Miss Molly

Front matter

f BY BEATRICE MAY BUTT " A TALE NOT NEW NOR JOYFUL, BUT A COMMON TAJ.E WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MDCCCLXXVI AU Rights reserved CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. BROOK AND RIVER, . 1 II. FAIR AND FALSE, . . . . . 13 III. TAKE CARE, TAKE CARE, . . . . 19 IV. SMOOTH WATERS, ..... 32 V. STOLEN KISSES, ..... 42 VI. SAD THINGS ARE AYE TOO TRUE, . . 52 VII. THE RIGHT PATH AND THE WRONG, . . 60 VIII. A WILFUL WOMAN, . . . . . 71 IX. THE OLD, OLD STORY, .... 83 X. SWEET IS TRUE LOVE, . . . . 101 XI. LOVE'S YOUNG DREAM, . . . . 114 XII. PRIEZ POUR ELLE, . . . . .134 XIII. A TANGLED WEB, . . . . .148 XIV. LOVE WILL FIND OUT THE WAY, . . 164 XV. WAITING, . . . . .173 XVI. HOPE IS DEAD, . . . . .180 CONTENTS. VI XVII. HALF BROKEN-HEARTED, . . . . 193 XVIII. HIS HEART WAS DARKENED WITH HER SHADOW, ...... 197 XIX.

COMFORT HER, COMFORT HER, . . . 213 XX. VIOLETS, . . . . 219 XXI. FOND MEMORY'S CHAIN, .... 229 XXII. NEWS FROM THE CRIMEA, . . . 233 XXIII. HE SLEEPS WELL, ..... 238 XXIV. FOR EVER TRUE, ..... 249 XXV. MY HEART IS SAIR FOR SOMEBODY, . . 261 XXVI. DINNA FORGET, LOVE ! DINNA FORGET ! . C H A P T E B I. BROOK AND RIVER. She was changing and yet true.'' She had not been christened "Miss Molly," but the pet name she had given herself in babyhood had clung to her all the nineteen years of her life as pet names, pretty or ugly, have a habit of doing. And now that I have so far explained to you the origin of her name, I must introduce you to herself. A long, low room, a fire blazing on the hearth, which cast a comfortable red glare on all around, more comfortable than ever, after one glance at the grey, wintry sky outside.

These were her sur- A roundings. At the table a lady writing; a pleasant, comely woman, almost too young-looking to be the mother of the girl standing by her side. No fairy heroine of romance was Miss Molly. Not divinely beautiful by any means, but just a fan, sweet English girl ; tall and slight, with soft brown hair and eyes, and a real old-fashioned white and pink complexion, such as our grand mothers are wont to boast have never been seen since their young days. The pink was predominant now as she leant over her mother, and exclaimed in an excited voice — " "What does Mrs Kingscote say ? Do let me read her note ! " " Wait a second, Molly; how impatient you are ! I have scarcely had time to look at it myself. Here, Genie," she went on, " you take it, and let Molly see what is in it." At her mother's words, the girl to whom she had spoken raised her head from her book.

Chapter II. Fair And False

"And so she flirted." — Campbell. " Where have you been, Molly ? " inquired her mother, as soon as silence was re-established. " I came back through the wood," she replied, more soberly than was her wont. " I ! " repeated her brother ; " do you mean by that that you were quite alone, or alone in the sense of being accompanied by the ' object ' only ? " " In the latter sense." " What do you mean ? " asked her father ; " who was with you ? " " Mr Winwick, father. He proposed that we. should walk home through the wood; and not having realised how far it was, it made us later than we intended." " Did you ask Mm in to lunch ? " asked her father, after a little pause. " No," said Molly, hesitatingly. Sir Geoffrey looked up surprised, and Hubert broke in with — " Molly, I think I shall have to give you a certain little book I know of on ' Manners.' In that book you would be told, I should think, that it is not good manners to beguile a man down to skate with you, and persuade him to put on your skates, and furthermore make him bring you home by a road that took him at least two miles out of his way ; and then, after this — shall we call it chival rous behaviour on his part ? — you turn upon the doorstep of your ' ancestral halls,' and say, ' I must leave you now, because lunch is ready ! ' and I daresay you added, ' Do come again to-morrow ! ' ' " That lecture being finished," said Miss Molly, who had quite recovered her presence of mind, " we can continue our conversation, father, which it slightly interrupted."

" Come round, and sit by me. You are not often inhospitable, Molly darling, so we will forgive you this time." " Well, profit by my warning," Hubert called back from the doorway ; " I am going out now, so I have no more time to-day, but we will take up the thread of our discourse another time. From what Bill says, it seems to me that you stand sorely in need of improvement." " What has Bill been saying ? " FAIR AND FALSE. 15 " Oh, Bill says " exclaimed one of the little ones. But before her voice could be heard, Lady Anstruther said — " Miss Foster, I think the children need not wait any longer." And there was a general disper sion of the younger ones. Ere they reached the door, however, Hubert's head reappeared at the window. Throwing up the sash, he called out — " I say, Molly, you had better bind Bill over to keep the peace.

He has been letting all sorts of cats out of any number of bags." Before Genie's imploring " Hubert, Hubert ! " or Molly's angry " What do you mean ? " could reach him, he was gone. That night, as the two girls sat in their room talking by the fire, before going to bed, Genie paused suddenly, in the operation of brushing her hair, to look up and say — " What were you and Mr Winwick doing this morning, really, Molly ? " " It seems to me that that topic wdl never be exhausted, at least so far as you and Hubert are concerned. But once more, for your own especial benefit, I tell you that Mr Winwick and I walked home through the wood, and that as it was a good deal longer than your way, we naturally did not arrive as soon as you — voila tout ! " " What had Mr Winwick to say for himself ? " " Oh, a great deal : that he had enjoyed his Christmas very much, and that he was sorry it was over, and all the other things that people usually say when they are going away."

" Was that really all ? " Miss Molly made no answer for a few minutes ; then — " Would you like to hear everything he said ? " " Certainly." " Well, over and beyond all I have told you, he asked me if I would be his wife. Genie," she ex claimed, rising and throwing herself down on a low stool at her sister's feet, " pity me, for it was most awkward ! " " No, Molly, I do not pity you in the least ; I warned you weeks ago what was coming, and you knew it just as weU as I did. What on earth," she went on more excitedly, " made you give him such an opportunity as you did to-day ? It serves you quite right ; so I cannot be the least sorry for you." " Oh but, Genie darling, you must help me ! for it is a fearful state of affairs. See, I own every thing. I was very wrong ; but really and truly, I did not know he was so much in earnest.

Oh, Genie, you must not desert me ! " " Tell me the whole story then," said Genie, in FAIR AND FALSE. 17 softer tones, all her woman's curiosity roused at the prospect. " How did he begin ? " " I cannot tell you that ; he went so quickly from jest to earnest, that I hardly knew what he was saying or doing, till I found him holding my hand and imploring of me to become Mrs W. — only, of course, in far more poetical language." " That was the moment," put in Genie, " that Bill saw you. I agree with Hubert, so far, that it would be better on all future occasions to be sure that there are no eyewitnesses. Bill's anec dote, related to us at lunch to-day, would not sound well from any one else." " What an imp of mischief that child is ! I will give him a lecture to-morrow he will never forget." " Take my advice and say nothing about it.

He will be far more likely to forget it. But go on. Let me hear the end. What answer did you give ? " " I said, ' No, no,' at intervals ; but he declared that he could not, would not, should not believe it, and that he would therefore take nothing from me then as final, but would wait till the night of the ball, a week hence, and see what I had to say then. And how he expects to find it out then, I don't know," she added, " as nothing would induce me to dance with him, or even speak to him, if I can help it." B " I should think, Molly, if that is the way you are going to behave, he will find out without any words what your answer is." " Now, Genie, don't be angry, but help me as much as lies in your power, there's a dear ! for my brain refuses to act ; so if you will only think of something for me to do this time, I will never, never flirt again."

Despite Genie's knowledge of the worth of Molly's promises on that subject, her kind, sisterly heart was so touched, that before they separated for the night she had promised to do all that was in her power to stand as a shield between Molly and the " object " at Mrs Kingscote's ball.

Chapter III. Take Care, Take Care

" He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again." — Hamlet. It was late on the afternoon of the 15 th that the Anstruthers drove up to the hospitable doors of Eversleigh Hall : and very glad they were to enter the house, and receive the kindly welcome of Mrs Kingscote ; for the weather, which had been so bright and frosty the week before, had totally changed, and rainy days, cold winds, and damp mists had taken its place, making the long drive anything but a pleasant one. The lady who had come down-stairs to meet them, and who, now that they had returned to the drawing-room, was engaged in removing their wraps and putting seats for them near the fire, and other wise comforting them, was a woman no longer young, but who looked far younger than her real age, which must have been nearer sixty than fifty; and yet she had known more griefs than most, and people sometimes wondered how it was she had managed to keep her youth so long.

She had been only a school-girl, not much over sixteen, when old Cecil Kingscote met her at some friend's house, where she was spending her Christ mas holidays, and asked her to be his wife. It was at the eager request of the girl, who had never been beyond her own home except for the two years' schooling in London, that he had consented to spend the first year of his married life travel ling on the Continent ; and during their absence the old Hall in Shropshire was to be done up, in honour of the young wife. The year had passed away ; even Bachel's curiosity and excitement were calming down ; and they had begun to talk of the day and hour when they were to enter together upon the new life in the far away English home, without one thought — on her side, at any rate — of the length of years that lay between them, and of how, humanly speaking, the end of the Use to which she looked forward with such deep joy must be trodden alone.

Yes ; the very day and hour were settled : they had already started, when "In Vienna's fatal walls, God's finger touched him, And he slept." " Some low fever," the doctors said, afterwards, ■2\ " and not sufficient strength to resist it." That was all. And the glad, happy-hearted child-bride ? When the blow first fell upon her — when she first heard that there was really no hope, and that her dreams of the future were over, — then, for the few hours of life that were left to him, courage and strength were given her to nurse him and watch over him, till he breathed his last. But after that, — after she had followed him to his grave, and there was nothing left for her to do but to return home — to the home he had prepared for her with such loving hands, and which he had never been able to show her, — then she had time to realise, as she had not been able to do before, the great desolation that had fallen upon her Use.

For weeks she was almost stupefied with grief; but when at last she struggled back into life, having almost followed her husband into the " valley of the shadow," with the child that God had given her — the child who would see its father first in heaven — she, as it were, began her Use again, dating it from the day when the baby was laid in her arms ; and she was one of those happy people on whom worldly events make a deep but not saddening impression — so that, although no other love had ever superseded that first faithful love for Cecil Kings cote, and she had spent all her early womanhood uncared for and alone, saving for the child, yet for all that, she had reached her sixty years with eyes still bright and hair still untouched with grey. So much for the past; now for the present. " I wish you could have persuaded your father and mother to bring you ; but as that was impossible, it was very nice of them letting you girls come.

I hope you will enjoy yourselves." " Oh, we are sure to, dear Mrs Kingscote ! " exclaimed Molly, kissing her ; " I feel quite wild with excitement, merely at the prospect." " It only needed that speech to show me which was which — for a moment I really was puzzled ; but that could not be anybody but Molly. Now, Genie, let me have a good look at you. I suppose I shall learn to know you apart some day, even without hearing your voices ; but you seem to grow more alike every time I see you. And now," she went on, " I have never introduced you to Miss Burnaby." A girl who was sitting working by the fire looked up and bowed. Bather a remarkable - looking girl was Miss Burnaby — remarkable for her utter want of colour. Her hair and Complexion were alike so fair, that they took away from her any claims to beauty she might have had — the dark eyes being the one only redeeming point in a face not other wise pretty ; but it was a face that strangely attracted people, for all that — there was such strength of will in every feature : one felt instinctively, in looking at her, that a battle with her would result in signal defeat.

Now, however, as she laughed, and drank her tea, and talked of the coming ball, one forgot the determined mouth, and looked only at the dark eyes flashing in the firelight. Shortly afterwards a dogcart was heard driving up ; and as the front door was opened, a merry, boyish laugh reached the ears of the group by the fireside. " They have come home ! " exclaimed Mrs Kings cote. " Captain Burnaby always sends his laugh before him, as a sort of warning of his approach." The door opened as she spoke and admitted two men ; the first — Colonel Kingscote — a tall, slight man, brown-haired like his mother, with her bright smile and winning ways, but quieter than she had ever been ; with something of the chivalrous, old-fashioned grace that has become so rare nowadays, and which he had inherited, with his blue eyes, from old Cecil Kingscote — the father he had never known.

He came for ward to answer his mother's eager questions as to what they had been doing, and to renew his acquaintance with Genie and Molly, whom, not being very often at home, at least for long together, he had not seen for several years. Meanwhile, the friend who had entered the room with him, after being introduced to the girls, had walked over to his sister's side, and was con versing with her, in low tones, on the anxious subject as to whether some silk he had been asked to match for her was at all near the right shade. To settle the vexed question, they moved away to the window, to look at it by the fading light ; and as they thus stand, it will be a good opportunity to give you a description of my hero — for my hero, I suppose, I must call him ; though, perhaps, when I have finished my story, and you have heard all his faults and failings — ay, and his sins too — you will think him scarcely worthy of the name.

A big, broad-shovddered man, too broad-shouldered almost, some people said, for the small, beautiful shaped head that he carried so proudly — that beautiful-shaped head being one of his few good points, for he was not at all a handsome man, at least not in the ordinary acceptation of the term, as he had not a single good feature in his face, excepting the dark eyes that were so like his sister's. But there was something about him that went further with women than mere good looks — at least so may be supposed, as it was not often that he set himself down to any siege but, how ever it might be prolonged, in the end he rose up victorious. Not that he was at all conceited, or in any way given to boasting of his conquests, only that such was the fact ; though, perhaps, it does not say much for the sense of his victims that it was so.

Berhaps it was his strength, for women like to feel themselves conquered physically as weU as morally. As he leans over his sister, you can see how alike they are, although she is so small and he so big — the same fair complexions, the same dark eyes, only he possesses the dark hair, which in her is so much wanted. " Come here, Captain Burnaby ! " called Mrs Kingscote. " You must learn to know the twins apart before the evening, or you will be making all sorts of mistakes." And not unwilhngly Captain Burnaby obeyed. " No, the yellow is not the least like the pattern I gave you," said his sister, as he walked away. " Whatever else you may be good at, it is not at matching silks." But despite her blame, very proudly she looked after Bex Burnaby as he joined the little group by the fire. Ah, Winifred, make the most of the time when you may look proudly and kindly on him, for it may be that in some future years your heart may ache at the remembrance of what has been, and of what might have been !

A very pleasant hour was that one before the early, late dinner was announced, Captain Burnaby doing his best to learn to know the twins apart. He ought to have succeeded, if ever good intentions were successful in this world. Dinner over, the girls went up to their room, to prepare for the great event of the evening. " You must promise me the first dance," called out Captain Burnaby, as they vanished up-stairs ; and Molly, looking back, said, " You should be more explicit ; which of us do you mean ? " and then disappeared before he had time to answer. " I am more grieved than ever, Genie," she ex claimed, shutting the door behind her, " that he is not nearer being a major. Is he not fascinating ? " " Yes ; you had better take care, Molly." " No use warning me, dear. I have often tried to avoid pitfalls at your land suggestions ; but I have never succeeded yet, have I ?

" " Well, you had much better be thinking of Mr Winwick, and of what you are going to say to him ; it is a safer subject than Captain Burnaby's perfections." " Oh, Genie, how unkind ! I had just forgotten him, and now you have brought back all my troubles." " I don't mean to be unkind, Molly dear ; orAy I do think it would be advisable you should make up your mind what you are going to say to him." " I have a good mind to say ' Yes,' just to save the disagreeableness of refusing ; but really, with Captain Burnaby in the room, I don't think I could." " Molly," began Genie — but before she could conclude her remonstrance, a knock at the door interrupted them, and Mrs Kingscote entered. " My dears, how pretty ! " she exclaimed, looking admiringly at the bright, flushed faces before her ; " but I think it would be only fair if you were to wear some distinguishing mark, for to a stranger you are so exactly alike.

Take care, or you will have your sweethearts making dreadful mistakes ! And talking of sweethearts, Molly, I must try and find one for you. How would you like Captain Burnaby, for instance ? What do you think of him ? " said the old lady, merrily. " Think of him ! " exclaimed Molly, laughingly ; " as far as I can judge on such a short acquaintance, I should think he was perfect ! " " That sounds promising, Genie, does it not 1 " " I am afraid, Mrs Kingscote, Molly has found so many men perfect already, that it is impossible to judge by that." " What a character, Molly ! But never mind ; don't think Captain Burnaby perfect, because he is not — he has no money. And money, my dear, I am afraid, goes further than most things nowadays." " Money is nothing," said Molly, grandly. " Oh, if it has come to that, and you are so very far gone, we can say nothing, Genie, can we ?

So I will go down-stairs and see what he thinks about you." "Do," replied Molly; " and be sure and tell me what he says." And Mrs Kingscote left them. The ball proved quite as enjoyable as Molly had predicted ; she certainly did her best to amuse herself — let us hope she succeeded. Once Mrs Kingscote came up, and asked Genie, with an amused smile, if she thought Molly was trying to find out if Captain Burnaby was as fascinating as the world in general declared him to be ; and Genie answered, " that to a looker-on it appeared like it :" and then, before Mrs Kingscote could say any more, Cecd claimed her for a waltz. Several times Genie looked round for Mr Win wick, but she did not see him. She had been near the door when he entered, and she had heard him go up directly and ask Molly for a dance, and she, without looking up, replied coldly, "No, thank you ; I am engaged."

And Genie was angry when she saw the pained look in his honest eyes as he turned away; and yet, what could she advise Molly to do? Once, when she was standing alone, she saw that Mr Winwick was close beside her ; and de termining to make up as much as possible for her sister's coldness, she went and spoke to him. " Ah, how do you do, Mr Winwick ? I have not had a chance of speaking to you all the evening." " Have I been so forgetful as not to ask for one dance ? Perhaps it was because I knew I should not have much chance. I " — but before he could get any further, Captain Burnaby's voice, saying, " I beg your pardon ! " made them both look up, and for a minute they were divided to make way for Captain Burnaby and Miss Molly to pass through to the other room. They were talking and laughing memly; but as they passed, and Molly looked up and met Mr Winwick's reproachful gaze, a burning blush spread over her cheeks, and she drooped her long eyelashes for a minute quite abashed, but before they were out of sight, her sweet laugh was heard again.

Mr Winwick watched them for a few minutes, and then he turned back to Genie with a little sigh. " I was in the middle of saying something to you when your sister in terrupted us ; what was it ? Oh, I know — I was apologising for past rudeness, and I was just going to tell you that I was on my way home now; so, in fact, this is a last good-bye ! " " Not really a last one, I hope ? " said Genie, kindly. " I am afraid so. I leave so early, that I don't think I shall have time to come over and see you to-morrow." " Well, good-bye, then," said Genie ; " and good luck go with you." Their hands met for an instant, and he was gone. As they were going to bed that night, Molly stood for a long time watching the moon sailing in the sky above her, for the mists and rain had cleared away, and it was a bright, clear night.

" You don't seem tired," said her sister at last, she having been in bed some time before Molly even looked round. " Tired ! no," exclaimed Molly, turning her glad young face towards her sister ; " I am too happy to be tired." " Take care," said Genie, starting up and looking at her, " or you will be falling in love again. But I really do wish one thing, Molly, and that is, that you would get one ' object ' out of the neighbourhood safely before you begin with another. It quite spodt my evening seeing Mr Winwick loitering about and trying to speak to you." " Too late, Genie, to offer that advice ; I am in love, as you might have known by the way I have been looking at the moon. For the nineteenth time ! So pity me ! As to Mr Winwick, I con sider that I managed very well about him — not speaking to him made it so much easier and pleasanter both for him and me.

Don't you think so ?" But Genie did not reply. Either she would not agree, and was too tired to disagree, or she was asleep. So Molly blew out the candle and jumped into bed; and whatever other effect being in love might have upon her, it did not keep her awake.

Chapter IV. Smooth Waters

' ' Sculptors of life are we as we stand With our lives uncarved before us, Waiting the time, when at God's command Our life-dream shall pass o'er us." No model heroine was Miss Molly, as perhaps you have discovered by this time, and very late was it next morning before she made her appear ance. When she opened the dining-room door, Miss Burnaby and her sister were standing talking together by the window. "Well, Molly," said Genie, "do you feel re freshed ? Fancy, Miss Burnaby, I got up and dressed, and came down-stairs, and she never even turned round ! " "An easy conscience," responded Molly, coolly. " I have often remarked that very few people can sleep after a ball. It is the knowledge of evil that keeps them awake, and harasses them out of bed at unearthly hours." " Well, I am afraid," said Miss Burnaby, " I must plead guilty to a very evil conscience, for I don't think I have slept more than an hour altogether."

" Poor thing ! " remarked Molly, sitting down aud pouring out her coffee ; " how different to me ! I had scarcely laid my head on my pillow before I was oblivious of everything. Where are you going to ?" she continued, seeing that they did not seem to be inclined to settle down. " Miss Burnaby and I were going out to take a turn in the garden ; we thought we should feel all the fresher for it — that is, if you do not mind a lonely breakfast." " Oh, don't think of me. I deserve no consi deration for being so late. But am I really the last ? " " The last but Bex," said Miss Burnaby, turning back from the doorway to address her. When they had left, Miss Molly proceeded to make herself quite comfortable, according to her own ideas, which consisted in propping the ' Times ' open in front of her at the " Military In telligence ; " for no lieutenant, eagerly watching day by day for his promotion in the Gazette, took more interest in that part of the paper than she did.