[Hero Carthew.] The Prescotts of Pamphillon

Front matter

The Contemporary Statesmen of France. MEN OF THE THIRD REPUBLIC. Crown 8vo, 6s. CONTENTS: Thiera. MacMahon. Gambetta. Grevy. Barthelemy St Hilaire. Rouher. Due de Broglie. Dufaure. Dumas. Due D'Audriffet Pasquier. Picard. General Faidherbe. Bishop Dupanloup. Veuillot. Due D'Aumale. I Emile de G-irardin. | Father Hyacinthe. ; Erckman-Chatrian. Rochefort. E. About. Ca3imir Perier. Jules Simon. Sardon. Admiral Pothuan. Louis Blanc. Victor Hugo. " These sketches exhibit great knowledge of Frencli statesmen and politicians. The writer has evidently a personal acquaintance with many of the men he describes, while his intimate knowledge of Frencli literature enables him to cast side-lights upon their characters. In every case he conveys much more clearly than has been done hitherto a knowledge of what the men are, and what are their views and opinions." — Scotsman.

STRAHAN & CO., 56, LUDGATE HILL, LONDON. VOL OF PAMPHILLON By Mrs. PARR AUTHOR Lib "DOROTHY FOX." IN THREE VOLUMES.— III. W. ISBISTER & CO. 56, LUDGATE HILL, LONDON LONDON : PRINTED BY VIRTUK AND CO., CITY ROAD.

Chapter I

" Is't possible ? Sits the wind in that quarter ? " Much Ado About Nothing. k FTER leaA'ing Aunt Lydia, Sir Stephen walked towards the village, at the entrance to which he suddenly came upon Captain Carthew and Leo Despard. De termined upon making restitution for the false impression he considered he had formed of Leo, Sh Stephen gave him a more friendly greeting than theh short acquaintanceship demanded, and when at the turn to the Forts Leo stopped, Sh Stephen said, — " If you have nothing better to do, will VOL. III. B you stroll round, and smoke a cigar with me this evening ? " "Thanks, I wib," said Leo, web pleased at the change; and the Captain and Sh Stephen walked on together. "That seems a nice young fellow," Sh Stephen said, debating within himself whe ther or not he should speak openly to Captain Carthew.

"You knew Mr. Des pard, the rector, intimately, I suppose ? " "What, old Antony? Ab, yes; be and I were great chums," said the Captain, regretfully. " Did he ever speak to you as to tbe antecedents of this adopted son of his ? " The Captain gave a quick look at Sh Stephen. " I am not asking from idle curiosity, as you will presently see. I really want to unburden myself a bttle to you on a subject which has just caused me great annoyance. I know I may speak openly to you." The Captain, on whom tbe troubled tone of Sh Stephen's voice was not lost, put his arm through his companion's. " Let us turn down here," he said. ""We are not so likely to be interrupted." And they walked on a little distance with out either of them speaking. "Now, about this young Despard," the Captain began. " All I know of him from his uncle is this — as to anything others may say, well, I put it in the same list with what he says of himself — be was the son of a great friend of the old man's, who had got himself into a precious mess through some woman he took up with.

He was a queer kind of fish, and Antony thought he had married her, and when he took charge of Leo, then a little chap in petticoats, he still believed that she was his wife, though by this time she had bolted from him, and he was furious against her; so much so, that until she died, which she did a few years after, he wouldn't even look at the child, who was the image of the mother. After her death he softened down a bttle, and came to see the boy, and talked about taking him home, for he'd come into some property, I fancy, when, poor fellow, he died quite suddenly of some complaint AA'hich, it seems, he'd kept to himself for years, and everything was found to be at sixes and sevens. The next of kin wrote to old Antony, and, as nothing was found of a marriage certificate, or any papers to clear up the matter, the poor little beggar had no claim upon anybody.

Ant on j' offered to adopt him, and they were only too willing to be ridded of the burden. Mind you," added the Captain, finding Sir Stephen still silent, "if eA'er any one Avas certain of a berth aloft, that man was Antony Despard. He loved his neighbour, he feared God, and honoured the king ; and if there's anything else that ought to be done to make things square, why, sh, he did it." And the Captain, in his excitement, pushed his hat farther back, and shook bis head defiantly at Sir Stephen. "You but confirm what Miss Despard told me this morning, and my mother told me last night, when I AA'as first in formed that tbe friend for whom Mr. Despard did all this was my uncle, the late Sir Bernard Prescott, and" that this young Despard is therefore my cousin." " The devil be is ! " exclaimed the Cap tain, stopping, and turning short round in blank amazement.

" Bless my soul ! Avhy, I thought you were asking on Hero's account ! I never had the wind so knocked out of me before. Leo Despard your uncle's son ! Web, then, for once I should have cut up rough with old Antony, for — " and he grasped Sh Stephen's hand, — "by Jingo, if tbe mother had been married, Mabett might have thrown out signals of distress for a month of Sundays, before Master Leo would have come to the rescue." Sh Stephen smiled. "You have rather set me thinking," he said. " I suppose old Mr. Despard felt quite satisfied that every justice had been done to this boy. That is the worst of being kept in ignorance. Women do what is right ; but they don't always see tbe necessity of proA'ing that they have done so. My poor mother, for instance, is plagued with such a tender conscience, that she would overstrain and torment herself in any doubtful matter; but very likely she would never think to say this to any one, fancying that they would be sure to judge her as justly as she would judge them."

"And so she was judged," said the Captain; "for I, not knowing who the parties were, haA'e often asked Antony if he was satisfied that it had been all plain sailing." "And he was?" "Perfectly. He said his knowledge of the person who wrote to him thoroughly satisfied him ; and now I know that he meant your mother, I can understand the high opinion he bad of her." "I am very glad of that," said Sir Stephen, with a sigh of relief; "but the good old man must haA'e thought very meanly of me." "Not a bit of it. He never thought meanly of any one, and, least of ab, of any member of your family. On the con trary, you may depend be was very much obliged to you for not interfering ; indeed, I've heard him say as much." "It was very strange that he should not have told the young fellow himself?" "Well, I don't know that.

He'd a good deal more sense than he eA'er got credit for, and I expect he saw that Master Leo was one rather gh'en to lay hold of fanciful notions. He's a queer mixture is Leo, and I can make more allowance for his twists and cranks now. I am glad your mother told you of the circumstance. These things are better made a clean breast of." "Her* silence has been a terrible annoy ance to me," Sh Stephen said. "At least," he added, wishing to screen ber forced avowal, " she ought to have told me before we came down here. Directly she did do so I went to Miss Despard, and I have had a long talk with her this morning." " Does she wish Leo to be told of it ? " "Yes, we shall tell him, but not for a little time to come. I may as Avell be plain with you. I wish to give him the sum for the purchase of his next step.

I cannot do this till Pamphillon is sold ; then I shall be able to manage it, and add to it enough, so that he may marry, which it seems be is very anxious to do." "The deuce he is! And whom does he want to marry ? " Sh Stephen hesitated. " You don't mean Hero ? " Sh Stephen's silence implied that he did mean Hero, and the Captain shook his head. "Why, it was only last night that she told me that they'd parted company." "Yes, Miss Despard hinted at some misunderstanding, in consequence of Mr. Des pard feehng that it would be wrong to bind your daughter to one who could not marry for an indefinite time ; but that is over now — they can marry as soon as they please." And a something in the tone of these words made the Captain avoid look ing at once at the speaker. "Well, he may get his promotion," he said, "and very glad I shall be to see a pah of epaulettes upon his shoulders ; but if he gets my ghl, why, I'b eat my head, hat and all.

No, no, not a bit of it." " You won't give your consent ? " " Give my consent ! Yes, I'll give my consent if he ever gets hers. But, whereas, a bttle time ago she'd nailed her colours to Leo, and would have stuck to him through thick and thin, bke a true woman — God bless 'em every one ! — now, whether he sinks or swims, the same boat will never hold them, and the longer they live the wider they'll drift apart." " But how — what has caused this sudden change ? " said Sh Stephen. "Nothing, I believe; only old Time has made a woman of the child, and she cares for something beyond a good figurehead. Besides, I always knew that if they were thrown much together her loA'e for Leo would be gone ; they're as opposite to one another as the poles. I wish Leo well, and, for my old friend's sake, besides having a liking for the boy himself, I'd do him a service with all my heart ; but, for all that, I say, thank the Lord that he'll never be anything more to my ghl, and last night when she told me, I took an extra glass of grog on the strength of it.

Ah ! by-the-bye, that brings me to a promise I gave to our friend Joe Bunce. Do you really think you shall take up your quarters here — I mean, so that you'll keep on your boat, and need Joe as a regular hand ? " " Certainly, I mean to engage his ser vices to be a handy man about the place, and to make the boat his especial care." "Well, then, will you tell him so?" " Of course I will. I Avas on my way to the A'ibage when we met. If you are going there, avc'11 walk on together." " What you have told me," said the Captain, as they turned into the road, " is as safe as if it was unsaid. Until you give the word, I shall never speak of it to a soul." " I shall be entirely guided by his own wishes," said Sh Stephen. " He may desire that things be left as they are." "Most probably he will," said the Cap tain.

" You see, it's an awkward thing to be chopping and changing, and I know Avhen Leo has a story to tell he isn't par ticular to a shade or two." Then, seeing that they were approaching a more fre quented part, he added, " but we'll talk this over again. There are two or three things I want to say ; but we'll leave them for the present, and finish our business with Mr. Joe, who I can see round the corner keeping a sharp look-out. Come, Joe, here's Sh Stephen — now speak up ! " for the expression on Joe's face had suddenly assumed a bashfulness rather at A'ariance with its bronze colour and hafry surroundings. "Well, Joe!" said Sh Stephen, "are you ready to settle down as a landsman ? Is it agreed that you undertake the charge of my boat ? " Joe turned the hat which he held by the brim slowly round, staring hard into the crown, with the hope of gaining an inspira tion by which he might return his thanks ; but these means not succeeding, he got redder than before with tbe effort to say, — " Thank 'ee, sh.

I ain't much of a hand at speechifying, through allays baA'in' bin hi the carpenter's crew ; but my feelin's is the same, and I'm uncommon obliged to you, sir, for giA'in' me this chance, and so the Cap'en can tell, as has often spoke up for me before, when the wind's bin pretty stiff up aboA'c," and he rather lowered his A'oice as he indicated above to mean Sharrows. " Ah ! " said the Captain, " that's when you've been splicing the main brace, Joe ; but we mustn't have any more of that now. You must conduct yourself as becomes a steady-going man, or you'll lose your rating with Betsy." "Betsy!" repeated Sir Stephen. "Of course, I had forgotten all about that. Why, you want to get married, Joe ?" Joe became more sheep-faced than ever. "Well, sh, I have bin athinking about it." " Thinking about it," laughed the Cap tain.

" Why, you've been thinking about it these last twenty years." "Yes, sh, but the difficulty is to get a female twice in the same mind. They don't answer to no helm, they don't — not as I could eA'er make out. P'raps you gintlemen knows how to strike the right nail on the head ; but I've never bin able to hit it. If so be now," and Joe gave a sly look towards Sh Stephen, "I'd a got anybody to give me hoist up with a wedge 0' theh own drivin', she'd take me straight off the reel." " Well, we must see what can be done," laughed Sir Stephen. " I shall tell Betsy that now you have entered into my ser vice, Joe, I must see you respectably married, and I'll ask ber advice about a cottage which I think might suit you." Joe stood speechless, then suddenly turning to Sh Stephen, he said — "You couldn't find me somethin' to do now, sh, could ye ?"

" No, I am going' on some other busi ness." " HaA'e you got a job of any kind, Cap' en ? " The Captain shook his head. "Well, then ! " exclaimed Joe decisively, 'Til run up, and ask Miss Hero to keep a eye on me ; for if I stay within hail of the Admiral Nelson, I shan't be able to keep from drinkin' o' somebody's health, and once inside there, 'tain't so easy to get out agm.

Chapter II

" I sit within a helmless hark, And with my heart I muse." In Memoriam. TNTIL dinner-time Mrs. Prescott saw nothing of ber son, and then Katherine's presence prevented theh touching upon any but general topics. This was only in accordance with her desire that, until she had hedged herself in with clever evasions and discreet denials, there should be no raking-up of bygone memories be tween them. Her day, which, under the plea of indisposition, she had spent almost alone, had been one of alternating hope and VOL. III. c fear — hope, that, now so much was known, the great dread would remain more com pletely shrouded than before ; and fear, lest Sir Stephen should persist in telling Leo the existing relationship between them. By way of consolation she indulged, as was her habit, in imagining the different things to be said and done under different circumstances ; and, by hanging these events on suitable hinges, they invariably turned in the right direction, and so were productive of a certain amount of comfort.

It seemed hard that, when she had almost succeeded in forgetting those years of endurance, they should, all of a sudden, be brought before her as vividly as ever ; and as she sat in the quiet of her room, she recounted eA'ery hardship she had undergone to keep the estate to which she so tenaciously clung. She had given up one expense after another, had sold eA'erything over Avhich she had control, and had lived secluded and apart from most of those she cared for. Where would Pamphillon be had she not done this ? In the bands of strangers — and Combe the sole inheritance of the Prescotts. But was this coming to pass in spite of ber ? Should she yet live to see Stephen possessed of nothing but this paltry out of-the-world estate ? Ah, that would be bitterness indeed ! for Combe had eA'er been a despised portion ; and though during the struggling years of her son's minority, she had derived from it her only certain income, it had never entered her mind to live there, nor had she considered that either the place or the people had any claim upon her for sympathy or care.

" It must have been Fate which induced Stephen to come down here," she mur mured ; then sighing despondingly, she added, " I suppose it is ordained that I should never know peace of mind. I did think, when Katherine was given back to us again, that things would go smoothly ; but there, I suppose it is not to be." After a time she began to consider how soon it would be possible for them to turn their backs on the place, "for if I stay here I shall be seriously ill — to feel under the constant dread of what Stephen or this aunt, who had entirely slipped out of my memory, may say, is more than my nerves could bear. Stephen is so odd in his no tions ; now, instead of seeing how fortunate it was for this young man to be brought up so respectably, be flies out at me each time I try to impress it upon him, and says that, seeing his uncle evidently in tended to do something for him, it should have been our care to see his Avishes carried out.

Poor Stephen ! he can never know Avhat I have undergone for him." These and similar thoughts filled her brain during the day and night which followed her interview with her son ; nor was she the only one whom troubled fancies made restless and disturbed. Sh Stephen did nothing but think of the one subject. A hundred things combined in giving strange interest to this new revelation. That he should ever have come to the place, which be had been brought up to regard as "a barren, uncultivated waste, fit for nothing but to be the home of a rough and scanty fishing population ! " How culpable had been bis neglect of Mallett ! He had taken for granted what his mother had always said, that it brought in next to nothing; and now he found that at the time of his uncle's death the best part of the estate had been mortgaged to relieve the pressing wants of Pamphillon, and since then, nothing had been done for the land or the people.

From a repugnance on Sir Stephen's part to enter into matters which overwhelmed and disheartened him, he had acquired the reputation, with his agents and lawyers, of being a poor man of business. This, combined with his continual absence from England, made them enter into detabs far more fully with Mrs. Prescott than they did with her son, and they took it for granted that Sh Stephen was by her made acquainted with eA'erything that took place. But they, like many others, had gauged Stephen Prescott very imperfectly. His weakness arose from his knowledge, that the moment he faced an evil he must set to Avork to remedy it; therefore, as much as it was possible, he accepted things on trust, asked few questions ; and, while tormented about the state of Pamphillon, felt no twittings of conscience about Mallett, whose inhabitants, when viewed by the light of Mrs. Prescott's hearsay exaggerations, he concluded, had not reached that state of civilisation in which dirt and dis comfort either affect or disturb.

When he began looking into the Pamphillon affairs, he decided he would at least see Mabett. Had providence decreed that he should be the scapegoat — that, while he was to be the instrument by which happiness should be effected, he should, hi his own person suffer for the sins of those who had gone before ? Surely he had had his share of suffering already, for he now saw the reason of his uncle's reckless speculations — it was to form a fortune for this son, whom, doubt less, he yearned to make his heir. " And yet," he said, " my mother, seeing this, could allow her sensitiveness to overcome her sense, and, to screen my uncle, commit an injustice to his son and to her own. I am quite ashamed to think how I hope the young fellow will choose to keep the matter still secret. I know how many would sneer over the false sentiment which kept her silent, whbe others would do the same at the idea of my pretended ignorance.

What will Hero think of it ? she, of course, must know what is the meaning of this sudden rupture between ber and Despard. Am I to believe the aunt, or the father ? Per haps neither of them know the truth ; she may have told him about me, and he may feel bound to release her, and neither of them may be able to speak plainly to a third person. God knows," he exclaimed, after a long pause, jumping up to occupy himself and so drown thought, " but at times I could swear that she krves me."

Chapter III

" The appearance of a stranger in a country church draws as many gazers as a blazing star." The Beaux Stratagem. 11 fALLETT church stood at the top of St. Kit's Hill, at about an equal distance from the dwelbng-place of any one of its scattered congregation. The toilsome roads leading to it were exposed, the hills were steep ; yet neither the weakly nor the aged ever grumbled as Sunday after Sunday they wearily plodded along, for who among them had not some one, whose heart had been or would be cheered by the sight of its grey old tower, which served as a beacon, and was habed with joy and thankfulness by all good seamen ? Strangers had been heard to say they wondered at a church being built up there ; but this remark met with no sympathy from the Mabetters, who asked, "Why, for goodness' sake, should it ha' bin put elsewhere than so that the dear blids to sea could catch sight on it, and know they was close home ?

Why, eA'en the furriners could see the sense o' its placing, as was shown by the painted winder one of 'em had put up a hunched years gone by — a great, hooge man a carryin' a infant child on his back. Then there was a headstone, with a carved ship a-top, so far back as 1560, showin' that the church was standin' there then. There was some went so far as to say 'twas the 'rection of a Popish lady for the restin' o' her son's sawl after his body was washed ashore close by. If so, many a sailor had had cause to bless her mem'ry since, and wives and mothers too, so 'twas to be hoped, any rate, her was at rest, sawl and body too." Thus vieAved, one began to forget the architectural deficiencies of the mottled, weather-stained old building, with its dis proportionately high tower, up to which the people looked with loving familiarity as each Sunday morning they lingered under its shadow, waiting until the cracked tinkle of the bell should stop before they entered the church itself.

The present rector, Mr. Jago, had never attained to the degree of popularity enjoyed by Mr. Despard ; and the older folk, especially, were glad of any opportunity afforded for a disparaging comparison. "Mr. Despard was as reg'lar as clock work," said one of the old men, with a shake of the head. " Never no waitin' for he." " No," answered Mrs. Collins, the butcher's wife ; " nor no keepin' o' dinners waitin' neither. Our'n was stone cold last Sunday, through standin' in Inch's bake house. Mr. Jago ain't a-goin' to teb me he don't know the hour folks's dinners is drawed at ; and 'taint much good preachin' does anybody, when theh thoughts is set upon the meat bein' dried up to a stick." " He should keep the long-winded uns for the arternoon, missis," laughed one of the hearers. " Ah, well, he might keep 'em to hisself, and I shouldn't be ' no wus pleased ; for Avith dinners at twelve, by four yer inside's ready for yer cup o' tay ; and so you'd a chance o' gettin' it in ole Mr. Despard's time, and I don't suppose anybody'll con tend but what he know'd how to do the right thing by us so well as passon Jago, who's for everlastin' at the fire and brimstone, so that it makes anybody's blood run cold.

I'd so lief go down to Pethewick's, only I don't hold with meetin's, and such like — it's contrary to sense to fancy that folks as is in the grocery, any more than any other shopkeepin' line, can know so much o' religion as gentlefolks, who've nothin' else to do. Besides, it 'ud go agin my grain to sit under one o' my OAvn sort — not a bit of it. I likes to have my say so well as they." This truism gaA'e rise to a general laugh, in the midst of which the tinkle — pre paratory to the five minutes' ringing, when the rector came in sight — stopped, and they all began bustling into church, where the Joslyns, Miss Despard, Hero, the Cap tain, and the few small farmers about, were already seated. There was no cause of complaint against Mr. Jago on this day, for the congregation had barely seated themselves, when old Matthey Cox, the sexton, began pulling vigorously to announce his advent, and before the look of amazement had well left their faces, the rector, hot and flustered from his rapid pace, hiuried up the aisle, followed, after a couple of minutes' interval, by Sh Stephen, Mrs. Prescott, Mrs. Labouchere, and Leo Despard.

This Avas the first Sunday that the Combe ladies had come, and the sensation theA' created was immense, particularly among the female portion, who gave a very divided attention to the seiwice, at which they had come to assist. Leo sat hi the Combe pew, so that Hero had a double reason for not casting her eyes in that direction. The Captain, true to his training, centred his Avhole attention on the duty he bad come to perform. So that they remained ignorant of the excitement caused by the' dress of the two ladies, and the various small items they had deemed it necessary to arm themselves with. Their ivory-backed prayer-books produced a grand sensation among the Sunday-school children, which lasted until the middle of the psalms, when the whispered fact that " one of 'em Avas a holdin' a bottle with a gold cork to her nawse," induced several of the least fortunately placed to heighten themselves on a long, rickety stool, which suddenly tipping up, upset them, thereby causing a titter, which was followed by the unmistakable thwacks of a cane falling promiscuously among the offenders, who spent the remaining term of their probation in emitting lengthened and dolorous sniffs.

At length the service came to an end, and the humbler portion of the congregation hurried outside, where they stood about with the lingering hope of getting a farther look at the gentlefolks. When Sh Stephen appeared, he had a good-natured word for all those near him. Mrs. Prescott, also, to please her son, smiled a gracious acknowledgment of the bobs and curtseys ; but Katherine, whose temper had suffered from the atmosphere of fish and tar, the shuffling of the men, the sniffing of the children, and the general primitiveness of the whole service, had not recovered herself sufficiently to do aught else than ignore tbe offenders, past whom she swept without A'ouchsafing them a single glance. Leo, bent upon impressing bis intimacy with the newcomers upon all around, walked by ber side, apparently engrossed by her conversation ; so that the quick wrath of all present was stirred up against them both.

" Awh, dear, who be she, I wonder," exclaimed sharp-tongued Mrs. Collins, " slinking herself along as if nobody wasn't made o' flesh and blood but she ; and that young Despard, with his pridy airs, as if he " " Hush ! " said one of the men ; " there's ole Miss Despard a-comin' with Mrs. Grant ; " and, the rest of the " gentlefolks " appearing, a general exchange of salutations took place, interlarded with inquhies as to the various absent husbands, sons, and brothers, when letters were last received from them, and what were the chances of their return or promotion." "Why are you waiting, Stephen?" Mrs. Prescott asked. " I really don't feel equal to much standing, my dear, and I told Masters not to bring the pony up that dreadful hill again." " I shall not detain you long, mother," said Sir Stephen, craning and peering as if he was looking for some one.