Eveleen

Chapter I

My position in Use, when my recollections became so vivid as to enable me to record them, was rather an anomalous one. I lived in the house of my uncle, who was married to a second wife. He was what in Ireland is called "a gentleman farmer;" and a very gentlemanly sort of farmer he was, too, with a considerable taste for high life and good society, and a little touch of the extravagant notions which are said to belong to them. He was neither a spendthrift nor a sluggard, however ; he was an excellent agriculturist, and farmed his acres to the best advantage, and, during his first wife's lifetime, had enjoyed a reputation for spirit and decision which the events connected with his subsequent career were destined materially to modify. His present matrimonial venture had been followed by VOL. i. b EVELEEN. no additional " responsibilities," although by his former marriage he had two children — a boy and a girl ; the first named Brent, who, at the period at which my narrative commences, was a few months older than myself, or about thirteen ; and the other, called after her mother, Mary, a lovely doll of a child, with eyes as blue as a spring violet, and hair that shone Uke tbreads of sunshine, and who was younger than her brother by a couple of years.

Brent was a bold, active, ingenious boy, full of life and animation, and full of contrivance for Mary's benefit and mine ; he always resorted to me as his chief privy councillor to forward his schemes and to expound them to " papa," in order to show their superiority, or to procure additional funds for carrying them out. In this I always succeeded by going point-blank to my purpose, and teazing my uncle as little as possible. " Mary, my dear," I have heard him say to my aunt ; "that Eveleen is a good little girl — no nonsense or rodomontade about her ; she never bothers you, but tells you what she has to say like an old woman. I hope she may teach Brent her way ; Brent talks too much : if I ask him a question he pesters me with explanations and definitions, and things of that sort, until I almost wish the boy in Jericho.

All very clever, I dare say, EVELEEN. 3 but give me Eveleen : Eveleen and short speeches for my money." After aunt Mary's death, these opinions of my capacity were remembered by others rather than by me, and in great part, therefore, I became the medium of communi cation between my uncle and his household. But I did more : I became a sort of housekeeper, so far as my ability enabled me to fulfil the duties of one, and as he cordially loved his ease, and hated all unnecessary trouble, in process of time I became a very important personage, and was looked up to with a somewhat laughable degree of respect. I carried the keys with an air, and gave my directions to the servants in a grave manner, as nearly as I could approach to that which I had admired in aunt Mary. To do myself justice, too, I endeavoured to follow her example in every thing, and, in particular, in taking care of the comforts of " her Frank."

Indeed, to say the truth, my uncle deserved no less consideration at my hands. He had taken me from the side of my dead mother, and had adopted me into his own house at once ; and although his sister, whose child I was, had married greatly to displease him, and had suffered deeply for her error, still her name was never mentioned by him with disrespect: even my father's EVELEEN. memory had met with the same forbearance, although he had done but little in his lifetime to earn it. My uncle's treatment of me had always been kind and considerate — in no way differing from that which he bestowed on his own children; and consequently I felt bound to reciprocate his kindness by doing what I could to lessen the inconvenience of his widowhood, and, so far as I could, to make up for his loss. Neither was it hard to do this.

He was easily led — easily driven, too ; al though this weak side of his character was still to be developed — a man of florid impulse] rather than of 6trong and abiding feelings ; sometimes inconsistent, but always in the main endeavouring to act right. To me, however, at present — and indeed for long enough after — he was only the kindest of benefactors and friends, and I regarded him accordingly. I studied his tastes and observed bis directions implicitly, and thus, by degrees, he came to consider me as a personage a great deal older in intellect than in years, and to treat me as such. In point of fact, I think I was wiser, or at least more observant than children of my age usually are; and this natural forwardness was still more furthered by the general trust reposed in me, and the general responsibility allotted to my charge.

EVELEEN. 5 My uncle issued his orders before he left home for the day, and when he returned sat down to his dinner and sipped his wine, perfectly satisfied with what I did, or had left undone. Brent trusted in me wholly ; what ever " Eveleen" said or did was always right with him, and as to Mary, any one who pleased might lead her with a thread: it was a labour of love to serve her. I used to look at her and think of the odour of the sweetest spring flowers, the singing of the sweetest summer birds, or the perpetual sparkling of the brightest stars I could see in the sky, as her childish beauty and sunny smile met my eye, and settled themselves deeper and deeper in my heart. Sometimes I used to stand before the glass and contrast my features with hers. But I gained nothing by that except a Uttle whole some humiliation, perhaps; not that I was ugly, or acknowledged myself so, however : nothing of woman kind would willingly do that, if they could help it ; but there were points of difference between us, which made me always more in love with her without actually putting me out of humour with myself.

Her face was a perfect oval, with the softest eye that ever swam in Uquid lustre ; a straight nose, charmingly shaped, such as Praxiteles might have chiselled or Apelles painted, and a mouth EVELEEN. that looked almost inconveniently small, until the lips, " twin cherries," parted, and gave grace, spirit, and expansion to the whole. Now, my features were exactly the opposite of all this ; my face was broader — more Milesian, in fact — my nose more nondescript, my skin browner, my mouth broader, and my hair and eyes dark enough for a bandit's bride. We were both tall — or promised to be so; but Mary was the willow and I the oak — or the poplar, if the preceding simile should seem too ambitious: at all events, such as we were, our attributes did not clash, and we loved each other with a perfect devotion, which belonged to her gentle and confiding character as well as to my stronger one.

Perhaps I did not esteem her the less because she was something to protect as well as cherish — something to think for as well as to love. No one had ever a battle to fight for Mary, for hers was a nature that never invited either a bitter word or a dark look; but by the same rule she might have overlooked herself, or been neglected by others, had not her ease, comfort, and pleasure been always the most constant of my cares. It was a very happy time to me — to all of us : in fact, a happier being never sprung up from the heather EVELEEN. 7 or frolicked in the greenwood. The house in which we Uved was large, and we had ample room in it to do pretty much as we pleased, since its master was a great deal abroad, as his lands were broad, and his labourers told off by the score of " a Saturday at e'en;" and even when he came home he had his dinner to eat, his dose to take, his accounts to settle, or his guests to entertain, and, by the time aU this was accomplished, he had but Uttle time either to question us about or to interfere in our pursuits.

I must not forget to say that we had a tutor — such as he was. Punctually at nine o'clock, Mr. Dermody might be seen wandering slowly up the avenue in his brown coat and brown hat, and for the next two hours he endeavoured to appease our appetite for knowledge if he could not feed it to the full. A pious simple-hearted creature he was, who had " missed his vocation " as a cleric, and had taken to that of a schoolmaster instead. He was a good English scholar, understood French well, for he had been some years in France, and was a little of an antiquarian, a little of a geologist, and knew by heart every legend that Irish fancy had ever invented to bewilder the imagi nation or excite the brain. We learned from him, or laughed at him, just as we EVELEEN. pleased ; but still he did his duty, and on the whole our progress was prosperous, and his " judgments," when submitted to my uncle, generally turned up with the addition of a " V. W," or an " X." For the remainder ofthe day, after his brown hat had disappeared, we roamed or rested — played or studied — were grave or gay, busy or idle, as our humour prompted ; and when " papa" came home, sometimes, if he were alone, he joined us in a game of " blind man's buff," or " beggar my neighbour," and was quite as happy as we were ourselves ; or, if there were guests, we were aUowed the privilege of coming into tea, and my systematic superintendence of the household economy was related and lauded — I suppose very much to my own delight.

At the period of my aunt's death, and for some time subsequent to it, no one supposed her devoted husband would ever marry again; and into the minds of us children such an idea never intruded, at all events. For myself, when I remembered his stormy grief over her coffin, and how vehemently he called upon her to return and protect her deserted offspring, I would as soon have. thought of marrying myself, as that he would give her a successor. Indeed he was terribly moved for a season •but then that season soon passed away. At first EVELEEN. 9 a tear would start to his eye when her name was men tioned, then the tear diminished to a sigh, and in a few months, " or ere those shoes were old," almost, with which he had followed her to the grave, he was as brisk, gay, and lively as ever. To others these might have seemed suspicious symptoms, but to us they were not : we were all too happy not to welcome his good spirits back ; and we were, of course, too little experienced in the ways of widowers, to fancy for a moment towards what goal his recovered cheerfulness might ultimately tend.

Thus two years, or something more, passed away, and then a still more suspicious change came over him, for which none of his family could account. Although by no means a sloven in his person at any time, still he was never particular in his dress, and cared little what the shape of his garments might be, so they were decently made and kept him warm. But now he became more alive to the cut of his coat and the colour of his vest ; he rated the laundry-maid if his shirt frills were not as they should be, and changed his bootmaker three times, although he did not profit much by the operation. " Huile antique " was to be found amongst the curiosities of his dressing-box, and for the first time in his life on his toilet table were to be found several bottles of EVELEEN. " macassar oil." He began to be much more punctilious in his habits than he ever yet had been, and required us, young people, to subscribe to ultra rules of etiquette which had never made their way to Brabazon Hall before.

He began to quarrel also with the damaged look of the furniture and the time-worn aspect of the plate, both of which were replaced by others more modern and in better taste. He was a great deal more away from home than usual, and seldom now returned until it was late at night, and long after we were all in bed. If he chanced to spend an evening with us, it was a very disconsolate one ; he sometimes smiled to himself and very often sighed, and then he would look round the room and remark that it appeared to be getting more dreary and solitary every day. Our conversation did not amuse him as it used to do, and in our sports he never offered to join. Several times he wondered at Brent's boisterous spirits, and told him, in a mysterious sort of way, that he ought not to make so much noise, as, although it was sometimes very well now and then, still that there were particular people — people with delicate nerves and peculiar habits — who could not bear it, and who would dislike it very much.

With Mary there was no fault to be found, further than that she ought to learn to sit a little EVELEEN. 11 more upright at table, and not laugh so loudly at her brother's jests ; but I had some novel criticism to bear on my proceedings, and was questioned closely as to my general arrangements, and management of affairs. I defended myself as I best could ; but it was not so easy to satisfy him as I had formerly found it. Things that had never come within his province to inspect were inspected now, and so minute was his supervision and so particular his inquiries, that it required my utmost dexterity to have every thing done according to his novel theories, or to escape Ms " wonder " — tantamount as such a word was to " displeasure " — if I did not. Indeed, his own manner and bearing became changed, as weU as all the rest.

He grew fidgety and uneasy, spoke in a lower and more subdued tone of voice, seemed to halt in his acts and hesitate in his movements, and gradually changed from being a bluff, fearless, independent per sonage, into a character quite irreconcilable with his former self. If he laughed, he checked himself; if his voice was raised at the commencement of what he had to say, the conclusion was a whisper ; and over his entire Use there appeared to hover some shadowy influence, whose vigilant eye and warning finger were always before him to regulate his proceedings and watch his words. EVELEEN. At last the cause of all these wondrous changes was made known to me formally one evening, after he had eaten his dinner and prepared himself for the disclosure by an extra glass of port. " How would you like a new aunt, Eveleen ?

" asked my uncle, suddenly, when we were alone. I looked at him, but did not answer. " Do you not hear me ? " he said, in a more impatient tone. " I ask you a simple question, can you not answer it ? How would you like a new aunt ?" " Not at all, sir," was my reply. " Not at all ! That's odd, isn't it ?" he returned, looking puzzled and almost startled at my straightforward and unhesitating response ; " it would save you a great deal of trouble, and besides it might be — in fact it would be — very convenient to me. I don't see why you shouldn't like it, Eveleen," he went on, in a pettish tone ; " but, whether you like it or not, it is to be. I am going to be married." I was silent. " Well, my dear," he urged, in a still more pettish tone, " why don't you say something ? You are a clever Uttle girl, and you know I always like to hear you speak out.

You don't even ask me who the lady is to be ? " EVELEEN. " I think I know that aheady, sir, without asking," I replied. " Indeed ! And what is her name ? " " Patrickson." I had heard something said, but never credited it until now. " Eight, by Jupiter ! " he said, laughing. " Well, Eveleen, and what do you think of her, now ? She is vastly admired, I can teU you, and is quite an addition to every society she enters — a charming creature, indeed ; no party seems to be complete without her. By the way, she was very kind to you at the pic-nic on Thursday, was she not ? " " She asked me a great many questions, sir," I answered, " and said that Mary was awkward, and Brent a great deal too forward and confident for a boy of his age ; neither of which things are true." " You — you did not tell her so, I hope ?

" he asked, apprehensively. " I did, sir." " That was wrong, child — decidedly wrong ! " he ex claimed in a tone of still greater alarm. " Miss Patrick son is not accustomed to contradiction — she dislikes it particularly ; moreover, she must know what she speaks EVELEEN. about infinitely better than you could do, as she is a remarkably clever young woman " " She is not young, sir," I interposed sturdily. " Tut, child: don't be too pert, Eveleen!" he exclaimed, in a voice of mingled anger and confusion ; " Miss Patrickson is young — not very young — not quite a girl ; but still not old — very far from it. She is, besides, as I was saying, remarkably clever, and her advice or opinions are entitled to the greatest respect — particularly from young people, my dear." " Surely, sir, no one's opinion is entitled to respect who chooses to speak of things they know nothing about," I persisted, " and when Miss Patrickson chose to say that Brent and Mary were " " There, Eveleen, that will do — I like to be answered, not argued with," he said, with considerable asperity, which he regretted immediately after; for he resumed, in a milder and more placable tone — " You know, my dear, it is only natural that you and she should look at things in a different light.

You are very wise for your age — very steady and prudent, I acknowledge ; but still you are only a child, after aU. I say this to you, my dear Eveleen, because you have been a sort of little mistress here, and because you must now be prepared EVELEEN. 15 to fall back into your proper sphere, and be a child again." I was again silent. My heart sank, for the prospect was not encouraging ; but I feared more — far more for my cousins than myself. After a puzzled pause, my uncle hemmed a little, and then recommenced — " I wish you to tell Brent and Mary what I have now told you," he said ; " and that — ahem ! that it is for their sakes rather than my own, I am going to give them a second mother, who will be quite as kind to and watchful of them as their own. You will teU them all this ? " " I will, sir." " Yes, and then you will advise them, Eveleen, to be very loving, and obedient, and respectful ; their new mama is accustomed to great consideration, and those who are so, like it and expect it — it is but natural they should.

You will impress this, too, on their minds, Eveleen ? " " When are you to be married, uncle ? " I suddenly demanded of him, without saying whether I would do as he desired, or let it alone. " When am I to be — Gad ! you do ask the most curiously abrupt questions, child ! " he said, fidgeting in his chair, and looking at me amazedly. EVELEEN. " I only asked, sir," I answered, " because I should like to have every thing in its proper place and order against the time when your new wife Oh, uncle ! dear uncle ! let her do what she will with me, but save my darling Mary ; you know, sir, how delicate she is, and how dearly she was prized by her own mama — do not, oh ! do not let any one come here who will ill-treat or annoy her." I threw myself at his feet in a violent fit of tears, as I uttered this wise and moderate speech.

My poor uncle rose up from his chair in great agi tation, and then sat down again. " Upon my life," he said — " I declare to heaven, Eveleen Kedgreave — Pish ! child, get up out of that, and don't make such a confounded fool of yourself." I arose, and he proceeded — " Why, one would think that it was an ogress or a cat-a-mountain I was going to bring home, and not a kindly-disposed, soft hearted, charming, young — that is — yes, young woman — I was right enough. Keally, Eveleen, I always thought you had sense until now ; but you have disappointed me — disappointed me excessively, I can teU you : you are only a little fool — a mere simple child without a grain of good sense or correct feeling, after aU. Go ! I am ashamed of you ! " Even then, child as I was, I thought that he had more EVELEEN. 17 cause to be ashamed of himself than of me ; but I wisely avoided speech or answer, and left the room before his angry surprise had time to cool.

In an hour after, both Mary and Brent had heard the story from my lips ; but it had not the same startUng effect on them which it had on me. Miss Patrickson was known to them both, and had taken some pains to please them when she had met them abroad. Besides, papa was to be papa stiU ; the house was his, the servants were his ; they were still to be his children, not hers ; so, on the whole, they looked upon her advent as a matter of no moment, since, according to their estimate of things, their father's power was to con tinue omnipotent, and his love for them the same. But, although I said nothing to dispirit them, I could by no means bring my mind to take the same view of the coming event. I did not like Miss Patrickson at all ; I had seen more of her by-play, and understood it better than they had done ; she had not thought it necessary to be so guarded or gracious to me as she was to them: I was a poor relation — a dependant in my uncle's house, and the simulated regard which she bestowed on them would have been wasted on me.

But, even in her warmest words, her cold grey eye turned colder and greyer as it encountered their glowing features vol. i. o EVELEEN. and childish looks, and, when she turned away, her smile was a sneer. How I was to fare hereafter myself it did not occur to me as yet to ask: I was too much occupied in thinking of the possibly unpleasant change it might bring to others; and, so fearful were my visions, that, during the anticipatory note of preparation, I was more than once tempted to rush into my uncle's presence, and tell him that aunt Mary was looking down from heaven upon his acts, and that she was distressed — displeased (in fact, in my dreams I saw her so) at his giving her children a Miss Patrickson for a mother. But I restrained myself: I thought that my uncle might fancy I was loth to lose the keys and superintendence of affairs at home, and my pride refused to ratify the dictates of my prudence ; or, at least, what I then took to be so.

In about a month after this first intimation, my uncle was married, and Brabazon HaU gained a new mistress. The children were not at the wedding : our absence was at Miss Patrickson's particular request, as I afterwards heard ; for she had been a beUe and a beauty, and although now, " at the turn of her life" (a delicate phrase), she had condescended to accept the hand of a middle-aged man, who was also a widower with encumbrances, still she did not Uke the latter to be thrust into pubUc notice on her EVELEEN. wedding-day, before her friends and former associates : many of whom were aware of her earlier pretensions and expectations, and now sneered and looked sympathetic at her being obUged to put up with such humble matrimonial fare at last. Besides, she had three thousand pounds fortune (which sum was settled on herself) and " expectations" to an incalculable amount, so that she could afford to be dictatorial ; and on this occasion she was so, somewhat to her bridegroom's chagrin, but not at aU to mine.

Well, she came. We were dressed in our best to receive her, but it was past ten o'clock, and we looked sleepy and sad. She was apparelled in bridal white, and wore a bandeau of pearls in her raven black hair. Her face was long, thin, and wan, and every feature wore a pinched and fretted appearance of its own. Thus, her forehead above the eyes was puckered with a premature wrinkle or two, that seemed to keep perpetual watch over the smaU, piercing, jet-black, angry looking eyes below them, and which appeared to be always on the look-out for something to be displeased with ; her nose had been very handsome in its day, but now the nostrils had shrunk into the bridge, and the skin seemed tightened as though it would burst away from the bone if it were EVELEEN. tightened any more. Her chin protruded sharply and angularly, and her lips, as thin as lips could well be, were compressed and sucked in, as it were, in order to keep them braced over her teeth ; which in early life had been white and regular, but were now over large, from the gums having receded, and they began to show a dark mark here and there in the intervals, as weU.

My first notion, as I looked at her, was an odd one : I thought to myself how much better poor aunt Mary looked in her shroud than did her successor in all her bridal bravery. We arose as she entered the room, gaUantly led by my uncle, who was as gay, bustling, and debonair as gen tlemen of forty-three or four usually are on such inte resting occasions ; but who, even at that incipient stage of his new career, seemed to stand a good deal in awe of the magnificent partner he had taken such pains to secure, and appeared to be particularly anxious that every thing should be done to meet her approval from the first. Perhaps this appearance of over-anxiety on his part acted in a contrary spirit to what he desired ; or it may be that she had resolved beforehand to take a decided stand at the outset, as determined and far-seeing ladies have sometimes been known to do.

At all events, she was as EVELEEN. 21 Uttle demonstrative as any bride of some hours old, and married to the man of her own choice, could well be. She kissed Brent on the forehead and Mary on the cheek; but it was such a kiss as the perjured witness, predeter mined to forswear himself, leaves on the Holy Book — cold, clammy, apprehensive, and unnatural; while to me she simply extended the forefinger of her kid-gloved hand (it was the left hand too, I remarked), and said, " Well, Eveleen, I have come to take the keys from you ; " she then, without waiting for an answer, threw herself on a chair and asked for a glass of water. " To be sure, my love," assented my uncle at once ; " but don't take water. Go, Eveleen, my dear, and order up the wine " " Not for me," interposed the haughty bride ; " I don't wish for wine, thank you !

Stay where you are, Eveleen, if you please : I asked for a glass of water — I require nothing more." " But, supper is ready in the other room, my love," urged Mr. Barrington with his best smile. " I never eat supper," was her reply ; " it is a useless and most unwholesome meal, and I hardly pity any one who suffers sharply, or dies suddenly, from indulging in such an abominable practice." EVELEEN. There was a dead silence after this decided avowal. For the last twenty years Mr. Barrington had eaten a hearty supper every night of his Use : in fact, it was his favourite meal. "Do not you think, Mr. Barrington, that they (she did not say chUdren) ought to go to bed ? I hope they are not aUowed to remain up so late every night?" " God bless me ! no, by no means," he hastily replied ; "only to-night they were kept up to welcome you, Maria."