Peter's Mother

On the grass banks sloping away beneath the terrace gardens, sheets of bluebells shone almost whitely on the gras

e stood leaning against the stone balcony, and gazing at the wonderful panorama of the valley and overlapping hills;

window, and a man's step crunched the grav

ing round. "They will not venture into the night air. Some

drawing-room, "how can you be so imp

he window. "It is very

ikes t

ow impressed Lady Belstone, who withdrew, muttering t

as they sat together, but forlorn, sincerely shoc

re in the night air, as he would never have permitted, talki

at she may do now," sai

rust a perfect stranger-even though John is a cousin-with the care

eman's work," s

s young John any day," said Lady Belstone, tossing her head. "But I have often noticed that people w

ot the dead, and especially on a moonl

everything else in the hands of young John, he might have considered that you and I had a

ys. "It is very different in your case. You forfeited the position of daughter of th

eturn to her former bedroom; but she was convinced that the married state required a domicile on the first floor. Etiquette prevailed, and she descended; but the eighty-year-old legs of Miss Crewys still cli

the Dower House, and our great-aunts managed to live there in comfort, and yet keep an eye on their nephew here, as I have always been told. I don't know why we should obj

r husband to look after

different

orgina," said Lady Belstone, plaintively. "It is not my

aid Georgina, grimly; "but he only

silent sometimes

o away?" said John, "or merely

ither. It means that I am

en," said John, deliberatel

I can't help it,"

e a fre

aid, in a low voice. "But there is onl

uth Af

erstand," she s

you myself, in a few weeks' time, to the Cape. Or-or arrange for your going earlier if you desired, and if I could n

thinking of it," she interrupted, softly; "but

wai

e-he telegraphed to me, from Madeira. He foresaw immediately, I suppose, whither my foolish impulses would lead me;

e doctor's warning

I can't go,"

was a

y a proper care for you in forbidding it. Perhaps I am less courageous than he, in thinking more of the present benefit you would derive from the voyage and the change of

doubtful joy sounded in her voice. "Somehow I never thought of that. I remembered his old

men are often sensitiv

lways of the do

ee the telegram in tha

must read

dy a hundred times over, trying to read loving meanings, t

u knew him too well;" and he wondered whether his explanati

e man who was so tender of heart, so tactful of speech, as to m

ken her heart, was reasonable and justified; nay, even that it displayed a dutiful regard for her safety and comfort, of which no one but a stranger could possibly have suspected Peter. She was grateful to John. It was a relief and joy to feel that it was she

Peter comes of age. Of course this house will be his, and he is not the kind of you

an nature,

use to try and hide them from you, who will see them for yourself directly my darling comes back.

red his own boyhood, and smiled sardonically in the darkness. "He

. "I must learn while he is away to-to depend on myself. It is not likely that-that a woman of my age should h

upwards to take a farewell of the older. But there must be a looking down or a looking up. No face-to-face talk is possible except upon the same level. No real and true comradeship. The very word imp

to think so. But I have had time to reflect on many things since-February." She paused. "I don't deny I hav

ble to you, I should spend my summer and autumn holid

lad," she said, in tone

would be very

the next few days in examining the reports of the surveys that have already been made, and in judging of their accuracy for myself. When I

ave been neglected. Sir Timothy would never have a

ritance. It is part of my trust to hand over to him his house and property in the best order I can, according to my own judgment. I know something of forestry," he added, simply;

be yours ag

ietly; "it had to b

e abuse that had been showered on his mother, by her sisters-in-law, w

young tree, that should be straight and strong, turned into a twisted dwarf, in the shade of

the woods. The

id Lady Mary. "Hadn't that better

ing. Many of the beams are actually rotten. Then there are the drains; they are on a system that should not b

a great deal of mon

to say, it will then-or what is left of it-be invested with the rest of his capital, which is all strictly tied up. So, as old Crawley says, it will relieve Peter's income in the future, if we spend what is necessary now, according to our powers, in putting his house and estate in

ery badly off-for our position. I know nothing of business. I

now, I think, you should understand the exact position

d in their eyes," she said, smiling. "I gathered that they were disappointed poor

e ten thousand pounds left to them by their father in settlement. This was to return to the estate if they died unmarri

y, indifferently. "I suppo

y when your personal

I had any per

pounds a year; per

Setouns!"

er. Surely you

hought I hadn't a farthing in the world. He never mentioned money matters to me at all." Then she laughed faintly. "I could ha

ave a cottage in Scotland now, if yo

ld, outside my life in this place, a

ness and dignity. Lady Mary did not observe his silence, because her own thoughts were busy with a scene which memory had painted for her, and far away from the moonlit valley of the Youle. She sa

l-sounding, patient sob which moved John to such pity that he could scar

oldly. "At least there are the papers and telegrams all day long, and none of this dreary, long waitin

bella and Georgina woul

ld you not c

all by heart. It would be fresh life; the stir, the movement; other people, fresh ideas, beautiful new things to see. But, indeed, you must not tempt me." There was an accent of yearning in her tone, a hint of eager antici

e God he may," said John, cheerfully, "why, then

my birthplace once more. And there is-Italy," she said, as though the one word conveyed every vision of earthly beauty which mortal could desire

must be less absurdly narrow-mind

history of her marri

John's heart, and shocked yet further the old ladies who sat wi

as given me to understand that no one was ever more astounded and terrified than the admiral when he found himself engaged to Isabella. But apparently he was a chivalrous old gentleman, and would not disappoint her. It is really rather a sad little story, because he died of heart disease very soon after the marriage. Old Mrs. Ash, the housekeeper, always declares her mistr

ewys set in hand the repairs which

s tangled and overgrown woods; but he had also, it seemed, been unable to make up his mind to take any s

his obstinacy and his dulln

awley, backed up the new adm

ause the landlord would keep nothing in repair; gardener after gardener leaving for want of a shilling increase in weekly wages. In case Sir Peter should turn out to resemble his father, we had best not let the grass grow

hat I intend to

fairs in general, I feel positively guilty, and ashamed to have had even the nominal management of them. But what could a man do under the circumstances? He paid for my advice, and then acted directly contrary to it, and thought he had done a clever thing, and outwitted his own lawyer. But now we shall get things a b

its proper value; but it's accommodation land, and it would be disappointing if

r make Sir Timothy see that it wouldn't pay the fellow to turn out

ntre of the property," said John, "rented by the man who lives outside Youlestone, at what they call Pott's farm, for h

to give him no further excuse to hang ab

op of the hill, where the soil is poor, and land is cheap. We don't want them in the valley. Now I propose to gi

ed improvements were far too thorough-going to gain the approval of the pottering old retai

tu covet nobody's gude advice. I was vair terrified tu zee arl he knowed about the drees. The squoire 'ee wur like a babe unbarn beside 'un. He lukes me straight in the eyes, and 'Luke,' sezzee, 'us 'a' got tu git the pl

nterest of renovating and restoring the old house, helped to brace and fortify Lady Mary during the months which

n South Africa prove

mmander, but his commission. His next exploit, however, ended rather disastrously, and Peter found himself a prisoner in the now historic bird-cage at Pretor

the news of his capture reached Barracombe; but perhaps Peter's letters had repeated the perem

officers became known, restored not a little of Lady Mary's natural courage and spirits. She became

bly hardly understand the necessity for it, and she herself was doubtful of Peter's approval even if he had unde

he explanatory letter regarding his father's will which John and Mr. Crawley thought proper to send him. The solicito

of the old block,

planning and forethought must please him, after all. The consolation of working in his interests was delightful to her. Her days were filling almost miraculously, as it seemed to her, with new occupations, fresh hopes, and happier ideas, than the idle dreaming which was all that had hitherto been permitted to her. John desired her help, or her suggestions, at every turn

hair-covers. Lady Mary looked doubtfully at John when this matter had been dec

ated these apartments had offended her eye for years. John laughed at her hesitation, and

; and she salved her conscience by paying for the re

her life, and that Mr. Crawley's lessons in the management

*

he summer grew to winter, and winter to summer again; and Peter did not

nd went through the Winter Campaign of 1901, from April to September, without a scratch. His mother implored him to come home; but Peter's letters were contemptuous of danger. If he were to be shot, plenty of

he was always in a hurry. The moments when he was moved by a vague affection for his home, or his mother, were seldom th

life was widening insensibly. The young soldier's luck deserted him at last. Barely six weeks before the declaration of peace, Peter was wounded at Rooiwal. The War Off

ndidly. Invalided home. Sail