The Luckiest Man in the World. A novel

Front matter

A NOVEL BY MARY ALBERT AUTHOR OF "DELIAS STORY,'' "A HIDDEN TERROR," "BROOKE FINCHLEY'S DAUGHTER, 'THE SHELLING OF THE PEAS," ETC, ETC IN ONE VOL UM E ~$A\x*\ €M.tDit LONDON SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON. KENT & CO. LIMITED A 11 Rights Reserved PRINTED BY TILLOTSON AND SON, MEALHOUSE LANE, BOLTON. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. — FLIP AND HER FATHER I II. — A MIDNIGHT SEARCH ..... 19 III. — THE LUCKIEST MAN IN THE WORLD - - 31 IV. — A GREAT DISCOVERY 48 V. — AT THE TOWERS ...... 65 VI. — AT HOME AGAIN 80 VII. — A MOMENTOUS QUESTION 92 VIII. — A "DEAD SECRET" ------ 106 IX. — " HAPPY THE WOOING THAT'S NOT LONG A DOING ! " 128 X. — FLIP'S WEDDING DAY 146 XI. — A MOMENTOUS INTERVIEW .... 160 XII. — TESSIE 180 XIII. — LADY WRYTON'S GARDEN FETE - - - 192 XIV. — TESSIE MAKES AN ACQUAINTANCE - - - 213 XV. — TESSIE GOES ON A VISIT 23I XVI. — TESSIE PASSES SENTENCE - - - CONTENTS. chapter page XVII. — GEOFFRY'S NEW PARISHIONER - - - 265 XVIII. — TESSIF.'S FIRST BALI. ..... 282 XIX. — A GREAT RESOLVE 300 xx. — flight! 311 XXI. — TESSIE'S VISITOR 328 XXII. — "EN ROUTE" 344 XXIII. — ON THB MOORS ------- 353 XXIV. — UNEXPECTED WORLD.

C H APTER I. FLIP AND HER FATHER. " Catch ! Here ! Stupid little thing! If you stop the ball this time you shall have cream for supper ; if not — you will have stale milk and water. One more chance ! Now, then — one, two, three ! Missed ! Ah, did you think to have another taste ? No, no ! " And hastily snatching up the tempting dainty, which she had placed before her kitten, the speaker— a slim, wayward-looking, very beautiful girl of sixteen — pushed the disappointed little animal away from her, whilst making faces at it, and reviling its want of " cleverness." More than once she enticed the poor, tiny creature to come timidly forward, and mocked its hopes, by stooping, saucer in hand, inducing the kitten to approach, and then again snatching away the coveted dish. B " Now, then, Flip," said a man's voice.

" You fantastically cruel young mortal ; stop your tormenting ways, and don't baulk Puff of its supper. Extravagant little puss you are, to empty the cream jug for your pet ! But since vou have done so, it shan't be for J nothing." " Yes, it shall, Daddy, dear," returned the girl, flippantly. " I'm mistress over Puff, remember, so I shall be as tyrannical as I choose." "No, you shan't, Flip," answered her father, lazily. " I shall, though ! " she said, defiantly. " Nonsense ! Come, Flip, don't be a torment." " Don't you be a despot, Daddy ! " laughed Flip, carelessly. " I will manage Puff, and you — you shall manage me, if you can." And, so saying, the girl placed the disputed portion of cream hopelessly out of reach of the kitten, Avho, all the time, had been Avatch ing her movements with suppliant eyes.

Chapter II

A MIDNIGHT SEARCH. When Flip had left him, and he was alone in his own room below, Mr. Olworth (as he called himself) began to walk up and down the small apartment with a restlessly dis tracted air. Passing his hand over his brow, he muttered, gloomily : " My God, Flip's brother here, my own son, who never knew he had a sister — who never shall know. And he was attracted by the likeness, and Flip herself noticed his likeness to me. Wretched boy. What has he been doing all these years ? Well, his advent will hasten my movements. Poor Flip!" At length, when the clock struck one, the weary-hearted man sought his bed. Long he lay, tossing and troubled — reviewing his stormy past — but at length he fell into deep slumber, breathing deeply. When the clock struck the half hour past two in the morning, a slight, girlish figure, her feet shod in velvet slippers, crept down the short flight of stairs leading to his room, and noiselessly opened the door.

Her father's heavy breathing told her that THE LUCKIEST MAN IN THE WORLD. he was asleep, and Flip knew exactly what she sought there. The moon shone in at the half-curtained window, guiding her steps, and she rapidly approached the bed, and passed her slender fingers beneath the pillow, drawing therefrom a bunch of keys. The sleeper never stirred, and the girl withdrew as noiselessly as she had entered. Once possessed of the keys she slid below into their sitting room, shut the door, locked it, and lighted a candle. She was, indeed, very unscrupulous, as her father had taught her to be. " I am determined to find out what the man meant," muttered she, as sbe tried eArery key till she found one which opened the desk. There were no papers, but bills alone in the first compartment, but she was quick to search further, and was thoroughly determined to possess herself of any information which any letter written by her father might afford.

Are you shocked, reader ? as you may well be. This unhappy girl was far from having clear notions of right and wrong. In her shadowy ideas of Avhat constituted honour she was all astray, while she had an exaggerated opinion as to what was due to herself as an only child. Unbounded confidence from her father she claimed as properly hers. He had refused to own to her to what the stranger referred. Well, she would discover that for herself, and then let him hear what she had done. Far from blaming herself for prying among his papers, she blamed him for keeping any thing from her knowledge. The clock struck three, and by this time she had searched every drawer, and opened every scrap of paper. " Perhaps Daddy has burnt anything he did not wish me to see," muttered she, disappointed. Again, with painstaking worthy of a better cause, she searched anew, pressing all over the inner compartment with her fingers, in hopes of finding some secret drawer.

And, at length, she was rewarded. Just as she was deciding to close the desk, and give it up, a secret receptacle flew open, and within lay a paper, on which signs and letters, so arranged as to spell nothing, seemingly, met her vieAV. She gasped for breath, and clutched the paper as if for life, whilst she scanned it with eager eyes, devouring its contents. And as she read her cheeks flushed, and then grew pale, and flushed anew. "So this is what that man meant!" she gasped. " Oh, Daddy ; it was not for nothing that you taught me to read the cipher you use. Oh, Daddy! Daddy!" She sat down, really overwhelmed — her cheeks burning, her eyes gleaming like stars, THE LUCKIEST MAN IN THE WORLD. her chest heaving. She had found the ex planation she sought. She had discovered her father's secret.

She was aware, now, of what he meant by his business. " And I never guessed it, never ! " murmured she, trembling. So much overwhelmed was she at her discovery that she sat stock still, heedless of time. A clock, striking four strokes in the stillness of early morning, roused her at length, and she carefully closed the desk, retained the tell-tale paper (written in cipher), took the keys in her hand, and crept upstairs again. The moonlight still flooded her father's chamber, and in a moment she had slid the keys underneath his pillow, and re tired undetected. Then she crept into her own room, and, dressed as she was, threw herself on the bed, still clutching the mysterious sheet of paper. It was long before slumber closed her tired eye-lids. DaAvn was breaking ere she fell into a dose, broken by troubled dreams.

Four hours later she awoke with a start, and leapt to her feet, when she found that it was nine o'clock. But all things had changed with her since the evening ; and it was not the lateness of the hour which agitated her as she hastened to bathe her face in cold water, and to change her dress. "You are late, Flip," observed her father, who was reading the morning paper with cool unconcern as she entered the breakfast room. " I hope you have slept well." " On the contrary, I did not go to sleep till five o'clock," rejoined she. " But that is of little consequence. I shall have time enough, and to spare, when we go to live in the country. Why should we go to Paris at all ? I am ready to settle anywhere, at once." " It is new to hear you talk like this, Rosie." (Her father sometimes used this baptismal name of hers, instead of the nick name he had given her.)

" New ! " cried she. " Yes ! but all things are dreadfully new to me, since last night." " I should like to know why. But please to pour out the coffee, Avhich is getting cold all this time. And whilst I think of it, let me tell you that in our new life I shall generally call you ' Rosie.' It sounds nicer than ' Flip ' — more refined, and we shall have to be very particular as to appearances, as Mrs. Grundy (dear dame!) will have her sharp eyes constantly on us." Flip made no rejoinder, but handed him the coffee in silence, nor did she make any remark until his newspaper was laid aside. Then she said, imperatively : "Stay, Daddy!" WORLD. Astonished at her tone, he paused. " What now ? " he asked. " Father, you would not tell me the truth, but I have discovered it for myself," she panted out.

" Did you think I could rest without doing so ? Not after Avhat happened last night. And now, I only wish that I had been content with ignorance ; but it is of no use wishing that noAV. However, of course I do not look on it as other people would do, for you have always taught me that it is unfair for some to haA'e abundance and luxury, and others to struggle in poverty. And so you might have trusted me, Daddy, — only — you live in such danger." And the girl joined her hands together with a soft cry. " Do tell me clearly Avhat you mean, Flip," ansAvered her father, sitting doAAm again, and now A-isibly agitated. " Of course," said she, drearily. " Do you remember instructing me, Daddy, hoAV to read words in cipher ? In case, as you said, you should ever wish to write to me any secret. And what fun I thought it to learn.

Well, 1 learned to some purpose, for the. knowledge has disclosed to me all that you refused to tell me last night." On hearing this her father stared at her vacantly, without a Avord of reply, and she continued in a half whisper, while sinking on her knees by his side : " That man who spoke to me is my brother ! I never knew before that I had one. Our real name is Wilford, not Olworth — and you — you are Richard Cam eron Wilford, and a 'professional burglar!'" At her last sentence he dropped his head between his hands, and shuddered. There was a brief silence. When he raised his white face he whispered back the inquiry : " How did you learn these dreadful things, Flip ? " "Here!" she said, disclosing the sheet which she had filched from his desk. '' You had written some instructions to your partner, as you call him, as to what was to become of me if you were ever taken in one of your 'ventures.' It seems he is an old man now, and has retired from active 'business,' and that you have saved him more than once from the police — and here you enjoin him not to let me want — and never to let me know I have a brother, four years older than I — or to let me guess your 'profession.' But I know it all now, father.

Oh, can't you get out of it ? " concluded she, beseechingly. "Ah, Flip, I should have done so long ago if possible ; but it is so difficult when once embarked on any downward path to stop," he answered, when he could articulate less trem ulously. Then, rousing himself, and speaking angrily : AVORLD. " How did you get that paper in cypher? It was in my desk." " I took your keys from under your pillow, Daddy, and searched," she answered, sadly. " And I never knew ! Well, my poor child, you must take the consequences ! You must stand by me, the only human being in all the world you have to care for you — the only one." " Of course, I should always stand by you, Daddy," wept she ; '' but can't you give it up ? — can't you ? " " No — I have nothing else to turn to," replied he, gloomily. " But haven't Ave any relations, father ?

Somehow, I always think we are Avhat is called gentle-folks." " And you think right, Rosie. We are of good family — a family allied to rank and standing. Relatives ? Oh, yes ! Few girls have more in number than you, but they dis carded me — they made me Avhat I am ! All the same, I have some feeling for the old name I have disgraced, and so, y-ou will never hear the name of your grandfather, Rosie, nor will he ever knoAv of your existence." " Oh, don't — don't say that ! " she im plored, vehemently ; " let me hear his name — and our real name ! Oh, Daddy, for my sake ! " And she wept the bitterest tears she had ever shed in her young life. But to no purpose ; he was firm, and she kneAv that he would so abide. The painful scene ended in a racking head ache for Flip, which sent her to bed — and in her father going hastily out of doors.

It was later than usual when father and daughter again met, and when they did, no careless laughter on Flip's part, no happy, affectionate call on "Daddy," no teasing of the kitten, Puff, greeted his ears. The girl was silent, gentle, submissive, and moved about noiselessly, in a way wholly un like herself. She made no comment on the scene of the morning — she uttered no importunities con cerning her unknown relations. He almost wished she would refer to them, or to any subject rather than preserve this unnatural and mournful quiet. " What have you been doing all day, my dear ? " asked he, at length, when he had cut the pages of a new book, and turned over all the evening papers, the silence on her part still unbroken. Then she looked up, as if surprised, and answered, gently : " I don't know, father."

" Don't know ! " re-echoed he. " Surely you must be aware of what you were doing ? " " I think that I forget," rejoined she, in a low voice. " I sat by the window. I don't remember doing anything else." WORLD. " Did you go out ?" continued her father, irritably. "No, I sat by the window," repeated the girl, sadly. " What ! had you no luncheon, Flip ? " "I don't think I had any, father; but I forget," said she, still with that unnatural calm, which she had never worn before. "Come here," said he, suddenly. "You must listen to reason, my little girl ; it is of no use grieving over what cannot be. There is the inevitable fact that Ave must cover up a certain portion of my life, Avith which you had nothing to do. What is the use of afflicting yourself and me after this manner, Rosie ? You have been terribly punished by your discovery of the secret.

Now, be brave, and make the best of it." " Tell me, father, to what people we belong," urged she. " Let me know that, since I know so much. You may be sure that I shall never rest till I do find out ; you know me well enough for that." " And knowing it, I still refuse, Flip. You cannot find out for yourself, so do not weary yourself by useless attempts at the impossible. See — here are my keys — search where you will, you will not discover a scrap on Avhich there is any allusion to myfamily. Where is that .paper written in cypher Avhich you took from my desk last night ? Let me see it burnt, Flip." She took it from her purse and gave it to him without a word. " I want to see it burnt," she said. " I would never be indebted for a home to your friend, father, if — if you were gone. Don't waste money by going to Paris — why should we ?

Let us go to that cottage you have taken, and I promise you I will get married as soon as possible." Poor Flip ! Her moral sense had, indeed, been blunted, or rather, it had never been developed, or she would not have planned so easily to escape from her position by marry ing. It appeared to her quite permissible to accept the hand of some honest young fellow, and take up her abode as his wife, by his fireside, although she now knew that she had a criminal for a father ; and what of her un known brother ? Surely he must be steeped in disgrace, to cause his own parent to hide from him the fact that he had a young sister. All that uncomfortable evening Flip was very silent ; absorbed in many conjectures, but she twice broke through her unpleasant reverie to ask : " Did my mother ever guess what your profession was, father ?

" " Eh ? Your mother ? God forbid ! " ejaculated he, suddenly. " And why do you hide me from my brother, Daddy ? Ifl am never to know AVORLD. 30 my uncles and aunts, and grandparents, at least let me know him. What is his real name. Is it really Wilford? and is he too, a " " Hush !" cried her father, imperatively. " No! I shall never tell you your wretched brother's whereabouts. I have not hidden from him the very fact of your existence in order to introduce you to each other at this juncture, just too, when I have planned to lift you into respectable society. No — no — Flip." "But, father! father!" wept she, " Avhen one has but tAvo persons in the whole world belonging to one — when one has never been in society, then it makes a difference ! Don't refuse me this, Daddy! this only thing about which I shall ever bother you !

" '' Be silent, Flip," commanded he. " I will not be importuned like this ! You ought to have understood, from last night's occurrence, that there are some points in which I must insist on being obeyed. Do not let me hear another word." " And you, father ! " cried she, blazing out with her usual outspoken wrath whenever she thought herself wronged or slighted by him — " You, father, ought, also, to have learned that there are some things about which silence will not satisfy me, and that, if you refuse to let me hear what I have a right to be acquainted Avith, then, I shall inform myself." " You will be exceedingly clever then, my dear, for I have been careful to destroy everything which might possibly enlighten you touching the family to which you belong." " Ah ! you think I am to be baulked in this cruel manner ?

No ! no ! no ! " she answered him, with vehemence, and weep ing— " When you have made the discovery, Flip," returned he, with a provoking smile, " perhaps you will intimate to me your success. Pray do not omit to do so — it will enhance my opinion of your capacity, and with reason." "You think you have outwitted me, Daddy ? Ah ! well ! Wait and see ! I shall not forget, and I give you a fair warning, I shall seize any chance you leave me ! Yes, any ! I will not live and die without knowing to what family I belong ! "

Chapter III. The Luckiest Man In The World

"What is it now, Geoff, eh? Some other piece of good fortune, my boy ? " And the pleasant-looking old lady who asked this question smiled at her son, who was standing, with a letter in his hand, upon the hearthrug, in his mother's tasteful little drawing-room. AA'ORLD. 32 " Why, mother, dear," rejoined the young man, giving her an answering smile, " it is this ! It is just what I have always told you — I am the luckiest man in the world ! " " My dear boy ! Then you have received some good news ? " responded she, eagerly. " I should think so," he rejoined, in a de lighted tone. " That nice Lord Mihvorth has offered me the living of Halestone." " Oh, my darling Geoffry ! how heartily I congratulate y-ou, my own dear boy ! " And his mother, Mrs. Larchmore, rose hastily, in order to bestoAv an affectionate kiss on her much loved son, Avhom she and his sisters alike adored.

" How pleased the girls will be," was Geoffry's next comment. " One of them must come and keep house for me — you must all come by turns. Mother, dear, I ahvays told you I was a fortunate felloAv, didn't I now ? You know I passed all my school and college exams, creditably ; and i haA'e made hosts of friends as I went along ; then I got my present curacy here, and we haA'e lived together so happily, and I have liked my work ; and then, all unexpectedly, comes this crowning bit of luck ! the offer of the living of Halestone." "Ah, Geoff, what you call luck, I call the natural result of honest effort. You cannot think it due to chance that you passed WORLD. 33 through school-life and college so satisfac torily ? If you have won friends and honours, it is the result of upright Avork and pleasant ways.

And Lord Milworth has only shown a just discrimination in presenting you with this living." " Dear mother, if I listen to you much longer I shall grow as vain as a peacock ! But you actually don't ask me the worth of the living. I shall be quite a millionaire, with a good house and garden and seven hundred a year. For, added to my own modest fortune of a couple of hundreds, and the fortunate investment I made with my grand father's small legacy, I shall make up a thousand a year ! Too much for a country clergyman, but not too much with which to help the poor of the parish," concluded he. "And some day you will marry, I hope, my boy," said his mother, affectionately. " Perhaps, mother," returned he, brightly, " but at present : " iAly heart's my own — my will is free ! " " Who can tell for how long, dearest Geoff?

But you may be sure of one thing, that when the happy choice is made I shall be ready to welcome your wife as a real daughter." "Thank you, mother," returned Geoffry, with his thoughts still running delightedly on his good luck. D AATORLD. Of course, the next thing was to write a grateful letter of thanks and acceptance to Lord Mihvorth, and the next to run over to Halestone to see his neAv home. A lovely September sun was shining OA-er the quiet village when Geoffry Larchmore first saw it in its picturesque beauty. He was enchanted Avith the place, ancl Avith the grey, ivy-covered church, the hills which lay so blue in the sunshine, the noble trees which crested many a knoll in the Avide-stretching park belonging to the squire of the parish, Sir Horace Wryton. And there was many a sequestered nook in the Avoodland copse which made a short cut to the railway station, and many an artistic, gabled dwelling, standing back from the high road, and inhabited by people of small means but of refined tastes.

One such house struck him particularly as he went towards the Vicarage (now his OAvn). This house Avas called " Ivy Nest," and indeed a Avreath of green leaves clustered aboA-e the old garden Avails, and on one side of the porch. What a pleasant place it looked on that late September day! Geoffry Larchmore could not but pause to glance at the open door, the tloAvers on the sunny lawn, the dainty curtains behind the Avide casements, the air of pleasantness and comfort about the habitation. And as he watched, a girl came running down the lane, just outside the garden, followed by a white kitten, and calling out, " Daddy, dear! Daddy! see how well Puff folloAvs me ! " The girl Avas so heedless as to Avhere she was going that she almost ran against the young clergyman, and only pulled herself up when within a yard of him.

"Oh! I beg your pardon," said she, confusedly-. He raised his hat, with smiling courtesy, saying as he made room for her to pass — " Perhaps you can kindly direct me the nearest way to the Vicarage ? Am I correct in thinking you live here ? " " We have lived here only since last night ! " replied Flip, for it was she, " so that, unfortunately, I know nothing yet of the way the roads lead. But father does, for he has been here before — searching for a house for us. Ah, there he is, he will direct you ! " And she made signs to a tall, middle-aged gentlemanly-looking man, who was standing within the garden, and who came forward with a courteous air when he perceived the stranger. " Father !" cried Flip, running up to him (and how graceful she looked in her simple costume of grey merino). " Father ! this gentleman wishes to find the nearest way to the vicarage."

" Across the field yonder. I have been exploring the neighbourhood since yester day," replied Flip's father, with a pleasant smile. " Very many thanks. You have come to reside here ? " said Geoffry. "Yes, I think so," was the answer. " My little daughter and I already like Ivy Nest verv much." " Permit me then to introduce myself as the new Vicar," remarked Geoffry, with a smile. " I have just arrived in order to see my future residence, which I can hardly hope will be so enticing as your charming habitation." " The Vicarage appears most delightful from the view one gets of it from the road," observed Mr. Olworth. " We were remark ing it as we drove by yesterday." "Yes, such a loA-ely old garden it must have. I stood up in the carriage to get a good peep at it ! " interposed Flip, in her fresh young voice.

" Let me hope that you and your father will honour it with a nearer A'ieAv," said Geoffry, already entranced by her voice and smile. " What a SAveet, unsophisticated, enchanting maiden ! " thought the young man, with a quickened beating of his heart. Poor young fellow ! He had met Avith his fate at this onset of his life as the new Vicar of WORLD. 37 Halestone. How could he guess that this seemingly guileless girl was on the look-out for securing an eligible parti} and that in the elegant -looking man who spoke so pleasantly, and appeared deA-oted to country life, he was addressing a professional burglar ? They strolled down the lane together, the kitten disporting itself in the hedgerow, and giving cause for a hearty laugh from Flip. " Take care, Miss Olworth," remarked the fascinating Geoffry (who had by this time learned her name), " take care that I do not steal your pet.

I have a weakness for kittens." "Beware of kidnapping my Puff!" cried Flip, in her most bewitching tones. " Fore warned, fore-armed, however ! I should take my* revenge! I should steal your peaches." " Suppose we try to persuade Mr. Larch more to eat one of ours?" interposed Mr. Olworth. " We are about to become neighbours, so I trust he will not refuse to take luncheon with us as he returns. Let me hope you will," added he, addressing the young clergyman. Geoffry accepted the offered hospitality with little hesitation. He was as much charmed with the inmates of Ivy Nest as he had been with the aspect of the house itself; and, indeed, all through the morning hours, occupied_ as he was with the first sight of Avhat was to be his home for future years, he was still more engrossed with thoughts of the lovely dark eyes and beautiful rose bloom on the oval cheeks of Rosalind Olworth.

He went back to Ivy Nest, and was grace fully welcomed by his host and his host's daughter. A tastefullyfurnished dwelling — a daintily spread table met his A'iew. Flip looked more charming than eA-er, noAV that her abundant hair and exquisite face Avere seen unshaded by her hat. She was spark ling with fun this morning — delighted Avith her new surroundings, and she was quick to detect that this handsome young clergyman admired her, and treated her Avith a deference to which she was unaccustomed. The repast was simple, but well served — the fruit delicious, and after luncheon they adjourned to the garden, where Puff s gambols recommenced, and where Geoffry greAV more and more fascinated every minute. During the desultory chit-chat Avhich followed, the young man mentioned Lord Milworth as the person to whom he was in debted for his good fortune, and Flip (who happened to be glancing at her father) observed, with surprise, that his brow flushed and his hands trembled.