 last mile in a desperate effort to keep one 
 aperture at least closed. 
 
 Stepping through the gate. Opal found 
 herself in a narrow drive, with wet bushes 
 on each side, shutting off all view of the 
 garden. Two dogs rushed out barking 
 furiously. 
 
 To say that Opal was afraid of dogs 
 might convey a false impression. Her 
 fears extended to everything which could 
 under any possible combination of circum- 
 stances threaten her safety. Yet, as the 
 servant ran out to her. Opal did not look
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 7 
 
 as if she needed any assurance that the 
 doo;s would not bite. She was wise in her 
 generation, and she knew that it was a 
 generation which did not reckon timidity 
 a grace in women. But Opal's distaste 
 for her new home scarcely needed a scare 
 on the threshold to confirm it. For a 
 second she paused, mastering a wild desire 
 to turn and drive back to the station. 
 Most people knoAv the strange sensation of 
 doing something which seems like an echo 
 of what has been done or felt in the past. 
 A few may know the still stranger feeling 
 which seems to give us a foretaste of some- 
 thing in the future. It flashed across Opal 
 now, a vague intangible vision which had 
 no reality in the present but seemed to 
 paralyse her with an undefined terror of 
 its fulfilment hereafter. Gone — before she 
 could grasp its meaning or guess what 
 connection there was between that blurred 
 vision and the sensation of fear which ac- 
 companied it.
 
 S A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Then a deligiitful sense of Avarmth and 
 light burst upon Opal as she came out of 
 the chill mist and rain into a bright, 
 prettily-furnished room such as she might 
 have found in Kensington. A real winter 
 fire blazed in the tiled grate, whilst fresh 
 roses filled the room with the scents of 
 summer. A Japanese tea-table with shelves 
 standing out in every direction offered a 
 tempting display of cakes and scones, 
 which reminded Opal that she was hungry 
 as well as cold and tired. And a smiling 
 girl in a summer dress came to greet the 
 new-comer as warmly as if she had been 
 
 an invited guest instead of a hired 
 
 governess. 
 
 ' Oh, poor thing, how cold you are !' she 
 
 exclaimed, as she took Opal's hand. ' Here,' 
 
 drawing a low chair close to the fire, ' sit 
 
 down and warm yourself, whilst I get you 
 
 a cup of tea.' 
 
 There was an older lady in the room 
 
 who smiled and nodded kindly. If she
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. \) 
 
 did not come forward, it was evidently 
 from no unfriendliness, but only because 
 she felt too comfortable to move out of 
 the very easy chair in which she was 
 reclining. 
 
 ^ Did you see anyone at the station ?' 
 asked the girl, as she attended to Opal's 
 wants. 
 
 ' No one got out but myself,' replied 
 Opal, looking at the bright face, and de- 
 ciding that it was the prettiest she had 
 ever seen out of the looking-glass. 
 
 ' Jack must have missed his train.' 
 
 Opal brightened invisibly. There was 
 something refreshing to her in the mention 
 of a Jack. She forgot that he might be a 
 schoolboy. Just then she caught sight of 
 a photograph on one of the little tables. 
 It was a likeness of the young man she 
 had met in the train. Could he be 
 Jack ? This was like the beginning of a 
 romance. 
 
 ' Isn't that good of Greta— my daugh-
 
 10 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ter?' asked Mrs. Daman, seeing Oj^al's 
 eyes fixed. 
 
 ' Yes, but it hardly does justice,' replied 
 Opal, perceiving for the first time that the 
 girl's likeness stood beside that of the 
 young man. She longed to ask, ' Is that 
 your son ?' but caution was a habit with 
 her. 
 
 'Where is Bowwow?' said Mrs. Daman, 
 looking round. 
 
 Opal looked round too, instinctively 
 drawing her dress about her feet. 
 
 There was a gentle rustling of the cur- 
 tain which covered the bow- window, and 
 out came a little girl with a complexion 
 like apple-blossom and hair like silkworms' 
 freshly-spun silk, who looked almost too 
 babyish to be Opal's pupil. She came 
 forAvard shyly ofi*ering one hand, whilst 
 the other kept tight hold of a book. Bow- 
 wow's shyness did not last long, for Opal 
 had a happy manner with children : it was 
 part of her stock-in-trade.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 11 
 
 'You'll find her quite up to her years 
 in everything but looks,' said the mother ; 
 '• but we don't want you to press her on 
 too fast; she's so quick, she oughtn't to 
 be allowed to learn much yet.' 
 
 Opal had heard this from parents before^ 
 and attached very little importance to it. 
 But Greta broke in, impatiently, 
 
 'Nonsense, mother, as if she wouldn't 
 work her brains just as much whether 
 she was taught or not. Do let us have 
 one scholar in the family. I never ran 
 to book-learning, or Jack either. But you 
 can't keep this child away from books. She 
 may as well puzzle her brains over history 
 and geography as over — ''Monte Cristo," ' 
 she cried, catching the book out of the 
 child's hand. 
 
 ' Jack gave it me,' said Bowwow, with 
 a look of defiance at the new governess. 
 
 Opal avoided the question of Dumas's 
 fitness for her pupil's study by remarking, 
 as she saw a name written on the cover of
 
 12 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 
 
 the book, ' Blanche, is that your pretty 
 name? And why are you called Bowwow?' 
 
 ' I'd much rather be called Blanche ; do 
 call me Blanche,' said the child, eagerly. 
 She had been staring at Opal with the 
 steady effrontery of childhood, and added, 
 as the result of her inspection, ' I shall 
 like you better than the gorilla.' 
 
 Opal looked round for an explanation, 
 but Mrs. Daman had closed her eyes, and 
 Greta was looking out, with her face 
 pressed against the window. 
 
 ' My last governess,' explained Bowwow. 
 ^ Jack said she was like a gorilla. Jack 
 likes pretty people,' she added, as if 
 this showed rather an unusual taste on 
 his part ; ' they made the governesses send 
 their photos this time, and yours was the 
 prettiest of all. That's Jack,' she added, 
 taking the picture off the table. Then with 
 a sudden impulse of hospitality she asked, 
 ^ Don't you want to take off your things ?' 
 
 Opal caught at the suggestion. She was
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 13 
 
 longing to make herself presentable before 
 Jack came home. 
 
 Greta followed them upstairs. 
 
 ' Have you got everything you want ?' 
 she asked, as she turned up the gas and 
 poked the fire into ablaze. 'I must go 
 and dress, Jack and I are going to a ball.' 
 
 ' A ball?' exclaimed Opal, ' do you have 
 many ?' 
 
 'Not so many as I should like. This 
 doesn't look much of a place for balls — does 
 it ? We have to 0:0 eisrht miles for this 
 one. Come, Bowwow, you'll only be in 
 Miss Carew's way.' 
 
 ' Oh no, let her stay if she likes.' 
 
 Opal had no secrets of the toilet. The 
 silky black plaits which she coiled round 
 her head were all her own and she was rather 
 glad to exhibit them even to Bowwow. 
 
 ' Oh, what long hair,' exclaimed the 
 child. 'Greta's hair isn't long like that. 
 But isn't Greta pretty?' 
 
 ' Yes, I never sav/ anyone prettier,' re-
 
 14 A NEW FACE AT THIi: DOOR. 
 
 plied Opal, with enthusiasm. She knew 
 that little children chattered. ' What a 
 lovely colour she has. I've heard people 
 talk of the Devonshire complexion, but I 
 never realised what it was till I saw Miss 
 Daman.' 
 
 'Miss Daman,' said Bowwow, with a 
 little soft crowing laugh. ' Greta isn't 
 Miss Daman. Her name's Charlstrom ; she's 
 only my half-sister, you know. And Jack's 
 miy half-brother.' 
 
 ^ Then your brother's name is Charlstrom 
 too?' 
 
 ' Oh no^ Jack's name's Daman. He's my 
 father's son and Greta's my mother's daugh- 
 ter and I'm both their child.' Bowwow 
 paused as if trying to amend her last ex- 
 pression, whilst Opal remarked, 
 
 ' Well, I don't think your relations could 
 be more complicated, considering there are 
 only three of you.' 
 
 ' Isn't it funny ?' said Bowwow. • Father 
 calls us mine, thine, and ours. Oh, are you
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 15 
 
 going to wear that?* as Opal took a ci^eam- 
 coloured nun's-cloth out of her box. 
 
 ' No, that's my best dress,' said Opal, 
 wishing that she could put it on and go to 
 the ball. 
 
 She put on a brown velveteen, which 
 she knew became her, though it had seen 
 service. 
 
 ' That pretty girl will be in full dress ; I 
 must not look like Cinderella beside her,' 
 she thought. 
 
 The evening was the time when Opal 
 appeared to most advantage. Seen by 
 artificial light her sallow complexion look- 
 ed clear and waxen, her grey eyes darkened 
 and seemed to light up. But there was no 
 play of feature like that which gave charm 
 to Greta Charlstrom's face. In spite of 
 Opal's regular features and well modelled 
 figure, people differed as to her claims to 
 beauty. But no one ever wished Greta to 
 be in any respect different from what she 
 was. Even Opal, who considerably over-
 
 16 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 rated her own attractions, recopjnised in 
 this o:irl somethino; worse than a rival 
 beauty. She examined her critically 
 when they met again in the drawing-room. 
 Greta was tall and rather square-shoul- 
 dered, but the o;eneral effect of her fio-ure 
 was easy and graceful. There was an 
 appearance of health and vigour about 
 her which was attractive, since it did not 
 degenerate into coarseness. No one could 
 quite say where the spell lay which set 
 Greta above her fellows ; she had some 
 gift which can never be acquired, some- 
 thing which distinguished her from the 
 common herd of pretty girls, and made 
 them look dowdy and insignificant beside 
 her. Her dress usually set off her beauty, 
 without attracting attention in itself This 
 evening she wore a creamy dress of some 
 soft, silky material, cut after the fashion 
 with which Kate Greenaway's j^ictures 
 have made us familiar, and trimmed with 
 a bright shade of brown. Tan shoes and
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 17 
 
 gloves gave effect to the costume, and the 
 girl's clear brown eyes, and light brown 
 hair seemed to complete the harmony. 
 Opal debated with herself as to whether 
 Greta would be called fair or dark. Better 
 than either, was her unwilling conclusion. 
 
 A noise at the hall-door sent Greta fly- 
 ing out of the room, and made Opal look 
 eagerly for Jack. But the brisk little man 
 who came in, stamping his feet and shak- 
 ing the rain off his coat, had little in com- 
 mon with the good-looking young man 
 whom she had met on her way. 
 
 ' Jack !' exclaimed Mr. Daman, as he 
 came in. ' No, I haven't seen him all day. 
 Didn't he go shooting mth Tom Oliver ? 
 We needn't wait dinner for him.' 
 
 ' Oh, never mind dinner,' cried Greta ; 
 ' it's my ball I'm thinking of You'll have 
 to take me, if Jack isn't back in time. Oh ! 
 there he is,' she exclaimed, running away 
 at a fresh sound. 
 
 From her corner by the fire, Oj)al could 
 
 VOL. I. c
 
 18 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 not see the new-comer, but she heard an 
 exclamation. 
 
 ' Oh, you clear boy ! Just the very 
 thing I Avanted.' 
 
 Then Greta hurried Jack off to dress, 
 and disappeared herself for a few moments. 
 When she came down, her dress had gain- 
 ed a touch of colour. A spray of maple 
 leaves, wearing their brightest tints, was 
 trailed across her bodice, a small cluster 
 nestled in her hair. 
 
 'We mustn't scold Jack; he went every- 
 where to get me these leaves,' she remarked. 
 ^ I'd forgotten I said anything about them.' 
 
 Dinner was half-over before Jack made 
 his appearance, and Greta quickly hurried 
 him away, as the carriage was waiting. 
 Opal wondered whether it was the same 
 vehicle which had brought her from the 
 station, if so, she did not wonder at Greta's 
 impatience to start. She found her own 
 evening rather dull, and was glad to go 
 np early to her room. She spent some
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 19 
 
 time in unpacking and putting away her 
 things. Opal was old-raaidislily tidy, and 
 it gave her real satisfaction to find a hang- 
 ing wardrobe, and a good supply of drawers. 
 It was nearly twelve o'clock before she was 
 ready to get into bed. As she extinguish- 
 ed her candle, the room was full of moon- 
 light. Opal drew aside the blind. Just 
 opposite her window rose the grey tower 
 of a church, below it she saw the white 
 gleam of tombstones. Dropping the blind 
 hastily. Opal crept into bed, with a shiver. 
 
 o2
 
 20 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 ' Do you like hearing about it, or does it 
 only make your mouth water?' asked Greta, 
 suddenly stopping short in the midst of a 
 lively account of her ball. 
 
 ' Oh, I like it,' replied Opal, who was 
 her only companion at the breakfast-table. 
 ' I'm used to getting my amusement at 
 second-hand. It's better than nothing.' 
 
 ' I'm afraid I shouldn't think so. I 
 should like to go to a ball every night.' 
 
 * You wouldn't enjoy it so much, if you 
 did.' 
 
 ^ Oh, yes, I should ; I never get knocked 
 up as some girls do. And I shouldn't 
 want to keep on at it for ever : I think
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 21 
 
 'everyone ought to give up dancing by iive- 
 and-twenty, don't you ?' 
 
 ' Well, you see, I'm two-and-twenty al- 
 ready, and I've been to about three balle. 
 I think I should like a little more grace.' 
 
 ' You don't look two-and-twenty,' said 
 Greta, evidently intending a compliment. 
 
 ' Oh, but I wish I did. No one wants a 
 governess to look a mere girl.' 
 
 'We do. It's horrid to have a prim, 
 middle-aged woman set down in the midst 
 of your family. You don't look a bit older 
 than I do, though I'm only eighteen. 
 People always take me for older. I used 
 to get plenty of partners when I was only 
 fifteen, and they treated me just like a 
 grown-up girl.' 
 
 ' But you were not out at fifteen ?' 
 
 ' I don't think I was ever in. Jack and 
 I used to go everywhere when we got the 
 chance. Oh, mother' — as Mrs. Daman 
 came in — ' do you know anything of a Mrs. 
 Randall ? She claimed acquaintance with
 
 22 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 me and asked if I Avasn't related to General 
 Charlstrom.' 
 
 ' Of course you said you were his niece.' 
 ' Great-niece, isn't it ? I told lier I 
 hadn't seen him in my life, and didn't 
 want to. Don't look horrified, I didn't 
 use those very words. I said I knew no- 
 thing about my father's people, and I didn't 
 believe in blood for my step-father was 
 quite as much to me as any real father 
 could be.' 
 
 ' Such a common little man. How can 
 she ?' thought Opal, who found a good deal 
 wanting in Mr. Daman's outer man. 
 
 '- I know she only thought the grapes 
 were sour,' said Greta, ' no one ever will 
 believe that I don't want the Charlstroms^ 
 a bit more than they want me.' 
 
 ' I wish they could see you, all the same,' 
 replied her mother. ' They couldn't deny 
 that you were a Charlstrom all over — in 
 looks, I mean,' she added, with an emphasis 
 w^hich was scarcely flattering to the other
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 23 
 
 qualities of her first husband's family. ' I 
 wonder what your cousins are like.' 
 
 Opal felt sure that Mrs. Daman was 
 thinking that the cousins could not but 
 appear to a disadvantage beside her own 
 child. She had not passed an evening in 
 Mrs. Daman's company without hearing 
 something of Greta's perfection. 
 
 ' Mrs. Randall can tell you all about 
 them,' said Greta, eagerly, ' she wants us 
 to go over to Plymouth and see her. She 
 asked to be introduced to you last night, 
 but I told her you never went anywhere. 
 I think she was rather shocked to find I 
 had no chaperon but Jack.' 
 
 'I don't know about calling on her 
 myself. You can go.' 
 
 ' Oh, mother, backing out of it as usual,' 
 cried Greta. 
 
 It was no personal distaste for society 
 which made Mrs. Daman ' back out ' of 
 things. She had been fond of gaiety, and 
 might have liked it still, but she felt her-
 
 24 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 self rather heavily weighted by the fact 
 that her husband kept a shop in Plymouth. 
 As the wife of Captain Charlstrom she had 
 been poor and uncomfortable, but she had 
 suffered no misgivings as to her social 
 standing. It was not only that her hus- 
 band belonged to a good corps, or that he 
 boasted himself to be somebody (presuming 
 perhaps on the fact that few people had 
 the pedigree of a Swedish family at their 
 linger ends). There was something in the 
 man's presence which made him need no 
 hall-mark to pass for genuine. His wife 
 had been very proud of him, but her pride 
 was the only thing satisfied in her first 
 married life. Xo one but herself could 
 fully realise how little Captain Charlstrom 
 cared for anyone's comfort but his own. 
 He had no vices, commonly so called, but 
 a vice occasionally indulged might have 
 been almost easier to bear than the daily 
 contact with his hard egotism. Even the 
 one instinct which often prevails over a
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 25 
 
 selfish nature was wanting. He had as 
 little consideration for his child as for his 
 wife. And, when his death left them almost 
 unprovided for, his family had shown little 
 regard for them either. Yet nothing hurt 
 Mrs. Daman so much as the fact that they 
 had dropped even the semblance of civility 
 when she married the ' common little man ' 
 who was only a wine-merchant in Plymouth. 
 Life is very like a see-saw, now up, now 
 down : a few, but only a few, seem to re- 
 main always at one end of the swing. It 
 was in keeping with the common laws of 
 compensation that Mrs. Daman should 
 now find herself the happiest and most 
 petted of wives, whilst Greta was only in 
 danger of being spoiled by a step-father 
 who, if he came nothing behind a real 
 parent in afi'ection, was perhaps somewhat 
 remiss in the exercise of a parent's author- 
 ity. Mrs. Daman's home life was so smooth 
 that she never thought of wishing it alter- 
 ed till Greta began to grow up. Then a
 
 26 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 longing to show her beautiful daughter 
 and to see her admired came over the 
 mother. But her best chance of pushing 
 Greta into society was by effacing herself. 
 A pretty girl is always in some demand. 
 When she brings a partner with her, the 
 only objection to her presence at a dance 
 is removed. Greta and Jack were making 
 a little popularity for themselves, no one 
 caring much who the parents of such pre- 
 sentable young people might be. 
 
 Mrs. Daman was too busy with specula- 
 tions as to whether Mrs. Randall might 
 introduce Greta to the notice of her father's 
 relations to think about her new governess. 
 But Opal did not wait to be reminded that 
 ten o'clock was the hour fixed for Bow- 
 wow's lessons. She slipped away and called 
 her pupil in from the garden just as Jack 
 came down to breakfast. Opal wondered 
 whether he was accustomed to spend his 
 mornino;s in bed. His father had o'one off 
 to Plymouth hours before ; but the son
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 27 
 
 did not seem to follow any occupation. 
 Jack had no need to work, being the one 
 rich member of the family ; but this was 
 part of the family history which Opal had 
 yet to learn. She meant to get informa- 
 tion out of Bowwow by-and-by, but at 
 present it was her duty to give instruction. 
 
 Very steadily both teacher and pupil 
 applied themselves to the business in hand. 
 Only once, as the sound of horses' hoofs 
 was heard on the gravel, did Bowwow 
 interrupt her reading to remark that Greta 
 and Jack were going for a ride. But she 
 did not ask leave to jumj) down and see 
 them, as most children would have done. 
 The Advancement of Learning had a real 
 charm for Bowwow, and Mature had made 
 its acquirement easy to her. 
 
 But the bow of Apollo is sometimes un- 
 bent, and Greta, looking into the school- 
 room on her return, found the child curled 
 up at her governess's feet pretending, as 
 Opal explained, to be her dog.
 
 "28 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' Her favourite game, hence lier name,' 
 said Greta. ' Don't you think it's about 
 time she put away such childish things ? 
 And dogs don't read books,' she added, 
 seeing ' Monte Cristo ' hekl firmly in what 
 should have been a paw. 
 
 ' Then I'm sure she mio;ht be a dos^ her- 
 self, for she never reads,' said Bowwow, 
 who felt her illusions cruelly shattered. 
 But Greta was out of hearing, the child's 
 little gun having been fired rather late. 
 
 Opal replied by a little dissertation on 
 the pleasures of reading, a taste which she 
 shared with her pupil. It was characteris- 
 tic of her to fall in with Bowavow's fancy 
 for being talked to like a grown-up person. 
 \Yhen Bowwow was not a mere baby, 
 she was very grown-up indeed, leaping 
 over all intermediate years, and becoming 
 an old woman at once in her endeavour to 
 seem a young one. Her nick-name was a 
 sore offence to her dignity, for she was 
 secretly ashamed of the childish instincts
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 29' 
 
 which would occasionally assert them- 
 selves. 
 
 ' You'll always call me Blanche, won't 
 you ?' she said, when Opal had for once 
 forgotten. ' What's your name ? We used 
 to try to guess, but you only put " 0. 
 Carew " to your letters.' 
 
 ' Try again, though no one ever guessed 
 my name yet.' 
 
 Neither did Bowwow. At last she rush- 
 ed out, and caught Jack, dragging him 
 into the school-room. 
 
 ' Come and help me guess Miss Carew's 
 name,' she cried. ' It begins with an "0," 
 but it isn't Olivia, or Olive, or Orpah, or 
 Ophelia.' 
 
 ' Octavia, — Miss Carew — is an eighth 
 daughter,' said Jack. 
 
 ' I am all the daughters of my father's 
 house, and all the brothers too,' replied 
 Opal. 
 
 Jack perceived that she must be making 
 a quotation, but he did not recognise it^
 
 30 A NEAV FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 and even Bowwow Avas not acquainted with 
 Shakespeare. 
 
 'Perhaps it's Orchid?' guessed Jack. 
 ' I never heard of such a name, but I think 
 Miss Carew looks like an orchid.' 
 
 ' Is that meant for a compliment ?' asked 
 Opal. ' I have seen some orchids which I 
 should be very sorry to resemble.' 
 
 ' They're like insects sometimes,' cried 
 Bowwow. 
 
 Jack was young, and had not acquired 
 the art of turning a compliment gracefully. 
 He was making a bungling attempt to de- 
 fend his proposition, when Greta came in, 
 and cut across his speech, after the fashion 
 of the family, who never gave much heed 
 to the speaker's privileges. 
 
 ' Orchids ! I call them snobbish flowers. 
 People think much of them, because they 
 represent a lot of money.' 
 
 ' Then I wish I did resemble them,' said. 
 Opal, in a low voice.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 31 
 
 The gong sounded, and Bowwow seized 
 her governess' arm. 
 
 ' I'm going to take Miss Carew in to 
 lunch. Go away, Jack, she's not your 
 friend, she's mine.' 
 
 'But I met her first. Perhaps you 
 didn't notice me, Miss Carew, but I travel- 
 led part of the way with you yesterday ?' 
 
 Opal considered him for a moment. 
 
 ' I suppose you're the young man who 
 jumped in when the train was going at 
 full speed ?' 
 
 ' I'm sure he was,' said Greta. ' He 
 always misses his train, except when he 
 catches it half-way out of the station. 
 You'll be fined some day. Jack, if you 
 don't come to a bad end.' 
 
 'A bad end suggests an end at the hands 
 of the law,' remarked Jack. ' I believe a 
 gipsy did once promise me something of 
 the sort.' 
 
 ' I thought gipsies always prophesied
 
 32 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 smooth things,' said Opal. ' When I had 
 my fortune told, I was promised my heart's 
 desire.' 
 
 'What is your heart's desire ?' asked 
 Bowwow. 
 
 Opal did not answer, but Greta broke in, 
 
 'Mine is to have plenty of fun whilst 
 I'm young, and Bowwow's is to be grown 
 up.' 
 
 ' And mine is to come of age,' said Jack. 
 
 'Then I should think yours was in a 
 fair way to be fulfilled,' remarked Opal. 
 ' A year, a month, and a week exactly.' 
 
 ' We're o-oino- to o;ive a ball when Jack 
 comes of age,' said Greta. 
 
 ' But that is not the whole aim and end 
 of my desires,' replied Jack, with a look 
 which Opal could not quite understand. 
 
 She had discovered by a sort of free- 
 masonry that the young man was a flirt, 
 but she thought it odd that he should care 
 to flirt with Greta, who was like a sister 
 to him. Especially when a girl who did
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 33 
 
 not labour under the same disadvantage 
 was present. It was in the natural order 
 of things that Jack should find a new- 
 comer more attractive than anyone he had 
 known all his life, but Opal wondered how 
 Greta would like to find herself making a 
 bad third. It was a case which craved 
 wary walking, but Opal felt herself quite 
 equal to the part. 
 
 Luncheon was soon despatched, the 
 young people who ruled the house being 
 too full of animal spirits to sit long over 
 anything. Greta was the first to spring 
 from the table. 
 
 ' Let's go for a walk ; you must long to 
 get out, Miss Carew, after being kept in 
 all the morning.' 
 
 Fresh air and exercise were necessaries 
 of life to Greta, and she was young enough 
 to judge everyone's tastes by her own. 
 Opal never wanted to walk for the sake 
 of walking. Anything was better than 
 being sent out with Bowwow, but she 
 
 VOL. I. D
 
 34 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 would much rather have sat over the fire 
 if the others would have sat with her. It 
 was a dull afternoon ; there had been 
 neither sun nor wind to dry the roads, 
 and Opal was not properly equipped for 
 country walking. She could never bring 
 herself to spoil her dresses by having them 
 cut to a convenient walking length, and 
 the sight of Greta's thick, country-made 
 boots gave her a shudder. Yet, as she 
 gathered up her draggled skirts and took 
 short, quick steps to keep pace with the 
 brisk stride of the others, she was conscious 
 of appearing to a disadvantage. 
 
 The walk gave her no' sense of exhilara- 
 tion. Born in the tropics, a fact which, 
 for reasons of her own, she concealed. 
 Opal had none of the English vigour 
 which distinguished her companions. Even 
 Bowwow could have walked her governess 
 off her legs with ease. But it never oc- 
 curred to the young people that any girl 
 could find the walk too long or the pace
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 35 
 
 too severe. Greta, who was always the 
 leader, had fixed the goal of their walk at 
 what she called ' the old house.' 
 
 Careyscombe, to give the place its right- 
 ful name, was a deserted house which was 
 falling into decay without gaining any of 
 the grace or beauty of a ruin. There was 
 nothing picturesque about broken win- 
 dows or walls to which strips of paper yet 
 clung. To Opal the place brought a sense 
 of desolation. She felt a dim reflection 
 of the nameless horror which had come 
 over her the day before on the threshold 
 of the Glebe House. And again the feel- 
 ing was coupled with physical fear as she 
 cauo;ht sio;ht of cattle o-razino; close to the 
 windows, through which her companions 
 were proposing to effect an entrance. They 
 had approached the house in a somewhat 
 lawless manner by scrambling through a 
 hedge and over a fence. 
 
 ' We often come,' had been Greta's reply 
 to a slight remonstrance from Opal, who 
 
 D 2
 
 36 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 secretly debated wliat dearth of amusement 
 could bring people to such a place. As 
 they entered the large room, Avhich still 
 bore some traces of grandeur in its carved 
 chimney-piece and wide hearth, Opal wish- 
 ed that there had been tenants to offer 
 easy chairs and afternoon tea. Some such 
 idea passed through Greta's mind as she 
 slid down the Ion 2; floor. 
 
 'What a pity no one lives here now. 
 Think what balls they would give.' 
 
 ' They wouldn't ask us if they did,' re- 
 plied Jack. 
 
 ' Oh, yes, they would, when they found 
 how nice we were.' 
 
 Opal felt like a tired horse eager to get 
 back to its stable, but her companions 
 would not let her go till she had explored 
 every bit of the house, which they con- 
 sidered safe, their views on that subject 
 differing widely from her own. In vain 
 she protested, ostensibly on Bowwow's ac- 
 count. Bowwow was fearless : and sure-
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 37 
 
 footed, and did not at all like to be thought 
 incapable of doing what the others did. 
 Besides, the old house had an especial 
 ■charm for her. There was an air of mvs- 
 tery about it very dear to the heart of an 
 imaginative child. She was always ex- 
 pecting to find a secret passage or some 
 mysterious vault with a hidden treasure. 
 There was one little room in very excellent 
 preservation, which suggested great possi- 
 bilities. Greta maintained that it was only 
 a store room, and Jack professed himself 
 disappointed at finding no jam pots, but 
 Opal affected to fall-in Avith her pupil's 
 mood, and declared that there must be a 
 sliding-panel or trap-door somewhere. 
 
 ' And I'm sure there must be a ghost,' 
 she added, ' such a place as this is made to 
 be haunted. 
 
 'Oh, do you really believe in ghosts ?' 
 asked Bowwow, so eagerly that Opal, who 
 believed more than she cared to own, felt 
 that she had been indiscreet.
 
 38 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' Miss Carew keeps a lot of tame ghosts,, 
 she makes pets of them,' said Jack, creat- 
 ing a sudden diversion by shutting Bow- 
 wow into the little room and pretending 
 to fasten the door, while he spoke aside to 
 Opal. 
 
 ' Such a nervous, fanciful little monkey,, 
 we don't want her to get ideas into her 
 head. They talk some such nonsense about 
 the Glebe House,' he added, as he sudden- 
 ly opened the door and chased Bowwow 
 out with a most unghostly roar. 
 
 Opal stood transfixed. So the Glebe 
 House was haunted, and that was the 
 meaning of her mysterious tremors and 
 vague horror. And this dismal place was 
 no doubt haunted too. 
 
 ' ^Ye must go and see Mrs. Mol, now we 
 have got so far.' 
 
 'Miss Carew is tired,' objected Bow- 
 wow, who was the most observant of the- 
 party. 
 
 ' But her money is due,' replied Greta,,
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 30 
 
 disposing of Opal's speculations as to 
 whether Mrs. Mol might be a person worth 
 visiting, 'you had better take it, Jack, 
 whilst we walk on. Don't let me walk too 
 fast for you,' she said, checking her pace 
 as she fell back to join Opal, whilst Bow- 
 wow ran after her brother. 
 
 The two girls climbed slowly out of the 
 hollow in which the deserted house stood, 
 Greta turning back every now and then 
 to catch some new aspect of the place, 
 which seemed to have an unaccountable 
 attraction for her. The weather had clear- 
 ed, and the scene was looking very differ- 
 ent now from what it had looked at their 
 approach. But it was still dreary and un- 
 interesting to Opal, who in truth prefer- 
 red a street with shops to the finest view 
 in the world. She wondered at the interest 
 with which Greta watched the changing 
 sky and the shifting lights on the landscape, 
 at her eagerness to point out the autumn 
 tinted leaves and the bright green ferns
 
 40 A NEW FACE AT THE BOOK. 
 
 growing under the hedges. Opal cared 
 for none of these things. She picked a 
 bunch of red berries with a view to adorn- 
 ingr her brown dress in the evening, and 
 felt in duty bound to admire the lane 
 through which their way led. The phrase 
 ^ Devonshire lane ' recurring to her mind, 
 suggested that it was probably one of the 
 points on which natives prided themselves. 
 
 ' They call Kent the Garden of England,' 
 she remarked, ' but I should think Devon- 
 shire was more like it.' 
 
 ' There's no county to compare with it,' 
 cried Greta ; ' not that I've seen many 
 others.' 
 
 ' Have you ever been abroad ?' 
 
 ' ISTo, but Jack and I mean to go every- 
 where when we're married.' 
 
 Opal almost gasped mth astonishment. 
 
 ' Are you going to marry' — your brother, 
 she had almost said — ' Mr. Daman ?' 
 
 ' Yes ; it seems to surprise you.' 
 
 ' I took you for brother and sister.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 41 
 
 ' But we are not in the least related/ 
 
 ' Only you must know each other so 
 well.' 
 
 *So we do. Don't you think that's a 
 good reason for being married ?' 
 
 ^Of course it is, really. But I should 
 like something new when I married ; new 
 relations and all.' 
 
 ' Oh, I should hate that. It always 
 seems so unnatural to me for a girl to 
 leave her own people and go away with a 
 stranger. I couldn't marry anyone but 
 Jack.' 
 
 ' I never had any people of my own, so 
 perhaps I can't judge.' 
 
 ' Oh, you poor girl, I do pity you.' 
 
 Opal did not like to be pitied. She 
 thought that pity ought to be reserved for 
 the old and ugly. 
 
 'I couldn't fall in love with a man 
 who'd been brought up with me like a 
 brother.' 
 
 * But Jack wasn't brought up with me.
 
 42 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 
 
 He lived with his grandfather till he was 
 sixteen.' 
 
 ' Oh, that alters the case entirely.' 
 ' But we knew each other very well. 
 Mr. Burrows couldn't keep Jack quite 
 away from his own father, though he would 
 have liked to.' 
 
 ' Was Mr. Burrows his mother's father ?' 
 ^ Yes, but he was not a nice old man. I 
 can't help saying so, though he's dead. 
 And I don't think Jack's mother can have 
 been very nice either. She ran away with 
 her husband. Well, I don't blame her so 
 much for that ; but she ran home again 
 after a year or two and took her child with 
 her. That was how Mr. Burrows came to 
 keep Jack.' 
 
 ' Was he very fond of him ?' 
 * Oh, yes, he was kind enough to Jack, 
 but he was very nasty to his father. I 
 think rich people often are nasty, at least 
 all the nicest people I've known have been 
 poor.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE BOOK. 43^ 
 
 Opal wondered how tlie old gentleman 
 had disposed of his wealth. 
 
 ' I wonder he did not throw over his 
 dauo-hter altoo;ether if he disliked her mar- 
 riage so/ she observed. 
 
 ' He did at first, but he was obliged to 
 give in because she was his only child. He 
 had always wanted a son, and that made 
 him take to Jack.' 
 
 ' Are you going to be married soon ?' 
 
 ' Not till Jack comes of age. We have 
 always been engaged, but we don't tell 
 everyone. It's no use advertising ourselves. 
 Engaged people are thought so stupid.' 
 
 'Engaged people are stupid,' thought- 
 Opal ; ' and it's like my luck to be shut up 
 in this dreary hole with a pair of them.'
 
 44 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Opal's first day at Avonuish was a sample 
 of many which followed. Sitting in the 
 school-room with Bowwow she heard the 
 clatter of horses' hoofs or the thud of tennis 
 balls, and wondered why she should work 
 whilst Greta played. Opal had no active 
 desire that other people should be less 
 comfortable. She would by choice have 
 lived in a world where play was the rule. 
 But she meant at any price to enrol herself 
 in the ranks of the non- workers. Marriage 
 offered the natural means of deliverance 
 from drudgery, it was the end which she 
 kept steadily in view. Though her designs 
 on Jack had received an early check, Opal 
 had no intention of relinquishing them
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 45 
 
 since she liad gathered that the prize was 
 worth winning. An engagement, she told 
 herself, need offer no insurmountable ob- 
 stacle, since engagements were often broken. 
 The constant intercourse which the young^ 
 people enjoyed, left little opening for in- 
 constancy, but it gave great opportunities 
 for quarrelling. And the lovers quarrelled 
 more than seemed necessary for the renew- 
 ing of love. Greta was a somewhat imperi- 
 ous mistress, who used her power recklessly, 
 having evidently no fear of losing her 
 lover. Her good temper, which was by no 
 means associated with a meek spirit, gave 
 her a great advantage over Jack, who was 
 hasty, jealous, and exacting. Opal watched 
 and waited, believing that she saw materials 
 for mischief lying ready for the working 
 of a skilful hand. In the meantime she 
 seemed only anxious to keep out of the way 
 of the lovers, and apparently deprecated 
 the politeness which induced them to re- 
 member her existence.
 
 46 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 
 
 Against any suggestion of curtailing their 
 walks, for instance, she protested — offi- 
 cially. Yet she contrived to obtain relief 
 without unpopularity. No one could call 
 her a marplot because Bowwow rebelled 
 at being left miles behind with her gover- 
 ness. Opal knew that Mrs. Daman would 
 give heed to the child's complaint. Un- 
 limited indulgence had produced a charm- 
 ing result in the education of Greta, and 
 the mother was glad to follow out so easy 
 a system. She liked her children to do as 
 they pleased, only asking to see cheerful 
 faces. Her desire to make people comfort- 
 able in their own way extended beyond 
 the limits of her family. 
 
 As soon as her governess showed an in- 
 disposition to walk, Mrs. Daman, who never 
 walked herself if she could help it, proposed 
 to keep her at home. Under the impres- 
 sion that Opal Avas delicate, she petted and 
 coddled her as she had never been able to 
 coddle her own hardy children. She pre-
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 47 
 
 scribed Devonshire cream, and other agree- 
 able medicines, whilst Mr. Daman, who was 
 naturally a sworn foe to the Blue Ribbon 
 order, plied his wife's patient with dry cham- 
 pagne and with ports, which are generally 
 held to be above the range of female in- 
 tellect. 
 
 It was easy for Opal to recommend her- 
 self to Mrs. Daman. The mother got little 
 companionship from her own young people, 
 who were out all day long. When the 
 evenings grew too dark for lawn-tennis, 
 they took to playing billiards in an out- 
 building where they had set up a table. 
 Mrs. Daman would sometimes regret that 
 the chief home resources of youth were 
 closed to her own boy and girl, since Jack 
 never opened a book and Greta never 
 touched a needle. Yet their time did not 
 seem to hang heavily. Love-making and 
 lovers' light quarrels served to fill up the 
 intervals of active amusement and supplied 
 a zest to the daily routine. A book had
 
 48 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 not the terrors for Greta that it had for her 
 lover, but she displayed the restlessness of 
 a lively child, and had never concentrated 
 her mind on anything. Jack had always 
 been her most congenial companion, and 
 Jack cared for nothing but the use of his 
 active limbs, and of a pronounced talent 
 for philandering. The lips that he loved 
 were always near, and a gun, a rod, or the 
 chance of a run alone had power to draw 
 him away from them. All such amusements 
 were held in abhorrence by Greta. She 
 had once been induced to follow the hounds, 
 but had soon turned back and dragged 
 Jack with her in a fit of horror at the 
 sufferings of the fox. Greta's tenderness 
 for animals amounted, as Jack said, to a 
 mania. She was always engaged in a cru- 
 sade against gamekeepers for trapping or 
 shooting the poaching animal tribe. In 
 the spring it was bird-nesting which called 
 forth her protests. If she had lived more 
 in the world, Greta would have been fore-
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 49 
 
 most amongst the opponents of vivisection, 
 but she knew nothing of public affairs and 
 never looked at any paper without 
 pictures. 
 
 The days when Jack went shooting were 
 dull ones for a girl who had never learnt 
 to amuse herself, but Opal's company 
 proved a resource. Opal had one gift which 
 unluckily for herself possessed no recog- 
 nised marketable value. She could talk 
 well, though she was not a great talker. 
 The spell of her conversation drevv^ Greta 
 to join her mother's circle round the fire. 
 Opal had lived on the outskirts of that 
 society after which Mrs. Daman and her 
 dauo;hter cherished secret lono^inofs. From 
 the school-room of a great house she had 
 heard echoes and seen reflections which she 
 now reproduced. She could speak familiar- 
 ly of people whose names and whose enter- 
 tainments figured in the Queen, the one 
 chronicle of fashion which made its way to 
 the Glebe House. For her auditors, Opal's 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 50 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 talk had the interest of a three-volame 
 novel and the flavour of a society paper. 
 Perhaps it bore an equivalent relation to 
 fact, but Mrs Daman and Greta never 
 doubted that they were listening to history. 
 Opal had taken no part in the gay scenes 
 w^hich she described, distance had lent 
 enchantment to her view, and she laid the 
 colours on her picture -with artistic skill. 
 
 ' What happy lives some girls lead,' ex- 
 claimed Greta, as she sat on the hearth-rug 
 with arms clasped round her knees and 
 eyes fastened on Opal as if she had been a 
 favourite preacher. 
 
 Greta's own life was as happy as youth, 
 and health, and love could make it, but 
 there was something to be wished for just 
 out of reach. 
 
 Mrs. Daman looked regretfully at her 
 daughter. 
 
 ' I wish Mrs Randall would take you out 
 a little. She might as well, she goes 
 everywhere and she has no daughters.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 51 
 
 * She has sons,' said Opal. 
 
 ' I shouldn't hurt her sons, and I'm sure 
 I don't Yfant them,' cried Greta. 
 
 ' No, you've done better. Why don't you 
 tell her you're engaged ?' asked Opal. 
 
 ^ She'd tell everyone, and I don't want 
 to be tied up before my time.' 
 
 Then Greta jumped up suddenly. 
 
 ' Let's go over and look Mrs. Randall up, 
 Opal, we haven't been for a long time. 
 She's always very nice, even if she doesn't 
 want me for a daughter-in-law.' 
 
 A visit to Plymouth made one of the 
 few agreeable breaks in Opal's life. 
 
 There were always shops and people 
 walkino; about to be seen there, sio^hts 
 which were not to be found in Avonuish. 
 And Mr. Daman was delighted to receive 
 them at his shop, as Greta insisted on call- 
 ing it, and to spread a banquet before them 
 in the shape of afternoon tea. Opal had 
 been pleased when Greta first took her to 
 call on Mrs. Randall. But, though too well 
 
 uciRARY 
 
 uiNivERsnnr of Illinois
 
 52 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 bred to snub a governess, Mrs. Randall 
 showed pretty plainly that she wished 
 Greta would not bring her friend. 
 
 She had taken up Greta on a good- 
 natured impulse, meaning to introduce 
 her to her unknown relations if she got a 
 chance. But Opal was right in supposing 
 that she did not care to have Greta about 
 when her boys, as she called them, were 
 at home. Mrs. Randall regarded Mr. 
 Daman's step-daughter as an impossible 
 match for one of her own sons. But her 
 gracious manner disguised any ungracious 
 thoughts from Greta, who was perhaps 
 provoked into responding warmly to the 
 new friendship offered her, by the fact that 
 Jack had set his face against Mrs. Randall. 
 He had an unreasoning jealousy of anyone 
 connected with Greta's own family, and 
 Mrs. Randall evidently attached import- 
 ance to the circumstance of her being a 
 Charlstrom. 
 
 With a secret hope that they might find
 
 A NEW FACP^ AT THE DOOK. 53 
 
 Mrs. Randall ' not at home,' Opal accom- 
 panied Greta to Plymouth. The lady was 
 in — a sure sign, Opal thought, that the 
 boys were out. Mrs. Randall pressed the 
 ^irls to stay, and gave them tea out of 
 egg-shell china, and delicate rolls of bread 
 and butter, which were perhaps a poor 
 substitute for the larger hospitality which 
 they would have received in George Street. 
 
 ' What dreadful news this is about your 
 poor cousin !' said Mrs. Randall, addressing 
 Greta. 
 
 ^ What cousin? I've not heard any news,' 
 replied Greta. 
 
 * I thought you must have seen it in the 
 paper. Poor Edith Charlstrom, — thrown 
 from her horse and killed on the spot. I 
 never heard anything so shocking. Such 
 a pretty girl, and just going to be married. 
 I told you of her engagement to Captain 
 Mace, didn't I ? They were all so pleased 
 at it. A son of the new judge, you know.' 
 
 Greta knew nothing of Her Majesty's
 
 54 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 
 
 judges, either new or old, but her mind 
 fastened at once on the romantic side of 
 the story. 
 
 ' Poor fellow ! how dreadful for him !' 
 she exclaimed. 
 
 Greta hated hearing of painful things. 
 She wished that Mrs. Randall would not 
 insist on finding the newspaper, and mak- 
 ing her read a paragraph which was 
 headed : 
 
 'Fatal Accident to a LiVDY. — An in- 
 quest was held yesterday at Lancaster Gate 
 on the body of Miss Edith Charlstrom, 
 daughter of Major- General Sir Peter Charl- 
 strom, K.C.B. Miss Charlstrom, who was 
 only twenty-four years of age, was ri ding- 
 on Friday morning in Hyde Park, when,, 
 just opposite Grosvenor Gate, her horse 
 stumbled. Miss Charlstrom was thrown 
 on her head, and appears to have been 
 killed instantaneously. The horse which 
 she was riding had been used by her for 
 two years without accident, and is sup-
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 55 
 
 posed to have fallen through crossing his 
 feet.' 
 
 ' I wish she hadn't told us — it quite 
 spoilt our visit,' remarked Greta, when 
 she left the house. ' I shan't tell mother ; 
 it might make her nervous when Jack and 
 I went riding. We've never given you 
 that riding-lesson we talked of, have we?' 
 
 Opal thought that this was a most un- 
 propitious moment to talk to her of riding. 
 
 ' I don't want to get tastes above my 
 station,' she replied- ' If I knew how to 
 ride, I should only hanker after a horse. 
 And I shan't always live with you, I'm 
 afraid.' 
 
 ' Oh, but I hope you will for a long 
 time. When Jack and I are married, we 
 shall be away a great deal, and it would 
 be so nice for mother to have you. Only, 
 of course, you may get married yourself,' 
 added Greta, as a polite afterthought.
 
 56 
 
 CHAPTER lY. 
 
 Mrs. Daman did not ask the girls many 
 questions about their visit. She was sit- 
 ting with an open letter in her hand and a 
 disturbed expression of face. 
 
 * It's from Aunt Sophy, Greta ; she wants 
 you to go and stay with her at Bourne- 
 mouth.' 
 
 ' How horrid ! I can't go, I should hate 
 it,' cried Greta, in a breath. 
 
 ' It would be dull for you, certainly.' 
 ' It would kill me,' observed Greta, who 
 expressed herself strongly. ' Just think. 
 Opal, Aunt Sophy is the greatest fidge you 
 ever knew. She's so dreadfully afraid of 
 cold that she makes her rooms red-hot and
 
 A NEW TACE AT THE DOOR. 57 
 
 sits with all the doors and windows shut. 
 And she lays down the law and sets 
 everyone right on every subject under 
 the sun. She's mother's sister, and 
 we're awfully polite to her for mother's 
 sake, but we tear our hair when she 
 comes to see us, and we can scarcely con- 
 ceal our indecent exultation when she 
 goes away.' 
 
 ' She's very good and kind, and you 
 liked her well enough till Jack set you 
 against her,' said Mrs. Daman, who made 
 very creditable efforts to maintain a sister- 
 ly feeling against the influence of those 
 bound to her by still closer ties. 
 
 ' It isn't good and kind to pick holes in 
 everyone, and to care for nothing but your 
 own things,' cried Greta. ' Aunt Sophy 
 thinks a great deal more of her new cap 
 than she does of my going to be married. 
 AYell ' — suddenly softening — ' I'm very sor- 
 ry for the poor old thing, it must be horrid 
 to live alone with no one to care for you.
 
 58 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 
 
 And I think she was rather kind to me 
 when I was little. But I can't go and 
 stop with her, I'm not good enough to 
 sacrifice myself, that's the truth.' 
 
 ' I must write and make some excuse. 
 What can I say ?' 
 
 ' Say you can't spare me. Aunt Sophy's 
 always throwing out at me for being use- 
 less, she'll think I'm mending my ways. Is 
 there anything else in her letter that you're 
 hiding it. Oh, mother, we needn't have any 
 secrets from Opal.' 
 
 Opal spared Mrs. Daman the difficulty 
 of a reply by going out at once. But she 
 lingered amongst the flowers and foliage 
 plants in the hall, picking off dead leaves, 
 and catching fragments at least of the con- 
 versation in the drawing-room. 
 
 'It's about Opal, and it bothers me. 
 Read it yourself,' said Mrs. Daman, ' out 
 loud,' she added, laying her finger on the 
 passage. 
 
 ' Oh, what a shame, I don't believe a
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 59 
 
 word of it,' cried Greta, running her eye 
 down the page before she began to read 
 aloud : 
 
 ' " And now, my dear sister, I want to 
 speak to you very seriously. You tell me 
 that you have got a young lady named 
 Opal Carew for your governess. Now I 
 happen to know that she is not at all a fit 
 person for you to have in your house. 
 Emily Harrison (niece to Mrs. Gibson who 
 was Mary Carpenter, you know) went to 
 school with her in Brussels. It was a 
 school kept by an English lady, Mrs. Ver- 
 non Smith. Mr. Harrison, who was very 
 particular, would not have sent his daugh- 
 ter to a foreign school unless he had been 
 assured of the strict moral tone and high 
 character of the establishment. Well, to 
 make a long story short, Miss Opal Carew 
 was expelled for misconduct (something 
 ery bad about a young man, my dear — I 
 can't tell you the whole in a letter). She 
 was a horrid girl besides, and had a most
 
 »60 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 dreadful temper. She was born in the East 
 Indies or the West Indies, I forget which, 
 and her mother was what they call a Chee- 
 chee (I don't know what that means, but I 
 believe it's something black). Of course 
 you will get rid of her at once, and it hap- 
 pens most fortunately that I can supply 
 you with the very person to fill her place. 
 Miss Withers is a clergyman's daughter, and 
 her mother was a Vivian, niece to the 
 Bishop of Brisbourne, whose " 
 
 ^ Oh, bother her pedigrees, tedious old 
 thing,' cried Greta, flinging the letter into 
 the grate. ' It's all a plot to get our place 
 for this bishop's cousin. It can't be our 
 Opal at all. A black mother ! A dread- 
 ful temper ! Mother, you don't believe it! 
 Such a good, demure little thing, too. 
 The very last girl to carry on games with 
 a young man at a boarding-school.' 
 
 At this moment Opal entered, hesitating 
 a little as she stood just within the door. 
 She saw Greta's indignant face, she saw
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 61 
 
 Mrs. Daman smoothing out tlie singed 
 letter. But this seemed scarcely enough 
 to account for her being so well prepared 
 for the questions which Greta put to her. 
 
 'Were you ever at school in Brussels?' 
 
 'No/ with a slight air of surprise. 'I 
 was at school at Lausanne.' 
 
 Greta looked triumphantly at her mother. 
 
 ' Do you think there can be another 
 Opal Carew in the world ?' 
 
 ' I don't suppose there is now ; I had a 
 cousin with the same name, but she died.' 
 
 ' Then that must be the girl,' cried Greta. 
 ' Did she go to school at Brussels, and did 
 she get expelled, and had she a dreadful 
 temper, and was her mother a Cheechee ?' 
 
 ' I knew very little about her,' said Opal ; 
 ' but I did hear of her getting into some 
 trouble at school, and, I believe, it was in 
 Brussels.' 
 
 'And Aunt Sophy has been trying to 
 make out it was you,' exclaimed Greta. 
 
 'The description did not at all fit in.
 
 "62 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 with what we knew of you,' said Mrs. 
 Daman, kindly. ' Let's burn the letter, 
 and say no more about it. Not even to 
 Jack,' she added, looking at Greta. ' He 
 would only think poor Aunt Sophy ill- 
 natured.' 
 
 ' He thinks that already. Oh, I must 
 tell Jack : it will make him so angry.' 
 
 ' But that's the very reason for not telling 
 him,' urged Mrs. Daman. 
 
 ' I'm afraid my poor cousin wasn't a very 
 nice girl, but it seems hard to have things 
 raked up against her now she's dead,' re- 
 marked Opal. ' My uncle wouldn't like it 
 either, and I owe him something, for he 
 had me educated.' 
 
 This plea had some weight with Greta. 
 Before Jack came home she had promised 
 never to say anything about the scandal ; 
 and a letter had been sent to Aunt Sophy, 
 which was inspired, if not dictated, by the 
 person most interested in her story. 
 
 Before she slept that night, Opal pleaded
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 63 
 
 her own cause before lierself, and made out 
 a good case for the defence. Since she 
 might some day be found out, she thought 
 it well to be prepared. Report had a good 
 deal exao^orerated her misconduct, and she 
 had grounds for believing herself to have 
 been harshly, and even unfairly, dealt with. 
 She had not been the only girl to exchange 
 love-letters, or to meet a lover on the sly, 
 at Mrs. Vernon Smith's ' strict ' i^ensionnat. 
 But she had been made the scapegoat, be- 
 cause she was poor and of no account. 
 No excuse had been found for her in the 
 fact that she was very young, and had meant 
 no harm. She had only wanted to get mar- 
 ried instead of going out as a governess. 
 In those days she had supposed that love- 
 making always meant matrimony. Opal's 
 severe ]junishment had left a stain on her 
 character which was certainly undeserved. 
 It had given her uncle an excuse for with- 
 drawing his appearance of friendship. 
 Though he did his best to suppress any
 
 .64 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 rumours wliicli might interfere with her 
 bread-winning, he never put the shghtest 
 confidence in her again. 
 
 Banished to an inferior school in Lau- 
 sanne, Opal repented after a fashion, and 
 her character changed outwardly, at least, 
 for the loetter. She was never again guilty 
 of indiscretion. She learned to control the 
 violent temper which had made her so 
 much disliked that no one stood by her in 
 her diso^race. She found that it paid better 
 to cultivate the smooth manner and plausi- 
 ble insincerity which came to her as an in- 
 heritance from her mother the ' Cheechee/ 
 AVith no one to care for her, Opal grew 
 into the habit of considering no interests 
 but her own. Yet she seemed good-natured, 
 and her good-nature was partly genuine. 
 Some of the virtues which she assumed were 
 almost real, and her taste usually inclined 
 towards good rather than evil where no 
 sacrifice was involved. She told falsehoods 
 instinctively, using them as she would any
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. Q5 
 
 other weapons of defence. But she had 
 not often told so blunt a lie as to-day, 
 and it disturbed her, chiefly because she 
 might be brought face to face with Aunt 
 Sophy or even with Emily Harrison. 
 Her cousin Opal Carew was safely dis- 
 posed of, since the dead tell no tales. Even 
 as she told herself this, Opal looked round 
 trembling as if she feared that the dead 
 girl might come back and call her to ac- 
 count. She did not really believe in any 
 sort of life after death, but still she trem- 
 bled. While professing orthodoxy, since 
 she found that most mothers liked their 
 governesses to hold some form of creed. 
 Opal neither believed in, nor cared for, any- 
 thing beyond the one life which had hitherto 
 proved so barren to her. But she, not being 
 a born materialist, her mind instinctively 
 groped after something supernatural. 
 Every form of superstition, from the primi- 
 tive churchyard ghost to advanced spirit- 
 ualism, had a fascination for her. There 
 
 VOL. I. IT
 
 ^Q A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 was notliing to encourage a taste for spirit- 
 ualism at the Glebe House. It was a sub- 
 ject which would have been dismissed 
 with contemptuous jesting. But Opal had 
 never shaken off the impression that there 
 was something uncanny in the house itself. 
 She heard footsteps in the passage when 
 no one was there ; she called out in answer 
 to phantom knocks at the door ; she started 
 out of her sleep with the impression that 
 some one was trying her mndow, and saw 
 nothing but the white gleam of the tomb- 
 stones and the outline of the old church 
 tower. Everyone recognised the fact that it 
 was a house full of unaccountable noises, 
 but the family never seemed to care. The 
 servants made no complaints, but Opal 
 knew that they preferred herding together 
 three in one bed-room to occupying the two 
 provided for them. 
 
 Under the pretext that her room was 
 warmer than the small one allotted to Bow- 
 wow, Opal had contrived to get the child
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 67 
 
 for a companion. Greta refused to have a 
 fire in lier room, whatever the temperature, 
 and Bowwow was rather ambitious of har- 
 dening herself also, though she scarcely 
 looked a fit subject for Spartan discipline. 
 But 023ars company was a delight to her, 
 and Opal's influence over her was immense. 
 The family were not reticent before the 
 governess, but Bowwow told her every- 
 thing. Opal found no difficulty in drawing 
 out such information as was not given spon- 
 taneously. From Bowwow she discovered 
 that Jack's admiration was not unmixed 
 with criticism. He found Opal pretty, all 
 but her ' strange drab eyes.' 
 
 But Opal bided her time. She was 
 content to win the women of the family 
 before she laid siege to the man. Obser- 
 vation, founded perhaps on previous fail- 
 ures, had taught her that a man who 
 believes in the women of his own house- 
 hold will usually let his opinion of other 
 women be coloured by theirs. A man in 
 
 f2
 
 68 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 love will of course see or blunder for him- 
 self, but he can only fall in love with a few 
 of the women he meets. Whether he 
 regards the rest with favour will mostly 
 depend on the women who happen to have 
 his ear. 
 
 Opal took care that Jack should hear 
 nothing but her j)raises from Mrs. Daman 
 and Greta. They were both her warm 
 partisans. Mrs. Daman took pride in 
 Opal's improved looks, as the soft climate 
 and easy life began to tell favourably on 
 her health. Greta catered for admiration 
 of Opal's beauty in her own small circle. 
 She was prepared to fight Opal's battles 
 when Aunt Sophy came, as she remarked, 
 to play her usual part of skeleton at their 
 Christmas feast. 
 
 This year, however. Aunt Sophy pre- 
 ferred to remain at Bournemouth, where 
 Miss Withers was bearing her company. 
 
 ' Perhaps she expects us to ask her too,' 
 said Greta ; ' but I don't think we could
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 69 
 
 quite live up to a bishop's cousin, espe- 
 cially a bishop's cousin whom Aunt Sophy 
 finds perfection.' 
 
 In private Greta remarked to Opal, 
 ' It's all your fault, you know ; you've 
 frightened away our nearest relation. And 
 you'll have to try to make yourself a 
 skeleton instead. We shall be too happy 
 if we don't have a skeleton.'
 
 70 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 It was perhaps not altogetlier by chance 
 that a silver thimble fell out of the Christ- 
 mas pudding on to Bowwow's plate, but 
 only fate could have arranged that Opal 
 should secure both the ring and the six- 
 pence, omens of success which gladdened 
 her more than she ventured to show. 
 
 ' Hullo, young lady,' cried Mr. Daman, 
 addressing Greta, ' you're not the only one 
 to be married next year, it seems.' 
 
 ' But I'm not going to be married next 
 year,' replied Greta. ' Fancy being married 
 in the winter ; I mean to be married in the 
 spring.' 
 
 * But we're going to be married in No- 
 vember, directly after my birthday ; that
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE BOOK. 71 
 
 was always settled/ said Jack, with some 
 excitement. 
 
 ' You may have settled it, I never did. 
 One can only be married once,' remarked 
 Greta, disregarding the fact that their 
 parents were a living instance to the con- 
 trary, ' and I mean to have a pretty wed- 
 ding, with flowers and sunshine and green 
 trees waving against the church windows, 
 not bare trees, with mud a foot deep, and 
 a wet white mist creeping up round you 
 like a shroud. November is a month to 
 be buried in, not married.' 
 
 ' Well,' said Jack, doggedly, ' I was born 
 in November, and 1 mean to get married 
 in November, and I don't mind being 
 buried in November, since I must be 
 buried some time.' 
 
 ' Be married in November by all means, 
 since you are so set on it, only it won't be 
 to me.' 
 
 An angry, pained look came into Jack's 
 face. He pushed back his chair and seemed
 
 72 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 about to rusli from the room, when Bow- 
 wow i^an round and laid a detaining hand 
 on his coat. 
 
 ' Never mind her,' she cried, trying to 
 look daggers at her sister. ' I mean to 
 be very kind to my lover,' she added, with 
 severe dignity, which made even Jack 
 laugh. 
 
 Under cover of the table, he extended 
 his fingers to Greta, who gave them a 
 friendly rebuff. 
 
 ' We can go straight off to Cannes,' he 
 murmured, ' and get plenty of sunshine 
 and flowers ; oranges too,' he added, with 
 a vague recollection of a passage in the 
 * Lady of Lyons,' which would come in 
 beautifully here if he could only remember 
 poetry. 
 
 ' Cannes is very pleasant in the spring, 
 I believe,' replied Greta; then, looking 
 mischievously in Jack's mutinous face, she 
 took a shining bangle from her arm and a 
 ring from her finger, which she proffered,
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 73 
 
 remarking, ' The letters can be forwarded 
 to-morrow in a half-penny wrapper.' 
 
 ' You want Aunt Sophy to keep you in 
 order,' observed Mr. Daman. 
 
 ' There's nothing like having a common 
 enemy,' replied Greta ; ' we never fight be- 
 fore Aunt Sophy. She thinks me very 
 bad, but not quite bad enough for Jack.' 
 
 Mrs. Daman was heard to murmur some- 
 thing about peace and good- will. 
 
 ' Oh ! I forgot,' cried Greta ; ' we're 
 bound not to talk against anyone on Christ- 
 mas Day. We never want to talk against 
 anyone but Aunt Sophy, and she's gener- 
 ally here.' 
 
 ^ Let's drink her health,' said Jack ; 
 'this is the first Christmas she's spent 
 away from us ; let us hope it won't be the 
 last.' 
 
 Jack had recovered his temper, but he 
 did not give up his point. He pleaded 
 with unavailing persistency that there had 
 been a tacit agreement that the wedding
 
 74 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 should take place as soon after his coming 
 of age as possible. To this Greta could 
 only reply that it had been too far off for 
 her to care much about it. On the last 
 day of the old year, Jack made another 
 appeal, but Greta only ran out of the 
 room, declaring that she never gave any- 
 thing to importunate beggars. 
 
 ' Did you ever know a girl tease so ?* 
 asked Jack, addressing Opal, who had been 
 a silent observer. 
 
 ' She's too full of fun to take anything 
 seriously; I daresay it will be all right 
 when the time comes. And, even if you 
 should have to wait a few months, what 
 would it matter ? But I oughtn't to say 
 that, perhaps ; I've never been in love.' 
 
 * If Greta begins putting it off, she may 
 go on for years,' said Jack, beginning to 
 walk about impatiently. ' I've been count- 
 ing the weeks and the days to my coming 
 of age ever since we were engaged. I 
 never dreamt of having to wait longer.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 75' 
 
 I've gone on living in this hole, never 
 going anywhere or seeing anyone, just be- 
 cause I didn't care to go away till Greta 
 could go with me. And now she wants to 
 keep me dragging on for ever.' 
 
 Jack had never been confidential with 
 Opal before, and she wondered how she 
 could make the most of her opportunity. 
 
 ' Should you be angry if I spoke plain- 
 ly ?' she asked. 
 
 ' Of course not.' 
 
 ' Then I think, being a woman myself, I 
 know a little better what women feel than 
 you do. Greta is very fond of you, you 
 can have no doubt about that ; but she 
 can't help presuming a little on your abso- 
 lute, I might almost say your abject, devo- 
 tion. If she felt a little less sure of you, 
 if she believed it possible that you could 
 do without her, she would behave quite 
 differently.' 
 
 ' You believe in the spaniel theory ?' 
 said Jack, rather contemptuously. ' But
 
 76 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 how can one woman judge of another who 
 is quite different?' 
 
 ' You think I'm only telling you what I 
 should feel.' Then, with a flash of spirit 
 which was a revelation to Jack, Opal went 
 on, rapidly, ^ I may be a patient Griselda 
 by nature, my life may have taught me to 
 find something even lower than my own 
 level ; but I can read Greta for all that. 
 Besides, I hear her speak of you.' 
 
 ' Greta would never say a word against 
 me, she's as true and loyal as — ' Jack 
 stopped short, doubting whether steel could 
 be fitly described as loyal. 
 
 ' You don't suppose I mean that. But 
 she talks more like a woman who has been 
 married for years, than a girl who is excit- 
 ed and eager over her lover. Come now, 
 don't you confess that you love her better 
 because she plagues you.' 
 
 ' Do you mean that I ought to plague 
 her in return ? I should get much the
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 77 
 
 worst of it, and we should quarrel dread- 
 fully.' 
 
 ^ You needn't copy her. Tit for tat is 
 always a mistake in love affairs. But you 
 might go your OAvn way a little more, and 
 let her go hers. Don't grumble when she 
 goes to see Mrs. Randall, let her stay with 
 her if she likes. Don't go on as if you 
 couldn't bear her out of your sight.' 
 
 'I can't, that's the truth, and as for 
 letting her go to parties without me, why, 
 it's bad enough sometimes when TiJk 
 there.' 
 
 ' In fact you're jealous, but you never 
 give her a chance of being jealous about 
 you.' 
 
 ' How can I make her jealous ? Will 
 you take me in hand yourself, Miss 
 Carew ?' 
 
 Opal drew back, and a colour came into 
 her face which made her for a moment look 
 beautiful.
 
 78 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' AVhat a dull, blundering boy/ she 
 tbought. Aloud she said, sternly, 
 
 ' I think you might see that I'm not that 
 sort of girl. Perhaps I sometimes forget 
 that I'm not quite so old as I feel. But I 
 want to be a friend to you and Greta, for 
 I like you both very much.' 
 
 Opal had been keeping her eyes slightly 
 averted so that Jack could only see the 
 long eyelashes which fringed both lids, 
 the compressed classical profile, and the 
 little blue-black head bent forward in a 
 way which somehow suggested modesty. 
 He had not been oblivious of the fact that 
 his Mentor was very pretty. And being in 
 truth a blundering boy, with no great 
 measure of self-confidence, he felt ashamed 
 of himself for having ventured on the 
 familiarity of a doubtful jest. He scarcely 
 knew how to apologise, and blessed Bow- 
 wow for choosing this moment to rush in, 
 and break up the interview. 
 
 * Why don't you come out ?' cried the
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 79 
 
 child, 'they've been singing carols. They'll 
 ring the joy-bells to-night; do wake me up 
 to hear them.' 
 
 'No,' said her mother, 'little girls are 
 much better asleep. New years don't 
 matter to them.' 
 
 ' They're not going to be married before 
 the year's out,' remarked Jack. 
 
 ' Nor their elders either,' retorted Greta, 
 bringing in a rush of fresh air. 
 
 ' Time enough to talk of that,' said Mrs. 
 Daman. ' Only don't wrangle. Why, I 
 once knew a match broken off after the 
 bride had got her wedding-dress, just be- 
 cause she wanted a gay wedding, and the 
 bridegroom wouldn't have it.' 
 
 'A good job she found him out in time,' 
 returned Greta ; ' what business had the 
 bridegroom to interfere? It's very kind of 
 the bride to marry him.' 
 
 ' Do you sit up to see the new year in ?' 
 asked Opal, turning the subject. 
 
 ' Jack and I do,' replied Greta. ' Mother
 
 80 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 is rather fond of sneaking off to Led/ 
 
 ' Father Avill sneak off too, I hope,' said 
 Mrs. Daman. ' He's got a nasty cold.' 
 
 ^Father doesn't seem quite up to his 
 usual mark.' 
 
 ' Poor Kent's illness worries him,' said 
 Mrs. Daman, speaking of Mr. Daman's 
 partner. 
 
 ' But he's not so very fond of old Kent, 
 and I'm sure he's used to doing all the 
 work.' 
 
 ' It would be awkAvard if anything hap- 
 pened to Kent just now.' 
 
 ' Oh, money,' said Greta, with the in- 
 difference of a girl who had never known 
 the want of it. ' But, if old Kent went out 
 to-morrow. Jack would make it all right.' 
 
 ' Yes, in November,' observed Jack. 
 
 ' But they'd let you have money before 
 November if you wanted it.' 
 
 'Would they?' 
 
 ' Why, what difference could a few 
 months make?'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 81 
 
 ' A good deal of difference in law, and a 
 good deal of difference to them too, if I 
 happened to die in those few months. I 
 don't feel much like dying, but I daresay 
 they haven't quite given up hope. The 
 trustees happen to be also the heirs,' he 
 explained to Opal. 
 
 ' It was a trick of Jack's grandfather to 
 cut father out,' said Greta. 
 
 ' I don't know about it's being a trick/ 
 said Jack. ' I suppose he had a right to 
 do what he liked with his own. If I didn't 
 live to grow up, he wanted those other 
 felloAVS to get the benefit.' 
 
 'Can't you make a will?' asked Opal. 
 
 * Not till November, and, since marriage 
 invalidates a man's will, it won't be worth 
 while to make one till after the wedding.' 
 
 ' Then take care of your precious life till 
 April twelvemonth,' cried Greta ; ' but don't 
 let us be talking about death and wills and 
 all sorts of horrid things on New Year's 
 eve.' 
 
 VOL. I. a
 
 82 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Opal suspected tliat Jack was preparing 
 to stop a leaky sliip, but she could not find 
 out any more. When the elders had gone 
 to bed, the three young people drew their 
 chairs round the fire and waited impatient- 
 ly for the new year to be born. 
 
 ' I wish we lived in a palace of truth, and 
 had to say out everything we thought,' 
 said Greta, looking hard at Opal, who was 
 very far from desiring such a habitation. 
 
 ' I sometimes have a fancy I can tell if 
 anything particular is going to happen in 
 the new year,' said Opal. ' I have a fancy 
 about this one,' she added, oracularly. 
 ' Did you ever try the Sortes Virgilianas ? 
 You take a book — the Bible usually — open 
 it at random, and read the first passage 
 which meets your eye, taking it as 
 prophetic' 
 
 * Oh, that must be great fun,' said Greta ; 
 ' but isn't it rather profane to take the 
 Bible?'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 83 
 
 ' Very good people used to do it. Scotch 
 people, I think, chiefly. But they didn't 
 make a joke of it certainly. Any poetry 
 book will do just as well. Shakespeare or 
 Browning, though perhaps you'd find him 
 rather obscure.' 
 
 ' We haven't got him. There's a Tenny- 
 son somewhere.' 
 
 ' I'll fi^d it,' said Jack. 
 
 ' Here goes,' he exclaimed, returning 
 with the book, and opening it as he came 
 in. 
 
 ' " He died, he went to burning flame." ' 
 
 ' That's nice.' 
 
 'It's not he but she in the original,' 
 observed Opal. 
 
 'Ah, so it is. That makes it less per- 
 sonal perhaps.' 
 
 ' I didn't know there were such horrid 
 things in Tennyson,' said Greta. ' But 
 you picked that out on purpose, Jack ; I 
 saw your finger in the place before you 
 
 g2
 
 84 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 pretended to begin. I mean to have some- 
 thing much prettier, only I shan't cheat/ 
 And opening, she read: 
 
 * " There's a new foot on the floor, my friend, 
 And a new face at the door, my friend, 
 A new face at the door." 
 
 Oh, I don't believe in Tennyson.' 
 
 ' It's my turn,' said Opal. She was the 
 only one who put any faith in the test. 
 Pressino; her fino^er well into the book 
 before she opened, she read : 
 
 ' " But, as he walked, King Arthur panted hard, 
 Like one that feels a nightmare on his bed, 
 "When all the house is mute." ' 
 
 ' That only means indigestion ; I think 
 you're let off cheap,' said Jack. 
 
 Opal was studying the context of her 
 passage but she could not make much out 
 of it. 
 
 ' Hark the bells !' cried Greta, rushing to 
 the door. 
 
 Opal followed, but drew back at the first 
 blast of night air. She could see the lovers
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 85 
 
 standing liancl in hand. Jack would have 
 spoken, but Greta pressed his fingers to 
 make him keep silence. She seemed to be 
 holding her breath as the bells ceased and 
 twelve solemn strokes somided. Then the 
 peal broke out again. ' Welcome, New 
 Year !' shouted Greta, joyfully greeting the 
 unknown. 
 
 She came back into the house like sun- 
 shine, her happy radiant beauty throwing 
 Opal into a mere shadow of her own bright 
 girlhood. No doubts, no misgivings for 
 Greta. The future must be as the past 
 and yet more abundant.
 
 S6 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ' Who can this letter be from? it's a woman's 
 writing,' said Greta, taking up a letter 
 addressed to Jack. ' I shall open it directly 
 if he doesn't come down.' 
 
 ' I wonder you don't,' said Opal, who 
 knew that Greta usually treated Jack's 
 property as her own. ' Now he's got a 
 chance of making her jealous,' she thought. 
 The idea did not, however, occur to Jack, 
 who let Greta read the letter over his 
 shoulder as a matter of course. 
 
 ' Dear Mr. Daman, 
 a fancy ball on the 28th, and shall be very 
 
 We are going to have
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 87 
 
 pleased if you and your sister will give us 
 the pleasure of your company and stay the 
 night. 
 
 ' Yours sincerely, 
 
 ' Mary Oliver.' 
 
 A formal invitation was enclosed. 
 
 ' I shall tell them I haven't got a sister, 
 at least not old enough,' remarked Jack. 
 
 'But I shall write and accept,' said 
 Greta. ' How nice of Mrs. Oliver to ask 
 me when she never set eyes on me in her 
 life.' 
 
 'That's Tom's doing, I expect.' Jack did 
 not look altogether pleased. ' I remember 
 he made me introduce him to you at Fern 
 Lea.' 
 
 ' And a very slow young man I found 
 him. All the slow stupid young men take 
 to me; it's a great bore.' 
 
 ' Thanks,' said Jack. 
 
 ' You may be stupid, but you're not slow. 
 I wasn't thinking of you. Now, just write
 
 88 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 and explain that my name isn't Daman yet, 
 and I'll accept in my proper person. What 
 shall I go as ? that's the great question.' 
 
 ' A Spanish lady, I've got a matador's 
 dress.' 
 
 ' Then if you think I'm going to cry, 
 " Bravo, Toro !" like the woman in the picture, 
 you're very much mistaken,' cried Greta, 
 who supposed Toro to refer to the tormentor 
 and not to the tormented. Opal began 
 proposing Marguerite, and other hackneyed 
 characters. 
 
 ' I won't be a sentimental, lachrymose 
 creature,' cried Greta. ' I don't mind be- 
 ing a peasant, or a season, or anything ths^ 
 hasn't a character to keep up. I tell you 
 what. Opal, I'll go as a Cheechee.' 
 
 ' What on earth is that ?' asked Jack. 
 
 Opal, who did not relish the joke, 
 observed, 
 
 ' You'll have to draw on your own imagi- 
 nation for the costume ;' then added, quick- 
 ly, ' What do you say to White Cat?'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 89 
 
 'I'd rather be White Kitten, but I'm too 
 big. Well, you're no good, either of you. 
 I shall go round to Miss Pearse, and settle 
 something with her.' 
 
 ' No, come to Plymouth with me, and 
 choose anything you like at Hannay's,' 
 said Jack. 
 
 Greta jumped at this offer. Her rela- 
 tions with Jack were too easy and intimate 
 for her to think anything of his supplying 
 a deficiency in her wardrobe. Many of 
 the little luxuries at the Glebe House were 
 provided by Jack as a matter of course, 
 and no one ever thought of thanking him. 
 
 ' Opal must go too ; she has such good 
 taste, and Bowwow was promised tea at 
 the shop next time we went,' said Greta. 
 
 Out of regard for Bowwow's studies, the 
 expedition was put off till the afternoon, 
 when the four took train to Plymouth. 
 Gretas business did not take so long as 
 might have been expected. Hannay's 
 young lady failed to recognise a ' Chee-
 
 90 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 chee ' as coming within tlie category of 
 orthodox fancy costumes, but she produced 
 a pictured representation of what she called 
 a Manola. 
 
 ' This would suit you much better than 
 an Oriental costume,' she declared. ' It is 
 a Spanish dress, a sort of brigand-queen ; 
 you see, she has a dagger.' 
 
 ' Spanish ! that's all right. You couldn't 
 have anything nicer than this,' said Jack. 
 
 ' You needn't be trammelled by conven- 
 tionalities, if you're a brigandess,' whispered 
 Opal. 
 
 ' The young lady has just the complexion 
 for a Manola,' remarked the shopwoman, 
 who would probably have found Opal's, or 
 even Bowwow's complexion equally suit- 
 able. 
 
 ' Shall you have a real dagger ?' asked 
 Bowwow, who thought this the most inter- 
 esting part of the costume.' 
 
 ' Oh, yes ; I wouldn't carry a duffer.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 91 
 
 ' I'll get you one ; they'd only give you 
 rubbish here/ said Jack. 
 
 As they left the shop, Greta declared 
 her intention of calling on Mrs. Randall. 
 
 ' I haven't been near her for an age/ she 
 observed. 
 
 Jack was standing back, to let Opal 
 pass : she gave him a warning look. 
 
 ' Go to your Mrs. Randall,' he cried. 
 ' We'll take Bowwow to see the shops, and 
 meet you at the governor's.' 
 
 'Won't you come too. Opal?' asked 
 Greta. 
 
 ' I'm very sorry, but I do so want to 
 buy a few things, and I'm afraid there 
 won't be time afterwards.' 
 
 Greta gave a lingering look at Jack as 
 she turned away. 
 
 ' It seems too bad/ he said, preparing to 
 run after her. 
 
 Opal was a believer in mesmerism, 
 thought-reading, and all occult ' sciences '
 
 "92 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 •which a nervous and excitable generation 
 has conjured up. She had been willing 
 Jack with all her might to stay behind, 
 and she had believed herself successful. 
 But she was driven to try other arts. 
 
 ' I'll go,' she cried. ^ Don't throw away 
 your advantage. She will ask you next 
 time.' 
 
 Jack hesitated. Greta passed out of 
 sight, and Opal's first victory was won. 
 
 Mrs. Randall had a day at home, though 
 she had not thought fit to inform Greta of 
 the fact. For the first time Greta happen- 
 ed to stumble on it. The room was full 
 when she went in. Mrs. Randall greeted 
 her with her usual warmth, made some 
 effort to find her a seat, and then left her 
 somewhat stranded. The people round 
 were laughing and talking like old friends, 
 and Greta could not force herself into their 
 conversation. Her first instinct was to re- 
 treat, but having accepted a cup of boiling 
 tea, she felt bound to stay and finish it.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 93' 
 
 She soon got amused watching the people : 
 one little lady especially attracted her. 
 She was not good-looking, nor in Greta'& 
 opinion very young, but there was some- 
 thino; takino; about her. She was hand- 
 somely dressed in rich mourning, her lively 
 manner contrasting with her sombre dress. 
 
 Greta quite envied the ease with which 
 she went about talking to one and another. 
 Presently she came into Greta's corner to 
 look at a picture, and began talking to her 
 about it. Then she slipped into a seat by 
 Greta's side and fell into conversation. 
 
 'What a lot of visitors Mrs. Randall 
 has to-day,' remarked Greta. ' I don't know 
 one of them.' 
 
 ' And I know most of them, though I 
 don't live at Plymouth.' 
 
 ' Then can you tell me the name of that 
 very ugly young man who is talking to 
 Mrs. Randall ?' 
 
 Greta glanced across at a tall man with 
 a sunburnt face and a very long neck,
 
 •94 A NEW FACE AT THE BOOK. 
 
 who had been staring at her so much 
 that she fancied he must be a friend of 
 Jack's. 
 
 ' Ugly,' cried the lady, ' why, most peo- 
 ple think him very good-looking.' 
 
 Greta looked astonished ; then a new idea 
 struck her.' 
 
 'Oh, I'm so sorry,' she exclaimed, 'I 
 didn't know he was a relation.' 
 
 ' But I didn't say that he was.' 
 
 ' No, but I thought that I saw a likeness.' 
 Then she stopped with sudden conster- 
 nation. 
 
 ' Thino^s one would rather not have said,' 
 remarked the lady. ' I'm not offended, I 
 think him handsome. And what's more, I 
 think him like you.' 
 
 'That's odd, considering he's not my 
 brother.' 
 
 'He's your cousin, though,' — Greta gave 
 a quick, inquiring glance at her companion 
 ' I'm your cousin too — Fred Charlstrom.' 
 
 Greta drew back. Dislike of her father's
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 95 
 
 people was almost an article of faith with 
 her. But seeing the friendly face, remember- 
 ing, too, all that the black dress signified, 
 she took the hand which was held out to 
 her. 
 
 ' We ought to know each other better ; 
 may I come and see you,' said Frederika, 
 or Fred, as she preferred to call herself 
 
 ' Of course you may, we shall be very 
 pleased,' said Greta, rising to go. 
 
 She did not quite know how to take this 
 new acquaintance. 
 
 ' We must be going too,' said Fred, 
 ^you must let me present Bob to you. 
 He's quartered here ; I'm staying at 
 Mutley. Oh, it's raining,' she exclaimed, 
 glancing at the window. ' Can we drop 
 you anywhere ?' 
 
 ' Xo, thanks, I don't mind rain, and I'm 
 only going to my father's in George 
 Street.' 
 
 ' But you may as well let us take you 
 there.'
 
 96 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' They'll think I'm ashamed of the shop,' 
 said Greta, to herself. So she consented 
 to be driven. 
 
 'It's a mne -merchant's on the right- 
 hand side, "Daman and Kent,"' she ex- 
 plained. 
 
 ' I couldn't have believed she'd be so 
 nice,' remarked Fred to her brother, as 
 Greta disappeared into the shop, ' so per- 
 fectly natural and unaffected. Did you 
 notice how unconcerned she looked when 
 she was sitting all alone with no one to 
 talk to ?' 
 
 ^ I thought she looked uncommonly 
 pretty. I wanted to go and talk to her 
 myself, only she seemed rather stand- 
 offish.' 
 
 ' Because you stared at her so. A 
 pretty girl doesn't care to be stared at. 
 It's a compliment to a plain one.' 
 
 ' You find it so ?' 
 
 'AYell, she didn't return your admira- 
 tion,' retorted his sister. And she re-
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 97 
 
 peated Greta's unfortunate remarks, add- 
 ing, ' She didn't attempt to apologise, which 
 I thought good form. She has no manners 
 at present any more than a child, but that's 
 ever so much better than having bad man- 
 ners. Do you think her at all like poor 
 Edith ?' 
 
 Meanwhile Greta was getting some fun 
 out of her adventure. Jack had been 
 rather disturbed at not finding her when 
 he came in. He was late himself, having 
 ransacked the curiosity shops to find a 
 dagger worthy of his Manola. After he 
 had waited impatiently for at least ten 
 minutes, he saw Greta arrive in a strange 
 carriage, out of which she was handed by 
 a strange young man. 
 
 ' I've made a friend,' she cried, as she 
 came in, thinking only of her girl cousin 
 till she saw Jack's face, which moved her 
 to mischief, ' Fred Charlstrom — we em- 
 braced and swore friendship in the carriage.* 
 
 ' What ?' roared Jack. 
 
 VOL. T. H
 
 98 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' Cousins, you know,' said Greta, de- 
 murely. 
 
 ' You let that fellow kiss you ?' 
 
 * I'm sure she didn't/ said Mr. Daman. 
 Bowwow was sittino; with eyes fixed 
 
 mournfully on the tea-table. 
 
 ' Greta always spoils everything,' she 
 remarked. ' I thought we were going to 
 have such a nice tea.' 
 
 * So we will,' said Greta, drawing up her 
 chair. 
 
 ' I don't want you,' cried Bowwow, push- 
 ing her away ' It's sure to be nonsense, 
 it always is,' she went on, trying to comfort 
 Jack. 
 
 Mr. Daman was doing his best to coax 
 Greta into good behaviour, whilst Jack 
 stood aloof with a face which would have 
 made his fortune as a tragic actor, at least 
 in the provinces. 
 
 Opal thought it ex|)edient to effect a 
 reconciliation. She had not been alto-
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 99 
 
 getlier successful that afternoon. Jack 
 had obviously regretted folloAving her ad- 
 vice, and he had speedily left her to the 
 company of Bowwow. But he should 
 have reason to thank her yet. With an 
 nir of conviction, she observed, 
 
 ' I saw a lady in the carriage, and I 
 am quite sure she was the cousin Greta 
 meant.' 
 
 Jack muttered something about Fred 
 not being a girl's name, but Greta slew 
 her own joke by exclaiming, 
 
 ' Oh ! Opal, why did you spoil it all 
 when I had got such a splendid rise out 
 of him?' 
 
 Peace was restored and sealed by the 
 present of a very beautiful little dagger, 
 which was handed round and admired 
 by everyone as they sat over the tea-table. 
 Mr. Daman, however, took exception to the 
 offering. 
 
 ' In my young days,' he declared, 
 
 H 2
 
 100 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 
 
 ' knives and scissors and all such weapons 
 were not thought fit for sweethearts to 
 give. They were said to cut love.'
 
 101 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Fred Charlstrom would certainly have 
 engrossed Greta's thoughts for the next 
 few weeks if it had not been for the 
 counter-excitement of the fancy ball. 
 Fred's eagerness for intimacy quickly 
 dispersed any lingering prejudice which 
 might have been felt by Mrs. Daman and 
 Greta. They were both full of their new 
 friend's liveliness and good humour, whilst 
 her attainments, as set forth by herself. 
 fairly dazzled them. 
 
 Perhaps the performance with which 
 Fred favoured them on the piano scarcely 
 filled up the measure of their expecta- 
 tions ; but, when she talked as if she could
 
 102 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 lead an orchestra, they felt that their 
 doubts had been impious. On her second 
 visit, Fred took away their breath by tell- 
 ing them that she had exhibited a picture. 
 On the third, she electrified them by the 
 announcement that she had written a 
 novel. Such a firing of real guns was a 
 miracle to Avonuish. 
 
 Jack refused to share their enthusiasm. 
 Fred was not pretty, and she had snubbed 
 him once or twice when he betrayed 
 glaring ignorance. Opal was in secret 
 sympathy with him. 
 
 ' I don't think Miss Charlstrom so ver}- 
 clever myself,' she confided to Jack one 
 day, when Fred had carried Greta ofi*, as 
 she was rather fond of doing. ' It's no 
 great distinction to publish a shilling 
 dreadful, and, as for that magazine she- 
 writes for, you never saw such a hole-and- 
 corner concern. I should think it must 
 be kept up by the subscriptions of the 
 contributors. No woman of eio-ht-and-
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 103 
 
 twenty could do all Miss Charlstrom does^ 
 and do it AvelL' 
 
 ' Eight-and-twenty's no chicken,' re- 
 marked Jack. 
 
 ' Ko, but a woman must be well past 
 the chicken stage before she can achieve 
 much in art or literature, much less in 
 both, unless she happens to be a heaven- 
 born genius. Don't you know how the}^ 
 say that few actresses can play very diffi- 
 cult parts, such as Juliet, for instance, till 
 they cease to look tit for the character. 
 A girl's very good to look at, but she's not 
 good for much else, in my opinion.' 
 
 ' But a girl must know more when she's 
 just left school,' replied Jack, who had 
 lost no time in forgetting the little learn- 
 ing which had been forced upon him. 
 
 ' I should have said that her education 
 was only going to begin. What we learn 
 at school is nothing but a preparation — at 
 least, that's all it ought to be. But, un- 
 luckily for me, I have to keep on grinding
 
 104 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 over and over again at the old lessons, 
 instead of learnino- somethino; new like 
 Miss Charlstrom.' 
 
 ' I daresay you're quite as clever as she 
 
 is; 
 
 Opal thought that she was probably a 
 good deal cleverer than Fred. 
 
 ' Miss Charlstrom didn't come out well 
 in the one test I applied. I daresay you 
 didn't notice, but, when she was talking 
 as if she could speak every language under 
 the sun, I managed to entrap her into a 
 little French conversation. Well, she 
 didn't talk quite like a native. With all 
 her show of accomplishments, I don't think 
 she'd do for a finishing governess any 
 better than I should.' 
 
 ' Why shouldn't you do for a finishing 
 governess?' asked Jack, to whom it had 
 never occurred that such an article would 
 scarcely have been secured for Bowwow. 
 
 ' Because Fve been teaching instead of 
 learning ever since I was seventeen. If I
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 105 
 
 could only have one year's training now, 
 if I could even have my time over again, I 
 would do much better.' 
 
 'It seems an awful shame,' said Jack. 
 He had never thought so before ; he had 
 taken it as a matter of course that Opal 
 should have to teach Bowwow. 
 
 Having brought Jack to this desirable 
 frame of mind, Opal dropped her serious 
 tone, not wishing him to weary for Greta's 
 return. She was teaching him to look to 
 herself for amusement when he could not 
 get the companion he preferred. Opal 
 bore with patience his incessant talk of 
 Greta, finding some compensation for the 
 tedium of listening to a lover's song of 
 praise, in the fact that she was also the 
 confidant of his not unfrequent grumbles. 
 Fred was a subject of discord, and her 
 visits helped to throw Opal and Jack a 
 good deal together; but Fred went back to 
 London the day before Mrs. Oliver's ball, 
 and Greta was too much engrossed by
 
 106 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 her anticipatioDS to show any great regret. 
 
 Almost up to the last moment, Greta 
 was kept in a state of apprehension by the 
 non-arrival of the Manola's dress. When 
 it did come, there was only just time to 
 pack it in her box without letting Mrs. 
 Daman have more than a passing glimpse 
 of it. As some compensation, Greta 
 promised to put it on when she came back 
 again. 
 
 Mrs. Daman and Opal found their even- 
 ing rather dull. Mrs. Daman kept ex- 
 pressing a wish that she could see her 
 young people, Opal wished secretly that 
 she could be taking her part with them. 
 Both looked forward rather eagerly to their 
 return next day. 
 
 ' I suppose they won't stay more than 
 one day,' said Mrs. Daman, when luncheon 
 time passed without bringing the tra- 
 vellers. 
 
 'I should think not. They'll most likely 
 come by the 3.52 train.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 107 
 
 ' They can't walk/ observed Mrs. Daman, 
 looking at the landscape, blind with rain. 
 She was impatient to enjoy a little vicari- 
 ous excitement and admiration. Jack 
 would be sure to tell her all the pretty 
 things which had been said of Greta in her 
 Manola s dress. 
 
 Opal thought that Jack might very likely 
 be in one of his fits of jealous ill-temper. 
 She was quite disappointed when she 
 heard his cheery tones in the hall. There 
 was no cloud between the lovers as they 
 came in, both talking at once, and full of 
 enjoyment. 
 
 ' It was great fun watching the people,' 
 observed Greta, after the first clamour had 
 subsided, ' but I had to dance a great deal 
 with Jack, he was my only defence from 
 Tom Oliver who pestered me dreadfully.' 
 
 • Did your dress fit ? ' asked Mrs. 
 Daman. 
 
 ' Oh, yes, beautifully, I'll go and put it 
 on.'
 
 108 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Mrs. Daman seized the opportunity, 
 directly Greta went out, of asking Jack 
 what people thought of Manola. 
 
 As a lover Jack was able to satisfy her 
 on this point. Everyone had wanted to 
 know who Greta was, all the fellows had 
 wanted to get introduced to her. Mrs. 
 Oliver had said so many pretty things that 
 Jack could not restrain himself from 
 privately acquainting her with his claims. 
 He did not mention whether this was done 
 out of consideration for Tom ; but he be- 
 sought them on no account to betray his 
 breach of faith to Greta. At the moment 
 when he was impressing this upon them, 
 Greta came flying back with a good deal of 
 jingle and clatter. 
 
 ' It's my sequins,' she explained. ' I 
 scattered them about all over the place, 
 but I haven't lost them all yet.' 
 
 Sequins, as she called them, were a lead- 
 ingfeature of Greta's dress. The short brown 
 satin skirt was edged with them, so was the
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 109 
 
 crimson velvet Zouave jacket, so was the 
 little crimson velvet cap wliicli sat jauntily 
 on Greta's curly hair. Soft yellow drap- 
 eries and a loose muslin bodice completed 
 the costume, whilst Jack's dao^o;er was 
 stuck as conspicuously as possible in her 
 belt. 
 
 ' It astonished people so,' she cried, 
 drawing it out of the sheath and flashing 
 it before the delighted eyes of Bowwow, 
 ' no one else had such a workman-like 
 weapon. But one horrid man said that a 
 Manola was not a brigand queen at all, but 
 an itinerant seller of wine and spirits. I 
 told him it was a very suitable calling 
 for my father's daughter, but I asked what I 
 should want with a dagger in such a peace- 
 ful profession, and he said my liquors might 
 be contraband. I shall call father a 
 Manolo for the future. — Ah, there he is !' 
 and Greta flew to meet Mr. Daman, her 
 coins making music as she ran. 
 
 ' Manolo and Manola,' she cried, coming
 
 110 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 in with lier arm round her step-father and 
 her face on a level with his. 
 
 Greta's fresh beauty and picturesque 
 attire contrasted oddly with the common- 
 place features and mud-splashed dress of 
 the little man who had just tramped home 
 through Devonshire lanes. 
 
 ' 1 hadn't the heart to damp her pleas- 
 ure,' he told his wife afterwards, in the 
 privacy of their room, 'but I had bad 
 news to-day. Poor Kent's had another 
 stroke, and they say it's all up with him. 
 And, if his executors want their money 
 before November, the shutters must go up, 
 that's all.' 
 
 ' They'll wait,' said his wife, soothing- 
 ly. ' Jack will give any guarantee they 
 like.' 
 
 Jack meanwhile had stopped his Manola 
 on the landing to ask a favour. 
 
 ' I hope you won't mind,' he began, 
 hesitating a little, ' but I can't bear the 
 idea of your keeping that dagger. Every-
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. Ill 
 
 one says it's such an unlucky thing to give. 
 And it's no use, you know.' 
 
 ' Do you want it back ? how mean ! I 
 didn't know you were so superstitious,' ex- 
 claimed Greta. But she gave up the 
 dagger, nevertheless, having some secret 
 misgiving. 
 
 As Greta's door closed, Opal stole gently 
 out of her room. She had left a French 
 novel, which she did not care to have seen 
 lying about, in the school-room. She 
 found Jack contemplating the dagger 
 rather ruefully. 
 
 ' What, have you made her give it up ?' 
 she asked, lauo^hino;. 
 
 * Yes, but it does seem mean to take 
 back a present. And it's almost as if she'd 
 given it to me now. I shall just chuck, 
 the thing away.' 
 
 ' Don't do that, it's a pity.' 
 
 ' Will you have it then ? Only don't let 
 Greta get hold of it again.' 
 
 'She shan't even know that I've got it.'
 
 112 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Opal took the little weapon eagerly ; it 
 had a sort of fascination for lier. She 
 touched it almost caressingly before hiding 
 it away amongst her treasures.
 
 113 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The lanes were in a mist of green, the 
 banks alight with primroses, when Fred 
 Charlstrom wrote asking Greta to come 
 and stay for a fortnight at Lancaster 
 Gate. 
 
 'Isn't it delightful?' cried Greta, run- 
 ning to Opal, like a child, with the news. 
 
 *Mr. Jack Daman will not let you go,' 
 remarked Opal, Jack not being at home to 
 speak for himself. 
 
 Greta looked mutinous. 
 
 'But I shall go.' 
 
 ' No, he will put his foot down. A woman 
 always has to give in.' 
 
 ' I never give in to Jack.' 
 
 VOL. I. I
 
 114 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' You gave in about your marriage.' 
 
 Opal never quite understood how Jack 
 had gained his victory, but it seemed to 
 be an understood thing that the wedding 
 should take place before Christmas. 
 
 ' All the more reason why I should have 
 my own way now,' returned Greta. 
 
 ' You won't, though. You can't very 
 well accept without^consulting him, and he 
 will take care you don't accept at all.' 
 
 'But I will accept now, this very 
 minute, and tell him nothing till the 
 letter's gone.' 
 
 If Opal offered any remonstrance she 
 took care that it should be of a kind to 
 confirm Greta's resolution. She felt as if 
 fate were doing her a good turn at last ; to 
 ofet rid of Greta for a fortnight was some- 
 thing. It was a good deal more that Greta 
 should displease Jack sufficiently to leave a 
 breach between them. 
 
 Jack's anger, however, was not long 
 lived. His wrath vented itself chiefly in
 
 A NEW FACE -AT THE DOOR. 115 
 
 taunting Greta with her eagerness to grasp 
 the scanty olive branch held out to her 
 rather late in the day. It was a view of 
 the situation which had not occurred to 
 Greta in her delight at the prospect of 
 something new. Perhaps she felt her in- 
 consistency and half regretted her prompt 
 action. At all events, she added less fuel 
 to the flame which Jack kindled than usual. 
 
 Opal's triumph was in all respects brief. 
 Before Greta left home, a letter came from 
 Aunt Soph}^ ofl^ering a visit. 
 
 ' And you would have made me reject a 
 chance of escape,' exclaimed Greta ; whilst 
 Jack promptly announced his intention of 
 going away too. 
 
 To Opal's dismay he took himself off to 
 visit friends at Exeter, travelling so far 
 with Greta, who would not let him go any 
 farther. 
 
 'They'll meet me at Paddington. I 
 can't come to any grief locked up in the 
 railway-carriage, with a guard to look after 
 
 I 2
 
 116 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 
 
 me every time we stop,' she represented, as 
 Jack showed a decided unmllingness to 
 leave her. 'Get out at your proper station 
 or I won't marry you for another year.' 
 
 ' Poor Jack,' she said to herself, as she 
 drew in her head after waving him a fare- 
 well, ' he'd be awfully dull travelling back 
 by himself — getting to his friends at some 
 unearthly hour too. And he'd be sure to 
 make himself nasty to anyone who met me. 
 I'm glad Fred never found out I was 
 enD:ao:ed to him.' 
 
 Engagements reminded Greta of poor 
 Edith's unhappy lover. Fred had told 
 her that he went abroad directly after the 
 accident — he could not bear to see anyone. 
 She complained that they missed him 
 dreadfully, for they regarded him as a 
 brother. Mrs. Randall had shocked Greta 
 very much by declaring that they would 
 not object to regard him as something 
 else, adding that she thought Maud 
 would have a better chance than Fred,
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 117 
 
 since slie was younger and better -looking. 
 
 Greta's lonely journey seemed rather long. 
 She looked eagerly for Fred when the train 
 at last entered Paddington station. Some of 
 the others she thought might come too, but 
 Fred was sure to be there. As she looked 
 round, a servant with a military cockade 
 came up and conducted her to the carriage 
 which had been sent to meet her. To 
 Greta's surprise it was empty. The diive 
 was a very short one, and the glimpse 
 which Greta caught of trees and grass in 
 Kensington Gardens looked inviting, but 
 the tall house struck her as dreary, and 
 there was no one to receive her in the 
 great empty hall. Presently a maid ap- 
 j)eared and took her up many flights to 
 her bed-room. Greta ran to the window 
 but instead of gardens she saw only oppo- 
 site houses. 
 
 ' What an ugly view ; I shouldn't like to 
 live in London,' she exclaimed. 
 
 ' Oh, miss, you should see the backs of
 
 118 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 some of the London houses. Why, this 
 one has got as good as two fronts.' 
 
 ' May I dress you now before my young 
 ladies come in ?' asked the maid, when she 
 had unpacked Greta s things. 
 
 'Dress me! Oh, no, thanks, I was 
 never dressed in my life,' replied Greta, 
 with trifling exaggeration. ' Is there going 
 to be a party ?' she asked, seeing her best 
 attire laid out. 
 
 ' Not exactly a party, miss, but I believe 
 there's about six to dinner. Captain Mace 
 is here besides. Dinner's at eight,' she 
 added. 
 
 ' I'm glad there's going to be something 
 more than a family party,' thought Greta, 
 as she dressed herself. 
 
 As eight o'clock approached, she won- 
 dered whether it would be as well to find 
 her way downstairs. But she thought Fred 
 could not have quite forgotten her. 
 
 Fred was at that moment in the draw- 
 ing-room, preparing the young man who
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 119 
 
 was to take down her country cousin. 
 
 ' You must be very kind and nice to her,' 
 she was saying, ' she's totally uneducated 
 and not quite tame yet — a blazing Radical.' 
 
 ' Oh, the monster !' interjected the 
 young man. 
 
 ' But,' added Fred, * she's awfully pretty.' 
 
 ' Fetch her down at once.' 
 
 ' I suppose I must. It's a dozen flights 
 of stairs ; she might have spared me.' 
 
 Fred hurried away and enfolded Greta 
 in a warm embrace with profuse apologies. 
 
 ' It's just dinner-time. Arundel — Captain 
 Mace is to take you in, I'm sure you'll 
 like him,' she told Greta, as they came 
 downstairs. 
 
 A dozen people made very little show 
 in the large drawing-room. Fred took 
 Greta up to a thin, cross-looking old man 
 with a red face — such was Greta's descrip- 
 tion of the general, who had thought him- 
 self one of the handsomest men of his 
 day. Then she introduced her to an un-
 
 1 20 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 interesting lady who had marred the looks 
 and mended the fortunes of the family. 
 Fred had to pass over Maud, a somewhat 
 colossal and stolid beauty, in her haste to 
 present Captain Mace as dinner was an- 
 nounced. 
 
 Arundel Mace did not look at all like 
 the broken-hearted hero of romance whom 
 Greta had pictured. He was a good-looking, 
 well-made young man, who gave a general 
 impression of well-being, which seemed 
 scarcely appropriate to his present circum- 
 stances. There was a cheerful ring in his 
 voice, too, as he addressed Greta. 
 
 ^You were not in time for the great 
 libel case. Miss Charlstrom.' Then, as she 
 looked blank, he went on, ' Didn't Fred 
 tell you that she'd been in court all day, 
 Peter against Pindar, you know. I dare- 
 say you've seen it in the papers.' 
 
 * I never read the papers.' 
 
 * And yet you have pronounced political 
 opinions, I hear.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 121 
 
 ' Fred told you that because I always 
 disagree with her.' 
 
 ' She says you're a Radical, — I suppress 
 her adjectives.' 
 
 * I'm not, I'm a Liberal.' 
 
 ' May I ask where you draw the line ?' 
 
 ^ I don't want to dynamite people.' 
 
 ' That makes me feel a little easier in 
 your company. But you seem fond of 
 primroses.' 
 
 Arundel glanced at a bunch which Greta 
 had brought for Fred, who had not come 
 in time to claim them. 
 
 ' I don't like them when they're stuck 
 about in the form of ugly little brooches.' 
 
 ' Your badge is prettier, I confess. Don't 
 throw it away, if you feel it inappropriate ; 
 I know some one who would like it.' 
 
 Greta thought this an impertinence, and 
 she drew back her little head with an 
 involuntary gesture of offence. 
 
 ' I wish I could make her do that again,' 
 thought Arundel.
 
 122 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 With an air of great humility, he ad- 
 dressed her. 
 
 ' I'm so sorry, Miss Charlstrom. T didn't 
 mean to make you look like an outraged 
 canary bird.' 
 
 Greta flushed, tried to look dignified, 
 and burst out laughirjg. 
 
 ' I believe you take me for a child, but 
 I'm eighteen.' She almost felt inclined to 
 add, ' And going to be married.' 
 
 ^ I'm afraid my conversation has been 
 rather frivolous. I'll try to make it better 
 
 suited to your years. Let me see now 
 
 Do you think that the inductive system 
 really can be applied to metaphysics?' 
 
 ' I'll tell you when I know what induc- 
 tive means, and what metaphysics means.' 
 
 ' You can't think how you've disap- 
 pointed me. I heard that question once 
 put by a man who came to dinner in a 
 frock-coat, and I've never been able to form 
 the least idea as to what it meant. Some- 
 thing told me that you were the person to
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOCK. 123 
 
 explain. Well, never mind — I suppose 
 you're a worshipper of Wagner and the 
 music of the future ?' 
 
 ' I never hear any good music. I've 
 heard Fred play.' 
 
 * And yet you never heard good music I 
 Don't let her hear that. Don't you know 
 that her performance is an education in 
 itself.' 
 
 Arundel lowered his voice as he spoke, 
 for Fred was near, and evidently watching 
 to see how they got on. 
 
 ' I'm still struggling to talk up to you,' 
 he remarked. 'Are you an impressionist, 
 — in painting, I mean ?' 
 
 ' Oh, dear, what is the good of asking 
 me such questions ? I live in the country ,. 
 I go nowhere, and I know nothing.' 
 
 ' I wish more people made the same con- 
 fession of faith. It's no use talking to you 
 about the pleasures of the table, for I see 
 you let all the best things go by. But 
 I'm glad you're not quite a blue ribbon.'
 
 124 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' Oh, no, my father wouldn't let me ; 
 lie's a Avine merchant.' 
 
 Fred broke in suddenly : 
 
 'Arundel, you must take me to the Old 
 Bailey on Wednesday. Mr. Potter says 
 there'll be an awful crush.' 
 
 ' Old Bailey ! Well, upon my word, I 
 almost think that the least " disrespectable " 
 way for a lady to go there is in charge of 
 a policeman.' 
 
 ^ Nonsense, everybody goes.' 
 
 'Then I should recommend a little 
 graceful eccentricity, for once in a way.' 
 
 ' I think it eccentric to go,' said Fred, 
 defensively. 'I want a murder for my 
 next novel. My school is essentially 
 realistic' 
 
 ' I'm afraid I can't help you. I notice 
 " poor pa " always tries to dodge the 
 murders.' 
 
 ' Then you must catch a barrister and 
 make him work it.' 
 
 ' Do you want a little agreeable excite-
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 125 
 
 merit?' asked Arundel, turning to Greta, 
 his manner a shade graver than before. 
 
 ' Oh, no, I wouldn't go for the world.' 
 Then, feeling that her genuine horror was 
 scarcely complimentary to her cousin, she 
 added — ^ Of course, it's different if you go 
 with a purpose. And Fred's so wonder- 
 fully clever at everything.' 
 
 * A Jill of all trades !' exclaimed Arundel. 
 
 Greta gave him a reproving glance as 
 she followed the other ladies out of the 
 room. 
 
 'How do you like him?' asked Fred, 
 taking her arm. 
 
 ' Oh, not at all — he's so full of jokes.' 
 
 ' But you don't mind that, surely.' 
 
 ' I can't understand it, after what you 
 told me.' There was a volume of reproach 
 in Greta's face. 
 
 ' He was cut up enough at first, poor 
 fellow ; I shall never forget his face at the 
 funeral. But you may drive nature out 
 with a fork.'
 
 126 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' I hate a man who's so shallow that his 
 grief doesn't last beyond the funeral,' said 
 Greta, hotly.
 
 127 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 On lier first evening at Lancaster Gate, 
 Greta had made up her mind that she was 
 not going to enjoy her visit a bit, that 
 none of the family were nice except Fred, 
 and that even Fred was not so nice as she 
 had seemed at Avonuish. Her letters 
 home were by no means rose-coloured. 
 She did not mean to give Jack the triumph 
 of knowing that she had found cold wel- 
 come, but her writing was frank, like her 
 speech. To Captain Mace she gave no 
 quarter. ' To think of the pity I've wasted 
 on that man !' she wrote, indignantly. 
 
 A few days later, Greta was enjoying 
 herself more than she could have believed
 
 128 A XEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 possible. If General Cliarlstrom and his 
 wife did not do mucli for the amusement 
 of their not very welcome guest, Fred and 
 her very efficient lieutenant, Arundel Mace, 
 made up for all deficiencies. Fred, as her 
 mother said, was always glad of an excuse 
 for gadding about, whilst Greta's taste for 
 sight-seeing had never had a chance of 
 getting even the edge worn off. And she 
 could not have gone merry-making in 
 better company. Angry as she Avas with 
 Arundel, Greta owned to herself that a 
 love-lorn mourner would scarcely have 
 contributed so much to her enjoyment. 
 
 When Fred went to study ghastly sensa- 
 tion at the Old Bailey, under the wing of 
 an oblioino; iunior, Arundel, duly mind- 
 ful of the proprieties, pressed Maud into 
 Greta's service. The two girls had not 
 seen much of each other before. There 
 was a sort of armed neutrality between 
 the sisters, and they never took up each 
 other's friends : besides. Maud did not fall
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 129 
 
 in with her sister's notions of amusement, 
 for, in spite of her splendid proportions, 
 she lacked Fred's physical power. 
 
 The morning after the trial, Fred, in- 
 spired by her artistic studies, sat down to 
 her davenport. 
 
 ' I must not play away all my mornings,' 
 she declared. ^ I must get this novel done 
 — I've got another forming.' 
 
 ' She talks as if they were boils,' re- 
 marked Arundel. 
 
 ' Oh, what a lot you've written !' cried 
 Oreta, admiringly, as Fred produced a 
 formidable pile of manuscript. 
 
 'This is a three-volume novel,' said 
 Fred, proudly. ' People shan't say that I 
 can write nothing but shilling dreadfuls.' 
 
 And she began writing, with a rapidity 
 which put the coping-stone to Greta's 
 admiration. 
 
 ' Ain't she a-puttin' in the water neither,' 
 observed Arundel. 
 
 Even Greta's limited studies had in- 
 
 VOL. I. K
 
 130 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 eluded Todoers, and she lauorhed rather 
 more than Fred quite approved. 
 
 Arundel was engaged in devising a 
 monogram for Greta's note-paper. 
 
 '\Yere you christened Greta/ he asked. 
 ' or is it only short for something else ?' 
 
 'It's all the name I've got.' 
 
 ' It's a family name,' said Fred. ' I 
 think I shall have a Greta in my next 
 novel ; I like short names. What a mouth- 
 ful yours is — Arundel !' 
 
 ' It's practically the same as Job,' said 
 he, emboldened by the success of his last 
 adaptation, ' because " 'Arry " is an im- 
 possible nickname in civilized life.' 
 
 This fell rather flat, as Greta, in common 
 with many of her sex, was afflicted with 
 an ignorance of Pickwick. 
 
 'We've all got nicknames,' said Fred. 
 ' Maud is really Margret — without the 
 second " a," you know.' 
 
 'Is that a distinction?' asked Arundel.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 131 
 
 ' It's uncommon, at least. We've got 
 an old sampler of our great-grandmother s 
 with the name spelt so.' 
 
 * Spelling wasn't a strong point with our 
 ancestors, especially the females,' remarked 
 Arundel. 
 
 '" Don't be irreverent. Our great-grand- 
 mother was a female.' 
 
 ' Incroyahle.' 
 
 'You know Avhat I mean. She was very 
 clever.' 
 
 'You needn't tell me that. Are you 
 not her great-granddaughter ?' 
 
 ' Then there's Bob,' continued Fred ; 
 have you seen him lately, Greta ?' 
 
 ' Oh, yes, we often see him.' Then 
 Greta jumped up. 'I think I shall go 
 in the gardens ; it's a shame to waste this 
 lovely morning indoors.' 
 
 ^ Does Bob admire his pretty cousin ?' 
 asked Arundel, as Greta went out. 
 
 ' Oh, yes ; but he was more taken with 
 
 k2
 
 132 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 a little governess they've got. He thought 
 her much prettier than Greta.' 
 
 ' I shouldn't mind seeing that little 
 governess.' 
 
 ' Oh, but I don't at all agree with Bob. 
 She's got a style of her own, though ; she's 
 very dark, with stone-coloured eyes, which 
 look as if they'd got into her face by mis- 
 take. Bob raved most about her figure. 
 She's very lithe — looks as if she'd got no 
 bones.' 
 
 ' In her dress ?* 
 
 ' In her body. She doesn't look as if 
 she'd got them in her dress either.' 
 
 ' It's a case of admiring contraries, for 
 Bob is as bony as a rabbit curry.' 
 
 * Bob is very distinguished-looking, and 
 he's very like Greta.' 
 
 ' In some totally unaccountable way he 
 
 is; 
 
 ' Do you think Greta at all like poor 
 Edith ?' 
 
 ' Not in the smallest degree.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 133 
 
 ^ Mother says she has a look of her, 
 especially about the back of the neck.' 
 
 ' Rather a Monmouth Macedonian sort 
 of resemblance. There's a head above and 
 a body below.' 
 
 ' There's more individuality in a poll 
 than you think for.' 
 
 No one ought to have known this better 
 than Arundel, for he had been admiring 
 Greta's all through the service on the previ- 
 ous Sunday, when he had happened to sit 
 behind her. But he could not recall the 
 one it was supposed to resemble. 
 
 • Well, I'm not getting on with my work,' 
 said Fred. ' I wish you'd go out, and walk 
 with Greta.' 
 
 'Miss Greta has given us the slip, but 
 I'll try to catch her up.' 
 
 Greta had walked straight to the round 
 pond, where Arundel joined her. 
 
 ' I thought I should find you here,' he 
 remarked. ' I should have tried the 
 fountains next. I know the points of at-
 
 134 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 traction strangers always make for. Send 
 me away, if you want to enjoy a monopoly 
 of boats and little dirty boys.' 
 
 ' I'm not particularly fond of my own 
 company.' 
 
 ' But I am,' returned Arundel, expecting 
 to see a repetition of tbe canary bird 
 movement. 
 
 'Are you ever in earnest. Captain Mace ?' 
 
 * Very much so, at present.' 
 
 ' Have you no respect for anything ? I 
 don't mean myself,' she went on, hurriedly. 
 ' I don't expect you to think anything of 
 me, I don't want you to either ; but a 
 clever woman like Fred, you might do 
 something more than make fun of her.' 
 
 ' Make love to her, do you mean ? She 
 wouldn't have me.' 
 
 ' No, of course she wouldn't,' said Greta, 
 with an indignation to which he had not 
 the clue ; ' but you might believe in 
 her.' 
 
 ' Should you think me a hardened bias-
 
 A NEW FACE iVT THE DOOR. 135 
 
 phemer, if I ventured to bint a confession 
 of scepticism?' 
 
 'Well, if you don't think her clever, 
 which shows ' 
 
 * Drivelling idiotcy on my part — don't 
 spare me, Miss Charlstrom.' 
 
 ' You must at least own that she is 
 wonderfully industrious.' 
 
 ' Well, I haven't quite made up my mind 
 whether it is industrious to cover reams of 
 paper with ink or paint, as the case may be, 
 without ever trying to improve the brew 
 — my metaphors are getting mixed, I con- 
 fess it.' 
 
 'But Fred knows all sorts of things. 
 There's that little brooch, like an order, that 
 she wears to show that she knows all about 
 bandaging and dressing wounds, and she 
 has passed ever so many examinations.' 
 
 ' Heaven defend Tommy Atkins from her 
 ministrations. She would certainly add a 
 new terror to war.' 
 
 ' I think she's perfectly wonderful.'
 
 136 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' So do L' 
 
 ' I can't understand a girl being like 
 that.' 
 
 ' Nor can L' 
 
 'What makes her go in for all these 
 things, I wonder?' 
 
 ' Did you ever hear of the Scotchman's 
 prayer, " Gie us a good conceit o' our- 
 selves " ? Heaven grants that prayer to 
 some without the asking. To be less pro- 
 fane (I see you look shocked), did you ever 
 hear of the Brighton boatman's comment 
 on the Cockneys ? " They fears nothing, 
 'cos they knows nothing." ' 
 
 ' Then you don't give her credit for any- 
 thing at all?' 
 
 ' Oh, yes, I do. She's got an immense 
 share of a quality which is very popular in 
 the present day. I think I must call it,. 
 '' go." She reminds me of the advice an 
 Irish parson I used to sit imder was always 
 giving us. I don't remember his exact 
 words, but the gist of them was, " Do-
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 137 
 
 something — miscliief, if you can't do any- 
 thing else — but, at all events, do some- 
 thing." He was an ardent Liberal, Miss- 
 Charlstrom, but he didn't convert me, he 
 only drove me away, and a good many 
 others too. We wouldn't have his advice, 
 and his Liberal brethren didn't need it — 
 it's their motto.' 
 
 ' Fred is a Conservative.' 
 
 ' About as much as you are a Liberal. 
 She calls herself Conservative by family 
 tradition, but if ever there was a born 
 Radical ! — Her incapacity to keep quiet, 
 her passion for every theory with tan- 
 trums in it. Don't think me a false 
 friend ; I say all these things to her face. 
 That's one good thing about Fred, she's 
 got one of the best tempers I ever met in 
 a woman.' 
 
 •As if women weren't quite as good- 
 tempered as men. Why, the very worst- 
 tempered person I know is a man.' Then, 
 feeling as if she had been disloyal to Jack,
 
 138 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Greta went on : ' Temper isn't ever}^- 
 thing; it's easy enough for people who 
 haven't got any feelings to keep their 
 temper.' 
 
 ' That's rather rough on Fred, isn't it ?' 
 asked Arundel, who could scarcely be ex- 
 pected to know that Greta was defending 
 her lover. 
 
 ' You always misunderstand me !' Greta 
 spoke petulantly; then, seeing that her 
 companion only looked amused, she broke 
 out, ' perhaps I'm not worth understand- 
 ing, but I think other people do take me a 
 little more seriously than you do.' 
 
 Arundel's mouth grew demure, but his 
 eyes did not quite satisfy Greta. 
 
 ^ You needn't think you're making me 
 cross,' she cried, more angrily than she had 
 yet spoken ; ' of course you never lose your 
 own temper.' 
 
 ' Oh, I am one of the cold-hearted people 
 you were referring to.' Arundel spoke 
 with irritating good-humour.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 139 
 
 ' I wasn't thinkinoj of you, but I daresay 
 you are,' replied Greta, too intent on self- 
 defence to regard amenities. 
 
 Next minute slie felt half frightened lest 
 he should think she meant to refer to 
 Edith. She had no idea that a pretty girl 
 might as well not tax a man with cold- 
 heartedness. 
 
 Greta maintained a somewhat stiff man- 
 ner as they walked home, and she slightly 
 resented the fact that Arundel restrained 
 her from walking right under a passing- 
 hansom as she crossed the road. 
 
 ' You did meet,' was Fred's pleased ex- 
 clamation as they came in. 
 
 She was in the happy condition of an 
 author who feels that he has done a good 
 morning's work. She did not know that 
 the work was fated never to gladden other 
 eyes than her own. Greta was half dis- 
 appointed to find Arundel as good-natured 
 and ready to cater for the afternoon's 
 amusement as usual.
 
 140 A lsE^Y FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 *He only regards me as a child,' she 
 ought, ' to be teased and foi 
 given my little treats as usual.' 
 
 thought, ' to be teased and forgiven and
 
 141 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Greta's first letter home was subjected to 
 a severe scrutiny, not only by her mother 
 but by Aunt Sophy, who arrived just in 
 time to make a few disagreeable remarks. 
 Ojoal, who had enough at stake to give 
 Aunt Sophy more attention than she would 
 naturally have bestowed on an elderly 
 lady, could not see many traces of the 
 kindness with which Mrs. Daman had 
 credited her sister. But Mrs. Daman had 
 the recollections of long ago. Nature had 
 made the elder sister a shrewder woman 
 than the younger, and it had not, perhaps, 
 given her a larger measure of conceit. But 
 the vanity which found vent in the con-
 
 142 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 templation of a pretty claugliter was pleas- 
 ant (except, perhaps, to a few rival 
 mothers), whilst the vanity which exhibit- 
 ed itself in the egotism of a plain old maid 
 was ridiculous. Rich enough to have no 
 need to work, poor enough to have to 
 bestow time and thought on small econo- 
 mies, Aunt Sophy had not led a life which 
 was calculated to develop the more genial 
 side of her character. Her desire for ap- 
 preciation laid her open to the advances of 
 anyone who thought her worth conciliat- 
 ing. Opal perceived this, and endeavoured 
 by her deferential manner to win favour 
 which would go far towards lulling the 
 suspicions which Emily Harrison's revela- 
 tions had aroused. 
 
 After dinner, when the sisters settled 
 themselves down for a chat. Opal showed 
 the good taste to withdraw into the school- 
 room. On the following day, Mrs. Daman 
 made some slight protest, but Opal insisted 
 that she was always happy at her studies.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 143 
 
 Opal's ^ studies ' would hardly have en- 
 hanced her J) rice in the educational market, 
 though, when we are a little more im- 
 proved, they may create a title to an 
 academical degree. French novels which 
 were happily Greek to the household, Eng- 
 lish novels with heroines as probable and 
 respectable as the goddesses of heathen 
 story. And, beyond these, excursions 
 which were more ominous of evil nature 
 than the fooleries of frankly vicious ro- 
 mance. Entwined with Opal's worldly,, 
 pliant temper was a strain as seemingly 
 dissimilar and really kin as Indian ferocity 
 is to Indian servility, a contradiction not 
 unlike that which makes effeminate, dreamy 
 Hamlet glut his hatred with imaginary 
 carnage. 
 
 Shrinking from the smallest personal 
 danger — shivering from the sight of a 
 graveyard by night — scheming for the 
 vulgarest enjoyment of wealth. Opal dab- 
 bled by stealth and half-afraid in readings
 
 144 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ivhich, as she tried to persuade herself, 
 gave promise of communion with disem- 
 bodied spirits, or even — at a safe distance 
 — with something worse. It would not 
 have taken much to make her, in her 
 lieart, a serpent-worshijDper or a deifier of 
 the woman who brought knowledge into 
 the world. The profane folly which has 
 renewed, in a critical period of English 
 civilisation, the grotesque blasphemies 
 which sprang up around the youth of 
 African Christianity had a mysterious 
 charm for her. No doubt her Indian blood 
 combined with her semi-education to make 
 her an easy proselyte. The absence of pre- 
 cise expression or defined positions in a 
 crotchet did not disgust her. But this 
 was only a negative factor; there was 
 something more. The gust of excitement 
 which is said to have made the Israelitish 
 wives powerful agents in the apostasy of 
 their husbands, the ennui on which Comte 
 counted as a spring of revolution, urged
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 145 
 
 her on. She gloated over pamphlets which 
 promised, to a vague abstraction called 
 * woman,' emancipation from civil and even 
 from social laws, and pleaded for a society 
 in which the hysterical temper should 
 rank above the coarse qualities of judg- 
 ment and courage. 
 
 x4nd with this dreamy mutiny cowardice 
 was curiously though quite naturally min- 
 gled, a craven fear of the cold grave, an in- 
 sane, almost epileptic horror at the thought 
 of punishment beyond the grave. Opal's 
 nearest approach to religious aspiration 
 was a piteous hope that life might be 
 eternally prolonged without the awful 
 ordeal of a j udgment-day, and that, if she 
 must needs be better in order to be happy, 
 she might grow better by some undefined 
 process of development, spontaneously, as 
 it were, and ^vithout submission of the 
 will. 
 
 Meanwhile Opal was in the world, and 
 life at that little bit of the world called 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 146 A NEW FACE AT THE BOOK. 
 
 Avonuish was becoming almost intolerable 
 to her. Her improved health made her 
 feel more restless than ever. Inclination 
 clashed with interest as it had done all her 
 life. She knew that only perseverance in 
 the dnll straight line which she had mark- 
 ed out for herself could win the position 
 she craved. Yet she sometimes felt 
 tempted to throw over respectability with 
 all its hindrances and start afresh as an 
 adventuress confessed. 
 
 ' I won't be an Aunt Sophy, come what 
 may,' she told herself, that lady being the 
 last type of social failure which had come 
 before her eyes. Her body stirred and 
 her face flushed in a heat of revolt at the 
 thought that Opal Carew might be doomed 
 to pass through life without ease and 
 pleasure, and the admiration which she 
 thought her due. In the warm, well-light- 
 ed school-room, within sound of human 
 voices, she found courage for a half wish 
 that forbidden aid could be bought — of
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 147 
 
 course without danger. To the restraints 
 of religion and morality, she applied in 
 that moment something like the fallacy 
 with which Romeo presses the price of his 
 own death on his accessory, 
 
 ' Tbe world is not thy friend nor the world's law.' 
 
 In Opal's exalted frame of mind a mar- 
 riage with Jack, even if it could be com- 
 passed, sometimes seemed but a poor thing 
 to aim at. Yet prudence told her that she 
 might do worse than marry a man who 
 was not only rich, but lively enough to 
 seek amusement, and weak enough for a 
 wife to do pretty well what she liked with 
 him. To marry him, and make the parents' 
 home head-quarters, as Greta meant to do, 
 Avould be dull enough ; but to win Jack 
 in a moment of pique, to divide him from 
 his own people by a breach which could 
 be made as wide as death itself, that would 
 mean a very different sort of life. 
 
 Opal started from her dream. Jack was 
 tapping at the French windoAv. 
 
 l2
 
 148 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' You here !' she exclaimed. 
 
 For a moment she almost connected his- 
 appearance with her half-conceived appeal 
 to the mysterious influences with which in 
 some of her imaginings she peopled the 
 unseen world. Jack's prosaic answer 
 brought her down, or up, to everyday life. 
 
 ' Didn't you know the governor wired ?' 
 
 ' No, but I thought he didn't seem quite 
 himself to-day.' 
 
 ' There's been a lot of bother since old 
 Kent died. I don't think I'm wanted 
 really, but of course I came.' 
 
 ' Have you seen him ?' 
 
 ' No, I wanted to get in without coming 
 across Aunt Sophy.' 
 
 ' He's in the dining-room asleep, I think.' 
 
 ' Then it's no use going to him. Have 
 they heard from Greta ?' 
 
 ' Yes.' Opal repeated the substance of 
 the letter, with notes by Aunt Sophy. 
 
 * What's this ?' asked Jack, when this 
 entertainment was over.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 149 
 
 Opal had huddled away most of her 
 literature, but Jack had captured one 
 hook, attracted by its paper hack. 
 
 ' I'm obliged to read French sometimes 
 to keep it up,' explained Opal ; ' but I don't 
 think that's quite the book for me, though 
 I've only just glanced at it. I wish I had 
 some one to guide me in my selection.' 
 
 ' I wish I could read French,' said Jack, 
 who was not, however, moved by any 
 desire to direct Opal's studies. ' I suppose 
 you can read it like English?' 
 
 ' Yes ; I'll read you a bit, if you like.' 
 And she read him a love-scene very glibly, 
 but with some few omissions. 
 
 ' Isn't that rather maudlin ?' remarked 
 Jack, who would perhaps have found an 
 imexpurgated edition less tame. 'I like 
 Marryatt and Guy Livingstone. I don't 
 mind a good murder, too.' 
 
 'You'd like Gaboriau,' said Opal; and 
 she began giving him the outline of ' Le 
 Crime d'Orcival.'
 
 150 A NEW FzVCE AT THE BOOK. 
 
 ' I'm like the girl in the " Arabian- 
 Nio-hts," ' she thou2rht, as she saw Jack lis- 
 tening with some interest. It must be 
 confessed that he had also the solace of a 
 pipe. As with Scheherezade, Opal's story 
 was broken off at a thrilling point. 
 
 ' I hear your father moving, you'd better 
 catch him before he joins the others.' 
 
 Jack rushed out with the fear of Aunt 
 Sophy before his eyes, and for the rest of" 
 the evening father and son were closeted 
 too'ether. 
 
 All next day Jack was supposed to be 
 helping his father, but after dinner he 
 made his way again to the school- room. 
 
 ' Aunt Sophy can't bear smoke, I'm aw- 
 fully sorry of course,' he remarked ; ' won't 
 you come out in the garden ?' 
 
 ' You'll think me very silly,' replied 
 Opal, lowering her eyes, 'but Miss Gay ' 
 (such was Aunt Sophy's inappropriate 
 name) * is sure to say something unpleasant 
 if she sees you walking with the governess.*
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 151 
 
 ' Oh, it's all right, they've got the blinds 
 down.' 
 
 Walking about a garden on a damp 
 spring evening was not so much to Opal's 
 taste as sitting in a warm room, but there 
 was a spice more of romance about it, and 
 she made no difficulties. But when Jack 
 seemed to be enjoying himself she sudden- 
 ly broke off. 
 
 ' I must go in now.' 
 
 ' They won't look for us yet.' 
 
 ' I don't want them to look for us, for 
 me at least.' 
 
 'You're much more prudish than Greta.' 
 
 ' Greta isn't a governess ; and I'm not 
 your fancee. But Greta is unconventional. 
 If she wasn't, I shouldn't venture to walk 
 about with her lover. Some girls wouldn't 
 like it.' 
 
 ' Perhaps you think she doesn't care 
 enough about me to mind.' 
 
 ' Oh, but she does care about you; she 
 must.'
 
 152 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Then Opal ran away, and, except a 
 demure good-night, she gave Jack no more 
 conversation that evening. 
 
 In the after-dinner hour, when Mr. 
 Daman slept in his chair and Bowwow in 
 her bed, Jack now sought Opal as regular- 
 ly as he smoked his pipe. Sometimes she 
 summarised Gaboriau and Du Boisgobey 
 for his benefit, sometimes he gave her ele- 
 mentary lessons in billiards. She never 
 attempted to read him a love-scene again, 
 but if he showed any inclination to rehearse 
 one she threw no obstacles in the way. 
 
 Returning from Plymouth one afternoon, 
 Jack found Bob Charlstrom sitting at tea. 
 Having received a letter from home the 
 young man came, thinking, as he said, that 
 Mrs. Daman would like to hear the latest 
 news of her daughter. The mother had 
 replied rather inconsiderately that she 
 heard from her daughter every day. Then 
 Aunt Sophy pounced down on him and 
 talked of the army, giving full biographies
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 153 
 
 of any men who had become personages by 
 being known to herself. Bob did not look 
 happy when Jack came in. But he sat on 
 till the master of the house appeared. To 
 see a man in his house and not ask him to 
 dinner was an impossibility to Mr. Daman. 
 He being fagged and worried, his invitation 
 was perhaps less hearty than usual, but Bob 
 Charlstrom stayed. He was rewarded by 
 the sight of Opal across the dinner-table. 
 She betook herself to the school-room after- 
 wards, whilst the two young men strolled 
 out with their pipes. Jack did not betray 
 the secret of her hiding-place, but drove 
 the visitor off to the station without even 
 giving him a chance of wishing the gov- 
 erness good-bye. 
 
 Opal spent her evening alone, raging. 
 If Jack had presented himself, he might 
 have become acquainted with a new phase 
 of her character. But, by the next 
 evening, discretion had again secured the 
 reins.
 
 154 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 'What did that fellow come for?' asked 
 Jack. 
 
 Opal smiled. 
 
 ' To bring news of Greta.* 
 
 ' Oh ! that's all humbug.' 
 
 ' You. ought to be pleased at his coming, 
 when he knew Greta was away.' 
 
 Opal had secretly resented Jack's con- 
 clusion that Greta must always be the 
 attraction. 
 
 * Didn't you think he admired Greta ?' 
 was Jack's next question. 
 
 * Oh ! yes, everyone must. But, per- 
 haps he knew she was engaged ?' 
 
 '- That he didn't. Well, I'm sorry you 
 didn't see more of your admirer, Miss 
 Carew.' 
 
 'A governess is never supposed to have 
 an admirer. She's bound to act on the 
 assumption that she's old and ugly. Not 
 that I care about Mr. Charlstrom. I sup- 
 pose people would say I ought to take him 
 with a curtsey, if he gave me the chance.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 155' 
 
 Well, I sometimes think, after all, tliat it 
 may be as well for a girl not to marry a 
 man she's too fond of; she becomes a 
 slave.' 
 
 Manner, voice, expression, in which her 
 whole frame bore part in a way impossible 
 and almost unintelligible to Europeans, 
 put the dots on the ' i's.' Jack must have 
 been much denser than he was, if he had 
 entertained a moment's doubt that Opal 
 was the girl whose affection would be a 
 slavery. He had never set up for a lady- 
 killer. The girl he loved had done her 
 best to keep him from any undue belief in 
 himself But he could not help thinking 
 that he was a hero in the eyes of one 
 woman. He began to find himself a much 
 more dangerous fellow than he had sup- 
 posed. The sudden call for discretion and 
 magnanimity rather raised him in his own 
 opinion. The more lightly he regarded his 
 adversary, the more pliant he became in her 
 strong, lissome, Oriental fingers. Reckon-
 
 ^5Q A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ing up her progress, she could tell herself 
 that she had not wasted her time. Greta's 
 return might, and probably would, break 
 their extreme intimacy. 'But at least 
 there is an understanding between us,' 
 Opal told herself. ' I don't think I am 
 only Brat's governess to him now.' 
 
 Poor Bowwow was Brat, in Opal's solilo- 
 quy. The pet names of her little pupils 
 usually underwent some such transforma- 
 tion when she was out of temper.
 
 157 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Greta had been asked to Lancaster Gate 
 for a fortnight, and she had made up her 
 mind not to stay a day longer. Jack had 
 bound her by solemn promises, and he 
 was quite capable of coming to fetch her, 
 if she disappointed him. But, when the 
 time came, she found it rather difficult to 
 get away. 
 
 ' Stay till the week before Easter, we 
 shall be going away ourselves then,' pleaded 
 Fred. 
 
 ' Stay ! Why, of course she'll stay. 
 What should she go for?' said the old 
 general, who had only consented to her 
 being asked at all on the condition that 
 she should not stay long.
 
 158 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' It's a long way to come for sucli a short 
 visit,' said his wife, who forgot that the 
 way had not grown longer since they sent 
 their invitation. 
 
 * Greta won't care to stay after Arundel's 
 gone,' said Maud; then added, apologetic- 
 ally, ' We shall be so dull.' 
 
 ' That's just like Maud,' said Fred, when 
 she got Greta alone, 'she's jealous of you 
 now, she's always been jealous of me. I'm 
 never jealous of anyone ; I don't know 
 what it means. But Edith was just like 
 Maud; 
 
 ' I've been afraid to ask about poor 
 Edith,' said Greta; 'but, since I've got to 
 know you all, I've often wondered what 
 she was like.' 
 
 ' She was rather like Maud to look at, 
 only on a smaller scale. I hardly know 
 how to describe her in other respects. I 
 think she was rather like other people ; I 
 mean there was nothino; oris^inal about 
 her.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 159 
 
 ' I can't understand her falling in love 
 with Captain Mace.' 
 
 ' I don't know that she did fall in love 
 exactly ; she liked him very much, as we 
 all did. It was a good match, too, and 
 everybody wished it. Edith wasn't ro- 
 mantic like me. It all came about by 
 degrees. Arundel used to be here a great 
 deal ; he had no mother or sisters of his 
 own, and he and Bob were chums. They 
 coached for their exam, together, only Bob 
 didn't pass that time. People said that 
 Arundel must be engaged to one of us ; 
 they usually picked out Edith, because she 
 was the middle one, I suppose. I think 
 the Pater spoke to him about it at last.' 
 
 ' Just like him,' thought Greta, as she 
 pictured Arundel making lazy love to all 
 the three girls, and holding out his sceptre 
 to one when the father interfered, instead 
 of falling headlong in love, as a man ought 
 to do. She supposed he thought any girl 
 would be pleased to take him because he
 
 160 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 was ^ a good match/ Greta hated the ex 
 pressioii. Aunt Sophy had once used it 
 in speaking of Greta's own engagement, 
 and, in answer to the girl's indignant pro- 
 test, had declared that if it made no diifer- 
 ence to Greta herself, it made all the differ- 
 ence to her mother. 
 
 Anything which seemed mean or sordid 
 offended Greta morally, much as suffering 
 or cruelty affected her physically. They 
 were amongst the ugly things of life to 
 which she would fain shut her eyes. Her 
 instinctive avoidance of such subjects had 
 been fostered by the old-fashioned com- 
 fortable class of people with whom her lot 
 had been cast. But Greta's new friend 
 was too modern to be nice in the pursuit 
 of exciting topics. AYith horror, but some 
 admiration, Greta heard Fred discuss with 
 Arundel the life of Bethnal Green. Had 
 she received the least encouragement, Fred 
 might have made Greta open her eyes still 
 wider.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 161 
 
 ' Of course, as a Liberal, you know all 
 about it,' remarked Arundel to Greta, 
 when some involuntary shudder had be- 
 trayed her disgust. * Under a republic, 
 you know, London would be all West-end.' 
 
 ' I know nothing about it, and I don't 
 want to,' replied Greta, pettishly. ^ I don't 
 live in London ; I couldn't help these poor 
 people if I would. Why should I make 
 myself miserable thinking about them ? 
 What good does it do T 
 
 ' None at all that I can see,' returned 
 Arundel. ' I'm rather in favour of girls 
 letting these things alone myself.' 
 
 ' Oh ! I call that selfish,' said Fred, who 
 felt herself a real worker. She had once 
 undertaken a class in Whitechapel, but 
 her ministrations had been cut short by 
 her father. ' Don't you take any interest 
 in your own poor, Greta?' 
 
 ^ There are so few of them, and they're 
 not so very badly off,' said Greta, think- 
 ing almost mth shame of the bottles of 
 
 VOL. I. M
 
 162 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 port, the pounds of tea, and other creature 
 comforts which brought such a ready 
 return of thanks and love from her poor 
 people at home. 
 
 ' I think we ought to develop our sym- 
 pathies,' observed Fred ; ' if you don't find 
 misery at home, it's all the more reason 
 why you should seek it abroad. I can't 
 understand a strong healthy girl like you, 
 Greta, being so squeamish that you can't 
 even go over a hospital.' 
 
 ' Miss Charlstrom has fed on the roses 
 and lain in the lilies of life,' remarked 
 Arundel. ' Did you propose Guy's or Bed- 
 lam as a gentle breaking-up of the fallow 
 ground, Fred? I know they are the sort 
 of places where you go to spend a happy 
 day.' 
 
 ' Well, I thought Greta might like to see 
 our institutions, especially as there isn't 
 much going on just now.' 
 
 ' Why, my visit has been one round of 
 wild dissipation,' cried Greta ; 'you don't
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 163 
 
 know what my life at home is like. You 
 must come and stay with us in the summer, 
 Fred, and then I'll introduce you to all my 
 nice comfortable poor people.' 
 
 ^ Will you introduce me too, Miss Charls- 
 trom, if Bob and I make a tour in the 
 west ?' 
 
 * To jest a fortnight in a hospital,' cried 
 Fred; ' but you're coming with us, Arundel, 
 and Bob too. We can't make our first 
 tramp abroad without our men.' 
 
 * I'm sure you're quite above needing our 
 help.' 
 
 ^ Oh, as to that I could travel all over the 
 world alone. But I can't go mountain- 
 eering by myself, at least the Pater 
 wouldn't let me. And he's not fond of 
 promiscuous acquaintances. If Maud 
 could only walk like Greta, I should be all 
 right.' 
 
 ' I wonder you don't take your cousin 
 abroad with you,' remarked Arundel to 
 Fred a little later. 
 
 M 2
 
 164 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 
 
 '• It wouldn't be a bad move, but I'm not 
 sure that the Pater would see it. It's 
 something new for us to go at all.' 
 
 ' It would be a great thing for you to 
 have Greta, as Bob and I couldn't be there 
 all the time,' said Arundel, very disingen- 
 uously. 
 
 ' Oh, I should like it well enough ; she 
 suits me doAvn to the ground.' 
 
 Arundel left that night, and even Greta 
 was obliged to confess that she missed him. 
 With the exception of Fred, the Charlstroms 
 were not a lively family, and Fred was less 
 amusing when she had no one to contradict 
 her. When Greta had to bid her friends' 
 good-bye a day or two later, she felt less 
 dull at leaving than she had expected. 
 
 Sitting in the train, thinking over her 
 visit and wondering that a fortnight could 
 seem so long to look back upon, Greta 
 scarcely noticed the stoppage at Swindon. 
 She was quite taken by surprise when 
 Jack came rushing along the platform.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 165 
 
 ' Didn't you know I should meet you ?' 
 he asked, jumping in breathless. 
 
 ' I thought you might, but I hadn't be- 
 gun to look out for you yet.' 
 
 There was a final rush for seats, and an 
 old lady was thrust into their carriage. In 
 spite of Jack's murderous glances, she held 
 her place till they reached Plymouth. 
 She even ventured to address a little con- 
 versation to Greta, who was as gracious as 
 her lover was sulky. 
 
 ' How she must pity me if she guesses 
 the state of things,' exclaimed Greta when 
 they found themselves alone. 
 
 * Blow me up, do, I've not been blown 
 up for a fortnight,' returned Jack. 
 
 ' Poor thing, has it had no one to keep 
 it in the right way !' 
 
 If Jack winced, it was imperceptibly. 
 His delio;ht at havinar Greta back was too 
 great to be marred by the shadow of a 
 secret. But he perhaps half regretted the 
 gorilla.
 
 166 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 
 
 Having satisfied himself by a strict cross- 
 examination that Greta had scarcely spoken 
 to any man except the old general, Cap- 
 tain Mace, whom he knew she disliked, and 
 his father whom the young loyer may have 
 thought safe. Jack took no interest in 
 Greta's experiences. 
 
 Mrs. Daman made a better listener, 
 but even she was unsympathetic. Her 
 feelings towards her first husband's rela- 
 tions Were as unfriendly as ever, whilst 
 Greta had pretty well forgotten that she 
 had ever regarded them as enemies. The 
 recollection of chill welcome had been 
 efi'aced by the more recent recollection of a 
 warm farewell. But it had made a deep 
 impression on Mrs. Daman's mind. All 
 Greta's assurances that her friends had 
 pressed her to stay longer were less con- 
 vincing than the fact that she had, as 
 Aunt Sophy said she would, returned to 
 the day. 
 
 If Greta s family had wished to make
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 167 
 
 her a partisan of tlie Charlstroms, they 
 could scarcely have gone better to work. 
 Mrs. Daman's attitude of jealous suspicion, 
 Aunt Sophy's frank spitefulness, and Jack's 
 contemptuous indifference, all provoked 
 Greta to defend her friends with some- 
 thing like the warmth of family feeling, 
 She had half resented the Charlstroms' 
 habit of speaking as if she were one of 
 themselves, and had set her face against 
 any exclusive appropriation of* herself 
 But she was not inclined to make one of 
 a party against them, especially when that 
 party was headed by Aunt Sophy. Greta 
 thought that this sole representative of 
 her mother's side of the family was certain- 
 ly inferior to her father s people, and she 
 did not wonder that they had never taken 
 kindly to her. It would be like Aunt 
 Sophy to put herself forward and over- 
 shadow her sister. Before Mr. Daman 
 came on the scene. Aunt Sophy had been 
 the widow's one friend and counsellor.
 
 168 A XEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Greta liad often heard her aunt relate how 
 she had made overtures on her sister's 
 behalf which the Charlstroras had not re- 
 ceived in a right spirit. Greta wondered 
 now what the Charlstrom version of that 
 story might be. 
 
 'When is Aunt Sophy going?' she asked 
 her mother impatiently, a few days after 
 her return. 
 
 ' I don't knovv' ; she is not going back to 
 Bournemouth, she talks of looking out for 
 something near us.' 
 
 'There's nothing for her, thank good- 
 ness. But it's a dreadful thing to get a 
 homeless person into your house. Every- 
 thing seems out of joint now Aunt Soj^hy's 
 here.' 
 
 'It's not poor Aunt Sophy. Father's 
 worried and Jack's taken up, that's why 
 things seem uncomfortable.' 
 
 'It's horrid, nothing but shop all day 
 long and shop talk at night. "What's the
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 169 
 
 good of SO mucli bother ? It's sure to come 
 all right; 
 
 Mrs. Daman shook her head doubtfully. 
 
 ' It's bad enough to find you and father 
 full of business,' continued Greta, ' but it's 
 much worse when Jack can talk of nothing 
 else.' 
 
 In spite of Greta's distaste for business, 
 Jack tried to consult her about his affairs. 
 
 ' I'm letting myself in for lots of liabili- 
 ties,' he remarked ; ' it's your affair as 
 much as mine, but I suppose you don't 
 mind.' 
 
 ' I should think not ; I know nothing 
 about money and I don't want to, only I 
 wish there wasn't all this talk about it.' 
 
 Jack smiled with the superior wisdom 
 of a business man. As a future capitalist, 
 he felt himself master of the situation. 
 
 Greta did not praise him or call him his 
 father's good genius, as Opal did. Jack 
 scarcely knew how it was that the little
 
 170 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 governess found opportunities of oifering 
 her tribute, for lie rather kept out of her 
 way now. But he could not be uncon- 
 scious of her devotion. Everyone noticed 
 that Opal seemed out of spirits. Greta 
 declared that she must be suffering under 
 the depressing influence of Aunt Sophy, 
 whilst Mrs. Daman supposed that the gov- 
 erness foresaw difficulties to herself in the 
 danger which threatened the family for- 
 tunes. To Jack it was an open secret. 
 Opal did not care to dissemble ; it was part 
 of her game now to play with her cards on 
 the table. 
 
 In a few months everything would be 
 over, and, whether victorious or defeated, 
 Opal had made up her mind to find a new 
 field. It was only by assuring herself that 
 the present state of things would not be 
 for long, that Opal just managed to endure 
 the level life, her native restlessness, and 
 the non-arrival of the fairy prince. Any 
 hopes which had been raised by Bob
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 171 
 
 Charlstrom's visit were speedily over- 
 thrown. He only called once more — to 
 bid good-bye. It chanced that Opal had 
 taken Bowwow that day to a tea-party at 
 the rectory. If anything had been want- 
 ing to confirm Opal's distaste for the 
 church, it would have become a rooted 
 aversion from that hour.
 
 172 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 ^Keep Zulu and Fluff shut up; some 
 dogs at Dr. Hardy's have been bitten,' was 
 Jack's parting injunction as lie left one 
 morning for Plymouth. 
 
 Bright summer days had come, but Jack 
 was still almost as regular in attendance 
 at business as his father. 
 
 ' I believe you like it,' said Greta, who felt 
 rather like the little boy in the nursery 
 story who wanted the pretty horse to play 
 with him. 
 
 ' I like play better, everyone does,' re- 
 plied Jack, who nevertheless found some 
 excitement in his new calling. 
 
 Perhaps the ways of home-life were less
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 173 
 
 smooth to him than they had been a year 
 ago. He had not felt the same necessity 
 for wary walking in the days when person- 
 al beauty was not found indispensable for 
 Bowwow's governess. 
 
 ' I must look after things myself,' Jack 
 went on, ' the governor's not what he was.' 
 
 ' He's not an old man yet, and I'm sure 
 he works hard enough.' 
 
 ' Hard enough to knock him up, at all 
 events.' 
 
 ' Oh, as for his falling asleep after din- 
 ner, lots of people do that' 
 
 * But the governor never did till lately.' 
 
 ' Do you mean ' Greta stopped short 
 
 indignantly. 
 
 ' What Aunt Sophy kindly hints ? I'm 
 not prepared to go so far as that.' 
 
 For Aunt Sophy was supposed by inuen- 
 does to convey a suspicion that Mr. Daman 
 showed undue appreciation of his own 
 wares. 
 
 'But,' Jack went on, 'I don't think it's-
 
 174 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 
 
 good for a man of his age to drop walking 
 and take to sleeping all the evening in his 
 chair. And if Aunt Sophy could see how 
 little he eats in the day, and how he keeps 
 himself up by nips, she might have some 
 remarks to make.' 
 
 ' He was all right in the -winter ; he used 
 to walk home from the station wet or fine. 
 You hadn't the dog-cart then.' 
 
 ' It doesn't make any difference ; he'd 
 take Jackson's old trap if there wasn't the 
 dog-cart.' 
 
 * It's not been a nice year,' remarked 
 Greta, meditatively, ' it began with this 
 bother.' 
 
 ' It began with the Olivers' ball, which we 
 enjoyed immensely.' 
 
 ' So we did, but we've had nothing nice 
 since. I believe that daojofer brouo-ht ill 
 luck after all.' 
 
 ' It didn't do us the only ill turn I care 
 about ; I took it away in time to prevent 
 that.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 175 
 
 ' You're as bad as Opal, you can't think 
 how superstitious she is. I'm afraid she's 
 infecting Bowwow.' 
 
 ' I always said she was rather weird ; but 
 I must be off.' 
 
 Jack started, then suddenly remembered 
 about the dogs and ran in to give his 
 directions. 
 . Mrs. Daman looked rather alarmed. 
 
 'Perhaps Bowwow had better not go 
 out,' she began. 
 
 ' Oh, she'd get out of the way fast 
 enough,' returned Greta ; * the dogs 
 wouldn't, so I suppose they must be shut 
 up, poor things.' 
 
 'I'm going to tea with Mrs. Mol ; you 
 said Ellen should take me,' cried Bowwow, 
 speaking with much more decision than 
 her mother. 
 
 'Greta never sees any danger, do you 
 think it safe for Bowwow to q-q ? ' asked 
 Mrs. Daman, appealing to Opal. 
 
 'Oh, yes,* promptly replied the governess,
 
 176 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 
 
 wlio had been looking forward to a quiet 
 afternoon, ' the dog is most likely killed by 
 this time or else miles away.' 
 
 * Well, I must tell Ellen to be very careful 
 and give all dogs a wide berth. I know 
 it's no use trying to keep you in, Greta.' 
 
 ' I'm going straight into the lion's mouth, 
 literally to the dogs, as it happens. I'm to 
 lunch with the Greens, and I must pass Dr. 
 Hardy's on the way. His dogs will run out 
 and bite me, no doubt, but I'll get him to 
 cauterise me on the spot. You'll see me 
 back early, Jack promised to get away in 
 time for a ride. Keep the poker hot in case 
 of accidents,' added Greta, as she ran 
 away to get her hat. 
 
 Opal got rid of Bowwow early in the 
 afternoon and immediately settled herself 
 down to the enjoyment of a French novel. 
 She was leaning back in a delightfully easy 
 chair, trying to realise the edifying fancies 
 of the author, when Mrs. Daman's good- 
 natured voice broke in upon her.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 177 
 
 'I've only this minute remembered that 
 I promised to send Mrs. Barber the Tem2)le 
 Bar. Would you mind just taking it 
 round for me?' 
 
 Opal's first impulse was to refuse, but she 
 felt that she had cut away the ground be- 
 neath her feet. How could she plead fear 
 of the mad dog, when she had declared the 
 roads to be safe for Bowwow ? Yet it was 
 agony to her to go out. With a sinking 
 heart she put on her hat, and, selecting the 
 stoutest umbrella she could find, prepar- 
 ed to leave the safe shelter of four walls. 
 
 * You may meet Greta, ' said Mrs. Daman. 
 This was not reassuring, since Greta had 
 declared her own road to be the very high 
 way of danger. 
 
 Opal had little more than half-a-mile to 
 walk. The road along which her way took 
 her was narrow and stony, enclosed by 
 the usual high hedges. Dead loneliness 
 prevailed. There was no cottage except 
 one, empty and ruinous, in which a man 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 178 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 was said to have murdered his wife It 
 enjoyed the reputation, unusual to so poor 
 an abode, of being haunted. There was 
 little to alarm the most imaginative in its 
 appearance now, under the bright summer 
 sun. But Opal's nerves were all quiver- 
 ing. She drew herself together as she 
 turned the corner where the cottage stood, 
 and seemed to feel the realisation of a horri- 
 ble dream when she saw in the midst of the 
 narrow road, which lay before her, but one 
 object, a dog tearing as it seemed straight 
 at her. With a shriek, which was almost 
 a yell. Opal turned and rushed back, at a 
 speed which would have seemed impossible 
 to her in calmer moments. Half blind 
 with fright, she clutched at something 
 which advanced swiftly from the other 
 side. 
 
 ' The mad dog,' she gasped, recognising 
 Jack, with a spasm of relief. 
 
 Opal's breath lasted till she had got be- 
 hind him, but she could run no farther. She
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 179 
 
 saw Jack dodging from side to side to 
 bar the animal's access to her. But the 
 quickest man is slow compared with a dog. 
 With a moan Opal saw it passing on his 
 left when he stooped and caught it by the 
 skin of the back. The dog writhed round 
 and snapped. Jack dashed it down with 
 all his force upon the rocky ground, and 
 before it could rise again, crushed the life 
 out of it with one desperate stamp. 
 
 So furious was Opal's greed of safety that 
 the crunch of the little dog's ribs, which 
 would have sickened her at any other time, 
 brought only a delightful sense of salva- 
 tion. She even felt some fleeting resent- 
 ment at the air of compunction with which 
 Jack looked down at his work. 
 
 ' He didn't bite you, did he?' asked Jack. 
 
 ' ^0. Oh, he has bitten you,' cried Opal, 
 tis she saw a narrow streak of blood steal- 
 ing down the back of her preserver's 
 hand. ' Do have it cauterised,' she cried, 
 excitedly. 
 
 n2
 
 180 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' Don't get frightened, whatever you do/ 
 replied Jack, in an airy manner, turning- 
 up his sleeve and discovering a little rag- 
 ged wound about an inch above the 
 wrist. Then, drawing a silver case from 
 his pocket, he struck a vesuvian, and, be- 
 fore Opal knew what he was about, had 
 cauterised the wound in a rough and 
 ready fashion. 
 
 ' Phew ! if that doesn't make it all right^ 
 I don't know what will. Now, just hold 
 your tongue about this, there's a good girl, 
 1 don't want to frighten mother or to tell 
 Greta that I've committed a murder, and, 
 by Jove, fancy Aunt Sophy pressing cold 
 water on me at every meal. Did the beast 
 fly at you ?' 
 
 ' Yes, but I ran away directly.' 
 
 ' I don't think it can be the dog they 
 talked about, they said he was black.' 
 It was a dirty white dog which lay stretch- 
 ed at their feet. ' What made you think 
 he was mad ?'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 181 
 
 ' He looked so wild and strano;e. See 
 how savagely he bit you too,' 
 
 'Well, I attacked him first. I'll tell 
 you what, Miss Carew, we'd better hide the 
 corpse and keep our own counsel. I'm 
 afraid I've killed nothing but a harmless 
 necessary dog after all.' 
 
 'Afraid!' 
 
 ' Well, I might feel myself a public bene- 
 factor if I'd killed the dog there was all the 
 scare about. I'm not much afraid of hydro- 
 phobia myself, I believe it's fancy half the 
 time. But I don't want my symptoms 
 watched; if you should see any signs of eccen- 
 tricity you needn't try to account for them. 
 There,' said Jack, as he heaved his victim 
 over the hedge, ' they'll think the keepers 
 killed him if he's found. Let's hope he 
 was a poacher. I must go and meet Greta, 
 What a jolly good thing she didn't arrive in 
 time to see this deed of blood.' 
 
 ' My book, I must leave my book,' said 
 Opal, still fluttered and incoherent, 'it's
 
 182 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 for Mrs. Barber,' she explained, hoping 
 that Jack would offer to leave it, as he did. 
 
 ' You'd better get home, you look quite 
 knocked up,' he remarked, as he ran off. 
 Then he turned round once more to shout 
 a parting warning. ' Mind you hold your 
 tongue.' 
 
 Opal thought of nothing but her own 
 safety till she got home. If Jack had not 
 killed the right dog, it was still at large. 
 She felt that the sight of a black dog would 
 kill her outright, but she put no confi- 
 dence in dogs of any colour, they might all 
 be infected like the one that had just bitten 
 Jack. She scouted the idea that her late 
 enemy was harmless. 
 
 The house was reached at last, and Opal, 
 still tremulous as if she had risen from a 
 sick bed, crept back to the safe refuge of 
 the school-room. Her chair and her book 
 were just as she had left them. But the 
 novel had lost its charm, the excitement of 
 her own adventure was too strono; to leave
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 183 
 
 room for fictitious excitement. The whole 
 scene passed before Opal as she luxuriated 
 in her present security. Reviewing her 
 experience, she discovered that she had 
 failed to make use of a g'ood situation. 
 She had never even thanked her deliverer. 
 She had expressed no repjret that he should 
 be wounded in her service. She had dis- 
 played no pity for the self-inflicted pain of 
 which she really did think with an honest 
 shiver. She had been insensible to every- 
 thino^ but a feelino; of satisfaction at not 
 finding herself the sufi*erer, and she feared 
 that the feeling had been genuine enough 
 to betray itself Opal did not want Jack 
 to think her selfish, especially as she had 
 never felt so warmly towards him as at 
 this moment. Physical courage was, she 
 told herself, the one quality worthy of 
 worship. She thought with a sort of long- 
 ing how safely she could go through life 
 with such a protector as Jack. He was 
 wasted on Greta, who was herself foolhardy.
 
 184 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Witli a rush of admiration for Jack, and a 
 desire to reinstate herself in his opinion, 
 Opal seized note-paper. He had told her 
 not to speak on the subject, but he could not 
 be angry with her for writing to thank him. 
 
 After some deliberation, Opal turned out 
 rather a clever little note, such as most 
 men would be pleased to receive from a 
 pretty woman. She was obliged to de- 
 liver it herself, and she had to watch all 
 the evening for an opportunity. 
 
 ' Please read this, I'll never say another 
 word,' she murmured, standing before him 
 with downcast eyes and looking like a 
 model for Queen Esther. 
 
 * You little silly, to make a fuss about 
 nothing, the poor beast was as sane as you 
 or I,' laughed Jack. 
 
 But this detracted nothing from Jack's 
 glory in Opal's eyes, since he had certainly 
 faced and killed the dog on the faith of the 
 bad name which she had given it.
 
 185 
 
 CHAPTER XIIT. 
 
 ^ Oh, dear, what a horribly dull summer 
 we're having, how I wish something would 
 happen for a change,' said Greta, as she 
 came through the French mndowinto the 
 drawing-room, casting a longing look back 
 at the empty tennis-court. 
 
 ' Turn your hand to something useful, 
 I'm sure you'd find that change enough,' 
 replied Aunt Sophy, who was sitting alone 
 with a huge work basket at her side. ' Try 
 to make your own trousseau. Do as I 
 did when I was a girl, I never found the 
 time hang heavy.' 
 
 ' Did every girl make herself a trousseau, 
 when you were young ?' asked Greta, with 
 an air of surprise.
 
 186 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 
 
 ' If I didn't make one for myself, I 
 made both your mother's. And I'm mak- 
 ing yours now,' returned Aunt Sophy, 
 holding up an imposing display of tucks 
 and feather-stitching. ' Not but Avhat I 
 might have had plenty of trousseaus for 
 myself if I liked.' 
 
 * What a female Bluebeard !' 
 
 'Well, I daresay I've had more lovers 
 than you have.' 
 
 ' You couldn't well have less. Jack is 
 my sole captive. Do you think if I lived 
 as long, I might have as many as you, 
 Aunt Sophy ?' 
 
 ' Girls usen't to snap at their first offer, 
 at all events.' 
 
 ' Not if they liked the man ? I call that 
 silly.' 
 
 ' But you're quite right to marry whilst 
 you can, I used to think you were throw- 
 ing yourself away on Jack— ' 
 
 ' But you see there's more in !him than 
 you fancied,' cried Greta, eagerly.
 
 A NE^^ FACE AT THE DOOR. 187 
 
 ' Perhaps I do, but that's not quite what 
 I meant. You've been petted and cocker- 
 ed up in extravagant ways till you'd make 
 but a poor hand at living on small means ; 
 and that's what you'd very soon come to, 
 if it wasn't for Jack. My poor sister 
 thought she was doing a fine thing for her- 
 self when she married Mr. Daman.' 
 
 ' And so she was — if we were beggars 
 to-morrow ! What can a man do more 
 than make his wife happy ? Whether he 
 makes her rich or poor is mostly a matter 
 of chance. Men aren't poor by choice.' 
 
 'Well, it's a lucky chance for you that 
 the man you're going to marry will make 
 you rich. But you're not married yet. 
 There's many a slip. Take care that little 
 governess doesn't wheedle your lover away 
 from you, she's trying hard enough.' 
 
 For a moment Greta remained speechless 
 with astonishment. Then she burst out 
 indignantly, 
 
 ' How cruel, poor little Opal !'
 
 188 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Aunt Sopliy started up as she saw Bow- 
 wow run past the window with a plate in 
 her hand, the maid beside her carrying a 
 light table. 
 
 ' They're never going to lay tea in the 
 garden, I should get my death of cold. 
 Ellen,' she shouted. 
 
 ' Xever mind her, don't hear her,' said 
 wicked little Bowwow. But Ellen stopped 
 short. 
 
 ' It's been raining all the morning,' ob- 
 served Miss Gay, 'no one but a child 
 would think of sitting out on the grass. 
 And little girls were not allowed to 
 order the household in my time,' she 
 added, severely. 
 
 ' They were seen not heard, weren't 
 they,' said Greta, ' but you know that's 
 not the way to make girls fit for the 
 franchise.' 
 
 Female suffrage represented the sun in 
 Aunt Sophy's political system. 
 
 As Ellen beo:an settins; out tea in the
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 189 
 
 drawing-room, Bowwow hastened to illus- 
 trate the higher education of children by 
 thro^ving her plate of cakes on the floor 
 and herself after it. 
 
 ' We ahvays have tea in the garden, we 
 hate tea in the nasty stufly old house, no 
 one wants it but Aunt Sophy,' she cried, 
 passionately. 
 
 ^ I'm shocked,' said Mrs. Daman, com- 
 ing in and finding her mutinous offspring 
 on the floor. 
 
 Bowwow lifted a rufiied head and pink 
 face from the carpet. 
 
 ' It's all her fault,' pointing the finger of 
 scorn at her aunt. 
 
 The mother felt secretly proud of her 
 pretty little rebel, and wondered why she 
 Avas blessed with such high-spirited chil- 
 dren. But she made a very creditable 
 pretence of displeasure. Bowwow was ban- 
 ished to the school-room and sentenced to 
 have no tea at all. 
 
 Aunt Sophy was magnanimous enough to
 
 190 A KEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 intercede for her. She was rather fond of 
 Bowwow, as she had been fond of Greta at 
 the same early age. The poor lady would 
 have liked her niece still, if she had found 
 her friendship met half-way, but to give 
 all and expect nothing in return from 
 ungrateful exacting youth, requires more 
 philosophy or Christianity than she had 
 attained to. Bowwow did not quite like 
 being forgiven. The spirit of revolt was 
 strong mthin her. She would not take the 
 cake offered by Aunt Sophy, but insisted 
 on helping herself to bread and butter. 
 
 Greta felt hurt at the child's ungracious- 
 ness, though it simply reflected her own. 
 With some compunction she saw Aunt 
 Sophy preparing to resume her thankless 
 task. 
 
 ' It's very good of you to slave over my 
 work, but I wish you wouldn't,' she re- 
 marked. ' Mother, why do you let her ? 
 There's plenty of time for my poor people 
 to do it all.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 191 
 
 ' Your poor people would have to be 
 paid, and there are some things which 
 shouldn't come out of Jack's pocket,' re- 
 plied her aunt. Then turning to Mrs. 
 Daman she went on, 'I've been telling 
 Greta I wish she'd do some of it herself. 
 She won't believe me when I say there's 
 nothing like useful occupation.' 
 
 ' Satan and idle hands,' said Greta, good- 
 humouredly. 
 
 ' Satan finds some mischief still for idle 
 hands to do.' It was Bowwow who sup- 
 plied the quotation, being instigated by 
 Opal, who liked to trot out her pupil. 
 
 ' Hum,' muttered Aunt Sophy, ' and pray 
 what do you know about Satan?' 
 
 ' Satan's the devil,' replied Bowwow, 
 gravely. ' I like the devil.' 
 
 Mother and governess stared aghast. 
 Aunt Sophy alone retained presence of 
 mind to ask, 'Why?' 
 
 ' Because he likes naughty people,' replied 
 Bowwow, promptly. 'AVhen I'm naughty
 
 192 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 no one loves me but the devil, and so I love 
 him.' 
 
 Comment on Bowwow's oriojinal theology 
 was cut short by Ellen throwing open the 
 door and announcing ' Miss Charlstrom/ 
 Fred came in with her usual little rush of 
 laughing and chatter. Apologising for all 
 short-comings as a correspondent she has- 
 tened to make up for deficiencies by pour- 
 ing out all her news, past, present, and fu- 
 ture. She was staying at Mutley, but the 
 family were at Baden taking baths for gout 
 — at least the general was taking baths, the 
 others were drinking the Avaters because 
 they liked physicking. Fred had no gout, 
 and no ailments real or fancied, but she 
 would have gone to Baden with the others 
 only she had been kept in town by her 
 publisher, waiting for proofs which it seem- 
 ed she had not got after all. She was 
 going to Baden next week, the medical 
 course would be over then, and they were 
 to start on their travels. She had rushed
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 193 
 
 down to Plymouth to remind Greta of her 
 promise to go with them. Fred fairly 
 carried Mrs. Daman by storm, riding down 
 all objections and taking consent for grant- 
 ed. As for Greta's assurances that, however 
 delightful the idea might be, it was quite 
 new to her, Fred repudiated them in per- 
 fect good faith. The idea was not new to 
 herself, she had talked it over in the 
 spring, and who could she have talked it 
 over with but Greta? 
 
 When Fred had whirled herself away, 
 promising to come early to-morrow and 
 make arrangements, the others fell upon 
 Greta, asking why she had sprung this 
 mine upon them, and wondering what Jack 
 would say. 
 
 ' I'll make it all right if you'll only let 
 me tell him myself,' said Greta, 'but 
 indeed I never heard a word about it till 
 to-day.' 
 
 Mrs. Daman was pleased and excited 
 over any amusement for Greta, but Aunt 
 
 VOL. I. o
 
 194 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Sophy, though she allowed that it would 
 be a good thing to cure her fidgets, threw 
 a little cold water on the arrangement. 
 She glanced significantly at Opal, who 
 was holding forth on the delights of foreign 
 travel and its beneficial effect on the 
 health. As Greta's health was perfect, this 
 seemed scarcely to the purpose. Opal per- 
 haps over- did her part in her eagerness to 
 get Jack all to herself for a month. It 
 seemed the first step towards getting him 
 to herself for life. Her scheme was no 
 longer a mere question of self-interest. 
 Since the moment when Jack had rescued 
 her, something new had come into Opal's 
 life. Hitherto nothing outside herself had 
 had power to stir any active emotion in her 
 breast. 
 
 Be^vildered by the experience of a life 
 which was no longer wholly self-centred, 
 Opal believed herself to love with the des- 
 perate force of which she had heard and 
 read. Such affection as it was in her
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 195 
 
 nature to give, she did give, fiercely and 
 recklessly. Passions, which had lain dor- 
 mant, tortured her like the evil spirits 
 which she hadmshed to invoke. The rage 
 of impotent hatred, the fury of unheeded 
 jealousy, were drawing out all that was 
 tigerish, and worse, in Opal's disposition. 
 Centuries of Christianity and western civili- 
 zation had gone to purify the source from 
 which Opal drew the larger part of her 
 complex nature. Hitherto the alien cur- 
 rent had run in greater part harmless, 
 never mingling with the wider stream. Now 
 it threatened to become a flood. Opal, tempt- 
 ed often to committed her fate to the worst 
 and wildest part of her nature, had yielded 
 at last. The mysterious personality which 
 must either dictate or crouch to the different 
 emotions, composing that which seems to be 
 oneself, had abdicated its command. If 
 Opal had ever resisted the evil impulses 
 of her passionate self-indulgence, she re- 
 fused to resist them now. 
 
 o 2
 
 196 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 The crisis and its end were as ^^et in- 
 visible, or partially visible, to one alone. 
 To most of those about the girl, insight 
 into such a character as Opal's was im- 
 possible. Miss Gay had neither Greta's 
 innocence nor Mrs. Daman's simplicity. 
 She preached distrust, but an ungracious 
 person is seldom a successful preacher. Greta 
 turned a deaf ear to Aunt Sophy's warning. 
 Deceit and disloyalty had no real place in 
 her imagination. She believed Miss Gay's 
 suspicions to be merely the reflection of ill 
 will. Her only care was to coax Jack into 
 yielding graciously to her own wishes. She 
 meant to go with Fred in any case, but 
 she wanted to go with her lover's goodwill. 
 Jack came home in such high spirits that 
 it seemed almost cruel to dash them. But 
 Greta could never bear to wait. Even 
 when she saw unpleasantness before her, 
 she hurried to get it over. 
 
 ' I've got something to tell you,' she 
 began directly.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 197 
 
 ^ And I've got sometliing to tell you,' 
 replied Jack. 
 
 ' Me first,' cried Greta, quoting a child- 
 ish expression which had been appropriated 
 by her in the days when her domineering 
 instincts first displayed themselves before 
 an admiring family. Then she told him 
 her plan, adding an entreaty that he 
 would not spoil her pleasure. 'It's the 
 last time I shall go away as a spinster and 
 the last favour I shall ask you,' she plead- 
 ed. ' Of course he was rusty at first,' she 
 told her mother afterwards, ' but he was 
 very good on the whole. And I've prom- 
 ised to marry him a month sooner, the day 
 after he comes of age, if he likes. He's 
 ^coino; to tell me all about the business 
 after dinner, and I've pledged myself to 
 listen for once. I'm rather glad he's got 
 his dear shop to amuse him whilst I'm 
 away.' 
 
 Walking up and down the old garden, 
 under the shadow of the grey church
 
 198 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 tower, Jack unfolded his last news from 
 the ' dear shop.' 
 
 ' I say, Greta, didn't you always suppose 
 that poor old Kent and the t^overnor were 
 partners?' 
 
 * Yes, of course, Daman and Kent.' 
 
 ' Yes, Daman and Kent, but it's Scrooge 
 and Marley. It was our old Kent's father 
 who was the partner, he was the Kent whose 
 name is over the shop. Our old Kent only 
 lent the money, they say, at least that's 
 what his people are trying to make out.' 
 
 ' I suppose father has to pay it back 
 again all the same.' 
 
 ' Oh, yes, but it makes a lot of difference 
 in one way. If it's a loan, and we can't 
 pay everybody at once, Kent's heirs will 
 share with the other creditors. If he was 
 a partner, the other creditors will have his 
 property to fall upon when they've devoured 
 ours.' 
 
 Greta's resolution to be a patient listener 
 broke down asfain.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 199 
 
 ' You talk as if we were paupers, I 
 thought we were well off.' 
 
 ' It's wonderful with how little capital 
 a business can be carried on ; still I admit 
 I didn't know how close we were sailing to 
 the wind till I had to look into it. I sup- 
 pose the governor thought Kent was good 
 for years. Well, it comes to this: of course 
 I'd do anything for the governor, if you 
 don't mind.' 
 
 ' Of course I don't mind.' 
 
 ' But unluckily my promise isn't worth 
 twopence because I'm not of age. That 
 cad Simpson had the cheek to tell me that 
 I might get him to wait, and then, as soon 
 as I was twenty-one, take off my hat to 
 him. I told him I wasn't a thief, what- 
 ever he might be, but that didn't help mat- 
 ters much. In fact, if either side saw their 
 way clear, they wouldn't look at me. But 
 luckily they are both in a fog. We've had 
 opinions from London. One tremendous 
 swell named Copeland calls it a partnership,
 
 200 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 and anotlier tremendous SAvell says the 
 other thing. Both sides know that I'm good 
 for twenty shilings in the pound, so they 
 both consent to postpone operations on the 
 chance of my not being a swindler. I've 
 got them in a corner,' said Jack, triumphant- 
 ly, as if the intricacies of the law had been his 
 own invention for this particular emergen- 
 cy. ' I've been all the mornino; putting my 
 name to papers which will make capital 
 pipelights if I go off the hooks before No- 
 vember. The last dodge is that I shall be 
 a partner because some think that it will 
 give them a better hold on me. Others 
 say it's no good unless I tell a lot of lies 
 about my age, and that I shall have to 
 promise everything all over again. That's 
 what the lawyers are puzzling out now, I 
 suppose, whether they can get on without 
 the lies. I don't see that lawyers know the 
 law any better than you do, they only 
 know where to look for it. I'm game for 
 anything bar swindling. Only, if it doesn't
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 201 
 
 work, you won't be so well oiF, I'm 
 afraid/ 
 
 ' Oh we shall do well enough, I dare- 
 say.' 
 
 'We shan't starve. I think it would 
 he rather a lark to turn the shop in- 
 to a public. Let's tell Aunt Sophy so. 
 How should you like to be a barmaid? 
 ^'The Greta's Arms." Stand at the door 
 and say, " Come to my arms !" ' 
 
 ' In my Manola's dress ! But I say. Jack, 
 seriously, you're not going to be tied up all 
 your life, are you ?' 
 
 ' Oh, dear no, when things are once set 
 straight, I shall only be a sort of sleeping 
 partner, I hope, if I'm obliged to be a part- 
 ner at all. We needn't give up our 
 travels, though you are going to take the 
 edge off your enjoyment by going without 
 me.' 
 
 ' I shall only whet my appetite. And 
 you'll settle all these weighty matters ever 
 so much better without me to try and idle
 
 202 A NEW FACE AT THE BOOK. 
 
 you. Don't you know that I go about all 
 day singing, 
 
 " Oh, call my brother back to me, I cannot play alone." 
 
 'That's a cheerful poem,' remarked Jack, 
 ' there wasn't much chance of getting that 
 brother back again, if I remember rightly/
 
 203 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 The promised delight had come, after 
 seven eagerly counted days. The channel 
 passage was already only a bright memory. 
 Through a stormy summer night, the 
 train was rushing towards the German 
 frontier. In a coupe-lit the two girls slept 
 soundly, regardless of rain beating against 
 the windows, or flashes of lightning which 
 lit up the compartment more brightly than 
 it would have been lit by the lamp which 
 they had carefully shrouded. 
 
 Fred reposed comfortably on the cushions 
 and soft pillows with a railway-rug wrap- 
 ped round her. Greta lay full length on 
 the floor, a travelling-bag ofl'ering an uneasy 
 support to her head. She slumbered like a
 
 204 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 baby till disturbed by a sudden dream 
 that the door had given way and she was 
 falling out on the line. Starting up in a 
 fright, she found that the door had really 
 given way to admit a man with a lantern, 
 who stood at her head addressing her per- 
 emptorily in an unknown tongue. Hat- 
 less and bootless, with ruffled head and 
 flushed face, Greta confronted him, indig- 
 nant at this invasion. The commissionaire 
 who had installed them in their snug coupe- 
 lit had promised unbroken rest till morn- 
 ing. But remonstrance oifers no satisfac- 
 tion when you find yourself for all j)ractical 
 purposes dumb. Greta appealed to Fred 
 who was just wakening to a consciousness 
 of the situation. 
 
 'He wants us to get out,' explained Fred, 
 with a disgusted glance at the wet platform, 
 ' they're going to examine the small bag- 
 gages.' 
 
 ' Why, it wasn't to be for hours yet,' said 
 Greta, showing her watch.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 205 
 
 'That's for the heavy luggage. There 
 appear to be two examinations.' 
 
 Fred jumped out as she spoke, seeing her 
 precious bag, Greta's late pillow, in strange 
 hands. Greta hastily pressed her small 
 properties on the intruder. 
 
 ' He's got all the things, he seems to want 
 me as well. Tell him T can't find my boot,' 
 she cried, after her companion. But Fred 
 was hurrying away to find shelter. Greta's 
 persecutor, deciding that he could scarcely 
 pull a lady out of the carriage, shut the door 
 with a slam and departed. Still searching 
 wildly under the seat for a boot which nat- 
 urally appeared directly it was not wanted, 
 Greta found herself the sole inmate of the 
 train, which was speedily shunted into a 
 siding. 'They're never going to leave 
 this bit of train behind,' she thought. 
 
 Even the prospect of being left till 
 morning at some obscure station in a 
 strange land failed to damp Greta's high 
 spirits. She laughed aloud as she surveyed
 
 206 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 her dishevelled hair in the little glass. 
 ' Crazy Jane,' she said, apostrophising 
 herself, ' they'll clap you in the nearest 
 asylum when you begin gibbering in vain 
 .attempts to explain yourself.' 
 
 By the time Greta had smoothed and twist- 
 ed her hair as best she could, and buttoned 
 her boots with a stray hairpin, the train 
 began to move slowly back again. The 
 lighted station full of little figures, moving to 
 and fro, came in sight. Men with travelling 
 •caps tied over their ears and women with 
 little hoods tied round pale sleepy faces, 
 all with hands full of bags and baskets, 
 scampered through the rain seeking their 
 places which had no familiar packages left 
 in them to guide their owners. 
 
 'We don't look pretty when we are called 
 up in the middle of the night,' thought 
 'Greta, offering a striking contradiction of 
 her own theory as she put out her head 
 and beckoned to her cousin. Fred had 
 found some one to carry her bags ; she was
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 207 
 
 gesticulating wildly, so was her companion. 
 Greta inferred that the German language 
 wanted a good deal of action to help it out. 
 
 ' We shall become proficients in Dumb 
 Crambo/ she remarked, as they composed 
 themselves once more to sleep, with ill- 
 grounded hopes of a night's rest. But the 
 dawn of a summer morning reconciled 
 them to an enforced early rising. Fred 
 dozed at intervals, but Greta sat up wide 
 awake, unwilling to miss anything from 
 the moment she could see out of the win- 
 dow. The country did not look quite so 
 strange as she could have wished, even 
 the flowers on the banks were familiar 
 friends. As the morning advanced and 
 the stations filled with people, Greta 
 looked vainly for quaint costumes. She 
 pounced on a curiously thick sandwich, 
 but found raw ham too striking a novelty 
 to be agreeable. 
 
 The day was chiefly passed in a railway 
 carriage. About midday came a halt at
 
 208 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 the junction wliere tliey expected to meet 
 their friends from Baden. Leaving Greta 
 in charge of the baggage, Fred undertook 
 to find out all about trains. Whilst she was 
 vainly exercising such fluency in German 
 as an English education had given her, 
 Greta, encamped on the platform, address- 
 ed all the most good-natured looking of 
 her fellow-travellers till she found one able 
 and willing to interpret for her. 
 
 The train from Baden was in, there was 
 no other for hours. On further inquiry 
 they discovered a telegram addressed to 
 Fred. 
 
 ' Go straight to the Waldhof at Waldherg, 
 Rooms engaged. Will join you to-morrow.'' 
 
 Greta's friend, who turned out to be an 
 English-speaking German, instead of a 
 German-speaking Englishman, as she had 
 supposed, gave the girls full instructions 
 as to their route. He furnished Greta 
 with a few phrases which she had worked 
 pretty hard before the journey was accom-
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 209 
 
 plished. Fred's confidence in her own 
 powers was unshaken, but Greta insisted 
 that they would never have reached Wald- 
 berg if it had not been for the good-natur- 
 ed German friend and her own variations 
 on the world schlagen. It was not an 
 easy place to get to, and the difficulty of 
 approaching it seemed to increase as they 
 drew nearer. Darkness was falling when 
 they at last found themselves on the single 
 line which led through the Black Forest to 
 their destination. There was a rush when 
 they reached the little station. People 
 who had been all day fighting for seats 
 and struggling over luggage were getting 
 rather short-tempered. Having found 
 that porters were not at their call here, as 
 at home, Fred and Greta seized their bags 
 and squeezed themselves into the last cor- 
 ner of the Waldhof omnibus. A stout 
 commissionaire barred the way against the 
 little crowd pressing after them and pro- 
 ceeded to take an inventory of his cargo. 
 VOL. I. • P
 
 210 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 This resulted in the summary ejection of 
 one young man who had neglected the in- 
 dispensable telegram. Then they began 
 to climb slowly uphill in the darkness. They 
 could see lights here and there, showing 
 glimpses of a miserable-looking village. 
 
 ' It doesn't look much of a place,' re- 
 marked Fred, peering through the window. 
 
 ' It looks horrid,' would have been Greta's 
 honest profession, but she was not going 
 to let herself own that the Black Forest 
 could be anything but enchanting. Though 
 even the Black Forest was only the gate 
 to Switzerland, the real land of her dreams. 
 
 As the omnibus climbed higher, flashes 
 of electric lio;ht shone throuo^h the trees. 
 
 ' The Waldhof !' cried one. ' The water- 
 fall !' cried another. ' Was that a rocket ?' 
 as there came a whiz and a flash. 
 
 'A dirty village and the Crystal Palace,' 
 observed Fred, in a low voice. * I don't 
 think we shall want to stay here long.' 
 * ' Isn't it stifling ?' asked Greta.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 211 
 
 She had been obliged to shut the win- 
 dow, her neighbour being a rheumatic 
 patient from Baden. 
 
 The Waldhof seemed as if it were perch- 
 ed on the top of a mountain, so tedious 
 was the climb up to it in the heavily- 
 laden omnibus. Eager to stretch her 
 limbs, Greta sprang out directly they 
 stopped, only to be ordered back again by 
 the commissionaire. The two ladies were 
 to go to the dependance for the night, it 
 was quite close, they could see it over 
 there. 
 
 ' Then we can walk,' said Greta, deter- 
 mined not to drive a step farther. 
 
 This being permitted, Greta led the way 
 down a steep stony drive towards lights 
 which indicated a house. Fred grumbled 
 a good deal as she followed. Unwilling to 
 own herself beaten, she felt tired, head- 
 achy and cross. Breathing invectives 
 against the manager of the Waldhof, pro- 
 mising herself revenge when her father 
 
 p2
 
 212 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 came, and wishing for Bob who could, as 
 she said, ' give tongue' on occasion, Fred 
 came slowly behind her cheerful leader. 
 
 ' It's much better fun than going to the 
 hotel, we can go to hotels any day,' said 
 Greta, as they entered a long low cottage. 
 
 They were received by a pretty German 
 girl, whose beaming face and friendly man- 
 ner made up for any deficiencies of speech, 
 her English being almost as scanty as 
 Greta's German. She led them up an 
 easy flight of stairs into a good-sized bed- 
 room, which Fred pronounced bare and 
 Greta airy. 
 
 ' Look at the dear little beds, not a bit 
 like English beds,' cried Greta, discovering 
 two tight-looking little couches with 
 scarlet blankets strapped over them and 
 lace-trimmed feather beds on top. ' I 
 don't feel a bit sleepy though.' 
 
 'Well, I do then,' confessed Fred, break- 
 ing out at last, ' my head aches, I want no- 
 thing but tea and bed. Greta, you're an
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 213 
 
 insult to suffering humanity, I believe you 
 want to be out now, climbing up after the 
 electric light and the waterfall.' 
 
 ' "Well, doesn't it seem rather a pity to 
 be wasting one's time in bed when there's 
 so much to be seen.' 
 
 Nevertheless, Greta slept soundly, and 
 woke next morning to find sheets of rain 
 blotting out the landscape. 
 
 Fred was not altogether sorry for an 
 excuse to lie in bed. 
 
 ' We must try to get some breakfast 
 here, we can't go to the hotel this wea- 
 ther, ' she remarked, turning to sleep 
 again. 
 
 Having discovered some German dia- 
 logue in a guide-book, Greta went forth 
 to give orders. But the young mistress of 
 the house, Mademoiselle Louise, now pre- 
 sented herself, speaking good English. 
 
 ' She's so nice,' said Greta, as she return- 
 ed, bringing Fred a cup of tea. ' I wish we 
 were going to stay here altogether. It's the
 
 214 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 foresters' house and not a dependance at all/ 
 ' But can they give us breakfast T 
 '• Oh, yes, we can have raw ham/ said 
 Greta, gravely. 'I've just learnt that 
 boiled ham is not good for man. Oh, how 
 I wish it didn't rain. We might have had 
 breakfast on a great wooden balcony with 
 a lovely view, if we could only see it.' 
 
 As they sat over their coffee and rolls, 
 the weather cleared, hills and pine woods 
 coming gradually into view. Greta ran 
 from one window to another, catching new 
 aspects of the place. 
 
 ' Look at the hills above us, though we 
 are up so high,' she cried enraptured. 
 Greta's idea of enjoyment was to have 
 infinite hills to climb. And Fred was set 
 on training herself for Swiss mountains. 
 Waldberg was the very place for them, 
 since the only difficulty was to get a level 
 walk. 
 
 After breakfast, Fred declared herself 
 ready to go out and explore. They must
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 215 
 
 find the waterfall. Disdaining to ask their 
 way, they missed the shortest and prettiest 
 route, but they enjoyed a sense of dis- 
 covery when the white column of water 
 with its dark background came into view. 
 
 Returning in the middle of the twelve 
 o'clock tahle-cVhote^ they made acquaint- 
 ance with a prodigious compound of boiled 
 beef and gooseberry jam which almost ful- 
 filled Greta's petition : 
 
 ' Let us have everything as funny as we 
 can for dinner.' 
 
 Some of the guests told tales of their 
 sleeping accommodation at the Waldhof, 
 which made Fred think better of her com- 
 fortable room at the forest house. Find- 
 ing that only two rooms on the first-floor 
 could be secured for her party that night, 
 the other rooms being vaguely described 
 as rather high up, Fred decided on staying 
 at her present quarters. 
 
 ' We shall lose this if we don't look out,' 
 she declared, after a hasty interview with
 
 216 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Mademoiselle Louise. ' And now we must 
 make a rush for tlie station unless you 
 like to take tlie omnibus.' 
 
 Greta scouting this idea, they hurried 
 down the village street, arriving much too 
 soon for the train from Baden. 
 
 ' I wish Bob was coming,' said Fred, as 
 they walked up and down. 
 
 Greta could scarcely echo the wish. She 
 knew that Jack would have made much 
 more difficulty about her going if Bob had 
 been of the party. 
 
 ' Arundel promised to come if he could,' 
 Fred went on. 'I wrote from Plymouth 
 telling him our plans, but I hardly think 
 he can get away yet.' 
 
 This was no news to Greta. Fred had 
 spoken of Arundel before, though not, as it 
 happened, in Jack's hearing. 
 
 ' I hope he will come,' said Greta, after 
 a moment's deliberation, ' he's great fun, 
 though you know, Fred, he's not my sort of 
 man.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 217 
 
 The unfortunate man thus described was 
 in the approaching train, having left no 
 stone unturned to follow on their track 
 from the moment he received Fred's letter. 
 He had succeeded in overtaking some of 
 the party, and hearing that the others were 
 already at Waldberg, he was arriving in 
 the highest spirits. 
 
 Fred exclaimed with delight, and Greta 
 felt an excitement which surprised herself, 
 at the sight of Arundel. She could scarce- 
 ly tell whether the feeling was pleasant or 
 other^vise. 
 
 ' Do you mean to walk ?' asked Arundel. 
 
 '■ Rather,' said Fred, answering for herself 
 and Greta. 
 
 Maud hesitated an instant, then, seeing 
 that the way looked uninviting, she follow- 
 ed her parents into the rapidly filling 
 omnibus. 
 
 ' Did you wire for a room ?' asked Fred, 
 ^ you'll be put to sleep in the balcony or 
 the dog-kennel, if you didn't.'
 
 218 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ^I'm not particular. The dog-kennel 
 might be a tight fit perhaps.' 
 
 ' It's a very big dog,' said Greta. 
 
 ' What an unkind reflection on my size !' 
 
 Greta did not contribute much to the 
 conversation. She let Fred run on with 
 her own version of the journey, and 
 abstained from throwing any doubt on her 
 friend's prowess. But when Fred declared 
 that Greta could not speak a word of 
 German, Greta was moved to remark that 
 a word of German was exactly what she 
 could speak. 
 
 ' And a very useful word too,' she 
 added. 
 
 ' Do teach it me,' said Arundel, ' I learnt 
 lots of words, but they never happened to 
 be the ones wanted. I was coaching up 
 Ahn all yesterday. But they don't seem 
 to use Ahn at the raihvay-stations. There 
 ought to be a law about it.' 
 
 ' To make them use Ahn ?' cried Fred. 
 
 ' Or to make Ahn useful. I don't want
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 219' 
 
 to know if the porter's female cousin has 
 her false cat sold.' 
 
 'I don't believe that's in Ahn,' said 
 Fred. 
 
 ' Well, then, I don't want to go about 
 telling them that the chimney-sweep's 
 daughters have black faces. One might as 
 well be Mr. F.'s aunt. " There are mile- 
 stones on the Dover road." ' 
 
 ' Well, I mean to make myself perfect in 
 German whilst I'm here,' said Fred. ' I sat 
 next a German at the table-dliote^ he speaks 
 English a little better than I speak German, 
 but I shall propose a plan for mutual im- 
 provement. He shall talk to me in English 
 and I shall talk to him in German, and 
 we can tell each other when we make 
 mistakes.' 
 
 'You don't seem to have lost much 
 time in making acquaintances,' remarked 
 Arundel. ' Have you formed any alliance 
 for the improvement of your mind, Miss 
 Charlstrom ?'
 
 220 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' No, I'm not sure that I've got a mind 
 to improve.' 
 
 ' Greta means to improve nothing but her 
 climbing,' said Fred. ' Look at all those 
 hills, Arundel, and prepare yourself to climb 
 them everyone.' 
 
 ' We're not exactly walking on level 
 ground now, are we ? I feel rather like 
 the man in " Excelsior;" I suppose that hero 
 had what you would call a real good time. 
 Oh, dear,' he added, with a groan, 'has this 
 thing got a top, Miss Charlstrom ?' 
 
 'You mustn't call Greta Miss Charlstrom, 
 or people will be fancying she's the eldest 
 daughter,' said Fred, ' we're all one 
 family here, you know. You must say 
 Miss Greta, if she won't let you call her 
 Greta.' 
 
 ' I shouldn't think of taking such a 
 liberty, even if Miss Greta permitted it, 
 which she wouldn't. I stand in great awe 
 •of Miss Greta.' 
 
 ' I see my presence has a depressing
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 221 
 
 effect, so I'm going to withdraw it,' said 
 Greta. *I shall just run into the cottage and 
 write a letter home, Fred, I'll come on 
 afterwards.' 
 
 ' Why, you wrote home yesterday, they 
 can't want another letter yet.' 
 
 ' I must write to Jack, I promised.' 
 Some passing impulse prompted Greta to 
 add, ' I'm engaged to Jack.' She would have 
 obeyed it if she had found herself alone 
 with Fred at that moment, but it was im- 
 possible to blurt out such a fact before 
 Captain Mace. 
 
 ' Who on earth is Jack ?' asked Arundel, 
 as Greta ran away. 
 
 ' He's her brother, that is to say her step- 
 brother or whatever you call it, young 
 Daman. I don't think much of him, or of 
 old Daman either. But Greta swears by 
 them. She's off in a moment like a rocket 
 if you say anything disparaging. And 
 she's so eager not to seem ashamed of Mr. 
 Daman's business that I go in fear of her
 
 '222 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 calling out in the middle of table-dlwte^ 
 " My father keeps a shop." ' 
 
 ' I think I begin to see why she calls 
 herself a liberal.' 
 
 ' Oh, that's all nonsense, she knows no 
 more of politics than a baby. She is a 
 baby so far as ideas go. She's had no 
 one to develop her mind or to make her 
 give a reason for the faith that is in her.' 
 
 ' But now we shall see the touch of a 
 master-hand.' 
 
 ' You may laugh as much as you like, 
 but I know a great deal more than Greta. 
 She's got mind and will too, if she'd only 
 use them.' 
 
 ' I don't observe any deficiency in the 
 last item.' 
 
 ' She's lived in one narrow groove,' con- 
 tinued Fred, not heeding the interruption 
 as she planted herself in front of the hotel 
 to deliver her views. ' She's full of 
 country town prejudices, and bourgeois 
 notions. Don't you see it yourself?' asked
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 223 
 
 Fred, impatiently, as she found her com- 
 panion unresponsive. 
 
 ^I'm afraid I like bourgeois notions if they 
 mean some of our mothers', not to say our 
 grandmothers' ways.' 
 
 ' But she might be so charming.' 
 
 * Isn't she charming.' 
 
 ' She's young and pretty, that's all you 
 think of. But she won't always be eighteen. 
 1 suppose you don't mean to say that she 
 couldn't be altered for the better in a sin2:le 
 respect.' 
 
 ' In one respect she might be altered very 
 much for the better.' 
 
 But Arundel refused to explain himself, 
 and Fred's penetration was for once at 
 fault.
 
 224 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ' We've been here a week, a whole week/ 
 said Greta, leaning from the balcony of 
 the forest house and drawing in a long 
 breath of the fresh, pine-scented morning 
 air. 
 
 A week of sunshine and revel in outdoor 
 life, a week of unthinking and all-sufficing 
 enjoyment. Although Lynton and Clovelly, 
 Exmoor and Torquay, had broken the news 
 to her, Greta never climbed the pine-clad 
 hills of Waldberg without a sense of sur- 
 prise at the surpassing loveliness of this 
 earth. The murmur of rills on their 
 several ways to the Rhine, the Neckar, and 
 the Danube, mingled in her ears with the
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 225 
 
 singing of birds and the chirping of grass- 
 hoppers, from morning till night. For the 
 first time in her life Greta saw forget-me- 
 nots as thick as buttercups and daisies, 
 painting the meadows with delight. In 
 the complete joy of the present, Greta had 
 ceased to look forward even to the Swiss 
 mountains. 
 
 She gave herself no concern as to the 
 possible term of her stay. Till a recall 
 should come, home-life, with the small cares 
 which had lately ruffled its course, seemed 
 very far away. So did her engagement and 
 marriage and all the practical things of 
 life. Nothing was real but the little world 
 around her. There was a touch of fairy- 
 land about this place, which had not even 
 been a name to Greta three weeks ago. 
 The very uncertainty of their stay at Wald- 
 berg made each day more precious. The 
 old general might any day give the word 
 to march. At present he was in better 
 health and temper than he had been for 
 
 VOL. I. • Q
 
 226 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 years, and gave AValclberg the credit of 
 completing a cure commenced at Baden. 
 Lady Charlstrom's voice did not carry much 
 weight in the family councils, but, having 
 suffered from the heat at Baden, and hear- 
 ing gruesome tales of the heat of Switzer- 
 land, she made no suggestion of moving. 
 Maud had made friends at Baden who had 
 followed her to Waldberg. Fred was cul- 
 tivating her German acquaintance, if not 
 her German, since her ideas usually flowed 
 too freely to be expressed in any but her 
 natural tongue. Greta made friends with 
 everyone, with the old women and children 
 who were always plaiting straws and giv- 
 ing Guten Tag to the passers-by, even 
 with the saturnine dog, on whom Fred 
 had billeted Arundel. She had grown 
 intimate with Mademoiselle Louise, and her 
 acquaintance with their pretty attendant 
 was ^progressing rapidly, though the two 
 girls could only exchange ideas by means 
 of signs and isolated words, peals of
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 227 
 
 laughter filling up gaps in the conversation. 
 Fred had grown as fond of the forest house 
 as Greta, and would not hear of moving to 
 the hotel. 
 
 ' It's much nicer to breakfast here,' she 
 remarked, as she joined Greta in the bal- 
 
 cony, we get it over sooner. And we 
 must start early for St Bauerin.' 
 
 Fred imported a slight air of business 
 into her pleasure. She had laid strenuous 
 injunctions on Arundel to be early at the 
 cottage, and he came strolling down the 
 steep incline from the Waldhof before they 
 had quite finished breakfast. 
 
 ^ We're not ready for you yet,' she said, 
 • but I like early rising.' 
 
 ' It's an enforced virtue ; they clear out 
 the passages and coal-holes where the 
 bachelors sleep, first thing. As for the 
 coflPee-roora, it's a feminine bower till about 
 eleven. So I have no choice but to turn 
 out.' 
 
 ' Did you see my German this morning T 
 
 q2
 
 228 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 'Yes, but I didn't tell him where we 
 were 2:oin2:.' 
 
 ' You might have let him come ; he could 
 tell us all about the places.' 
 
 * Xot better than Baeddeker, I daresay ; 
 I brought him for your benefit. Miss 
 Greta's like me, she can look at a hill with- 
 out wanting to know its name.' 
 
 * It's more than you can do for a man, 
 then,' retorted Fred ; ' you want his pedi- 
 gree and a reference to his banker before 
 you think him fit to speak to us.' 
 
 Fred left the balcony as she spoke, and 
 Greta, taking her hat, went down to 
 Arundel. 
 
 ' I wish you'd brought the poor German,' 
 she observed, ' Fred would have liked to 
 have him.' 
 
 ' So should I, immensely ; you don't 
 know how self-denying I am.' 
 
 ' It isn't as if Fred was a flirt, and there 
 isn't a bit of nonsense about her ; she never 
 thinks of such things,' said Greta, colour-
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 229 
 
 ing and getting a little involved in her 
 explanation as she suddenly remembered 
 that she was talking to a young man. 
 
 ' You needn't tell me that, I know Fred 
 extends her good fellowship impartially to 
 both sexes. I hope your interpretation of 
 nonsense isn't too wide, Miss Greta?' 
 
 ' I only know that I'm not romantic.' 
 
 ' Xo, I don't think you are,' said Fred, 
 joining them. ' You don't even care for 
 novels. Why, how far have you got in 
 
 buccess f 
 
 ' Oh, to where the people begin love- 
 making. But I liked them better when 
 they were quarrelling.' 
 
 ' Of course they begin with a little 
 aversion. Lovers always do in German 
 stories.* 
 
 ' But real lovers don't.' 
 
 ' Do 3'ou believe in nothing but love at 
 first sight, Miss Greta?' 
 
 ' No, I call that nonsense. People can't 
 love anyone they've only seen once.'
 
 230 A NEW FxVCE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ^''Love at first sight first-born and heir 
 of all," ' quoted Arundel. 
 
 ' I don't care for poet's talk.' 
 
 ^Will you give me a prosaic version, 
 then?' 
 
 ' I never define, I don't know how. And 
 I can't enjoy my walk if you want me to 
 be clever. Oh, what a glorious butter- 
 fly!' 
 
 ^A Camberwell beauty, by Jove!' ex- 
 claimed Arundel. 
 
 ' If it would only settle for a moment !' 
 
 ' I know you're hungering for a cork. I 
 daresay you've got pins about you.' 
 
 ' Brute !' returned Greta, shortly. 
 
 ' Have I put my foot in it ? I thought 
 you wanted a specimen.' 
 
 Finding that she had been betrayed into 
 taking chaff seriously, Greta sought about 
 for revenge. 
 
 ' Of course soldiers are cruel !' she re- 
 marked, ' and doctors '
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 231 
 
 'And butchers,' added Arundel; *I 
 wouldn't leave them out/ 
 
 '- 1 won't, or knackers either ; I daresay 
 they're all equally callous to suffering.' 
 
 ' We're not allowed to go about potting 
 our fellow-creatures indiscriminately, you 
 know.' 
 
 ' Greta, you don't deserve to be a soldier's 
 daughter,' said Fred. 
 
 ' I'm not at all proud of the distinction.' 
 
 ' Then you ought to be. I am. I think 
 very little of men who are not in the army. 
 It's the only thing I envy them. We can 
 do everything else better than they can, 
 but I'm afraid we couldn't stand cam- 
 paigning.' 
 
 ' I could,' said Greta, with a happy 
 ignorance of the thoughts passing through 
 Arundel's mind. 
 
 They had got into the open country now, 
 and Greta's course grew erratic as monster 
 harebells and tiny red pinks offered irre-
 
 232 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 sistible temptations. In her pink zephyr 
 dress and straw hat, a glow of sunburn 
 warming the soft tints of her face, the sun- 
 shine lighting up her brown hair, she 
 might have inspired Fred's exclamation : 
 ' What a lovely picture.' 
 ' A sight to make an old man young/ 
 ' I wasn't thinking of the figure in the 
 foreground. A fitting figure, I confess. 
 
 " Du bist wie eine Blume 
 So hold, so schon, so reiu," 
 
 as my German quoted when I asked him 
 what he thought of Greta.' 
 
 ' Hang your German.' 
 
 ' Arundel, you're getting sentimental.' 
 
 ' You've got your OAvn notion of senti- 
 ment.' Then, as Greta came back to them, 
 he turned to her. ' I didn't offer to pick 
 for you because I know that's the best part, 
 but perhaps I may be allowed to carry your 
 spoils.' 
 
 ' Wait till I've stuck some in my dress 
 and made a bunch for Fred.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 233 
 
 ^ And a buncli to stick in my dress too.* 
 
 ' Take as many as you like.' said Greta, 
 holding out her flowers. ' Why, your 
 fingers are all thumbs,' she exclaimed, as 
 he began displaying the most painstaking 
 awkwardness. ' Put the stems even — 
 so ' 
 
 ' Thanks, how clever you are, I only want 
 a pin now.' 
 
 'Well — if you'll promise not to use it in 
 the pursuit of natural history.' 
 
 ' Do you know,' said Arundel, as he 
 fumbled at his button-hole. ' I once asked 
 a lady for a tuft of primroses and she 
 looked as if I'd insulted her.' 
 
 * Did she, how silly.' 
 
 ' Wasn't it ; would you believe that she 
 looked like an outraged canary?' 
 
 ' Oh,' returned Greta, with awakened 
 recollection. ' I wouldn't recall my own 
 impertinences if I were you.' 
 
 'You were awfully down on me that 
 day, I think you're a little milder now.'
 
 234 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 * I've found out that you're only a pro- 
 fessional jester, I didn't know how harm- 
 less you were at first.' 
 
 ' " Get out, you funny little man," as Miss 
 Fotheringay remarked to Foker. That's 
 the way you regard me now.' 
 
 'Very much. But do look at the mute 
 reproach conveyed in Fred's vanishing 
 form r 
 
 Perhaps Arundel understood Fred's re- 
 treat better. However little he might 
 desire a confidant, he could scarcely reject 
 the services of a willing and efficient ally. 
 Her eyes being opened, Fred showed her 
 usual activity in Arundel's service. The 
 novelist showed some skill in handling a 
 real plot. As consolation for playing an 
 outsider's part, she probably took notes for 
 the lighter scenes in her realistic romance 
 of the Old Bailey. 
 
 During their stay at Waldberg, Fred 
 developed a taste for sketching which 
 served her friend's cause, whilst it shed a
 
 A NEW FACE AT TPIE DOOE. 235^ 
 
 new radiance on her own future. She 
 already saw her Black Forest landscapes 
 on the walls of the exhibition, and read 
 glowing notices of them in the papers. 
 Her triumphs had hitherto consisted in the 
 skying of one or two tiny flower pieces 
 amongst a collection which was so select 
 as scarcely to enjoy recognition beyond 
 the circle of the exhibitors and their 
 friends. But Fred was blessed with a 
 double portion of the hope which is said to 
 spring eternal. Any success elated her, 
 no failure disheartened her. 
 
 ' I do think she's the happiest creature 
 in the world,' remarked Greta, one day as 
 they strayed away leaving Fred under a 
 big umbrella, washing in an expanse of 
 country which it was absolutely impossible 
 that she could have seen at once. 
 
 ' That's been my conclusion for some 
 time,' said Arundel. ' She carries a fund 
 of entertainment in herself Most of us 
 want some amusement to fill up the day,.
 
 236 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Fred could amuse herself for forty-eight 
 hours in the day if she had them.' 
 
 ^ Now, you're getting metaphysical and 
 making my head ache.' 
 
 ' I don't believe your head ever ached 
 in its life or your heart either. I'm con- 
 vinced they're both sound and good as 
 new.' 
 
 ' A doubtful compliment if it means that 
 I never thought of anything or cared for 
 anybody.' 
 
 ' You may have cared for your parents 
 and teachers, and pastors and masters. 
 That doesn't mean wear and tear.' 
 
 ' It's all aUke, I think.' 
 
 ' You're slightly ambiguous, but so f^ir 
 as I can grasp your meaning it seems 
 to me to show utter ignorance of the 
 matter.' 
 
 'I know more about it than you think.' 
 
 ' I'm sorry to hear it.' 
 
 ' Oh, you're thinking of heart-aches, I 
 know nothing about them.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 237 
 
 ' It's not likely you ever will.' 
 
 ' You carry them lightly enough consid- 
 ering your wide experience. Oh, dear/ 
 she cried, as an almost forgotten episode 
 rushed into her mind, just a minute too 
 late, ' I beg your pardon, I forgot, it was 
 all before I knew you.' 
 
 ' In a former life, I think, or perhajDS it 
 happened to another person. You heard all 
 about it?' 
 
 'Mrs. Randall told me — just after it 
 happened. I was very sorry for you.' 
 
 'Thank you for kind thoughts.' 
 
 ' I didn't think of you much,' confessed 
 Greta, eager to disown unmerited praise, 
 ' I always try not to think of painful things. 
 But in church — about people in this transi- 
 tory life, you know — I couldn't help think- 
 ing of you then.' 
 
 ' I could ask no better place in your 
 thoughts, at least not at that time. Tell 
 me,' he added, after a slight pause, 
 ' can you fancy a boy and girl growing
 
 "238 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 up togetlier, always fond of eacli other?' 
 
 'Like me and Jack,' thought Greta. 
 ' Oh, yes, I can fancy that quite well.' 
 
 ' Good friends like Fred and I might be, 
 only the girl happened to be much prettier 
 than Fred, and that made the boy more 
 sentimental about her.' 
 
 ' It always does,' said Greta, as if deplor- 
 ing the fact. 
 
 ' Growing into man and woman, but 
 going on just the same, the girl at least 
 desiring no change. But the older people, 
 the wise ones, you know, find out that this 
 is not the conventional state of things. It 
 must be all or nothing. Rather reluctant- 
 ly the girl consents to make it all. Six 
 weeks end it. They might have let her 
 alone a little longer.' 
 
 ISTo answer, only a friendly look from 
 eyes as clear and guileless as a little 
 child's. Presently in a low voice Greta 
 said, 
 
 ' You went abroad.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 239 
 
 'As soon as I could. I don't believe in 
 change, not tliat sort of change at least, 
 but it was something to get away from the 
 condolences. Don't think me unfeeling, 
 but you don't know what it is to see every 
 face change its shape and expression at the 
 sight of you. I've been spoiling your walk, 
 I'm afraid. Won't you begin picking blue- 
 bells again and crying out at the birds with 
 red tails.' 
 
 ' That's all I'm good for.' 
 
 ^ Don't alter yourself whatever you do, 
 
 " Be everything that now thou art 
 Be nothing that thou art not." 
 
 I won't ask you who wrote that.' 
 
 ' You'd better not. You're awful people 
 
 for quotations, you and Fred, I feel as if I'd 
 
 gone to school again.' 
 
 They had been wandering aimlessly 
 
 round the wooded hill, and came out on a 
 
 level gap in the pines overlooking the 
 
 village. 
 
 ' I shall run down to the post-office
 
 240 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 and see if there are any letters,' said 
 Greta. 
 
 ' I'll come and inter]3ret for you.' 
 
 ' Why, I'm learning to talk like a native. 
 Didn't I send a parcel by post and declare 
 its contents with their length and breadth 
 and weight?' 
 
 ' You got the whole town to help you, 
 so far as I remember. Given great natural 
 advantages and an obliging people to deal 
 with, who couldn't score? I'm obliged to 
 pull out my passport and talk pages of 
 pure German before they'll give me my 
 letters.' 
 
 ' Try Schiller's '' Song of the Bell," Fred's 
 always repeating it.' 
 
 ' I never heard her ; don't tell her so, or 
 she'll insist on reciting. Well,' added 
 Arundel, ' you don't look pleased with your 
 letter now you've got it.' 
 
 Greta was looking with some apprehen- 
 sion at a closely written and crossed sheet 
 in Aunt Sophy's writing.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 241 
 
 ' It wasn't worth calling for,' she declared, 
 beginning to read as she went along. 
 
 ^ Nothing amiss, I hope?' said Arundel, 
 seeing her face cloud. 
 
 'Only something that makes me angry.' 
 
 They had reached a little wooden bridge, 
 and Greta leaned against the post, reading. 
 Aunt Sophy expressed herself lengthily in 
 the style of a time when brevity in a letter 
 was almost thought rude, at least by 
 women. She urged Greta to come home 
 and look after her lover. Opal, she ex- 
 plained, was working her dark designs and 
 gaining a malign influence over Jack. 
 There was no limit to the ascendancy a 
 cunning, unscrupulous woman could gain 
 over a weak man. And Jack was as weak 
 as water ; Greta might remember that she, 
 the writer, had always told her so. As 
 for Opal, Miss Gay stated that she had 
 established her identity with the Opal 
 Carew of Brussels beyond all doubt. Her 
 present behaviour was just what might 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 242 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 have been expected from her antecedents. 
 Greta had better come quickly or it might 
 be too late. 
 
 ' Does she think I'm going to iight over 
 my lover ?' Greta asked herself, indignantly. 
 ^ Does she suppose I'd try to hang on to 
 n man who didn't want me ?' 
 
 Then Greta reproached herself for taking 
 anything Aunt Sophy said seriously, and, 
 returning to her letter, found a postscript. 
 
 ' Remember, my dear niece, that this is 
 no mere question of your own happiness or 
 of your own selfish welfare. The fortunes 
 of your family depend solely on Jack. His 
 marriage with you will not only secure a 
 good provision to yourself, it will bind his 
 interests to those of both your parents. 
 Marriage with another would probably 
 estrange him and bring ruin to you all.' 
 
 ' Does she want to make me throw Jack 
 over,' thought Greta, furiously. ^ I'd do 
 it directly if I believed her. But I don't,' 
 she exclaimed, tearing the letter up and
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 243 
 
 throwing it into the stream. ' I wish I 
 had kept it and sent it to Jack,' she 
 thought, next minute, 'but I'll write to 
 him instead, and I'll write to Aunt Sophy.' 
 
 Greta began walking on, and Arundel 
 joined her in silence. She turned and 
 looked at him defiantly. 
 
 ' You needn't begin about canary-birds ; 
 I know I'm ruffled.' 
 
 ' I'd smoothe your plumage if I could. 
 I scarcely dare venture to offer you these 
 forget-me-nots ; I picked them whilst you 
 were rending your correspondent by proxy.' 
 
 ' It was a nasty, spiteful letter, and I 
 mean to write a nasty, spiteful answer.' 
 
 ' Do you always return evil for evil?' 
 
 ' Shouldn't you if some one tried to set 
 you against a friend ?' 
 
 ' I don't think I should notice it. Silence 
 is often as cutting as abuse, and always 
 much safer.' 
 
 ' I never think of what's safe.' 
 
 ' People don't till they've lived long 
 
 r2
 
 244 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 enoiio:li to brew themselves a few tons of 
 hot water.' 
 
 ' Shouldn't you tell the person what was 
 said against them ?' 
 
 ' That depends on the person. All I can 
 say for myself is, let me be abused behind 
 my back by choice.' 
 
 Greta pondered for a few moments, her 
 fingers playing absently mth the flowers 
 which she had mechanically taken from 
 Arundel. At last she spoke. 
 
 ' Perhaps it shows a little distrust to 
 make people explain things ?'
 
 245 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 During Greta's absence Miss Gay found 
 full scope for the detective faculty wliich 
 she supposed herself to possess. She saw 
 — -just as much as Opal chose. To be 
 found out was part of that young lady's 
 plan, but she did not mean to be wholly 
 found out at first. Neither did she wish 
 to be found out by Mrs. Daman. An ex- 
 planation with her employer might lead to 
 a summary dismissal which would discon- 
 cert all her schemes, especially one which 
 she held in reserve. If she could not^ 
 detach Jack from Greta, Opal meant to 
 detach Greta from Jack. It w^ould not, 
 she thought, be difficult to entrap Jack
 
 216 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 
 
 into some appearance of inconstancy which 
 should provoke his fiancee to throw him 
 over. Opal felt confident that Greta would 
 tolerate no unfaithfulness in a lover. It 
 would matter nothinpj to her that the reis-n 
 of the strange goddess might be obviously 
 ephemeral. The smallest disloyalty would 
 be an unpardonable sin in Greta's eyes. 
 
 At this stage of her career, Opal was up- 
 held by a conviction that success awaited 
 her. She had been a believer in presenti- 
 ments all her life. Coming events had 
 more than once, in her experience, seemed 
 to cast their shadows before. The shadows 
 had usually been threatening, like those 
 which had almost driven her back from 
 the gates of the Glebe House. But now, 
 the vague oracle elated her with promise 
 of coming triumph. It told her, in a voice 
 audible to some inner sense, that the days 
 of poverty and drudgery were over, that 
 fortune was coming at last with both hands 
 full. Heedless of the fact that she had
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 247 
 
 never rightly guessed tlie form wbicli ful- 
 filment would take, Opal told herself that 
 the marriage she desired was plainly fore- 
 shadowed. Confident assurance added 
 force to a will already stronger than the 
 one to which it opposed itself. 
 
 Jack had begun with fatally good reso- 
 lutions. Greta had never reigned more 
 absolutely over his affections than now ; it 
 seemed impossible that any other woman 
 could find a place even in his fancy. 
 Since he could not take himself from home 
 in the present crisis, Jack determined to 
 return late, to devote his evenings to 
 accounts, to bear the infliction of Aunt 
 Sophy's company rather than risk himself 
 within reach of Opal's wiles. Opal had 
 grown much prettier of late, he could not 
 help seeing that. She was a good deal 
 admired too. It was the season of garden- 
 parties, which were more comprehensive 
 than the formal winter entertainments. 
 Invitations were elastic, and Mrs. Daman
 
 248 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 often sent Opal out with Miss Gay, wlio 
 had a starved longing after the gaiety 
 which she had never enjoj^ed. Opal made 
 the most of her opportunities. She had 
 thrown off the shrinking, half servile 
 manner with which she had been used to 
 seek favour. 
 
 Miss Gay brought home dreadful tales 
 of Opal's ' goings on.' On one occasion 
 when Bob Charlstrom had appeared, start- 
 ing up suddenly from some distant quarter, 
 Opal was reported to have scandalised the 
 county. This was at least an adequate 
 version of the fact that some one had said, 
 ' How that girl is flirting.' Greta was 
 not the only person who had power to 
 rouse Jack's jealousy. It was his nature 
 to be jealous — of his chums, of his little 
 sister, of his dogs when they lavished their 
 favours elsewhere. Even whilst he flew 
 from Opal's devotion, he did not like to 
 hear that she Avas consoling herself. In 
 his folly, he made an allusion which gave
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 249 
 
 her the opening she had been looking for. 
 
 Opal and Bowwow had met Jack on his 
 way home from the station. It was not 
 his fault if they took their walk in the 
 evening and chose to come his road. But 
 he need not have drawn Bowwow's atten- 
 tion to an early bit of honeysuckle which 
 was sufficiently inaccessible to keep her 
 scrambling in the hedge. 
 
 ' My flirtations,' said Opal, taking the 
 word out of Jack's mouth. * I'm sure I 
 never seek them, I suppose every girl likes 
 to find herself admired. And I sometimes 
 think I must be revolting. I want to be 
 reassured now and then. But,' bending 
 her head with her favourite air of modest 
 submission, 4f you care what I do ' 
 
 Jack looked back impatiently, but Bow- 
 wow was picking wild roses. He felt a 
 velvet touch on his arm as Opal spoke 
 again. 
 
 'Mr. Charlstrom wanted to know if I 
 was going to Fern Lea. It wasn't easy for
 
 250 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 
 
 liirn to come, lie said. Sliall I go ? I won't 
 if you'd rather I didn't.' 
 
 ' I don't think philandering with a fellow 
 like that can do you any good, it only 
 makes people talk.' 
 
 * I don't mind their talk, I only mind 
 you. And I don't philander. Not one of 
 those men should kiss the hem of my 
 dress.' 
 
 As Opal was not like Greta, chary of her 
 condescension, this was saying a good deal. 
 
 ' But 1 can't be trampled on for ever,' 
 continued Opal. ' I don't mean to stay 
 here much longer. You needn't tell them, 
 hut I don't. I can't stand a good many 
 things, and I must make myself friends 
 when I can.' 
 
 'If you'll excuse my saying so, I don't 
 think Bob Charlstrom's a marrying man.' 
 
 ' Any man's a marrying man if he falls in 
 love. But I don't want him. No doubt I 
 ought not to allow myself preferences. It's 
 a taste above my station, I suppose, still
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 251 
 
 it's there,' said Opal, with a little plaintive 
 laugh. 
 
 Bowwow came running back, and Jack 
 congratulated himself on having got out of 
 an awkward position. 
 
 Next day Opal met him again. Bowwow 
 ran off at once. 
 
 ' Mr. Daman,' said Opal, with an air of 
 determination. ' I'm in a difficulty and 
 I've come to consult you. I think you are 
 my friend, at least I've got no other. 
 Long ago when I was at school, a man used 
 to send me letters and try to meet me in 
 all sorts of clandestine ways. There was a 
 good deal of love-making going on in the 
 school. The girls used to edge each other 
 on and think it grand, I suppose I thought 
 it grand too. I know I never really cared 
 about it, but I just followed the bigger 
 girls. One day there was a blow-up. 
 The governess didn't dare punish the rich 
 girls, and she was dreadfully afraid of a 
 scandal. But she was obliged to do some-
 
 252 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 thing, so slie made an example of me. It 
 didn't matter. There were a lot of prigs 
 in the school who were shocked of course. 
 One of the greatest prigs was a certain 
 Emily Harrison. Miss Gay has unearthed 
 her somehow, and means to bring her face 
 to face with me, Bowwow told me so. 
 I've done nothing to be ashamed of, but 
 I'm not in a position to face a garbled 
 version of that story. Anything serves 
 to take the bread out of a governess's 
 mouth. If this girl sees me it's all up 
 with my chance of getting pupils. If she 
 doesn't see me she can never say positively 
 that I am her Opal Carew. Listen,' she 
 added, as Jack seemed about to speak, ' I 
 won't hide anything from you. I let your 
 mother and Greta think it was my cousin 
 when Miss Gay told them this story months 
 ago. I didn't tell any falsehood. They 
 jumped to the conclusion, and I didn't 
 contradict them, that's all. But it makes 
 it worse for me now.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 253 
 
 Jack, seeing with tlie eyes of twenty only 
 one side of the question, and that the 
 extremely pretty one before him, declared 
 that it was an infernal shame. 
 
 * It's cruel,' said Opal; 'my life isn't 
 too smooth anyhow. But won't you take 
 pity on me and tell me what I can do. 
 Emily Harrison comes the day after to- 
 morrow.' 
 
 ' For how long?' 
 
 ' Only one day. She's going to Penzance. 
 Miss Gay has persuaded her to stop here on 
 her way,' 
 
 ' Have a telegram to call you away.' 
 
 ' Who's to send it ? You forget that I 
 haven't got friends like other people.' 
 
 ' I could send it, for that matter.' 
 
 ' And where am I to go when I've got 
 it?' 
 
 ' Oh, anywhere ; you must know some- 
 body.' 
 
 ' I give you my word the only people 
 who would take me in are an old school-
 
 254 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 fellow and her mother who live in London. 
 And a journey to London, even third-class, 
 is ruinous.' 
 
 ' Don't let that stand in your way.' 
 
 ' I mustn't let anything stand in the way 
 if I can help it,' said Opal, bursting into 
 tears. ' I'm the most forlorn creature in 
 the world, and my living is going to be 
 taken from me.' 
 
 ' Not a bit of it,' said Jack ; ' I'm sure 
 mother wouldn't believe this Emily Harri- 
 son against you.' 
 
 ' Pray don't tell her you know anything 
 abo u t it. And Bowwow mustn't let o ut that 
 she warned me.' 
 
 ' I'll answer for Bowwow. What shall I 
 wire ?' 
 
 ' '' Mother dangerously ill, come at once. 
 
 Polly."' 
 
 'Will you wire to them that you're 
 
 coming ?' 
 
 ' Oh, no, they'll take me in fast enough. 
 I can sleep on the sofa.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 255 
 
 The only immediate result of Opal's 
 scare was a four days' holiday, which she 
 spent joyously in parading Oxford Street 
 and Westbourne Grove with her friend, 
 picking up bargains with which the shops 
 overflowed in these last days of summer. 
 Thanks to Jack, Opal secured quite a little 
 feminine equipment. 
 
 Emily Harrison did not come to Avon- 
 uish. She sent Miss Gay a telegram de- 
 clining to break her journey. Perhaps 
 she had no taste for detective's work. 
 But Opal's flight was conclusive evidence 
 in Miss Gay's eyes. 
 
 ' Don't tell me she didn't know,' was 
 her answer to Mrs. Daman's defence, ' she's 
 quite capable of listening at the door.' 
 
 In spite of himself, Jack was drawn 
 closer to Opal by her confidence. He 
 had found somethinsr straio^ht-forward in 
 her confession, and he was touched by her 
 genuine gratitude. Besides, he had found 
 it very dull when she was away. Before
 
 256 A NEW FACE AT TUVl DOOR. 
 
 long he was giving Aunt Sopliy good occa- 
 sion to write lier warning letter, though 
 she was not yet quite behind the scenes. 
 Jack's scruples were sleeping and Opal's 
 cares forgotten in a happy dream, when 
 from the cloudless sky that hung above 
 Rheinfals a thunder-bolt descended on the 
 household at Avonuish.
 
 257 
 
 CHAPTER XYII. 
 
 The sound of a niiglity torrent had suc- 
 ceeded the soft murmur of the Waldberg 
 rills. With wondering eyes Greta stood 
 gazing at a rushing living sheet of green 
 water which scattered showers of white 
 and iridescent foam. Half screened by 
 pink oleanders, she leaned over the broad 
 balcony of the Rheinhof at Rheinfals. 
 The wild riot of sio^ht and sound filled 
 Greta with a sense of exultation. It was 
 something widely different from the more 
 peaceful delight which she had felt at 
 Waldberg. The time of Sturm-und-Drang 
 was at hand. But the present was still all 
 in all. 
 
 * I should like to be in the midst of it/ 
 VOL. I. s
 
 258 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 cried Greta, watching with envious eyes a 
 little boat which was struggling backwards 
 and forwards, round and round, in the 
 eddy as it approached a narrow rock 
 which divided the Falls and oiFered a cen- 
 tral point of view to the adventurous. 
 
 ' You and Fred had better get Arundel 
 to take you,' said the general. ^ I don't 
 think it's much in Maud's line or mine.' 
 
 ' It makes me giddy only to look,' ob- 
 served Maud, turning away and posing her 
 fine figure against an orange-tree, to the 
 admiration of the tourists who were taking 
 every variety of light refreshment at little 
 tables on the terrace. Swiss maiden wait- 
 resses flitted to and fro. 
 
 ' I wonder whether their dress would be 
 effective at a fancy-ball,' remarked Maud, 
 * it's much plainer than the Swiss costumes 
 people always wear. Do find out where 
 they get those great silver chains, Fred.' 
 
 ' Suppose I were to sketch one of the
 
 A NET7 FACE AT THE DOOR. 259 
 
 girls/ suggested Fred, ^just rouglily for 
 the sake of the dress.' 
 
 ' Oh, you won't go in a boat if you 
 "begin sketching,' objected Greta. 
 
 'We'd much better go in the morning. 
 There, that's the prettiest girl, I hope 
 she doesn't mind having her portrait 
 taken.' 
 
 ' She won't recocfnise it,' observed Maud, 
 who had sat to Fred herself 
 
 Greta did not join the little knot round 
 the artist. She remained looking steadily 
 at the Falls, and did not see the look of 
 intelligence which passed amongst the 
 others when Arundel came in with his 
 hands full of letters and stepped quickly 
 to her side. 
 
 ' Nothing for you. Miss Greta.' 
 
 ' I want to go in a boat,' was Greta's 
 only answer. 
 
 ' Let's go then. Might I suggest a mack- 
 intosh over that dress ?'
 
 260 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 
 
 ' You mustn't go without me,' cried Fred, 
 ' I want to go, though I know it must be 
 horrid. Xo one would think of o:oino^ 
 twice.' 
 
 ' We can get nearer the Falls without 
 taking a boat, if you like,' said Arundel^ 
 addressing Greta. 
 
 ' Of course you won't go, Fred — will 
 you, Maud ?' said Greta, lingering. 
 
 ' No, thanks, it can't be half so nice as 
 this,' returned Maud, with a half smile. 
 
 Arundel led the way for some moments 
 in silence. 
 
 ' Has anything bothered you ?' asked 
 Greta, suddenly. 
 
 ' Nothing but the idea that my holiday 
 is nearly over.' 
 
 Greta exclaimed, with some consternation. 
 She had thought of her own holiday coming 
 to an end, but not of his. 
 
 'I ought to be shooting grouse next 
 week, it's " poor pa's " one diversion, and I 
 must give him a few days. Oh, dear, what
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 2G1 
 
 am I talking about, you'll think me an old 
 murderer. I suppose you'd never look at 
 me again if I ventured to send you some 
 grouse.' 
 
 ' It's a nasty cruel sport, but men will do 
 it. Jack loves shooting, though I'm always 
 tr3dng to make him give it up.' 
 
 * I'll be more tractable than Jack, I'll 
 never shoot another bird if you'll like me a 
 little better for it.' 
 
 '^ Oh, you want to be bribed.' 
 
 ' I do. Think of all the innocent lives 
 you might save. I'm a dead shot, of course. ' 
 
 ' What would your father say ?' 
 
 ' He'd be simply disgusted mth me ; I 
 should have to make play with a gun, you 
 know, only I should take care never to hit 
 anything, except a gilHe perhaps. But 
 I'll brave the parental disgust for your 
 favour.' 
 
 ' I won't trust you. You know I never 
 do take you quite seriously, I learnt that 
 ^arly in our acquaintance.'
 
 262 A NEW FACE y^T THE DOOR. 
 
 This was by no means the turn which 
 Arundel wished to give to the conversation. 
 
 'If I was ill-advised enough to try to 
 tease you at first, I'm sure I never venture 
 to do so now,' he said, with a slight falter 
 on the last word. 
 
 ' No, you've grown quite stupid.' 
 
 This might be considered an extinguisher 
 for a man who wished to talk sentiment, 
 but Arundel was not without resources. 
 He would have turned Greta's charo^e to 
 account if they had not at that moment 
 reached the chateau through which they 
 had to pass to get a nearer view of the Falls. 
 Greta hailed it as the threshold of enter- 
 prise, Avhilst Arundel found that he had 
 little chance of tAvisting the talk to his 
 purpose amidst an exhibition of musical 
 tables and chairs. Neither could he arrest 
 Greta's eager steps as she ran along the 
 little slippery jD^ths which led from the 
 chateau close down to the Falls. 
 
 Greta scarcely paused till she reached
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR: 263 
 
 the last resting-place, where the torrent 
 thundered almost within reach. Arundel 
 followed her closely to the farthest ledge. 
 
 ' I daren't touch you/ he said, as she 
 persistently rejected his hand. 
 
 Gretahadnot spoken sinceshecame under 
 the spell of the waters. She looked rather 
 awe-struck, yet there was a feeling of 
 intensified life about her. As she gazed 
 on the fury of white, roaring water, she 
 was half-conscious of a desire to grasp the 
 present moment and hold it fast. She 
 made none of her usual running comment- 
 ary on the sights and sounds. 
 
 In silence they returned through the 
 chateau, across the bridge towards the 
 hotel. They did not go back quite the 
 same way as they had come. Arundel 
 contrived to lose the direct road and to 
 find a quiet path by the river. His face 
 was graver than usual. Greta knew it 
 though she avoided his eyes. He had 
 something to tell her. She had something
 
 264 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 to tell him too, and slie knew that she ought 
 to tell her story first. But she could not 
 bring it out. He was the first to speak. 
 
 • If I believed it possible, I should say 
 you were tired. Won't you sit down ?' 
 
 It sounded like a prayer. Arundel had 
 never spoken to her in exactly that tone 
 before, but she had always been vaguely 
 conscious of liking his voice. With a 
 feeling of guilt, Greta sank on the little 
 bench, conscience telling her that she ought 
 to hurry on. 
 
 ' Some one has left a book,' she said, with 
 a last efi'ort to make safe conversation. 
 S" Sonnets," — what is a sonnet?' 
 
 ' You don't like definitions. Shall I read 
 you one as an illustration ? — Perhaps this 
 may help me,' thought Arundel, fluttering 
 over the leaves with a half-smile as he 
 remembered that reading poetry was one 
 of his accomplishments. Thoroughly in 
 earnest as he was, he had a latent sense 
 of amusement at his lately revealed self.
 
 A Js^EW FACE AT THE DOOR. 265 
 
 The sonnet which Arundel chose did 
 not happen to be in the collection which 
 he held in his hand. It was only suggest- 
 ed by a similar one which seemed too trite 
 for his purpose. But Greta supposed him 
 to be reading. 
 
 ' Beloved, my beloved, when I think 
 That thou wast in the world a year ago, 
 What time I sat alone here in the snow 
 And saAV no footprint, heard the silence sink 
 No moment at thy voice, but link by link, 
 Went counting all my chains as if that so 
 They never could fall off at anj blow 
 Struck by thy possible hand, — why, thus I drink 
 Of life's great cup of wonder ! Wonderful, 
 Never to feel thee thrill the day or night 
 AVith personal act or speech, — nor ever cull 
 Some prescience of thee with the blossoms white 
 Thou sawest growing ' 
 
 The verse ceased, but the voice went 
 on — 
 
 ' A world without Greta. Would you 
 send me back to such a world?' 
 
 Greta made no sign, though she felt 
 him close beside her trying to read her 
 face. 
 
 * Won't you even look at me ?' he asked.
 
 2G6 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 
 
 ' Do you keep all your kindness for tlie 
 butterflies and the birds ? Have you none 
 for a man who loves you so that he feels 
 stupid before you ?' 
 
 Greta had drawn herself back into the 
 farthest corner of the bench. She kept 
 her hands tightly clasped as Arundel tried 
 to touch them. Her eyes had a shocked, 
 appealing look, her lips were white as she 
 moved them. 
 
 ' I ought to have told you before. I'm 
 engaged. Oh, my poor Jack !' cried Greta, 
 with a sudden gust of remorseful shame as 
 she rushed away. 
 
 Flying to the shelter of her bed-room, 
 she ran against Fred, who caught her arm. 
 
 ' Whatever is it ? You look as if you'd 
 seen a ghost.' 
 
 ' Let me alone ; I must go home,' gasped 
 Greta. Then, as Fred refused to let her 
 alone, she cried out impatiently by way of 
 explanation, ' I'm engaged to Jack.' 
 
 'And you never told us,' cried Fred,
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 267 
 
 indignantly, ' and you let poor Arundel go 
 on ! Greta, you've behaved shamefully ! 
 Where is he ? I must find him,' and Fred 
 ran away to try to console ' poor Arundel.' 
 
 It was ' poor Jack ' with Greta, Jack to 
 whom she had given a stone. She knew 
 now what a poor pretence she had offered 
 him by way of love. This was love — this, 
 which had made Waldberg Eden — this, 
 which had made her fly from Arundel — 
 this, which thrilled her with a fearful joy 
 even whilst she shuddered over her broken 
 faith. 
 
 From childhood Greta had accepted the 
 fact that she belonged to Jack. It seemed 
 now almost as if, being married, she had 
 let herself listen to words of love from a 
 stranger. Shame was her strongest feel- 
 ing, though she was conscious also of a 
 horrible fear lest her confession might cost 
 her Arundel. For a moment she had 
 been tempted to withhold that confession 
 if only for one day. She had always been
 
 268 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 
 
 eager to clutch the moment's enjoyment. 
 From a dream of that golden day which 
 mio-ht have been, Greta tore herself to 
 think of Jack. She must tell him, come 
 -what might. 
 
 It was not Greta's nature to write 
 letters and tear them up, she put down 
 the first words which came into her head, 
 without even reading them over to see if 
 they could be softened. 
 
 ' My DEAR Jack, 
 
 ' I have made a dreadful mis- 
 take ; I ought never to have promised to 
 marry you. I know I have behaved 
 shamefully, but I can never marry you 
 now. Be as angry as you like, only don't 
 be too sorry. 
 
 ' Greta.' 
 
 Stealing down to post her letter, Greta 
 ;saw Arundel come in with Fred. She 
 hurried away, but rejoiced to find Fred 
 following her.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 269' 
 
 ' What does he think of me?' she could 
 not help asking. 
 
 * Not half so badly as you deserve,' said 
 Fred, sternly. ^Now perhaps you'll explain 
 Avhy you chose to keep us all in the dark.' 
 
 ' I've always been engaged to Jack and 
 I've never talked about it. I didn't want 
 to be tied up. And I never thought it 
 could do any harm.' 
 
 ' Didn't you, indeed ! Not all the time 
 you were leading Arundel on to make a 
 fool of himself?' 
 
 ' I never thought ' 
 
 ^ Nonsense,' cried Fred, sharply. ' Da 
 you mean to tell me you couldn't see what 
 Av^e all saw, even mother. She didn't like 
 it at first, but we smoothed her over, tell- 
 ing her you were better than a stranger. 
 We were so glad for your sake,' added 
 Fred, viciously ; * Ave thought Arundel too 
 good for you, but Ave did suppose that you 
 AA'ere a harmless little thing. And I Avas 
 really fond of you.*
 
 270 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' YouVe been very kind, and I'm sorry 
 you're disappointed.' said Greta, wearily, 
 ' but I'll go away to-morrow. I'd go to- 
 night if I could.' 
 
 ' Arundel says he'll go. But be wants 
 to see you once more. I don't care whether 
 jou like it or not, you must see him. You 
 owe him some explanation.' 
 
 ' He won't ' began Greta, her heart 
 
 beating gladly at the thought of seeing 
 Arundel again. 
 
 ' He won't what — make love to you ? I 
 should think he'd had enough of that. A 
 stupid little thing like you, and as for your 
 
 Jack ' Fred's contempt expressed itself 
 
 in something approaching a whistle. Then, 
 remembering that she had pledged herself 
 to help Arundel, she went on, ' When will 
 you see him? he's not coming in to 
 dinner.' 
 
 ' Oh, I can't go to dinner, either !' cried 
 Greta, horrified at the prospect of a long 
 table-cT-liote.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 271 
 
 * It might be a quiet time for you to 
 meet. On the terrace perhaps. Come 
 down presently ; I'll manage it,' said Fred. 
 
 The garden below the terrace was very 
 still, except for the unceasing rush of the 
 torrent when Arundel came down the path 
 to find a Avhite, rigid iigure standing with 
 arms half raised as if to ward him off. He 
 stopped short before that mute defence. 
 But Greta's cry of poor Jack was still ring- 
 ing in his ears like music. 
 
 •You want to hear all about it,' said 
 Greta, in a forced voice. ' It's rather a 
 long story.' 
 
 ' It can't have been a long engagement.' 
 
 ' As long as our lives, I think, at least I 
 suppose it didn't begin till my mother 
 married Mr. Daman ; I was very little 
 then. But I can't remember the time 
 when Jack was not my lover.' 
 
 ' You don't call that an en^^ao-ement ? 
 When did you promise to marry this 
 Jack r
 
 272 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' They said we couldn't be really engaged 
 until Jack was eighteen. But I wore his 
 ring long before that.' 
 
 ' You wear no ring now.' 
 
 ' It's round my neck.' — Arundel inward- 
 ly anathematised it. — ' But I've promised 
 to marry Jack again and again,' cried 
 Greta, with a sort of desperation. ' I pro- 
 mised to marry him in November only the 
 day before I came away.' 
 
 This was too much. Nothing but the 
 force of training stayed Arundel's re- 
 proaches. For a moment he believed that 
 the girl before him had been trifling. 
 
 'You don't mind torturing a man,' he 
 said, with a laugh which faintly indicated 
 the words he could not use. ' Tell me,' he 
 added, catching at a straw, ' why did you 
 call him '' poor Jack " just now?' 
 
 Did Arundel catch a gleam of re23roach 
 in the mournful eyes which were trying to 
 look steadily away from him? For he 
 gained courage to ask,
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE BOOK. 273 
 
 ' Do you mean to go home and marry 
 Jack in November ?' 
 
 'No; 
 
 * Greta,' Arundel drew a little nearer ; 
 but Greta raised her slight barrier against 
 him once more. 
 
 A sudden light glared from the dark 
 waters, there was a flash of fire across the 
 sky. Greta started violently. 
 
 ' Only fireworks/ said Arundel. ' And 
 I thought it would have amused you so/ 
 he added, tenderly, looking at the shrink- 
 ing figure beside him, and wondering if it 
 could be Greta. ' You nervous !' he ex- 
 claimed, in his old voice. 
 
 Greta tried to laugh but her laugh was 
 a sob. Arundel pressed his advantage. 
 
 'Will you tell Jack that you cannot 
 marry him ?' 
 
 ' I have. No,' she cried, checking an ex- 
 clamation of triumph from the man beside 
 her. 'Not yet.' 
 
 ' Don't go away suddenly as you did 
 
 VOL. I. T
 
 274 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 before,' pleaded Arundel. 'Look at this 
 atrocious outrage,' he added, gaily. 
 
 The chateau stood out white and staring 
 like a pasteboard castle against the red 
 tire. The Falls glittered with electric 
 lights. But no exclamation of wonder or 
 delight broke from Greta. 
 
 ' I wish ' she began and stopped. 
 
 She could not msh that she had never met 
 Arundel. There was no going back. 
 
 ' I want you to promise me one thing.' 
 Arundel spoke softly as if fearing to scare 
 Greta. ' Don't go home till you've heard 
 from Jack. I'll go if I must.' 
 
 ' One of us must go,' said Greta, but 
 the words seemed wrung from her. 
 
 ' I'll keep out of your way, only let me 
 stay,' pleaded Arundel, conscious of his 
 adversary's weakness. 
 
 ' Good-night,' returned Greta, avoiding 
 the question. 
 
 ' Shake hands at least, you used to do 
 that.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 275 
 
 ' It used to mean nothing,' replied 
 Greta, turning away with hands firmly 
 clasped. 
 
 t2
 
 276 
 
 CHAPTER XYIII. 
 
 For a day or two Arundel kept out of the 
 way. For another day Greta avoided 
 Arundel. But when the last day of their 
 stay at Rheinfals came, Fred persuaded 
 Greta to come to the Falls in a boat. Fred 
 had refused to go without Greta. 
 
 ' And the Pater won't let me go without 
 Arundel,' she urged. ' You needn't mind 
 this once. He can't talk to you on forbid- 
 den subjects with me in the boat.' 
 
 If it had not been for a new sense of 
 guilt, and a still keener sense of a new joy, 
 Greta could almost have fancied that the 
 Waldberg days had come back. Arundel 
 w^as the same except for something more
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 277 
 
 distinctly deferential in his manner to her- 
 self. The swirl and dancing of the water 
 through which they made their way, the 
 thunder of the falling Rhine towards 
 which they came ever nearer and nearer, 
 seemed to enter into her very soul and lift 
 it above fear and care. Had she obeyed 
 the instinct which was thrilling in her, 
 Greta would have stood erect in the prow 
 as if to welcome and defy the avalanche of 
 white water that rushed and charged and 
 roared at her. The approach to the rock 
 was made without more than the usual 
 difficulty. The landing was, as it always 
 is, a somewhat delicate business. 
 
 ' Please to forget I'm not a boatman,' 
 whispered Arundel, planting himself in 
 front of Greta, and compelling her to take 
 his hand. ' I won't risk your displeasure 
 whilst you are on the edge of that boiling 
 cataract.' 
 
 ' I can climb up by the rail now,' said 
 Greta, as soon as she had landed.
 
 278 A JS^EW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' Go on first then. Fred won't disdain a 
 hand.' 
 
 ' We've got it all to ourselves,' said Fred, 
 as they reached the top and stood under 
 the iron umbrella which they had con- 
 templated ambitiously from the opposite 
 shore. 
 
 ^ We shan't have it long, there's a boat 
 JList coming off,' remarked Arundel. 
 
 'What fun to see it come in,' cried 
 Greta, ' I hope it's a full boat, they rock 
 about much more.' 
 
 ' They're more likely to upset, you mean, 
 I didn't expect that from you. But I 
 begin to suspect your softness a sham,'^ 
 added Arundel, in a low voice. 
 
 Fred began waving her handkerchief as 
 she distinguished her friends on the terrace 
 opposite. 
 
 Arundel ventured to address Greta con- 
 fidentially. 
 
 ' Have you got that thing round your 
 neck still ?'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 279 
 
 ' No, but I'm not free.' 
 
 * I won't ask you to wear another to- 
 day.' 
 
 'This is breaking our comj^act.' 
 
 ' 1 made no compact. Fred may have 
 promised and vowed things in my name. 
 But I submit. Let's look for your boat. 
 I'm afraid there's only one man in it.' 
 
 Greta turned, then suddenly craned 
 forward, straining her eyes in an eager 
 startled stare. Then, clutching the rail, 
 she turned a white horror-struck face 
 towards Arundel. 
 
 ' It's Jack !' 
 
 ' I'll speak to him,' said Arundel, rush- 
 ing quickly down the rough steps. But 
 Greta flew after him. 
 
 ' No,' she cried, pushing past and com- 
 pelling him to give way lest she should 
 lose her footing. 
 
 Jack did not wait for the boat to get 
 very close. He frightened even the ex- 
 perienced boatman by leaping on to the
 
 280 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 rock with an effort which buried the bows 
 of the boat and sent it for a moment back 
 into the dangerous eddies. As Greta 
 stepped before his rival, he caught her 
 roughly by the arm which Arundel had 
 not dared to touch. 
 
 To Greta there was something moving 
 in the unshaven, dishevelled condition of 
 the usually spruce Jack. Even the dirty 
 hand, which clutched her white sleeve, had 
 a pathos of its own. But these little 
 things told against the boy with his rival. 
 Jack, mth his glaring eyes and generally 
 unrestrained demeanour, seemed to Arun- 
 del an abnormal combination of cad and 
 savage. The middle of the whirlpool 
 seemed a fitter place for such a creature 
 than the position which he appeared to 
 claim. 
 
 ' I've come to take you home,' said Jack, 
 hoarsely, seeming prepared to drag Greta 
 into his boat. 
 
 ' Not by force, I suppose ?' said Arundel,
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 281 
 
 with ominous quietness, interposing him- 
 self between them. ' No/ — as Jack turned 
 furiously upon him — ' not just now, if you 
 please. One moment, Mr. Daman,' he 
 added, suddenly, holding the rail with one 
 hand and extending the other to Fred, 
 who was in the rear. ' Just allow this 
 lady to pass.' 
 
 Jack drew instinctively aside as Fred 
 touched his shoulder, and the dealer in 
 sensations came delicately enough down 
 the descent where a slip might have been 
 a serious matter. 
 
 There were two persons between Jack 
 and Greta now, and Fred, at a sign from 
 Arundel, urged Greta on board the boat. 
 
 'We're not quarrelling. Miss Charlstrom, 
 we're all coming home together,' said 
 Arundel, Avith a laugh. ' This really isn't 
 a safe place to have a row in Avith women 
 about,' he whispered to Jack; then added, 
 aloud, ' We're coming after you in Mr. 
 Daman's boat, if he'll give me a lift.'
 
 282 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' I'd much rather go with Jack,' said 
 Greta, mastering the sickness with which 
 the thought of a scuffle between the two 
 young men, in that now horrible place, 
 filled her. 
 
 ' Greta, do come, for heaven's sake,^ 
 whispered Fred. 
 
 Her ghastly face said plainer than words, 
 ' If you don't let Arundel manage it, 
 there'll be murder.' 
 
 ' Only let them get safe ashore,' said 
 Arundel to Jack. Then, as he saw the 
 boat tossing on its homeward journey, he 
 turned to him again. ' My dear fellow, 
 you can't chuck me into the middle of that 
 pool before everybody.' 
 
 ' I'm half-inclined to try.' 
 
 ' Upon my word, I'm thankful you're not 
 quite inclined. Of course, I'll give you a 
 chance if you insist, but for goodness' sake 
 don't let us frighten Greta by war -like 
 demonstrations.' 
 
 ' I'm not likely to want to frighten Miss
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 283- 
 
 Charlstrom,' said Jack, witli formal dignity. 
 ' You may as well understand that she will 
 be my wife in November.' 
 
 ' Well,' said Arundel, laughing, ^ you 
 can settle that on the mainland as well as 
 on a square foot of island. Of course I 
 won't ask you to take me in your boat if 
 you object.' 
 
 ' You can come,' growled Jack. He had 
 an uneasy sense of defeat, though neither 
 in word or deed had he and Arundel been 
 in actual conflict. But he was probably 
 mollified by Greta's expressed wish to go 
 with him. 
 
 When Arundel and Jack reached shore, 
 they found Fred waiting alone at the land- 
 ing-place. She addressed them sharply. 
 
 ' Greta can't see either of you to-day.' 
 
 ' She's not ill ?' exclaimed Arundel. 
 
 Jack only made an angry protest. 
 
 'Not exactly ill,' replied Fred, giving 
 Arundel a look which promised an ex- 
 planation later. Then, turning to Jack,,
 
 284 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 she went on, ' I can take any message, a 
 letter if you like ; but it's no use making 
 a scene at the hotel. You won't see 
 Greta any the more. She won't see Cap- 
 tain Mace either, that ought to satisfy 
 you.' 
 
 ' I mean to take her home,' said Jack. 
 
 ' She's quite mlling to go home,' replied 
 Fred, again telegraphing silence to Arundel. 
 ' She'd rather have it all out at home. And 
 she will on no account see Captain Mace 
 before she goes.' 
 
 ^ Why can't she go with me to-night ?' 
 
 ^ I think you forget that you're not 
 really her brother,' said Fred, indignant- 
 ly. ' Greta is in my father's charge, he 
 must find her a proper escort. And 
 I doubt whether he would even let you 
 be of the party if he had seen you just 
 now. Don't fancy you can carry off Greta 
 just as you like. We shan't give you the 
 chance.' 
 
 * You can't prevent my seeing her.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 285 
 
 ' We can, if she doesn't want to. Come 
 now,' said Fred, good-humouredly; ' you 
 know you can't rush into all the rooms at 
 the Rheinhof till you find Greta. You've 
 begun so badly that we can't trust you ; 
 only behave like a rational being, and you 
 may come to-morrow as early as you like — 
 I don't mean in the small hours of the 
 morning.' 
 
 * I shall sleep at the Rheinhof.' 
 
 ' I don't think you will. They haven't 
 got a hole or corner empty. And you 
 wouldn't see Greta.' 
 
 ' Get me Greta's written promise that she 
 won't see that fellow.' 
 
 ' I've given you her promise already, I'll 
 give you mine. Captain Mace will give 
 you his.' 
 
 Fred almost stamped as Arundel declined 
 to do anything of the kind. But Jack did 
 not want his rival's promise. 
 
 ' I wouldn't take the word of a fellow 
 who could steal another man's sweetheart/
 
 286 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Arundel's obvious defence almost burst 
 from Fred's lips. But she felt bound to 
 respect hei* friend's warning look since she 
 was herself making large demands on his 
 faith. 
 
 When Fred had at last wrung some sort 
 of concession from Jack, and they had left 
 him at the little restaurant where the boats 
 landed their passengers, compiling an ap- 
 peal to Greta, Arundel broke out with as 
 much warmth as he could permit himself 
 to use to a woman, 
 
 ^Why did you let Greta make that 
 ridiculous promise ?' 
 
 ' Hush,' said Fred, looking round as if 
 Jack might be stealing after them. ' Greta 
 has gone home already.' 
 
 'Alone!' 
 
 'What does that matter? We just 
 caught the omnibus at the corner. She's 
 off by this time. We had just money 
 enough between us. The Pater knows 
 nothing yet, you must help me tell him.'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 287 
 
 ' That poor child with no one to look 
 after her, no carriage secured, and a night 
 journey.' 
 
 ' As if she cared ; no harm can come to 
 her. Don't be foolish, but just listen to 
 me. Jack can't go till to-morrow, I'll take 
 care he doesn't catch the first train ; you 
 must go to-night and get the start of 
 him.' 
 
 * Give me her address. When does the 
 train go?' Arundel began pulling out his 
 watch as if that could tell him. 
 
 ' Not till the evening. You'll have time 
 to help me get over the Pater. He'll be 
 awfully angry, but he'd have been angrier 
 if we'd had the row at the hotel. I hope 
 there wasn't a row as it is ; I suppose Jack 
 went there first. What an ill-conditioned 
 boy it is.' 
 
 ' Can Greta care for him, do you think?' 
 
 ' No, she cares for you, I know it,' cried 
 Fred, triumphantly. 'Don't be down- 
 hearted, go in and Avin.'
 
 288 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 To Greta in lier excited state of mind the 
 long lonely journey offered no terrors. 
 She never thought of her comforts, which 
 were possibly not great, since the united 
 resources of the two girls only furnished a 
 second-class ticket. The journey from 
 London to Plymouth was made third- 
 class. Luckily Arundel was not there to 
 see. 
 
 Greta's mind was in a whirl, she felt im- 
 pelled to ily back to her old life, yet hated 
 to feel herself flying from the new life 
 which was a revelation. Her pleasant past 
 looked flat and dull now. She had eaten 
 of the tree of knowledge. Her teasing, 
 patronising relations with her boy-lover
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 289 
 
 seemed like cliild's play. Such love as she 
 had given Jack had been given in uncon- 
 sciousness that there was more to give. 
 Then came a man who seemed to demand 
 her life, and Greta had given him that 
 which she had not even thought of giving 
 to Jack. But between herself and Arun- 
 del lay the barrier which could not be 
 passed without a painful, cruel conflict. 
 
 Fred's little devices were unknown to 
 Greta. She never doubted that Jack 
 would follow by the next train. But she 
 wanted to get home first to tell her own 
 story. It would be easy to tell her mo- 
 ther, but Greta's heart failed her a little 
 when she thought of telling Jack's father. 
 He happened to be the first person she met, 
 and she saw that his face was a little changed. 
 
 ' Greta,' he said, with a sort of depre- 
 cating sternness, ' you're not going to 
 throw my boy over, are you ?' 
 
 ' I can't marry him now,' replied Greta, 
 determined not to shirk the truth. 
 
 VOL. I. u
 
 290 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ' Then God help him !' 
 
 Blood went for something, after all. 
 Greta felt that she had lost a friend, but 
 she went confidently to her mother. There 
 could be no division between them. But 
 Mrs. Daman's thoughts ran on the same 
 lines as her husband's. 
 
 ^ Greta,' she began, incredulously, 'you're 
 never going to play false with poor Jack. 
 Why, you'd break his heart.' 
 
 ' Don't make it worse for me, mother, I 
 can't help myself,' cried Greta. ' I'd sooner 
 cut my throat than marry that poor boy 
 now.' 
 
 ' Don't talk so wildly ; it's only a passing 
 fancy,' said the mother, looking as if she 
 saw the world turning upside down. It 
 seemed impossible that the comfortable 
 family arrangement which had pleased 
 everybody should be thrown over for a 
 stranger. 
 
 ' It was always you and Jack,' she went 
 orij pleadingly. 'I remember how father
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 291 
 
 used to say, " My boy's grandfather may 
 try to keep him away from me, but your 
 girl's too strong for him." You were little 
 things then, but it was always the same. 
 There never was such a pair of lovers. We 
 were so proud of you, and to think that 
 my girl should be the false one.' 
 
 ^ Don't be too sure of that,' said Aunt 
 Sophy, who had been very quiet, watching 
 her opportunity. 
 
 Greta made a quick, impatient move- 
 ment, but Mrs. Daman went on, taking no 
 heed. 
 
 'Who is this Captain Mace that he 
 should upset everything? A man you 
 couldn't bear only a few weeks ago.' 
 
 ' I never disliked him,' said Greta, who 
 was beginning to know herself. ' I was 
 always thinking about him, always excited 
 about him from the beo-innino;. I wanted 
 him to like me, though I used to pretend 
 I didn't care. Oh ! I know now,' she 
 cried, as new light broke on the past, ' I 
 
 u2
 
 292 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 
 
 was never quite myself after that first 
 fortniglit, everything seemed much flatter 
 than it did before. But it wasn't much 
 then, if I had never seen him again I might 
 have forgotten, I can't now.' 
 
 * Yes, you can,' said her mother, with 
 unusual determination. ^ Think of poor 
 Jack who loves you so. What can this 
 man care. Wasn't he going to marry that 
 poor girl who died T 
 
 ' Better a dead rival than a living one,^ 
 said Aunt Sophy, in a grim voice, ^ and 
 it ought to be rather a recommenda- 
 tion that Captain Mace was thought 
 a good match for General Charlstrom's 
 daughter.' 
 
 ' Of course you mean Opal !' said Greta, 
 who had only heeded the first words. 
 
 She spoke rather defiantly. 
 
 ' I do mean Opal. You didn't condescend 
 to notice my warning ; it didn't matter to 
 you, perhaps. Will you take my advice 
 now ? Don't slip between two stools. If
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 293 
 
 this man wants to marry you, take him, 
 and let Jack be a dog in the manger, if he 
 likes.' 
 
 Mrs. Daman broke in. 
 
 ' Jack never cared for Opal, Tm sure of 
 that. If he did flirt with her a little it 
 was only because she threw herself at his 
 head, and Greta was away ; it was nothing.' 
 
 ' Meeting on the sly and walking home 
 together every day was nothing, wasn't it?' 
 said Miss Gay, viciously, * or sitting in the 
 billiard-room till eleven o'clock at night, 
 or kissing in the school-room.' 
 
 Greta was roused at last. But her 
 loyalty died hard. 
 
 ' I won't believe it,' she exclaimed. 
 
 * You won't believe me, you mean. 
 Well, I wasn't the only person to see them. 
 Ask anybody in the place, ask the ser- 
 vants.' 
 
 ' I shall ask no one but Opal herself,' 
 said Greta, turning away. 
 
 Opal was in the school-room, with Bow-
 
 294 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 WOW in her favourite position at her feet, 
 
 ' Run away, darling, I want to talk to 
 Opal,' said Greta, bending down to kiss her 
 little sister. 
 
 But Bowwow hid her face and jerked 
 her shoulder impatiently. 
 
 ' Go away,' she cried, ^ I can't bear you. 
 What have you done to poor Jack ?' 
 
 Opal rose, and put the child gently out 
 at the door; then turning, faced Greta. 
 Bowwow's desertion had been another 
 home-thrust. Greta's face worked as she 
 spoke. 
 
 ' I want you to tell me the truth. Opal, 
 for all our sakes. Is there any truth in 
 what Aunt Sophy tells me ?' 
 
 *I suppose I can guess what you mean.' 
 
 '- I'll put it more plainly. Has Jack ever 
 made love to you ?' 
 
 ' Should you care if he had — no, no,'^ 
 Opal cried, with an air of sudden bemlder- 
 ment. ' I didn't mean to say that. You 
 want to betray me into saying something
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 295 
 
 to liurt him, and I won't. He's the best 
 friend I ever had, I won't say a word that 
 can be twisted against him,' she repeated, 
 incoherently. 
 
 ' Perhaps it wouldn't hurt him if he's 
 such a friend of yours.' 
 
 ' But he wants to marry you, he likes 
 you best,' exclaimed Opal, with an apparent 
 effort. ^ I would never stand in his way ; 
 I won't help Miss Gay to make mischief.' 
 
 ' I only want to know if it's true, that 
 
 he met you, sat alone with you ' Greta 
 
 could not bring herself to finish the 
 accusation. 
 
 ' You've got me in your power ; I don't 
 care what you think of me, but don't make 
 me tell tales of him. You don't know 
 what I owe him. He saved my life,' cried 
 Opal, dramatically, ^ that was months ago, 
 but he wouldn't let me tell you. He saved 
 my good name when Miss Gay made a plot 
 against me, only a few weeks ago. He 
 was so good to me, I could tell him every-
 
 296 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 thing, things I didn't dare tell you. I 
 would kill myself rather than spoil his 
 life, and he likes 3^ou best,' she repeated, 
 as if the words were wrung from her by 
 a generous impulse. 
 
 ' Thank you,' said Greta, coldly ; ^ I 
 meant to ask you to come and answer 
 Aunt Sophy, but I think you've told 
 enough.' 
 
 As she went to hide herself upstairs, 
 Greta felt sickened by the revelation of 
 falsehood which had been surrounding her 
 unawares. There must have been an 
 understanding between these two through- 
 out. Jack had always spoken of Opal in 
 somewhat slighting terms, yet he had been 
 winning her love, and sharing her secrets 
 all the time. Opal had gauged her rival 
 rightly. Greta made no more allowance 
 for passing infidelities than any other 
 honest girl of nineteen would. Her own 
 blunt breach of promise seemed candid 
 and whole-hearted beside those lapses from
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 297 
 
 integrity of whicli Opal's ingenious apology 
 had left Jack accused. 
 
 Greta felt impatient now for the inter- 
 view which she had dreaded. She cal- 
 culated the hour when Jack could arrive, 
 giving him the shortest possible time in 
 which to accomplish his journey. 
 
 But the unhappy boy was still delayed 
 by the unscrupulous manoeuvres of his 
 rival's partisan. Jack had only reached 
 the Rheinhof in time to hear that General 
 Charlstrom's party had left for Lucerne. 
 He followed them, to find that Greta was 
 no longer in their company. 
 
 Meanwhile the journey which Greta had 
 marked out was accomplished, though not 
 by Jack. Sitting alone, waiting and 
 watching, she heard an arrival just when 
 she had timed it. Resolved that no third 
 person should come between her and Jack, 
 she opened the door directly a step sound- 
 ed in the hall. ' Come in here,' she said, 
 and some one came in.
 
 298 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Greta started back as slie saw that it 
 was Arundel. But it was too late. He 
 had taken her hand, he was telling her the 
 story which she had made him leave un- 
 told. 
 
 Arundel had caught Greta in a weak 
 moment. There was no cry of ' poor 
 Jack' now. Resentment and distrust 
 seemed to have closed her heart against 
 him. Perhaps they only clouded her 
 judgment and perverted her sense of right. 
 Unconsciously she may have grasped at an 
 excuse for follomng her own will. She 
 listened, knowing that to listen meant to 
 capitulate. 
 
 ' You do like me a little bit, don't you ?' 
 asked Arundel, encroaching as he found 
 himself gain a hearing. 
 
 ' Of course I like you ; it would be easy 
 enough if I didn't.' 
 
 'And you won't let them persuade you 
 to throw me over, the moment my back's 
 turned ?'
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 299' 
 
 Greta winced. 
 
 ' I suppose you'll never trust me ?' 
 
 ' I didn't mean that, but you know 
 you*re only beginning to thaw a little, 
 whilst I've loved you from the moment 
 you came into that great room at Lancaster 
 Gate, with your head very erect and a 
 suggestion of crumpled rose-leaves in your 
 aspect. And I know it must be hard for 
 a girl to go against her own people,' he 
 added, gently. 
 
 ' I hope you won't mind, but I'm afraid 
 you'll get a cold reception.' 
 
 ' I got rather a warm one from a pretty 
 little thing I met in the hall. Your sister, 
 I should think, by her masterful spirit.' 
 
 ' Poor Bowwow, she'd be very rude to 
 you, I daresay. But my mother is sure to 
 be nice.' 
 
 '- Will you present me to her. Only 
 give me a few minutes first. You haven't 
 really promised to be my wife.' 
 
 ' You mustn't mind waiting a long time.
 
 '300 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 And you must go off to your father as 
 you promised.' 
 
 ' I don't mean to go further than Ply- 
 mouth at present. My father will be 
 delighted when he hears the cause. As to 
 your other condition, we may defer that 
 for a few days at least.' 
 
 But Arundel lost no time in pressing his 
 own view of the matter on Greta's mother. 
 Greta had presented him with an air of 
 decision which he found very encouraging. 
 Then she had left the two together to 
 make friends. She knew that Arundel 
 would find a short way to her mother's 
 favour if he could talk about herself 
 
 To Mrs. Daman it seemed the most 
 natural thing in the world that any man 
 should lose his head at the first glimpse of 
 Greta. Her heart clung to Jack, yet she 
 was not without a sense of triumph at her 
 daughter's conquest, It seemed a more 
 distinct tribute to Greta's beauty than the 
 love of a boy who had known her all his
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 301 
 
 life. Mrs. Daman liked Arundel's eager- 
 ness for a speedy marriage. A lover who 
 held off from clinching his bargain was 
 only half a lover in her eyes. Besides, an 
 engagement to Arundel, with Jack in the 
 way, offered many difficulties. If the 
 wedding was to be, it had much better 
 take place before November. Though 
 willing to forward Arundel's -wishes on 
 this point, Mrs. Daman supported her 
 daughter's opinion on the other. She 
 declared it to be impossible for Arundel to 
 stay in the neighbourhood or to visit at 
 the house whilst Jack was at home. 
 
 ' It would kill Greta to have scenes 
 between you two,' she pleaded. 
 
 In her heart she probably feared her 
 husband almost as much as Jack. She 
 was secretly eager to get Arundel out of 
 the way before Mr. Daman returned. 
 
 ' You mustn't take it amiss that I don't 
 ask you to stay,' she observed, as he made 
 no sign of moving. 'Jack may be home
 
 302 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 any minute. You can write to Greta. 
 You've got her promise, that ought to 
 satisfy you. She's as true as steel.' 
 
 It was scarcely the moment to laud 
 Greta's constancy, but Arundel was not 
 likely to take exception. 
 
 ' I may see her before I go,' he said, 
 deferentially, though he had not the 
 smallest intention of leaving without. 
 
 Mrs. Daman immediately called her 
 daughter, who came in, followed closely by 
 Aunt Sophy. This member of the family 
 w^as prepared to receive the new-comer 
 with open arms, and Arundel, who knew 
 nothing of her except that she claimed 
 kindred with his Greta, met her friendliness 
 fully half-way. Not having much experi- 
 ence to guide her. Miss Gay would have 
 insisted on seeing Arundel out, if Mrs. 
 Daman had not intervened. 
 
 For fully ten minutes, which seemed to her 
 like hours, the mother kept her sister in con- 
 versation, whilst she listened fearfully for
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 303 
 
 Mr. Daman's step. With a long breatli of 
 relief, slie heard the hall door slammed. 
 Then she heard Greta run upstairs. Five 
 minutes later Mr. Daman came in. 
 
 'Who was that jaunty-looking chap I 
 met round the corner?' he asked sus- 
 piciously. 
 
 Strangers were so rare in Avonuish that 
 Mr. Daman, like Bowwow, had suspected 
 Arundel's identity at once. 
 
 ' That captain hasn't been here, has he?' 
 
 Mrs. Daman's silence was an answer. 
 
 ' I hope you showed him the door. 
 Where's Jack?' 
 
 * Not home yet.' 
 
 Mr. Daman's face showed sharp anxiety. 
 
 ' No letter ? And that fellow came from 
 the same place. Why couldn't Jack get 
 back too ?' 
 
 Mack's all right, you may be sure of 
 that.' 
 
 ' What do you know about him, have you 
 heard anything T
 
 304 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Mrs. Daman had never even asked after 
 poor Jack, she had been only thankful 
 to find his return delayed. 
 
 ' Where's Greta ?' asked Mr. Daman. 
 
 ' She's not very well, she's been upset, 
 poor girl. Captain Mace has been here ; 
 he won't come again,' she added, hastily, 
 ' but it's no use blinking facts. Greta likes 
 him, and she'll never marry poor Jack 
 now.' 
 
 * If she means to marry anyone else she 
 shan't stop here,' said Mr. Daman, with as 
 much fury as he could muster ; ' she may 
 go away to her fine friends altogether if she 
 can't keep her word.' 
 
 ^ Then I shall go too, I won't forsake my 
 girl.' 
 
 Mrs. Daman's flash of spirit died out 
 suddenly as Bowwow ran in. 
 
 ' He's been here,' cried the child to her 
 father, ' he stayed an hour-and-a-half. But 
 I wouldn't speak to him, I mean I wouldn't 
 be friends with him. I told him I hated
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 305 
 
 him, and I hoped he'd go away and get 
 killed in a battle.' 
 
 ' That's right, I wish they'd all told him 
 the same,' said Mr. Daman. 
 
 ' How did you know who it was ?' asked 
 the mother. 
 
 ' He wanted to come in so,' replied the 
 little observer, who had done her best to 
 bar the way. ' I ran out thinking it was 
 Jack, — why doesn't Jack come home?' 
 
 Bowwow pointedly addressed her father. 
 The division in the house was complete. 
 Miss Gay ran upstairs to caution Greta 
 against showing herself, whilst Mrs. Daman 
 went to sit through a miserable dinner. 
 Mr. Daman went on with his grievance^ 
 heedless of hints to regard the presence 
 of servants. Aunt Sophy and Bowwow 
 snapped at each other in the heat of un- 
 restrained partisanship. Mrs. Daman sat 
 wondering how long Greta would consent 
 to remain upstairs, and whether the Charl- 
 stroms would soon come home and offer to 
 
 VOL. I. X
 
 306 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 take her in. Only a few clays before she 
 had been longing for her child's return, 
 now she was wishing to send her away. 
 And Arundel would soon take her away 
 altoo:ether. Mrs. Daman had counted on 
 keeping Greta ahvays, married or single. 
 There could be no such happy arrangement 
 now. 
 
 ' Mothers of plain daughters are spared 
 a great deal, after all,' she observed plain- 
 tively to her sister ; ^ nothing of this sort 
 will ever trouble Mrs. Price,' she added, 
 naming the rector s wife, whose daughters 
 were singularly ill-favoured. 
 
 ' Let's hope Bowwow may grow up like 
 Nelly Price,' returned Miss Gay, with 
 grim humour ; ' there's always hope for a 
 child.' 
 
 ' She could never be a bit like her,' cried 
 the mother, flushing all over. 
 
 Mrs. Daman watched for her husband 
 to fall asleep after dinner, as usual, but
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 307 
 
 for once he kept awake. Anxiety about 
 Jack made him restless and irritable. 
 
 ' Tell her on no account to come down,' 
 whispered Mrs. Daman to Opal, who was 
 only too glad to be furnished with an ex- 
 cuse for forcing herself upon Greta. It 
 was something new to find Greta sitting 
 quite still. But she had something to 
 think of now. It might have been well if 
 she had learned to hold communion with 
 herself sooner. 
 
 ' Come in,' she said, in answer to Opal's 
 knock, expecting to see her mother. 
 
 Opal gave her message, but still lingered. 
 
 ' I like to be alone,' said Greta. 
 
 ' I must speak to you.' 
 
 ' Then please make it short.' 
 
 ' I don't know whether you owe me a 
 grudge. But I can show you how to be 
 revenged. Only tell Jack what you asked 
 me, tell him I wasn't so ready with my 
 lies as I ought to have been, he'll think I 
 
 x2
 
 308 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOK. 
 
 tried to divide 3^ou. But I didn't,' cried 
 Opal, clasping her hands and twisting her 
 lithe frame in a manner peculiar to her- 
 self. ' You never cared for him ; I knew 
 it all along, for I loved him. He loved 
 me too in a way ; but hell never forgive 
 me if you make me your excuse for marry- 
 ing the man you do love.' 
 
 Opal's voice rose till the last words 
 came out with a force which made them 
 resound in Greta's ears. Then, without 
 giving Greta the chance of reply, she made 
 a good stage exit.
 
 309 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 ' I SHALL never cliange again ; I know my- 
 self now. It's Arundel, or being an old 
 maid,' said Greta, with an energy which 
 silenced her mother. 
 
 It was the day after Arundel's visit. 
 And Mrs. Daman, who had pronounced 
 her daughter to be as true as steel, was 
 already trying to bring back the old com- 
 fortable state of things. 
 
 ' I stand by Captain Mace,' said Aunt 
 Sophy, drawing her work-basket to her, 
 ' and I mean to get on with the trousseau ; 
 it may be wanted sooner that we thought. 
 Try to do a bit of Avork, Greta.' 
 
 ' If things were happier I almost think
 
 310 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 I could/ replied Greta, looking witli new 
 eyes on the work. ' It all seemed so 
 prosaic somehow when I was going to 
 marry Jack. I suppose I should have 
 jogged on without knowing ; I used to 
 laugh at romance, but now — I feel like 
 Undine when she had found her soul,' 
 cried Greta, quoting a favourite story of 
 Bowwow's in a desperate effort to make 
 her mother understand. But Mrs. Daman 
 had married UYice without tasting Greta's 
 present experience. Children had made 
 the romance of her life. It was easier for 
 the old maid to comprehend than for her. 
 
 ' I don't see that Undine was any the 
 happier for getting a soul,' she remarked, 
 doubtfully. 
 
 ^ But she wouldn't have gone back. I 
 can't be happy, I've behaved too badly ; 
 but I wouldn't go back to what I was a 
 year ago,' cried Greta, pressing her hand 
 against a letter from Arundel, his first
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 311 
 
 letter which had come to her that morn- 
 ing. She used to hand Jack's letters 
 round the family, there had been nothing 
 in his words to make them sacred. 
 
 Greta had told Arundel to go away, 
 and he had obeyed her so far as to leave 
 Plymouth. But he still lingered in the 
 west country, and the knowledge relieved 
 her sense of loneliness. 
 
 ' I don't like runaway matches,' said 
 Mrs. Daman ; ' but upon my word it seems 
 as if that would be the shortest way out of 
 our difficulty.' 
 
 ' What a pity Gretna Green's had its 
 day, it would be so handy for Arundel's 
 father,' cried Greta, with a flash of her old 
 fun, which died out suddenly as she heard 
 the door-bell ring. 
 
 It was an unexpected visitor, Mrs. Ran- 
 dall. Greta recognised the hand of Arun- 
 del, who had found a friend for her. But 
 Fred had in truth been the chief mover in
 
 312 A NEW FACE AT THE BOOK. 
 
 the matter, since Arundel had only seen 
 Mrs. Randall for the first time the evening 
 before. 
 
 Mrs. Randall might have known him all 
 her life from the warmth with which she 
 spoke of him and offered her congratula- 
 tions. Being good-natured, fond of Greta, 
 and still fonder of a love affair, Mrs. Ran- 
 dall had responded warmly to Fred's re- 
 quest for a helping hand. She felt that 
 Greta must on no account be allowed to let 
 a rich lover slip through her fingers. As 
 for Jack's claims, Mrs. Randall made very 
 light of them. 
 
 ' Ah yes, a boy-and-girl affair,' she re- 
 marked, when Greta made some allusion to 
 her difficulties, ' you never told me any- 
 thing about that, and as for guessing, why, 
 we all thought you were within the pro- 
 hibited deforces, I'm sure vou ouo;ht to be. 
 But the best plan will be for you to come 
 and stay with me a little while, if your
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 313 
 
 motlier will spare you, till all that has 
 blown over.' 
 
 Mrs. Daman would have jumped at this 
 offer, especially since she found that Mrs. 
 Randall was prepared to carry Greta off at 
 once, but Greta refused to move till she 
 had seen Jack. The idea of flying from 
 him to hide herself in a house to which he 
 might be refused admission, seemed to her 
 cowardly and unfair. 
 
 ' I must tell him myself,' she repeated, 
 standing out against all persuasions. 'If 
 you will take me in afterwards, I shall 
 be thankful to come.' 
 
 ' It would be so much better to write to 
 him.' 
 
 ' He would never be satisfied with a 
 letter.' 
 
 ' You're a self-willed child. Some one 
 told me so,' said Mrs. Randall, as she left 
 half displeased. 
 
 ' I seem to make everyone angry,'
 
 314 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 observed Greta, looking as if she wondered 
 why life had become so difficult. 
 
 'You're half hearted,' returned Aunt 
 Sophy. ' you won't throw Jack over once 
 for all. I shouldn't wonder if Captain 
 Mace gets out of patience now.' 
 
 ' I'm not afraid of that. And I'm not 
 half hearted, I shall break with Jack' — 
 Greta caught her breath — ' as thoroughly 
 as you can wish, but I must do it by word 
 of mouth.' 
 
 ' I hope you'll tell him that you've found 
 out about his goings-on with that Opal ; 
 you may give me as your authority.' 
 
 ' No, there shall be nothing of that sort. 
 I know I'm false, I won't pretend it's because 
 he's false too. Don't try to make mischief 
 between him and Opal. If he wants to 
 marry her, let him.' 
 
 Greta had given no answer to Opal, but 
 the girl felt tolerably confident as to the 
 success of her appeal. She hung about
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 815 
 
 the lanes, with Bowwow, hoping to catch 
 Jack and have the first word. No one 
 heeded how the governess and pupil 
 passed their time. Mrs. Daman was always 
 content to know that they were out of 
 doors. Wandering in lonely country roads 
 was not to Opal's taste, but she was driven 
 by a feeling strong enough to master all 
 others. 
 
 Bowwow had been worked up into a 
 perfect frenzy of partisanship. Always 
 devoted to Jack and jealous of his interests, 
 with a lively fancy and the wisdom of eight 
 years, she was ready to believe in plots. 
 Eager to warn Jack, she marshalled Opal 
 the way the latter was going. 
 
 When their patience was at last reward- 
 ed by the appearance of a dusty, jaded 
 looking traveller tramping along at a j)ace 
 which would have shamed the local steeds, 
 it was Bowwow who flew to him, and with 
 unconscious cruelty poured out her story.
 
 316 A XEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 Jack heard it with a face which cut Opal 
 to the quick though not from any pity for 
 him. She offered a gentle apology for the 
 child's abruptness, whilst Bowwow clung to 
 Jack crjdng. Bowwow had believed that 
 somehow everything must come right when 
 Jack was once home. As they drew near 
 the house, Opal breathed a few words of 
 counsel to Jack. 
 
 ' Be firm, insist on your rights, be 
 masterful like this other man,' she added, 
 as a crowning argument. 
 
 Arundel's hand, whatever its consistency, 
 had always worn a silken glove for Greta. 
 Even at the moment w^hen she had tried 
 him most he had permitted his anger 
 no expression. Jack, on the contrary, 
 rushed at Greta as if he found relief in 
 giving vent to his rage. The trick which 
 he supposed her to have played, in sending 
 him on a wdld-goose chase to Lucerne, had 
 roused his temper even before Bowwow's 
 story stirred him to fury.
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 817 
 
 ' You tliought to get rid of me whilst 
 you settled it all,' he cried, ' but I'm not 
 going to be put aside. I've got your 
 promise, and I'll make you keep it. You 
 expected me home every day, did you ?' he 
 exclaimed, scarcely giving her time to 
 speak, ' you think I'm going to believe that ; 
 I trusted you once, I won't trust you out of 
 my sight now. I'll never let you go again.' 
 
 This unbridled anger, this rough insis- 
 tance on rights, stood out in sharp contrast 
 against Arundel's forbearance. Nothing, 
 Greta thought, would have made him 
 speak so to any woman. She had come 
 out to meet Jack with a shade of softness 
 and humility in her manner. His mode of 
 receiving her seemed ungenerous ; remem- 
 bering what she kncAv of his relations with 
 Opal, it seemed almost base. But Greta 
 made no retort. 
 
 ' Say what you like, if it does you any 
 good,' she said, with a meekness which sat 
 strangely upon her.
 
 318 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. 
 
 ISTotliing that Jack could have said would 
 have moved Greta to marry him now, but 
 he could have touched her heart and 
 revived the old tenderness so far as it 
 went. A feeling almost like contempt, a 
 distorted and exaggerated reflection of her 
 old good-humoured patronage, possessed 
 her now as she heard him storm and 
 threaten in pitiful impotence. 
 
 Suddenly Greta's coldness smote Jack. 
 She had not usually been much moved 
 by his fits of passion, but she had never 
 received them in this silent, stony fashion. 
 
 ' It's no use talking to an image,' he cried, 
 with a sort of despair, throwing his arms 
 roughly about her. 
 
 Greta struggled, winding herself round 
 and twisting her face back over her 
 shoulder. Then, as he persisted, she 
 drove both hands against his chest, striving 
 to push him from her with such evident 
 resentment that he drew back. It seemed
 
 A NEW FACE AT THE DOOE. 319 
 
 like a declaration of war. For a moment 
 they stood looking at each other, then 
 Greta, with eyes still fixed fearfully on 
 Jack, retreated towards the door. He 
 made no attempt to detain her, but rushed 
 out into the open air. 
 
 Hours later Jack returned to find that 
 Greta had gone away, they would not tell 
 him where. She had left a letter for him. 
 Snatching it from Mrs. Daman's hand, he 
 tore it to pieces. 
 
 Next day Jack too left home, and no one 
 except Opal knew where he went. 
 
 END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 LONDON : PRINTED BY DUNCAN MACDONALD , BLENHEIM HOUSE.
 
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