Longleat

Chapter I. Coming Events Cast Theie Shadows Befoke

The tongues of mocking wenches are as keen As is the razor's edge invisible, Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen ; Above the Bense of sense ; so sensible Seemeth their conference ; their conceits have wings Fleeter than arrows. Love's Labour Lost. The usual bustle of noon-hour ran through Elm Hall, a large and fashionable school, some fifty miles from London. The day was oppressively sultry ; indeed, the whole of the month had been very trying to the constitutions of those accustomed to the "severity" of our English summers. Mrs. Elmore had just granted a halfholiday. Luncheon was over, and the girls were separating in groups — some to their favourite shady haunts in the park surrounding the hall, others to the yet shadier shrubberies. A half-hour passed before steps had ceased to reverberate in the quaint, winding passages.

Then not a sound was heard save the drone of bees that floated lazily in through the open windows, or the more vigorous buzzing of " blue-bottles," that must have been in " rude health " to have borne the exertion on such a day. VOL. I. Longleat. 2 In a small, cheerful room, adjoining the music-saloon, six or seven girls had assembled, apparently for fun and gossip ; for though one professed to be sketching " The Dying Gladiator," and another to be translating Tasso, both sketch and poem were too frequently neglected to be called engrossing studies. The rest were literally idle. A very sprightly-looking girl reclined upon a couch and quizzed the " workers." " Ada," she inquired, " how soon do you intend to finish off your pugilist ?" " I don't know," was the answer, rather pettishly given.

" And I do wish, Kate, that you would not talk slang." "Did I use slang? That's the result of reading the sporting news to papa. I'll tell him society doesn't approve of filial attentions. And there is Mary Hereford, with astonished eyebrows at your temper." The Italian student had raised them, certainly. " Well," said Ada, laughing, " it would vex a saint. Instead of agony in this eye I can only get a leer. Could anything be more absurd ?" She held up the drawing. " Nothing in the world," said Mary, emphatically. " Humph ! It wouldn't be you if you lost the chance of a sarcasm," Ada retorted. " My dear, I only agreed with your opnions ; to have done otherwise would have been an error in candor and in judgment. But if you have illustrated Byron's lines, no criticism need affect you." "Pshaw!" said Ada.

Then there was silence until the door opened, and a young lady peeped in. The girls looked up ; one or two rose with instinctive politeness, for she was almost a stranger to all. Kate however, retained her lounge, more especially as she fancied her sister had an eye to its possession. "Come in, Miss Paulet," she called, encouragingly; " this is your sanctum also, as a student of the first class. Neither horn nor hoof is permitted to enter in the shape of governess or master." Miss Paulet looked surprised at this greeting. One of the girls drew forward a chair, and addressed a few cour teous remarks to her. But the new comer was shy, and presently the conversation was confined to the others. " I do wish, for once, that Miss Frost would walk in," said Ada, pushing back her hair and throwing down her chalk.

"This heat is intolerable." " Miss Frost ?" said Kate, looking puzzled. " Have you forgotten that Helena christened her ' the Refrigerator,' because she declared the thermometer went down in her presence ? What a freezing manner she had. I did detest her." " So did I," said Kate, warmly; " and I never felt so conscientious as when I let her see it." " It was like Helena Davenant's impertinence," said Mary Hereford. " I have often wondered that Mrs. Elmore had patience with her, even for the short time she was here." " Indeed !" answered Kate, drily. "But Mrs. Elmore had been pretty well exercised in the grace of patience before Helena came. I remember you were the oldest pupil she had, and it is astonishing how great trials pre pare us for little ones." Mary bit her lips, for she was coriscious of the mischievous enjoyment which her companions were trying to conceal.

She was not popular among them ; but, between her captious nature and Kate's generous one, there was especial antagonism. Mary was continually wounding by what she called " plain truths," but which Kate styled "treading wilfully on one's corns ;" whereas, Kate herself had never lost a friend by the lightning play of her wit, although she now and then scathed Mary by a flash. Longleat. 4 " I wonder where Helena Davenant is now !" drawled a large, sleepy-eyed, rather handsome girl, who, for the last hour, had been lying on the hearthrug, in lieu of the couch, watching the flies, and yawning at intervals. "Attend, ye gods! Juno speaks at last!" exclaimed Kate. " Don't be foolish, Kate Vanner," answered Juno— so baptized by Kate some time ago. "I wouldn't talk as much as you do " — a yawn — " for anything ; I should be wearied to death."

" Vou mean the lesser divinities would ; but you went through the fatigue of a wonder just now. It is a pity, for I was going to express the same.' " I am sure she is in mischief," said Mary, "wher ever she is." " Bear brier-rose !" answered Kate, with such comic affectation of fondness, that the girls burst into a hearty laugh, above which rose "absurd," "ridiculous names," and so on, from Mary. " Katie, you are naughty," called Mona Dalkeith, a fragile, little creature, who was coiled up in an arm-chair, with a book and a white kitten. As she raised herself, Miss Paulet saw the deformity for which Nature had tried to atone by the gift of exceeding beauty. It was owing to her delicacy that she always sat with the students, for she was a mere child ; her patient sweetness had made her the pet of the household.

" Why, Mona," said Kate, tenderly, as she seated her self on the arm of the child's chair, " surely you are not going to wear a thorn ; that would be a sin against Queen Flora's laws. What is Elf reading ? — peering at through a golden mist, I should say," as she smoothed back the long shining hair that veiled the disfigurement of the shoulders. " ' Paradise Lost,' as I'm a living sinner ! I wouldn't read it, darling ; you will be bewitched by Mr. Milton's Satan. You have no idea what a splendid fellow he is." Kate shook her head gravely as the little girl looked up laughing, and laid her cheek upon her breast. " I mean it, Mona ; it was quite a mistake in our ungal lant bard to write the book." " Dear me !" said Miss Paulet, in such genuine surprise that Kate's eyes danced with mischief. " Why do you think so ?"

" Why ? as if the world did not know that Paradise was lost, or cared to have its possible woes described in blank verse, if it enjoyed the benefit of the doubt. As the case stands," she added, carelessly, " I think it is like our national custom of saying, ' It is very wet,' when we meet a friend under his umbrella." "But," said Miss Paulet, half puzzled, " I have always been taught to think it such a grand poem." "No doubt," said Kate, drily ; " but did you ever parse it ? If not, just wait until you have hunted for Mr. Milton's nominative, with Madame's eye fixed upon you, before you eulogise it. It is astonishing what a gulf there is between parsing and poetry. We went to a lecture on ' The Beauties of the Bards,' the other night. The first recita tion happened to be certain lines of Milton — every word of which I had baptized with its own part of speech that morning.

The audience applauded ; I could not see then." reason, I own !" "It is too bad to make such a work a lesson-book," said Miss Paulet, laughing now. " I quite agree with you, and if you can bring Madame to your own opinion, you will confer an obligation on the community." " Helena liked ' Paradise Lost,' " said Mona. " It was Satan she admired, Mignonne ; and Mary there would say it was because she belonged to the an eels — fallen." Longleat. "Nonsense," said Mary, scornfully. Kate's reply was a grimace. In the recess of a window at the end of the room a young lady was seated, who had apparently been un conscious of what passed around her. She was the most striking figure of the group. Although a stranger might not have pronounced her beautiful at sight, there was something in her face that invariably attracted a second gaze — something which gave promise of the highest, noblest beauty, when the time for character's maturity should come.

It was statue-like in its colourless refinement, its perfect features, and sweet pensive gravity. It needed no physiognomist to tell that her life was earnest — that the deep consciousness of daily responsibility rested upon her, blended with the abiding calm of a fearless spirit at peace. It was written in the dark tranquil eye, on the firm tender mouth, on the full brow, pale as marble, serene as death. The careless grace of her attitude denoted her abstraction. One elbow rested on the window-seat, and her cheek upon her hand. She was gazing on the landscape that stretched far away, as if her thoughts, like its expanse, ended in the realm of cloud. Vet a close observer might have seen that she started from her reverie, as Mona said with a sigh, " I wish Helena were back ; " and that afterwards she listened to the con versation, although she did not change her attitude.

" And so do I. I declare there isn't a girl left with spirit enough to enjoy a bit of mischief," said Kate. " Then you must indeed miss her ! " said Mary, as she turned the leaves of a dictionary. " I have missed her, particularly since I became your class-mate," was the quick retort, " for I have discovered that goodness may be very dull ! " This time the girls laughed heartily, but Kate's eyes flashed. " I am very sorry that Helena left ; I liked her better than anybody," came with surprising energy from the occupant of the rug. " Thanks, Juno, I'll excuse the personal slight for the sake of the sentiment ; but if you fret there will be nothing left of you. Morsels like you are soon disposed of." Her merry eyes looked kindly on the morsel. " Kate," said her sister, " what ails you ? you are queer."

" I don't know, Edith ; but by the pricking of my thumbs, et cetera, — maybe it's the shadow." " I saw Miss Davenant last New Tear's Eve," said Miss Paulet. "Didn't I tell you!" exclaimed Kate. "Here it is, Mary, news of Helena. But were you really at the Calton ball ? I thought it was a congress of the crowns, as the papers say." " Mamma is related to the General," said Miss Paulet, with some hauteur. " I beg your pardon ; I had no idea you were a princess of the blood. Will you condescend to tell us all about it ?'' " Now, Kate," said Mary, " if we are to be treated to what she wore — and how he looked — with the rest of tedious ball-room details, I beg that you and Miss Paulet will retire." Miss Paulet turned quickly to her. " I should have thought, Miss Hereford, that anything about Calton would have interested you."

The girls were surprised at this unexpectedly severe retort from one apparently so amiable, for it was no secret that the Hereford family, who rented a large estate under General Davenant, had been excessively chagrined that no card had reached " Beech Glooms ;" and it had been silently noted in this "little world," that Mary's old jealousy of Helena had not been mitigated since Christmas. Longleat. But let who will rail at " feminine spite," and the " venom " of the " dear creatures," the heart of an English girl is ever in the right place ; there was not one present who did not colour painfully at this retort quite as soon as the speaker's own heart had written bitter things against itself. "It was a beautiful scene," she went on quickly, "even the Bishop said so; he was there." "Now, Juno," interrupted Kate, " what's the matter with you after your unwonted fatigues ?"

" It's that Bishop !" she answered with languid dis gust, as she sat up, " and I had just got comfortable. Who has a Prayer-book ? It's Confirmation class to morrow. I didn't know my ' Duty to my neighbours ' last week, so I am sure to have it again." " So it is," said Kate. " Cheer up, dear, a good many of us don't know that." "That will not help me, Kate Vanner," said Juno, as she composed herself again with Mona's little Prayer book. " Ada Court, you didn't know your Creed — no ! it was you, Kate." " I didn't know my Creed, indeed ! a Dean's daughter !" Ada answered, indignantly. "I was ashamed of you, Kate. The Rector is sure to give it you again." " I am going'as a Dissenter, though," said Kate. " I shall tell the Rector I don't believe in the communion of saints this weather. I never do when I'm baked or broiled."

Amidst the laughter of the girls, Juno was understood to complain plaintively that the Creed was much easier than the duty, a point in theology which no one was prepared to argue ; but Mary said Kate was profane, who retorted that she was more so, as she didn't believe in the "forgiveness of sins." There was a good deal of sharp shooting, and rather keen arrows pierced now and then until Edith said pleasantly, " Girls, you are forgetting Calton." " And Helena?" Ada added; "how did she look, Miss Paulet ?" " Oh, most lovely," said Clarice, with enthusiasm. " The ball-room was filled with family portraits — reach ing back to such old times ; but there was no beauty of them all to compare with her. Mamma says she inherits it from " she stopped and coloured. " From her mother, I suppose," said Mary, coolly.

" Was she present ?" There was a moment's silence. " What an old ogre that General is," said Edith " Indeed he is not," said Clarice; "he is the grandest man I ever saw in my life." " Goodness !" exclaimed Edith, raising herself on her elbow, " and we have heard such queer tales of him." " So have most people," said Clarice ; " but they are not true. For many years past he has lived a secluded life, but papa and mamma both say that when he was young there were few men like him. If you saw him as I saw him, you would readily believe it. He is very aristo cratic-looking ; but that is not his charm. I think it is in the indescribable expression of his face. If it were less firm I should call it sad, but that is not the right word. He just struck me as having had a life-long sorrow which has not weakened him, but has made him so calmly self reliant as to appear stony.

But I am quite sure he is not that, for I saw his face light up once — for an instant, and I shall never forget him as he looked then." "I do like a man of that kind," interrupted Kate. " I detest your fops, and your easy-going men that get red and fat before they are forty. Well, and did you speak to this hero ?" " Only twice ; once when mamma introduced me to him as the baby second-cousin to whom he had presented io Longleat. coral and bells on the very last occasion he had seen her. So you can guess how long it is since the families met. The second time he introduced a partner to me ; he did it with the grace of an old-time cavalier." "And how did Helena look ?" " Like one scarcely belonging to this earth. Her beauty surprised all who saw her. The Earl of Longleat paid her marked attention, although papa says he is re puted to be not ' a marrying man.' " " Certainly not at present," said Kate ; " every man must wait for his fate, and I have not come out yet.

But are they engaged ?" " I am not aware of it ; but I should not be surprised if they were. I noticed them once when they were in the ball-room together. She had been absent some little time ; she was very pale. I fancied she had been crying, only it seemed absurd to think so then ; but she looked as one has seen little children look when they have been in trouble and are comforted. The Earl's manner to her was quite chivalrous." " What is he like ?" asked Ada. " I can scarcely describe him to you, for I never saw any one like him. He is very handsome ; I don't like to apply that inexpressive word to him ; he is noble — that is more appropriate ; with fine classic features, and deep blue, almond-shaped eyes. At first I thought his expression rather too haughty ; but I didn't think so long, for I never saw so sweet a smile.

He looks rather melancholy when he is not animated." "I thought you said you had no romance, Miss Paulet," said Mary, smiling ; " but I think you must have a good deal, to have found two heroes in one assembly in this age." "Did I call the Earl a hero?" said Clarice. " The General, of course, is a military one, but I am sure he has passed through some storm of trouble bravely. The Earl looks as if he could if tried, and that, perhaps, may be the reason why I so associate the two." The girls seemed interested by this somewhat thoughtful description. " I shouldn't like to meet him," said Kate. " I am too susceptible, Clarice. In fact, my peace has gone already." The young lady in the window had turned round, but she sat still, looking wistfully at Miss Paulet. Kate happened to see her. " Margaret," she called, " I had forgotten you were there.

Miss Paulet has seen Helena. Have you heard ?" Margaret rose and came towards the group. The difference between her and her companions was more striking now. She was so simply graceful, yet so stately, with what the French call " a grand air," that as she slowly crossed the room, from the backward poise of her classic head to the firm tread of her shapely foot, Margaret Sey mour looked, and moved, a queen. " Vou don't know Clarice Paulet?" said Kate, being as usual the spokeswoman of the party. " Clarice, this is Margaret Seymour, ' our empress,' ' our lady.' Indeed, I don't know what title is grand enough for her," said the girl, laughing and looking fondly at Margaret. " I say, sometimes, she ought to be a heroine in some book with a title like 'The Saint's Tragedy.' Now, Margaret, don't frown."

Miss Paulet colored and seemed a little nervous. But Margaret offered her hand with simple cordiality, taking no notice of Kate's words. " I have heard," she said, in a voice that was singularly melodious and rich. " Was she well and happy-looking ?" " Quite so. But from what Helena said, I expected Longleat. to have seen her here ; though I overheard her tell the Earl she had left school." " Did you notice any other contradictory statement of hers ?" inquired Miss Hereford. Margaret turned round and sternly gazed into her eyes, but said not a word. Before that look Miss Hereford quailed, and bent over her book. " Why is she not here ?" asked Clarice. " She is only seventeen." No one answered. Mona looked down at her white kitten, and Kate stroked the child's hair. Ada took up a pinch of salt, and seemed to have found a provoking spot of grease in her drawing.

Edith was arranging her cushion, and Juno stopped in the middle of a yawn to look perplexedly at Margaret, who stood with one hand resting on the table, the other laid on her breast ; her head was bowed, her eyes were fixed on the floor. Mary Hereford had looked up as Clarice spoke. There was a smile upon her lips, which did not disappear as again the question was put — " Did she intend to return ?" " Scarcely," said Mary, in the silence that was painful. " But for what reason ?" " For the best and the worst. She was expelled." "Expelled!" The word sounded strangely harsh in that room — among that group of fair, innocent-looking girls. Margaret raised her head now, and, with a stinging haughtiness that had a soft tinge of gentle courtesy towards her whom she addressed, said, " Miss Paulet, Mary Here ford ever speaks the whole truth."

There was just the shadow of a sarcasm in the slight emphasis. "It was so and I was the cause." " No, no !" exclaimed the girls. "Don't be foolish, Margaret," said Edith. "I wouldn't have your illnature" — (to Mary) — "not for the universe." " Listen, Clarice," said Kate. " It was nothing worse than an extraordinary and daring freak for a girl. I am sure Mrs. Elmore was to blame." " Hush, Katie !" said Margaret, " you know there was no one who loved Helena as I loved her, no one who had so much reason to regret her expulsion, but injustice to Mrs. Elmore, I am compelled to say that she could not have acted otherwise." "Well," said Kate, "there are two sides to every story, and I think Mrs. Elmore's justice might have been satisfied with a less penalty. I had a letter from Helena herself after she went home, which I will read to you, and then, Clarice, you will know all about it.

We were, none of us, aware of all the circumstances at the time. After the escapade we were examined as to our knowledge of it, and all denied it, including Helena. And then Margaret ex claimed involuntarily, for Helena had hinted something to her beforehand ; they were both questioned together in Madame's dressing-room, and the next thing we knew was that Helena had been sent home. But I will read the letter now. It is no breach of confidence, girls," she said, as she entered the room again, " Helena says I can make what use of it I like. Mary, you shall have it chapter and verse." " Thanks, Kate. Helena was a good letter-writer. I have heard that it is rather a dangerous gift for a woman to possess." " Well, you are not likely to hurt either yourself or your correspondents by it, so don't trouble," said Kate, coolly, as she opened the letter and read — " Calton, Christmas, 18 — .

" Thanks, Katie, for your loving letter. You have been very generous to me. I will not excuse myself. All I can say is that the falsehood was unpremeditated at any rate : in fact, I don't know how it came out. That I regretted it Longleat. 14 as soon as it was uttered, and should have confessed it to Madame, even if Margaret had not spoken. The ride I don't regret, only the loss of Margaret's love, ' Our saint,' as we called her. Will she ever talk of me, I wonder ! Don't let little Mona forget me. I so often think of her with her white kittens and her rabbits, and Milton. Do you recollect how we teased her when she went into raptures over the line — He smoothed the raven down of darkness Till it smiled ? You called her the ' elfin bride of Comus,' and how prettily she blushed, and with what amusing dignity she said, ' Kate, don't be rude.' Dear Mona !

I loved her for her purity, as I loved Margaret for her high, noble truth and goodness. I always associate them, though one is a royal queen, the other a mere babe. But now I will tell you all about my laughable escapade." As Kate turned the page she glanced at the two associated in Helena's thoughts. Mona's head rested on Margaret's shoulder, her face was stained with tears. Margaret was very white, and her eyes looked unutterable sadness ; but the indignation excited against Mary had left a curve of the lip that did not usually dwell there. Kate read on now as if she relished her task — " It was just the night for an adventure, Kate. A light wind was dancing in the shrubberies, and tossing the branches of the elms, so that when the moon drifted from cloudy surge into some purple bay, the ground was flecked with shadows that startled me, for they cave seeming life to the scene that otherwise, at that hour, would have been so still — an hour when I had no right to be there, for as I entered the court-yard the clock in the stables was chiming eleven, and not a single lio-ht twinkled in the crescent village below.

I had seen through the trees, however, at the end of the long walk, a light that shone like a star, and I ran towards it. ' Are you there, Sam ?' I called softly. ' Ees, miss.' He came forward laughing ; you know what a broad grin he has, and every tooth glittered whitely in the light he carried. 'Sam,' I said, 'I am going to have Jupiter!' You should have seen him ! ' Jupiter ! nay, nay, Miss, that 'ud be as much as my place is worth. Ye maun tak' th' mare, as is quiet as a sheep. Jupiter would na carry ye. Lors, Miss ! ye 'ud be neck an' 'eels i' no toime !' ' Nonsense,' I said, ' don't you talk to me. I am going to ride Jupiter, so bring him out and pocket this.' I gave him her Majesty's portrait set in gold, which excited his loyal feelings no doubt ; but still he hesitated and scratched his head. ' Come,' I said, ' don't be a simpleton,' and then carelessly switched my whip, which woke a loud echo.

Kate, if you had but seen his fright ! ' Good Lors, Miss ! don't,' he said so pitifully, that I laughed, and whether the laugh was an antidote to fear I know not ; but his face relaxed into a smile, and he went into the stable. Very soon he reappeared, saying : ' Ye see, Miss, Jupiter's back wasn't never made for saddle. Juno's won't fit him nohow.' 'Sam,' I said, and I did speak imperiously for once, ' will you bring that animal ?' Sam vanished with an emphatic 'Darned if I know how!' Presently, how ever, I heard the muffled clatter of a horse's steps on the straw, which the lad, for his own reasons, had laid down to the yard gates, and out he came, leading Jupiter. To say that the brute had an astonished look would convey a very faint idea of Jupiter's expression, for of course to be taken from his lawful rest at such an unseemly hour was an indignity of which his memory had no recollection.

So he stood looking at me, then turning his head from side to side to find out what the saddle meant, with such comic bewilderment that Sam said he was ' blest if Jupiter warn't Longleat. like a sensible Christian.' It is highly probable, Kate, that if instead of snoring in his attic, old John had been a spectator of this scene, the sight of Jupiter saddled, would have terminated an existence at all times inclined to the apoplectic." Here the girls all joined in a hearty laugh, but Kate said, regretfully, " I think Helena might have given me the chance of joining her." " And I am very glad she didn't," said her sister ; " for I'm quite sure you would have availedyourself of it, and what mamma's feelings would have been I leave you to judge." " I could have soothed papa's at any rate," said Kate, " but listen " " As John did not witness the scene, I had the game in my own hands.

I had to coax Jupiter, though, with ' Sob, soh ! quiet, old fellow !' and the usual amount of patting and stroking, for he neighed and shook his mane, and at last deliberately turned to go back to his rest ; so, like a true Eve, I suppose, I displaced the bit and fed him with a rosy-cheeked apple. Sam watched me, and as I put the bit in its place (he watched me do that too), said, ' I tell ye, Miss, ye'll be as safe knocked over as ' he looked up to the moon ; but as she appeared to be tolerably safe in her moorings, he stopped short for want of an illustration. 'We shall see, Sam,' I said; 'I never was thrown yet, and if I am not back from " Leighton Bend " before the world is up, I will give you another sovereign.' 'Leighton Bend, Miss!' His eyes started like a frightened hare's. ' It's many a mile, and a rough road too.' ' Give me your hand,' I said ; and in another minute I had mounted and passed through the gates.