Sisters-in-law

Chapter I

The last day came, and the Bevans found themselves on board the St. Malo boat, steam ing out of Southampton harbour. They were all tired out. The packing and arranging the house for Mrs. Howard's occupation had been weary work, and still worse the pain of the good-byes and the many tears they had shed. They talked cheerily enough about soon returning, and Letty at least believed it and would not realize that it could be otherwise. But Jack and Garda indulged in no illusions ; they did not see any lining to the cloud hanging over their horizon. It half broke Garda's heart to see her husband's discouragement. He was brave enough, vol. in. SISTERS-IN-LAW. never grumbling or adding to their cares by complaints ; but he wandered restlessly about, in and out of the empty stables, through the gardens, by the river, looking at everything as if for the last time, coming in for a feAv moments to stand about looking wistfully at their busy work, then wandering away again miserable and listless.

Garda was too busy to attend to him, they had so few servants noAV ; only Dunston was to accompany them, and Miss Ray and her sister were to take care of the house until the Howard household should take possession. Now, sad and weary and almost worn out, they were off at last. Bertha and Letty went down to the cabin and went to bed ; they were so tired that it was luxury to lie down, and were soon asleep. Garda felt thankful that they went. She felt as if she could not bear Letty 's chatter any longer, and it was very restful to sit in the dark of the early morning on a covered seat on deck, nestled closely to Jack, with his arm round her, and her tired head resting on his broad shoulder, and listen to the lap- SISTERS-IN-LAW. ping of the dark water against the sides of the ship. When the sun rose, about two hours later, they could think of nothing but the loveli ness of the scene.

A gentle mist rose like a veil unfolding fold after fold. The pale golden rays came streaming through it in shadowy ladders, the waves danced and shimmered in the reviving light and Avarmth. One by one out of the mist, shadowy and ethereal, looking almost unreal, emerged the Needle rocks, the sea breaking in snowy wreaths of foam round their base, and the receding cliffs of Alum Bay vanishing behind them, passing from their own opal tints into the soft blue of distance. " Good-bye, old England," said Jack, as the white shores greAV fainter and fainter, and finally disappeared altogether. Garda had said her good-byes the day before, and would not renew them now. They saw nothing of Bertha and Letty all day. They had a rough passage through the Jersey Race, but both Jack and Garda enjoyed it.

They sighted St. Malo at eight o'clock at night, and were told that owingto adverse SISTERS-IN-LAW. winds and a rough sea they had lost the tide available for landing, and that they must anchor outside the harbour in the bay till the tide rose. Consequently they were landed at mid night in pitch darkness on the quay, sur rounded by porters, douaniers, and confusion. It was cheering in the midst of it all to hear a loud English voice shouting alternately in their native language and in French, with the most uncompromising British accent and idiom. " Is that you, Bevan ? I am delighted to Avelcome you. What has kept you ? Fog off the Needles, eh ? — happened very often lately- Come along. Been awfully sick, all of you, eh ? Well, it is over now till the next time. Mrs. Bevan, eh ? How do you do ?

Delighted tu see you. My wife has been counting the days to your arrival." "It is very good of you to have come to meet us," said Garda, warmly. " Can we get carriages, or Avhat shall we do ? " " Well," he answered with a little momen tary hesitation, " the house is not exactly ready, so I have taken rooms here at the SISTERS-IN-LAW. 5 hotel for the night, and I am sure, considering all things, that it was best. The ladies look awfully tired, poor things, poor things ! Been very ill, eh ? " Bertha and Letty did both look pale and worn, but Bertha's pallor was not so much caused by her fatigue as by the strange, sudden sensation that the sound of Mr. Duval's voice brought to her, a sense of familiarity, a feeling as if years had swift! y rolled backwards and given her a glimpse of her own old love.

Of late her recollection and regret had all been unreal and like a dream, but this man's voice, or rather some tone of his brother's that vibrated through it, as it were smote the dream into reality, and Bob became actual to her again, not visionary. No wonder that the colour left her cheek so utterly, and that the hand that Mr. Duval took to help her over the companion-ladder was cold as ice. She thought that she had outlived it entirely, and here was the old pain suddenly re-awakened and sharp as ever. " You do look ill and tired," said the same voice, making her start painfully. " Here, Bevan, I will take the ladies straight to the SISTERS-IN-LAW. hotel, not five minutes' walk, and by that time they will have got off the luggage, and we will come back and rescue yours from their clutches.

Anything to declare, eh ? " " Yes ; tea and cigars." " All right." He hurried them away to the inn ; Garda feeling thankful not to be obliged to exert herself, and to have anything so dependable as this burly Englishman to help Jack. She found her help wanted in another direction ; for Bertha, when she arrived, and had reached light and warmth, was very much inclined to be hysterical, and she had to hurry her away to bed, and not till she had fed her with soup and seen her settled for the night did she make out the tremulous half-sobbing, " Oh, Garda, his voice ; the tone of it, so like Bob— my Bob ! Oh, what shall I do ? " " Go to sleep, dear ; you are over-wrought," was the answer and a warm kiss ; and it was comfortable to feel obliged to obey and to shut her eyes and try to feel that the room was not rocking about and swaying and throbbing all the time.

The next morning their friend appeared SISTERS-IN-LAW. fresh and stout and burly, at breakfast in the little coffee-room. He wanted them to put off going to St. Didier till the afternoon, confessing, with some reluctance, that the owner of Bellevue had put off her departure till that very morning, and that it would be difficult enough to get the house ready in time to receive the whole party. This being the case, Garda made up her mind to start at once with Dunston, leaving the rest of the party to see some of the quaint old streets and the cathedral of St. Malo, and to follow as late as could be done Avith convenience. The long drive was disappointing as to scenery. The country was wide and flat and treeless, very breezy and open, but by no means beautiful. However, after more than two hours' drive, the coachman announced triumphantly that St. Didier was in sight, and Garda saw before her a pretty bay running some way inland, with a splendid sandy shore, darkened here and there with rich masses of golden-brown seaweed, the walls of the bay formed of fine rocks, against which the waves tossed and foamed.

SISTERS-IN-LAW. St. Didier lay in the bay, a picturesque fish ing village, with boats on the shore, and brown sails spread out to dry ; and on the slopes of the hillocks round about, pink and blue and even gaily striped villas dotted here and there — a sort of fresh, clean cockneyism, which had an attraction of its own, in spite of its incon gruity with the tall, narrow streets, wide roofs, and general tumble-down picturesqueness of the old town. Bellevue was pink ; the driver pointed it out with some pride, as it was one of the largest of the villas. It sat as it were on the hill, its front legs, viz. two of its apartments, being on a lower level than the rest of the house, and on this level there was a verandah, and a small terraced garden, with rough steps going down to the shore. Garda was pleased with the appearance of it.

She Avas looking at it rather wistfully, wondering what Jack would think of it, when the door opened, and a plump, active woman came out, her gown well covered up with a huge holland apron and sleeves ; she stood in the doorway looking up the road with her hand over her eyes, then a pocket- SISTERS-IN-LAW. 9 handkerchief was flourished, and the driver, seeing that Garda did not at once respond, took out his own scarlet one, and flourished it, exclaiming, " Madame Duval." Then Garda returned the salute. It was pleasant to be greeted so warmly, and as she got out of the carriage and met the two plump, shapely hands extended in eager Avelcome, she could not help exclaiming, " Oh, thank you ! " " I hope you are not tired?" said Mrs. Duval, looking at her and casting a rather dubious look at Dunston.

" There is so much to do." " No ; we are quite fresh," answered Garda, cheerily, " and ready for any amount of work." No time was lost. The owner of the house, a cantankerous old French lady, had only left about half an hour — her two " bonnes," whom Garda had engaged, were cleaning the house ; and meanwhile Mrs. Duval and Garda and Dunston dusted, arranged the bedrooms, un packed the case of necessaries they had brought with them, got out sheets, made beds, and finally made an expedition to the village, and returned, followed by a man carrying bread, SISTERS-IN-LAW. coffee, salt, and meat, and all that was necessary for the first night. It was hard work, but there was a look of triumph on all their faces when all was done ; and they sat down to await the arrival of the rest of the travellers.

Mrs. Duval had an English nurse with her, and Dunston was sent off to have tea with her, glad enough to find some fellow-country woman with whom to speak and consult. " You will find it all very rough, my dear," said Mrs. Duval, very kindly, glancing at Garda's delicate, slender figure, as she sat lean ing back, with her white hands folded, looking as if she were all gentle refined indolence. " I don't mind that in the least," she answered, smiling. " I don't mind doing any thing that I can do, and the French girls seem willing." " Oh yes, they are willing enough ; but they don't see the use of too much cleanliness, and your maid will have to be after them morning, noon, and night." " I don't know how to thank you for all your help," said Garda ; "it is more than good of you." SISTERS-IN-LAW. 11 " Indeed, it is such a pleasure to have you here that there is nothing that we would not do, both John and myself; and besides, we want to make you like the place — it is not such a bad little place, after all."

" Oh no. I think it will be charming," said Garda. " There ! Do I not hear a carriage ? " They both went out to greet the new arrivals. SISTERS-IN-LAAV.

Chapter II

In a very few days the life at the Villa Bellevue had established itself in a groove, and both Jack and Garda were happier and far more amused than they had in the least anticipated. Jack's fears that Letty would grumble and be discontented proved quite groundless. She enjoyed herself very much, made great friends with Mary Duval, Mrs. Duval's eldest daughter, a fine, tall, broad girl of sixteen, growing fast and stoutly, in the way some strong English girls grow, and not at all too grown up to enjoy making an aquarium, Avith all its attendant raptures and every marvellous sea-monster that the coast produced. The only one of the little party who did not thrive at all was Bertha. She disliked the place, could not make fun of the many incon- SISTERS-IN-LAW. veniences and discomforts as the others did, and was very silent and pale.

The discomforts were undoubtedly great at first. The little French maids cared for nothing but gossip, and thought nothing of taking themselves away altogether, leaving their mistresses to answer the door-bell. They were idle, and chattered incessantly ; and Bertha found it easier to dust her own room than to get it done for her. Dunston and she bewailed everything together ; they had no sense of fun to help them to rally against idleness and want of civilization, and the highly waxed, carpetless floors and curtainless windows were the very height of barbarism and discomfort to them. Dunston, when she saw Mrs. Duval dusting, and cooking little dainties with her own hands, in her big apron, could only repeat with a sigh, " And when one knows and remembers Fleetwood ! " Bertha asked eagerly whether Dunston knew Fleetwood ; and it turned out that she had been there once with a former mistress, and that it was a fine place — not so big as St. Ives, but a large, comfortable establishment, enjoy- SISTERS-IN-LAW. ing, as she expressed it, " the best of every thing."

" And now to look at what two such ladies have to do." And Dunston, with a deep sigh, pointed out of the window. Bertha saw Garda and Mrs. Duval coming in from the henhouse, which Letty had stocked herself, carrying handful s of fresh-laid eggs. Garda looked up at the window, and nodded and laughed triumphantly. " Nine eggs ! " she cried. Bertha thought that she had never seen her sister-in-law look prettier than she did looking up, with her beautiful red-brown hair a little dishevelled by the wind and her eyes dancing with pleasure. Bertha drew in her head and prepared to go downstairs. She fancied it was the incon gruities, the petty misfortunes and worries of this different kind of life that made her feel so lifeless and dispirited ; but one evening, Jack, when he gave her his good-night kiss, said to her very kindly, " Don't be low, old girlie ; it won't be long before Carlton comes out to see us ; " and a sudden qualm of dismay that came over her quite SISTERS-IN-LAW. 15 startled her, and made her rouse herself with a strong effort and determine that she would look at the bright side of things with all her might.

But it was not easy, and Garda, who alone of them all understood, began to be uneasy about her also. Jack very quickly made friends with their neighbour Mr. Duval. He was a pleasant companion, loud and cheery, full of good nature and enjoyment of fun. He had dis liked leaving England as heartily though not Avith so much bitterness as Jack ; but he threw himself into everything with an amount of hearty good-will that made the veriest trifles of importance, and he contrived to invent occupations and amusements for him self to fill up the blank left by home duties. His companionship was everything to Jack, and they very soon learnt to like each other warmly. Every Thursday the two started off for St. Malo in a small rattle-trap of a carriage, the only vehicle of any sort that St. Didier possessed, and came back at night laden with merchandise, with baskets of butter, pigeons, fowls, hams, pots of jam of a most delectable character, the discovery of which in a remote SISTERS-IN-LAW. t? street of the picturesque old town Jack attributed entirely to his own sagacity, and he who made the best bargains in the market place was considered the hero of the time being.

Once Bertha, with her soreness of spirit for the moment getting the better of her, could not help saying to Garda, "It is such a mean, paltry life, nothing elevating in it ; and how two men such as they are can take any pleasure in it, passes my understanding." Garda did not answer for the moment. The thought oppressed her, but the oppression did not last. She scribbled down a line or two in pencil on the back of an envelope. " I am afraid I have not got the words right," she said. " I can't quite remember them, but Arch bishop Trench says something like this — ' Thou cam'st not to thy place by accident, It is the very place God meant for thee ; And shonldst thou there small scope for action see, Do not for this give room to discontent.' That might be our motto just now, Berthe — don't you think so ?

" Bertha did not answer, but she was sorry afterwards for what she had said, when she perceived that it cost Garda a little effort to SISTERS-IN-LAAV. enter into the Thursday details as merrily as usual. One day a letter arrived from St. Ives in Mrs. Howard's handwriting, addressed to Garda. " From St. Ives ! " she said merrily, holding it up. " Now, my friends, let us all prepare for a mental shower-bath." " I feel it running down my spine already," said Jack, with a grimace. " Make haste, Garda ; pull the string, and let us have it over." Garda began to read it to herself, and they all watched her with curiosity. The colour rushed into her cheeks. " It is too bad ! " she exclaimed, throwing it down. " I don't think I will read it." " Yes, yes, let us have it," said Jack, twirl ing his moustachios.

" We all know what she can be if she likes." " I am not quite sure that you do yet ! " said Garda ; but she opened the letter and read — " My dear Garda, " I am now established in your dearly loved house, and I feel that I must write to vol. in. SISTERS-IN-LAW, you without losing any time about several things." " Now for it," said Jack. Garda went on, " In the first place, Susan, the housemaid you recommended me to take on, is so ill that I have packed her off." " Oh," cried Bertha, " poor Susan, the keeper's eldest daughter." " Then, as to sitting in that huge draAving room, I neither can nor will ; and the boudoir looks north, which I can't endure ; the library fire does not give out heat enough to suit me or my dog Fido ; and the gallery is a palace of the Avinds. The only room in which I can find the smallest comfort is Jack's room, which literally stinks of smoke.

I am having it thoroughly purified, and as it will take at least a week to make it habitable, I sit about most uncomfortably in a thick shawl. The gardener is horribly obstinate. I hate pine apples, but he sends them in day after day ; and I like rabbits, and of course I can't set one. The condition of the paint in the stables is disgraceful." " Now it is your turn, Jack," said Letty, laughing. SISTERS-IN-LAAV. 19 " And really I thought Jack would know better than to let the Avood positively rot for want of paint. Two of the greenhouses, too, want painting, if they are to hold together. The pianos are hopelessly out of tune, so I can't ask Miss Gunning to come and see me ; for how •could she sing to such a discord ? My bed room, which Susan tells me is yours, is not so bad, but the carpet is very shabby indeed.

But, on the whole, I like the place better than I expected. I am accustomed to discomforts, and a few more or less make very little difference. I hear from your mamma that they have given up the Nile, and that Lily won't fall into the Royston scheme." Here Garda checked herself. " The rest is about other things," she said. " She certainly finds fault enough," said Bertha, bridling. " And though, no doubt, there are shabbinesses at St. Ives, as there are in every old house, still there never has been a doubt thrown on its absolute comfortableness." " It is quite true about the paint," said Garda. " Old hag ! " said Jack. " Of course it is true, but it can't be helped. As to rabbits, I SISTERS-IN-LAW. suspect it is won't, not can't, with Thompson, There are always a great many too many, for the plantations."

" Well," said Garda, thoughtfully, " I can't bear her not to be comfortable. What shall we do ? " " Get Carlton to run down and have it all out with her. He is always clever with old ladies, and she is generally very nearly civil to him." The letter rankled in Jack's mind, and made him depressed and cross all day. He loved every stone of his home, and it was hard to hear it found fault with. Garda was quite glad Avhen Letty im*eigled him into accompanying her and Mary Duval on a long walk along the coast in search of an unusual kind of sea anemone. Bertha remained be hind, and Garda sat down to write letters. " Have you any message to send to Carl ? " said she, looking up presently. " None, thank you ; to-morrow is my day for writing. Tell me, Garda," she said suddenly, " if you do not mind my asking, is Lily engaged to Captain Royston or not ?

" Garda shook her head. SISTERS-IN-LAW. " Nor likely to be ? " " That I cannot tell you. I fancy mamma would like it, and Lady Royston has set her heart on it, and they had arranged to go to the Nile together; but, you see, the plan is changed." Garda opened Mrs. Howard's letter. " This is what she says : ' Lily won't fall into the Royston scheme, and your mamma says that your father will not have her teased any more about it. So they will stay on in Rome, which is not unpleasant, and not come home till spring. Your father wants to economize, like every one else who is afflicted with landed property just now. I don't think that there has been any further crisis ; they are on the " friend ship-nothing-more " tack, which is generally successful in the long run.' ' . Bertha did not speak, and Garda returned to her letter-writing.

Some days passed. Lord Carlton sent a telegram in answer to Garda's letter, which arrived mutilated to such a degree that it was some time before they could make out that " I vil ltack lefer " must mean -" I will tackle her ; " and in course of time SISTERS-IN-LAW. a letter arrived dated from St. Ives, which relieved their minds considerably. " You need not be in the least disturbed about Aunt Jane's proceedings," he wrote. " She is a splendid tenant. Y'our housemaid is gone, but not for good, only to the convalescent home at Eastbourne, Avhere she is rapidly getting well. The purification of Jack's smoking-room consisted of a fresh papering, a careful match of the old paper, and a famous new Turkey carpet and red velvet curtains. The old ones are all there, in case you like to replace them, she says grimly.

She has had the stables and greenhouses repainted, and she has done ever so many odds and ends, all Avith the most scrupulous care, that it should be restoration, not renovation. She sits in Jack's room, and she looks after the people very well, and gets on capitally now with the rectory, after a furious interchange of letters, which lasted a fortnight. You will be sorry to hear that Mr. Johns does not give a very good account of Curtis of the North Farm ; he is in a very bad way, and drowns care in drinking. Poor fellow L If I can get a chance, 1 will try to see him." SISTERS-IN-LAW. The account of matters at St. Ives was thoroughly satisfactory, and Garda wrote back a letter of warm thanks to her cousin. Lord Carlton stayed on for some days with Mrs. Howard, and wrote tAvo or three times, giving them news and details about everything and everybody.

He advised Garda to take no notice in her letters to Mrs. Howard of all the things she had been doing ; but Garda discarded his advice on this point, and wrote to her aunt a natural and sweet letter of thanks and gratitude. Carlton re ported that this letter was received with a grunt, and, to his surprise, was not followed by any disparaging remarks ; he said that she kept the letter in a velvet bag that she always carried about with her, as if it had pleased her much. After that Mrs. Howard wrote no more disagreeable letters, and Christmas came and went, and the new year took possession of the world with its unexplored casket of possibilities. SISTERS-IN-LAAV.

Chapter III

As the months succeeded each other after the death of Susan Curtis's little child, Mrs. White still lingered on at the North Farm. Sometimes she Avould go home for a few days, but everything there seemed to be going on quietly, and she felt that she was more needed by her daughter than her husband. Susan did all the work, and never spared herself; she took the greatest pains to make Willie comfortable, and learned to cook very well. He continued always the same, gloomy and downcast ; but he kept a strong control over his own irritability, and once when, in an overpowering feeling of anger, he again raised his hand against Susan, the terror and remorse he showed terrified her far more than the action itself. She could not comfort him for many days, or restore calm to his shaken nerves. SISTERS-IN-LAAV.

If the affairs of the farm had improved, -and anxieties had allowed him some respite, he might soon have recovered his tone ; but as it was there seemed to be no rest from an ever-devouring torment of anxiety. He grew very thin, and his hair grey. Mrs. White felt that her presence was an untold help to Susan, and she could not make up her mind to leave her. Susan had been washing all day. It was cold January weather, and she came in with a huge pile of linen to be ironed the next morning ; it was five o'clock, and she was very tired, and sat down in a weary way. " Oh, mother," she said, "what a comfort to find the tea made, and you sitting by it look ing so pretty and restful ! Willie only said to me this very morning that mother was the prettiest old lady in England. He always calls you ' mother ' now — doesn't he ?

" " I am glad of that," she answered ; and she finished her preparations for tea before going on a little anxiously, " I am beginning to be afraid, Susan love, that I shall have to leave you. Amelia's letter this morning has made me very uneasy. Of course I am not clever at SISTERS-IN-LAW. business as they are, but I can see that she is anxious and Avorried about something. It was odd her writing at all, and not slipping OA*er to see me, and seems almost as if she wanted to prepare me for what might be coming." " It was odd ; but I wouldn't go out of my way to meet troubles, mother, if I were you. There is Willie's step, and some one else. I wonder Avhom he is bringing in to tea. I will get out another plate and cup and saucer." Susan rose rather languidly to do so, when Willie came in, followed by a lady fashionably dressed, wearing a veil.

There was a little cry, " Amelia," and Mrs. White caught her daughter's arm. She was frightened. " Yes, it is Amelia," answered that lady, putting off her hat and veil and sitting down. " Susannah, for pity's sake give me a cup of tea ; I am parched with thirst, and it is such a dark night, though it is not much past five now. Thank you, nxy dear." " Did you walk ? " " No ; I came with Jones in the van. He had goods to deliver in the village and up at SISTERS-IN-LAAV. St. Ives too, and he is coming to pick me up when he has done." " In the van ! dear me," said Mrs. White ; and Susan gave a little uncertain laugh. It Avas upsetting all the notions in Avhich they had been brought up that Amelia should have made use of one of her father's vans. " I wanted to get here, you see," she said, a little shortly.

She drank her tea, and then, turning to her mother, began, " I have not come all this way at this time of night to bring you good news, as you may suppose, mamma. The fact is, we are in trouble at White's." " I guessed as much," said Mrs. White, trembling a little. " Tell me all about it, dear, and then I'll run and get my bonnet on — -and go back with you, of course." " That's it," said Amelia. " The truth is that it is as I have long suspected, that Isaacs is no better than he should be ; and the fact is, he's off." " Oh, poor Sophia ! " cried Susan. " You may Avell say ' poor Sophia,' for she is left without a sixpence ; but the worst is SISTERS-IN-LAW. to come. The money realized by the autumn sales was never banked at all, and my father's cheque Avhich he paid for Avinter and early spring goods from London Avas sent back to him this morning, dishonoured.