Chapter I. At The Corner House
" Seek not that the things which happen should happen as you wish." — Epictetus. There is an old adage, worn almost threadbare with continual use, " When poverty looks in at the door, love flies out at the window," and, doubtless, there is an element of truth in the saying ; never theless, though there were lines of care on Marcus Luttrell's face, and in the strong sunlight the seams of his wife's black gown looked a little shiny, there was still peace, and the patience of a great and enduring affection in the corner house at Galvaston Terrace. When the brass plate, glittering with newness, had been first affixed to the door, Marcus Luttrell's heart had been sanguine with hope, and he had brought his young fiancee to see it. The small, narrow house, with its dark, square entry, its double parlours communicating with folding-doors, and the corner room, that would do for a surgery, had seemed to them both a most desirable abode.
Olivia, who prided herself on being unusually practical, pointed out its numerous advantages with great satisfaction. The side entrance in Harbut Street, for instance, and the front room where patients would be interviewed, and which had a window in Galvaston Terrace. *' It is so conspicuous, Marcus," she said, with legitimate pride in her voice. " No one can over look it, it is worth paying a few pounds more rent, instead of being jammed in between two terrace houses. Harbut Street is ever so much nicer than Galvaston Terrace, and the houses are larger, and it is so convenient having those shops opposite." Olivia was disposed to see everything in couleur de rose, but to most people Galvaston Terrace would have appeared woefully dingy. Two or three of the houses had cards in the sitting-room windows, with "Desirable apartments for a single gentleman" affixed thereon, and at the farther end a French dressmaker eked out a slender income.
The Terrace had by no means a prosperous look, a little fresh paint and cleaner blinds would have At the Corner House. 11 been improvements. Nevertheless, people lived out harmless lives there, and on the whole were toler ably contented with their lot. When Marcus Luttrell made that fatal mistake of marrying in haste and repenting at leisure, things had not looked so badly with him. He had bought his partnership and had a little money in hand, and Olivia had had sufficient for her modest trousseau. How could either of them have suspected that the partnership was a deceit and a fraud — that old Dr. Slade had let Marcus in for a rotten concern — that no paying patients would crowd the small dining room — and that two years of professional profits would be represented in shillings ? Now and then when he was tired and discouraged Dr. Luttrell would accuse himself of rashness and folly in no measured terms.
"Your Aunt Madge is right, Olive," he would say, " we have been a couple of fools ; but I was the biggest. What business had I to tempt Provi dence in this way ? I do believe when a man is in love he loses his judgment ; look at the life to which my selfishness has condemned you. You will be an old woman before your time, with the effort to make a sixpence go as far as a shilling ! And there is Dot " And here the young doctor sighed and frowned, but Olivia, who had plenty of spirit, refused to be depressed. " You took me from such a luxurious home, did you not, Marcus?" she would say, with a genial laugh. "A hard-working daily governess leads such an enjoyable life, and it was so exhilarating and re freshing to sit in one's lodgings of an evening, with no one to care if one were tired and dull.
Yes, dear old boy, of course I was ever so much happier without you and Dot to worry me " And, somehow, at these cheering words the harassed frown on Marcus's brow relaxed. Had he been so wrong after all. How could he know that old Slade would prove a rogue and a humbug ; it would have been wiser to wait a little, but then human nature is liable to make mistakes, and in spite of it all, they had been so happy. Olive was such a splendid companion, she had brains as well as heart. Yes, he had been a fool, but he knew that under like circumstances many a man would have done the same. He remembered the events that had led to their hasty marriage. Olivia had not long lost her mother, the widow's annuity had died with her, and Olivia, who had only her salary as a daily governess in a large family, had just moved into humbler lodgings.
At the Corner House. 13 He had gone round with some flowers and a book that he thought would interest her, and as she came forward to greet him, he could see her eyes were red and swollen. "What is it, dear?" he had asked, kindly, and then the poor girl had utterly broken down. "Oh, Marcus, what shall I do?" she said, when her sobs would allow her to speak. " I cannot bear it ; it is all so dull and miserable. I am missing mother and I am so tired, and the children have been so cross all day." And Olivia, whose nerves were on edge with the strain of grief and worry, looked so pallid and woebegone that Marcus had been filled with consternation. Never had he seen his sweetheart in such distress, and then it was that the suggestion came to him. Why should they both be lonely ? Olivia could marry him and do her work as well, and there need be no more dull evenings for either of them.
" You will trust me to make you as happy as I can, dearest," he said, tenderly, as he pleaded for an early marriage. And as Olivia listened to him the sad burden seemed lifted from her heart "Are you quite sure we ought to do this, Mar cus?" she had asked, a little dubiously, for in spite pf her youth she had plenty of good sense, and then Marcus had been very ready with his argu ments. A doctor ought to be a married man, his house was too large for a bachelor, and needed a mistress. What was the use of Olivia paying for lodgings when he wanted a wife to make him comfortable ? And if she liked she could still go on with her teaching. It was this last proviso that overcame Olivia's ob jections. If she could keep her situation she would be no expense to Marcus. Her salary was good, and until paying patients came she could subscribe towards the housekeeping.
It was just one of those arrangements that look so promising and plausible until fairly tried, but before many months had passed there was a hitch — something out of gear in the daily machinery. It was a dry summer, and Brompton is not exactly a bracing place. Olivia began to flag a little, the long hours of teaching, the hurried walks to and fro, tried her vigorous young frame. The little maids who followed each other in quick suc cession were all equally inefficient and unreliable. Marcus began to complain that such ill-cooked, tasteless meals would in time impair their digestion. The Marthas and Annes and Sallies, who clumped At the Corner House. 15 heavily about the corner house, with smudges on their round faces and bare red arms, had never heard of the School of Cookery at South Kensing ton.
Olivia, fagged and weary, looked ready to cry when she saw the blackened steak and unwhole some chips set before Marcus. Not one man in a thousand, she thought, would have borne it all so patiently. Then one hot oppressive evening the climax came. Olivia, who had never fainted in her life, found herself to her great astonishment lying on the little couch by the open window with her face very wet, and Marcus looking at her with grave professional eyes. That night he spoke very plainly. There must be no more teaching. Olivia was simply killing her self, and he refused to sanction such madness any longer. In future he must be the only bread winner. Until patients were obliging enough to send for him, they must just live on their little capital. Olivia must stay at home, and see after things and take c-are of herself, or he would not answer for the consequences.
"You have your husband to consider," he said, in a masterful tone, but how absurdly boyish he looked, as he stood on the rug, tossing back a loos*. wave of fair hair from his forehead. People always thought Dr. Luttrell younger than he was in reality. He was eight-and-twenty, and Olivia was six years younger. She was rather taller than her husband, and had a slim erect figure. She had no claims to beauty ; her features were too irregular, but her clear, honest eyes and sweet smile and a certain effective dimple redeemed her from plainness, and the soft brown hair waving naturally over the temples had a sunny gleam in it. When baby Dot made her appearance — Dorothy Maud Luttrell, as she was inscribed in the register — the young parents forgot their anxieties for a time in their joy in watching their first-born.
Marcus left his books to devote himself to nurs ing his pale wife back to health. And as Olivia lay on the couch with her baby near her, and feasted on the delicacies that Aunt Madge's thoughtfulness had provided, or listened to Marcus as he read to her, it seemed to her as though the cup of her blessing were full. "Oh, Marcus, how happy we are!" she would whisper, and Marcus would stifle a sigh bravely. Alas ! he knew the little capital was dwindling sadly — rent and taxes, bread and cheese, and even the modest wages of a second Martha were drain- Al the Corner House. 17 ing his purse too heavily. He had plenty of poor patients, but no one but the French dressmaker had yet sent for the late Dr. Slade's partner. It was then that those careworn lines came to the young doctor's brow. It was bitterly hard, for Marcus loved his profes sion, and had studied hard.
The poor people whom he attended were devoted to him. "He allus tells a body the truth," said old Widow Bates. "I do hate a fellow who truckles and minces his words like that Sparks. Do you suppose Jem Arkwright would have let his leg be cut off in that lamb-like manner if it had been Benjamin Sparks to do it? " I was down at their place, and I heard when Dr. Luttrell said, ' Now, my man, you must just make up your mind, and be quick about it. Will you be a brave chap and part with this poor useless limb, or will you leave your poor wife to bring up six fatherless children ? I am telling you the truth, Jem. If you will not consent to part with your leg, there is no chance for you.' Laws' sakes, you would have thought he was a grey-headed old fellow to hear him ; it kind of made one jump to see his young, beardless face ; but there, he was good to Jem Arkwright, that he was.
Polly can't say enough for him. She fairly cries if one men tions his name. " ' I should have been Jem's widow but for Dr. Luttrell,' she said one day. 'Why, before he came in Jem was lying there vowing " that he had sooner die than part with his leg." It was the thought of the little uns that broke him. My Jem always had a feeling heart' " And other folks, although they had not Widow Bates's garrulous tongue, were ready enough to sing the doctor's praises. When Dot was a year old and able to pull her self up by the help of her mother's hand, things were no better at the corner house. Olivia had even consulted her Aunt Madge about the advisa bility of sending Martha away and doing the work of the house herself. "Martha is the best girl we have had yet," she said. " Marcus owned that yesterday.
She is rough, but her ways are nicer than Anne's or Sally's, and she keeps herself clean ; but then, Aunt Madge, she has such a good appetite, and one cannot stint growing girls." " I should keep her a little longer," was Aunt Madge's reply to this. " It will only take the heart out of Marcus, knowing that you have to scrub and At the Corner House. 19 black-lead stoves, and he is discouraged enough already. When Dot is able to run about, you may be able to dispense with Martha's services," and Olivia returned a reluctant assent to this. But her conscience was riot quite satisfied. Even Aunt Madge, she thought, hardly knew how bad things really were. Mrs. Broderick was a chronic invalid, and never went beyond the two rooms that made her little world. Most people would have considered it a dull, narrow life, and one hardly worth living ; but the invalid would have contradicted this.
Madge Broderick had learned the secret of con tentment ; she had lived through great troubles — the loss of the husband she had idolised, and her only little child. Since then acute suffering that the doctors had been unable to relieve had wasted her strength. Nevertheless, there was a peaceful atmos phere in the sunshiny room, where she lay hour after hour reading and working with her faithful companion Zoe beside her. Zoe was a beautiful brown-and-whitc spaniel, with eyes that were almost human in their soft beseech ingness, and Mrs. Broderick often lamented that she could not eulogise his doggish virtues at: Mrs. Browning had immortalised her Flush. Olivia was devoted to her Aunt Madge ; they had a mutual admiration for each other's character, and her sister's child was dear to Mrs. Broderick's heart, and perhaps the saddest hours she ever spent now were passed in thinking over the young couple's suture.
" I was wrong," she would say to herself, with a painful contraction of the brow. " I said too little at the time to discourage their marriage ; if I had been firm and reasoned with the child, she would have listened to me. Livy is always so manageable, but I was a romantic old goose ! And then she was in love, poor dear ! And now — oh, it breaks one's heart to see their young anxious faces ! I know so well what Marcus feels ; he is ready to go out into the roads and break stones if he can only keep a roof over his wife's head." And there were tears in Madge Broderick's eyes as she took up her work.
Chapter II. The Mysterious Stranger
'■ I at least will do my duty." — Cæsar. Young Mrs. Luttrell stood at the window one November afternoon, buttoning her gloves in an absent and perfunctory manner, as she looked out at the slushy road and greasy pavement. There was a crinkle on her smooth broad forehead, and an uneasy expression in her eyes — as though some troublesome thought had obtruded itself — presently the crinkle deepened and widened into a frown, and she walked impatiently to the fireplace, where a black, uninviting fire smouldered in a cheerless sort of way, and took up the poker in rather an aggres sive manner, then shook her head, as she glanced at the half-empty coal-scuttle. She was cold, and the clinging damp peculiar to November made her shiver ; but a cheery blaze would be too great a self-indulgence ; left to itself the fire would last until tea-time — she would be back in plenty of time for Marcus's late tea — he should have a warm clear fire to welcome him and a plate of smoking French toast because it was so economical and only took half the amount of but ter.
It had been a favourite delicacy in her nur sery days, and the revival had given her great solace. Yes, he should have his tea first, and then she would bring in the vexed subject for argument ; in spite of Aunt Madge's well-meant advice, it was a foregone conclusion in Olivia's mind that Martha must go. Of course it was a pity. She liked the girl, she was so willing and good-tempered ; and her round childish face was always well washed and free from smudges, and she was so good to Dot, caring for her as if she were a baby sister of her own. Nevertheless, stern in her youthful integrity, Olivia had already decided that Martha's hours at the corner house were numbered. And then there was the stuff for Dot's new winter pelisse. Marcus would give her the few shillings without a murmur, she was sure of that, but he would sigh furtively as he counted out the coins.
Whatever deprivations they might be called upon to endure their little one must be warmly clad. She must do without her new pair of gloves, that was all, and here Olivia looked disconsolately at her worn finger-tips ; she could ink the seams and use her old muff, and no one would notice ; what was the use of buying new gloves, when her hands would soon be as red and rough as Martha's. Olivia was just a little vain of her hands ; they were not small, but the long slender fingers with almond-shaped nails were full of character, and Marcus had often praised them. For his sake she would try to take care of them, but black-leading stoves and washing Dot's little garments would not help to beautify them. Of course, it was nonsense to care about such trifles, she must be strong-minded and live above such sublunary things.
Marcus would only honour her the more for her self-forgetfulness and labours of love. Here the pucker vanished from Olivia's brow, and a sweet, earnest look came to her face. The next moment her attention was distracted ; a tall old man in a great-coat with a fur-lined collar passed the window ; he was a little bent and walked feebly, leaning on a gold-headed stick. Olivia watched him until he was out of sight ; for some occult reason, not comprehensible even to her, she felt interested in the old man, although she had never spoken to him ; but he looked old and ill and lonely ; three decided claims on Olivia's bountiful and sympathetic nature. She knew his name — Mr. Gaythorne — he was a neighbour of theirs, and he lived at Galvaston House, the dull-looking red brick house, with two stone lions on the gate-posts.
Olivia had amused her husband more than once with imaginary stories about their neighbour. " He was a miser — a recluse — a misanthrope — he had a wife in a lunatic asylum — he had known some great trouble that had embittered his life ; he had made a vow never to let a human being cross his threshold ; he was a Roman Catholic priest in disguise, an Agnostic, a Nihilist." There was no end to Olivia's quaint surmises, but she could only be certain of two facts — that the mysterious Mr. Gaythorne was methodical by nature, and whatever might be the weather always took his exercise at the same hour, and also that only tradespeople entered the lion guarded portals of Galvaston House. Olivia had only once come face to face with him. She was hurrying along one afternoon, when in turning a corner she almost ran against him, and pulled herself up with a confused word of apology.
A suppressed grunt answered her, a singular old face, with bright, deeply-sunken eyes, and a white, peaked beard and moustache seemed to rise stiffly from the fur-lined collar ; then the old man's hand touched his slouched hat mechanically, and he walked on. It was that night that Olivia was con vinced that Mr. Gaythorne was a Nihilist and an Agnostic, and hinted darkly at the storage of dyna mite and infernal machines in the cellars of Galvas ton House. "My dear child, you might write a novel," had been her husband's remark on this. " Your imagi nation is really immense," but in spite of sarcasm and gibes on Marcus's part, Olivia chose to indulge in these harmless fancies. She had always enjoyed making up stories about her neighbours, and it did no one any harm. When Mr. Gaythorne was out of sight she went to the kitchen to take a last look at Dot, who was slumbering peacefully in her cot ; the kitchen was the warmest place, and Martha could clean her knives and wash her plates and keep an eye on her.
Martha gave her usual broad grin when her mis tress entered ; the little handmaid adored her master and mistress and Dot. During her rare holiday she always entertained her mother and brothers and sisters with wonderful descriptions of her mistress's cleverness and Miss Baby's ways. Martha had eleven brothers and sisters, and the house in Somers Row was not a luxurious abode. Her mother took in washing, and eleven brothers and sisters of all ages, and of every variety of snub nose, made any sort of privacy impossible. Never theless, on her previous holiday, as Martha, or Patty, as they called her at home, sat in her best blue merino frock, with her youngest sister on her lap and a paper-bag of sugar-sticks for distribution to the family, there were few happier girls to be found anywhere. "And I have brought you half-a-pound of really good tea, mother," observed Martha, proudly.
"I knew what a treat that would be to you and father." " You are a good girl, Patty," returned her mother, winking away the moisture in her eyes, as she went on with her ironing. "Amabel, don't you be trampling on Patty's best dress, there's a good little lass. Well, as I was saying, Patty, only the children do interupt so. There, Joe and Ben, just take your sugar-sticks and be off to play. I think I have found a nice little place for Susan. She is to sleep at home, but will have all her meals and half-a-crown a week, and the lady will teach her everything ; that is pretty fair for a beginning, and as father says, the money will just find her in shoeleather and aprons. Father's looking out for a place for Joe now." "I wish Susan could have a place like mine, mother," returned Martha, proudly.
"They are real gentlefolks, that is what they are. 'Will you be so good as to clean my boots, Martha?' or 'Thank you, Martha,' when I dry the paper of a morning. Oh, it is like play living at the corner house, and as for that darling Miss Baby " but here words failed Martha. It could not be denied that Olivia was unusually depressed that afternoon, fog and damp always had this effect on her. Her nature needed sunshine and crisp, bracing air. There was no buoyancy and elasticity in her tread. When people looked at her, as they often did, for her pliant, slim figure rather attracted notice, she thought they were only commenting on her old black hat and jacket. Only one article of her dress satisfied her ; her boots were neat and strong. Marcus had found her one wet day warm ing her feet at the fire and had gone off to examine her boots without a word.
Olivia had flushed up and looked uncomfortable when he came back with the boots in his hand. " Do you want to be laid up with bronchitis or congestion of the lungs?" he asked, rather sadly, as he showed her the thin, worn soles ; "do you think that will make things easier for me, Livy?" The next day he had taken her himself to the boot maker's and had had her fitted with a serviceable stout pair. Somehow in spite of her pleasure in the boots and Marcus's thoughtfulness she had felt rather like a scolded child. Her unusual pessimism had a moment's distrac tion, for as she passed the print-shop, at the corner of Harbut Street, she saw her mysterious old gentle man standing still on the pavement fixedly regarding a small oil-painting. Olivia had a good view of the lean, cadaverous face and peaked white beard ; the heavy grey eye brows seemed to beetle over the dark sunken eyes.
"After all he looks more like a Spaniard than a Russian," she thought, and again her theory of the Roman Catholic priest came into her mind. " If I could only see him without his hat, I should know if he had a tonsure," and then with youthful curiosity she looked to see what picture had interested him. It was a small painting of the Prodigal Son, but was evidently by no amateur, the face of both father and son were admirably portrayed. The strong Syrian faces were mellowed by the ruddy gleams of sunset A tame kid was gambolling behind them, and two women were grinding corn, with the mill stone between them. On the flat white roof of the house, another woman had just laid aside her distaff in a hurry. The father's arms with their gold brace lets were clasping the gaunt, sharp shoulders of the starving youth.
Olivia knew the picture well. Marcus had been very much struck with it, it was good work, he said ; the Syrian faces were perfect types, and he had made Olivia notice the strong resemblance betAveen father and son. "That is the mother, I suppose?" had been her comment; "she has just caught sight of them, there is a puzzled look in her eyes as she lays aside her distaff, as though she is not quite sure that that wild-looking figure in sheep-skin is her own long-lost son. " It must be a grand thing to be an artist," was Marcus's reply to this. " Goddard, I do not know the name ; the picture is cheap, too, only £25, but I would wager any money that it was painted in Syria." Olivia stole a second glance at the old man, but he never moved ; then she shivered, and walked faster. It was bitterly cold, a miserable afternoon for Marcus, who was visiting his poor patients in the squalid back streets and slums that fringed Bromp 'ton.
Mayfield Villas were about ten minutes' walk from Galvaston Terrace ; the villas had verandahs and long, narrow gardens, but most of them had lodgings to let Mrs. Broderick and her maid occupied the first floor at number six, the drawing-room and back bed room belonged to the invalid, and Deborah had a tiny room close by her mistress, the other room had been converted into a kitchen ; none of the rooms were large, but they were well-furnished, and thoroughly comfortable. During her husband's lifetime Mrs. Broderick had been comfortably off, and had had a good house — the carved book-cases, Turkey-carpet, and deep easy-chairs, and a few proof-engravings handsomely framed, all spoke of better days. When Olivia's foot sounded on the stairs, a tall, hard-featured woman came out of the kitchen.
"I knew it was you," she said. "Come in. My mistress is just wearying for you. She never sleeps in daylight, and it is ill-reading and working in the fading light. I will soon have the tea ready. I have been baking some scones." Olivia sniffed the warm perfume delightedly. She was hungry, oh, so hungry ! although two hours had not elapsed since dinner-time, and Deb's scones, with sweet, fresh country butter, was ambrosial food. "Don't let Deb keep you with her chatter, come ben, my woman, as my poor Fergus would have said." The voice was peculiarly youthful and melodious, the timbre exquisite in modulation and volume, but the face belonged to a woman aged more by pain and trouble than years. Madge Broderick had never been a handsome woman, her nose was too long, and her skin too sallow for beauty, but her bright eyes and a certain gracefulness of figure, and her beautiful voice had been her charms.
Fergus Broderick, a rough Scotchman, with a tongue as uncouth as his native dales, had fallen in love with her at their first meet ing ; he had been invited to dine at the house of the senior partner, in whose employ he was, and as the awkward, bashful young Scotchman entered the firelit room, a clear laugh from amongst a group of girls gathered round the hearth penetrated like music to his ear. "Parting is such sweet sorrow," said the voice, with much pathos, " that I could say good-bye until the morrow; those are your sentiments, Katie, are they not ?" " Hush, Madge ! here is Mr. Broderick waiting for us to speak to him," and the daughter of the house rose with a laugh to greet him. When the lamps were lighted Fergus Broderick had scanned all the girlish faces with furtive eager ness. He had felt a shock of disappointment when the owner of the exquisite voice had revealed her identity.
Madge's long nose and sallow skin were no beauties certainly ; nevertheless, before the even ing was over, Fergus Broderick knew he had found his mate ; and for eight blissful years Madge dwelt in her woman's kingdom, and gathered more roses than thorns. Her first trouble had been the loss of her boy ; he had succumbed to some childish ailment ; her hus band's death — the result of an accident — had fol lowed a few months later. The strain of the long nursing and excessive grief had broken down Madge Broderick's strength. The seeds of an unsuspected disease latent in her system now showed itself, and for some two or three years her sufferings, both mental and physical, would have killed most women. Then came alleviation and the lull that resembles peace ; the pain was no longer so acute ; the disease had reached a stage when there would be days and even weeks of tolerable comfort ; then Madge courageously set herself to make the most of her life.
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