In a Forest Glade

Chapter I

It was towards the close of a warm day in the month of August that two youths, of about the same age — seventeen or eighteen years — might have been seen emerging from a grassy path among the trees of the New Forest. They were mounted on sturdy cobs, which they sat well, as only those who have ridden from early childhood can. The taller of the two was a fine, handsome lad of a thoroughly English type, his ruddy face and fair curling hair bespoke the Saxon blood of his ancestors, and one felt in stinctively that he was one to be both trusted and loved. Arthur Travers, for that was his name, was the only son of Squire Travers of Burtley Grange, a fine, old, Elizabethan mansion which stood on the east bank of the river Avon. Squire Travers had married, rather late in life, a lady from the neighbouring county of Dorset, she had borne him one son, and had died when that son, A Arthur, was about five years old.

Miss Travers, the Squire's sister, had, at her brother's earnest request, taken up her abode at the Grange, and had tried her best to fill the place of a mother to her nephew. The other boy, Julian Carini by name, was somewhat shorter than his companion, his profuse hair was black and glossy, his eyes dark and piercing, while his general appearance rather suggested a foreigner. Some people might have considered him the hand somer of the two lads, but his face lacked the open trustfulness of Arthur's, and there was a slight suggestion of cruelty about his thin lips. His father was Mr Carini of the Wilderness, a pretty place about a mile and a half from Burtley Grange. His grandfather had been a refugee from the venge ance of some government in the south of Italy, whose displeasure he had incurred by revolutionary writings.

He had settled in England, and there married an English lady of good family, with whose money he had purchased the Wilderness ; and, at the time of which I am speaking, had it not been for his name the country people around had almost forgotten that the Carinis were not as much English people as themselves. Squire Travers and Mr Carini were old friends, and having met with similar sorrow in the early loss of their respective wives a bond of union had grown up between them, with the result that their sons had been thrown much together, and had grown used to regard themselves almost as brothers. They had both been educated at Winchester, and were in a few days' time to go to the Universities. Arthur was destined for Christchurch, Oxford, and Julian, whose father was not so rich as Arthur's, was to go to Caius College, Cambridge.

The boys looked flushed and angry as they emerged from the forest, and pursued their way silently for some time. At last Arthur looked at his companion and said, — 'Julian, let us be friends. It is a pity to quarrel now that we shall be parted for the first time in our lives. I am sorry for what I said, but I was angry, and I can't stand by and see an animal ill-used, you know. Come now, shake hands and say you forgive me.' Julian hung his head, and for a few minutes did not answer ; then he said, — ' Well Arthur, I will forgive you, especially as I be lieve I was wrong. Still, you know, I cannot under stand your views upon that subject. I suppose mine come from my foreign descent. You know, in Italy people do not believe that animals have souls, as you English seem to ; but we believe that men have, which you do not appear to believe here.' Julian Carini was a Roman Catholic, and the quarrel referred to had taken place in the following manner.

The two boys had been riding through the forest glades all the afternoon. Shortly before we met them, they had come across rather a wide ditch, with a slight fence on one side of it. ' I bet you can't jump that,' said Arthur to his companion. ' I bet I can if you can,' was the retort. Arthur's reply was to turn his horse, take a few paces back, and then putting him at the obstacle, he was over it in a second. Julian's brow darkened, for he was not so totally devoid of fear as Arthur, though he was by no means a coward. ' You can get across lower down there ! ' shouted Arthur, pointing to a place where the fence was broken. Julian turned his horse to the same place where Arthur had taken the fence, and putting him at it, also cleared it ; but from nervousness, or some other cause, he neglected to hold up his horse as they landed, and in consequence the brute came down on his knees, throwing his rider right over his head.

Julian landed on a soft bed of bracken, and was net much hurt, for he immediately rose, and holding the bridle of his horse, who had also regained his feet, he measured the length of his whip, and began to lay it on the poor beast unmercifully, at the same time cursing him for having given him the fall. For a second Arthur stood transfixed with astonishment, for he too had dismounted on see ing his friend fall, then striding up behind him he caught the whip as it was again upraised, and wrenched it from Julian's hand. ' You brute ! ' he exclaimed, now in a rage himself. ' Is that the way you treat a poor, dumb creature ? I have a good mind to treat you the same.' Julian had dropped the reins in astonishment on finding his whip suddenly snatched from him, and the poor horse now stood trembling a few yards off.

Then Julian turned on his companion with clenched fists and flashing eyes. ' You heretic ! ' he cried. ' What right have you to interfere with me, I shall do what I like with my own property. Give me my whip at once ! ' ' Not unless you promise not to use it like that again,' said Arthur, ignoring the taunt contained in the word ' heretic,' which was one Julian often used to his Protestant friend when in a rage. ' Give me my whip, ' he said again, after scowl ing at Arthur for a minute. ' I won't,' was the reply. Julian raised his clenched fist, but something in his companion's eye made him hesitate, and then turning towards his horse he went up to him, and catching the bridle, sprang into the saddle, and slowly rode away down the path. Arthur looked after him for a few minutes, and then, mounting his horse, rode after and overtook him, just as they emerged from the forest.

The hatchet having been buried, as described above, Arthur now delivered his whip to Julian, and apparently thought no more about their late quarrel, for he began talking about a subject which had evidently been interrupted by the incident just related. ' I shall be quite ready for a glass of old Mears's ale when we get to Holly Farm,' he said, ' for I am infernally thirsty.' Then he went on, after a pause : ' I hope Lilly will be in. What a dear little thing she is, to be sure.' Julian did not reply, and it was plain that although he had nominally made up the quarrel it still rankled in his bosom. After riding along the lane they had by this time entered, for about half a mile, they came in sight of a charmingly situated farm-house. It was set back a few yards from the road, the intervening space being occupied by a flower-garden, now a blaze of glory with hollyhocks and sunflowers.

A narrow gravel path led from the wicket gate to a small porch overhung with sweet-smelling honey-suckle. Behind the house was the poultry yard. The boys pulled up their horses at the gate, and Arthur immediately dismounted, and hanging his rein over the post, opened the gate and approached the porch. As he did so, a young girl rose from a seat there, where she had been sitting with a book in her hand, and came forward to meet him. She made a pretty picture, as she stood for a second framed by the hanging honey suckles, in her white dress, a wealth of curling, golden hair forming a kind of halo round her rosy face, with its two laughing blue eyes. And so Arthur thought as he took her little hand in his, and seemed unwilling to release it after the formality of handshaking had been gone through. ' 1 am so glad you have come to see me,' she said. ' I have been alone all the afternoon, with no one to speak to.

Is not that Mr Julian at the gate ? Won't he come in too ? ' Arthur turned round and saw Julian, who was still seated on his horse, at the gate. 'Hullo Jule!' he cried. 'Are you not going to have a drink ? I am sure you must be thirsty, come along' Julian seemed undecided for a minute, and then said, — ' No, I am not thirsty ; and I do not think I can wait now, as I promised my father that I would be home early. He wants me to help him in correcting some proofs of that new treatise he is engaged upon.' ' I thought you would have come and dined at the Grange with us to-night,' said Arthur, looking a little disappointed. ' No, thank you, I am afraid I cannot,' Julian replied, and raising his hat to Miss Lilly, he turned his horse's head up the lane and rode off. The pair in the garden watched him till he was lost to sight round a bend in the lane, then Lilly said, — 'What is the matter with Julian?

He is very rude.' Arthur laughed. Poor fellow,' he said, ' I am sorry for him if he takes everything so much to heart. I wonder how he will get on at Cambridge without me to fight his battles for him, as I did at Winchester. Why, we were having a jumping match in the forest this afternoon, and he was thrown.' Here he suddenly stopped, as it struck him that it was scarcely chivalrous to give his account of the incident. ' I hope he was not hurt,' said Lilly, looking serious, for she had just caught the word ' thrown.' ' Oh, no ! ' Arthur replied, ' there was no harm done, only we had a few words about something, and you know, he does not get over these things quite so easily as I do. Besides, I was very likely in the wrong.' Lilly looked as if she did not believe that, and they turned and entered the porch together. ' Sit down here,' she said, ' and I will go and fetch you a glass of ale myself.

Father has not come in yet, but I expect him soon.' So saying, she went into the house and returned in a few minutes with a jug and glass on a tray. She waited while he quenched his thirst, and then said, — ' And when do you go to Oxford ? You remember it was not decided when you were here last.' ' We came here partly to tell you,' he replied. ' We leave the day after to-morrow for London, by the coach. We are to stay there three nights, and then Julian goes to Cambridge and I to Oxford, and our respective fathers will return to the dear old Forest. Lilly,' he added, taking her hand in his, ' it will be a long time before I return, as I am to spend the vacations in London and Buckinghamshire, with my cousins the Wilson- Travers, for my father wishes me to see as much of the world as possible ; but I hope one person here will not quite forget me.

You remember your promise the last time before I went back to Winchester ? ' Lilly blushed. The promise referred to was a child's promise to marry him as soon as they were grown up. 'Oh,' she said laughing, 'we were only chil dren then.' (She was barely fifteen now.) ' You will be meeting fine ladies in London, and I do not expect you will even remember Lilly in a year's time, let alone three ; besides, father says I am to marry Tom Batsford when I am eighteen.' ' And do you say you will marry Tom Bats ford ? ' he asked, gazing earnestly into her eyes. She seemed to tremble slightly, and her long lashes drooped over her eyes, as she whispered faintly, — ' Never ! I don't think I shall ever marry, unless — ' and she stopped, and her face became suffused with blushes. ' Unless you marry me,' he finished for her. ' And you shall — mark my word.' Rash youth.

What could he, a mere boy, know of his sentiments on such a subject in three years' time? They sat there, watching the sun gradually sinking in the west. Their hearts were full of love and happiness, and faith in the future. They knew nothing of the world with its trials, cares, and sorrows. They loved each other as children can love, in perfect innocence, and the future seemed full of happy dreams for them. At last the gathering darkness warned Arthur that it was time for him to be going home, as his father would be getting anxious at his pro longed absence. ' Now darling,' he said, putting his arm round Lilly, and endeavouring to draw her face close to his, 'just one kiss before I go,' and as she kept her head turned away, added, 'only one. Fancy three years ! ' At last she yielded to his pleadings, and they remained clasped in each others' arms for the next few minutes.

As they went down the path to the gate he gathered a red rosebud, and kissing it, placed it in the bosom of her dress. ' Will you not give me one ? ' he asked. And then she gathered a sprig of honey-suckle, and fastened it in his coat. He mounted his horse, and kissing the hand she held out to him, rode off in the gloaming, in the direction of Burtley Grange. She stood at the gate, with moistened eyes, as she watched him gradually disappear in the deepening shadows, and even then she still lingered listening to the clatter of his horse's hoofs growing fainter and fainter in the distance. Then the sound seemed to grow louder again ; nearer and nearer it came. ' He has forgotten something,' she said, and her heart beat with exultation at the thought of seeing him again so soon. Nearer and nearer drew the sound. ' Perhaps it is father,' she now thought. ' At anyrate I will wait and see.' Soon she could distinguish in the distance the figure of a horseman riding towards the place where she stood, and something told her that it was neither her father nor Arthur Travers.

As the rider reined his horse at the gate, and saluted her, she recognised Julian Carini. ' I dropped my handkerchief here, I think,' he said, dismounting, and appearing to look for something on the ground. ' Why, there it is,' said Lilly, pointing to the handkerchief which was protruding from his pocket. He appeared embarrassed for a moment, then said with a forced laugh, — ' Oh, so it is ; how strange ! I could have sworn that I had dropped it,' and an awkward pause followed. At last he said, — ' Lilly, I am leaving the Wilderness the day aster to-morrow, as you have no doubt learnt from Arthur. You must have thought me rude to leave as I did just now, but I could not say what I wanted to while a third person was present, so I waited in the coppice till I saw Arthur ride by, and then came back here.' There was another pause.

He had remained outside the gate whilst speaking, and was now leaning on it ; Lilly was on the other side. ' Lilly,' he said again,' ' do you care for me at all?' ' Yes,' she replied, ' of course I do. I like you and Arthur very much, I have known you both ever since we were children.' ' And I, Lilly,' he said, trying to take her hand which was resting on the top of the gate, but which she now rather suddenly withdrew, ' I love you — I have loved you long. I know Arthur is taller and stronger than I am, and richer, but he cannot love you as I do, I swear I would die for you. I came to tell you now, for I cannot leave the dear old Forest without a word from you. Tell me, dearest, may I hope that my love is, or will be returned ? ' His earnestness distressed her, and the tears stood in her eyes as she involuntarily said, — ' Oh, I am so sorry.' The pity in her voice went straight to Julian's heart, and coming within the gate, he now took her hand, in spite of her evident disinclination to allow him to do so. ' Dearest Lilly,' he said, bending close to her ear, ' do not send me away a desperate man.

At least, tell me that I may hope, I will not ask for a decided answer if you feel that you cannot now give it.' She was silent, not knowing what reply to make to him, and seeling that anything she could say would only distress him. Julian now perceived for the first time the flower in her bosom, and his face darkened. ' Give me that flower,' he said entreatingly. ' I will treasure it for ever. You cannot deny me that one little favour on parting.' ' No, no,' she cried, covering it with her hand as he tried to take it. ' Any other you like, not that ! ' He released the hand he had held till now in spite of her efforts to free herself. He stood erect, gazing intently on her for a few seconds, and an evil look came into his dark, handsome face. ' Will this one do ? ' she said, turning to a bush, and selecting a white one. ' No, no,' he cried, and his voice sounded harsh and unnatural, ' not a white one !

Let's see — a red one like the bud you wear. Here, this one will do,' selecting a bud similar to that she had in her bosom. ' Give me that one.' She obeyed, only too glad to preserve her treasure at so small a cost. ' You will fasten it in my coat for me, will you not?' he pleaded. With trembling fingers she did as he wished-, and as she did so, he seized her hand and covered it with burning kisses. She almost snatched it away, and fled within the house. He stood look ing after her for a minute, then with an evil smile, turned out of the gate, mounted his horse and rode home to the Wilderness. Arrived there, Julian went straight to his room, and taking the rosebud from his coat placed it carefully in a glass of water and locked it up in a small cupboard which stood in the corner of the room.

He then changed his clothes and went down to join his father, who had already commenced his dinner, thinking his son had probably stayed to dine with his friend at the Grange. Lillian Mears was an only child. Her father, John Mears, was a farmer who had married, some years before this story commences, a poor clergy man's daughter from Devonshire, where he had been born and had lived till his marriage, after which he took a lease of Holly Farm from Squire Travers, and was now looked up to by the small farmers in the neighbourhood as a man in a some what superior position to the rest of them. Lillian's mother had been dead about seven years when this story begins, and Mrs Williams, the wife of the Rector of Holmhurst, in which parish Holly Farm was situated, had, out of the friendship that had existed between Mrs Mears and herself, undertaken Lilly's education.

The consequence was that Lilly possessed several accomplishments, and was much better educated than was usual with a girl in her station, at the time of which I am writing. When Lilly entered the house after leaving Julian Carini, she went straight up to her bedroom, and with trembling fingers removed the rosebud from her dress, and placing it in a little jewel-box, locked it safely away. After the late peril it had been in she did not care to wear it openly. ' He said he would come again to-morrow to say good-bye,' she thought, then went on : ' Poor Julian, I am sorry for him. Now I wonder what it was they had been quarrelling about this after noon. Arthur in the wrong, indeed ! I will not believe that' She now heard her father's voice in the hall below, and smoothing her hair, went down to meet him. ' Well, my child,' he said, kissing her, ' I hope you have not been very lonely all the afternoon.

I was detained at Holmhurst longer than I ex pected.' Then, seeing the tray with the jug and glass, he went on : 'So you have had visitors. Has Tom been here again ? ' with a sly glance at his daughter. ' No, father,' she replied, ' Arthur Travers rode by and stopped for a glass of ale. He is going away the day after to-morrow ; he said something about coming here to-morrow to say good-bye to you.' ' Oh, yes,' said the farmer. ' I met him riding home just now, and he told me all about it. I think the Squire is quite right to send him away. A young gentleman like him, with nothing to do, is sure to get into mischief sooner or later if he is left to himself in the country, and to tell the truth, I would much rather not have either him or young Mr Carini hanging around my farm so much. Now, there is young Tom Batsford is a man any girl might be proud to marry, and his father's farm is not by any means the worst I've seen in this country ; and what is more, it adjoins mine.

They would do well united, eh ? ' with an arch look at his daughter. I: Lilly pouted, and taking up the tray with the remains of the refreshment upon it, went out to the kitchen with it. Her father sighed as he looked after her. ' How like her mother she grows,' he thought ; 'and I am half afraid she has her mother's self will, it will go hard with anyone who contradicts her. I am glad Squire and Mr Carini are send ing their sons away, not that it's likely that any mischief has been done yet ; she's a mere child, but in a year it will be different. I should like her to marry Tom, he will make a good husband, and with the two farms combined, he could hold his head pretty high at the county fairs ; but there's no hurry, and now, with the two young gentlemen out of the way, things should naturally fall into their proper places ; not that I am afraid for my Lilly, she's a good girl enough, but she's pretty, and young men will flatter and flirt.' He had taken a pipe from the chimney-piece, and had been filling it during this soliloquy.

He took two or three puffs, and then resumed, — ' It's funny, I met young Travers full a mile and a half from here, and soon after that young Carini ; I never quite take to foreigners somehow. I wonder why they were not together. I hear they are not going to the same university — a good thing for our young squire, I think. I don't think that young Carini will be quite a good companion for him as a man, though it was all right while they were boys, I suppose,' and here we will leave him for awhile and follow Arthur Travers to the Grange. On arriving home he met his father in the hall. ' Well, Arthur,' he said, ' you are rather late, we were just going to begin dinner without you. I thought you would have brought young Carini with you, but I am just as glad that you have not, for we shall not have many more evenings alone now.' He looked lovingly after his son as he ascended the stairs to his room.

When Arthur came down again, his father and his aunt, Miss Jane Travers, were already seated at the table. ' Will you ride over to Holmhurst with me to-morrow morning?' said Mr Travers at dessert, ' I want to see Dr Mitchel about that cob of his. Then we might go to the rectory to lunch, and have a nice long ride home through the forest in the evening.' Arthur had been thinking that his father would probably want him to spend his last day at home in his company, and had been racking his brain to find an excuse for not doing so. He did not answer at once, but after a short silence said, — ' I want to ride over to Carini's in the morning, but will come on to Holmhurst in time for lunch at the rectory, if that will suit you.' And so it was arranged. The truth was that he had been thinking of his parting from Lilly Mears all the evening, and had come to the conclusion that he must see her again before his final departure for Oxford.

He had made use of Carini's name to hide his true purpose, as he did not wish to say he was going to say ' good-bye ' to Farmer Mears, for the farm was on the road to Holmhurst, and he foresaw that his father would probably suggest accompanying him. Accordingly next morning, as soon as he had finished breakfast, Arthur had his horse saddled, and set forth in the direction of Holly Farm. It was a lovely autumn morning. The trees had just begun to put on their glorious robe of red and gold, and the dewdrops sparkled like diamonds on every leaf and blade of grass. His horse pricked his ears as a hare started up at his feet, and bounding off was soon lost amongst the underwood which skirted the path he was following ; a robin was singing amongst the branches of an oak, high over his head, and his heart beat with gladness and hope, in unison with the beautiful world around him.

As he cantered along the grassy path he even found himself humming a tune for very light-heartedness. He had not proceeded much more than a mile when he saw another horseman approaching from the opposite direction, and was not overpleased when he recognised Julian Carini. Still, he felt too happy that morning to let anything mar his spirits for long, so he greeted his friend with, perhaps, rather more than his usual heartiness when they met. ' Hullo ! Jule, where are you off to ? ' he cried. ' Oh, I was coming to see you. I thought you might like a last ride in the forest as it is such a lovely morning. Where are you off to?' ' I was going to say good-bye to Farmer Mears,' replied Arthur, reddening, ' he was not at home when I called at Holly Farm last night.' Then he caught side of the red rosebud in Julian's coat. ' I say, where did you get that flower from ? ' he cried, suddenly reining his horse, for Julian had turned his and they had been proceeding at a walking pace, side by side, for the last few minutes. ' Oh,' said Julian, keeping his eyes fixed on his horse's head, and flushing red under his dark skin, ' I was passing Holly Farm, and as I saw Lilly in the garden, I just stopped to speak to her and she gave me this rose.' Arthur uttered an exclamation, and looked intently at the flower in his companion's coat, and immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was the one he had given to Lilly the night before.

One red rosebud is very like another, and as the reader knows, this one had been specially selected because of its similarity. A cloud came over Arthur's sun, which but a few minutes before had been shining so brightly. The dewdrops, which had seemed like diamonds, now only added an unpleasant dampness to everything. So much for his love. No sooner was he out of sight than she gave his parting gift to the first comer. Yes, he thought, and no doubt she had promised faith to him also, and — and — yes, per haps kissed him too. His brain was in a tumult, and the angry blood coursed rapidly through his veins. Suddenly he recollected the sprig of honey-suckle which he still wore in his coat where Lilly had placed it. He tore it savagely from his button hole, and throwing it upon the ground, let his horse trample upon it.