Wounded by a Word. A novel

Front matter

NOTICE— The New and Revised Edition contains Prefatory Remarks by the Right Hon. W. E. GLADSTONE, M.P., who has read and approved the volume. THE STANDARD WORK ON AUTHORSHIP. Crown 8vo., Cloth Gilt, Price 5s. ; Postage, 4^d. (Fifth Edition. New and Revised.) THE AUTHOR'S MANUAL, Being a complete, practical Guide to all Branches of Journalism, Literary Work generally, and Book-producing, with special advice in reference to Imaginative Literature, by Percy Russell. Brief 'Extracts from some of the Reviews : — The Spectator says : — " The aspirant to Literature may cer tainly read Mr. Russell's book with profit." The Graphic says : — " Mr. Russell has got up his subject with much care, and supplies a great deal cf useful informa tion. His advice aud suggestions are sound and to the point.' St. Stephen's Review says: — "The Author's Manual is clever to a fault.

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Chapter I. An Unexpected Meeting

A bright clear day had opened on the town, and the streets were thronged with pleasure seekers of every age and station. Amongst the most conspicuous of these were two girls of tall stature and somewhat striking appearance. Their costumes had been made to correspond with the prevailing fashion of the time, with little regard, as it seemed, to real taste or beauty. They were the only children of a widow lady of the name of O'Reilly. In their early youth they had lived in B affluence, and though not now in poverty, their circumstances were considerably changed. This morning, as they walked, they were engaged in earnest discussion concerning the name of a young person, somewhat older and less pretentious than themselves, whom they were approaching at the other end of the street. " Really, Evelyn," exclaimed the elder, whose name was Drusilla.

" I think we ought to know her, if we do not." " She looks very familiar," replied her sister. " Who can she be ? " " I shall notice her, at all hazards, and we shall speak to a friend without knowing who she is. How curious ! " " I should not, if I were you ; she may be someone we should not like to mix with — an inferior, pei'haps." " Oh ! no matter if she is," returned i Drusilla; " there would be no harm done." Evelyn was silent for a minute, looking in tently at the stranger. Suddenly she cried — " Drusilla, I have just thought. Is it Miss Fearon ? " " Of course, that is who she is. How silly of us not to have known her before." " So it was," said Evelyn ; " we might have passed her by without notice, and that, to a friend, would look unkind, if not in sulting." " My plan would have been the right one, as it happens," rejoined Drusilla.

" But see, she has looked round." A smile of recognition brightened the set features of the reunited friend, and it was brightly responded to, as the three stepped together for an interview. " What a happy meeting," said Drusilla. " We did not recognize you at a distance, and but for Evelyn, we might not have known you at all." " You might when I came near," she answered, in a cold, measured voice, that contrasted with the enthusiasm of her friends; "but, Miss Evelyn, you deserve my gratitude for remembering me better than your sister. It is so long since you saw me last that perhaps I have altered a little." " Not at all, I think," said Evelyn ; "you look just tbe same as when we saw you last — scarcely grown older, even.'' " Well, I hope I have not altered any more than in appearance," she replied.

" But I never knew you were here — I always thought you had left Ireland." " Oh, no ! we have not," both answered at once. " Are you in this town or in the suburbs ? " " We live in a village not very far from here. A country village is much pleasanter, mamma says ; but I have never thought so. " I daresay it is more healthy," said Miss Fearon. " Doubtless, it is," replied Evelyn; "but it is equally surprising to us to meet with you here. Where do you live ? " " I do not live here. I am staying with a relative, and am only come to this neighbourhood to call on a friend." " For the sake of old acquaintanceship, may I be inquisitive and ask who the friend is that you are going to visit ? " " Certainly, it is no secret. The friend I am going to see is Mrs. Trivett, who, per haps, you have heard of before ?

" " Mrs. Trivett ! " exclaimed both girls, in a breath ; " we know her well." " Oh, do you ? I am glad to hear it." " Yes ; and she lives nearly opposite to where we do." " Is that your house, then ? It must be a very nice one. I have often noticed it, but I never thought that you were the inmates." Drusilla and Evelyn exchanged glances and smiled, but neither offered an explanation. Their circumstances had altered since they were the playmates of Sybil Fearon, but they did not deem it worth while to admit the change yet. " Are you going anywhere else ? " asked Drusilla, presently, to break an unpleasant pause. " No ; but why do you ask ? " " We are going straight home, and you might come too. It would be all in your way to Mrs. Trivett's." " Yes, certainly it would, and I shall be glad of your company there," she answered.

" Oh, that will be charming!" said Evelyn. " To my mind, there are few things so tire some as having to pass a friend with a nod and a word, or perhaps shake hands, especially with an old friend like you, Miss Fearon, whom we have not seen for so long. One wants a long chat." The formal title of " Miss " Fearon struck harshly on the impulsive Drusilla, and she exclaimed — " There now, Evelyn has altered if you have not. I hate this formality. May we come to Christian names again, like we used to ? " " Oh, yes, call me by mine if you like." "Then I will," she said, promptly; "it would be so nice to have Sybil Fearon again, as we had once." " Then you may have Sybil again/so mind, Evelyn, you must not call me Miss Fearon again — plain Sybil, if you please, for old times' sake." " Well, then, that is arranged," added Drusilla ; " and now, Sybil, I did not think you knew Mrs. Trivett."

" Oh, yes, I do ; I know them all, but she is my special friend." " And do you like her ? Is she a dear friend ? " " I suppose, as we are to be the Sybil and Drusilla of former days, I must not rebuke you for making free,'' replied Sybil, letting the question pass unanswered. " Ah, Sybil ! I see why you mind it. You do not like personal remarks on your friends, but you might answer my question — it is not a very prying one." " Well, I do like Mrs. Trivett ; I like them all, in fact — even the son, though he seems to have rather fast ways." " Do you think so, really ? Why, I had always taken him for a model — his parents think him one, I believe." " They ought to know best, then. I have no cause to find fault ; and, Drusilla, do not let it go any farther." The thought had occurred to Sybil that possibly this might reach the ears of her friends, and, therefore, she wished it un said.

" Close friends are always trusty confi dantes" remarked Evelyn; "you need not WOUNDED BY A WOBD. fear our repeating it — we are not mischief makers." " Granting that," said Drusilla. " Then, to proceed, you are on rather intimate terms with the Trivetts, I suppose ? " " I can scarcely say I am. Were you going' to add that they were trusty confi dantes . " " Well, they may be, I don't really know ; and Evelyn's words were only praise of herself, that she was one." " And I think," suggested the latter lady, " that Drusilla means to find out who has supplanted us in your affection while we have been separated." " I scarcely understand your meaning, if that is the case, Miss — Drusilla, I mean," said Sybil, correcting herself. " But you and Evelyn are old friends, and the Trivetts are still on formal terms, though they have grown less so lately.

And they can never be equally intimate, since, in my judgment, it takes an acquaintance from childhood to ripen into close friendship." " Perhaps it does. We had that advantage, but a long separation is often sufficient to destroy its effects." This was said by Evelyn, and partly prompted by an air of cold constraint which she fancied she could discern in her friend's manner towards herself and Drusilla. The latter did not observe it, and not wishing to turn the conversation to a gloomy subject, she remarked, gaily — " How surprised mamma will be — will she not ? — to see you, for you will come and see her, of course ? " " Yes ; but it must be a short visit, I am afraid, for they are expecting me at the Trivetts." " A short one would be better than none, and I will introduce you as Sybil Fearon ; so you must be prepared not to receive a formal reception."

Miss Fearon assured her she did not wish any formality, adding, as playfully as she could — " I wonder if she will know me without an introduction by name ? Do you think she would ? " " I cannot guess. What a good joke it would be to introduce you like that; just for fun, you know, and we will explain it afterwards, and tell her, if she needs tell ing." )> " Sybil does not like that plan, I am sure," said Evelyn, who again observed what her sister did not in the new-found friend. " I thought it might make a little fun, but since you do not wish it, we will abandon the idea," rejoined Drusilla, in a half-disappointed tone. " I am getting too old for such jokes. You must remember I am nearly thirty now, and was nearer thirteen when you knew me before." " Oh ! that cannot be. You are years short of that."

" Only two or three it must be," said Evelyn. " It was many years ago, and people can't stop growing old, a fact we are rather apt to forget. But look, Sybil," she concluded, suddenly, " we are nearly at home now." Sybil did look, and a feeling akin to humiliation crept over her. The stately mansion she had imagined as her friends' home was still distant, and Drusilla and Evelyn had slackened their pace, thus inti mating that their journey was at an end.

It was not to a fine country mansion that the O'Reillys had escorted their guest, but through the dusty lanes till they reached a shop of unpretending appearance. Here they stopped, entered at the open door, and crossed through to the room at the back. Then, to Sybil's surprise and dismay, she found herself in the presence of Mrs. O'Reilly. As her daughter had predicted, the old lady looked up in bewilderment on seeing a stranger. " Mamma, have you forgotten Sybil Fearon ? " asked Drusilla, trying a plan between her own and Sybil's choice. Mrs. O'Reilly's look of wonder gradually changed to one of joyful recognition, and she came forward with a warm greeting. " Really, Sybil, dear, I never recognized you till Drusilla mentioned the name." " Neither did she when she saw me. Evelyn was the first to guess who I was."

" Then we are behaving shamefully, for getting old friends in this way ; but you are a very welcome visitor, I assure you, now we know you." " Yes, it was a fortunate thing that they met me ; I did not know your address." There was a slight sarcasm in the tone, which only Evelyn observed. '•' Did you not ? Why, I should think you had forgotten it." "Very likely I had, for I thought it was a house further on than this." " Ah ! Sybil, you thought we had got very grand all at once, and lived in a mansion. You see we do not, but I hope you will not think any the worse of us on that account." " Oh ! certainly not," replied Sybil, with fashionable insincerity. " I am sorry my visit to you now must be a short one, for I have an engagement to visit your opposite neighbours, the Trivetts, and they will expect me there very soon."

" Yes, it will be short, but sweet, I hope. We must make the most of Sybil before we lose her, mamma," said Drusilla, as she threw herself laughingly into a chair. " We shall not lose her entirely, I hope. Sybil, dear, do you live near here ? " "No, I am only on a visit," she answered, shortly. c "Shall you stay with the Trivetts?" asked Evelyn, suddenly. " I daresay they will invite me to stay, but I am not here for that purpose." Drusilla rose at once and approached her mother, saying, in a tone intended to escape Sybil's hearing — " Mamma, may we have Sybil here when she leaves Mr. Trivett's ? " Mrs. O'Reilly smiled doubtfully. " Yes, if she will come. You may ask her now, dear." Drusilla turned to her accordingly. " Sybil, when you leave will you come and stay with us for a little while ?

It is so hard to lose you directly. Oh ! say you will, do, Sybil.' ' " No, Drusilla, I really must decline your invitation. I am equally obliged, though I cannot accept it." " Why not, Sybil ? Are you too grand to notice us now ? " asked Drusilla, in great surprise. Sybil was silent. In her secret heart she thought it was the truth, and did not like to own it in any way. " Oh ! come, confess, Sybil. I never thought you were so proud." " What have I to be proud of ? " said Sybil, at last, feeling obliged to reply. " Except, indeed, a rich relation, but only one." " Ah ! true, you have ; and that reminds me, have you not some poor ones as well ? " " No, certainly not." " I don't mean exactly in poverty, but something between that and riches." " Perhaps I have, but I cannot remember them just now."

" Really, Sybil, you are as forgetful as we were. Is it possible you can have forgotten the Fearons ? They live just over the road." " The Fearons. I have no relations here of the same name." " Perhaps they have not been here long ; but the name is Randal Fearon. I think you must remember them." " I do now, and you say he lives in the village ? " Sybil said this with an air of real interest. " Yes, he has a farm here, and seems to get on well, too." "Now you speak of it, I think I heard of that before." "I believe you must," replied Drusilla, " for he is a tenant of Mr. Trivett's, the very friend you are going to see." " Well, I do not own those as relations." " But they are, are they not ? " exclaimed Evelyn, not to be baffled by this evasion. " For I have been thinking, would they not be nearer of kin to Mr. Fearon than you are?

Randal calls him Uncle Patrick." " Perhaps so," returned Sybil, with cold displeasure. She was unwilling to admit that despised relatives had more cause to be proud in a worldly sense than herself. " But they are not the sort of people I should like to own even if they were rich," she said, again. " Are they not ? How singular ! " said Evelyn. " What is the matter with them ? I never heard of their doing anything wrong." " Nor have I," interposed Mrs. O'Reilly, before she could reply. "But he bears abad name; indeed, I find he is generally disliked by the people here." " So he has been in other places, I believe," returned Sybil. " But are you sure he is so unpopular here ?" " Quite ; . I have scarcely heard a good word said of him." It would have been better for some people if she had copied Sybil's caution in speaking of Adolphus Trivett, but she did not think of this, though the need was far greater.

She was a quiet, kind-hearted woman, a little fond of gossip it may be, but with no thought of harming anyone. " Then my suspicions must be true. I am glad I never owned him," said Sybil, with righteous indignation. " But it seems hard when he has done nothing," pleaded Drusilla ; " especially as you own his uncle." Sybil tossed her head slightly. " There is a great difference between Mr. Fearon and a low farmer, as I believe that nephew is." " In money matters certainly there is," replied the obstinate Drusilla, who still believed it was position rather than character that made the difference. " And in other things, of course, Drusilla. You do not seem to understand me, but I think your mamma does," she added, appeal ing to Mrs. O'Reilly. " Yes, dear, I can quite understand your feelings.

No one likes to own a relative who bears a bad name, even if they have not been known to do anything very wrong." Sybil looked pleased, and glanced at Dru silla, who still seemed inclined to defend the Fearons. Evelyn, however, spoke before she had time, saying — " Well, certainly, it would hardly be pleasant to own Randal, but Lucy is a dear little creature, and nobody finds fault with her. She is a great favourite of ours." " And who is Lucy ? " asked Sybil. "Lucy Fearon, Randal's wife; we never call her ' Mrs.' " " I wonder that you mix with such people, and that your mamma allows it." " Ah ! I thought you would object to that," said Evelyn, " and especially to our getting so intimate as to call her a dear little creature ; but it is undeniable that she is one, and thrown away on Randal, too."

" Perhaps she is a respectable young person," replied Sybil, somewhat mollified by the last admission. " I suppose she is young ? " " Oh, yes, she is younger than you or I, but there is no question about her respecta bility any more than there is about ours." " No, there is not," added Mrs. O'Reilly, wishful to protect herself from Sybil's in sinuation, " and my daughters seldom see Randal Fearon, or speak to him. He is generally on the farm when they go there." This was adding fuel to the fire. "Are they on visiting terms then?" she asked, with a shocked expression on her face. " Yes, we are," cried Drusilla. " I see you are getting to despise us already because we are not at the top of the tree, and looking down on all beneath it." " I have not said I despised you, nor do I mean to imply it, but I do wonder that you keep such company."

" Sybil," replied Drusilla, quite indignant at last, " the Fearons are respectable people. They cannot help being poor. They are not even low bred. On the contrary, Randal is of higher extraction than yourself, and Lucy is quite a lady, whatever her origin may be. They have done nothing openly wrong — that you admit. What objection remains? Nothing that I can see but what pride and prejudice may suggest." " Drusilla, Drusilla, for shame ! " exclaimed Mrs. O'Reilly, in pity for their visitor, who seemed thunderstruck by this outburst of wrath, and made no reply. Her protection was not needed, however, for Evelyn here interposed, and put a still more effectual check to this unpleasant dis cussion by exclaiming — " Look, mamma, is that Mrs. Trivett's carriage come for Sybil ? " This turned their attention to the street, where through the open doors they could see a handsome carriage and pair that seemed to be halting outside.

" No, my dear, that cannot be," said Mrs. O'Reilly; "they would not know of her being here. I think they are merely pausing because of some obstruction in the road." This was the truth, but the incident recalled Sybil to her intended visit. Her interest in the Fearons, about whom she had a motive in obtaining information, had led her to out stay her time, even at the risk of insult. But Drusilla's last words were too much. She rose now, and rather stiffly extended her hand, saying — " I must wish you good-morning, Mrs . O'Reilly. If I do not make haste Mrs. Trivett may be out when I get there." " Good-bye, my dear, I am sorry your visit was not a pleasanter one, but Drusilla and Evelyn must make it up, and part as if nothing had happened." Sybil assured her that she had enjoyed the visit very much, and they parted at last with an outward show of affection.

But Sybil was under a mask too obvious to a suspicious eye, and as she stepped once more into the open air she inwardly murmured, " If I enter that house again methinks I shall indeed be altered."

Chapter III. Different Motives Unite To An End

Not sorry to depart, after the too-emphatic expressions of her friends' feeling, Sybil wended her steps across the road to a large mansion that stood nearly opposite to the humble abode she had just left. It was the residence of Mr. Trivett, the squire, as he might be called, or at least the only wealthy and important person in the neighbourhood. He was a landed proprietor on a moderate scale, the principal of his possessions being a large farmhouse and grounds, the residence of the couple before-mentioned, who had un wittingly been the cause of so much dispute between Sybil and her friends. He bore the character of being a harsh and exacting land lord, who would not scruple to oppress the poor for his own profit. But this was a com plaint seldom heard and less listened to amongst the fashionable few that he owned as friends.

As Sybil had said, her relations with them were those of formal acquaintance rather than friendship, and it was in answer to a request more urgent than sincere that she now paused to knock at their door. It was opened by a man-servant, and the young lady was ushered in with much ceremony and guided to a large drawing-room, where she found Mrs. Trivett sitting in stately idleness with her son Adolphus, a handsome and rather effeminate-Jooking young man in fashionable attire. Mrs. Trivett herself was about middle age, and her youthful attrac tions had not quite faded — a fact on which she especially prided herself, and still endea voured to preserve the semblance of youth when its reality was gone. " Dear Miss Fearon," she exclaimed (it was no longer Sybil), " I scarcely expected to see you to-day.

This is indeed a pleasant surprise." "I was detained to visit Mrs. O'Reilly before I came here," answered Sybil. "I met the young ladies in the street, and as they were old friends I thought it would seem unkind not to call." Sybil would not have made this admission under ordinary circumstances, but she thought it might be of use now. " Oh, yes, of course, my dear, never forget old friends ; and, now I think of it, were not the Miss O'Reillys your playmates once ? " " Yes, they were, but they had almost forgotten me now. It is long since we met before." " Yes, it must have been ! " " Have you seen my father ? " interrupted Adolphus, who had scarcely spoken before. " Not yet," she replied. " Is he at home ? " " He is just come in now, I heard him. I should think he will come when he hears who is here."

Adolphus had scarcely finished the sentence before the door opened, and the subject of their conversation entered the room. He was a stoutbuilt, elderly man, with a hard, ill-tempered expression of face which was not calculated to impress anyone in his favour. His features relaxed somewhat on recognizing the visitor, and he said, in a pleasanter tone than might have been ex pected — " Good morning, Miss Fearon. I am very glad to see you. It is well you called now, for had you been earlier I should have missed you. I have had a little business to attend to — rents and the like." " Have you, indeed, Mr. Trivett ? How curious ! it was on that very subject of your tenantry I was wishing to speak to you this morning. I hope you will not take it amiss if I offer you a little advice ? " " Oh, certainly not, Miss Fearon ; nothing would please me better.

Pray proceed." " Well, then, my advice, briefly stated, is this — to get rid, if possible, of your tenant Farmer Fearon." Mr. Trivett almost started with surprise, evidently not of an unpleasant nature. D Sybil saw this, and continued, calmly — " He bears a bad name in the village — at least, so Mrs. O'Reilly tells me. Do you think it is true ? " " Yes, it is true. I never liked the man myself — quite the contrary. But have you heard anything fresh of him ?" " Not exactly fresh. I have only just heard that he was a tenant of yours." " I never heard that he bore a bad name," exclaimed Mrs. Trivett. " I cannot bear the thought of such characters being on your property." " Did you not, my dear ? I thought everybody knew it in this neighbourhood," said Mr. Trivett ; " but, of course, you are not interested in those rough farming people.

However, we had better take Miss Fearon's advice, and get rid of him as soon as possible." " By all means," returned his wife, " for he may prove to be a very wicked man. I shall never feel safe in such proximity. I was not aware that people suspected him." " They do though, and, in my opinion, there is some danger." Mrs. Trivett visibly shuddered. " Yes, I am sure he looks capable of any thing dreadful," she exclaimed ; " we are really not safe in having him so close to our house." " We must send him away, and that speedily. We cannot be too thankful to Miss Fearon for her advice. How to carry it out is the thing to be thought of now," said Mr. Trivett, reflectively. " But what reason can you give?" inter posed Adolphus. " You could not say to his face that you were afraid he would do us harm, and did not like him.

It would not do at all — besides, he might refuse to leave on such grounds, and give a good deal of trouble." " Nor could we tell him he bore a bad character," added Mrs . Trivett. " It is for tunate you found the difficulty, Adolphus." " Of course he would refuse to leave on such a pretext," continued the latter, " for he is especially anxious to keep on the farm. He is getting on so well there." " As to that," replied his father, " I don't see that I am obliged to give a reason at all. If he refuses, I shall have the police to evict him — that will be all." " Oh, my dear, think what an uproar that would cause ! " cried Mrs. Trivett, alarmed at the idea. " It is too dreadful ! " " There is no alternative if he will not sro quietly. His character is not my only reason. I hear that he has improved the farm and made it worth at least twenty pounds a year more in rent.