Ferndyke

Chapter I

In one of the most unfrequented parts of Cumberland, away from the busy noise of towns, and seemingly out of the world, was situated " Ferndyke," a large, commodious, rambling house, but without any architectural beauty, as it had been altered, added to, or reduced at the caprice of its several owners, until all trace of its original style was lost. Its situation though picturesque, was not altogether well chosen, it being at too high an elevation, and much exposed to the westerly gales which predominated there ; and to counteract the effects of these the trees had been allowed to grow in such close proximity to the house, that they shut out the magnificent view from the lower windows, and gave the place rather a gloomy appearance. The surrounding scenery was very wild and beautiful. The mountains arose on every side, their rugged crags standing out in bold outline against the darker hollows ; but at no two periods of the year did they present the same aspect.

In spring, the sprouting larches would show in their brightest green ; then, higher up, later in the year, the heather would blaze forth one mass of gorgeous purple. In winter, the tops would be covered in snow ; but at any time of the year a passing cloud would immediately change all the tints and shadows, and produce as many colours as a kaleidoscope. In the basin below was a lake, from which flowed a good sized stream, whose meanderings along the B Ferndyke. 2 valley could be observed for some distance. The valley was cultivated, and intersected in every direction by stone walls and hedges, while here and there appeared the small whitewashed house of a tenant farmer. If Ferndyke appeared gloomy from the outside, it had a reputation for being very much the reverse within, as Admiral Maitland, the owner, was never so happy as when his house was full of guests, and the laughter of young people was as necessary to him as the air of heaven.

He came into possession of the property on the death of his brother, who had lived a very retired almost misanthropic life ; and the Admiral's advent with his wife and three children was looked upon with great pleasure by his few neighbours, to whom a lively house was a great acquisition. Their anticipations were more than verified, for in less than a year he was quite one of the most popular men, and Ferndyke one of the most popular nouses in the neighbourhood. The credit of this was not alone due to the Admiral, for his wife was a charming woman, still young, and looking younger than her years, clever, refined, and very sympathetic, she was much loved by all who came in contact with her ; and while the Admiral's Eearty manner and cordial greeting acted like a tonic, Mrs. Maitland's tenderness and compassion for all who were in trouble or distress endeared her to every one who knew her.

The family consisted of a daughter, Esther, nine years old, and two boys, aged six and four respectively. For six years they lived in great happiness and contentment. The climate did not suit Mrs. Maitland, who was naturally delicate, but her health did not suffer sufficiently for them ever to have serious thoughts of changing their residence; but in the winter she seldom dared to venture out. This sixth winter had been unusually severe, and Mrs. Maitland Ferndyke. 3 had been almost an invalid, but as she made very light of her own ailments, she had quieted her husband's anxiety. One day a terrible calamity occurred, which wrought an extraordinary change. The two boys had been sliding on the lake, which was frozen over, when the ice, which was rotten from a thaw, suddenly broke, and they were both drowned.

Their mother never recovered the shock; she lingered on through the following summer, but always drooping, and getting each day paler, weaker, and more transparent looking. Before the first autumn leaves fell from the trees her life quietly passed away. Admiral Maitland was quite distracted at his wife's death ; he had felt the loss of his sons very deeply indeed, but he had borne it with resignation ; this later and greater grief seemed to prostrate him, and he then learnt, for the first time, how much his wife had been to him. Though less demonstrative, Esther felt the loss of her mother more. She was a strange character, this child of fifteen, reserved, determined, passionate; she was capable of intense feeling, and at the same time had an immense capability of suppressing her impulses, and disguising her real character.

She was sensitive to a fault, and keenly jealous. She longed for love from those whom she loved, and she would give her heart's blood if she could be paid back in kind. The death of her young brothers had taken away all her happiness, but when she found her father and mother grieving so much for the dead, and thinking but little of her, she formed the idea that she was uncared for. She felt that all the love they had borne for her brothers should now be added to what they already had for her, and she was willing to give back a life's devotion, even slavery in ex change. She determined to win her mother's love, and make her forget the loss of her sons in the daughter that remained. But fondly as her mother B Ferndyke. 4 loved her, it was not possible for her to forget the tragic death of her two bonnie boys.

Many times when watching by her mother's bedside, Esther would see the tears slowly trickling down her mother's face, and find her thoughts were with the dead, and the discovery would sadden her, until at last she became jealous that her dead brothers should be more thought of than her living self. Now when her mother was also taken from her, she forgot these ignoble thoughts, and determined to sink her own wretchedness in the endeavour to alleviate her father's sorrow; but even then she could not resist the idea that she must be all in all to him, with no one to share his affection. So time went on, and by degrees she did make herself very necessary to her father, and, young as she was, undertook the whole management of the house. But Admiral Maitland had become unsettled. He went abroad with his daughter, and travelled in Italy, but she was scarcely old enough to be a com panion for him, and he felt that her education must be completed.

Her mother had previously under taken that, as he had a great objection to having a governess in the house ; that objection was stronger, however, now, and he had almost determined upon sending her to school, but was at his wits end to dis cover a suitable one for her. He had not as yet mentioned the subject to Esther, but on doing so, she showed such an aversion to going to school, and implored him in such abject terms not to send her away from home, that he promised not to do so. Whilst staying in Rome, he met a Mrs. Branford, who was a distant connexion of his own. She was a pleasant, fashionable woman, who had married a man of property, and having no children, they travelled about a good deal. Mrs. Branford took a great fancy to Esther, and made a companion of her while the Admiral and Mr. Branford would be exploring old ruins.

This companionship pleased the Admiral greatly, Ferndyke. 5 as he admired Mrs. Branford, and felt that she could •be of great use to Esther in correcting mistakes in her dress, or manner, which would strike the delicate instinct of a woman, but which might pass unnoticed by a man. He was talking to Mrs. Branford about Esther one evening, when she asked the question, if he intended sending her to school. " I had some such intention," he replied, " but when I mentioned it to her, she seemed so much distressed at the idea, and begged me so pitiably not to send her away from home, that I relented. I have a prejudice against governesses," he continued. " I think, as a rule, they have been brought up in a rank of society much beneath their pupils, in fact, little better than of the shopkeeper class, and if they have never moved amongst fashionable people, how is it possible for them to acquire their manners and habits ; and although one wishes one's children to be well educated, and well informed, it is equally necessary that their manners be good, and their minds trained in the right direction; and although at schools the mistresses may not be much better than governesses, I think, at good schools, the headmistress is, and in addition, there is the companionship of all the other girls out of school hours."

" It is strange, your mentioning this to me," Mrs. Branford remarked. " About a month ago I received a letter from an old schoolfellow of mine, Edith Brennan, saying that she had met with some reverses, and had been compelled to adopt tuition for a livelihood, and asking me to be on the look out for a situation for her. Now, as far as style and manners are concerned, you would, I think, have some difficulty in finding anyone who would surpass Edith Brennan. It is now ten years since I have seen her ; but how well I remember her ; she was the cleverest girl at our school, and the envy and admiration of every girl in it. We used to call her LTmperatrice — it is very difficult to imagine her a governess, poor girl — she was so handsome and Ferndyke. aristocratic ; one prophecied a more brilliant future for her than as a teacher, a class for whom she had undisguised contempt, and with justice, for, as she often remarked, they were unable to teach her anything."

" Do you know this lady's address," the Admiral asked. " Oh, yes, and if you think she will suit you, I would write to her at once, and you could arrange an interview as you pass through London, on your way home." " Thank you very much. I think she will suit," said Admiral Maitland, eagerly, delighted to have the prospect of having a matter settled which had caused him a good deal of anxiety. So Mrs. Branford wrote, and in the course of a few days an answer from Miss Brennan came to say that she was still disengaged, and would await Admiral Maitland's arrival in London, when, if he let her know where, she would call on him. With the characteristic energy of an old sailor, the Admiral at once wished to conclude the affair ; and as there was nothing to detain him in Rome, he started with Esther for London, where, on arrival, he put up at a private hotel in Jermyn Street, from whence he wrote to Miss Brennan, arranging a meeting for the following day.

She arrived punctually at the hour mentioned for the interview, and was shown into the Admiral's room, where he was nervously awaiting her. Although Mrs. Branford's description had led him to expect something out of the common, it certainly had not prepared him for the magnificent young woman who entered. Edith Brennan was tall, with a superb figure, lovely face, and masses of sunny fair hair ; she was handsomely, though quietly dressed, and bore the stamp of good breeding from the crown of her head to the soles of her shapely feet. The Admiral was so much surprised at her Ferndyke. 7 appearance, that he was unable to articulate a syllable. It was Miss Brennan who first spoke. She said — " Mrs. Branford wrote and told me that you required a governess for your daughter. I believe she mentioned to you what my acquirements were.

I may say that I consider myself a finishing gover ness. My education has been an expensive one, and I naturally expect a high salary, in fact, £100 a year ; perhaps this is more than you would be inclined to give for the education of an only girl." " Oh, not at all," said the Admiral, considerably embarassed, this business-like way of plunging in medias res still more disconcerting him. " I may as well explain that my daughter is not only without sisters, but she has no near relations, with the exception of myself. Her education and training is a matter of great anxiety to me. It is a sad misfortune for a girl at her age to be left motherless. I should not hesitate at any expense to have her well brought up." " Her being motherless is an additional link between us," said Miss Brennan, feelingly, " I was left an orphan very early in life."

"Were you, really?" said the Admiral, much interested, and feeling inclined to ask the particulars of Miss Brennan's early history, but thinking better of it, he continued — " I think it only fair to tell you that we live in a very out of the way part of Cumberland, and that the life there is rather dull, especially in winter. If you think you can put up with the solitude of the place, I shall be very glad to secure you as the in structress of my daughter, at the salary you mention." " I am fond of solitude," replied Miss Brennan, but before finally accepting the — situation shall we call it? — I must stipulate that I have complete control over my charge, as far as her studies are concerned. I think I have an influence over young girls, especially if I am allowed to go my own way Ferndyke. to work.

I should not mention this if her mother were alive, as of course, a mother is the proper guide for any young girl, but I take a great interest already in your daughter, and should like to mould her character on my own ideal, and I think only a woman can understand a woman's character." " I shall not interfere in your course of instruction in any way," said the Admiral. " Perhaps you would like to see your future pupil." Esther had heard from her father of the arrange ments which were being made for her tuition ; she was quite willing and even eager to work, but she disliked the idea of a governess beyond measure, and the thought that she would be under control in her own house, where she had already got to look upon herself as mistress, was especially hateful to her. She had already begun to make herself necessary to her father, and as he was naturally of an indolent nature, and she particularly bright and intelligent, he had become quite accustomed to consult her, and frequently to follow her advice.

When Miss Brennan's name had been announced, Esther had retired to her own room, where she remained in fear and trembling. She would have given worlds to be present at the interview, which was taking place : she would have liked, had it been considered necessary for her to have a governess, to have selected one herself, and she knew her father sufficiently well to feel tEat his selection would not have been hers. She tried to imagine what sort of woman Miss Brennan could be ; she was trying to realise what " Ferndyke " would be like with a governess, but the thread of her conjectures was cut short by a summons for her to attend in the sitting-room. Too much agitated to consider her appearance, she obeyed at once; her dress was badly made, ill-fitting, and unfashionable besides ; she was tall for her age, and awkward ; her hair was untidy, her petticoats too short, her feet encased in strong laced boots, Ferndyke. 9 intended for Cumberland fells more than for London ; her face redeemed many other shortcomings in her appearance, a broad white forehead with rich dark brown hair growing low upon it, a well-arched pair of eyebrows over clear, truthful brown eyes, a straight white nose and delicate nostrils, a short upper lip, a red-lipped, shapely mouth, strong white teeth, and a classical, but very determined chin : these were the features of her face.

As she entered her father's presence, she paused for a moment, gave a short stare at Miss Brennan, and then, as the latter's beauty impressed her, she went up to her and held up her mouth to be kissed. Miss Brennan leant down and gently touched her forehead with her lips. A slight involuntary shiver ran through Esther as she did so, but at the same moment Miss Brennan slipped her arm round the .girl's waist, and drawing her to her, said — " I hope, Esther, you and I will become great friends." Admiral Maitland was much pleased ; he knew Esther to be peculiar, and he had some misgivings as to how the rencontre would go off. To his eyes nothing could have been better, and he congratulated himself upon having secured Miss Brennan's services. The final arrangements were then made. The Maitlands were to return to Ferndyke in two or three days' time, and Miss Brennan was to follow on in the course of a fortnight.

As soon as Miss Brennan had left, the Admiral turned to his daughter and said — " Well, Esther, what do you think of your governess ? You never expected to see as smart a craft as that, I'll warrant." " I don't like her, dad," Esther replied, " I could not like anybody who was coming to live at Ferndyke and separate you and me, but I intend to study very hard, and get rid of her soon. You don't want me to be very clever, do you ? As soon as I am as good as most girls you will send her away ? — do promise me that." Ferndyke. 10 " Why, child, you will find her a very pleasant companion. I should have thought you would have been very glad to have her down there ; however, don't commence by taking a dislike to her, that is always a mistake. I expect you and she will get on like a house on fire, and that you will be very happy." The Admiral ended with a sigh, and Esther knew her father was thinking of her late mother, and did not answer him.

Chapter II

For two or three days before Miss Brennan's arrival at Ferndyke Esther was busy making pre parations to receive her. She arranged the furniture in the bedroom she had chosen for her, and added anything that she thought wanting. In the school room, too, she had a great putting to rights, destroy ing old exercise books, covering some of her school books with brown paper, to disguise their dilapida tions, banishing a whole heap of dolls and dolls' clothes to a lumber room, for she had it riot in her heart to destroy them. But she wished to throw off the child and become a young lady, in the hopes that Miss Brennan would treat her with greater respect. She had also resolved to make the best of everything, and had determined to work really hard at her lessons and be on good terms with her governess.

Her father had had one or two conversations with her on the subject, for he had noticed how she seemed to dread the coming of Miss Brennan, and he had done all in his power to make her think lightly of it. " I can't make out why you should expect to dislike her. Some girls get very fond of their governesses, and Ferndyke. 11 keep up a correspondence with them years after they are married," the Admiral said to her one evening. " I fancy those governesses are very few and far between," replied Esther. " The only governesses I have seen were at the Bragg's and Robinson's. The former one was a greedy old pig, who used to bribe the servants to bring her up all sorts of good things to eat ; and the Robinson's governess used to listen at the girls' bedroom door to hear if they talked about her." " Well, there is no necessity for Miss Brennan to do either of those things," the Admiral said laugh ingly, " for unless you talk out loud to yourself she would hear nothing, and I suppose she will have the same food we do ; and if there is anything she par ticularly fancies, she had better order it."

" But I suppose, dad," Esther asked appealingly, " Miss Brennan will not order the servants about. You will still wish me to be the mistress, won't you ? " " Oh, of course," laughed the Admiral," if you think you will have time for the household duties as well as the hard work you intend going in for." Then patting his hand on her head and stroking her hair, he asked, " How old are you, Esther?" " I am sixteen," she answered, but I do not think age has anything to do with the question : it is how much housekeeping one knows. There are very few girls of my age who know as much as I do, because I have done it for so long." " You will be a treasure of a wife to some man," continued the Admiral, much amused. " I don't want to marry. I should hate that. I want to live alone with you, without any governesses, and keep house for you, and ride about with you, and have all my meals alone with you, and order all the things I know you like best, and — she added in a low tone — try and make up to you for the loss of mother."

All the amused look left the Admiral's face ; he leant down and kissed his child, and the conversation between them ceased. Ferndyke. 12 The railway did not, in those days, run through the heart of the lake district. Ferndyke was more than twenty miles from a railway station, but the coach deposited its passengers at Keswick, which was only some nine miles distant. It was by this route Miss Brennan was to arrive. Admiral Maitland had lately discharged his coachman, and he had bought a new horse ; he was afraid to trust it to the groom, and drove to Keswick himself to meet Miss Brennan, as he also had business to transact in that place, which was their nearest town. He met the coach on its arrival, and immediately recognized Miss Brennan, who seemed a little surprised to see him, but she still retained her perfect ease of manner, and was considerably less embarrassed than the Admiral, who felt himself in rather a novel position, and tried to disguise his shyness by being particularly fussy about her luggage, which was soon transferred to the omnibus.

He offered her the box seat, and they started for Ferndyke. As soon as they were clear of the town, Miss Brennan remarked, " I am quite enchanted with the lovely scenery in this neighbourhood, I had no idea the English lakes were so beautiful." " We shall soon lose this picturesque scenery," the Admiral replied ; " about Ferndyke it is excessively wild." " I like that even better. Mountain solitude has a peculiar charm for me." " I trust you won't find it dull," the Admiral said. " I am afraid we are rather out of the way, but I cannot change my abode. I am glad to have the opportunity of mentioning one or two matters to you, Miss Brennan, about my daughter. She and I have been quite alone for some time," he added with a sigh; "and although I deprecate bringing her too much to the front— she has always been accustomed to take her meals with me — dine late in fact — and I think it would be a mistake to alter that arrange- Ferndyke. 13 ment, I shall of course be always glad for you to accompany her, unless you would wish to have some time to yourself."

" Many thanks for your invitation ; I cannot decide on the moment, if you will allow me to leave it open." " By all means," responded the Admiral ; and they then continued to discuss the scenery. The sun was setting behind the mountains as they neared Ferndyke, but the mountain tops to the east still reflected the rays of the departing sun, the dark blue grey shades were stealing over the valleys, and the lake was bathed in mist, the softness of the tints rendered the scene exquisitely beautiful. As they entered the fine avenue which led up to the house, it was quite dark, and almost weird. Thinking the gloom might have a depressing effect on his com panion, the Admiral cheerily remarked, " I trust you will find the interior brighter than the outside," and at the same moment the carriage drew up to the entrance, the door opened, and Esther appeared.

The latter had been coaching herself to receive Miss Brennan at any rate with an appearance of welcome. It cost her a struggle to do so, but she was fairly successful. " Let me show you your room," she said, as soon as they were inside the house ; and leading the way upstairs, she ushered her into the room that had been prepared for her. A bright fire was burning in the grate, which lighted up the fresh chintz curtains, and made everything look bright and comfortable. It was a good sized room, and well furnished : a large toilet table stood in the recess of the window, on the right of that was a small kneehole writing table, over which was a bookcase containing Esther's idea of a governess's favourite books. There was a large wardrobe, a chest of drawers, a sofa at the foot of the bed, and an easy chair on either side of the fireplace.

Esther had racked her brain to think of anything she could have omitted, and decided that there was everything any lady could want, and much Ferndyke. 14 more than a governess had any right to expect. She was on the look out for some exclamation of delight and admiration from Miss Brennan, when she saw the quarters that had been got ready for her, but that lady never uttered a word. She stood in the middle of the room and quietly took stock ; then walked over to the looking glass, and had a good look at herself in it, apparently oblivious of Esther's presence ; then turning round, and seeing Esther standing there astonished, she said " Thank you, dear, this will do very well ; what time do you dine ? " "At half-past seven," Esther replied curtly, and immediately left the room, shutting the door with the slightest suspicion of a bang.

She went to her own room and dressed for dinner in an unbecoming white cashmere frock, which she had outgrown, and which she had embellished with a black sash as she was still in mourning. With all her independence of spirit she could not help feeling rather in awe of Miss Brennan. The latter evidently considered herself so immeasurably superior to Esther that a slight feeling of inferiority to Miss Brennan was engendered in her; but she had determined to make the best of things, and intended to win her governess's good opinion, so that, though much against her will, when the gong sounded, she went to Miss Brennan's room again, and timidly knocked at the door. "Come in," the latter answered from the inside. As Esther opened the door, she was aware of a fashionably dressed woman — much more fashionably dressed than the generality of women in that neigh bourhood — standing in the centre of the room, one of the maids standing with a long candlestick in each hand held up as high as her arms would reach, the large looking-glass depressed at an angle to reflect Miss Brennan's skirts, while with a hand-glass in her hand she was criticising the effect of a spray of flowers she had fastened on one side.

Anything more unlike Esther's preconceived Ferndyke. 15 notions of a governess could not be imagined. Miss Brennan was dressed in black, the bodice was slightly open at the throat, but nearly filled in again with deep black lace, the skirt was trimmed with flounces of black lace, and the spray of crimson roses was the final touch. As Esther entered Miss Brennan gave a nod to herself in the hand-glass, as if satisfied with the general effect, then taking up a fan and handkerchief, turned for the first time towards the daughter of the house. " Good gracious, child," she exclaimed, " did you buy that frock in a ready-made shop ? " " Mother bought me this some time ago." " So I should imagine. Why, you have quite outgrown it. Which is the way down ?" In silence Esther piloted the way, and they entered the drawing-room.

Admiral Maitland, who was the soul of punctuality, was already waiting; dinner had been announced some minutes, and to delay dinner was an offence the Admiral seldom overlooked without a slight reprimand ; but as Miss Brennan entered the room all idea of remonstrance fled — he gazed in astonishment for a moment — then, putting on his most courtly manner, he advanced and offered her his arm, remarking that probably her drive had given her an appetite for her dinner. Esther jealously took her seat at the end of the table, and Miss Brennan sat at the side. During the whole of dinner she kept up an animated con versation with the Admiral, and searcely took any notice of Esther. She talked well upon all subjects, she had the peerage at her fingers ends, and there was scarcely a noble family of whom she could not relate some piquant anecdote.