Beauchamp's Career -- Volume 4

ively green water between the island and the forest shore. Cecilia's noble schooner was sure to be out in such a ringing breeze, for the pride of it a

e as ever was witnessed: and who could the man at the tiller, clad cap-A-pie in tarpaulin, be? She led him dancing away, to prove his resoluteness and laugh at him. She had the powerful wings, and a glory in them coming of this purs

across her tack, and, reconsidering it, evidently scorned his advantage and challenged the stately vessel for a beat up against the wind. It was as pretty as a Court minuet. But presently Cecilia stood too far on one t

spray and cunningly calculating to get wind and tide in his favour. Partly with regret she saw him, stripped of his tarpaulin, jump into her bo

he was on board. The stirring cord

he said, looking up at the peak

compassion for defeat?

wind of course I

us as to give chase? And who ha

ed her sailing, and pretended to say that the rac

at swims, and had no idea of overhauling you. To-day

often told you how I love it. I have landed papa at the Club. Ar

morning are as lovely as anything in the world. They have the softest outlines i

remind you further, Nevil, that the comparison of nature's min

nown instance of d

ly be brought to consider that the comparison of tempestuous night to the flashing of those eyes of hers top

from due South the yacht swung her sails to drive toward the West, and Cecilia's face and hair came out go

d for the smartness

ht to be idling about. His ward Miss Denham is travelling in Switzerland; the dear old man is alone, and not quite so well as I s

stractedly at a

o hard,' sai

o d

Shrap

of works too hard, and it would b

er; an American that had

ng up to spy a

he Corinn

er always excited his respect

he name of you

ad augury to sailors appears to me . . . however, I 've argued it with him and I will have her called the C

of him. Can it be an opinion when it's founded on nothing? You know really nothing of him. I have in my pocket what I believe would alte

sman that you

t's a

cheeks t

like to read it

eplied with a dash of s

act here and there? I want y

re I sho

me tr

y do

to sho

do not wish to

, and I want you to know what good reason I ha

eclaimed at Mount Laurels in Captain Baskelett's absurd sing-song, surged up in her mind revolti

llists, Yes and No, have rarely been better matched than in Beauchamp and Cecilia. For if he was obstinate in attack she had great resisting power. Twice to listen to that letter was beyond her endurance.

you know of it

ind of writin

you kn

some of Dr. Shr

olerant, immoral, and the rest! all th

yself from hearing what I know

o you that he is not the man you would blame, but I, and that if ever I am worthier . . .

quick. Yet it was not pleasant to her to

owned with many stamps, thick with

n; well, he read it. And, Cecilia, you can fancy the sort of stuff he would make of it. Apart from that, I want you particularly to know how much I am indebted to Dr. Shrapnel. Won't you learn to like him a little? Won't

e your chiv

ord. But the scale of the war, the cause, and the end in view, raise Dr. Shrapnel above the bravest I have ever had the luck to meet. Soldiers and sailors have their excitement to keep them up to the mark; praise and rewards. He is in his eight-and- sixtieth year, and he has never received anything but o

listen to you with pleasure, Nevil;

graph or two

ro

I say I ask you for one sign that

eased to be your friend, N

ed against my best friend that you will not

d obstinate,'

aith, if it suited me: supposing some passion to be at work. Men who are open to passion have to be taught reflection before they distinguish between the woman they should sue for love because she would be their best mate, and the woman who has thrown a spell on them. Now, what I beg you to let me read y

to Beauchamp, except on account of his idolatry of the wicked revolutionist. Far from having a sense of opposition to Beauchamp; she pitied him for his infatuation, and in her

g a sentence

but the breeze,

-sheets: they threatened to fly

g on the pier,' said she. 'I am so fon

gned the letter

ot offende

aven't a mind for t

emarked, and asked him, smiling soft

f which had to be reached by a determined effort of sympathy for those whom it affected. He liked it if she did, and said he liked it, reiterated that he liked it, clearly trying hard to

t. The hero of her childhood, the friend of her womanhood,

listen to that brass band, and s

ed his dear and honoured master, as he called Dr. Shrapnel. To speak, without the explanation of his previous ret

eople are not so subject to the charm of music as other races? They have more of the gift, and I think less of the feeling. You do not hear much music in Italy. I remember in

orific,' sa

r have had them rise

em waltzed into pe

gested: 'If one can hav

destruction may

rible view of li

han to any one else, because

respite now

more; I don't know; but it appears to me our country needs rousing if it's to live. There 's a division

and saw tears o

rest Ce

me childish

hing in the boat. Besi

assed among the suito

ur

th his usual promptitude, he let them slip, painfully mindful of his treatment of her l

her especial gift of tender womanliness, was not yet so thoroughly mastered as to grant her husband his just prev

at Beauchamp as if he h

orning?' was one of his first ques

onth; I came from Holdesbury to try her; and then he stated how he had danced attendance on the schooner for a coupl

Beauchamp narrowly,

ning that Mr. Romfrey had been somewhere about the island yesterday, at which Beauc

, to signify that there was gravity in the case. Here the signalling stopped short; she had to carry on a conversation with Lord Lockrace, one of

champ quitte

cilia: 'Grancey Lespel tells me that Mr. Romfrey calle

, Pa

fittings below,' the

murmured to

ly horsewh

asis on 'soundly' declared an approval of the deed, and she was chilled by a sickening abhorrence and dread

ockrace's heels. 'I've no doubt he richly deserved it. The writer of that lette

a Radical fellow,' said Lord Lockrace. 'Men who write that

vate letter,'

private, Mi

guage as this, which, taken in conjunction with Dr. Shrapnel's, seemed to uncloak our Cons

e but half civil

,' said

sted that he never co

were dr

ace observed in the con

ot stay

s yacht, the Lady Violet. He was able to communicate the latest version of the horsewhipping of Dr. Shrapnel, from which it appeared that after Mr. Romfrey had handsomely flogged the man he flung his card on the prostrate body, to let men know who was responsible for the act. He expected that Mr. Romfrey would be subjected to legal proceedings. 'But if there's a pleasure worth paying for it's the troun

r notions in his head. He works for us down at the mine in Wales a good part of the year, and has tided us ov

Croyston, levelling his telesco

and had a faint gladness in the thought that his knowledge of his uncle E

man who had got his deserts, and saying this he burst into a petty fury against the epistle of Dr. Shrapnel, which appeared to be growing more monstrous in proportion to his forgetfulness of the details, as mountains gath

on 'women' which proves their inferiority. He was rarely guilty of it toward his daughter. Evidently he had resolved to back Mr. Romfrey blindly. That epistle of Dr. Shrapnel's merited condign punishment and had met with it, he seemed to rejoice in saying: and this was his abstract of

ot going to Steyn

lf, 'no; it 's an engagement. I gave my consent so far. W

his uncle, the treaty of union between the two families, which her father sub

ce, Lord Croyston, and the Lespels; she could not drive down to Bevisham on the chance of seeing him. Nor was it to be acknowledged even to herself that she so greatly desired to see him and advise him. Why not? Because she was one of the artificial creatures called women (with the accent) who dare not be spontaneous, and cannot act independently if they would continue to be admir

hem, she thought, and blushed in thought that she could neve

it had been in his to speak to her, but the fire was wanting

e of Mr. Romfrey's chastisement of Dr. Shrapnel. 'Cause eno

indled by a certain wilfulness in his incessant reference to the

e had still a mind whose habit of independent judgement was not to be constrained, and while she felt that it was only by siding with Nevil submissively and blindly in this lamentable case that she could hope for happiness, she foresaw the likelihood of her not bei