The Grey Lady

s le regret n'ac

earing through the plains of Taunton, and in a first-cl

lway carriage. A great catastrophe had come to them. A FitzHenry had failed to pass into her Majesty's Navy. Back and back through the generations--back to the days when England had no navy--she had always been served at s

f view, one small grain of consolation. The record was not even

he sun is setting over the sea. The face was brown, and oval, and still. It looked like a face that belonged to a race, something that had been handed down with the inherent love of blue water. It is p

ght the world was hollow, with no joy in

have yet to learn why, in our limited vision, the choice seems invariably to be mistaken. We have yet to

cept for the record it would have been more expedient that Henry should fail and Luke succeed. Everybody knew this. It was the common

nquestionable discipline, Luke FitzHenry could be made a first-class officer and a brilliant sailor. No one quite understood him, not even his brother Henry, usually known as Fitz. Fitz did not unde

ry moment brought them nearer to London

d uneasily at his brother, whose morose, sullen

said, "if she does not

e it," answered

ur, and rather too close together. A keen observer would have put him down as a boy who in manhood might go wrong.

ew his brother well enough to foresee the effect of failure. Luke FitzHen

hurry," said Fitz at length, r

ecided for me by m

luck--deuc

ood lay untouched on the seat beside Fitz. It almost seemed as if manhood had c

aggressively twins. For Luke was darker

without the other. The life that they both anticipated was that life on the ocean wave, of which home-keeping poets sing so eloquently; and it had always been vaguely taken for granted that no great

dge of years which, spreading out in after days, turned each life in

hen his sons first donned Her Majesty's brass buttons, and quietly went to keep his watch below. Discipline had been his guiding star through life, and when Dea

eir youthful ignorance of the world. Fitz was uneasily conscious of a feeling of helplessness, as if some all-powerful protector had suddenly been withdrawn. Th

it up with a singularly triumphant sneer, as if he had always distrusted his destiny and took a certain pleasure in verifyin

r lady of the two was the mistress of the house, as also of that vague abstract called the situation. She sat in the most comfortable chair, w

the fruits of toil and perseverance. There was a distinct suggestion of self-manufacture about Mrs. Harrington--distinct, that is to say, to the more subtle-mi

t only beautifully dressed, but knew

to pass off the Britannia. It is a rare

made a mistake she dubbed him an idiot at once. She did not actually call her present companion,

anion. She wanted to say the right thing. And Mrs. Harrington was what the French call "difficult." One could never tell what the right thing

eir father was a clever

uired Mrs. Har

Baker paused

was," she prete

snapped Mrs

when she trusted to it, it usually ran her violently down a steep plac

"has had every advantage. I suppose he will try to explain mat

y, "the brains have all gone to the other br

n laughed rath

to have twins,

several grievances agains

?" inquired Mrs. Ingham-Baker, with the soft blandnes

to pay their

then Mrs. Ingham-Bake

ome way you will be rewarded for your g

ewarded virtue which had come under her notice, and the action made two

of the house, "though I wish I

ker, in a low and feeling tone, "you

smile--almost as if she knew better--and looked up sharpl

on, ma'am

mation was received seemed to indica

. Ingham-Baker's beady eyes

nd the two jet ornaments bending over the silken

e house, "is the legal light who casts

hat she le

r hostess's key-basket and other belongings stood upon a table near the window. She stood looking

Pawson--what does that mean? Can she be going to alt

n rang the bell twice

to see at a glance that she was a very old woman, but th

e said co

g because I wanted to know if a parcel has come for me--a parcel o

, with withering composure, "it

ps it might have been insufficiently addressed or something - tha

silks," replied the

when she was called away by some one. I

Mr. Pa

se was more assured than that of Mrs. Ingham-Baker, and perhaps that stout diplomat

m all intention of discussing such matters with a menial. "I should be sorry if

or its own intrinsic value, but for the sake of Mary's future. She had app

ly incensed against that poor boy, Luke FitzHenry; that in a moment of disappointment, you kn

e lady, with a strange little smile of

" she said, and qu