The Hallam Succession

ht the battle of li

s of my life

could I see th

l. Would they b

food, but trod

squandered and

bravely and prosperous

k b

be opposed to his dispossession. The most practical of men on every other subject, he yet associated with his claim upon Hallam all kinds of romantic generosities. He felt almost sure that, when the will came to be read, he would find Hallam left to him, under conditions which he could either fulfill or set aside. It seemed, after a

apital was a great blow to the young house, and he did not find in the Darragh connection any equivalent. No one could deny that Antony's plans were prudent, and dictated by a far-seeing policy; but perhaps he looked too far ahead to rightly estimate the contingencies in the interval. At any r

o power; a score of favorable contingencies might arise; the chances for him were at least equal to those against him. Just at this time his succession to the Hallam estate might save him. H

lously. He was sure that Richard would be averse to his future wife relinquishing any of her rights, and he could scarcely restrain the bitterness of his thoughts when he imagine

was all that was left him; excepting the clause which enjoined Elizabeth to resell Hallam to him for L50,000, "if it seem reasonable and right so to do." Elizabeth wa

. Antony was regarded as a wronged man; and Richard as a plotting interloper, who added to all his other faults the unpardonable one of being a foreigner, "with a name that no Yorkshir

said, coldly; "it was a strange thing to do

ht yet be of service to him;" for Antony was inclined to regard every one

ed on his supposed accession to the Hallam property, he was obliged to decline the honor. There was for a few days a deal of talk in the clubs and exchanges on the subject, and many suppositions which were not all kindly ones. Such gossip in

which he was regarded. Even Lord Eltham, in this matter, had taken Antony's part. "Squire Hallam were always varry queer in his ways," he said;

i' a foreign man. I reckon nowt o' her. Such

d the courtesy. A Yorkshireman has, at least, the merit of perfect honesty in his likes and dislikes; and if Ric

cation and their inherited prejudices I should act the same," he thought, "and how are they t

had been anxiously desirous to have. "You must not send me away again, love, upon a general promise. I thin

him: "We must give one year to my father's memory

lve mont

e waiting

with me to

ou go. Your God shall be my Go

m the proudest and happ

, also? I have chosen you freel

idered well wh

it. My gain is incalcula

you do ab

o do this, I will hold it for Antony's son. I most solemnly promised my father to save Hallam for Hallam, if it was possi

Elizabeth. I promised

ld the estate for him, or his

you, what is to

aw so many 'ifs' and contingencies, that he preferred to trust the future welfare of Hallam to

to make it beautiful for his wife. It had its own charm and fitness; its lofty rooms, furnished in cane and Indian matting; its scented dusk, its sweet breezes, its wealth of flowers and foliage. Whatever love could do to make it fair R

her joy, and not inclined to laughter or frivolity. But happy is the man whose bride thus dreams of him, for she will bring into his home

s. She no longer was shy in admitting her affection for him, her happiness in his presence, her loneliness wit

dow on it; she sighed frequently, and was altogether a different Elizabeth from the one who had gone, two days before, the same road with quick, firm tread and bright, uplifted face. Martha s

Hallam. I was turning thee over i' my mind w

you ask,

ly I can see fine that thou ar'

g the park, and Elizab

s. Then, after walking

ieve the dead can s

r woman hed varry little o' t' next world about 'em, who hed nivver seen or heard any thing from it. Them that hev sat weeping on their bedside at midnight-them that hev praye

father, Martha

t a minute. He'd hev

n me for it. Ah, Martha, Martha! If this cup cou

time or other comes to Gethsemane. I hev found that out. Let thi

d let it pass. But he does not al

to trust him-he sends an angel to strengthen us to dr

very, very sor

what I mean-to make a Calvary of our breaking hearts, and offer there t' sa

artha, that I must pa

there what is my dear

ve to bear

. My word, Miss Hallam, there's love above and below, and strength all ro

lp, the help of man an

to Ben a

your service. Neither Ben nor I are made o' stuff that'll

was taking some last orders from his mistress. He was an old man with many infirmities, both of body and temper, but he had served Hallam for fifty

Hallam. If I was thee, I'd hev Mr. Antony come and do hi

u talking ab

T' old men shall see visions-" He had advanced toward the window to draw the b

blinds alon

wn sitting-room. "You may put a bridle in t' wind's mouth as easy as you'll guide a woman. If I hed been t' young squire, I'd hev brokken t' will

she had seen in the dim garden, peering out from the shrubbery, a white face that filled her with a sick fear. Then she had

out the candles, and went to the window. In a few minutes An

he stood trembling before the fire. "It is raining, I am we

ou here-in

gue was heavy, her speech as difficult as i

y-far away-forever. I w

her! Antony, wha

t me some food

om. You are

. "Here is wine and sweet-bread. I cannot get into the pantry or

and those Darraghs to

I feared som

e in three days. I have no hope of redeeming it. I am going to the other end of the world. I am

d not an

for our mother's sake,

on for life. O, sister,

he wrong all

had gathered her

ear. Lie down and rest

ens. Is it Liverpool

y port but

hitehav

t of all

n as quickly

y, and the park is so glo

t go a

ce showed white as marble against the dead black of her dress, but t

, Antony;" and as he softly trod the corridor, lined with the faces of his forefathe

tion of her thoughts. She had flung a thick shawl over her head and shoulders, a fashion so universal as to greatly lessen her chance of being observed, and when she came to the park gates she looked up and down for some circumstan

k with many a terror. Fortunately Martha was alone, and the moment Elizabeth spoke she und

, where

ers' meeting. He'll be

d apron, and be at the gates, here, w

know h

some bread and meat, w

" and she left Elizabeth walking restlessly just inside the gates. The five minutes looked an hou

y brother, will be her

e in Whitehaven as soon

rget the

at's needful. Ben'll be

Hal

her a moment hastening through the rain and darkness,

rom the house at that hour? But Antony had also thought of this, and after the main doors had been closed he had softly undone a side entrance, and watch

him; "and Ben will be at the gates with his

trust

must have been much wronged,

hav

y and pa

ight; and the atmosphere of the room had that singular sensitiveness that is apparent enough when the spiritual body is on the al

oftly, "It is time, my dear. Ben will be waiting." Then he stood up and looked at her. She took his hands, she threw her arms around his

back three times to kiss once more the white cold face so dear to him, and each time he kissed a prayer for his safety and p

shame. I will take the most loving care of

ithout analyzing them. She paced the long corridor, feeling no chill and no fear, and seeming to see clearly the pictured faces around her. She was praying; and among them she did not feel as if she was pr

she could think of. But when the reaction came she perceived that she must wo

r advice, or act entirely

Thorley, the bankers who held her brot

d she felt most decidedly that she would have no counselor but her own heart. She, would doubtless do what any lawyer would call "foolish things;" but that was a case where "

ll; he would know thoroughly the value of the proposal she intended making them; and, upon the whole, it appeared to be the wisest plan

ch as if he was saying, "Leave me alone;" and he is not inclined to answer questions, save, by "yes" or "no." Elizabeth perceived at once that tears or we

Miss H

eat, Miss

my brothers, one purpor

other by Squire Franc

y 'purpo

re forg

, do you know wha

r has left Engla

ey, with much irritation; "but

and Mr. Thorley said, "You

but business. I will pay the bills. Yo

es

to take its course, you will get nothing. You may punish Mr. Hallam, i

s as citizens,

young a man, might tell you that even justice sometimes wisely passes by a fault, might remind you of my father and the unsul

pose to do this

e is about L5,000 a year.

ill yo

is my

nstructions put upon your conduc

epared f

for our answer

take no steps against my

But if we refuse you

ord Eltham and Squire Horton. The humiliation w

, was so touched by the pathetic motionless figure in deep mourning, that he went back to his partn

. It is not her f

r to Antony's house, nor to his place of business; but remained in her hotel, so anxious on this subject, that she could not force her mind to entertain any other. At length al

ul eyes, that they both turned hurriedly away from her. During her journey home she slept heavily most of the way; but when she awoke among the familiar hills and dales, it was as if she had been roused to consciousness by a s

her white, weary face, and he busied himself in making the fire burn bright, and in setting out her dinner table with all the womanly delicacies he knew she liked. If Elizabeth could only have fully trusted h

here while I was

here this morning. I think Martha is talking wi' Nancy Bates now-she

sper. Tell her I

oment, Elizabeth trembling with anxiety, Mart

you wished,

Ben

ly this

et any one

tle just outside Ha

rting wheriver to, Ben

ts a bit o' good wool h

ame back wi' tax-

my br

rom Whitehav

hat p

here Mr. Hallam went to, he can't say as he d

Mar

ust go and sleep now.

'll do fo

stormy sea surging up to her feet. It was not sleep she needed, so much as that soul-repose which comes from a decided mind. Her

as proud as Elizabeth to face alone. But she resented most of all that debt of shame which had prevented her devoting the income of Hallam to the satisfaction of her brother's creditors. For them she could do nothing, and some of them were wealthy farmers and traders living in the neighborhood of Hallam, and who had had a blind fai

n very likely to have done as they were constantly asserting he would-"mortgage his last acre to pay them." And she could not explain that terrible first claim to them, since s

egarded Antony as a man of moral courage, or even of inflexible moral principles, and he failed to see how Antony's affairs should have the power to overthrow his plans. But Elizabeth positively forbid him to come; positively asserted that her marriage, at a time of such public shame and disapproval, would be a thing impossible to contemplate. She said that she herself had no desire for it, and that every instinct of her nature forbid her to run away from her painful position, and thus incur the charge of cowardice which had been so freely attached to Antony. It was true that the positive sternness of these truths were softened by a despai

love any woman but Elizabeth Hallam, and that just as long as she loved him, she held him by ties no words could annul. But he accepted her dictum; and the very fullness of his heart, and the very extremity of his disappointment, deprived him of

tters no one, and not a soul expressed any grief at the sundering of the tie. She was even conscious, as she had frequently been since Antony's failure, of an air, that deeply offended her-a familiarity that was not a friendly one-the covert presumption of the mean-hearted t

and miss may be as highty-tighty as she likes. This is wh

's been, 'Ann, be careful here,' and, 'Ann, don't waste there,' till I'se fair sick o

lease as iver was!" s

re I don't know what's

y a dress and bit o' la

t isn't fai

t t' land goes back to t' male heirs some way or t' other. It stands to reason that it should; and

ing, might have to see her through many days. At Christmas she bid "good-bye" to every one of her old servants, and even this simple duty had its trial. She stood a hard ten minutes with the few sovereigns in her hand which would be requisite if she gave them their usual Christmas gra

few of her personal belongings, and then the village gossips understood "what Miss Hallam was going to do with hersen." Martha took entire charge of the hall

to weep, but did not dare. The first servant that entered the room was her master. She owed him a calm expression of face and pleasant words, and if she failed to give them he rent her secret from her. O b

was at liberty to speak or to be silent, to smile or to weep, to eat or to let food alone. When Martha brought in her bedroom candle, and said, "Good-nigh

faces, and of heralding in her new life in the midst of Christmas joys. She had pleased herself with the hope of telling Antony all her plans about "the succession." She had dreamed many a bright dream of her

g melody, and thinking of the Christmas-eve when Phyllis stood by her side, and the world seemed so full of happiness and hope. She had had a letter from Phyllis a few days before, a very loving, comforting, trustful letter, and she thought she would read it again. It

iests m

rse, and we mus

orrow, in th

the Lord

trangely; she turned the

s the

mple of the L

s, the lights

tar. Clouds o

of the sacr

w short

le courts were t

nd gave thanks

ir rest. Wh

e at mi

band

riests do mi

re the lights

night. Each grave

d each heart

tless pain: fo

ght-watch is a

hands and bless

leeping: Those

out a cup of

love; yet very

n his temple

leep for sorr

to heaven, and

tient tears,

iests m

rse, and we mus

orrow in the

ord by night.

led at midnight

in, to rise

d. We too will

t, and stretch out

t came into her soul; and, standing up before the Lord, she answered the