Life's Little Ironies

down the broad gravel path which bordered the east front of the house. Till within the last half-h

en crippled at starting, how my life has been maimed; that I feel anything like publicity distasteful, that I have ye no political ambition, and that my chief aim and ho

with dry indirectness. 'But you'll find that she will not be content

n in my eyes. Her lack of influential connections limits her ambition. From what I know of her, a life in this place

s to make the case respectable. Well, do as you will; I have no authority over you, so why

further acquaintance she turns out to be as good as she has hit

irst sight. But as a stepmother to your child! Yo

e up my mind in a hurry. But the thought having occurred to me,

to make the best of it if you ar

morr

ear had so affected the squire, was coming again, and at the same time her younger brother Cornelius, to make up a family party. Rosa, who journeyed from the Midlands,

into holy orders promised to be unexpectedly easy; and he longed to compare experiences with him, even though there was on hand a more exciting matter still. From his youth he had held that,

Joshua, but his personal position was satisfactory, and there was nothing to account for the singularly subdued manner that he exhibited, which at first Joshua set down to the fatigue of over-study; a

head. 'She comes too

do you

a read. It appeared under the report of Petty Sessions, and was a commonplace case of disorder

' said

g that I was in the street; a

re money on his promis

unobserved of his father, and had heard him say that he was on his way to see his daughter, who was going to marry a rich gent

he elder brother. 'How did he guess that Rosa was likely to marry? Good

Cornelius.

ua's dwelling. In the evening they set out to meet Rosa, bringing her to the village in a fly; and when she had come into the

preached. Mrs. Fellmer was quite maternal towards Rosa, and it appeared that she had decided to welcome the inevitable with a good grace. The pretty girl was to spend yet another afternoon with the elder lady, superintend

to keep away from Narrobourne. Every exertion was to be made to get him back to Canada, to his old home in the Midlands-anywhere, so that he would n

note which had led to this journey being undertaken; it was despatched by their father the night before, immediately upon his liberation, and stated that he was setting out for Narrobourne at the moment of writing; that having no money he would be obliged to walk all the way; that he

ave a thought to our po

ornelius, who was quite unknown in this neighbourhood, and who, moreover, was not in clerical attire, decided that he should be the one to call at the Castle Inn. Here, in answer to his inquiry under the

met and passed him! And now that I think of it, we did meet some one who was unsteady in hi

in front of them, and could see a whitish figure in the gloom. They followed dubiously. The figure met another wayfarer-the single one that had been encountered upon this lonely road-and they distinctly heard h

or three meads, and the lights from Narrobourne manor-house were visible before them through the trees. Their father was no longer walki

nding him of the plan which he had himself propose

'Well, what do you want me to do?'

llwright drew a quart bottle from his pocket, and challenged them to drink if they meant friendly and called themselves men. Nei

n it?' sa

id so, and his father pushed up the bottom of the vessel so as to make him swallo

aid old Halborough. 'But

aid Joshua, losing his self-comma

air of hypocrites to say so. It was done to get rid of me-no more nor less. But, by Jerry, I'm a match for ye now! I'll spoi

prema

l give her away, or there'll be a hell of a row, I

demolish as fair a palace of hopes as was ever builded. The millwright rose. 'If that's where the squire lives I'm going to call. Just arrived from Canady with her fortune-ha,

eady! Where's that wo

nstitution-a sight more lawful than your mo

aintance, and had made somewhat tardy amends; but never from his father's lips till now. It was the last s

e stalking along the path, and over his head the lights from the conservatory of Narrobourne House, inside which Albert

this, had been diminishing in the shade; and now suddenly disappe

starting forward to run for the pl

ed to the other's side before he had taken ten steps. 'Stop, stop, what

ng him

am I. But-w

, Jo

lius-and your reputation and mine-and o

nd floundering in the weir continued; over it they saw the hopeful lights from the mano

aker, and they could hear gurgling wo

must save h

yes! w

emed to be affixed to their feet, which would no longer obey their wills. The mead became silent. Over it t

the stream. At first they could see nothing in the water, though it was not so deep nor the night so dark but that thei

d into the cul

ns to cross into the middle of the mead in haymaking time. It being at present the season of high water the arch was full to the crown, agains

r a long time they tried at both ends to effect som

conscience-stricken Cornelius, when the

is father's walking-stick on the bank; hastily picking it up

ident?' whispered Cornelius as they a

n do no good. We must

manor-house, reaching it about ten o'clock. Besides their sister there were on

d their hands in an ecstatic, brimming, joyful manner, as i

ife looked wisely around; and Fellmer himself played the part of host with a preoccupied bearing which approached fervour. They left at eleven, not accepting the carriage offered, the distance

a said, with desperate attempt at

between a gasp a

d-if it di

he added, 'I am not disturbed, and nothing has happened. Only he said he wanted to ask me something, some day; and I said never mind that now. He hasn't aske