Mona's Choice. A novel

Front matter

M O N A'S CHOICE VOL. Ill, a MONA'S CHOICE A NXZfV^EL. BY MRS ALEXAN^^R, AUTHOR OF _____gr 'THE WOOING O'T,' 'HER nF.ARF.S-E-FOE^ 'THE ADMIRAL'S WARD,' ' AT BAY;' 'BY W^AS's WIT,' ETC, ETC. ;jg IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. HI. LONDON : F. V. WHITE & CO., 3i SOUTHAMPTON STREET, STRAND, W.C. 1887. EDINBURGH COLSTON AND COMI'ANY PRINTERS CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. "TlS WELL TO BE OFF WITH THE OLD LOVE,' I II. Edged Tools, . . . 31 III. Divers Opinions, . . .60 IV. The Bird is Flown, . . . .86 V. Uncle Sandy finds an Old Friend, . 119 VI. Man Proposes, . . . .148 VII. A Discovery, . . . 177 VIII. An Unexpected Visitor, . . . 203 IX. 'The Last State of that Man,' . . POPULAR NEW NOYELS. Now ready, in One Vol., the Seventh Edition of AKMY SOCIETY ; or, Life in a Garrison Town. By John Strange Winter. Author of ' Booties' Baby.' Cloth gilt, 6s. : also picture boards, 2S. GARRISON GOSSIP, Gathered in Blankhampton.

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Chapter I

' 'TIS WELL TO BE OFF WITH THE OLD LOVE.' ■"'S^rajONA felt younger and more like lw\yA y her old self after this meeting tggjgjil with Lisle than she had done since her grandmother's death. The encounter had proved to her how completely she had cast off the old feel ing of regret and pain at her disen chantment, and showed her that she was stronger than of old. Still Lisle in a way interested her. His manners, when he chose, were attractive, though Mona fancied she could perceive the baser VOL. III. A metal of selfishness underlying the silver plating of his effective exterior. With all his Radicalism, Uncle Sandy was deeply gratified by the readiness of this fine gentleman to cultivate his ac quaintance. He was remarkably amiable and serene during the whole afternoon and evening after Lisle's visit, although he held forth at some length on the folly and evil effect of titles on their possessors, as well as on society at large.

His placidity so soothed Mary Black's nerves that she was able to sing some Jacobite ballads without much trepidation, and in a voice so sweet and true that the absence of training was not perceived. Uncle Sandy was highly pleased. ' Eh ! ' he said — a prolonged ' Eh ! ' — ' there's a Scotch song for you, Mona, and a Scotch voice ! All the German and Italian growling and screeching could na equal that ! Even yourself noo — you have a pretty pipe of your own, but you canna give me a lilt like that.' ' No indeed, uncle ! ' said Mona cheerfully. ' One must be Scotch to sing Scotch as Mary does.' ' Tis well to be off with the old love.' 3 ' Can you sing " Bonnie Mary Hay," my lassie ? ' ' Oh, yes, that I can ! ' — with a delighted smile. ' It is just father's favourite.' And Uncle Sandy insisted on an encore.

Then Mona added her share to the concert, and Mary hung in genuine pleas ure and admiration over the piano. ' Eh,' she cried, ' but you make the notes speak ! ' So Mona proposed to give her a few lessons in piano playing, and all went well and happily. ' She is a douce, weel-edicated bairn,' said Uncle Sandy, when Mona lit his candle and carried it for him to his room — a little attention he always looked for — 'and you are wiselike to find so bonnie, weel-behaved a girlie to mak' freends wi' — nane of your upsetting taupies wi' neither brains in their heids nor hearts in their bodies. She can bide as long as you like, and sing for me every evening. Mak' them gang to bed, dearie ; it's lang burning the lights.' ' My dear Mary, you are a complete success ! ' cried Mona, when she returned to the drawing-room, and found her and Kenneth standing very close together in the window. ' I do not know when my poor uncle seemed so happy and content.

She will cut me out, Kenneth ! ' 'Ah! that she never will! Nor would she wish it. It was a lucky hour for us when I met you, cousin Mona.' ' I am glad you think so, Kenneth. Now we are not to sit up burning lights,' continued Mona, laughing. 'There's splendid moonlight, which costs nothing,' returned Kenneth. ' Let us blow out the candles and have a little talk before we go to bed ; we have scarce had a word together yet.' The well-assorted trio sat for some time talking softly in the silvery radiance of the moon, the delicious perfume of the pine trees breathing on the cool night breeze — and then crept quietly to their respective chambers. Lisle proved a true prophet. The day but one after his visit, Uncle Sandy and his guests had assembled in the library to their five o'clock tea. This was a serious meal, with bannocks and scones, cookies, bread and butter, preserves, and toast.

It served to support nature till eight o'clock supper, after which came prayers and bed. Mr Craig had just ' asked a blessing,' when the sound of an approaching carriage interrupted his attack on the toast and newly-made strawberry jam. ' It is anither visitor,' he said. ' Why, one might as weel be in Edinburgh or London.' ' We had not many visitors in London,' observed Mona. As she spoke, Jessie, the youthful housemaid, came hastily into the room. ' There is a leddy speerin' for you, Miss Craig ! ' she exclaimed ; ' a gran' leddy, in a chaise wi' twa pownies.' ' It must be Lady Finistoun,' said Mona, rising. ' I may bring her in, uncle ? ' ' Eh ? Surely. Ask her to tak' a cup of tea.' Mona hastened to the door, before which, in a light basket-carriage drawn by two wicked-looking dun ponies, sat Lady Finistoun, and beside her an elderly lady made up in the most youthful style. ' Ah ! my dear Mona !

So you are at home. I am so glad.' She gave the reins to a smart, diminutive groom, and stepped out quickly, embracing Mona with effusion. Lady Finistoun continued, ' I was so delighted to hear you were within reach. I have brought Miss Morton with me. You know Miss Morton ? No ! Oh, well, you ought ; everyone knows her.' ' Then I must be no one,' said Mona, laughing. ' I am very glad to see you, Evelyn. You must come in ; we are at tea ; my uncle begs you will join us.' Descending the steps, she courteously invited Miss Morton to alight. ' Certainly, with pleasure,' said that lady with much decision ; and, followed by both new arrivals, Mona led the way to the library. Miss Morton was very tall, and rather bony ; her long neck was surmounted by a small head and a face short and broad for its size, rather of the pug order, with small, keen, light-brown eyes.

Her com plexion seemed to have suffered a good deal from exposure to weather, and was considerably and undoubtedly powdered. She wore a very masculine-looking over coat of light tweed with a round cape, a small deer - stalker cap, and a white gauze veil tied round it, which at present was turned back with a curious effect. Lady Finistoun wore a heather-coloured costume, exquisitely draped and fitting — trimming, buttons, gloves, hat with a pheasant's wing — all matching to per fection, and admirably becoming to the pretty brunette face and dainty figure of the wearer. ' Uncle, let me introduce Lady Finistoun and Miss Morton to you,' said Mona. ' I am sure I am varra pleased to see ony friends o' my niece,' said Uncle Sandy, rising after two distinct efforts, and smiling on the visitors. Like most Scotchmen, he was much mollified by the sight of a pretty face. ' Ye'll sit doon and tak' a cup of tea or a glass of wine after your drive.

Here, Jessie, set a chair for the leddy by me, and bring cups and plates. Where'll the ither leddy sit ? Kenneth, mak' room 'twixt you and Mona.' ' Thank you, Mr Craig,' said Lady Finistoun, in her soft, sweet tones; 'a Alona s Choice. 8 cup of tea will be most refreshing after our long drive ; for I stupidly lost my way, and my groom is a Londoner. I trusted for guidance to Miss Morton, who thought she knew the way, but — ' ' I did know the way,' interrupted that lady, who was drawing off her gloves in preparation for an attack on the good things before her. ' You know when we __> came to where the road branched off in the hollow you would keep to the left, though I said it must be to the right. No, thanks, no preserve : I hate sweets. I will take some cream scones and one lump of sugar, please.' ' I was so pleased to find Mona was here,' resumed Lady Finistoun, as soon as her wants had been attended to. ' I knew you lived here, Mr Craig, for I have often heard Mona speaking of Uncle Sandy ' — a fascinating smile and upward glance — ' but she is such a bad corre spondent, she never let me know she was here ; and if St John Lisle had not come over to dine, we should not have found you out for ages.

You take good care of her, Mr Craig. I never saw her look so well — not even when you came out, Mona.' ' There is a remarkable fine air here ; it's better than what you have over in Strathairlie,' he returned. 'You see, we are sheltered frae the north, an' we get mair sun — forbye the porridge. I have just insisted on her takin' porridge to her breakfast.' ' Porridge is exceedingly indigestible, and bad for the complexion,' said Miss Morton, between the mouthsful of cream scones. ' You're wrang ! ' cried Uncle Sandy. ' Just look at the men and women that are reared on porridge ! There's no their equals to be found on earth ! ' ' My dear sir, I don't imagine you have seen much of earth beyond your native land.' ' You're wrang there again, mem. I've just come back from over a year's wander ing wi' my niece about the Continent of Europe ; and there's little I saw there that I'd care to tak' awa.' ■ Ah, I see you are one of the large class who think their geese swans.' Monds Choice. 10 ' I'm much obliged for your high opeen ion, mem ; but I am no such a fule-body.

I have the maist intelligent men of all times on my side.' ' Miss Morton has an intellectual love of argument,' said Lady Finistoun sooth ingly, ' and is generally in opposition to the foeman she considers most worthy of her steel. But I am anxious to see your charming gardens, if there is time after tea. Sir St John Lisle tells me it is a gem of a place.' ' Weel I hope you will come as often as you like to look at it,' returned Uncle Sandy. 'It is admirably situated. A family place, I suppose ? ' asked Miss Morton, passing up her cup. ' Naw ! ' exclaimed Uncle Sandy ; ' I bought it wi' my ain hard-earned money.' ' Oh, you lucky man ! Of all powers, the one I envy most is the power of making money.' ' You have quite enough, dear,' said Lady Finnistoun. ' Now, my dear Mr Craig, I want you to spare my cousin to me for a few days.

It is so long since we were together, and as we have rather a pleasant party, and the change — ' 'She's no your cousin,' said Uncle Sandy hastily; 'she has no kin except me. Her grandmother's kin fell from her when she most needed them.' ' But she is indeed my cousin ; and through her I claim you, too, my dear Mr Craig, as a kinsman, if you will permit the claim.' 1 It would be hard to say ye nay,' he returned, a smile puckering up his self-satisfied face. 'Mona may please herself.' ' Do you always wear the kilt ? ' said Miss Morton abruptly to Kenneth. ' Mostly, when I'm amang the heather.' ' It's very becoming,' said she, with an admiring glance. ' I do not wonder at Highland gentlemen wearing it; but you are all very conceited.' ' I am sorry you think so.' ' Don't you admit it ? ' ' I am not sure.' ' Ah ! that is the cautious Scot all over.

Tell me, are you his nephew ? ' nodding in the direction of Mr Craig. Alona s Choice. 12 ' I am.' ' And Miss Craig's brother?' ' No ; my name is Kenneth Macalister.' 'Ah! Highland to the backbone. Then o is this young lady your sister ? ' Kenneth and Mary blushed simultane ously. ' I see. No ; certainly not,' returned Miss Morton, with a harsh laugh. ' Now, Mr Macalister, the room is rather warm ; haven't you a shrubbery or a garden, or something to show me ? I don't care to sit here any longer.' Kenneth rose reluctantly. ' Oh, yes, I can take you for a stroll.' ' I am going to look at the grounds,' said the resolute spinster to her chaperon, ' with Mr Macalister.' ' My niece will — ' began Uncle Sandy, but Miss Morton promptly interrupted him. ' Oh, no, thank you ; I don't want any young ladies; a Highlander is enough for me ; ' and she walked off, followed somewhat sheepishly by Kenneth. ' Milly Morton professes not to like wo men,' explained Lady Finnistoun, laughing. ° Tis well to be off with the old love.' 13 ' Mair's the pity,' said Uncle Sandy dryly, 'for I'm thinking few men would like her ! ' ' I assure you they do.

She is very popular, and has had endless offers — to be sure, she has a good fortune.' ' Weel, weel ! siller is nae everything in a wife. Noo, if you'll tak' nae mair tea, I'll go round the grounds with you myself.' ' Thank you ; ' and Lady Finistoun satisfied her host's heart with exclamations of admiration and delicately-administered flattery. ' Well, my dear sir, I must tear myself away. The shades of evening will be round us before we reach the Lodge, and I have not settled about Mona's visit' ' I just leave it to herself.' ' What do you say, Mona ? ' turning to her. ' I think, dear, you had better not trouble about it. I do not care about going to you when you have a party ; and I do not like to leave my uncle, so I shall wait till you and Lord Finistoun are alone, then I will spend a day with you,. if you will have me.' ' This is sheer nonsense.

Finistoun charged me to secure you. Bertie is coming too, and Lord Arthur Winton, and St John Lisle. They will all be so pleased to see you.' ' It sounds very ungracious, but I really have not the least wish to see them.' ' Yes, it is, most ungracious ; is it not, Mr Craig?' ' Eh, I am no judge. Mona knows her own mind.' ' Well, Mona, you cannot refuse to come to me next Thursday, the twenty-first. It is my boy's birthday. He will be a whole year old. You must come ! ' ' No, I cannot refuse. On that day I will dine with you. I want to see the dear baby again.' ' Thank you, dear Mona ! He has grown such a darling! Is there any use in trying to persuade you to join us, Mr Craig ? ' she added insinuatingly. ' Not the least. I should nae be com pany for a set o' gay callants ! I am a thoughtful mon and puir frail body.' ' I think it would do you good to come to us.

However, I shall hope Finistoun may succeed in persuading you. Now, where has Miss Morton wandered to with that good-looking Highlander? It will be dark before we can get home.' ' I think they went round by the big oak,' said Mona. ' I will go and look for them.' When found, Miss Morton proposed — as it was only three miles to the Lodge by the short cut over the hill — to walk back under Kenneth's escort, a suggestion which evidently alarmed him. This Lady Finistoun decidedly negatived. ' Don't talk such nonsense, my dear. Mr Macalister would not get back till midnight, and you would be too late for dinner. Three miles over a hill top are equal to six on a flat road. Come, let us be going.' ' You are a little tyrant,' said Miss Morton. ' Will you walk with me to the gate, Mona, while they are bringing round the ponies.

I am sure Mr Macalister will come so far with Miss Morton.' ' With pleasure ! ' cried Mona. Having bid a cordial farewell to Uncle Sandy, and a civil good-bye to Mary, Lady Finistoun slipped her arm through Mona's, and they walked slowly down the approach. ' I have been dying to ask you a hundred questions, dear ! ' she exclaimed. ' What a droll, intensely Scotch Scotchman your uncle is. Quite a character ! I am sure he is very rich. Has he adopted you ? Is he going to leave you all his money ? Is "young Lochinvar" a lover, or a rival near the throne ? Tell me everything. Mona laughed, and gave Lady Finis toun a slight sketch of the situation, in which that sympathetic young peeress was immensely interested. ' The " braw Hielandman " is no doubt an excellent person,' she said ; ' but I should like to see you sole heir to your uncle's wealth.

I suppose he is very rich ? ' ' Not according to your standard, I imagine,' returned Mona, ' though I believe he could make Kenneth independent, and me, too ; for I have found that woman wants but little here below to make her happy. Money cannot buy what is most essential.' ' Oh, of course not ! Still one wants a few necessaries. I often wonder how poor Geraldine will get on. She will not hear of the horrors which wait on poverty.' ' May I,' began Mona, with a slight hesitation, ' may I send my love to your mother ? I am so fond of her. And you know she had a right to be angry with me. I did not behave well to — ' ' To poor Leslie Waring ! ' put in Lady Finistoun, as she hesitated. ' No, you did not ! Now, I daresay you are sorry for it?' ' I am very sorry I pained him, but I am very glad I did not marry him.

It would have been bad for both of us.' ' Perhaps so. At anyrate he is gone to the bad, so some one was telling me. He lost heaps of money on horses and at Monte Carlo ; and he got into an awfully fast set ; then he disappeared. They say he was last seen ploughing or breaking horses, or some such thing, in Texas. So, after all, he might have ruined you as well as himself if you had married him.' Mona was silent. Some voice in her heart told her that had she been his wife, the tender consideration he had always VOL. III. b shown for her would have kept him straight. But she answered the sugges tion by the old counter question, ' Am I my brother's keeper ? ' ' It grieves me to hear such an account of him,' she said, after a few moments' silence. ' He was kind and generous, and deserved a better woman than I am.' ' Oh, you were always good !

I am sure we were all fond of you. My mother took your refusal to marry Mr Waring dreadfully to heart ; but Sir Robert would not let her write to you. He was awfully angry. Then you know what heaps of things she always has to do, so I suppose she gradually forgot.' Mona was silent. While Lady Mary Everard forgot, she might have starved, though she acknowledged that she had no claim on Sir Robert Everard and his wife. Thank God ! there were true souls to be found with hearts and memories. ' You know, Mona, you are really lucky,' Lady Finistoun was saying, when Mona listened again. ' As soon as you threw away one fortune, you picked up another. I can see that the dear uncle is very fond of you, so — but,' interrupting herself, ' I hear the carriage. Yes! and I protest Milly Morton has entrapped the handsome Highlander to come so far with her.

She is an awful flirt, — can't live without it, in fact ! She makes such a fool of herself sometimes.' Then came leave-taking, and the visitors drove off as the soft gloom of an autumnal night began to deepen in the east. ' Do you mind walking back by your self ?' asked Kenneth. ' I am going up the hill a bit to speak a word to Allan, the shepherd.' ' Oh, no. I am only a few steps from our own road, and there is nothing to fear among these delightful hills.' ' That's true. I'll be back before sup per,' and Kenneth went swiftly on, with a free, swinging step. The sound of his footfall had hardly died away than another caught Mona's ear, and seemed to gain upon her. In spite of her assertion that ' there was nothing to fear,' she felt an odd uneasi ness that, though not absolutely fear, was unpleasant ; nor was she surprised when a voice behind her said, ' Good evening, Miss Craig !

I did not hope to find you so far a-field.' Then she was obliged to pause to turn and greet Lisle, who soon overtook her. He carried a gun on his shoulder, and was followed by a gillie with a gamebag. ' This is a piece of luck ! I was shoot ing in this direction, so thought of taking Craigdarroch on my way back, to tell your uncle that I have had no reply from Balmuir.' Mona was annoyed at this rencontre. She wanted to walk back alone in un disturbed thought. The report of Waring she had just heard had affected her. She was so sorry for him ! And now came Lisle to stir up the less worthy side of her nature — for Mona was by no means an angel all round. She had debated with herself how she should treat him ; not with resentment — that, she told herself, she had no right to feel ; not with cold avoidance, which was her natural inclina tion, and which he would interpret into an expression of displeasure ; but with friendly, good-humoured indifference.

If, ' ' Tis well to be off with the old love! 21 as he seemed disposed to do, he again tried to amuse a passing hour by making love to her, she would accept it in a spirit of fun which should show out at intervals. He should never flatter himself again that he made any serious impression on her. ' Can I not take the message for you ? ' she said, looking up, with a demure smile. 'It is a steep road to climb after your day's tramp over the muir.' ' What ! and leave your fair side all unguarded, lady ? ' ' Oh ! my fair side is accustomed to take care of itself very successfully.' ' Then may I confess to a low-minded hope that your uncle may ask me to dinner ? — though, by the way, I am scarcely fit to present myself.' ' A hope I must nip in the bud ! We have dined.' ' Great powers ! Well, I need not lose this precious chance of speaking to you.

I suppose I shall never see you except through a haze of Highland relations ?' ' No ; it is not very likely.' ' If you knew how anxious I am to ask you a variety of questions, you would give me some opportunity of a tete-d-tite. ' You can ask as many as you like ! I have no secrets.' ' What ! does your uncle know you re fused Waring ? ' ' How do you know I did ? ' ' Oh ! I know how desperately in love he was, and it is currently reported that you did, and that he went to the bad in consequence ! ' ' Nonsense ! ' returned Mona, a grave, hard expression replacing the smile which had played round on her lips. ' You and I, Sir St John Lisle, have seen enough of the world we live in to know that women seldom have sufficient influence to make or mar any man's life.' ' I am not so sure ! I fancy if any women ever had, you would be one of them.' He looked sharply at her as he spoke.

She laughed naturally and merrily. ' Considering the sort of women who are most influential, I do not think your opinion flattering.' ' Why, do you not think good women influence us ?' ' ' Tis well to be off with the old love! 23 ' Not often, I fancy.' ' You have grown worldly-wise since we met, Mona!' ' Does an absence of nearly four years make you more familiar with my name than you used to be ? ' she asked coldly. ' Yes,' he returned, looking down into her eyes, ' because I have thought of you so often, and called you Mona in my heart since we parted.' Mona met his eyes very steadily, while an amused expression crept into her own. ' Call me what you like in the inner region you term heart, but pray let your lips conform to the usages of this mundane society in which we live and move and have our being,' she said carelessly.

Lisle was silent for a moment. ' I accept your rebuke,' he said, ' and will not again offend.' ' Oh, I did not mean to rebuke ! ' said Mona good-humouredly, — ' only to remind.' ' You have changed enormously ! ' resumed Lisle. ' You seem years older.' ' Thank you ! That is a rare compli ment.' ' I will not be chaffed into retracting it I meant that you seem more mature ; and I find, as I always do, that the fruit is more heavenly sweet than even the blossom.' ' Yet I imagine that anticipation is always better than fruition,' said Mona, quite unmoved by the implied compliment. They walked a few steps in silence, then Lisle exclaimed, — ' What banishment it must be for you to live here with these very excellent people ! ' ' On the contrary, I feel quite at home. I am fond of my uncle, because he is fond of me, and I find life quite endurable.' ' Do you always love those who love you ?' ' Yes, always.' ' Except in poor Waring's case ? ' That was the exception which proves the rule.

Probably I should have been wiser had I conformed to your sound advice,' turning to him with a frank, sweet smile, ' but I cannot say I repent my rejection of it.' ' I fear,' said Lisle gravely, ' that you ''Tis well to be off zvith the old love! 25 no longer consider me a friend, as you used ? ' ' On the contrary, I am very pleased to welcome such a friend, after his long absence ! ' ' Thank you,' and Lisle walked beside her in silence for a few minutes. ' I see Lady Finistoun has not been long in finding you out,' he resumed. ' I met her just before I overtook you ; she was accompanied by that fearful female, Miss Morton ; have you ever met her before ? ' ' Never ! ' ' I wonder you have not. She is ubi quitous. She was the first person I re cognised when I reached Bombay, and one of the first when I reached Kirktoun.