Fair Women

Chapter I. Expediency

niR CLAYTON and Lady Grace Farquhar sat at breakfast in their plea sant morning-room at Endon Vale. Lady Grace had poured out the tea, and but tered herself a piece of toast, and then she turned to look at the letters whicli had just been taken from the post-bag. " Three for you, my dear," she remark ed, handing them over to her husband ; " one from your cousin Francis. Open that first ; I Avant to know if he is com ing. Only one for me this morning," she VOL. II. B continued, taking up a fourth letter, " and I do not know the writing. It bears the Holton post-mark. Who can it be from ?" and Lady Grace broke the seal. " Francis will be here next week," said Sir Clayton, looking up. "He is still in Scotland, grouse-shooting, but will be here to help us with the partridges, he a says. "And who do you think my corre spondent is, Clayton ?" asked his wife.

" I cannot guess, my dear." " Mrs. Champion," returned Lady Grace. " This is a most polite note, begging us to drive over and dine at Hurst Manor, and, as the distance is so great, to stay the night." " Of course you will decline, Grace ?" " Indeed, my dear, I shall do nothing of the sort. The arrangement suits my views exactly." EXPEDIENCY. " My dea,r Grace, what are you think ing of? You ahvays told me you did not like the Champions, and I have often known you object seriously to staying a night hi a strange house, even with intimate friends." " My dear Clayton, what a memory you have !" exclaimed his Avife, laughing. " I am afraid your mind is aAvay with your books. Do you not recollect the project I told you of reconciling old Sir Howard to his pretty grand-daughter ? — accepting this invitation will give me the very opportunity I desire."

" Ah ! Grace," said Sir Clayton, shaking his head, " you never will take my advice, and leave people to settle their own affairs. You are far too philanthropic, and too much philantliropy is as bad as too little. When I write my treatise on Phrenology, I shall introduce some of b your unsuccessful mediations and charities, to show the evil results of too much benevolence. Now do take my advice, and leave Sir Howard and his grand-daughter alone." "My dear Clayton, I always try to do good where I can, and the circumstances in which this girl is placed give me a particularly reasonable opportunity for making a good-natured attempt. If I fail in inducing her grandfather to accede to my wishes, I shall take her up all the more warmly myself." " My dear Grace," interposed her husband, " I know you are sensible and kind, and generally in the right.

Still, I am by no means sure that should you fail in persuading Sir Howard to notice Miss Eyre, you will be acting Avisely in asking her here. Remember that she now occupies a humble position, and has EXPEDIENCY. 5 never been into any kind of society what ever; and that to introduce her at once amongst girls who haA-e had every advan tage Avill be not only to make her dis contented with her own station, but to render her liable to their sneering re marks and undisguised contempt." " If you once saw Winifred Eyre, Clay ton," remarked his wife, "you would not for one moment be under any apprehen sion as to her giving my other guests an ex cuse for sneers or contempt. She has an air of breeding that strikes }-ou at once, and a gentle self-possession astonish ing in a girl of her age. I am not the least afraid of her being treated with con tempt.

She is far more likely to be looked on with jealous dread as a dangerous rival. However, I am determined to accept Mrs. Champion's invitation — unless, indeed, you object seriously." " Not I. If you are bent upon it, we a\ ill go by all means." And so Lady Grace wrote an acceptance. Sir Clayton Farquhar was a curious compound of qualities. He was a good natured man in the main, but tiresome and eccentric to a degree. Lady Grace had had a weary time with him the last fifteen years, but had been very good and patient ; and he was sensible of it, and very fond of her. From the time of their marriage he had been constantly in delicate health, and perpetual anxiety about himself had made him fretful and impatient. He had been fond of travelling, and would insist on moving from place to place, which was a great trial to his Avife.

Two children that were born to them in the first years of their marriage had died from the effects of long journeys EXPEDIENCY. Avhich Sir Clayton insisted on, and they never had any more. Within the last ten years he had taken an entirely new hobby, and become an inveterate scribbler. Not having patience to undertake a work of any length, he dribbled away his ener gies in Avriting essays on any and every subject that interested him for the thne. He considered himself quite a literaiy genius, and, as far as his sense of politeness permitted (he was an exceedingly Avell-bred man), was in the habit of boring everyone with quotations from his works, and plans for future treatises. He con stantly Avrote letters to the Times, and sent his articles to magazines ; and when the former were ignored, and the latter returned, it had not the slightest effect in diminishing his literary ardour.

He con soled himself by remarking, that there was so much petty jealousy amongst writers, that the acrimony and spite with which they regarded a new competitor was not surprising. Lady Grace had imagined at first that this new penchant would afford her con siderable relief, but it proved quite other- Avise. He insisted upon her reading to him for an hour regularly every morning, besides searching over all manner of weighty tomes for the quotations or references he required ; and as his eyes were at times Aveak, she was forced to act as his amanu ensis, and sit sometimes for hours together, writing at his dictation. Then he always insisted on reading and discussing his com positions with her, so that poor Lady Grace had a weary time of it. But she was so sweet and gentle by nature, so unselfish and kind by long habit and self-control, that she scarcely ever allowed the least sign of impatience to escape her, but de- EXPEDIENCY. 9 AToted herself to his amusement Avith un complaining zeal.

Mrs. Champion's dinner-party was fixed for the twenty-eighth of August. She was very anxious that Lady Grace should ac cept her inA'itation, as she was one of the leading persons in the county, and from her position and aristocratic connexions, a very desirable acquaintance. There was an other and more important reason still. Lord Harold Erskine was her nephew, and was going to stay at Endon Vale for the shooting. Now Mrs. Champion knew that Lady Grace intended to invite several young ladies to her house during the shooting season, and she was very anxious that her daughter should be a guest there during Lord Harold's stay. She was sure Flora had made a decided impression on him, and thought that a visit in the same house could not fail to complete it. She had suggested to Sir Howard the expedi ency of paying some attention to Lady Grace Farquhar with this object, and he had unhesitatingly concurred.

It was al ways to her father-in-law that Mrs. Cham pion confided her matrimonial schemes, for she knew how useless it was to speak to her husband on the subject. Indeed, any topic turning on the advisability of endeavouring to get Flora married, generally ended by putting him into a violent passion. The evening of the dinner-party came — the guests arrived, and Lady Grace was received with empressement, and taken in to dinner by Sir Howard. She had al ways been a great favourite with the baronet since the days of her friendship Avith his youngest daughter — he had been heard, indeed, to quote her as the type of feminine perfection. She was quite EXPEDIENCY. aware of his predilection for her, and on this evening took unusual pains to please him. She had an object in Avinning him to a happy, pleasant frame of mind.

Sir HoAvard was in a most exceptionally good temper — he chatted away in a cordial, un affected manner, that was very rare with him, and Lady Grace was patiently and watchfully biding her time. She began to speak of Mr. Hastings. " Can you throw any light on the sud den and mysterious departure of your neighbour, Mr. Hastings?" she asked. " Indeed I cannot," replied Sir Howard, a shght frown gathering on his brow. " I think he must be mad — coming home for a month or two, furnishing the Court in an almost regal manner, organis ing a complete staff of servants, and lead ing everyone to suppose it was his fixed intention to remain in England, and then FAIR AVOMEN. flitting off in his yacht just before the shooting commences, and giving no reason for his erratic vagaries." " It seems perfectly unaccountable," ac quiesced Lady Grace.

"I am so sorry he is gone — he was a great favourite of mine. Sir Howard," she added gently, lowering her voice, " I want to speak to you about another great favourite of mine. Will you listen to me patiently for a few moments ?" "Assuredly," he answered, in some surprise. "I am going to enter upon a forbidden subject — will you promise not to be an noyed with me, but to hear me out?" "I promise," returned the baronet, smiling, and not in the least suspecting the unwelcome topic that his guest was about to broach. " You remember," began Lady Grace, EXPEDIENCY. " what dear friends poor Winifred and I used to be." Sir Howard frowned, and bent his head in silence. " It would perhaps be impertinent," she continued, "for me to give any opinion as to whether she was treated with undue harshness by her family ; I will only say, I have never ceased to regret that I was absent from England, and unable to com fort my dear friend in her subsequent troubles."

She was watching Sir Howard keenly, in expectation of an outbreak — but he was silent ; only his brows were sternly knitted. "The other day," she proceeded, in her low, soft tones, " I paid a visit to my old friend, Madame de Montolieu, and was introduced to a very charming, graceful young girl, who pleased me greatly. I have seen her again to-day, and I love her already. That girl, Sir Howard, was poor Winifred's cliild — your grand-daugh ter. Have you ever seen her ?" Sir Howard looked up suddenly, with suppressed anger. " No !" he answered sternly ; " nor do I wish. Lady Grace, perhaps you are not aware what a painful subject you are touching upon. I beg you to spare me further allusion to it." " I was hi hopes," she said softly, " I should have induced you to notice this poor child — if you could only see her, I am sure you would her, she has such a be proud to own graceful, high-bred a manner.

"It is quite out of Grace — do not press you. I am convinced the question, Lady me further, I beg your motive is only kindness, but I cannot accede to such a request."' EXPEDIENCY. " You mistake, Sir Howard, I have other motives — I will confide the principal one to you, if you give me a moment's attention. You know I have no daughter of my own, and I have often longed to find a young girl who could hi some de gree stand in place of one to me. When I saw Winifred's child, she seemed to me the ideal of my Avishes, and I longed to adopt her as my own. It is very un likely that her father would consent to such an arrangement, even if I should have courage to propose it ; but he pro mised me this afternoon that she shall pay me a long visit, and I expect her at Endon Vale next week. Now, my dear Sir Howard, I Avas proposing to myself the pleasure of inviting Miss Champion to make one of my party for a few weeks, the more especially as, I may whisper to you in confidence, my nephew Harold was most urgent in entreating that I would ; but of course it is out of the question to have two cousins in my house, one of whom ignores or disdains the other.

I cannot, for politeness sake, urge you far ther, but I shall feel great regret if my interest in your dead daughter's child be the means of bringing estrangement upon our old and sincere friendship." Lady Grace faltered a little as she ut tered the last words. Sir Howard was touched. There were several feelings working in his mind. If Lady Grace, who held the highest position in the county, wished to notice this girl, who, after all, was as much his grand-daughter as Flora, why should he stand in the way? Besides, Lady Grace's last words seemed almost to imply a threat that their acquaintance must drop if not terminate altogether, in case he still EXPEDIENCY. refused to notice her protegee, and then the hopes that he and his daughter-in-law had entertained of Lord Harold Erskine's proposing to Flora would be at an end.

It was singular the anxiety Sh Howard felt as to his grand-daughter's establish ment — it seemed almost the one great care of his life. So, after a little de liberation, he determined in his OAvn mind that the best policy would be to comply Avith his guest's demand ; and just a ray of tenderness for the memory of his long forgotten dead child coming into the hard old heart, he turned to Lady Grace, and made answer, " You have asked a hard thing of me, Lady Grace — one I have been long and bitterly resolved against; still, for the sake of your old friendship for my dead daughter, I will not refuse you altogether. But mark this — no earthly conc VOL. sideration shall induce me to see or speak with the man Eyre, neither at present do I wish to be brought into contact with the girl. But I shall request Mrs. Champion to call with you and see her, and I shall desire of Flora that, should she meet Miss Eyre at your house, she will behave to her with all courtesy."

"A thousand thanks, my dear Sir How ard," cried Lady Grace, delighted at the success of her mission ; " that is all I ask." At this moment there was a movement amongst the ladies, and Lady Grace rose. " Mrs. Champion," 'she said to her hostess, as they sat together in the drawing room that evening, " I have just been troubling Sir Howard with a very urgent request, and now I am come to importune you. Mrs. Champion made up her mind at once that this urgent request related in EXPEDIENCY. some way to the expected invitation for Flora, and smiled radiantly as she answered. " If Sir Howard acceded to it, you may be quite sure of my ready consent." " I am glad to say that I was success ful in persuading Sh Howard," Lady Grace replied; "but you have even more power to help me." " Pray let me know at once what I can do for you, Lady Grace."

" I want to enlist your kind, womanly sympathies, Mrs. Champion. I want you to do something that may at first be a little distasteful to you, but which I am certain you will not aftenvards repent." Mrs. Champion was surprised. She could not conceive to what object these words tended, so she gave a silent bow of attention. " I do not know," Lady Grace proceeded, " whether you have ever heard of the great friendship Avhich subsisted betAveen c2 your poor sister-in-law, Winifred, and my self. I had not the pleasure of knowing you at that time, as you were living in the north with Mr. Champion, during the first years of your marriage. I do not wish to pain you by any allusion to her ill-advised marriage. I will only say how deeply I have often grieved that I was abroad at the time, and unable to prove my affection for her when she most needed it.

A few weeks ago I met her daughter at the house of my old friend, Madame de Montolieu, and was quite startled by her beauty and extreme air of refinement. Madame de Montolieu, who has educated, and been almost a mother to her, speaks of her amiability and talents in the highest terms, so that I have resolved to have her often with me, and give her an opportunity of seeing a class of society which will be far more congenial to her, and for EXPEDIENCY. Avhich she is far better fitted than that in which she seems to be placed at pre sent. I have been trying to persuade Sir Howard to recognize her." "And you succeeded?" exclaimed Mrs. Champion, in blank dismay. " I hope so." " May I ask by what means ?" " I was mentioning to Sir Howard how aAvkward it Avould be if Miss Champion — Avhom I hope I shall succeed in inducing to stay Avith me at Endon Vale — should meet her cousin there, and refuse to notice her.

It would, of course, be a personal affront to myself, and I represented to him how easily all these disagreeables might be avoided by your all consenting to recognize her." Mrs. Champion was more ruffled and annoyed than she would have cared to confess. She was most anxious for her FAIR AVOMEN. daughter to be invited to Endon Vale, and she was perfectly aAvare that it would be quite out of the question if she refused Lady Grace Farquhar's earnest petition. But at all events she must speak to her father-in-law first. If Mr. Hastings had still been in the country, no earthly con sideration would have induced her to yield ; but he was gone, and so perhaps, after all, it did not much matter — a little cold courtesy was all that Avas demanded. So she turned to her visitor, and said with the best grace she could command, " My dear Lady Grace, you must not be surprised if I hesitate a little in con curring with your most unexpected demand.

I must crave a little leisure to think over my ansAver; and when I have consulted Sh Howard as to his wishes on the sub ject, we will talk the matter over again." And the conversation dropped.

Chapter II. Recognised At Last

TTTHEN all the guests had departed, Sir " " Howard and his daughter-in-laAV went to the library for a little conversa tion. " Where is Flora ?" asked the old gentleman. " In her room, I suppose. I saw her on the stairs not a minute ago." Sir Howard rang the bell. "Let Miss Champion know I wish to see her at once," he said to the servant. "It is a pity to disturb her now," in terposed Mrs. Champion ; "I daresay she is tired, poor child." FAIR WOMEN. The footman remained, apparently await ing Sir Howard's decision. "Go and do as I tell you!" said the baronet angrily ; and the man retired has tily. Flora came down presently, looking very cross and sulky. "What do you want with me, grandpapa i " Sit down, and don't look so damned ill-tempered, and I'll tell you!" But Flora chose to remain standing, and to retain the same expression of face.

Mrs. Champion, remarking this, and being very much afraid of a scene between the two, hastened to divert theh attention. " Lady Grace was telling me she had persuaded you to consent to a request she made you. If it is true, I shall almost doubt the evidence of my senses." Sir Howard uttered an anathema under his breath, that included Lady Grace and her sex in general. "You may beheve them, such as they are," he answered snappishly. A very dis agreeable old man in the bosom of his family was Sh HoAvard. " You have really consented to recognize this man Eyre's daughter ?" " What !" cried Flora in quick, sharp tones — "what do you say, mamma?" "Are you beginning to doubt the evi dence of your senses too ?" said her grandfather Avith a sneer. " Not only mine, but those of the whole family," returned Flora quickly.

" Sir Howard, what possible motive could you have for binding yourself to such a promise?" asked her mother. "Don't you think it possible, Margaret," he remarked provokingly, " that I may be anxious to put it to the test whether all FAIR AVOMEN. grand-daughters are equally disrespectful and presumptuous?" "Come, Sir Howard," said Mrs. Cham pion soothingly; "let us lay aside this bickering, and talk the matter over seri ously." "Very well," said Sir Howard, dogmat ically. "Attend to what I am going to say. With regard to my motive in consenting to Lady Grace Farquhar's wishes — if you bring the senses you were just speaking of to bear upon the matter, you will probably arrive at a tolerably correct conclusion. You Avant Flora and Lord Harold Erskine to meet, don't you ? Well, the only opportunity she Avill have of doing so this year will be at Endon Vale, and Lady Grace implied pretty plainly that, as she intended to take this Winifred Eyre up, I must either recognise her or our acquaintance must drop.

As that would have put an end to your matrimonial schemes, Mrs. Champion, I thought it better to give a partial consent." " Do you mean to say, mamma," cried Flora, breathlessly, " that Lady Grace Far quhar has invited that creature to stay at Endon Vale?" "You seem to forget, Miss Champion," remarked her grandfather mockingly, " that that creature is your first cousin." " You and mamma may please yourselves," uttered Flora superbly ; "I shall take no notice of her." "You are a foolish, headstrong girl," cried Sh HoAvard angrily ; "I am perfectly sick of your silly airs. You will do as I tell you." " Certainly not in this instance," ansAvered Miss Champion, proudly, sweeping from the room, and leaAong the baronet almost chok ing with passion. FAIR WOMEN. " Do not heed what she says," implored her mother ; "she will see things differently in the morning, and will, I can answer for it, comply with your wishes."

" She had better ! " he cried furiously, "she had better, or, by heaven, I'll drop her altogether, and take up this other ghl." " Now, my dear Sir Howard, pray do not excite yourself, but tell me what you wish me to do." " I wish you to go with Lady Grace to morrow, and call upon the ghl, and be civil to her ; and I insist on your seeing that if Lady Grace invites Flora to stay, she be haves courteously to her cousin, and drops her damned high and mighty airs." " I must say," remarked Mrs. Champion, "that I do not at all hke the idea of going to conciliate this girl, whom we have ig nored all her life-time. I do not wish to know anything of her." "Very well, very well," exclaimed her father-in-law, testily ; " do as you like — do as you like ; only remember this, you throAv away your sole chance with Lord Harold Erskine, and you will only make Lady Grace take up Winifred Eyre all the more warmly.

I know Lady Grace well — if she once takes to anyone, she stands to them firmly. The probability is, that if the ghl makes herself necessary to her, she will in troduce her into as good and better society tli an Flora moves in ; and if Miss Eyre is as pretty and clever as Lady Grace describes her, Lord Harold will fall in love with her, and perhaps marry her. If you decline to do as I Avish, I wash my hands of Flora's love affairs for the future, and leave you to manage them yourself." Mrs Champion saw keenly the force of Sir Howard's remarks, so she made a virtue of necessity, and said graciously, FAIR AVOMEN. " My dear Sir HoAvard, you are perfectly right, as I must confess you always are. I will call on Miss Eyre to-morrow, and I shall talk seriously to Flora about complying with your wishes.

Good night." " Good night, Margaret," said the Baro net grimly. " I am glad to see your senses have returned." The next morning Mrs. Champion rose earlier than usual, and went to her daugh ter's room. "Flora, my love ! — wake up — I want to talk to you." " Oh ! mamma ! do leave me alone," said Miss Champion, yawning. " I am so tired !" " Nonsense, Flora — it is quite time you were up — you will only provoke your grandpapa if you are late at breakfast." " I don't care," returned her daugh ter ! " I hate him. He is a disagreeable, tyrannical old wretch. I wish he was dead " "Hush! hush! my dear — you do not know what you are saying. Now do, for my sake, Flora, try and conciliate him a little, and leave off provoking him, as you have done lately." " I Avill not be domineered over by him or any one else," said Flora, sulkily.

" Now, Flora, do be reasonable," inter posed her mother. "You ought to have more tact. Sir Howard is easy enough to manage if you only humour him a little, and you know he is very proud of you." "He worries me to death, mamma. I wish I was married and away from him." " Then, my dear, if you wish that, I am surprised you act in the way you do. You seem to me to be throwing your chances away." " What do you mean, mamma ? Is it Mr. Hastings you are taunting me with?" "Taunting? Flora! how can you be so absurd?" "I suppose I could not help his behav ing in the way he did," continued Miss Champion. "I am sure he intended to propose to me. I daresay that artful, designing creature was at the bottom of it all — I hear he was always about with her. Mamma, is it really true that Lady Grace Farquhar has invited her to Endon Vale ?"

" Perfectly true — she told me so her self. That artful old Frenchwoman has been working on her feelings, I have no doubt." " But what ever should put such an idea into her head?" "Well, you know, my dear, twenty years ago Lady Grace and your Aunt Winifred were very great friends, and it appears she has taken up this absurd phil anthropic notion on that account." "Then I don't care to go to Endon Vale," said Miss Champion, decisively. "Flora! how foolish you are," rejoined her mother. " Can you. not see that by this opposition you are not preventing Lady Grace's scheme, but furthering it ! You are not only losing your own chance of Lord Harold Erskine, but you are giv ing it up to her." The last remark seemed to impress Flora very forcibly. She was silent for a minute or two, thinking — then she looked up and said graciously, " Very well, mamma — I shall do as you and grandpapa wish me.

And now please ring the bell for Hawkes — it is time I was getting up." Immediately after breakfast Mrs. Chanip pion said to her visitor — VOL. II. D " I shall be happy to accompany you to the Farm this morning, Lady Grace, to call upon Miss Eyre." "Thank you a thousand times, Mrs. Champion," returned Lady Grace. 'You are indeed kind; I did not venture to hope for such a speedy compliance with my request. Shall we set off at once?" " Whenever you please." " Then I think, if it will not be taking you out too early, I should like to go now, as we start from here at two o'clock." Mrs. Champion ordered the carriage, and in half an hour it was at the door. Winifred was gathering roses in the garden as the carriage from the Manor drove up the road. She turned away to the house. She could not bear the con temptuous looks the Champions cast on her as they went by.

But then she heard the carriage stop, and she looked back in surprise. The footman was letting down the steps, and Mrs. Champion was de scending, followed by Lady Grace Farqu har. What could it mean ? The blood rushed to her face, and for a moment she hesitated. Then she went forward. " You did not expect visitors so early, my dear," said Lady Grace, kissing her. " Mrs. Champion has come to call upon you. Mrs. Champion came forward and shook hands Avith her, and uttered a few polite commonplaces, which put Winifred at her ease. She had a great deal too much tact to allude to the past — indeed, she behaved precisely as though she and Winifred saw and heard of each other for the first time. Winifred soon recovered her composure, and invited them to enter the house. d Mrs. Champion was struck by the taste and elegance displayed in the miniature drawing-room, and whilst Winifred was talking to Lady Grace, she examined her keenly.