Walter Forbes [A novel.] By A. A

Front matter

WALTER FORBES. By A. A. Jonuort : SAMUEL TINSLEY & CO., io, SOUTHAMPTON STREET, STRAND. 1879- [All Rights Reserved. .] CONTENTS. (5HAPTEP. PACK I. WHY WALTER WAS AT BERWERTON. — AUNT JANE AND HER VISITORS - - - 1 II. MOTHER AND SON - - - . - - 18 III. A RESTLESS SQUIRE DESTROYS REPOSE - - 27 IV. RIDING AND RIDERS. — REFLECTIONS - - 37 V. THE SABBATH. — PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. — AUNT JANE'S SURMISES ARE CONFIRMED - - 46 THE GARDEN-PARTY. — A MIDNIGHT WANDERER - 60 VI, VII. AN ISRAELITE INDEED.— WALTER FORBES REMAINS IN BRUSSELS. — HE MEETS WITH FRIENDS - 66 WALTER CULTIVATES FRIENDSHIP. — A GHOST STORY 74 VIII. IX. NATURE CHEERS A TROUBLED MIND. — MORE FRIENDS APPEAR.— REFLECTIONS.— WALTER AND KATE AT SPA - - - - - - 85 X A COMMITTEE SIT UPON ADA. — ARRIVAL OF TRA VELLERS. — THE OCCUPATIONS OF AIX - - 96 A DEVOTIONAL DEMONSTRATION. — THE THOUGHTS IT GAVE RISE TO - - - - - 108 XI.

XII. A DISARRANGEMENT OF EQUANIMITY. — MAJOR SEVERNE SEEKS TO OBTAIN A CONVERT - CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE XIII. ADA'S JOURNAL - - - - - 123 XIV. AUTUMN FOGS. — HOW SOME CRUMBS OF MAJOR SEVERNE'S BREAD "WERE PICKED UP - - 132 XV. A CHANGE OF SCENE. — SARAH FORBES - - 13i> XVI. SQUIRE FORBES.— THE PARSON - - - 147 XVII. HOW WALTER FORBES BECAME A MAN OF ACTION 157 XVIII. A WEDDING, ON DIT - 165 XIX. A COACHING TOUR - - - - - 178 XX. VANITY FAIH- - ... - 193 XXI. THE SHADOW OF DEATH - 203 XXII. CONCLUSION ------

Chapter I. Why Walter Was At Berwerton

— AUNT JANE AND HER VISITORS. " It is a truth and not an idle phrase, that man does not live by bread alone ; that it is his privilege to live by aspiration, hope, and love, to be moved by ideal impulses which cause him to check the impulses of a lower self, to forego the transient pleasures of sense, and passionately strive after nobler pleasures of heart and intellect. We all place before ourselves the ideal of a noble life, the type of a grander character than our infirmities enable us to realise, and we do not look on that ideal as a fiction, on that type of character as a falsehood, because we fail to realise it. " Like the typical laws of physical processes, these concep tions are solid truths, though they exist only as ideals ; and he who imagines their validity impugned because human nature can but imperfectly realise them, is as ignorant of life as he would be who should deny the validity of natural laws because of the purturbations observable in natural events." — G. H. Lewes : Problems of Life and Mind.

" Good-bye, Walter, if you will really give this pattern for me to Aunt Jane, and so save my having to go to her, I shall be glad, otherwise I shall hardly catch the children before they go out of school ; it is later than I thought it was. Give the good woman my love. If she does not understand the pattern, I will come soon and show her about it. Do not forget that you are to ride with me the day after to-morrow, to say what you think about Johnson's colt." " Good-bye, my Katie," replied the person addressed, " I will do all you wish ; expect me at two o'clock the after to-morrow, prepared to pick you out of the <litch into which John son's colt will probably deposit you." The speakers were standing by a gateway, through which a drive led out of a shady lane. The brilliant sun shine of July fell in flecks and patches on the road, wherever it could pierce through the interstices of the leaves or between the stems of the grand old beech trees guarding each side of the lane.

Generation after genera tion of cattle had habitually regaled themselves on the twigs and leaves of the beeches to such heights as they could reach, so keeping the leaves and lower branches to a uniform level. Looking under the trees on one side of the lane, a pleasant landscape met the eye — grass fields sloped gently into a little valley, through which a brook ran ; the hay-harvest was not yet gathered, and the smell of new hay and the sound of workmen's voices came up from the valley. On the far side of the brook was a high, steep bank, mostly covered with close-growing gorse, miniature precipices of red sandstone jutting out here and there ; beyond this bank the land rose and sloped gently up wards, so that the eye might range far over green corn fields, meadows, and woodlands, till vision met its limit in a range of low blue hills in the far distance.

On the other side the lane was the gateway before mentioned, and one field's length away from it a small house might he seen, half hidden among trees. The man called "Walter stood for some few moments looking at the girl he had been talking with, as she walked quickly away from him. She made a pleasant object for the eye to follow — a gleam of sunshine from time to time touching her dress or lighting up her golden hair; her step, bearing, figure, attire, all sug gestive of youth, beauty, and summer-time. Sometimes we feel curious to see the face of some stranger walking before us, from an impression that one worthy of admira tion is hid from our view ; chance affords the gratifica cation of our wish and — we are disappointed. In the case of Catherine Gresford, no such disappointment •could happen to the most fastidious.

The suggestion of youth and beauty received from her figure was fully ■carried out in her face — such a pretty, merry, sunny face, such sweet red lips, often parting in smiles or laughter, and displaying little pearl-white teeth. As I said before, Walter gazed after her for some moments, for some moments more gazed over the country with half dreamy eyes, then leisurely opened the gate, and walked up a short drive to the house among the trees. As Walter Forbes is our hero, it may be well to give a short account of his position and parentage, first say ing that he was a tall, slightly built man, his coun tenance pale and thoughtful in expression, of no beauty of form, in no way remarkable, except for quick changing indications of feeling, and dark grey observant eyes. He is the accepted lover of pretty Katie ; he had now, at the time our story begins, already held this position for two years, having first achieved it when on a long 1—2 WALTER FOISBES. visit to a relative, then residing at the house of which he (Forbes) was now the possessor.

His father, Alger non Forbes, had been a clever, extravagant, thriftless young officer — younger brother to a rich squire owning much land in Cumberland. While with his regiment at Chester, Algernon had fallen in love with Miss Nancy Glyndon, the belle of the county — of a good old impoverished family, and youngest of sixteen brothers and sisters. A marriage was arranged and took place without the knowledge of the relations upon either side. Algernon was not without the means of giving his wife as many or more of the comforts and luxuries of life as had been hers to enjoy in her father's home, and for a while he did so, giving up a horse or two, and abstaining from other costly indulgences. His self denial was not lasting. Before his boy was born, he had ceased to refuse himself the gratification of any extravagant whim that might possess him.

Creditors began to press for payment of their claims. Before the second year of her married life had quite passed, Nancy had suffered much from neglect, and had dire forebod ings that she and her boy might have to suffer from actual want, unless she could bend her pride to ask for help from offended relations. When the year closed her husband was dead. He sickened with scarlet fever while on an expedition to an out-of-the-way village to watch the training of race-horses. Letters were written to his wife and brother telling them of his illness ; they came to him in time to close his eyes and follow him to his last resting-place. Shortly afterwards, Mrs. Algernon Forbes and her boy were transplanted to Scarcalder, Squire Forbes' residence in Cumberland ; they were welcomed there in the kindest possible way.

From thence, after the lapse of some years, Mrs. A. Forbes was married to a rich barrister, whose home was in London. Walter remained with his uncle, who brought him up as a son, always, however, making him understand that when his education was completed he must follow a profession, and make a way in life for himself. At the time Walter first came to Scarcalder, Mr. and Mrs. Forbes had no child ; two years afterwards a little girl was horn. Failing a son, the squire's estates were en tailed on his brother, a colonial sheep-farmer possessing numerous sons and daughters. Young Walter so passed through Harrow and Oxford that great things were prophesied for his future. His uncle was willing, and Mrs. Forbes and Mrs. Seymour were most desirous, that their darling should enter the priesthood of the Angli can Church, in which position they thought he would prove to be a shining and a burning light.

A family living falling vacant, it was given to a clergyman to hold upon the understanding that he must give place to young Forbes if that young man should feel inclined to prepare himself to undertake the office of pastor and guardian of souls to the Cumberland shepherds. The young man did not feel so inclined, and good orthodox Mr. Skidtkwaite was left undisturbed to the exercise of offices which he apparently was more fitted to perform adequately than would have been the young Oxford prizeman. What occupation, then, would Mr. Walter Forbes desire to pursue ? He was long in deciding, and al though disinclined towards all the suggestions made, had apparently no project of his own to put for ward. At last, more in submission to his uncle's wishes than in accordance with his own, he agreed to read for the profession of law.

While at Oxford, Walter had chanced to meet an old cousin of his mother's, a clergyman, who, partly from the infirmities of age, and partly from some change in Iris views as to Church matters, had given up preferment, retired to an old house he owned, and devoted himself to literary pursuits. This man took the greatest fancy to Walter, who, in the interval of leaving Oxford and deciding upon a pro fession, stayed some timejit his house, and while there met Catherine Gresford, knelt at her feet and was not spurned, her father reluctantly agreeing to his daughter's becoming formally engaged to Walter, under an im pression that " old Forbes would surely do something " for his favourite nephew. Old Forbes manifested no intention of doing anything more than animadverting upon his nephew's "utter folly and nonsense, just like his poor father's ; and whatever the girl might be, her father must be a fool not to put an end to such rubbish."

Squire Forbes' vexation and anger were considerably augmented when Walter, after having nearly finished a course of law-reading under the guidance of an emi nent member of the legal profession, wrote to Cumber land, informing his relatives there that the study of law was wholly distasteful to him ; not only that — he found that conscientious motives would deter him from practising the profession ; he besought that he might not be considered ungrateful for the incalculable benefits he had received — of course, he was aware he had forfeited all possibility of their continuance ; he intended to live in London and devote himself to literature ; he hoped his uncle would sanction the plan. A very angry man was the warmhearted, hot-tempered northern squire on receiving that letter ; his reply was curt ; he said : " Go to the dogs in any way you please ; I will have no more to do with you."

Walter Forbes did not go to the dogs — he went to his mother, who lived in a comfortable house in Hyde Park Street. She reproached him, she lectured him ; but she was too glad to have her son for her very own again — to pet, indulge and give money to him — to feel seriously angry at his enormities. At that time Mrs. Seymour was again a widow, still very pretty and engaging, accustomed to enter into much society, and that good society. She often gave little parties to which clever and nice people came will ingly, and held pleasant converse with each other. Walter loved his mother dearly; but before this time, had frequented her home but little ; he had lived with his preceptors, really reading hard, and seldom going into other society than such law society as his mentor introduced him to. His mother's world was new to him, and he found it to be a very attractive world ; he greatly enjoyed listening to and conversing with the men and women who composed it; among them were a sprinkling of savants and literati.

The days passed pleasantly, and became so fully occupied that fits of gloom and sorrow consequent upon changed relations with his northern kin ceased to recur frequently. He spent much of the day in reading and making beginnings of writings ; he also, with close observation, studied things, men and manners — pictures, the drama, old china; lastly, a little to his mother's distress, he began to have advanced notions about cook ing, and the desirability of conducting it upon art principles. Almost six months of this life had flowed by. The month of June came, and plans for an autumn at Geneva were under discussion, when one morning a letter arrived from a lawyer stating that Mr. Hoare was dead, and had left his old house, its contents, some few acres of land, and four thousand pounds to Walter.

Walter mourned for his old friend, whose gentle kindness to him had Avon his heart, while he had readily acknowledged him an intellectual superior. Mrs. Seymour's open congratulations and joy jarred upon her son. It was long before the pride of possession came to him ; he knew he had lost what nothing could replace — he had lost a friend, and the shock of the loss had come upon him suddenly, and there was sadness in the thought that he had been amusing himself and delight ing in life while his dear friend was passing through the valley of the shadow of death. Before long it was needful that Walter should go and see his property ; he went. On his return he tried to persuade his mother to let her house in London and come and live with him at Berwerton Manor. Mrs. Seymour let herself be persuaded without much difficulty, as, though she felt no great inclinations to bury herself alive in a country village, the plan offered economical advantages, and she had lately be<mn to wish to save a little fortune for the clever loving son, about whose ability to amass a fortune or sufficient in come from the fruits of his own labour many misgivings had arisen in her mind.

So Walter's wishes carried the day, and the plan of emigration was clenched by an eligible tenant taking the London house. Mrs. Seymour, her son, her old Swiss man-servant, brougham, horse, and maid, found themselves among green fields and roses the last week in June. From then to the opening of our tale more than a year had passed, and no return to London was yet in contemplation. We will end this digression, and continue our narra tive. Walter opened the gate and walked slowly along the short drive; on each side of it were evergreen shrubs ; a sudden turn to the right brought him directly in front of a middle-sized red brick house ; his sum mons on the door-bell was answered by a round short fat man, who opined that his mistress and Miss Ada were not in the house, but he didn't think they were far off.

" Shall I look for them in the garden, sir ?" " No, thank you, Thompson," said Walter ; " I will go back through the garden, and shall then see Miss Lewisham, if she is there." A foot-path through the shrubbery brought him to the south side of the house, into a small, well laid out and exceedingly pretty flower garden ; there were two figures in it, a girl budding rose stocks, and a tall, thin lady, past middle age, walking along in an opposite direction from the wicket by which our hero entered. Turning at the end of the path, she came back in a very vigorous manner ; she held a large sunshade directly in front of her eyes, and not perceiving Walter, came nearly into collision with him. He avoided her and spoke. " How do you do, Mr. Forbes ? I am afraid I nearly knocked you down. You do not interrupt my exercise, I have now done my time — there is a seat in the shade ; come and sit down."

At this moment the girl who had been budding roses came up and greeted the visitor. " You have begun to bud roses early. Do you find the wood sufficiently hardened ?" Walter asked of her. " All wood is not," answered Ada Lewisham ; " I have got some Gloires and Alfred Colombs that will do ; if I begin to bud early, and the buds do not take, I can do some over again." " True, if you have a good supply of stocks." " I have several, and I mean to bud on the stocks in the hedge of our field, and move them in the autumn." " An excellent plan, I never thought of it." " Now I must go and put two little Alfreds into their new bed. I see the sun has come on them, and they will fade." She went to continue her previous occupation. Miss Lewisham the elder and Walter seated themselves. Walter executed the commission Kate had charged him with.

" Kate told me to say she would come and explain if the knitted pattern was not clear enough," he said. " Give dear Catherine my best love, and if it should please Providence that I should ever be able to do that kind of Avork again, I may very likely be glad of her instructions." Walter felt relieved at having to make no reply, for, as Miss Lewisham spoke, Thompson came up and stated WHY WALTER AVAS AT BERAVERTON. that Mr. Morgan Avas in the draAving-room. " Ask him to come here," said the lady, and the servant departed to do her bidding. " Now, Avhat can he want ?" she said, giving little nerArous pokes to one hand with the other. " He comes to beg something, I have no doubt." Very shortly a man was seen crossing the garden Avith a solemn, stately, ponderous tread, his head thrown rather back, his chest and waist rather thrown out.

Upon seeing Walter, his countenance became a little clouded, a little sulky. " How do you do, Miss LeAvisham, ma'm ? — a fine day to-day, umph — How do you do, sir ? I hope you left your mother, Mrs. Seymour, in good health ? — umph." " I left my mother, Mrs. Seymour, soon after luncheon ; she was then apparently in the possession of good health, thank you; I think, Miss Lewisham, I Avill go and see if I can help your niece, and I want to see if the roses I pruned have done well." Mr. Morgan, after a moment's consideration as to the strength of the bench, cautiously loAvered himself into the place Walter had vacated. Since Walter Forbes had lived in the country, one of his greatest hobbies had been gardening. Ada Lewisham was also a gardener, and the two floriculturists Avere always pleased to compare notes. together.

As Walter approached her, Ada arose from kneeling before a rose stock. She was one of those people of whom it is very difficult to give any just impression in a description. I have called her a girl, because un married women are called girls until middle age has W ALTER FQEBES. long overtaken their girlhood ; but she Avas a calm, self possessed Avonran, aged twenty-five. She Avas a little taller than the average height of Avomen, strongly built, Avith rather large hands and feet ; a noble head, beauti fully poised on her shoulders; her features Avere fine and classical, except that her forehead was perhaps a shade too high ; her complexion was rather brown, and not quite a clear brown. " I have done," she said, as she stood up. " For what reason has Mr. Morgan come ?" Walter glanced at her, and replied : " When I left him he had not set forth his reasons ; but your aunt thought he had designs on her purse. — Hoav did the roses I pruned answer ?

May we go aud look at them ?" " They are flowering Avell, but not better than those Dodson pruned on less scientific principles. I Avant to show you our Marshal Neil ; he is such a beauty !" When Marshal Neil and other plants had been dis cussed, Walter asked : " Do you, like me, believe in the great, good influence of floAvers over us mortals ? I am sure they may be made to take an important part in civilising uneducated man, both because of their own direct influence in calm ing and elevating his mind, and also because, in talking about floAvers, the educated and uneducated men can meet upon something like the same level : Hodge can have as good roses as you or I can — we can sincerely express our admiration for them, and discuss their merits with him." „Yes, I quite agree with you; but I did not think Hodge was a creature you had much to do with, Mr. Forbes."

AVHY WALTER AVAS AT BERAVERTON. " I did A\dien I lived in Cumberland. There Hodge is a much finer, more intelligent animal than are your Hodges. But you quite agree with me about the good flowers do ?" "Yes, practical people have not been unmindful of it; they see the use of encouraging Hodge in liking flowers. Witness the numerous cottage-garden societies and flower shows in connection with them, that are held in so many villages and toAvns. I Avish we could regenerate human nature by starting one here." " I dare say flower shows are often productive of good results ; hut it seems to me very difficult to adjudge prizes to flowers upon competitive examination prin ciples. I went to the flower show at Drayton the other day, and saw a really splendid specimen of a Marshal Neil stripped of its green leaves and stuck in a black ing-bottle.

It received the first prize ; other roses, nearly similarly treated, received the second and third prizes ; while a perfectly beautiful spray of white cluster roses, mingled with their pink-tipped buds and glossy leaves, exhibited in a plain glass tumbler, gained no notice — Avere not even commended. Next year its ex hibitor Avill doubtless strip a rose of its leaves and place it in a blacking-bottle ; so much for the refining influ ence of flower shows, not treated as art exhibitions, but lowered to the level of agricultural shows, and prizes adjudged in the same way as they are adjudged to cab bages, carrots, and fat cattle." " The cultivation of the Marshal Neil probably cost more thought and labour to the exhibitor than did the spray of cluster roses. And flower shows do do good : Mr. Selwynson says police cases have been below the AVALTER FORBES. average at Drayton since the cottage-garden society was started ; and he and the vicar have taken a great deal of trouble to make it work well, though mistakes may sometimes be made. — I see Thompson bringing tea; let us go to it."

As she spoke, a slight flush crossed Ada's face. A little apologetically Walter answered : " I would not have uttered a word against Drayton flower show had I known Mr. Selwynson was its pro moter and manager. In his hands, I am sure, it will in the end be productive of good, although, as you say, some mistakes may have been made at first ; but I do not feel convinced that the credit of having diminished the police •cases is due to the establishment of the garden society. I should rather attribute it to the direct personal influence of a good, practical, energetic landlord, resident on his land, and ever seeking to promote the well-being of those around him. I was aware that Avhen you quoted practical people in that marked manner a short time ago, you intended to censure unpractical people, or those you thought so ; but, you see, I can appreciate practical people, if I am not of them."

Ada's face again lighted up, and the flush made her for a moment very beautiful; she merely inclined her head in answer. They came up to the tea-table, which was placed in front of the shaded bench. Mr. Morgan was still seated by Miss LeAvisham, and was still look ing a little sulky ; if he had come with a petition, it had perhaps not been granted. He rose to greet Ada. " Mr. Morgan," said Walter, " we have been talking about flower shows and cottage-garden societies ; Avill WHY WALTER AVAS AT BERAVERTON. you help Miss Ada Lewisham to get one up ? Avill you, Miss Lewisham, patronise it, and also help us by lend ing your ground ?" " Help you ! I could not do much to help — these neAV notions puzzle me ; but I knoAv my dear brother used to think a good deal about a flower show he had some thing to do with.

I went to it once, do you remember, Ada ? — you were there, and my dear sister, and your Aunt Elizabeth ; it was a pleasant meeting of friends. I do not remember the flowers, but I suppose, of course, there were some. There was a tent, and my brother made a speech." "Do you really want to have a flower show, Miss Ada ?" said Mr. Morgan. " Yes, I should like a cottage-garden society and a flower show to be established here very much." " Miss Ada Lewisham is prepared to assert, and to prove her assertions by a statement of statistics, that by inducing the populace to cultivate flowers, the office of policeman has become a sinecure, people cease to imbibe deleterious amounts of alcoholic refreshment, and, in fact, the millennium begins. Do you cultivate flowers, Mr. Morgan ? Why not begin ?" said Walter.

"I have something better to do, sir — umph — I don't understand what you mean — umph. Of course you do not think so, but / don't call it a pursuit for a man ; flowers are pretty things — I knoAv you are fond of them, Miss Ada — and I highly approve of ladies liking them —umph." " Thank you, Mr. Morgan ; now I have your approval I shall dig and delve with renewed vigour," answered Ada. Walter Forbes took leave. Mr. Morgan soon folloAved his example. Then Ada and her aunt went into the house ; at the door Thompson met them, and asked for the key of the cellar to get out a bottle of sherry. " I think there will be plenty, Thompson," said his mistress. " You know you put some out for luncheon." Thompson looked a little uncomfortable, as he replied, "Yes, ma'am, but Mr. Morgan, ma'am, he asked for a glass of Avine, and Avhen I come back from telling you he called, there was no Avine left."

" Ah well, gentlemen do drink more wine than ladies ; you can get the key ; you know where it is." Never was an unkind word or uncharitable observation heard to escape from the lips of Miss Lewisham ; people Avho did not know her well seldom gave her credit for the quiet observation and just appreciation of character she really possessed, while great was her discretion as to Avhat use she made of the knowledge she acquired. The dear old lady had many little peculiarities — one Avas that of saving her eyes, although there Avas little the matter with them, and their vision, Avith regard to all passing around her, Avas very clear and undeceptive. For the last tAventy years she had been employed in taking care of her eye-sight ; once, prior to the twenty years ago, her eyes had been Aveak, and it was needful that she should sit in the dark and take much care.

The habit of taking care remained with her, and in times of nervous depression, Miss Lewisham felt sure that Providence Avould never permit her to read or even to knit again. Occasionally she was carried out of herself, and talked on in a full blaze of light Avithout blinking, or read through a volume of a novel Avithout AVHY AVALTER WAS AT BERWERTON. pausing. She had a quiet, pale, faded face, and beau tiful white hair, tucked under a nice large old woman's cap, tied on with ribbon strings in a bow beneath her chin. Some said that she was cold, some that she Avas stingy, while others alleged that she was proud. All these accusations were false; her affections were true and deep, and though her face seldom betrayed emotions, those Avho knew her could tell by the ring of her voice and the movement of her hand if she Avas suppressing feeling ; her tone when she spoke to one of those she loved was unmistakable.