Milly Darrell

t. She was not to return to school any more unless she liked, he told her. Her new mamma was most anxious to r

to introduce me to her father, an introduction she insisted upon making in spite of my entreat

he hard look about the mouth which I had noticed in both portraits. He seemed remarkably fond of his daughter; and I have never seen a

lbury Lodge, asked whether I would like to come to Thornleigh with Milly for the mid

just like you, always able to guess what one wishes. There is nothin

and to come away with us, Miss Crofton,' said Mr. Darrell; 'the

more to do than to pack my few dresses - my two coloured muslins, a white dress for festive occasions, a black-silk dress which was pre??minently my 'best,' and some print morning-dresses - wondering as I packed them how these things

regret at losing her. Mr. Darrell cut these lamentations short when he found I was re

ary weather. The thought of five weeks' respite from the monotonous routine of Albury Lodge was almost perfect happiness. I did not forget those I loved at home, or cease to r

d a good deal of his wife; dwelling much upon her accomplishments and amiabilit

the midst of this talk, 'and hadn't courage to tell you anything till the deed w

tenderly; and I knew what perfect self-abnegation there

ngry with me, my d

be angry with you! Only try to love me a little,

r love you le

rmlands and waving fields of green corn gave place to an open moor, and I felt from far off the fresh breath of the ocean. This broad undulating moorland was new to me, and I thought there was a wild kind of beauty in its lo

ouses, with a fine old church - at one end of which an ancient sacristy seemed mouldering slowly to decay. We drove past the gates of two or three rather important houses, lying half-hidden in their gardens, and then turned sharply o

It was very old and massively built, and had quite a baronial look, I thought. There was a wide stone terrace with ponderous moss-grown stone balustrades round three sides of it, and at each angle a broad

e drove up, and stood at the top of the terrace steps waiting

her hand through his arm. She was very pale, and I could see that she

to see you at last. - O William, you did not dec

compliment, but still clung to h

the exception of her eyes, were in no way remarkable; but those were sufficiently striking to give character to a face that might otherwise have been insipid. They were large luminous gray eyes, with black lashes, and rather strongly-marked brows of a much darker brown than her hair. That was of a nond

at the waist, was peculiarly becoming to her slender figure and delicate face. Her husband seemed to thin

sta,' he said; 'a school friend of Milly's, who has kind

did so rather coldly, and I had an uneasy sense that I

u, Milly,' she said; 'I suppose we had better

ease, Mrs.

won't you ca

ew moments, with a paine

d in a low voice; 'I cannot

l kissed her a

wish, dear,' she s

illy in the old time, came forward to meet us, and ran before us to our roo

f wood, and with chintz hangings all over rose-buds and butterflies. This had been Milly's schoolroom, and there was a good many books in two pretty-looking bookcases on ea

and beyond that, a dainty little dressing-room. The next door in the corridor opened into the room that had been allotted t

by the open window talking to her while she arranged her hair. She dismissed her l

gan at once, 'what d

s. Dar

cour

g her for three minutes, Milly? I think she is very eleg

ary? Do you think she has marri

ference between them need be any real hindrance to her loving him. He is a man whom any woman might care for, I shou

want to know that my father is loved as he deserves to be loved.

ced against her already, M

say I feel unjustly about her

n her face that

e something. I have a sort of conviction

. Darrell to begin with suc

I shall do my best to conquer all these unchristian feelings. But we cannot comma

ooking room with panelled walls and a fine arched ceiling. The wainscot was painted white, with gilt mouldings, and the cornice and architraves of the doors were elaborately carved. The furniture wa

ned as Milly and I went in, and I recognised Mr. Stormont. He came forward to shake h

know I was h

had no idea o

rning for a fortnight's holiday. I've been working a little harder than

don't go abroa

change. I had much rat

it that afternoon when we all three sat in the summer-house at Albur

ou think of your new ma

her not te

e a very charming person; but she is not my stepmother, and, of c

next her father, and contrived to absorb his attention, not quite to the satisfaction of the elder lady, I fancied. Those

I liked Thornleigh, and a few other questions of a stereotyped kind; but even while she talked those watchful eyes were always turned towards the window where the father and daughter st

g passage, at the end of which was the dining-room, a noble old room, with dark oak panelling and a great many pictures by the old masters, which

lady talked well, with no affectation of enthusiasm, and with an evident knowledge and appreciation of the things she was speaking about. I envied her those wanderings i

oin us. We had been talking pleasantly enough till he appeared, but his coming seemed to make us both silent, and he himself had a thoughtful air. I watch

at his love was unreturned. That he hoped against hope at this time - that he counted fully on his power to win her in the future, I know. He was

hed the round of the gardens and went in through one of the drawing-room windows. The room was lighted with lamps and candles placed ab

me, for I had heard no professional performers. She sang an Italian scena afterwards, in a rich mezzo-soprano, and with a kind of suppressed passion that impressed me deeply. I scarcel

of her prejudices. She went over to

were,' she said; 'but he did

ersuade Milly to sing or play; but the girl declined resolutely. Nothin

wife and three daughters. Milly and I spent a good deal of our time in the gardens and on the sea-shore, with Julian Stormont for our companion, while Mr. and Mrs. Darrell rode or

igh of resignation. 'If my father is happy, I ought to be contented. But O, my dear,

e show-houses of the neighbourhood. It was a very old place, he said, and had been one of the earliest monastic settlements in that part of the countr

lian Stormont on horseback. The drive was delightful; for, after leaving the hilly district about Thornleigh, our road lay through a wood, whe

's footman got down from the box to open the gates. Within we made the circuit of a neglected lawn, divided from a park by a sunk fence, across which some cattle stared at us in a lazy manner as we dr

ked up at the closed windows. 'The family have been too poor to live in it in anything like their old state. Th

hem so poor?' as

usband, with an expressive shrug of the shoulde

eated; 'I thought the name

f the place. It has been in th

dee

. That look passed away in the next moment, and left her with her usual air of languid indifference; a placid kind of listlessness

es. She divined our errand at once, and as soon as we were in the hall, began her catalogue of pictures and curiosities in the usual mechanical way, while

a flood of sunshine upon the faded tapestries and tarnished picture-frames. It was a noble old place, and th

nt in another. I hurried through three or four empty rooms, until I came to a small one at the end of the house, and here I found her. I had not noticed this room much, for it was furnished in a more modern style than the rest

chairs. Over the mantelpiece, which was modern and low, there was a portrait of a young man with a dark handsome face, and it was at this that Augusta Darrell was looking. I c

enest anguish, of unutterable sorrow. The face was deadly pale, the great

en I spoke to her that she turned towards me

at Mr. Darrel

al manner with an effort. 'I had only loitered to look

ubtfully, for that dark haughty countenance

minded me of some one I knew a long time ago, and was rather interesting to me on that accou

is. She told him that she had stopped to l

ory,' Mr. Darrell answered; 'and a very good likeness, too - of

ad m

oke his mot

hat m

was not until a year afterwards that Angus Egerton discovered his mother's part in the business. He came down to the Priory suddenly and unexpectedly at a late hour one night, and walked straight to his mother's room. I have heard that old woman who has been showing us the house describe his ghastly face - she was Mrs. Egerton's maid in those days - as he pushed her aside and went into the room where his mother was sitting. There wa

gerton go after leav

ack to London next morning. He left England soo

ink him a v

to his mother a suffic

lieved himself

e prevented his committing the folly of a low marriage. She was

y nothing of the girl who loved him, who was of cour

be. But I believe this Devonshire girl was quite unworthy of an honourable attachment on the part of any man. You see I knew and liked Mrs. Egerton, and I know how she loved her son. I c

as never

as never

ast,' Mrs. Darrell said

d Mr. Stormont looking rather listlessly at the old portraits of the Egerton race. I was anxious to see a picture of the l

lly like her son. I could fancy tho

hat we walked a little in the neglected garden, where there were old holly hedges that had grown high and wild for want of clipping, and where a curious old sun-dial had fallen down upon the grass in a forlorn way. The paths were all green a

that was destined to be very memorable to s