The Three Brides

ion of Comp

ife his braw

n' was fashous to s

, the new population first fully beheld one

he complexion very dark in Raymond, Frank, and the absent Miles. Frank's eyes were soft, brown, rather pensive, and absent in expression; but Raymond's were much deeper and darker, and had a steadfast gravity, that made him be viewed as formidable, especi

ine contour of visage, which had often drawn on him reproaches for no

ows, and the lashes, veiling eyes of a curious coral hue, really not unpleasing under their thick white fringes, but most inconveniently short

, which had a glass door opening from one end of the room. She was the youngest of the brides, and her features and form seemed hardly developed, nor had she attained the air of a matron; her fashionable dress of crisp white worked muslin with blue trimmings, and b

inkling eyes, whose irides seemed to shade so imperceptibly into the palest gray, that there was no telling where the pupils ended, especially as the lids were habitually half closed, as if weighed down by the black length of their borders. The habit of arching up one or other of the eyebrows, in surprise or interrogation, gave a drollery to the otherwise nonchalant sweetnes

correct little thing! You put me to shame; but I had no notion which box my even

e time with Anne

eet old Mrs. Nurse at your threshold, with an invitation from Mrs. Poynsett to dine wi

ry well!" re

from being exaggerated by recent illness; but they were handsome enough to show that she must have been a bonnie lassie when her good looks were unimpaired. Her figure far surpassed in height that of both the other ladies, and was very slender, bending with languor and fatigue in spit

was no lack of mutual communications among the rest. Frank

bits?" exclaimed Cecil, as if scan

of discontent and ill-will an

il. "If you once begin there is no end to it, they are sure to encroach. H

nd, "I hope ours have al

t," said Rosamond. "The mess-man who came to help was lo

ales' tongues?"

snails," said Frank. "One would think the

rd that it is bursting out at a

lder, Master Charles!" said Raymond,

rank. "Now, thank goodne

nd and Cecil seemed to have spent in unremitting sight-seeing. The quantities

exclaimed Rosamond. "Had you neve

I believe not,

d Anne's low voi

ice and High Mass, and Benediction, and the public gardens,

d, "The opportunity was not to be wasted, and C

have stayed in together," said Cecil, with a world of innocent wonder in her eye

nd the Church Congress at L

ical staff of St. Awdry's must needs have their holiday and leave him to do their work; indeed, one was sent off here. For six weeks I never saw him, except when he used to rush in to say he couldn't stay; and when at last we were safe in the coupé, he fairly went to sleep before we got to the first station.-Hush! you know you did! And no

e-lily-mai

ke-a-star-fish

; while the brothers shouted with mirth, except Frank,

said Charlie; "how many pegs has Ju

era of sensitiveness on the poetical side. Cecil spoke for

ole family for ten days past, with interludes of rushing out into the town; for whatever we had not forgotten

t time we have a chance," s

me place," cried Cecil. "That's n

e new ideas, my dear," dr

the Church Congress

s awake by that t

l the new ideas tried on

ngress once!" e

id her husba

e them. It was the Congress of Sunday

Frank; while Rosamond's very eyelashes

, and the Arch-deacon said it was a very go

or Julius and Charlie, who both exploded; but Frank retain

made M

lmaster?"

oes as we tell him; and so Dunstone is qu

atirical; and Raymond said, "Cecil, I believe it rests with you to make the move." An

pale-blue damask curtains that descended from cornices gilded like the legs of the substantial chairs and sofas. There was, however, no lack of modern light

't. The gentleme

be satisfied with an easy-chair! A

with the poker as a sort of act of possession. "We alway

hings and upsetting the rest, and strewing our own about judiciously. There are the inevitable wax-flowers. I h

" said Cecil, who was standing by

I have not had experience of, except my native country that I wasn't

he two catching at the bull which perhaps Rosam

two were born all up and down in Jamaica and all the rest of the Islands-Tom and Terry-dear boys, I've got the charge

id you had never

samond. "Our ten years at home we have been up and down the wo

light interest in this itinerary. "It is just like a weight at Dunstone." T

mond. "It is like her no

is quite unlik

ily?" sai

course. Raymond is

ntage," murm

se could be the same thing to us. Papa said there was not a ma

?" quoth Rosamond, with

ng men. That's not the drawback; no, it is t

waived your objections to you

Besides, there is much more of a field for me

rance of the three younger brothers. Julius seated himself beside her

," said Frank. "This room opens i

"I want you to tell me

nd. "Whenever I ask, Julius alw

arlie burst

he greatest men in the En

Charlie named it, "Oh, what fun! That's where Laurie Cookson

d to go to garrison gaiet

ry pariah," said

a place I saw from the line, but Raymond didn't hear wh

"Sir Harry Vivian's. He is just com

as dead," said Julius. "Y

is wife. "What has she

Frank, in that sort of jocose

schievous woman

look, which encouraged Charlie to say, "Such fierceness can

said she, merrily. "

to confess," said

" said she, lookin

outhful indiscretions were over long bef

to live here?" demanded Julius, with singul

somewhat ironically; "but Sir Harry thinks it righ

ill,

d fellow of sixty-five. Just what humbugging papers call a reg

" muttered Julius. "The old Englis

claimed Frank. "No forgiveness for a ma

the old English gent

ld fellow has been punis

id Cecil. "I am sure my father would not w

"You'll have to take refuge

by Day, and was found dead in his chambers the next morning, they said from an over-dose of chloroform for neuralgia. Then the estate was so dipped that Sir Harry had to give up the estate to his creditors, and live on an

l that woman?"

l, who died about two years ago. She has no children, so she has taken the family in

is she

" said Char

nity. "I shall say no more

e shock. "It is not fair to judge people now from what they were eleven

at Rockpier, and are hand and glove with all the St. Chrysostom folk there. What

not in thi

s, at least-at all the services at o

e, is Herbert

over to his installation in

" added Frank, "looking uncommonly as if

ates?" demanded Cecil, i

a certain humorous air of deprecatio

pt one winter when he was ill, and then not a young one.

was not willingly. Herbert Bowater is the son of some old friends of my mother's, who wan

ghbourhood," added Frank. "Herbert tells me there

consist of?" a

st daughter is a sort of sheet-anchor to my mother, as well

then I knew him at Edinburgh! A man with yel

is as good as any army l

y list is his one book! What a piece of

ell me lots of wrinkles fo

ged out Dick for the line, an

menced a conversation sotto voce on the subject nea

owaters in

ead," said Julius, "a

e had better take to the Duncombes, the queerest firm I ever fell in with. He makes the turf a regular profession, actual

l. "Papa always said that the evil of being in pa

other was about to go to bed, and to call his wife to wi

d to Anne, "I hope

ould wait for

ht, my dear. We must resume them in the m

few answers to the kind counsels lavished upon her. Mr

between her and her husband; and though her training might not have been the best for

ll the evening in his own place by her sofa, as if it were the very kernel of home and of repose? And whenever a sense of duty prompted her to suggest fetching his wife, had he not lingered, and gone on talking? It was indeed of Cecil; but how would she have liked his father, at the honeymoon's end,