Fanny Lambert

uncheon, "tell me, Cousin Fanny"-Miss Lambert, had vanished with the

s to economise all he can, he sold the carriage and horse only a month ago, and just look at the garden! he wont go to the expense of a gardener

a thorn bush and kissed it

the garde

nd Ja

on't m

nd had to take to the law. He is awfully poor, and his wife is ill; they live in a little street near Artesian Road, and father has been to see her; he came with

ds money to won't pay him back, and stocks and shares and things go up and down, and always the wrong way, so he says, and he gets in

you not

e of th

igar from his mouth. "What nonsense are you talking, Co

aid Fanny. "I wis

64] believe--" cried Charles, then he f

bly pleasant vision. "It was in May; we let it to him for three months and went down to Ramsgate to economise. Major

s from the Major, and it was from the South Kensington Hotel; it

own, and you can fancy the fright we were in, fo

ed!" groan

not insured, and he wouldn't trust himself not to s

o

reat-grandmother, the one that hung herself, was an Irishwoman. There was a terrible scene at the station, because they wouldn't take father's cheque for the extra twenty-five pounds for the special train. 'I tell you I'm ruined,' said father, but the station-master, a horrible little man with whiskers, said he couldn't help that. Oh!

uld th

e would spend it, then when the [Pg 66]fortnight was up we hadn't enough for the bill. Father wanted to leave Boy-Boy, but they said th

unny old man with fiery eyes and white hair that stood up. We did not see Mrs Sawyer, so we supposed she had been bur

hought Mrs Sawyer was burnt. Then it came out that there had been no fire, and I saw f

e gave it to

had never been spoken to so before since he left school,

g

about-I mean what mad

ched the police station, and that's nearly a mile away, and he wouldn't come back but took a cab to the hotel in his pyjamas. But the funny thing is, that ever since the day father abused him,

lieve i

everything, so

it's a 'she' yo

anny La

O

at-gran

s, lighting a new cigar and lean

fore them lay a little wilderness, sunflowers

Latin, "The hours pass and are numbered." From this wilderness of a garden came

hundred, years ago; anyhow it was in the time of t

hy

t have been

about the time

hose times the Lamberts lived here at 'The Laurels,' just as we do, that's what makes the house so old; and the Prince Regent used to drive

g

d of smoke at a bumble-bee that had alighted on Fanny's dress, and was rubbing its ha

ng. Isn't he fat!-there, he is go

she was

dn't she b

harles, cleari

hy

t she should not ha

been very like father; he was like him in face, for we have a miniature of him, but

f club, I

him over the head with a poker; the jury said the man died of apoplexy, but he[Pg 70] kept t

an imagine him; but, all the same, I

es, I

is it,

, breaking into a joyous laugh; "a

rince Regent, I think," s

ever that means. One night at Crockfords Mr Bevan-he was an ancestor of yours-flew into a frightful temper over some nonsense-a

, go on with the story,"

pped Mr Bevan's face, a

g

" cried Charles, wattl

t!" cried Fanny, clenc

ing sound through the desolate garden, bearing with it from some distant street the voice of a ma

till with a trace of

Charles meekly. "Go

r to him as if to m

My God, what an occurrence!' and some people said he cried out, 'Gentlemen, gentlemen!' And the

a carriage and drove home here. She seemed greatly distressed; the servants said she spent the night walking up and down the blue corridor crying out, 'O that I ever loved such a man!' and 'Who would have th

h her garters-she must have had a very small neck, I'm sure I couldn't hang myse

u ever s

hen the wind is high. Father O'Mahony wanted to lay her, b

, to lose you

she ever did, for the hot

g

not take apar

ly and so poky, and l

ther a Roma

e

are

ll the simplicity of childhood, and a smile that surely was ref

s state of your mind?" asked

always beat him. When he can find nothing more to say, he always scratches his dear old head and says, '

was t

luable convert to the Church; "at least the dressm

g

rfully at the female atheist by his side, who had taken her

t always to make every one as happy as possible and be kind to animals. I

eaven?" asked Mr Bev

ourse

an atheist," in

'm not. Who

u d

came here to dinner once; he had a red beard, and

believe

the man who lived in the oven. I was always told that the Black Man who lived in the oven would run away with me if I stole[Pg 75] the

strange," s

e wasn't a

tiffly, "to such thoughts in the

asé woman of the world, making a grab at a passing moth and the

lowing like a cow through garden and shrubbery in s

ising, and leading the way