Twixt Wood and Sea. A novel

Chapter I

There are few pleasanter modes of conveyance, to my thinking, than a light well-built dogcart with a high-stepping horse ; and Fabian was an excellent driver. We bowled along merrily till we came to the old-fashioned gate-posts, garnished each with a huge stone ball, that guarded the entrance to the Grange. There was a long driA7e up to it, divided by a light iron railing from an immense paddock, where at a little distance I descried a tall colt being broken. The trainer had him in a long rein and was making him go VOL. III. B round and round in a circle with the aid of an immense whip, and a very small man, also armed with an enormous whip, was planted with his legs well apart watching the proceedings and apparently giving advice. I should have set this person down as a professional jockey, judging from his appearance, only on catching sight of us he immediately left his occupation and came towards us, vaulting lightly over the railings.

He reached the front door just as we did. " How awfully friendly of you to come over and see us," was his greeting, in a high-pitched but perfectly well-bred voice. " Mrs. Wylder, let me help you down. Wylder, I'll send a fellow directly to take your horse round. Come in." " I am afraid we are interrupting you," I began, but he cut me short. "Not a bit, not a bit. Delighted to see you. I don't know where everybody is, I am sure. I believe Joe has driven the mater into Lymedale, but Phil and Steenie are about the place some where ; they were in the stable-yard just now." Thus conversing he led the way to the drawing-room — a long low room with more easy-chairs than ornaments, and a plentiful lack of books and flowers. There were a good many sporting and comic papers strewed about, a dog-whip on the sofa, and a huge tobacco jar on the writing table ; from these tokens, as well as from the powerful odour of smoke that pervaded it, I should have concluded it to be rather a man's sanctum than a lady's parlour.

My host prat me into a huge easy-chair, and having rung for tea almost buried himself in the depths of another, and proceeded to entertain me with an account of yesterday's run and of the prowess of a certain "Joe," whom I concluded to be a little brother till I b discovered from the use of the feminine pronoun that it was his sister. Tea presently made its appearance, ac companied with whiskey and soda water, a fashion that was certainly new to me and rather astonishing, and immediately after a tall and very handsome man with an iron-grey beard came in and Avas introduced to me as " the goA7ernor.' " I had better go and look up those girls," said my first acquaintance rising, and indeed I had begun to wonder what had become of the ladies of the family. " You pour out the tea, dad." But at this moment the door opened with some impetus and a troop of young women in billycock hats, with sticks in their hands, all talking at once in loud, high, pleasant voices, streamed into the room.

I was quite bewildered at first, and it took me a little time to disen tangle Mrs. Chavasse Toumer from her daughters, or the daughters from the sons. She, I presently discerned, was the stoutest, freshest coloured, and handsomest of the four — there were only four after all — and in a very well-fitting tailor-made tweed hardly the oldest looking. The eldest daughter, Joe, Avas more angular, and had a complexion which much hunting in sun and wind had ren dered coarse and weatherbeaten. She had a lai'ge mouth with prominent front teeth that made her look older. The next sister, Philippa — otherwise Phil— Avas handsomer, but more in her father's style, and none of them had their mother's laughing eye and pretty dimple. Steenie, who I after wards found was named Christine, was the crop-haired one, and looked most like a boy of them all.

It was rather perplexing to a stranger at first that not only had all the girls got men's names, but the two brothers were known by feminine diminutives; so that one got rather mixed between Phil and Evy, Joe and Oussie. The latter was the one I had already made friends with. The remaining brother, the eldest, was the last to appear, and I liked him least. He Avas rather good-looking, tall and fair, but had a more studied manner and far less bon homie than the rest of the family. In spite of the numbers and noise I soon felt at home with them ; there was a hearty cordiality about them that was irresistible. Fabian, too, seemed to be getting on excel lently with Captain Chavasse Tourner, and gleaning hints about his stables. Evy, as they called the eldest, after a little languid politeness to me gravitated to the hearth rug and joined in the horsey talk.

At last I began to feel that for a first call our Aisit had already been somewhat prolonged, and I was just trying to catch my husband's eye when Steenie handed me a long narrow box, which in the dusk I thought contained chocolates, and I was just going to take one when Fabian burst out laughing, and looking more closely I saAV they Avere cigarettes. "Oh, don't you smoke, Mrs. Wylder ? " said Phil calmly, helping herself. " We all do except Steenie, it makes her sick. Won't you try one ? Do ; they are very mild, really." ' ' Not now, thanks ; we really ought to be getting back; it is quite late." I looked at Fabian, but he was enjoying himself and in no hurry to move. " There, girls," cried Mrs. Tourner, with her jolly laugh. "You have frightened Mrs. Wylder away. Aren't you ashamed of yourselves ?"

" Oh, don't go yet," was the chorus. " It won't be much darker than it is now. We were so late in, you seem to have only just come. Steenie, fetch your banjo, there's a good child; Mr. Wylder would like a song." The banjo accordingly was brought, and the performer it appeared could not play sitting on a chair but must perch on the edge of the table with her legs dangling. From this eminence she trolled out a queer medley of songs with the quaintest thrum ming accompaniments ; nigger melodies in which kisses played the most prominent part, and where the broad humour was dashed with a vein of plaintive sadness, odd little French and Spanish ditties, and canteen songs in more than doubtful taste, I ought to have been shocked at these last. I can't think what Aunt Jane or Miss Pin sent would have said to them, but the audience were all so merry, and the per former's wicked little sallies were greeted with such roars of laughter, it was impossible to help laughing too.

I couldn't have kept a straight face if I had tried. I had not been so much amused for years. We could not get away till Steenie's repertoire was exhausted, but at last we were off, she and Gussie running down to the gate to open it for us, for the lodge was empty, and keeping up easily with our trotting horse. Our visit was returned promptly by the whole family in successive batches. Gussie came over at eleven the next morning to prescribe for Mr. Smiff, who had been suffering from earache. He was so good-natured, and handled the poor little fellow so tenderly, he quite won my heart. The same evening Fabian brought Evy in to dinner, and within a day or two Mrs. Chavasse Tourner and tAvo of the girls drove over and put up the horse, evidently intending to stay some time. It was quite a new and delightful ex perience to me to be entertaining visitors in my own house.

I showed them the garden and the improvements I was planning for next summer, and then I had up the tea. Just as we had finished in came the captain with his remaining daughter and Gussie. They had been to see the lighthouse, and tramped back along the pebble ridge, and were famished, so thev said. I hastened to order up fresh supplies and a relay of cups, and felt very hospitable and important ; but Ada glared at me so when she answered the bell, I was quite afraid she would refuse to bring any, and I should have to go out and toast the muffins myself. It would have been awkward, though I dare say if I had, my guests, far from being dis composed, would all have volunteered to come to the kitchen and help. However I was saved the necessity, for after an alarmingly long interval, just as I was meditating a sally, she reappeared, glum indeed, but bearing the desired supplies.

They stayed till long after dark, and Ave had as merry an afternoon as at the Grange. Fabian came in presently and petitioned for a song, but Steenie could not sing to any accompaniment but the banjo ; she volunteered a comic recitation however, and she and Gussie sent us into roars of laughter by pieces that were almost like little plays. Then Mr. Smiff, perceiving that some kind of entertain ment was going on, thought it was his turn, and came forward and proposed to oblige the company. I put him through all his tricks and he was applauded to the echo. He certainly was a very clever dog, and when they saw him go through his multiplication table up to three times five, and even answer dodging questions, they would hardly believe there was not some trickery about it. His ear was much better, and it was pretty to see him evince his gratitude to Gussie by running straight up to him when he came in after tea, and, jumping on his lap, try to lick his face.

He was a dog who seldom took any but the slightest notice of strangers ; all his effusiveness was reserved for his missis, which made his friendliness the more marked. I never knew such people as the Chavasse Tourners for planning entertainments of all sorts. Dulness was a word that did not exist in their vocabulary, and they soon drew7 me into the whirl. As long as the open weather lasted those that had a mount hunted, and those that had not tramped across country on foot after the hounds, and saw as much of the fun as they could. Mud stayed them not, nor quickset hedges, and their stout scanty skirts seemed to come unharmed through everything. I wondered Avhat they would do with them selves when the frost came, but I found they were no less zealous in skating, and here I could share the amusement on more equal terms.

I was fond of riding, but I had neither nerve nor physical strength for a day's hunting, so I never went out for fear of being a drag on the rest. Now 'Tavixt Wood and Sea. 13 and then, indeed, I attempted to follow the harriers on foot, but I was not so strong as I used to be, and I generally knocked myself up. Thereby I learned hoAV thoroughly good-natured they were, for any one of them was ready to give up and go home with me in a moment if they thought I was getting fagged. Luckily I was a fairly good skater, and thoroughly enjoyed a long day on the flooded marshes, gratifying my hospitable instincts by bringing the whole party in to lunch, to the indignant dismay of Spettigue and Ada. Fabian in this matter, hoAvever, aided and abetted me, so the household was not driven into rebellion.

What fun we had with our romping lancers and quadrilles and complex figures of eight. I regretted it keenly when it was over ; the crisp fresh air and active exercise did as much or more than the merry company to rouse me out of the listlessness into which I was so apt to fall. Then when the snow came and stopped, as I thought, all out-door amusements, Fabian, Avho had walked over to the Grange, brought back a report that the whole family, including the mater, were very busy tobogganing down the drive, and wanted me to go and join. They would have come to me, only they were afraid our drive was not steep enough. I, however, was shut up just then with a cold, and debarred from taking part in this pastime. No sooner did they hear of my mis fortune than they came over, first Mrs. Chavasse Tourner, and next day Phil, tramping three miles through the snow to spend the day and keep up my spirits.

I don't know which I found most amus ing, the mother with her Irish stories — she was an Irish Canadian' — or Phil, who taught me to smoke cigarettes and knit extraordinary headgear for the North Sea fishermen, while she kept me in fits of laughter by her mimicry of some of our neighbours. She Avas a capital mimic, and Lymedale and Cliff End afforded her some delightful subjects. It tickled me immensely to see my old enemies the Cadmans touched off in her inimit able style, and to listen to the stories, with a spice of malice, Avhich she picked up Heaven knows where. It was impossible to help liking such people ; besides their high spirits and amusingness, they had such a fund of genuine good-nature and kindliness, though people did say they never paid their bills and the servants could not get their wages.

Fabian liked them too, but more especially the Captain and Evy, whom I did not quite so much affect. The girls were not quite his style ; he liked very well chaffing them and romping with Steenie, who was a thorough tomboy in spite of her eighteen years ; but they Avere too downright and outspoken for his taste, and he could not manage to get up a flirtation with either of them. I don't fancy they liked him much either. They might be free and easy — people often called them fast — but they had not an atom of flirting in their composition. They liked fun and they liked men, but I think they regarded my husband as something of a muff. They were as good at indoor amuse ments as they were at outdoor. Charades, dumb crambo, paper games e\'en — any of the things with which people bore their friends in a quiet evening — became in their hands a source of uproarious mirth.

I shall neA7er forget dining there one even ing to meet three or four country neigh bours and a couple of friends who Avere staying in the house. " What shall we do to wake up these old fogies ? " Joe whispered to me before dinner, arching her eyebrows and looking across to where Mr. and Mrs. Mason and old Doctor McClellan and his sister sat, blandly awaiting the announcement of dinner. I should have considered the task impossible ; but wake them she did. Imagine their feelings after a formal dinner, when, instead of being allowed to sit down in peace to a quiet rubber, they found themselves being dressed up in antimacassars and couvre-pieds, and compelled to take part in the most romping description of dumb crambo ! I verily believe they enjoyed it though; I know I did. I certainly never laughed so much in my life as I did at seeing Dr. McClellan on all fours enacting a pig, whom Joe, attired as an Irishwoman, was driving to market, with a string round his leg.

I wondered how Lymedale would take the Chavasse Tourners, and at first it VOL. III. c showed a disposition to stand aloof ; but by degrees a thaw set in, and a rumour of a projected dance brought even the Cadmans to call. Cliff End, which from propinquity saw more of their vagaries, held out longer ; but at last when it be came known that the Brandreths of Castle Savage had called, they too gave in. What was good enough for real county people like the Brandreths must be good enough for the Swaynes and Carfaxes, Avho, on the strength of a country house and a carriage, considered themselves to belong to " county society." The Chavasse Tourners themselves took it all, either slights or attentions, with the same easy happy-go-lucky philosophy with which they took everything else, and laughed at Mrs. Brandreth as they laughed at Mrs. Cadman.

I was a little anxious to keep West cliff Grange and the Williamsons apart, for I had an instinctive conviction they would not amalgamate, and I did not Avant to lose either. Cecy had given utterance to some strong expressions of disapproval one day when we were busy together at the lending library ; and though she said little on finding they were my friends, I could see she felt the more. Her sister I knew would be still less likely to look leniently7 on their erratic ways ; there was a decided strain of severity in Mrs. Williamson. I could not haA'e endorsed her strictures, even if I had agreed with them, for how kind they had always been to me ; but I felt I should do no good by taking up the cudgels on their behalf, so the subject dropped, and I hoped it would not leave a coldness behind.

The Chavasse Tourners had expressed their willingness to get up a Penny Reading or a Temperance Entertainment in the c parish ; but I devoutly hoped it would go no further than suggestion, and warded it off with all the diplomacy at my command. Imagine " So we did, so we did ! " or " The Old Obadiah " in Mr. Williamson's Parish Room !

Chapter II

My lively neighbours helped me bravely through that second winter, and I needed it ; for at home my troubles were closing in about me like that legendary iron prison of which we read, which narrowed upon its victim day by day. There began to be money difficulties ; it was not likely that with Fabian's pleasure loving nature and expensive tastes he could long live within our very moderate income. My own ample allowance was paid to me half-yearly by my uncle's lawyer ; but it Avas difficult for me to keep any of it for my own private needs, far less for the housekeeping expenses; there were always debts of Fabian's to be met, and economy seemed thrown away. He Avas more and more away ; the farm and the horses were neglected, and left to incapable underlings, and the place was going to rack and ruin, while he spent his time at Lymedale, in haunts about which I could only dimly conjecture.

One thing I knew, that except Captain Chavasse Tourner and his sons his associates were not gentlemen; and little as I liked Evy, I had far rather know Fabian in his com pany than in that of the rowdy betting men and billiard markers to whose level be was rapidly sinking. If I had loved him I think it would have broken my heart to see the gradual sIoav change creeping over him, and to know that I could do nothing to arrest it. His very face was altered, its brilliance dimmed, its youthfulness tarnished. The lowering sullen cloud which used to come over his gaiety from time to time now settled into a permanent gloom, except Avhen something excited him ; his mobile lips had thickened and coarsened, his eyes were often bloodshot, Avhile the lissom grace of his figure was changing into an indolent slouch.

His quick temper and excessive sensitive ness developed into a passionate irritability which made me often afraid to speak or encounter him in any way, and kept me in a constant state of nervous tension, trying beyond everything to health and spirits. More and more I avoided him. Perhaps I might have won him back even then, but I never tried ; I left him to himself. Dark suspicions came into my mind, at first slinking in and out like little black lizards, but soon becoming bolder and presenting themselves more clearly. I would not try to verify them, but turned my back and would not see ; I shrank from knowing the worst, for if I did what could I do ? My father had been home once or twice and gone aAvay again. Sometimes I thought despairingly of appealing to him when things greAv unbearable, but I really had hardly seen him since I married, and we never had been by way of corresponding.

Sometimes I fancied he saw or guessed at my unhappiness, and kept away because he could not help me now, and it was his nature always to try and evade everything that was painful or difficult ; and indeed I don't know what he could have done. He might have helped us with money perhaps, but already his allowance to me was far more liberal than Fabian had any right to expect, and I was resolute in not asking for more. As to Sir Titus, far from having come round and softened with time, as we had fondly hoped, he was only made the more implacable by the failure of the farm to meet expenses, and the frequent losses through Fabian's carelessness and neglect. I often doubted whether Ave should long be permitted to stay at the White House ; and little as I liked the place, it was at least something to have a roof over our heads, and I dreaded what we might come to if we had to leave.

Most likely, I thought, in that case we should drift to some gambling resort on the Con tinent, and gradually sink to the level of the shady out-at-elbows Eng lish that frequent such places — a dreary prospect. I had always looked to Fabian's mother as a kind of last resort ; she would, I knew, contrive to help him if things came to the worst ; and I felt I could appeal to her on my own behalf if mat ters became intolerable. She had influence over her son, if any one had, and she had always been kind to me. And now that last door of hope was shut. I think I was quite as much crushed as Fabian when the news came. We had not heard from her for some weeks, and were beginning to get a little uneasy. Fabian fancied, however, that perhaps she was thinking of coming to England, and intended to take us by sur prise some day ; she always was fond of theatrical coups.

The surprise she had prepared for us was of a very different nature to anything we had supposed ; and if she Avanted to astonish us, she certainly succeeded. The letter was addressed to me. '•' I have such news for you, dearest Eleanor," it began ; " and I write it first to you as I want you to break it very tenderly to my darling, for I fear it may be a great blow to him." Then I knew in a moment what was coming. Actually at fifty-three she was going to marry7 a German baron of twenty eight ! As to breaking it gently, I was far too much astounded to deal out the intelli gence in carefully prepared fragments, but let Fabian have it in one unmitigated smash. Poor fellow ! I could not chide him for the language with which he received the announcement. If it was such a shock to me, what must it have been to him who had been her idol all his life ?

He snatched the letter from me and fairly raged at the way she gushed over it. It was rather sickening. I could have forgiven her for marrying in plain prose, but to read her elderly raptures about her " sweet Adolf's " devotion, and the agony of suspense she went through before he found courage to declare himself, and so forth, through two closely written sheets, was too much. It might have been the composition of a lovesick schoolgirl, and I could not wonder at her son's jealous fury and indignation. He need not have vented it on me though, for I was only too ready to sym pathise with him if he would have let me. I was truly sorry for him as well as for myself, for the tie between him and his mother was unusually close, and though he might quarrel with her some times, and was ahvays very exacting towards her, that one tender spot in his shalloAV selfish heart had not yet grown callous, and I knew it was very sore.

But we had grown too far apart for my pity to reach him ; he only SAVore at me and sought comfort elsewhere. We both understood quite well that this marriage put a stop to any hope of help in that quarter, pecuniary or otherwise, and my horizon narrowed down ; for I had always felt that if the worst came to the worst I might find a refuge with Fabian's mother. She would perhaps have been a broken reed to lean upon at any time, indolent and weak, if kindly ; but now as an elderly bride with a youthful bride groom, what could be looked for from her? Fabian laughed rather grimly as he wondered what Sir Titus thought of this marriage in his family, and whether the baron were more palatable to him than I had been. It would certainly aggravate matters for us in that quarter ; Mrs. Wylder had often stepped in betAveen her son and his grandfather's wrath, but now there was an end of that too.

The news altogether had a very bad effect upon my husband ; his irritability increased till I grew positively afraid of him ; not with that kind of fear which in some women is so closely allied to love, but with a sort of angry dread in which contempt was largely7 mingled. I think that hitherto the thought of his mother had had some slight restraining influence ; if he had any affection in his nature it was for her ; but now he seemed to shake off all restraint and to go doAvn hill faster than ever. Could I have done anything ? I ask myself now, looking back ; but then I seemed poAverless, only I know I closed my heart against him more utterly as the time went on. The only thing to do seemed to be to shut one's eyes and drift along from day to day, trying to avoid collisions as far as might be.

So it helped me along to have the com pany of those careless merry folk at Westcliff Grange, who treated life as an excellent joke, spite of disapproving neigh bours, spite of duns and difficulties that were worse even than our own. Their friendship cost me something though, as I had foreseen all along it would : it cost me Cecy Dalton's affectionate champion ship and the ægis of kind Mrs. Williamson's respectability. I had not even the chance of choosing between them, whether I would have propriety and Cecy, or reckless fun and jollity and be tabooed with the Chavasse Tourners. It happened on this wise. Vexed as I was I cannot help laughing when I think of it. So far I had prevented collisions, and had successfully warded off the threat ened Penny Reading which I well kneAv would have fatal results.

But it is always the unexpected that happens. One after noon it chanced that the whole party from the Grange had come dropping in one after another, as they often did, greeting each other's arrival with shouts of laughter, as if there were something irresistibly funny in stumbling on their relations by accident ; but I believe they found everything funny. Even the white fox-terriers had come, and had been received by Scamp with an ostentatious air of indifference. Familiarity had been so far established between the dogs that open hostilities were avoided, and he en dured their impertinent pryings round his drawing-room and sniffings at his own person with equanimity, sitting on the rug with his head turned aAvay, as who would say : When will these tiresome people go ? Tea had come up early, and the table had now an untidy demolished look ; empty cups stood about wherever cups ought not to go — on the piano, on the mantelpiece, or on the seat of a chair.

Phil, who had been riding, was lounging in a rocking-chair, with her legs crossed, her very short habit permitting a liberal display of more masculine habiliments as well as neat patent leather half-boots. She looked very handsome, as with her head thrown back she puffed daintily at a cigarette, blowing the smoke into delicate perfect rings, a feat which Fabian was vainly trying to emulate. There was a babel of voices, for it was the family habit all to talk at once, and except Evy they were all blessed with unusually loud and powerful organs. Steenie, in her favourite attitude, sitting on the edge of a high table, was en deavouring to get a hearing for an ex ceedingly good imitation of Mrs. Cadman's best manner when she received the Bishop to lunch. All the rest were teasing me about smoking, an accomplishment which, in spite of Phil's tuition, I had hitherto failed to master.