The Trespasser, Volume 2

, and faded. Don't be sentimental." So said Mrs. Gasgoyne to Lady Dar

nce. People would say you w

me that he had settled a decent fortune on him; but for Delia-no-no-no. Strange, isn't it, when Lady Harriet over there aches for him, Indian blood and all? And why? B

t usually s

ind it thinly disguised in The Knight of Five Joys. He was killed at Naseby, my dear; killed, not by the enemy, but by a page in Rupert's cavalry. The page was a woman! It's in this one to

of humour, and he enjoyed her keen chastening raillery. Besides, her talk was always an education in the fine lights and shadows of this social life. He came to her now with a smile, greeted her heartily, and then turned

nimportant things, and pr

me why you wore a red ribbon in your

tle curiously. "My luggage had not come

gan sigh

England he wore that coa

Dargan-you put th

es

im with a candid i

on, "that his going

ry!" she

? But she asked him to tell her something about his father. He did so quietly, picking out main incidents, and setting them f

to the other end of the room, where Miss Gasgoyne was to join h

do somethi

you," was his reply

re in trouble, will you let me know? I wi

to bear alone, and the habit is fixed, I fear. Still, I am grateful to you just the same, and I

th

and there's Mrs. Gasgoy

a

may have trouble becau

d enigmatically, and

Lady Dargan, he'll cut no figure i

s think that Ian Belward is bad-bad

he Sn

selfishness. Somehow, I forget that I am talking to his ne

ased his unconscious egoism. The early part of his life had been spent among Indian women, half-breeds, and a few dull French or English folk, whose chief charm was their interest in that wild, free life, now so

ded to her; this man, either with art or instinctively, mastered her, secured her interest by his personality. Every woman worth the having, down in her heart, loves to be mastered: it gives her a sense

ot sure; but she thought that she also would be idling about France in her father's yacht. So they might happen to meet. Mean

she could not live without it. She had been brought up to expect and to do certain things. She liked her comforts, her luxuries, many pretty things

vel of that wicked man Thomas Hardy; and something light-"The Innocents Ab

as in the picture. He much preferred Meredith, and Swinburne, and Dum

r William, excellent friends as they were, in which the baronet hinted at the security he wou

here was th

ction, and entreaty. He took Delia Gasgoyne to her mother, talked to Lady Belward a little, and then went quietly back to where he had seen Alice. She was gone. Just then some people from town came to speak to him, and he was detained. When he was free he searched, but she wa

ard was r

he went on, looking out on the guests proudly. "I did not think I should ever come to it again with any heart, but I do it for you gladly. No

as he went. He had seen

God bless our Home!"

hand on his uncle's chin, a

blessing," he rejoined

randson's arm, went to her boudoir, while Ian and his father sought the libra

ad fall back and her eyes close. She motioned Gaston to a seat. Taking o

said, "I wish t

t isn't it late? and aren

nothing unworthy of their name; had acted, on the whole, sensibly; and she had not been greatly surprised at certain little oddnesses, such as the tent in the grounds, an impossible deer-hunt, and some unusual village charities and innovations on the estate. Nor did she object to Brillon, though he had sometimes thrown servants'-hall into disorder, and had caused the stablemen and the footmen to fight. His ear-rings and hair

ng, individual, considerate, and had moved the tender courses of her nat

bring a wife here. That will give you a sense of responsibility. You will wake up to many things then. Will you not marry? There is Delia Gasgoyne. Your grandfather

e pattern of the carpet; but he slowly raised them to hers, and looked for a moment with

life had mostly been a range of adventure and common toil. This new position was his right, but there were times when it seemed to him that he was an impostor; others, when he felt himself master of it all, when he even had a sense of superiority-why he could not tell; but life in this old la

ady Belward shrink and then look curiously at hi

said at al

l for you to say, and I thought what was

any reason why you cannot marry? Gaston,"-she trembled to

I told you," he answe

s no woman who ha

not one. My follies h

heritage will go on and on, and that there will be made up to him, somehow, all that he lost. Listen: I am an old, crippled, suffering woman; I shall soon have done with all this coming and going, and I speak to you out of the wisdom of s

now he was facing the thing behind it. "Would it please

child of yours

ou have chosen i

t you seem to like each ot

a time, then he got

oyne will have me. And I hope

tle in her lifetime, whose eyes had looked out so coldly on the world, who felt

he asked, with a

" she answered. "God

liam and his uncle. He knocked and entered. Ian, with exaggerated courtesy, ros

be, a happy family, unless in your saturnian reign we learn to say, pax vobiscum-do you know Latin? For I'm told the money-bags and the stately p

nd, when the speech was

ob you

ouring

ourself having 'a

re gen

for a home, for what was

ng more-not even to be

rd

father. See, I am willing to be friends. But you mustn't expect that I will not ch

He was cold and calm, and looked worn. He had had a t

grandfather: "Of this morni

terrup

tween us. Let us no

m smiled i

tude is refr

is the swe

asked Gaston the resul

y said that he was rea

hey had chosen this tim

r to have all op

laug

iment: you'll come to the wicked uncle one day for common-sense. But, never mind, Cadet; we are to be friends. Yes, really. I do not fear for my heritage, and you'll n

tolerably honest, for his indulgent nature was as capable of great geniality as incapabl

and said: "I have no

d was sure from the beginning. It was in keeping with his youth, the circumstances, the life, it had no responsibilities. But this? To become an integral part of the life-the English country gentleman; to be reduced, diluted, to the needs of the convention, and no more? Let him think of the details:-a justice of the peace: to sit on a board of directors; to be, perhaps, Master of the Hounds; to unite with the Bishop in restoring the cathed

close. He felt stifled. He put on a cap, and, descending the stairs, went out into the court-yard and walked about,

rds the little church close by, whose spire and roof could be seen above the wall.

marriage-line

He listened. Yes, there was no mist

is th

t back. A figure in white stepped through and slowly passed him. It was Alice Wingfield

ed towards a window through which the moonlight streamed, and sat on a cushioned bench beneath it. It was the spot where he ha

er pale face cowled it in. The look was inexpressibly sad. Over her fell dim, coloured lights from

eeling. Why did she come here even in her sleep? Wha

me low and broken, and a

brother, m

tunned, gazing helpless

s own sister. He had a sudden spring of new affection-unfelt for those other relations, his by the rights of the law and the gospel. The pathos of the thing caught him in th

it had never been. He came to her, and took her hand. She rose. He led her from

sed over to the rectory

e from the house, and co

ector, excit

gyman said that he had felt uneasy about her, had gone to her room, and was just issuing in searc

touched the arm of the ol

kno

k as he replied: "You h

N

not spea

N

d die, and she

as she

d Gaston return