Lucy Carter: a love story of middle-class life

Chapter I. Four

miles from Castlebridge, which is in one of the home counties, stands the small village of Spelbridge. It possesses a green, an old church, an iron chapel, and one or two public-houses, and differs in no essential particular from the numerous other villages which are scattered about that part of England. A few hundred yards from the church, on the main road to London, stood about eight and twenty years ago, a onestoreyed house, built principally of wood, with a broad carriage drive and a small garden between it and the public thoroughfare. It was painted white ; it had a neat porch covered by a creeper, whose evergrowing ends were never permitted to run wild, but were secured and nailed down as soon as they were seen by their prim proprietress. The hedge, which answered the purpose of a garden wall, was also carefully and exactly trimmed, and not a single loose stone could be espied upon the broad gravel drive, which formed a crescent from one five-barred gate to the other ; for Miss Hannah Starling, who had occupied the house for the last ten years, was a lady of precise habits and formal manners, whose principal business in life it was to see that everything about herself was in exactly its proper place.

She was a very little woman, not only low in stature, but small in every limb ; her face was white, although it readily flushed ; her hair was of an indefinite sandy colour, and had lately been much alloyed with grey. i B At the back of the house was a large kitchen garden ; then came three or four meadows, and in one of these stood a small cottage, vying in whiteness with the house, and which was the abode of Mr. Nye and his daughter Polly ;— Nye was Miss Starling's bailiff, head gardener, and man of all work. Communication between the house and the cottage was by means of the garden and fields ; but there was a very narrow, deeply rutted lane running from another lane, which in its turn branched from the main road close by the church, and along which Nye's private visitors made their way.

Between the first two fields ran a high hedge, which completely shut off the view of the cottage from the windows of the house; and on its farther side Miss Starling's maids would meet their friends, and walk with them and talk with them in the pleasantest and freest manner in the world. And their mistress was so exceedingly particular about the appearance of her handmaidens, made them wear such becoming caps and neat apparel, that the youth of the village were apt to visit this reception ground with much regularity, and the presence of a couple at the stile would have caused no surprise to anybody but Miss Star ling herself, and she never by any chance quitted her own house after five o'clock in the afternoon. A man and a girl had been taking advantage of the friendly shelter which the hedge afforded them, the very evening upon which our story opens ; and as they ap proached the stile, which before the trees were full of leaves might possibly have been overlooked, they halted by mutual consent.

She held forth her hand to bid him good-bye. " And is this all, Polly : a cold shake of the hand, and a good-bye, sir? It maybe ever so long before I see you again." "Good-bye, Mr. Frank," repeated Polly; and still she held out her hand, thus keeping him at arm's length. But he would not part so. " Don't, please don't," she cried ; " suppose father was to come along and see you ! " " I don't care who comes," answered Frank Summers ; and as an excuse for his rashness it may be mentioned that he was but three and twenty years of age, while (and perhaps this was a better excuse still) Polly Nye was exactly eighteen. She walked towards her father's cottage, he to Miss Starling's house, and each glanced back many times before they lost sight of one another. Frank was Miss Starling's nephew and only living relative.

He was a clerk in the office of one of the most respectable shipbrokers in the city of London ; and al though the remuneration which he received for his labours was decidedly small, he tried to equalize matters by regu lating those labours accordingly. But there existed an informal understanding that, upon the payment of a certain sum of money at some future date, he was to be admitted to a junior partnership in the business of the firm. Rumours of this arrangement, together with the undeniable fact that Frank had dined twice at the house of Mr. Redmund (the head of the firm), and the knowledge that he was always well supplied with ready money, which upon occasion he would lend to a colleague in temporary distress, enabled him to lord it over his fellow clerks, by whom he was regarded as a person of fashion and distinction.

Frank owed nearly everything to his aunt : she had paid for his education for the most part, had provided the premium which had secured his admission to Redmund & Matthews' office, and was at the present moment making him the allowance which enabled him to rent two rooms (always, of course, described by himself as " chambers ") in the neighbourhood of Bloomsbury Square, to patronise a fashionable tailor, to pay frequent visits to the theatre and to other places, of which it is to be feared Miss Starling would scarcely have approved. Frank, therefore, was greatly indebted to his aunt, and he conscientiously repaid her by spending two or three days at her house as often as twice in every year, and by writing to her a very brief letter each month, when he received his allowance. At other times he never bestowed a thought upon her ; it was such a bore to have to waste his time in her society ; she was an unattractive woman, with out half an idea of her own, he told himself, and ought to be exceedingly thankful for what little of his attention she received.

Frank was upon one of his half-yearly visits now, and on the morrow he was to return to his office. After leaving Polly, he entered the dining-room in which his aunt always sat (for the drawing-room was sacred to the odd china cups and saucers which embellished it, and which no one ever was allowed to handle but Miss Star ling herself), and throwing himself into an uncomfortable, straight-backed, so called easy chair, began to cudgel his brains to find a subject in which his aunt would be inte rested ; while she sat very upright at the table, and although the summer had scarcely commenced, was busily knitting mittens or stockings for the next Christmas. "So you really must go to-morrow, Frank," she said, looking up from her pins and keeping the number of her stitch in her mind, for she always counted as she worked.

" Yes, aunt ; I ought not to have come away at all just now, but your letter was so very pressing, that I did not like to wait longer." " Well, my dear Frank," said the little lady sadly ; "you have not been here since November, and your letters are so unsatisfactory ; you never tell me anything of your doings ; and considering everything, and that neither of us has any other living relative, I do think that we ought to see more of each other." Frank had a dismal recollection of that November visit, during which it had rained the whole time, so that he had been unable to get out of doors even to smoke a cigar, for Miss Starling would not bear the accursed thing in her house. " I'm an ungrateful brute, aunt, I know," he answered ; " I ought to run down oftener, and it shall really not be so long before you see me again."

" Thank you, Frank," she said ; " do come as soon as you can. I often and often think of you as I sit here during the evenings by myself, and wonder what you are doing, and whether you are spending your time profitably. I wish sometimes that I could live in London, in order that I might look after you, for my poor sister's sake." As she spoke, she fixed her pale blue eyes wistfully upon his face, shook her small head very slightly and slowly, and pursed her thin lips intently, as if she longed to make him return her affection. He was congratulating himself that she did not live nearer town, and wondering how best to change the conversation. Everybody went to bed early at Spelbridge, especially Miss Starling's house hold ; and everybody was glad to go, as there was no occupation whatever for the evenings ; so, as Frank was unable to suggest another topic, he yawned, looked at his watch, said that he was tired, kissed his aunt's forehead, and retired to his own room.

The next morning he was early on his way to Castlebridge Station, and soon again at his office in the Lothbury. Before another month had elapsed, Miss Starling was astonished at receiving a letter from her nephew, informing her of his intention to run down to see her during the fol lowing week. Nobody was ever allowed to use the spare room but Frank, for Miss Starling had no friends even in the country where she had lived so long, as the "County people" would not condescend to recognise her, while she could not so far forget her ancestor, who had once been knighted on the occasion of his sovereign's visit to the town of which he happened to be Mayor that year, as to associate with the retired tradespersons who had houses in the village ; and unfortunately Spelbridge had not a resident medical man, while its rector was very old and infirm.

The bed hangings were always taken down upon Frank's departure, the bed was carefully covered up, and everything made snug for another six months ; but directly she read his letter, Miss Starling herself superintended the preparation of his room ; and as her household was a very modest one, and there were only a few days to spare, Polly's services were be spoken ; and there were as much bustle and turmoil as if a regiment had been billeted upon the village. If Miss Starling enjoyed the business of making ready for her visitor, it was a blissful work for Polly. Of late everything had changed to her ; her ordinary duties were to milk the three cows, to churn the butter, to help the servants at the house when occasion required, and that was not often. But since she had spoken to Frank for the first time, during his last visit, her life had been an en chanted one.

She milked the cows as usual, still she churned those delicate rolls of butter for her mistress's table, but yet nothing was just the same as it had been two months ago. There was a conscious air of romance per vading her life now, for as she went about her commonplace tasks, Frank always accompanied her; she would think of the fiist time she had met him in the lane by her father's house ; of how she had looked back, just once, and very shyly, after he had passed, and had found that he was looking behind him too ; of how he had smiled and she had hesitated ; that he had retraced his steps, while she, after a glance of inspection towards the cottage, had blushingly walked more slowly, then lingered, and stopped altogether ; and of how he had raised his hat to her for all the world as if she was a lady ; and then how they had afterwards met in the fields daily, almost, but not quite, by chance ; and sweeter than anything was the recollection of their last parting.

Polly could not think of it all, even for the hundredth time, with out blushing ; she still seemed to feel his lips pressed against her own ; longed to see him again, loved, and feared nothing. Frank had had not the least intention to visit his aunt so soon again, but he could not get Polly's picture from his mind ; and indeed, as it was a very charming picture, it is probable that he made no very great efforts in that direction. " This is good of you, Frank," said Miss Starling, as she kissed the cheek which he offered for the operation ■ " I could scarcely believe my eyes when I read your letter." "Well, aunt," said he, with something of apology in his tone, " I promised that I would come to see you ao-ain soon, did I not ? " She remembered that he had never yet parted from her without making a similar promise, but was too discreet to remind him of former delinquencies.

He remained a week at Spelbridge. Such a stay was without a precedent ; and his aunt was not only gratified to find that he could be contented so long in her society, but was also much pleased to find that he could pass his time so innocently about the lanes and fields. " For," said she, in commune with herself and a stocking, which only needed its heel to make it complete, " there can be little harm in a young man who takes such evident delight in the innocent pleasures of the country, who is able to amuse himself without killing or maiming the poor dumb creatures who are at our mercy." After his return to London, things in general seemed very dull to Miss Starling, and she seriously thought of introducing a little scarlet wool amongst that of the charitably cold grey colour which she generally affected, just to make her surroundings somewhat brighter.

Polly missed him, how much more than did his aunt ! Not that she was dull, for had he not promised to come again in a few weeks' time ; until then she could think of him and think of him, and count the days, and at last the very hours, until she should see her lover once more. Now, a little while before we first made her acquaintance, Miss Starling had taken, what she considered, the second important step in her life ; the first having been the refusal, many, many years ago, of a certain captain in a militia regiment, whose picture, painted on ivory, she still wor shipped in secret, and whom she had once loved devotedly until indisputable evidence had convinced her that his sole affection was for her bankers' account and for Dutch spirits ; so she had remained a spinster, nor had she ever had a second opportunity of changing her condition.

Miss Starling had executed a will ; she had performed the deed (dreadful for Frank) upon the day following the receipt of one of her nephew's cold, brief letters. A lawyer from Castlebridge had been called in, instructions had been duly given and received, and ultimately her name had been signed to a document under which Frank would not have taken a halfpenny, while the " Society for the Relief of Decayed Spinsters " stood to receive a considerable ad dition to its sparse funds. But after Frank's two visits had been followed by yet a third, the lawyer was again sent for, fresh instructions were given, the decayed spinsters were left still out in the cold to which unappreciative mankind had already consigned them, and her fortunate nephew was made sole heir to Miss Starling's very comfortable possessions.

When the leaves were changing colour on the trees, and some of them had already begun to strew the ground, Frank made his appearance once more, this time to spend the whole of his autumn vacation at Spelbridge ; then Miss Starling's heart was full, and she rejoiced that she had it within her power to show her love for her "dear boy." The latter and Polly met daily. The evenings darkened early now, and after the high tea (which indigestible but comfortable meal took the place of dinner at Miss Starling's), Frank would ask permission to go outside to smoke his cigar in the fields ; there Polly would always be waiting for him ; there they would stroll, his arm about her waist, her head upon his shoulder, while he would woo and flatter her, until earth seemed heaven, and he its chief angel. She was an untaught, ignorant girl, who could not write a word, and who could only read with the greatest difficulty.

She was overflowing with health and animal spirits, and until she had met Frank had never known a serious want. Eighteen years of age, of middle height, with some what large, plump, dimpled hands ; her hair was jet black and wavy in front, and as she walked, hatless, it was blown about her forehead in delightful confusion. Her cheeks were slightly browned ; her eyes were black as coal, and bright as fire ; her lips were so red and ripe that it was small wonder that Frank had longed to taste them. Polly wore a light cotton dress ; it always was clean and fresh, and always fitted her like a glove. It was not that it was deftly made, but rather that it had been bought some time ago, before Polly's angles had become so ravishingly rounded ; she had grown to the dress, and filled it out, so that now her ripe, tempting figure seemed ready to burst its bonds, and the cheap cotton garment showed to per fection the outline of her beautiful bosom, while it did not hide her ankles, as a gown of that season should have done.

To Frank Summers, perhaps, the acquaintance had developed into a mere intrigue ; it is true he thought often of the girl during her absence, and loved her as men in his position do love girls in hers. But she was in earnest, and thought of herself not at all ; she worshipped him, and longed only to please him, to do him service. She was foolish, but knew of no harm. He intended no sin either, probably, but was not given to looking forward to the mor row, especially when to-day was so exceedingly pleasant. Polly had no mother living ; she kept house for her father, and always showed him a bright face when he was at home, and never made herself disagreeable if he was much abroad ; so that Nye, for his part, thought that his daughter was better than many a wife whom he knew, was proud of her, and never tired of boasting of her merits to his cronies at the Black Bull, where he very regularly passed his evenings.

It was often cold now when Polly and Frank met, and as he parted from her at the door of her father's cottage, the fire within looked cheerful and inviting. Mr. Nye was always safe at the Bull until half-past nine o'clock, and before that time Frank would be sitting with his aunt, and probably reading to her from one of those devotional works which formed her staple literature. He generally came out to "smoke his cigar" at half-past seven ; and towards the end of his holiday Polly was never found awaiting his coming at the trysting-place of the earlier days of their acquaintance. He had so tender a care for her that he would not allow her, he said, to linger in the cold : she must stay by her own door, and there he would come to her. One particularly wet, windy night they sought shelter by the cottage fire, and after that — the threshold once invaded — he always met her beneath her father's roof, until at last the day came when it was necessary that he should bid her good-bye.

From the situation of the cottage, there was little or no fear of their being overlooked as they stood together at its door upon this their last evening, Nothing could have been more tender than his manner towards her ; he was loth to speak the parting words, and yet for the last few days he had longed to be gone. She stood with her arm through his, as if to keep him closely by her side ; she had cared for nothing so long as she had him near to her, but now that this dreaded time, which had seemed so far off, had really come, now that she must be all alone, — so very much alone,— she realized that her romance was finished. She loved him more dearly, more clingingly, than ever ; but it seemed that she was entering upon a bare, desolate journey amongst strangers, for the heat of his passion had made all the ordinary affections and relations of her life as cold and dreary as a barren moorland in winter ; she shrank from the possibility of having to face it by herself.

" There is nine striking," he said, as he gently put her arm' away from his own ; " I must go, darling, or I shall be missed. I will write to you often. Don't forget me, Polly. Good-night, dearest, and good-bye." " Frank, Frank," she cried, " do not leave me for long ; how can I live without you ? Come again soon. Oh ! must you go away from me at all ? Frank, Frank, cannot I come with you ? " " No, no, dear," he said, soothing her, but longing to get the parting over, now that it could not be deferred. " I will come soon ; — as soon as I can, that is. Don't give way like this, Polly ; be a brave girl. Now I must go ; good-bye once more." Her hands covered her face ; he took her by the elbows and touched her hair with his lips, then went his way. She stood gazing after him, one hand shading her eyes, as if to hide her own sadness from the dancing stars above ; he did not once turn back this time, but whistled a tune and swung his stick as he hurried across the meadows to the house.

So he passed from Polly's sight ; she still heard him whistling, and waited long after he had gone beyond her gaze, hoping that yet he might come back, just once more. But at last she turned away her head, dried her wet cheeks, and went into the cottage, to compose herself as best she might, ready for her father's return. "Frank," said Miss Starling, just before bed-time, "I wish to say a word or two to-night, before you go, about your future. I have been making a will, dear." " Thank you, aunt," he answered, taking it for granted that it must be in his favour, and trying to set his face to that expression of seriousness which seemed fitting to the discussion of such a subject, but being unable to help look ing pleased. " Yes, I have lately made a will, Frank," she continued, " under the provisions of which every penny of my pro perty will be yours one day ; neither of us can say how soon."

" It is awfully good of you, Aunt Hannah," said Frank, as he looked into the fender with great assiduity. " I do not know how to thank you for all you have done ; I know that I don't deserve it, but I do hope that it will be a long time before I am benefited in the way you propose." " I am quite sure of that, my dear boy," she said, taking his hand with her own dry, bony fingers ; "your kindness and consideration for me lately have made my life more happy than I can tell you. I am thankful to have seen so much of you, Frank ; not only because of the pleasure I have had in your company, but because it has enabled me to observe the goodness of your disposition ; if you would only give up that horrid habit of smoking, I should desire no im provement in you." She caressed his hand as she spoke, as if it had been that of a dear child of her own.

He did not like to draw it away, but her purring, affectionate manner was very distasteful to him. " Frank," she said, " there is one other thing I must speak about ; six months ago I could never have brought myself to have told you ; then there was no sympathy between us, was there ? but it is so different now. But, Frank, our wishes go for little in determining the length of our sojourn here. Your dear mother was taken suddenly, our poor father died in the same way, and now they tell me that I am to be another victim." Frank was shocked as he listened ; he was really moved now, and for the moment felt disgusted by his own former callousness. He placed his hand kindly on the top of his aunt's, which still caressed him, his action bringing tears to her eyes. " I am sorry to hear you speak like this, aunt," he said ; " are you sure that you are not mistaken ? have you had the best possible advice ?

Perhaps, after all, your fears are groundless." " No, Frank, to think that would be but to deceive my self. I may live for a few years, they tell me, or it may be but for as many days ; the slightest shock, I am told, might prove fatal. But it does not matter, Frank ; I have no fear, and life is not so very sweet as it may seem to you at three and twenty, and as I trust it may continue to you. I am quite ready to go when I am called." But her regretful expression scarcely supported her as sertion, and with a sigh she commenced undoing much of her knitting, which in her excitement she had not properly attended to. So Frank spent his last evening at Spelbridge. At half past ten he went to bed, and then his holiday was over. But before he bade her good-night he had made his aunt promise that she would come to London shortly, to take advice from the highest authority concerning her health.

Chapter II. Frank

was soon occupied by his ordinary duties and his pleasures. His thoughts did not so often recur to Polly as they had been wont to do, and when he did think of her, the recollection was without its former charm. With her soft form pressed to his side as they had walked to gether during the beautiful autumnal evenings, when the red setting sun had made everything rose-coloured, with her cherry lips waiting, ripe, for his pleasure, it had not mattered that the sweet mouth had never framed an as pirate ; her conquerable coyness had been better than a knowledge of grammar ; and Frank had imagined her perfect. But since their parting he had dwelt upon her charms less than upon the small conventional errors, of which, naturally, she was frequently guilty. During the last few months she had been the dearest and nearest in the world to him ; during the last few weeks she had seemed to live in another sphere.

Frank was perplexed ; he did not wish to meet Polly again (" Not just for a time " he told himself), whereas, after his late conversation with his aunt, since the expression of her good intentions towards him, it was scarcely possible that he should long absent himself from her house. To his great joy, a way out of his difficulty unexpectedly presented itself, as if it had been created for the purpose. Certain business which Messrs. Redmund & Matthews were concerned with in America necessitated the presence at New York of a confidential agent. An offer of the post was made to Frank, and at once accepted. At any time the prospect of the trip would have pleased him ; in his present circumstances nothing could have afforded him greater satisfaction. No delay was permissible ; Frank made his arrangements for starting in the course of a few days : he wrote to his aunt telling her of the important nature of his commission, and expressing his fear that he would scarcely be able to see her before his hasty departure ; indeed, he had resolved that he could not tell Polly to her face of his proposed absence.

But Miss Starling would not let him go without seeing him once more ; she had promised to consult a physician in London, so arranged to make one journey suffice for that purpose and for her farewell to her nephew. The latter had removed his belongings to the cellars of the house in the Lothbury, and upon hearing of his aunt's visit, went to spend his last days at her hotel, a quiet house in Manchester Street, Portman Square. He wrote to Polly. It was a cheerful letter, written large (he was aware that she was as incapable of reading as any duchess of an earlier day might have been), telling her that he was going to New York for a short time, sending her his " dearest love," and that was all. His aunt had seen her medical adviser and had received corroboration of her death sentence on the day previous to that upon which Frank bade her farewell.