Johnny Ludlow, Fourth Series

uty to boast of, but was as comfortable a dwelling-place as any in Worcestershire. The well-stocked kitchen-garden, filled with plain fruit-trees and beds of vegetables, stret

ng-room, making a child's frock. Having no little ones of her own to work for-and sometimes Timberdale thought it was that fact that made the

s at last!" e

was a warm and lovely April day. A glass of lemonade, or some such cooling drink, s

it," spoke the Rector severely. For, though he had condoned that one great mishap of

e; he is always punctual," cr

le white gate; poor old Lee, the letterman, was approaching it from

ting to be questioned, as he put one letter into her hand. "Salm

e wondered too. What a beautiful day it is! Your wi

up, impatient for the letter he had been speci

me, Herbert. Only one f

tily, as he sat down again t

ought home in safety from another voyage the good ship Rose of Delhi, of which he was commander. Alice, his wife, who generally voyaged with him, had gone immediately

ssion of pain seated in her eyes. "Would

ifting the band of flannel on

nt before proceeding-"she says sh

ve that absurd notion encouraged. It was Alice's cry last

Of course what Alice says has reason

abide by it. A turncoat is never worth a rush. Jack

pening the letter-"Oh, if Jack could but leave the sea! All my little ones coming on!-I shall not be able to go with

'm sure I'm never well in it," retorted Herbert. "Jack had b

her; she had two already; and she could not be with them at New Brighton, and be skimming over the seas to Calcutta, or where not, in the Rose of Delhi. Interests clashed; and with her whole heart Alice wished Jack could quit the sea. Grace sighed as she thought of this; she saw how natural was the wish, though Herbert did not see it: neither could she forget that the chief portion of the fortune which ought to have been Jack's was enjoyed by herself and her husband. She had always thought it unjust; it did not seem to bring them luck; it lay upon her heart like a weight of care. Their income from the living and the fortune, comprised together, was over a thousand pounds a-year. They

as coming across the field towards the house. The click of the little gate, as it swun

bothering no

Colonel Letsom,

ejoined Herbert. "I am not goi

ad, who had walked over from his house at Crabb. Grace open

spoke he; "no ceremony. My brother, the major, is with us for a day or

e liked the importance of sitting at the right or left hand of his hos

a sore throat this morning. Very rela

ered the colonel. "As to your throat-I dare say it will be better by

ve to send word, and decline. The colonel nodded. He felt sure in his own mind the throat would get

questioned he of the colonel. "

who, in his easy nature, generally avowed a liking

s!" repeated Herbert quick

es," avowed the colonel. "Any way, I did not remember it. Sir Dac

. The colonel

and his first wife was a sister of Dace Fontaine's. Yes, that's it. Poor Pym and his wife died soon; both

ere any

That was all. Well, you'll come this evening," added the colonel, turning to depart

rhood, and were living at Maythorn Bank. Naturally the Squire wanted to know who they were and what they were. And as they were fated to

do as he pleased; and to America they went with their two daughters. From that time they lived sometimes in America, sometimes in the West Indies: Sir Dace would not quite abandon his old home there. Changes came as the years went on: Lady Fontaine died; Sir Dace lost a good portion of his fortune through some adverse speculation. A disappointed man, he resolved to come to England and settle down on some property that had fallen to him in right of his wife; a small estate called Oxlip Grange, which lay between Islip and Crabb. Any way, o

rious to see what the Fontaines were like. Tom Coney said one of the girls was beautiful, lovely-l

orehand. The sunbeams were slanting into the drawing-room as we entered it. Four of the Letsoms were present, besides the major, and Herbert Tanerton and his

smooth black hair, and dark eyes that looked straight out at you. Her small teeth were brilliantly white, her chin

rue golden hair, that is so beautiful but so rare, delicate features, and laughing eyes blue as the summer sky. I think her beauty and her attractions

Todhetley; and that beautiful girl, Verena, fell to Tod. Tod! The two girls were about the most self-possessed girls I ever saw; their manners quite A

ry Ann Letsom a song; and Herbert Tanerton sang, forgettin

bs and hedges. The young ladies muffled some soft white woollen shawls round their faces, and called our climate a treacher

, as we walked side by side behind the rest. "By something t

sidence lies at a distance. W

thing to have neighbours close to us. Of course you kn

s very pretty, th

apa had managed better! This country is altogether frightfully dull. My sister tells us that unless things improve sh

d to be her own mistress

s come into her share of the money mam

e speaking i

he could go back to-morrow if she liked.

ions at all. English girls

brought-up girls? We have been self-dependent from childhood; taught to be so. Coral could tak

her-Coral? It is a

skin. Her name is really Coralie, but I call her Coral

eed. Have you

" she answered.

ated from the German. I will lend

r fair face to me, the white cloud drawn round it, and her sweet blue eyes laughing and dancing-"I can't quite make out who you are. Th

ve with them. I a

morning. One of the letters was for Verena: which she crushed into her hand in the passage and ran away with to

to pour out the coffee as her father entered. "It has brought

felt the cold here much. Putting his gold eye-glasses across his nose, as he slowly sat down-all his movements

epistle!" excl

ena," he added, for just then Verena entered and wished him good-morning, with a beaming f

paused; and closed it again without speaking. Perhaps she recalled the saying, "

the family twenty years. The gardener was waiting for instructions about the new flower-beds, he told his master; and Sir Dace went out. It left his daughters at

coming over, Vera," began Coralie. "His letter

e! He will get his voyage out and home for

George Bazalgette was a wealthy West Indian planter, and wanted to marry Miss Verena Fontaine. She did not want to marry him, and for the very good reas

t, unemotional way. "I hope that Edward Pym will never come here, or to Euro

Her sister's pleasant suggestion went for

he ship has arrived in port, a

pen for Coralie to see the date, "London," and the signature "Edward." H

ere here?" questioned

e to te

w where to w

ote to him to the address of the ship's brokers at Liverpool. The ship has come on t

uble will come of this. Papa will never

na was the opposite-all excitement; though she did her best to hide it. Her fingers were restles

arlin

our skipper will take care to be absent himself, I expect, and I must stay: he is a regular Martinet as to duty. You will see me the very hour I

our tru

war

Coralie, when Verena had read out

her talking to papa, last night, about her

point of fact, he is not related to Mrs. Letsom at all. Well, it all happened

nds, and at one of them he fell in with Sir Dace Fontaine, who was, in fact, his uncle, but who had never taken the smallest thought for him-hardly remembered he had such a nephew-and made acquaintance with his two cousins. He and Verena fell in love with one another; and, on her side, at any rate, it was not the passing fancy sometimes called by the name, but one likely to last for all time. They often met, the young officer having the run of his uncle's house whenever he could get ashore; and Edward, who could be as full of tricks and turns as a fox when it suited his convenience to be so, contrived to put himself into hospital when the brig was about to sail, saying he was sick; so he was left behind. The brig fairly of

hear, about your wantin

he pleasant face of his brother. Ever hopeful, sunny-tempered Jack, had reached the Rectory the previous night to make a short visit. They sat i

ack, who was playing with the little dog, Dash. "I should like to leave

you like t

ther is of course-well, very kind, and all that," went on Jack, after an imperceptible pause, "but Alice would prefer to train her children

r think of

y? In w

e, and spent his first years in it, it is his duty to

humour. "But-if I could get a living on shore, Herbert, I don't see

Chopping and changing oft

could make it answer well, if any man could. You know what a good farmer I was as a boy, Herbert-in practica

n to be a mountebank! And where would you get the money to stock a farm of two or three hundred acres? You have put

to borrow them. True also that I have not pu

e not! It wouldn't

her-were so heavy and so perpetual. She wanted a great deal for herself, and she presented vast claims for the expenses of Jack's two little children, and for the maintenance of her daughter when Alice stayed on shore. Alice whispered to Jack she belie

utter folly it is for you to think o

uiesced Jack. "I assure

ce d

l, because sh

any chance o

readily ackno

e of talking about i

he world,"

ease," pursued Herbert, forgetting, per

sh! Jump, good

hn! Attend to me. I want to know why you

or London this tim

who knew as much about sailor

hip for London, freights for that port being higher t

t. "I thought perhaps

pool. There are three of them in all. James Freeman is the brok

think you sha

y can begin to reload and

ng, I suppose," remark

rgo is ready and waiting. It may be three

does not go

ke a cloud passed over his fresh,

, frank of face, hearty of manner, flying to all the nooks and corners of the parish with outstretched hands to rich and poor, with kind words and generous help for the sick and

stooping to peer through the sweetbriar hedge, as if he wanted to see what the house was like, and did not care to look at it openly. He sprang up at sound of our footsteps. It was a slight, handsome young man o

, sir," he cr

g," returned Jack, in a cool ton

oppered, so I've got a holiday," replied the young man: and he walke

, as we went on in t

ef mate: a m

f you did not l

whose master had died out there; Pym presented himself to me, and I engaged him. He gave me some trouble on the homeward voyage; drank, was insolent

s he he

rned Jack. "He can't have

left t

e. When they asked why, I only said he and I did not hit it off together very well. I don't care to report ill

saying something about some bales of "jute," whic

hip, Mr. Pym?" asked Jack, after answer

, s

N

s some talk, I fancy, of making Ferrar chie

ity. I thought Pym would have liked to defy Jack had he dared. Jack's voice, as he

ef. What are you talking of, Mr

ow; he is about to pass," retor

s slow, lumbering manner, round the corner. Jack, who had been introduced to him, stopped t

ve me?" he exclaimed

. "He has been my first mate

blacker than thunder. "Wh

t first I thought he might have come

t we should meet again in the evenin

Letsoms, and the Ashtons from Timberdale Court. Charles Ashton, the parson, was staying with them: he would come

ything between Pym and Verena Fontaine, or that Pym was related to Sir Dace. Had Jack known either the one

ce craned his long and ponderous

h that chief mate of yours, Edward Pym? D

's ready answer. "I was not part

ith you again w

he decision l

cied he would have been glad to hear that Pym was

up then. "Why do yo

out Jack, after hesitating a little, and still wit

from the end of the table, her fac

same thing of you, Captain Ta

he could say that. Whatever other faults I may have, I am s

e with a message to old Thomas about the claret. In the

e said to me, as she put her white shawl

ou," I said, tak

you; I must

you,

one, but one that had a decisive ring in it. "Stay

went into the drawing-room. Presently somebody mis

, who had just come into the room, told me I was not more gallant than a rising bear. I laughed, and did no

fter Verena Fontaine to see what has become of her.

whether she meant to come back at all. Catchi

the white shawl muffled round her. Mr. Pym was pacing with her, his face

the gate. "I will go back with you, Mr. Johnny. Edward, I can't stay another moment," sh

p up with her. That was my first enlightenment of the secret t

topped to say, in a beseeching tone, as we reached

ss Verena. You

that. I read i

e more to the purpose could she have read it in Pym's.

olly as though she had never been away. Sir Dace, talking near the window with old Paul, looked across at her,

there. The Squire had offered to drive Sir Dace to Worcester, leaving him to fix the day. Sir Dace

ts over the seas, which all three of them knew so well. When I left, Jack came with me, and Sir Dace walked with us to the gate. And there we came upon Mr. Pym and Mis

he marched her in at the gate, and pushed her up the

ies, I now warn you off these. This is my house, and I forbid you to approach it. I forbid

nd there was the same covert defiance in his ton

ourhood?" continued Sir Dace. "You cannot have any le

m, as he lifted his cap to us

rton, breathlessly, when we were alone.

anting to make

, then! It's lik

irst cousin

Pym will find his match in Sir Dace.

m? P

here's too much secretiveness in it for me

e there i

ack. And at the moment

fate that was, all too soon, to place Edward Pym beyond the pale of this wor