Johnny Ludlow, Fourth Series

me. But we shall get down to that by-and-by, for I

from the highway, the only road by which a carriage could get up to it: but in taking the field way between the Court and Dyke Manor, over stiles and across a running rivulet or two, you had to pass it close. Sandstone Torr was a rambling, high, and ugly old building, once belonging to the Druids, or some anci

nd belonged to it. He might have mixed with the gentry of the county, as far as descent went, for the Radcliffes could trace themselves back for ages-up to the Druids, I think, the same as the house: but he did not appear to care abou

her. Mr. Elliot was out of health. He had been overworked for the past twenty years in the poor London parish of which he was curate; and old Mrs. Todhetley asked them to come down for a bit of

. The Elliots were of good descent, and Selina had been thoroughly well educated; but of money she had just none. Old Mrs. Todhetley bid her not be in any hurry; she was welcome to stay as long as she

lways a sadness in them. I-a little shaver-can remember that, when I knew her in later years. As she sat down on th

aid Mrs. Todhetley; a stout old lady,

home fast,"

ence? Where h

rr," replied Selin

hat's a long way for you

are so lovely," pleaded Selina. "Tha

you see anything of the Torr people? I hope you've not been making intimat

No, I never saw him. I t

all accounts but a chur

estless fingers. She was evidently ill at ease. Glancing up presently, she saw t

don't like to begin." And, with that, Selina burst int

hild? Are you hurt? Ha

with fingers that trembled all over. "I-if you

"At the Torr!" said she. "There are no children at

Radcliffe," spoke Selina, in her

the child's gone cranky! Paul Ra

ts to m

lifting both hands in her amazement

, had been proposing marriage to that bright young girl! They had met in the fields often, it tur

at gloomy Sandstone Torr-a young girl like you, Seli

who was just as outspoken and impulsive and good-hearted then as in these latter

h the grizzly old bear, just then exhibiting himself at Church Dykely in a travelling caravan. But it was her position. Without money, without a home, witho

aching!" she pleaded in apology, the bitter tears streaming

Paul Radcliffe if I were a pretty youn

obbed Selina. "Many a night have I lain awake with the misery

welcome to stay her

d his mother. "After that-well, I suppos

e answered in the saddest of tones. "But the time of my departure must come sometime; and though the world lies before me, the

Squire. "Trust him for knowing o

escent; he has a

," interrupted the

ou," she meekly said; "but to me it seems unboun

land must both

liffe tol

quire. "I'd as soon boast of my gooseberry bushes. And he can leave all his

ays behave fairly by

d lady. "And I don't like him-that Stephen Radcliffe. He's no better th

e as you please. Only-she had no homestead on the face of the earth, and Mr. Radcliffe offered her one. He did not possess youth, it is true; he had neve

venty pounds a-year, they had had such a terrible struggle with poverty that a horror of it was implanted in the child's mind for ever. Her mother died of it. She had become weaker and weaker, and perished slowly away for the want of thos

ay, in private. For, after all, excepting that Paul Radcliffe was more than old enough to be Selina's father, and had grizzly hair and a grown

sages and rooms. This same kind of round place was on all the landings, shut in just as the hall was, and with no light, except what might be afforded from the doors of the passages or rooms leading to it. It was the foundation of the tower, and the house was built round it. All the walls were of immense thickness: the rooms were low, and had beams running across most of them. But the rooms were many in number, and th

her down the long passage into the circular hall, he opened one of its doors, and she found herself in a sitting-room. The furniture was good but heavy; the Turkey carpet was near

Mr. Radcliffe. "This

th curiosity at the young lady her master had brought in: at her wedding-d

Holt. Show your m

er passage to the stairs; and into a bedroom and

ever been used since the late mistress's time, for master has slept in

ing that the furniture, though faded, was pretti

se entirely. It's never gone into from one month's end to another. Master

om!" echoed

t on them pines, I s

trees; they were very close to the house: it almost seemed as though a long arm might have touched them from where she stood. Anything more dull than t

tall and strongly built, and had the same rugged cast of features: men of few words and ungenial manners. But while Mr. Radcliffe's face was not an unpleasing one, Stephen's had a most sullen-some might have said evil-expression. In his eye

fe, without offering to shake hands: fo

han a gentleman, particularly in his angry moods. "It's about time I cam

ore his father, pointing with his fore-finger to an

aid Mr. R

true or

ru

p again, tore it in two, a

e you go and do suc

ivil tongue in your he

Stephen. "There's no

came from," said Mr. Radcliffe quietly, turning th

uarrel implacably with the old man, for his money was at his own disposal: and, if incensed too greatly, he might possibly take the extreme step of leaving it away from him. But Stephen Radcliffe's h

Mr. Radcliffe, look

and made yourself a w

r go where you may make it a foul one. For by Heaven!"-and Mr. Radcliffe's pa

quietly together, until that quarrel just spoken of, and Stephen had had his own way, and ruled, so to say, in all th

one came in. Stephen turned. He saw a pretty young girl in black, with some books in her delicate hands. Just for an instant he wondered who the young girl could be: and then the thought flashed over him that "the woman"

, Selina. Ste,

ew not why) as a woman of mature age: this was a child. As she timidly held out the only hand she could extricate from the load of books, he saw the wedding-ring on her finger

amed of," began Stephen, facing his

lose upon

roared out Stephen. "You must have bee

I should do it again to-morrow witho

s this young step-mother planted down at the Torr; and if he and she could not hit it off together, it was he who would have

t you should forbid my marrying, and

bjected to the girl. Gibbon's daughter is no

self-importance. Pride of birth, pride in his family were elements unkn

plunging into a communication he had resolved to make. "You hav

nly at Stephen. "You hav

hav

n? W

. She follow

daughter of his, Rebecca-or Becca, as she was commonly called-was a girl quite beneath Stephen. Neither was she a lovable young woman in herself; but hard, and sly, and bony. How it was that Stephen had fancied her, Mr. Radcliffe

your sake than I care to say. It str

eplied Stephen. "I am g

e! W

er

lent; perhaps the as

aughter here, Stephen. T

room, and

e was large. But Mr. Radcliffe

ere! You may make you

y home," s

h wanting to be mistress, wouldn't do. Now no noise, Ste, I won't have Gibbon's

n words had come to naught; and Stephen had brought his wife into the Torr and two babies-for Mrs. Stephen had presented him

Stephen behaved to her like the lout he was; Becca, a formidable woman of towering height, alternately snapped at, and ignored her. Old Radcliffe did not interfere: he seemed not to see that anything was amiss. Poor Selina could o

ve any will of your own?-thwart you in all

you only will notice," she said, looking

here. But you are not as strong to bustle about as she is, Selina: l

elling him that he and his wife must make things pleasanter for Mrs. Radcliffe, than, as it seemed, they were doing. The consequence was, that Stephen and Becca took a c

g by degrees into a state of apathy as he got older, was completely under the dominion of Stephen. He did not mean to be unkind to his wife: he just perceived nothing; he was indifferent to all that passed around him: had they set fire to Selina's petticoats before his eyes, he'd hardly have seen the

ted him. Their children, Tom and Lizzy, pinched and throttled him: but the lad took it all in good part, and had the sweetest temper imaginable. He loved his mother beyond telling, and she made him as gentle and nearly as patient as she was.

and she caught sight of the two boys in the yard below, snowballing each other. Opening the window to call Francis in-for he always got into the wars when with Tom, and she had learnt to dread his being with

me?" roared out S

; and Stephen Radcliffe seized upo

for Stephen in his violence might some time, as she knew, lame the lad. "Its touc

ncis by one hand to prevent his escape, he told Mrs. Radcliffe that she was a liar, ad

he mother, clasping her hands in her bitter ago

eeding. He was a brave little lad, and he strove to make light of it, and keep his tears down

or us both but to bear. The world is full of wrongs and tribulatio

t hurt me much. But, indeed

cked him off to school. Selina besought her husband to send Francis also. Why not, replied Mr. Radcliffe; the boy must be educated. And, in spite of Step

om hated it. After each of the half-yearly holidays, it took Stephen himself to get him to school again: and before he was

for Hong Kong. Stephen Radcliffe might never have given a consent, but for the certainty that if he did not give it, Tom would decamp from the Torr, a

" said sullen Stephen to his father.

ded that it should be spent, or at least a portion of it, in completing his education in a more advanced manner-though, no doubt, Stephen would have liked to get hold of the money. Francis w

nniless beggar like Francis Radcl

whirling the weather-cock atop of the lofty tower, playing madly on the window-panes. If there was one spot in the county that the wind

th a white, worn face and hollow eyes. She was slowly dying. Until to-day she had not tho

brought in by Stephen Radcliffe had unhinged and shocked her beyond expression. Francis was leading a loose, ba

face, and say-Is this true, or untrue? He might have reached the Torr the previous day; but he did no

hief thought of her troubled heart. "If I could only k

the

nd his opening of the door had been drowned by the wind. A tall, slender, bright-faced y

layed on her wasted face, and he saw-what was there. In manners he w

d laying her weary head for a moment on his shoulder. Fra

like this, mother? Wha

she answered. "I have been getting neare

ere no

here in my loneliness for ever, with only heaven to look forward to, it s

nd left his hand there. He had loved his

Radcliffe had heard. Francis's face turned to scarlet as he liste

ung men studying law like himself, or medicine, or what not, were rather wild, and he had been the same. Drink?-well

worst of all is the drink. If once you suffer yourself to acquir

ou must know that I would tell you nothing but truth now," he int

promise

ll. I do p

lips and kissed it. Francis

. "There's no good influence over us; there's no pleasant family circle where we can spend our ev

promised m

And I wil

you are called to the Bar?

yea

ch as

. How the w

not to be very clear. Unless he could get on

aloud, interrupting her own thoughts

ne for me for some

and your own funds come to an end, you

t, Stephen would soon make i

ickly answered, dropping her voice to a tone o

too. He supposed she

times when I fancy I am going to see it enacted before my eyes

enacted?

prevision-yes, I call it so-a prevision came upon me of some dreadful ill in store for you; ill wrought by Stephen. I-I am n

do you me

it will be fulfilled: when the hand of death is closing on us, these previsions are an instinct. As surely as th

er dear," suggested Francis: for

o him; "for it is always these rooms and the dreary trees outside that s

ave been dreaming?" repeated F

rning, or any train of ideas that could have led to it; and it lies within me, a sure and settled conviction. Beware of Stephen

aid, rather lightly. "

Be always upon your guard. And ke

go down and see his father. Mr. Radcliffe, in a shabby old coat, was sitting in his arm-chair at the

very ill, sir,

man, dreamily. "Been

-to-keep her with us a

e not. As

-is it you! What

him enter and bang the door after him. His shoes were dirty, hi

" answered Francis, as he held out his ha

and hard than of yore, came in with the tea-tray. She did as much work in the house as a servant. Lizzy had been

an," was Mrs. Stephen's snappish salutation to Fran

will do,"

," interposed the old man. And they st

d his tea in his arm-chair at the fire, as usual. Afterwards, Francis took his hat and went out. He was going to quest

ued voice sounded as though he had been crying. His father, with bent head, was smoking a long

was the first voluntary question he had put for months. S

h a stopping of the breath, "says that nothing can be done

ed the old man. "Our

ave come yet," said Fran

N

I should be in work, and able to give her a happy home wi

, opening his mouth, let the smoke c

sir. I am going

orts, was turning the paper to see what it said about the ma

w days, he

ephen in his surly

has sat up there away from us

the fire. "Why, what good has she been? Miss her? The house'

ext, Ste. And not l

ath his overhanging, bushy eyebrows, that were b

alone here by ourselves, we shal

nth is i

vem

een the last o' me

uable remark. The old man no

ca'll be glad to

y it. He was turning about in his thoughts

from the first-she and him. I expect

hat's right," ans

r. I was heir to it before you ever set eyes on her; an

It'll be all

up his spirits at the last answer. "He has got his fine profession, and he can make a living for hi

you, Ste. It wi

, strolled into the kitchen, and ordered Becca to pr

except that her voice grew weaker. She could only use it at intervals. But her face had a beautiful look of peace up

to light the fire, she was looking over the two books that lay on the round table. One of them was the Bible; the other was a translation of the German tal

title) had taken a "new lease of life," and was getting well. Becca, astonished, went stalking up: perhaps she was afraid i

have you left your bed

e, letting the book lie open on the table. "W

re about beginning now. "I'll go down and beat you up an egg and a spoonful of wine," said she, jus

r Becca went out and told him. Stephen splashed some wash over the side of the trough, and gave a little pig a smack with the bucket, and th

ost trees are dreary in November. Francis saw a shiver take her as she stood, leaning on the wind

you used to be," said he cheerfully, seating her on the sofa a

he sat down by her; a half-questioni

you are not deceived!" and his ove

the weary frame; just as you may have seen the flame shoot up fr

throat. She took his hands

on't grieve for me! Remem

r Duffham gave when he had inquired what malady

orget-that it is a journey we

ourney at the best!" he sai

, but I h

inted with a smile to the book that still lay op

th is dra

art shrink

y limb

e thy han

ho cheer

the da

ou the ea

ou, in the

ngel'

thy droop

in gloom

ain so

es to set

t him c

true

y fears sh

etern

enanc

t. She leaned forward, and let her head rest upon him, just as she had

hat shall I do

ave God," s

reality to her; showing Holt a slit that had appeared in the table-cover and needed darning: telling Francis his pocket-handkerchiefs looked yellow and

eyes on Francis as they sat opposite to each other at dinner in the parlo

er. He had left his mother sitting on the sofa, comparatively well. He found her lying on the bed in the next room, grappling with death

w-I know I have been heard. You will be helped to put away that evil habit; temptation

you say, mother," cri

if in answer to something he

Francis rang the bell violently

o do it, because it involved a new suit of black clothes. "They'll be ready

he grave, Mr. Radcliffe was lying as lifeless as she was. A seizure carried him off. Francis was summoned aga

property was equally divided between the two sons, half and half: Stephen of course inheriting the Torr; and Squire Todhetley bei

f course Stephen himself, but it looked more like a savage wild-cat