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THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
JVJEW LIBF^ARY J^JOVELS. 
 
 THE RED-HOUSE MYSTERY. By Mrs. Hungerford. 2 vols. 
 VASHTI AND ESTHER : A Story of Society To-Day. By the 
 
 Writer of ' Belle's ' Letters in The World. 2 vols. 
 RED DIAMONDS. By Justin McCarthy, M. P. 3 vols. 
 THE BURDEN OF ISABEL. By J. Maclaren Cobban. 
 
 3 vols. 
 THE REBEL QUEEN. By Walter Besant. 3 vols. 
 THE WOMAN OF THE IRON BRACELETS. By Frank 
 
 Barrett. 3 vols. 
 A WASTED CRIME. By David Christie Murray. 2 vols. 
 TO HIS OWN MASTER. By Alan St. Aubyn. 3 vols. 
 OUTLAW AND LAWMAKER. By Mrs. Campbell Praed. 
 
 3 vols. 
 WOMAN AND THE MAN. By Robert Buchanan. 2 vols. 
 TWO OFFENDERS. By Ouida. i vol. 
 MY DEAD SELF. By William Jameson, i vol. 
 THE DAYS OF HIS VANITY: A Passage in the Life of a 
 
 Young Man. By Sydney Grundy, i vol. 
 THE LUCK OF GERARD RIDGELEY : A Tale of the Zulu 
 
 Border. By Bertram Mitford. i vol. 
 DOCTOR PASCAL. By Emile Zola, i vol. 
 THE CONSTABLE OF ST. NICHOLAS. By Edwin Lester 
 
 Arnold, i vol. 
 A FAIR COLONIST. By Ernest Glanville. i vol. 
 
 London: CHATTO & WINDUS, Piccadilly. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ^ T^ovcl 
 
 JOHN HILL 
 
 AUTHOR OF ' TREASON-FELONY,' ETC. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES 
 VOL. L 
 
 EoiltJon 
 CHATTO & WINDUS, PICCADILLY 
 
 1894 
 

 V 
 
 4 
 
 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 vj CHAPTER I. 
 
 ' The gravel of the parade-ground of Wel- 
 lington Barracks was grittier, if possible, 
 than usual, and the buildings glared white 
 in the hot, windless afternoon of a summer 
 day, as did also the men's jackets as they 
 -^ stood * easy ' in a long double row near a 
 ^ wall which cast no shadow whatever. 
 ^ Sergeants Anderson, Thomson, Galloway, 
 '^^and Scanlan were marching up and down in 
 . a rapid, rather pompous manner, side by 
 side, with canes under their arms, and 
 r^ wearing white jackets of which the colour 
 was broken by a broad red sloping sash. 
 A group of young officers of volunteers 
 
 ^ VOL. I. 1 
 
2 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 and militia who were undergoing training 
 stood conversing together, comparing notes 
 on the experiences of their brief miHtary 
 careers, and glancing furtively at pink or 
 scarlet manuals and ' tip-books,' ' Brigade 
 Movements put in Words of One Syllable,' 
 * Battalion Drill made Easy for Idiots,' and 
 similar useful epitomes and compendia made 
 thin and square to go into the pockets of 
 patrol jackets. 
 
 When it wanted one minute to the hour, 
 there appeared suddenly Sergeant-Major 
 Maynard, invested with a greater authority 
 and with a longer, thicker cane than the 
 sergeants, and swelling in a tight jacket with 
 faded blue Egyptian ribbons on the breast. 
 A gold-banded forage-cap rested lightly on 
 his right ear, and his white gloves were so 
 stiff and strong that the fingers would 
 hardly bend. He was a deep-chested, com- 
 paratively short man, approaching middle 
 age. Before he opened his mouth the 
 men had fallen properly ^ at ease,' and 
 the young officers smiled nervously, for 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 3 
 
 Sergeant -Major Maynard's manner on 
 parade was such a successful combination 
 of ceremonial deference and bitter sarcasm 
 that most of them went in deadly fear of 
 him and credited him with the combined 
 military qualities of Hannibal, Csesar, and 
 Wellington. 
 
 When he did open his mouth, the earth 
 was nearly rent by a mighty noise, which 
 had the effect of producing a sudden para- 
 lytic stiffness in the men's legs, backs, and 
 ■fingers, and might be recognised by the 
 initiated as the monosyllable ^ Churn !' 
 In the meantime the hour struck, and the 
 Adjutant appeared, a tall, square-shouldered 
 young man, with a red face, small fair 
 moustache, and an eyeglass. He was 
 dressed in the long undress frock and 
 peaked forage-cap of the Grenadier Guards, 
 and his belt, spurs, scabbard, and boots 
 were of course beyond reproach or emula- 
 tion. He looked bored but conscientious. 
 He did not feel interested in these worthy 
 young men who had to be taught which 
 
4 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 way the marker turned when front was 
 changed to the left on the right company, 
 but if it was his duty to see that they were 
 taught, taught they must be, and addressed 
 with parade solemnity as, 'Mr. So-and-so, 
 will you hook your sword, sir V All the 
 young officers awaiting instruction went up 
 and greeted him formally, which he returned 
 duly, and then turned to the men and com- 
 manded in a high, trumpety tenor : ^ Fix 
 bayonets !' Then he opened the ranks and 
 inspected the men, and looked with one eye 
 down the barrels of the Martinis, and 
 handed the whole over to Sergeant-Major 
 Maynard, who quickly formed them up into 
 a column of little companies of eight men 
 each (what the wit of the young volunteer 
 officers called ' limited companies ' ; he be- 
 longed to the London and North- Western 
 regiment, fifteenth battalion), and the mili- 
 tary aspirants were sent in batches to join 
 these little companies as captains, guides, 
 and markers. There were four such com- 
 panies altogether, and each was in charge 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 5 
 
 of one of the four sergeants, who took his 
 own particular band as far away as he could 
 from the other three, and proceeded to 
 instruct them, and soon the parade-ground 
 air was rent with the thunder of the 
 sergeants and the shouting. 
 
 The sun blazed on, the men perspired, 
 the crowd of idlers outside the rails in Bird- 
 cage Walk were much entertained, and one 
 man (no doubt a free and independent 
 working man, starving his family in obedience 
 to his Union) observed to a pal, ' Well, I 
 wouldn't be awded abaht and 'ollered at like 
 a lot a (adjective) dorgs.' 
 
 The Adjutant moved from one squad to 
 another, and there was nothing that escaped 
 his eye, even when he was looking the other 
 way. Not a detail of the minutest kind 
 did he omit, and he was ' deadly bored ' and 
 mosb thankful when the time came (which 
 he would not anticipate by a second) when 
 he might lawfully say : ' Fall out, the 
 officers.' 
 
 Sergeant Scanlan had got his squad away 
 
6 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 Up where the cannon are, in the corner 
 nearest Buckingham Gate, and was there 
 declaiming loudly in a rather less wooden 
 and more educated way than usual with 
 the sergeant-instructors : 
 
 ' The instructor will dress the officers 
 from the right, and give the word ''Steady," 
 on which they will carry swords and look 
 to their front. Steady ! Right hand lower 
 down, Mr. Smalley ; lower still, sir ! That's 
 slopin' swords, not carry in'. On the com- 
 mand " Shoulder arms," arms will then be 
 shouldered. Shoul' h'lps ! 'S'were ! What's 
 your name there V 
 
 A sullen-looking soldier with red hair 
 replied : 
 
 ' Wilks, H Company.' 
 
 ' What have you got to look about and 
 be laughing at ? Don't let me catch you 
 idling on parade again, young man !' (For- 
 tissimo) ' ShouF hulps I That's better, 
 now ;' and this sort of thing continued for 
 some time amid general perspiration and 
 grit. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 7 
 
 Sergeant Scanlan was a tall, powerfully- 
 built young man with a fine military 
 complexion, reddish moustache, blue eyes, 
 and long well-shaped features. His cheek- 
 bones were a little prominent and his 
 nose straight, and a casual observer would 
 have set him down as a pure Scotsman, 
 which he was not, having been born in 
 Dublin town of a Belfast mother and having 
 an entirely Irish father. And there was a 
 trace, a suggestion, to say the least of it, 
 in his voice and conversation of such an 
 origin. He had received a good education 
 when young, and might have very well 
 taken his place among gentlemen as far as 
 the qualifications of good taste and manners 
 were concerned, but he was almost de- 
 pendent on his pay. His father and mother 
 were both dead. The former had been a 
 worthy and a well-meaning man, but had 
 been induced to involve himself in some 
 utterly ruinous investments, and to console 
 himself for the resultant misfortunes with 
 a fluid which, though excellent in modera- 
 
8 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 tion, is fatal in excess, purveyed by a firm 
 called Jameson. The mother had been 
 broken down by disappointment, hard work, 
 broken pride, and her own father's relentless 
 disapproval of her marriage with what he 
 called a ^ worthless Popish rascal from 
 Dublin.' This father of hers. Sergeant 
 Scanlan's grandfather, was an Englishman 
 by birth who had married an Ulster Presby- 
 terian of Scotch origin, and lived in Belfast. 
 Earlier in life he had been at sea, in the 
 Swedish timber trade, in which he seemed 
 to have made a great deal of money. He 
 had no children except the one daughter 
 who committed the criminal mistake (in his 
 eyes) of marrying as above described, and 
 he never helped her, spoke to her, or for- 
 gave her in his own soul. And he was now 
 a widower and an elder of the Presbyterian 
 Church. He was aware that he had a 
 grandson and a grand-daughter, and when 
 informed that these orphans were earning 
 a living of some kind, had replied that that 
 was a good thing, and asked no further 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 9 
 
 question. No one knew whether they were 
 included in the condemnation of their 
 parents or not. And so it came to pass 
 that Dick Scanlan was earning an honour- 
 able livino^ as a serofeant in the Grenadier 
 Guards, and adding to its profits by serving 
 as an instructor at the school at Wellington 
 Barracks. 
 
 And so it happened that Miss Scanlan, 
 Dick's sister, was earning a no doubt equally 
 honourable competence in one of the depart- 
 ments, not of Government or Civil Service, 
 but of another institution, which many deem 
 nearly as important as, and much more 
 indispensable than, any Government office, 
 belonging to Messrs. Whitehall and West- 
 grove, where she stood in stately mantles 
 and walked in silk attire generally, to in- 
 duce stout old ladies with crooked humps, 
 and lanky young English patricians with 
 flat figures and long necks and arms, to 
 think that the mantles, etc., would become 
 them as well as they did the square shoulders, 
 flat back, full bust, and slender waist of 
 
lo THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 Honora Scanlan (the late Mr. Scanlan had a 
 fine taste for names). Honora was j^ounger 
 than Dick, being about four-and-twenty, 
 and had a somewhat similar cast of features, 
 but was dark-haired. She was also rather 
 tall. 
 
 When the parade was over, and the young 
 officers had fallen out and saluted the Adju- 
 tant, and were standing about chattering 
 and comparing notes on changing front half- 
 right on the left company, the young gentle- 
 man who had been addressed as Mr. Smalley, 
 and wore the uniform of one of the London 
 battalions belonging to the King's Royal 
 Rifles, went up to his instructor and said : 
 
 ' Sergeant Scanlan, are you at liberty 
 to come outside for awhile and have a 
 chat V 
 
 ' Thank you, sir, I will be very pleased. 
 Are you after changing your clothes, sir, 
 first V 
 
 This politeness was official, on account of 
 the listeners. In private they were more 
 familiar. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR ii 
 
 ' Yes. I'm going up to the dressing- 
 room now. I won't be long.' 
 
 And he went into the barrack and ran up 
 the dark wooden stairs. When he came 
 down again, in the garb of a young gentle- 
 man who might be in the Civil Service or 
 an Inn of Court, with a shiny tall hat and a 
 black coat and flower, he found Sergeant 
 Scan] an waiting, no longer in the tight white 
 jacket, but in a scarlet tunic highly decora- 
 tive with chevrons, and medals and crowns 
 and a sash — a very imposing person. And 
 they went out into Birdcage Walk and 
 turned toward Westminster. 
 
 ' By Jove, it is hot,' said Smalley ; ' I 
 don't think I shall be slaked under a cask. 
 What do you think, Dick ?' 
 
 * Oh, you can lower a lot of beer in weather 
 like this, especially after the shouting I do. 
 I've got a wonderful thing to tell you.' 
 
 'Oh?' 
 
 * I had a letter yesterday at dinner-time, 
 between parades. I'll show it you when we 
 get inside somewhere and outside something. 
 
12 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 It will surprise you very much. It nearly 
 knocked me silly when I read it.' 
 
 ^ Nothing bad, I hope V 
 
 ' Indeed no ! Quite the other way, as I 
 look at it. My grandfather — ^your grand- 
 uncle, old Smalley — is dead.' 
 
 ' The devil he is ! Where ? Over in 
 Ireland ?' 
 
 ^ He was living at Belfast when he died.' 
 
 ' Good old bull ! You don't look distressed, 
 Dick.' 
 
 ^ Distressed ! The old sweep ought to 
 have been smothered long ago, rest his soul I 
 He made my mother's life bitter for her, and 
 had no pit^T- for her sorrow, and no help for 
 our hunger. Well, he's payin' for it now, the 
 black-hearted Protestant ! I'll pay for some 
 Masses for his miserable soul. He's left me 
 his money.' 
 
 ' Oh, has he ? This gets interesting. 
 He was opulent, wasn't he ?' 
 
 ' Indeed I don't know. They talk in the 
 letter I have of some thousands in this, and 
 so many in that, and some more in t'other. I 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 13 
 
 don't understand investments and that kind 
 of rot. But I tell you what it is, Johnny: 
 it's a lot of money, and I'm going to cut the 
 service, take Nora out of slavery, settle down 
 somewhere pleasant, where I can read up the 
 books I have forgotten, and have a horse 
 to ride and a trap for Nora, and two jollier 
 orphans you won't often see. And the first 
 thing I'm going to do is to stand you a 
 drink. We'll have a bottle of champagne. 
 Then you will come and dine with me and 
 Nora ; you've never seen Nora, you know, 
 and yet she's your cousin.' 
 
 ' Not exactly cousin. I don't know the 
 precise technical name for the relationship, 
 when your grandfather was my grandfather's 
 brother. At any rate, we have a common 
 ancestor. Have you got a pass for this 
 evening, or leave, or whatever you call it ?' 
 
 ' Yes, and I'm going to be in plain clothes. 
 We'll go to a restaurant somewhere, and 
 then we'll go to a play. I've got to go and 
 see the solicitor again, I suppose, but it's 
 too late to-day. I'll go to-morrow. Here, 
 
14 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 come in here. Let us go into the lunch-bar ; 
 we can sit down and be private there/ 
 And Sergeant Scanlan strode into the inner 
 sanctuary of a tolerably respectable-looking 
 tavern in Westminster, and was an object 
 of some interest to the young woman who, 
 carrying out his rather unusual order, gave 
 him a wine-list to consult. He carried it 
 to the little oblong table where Mr. Smalley 
 sat on a leather-covered bench, and said : 
 * See now, Johnny, you choose it ; I don't 
 know much about champagne except that it 
 fizzes. I must get up my education in all 
 these details.' 
 
 ' All right. You get some of this — 
 No. 35.' Sergeant Scanlan went back to 
 the bar with a ' right turn and two paces to 
 the front,' gave the order, accompanied by a 
 facetious remark in an undertone to the 
 young woman, who giggled, and was shortly 
 heard calling down some tube, lift, or other 
 chasm : 
 
 ' Bottle of thirty-five, please I' 
 
 Scanlan returned to the table, sat down, 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 15 
 
 and produced from the interior of his tunic 
 the letter, which he handed to Smalley. The 
 latter read it. It was from a lirm of 
 solicitors in the City w^ho acted as agents 
 to another firm in Belfast, and contained a 
 brief schedule of the late Mr. Smalley's 
 property. Johnny (who, it must be re- 
 membered, resided in Brick Court, and was 
 supposed to be studying the law) had a 
 pretty clear head, although he was far from 
 industrious, and saw at a glance that Dick 
 Scanlan had come in for a fortune that 
 might fairly be called large. 
 
 ' You have certainly fallen on a soft thing, 
 Richard. You can be very comfortable in- 
 deed on this. You are better off than we 
 are, thou oh I believe we consider ourselves 
 very lavishly, and hold our noses pretty high 
 in the county, which partly accounts for the 
 county rather hating us. I say, why not 
 take a house near where we live ? I have 
 a place in my eye that might do, I think, 
 and I could get all the business part ar- 
 ranged so that you would not be swindled. 
 
i6 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 And I need hardly say I should be delighted 
 to have you somewhere at hand. There are 
 not so many decent men down at RedclifF 
 but what w^e could do with another.' 
 
 ' But how about your people — wouldn't 
 they give us the cold shoulder, knowing 
 what w^e are ? la soldier, and Nora a girl 
 in a shop ? I wouldn't stand being snorted 
 at by my own kindred, still less Nora, you 
 know.' 
 
 ^ Cold shoulder ? My people ? When 
 you've got all that money ? My dear in- 
 nocent warrior, they'd give you the roasted 
 quail, and the hissing sirloin, and the butter 
 in a very lordly dish. Cold shoulder in- 
 deed ! I say, isn't it funny we should never 
 have met until accident brought us together 
 at these barracks ?' 
 
 ^ Considering that you've been at college 
 and trying to be a counsellor, while I've 
 been adorning parade-grounds at Chelsea, 
 Wellington, George's, Tower, and Dublin and 
 Windsor, and taking reliefs round at in- 
 tervals by way of a change, and that my 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 17 
 
 only holiday was a tour in the Soudan 
 desert, under difficulties, on board of an ill- 
 tempered beast of a camel, I don't think it's 
 quite as surprising as it might be. Con- 
 sidering, also, that I was born and brought 
 up in Ireland, and you in England. Here's 
 your health and more power.' 
 
 ' Well, will you consider my suggestion 
 — about taking a house, I mean ?' 
 
 ' Indeed I will ; but we must talk to 
 Nora first. I'll do what's agreeable to her. 
 Where can I see you about half past 
 six?' 
 
 ' Where do you want to go ? Whitehall 
 and Westgrove's V 
 
 ' I do.' 
 
 ' Then come to Oxford Circus exactly at 
 half past six, as if it was parade, don't you 
 know, on the north side, where the people 
 are always looking in the shop- windows, and 
 I'll be there.' 
 
 ' I will.' 
 
 And they parted, Dick Scanlan to his 
 barracks, and Johnny Smalley to roam 
 
 VOL. I. 2 
 
i8 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 slowly up the east side of Regent Street 
 criticising the bonnets and mantles and com- 
 plete costumes ' from 42s./ to say nothing of 
 the numerous admirers of them, who always 
 cluster round these windows on a fine after- 
 noon. 
 
 Mr. Smalley was a dark young man of 
 moderate size, who would be described in 
 boxing circles as a middle-weight. He had 
 a rather plump handsome face, with brown 
 eyes, the complexion superinduced by a few 
 weeks of Wellington Barracks in warm 
 weather, a black moustache of the most at- 
 tenuated and insignificant character, which 
 he nurtured and caressed in the tenderest 
 way. He had been at a University, and 
 was going through the arduous ordeals 
 necessary to those who desire to be called 
 to the English Bar. His relatives — ' people ' 
 he would call them — lived in the country, 
 and were quite satisfied with a week or two 
 in lodgings in the season. They had a good 
 opinion of themselves (that is, above the 
 average, for nearly everybody has a good 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 19 
 
 Opinion of him or her self), and preferred 
 being distinguished at RedchfF to being no- 
 body in Welbeck Street. * Le borgne est 
 roi, mais pas parmi ceux qui voient avec 
 deux yeux.' 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 The shades of a May evening had not begun 
 to fall when Johnny Smalley came out again 
 from his chambers, to which he had gone 
 after his afternoon stroll, arrayed in a frock- 
 coat and a carnation, and freshly shaved, 
 singed, and shampooed, with a vague object, 
 no doubt, of making a favourable impression 
 on his new unseen relative, Dick Scanlan's 
 sister. 
 
 ' Pleased my people would be,' he re- 
 marked to the man with whom he shared 
 chambers, an old friend, 'if they knew I 
 was going out to dine with a sergeant in 
 the Guards and his sister who serves in a 
 shop, and probably calls out '' Sign, please !" 
 and adds up sums full of farthings and 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 21 
 
 fractions of yards with frightful velocity. 
 It is just the sort of thing my people would 
 appreciate.' 
 
 ' It is a funny story altogether. Is 
 Mr. — er — your military relative an edu- 
 cated person at all V 
 
 ' Oh yes. He's not just like the average 
 non-com. ; but he is not like us exactly, 
 either. He has learnt some Latin once, 
 and that sort of thing, but all in an Irish 
 and Catholic sort of way, I take it. He 
 is distinctly a gentleman, but not the regula- 
 tion public-school and 'Varsity-man type. 
 I rather like the variation.' 
 
 ' He has a sister, I understand. Have 
 you seen her ?' 
 
 ' No. I was just trying to convey to 
 you that I am going to meet her for the 
 first time. I don't put on evening dress, 
 because I don't believe Dick Scanlan's got 
 any, and she will be sure to be in daytime 
 dress, because she will be just leaving the 
 — well, the shop, not to put too fine a 
 point upon it.' 
 
22 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ^ I shall be interested to know Avhat 
 occurs.' 
 
 ^ So shall I. Farewell; 
 
 And Andrew Cunningham was left to 
 his reflections, which were conducted with 
 the aid of a cup of tea, plenty of books and 
 magazines, tobacco, and a piano. Andrew 
 Cunningham was several years older than 
 Smalley, and was less fashionable and 
 effervescent, though he did not despise 
 pleasure in a quiet and occasional way, or 
 make ^ unconventionality ' an excuse for 
 dilapidation and untidiness. He had a 
 tolerably comfortable income of his own, 
 had travelled a good deal, understood many 
 languages, read many books, and had, 
 apparently, scarcely any relatives, for which 
 Johnny Smalley said he ought to be 
 thankful. He and Smalley had been at 
 school together. Cunningham was a tall, 
 strong man, with a sunburnt, sallow face, 
 a black moustache, and bony features, in- 
 cluding a rather prominent aquiline nose. 
 He showed perhaps at his best when 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 23 
 
 dressed in fishing clothes and struggling 
 with a big fish somewhere between Gud- 
 vangen and Stalheim. One summer he 
 induced Smalley to come to Norway with 
 him. Cunningham fished perseveringly all 
 day, and came back copper-coloured and 
 happy to supper at Hansen's in the evening, 
 conversed over Frydenlunds 01 and pipes 
 with Smalley most of the shadeless night, 
 and was in high spirits. Smalley, on the 
 other hand, stood about and made cigarettes, 
 abominated fishing, had a weekly paper sent 
 over to him from London, and bemoaned 
 the perpetual daylight and the absence of 
 female society. Of course he was deeply 
 attached to about six different young ladies 
 in the course of a season, and Cunningham, 
 who knew him well, had had little anxiety 
 about him hitherto. This evening, as 
 Cunningham sat alone with the fading day- 
 light in the Temple, he thought : ' He is 
 a good boy. I'm glad he has picked up 
 these relatives. It gives him opportunities 
 to show he is a gentleman, which might not 
 
24 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 be expected after observation of his im- 
 mediate progenitors. The beauty of it is 
 that he at once put himself on a footing 
 of famihar equahty with this young man 
 Scanlan before he knew he was rich. I 
 always believed, and I stick to it, that 
 Johnny will be all right when he is put to 
 a test. But the real test hasn't come yet. 
 I wonder if the female Scanlan is attractive. 
 Because, if there is the least pretext, Johnny 
 will be wildly in love with her for a week 
 or two, and his people will hear rumours 
 of it magnified, and set kaleidoscopically 
 forth with all the methods of malice, and 
 there will be a row. Well, let time shape, 
 and there an end.' And Cunningham began 
 to consider that it was time to have some 
 tea. He was a creature of primitive habits. 
 Instead of going out to club or restaurant 
 to dine in the evening, he made tea, and 
 cooked an egg or two. He was rather a 
 good cook in an elementary way. If he 
 went out to dine in the evening, it was to 
 please Smalley, and by way of exception 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 25 
 
 and variety. Smalley liked to go well 
 dressed to a good and rather fashionable 
 restaurant where he could see people and 
 be seen by them. On the other hand, he 
 would willingly stay at home for ' nursery 
 tea,' as he called it, for the sake of Cun- 
 ningham's company. They both had very 
 good tempers, were used to one another, 
 and there existed between them that deep 
 unspoken feeling which is friendship among 
 Englishmen. 
 
 Late in the night, probably a trifle past 
 closing-time for licensed victuallers, while 
 Cunningham was leaning his head and 
 shoulders out of window and contemplating 
 the young May moon over the Temple 
 housetops, Johnny came running upstairs 
 and irrupted into the room w^ith an ex- 
 pression of pleased excitement, and his hat 
 on the back of his head. He dropped down 
 in one of the old deck-chairs, and gasped : 
 * It is hot to-night, by George !' Cun- 
 ningham came back from the window and 
 sat down in the other chair, and the red- 
 
26 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 shaded lamp glowed gently on them both — 
 the grave, hard-featured kindly-eyed older 
 friend, and the comely, well-coloured, joyous- 
 eyed younger one. 
 
 'Well?'^ 
 
 'Well, I liked it. We went to the 
 Holborn, and dined in the big room where 
 the band plays. Dick naturally compared 
 it to his own band, to the advantage of the 
 latter. We had clear oxtail, turbot and 
 lobster-sauce, roast mutton, boiled potatoes 
 and cauliflower, some asparagus as an extra, 
 and some roast fowl and the usual sundries. 
 About as commonplace Bayswater and 
 suburban a dinner as you could imagine, 
 but very good. We enjoyed it no end, 
 especially the asparagus. Dick Scanlan 
 insisted on having champagne, as it was his 
 feed, you know, so we had it.' 
 
 ' Did you select it V 
 
 ' You bet. Theophile Roederer, Magnum. 
 He is a splendid chap, is my relative. I 
 believe I've induced him to take the Oaks, 
 a vacant house about a quarter of a mile 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 27 
 
 from our place at RedclifF. At any rate, I'm 
 to make inquiries, and he'll go and look at 
 it as soon as he can. He says what with 
 getting all his business into an intelligible 
 shape for his very unbusinesslike mind, and 
 getting out of the army, and going about, 
 and writing letters to solicitors, " I'm fit to 
 be tired." After dinner we went to the 
 Savoy and enjoyed it no end. Had a box, 
 if you please. After that there wasn't 
 much time left ; but we managed to put in 
 some devilled kidneys and lager, and here 
 I am. Jolly good evening I call it, don't 
 you ?' 
 
 ' You have dwelt |3^ii^cipally on the 
 material luxuries — the turbots, champagne, 
 and theatre — of the entertainment. How 
 about the company ? You have not said 
 one single word about Miss Scanlan.' 
 
 ' I was coming to that in the course of 
 time.' 
 
 * Finally and very briefly, as the ministers 
 say when they enter on a fresh screed a 
 fathom long.' 
 
28 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' Just so. By the way, I want to have 
 them both here to afternoon tea to-morrow. 
 You don't mind, do you ? You could be 
 out if it would bore you.' 
 
 ^ I don't mind. I think it probable that 
 I shall be in. But about Miss Scanlan ?' 
 
 ' She's all right. Very nice indeed. 
 Quite as much a lady as he is a gentleman, 
 and he is that, by all those hardly-definable 
 tastes, semitones, and delicate distinctions 
 which nature, birth, and education between 
 them in varying proportions endow a gentle- 
 man with to distinguish him from a bounder. 
 Now you know Lord Hendon as well as I 
 do ; he has the birth, and someone once tried, 
 I suppose, to give him the education, but 
 nature " was in a working majority and 
 carried him into the wrong lobby " with the 
 bounders.' 
 
 ' Let me remind you that we are talking 
 about your kinswoman. Miss Scanlan.' 
 
 * Well, I'm not a very good describer. 
 She is rather tall, and dark, and — well, 
 symmetrical, I suppose, is the word. She 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 29 
 
 was dressed in black, because they have to, 
 you know, at Whitehall and Westgrove's, 
 and she hadn't time to change — at least, 
 didn't wait to.' 
 
 * What about her face ? You are a most 
 intractable witness, Johnny.' 
 
 ' About her face, Cunningham ? Well, to 
 tell you the truth, it is the sweetest face 
 that ever I looked upon, and I have looked 
 on a good many. She has dark hair. It 
 isn't exactly black, but it looks as if it were, 
 and is done up in a way I can't describe in 
 technical terms, but shows up the shape of 
 her head, which is rather round and small. 
 I think her forehead is low, but the hair 
 comes over it in curls, and tendrils, and 
 things, which hide it from one. She has 
 large dark -blue eyes which look mournful 
 in repose, but know how to laugh — deep 
 wells, with truth at the bottom, I'll swear. 
 Her profile is short rather than long, with 
 a straight nose, which points more to the 
 front than your classic noses in the same 
 line as the forehead (which I abominate), 
 
30 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 and the line from the nose to the point of 
 the chin is nearly perpendicular. As for 
 her mouth, I can't describe it, but I would 
 give much more than I've got to kiss it. I 
 mean with all reverence. Her voice is low 
 and soft, and there is something about it 
 which suggests that she would sing contralto. 
 To make a clean breast of it, old man, I'm 
 gone, stuck, mashed, houleverse.' 
 
 ' 'M yes. Third time this year, isn't it V 
 ' Oh, but there is no comparing this with 
 the others. No attempts at flirtation. No 
 talk about dances and at homes. Quiet 
 and serious. Doesn't talk much at all.' 
 * This is almost worse than I expected.' 
 ' Oh, for mercy's sake don't try to be sar- 
 castic ! You know you are about as tender- 
 hearted a man as fchey make within the four 
 seas, only you choose to disguise it some- 
 times in a verbose imitation of the cynicism 
 of the penny novelette.' 
 ^ Thanks.' 
 
 ^ I eay, didn't you ever make a fool of 
 yourself over a girl, Cunningham ?' 
 
THE COMMONIANCESTOR 31 
 
 * Why do you ask V 
 
 ^ Because you always assume that it is a 
 subject you only take a spectator's interest 
 in — had you there, eh V 
 
 ' Well, yes. I've been the usual fool. 
 In fact, possibly the unusual fool. But 
 that's played out now. Time's gone by.' 
 
 ' Oh, is it ? Well, you're the best judge, 
 I suppose. Wouldn't you like to unburden 
 your memory with the story ?' 
 
 * Oh no ! It's not a new story. Did 
 you ever read " Esmond " ?' 
 
 * Yes. Book about wigs and Duke of 
 Marlborough and a lot of historic stuff.' 
 
 ' That's one way of putting it, certainly. 
 Well, there is a chapter headed " An Old 
 Story of a Woman and a Fool." I don't 
 intend to enter into further details. Tell 
 us more about Miss Scanlan. How does 
 she talk V 
 
 ' Doesn't talk much. Looks as if she 
 wasn't taking the slightest notice of you, 
 or listening to what you are saying, when 
 you are talking to her brother with all 
 
32 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 the brilliance you can command for her 
 benefit.' 
 
 ^ That's rather crushing.' 
 
 ^ Then suddenly she strikes in with some- 
 thing which shows that, after all, she has 
 been attending, which gives you a lift just 
 when you feel you are dragging.' 
 
 ' I think this looks as if she understood 
 Johnnies like you better than you do girls 
 like her.' 
 
 ' I don't know so much about that. 
 She's awfully unworldly, so to speak. Says 
 just what she means, that is, and then looks 
 shy at having said it.' 
 
 ' Brogue ?' 
 
 ' Well, maybe a little. You can judge 
 for yourself to-morrow. I'm going to bed.' 
 
 ' Perhaps it is about time.' 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 On the following afternoon, when Johnny 
 and his friend had laid their table elaborately 
 for tea, and bouofht some strawberries and 
 a few flowers to complete the festive and 
 luxurious nature of the entertainment, and 
 put some pins on one of the bedroom toilet- 
 tables {a la Copperfield, by way of making 
 it fit for a lady), a knock came at the door, 
 and Dick Scanlan and his sister came in 
 with military punctuaHty at half-past four. 
 Miss Scanlan had left the service of Messrs. 
 Whitehall and Westgrove, which she could 
 do at a moment's notice, but her brother 
 had not left the service of his Sovereign, 
 owinof to certain short but inevitable tech- 
 nical delays, and had, in fact, been instructing 
 VOL. I. 3 
 
34 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 Johnny Smalley and others that very day 
 in the art of changing front quarter right 
 on the left company ; but his exit from 
 barracks in civihan attire had been winked 
 at, owing to his very brief and formal 
 further subjection to regulations. 
 
 They were both formally introduced to 
 Cunningham, Miss Scanlan looking sh}^, 
 and Dick solemn. Then Johnny invited 
 her to go and deposit her hat in the 
 bedroom. Johnny's bedroom had been 
 selected, as it contained more scent and 
 frivolous appliances than Cunningham's, and 
 bore less the appearance of an anchorite's 
 cell. 
 
 In the meantime Dick Scanlan went to 
 the open window and looked out into the 
 sombre courts of the Temple, and observed 
 to Cunningham : 
 
 ' You've quiet quarters here.' 
 
 ^ Yes, as a rule. On nights when boys 
 like Smalley get made barristers — call 
 nights, as we say — there is often something 
 of a noise.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 35 
 
 ^ Oh, there would be ! But you don't 
 mean to say that Johnny's a counsellor ?' 
 
 ' No, not at present.' 
 
 ' You will be one yourself, though ?' 
 
 ' Tribute to your venerable appearance, 
 old man,' observed Johnny. ' Sit down, 
 Dick, and make yourself at home.' 
 
 ' You will find that deck-chair on the 
 left of the window a good one, I think,' 
 said Cunningham. ' Yes, I am supposed 
 to be a Common Law barrister, but it doesn't 
 seem to lead to much.' 
 
 Here Nora Scanlan came in again with- 
 out her hat, in a black dress, stately and 
 graceful, calm and serious, and shy withal. 
 
 ' You must come and administer the tea, 
 please,' said Johnny to her. 
 
 His usual self-possession had rather left 
 him, for he wanted to call her Nora, and 
 did not like to yet, and would not call her 
 Miss Scanlan because it would be a bad 
 precedent, difficult to break out of, so he 
 called her ' you.' 
 
 ' Very well,' said Nora, sitting in the place 
 
36 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 pointed out to her, and looking for a moment 
 with those serious eyes at Cunningham, whom 
 she had scarcely seen before. Then she 
 engaged herself in the details of that 
 operation all women are at home in — the 
 preparation of tea. Johnny brought a 
 boiling kettle from a gas-stove in some 
 mysterious lair, and poured out as requested. 
 
 ' You must excuse our mode of living, 
 Miss Scanlan,' said Cunningham, 'if it 
 seems a trifle barbaric and hand-to-mouth ; 
 but we are at the mercy of patent ap- 
 pliances for cooking, and keep no servants, 
 except the usual laundress, who doesn't 
 count.' 
 
 •' I think you ought to be very happy 
 here,' replied she. ' I expect you are. 
 You've got everything very comfortable.' 
 
 ' We think so, at any rate,' said Johnny, 
 'and that's the main thing. Dick, if you 
 think tea rather washy, there are other 
 things in the background.' 
 
 ' Thanks, the foreground's good enough 
 for me. Did you hear, Mr. Cunningham, 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 37 
 
 what an enjoyable evening Johnny gave us 
 yesterday ?' 
 
 ' I rather gathered that you gave the 
 evening, and that Johnny did the enjoying 
 mainly.' 
 
 * Oh, we all enjoyed it,' said Nora 
 Scanlan. ' Will I give 3^ou much sugar, 
 Mr. Cunningham ?' 
 
 ^ Yes, please. That is, about the usual 
 quantity.' 
 
 Cunningham had noticed in her speech 
 signs of the country of Miss Scanlan's birth, 
 which I shall not try to represent phoneti- 
 cally, as the result would be an exaggerated 
 caricature of the slight and occasional 
 varieties of phrase and pronunciation which 
 occurred. For instance, she frequently said 
 * w411 ' where an English young lady would 
 have used ' shall,' and her ' much ' sounded 
 rather like ' moch.' But it is not to be 
 supposed that she spake like the women 
 who sell buttonhole bouquets and oranges in 
 Piccadilly Circus, and get into what they 
 call ' throbble ' at Marlborough Street, any 
 
38 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 more than Dick Scanlan spoke like the ex- 
 traordinary monstrosity accepted as the 
 Irish type on the Enghsh stage. Nora 
 spoke as an Irish lady speaks, and very 
 pleasant it was to hear her voice, as Johnny 
 Smalley had learned yesterday, and as 
 Andrew Cunningham was now learning. 
 
 ' I've written to my people, Dick, about 
 my discovering my new kinsfolk, and I am 
 going down to RedclifF in a day or two — in 
 fact, as soon as my time is up at the barracks 
 and they've j)loughed me in battalion drill ; 
 and then I'll look up that house I talked of, 
 and write and tell you how the land lies.' 
 
 ' Oh, get away with your ploughing ! 
 You're all right,' replied Dick. ^ He wants 
 us to come down and live in the south near 
 his place,' he added explanatorily to Cun- 
 ningham ; ' it's handy to the sea, and a 
 pleasant country, as far as I can understand, 
 and I'd as soon be in one place as another, 
 if it's a good place.' 
 
 ' Would you like it, Miss Scanlan V said 
 Cunningham. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 39 
 
 ' Indeed i would. I love the sea.' 
 ' There's awfully good boating and bath- 
 ing,' said Johnny ; ' do you like that V 
 
 * I do. I can row and sail a boat, and I 
 can swim.' 
 
 ' More than many of them can do. 
 Tennis is what they are mainly cracked on.' 
 
 ' I don't care about that.' 
 
 ' Glad to hear it. You can't imagine how 
 sick I get of hearing them talk about it.' 
 
 ' Nora's a deal too lazy,' said Dick. 
 
 ' Are you ?' asked Johnny. 
 
 ' I am — very lazy.' 
 
 * That's all right. I sympathize. Tennis 
 may be healthy, in moderation — if anybody 
 ever was moderate at it — but it's not grace- 
 ful as a rule.' 
 
 Miss Scanlan was one of those rare 
 persons who, when they have nothing to 
 say, say nothing, and she made no reply. 
 She ate strawberries instead. 
 
 After awhile she observed that Cunning- 
 ham's cup was empty, and asked him if he 
 would take another, to which he replied in 
 
40 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 the affirmative. Johnny and Dick had not 
 finished theirs, and there was silence for a 
 little while. Then Miss Scanlan said : 
 
 * It all seems impossible to me. I hardly 
 feel real.' 
 
 * You look real, I am happy to say,' re- 
 plied Johnny ; ' but what is it V 
 
 ' Oh, the being rich, and being able to do 
 what w^e like, and not have to be in a situa- 
 tion. You don't know what it feels like, to 
 be sitting here having tea and strawberries 
 in a comfortable chair, thinking all the time 
 I ought to be trying those miserable mantles 
 on to dowagers. I feel I ought to be going 
 back, and that there will be a row.' 
 
 ' I should think you must have had some 
 entertaining experience in that Mantle De- 
 partment ?' observed Cunningham. 
 
 ^ It is amusing at first, but after you've 
 been standing about all day long, taking the 
 same things off the hooks and putting them 
 up again, one after another, for a lot of 
 people who don't know their own minds, and 
 getting pitched into by the forewoman or 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 41 
 
 head, just because she's out of temper with 
 the customers, and must let it off on some- 
 body, you're fit to be tired.' 
 
 ' I should think so. But the people that 
 come to get things must be funny. I mean 
 that you must have opportunities of seeing 
 the grotesque little tricks of Vanity Fair in 
 their crude and undisguised stage. They 
 don't mince matters when they talk to you, 
 I suppose ? They say, '' Look here, I'm a 
 dwarf with a fifty-inch waist, and I want to 
 look straight and slim," don't they, and then 
 you recommend the article, and so on ?' 
 
 ' Not quite that. In the first place they 
 do mince matters, even to me. There is 
 
 Lady Well, never mind names, I dare 
 
 say you know her : she's like your description, 
 and very vain, and doesn't like spending her 
 money, so she comes in the carriage with 
 her two daughters, ugly girls with little 
 heads and long necks, long hands and long- 
 feet, little sailor hats and plain tweed dresses. 
 They think they are like the Princess of 
 Wales, which of course they are not, and 
 
42 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 get all their things at Whitehall and West- 
 grove's, and whatever they read the Princess 
 wore anywhere, they try to imitate it, and a 
 holy show they are. Well, this lady comes 
 in in a silk that cost 3 8 s. 6d. a yard when 
 new, perhaps, and a bonnet that might have 
 been picked off an ash-heap, followed by the 
 Princesses, as we used to call them, very 
 tall, and taking long steps. Her ladyship 
 wants a mantle. " Miss Scanlan — forward, 
 please," I hear from the head, who is busy 
 with some other customer who gives less 
 trouble and spends more money. Forward 
 Miss Scanlan goes, and the Princesses stare 
 for a moment, as if I was a new sort of 
 animal, and then go on looking at the 
 stock. My lady wants something good and 
 handsome, and fashionable and cheap. That's 
 easy, of course. Nothing inconsistent about 
 that. So I fetch something I know she 
 won't take, to see what sort of a price she 
 will run to.' 
 
 ' Just to find the range, as you may 
 say ?' interpolated Dick. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 43 
 
 ' Yes. And then she twitches it about, 
 shakes up the beads a Httle, puts her glasses 
 on, and asks the price. Twelve guineas, I 
 say. Oh, but she wants something much 
 cheaper than that, and a great deal better. 
 '' Oh, certainly, madam," I say, as if it were 
 the simplest thing in the world, and after 
 putting about three-quarters of the stock 
 on her back, she settles on a showy cheap 
 thing with some damage or soil on it, for 
 which she gets an abatement. Then she 
 makes me put it on and walk up and down, 
 and buys it grumbling, but satisfied that she 
 has got her money's worth, which is just 
 what she hasn't done.' 
 
 ' And goes away, no doubt,' said Cun- 
 ningham, ' under an impression that when 
 she wears it she will look like you ?' 
 
 ' I suppose so.' 
 
 And here Nora smiled for a brief 
 moment. 
 
 ' I tell you what would be a lark,' said 
 Johnny Smalley, ' and that would be if you 
 were to meet this lady in society.' 
 
44 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' It would. But I don't think that's 
 very hkely. We're going to live mostly in 
 the country, and be happy in a quiet way.' 
 
 ' Well, but society exists to some extent 
 even in the country. Do you know, I think 
 I know who this lady is, from your descrip- 
 tion, especially of the daughters. You 
 might as well tell us the name V 
 
 ' What do you think it is V 
 
 ' Does it begin with a " G " ?' 
 
 Miss Scanlan smiled. 
 
 ' Well, yes.' 
 
 * Oh ! Well, you may see her yet, with 
 that mantle on.' 
 
 ' How glad you must be to get out of 
 that slavery !' said Cunningham. 
 
 ' I was glad to get into it once. I might 
 have been in a worse situation, and people 
 who have to earn their living have to take 
 what they can. The want of money is the 
 root of most evils.' 
 
 * Faith, that's true,' said Dick ; * it was a 
 sorrow to me every day to know she was at 
 that place. I was very well off : I liked the 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 45 
 
 service, and ours was a very good mess, and 
 the exercise was healthy, and ' 
 
 ' And you might have been a counter- 
 jumper,' observed Nora. 
 
 * I'd be a thief first. Pity girls can't be 
 soldiers !' 
 
 ' Never mind,' said Johnny, ' we are all 
 going to be a merry family now. And a 
 very curious family we are. Do you know, 
 Cunningham, the legend of our ancestor? 
 I don't think you do. And I'm pretty 
 certain my cousins don't.' 
 
 ' I don't know that I do.' 
 
 ' Well, in the year something, about 
 the time Britannia ruled the waves to some 
 purpose, and children in bed trembled at 
 the Bogie Buonaparte, one John Smalley 
 sailed from the port of Portsmouth on 
 board of the Victory, of which he was one 
 of the crew. He may, indeed, have been 
 a petty officer, for all I know. He left a 
 wife and two children, a cottage, farm, and 
 two or three fields behind him near Ports- 
 mouth. I imagine that he got the land 
 
46 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 through his wife, and that it formed the 
 principal incentive to his marriage. He 
 also made a will, in case of accidents — or, 
 rather, a Portsmouth lawyer made the will 
 — and my ancestor, and your ancestor, 
 Dick — let us call him the common ancestor 
 — put his mark to it, and it was witnessed 
 by the solicitor's clerk and some other com- 
 petent person, no doubt in due style, leaving 
 all he might die possessed of to his wife in 
 trust for the children, his eldest son to have 
 it all on majority, except that he set aside 
 a certain annual portion for the mother as 
 long as she lived — very little, no doubt — and 
 a trifle for the younger son on his majority. 
 The total, of course, did not represent much ; 
 but living was not so difficult then, and if 
 he died on His Majesty's service I suppose 
 the widow would get something from the 
 Admiralty. Very good. All that is very 
 commonplace.' 
 
 ' We've never heard a word of all this,' 
 said Dick ; ' go ahead, Johnny.' 
 
 ' Well, he and the Victory sailed away 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 47 
 
 to the West Indies after Villeneuve, and 
 back, with the fleet commanded by an 
 admiral called Nelson. And one October 
 day they had a bit of a disturbance to which 
 the French and Spanish fleets were parties 
 near a place called Trafalgar Bay, on the 
 coast of Spain, and the common ancestor 
 shared the fate of his commander. John 
 Smalley was knocked overboard by a big 
 wooden splinter, and that was the end of 
 him. His widow got her allowance from 
 Government, and gave the boys what was 
 then thought a good education for people 
 in their^osition. The ancestor himself 
 was totally illiterate, of course, but had 
 picked up little bits of nautical and profane 
 Spanish, and Italian, and French, I dare say. 
 I think I have heard my grandfather say 
 he spoke them all three very well, but that 
 is improbable. 
 
 ' In due course the boys grew up, and 
 the widow died. The second son went to 
 sea in the mercantile way, and became your 
 grandfather, Dick, and you know the rest 
 
48 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 of him — his acts, and the things that he did, 
 are they not written in the book of Double 
 Entry ? But the eldest son got the pro- 
 perty, and farmed in a small way for a 
 time, and I think lent money a little, and 
 sold garden produce by contract to officers' 
 messes, and other profitable things, till 
 Portsmouth and Southsea grew so big that 
 his fields and garden were surrounded by 
 streets, and shops, and lodging-houses, and 
 the value of his ground of course went up 
 enormously. 
 
 ' He then let it to builders, lent them 
 money on mortgage on the buildings, and 
 generally foreclosed and got the houses in 
 that way very cheap, for the builders were 
 more ambitious than their capital warranted 
 by a good deal, as they sometimes are. 
 
 ' So this good man, my late grandfather, 
 came to be a capitalist in good time, partly 
 through his own ingenuity, and partly 
 through external conditions altering, such 
 as I have described. Then it became 
 necessary to send a railway line through 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 49 
 
 some old potato patch he had bought 
 cheap, in the straight hne in which he had 
 had a private straight tip that the railway 
 would run, and he got ridiculously large 
 compensation. He was always playing little 
 games like that. Then he managed to get 
 his leg broken by the railway as soon as 
 it was made, and got more compensation. 
 Then he married a widow with a lot of 
 money, and became quite a local magnate, 
 and built a fine house, and subscribed to 
 local charities, took the rents of all his 
 houses and lands, lived comfortably to a 
 pretty good age, begat sons and daughters, 
 and died in the odour of sanctity, and left 
 his property, originally the cottage and 
 fields of the common ancestor, now a hand- 
 some fortune, mainly to his eldest son, my 
 governor, whom he brought up as a gentle- 
 man to the best of his ability. In the 
 meantime the legend of the common ancestor 
 expanded as time went on, and the abilities, 
 distinctions, and even social and naval rank 
 of the C.A. received what may be called 
 VOL. I. 4 
 
so THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 unearned increments, until at the present 
 day, when Nelson and Trafalgar are looked 
 on much as the Armada and Queen Bess, 
 as belonging to a glorious but obsolete and 
 almost mythological heroic age, I really 
 think my people believe him to have been 
 a post-captain, and to have probably taken 
 over the command on Nelson's death. We 
 have a highly imaginative portrait of him 
 at home in the dining-room, standing calmly 
 in a raging thunderstorm on a perfectly 
 level deck, shrouded in a blue cloak, hatless, 
 and scowling at the elements. My grand- 
 father left it to us, so it must be genuine.' 
 
 ' Well I never !' observed Dick, * I'm 
 glad I've heard that. It's something to 
 know that one had a great-grandfather, and 
 more — that he died in action.' 
 
 ' When was it he died ?' asked Nora. 
 
 'October the twenty-first, 1805, at the 
 age of twenty-five.' 
 
 ' Poor fellow ! That's young to begin 
 dying, isn't it ? Then, it's through him 
 we're related to you ?' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 51 
 
 * Yes, exactly/ replied Johnny. 
 
 Nora (who also as yet shirked the 
 Christian name, especially in its customary 
 familiar diminutive, and did not fancy ' Mr. 
 Smalley ' as a name) pursued : 
 
 ^ Then, what relation are we to you at all V 
 
 * Well, your grandfather was my grand- 
 father's younger brother. Your mother 
 w^as my father's first cousin. That is as 
 far as I can explain coherently. " Cousin " 
 is a good useful word, and is near enough 
 to describe us, too, I should think.' 
 
 ^ I suppose so.' 
 
 ' Well, that being clear, have some more 
 strawberries, everybody.' Everybody pro- 
 tested that they had had enough. ^ Then,' 
 said Johnny, ' let us smoke.' 
 
 Dick took a short black pipe out of his 
 pocket, and began loading it with his thumb 
 in a matter-of-course way. Cunningham said : 
 
 ' Do you mind. Miss Scanlan V 
 
 ' Certainly not. But, Dick, you are not 
 going to go on using that dirty old black 
 dhudeen now j^ou're rich ?' 
 
52 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' Indeed I am. It's been a true friend 
 to me for years when I was poor, and I'll 
 not give it up now.' 
 
 ^ I wish I had a clay like that !' said 
 Johnny. ' My constitution never would allow 
 me to colour a new clay properly.' 
 
 ' I'll get you a good Protestant clay from 
 Derry,' said Dick, 'and colour it for you 
 with canteen twist, and then you can go on 
 with it with that hay of yours. Nora, 
 we've been keeping these gentlemen about 
 long enough, haven't we ?' glancing cere- 
 moniously at Cunningham, who, instantly 
 divining that he was the cause of this polite 
 shyness, said : 
 
 ' Nothing of the sort. Johnny and I are 
 going to have a smoke with you now^ and 
 then we'll take you round to see the Temple, 
 and the gardens, and the church. I dare 
 say you haven't been here before, Miss 
 Scan Ian ?' 
 
 * Indeed no. It's a fine place to live in, 
 and wonderfully quiet, to be so near the 
 Strand.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 53 
 
 After a little further desultory conversa- 
 tion they all went forth from Brick Court 
 to explore the Temple. It was a beautiful 
 sunlit afternoon, and the shadows of the 
 venerable and learned courts lay very sharp 
 on the pavements. Cunningham went first, 
 with Dick Scanlan, the latter looking very 
 upright and square-shouldered in a new tweed 
 suit, the former rather less smartly set up, 
 and a trifle thinner, but a strong, wiry man, 
 in an old suit. Johnny followed, in a black 
 fluffy, single-breasted jacket adorned with a 
 gardenia, with Nora Scanlan. 
 
 * I hope you'll like our neighbourhood, 
 and make up your minds to stay there,' said 
 Johnny. 
 
 ^ I expect we will. Your friend's very 
 clever, isn't he ?' 
 
 ^ Yes, and the best fellow in the world. 
 I don't go in for being a learned and accom- 
 plished sort of Johnny myself, but I respect 
 it in others. He can play the piano. I 
 can just manage to accompany myself on 
 the banjo.' 
 
54 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' I never learnt much, and I'm afraid I've 
 forgotten that. I don't know how I shall 
 get on, I'm sure. I expect people will 
 laugh at me, and I shouldn't like that.' 
 ' Oh, bosh ! You're all right.' 
 Nora was silent awhile, and then said : 
 ' I hope your people will like me, Johnny.' 
 He started joyously at hearing her bridge 
 the gulf of ceremony, and replied : 
 
 ' I'm perfectly certain everybody that 
 knows you will like you.' 
 
 ' It's very kind of you to say so.' 
 ' I say, do you mind my calling you 
 Nora V 
 
 ' No ; of course you ought to.' 
 ' It's an awfully nice name.' 
 ' I'm glad you like it.' 
 And they strolled about the Temple and 
 examined such features of it as were in- 
 teresting, with the kind of conversation 
 appropriate to such pursuits, historic ex- 
 planations on the part of Cunningham, 
 dropped in a kind of negligent apologetic 
 manner, as of one reluctant to seem in- 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 55 
 
 struct! ve, sufficiently reverent appreciation 
 on the part of Dick Scanlan and his sister, 
 and occasional lapses into facetious under- 
 tones on the part of Johnny Smalley, at 
 which Xora, as a rule, did not laugh. 
 
 Finally, the brother and sister drove 
 away in a hansom, after returning much 
 thanks for their entertainment, while it may 
 be taken for granted that Johnny did not 
 lose the opportunity of appointing to call 
 the next day — the Scanlans were now at 
 a hotel, pending more permanent settle- 
 ment — nominally to talk about business and 
 the house at Redcliff, really to improve his 
 acquaintance with Nora. When he and 
 Cunninofham o^ot back to their chambers, 
 Johnny said : 
 
 ' Well, what do you think of them V 
 ' They seem amiable and inoffensive. 
 The man is sensible and intelligent, and the 
 girl is, no doubt, good-looking, and they 
 behave very nicely. I should say you are 
 quite right in classing them as a lady and 
 gentleman.' 
 
56 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' Well, is that all V 
 
 ' I haven't had much opportunity of 
 observing more. Candidly, and without 
 intending any disrespect, I should think 
 conversation with Miss Scanlan rather up- 
 hill work. Perhaps that is my fault more 
 than hers.' 
 
 * You might just as well say straight out 
 that you think she is rather stupid.' 
 
 ^ Straight out, I do think so.' 
 
 * Well, that's where you're wrong, old 
 man, I'm perfectly sure. Now, I know 
 what you're going to say, that because she 
 is devilish good-looking I am going to give 
 her credit for all the other virtues and 
 capacities, but I'm not quite such a fool 
 as that. She is rather silent, because she 
 is not quite accustomed to the new state 
 of things, and is a bit shy of you, most 
 likely, my learned friend ; but stujDid, you 
 bet your boots, she is not.' 
 
 ^ Very likely you're quite right and I'm 
 quite wrong. I don't see how anybody 
 could be shy of me. In any case, it is no 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR $7 
 
 business of mine to criticise her. Look 
 here, I've made rather an acquisition this 
 morning.' And Andrew Cunningham ex- 
 hibited a large and aged brown book, 
 entitled ' The Naturall Historic of Plinie.' 
 ' I got that while you were getting shaved 
 and shampooed and ordering strawberries 
 and exotics.' 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Not long after the foregoing events, Johnny 
 Smalley was examined at the barracks and 
 passed, not with distinction, but with safety, 
 in the arts of position-drill, guard-mounting, 
 and the command of a company in battalion, 
 and departed along Birdcage Walk much 
 pleased with himself, and in a very military 
 frame of mind, to receive compliments from 
 the sentries along the rails and in Whitehall 
 for the last time. He went to his chambers 
 and changed his costume, admiring in the 
 glass the sunburnt appearance of his face, 
 traversed by the diagonal white marks of 
 the forage cap and chin-strap, and then 
 met his cousins, as they may be called, 
 the Scanlans, by appointment at Victoria 
 Station. There he said : 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 59 
 
 * Dick, it is usual to present one's sergeant 
 instructor with a trifling gratuity. In this 
 case I think we must pretermit that custom, 
 but you will both lunch with me instead, 
 and then I'h be off.' 
 
 ' I'm not a sergeant instructor any more ' 
 (I think Dick said ' Annie Moore '), ' but 
 Kichard Scanlan, Esq. And probably J. P., 
 D.L., and R.M. before long. Ah, I forgot, 
 you don't have R.M.'s in England — that 
 stands for Removable Magistrate, Nora — 
 never mind, my son, we'll do justice to your 
 lunch, and celebrate your certificate.' 
 
 ' I'm very glad you've passed,' said Nora ; 
 ' is it a captain you are now ?' 
 
 ' Not till a vacancy occurs. Thanks. 
 I'm glad it's over, though I had a very 
 good time at Wellington. The photographic 
 group was the most trying part, I think, 
 next to the exam itself.' 
 
 In due time Johnny departed in the 
 train, to go to his ' people ' in the country. 
 The Small eys, Mr. and Mrs., and four 
 Misses Smalley, lived at a ' place ' called 
 
6o THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 Pernbank, on the outskirts of a small sea- 
 side town or village. The other ^ places ' in 
 the immediate neighbourhood were The Oaks, 
 The Laurels, Sunnyside, Llannelly, Kenil- 
 worth, Keswick Lodge, The Manor House, 
 The Vicarage, and The Rectory. In these 
 lived the resident gentry. Besides these 
 were inferior villas, used as lodgings by 
 summer visitors, such as Cyprus, Inkerman, 
 Woodbine Cottage, Oxford and Cambridge 
 Villas, Ulundi, North View, and two very 
 small and squalid semi-detached habitations, 
 which were cracking with the approach of a 
 landslip of the cliff they stood on, called 
 Marlborough House and Devonshire House. 
 There was also the new, large, and much- 
 advertised Riviera Hotel, and the old and 
 ivy-grown Turbot Inn. 
 
 The name of this seaside village was 
 Redcliff, and it was what is known as a 
 Summer Resort. It made its living in 
 winter from what it earned as a resort in 
 summer. Doctors recommended it. The 
 Riviera Hotel had ' nursed ' the medical 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 6i 
 
 profession very carefully in some occult 
 way, and not seldom did the London con- 
 sulting physician say : ' You want a little 
 change, you know, not too long and fatigu- 
 ing a journey : why not try KedclifF ? There 
 is a very good hotel there, the Riviera, I 
 think they call it. Lady Malinger and 
 Lady Highstrikes went there last year, and 
 were delighted.' 
 
 Then the local * general prac.,' as the 
 medical slang has it, once had the luck to 
 engage a ' locum ' for a week or two, when 
 he took his holiday at Easter before the 
 season began, who was a bit of a geologist, 
 and scientific generally ; and this ' locum' 
 went out straightway and discovered a 
 * Mineral Spring,' and brought home some 
 of it in a six-ounce bottle and analyzed it, 
 and found everything in it — sulphur, iron, 
 manganese, iodine, potash, lithium, soda — 
 brandy as well, for aught I know, which 
 invalids of different sorts require. I fancy 
 he calcined the sediment, and found rubidium 
 and caesium in the ashes, with a direct- vision 
 
62 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 spectroscope. It is true he was a great 
 smoker, this young man, and hung over his 
 experiments pipe in mouth. Be that as it 
 may, at the end of his Quantitative Table, 
 where everything w^as worked out, and set 
 forth to several places of decimals, he put 
 ^ Rubidium and Caesium — Traces.' 
 
 This was an immense lift for Redcliff. 
 The next edition of the Riviera Hotel's 
 advertisement in the daily papers contained 
 the addition of, ' in the immediate proximity 
 of the celebrated Redcliff Spa.' After that, 
 a German Durchlaucht, the reigning Prince 
 of Glauber and Seidlitz, Johann XXIX., 
 was induced to spend a fortnight at Red- 
 cliff, and pronounced himself much bene- 
 fited by his stay. He also declared the 
 new Institute open, while the volunteers 
 presented arms, and the band played the 
 Brause-Marsch, the celebrated national air 
 of the Seidlitz principality. This completed 
 the making of Redcliff, as it had, in addition 
 to the above advantages, a good sandy shore 
 for bathing and boating, picturesque cliffs, 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 63 
 
 pretty walks inland, an old Low Church, a 
 new High Church, and a Congregational 
 Chapel. Since the visit of Johann XXIX., 
 one became familiar with the Royal Riviera 
 Hotel, I need hardly say. 
 
 Then, it must be understood that Red- 
 clifF was not a vulgar place. Excursionists, 
 if they came at all, only came for a few 
 hours, by steamer, and returned again. 
 The lowest kind of visitor who stayed a 
 night or two was nothing worse than a 
 bicyclist, or a pedestrian with photographic 
 apparatus, and such an one went to the 
 Turbot Inn. The majority of visitors who 
 came in the season, which began in July 
 and ended towards October, were legal, 
 clerical, and business gentlemen from 
 London, tolerably well-to-do, with wives 
 and children, and recently-married couples. 
 The professional gentlemen, with families 
 and spades and buckets, took up their 
 abode at Cyprus or Inkerman, while the 
 young married couples went to the Royal 
 Riviera Hotel in all the pride of new clothes 
 
64 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 and trunks, and paid seven and sixpence a 
 head for a chop, potatoes and bread and a 
 bottle of beer, with smihng innocence. 
 Sometimes Americans came. The Koyal 
 Riviera Hked them nearly as well as the 
 married couples, because they were always 
 ordering iced water and ^ crackers,' and the 
 Royal Riviera charged sixpence for a glass 
 of iced water, and sixpence for a hard 
 biscuit, ' served in a room,' fourpence if 
 served in the salle-a-manger. The Riviera 
 was above ' Coffee-room.' That might be 
 good enough for the Turbot, where you were 
 waited on by mere maids. But the Riviera 
 had a salle-a-manger ^ with German waiters. 
 The Smalleys of Fernbank were residents, 
 and only knew other residents, unless some 
 very exceptional visitors were recommended 
 as deservinof of a call. At The Laurels 
 lived General Barker, who was an amateur 
 astronomer, and an interpreter of the Book 
 of Revelation, the various vials, trumpets 
 and beasts of which he applied to con- 
 temporary politics and celebrities, whom I 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 65 
 
 will not risk libel by naming. He wrangled 
 with and dictated to the Vicar on this 
 subject a good deal, and rather embarrassed 
 his wife and two daughters, who looked on 
 the Bible and religion as subjects hardly 
 decent to talk about, on weekdays at any 
 rate, and were afraid people would think 
 the General ' queer,' which he was, very. 
 
 At Sunnyside dwelt Mr. and Mrs. 
 Paynter, a harmless couple approaching 
 middle age, who cultivated a mild form of 
 social gaiety and fashion, and approved of a 
 decorative ritual, thereby incurring the 
 anathema of General Barker. 
 
 Llanelly was inhabited, or rather infested, 
 by the family of Admiral and Mrs. Moore, 
 consisting of countless little boys all exactlj" 
 alike, who went to school, passed into the 
 Britannia or Sandhurst, and sprang on 
 Society in tail-coats as ' Mr. Moores ' with 
 puzzling rapidity and succession. 
 
 At Kenilworth abode Mr. Satterthwaite, 
 a retired manufacturer from the North, a 
 keen politician of the old-fashioned Radical 
 
 VOL. I. 5 
 
66 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 views, a member of the Society of Friends, 
 and a widower, reputed to possess enormous 
 wealth. He had a son who was at Oxford, 
 and was aristocratic, ^ individuahst,' and 
 Conservative, who shuddered to hear his 
 father say to his friends : ' Thee must coom 
 to dinner next weyak.' 
 
 At Keswick Lodge Hved Miss Gibbs, an 
 elderly spinster lady, of some property, who 
 was kind and clever, a little dictatorial, 
 gifted with a loud sharp voice, and some- 
 thing of a country accent. 
 
 At The Manor House appeared, at such 
 times of year as were fashionable. Sir Atkin- 
 son and Lady Gooch. Sir Atkinson Gooch 
 was Lord of the Manor, Chairman of 
 Quarter Sessions, Deputy-Lieutenant, had 
 been Member for the County before the 
 extension of the franchise, was still Com- 
 modore of the Yachting Club, Deputy 
 Usher of the Blue Umbrella, and withal a 
 wizened, mild, and retiring potentate, much 
 given to gardening, and an authority on 
 bees. Lady Gooch, having been the widow 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 67 
 
 of a country solicitor before Sir Atkinson 
 married her, against the advice of all his 
 relations (who did not want him to marry 
 at all), took upon herself rather more pomp 
 than is customary with average royalty, 
 and was less kind than Miss Gibbs, more 
 dictatorial, and not clever at all. 
 
 At the Vicarage lived the Vicar, Mr. 
 Disney, a good man, but unfortunately a 
 little mad. His wife and son and daughter 
 were moderately fashionable and gay, and 
 addicted to tennis, as befitted. 
 
 At the Rectory (the Vicarage belonged 
 to a new district, brought into existence by 
 the rapid modern extension of Redcliif) 
 dwelt the Rector, a delightful old-world 
 Rector with snow-white hair, who had a 
 pretty old-fashioned wit of his own, did his 
 duty up to his lights, was a Rural Dean, 
 and feared no man. He had a good old 
 wife, and no children, and everybody liked 
 them both. 
 
 The Oaks, as has been mentioned, was 
 vacant, and it was there that Johnny 
 
68 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 intended the Scanlans to take up their 
 abode. The Oaks was of course quite 
 modern, built about the time when ItaHan 
 villas, with square, flat-topped, slate-roofed 
 towers were the fashion, in a period before 
 the resurrection of the Stuart style and the 
 general outbreak of red bricks. All these 
 houses were modern except the Rectory, 
 The Manor House, Keswick Lodge and one 
 or two of the lodging houses. But The 
 Oaks was comfortable, and was furnished, 
 at any rate sufficiently to make a start 
 with, and had a good piece of garden and 
 field, and a stable. 
 
 It had recently been vacated by a lady 
 and gentleman who caused scandal to Red- 
 cliff, and were a theme of much conversation, 
 on account of the alleged non-existence of a 
 legal or canonical authority for their cohabi- 
 tation, of the strange guests they enter- 
 tained, and of the satanic orgies which were 
 asserted to be carried on by these. Conse- 
 quently, the owner, who lived abroad, was 
 anxious to get some other tenants. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 69 
 
 As to the town or village of ReclclifF itself, 
 it consisted of one little street of shops, 
 mostly old thatched stone houses, with a 
 few ambitious yellow-brick new ones stuck 
 in here and there, and some scattered 
 cottages inhabited by agricultural and sea- 
 faring people. Its commerce was mainly 
 concerned with photographic views, spades 
 and buckets, and the ordinary necessaries of 
 life. The industry of Redcliff consisted of 
 catching lobsters and getting as much as 
 possible out of visitors. Being situated on 
 a cliff, and frequented by invalids, there was 
 an opening for donkeys and bath-chairs to 
 convey people up and down from and to the 
 beach. Shells might also be bought, which 
 certainly did not come out of the seas of 
 British latitudes, but yet had a suitably 
 marine appearance ; likewise weird pictures 
 in glass cases, composed of coloured sands 
 by an intelligent cripple, of Redcliff Bay 
 and Boylieu Abbey (pronounced ' Rooly '), 
 a ruin in the neighbourhood, to which 
 picnics could be made. 
 
70 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 When Johnny Smalley reached home, he 
 found his family 'placed,' as the reporters 
 say, in a state of excitement concerning the 
 Scanlans. 
 
 * What sort of people are they ?' asked 
 Mrs. Smalley. ' You said next to nothing 
 in your letter of real information. Does 
 anybody know them ? You said that he 
 was in the Guards.' 
 
 ' Yes,' said the second Miss Smalley ; 'and 
 I told Edie Disney we had a cousin in the 
 Guards.' 
 
 'Yes, I thought you would,' said 
 Johnny. 
 
 The second Miss Smalley — Helene they 
 called her, with the accent on the 'lene' — had 
 been for some years past reckoned by her 
 mother, herself, and a few other people, to 
 be a beauty, and Miss Edie Disney had 
 been similarly reckoned for a rather shorter 
 time by rather more people ; consequently, 
 the two were intimate friends, and loved 
 each other dearly, and anticipated each other 
 in the fashions. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 71 
 
 ' He has left the service very recently — in 
 fact, since I wrote,' continued Johnny. 
 
 ' Isn't that rather a pity?' said the youngest 
 Miss Smalley but one, who really was a 
 beauty, though her sisters had not discovered 
 it, and would have been a little surprised if 
 anyone else had noticed it. 
 
 She was fifteen, and afflicted with the 
 name of Jane, her mother having run out of 
 her stock of names from novels when she 
 was christened, and her father desiring to 
 gratify an aunt, who had secretly invested 
 all her wealth in an annuity, and chuckled 
 at the attentions paid her. 
 
 Jane rather expected the new cousin to 
 arrive in scarlet and a bearskin hat, on a 
 prancing black charger, with all the military 
 attributes — physical, intellectual, and moral 
 — which her favourite romances had taught 
 her were usual, including the drooping 
 moustache, expensive cigar, the gnawed 
 under-lip, and the invincible strength of his 
 Order. 
 
 ' I don't know that it is such a pity ; it 
 
72 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 was hard work and very little play. He 
 wasn't an officer, you know.' 
 
 ' Not an officer !' exclaimed Mrs. Smalley. 
 ' How did you come to know him, then ? 
 What was he V 
 
 ' Sergeant-instructor to my company at 
 Wellington Barracks.' 
 
 ' A common soldier V 
 
 ' Rather an uncommon soldier, I fancied.' 
 
 Johnny took rather an apish delight in 
 the appearance of momentary paralysis which 
 came over his family. 
 
 Helene Smalley wondered what explana- 
 tion would have to be given to Edie Disney. 
 
 * In the first place, a non-commissioned 
 officer is not a common soldier, any more 
 than our celebrated ancestor was a common 
 sailor when he perished gloriously at the 
 Battle of Trafalgar.' 
 
 'He was a captain,' said the eldest Miss 
 Smalley, named Lilian, who, not being in 
 any way beautiful, ' went in for ' intellect in 
 various transitory ways. 
 
 ^ I think the Foretop was the name of the 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 73 
 
 ship he commanded, wasn't it V repHed 
 Johnny. ' However, let that pass. Dick 
 Scanlan is a very good fellow, good-looking, 
 and quite as well educated as anybody about 
 here — except the Rector, perhaps.' 
 
 ' It was hardly necessary for you to get 
 so intimate with them, though,' said his 
 mother. ' That's so like you ; you never 
 think.' 
 
 * Oh, don't I !' said Johnny, calm in the 
 consciousness that the second arrow was still 
 safe in his belt. 
 
 ' And what is she f asked all the Misses 
 Smalley. 
 
 ' She ! meaning your other cousin — Dick 
 Scanlan's sister ? Well, she tvas an assistant 
 in the trying-on mantle department at 
 Messrs. Whitehall and Westgrove's when I 
 made her acquaintance.' 
 
 ' A shop girl, in fact,' said Mrs. Smalley, 
 in a tone of solemn offence, in the subdued 
 way in which one alludes to something 
 verging on the improper. 
 
 * Yes. She will be able to give the girls 
 
74 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 straight tips on gores and gussets and cut- 
 ting on the cross.' 
 
 ^ I hope you did not suggest that we 
 should know them ? They would be out of 
 their element in our sphere of society, and 
 it would really be no kindness. Goodness 
 knows I am not uncharitable, and I don't 
 attach any great importance to artificial 
 social distinctions, or wish to give myself 
 airs about nothing, like Lady Gooch ; but 
 you really must draw the line somewhere.' 
 
 ^ Lady Gooch thinks that too, and she 
 draws it at us,' observed Johnny, with ex- 
 asperating truth. 
 
 ^ Oh, but that is no parallel at all. The 
 cases are absurdly different. It is rather a 
 pity you stumbled against these Scanlans, 
 and still more that you were so indiscreet 
 as to get intimate with them,' continued 
 Mrs. Smalley, with a vague and awful 
 vision in her mind of Johnny misallying 
 himself with a ^ shop girl.' 
 
 * By the way,' said that sapient youth, 
 ' did you know that their grandfather, old 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 75 
 
 Mr. Smalley of Belfast — our grand -uncle, 
 you know, girls — was dead ?' 
 
 ' I don't remember noticing it in the 
 papers. There has been no intercourse 
 between your father and him for years, and 
 I always understood he was very solitary 
 and peculiar — some kind of a shopkeeper, 
 wasn't he, in a small way, or kept an inn, or 
 something ?' 
 
 Mrs. Smalley was not proud of her hus- 
 band's relatives and antecedents — except, of 
 course. Captain Smalley of glorious memory, 
 the Common Ancestor of the Smalleys and 
 Scanlans — and did not often allude to them. 
 She had noticed that death in the paper, 
 and said nothing about it. Mr. Smalley 
 never read that part of the paper, and there 
 had been no reason on the part of anyone at 
 Belfast to send him a private intimation. 
 
 ' He was neither a small shopkeeper nor 
 did he keep an inn. He was, as you say, 
 solitary and peculiar. In early life he was 
 in the Swedish timber-trade, in which he 
 made many shekels. All the oak, mahogany 
 
76 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 and walnut '' modern " furniture, so fashion- 
 able and expensive, is, I believe, made of 
 Swedish deal. \'ery well. Then, marriage 
 and increasing years and infirmities having 
 inclined him for a shore-life, he became a 
 builder and contractor over there — in Ire- 
 land, I mean — and so amassed still greater 
 wealth, and when he died left a large 
 fortune, a regular " pile." ' 
 
 ' We never knew anything of this. Your 
 father ought to have found it out ; but he is 
 so — well, there, it can't be helped now the 
 poor old man's dead.' 
 
 Johnny observed that the late Mr. 
 Smalley had been promoted from the small 
 shopkeeper to the ' poor old man.' ' Shortly,' 
 reflected Johnny, ' he will be " your ]30or 
 dear grand-uncle." ' 
 
 ' Well ?' said Mrs. Smalley. 
 
 ' Well, that's all. Oh ! You mean, whom 
 did he leave it to ? He left every sixpence 
 to Dick Scanlan. Didn't I mention that ? 
 I intended to. That's why he left the 
 service.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 77 
 
 There was only one person who laughed, 
 and that was eTane, the youngest Miss 
 Smalley, and she laughed consumedly. 
 Otherwise there was a short silence. Then 
 Johnny said : 
 
 ' As to my getting intimate that you were 
 complaining about, I had neither time nor 
 opportunity to do so, to any extent.' 
 
 ' Well, after all,' said his mother, ' they 
 are your own flesh and blood, and I must 
 say it would have been unkind if you had 
 not noticed them. Then, they are really 
 nice, you say V 
 
 ^ Yes. Very nice.' 
 
 * What is the girl like ?' asked Helene. 
 
 ' You will be able to form your own 
 opinion, because I think it very likely that 
 they will take The Oaks, if they find it suits 
 them and you all treat them decently.' 
 
 ' Treat them decently ! Our own rela- 
 tions !' exclaimed Mrs. Smalley. ' I should 
 hope there was no doubt of it.' 
 
 ' No ; I thought not. Well, then, that's 
 all right.' 
 
78 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' Are they very Irish V asked LiHan. 
 
 ' Well, yes, up to a certain point. They 
 are good-tempered and kind-hearted, but 
 rather proud ; and I warn you that they 
 will not stand being patronized, though they 
 will be very grateful for kindness.' 
 
 ' I quite understand,' said Mrs. Smalley ; 
 * it is not necessary for you to lecture me 
 and your sisters on how to behave.' 
 
 And Mrs. Smalley reflected that The 
 Oaks was a larger and more expensive house 
 than Fernbank. 
 
 And Johnny strolled out of doors accom- 
 panied by Jane, pleased with an afternoon's 
 sport, which had quite come up to his ex- 
 pectations. 
 
 ' Now let's go for a walk,' said Jane. 
 
 ' The Court is with you,' said Johnny, 
 taking a pipe and pouch out of his pocket, 
 and setting a brown cloth cap on his head. 
 ' Where shall we go ?' 
 
 ' Let's go along the cliff as far as the 
 coastguard station, and then we can see 
 the sea without any bothering old bath- 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 79 
 
 ing-machines and people swarming round 
 us.' 
 
 ' Are the bathing-machines swarming 
 much just now ?' 
 
 ' Oh, you know ! I say, you might 
 tell me about these cousins of ours now 
 properly. Mother has been very touchy 
 about them for the last day or so, because 
 Helene let out to Edie Disney that they 
 existed, and now the whole place knows, 
 and mother hasn't been able to make up her 
 mind whether they were an acquisition or 
 not. What's she like ? And is she pretty ?' 
 
 ' Tall, dark, blue eyes. The answer to 
 the latter part of the question is in the 
 affirmative, as Ministers say.' 
 
 * Does she have nice things ? I suppose, 
 with all that money, she dresses splendidly ?' 
 
 ' I've only seen her in black. It looked 
 all right, but I can't describe it. Re- 
 collect that " all that money " has not been 
 at her disposal long. I have no doubt 
 she will dress as well as anybody here, or 
 better. You'll like him, I think.' 
 
8o THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' What is he like ?' 
 
 ^ Tall, well made and set up, reddish hair, 
 long legs, and blue eyes.' 
 
 * Has he got a moustache V 
 
 * Oh yes. More than I have, a good 
 deal.' 
 
 ^ Well, I should hope so. What do you 
 call him V 
 
 ' A few weeks ago I called him Sergeant 
 Scanlan. I call him Dick now.' 
 
 ' And her, too V 
 
 ^ I do not call her Dick at present, or 
 Sergeant.' 
 
 * I mean, do you call her whatever her 
 Christian name is ? What is it V 
 
 ^ It is Honora in full. Her brother calls 
 her Nora.' 
 
 ' That's awfully pretty, and so nice and 
 Irish.' 
 
 ^So'sshe.' 
 
 ' Are you very much in love with her, 
 Johnny V 
 
 This was serious. Jane was a consumer 
 of romances. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 8i 
 
 ^ Very. Of course. Naturally.' 
 This was intended to be jocular, but failed 
 to delude Jane. 
 
 * 'M, You know you admired Edie 
 Disney last Christmas.' 
 
 ' Did I ? Who said so V 
 ' She did.' 
 
 * Then she has a good old imagination of 
 her own. Did she tell you V 
 
 ' Xo, but she told Helene, or let Helene 
 think so, and Helene told Lilian in her bed- 
 room, and Florrie and me listened at the 
 door.' 
 
 ' Grammar and decorum equally defied. 
 Well, Edie Disney can't hold a rushlight or 
 a paraffin match to Nora Scanlan. They 
 don't belong to the same category.' 
 
 ^ What's a catty gry ?' 
 
 ' Oh, look it out ! Where the mischief 
 is your expensive North German governess 
 and your rows of " modern acquirements," 
 eh?' 
 
 * Oh, she's having a holiday, and so is my 
 grammar, and I think North German and 
 
 VOL. I. 6 
 
82 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 French acquired in Paris, and modern 
 accomplishments, are all equally horrid. I 
 don't want to go to a Cambridge local and 
 get a certificate.' 
 
 ' You're not likely to.' 
 
 ' I want to be jolly.' 
 
 ' Unnatural child !' And they walked on. 
 
 ' You've just come in time for the 
 gaieties.' 
 
 ' Oh ! Which are they V 
 
 ' Well, Miss Gibbs has a garden-party ; 
 they're nearly always jolly, because there's 
 lots of strawberries and cream.' 
 
 ' Pig !' 
 
 * And there's going to be a rose show 
 and tennis tournament combined in the club 
 grounds, with a military band and ices. 
 Helene and Lilian are awfully excited about 
 it, because they expect to win bangles at 
 tennis ' 
 
 ' Anything else ?' 
 
 ' Oh, lots of things ! There's the regatta 
 and the fancy ball. Oh, I say, when are 
 these Scanlans coming down here ?' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 83 
 
 ' Oh, I don't know. Soon. I've got to 
 see about The Oaks for them, and I'm going 
 to suggest — no, on reflection I'm not going 
 to suggest, because I think it will come off 
 without.' 
 
 ' What V 
 
 ' Why, give our good parents a little 
 while to what they call think it over, 
 and they will ask the Scanlans to stay 
 with us till The Oaks is ready and settled, 
 see V 
 
 ' Oh, that will be awfully nice !' 
 
 * Where's the governor ? Haven't seen 
 him yet.' 
 
 ' Oh, he's gone to see Mr. Paynter and 
 Admiral Moore, to get them to take his 
 side. He has had an awful row with Mr. 
 Satterthwaite.' 
 
 ' Again V 
 
 * Yes. It's about the new tennis-ground, 
 and politics, and a lot of things, and they 
 called each other awful names at a meetinof 
 at the Institute last night, and papa's full 
 of it now\ There's a ofreat swell here at 
 
84 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 the Riviera that took papa's side a good 
 deal and knows the Gooches. He's going 
 to take the new house they are building at 
 ChfF Edge. He's awfully rich and very 
 clever and musical ; they say he plays the 
 piano wonderfully. Several people have 
 called, as the Gooches know him, and he 
 says he is going to reside. He's got a wife 
 who is coming for the bathing because she 
 is delicate. She hasn't arrived yet.' 
 
 * Oh ! What's his name ?' 
 
 ' Mr. Scheiner.' 
 
 ' Oh ! Curious name ! 
 
 ^ Oh, Johnny, he is so handsome, and 
 very amusing 1' 
 
 ' Yes.' 
 
 Johnny's enthusiasm did not seem 
 awakened by this statement. 
 
 ' All the girls admire him awfully.' 
 
 Johnny then said what ninety-nine 
 hundred thousand young men out of a 
 million who rather fancied themselves would 
 say on such provocation, ' What's he doing 
 down here V in a suspicious tone. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 85 
 
 ' I don't know ; he likes the place, I 
 suppose.' 
 
 ' And the society ? Eccentric person !' 
 
 Here they reached the place where the 
 flagstaff of the coastguard stood, the highest 
 part of the clifl^, and they greeted the man 
 who was engaged in lowering a big red flag 
 with which he had signalled to the next 
 station along the coast. 
 
 They also stood still and looked out at 
 the sea, wide, glittering, and gray, with 
 purple and brown patches near the shore, 
 and the series of clifls and promontories 
 receding to the left in diflerent stages of 
 atmospheric perspective, from sunlit red 
 through hazy purple to dimmest gray, the 
 last with a white shapeless dot at the water's 
 edge, which was a lighthouse. On the right 
 lay the Bay of Redcliff*, with yellow sands 
 covered with children digging, nursemaids 
 reading novelettes, young men throwing 
 stones into the water, young women sketch- 
 ing, middle-aged persons of both sexes 
 dozing in graceless attitudes, and waterside 
 
86 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 characters in blue loafing and keeping an 
 eye on customers for boat, canoe, or bathing- 
 machine. Above the sands came shingle, 
 to walk on which was lameness and boot- 
 destruction, and above the shingle came an 
 esplanade. Further to the right the clifF 
 rose again, and was crowned by a fort, 
 showing the neat green, turf outline of some 
 of its traces, a flagstaff, a chimney or two, 
 and three black-faced carronades command- 
 ing the landing-place in the bay. A few 
 artillerymen in white canvas fatigue dress 
 and Austrian caps stood or lay on the grass 
 on the parapets, smoking and ' passing ' 
 remarks on what they saw below. 
 
 Johnny and his sister were looking south 
 by west when they looked out to count sails 
 on the sea-horizon, and west when they 
 looked at the dark-green symmetrical out- 
 line of the Romer Fort above described. 
 It was a beautiful summer afternoon ; the 
 sea was lapping the sands gently ; the cork- 
 floats marking lobster-pots lay in the water 
 languidly, and did not bob up and down ; 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 87 
 
 the smoke on shore from the chimneys of 
 lodging-houses preparing tea or dinner, and 
 from thatched, creeper-covered, rose -crowned 
 cottages further inland, all ascended straight; 
 the big elms and beeches among the hay 
 and corn fields stood in a warm haze, while 
 the yellow gorse on the down where our 
 friends stood blazed in sunshine, and the lark 
 sang over them. 
 
 Johnny thought how Nora Scanlan would 
 enjoy this after a year or so of the air and 
 scenery of the Mantle Department, and how 
 he mio'ht induce her to come out in a double 
 canoe. He also hoped she might not share 
 the general admiration for this apparently 
 fascinating and accomplished Scheiner. 
 
 When he and Jane had turned to walk 
 homewards, and come away from the flag- 
 staff on the cliff into an inland tree-shaded 
 lane, by way of varying the route, they 
 met two gentlemen walking slowly and con- 
 versing. 
 
 One of these was broad and stout, had a 
 large face adorned with moustache and side- 
 
88 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 whiskers, a head defiantly uphfted, a loud 
 voice which was in use, a checked knicker- 
 bocker suit, loose and floppy, knitted purple 
 stockings, immense calves, and thick-soled, 
 expensive-looking shooting-boots. He carried 
 a thick stick, with which he slashed at the 
 hedge and hit pebbles at intervals. His 
 features were not ill- shaped, but had a sug- 
 gestion about them of a deficiency in taste 
 and breeding. This was Mr. — locally known 
 as Captain — Smalley, Johnny's papa. The 
 ' Captain ' originated in the fact that Mr. 
 Smalley had once been in one of the county 
 volunteer battalions, at a period before that 
 branch of her Majesty's forces had attained 
 to its present degree of efficiency, and before 
 so many accomplishments and so many cer- 
 tificates were required. But Mr. Smalley 's 
 voice was very martial, and carried about 
 seven hundred yards point-blank range. So 
 ' Captain ' the countryside called him, and he 
 accepted it, and stood up at public banquets 
 when ' The Army ' was given as a toast, 
 looked defiantly around him, and blew a little. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 89 
 
 The gentleman with whom Mr. Smalley 
 was walking was a slenderly-built, sym- 
 metrical man below the medium height, very 
 carefully dressed in a dark - blue serge 
 yachting suit of good cut, and dark-blue cap 
 to match, set a little on one side and back- 
 ward, not after the manner of 'Enery, but 
 more after that of some of the Continental 
 military. His complexion was sallow and 
 sunburnt, his eyes dark and expressive, his 
 features delicately aquiline and aristocratic. 
 He had curly black hair, streaked with gray, 
 and a luxuriant, crisp moustache of the same 
 tone, turning lightly outwards and upwards, 
 which allowed regular white teeth to appear 
 when he smiled. He wore a crimson silk 
 tie in a sailor's knot, and a silk handkerchief 
 of similar colour peeped from his breast- 
 pocket. He carried no stick, but never 
 seemed embarrassed by the presence of his 
 hands. When he smiled, it was a delightful 
 boyish smile, in which the eyes took the 
 chief share. 
 
 'Who is the Homo Pithecus with our 
 
90 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 parent ?' asked Johnny, at once springing in 
 his own mind to the right conclusion. 
 
 * Hush ! He'll hear,' said Jane. 
 
 Mr. Smalley greeted his son boisterously : 
 
 * Well, my boy ! Back again once more 
 like a bad shilling, eh ?' 
 
 * Yes, I've come back,' replied Johnny. 
 
 ' Oh, ah, Scheiner, this is my son. 
 Johnny, this is a new neighbour of ours, 
 Mr. Scheiner.' 
 
 That gentleman took his hat off, and then 
 shook hands, observing, ' Delighted to 
 make your acquaintance, Mr. Smalley,' in 
 good English. 
 
 ^ He's been passing his examination for 
 promotion,' continued the proud parent. 
 
 * My instincts or my experiences told me,' 
 said Mr. Scheiner, ' that Mr. Smalley was 
 an officer as soon as I saw him.' 
 
 ' Bye-bye ; see you at dinner,' said Mr. 
 Smalley, as he and his friend passed on. 
 
 * He seems rather a decent sort,' remarked 
 the somewhat elated Johnny. 
 
 And then a voice behind him said : 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 91 
 
 * Spare a poor man a copper, capting !' 
 Johnny turned, and beheld an aged, filthy 
 
 and evil-looking tramp, clothed as with things 
 picked from a dunghill, who had an unshaved 
 face and a leathery skin. Two brown streaks 
 of tobacco-juice adorned his chin at the 
 corners of his mouth. This person con- 
 tinued : 
 
 ' Pore ole sailor-man ! Fought for my 
 country in the Baltic — los' the use of my 
 right 'and.' 
 
 ' 'M yes 1' said Johnny. ' Salamis and 
 Actium too, no doubt. Want a drink ? I 
 suppose you must have it.' 
 
 And Johnny gave him a few coppers. 
 
 ' Thank you kindly, capting, and Gawd 
 a'mighty bless you — and you too, my 
 pretty ! 'Scuse me, sir, but can you tell me 
 '00 the genelman is jest gone by ? I axed 
 he for a trifle, and he said as he'd give me 
 fourteen da3^s if he ketched me again beggin', 
 as he calls it. Walkin' along he was — along 
 of a furren-lookin' party.' 
 
 * That is Mr. Smalley, and he is a magis- 
 
92 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 trate — a beak, for thy better understanding 
 — and I should think he would keep his 
 word/ 
 
 ' Smalley, is it ? Oh ! Well, it's a 'ard 
 job for a pore man to get a 'onest livin' in 
 these yer times. I minds the time when 
 genelmen was genelmen, not like what they 
 is now. Not meanin any offence to you, 
 sir.' 
 
 ' Thank you. Good-day.' 
 
 * Good-day to you, sir, and thank you 
 kindly.' Then, approaching nearer to 
 Johnny, he added in a hoarse, tobacco-laden 
 whisper : ' A few cigars any use to ye, 
 capting, or a bottle o' Kewryso ?' 
 
 ' Oh, that's too thin — much too thin ! 
 Not this evening, good friend. S'm other 
 evening.' 
 
 And Johnny and Jane walked on, leaving 
 the elderly pilgrim to his meditations, which 
 were mainly directed to the immediate 
 acquisition of rum in exchange for Johnny's 
 alms. 
 
 ' What did he say V asked Jane. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 93 
 
 ' Oil, he murmured some bosh about cigars 
 and hquor, meaning to excite my romantic 
 mind with the notion that he was a bold 
 smuggler.' 
 
 ' Perhaps he really is. That would be 
 fun !' 
 
 ' Perhaps he isn't. It's an old trick, that. 
 I say, the governor seems pretty thick with 
 the " furren-lookin' " party.' 
 
 ' Oh yes. He has put down his name at 
 the club, and Mr. Scheiner says he is going 
 to send for his yacht.' 
 
 * Oh ! He seems a great swell.' 
 
 ^ You'll see him at dinner soon. We are 
 going bo have a party now youVe come 
 back.' 
 
 ' Are you going to appear at it ?' 
 
 ' Rather. I'm not out, but that will be 
 in our own house. When are the Scanlans 
 — oh, of course, yes ! I forgot. We are 
 gfoing- to ask them.' 
 
 ' Yes. I think you may be pretty sure of 
 that. ' 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 Dick Scanlan and his sister had the pleasure 
 of receiving the following letter after a few 
 days, as they were sitting at their breakfast- 
 table in the great restaurant attached to the 
 immense modern hotel in which they were 
 temporarily installed in the neighbourhood 
 of Trafalgar Square. That is to say, the 
 letter was addressed to Miss Scanlan and 
 intended for both. The envelope and paper 
 were shaped and tinted in the latest fashion, 
 and bore a crest, which Dick examined 
 seriously while Nora read the letter aloud : 
 
 ' " Fernbank, 
 
 ' " Redcliff. 
 
 ' " My dear Miss Scanlan, 
 
 ' " I hardly know really how I 
 should address you, but think I ought to 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 95 
 
 have begun, ' My dear niece '; but no doubt 
 we shall settle all that when we know each 
 other better, which I trust will be very 
 soon. 
 
 ' '' I was so surprised and delighted to 
 hear from my boy of his extraordinary dis- 
 covery of our new relations, and I am sure 
 it will be as great a pleasure to us all to 
 know you as I gather it has been to him." 
 
 * Good old blarney, isn't it, Dick V 
 ' Oh, she's very kind ! Don't mark time 
 in the middle, but go on.' 
 
 ' '' My husband and I shall be delighted 
 if you can both manage to come and spend 
 some time with us, pending the time when 
 your own house will be ready for you, as I 
 understand you are about to become our 
 neighbours at The Oaks. The Oaks is a very 
 nice house, and I think you will like this 
 part of the country. There are some very 
 nice people about here, and plenty of amuse- 
 ment, and RedclifF is within easy reach of 
 
96 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 London. Victoria, I believe, is the station 
 to start from. 
 
 ' " I have no doubt we shall have a great 
 deal to talk about in one way and another, 
 which I shall postpone till we meet in the 
 flesh, and will only repeat that you will be 
 welcome here as soon as you can tear your- 
 selves away from town, which, I suppose, is 
 at the height of its gaieties just now. We 
 were indeed grieved to hear of your j)oor 
 dear grandfather's death, and all sympathize 
 sincerely with you in your loss. 
 ' '' I am, 
 ^ " Yours very sincerely, 
 
 ' " Eleanor Smalley. 
 
 * *' P.S. — The children are longing so to 
 make the acquaintance of their new Irish 
 cousins." ' 
 
 * What do you think of her, Dick V 
 
 ' Faith, I think it's hospitable and kind. 
 Would you like to go ?' 
 
 ^Yes.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 97 
 
 ' Well, go and pack your kit, and I'll 
 look up the ABC time-table/ 
 
 ' Oh, you can't do it like that ! We must 
 write and thank her, and say when we're 
 coming. And how will I pack up before 
 my dress comes home, at all V 
 
 ' As you please. You write them. 
 Let's go into the writing-room and do it.' 
 And they left the table and walked off, 
 Nora stately as usual, and Dick stalwart 
 and erect, and still bearing the barrack 
 sunburn. Several people turned to look 
 at and admire them as they passed. In 
 the sumptuous but depressing writing-room 
 they sat on opposite sides of a little table, 
 and Nora said : 
 
 ' What will I write ? Can't you write it ?' 
 
 ' Indeed I will not. But I will make a 
 draft, giving the sense after my style, and 
 you can copy it out at greater length, and 
 embellish it after yours.' 
 
 ' Do it, then.' And Nora leaned back in 
 a luxurious green leather chair and paused 
 majestically and defiantly. Dick wrote : 
 
 VOL. I. 7 
 
o8 the common ancestor 
 
 ' Madam, 
 
 ' I have the honour to inform you 
 that I have received your letter, for which 
 I thank you sincerely. We will arrive at 
 Redcliff by the train leaving Victoria 
 
 at on day. 
 
 ^ I have the honour to be, 
 
 ' Faithfully yours.' 
 
 * There, that's the way to do it.' 
 
 ' That ? Give it here. That's not long 
 enough.' 
 
 ^ It says what I mean. Why would it 
 be longer ? I used to write any number of 
 notes for Captain O'Reilly of our company. 
 I was a devil of a man at correspondence.' 
 
 ' Well, I can see you don't know how to 
 answer an invitation at all. Now, Dick, 
 you'll behave when you go down there ; and 
 don't carry on and talk as if there was 
 nothing in the world but barricks. See 
 that, now ?' 
 
 ' There's very few better things in the 
 world, then, if it comes to that, and barricks 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 99 
 
 are better than mantle departments any 
 day. Barricks makes a man out of a lout ; 
 makes a dirty dog a clean man ; makes an 
 ignorant man learn ; makes a waster 
 obedient ; makes the rogues go to church ; 
 makes an idle man punctual ; makes a cheeky 
 man civil. And by this and that, the 
 service gives an Irishman a home and 
 an occupation where he's happy and 
 decently treated, and let to be loyal to the 
 Queen of Great Britain and Ireland — God 
 send her glory ! — which is what few other 
 places do. But have your own way, and 
 write an elegant note. I'll not say any- 
 thinof aofainst that.' 
 
 After a little further wrangling, Nora 
 produced the following : 
 
 ' Empire Hotel, 
 Northumberland Avenue, 
 
 ' Dear Mrs. Smalley, 
 
 ' You are very kind to invite us to 
 stay with you, and my brother and myself 
 thank you sincerely. We will be very 
 pleased to come to EedclifF on Thursday, by 
 
loo THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 the from Victoria.' ('Look up the train, 
 
 Dick, and I'll fill it in.') ' I am sure we 
 were as glad to know your son as he was to 
 ^know us, and we both like him very much.' 
 (' There, that's enough, isn't it ?' ' Yes, 
 of course. Break off now.') 
 
 ' Thanking you again for thinking of us, 
 ' I am, very sincerely yours, 
 
 ' HONORA SCANLAN.' 
 
 ' There, now that's off our minds. What 
 do you want to do, Nora, this morning V 
 
 ' Well, now our time's cut so short, I 
 want to see some more of the things in 
 London I never had time to see when I was 
 in business. Let's go to the Academy 
 to-day, to begin with.' 
 
 ' All right.' And after due preparation 
 they went and walked in the June sunshine 
 along Pall Mall and up St. James's Street, 
 Dick remarking, as they passed the palace : 
 ' There's Wilks of H Company on sentry 
 duty ; always chewing tobacco on parade he 
 was — chewing it now.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR loi 
 
 Then they looked at a few shop-windows 
 in Piccadill}^ and entered in at the gates of 
 Burhngton House along with all the gaily- 
 dressed summer crowd, and the strutting^ 
 green and gray pigeons, and were very soon 
 straying about in that most madding crowd 
 in the first room, and trying to see things 
 w^hile the stylish British public walked in 
 front of them, turned round, backed on their 
 toes, ran elbows into their backs, and made 
 foolish remarks to one another about the 
 pictures. 
 
 However, being in good health and 
 spirits, and not yet overpowered with that 
 lassitude and headache which always come 
 on in the last room but one before the 
 sculpture, they struggled patiently from one 
 point to another, and enjoyed themselves 
 fairly well, and found many pictures to 
 admire. 
 
 It is a well-known fact to anybody who 
 has experience, that it is scarcely possible 
 to go to the large room in the Academy in 
 June without meeting somebody one knows. 
 
I02 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 On this occasion Dick Scanlan met Mr. 
 Gordon-Innes, an officer of his old company, 
 who greeted him kindly, congratulated him 
 on his altered circumstances, and entered 
 on a short conversation with him. In the 
 meantime Nora, who was looking at a 
 picture of some Roman beauties engaged 
 in some pleasant and beautifully painted 
 Roman occupation, a few paces away from 
 her brother, found herself close to the grave, 
 rather gaunt face of Mr. Andrew Cun- 
 ningham, who bowed and shook hands 
 calmly, and said : 
 ' Hot, isn't it V 
 
 ' It is. But I don't mind that.' 
 ' How do you like the Academy V 
 ' Very much, as far as it goes. But I've 
 only just begun.' 
 
 ' I think in some respects it is better 
 than usual.' 
 
 ' I can't say much about that, as I have 
 never been before. We're using up our 
 time to see things in London a little 
 now we are able, and in a few days we're 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 103 
 
 going clown to stay with Johnny Smalley's 
 people.' 
 
 'At ReclcHfF? Are you really? I am 
 going there before long. I have an uncle 
 there — one of the few live relatives I have 
 — whom I am going to stay with during 
 part of the summer and long vacation.' 
 
 ' I suppose you will be glad to get a 
 holiday V 
 
 ' Oh, I don't work so very hard. I have 
 got some work, certainly, and I'm going to 
 take it down there with me. My uncle 
 has a good quiet, comfortable library with 
 a lot of books in it, many of which are 
 really worth reading. I'm supposed to be 
 writing a book, you know.' 
 
 ' Oh !' 
 
 Cunningham was slightly disappointed 
 at not being asked what his book was 
 about, and put it down to absence of 
 interest in literature, whereas it was really 
 due to shyness. Just here Dick joined 
 them, having parted with his military 
 friend, and being somewhat elated at the 
 
I04 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 public recognition he had received from his 
 former superior officer. He shook hands 
 with Cunningham, who said : 
 
 ^ I gather that I shall see you down at 
 RedcliiF shortly/ 
 
 ^ Are you going to stay with Johnny, 
 Mr. Cunningham V 
 
 ^ No. I'm going to stay at the Rectory. 
 The Rector is my uncle. I hope to do a 
 little work, but don't feel very industrious 
 in this sort of weather. Glad you're not 
 on parade, aren't you V 
 
 ^ I am. Will you take a bit of lunch 
 with us, Mr. Cunningham, when we have 
 seen the Academy through ? We'll want 
 it, I think, by then.' 
 
 ^ Thanks very much, but I'm engaged to 
 meet a friend of mine at the Law Courts 
 at one o'clock. Some other day, if you 
 will allow me, with great pleasure. In any 
 case I shall see you soon at Redcliff. 
 Good-bye, Miss Scanlan. Good-bye.' And 
 he sauntered calmly on. 
 
 ' How do you like him ?' said Dick. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 105 
 
 * I don't know. He is a little too 
 superior, I think. Cold.' 
 
 ' Oh, the English are cold-blooded and 
 superior. ' 
 
 ' But Cunninofham's Scotch.' 
 
 ' They're worse.' 
 
 ' He's a great friend of Johnny's, and he 
 believes in him, and has known him from 
 a boy, so I suppose there must be good in 
 him.' 
 
 ' He's right enough, I'll swear. You 
 girls care a deal too much about some little 
 trifle of manner, or style, or appearance. 
 Mr. Cunningham has more in his brains 
 than Johnny will get in fifty years, and 
 Johnny's a clever boy, too. He learned 
 the battalion drill as easy as hymns.' 
 
 ' Johnny's got a heart and feelings, and 
 doesn't look as if he thought " I must go 
 and be civil to those curious Irish people 
 Johnny has picked up." That's him.' 
 
 And Nora gave an imitation of the grave, 
 dry Cunningham manner, which would have 
 surprised that tall Common Law barrister 
 
io6 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 had he heard it, for that was exactly what 
 he had thought. 
 
 And yet he had imagined Nora to be 
 stupid. 
 
 ' Well, we shall know more about him 
 soon, if he's going to be at RedclifF. I'm 
 wondering what our relations will be like. 
 There's a lot of sisters, aren't there ?' 
 
 * I don't know how many. Three, I 
 think. If they are like Johnny they won't 
 be bad-looking. I hope we shall get on all 
 right.' 
 
 ' Oh, I expect so. Don't worry about it. 
 Just take things as they come.' 
 
 ' Can't take them any other way, I sup- 
 pose. But such funny things have come 
 lately, that I feel rather in a balloon still.' 
 
 ' Well, let's go and look at some more 
 pictures. There's one here of Tel-el-Kebir 
 rather good, only the kilties have lost their 
 distances and direction in extended order 
 more than they need do with nobody in front 
 of them but dirty Egyptians.' 
 
 And the Scanlans pursued their way 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 107 
 
 further in moderD art, until they came to 
 tiie sculptures, where they sat down and 
 decided that they had enjoyed the Academy 
 very much, but had had enough of it to last 
 till the following year. Then they went 
 and had lunch. 
 
 During the few days of their emancipa- 
 tion they had visited the British Museum, 
 the Tower, the United Service Institute 
 (where Dick was quite at home, and ex- 
 plained everything freely), and the Houses 
 of Parliament, and were much impressed 
 and entertained. The skies were blue from 
 day to day, with flying white clouds and 
 bright sunshine ; London was at its best, and 
 life seemed to open a new and beautiful 
 world to these two, and they roamed about 
 among strange and delightful ways and 
 things like innocent and happy children. 
 They also visited the Law Courts, as will 
 appear. 
 
 In due course their outfits were completed, 
 and they packed their new things in new 
 portmanteaux, looking on the details and 
 
io8 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 results of ^ being rich ' as parts of a kind of 
 a new game. 
 
 Dick would have been unnecessarily lavish 
 in the way of dresses and hats and such-like 
 for his sister, and ^ given himself away ' 
 helplessly to harpies who inscribed ' Robes — 
 Modes ' in gilt diagonal letters on black 
 marble and bore French names ; but Nora 
 knew her ground very well indeed in these 
 regions, and knew exactly what to do and to 
 get, where to get it, and whom to employ 
 to make it. The results were very satis- 
 factory indeed, as Dick remarked when he 
 saw his sister in a gray travelling dress 
 and a cunningly wrinkled black straw hat 
 with curling black ostrich feathers, but- 
 toning gloves in the luxuriously Oriental 
 entrance hall of the Empire Hotel, while 
 menials carried their luggage down to a 
 cab. 
 
 * Nora dear,' Dick said, 'you are a beauty, 
 and that's the truth. There's some good 
 putting good clothes on you : you do them 
 credit. Now, you always stand and walk as 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 109 
 
 straight as you do to-day, mind that — now 
 we're going into a new hfe.' 
 
 ' Mind you do.' 
 
 ' Oh, each will look after the other, and 
 God will take care of both.' 
 
 ' Cab's ready, sir.' 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A SLIGHT retrogression must here be excused 
 for a few pages. Andrew Cunningham left 
 the Royal Academy with the intention of 
 walking to the Law Courts, where he really 
 had an appointment, though Miss Scanlan 
 had doubted it, and was crossing from the 
 north side of Coventry Street to the other, 
 in order to turn down the side of Leicester 
 Square, when the following incident oc- 
 curred. 
 
 There was, as is usual on a fine day in 
 the season, a large traffic along Coventry 
 Street, mainly of cabs. The ones with 
 fares dashed along with great velocity, as 
 they always do about there. They are 
 stylish cabs as a rule in Coventry Street, 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR in 
 
 going to or from Piccadilly and the Great 
 West at large, with dazzling white roof- 
 cloths scolloped and scarlet at the edges, 
 and brand-new india-rubber mats on the 
 floor, and bevelled glasses, matches, speaking 
 tubes, reading-lamps, and spring cushions 
 inside. Their patrons are mostly stylish 
 young men and young women who are in a 
 hurry, and these cabs certainly do dash along. 
 There are certain corners and crossings where 
 the dash seems to reach its maximum. 
 Piccadilly Circus, at the east side, near the 
 railway offices, is one. The debouchement of 
 Coventr}^ Street and Wardour Street into 
 Leicester Square is another. The cabs 
 coming down Wardour Street are not quite 
 so like a Roman chariot race as those coming 
 at right angles to them, for the former only 
 come from Oxford Street and the north, 
 where the people are not quite so smart as 
 those from Piccadilly and the west, but 
 Wardour Street is downhill, and hansoms do 
 not have brakes, so the inferiority in pace is 
 for the moment compensated by gravitation. 
 
112 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 When Cunningham was in the middle of 
 this crossing — Cunningham was a Londoner 
 of long standing, and the Temple is in Fleet 
 Street, so that he was as calm and secure 
 in a crossing as in a hayfield — when he was 
 in this crossing, I say, he observed two 
 small boys amusing themselves as the children 
 of Central London affect, by running across 
 the street in front of the cabs. This is a 
 very fine old game, valued partly for its ex- 
 citement and risk, and partly for the annoy- 
 ance it causes in drivers, and the alarm on 
 the faces of the driven. It may be readily 
 imagined that to make a driver pull up a 
 horse suddenly so that the hind-hoofs make 
 a long slide on the wood pavement, and then 
 to jeer at him as he hurries away hurling 
 futile blasphemy sideways and backwards, is 
 great fun. The more daring and experi- 
 enced imp will sometimes stand still in the 
 middle of the road suddenly, with affected 
 unconsciousness, and muse with its back to 
 the horse. This is generally a little girl, 
 gifted with a very high, sharp and shrill 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 113 
 
 voice, which will break into fiendish 
 yells of laughter when rescued from seem- 
 ingly inevitable disintegration by grown-up 
 passengers with scared faces. It is a very 
 jolly game indeed, much jollier even than 
 driving iron hoops into pedestrian shins, or 
 slashing at whip-tops between pedestrian 
 feet, or suddenly stopping in a stooping 
 attitude in front of them. But it can be 
 tried once too often. 
 
 In this case a dirty little boy of about 
 six was engaged, with another dirty little 
 boy of about the same probable age, in 
 maddening the drivers at this corner, when 
 one of them was knocked over by another 
 cab, going in the opposite direction to the 
 one lie was diverting himself with, and was 
 dragged from certain death by Cunningham 
 at the expense of some bruises to himself. 
 As it was, the little boy's arm had been 
 broken, and he howled loudly. The other 
 little boy had of course run away. When 
 the victim was sufficiently rational to gasp 
 out that his address was in Golden Square, 
 
 VOL. I. 8 
 
114 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 the usual frowzy crowd was hemming Cun- 
 ningham in, as he stood with the httle boy 
 in his arms, the httle boy making the 
 situation more soothing by howling like a 
 dog shut out at night. A plausible, curly- 
 haired ruffian with pug puppies under his 
 arm, and another attached to him by a 
 string, suggested a four-wheel to the ' aws- 
 pital.' Cunningham said : 
 
 ' You go and get the four-wheel, then, my 
 friend.' 
 
 This dissolved the crowd. Every man 
 blackguard of them bolted after a cab, and 
 Cunningham and the little boy were in one 
 in no time, and the crowd were left quarrel- 
 ling over the consequent coppers till a large 
 and gloomy member of the C Division 
 arrived and dispersed them. 
 
 Cunningham decided to take the boy 
 home to the address he had given. The 
 boy was unable or unwilling to give any 
 information about himself or about his re- 
 latives ; so Cunningham simply pulled the 
 kitchen bell when he reached the house in 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 115 
 
 that abode of fallen grandeur called Golden 
 Square, where most of the houses have 
 turned into commercial offices and stores of 
 incongruous kinds, and hospitals for special 
 complaints, and asked the female who opened 
 the door to whom the little bov belono-ed. 
 The female, who was of the landlady-cum- 
 caretaker and charwoman order, with the 
 inevitable dingy black dress, white apron, 
 and pained expression, simply stated that he 
 was Mrs. Denison's boy, on the second-floor, 
 second bell alongside the front-door, and 
 disappeared. Cunningham observed that 
 there were no less than four little bell- 
 handles in a perpendicular row, and pulled 
 the second. After a rather long interval, 
 during which the little boy continued to 
 howl in a subdued manner, as he lay on the 
 mano'v o-reen- velvet back seat of the four- 
 wheeler, another female appeared, young, 
 and of the ' general ' order (or disorder), and, 
 in reply to Cunningham, said that Mrs. 
 Denison was upstairs — would he step up ? 
 Cunningham explained, and the general said : 
 
Ii6 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' Oh, that Alexander, he's always gettin' in 
 some mischief. It's something crool. I've 
 no patience with him !' After which un- 
 sympathetic statement she proceeded to hug 
 and caress the grimy and wailing Alexander, 
 and administer soothing phrases, while 
 Cunningham paid the cabman. Then he 
 sent the general on to show him the way 
 and tell Mrs. Denison, while he carried 
 Alexander upstairs. 
 
 He was ushered into a sitting-room, a far 
 from luxurious sitting-room, with the kind 
 of furniture common to inferior lodgings, 
 and a general air of helpless untidiness 
 about it, with garments under repair strewn 
 on the table, and the grisly remains of 
 breakfast on a tray on the — well, it might 
 be called a sideboard, but was a combination 
 of book-case, jam-cupboard, and ornament- 
 stand, and always threw its weight on a 
 different foot when it was touched. The 
 long windows, quite seven feet high, and 
 the carved marble mantelpiece, betokened 
 that the house had seen much better days ; 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 117 
 
 but the windows had dirty lace curtains, 
 tied in at the waist with faded broad silk 
 sashes of an ' aesthetic ' orange-red, and the 
 mantelpiece bore ' ornaments ' of a cheap 
 ' Japanese ' description, mixed up with loose 
 wax matches, a number of a penny society 
 paper rolled inside out, w^ith the pink edges 
 of the cover showing, a dingy kettle- 
 holder, and some dairy bills — unpaid. Scat- 
 tered about were yellow-backed novels the 
 worse for wear, and numbers of penny 
 comic papers of large size, with pages 
 missing. 
 
 There was a rickety green rep sofa from 
 which rose Mrs. Denison, and advanced 
 with an anxious, bewildered face to receive 
 Alexander, who wailed afresh. 
 
 Mrs. Denison was a pretty dark woman 
 of Jewish appearance, aged apparently 
 between twenty-five and thirty, and dressed 
 in an embroidered pink-cotton dress, which 
 she had probably meant to send to the wash 
 the previous Monday, but had evidently 
 forgotten to. She said : 
 
ii8 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' Oh, Alexander darling, what have you 
 been doing ?' 
 
 Alexander's reply being more loud than 
 coherent, Cunningham said : 
 
 ' He has got his arm a little hurt by a 
 cab. Fortunately it is not worse than that. 
 But a doctor had better see him. My 
 appearance in the matter is accounted for 
 by my having chanced to be instrumental 
 in picking him up.' 
 
 ^ Oh dear ! I've no doubt you saved his 
 life. Alexander's always getting into 
 trouble. He will play with children in the 
 streets, though I tell him not to — and yet 
 it's hard he shouldn't have playmates, and he 
 has no brothers and sisters. He was brought 
 home at one in the morning the other day by 
 a policeman, who found him asleep in Covent 
 Garden ; some wretched street children had 
 taken him home, and the parents had given 
 him gin. I dare say they meant kindly, 
 though, to be sure, they did steal his coat.' 
 
 ' Well, you tell me your doctor's name 
 and address, and I'll go for him.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 119 
 
 ' Oh, really I don't think I know of any 
 doctor about here. I haven't been here 
 very long,' said Mrs. Denison with a plain- 
 tive, puzzled expression. 
 
 Cunningham felt some pity for the untidy, 
 unpractical, pretty woman, and said with his 
 prompt sense : 
 
 ' You take him and put him to bed. I'll 
 soon find a doctor.' And he left the house. 
 
 He soon returned with a practitioner 
 from a neighbouring street — Brewer Street, 
 as a matter of fact — Dr. Hanlon, who was 
 easily discovered behind an opaque red- 
 glass window, bearing the inscription, ' Con- 
 sultations free 11 — 1, 7 — 9,' and he found 
 that Alexander had suffered a simple 
 fracture of the left arm. Dr. Hanlon 
 quickly set and arranged this, to an accom- 
 paniment of sharp yells from Alexander, 
 directed he was to stay in bed till further 
 orders, and promised to call again. 
 
 Then Mrs. Denison said to Cunningham : 
 ' I'm sure I don't know how to thank you 
 for being so kind and taking so much trouble.' 
 
I20 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 'Oh, that's all right. Hope he'll be 
 quite well soon, and none the worse for it. 
 But he oughtn't to be about the streets by 
 himself. It's a liberty of me to say so, but 
 it's really not safe.' 
 
 ' Oh, I know ! I've said so over and over 
 again, but I don't see what's to be done. 
 You can't have your eye on him always, 
 and he must go out of doors sometimes, 
 and I'm afraid I haven't much control over 
 him. Won't you have a cup of tea ?' Mrs. 
 Denison's resource in any emergency, and 
 consolation in any trial, was tea. Cunning- 
 ham reflected that he had already missed 
 his appointment at the Law Courts, which 
 had involved lunch with his friend, and 
 feeling a mixture of curiosity and pity for 
 this strange shiftless menage, consented. 
 
 ' Won't you sit down ? I'll get Bella to 
 clear up this dreadful room and get some 
 tea.' And Mrs. Denison rang. Bella 
 appeared, staring hard at Cunningham, and 
 received orders to effect a clearance, to get 
 tea, and to brino- the bread and butter and 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 121 
 
 the tongue. Then, with an after-thought, 
 Mrs. Denison said : ' Perhaps you would 
 rather have some stout — it seems rather a 
 funny time for tea, now I think of it — let 
 us call it lunch.' 
 
 ' Oh, never mind. Don't trouble about 
 me.' 
 
 ' Oh 3'es, but you must have what you 
 like, if I can manage it. You saved my 
 boy's life, you know ; and I shan't forget 
 that.' 
 
 And she looked at him with an expression 
 of kindness and reverence, such as a dog 
 has for his master. She could see that 
 Cunningham was a gentleman, and ap- 
 parently a well-to-do one, rather tall and 
 not exactly bad-looking, and she did not 
 often get a chance of talking to such an 
 one, or indeed to anybody, except Bella. 
 He could not imagine what she w^as, and 
 was rather curious for further information. 
 Mrs. Denison went into the passage, and 
 Cunningham heard a mutter of conversation 
 and a clink of coppers. Immediately after- 
 
122 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 wards Bella might have been seen going 
 round the corner of the square with a jug, 
 which was subsequently put on the table, 
 half full of foaming stout. 
 
 After the table had been thus spread, 
 Bella was sent to sit with Alexander, who 
 by this time was pretty quiet and was 
 getting sleepy, and with Alexander Bella 
 sat, improving his and her own mind con- 
 comitantly with a number of Illustrated 
 Bits and an odd back-page of Ally Slopers 
 Half -Holiday, found on the sitting-room 
 floor. 
 
 Cunningham sat down when invited to 
 do so, and was asked to cut some slices of 
 tongue. He remarked, with a kind of dry 
 smile : 
 
 ' I think it is only fair, Mrs. Denison, 
 that I should tell you who I am, now I am 
 partaking of your hospitality.' 
 
 ^ Not much hospitality to boast of, I'm 
 afraid ; but I shall be most happy to be 
 introduced to the gentleman who saved my 
 boy's life and brought him back to me.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 123 
 
 ^ Well, my name's Cunningham, and I'm 
 a barrister, and live in Brick Court, Temple, 
 when in town.' 
 
 * Oh, really ! Lucky to be you I I've 
 been in those nice gardens and lawns at the 
 Temple once or twdce with Alexander. It 
 must be delightful to have a place like that 
 to live in, right in the middle of London.' 
 
 ' Oh yes. You have friends there, I 
 suppose V said Cunningham, thinking he 
 had hit on some clue by which information 
 could be obtained about this strange lady, 
 who wore no outward semblance of widow- 
 hood, yet spoke of herself always in the 
 solitary singular instead of the marital 
 plural. 
 
 ' Oh dear no ! No such fortune is mine. 
 Alexander and I go sometimes on fine 
 Sundays, when the gardens are open to 
 other poor people and their children.' 
 
 ' You ought to come some week-day,' 
 replied Cunningham in an impulse of com- 
 passion, ' when it is more select. I can let 
 you into the gardens.' 
 
124 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' It's awfully kind of you, I'm sure. I 
 should like to. But you'd be ashamed to 
 be seen with me, I'm so awfully shabby.' 
 
 ' I don't think you need be afraid of 
 that.' 
 
 ^ I've got a sort of genius for always 
 being hard up, and in any case my income 
 is very small, or you can imagine I shouldn't 
 be living in a place like this, with Alexander 
 running wild along with dirty street children 
 when he ought to be getting educated.' 
 
 ^ Doesn't he ever go to school V 
 
 ^ Can't be done. His clothes and his 
 boots and his dinner are just about as much 
 as I can manage. I try and teach him a 
 little sometimes, but I don't know much 
 myself, and I'm afraid I'm not very per- 
 sistent or regular. I used to be able to 
 play the piano a little, and could sing, but 
 that's not much good to a boy. Besides, if 
 it were, I haven't got a piano. I had one 
 once on the hire-purchase system, but 
 somehow something got wrong with the 
 instalments, and one fine afternoon the 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 125 
 
 piano went away. Take another glass of 
 stout.' 
 
 ' Thanks. Well, when I have finished 
 that I think I mustn't intrude on you any 
 further, and I have a few things to do. 
 But here is my card, and if you would like 
 at any time to go into the Temple Gardens, 
 if you would drop me a line I will see to it.' 
 
 Mrs. Denison took the card and looked 
 at it, and held it in her hand. 
 
 ' Well, I'm sorry you must go, and I 
 must thank you again for your very great 
 kindness. Mr. Cunningham,' she added 
 after a pause, ' I am very lonely here, and 
 have no friends at all, and nobody to give 
 me any sensible advice, and I haven't very 
 much sense of my own, as you would agree 
 if you knew more about me. I wish you 
 would come and see me sometimes, if it 
 isn't too much to ask. And when Alex- 
 ander's better he can thank you for all 
 you've done.' 
 
 ' I shall be very glad, Mrs. Denison. 
 I'll look in in the course of a few days and 
 
126 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 see how the Httle chap's getting on.' And 
 after a few more sentences they parted. 
 
 When Cunningham got outside the front- 
 door he walked slowly away, reflecting : 
 
 * Now, I've made acquaintance, and 
 undertaken to keep it up, with a curious, 
 unaccounted-for sort of woman, living alone 
 on the unrecognised frontierland of shabby 
 gentility. I don't know anything whatever 
 about her, whether she is married or single, 
 or a member of the swell-mob, or waiting 
 for her decree to be made absolute, or what. 
 And I've invited her and that beastly child 
 to the venerable Inn of Court I adorn, and 
 told her my name and address. I am really 
 surprised at the bigness of the fool I can be.' 
 
 And with this he directed his steps 
 towards Dr. Hanlon's surgery in Brewer 
 Street and paid him his very moderate fee, 
 and bound him to secrecy, to which that 
 worthy agreed with a wink that committed 
 him to nothing, insinuated much, and dis- 
 missed Cunningham with the impression 
 that he was more of a fool than ever. And 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 127 
 
 yet, as he remembered the poor, pretty 
 woman in the unwashed pmk-cotton dress, 
 with her untidy room and her unpaid bills, 
 her lost piano and her poor little shabby 
 boy playing in the gutters, getting lost and 
 run over, and being taken as a treat to the 
 Temple with the children of Drury Lane 
 and Clare Market on Sundays, he could not 
 bring himself to think ill of her. 
 
 Then he walked into a restaurant in 
 Piccadilly Circus and had some lunch, 'just 
 to take away the taste of that tinned tongue,' 
 and had nearly finished, when he suddenly 
 noticed, reflected in one of the mirrors with 
 which the place was freely decorated, the 
 unmistakable face and figure of Miss Nora 
 Scanlan, lunching, no doubt, after the 
 fatigues of the Academy. 
 
 Her brother was just out of sight, all but 
 his elbow and shoulder, round a recess in 
 the wall in which their table was placed, 
 but Cunningham saw her eyes fall on him- 
 self for a second or two, with an expression 
 of calm indifference, verging into severity. 
 
128 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 Then she turned her attention to other 
 matters, and made no remark. 
 
 Cunningham felt crushed. 
 
 ' You have very fine eyes, my lady, but 
 why look at me with them as at a dead dog 
 or a flea V he mused. 
 
 Then it suddenly struck him that he had 
 been asked to lunch, and had refused on 
 account of an appointment at the Law 
 Courts ; that he now was lunching alone, 
 nowhere near the Law Courts, where, in 
 fact, he had not been, ' And it must follow, 
 as the night the day, that she is convinced 
 that I have constructed a fiction to put 
 them off, and is, therefore, now triumphantly 
 offended.' 
 
 When he collected Alexander in Coventry 
 Street it was about twenty minutes past 
 twelve ; when he got away from Golden 
 Square it was about half-past one. It was 
 now nearly two, so it was very natural that 
 the Scanlans should be there finishing lunch, 
 and equally unnatural that Cunningham 
 should have come there from the Law 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 129 
 
 Courts. He felt the force of this, and 
 decided that the one way to dehver himself 
 from the implication was the simple straight- 
 forward way. 
 
 ' I don't feel particularly interested in 
 these two good young people, but that is 
 no reason for unnecessarily hurting their 
 feelings.' 
 
 So gulping the remains of his Chianti, 
 Cunningham strode across the room, leaving 
 his hat and stick to intimate to the waiter 
 he did not intend an evasion of liabilities, 
 and presented himself to the surprised gaze 
 of the two Scanlans. Addressing himself 
 chiefly to the brother, he said : 
 
 ^ I feel it is only right to explain to you 
 why I am here, after refusing j-our kind 
 invitation to join you. After I left the 
 Academy, it pleased a little boy to get run 
 over in the street, and it pleased Fate to 
 make me instrumental in picking him up, 
 carting him home, and going for the doctor. 
 In consequence of all this, I missed my 
 appointment, and got hungry, and came 
 
 VOL. I. 9 
 
I30 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 here without going near the Law Courts. 
 Then I observed you ' — here Cunningham 
 glanced at Nora Scanlan, who was regard- 
 ing him with eahn gravity with those steady, 
 dark-lashed blue eyes — ^ and thought you 
 were entitled to the explanation. That is 
 the brief abstract of the facts. Do you 
 see V 
 
 ' Oh, it's all right,' replied Dick with a 
 laugh. ' Sit down and have a glass of wine, 
 as you're too late for the solid part.' 
 
 * Thanks, I will.' 
 
 Then he looked at Nora, and the grave 
 eyes smiled a httle, and said, in their lan- 
 guage of limpid sincerity : 
 
 ^ We admit we did you an injustice, and 
 regret it.' 
 
 Aloud she said : 
 
 * We were wonderinof what to do next. I 
 think we have seen most of the sights of 
 London as far as we know — or as far as 
 Dick knows, which is not any too far. He 
 
 took me to the What was it, Dick, 
 
 we went to yesterday afternoon — that smoky 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 131 
 
 little place behind Scotland Yard, with the 
 plaster falHng off?' 
 
 ' The United Service Institution,' replied 
 Dick with conscious pride. 
 
 ' Yes. Well, it's mostly guns and things 
 like in the Tower, only not so beautiful and 
 old and interesting.' 
 
 * Not interesting ! Why, I explained to 
 her the mechanism of all the latest modern 
 rifles and machine guns, and showed her 
 how to strip and assemble the Martini, and 
 the ' 
 
 ' Oh yes ! He would be unpicking a gun 
 to amuse me. I v^onder if it would amuse 
 you, Dick, if I showed you how a sleeve 
 was put in V 
 
 ' Ah, now you go to Slieve-namon ! The 
 fact is, Mr. Cunningham, she liked it very 
 much at the time, but she's a trifle tired, or 
 something's made her take things erossways 
 now.' 
 
 And Dick smiled in his good-humoured 
 way, and j^oured a glass of claret down his 
 throat. 
 
132 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 Cunningham was thinking that this was a 
 decidedly good-looking girl who sat opposite 
 him, and that it would have been a pity to 
 leave her under a misunderstanding regard- 
 ing the lunch complication. Then he sug- 
 gested : 
 
 ' Do you think it would amuse you to go 
 to the Law Courts ? There is generally 
 something quaint going on. Unless, of 
 course, you have been already.' 
 
 ^ Indeed we have not,' replied Nora ; ^ w^e 
 never gave it a thought. I should like to 
 very much — wouldn't you, Dick?' 
 
 ' Oh yes ; I'll go where you like. Will 
 they let us in, though ?' he added to 
 Cunningham. 
 
 ' That will be all right. I'll take you 
 round, if you'll wait while I put on a wig 
 and gown, just to give me a status. I'm 
 afraid a good many people there would not 
 know my mere face.' 
 
 * Thank you. It's very kind of you,' said 
 Nora. ' But won't we be taking up a great 
 deal of your time ?' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 133 
 
 ' No. But as the courts will rise in about 
 two hours, we had better start. I'll go and 
 interview my waiter.' 
 
 When the bills were paid and they were 
 in the street, Dick Scanlan said : 
 
 ' Let's take a cab ; it will save time. Get 
 in, Mr. Cunningham. Nora, they'll charge 
 extra for your ten stone. Shall I tell him 
 the Temple V 
 
 ' Yes, please.' 
 
 And Dick gave the direction and got in, 
 followed by Nora, who sat on her brother's 
 knee, so that the fragrance of her hair was 
 wafted across Cunningham's face, and part of 
 her skirt covered his knees ; and he reflected : 
 
 ' This is our friend the unforeseen, which 
 is always happening. And I rather fancy I 
 am enjoying it on the whole. Well, hang 
 it ! I'm only being ordinarily civil, and I'm 
 past the ]jeriod of sentimentalizing about a 
 pretty face — and — what a pretty face it is ! 
 I must say something to make it look round 
 and let me see it again.' 
 
 Just then the cab gave a slight lurch as 
 
134 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 it turned down the Haymarket, and Nora 
 instinctively put her hand on Cunningham 
 to preserve her balance, and then apologized. 
 
 ^ Quite unnecessary to apologize,' thought 
 he. ' Good old hansom ! Go on lurching.' 
 Aloud he said calmly : ' Not at all.' 
 
 When they reached the gate at the top 
 of Middle Temple Lane and stopped the 
 cab, and Nora sprang out and stood on 
 shapely feet on the pavement in the sun- 
 shine, a graceful, tall, square-shouldered 
 figure in black, with a black lace sunshade, 
 and semi-transparent black lace hat with 
 white roses in it, Cunningham felt sorry the 
 journey was over. As he ran up the 
 wooden ancient stairs to his chambers to 
 get forensic attire, it occurred to him : 
 ' Why shouldn't I have a tea-party as well 
 as Johnny Smalley, when the courts have 
 risen?' And he divided on this question, 
 and the preponderating majority of him 
 said : ' Why not indeed ?' 
 
 The Scanlans looked on him as he ap- 
 peared in wig, gown, and bands with proper 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 135 
 
 reverence, and evidently took his legal status 
 quite seriously. 
 
 He conducted them across the street into 
 the Great Hall of the Eoyal Courts of Justice, 
 and they went into one court after another, 
 Cunningham naming the judges to them, 
 and the leading ^ counsellors,' as the Scanlans 
 persisted in calling them. Nora was im- 
 mensely struck with the L.C.J., and spoke 
 of him as a dear old man. 
 
 At last they came to the inevitable 
 * amusing ' Breach of Promise case, in the 
 usual crowded court, in w^hich the usual 
 inane letters were read with counsel's usual 
 witty marginal reflections, and the usual 
 stars at the end, by the signature, were 
 employed by the usual idiot in the usual 
 sense, while jurymen leaned back and grinned 
 perspiringly and fidgeted in hard pews, and 
 found for the plaintiff, a w^riggling young 
 person with a beady fichu, whose father 
 purveyed meat at Cardiff, whose mother 
 sobbed ostentatiously on a bench, and wore 
 her black Sunday gown for the occasion. 
 
136 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 The defendant, a sullen, fat-faced liar in 
 cheap tweeds and a covert-coat, by pro- 
 fession a ' traveller,' persistently denied 
 everything, persistently contradicted him- 
 self, provided great sport for counsel, and 
 ultimately found himself cast in X200 
 damages, after being described as a base, 
 cunning, and abandoned traitor by the 
 plaintiff's counsel, a weak and deluded fool 
 by his own, and a singularly untrustworthy 
 witness by the judge. 
 
 After that he went away to a public- 
 house and cursed his day and his solicitor ; 
 and the court rose, and Cunningham took 
 the Scanlans to his chambers and gave 
 them tea. Cunningham v/ould have sur- 
 prised Johnny Smalley very much by his 
 social and entertaining qualities, if that 
 military character had been there to see, 
 for Johnny looked on ' Old Cunningham ' 
 as one with an anchorite's indifference to 
 female society, and never for a moment 
 dreamed of the same Old Cunningham ex- 
 hibiting photographs of foreign places — 
 
THE COMMON AiXCESTOR 137 
 
 more especially Norway — to Miss Scanlan, 
 and describing them, and his adventures 
 in them, in a most pleasing and attentive 
 manner. 
 
 ' There, that is the head of the fjord at 
 Gudvangen, and that little wooden house is 
 old Hansen's, where everybody puts up. I 
 think the Prince of Wales and Mr. Glad- 
 stone have been there at orra times. At 
 any rate, they must have landed on old 
 Hansen's pier, and many a good fisherman 
 remembers old Hansen kindly, for he is the 
 father and friend and brother and uncle of 
 all good and true fishermen, and they all 
 love him, and chaff him, and disbelieve his 
 weather prophecies, and sit with him dis- 
 cussing 01 and the evils of progress in the 
 deadly fine hot summer days, when the 
 clouds won't come down and touch the tops 
 of those mountains, much less crawl gently 
 down the sides. Then, this is the Naerodal, 
 this narrow defile. There is just room for 
 the stream and the road at the bottom, and 
 the cliffs are five thousand feet high, and 
 
138 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 dark gray, and the waterfalls spout down 
 like long lace veils moving in the wind. 
 That is the Jordalsnut, a big mountain ; and 
 just a little farther are two tremendous 
 roaring forces, which thunder in your ears 
 as you come down the zigzag from Stalheim, 
 and make you nervous. That Stalheim 
 zigzag is no joke to drive down. There are 
 about eleven sharp turns, and you have to 
 lead your pony and stick your heels into 
 the loose grit, with eternal smash to look 
 forward to if you hurry at the turnings. 
 Then, this is the view from Stalheim back 
 towards the Naerodal.' 
 
 ' Oh, that's beautiful, isn't it, Dick V 
 ' It's a fine country. I should like to do 
 some of that fishing you speak of, Mr. 
 Cunningham.' 
 
 * Oh ! Are you a fisherman V 
 ' I was, in a way, before I went into the 
 service. I was only a bit of a lad, but I 
 used to manage pretty well at times.' 
 
 After this, Cunningham and Dick Scanlan 
 were at once irresistibly drawn together by 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 139 
 
 that subtle quasi-masonic sympathy which 
 fishermen have, and began to revel and 
 wallow in technical terms, and each was un- 
 speakably elevated in the opinion of the 
 other. I will spare the reader the fishing 
 ' shop,' as he knows where to get it, if he 
 wants it, in the pages of other romances, 
 but merely note that it made ' Counsellor ' 
 Cunningham and ex-Sergeant Scanlan into 
 good friends quicker than anything else in 
 the world imaginable could. 
 
 Nora said, 'It must be lovely indeed, this 
 country,' as she looked at the photographs 
 again. ' I should like to travel very much. 
 We must travel some day, Dick.' 
 
 ' We will. I've travelled to the Nile and 
 back myself, but the conditions were not 
 favourable to enjoyment.' 
 
 Cunningham laughed, and said : 
 
 * No ; I should think not ' 
 
 Nora had come to some different views 
 now, in turning over a big portfolio : 
 
 ' Where's this, Mr. Cunningham V 
 
 'That? Oh, that is the citadel, what 
 
I40 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 they call the Hradschin, over-peering the 
 city of Prag, in Bohemia. That's a won- 
 derful old town, which I am sure you would 
 like to see. There is an immense deal of 
 interest of different kinds to be got out of 
 Prag.' Here he got up and stood looking 
 over her shoulder, as she inspected the 
 various views. ' That's the Rectory at 
 Pedcliff, where my uncle lives. You'll see 
 it before long, I dare say.' 
 
 ' That's Redcliff, is it ? Well, it is pretty. 
 I like that old house very much. And is 
 that where you're going to stay V 
 
 ' Yes. Delightful old house, isn't it ? 
 And you'll find the Pector a delightful old 
 man.' 
 
 Nora looked rather serious, and said : 
 
 ' I'm afraid we won't give him satisfaction. 
 I mean, we don't go to the Protestant 
 church.' 
 
 * I don't think Uncle Jim will be deeply 
 concerned at that. In fact, I rather fancy, 
 between ourselves, that he is much more in- 
 terested in rendering a chorus in the Iketides 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 141 
 
 than in the whole Thirty-nine Articles and 
 the Canons and Decrees of the Council of 
 Trent put together. In any case, he is a. 
 nice old chap, and I think you'll think so.' 
 
 * When are you ofoinof there ?' 
 
 * Oh, some time soon. I'm not quite sure 
 yet. You said you were going to the 
 Smalleys in a day or two, I think ?' 
 
 ' Yes ; Thursday.' 
 
 ' Well, Mr. Cunningham,' observed Dick, 
 ' we have to thank you for a most pleasant 
 afternoon, and I hope to see a deal of your 
 company when we've a place of our own 
 down at Redcliff, and we can talk about 
 fishing in the winter evenings to our hearts' 
 content, without any girls to interrupt, ex- 
 cept by bringing in the whisky and hot 
 water.' 
 
 ' Thanks,' said Nora ; ' and it's little 
 whisky I'll be bringing in to you if you 
 talk that way. Brothers are like that, 
 Mr. Cunningham.' 
 
 ' I suppose so. I haven't got any of my 
 own. Well, I am glad I met you again 
 
142 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 by accident. Is there anything else you 
 would like the entree to while you remain 
 in town, that it might be in my power to 
 arrange V 
 
 ^ I don't know, I'm sure. What do you 
 say, Nora V 
 
 ' I say Mr. Cunningham's very kind in- 
 deed. There is just one thing I would like, 
 if it can be done, and isn't too much trouble : 
 could you give us tickets for the Zoo on 
 Sunday V 
 
 ' Oh yes, I can do that. Will you call 
 here and have lunch then ? And I'll stroll 
 up with you, if you don't mind.' 
 
 ' We'll do it on one condition,' said Dick, 
 * and that is that you'll come and dine with 
 us to-night.' 
 
 ' Thanks. Very well. What time ?' 
 
 * Any time. Seven suit you V 
 
 ' Yes ; seven will suit me very well. Am 
 I to dress V 
 
 ^No, indeed! Empire Hotel, No. 346, 
 you will ask for. But if you will just walk 
 into the smoking-room, you'll find me there. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 143 
 
 And now we'll not waste your time any 
 longer. Come along, Nora.' 
 
 Nora had been buttoning her gloves for 
 the last five minutes, and was quite ready. 
 
 ' Till we meet again, then,' she said to 
 Cunningham, as he shook hands with her, 
 and thought what a good, firm, slender, long- 
 fingered hand it was, inside the black suede, 
 and they went. 
 
 ' He's better than I thought at first,' 
 observed Nora. 
 
 ' He's a real good sort,' replied Dick, 
 ' and didn't I always say so ?' 
 
 Cunningham thought : ' She's a strange 
 sort of girl. I can't quite make up my 
 mind now whether she is clever or stupid. 
 But she seems as if she might have strong 
 feelings, and I think she is sincere and 
 straightforward, and that's what devilish 
 few of 'em are. Fancy wasting I don't 
 know how many years of the life of a girl 
 like that in a beastly shop ! Gr — r — r ! 
 I'd like to burn Whitehall and Westgrove's 
 down, after letting the girls loot the stock. 
 
144 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 Nice sentiment for a resj^ectable Tory, 
 tempered with Spencer and Darwin. I 
 suppose she's a pathriot, too, and thinks 
 Tommy Moore a poet most likely. I don't 
 see why I should trouble my head about 
 her whatever ; she probably can't see a joke, 
 and doesn't know the difference between 
 Edmund Spenser and Herbert Spencer. I 
 will dismiss the entire subject, and leave 
 the consideration of beautiful girlhood to 
 Johnny Smalley; it's more in his line.' 
 
 And by way of dismissing the entire 
 subject, Cunningham proceeded to smoke 
 and play Chopin till the beautiful summer 
 afternoon waned, and it was time to stroll 
 along the Embankment to watch the Palace 
 of Westminster in the golden haze, and to 
 arrive at the Empire Hotel. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The Smalleys of Fernbank kept a wag- 
 gonette, and on Thursday afternoon, a 
 fine hot June day, when all the air smelt 
 of hay-fields and flowers (to the great distress 
 of Helene Smalley, who suffered from hay- 
 fever, and lay in her room with the windows 
 tight shut, reading ' The Mystery of a 
 Watercart ' in consequence), Johnny Smalley 
 drove this vehicle to the Redcliff station, 
 accompanied by Jane, at the latter's special 
 request. And Jane sat alongside him on 
 the box in a dark-blue serge frock and dark- 
 blue Tam-o'-Shanter, also a dark -blue 
 short jacket with brass buttons, hanging 
 loose. 
 
 ' You're a great swell,' remarked Johnny, 
 
 VOL. I. 10 
 
146 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 as he cleared the near front-gate post suc- 
 cessfully, and started the Smalley charger 
 (a powerful bony bay mare, called Mrs. 
 Podsnap by Johnny, but Birdie by Mrs. 
 Smalley and the elder girls, especially before 
 visitors) into a trot. ' Do you want to 
 mash Dick Scanlan before Helene gets an 
 innings V 
 
 ' How about you ? You never had that 
 tie and pin on before to-day, not since you've 
 been down here, at any rate. I say, mind 
 you watch Helene to-day. She'll sail down 
 a little late, so as to come into the garden 
 to tea all alone with a scarlet sunshade 
 and a languid grace (that's out of a book 
 I've been reading, " She moved a few steps 
 toward the old sundial with a languid 
 grace ") ; then she'll apologize with a faint 
 smile, and say she didn't know how late it 
 was, after watching us out of window. I'd 
 delight to walk behind her, also with a 
 languid grace, only there'd be a row and it 
 would be rather bad form, I suppose. I 
 don't think hay-fever's a very good thing 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 147 
 
 for grace, though. I say, what am I to 
 call him ? If I call her by her Christian 
 name, I suppose the same thing applies to 
 him ? I shall just wait and see what the 
 others do. It's the place of a young girl — 
 a mere child in short frocks, Helene calls 
 me — to wait and see what my elders do, 
 and then whatever it is I can do the 
 opposite just by way of distinction. Oh, 
 I've been reading a book about military 
 life — ^just to get up the ideas, you know, to 
 have something to talk about. I say, what 
 are rowels ? It says, '' Gnawing his under- 
 lip till the blood came. Lord Morna plunged 
 the gold rowels into the smoking flanks of 
 Black Beauty, who proudly responded to 
 the challenge, and by a superhuman eflbrt 
 cleared the sullen black moat." I thought 
 at first they were something you had in a 
 boat, but I suppose I was thinking of row- 
 locks. I wonder why peoj^le don't write 
 novels about the navy now, like they 
 
 used to ' 
 
 ' As they used to. Not because they 
 
148 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 don't know anything about it. I'm sure 
 that need be no impediment.' 
 
 ' Oh, you always make fun of my books. 
 I think they're just lovely, those men with 
 hawk eyes and long moustaches, and shock- 
 ing characters, and ever so much money. 
 But I've got hold of some different books 
 now, though awfully good — all about crimes. 
 I was reading a lovely one, " The Mystery 
 of a Watercart," which I bought with my 
 own money at the shop, and Helen e said 
 it was silly of me to waste my time over 
 trash when I might be improving my mind, 
 and now she's got the book herself and is 
 lying on her bed reading it with the door 
 locked. I'd hardly begun it, and she took 
 it while I went into her room for half a 
 second to borrow some opoponax. I didn't 
 notice till it was too late, but I'll serve her 
 out for it some way, you see. Oh, but I 
 do like a book about crimes ! I want you 
 to g-et me some Gaboriau ones at the station. 
 I have no money, and I have longed for 
 them for an awful time, because mamma 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 149 
 
 said I wasn't to have any. I only found 
 out about them by hearing the Disneys 
 talking about them. Have you read 
 them V 
 
 ' Yes ; some. They're good. Better, I 
 should say, than anything in that line 
 you've read. But jou say they are pro- 
 hibited.' 
 
 ' Oh, I shan't let anyone get at these. I 
 shall keep them locked up in my desk, and 
 put that in the wardrobe. I don't mind 
 Florrie knowing. Of course, she's got to 
 share my secrets, as she shares my room, 
 but Florrie is true as steel, and I must tell 
 secrets to somebody, or what is the good of 
 having any ?' 
 
 ' All right. I'll get you one at the 
 station stall.' 
 
 ' It's ridiculous to tell me I mustn't read 
 them, isn't it ?' 
 
 ' Most rules made in our house are 
 ridiculous, but nobody thinks of keeping 
 any of them. And to tell you not to read 
 a book is to make you move heaven and 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 earth to get it. I think your storybooks 
 are infecting your language a good deal, 
 though. What do you mean by describing 
 Florrie as '' true as steel," as if she was a 
 conspirator of the Earlier Manly order ? 
 You will be describing yourself as " possess- 
 ing a form of willowy grace," and " dismiss- 
 ing the untouched repast," or " lifting dewy 
 eyelids " to something ' 
 
 Jane laughed and chattered on : ^ Or " turn- 
 ing a wax-like pallor, and murmuring some ex- 
 cuse about the heat." Why do they alivays, 
 always murmur some excuse about the heat ? 
 Oh, and why do they get overtaken by the 
 tide, and sprain their ankles ? I wonder if 
 I had better get overtaken by the tide or 
 sprain my ankle now Dick Scanlan's coming? 
 *' Tearing his pocket-handkerchief into strips, 
 he tenderly bound the little foot, while its 
 owner looked gratefully at him, though, 
 brave as she was, she winced at times." 
 I think that's about how it goes, isn't 
 it?' 
 
 * I wouldn't try anything calculated to 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 151 
 
 call unnecessary attention to your beetle- 
 crushers. Tide's a better dodge for you, 
 and doesn't hurt.' 
 
 ' They're not beetle-crushers !' retorted 
 Jane, sticking out a rather thin, dark-blue 
 leg with a little brown shoe on the end of 
 it from under the rug, as circumstantial 
 evidence of the libel. •' Why, even Helene 
 don't say I've big feet, although she says 
 I've a face like a gipsy tramp and hands 
 like a monkev.' 
 
 ' All right. I say, is the governor going 
 to dress for dinner ?' 
 
 ' Yes ; and he's going to spend the after- 
 noon filling decanters.' 
 
 ' And the evening talking about them. 
 I thought so. It would be a pity if we 
 were to receive these good cousins of ours 
 without being pompous. Then I must 
 dress and tell Dick to dress. And you 
 girls of course will be delighted to have a 
 chance of dressing. You all like that. It 
 is one of the very few things you are 
 unanimous about.' 
 
152 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' I shall wear a long dress of Helene's, 
 and you won't know me. I am so different 
 in a grown-up dress, you've no idea. I am 
 going to make a sensation. " Her wealth 
 of purple lustrous hair carelessly gathered 
 into a simple loose knot — a costume of some 
 diaphanous fleecy material " ' 
 
 ' But, I say, have you got permission to 
 do all this V 
 
 * Not me. Look here, this interview is 
 privileged, isn't it ?' 
 
 ' As how V 
 
 ' I mean you won't tell anybody ?' 
 
 ' Why not say so, then V 
 
 * The other sounded better — more legal. 
 I thought you would understand it. They 
 always plead that a " communication is 
 privileged," and I thought that meant 
 confidential.' 
 
 ' Well, it doesn't ; but go ahead.' 
 
 * Well, Florrie and me have got one of 
 Helene's dresses, and have been altering it 
 to fit me. We borrowed a wicker false 
 person from one of the servants to drape it 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 153 
 
 on. We've had to hack it about a httle, 
 but the end justifies the means.' 
 
 ' Oh, does it ? But won't there be an 
 awful row when you appear in it ?' 
 
 ' They can't very well make much row 
 before the Scanlans, especially the first day. 
 And they won't like to explain the reason, 
 if they do, and papa won't understand, and 
 mamma won't very miich care, as I haven't 
 taken any of hei" things, and will be as 
 likely as not to say, " Oh, it's only some 
 silly little joke the children have among* 
 themselves," in a bland tone, when Helene 
 looks daggers and pitchforks, and papa says, 
 *^ Eh ? What is it ?" and stops helping the 
 soup to look round with a puzzled expres- 
 sion. Besides, Helene won't like to show 
 any temper, for fear of being thought 
 demonstrative.' 
 
 ' That's all very well, but you have no 
 business to be wearing a grown-up dress, 
 any way. Why try to be older than you 
 are ? You'll be glad enough to seem 
 younger some day.' 
 
154 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' That's very likely ; but it doesn't pre- 
 vent my wanting to seem older now. You 
 wanted to seem older when you were seven- 
 teen.' 
 
 ' But you ain't even seventeen.' 
 
 ' No, but I'm nearly sixteen. Oh, here 
 comes the station. Now, you make haste 
 and get those books for me before the train 
 comes in and you forget all about it. There's 
 Blow's cart waiting to take their things.' 
 
 Johnny Smalley jumped down and walked 
 into the station, leaving Jane to hold the 
 reins. He purchased 'The Crime of the 
 023era House,' had it wrapped in paper, so 
 that Jane could put a volume under her 
 jacket on each side on entering the house, 
 and escape upstairs with them in the con- 
 fusion attendant on the welcoming of guests. 
 
 After a few minutes' waiting the signal 
 dropped an arm, and Jane stood up in the 
 waggonette to watch the train come in. 
 The train did come in in a little while, and 
 Dick Scanlan helped his sister out of it, and 
 both were shaking hands with Johnny while 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 155 
 
 Jane observed them critically. Then a fine 
 new-looking leather portmanteau, a basket- 
 trunk, a dressing-bag, and a light japanned 
 tin box with a white ' R. S.' painted on it, 
 were piled into Blow's cart, and Johnny 
 brought the Scanlans out to the carriage. 
 Jane speedily jumped down, nearly falling 
 on her head, and shook hands with Nora, 
 saying : 
 
 ' I'm one of your new cousins.' Then, 
 for some impulsive, unreasoned reason, she 
 kissed Nora, and added : ' And I'm awfully 
 glad you've come.' To Dick she said, 
 ' How do you do V in a grown-up manner 
 imitated from Helene. 
 
 Dick, in his well-cut tweed suit, and 
 tanned face, and short hair, looked soldierly 
 and athletic as usual, and made a favourable 
 impression, especially when he smiled in his 
 good-tempered way, and said : 
 
 ' And if they're all like you, I wish I'd 
 thirty new cousins.' 
 
 Then they drove back to Fernbank, 
 Johnny telling Jane to get inside, and Dick 
 
156 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 being placed on the box-seat alongside 
 Johnny. Nora admired the country, and 
 Jane pointed out its various features and 
 her favourite directions for walking, and 
 Nora said she had hardly ever seen any 
 part of England except London. 
 
 When they drove up to the front-door at 
 Fernbank, Mrs. Smalley took the rather 
 unusual step of meeting them at the door, 
 and embraced Nora with great affection. 
 Her usual practice was to be discovered 
 in the drawing-room by guests, but these 
 being ' relations,' and well-to-do at that, 
 demanded exceptional treatment. 
 
 ' Now I know you must be tired, dear, 
 after your journey, so come upstairs, and 
 I'll show you your room at once, and Louisa 
 shall bring you some hot water. There, I 
 think you will like this view from your 
 window ; you see, you get the sea and one 
 side of the bay. We are rather proud of 
 this view\' 
 
 ' It is beautiful,' said Nora, standing at 
 the bedroom window. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 157 
 
 * Isn't it ? Well, I'll leave you to your- 
 self now, and send up your things the 
 moment they come. I always say it is the 
 truest kindness to one's guests to leave them 
 alone for a little while, and then, when you 
 are quite ready, the girls will show you the 
 way into the garden, and you shall sit down 
 and have a cup of tea, and a rest, and a chat. 
 Johnny will take care of Mr. Scanlan — 
 there, we mustn't be formal. You and your 
 brother must just be as one of ourselves, 
 and I must call you Nora, Such a pretty 
 name, too ! And Mr. Scanlan is Dick, my 
 boy tells me. Very well, Dick and Nora 
 you shall be to us. There, I won't stay 
 chattering any more now ;' and the good 
 lady left. 
 
 Shortly Nora's trunk and bag came in, 
 followed by hot water, and after a few 
 minutes more had elapsed Jane arrived, 
 saying : 
 
 ' I thought I'd just come to see if I could 
 help you. That is, if I'm not in the way,' 
 she added, sittino- down on the sofa at the 
 
158 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 foot of the bed with what can only be 
 described as a flump. Nora said : 
 
 ' No, dear, you're not in the way at all. 
 I'm very glad to have you.' 
 
 ^ Well, can I do anything for you useful ?' 
 
 ' No, thanks. There's nothing to do now 
 that I can see except unpack and hang up 
 my things, and I've done that. I was just 
 going to do my hair ; the heat takes the 
 curl out so.' 
 
 ' Oh, well, I'll stop and talk, then. I talk 
 a good deal, they tell me.' 
 
 ^ Do they, now ?' 
 
 * Yes. However, I think we all do it a 
 good deal. Well, I'll just tell you first of 
 all we have dinner at seven, and afternoon 
 tea when we want it, generally between 
 half-past four and ^ve. You will get it 
 when you come down. We have it out in 
 the garden under the elms when it's hot 
 like to-day. I think you'll like our garden ; 
 it's a jolly garden. It's not so big as The 
 Oaks, where you are going to live, you 
 know ; but that's an awfully jolly garden — 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 159 
 
 lots of shrubs, and exotics, and groves, and 
 a fountain with gold-fish, and a grass-plot 
 with a sundial to " gyre and gimble " round. 
 I hope you'll ask me to The Oaks when you 
 live there, for I like that garden awfully, 
 and I go there when the house is empty.' 
 
 ^ Indeed I will.' 
 
 Jane exclaimed : 
 
 * Oh, you said that so nice and Irish !' 
 Then she turned scarlet, and added : ^ I'm 
 sure I beg your pardon. I ought not to 
 have said that. It was awfully rude of me, 
 but I didn't mean to be.' 
 
 Nora smiled, and said : 
 
 ' Don't apologize. Do you think I'm 
 ashamed of being Irish, or don't know I 
 have a brogue you could hang your hat on ? 
 You wouldn't be thinking it rude if I said 
 you were so nice and English, would you, 
 now V 
 
 ' Well, no, I suppose not. But, really, 
 you haven't got any brogue hardly ; only 
 you say some things in a funny way. I 
 like it very much. And Cousin Dick, your 
 
i6o THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 brother, does it, too — I think more than 
 you. But I'm being awfully personal ; I'm 
 thoughtless, but not unkind — at least, so 
 I've been told by Lilian (that's my eldest 
 sister), and she is intellectual, and always 
 has the right words for everything.' 
 ^ I'm afraid I'm not intellectual.' 
 ' Neither am I. I hate intellect if it 
 makes you like Lilian. I'm finishing my 
 education, but I'm very backward for my 
 age, and require more application. So 
 Frowlein says. She's a certificated North 
 German, with a square head, and luckily 
 it's holidays now. I '^ rekvire more ablee- 
 keshon, al-toe not testeetute of natural 
 apeelity " — that's me.' 
 
 ^ I expect you know a good deal more than 
 I do. I had a governess once, but I never 
 did anything much. I was too fond of 
 playing at marbles and peg-tops with Dick. 
 And I have forgotten most of the little I 
 ever knew. I've learnt a lot about mantles, 
 though, and a little of human nature — of a 
 kind.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR i6i 
 
 * Oh yes, to be sure ! You were at 
 Whitehall and Westofrove's once, weren't 
 you ? I'm inquisitive and pert, mamma 
 says, and it's likely you will think it true, 
 I'm afraid, I hope you don't mind my 
 talking about it ?' 
 
 ' Oh, not a bit ! Yes, I was there, and 
 very glad to be free of it — for ever, I 
 hope.' 
 
 * I suppose it was ghastly ? I've been 
 in shops with mamma sometimes, and feel 
 awfully sorry for the girls, and the young 
 men, when she can't make up her mind what 
 she wants — which is generally.' 
 
 ' Oh, your mamma is very kind. I'm 
 sure she doesn't deserve to have you speak 
 of her like that.' 
 
 ' Doesn't she ! you wait. I say, do you 
 know what a lot of us there are ? There 
 are three other girls besides Johnny and 
 me ! You'll see them at tea.' 
 
 ^ Well, I'm ready now, if you are, to go 
 and see them.' 
 
 ' All right. Come along. I say, I shall 
 
 VOL. I. I I 
 
i62 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 like you very much, I think, if you can 
 stand me. It isn't everyone who can.' 
 
 * Thank you, dear.' 
 
 And Nora put her arm round the impul- 
 sive young girl and kissed her. Then they 
 went downstairs and out at a glass door into 
 the garden, and found tea awaiting them 
 under shady trees, administered by Lilian, 
 while Helene in a green muslin embroidered 
 in pink and green silk, and a pink sash 
 which tied at the side, sat in a basket chair, 
 with a white cloud round her head and 
 shoulders becomingly arranged in honour of 
 the hay-fever, talking in her best society 
 style with Dick Scanlan, who smiled and 
 seemed quite at his ease. Mrs. Small ey -sat 
 with some fancy work in a chair. Mrs. 
 Smalley always had a piece of fancy work in 
 hand, and no one ever knew her to finish it, 
 or noticed any perceptible progress in it, or 
 could imagine what purpose it would fulfil if 
 ever completed. Still, it is a ladylike occu- 
 pation and argueth facility, like alliteration 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 163 
 
 according to the poet Holofernes. Johnny 
 lay on the grass and did nothing until the 
 arrival of Nora and Jane, when he arose and 
 put a deck chair into an advantageous posi- 
 tion for the former, and sank again into 
 graceful recumbency. Florrie, a year younger 
 than Jane, was a weak copy of her, shy, and 
 overweiofhted with consciousness of her arms 
 and legs. Her occupation just at present 
 was growing and fidgeting. She had no 
 particular character of her own, as far as had 
 been hitherto observed, but was the confi- 
 dante, fellow-conspirator, admirer, follower, 
 and born thrall of her sister Jane. 
 
 Mrs. Smalley said to Nora : 
 
 ^ Ah, there you are, dear ! that's right. 
 Now come and have a nice cup of good 
 warm tea. I'm sure you must want it. Do 
 you like that seat ? Or would you rather 
 be more in the shade ? Oh, very well. 
 You must make yourself at home, you know, 
 and look on this quite as Liberty Hall — or 
 Liberty Lawn at present — yes. Here are 
 
i64 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 the rest of your cousins. This is LiHan, 
 the eldest, and this is Helene, and this Httle 
 person is Florrie.' 
 
 They all went through the due saluta- 
 tions. Nora thought Lilian and Helene a 
 little cold-blooded and artificial after Jane 
 and Johnny, but put it down to the lack of 
 intimacy as yet, and thought they would be 
 different when better known. Lilian said : 
 * Do you take sugar and cream V and 
 Helene : ' I suppose you left town very 
 crowded?' both with perfect civility, and 
 even kindness ; but it was like the kindness 
 of a well-brought-up jelly-fish, in whose 
 veins the very best water might be imagined 
 to circulate. 
 
 ' I say, Dick,' said Johnny, supine on the 
 turf, ' I'm expecting some gloves and foils 
 to be sent down to-morrow. I thought 
 some exercise would be healthy. You can 
 do something of that sort, I suppose ?' 
 
 ' Oh yes ; I can do a little of that. Who 
 used to box with you ?' 
 
 * Oh, only old Cunningham. But he's 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 165 
 
 rather good at it, and fencing too, though 
 you mightn't think so.' 
 
 ' Do you know Mr. Cunningham ?' said 
 Helene to Dick. 
 
 ' Yes ; we have seen him several times. 
 Very pleasant fellow he is, too. He took us 
 to the Zoo last Sunday afternoon, and has 
 been very friendly altogether.' 
 
 * Well I never !' murmured Johnny in 
 great amazement. 
 
 ^ He is a very old friend of ours,' pur- 
 sued Helene ; ' his uncle, you know, Mr. 
 Gilchrist, has the rectory at the Old 
 Church.' 
 
 ' He's got a good long reach,' observed 
 Dick meditatively, ' if he got the left out 
 well.' 
 
 Helene looked puzzled. 
 
 ' He gets it out all right,' said Johnny ; 
 ' and gets it in, too, when it's me.' 
 
 ' There am I talking gymnasium '' shop " 
 now,' said Dick, with an apologetic smile. 
 * You must excuse me, ladies, if I show the 
 barrack-room just the least taste in the 
 
i66 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 world sometimes, for it's not long since I 
 left it, and you will have to teach me good 
 manners.' 
 
 Lilian looked vague, and smiled meaning- 
 lessly. 
 
 Helene wriggled, and said ' Oh no !' in a 
 polite tone. 
 
 Mrs. Smalley came to the rescue, saying : 
 
 ' You mustn't talk of yourself like that, 
 Dick ! You mustn't, really. Your career 
 in the army does you honour, I am sure, 
 and you are really proud of it, I know — as 
 you ought to be, and as we are. As for 
 manners, we know that's your little joke — 
 what Johnny calls chaff' 
 
 ' Well, you've kissed the Blarney Stone, 
 any way,' was Richard's reflection. 
 
 Jane said : 
 
 * I'll teach you the manners of the highest 
 circles. Cousin Dick — two hours a day, if 
 you like.' 
 
 ' Have to learn 'em yourself first/ said 
 Johnny. 
 
 * Don't you let Jane tease you,' said 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 167 
 
 Helene ; ' she's a dreadful child, and I'm 
 afraid we all spoil her.' 
 
 ' Oh, I don't mind being teased at all,' 
 said Dick placidly ; ' and I am sure all the 
 spoiling you are likely to do will only make 
 the victims of it like you the more.' 
 
 Helene remarked afterwards to Lilian, 
 when an opportunity occurred for private 
 discussion : 
 
 ' I think he's rather nice.' 
 
 ' Well, what shall we do to-morrow to 
 amuse ourselves ?' said Johnny. * Now the 
 weather's fine we ought to take advan- 
 tage of it while it lasts. Why shouldn't 
 we take Blow's boat and go round to 
 Roylieu Cove, and take some grub with 
 us?' 
 
 ' Do you think your cousin would like it ?' 
 said Mrs. Smalley. ' Are you fond of boat- 
 ing, dear ?' 
 
 ' I am,' said Nora ; ' I can row and sail 
 a boat — at least, I could once. I should 
 like it.' 
 
 ' I'll do anything you please,' said Dick. 
 
i68 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ^ Do you think you would like it V he con- 
 tinued, turning to Helene. 
 
 ' Oh yes. Anything to take me away 
 from hayfields is welcome, if it's fine.' 
 
 ^ Well, you young people must arrange it 
 your own way,' said Mrs. Small ey ; ' you 
 can't expect me to encounter the perils of 
 the deep at my time of life.' 
 
 ' Sure, it's early days to begin talking 
 about your " time of life," isn't it ?' said 
 Dick. 
 
 ' How that Patlander is smoothing all 
 their fur the right way !' thought Johnny. 
 
 Shortly after this, Mr. (or Captain) Smalley 
 arrived, and welcomed the Scanlans boister- 
 ously, ending with, ' So you're come to 
 Redcliff, hay ?' to which any answer but a 
 simple affirmative was difficult. Then Mr. 
 Smalley cross-examined Dick on the trains, 
 and the changes, if any, between Victoria 
 and Redcliff, being one of those numerous 
 people who look on all talking as conversa- 
 tion. Then he ascertained the exact date of 
 the decease of the late Mr. Smalley, of 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 169 
 
 Belfast, and speculated on his precise age, 
 which no one was able to tell him. Then he 
 asked if they had seen the portrait of the 
 ancestral Smalley, the Trafalgar hero, and 
 on being told no, assured them that they 
 would see it by-and-by. By the time he 
 had got into a disquisition on the local 
 politics, including his quarrel with Mr. 
 Satterthwaite about the new tennis and 
 recreation ground, and involving a report 
 of all that he, Mr. Smalley, had said at 
 the meeting to discuss the matter at the 
 Institute, the bell for dressing sounded, 
 and was welcomed by the general audience 
 as if it had been Night and Bliicher com- 
 bined. 
 
 Johnny dragged away Dick, while Mrs. 
 Smalley distracted her husband's attention 
 by mentioning some household detail, involv- 
 ing discussion, and Jane asked Nora to come 
 and look at her rabbits, whither Florrie 
 accompanied them, and the other girls 
 vanished. 
 
 Groups dissolved, after a few minutes of 
 
170 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 Mr. Sm alley's loud platitudes and ferocious 
 fallacies, like a precipitate into which an 
 acid has been dropped, or a Sunday De- 
 monstration in Hyde Park when the rain 
 comes on. 
 
CHAPTER YIII. 
 
 The morning, as Jane observed to the 
 unresponsive Florrie from her bedroom 
 window, ' broke fair and cloudless.' 
 
 ' It always does " break fair and cloud- 
 less " on occasions like this in the books. 
 And now Nora Scanlan will wake ''half 
 bewildered by her new surroundings, and 
 unconscious for the first few moments of her 
 actual whereabouts." Then it will all sud- 
 denly come back to her, and she will rise 
 and '' throw open the lattice, and take in 
 full draughts of the delicious morning air, 
 before completing her simple toilet, and 
 roaming in the garden, where as yet the 
 dew lay on the velvety lawn, and communing 
 as she loved with the solitude of nature." 
 That's the sort, isn't it V 
 
172 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ^ Oh, do shut up !' murmured Florrie, 
 rolhng round to present an unsympathetic 
 back. 
 
 What Nora Scanlan really did was to 
 sleep soundly till a knocking came at the 
 door, followed by Louisa with hot water, 
 who drew the blinds up with a rattle to 
 admit the dazzling daylight ; then to doze 
 again, to scramble up in a hurry, and just 
 arrive in the dining-room when the breakfast 
 was being brought in. 
 
 Mr. Smalley was in full discourse about 
 the projects of his new neighbour and ally, 
 Mr. Scheiner. 
 
 * He had been up to London, yesterday, 
 to see about some stocks and shares. They 
 say his word is law on the Stock Exchange, 
 simply law. I can only say he put me up 
 to a very good thing the other day, and 
 that was to buy the Greek Monopoly Loan, 
 and it's gone up two and a half already, and 
 that means twice two's four, and twice a 
 half's one, and four and one are five, and 
 ten times five's fifty ; that's fifty pound 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 173 
 
 already. Xot a bad little bit of pocket- 
 money to spend, hay ? Some value in a 
 friend who can put you in the way of 
 making fifty pound in three days, by writ- 
 ing a letter or two, hay ? You'll want to 
 make a lot of investments, you know,' he 
 continued to Dick Scanlan, ' won't you ? 
 I should talk to Scheiner, if I were you, 
 about it.' 
 
 ' I don't know that I'll be making any 
 investments at all,' said Dick, whose opinion 
 of Mr. Smalley had been lowered to some- 
 thing very little above zero by a conversa- 
 tion after dinner the evening before, in 
 which Mr. Smalley had chosen to lay down 
 the law exhaustively on military matters 
 from the point of view of an expert — an 
 unfortunate topic to select, because it ex- 
 posed his ignorance and conceit more 
 copiously and convincingly than anything 
 else could in such a short time to such a 
 person as Dick, especially as he followed 
 this by a discourse on politics as applied to 
 Ireland, in which he took for granted that 
 
174 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 Dick's views coincided with his own ; which 
 were a caricature of the mixture of patronage, 
 derision, and hostihty usually exhibited by a 
 self-satisfied English middle-class provincial 
 of small information towards Irish people 
 and things. When it is mentioned that 
 Mr. Smalley's store of facts were that 
 Ireland produced pigs, potatoes, and murders, 
 and that the Society of Orangemen was a 
 sacred and invaluable part of the British 
 Constitution, only equalled by the Primrose 
 League, it may be understood that he was 
 almost enough to exasperate Mr. Balfour 
 into joining the Nationalists. 
 
 And the trying part was that, although 
 good taste and manners did not prevent 
 Mr. Smalley from rambling and blustering 
 on these lines, with a glass of port in his 
 hand, they did prevent Dick Scanlan from 
 giving him the kind of reply he w^ould have 
 given to a person who was not his host, his 
 relative, and his senior. 
 
 Wherefore, Dick did not think much of 
 Mr. Smalley, though he found himself get- 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 175 
 
 ting on very well with the other members 
 of the family. 
 
 Soon after breakfast, when Mr. Smalley 
 had disappeared on what he called business, 
 Johnny called for volunteers for the con- 
 templated excursion by water to Roylieu, 
 and Helene proffered herself without hesita- 
 tion, as the sea appeared very smooth and 
 blue, and the sky without a cloud. Then 
 Jane stated that she meant to go ; upon 
 which Helene, in whom the incident of the 
 purloined and cut-up dress still rankled, 
 asked if Jane had not some holiday 
 tasks to do, and Mrs. Smalley said : 
 ' Well, I'm sure she has been dreadfully 
 idle all the summer. I don't know what 
 Frowlein will say when she comes back,' in 
 an undecided manner, and then left the 
 room on domestic excuses, saying : ^ Well, 
 you must settle it among yourselves. Only 
 don't be late for dinner.' 
 
 ' There !' said Jane ; ' she never said I 
 wasn't to go, and I just shall go, so there !' 
 
 And then she left to make preparations. 
 
176 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 Helene looked rather red, and said, ^ The 
 way that child is spoilt is something awful,' 
 after which she disappeared to adorn herself 
 and recover her temper. 
 
 Lilian said she was too busy. Lilian 
 liked to sit before some rather ostenta- 
 tiously large and learned books, and make 
 notes, the result of which was never seen 
 or heard of, though she was credited with 
 the intention of writing what was vaguely 
 called a book. Johnny took all the family 
 bickerings as a matter of course, and asked 
 Nora if she would go and get ready. In 
 the meantime, he and Dick sauntered about 
 the lawn smoking. 
 
 * Well, old chap, do you think you'll like 
 it, now you've come here — I mean, as a 
 part of the world to live in?' 
 
 ' Oh, it's a beautiful country, and con- 
 venient to the sea, and so on. I think it's 
 all right. I'm quite happy.' 
 
 ' I think Nora likes it, too ?' 
 
 ' She does. She's taken to that little 
 sister of yours — Jane they call her — greatly. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 177 
 
 See, now, when can we go over to have a 
 look at that house you mean us to hve in ?' 
 
 ' Oh, whenever you hke. But I want 
 us to do nothing but enjoy ourselves just 
 for one day, and let business go to the 
 devil.' 
 
 ' It could always stop there if I had my 
 way. But it's got to be done, worse 
 luck, sooner or later. Who's this Mr. 
 Scheiner ?' 
 
 ' I don't know. Wallowinof in wealth, 
 I'm told, and gifted with accomplishments. 
 Not a bad sort, as far as I can gather. He 
 has taken a sort of fancy to my governor, 
 apparently, though what attraction he can 
 see in him goodness knows.' 
 
 ^ I understand he is going to live in these 
 parts, too V 
 
 ' Yes. Got a delicate wife. Fond of 
 yachting, too, I suppose. You will have 
 an opportunity of judging to-night, as he is 
 coming to dinner. I say, you saw a good 
 lot of old Cunningham before you left 
 town, didn't you V 
 
 VOL. I. 12 
 
178 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' We did. He is a fine man, is Cunning- 
 ham. Nora didn't like him much, but girls 
 are like that. Now, he and I got on first 
 class, and talked about fishing and all 
 manner of things.' 
 
 Johnny brightened considerably, and 
 praised Cunningham enthusiastically, then 
 began again (showing that Cunningham was 
 not the only person who could fish) : 
 
 * And Nora didn't — er — appreciate him 
 exactly V 
 
 ' No ; I think she thought him super- 
 cilious. Ah, now, you're the sort of boy 
 she likes.' 
 
 Dick certainly had the gift traditionally 
 associated with Blarney Castle. Johnny 
 gave a pleased grin and quickly changed 
 the subject. 
 
 ' Let's go and see if they've got the things 
 into the hamper. I say, you and I will 
 have to carry that hamper. How shall we 
 do it V 
 
 ' Where to V 
 
 * From here to the shore.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 179 
 
 ' Oh, easy ! Is it a hamper with handles 
 at the ends V 
 
 ' Yes. I hauled it out before breakfast, 
 and told 'em to put no end of grub and 
 bottled ale in.' 
 
 ' Well, run off and get an oar from the 
 boat. Put a line through the handles, 
 passing under the bottom, in case the 
 handles suffer from weakness, bring it over 
 the top, join the ends, pass the oar under 
 the line, and one end of the oar can go on 
 my shoulders and one on yours. I'll give 
 you the flat. File of girls can march along- 
 side hamper to steady it, if necessary, over 
 broken ground. Do the same when we 
 disembark at the other end of the journey. 
 Two oars, if the hamper's extra heavy with 
 all that commissariat you're after putting in 
 it. Oars reverse ways, so that each gets 
 one flat and one round end.' 
 
 ^ You're a genius ! I'll cut down and get 
 the oar.' 
 
 * Some use in being a Tommy, after 
 all. I'll cut dow^n with you, Johnny, and 
 
i8o THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 get the other. But let's see the hamper 
 first. ' 
 
 And they went round to the back-yard, 
 where the maids had prepared the hamper, 
 with pie, and plates, and bottles, and butter, 
 and knives, and miscellaneous hard and soft 
 things, and found the cook and two maids 
 and a boy standing admiringly round it. 
 
 ' It's meddlin' 'eavy, Master Johnny,' 
 said the cook. 
 
 Dick took hold of the hamper by the two 
 ends for a moment, then said : 
 
 * You won't want many oars for this : I'll 
 take it under my arm.' And he proceeded 
 to do so in a matter-of-course way, followed 
 by the protesting Johnny. 
 
 By this time the girls were ready and on 
 the lawn, and Mrs. Smalley was giving 
 advice about umbrellas, waterproofs, rugs, 
 and a number of other things no one had 
 any intention of taking. 
 
 Helene Smalley wore a white serge 
 costume with white braid, and a white 
 sailor hat, and looked neat and cool. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR i8i 
 
 Helene was orood-lookino:, but was not 
 highly endowed with ideas, and had that 
 expression of haughty blankness sometimes 
 seen on the faces of Enghsh young ladies. 
 
 Nora Scanlan wore a black-and-white 
 striped cotton dress and a black straw hat, 
 carried a black watered silk sunshade, and 
 looked beautiful and mysterious as usual, and 
 as she would have done in anything, from 
 cloth-of-gold to cloth-of-sack ; and Jane wore 
 the dark-blue serge and Tam-o'-Shanter. 
 They all started off down the steep road 
 which led to the shore in pretty good s^Dirits, 
 and soon were engaged in struggling with 
 Blow's boat, which was heavy, and rather 
 difficult to draof down to the water and shove 
 off. Mr. Blow, assisted by the old tramp, 
 who ap23eared to hang about the shore for 
 odd jobs, and was of a maritime order, put 
 a plank for the ladies to step in by, and gave 
 the boat a final shove which sent her afloat. 
 Johnny and Dick took the oars, and began 
 pulling out towards the point, at the summit 
 of which was Fort Romer, while the girls 
 
i82 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 safc in the stern and admired the cliffs and 
 the bay, which certainly were a beautiful 
 sight on such a calm, hot, hazy day. A 
 little sensation was contributed by a start- 
 ling loud bang from the fort at intervals, 
 for practice was being made at a floating 
 target far away in the south-east. The 
 Emma and Mary, the vessel of our Argo- 
 nauts, was going south-west, until the point 
 was rounded, so it ran no danger of being 
 sunk by a casual cannon-ball, while the pas- 
 sengers were able to have a pleasing feeling 
 of being in a state of war, to listen to the 
 singing of the shot as it sped along, some- 
 thing like the snorting of a far-ofl" railway 
 train, and to see the successive fountains 
 spurted out of the still blue sea as the ball 
 struck it and hopped along, like the ' ducks 
 and drakes ' of childhood. Far ofl* on the 
 horizon a long trail of smoke hung and 
 slowly dissipated in the wake of a hardly 
 visible steamer. Close to them the green 
 and red and purple seaweeds were visible 
 from time to time under the shallow trans- 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 183 
 
 parent water, until they got nearly abreast 
 of the point, when the water deepened and 
 the weeds disappeared into profundity. At 
 this stage they met a slight westerly breeze, 
 just enough to make a ripple on the 
 surface, and cause the Emma and Mary 
 to pitch a little and make a sucking, flop- 
 ping noise as the bow rose and fell. Jane 
 said : 
 
 ' The good ship rose gallantly to each 
 towerinof crest, which at times threatened to 
 engulf her, while the creaking of every 
 timber at each fresh shock showed the 
 desperate struggle with the elements which 
 the devoted vessel was engaged in.' 
 
 ' At last,' added Johnny, ' it became 
 necessary to lash the yard-arm to the bin- 
 nacle, man the lee-scup])ers, heave the main- 
 deck overboard, and wait for Night or 
 Bllicher.' 
 
 Nora felt happy, and was gazing rather 
 dreamily at the splendour of the summer 
 and the sea, when Jane said suddenly : 
 
 ' Well, what are you thinking about with 
 
1 84 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 that expression ? You look like Kilmeny 
 when she came home.' 
 
 Nora started, came back to the present 
 time and place, and said : 
 
 * And what did she look like then V 
 
 ^ I can't remember it all now. I'll show 
 you when we get home again. It's nice, 
 though.' 
 
 Then Jane added in a whisper, with a 
 glitter of impish joy in her eye : 
 
 ' Look at Helene.' 
 
 Helene was motionless, pale, and silent, 
 and had her eyes shut. The good ship 
 Emma and Mary had become rather a trial 
 to her. However, by dint of strong effort 
 and an angry determination not to make 
 herself ridiculous before Dick Scanlan 
 (whom she had some idea of attaching to 
 herself before he became an object of com- 
 petition), Helene fortunately escaped any 
 actual catastrophe ; more especially as they 
 were now approaching the shore, and the 
 water got smoother again. And then the 
 boat's nose was run ashore on the beach in 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 185 
 
 Roylieu Cove, and Johnny and Dick sprang 
 out to haul her up. 
 
 But it appeared impossible with their 
 limited powers to do so, unless the girls and 
 the hamper were got out first. Johnny and 
 Dick, who were dressed in flannels, here 
 calmly walked into the water and received 
 the hamper, which they put ashore, then in- 
 formed the girls that they must either be 
 lifted out or must walk through the water. 
 The former alternative was naturally ac- 
 cepted, and Johnny staggered cautiously 
 ashore with Helene, while Dick took up 
 Nora and put her down on dry shingle in no 
 time, going back for Jane before Johnny 
 had half finished. Jane came readily enough 
 in Dick's arms, and said : 
 
 ' Aren't I awfully heavy V 
 
 * You ? You're as light as a kid. Why, 
 look at Nora 1 she w^eighs three of you 
 nearly ;' and he put her down with his hands 
 as if she had been a china ornament. 
 
 Helene and Johnny looked a trifle dis- 
 appointed. Johnny could not very well 
 
1 86 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 say to Dick, ' Look here, you take my 
 sister and I'll take yours,' because propriety 
 forbade, and Johnny mistrusted his own 
 powers. Helene was a slender, long-necked 
 girl, between eight and nine stone, and he 
 found her quite enough, whereas Nora was 
 of robuster build and nearer ten than nine. 
 What Helene would have liked was to be 
 carried ashore by Dick Scanlan, who was 
 evidently very strong as well as good-looking. 
 What Nora would have liked nobody could 
 tell, and what Jane liked was what she 
 
 ofot. 
 
 However, ashore they all got, and were 
 very soon straying along with a view to pass- 
 ing through a hole like a rude archway in 
 the cliff at one side of the cove, known as 
 Roylieu Gate. Jane led the way, followed 
 by Dick and Helene (who had recovered 
 such spirits and colour as were normal to 
 her as soon as she got ashore), while Nora 
 and Johnny came last. Now, the way 
 under this arch was over round-backed 
 stones covered with seaweed, with puddles 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 187 
 
 between them, submerged at high-water, and 
 everyone who has ever been at the seaside 
 in his Hfe knows how shppery such a way is. 
 The obvious consequence of this was that 
 the young ladies required a good deal of 
 helping, as both Helene and Johnny had 
 severally foreseen. Nora was much de- 
 lighted with the wild, solitary beauty of the 
 place, and interested in the behaviour of 
 the little green scurrying crabs and the 
 flickering fingers of the many-coloured sea- 
 anemones, and stopped to look at them and 
 stooped to tease them with the end of her 
 sunshade. 
 
 ^ You must remember,' she said apolo- 
 getically to Johnny, ' that I have been four 
 years or more in London without ever 
 seeing the least taste of the sea, so I'm 
 just like a baby over it.' 
 
 ^ I'm awfully glad you do like being down 
 here. You do, don't you ?' 
 
 ^ I do indeed.' 
 
 ^ And — er — do you think you'll get along 
 all right with my people ? I know we are 
 
i88 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 — what we are, you know, and I never 
 held out to you any gorgeous expecta- 
 tions.' 
 
 ' I think your sister Jane is a dear little 
 girl ; they're all very kind.' 
 
 ' But you find Jane the most like a 
 human being. So do I. You can trust 
 Jane, too. Well, we might be worse, I 
 suppose. Dick and I were thinking of 
 going over to look at The Oaks to-morrow. 
 Would you like to come? Of course you 
 will, though. I say, hadn't you better be 
 on the look-out for some servants ? You'll 
 want them when you have a house of your 
 own.' 
 
 * Yes ; that never occurred to me. 
 Fancy me having servants !' 
 
 * You'll have to face it. You can make 
 my mother useful in interviewing them and 
 putting them through their facings.' 
 
 * I shouldn't like to trouble her.' 
 
 ' Bless you ! she likes it. Mind your 
 footing, now. There, isn't that pretty ? 
 You get the gate for a frame to a little 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 189 
 
 fresh seascape, with a topsail schooner right 
 across the middle distance.' 
 
 ' Very pretty indeed. How calm it is ! 
 Those sails have not got any wind in them 
 — more patches than wind. Curious, how 
 white they are in the sunshine and how 
 black they are out of it.' 
 
 * You like the water, don't you ? I 
 expect you would like Norway. The phy- 
 sical geography is very imposing, and water . 
 is laid on everywhere, and it's grand, and 
 solitary, and immense, and all that sort of 
 thing — you know what I mean. Immensity 
 and grandeur are not things I personally 
 go in for, but I recognise them as existing 
 facts.' 
 
 ' I should like to go to Norway very 
 much. I think those steep, dark valleys, 
 with the waterfalls streaming out in the 
 air like long white veils, must be beau- 
 tiful.' 
 
 ' Why — where — how is it you have got 
 such a photographic knowledge of the 
 scenery of Norway ?' gasped Johnny. 
 
I90 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' Well, it is photographic knowledge, any 
 way. Mr. Cunningham showed me some 
 photos he had taken there of Gudvangen 
 and Stalheim, and the Naerodal.' 
 
 ' Oh, I grasp. You seem to have remem- 
 bered the names with remarkable accuracy 
 — foreign, unfamiliar names, too.' 
 
 * Unfamiliar things are more striking, and 
 so you find them easier to remember.' 
 
 ' I'm afraid I shall turn out to be a 
 familiar thing, and far from striking. What 
 a sphinx you are, Nora I No one can 
 imagine all the things you know and think 
 about. Suppose we sit down ; here is a dry 
 place — sicut hahitantes in sicco — and the 
 gate overhead will shade us, and we can 
 take a rest.' 
 
 Nora sat down on the conveniently low, 
 hollowed ledge, shut her sunshade, crossed 
 her feet, and gazed out to sea. 
 
 * Why,' pursued Johnny, ' do you concen- 
 trate 3^our vision on an imaginary point 
 about eight miles away ?' 
 
 ' I am thinking.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 191 
 
 ' Sphinx again. No one will probably 
 ever know what you are thinking about, 
 and nothing will probably induce you to tell 
 me.' 
 
 ' Nothing,' replied Nora, with a quiet 
 smile. 
 
 ' Can I guess V 
 
 ' You can try. People generally had to 
 do a good deal of guessing who associated 
 with sphinxes. And they were mostly 
 wrong, too, weren't they?' 
 
 ' Yes, and my recollection is that she 
 generally did for them.' 
 
 ^ Except one.' 
 
 * Well, yes — except one. But he was a 
 person of exceptional attainments and quali- 
 ties.' 
 
 ' Of course he was. He had travelled 
 about everywhere, and knew all the lan- 
 guages, and poked out a centaur's eye on a 
 desert island with a pole. I learnt all about 
 it once.' 
 
 ' I see. You certainly have an accurate 
 memory for details.' 
 
192 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 Here Jane came and joined them, a little 
 splashed and heated, and sat down, observ- 
 ing : 
 
 ' Oh, I am so hot ! I've been aggravating 
 Helene and Cousin Dick enough for the 
 present, so T thought I'd come and see how 
 you were getting on. It's a jolly place, 
 Nora, isn't it ? I'd like to paddle if I were 
 not grown up.' 
 
 ^ Where are the others ?' asked Johnny. 
 
 ' Gone up the landslip to the abbey.' 
 
 ' You'd like to see the abbey, wouldn't 
 you ?' Johnny said to Nora. 
 
 ^ If you like,' replied Nora, without making 
 any attempt to move. 
 
 ' It'll be awfully hot, climbing up there,' 
 said Jane. ' I'm sure we are much more 
 comfortable down here.' 
 
 ^ Well, the abbey won't run away, and 
 we can have a look at it after lunch. 
 Getting hungry, Jane V 
 
 ' I'm thirsty. Cousin Dick's telling 
 Helene delightful anecdotes about his regi- 
 ment.' (I am afraid Jane maliciously 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 193 
 
 adopted Dick's pronunciation, and called it 
 ' rijment.') 
 
 ' Oh, he would be !' said Nora ; ' I'm 
 alwa\'s telling Dick to leave off that.' 
 
 * Helene seems to like it. He told her 
 how Sergeant-Major Sullivan saved his life 
 in the Soudan, and Helene said that was 
 *' very nice " of him, as if he had asked him 
 to lunch.' 
 
 ' Pronouns a trifle mixed, Jane. Talking 
 of lunch, suppose we go and arrange the 
 things out of the hamper ? I expect they 
 will come down and want support soon. 
 They can see from the top, too.' 
 
 * Come along,' said Jane. And they 
 arose and returned over the rocks to the 
 smoother shore, Jane running and leaping 
 ahead of them, in a way that threw doubt 
 upon her being so ' grown-up ' as it occa- 
 sionally pleased her to think herself. 
 
 And as they opened their hamper and 
 spread the contents, figures appeared out- 
 lined against the sky on the cliff above, 
 where the abbey lay out of sight behind. 
 
 VOL. I. 13 
 
194 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' There they are !' said Jane, signalling 
 frantically with her arms. 
 
 Johnny looked up, and said : 
 
 ' Why, there are three people there ! 
 Dick and Helene were only two when they 
 started. How have they become a larger 
 crowd ? It looks like someone I know, too, 
 but I am not very keen-sighted for distant 
 objects — I go in for the Nearer Object, like 
 the accusative case.' 
 
 ' I can't make out who it is,' said Jane. 
 
 Nora looked up for a moment or two 
 with gravity, then said : 
 
 ' It's Mr. Cunningham.' 
 
 ' By jingo, I believe you're right !' said 
 Johnny ; ' and just fancy me not being sure ! 
 However, they are coming down now.' 
 
 They came down, and it was Cunningham. 
 
 ' How^ are you, Miss Scanlan ? Hullo, 
 Johnny ! Jane, I shall have to call you 
 Miss Smalley soon, I suppose. You make 
 one feel old by being so young. Thanks, I 
 will take part in the feast — probably a large 
 part, as I have had nothing since breakfast. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 195 
 
 I came down this forenoon by an earlyish 
 sort of train, called at your place, heard you 
 were doing this Robinson Crusoe business 
 out here, walked by the overland route to 
 Roy lieu, and the rest you can fill in.' 
 
 * Thought you weren't coming down for 
 another month — not till the Long was fairly 
 begun,' remarked Johnny. 
 
 ' Well, I've come sooner. I am also to 
 dine with you to-night.' 
 
 ' That's very gratifying.' 
 
 Cunningham sat down on a stone, and 
 observed : 
 
 ' Well, Miss Scanlan, I hope you like the 
 English country ?' 
 
 ' I do.' 
 
 ' I don't know whether it comes up to the 
 Irish standard ; I suppose our scenery is, on 
 the whole, of a less sensational order, and 
 mild prosperity is often fatal to picturesque- 
 ness in dwellings and costumes.' 
 
 ' Yes, this is very pretty ; but Ireland 
 is beautiful. The people in England live in 
 better houses, many of them, and seem to 
 
196 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 have more to eat and better clothes, but 
 they don't seem much better people for 
 that; 
 
 ' They do a deal more work in England/ 
 said Dick. 
 
 ' I don't know that I look on industry 
 and commercial progress as an unmixed 
 blessing,' said Cunningham ; ' it only seems 
 to result in immense untaught populations 
 struggling for a dingy existence among 
 ugly chimneys, deafening streets, spoiled 
 landscapes, precocious, crude pleasure-hunt- 
 ing, and morbid conditions of mind and 
 body.' 
 
 ' I've been an instrument in the hands of 
 industrial progress myself, as you know, Mr. 
 Cunningham,' said Nora, ' and it was simply 
 miserable. It was not that anybody was 
 specially unkind, it was the dreary, weary 
 hours of doing the same meaningless fold- 
 ing and unfolding, hanging up and taking 
 down, and wondering if my whole youth was 
 to be spent like that till I was old, with 
 never a sight of the happiness of life or the 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 197 
 
 beautiful things and places of the world, 
 except for what you got for a week a year 
 or on a Bank Holiday/ 
 
 ' A Bank Holiday !' Johnny shuddered. 
 Fancy connecting Nora Scanlan in one's 
 imagination with a Bank Holiday ! 
 
 ' Yes, indeed ; a Bank Holiday or a 
 Sunday, when everything is shut up except 
 the lunatics who go out with flags and 
 bands and prevent you from even going 
 to see the green grass that is there for 
 everybody to tramp into mud instead of 
 enjoying. Oh, many a time I've thought 
 I'd rather be a Kerry peasant in rags than 
 spend another year in that show-room.' 
 
 ' I should think it must be rather tiring,' 
 said Helene politely, and then quickly 
 changed the subject, as she thought these 
 allusions to the particular form of industry 
 with which Nora Scanlan had been as- 
 sociated were most unfortunate. So she 
 asked Cunningham if he had been to the 
 Academy. 
 
 He looked at her for a moment with an 
 
198 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 amused expression. He then quite under- 
 stood, and rejDlied : 
 
 ^ Oh yes. I thought it rather better 
 than usual. I also have been to the church 
 parade once or twice, to say nothing of the 
 Eton and Harrow match. I also watched 
 the ladies going to a Drawing-room one 
 day.' 
 
 ' Oh, that must have been very nice !' 
 
 ' It was — delightful ! I wondered how 
 much a week people got paid for makings 
 those trains and thinofs.' 
 
 ^ Well, Cousin Dick and I have made a 
 salad while you have been talking about 
 industry, Mr. Cunningham,' remarked Jane. 
 
 ^ I'm glad to hear it. You are not an 
 enthusiastic supporter of industry, I think, 
 are you ?' 
 
 ^ I hate it !' replied Jane with decision 
 and candour ; 'and I think when the time 
 comes they talk about for working men to 
 own everything, and have it all their own 
 way, life will not be worth living. Life 
 with German irregular verbs is bad, but a 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 199 
 
 life of perpetual industry would be simply 
 terrific/ 
 
 ' It would be a little triste' said Cunning- 
 ham ; ' as it is, England is not any longer 
 entitled to be called Merry. Never mind, 
 let us rejoice, let us be merry, my friends ! 
 as Mr. Pecksniff said as he seized a captain's 
 biscuit.' 
 
 ' About time,' said Johnny. ' I didn't 
 like to hint it, my learned friend, but you 
 are getting a little prosy. What do we 
 really care about the working classes, except 
 for the vote we've been fools enouofh to crive 
 them ?' 
 
 ' I am sure we always ought to be kind 
 to the lower classes,' said Helene, ' and I 
 think we generally are. The Disneys have 
 a coal and clothing club, and we helped 
 them to get up an entertainment at the 
 parish-room not long ago, and it went oflp 
 very well. And, then, most of the women 
 belong to the Primrose League, and they 
 will see that their husbands vote right.' 
 
 ' I see/ said Cunningham ; ' we may, 
 
200 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 then, consider the Constitution safe for the 
 present.' 
 
 And they all ate and drank. After 
 lunch they managed to get the boat afloat 
 again, and Cunningham and Dick Scanlan 
 pulled it home to Redcliff, where Mr. Blow 
 and the old loafer assisted them to land. 
 
 * That's a recent acquisition, isn't it ?' 
 said Cunningham to Johnny ; ' I used to 
 know all the " waterside " characters here, 
 I think.' 
 
 ' Oh yes ; you mean Mr. Blow's assistant. 
 I think he is a retired smuggler, or pirate, 
 or something sensational and gory. He 
 lives on rum and tobacco, and whispers 
 hoarse lies to me about running cargoes. 
 I'm getting rather to like the old ruffian, 
 but I think he has been a son of Belial, and 
 tough at that, as the Americans say.' 
 
 ' Well, if you'll excuse me,' said Cunning- 
 ham, ' I will go home to the Rectory. I 
 have not seen my uncle yet. and I have not 
 unpacked. See you all by-and-by.' 
 
 ' Good-bye.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 201 
 
 ' Then,' reflected Johnny, ^ he took the 
 trouble to walk over to Roylieu without 
 lunching or going home for the pleasure 
 of our society, and he is naturally as lazy 
 as they are made. Whose society ? Mine ? 
 Helene's ? Dick's ? Jane's ? Not likely. 
 Now, what the devil is he up to ? and does 
 he know himself? I don't think old Cun- 
 ningham is at home in this business at all. 
 I only hope he won't get too much at home 
 in it; 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 After Cunningham had taken the Scanlans 
 to the courts where justice is administered 
 in an impartial though leisurely manner, 
 given them afternoon tea and the benefit 
 of his Norwegian experiences, and sub- 
 sequently been entertained by them at the 
 recherche dinner of the Empire Hotel, 
 ' served at separate tables,' it somehow ha23- 
 pened that not one of their few remaining 
 days in London passed without his spending 
 some part of it in their society ; and he 
 conducted them to various shows and forms 
 of entertainment calculated to edify two 
 rather innocent young pilgrims making 
 holiday in London in bright June weather. 
 He took them to the Zoological Gardens 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 203 
 
 on Sunday, as planned, to a cricket match 
 at Lord's on Monday, finishing with a 
 Gaiety burlesque in the evening, and on 
 Tuesday to some picture-galleries, winding 
 up w^ith the Exhibition in the evening — I 
 forget whether it was the Wild West, or 
 the Italian Exhibition, or what, but it was 
 something of that kind. And they went 
 many journeys in hansom cabs, those three, 
 and dined and lunched at all kinds of places, 
 from the unpretending German restaurant 
 of the eastward city to the stately Bristol 
 of the luxurious west, and enjoyed them- 
 selves very much, and got to look on 
 Cunningham as a kind of well-informed, 
 easy-going elder brother. And when the 
 time came he saw them off from Victoria, 
 saw that their luggage was put in the train, 
 and that they were provided with literature 
 and refreshments, and was repaid by most 
 hearty and sincere thanks from both of 
 them, which were none the less acceptable 
 for the friendly look in Nora's blue eyes 
 which accompanied them, and the firm clasp 
 
204 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 of her slender, long-fingered hands, as she 
 said : 
 
 ' And we will see you again soon, I hope/ 
 ' I expect you will. Good-bye.' And the 
 train moved gently away. 
 
 When it had disaj^peared on its way to 
 Grosvenor Road Bridge, Cunningham walked 
 slowly out of the station, lit a cigar, and 
 strolled past Buckingham Palace and through 
 St. James's Park to Pall Mall, feeling that 
 there was a kind of indefinable emptiness 
 and lack of occupation about London, 
 crowded as it was with fashionable people 
 and amusements. He walked on slowly and 
 without any particular attention up St. 
 James's Street, looked in at a club he had 
 belonged to for some years, but did not 
 often visit, and glanced at the afternoon 
 paper in the smoking-room, ordering at tlie 
 same time a cup of coffee which he did not 
 really want. And there spoke to him an 
 acquaintance, a man he had known and dis- 
 liked for several years, called Haverel, who 
 said : 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 205 
 
 ' I say, old chappie, that was a remark- 
 ably choice girl I saw you with last Sunday. 
 I didn't know you went in for that sort of 
 thino'.' 
 
 ' What sort of thing V 
 
 ' Why, you know, that sort of thing. I 
 pointed you out to some men I was with, 
 and they were sur^^rised, I assure you.' 
 
 ' Look here, Haverel, suppose you were 
 to mind your own business ? Let me sug- 
 gest that to you, as a new pursuit.' 
 
 * All right, old chappie,' rephed the other 
 with exasperating placability ; ' no need to 
 get shirty about it. No harm meant.' 
 
 Cunningham grunted, gulped his coffee 
 while it was still painfully hot, left the club 
 abruptly, and walked along Piccadilly medi- 
 tatinof on the ' linoferinof ' and ' humorous ' 
 forms of execution meetest for a meddling 
 fool. 
 
 By the time he reached Piccadilly Circus 
 his wrath had cooled, and he was not walk- 
 ing so fast. He strolled ujd Regent Street, 
 and looked at the people, in an idle way, and 
 
2o6 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 then turned and strolled down it again, 
 paused at a photograph shop, and looked at 
 the latest versions and perversions of poten- 
 tates, poets, pianists (infant and adult), 
 statesmen, fiddlers and buffoons, beauties and 
 notorieties. 
 
 * Evidently,' he considered, ' I do not 
 know what to do with myself, or how to get 
 through the day. Suppose I go home, put 
 on old clothes and read, and make melody, 
 like the " smale foulis "? But I don't want 
 to sit still by myself and read ; I want to 
 fidget about, and stay out, and have some- 
 one to talk to. I used to be fond of soli- 
 tude. I don't know what's the matter. 
 Probably I'm taking in the bacilli of some 
 new disease. I will take a stroll in dear, 
 melancholy, shady old Soho — here is an 
 opening.' 
 
 And he soon found himself in Brewer 
 Street. 
 
 ' Brewer Street. Ah 1 Why shouldn't 
 I look up that poor little Mrs. Denison in 
 Golden Square ? I promised to go and call. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 207 
 
 and see how — what's the brat's name ? 
 Darius ? No — Alexander's getting on, and 
 I have forofotten all about them till this 
 moment, which is a shame. I'll go. Any 
 way, it will put through a little time, and 
 may be interesting. I should think she had 
 a story of some kind.' 
 
 And he went. 
 
 In answer to his ring at the second little 
 bell handle, Mrs. Denison herself opened the 
 door, with an anxious expression, as if she 
 expected either Alexander in a state of 
 further disintegration or a demand for some- 
 thing on account. But her face brightened 
 suddenly and wonderfully on seeing who her 
 caller really was, and she said : 
 
 ' I was afraid you had forgotten all about 
 us, Mr. Cunningham. Do come upstairs. 
 I am in a shameful state, because I've been 
 trying to do some washing and ironing in 
 the kitchen ; but if you will sit down for a 
 minute I'll go and take off this dreadful 
 apron and make myself tidy. You won't 
 mind, will you ?' 
 
2o8 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ^ Don't mind about me, Mrs. Denison. 
 I'm not at all a tidy person myself, and I 
 generally wear any old things at home.' 
 
 The matter ended in Mrs. Denison taking 
 off the apron and rolling it up and putting 
 it on the sideboard, and pulling down her 
 sleeves, which were tucked up hitherto, 
 showing rather pretty arms, rendered pink 
 by the suddenly-interrupted laundry process. 
 Then she said : 
 
 ' Bella has gone out to do a little shopping 
 for me, so for the present I have to be my 
 own footman and butler and parlourmaid. 
 I thought you had forgotten all about me. 
 I expect you had.' 
 
 ' Not at all,' replied Cunningham untruly, 
 ^ but I've been very busy. I hope the little 
 boy's better ?' 
 
 ' Yes, thanks. He's doing very well. 
 Dr. Hanlon says he'll be all right soon.' 
 
 * You must be very lonely here,' Cunning- 
 ham said. ' I beg your pardon ; I have no 
 right to criticise your mode of life. The 
 words came out thoughtlessly.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 209 
 
 * I am sure you meant them kindly ; and 
 to tell you the truth, Mr. Cunningham, I 
 am lonely, miserably lonely, here. I've been 
 brought up to live comfortably, and do 
 nothing, and have all sorts of amusements, 
 and go to theatres and dances, and see 
 people, and wear nice things ; and to live 
 like this, with just enough to keep body and 
 soul together in a shabby-genteel lodging, 
 and not a friend in the world to care whether 
 I am in the workhouse or the cemetery; to 
 do most of my own cooking, and mend my 
 own things, and never have a really good 
 frock or jacket to wear, is just horrid.' 
 
 And tears stood in the poor latter-day 
 Cinderella's eyes. Cunningham said nothing, 
 but listened. 
 
 ' Of course, everybody would say it was 
 all my own fault, if they knew ; but there is 
 not much consolation in that, is there ? 
 And, then, I have never been taught any- 
 thing really well, that I could earn a living 
 by. I have learnt a little piano, a little 
 singing, a little sewing and fancy work, and 
 
 VOL. I. 14 
 
2IO THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 a little French, and a little drawing ; but I 
 suppose there are fifty thousand girls in 
 London who can do all those things much 
 better than I can, and a good deal more 
 besides. I've thought of the stage, but I 
 don't think I've got the cheek, to say 
 nothing of the talent. And just think of 
 me living on like this for another forty 
 years, perhaps, for I'm dreadfully healthy ! 
 It's enough to make one jump into the river, 
 only, as in the case of the stage, I haven't 
 got the cheek. There, you must excuse my 
 talking so much about myself, but I don't 
 often have anybody to talk to.' 
 
 * Believe me when I tell you, Mrs. 
 Denison, that I am very sorry for all this, 
 and would like to be your friend so far as is 
 possible, if you will let me.' 
 
 ' It's awfully nice of you ! And I do 
 believe you. You have been very kind 
 already, I know. And, then, Alexander's 
 such a worry. I mean, when he grows 
 up I'm afraid he'll be a pickpocket, or a 
 cab-driver, or have to sell special editions.* 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 211 
 
 ' I'll think about that, and see if I can 
 suggest anything.' 
 
 ' In the meantime, if you'll excuse me 
 a minute, I'll go and see if the kettle's boil- 
 ing, and you shall have some tea.' 
 
 ' Oh, thanks. Don't bother about that.' 
 
 * Oh yes, but I always have some about 
 this time in the afternoon.' 
 
 And Mrs. Denison went into the kitchen, 
 and after a time reappeared with a tray, 
 containing a Japanese crockery teapot with 
 a chipped spout, a minute jug of milk, and 
 two cups and saucers, one of which was 
 provided with a yellowish plated teaspoon, 
 the other with an eggspoon. 
 
 ' There ! Now I'll go and get the bread 
 and butter.' 
 
 Having brought that, she poured out the 
 tea, saying : 
 
 * It isn't everybody who can pour out tea 
 from this pot, as it runs down the outside of 
 the spout and up your sleeve if you are a 
 stranger. There, it isn't good tea, I know. 
 I can tell good tea from bad, which makes 
 
212 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 it all the pleasanter to be obliged to drink 
 the latter.' 
 
 Cunningham laughed and accepted the 
 tea, saying : 
 
 * Well, good health and good spirits go a 
 long way to make up for these deficiencies in 
 detail, don't they ?' 
 
 ' I try to make them. My health is all 
 right, and makes me a great deal hungrier 
 than the resources of my larder always 
 justify ; but I sometimes find it rather an 
 uphill business with the good spirits.' 
 
 ^ Do you go out much ? There has been 
 sunshine and blue sky enough lately to cheer 
 up anybody.' 
 
 ' I sometimes go out just to look at all 
 the pretty things in the shops, and decide 
 on the hats I would buy if I could, but not 
 often. I'm so shabby, and my best frock is 
 getting fit only for a foggy afternoon or 
 gaslight, and I'm ashamed to show myself in 
 the sunshine among all the nicely-dressed 
 people. You may think it silly, but that is 
 one of the things women are silly about. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 213 
 
 And, then, I make u^ my mind sometimes 
 and get as far as putting my things on, and 
 then just think, ^' Oh, what's the good ?" 
 and stay in after all.' 
 
 ' You poor thing ! You were never 
 meant by nature for this sort of life, I 
 know.' 
 
 ' Well, I've got to put up with it, so it's 
 no good grumbling. Please help yourself 
 to bread-and-butter. There's potted bloater 
 in the sideboard, if you would like it. I like 
 those tasty things sometimes.' 
 
 ' No, thanks, not now. Now, listen, Mrs. 
 Denison, and I will tell you what you are 
 going to do. I will call round here about 
 six — I have a few things to do in the mean- 
 time — and you will just come out to dinner 
 with me at some proper place, and you will 
 o'o to a theatre afterwards. Bella will look 
 after Alexander, I've no doubt.' 
 
 Mrs. Denison's eyes sparkled, and then 
 she said : 
 
 * Oh, I don't think I can.' 
 
 ' Oh yes, you can. Why not ?' 
 
214 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' I don't like to.' 
 
 * Don't you think you can trust me V 
 
 ' Oh yes ! I know you are a gentle- 
 man, and only mean to be kind. It is not 
 that.' 
 
 ' What is it, then ?' 
 
 She hesitated, and wriggled her fingers 
 round one another in an agony of perplexity, 
 and said : 
 
 ^ I'm so shabby.' 
 
 ^ That all ? Oh, never mind. Put on 
 whatever you like. I'm sure you'll look all 
 right.' 
 
 * I'm sure you are wonderfully kind to me, 
 and I don't know why. I don't like to take 
 advantage . . . and my gloves are all mended 
 where they are not in holes.' 
 
 ' Oh, never mind about that. We will 
 put it that I am lonely, too. The man I 
 live with has gone away into the country, 
 and you will do me a favour by giving me 
 your society.' 
 
 ^ Oh, it's all very well to talk like that, 
 but I know better. I don't know how to 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 215 
 
 thank you — and I don't like to say no to 
 such a tempting offer, and I don't Hke to say 
 yes.' 
 
 ' Let me make up your mind for you, and 
 call it yes.' 
 
 ' Well, I can't resist, I don't think. 
 There, you mustn't mind if I'm very badly 
 dressed.' 
 
 ' That's settled, then. I'll be round by 
 six, and you will be ready ?' 
 
 ' Yes, I will. And I am so grateful to 
 you, you can't think.' 
 
 ' Well, I'll say good-bye for the present, 
 then.' 
 
 ' Oh, I say, Mr. Cunningham !' 
 
 ' Yes ?' 
 
 ' You won't take me to any awfully swell 
 place, will you ? Not where they are all in 
 evening frocks and diamonds and that sort of 
 thing V 
 
 ^ No, no. You can leave that to my 
 discretion.' 
 
 And he went. When he was gone, Mrs. 
 Denison put her face down on the green 
 
2i6 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 sofa-cushion and cried, and thought nearly 
 aloud : 
 
 ' Well, he is a good fellow ! If he had 
 not been a perfect gentleman, too, he would 
 have asked me to dine at his chambers. 
 What an awful mess I've made of my life !' 
 
 Here Bella came in, and said : 
 
 ' Why, whatever is the matter, mum ?' 
 
 * Oh, nothing,' replied Mrs. Denison, 
 sitting up hurriedly. ' Bella, I want you 
 to help me do up my black dress. I'm 
 going out to-night.' 
 
 ' All right, mum,' said Bella aloud. 
 Internally she said, ' That toff's bin — the 
 tall un.' 
 
 ' And, Bella, that hat — the small black 
 straw with the brim wrinkled in front and 
 turned up at the back — do you think you 
 could find a bit of white ribbon to make a 
 fresh bow at the top ?' 
 
 ' Oh yes, mum !' replied Bella cheerfully. 
 ' Make it look as good as new. I could get 
 a bit ahtside for six three-farthings.' 
 
 ' All right, then. Here's a shilling. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 217 
 
 And would you mind cleaning up my boots 
 very well indeed, and seeing if all the 
 buttons are on ? And you can have half a 
 pint of bottled stout, and some trotters and 
 baked 2)otatoes for supper, if you like.' 
 
 ' Thank you, mum. Oh, I'll see you're 
 turned out as good as Mrs. Lan-tree 'fore 
 I done — you see if I don't. I'm glad you're 
 going to take a bit of pleasure, mum. You 
 don't 'ave none too much, as Hi can 
 swear.' 
 
 And Bella began her functions as lady's- 
 maid. After awhile, when the black dress 
 had been ' done up ' with tolerable success, 
 Bella went out for the white ribbon, and 
 when she returned, said : 
 
 * Here's a little parcel, which a young 
 man give me, and it was to be delivered 
 immediately, for Mrs. Denison.' 
 
 ' Oh, indeed ! I wasn't expecting any- 
 thing,' replied Mrs. Denison, eagerly open- 
 ing it, to discover a pair of long black 
 suede gloves, on which lay Cunningham's 
 card, with the words scribbled in pencil : 
 
2i8 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' I had to take a shot at the size. Hope 
 it's right. They'll change it if it isn't. 
 —A. C 
 
 * Lor r said Bella, ^ ain't they fine ?' 
 ^ Is the young man waiting ?' 
 ^ Yes, mum — to know if it's right.' 
 ^ Tell him they are quite right.' Then 
 she thought : * It was clever of him to guess 
 six and a quarter. Why, these must be 
 worth %N^ and eleven, quite. What an 
 awfully nice man he is ! I wonder if he is 
 engaged to some swell girl — and what she 
 is like.' 
 
 In the course of time the necessary pre- 
 parations were completed, as well as circum- 
 stances, assisted by the willing mind and 
 able fingers of Bella, would permit, and 
 when Mrs. Denison was ready, she was not 
 half so bad to look at as she expected. 
 Her dress had seen its best days, no doubt, 
 but the fit and shape were good, and there 
 is a perpetual decency about black ; and the 
 hat looked quite new with that cunning 
 bow of wide white ribbon on it. The black 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 219 
 
 gloves fitted admirably, and Bella had 
 polished the boots very creditably, replaced 
 the lost and tightened the loose buttons, 
 and finally knelt on the floor before her 
 mistress and ' done 'em up ' with one of her 
 own stout hairpins, it being hardly necessary 
 to say that poor Mrs. Denison never could 
 find the right apparatus at the time when it 
 was wanted for any given purpose. More- 
 over, nature had endowed Mrs. Denison 
 with a face and figure and hands and feet 
 which, even in their present ill-fed and 
 overtired condition, defied circumstances, 
 and looked well in anything. 
 
 ' Lor, there !' said Bella. ' I towld ye 
 so, mum : you're fit to mash the Prince o' 
 Wiles.' 
 
 ^ Oh, rubbish !' replied Mrs. Denison, 
 much pleased. 
 
 ' That's right. It is, I tell yer.' 
 
 ^ Well, when he calls in Golden Square, 
 we shall know. But I'm afraid he will be 
 spared the sight of all this grandeur.' 
 
 Mrs. Denison was in higher spirits than 
 
220 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 she had been for months, and had got mildly 
 ironical on the strength of it. 
 
 She went to kiss the slumbering Alex- 
 ander good-night — poor, affectionate, good, 
 silly little woman — and then proceeded to 
 powder her face before the glass, by the 
 light of the westering sun, and to add a 
 discreet touch of rouge, for she was rather 
 sallow by nature, and insufficient food and 
 outdoor exercise emphasized that peculiarity. 
 Then, all being prepared, she sat on the 
 sofa and nervously read Ally Slopers Half- 
 Holiday, thinking all the time about 
 Cunningham, and how well he was dressed, 
 in a frock-coat with a camellia in it, and a 
 glossy tall hat, and hoping he would not 
 arrive in evening dress, and starting to look 
 out of the window whenever she heard a 
 step on the pavement. 
 
 At six punctually a hansom stopped at 
 the door, and Cunningham emerged and 
 rang the second-floor bell. She at once ran 
 downstairs and opened the door herself, not 
 to keep him waiting. 
 
THE COMMOX ANCESTOR 221 
 
 ^ Oh, you are ready,' he said ; * that's all 
 right. Will you get into the cab V and he 
 helped her in as if she had been queen of 
 the world, gave directions to the driver, and 
 got in after her. 
 
 She noticed that he had put on, not 
 the dreaded evening costume, but a dark 
 tweed suit and a round hat, and honoured 
 him for his thoughtfulness. 
 
 ' Thank you so much for the gloves, Mr. 
 Cunningham,' she said. 
 
 ' Which gloves V said Cunningham with 
 calm evasiveness. 
 
 ^ Oh, don't go on like that ! You know.' 
 
 ' Are they the right size ?' 
 
 ^ Yes, exactly. It's so awfully good of 
 you, and so clever to guess the size. I 
 don't know what makes you so kind to me, 
 I'm sure.' 
 
 * Well, it's a very small thing, but if I do 
 wish to be kind, I suppose it's because you 
 seem to want it. Isn't that a good enough 
 reason ?' 
 
 ' I wish everyone looked at it that way.' 
 
222 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 * Jolly evening, isn't it V 
 
 ^ Beautiful. I think there is something 
 awfully charming about a summer evening. 
 It always makes me think of a waltz I 
 heard years ago ; I forget the name, but it 
 went like this ;' and above the rattle of the 
 traffic she whistled softly a melody. 
 
 ' That !' he said. ' That is " Geliebt und 
 Verloren." It has been forgotten now, 
 among the fashionable barrel-organ things 
 like "Poudre d' Amour " and ^' Greenland 
 Faces," and rot of that kind; but I remember 
 it.' 
 
 * That's it. Well, that tune always made 
 me think of a summer evening, and now a 
 summer evening always makes me think of 
 that tune. Where are you going to take me ?' 
 
 This she asked with the perfect indif- 
 ferent trust of a child who knew that all 
 would be well, but was curious to know. 
 
 * Oh, to a quiet little place I sometimes 
 patronize, where the cookery is good and 
 the company unostentatious. Not far. In 
 fact, we are nearly there.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 223 
 
 Soon the cab stoj^ped in a short street off 
 Coventry Street, at an ItaHan hotel and 
 restaurant, and Mrs. Denison found herself 
 invited to deposit her hat in a ladies' cloak- 
 room by a polite pale youth, and then sat 
 opposite Cunningham at a cosy little table 
 in a corner, while a smiling, deferential 
 waiter put bread and butter and tJwn 
 marme on the table, and took an order for 
 a mezzo -Chianti. When he brought the 
 graceful long-necked flask in its plaited 
 straw garment, and put a bowl of ice on the 
 table, Mrs. Denison said : 
 
 ' Oh, I've seen those bottles before.' 
 ' I dare say you have. In Italy, perhaps ?' 
 * Yes. I was there once for a few days. 
 But I was not in a position to appreciate it 
 thoroughly — oh, don't let's talk about that 
 now ! I hate to think of it, and I want to 
 forget all the horrid past and future, and be 
 happy for a little while.' 
 
 ' Try this Chianti. You had better have 
 a lump of ice in it ; it's quite a tropical 
 evening.' 
 
224 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ^ Later on I'll tell you about Italy — no, 
 there, I may as well tell you now, and get 
 it off my mind, or I shall keep on thinking 
 about it, and it will spoil my dinner. I 
 think I can trust you, somehow ; if I tell 
 you about — about my past distinguished 
 career, you won't let it go further, or make 
 any bad use of it, will you ?' 
 
 ^ Whatever you please to tell me in con- 
 fidence shall be so regarded, of course. 
 But don't tell me anything unless you like.' 
 
 ' There,' he reflected, ' that ought to start 
 the story. Of course I knew there was a 
 story. Two chairs in the centre of the 
 stage, and so on.' 
 
 Mrs. Denison took some of the cool red 
 wine, and began : 
 
 * I dare say you've been wondering whether 
 I'm a widow, or a wife, or divorced, or what. 
 Well, seven years ago I was a young lady 
 of nineteen at a school near the Swiss 
 Cottage, being "finished" expensively. And 
 a nice finish it brought me to. My name 
 was Goldstein, Lily Goldstein, and I was a 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 225 
 
 Jewess, as the name will tell you, and as I 
 dare say you may have guessed from my 
 face. My father was in business in the 
 City in a large way — Goldstein and Morris 
 — and had a lot of money, and we all lived 
 in Caithness Avenue, Maida Vale, and were 
 very comfortable, and had lots of friends ; 
 and I had new dresses and hats, and gloves 
 and boots, and bangles and rings, and sun- 
 shades, and so on, whenever I liked, almost, 
 which is what a girl most cares about 
 at that time of life, if she is not very 
 clever, and is rather vain of her appearance 
 — and I really was thought rather pretty 
 then.' 
 
 ' Really !' said Cunningham, with a dry 
 smile. 
 
 ' And we used to go on Saturday morn- 
 ings to the St. John's Wood synagogue, 
 where my father used to stand, wearing a 
 new hat, on one side, by the curtain, to 
 draw it when the Thorah was j)^^t in again — 
 ah, well, I don't suppose you've ever been 
 to a synagogue ; never mind. There's not 
 
 VOL. I. 15 
 
226 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 much religion left in me now, I'm afraid. I 
 used to think more then of cutting out the 
 other girls in the gallery than the reading, 
 and singing, and prayers, which I mostly 
 didn't understand. Well, being at this 
 school, I must needs go and fall in love, like 
 a little idiot, with a man who taught singing 
 and Italian. He was good-looking, and 
 awfully amusing, and could talk sentiment- 
 ally, too — or I thought so, and thought he 
 was like the men I read about in novels. His 
 name was Alessandro Pellegrini. We used 
 to meet outside, when I had left school to 
 go home, and go for little walks and all that 
 sort of rubbish on the sly.' 
 
 ' Have a little soup, now, and then we'll 
 go on with the story.' 
 
 Mrs. Denison took her soup, and re- 
 marked : 
 
 ' This is awfully good. I've almost for- 
 gotten what a good dinner is like. This is 
 nice wine, too. I haven't tasted a glass of 
 wine for years, except half a pint of port 
 Bella got me from the pubhc-house when I 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 227 
 
 was rather seedy once, and it didn't improve 
 me.' 
 
 Cunningham shuddered. 
 
 ' She's a good sort, that Bella. I don't 
 know what I'd do without her. Well, it 
 ended in my running away w4th that man 
 and marrying him, and I thought I was 
 going to be awfully happy for ever after. 
 Then the trouble began. My father sent 
 me a cheque for five hundred pounds, and 
 his curse, and he never wished to see my 
 face again. Pellegrini took the money to 
 invest for me, so I only had the curse left 
 to keep. Pellegrini turned out an awful 
 failure, as you will see. He lived on my 
 money as long as it lasted, and then on my 
 jewellery ; but all the time he was so nice 
 to me I couldn't blame him, though I knew 
 I ought to. And yet — I was afraid of him. 
 We went to Paris first, and then by Mont 
 Cenis to Kome, and he used to make 
 acquaintance with English and American 
 gentlemen at the hotels, and bring them to 
 our rooms, and be very agreeable and amus- 
 
228 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ing and all that ; but it always ended in his 
 borrowing money, and their being a little 
 too attentive to me.' 
 
 ' I understand/ said Cunningham — ' I 
 understand.' 
 
 ' And, then, one day I found he was gone ; 
 and afterwards the police came and asked 
 questions, and I didn't know what to do. 
 I had money enough to telegraph, and I 
 telegraphed to my people. They sent me 
 some more money and a letter, telling me I 
 had better get back to England. I was 
 sorry for Alessandro. He was awfully 
 clever, but he never would work, and yet 
 he must always have the best of everything, 
 and travel first class, and drink champagne. 
 He played and sang divinely, too. When I 
 got to London, I found that my father was 
 dead. He had broken a thing in a vein — 
 something-ism ' 
 
 ' Aneurysm V 
 
 ' That's it. Hurrying to catch the City 
 train at Marlborough Road, he died sud- 
 denly. He had left me money enough to 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 229 
 
 produce one hundred pounds a year and no 
 more ; and my mother did nothing but cry 
 and scold, and say I had killed my father, 
 which was not true ; and none of my people 
 would have anything to do with me, or let 
 me live with them, because they said I had 
 disgraced the family. Of course my real 
 name is Pellegrini, but I didn't want 
 Alessandro, or anyone who knew him, to 
 have a chance of finding me, so I invented 
 the name of Denison, and have lived since 
 in the way you see me living now, except 
 that I was not always in the same lodgings, 
 and didn't find Bella for a year or two. 
 Then, Alexander came before I had been an 
 outcast very long, and there wasn't a human 
 soul to take care of me, or tell me what to 
 do, except the landlady of the place I was 
 at in Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square, and 
 the doctor, who was a total stranger. He 
 was a good old sort. I believe doctors are 
 just among the best people going.' 
 
 ' So do I.' 
 
 * And now you know all about me, and 
 
230 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 what an awful hash I've made of my life. 
 That's my loving spouse's face seven years 
 ago, and very like.' And she exhibited to 
 Cunningham a silver locket from her pocket. 
 * I brought it to show you.' 
 
 Cunningham examined it. 
 
 ^ 'M ! I never saw him, that I know of. 
 Now, let us forget all this and be cheerful 
 and eat our dinner.' 
 
 They went through a discreetly and deli- 
 cately chosen bill of fare, in which French 
 and Italian dishes were pleasantly alternated, 
 and towards the end Cunningham ordered a 
 pint of champagne. After coffee, a hansom 
 conveyed them to a theatre, where Cunning- 
 ham had already taken seats, and saw a 
 merry piece with much laughter in it, which 
 he had surmised would be the best kind of 
 thing to select under the circumstances. 
 Between the acts Mrs. Denison said : 
 
 ' You don't know what all this means to 
 me ; you can do it all any day you like. 
 You have given me a perfectly heavenly 
 evening, and I shall never forget it.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 231 
 
 'Oh, that's all right. I say, do you 
 know, I've thought of something that niight 
 do for Alexander next autumn. I know of 
 a school for little boys kept by a man I 
 used to know at Cambridge and his wife ; 
 they've got children of their own, and don't 
 overwork them, and are quite kind and all 
 that — and he could come home every after- 
 noon, you know.' 
 
 * But I never could pay for that.' 
 
 ' Oh, I think I could work Malcolm — 
 that's his name — for that on pretty easy, 
 in fact nominal, terms. He's an old friend 
 of mine, and one more among a dozen or so 
 won't make much dijfference to his expenses.' 
 
 Here the lights went down, preparatory 
 to the ascent of the curtain, and Mrs. 
 Denison seized Cunningham's hand which 
 was nearest her convulsively, and said : 
 
 * I know what that means. Oh no ! It's 
 too nmch !' 
 
 * Oh, it'll be all right. Now, don't cry, 
 because the curtain's going up. We'll see 
 about this by-and-by.' 
 
232 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 And soon Mrs. Denison had forgotten 
 her tragic and sordid experiences, and was 
 laughing merrily at the humours of Mr. 
 Terry. 
 
 At the end of the play Cunningham 
 drove her home again to Golden Square, 
 and stopped on the doorstep to say good- 
 night. She held his hand in both hers, and 
 said : 
 
 ' Good-night. I don't know what to say 
 to you. You are too kind to me, and I have 
 done nothing to deserve it.' 
 
 ' I've done nothing to deserve so much 
 thanks. If I have helped you to spend a 
 pleasant evening, you have helped me to do 
 the same.' 
 
 ' When shall I see you again V 
 
 ' Well, I'm going into the country to- 
 morrow.' 
 
 This was a recent resolution, come to 
 in the course of the play, but Cunning- 
 ham said it as if it had been planned for 
 weeks. 
 
 ' Shall you be away long ?' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 233 
 
 ' Oh, I don't know exactly. Some weeks, 
 perhaps. But I shall very likely have to 
 run up to town occasionally.' 
 
 ' Then you will come and see me, if you 
 are not too busy, and haven't forgotten my 
 existence ?' 
 
 ^ Certainly. With great pleasure.' 
 
 ' And — I hardly like to say it, you'll 
 think it a liberty.' 
 
 ' Go ahead.' 
 
 ' May I write to you V 
 
 * Of course, if you like. Tell me how 
 you and the boy are getting on, and how 
 you are going out of doors and keeping 
 your spirits up, and everything. Here 1' 
 And he scribbled ' The Rectory, RedclifF,' 
 on his card with a pencil. 
 
 She took it and looked at it. 
 
 ' And I shan't see you again for I don't 
 know how long — perhaps never.' 
 
 ' Mrs. Denison, I told you I would see 
 you again, and when I make a promise I 
 usually keep it.' 
 
 ' There ! now you're offended, and no 
 
234 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 wonder. I am such a fool !' the poor woman 
 rephed. 
 
 ' Oh, nonsense ! Don't worry yourself. 
 It's all right. Well, good-night, Mrs. 
 Denison, and don't go about the world 
 imagining you have no friends.' 
 
 * Good-night. I shall never forget this 
 evening, and your goodness to me, as long 
 as I live.' 
 
 And she opened the door with a latchkey 
 and went in, standing in the open doorway 
 to watch Cunningham walk away into the 
 darkness. 
 
 Then she went upstairs and confronted 
 Bella, who said : 
 
 ' Well, mum, I 'ope you've enjoyed your- 
 self 
 
 * I have, very much. Is Alexander all 
 right V 
 
 ' Yes, sleepin' beautiful. You're looking 
 better to-night than I've seen you for 
 months.' 
 
 ' I've been to the theatre, the . I 
 
 haven't laughed so much for a long time.' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 235 
 
 * Oh, he is a nice gentleman, y'nt he, 
 mum V 
 
 ' Yes, he is.' And Mrs. Denison sighed. 
 
 ' Bit tired, y'nt ye, mum ?' 
 
 ' Well, I suppose so. We'd better all go 
 to bed.' 
 
 ^ There, you set down, and I'll undo your 
 boots. You wants tykin' care of as much as 
 a by by, you do.' 
 
 Instead of rebuking Bella for this free- 
 dom, Mrs. Denison replied : 
 
 ^ I'm afraid I do.' 
 
 -TT -TT t't -TT 
 
 Cunningham strolled home to the Temple, 
 lit the lamp and a pipe, and sat down and 
 meditated. 
 
 ^ Poor woman ! Very hard lines. I sup- 
 pose these things happen oftener than one 
 supposes. Well, she was absurdly grateful 
 for small mercies. I shall get out of this 
 stuffy old Metropolis and go down to Red- 
 cliff to-morrow. Haven't seen Uncle Jim 
 for an immense time. Uncle Jim and the 
 Rectory garden and library, and a dip or 
 
236 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 two in the avr]pid^ov y£\a<j/uLa in the morning 
 sunshine. That's what I want — and — and 
 — well, let's go to bed.' 
 
 4A. JA. 4A. Jt 4i, 
 
 'TV' TV- -TT "TV" -TT 
 
 Mrs. Denison looked at the open silver 
 locket on her toilet-table. 
 
 ' Well, you've spoilt my life. Oh, it is a 
 shame 1 What shall I do now ?' 
 
 And she cried herself to sleep like a 
 baby. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 Mr. Scheiner had * descended,' as the 
 French put it, at the Royal Riviera Hotel 
 a short time before the beginning of this 
 story, to the great delight of that institu- 
 tion, as will appear. He wrote his name 
 in the book, Leopold Henry Scheiner (sub- 
 sequently hideously misspelt in the Redcliff 
 Observe r), Bulbul Club, London, and had 
 not been in the hotel an hour before he 
 had impressed the manager (the inevitable 
 manager, very correct in a striped ^jique 
 waistcoat and black * diagonal ' frockcoat) 
 with his amiability, his cleverness, his keen 
 head for business, and his fastidious yet 
 lavish tastes ; had made friends with the 
 tall German head- waiter by jocular observa- 
 
238 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 tions in a Baden accent, thereby securing 
 the best place near the best window for 
 dinner by-and-by, and had caused the 
 chambermaid of his floor to say sub- 
 sequently to her companion, a sullen and 
 tired-looking young waiter, who sat at a 
 table on the landing reading a torn piece 
 of old Kolnische Zeitung : 
 
 * Well, there, Karl, he is a nice man T 
 
 To which Karl replied with jealous irony, 
 tinged with weariness : 
 
 ' Oh 3^ees ! he is a fairy naice man — 
 fairy naice man inteed ! Vot he gif you V 
 
 ' Oh, there, go on ! It's no good talking 
 to you.' 
 
 A little later Mr. Scheiner was found in 
 intimate conversation with the man who 
 drove the hotel omnibus to and from the 
 station, giving interesting and various in- 
 formation about the diet and treatment of 
 horses, and telling humorous anecdotes about 
 racing. It was delightful to see him laugh 
 at his own funny stories. He told a story 
 very well, even if it went against himself, 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 239 
 
 and all the while an infectious, innocent 
 laugh like a happy baby's would play over 
 his face, showing how thoroughly he enjoyed 
 the keen pleasure of a jest, a smile which 
 thawed the primmest Anglaise for the 
 moment and produced a sympathetic but 
 reluctant smirk. It was at the table dliote 
 that this gift came out strongly, and no one 
 was proof against it. All the stiff young 
 bridegrooms whose brides whispered to 
 them to pass the salt — all the queer, extra- 
 ordinarily attired, unaccountable old maids, 
 who turn up in twos and threes at every 
 tahle cThote from Trondhjem to Jerusalem 
 — the stern-faced, square-bearded, myopic 
 German Freiherr — the sallow, gray-mous- 
 tached * pappa ' from somewhere near East 
 Fourteenth Street — the ivory-featured, deli- 
 cate * momma ' who had a minute bottle of 
 peptic tonic on the table near her — the 
 delightful Hattie and Sadie (also of East 
 Fourteenth Street), who always came in 
 ' quite late ' with yards of blue veil wrapped 
 round their hats, half hiding their exquisite 
 
240 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 faces, and wearing ^child's five and a quarter' 
 gloves — all these had to yield to the per- 
 suasive enchantment of this merry, courteous, 
 perfectly tactful, keenly intelligent, and 
 always charming gentleman. 
 
 The Royal Riviera took Mr. Scheiner 
 under its downiest wing, put him in a 
 pleasant room facing seaward, with a bal- 
 cony, fed him on choice cates, pressed on 
 him their celebrated Riviera Grand Mous- 
 seux tres sec, Cuvee speciale, their renowned 
 old ale, and their finest Highland malt 
 whisky, and generally saw that he reposed 
 upon unwrinkled rose-leaves. Then he was 
 never exclusive or haughty, while never 
 doing or saying anything which could be 
 said to derogate from his dignity. Just as 
 he gave advice about horses, so he would 
 about carpentry, hair-dressing, the cure of 
 toothache, the evaluation of Pi, the cultiva- 
 tion of the vine, and the particular vintages 
 to be recommended or avoided. He had 
 been in all the places, and knew all the 
 people concerned in almost any set of cir- 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 241 
 
 cumstances, to which a conversation might 
 veer. Was it cigars : * When I was in 
 Cuba two years ago there had been a pretty 
 good tobacco harvest, but all the work- 
 people at one of the biggest houses had 
 struck. Uriarte's place ; know the man 
 very well. He lost forty thousand dollars 
 that season because he wouldn't buy up 
 other cigars cheap and export them with 
 his labels on — fact. Common thinsf. Just 
 as common as to make Epernay champagne 
 in Italy, though you can always tell it by the 
 taste of iron and tannic acid,' etc., etc. Here 
 the respectable elderly country gentleman 
 at Redcliff with his family for a ' change ': 
 ' Gratifying to know that even there honesty 
 is still considered the best policy, after all.' 
 This with condescension and pomp, as an 
 original observation throwing fresh light 
 on the problems of human nature. Scheiner 
 retorted like a smiling lightning - flash : 
 ' Exactly what Uriarte told me ! It would 
 have ruined his next year's market if he 
 had allowed a quality below his average 
 VOL. I. 16 
 
242 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 to bear his label that year. Uriarte never 
 would be dishonest when it was pretty cer- 
 tainly the best policy not to be. Of course 
 he shipped out thousands with fancy names 
 to them, which would not injure the high 
 reputation of his house by being traceable 
 to it, but that was not so profitable.' 
 
 Then great curiosity arose as to the 
 nationality of this good-looking little man 
 (he was about five feet six), with the curly 
 grizzled dark hair, the crisp iron-gray 
 moustache, and the changing, expressive 
 eyes with the ready laugh in them. He 
 spoke German, Spanish, Italian and French 
 with apparent fluency. He seemed quite 
 familiar with English life, and spoke of his 
 club and his friends in London. He had an 
 introduction to the Gooches from his friend, 
 the Earl of Croaghpatrick, in consequence of 
 which the residents of Redcliff had hurried 
 up to the Riviera Hotel with card-cases in 
 their hands, and his name had been inscribed 
 at the Club, which was equivalent to the 
 Book of Life in RedclifF eyes. Yet his 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 243 
 
 habits were not quite English in detail. He 
 bowed to the company when he sat down 
 to the tahle dliote, even though they were 
 strangers to him. He lunched at twelve. 
 He tucked one end of his napkin into his 
 collar. He cut his meat up into little bits 
 first, then took the fork into his right hand 
 to eat with. This was Continental. Then 
 he ate his early breakfast egg — or, rather, 
 drank it — out of a wineglass, with butter, 
 salt and pepper. This was American. On 
 the other hand, he scrupulously adopted the 
 fork and piece of bread treatment of fish. 
 This was quite English. 
 
 The good ' pappa ' from East Fourteenth 
 Street, who was inquisitive, asked Mr. 
 Scheiner if he was an American. (With all 
 respect and admiration for that great nation, 
 it may be remarked that Americans are 
 sometimes a little inquisitive.) Mr. Scheiner 
 rephed cheerfully, ' American ? 1 ? Oh 
 no, I think not,' which was baffling. 
 
 ' What is your nationality, sir V continued 
 the good gray-moustached ' pappa,' while 
 
244 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 the table cVlidte wondered and waited and 
 whispered. 
 
 Mr. Scheiner drank some red wine — good 
 wine, you may be sure — wiped his mous- 
 tache briskly right and left, and answered, 
 laughing : 
 
 ^ Well, I don't know, exactly. That's one 
 of the things I want to find out. I don't 
 feel in a state of feverish suspense about it, 
 but it would undoubtedly interest me to 
 know. This is the conundrum. If a 
 German from New York marries a French 
 woman in Canada, and they live in Buenos 
 Ayres, and have a son born on board a 
 Belofian steamer on the Atlantic, land at 
 Antwerp, reside there for several years and 
 own property, then join relatives in Wlirtem- 
 berg, where the son grows up and serves in 
 the hussars, subsequently going to England 
 on business and becoming more or less 
 permanent there — what nationality is the 
 son V 
 
 ' Great Scott !' said the American. ' Ask 
 me another. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 245 
 
 * Well, I think my wife will furnish 
 another. She will be here very shortly, I 
 hope. She is of Irish- American parentage, 
 and was born and brought up in Paris. 
 She is rather delicate, I regret to say, and 
 our physician in London recommended this 
 place for the air, the mineral water, and the 
 bathing, and I came just to see what it was 
 like and make arranpfements for our accom- 
 modation, while she is doing a little of that 
 shopping in which a lady has no use for 
 a man.' 
 
 ' I believe we must claim Mrs. Scheiner 
 as an American citizen,' replied East Four- 
 teenth Street. ' Any olive-branches, sir ?' 
 
 ' Not a twig.' 
 
 The brides and the spinsters looked grave, 
 and became absorbed in pulling their bread 
 to pieces. 
 
 When Mr. Scheiner took his walks abroad, 
 or drove out in the Royal Riviera landau, 
 the shopkeepers came to their doors, the 
 lodgers to their windows, and the customers 
 in the shops turned round and paused in 
 
246 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 their commercial transactions to look at this 
 man, bowing to those who greeted him like 
 an affable emperor, spick-and-span in his 
 blue serge, or perhaps a fluffy fawn-coloured 
 tweed suit, with a salmon-pink carnation 
 exceedingly becoming to his dark com- 
 plexion. It must be remembered that he 
 was the novelty and sensation of the 
 moment — a person who did not stint money, 
 who lived in a style which Redcliff regarded 
 as princely, was likely to take a house 
 or apartments permanently — at any rate, 
 for the season — and consequently to do 
 what was called ' good to the town,' where- 
 fore High Street was justified in being 
 excited about his comings and goings. 
 
 He wanted to be friendly and popular, 
 and exhibited a gay and amiable temper, 
 and the town looked on him as a kind of 
 accomplished baby, or an agreeable but 
 guileless savage, from w^hom as much ivory 
 and gold-dust as possible was to be obtained 
 for as few glass beads and tin guns as 
 possible. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 247 
 
 So they invited him to subscribe to : 
 
 The Yacht Club. 
 
 The Eegatta Ball. 
 
 The Annual Town Regatta. 
 
 The East Pier Extension Scheme. 
 
 The New Recreation Ground. 
 
 The Town Band. 
 
 The Cricket Club. 
 
 The Bicycle Club. 
 
 The Young Men and Women's Christian 
 Recreation Institute. 
 
 The Convalescent Home. 
 
 The Redcliff Habitation of the Primrose 
 League. 
 
 The University Extension Lectures. 
 
 The Winter Ambulance Class. 
 
 The Annual Carnival (in which he took 
 an enthusiastic part when it came off, 
 and wore a large false nose and blew 
 a child's trumpet, and was perhaps 
 the only really merry person in that 
 rather depressing entertainment, 
 which was planned and organized by 
 a committee of local tradesmen with 
 
248 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 the object of doing ' good to the 
 town '). 
 
 The gentry (nieaningj of course, the resi- 
 dents) unbent to him rather more readily 
 than was usual with an entire stranger, on 
 account of the favourable circumstances 
 attending his introduction. For instance, 
 the Smalleys called on him because the 
 Gooches did, although the Gooches were 
 not in the habit, up to the present, of 
 calling on the Smalleys. Then Mr. Smalley 
 had an idea : 
 
 ^ We'd better ask him to dinner.' 
 
 And he was asked, and professed his 
 delight in accepting. He thought it might 
 possibly amuse him, as he read the note at 
 lunch, which was served in his sitting-room 
 as usual. 
 
 He had a bedroom and sitting-room in 
 communication with one another, all com- 
 manding the sea view. Mr. Scheiner 
 always had lunch at twelve, and called it 
 breakfast. He rose early, generally at 
 seven, had a cup of coffee, an egg (absorbed 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 249 
 
 in the already described gruesome manner), 
 a little bread and butter, and a cigarette, 
 and the morning paper was sent up to him 
 with the letters about eight, which he 
 studied generally in his shirt-sleeves. After 
 studying the mail and the newspaper, he 
 wrote letters occasionally, or sat in an arm- 
 chair, still in deshahiUe, at the open window, 
 smoking more cigarettes, and contemplating 
 the sky and sea. Sometimes he read a 
 book — generally a novel — and sometimes he 
 played the piano and sang. He played and 
 sang very well, and had good taste. The 
 German waiters used to congregate in the 
 passage furtively to hear him when he sang 
 '' Du bist wie eine Blume," or " Du schones 
 Fischer Madchen." At half-past ten he 
 nearly always put on an old green Tyrolese 
 hat, and a queer gray forester's jacket, with 
 green braid cuffs and horn buttons, and 
 walked down to the shore and had a good 
 long swim, and came back looking very 
 fresh and healthy and handsome. Then he 
 dressed himself properly, in his own tasteful 
 
250 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 and soigne style, and had his ^ breakfast/ 
 usually consisting of fish and omelette, and 
 a pint of Rhenish wine or Bordeaux. After 
 that, various occupations, mainly social, took 
 up his time. 
 
 When he did not dine out with Redcliff 
 residents or at the Club, he dined at the 
 hotel table dlidte, which amused him. 
 Besides, he had the Continental fancy for 
 meals in public. 
 
 When he asked BedclifF people to dine 
 with him, he generally gave them the 
 table dliote fare at a private table in the 
 hotel garden, or under the veranda, which 
 both surprised and delighted his guests, 
 who, though they all had gardens, while 
 some had verandas, had never conceived 
 the possibility of dining in them on a fine 
 summer evening, or breakfasting in them on 
 fine summer mornings, albeit they thought 
 it perfectly natural and proper to have tea 
 in them on a fine summer afternoon. 
 Perhaps all the servants would have given 
 notice at the mention of such a thing. 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 251 
 
 He had a pretty taste in wine, too, and 
 the wines he had served to his guests rather 
 surprised and puzzled them. The RedchfF 
 residents' conception of wine included port, 
 sherry and claret, with sweet champagne for 
 * parties '; whereas that of Mr. Scheiner was 
 of a wider scope, and at the same time more 
 eclectic character. 
 
 At the time when our young Argonauts 
 were passing on their slippery and weed- 
 grown way through the blue Symplegades 
 as represented by the Gate of Roylieu, Mr. 
 Scheiner was pacing the esplanade, which 
 was in front of his hotel, and had there met 
 with Mr. Smalley of Fernbank, with whom 
 he was in conversation. 
 
 ' I tell you what it is, Mr. Smalley : I've 
 got a perfectly magnificent idea,' he was 
 saying, his face eager, his hands gesticulat- 
 ing gracefully, and his speech rapid ; ' a 
 scheme to awaken this dead-alive place, put 
 some real life into it, and put money in all 
 your pockets ' 
 
 ' But do you call this a dead-alive place ?' 
 
252 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ' Don't you ? Whatever do the people 
 do, except call on each other solemnly in 
 big carriages with overfed horses at stated 
 intervals, and then talk about the church ? 
 There are dozens of young ladies, and hardly 
 any young men for them to play with. No 
 wonder ! What in the world are young 
 men to do if they do come here ? Even 
 the everlasting and soul-sufficing tennis 
 can't be played much in winter, or on the 
 very numerous wet days this country is 
 endowed with. My 1 I mean to make 
 this into a summer city. There are the 
 makings of a Nice or a Newport here.' 
 
 ' Newport ?' 
 
 ^ Oh, I mean Newport in America. Just 
 look at all your advantages ! Beautiful 
 scenery, sheltered situation, excellent sea- 
 bathing, a ferruginous mineral Spa — that 
 mineral spring alone ought to boom the 
 place, properly worked. You want to have 
 a regular etablissement — Casino, you know — 
 run by a little company. The most in- 
 fluential residents could be the directors, 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 253 
 
 with everybody else for shareholders. 
 There's money in it, my dear sir — cartloads 
 of money !' 
 
 ' But really ' 
 
 ' Now, you just think this over ! Com- 
 mittee of directors, of course, to regulate 
 admission, and exclude too obviously un- 
 suitable persons. I know how to work it 
 all exactly, and I can get hold of just the 
 right people to push it, and advertise it in 
 exactly the right channels. We'd do all 
 you do here now, only infinitely better. 
 We'd absorb the present tennis-ground in 
 the Casino premises, we'd absorb the 
 Carnival ball and the other balls, we'd 
 absorb the Regatta, and instead of having 
 to subscribe to those things as you do now, 
 you would make them a source of profit. 
 Look here, any visitor here, admitted on 
 applying to the Bureau, passes in his card, 
 satisfies the Bureau (which must have a 
 good shrewd, competent man of the world 
 in it) that he is in the army, navy, church, 
 stage, law, art, peerage, or some recognised 
 
254 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 club. Then he pays so much for the day, 
 week, month, or season. Restaurant good 
 and cheap, as cheap as a good cook can be 
 got to do it. Good wine. You can pull in 
 an immense profit on the wine. English 
 and German beer ; coffee — gracious me ! it 
 would be a revelation to some people you 
 and I know about here just to smell good 
 coffee once. We wouldn't have any sleep- 
 ing: accommodation, because that would set 
 the hotels against us, and I mean to have a 
 row of good big hotels along this sea-front.' 
 
 ^ But what are the people to do in this — 
 er — etablislimong f 
 
 ^ Do ? Everything — just everything! 
 Music, little bijou variety theatre with the 
 best artists, say once a week. Permanent 
 orchestra of real musicians — I can get them. 
 Snuff out that terrible town-band entirely. 
 Newspapers, serious and comic, of different 
 nations, games, billiards, cards, tennis, 
 skittles, golf, pigeon-shooting, polo, cricket 
 — everything ! Dance as often as possible, 
 once a week, twice a week, every day if you 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 255 
 
 like ! The Secretary of State for War is a 
 great friend of mine, brother of the Earl of 
 Croaghpatrick, don't you know ! I think 
 I could arrange to have some of these new 
 barracks built at your county town here, 
 and that would mean officers to dance with 
 the girls and throw a little money about.' 
 
 Mr. Scheiner paused for breath, and Mr. 
 Smalley inquired : 
 
 ' And what arrangements would you 
 suggest as to the admission of ladies ? 
 Because if the place really grew and became 
 popular it might attract a number of — an 
 undesirable class of persons.' 
 
 ^ Sure to ; and they ahvays make the 
 money spin, too. However, the committee 
 can settle that, though they'd do far better 
 to appoint somebody to arrange all the 
 practical details, including the sort of thing 
 you allude to, who knows how.' 
 
 ^ Yourself, for instance, eh, Scheiner ?' 
 suggested Mr. Smalley facetiously. 
 
 * Myself, for instance,' replied Mr. Scheiner 
 seriously. ' I should take a real pleasure 
 
256 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 in it. Oh, the thing would boom, I tell 
 you ! Think how the price of land for 
 building would go up ! And think how the 
 railway would have to extend and pay com- 
 pensation to property owners ! Think, too, 
 how the tradesmen would benefit !' 
 
 Mr. Smalley thought of his own deceased 
 parent and his doings with land, buildings, 
 and railways, and how his, John Smalley's, 
 own very comfortable competence proceeded 
 wholly from those transactions ; and then 
 he remembered that he also possessed some 
 land, not at present valuable as things were, 
 and it occurred to him that, after all, Mr. 
 Scheiner's enthusiastic project might not be 
 quite so visionary as it had at first seemed. 
 Mr. Smalley was not a quick or clever man, 
 and an idea required time, an incubatory 
 period, with him before it was thoroughly 
 grasped, and once grasped, a still longer 
 time before he could be convinced that it 
 was erroneous or rendered obsolete by time 
 and circumstance. 
 
 ^ You know, as far as that goes, Scheiner, 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 257 
 
 I've got a bit of land of my own, extends 
 up the down there, behind Fort Romer. 
 There is a good view from up there, but 
 it doesn't ever occur to anybody to want 
 to buy it.' 
 
 * That's because they've no enterprise. 
 Where is it V 
 
 ' Up there,' and Mr. Smalley pointed with 
 his thick stick. 
 
 ' Excellent ! That is the site of the Cliff 
 Hotel, with an elevator up and down from 
 the shore for the use of visitors, invalids, 
 <3tc., staying at the hotel. Thousands of 
 pounds in it !' 
 
 ' But, I say, I couldn't keep a hotel !' 
 
 ' Of course you couldn't ! But you could 
 take the rent from somebody else who did 
 keep it. The fitablissement Company would 
 <lo well to run most of the hotels on the 
 quiet, with a man of straw put in as nominal 
 licensee. I know how to work all that. 
 Each hotel has its own 'bus at station ; 
 great competition between them to secure 
 the traveller, and that sort of thing ; dif- 
 
 VOL. I. 17 
 
258 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 ferent, slightly different, scale of prices at 
 the different houses. Money from them all, 
 minus men-of-straw managers' salaries, goes 
 into the dividends.' 
 
 ^ There's a tumble-down old cottage up 
 there now, tenanted just at present, but 
 only by the week, by a drunken old sailor- 
 man you may have seen about the place. 
 He gets odd jobs from the boating peojDle, 
 and does a good deal of casual begging ; he 
 was put in by Rawson, the agent in High 
 Street. Rawson told me no better tenant 
 was likely to be had for such a place. He 
 can easily have notice to quit, and a good 
 riddance, too. There's another thing, too, 
 talking of building ; there's a stone-quarry 
 on the side of the hill where my little 
 property is.' 
 
 Mr. Smalley had a profound respect for 
 money, or for people who had money, and 
 took a solemn delight in conversations in 
 which money, directly or indirectly, was the 
 prevailing topic. Consequently he was still 
 more impressed with the solemnity of the 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 259 
 
 occasion when his own possible ' unearned 
 increment ' was treated of in this hopeful 
 style, and he began to take it seriously, the 
 only thing that puzzled him and made him 
 feel giddy being Scheiner's pictorial and 
 dramatic imagination of an entirely new 
 Redcliff, and the extreme velocity of speech 
 and apparent flippancy of manner with 
 which he developed his scheme. Mr. 
 Smalley could not understand that a serious 
 matter could be treated otherwise than in a 
 serious way, and the making of money was 
 surely not a fit subject for genial mirth. 
 When he talked with Paynter, or Admiral 
 Moore, or the Vicar, if they joked it was 
 a joke, and no mistake about it. Admiral 
 Moore had several very good jokes, hardy 
 annuals, and if they talked about serious 
 things, such as how much money somebody 
 had left or ^ come in for,' then it was 
 serious, and again no mistake about it ; 
 wherefore, now he was placed in a wholly 
 new conversational atmosphere, much more 
 rarefied than that to which he was used, 
 
26o THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 by this enthusiastic man of many countries^ 
 to whom nothing seemed sacred, not even 
 money or county famihes who kept carriages 
 and pairs. 
 
 * Stone-quarry !' Mr. Scheiner exclaimed, 
 turning round and stopping, in order to 
 cencentrate all his attention and bodily 
 activity on the conversation. ^ Why, there 
 you are ! Site to build people houses on, 
 stone to build them with, mineral waters 
 for them to make their insides miserable 
 with, sea to bathe in, lovely scenery, climate 
 unsurpassed — by Jove, yes ! we must make 
 up some good climatic statistics for the 
 doctors ; I can work that — just think of all 
 the gifts of Providence lying unutilized at 
 your door, so to speak, all these years, all 
 this napkinful of talents buried skin-deep 
 for the first accidental stranger with eyes 
 and experience to prod up with his um- 
 brella ! This place is like the white block 
 of Carrara marble, which has a statue inside, 
 only it takes a special kind of man, called 
 an artist, to excavate it. Been to Carrara ? 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 261 
 
 No ? Ah, you ought to go to Carrara. 
 Lovely place, magnificent mountains, white 
 patches and streaks of marble like snow in 
 the sunshine. Strangers always think it 
 is snow, till they get told so often it's 
 marble that, when the real snow comes 
 they won't believe in it, and imagine there 
 has been a heavy fall of marble during the 
 night.' 
 
 Mr. Smalley's brain was almost reeling, 
 but he recovered himself gallantly, and 
 said : 
 
 ' Indeed ! Is that possible ? Oh, I see ! 
 Now I take you. Ha, ha ! Capital ! You 
 are fond of your joke Scheiner, I know. It 
 is a great gift, a sense of humour.' 
 
 ' Oh, it is,' replied Scheiner, inwardly 
 commenting. ' Yes, that's out of the First 
 Book of Platitudes, second chapter and 
 third verse. Same chapter where *' What 
 a small world it is, after all !" comes in, and 
 the '' object of Government should be the 
 benefit of the governed." I know.' 
 
 * I always feel,' pursued Mr. Smalley 
 
 c^ 
 
262 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 gravely, ' a kind of compassion for people 
 who are devoid of a sense of humour.' 
 ^ So do I. Always make a point of it.' 
 
 * They lose so much. And they are so 
 numerous, especially, I fear, in England.' 
 
 * They are fairly numerous in a good 
 many countries. Isn't that your tenant 
 that we were speaking of?' 
 
 * I believe it is. Ah, good day !' 
 
 A hoarse voice from the immediate neigh- 
 bourhood of the taproom door of the Sloop 
 public-house was heard to say : 
 
 ' Got a drop a drink for a pore ole sailor- 
 man V 
 
 This irreverent reply proceeded from the 
 sea-tramp, or ancient mariner, before men- 
 tioned, who was in his normal state of rum, 
 had his normal dark yellow streak at each 
 corner of his mouth, and was apparently 
 developing a rather aggressive and morose 
 stage of temper. 
 
 ' I should think not !' replied Mr. 
 Smalley. ' How dare you address me like 
 that ! Do you know who I am ?' 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 263 
 
 And the Captain and Magistrate blew a 
 little. 
 
 * I knows '00 you be well enough. Don't 
 none o' you get talkin' to me about darin'. 
 I've dared to twist the 'ed off as good a 
 man as you before now. See this yer 'igh 
 'at?' 
 
 Here the veteran pointed to the shape- 
 less brown thing which sheltered his un- 
 venerable brow. 
 
 ' A very pretty hat,' observed Mr. 
 Scheiner pleasantly. 
 
 ' 'Ow did I get 'ee ? Why, I drove a 
 knife through the stummick of the chap 
 what owned 'ee. That chap didn't 'ave 
 nummore use for 'ats after that, so I kep 
 'ee.' 
 
 Mr. Scheiner smiled, and said : 
 
 ' But why these recollections of a stirring 
 homicidal career ?' 
 
 ' Oh, nothink. Only I hain't afraid of 
 nobody, not magi-strates ' (with a severe 
 look at Mr. Smalley) ' nor (adjective) 
 Portygees neither ' (menacing scowl at 
 
364 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 Scheiner), ^ nummore than if they was 
 pigs/ 
 
 ^ I am afraid you are not sober/ said Mr. 
 Smalley with stern pomposity. * Why 
 don't you do some honest work, instead of 
 hanging about at pubhc-houses, and spend- 
 ing your money in drink ?' 
 
 ' Ain't spent none o' yourn. There, I be 
 gettin' a nieddHn' hold chap now, and I 
 can't work hke what I used, and I w^ants a 
 honnerble employmint for my decUnin' 
 years.' 
 
 * What do you mean by an honourable 
 employment, I should like to know V 
 
 ' Oh, nothink. That's what I does 
 'bout best now, savin' I likes to get 'andlin' 
 of a boat now and agen. If I died, and 'ad 
 to be buried, I'd like to 'ave it done aboard 
 of a boat o' some sart, and get started 
 overb'd in sackin', proper way.' 
 
 ' Well, well — yes, yes — I dare say,' said 
 Mr. Smalley impatiently ; ' look here — what 
 is it they call you, my man ?' 
 
 ' Me ? Oh, Hisick Barton they calls 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 265 
 
 me. Barn in the parish o' Yarmouth, Isle 
 of Wight, I was, and I ain't your man in 
 particler, as I knows of.' 
 
 ' You're my tenant, at all events. But 
 that won't be much longer. You must be 
 prepared any week for notice to quit that 
 cottage. Barton, as I am thinking of making 
 a — different use of that ground, one of these 
 days. So I should want it, you know.' 
 
 * Oh, be ye now ?' 
 
 * Yes, and, mind, don't you go and 
 say you weren't fairly warned beforehand. 
 And now, if I were you, I'd go home, and 
 leave the Sloop alone for a day or two.' 
 
 ' I minds the time when a genelman, a 
 real genelman of the ole sart, what was a 
 genelman, what didn't get his money outer 
 trade, and pass tracts about, would give a 
 pore man summat to drink 'is 'ealth with. 
 Law ! them times is over, I specs.' 
 
 ' Yes, the times are changed — changed for 
 the better, too. And that's another thing ; 
 I really couldn't have you for a tenant if 
 you go on in this discreditable way, even if 
 
266 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 I didn't require the premises for other 
 reasons, which are, of course, my business. 
 You are never seen at church, either, which 
 at your time of Hfe is disgraceful — at your 
 time of hfe, you know.' 
 
 ' Church ? Me ? Gar !' repHed Mr. 
 Barton with infinite scorn. 
 
 Mr. Scheiner was much entertained. 
 
 ' And you are constantly begging, I 
 know, which I, as a magistrate, am bound 
 not to tolerate,' continued Mr. Smalley, 
 who never knew when he had said enough, 
 but usually kept repeating the same thing 
 in different ways, and adding on little bits 
 and details to a, perhaps, originally justifi- 
 able complaint, until he became unbearably 
 exasperating. * Yes ; you are always 
 begging, you know. If you want relief, 
 there are the proper quarters to apply to. 
 There are the proper quarters to apply to, 
 if you want relief You ought to know 
 that. But you understand, now, I may 
 want you to quit that place — that cottage 
 of mine — any week : you see ? Any week 
 
THE COMMON ANCESTOR 267 
 
 I may give you notice, or Mr. Rawson 
 may.' 
 
 The old man spat, put both hands on his 
 stick, and looked straight in the face of the 
 stout and prosy purveyor of wise saws and 
 modern instances with his own fierce, dark 
 eyes and stern, projecting underlip for a 
 moment, like a squalid ^prophet of fire.' 
 Then he said : 
 
 * Look you 'ere, mister. You listen to 
 me. I've bin knocked about all over the 
 round world since before you was barn — 
 East Indies and West, Narth and South, 
 Lapland to Cape 'Arn. I've bin through 
 things you never dreamed of ; I've looked 
 Death in the face afore ever you was a 
 squealin' babby ; I bin starved, drownded 
 and froze ; I bin in prison ; I bin shot and 
 stabbed all over ; I bin 'ung up by the 'ands 
 over a fire ; I've 'ad to work 'ard, and I've 
 'ad to fight 'ard. Once I was a hadmiral 
 for a fortnight, out in 'Ayti. And few and 
 shart was the times when I bin able to set 
 down and draw a bit o' baccy and say I was 
 
268 THE COMMON ANCESTOR 
 
 'appy. You bin livin' all your life on fresh 
 meat and taties — and lots of 'em, by the look 
 of you — and sleepin' in a soft bed, and now 
 you says you're goin' to turn a poor old 
 broke-to-peezes, drunken sailor-man out of 
 that footy old dog-'utch o' yourn up Romer, 
 just fit for 'im to die in ! I allowed to live 
 there till my duty aloft come. You'll be 
 sorry if you does it. There 1 Go on 
 ome 1 
 
 And the old man stood there muttering 
 and watching, while Mr. Smalley somewhat 
 nervously turned away, saying : 
 
 ^ Come on, Scheiner, there's nothing 
 further to be done here at present.' 
 
 END OF VOL, I. 
 
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 THE DREAM. Translated by Eliza Chase. With 8 Illustrations by Jexnniot 
 DOCTOR PASCAL. Translated by E. A. Vizetelly. With Portrait of the Author 
 MONEY. Translated by Ernest A. Vi zete l ly. [Shortly. 
 
 EMILE ZOLA: A Biography. By R. H. Sherard. With Portraits, Illustrations, 
 and Facsimile Letter. Demy 8vo, cloth extra, 128. 
 
26 
 
 BOOKS PUB,L1§HED BY 
 
 LISTS OF BOOK S CLASSIFIE D IN SERIES. 
 
 *»* Forfulhr cataloguing, see alphabetical arrangement, pp. 1-25. 
 
 THE MAYFAIR LIBRARY. 
 A Journey Round My Rdora. By Xavier 
 
 DE MaISTRE. 
 
 Quips and Quiddities. By W.D.Adams. 
 The Agony Column of "The Times." 
 Melancholy Anatomised: Abridgment of 
 
 " Burton's Anatomy ot Melancholy." 
 The Speeches of Charles Dickens. 
 Poetical Ingenuities. By W. T. Dobson. 
 The Cupboard Papers. By Fin-Bec. 
 W. S. Gilbert's Plays. First Series. 
 W. S. Gilbert's Plays. Second Series. 
 Songs of Irish Wit and Humour. 
 Animals and Masters. By Sir A. Helps. 
 Social Pressure. By Sir A. Helps. 
 Curiosities of Criticism. H. J. Jennings. 
 Holmes's Autocrat of Breakfast-Table. 
 Pencil and Palette. By R. Kempt. 
 Little Essays; trom Lamb's Letters. 
 
 Post 8vo, cloth limp, 28. 61!. per Volume. 
 Forensic Anecdotes. By Jacob Larwood. 
 Theatrical Anecdotes. Jacob Larwood. 
 Jeux d'Esprit. Edited by Henry S. Leigh. 
 Witch Stories. By E. Lynn Linton. 
 Ourselves. By E. Lynn Linton. 
 Pastimes & Players. By R. Macgregor. 
 New Paul and Virginia. W.H.Mallock. 
 New Republic. By W. H. Mallock. 
 Puck on Pegasus. By H. C. Pennell. 
 Pegasus Re-Saddled. By H. C. Pennell. 
 Muses of Mayfair. Ed. H. C. Pennell. 
 Thoreau : His Life & Aims. By H. A. Page. 
 Puniana. By Hon. Hugh Rowley. 
 More Puniana. By Hon. Hugh Rowley. 
 The Philosophy of Handwriting. 
 By Stream and Sea. By Wm. Senior. 
 Leaves from a Naturalist's Note-Book. 
 By Dr. Andrew Wilson. 
 
 THE GOLDEN LIBRARY. 
 Bayard Taylor's Diversions of the Echo 
 
 Club. 
 Bennett's Ballad History of England. 
 Bennett's Songs for Sailors. 
 Godwin's Lives of the Necromancers. 
 Pope's Poetical Works. 
 Holmes's Autocrat of Breakfast Table. 
 
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 Jesse's Scenes of Country Life. 
 Leigh Hunt's Tale for a Chimney 
 
 Corner. 
 Mallory's Mort d'Arthur: Selections. 
 Pascal's Provincial Letters. 
 Rochefoucauld's Maxims & Reflections. 
 
 THE WANDERER'S LIBRARY 
 Wanderings in Patagonia. By Julius 
 
 Beerbohm. Illustrated. 
 Camp Notes. By Frederick Boyle. 
 Savage Life. By Frederick Boyle. 
 Merrie England in the Olden Time. By 
 
 G. Daniel. Illustrated by Cruikshank. 
 Circus Life. By Thomas Frost. 
 Lives of the Conjurers. Thomas Frost. 
 The Old Showmen and the Old London 
 
 Fairs. By Thomas Frost. 
 Low-Life Deeps. By James Greenwood. 
 
 Crown 8vo, cloth extra, Ss. 6d. each. 
 Wilds of London. James Greenwood. 
 Tunis. Chev. Hesse-Wartegg. 22 Illusts. 
 Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack. 
 World Behind the Scenes. P.Fitzgerald. 
 Tavern Anecdotes and Sayings. 
 The Genial Showman. ByE.P. Hingston. 
 Story of London Parks. Jacob Larwood. 
 London Characters. By Henry Mayhew. 
 Seven Generations of Executioners. 
 Summer Cruising in the South Seas. 
 
 By C. Warren Stoddard. Illustrated. 
 
 POPULAR SHILLING BOOKS. 
 
 Harry Fludyer at Cambridge. 
 Jeff Briggs's Love Story. Bret Harte. 
 Twins of Table Mountain. Bret Harte. 
 Snow-bound at Eagle's. By Bret Harte. 
 A Day's Tour. By Percy Fitzgerald. 
 Esther's Glove. By R. E. Francillon, 
 Sentenced! By Somerville Gibney. 
 The Professor's Wife. By L. Graham. 
 Mrs. Gain$borough's Diamonds. By 
 
 Julian Hawthorne. 
 Niagara Spray. By J. Hollingshead. 
 A Romance of the Queen's Hounds. By 
 
 Charles James. 
 Garden that Paid Rent. Tom Jerrold. 
 Cut by the Mess. By Arthur Keyser. 
 Teresa Itasca. By A. MacAlpine. 
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 Doom! By Justin H. McCarthy. 
 Dolly. By Justin H. McCarthy. 
 
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 Was She Good or Bad? By W. Minto. 
 Notes from the "News." ByjAs, Payn. 
 Beyond the Gates. By E. S. Phelps. 
 Old Maid's Paradise. By E. S. Phelps. 
 Burglars in Paradise. By E. S. Phelps. 
 Jack the Fisherman. By E. S. Phelps. 
 Trooping with Crows. By C. L. Pirkis. 
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 How the Poor Live. By G. R. Sims. 
 Case of George Candlemas. G. R. Sims. 
 Sandycroft Mystery. T. W. Speight. 
 Hoodwinked. By T. W. Speight. 
 Father Damien. By R. L, Stevenson, 
 A Double Bond. By Linda Villari. 
 My Life with Stanley's Rear Guard. By 
 Herbert Ward, 
 
 HANDY NOVELS. Fcap. 8vo, cloth boards, is. 6«r. each. 
 The Old Maid's Sweetheart. A.St.Aubyn I Taken from the Enemy. H. Newbolt. 
 Modest Little Sara. Alan St. Aubyn. | A Lost Soul. By W. L. Alden. 
 Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. M.E.Coleridge. | Dr. Palliser's Patient. Grant Allen. 
 
CHATTO 8c WINDUS, 214, PICCADILLY. 
 
 27 
 
 MY LIBRARY. Pripted on laid paper 
 Pour Frenchwomen. By Austin Dobson. 
 Citation and Examination of William 
 
 Shakspeare. By W. S. Landor. 
 The Journal of Maurice de Guerin. 
 
 post 8vo, hair-Roxburglie, Ss. 6tl. each, 
 Christie Johnstone. By Charles Reade. 
 
 With a Photogravure Frontispiece, 
 Peg Wofftngton. By Charles Readp. 
 The Dramatic Essays of Charles Lamb. 
 
 THE POCKET LIBRARY. PostSvo 
 
 The Essays of Elia. By Charles Lamb. 
 Robinson Crusoe. Edited by John Major. 
 
 With 37lllusts. byGEORGK Cruikshank. 
 Whims and Oddities. By Thomas Hood. 
 
 Witii 8s Illustrations, 
 The Barber's Chair, and The Hedgehog 
 
 Letters. By Douglas Jerrold. 
 Gastronomy. By Brillat-Savarin. 
 The Epicurean, &c. By Thomas Moore. 
 Leigh Hunt's Essays. Ed. E. Ollikr. 
 
 printed on laid paper and hf.-bd., 3«. each. 
 
 White's Natural History of Selborne. 
 
 Gulliver's Travels, and The Tale of a 
 Tub. By Dean Swift. 
 
 The Rivals, School for Scandal, and other 
 Plays by Richard Buinsley Sheridan. 
 
 Anecdotes of the Clergy. J. Larwood. 
 
 Thomson's Seasons. Illustrated. 
 
 The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table 
 and The Professor at the Breakfast- 
 Table. Bv Oi.tver Wendell Holmes. 
 
 THE PICCADILLY NOVELS. 
 
 Library Editions of Novels, many Illust 
 
 By F. M. AI.I.KIV. 
 Green as Grass. 
 
 By GBAIVT Al.r.E^'. 
 
 Philistia. 
 Babylon 
 Strange Stories. 
 Beckoning Hand. 
 In all Shades. 
 
 The Tents of Shem. 
 For Maimie's Sake. 
 The Devil's Die. 
 This Mortal Coil. 
 The Great Taboo. 
 
 rated, crown 8vo, cloth extra, 3s. 6d. each. 
 By MACIjAKJEIV COBBAIV, 
 The Red Sultan. 
 MOKT. & FRANCES COr,l.IIVS. 
 
 Transmigration. | Blacksmith&Scholar. 
 From Midnight to Midnight. 
 Village Comedy. | You Play Me False. 
 By AVII.KIF C'Oi.L.I]^'N. 
 
 Duraaresq's Daughter. | Blood Royal. 
 The Duchess of Powysland. 
 Ivan Greet's Masterpiece. 
 
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 Phra the Phoenician. 
 The Constable of St. Nicholas. 
 
 By Al.AIV ST. AUBV^T. 
 A Fellow of Trinity. | The Junior Dean. 
 The Master of St. Benedict's. 
 
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 Red Spider. I Eve. 
 
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 In Steamer Chair | From Whose Bourne 
 
 By W. BESANT & J. RIDE. 
 My Little Girl. By Celia's Arbour. 
 
 Case of Mr.Lucraft. Monks of Thelema, 
 ThisSonofYulcan. The Seamy Side. 
 Golden Butterfly. Ten Years' Tenant. 
 Ready-Money Mortiboy. 
 With Harp and Crown. 
 'Twas in Trafalgar's Bay. 
 The Chaplain of the Fleet. 
 
 By WALTER BE.SANT. 
 All Sorts and Conditions of Men. 
 The Captains' Room. I Herr Paul us. 
 All in a Garden Fair | The Ivory Gate. 
 The World Went Very Well Then. 
 For Faith and Freedom. 
 Dorothy Forster. j The Holy Rose. 
 
 Armorel of Lyon- 
 
 St. Katherlne's by 
 the Tower. 
 
 Uncle Jack. 
 
 Children of Gibeon. 
 
 Bell of St. Paul's. 
 
 To Call Her Mine. 
 
 Verbena Camellia Stephanotis 
 
 By ROBERT BUCHANAN. 
 The Shadow of the Sword. | Matt, 
 A Child of Nature. | Heir of Linne. 
 The Martyrdom of Madeline. 
 God and the Man. I The New Abelard. 
 Love Me for Ever. Foxglove Manor. 
 Annan Water. I Master of the Mine. 
 
 By IIAEI. CAINE. 
 The Shadow of a Crime. 
 L Son of Hagar. ( The Deemster. 
 
 The Frozen Deep. 
 The Two Destinies. 
 Law and the Lady. 
 Haunted Hotel. 
 The Fallen Leaves. 
 Jezebel's Daughter. 
 The Black Robe. 
 Heart and Science. 
 "I Say No." 
 Little Novels. 
 The Evil Genius. 
 The Legacy of Cain 
 A Rogue's Life. 
 Blind Love. 
 
 Armadale, 
 After Dark. 
 No Name. 
 Antonina. | Basil. 
 Hide and Seek. 
 The Dead Secret. 
 Queen of Hearts. 
 My Miscellanies. 
 Woman in White. 
 The Moonstone. 
 Man and Wife. 
 Poor Miss Finch. 
 Miss or Mrs? 
 New Magdalen. 
 
 By BUTTON COOK. 
 Paul Foster's Daughter. 
 
 By EI>WARE> II. COOPER. 
 Geoffory Hamilton. 
 
 By V. CECIE COTES. 
 Two Girls on a Barge. 
 
 By lUATT f^RIlVI. 
 Adventures of a Fair Rebel. 
 
 By B. in. CROKFR. 
 Diana Barrington. I PrettyMiss Neville. 
 Proper Pride. A Bird of Passage. 
 
 AFamilyLikeness. | "To Let." 
 
 By %VBI.IiIAlTl CVP1.ES. 
 Hearts of Gold, 
 
 By AI.I'IIONSE OAUDET. 
 The Evangelist; or, Port Salvation, 
 
 By EKASIIU.""* DAWSON. 
 The Fountain of Youth. 
 
 By JAITIES BE ITIIEIiE. 
 A Castle in Spain. 
 
 By .1. I. FIT 11 BE R WE NT. 
 Our Lady of Tears. I Circe's Lovers. 
 
 By »ICI£ DONOVAN. 
 Tracked to Doom. 
 Man from Manchester. 
 
 By A. CONAN DOYJLE. 
 The Firm of Girdlestone, 
 By Mrs. ANNIE EBWARBES. 
 Archie Lovell. 
 
 By «. JTIANVIEEE FENN. 
 The New Mistress. | Witness to the Deed. 
 
23 
 
 BOOKS PUBLISHED BY 
 
 The Piccadilly (3/6) Novels— continued. 
 
 By 1»EKCY FlTZG*:ilAi.l>. 
 Fatal Zero. 
 
 By B. E. FBANCIIiliON. 
 Queen Cophetua. I A Real Queen. 
 One by One. King or Knave. 
 
 I Ropes of Sand. 
 Pref.bySirBABTJLE FBEBE. 
 Pandurang Hari. 
 EI9. CrABKETT.— The Capel Girls. 
 
 By CHABI.es tJlBBON. 
 Robin Gray. I The Golden Shaft. 
 
 Loving a Dream. 1 Of High Degree. 
 The Flower of the Forest. 
 
 By E. C;X.ANVI1."L.E. 
 The Lost Heiress. I The Fossicker. 
 A Fair Colonist. I 
 
 By E. J. GOOBMAN. 
 The Fate of Herbert Wayne. 
 
 By CECIl. OKIFFITIE. 
 Corinthia Marazion. 
 
 By SYBNES" CJBUNBY. 
 The Days of his Vanity. 
 
 By THOMAS HAKBY 
 Under the Greenwood Tree. 
 
 By BBlET HABTE. 
 A Waif of the Plains. | Sally Dows. 
 A Ward of the Golden Gate. 
 A Sappho of Green Springs. 
 Colonel Starbottle's Client. | Susy. 
 A Prot6g6 of Jack Hamlin's. 
 
 By JIJ1.IAN HAWTHOKNE. 
 Garth, I Dust. 
 
 Ellice Quentin. • Fortune's Fool. 
 Sebastian Strome. | Beatrix Randolph, 
 David Poindexter's Disappearance. 
 The Spectre of the Camera. 
 By Sir A.HEEPS.— Ivan de Biron. 
 
 By ISAAC HEIVBEBSOIV. 
 Agatha Page. 
 
 By ITlis. HVNC^EBFOBB. 
 Ladv Yerner's Flight. 
 
 By Mrs. Al.FKEB HUNT. 
 The Leaden Casket. I Self-Condemned. 
 That Other Person. | Mrs. Juliet. 
 By B. ASHE I£ING. 
 A Drawn Game. 
 "The Wearing of the Green." 
 
 By E. 1.YIV1V l.IJ\TO:\. 
 Patricia Cembali. I lone. 
 UnderwhichLord? Paston Carew. 
 ''My Love!" I Sowing the Wind 
 
 The Atonement of Learn Dundas. 
 The World Well Lost. 
 
 By HEIVBlf W. EL^CV. 
 Gideon Fleyce. 
 
 By JUSTIW McCABTISY. 
 A Fair Saxon. I Donna Quixote. 
 
 Linley Rochford. Maid of Athens. 
 Miss Misanthrope. I Camiola. 
 The Waterdale Neighbours. 
 My Enemy's Daughter. 
 Dear Lady Disdain. | The Dictator. 
 Tke Comet of a Season. 
 
 By C^E©KGE MACDONAEH. 
 Heather and Snow. 
 
 By A«iyES MACBOIVEEE. 
 Quaker Cousins. 
 
 By BEKTBAM MFTFOK©. 
 The Gun-Runner. 
 The Luck of Gerard Ridgeley. 
 Stephen Renshaw's Quests 
 
 The Piccadilly {3/6) Novels — continued. 
 By B. CHRISTIE MUBRAY, 
 
 Life's Atonement. I Yal Strange. 
 
 Joseph's Coat. Hearts. 
 
 Coals of Fire. | A Model Father. 
 
 Old Blazer's Hero. | Time's Revenges. 
 
 By the Gate of the Sea. 
 
 A Bit of Human Nature. 
 
 First Person Singular. I Cynic Fortune, 
 
 The Way of the World. 
 
 Bob Martin's Little Girl. 
 
 By MURRAY & IIERMAIV. 
 The Bishops' Bible. | Paul Jones's Alias, 
 One Traveller Returns. 
 
 Bv HUME NISBET, 
 "Bail Up!" 
 
 By OEORGES OHIVET. 
 A Weird Gift. 
 
 By OUIBA. 
 
 Held in Bondage 
 
 Strathmore. 
 
 Chandos. 
 
 Under Two Flags. 
 
 Idalia. 
 
 CecilCastlemaine's 
 
 Gage. 
 Tricotrin. | Puck. 
 Folle Farine. 
 A Dog of Flanders. 
 Pascarel. | Signa. 
 Princess Kaprax- 
 
 ine. 
 
 By MARGARET A 
 Gentle and Simple. 
 
 By JAMES PAYN. 
 Lost Sir Massingberd, 
 Less Black than We're Painted 
 A Confidential Agent. 
 A Grape from a Thorn. 
 In Peril and Privation. 
 The Mystery of Mirbridge 
 The Canon's Ward. 
 
 Two Little Wooden 
 
 Shoes. 
 In a Winter City. 
 Ariadne. 
 Friendship. 
 Moths. I Ruffino. 
 Pipistrello. 
 AYillage Commune 
 Bimbi. | Wanda. 
 Frescoes. I Othmar. 
 In Maremma. 
 Syrlln.l Guilderoy, 
 Santa Barbara. 
 PAUE, 
 
 Holiday Tasks. 
 For Cash Only. 
 The Burnt Million. 
 The Word and the 
 
 Will. 
 Sunny Stories. 
 A Trying Patient. 
 PRICE. 
 I The Foreigners. 
 
 Walter's Word, 
 By Proxy. 
 High Spirits. 
 Under One Roof. 
 From Exile. 
 Glow-worm Tales. 
 Talk of the Town. 
 
 By E. C. 
 Yalentina, 
 Mrs. Lancaster's Rival. 
 
 By RICHAK1> PRYCE. 
 Miss Maxwell's Affections. 
 
 By CHAREES RE A BE. 
 It is Never Too Late to Mend. 
 The Double Marriage. 
 Love Me Little, Love Me Long. 
 The Cloister and the Hearth. 
 The Course of True Love. 
 The Autobiography of a Thief. 
 Put Yourself in his Place. 
 A Terrible Temptation. | The Jilt. 
 Singleheart and Doubletace. 
 Good Stories of Men and other Animals. 
 
 Hard Cash. 
 Peg Woffington. 
 ChristieJohnstone, 
 Griffith Gaunt. 
 Yq\x\ Play. 
 
 Wandering Heir. 
 
 A Woman-Hater. 
 
 A Simpleton. 
 
 Readiana. 
 
 A Perilous Secret* 
 
CHATTO & WINDUS, 214, PICCADILLY. 
 
 29 
 
 The Piccadilly (3/6) Novels — continued. 
 By I?lr8. J. 11. Rl !>!>£: I.I.. 
 
 The Prince of Wales's Garden Party. 
 Weird Stories. , 
 
 By AlTlKIilE KIV£S. 
 
 Barbara Dering. 
 
 By F. W. ROBIIVSOIV. 
 
 The Hands of Justice. 
 
 By ^V. Cr.AKK RUSSEl.Ii. 
 Ocean Tragedy. | My Shipmate Louise. 
 Alone on a Wide Wide Sea. 
 
 By JOIIIV SAUIVDEKS. 
 Guy Waterman. I Two Dreamers. 
 Bound to V/heel. I Lion in the Path. 
 By IfcATiiABilVE SAUIVBEBS. 
 Margaret and Elizabeth. 
 Gideon's Rock. I Heart Salvage, 
 The High Mills. | Sebastian. 
 
 By HAWIjEV STIAKT. 
 Without Love or Licence. 
 
 By R. A. STERJVBAI.E. 
 The Afghan Knife. 
 
 By BERTHA T110I7IAS. 
 Proud Maisie. | The Yiolin-player. 
 
 The Piccadilly (3/6) Novels— continued. 
 By FRANCES E. TR0I.1.0FE. 
 Like Ships upon the Sea. 
 Anne Furness. | Mabel's Progress, 
 
 By IVAIV TUR«EI\1EFF, Arc. 
 Stories from Foreign Novelists. 
 
 By AIVTlllONV TROI.fl.<>B>E. 
 Frau Frohmann. I Land-Leaguers. 
 Marion Fay. | The Way We Live Now, 
 Mr. Scarborough's Family. 
 
 By C'. l\ FRASER-TiTTl.ER. 
 Mistress Judith. 
 
 By SARAH TlTIiER. 
 The Bride's Pass. I Lady Bell. 
 Buried Diamonds. | Blackball Ghosts. 
 
 By MARK TWAIN. 
 The American Claimant. 
 The £1,000,000 Bank-note. 
 
 By .S. S. ^VIN'PER. 
 A Soldier's Children. 
 
 By rf 4R«ARET ^WNMAIV. 
 My F^irlations. 
 
 By E. ZOI.A. 
 The downfall. I Dr. Pascal. 
 The Dream. | Money. 
 
 CHEAP EDITIONS OF POPULAR NOVELS. 
 
 Post 8vo, illustrated boards, 3s. each. 
 
 By ARTE.lRliS ^VARIO. 
 Artemus Ward Complete. 
 
 By EBJIONW ABOUT. 
 The Fellah. 
 
 By 11A!T1II.T0^ AIDE. 
 Carr of Carrlyon. | Co//':iences. 
 By iWARY A» 2SlifitT. 
 Brooke FInchley's Daujihter. 
 
 By ITli-s. A1.EXAIVMEK. 
 Maid,Wife,orWidow? I Valerie' Fate. 
 
 By CJRANT AB.f.EIV. 
 Strjmge Stories. I The Devil's Die. 
 Philistia. This Mortal Coil. 
 
 Babylon. I In all Shades. 
 
 The Beckoning Hand. 
 For Maimie's Sake. | Tents of Shem. 
 Great Taboo. 1 Dumaresq's Daughter. 
 
 By E. LESTER ARI\01.I>. 
 Phra the Phoenician. 
 
 By Aff.AiV ST. AUBVN. 
 A Fellow of Trinity. | The Junior Dean. 
 By B<v. S. BARB IN €r «OUEfi>. 
 Red Spider. 1 Eve. 
 
 By B'RAIVK BARRETT. 
 Fettered for Life. 
 Between Life and Death. 
 The Sin of Olga Zassoulich. 
 Folly Morrison. | Honest Davie. 
 Lieut. Barnabas. A Prodigal's Progress. 
 Found Guilty. I A Recoiling Vengeance. 
 For Love and Honour. 
 John Ford ; and His Helpmate. 
 Little Lady Linton. 
 By W. BESANT & .1. RIC^E. 
 
 This Son of Vulcan. 
 My Little Girl. 
 Case of Mr.Lucraft. 
 Golden Butterfly. 
 Ready-Money Mortlboy. 
 With Harp and Crown. 
 'Twas in Trafalgar's Bay. 
 The Chaplain of the Fleet. 
 
 By Celia's Arbour. 
 Monks of Thelema. 
 The Seamy Side. 
 Ten Years' Tenant. 
 
 By ^VAETER BE S A NT. 
 
 Dorothy Forster. I Uncle Jack. 
 
 Children of Gibeon. | Herr Paulus. 
 
 All Sorts and Conditions of Men. 
 
 The Captains' Room. 
 
 All in a Garden Fair. 
 
 The World Went Very Well Then. 
 
 For Faith and Freedom. 
 
 To Call Her Mine. 
 
 The Bell of St. Paul's. ] The Holy Rose. 
 
 Armorel of Lyonesse. 
 
 St. Katherine's by the Tower. 
 
 RySHEESEEir BEAUCllAIMP. 
 
 Grantley Grange. 
 
 By AlTlBliOSE BIERCE. 
 In the Midst of Life. 
 
 By FREDERICK BOYtiE. 
 Camp Notes. | Savage Life. 
 
 Chronicles of No-man's Land. 
 
 By BRET llARTE. 
 Californian Stories. | Gabriel Ccnioy. 
 An Heiress of Red Dog. I Flip. 
 
 The Luck of Roaring Camp. | Maruja. 
 A Phyllis of the Sierras. 
 
 By llAROEU BRYDCJES. 
 Uncle Sam at Home. 
 
 By J&OSCERT BUCHANAN. 
 
 The Martyrdom of 
 
 Madeline. 
 Annan Water. 
 The New Abelard. 
 Matt. 
 The Heir of Llnne. 
 
 The Shadow of the 
 
 Sword. 
 A Child of Nature. 
 God and the Man. 
 Love Mo for Ever. 
 Foxglove Manor. 
 The Master of the Mine. 
 
 By HAEB. CJAINE. 
 The Shadow of a Crime. 
 A Son of Hagar. | The Deemster. 
 
 E5y Coniiunndn- CAiTBEBCON. 
 The Cruise of the "Black Prince." 
 B5y Tflis. B.OVETT C'AITBERON. 
 Deceivers Ever. 1 Juliet's Guardian, 
 
30 
 
 BOOKS PUBLISHED BY 
 
 Two-Shilling Nove-ls— continued 
 By AUSTIN CliAJBE:. 
 For the Love of a Lass. 
 
 By mrs. ARCIKEB CL.IVE. 
 Paul Ferroll. 
 Why Paul Ferroll Killed his Wife. 
 
 By MACIiABEN COBBAN. 
 Ihe Cure of Souls. 
 
 By C. AI.I.STON COI.I.INS. 
 The Bar Sinister. 
 
 IflOBT. & FRANCES COr.r,INS. 
 Sweet Anne Page. | Transmigration. 
 From Midnight to Midnight. 
 Fight with Fortune. | Village Comedy. 
 Sweet and Twenty. | You Play me False. 
 Blacksmith and Scholar. | Frances. 
 By WIliKlE COIililNS. 
 
 My Miscellanies. 
 Woman in White. 
 The Moonstone. 
 Man and Wife. 
 Poor Miss Finch. 
 The Fallen Leaves. 
 Jezebel's Daughter 
 The Blaclt Robe. 
 Heart and Science. 
 " I Say No." 
 The Evil Genius. 
 Little Novels. 
 Legacy of Cain. 
 Blind Love. 
 
 Armadale. 
 After Dark. 
 No Name. 
 Antonina. | Basil. 
 Hlda and Seek. 
 The Dead Secret. 
 Queen of Hearts. 
 Miss or Mrs ? 
 New Magdalen. 
 The Frozen Deep. 
 Law and the Lady. 
 The Two Destinies. 
 Haunted Hotel. 
 A Rogue's Life. 
 
 By m. J. COLQUHOUN. 
 Every Inch a Soldier. 
 
 By ©UTTON COOK. 
 Leo. I Paul Foster's Daughter. 
 
 By C. EGBERT CRABDOC5K. 
 Prophet of the Great Smoky Mountains. 
 
 By ITIA'JI'T CRIM. 
 Adventures of a Fair Rebel. 
 
 By B. yi. CROKER. 
 Pretty Miss Neville. I Biifd of Passage. 
 Diana Barrington. Proper Pride. 
 "To Let." I 
 
 By W. CYPIiES.— Hearts of Gold. 
 
 By AliPHONSE BAUBET. 
 The Evangelist ; or, Port Salvation. 
 By ERASITIUS BAWSON. 
 The Fountain of Youth. 
 
 By JAIWES BE MII^IiE. 
 A Castle in Spain. 
 
 By J. l.EITtl BER^VENT. 
 Our Lady of Teais. | Circe's Lovers. 
 
 By CHLARliES BICICENS. 
 Sketches by Boz. I Oliver Twist. 
 Pickwick Papers. | Nicholas Nickleby. 
 
 By BICIt BONOVAN. 
 The Man-Hunter. | Caught at LastI 
 Tracked and Taken, t Wanted ! 
 Who Poisoned Hetty Duncan? 
 The Man from Manchester. 
 A Detective's Triumphs. 
 In the Grip of the Law. 
 From Information Received. 
 Tracked to Doom. | Link by Link. 
 Suspicion Aroused. 
 By Mrs. ANNIE EBWARBES. 
 A Point of Honour. | Archie Lovell. 
 By M. BETHAM-EBWARBS. 
 Felicia. I Kitty. 
 
 By EBW. EGCJIiESTON.-Roxy. 
 
 Two-Shilling Novels — continued. 
 
 By O. fflANVIIiliE FENN. 
 The New Mistress. 
 
 By PERCV^ FITZGERAIiB. 
 Bella Donna. I Polly. 
 
 Never Forgotten. I Fatal Zero. 
 The Second Mrs. Tillotson. 
 Seventy-five Brooke Street. 
 The Lady of Brantome. 
 By P. FITZ<>;ERAIiB and otVers. 
 Strange Secrets. 
 
 Af.BANV BE FONBIiANQUE. 
 Filthy Lucre. 
 
 By R. E. FRANCII.I.ON. 
 Olympia. I Queen Cophetua. 
 
 One by One. I King or Knave? 
 
 A Real Queen. I Romances of Lav. 
 By HAROLB FREBERICK. 
 Seth'a Brother's Wife. | Lawton Girl. 
 Pref.by Sir BART1.E FREBE. 
 Pandurang Hari. 
 HAIN FRISWEIil^.-Oneof Two. 
 
 By EBWARB OARRETT. 
 The Capel Girls. 
 
 By GILBERT OAUIi. 
 A Strange Manuscript. 
 
 By ClIARr.ES OIBBON. 
 Robin Gray. In Honour Bound. 
 
 Fancy Free. Flower of Forest. 
 
 For Lack of Gold. Braes of Yarrow. 
 What will the The Golden Shaft. 
 
 World Say? Of High Degree. 
 
 In Love and War. Mead and Stream* 
 For the King. Loving a Dream. 
 
 In Pastures Green. A Hard Knot. 
 Queen of Meadow. Heart's Delight. 
 A Heart's Problem. Blood-Money. 
 The Dead Heart. 
 
 By WIIil^IAM OII.BERT. 
 Dr. Austin's Guests. I James Duke. 
 The Wizard of the Mountain. 
 
 By ERNEST Gl.ANVffl,I.E. 
 The Lost Heiress. | The Fossicker. 
 By IfENRY OREVIIiL.E. 
 A Noble Woman. | Nikanor. 
 
 By JOHN HABBERTON. 
 Brueton's Bayou. | Country Luck. 
 
 By ANBREW lIAL.r.IBA¥. 
 Every-Day Papers. 
 
 By I^ady BUFFIJS IIARB¥. 
 Paul Wynter's Sacrifice. 
 
 By THOMAS HARBY. 
 Under the Greenwood Tree. 
 By J. BER^VICK. HARM^OOB. 
 The Tenth Earl. 
 
 By J VIDIAN HATFTHORNE. 
 Garth. Sebastian Strome. 
 
 Ellice Quentln. Dust. 
 
 Fortune's Fool. Beatrix Randolph* 
 Miss Cadogna. Love— or a Name. 
 
 David Poindexter's Disappearance. 
 The Spectre of the Camera. 
 
 By Sir ARTHUR HEIiPS. 
 Ivan de Biron. 
 
 By HENRY HERMAN. 
 A Leading Ladv. 
 By .lOHN HI L.Tj.— Treason-Felony. 
 
 By Mrs. CASHEl, IIOEY. 
 The Lover's Creed. 
 By ITIis. OEOROE HOOPER. 
 The House of Raby. 
 
CHATTO & WINDUS, 214, PICCADILLY. 
 
 Two-Shillino Ho-vEi^s— continued. 
 
 By TIGHE HOPIfcllVS. 
 'Twixt Love and Duty. 
 
 By illrs. HliVC;ERFOK». 
 A Maiden all Forlorn. 
 In Durance Yile. I A Mental Struggle. 
 Marvel. I A Modern Circe. 
 
 By mrs. AJLFBED HIIVT. 
 Thornicroft's Model. I Self-Condemned. 
 That Other Person. I Leaden Casket. 
 
 By JEAIV INGEI.OW. 
 Fated to be Free. 
 
 Bv WJI.1.1AMJAIT1ESOIV. 
 My Dead Self. 
 
 By HARRIETT JAY. 
 Dark Colleen. | Queen of Connaught. 
 
 Bv :?l.\RIi KERSHAW. 
 Colonial Facts and Fictions. 
 
 By R. ASHE liliVG. 
 A Drawn Game. | Passion's Slave. 
 "The Wearing of the Green." 
 Bell Barry. 
 By JOHIV liEYS — The Lindsays. 
 
 By E. liYNiX J^I.XTOIN. 
 Patricia Kemball. I Paston Carew. 
 World Well Lost. "My Love I" 
 Under which Lord? I lone. 
 The Atonement of Leam Dundas. 
 With a Silken Thread. 
 The Rebel of the Family. 
 Sowing the Wind. 
 
 By HENRY W\ t.UCY. 
 Gideon Fleyce. 
 
 By.Il«T'IIV ITfctARTHY. 
 A Fair Saxon. I Donna Quixote. 
 
 Linley Rochford. Maid of Athens. 
 Miss Misanthrope. ! Camiola. 
 Dear Lady Disdain. 
 The Waterdale Neighbours. 
 My Enemy's Daughcer. 
 The Comet of a Season. 
 
 By HUG IB MACCOJjT,. 
 Mr. Stranger's Sealed Packet. 
 
 By AGIVES iUAC'MONEfjI-.. 
 Quaker Cousins. 
 
 tvATHARlAE S. MACQUOiB. 
 The Evil Eye. | Lost Rose. 
 
 By W. H. ItlAI.I.OCfl£. 
 The New Republic. 
 
 By FLORENCE ITIARRYAT. 
 Open! Sesame! | Fighting the Air. 
 A Harvest of Wild Oats. 
 Written in Fire. 
 
 By J. TIASTERMAN. 
 Haifa-dozen Daughters. 
 
 Ky BRA.M>ER :UATTHE^VS. 
 A Secret of the Sea. 
 
 Bv l.h<».\Aiei> ITIERRICK. 
 The Man who v/as Good. 
 
 By JEAN illlDWI.E.TlASS. 
 Touch and Go. | Mr. Dorillion. 
 
 By tlis. tIOI.ES WORTH. 
 Hathercourt Rectory. 
 
 By J. E. lUUDBOCK. 
 Stories Weird and Wonderful. 
 The Dead Man's Secret. 
 From the Bosom of the Deep. 
 
 By ITILRRAV and HERUAIV. 
 One Traveller Returns. 
 Paul Jones's Alias. 
 Ihe Bishops' Bible. 
 
 31 
 
 Two-Shilling Novels — continued, 
 Bv B. C^HRISTIE ITIURRAY. 
 A Model Father, I Old Blazer's Here. 
 Joseph's Coat. Hearts. 
 
 Coals of Fire. Way of the World. 
 
 Yal Strange. | Cynic Fortune. 
 
 A Life's Atonement. 
 By the Gate of the Sea. , 
 A Bit of Human Nature. 
 First Person Singular. 
 
 By HENRY ilirRRAY. 
 A Game of Bluff. 
 
 By.HU.tlE NISBET. 
 *' Bail Up !" I Dr. Bernard St. Vincent. 
 
 ByAf^ICE O'HANEON. 
 The Unforeseen. | Chance? or Fate? 
 
 By GEORGES OHNET. 
 Dr. Rameau. | Last Love. | Weird Gift. 
 
 Bv ITIrs. OFilPHANT. 
 Whiteladies. | The Primrose Path. 
 
 The Greatest Heiress in England. 
 By inis. ROBERT 0'R£1JLL.Y. 
 Phoebe's Fortunes. 
 
 By orrBA. 
 Held in Bondage, i'wo Little Wooden 
 
 Strathmore. 
 Chandos. I Idalia. 
 Under Two Flags. 
 CecilCastlemaine's 
 
 Gage. 
 Tricotrin. | Puck. 
 FoUe Farine. 
 A Dog of Flanders. 
 Pascarel. 
 
 Signa. [ine. 
 
 Princess Naprax- 
 In a Winter City. 
 Ariadne. 
 
 Shoes. 
 Friendship. 
 Moths. I Bimbi. 
 Pipistrello. 
 A Village Com- 
 
 mune. 
 Wanda. | lOthmar. 
 Frescoes. 
 In Maremma. 
 Guilderoy. 
 Ruffino. I Syrlin. 
 Ouida's Wisdom, 
 
 Wit, and Pathos. 
 
 ilIARGARET AGNES PAUl,. 
 
 Gentle and Simple. 
 
 By JAi?lES PA\N. 
 
 Bentinck's Tutor 
 
 Murphy's Master. 
 
 A County Family. 
 
 At Her Mercy. 
 
 Cecil's Tryst. 
 
 Clyffards of Clyffe. 
 
 Foster Brothers. 
 
 Found Dead. 
 
 Best of Husbands. 
 
 Waiter's Word. 
 
 Halves. 
 
 Fallen Fortunes. 
 
 Humorous Stories. 
 
 £200 Reward. 
 
 Marine Residence. 
 
 Mirk Abbey. 
 
 Lost Sir Massingberd 
 
 A Woman's Vengeance. 
 
 The Family Scapegrace, 
 
 Gwendoline's Harvest. 
 
 Like Father, Like Son. 
 
 Married Beneath Him. 
 
 Not Wooed, but Won. 
 
 Less Black than We're Painted* 
 
 Some Private Views. 
 
 A Grape from a Thorn. 
 
 The Mystery of Mirbridge, 
 
 The Word and the Will, 
 
 A Prince of tlie Blood, 
 
 By Proxy. 
 Under One Roof. 
 High Spirits. 
 Carlyon's Year. 
 From Exile. 
 For Cash Only. 
 Kit. 
 
 The Canon's Ward 
 Talk of the Town. 
 Holiday Tasks. 
 A Perfect Treasure. 
 What He Cost Her. 
 Confidential Agent. 
 Glow-worm Tales. 
 The Burnt Million. 
 Sunny Stories. 
 
32 
 
 BOOKS PUBLISHED BY CHATTO 8c WINDUS. 
 
 Two-Shilling 'Novei.s— continued. 
 By C;. JL. I'lUKlS. 
 
 Lady Lovelace. 
 
 By EDOAK A. POE. 
 
 The Mystery of Marie Roget. 
 By Mrs. CAMPBElil. PBAEIO. 
 
 The Romance of a Station. 
 The Soul of Countess Adrian. 
 By E. C. PKf €E. 
 Yalentina. [ The Foreigners. 
 
 Mrs. Lancaster's Rival. | Gerald. 
 
 By KICHARI> PBYCE. 
 Miss Maxwell's Affections. 
 
 By €IffABL,ES KEABE. 
 It is leaver Too Late to Mend. 
 Christie Johnstone. { Double Marriage. 
 Put Yourself in His Place. 
 Love Me Little, Love Me Long. 
 The Cloister and the Hearth. 
 The Course of True Love. | The Jilt. 
 Autobiography of a Thief. 
 A Terrible Temptation. | Foul Play. 
 The Wandering Heir. | Hard Cash. 
 Slngleheart and Doubleface. 
 Good Stories of Men and other Animals. 
 Peg Woffington. I A Simpleton. 
 Griffith Gaunt. | Readiana. 
 A Perilous Secret. | A Woman-Hater. 
 
 By Mrs. J. M. RSBJDEl^B.. 
 Weird Stories. [ Fairy Water. 
 Her Mother's Darling. 
 Prince of Wales's Garden Party. 
 The Uninhabited House. 
 The Mystery in Palace Gardens. 
 The Nun's Curse. | Idle Tales. 
 By F. W. ROBIJVSON. 
 Women are Strange. 
 The Hands of Justice. 
 
 By JAMES BUNCIMAN. 
 Skippers and Shellbacks. 
 Grace Balmaign's Sweetheart. 
 Schools and Scholars. 
 
 By W, CliARSi BUSSEI^E. 
 Round the Galley Fire. 
 On the Fo'k'sle Head. 
 In the Middle Watch. 
 A Voyage to tltfe Cape. 
 A Book for the Hammock. 
 The Mystery of the "Ocean Star." 
 The Romance of Jenny Harlowe. 
 An Ocean Tragedy. 
 My Shipmate Louise. 
 Alone on a Wide Wide Sea. 
 GEOBtJE AUCJUSTL'SI SAfl.A. 
 Gaslight and Daylight. 
 
 By JOlttN SA8JIVBEKS. 
 Guy Waterman. | Two Dreamers. 
 The Lion in the Path. 
 By SCATIBAiailVE SAUNBEI8S. 
 Joan Merryweather. | Heart Salvage. 
 The High Mills. | Sebastian. 
 
 Margaret and Elizabeth. 
 
 By CJEOKOE K. SIMS. 
 Rogues and Vagabonds. 
 The Ring o' Bells. 
 Mary Janets Memoirs. 
 Mary Jane Married. 
 Tales of To-day. | Dramas of Life. 
 Tinkletop's Crime. 
 Zeph : A Cirrus Story. 
 
 Two-Shilling NovE-LS—cottiinued. 
 By ARTHUR SKETCIKEEY. 
 
 A Match in the Dark. 
 
 By HAWl.EV SMART. 
 
 Without Love or Licence. 
 
 By T. W. SPEIOIIT. 
 
 i The Mysteries of Heron Dyke. 
 
 The Golden Hoop. I By Devious Ways. 
 Hoodwinked, &c. | Back to Life. 
 The Loudwater Tragedy. 
 
 By R. A. STERIVBAEE. 
 The Afghan Knife. 
 
 By R. EOUIS STEVEIVSOIV. 
 
 New Arabian Nights. 1 Prince Otto. 
 
 RY BERTMA TfilOMAS. 
 
 Cressida.lProud Maisie. [Violin-player. 
 
 By WAETER TMORIVBUR V. 
 
 Tales for Marines. {Old Stories Re-told. 
 
 T. ABOEPMUS TROEEOPE. 
 Diamond Cut Diamond. 
 By E. EEEANOR TBOEEOPE. 
 Like Ships upon the Sea. 
 Anne Furness. | Mabel's Progress. 
 By ANTHONY TR«EEOPE. 
 Frau Frohmann. I Kept in the Dark. 
 Marion Fay. | John Caldigate. 
 
 V/ay We Live Now. | Land^Xieaguers. 
 The American Senator. 
 Mr. Scarborough's Family. 
 The Golden Lion of Granpere. 
 
 By J. T. TROWBRIBOE. 
 Farnell's Folly. 
 i; By IVAN TURGENflEFF, &c. 
 Stories from Foreign Novelists. 
 By MARI£ T^VAIN. 
 A Pleasure Trip on the Continent. 
 The Gilded Age. | Huckleberry Finn. 
 Mark Twain's Sketches. 
 Tom Sawyer. | A Tramp Abroad. 
 
 The Stolen White Elephant. 
 Life on the Mississippi. 
 The Prince and the Pauper. 
 A Yankee at the Court of King Arthur. 
 By C. C!."ERASER-T¥TEER. 
 Mistress Judith. 
 
 By SARAH TYTEER. 
 The Bride's Pass. I Noblesse Oblige, 
 Buried Diamonds. | Disappeared. 
 Saint Mungo's City. I Huguenot Family. 
 Lady Bell. | Blackball Ghosts. 
 
 What She Came Through, 
 Beauty and the Beast. 
 Citoyenne Jaqueline. 
 
 By AARON WATSON anil 
 EIEEIAS ^VASSERMANN. 
 The Marquis of Carabas. 
 By Mrs. F. M. ^VIEEIAMSON. 
 A Child Widow. 
 
 By JT. S. ^VINTER. 
 Cavalry Life. | Regimental Legends. 
 
 ISy II. F. WOOB. 
 The Passenger from Scotland Yard, 
 The Englishman of the Rue Cain. 
 
 By Eudy WOOB. 
 Sabina. ^ 
 
 CEEIA PARKER WOOEEEY. 
 Rachel Armstrong; or, Love & Theology. 
 
 By EOMENB YATES. 
 The Forlorn Hope. | Land at Last, 
 Castaway. 
 
 OGDEN, SMALE AND CO. LIMITED, PRINTERS, GREAT SAFFRON HILL, Z.O