Mrs. Dorriman, Volume 3 of 3

, dingy sparrows playing on the grass,

. Dorriman, suffering in her youth from injustice and a want of affection, bore the marks of both; nothing but her real sweetness of temper had saved her from peevi

raw, envied it. Alone they could not lift it, and yet they would not combine their efforts, and after all it had to be left there to the mercy of the wind. Their ineffectual single effort

ommon-place reflection by

but in various ways he showed his sister how much he had learned to value her. His own consciousness of not being quite the same-which however he never alluded to openly-the various disappointments he met

tually strove to forget it, yet seeing her there by him made him of

tual bewilderment as to its being Christian or right to shrink back from the everlasting companionship which every book she read dwelt upon as offering her the deepest consolation. She had grown fond of her brother, he appreciated her household virtues, and a wo

andford, she tore one open.

re and great loss-y

n at her. In her bewilderment she stretched out the telegram to her brother, forgetting, at the moment, everything except the impuls

it, and now with angry and indig

e referred to?" he as

my husband-to me. I

d her painfully of old days; something, too, of the fe

not re

ot forgotten. They had been so much more to each other lately, so he had thou

thunderstruck. How little he had sounded the dep

ourage to find out for myself. Will anything in those papers rais

roughly; "he was a kind good-hearted fellow, not a man of business,

. Dorriman thought she could not have heard aright. "H

hrank, then he

nted that you hav

it is to owe everything, to be under an obligation, when it

were forthcoming it did not matter from whom they came. He was also one of the men who imagine that a woman has no business with money; who conceive that they are not fitted by nature for disposing of

this new phase of her character must be thou

hing in them to injure your husband i

ld me-it was mine, and you sold it, how could he think of me and not leave me i

l understand. Read the other telegram." He spoke with difficulty, and Mrs. Dorriman in haste ope

n you not come or send some one who

h life just now was a great deal too much for her. Her own affairs were

help is wanted, and why did M

ng and thinking, not coming any nearer a sol

an," she sa

king, and it was evident from the expression of his face that

son I can think of who can help Margaret just now. His name is Stevens. He was Drayton's manag

d Mrs. Dorriman, who had a blind belief as r

sdom," said Mr. S

as a risky one, i

her brother with wide-op

in which there was not any mirt

n and ask him to go t

d Mrs. Dorriman, as she drew

once. Her husband is very ill.' Put, 'The Limes, Wandsworth.' I think he will

o her, but she clung to his saying that her husband had thought of her, and tried not to think of it at all. Soon now she would be

hen she had taken any step of importance. Then she rose quickly and sent it away. She felt she must go into her brother's presence, having fulfilled his wishes. She had not a moment

, so I asked for you. My name is Stevens," and he shook

telegraphed to y

What a

ll, and Margaret-we wa

s, &c.; he said he felt sure Mr. Drayton was too ill to be looked after only by his wife; that he was convinced, from the way he was behaving,

ly; "shall I show you the telegram, a

your brother. Yes, s

om, leaving Mr. Stevens p

young girl marry him!" he muttered; "and

ed, and, crumpling it up, he said, "Good-bye," and, before

r herself, conscious that a powerful help

ting to her. Knowing very little about him, there was still a mixture of kindne

er brother with ha

?" he asked, as sh

elegram to Mr. Stevens gone than he himself appeared. He

e a sigh of relie

asked Mr. Sandford;

bert Gerald wrote. He was corr

r. Sandford; "isn't he the man w

t found? Yes," sa

ing there?" said Mr. Sandford;

rs. Dorriman; "it is a great thing

ster, he said, "You are very innocent, Anne, but do you think a young fellow like Sir Albe

ersuade her against it. I said all I could, she has

She is like ... but Grace. I did originally persuade him to come here, I did not care about her; and I should not have minded h

s to say a word to comfort him. She knew that there was truth

ton here I did not know what I learnt afterwards from Stevens, and when he told me it was too late; I did not know that his mother

or burst from

hate myself? I assure you when I lie down at night, and when I unclose my eyes in the morn

"it is so dreadful to think of he

le to go. Now this man Stevens has gone, he will do more than any one, he has very great influence. I have not the health nor the strength,

letely prostrated; and sitting beside him, once again as often before, the poor little woman had to bear anxiety pat

ltogether, perhaps, Mrs. Dorriman had neve

osite directions, or was it that she could no

d great pride in her powers of language, and who had the

ike Miss Grace, but I don't mind, and I just do things myself and she is well content poor thing, but Miss Margaret's husband has taken a bad turn, and mischief will come and is sure to come if the police will not interfere, and they say they will not because of a law no one understands, and as I have explained this to you, my dear lad

ry side," said Mrs. Dorriman, "

ty, but now Stevens has g

y manages

mber that after all it is only Gra

how I wish, how I wish, Mar

nything," he said, impatie

comes of doing anything wrong

mean," he s

argaret had not wanted to give Grace a hom

you not see that the horror of it all is almost ove

remorsefully, "I did not mean ...

one knew what the word remorse meant, I think there would be less wrong-doing in the world. It is the worm that never dies, and

any grievous wrong." She stopped short as a cruel pang of recollection came to her, t

e, implying trust in him and the doubt expressed in her face. At length he sai

have that conversation then you will feel you are fr

I have learned to care for you now-and if in the past anything exists that may part us-

y, and he gazed a

woman, Anne, but you canno

nd the same moment, stooped suddenly and kissed him, an unwonted demonstration on her si

e who like to draw her mantle round her and not show her wounds. It is the misfortune of characters like hers that no event ever happens in connection with their home history of an unhappy nature that they do not begin to reproach themselves either for doing or not d

r comfort. How long she had sat thinking she did not know, but the twilight was co

one calls; you can show them in,"

pathy that some people feel right to show on all occasio

p to Mrs. Dorriman. "I call it real friends

with her little air of gentle dignity, "that there

eply interested in you ever since that day we met in the rail

re ver

t all. But your brother

air enough spirits, co

a sigh that might have almo

the position (in the society of Renton) of being really intimate with Mrs. Dorriman; and the other alarmed, an

Mrs. Wymans heaved another sigh, which wa

l she showed a composed front to Mrs. Wymans, who was perplexed, annoyed, and bega

s. Wymans," and Mrs. Dorrima

ever knows what to believe," Mrs. Wymans answered, "bu

heard, and in what way it refers to me?" and Mrs.

the full the importance of being the first to tell important news; "Mrs. Dray

d-for a moment she l

ans! Oh, do you know

now no

thought, "Jean, my old servant, wrote to me, and Grace-Miss Rivers-t

y compose yourself; pray do not excite yourself. Mr. Drayton

Dorriman asked, struggling for self-comman

re all of us so apt to believe the very worst part of a friend's misfortune-that now, finding that Mrs. Dorriman knew nothi

slowly, "as you ha

er with a fire and vivacity

hild is dead. It is strange we do not know this, my brother and I; and you add

. Wymans blurted out sud

or goodness sake, Mrs. Dorriman, do not faint!" she exclaimed,

the cruellest mental agitation; "but you have told me a horrible story. I do not believe it

erly; "can I not take the telegram with me

," said Mrs. D

ove the bearer

hatever there was, and not seeing that Mrs. Dorriman was dying to get rid of her; "do make me of

's patience w

o condole with my brother or with me; and Mrs. Wymans-we know each oth

amiable fool. Her farewells were uttered with rapidity, and she left the room and the house quite unable to comprehend how her visit had failed, or why it was she was made to feel that her intrusion was a

and expected came to her-once aga

tful distress-her child

r all she had dreaded, broke her down. Sh

and astonished him by the way

telling him what the relief was: then she added, the tea

to understand why this news, which af

rong about the

g wit

its death a r

d, hysterically, "Not its

fate had been suggested to her

Drayton was under restraint before," he said, "and it distinctly

to think this was conso

cussion about it, even with her brother; utterly and entirely wretched, and longing