A London Life; The Patagonia; The Liar; Mrs. Temperly

re were strange voices that frightened her-they threw out the ugliest intimations-in the empty rooms at home. She would see old Mrs. Berrington, whom she li

and Parson (their nicknames would have made you think they were dogs) her small, magnificent nephews, whose flesh was so firm yet so soft and their eyes so charming when they listened to stories. Plash was the dower-house and about a mile and a half, through

demnation of this wrong forgot itself when so many of the consequences looked right-barring a little dampness: which was the fate sooner or later of most of her unfavourable judgments of English institutions. Iniquities in such a country somehow always made pictures; and there had been dower-houses in the novels, mainly of fashionable life, on which her later childhood was fed. The iniquity did not as a general thing prevent these retreats from being occupied by old ladies with wonderful reminiscences and rare voices, whose reverses had not deprived them of a great deal of becoming hereditary lace. In the park, half-way, suddenly, Laura stopped, with a pain-a moral pang-that almost took away her breath; she looked at the misty glades and the dear old beeches (

h large margins. The room had its bright, durable, sociable air, the air that Laura Wing liked in so many English things-that of being meant for daily life, for long periods, for uses of high decency. But more than ever to-day was it incongruous that such an habitation, with its chintzes and its British poets, its well-worn carpets and domestic art-the whole aspect so unmeretricious and sincere-should have to do with lives that were not right. Of course however it had to do only indirectly, and the wrong life was not old Mrs. Berrington's nor yet Lady Davenant's. If Seli

little fearfully. Lady Davenant was not as a general thing fond of the young or of invalids; but she made an exception as regards youth for the little girl from America, the sister of the daughter-in-law of her dearest friend. She took an interest in Laura partly perhaps to make up for the tepidity with which she regarded Selina. At all events she had assumed the general responsibility of providing her with a husband. She pretended to care equally little for persons suffering from other forms of misfortune, but she was capable of finding excuses for them when they had been sufficiently to blame. She expected a great deal of attention, always wore gloves in the house and never had anything in her hand but a book. She neither embroidered nor wrote-only read and talked. She had no special co

here and what are they doing?' Lady Dav

but me-and the childr

private theatricals

believe there were some people coming on Saturday, but they hav

s she gone t

w-she has so man

is Mr. Be

but I believe he is coming

ant. 'And do they never go away tog

ut they don't com

they quarre

derstand,' Laura Wing replied, with an unguarded tre

emselves. They have got everything s

children are

ood person, the present governess?

-it's a blessing. But I

! Does she want some on

na to see-to appreciate

when she leaves them that wa

esn't notice how they com

take. You shouldn't draw them out too much-they are always looking for a chance. She ought to be t

Laura Wing. 'On the contrary, I see so mu

Mellows she had no diet of that sort. There had never been an idea in the house, since she came at least, and there was wonderfully little reading. Lady Davenant still went from country-house to country-house all winter, as she had done all her life, and when Laura asked her she told her the places and the people she probably should find at each of them. Such an enumeration was much less interesting to the girl than it would have been a year before: she herself had now seen a great many places and people and the freshness of her curiosity was gone. But she s

aspired to be coaxed or coddled into forgetfulness: she wanted rather to be taught a certain fortitude-how to live and hold up one's head even while knowing that things were very bad. A brazen indifference-it was not exactly that that she wished to acquire; but were there not some sorts of indifference that were philosophic and noble? Could Lady Davenant not teach them, if she should take the trouble? The girl remembered to have heard that there had been years before some disagreeable occurrences in her family; it was not a race in which

of a volume with the paper-knife. She didn't proceed very fast-there was a kind of patient, awkward fumbling of her aged hands; but as she passed he

n as she had spoken for having uttered the words as a protest, whereas she wished t

oken to her?' the

en to

wouldn't speak to you if you were in her place (excuse the supposition!) and yet she is capable--' But Lady Da

horror,' said Laur

aim at. You ought to get married-and the sooner the b

hink marriage looks to me happy!' the g

you will be happy enough yourself. Yo

ction to her. 'Do you mean that I should leave Selina altogethe

hutes to fly-away wives! That's why if you haven't spoken to her you

' Laura repe

Only get out of the house. You can come to me, you know, whe

ly got as far as this; in a moment she had covered

rmoyer. If I have offended you by the way I have spoken of Selina I think you are too sensitiv

, sobbing with an odd effect as she pu

mind them so much when they are merry bu

d-so changed!' L

my dear: c'es

the girl; 'when I think of mother--'

s Selina are always easily enough accounted for. I didn't mean it was inherited-for that sort of thing skips a

ears. 'Everything is so changed-you don't know,' she remarked in a moment. 'Nothing could have

all?' asked Lady Dave

to pay for

r a girl. You are uncom

That's just the way

atures and your eyes look as if they had just been se

imed, with proud inconsequence. 'And t

ad as they are--! It's only the good ones

ver thought of-that I shou

re to do with it. It's like lending y

passionately and with a motion that carried her to her feet. This time she settled he

g up at her. 'It would be very bad, I daresay.

eyes slightly distended, musing.

ghing. 'Yes, yes, you must

' the girl broke out, blushing. 'But to be onl

n the old-fashioned manner and with a pronunciation not perfectly pure: when she did so she reminded Laura Wing of Mrs. Gore's nov

here. It takes courage to

keeps a woman from being an old

rst,' said the girl

It isn't necessary. You are t

m, moving about a little; the place was always so pleasant to her that to go away-to return to her own barren home-had the effect of forfeiting a sort of privilege of sanctuary. The afternoon had faded but the lamps had been brought in, the smell of flowers was in the air and the old house of Plash seemed to recognise the hour that suited it best. The quiet old lady in the fi

n't do that! If she did, the thin

ings sh

ion of the dearest friend of her interlocutress, but she wondered a little what Lady Davenant would say to visitors about her if she should accept a re

ad be

l had taken

ried him,' Laura rej

it won't be easy to help you. I shall depe

. If he were good his

etter, and that's more to the purpose. Lionel is as id

nant. Never, never-I shall never marry a m

th the other hand pushed aside one of the flaps of the waterproof. 'And what is it your clothing costs

America. But that is dreadfully little-only a few pounds. I am a wonder

she pay any o

everything-food,

never give

. 'They need everything they have-t

ful property, but I don't know what has become of it now. Ce n'

had dropped her hand and she had receded a step. 'Selina brought L

sfactory. That's not always the case with the fortunes you yo

head a moment. 'Why do

r troubles what used your father to

g we asked-we had no

sked for everything?

ere very dress

t bankrupt-for he

but he only sacrificed him

renseigner,' Mrs. Berrington's guest went on. 'And after their r

r air of momentary submission and self-control, she might very well have been a young person in reduced circumstances applying for a place. 'It was short enou

y Davenant. 'But there is one thing I should really like to know. Did L

ly-it was her money of cours

what poverty is tell me this: has it

ly; and then the old woman heard her say something that had not quite the heroic ring sh

ighstrung way you take things.

es-any more horrors!' the girl waile

erless a leave-taking, she added in a gayer tone, as Laura had her hand on the door: 'Mind what I tell you, my dear; let her go!' It was to this that the