Belfield. A novel

Front matter

Belfield " ARE ALL MEN, MEN? OR ARE ALL STONES RUBIES?" Old Proverb. Belfield A Novel By Esca Gray London Skeffington and Son, Piccadilly, W. Publishers to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales MDCCCXCVI CONTENTS. chap. page I. THE BLYTHE FAMILY i II. BEAUTY AND FORM ... ... ... ... 9 III. EASTHAM COTTAGE AND ITS INMATES ... 18 IV. OLD MARGET ... ... ... ... ... 29 V. THE MINISTER'S "AT HOME" 40 VI. CRITICISMS AND OBSERVATIONS ... ... 56 VII. LOVE AND DISAPPOINTMENT ... ... 68 VIII. THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTEREST ... 76 IX. A VISIT AND ITS CONSEQUENCES 87 X. FRIENDS IN COUNCIL ... ... ... 100 XI. ON THINGS RELIGIOUS ... ... ... no XII. REFLECTIONS AND FEARS vi. PAGE CHAP. XIII. A MOTHER'S SOLICITUDE ... ... ••• 126 XIV. BELFIELD IN A TRANSCENDENTAL MOOD 135 XV. LETTERS ... ... ... ... ... 145 XVI. THE WORLD.

THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL 156 XVII. THE CRISIS REACHED 175 XVIII. THE LAST STRA.W ... ... ... ... 185 XIX. CONFLICTING VIEWS ... ... ... 199 XX. ROUNDED OFF ... ... ... ... BELFIELD.

Chapter I

The Blythe Family. K^æS^JJ EL FIELD BLYTHE was possessed of a mind H P^__? distinctly original. In addition to this, she r i_m| was descended from a good old puritan stock on her father's side. She could with confidence speak of her grandfather, her great grandfather, her great, great grandfather, all of whom had handed down in unbroken succession the qualities which combine to produce a gentleman. The angularities possessed by some still more remote ancestors had been gradually softened and rounded off in each succeeding generation, and until some three and twenty years before the period of which we write there had been no foolish or unworthy marriage. The admixture of gentle blood with that of a sterner quality had resulted in a mellow compound which is as rare as it is beautiful and good.

The Rev. Robert Blythe, her father, had been the A Belfield. 2 last male representative of his race, and for the past twelve months the honour of upholding the dignity and integrity of the family had fallen into the hands of those who are supposed to belong to the frailer and weaker sex. How far they were capable of carrying out the trust imposed upon them will be revealed as time goes on. Mr. Blythe had always looked exactly what he was — every inch a gentleman. Even the clerical coat, so odious in most men, looked well on him, and conferred an added dignity, though fashioned of the glossiest broadcloth. It is seldom that years — decades — and centuries roll on without the line of wisdom being broken, and alas for Mr. Blythe, the fates ordained that he should be an example of what one foolish step can do.

In his early years he had committed the fatal mistake, which it is the misfortune of so many of those in his position to fall into. Having the entree to houses of every degree in the social scale, perhaps he was spoiled by choice, at any rate his fancy fixed on an only child of one of the members of his congregation. Rose Romaine was young and slim, with an evanescent kind of beauty, which charms the eye while it lasts. Who does not love to look upon the rounded cheek, sweet colouring and freshness of youth ? and how many young men pause to consider what there is to supplement such fleeting charms when they vanish, as all too soon they will? Like many weak people Rose was persistent, and The Blythe Family. 3 having little wisdom to temper her will she was ready to sacrifice everything to gain her point.

From the first moment of her introduction to Robert Blythe she made up her mind that she would pose in Wood Street Church as the minister's wife. It never occurred to her to ask herself if she were prepared to surrender her own will in some degree, and make those manifold sacrifices which are supposed to be incumbent on such as venture to be co-partners in ministerial life, or if in any way she were suited to the position. All she knew, or cared for, was that Robert Blythe satisfied her taste and pleased her fancy. She had strong ideas of personal attraction, and being a dark beauty herself, admired his yellow hair and his blue eyes. His chivalrous homage, too, (for like all good men he had profound faith in womanhood) gratified her vanity. Assisted by her father, Rose played her cards well, and before the young minister knew where he was, he found himself the possessor of a modicum of coin, a pair of black eyes, and a few pounds of flesh, surrounding the little soul within.

It does not take long for the varnish of unreality to wear off, and the Rev. Robert Blythe had not worn the yoke of matrimony many months before the real character of his wife was revealed to him. She developed into what nature, and the nurture of her friends, had evidently intended her to be — a somewhat perverse, dissatisfied creature. It is a sad awakening when one first finds out that Belfield. 4 one's angel is only common clay. On making this discovery Mr. Blythe acted the part of the true gentle man he was ; instead of becoming morose and finding fault continually, as he might easily have done, he endeavoured to make the best of the situation in which he found himself, and succeeded so far as almost to deceive himself; at any rate, those both within and without his family circle always believed him to be devoted to his wife.

Children followed each other in quick succession, and were almost as quickly removed by death, leaving the nursery at the Manse for many years with only two occupants, Belfield and Sylvia ; then a son was born, much to the delight of his mother, who was constantly desiring to have her father's name handed down to posterity, but when the opportunity came she decided differently, giving as her reason for this sudden change of mind, " that he might not turn out well " ; she therefore expressed a desire that he should be named after her husband. But whom the gods love die young, as Mrs. Blythe remarked at the time, and as the male scion of the house would probably have inherited his mother's nature and constitution, it was perhaps providential that he was soon called upon to relinquish the battle of life.

From this time the minister's wife sank into what she had long believed herself to be, a semi-invalid, and the little girls had less and less of a mother's care and super vision. Many expenses were incurred in the household ; The Blythe Family. 5 the servants with no head to guide them became extrava gant. Doctors' bills were heavy, and the wife's grumblings heavier. All these calamities threatened to overwhelm the poor minister, who, had he not found comfort in his church and in his children, might have sunk under his difficulties. The little girls helped largely to make life worth living, and proved their claim to good descent, especially Belfield the elder ; Sylvia's nature had perhaps a little more of the alloy introduced by her mother, but on the whole she was a worthy representative of her father's side of the house.

For many years the church worked harmoniously ; the Pastor (who threw his whole heart into his work) and his people stood in the relation of father and family to each other, but in the course of time old and faithful members died, and by degrees, with new and unworthy men, schism crept in. The congregation, with some half dozen exceptions, still idolized their minister, but alas ! there is no flower that insects will not visit, and this case was not the exception to the rule ; yet those who attacked the noble soul they could not understand had the satisfaction of finding themselves in the position in which they had aimed to place another. They were ignominiously thrust out of the church by its indignant members, not, however, before disastrous results had been achieved, for through their means the union which had been complete so long, was in the end broken up and scattered to the wind.

Belfield. Mr. Blythe, always sensitive and highly strung, had suffered under the stress and strain of months of anxiety and irritation, and by the advice of his medical man it now became imperative that he should relinquish his work and seek a rest and change. His greatest difficulty in doing this was limited means, for the expenses of the past few years had swallowed up most of his yearly income. Many anxious hours were spent in studying pros and cons, and the decision was at length finally made. His daughters were now educated, he reflected ; probably the change he sought would add ten years to his life, and an additional advantage would be that he could get as much occasional work as he desired ; there was no need to rust. A beautiful town in the north of England, not far from mountain and lake, was decided upon, and there the family removed.

Mrs. Blythe did not take kindly to her altered circumstances ; the burden of her song ever being the misery of poverty and lost position. Her husband was very tender towards her in those days, curbing his high spirit as she bewailed her lot. It was a pathetic sight to see the strong man rising above irritation caused by the smallness of the woman who should have been his greatest support in the hour of trial. At times she went just a little too far, for though Mr. Blythe's temper was usually of the sweetest, when roused to anger he could assert himself in no uncertain way, just as the choicest flowers, when touched by an The Blythe Family. 7 unkindly hand, will lose their beauty and crumple into a shapeless mass, while those of a smaller and meaner growth retain their more compact and stunted form, suffering far less from reckless usage.

Mrs. Blythe, however, had not long in which to bewail her poverty. A rich uncle of her husband's died, leaving to his only nephew (after various legacies) the residue of his fortune. This at once placed the family in more than comfort, and Mrs. Blythe was again enabled to command those amusements which secured her the greatest amount of pleasure and satisfaction. She had a perfect passion for cheap bargains, and would spend hours in a sale-room — invalid though she was — in the vain attempt to save sixpence. On one occasion a bandbox arrived during her absence from home ; it was casually opened by her husband, and was found to contain a dozen widow's caps, which she afterwards explained had been picked up for an old song. Mr. Blythe smiled grimly, said nothing, but thought much. Thus the days rolled on, each member of the family in Eastham Cottage being, in his and her way, fairly happy.

If Mr. Blythe found little pleasure in his wife's society he experienced much in that of his daughters, who in return regarded him not only with warm affection but with natural pride, for, as Sylvia often remarked, " his very presence was inspiring to look upon." Belfield was perhaps the favourite with her father. In her he saw an exact reproduction of his mother, whom he had Belfield. always believed to be one of the most perfect beings ever created. He frequently recognized himself also in the nature of his child, more especially in her younger days, when she had been somewhat passionate and quick in temper. Her action sometimes, and the expression of her face, reminded him so strongly of himself, that he felt positively alarmed as he noted with what emphasis she stamped her little foot and laid down the law ; but these exhibitions did not often occur, and in her melting moments she was sweet and refreshing as a summer shower.

For two years the even tenor of their way was un disturbed ; the young girls shewed themselves friendly, and thereby gained many friends. Mrs. Blythe was tolerated for her husband's sake, while he, as was natural, made a name and place for himself before he w7as fairly settled in his new home. Ever ready to help in all that tended to the good of others, he was much sought after, and his bright genial face was to be seen on every public platform. The poor also had reason to call him blessed, for no case of suffering or distress was ever made known to him that he did not try to relieve. His fine head and dignified carriage conferred an individuality peculiarly his own ; he was a notable figure in the streets, many turned to look upon him as he passed along. Then, suddenly, the places and people that knew him once, knew him no more. He died of heart disease.

Chapter II

Beauty and Fofm. ijTfj, piTfHETHER beauty of form or beauty of soul B VlVsl is the greater power, is a question over which IB-BrH-ffll many words have been wasted without any satisfactory solution," said Felix Lund sententiously, as he tilted his chair and gazed out of the window. " In the first place, what is beauty of form ? No two people agree in their definition. One admires a certain type, another admires the opposite ; the fact of the matter is, beauty is in the eye of the beholder." " That is true to a certain extent," replied his friend, " or how in the world could we account for the delusions that exist in the minds of so many otherwise sane people. Take, for example, the marriage state. A man through affinity, contiguity, or some mere accident loves a woman more or less, and according to the strength of that attachment invests her with qualities of heart and mind which in some cases go far enough to exalt her into an angel.

The probability is, she impresses the rest of the world as a being entirely commonplace, and the strangest thing of all is that the illusion lasts if the Belfield. 10 individual causing it has any soul, or, indeed, any qualities worthy of respect. I am continually filled with amazement at certain marriages that take place, and am constrained to ask myself what can that man and that woman see in each other ? Yet oftener than not, the apparently incongruous pair keep up the illusion, and are blind enough to have faith to the end of their days." " You are right, Charlie, my boy, up to a certain point," replied Felix Lund, "but how often do we see the glamour fall off, and the mists of so-called love disperse, almost as soon as the marriage knot is tied ? The wife finds out her husband is far from the saint she imagined him to be, and he wakes up to the fact that he has got for his portion a most prosaic being, instead of the angelic soul of his dreams."

" You talk with the usual wisdom of men," said Mrs. Leigh, with an air of superiority, as she laid aside her knitting, and came a little nearer the young men. " I have been listening to this great argument, and it's quite time I came to the rescue. You men are fond of saying that women cannot keep to a point, but are given to wander ; it strikes me that we are not the only people guilty of that fault. Charlie began by asking a question which has certainly not been satisfactorily answered." " Oh, yes," said Felix Lund, " he desired to be assured that a beautiful form must contain a beautiful soul, simply because he imagines he has found the one. Isn't that about the truth, old fellow ? " Beactty and Fofm. 11 " This is unfair ; I appeal to you, Mrs. Leigh." " Of course it's unfair ; men are always unfair in argument," replied the lady.

" If I remember rightly, Charlie, you asked which is the greater power (to move men, I take it for granted), beauty of form or beauty of soul. Well, I say — on the supposition that there is a beauty of form which commends itself to all — such a gift is omnipotent, and has a power and influence over the hearts of men beyond any earthly thing. Intellect is admired, beauty is loved. The sweetest souls inhabit ing ordinary forms often pass unheeded, but a creature with the colouring and form of an angel, let her soul be small as that of a mouse, wields a power which cannot be estimated. Where would Cleopatra have been with out her beauty ? Would England ever have heard the name of Lady Hamilton if her personal charms had not bewitched Lord Nelson, and if Mary of Scotland had suffered from smallpox in her youth, would she have had the same number of friends and partisans ?

Then again " Well done, Edith, but " Pray don't interrupt me, Felix ; it is a bad habit which is growing upon you. I was about to say that men are much more blind in the matter of mere external appearance than women are. We all know that beauty, as well as music, has charms to soothe the savage breast, and man of every age and clime has fallen a victim to the song of the siren. Given a certain harmony of form Belfield. 12 and colouring, a witchery of manner, an airiness of spirit produced by the very absence of soul, and man is her abject slave at once. We see it in thousands of cases." "I protest against that," said Felix, "excitement is getting the better of your judgment, Edie." " How is it then that the silliest, weakest, and most frivolous women are often selected by the wisest and truest men, while treasures untold are left to waste their sweetness on the desert air ?

" " Weakness and frivolity are relative terms. Who is to decide what constitutes a weak and frivolous person ? " observed Charles Dunn. " It is said," continued Mrs. Leigh, ignoring this remark, " that the greatest compliment a man can pay a woman is that of asking her to be his wife, but as a matter of fact, a man's judgment is so often at fault, that it is no compliment at all." "My dear girl," said her brother Felix, "you alarm me. It is well you are in the bosom of your family, so to speak, if I didn't know Leigh I should pronounce you a disappointed woman, with a judgment that is, to say the least of it, warped." " It is well known," said Mrs. Leigh, loftily, " that those who are getting the worst of an argument resort to ignominious methods of extricating themselves. I have only one more remark to make, which all sensible people will admit ; even you (with severe emphasis on the pronoun) cannot gainsay the fact that women are not Beauty and Fofrn. 13 nearly so easily influenced by mere outward appearance as men are.

Most women are immensely attracted by some undoubtedly plain men. There is fascination in a certain style of honest rugged feature which is irresistible, when tempered with a benevolent expression, and appeals far more strongly than regularity of form. An Apollo palls upon one, and an effeminate man is a horror ! " " Then there is hope for us yet," replied Dunn. " Few of us can claim to be Apollos, but are you not rather severe on your own sex, Mrs. Leigh ? Is there no truth in the idea that beauty of mind illumines the countenance, and that the lovely soul clothes its habitation with love liness ? In my opinion, a woman with beautiful instincts will make it manifest in all her surroundings ; it will appear to a certain extent in her personality also." "Charlie speaks feelingly," observed Felix; "you know, Edith, or perhaps you do not know, that since coming here our young friend has seen a face that he is pleased to imagine is illumined by that grace of mind which he so graphically describes.

Speak of angels, why here they are ! Bend low, Edith, and look out of the corner of your eyes. Well, what do you think of them ? " " They have the appearance of ladies," said Mrs. Leigh, " and one of them is sprightly enough, but the other is too — well, too — not quite slender enough for my taste." " Oh, come, come, spare Charlie's feelings ; though at Belfield. 14 the same time, I must admit I prefer a goddess with less aggressive charms than Hebe is usually supposed to possess." " Preserve me from a scraggy woman," said Charlie, " but we needn't take the trouble to discuss these ladies ; the probability is we shall never get beyond gazing at them as they pass the window. I wonder if it would be possible to obtain an introduction," he added in an undertone as he lighted his cigar. The young men, who sat idly gazing out of the window of their sitting-room in the King's Head Hotel, had come to Barton, one in search of health, and the other to bear him company and thereby endeavour to aid in his recovery.

Felix Lund, no less stalwart in frame than he was strong in brain, had lately passed through a severe illness, and by the advice of his doctor had come to seek mountain air as a means of entire convalescence. He and Charles Dunn were old college chums, they lived in the same town, had entered the same profession, their fathers had been friends before them ; there was every reason to believe that the friendship between the two families would remain unaltered to the end of time. It had been the dearest wish of Mr. Lund senior's heart that his only daughter, Edith, should marry Charles Dunn, thus further cementing the friendly relations that had existed so long, but the young people did not view matters in the same light, and though like brother and sister to each other, no more serious alliance on their Beauty and Fofm. 15 part had ever been entertained.

Propinquity, however, is much, and had not Harry Leigh appeared upon the scene, possibly Mr. Lund's desire might have been gratified. Mrs. Leigh had been married about twelve months ; she was a bright intelligent young matron, with that nameless manner which is acquired only by living among cultured people, travelling and seeing much of the world. She was now spending a few days with the young men previous to her departure to the Continent with her husband. The two girls who had been the unconscious objects of criticism walked slowly towards the station, which lay outside the town. It was a perfect day in June. The air was fresh, as it always is after a summer shower, yet warm and balmy. All nature was lovely ; the tender green of the young corn contrasted charmingly with the brilliant poppies and golden buttercups that grew luxuri antly in the fields on either side ; the very birds seemed to be taking a holiday, judging from the riotous song in which they indulged.

" One can't have mean thoughts in such scenery as this," said Belfield, as she paused a moment to gather some flowers. " Who has mean thoughts ? " asked Sylvia. " I felt annoyed before we came out that my work was going to be broken in upon by the arrival of the Miss Nelsons. I could not help wishing that their visit had been a few weeks later," said Belfield, honestly. Belfield. " But they were obliged to come just now," replied Sylvia, " if there is any chance of obtaining the house they desire." " Of course, dear, I know that ; it was stupid of me to have any feeling in the matter. Do you know, Sylvia, I sometimes fear my work is too absorbing. Perhaps I love it so much that I ought to give it up. It pains me to think that I feel sorrow when called upon to go out of the beaten track. It's horrid to grudge the time necessary to make one's friends happy."

"As for that," replied Sylvia, "if I give my honest opinion — and I suppose honesty is as great a virtue as any other — friends or no friends, I'm just longing for their visit to be over. I haven't forgotten the fortnight I spent with them ; how Miss Priscilla did worry my life out, with her rules, regulations, and sharp remarks. If they take a house in Barton I hope it will be at the other end of the town. I shall begin by telling them the south side is more healthy." " Oh, Sylvia," said her sister, smiling. " Well, I really heard two ladies make that very remark at the station the other day. I felt quite inter ested, and made a mental note. My only comfort lies in the fact that Cousin Dick is here, and I expect they'll snap and snarl at him instead of me ; Miss Priscilla will, at any rate.

I'll tell you what is wrong with you, Bel ; you have my share of conscientiousness in addition to your own. Have you noticed those two young men, Beauty and Fofm. 17 Bel, who are staying at the King's Head ? . . . I just ache to know who they are . . . One of them finds himself interesting, but the other looks as though he might be interested in us . . . They have a lady with them now ... I wonder if she is the wife of either, and if so, of whom ? " Miss Blythe had a very tender side towards her sister, and was indulgent to her in all little foibles, yet was she not constantly inculcating in her class of young women the admirable virtue of abstinence from gossip ? Re membering this, with a forbearing smile, she tried successfully to turn the subject of conversation until they reached their destination.

Chapter III

Eastham Cottage and its Inmates. It c-j.ylASTHAM Cottage was an ideal house in an M rfT_B ideal situation. It was built on the site of liL-S-Z-ii an old church, and stood on a little eminence ; the banks sloped down to the river, which was spanned by a low bridge, just visible through the heavy foliage of a huge oak, which had stood the storms of centuries. On the further side, trees of every hue and size clustered together, embowering the bridge, hanging over the sides, almost touching the clear water which calmly reflected the waving branches. On the other side stretched a large park-like field, whereon the cattle browsed in sleepy contentment, while the little homestead at the base of the mountain sheltered those who, having been born and bred amid such surroundings, failed to see its beauty.

The bedroom assigned to the Misses Nelson was large and low ; its old-fashioned diamond-paned windows were draped with dainty yellow frilled muslin ; outside, the fragrant Gloire-de-Dijon roses hung in festoons and vainly tried to enter, pushing their way with all the insolence of Bastham Cottage and its Inmates. 19 acknowledged beauty, as more modest flowers would have failed to do. Did the ladies crave fine scenery ? They had nothing to do but gaze from either window. Were flowers the things they coveted ? Then let them stretch forth their hands and gather great bunches of those that were courting special notice. Miss Nelson was a small bird-like woman, who suggested the idea of a pocket edition. She had neat features, and quick, eager eyes which looked at every thing inquiringly. She attired herself becomingly, as an old lady should ; she wore a cap, and her hair was dressed in flat curls on either side of her face.

Her sister, Priscilla, who had the advantage of being some ten years younger, kept up as well as she could, the role of the young lady. She dressed in a youthful style and affected the mien of a girl, which, had she but known it, gave a more pronounced air of age to her appearance. Nature, alas ! had not been kind to Miss Priscilla, and at sixty she was no more prepossessing than she had been at sixteen. Her great ambition, as she once — in a moment of inconsistent weakness — confided to a friend, was to acquire a distinguished air; this, however, was impossible, commonplace was written on every fold of her garment, and in every turn of the ribbon she wore. As Miss Priscilla entered the apartment reserved for visitors at Eastham Cottage, she had an uncomfortable suspicion that it was not " the best bedroom."

Belfield. 20 " Sister," she said, with an air of dissatisfaction, as soon as the door was closed, "did you notice what Mrs. Blythe said ? She called this the yellow room." " I suppose that was because the paper is yellow, and the curtains and the roses outside," observed the less suspicious lady. " Nothing of the kind," replied Miss Priscilla, irascibly, "it's not the best bedroom, that's what it is. I suppose that fellow downstairs called Dick has it. Rose Blythe was always selfish and lazy ; she wouldn't take the trouble to turn him out for us." " You are mistaken, Priscilla," said the elder sister, mildly, " this is certainly the furniture that used to be in the spare bedroom at the Manse ; I remember the wardrobe quite well." " And a shabby old thing it is," retorted Priscilla. " I should have thought with all their means they might have got a new one, but Rose Blythe never knew how to spend her money to advantage.