Little Hand and Muckle Gold: a study of to-day. By X. L [i.e. Julian Osgood Field.] author of 'Aut Diabolus aut Nihil.'

PART I. THE SOWING OF THE SEED {Continued)

CHAPTER XIII.

It is February again — the end of a cold, cheer less, London February. A year has elapsed since the morning Avhen Madge Tyrrell received in the Eue Royale the letter from her young loA'er which had induced her to accept the hand of her elderly adorer, and Lady Anstruther is up in town with her husband for two days, to buy some necessary raiment for herself and infant daughter. Sir James and his Avise have put up at Edward's Hotel, but as his medical adviser, Avho lives around the corner in Gros venor Street, has advised the Colonel to beAvare of the early morning air, and as Madge is, as of old, active and an early riser, avc find Lady Anstruther alone, at a quarter -past ten in the morning, making her Avay down Oxford Street to try on a certain cloak which she had ordered a fortnight before, and Avhich, as it is a par ticularly thick, dark - blue, military - looking mantle, to be clasped together with quaint old Brittany clasps, she feels should come into her possession without delay, to be of some use to her before the dawn of spring.

On reaching Regent Street by Jay's mourning-shop, Lady Anstruther Avas prevented from crossing by a sight which gave her pleasure, accustomed as she had been to the splendid military displays Avhich were so common in Paris in the clays of the Second Empire. It Avas the 2d Life Guards coming from the barracks in Albany Street, and going down to Queen's Guard at Whitehall to relieve the Blues. Madge stood on the kerbstone and Avatched the handsome warriors, AA'ho, with their glittering helmets and cuirasses, and being for the most part mere beard less youths, composed a group which looked more like a beautiful squadron of Amazons than a company of youthful heroes dauntless in love and Avar. First came the avant-gardes, — two sulky-looking boy giants avIio turned and stared at Madge with insolent admiration ; then, at a considerable interval, the golden - haired trum peter, striding his white-grey charger, and closely folloAved by the detachment of the regiment, Avhich at that time Colonel " Fred " Marshall was rapidly forming into the smartest in her Majesty's service, the whole stalking slowly by as the first movement in a symphony of youth, beauty, courage, and colour.

A crowd of shabby-looking men, Avomen, and boys had by this time collected around Lady Anstruther to look at the passing shoAv, and becoming suddenly aware of this, she was on the point of Avalking aAvay, Avhen her attention was arrested by the figure of a man Avho suddenly crossed into the street and stopped the commanding officer. It Avas Laurence Farquhar : she recognised him at once, and her heart gave one wild leap that suffused her face with crim son and then suddenly left it as pale as death. She stood riveted to the spot, her eyes fixed upon the upturned face of her darling and the brilliant officer who was leaning down from his saddle to converse with him. By dint of staring she recognised the warrior : it was Lord Upp, familiarly called "Jane," one of the most de servedly popular officers in the Household Cav alry, and whom Madge remembered to have met in Paris two years before.

Hardly had Lady Anstruther come to this conclusion — AA-hich ne cessitated a considerable amount of exercise of memory, for the helmet is a deadly enemy to recognition — than the colloquy Avas over, and the two friends, with a hearty laugh, parted, the officer to proceed Avith his duty, and the civilian to find his way back as best he might through the mud to the sideAvalk. Chance willed it that he came, seeking for some refuge from the mire, straight up to where Lady Anstruther stood. She saAV him coming, saw that he did not see her, busy as he Avas picking his way from stone to stone, but could not have moved out of the way of this meeting which she now felt to be inevitable had her very life depended upon it, for she felt her feet riveted to the ground. On he came straight to her, reached the kerbstone, pushed Avithout raising his head rudely against her to effect a landing-place, and then looked up.

" I beg your pardon ! " he began ; then, " Good God ! Madge ! " he ex claimed. Hardly had he spoken than she recovered her outward composure, as if by the effect of an electric current. " How d'ye do, Mr Farquhar ? What an extraordinary meeting ! " she replied, quite coolly. " What in the world are you doing here at this unearthly hour ? " he continued, taking her outstretched hand and pressing it Avarmly. " I thought you were in the Avilds of Kent ! " " Who told you that ? " " Arthur. I see him sometimes at the club. Has he not told you he has seen me ? " They had noAv partly extricated themselves from the knot of vagabonds, and he looked into her face. Hoav remarkably Avell she Avas looking, he thought. How much she had improved ! Madge coloured slightly under his eager glance, Avhich she felt rather than saw as her eyes Avere fixed on the pavement, and replied nervously — " Oh yes, he has told me he sees you some times."

" Hasn't he told you he asked me do\vn to stay Avith him \ " Madge turned as pale as death. This was quite neAvs to her : she had indeed only heard from time to time, in the most casual Avay. Arthur remark that he had caught a glimpse of Laurence in the club, street, or elsewhere. That any invitation had been given, she did not knoAV. She felt sure it Avould come in time — in fact, she had looked fonvard in a vague Avay to this inevitable visit, and had even spoken lightly to Muriel about it, but that it Avas so imminent as this she had no idea. She noAv felt almost frightened at the thought that her dream Avas so near its fulfilment, as many schemers shrink back when they see their long-laid plans at length begin to quicken into active reality. " No," she replied ; " Arthur never told us that.

When are you coming ? " " I am not coming at all just yet," ansAvered Laurence, Avho had noticed Avith joy the sudden pallor. " I am tied hand and foot till the end of March." Strange that a strong feeling of relief should have coloured the disappointment Avith Avhich Madge heard this. She simply nodded her head, however, as if the matter Avere of supreme indifference to her. "We shall see you Avhen you can come, I hope," she said, simply. THE SOWING OF THE SEED. " Oh, of course. And noAv, how are you, and how is the Colonel 1 " "My husband is very well, thank you." " Your husband ! Hoav odd that sounds. Why, it seems only the other day that you were little Miss Madgy, making tea for Arthur and me in the Rue Royale, and going to the opera and all over the place by yourself and Miss Muriel.

Doesn't it ? " " Yes ; and now Muriel is a grande dame — madame la marquise ; and I " " Well, and what are you ? I forget — a Prin cess, or plain Mrs Colonel Jim Anstruther ? " He spoke in the usual playful Avay he had always adopted in his intercourse with her (for the burst of sentiment contained in the letter was an afterthought, as we know), but somehow this lightness now jarred on her, and she replied rather coldly — "My father-in -laAV is dead." "So you're no less a personage than Lady Anstruther of Courthope Park — is that it ? " Madge smiled and nodded. "Just think of it ! And I haven't even got the Victoria Cross yet." " What a shame ! " " Which way are you going 1 Can I see you part of the Avay ? " " I am only going a step — just doAvn Oxford Street." "Then I shall come Avith you, Lady An struther, if your ladyship will permit me."

They now crossed the street. " You still have your old liking for soldiers, I see," he remarked laughingly, AA'hen they had safely reached the other side. " What do you mean ? " " Why, I caught you gazing at our gallant Life Guards ; and don't you remember hoAv you used to sing 'Ah! que j'aime les militaires ! ' in the old clays in Paris ? " Madge laughed. " Oh yes ; I remember. I see what you mean." "How long ago it seems, does it not? said Laurence. " It's not tAvo years yet, though.' "Only two years ! Why, it seems more like twenty to me. But then you see you have been sauntering into Debrett, Avhile I ," and he hesitated, not knoAving whether to say some thing sentimental or grotesque. " Well, and you ? What have you been doing?" THE SOAA'ING OF THE SEED. The buffoon got the upper-hand of the poet.

" I ? I have been drearily drifting towards the NeAvgate Calendar." Madge laughed ; this was so like the ab surdity of old times. " But you're still at large, I see," she said. " Yes, for the moment ; but I'm afraid I'm terribly ' wanted.' " " And so am I — here," replied Madge, stop ping before the door of her mantlemaker. " What is this place ? " "I am going to try on a cloak." " Can I come in too ? " Madge hesitated for a moment, and then said, smiling, " By all means, if you like. You'll tell me how you like it. I remember your taste was good." " I believe I knoAv more about ladies' cloaks thaD any other man living, except, perhaps, Pingat." The cloak met with his approval, and especi ally the artistic clasps ; but he suggested a deep crimson lining, which rather bold idea Madge adopted, and then they began to wend their Avay back to the hotel where Madge was staying.

" Was not that Lord Upp you were talking to just noAv?" inquired Madge, as they approached her destination. " Yes. AVhy ? " " I thought I recognised him. I ' never saw him but twice, but I never forget a face." " A good memory is a terrible curse," sighed Laurence. Lady Anstruther looked at him with some scorn. " Indeed ? I am surprised to hear you say so." "Why?" Madge regretted Avhat she had said, and made no reply. " Why ? " he repeated ; then, as she still remained silent, he continued in a Ioav and passionate voice, " I have forgotten nothing ! Nothing ! Would to God I could ! " Here, to Madge's great relief, they reached the hotel. " Well, noAv, I must say good-bye, Mr Farquhar. I'm afraid I can't ask you in at this hour, for my husband is not up yet ; " and she gave him her hand. "But you mustn't say, 'Good-bye, Mr Farquhar,' " said Laurence.

Lady Anstruther's puzzled look told him his hidden meaning had not been caught. " You must say, 'A bientot, Laurence.' " " Very Avell, tenez le pour dit," laughed Madge, trying to withdraAv her hand, which Farquhar still retained. " But say it," persisted Laurence in a Ioav tone, trying to meet her a\'erted eyes. " Say it." She turned and looked at him for one moment : their eyes met, and the mischief was all done at once. "A bientdt, Laurence," she murmured, and then passed quickly into the hotel. As Laurence Farquhar walked away his brain was in a whirl, and he felt not only astonished but angry with himself. Here was the old fascination as strong upon him again as ever — the mad fancy Avhich he had hoped he had lost for ever by flying from Paris, and Avhich indeed had quite passed out of his mind during the intervening months of separation from the woman who had inspired it, but which he now felt return to him with a vigour and acute ness intensified a hundred-fold.

He had not wished to meet her yet. He had, of course, never really loved her, but her strange gypsy beauty had fascinated him, and he knew his own character well enough to know that for bidden fruit had for him an attraction which might, in a moment of great temptation, in duce him to turn a deaf ear to the voice of common-sense, reason, and, above all, personal interest ; so, although he greatly Avanted to see Muriel again, and begin weaving his web around her, he had declined Arthur's in vitation to Leavenworth merely because he knew that Leavenworth adjoined Courthope, and that he should meet his tAvo loves to gether, and this did not in any way suit his book just then. Had the ladies been living even a feAV miles apart, he Avould haA'e felt himself quite equal to playing a successful game with both at the same time ; but to be called upon to enact the heart-broken and sighing lover to two different married AA'omen, both intimate friends, both living, as it were, under the same roof, before the two husbands, and so to do it that each lady should separately think he sighed for her alone, — this indeed Avas a difficult task, and one involving too much risk for him to undertake without Avholesome and due consideration.

Madge, indeed, he had not feared : he had believed his fancy for her had passed aAvay ; and if not, why, he could indulge in the pastime of making love to her better when she was alone Avith her husband, than when in constant communion with a lady who thought him heart-broken for her sake, and on whose gratitude and sisterly affection he counted greatly to fill his pockets, and to be generally useful to him. He knew that the devoted affection of a woman of the rank, poAver, and wealth of the future Duchess of Tintagil was the greatest trump-card he had ever yet had dealt out to him by Fortune, and he was firmly decided in his mind that he would bide his time and play this trump so opportunely, Avith such art and such discretion, that it should be made to Avin him a prize that Avould satisfy even his most ambitious dreams.

He would let nothing interfere with this — nothing. Madge was a mere whim, a caprice : Muriel was real business — splendid, glorious business ; and yet here — the devil take it ! — here were these two Avomen jumbled up together in the country. He had counted on the London season as being the fittest moment to begin his plan of campaign. He knew Muriel's true and noble nature Avell enough to feel sure that her hero-worship of him would not be in anywise diminished by this delay, and he had told himself that Avhen Lyonesse and his wife came to town — the Marquis to attend to his parliamentary and the Marchioness to her social duties — he would then begin his artful machinations. Madge he had hardly thought about, save that her presence so near Muriel Avas for the moment a bore ; and this fact had indeed, being a source of annoyance, almost brought him to look upon the existence of Lady Anstruther as being an unpleasant recollection ; and he called himself a triple idiot ever to have listened to Graham, and written that silly and compromising letter to the groom's daughter, who might at any moment show it to her foster-sister.

Such had been his feelings as regards Madge until that morning ; but now that he had seen her all was changed, and the animal which Baudelaire asserts sleeps in the soul of all of us had, at the sight of Madge Anstruther, given proof of his existence Avith a vehemence Avhich resounded through Farquhar's psychic fabric. What should he do ? Had he not better go clown to Leavenworth after all ? Was he not clever enough to play successfully a double game Avith these two artless young women ? — (the husbands, of course, Avere not in either case Avorthy of his consideration). Could he not make Muriel his banker and sing his love-song to Madge at one and the same time ? The financial matter was indeed of immense and pressing importance to him just then, and he happened to have heard from an old friend of the Tintagils that Muriel had had a very large sum of ready money placed at her sole and personal disposal on her marriage, his infor mation going so far as to have assured him that Lyonesse had opened a private account for his Avise at Drummond's, Avhereas he knew the Mar quis himself banked at Child's. Then the senti mental business seemed, since he had seen Madge, to be no less pressing.

What should he do ? he asked himself. Just at that moment, as he was passing into Piccadilly, a straw, and a very dis agreeable straw, turned the balance. A shabby looking man, of marked Hebraic type, accosted him — " Mr Laurence Farquhar, I believe ? " But Ave need hardly trouble our readers with any detailed account of the ordinary and inevit- VOL. II. B able annoyance which must necessarily sooner or later come to a man who lives in luxury — not to say extravagantly — on his wits, and Avho elects to regard such mental capacity as Provi dence may have endowed him Avith chiefly as a means of profiting by the weaknesses of others. Farquhar had, of course, got into many scrapes, but now he had got into a very bad one, and he knew it. He had met a boy, a seemingly guileless youth, Avho was within four months of his one-and-twentieth birthday, on which au spicious date he Avould surely come into one hundred and fifty thousand pounds in sterling cash.

Laurence had made himself thoroughly well acquainted Avith this interesting fact ; and as the boy wanted a thousand pounds "to go on with " (to the devil, we presume), he had consented to draAV a bill at three months for six thousand, the boy to accept the same, — Laurence Avell knoAving that it is the acceptor Avho in most instances meets Avith the first reminder, and in this instance feeling sure that the very comfortable and present fact of his netting more than three-quarters of the plunder would amply compensate him for the temporary annoyance he might possibly haA'e to experience in making the lad keep his engage ment. It had not perhaps been an altogether wise step for him to take, but he had been hard pressed for ready money at the time, and sorely tempted both by the generosity and apparent ingenuousness of the borrower and the enticing cordiality of the lenders.

Now a rude awakening had come : the interesting juvenile had fled to New Zealand instead of waiting to be " exhausted," as a well-conducted acceptor should do, the boy's trustees had repudiated the debt, and so the kingdom of Israel and the empire of usury had noAv united their forces to enforce payment of this unpleasantly large sum of money from the unhappy draAver. The shabby JeAV who had accosted Farquhar in Piccadilly was one of the emissaries from these obnoxious money-lenders, and his message Avas simply to inform our friend that unless some satisfactory steps Avere taken at once to liquidate this debt, application Avould be made to Mr Farquhar pere before legal proceedings were instituted. Now as Laurence's father had on the last occasion, when application had been made to him to pay his son's debts, merely indulged in strong language, Avhich contained in a vinous shroud of blasphemy some veiled threat of assassination, Farquhar was naturally unAvilling to have his sire become acquainted Avith this new and most serious financial disaster which had befallen him ; and so, taking the Hebrew to a desert place apart, he came, after much discussion, to an arrangement by which, under certain abominable conditions, he had the space of four weeks granted him before this terrible threat of laying the whole matter before the gin-invigorated paternal eyes should be put into execution.

When Laurence had at length thus arranged matters Avith and shaken off his unwholesome HebreAV attendant, and had dived into the Raleigh to see what a mixture of half a bottle of Irroy and a wine-glassful of Kilmel Avould do in the way of taking the bad taste out of his mouth, he decided that he Avould extract an invitation from Arthur Lyonesse that A'ery after noon at the Carlton, and proceed to Leaven- Avorth Avithout delay, trusting to luck and his own savoir faire to fill his pockets and relieA'e his heart at one and the same time. And so it is that on the afternoon of the third day suc ceeding the morning on which he had met Madge in Oxford Street, avc find Laurence Farquhar comfortably installed as Lyonesse's guest in Kent. Arthur had ahvays been fond of him, and had known him all his life ; Muriel looked upon him, and Ave know why, as one of the noblest men on earth ; of Madge he was the secretly worshipped idol and god ; and the old Colonel found him vastly amusing, — so that, as Laurence told himself with a smile, when he had retired to his room on the first night of his visit, tout etait pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes.

Muriel especially had been heartily glad to see him, for they had not met since that memorable summer morning Avhen they had parted in the porter's lodge in the Rue Royale, Laurence having been absent in Scotland at the time of his friend's Avedding, and, in fact, for certain reasons of his OAvn, having kept more or less out of the Avay ever since. He had Avritten in a casual way to Arthur a few times, and had always playfully begged to be remembered to " little Miss Muriel," and had met him occa sionally at the Carlton, so that Lady Lyonesse thus kneAv that it was no part of his intention to assume a heart-broken and despairing attitude, and this greatly relieved her, — for this poor child had at first been sadly tormented with a fear lest she might have blighted an existence and obtained her present happiness at the price of Farquhar's endless suffering.

So she now looked forward to a speedy meeting with the noble creature whose self-sacrifice had brought about her present joy Avith feelings of unmixed satis faction and delight. There had been no aAvk- Avardness in their first meeting, and if Muriel's cordiality Avas a little too demonstrative, it Avas easily explained by the words she had so often used to her husband and to Madge Avhen speaking of Laurence Farquhar. " You have no idea hoAv good he Avas to poor mamma and myself in Paris in the time of our great trouble. I don't know Avhat Ave should have done Avith out him." As for Madge, she resigned herself to what, in her selfish sensuality, she told herself was the inevitable, and in fact was secretly pleased that by this visit to LeavenAvorth she should be en abled to get accustomed to the intoxicating joy of Laurence's presence, while the companionship of Muriel, Lord Lyonesse, and her OAvn husband protected her from immediate clanger.

" Who is that horrible Mrs Millwood ? " Laurence had asked Muriel in such an audible un dertone on the second clay of his arrival, that the subject of his inquiry had heard, from the inner room in Avhich she was seated knitting, every word he said. " Isn't she dreadful ? " replied Lady Lyonesse, laughing, and little suspecting that the lady in question was so near. " She's the Avidow of a clergyman Avho used to help poor old Lady Anstruther in all sorts of good works, it ap pears. The Colonel" — they always called Sir James the Colonel — " thinks the world of her, and she is certainly A'ery good to the baby ; but all the rest of us hate her, and Madge swears every day she will have her dismissed." " But Anstruther must be mad to alloAV such a creature to be a fixture in his house." " Oh, he thinks she's perfect ; and then his mother and father Avere so fond of her that there is nothing too good for her in his eyes.

You must take care not to say a Avord against her in his presence. I did once, and " " Well, and what happened ? " " Well, the tears came in the dear old thing's eyes ; so I kissed him and begged his pardon." Laurence laughed. " Now you've taught the Colonel the reward he gets for weeping, I dare say he would be glad to let you abuse the Avoman eA'ery day." Lady Lyonesse shook her pretty little golden head. " Oh no ; the Colonel blushed like a girl Avhen I kissed him, and seemed to be quite frightened." "What did Madge say? Did you tell her you had been kissing her husband ? " Muriel laughed. " Oh, Madge didn't mind." " She's not jealous, then ? " " Why, of course not. Hoav absurd ! " " And Arthur ; Avhat did he say ? " " It AA'as none of Arthur's business, so I didn't tell him." " Then I shall certainly tell him, Lady Lyonesse."

Muriel nodded her head in playful threat at him. " Do if you dare, and see hoAv I shall punish you." " I certainly think it is my duty to do so." " If you have only come down here to make mischief, I shall A'ery soon pack you off to London again, Mr Farquhar. Madge is quite capable of taking care of her husband." " I don't believe it ; and then I believe Arthur to be of a very jealous disposition. I believe you have married a Saxon Othello, Miss Muriel." The Avords Avere said absolutely at random, but he saw at once that they had some very real meaning to Muriel, Avho changed colour quickly, and looked at him earnestly. " You don't really mean that, Laurence ? " " Yes, I do," persisted Farquhar, partly to tease and partly to see what Avould come of this badinage. Mrs Millwood stopped her knitting, and bent her head to listen.

" He was a jealous boy at Eton and a jealous man at Oxford, and I never heard that the best cure for jealousy was to marry a pretty Avoman." " I'm certain you don't mean Avhat you say, Laurence." *' Yes, I do ; so you had better look out, Lady Desdemona, and not let him catch you kissing Colonel Cassio, or I shall be forced to supply him Avith a good comfortable pillow to smother you with." "I wish you wouldn't talk such nonsense, Laurence. You know Arthur is not jealous — he is not jealous a bit. He may be a little " and she hesitated. "A little what? Tell me, and I'll tell you if you are right. I've known him all my life, you knoAv." " Will you really tell me if I am right 1 " " I promise you I will. I feel certain before hand that you will be Avrong." " Well, I think Arthur is dreadfully, terribly proud !

" Laurence laughed. " What makes you think that?" " Am I right ? " " Tell me first Avhat makes you think so, and then I Avill tell you." Muriel hesitated for a moment, and then making up her mind that she could not possibly be doing any harm in making a confidant of so glorious a hero and so devoted a friend as Laurence, she continued — " Well, I'll tell you Avhat makes me think so ; but it's a secret, Laurence, so mind you never breathe a Avord of it to any one." Aud she held up a Avarning finger. " I s\vear secrecy ! " exclaimed Laurence, raising his right arm. THE SOAA'ING OF THE SEED. u Well, you know " She hesitated again, and then went on in a lower tone, "You may have heard that the Duke and Duchess Avere not very kind to me at first." " My poor Muriel, I did hear so — the brutes !"

" Hush ! You mustn't talk like that." " I really beg your pardon. I didn't mean to say that, although I thought it." " Well, Arthur of course Avas furious, and had the most terrible row with them. Agnes heard them, and said Arthur roared like a lion ! " " Imagine poor Arthur roaring like a lion ! " exclaimed Laurence. " But he did ; and when he came to my room (we Avere staying at Camelot then, you know, for the day), he was trembling all over Avith passion. I never saAV him angry before, and I never Avant to see him angry again." " Didn't I tell you he was like Othello ? But he wasn't angry Avith you, Avas he ? " " Oh no, of course not ; but he Avas so upset that he said all sorts of things that he certainly Avouldn't have said if his father and mother had not angered him so." " If he hadn't been roaring like a lion, in fact.