Two Fair Daughters, etc

BOOK I. — Continued

CHAPTER XXIX.

A DISCOVERY. A FTER the banquet was over the party ■*--*- broke up. There was a great deal to see, all about. Firstly, the Lovers' Leap, high up yonder. Then the Pagoda, on which Lord Shipton delivered a sort of speech. " All for the poor creatures from the village, with their harmless junketings, you know. I thought it was a cruel thing that they could not enjoy themselves in their B VOL. own innocent way; so I got this little pa vilion knocked up, under which they could have their beer and pipes, and tea, and be out of the sun. The Doctor listened to this piece of philanthropy : then privately ex plained to his neighbours with exquisite enjoyment that this was "all a speculation," and that his lordship levied a regular tax of two-pence a head on all those who availed themselves of the shelter, or of the dining tables provided, and made an uncommonly good thing Out of it at the end of the year.

Lord Shipton had, in fact, developed the whole place very ingeniously and commer cially : had various doubtful objects of inte rest labelled and ticketed, as the " Abbot's Walk," &c. ; and had, in fact, as the Doctor said, " turned it into a sort of cheap and nasty Cremorne." Accordingly, the officers and some of the ladies " scattered about," and went to examine these various objects of interest in that dreamy, pleasant vein, which succeeds to early entertainments of this sort. The Doctor and Mr. Webber, with other gentle men, remained pleasantly disposed on the grass, getting ready fairly to enjoy them selves, the Doctor in fullvein, as he said himself, " blazing and sputtering like a moderature lamp just wound up, and run ning over with oil !" drawing them all about him in a happy group.

The hours went by in one of the most enjoyable days, the Colonel said, he had ever spent ; and now evening was coming on. Suddenly the Doctor jumped up, and looked round him. " Where are my girls ? Halloo ! I say ! what does this mean ? Time to be getting the party together. This won't do !" With a sort of uneasiness, the Doc tor insisted on going off to search for his b daughters, and after him went some of the officers, and Mr. Randall Morrison. " They went off with your protegy, Mr. Morrison," said the Doctor ; " I tell you I don't ap prove of that — no mother with them, you know ! and though our friend Cecil is as nice " Who ?" said Mr. Morrison, in a'marked way ; " of whom are you speaking?" " Oh, you're a fine fellow to send over to look after our young lord of the manor," said the other, whose tongue had been freed by the " Royal Fizzileers " of the morning, " and not know his Christian name."

They had a long search and a long walk. At last Polly made her appearance, coming suddenly round the corner with young Mr. Clarke. Polly's face wore a pouting and excited look, a mystified and even dis tracted air. "Where's Katey?" the Doctor cried, eagerly; "why, my girl, we have been looking for you everywhere !" " I'm sure /don't know," said his daughter, pouting. "She has chosen to lose her way with him, though I don't see how she could — the road is straight enough." " This is a nice piece of business ! I that have brought my children up to decency, and propriety, and modesty, to have such a thing said ! Where is she, sir ?" turning to young Clarke. " Show me the way. I'll not have a whisper, not a breath " The Doctor, in great agitation, hurried up the winding path, the others following, and after some minutes climbing along the by-ways, came upon the lost pair seated on a little bench.

Katey was half rising, a scared look upon her face ; the young man, with his face turned to hers, eagerly holding her dress, and speaking very earnestly. Both started as the others came up. Katey's face was suddenly dyed with guilty blushes, as was also her companion's. The Doctor seized her arm with a "This is fine work, ma'am!" and walked away down to where the car riages were getting ready. The picnic was breaking up. The Doctor treated the young man with the most ceremonious politeness ; but his air was awfully stern and chilling. The rest of the party soon learned the cause of this change, and Mr. Morrison was coolly scornful to his friends on the matter. " Excellent and clever : but far too much over done !" And then the Colonel giving him a seat home, he entertained that officer and others with a disquisition on the Leader family and its state.

How they hoped soon to obtain a title or baronetcy, and were very great people. " Now as a country-town practitioner he is all very well, and an amusing fellow in his way. Nothing is more natural than that he should try and take in a young man of for tune for those clever daughters of his ; but I, as Mrs. Leader's brother, can't sanction the thing at all." The Colonel said, " of course not ;" and the others added that Peter was an uncom mon clever and scheming fellow. For thus are these delightfully comic fellows in variably sacrificed on the first convenient altar. Their dearest claret and punch friends will sell them for a mere twopennyworth, as it were, of complaisance, or for some little appeal that flatters vanity. The barouche and greys trundled home, an almost funereal and guilty party.

The Doctor was polite, but reserved, keeping his arms folded, and occasionally whistling in that attitude. The young man was silent and awed; while Polly, still glowering, darted fierce and passionate glances at her sister. At last they reached their own houses. The Doctor took leave of the young man in the most alarmingly ceremo nious and respectful fashion, and wdiispering " I'll see you later," followed his own daugh ters in. Then what a storm ! He found Polly like a tragedy queen, tramping about the room, weeping — upbraiding — now in a burst of hysterical passion on the sofa, and sobbing, " Oh ! the treachery ! the mean, cowardly, deceitful treachery of it !" Katey was fright ened, pale, and not able to speak. " Just step down with me to the study, Katey," said the Doctor. " Not till she is exposed — her mean treachery exposed !

I'll publish it, and " " Whist ! don't make such a fool of your self, or worse, make a row. Step down at once, Katey, and you stay there. D'ye hear !" In the study, with quite a changed manner, and setting himself in his armchair, Peter said, affectionately : " Now, my pet, out with it all." "Indeed, papa, it was not my fault, as I hope for the sight of dear heaven," and her devotional eyes went upw7ards. " And in deed, Peter, you might kill me this moment, if I had even a thought or suspicion of it. Not but that I thought him a little odd sometimes ; but, in-deed " (Katey al ways laid stress on that second syllable, and a very pretty cadence it gave to her voice.) " Now," said the Doctor, quietly, " don't think I'm angry with you, my pet. On the contrary ; but tell all that happened — out of the face, as they say over there," the Doc tor's fashion of alluding to his native country.

"When we went away after dinner," said Katey, obediently, " and began to ascend up to the Lovers' Leap, I went on with him, and Polly was to follow behind, at a little distance, with Tom Clarke." " What, in the name of goodness," the Doctor exclaimed, in wonder, " was that for?" Katey blushed. "Why, you see, Peter, it was my doing. And that is what makes me appear so mean and treacherous to her. I told her that I would talk to him of her, and tell him how she loved him, and thought of him, and dreamed of him, and was suited to him, when oh," and Katey burst into a flood of tears, " he did not mind what I was saying, not one word, but told me — that — that " " Out with it, pet," the Doctor said, com placently. " Don't be afraid. I'll help you through. He told you that it was you he was all along after, eh ?"

"Oh! yes, it's terrible, isn't it, Peter?" " Not a bit of it ! What's there terrible ? Heaven bless you for it, and prosper you for making your father's heart leap and skip, in a way it's been stranger to for many a day." Katey started back. " But you don't suppose, Peter, that I would do that — oh ! no ! take Polly's place ?" " What place, girl ? — is it the one she didn't get ? She started fair with you, had every chance — had more than her chance. Well, now, the game is for you, my pet, instead." She shrank back, nearer and nearer the door, shielding her face with her hand. " You don't mean this, Peter — you can't. What, that we were set at this voung man !" j _j O "Ah, no — not at all! I thought with you that he was head and heels in love with Polly. We thought wrong. It was you, Katey, instead.

What's the harm ?" " Oh, I could not ! — never, never !" "Oh, but ever, ever! See here now, Katey " and his jovial face changed into a fierce, savage, and threatening one. " See here plainly. Tricks of this sort won't do, my girl. You must go through with this. I won't be laughed at, and scoffed at, and degraded as the Failure-Doctor. I don't want to be hooted out of the place, as the schemer that tried to take in the fellow, and broke down, or was put down by that Morrison. " Then let us leave the place, Peter. In Heaven's name, yes. Better ■" " All folly and bosh ! Leave it, and leave it beggared ! I tell you I have put money on this, every halfpenny I could scrape or borrow. Do you want me ruined or dis graced for a girl's folly? And I won't have you pointed at as a poor pair of scheming hacks, that didn't know how to go about your trade.

I won't, I tell you, I won't ! Or, if ye choose to go against me in this " — here his face contorted, and his arm came down as if giving a blow — " by the Holy Woolsack, I'll run away in the night to America, and leave you all only the mud off my shoes to live on." Katey was utterly scared by this ha rangue. Her father had alw7ays been her brain, her soul ; there was great reason in these topics, and the allusion to the disgrace to the famil)7 came home to the Irish heart. And then, if Peter ran away ! She could only plead, falteringly : " But poor Tom Clarke, Peter " " Ah, nonsense ! Clockmadoodle ! I've no patience with you," the Doctor said, striking home. " You don't know what's before us. There'll be that low, proud woman coming down on us with her imper tinence, and giving us her orders : she won't suffer it — we are all low ' canal ;' and she wouldn't touch you, my beauties, with her parasol.

Above all, there's your ' low father,' the man she insulted— why, she'd give her two eyes to level me in the mud for my presumption." This again appealed to Katey 's national character. " As for that matter, Peter," she said, her lip curling with scorn, " we're as good as any Leader of them." " My dear, good, sensible Katey," the Doctor said, changing his tone, " I rely on you to stand by me. Do, for God's sake ! You don't know where we are ; there is lava under our feet, which may give way at any moment, and drop us into the crater of bankruptcy. You'll stand by me and dar ling Polly, whose fault this failure is not, and whom you can take to London under your own pretty wing, and bespeak her a fine husband any time. I always said you'd save the family and her. I did indeed ! Poor Polly — such a disappointment !

But I know you'll not ruin us." Utterly bewildered and overwhelmed, Katey could only say : "But this is not right, Peter ; marriage is not to be turned into such a thing. And oh ! poor Tom !" " Don't mention that name ; he insulted you and your father. Whist, come up with me. It's the finest thing for Polly in the world — the making of her !" He hurried her upstairs, and burst in upon Polly, still brooding over her mortification, indignant at the wrongs that came from her sister. But the Doctor swept all away impetuously. " Come, Polly, child, we've settled it all. It's not a bit Katey's fault. I acquit her, hoto-toto. Sure you're both in the same boat." " I'll never speak to her again, the artful, i. mean " Now stop all that ; you're going too far. You broke down, my pet, and should not grudge another.

Now don't bother me, you foolish child. Isn't, it all one ? Won't you go up to town, and ride in a carriage, and get Lord Maybe next ? For Heaven's sake, be quiet and patient for a half hour, while I go in and drive the big nail home."

CHAPTER XXX.

" THE BIG NAIL DRIVEN HOME." sMHIS wonderful Doctor had a special -*- manner of his own with his family, which was irresistible. Indeed, they all looked on him as a sort of deputy provi dence, whose decrees it was idle to think of opposing. Both girls therefore remained bewildered, and waited his return. He went round into the young man's room, closed the door, with an affected care to see that it fitted close, and then said in a stern voice : " See here, my dear Cecil, it is time that we have an explanation ; you've behaved ungenerously, sir, and unkindly to me." VOL. ii. c " No, indeed, I never meant — " began the youth, deprecatingly. " Didn't I put all confidence in you, sir ? I trusted to your honour. Do me the justice to say that in this very room I warned you beforehand, and cautioned you, sir, that I was not so mean as to let anything that could be called my own flesh and blood be trifled with.

I warned you solemnly. Do me that justice." " But, my dear Doctor, let me explain." " I want no explanation. The mischief's done now. It was artful and designing, Mr. Leader, and excuse me if I use strong terms ; mqjcing the poor young sister a blind to cover your advances to the elder. It was organized, sir, organized from the begin ning. D'ye think I'm going to have their tender names, with the bloom of the rye on them, belled about the parish ; these bright creatures pointed out by every lout in the place, whom they've offended for you ? D'ye think I'm to have their soft souls pining and fretting away — death to them and sport to you, sir ? D'ye think I'm go ing to have your lady mother piling her in sults on me, degrading me and my old family before the world ? I tell you, sir, neither you, nor she, nor they, know me, Peter Findlater, who may not be rich, sir, not titled, sir, not proud, or officially placed ; but a man with a hundred thousand three per cents in his brain, a gentleman born and bred, and that would not let child of his be insulted b)r the Duke himself."

(This, though it might seem to refer to some par ticular illustrious personage, was only a typical way of describing high rank in gene ral.) The young man was listening, cowed and trembling. " But I tell you," he said, " I should wish — I should like — to — nay — that c2 I love Miss Katey, and have loved " " Ah ! What's that to the point ? How's the reparation to be made ?" "Any way, only name it. If you would agree to the marriage " "That's nothing — that's no reparation. Don't ye know, in your heart of hearts, that there's more behind ; that there are those who would sooner see the undertaker mea suring you for an elm shirt than you giving your hand to her ? Don't you know that your mother-in-law, step-mother, or what ever she calls herself, would move heaven and earth, let alone every court in the king dom, to stop it ?"

" Oh, as for that, I'm of age, and my own master. I assure you I am ; and if only Miss Katey would — but she was so unkind and harsh to me to-day. As for Miss Polly, I couldn't — I couldn't bring myself— from the first day I saw Katey, I felt to her as if I don't know what to call it : that she was my fate ; and then it seemed to me that you all wished for Miss Polly " " I ! — w7e all !" the Doctor said, throwing his eyes up. " After that!" " Well, I know ; I had that idea. I was wrong, no doubt ; but I couldn't. Don't ask me. She is very beautiful and attrac tive, but I should not suit her. I should only make both wretched. But if I thought Katey " " Well," said the Doctor, indulgently, " I must say you've spoken out in a frank and manly way, that does you infinite credit. But what can I do in the matter ?

You must try and settle it with Katey. Polly will be heart-broken, for a time. This is what I dreaded from the first day I saw you ; but I kept warning, warning all parties I could. I'll say and do all I can, and can sav and do no more. Wait. I've a notion _/ the poor girl w7ill be clinging to the idea. I know she'll never bring herself to believe the naked truth. I see only one way. Use the knife. I mean," added the Doctor, ob serving the start his companion gave, " tell her the truth yourself, boldly and nakedly. Here, sit down and write a note to your friend Katey, and say whatever you have to say, as plain as you can. It's only mercy, cruel mercy, maybe, for the other." The young man sat down eagerly and wrote. The Doctor went over to the window, and smiled out at the garden. Sud denly he started.

" My dear boy, don't waste your words. That will do. No verbiage ; come to the point. What's all this ? ' You must forgive me ; but, hum — hum — my heart given to another — to your self Ah, that will open one of her eyes. ' If you would only respond to the affection of one who has long admired you at a distance !' Oh, never do," said the Doctor, impatiently — " surely every man admires every girl. Surely she's been told that by fifty fellows — at least, I'm sure she has !" added the Doctor, correcting himself. " Ah, man alive, put it in black and white what ever you have to offer her. Quick, now." He said this so impatiently and roughly, for a reason which the young man could not guess, that the latter started back and looked at him with astonishment and some dig nity. "Ah! I'm fretted and worried; and, hush ! there's some one at the hall-door.

Just say, your hand and heart. There, now sign it, and I'll take it in. Nothing could be better ; and — not a word to Morrison — this is he that's coming up." " Then don't go," said the young man, really alarmed. " Oh, don't leave me." Mr. Morrison entered, gave a suspicious frown when he saw the Doctor, who with a smile was wetting the gum of an envelope with his tongue, and said cheerily : " How are you after our dissipation, Mr. Morrison ?" Without answering this question, Mr. Mor rison said, " I am glad I found you here with C ecil, I wanted to see you." "Yes, we're here, having a little confab together, Mr. Morrison." " No doubt, no doubt. But I ain glad to meet you both together, for I wish to speak a little plainly to you, Doctor Findlater, and ■to him also." The Doctor pulled down his waistcoat.

" I object to no man speaking as plain as he likes to me, sir, provided he's prepared for reciprocity, sir; and provided also, that plainness keeps within its own two banks, like the canal, sir. What have you to say to me now, Mr. Morrison ?" " Why, simply this. The gossips of this place have told me the usual stories ; but what I saw myself to-day was more than enough. It won't do, and can't do. Those two young ladies are very charming ; but — " " Alluding to my daughters, sir ? Please to leave them out of the business. I don't like it, don't choose it." "As youplease. Well then, to speak gener ally, I think you, or any one, should know, that any proceeding on Mr. Leader's part without the approbation of his family would be unsatisfactory, and would only bring about very serious complications.

Further, Mr. Leader having just recovered from an illness, and being under your care, it would have a very ugly look — so " " Poor Mr. Leader !" said the Doctor, reflectively. " Well, I neversaw anything like this before. I believe you're his uncle, sir, on the father's side, or his half-brother? Oh, I always forget. Only Mrs. Leader's brother — the new agent. I beg your pardon !" There was something so studiously im pertinent in the way the Doctor said this, that the other coloured and lost his temper. As the Doctor perhaps intended he should. " No matter about that, sir. The family won't tolerate anything of this sort, I give you fair warning; I won't tolerate it, in their absence." " There is one of the family present," said the Doctor. " What do you say, sir? This is a fine hearing for you !

Have you no voice, Mr. Leader, in the presence of this gentleman ? You're in the army, I believe not quite at school ?" " I should hope not," said the young man, colouring. "I'm not quite a child, though I may have been ill. Mr. Morrison needn't interfere with me, or speak in that way." " But I must," said that gentleman, slowly ; " when I see you behaving in a foolish way it is time for me to protect you. It is not fair either to this gentleman's daughters, making them the talk of this place. There is a dishonour about it " " Doctor Findlater knows," said the young man, excitedly, " what I mean, and he can tell you " " Doctor Findlater knows," interrupted the Doctor, hastily, " that you're as nice and gentlemanly a fellow as I ever met, whom I and the girls would be glad to see on any footing.

I see no dishonour in your company and acquaintance. We're all as fond of him as if he was a brother or a cousin. You're making too great a fuss, Mr. Morrison, out of a harmless thing. Let him go to bed now. He's an officer and a gentleman, and shrewd and clever enough, and don't want any coaching up from his patron's confidential employer — eh, Mr. Cecil?" " Oh, this is the way, is it ? Well, I have done my part," said Mr. Morrison ; " and I gave you warning, and with the best inten tion. A shrewd man, as you are reported to be, I thought you would see that this would not do. However, there is nothing like the event, and that must prove it to you. Good-night, Doctor Findlater. Don't let us detain you." The Doctor said good-night with the most perfect good-humour. " Won't do, won't it?" he repeated.

"At the worst, we can slap an action at you, my fine fellows, and see what a jury will say. I'd just put Katey in the witness-box, and her sweet face would be worth an extra thousand pounds !" But Mr. Morrison presently went home, wrote a telegram, enclosed it in a letter to London, and posted it that very night.

CHAPTER XXXI. ANOTHER NAIL DRIVEN.

T"S TE may be sure that the local gossips had something to talk of next dav. The universal Grundys were wild with speculation. Every one had it that the Doctor had succeeded in his coup, and that Miss Polly had happily secured the prize. The radiant face of the Doctor confirmed this great news. Though, when he was openly congratulated, he quite disclaimed it. Good gracious ! Now wasn't this hard — friends couldn't be friends, and a nice young fellow come in and chat with two girls as nice, with out such stories being set on foot! Meanwhile the two young ladies were in a tremor of excitement. It is easy to see that Katey will have lost all sympathy by this time; not only that of some honest friends of hers, who could not believe what they read in the w7oebegone face of the par son's son, but from those who are kind enough to follow the present account of her adventures.

Yet it is surprising how little pure constancy there is in the world, after all; how far even the most tender and sympathetic nature can be talked into a course that seems cruel and unsympathetic. There she was, alone with her family, all against her, all pressing, remonstrating, laying the ruin of the family to her wretched and selfish self. Had she any spirit at all ? Would she put up with the imperious, the arrogant tone of that Clarke, who brought her to book in that way ? Had she no regard for the poor, darling, disappointed ANOTHER NAIL DRIVEN. Polly, whose heart was breaking at the mortification, and to whom she could only make up in this way, as she had interposed be tween her and success? There was no hurry. Besides we may quite conceive how she came gradually to believe that she had behaved cruelly and unkindly- ; and it flashed on her of a sudden that she had indeed ,de stroyed poor Polly's certain chance; though who told her that it was certain, was not very clear.

But the Doctor, as he said himself, never left anything to that old thief with the scythe, or indeed to any one ; if it was a thing he fancied, he must do it himself. He went in to see his old friend " Clarke, the parson," and to talk over the " lightsome innocent day" they had had, in which "th' apostle Paul himself might have joined." Parson Clarke, rather old and enfeebled, was what is called a " high fellow," having good connexions, in which he took pride. He had never favoured his son's liking for that "low whisky-drinking Doctor," and the Doctor, as we have seen, had artfully neither favoured nor discouraged the youth. Never was he so gay and full of fun. After sketching the day and its incidents, he said : * *■ " But here was the cream of all : my de mure Katey, seeing the flirting going on about her, right and left, up and down, cross hands, sir, must needs get up a yearn ing to join in the fun, and what does the wicked reprobate do, but go and cut out her own sister !

I declare she does. Our poor Tom's nowhere, I am afraid, at this moment." " I heard something of this," said the other, stiffly ; " but I think the young lady should know her own mind. I never thought it a desirable thing for either, as there was no ANOTHER NAIL DRIVEN. 33 money ; but still, once there was an under standing " " Oh ! I'm afraid that understanding has broken down in the knees. She was first flattered : then pleased : then I suppose she pitied, and after pity comes — what we know. I declare I laughed for an hour at the sly boots. ' Papa,' she says to me, in her innocent way, ' I can't help it. I know it's cruel. And then, you know, there's poor Polly !'" "I think it cruel," said the other, "and not very creditable. Tom is sensitive, and has feelings ! Once he has set his heart on a thing " "Well, my dear clergyman, he may tie his feelings up in brown paper for all the use he'll get out of them now.