Ellice. A tale

Front matter

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Chapter I

" But our love, it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we — Of many far wiser than we." Edgab Poe. MISS EVANS, may I leave off now ? I'mso tired, and it 's nearly one o'clock." " Talking again, Margaret ! And you heard me tell Fanny, a moment ago, that she was to wait till the clock struck. Really I am ashamed of you. I shall give you a bad mark." And Miss Evans opened a book that lay beside her on the table, and set down a large B against Margaret's name in it. The delinquent, a bright-eyed little child of six, looked disconsolate at this proceeding, and sighed audibly ; but being surprised immediately afterwards in the act of ex changing a furtive smile and look of intelligence with her sister Fanny, who was seated opposite, she got a second bad mark put down to her account, accompanied by a rebuke for want of respect.

Silence succeeded. Miss Evans took out her watch, and then gave a sigh almost as loud as poor Margaret's had been. She seemed tired and out of spirits ; and no wonder, for she had been hard at work all the morning, and teaching four pupils of very different ages is no easy task. The school-room, B ELLICE too, although pleasant and cheerful enough generally, did not look particularly so this morning. This might, however, be owing in great measure to the dull and gloomy weather without, for the rain was falling fast, and the wintry wind sighed in melancholy gusts through the casement windows, whilst a thick mist hung over everything, and completely shrouded from view all but the nearest objects. Miss Evans sighed again as she looked at the dismal prospect, and then fell into a reverie about distant friends, and meditated upon certain letters which were to be written that afternoon, for it was Saturday, and a half-holiday of course.

She was roused at last by the striking of the clock ; and, shutting up her books, she told her pupils they might leave off. Fanny and Margaret, the two youngest, did not require a second bidding ; they started up eagerly, and a race began between them to see whose books would be put away first. " I wish we had a half-holiday twice in the week ! " Margaret exclaimed; "boys always do, and I 'm sure I don't see why we shouldn't. How jolly it would be ! " " Margaret, I wonder how often I have told you not to make use of that expression. Really I shall be very angry if I hear it again." " Gerard says it, Miss Evans," returned Margaret, in a tone which seemed to imply that she considered her argu ment unanswerable. " Very likely ; but what is all very well for a boy is not proper for young ladies.

Besides, it ought to be quite enough for you if you are told not to do a thing with out stopping to argue about it. And now go directly ; the luncheon bell will ring in a few minutes, and you are not ready. Ellice, my dear, put away your drawing ; you have been sitting quite long enough over it." " Oh, just these few strokes," Ellice exclaimed; "I shan't be three minutes, and then I shall have finished it quite — mayn't I ? " There was no answer ; so, taking silence for consent, she went on ; but it took her longer than she ex pected, and it was nearly a quarter of an hour before she laid down her pencil ELLICE " There ! " she said at last ; " I have done it now." And she leaned back in her chair, and contemplated the perform ance with great satisfaction, whilst her governess came round the table to look at it.

" Well, really, Ellice, I must give you credit for that ; you have taken great pains with it. You are getting on wonder fully with your drawing ; I only wish I could say as much for some other things." " Music, I suppose, you mean for one ! " Ellice said, in a tone of great disgust. " How I hate it! Now there is some sense in drawing ; it makes no noise, and worries nobody, and I can fancy all sorts of delightful things whilst I am doing it." " Anything to dream over ! " Miss Evans remarked gravely. " But that is not the way to get on through life, Ellice. It will never do to go on such a plan." A cloud came over Ellice's face, but she made no answer, and apparently was in no hurry to continue the conversation. She played with her pencils ; whilst Miss Evans, after look ing over the drawing more carefully, and suggesting one or two improvements, told her she had better set and mount it that afternoon.

It would be a good occupation for her, as the weather was too wet for walking. " And what do you mean to do with it when it 's finished ? " asked her elder sister, Emma, a tall, fine-looking girl of sixteen, who joined them at that moment. "You might hang it here in this room. It would look very well in that corner over the piano, — wouldn't it, Miss Evans ? " " No, indeed ! " Ellice exclaimed. " I shouldn't think of putting it up there. I'm not going to have it here at all. Gerard likes it — he told me so — and I 'm going to give it to him." "Nonsense ! " returned Emma; " he don't care two straws for it, I 'm sure. He only said so to please you. You had much better keep it here." Ellice fired up at this speech. " You have no business to say such things, Emma," she exclaimed hastily. " Gerard wouldn't say what was not true to please me ; you know that B ELLICE very well.

He does like it, and we are going to hang it in his room." She got up as she spoke, and began to put away her drawing materials. " Oh, well ! you needn't be so angry, and make such a fuss about it. I didn't know you had settled it all before hand, or I wouldn't have said a word about it. Of course, if Gerard wishes for it, he must have it ; he comes before everybody, I know." " Well, and why shouldn't he ? " asked Ellice, looking up. There was a bright red spot on each cheek, — a sure sign with her that she was put out. "Why not, indeed?" returned her sister, laughing good humouredly. " But we are all aware of your weak point, and I like to see you getting a little excited sometimes. Gerard ought to be very much obliged to you for fighting his battles as you do. I call it exceedingly idle of him ; he takes no trouble about anything, and lets people do and say just what they like, without . . . .

" " Oh, Emma ! " " In one way, I mean. He takes plenty of trouble about some things, I know, when he had much better have nothing to do with them. But what I mean is that it 's of no use finding fault with him, or trying to set him right. He never even listens, or if he does, he only laughs; but he never thinks of saying a word in his own defence. He leaves all that for you." " How can he say anything when he 's not here ? " Ellice answered indignantly ; " and when you tell me that he says what isn't true, am I to listen without setting you right? You shouldn't say so even if you 're not in earnest, because you know so well that he never said a thing that wasn't true." Emma laughed again. " I didn't know I had accused him of anything so very dreadful," she said; "people often say what isn't quite true without thinking ; but really you look as if I had said he had committed murder, or something of that sort.

I believe, though, if he had you would stand up for him, and assert his innocence if he were found guilty by judge and jury. But seriously, Ellice, I 'm ELLICE 5 not joking now — do you think he ever has done anything wrong ? " "No, never," Ellice answered very gravely, and without paying any attention to the lurking glance of mischief in her sister's eyes, and the half smile that played round the corners of her mouth. " He has not ? Well, I always fancied that was your opinion, although you have never said so in so many words before. But I can't understand, Ellice, if that is really true, why other people don't seem to think the same as you do. I should like to ask Mr. Harrison what his thoughts upon the subject are, because it seems to me such a pity that if Gerard never does do anything wrong, he should so often be misun derstood, and . . . .

" 5? •" Emma, you are unkind ! " Ellice interrupted hastily. " I don't pretend to tell you what other people think about him. You asked me what I thought myself, and I told you. If all the world said differently it would be nothing to me. No one knows him half so well as I do, and therefore no one else can be half so good a judge. He is better than all the world besides, and there is nobody like him ; that 's quite enough for me, and I shall always think the same ; I don't care what any one else says. And he is going to have this, because he said he should like it, and I know he means what he says always. He never, never says a word that isn't true ; / know that, if you don't, and Mr. Harrison will tell you the same, whatever else he may say." The last words were spoken in a tone of triumph ; and, putting away her board and pencils, she left the room, carrying off her drawing with her.

" You shouldn't tease her, Emma," Miss Evans said as the door closed ; " her temper is quite hot enough at any time without your taking the trouble to make it worse." " I 'm sure I didn't know it would tease her when I began," Emma replied ; " but it really is ridiculous to see how she stands up for Gerard on all occasions. Everything he does is perfect, and she never thinks of any one else at all where he is concerned. I must say I think a great deal of him myself, but I don't see him with her eyes yet, for I believe be may B ELLICE do wrong sometimes — very often I should say," she added laughing ; " but he 's a dear good fellow for all that, and I 'm very proud of having him for my brother, though I do like to tease Ellice about him now and then. But there 's the luncheon bell, and my hair is so untidy !

" And away she flew, hum ming a tune from some opera as she went, Miss Evans following more leisurely. A few minutes afterwards the whole of the school-room party met again in the dining-room. Ellice looked round, however, in vain for her brother as she entered — he was not there. Her father and mother were the only other occupants of the room, and she took her seat in silence with an air of disappointment and vexation, which it was just as well for her that no one happened to notice. She would not even make any remark upon his absence, for she thought it might provoke some more amusement on Emma's part, and no one else seemed at first to miss him. Lady Mary looked round at last, however. " Where is Gerard ? " she asked. " This is Saturday, isn't it? and he is generally at home much earlier than this?"

" Yes, of course he is," returned Emma ; " and such a wet day, too, he is sure to come home; they can't be having any games to keep him. What is he doing to be so late, I wonder ? Ellice, you always know all about him, — did he tell you he was going to stay ? " Ellice shook her head. " I suppose he will be in directly," she said, " unless Mr. Harrison is keeping him, and that is hardly likely." " Or unless he has got into some scrape, which is not at all -■...likely," remarked Emma quietly, but with the slightest shade of sarcasm in her voice as she spoke. Ellice, however, did not choose to take any notice this time. She went on with her dinner in apparent unconcern, and never once joined in her sisters' repeated exclamations of wonder and disap pointment at his non-appearance ; but her absent manner, and the eager look she turned towards the door each time it opened, showed she was not quite so indifferent as she wished to appear.

As time passed on, however, and still he did not ELLICE come, the others grew tired at last of speculating on his absence ; and, with the exception of some slight observation now and then from Emma, an almost unbroken silence succeeded. This was not a thing absolutely unheard-of at luncheon time, for it was generally a quiet meal, particularly when Mr. Lewistone was there. His daughters and Miss Evans all stood too much in awe of him to venture on small talk in his presence, and Lady Mary was far too indolent either to make or encourage conversation unless absolutely obliged to do so. But however dull a time this might be on other days, it was very different when Gerard was at home. There was not much fear of any one being grave and silent where he was ; and the mere fact of his being in the room did away with much of the restraint which every one else seemed to feel when Mr. Lewistone was there.

If the truth were known, perhaps there was not one of the party who did not look forward more or less to Thursdays and Saturdays, as days which brought him back at an earlier hour than usual ; and if this were the case with the others, it can be imagined how eagerly Ellice longed for those times, and how great her disappointment was, if from some cause he did not return so soon as was expected. It was so now ; and although she did not wish to let any one see how vexed she was, her gloomy looks and the cloud upon her brow, as she sat watching the fast-falling rain, betrayed sufficiently how her thoughts were occupied, and both her mother and Emma after a time noticed and laughed at her anxious abstracted manner. She flushed up then, and tried to look unconcerned ; but she did not quite succeed, and there was something like a tear in her eye as she turned away her head again, and resumed her occupation of watching the dark masses of clouds drifting across the sky, — an employment which appeared so interesting that she took no notice of anything else until her sisters had finished their dinner.

They were all still lingering round the table after the servants had left the room ; none of them, excepting Mr Lewistone, who was occupied with some letters that had just come in, seeming exactly to know what to do with themselves, when Ellice's attention was attracted by a well-known step in B ELLICE the hall. With a half-uttered eager exclamation she started up and ran to open the door, being nearly thrown down as she did so by a dog, which bounded into the room, uttering short frantic barks, as it rushed round the table and under the chairs, finally returning to Ellice, and springing upon her as she stooped down to stroke him. " Dear old Bob ! " " Gerard, how very late you are to-day ! " " Oh, Gerard, I can't have that dog here, you must turn him out ! " and " What has kept you so long ?

" were some of the many exclamations and ques tions that followed, whilst answering, or even hearing what was said, was utterly impossible. Ellice meanwhile remained kneeling on the floor, hugging her " dear old Bob," as she called him, and certainly not at all improving the state of her dress by the caresses she bestowed on him; for he was covered with mud, and looked very much as if he had recently made acquaintance with some dirty pond or ditch. " It 's only the rain 1 " she said, when expostulated with by Miss Evans ; " he has been to meet Gerard and got wet. That 's all, isn't it, Gerard ? " " No, not quite. He had a roll in a puddle, too. He got knocked over by some great monster, fighting as usual ; but it don't matter, — he '11 soon be dry again. Here, Bob ! " " No, indeed," Lady Mary said, perceiving that Bob was about to be installed in an arm-chair near the fire, " I can't allow that — you must put him out of the room, Gerard.

You know I always say he is not to come in here — he is only fit for the stables. If you like to have him in your own room, you can, but really he must be kept out of this part of the house. I don't like to see him — he's so very dirty." " Oh yes, I had forgotten ! Here Bob, you outlaw, you 're not fit for respectable society. Come along, old fellow ! " and after some whistling and coaxing, the dog was induced to leave his comfortable position ; but he evidently knew what his fate was to be, and for some time skulked about under the table, as if very loath to leave, until an angry whistle and a stamp from his master brought him out at last with his tail between his legs, when he was turned out of ELLICE 9 the room, much to the sorrow of Ellice and the younger children, with whom he was a great favourite, — more, perhaps, because he belonged to their brother than for any other reason, for an uglier dog than Bob was seldom seen.

A cross-breed of some sort, black and wiry-looking, with short ears, and not much more than the stump of a tail left, he was always remarked for his want of beauty, and everyone wondered what Gerard could find to admire in him. The truth was, though, that he had rescued him some years before from some boys in the street, who had broken his leg and were otherwise ill-using him. He had carried him home, set his leg, and taken care of him for two or three weeks, at the end of which time he had become so fond of him, and Bob, on his side, had become so grateful, that neither of them was inclined to part, and they had been inseparable companions ever since. Gerard now would not have parted with him for worlds ; and although he had several times had the offer of very handsome dogs, he always declared that he would not give up Bob for all of them put together: his stumpy tail and wiry coat were better than any beauty in others.

And Bob licked his master's hand and wagged his stump when he was told all this, and looked up with as much sense in his brown eyes as if he understood every word of it. Ellice, indeed, declared that he did. " Well now, Gerard ! " Emma exclaimed when he came back to the table, " tell us what made you so late to-day. What have you been doing ? We have finished luncheon, you see." " Yes, but I couldn't help it. I was kept." " Who kept you ? Mr. Harrison ? " " No, not Mr. Harrison. But can't I have something to eat ? You don't know how hungry I am. It 's all very well for you to ask questions, but I 'm ravenous. You have got something there, Emma, if you will give me some of it." " You don't deserve any for coming in so late," was Emma's remark as she helped him, " and I believe, too, you are only putting me off.

So now, then, let me hear what kept you. You can eat and talk too." ELLICE Gerard made no answer, and his sister was about to repeat her inquiry when Mr. Lewistone looked up from a letter he was reading. " That concerns you, Gerard," he said ; " you had better read it and tell me what you think of it." " Tom coming ! What glorious news ! " was Gerard's ex clamation as he glanced over the letter. "I am so glad — I had no idea you had asked him." "Is he really coming? and when ?" asked both Emma and Ellice at once, whilst the former added, "I hope it's soon — I like Tom; he is such a nice fellow, and he has plenty of fun in him." " I don't like him a bit," put in little Margaret, and every one laughed at the earnestness with which this was said. " I don't like him," she repeated, adding dolefully, " he spoilt my doll last year."

" Poor injured Madge ! " Gerard said, pulling one of her long curls. " She hasn't got over that yet ! Now I think Tom deserved a vote of thanks for getting rid of such a wretched-looking object." " And she got a much better one," said Fanny ; " mamma gave her a beauty afterwards." " Yes, but I liked the other best," returned Madge, " I had had it such a long time, and this one is so grand, I 'm afraid of spoiling it. I can't do what I like with it." " I wonder when Tom's holidays begin ! " said Emma. " About the same time that they do at Ilkley, I suppose, and that is next week, isn't it ? " " Yes, next Thursday." And then, whilst a discussion began between the others about the holidays, and certain Christmas festivities which were coming off at the Hall Gerard and Ellice carried on a low and apparently very interesting conversation for some time, until Emma's attention was attracted, and she wanted to know what they were talking about.

" And what is the matter, too, with you, Gerard ? " she exclaimed. "How very awkward you are to-day! What have you done that you are obliged to use your left hand ? " ELLICE 11 There was no answer, and her brother seemed rather to dislike her remark : it was not until she asked a second time that he said hastily — " Nothing very particular. I have hurt my wrist, or somebody did it for me. I don't know exactly how it was. But it 's nothing to signify." " Nothing to signify ! It looks like it certainly, when you can't use your hand. But what were you doing ? Fighting, or something of the sort, I am sure," she added laughing. Her random speech evidently came nearer the truth than she thought, for Gerard coloured a little, though he was still silent. She laughed again. " I see I am right. Now then, Don Quixote, what was it about ?

Don't be so mysterious, or I shall think it was something dreadful. What did you fight for, and who was your antagonist ? " In spite of Emma's questionings, however, Gerard still hung back ; and very likely never would have answered at all, had not his mother's curiosity been aroused, and she now asked Emma what it was she wanted to know. " Why, he has been fighting with some one, and I should like him to tell me who it is ; only for some reason or other he is tiresome, and won't." " I can't think why you ask me," he said at last, and speaking very unwillingly ; " but if you wish to know so particularly, it was Haughton." " Oh, Gerard ! " exclaimed all his sisters at once, whilst Lady Mary said, " What was that for ? I thought you were such good friends." " Oh no, mamma, never ! " Ellice said warmly.

" Gerard never has liked him, and I 'm sure I can't bear him. I think he's the most disagreeable boy I ever met with." " Why, what 's the matter with him ? " Emma asked ; " I am sure he is very pleasant whenever he comes here, and he 's very clever, and up to anything. What is your reason for not liking him ? It isn't a good one, I know. And I think it 's very ungrateful of you if you don't, for he likes you very much." ELLICE Ellice looked very much offended. "I don't want him to like me," she said, " and I wish he wouldn't. But that won't make me like him. He is so bad-tempered, and so . . ." "So what? But how you exaggerate, Ellice! He is hasty perhaps ; but I don't call him bad-tempered. If he gets soon angry, he is very soon all right again." " _*" don't think so." " You are prejudiced.

You have heard something from Gerard ; some quarrel or something, where he was just as much to blame as Haughton, very likely. You know you always think the same as he does, so that you are not a fair judge." " No, you 're mistaken, Emma. I don't go by what Gerard has told me only, — I can see for myself too. And there are a great many things I don't like him for, but I am not going to tell you what they are ; now especially, — you would only laugh at me." " I daresay I should, — you are so absurd always with your likings and dislikings. But, Gerard, what did you fight for ? I haven't heard yet. What had he done to you ? " " Nothing at all. It wasn't for myself." " Now, Gerard, how provoking you are ! " Emma ex claimed, in a tone of remonstrance. '"I never knew anyone so tiresome as you can be when you like.