L I E) R.AFIY 
 
 OF THE 
 UN IVLRSITY 
 or ILLI NOIS 
 
 BZ3 
 
 V.I
 
 Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2009 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/driftedtogethern01mexb
 
 / 'i'/ 
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER.
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 31 fio\)tl 
 
 BY 
 
 ELIZABETH SAVILE. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 SAMUEL TINSLEY & CO., 
 
 31, SOUTHAMPTON STREET, STRAND. 
 
 1879. 
 
 [All Rights Reserved.^
 
 
 ^0 
 
 V^
 
 CONTENTS OF VOL. I. 
 
 CHA.FTEB PAGE 
 
 I. she's WOOED AND SHE's WON - - - 1 
 
 II. ROYLE ABBEY - - - - 15 
 
 III. FESTIVITIES - - - - - 28 
 
 IV. DAME cicely's PICTURE - - - 56 
 
 V. LORD GLANVILLE - - - - 97 
 
 VI. MISS HALESWELL's HEIR - - - 122 
 
 VII. GEOFFREY'S PURCHASE - - - - 137 
 VIIL JOHN .ROYLE - - - - - 159 
 
 IX. LORD MORTIMER'S DOUBTS - - - 183 
 
 X. THE CHESTON ELECTION - " - 207
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 she's wooed and she's wox. 
 
 * Yalla, what do you think ? — Winifred de 
 Valines is going to be married !' So said a 
 girl about twenty, as she came into the 
 pretty morning-room w^here her sister was 
 sitting. 
 
 ' Winifred going to be married ! Tessie, 
 you can't mean it ! Who is she going to 
 marry V 
 
 ' You'll never guess, so I'll be merciful 
 and tell you at once — Lord Mortimer.' 
 
 VOL. I. 1
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 * Lord Mortimer ! Nonsense ! it's impos- 
 sible, he's so old, and besides, he's not the 
 least like a marrying man ! Who has told 
 you such a thing T 
 
 ' Papa ; he heard it this morning from 
 Uncle Hugh, who says it is not only per- 
 fectly true, but that they are to be married 
 in a few weeks.' 
 
 ' Well, I never should have imagined such 
 a thing. Fancy little Winnie being Lady 
 Mortimer ! What shall we give her, Tessie ? 
 we must get her a present.' 
 
 * Yes, certainly ;' and then the two sisters 
 went on to talk over some other bits of news, 
 besides the intellisrence which had so inte-^ 
 rested them. 
 
 Valentina and Theresa Lynton were twin 
 sisters, daughters of Lord Elmarch ; their 
 mother had been dead for many years, and 
 they had only one brother in the army.
 
 Slip's WOOED ASD SHE'S WOX. 3 
 
 Winifred de Valines was about a year 
 younger than they were, and during the 
 past season they had become great friends. 
 Valla and Tessie also knew Lord Mortimer 
 slio'htly, but neither of them had ever 
 reg^arded him as a man likelv to marrv^ a 
 girl so many years younger than himself. 
 And truly, many others were surprised at 
 the announcement of the ens^ao^ement beside 
 the Lyntons. Rupert, ninth Earl of Mor- 
 timer, was verging on forty : he was grave, 
 and rather stern in appearance, but one of 
 the best and kindest men in existence. He 
 was rich, too, and his place, Mortimer Castle, 
 was a lovely one. 
 
 Why had he never married ? That was a 
 question many people had asked, and though 
 various reasons were conjectured, no one had 
 divined the simple truth — that he had never 
 taken a fancy to any of the numerous fair 
 
 1—2
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 maidens who were ready to become Lady- 
 Mortimer ; never, that is to say, till he saw 
 Winifred de Valines, and then the grave earl 
 fell desperately in love with the bright little 
 girl of nineteen. She began by regarding 
 him with the greatest admiration, and soon 
 came to like him better than any of her 
 younger admirers. So one bright morning, 
 early in September, when both were staying 
 at the house of her uncle, Lord Aston, he 
 asked her to be his wife, she said ' Yes,' and 
 gave the whole of her young heart to him 
 whom she thought the first of men. Her 
 father and mother were perhaps somewhat 
 surprised at her choice, but no objections 
 could be made, and the marriage was to take 
 place at the end of October. 
 
 Colonel and Lady Mary de Valines had 
 five children ; the eldest, Geoffrey, was 
 tw^enty-two, and in the Guards ; Winnie
 
 SUES WOOED Ayj) SH£S WOX. 5 
 
 came next, she was past nineteen ; then 
 Katharine, more generally known as Kitty, 
 who was eighteen ; after her Charlie, an 
 Eton boy; and the youngest was Mabel, 
 who was eleven. Kitty was a very pretty 
 girl, with blue eyes and fair hair, much 
 taller than her eldest sister, who was on a 
 small scale, with tiny hands and feet, dark 
 brown hair and eyes, and a very expressive 
 face. No wonder Winnie had fascinated 
 Lord Mortimer, for she was one of the 
 brightest little creatures in the world, and 
 clever as well. 
 
 Lord Mortimer had no brothers or sisters ; 
 indeed, his nearest relations were cousins, 
 and he had not many of them ; but of the 
 few, there was one by whom his marriage 
 might be disliked in proportion to the dis- 
 appointment it must occasion. This was 
 Tom Percival, heir- presumptive to the Mor-
 
 DRIFTED TOGErilEB. 
 
 timer title, and friend as well as relation 
 to its present possessor. But, fortunately, 
 Tom was flir too good-natured and easy- 
 going an individual to trouble himself with 
 thoughts of his own interest ; he was sur- 
 prised, like the rest of the world, but no one 
 gave heartier congratulations, and from no 
 one did Lord Mortimer value them more. 
 
 ' I say, old fellow, I wish you joy ! you 
 must introduce me to my cousin-elect.' This 
 was the greeting of the disappointed heir, 
 when next he met Lord Mortimer, after the 
 announcement of his eno-acvcment. 
 
 * Thank you, Tom ; indeed, I want you to 
 know her. Come with me now, will you, 
 and make her acquaintance ? She, with her 
 father and mother, came up to Eaton Square 
 yesterday.' 
 
 ' Wilhngly,' and the two started off to- 
 gether. October was just beginning, and, as
 
 SHIJS WOOED A^'D SUKS TTON. 7 
 
 the marriage -was to be on the twenty-eighth, 
 Winnie and her parents had come up to 
 London for some of the multifarious business 
 a wedding always entails, not the least im- 
 portant, certainly, being the selection of a 
 trousseau. 
 
 Winifred was looking her best that morn- 
 ing, as she sat in the pretty drawing-room 
 writing a letter, dressed in soft grey, and 
 with a splendid diamond engagement-ring 
 sparkling on the third finger of her left 
 hand. She raised her eyes as the door 
 opened, and a gleam of pleasure lit up her 
 face as she came forward to welcome the 
 earl. 
 
 ' Winnie, I have brought my cousin, Tom 
 Percival, to introduce to you,' he said, as he 
 greeted her. 
 
 With a half shy but very attractive 
 manner she put out her hand, and Tom
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 Was charmed at her soft voice and graceful 
 movements, and when they sat down and 
 Lord Mortimer began to talk to her, he 
 found plenty of opportunity to take a good 
 view of her. 
 
 * She's a nice little thing,' was his mental 
 comment — 'good-looking, but not so pretty 
 as I expected; she does look very young,, 
 but Mortimer will take very good care of 
 her, and I never saw a man look happier 
 than he does.' 
 
 And certainly his lordship did look happy 
 as he talked to his betrothed. People 
 called him cold and stern, but Tom Per- 
 cival knew him better, and was aware of 
 what a depth of feeling and warmth of heart 
 he really possessed, and his devotion to 
 Winnie was no ordinary one, but stronger 
 than even she was aware of The two 
 cousins had not been very long in Eaton
 
 SH^'S WOOED Ayj) SEES WOS. ^ 
 
 Square, when Lady Mary came in. She 
 v^SiS a quiet gentle person, not the least like 
 her daughter, but very pleasant, and easy to 
 get on with, as Tom Percival soon found ; 
 for, as may be supposed, he was left for 
 her to entertain. At last he rose, rejecting 
 all offers of luncheon, as he had an eno-aore- 
 ment, and walked off well pleased with his 
 introduction to the future Lady ^Eortimer. 
 
 * So that is your cousin, Rupert V said 
 Winnie, when he was gone ; ' he seems 
 very pleasant ; he's a barrister, isn't he V 
 
 'Yes, he is a capital fellow, so good- 
 natured, and yet thoroughly high-principled. 
 He's about eight-and-twenty, though he does 
 not look it.' 
 
 * No,' said Lady Mary, ' I took him for 
 about two or three and twenty ; but he is so 
 fair and boyish-looking, that one would never 
 guess his real age.'
 
 10 DRIFTED TOGETHEB. 
 
 ' Oh !' as Colonel cle Valines came in ; 
 * you've JList missed Mr. Percival, Henry. 
 I am sorry you did not see him.' 
 
 ' Yes/ replied her husband, * I would have 
 •come in sooner had I known he was here. 
 There, Winnie,' as he handed her a parcel, 
 'that's for you. I met Lord Elmarch just 
 now, and he said he was on his way to 
 leave it here ; but as he's only in London 
 for two days he was rather glad, I think, to 
 be relieved of it.' 
 
 * Oh, thank you, papa,' said Winnie, as 
 she rapidly unfolded the wrappings and dis- 
 closed to view a very pretty fan ; ' it's from 
 Valla and Tessie.' 
 
 The fan was duly admired, and then Lord 
 Mortimer said : 
 
 ' The Miss Lynton you call Tessie is 
 the youngest of the two sisters, isn't 
 she V
 
 sja:i:'s wooed axd sei:s wox. u 
 
 ^ Yes, she is ; but tliey are twins, and so 
 the difference is very small : they are great 
 friends of mine, especially Yalla. You know 
 them, don't you, Ptupert V 
 
 ' A little,' was his answer, and then an 
 interruption came; and in the afternoon Lord 
 Mortimer took Winnie out ridino- in the 
 deserted ' Eow/ 
 
 The name of Tessie Lynton had recalled 
 to Lord Mortimer's recollection a story of 
 nearly tsvo years previous respecting her 
 probable marriage to one of his country 
 neighbours, the son of Sir Hugh Eoyle, of 
 Royle Abbey. But the engagement, if there 
 had been one — and of this Lord Mortimer 
 was not sure — had been broken off in con- 
 sequence of Lord Elmarch's discovering how 
 thoroughly good-for-nothing was the man 
 wdio had won poor Tessie's affections. She 
 had never combated her father's decision,
 
 12 BRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 but deep in her heart there still lurked a 
 secret liking for John Royle, who, worthless 
 as he was, was a ver}^ fascinating man. How- 
 worthless, few knew better than Lord Morti- 
 mer, through his long friendship with the 
 Royle family. 
 
 Colonel de Valines's place was only about 
 thirty miles south of London, and the wed- 
 ding was to take place from thence ; he had 
 inherited a large fortune from his mother, 
 the only daughter of a wealthy country squire. 
 The old squire had adored his only daughter, 
 and when she set her heart on marrying a 
 penniless younger son of Lord Carmouth, 
 he bought Skeatings for her home, as his 
 own estate descended to male heirs. 
 
 Mrs. de Valines had been dead for some 
 years, and her eldest son had succeeded her. 
 Lady Mary was a sister of Lord Aston's 
 and a distant cousin of her husband's.
 
 SETS WOOED AXD SSL'S WOX. 13 
 
 The home at Skeatings had been a very 
 hajipy one, and Winnie's approaching mar- 
 riage would make a sad break in the hitherto 
 united circle ; but her prospects were so 
 bright, and she was so happy in them, that 
 her parents could not regret her loss, though 
 it would deprive them of one of their darlings. 
 And even Winnie thought with sorrow of 
 leavincf her home, and all the dear ones in 
 it ; she was most thoroughly in love with 
 Lord Mortimer, but she was also a very 
 affectionate daughter and sister, and she 
 could not help feeling regret at leaving her 
 childhood's home. 
 
 But the day came at last, and was as 
 bricdit a one as anv youno- bride could 
 desire — like a summer's day that had dropped 
 into October by mistake. 
 
 All went off well, and the weddins: was 
 very much like other vreddings, while no
 
 14 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 happy pair ever began their married Hfe 
 more prosperously and happily than Lord 
 and Lady Mortimer.
 
 BOYLE ABBEY. 15 
 
 CHAPTEE II. 
 
 ROTLE ABBET. 
 
 * How shall frayle pen describe her heavenly face, 
 For feare, through want of skill, her beauty to disgrace/ 
 
 Faeeie Queene. 
 
 ' Is Miss Royle at home V asked an elderly 
 lady in a pony-carriage, as the servant ojDened 
 the door at Eoyle Abbey, two days after 
 Lord Mortimer's marriage. 
 
 ' Yes, ma'am.' 
 
 And throwing her reins to the groom, 
 she entered the low, dark entrance-hall, and 
 following the servant as he opened a door on
 
 16 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 the left and announced 'Miss Haleswell,' 
 found herself in the hbrary. 
 
 It was a comfortable room, panelled with 
 dark oak, and with well-stocked bookshelves, 
 and a Turkey carpet. 
 
 The windows, the most modern-looking 
 part of the room, opened on to a terrace, 
 and looked over a pleasant sweep of park, 
 with hills in the distance. 
 
 On a couch by the fireside lay a slight, 
 pale figure, with the fragile appearance of 
 a confirmed invalid. This was Cicely Eoyle, 
 the second daughter of Sir Hugh Eoyle, the 
 present possessor of Eoyle. His family con- 
 sisted of one son and three daughters, the 
 only survivors of nine children ; his wife 
 having died many years before the time of 
 which we are speaking. 
 
 A dark cloud of trouble and sorrow had 
 descended on the Eoyles of Eoyle Abbey,
 
 BOYLE ABBEY. 17 
 
 and it seemed as if they really ^vere an ill- 
 fated race. One son, a bright-eyed midship- 
 man, had gone down with his ship one stormy 
 nio'ht soon after his mother's death, while the 
 eldest, Alan Royle, with his young wife and 
 child, had been among the victims of the 
 Indian Mutiny. Two little oirls had been 
 carried off by scarlet-fever, and another had 
 died in infancy. 
 
 Of the four who , remained, John Koyle 
 Vv'as heartless, extravagant and unprincipled, 
 and it was not wonderful that Lord El march 
 had refused to allow his dauo-hter to eno-ag^e 
 herself to such a man. Cicely was confined 
 to the sofa in consequence of a bad fall; 
 and Lilian, the youngest, was not quite 
 eii2:hteen. 
 
 Lilian Royle was a beauty in every sense 
 of the word. Her figure was tall and grace- 
 ful, her features perfectly formed, her com- 
 
 VOL. I. 2
 
 18 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 plexion was clear and pale, and all this, com- 
 bined with large dark eyes and dark auburn 
 hair, formed a tout ensemUe which was really- 
 enchanting. She was a bright, happy crea- 
 ture, devoted to hunting or any kind of 
 active amusements, was the light of the 
 whole house and the darling of her father^s 
 and sisters' hearts 
 
 But the Koyles were all handsome, both 
 men and women; the pictures in the long 
 gallery of the Abbey, the Yandycks, the 
 Lelys, the Sir Joshuas, and the Gains- 
 boroughs, all told the same tale of loveli- 
 ness ; and the only plain one in the family 
 was Mary E,oyle, the eldest daughter. Poor 
 Mary ! hers was a hard life ; she was the 
 mainstay of all, and struggled bravely to 
 keep things going ; for somehow the estate 
 did not bring in so much as formerly, and 
 John Royle's extravagance had compelled Sir
 
 ROYLE ABBEY. 19 
 
 Hugli to mortgage the property as heavily 
 as he dared. 
 
 Sir Huo^h himself was a thorouofh Eno^lish 
 country gentleman, kind-hearted, and open- 
 handed; not very wise or clever, but a popular 
 man and an affectionate father. 
 
 As Miss Haleswell entered the hbrary, 
 Mary E-oyle rose from a low chair by the 
 side of her sister's couch, and came forward 
 to greet her. After the old lady had made 
 particular inquiries about Cicely's health, she 
 sat down in a large arm-chair, and began to 
 talk about the great event of the neigh- 
 bourhood — Lord Mortimer's marriage. 
 
 Now, report had whispered that Mary 
 Royle had been in love with Lord Mortimer, 
 and Miss Haleswell was well aware of this; 
 but she knew that it was of no use to avoid 
 the subject, as Mary would have to hear his 
 
 2—2
 
 20 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 marriage perjoetually discussed, and that the 
 best way was to ignore bygones. 
 
 ' I see that Lord Mortimer's marriage is 
 duly announced in the Times,' said Miss 
 Haleswell, * not to mention a long account 
 of it in the Morning Post. What a lovely 
 day they had for it! I have been hearing a 
 great deal of the bride from my cousin Cecil 
 Vernon, who knows the De Valines very 
 well/ 
 
 ' Oh, do tell us what he said of her/ said 
 Mary; ' we are so anxious to know if she is 
 likely to prove a pleasant neighbour/ 
 
 And Miss Haleswell noticed with satisfac- 
 tion that she spoke with perfect non~ 
 chalance. 
 
 ' Well, this is what Cecil said when I asked 
 him if she was pretty : " No, not pretty, nice- 
 looking enough, a very bright merry girl, but 
 rather too small ; her sister, who has not been.
 
 BOYLE ABBEY. 21 
 
 out long, is much better looking, and the 
 jolliest girl in the world." Whereupon, as 
 jou may suppose, I began to chaff Cis about 
 the young lady, and though he laughed it off, 
 I suspect he is rather smitten, though I don't 
 suppose it is serious. However, he further 
 told me that the De Valines are charming" 
 people, and that he considered Lord Morti- 
 mer a very lucky man to have got such a nice 
 wife, and that we shall find her a great acqui- 
 sition in the neisfhbourhood. So this sounds 
 very pleasant.' 
 
 * Indeed it does. I hear that Lord and 
 Lady Mortimer are coming to the Castle 
 in ten days.' 
 
 ' Yes, so Mr. Stapleton told me ; and I 
 hope that we shall have some gaiety during 
 the winter, which will be very nice for Lilian. 
 How is she V 
 
 * Oh, very well ; she is out hunting with
 
 22 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 my father. The hounds met at Manby 
 this morning, and they hoped to have a 
 good run.' 
 
 * She seems fonder than ever of hunting, 
 and I hear she rides splendidly ; she is grow- 
 ing lovelier than ever, Mary.' 
 
 ' I think she is ; but I am always afraid 
 we rate her too highly, and that other people 
 will not admire her so much.' 
 
 ' They can't help themselves : she is — but 
 there, I can't say what she is, excepting that 
 in my eyes she is perfection.' 
 
 ' Ah, Miss Hales well,' said Cicely, smiling, 
 * I'm afraid you are too partial a judge : you 
 always spoil her ; indeed you spoil every- 
 body.' 
 
 * I — no indeed, my dear,' said Miss Hales- 
 well. ^ I'm a great deal too sharp-sighted 
 for that,' and she laughed merrily. * By 
 the way, Cicely, how is your embroidery
 
 BOYLE ABBEY. 23 
 
 getting on 1 for I have brought you a fresh 
 order.' 
 
 ' I have almost finished the handkerchiefs/ 
 said Cicely, displaying her work, for her 
 chief occupation was in embroidery in all 
 kinds of materials, which she disposed of 
 for charities, and Miss Haleswell frequently 
 brought her orders, having a large number 
 of friends and acquaintances, who were glad 
 to obtain the beautiful work which Cicely 
 Koyle's skilful fingers executed. 
 
 Miss Haleswell, elderly heiress as she was, 
 or rather now possessor of a large fortune, 
 had had much of romance in her life ; and 
 though she had never married, rumour 
 credited her with having had forty proposals. 
 When she was one and twenty she had in- 
 herited from her uncle an estate, and nine 
 thousand a year. Her father had died when 
 she was a child, and when the property came
 
 24 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 into her own power, she had gone with her 
 mother to Hve at Ehn Court, the name of 
 her ne\v^ home. She was then a merry 
 good-tempered girl, tall and slight, with a 
 bright colour and yellowish hair ; not good- 
 looking, but very popular, even without her 
 money. With it, of course, she was every- 
 where feted, flattered, and made love to. 
 
 But Emma Hales well was not deceived ; 
 she knew that she owed all this attention to 
 her riches, and she remained perfectly heart- 
 whole, till one day a young officer Avas 
 introduced to her, who soon succceeded in 
 winninof her affections. He was not rich, 
 but had a sufficient income, and all seemed 
 bright before them ; but some slight differ- 
 ence arose, and slanderous tongues made 
 mischief between Miss Haleswell and her 
 lover. While on the one hand they made 
 Miss Haleswell believe she was sought only
 
 EOYLE ABBEY. 25 
 
 for her money, on the other, they taunted 
 her fiance with his cleverness in securing the 
 heiress. A breach ^Yas effected, and, ' Alas, 
 how easily things go wrong !' ' life was never 
 the same again ' for either of them. 
 
 The officer had married and died, and 
 Miss Haleswell, after finding things very 
 blank and dreary for a year or two, had 
 summoned her resolution, and bravely faced 
 the future, resolving that she would be 
 an old maid ; and she never changed her 
 mind, though she had many temptations to 
 do so. 
 
 She would often lauQ;h over the recol- 
 lections of her numerous admirers, and now 
 that years had softened the memory of her 
 lost love, she was as happy an old maid as 
 you could find. She was also the kindest- 
 hearted creature imaginable, and her chari- 
 ties, known and unknown, were boundless.
 
 26 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 People wondered who would be her helr^ 
 as her property Avas entirely in her own 
 power, and many thought that handsome 
 Cecil Yernon, of the Hussais, her distant 
 cousin, had a good chance of succeeding her. 
 Others said that her dearest friends, the 
 Royles, were likely to profit by her fortune, 
 and in her secret heart the old lady cherished 
 a hope that Cis Yernon would take a fancy 
 to Lilian Koyle, in which case, she intended 
 to acknowledge him at once as her heir. 
 
 So, though she had chaffed Cis about 
 Kitty de Yalines, she was hoping that he 
 and her favourite Lilian might be brought 
 together. For Miss Haleswell felt deeply 
 for the many sorrows of the Koyles, and 
 dreaded lest the fair face of Lilian should 
 bring her any of the suffering which seemed 
 inseparable from her name ; and in her 
 scheme for the marriasre of Lilian with
 
 ROYLE ABBEY. 27 
 
 Cecil, she hoped to secure for her a happy 
 future, an exemption from the ruin which 
 sooner or later she feared that John Royle's 
 extravagance would bring on his family.
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 FESTIVITIES. 
 
 '■ Tell me all about Muddlesham Hall ; 
 Say who were the favourites there, 
 And who shone as the belle of the ball.' 
 
 Knapp. 
 
 Mortimer Castle stood in the midst of some 
 of the lovehest scenery in X-shire. The park 
 which surrounded it was of some miles' 
 extent, but one of its lodges led into the 
 little village of Combe Mortimer, which 
 was only about a mile from the Castle. 
 
 Combe was a pretty little place, with an 
 old-fashioned air about its picturesque cot-
 
 FESTIVITIES. m 
 
 tages, grouped round the large green, on one 
 side of which stood the beautiful lately- 
 restored church, close by a snug rectory, and 
 near to the rectory some model village schools. 
 
 Combe was an old-fashioned village, too, 
 in other respects. The owners of Mortimer 
 Castle had not only possessed the privileges, 
 but had performed the duties of ' lords of 
 the soil,' and so were looked up to, and 
 i indeed adored by their poorer neighbours ; 
 ^for there is still some old feudal feeling left 
 in England, and where the landlords have 
 fulfilled their duties rightly, they may gene- 
 rally find appreciation and affection from 
 their tenants and labourers, wiio look on the 
 owner of the great house of the place as 
 some one reflecting glory on them, some one 
 of whom they have a right to be proud. 
 
 At any rate Lord Mortimer was so re- 
 garded by the inhabitants of Combe, and
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER, 
 
 from old Betty Mullins in the almshouses, up 
 to Thomas Katt, the well-to-do shopkeeper ; 
 from Mr. Stephenson, the rector, down to 
 the smallest school-child, there was not one 
 who had not taken the keenest interest in * my 
 lord's marriage,' or who had not wished him all 
 possible prosperity from the bottom of their 
 hearts. 
 
 So when Lord and Lady Mortimer came 
 home about the middle of November, they 
 met with an enthusiastic reception ; and if the 
 curiosity which was felt to see the young bride 
 was hardly satisfied Avhen the Combe Mor- 
 timer people found she was too small and slight 
 for their ideas of a countess, yet they were 
 consoled by her bright smiles and sweet ex- 
 pression, and also by the unmistakable hap- 
 piness visible on the faces of both bride and 
 bridesrroom. And when in the course of a 
 few weeks they made her acquaintance, as 
 
 J
 
 FESTIVITIES. 31 
 
 she went about amongst the cottages, their 
 hearts were quite won, and they pronounced 
 as their verdict, that she was worthy of her 
 husband. 
 
 Very happy were those first few weeks of 
 married Hfe to both husband and wife. 
 Winifred had so much to see and to hear; 
 and Lord Mortimer was by no means an idle 
 man, but one who not only took his full share 
 in county business, bub really filled his place 
 in the House of Lords, and was always active 
 in all measures of improvement and benevo- 
 lence. 
 
 Into all his plans and occupations his 
 wife entered with the keenest interest ; she 
 u'as sufficiently clever to take pleasure in 
 them, and delighted also to find an outlet 
 for some of her schemes of doing good to 
 others by helping her husband in his varied 
 business.
 
 32 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 It was arranged that at the beginning of 
 January a large party should assemble at 
 the Castle, and^ a ball and other festivities 
 be cfiven to inauscurate the reisfn of the new 
 Lady Mortimer ; and at last the day arrived, 
 and Mortimer Castle was filled to overflovf- 
 ing. There were to be some tcibleaux on 
 Monday evening, and one of the sitting- 
 rooms had been prettily arranged as a 
 theatre ; then on Tuesday the ball was to 
 take place ; while on Thursday there was 
 also a ball at Cheston, the neighbouring 
 town. There was to be dancing on the un- 
 occupied nights, and a meet of the X-shire 
 hounds on Saturday morning, and shooting 
 in Lord Mortimer's well-stocked preserves 
 all through the week. 
 
 So there was a fair programme of amuse- 
 ment for the expected guests, who when 
 they were assembled formed a large party.
 
 FESTIVITIES. 49 
 
 Lilian lookino^ more beautiful than ever in 
 her white dress. Geoffrey was on the watch 
 for her, and cleverly intercepting one or two 
 other partners, carried her off to join the 
 dancers. 
 
 Meanwhile Kitty and her partner were in 
 animated conversation. 
 
 ^ Where is your regiment going when you 
 leave X T she was asking. 
 
 * To India, I am sorry to say,' he replied. 
 
 ' To India !' and Cis Vernon was well 
 pleased to detect a faint shade of regret in 
 her voice. ' Oh, but you will like that, 
 won't you ? You will shoot tigers instead 
 of pheasants, and ride elephants instead of 
 hunters, and — oh, but people are always 
 doing something amusing in India.' 
 
 ' I am not so sure about that ; and then 
 think of the heat, and the snakes, and the 
 banishment from civilised life — at least, from 
 
 VOL. I. 4
 
 50 DRIFTED TOGETHEB. 
 
 European life, which is the only kind of 
 civilisation I care for.' 
 
 *Well, I think India must be rather a 
 pleasant place altogether, and at least it will 
 be a complete change. I always had rather 
 a fancy to go to India.' 
 
 ' India would be a very different place to 
 me if you — if all the present company were 
 going there,' was his rather confused answer. 
 * As it is, I often find it in my heart to wish 
 that her Majesty's dominions did not include 
 the Indian Empire. There, can you forgive 
 such an unpatriotic sentiment ? and come and 
 have some tea.' 
 
 Geoffrey de Valines, meanwhile, oblivious 
 of his sister's hopes with regard to Valla 
 Lynton, was fast becoming desperately in 
 love with Lilian Koyle. 
 
 She was too simple and fresh in ball-room 
 ways to think anything of the number of
 
 FESTIVITIES. 51 
 
 dances in which they were partners, and she 
 regarded him only as a capital dancer, and as 
 very amusing to talk to ; but her verdict of 
 the ball was enthusiastic. Never had there 
 been anything so delightful : she wished she 
 could go to a ball every night ; only, why did 
 it ever come to an end ? What a contrast 
 was her bright beauty to the plain, worn face 
 of her eldest sister ! 
 
 Mary Royle had but few partners, but her 
 friends were many ; and though she had 
 long ceased to look on balls as scenes of 
 enchantment, she found this one a very 
 pleasant change from the monotony of her 
 daily life, and treasured up every detail 
 respecting the entertainment to amuse Cicely 
 with, on her return ; while she felt ' an elder 
 sister s pride ' in listening to the universal 
 admiration of her darling Lilian. 
 
 Mary Royle had quite overcome her 
 
 4—2
 
 52 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 girlish devotion to Lord Mortimer ; indeed, it 
 had not been a very deep feeUng, and home 
 cares and anxieties had enofrossed her so 
 much as almost to make her forget that she 
 had ever cared for him ; and she could see 
 his entire affection for his bright young wife 
 without the least pain, and felt a sort of 
 amused wonder when she remembered that 
 she had once contemplated the idea of be- 
 coming mistress of Mortimer Castle ; and as 
 she watched her young hostess in her inde- 
 fatigable efforts to entertain her guests, she 
 said to herself : 
 
 ' It is much better as it is ; I was never 
 fitted for the position, and could not have 
 filled it properly/ 
 
 So the ball came to an end at last ; after 
 all, it was exactly like other balls, and people 
 made the usual hackneyed remarks on the 
 beauty of the flowers and the excellence of
 
 FESTIVITIES. 53 
 
 the lighting, and agreed that it was a perfect 
 floor. 
 
 The country neighbours congratulated 
 each other also on what they hoped was a 
 commencement of a lonsf series of festivities 
 at Mortimer, and expressed their approval 
 of its owner's marriagfe. 
 
 Winnie enjoyed it immensely : she did not 
 however dance rounds, as Lord Mortimer 
 had a particular objection to his wife's valsing ; 
 and thouorh with some reofret, she was too de- 
 voted a wife not to acquiesce in his prohibi- 
 tion. She was not sorry when once or twice 
 in the evening, her husband came up and 
 said : ' Winnie, come and have a turn ;' for 
 he was a really good dancer, and their 
 steps suited perfectly. Indeed, as they 
 floated round the room together to the 
 strains of the last new valse, played with 
 great spirit by Coote and Tinney's band,
 
 64 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 Sir Hugh Royle said to his neighbour. 
 Lady Ashby : 
 
 'That's what I call dancing. Reminds 
 me of my young days, when I was as fond of 
 balls as any one ; but most of the people 
 now don't dance, they only jump about — 
 there !' as an energetic couple charged him 
 with all their strength, and very nearly 
 knocked him over ; ' did you ever see any- 
 thing like it ? People who can't dance ought 
 to be forbidden to attempt it by Act of 
 Parhament. There, Mynors, you might 
 bring in a Bill about it,' laughing heartily 
 at his own idea. 
 
 The young M.P. would have been willing 
 to bring in any bill that would have ensured 
 his dancing with Lilian Poyle, but that 
 young lady had so many partners that she 
 had no dances to bestow on him ; and as he 
 was on the look-out for a wife, this was
 
 FESTIVITIES. 55 
 
 rather an annoyance to Mr. Mynors, who 
 was beginning to think that Lilian would 
 prove well suited to reflect glory on his own 
 taste, and was debating as to whether he 
 should ask her to be his wife. 
 
 The idea of her refusing him never en- 
 tered his head.
 
 56 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 DAME cicely's PICTURE. 
 
 * All thoughts, all passions, all delights, 
 
 Whatever stirs this mortal frame, 
 All are but ministers of Love, 
 And feed his sacred flame/ 
 
 Coleridge. 
 
 Enter the house— prithee, forget it not — 
 And look a while upon a picture there. 
 'Tis of a lady in her earliest youth !' 
 
 EOGERS. 
 
 The next day, when Lord Mortimer came to 
 his wife's boudoir, before dressing-time, for a 
 little chat, he found her meditating by the 
 fire.
 
 DAME CICELY'S PICTURE. 57 
 
 * Well, Winnie, are you very tired ? I 
 think people enjoyed themselves very much 
 last night/ 
 
 * Oh, 1 am not much tired really, and so 
 glad the ball was a success. How lovely 
 Ijilian Royle is ! she was quite the beauty of 
 the evening/ 
 
 * I think she was ; she has grown into a 
 very striking girl. She is rather wild, though^ 
 and always does exactly as she likes ; and her 
 father lets her hunt as often as he does him- 
 self, which is not very good for her. By the 
 way, I think your brother Geoffrey is rather 
 smitten with her. I hope it is not serious, 
 for I do not think it would be a desirable 
 connection for him in many ways, more 
 especially as John Royle, the son, is 
 a thorough-going scamp. I don't know 
 any one for whom I have a greater con- 
 tempt.'
 
 58 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ' Of course, Rupert, Geoffrey would admire 
 Lilian, but you may be quite sure his doing 
 so is not serious, for he is a great flirt ; 
 however, I hope very much that he will 
 marry some one quite different. I know 
 whom I should like for a sister-in-law.' 
 
 ^ Brothers very seldom marry the girls 
 their sisters select for them, Winnie ; but I i 
 am glad you think it is only flirtation — 
 there was plenty of that last night. Trent 
 and Vernon were vying with each other in \ 
 attentions to Kitty, and I think she seemed 
 to prefer Yernon.' 
 
 * I suppose he is the best dancer ; but I 
 think the Duke of Trent really likes Kitty 
 very much, and I hope something may come 
 of it, for it Avould be such a nice marriage.] 
 As for Captain Yernon, he had better secure 
 Miss Ashby, who will have £12,000 a year,] 
 and I am sure she likes him.'
 
 DAME CICELY'S PICTURE. 59 
 
 * My dear child, I must beg you won't 
 take to match-making, it is a very dan- 
 gerous game, and any one who embarks 
 in it is most likely to get into a hobble. 
 Besides, match-makers don't consider mutual 
 likings — witness your comments on my ob- 
 servations — but only suitable arrangements. 
 No, Winnie, I consider match-makers de- 
 cidedly objectionable, and don't want you to 
 become one ; we did not need anything of 
 that sort to brinof us toof ether.' 
 
 ' No, of course not ; but exceptions only 
 prove the rule, so your lordship is out there,' 
 she said, laughing. ^ But it is very compli- 
 mentary to you that I should be so satisfied 
 with marriage as to wish others to embark 
 in it ; and really I don't see any harm in 
 helping the right people to meet, and then 
 the mutual likings may come.' 
 
 ' The difficulty is as to the right people,
 
 60 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 and I don't think a looker-on can always 
 judge there. However, whether there is harm 
 or not, I don't wish you to try your hand 
 at it. Are we to have a lottery again to- 
 night ? I am sure I hope so, for then I 
 should have a chance of escaping her Grace 
 of Newport. She is really intolerable. What 
 do you think of her advising me last 
 night at supper to reduce my establishment, 
 especially the stable part of it, as she con- 
 sidered keeping so many horses led young 
 men into mischief? in fact, she infinitely 
 preferred job horses. I am not so very 
 young as all that, but I thanked her with 
 due gravity, and inquired if she also pre- 
 ferred hired horses to driving in her friends' 
 carriages. This pulled her up a little, for 
 she is horribly stingy, and can't bear having 
 to pay for flys from stations ; so she began 
 explaining away her own words, as she gene-
 
 FESTIVITIES. 33 
 
 Amongst them were Colonel and Lady Maiy 
 de Valines with Geoffrey and Kitty ; Lord 
 Elmarch and his two daughters ; the stiff 
 and not very popular Duchess of Newport 
 and her daughter Lady Jane Flavigny ; 
 Sir Charles and Lady Ashby, and their 
 only daughter, heiress to many broad acres ; 
 Mr. and Mrs. Beauchamp ; Tom Percival ; 
 the Duke of Trent, a young man of five- 
 and-twenty, with fabulous riches, and half 
 a dozen country houses ; his great friend, 
 Captain Cecil Vernon, who was good-looking 
 and penniless, and cousin, as has been said, 
 to Miss Haleswell. Besides, there was Mr. 
 Mynors of Mynors, an M.P., very confident 
 in his [^own powers, and anticipating minis- 
 terial honours in rapid succession ; Teddy 
 Guildford, reputed the best dancer in Lon- 
 don, and a few others whom it is needless to 
 name. 
 
 VOL. I. 3
 
 34 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 Most of the people knew each other, and 
 promised to shake well together, an important 
 item for the hostess, especially when she is a 
 young one, and new to the role. 
 
 The dinner-party on Monday night in- 
 cluded the Royles — Sir Hugh, Mary, and 
 Lilian, who was just making her debitt. As 
 she came into the room her Avonderful beauty 
 and tall graceful figure attracted general at- 
 tention, and Geoffrey de Valines was not 
 sorry when he found himself deputed to take 
 her in to dinner. 
 
 ' You live near here, don't you V he asked, 
 as a preliminary to conversation. 
 
 ' Oh yes, only five miles off,' was her reply. 
 * Do you know these parts ? as the old women 
 say.' 
 
 ' Not at all. It seems a very jolly place, 
 and capital hunting country, isn't it V 
 
 ^ Oh, perfect !' was her answer, in so en-
 
 FESTIVITIES. 35 
 
 tliusiastic a tone that his next question 
 was — 
 
 ' Do you hunt V 
 
 ' Three days a week, whenever the hounds 
 meet near enough, and I wish it could be 
 every day. I think huntino- is the most 
 delicious thing in the world ; don't you V 
 
 ' I'm very fond of it, certainly : but do you 
 like it better than dancing ?' 
 
 ' Much better ; though I like dancing im- 
 mensely, too. But the ball here to-morrow 
 is to be my first real one, you know, so per- 
 haps it will make me change my mind.' 
 
 There was something so wonderfully fresh 
 and unsophisticated about Lilian Royle, that 
 Geoffrey felt irresistibly attracted towards 
 her, and he cono-ratulated himself on beino- 
 next the prettiest and liveliest girl in the 
 room. They kept up a merry conversation 
 during the remainder of dinner, and had 
 
 3—2
 
 36 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 become great friends when the time came 
 for the ladies to move. 
 
 Meantime Kitty's neighbour, Teddy Guild- 
 ford, was doing his best to extract a full de- 
 scription of the coming tableaux, which she 
 declared he must wait for till the proper time 
 came. 
 
 'Now,' said he, ' I could arrange a splen- 
 did one for you : the Duchess of Newport for 
 Queen Elizabeth, Vernon for Essex, and all 
 you fair ladies for the maids of honour ; it 
 would be great sport. The ring scene, you 
 know. Her Grace does not love Vernon, so 
 I am sure she would look suitably severe as 
 she bestows the ring and the caution. Now, 
 confess she looks equal to keeping any num- 
 ber of people in order ; see how she's lectur- 
 ing Lord Mortimer.' 
 
 ' Oh, hush, pray. Lady Jane is quite near 
 us ; she will certainly hear you.'
 
 FESTIVITIES. 37 
 
 * Poor Lady Jane !' pursued he unrelent- 
 ingly, though in a lower tone ; ' what shall 
 we make her ? Why, Penelope unravelling 
 her web ; it will just suit her, she is such an 
 indefatigable worker, I am sure I have met 
 her roll of work everywhere for the last ten 
 years ; she is always stitching at it, so she 
 must undo it at night, for it is not nearly 
 finished : indeed I am tired of askinof her 
 when it will be done. There,' as Winifred 
 rose, ' don't forget my valuable sugges- 
 tions.' 
 
 And Kitty found it difficult not to laugh 
 when she saw Lady Jane fly to her beloved 
 work as soon as possible after dinner. But 
 she had not time to stay and inquire into its 
 progress, for it was time to go and array her- 
 self for the tableaux. 
 
 When the audience was ready the curtain 
 drew up and disclosed the first tableau :
 
 38 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ' LANCELOT MEETING ELAINE IN HER FATHEr's 
 
 hall/ 
 
 It was not very difficult to recognise in the 
 ' lily maid of Astolat ' the fair skin and golden 
 hair of Kitty de Valines, but Geoffrey was 
 completely transformed as Sir Lancelot, and 
 the other figures were equally well got up. 
 The scenery and arrangements were most 
 carefully carried out, and the lighting, no 
 unimportant part, beautifully managed. The 
 effect had been carefully studied, and the 
 tableau was much admired. 
 
 Next in succession came two tahleaux from 
 * The Corsair ' : the first — 
 
 'GULNARE visiting CONRAD IN PRISON,' 
 
 with Lady Mortimer as Gulnare, and her 
 husband as Conrad. 
 
 Winnie was a capital actress, and her
 
 FESTIVITIES. 39 
 
 whole loose and expression were exactly what 
 Gulnare's might have been. It had not 
 been easy to induce Lord Mortimer to repre- 
 sent Conrad, and he had exclaimed, when 
 his wife informed him that the part would 
 suit him perfectly, ' that he was afraid she 
 must consider he possessed the '' thousand 
 crimes" of the ^Corsair, and hoped he was 
 to be allowed the '' one virtue " also owned 
 by Conrad ;' to which she had retorted, ' he 
 would show the one virtue by consenting 
 to take his part;' and he had submitted, 
 and looked as melancholy and fierce as his 
 part required. 
 Then followed — 
 
 * CONRAD RETURNING TO FIND MEDORA DEAD,' 
 
 where Kitty represented Medora. 
 
 Both of these tableaux were thoroughly 
 successful ; but the next one, representing
 
 40 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ' THE COURT OF MARY STUART ' 
 
 at the time of her marriage to Darnley, was 
 the greatest success of the evening. 
 
 The beautiful and unfortunate queen was 
 represented by Lilian Royle ; and as her 
 intended appearance in the character had 
 been carefully kept secret, the fair vision 
 was totally unexpected. In truth LiUan 
 was really an ideal Mary Stuart, and the 
 exquisite dress suited her to perfection; 
 while her four Maries, Darnley, Murray, and 
 all the other celebrities of the court, were 
 dressed in perfect accordance with the cos- 
 tume of the day. This tahleau met with 
 great applause, and was repeated in answer 
 to the combined entreaties of the spec-^ 
 tators. 
 
 No pains had been spared by Lady Mor- 
 timer to arrange the tableaux, and the per-
 
 FESTIVITIES. 41 
 
 fection to which thej were carried fuhy re- 
 warded her efforts. Certainly, as she said 
 herself, it was a great help to have such a 
 representative for Queen Mary as Li Han 
 E-oyle ; and al ways enthusiastic, she w^as 
 especially so now in her admiration of the 
 girl's extreme beauty. 
 
 After the tahleaux w^ere over, performers 
 and spectators alike adjourned to the ball- 
 room to see, as they said, what the floor 
 was like, and proceeding further to try it 
 practically, danced away merrily for an 
 hour. 
 
 While the dancing was going on the youngs 
 hostess busied herself in match-making pro- 
 jects, and thinking that she saw in one or 
 two of her guests a disposition to like what 
 she considered the right person for them 
 respectively to like, anticipated no difficulty 
 in arranging some satisfactory marriages.
 
 42 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 For one thing, she greatly desired that 
 her brother Geoffrey should marry Valla 
 Lynton ; and then, considering his want ot 
 fortune, that Captain Vernon, whose good 
 looks and fascinating manners made him a 
 general favourite, and who was besides 
 Geoffrey's great friend, should repair it by 
 marrying quiet little Miss Ashby, the 
 heiress ; and Lady Mortimer was certainly 
 not far wrong in thinking that, as far as Miss 
 Ashby's own inclinations were concerned, 
 Captain Vernon might be tolerably sure of 
 success. 
 
 As for her own pretty sister, Winnie, obser- 
 vant of the Duke of Trent's open admira- 
 tion, had quite made up her mind that Kitty 
 would be the future Duchess of Trent, and 
 aware that Lilian Royle, with all her beauty, 
 w^as not rich, she further contemplated a match 
 between her and Mr. M3aiors of Mynors.
 
 FESTIVITIES. 43 
 
 It was a comprehensive scheme, certamly, 
 and occupied her Httle ladyship's mind in no 
 small degree ; particularly as beyond vague 
 hints she did not intend to communicate her 
 arransfements to her husband for fear of his 
 lauofhins: at or discourao^ing^ her chateaux en 
 Espagne ; but she determined to do all she 
 could towards promoting the matrimonial 
 arrangements, and came down to breakfast 
 the next morning full of projects for getting 
 the right pairs together. 
 
 Breakfast was, as usual, rather a heavy 
 meal. What a blessing^ it would be if it was 
 the custom for every one to have breakfast in 
 their own rooms, when a large party is stay- 
 ing in the house. It is too soon in the day 
 for society to begin, and the chances are that 
 everybody is rather cross, and each person 
 has his or her head full of their own letters 
 and affairs, and is by no means inclined to
 
 44 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 enter into general conversation. Of course 
 there are exceptions to the rule, and it is to 
 be feared that the greatest one is, when some 
 member of the party can announce a really 
 startling event, the more horrible the better. 
 
 It is wonderful how cheerful and friendly 
 people get, directly they begin discussing 
 horrors. The j)ublic appetite for them is 
 greater than even for fish, kidneys, and ome- 
 lette, hot rolls, and buttered toast, though 
 the consumption of these latter articles is not 
 generally despised by most people ; and it is 
 surprising what an amount persons who 
 declare they * eat nothing for breakfast ' 
 include in that nothing. 
 
 After breakfast the men started for shoot- 
 ing — some to slaughter pheasants, in a 
 grande hattue, and two or three for rabbit- 
 shooting. 
 
 So they were happily disposed of; and
 
 FESTIVITIES. 45 
 
 while some of the younger ladies went out 
 riding, Lady Mary took the chaperons a 
 tour of the gardens and hothouses, and 
 hstened patiently to the Duchess of New- 
 port's dissertations on floriculture. For her 
 grace, though one of those dull stupid people 
 who are ignorant on most subjects, and yet 
 profess to be acquainted with all, was apt to 
 imaofine herself an authority on ever y thin o* 
 which was mentioned, and the mistakes she 
 made were a constant source of amusement 
 to her acquaintances, which was perhaps 
 fortunate, as it was the only amusement 
 she was capable of giying them, though she 
 would haye been extremely indignant if she 
 had imagined that any one could presume to 
 laugh at her. 
 
 Winnie, meanwhile, flitted about the house 
 to see if all the preparations for the ball were 
 complete ; for she felt somewhat excited at
 
 46 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 the idea of her first experiment in ball- 
 giving. 
 
 That night, when the party assembled for 
 dinner, each man drew the name of the 
 lady he was to take in, according to the 
 sensible plan of effecting by a lottery an easy 
 exchange of dinner companions ; for nothing 
 is more wearisome than to go in to dinner 
 every night of a country-house party with 
 the same man. Of course in some cases it 
 may be pleasant, but, as a rule, variety is 
 as charming in this as in other things. 
 
 Certainly Teddy Guildford looked rather 
 glum when he found fate assigned him to 
 the Duchess of Newport, but Captain 
 Vernon was well pleased to take in Kitty 
 de Valines ; and though Geoffrey did draw 
 Lady Jane, yet he talked much more to his 
 other neighbour, Valla Ijynton, to the satis- 
 faction of Winifred, who, for herself, as she
 
 FESTIVITIES. 47 
 
 sat by Mr. Mynors, was impressed by the 
 cleverness and good sense, though not unal- 
 loyed by a consciousness of his own abilities, 
 of the husband whom she had obligingly 
 selected for Lilian Royle. 
 
 After dinner, when the ladies had donned 
 their ball-dress and the 'house party' were- 
 assembled, the toitt-ensemhie was a very 
 pretty one. The ball-room was very large^ 
 opening at one end into the conservatory, 
 which was brilliantly lit, and at one side a 
 door led into a suite of rooms, which were 
 all thrown open for the benefit of the guests. 
 Exquisite flowers were arranged about the 
 rooms, and the walls were hung with many 
 good pictures ; while the soft colouring of 
 the curtains and furniture harmonised per- 
 fectly with all the art treasures, beautiful 
 old china, and rare curiosities which were 
 scattered about.
 
 48 DRTFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 Winnie herself looked her best in white 
 «atin and lace, and wore the beautiful Mor- 
 timer diamonds, which had been heirlooms in 
 the family for many years. 
 
 The Duke of Trent w^ent to claim Kitty 
 for the first dance, but was met with the 
 €inswer : 
 
 ' No, I am very sorry, but I'm engaged to 
 Captain Vernon.' 
 
 ' The next, then V 
 
 * I shall be very glad ;' and he retreated to 
 find another partner, muttering to himself: 
 
 ^ Forestalled, and by Vernon, too ; no one 
 has a chance a^-ainst him.' For the duke 
 admired Kitty very much, and had nearly 
 made up his mind that she should be 
 honoured by the ofifer of the coronet of 
 Trent. 
 
 The room began to fill, and just as dancing 
 was going to begin, the Royles came in,
 
 ■ DAME CICELTS PICTURE. 61 
 
 rally has to do, in spite of her love of laying 
 down the law.' 
 
 * How I wish I had heard her.' 
 
 ' I am sorry to abuse my guests, but I 
 can't help it. By-the-bye, Winnie, Tom 
 Percival is rather taken with vour friend 
 Miss Lynton.' 
 
 ' With Yalla ? oh, I hope not, for she is 
 the very girl I want Geoff ' 
 
 Then, suddenly perceiving what she was 
 : saying, she stopped short. 
 
 Her husband burst out laughing : 'At it 
 ■again, quite irrespective of mutual likings 
 this time. Now take care what you are 
 1 about, for I really mean it.' 
 
 And there was a touch of decision in his 
 voice which showed that he did. But as his 
 wife went to dress for dinner, she said to 
 herself : 
 
 ' It is very provoking that Rupert is so
 
 62 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 set against match-making ; but however, 
 I hope some of my matches will come off 
 in spite of him. And men never see these 
 things rightly; I am much more likely to 
 find out which people suit each other than 
 he is.' 
 
 But in this case Lord Mortimer had 
 shown the most discrimination ; for Geoffrey 
 was decidedly in love with Lilian Royle, and 
 Kitty flirting to a great extent, to say the 
 least, with Captain Yernon. 
 . But their sister's eyes being wilfully 
 blinded, she would not see how matters 
 stood in time to place any obstacles in theii 
 way. How much she would have giveti 
 some months after to have listened to her 
 husband's words ! 
 
 On Thursday evening there was a good 
 deal of grumbling at the idea of the ChestoD 
 Ball, for, as a rule, public balls are not ap-
 
 DAME C WELTS PIC TUBE. 63 
 
 predated by parties staying in a house where 
 there is a good ball-room. 
 
 ' It is really a shame/ said Teddy Guild- 
 ford, ' to leave such a perfect floor as the one 
 in the ball-room here, to go and dance in 
 the Cheston town-hall, where I suppose the 
 boards will be as rough as a ploughed field.' 
 
 ' I don't think the floor will be so bad,' said 
 Lord Mortimer ; ' at least, I have given par- 
 ticular directions to have it attended to. But 
 the ball itself is certainly a great infliction ; 
 however, I am afraid it is a necessary evil, 
 and it gives great satisfaction to the Cheston 
 *' natives." You'll have the hardest work, 
 Tom, in view of the coming contest.' 
 
 For Tom Percival was to stand for 
 Cheston the next time a vacancy occurred 
 in its representation. 
 
 Tom shrugged his shoulders. 'Dear me, 
 r I suppose I shall have to dance with all the
 
 M DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 Cheston young ladies. I hope they are 
 tolerable-looking; at any rate, the mayor's 
 daughter is an uncommonly pretty girl, so 
 I'll console myself by a valse with her.' 
 
 ' And sacrifice yourself to your politics,' 
 laughed Winnie ; * let us hope you'll reap 
 the reward whenever old Bridgburn retires. 
 I am sure I shall be delighted to make some 
 civility calls in the good cause, and I don't 
 suppose that kind of canvassing will be 
 illegal for me, though of course it would be 
 for Kupert. I'll begin popularity-hunting 
 to-night, so as to be ready in case of any 
 emergency.' 
 
 When the Mortimer Castle party arrived 
 at the town-hall, they found it fairly well 
 filled, for the inhabitants had come early in 
 order to see the arrival of the grandees. 
 There were several parties from the country 
 houses near, including one from Hoyle
 
 DAME CICELTS PICTURE. 65 
 
 Abbey, but the majority present were towns- 
 people. 
 
 There was the old banker Mr. Sherby, 
 very pompous and prosy, and as proud of 
 his old established banking connection as any 
 nobleman of his ancestors. There w^as his 
 wife, quiet and unassuming, and apparently 
 snubbed by her husband ; there were his two 
 daughters, dressed with great magnificence, 
 though in painfully vivid contrasts of the 
 brightest pink and the greenest of apple- 
 greens ; there was his son, the parti of 
 Cheston, a conceited-looking youth, who 
 tried hard to attach himself to the county 
 people. 
 
 Then there was the mayor, a shy, silent 
 man, very much embarrassed at opening the 
 ball with Lady Mortimer; there was Mrs. 
 Eoultbee, a buxom widow of sixty, who 
 knew everybody, from Lord Mortimer down 
 
 VOL. I. 5
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 to the doctor's assistant, and who was ready 
 for any amount of chaff and banter. 
 
 Winnie certainly fulfilled her promise of 
 popularity-hunting, for she made herself 
 very charming to the * natives,' and really 
 enjoyed the fun of their quaint remarks, 
 exaggerated respect, and extraordinary cos- 
 tumes ; while they j^ronounced that ^ the 
 countess' was the most affable young lady, 
 and treasured up every detail of her dress 
 for future imitation. 
 
 One old lady, a certain Miss Quatermaine, 
 waxing confidential, whispered to her an eager 
 entreaty to have the Duchess of Newport 
 pointed out, and her disappointed comment 
 delighted Winnie. 
 
 * Well, if ever ! Why, her grace is not at 
 all a personable lady, and her dress is not to 
 be compared to Mrs. Boultbee's — no, nor her 
 carriage either.'
 
 DAME CICELY'S PICTURE. 
 
 It was certainly true, for the duchess's 
 black silk and the diamonds which fastened 
 her head-dress were far less striking than 
 Mrs. Boultbee's o-oreeous crimson satin and 
 heavy cameo ornaments ; and, as her grace 
 was decidedly bored, she was looking remark- 
 ably cross as she scanned each individual 
 with her eye-glass, and certainly detracted 
 from the opinion Miss Quatermaine had im- 
 bibed, as to the necessity of a duchess being 
 possessed of every charm and grace under 
 the sun. 
 
 On the whole, however, the party from 
 Mortimer amused themselves well at Cheston. 
 Tom Percival won golden opinions, and was 
 declared to be 'a most genteel young man,' 
 and there was much merriment while the 
 dress and remarks of the townspeople were 
 discussed. 
 
 There was only one person who certainly
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 did not seem very happy, and that was the 
 Duke of Trent. When the whole party had 
 reached home, he made some excuses of 
 urgent business, and explained to Lord 
 Mortimer that he nmst leave early the next 
 day. His host had some suspicion of the 
 reason of his abrupt departure, and the next 
 day his wife confided to him the secret which 
 he had guessed. The duke had proposed to 
 Kitty, who had refused him. 
 
 Winnie was unreasonably angry with the 
 wrong person. ' So stupid of him,' she said, 
 ' to be in such a hurry ; if he had only waited 
 a little longer, I am sure Kitty would have 
 accepted him ; but of course she was not 
 prepared yet.' 
 
 ' I don't agree with you there ; she saw a 
 good deal of him last season, and for the last 
 few days his attentions have been very 
 marked, at least to lookers-on. But I am not
 
 DAME CICELY'S PICTURE. 69 
 
 surprised that she has refused him ; I never 
 imagined she had the least intention of doing 
 anything else, and I only wonder Trent did 
 not find out sooner that it was no use his 
 thinkino' of her/ 
 
 * It is most unfortunate altogether,' said 
 Winnie ; ' I am so sorry about it.' 
 
 ' Well, if he was determined to put it to 
 the touch, and she did not care for him, it is 
 better to have it over. I hope Trent won't 
 take it greatly to heart, though he certainly 
 was a good deal cast down last night.' 
 
 On Saturday the hounds met at Mortimer, 
 and those of the guests who had not taken 
 their departure early were assembled to see 
 the meet. Lord Mortimer, Geoftrey, and 
 Tom Percival turned out in j)ink, while the 
 ladies were to follow as far as they could in a 
 break, for Lord Mortimer set his face against 
 ladies hunting.
 
 70 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 There were, however, several who followed 
 that day, and conspicuous among them was 
 Lilian Koyle, mounted on a beautiful chestnut 
 horse. Soon after eleven they were off 
 Later on in the day, after a good run, the 
 Koyles, finding themselves close at home, 
 decided not to go on any more, and asked 
 Geoffrey de Valines, who had taken care to 
 be near Lilian most of the day, to come in 
 and pay them a visit. He gladly accepted, 
 and while Sir Hugh stayed to give some 
 directions to the grooms, followed Lilian into 
 the library, where, as usual, Cicely lay on 
 her couch. 
 
 Mary Royle rose to welcome Geoffrey, 
 and introduce him to her sister ; and then 
 turning, said, ^ I don't think you know my 
 brother either ;' and John Royle came forward, 
 and the two men exchansfed srreetinsfs. 
 
 Geoffrey had been about too much not to
 
 DAME CICELTS PICTURE. 71 
 
 have heard many things against John Koyle, 
 and he was surprised to find him such a 
 pleasant-looking man. But the greatest 
 villains do not always carry their characters 
 stamped on their faces, and John Royle's 
 jDOwers to do evil would have been far less 
 if his appearance had been less attractive. 
 
 Tall, and well formed, with straight, well- 
 cut features, dark-brown hair and moustache, 
 and clear blue eyes, with an easy deferential 
 manner, and plenty of clever, amusing con- 
 versation, John Rovle mioiit well be de- 
 scribed as a fascinating man ; and only a keen 
 observer could detect, in the expression of his 
 face and glance of his eyes, the heartless 
 cruelty and utter worthlessness of his real 
 character. 
 
 Cicely began to ask Geoffrey about the 
 gaieties of the past week, and John Royle to 
 question his sister about the run.
 
 V2 DRIFTED TOGETHEB. 
 
 ' You seem to have had a good run, LiHan ; 
 how did Fury go V 
 
 ' Oh, splendidly ! he j^ulls rather, but 1 
 don't mind that a bit, and he took the fence 
 down by Chalk Lane like a bird. I prefer 
 riding him to any horse in the stables/ 
 
 'Well, he's a very nice-looking horse 
 certainly, but there are not many women 
 who could ride him as you do. Have you 
 had good sport in the shooting line, Mr. de 
 Valines V 
 
 So addressed, Geoffrey turned round and 
 entered into conversation with Lilian's 
 brother, and they got on very well together. 
 Then Sir Hugh came in, and the talk became 
 general, while Geoffrey rarely took his eyes 
 off Lilian. Naturally, his admiration did not 
 escape the keen eyes of John Koyle, and, 
 rapidly taking in the whole situation, he 
 decided that to encourage the flirtation might
 
 'DAME CICELY'S PICTURE. 
 
 prove profitable to himself. He knew that 
 the De Valines' property was good, and was 
 perfectly aware that Geoffrey had the reputa- 
 tion of being a generous open-handed young 
 fellow, full of life and fun, and knew also 
 that he had a good allowance. 
 
 At this particular time John Royle was 
 very hard up, in fact he had come down to 
 the Abbey solely to induce his father to raise 
 some thousands to keep his head above water ; 
 and havino^ had rather a stormv interview 
 with Sir Hugh after his unexpected arrival 
 on the previous evening, when his father had 
 told him that he could no lono-er continue tcv 
 raise money for him, and that the present 
 sum required must be the last one supplied, 
 he was turning over in his head the various 
 ways of making and winning money, with 
 which lono' habit had made him almost as 
 familiar as with the squandering of it when
 
 74 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 obtained. He was aware that Geoffrey was 
 a member of the chib he most resorted to — • 
 no other than Stacy's — where report said the 
 play was higher than at any other club in 
 London, and he welcomed this chance meeting 
 as a means of making Geoffrey's acquaintance, 
 and of inducing him to join in some of those 
 rubbers of whist in which John Koyle's luck 
 was proverbial. So he spared no pains to 
 make himself agreeable, and finding that 
 Geoffrey was going up to London on the 
 next Monday, asked him to dine with him at 
 Stacy's on the Tuesday. Geoffrey, only too 
 willing to become better acquainted with 
 Lilian's brother, gladly accepted, and so fell 
 into the trap so skillfully laid for him. When, 
 after a long afternoon at Koyle, he rode back 
 to Mortimer, he found Winnie and her husband 
 together in the library. 
 
 ' Why, Geoffrey, where have you been V
 
 DAME CI CELTS PICTURE. 75 
 
 said his sister. * Rupert came home long 
 ago.' 
 
 * Sir Hugh asked me to come in at Royle/ 
 answered her brother, ' so I have been 
 paying a visit there ; and made acquaintance 
 with his son, who is down for a day or 
 two.' 
 
 ^ I am sorry to hear it/ was Lord Mor- 
 timer's comment ; ^ take care you don't get 
 into his clutches, Geoffrey.' 
 
 ' Oh, I am not afraid,' was his answer, 
 lauo'hinof. ' I've heard enouo^h about John 
 Eoyle, but really I don't think he's quite so 
 black as he's painted. What a fine old place 
 the Abbey is, though !' 
 
 ' Indeed it is,' said Winnie ; ' and the 
 picture gallery is beautiful. I've only just 
 seen it, but Miss Royle asked me to go over 
 to luncheon one day next week, that I might 
 really explore the house.'
 
 V6 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 'They seem very pleasant people,' said 
 Geoffrey, carelessly ; ' and Miss Lilian 
 Koyle is certainly very pretty.' 
 
 ' Pretty ? why she's beautiful !' exclaimed 
 his sister, quite blinded by his careless tone^ 
 and not guessing at his real sentiments. 
 ' She rides so well, too ; she was on that 
 wonderful chestnut to-day.' 
 
 ^ Yes, it's a fine horse ; and that's a capital 
 one, Mortimer, you mounted me on to-day — 
 where did you get him V 
 
 And they began a conversation about horses, 
 which, together with Geoffrey's well-acted 
 indifference, completely satisfied Lord Mor- 
 timer that his brother-in-law's admiration of 
 Lilian Royle was not serious, Avhile his wife 
 plumed herself on her discernment, and 
 complacently thought how wrong Rupert 
 had been. 
 
 Geoffrey de Valines could hardly have
 
 DAME CICELTS PICTURE. 77 
 
 explained to himself why he was so desirous 
 that neither Lord Mortimer nor Winnie 
 should suspect his devotion to Lihan Royle. 
 The feehng was partly shyness, and partly, 
 perhaps, a sort of consciousness that they 
 might disapprove of the connection ; though 
 tliis must have come to him instinctively, as 
 he was aware that the Mortimers and Eoyles 
 had been friends for generations, and was 
 ignorant as to Lord Mortimer's views on the 
 subject. 
 
 * Still/ said Geoftrey to himself, as he 
 thought the matter over, ' I had rather no 
 one suspected this ; besides, I am not in the 
 least sure whether Lilian likes me or not 
 yet. I've been spoony on other girls before 
 now, and have not minded being chaffed 
 about them, but I've never felt like this. 
 I'm in love this time, and no mistake.' 
 
 On Monday, Geoffrey de Valines took his
 
 78 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 departure ; and travelling up to London with 
 John Koyle, thought more than ever that 
 that gentleman was painted very much 
 blacker than he need be. 
 
 In the afternoon, Winnie had a visit from 
 Miss Haleswell ; they naturally discussed 
 the past week's gaieties. Miss Haleswell's 
 home was some ten miles from Mor- 
 timer, so Winnie had only seen her at the 
 ball, as in previous visits they had missed 
 each other. 
 
 ^ My young cousin, Cis Yernon, enjoyed 
 his visit to 3^ou immensely,' said Miss 
 Haleswell, in the course of conversa- 
 tion. 
 
 ^ Oh ; is he a cousin of yours T asked 
 Winnie. ' I am so glad he was amused ; 
 he's a great friend of my brother Geoffrey ; 
 and Ave all like him so much.' 
 
 ' He's not a very near relation of mine,'
 
 DAJIi: CICELY'S PICTURE. 
 
 remarked Miss Haleswell ; ^ but then I 
 have so few connections that I am very ©iad 
 to know those I have, and I am very fond 
 of Cis. He has been my great favourite 
 ever since he was a boy, when I lost my 
 godson Alan Koyle, who, you know, perished 
 with his wife and their tiny baby in the 
 Indian Mutiny/ 
 
 ' So I have heard. How many troubles 
 the Eoyles seem to have had !' 
 
 * Indeed, I fear that they are an ill-fated 
 race ; and when one looks at John Hoyle, 
 and thinks of what he is, it is to be feared 
 that there is more trouble in store for them 
 yet. Alan was so different — so good and 
 kind ; his loss broke poor Lady Royle's 
 heart, and she only lived a few months after 
 she heard of it. And then Cicely, who was 
 such a merry girl, got that terrible fall down- 
 stairs, and has been on her back ever since ;
 
 so DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 thouofh now she's more cheerful than most 
 people.' 
 
 ^ That she is !' responded Winnie warmly. 
 * I have only seen her twice, but I was very 
 much struck with her sweet brightness.' 
 
 ' I often say she's an example to us all,' 
 said Miss Haleswell, a little huskily. ^ And 
 yet sometimes I think Mary Koyle has a 
 worse life, for she has all the burden of the 
 whole family on her shoulders.' 
 
 ' She looks very sad and careworn ; but 
 Sir Hugh is lively enough.' 
 
 ' Sir Hugh, my dear Lady Mortimer, is 
 one of those men on whom troubles make no 
 impression ; he has had them of every kind, 
 but he never takes anything to heart, and, in 
 spite of all his money-worries, and I am 
 afraid they are pretty considerable, never 
 gives himself a thought as to what the future 
 may bring. I believe he would be quite
 
 DAME CICELTS PICTURE. 81 
 
 happy if he had not a shiUing in his pocket, 
 and I think sometimes he'll come to that.' 
 
 Miss Haleswell knew Sir Hugh's 
 character pretty well, and it was her own 
 shrewd estimate of it which had led her 
 lono' ao^o to refuse to become the mistress 
 of Royle Abbey. Her rejection of him had 
 not interfered with their friendship, and she 
 had dearly loved his wife, and regarded his 
 children as relations of her own. Still she 
 had often congratulated herself that she 
 had not married a man to whom no ex- 
 perience could teach wisdom, and whose 
 recklessness and good- nature had done so 
 much harm to those whom he loved the 
 
 best. 
 
 How many men there are in the world 
 
 like Sir Hugh Koyle, on whom anxiety, 
 
 trouble, grief, ay, and even disgrace, make 
 
 no lasting impression; who are sunny and 
 
 VOL. I. 6
 
 82 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 joyous when others would hardly be able 
 to hold up their heads; full of fun and 
 merriment when those who hear them can 
 but wonder at their mood — men who, in spite 
 of all their failings, are popular with all, and 
 welcome everywhere, and who are missed 
 when they pass away from our ken, far more 
 than men of higher aims and better deeds. 
 It is only the belongings of these individuals 
 who are not carried away by the general 
 verdict ; it is their wives and daughters 
 whose burdens are rendered heavier by the 
 good-tempered nonchalance of their lords 
 and masters. 
 
 Later on in the week, Winnie rode over 
 to Royle Abbey, and was shown all its 
 curiosities, and examined the picture gallery 
 with great interest. 
 
 ' Who is that 1' she asked, stopping before 
 a picture of a grim man in an official dress.
 
 DAME CICELY'S PICTURE. 83 
 
 ' That/ answered Mary Royle, ' is Lord 
 Keeper Royle — not a worthy character, I 
 am afraid ; his picture is supposed to be by 
 Holbein.' 
 
 ' Oh, what a lovely Yandyck !' and Lady 
 Mortinaer stood entranced before the 
 picture of a young and beautiful girl, in the 
 costume of the time. 
 
 ^ Yes ; that/ answered her cicerone, ' is 
 Dame Cicely Koyle. She was very beauti- 
 ful, and her story is very interesting. 
 Cicely, her namesake, will tell you about it, 
 if you care to hear it.' 
 
 * I should like it of all thino-s / and when 
 her tour of inspection was finished, she 
 seated herself by Cicely's couch, and 
 petitioned for the true tale of Dame Cicely. 
 
 ' Her picture quite fascinates me,' she 
 said ; ' it is so like your sister Lilian, and 
 I am quite curious to know her history. 
 
 6—2
 
 84 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 'It is a Scad one altogether,' said Cicely ; 
 * but what we most honour her for was her 
 great loyalty and bravery. Her maiden name 
 was Vandeleur ; and when Vandyck painted 
 her picture she had only been married two 
 years, and v/as just nineteen. It was before 
 the civil war began ; and when it did, her 
 husband — he was a Sir Hugh — raised a troop 
 of horse and fought for the king. 
 
 ' At Naseby he was desperately wounded, 
 and a messenger came to summon his wife 
 to him. About an hour before this 
 messenger arrived, Dame Cicely had re- 
 ceived some despatches of importance, which 
 were to be forwarded to Prince Kupert ; and 
 having to start immediately, she thought it 
 safer to take them with her, more especially 
 as if the Roundheads wished to take posses- 
 sion of Royle, there was no possibility of 
 any defence being made against them.
 
 DA ME CICEL Y'S PICTURE. 85 
 
 ^ So poor Dame Cicely left her two little 
 boys, Alan and Hugh, to the care of a 
 faithful old nurse and two or three old 
 retainers, and rode off to the farm to which 
 her husband had been taken. It was late in 
 the day when she started, and soon became 
 too dark to go on, while she was still some 
 miles from her destination. 
 
 ' Her guide did not know his way in the 
 darkness ; and at last, seing some lights, they 
 stopped at a little wayside inn, and went 
 there to rest their horses, and try and find 
 out the direction they ought to take. But 
 when Dame Cicely went inside, she 
 found herself surrounded by Roundhead 
 soldiers. 
 
 ^ One can fancy her horror, especially 
 when, seeing her to be a Royalist lady, they 
 treated her with great roughness, and pulled 
 off her cloak and hood. Fortunately the
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 despatches were safely concealed in her 
 dress ; but whether in jest, or whether they 
 really suspected her of possessing any in- 
 formation, they declared that she was their 
 prisoner, and that they would take her to 
 the head-quarters of their general. 
 
 ' Vainly she pleaded that she was only going 
 to see her dying husband ; vainly she im- 
 plored them to let a defenceless v/oman go 
 on her way. Compassion and mercy were 
 unknown to Cromwell's troopers, and they 
 paid no attention to her entreaties. Then 
 she grew desperate, feeling that not only 
 her husband was needing her, but that she 
 had charge of the despatches, which she 
 was aware contained secret news of im- 
 portance. However, she was utterly 
 helpless, and felt that her only course was 
 to appear to resign herself to her fate ; so 
 she ceased her remonstrances, and crouched
 
 1)AME CICELTS PICTURE. 87 
 
 near the fire of the rude tavern kitchen under 
 plea of cold. 
 
 ' Here she sat watching till the soldiers, 
 tired with their march and heavy with drink, 
 one after another fell asleep ; and then, care- 
 fully taking out the despatches, she broke the 
 seals, and read them over, ever glancing, as 
 she did so, at her sleeping captors, in case 
 their slumbers might be interrupted. 
 
 * Then, bending forward, she placed the 
 precious documents amongst the embers, and 
 watched them consume with breathless 
 anxiety. They were almost reduced to ashes, 
 when some far-off sound made one of the 
 soldiers start to his feet, and the next instant 
 he had seized Cicely with an iron grasp. 
 
 ' " So thou dost burn thy papers, woman, 
 false malignant that thou art ! Their contents 
 shall be forced from thy lips when our 
 general hears this tale."
 
 88 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ' Dame Cicely felt that any further appeal 
 was useless; but although the agonising- 
 sensation thrilled through her, that now she 
 should never reach the side of her dying- 
 husband, she came to the firm determination 
 that nothing should induce her to reveal 
 the secrets of the burnt despatches. And 
 bravely she kept her resolution, even when 
 dragged before the harsh Puritan com- 
 mander, who spared no threats to prevail 
 on her to give him the information she 
 possessed ; yes, she kept it even when he 
 offered her an escort to her husband if she 
 would only betray the Royalist secret, 
 saying calmly : 
 
 * '' I would not purchase the sight of my 
 husband in his last moments by an act of 
 dishonour; and if I could do it, he would 
 spurn from him a wife who had betrayed the 
 cause which is dearer to him than life."
 
 DAME CICELTS PICTURE. 8^ 
 
 ' So she was detained by the Roundheads 
 for many weary months ; and when, at last 
 released, she returned to Royle Abbey, it 
 was to find that her husband had died three 
 days after her forcible detention. Broken- 
 hearted widow though she was, she journeyed,, 
 in spite of all the dangers of the way, to 
 Prince Kupert's head- quarters, and gave him, 
 though late, the information, the possession, 
 and concealment of which had cost her so 
 dear. 
 
 '■ So, Lady Mortimer, you will not wonder 
 that we regard Dame Cicely with the great- 
 est veneration.' 
 
 ' No, indeed ; thank you so much for 
 telling me her story. It is beautiful to hear 
 of her loyalty and devotion ; but what 
 dreadful sorrow for her to be kept from her 
 husband when he was dvino- ! Did she live, 
 long afterwards V
 
 ^0 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 * Yes, a good many years : she lived till 
 after the Restoration, and the Royles were 
 better treated by Charles II. than many 
 other of the Cavalier families ; but her life was 
 principally spent in doing good amongst 
 the poor. There is still a weekly donation 
 in bread, given away in this parish, for 
 which she left provision in her will, and 
 which is called '^ Dame Cicely's " dole.' 
 
 ' Well, she is an ancestor to be proud of : 
 you must like being named after her.' 
 
 ' Yes, I do ; I am very proud of my 
 name.' 
 
 'What stirring lives people led in those 
 times I' said Winnie ; ' it must have been very 
 exciting. There is not much chance in these 
 days of doing anything remarkable.' 
 
 * Oh, I don't agree with you ; there is 
 plenty to do — not always remarkable 
 certainly, and that is where people make
 
 JDAMU CICELTS PICTURE. 91 
 
 SO many mistakes, by looking out for the 
 wrong thing, and neglecting the one which 
 is in their power to do. I am no advocate 
 for women's rights. Lady Mortimer ; but I 
 think every woman, especially every married 
 .woman, has a great power in her own hands. 
 These are not days for any one to be idle ; 
 it is a busy age, and the only difficulty 
 is to be busy about the right thing.' 
 F ' It is quite true ; that is a difficulty, and 
 very often one lives in a perpetual 
 whirl.' 
 
 'Yes, and you must have a great many 
 of those little interruptions which always 
 come to any one with a house and position 
 to keep up ; but then those things are really 
 part of your business. It is people who 
 lead quiet lives like me who have more 
 scope for choosing their occupations.' 
 
 Winnie looked sympathisingly at the pale
 
 92 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 face and fragile form beside her, and thought 
 how wonderful it was that Cicely could 
 enter into life so thoroughly and cheerfully, 
 debarred as she was from active participation 
 in it ; but she only said : 
 
 ' That reminds me I wanted to ask you 
 about your training-school for girls.' 
 
 * Training-school . is almost too grand a 
 name to give it. My father lets me have 
 a good-sized cottage, and I have been lucky 
 in securing a capital woman to live in it, and 
 take charge of the four or five girls who are 
 generally in it at a time. She teaches them 
 how to cook, and do housemaid's work, and 
 especially to be good laundresses ; they take 
 in washing, which helps to support them^ 
 and a few kind friends subscribe to it. So 
 that as the Avhole arrangement is very 
 simple, and the girls live much as they 
 w^ould do in their own homes. I find the
 
 DAME CICELY'S PICTURE. 93 
 
 deficit in the receipts, which I make np by 
 work, is not very large. Then three tinies a 
 week the girls corae up here, and I read 
 a Httle with them, which is a great interest 
 to me, and one or more of them comes 
 sometimes to help in the kitchen or house 
 here, which helps to teach them also. My 
 great object is to make them useful servants, 
 but not grand ones, and hitherto the results 
 have been successful.' 
 
 ' I think it is a capital arrangement, and 
 it is so much wanted now, for everybody 
 joins in complaining of the difficulty of 
 getting good servants. Not that I have 
 found any at present,' she added, laughing ; 
 ' but then with Mrs. Warner, the delightful 
 old housekeeper at Mortimer, my task is 
 a very easy one.' 
 
 * Yes, a really good old servant, of the old- 
 fashioned type, is a great treasure ; I am
 
 94 DRIFTED TOGETHER, 
 
 afraid the present generation will not come 
 up to their '' forbears," in respect of good 
 service. But perhaps we ought not to com- 
 plain, for I am sure we are quite as different 
 from our grandmothers as they are from 
 theirs.' 
 
 ^ I am afraid I am • deofenerate enousfh to 
 be glad of the difference. The days when one 
 travelled post must have been very long 
 ones ; riding on a pillion, as I dare say Dame 
 Cicely did, was better ; still an express train 
 is a pleasanter mode of transit than either. 
 Rupert always laughs at me for my horror of 
 slow trains.' 
 
 ' I think we live at express speed now,' 
 said Cicely, smiling, * and of course it afiects 
 all classes ; but there is one thing which is 
 the greatest improvement, people are be- 
 ginning to see the necessity of bestirring them- 
 selves, if they would keep up the existing
 
 BAME CICELTS PICTURE. 95 
 
 order of things at all. If every one was only 
 alive to their own responsibilities, it would 
 be more hopeful ; but the time may come for 
 that yet. And the age is certainly getting 
 highly instructed — w^itness school-children 
 learning the " Lady of the Lake," — so I hope 
 education in its true sense will follow. But 
 I am teasing you with my sententious 
 remarks, Lady Mortimer ; it is a favourite 
 hobby of mine to speculate on the possibili- 
 ties of improvement, and runs away with 
 me. I was wanting to tell you also how 
 glad I am to hear that Mr. Percival is going 
 to stand for Chest on, when there is a va- 
 cancy. I hope you are a keen politician.' 
 
 * Oh, red-hot !' exclaimed Winnie, laugh- 
 inof. ' But I reallv must sfo now : it is gfettino* 
 quite late. Thank you so much for all you 
 have told me, Miss Boyle. I shall soon come 
 and invade you again.'
 
 96 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ' I shall be delighted at the invasion.' And 
 Cicely Koyle and Winifred Mortimer 
 parted mutually pleased with each other ; 
 while the latter thought as she rode home, 
 * If Cicely with all her suffering, and not 
 ^ble to move, does so much for others, what 
 ought not I to do, who have so many oppor- 
 tunities V And she mused over the subject, 
 and longed to do her own duty well, deeply 
 feeling that life is given us for something 
 higher than a mere round of pleasure.
 
 LORD CLANVILLE. 
 
 CHAPTER y. 
 
 LORD CLANVILLE. 
 
 ' The woman's cause is man's : they rise or sink 
 Together, dwarf'dor godlike, bond or free : 
 
 ****** 
 
 Let her make herself her own 
 To give or keep, to live and learn and be 
 All that not harms distinctive womanhood. 
 For woman is not undeveloped man, 
 But diverse : could we make her as the man, 
 Sweet Love were slain : his dearest bond is this — 
 Not like to like, but like in difference.' 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 At the beginning of February Lord and 
 Lady Mortimer went up to London for a 
 few days for the meeting of Parhament. The 
 
 VOL. I. 7
 
 98 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 weather was bitterly cold, and London was 
 in a garb of grey snow when they arrived ; 
 for, even as they fall, the pure white snow- 
 flakes acquire a leaden hue in floating down 
 throug^h the fosr and smoke of a winter's 
 day, to repose on the black mud of London 
 streets. Snow is dreary everywhere, but 
 especially snow in London. 
 
 A country landscape is very pretty in its 
 garb of pure white, with heavily-laden trees 
 looking rather as if they found the wintry 
 covering too cumbersome to support, and 
 cottaores whose thatch and slates are alike 
 diso^uised under the white roofs which look 
 so substantial. 
 
 But even in the country the eye is soon 
 tired of the general whiteness, and longs for 
 a return of green grass and bare trees ; and 
 still sooner does the Londoner desire the 
 disappearance of the discoloured com-
 
 LOBB CLAXVILLE. 99 
 
 pound, to which even mud alone is prefer- 
 able. 
 
 And when the discomfort of a thaw has 
 passed away, there is a general sensation of 
 relief; for even those who like cold are not 
 partial to snow, and people always grumble 
 at a long spell of cold weather, unless it is of 
 that bright frosty kind which is but rarely 
 seen in England now. 
 
 Of course when milder weather succeeds 
 the cold, that will in its turn be pronounced 
 unseasonable : but it would be hard to ofrudsce 
 to Eno^lishmen and Enoiishwomen their time- 
 honoured privilege of grumbling at the 
 weather, and it must be owned that, consider- 
 ing what the climate of ' merry England ' is, 
 there is some cause of complaint. 
 
 Though the word climate hardly de- 
 scribes weather in England, for, as a dis- 
 tinguished American once said when 
 
 7—2
 
 100 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 asked what he thought of the English 
 dimate : 
 
 * There is no dimate, but a great deal of 
 changeable weather/ 
 
 And so Parliament met ; there were the 
 usual addresses on the Queen's speech, and 
 the usual complaints from the opposition 
 that the said speech was totally barren of 
 information, and that it omitted to notice 
 any of the most needed measures of legis- 
 lation, complaints which have been made 
 with unfailing regularity as each session 
 began, and which, curiously enough, recur 
 without any regard as to which party is in 
 power and which in opposition. For how- 
 ever desirous of information the party out 
 of office may be, no sooner have they suc- 
 ceeded to power than their reticence equals 
 that of their opponents. 
 
 A few days after the meeting of Parlia-
 
 LORD CLANVILLF:. 101 
 
 ment, Lord Mortimer, who was much inte- 
 rested in bringing in a bill intended to pro- 
 mote the improvement of the dwelling houses 
 of the poorer classes, spoke in the House of 
 Lords on some question connected with it. 
 His speech was a good one, and was much 
 sj^oken of; and the night after, at a small 
 dinner-party in Grosvenor Place, where the 
 Mortimers' town-house was, Lord Clanville, 
 a member of the Government, came to Win- 
 nie and congratulated her warmly on it. 
 
 ' We were delio^hted with Mortimer's 
 speech,' said he ; ^ it was clear, well- worded, 
 and to the point — a very important item ! 
 and this bill which he has brought in, about 
 the artisans' dwelling-houses, will be a great 
 improvement if it passes, and I think it will 
 pass. Do you take any interest in politics, 
 Lady Mortimer V 
 
 'Yes, a great deal of interest,' was her
 
 102 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 answer. ' I am afraid I don't know as much 
 about them as I ought ; but I am learning 
 to understand them better/ 
 
 * I am very glad to hear it ; it always 
 provokes me when ladies take no interest 
 in their husbands' political views. According 
 to my old-fashioned ideas, a wife ought to 
 help her husband as far as she is able in 
 whatever line he may take ; and that would 
 be a better occupation, to my mind, than 
 haranguing meetings and working for 
 woman's suffrage, as is the great aim of 
 strong-minded women now. Have you been 
 to hear Miss Clacker ?' 
 
 * No, indeed I have no curiosity ; and if I 
 had, I am sure my husband would not let me 
 go. I read her speech through, and thought 
 it was great rubbish ; and I never shall be- 
 lieve in lady doctors.' 
 
 ' Nor I,' replied Lord Clanville; ' and these
 
 LORD CLANVILLE. 1.03 
 
 public speakers neglect all a woman's natural 
 duties. So far, perhaps, I ought not to be too 
 hard on them, for I suspect they generally 
 belong to the class of women who have failed 
 in the first object of their lives — matrimony. 
 Their abuse of men always reminds me of a 
 fable concerning sour grapes.' 
 
 ' How angry they would be if they heard 
 you/ said Winnie, laughing. ^ You know they 
 profess to be far superior to all considerations 
 of that kind, and I believe look on all married 
 women who do not adopt their ideas with 
 contemptuous pity ; well, I for one can sur- 
 vive it. Of course there are a great many 
 women who have to earn their own living, 
 and find it hard work to decide on some 
 occupation. I am very sorry for them; but 
 I think, if they would undertake less am- 
 bitious employment, they would get on better. 
 However, ambition is a temptation to a
 
 104 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 woman always, I suppose ; and it is quite 
 useless to us, though most useful to men.' 
 
 ' Why should ambition be quite useless ta 
 women ?' asked Lord Clanville. * Certainly 
 their ambition ought to be of a different kind 
 to a man's ; they should not desire to be lord 
 chancellors, and they need not particularly 
 wish for the toils of cabinet ministers ' — and he 
 gave a little expressive shrug of his shoulders — 
 * but they may be ambitious of helping their 
 husbands and ordering their households well^ 
 and of making themselves useful in raising 
 the tone of society, and helping to support 
 measures calculated to improve those around 
 them. And if a woman is unmarried, there 
 are plenty of ways in Avhich she can make 
 herself useful. But dear me, in these days 
 a woman's only ambition, in society at leasts 
 seems to be to get herself talked about. I 
 know you are not one of that sort, Lady
 
 LOUD CLAyVILLE. 105 
 
 Mortimer ; and, as an old man, I should like 
 to give you a piece of advice. You are in a 
 position in which you can set an example in 
 society. Do set your face against these fast 
 ways of young married women, and show 
 that you may be lively, fashionable, and 
 useful, without beinof either fast or strono-- 
 minded. There, what a lecture I am giving 
 you ! You'll think me worse than Miss Clacker, 
 and certainly I am suggesting a career to you. 
 But I often think I should have more hope 
 for the country than I have at present, if I 
 could see the women of the upper classes 
 think of something else besides amusing 
 themselves, regardless of their duties and 
 responsibilities.' 
 
 'You are quite right, Lord Clanville. I 
 only wish I could come up to my ideal of 
 what a woman ought to do when she has any 
 position or responsibility.'
 
 106 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 * The very wish makes me sure you will do 
 something,' he gallantly replied. * There, Mor- 
 timer/ as Lord Mortimer came towards them, 
 ^ your wife and I have been having a grand 
 discussion, and she is quite willing to under- 
 take the task of reforming society — no easy 
 one, I'm afraid. Indeed,' as Winnie moved 
 to say good-bye to another of her guests, ' I 
 congratulate you on having got a wife of the 
 right sort. Well, things are bad enough ; 
 and, old Tory though I am, I've got a good 
 deal of the Keformer in me, eh !' 
 
 * The best combination,' answered Lord 
 Mortimer. ' I always think the only chance 
 ao'ainst the ever-o^rowins^ Radicalism of our 
 day, is for the Tories to undertake the task 
 of Reform themselves ; and I don't mean 
 by Reform, the Reform Bill alone.' 
 
 * No, no, of course not ; you and I think 
 alike about these things. Well, I look on you
 
 LOEB CLANYILLE. 107 
 
 as my pupil, you know, Mortimer; and I 
 hope one day to see you in the cabinet, and 
 your wife doing the society part, which we 
 want done so much, and which my good 
 friend Lady Lister has not the smallest idea 
 of accomplishing. Could anything be duller 
 than her drum last Saturday. Well, good- 
 bye. Lady Mortimer, don't forget your mis- 
 sion ;' and Lord Clanville took his departure. 
 
 ' What a dear old iTian he is !' said Winnie 
 to her husband^ when her other guests were 
 gone ; 'one feels such a respect for him too, 
 when one thinks of his steady, straightfor- 
 ward course all through his long political 
 life.' 
 
 ' He is one in a thousand,' said Lord Mor- 
 timer warmly, 'and all the trouble of his 
 own life — for you know his wife, to whom 
 he was devoted, only lived two years after 
 theii" marriage — has only made him more 
 
 i
 
 108 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 sympathising and considerate to others. 
 He is really like a man in days '' when none 
 were for a party, but all were for the state," 
 and his great object all through has been 
 not his own advancement, but the welfare of 
 his country and of his countrymen.' 
 
 Most true were the words, and justly 
 honoured amonofst all cfood men was Lord 
 Clanville ; though full seventy years old, his- 
 form Avas still upright, and the noble face, to 
 which his grey hairs gave additional dignity, 
 bore on it the stamp of a good conscience. 
 
 We may be thankful that there are such 
 men in England, honourable, high-minded, 
 and patriotic, and that in all parties we 
 recognise them, and rejoice that English 
 statesmen should, however much they may 
 differ as to the means, honestly desire and 
 strive for their country's good as their end. 
 , And Winnie remembered Lord Clanville's
 
 P LOLD CLANYILLE. 109 
 
 words, and often thought of them. She 
 fully felt that hers was a great responsibility. 
 Life was opening before her, and she had 
 everything which a woman could wish for. 
 Her husband, to whom she was devoted, 
 possessed not only rank and wealth, but 
 talent and influence, and was, above all, 
 anxious to employ his possessions for the 
 good of others. She herself had youth and 
 health, and personal attractions, though 
 without pretensions to beauty. And, as has 
 been said, life was before her — life with its 
 infinite possibilities of pleasure, excitement : 
 of honour, fame, and power : and those things 
 which duty called on her to undertake were 
 the things to which she was naturally drawn 
 by inclination. To a keen love of art and 
 beauty w^as joined the full powder of enjoying 
 these things in the pleasantest and easiest 
 way ; and as Winnie contrasted her own lot in
 
 110 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 life with that of others Avhom she knew, and 
 especially with that of Mar j and Cicely Koyle, 
 she could only feel intense thankfulness and 
 humility that she should have so much and 
 they so little. She never imagined that life 
 would have no cares or troubles for her ; but 
 she felt deeply how high her aims ought to 
 be, w^hile her opportunities Avere so great, and 
 how complete her fulfilment of them. 
 
 The next day she went to see a cousin of 
 hers, who devoted most of her life to work- 
 ing amongst the London poor, visiting the 
 hospitals and other charitable institutions, 
 and had a long conversation with her re- 
 specting her labours. 
 
 Mrs. Vincent, the lady in question, was a 
 widow, without children and comfortably off, 
 living in a small house in Belgravia. She 
 had a very sw^eet attractive face, and possessed 
 in a high degree the gift of sympathy, which.
 
 LORD CLANYILLE. ill 
 
 combined as it was in her with good judg- 
 ment and good sense, made her specially 
 suited to the work she had undertaken. She 
 was very glad to find that her bright young 
 cousin was anxious to join in the much-needed 
 occupation of helping others ; and while she 
 cautioned her against embarking in any new 
 schemes of charity without consideration, 
 gave her much information about the diffe- 
 rent kinds of aid which were most useful to 
 the London poor. 
 
 ' Though I often think, Winnie,' she said, 
 ' that one is apt to forget that there are other 
 people who want help besides the very poor. 
 I have a great theory about doing something 
 to cheer and enliven the lives of those who, 
 while they have just enough to live on, have 
 nothing to spare for making life pleasant. 
 For instance, there are two old maiden ladies, 
 sisters, whom I know, living in a very poor
 
 112 DRIFTED TOGETHER, 
 
 little lodging ; they have bad health, and 
 hardly enough to live on. I go and see them 
 when I can, and take them some flowers or 
 fruit sometimes, or an amusing book; and 
 they are so cheered by any little attention. I 
 shall ask you to make their acquaintance when 
 3^ou are settled in London, for an occasional 
 visit would be the greatest kindness. Things 
 like that cost so little, and are worth so 
 much. Were there ever truer lines written 
 than — 
 
 * " Evil is wrought 
 
 By want of thought " 
 
 I am quite sure if people thought of these 
 little things they would do them; but they live 
 in a whirl, and never think.' 
 
 * It is quite true, Cousin Lucy. I shall be 
 very glad to go and see your old ladies. When 
 one is as happy as I am, it makes one feel so 
 sorry for those whose lives seem to be all
 
 LOBD CLAyVILLE. 113 
 
 sorrow. And there is such a fearful amount of 
 misery in the world, it makes everything that 
 can be done to alleviate it seem almost use- 
 less, when one thinks of the remainder that 
 cannot be touched by any eftbrts whatever.' 
 
 'The only hope is, for everyone to do what 
 thev can/ answered Mrs. Vincent : 'and first 
 of all to try and keep one's own standard high, 
 and never neglect the little daily duties of life. 
 I can't tell you, Winnie, how glad I am that 
 you care about something else besides amuse- 
 ment ; and you have the greatest help in a 
 husband like Lord Mortimer.' 
 
 ' Indeed I have !' exclaimed the happy 
 young wife. ' Oh, he is the very best of 
 men ! I do pity girls. Cousin Lucy, who 
 can't look up to their husbands ; it must be 
 dreadful. I don't know what would become 
 of me, if I could not feel that my husband 
 was in every way above me.' 
 
 VOL. I. 8
 
 114 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 Mrs. Vincent smiled ; her inward thought 
 was that Winnie herself was too hio-h- 
 minded ever to have married any man who 
 was not her superior, but she only said : 
 
 ' Well, it is a good thing every one does 
 not think alike in those respects ; and love 
 very often makes girls believe in the 
 superiority of men who are in reality their 
 inferiors/ 
 
 ' Well, perhaps so ; but I never could have 
 married a man I did not respect.' 
 
 * No, Winnie, I don't think you could. 
 I felt the same, and had the same happiness 
 of a good husband that you have. But 
 every one is not so fortunate ;' and she gave 
 a little sigh, as her thoughts wandered back 
 over her ten years' widowhood, and fifteen 
 years' happy married life. 
 
 But Lucy Vincent had been too thankful 
 for happiness to repine at sorrow ; and if she
 
 LOEB CLANVILLE. 115 
 
 felt that the sunshine of her own hfe had 
 departed on the day when her idoHsed 
 husband was taken from her, her one aim 
 since had been to try to lead a life which 
 might be useful to others. She was too 
 humble-minded to know how well she had 
 succeeded. Truly her sorrow had been 
 blessed to many around her. 
 
 When Winnie returned home, she found 
 her brother Geoffrey waiting for her. 
 
 ^ I wanted to have a talk with you, 
 Winnie,' he said. ^ Had you any idea that 
 there was anything going on between Yernon 
 and Kitty.' 
 
 Quickly as thought could cone, flashed 
 across Winnie the recollection of her husband's 
 suspicions, and she exclaimed hurriedly : 
 
 * Oh, surely not, G eoffrey '? I do hope 
 there is nothing. I know she liked dancing 
 with him, but then ' and she stopped.
 
 116 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ' It is quite true. I went home for two 
 days, in fact I only returned this morning, 
 and Yernon went with me. Well, last night 
 he proposed to Kitty, and she, as far as she i& 
 concerned, accepted him ; but of course after- 
 wards, when he had an interview with my 
 father, it was found that his means are des- 
 perately small. He has only two hundred a 
 year, besides his pay; and his regiment is 
 going to India almost immediately. He 
 behaved very well about it, and owned that 
 he had no right to think of Kitty, excepting 
 that of being quite devoted to her, and threw 
 himself on my father's mercy.' 
 
 ^ And what did he say V asked Winnie^ 
 breathlessly. 
 
 ^ That, considering how young Kitty is,, 
 he could not possibly sanction any engage- 
 ment ; and that, though he had no objection 
 to him personally, he could not let Kitty
 
 LORD CLANVILLE. 117 
 
 marry without a sufficient income. So it is 
 a-ll at an end, as far as any engagement goes ; 
 but I don't think they will either of them 
 change their minds. And that reminds me, 
 isn't Cis's old cousin. Miss Haleswell, a 
 neighbour of yours V 
 
 ' Yes, certainly she is ; but what has that 
 to do with it ? Oh, I see/ as it suddenly 
 dawned on her, ' you are thinking she might 
 do something for him. Do you know, Geof- 
 frey, it would not surprise me at all ; she 
 talked to me of him, and seemed very fond 
 of him.' 
 
 * Yes, she is ; but Cis is no fortune-hunter, 
 and he can't bear to think of counting 
 on the old lady's will. He never said a 
 syllable to my father about her, so of course 
 I could not ; and he is very low about it 
 altogether, for if she does nothing for him, he 
 ias no other prospects.'
 
 118 DRIFTED TOGETHER, 
 
 * Surely he might tell Miss Haleswell that 
 he likes Kitty, only he can't afford to marry 
 her?' 
 
 * So I think ; but he says it would look 
 like asking for a settlement. I was wonder- 
 ing if you could throw in a hint when you 
 see her, Winnie V 
 
 ' I am afraid it would be difficult, as 
 Kitty would be the gainer. Oh, here's 
 Eupert ; I may tell him, Geoffrey V 
 
 ' Oh, certainly !' 
 
 And she recounted the history to her 
 husband, adding : 
 
 ' You were quite right, Rupert, in thinking 
 that Kitty liked him.' 
 
 ' Had you any suspicions, Mortimer T 
 asked Geoffrey. 
 
 * Yes, I had ; and, as it turns out, my 
 suspicions were right. It is unfortunate, 
 though, about the money; and his heirship 
 to Miss Haleswell is very uncertain.'
 
 LOLB^ CZAX VILLE. 119 
 
 ' You do think it possible ?' said his wife. 
 
 ' I have always considered it so ; but, Geof- 
 frey, Yernon had better tell her the whole 
 story.' 
 
 ' Exactly what I say,' was the response 
 ' but he's afraid she will think he's after her 
 money.' 
 
 ' No fear of that ; she knows him too well. 
 I don't say she may not have had other 
 views for his marrying, but that is nothing 
 now. And, if he wanted fortune, there was 
 Miss Ashby ready to hand — was there not, 
 Winnie V 
 
 ' Oh, Rupert, it was so stupid of me to 
 make such a mistake ; but, having done it,* 
 I should be delighted if there w^as any 
 prospect of all this coming to a satisfactory 
 conclusion.' 
 
 ' You see,' remarked Geoffrey, ' it is not 
 only that Vernon is my dearest friend, but
 
 120 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 Kitty is my sister, and I should be uncom- 
 monly pleased at their marriage. Besides, 
 I feel rather guilty, for I knew he liked 
 her, and certainly did not put obstacles in 
 the way of their meeting, w^hich perhaps, 
 knowing he was poor, I ought to have done ; 
 but I let it go, and am sorry enough now. 
 Poor Kitty is dreadfully unhappy, and my 
 father and mother too ; you'll hear it all from 
 them to-morrow, Winnie, but I told them I 
 should come and tell you the whole history.' 
 
 * I'm so glad you did,' answered his sister ; 
 * but I only wish it could have a happier 
 termination.' 
 
 * There can be no doubt that Cis Vernon 
 had better tell Miss Haleswell the state of 
 the case,' said Lord Mortimer. 'Whether 
 or not she means to make him her heir, she 
 is so straightforward that she will let him 
 know what her intentions are, when she hears
 
 LORD CLANVILLE. 121 
 
 of his contemplating a marriage. I am sorry 
 for Kitty, for anyway it must be a long 
 waiting, as Cis has to go to India so soon.' 
 
 ' Well,' replied Geoffrey, rising to go, ' I 
 shall do my utmost to persuade Cis to tell 
 Miss Haleswell about it when he goes to say 
 good-bye to her, in a day or two, and I hope 
 something may come of it.'
 
 122 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 CHAPTER YI. 
 
 MISS haleswell's heir. 
 
 * There's nothing half so sweet in life 
 As Love's young dream.' 
 
 When Geoffrey was ^gone, Lord Mortimer 
 would have been more than human if he had 
 not again recurred to the justice of his dis- 
 cernment. 
 
 'Well, Winnie/ he said^ ' I am sorry that 
 my suspicions were correct ; but, you see, I 
 was right in thinking that Kitty liked 
 Vernon.* 
 
 There is a delightful sensation, to which
 
 MRS. IIALESWELVS HEIR. 12a 
 
 every one is liable, in feeling that something 
 which we have predicted, and which no one 
 else has believed in, has yet been proved to 
 be true, and the best of us cannot resist 
 the temptation of alluding to their own 
 superior foresight when their prediction is 
 verified : nor is it easy to conceal one's vexa- 
 tion when one finds one's self wrong, after 
 having, perhaps, shown great confidence in 
 one's own judgment ; and Winnie certainly 
 felt rather provoked that her husband should 
 have discovered what she had been blind 
 to. 
 
 * Yes, I acknowledge you were right, 
 Kupert ; but it is very odd that 3'ou should 
 have been,' she said. ' I thought men never 
 saw things of that sort ; no doubt I should 
 have found it out if I had thought more 
 about it.' But Winnie quite forgot that it 
 was because she had thouoiit so much of her
 
 124 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 own match-making plans for her guests 
 that she had failed to observe the matches 
 which were making themselves. 
 
 ' If Miss Hales well does something for 
 Vernon, it may come all right/ went on 
 Lord Mortimer, forbearing to tease his wife 
 any more about her lack of observation ; * but 
 anyhow they will have to wait, which is 
 never a good thing. Long engagements are 
 very trying to both parties.' 
 
 ' Indeed they are, and I should be sorry 
 for Kitty to have to undergo the weary 
 waiting of one. Even you, Rupert, though 
 you dislike match-making, must allow that it 
 would have been far better if Kitty could 
 have liked the Duke of Trent.' 
 
 * Of course, it would have been a very 
 good marriage for her ; but I don't feel sure 
 that it would have at all suited Kitty to be 
 a duchess. And Vernon is a very good
 
 MRS. HALESWELL'S HEIIL 125 
 
 fellow. We must hope it will come right ; 
 but India would be another drawback, in your 
 father's opinion, I suppose V 
 
 ' I am afraid so ; though I can never 
 quite make out why people have such 
 an aversion to their daughters going to 
 India/ 
 
 ' I think I can,' said Lord Mortimer, 
 'when I look at those who have gone to 
 India as bright healthy girls, and returned 
 worn-out women, with their health ruined, 
 their spirits gone.' 
 
 * Oh, Kupert, that is a very black view. 
 India does not ruin everybody's health.' 
 
 * Not everybody's, of course ; but I think 
 few Englishwomen pass through the Indian 
 climate unscathed. However, if Kitty cares 
 enouofh for Yernon to ^o to India with him, 
 I hope she may be able to do so ; for there 
 is nothing I dislike more than the prevailiDg
 
 126 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 notion, that if a man in the army marries, 
 he must exchange, or sell out, directly his 
 regiment is ordered to India. After all, a 
 wife's place is with her husband, whenever 
 she can be with him without interfering with 
 his duties ; and it is a sad pity when a woman 
 takes it into her head that her husband 
 should give up his profession because he 
 has married her. She should have asked 
 herself what she was prepared to give up 
 for him before she married him. I cannot 
 understand how women can act in such a 
 selfish manner, when they so often by it 
 ruin their husband's best prospects, and of 
 course, with those, injure eventually their 
 own interest. Though, in one sense, it is 
 a man's own fault for giving into such a 
 thingj nor can I conceive why any one does 
 it. I suppose I have too much of the tyrant 
 in me to be so yielding.'
 
 MBS. HALESWELL'S EEIR, 127 
 
 ' A great deal too much,' laughed his 
 wife, ' as I shall find if I am late for dinner ; 
 so I must go and dress now, to ensure 
 punctuality/ 
 
 Two days after, Cis Vernon found himself 
 in the train, en route to Miss Haleswell's. 
 He felt very wretched as he thought of his 
 future prospects. He was very much in love 
 with Kitty, and very miserable at the thought 
 of leaving England without any hope of 
 winning her; and yet he felt not only re- 
 luctant to tell Miss Hales well of his trouble, 
 but the reverse of hopeful as to her helping 
 him even if she knew of it ; so he was very 
 down-hearted and ufdiVe himself when he 
 arrived, as his cousin soon discovered.' 
 
 'Now, Cis,' she said, when they were 
 sitting together in the evening, ' I am sure 
 there is something wrong with you. Tell me 
 all about your troubles, and let me see if I
 
 128 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 can help you, so that you may not go to 
 India with any debts or worries on your 
 mind.' 
 
 'You are very good, Emma/ he said, and 
 he stood up leaning against the high oak 
 mantelpiece with a very despondent air ; * but 
 it is not debt or anything of that sort/ 
 
 * Then it is a love affair, Cis,' said the old 
 lady, who w^as keen-sighted enough to guess 
 at the state of the case. 
 
 * Yes, it is ; and as you've guessed it, I'll 
 tell you the whole history,' said Cis, very 
 much relieved at the ice being broken, and 
 feeling it a comfort to pour out his heart to 
 his kind-hearted listener. ^ The fact is, 1 
 proposed the other day to Miss de Valines — 
 Kitty. And she's the dearest girl in the world, 
 and likes me ; but her father, I can't blame 
 him, says he can't consent to my marrying 
 her without more money than I shall ever
 
 MBS. HALESWELUS HEIR. 129 
 
 have. So it's all over, and I don't know what's 
 to become of me, neither do I much care. I 
 shall be ofif to India in a week, and never see 
 her or hear of her again, until some day she 
 marries some lucky dog with money, who 
 won't care for her half as much as I do ; for 
 I have no right to expect she'll remember 
 me.' 
 
 Cecil Vernon's confession was certainly not 
 distinguished for its eloquence^ but the real 
 feelino: which he showed touched the warm 
 heart of Miss Hales well, and though for a 
 moment she felt a sensation of disappoint- 
 ment that her scheme for his marrying Lilian 
 E-oyle must now be at an end, when he had 
 finished, she said : 
 
 ' Now, Cis, hsten to me, and perhiips I can. 
 help you in this. I won't deny that I have 
 wished that you might take a fancy to 
 another girl, who shall be nameless now, but 
 
 VOL. I. 9
 
 130 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 I'm the last person in the world to wish 
 people to marry unless they love each other. 
 I don't forget my own young days, though 
 they are so long ago, and therefore I think I 
 had better tell you now what my intentions 
 about you are, and perhaps they may forward 
 your marriage. My fortune, Cis, stood in 
 the way of my happiness when I was young, 
 but it will be some consolation to me if by it 
 I can secure yours now. I have always 
 meant you to be my heir ; you are my nearest 
 relation, and I shall settle the estate on you 
 at once, and allow you five hundred pounds 
 a year as long as I live. No, stop,' as he 
 was going to speak ; ^ I have not finished yet. 
 This would not give you a large income at 
 present, but with your own two hundred and 
 your pay, I think it might be sufficient to 
 make a difference in Colonel de Valines'^ 
 ultimatum; so I shall write him a letter 
 
 i
 
 MRS. HALESWELIJS HEin. 131 
 
 stating my intentions, as I have told them 
 to you, and give it you either to take or send 
 it to him. Your departure being so near 
 will probably oblige you to have a long 
 engagement ; but, if I am right, I think even 
 that at the present time would rejoice your 
 heart.' 
 
 ' I should think so !' exclaimed Cis. ' Oh, 
 you dear good Emma, how can I ever thank 
 you enough ! You will believe me when I tell 
 you that I never expected such a thing ; it 
 is indeed happiness to think that I may win 
 Kitty yet, for her father is not unreasonable, 
 so I am sure your letter will amply satisfy 
 him. I can never repay you for your good- 
 ness — nor Kitty either,' he added. 
 
 * Indeed you both can ; you will be the 
 children of my old age. And when you come 
 back from India, you must look on Elm 
 Court as your home. Why, Cis, you will 
 
 9—2
 
 132 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 perhaps get the better of old Bacon, who is 
 more obstinate than ever when I suggest 
 any improvements ; and Kitty, for so I must 
 call her, will help me in making the house 
 pleasant when I get dull and infirm.' 
 
 ' The idea of your getting dull ! Well, I 
 can only thank you again and again, and say 
 if only we can in any way show you our 
 gratitude, we shall do so.' 
 
 ' I know it, Cis ; there, don't say any more. 
 I shall long for the time when you and your 
 wife come home to Elm Court.' 
 
 And warm-hearted Miss Haleswell rejoiced 
 that she had it in her power to make two 
 young lives happy; her own sad love-story 
 had made her very considerate for the loves 
 of others, and, unlike many old maids, she 
 did all in her power to encourage marriage 
 amongst her friends and acquaintances. 
 
 The sequel to this conversation may easily
 
 MjRS. HALESWELUS UEIR. 133 
 
 be imaorined. When Cis A^ernon left Elm 
 Court, he went at once to Skeatings ; and 
 after a lono- interview with Colonel de 
 Valines, in which he detailed to him the 
 whole of Miss Haleswell's generous pro- 
 posals, ending with giving him her letter, he 
 found that gentleman willing to allow his 
 eno^aofement to Kittv. 
 
 ' As a rule, Vernon,' said the colonel, who 
 was by no means a representative of the 
 mercenary father type, ' I can't say I approve 
 of long engagements, or of letting girls go to 
 India, but yet I am giving my consent to 
 both. The truth is that Kitty, though she 
 has been very good in submitting to my fiat, 
 has been so miserable since I gave it, that I 
 felt as if I was very cruel towards her ; and I 
 am very glad that your cousin's kindness has 
 enabled me to revoke my prohibition, for I 
 believe you will do your utmost to take care
 
 134 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 of her, and to make her happy. So you 
 may go and tell Kitty that I withdraw my 
 objections ; you will find her in the morning- 
 room.' 
 
 It is needless to say that Cis's interview 
 with Kitty was a very satisfactory one, and 
 as she raised her blue eyes to him, she said : 
 
 ' Oh, Cis, it seems too wonderful ! to think 
 how miserable I was ten days ago, and now 
 it is all right, and we belong to each other I' 
 
 ' It is perfect happiness,' was his answer. 
 * Oh, my darling, how can I ever show you 
 how grateful I am to you for consenting, in 
 spite of a long engagement, to give yourself 
 to me r 
 
 ' A long engagement is better than a long 
 parting, Cis,' was her reply. And in their 
 new-found happiness they found consolation 
 for the separation so close on them, for Cis 
 Vernon sailed for India four days afterwards,
 
 3IBS. HALESWELL'S HEIR. 135 
 
 with no expectation of returning before two 
 years ; and then he was to return to England 
 on leave, and take Kitty back with him as 
 his bride. 
 
 Kitty de Valines was young, but her 
 disposition was a sunny one, and she prepared 
 herself bravely to face the two long years. 
 
 ' After all/ she said to herself, ' I shall not 
 be much over twenty then, and in these two 
 years I will try my utmost to learn to be a 
 useful wife to Cis. Oh, that dear good Miss 
 Haleswell, if it had not been for her, what 
 would my feelings have been I then I should 
 have had no hope to cheer me, and I could 
 not do without some hope.' 
 
 Soon after Kitty went to visit Miss Hales- 
 well, and the old lady and the young girl 
 became fast friends, and the visit was often 
 repeated. Kitty made acquaintance with 
 Elm Court and its surroundings, and was
 
 136 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 initiated into all Miss Haleswell's hobbies 
 and schemes of improvement. She won 
 golden opinions, and even took old Bacon 
 the bailiff's heart by storm, not a very easy 
 triumph, for that worthy belonged to the 
 school of cantankerous individuals who 
 always oppose everything that they do not 
 originate, and as they rarely originate any- 
 thing, their opposition becomes almost 
 universal, and poor Miss Haleswell generally 
 found herself quite unequal to overcoming 
 the prejudices of her bailiff, who styled the 
 simplest improvements ^ new-fangled non- 
 sense,' and generally contrived that the 
 ' new-fangled nonsense ' should prove a failure 
 for lack of being properly used. So passed 
 the first part of Kitty's two years' engage- 
 ment.
 
 GEOFFREY'S PURCHASE. 137 
 
 CHAPTER YIL 
 
 Geoffrey's purchase. 
 
 * Oh, beautiful creabire, what am I 
 
 That I dare to look her way, 
 
 o e o e o 
 
 And dream of her beauty with tender dread V 
 
 Texxysox. 
 
 Some few days after Cis Vernon had found 
 himself declared the heir of Elm Court, and 
 thereby enabled to engage himself to Kitty 
 de Valines, Miss Haleswell drove over to 
 Eoyle Abbey to tell her friends there the 
 news. She only found Cicely at home, and 
 after paying her a long visit, and lingering
 
 138 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 on in the hopes of seeing Mary and LiUan, 
 she at last took her leave, saying she must 
 wait no longer. She had hardly been gone 
 ten minutes before Lilian made her appear- 
 ance in her habit. 
 
 ^ Oh, Lilian !' exclaimed her sister, ' you 
 are just too late ; Miss Hales well has been 
 here, and she was so anxious to see you, but 
 could not wait any longer. She came to 
 announce a piece of news : Captain Vernon is 
 engaged to Miss Kitty de Valines, and she 
 has decided on making him heir to Elm 
 Court ; he is going — indeed I believe is gone 
 — to India, so it will be a long engagement.' 
 
 * You don't say so !' answered Lilian, sub- 
 siding into an arm-chair by her sister's couch ; 
 * well, I am quite surprised, but it is a very 
 good thing. Does Miss Haleswell like it X 
 
 * She seems delighted. By the way, there 
 is a letter for you ; I think it is from John.'
 
 GEOFFREY'S PURCHASE. 139 
 
 Lilian took up the envelope, and began to 
 read her letter. Cicely watched her anxiously, 
 for John Royle's epistles were not always 
 causes of rejoicing to his sisters, and she 
 trembled lest it should contain some in- 
 junctions to induce his father to send him 
 some money. So it was with a sense of 
 relief that she heard her sister say, as she 
 handed her the letter : 
 
 ' There's not much in it ; John is coming 
 down to-morrow, and o-oino^ to brinof Mr. de 
 Valines, who wants to have a look at that 
 black horse which the dear old padre wishes 
 to sell.' 
 
 Cicely read over the lines, and noticed 
 that John, too, mentioned the engagement 
 Miss Hales well had just been telling her of, 
 and remarked : 
 
 ' John seems to see a good deal of Mr. de 
 Valines ; I am so glad, for they are all such
 
 140 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 good people, and he is said to be such a nice 
 young fellow.' 
 
 ' He's very pleasant,' said Lilian, carelessly. 
 'There, I mnst really go and take off my 
 habit;' and she disappeared, certainly not 
 ill-pleased at the information her brother's 
 letter contained. 
 
 Poor Cicely ! she little thought, as she 
 rejoiced over John's having some nice friends, 
 that he was too thoroughly worthless to be 
 improved by any companions, or indeed to 
 care about the society of any excepting the 
 wild, fast set to which he belonged, and she 
 never dreamed that his friendship Avas gene- 
 rally fatal to any young man who might be 
 unfortunate enough to fall under his influence. 
 In the present case, he would hardly have 
 obtained so much hold over Geoffrey de 
 Valines in such a short space of time, had it 
 not been that Geoffrey was so entirely in-
 
 GEOFFREY'S PURCHASE. 141 
 
 fatuated by Lilian's beauty, that he hoped by 
 cultivating her brother's acquaintance he 
 might get more chance of seeing her, more 
 especially as, deceived by the affectionate 
 manner in which John Royle spoke of his 
 family, he believed that he spent much time 
 with them, which was certainly not the case. 
 And Geoffi'ey hailed with delight the proffer 
 to come down and inspect a horse which Sir 
 Hugh was anxious to sell. 
 
 Mary Koyle soon came in from a round of 
 parish visits, and the next minute in bustled 
 Sir Hugh. 
 
 ' I have just been hearing,' he began, ' that 
 that Ned Shaw has been poaching again, 
 trapping rabbits this time. That man is an 
 utter scoundrel ; he will come to the gallows 
 in time. I am afraid Sparks does not half 
 look after the lower plantation; I have 
 given him a good scolding about it. I only
 
 142 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 wish we could catch the rascal ;' and Sh- 
 
 Hugh paused, while Mary said : 
 
 ' Oh, I am so sorry for his poor wife. She 
 
 is so ill, and he is out of work again.' 
 
 ' More shame to him, my dear ; more 
 
 shame to him. I am sorry for his wife, but 
 
 she should look after him more ; and as to 
 
 work, who would employ a poacher V 
 
 ^ No ' one, I am afraid,' answered his 
 
 daughter. 
 
 * Quite right too ; it would be encouraging 
 
 vice,' said Sir Hugh, virtuously, as became a 
 landlord, a magistrate, and jDreserver of 
 game, to whom poachers were as a red rag 
 to a bull, and by whom they were regarded 
 as guilty of the worst crimes. Indeed, it 
 is almost amusing sometimes to hear the 
 condemnation of any luckless family whose 
 members are known as poachers ; if there 
 are any steady ones amongst the number,
 
 GEOFFREY'S PURCHASE. 143 
 
 they will hardly get the credit of being so. 
 And indeed, as a rule in the country, the 
 habitual poachers are amongst the wildest 
 and most lawless of the inhabitants of a 
 place. Whether they become so by poaching, 
 or whether, being wild and lawless, they take 
 to poaching as the most exciting employment 
 within their reach, is a doubtful point ; but it is 
 certainly extraordinary that while the land- 
 owners not unnaturally look on it as a 
 desperate crime, the poor, even though 
 honest and respectable, cannot be brought to 
 regard it as any other than a venial offence ; 
 and while they would be horrified at the idea 
 of taking your purse, yet have no objection 
 to a hare or so beino^ secured now and then 
 by their mankind — accidentally of course. 
 
 The Koyles were well accustomed to hear 
 Sir Hugh's tirades against Ned Shaw and 
 his belongings, and Cicely, not anxious to
 
 144 DRIFTED TOGETHER, 
 
 prolong the discussion, told of Miss Hales- 
 well's visit and news, and of John's intended 
 visit. 
 
 Sir Hugh was much interested in the 
 engagement, for he was one of those men 
 who delighted in hearing of cheerful events, 
 and marriages he regarded as coming into 
 that category. 
 
 ^ So John is going to bring young De 
 Valines down to see about that horse,' he 
 remarked, after he had discussed the other 
 news ; ^ well, he's a beauty. I wish I could 
 keep him, but horses won't live on air, and 
 we've got as many as we can keep — properly 
 speaking, more — without him. I suppose, 
 though, that the Mortimers are not yet back 
 by this, otherwise De Valines would have 
 gone to his sister's.' Sir Hugh said this, 
 quite unsuspecting what attraction Royle 
 Abbey held for Geoffrey.
 
 GEOFFRETS PURCHASE. 145 
 
 ' No,' answered Cicely, ' I don't think they 
 are coming back to the castle till next week : 
 they are staying in London longer than they 
 intended to do ;' a fact of which John Royle 
 w^as also aware, for, conscious of Lord 
 Mortimer's estimation of him, and cordially 
 hating him, he did not wish to endanger the 
 success of his schemes by bringing his 
 intercourse with Geoffrey before the keen 
 -eyes of the earl. 
 
 So, on the evening of the next day, John 
 Eoyle and his companion arrived. Sir 
 Hugh gave Geoffrey a hearty greeting, and 
 Lilian certainly did not appear displeased to 
 see him ; while John played his game most 
 skilfully, and contrived, by interesting his 
 father in the latest political news and by 
 giving his sisters some amusing accounts of 
 various friends, that Geoffrey and Lilian 
 should have a good deal of conversation 
 
 VOL. I. 10
 
 146 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 together. Later on, Sir Hugh, who was 
 very fond of music, asked Lilian for some 
 of his favourite songs. Lihan did not 
 possess any remarkable gift of voice, but 
 she sang simple airs, and old English or 
 quaint French songs, with great sweetness 
 and expression, and perhaps her singing was 
 more calculated to give pleasure to her 
 listeners than if she had entertained them 
 with the most classic German melodies. For 
 excepting to people who are not only 
 thoroughly musical, but who really under- 
 stand classical music, that kind of music in 
 the evening is not always a source of delight. 
 After dinner the generality of men and 
 women hke to be amused, and, though a 
 truly classical musician wdll scorn the idea, 
 absolutely prefer the so-called inferior music 
 of England and Italy to the most exquisite 
 compositions of Wagner. In fact (shades of
 
 GEOFFREY'S PURCHASE. 147 
 
 German composers, what will you say to it Vj 
 one does hear a hunting song, or even one 
 from an opera houffe, meet with approval 
 and applause which are conspicuously absent 
 when the higher style of music is the order 
 of the evening. 
 
 Nor is there anything surprising in this ; 
 the same people who like light music in the 
 evening may be perfectly able to enjoy 
 scientific music at its proper time, but in 
 society in the evening they would be equally 
 indisposed to listen to a scientific lecture, or 
 to go deeply into some abstruse question 
 on art or politics. And it is a great pity 
 that real musicians, while doing all in their 
 power to raise the general appreciation of 
 good music, should despise the lighter kinds 
 of it, which do not pretend to rival the 
 higher, and only intend to amuse and not to 
 instruct the listeners. 
 
 10—2
 
 148 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 Most certainly Sir Hugh infinitely pre- 
 ferred ^ John Anderson, my Jo/ ' Kobin 
 Adair/ and his well- beloved ' John Peel/ 
 to anything superior ; and as for Geoffrey de 
 Valines, he began to think that Lilian 
 Eoyle's voice was as sweet as Patti's. For 
 as we all know that love is blind, so we may 
 also presume tliat love plays tricks with our 
 faculties of hearing, as there is no other 
 way of accounting for the different opinions 
 expressed as to a young lady's voice by her 
 admirers, and by her rivals. 
 
 So passed the evening, very agreeably to 
 all the party ; and the next day Sir Hugh, 
 John Royle, and LiHan, with Geoffrey de 
 Valines, proceeded to inspect the black horse 
 whose wonderful beauty and promise were 
 of course the only inducements for the young 
 guardsman's visit. 
 
 It was a bright frosty morning, with that
 
 GEOFFRETS PURCHASE. 149 
 
 peculiar clearness and brilliant blue sky 
 which one sometimes, not often now, sees in 
 an English winter day. The stables at 
 Royle had formed part of the buildings 
 belonging to the original abbey, and were 
 very picturesque, looking especially so as 
 they stood up against the clear sky with 
 their red walls tempered with the hue that 
 age gives to red, and which makes old 
 buildings of that colour so different from the 
 modern erections in the same tint. The old 
 gables and quaint archway were duly re- 
 marked by Geoffrey; and, at last, the 
 quartette reached that part of the stables 
 where in all his glory stood the black horse. 
 He was carefully inspected, and greatly 
 admired, and Geoffrey, well pleased with 
 his appearance, decided on purchasing him. 
 
 ' You have not given him a name yet, have 
 you V he asked.
 
 150 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ' No/ answered Sir Hugh. ' Here, 
 Lilian, you generally give all the horses 
 their names ; suggest some suitable ones for 
 this black beauty/ 
 
 ' I wish you would,' said Geoffrey, as 
 Lilian paused in consideration, and then 
 answered : 
 
 ' I think you ought to name him, as he is 
 going to be yours ; however, if you ask me, 
 I think I should call him " Rob Roy,'" for 
 he looks as if he had plenty of pluck, a 
 quality which I am afraid in Rob Roy him- 
 self makes me forget his disregard of the laws 
 of meum and tiium.^ 
 
 'It is a capital name,' said Geoffrey. 
 ' Rob Roy let him be. I am delighted with 
 my new acquisition.' 
 
 * Will you come and see the oldest in- 
 habitant of the place, Mr. de Vahnes V 
 asked Lilian. ' A very important person, I
 
 GEOFFRETS PURCHASE. 151 
 
 assure you, and one who always expects a 
 visit from every stranger who comes to the 
 stables.' 
 
 He willingly assented, as she laughingly 
 led the way to another part of the stables, 
 and opening a low door, said, with mock 
 reverence : 
 
 ' Let me introduce you to my dear old 
 pony Peggy.' 
 
 The pony in question was a grey one, un- 
 deniably a very ancient lady, but who showed 
 great delight at seeing her young mistress ; 
 and her delight was not lessened when she 
 munched the lumps of sugar with which 
 Lilian liberally supplied her. 
 
 'Peggy is a wonderful creature,' said 
 the young lady, as she fed her favourite. 
 ^ She is past thirty, certainly, and we all 
 learnt to ride on her. I rode her at four 
 years old, and continued to do so as long as
 
 152 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 she could cany me. She was a capital 
 jumper, and I had my first day's hunting on 
 her. Dear old thing I one gets so fond of 
 animals when they are old friends, don't you 
 think so V 
 
 ' Indeed I quite agree with you. They 
 are such faithful friends, too — that is to say,, 
 dogs and horses are, which are the kind 
 of animals I know most about.' 
 
 ' And they are so superior to the rest, that 
 they ought not to be classed with other 
 animals. Ah, there goes one of another 
 species for which I have no partiality,' as a 
 huge sandy cat walked demurely past them. 
 ' I cannot endure pet cats. There is an old 
 woman in this village who owns nine, and 
 whenever I go to see her, I always say^ 
 "Now, please, Mrs. Bartlett, come away 
 from all your precious cats, for I am come 
 to see you, not them." '
 
 GEOFFHETS PURCHASE. 15a 
 
 ' I should think she ^A'as rather indio-nant 
 with you, for disHking her pets.' 
 
 ' Oh, she gets very angry, and we have a 
 grand quarrel ; and then make it up, till next 
 time.' 
 
 Then they walked leisurely back across- 
 the old bridge over the stream which flowed 
 between the house and the stables, and 
 rambled round the old-fashioned flower- 
 garden. It was winter now, and therefore 
 there was nothing to see in it ; but in 
 summer, thouo^h Rovle was not remarkable, 
 for the splendour of its flowers, it was the 
 most delightful old garden in the world. All 
 the sweet-scented flowers, which one misses, 
 so much amid the blaze of colour which 
 rejoices the eye in the wonderfully-shaped bed 
 of a modem parterre, might be found there 
 in plenty. Indeed the garden at Royle was. 
 one which existed for pleasure, and not for
 
 154 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 show ; and, without saying a word against 
 show-gardens, one may be allowed to indulge 
 in a preference for a place where one may 
 gather a nosegay of sweet flowers without 
 incurring thereby the wrath of a grand 
 gardener. 
 
 Geoffrey de Valines thought with regret 
 how short his visit must be, and, anxious to 
 be sure of future meetings with Lilian, said, 
 as they neared the house after their walk : 
 
 ^ I suppose you will come up to London 
 -after Easter V 
 
 ' Oh no, I don't think so ; at least, not 
 regularly. We never have gone up for the 
 season, only for two or three weeks at the end 
 of May.' 
 
 'But then you are out now,' persisted 
 Geoffrey ; ' so I should think Sir Hugh will 
 take you up for some gaieties.' 
 
 * I hardly think he will, though I am
 
 GEOFFKETS PURCHASE. 155 
 
 sure I should like it immensely. Still my 
 father does not care for London for long ; 
 and then Cicely could not go, so I shall have 
 to content myself with a country cousin's 
 fortnight;' and she laughed merrily, not 
 seeming much distressed at the idea. 
 
 Geoffrey was by no means pleased at the 
 intelligence, for he had been looking forward 
 to seeing much of Lilian during the season, 
 and had very definite ideas as to his hopes 
 for its close. And now he heard that she 
 would not be in London for more than a short 
 time. He would not, however, give up hope 
 yet. 
 
 ' Some one is sure to ask you to stay 
 with them/ suoforested he. 
 
 ' Oh, how I wish some one would 1' ex- 
 claimed Lihan. ' Eeally you should not put 
 such a notion into my head, for I am afraid 
 there is not the least chance of it.'
 
 156 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ' I hope there is a great chance/ answered 
 Geoffrey. ^ I — all your friends will regret it 
 if you don't come up for the season.' 
 
 * It will be very kind of my friends,' said 
 Lilian, as they entered the hall ; and there 
 was a faint blush on her cheek, for she had 
 heard the ' I ' which Geoffrey had so hastily 
 corrected, and was not unwilling to think that 
 future meetings with her present companion 
 might be very pleasant ones. 
 
 The afternoon train whirled John Royle 
 and Geoffrey de Valines back to London; 
 the former well satisfied with the state of 
 affairs, the latter very undecided as to how 
 he should contrive to see Lilian again, but 
 more in love with her than ever, and not with- 
 out hope that he might win her love in time. 
 
 And so for weal or woe Geoffrey de 
 Valines's lot in life was sealed. If he could 
 have lifted the veil which hunsf over the
 
 GEOFFRETS PURCHASE, 157 
 
 coming months — if he could have divined the 
 thoughts of John Royle sitting opposite to 
 him in the smoking-carriage, turning over the 
 leaves of a novel which he was not readino^ — 
 would he have acted differently 1 
 
 In one sense he certainly Avould have done 
 so, but not in another. Knowledge would 
 have saved him from the bitter experience 
 which he had to buy as regarded John Royle ; 
 but as far as Lilian was concerned, he was 
 ready to sacrifice anything for her, and 
 beneath the merry handsome face of the 
 young soldier there was an earnest j)urpose 
 and a warm heart. Lilian Eoyle would have 
 reason to be proud of her lover, if circum- 
 stances should come to try his metal ; as yet 
 he was untouched by care or trouble, but 
 when they came he would meet them bravely, 
 and they would teach him much needed 
 lessons. Yes ; careless, gay, insouciant, as
 
 158 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 they seem, there is something deeper in the 
 young men of the present day ; and if trial 
 and danger come, we need not fear that they 
 will be less ready to meet it than their fathers 
 were of old.
 
 JOHN BOYLE. 15^ 
 
 CHAPTER YIII. 
 
 JOHN ROYLE. 
 
 ' Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers, and she bears a laden 
 breast 
 Fnll of sad experience, moving towards the stillness of his 
 rest.' 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 Ox Saturday afternoon, a day or two after- 
 wards, Geoffrey de Valines made his appear- 
 ance in his sister's drawing-room ; and 
 finding her alone, they settled themselves for 
 a long conversation. After discussing 
 Kitty's engagement in all its points, and 
 various other family news, Geoffrey led the
 
 160 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 conversation to matters more personal to 
 himself, by saying : 
 
 ' Oh, I was down in your neighbourhood 
 two days ago, Winnie. I heard that Sir 
 Hugh Royle had a young horse to sell, 
 and as I was looking out for one, I went 
 there for a night. I purchased the 
 animal in question, and like his looks very 
 much.* 
 
 * Oh, did you go to Koyle ?' exclaimed his 
 sister ; ' were they all flourishing ? I like the 
 Eoyles so much !* 
 
 ' They seemed in very good force,' was his 
 reply. ' Sir Hugh was very hospitable and 
 good-natured, and the young ladies most 
 agreeable. What a charming face the invalid 
 sister has !' 
 
 ' Indeed she has ; she is a marvel of pati- 
 ence and cheerfulness. I must go over and see 
 them as soon as we go back to Mortimer. I
 
 JOHN ROY LE. 161 
 
 wonder if they will come to London this 
 year, now Lilian is out X 
 
 * I understood not/ remarked Geoffrey 
 carelessly, as he balanced a paper-knife on 
 his fingers with remarkable skill. ^ ]V[iss 
 Lilian Royle seemed rather to regret it.' 
 
 * Oh, she must wish to come, and beiug so 
 lovely she would make quite a sensation. 
 How I should like to take her out ! 1 long to 
 begin chaperoning duties, and am quite 
 angry with Kitty that she has ceased to 
 require my services, at least to any great 
 extent. I wonder whether Rupert would 
 let me ask Lilian here for a season. I think 
 I will try and persuade him ; only the worst 
 is, he cannot endure the brother, Mr. 
 Eoyle.' 
 
 ' But that has nothino^ to do with your 
 taking out the sister,' said Geoffrey, only too 
 delighted that Winnie had herself suggested 
 
 VOL. I. 11
 
 162 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 the plan : he was longing to propose to her. 
 ' I know there are queer stories of John 
 Eoyle, but I don't think he's quite as wild as 
 he has been. I should think it would be a 
 kind action if you did ask Miss Lilian 
 Koyle for the season. I always pity girls 
 who don't have a little fun in London. What 
 a thing it will be to see you a dignified 
 chaperon, Winnie ! Do you mean to go in for 
 the whole thing, ball- giving and the rest of it ?' 
 
 ' Yes, I think so. Eupert says I may have 
 a ball if I like, and the room next to this 
 will make a perfect ball-room ; indeed, I think 
 it will be a better plan to have two small 
 dances instead of a big ball — no one can 
 really enjoy a great crush.' 
 
 ' No, certainly not ; small dances are far 
 pleasanter, and I wish peojDle would think so 
 generally, but I suppose they give more 
 trouble.'
 
 JOHN BOYLE. 163 
 
 'Not if you have got a room ready to 
 Land, as we have here ; besides I do not mind 
 the trouble a bit. If I do give any enter- 
 tainments, I want them to be successful 
 ones.' 
 
 ' I think yours are sure to be that, judging 
 hy the one at Mortimer.' 
 
 ' I hope so. Oh, Geoffrey, have you seen 
 anything of the Lyntons V 
 
 ' Yes, I came across them at Mrs 
 Delville's drum the other night, and had 
 quite a conversation with Tessie.' 
 
 Winnie Avould have preferred to hear that 
 he had talked to Valla, but was pleased to 
 find he had seen the two sisters, and hoped 
 that her favourite scheme might still come to 
 pass. She was not prepared for her brother's 
 next question. 
 
 ' Did you know that there was some sort of 
 engagement two years ago between John 
 
 11^2
 
 164 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 Eoyle and Tessie Lyntori, and that Lord 
 Elmarch would not hear of it, on account of 
 his extravagance V 
 
 ' No, indeed I did not,' said she, much in- 
 terested. ' I wonder if it is really all over.' 
 
 ' I wonder too, for, casually talking about 
 your neighbours, I found Tessie very keen in 
 her inquiries about the Koyles. I did not 
 then know the reason, but chanced to hear it 
 a day or two afterwards.' 
 
 Geoffrey did not mention that it was when 
 coming out of Stacy's with John Royle he had 
 seen the Lyntons pass in their victoria, and 
 had noticed the sudden colour on Tessie's face, 
 and the look which passed between her and 
 John Koyle. And John Royle's flice had 
 chanofed, and a look of intense admiration 
 had come into his eyes ; and as he walked 
 along by Geoffrey's side he had exclaimed : 
 
 * How the sight of that girl maddens me ! if
 
 JOHN EOYLE. 165 
 
 I had her for my wife, I should be a different 
 man.' Then with a Laugh he had changed 
 the subject, and said : 
 
 * Well, De Valines, you have seen me in a 
 very unusual mood ; forget it as soon as you 
 can.' 
 
 No more had passed, but warm-hearted 
 Geoffrey had felt sincere sympathy with 
 John Royle, and in one sense he was 
 right. 
 
 The good point in John Koyle's character 
 was his affection for Tessie Lynton ; it was 
 the one thing which gave him some glimpse of 
 better thino-s. If her father had consented 
 to their marriaofe, would it have reclaimed 
 him? Tessie herself thought so, and though 
 well aware that he was wild and extravagant, 
 would not believe that he was really bad, and 
 grieved bitterly at the thought that she 
 mio'ht have made a different man of him
 
 166 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 if her father would have allowed her ta 
 marry him ; and she had not forgotten him 
 during the two years which had elapsed since 
 his proposal. 
 
 Lord Elmarch's opinion was different, and 
 he and many others, including Lord Mortimer^ 
 were convinced that nothing could change 
 John Koyle's character. 
 
 It is a disputed point whether a good girl 
 can reclaim a bad man, who loves her, by 
 marrying him ; but all agree that the risk is a 
 fearful one, and few fathers care to let their 
 daughters run such a risk : though when love 
 is strong in a girl's heart, she feels the almost 
 certain hope that she could keep a man 
 straight as her husband, and the persuasion 
 that loss of her will drive her rejected lover 
 desperate. Sometimes a man may be saved 
 by a wife's influence, but it is not always so,. 
 and it is safer and better that a wife should
 
 JOUX BOYLE. 167 
 
 be able to look up to her husband, rather 
 than think that she will be able to guide him 
 when the first glamour of love has passed 
 away. 
 
 * Well, Geoffrey/ said his sister, ' you have 
 made me most curious ; I wonder if Rupert 
 knows anything of it. The Royles are such 
 old friends of his, that he would have been 
 sure to hear of it ; I think I must try and 
 find out.' 
 
 ' Well, don't betray me ; but I thought I 
 would ask you if you had heard of the 
 enocao^ement, Tessie Lynton beino- a friend of 
 yours.' 
 
 ^ I wonder I did not hear of it ; but I 
 suppose, as it was not allowed, they did not 
 talk about it. Can you come to dinner early 
 on Monday, Geoffrey, and go with us to the 
 play'? We are going back to Mortimer on 
 Tuesday.'
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 * I should have liked it very much, but 1 
 am ensfaofed to dine with the Tancarvilles. 
 Well, Winnie, I must go now ; and I suppose 
 I shall not see you again, as I shall be on 
 duty on Tuesday : so good-bye.' 
 
 Geoffrey de Valines took his leave, well 
 pleased at the results of his interview with 
 his sister, and hoping that the end of her 
 good-natured plan might be that Lilian Royle 
 would be established w^ith her for the 
 season. 
 
 Nothing would suit his hopes better ; it 
 would be natural that he should constantly 
 be at his sister's house, and he could then see 
 Lilian without any remark as to his inten- 
 tions. 
 
 * And further,* he said to himself, ' my 
 father can't object to a girl whom Mortimer 
 allows Winnie to have to stay wdtli her ;' for 
 Geoffrey was aware that the name of Eoyle
 
 JOHN BOYLE. 169 
 
 was not sans reproclie, and he knew that 
 though, as regai'ded money, his father would 
 make no objections, he would be far more 
 j^articular as to the connections and family 
 of his future daughter-in-law. 
 
 * Most unlucky,' muttered Geoffrey again, 
 ' that John Royle has got such a bad name ; 
 if he would only pull up a little, and marry 
 Tessie Lynton, there would not be an 
 obstacle to my winning Lilian/ 
 
 And as he lit his cigar, and wandered on 
 down Piccadilly, he began for the hundredth 
 time to recount to himself Lilian's charms. 
 
 And when Lady Mortimer was left alone, 
 she began to consider how best she could 
 gain her husband's consent to chaperoning 
 Lilian Royle. Somehow she instinctively 
 felt that the plan would not meet with his 
 approval, and she was desirous to introduce the 
 subject skilfully, knowing that if he once
 
 170 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 said ^ no/ he would not change his mind. 
 For Lord Mortimer, though a most devoted 
 husband, was very determined, and Winnie 
 only had her own way in a very modified 
 degree. Being inclined to be self-willed 
 herself, Winnie did not always find yielding 
 pleasant ; but she admired her husband incom- 
 parably more, because she knew that, when 
 in earnest, his will was law. 
 
 So when Lord Mortimer came in that 
 evening, she did not at once plunge into the 
 subject of her meditations, but listened to his 
 news, and the account of a visit to Lord 
 Clanville^ with the latest intelligence respect- 
 ing the Artisans' Dwelling-houses Bill. Very 
 pleasant was her interest and entliusiastic 
 partisanship to her husband, who was a man 
 who liked women to take interest in politics 
 and improvements, though strongly opposed 
 to the so-called ' woman's rights ' movement.
 
 JOBS ROYLE. 371 
 
 And when the lords of the creation really come 
 up to their proper level, and take their stand- 
 ing according to their position and abilities, 
 maintaining their legitimate superiority, it is 
 almost an impossibility for any woman to 
 attempt to vie with them. For woman is ' the 
 second, not the first / and she will gain far 
 more by filling the second place well, than by 
 attempting to attain to the first place^ for 
 which she is not fitted. 
 
 On Tuesday the Mortimers returned ta 
 Mortimer Castle, and two or three weeks of 
 uninterrupted bad weather prevented Winnie 
 from seeinof anvthino- of the Rovles, nor did 
 she find an o]3portunity of mooting her plan 
 about Lilian ; and she finally came to the 
 conclusion that she would say nothing about 
 it until she had herself been to Eoyle Abbey 
 and found out what its inmates were going 
 to do during the spring and summer.
 
 172 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 Indeed, she was too busy to think much 
 xibout the Royles, for what with helping her 
 husband in his writing and copying, working 
 hard at her own painting, and taking keen 
 interest in the numerous schemes of im- 
 provement for the parish, estate and county, 
 in which Lord Mortimer was always engaged, 
 she found her days pass very rapidly ; and 
 even when he Vv^as out all day, she was not 
 one of those young married women who are 
 a prey to ennui directly they are alone. 
 
 For why, because a w^oman is married, 
 should she give up all rational occupations — 
 neglect music, painting, and books — and 
 expect her husband to devote himself to her, 
 to the neglect of more important duties, or 
 else require to be surrounded with a con- 
 tinual succession of guests ? 
 
 The reason is hard to comprehend. 
 Married women have a sufficient number of
 
 JOHN ROYLE. 173 
 
 advantages, and they make many more for 
 themselves if they only possess the desn-e to 
 make the best of their position. For every 
 married woman has a position, whether she 
 be a duchess, a member s wife, an officer's 
 bride, or the quiet spouse of a clergyman. 
 
 It is inconceivable that amono-st all the 
 honours and glories which a girl expects from 
 matrimony, the responsibility of worthily 
 filling and elevating her position should be so 
 little thought of Ambition in this sense 
 would be most useful to a woman. 
 
 Mrs. Vincent came about the beofinnino: 
 of March for a few days' visit to her young 
 cousin, and was cheered and amused by her 
 visit. She enjoyed the animated conversa- 
 tions, and intelligent interest in what went 
 on in the world which distinguished both 
 husband and wife, and the courteous kind- 
 ness and consideration which Lord Mortimer
 
 174 DRIFTED TOGETUEB. 
 
 showed towards her were very pleasant to 
 the lonely woman. 
 
 She was delighted with the castle, and all 
 its quaint treasures and curiosities, and spent 
 many pleasant hours in examining the 
 various old books, prints, and engravings, 
 hangings, and china, which were gathered in 
 profusion within its walls. 
 
 There is something very charming in 
 roaming about an old English country house 
 and investigating its precincts ; for many an 
 unpretentious-looking mansion contains 
 things which would adorn a palace, and too 
 often its owners are lamentably ignorant of 
 their valuable possessions, and keep the white 
 paint on their dark oak panellings, and look 
 at you in wonder when you suggest to them 
 that they are lucky to have such valuable 
 old Chelsea or Worcester, or admire their 
 Oriental vases.
 
 JOES BOYLE. 175 
 
 There is a vast amount of ignorance 
 amongst well-instructed people as to what is 
 really beautiful ; and though schools of art 
 are doino- somethino- to remove it, as lono- as 
 people are so apathetic as to disregard the 
 beauty or ugliness of their surroundings, so 
 long will they hide away their china to put 
 ormolu vases in its place, and prefer the 
 ^ cleanness ' and ^ light ' appearance of white 
 paint to the richness and colour of old oak. 
 
 One evening, during Mrs. Vincent's stay 
 at Mortimer, Winnie, speaking of some 
 neighbours whom she had been visiting that 
 afternoon, said : 
 
 ' What a quaint old house the Lisles live 
 in, Kupert. I was quite struck with it ; and 
 that curious little square court inside the 
 house is so uncommon. It is provoking to 
 think that the people who live in such a 
 charming old place should be so '' hum-drum "
 
 176 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 — for no other word describes them — as the 
 Lisles are.' 
 
 Lord Mortimer smiled as he answered : 
 
 * Yes, the Lisles are certainly not very 
 interesting, but they are very good people in 
 their way, and do a certain amount of good in 
 their own village.' 
 
 'Still, with their means— for I suppose 
 they are well off — it seems incredible that 
 they should know and care so little about 
 •what is going on in the world. I think it is 
 horrible for people to be so narrow-minded — 
 don't you, Cousin Lucy 1' 
 
 ' Tastes differ a good deal,' said Mrs. 
 Vincent. ^ I certainly don't like narrow- 
 minded people ; but in this case, it seemed to 
 me that the peo23le we visited to-day were 
 hardly that. They were more like what I 
 should imagine a great many country squires' 
 families w^ere before railroad-days.'
 
 JOny UOYLE. 177 
 
 * That is really the case/ remarked Lord 
 Mortimer ; ' the Lisles are complete old- 
 world people, and such are very rare in 
 these days.' 
 
 ' A very good thing that they are rare/ 
 was his wife'i^ answer, ' for in the latter half 
 of the nineteenth century they are quite out 
 of place.' 
 
 ' And yet/ said Mrs. Vincent, ' I think it 
 is pleasant that some of those quiet people 
 exist still. Variety in human nature is as 
 pleasant as in other things, and there is 
 nothing to me more striking in daily life than 
 the wonderful difference of taste, ideas, and 
 mode of life, between those who are, nominally 
 at least, in the same rank of life.' 
 
 ' As a variety you are quite welcome to 
 like the Lisles/ said Winnie, laughing ; ' but 
 I am glad to believe they belong to a small 
 species of the English race. To me the acme 
 
 VOL. I. 12
 
 178 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 of human misery would be to lead always a 
 monotonous country life, such as they lead 
 and seem to enjoy, devoid of all outward 
 interests and associations, and with so little 
 purpose in it.' 
 
 ' It is fortunate, however, that every one is 
 not so decided in disliking country life as you 
 are, Winnie, seeing how many people have to 
 lead the dull lives you regard with such horror. 
 But it is always a puzzle to me whether it is 
 good or not to be satisfied with a narrow 
 sphere in life. I do not mean as regards 
 contentment, but rather that men and women 
 too, who might be capable of doing great 
 things, are yet willing, to let their energies be 
 cramped, and their talents rendered useless, 
 by employing them only in a narrow sphere, 
 and so waste the powers entrusted to them.' 
 
 ' Don't you think,' was Mrs. Vincent's 
 response to Lord Mortimer's remark, ' that
 
 JOHN R07LE. 179 
 
 if people really fulfil the duties of their 
 narrow sphere well, and do possess powers 
 fitted for better things, that the opportunity 
 for using their talents will come to 
 them V 
 
 ' Sometimes,' he answered, ' but not 
 always. Too often, when a clever man 
 leads a life without much scope for exertion, 
 indolence steps in and makes him quite con- 
 tented with small aims — in fact, takes from 
 him that laudable ambition of exerting his own 
 talents for the good of others whicli is one of 
 the best incentives a man can have. In such 
 a case a narrow sphere has been a positive 
 misfortune to such a man, as in the bustle 
 of ordinary life he must, to a certain extent, 
 have mastered his indolence to go along with 
 the tide.' 
 
 ' But, Rupert,' exclaimed his wife, ' do 
 you think that a really indolent man ever 
 
 12—2
 
 180 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 attains eminence in anything, whether his 
 sphere is narrow, or world-wide V 
 
 ' That is a fair question, and I am afraid 
 indolence is a terrible bar to usefulness. 
 But I was thinking less of a thoroughly in- 
 dolent man than of one whose powers having 
 proved sufficient for his daily duties without 
 the least exertion on his part, so gets disin- 
 clined to exert them at all.' 
 
 ' In fact, one who lets his abilities rust T 
 exclaimed Winnie. 
 
 'Exactly; and to me there is no sadder 
 spectacle.' 
 
 * I agree with you in a great measure,' 
 said Mrs. Vincent, ' though I think a man 
 who lets his faculties rust, in such a manner, 
 can hardly have the real elements of 
 usefulness, or any strong sense of duty. But 
 wasted talents certainly are a sad spectacle, 
 and when one thinks how many men have
 
 JOHN ROYLE. 181 
 
 thrown away the possibilities of great 
 careers from indolence or love of pleasure, it 
 makes one mournful.' 
 
 * Another instance that no one can get on 
 without ambition !' exclaimed Winnie. ^ How 
 could Shakespeare write, ^' Cromwell, I 
 charge thee, fling away ambition"? — not that 
 Cromwell took the advice though/ she 
 added, laughing. 
 
 ' Well,' replied her husband, * I don't 
 think it was wonderful that Shakespeare did 
 not admire such ambitions as Wolsey's and 
 Cromwell's — there is a wide difference be- 
 tween self-seeking ambition, and ambition 
 which seeks the good of others.' 
 
 ' Oh, certainly ; but while one admires the 
 second sort the most, I think a little ambition 
 on one's own account is very useful. Now, 
 Rupert, you know you think so in your 
 heart.'
 
 182 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 * T own one does feel a good deal of 
 sympathy with the inferior as well as the 
 superior kind/ 
 
 * I think/ was Mrs. Vincent's comment, 
 ' that as long as you admit both kinds of 
 ambition to your sympathy, there is no fear of 
 the first sort doing any harm.' 
 
 ^ No, Cousin Lucy, I am sure there is not ; 
 and my own private belief is that people who 
 are thoroughly unambitious are generally 
 thoroughly useless too.' 
 
 ^ Well, Winnie, we will let you have the 
 last word,' said Lord Mortimer, smiling. 
 
 * Which you can easily do, as you agree 
 with it,' was her merry retort.
 
 LORD MORTIMERS DOUBTS. 183 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LORD Mortimer's doubts. 
 
 ' "When a good womau 
 Is titlj mated, she grows doubly good, 
 How good soe'er before.' 
 ^ Sheeidax Kxowles. 
 
 0^'E brio^ht spring morning a few days after- 
 wards, when Mrs. Vincent had returned to 
 London, Lord Mortimer said at breakfast : 
 
 ' Would you Hke to ride over to Royle to- 
 day, Winnie 1 I must go and see Sir Hugh 
 about some county business, so I thought 
 perhaps you might come as well.'
 
 184 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ' I should like it very much ; it is such a 
 fine morning, and I have been wanting to 
 go to Koyle for the last three weeks. What 
 time shall you go ?' 
 
 ' At twelve o'clock ; and coming back, if it 
 is not too far for you, we might ride round by 
 Beechington, and inspect the new farm there. ' 
 
 ^ It will not be at all too far. I will be 
 ready at twelve.' 
 
 And punctual to the appointed time 
 Winnie came into the hall, where her hus- 
 band joined her, and they were soon riding 
 away in the direction of E-oyle. 
 
 Hoyle was about ^yq miles from Mortimer, 
 and fortunately the road leading to it was a 
 good one for riding as well as driving. There 
 was turf at the roadside, which is so delight- 
 ful for a canter, and the turf was not broken 
 up, as is often the case, by a succession of 
 stone-heaps, or mysterious ridges, which prove
 
 LOUD MORTUIERS DOUBTS. 185 
 
 SO disappointing to an equestrian hoping for 
 a good stretch of smooth ground. 
 
 So Winnie enjoyed her ride very much ; 
 she was fond of riding, and was a good, 
 though not a perfect,, horsewoman. She could 
 by no means ride ' anything,' and would pro- 
 bably have found Lilian Royle's ^ Fury ' far 
 beyond her powers of management ; but her 
 pretty bay mare suited her perfectly, and she 
 felt that exhilaration of spirits which a canter 
 on a brio'ht mornino; is sure to ofive. 
 
 o o o 
 
 They reached the lodge at Royle Abbey, 
 and rode leisurely up the long avenue of oaks 
 leading to the house. 
 
 * How lovely this avenue must be in sum- 
 mer !' exclaimed Winnie, as she glanced up 
 towards the stately trees — leafless, it is true, 
 but by their wide-spreading branches giving 
 evidence of the delicious shade which might be 
 found beneath them on a hot summer day.
 
 186 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 * Yes, it is beautiful,' answered Lord Mor- 
 timer. ^ The trees at Ptoyle are splendid ; they 
 are far better than any we have at home,* 
 which was indeed the case ; and it is often 
 curious to watch the difference in the growth 
 of trees and shrubs in places, perhaps only a 
 few miles apart, which in one case is often 
 luxuriant, and in the other scanty. 
 
 Close to the hall- door the riders encoun- 
 tered Sir Hugh. 
 
 'Well, Mortimer, I am delighted to see 
 you ; you're the very person I want a talk 
 with. Lady Mortimer, my girls will be 
 equally pleased to see you, for they were 
 only saying this morning it was an age since 
 they had met you.' 
 
 'It is a long time,' she said ; ' but the 
 weather has been so bad, I have not been 
 able to get over.' 
 
 Sir Hugh ushered her into the library,
 
 LORD MORTIMERS DOUBTS. 187 
 
 where, as usual, Cicely was on her couch, and 
 then carried off Lord Mortimer to his own 
 sanctum for deliberation on some weighty 
 business matters. 
 
 ' This is a great pleasure,' said Cicely, as 
 she welcomed her guest. ^ I have so much 
 to talk to you about; but first, I must 
 congratulate you on your sister's engage- 
 ment.' 
 
 ' Oh, Kitty's — yes, thank you ; we are all 
 so glad that it is possible — thanks to Miss 
 Haleswelfs good offices. It will be a long 
 engagement though, I am afraid.' 
 
 ' I suppose it must be ; still the time will 
 pass — though in looking forward the years 
 seem so much longer than in looking back- 
 ward.' 
 
 ' And it is very happy altogether ; Captain 
 Vernon is very nice in every way. I suppose 
 you know him V
 
 188 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ' Yes, a little ; we have seen him when he 
 has been with Miss Haleswell/ 
 
 ' Miss Haleswell is like a fairy godmother !' 
 exclaimed Winnie, ' who comes on the scene 
 exactly at the moment when she is most 
 needed. Kitty has been staying for a few 
 days at Elm Court, and she writes such 
 accounts of her kindness ; they seem to have 
 made great friends.' 
 
 ' I don't wonder at your sister liking Miss 
 Haleswell, for she is so kind and good. We 
 had a visit here from your brother too, some 
 time ago ; he came down here with my brother 
 for a night.' 
 
 ' So he told me. He was delighted with the 
 horse which he had just purchased from Sir 
 Hugh.' 
 
 ' Lilian was very enthusiastic about the 
 horse,' said Cicely ; ' so I heard a great deal 
 of its numerous good qualities, and hope that
 
 LORD MORTIMERS DOUBTS. 189 
 
 it will prove all that a horse should be. I 
 am afraid to say anything else about it,' she 
 added, laughing, ' as I am not very learned 
 in horses.' 
 
 * Are you thinking of going away at all 
 this summer ?' asked Winnie, feeling that the 
 time had come for finding out whether Lilian 
 had any prospects of a season or not. 
 
 ' No, I think not. I don't care much about 
 moving, and my father does not like London 
 for long ; he will probably go up for a week 
 or two with Lilian.' 
 
 ' But is she not going up for the season '] 
 She would enjoy it so much.' 
 
 ' I am sure she would ; but I am afraid 
 there is not much chance of her havino* a 
 season. It would be too much of an under- 
 takinor for us to have a house, and we have 
 no relations who would be able to chaperon 
 her about to the proper number of balls and
 
 m) DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 parties ; neither would Mary be able to take 
 her out regularly : so I don't think she has 
 any idea of going up for more than a few- 
 days.' 
 
 ' I am very sorry to hear it, for she is so 
 lovely, she would make quite a sensation. T 
 hope you don't think me rude, but I can't 
 help telling you how much I admire her.' 
 
 ' Indeed it is such a pleasure to me to hear 
 of Lilian beins^ admired ; she is so much 
 younger than Mary and I, that we look on 
 her almost more as a daughter than a sister, 
 so praise of her touches our motherly hearts. 
 There, Mary,' as her sister came in, ^ Lady 
 Mortimer is delighting me with praises of 
 Lilian, which will charm you equally.' 
 
 * They will, certainl}^,' said Mary, her worn 
 face brightening at the mention of her dar- 
 linof. 
 
 * I have been telhng your sister,' said Win-
 
 LORD MORTIMER'S DOUBTS. 191 
 
 iiie, ' how sorrv I am that Lihan is not oroino- 
 to London for the season, she would be so 
 much admh'ed.' 
 
 ' It is very kind of you. I am very sorry 
 also there is no chance of her ofoinor. She is 
 so bright and happy, that she does not mind 
 it in the least ; but I do wish she could have 
 the enjoyment that a season gives ; indeed a 
 London season is a kind of education in itself 
 as well, I think. 
 
 ' Yes/ said Cicely, * it is never good for a 
 girl to go into society only in her own county, 
 especially when she has any looks; she is sure 
 to be rated too highly, and in London there 
 are so many others more beautiful.' 
 
 ' No !' exclaimed Winnie, * Lilian need not 
 fear comparison, in London or country either ; 
 but I quite agree with you that it is a good 
 thing to have the little rubs of London 
 society. I enjoyed my two seasons as much
 
 192 DBIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 as anybody: yet it was not all couleurderose; 
 and there are plenty of little vexations mixed 
 up with the gaiety.' 
 
 ' It is quite true,' said Mary Hoy le. * I do 
 not think a girl ever properly estimates her 
 own value or finds her own level till she has 
 seen how very little she is thought of in the 
 crowd of London society.' 
 
 * So we are all agreed that, both for plea- 
 sure and profit, there is nothing so good as a 
 London season,' said Winnie, laughing. 
 
 And just then they were interrupted by the 
 entrance of Lilian herself, fresh from a ramble 
 in the woods, and with her hands full of 
 violets. 
 
 ' Oh, I am so glad I am not late !' 
 she exclaimed, after she had greeted Lady 
 Mortimer. ' I have been to the mill, and 
 had a long gossip with Mrs. Drayton, who 
 was sadly, and very sorry for herself, so of
 
 LORD MORTIMERS DOUBTS. 193 
 
 course delighted to have a listener to her 
 description of her ailments ; and then I came 
 back through the plantations, and there 
 were such quantities of violets that I could 
 not resist stopj)ing to get you some, 
 Cicely.' 
 
 ' Many thanks/ said her sister ; * how lovely 
 they are, and so delightfully sweet ! they will 
 quite fill my large violet bowl.' 
 
 And for the next few minutes they all 
 busied themselves in arranging the violets in 
 water. 
 
 Like most invalids. Cicely had a passion for 
 flowers ; and as this was well known, she was 
 always kept well supplied with all kinds by 
 her sisters and friends, and her room was 
 generally filled with all sorts, from wild 
 flowers to rare hothouse treasures. 
 
 When the Mortimers rode away from Eoyle 
 that afternoon they passed cut by another 
 
 VOL. I. 13
 
 194 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 road, and noticed how much timber had 
 been cut in that direction. 
 
 ' What a shame 1' was Winnie's comment, 
 * to cut down those beautiful old trees. I 
 wonder Sir Hugh can do it.' 
 
 ' I am afraid/ answered her husband, ' that 
 Sir Hugh has no choice in the matter. It 
 is a question of money : for what with his 
 income never being large to begin with, and 
 his own open-handed way of living, combined 
 with the constant calls John Eoyle makes 
 on him, I suspect he is dreadfully hard 
 up.' 
 
 * How very sad ! Yes, I should not sup- 
 pose Sir Hugh was of an economical turn of 
 mind.' 
 
 ' The very reverse ; but it is a bad look-out 
 for those poor girls. I fear eventually they 
 will have very small fortunes.' 
 
 Winnie, thinking that now or never was
 
 LOBD MORTIMERS DOUBTS. 195 
 
 the time for her proposal about Lihan Koyle, 
 began : 
 
 ' I suppose, then, that is the reason that 
 Sir Hnorh is not s^oino- to take Lilian to 
 London for the season.' 
 
 ' I don t think he could possibly afford it ; 
 and even if he could, he does not love Lon- 
 don.' 
 
 * We were talking about London, and her 
 sisters regretted very much that she would 
 not have a season.' 
 
 * Yes, I remember both of them had two 
 or three seasons,' said Lord Mortimer. 
 
 ' It made me think that I should like 
 
 ' beofan his wife rather nervouslv — ^ I 
 
 mean — would you mind, Kiipert, if Lilian 
 came to us in May, and I took her out a 
 httle V 
 
 Winnie breathed more freely now that her 
 proposal was fairly out, and turned her head 
 
 13—2
 
 196 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 to notice what effect her words had had on 
 her husband. 
 
 He did not answer immediately, and after 
 a pause, which Winnie feared did not augur 
 well for her scheme, said : 
 
 ' It is a very kind thought of yours, 
 Winnie ; but I am afraid there are one or 
 two serious objections to it. However, we 
 mio^ht consider it.' 
 
 This was so much more favourable than 
 she had hoped, that Winnie took cijurage,. 
 and exclaimed : 
 
 * It seems so sad that any one so young and 
 lovely as Lilian should not have a fair amount 
 of enjoyment in her youth, more especi- 
 ally as there is so much trouble in her 
 family.' 
 
 * That is very true ; but if she were less 
 lovely I should be much more willing for you 
 to take her out. In fact, Winnie, it is a grave
 
 LORD MORTIMERS DOUBTS. 197 
 
 responsibility to take charge of a girl whose 
 beauty is out of the common way/ 
 
 ' Indeed, Rupert, I should be a very care- 
 ful chaperon if I did take her out.' 
 
 ' I don't doubt your good intentions, but 
 you are not a hundred yet, and have not had 
 a very long experience in the duties of a 
 chaperon ? Besides, do you remember my 
 old idea that your brother Geoffrey had taken 
 a fancy to Lilian ? I should be very sorry to 
 throw her in his way, and of course if she is 
 with you he must see her constantly.' 
 
 * Oh yes, I remember ; but indeed, though 
 you were right about Kitty, I do not see any 
 danger for Geoffrey. Of course no one could 
 see Lilian without admiring her; but the 
 other day he was speaking of having been 
 down to Royle to buy a horse from Sir Hugh, 
 and he did not talk in the least as if he had 
 any special attraction there. He said the
 
 198 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 E/Oyles were very pleasant, and seemed struck 
 with Cicely's cheerfulness ; but there was- 
 nothing in that to make one fear he was in 
 love with Lilian/ 
 
 Certainly Geoffrey de Valines had con- 
 cealed his hopes and desires very skilfully. 
 
 * No, and there may be as you say no 
 danger; but even supposing that objection is 
 over-ruled, there is another, Lilian's brother. 
 John Koyle is not a man whom I will have 
 in my house, and it is rather a difficult thing 
 to prevent a brothers coming to see his 
 sister.' 
 
 * Yes, that it certainly is. Is John Royle 
 so very bad V 
 
 ' He is thoroughly bad, in every sense of 
 the word ; and I always expect he wall end 
 by doing something disgraceful which will 
 finish his career in Ens^land at least. It was 
 a great misfortune that poor Alan died ; he
 
 LOBD 2WRTIMERS DOUBTS. 199 
 
 was older than John, and as different from 
 him as possible. Lady Royle never recovered 
 his death ; indeed, she only lived a few 
 months after the news reached her. But to 
 return to Lilian : I have too much regard for 
 the Royles to wish to stop anything which 
 would give them all so much pleasure, as I 
 am convinced your taking out Lilian would 
 do, and yet I have a sort of feeling that it 
 would be wiser not to take charge of her. 
 She is wild too, and rather self-willed.' 
 
 * But not objectionably so, I should say ; 
 and she is certainly not fast, in the sense in 
 which girls generally are.' 
 
 ' She is not, and a good deal of her apparent 
 wildness may come from her having led such 
 a free country life. Still, Winnie, I hesitate.' 
 
 * I would not for a moment wish to have 
 her if you really disliked it,' 
 
 ' It is not that I should dislike it, far from
 
 200 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 it ; I should be glad to do a kindness to the 
 Royles, and to give pleasure to the girl her- 
 self, and it is very good-natured of you to be 
 willing to take her out. But my doubt is, 
 whether it will be a prudent measure either 
 for her or for others.' 
 
 ' I don't see how it could be an imprudent 
 measure for her.' 
 
 * She miofht wish to make some undesirable 
 marriage, and then we should be held respon- 
 sible. And it is not as if she were a relation, 
 for we should really have no right to control 
 her.' 
 
 * But then again, she might make some 
 desirable acquaintance which would lead in 
 time to a really satisfactory marriage.' 
 
 ^Ah, I see — your thoughts are busy at their 
 favourite employment of match-making.' 
 
 * Oh no, that is not match-making ; but I 
 should be very glad to give her an oppor-
 
 LORD MORTIMERS DOUBTS. 201 
 
 tunity of seeing people, more especially after 
 what you have told me as to her future 
 prospects/ 
 
 ' And it is when I think of them that I 
 am inclined to say, you may ask her. After 
 all, it is not an unnatural thing, and the 
 Koyles are amongst my oldest friends. Well, 
 I will give a conditional consent now, Winnie, 
 and in a week or two, if there is nothing to 
 make me change, you may write and ask 
 Lilian to stay with us for the season. Only 
 I shall make it clear to Mary Eoyle that 
 John must not expect to come to my house 
 to see Lilian.' 
 
 * It is very good of you, Rupert, to consent,' 
 said his wife, gratefully. 
 
 ' Very good indeed of me, I think, as it 
 will entail your going out perpetually ; but I 
 don't mind your doing so as a chaperon, so 
 long as you don't become a '' frisky matron "
 
 202 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 yourself, and that I should put a decided 
 veto on/ 
 
 ' Indeed, you may believe I have not the 
 least inclination to become one.' 
 
 * No, I don't suspect you of the design, 
 and your very willingness to undertake the 
 chaperonage of a beauty is a proof that you 
 don't mean to go out for your own amusement 
 only. For if you were one of the present 
 type of young married women, you would 
 find a young lady an inconvenient appendage 
 at a ball, though I believe that the fact of 
 your being married would secure you the 
 partners, and not Lilian.' 
 
 ' Hardly, seeing what she is ; but never 
 fear, I think it is very unfair for the married 
 women to take all the partners from the un- 
 married girls. We have advantages enough, 
 and it is hard on them to deprive them of 
 the power of dancing, which, when the
 
 LORD MOBTIMEICS DOUBTS. 203 
 
 number of men is limited, the fact of the 
 married women dancing certainly does. 
 Those were my opinions as a girl, and, 
 strano'e to sav, I have not chano^ed them 
 since I married ;' and she looked into her 
 husband's face with a smile. 
 
 ' Don't take too much credit to yourself, 
 Winnie/ answered he ; * you were aware of 
 my sentiments on the subject, and thought it 
 wisest to give in — is not that a truer descrip- 
 tion of the case V 
 
 ' Certainly not/ laughed she, though know- 
 ino' in her secret heart that there was a o-ood 
 deal of truth in his words ; and they put their 
 horses into a canter, and did not slacken 
 speed ti]l they reached Beechington, where 
 they both dismounted and inspected the new 
 farm there. 
 
 Winnie duly admired the new buildings^ 
 examined the various improvements, and
 
 204 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 inspected the dwelling-places ready for the 
 herd of short-horns which were to take up 
 their abode there. She was always ready to 
 be interested in anything connected with her 
 husband's estate, and greatly delighted the 
 old farmer at Beechington by the attention 
 she paid to his explanations. She even 
 listened patiently to a long dissertation upon 
 the harvest prospects, to which he treated 
 Lord Mortimer, and which was certainly of 
 the prosiest description. When they had 
 gone the round of the farm buildings, he 
 invited them to pay his wife a visit, and so 
 Winnie was introduced to the worthy Mrs. 
 Meadows, who, having had time since their 
 a^rrival to adorn herself, appeared in all the 
 glories of her Sunday black silk gown and 
 best cap, and expressed herself as much 
 ■delighted with her new abode. 
 
 ' You see, my lady, it is so convenient and
 
 LORD MORTIMER'S DOUBTS. 205 
 
 nice ; the old house was nearly tumbling 
 down. Not but what I was sorry to leave the 
 old place, for I had gone there when I was 
 married, five-and-thirty ye^ars ago, my lady, 
 come Michaelmas, and had seven children 
 there; four lie in the churchyard, my lady, 
 and my daughter's married, and one of my 
 sons is a clerk in London, so we've only Jack 
 at home, and he helps his father. But, dear 
 me, and won't you take some refreshment, 
 my lady, after your long ride V 
 
 * No, thank you, Mrs. Meadows ; indeed it 
 is getting late, and I think we must be going." 
 
 ' Well, I'm sure I'm most honoured to 
 have had a visit from your ladyship, and no 
 one thinks more of my lord and his family 
 than I do ; my father lived on the estate all 
 his life, and Meadows and his father and 
 grandfather have had this Beechington farm 
 for seventy years and more.'
 
 206 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ' And I am sure Lord Mortimer is very 
 glad to have such good tenants/ said Winnie, 
 Avho fortunately remembered to have heard 
 her husband praise old Meadows. 
 
 Highly pleased at the compliment, Mrs. 
 Meadows stood smiling and curtseying at 
 the door till they had ridden out of sight, 
 and turned back into the house full of praises 
 of the young countess. As the Mortimers 
 •dismounted at home, one of the servants 
 said : 
 
 ' Mr. Percival is here, my lord ; he came 
 by the four o'clock train. He's in the 
 library.' 
 
 ' Winnie, do you hear V exclaimed her 
 husband; 'Tom's here — an unexpected visitor, 
 for I thought he was so busy just now in 
 London.'
 
 TEE CHESTOS ELECTION. SO' 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 THE CHESTOX ELECTION. 
 
 ' Let Whig and Tory stir their blood, 
 There must be stormy weather ; 
 But for some true result of good 
 All parties work together.' 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 Lord Mortimer went at once to the library, 
 and his wife followed him, curious to hear 
 what had brought Tom Percival down from 
 London so suddenly. 
 
 ^ Well^ Tom !' exclaimed his cousin, as he 
 entered ; ' I'm delighted to see you, but it 
 was quite a surprise to hear of your arrival.'
 
 203 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ' I should think so,' answered Tom ; * and 
 only urgent business would have brought me 
 just now. I heard this morning that old 
 Bridgburn is dead/ 
 
 ' Bridgburn dead ! you don't say so ? I 
 did not know he was ill !' 
 
 * Neither was he ; it was quite sudden : 
 he had a seizure yesterday afternoon, and 
 died in the evening. I heard it this morning 
 at the Carlton, and thought I had better 
 run down and talk over my prospects with 
 you.* 
 
 ' I am very glad you did. Well, of course 
 when the funeral is over, you will be brought 
 forward as the Conservative candidate, and 
 then you must canvass as hard as you can. 
 I hope you have a fair chance of success, 
 but you'll have a troublesome opponent if, as 
 I expect, the Liberals start Daniels, the 
 retired brewer, against you.'
 
 THE CHESTON ELECTION. 209 
 
 ' I should like a good fight, and am 
 sanguine about success. Cheston has always 
 been true blue, and it always must be/ 
 
 ' I hope it will, but there is a good deal 
 more of the Radical element in Cheston than 
 there was.' 
 
 ' Oh, I know that ; and I expect it will be 
 a close contest. Winnie, I hope you are pre- 
 pared to help me in canvassing V 
 
 ' I shall be delighted to do anything I can; 
 and will call on all the old worthies in Cheston, 
 if that will be any good.' 
 
 ' That wall be a help. Well, let us con- 
 sider time. Easter is late, and I should think 
 the writ will be out, and the election take 
 place a fortnight before Easter ; so we have 
 not got too much time.' 
 
 ' No, indeed,' answered Lord Mortimer ; 
 ' if you can stay over to-morrow, Tom, you 
 might see Cartwright and Sharpe.' 
 
 VOL. I. 14
 
 210 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 * Yes, but that I can't manage ; I must go 
 back after dinner to-night. There's a train 
 about ten, and I must be at my work to- 
 morrow, more especially as I shall want nearly 
 three weeks' holiday.' 
 
 The remainder of Tom's Percival's flying 
 visit was spent in animated discussion re- 
 specting his chances of success, his probable 
 supporters, and the number of doubtful 
 voters who might be induced to vote for 
 him.' 
 
 ' I am almost sorry,' remarked Winnie, 
 
 * that the old days of elections are gone by ; 
 there is not much excitement in these times 
 of the ballot.' 
 
 * There certainly was plenty of that, not 
 to mention a great amount of rowdyism, 
 under the old system,' said her husband. 
 
 * I remember, when I sat for Cheston, there 
 was a tremendous row at one election. I do
 
 TEE C HUSTON ELECTION. 211 
 
 not like secret voting, but so far as the pre- 
 sent system prevents a commotion, it is a 
 good thing; though I'm afraid I'm no behever 
 in the purity of elections even under the 
 ballot/ 
 
 * On the contrary/ said Tom, laughing, 
 'it gives an avaricious voter a chance of 
 being bribed by both sides with perfect 
 impunity, as no one can tell which way he 
 votes at the last. However, as far as regards 
 myself, I'm not going to try bribery and 
 corruption, and I only hope my kind sup- 
 porters won't do it for me. Don't you 
 remember, Mortimer, when Sewell was un- 
 seated for Sandby, through the kind 
 officiousness of his agents ? It was quite 
 a case of " Defend me from my 
 friends." ' 
 
 * Yes,' said Lord Mortimer ; * and till you 
 can make the average English elector regard 
 
 14—:^
 
 212 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 his vote as something else besides a mar- 
 ketable commodity, you will never do away 
 with bribery. However great the outcry 
 for extension of the franchise may be, I don't 
 believe one half of the men who have it 
 already value their votes in the least. They 
 do not consider the stake they have in the 
 country, or the power of a vote, and only 
 desire the franchise as a means of gaining 
 some advantage, monetary or otherwise, at 
 an election.' 
 
 ' I wish there were some means of 
 remedying it,' said Tom ; * perhaps, in time, 
 education may do something.' 
 
 ' It may. I hope it wdll ;' and the an- 
 nouncement that the carriage was waiting 
 obliged Tom to hurry away to catch his 
 train. 
 
 * I cannot make out,' said Winnie, ' why 
 men who have crot votes value them so little,
 
 TEE CEESTON ELECTION. 213 
 
 and yet make such an outcry for the exten- 
 sion of the franchise.' 
 
 ' I think that outcry,' replied her husband, 
 ' proceeds from a sort of vague notion that 
 household sujSraofe would enable them to 
 elect members from their own class, who 
 would, as they think, better the condition of 
 the working man. Most certainly those 
 means will never better the working man 
 while their present ignorance of what would 
 help them remains. As regards the value of 
 their vote, they don't appreciate it because, 
 as a rule, I fear they have no higher aims 
 than getting more wages for less work, which 
 generally ends in their spending more in 
 drink.' 
 
 ' Oh, how sad it is ! one does so wish there 
 was some means of getting better ideas into 
 th^ir heads.' 
 
 ^ It will be a long time before that is done.
 
 214 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 I am sure one means of helping them is to 
 secure them good houses fit for human 
 habitation, which too many of the poorest 
 dweUing-houses are not.' 
 
 ' And your bill will help that '?' 
 
 * I hope so ; good houses would help them 
 to self-respect, which would lead to habits of 
 providence and foresight. Another very im- 
 portant thing would be, if it were possible, 
 to circulate a higher stamp of newspaper 
 amongst the working classes, one which would 
 give them enlarged ideas as to their real 
 needs and opportunities. A poor man puts 
 immense faith in what he calls '^ my paper," 
 and it is very difficult to shake his confidence 
 in what it tells him ; and when one considers 
 how trashy and mischievous too many of the 
 newspapers they get are, one feels sorry that 
 they do not possess the means of getting 
 better information.'
 
 THE CHESTO^^ ELECTION. 215 
 
 ' But there are good penny papers.' 
 
 ' Oh, certainly ; but the poor man's news- 
 paper is generally a weekly penny one, full 
 of horrors to satisfy the public taste for such 
 things. If we can get more reading-rooms 
 and coffee-rooms opened for the working 
 man, in them at least he will find better 
 newspapers, and books too, suited to him, 
 and likely to interest him. The poor man 
 wants amusement and relaxation quite as 
 much as the rich man — indeed more, for he 
 cannot get any quiet place at home. But I 
 am afraid, Winnie, these are Utopian ideas, 
 very unlikely to be realised, at least in our 
 times.' 
 
 ' Still, people are beginning to pay more 
 attention to these things.' 
 
 ' Yes, and that of itself is an improve- 
 ment ; all things must be gradual which pro- 
 duce changes, if they are to do real good. If
 
 216 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 only every landlord were compelled to keep 
 the houses he owns in proper repair, a great 
 step would be gained, and the larger land- 
 lords might probably be induced to do so ; 
 but then there arises the difficulty of the 
 very small proprietors, who are often posi- 
 tively unable to spend any of their small 
 rents on repairs. I always pity these small 
 landlords, who are supposed "to have money " 
 because they own two or three tumbledown 
 cottages, but who are generally poorer than 
 the ordinary labourer. The best thing that 
 can happen is for their tenements to be 
 bought up by the larger landlords, and yet 
 they are often unwilling to sell them. How- 
 ever, I have bought up most of them round 
 about here.* 
 
 * And the small proprietors of land are just 
 as badly off,' continued Winnie. ^ What 
 would become of the country if the extreme 
 
 ( 
 
 i
 
 THE CEESTON ELECTION. 217 
 
 Radicals were to realise their ideas on the 
 division of lands ?' 
 
 ' I cannot think the system of peasant 
 proprietors would answer in England; if it 
 were adopted it would probably only last a 
 few years, and then the industrious man 
 would be able to buy up his idle neighbour's 
 holding, while the idle man would probably 
 answer, if he was asked what he wished to be 
 done, as I believe a man in similar circum- 
 stances once did answer : '^ Why, then I'd be 
 all for dividing again." Besides, in England, 
 before the system of small holdings could be 
 adopted, the land would have to be taken 
 from its present owners, and such an injustice 
 would hardly be possible without a revolu- 
 tion, which I hope England will be long 
 spared.' 
 
 In three or four days, Tom Percival came 
 down from London and began his canvassing
 
 218 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 in good earnest, while Winnie paid any 
 number of visits in Clieston ; and many 
 were their stories of the various experiences 
 they met with, whenever Tom had a 
 spare half-hour in which to discuss his pro- 
 ceedings. 
 
 Winnie was paying a visit one day to Mrs. 
 Boultbee, the lady who had owned the 
 cameos at the Cheston ball. Now Mrs. 
 Boultbee being a widow, with no children, 
 was not of course likely to possess any in- 
 fluence as regarded votes ; and Winnie showed 
 great impartiality in her visits, to prevent 
 any idea of undue influence from Mortimer 
 being suggested. 
 
 She felt convinced that she should hear a 
 great deal of information, more or less in- 
 teresting, about the chances of the election 
 from Mrs. Boultbee, who was one of those 
 people who possess the power of collecting
 
 TEE CHESTON ELECTION. 219 
 
 all kinds of gossip ; nor was she disap- 
 pointed. 
 
 * Well, Lady Mortimer, I am delighted to 
 see you ; and I hope you are as anxious for 
 Mr. Percival's success as I am.' 
 
 ^ T think I may own to being very anxious. 
 Now, Mrs. Boultbee, you always know all 
 that is going on in Cheston, do tell me what 
 is said of his chances of success.' 
 
 Highly pleased to be considered an 
 authority, Mrs. Boultbee began : 
 
 ^ Oh, I have every hope ; but now, to tell 
 you the truth, that Daniels is a horrid bad 
 candidate to fight against. You see, having 
 been a brewer, he has got such a hold over 
 the townspeople ; and I am afraid the 
 publicans will all go with him, for they say he 
 takes a share in the brewery still. Of course 
 I am not speaking of Mr. Price of the Red 
 Lion, who's a most respectable man, and
 
 220 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 has always voted for my lord's candi- 
 date.' 
 
 * Oh, but pray remember that Lord Mor- 
 timer does not wish to influence any of his 
 tenants.' 
 
 ' Of course not — of course not — quite right 
 too/ said Mrs. Boultbee, with a series of 
 knowing little nods. ' I know all about that, 
 Lady Mortimer ; it was only a slip, and did 
 not matter to you; and of course every 
 tenant of Lord Mortimer's ouo^ht to be much 
 obliged to him for letting them have freedom 
 of choice, and the only way they can show 
 their gratitude is by voting for Mr. Percival. 
 No influence in that, Lady Mortimer,' said 
 Mrs. Boultbee, with a hearty laugh. ^ But 
 I was telling you about Daniels : he is a nasty 
 sort of Badical Dissenter, and is always 
 stirring up the people ; and his wife, too, is 
 such a woman — nothing but an innkeeper's
 
 TEE CHESTON ELECTION. 22l 
 
 daughter, Lady Mortimer, if you'll believe 
 me, and so stuck up ! She's spending money 
 pretty fast, I can assure you ; but however, 
 her husband's not in yet : still I don't like his 
 having bought all those houses.' 
 
 * What houses ?' asked Lady Morti- 
 mer, 
 
 ' Most of those in Castle Street ; he did not 
 buy them in his own name either, but he's 
 known as the owner now, and I hear he has 
 given the occupants to understand that if 
 they don't support him they will have notice 
 to quit. But now, Lady Mortimer, that 
 must be an idle threat ; I thought the voting 
 was all secret now. I am sure there's been 
 fuss enough about the Ballot Act.' 
 
 ' It is supposed to be secret, certainly. But 
 what a horrid thing to do ! I call it intimida- 
 tion ; but I dare say the poor men will vote 
 for him, for fear he should turn them out :
 
 222 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 and of course if he works on tlie voters by 
 threats, it is a bad look-out.' 
 
 ' He'll only get the low class of voters by 
 those means,' said Mrs. Boultbee, consolingly, 
 ' and there are many respectable people in 
 Cheston to counterbalance them. Dear me, 
 how well I recollect the first time your 
 husband was elected for Cheston, Lady 
 Mortimer ! What a to-do there was, to be sure ; 
 what flags and banners, and such a procession, 
 and he and all his supporters, my poor 
 husband amongst them, riding through the 
 town ; and then the hurrahing ! They may 
 say what they like, but an election was a 
 fine sight in those days, and pleased every- 
 body.' 
 
 ' Well, good-bye Mrs. Boultbee. I'm afraid 
 we shall have a very close run.' 
 
 ' Let us hope for the best. I shall do any- 
 thing in my small way to aid Mr. Percival
 
 THE CHESTON ELECTION. 223 
 
 that I can. Such a merry pleasant young man 
 he is ! He ran in here last eveninof, and asked 
 me to give him a cup of tea. I said, '^ Mr. 
 Percival, I'm only too pleased, but I hope 
 you'll take a glass of wine instead — it will do 
 you more good — or a brandy and soda now 1" 
 But he wouldn't be persuaded to have that ; 
 he said he knew my tea of old, and should 
 prefer it. So I gave him a good cup, indeed 
 he had two ; in fact I may say I'm very 
 particular about having good tea. Now, Lady 
 Mortimer, will you stay and honour me by 
 taking a cup V 
 
 ' Indeed, I should like it, but I must really 
 hurry away ; I'm late as it is.' 
 
 The next day Winnie paid a visit to the 
 old lady who, at the Cheston Ball, had been 
 so anxious to have the Duchess of Newport 
 pointed out to her. She was a certain old 
 Miss Quatermaine who kept house for her
 
 224 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 brother, head clerk in Sherby's bank. Lady- 
 Mortimer's visit put her into a great flutter 
 of delight, and she came into the little stiff 
 prim parlour, into which her guest had been 
 ushered, with an amusing mixture of respect 
 and satisfaction. 
 
 ' Why to be sure, how careless of Eliza ! 
 she never lighted the fire in here. Won't you 
 step into the other room, my lady ? it is so 
 cold here.' 
 
 Be it known that, in spite of Miss Quater- 
 maine's lamentations over Eliza's neglect, she 
 was well aware of the fact that there was no 
 fire in the best parlour ; indeed there never 
 was one, excepting on the rare occasions 
 when Miss Quatermaine gave a tea-party, 
 a circumstance which the cold and stuffiness 
 of the room had made Lady Mortimer 
 suspicious of; and she was much reheved when 
 the old lady, contented with having shown
 
 THE CHESTON ELECTION. 225 
 
 that she had a best parlour, led her into a 
 cosy sitting-room with a good fire. 
 
 ' Poor Mr. Bridgbum's death quite unex- 
 pected I hear,' began Miss Quatermaine, 
 after various civilities had passed. 
 
 ' Yes, it seems to have been quite sudden.' 
 
 ^ Poor old gentleman ! he was much re- 
 spected, and his widow will enjoy a very- 
 comfortable fortune, so she's reason to revere 
 his memory. But Mr. Percival's election 
 quite cheers us up, after hearing of Mr. 
 Bridgburn's death.' 
 
 ^ I hope it will be his election, and that he 
 will succeed in winning the day.' 
 
 ' Indeed I hope so, my lady ; surely there 
 can be no doubt, such a nice young gentle- 
 man as he is. My brother has a high opinion 
 of him ; I am thankful to say, my lady, my 
 brother is a good old Conservative, quite 
 opposed to these new-fangled ways. I have 
 
 VOL. I. 1j
 
 226 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 been reading Mr. Percival's speech in the 
 Herald, and I see he says " he has long 
 had the ambition to represent Cheston in 
 Parliament ;" quite a compliment to our poor 
 little town, my lady, and so prettily put !' 
 
 * I think Cheston is a very flourishing town, 
 Miss Quatermaine, and there seem some 
 good shops in it/ 
 
 ' Does your ladyship think so '? Well, now, 
 I am pleased to hear it ; and certainly Lily- 
 white the draper is a very respectable fair- 
 dealing tradesman, and so is Clark the 
 stationer. But we are unfortunate in our 
 butchers, my lady ; they are all dissenters.' 
 
 Winnie could not help smiling at the old 
 lady's remarks, who further went on : ^ How- 
 ever, I must say it is a comfort they are all 
 alike in that respect, for I always think how 
 unfortunate it would be if the bad one was a 
 church-going man ; we should feel ourselves
 
 THE CHESTON ELECTION. 227 
 
 bound to employ him. But it is so unpleas- 
 ant not to get good meat !' 
 
 'Very unpleasant indeed/ answered Winnie, 
 much amused. 
 
 'And I am so glad you like Cheston,' 
 pursued Miss Quatermaine, on whom a word 
 of praise of her native town was never thrown 
 away ; ' it certainly is superior to most country 
 towns, and we have many resident gentry : 
 our good vicar of course at the head, then 
 his curates — one of them, Mr. Young, is such 
 a good young man ; only he is so shy, he's 
 almost afraid of the sound of his own voice ; 
 and then Mr. and Mrs. Sherby at the bank, 
 and two lawyers, and three doctors, and Mrs. 
 Boultbee, and two clergymen's widows, and 
 a retired lawyer — oh, and many more I assure 
 you, my lady ; not to mention that horrid Mr. 
 Daniels, whom I don't like to name in your 
 ladyship's presence.' 
 
 15—2
 
 228 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 ^ You need not mind that/ answered Lady- 
 Mortimer, laughing, /for I hear his name 
 perpetually.' 
 
 * Well, of course since he's presumed to 
 oppose Mr. Percival, his name is a good deal 
 heard. Such a want of proper respect to Lord 
 Mortimer's family ! His mother was a very 
 good woman, too ; I am thankful she's not 
 lived to see the day when her son went against 
 a Percival.' 
 
 Certainly Miss Quatermaine was an ardent 
 partisan of Tom Percival' s, and Winnie was 
 glad to think she had heard of one man 
 likely to vote for him, in the old lady's 
 brother, for she was getting rather doleful 
 as to the prospects of success. 
 
 One of Tom Percival's own most satisfac- 
 tory visits was paid to the house of Mr. 
 E-awlings, the seedsman ; it was literally to 
 tLe house, as Mr. Pawlings was not at home.
 
 THE CHESTON ELECTION. 229 
 
 But the house was not unoccupied, for Mrs. 
 Rawlings, who was in every respect her 
 husband's better half, was at home, and 
 received Mr. Percival in her parlour. She 
 was a tall rather good-looking woman, with 
 red cheeks and black rinoflets, and was 
 smartly dressed. 
 
 Now her husband was believed to incline 
 in politics to the Liberal side, and so Tom had 
 been anxious for a conversation with him. 
 But he knew Bawlings by sight as a small 
 meek man ; and when he saw his buxom 
 spouse, he began to think that he might do 
 as well by a conversation with her, as he felt 
 an inward conviction that she ruled her lord 
 and master, and not he her. 
 
 Tom began, however : * I am sorry, Mrs. 
 Bawlings, not to see your husband. I wanted 
 to have had a talk with him about politics.' - 
 
 * Oh, sir ! the election, I suppose; no doubt
 
 230 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 you are very busy. Well, of course it is not 
 for me to say which way Rawlings will vote, 
 but Mr. Daniels is a very good customer, 
 and he would not wish to offend him.' 
 
 * Of course not. Why, Mrs. Rawlings, what 
 an extremely pretty little girl you've got !' 
 taking the child on his knee, and holding out 
 his watch to it. ' Extremely pretty, and yet, 
 Mrs. Rawlings' — and he fixed his eyes on that 
 lady with an admiring glance — ' I do not 
 think she will ever equal her mother.' 
 
 ' La, now ! Mr. Percival, you're too polite !' 
 exclaimed Mrs. Rawlings, with a coquettish 
 simper. ' Ah, I know what you London 
 gentlemen are for paying compliments ! I 
 know London pretty well myself, having 
 stayed with my aunt, who keeps a most 
 superior lodging-house for gentlemen in John 
 of Groat's Lane, Islington. I dare say you 
 know it, sir.'
 
 THE CHESTON ELECTION. 231 
 
 ' No, I hardly think I do/ said Tom, re- 
 flecting ; ' but then, you see, my work is quite 
 in the opposite direction. My chambers in 
 the Temple are a long way from Islington, T 
 am sorry to say.' 
 
 *Yes, of course/ replied Mrs. Eawlings, 
 with an air of perfect acquaintance with 
 London, though in reality she had not the 
 vaguest idea where the Temple was. ' Well, 
 Mr. Percival, if you are ever wanting comfort- 
 able apartments in Islington, I am sure my 
 aunt would be happy to accommodate you. 
 Many nice gentlemen she's had for lodgers, I 
 can tell you, sir ; so pleasant spoken and pohte 
 as they were ;' and Mrs. Rawlings gave a 
 sigh which was intended to convey to Tom 
 the knowledge that the gentlemen in 
 question had been specially attentive to 
 her. 
 
 So his answer gave her satisfaction. * I am
 
 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 sure, Mrs. Rawlings, they could not be other- 
 wise to you/ he said gallantly. 
 
 She smiled and simpered, and said in a 
 would-be sad tone : 
 
 ^Ah well, I like to remember old times, I 
 often tell E-awlings there was many a one 
 envied him when T married him.' 
 
 ' Indeed, Mrs. Rawlings, your husband 
 is a fortunate man ; I wish I could have, 
 ween him to tell him so. However, I have 
 been the gainer in making your acquaint- 
 ance.' 
 
 And with a profound bow and pressure 
 of her hand, Tom took his departure, hoping 
 that, in spite of the absence of the seeds- 
 man, he had done something towards se- 
 curing his vote. And as Mrs. RawHngs 
 watched him down the street, she said to 
 herself : 
 
 'He's a real gentleman, he is; and. very
 
 THE CHESTOS ELECTION. 233 
 
 much he admired me, poor young man ! So 
 different from that Daniels ; when he came 
 yesterday, he says, so short, '* Is Rawlings 
 in ?" and when I said ^' No, sir," he only 
 said, " Tell him I called to see him," and 
 was off aofain without so much as a *^D'ood- 
 day." Well, I am determined of one thing : 
 I don't care nothing for what KawHngs says 
 about that Daniels being a good customer ; he 
 shall give his vote to that nice young gentle- 
 man, Mr. Percival, as sure as my name is 
 Selina Jane.' 
 
 And it may be mentioned that Mrs. 
 Rawlings was as good as her word, and that, 
 sheltered by the secrecy of the ballot, as 
 he hoped, from the fear of Mr. Daniels' 
 displeasure, the seedsman duly recorded his 
 vote for Tom Percival. 
 
 Tom's next visit was to an eccentric old 
 man named Stedman, usually credited with
 
 234 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 possessing a good sum of money, and with 
 being a miser. Certainly his appearance was 
 wretched and dirty enough, as Tom was 
 ushered into the room he was sitting in, by 
 an ill-favoured old woman. Neither was 
 his greeting propitious. ' So you've come 
 after my vote V he snarled. 
 
 * Not unless you choose to give it me,' 
 returned Tom, coolly. ^ I have come to tell 
 you what my opinions are, and then youll 
 be able to decide for yourself whether you 
 approve of them.' 
 
 ' And what are they ?' growled old Sted- 
 man, a little less fiercely. 
 
 * They are Conservative,' answered Tom, 
 with a quick glance round the apartment, 
 ' and I shall always support measures cal- 
 culated to preserve order and quietness in 
 the country, and while neglecting no means 
 to improve the condition of all classes, to
 
 THE CHESTON ELECTION. 235 
 
 secure to every man the lawful enjoyment 
 
 of his own possessions ' 
 
 Apparently this was a line of argument 
 that Mr. Stedman approved of, for he 
 gave a sort of grunt of approval, and 
 said : 
 
 * Every man has a right to keep his own, 
 but you'll never improve those who spend 
 all their money before they have it. 
 
 'I hope in time they will learn greater 
 providence, and save a little.' 
 
 * Not they ; there aren't many like me, 
 I've taken good care not to waste my hard- 
 earned savings,' with a chuckle ; ^ not but 
 what I've got very little. I am a poor man,' 
 he continued, and then added suddenly — * I'll 
 take ^YQ pounds for it,' and cunningly 
 glanced up at Tom. 
 
 ' No, Mr. Stedman,' said he, rising ; 
 * you've mistaken me. I did not come to
 
 236 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 buy your vote, only to let you have an 
 opportunity of knowing my side of the 
 question. So if you have nothing further 
 to ask me, I won't trouble you any 
 longer.' 
 
 With an amazed air, the old man gazed at 
 him. ' I won't peach on you,' he said with a 
 grin, as he looked into Tom's face, 'and 
 you'll want every vote you can get. It is not 
 such a high price either ; I got ten pounds 
 one election.' 
 
 ' Please understand that I don't want 
 to get into Parliament by bribery,' answered 
 Tom, warmly. ' It is not that I care what 
 expenses come to, so long as they are fair 
 and honest ones, but I don't call buying 
 votes either ; so you've got the wrong 
 man for that, Mr. Stedman. Good-day;' 
 and Tom took his departure, leaving the 
 old man astonished.
 
 THE CHESTON ELECTION. 237 
 
 ^ He'll never get in/ said the miser to 
 himself, ' if he's not a little more ready 
 with his money. What are they come to, 
 to grudge five pounds for a vote ! why, 
 Daniels could not expect to get mine for 
 less. And if I don't get fair pay, I won't 
 vote at all ;' with which the old wretch 
 consoled himself, while Tom hurried away, 
 very indignant at being asked for a 
 bribe. 
 
 As, however, old Stedman did appear 
 at the voting-place, we may suspect that 
 Mr. Daniels or his agents were not so 
 scrupulous as Tom. 
 
 Very hard Tom worked, and very anxious 
 were the conferences which he held with 
 his committee and supporters, and very 
 eager the debates at Mortimer, when he 
 had a few spare minutes to discuss progress 
 with Lord Mortimer and Winnie.
 
 238 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 Winnie was much amused at the account 
 of Mrs. Rawlings, and very indignant at 
 old Stedman's behaviour : 
 
 ' Horrid old man !' she exclaimed ; ' and 
 that's an enlightened English elector !' 
 
 ' Not enlightened, exactly,' said her 
 husband, laughing ; ' old Stedman's eccen- 
 tricities belong to the dark ages, I think. The 
 idea of his asking directly what Tom 
 would give for his vote is worthy of 
 Punch, 
 
 ' Really,' said Tom, ^ an election is a 
 wonderful thing for showing people's 
 characters. One sees a very ugly side of 
 human nature when one is canvassing; but 
 then there is a good deal of interest and 
 kind feeling as well. And in the working 
 men's hall I had a fairly intelligent audience, 
 though very few had votes. They were 
 delighted when I told them that, as far as
 
 THE CHESTON ELECTION. 239 
 
 I was personally concerned, I wished they 
 all had votes, for I was convinced if they 
 had, that they would give them to me. 
 And by their cheers, I believe theywould. 
 Well, the day after to-morrow is the 
 election ; and I shall be most thankful when 
 it is over. I only hope it may give 
 me the right to stick M.P. after my 
 name.' 
 
 Winnie was in a state of intense excite- 
 ment on the day fixed for the polling. 
 ' Really, Rupert/ she exclaimed to her 
 husband, ' I'm quite glad you're not in the 
 House of Commons now, for what I should 
 do if you had a contested election I don't 
 know. I am anxious enough as it is, 
 but that would be ten thousand times 
 worse.' 
 
 'You would have to take example by 
 Mrs. Beauchamp,' answered her husband,
 
 240 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 * who, when Beauchamp was elected, stayed 
 in London all the time, and said how 
 thankful she was not to be at their own 
 place ; it would have bored her so to be 
 obliged to seem to care whether he got 
 in or not.' 
 
 ' Horrible woman !' cried Winnie ; ' no, 
 indeed I should never have a happy moment 
 till I knew you had succeeded.' 
 
 ' As perhaps I might have failed, Winnie, 
 I am glad you are spared the anxiety ; how- 
 ever, I quite agree with you that an election 
 is an exciting business, and that I shall be 
 very glad when the result of this one is 
 known. I wonder whether the poll will 
 be declared to-nio^ht V 
 
 This question was answered about ten that 
 evening, when a note was brought to Lord 
 Mortimer, on which was hastily scrawled 
 the result of the poll :
 
 TEE CEESTOS ELECTIOX. 241 
 
 ' Percival . . . 653 
 Daniels . . . 610 
 
 ' All right ! 
 
 ' T. P., M.P.' 
 
 Winnie gave an exclamation of delight 
 as her husband read out the numbers. 
 
 * Oh, I am so glad I it is capital, and a 
 better majority than Tom hoped for at the 
 best; 
 
 ' Yes, it is. Well, I am rejoiced at it ; for 
 I felt very doubtful as to the result. I hope 
 he will soon be back to receive our con- 
 gratulations.' 
 
 And when the hero of the day ^arrived, 
 an hour later, he certainly received the 
 warmest possible congratulations from his 
 cousins. 
 
 Tom was indeed much pleased at his 
 election, though he declared he felt he should 
 
 VOL. I. 16
 
 242 DRIFTED TOGETHER. 
 
 be a sleeping member of the House for a 
 long time, after the amount of fatigue and 
 speechifying he had undergone during the 
 last three weeks. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 BILLING AND SONS, PRINTERS, GUILDFORD, SURRKY. 
 
 J