Tales and Fantasies

ely entirely upon the evidence of Richard, for Esther to this day has never opened her mouth upon this trying passage of her life, and as for the Admiral-well, that naval officer, although s

ad with an amused appearance, and mix himself another grog by way of consolation. Once I heard him go farther, and express his feelings with regard to Esther in a single but eloquent word. 'A minx, sir,' he said, not in anger

ed by destiny, had events come upon her even in a different succession, for some things lead easily to others, the whole course of this tale would have been changed, and Esther never would have run

more 'sirrupping' some brandy and water, and Esther sat at the table at work. They both came forward to greet the new arrival; and the girl, relieving

ust really ask you not to interfere, ch

orgive me; I knew you

iral; 'I've done with i

ne understands you, you have still a duty to yourself. And, oh, don't spoil the pleasure of your coming home to me; show me that you can be

he was acutely miserable; and he betrayed his sufferings by a perfectly silly and undignified access of temper, during which he broke his pipe in several pieces, threw his brandy and water in the fire, and employe

ave a morbid sense of duty, particularly for others; strive against it, my dear-strive against it. And as for the pigme

miral not even watching how he did, but quite occu

od or bad, went off to bed. Dick was left hobbled by the

the inn, where he had struck up quite a friendship with the landlord. Dick wondered who paid for these excursions, and at the thought that the reprobate must get his pocket money wher

ou; it shows your tact to meet me when I had a wish for you. I

,' retorted Dick bitterly. 'There's

and here-well, here everything pleases me. I am plain in my tast

roundly; 'I cert

nd perfectly qualified to give an opinion with impartiality-yes, Dick, with impartiality. Frankly, I am not disappointed in

woman in the worl

een expecting this. Let us-let us go back to the "Tr

Dick. 'You have had

ick's face, and some recollection of the terms on which they had

have pleased me from the first; and to say truth, Esther is a trifle fantastic, and will be better when she is married. She has means of her own, as of course you are aware. They come, like the looks, from he

tood a

'do what you please with yourself, but,

atchmaking as a dowager. It will be more discreet for you to stay away to-night. Farewell. You leave y

dmiral again proposed an adjournment to the 'Trevanion Arms,' and when Dick had once more refused, it hung for a moment in the balance whether or not the old toper would return there by himself. Had he done

details of

s, and joined in response and hymn, as to the manner born; and his appearance, as he intended it

posite us in church,' he said to his son a

n Tromp, I beli

too!' observ

t him with his father, what would have been the result? And could such a catastrophe be long postp

, and ran across country, in part to save time, in part to save his own courage from growing cold; for he now hated the notion of the cottage or the Admiral, and if he did not hate, at least feared

them, and her swiftest glance was as intent as a stare. The appearance of the Admiral, on the other hand, was rosy, and flabby, and moist; his jowl hung over his shirt collar, his smile was loose and wandering, and he had so far relaxed the natural control of his eyes, that one of them was aimed

d a kind of crapulous air I can't disguise from myself-if it weren't for this and that and t'other thing-I-I've forgot what I was saying. Not that that matters, I've heaps of things to say. I'm in a com

other occasion Dick would have enjoyed the scene. Van Tromp's egotism, flown with drink, struck a pitch above mere vanity. He became candid and explanatory; sought to take his auditors entirely into his confidence, and tell them his inmost conviction about himself. Between his self-knowledge, which was considerable, and his

ime we met, and told me so-told me so to my face, which I had the virtue

ed at this new feature of the

gain, in a

was when I had to paint t

aughingly said perhaps, bu

t hesitation in sponging

on Dick

all be thinking of going to bed.' And he

wo of that. Puss here,' indicating his daughter, 'shall

shed to order her to bed in her own house! now he called her Puss! now, even as he uttered the words, toppling on his chair, he broke the stem of his tobacco-pipe in three! Never did the sheep turn up

l have the goodness to go home

countenance to have lived too long in a world unworthy of him; but it is an o

nly obey her. In the porch, finding she was close behind h

pleased,' she sa

ifled tones; 'I never did; I never said I did,' he add

. I will not be put off. C

said

e even

w, I be

-she leaned upon t

been d

e house when another thought arrested her. 'Me

,' repl

e sound of a chair pushed sharply over the floor startled his heart into his mouth; but the silence which had thus been disturbed settled back again at once upon the cottage and its vicinity. What took place during this interval is a secret from the world of men; but when it was over the voice of Esther spoke evenly and without interruption for perhaps half a minute, and as soon as that ceased heavy and uncertain footfalls crossed the parlour and mounted lurching up the stairs. The

er sat upright at the table, her head resting on her hand, her eyes fixed upon the candle. Her brows were slightly bent, her mouth slightly open; her whole attitude so still and settled that Dick could hardly fancy that she breathed. She had not stirred at the sound of Dick's arrival. Soon after, making a considerable disturbance amid the vast silence of the night, the clock lifted up its voice, whined for a while like a partridge, and then eleven times hooted like a c

r, and he was determined, whenever she came, that she should find him waiting. As he got there the day began to dawn, and he leaned over a hurdle and beheld the shadows flee away. Up went the sun at last out of a bank of clouds that were already di