The Wooing O't. A novel

Chapter I

A cold dull evening towards the end of Feb ruary was slowly closing in — slowly, and with the indescribable melancholy which hangs round those lengthening evenings of early spring, when win ter seems but more wintry from the cold pro longed light. A cynical east wind was sweeping the dust, and straws, and shavings, into little eddies, with bitter playfulness. The poor little crossing sweeper at the end of Edgeware Road, near the Marble Arch, had retired under the lee of a projecting front door near his beat, in com pany with a blind man and his shivering dog — all three evidently despairing of human aid. The lamps were gradually shining out, and in the chemist's shop near the corner of Beverly Street, a grimy little errand boy was lighting the gas, which brought the big green and purple jars into favourable contrast to the outer gloom.

VOL. I. B The chemist's shop occupied what had been the front parlour of the house in its palmy days, when Beverly Street had been the genteel residence of well-to-do professional families, and even boasted ready furnished houses, which were not unfre quently tenanted by county M.P's during the session. Beverly Street had never been grand and aristocratic, but eminently genteel ; and now, even in its decadence, no butchers' or greengrocers' shops defiled its gradual decline, neither did fish mongers pollute it. But occasional Berlin wool repositories, stationers, and circulating library es tablishments, and the chemist's above-mentioned, intruded themselves into the front parlours erst occupied by the refined wives and daughters of eminent barristers and physicians of courtly fame. The shop in question had a certain air of an tiquity, if dingy paint and dust, semi-effaced inscriptions on the inevitable hundred and fifty little drawers, and the half-empty look of the glass cases, which should have bristled with cosmetiques, pastilles, corn-eradicators, soothing syrups, tooth-brushes, and " Bloom de Ninon " — whatever that may be — if, I say, such a con dition confers an air of antiquity, the shop of " Grey, Pharmaceutical Chemist," as the inscrip tion above it ran, possessed that air.

Within, while the grimy errand-boy lit the gas, the owner of the shop — a tall and rather good-looking man, with a loose, gaunt figure, and indifferent attire, carpet slippers, and a chin which had evidently not known the razor that day at any rate — leaned over the counter, talking to a stout, voluble, well-dressed individual, with bright, quick eyes and an emphatic forefinger. Behind the shop high tea was proceeding. The back parlour was even more dingy and dusty and half-furnished than the shop. A faded Brussels carpet, black horse-hair covered chairs and sofa, curtains that once were green, a book-case turned into a cupboard, its glass doors lined with green glazed calico, the better to hide the tea and sugar, bread, and pickles, Worcester sauce, and cream gin, which lurked behind ; a large table, set with cups and saucers and plates, bread-and-butter, and other viands, occupied the centre ; a kettle, black and furry with the smoke of ages, sung and steamed upon a passably bright fire.

A stout lady presided over the tea-pot — stout, and not uncomely, with a fair allowance of cork screw curls at each side of her face — the face itself being broad, and redeemed from plainness by a resolute and rather aquiline nose. She glanced round with a sharp look in her light quick eyes (not pleasant or attractive eyes, but very wide awake), and hastily tying back the bright red ribbons of her black lace cap, that they might not dip into tea or butter, said to the other in- B The Wooing dt. mates of the apartment, " Come, now ; don't dilly-dally when your victuals are ready." The other inmates were two girls with long crimped hair hanging down their backs ; one high-shouldered and lanky, the other stout and dumpy ; both in the transition stage between childhood and womanhood. Both obeyed the sum mons, the first dropping a crinoline she had been repairing, the other rising from the hearth-rug, where she had been tormenting the kitten.

They took their evidently accustomed places, and pro ceeded to help themselves to the bread-and-butter, a pile of which occupied the middle of the table. " Where are the boys ?" asked the mother. " Tom hasn't come in yet, and Dick is down stairs helping Maggie with the lamp," replied the youngest girl. " She's a stupid thing not to understand it by this time ; and indeed if the gas had been laid on as I wanted, and begged and prayed a'most on my bended knees, a year ago, what a save it would have been, both in money and trouble ! But there is no use talking. Go, call your pa, Bell ; he has been goss ping this hour with some of his scien tific friends, that never buy so much as a box cf cold cream — -at least that pay for one." The elder girl rose and opened the door of com munication with the shop ; she returned immediately, saying, " Pa will come directly."

" Look for my handkerchief, Jemimar ; I dropped it someyvhere. I wish they would bring that lamp ; for though the evenings do lengthen wonderfully, it's blind man's holiday." So saying, and having replenished her cup a second time, she filled up the teapot with a lavish hand. As she did so the door leading into the house opened, and a boy of thirteen or fourteen — a pale, dirty-faced boy, with legs too long for his trowsers, and arms too long for his jacket sleeves — came in, holding with both hands a mo derator lamp. He was followed by a girl, a slight girl, rather below middle height, not lanky, how ever, but rounded rather than thin ; she was poorly dressed, in a dark stuff, somewhat the worse for wear, rubbed shiny in places, yet fitted neatly to her waist, while her white linen cuffs, and hair — soft brown hair, between light and dark — neatly parted, and drawn smoothly back into a thick roll behind, showed well by contrast with the untidiness of the people and the place.

The mistress of the house (Mrs. Grey, in short,) looked a trifle harder and sharper as her eyes fell on her. " Your tea has been ready this hour," she said. " I'm sure if I had been so often about a thing as you have, Maggie, about that lamp, I would not want help with it — keeping Dick from his food all this time !" "I did not want help with it, aunt," replied Maggie, " only to carry it up-stairs, for it is very heavy. Dick chose to stay and watch me — he was anything but a help." " And that's all the thanks you get," cried his mother, " for saving Miss Margaret Grey's nice cuffs from being soiled ! Your uncle's daughters, Miss, can't treat themselves to such elegancies." " Well, aunt ; I wash and iron them myself, so I suppose I have a right to wear them," returned the girl, wearily rather than defiantly.

" Who pays for the starch, I'd like to know ?" was the triumphant rejoinder. Maggie half opened her lips, very pretty, soft looking lips, and a little tremulous just then — but closed them, closed them resolutely, and ap plied herself to cutting a slice of bread from the loaf instead of helping herself to one of the but tered slices, as the door opened and Mr. Grey entered. He dropped into his usual place un noticed, save by Maggie, who handed him his tea and drew the bread-and-butter within his reach. " Thank you, my dear, thank you," said the head of the house absently, not seeing who was attending to his wants. " I have just been talking to old Mr. Shepherd — a most intelligent and en lightened individual — and I quite agree with him that the cause of science was never so prosperous as " I'm sure I don't know about science," interrupted Mrs. Grey, with no small bitterness of tone.

" But there's precious little prosperity here ! And as to Mr. Shepherd, there's pages and pages in the ledger with his name at the top of them, but I never can make out ' Paid ' at the bottom." " Well, all in good time, my dear," said the chemist with a sort of deprecating, soothing tone, " all in good time. He is a man of the highest principle, and the money will be all the better for coming in a lump." "Lump, indeed!" in a tone of the greatest scorn. " It gives me a lump in the throat to hear you talk." " Uncle," interposed Maggie, in a low voice, "you must look at the paper I have been copying. I have finished it, but I am not sure about one or two passages." " Ha ! hum ! I hope you have made no mis takes," said Mr. Grey a little testily ; " for it is of very great importance." " What is it, pa?" asked Master Dick.

" Oh ! an article on the properties of coal tar. A little contribution to the ' Tyburnian Literary and Scientific Journal.' " " Which won't be let in— or paid for — at any rate," grumbled Mrs. Grey. " I don't care so much about that," said her husband resignedly, as he spread some dark-looking condiment, purporting to be potted herrings, with reckless thickness on his bread-and-butter. " But I do want the true theory to be recognised : it would create a revolution in the art of dyeing." "Really, John," said his wife, pathetically, " it makes me sick to hear of the importance of everything except making your business pay ; to think of the scatter-brained way you manage, and the bad debts you make ; your indifference — your more than culpable indifference to your customers. Why is it you don't spend your time and labour finding out a hair restorer, or a skin reviver, or something of that kind, if you will be scientific, and try a lot of spirited advertisements, as any man of enterprise and business habits would do, if it was only to draw custom to the shop ?

But you — you never do nothing but write things that nobody reads, and talk away as civil and pleasant to them that are deep in your books as to them that pays regular. I've no patience with you ! — while the children want clothes — and as to me — but it's no matter about me, though I did bring you good fifteen hundred pounds." Poor John Grey fidgeted on his seat, and looked piteously and imploringly at his wife. His eldest daughter murmured " Law, ma ! how you do talk !" " No, indeed, aunt ;" cried Maggie, " many peo ple care to read what he writes. Didn't the editor of the ' Family Herald ' notice his letter about chloroform, and write a most complimentary paper about it ? And then the ' Weekly Visitor ' re quested further communications ; and " " Oh, of course," interrupted her aunt, with heightened voice and colour, and pouring out some tea with a sort of vicious rapidity.

" Of course. You must always back up your uncle in all things. You know how to get up his sleeve ; but you don't blind me." While she spoke, and unperceived by her, a young man entered — a short, square young man, with incipient whiskers and moustaches, a hat rather on one side, and a short cane sticking out of one pocket of his light grey paletot. " I say, yvhat's the row ?" he asked, stopping in the door way, and leaning one shoulder against the side of it. " There you are, at it hammer and tongs, as usual." " Well, and no wonder, Tom," said Mrs. Grey, " when I see your father letting his business go to sixes and sevens, and he spending his time on science and all that rubbish, and Maggie there encouraging him — Maggie, that ought to be keener after his interests than himself, considering all she owes him."

" Well, mother, stop that. Leave the governor and Maggie alone, do ; and give me a cup of tea." So saying, the eldest son dropped into a seat, and removing his hat, handed it to his youngest sister to put down. " I'll not have Mag worried," he continued, with an insuperable tone of patronage. "No, I won't. Oh, Margaret — pale, fair Margaret, queen of my soul, &c, &c, deign to give me the boot-jack." " Deign to get it for yourself," returned Mar garet, with supreme contempt. Mrs. Grey was suddenly quieted. If science was her husband's weak point, Master Tom was hers. Even the better informed, higher toned father thought Tom a fine fellow, only a little wild, like other young men ; and hoped that by and-by he would rise to be an ornament to the noble profession of which he was a student. To Maggie he was simply intolerable and offensive to the last degree ; but he was not actively unkind, not intentionally wounding — only after the nature of creatures like him, when a thing weaker and poorer and more defenceless than himself was to be found, it became almost a necessity to insult and show his superiority to it.

" Any news of the widow?" asked Tom, him self not quite twenty, but already blase from experience in third-rate dissipation. " Oh, Tom ! I saw her stepping into a brougham as I was going out to school this afternoon," cried the elder girl ; " and she had such a dress on — velvet moire, and a velvet cloak all trimmed with sable, and a green velvet bonnet, and, my ! what boots and gloves ! She must be ever so rich !" " I wonder would she stand a fiver, if a fellow told her he was hard up," said Tom. " "i ou ought to try ; screw up your courage, and ask her," said Maggie, who had no great icspect for her cousin's pluck. " You should ask her for him," said Dick. " You are the favourite." "Yes," chimed in Jemima; "she was asking for you to-day, when you were out at the butcher's." Maggie laughed.

"I might ask it for my uncle ; I certainly will not for Tom." "Now, isn't that cruel?" said Tom. The widoyv was a lady who, about three weeks previously, had taken the drawing-room floor, which had lain vacant for many months, to Mrs. Grey's despair. She paid regularly, although inclined to drive a hard bargain ; and, moreover, having had a cold and sore throat, had called in Mr. Grey, and run up a very fair account for mixtures and gargles. She was good-looking and young — that is, per haps, old-looking for twenty-five, or young-looking for thirty-five. Dressed very grandly ; talked a good deal of her solicitor and stockbroker, to see whom, she said, she had come over from the Continent at that unseasonable season. She drove out a good deal and had very few visitors. To the chemist's family she seemed a goddess Tlie Wooing o't. of beauty, wealth, and fashion ; the only draw back to whose perfections was a tendency lately displayed to " take up with Maggie," as Mrs. Grey phrased it.

Yet for so fine a lady her habits were simple. She usually " picked a bit " at one, or lunched while she was out, and had tea at the same hour the chemist's family had theirs. Maggie had seen to the preparation of a loin chop and some muffins for the drawing-room tea before she sat down to partake of her own. Maggie made no reply, and to aggravate her, Tom repeated, " You are a cruel Maggie — down right cruel." As he spoke the door opened, and the maid-of-all work said, " Missus Berry would be glad to speak to Miss Grey." " Which Miss Grey ?" asked the mistress testily. " I dunno', ma'am ; she said ' Miss Grey.' " " You had better go, Bell.' " Oh no, ma ! It ain't me. It's Maggie." " Go back to Mrs. Berry," said Mrs. Grey, authoritatively, " and ask her if it is Miss Grey or Maggie." The last-named individual flushed up, but reso lutely held her tongue.

In a few minutes the sooty servant reappeared. " Please, it is Miss Maggie." Whereupon there was silence for the space of half a minute. Maggie rose, and went to an old-fashioned ma hogany brass-bound desk, which stood on a table in the window, and took from it some sheets of paper. " There, dear uncle, will you just see if it is right ? and if not, I can correct it when I come back." " And pray remember there are all Tom's socks to be darned, and a tuck to be run in Jemima's petticoat," called Mrs Grey, as she left the room. Once out of sight, Maggie ran hastily upstairs, to avoid the hated sound of her aunt's voice, and knocked gently at the drawing-room door. "Come in," said rather a shrill voice. Maggie obeved. In a large well-proportioned room, dimly lighted by two candles and the fire, sat Mrs. Berry, a table before her, littered, rather than spread, with the tea-equipage, sundry account-books, and a number of bills, letters, notes, &c. A writing-book lay open by her side, and she held a pen in her mouth.

She was a tall, slightwoman, alittle high-shouldered, with very dark, almost black, hair, and a pale com plexion ; her teeth were large and prominent, con veying the idea that it would cost her some trouble to close her lips completely over them ; but her eyes were passably good ; and when dressed, her mouth shut, and just a soupfon of colour on her cheeks, she was not a bad-looking woman in reality, and absolutely a beauty, considering that she had £ 1 200 a year to back up her reputation for loveli ness. She was sitting as above described, with the pen at her mouth, and a puzzled yveary expression on her countenance, which cleared up wonderfully as Maggie came across the gloom of the apartment into the fire-light. " Law, my dear ! why did you not come at once ? You could not think I wanted that great stupid cousin of yours?"

" Well, no, Mrs. Berry ; but I did not like to contradict my aunt." " Oh yes — -to be sure. I suppose they are all horrid jealous because I notice you. Never mind, you will do the best yet. Now I just want you to enter a few little things, and make up my book for me, and answer a note or two. It's very funny, I can do figures in my head, but I can't bear writing or ciphering, it makes my eyes and head ache like anything. Indeed Sir Jacob Raven, the great English doctor in Paris, says my brain is unusually delicate and quite unequal to much exertion." " Headaches must be very unpleasant," said Maggie sympathetically, " but it seems to me far more difficult to do sums or arithmetic in one's head than on paper." " Never mind — you set to work like a dear. Sit down, here's the bqpk." And hastily vacating her seat, Mrs. Berry placed a neatly bound account book before Maggie.

The first pages were sadly blotched and scratched, but after a certain date in the current February another hand and neater work manship appeared. "I spent a lot of money yesterday," said Mrs. Berry, taking an old envelope, scrawled over with pencil marks, out of her pocket. " What day of the month was it yesterday?" "The 27th." " And will to-morrow be the istr of March?' " No, no, it is leap year." " So it is. Well, I declare if a certain person was here I'd be inclined to try my chance," said the widow laughing. " How ?" asked Maggie absently, for she yvas choosing a fresh pen. " Don't you know the privilege of leap year, you little goose ?" returned Mrs. Berry, playfully. " Oh yes, of course ! The ladies may propose. I am sure you would never do so." " Well, I don't know ! There's a gentleman, a man in France, has long been an admirer of mine ; but he is shy or something, and he won't speak out."

Maggie laughed. " I am quite ready, Mrs. Berry," she said. " Well, let me see. Yesterday there was three shillings for paper and envelopes, and two-and ninepence for a pair of gloves, one shilling for a photograph of the Princess Alice, such a sweet looking creature ! — then two shillings to the driver. Ain't it a shame," said Mrs. Berry, interrupting herself, "they don't charge the drivers in with the brougham? Have you got that down?" " Yes — what else ?" " Eighteen-pence for a plate of soup and a glass of sherry at Verey's ; and then, what I must say I do begrudge, fourteen shillings for two stalls at the Olympic, that I engaged for Miss Salter and myself, and after promising to come she sends me this note," holding up a pink morsel of paper with an elaborate monograph in gold at the top, " saying indeed that she was obliged to go to an im promptu dance at dear Lady Tufton's, and re gretted not being able to come with me ; as if I didn't know she had worked might and main to be asked, and has somehow got an invitation at the last moment ; and so I have spent my money and lost the play as well.

It is too bad," cried the widow, with the sound as of tears in her voice ; " but she is no lady, for all the airs she gives her self. And though she is daughter to Sir Somebody Salter, he was only a City knight. I will never forgive her ! for you know I could not go by my self! To be sitting moping here, instead of seeing the ' Lady of Lyons,' and wasting my money into the bargain ! It is too bad !" " Yes, it is a great shame," said Maggie, with hearty sympathy. She had once seen a play, and with her the theatre meant Elysium ; therefore to be disappointed in such a project was indeed bad treatment in Maggie's eyes. The widow was touched by such evidently true feeling, and fired with a sudden inspiration, ex claimed, " I don't see why I should lose my money or amusement either. Suppose you come with me ?

I'm sure you look much more genteel than that stuck up Miss Salter ; and as far as the cab goes, she might have made fine speeches, but she would never go halves, not she. So just run away and put on your best frock ; it's only half-past six." "Oh! Mrs. Berry, dear Mrs. Berry," cried Maggie, blushing to the eyes in a mingled agony of delight and doubt. "It would be too enchant ing to go to the theatre ; but this is my only dress, and I am not fit to go with a lady like you." " No other dress !" cried Mrs. Berry yvith un affected horror. " Goodness gracious ! what a shame ! Never mind, that shan't stop us. I have a black silk skirt, and a muslin body, and an opera cloak, will just do you. Come let us put away these things and go and dress, and then" (as if it was a great privilege) " you shall dress me."

" Oh ! how can I thank you enough ?" exclaimed Maggie. " But my aunt ! I must ask her leave, and she is sure to be vexed." "I'll just send her a message. I flatter myself I pay a good deal too regular to be refused," said Mrs. Berry with a toss of her head. She rang the bell, and on the appearance of the ' slavey ' from below sent her compliments to Mrs. Grey, and would she allow Miss Maggie to go yvith her to -_,. i. _ c Tlie Wooing o't. the theatre, as she was disappointed of a friend who was to have gone with her. The space of time taken to deliver this message and carry back the answer seemed interminable to poor Maggie, although the energetic widow made her light a chamber candle and come into her room, where she speedily set to work to disembowel a port manteau and extricate the silk skirt and muslin body from its depths.

In due course a reply came, " that Mrs. Berry was welcome to take Miss Maggie if she liked." " Or to any other rubbish in the house as well," said Maggie, with a laugh that might have been bitter had she not had the immediate prospect of so much joy. " Now then, just bring the other candles, like a good girl," cried Mrs. Berry. " I can't see to do my hair, and you can be changing your dress until I am ready to have mine fastened. Why don't you pull off your frock ?" continued Mrs. Berry,, after a moment's pause. " Oh ! if you would not mind," returned Mag gie blushing vehemently, " I should like to speak to my uncle before I go — and — and — I will put c these things in my own little room, and be back to fasten your dress before you are ready." " Do as you like, child, but I would not go near those ill-natured things, if I were you."

" My uncle is not ill-natured," said Maggie firmly ; " he has done everything for me, and I do not care for the others." She ran quickly from the room ; depositing the skirt and jacket in a loose bundle at the foot of the stair leading to her "upper chamber." She rapidly descended to the common sitting-room, where gloom sat on every brow save Mr. Grey's. Poor Maggie felt terribly guilty as she came in, even as though she had stolen pleasure from Bell and Jemima, and dashed the cup of joy from her aunt's lips. How ardently she wished they were all going to the play, provided she was not to be with them. Poor things! such ineffable good for tune was not to be theirs. But Maggie felt at that DO moment, with all the keenness of a generous spirit, that pleasure costs too dear which mortifies another.

Mr. Grey alone was unmoved and absorbed in the perusal of the sheets Maggie had left with him. " Uncle dear ! I am obliged to go with Mrs. Berry, and indeed I am very pleased, but I will get up an hour earlier to correct those sheets, it you will only mark what is wrong in pencil." " Thank you, my dear ; they seem all right so far. I'm glad you are going to have a treat." " Well ! if I was you, Mag, I'd have more spkit than to go in that old brown stuff," said Mrs. Grey. "A regular Cinderella, by Jove !" sneered Tom. " Never mind ; we all know who won in that story," said Maggie, with good humoured defiance. c Keeping her own counsel as to her borroyved finery and kissing her uncle lovingly, she left the room. About a quarter of an hour after, and just as the widow, having made preliminaries to her elaborate toilet, had begun to wonder what had be come of "that girl," Maggie entered her room, so metamorphosed that Mrs. Berry started.

The white muslin body, adorned with scarlet velvet bows, was neatly drawn in at the waist by a black band. The black silk skirt flowed in full and easy folds, and at night its shabbiness could not be seen. In lieu of any other ornament, some of the soft brown hair was twisted into a coronet across her head, that lent something of stateliness to her carriage. " Why, my goodness !" cried the widow, " how wonderfully my old things set you off! You are not like the same girl ! Have you a turn for hair dressing ? I'm sure I wish you'd do up mine the same way you do your own. There's no time now, but you will do it some evening ?" " Whenever you like, and as often as you like," cried Maggie, glowing with gratitude, as she pro ceeded to " lace up " Mrs. Berry's dress and alter the position of a bunch of damask roses with which her head was adorned.

" I declare you have a great deal of taste, Maggie. There, that will do ; we had better go," cried Mrs. Berry, glancing at her looking-glass with no small complacency. " Here, put on this opera cloak — there now — you might be an earl's daughter, as far as looks go, if we do by any chance meet any one." So saying, Mrs. Berry carefully extinguished the candles, first lighting one in the bedroom candlestick, and returned to the sitting-room. "Dear, dear!" she said, "I never thought of asking you to take anything ! There's a drop of tea and a bit of muffin left, but they are both stone cold now." Margaret declared with truth that she could not eat a morsel. " Well, we'll have something when we come in," said Mrs. Berry, ringing for the ' slavey,' whom she directed to call a cab. " And mind you have some oysters — do you care for oysters?" to Maggie, who said she did not.