Furnished Apartments

Chapter I

"At last!" exclaimed Sylvia, as the train moved on from the last station before Wester ton. There had been sundry delays on the line, and the light having faded early, she could neither amuse herself by looking out, nor by reading, and had growrn restless accordingly. Adrian had been absorbed in his news paper as long as he could see, and unusually abstracted afterwards, his head fud either of politics or patients, of course ; Nurse Winifred was asleep, and Dora too tired to do anything but wish she could follow her example ; so Sylvia was left to her own resources. Chocolate drops, and Punch, and a charming railway VOL. II. B copy of " The Dove in the Eagle's Nest," had at first beguiled the time, but all failed at last, and her yawns and fidgeting became conta gious. Dr. Mordaunt roused himself, struck his repeater, pulled Dolly's cloak closer across her chest, and looked out of the window.

"Three-quarters of an hour late. This is after your own heart, Sylvia, as you despise punctuality. It is to be hoped Miss Rivers is accustomed to railway slowness, or she wid be giving us up." Sylvia opined that if Miss Rivers were too particular about little things she would be odious, as most likely she was. A false front, and spectacles, and a large brooch with a staring likeness of somebody set in sham gold, and skinny hands, very knobby and red about the knuckles — these were essential details in the portrait her fancy painted, and such could only belong to the genus of the unbearables, against whom Sylvia's soul waged wrar. Next to the shipwreck, and the society, on which she had set her heart, it seemed one of her favourite visions to be perpetuady annihilating this objectionable landlady ; and the number of speeches composed beforehand, to be delivered o ■j impromptu, would have made a little famdy Hansard of no small interest.

The possibdity of a frigid reception on account of being late was a happy suggestion, as it involved the necessity of preparing a speech on the spot ; and Sylvia had just triumphantly turned the sarcastic period, " Madam, if you can control railway servants and regulate steam engines, you have the advantage over us of being always able to keep your appointments, supposing anybody to be desirous of seeing you, Avhich seems improbable — — " when the pro tracted whistle and slackening pace announced the close of the journey, and eloquence was superseded by bustle. A carriage was waiting, and so was Duncan, not at all pleased at the circumstance ; but the sight of his white hair rather impressed Sylvia, as she had no idea, she said, that the ancient dame kept an old family retainer. Under his guidance, after the usual mixture of delay and hurry, which is one of the pleasures of a radway journey, the traveders proceeded to Granvdle House, where they were somewhat anxiously ex pected.

Every preparation had been carefully made, and nothing omitted which Mrs. Delmar's experience could suggest for the comfort of the young invalid ; but when there was no more to do but to wait, Leonor had become aware of a depression of spirits, so unusual as to make her feel irritable all over. Afraid to let it appear, she took refuge in the garden, w7here her aunt was forbidden to come after sunset ; and on a raised seat, commanding a sea view, sat, w7rapped in a thick shawl, listening to the muffled roar of the w7aves, and watching the first stars gleam out, though her thoughts were far away from either sound or sight. She was thinking of her lot in life, so strangely unlike her mother's, so unlike what her mother had hoped would be hers ; of her past five years of hard service ; of the new labours forced upon her, whether she would or not ; of the studies, the social pleasures, the consideration, which her compeers were adowred to enjoy, but which had been so long denied to herself; compelled, not only to work for her bread, but to spend so much time in studying the wdiims and fancies of others.

Then she thought of her legacy and its conditions, which were a sorer topic than she had ever chosen to allow. Instead of being grateful, she felt exceedingly rebellious and angry. AVhy had she not been trusted fully, instead of being made so ridiculous ? Poor old Rufus (his nose was pushing itself into her hand at the moment), she needed no law to make her care for his comfort, but it was hard that it should be cared for at the expense of her liberty, perhaps of her health. It just amounted to this : that so long as the house was hers she might never get away from it — quite enough to make it a prison instead of a home. If it w7ere not for her aunt, sire almost thought she should have thrown up the whole thing. And being in this mood, she went on to torment herself a little more, and wonder what independence would be hke.

It must be such a luxury to feel free, to be able to travel, to go where you pleased, without neglecting duty, or giving offence ; above ad, to throw off the weight of little every-day cares and anxieties about money and living, and give the mind up to the grandeur of nature, the glories of art, the companionship of books ; to see, to hear, to read all that was most beautiful in each, and feel brain and spirit enlarging with their influence, instead of deteriorating day by day, as she was convinced was her own case. These people she was expecting ; in what light would they consider her? — most probably as a more genteel Mrs. Bigos, weighing out civility at so much a smile, and watching for every opportunity of extracting a pennyworth of profit. Could she but have been free to receive friends as guests, without payment, how differently would she have prepared for their reception — how pleasant wTould have been the greeting ; how delightful the exercise of hospitality ; how light all the toil of preparation !

AVhereas now, do w7hat she might, it was all a matter of business, and pounds, shillings, and pence ; the guests would take every attention as their due, and perhaps think it dearly bought. And so she vexed her spirit, as the bravest among us will do at times, when the sea w7e have begun to wralk upon looks rough, and the faith that gave us power is ready to fad. Perhaps she was a little over-tired. Strong and healthy as she had always been, she had not quite shaken off the fatigues of her long weary nursing ; and it was not unnatural that she should feel a craving for the sweets of liberty, and long to lay aside harness and curb. But as she sat and mused, rolhng her shawl more tightly round her, she felt something warm and soft rub against her shoulder, and there was her other fellow-legatee, the pet cat, who never allowed her to be very long out of sight, with out hunting her up, if possible ; and something in the caresses of the poor animals went straight to her heart, as if they were reproach ing her, in their loving fashion, with having thought it a hardship to he their guardian.

" Ah ! " she thought aloud, as she petted them both ; " I am as bad as King Robert of Sicily, who was never cured of his pride, tdl he was contented to be the companion of an ape. Here am I, grumbling because everything is not just as I should like, when, but for these creatures, I might have been obliged to leave my dear Aunt Mary, and go miles away to find work. Come, Rufus — come, pussy — we w7dl turn over a new leaf, and be humble and good-tempered even to lodgers like Mrs. Caddis ; and if we succeed in that, pussy, we may hope to get on to the ape in time." She had forgotten the hour while thus absorbed, and it was not till she heard wheels on the gravel, as she returned to the house, that she remembered her guests were overdue. Her first impulse was to retreat, but second thoughts prevailed, and while Hannah opened the door, she remained standing in the hall, happily unconscious of the sarcastic speech which Sylvia had just completed for her annihilation.

Dr. Mordaunt w7as the first to alight ; and almost lifting out his tired patient, he brought her in at once, leaving the others to take care of themselves. He almost started on finding himself received by a hostess so very unlike what they had all imagined ; and his face lighted up with more than its usual brightness, as Miss Rivers came forward, all her previous doubts and fancies equally dispelled by the sight of the little drooping figure and wran face of her new lodger. A few courteous words passed on both sides, and then Leonor showed them into their sitting-room, and found herself making them welcome with as much ease and heartiness as if she had invited them to come. Dora, as she lay panting on the sofa, watched her from under her eyelashes, and Sylvia, open-eyed and open-mouthed, stared with undisguised but delighted amazement.

" Why, Adrian ! " she exclaimed, directly Miss Rivers had left them to give orders for their refreshment, "you never told us a word of this ; you never said she was beautiful ! " "No, by the way, I never did," said he ; " for, to tell you the truth, I did not know it myself." " She is a perfect princess in disguise," said Sylvia ; " and the cat and dog — did you see them in the hall ? They look hke her faithful attendants, who are enchanted untd the sped is broken. AVhat a delicious place this is ! Oh ! the smell of the sea and the wash of the waves, just w7hat I have been dreaming about; and Princess Fairstar to wait upon us ! Dolly, won't it be lovely ? " Dora smded faintly — she was too tired for more, and felt that the loveliest thing in the world was Adrian's kind arm, on w7hich her head was resting.

It was agreed that she had better go to bed as soon as she had had her tea; and Nurse Winnie, who had been inspect ing the bedrooms, returned to report that all looked as comfortable as could be, and that Miss Rivers' aunt, Mrs. Delmar, w7as perfectly charming, evidently a lady to the tips of her fingers. "And such fiugers as they are, too ! I never saw such tiny hands on a grown woman ; and I seem to remember her face, somehow7, and her manner of speaking, as if I had met her before." " Ah ! " said Dr. Mordaunt, " our friend Mr. Sibthorpe says she was celebrated in her day for the beauty of her hands and feet." " Then she w7as a fashionable beauty ? " said Sylvia eagerly. " I believe so. Her husband lost his fortune in a lawsuit, and some people say there was strong suspicion of foul play on the opposite side; but it could not be proved, and the Delmars were ruined."

"And so they really are princesses in adver sity, if not in disguise," said Sylvia, "and perhaps the adventure of their deliverance is reserved for us. I say, Adrian, I hope we shall be a great deal with them, and not stay poking in here by ourselves when you are gone. I want to know7 Miss Rivers, and play with the dog and cat." " We will see about it, Sylvia," said her brother, who had, in fact, been considering the matter already. He had hoped for the best, but not for such good fortune as this. If Miss Rivers proved to be in heart and in daily life what her face seemed to promise, he could ask nothing better for his young sisters than to be as much as possible in her company. He would not be in a hurry ; it did not necessarily follow that, because she had bright eyes and a noble head, she must be bright and noble in 7 O everything.

He knew human nature, he thought, too well to imagine that. He forgot, in his pride of knowdedge and security of wisdom, that there is one corner of human nature more difficult to know than any other, and that is one's own heart. AVhy he should dwed so much on the brightness of the eyes that might deceive, and the nobility of the head that might lead to disappointment, when he had only looked upon them for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, it did not occur to him to ask ; but the fact remained, that the thoughtfulness and abstraction of the journey seemed suddenly to have rolled away, and a sense of contentment to have taken then place, revealing itself in look and voice and gesture. He encouraged Sylvia's prattle, coaxed and cheered Dora, tid she began to srt up of her own accord — and contrived to do more than half the work which Nurse AVinifred had conscientiously laid out for herself, his authority as her physician silencing every remonstrance.

" The doctor just spoils me, my dears, and that is the truth," she said to the sisters ; " but he is master, and will be obeyed, and I am so accustomed to his way that it comes more natural than my own. However, when he goes back to London my lazy time w7ill be over." The prospect of Adrian's going away and leaving them among strangers had all along been a dreary one to Dora ; and, tired as she was, this allusion to it might have been fatal to her equanimity, but for a diversion that soon after occurred. The door had by accident been left ajar, and Sylvia, as she went to close it, became aware of a tiny person in a black frock, with a gaily-dressed dod in her arms, standing so as to obtain a view of the party within. She opened the door wide, and then stepped back. "As this is the land of enchantment, I suppose this is the fairy godmother.

Pray, madam, walk in, and accept our humble homage. We are honest, though poor, never having found anybody yet whom we could take in ; and any trifles in the way of purses of gold, jars of jewels, bronze horses, and the like, wdl be thankfully received at once." " Don't, Sylvia," said Adrian ; " you will puzzle and startle the poor child. What is it you want, my dear little woman ? " " Would you like to see me dance ? " asked Lily, who had by this time made her way in, and stood eyeing them all with much curiosity. " Like it ? " repeated Sylvia ; " we came here on purpose. Every station we stopped at we asked the guard which was the place where the fairy Cricketti-chirrup performed so delightfully. AVill you begin at once ? " " I never dance without music, but you may come down if you like, and Albert wdl play for me."

" And will he play for us ? You can't think how superbly we dance. We are giants, you know, not sprites and elves, and we do everything three times as much as everybody else, because we are three times as big." The child retreated nearer to the door, and looked half-frightened, though more curious than ever. " AVill you show me when you come down ? " She was just beginning, when a voice in the passage called, " Lily ! Lily ! " " The Fairy Queen wants your ladyship," said Sylvia ; " you are going to ride with the court on white horses, with bells ringing at the bridles, and all sorts of fun going on, in the hght of the moon." " No, I am not. I am going down with Angeiique to have her white frock fitted on. She is to have a new one for dancing. Do come down and see it." " Ldy ! " repeated the voice, and this time Lily obeyed.

They heard her little feet trip ping along the passage, and descending the stairs — and then came a cry, and the sound of a fall. Adrian jumped up, and ran clown in time to assist Miss Rivers, who, w7hite with terror, was lifting the little girl from the floor. The chdd was crying, and trembling all over, but Leonor could not discover whether she were really hurt ; and she was thankful when Dr. Mordaunt, by a gentle process peculiar to his profession, induced the little one to sit on his knee, and allow him to ascertain there was not much the matter. His announcement, however, that she seemed only to have been bruised and shaken, was little consolation to Lily. Her tears were flowing on Angelique 's account — poor Angelique, who had been pitched against the balusters, and had broken an arm and a leg.

Nothing would pacify her tdl the doctor picked up Angelique too, examined the fractures, and, pulling a case out of his pocket, proceeded to bandage the shattered limbs, prescribing for his wrooden patient with a gravity that wTon Ldy's heart, and suggesting remedies enough to furnish delightful enter tainment for a week to come. Her grief assuaged, and her own misfortune forgotten, she took the dod lovingly in her arms, and carried it off, looking round as she went, to say, "Thank you, good big giant;" much to the sur-prise of Miss Rivers, w7ho lingered to express her thanks in a more courteous form. "You w7ill be doing us a real kindness," he returned, " if you will adow my younger sister to play with that child sometimes. They have made friends already ; and now that 1 am the doll's medical man, I should like to prescribe it a little society."

"I thought, when I saw how young your sisters were, that it would be dull for them to be much alone," said Leonor. " AVid you bring them this evening to see us, and be introduced to my aunt ? She is always popular with young people ; this poor little tiring is devoted to her." Dr. Mordaunt thanked her gratefully. He feared Dora was too tired, but for Sylvia he would accept the invitation wdth pleasure, and it would enable him, at the same time, to take note of Angeiique's little mistress, and see if she were at all the worse for her fall. The child interested him, he owned, from its peculiar circumstances. This led, as a matter of course, to discussing the siege of Paris, and the situation of the armies, and the different opinions of the newspapers, till it seemed difficult to realize how brief their acquaintance had been. Leonor renewed her invitation w7ith increased warmth as they parted, and he accepted it as a greater favour than before.

Chapter II

As soon as the tempting meal was over, Dora was dismissed to her pidow under Nurse W7innie's care, whde Sylvia ran to the glass, sleeked down her plumes, which had an incon venient habit of roughening on the smallest provocation, and announced herself as ready for any number of disguised princesses, or princes either. Now Adrian had begun by saving a child's life, they should get on ; people always did in books. " But, my dear, I saved nobody's life, as it happens. I only tied up a doll's leg." " What does it matter wdrose leg it w7as ? you are her heroic preserver from this day forth, and it is no use telling me the contrary. I am glad the sprite did not hurt herself much, and I shall like to play with her a little, though I object to children as a rule." VOL. II. C This was quite true, for Sylvia held to the theory that they took up a great deal too much attention, and made people hypocrites in spite of themselves.

You had to pretend to wish for their company, and look delighted at their mischief, when it would be much more honest to say you would rather they went upstairs. How7ever, when Lily, looking paler than usual, came forward to greet her, and held out her little bruised hand as a welcome, Sylvia made an exception in her favour, and gave her a kiss. So that when Mrs. Delmar asked if she were fond of children, she could answer graciously, "I don't mind them always;" and was quite ready to enter into the absorbing topic of Angelique's accident, and the course of remedies she was to fodow. After dis cussing ad these, and adding sundry original suggestions of her own, she turned to talk to Mrs. Delmar, who was busy over some of the delicate needlework in which she excelled — examined and admired her performance, but confessed it w7as far beyond her skill, or her ambition.

" I don't want to do things better than my neighbours, and that is the truth. I would rather not know so much, and have more time to do as I like. People say you are never so happy as when you have loads to do ; now, I don't think so." " AVhat do you like best, then ? " " I like to be amused, and not to feel obliged to do anything particular ; to get up when I want to lie in bed, or to go to bed when I would rather sit up. I like seeing plenty of variety, and buying what I want, and walking or driving when I am so inclined ; and when I come in, I like a good easy chair and a nice story ; it needn't always be funny — it is rather amusing to cry sometimes — only I like some thing delicious to eat while I am reading it. Now you know the worst." " And is this the pleasant life you have been accustomed to ?

" " I should rather think not. Our poor grandmamma's maid, Stoker, was our mistress, and hated us as much as I do her. Dora thinks it wicked to hate anybody. I say it is worse to pretend you love them when you don't. Stoker always took it for granted, and made everybody believe that, whatever we said or did, we meant wrong — that w7as her idea of charity ; so if we wished for anything, we were not to have it on any account, and what ever we detested, that was to be our blessed lot. I leave you to imagine how sweet this Avas for one's temper ; and as we w7ere always treated as naughty children, the only wonder is that we are as good as wre are." "How7 good is that?" asked Mrs. Delmar, smiling. "AVell, Dolly is good all through, and under all circumstances. I can be a plague when the fit takes me ; not that I feel inclined to plague either of you.

It is very odd how unlike people are to what one fancies them beforehand." " Had you formed a very alarming idea of us ? " " I don't know that I thought much about you, but I expected Miss Rivers to be quite different— not at all pretty, and rather sharp in her manners." " Are you speaking of me ? " asked Leonor, turning round at the mention of her name. " No, dear," returned her aunt ; " only of what Miss Rivers might have been had she been quite unlike what she is." " Indeed," protested Sylvia, reddening with the sense of having made a blunder, " it was not only my mistake ; we all thought, I don't know why, but somehow we expected— didn't we, Adrian ? — quite another sort of person when we talked of coming here." " Certainly," he replied ; " we were not sanguine enough to hope for the good fortune that was in store for us.

Miss Rivers will forgive us that ; we shall know another time what we are corning to." " Indeed," said Leonor, " you are very good to say so, and I hope you will be as comfort able as we shall try to make you ; but it is our first experiment, and I am not at all sure of my part, beyond goodwill. If your sisters and that nice-looking nurse will only tell us what they wish, we w7ill do our best to gratify them." " Do you hear that, Sylvia ? " " Yes, I do, and I know one thing I want directly." " I know it too," said Lily, gravely ; " you want to see me dance. You came on purpose.'' " So I did — I forgot that. Please to begin at once." " I can't till Albert comes, and he is doing his lessons — no, here he is ! " — as the boy came in, his hair in his eyes, his face flushed, and his hands all over ink, of which shirt-sleeves and collar had also imbibed a share.

He took no notice of the visitors, but made his way to a cornerw7here his violin was kept, and sitting down, began to take it out of its case. Leonor called him, but had to repeat her call several times before he obeyed it. The doctor w7as struck wdth the expression of his face — that unchildlike look wdiieh Leonor had observed before. He held out his hand, and when Albert, somewhat sullenly, gave him his, detained the hot fingers in his owrn. "I am a friend of your cousin Mr. Sibthorpe," he said, kindly ; " what shall I ted burr from you?" "That I w7ish he had never been born." "AVell, he has more than once wished that himself, being a great sufferer ; but, you see, being born, he has to put up with it, and so must his relations." " But he need not make me put up wdth a brute of a school, and lessons I can't under stand, which they don't take the trouble to explain, only lick you if you don't do them.

I'll give them as good as they send, though, if they try that on me. I can't do the rubbish, and so I shall just tell them." "You have not prepared your wrork for Monday, then ? " said Leonor anxiously. " No. A fellow can't do more than he can. I've bothered over it till my head is all in a roar ; so, if they cane me, I shall just w7alk out of the school." " Albert, do come ! " cried Lily, who was standing in the middle of the room, stamping with impatience. " Coming, cherie. I say — are you feeling my pulse ? I don't want a doctor." "But you have got one, you see; and the first thing he prescribes is, rest from Latin till Monday morning." " Oh, come, I don't mind that." "And the second prescription is, that you take that fiddle of yours, and scrape ad the cobwebs out of your brain as fast as possible.

Do you hear ? " " And the lessons ? " asked Leonor. "Leave the lessons to me. I have a plan for getting them clone, wdnch I will tell him all in good time. To-night he is to play and dance with his sister, by order of the faculty." The boy pushed his hair off his hot fore head, and looked the physician steadily in the face. "Are you chaffing — or in earnest ? " "In earnest, my lad. You have done enough for to-night. Trust to me, and I will see if I cannot get you out of the wood on Monday morning. It is only at first these things seem so hard. You will think nothing of them as you go on, if you just have a lift now." " Frank Longley said so, and he tried to help me, but his helping only made it worse. I say — you're not so bad for a doctor, by any means. Do you care for music ? " " I do, but to me she is only a holiday companion ; you would serve her as a mistress, I know.

Take heart ; your Latin w7ill be more help than hindrance, if you go at it Avith a will." " I would rather write an opera than do anything else in the world. AA7ill it help me to do that ? " " I dare say it may. Any difficulty you get the better of helps you to face another ; and I believe writing an opera is no holiday task." " No, indeed. Archer said it sometimes took a fellow three or four years." " He did something in that way himself, that friend of yours, I think — if he were the same I met abroad, who was to have joined you in Paris." " Oh, did you meet Archer ? AVhere is he now, do you know ? " " He meant to try and get into Paris, on the chance of stdl finding you. I was sorry he did, for he interested me very much, and I wanted to bring him to England. I never saw a man," he continued, turning to Leonor, who was listening with evident attention, " with a neater, lighter touch.