| Show 1 BEArRIOE Pr New dfld Fschithig Story I it SY fi I1DER tlAGGAlio CHAPTER X LADy HOXORIA lAKES AHHAXGKSIEXTS zz H Ie < i r I I fc t J rr y v I II i I I J iL = = 1 I r = 11 o I r i 1 r 0 j r I r > 6 1 Ji i i f l It l f 1 1 1 r o il I < I 1 T IJ f 0 J f EJ t 1 hr t I t 1 r i 1 I rt t7 1j j l iI ri I r j 1w f d kf t 4 < n kl qu fl J > r1 > h 1 + l iJ rl t 1 IC I 1 j I I > 1a j > Ri i 0 > cS = izabcthf In another moment somebody entered the r x > m it was Elizabeth Sho hod returned from her tithe collecting expedition with the titap The door of the sitting room was still jijar and Geoffrey had his back towards it So it happened that nobody heard Elizabeths rater cat like step and for some seconds she Blood in the room without being perceived M > e stood quite still taking in the whole V nt at a glance She noticed that her sis llI i Lell her bead down so that her hair I J i wed her aad guessed that she did so for tome reason probably because she did not ivisu hf > r face to be seen Or was it to showoff show-off her lovely hair Sho noticed also the half shy half amused and altogether interested inter-ested expression upon Geoffreys countenance she could see that in the little gilt edged looking glass which hung over the fireplace nor did she overlook the general air of emI em-I barrassmont that pervaded them both p f When she entered the room Elizabeth had been thinking of Owen Davies and of what might have happened had she never seen the tide of life flow back into her sisters veins She had dreamed of it all night and thought of it all day oven in the excitement of extracting ex-tracting the back tithe from a recalcitrant and rather coarse minded Welsh farmer with I strong views on the subject of tithe it had not been entirely forgotten The farmer was I f a tenant of Owen Davies and when ho called I her a parson in petticoats and wus and I wont on in delicate reference to her powers of extracting cash to liken her to a two legged corkscrew only screwier she perhaps per-haps not unnaturally reflected that if ever pace Beatrice certain things should come about she would remember that farmer For Elizabeth had a very long memory as some people had learned to theircost and generally sooner or later she paid herdebts In full uofc forgetting the overdue interest And now as she stood in the room unseen nnd noted these matters something occurred to her in connection with this dominating idea which like ideas in general had many side isbues At any rate a look of quick intelligence in-telligence shone fora moment in her light l icyes like a sickly sunbeam on a faint December Decem-ber mist then she moved forward and when 6he vas close behind Geoffrey spoke sud doalyWhat What are you both thinking about she taid in her clear thin voice you seem to I lsav exhausted your conversation GoofErey made an exclamation and fairly jmapad from his chair a feat which in his bruised condition really hurt him very much jpeatrice too started violently she recover ted I herself almost instantly however How quietly you move Elizabeth shed 3 = she-d udNot Not more quietly than you sat Beatrice I have been wondering when anybody was oing to say anything or if you were both nsleep u For ber part Beatrice speculated how long I her dater had been in the room Their conversation con-versation had been innocent enough but it I Ts not cae that she would wish Elizabeth to 3iavo overheard And somehow Elizabeth I had a knack of overhearing things Yon see Miss Granger said Geoffrey i coming to the rescne both our brains are still rather waterlogged and that does not tend to a flow of ideas Quito so said Elizabeth My dear Beatrice why dont you tie up your hairl You look like a crazy Jane Not but what you Jiave very nice hair she added critically uDo you admire good hair Mr Binsham Of coursa I do ho answered gallantly but it is not common Only Beatrice bit her lip with vexation I had almost forgotten about my hair she said I must apologize for appearing in such ta state I would have done it up after dinner only I was too stiff and while I was waiting ubr Betty I went to sleep I think there is a bit of ribbon in that rawcr I saw you put it there yesterday answered the precise Elizabeth Yes hero It is If you like and Mr Bingham will cx case it I can tie it back for you and without with-out waiting for an answer ho came behind her and gathering up the dense masses of her sisters locks tied then round in such iashion that they could not fall forward Though they still rolled down her back Just then Mr Granger came back from his visit to tho farm He was in high humor The pig had even surpassed her former efforts and increased in a surprising manner to she number of fifteen indeed Elizabsth tboro upon produced tho two poiryis odd shillings wnich she had corkscrewed out of the recalcitrant re-calcitrant dissenting farmer ad the sight added to his satisfaction Would you balieve it Mr Bingham ho aid in this miserably paid parish I bats nearly flOO owing to ine 1100 in tithe Theres old Jones who lives l out towards the Bell Rock ho owes threo years titheJ4 lls 4d He can pay and he wont pay savs lies a Baptist and aint going to pay no parsons par-sons dues though for The matter of that lies nothing but an old beer tab of a heathen Why dont you proceed against Lm then Mr Grangerf Proceed I have proceeded Ive got judgment judg-ment and I mean to issue execution in a few days I wont stand it any longer hs weat on working up and slinking his head as he spoke till his thin white lnr fell about his eyes Ill have the law of him and the others too Youro a lawyer and you can hupiue J tell ycu theres A spirit abroad jwhfoh just comes to thisuo man isnt to Jyty his lawful debts except of conri the prjsnn and the squire They lausr jay or go to tho court But there Ian left and Ill lwvo it before they play tho Irish gono onus on-us here And he brought down his list with u bang upon th table t Geoffrey listened with some amusement So this was the weal old mans sore point money He was oearly very ttrong about that as strong as Lady lionoria inuecd bus with more excuse Elizabeth al > o listened with evident approval but Beatrice looked pained Dont get angry father she said per haps ho will pay after nIL It is bad to take Sgjj the law Jf yon can manage any other way 3 t breeds much ill blood XiNonsonsetBea cesaid her sister sharply Father quite ngac lucres omy one way to deal with them and thats to seize their C o > d ds I believe you are a Socialist about piperty as you aro about everything elso You want to pull everything down from tho queen to the laws of marriage all for tho good of humanity and I tell you that your idea will be your ruin Defy custom and it will crush you You arc runningyour head against a brick wall and one day you will find which is tho harder Beatrice flushed but answered her sisters attack which was all the sharper because it had a certain spice of truth in it I never expressed any such views Elizabeth Eliza-beth so I dont see why you should attribute them to me 1 only said that legal proceedings proceed-ings breed bad blood in a parish and that is trueI I did not say you expressed them went on the vigorous Elizabeth you look them they ooze out of your words like water from a peat bog Everybody knows you are a radical and a freethinker and everything else thats bad and mad and contrary to that state of life in which it has pleased God to call you The end of it will be that you will lose the mistressbip of the schooland I think it is very hard on father and me that you should bring disgrace on us with your strange I ways and immoral views and now you can I make what you like of it hI wish all radicals were like Miss Beatrice Bea-trice said Geoffrey who was feeling exceedingly ex-ceedingly uncomfortable with a feeble attempt at-tempt at police jocosity But nobody seemed to hear him Elizabeth who was now fairly in a rage a faint flush upon her pale cheeks I her light eyes all nslnne and her thin fingers clasped stood frnntin her beautiful sister I and breathing spite at every pore It was easy for Geoffrey who was watching her to FCC that it was not her sisters views she was attacking it was her sister It was that soft strong loveliness and tho glory of that face it was the deep gentle mind erring from its very greatness and the bright intellect in-tellect which lit it like a lamp it was the learning and the power that give it play would set a world aflame as easily as it did the heart of the slow witted hermit squire whom Elizabeth coveted these were the things that Elizabeth hated and bitterly assailed as-sailed Accustomed to observe Geoffrey saw this instantly and then glanced at tho father The old man was frightened Clearly he was afraid of Elizabeth and dreaded a scene He stood fidgeting his feet about and trying to find something to say as he glanced apprehensively ap-prehensively nt his eldest daughter through his thin hanging hair Lastly Geoffrey looked at Beatrice who was indeed well worth looking at Her face was quite pale and the clear gray eyes shone out beneath their dark lashes She had risen i drawing herself to her full height which her I exquisite proportions seemed to increase and was looking at her sister Presently she said one word and one only but it was enough Elizabeth Her sister opened her lips to speak again I but hesitated and changed her mind There was something in Beatrices manner that checked her Well she said at length yon should not irritate mo so Beatrice I Beatrice made no reply She only turned tow Geoffrey and with graceful little bow said Mr Bingham I am sure you will forgive this scene The fact is we all slept badly last night and it has not improved our tempers tem-pers There was a pause of which Mr Granger took a hurried and rather undignified advantage ad-vantage Urn ah he said By the way Beatrice what wasit I wanted to say Ah I know havo you written I mean written out that sermon for next Sunday My daughter ho added addressing Geoffrey in explanation I uem copies my sermon for me She writes I a very good hand i i Remembering Beatrices confidence as to her I sermon manufacturing functions Geoffrey felt amused at her fathers naive way of de scribing them and Beatrice also smiled faintly as she answered that the sermon was ready Just then the roll of wheels was heard without with-out and the only fly that Bryngelly could boast pulled up in front of the door Heres the fly come for you Mr Bingham Bing-ham said Mr Granger and as live her ladyship with it Elizabeth see if there isnt Dome tea ready and the old gentleman who had all the traditional love of the lower middle mid-dle class Englishman for a title trotted off to welcome her ladyship I Presently Lady Honoria entered tho room a sweet if rather a set smile upon her handsome hand-some face and with a graceful mien that became be-came her tall figure exceedingly well For i to do Lady Honoria justice she was one of I the most ladylike women in the country and so far as her personal appearance went avery II very perfect typo of the class tc which she belonged I Geoffrey looked at her saying to himself that she had clearly recovered her temper I and that he was thankful for it This was i not wonderful for it is observable that the 1 j moro aristocratic a ladys manners are the I i more disagreeable she is apt to 00 wnen she I iis crossed I 1 Well Geoffrey dear she said you sea I I have come to fetcn you I was determined I that you should not get yourself drowned again on your way home How are you nowbut I neednt ask you look quite well again ltt is very kind of you Honoria said her i husband simply but it was doubtful if she i heard him for at the moment abe was engaged i en-gaged in searching out tho soul of Beatrice with one of the most penetrating and comprehensive com-prehensive glances I that younsj lady hall ever I enjqyed the honor of receiving There was i nothing rude about the look it was too I quick but Beatrice foil that quick as itt it-t might be it embraced her altogether Nor I was she wrong i There is no doubt about it Ldy Hone ria thought to Herself iho is lovsly lovely I t j I everywhere It was clever of her to leave nor iiair ciown it snows tiio saape OL ncr llC1U so well and sho 0 is tall enough to stand it That bias wrapper suits her too Very few women could showsuch a figure as hert like a Greek stitueI uoiit like her thoa different I differ-ent from most + of us just the sort of girl i i man 40 wild about and women hate > i i 1 All this pas cd through her mind in a flash I i For a moment Lady Honorias blue eyes met Beatrices gray ones and she knew that I I Beatrice liked her no batter than she did Beatrice Those eyes wero a tri lu too bon I eat nazi liketiio deep clear water they re j sombicd apt to throw up shadows of the pacing thoughts above I False and cold and heartless thought Beatrice I wonder how a man like that i I could marry bar and hew much ho loves her herThus I j Thus tho two women took each others I measure at ti glanco each finding tho other i i wanting by her standard Nor did they over change that hastily formed judgment It was all done in a few secondsin that hesitating moment before the words we summon sum-mon answer on our lips The next Lady Honoria was sweeping towards her with outstretched out-stretched hand and her most gracious smile I Miss Granger she said 1 owe you a debt I never can repay my dear husbands I I life I have heard all about Low you saved bintitis the most wonderful hingGraco I s Darling boraiigam I cant think how you I could do it I wish I were half as bravo and strong I Please dont Lady Honoria said Beatrice I Bea-trice I am so tired of being thanked for I I I doing nothing except what it was my duty to I do If I had lot Mr Bingham go while I had the strength to hold on to him I should have felt like a murderess today I beg you to say no more about it One does not often find such modesty united to so much courage and if you will allow me to say it so much beauty said Lady Honoria graciously Well I will do as you wish but I warn you your fame will find you out I hear they have an account of the whole adventure in todays papers headed A Welsh Heroine How did you hear that Honoria asked her husband Oh 1 had a telegram from Garsin ton and he mentions it she answered carelessly Telegram from Garsington Hence these smiles thought he I suppose she is going omorrow 111 have some other news for you Miss Granger went on Lady Honoria Your canoe has been washed ashore yery little inured in-ured Tho old boatmanEdward I think they call him has foundit and your gun in it too Geoffrey It had stuck under the seat or bomewhere But I fancy that you must both have had enough canoeing for the present II I dont know Lady Honoria answered Beatrice One does not often get such weather as last nights and canoeing is very pleasant Every sweet has its salt you know or in other words one may always be upset At that moment Betty the awkward Welsh serving lass with a forearm about as shapely as the hind leg of an elephant and a most unpleasing un-pleasing habit of snorting audibly as she moved shufiled in with the tea tray In her wake camo the slim Elizabeth to whom Lady Honoria was introduced After this conversation flagged for awhile till Lady Honoria feeling that things were getting a little dull set the ball rolling again < What a pretty view you have of the sea from these windows she said < in her well trained and monotonously modulated voice hI am so glad to have seen it for you know I am going away tomorrow Beatrice looked up quickly My husband is not going she went on as though in answer to unspoken question LI am playing the part of the undutiful wife and running away from him for exactly three weeks It is very wicked of me isnt it But I have an engagement that I must keep It is most tiresome Geoffrey sipping his tea smiled grimly behind be-hind the shelter of his cup She does it uncommonly un-commonly weU1I he thought to himself < Does your littlo girl go with you Lady Honoria asked Elizabeth Well no I think not I cant bear parting part-ing with her you knowhow hard it is when one has only one child But I think she would be so bored where I am going to stay for tuero are no other children there and besides be-sides she positively adores the sea So shall have to leave her to her fathers tender mercies mer-cies poor Je1r1 I hope she will survive it I am sure said Geoffrey laughing I suppose that your husband is going to stay on at Mrs Jones said tho clergyman Really I dont know What are you going to do Geoffrey Mrs Jones rooms are rather expensive for people in our impoverished im-poverished condition Besides I am sure that she cannot look after Efflo Just think she has eight children of her own poor old dear And I must take Anne with me she is Effies French nurse you knowa perfect treasure I am going to stay in a big bouse and my experience of those bighouses is that one never gets on at all unless ono takes a maid You see what is everybodys business is nobodys business Im sure I dont know how you will get on with the child Geoffrey she takes such a lot of looking after Oh dont trouble about that Honoria he answered I dare say that Effie and I will manage somehow Here one of those peculiar gleams intelligence intel-ligence whichhinfkea the ndviitof a new idea passed across Elizabeths face She was sitting next her father and bending whispered whisper-ed to him Beatrice saw it and ma do a motion as though to interpose but before she could do so Mr Granger spoke Book hereMr Bin bam11e said if you want to move would you like a room here Terms strictly moderate but cant afford to i put you up for nothing you know and living rough and ready Youd have to take us as you find us but theres a dressing room next to my room where your little girl could sleep and my daughters would look after her between them and be glad of the job Again Beatrice opened her lips as though to speak but closed them without speaking Thus do our opportunities pass before wo realize thev are at hand Instinctively Geoffrey had glanced towards her He did not know ifthis idea was agreeable agree-able to her He knew that her work was hard and he did not wish to put extra trouble upon her for ho guessed that the burden of looking after Elite would ultimately fall upon her shoulders But her face told him nothing I It was quite passive and apparently indifferent indiffer-ent You aro very kind Mr Granger ho said hesitating I dont want to go away from Bryngelly just at present and it would be a good plan in some ways that is if the trouble to your daughters would not be too much I am suro that it would be an excellent plan broke in Lady Honoria who feared lest difficulties should arise as to her appropriation appropri-ation of Annes services How lucky that I happened to mention it There will bo no trouble about our giving up the room > ntlIrs Jones because I know she has another application appli-cation for them Very well said Geoffrey not liking to raise objectionsto a scheme thus publicly advocated ad-vocated although he would have preferred to take time to cousider Something warned him that Bryngelly Vicarage would prove a fateful abode for him Then Elizabeth rosen rose-n asked Lady Honoria if she would like to see the rooms her husband and Effie would occupy i She said she would be delighted and went off followed by Mr Granger fussing in the i rear rearDont Dont you think that you will be a little dull here Mr Biughani said Beatrice On the contrary he answered Why should I ba dull I cannot be so dull as I hhould be by myself Beatrice hesitated and then spoke again We are a curious family Mr JBingham you may have seen as much this afternoon Had you not better think it overt j If you mean that you do not want me to I I come I wont he said bluntly and next second felt that ho had made a mistake i 1 IP she answered opening her eyes I have no wishes in the matter Tho fact ii that wo arc poor and let lodcings That is what it comes to If you think they will suit you you are quite right to take them Geoffrey colored He wi a man who could not hear to lay himself open to thu smallest rebuff from woman and ho had brought this on himself Beatrice saw it and relented Of course Mr Bingham so far as I am concerned I shall ho the gainer if you do conic I do not meet so many people with whom I care to associate and from whom I ciu learn that I wish to throw a chance away I think you misunderstood me avlittle he said I only meant that perhaps you would not wish to be bothered with Efiic Miss Granger She laughed Why I love children It will be a great pleasure to mo to look after her so far as I have time Just then tho others returned and their conversation came to an end Its quite delightful i Geoffrey uch runny old fashioned rooms 1 really envy you II If there was ono thing in the world that Lady Honoria hated it was an old fashioned room Woll and now we must be going Oh you poor creature L forgot that you were so knocked about I am sure jMr Granger I Gran-ger will give you his arm Mr Grander ambled forward and Geoffrey Having made his adieus ana borrowed a clerical bat Mr rangers concession to custom I cus-tom for in most other respects he dressed like an ordinary farmer was safely conveyed Ito I-to the I fly And so ended Geoffreys first day at Bryn gelly Vicarage I |
