Harum Scarum. A poor relation

Front matter

THE "GREENBACK SERIES" POPULAR J/6 NOVELS Ev WELL-KNOWN AUTHORS. (Crown Svo, Cloth.) Uniform with " Harum Searum." i. LOUIS DRAYCOTT. By Mrs. Leith Adams. 2nd Edition. 2. GEOFFREY STIRLING. By Mrs. Leith Adams. 5th Edition. 3. BONNIE KATE. By Mrs. Leith Adams. 2nd Edition. 4. A NEW OTHELLO. By Hon. Iza Duffus Hardv. 2nd Ed. 5. THE MAID OF LONDON BRIDGE. By Somerville Gibney. 3rd Edition. 6. EVELINE WELLWOOD. By Major Norris Paul. 2nd Ed. 7. OLD LATTIMER'S LEGACY. By J. S. Fletcher. 2nd Ed. 8. THAT LITTLE GIRL. By Curtis Yorke. 5th Edition. 9. DUDLEY. By Curtis Yorke. 4th Edition. 10. THE WILD RUTHVENS. By Curtis Yorke. 5th Edition. 11. THE BROWN PORTMANTEAU, and other Stories. By Curtis Yorke. 2nd Edition. 12. HUSH! By Curtis Yorke. 3rd Edition. 13. ONCE 1 By Curtis Yorke. 2nd Edition. 14.

A ROMANCE OF MODERN LONDON. By Curtis Yorke. 3rd Edition. 15. HIS HEART TO WIN. By Curtis Yorke. 2nd Edition. 16. DARRELL CHEVASNEY. By Curtis Yorke. j7. BETWEEN THE SILENCES. By Curtis Yorke. 18. THE PEYTON ROMANCE. By Mrs. Leith Adams. 3rd Ed. 19. THE GOLDEN MILESTONE. By Scott Graham. 3rd Ed. 20. A RECORD OF DISCORDS. By Curtis Yorke. 2nd Edition. 21. "CHERRY RIPE!" By Helen Mathers. 8th Edition. 22. STORY OF A SIN. By Helen Mathers, sth Edition. 23. EYRE'S ACQUITTAL. (Sequel.) By Helen Mathers. 4th Ed. 24. JOCK O' HAZELGREEN. By Helen Mathers. 4th Ed. 25. MY LADY GREEN SLEEVES. By Helen Mathers. 6th Ed. 26. FOUND OUT. By Helen Mathers. 103rd Thousand. 27. THE MEDLICO TTS. By Curtis Yorke. 2nd Edition. 28. THE HEART OF A MYSTERY. By T. W. Speight. 29. MAN PROPOSES. By Mrs. A. Phillips. 2nd Edition. 30.

THE LAST OF THE HADDONS. By Mrs. E. Newman. Shortly. 31. ALLANSON'S LITTLE WOMAN. By Eastwood Kidson. Shortly. 32. LINDSAY'S GIRL. By Mrs. Herbert Martin. 33. WRONGLY CONDEMNED. By Mrs. Bagot Harte, Author of " Bianca," &c. 34. THE THIRTEENTH BRYDAIN. By Margaret Moule,-, 0 Author of "Wingrove's Ways," "Dick's Wife," "Miss I J Maidment," &c. I K 35. THROUGH ANOTHER MAN'S EYES. By Eleanor I * Holmes. I 0 36. MRS. WYLDE. By Linda Gardiner. J £ 37. A PRINCE OF COMO. By E. M. Davy. 2nd Edition 38. RUTH FARMER. By Agnes Marchbank. .Thousand 39. THE LOVELY MALINCOURT. By Helen Mathers. SiJk .0. A GARRISON ROMANCE. By Mrs. Leith Adams, vd Ed 41. HARUM SCARUM. By Esme Stuart. 42. A BOLT FROM THE BLUE. By Scott Graham. Shortly 43. THE MAN IN THE CHECK SUIT. By F. W. H. Delf. [Shortly. OTHERS IN PREPARATION.

Chapter I. She Is Expected

" j\ T ISS CRUMP," said Lady Dove to her companion, 1V1 " what are you stopping for ? " The poor companion had read on till her throat ached and a weariness, which she could not disguise, had taken possession of her. " I beg your pardon, I thought perhaps Miss Whit burn would be soon arriving." " The hour of Antonia Whitburn's arrival has nothing to do with your reading," said her ladyship. " The whole business is very annoying to me ; but reading soothes my mind. Go on, if you please." Miss Crump cleared her tired throat, and in a weak voice she continued the novel which was suitable for soothing her ladyship's nerves. It must be owned that she did not think very much about the words she was reading. Her mind went back to the time when she had first come, as a young and hopeful being, to Aiders field House, full of ideas of being useful, helpful, and loving.

Now she was a living machine and she knew it, though she remembered the time when she had been quite otherwise. " Poor child," she thought to herself, " I wonder how soon her youth will be crushed out of her ? Poor child, poor child." Just at this moment of time Miss Anne Crump made several mistakes ; but Lady Dove, being also busy with her own thoughts, said nothing, so that it was not till the companion called the hero by his wrong name that she was reproved. " Really, Miss Crump, your reading is becoming quite unintelligible. If you left me no one would take you in ; and pray what would become of you ? " Miss Crump blushed as she answered sadly and humbly, " I don't know, Lady Dove, I am sure." " No more do I. No one would put up with your slowness, Miss Crump. Everybody is advanced now, and your education is merely nominal, I assure you — merely nominal."

" I am afraid it is, compared with the modern standard." " That is just what I said, you need not repeat it. I am extremely worried about having to take in this girl. If Sir Evas were not so ludicrously conscientious I should not have allowed him to suggest it even. But I hope people will see that we do our duty. Sir Evas says one cannot allow one's own flesh and blood to be — to be " " No, of course not," hastily put in Miss Crump, with out waiting for the end of Lady Dove's sentence. " I did not finish my sentence, Miss Crump — I was going to say that I should not like people to say that our niece was without a home." "It would certainly be sad when there is so much room in this house." " Room has nothing to do with it. She is the child of Sir Evas' half-sister. The old Sir Evas married beneath him.

My husband's stepmother was nobody ; but still the girl could boast of being niece to Sir Evas Dove, and it would not do." " Not at all," sighed Miss Crump. It had " done " for her to be nobody's niece in particular ; but that was different. Her father had been a superior tradesman ; but having failed in business, through the dishonesty of a partner, he had died of grief, leaving his only child, Anne, penniless at the age of twenty, and with but few relations to help her. Lady Dove had " rescued her out of charity," as she called it, and since then she had taken great care to keep this human being in complete bondage. The truth was, Miss Crump was extremely useful to her, all the more so since she had lost all natural power or wish to rebel. " I have told you all about Miss Whitburn so that you may help me to educate her till such a time as she comes out.

She will, in the meantime, be very useful to me when visitors are here, for really, Miss Crump, you are getting very dull." Miss Crump looked down on her book and did not answer. She knew she was dull, and the knowledge was not made less painful by being often reminded of it. Lady Dove, getting no answer from her companion, continued, " I dislike that way you have of saying nothing, Miss Crump. Dear me, that girl will soon be coming. Sir Evas forgets I shall have all the anxiety about her. She is not related to me ; but I will not have it said that I ever fail in what is right and charitable towards the penniless." "Of course not," murmured Miss Crump, who felt bound to answer. "This girl has been educated somewhere in the Colonies. Her father was a doctor, her mother died when she was born.

The girl has of course had no advantages. We are her only living relations, and as such, we mean to make a small provision for her by giving her a wedding trousseau. She must marry, of course, and naturally, she will wish to please us in this respect, as in all others." Lady Dove was not thinking of her companion as she said this, rather she was talking to herself, and the thoughtful expression of her face told Miss Crump plainly enough that her ladyship was making plans. Lady Dove made a great many plans, as her poor companion knew well enough, for the trouble of carrying them out usually devolved upon her. " She is only sixteen, I think ? " murmured Miss Crump. " Only sixteen. It is a very tiresome age. However she could, I suppose, marry at seventeen or eighteen. Lady Carew quite recognises what a great sacrifice I am making in taking a young and penniless relation to live with me."

" You said she could entertain dull people and walk with Sir Evas and teach in your village school and take messages when you cannot send me," said Miss Crump, without meaning in the least to be sarcastic. Lady Dove looked quickly at her companion ; but she saw at once that the human machine meant no harm, so she merely answered, " Of course she must be useful so as to repay us for taking her in ; but you must remember, Miss Crump, that Sir Evas' step-niece is a lady by birth." Miss Crump blushed a little. She was never allowed to forget that her father had served behind a counter. " I shall treat her as one of the family," continued Lady Dove, " Sir Evas wishes this ; but I expect her to remember that without us she would be, at this moment, homeless and penniless." " Poor child," murmured Miss Crump.

" And why poor child?" said Lady Dove, with rising colour ; then she recollected that Miss Crump's opinion was of no value at all, and the frightened companion was only thankful that her answer was not waited for, her hard task-mistress continuing angrily, " Go on with your reading, if you please." When Lady Dove said " if you please " in that tone, it meant that she was in a very bad temper. This was not a very rare occurrence, still Miss Crump had not yet, after all these years of persecution, become accustomed to these words spoken in that tone. They were often followed by petty persecutions which the poor com panion dreaded without being able to rebel against them. She read on and on ; the book was dull, but that did not affect Miss Crump very much, for she was dull herself. " Poor child, poor child," she thought, as the winter afternoon slowly drew to its end, and the rain pattered drearily against the window, " how will she bear it ?

She will be too young to — to — accustom herself to this life as I did." "Leave off, please," said Lady Dove, starting up, "don't you hear the carriage coming? It is very tiresome that Sir Evas has been called away to-day. My life is one long martyrdom. Ever since I married I have had " "Shall I go, Lady Dove?" asked Miss Crump. " Yes, go ; no, stay ; and presently, you can take my niece to her room. Have you seen that everything is ready for her ? " " Yes, Lady Dove." " When there is no company she will dine with us, on the other days she must dine with you in the sitting room." "Thank you," murmured Miss Crump. " Till I see her I can't tell what other arrangements must be made. Of course, if Sir Evas had not insisted on taking her in, nothing would have " "The carriage has stopped," said Miss Crump nervously, looking out of the window and catching a glimpse of the two prancing bays, who, as they arched their .necks, appeared to think themselves extremely condescending for allowing themselves to be attached to & brougham.

" Shall I go and meet Miss Antonia in the hall ? " " Certainly not," said Lady Dove, looking haughtily at the companion, to remind her that she was not to make suggestions. There was a silence in the large and handsomely furnished drawing-room, the great windows of which looked out into the park ; but the beauty was now blurred by fine mist-like rain. The silence seemed quite oppressive to the companion. In spite of herself, she felt inclined to cry because a young creature — -perhaps shy and sensitive — was coming to this loveless place. Sir Evas was kind enough ; but then Miss Crump never had much to do with him, and a man, because he was a man, always frightened the little companion, and made her feel more shy and stupid than she was by nature. Her mind now wandered quickly upstairs to the bedroom and to the sitting-room of the poor relation, She had placed a little bunch of early primroses in a glass on the table, so that something homely might meet the girl's eye ; but even this kind thought did not bring its own reward, because Miss Crump had suddenly remembered that she did not know at all whether there were any primroses in Australia, or whether it was that Lady Dove's poor relation had passed her youth.

Anyhow, the cheerless rooms upstairs looked a little brighter for the flowers, and she had done all she could. Lady Dove had selected this dull room for the new-comer because it was out of the way and near Miss Crump's sitting-room, and she felt that it might be very necessary to see as little as possible of the girl whom her husband — for once showing firmness in his persecuted life — had determined was to come and live at Aldersfield House. Suddenly the companion's mind had to return from the upstair regions to the presence of her employer, who said impatiently, " What can the girl be doing ? Miss Crump, please to ring the bell." Before Miss Crump's feeble hand could timidly pull the rope a strange sound was heard in the small adjacent drawing-room. This noise was followed by the bark of a dog, then by the shuffle of feet, then by — Miss Crump positively shuddered — loud merry laughter, then Diggins, the butler, threw the door open and announced, in his usual correct and lugubrious voice, " Miss Whitburn."

As for Lady Dove, she was nearly paralysed by the vanguard of sounds she had heard, and from sheer surprise stood up just before there bounced into the room a black and white terrier with a stumpy tail and an intelligent countenance. He had evidently escaped from his mistress' arms, and not quite understanding the geography of the new place, had rushed through the first aperture which he could find, this being the space between Diggins' respectable legs. This action on the dog's part nearly caused the stately butler to fall at Lady Dove's feet. Such a fearful catastrophe was only avoided by Diggins' wonderful presence of mind, and equally extraordinary power of balancing himself, so that it was only with a strange and very amusing slip forward that the butler brought out the words, " Miss Whitburn."

It almost looked as if the dog was the individual announced ; but then a girlish figure appeared, and a young laughing voice was heard ringing out loud and clear from behind Mr. Diggins — " Oh, Trick ! Trick ! you naughty dog ! Come here at once. Oh, dear, how funny that was ! Where is Aunt Dove? Which is Aunt Dove?" for suddenly Miss Crump, being nearest to the new apparition, felt herself seized and kissed before she could struggle backwards in order to leave the owner of that terrible title in full sight. Trick had now sought refuge under the sofa, only keeping his head just protruding from under the valence. This frill surrounded his shaggy ears like the nightcap of Red Riding Hood's wolf-grandmother. " I am Lady Dove," almost gasped the owner of the title, as she gazed at her husband's half-niece.

Then remembering herself, she said to Diggins, "Diggins, bring in tea at once. Antonia, are you — ■ a — Only Miss Crump knew what a storm was raging in Lady Dove's breast. In the first place, she hated dogs. In the second, she had been overlooked and the com panion called " Aunt Dove." In the third, this strange title had been invented for her and had been heard by Diggins. In the fourth, this extraordinary girl, who laughed and talked quite at her ease, was the distant relation whom she had announced everywhere as a poor young thing she was going to receive into her house out of a true and sublime charity. She had expected a young, quiet, yielding, easily crushed maiden, and she had received a rude awakening. Should she begin at once to put the girl in her place? Yes, this was her best course, and she opened her lips to do so ; but Trick, seeing his mistress ready to make another dash at him, began again at this very moment to bark furiously.

" Take the dog out," said Lady Dove, raising her voice, " take it out, Antonia." " But, Aunt Dove, I can't ! When Trick has been in the train, his head is always a little turned. He really gets a sort of tiny, tiny madness. We had better not appear to notice him. That is the wisest plan. I didn't kiss you." (Here Antonia performed the difficult ceremony of kissing Lady Dove's two cheeks, whilst the owner kept her head stiff and sternly straight.) "Antonia, sit down, please, and tell me where you come from to-day. When did you land ? Your uncle carried on the necessary correspondence about you, otherwise " " Yes, what an old. duck he must be ; where is he ? " The companion's hair began to straighten itself with horror, whilst a spasm of anger and disgust passed over Lady Dove's face. " Sir Evas was called away to town to-day."

" Was he ? Why, we might have come down together. Do you know, Aunt Dove, he does write such nice letters. Just little short ones, you know, but so friendly I thought he would be a stiff Englishman ; but he isn't, is he ? " " When did you land, Antonia ? " Antonia's large eyes opened slowly and serenely. She was beginning to see that something was wrong. "Land! Oh, a week ago; but the gentleman who brought me over said I ought to be rigged out before coming to a smart place like this." " The gentleman ? " gasped Lady Dove. " Yes, I think he was a gentleman, at least he looked like one. His father was a miller." " A miller ! " "Yes; mustn't it be lovely to be a miller ? His wife was the jolliest little thing imaginable, and she let me stay with her in London and rigged me out." Antonia looked down on her jacket as if to verify her words.

" Your father must have " " Oh, pups knew this gentleman, and said that when I came over he was to take me. Pups was very kind to him once, and Mr. Hilton was awfully grateful. He came over on purpose to bring me. He married a few months ago, and his wife is just as nice as he is. I told them that they were to be sure to come here before they went back to Australia. But they mean to have a good fling in London first." At this moment Diggins entered with the tea-tray The footman followed with the kettle, and Lady Dove sank into her chair too much overcome to speak. She was revolving many things in her mind. " Miss Crump, make the tea if you please," she said, and Miss Crump obeyed in her usual nervous fashion. Unfortunately Diggins approached too near the sofa for Trick to resist a dash at his heels, and the peals of laughter this caused from his mistress were more than her ladyship could stand.

" Diggins," she said, " take that dog out." " Oh, pray, Mr. Diggins, don't touch him," said Miss Whitburn starting up, " he'll bite you if you do." " Take the dog out, Diggins," repeated Lady Dove. Whereupon Trick's mistress made a dash at her pet and enveloped him in her arms. " Be quiet, Trick ; you must conform, indeed you must. Now, beg Mr. Diggins' pardon." " Sit down, Antonia, and drink your tea," said Lady Dove, thus giving poor Diggins the opportunity of hastening away faster than he had done for years. He was mortally afraid of little dogs. " You mustn't call me Antonia," said Miss Whitburn. " I am afraid I shouldn't remember you meant me. I'm always called Toney, even the Kanakas called me Toney." " The what ? " "Oh, the aborigines of Australia, at least no, the labour people, you know.

I taught them to read and write. Pups was awfully good to them. They just worshipped him. Some of them thought he was a sort of god, you know." " Have you had enough to eat ? " said Lady Dove. " Yes, no, I think I could finish this cake if you don't think me greedy, and Trick will help me. I think he must be hungry, or he wouldn't have bitten Mr Diggins' heels," and a peal of girlish laughter followed these words — laughter which the venerable Dove drawing room had not heard for years. Lady Dove's wrath was gathering as Miss Crump was well aware ; but not so the individual who called it forth. " Miss Crump, if you please, take Miss Antonia to her room, and give the dog to the — to the — to Ernest. I Ii am going to see if Sir Evas has returned." So saying, Lady Dove rose and swept out of the room, leaving Toney to the care of the trembling companion.

The mind of Miss Crump was in a state which can best be described by the word chaotic. She did not know if she were on her head or her heels. She had expected some thing bad to happen ; but this was infinitely worse than her wildest imagination had conjectured. Her slow mind saintly foresaw the means that would be used by Lady Dove to break in this girlish spirit, and the vision was saddening to her, all the more so as the culprit appeared perfectly unconscious of what was in store for her. Toney sat for a moment with her face buried in Trick's shaggy coat, then she jumped up. " I'm ready now, Miss Crump. What a funny name you've got. It's all rather funny here. It's a dull big place. Plenty of room to ride about though ; but I don't like parks, do you ? " " I'm only a — a — only Lady Dove's companion," stuttered poor Miss Crump, feeling that she must not for a moment allow this extraordinary girl to believe that she, Miss Crump, had any part or inheritance in a park.

Toney, as she stood up holding her dog, could now be seen to full advantage, and Miss Crump, having made her confession, was able to take note ofthe girl's strong, lithe figure, and her well-set head covered with curly auburn hair. As far as great beauty was concerned, Toney did not possess it. Her complexion was not good ; her nose was rather turned up ; but her eyes were as bright as Trick's, whilst her teeth were very white and even. When she laughed, insensibly the onlooker felt inclined to join in the merriment, for Toney's one beauty was her mouth, and her beautiful infectious smile. It had not yet infected Lady Dove, on the contrary it filled her with dismay. " Well," said Toney, slowly following the poor com panion, " well, you are a poor companion, and I am a poor relation. I'll tell you what, we'll be chums.

We're in the same boat I imagine." " Oh, Miss Antonia, Lady Dove will be so — I don't like to say it ; but if I may say so, she will be shocked at your names for things." " Will she ? Well, that is a pity ! If we are chums, you must just wink at me if I do anything very unusual. Pups used to say I gave him surprises ; I hope I shan't give you many." " Your papa," murmured Miss Crump, " is dead, isn't he?" She opened the door of her so-called sitting-room as she said this and Toney followed her. The girl's face was suddenly transformed by an expression Miss Crump had never seen before on the face of a human being, as the answer came clear and ringing, " Oh, no ! no, not dead ! Christians don't believe in death, do they ? Oh, no, pups isn't dead ! Now, chum, is this your room ? Oh, dear, how dull it is ! It wants brushing up. Indeed it does."

Chapter II. She And He

SIR EVAS DOYE found the dog-cart waiting for him at Winchley station when the 6.30 express pulled up with a jerk. He put his venerable head out of the first-class carriage window just to make quite sure it was the dog-cart and not the brougham. He half feared his wife would meet him. She did sometimes when she wanted to make him listen to her for an hour without chance of escape. No, the dog-cart and Jim, the groom, were both waiting, the latter sitting in the stiff, correct fashion so dear to the heart of the English gentleman of property. Sir Evas gave a sigh of relief and answered the salutes of the station-master and the other officials in quite a friendly manner, and when he found himself by Jim's side he tucked the rug round his legs with great and evident satisfaction. He knew he could get a good deal of information out of Jim, and could, by delicate manœuvres, find out whether Lady Dove were in a good temper or the contrary, without of course allowing his intentions to be seen through.

After a little pause Sir Evas, whose countenance on ordinary occasions beamed with good nature, took a note out of his pocket and read it carefully through. It was short, and announced the hour at which Miss Whitburn must be expected at Winchley. "Jim, has the brougham been to the station this afternoon ? " " Iss, Sir Evas," said Jim, as if he were not allowed by law to speak slowly. " Ah ! it fetched Miss Whitburn. I hope she came all right ? " " Iss, Sir Evas," said Jim, again touching his hat, but unable to repress a broad grin. Sir Evas paused and reflected. His niece had come, that was a fact, and he thought with a sigh of triumph of the fight he had gone through with his better half, before that lady had consented to let him ask a penniless girl to share his home. Sir Evas had a kind, good face, gentle eyes, a straight nose, and a rather weak mouth ; but this weakness was hidden by his moustache and short beard, both plentifully besprinkled with grey lines.

He was tall and well made, with a military bearing, the result of drilling in the yeomanry. He had no children, and when he heard of the desolate condition of the young Australian relation, his heart went out to her. His heart, however, was not one and the same as the heart of his wife, and it was only after a conflict of wills, over which he willingly drew a veil, that Sir Evas had obtained reluctant permission to write to his half-niece and offer her a home at Aiders field House. He, too, imagined her a young, delicate, fragile girl, whom he would try to protect, and to whom "poor Miss Crump" might devote some of her spare time, an idea which showed that he knew very little of Miss Crump's occupations. " Did Stephens— — " began Sir Evas, then he stopped ; he could not quite ask Jim how the young lady was HARUM SCARUM. 22 received, though doubtless Stephens knew this.

Sir Evas was always much surprised at the amount of knowledge the servants possessed as to all kinds of household matters — his household matters, he meant. Presently Jim, after several jerks towards his hat, volunteered a piece of news. It was strange what silent sympathy existed between Sir Evas and his men servants. They did not say so to him, of course, but they wished him to know how sorry they were for him on certain matters connected with his daily life. " If you please, Sir Evas, the young lady did not come alone." " Didn't come alone ? " A cold shiver ran down Sir Evas' straight back. " No, Sir Evas, she brought a little dorg." " Oh, indeed, I didn't expect that" "If you please, Sir Evas, the little dorg bit Mr. Stephens." Here Jim's face was considerably widened by a smile. " Bit Stephens !

How shocking ! " " And went for Mr. Diggins' heels." A still broader smile was visible. " Went for Diggins' heels ! Impossible ! " " Mr. Diggins has a great objection to little dorgs, sir." " Yes, yes, I know, a nervous objection," but to himself Sir Evas was thinking, "What will Melina say?" So now all the comfort of his drive was over. Not naturally blessed with a vivid imagination, twenty years of married life had given him this inconvenient gift in matters relating to his daily life. " I am sure Miss Whitburn was very sorry. We must have the dog killed." " The young lady seemed very fond of the little dor"-, Sir Evas." " Oh, indeed ! yes, of course, still " When the dog-cart reached the park gates Sir Evas said he would walk home, and told Jim to drive on and deposit his portmanteau in the hall.