A Clever Wife

Chapter I

jWjjENRY HALLIWELL turned out of *e£M Shaftesbury Avenue into one of the side streets. Soho, under the new, fierce rush of improvement, is scarcely Soho any longer ; but, if you know it well, there is still to be found something reminiscent of the days that were. For instance, there is Peron's. " I think I might have a fifteen-penny lunch," he said to himself thoughtfully. " I can do with high tea at home then." Over Peron's Restaurant the sign, " Au Bon Traiteur," creaked gently in protest against the April winds, which blew as though they were doing it for fun adown the narrow street. Bits of paper and straw seized the opportunity to have a wild, excited, frenzied dance in the air, finishing up by rushing I into the eyes of the public, and making the public stop and swear. " The fare from Charing Cross is four and two," he said to himself thoughtfully, " and if I go back to-morrow I shall want only one more lunch."

He went carefully through the money lying in his waistcoat pocket, and the result made him sigh. He looked round and watched the people with a new interest. " When I am teaching down at that God forsaken place I shall think of all this. I've had a good many lunches at Peron's since I've been in town, and when I struck the place first I thought I was near heaven. I've been shifting away from it ever since." He was still well dressed. Halliwell was not the kind of young man who is content to slouch down the way to failure in bad boots. He had always determined to stop before things got to the point of shabbiness. What ever his want of success had been, during his few months stay in London his habits had always been good. " Happen to know Peron's ? "Yes," answered Halliwell, readily, to the spectacled man who asked the question.

" Three or four doors further up." The spectacled man, without thanking him, hurried on. Halliwell walked up and down the street once more, listened at the door of the blanchisseuse's to the chattering, bare armed girls who were ironing sturdily under festoons of white garments, looked in at the newspaper shop and bought one more copy of Gil Bias Illustre, then he strolled back to Peron's. In the window of the restaurant were two tired and dusty imitation ferns, with red paper-roses stuck incongruously atop ; a soup-tureen, empty and chipped ; and an ex tremely large, bloated bottle, that looked as though it had been placed there when quite slim and only holding half a pint, and had since, from sheer want of exercise, grown stouter and stouter, until it was now too huge to be moved. A card, leaning carelessly against the bottle, said that They demand a Good Governess, speaking French and Ger man.

Address Yourself Here. " M'sieu." A genial bow from the white-faced damsel seated high behind the counter. I dake your goat, sare ? " "No, thanks," said Halliwell; "don't trouble, Fritz. I'll keep it on. Where can I sit ? " Peron's was busy. The small, low-ceilinged room was crowded with customers, who, one corner of their napkins tucked in at the throat, were all eating noisily. " I find you seat," said the German waiter confidentially. " Gome mit me. A-low me, sare. So." The spectacled man, who was sipping his potage, shifted ungraciously, and made room for the chair. " Hope I'm not inconveniencing you," said Henry, pleasantly. " Peron will have to en large his place." The spectacled man said nothing, but looked very carefully round the small room. He finished his soup, and made a note or two on the back of an envelope.

Halliwell, waiting for Fritz, took a pencil and sketched absently on the marble table the white girl at the counter. Underneath it he scribbled, " Demoi selle du comptoir." " That's uncommonly good." " Do you think so ? " said young Halli well, flushing and smearing out the sketch. " Of course I do," said the other brusquely. " I shouldn't say so if I didn't." " Botage, M'sieu." Fritz, with his German- French, brought Halliwell his soup. " Do you do much in that way ? " " No," said Henry frankly, " I don't. I wish to goodness I did. I find it a little difficult to — to get along in London." " What's your name ? " This with a touch of acerbity, as though to repulse any idea Henry might have had of presuming on the short acquaintance. " Henry Halliwell ? Don't remember hear ing of you before."

" I don't suppose any one has," replied the youth, good - temperedly. " Perhaps some day " The other laughed and took his fork for the soles f rites. "My name's Darley," he said. " Jarvis Darley." " Really ? Jarvis Darley, the journalist ? " The grim manner relaxed a little at the compliment. " But," stammered Halliwell, " why are you lunching here ? " " Copy," said Mr. Darley. "Oh." " I shall call the article, ' A Little Lunch in Soho,' and it will appear next week if all's well." Henry Halliwell sighed the sigh of envy. The more successful Mr. Darley looked up at the bottles behind the pale maiden, and noted on the margin of his newspaper three or four names. " And you're not getting along, Mr. — Mr. Halliwell ? " " Not a bit. I'm miserable. I'm going back to Maidstone, in Kent, to-morrow to take up a school berth and teach sfirls how to draw cottages with mills at the side, and the spire of a church in the distance, and — - — " " I'd rather carry a sandwich-board," said Darley, with sudden energy.

" Fancy having to teach stupid idiots of girls ! " " Some girls are fairly sensible," remarked Halliwell. * "You know very little of womankind as yet," said Mr. Darley, "or you wouldn't talk in that manner. But can't something be done ? Can't you Look here." Henry Halliwell looked at Mr. Darley. Henry had finished his modest lunch, and drunk the twopenny glass of claret, and was rolling a cigarette. " Don't smoke stationery," said Mr. Darley, interrupting himself. " Have one of my cigars. What I was going to say was this — can you sketch anything you like ? " " Well," said Henry, modestly, " I'm not clever, but I think I have a knack of dashing off things. I'm best at portraits. I don't attempt to go into detail, you know " " My good fellow, that's just right. That's just right. Now I'll tell you what I will do.

You want to work, don't you ? " "Yes, indeed." The youth's face glowed with excitement. " And you are hard up ? " " I am turning republican," said Henry. " I am getting rid of my last sovereign." Darley smiled, and noted the words " repub." and "sov'n" on the margin of his newspaper before speaking again. " Now listen, Mr. Halliwell. You sit here and draw seven or eight types of the people at the table. Sketch the waiter, sketch the cat, sketch everything, and this evening By-the-by, what is your history ?" " I haven't any." " Nonsense," said Mr. Darley. " Every man has a history. Look at these people eating here." Halliwell obeyed. Most of them were near to the end of their lunch, and those who had work to do were preparing to hasten away. Those who had no work to do rattled dominoes out on the marble tables, and shuffled them and spread them leisurely, and selected long, black cigars from the tumbler brought by Fritz.

They were mainly foreigners, and most of them shaved only on Sunday mornings. Now, to-day was Saturday. " Rather a job lot," remarked Henry Halli well. " So much the better," said Darley, with enthusiasm. " So much the better." " For whom ? " " For me," said Darley. " Why, each of these men and women has secreted in his or her mind a three-volume novel. When I see them I can scarcely restrain myself from rushing at them, seizing them by the throat, and crying, ' Your life, give me your life ! ' The details might require a little editing " " By Mr. Bowdler ? " " A little artistic treatment, but, believe me, there's a story, long or short, in every one of them." " Well," said Henry, stroking his small fair moustache, " I am an exception. Nothing has happened to me yet." Darley glanced at the long white ash of his cigar, and half closed his eyes.

" Never been in love ? " " Heavens, no !" Mr. Darley smiled acutely at the violence of the denial. " What's her name ? " he asked. "Why," declared Henry, with boyish indignation, " I only know one girl in London to speak to, and I haven't seen her for three or four days. She paints a bit at the National Gallery, and I talk to her when I'm down there, and — that's all. Oh, I assure you," laughing nervously, " that if there is a story in me, there's no love in it." " What's her name ? " repeated Darley, quietly. " Georgina Somerford. The girls call her Georgie." " I wonder," said Darley, " I wonder now what her history is." Henry Halliwell laughed. " Question," he said. " Keep to the question. Continue your cross-examination of me." How old are you ? " Twenty-two." Never murdered any one ? " " Not that I remember.

I haven't got my diary with me, and I can't say for certain." " Never coveted your neighbour's wife ? " Don't think so." " Never wanted to get on in the world ? Never had a desire to make the name of — what is it ? " " Halliwell." "Of Halliwell talked about and written about, and familiar in the mouths of men ? " There was a pause. " Yes," said Henry Halliwell, panting a little and speaking low ; " yes, I have. I would give my head " " Oh, you mustn't lose your head." " I would give anything to become famous — anything to become semi-famous. I don't think of becoming anything big, because I don't feel clever enough to reach that point, but, upon my word, I'd like when I'm, say forty, to be able to look back and say to myself, ' Good business ! ' Do you understand what I mean ? " " Perfectly," said Darley.

" It's by no means a rare complaint. You haven't got it nearly so badly as some young men whom I meet. But, you see, you were quite wrong in saying that you hadn't got a story about you. Why, there's the first chapter already. Ambitious young man, artist, not much money, never been in love. Now, then. What will become of him ? " " Heaven knows !" said Henry, with a touch of despair in his voice. "Yes, but Heaven won't tell you. Some thing, of course, depends on yourself, but a good deal depends on luck. Life is a series of accidents, and with some folk the accidents are happy ones. Got any relatives ? " " A sister," said Henry, brightening up, " and she's the best and dearest " "Yes, yes, I know, / know," interrupted Darley, hastily. "Well, you're in the boat almost alone, then. You've only got to pull for yourself, and if you pull hard enough, and keep the head straight, there's no reason why you shouldn't get on.

But that's rather copy bookish, isn't it ? Here's something more to the purpose." Henry Halliwell shifted his chair back nervously as Darley paused. " Stay here for an hour after I go. Do as I suggested just now. Sketch the girl at the counter again, sketch Fritz bringing in the plates, sketch the old man over there sipping his brandy, sketch Peron, sketch the white cat on the counter, sketch the creature over there who is resting one foot on the chair before her. Bring them to me at seven this evening at this address, and then I'll tell you whether they're good enough to be used." "And whether," said Henry, delightedly, " whether I am to stay in London and work, or to go back to Kent and teach girls " " Oh, hang girls," said Mr. Darley, with much heartiness, " don't let's talk about them.

Where's your place ? " Henry Halliwell went suddenly red. He didn't want to tell Darley that he was occupy ing two rooms in a block of model dwellings, and he did not want to tell a lie. Of the two he thought he would rather tell a lie. Darley saw his hesitation, and did not press the point. " Don't be later than seven, will you ? " he asked. "And don't stay long, because I shall be busy. Good-bye." Henry offered his hand, and tried to find some words of thankfulness. Darley ignored both, and stuffed his newspaper awkwardly into his overcoat pocket. He called Fritz and paid him, and nodded again to Henry. " Take plenty of trouble," he said. And went out. The room had only two or three customers left now. The strange lady opposite, picking the cherries out of her glass, was enjoying them with the solemn deliberation usually reserved for religious rites.

Henry took out his pocket-book and managed to get a very fair sketchy portrait of her. He did Fritz next. " Doing some leedle bictures ? " demanded that individual. Fritz spoke familiarly now that the busy hour was past. He lighted his cigarette and stood before Henry. " Stand just like that for a few moments, Fritz. That's it. No, you needn't put on a winning smile, now. That won't make any difference." " I has my bordrait upstairs," remarked Fritz, anxiously. " In military uniform, mit golours." " Ah, that won't help me. Why in the world do you waiters grow those close-trimmed whisker lawns on each side of your face ? " " Sare," said Fritz, with some dignity, " it is the gustom of the brofession." Henry Halliwell, coming out into the light of Little Compton Street, felt a very different man to the disconsolate person who had entered it a while since.

He walked up Shaftesbury Avenue with extreme sprightliness, and he bought a box of wax matches from every vendor on the way, as a sign of thankfulness. It seemed to him that it was a little like being rescued from death. He had of late so much accustomed himself to looking forward to the dark that the brightness now dazzled him and made him blink. He lived at the top of the block, partly because there two rooms could be had for 55. 6d. a week, partly because one room had a very good window facing north. Halliwell painted. Not because he had deluded himself into the belief that there was any money in it, although he had induced Berghsen to allow him to leave some of his work in Berghsen's gallery ; but because he felt that he ought to do some thing. " Now I'll go over these things again," he said, when he had lighted the fire.

" I'll make them bigger, and if Darley wants them reduced in the process, so much the better." He worked steadily with his pad before him for two hours. Then, as he was finishing, a double knock came to the door; two letters slipped through the small opening, and fell together on the floor. He lighted the gas, and opened one : — " Dear Mr. Halliwell, " I shall not be at the Gallery next week. By a sudden stroke of good luck, which at present I can hardly realize, I have come into possession of what seems a fortune. Papa is delighted. " I am writing hastily ; but I do not want to forget to say that I hope we shall still see each other. We are moving almost immediately Kensington way, and I will let you know our new address. " Believe me, dear Mr. Halliwell, " Faithfully yours, "GEOROIE SOMERFORn."

Henry sat down in the chair and felt on the mantelpiece for his pipe. As he did so, he came across the other letter. It was addressed in a masculine hand, and the envelope was blue. " Some sort of business, I suppose," he said. In a polite note was folded neatly a cheque signed " H. Berghsen," and made payable to H. Halliwell, Esq. In the corner of the cheque a figure of prepossessing appearance — ,£100. " Now this," cried Henry Halliwell, with great good humour, " this is capital."

Chapter II

" KflS ELL," said Darley, grudgingly, "there Hia are two rooms on this landing to let. Man named Edward Pryce lives next to them. They are rather dear, you know." " I dare say I could manage for a time," said Henry. He pressed his hand against ten golden sovereigns in his waistcoat pocket, the first ten of the cheque. Their presence gave him a feeling of confidence that he had never found from anything else. " I'll come round and get the housekeeper to let me have a look at them on Monday. And you think these things will do ? " " These things " were his sketches lying on Darley's table. Also on the table were two or three tobacco-pouches, an empty syphon, strips of proofs, some tea-things, and a depraved old inkstand that had, out of shame, encrusted itself with a thick mask of ink. Darley had a rule of tidying up his chambers on the 3 ist of every month ; but sometimes when the 31st came, he forgot it.

" I think," said Darley, taking up the sketch of Peron again, "that they're good. I don't want to say anything to raise your hopes too high, but I fancy this may lead to work." " I can't tell you how glad I am. Do you know that this morning I had a hump that a camel might have envied, and now " " Life is all like that," remarked Darley, adjusting his spectacles. " I think the gods do it for the sake of effect ; perhaps, too, it amuses them." " If it were not bothering you too much," said Henry, shyly, " I'd like to write a note here. She will be so glad to hear." " Who ? " asked Darley sharply. " Georgie what's-her-name ? " " No," said Henry. " Of course not. I mean my sister." " Fire away. There's some note-paper." Darley relighted his pipe, and Henry scribbled a joyous line to Miss Bertha Halliwell, of Brunswick School.

Melhurst, Kent. He read it over quietly when he had finished. " This will make the dear girl dance when she gets it. I can just see her reading the note, and taking up the nearest pupil, and waltzing her round the room. I shall tell her in my next letter, Mr. Darley, that she owes it all to you. " Don't talk stupid nonsense," said Darley, with acerbity. " Are you going now ? " Darley asked this in a tone which had in it no accent of invitation. He looked at the clock as he spoke, took out his watch to compare the hour, and then found a clothes-brush and tidied his coat. " I would ask you to stop," he went on in a tone of half apology, "but the fact of it is, I'm expecting somebody. Two women-folk are coming. L never asked them, mind you. One is old Lady Bryant and May—— " " Bryant and May ?

" remarked Henry, looking for his hat. " Her proper name is Lendel — Lady Lendel ; but people call her Bryant and May because she's such a match-making person." " I take you, sir. " And the other is her niece, Miss Westerham. You've heard of her ? Cicely Westerham." " I know," said Henry, buttoning up his coat. " I've seen her name in the chatty columns. Written a book or two, hasn't she ? " "That's the girl," said Darley. "She's a good-looking young person enough ; but she has made up her mind that to be independent and free and eccentric, is to be dans le mouve ment, and Is this your walking-stick ? " There was a quick rap at the door, a rustling of skirts, and the faint sibillation of women's voices. Darley said a hasty word, and, looking round 'the room, threw a Globe over the tea-things, and a St. James's over a cabinet photograph of Grille d'Egout in one of her most extravagant Moulin Rouge attitudes.

It was Darley's custom whenever he felt a soften ing of heart toward any member of the other sex, to look at this photograph of Grille d'Egout. " I'd better introduce you, I suppose," he said grudgingly to Henry. " I meant you to have cleared out before they came." "Very sorry," said Henry. Darley opened the outer door, and the two visitors entered. Henry removed his hat and stood back in the corner for a moment. There came with them a faint, pleasant perfume of refinement, and their arrival seemed to the youth in the shade to transform the entire room. He glanced at the bright-eyed girl, who was talking quickly as she came in ; Darley and the stout Lady Lendel followed more slowly. " Miss Westerham," said Darley, " and Lady Lendel. This is Mr. Henry Halliwell." Henry emerged from the shadow and bowed.

" Mr. Halliwell is doing some sketches for an article of mine, and he has just brought them round." " May we see them, Mr. Darley ? " asked the young visitor briskly. Darley brought them out of their covering, and Miss Westerham sat down in the creaking basket chair, and looked at them. " They're very good," she said, in her high, but not unpleasing voice. " Look at this one, Mr. Darley. All this work will reduce so well. I wonder I haven't seen your work before, Mr. Halliwell." " I owe it to Mr. Darley, here, that — Darley gave a gesture of impatience, and Henry did not finish his sentence. " If you don't mind, Darley, I will say good-bye. I was just going as these ladies came in." " Must you go ? " asked Miss Westerham. Her aunt was still gasping from the exertion of climbing the stairs.

" I wanted to know something about black and white work, and you could have told me. But perhaps we shall meet again." The small servant of the Chambers knocked at the door and opened it. " Mrs. 'Aines had been called away sudden," explained the small servant, " and could Mr. Darley please kindly manage without the coffee that he ordered ? If it wasn't too partic'lar, Mrs. 'Aines 'oped that he wouldn't mind." To which Mr. Darley said, " Hang it all, it was particular." Mr. Darley looked at the still panting Lady Lendel, and then despairingly at Henry. The small servant said she could mike it, but she couldn't mike it good. " / can make pretty fair coffee," remarked Henry. " My good chap," whispered the thankful Darley, " would you mind ? Stay, if you possibly can, and see to it." As Henry had absolutely nothing to do, and nowhere to go, he did not hesitate to accept the invitation.

When the coffee was handed round he was loaded with compliments by the grateful old lady. "A rare gift, Mr. Halliwell," she said, "a rare gift. I dare say you have noticed that you can get servants who can do many things, but who fail in just the very thing of which you are fond." Halliwell, with the air of a man who has unlimited experience in servants, agreed. " I'm sorry to say, too," went on the old lady, " that our own girls are losing all their domesticity nowadays. Future mistresses will be even more at the mercy of their servants than we are." Again Halliwell politely agreed. When one knows nothing of the subject under debate, it is safer to support the lecturer. Miss Wester ham was talking, in her brisk, spirited way, to Darley. " Instead of practising the old advice of poor Kingsley " — Lady Lendel always called everybody " poor " who was dead — " of poor Kingsley, ' Be good, sweet child, and let who will be clever' — they reverse it, you know. ' Be clever, sweet child,' is the advice they take, 'and let who will be good.' ' Lady Lendel sipped her coffee, as though toasting herself for a successful address.

" I'm afraid," said Henry, diffidently, " that I don't know much of modern maids. I've only been in town six months, and I — I haven't seen much of the world. But I should like to." Lady Lendel looked at him with an air of pleased wonder. She was weary of the tired youth of town, who is bored with life at twenty years, and looks patronizingly on the world and its joys. Sometimes the good old soul, in pursuing her work as match-maker, had felt inclined to bang the heads of these youths against a convenient wall, and she was always nervous lest some day circumstances should overpower her natural decorum and force her to do it. "My dear?" " Yes, aunt." Miss Westerham interrupted her talk with Darley and turned. Mr. Halliwell is a new kind of young man." " Mr. Halliwell," replied Miss Westerham brightly, "supplies a long-felt want."

The confused youth, fiercely red, looked at Darley, who, through his spectacles, was watching the scene. Mr. Darley, despite his abstract hatred of the other sex, was softened under the pleasant influence of Cicely Wester ham. " Mr. Halliwell must come to see us to morrow evening. Mr. Darley, I shall hold you responsible for the production of Mr. Halliwell." " I think the procedure is called habeas corpus," remarked the niece, pleasantly. " A writ is issued and the authorities are bound, under a penalty, to bring up their charge." " It's only a quiet Sunday ' At Home,' " ex plained Lady Lendel. " Some people will sing and recite, and all the rest will talk, you know. Some people can't talk unless there are music and singing to compete with." " I shall look in," remarked Miss Wester ham. " I am dining at the club."

" You don't live with Lady Lendel ? " asked Henry, turning with surprise to her. "Oh, no. I live in a flat." "In a flat?" " I've lived alone for over a year now. I find I can work better that way, and I don't quarrel so much when — when I have no one to quarrel with." " I understand Meaning, really, that he did not understand at all. The idea of a young girl, an attractive girl, a girl with friends, living alone, rather astounded Halliwell. His face probably showed this. " Shocked, Mr. Halliwell ? " asked Miss Westerham. " Not seriously," he said. " My system is a good one, and I shall recover." "Wait until you know me better, Mr. Halli well." " I'll do anything to secure that." She looked at him quickly to see if he was in earnest or not. She spoke with some thing of sincerity in her voice.

" We who belong to the advanced school," she said, " think that a feeling of independence is good for women. We think, for instance, it is good for us who write to try to practise what we try to teach, and to live alone, and not to rely upon relatives or to rush into marriage. It helps to make one feel reliant." " But do you think there are many women who want to feel self-reliant ? " " I am sure," she said evasively, " that the number ought to be large." " And do you think men like women who are self-reliant ? " She looked at him a moment or two before replying. His frank, good-looking face seemed to attract her, and his total freedom from the popular veneer of affectation was agreeable. Mr. Darley was listening to some motherly advice from Lady Lendel, in regard to woollen vests. " Don't you like them ?

" Miss Westerham asked. She blew softly at the grey-feathered fan, and waited for his reply. "One might like them," he said slowly. He was astonished at finding how easy it was to talk to her, and how her talk seemed to lift him from the banalities of average conver sation. " But some women, I suppose, are not content with being merely liked." The little clock on the mantelpiece gave a sneeze, preparatory to striking the half hour. Miss Westerham pulled the green cloak over her shoulders and rose. "Aunt, dear, the piece begins at 8.45. We must go. Mr. Halliwell, good night. I hope we shall meet again." " I hope so, Miss Westerham." " We can have our chat to-morrow night. Mr. Darley, we rely upon you to see that Mr. Halliwell does not slip back to Kent. Are you both going to s"ee us down to our carriage ?

" They went down the staircase, Halliwell giving his arm to Lady Lendel, who required a little assistance. " I hope my niece does not frighten you, Mr. Halliwell," she said confidentially. " She's one of those girls who sometimes try to per suade strangers that " " I think," said Henry, speaking with much honesty, " that there is much in her that is charming." " She is greatly admired." He was not gratified at this, and he did not answer. "Of course, she has scored no very great success with her work at present, but she may some day. One never knows what the future has in store." " Now, I wonder," said Henry, genially, as he helped the panting old lady at the last step, " I wonder whether that is a good thing or a bad ? " Their brougham drove away down Chancery Lane, and Henry stood looking at it.