When other Lips. A novel

Front matter

JUST OUT. AT EVERY LIBRARY. A MODERN IAGO. a jaobrl. B*l C. DE S P A R D, AUTHOR OF "CHASTE AS ICE: PURE AS SNOW," "WANDERING LIGHTS," ETC. 2 Vols., Cloth 21/. REMINGTON & CO., 5, Arundel Street, Strand, W.C a iSoiiri, IN THREE VOLUMES. u\ Mrs. ANNETTE MARIE MAILLARD. Authoress of " Zingra," "Loving and Being Loved," &°c.t Gt*c. "Si vous me regrettez, Oh ! je vous en supplie, Donnez moi cette fleur cherie, Que toucba votre main.'*1 French Song by Messini. VOL. III. % onduii : REMINGTON AND CO., 5, Arundel Street, Strand, W.C 1879. [All Rights Reserved.']

Chapter I. Not What They Feared

The spot was Mrs. Grarthew's dressing-room. Time — just before the luncli bell rang. Dramatis personce — mother and son. " Mr. Houghton come to luncheon here I you amaze me, Horace Garthew ; pray what do you know of this Mr. Houghton ? " " I believe, mother, I may call him Mr. Duckworth's friend, and in him you have implicit confidence." " Nothing of the sort ! " " Not confidence in Duckworth 1 For good ness' sake, what has he done?" " T believe you wilfully misunderstood me,. VOL. Ut. B Horace. I was not alluding to Mr. Duck worth, of whom I have the very highest opinion, only I think he is too good-natured to be so easily imposed upon as he is by others. I meant this new man ; if I recollect aright, and I don't believe I am in my dotage yet, he was forced upon Mr Duckworth by some one he scarcely knew in town."

" Well, a member of his Club, one he was acquainted with as a gentleman of position, and we generally judge a man by his friends. Duckworth accepted Mr. Houghton on trust, though feeling the trouble of being bear leader, a bore. I thought it right to show courtesy to your friend and mine, and Mrs. Darley's brother (he longed to say what he thought — Una's uncle), by calling upon Mr. Houghton." " Calling upon him, yes. I don't say you ought not to have done so, but between leaving a card and bringing him over to lunch in this familiar way, there is a wide chasm. You might have waited to know the man NOT wnAT THEY FEARED. better, before you introduced him into your mother's society. You may find it more easy to do so, than to get rid of him, should he turn out some vulgar nobody. A mere adven turer."

" My dear mother, I assure you — " He didn't really know what to assure her of, for he felt no certainty himself of what the fellow would turn out. He had still ringing in his ears the strange tales and anecdotes this almost unknown man had been dealing largely in, during their ride. There was some thing questionable to his now almost biased mind, in the other's low significant laugh, when relating some of his wildest tales of adventure and life. Mrs. Garthew received no assurance from her bewildered son, for at that moment, the gong sounded through the house, and instead of its usually welcome summons to a hungry man, it had a hollow tone in his ears, like the ring of Fate. " I suppose we must make the best of it now," was Mrs. Garthew's concluding remark,. as she drew up her stately form preparatory to a descent into the regions infected by this equivocal personage.

" Duckworth will soon return, I hope, and relieve us of this burden. I should say me, for possibly his society may possess some fascination for you ! " Seldom had Mrs. Garthew spoken thus to her beloved and faultless son, but she evidently was irritated, and so she had been during the whole drive, by Arsene's attention to herself, which had something in it of in comprehensible familiarity, as of right — and Mrs. Darley' s persistence about going away to her brother's. More than ever Mrs. Garthew felt she must keep them under her eye to solve a web of mystery which her strong mind told her, existed. It was a grand picture to see the mother and son descend the marble stairs, both looking as if they had been cut out of the same material, rigid and cold ; step by step they dropped down, to meet a far more human sight of warm flesh and blood in the great Hall, for there stood the towering stalwart form of the equivocal visitor, pointing out to Una and Arsene, who leant her two exquisite hands on her cousin's shoulder, the use, date, make and all about a murderous looking weapon upon the wall.

Even the prejudiced Mrs. Garthew was obliged to admit the perfect ease and gentle manly grace with which Houghton advanced to be presented to her, and an immense weight was taken off Horace's shoulders, who had dreaded this moment beyond expression. Would this wild Australian, South American, Polar specimen, for he seemed to have citizenised himself all over the globe, rush up and seize his mother's hand in a crushing grasp ? No, no courtier of the most courtly reign, no petit abbe of the Louis Quatorze era, ever more gracefully bowed before an introduc tion to some grande dame; and when the much-surprised and greatly relieved Horace begged him to lead his mother to the diningroom, it was with anything but a feeling of repugnance that Mrs. Garthew placed just two fingers on his arm. She was too highly bred not at once to feel, whatever else he might be, Mr. Houghton was a gentleman.

When Una and her cousin came downstairs, they found Houghton curiously examining the arms we have before spoken of. Advancing towards Una, she, of course, presented him to her cousin, and thus the three were engaged, they listening, and he explaining things to them which Horace would have thought of no in terest to ladies. Una was much pleased with the fund of information which he possessed, and, like all really well informed men, so diffident and easy in manner. The nomina tive I, seemed to be tabooed in his voca bulary. He looked at Arsene when Una presented her, and she looked up at him with a sweet infantile smile, claiming affectionate indulgence for one so helplessly innocent. He thought, " This is a study, one not to be read at a glance." She peeped up in the strongly marked massive face, like that of the Sphinx, and felt as if he were not one to propose riddles, but an Œdipus to read them.

His, was not a pleasant face to her, with his eagle eye which seemed to pierce to the marrow, for her mind was intersected by ways aud means, as the face of the country is by railroads, and the greatest caution, therefore, was necessary for fear of a collision somewhere, which might com promise her. This new comer was, to her shrewd mind, like a huge truck shunted on her line. She knew herself to be in a complete maze. In she was, and turn and twist as she might, the question remained of, how to get out of it ? Left alone, with only those about her than whom she felt stronger, all might end well, but this new comer, with the massive brow, who had arrived so, to her, mysteriously, worried her excessively. Never had Houghton felt more in his element than he did before the meal was over. He had sadly, of late, missed his Australian life of wild adventure !

AU had seemed so tame and uninteresting to him of an English state of existence, but here was a field open to him to discover something, and, at a glance of his vigorous mind, he saw that something was a mischievous trick, if not worse. What caused all these reflections, was Mrs. Darley again alluding to their departure, which seemed to be for the moment a fixed idea in her mind, and Mr. Houghton led un wittingly to an unpleasant subject by speaking of the architectural beauty and massive structure of Mere Castle. All had gone well till then. Horace looked in surprise at their guest, rather wondering how he himself could for a moment have dreaded anything equivocal from this man, who conversed on every sub ject as if that one had been his special study through life. Literature ? he could quote any book worth quoting from, and, with a large liberal mind, point out the causes of evils in government of any sort.

Even Mrs. Garthew forgot to remember all ■she had thought and said about him, or how little any one knew of him. He was Mr. Houghton, that was all, to all of them. It was Mrs. Darley who disturbed the har mony of the party when he was praising the structure of Mere Castle, and its turrets, east and west, by exclaiming — ■ " Pray speak of anything but the turrets of the Castle, that is, of the west one." Houghton looked at her a moment in sur prise, and thinking some pleasant anecdote was attached to it, asked — "Is it haunted ? So old a place like this could not be without a ghost. The same as no good old Irish family is without its banshee." There was a dead silence for a minute, which seemed as many, for every one thought the same thing, that the visitor to ask so pertinent a question must have heard of the tenant of the west turret.

Houghton was perfectly amazed at the sensation his question occasioned, and still mire at the gathering clouds on Mrs. Gar thew's brow, amazed and annoyed that any words of his should have called them forth. " I suppose," Horace said, at length, " that you have heard the absurd history at the ' Garthew Arms,' Mr. Houghton? " " I ? Nothing, on my honour ! " As he spoke he recollected that the land lord was just commencing a marvellous tale with the circumlocution of his class, when Hora.ce Garthew turned the corner of the road. " It is the mystery of that turret," ex claimed Mrs. Darley, before any one else could speak, " which makes me anxious, though with regret, to leave our kind hostess here. I feel that it is only since we came that a painful report has been revived, and unaccountable events have occurred."

Mrs. Garthew had, by this time, pulled herself together, and well assured by his candid manner, that Mr. Houghton was innocent of any wish to touch upon an un pleasant subject, she recovered an appear ance of serenity as she said — " There is an absurb legend attached to the west turret, Mr. Houghton, and a still more absurd set of persons persist in believing it to this day. I should, indeed, grieve about it, could I think it possible that a sen sible woman like Mrs. Darley, would leave my house on that account." " But, my dear Mrs. Garthew, is there not cause for those reports ? And my annoy ance is, that Una, by her ridiculous love of sketching the picturesque from Nature, should have been mixed up in any way with them." Nothing could exceed Una's confusion, made doubly apparent by Arsene pleadingly saying to the speaker — " Dear auntie, pray say no more.

We all know Una knew nothing about it." " I wish you would not interfere, my love. I don't say Una could be capable of meeting any one there, much less Mr. Lyle, whom any one might have seen she disliked. I am sure it was quite unpleasant often, to hear them cutting at one another ; but it was most awkward, and gave servants a handle to talk of her (and all evil reports are promulgated by them), to have it known that she went there to sketch, and Mr. Lyle's handkerchief afterwards found there." "I was the person," Horace indignantly exclaimed, " to surprise Miss Darley at the window sketching, and when the handkerchief was fouud, Mr. Lyle had been gone for Aveeks." " My dear," said Mrs. Garthew kindly, see ing Una's distressed countenance, and knowing that, as her mother said it, she could not in dignantly reply as she otherwise would.

" My dear, pray laugh at the whole absurdity as others do. I think we have laid that ghost. I hoped never to have heard of it again (she glanced indignantly at Mrs. Darley), and we all know you could not be guilty of anything unbecoming a lady.'' Una looked so gratefully at her, and felt so deeply indebted for her motherly defence of her, that, but for Arsene's love for him, she would almost have registered a vow there and then to marry Horace, and claim her as one, a truer parent than her own well intentioned, but foolish one. Houghton looked from one to the other in silent surprise. He read some strange mystery, and resolved, if possible, to un ravel it. But, after all, it might be only a love tryst between Una and Lewis Lyle, though, from his confidences on that subject, he scarcely imagined he had ever attained to that pinnacle of bliss with her.

Turning, however to Mrs. Garthew, he apologised in a serio-comic manner for having been in any way the cause of introducing a ghostly presence into such good society. But with Mrs. Darley present, there was no laying the ghost. Addressing the visitor, she said — " Before closing the subject Mr. Houghton, as you, I believe, reside in London,, if you should meet with Mr. Lyle (he is a lieutenant in the navy, and member of the Army and Navy Club, I believe), would you ask if he can in any way account for the mystery of his pocket handkerchief being found in the west turret after he had left, or was supposed to have left, the neighbour hood ? " Houghton faithfully promised to do so, and fully intended carrying out his promise, for the plot thickened every moment in his mind. But he could not help reflecting on the want of all tact in Mrs. Darley persisting in a subject evidently so unpleasant to Mrs. Garthew, and, in some way, compromising to her own child.

Why, he had yet to find out. "What an immense relief it was to all when Mrs. Garthew rose from table and permitted her guests to disperse as they thought best. But first of all, to the astonishment of her son, and not altogether to his satisfaction, she courteously invited Mr. Houghton to dine at the Castle, the " Garthew Arms" would be not of the liveliest as Mr. Duck worth had gone to town. Freely accepted, as graciously offered, the invitation was, by Houghton, but not quite pleasant to Horace, for the man had turned out so different to what he expected, and Una had seemed to listen to his tales of travel with so much interest, that Horace began freely to wish he had never unearthed him from the village inn. The truth of her attention to the strange man, was, that her eye had detected a peculiar smile on the lip when Lewis' name was mentioned, and, strange to say, it had not struck any one else, that it was scarcely natural if he were perfectly unfamiliar with the other's name and person, that he should not make some remarks or inquiries about him.

Did he know Lewis ? All had seemed to question why Mr. Houghton should come down without apparent motive, to so quiet a part of the country as this. Was there a reason which he kept secret in his mind ? There could exist no doubt of a peculiarity in his manner towards herself. There was no ardent admiration expressed by it, but a something of interest and curiosity, a watch fulness too, for she had more than once de tected him listening to every word when she, of necessity, conversed with Horace. It was this close attention to her which had given offence to Horace, and raised a jealous sensation in his mind. There seemed a fatality in the fact, that no one paid any attention to Arsene, which might have the effect of drawing off her undesired affection for himself, for which he had to pay so dear.

Chapter II. Was It Vanderpant

? Horace's dread that his mother's extraordinary predilection for the strange man might have the effect of domiciling him too much at Mere Castle, was somewhat calmed by the fact that, beyond a ceremonious return of Horace's visit, he did not make his appear ance in the neighbourhood for days. He had been looking about an estate in the market, some few miles away, and this becoming known, gave a good colouring to his further stay, and a reason for his coming at all. Moreover, his researches had brought him in contact with various persons about the country, and he seemed likely to be a most popular man, if report spoke truly, should he be decided upon becoming a member of the* county, as landed proprietor. It had never appeared possible to Mrs.. VOL. III. o Garthew that she could own, even to herself in the most secret moments, that the Castle was dull, and yet such had come to pass.

Gradually she had become so accustomed to society, that her former life of stately solitude, enlivened only by the visits of county people, as frigid as herself, and those of her solemn son, could no more fill up her heart, and no one, though unacknowledged, felt the in fluence of a genial character like Mr. Hough ton's, more than she did, and more than once she had inquired of Horace whether he had met with him during the clays he was absent. " Until I know more about him," Horace stiffly remarked, " I owe too much respect to you, and the ladies under your roof, mother, to make him quite as free of the house as Duckworth is." " By the way, when do you expect your brother's return, Mrs. Darley ? " asked Mrs. Garthew. " Really, my dear madam, you know quite as much as I do of my eccentric brother's movements or intentions.

What took him to town at all is unknown to me ; his going in the abrupt manner he did, when I told him I wished for some serious conversation with him, would be most discourteous were it to any one but me, but I am nobody in his eyes, I suppose ! " Una hastened to lay the spirit which Mrs. Garthew's words had raised, well knowino how her mother always contrived to diverge into a thorny path to some one. Matters were in anything but a pleasant state at the Castle ; as uncomfortable as a thaw is, when every one is chilled to the marrow, and out of temper ; evil spirits with in us, let loose with the frozen waters, and looking out for something to vent their spleen upon. In vain Arsene urged, and Una tried, she could not be cordial to Horace; for the moment she unbent from her reserve, there was a significant manner about his attentions, which beyond measure annoyed her, and for which she could in no way account.

Alto gether, it was beyond any power of hers to read the mysteries about her, propelling the conduct of others. When she rebuffed any advances of Horace's, his treatment of Arsene was almost more than cold, but when Una was a little cordial, it seemed to act as an impetus towards her cousin. Who could comprehend such a state of affairs ? Una gave it up in despair. As for Houghton, though absent from the field of action, he was far from idle. He was a man who loved to mix with all, judge every one for himself. From his landlord he had learnt all the marvellous legend of the west turret. The quiescence of the ghost for an age, and its sudden re-appearance when Mrs. Darley and her family arrived. The old beggar who met the party out riding, and after some significant allusions to a young lady (not Miss Darley), and Mr. Garthew had sunk into the bowels of the earth.

Lewis Lyle, too, without relating particu- ? 21 lars, had expressed an opinion to him that there was some strange mystery about the place which he had never been able to un fathom. A deeper motive than curiosity impelled him to search it out, and to give a colouring to his stay near the Castle, he ran up to town for a few days, and returned with a couple of hunters, to the intense delight of the " Gar thew Arms," and the undisguised annoyance of Horace Garthew. Mother and son had been at variance on the subject of Arsene Vanderpant, and now his mother's liking for Houghton widened the breach. Out of it emanated comfort for some. In proportion as his mother smiled upon the strange man, Horace paid more attention to Arsene. Houghton had too much at stake in the wish to make himself master of the position of affairs, not to see that, to please Mrs. Garthew, he must pay sufficient attention to Arsene, to leave her a hope that he might supersede her son in that young lady's affections.

But before Houghton became so freely ad mitted to the Castle, Duckworth had written to the Chatelaine of it, to tell her that he felt assured, from all he heard, that Mr. Hough ton was a man of family and fortune, an old Warwickshire family, he heard, who had run out of their property in the past generation, but this man had gone ahead, economised and redeemed it. This was what the Club friend who had forwarded him, as it were, to him — told him. By Houghton's request to this friend, all particulars about Hill Grange were sup pressed. These credentials were sufficient. Houghton became a welcome guest at the Castle to some of the inmates, but most assuredly neither to Horace nor Arsene, both dreaded him, but for different reasons ; still, Horace was outwardly civil to him, and Arsene hoped that her innocent manner might impose upon him, and he never ? 23 allowed her to know the contrary.

Shrewd as she was, she could not read this man, and at times questioned whether he might not be made a suitor, if Horace escaped her. In this state of affairs, Duckworth wan dered home again, and made a hurried ap pearance in the drawing-room of Mere Castle. Only Mrs. Garthew, and those looked upon as members of the family, were there. When we say a " hurried appearance," it must not be for a moment inferred that, presuming upon old acquaintanceship, he entered the stately presence there, booted aud spurred, or in their equivalent, morning dress. He knew too well what was due there, to do so. He came in haste, but suitably attired. After the usual salutations to all present, and a few commonplace phrases of welcome and thanks, between himself and Mrs. Gar thew, that lady quitted the room to give the members of his family au opportunity of private conversation.

When the door had closed upon Mrs. Garthew, to the amazement of every one, combined with other feelings in one, he turned towards Arsene and asked when she last heard of or from her father ? Arsene looked at him. What she really felt, her compressed lips strove to conceal ; then she assumed a trembling, agitated manner, as she said — " Oh, dear uncle, why ask me that cruel question ? You well know the misery I endure from his unaccountable silence. A thousand times I ask myself is he living or dead ! " If she wept, Una's shoulder on which she threw herself, concealed it. Mrs. Darley could scarcely find words to express her disgust at her brother's un exampled cruelty towards the "dear suffering child." " I only know this," Duckworth doggedly said, " that it would be far more cruel in me to conceal the fact from her, that her revered parent, whom she mourns so deeply, is alive and well."

Arsene was forced to look up, and as she •questioningly did so, her face certainly was ghastly in hue. "How can you assert such a thing? " Mrs. Darley indignantly exclaimed, " when, if alive, he is in Jerusalem." " I don't know, I'm sure, whether you, Louisa, who give things queer names, call Bond Street, Holy Land. I only know this, if ever I saw Vanderpant in the flesh, I saw him in Bond Street three days ago, and that detained me in town longer than I intended." " Oh ! uncle, can it be true ? Are you not labouring under a mistake ? My father ! my dear father ! " and Arsene clung imploringly to his arm. " Vanderpant in England ! " exclaimed Mrs. Darley and Una, in a breath, one horrible idea seizing upon both of them, that he would take away Arsene from them. Duckworth detested theatrical show, he looked calmly at Arsene, and then releasing her hands from his arm, said — " There, go to your aunt.

I don't know whether I am to rejoice or mourn with you, so I may get into trouble again, but as I had heard so much grief expressed about Mr. Vanderpant's mysterious silence, I thought it would be a matter for rejoicing to all, that he had appeared safe and sound on the sur face again." " It is too much happiness for me, poor me, to be true ! " cried Arsene. " No it isn't," rejoined Duckworth. " I met him face to face. I think he had been getting curled and perfumed at Truefit's, he popped out of there and nearly dropped into my arms. I never saw him looking so well in my life, he looked as if some colossal picture of Jerusalem had just been awarded a first place in the Royal Academy." " Ask uncle what he said to him ? " whispered Arsene to Una, who did as she was requested. ? 27 . " Said !

" exclaimed the indignant Duck worth. " Do you think such a fellow as that (I'm sorry to speak so of your father, Arsene) would allow himself to be caught ? he always was as slippery as an eel. I laid my hand on his arm, but he was through my fingers in an instant, and into the Burlington Arcade. Find him there, if you could, in such a nest of shops. I'll swear I had him, but I never saw him again." " It was not my father ! " Arsene said, with an amount of calmness wonderful, after her recent agitation. " Certainly not ! " added Mrs. Darley. " Your uncle is always making some mistake. You should be more careful about agitating the dear child," and she gazed sternly and reproachfully in her brother's face, who shrugged his shoulders, and to Una's question of " Are you certain, uncle ? " replied "As of my own life.

And they will know it to their cost some day, or I am much mistaken," he motioned towards his sister and Arsene as he spoke. Further conversation of a family nature was stopped by the entrance of Mrs. Garthew and her son, when, as a subject of common interest to break the awkwardness of the momentary silence, Mrs. Garthew began to speak of the one who so much engaged the minds of more than one of the party, Houghton. " He's not a man much known in town, yet," Duckworth said. " One or two I met spoke highly of him, and though not pro claimed a man of landed property, it seems an acknowledged fact that he is one. A fellow I met began to tell me something one day, prefaced by : ' Yes, there's a queer tale about his estate, very much to his credit. I'll tell you all about it, if you'll meet me here and dine at seven.' I couldn't go, so I didn't hear the history, and never met the man afterwards, but there's no doubt about his being a man of birth and fortune."

" I must confess," Horace said, " that I consider him very unreadable. He seems after something, and one cannot tell what." " My opinion is," said Mrs. Darley, "that he is a man to be suspiciously regarded ; he has a most disagreeable manner of smilino significantly, as if he knew more than any one else, and was determined to keep his know ledge to himself, for fear of unpleasant con sequences." Mrs. Garthew,with calm decision of manner expressed her ideas very strongly in Mr. Houghton's favour, as being a most gentle manly man, and an acquisition to any society. Duckworth responded that he was well pleased to find the person who had been, as it were, forced upon him, should have turned out so well, and made such way in Mrs. Garthew's good graces during his absence, and as often happens when one is speaking of any one, either in person, if near, or by letter, if distant, that identical one makes an appearance; so did Houghton, at that moment, for a footman flung open the door and announced him, not a welcome guest to all.

Certainly a something crossed Houghton's brow when he saw Duckworth. As nearly as might be on his dauntless face, it was con fusion, but only for a moment. Duckworth had been in town, what might he not have heard ? Fellows at the Clubs know everything, know you, better than you do yourself. Certainly he had nothing to fear, but he did not wish his acquaintance or connection in any way, with Lewis Lyle, to be discovered, it would defeat his plans greatly, and look very suspicious his not acknowledging it, when the other's name had been mentioned. But Duckworth's free welcome, set his fears aside, though the succeeding conversa tion, after the mutual greetings were over, was very a pro-pos to his thoughts. " By the way," Duckworth exclaimed, " I tried to hunt up Lyle," and he laughed, " just to ask him if he had lost a handkerchief."