Trapped by Avarice

Front matter

a BY HELENA GRIMSHAWE LONDON DIGBY, LONG & CO., Publishers 18 bouverie street, fleet STREET, E.C. TO THE READER The authoress of this work, in introducing it, begs to call the attention of the reader to the fact that, unlike most novels, it is founded on fact almost from beginning to end. The chapters relating to the life of the hero and heroine in America are culled from documents in the possession of the authoress, whilst that dealing with the cruise on the Lakes Ontario and Erie are copied almost word for word from the log of the Griffin. THIS STORY IS DEDICATED Ho A LADY IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF HER LOVING INTEREST IN THE AUTHORESS

Chapter I. Farewell

The day had been dull and cold ; Nature seemed to be broken down, and the power of sudden grief looked as if it was not far off. Everyone seemed to feel the dullness of the day ; even the birds of the trees gathered together as if to say that something unusual was going to happen. Old Pickup, the gardener at Manton Hall, stopped in the middle of his work and looked at the old place as if he thought that great changes were about to take place, and as if anxious to do his duty, but could not for serious thoughts. Just at that moment a lady on A horseback rode up to the Hall, attended by her groom. She was very fair and pretty, with a wealth of flaxen hair, and beautiful blue eyes, with an expression of sadness in them which seemed to tell their own tale. She jumped from her horse, and giving her reins to the groom, hastened into the house.

She then hurried to her room to change for luncheon, and when she was alone, she threw herself upon her couch and gave way to hot tears. Having been relieved by this outburst of grief, she hurriedly prepared herself for luncheon, and as she looked in the glass, she regretted having given way to such tears. "Oh how foolish I was to let this trouble get the better of me — how it will grieve him to see me like this ! Still, I cannot help it, for it almost breaks my heart to part from him." She bent her graceful form as she said, "O God, give me grace to bear this burden," and then went downstairs into her elaborately arranged drawing-room. FAREWELL. 3 Suddenly her eye rested on a figure she well knew and disliked, coming up the avenue. It was Jack Raynal, her cousin Ethel's affianced husband, and she hated him all the more for this.

He was dark and handsome, rather above the medium height, with a pair of greyish-blue eyes, which seemed to pierce you through and say, " The less you have to do with me the better." He wore a shooting suit of brown material, and carried a number twelve bore breech - loader under his arm, holding himself erect as he came to the door of the house where his affianced wife lived. The lady at the window stepped back as she saw her enemy enter the door, and a moment later they were face to face on the threshold of the drawing-room. She greeted him with the coldest formality, but it did not disturb him in the least, for he well knew that he would re ceive no friendship from Mrs. Stanhope, for this was her name. She was the beautiful and rich daughter of Colonel Clarence, who was devoted to her as being the only daughter of a long deceased wife.

The home of the Clarences was situated in a valley, through which a small clear stream wended its way to the river Thames. The house was a low gabled building, sheltered from the north winds, which swept down the valley, by a cluster of stout trees. In the time of the Stuart kings, the courtyard was frequently enlivened by the retinues of the king, or other great nobles, as they halted on their journeys from the North to the Metro polis, or vice versa. The ancestors of the Clarences had lived at Manton Hall from time immemorial, and it was said that the estate was given to an ancestor of the family by William the Conqueror, when the Feudal System was instituted. Whether this is true or not, the fact remains that the estate is men tioned in the doomsday book. But to return to our people in the drawing room.

Mrs. Stanhope stepped back into the FAREWELL. 5 room from which she had tried to escape before Mr. Raynal entered. How beautiful, he thought, she looked in her cool, dainty gown of white muslin. He had never seen her look so lovely before as he had seen her to-day, for her eyes wore a sadder expression, mixed with a degree of fierceness, as she returned his salutation, and which seemed to add an additional charm to her natural beauty. She motioned him with a dignified wave of her hand to a chair, at the same time seating herself upon an ottoman with an air of ennui. " How very pale you look this morning. I am sure you must be tired after your long walk from The Grove," said Mrs. Stanhope with a look of weariness which betokened that he was not a welcome visitor. " I have only had poor sport to-day," said Raynal, hoping thus to make a turn in the constrained conversation.

" I am sorry to hear that for your sake," returned Mrs. Stanhope. "Yet I cannot but feel glad for the sake of the poor birds. It seems a cruel thing to shoot poor innocent birds just for the sake of sport." " There I cannot agree with you, for are not birds and beasts made for the pleasure of man ? " said Raynal. He felt that they could not agree on this point, and so hastening to change the con versation, he said with an impatient gesture, " I suppose you will be going to Lady Wilson's garden party ? " "Yes, Mr. Stanhope and I have accepted an invitation." " The mater, the governor, and I have also had an invitation from her ladyship, and I shall be delighted to see you there." She listed her eyes to his face as if she could read the lie which his lips had uttered. " Lady Sophia and her two charming daughters will, I am sure, be there," con tinued Raynal.

" I suppose you have heard FAREWELL. 7 of Lady Millicent's engagement to Lieutenant Montague ? " "No," said Mrs. Stanhope, "I had not heard of it, and I think if such had been the case Lady Sophia or Millicent would have told me. Further conversation of this constrained character went on until, to the intense relief of Mrs. Stanhope, Ethel Clarence entered the room. She was a young girl of some twenty summers ; her features seemed somewhat of a Spanish type, yet with a fascinating manner which is peculiar to an English girl, a direct contrast to her charming cousin. Mrs. Stanhope, feeling herself de trop, glided quietly from the room, leaving the lovers to themselves. " How lovely you are looking, my little Ethel!" said Raynal, giving her a treacherous kiss, as she rested her head upon his breast and looked up into his eyes.

She thought she had never seen him look TRAPPED BV AVARICE. so handsome before, and yet there was some thing in the expression of his face which sent a feeling of misgiving through her whole frame, and made her recall certain warnings which her cousin, Mrs. Stanhope, had given her. He noticed the change in her expression, and felt that he would have to deal very care fully with her in order to regain her confidence, saying to himself that, once his wife, she would have to submit to his will in all things. She slipped out of his arms, trembling and blushing, and tried to hide her discomposure by going to the French window, and saying, " Oh, Jack ! let us have a walk on the lawn before luncheon. It has been such a dull morning, that a change like this is most welcome." How cunning he seemed to be as he offered his arm to the sweet girl at his side.

They walked softly across the lawn, and were soon FAREWELL. Q hidden amongst the trees. Nevertheless, there was one who watched them with a hatred mingled with great sympathy for her poor deluded cousin, and this was Mrs. Stanhope, who watched them from the balcony over the portico. How she had warned Ethel of that man ! — praying day after day that something might happen that would show Ethel her danger. On her way downstairs she encountered a distinguished-looking gentleman of decidedly military appearance, apparently about sixty years of age. It did not take much discern ment to show that the gentleman was of patrician blood. As she flew to the arms of her father, who stooped to kiss her softly on the brow, the footman handed her a telegram, which she eagerly opened and read. The contents of the missive were : — " Detained in town — business urgent."

" Stanhope." Handing the message to her father, she. felt a pang, to think that she must be separated, even for that short space of time, from her beloved husband. As the gong sounded for luncheon, her father offered his arm with his usual devoted ness to his daughter, and both entered the dining-room together. The meal went on for some time in silence, the minds of the father and daughter being occupied with the saddening thoughts of their coming separation, and the usual lover's talk between Ethel and Mr. Ray nal being inappropriate for such an occasion. Luncheon being over, the two ladies went into Mrs. Stanhope's boudoir, which was situated over the entrance hall, commanding a splendid view of the grounds and the country beyond. In this cosy apartment the ladies were secure from intrusion, and were free to talk FAREWELL. 11 of their own affairs without any chance of being overheard by anyone.

Ethel, arranging the flowers which stood on the wicker-work table, in order to hide the nervousness which she always felt in her cousin's presence, from the knowledge that Mrs. Stanhope was opposed to her engagement with Mr. Raynal, said : — " How much we shall all miss you, Stella, when you go away ; I cannot tell how I shall spend my days without you, my dear cousin," going and sitting at Mrs. Stan hope's feet. "You have been like a sister to me. "Yes," said Mrs. Stanhope caressingly, " we have been like loving sisters all these long years. How I remember you and your sister Florence, when you came here after poor uncle's death. Florence, you know, was about my own age, but you, of course, quite a baby. I began to take great interest in you from the first, until at last I felt as if I was replacing, to some extent, your dear mother."

Ethel could do nothing but fondly kiss the hand of Mrs. Stanhope. How she loved the woman, notwithstanding a sort of childish fear, which acted as a restraint on her conduct towards her cousin. At this moment the carriage wheels were heard on the gravel drive, and both ladies simultaneously rose and went to the window, and saw the colonel and Mr. Raynal drive down the avenue. Having resumed their seats, they took up the conversation thus broken. Mrs. Stanhope, addressing her cousin, said : " Ethel, dear, how I distrust your lover ; I wish you would take notice of my warning. It is my love for you, dear, that prompts me to fear for your future happiness. I know. my little woman, that you would consider it ineffable bliss to be his, but I pray Heaven that you may not have to regret disreg-ardino- FAREWELL. 13 my advice, when it is too late.

You may now consider me cold-hearted and cruel, but, Ethel, Jack Raynal is not a fit companion for you ; he is bad, and cruel, and does not love you at all. He watches you closely, says sweet things to you to draw you into his net; but when he gets you there he will make your interests subservient to his own wicked designs. "Stella! Stella!" said Ethel, rising from her seat in anger, " you are cruel to me to say such things, and unjust to the man I love. I cannot believe that there is a being on the face of the earth so bad as you have painted my affianced husband, much less Jack Raynal whom I believe to be the very soul of honour and goodness." " I cannot help pitying you in your sweet innocence and simplicity," said Stella, "and it grieves me that it should have fallen to my lot to undeceive you, and to impress upon you the fact that there is such gross wickedness and deceit in the world which you, as yet, have seen so little of.

I see it is of little use repeating my former warnings, but my earnest prayer is that a just and wise Providence may open out your mind to see the danger, which it is evidently beyond my power to convince you of," continued Stella. Ethel, feeling somewhat ashamed of her anger, crossed the room to where her friend was sitting, and taking Stella's hand, said, " I really wish to thank you for your kindness and good intention ; yet it is so hard for me to believe that there can be anything wrong in the man who gave me this tiny white flower which I am wearing in my breast. Is it not the symbol of innocence and purity ? And would it be possible for anyone so bad to think of such things ? " " My guileless little Ethel," said Stella, "you will learn all too soon that there are wolves going about in sheep's clothing, evil spirits in the garb of saints."

FAREWELL. 15 The time for Lady Wilson's garden party arrived in due course, and a brilliant assemblage it was — composed of all the leading families of the surrounding country. Colonel Clarence, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Stanhope, Ethel and Jack Raynal, arrived early on the scene. The day was lovely, and the company, ex hilarated by the music, entered with great spirit into the games and other amusements which had been prepared for them by the far seeing and experienced Lady Wilson. Notwithstanding all this, there was an ex pression of sorrow perceptible on the face of Mrs. Stanhope, which may have been caused by the thought of her near parting from all her friends ; but her mind was more probably occupied with thoughts of Ethel, and the destruction of every hope which she had enter tained for the life-long happiness of the cousin who for so many years had seemed more than a cousin — in fact she had been treated as a sister.

It was growing rather late in the evening after the garden party when Mrs. Stanhope bade her father and her cousin good-night. She did not, however, retire to rest at once, but went to her boudoir and looked out of the window upon the calm moonlight night. It was a beautiful clear night, and the full moon shone out in all her power, shedding a silvery light over the beautiful lake in the grounds, and exposing to full view the arbour which nestled amongst the trees and shrubs on an island in the centre. Mrs. Stanhope was suddenly aroused from her reverie by a sound like the splashing of oars on the lake, and turning in the direction whence the sound came, she was startled to see two figures, evidently a man and woman, in the boat, making for the shore. The household was aroused, and Colonel Clarence, with two of the menservants, made a thorough search about the grounds for the persons who had made such a mysterious FAREWELL. 17 appearance, and had equally as mysteriously disappeared.

They crossed over to the island, but their efforts to unravel the mystery met with no better success. Two days after the events just recorded, Mr. Stanhope — a tall, broad-shouldered, hand some-looking gentleman, apparently about thirty years of age, to shake whose hand, and to look into whose eyes was sufficient to convince you that he was a genial open hearted man, and would be a sincere friend — stood with his wife, Stella, upon the landing stage at Liverpool, ready to embark for America, which was intended to be their home. It was an almost heartrending scene to witness the last farewells between Colonel Clarence and his daughter, Mrs. Stanhope. It seemed cruel that two such hearts should be torn asunder, for had they not been all in all to each other since the death of Stella's E mother, until the time that Mr. Stanhope claimed Stella for his wife ?

However, this sad parting between father and daughter did not prevent Mrs. Stanhope from repeating her warnings to Ethel, who had accompanied them to Liverpool, and to utter a silent prayer for the protection of one whom she had loved and cherished in past years, and to whom she must now say farewell.

Chapter II. The New World

It was on the seventh day after their depar ture from Liverpool that there was great ex citement on the noble ship Pussia of the Cunard Line, when land was seen on the port side, and the steamer came nearer and nearer to land, making a speed of about 15^ knots an hour. Mr. and Mrs. Stanhope, standing on the main deck of this splendid steamer, could plainly see the beach of Sandy Hook — which is really a pretty place, and indeed, the views from Sandy Hook up the River Hudson are splendid. The river is dotted with brigs, schooners and steamers, a spectacle which is very pleasing to the eye of the traveller. It was two o'clock in the afternoon when our travellers landed, but, with the usual delay and annoyance caused by the Custom- House officers, it was some time before they could have their luggage conveyed to the steam ferry-boat which then plied between the landing-stage and the city of New York.

Mr. and Mrs. Stanhope were very much surprised in the first moment of their landing from the ferry-boat to meet Captain Fitz gerald, an English officer, who had been a former lover of Ethel's, but whom she had rejected for Jack Raynal, who had been a former schoolfellow of the captain's, although there had never existed any good feeling between the two, as the character of Raynal was in direct contrast to the open and manly character of Fitzgerald. It was on account of his rejection by Ethel that Captain Fitzgerald had left England, and all that was dear to him, for he reasoned, with some truth, that to be far away from the object of his unrequited love, and to travel amid new surroundings, was the best to be done under the circumstances. At this time he had somewhat recovered from the wound which had been inflicted upon him by Ethel, when she gave her affections to his old schoolfellow, whom he knew to be so thoroughly unworthy of her love.

Yet there was still the image of Ethel impressed upon his heart, which gave no room for any new affection. Mr. Stanhope invited Fitzgerald to visit them at the St. Nicholas Hotel in Broadway — an invitation which Mrs. Stanhope most cordially endorsed, as it had always been her wish that her beloved Ethel should marry Captain Fitzgerald — so it might be taken for granted that she looked upon this meet ing as an interposition of Providence on behalf of Ethel. Captain Fitzgerald, true to his appointment, arrived at the hotel at the hour mentioned, and Mr. and Mrs. Stanhope, with their guest, went down to the dining-room. There were very few people there, probably owing to the heat, which would have a tendency to take away people's appetites. There was a great deal of conversation about old times, Captain Fitzgerald glean ing information of Ethel without appearing to seek it.

" You gave us quite a surprise when we met you to-day," said Mrs. Stanhope cheer fully. " We never expected to meet you so quickly, but we are none the less pleased." Captain Fitzgerald, pleased with his re ception and the good feeling of his hostess, acknowledged the compliment. " Why did you not tell us you would be here?" pursued Mrs. Stanhope. "It is quite a time since we heard from you." Fitzgerald, feeling somewhat guilty at havino neglected his old friends so much, and not caring to tell them how much he felt his rejection by Ethel, said that he had been travel ling amongst the Rocky Mountains, where it was such a difficult matter to write, or to have his letters despatched. Mrs. Stanhope, noticing his hesitation, and ascribing it to its true cause, expressed her sincere regret that Ethel should have chosen Raynal in preference to himself.

" There is no accounting for the caprices of love," said Fitzgerald, " yet I should have been better pleased if I could have felt that Ethel had chosen someone more worthy of her love than I know Raynal to be." Mrs. Stanhope, feeling that she was called upon to sympathise with her friend, gave vent to her feelings upon the subject in a somewhat vehement manner. " I cannot believe that Mr. Raynal loves Ethel at all," said Mrs. Stanhope. " It is my firm conviction that he is only desirous of marrying her to further his own mercenary designs. The poor girl will, I am afraid, marry him, and have cause to repent almost from the first moment of her wedded life." Captain Fitzgerald flushed with anger at the thought of his idol marrying such a deep dyed villain, but kept the resolutions which he had formed with regard to Ethel locked up in his heart.

" By the by," said Mr. Stanhope, who had hitherto been an interested listener to the previous conversation, " I suppose, Fitzgerald, that we shall see you at Maple Hill, the place which we have taken near Cobourg in the Dominion ? " " Speaking of the Dominion," said the captain, "this is Dominion Day; in other words, the Governments of Upper and Lower Canada are joined, and there will be rejoicings for some days to come to celebrate the event." " This is really a coincidence," said Mrs. Stanhope. " I suppose we shall arrive in Cobourg in time to take part in the celebra tion." Fitzgerald having assured his host and hostess that he would have much pleasure in visiting them at Maple Hill, begged to be excused, as it was growing late. Thus the company separated after having spent an en joyable evening" — an evening in which began to be forged the rod which was to bring Jack Raynal to earth.

On the next day Mr. and Mrs. Stanhope made an early start for Rochester on their way to Canada, travelling in a comfortable looking carriage called a drawing-room car, and which, to a certain extent, deserved its name. Rochester was reached about half-past five. Mr. Stanhope left his wife and her maid at the Congress Hotel, where they took tea, and went to Schofield's, the agent for the mails and steamers at that place, to pro cure tickets for the remainder of their journey. The journey was then resumed to Charlotte, and from this place started at nine o'clock the same evening for Brighton in Canada, by steamboat, during a heavy thunder storm. Lake Ontario was very rough in consequence of the storm, causing the journey across to be anything but pleasant, until the harbour of Presquile, on the Canadian shore, appeared in sight, adjacent to which is the town of Brighton, a calling - place for the steamers from Rochester to Port Hope.

Leaving the harbour again, it was not long before they reached Cobourg. Having engaged a conveyance, the Stan hopes were driven through a piece of lovely country to Sherbrooke Lodge, the residence of Mr. Stanhope's father and mother, where they were invited to take up their temporary abode until Maple Hill was prepared for their reception. This being Mrs. Stanhope's first visit to America, she met with most hearty greetings from her father-in-law and mother-in-law, and no effort was spared to make her completely at home in her new surroundings. She soon won the affection of her new friends at Sher brooke Lodge, and, indeed, her amiability of disposition gained for her friends in every direction. During the meal which had been hastily prepared for the new-comers, Mr. Stanhope's mother entered into conversation with Stella, whilst Mr. Stanhope's father related to his son all that had happened in the district during his absence in England.

" I hope you will like your new home," said the elder lady. " I am sure I shall be happy in this beauti ful country," returned Stella. "I am very pleased to hear you say that," returned her mother-in-law ; " and you may rest assured that Henry will do all he can to make your life a happy one." The meal being finished, the party retired to the drawing-room, where conversation be came more general. The elder Mrs. Stan hope, addressing Stella, said that she must ask her husband to show her all that was worth seeing of the neighbourhood. At this moment one of the men-servants returned from Cobourg with the letters, which had arrived during the day, and Mr. Stan hope's father, having asked permission, read those which were for him. Several business letters were simply glanced at and laid on one side ; but one, bearing an address in South Carolina, was not so lightly passed over.

The contents of this letter briefly were, that a negro slave had murdered an overseer, and had been brought to trial ; but although he was found guilty of the murder, he was acquitted, simply because he was a big, able-bodied fellow, and his market value something about one thousand dollars. It was this letter that had so much shocked the elder gentleman's sense of justice, for though most bitterly opposed to slavery, he could not forget the fact that a law existed for the punishment of such a crime, and that an ordinary white man, even though he were as ignorant as this negro, would have suffered the full penalty meted out to such offenders. Henry Stanhope, inheriting as he did from his father such an exalted sense of justice, nevertheless differed somewhat from him in points of detail. For instance, Henry contended that there might be a certain amount of reason in ex empting a poor slave from the utmost rigour of the law, considering the thousands of cases where the negroes had the life almost beaten out of them by cruel masters, or by still more cruel overseers.

Again, he argued that the usual practice in the Southern States was to treat their slaves as so many head of cattle, and consequently no efforts were made in the majority of cases to give them any education whatever. There were indeed cases where negroes were purchased by humane masters, and trained to take their part as citizens, in due time having their freedom given to them. " I agree with you," said Henry to his father, " that if this negro had been acquitted on the ground of provocation, and of his never having experienced anything but brutality, and on account of his being actually forbidden to know anything better, then there might have been more reason in the verdict, but to acquit him because of his market value is against all law either human or divine. Stella was surprised to hear that such a state of affairs had ever existed, and would gladly have made her way back to England — that land of liberty, where the law was meted out to all alike, and where all had an equal claim on the protection of the Govern ment.

It was only by an assurance from her husband, that they in Canada were equally protected by the British Government, that her fears were assuaged. It seemed to avail nothing to assure her the laws of America were now founded on a basis of justice, and that it was only in remote cases where such things as we have recorded could take place. Nothing but the protection of England would suffice for her. On the second day after this Mr. and Mrs. Stanhope, with their hosts, drove into Cobourg, and amongst the festivities which were going on in connection with " Dominion Day," which we have before mentioned, was a circus. Henry Stanhope proposed that they should see this performance. Taking into considera tion that the troupe was only a small one, the entertainment went off fairly well until almost the last item on the programme, when a little boy of only six years of age entered the arena.

He was designated on the pro gramme as " The Boy Serpent," and it was his duty to twist and contort his body in every possible manner. The poor boy entered the ring with a halting step, and it was at once evident that he was ill. The proprietor of the circus, who also performed the office of ring-master, insisted upon him fulfilling his part to the letter, with the result that the boy had to be carried from the arena. As our friends were passing out of the tent by one of the side out-lets, they could plainly hear the screaming of the poor boy, who was being unmercifully thrashed with a horsewhip by the proprietor, a tall, surly looking man. No sooner did Henry Stanhope hear these pitiful sounds than he went to ascertain the cause. He found the villain horsewhipping the poor boy because he had performed badly.