Hard Cash

Hardie's note

before giving your consent. I appreciate your delicacy; and it is with considerable regret I now write to inform you this match is out of the question. I have thought it due to you to communicate t

ARD H

-read it in silence. It was an

s parvenu's?" she faltered. "Tell

to let the name of Hardie be

very comforti

him, or do you f

to pretend that his father would consent. You write, and t

ry, mamma." Li

ow show me how to tear him out of m

; she approved it languidly. A long and sad conversation followed; and, after kissing her mother and clinging to her, s

n encouraged only upon a misapprehension of his father's sentiments; for which misapprehension he was in some degree to blame: not that she meant to reproach him on that score, especially at this unhappy moment: no, she rather blamed herself for l

my daughter, and not in any way to attract her attention, under the present circumstances.-I am, dear Mr

Y DO

merciless scrutiny. He said doggedly, though tremulously, "Very well!" then turned quickly on his heel, and went slowly home. Mrs. Dodd, with well-feigned indifference, questioned

letter from him. Poor fellow, it was the

ther has written a hasty letter from Yorkshire. He and I must have many a talk face to face before I consent to be miserable for life. Dear Mrs. Dodd, at first receipt of your cruel letter, so kindly worded, I was broken-hearted; but now I am myself again: difficulties are made for ladies to yield to, and for

ED HA

ot read it quite unmoved, and therefore she felt s

est course seemed to be to detach her affections from Alfred. What hope of a peaceful heart without this? and what real happiness without peace? But, too

more constantly, taking one of the maids with her, at Mrs. Dodd's request. She studied Logic with Edward. She went to bed rather early, fatigued

den conflict. On the whole Mrs. Dodd was hopeful; for she had never imagined the cure would be speedy or easy. To see her child on the right road was much. Only th

nce that night Julia had shunned parties. "Give me the sorrows of the poor and afflicted," was her cry; "the gaiety of the hollow world jars m

you are right; we owe it to ourselves to outface scandal. Still, let

you don't know what I can do. I

illiant, that Mrs. Dodd said softly to her, "Gently, love; moderate y

s a state of daily self-denial, to which he would never have committed himself, but that he was quit

nd he was as guarded and reserved with Alfred. The young man begged to know the why and the wherefore, and being repulsed, employed all his art to elicit them by surprise, or g

cted at first, between a father indul

ge, experience, authority, resolution, hidden and powerful motives, to which my reader even has no clue as yet; a purpo

respect for Authority when afraid or ashamed to appeal to Reason. Hardie senior turned on him with a gravity

can be so construed. And that is the mystery

ragmatical fathers who cannot let their

interfered, except to p

elieve that he does not interfere now but for your good, and under a stern necessity; and that

is hands, and something very like a sob burst from his young heart. At this Hardie senior took up the newspaper with imperturbable coldness, and wore a slight curl of the lip. All this

ly as he read the monetary article with tranquil interest; and then, for the first time in his life, it flashed into the

bowels of

ight disunion in Richard Hardie's house-disunion, a fast-g

ights were sleepless and his days leaden. He tried hard to read for his first class, but for once even ambition failed: it ended in flinging books away in despair. He wandered about dreaming and moping for some change, and bitterly regretting his excessive delicacy, which had tied his own hands and brought him to a stand-still. He lost his colour and what little flesh he had to lose; for such young spirits as this are never plump. In a word, being now

escription of the lady's person, well worth omitting. "And such a jolly girl! brightens them all up wherever she goes; and such a dancer; did the cachouka with a little Spanish bloke Bo

ndon,'" groaned Alfred

ten times the beauty. But just you hear her sing,

tive s

wn to the music-box. Only she won't sing two running: they have to stick a duffer in between. I shall meet

r by himself, and, lover-like, laid all the blame on another. It was all her cold-blooded mother. "Fool that I have been. I see it all now. She appeals to my delicacy to keep away; then she goes to Julia and says, 'See, he deserts you at a word from his father. Be proud, be gay! He never loved you; marry another.' The shallow plotter forgets that whoever she does marry I'll kill. How many unsuspicious girls have these double-fa

present his thoughts accurately, though in a condensed form, an

deceive her, and baffle her mother's treachery. But at this game he was soon detected: Mrs. Dodd lived on the watch now. Julia, dr

ng," said Mrs. Dodd

es

ter take off

o her own room and prayed for him. She informed the Omniscient that, though much greater and better in other respects t

e," said Alfred, outside. He

ie of itself: waiting was her plan in most things. Finding he was not t

rous to confine my daughter to

Y DO

back instant

ty and all the good faith to be

ED HA

rote to a friend in London, to look out for a furnished villa in a healthy part of the suburbs, with immediate poss

latter was playing a part in a charade to the admiration of all pres

urned a look of alarm on her

nce. He looked very pale, and his glittering ey

" said she bitterly, and went and sat by Mrs. Dodd. The gentlemen thronged round her with compliments, and begged her to sing. She excused herself. Presently she heard an excited voice, towar

in praise of Constancy, a virtue ladies sh

fied, "get me away, or there w

oliteness and veiled contempt, "I will attempt the song, sir, since you desire it." She waved her hand, and he followed her sulkily to the piano. She

miniscence it awakened, overpowered him who had evoked them; Alfred put his Hand unconsciously to his sw

ceeded to the angry one. Had Julia observed? To ascertain this without speaking of him, Mrs. Dodd waited till they had got some little distance, then quietly put out her hand and rested it for a moment on her daughter's; the girl was trembling violently "Little wretch!" came t

n her return she found Julia sitting up for her, and a letter come from her friend describing a pleasant c

e it for three months. Then the

, ma

s new and mysterious oppression, that she started up in bed and cried aloud, "David!-Julia!-Oh, what is the matter?" The sound of her own voice dispelled the cloud in part, but not entirely. She lay awhile, and then finding herself quite averse to sleep, rose and went to her window, and eyed the weather anxiously. It was a fine night; soft fleecy clouds drifted slowly across a silver moon. The sailor's wife was

from Jul

was

nearer and nearer, all h

again. It was

herself, and knocked, very gently. "Don't be alarmed, love; it is only me. May I come in?" She did not wait for the answer, but turned the handle and entered. She found Julia sitting up in bed, looking wildly at

" she sobbed. "Am I to

an her patient; so even while she kissed and wept over Julia, she managed gradually to recover her composure. "Tell me, my child," said sh

I could not hold out by day if I did not ease my breaking heart at night. How unfortunate! I kept my head under the bed-clothes, too;

odd, struggling with the emotio

impetuously. "I'll go to London. I'll go

wn bosom a much harsher judge, a much less indulgent friend, than I am. Come! trust

to sing Aileen Aroon, I should have obeyed; if he had commanded me to take his hand and leave the room, I think I should have obeyed. His face is always before me as plain as life; it used to come to me bright and loving; now it is pale, and stern, and sad. I was not so wretched

"You have said enough. This must be love.

ed. "Pray do not raise my hopes," she gasped. "We are parted for ever.

nd your happiness at stake? Of course I have stopped the actual intercourse, under existing circ

bashed. She resumed hastily, "And that letter, so cold, so cruel! I feel it was written by one not open to gentle influences. He

heroic Brutus is a shopkeeper: he is open to the gentle influences which sway the kindred souls of the men you and I buy our sho

and wondering wh

girl the world as it is. She said as much, and added-"I seem to be going to aid a

a in her ardent way; "give me Tru

r mind: they glided off like water from a duck's back. "We will begin with this mercanti

er of speculation, and the whole nation raging with it: my dear, Princes, Dukes, Duchesses, Bishops, Poets, Lawyers, Physicians, were seen struggling with their own footmen for a place in the Exchange: and, at last, good, steady, old Mr. Hardie, Alfred's grandfather, was drawn into the vortex. Now, to excuse him and appreciate the precocious Richard, you must try and realise that these bubbles, when they rise, are as alluring and reasonable as they are ridiculous and incredible when one looks back on them; even soap bubbles, you know, have rainbow hues till they burst: and, indeed, the blind avarice of men does but resemble the blind vanity of women: look at our grandmothers' hoops, and our mothers' short waists and monstrous heads! Yet in their day what woman did not glory in these insanities? Well then, Mr. Richard

am

grandfather's house and place of business, in spite of all their associations, and obtained a lease of his present place from my uncle Fountain: it seemed a more money-making situation. A trait. He gives me no reason for rejecting my daughter. Why? because he is not proud of his reasons: this walking Avarice has intelligence: a trait. Now put all this together, and who more transparent than the profound Mr. Hardie? He has declined our alliance because he takes for granted we are poor.

an enorm

whole sum is in his hands. If he does not, I shall perhaps call at his bank, and draw a cheque for fourteen thousand pounds. The wealthiest provincial banker does not keep such a sum floating in his shop-tills. His commercial honour, the one semi-chivalrous sentiment in his soul, would be in peril. He would yield, and with grace: none the less readily that his house and his bank, which have been long heavily mortgaged to our trustees, were made virtually theirs by agreement yesterday (I set this on foot with twelve hours of M

s sick. Am I to be bou

on. You have tried Pride and failed pitiably: now I insist on your trying Love! Child, it is the bane of our sex to carry nothing out: from that weaknes

t faults? w

ing, pray to Heaven night and day for your dear father's safe retur

ng her, "what do poor girls d

nd see," was t

own room; but a white hand and arm darted out of the bed and caught her. "What! Hope has come to me by night in the form of an angel, and shal

ff her earrings first,

ere directly, e

I shall have them

n one another's arms. The young girl's tears were dried; and hope revived, and life bloome

om, Julia came from the window with a rush, and kneeled

-I am to speak to

amma!" was the some

, bring me

tried to expedite her and retarded her. S

y impatience, he was drinking nearly all the bitters of that sweet passion, Love. But as you are aware, he ascribed Julia's inconstancy, lightness, and cruelty all to Mrs. Dodd. He hated her cordially, and dreaded her into the bargai

wished himself away, heartily, but was too proud to retreat. He stood his ground. She came up to him; a charming smile broke out over her fea

take yo

d it with

d it shuddered at her touch. He fel

icult than she had thought; she took some steps in silence. At last, as

r enemy," sai

u keep us apart, you bid her be gay and for

sir," said Mr

to all the rest of the world; but you

difficult, my duties are. It is only since last night I see my way clear; and, look, I come at once to you w

g to be grateful for, and you shall see

y. "Let us walk down this lane; then you can be as unjust to

nce he had so much at heart, and they were objections which her husband, on his return, woul

eadbare gaiety worn over loyal regret, and to check a parcel of idle ladies' tongues-you have nothing to fear from me, and ever

r magic, as Julia's had. In the midst of it all, the wise woman quietly made terms. He was not to come to the house but on her invitation, unless indeed he had news of the Agra to communicate; but he might write once a week to her, and enclose

, he had been to her but a

oy," she said, "pray for my husband's safe return. Fo

looked longingly seaward f