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Bt  WILLIAM  DE  MORGAN 

AaUtUTOt  "Alice-fot-Sbon" 

JOSEPH  VANCE 

An  [ntCDMlr  hntnan  nod  humoron*  niyval  »t 
life  DCM  Loudon  In  ibe  '&Uk.     |1.T5. 

"K  lb*  mdat  lllmbolb   ■  I>iTld  Conpcrtfid '  u>d 
*  Pvtrt  Ihtelun '  t»t  <ui  Bod  Uw  t*o  bouka  Id  Ihit 

"  Tbi  am  gnat  BiucUib  noni  Itul  tiA*  appMted  Id 
Uw  lOUi  Otouiij ■"->«  rer*  7\mti  Bnita. 

SOMEHOW  GOOD 

A  luTsblf.  humorous  romaDcc  of  modern 
Koglaad.     tl.75, 

"A  hlfiber  qudllr  ot  tniajmrtx  Urn  \t  dnlTtble 
fmm  the  wnfli  of  tnjr  olber  rn>i«liM  uow  LIvIlk  hqU 
Acllvo  in  4ilUiPr  Riia^i(1  ™  Amirtca-    AlmoldU-ly  amM- 
Irrij     Th«  ulot  l«   uiieDiel]'  IneenlOD*  and  cnmnll. 
e»t<»I,'-i*i;. 

"A  bouku  winud.  SB  tweeku  whnlefaiiur,  u  wlMi 
U4iir  ID  Ihii  rantm  ef  dcUuu/'—A'anon. 

"  ff i*r)r  [uij^  ij  u  tntcj-diiitj^  Aft  the  tftnt,  uiil  would 

bf  rnvl  IrlLh   plniture  «eit  IT  1rfr»  OUL  nf   Iht-  tKlok  4tld 

canglii  ItuUonDs  dwo  tbn  itcnl,"— indiiirndtTtf 

HENRY   HOLT   AND   COMPANY 

PUBLteBERS                       '                     TSSV  YORK 

1 

1 

I 

* 

LICE-FOR-SHORT 


A  Dichronism 


BY 

WILLIAM  UE  MORGAN 

AUTHOR  OF  "JOSEPH  VA\CE" 


NEW  YORK  ::"'. 

HENKY  HOLT  AND  COMPANY 
1907 


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CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 

'«r~1IBAB   nm   TBABS   ago.    AXD   otr    ALICB   IITD   HER   BEER-JVO; 

AKD  BOW  THK  LATTEK  WAS  KEKDBD 1 

CHAPTER  n 
OF  AUCS'a  BBLO?ion«r>«  axd  naw  thht  pvu.  out.    auO  bow  tbs 

KBH^PtOOB  CAMB  DOnxn'AlltS 11 

CHAPTER  in 

TBB  AJtTECgllEU^  OF  AUCK'S  nBLOKOQiaB £7 

CHAPTER  rv 

Al.ICX'f  RIDK  n  A  CAB  VTTH  TRE  PIRST-rLOOR.     OF  Tine  FTBHT- 
floor's  BKAtrrtFUL  EtSTRII,  AXD  ItKR  PAMIIOT     .  .  .  .       8fi 

CHAPTER  V 

Tits    FtK9r-PtX>0R'e   FAHII.T,  AKI>  OF    flOW  Blft  MOTRER  morLD 

Hats  been  iold 41 

CHAPTER  VI 

OF  HOW  ALICe  CODLD  NOT  OO  BAGS  TO  FATIIER.  aKS  IriTT.  OF 
HOW  THE  DOCTOR  CAME  TO  ALICR.  AKD  A1.ICE  DIWX'T  OO  TO 
AM  I.1<{L'K1IT.  AM>  OF  IIUW  IT  CAUE  TO  FAfiS  THAT  AUCK  WAN 
SOT  TO  VO  lUCX  TO  MOniXK 50 

CHAPTER  TH 

OF  FDBCT'a  HILS.  UtD  OF  TBE  LAOT  WITB  TBE  BLACK  BPOTa  67 

CHAPTER  Vni 

OF  THE  PSTCR1CAL  REBEARCn  INTO  TBE  LADT  WITH  THE  BPOTS.  OF 
A  CERTAIN  TABl.K.  ASO  OF  now  AUCB  CKUtU  IS  TBE  DAKK. 
BOW  MR.  HKATII  CAI.I.BD  RIS  BISTER  TO  HXK  MH.  JOHKSO:).  IIOW 
ALICE  WAFl  TOI.D  THAT  THAT  WAS  WOTItKR.  B<1W  MR.  HKATH'S 
ntTKK  KEMED  MOTHER.  AND  WUT.  OF  A  PAWN-TtCEET,  UXO 
BOW  DB.  JOHNSOH  WBOTE  A  rREBCHlTTlON   WHOlia     ...       1% 


^^^^^^^^^^^^■i^^^^^^^l^l^^B^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H 

[        Ti                                    CONTENTS 

n 

^f                                                CHAPTER  IX 

pAun 

f               UK   TtIK    ICKW  TKKAXTH   AT  HO.  40  AJII)   HOW  UIL   HKATII   KADB  THKIS 

^^            AcqUAi^TAACB.    or  tux  cat*  notsu  asd  or  db.  jooshosa 

88    ■ 

f^                                                 CHAPTER  X 

1 

1           or  ruK  iiutrii:t  xurvktou.    or  t»k  mrw  xiLN-rocKPATiON  and 
1                  WHAT  WAS  FOUND  IN  IT.    or  aucb>  fatsek's  dkkam,     iiuw 

^^^           ABOUT  THB  LADX  WITH  THE  SFOTSf     OF  UiaS  1-EOUY'A  AIMUKItN 

100 

^P                                               CHAPTER  XI 

1           or  TitK  uTOnv  or  Ttre  rokks     a  i>oseiBt.K  cldk.    mr.  tkbrixokk. 

^^B                 MR.    HKATa   aOE»  TO  DBS    HIM.      CONCBltNISO   BEDLAM            , 

115 

^V                                                CHAPTER  Xtr 

L          or  A  VISIT  or  AucR  TO  1(0.  40,  akd  of  tub  red  max  wttr  tuk 

ii» 

^^                                               CHAPTER  XIll 

I            or  SHBLI.ACOHBX  BAKM,  AND  WHAT  PBOOT  THODaHT  TBKKB.      AXD 

188 

^^                                                 CHAPTER  XTV 

1                or   UOBBMtA,    AND   ROW   TIIK    MIIU    I'UTK.KKS    AFPKABICO  TDKKK,      Of 
1                          TBR    FtXK    ARTS    ASI>    TBIt     monTKKNTn     CKNTUWr.      or    TRIU'- 
^^                 SICHOttB,   AND  A   GBOST  THAT    MB,    HEATH  SAW     .... 

1& 

^P                                                CHAPTER  XV 

1             OF  AtJCK'S  WALK  TO  TOROB  POINT    AKH  DOW  SHU  WXKT  OTKK  TIIS 

161 

^^                                                CHAPTER  XVI 

L           OF  BOW  BROmKIIK  AKR   r00IJ>,   KKIi   BOW   PXOOT  wabm't  ej^ctlk 
^K             KjrOAOBD.     OP  ALtCB'S  FAMtLT,   BCT  XOT  MUCH 

m 

^^                                              CHAPTER  XVII 

1                IIOTItRK    ^AVI)CIA    BrflAKKR!      Or    MIS«    TBIBRLTOK'S   rROMLIt.      HOW 
1                          CHAIIU^H   nAO    IIKTTKIt  no  1-1)  S[IBI.LACOUtIi:,      Or   ItlUlKN'ni   fAlLK 

IBS 

^V                                              CHAPTER  XVin 

f            OF   MISS   STIUKKH'a   AKTRCEDBNT*.    ANI>   IIBB    VOICB,      WUT    DIDK'T 
^^B                 CHAIII.Kft     no     TO     !IIIK1.I.A00HBBT      HOW     MIX*    PRTXNR     KAW     A 

^^k          iiiiosT.    now  i>n.  joiiMioN  aAw  tiaa  miABEn.    cbaulbs  isx'V 

IB7 

CONTENTS 
CHAPTER  XIX 

or  MM.  TWRRIKDnL  AT  TTIK  lUn.WAT  STATIOR.  Of  AL[CK-F0R-8HaRT 
AKD  lltK  SKVCIAS..  WBO  WU  TBB  KICB  tAOTUKS  OIKLT  nt- 
CniCJLL  KGSKABiCH ■       . 


Vtl 


MM 


aoo 


CHAPTEK  XX 

(W  UDH  anuKBK'ii  OOLO.  AXD  ROW  cHARuia  wiutr  to  skk  hxb 
jlptkr.  or  HKS  GOBUH  MgroKB.  AKu  now  cuAitua  ktokk 
nwKca.    or  a  ohat  attsk  muuc.  i»  thk  ucsk  .SIS 

CHAPTER  XXI 

EtW   CIUBLBI    WniT   TO    BBUinm.    AKI>   CAKX    IIACX.      now    MIM 
snUKKR     UNO     TILL     8LKVKIC      O'CLOCK.     AMCK'K     n-KriMI-K. 

ntopuKTic   F<OLLT.    now   4:nAitLR«   coirLi>   LOOK    Hn   asTEK 
^TUAiuuT  IX  nix  rACX  avoct  mim  stbakeb     ....    2Si 

CHAPTER  XXII 
DOW  rnxiT  CALLxn  o!c  wiiu  kthakkr,  amu  mim  smAkKii  wk.st 

TO    TRK    OARDESS.      HOW     ALICE    AGRBKD     WTTtl      roi.LT    AtMUT 

BKX.    ciiAMi.Ka'a   rATticit   TiituKfl    iiim    a   root,     how    mim 

VTIIAKKII    WIIOT*:   A   LKTTKlt,    A»D    LJlNDKD   A   riMI.      BUT    «'UAT 

ADOtrr  RXOKHT8  PABKT 233 


CHAPTER  XXIir 

DV  rxOOT  CALLXD  AQAIA  OM  WIM  STHARBR.  ASV  OOT  LtTTlB  OHI* 

ruKT  roit  cuAttLns.     uia^  htkakeu'b  t'HCKttTAix  wund  .        . 


MS 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

Cf  low  nrsjtn'tixtxtTfDoarmT.  ako  kkrcat,  vmini.    mir  m  x»t 
00  aCRAflOT.  Amut  all.    p4vcbical  RRaRAncR,     now  ciiaiim;* 

BROXK  K1W  STKARKH  (tT^ITK  Off.      Mias  flEOROIK  ARROWsaUTa. 
nuax   WILL  WR   HIM  HTRAXKK   A4»A»( MB 


CHAPTER  XXT 
■  Ain>  JRRT  oo  TO  *r.e  vrrkikuul 

OLD  PAOTTS  AST  MORE 


HI  WILL  KOT  U3S  HtB 


SfiS 


CHAPTER  XXVT 

~BOW  ALICE  KKRW    ALL  ABOUT  IT.      ALtCB'a  RIKO   AMD  THR  JRWKUI 
TtUtUKOK.      HIM  STRAKRR'B  LOHO  LETTRR.  waiCB  CHARLES  pa> 

SOT  nr.Ai>  TO  ni*  katiikr.    m-r  now  about  kkistrr  ball? 
or  oCRrNrnT  n^rn  and  »qrAiiiv   data,    iiow  pkopls  talr. 

WAS  CBABLBB  FSBOAFS  OXFAIB,  ArTEB  ALLT       .  .  .         .     3G3 


vut 


COXTENTS 
CHAPTER  XXVn 


PMB      " 


BOW  IIIM   PXTKXX   nnXTKU   POIt   MOMItll.     IK>W  CBAKLBS  WIIX  WUT 

rnrLLH  CASTWRinnr.  joxah  inn  vr.  UAKfiAHBT.  bowcuabi^bb 
wkut  for  a  WiUi   n<   muiR.iTe   p&kk.     and  oreRo^AUii  a 

OOirVBRUTIOII.      HOW  BE  FOUHD  MnS  aTHAKEK  AT  UMHK  .     2~8 


CHAPTEK  XXVUl 


ET  XOe  UUTAMCIt  IS  ILUB 


.    887 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

BOW  PCOOV  BAD  SBCOMB  A  GREAT  MAD-IXICTOR'B  Wire.  BOW 
ALICE-FOR-eilORT  HAD  BKRH  AI,K'R  FOR  LONG  ENOL'OU  TO  BK- 
COlOl  A  WOMAIt.     now  TUB  fAKUOT    BAD  FOHOOTTIUI  KOTIIIJiO     299 

CHAPTER  XXX 


BOW  DEATH  Ht:!IT  XEEIia  SB  BAU.  EVEN  Or  A  IIIOHAKCK.  BOW  A 
BOT  XAMED  PIERRIi  BAD  SMALt.POX,  AKI>  ALICB  WBST  TO 
HVR8B  BIM 


800 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


'  CnAIlLKtl  AHD  MBS.  CAMP  HAD  A  CI-AftSICAL  rAKUAK.  ANH  HOW 
TIIKY  KN.IOVKIJ  TlIK  BAtXm.VT  IS  Tilt  IKKlMJlillT.  HOW  CilABLEe 
WAfl  A   UAU   ARTIST,    AND   AI.Ui:   EIlOWkD   HKR  IXtVB-LETTBKS       . 


809 


CHAPTER  XXXII 


HOW  tUCX  SOT  LBT  IN  rOR  PAIIKAMDH.      BOW  HltlC  WISBEn  <:HAItLeS 

A  amtntsmtsT  wmt.    or  two  rooLe.  asd  what  thbi  »aio. 
or  A  MB.  tbat  cams  to  UOBT 


328 


CHAPTER  XXXUI 


BOW    LATABIA    BBTT    OPr    IWPBCTIOS,  ASI)    HOW    AlilCB    WEST   TO 
PRIRKM    IS    TIIB    OOCXTBT.      BOW    PHTI.LIS    PARTBIOHT    CAME 

OCT  OB  A  habk  roou.  and  jepf  6Aw  an  oitical  unLDScoit  . 


B3d 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

DOW  CBABt.BS  WBHT  TO  TUB  AIJ^  AKD  POCRO  THEM  TI1KRB  still. 
BACH  Da  KKOCAKO  AND  OPP  TO  BRKJ.LACOMBX.  BUT  VO  ALICB. 
now  8T.  POB  HAD  A  GAP.  X^D   MB.  WILKUISOK   WAB  CtTRKD  WITH 

hat's  bixiod  abd  tbb.\cle.    op  a  ixtteb  vxdkr  a  caiipkt, 

ADD   ITS   I.tlitIT  on    Alt   KBCAPADE   OP   AUCX'M.      BOW   TBB   TICMC 

Camb  uomk 3U 


CONTENTS 
CHAPTER  XXXV 

aOVr  AUCB  LOOKKD  ODT  WWi  A  •J'AIIMOW*  BUADOW,  Ain>  CAT  mX 

noBtt  ajbu>  cnuEU»>  umn  *Lotn>.    how  cHARt.Ba  xadb  & 

UOBTAL  snOKT-ODT  AOBDM  A  CBUHCBTABD.  A»D  TOOK  ALKK 
TO  WIMBLBDOM.  KOW  OfUKDMAUMA  WOVLD  TALK  AUOCT  MIM 
flTKAUfK 


3» 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

A  BVt>DKS  CAM  or  CATAl-Kllir.  TJIK  NAMX  WA8  rKRBIHDKR.  HOW 
UR  BUTRBT  ADTOCATKD  TBBrBQIlXa  OLD  JAKE.  WAS  TBB  OLD 
DAK-CaRar  WOItasT  why  VBBRUnWB  WATruitU  HiciiiukH.  tlOW 
CBAMUn  BKlOVaitD  TO  TBE  OSNXKATIOK  uy  1-KK-VU-KJU  .     3TT 

CHAPTER  XXXVn 

BOW  am  KUPKKT  OOT  ni»   WAY.   ABO    PBOOV    ASO   AUCK   WBST  TO 

BgPI,^M       WHKRK  WKIW  TitK  l-ATtUmf     A  (TUtlfia  VlOn.         .      39S 


CHAPTER  XXXVni 

■OW   OLD   JA»B  WAIKD    mOM    VOOKG    JAKE'S  BLBBP. 
wmiT  HACK  TO  BKDI.AM 


now  Au» 


403 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

now  ALIOt  tTAVKD  tX  OKai^H,  A\U  nAD  TO  WK  CTirTHtA  LOTTSELL. 
HOW  lUM,  OAtSrORS  WA«  A  UKKTAL  CAHB  .... 


419 


CHAPTER  XL 

OOW   AUCB  MAX   AWAT.  AXD  OLD   JAXB   OCKHSED.     HOW   OUAIU.M 

AKD  AUCB  eOX  FHOTOOHAPKBD  IX  TKBUINDEr'B  LODOmOS         .     120 


CHAPTER  XLI 

BOW  0U>  JACTR    PUT  ON  HBB    WIDOW'H    WEBna.      AND  BAW  HEMICLr 
IR    TWX    KL.AH9I.      IIUW    At.IL'K    AJtD    OLD    JAMK     RKBIDED    TKH70- 

tumn,r  at  ciiari.m'9  houkk 


4S» 


CHAPTER  SLII 


0*  TBS  Kvix  or  aiARi.Es'a  akt. 
'  TASK  mw  TO  xo.  40 


BOW  Aiiotrr  0U>  jake'b  KEnaKira. 


48S 


CHAPTER  XI,!n 

out  jamb's  TISIT  TO  nXS   BOVS  OP    SICVKNTT  TSARA  AOO.      A  FKIT 

nn  niK  uonTEKm-a  cKisTtfiir.    who  tre  ohost  was.  uhdkr 
TBI  umB  DABCtKo  neCKB.    BOW  i^viMA  SAT  IK  TUK  caAin 

AOAtX 


I 


w& 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XUT 

PBTCHICiU.  BBaBAKCH.      HOW   ItK1u:VI.Ka   OVCBTOOX  XEHtJB.      BIXTT- 
BIX  KM  TBBBB  mCKETS.     eSE  ttVUT  HAVE  BEEN  PKSTTt  ONl-E 


rMK 


CHAPTER  XLV 

BOW    MB.  SCOTT    HAD   WRITTEN  A  KOTEL,      MORE    IdEUORT   OP   0U> 

jamu'k.    cnKtflitA  wAi'EKWoRBa  m  inv&  i-auki    more  inbiu:- 
mnamt  roH  a  •urKUMATURAt.  ris       ...... 


CHAPTER  XLVI 
TBX  TIE  cwura  Oil.    HOW  auck  saw  mkh.  kaixk«  auaim  at  ko.  40. 

now  CEAKUB  AND  AUf-IC  WCKT  TO  KKK  Tinc  TOVKR,  HO  DID  OLD 
JAXE  AXD  HKR  nVNHANn  ONCB.  Of  K\rERItlKKT8  WITH  A 
WBODINO-KEHa.  AH  EMBARK ASMIEHT.  ADD  A  DEGKTTIOK.  aTOJ. 
OLD  JAHK  ODBtt  TO  SLRBi-  UAfl'T ITT 


CHAPTER  XLVn 

BUT  «BK  DOES  SOT  WARE.  THIB  TIME.     AND  BITE  DIED  CHDEn  A  DK- 

LroiDN.    »uw  svrettBK  it  had  hekh  Tiirs!    tiow  citAiii-Ke  uet 

HI*   REAIT.P&RE  IK   TDK   RBDESTD   FARE.      THE   WITCSBB  IK   NAC- 
SICCU.     A  LKT1£B  OF  Uias  flTRAERRS.    BOW  IF  AUCB  BBBSELF— I 


497 


CHAPTER  XLVIIl 
HOUR  to  BLIXD  A»  thom:  WHO  can't  stii,    rKfinv  oivEs  ai.ice  vt. 

NOT  WAHT  to  lURBT  AUCIt— BrBSUH!  A  OKBAT  BBVELATIOIT, 
wntcn  tH  rKBMATBBE 

CHAPTER  XLIX 

THE  UTTI.K  ABCADIAM*.  AKD  tlOW  <:nAI<UE>l  IIOPOITT  TKICM,  A 
PDMERAL  IS  A  rOO.  AK1>  now  Al.irr-  ri.KASEH  THK  HKF.rnBRD. 
ADD  WHAT  SBE  POUND.  ROW  rOAKLEg  COVLD  STAND  IT  HO 
LOXOBR,  A9ID  COOK  WASH'T  CANDB) 

CHAPTER  L 

HOW    ClfAKLB*    CI.BAKCD    OCT     inn   OLD   VDPIIOARDS.     OF    LAVlKtA 

eTRARER's  rpitapti.    of  a  weddino  asd  one  of  ire  eBQUBLS. 

OF  A  EKMOYAL.  AND  A  DOCUMENT  THAT  CAMK  TO  LIlfK.  BOW 
TIIIC  FATHKR  OF  ALICE'S  Kia>  MAN  HAD  tIRKN  tK  FEAR  OF  HUD, 
AND  ACKKOWLEIMISD  ANOTIIKH  OF  irtB  VOXH.  ROW  AUCE  WAS 
DKKRNDRD  FROM  TIIIC  VICTIM  OF  A  DETIL.  HEBREWS  THIR- 
TBKK 

CHAPTER  LI 
OF  SIR  niAMKX  irntimiiALL  i.irrTRRLL's  wtu.,  A5n  now  auce'b 

PRWERTTWA*  TOO  I^ROB  TO  Cl.AtU.  BOW  dHE  LET  IT  AI.ONE 
AXD  WAS  HAFFT.  OF  A  CAT  BBB  OOCLD  RKXBUIIRa  IN  TUB 
ARKA,  AMD  THE  STRANaBnBM  OF  TOlSUii 


019  M 

518 

1 
I 


548 


i 


y 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 

CHAPTER  I 

W  NKAB  nrrr  XtUtS  AUO,  and  of  AUCE  and  IICB  BEKR-JIKI ;  AND  HOW 

THE  Latter  was  UE^1>eD 

In  ifae  January  in  wlildi  Ifaia  alary  befrina  thcin  was  a  druiw  fog 
in  Lon^ion,  and  a  hard  frost.  And  thnr  was  nI«o  a  little  girl  of  six 
in  a  stmti  iu  Solio.  wiiere  \be  ton  was  us  tbidc  and  tlu.'  fro«l  as 
bard  as  an^hfn  els?  in  iho  nH'tr()t>oIii'.  The  littln  girl  wan  bring- 
ing hotoi!  the  beer  from  thu  Duku  of  Clarence's  Head  at  ihe  corner 
to  an  old  hou»c  thnt  had  bncn  built  in  the  day»  of  bpr  gnwt-sreni- 
graDdfaUx-TS.  Slic  did  uol  like  bringing  it;  and  lliouglt  lier  eyes 
wcro  blu«  and  ebe  wfis  a  nice  little  idrl,  she  could  almost  hare 
found  it  in  ber  lieart  to  sttfji  aiul  drink  womo  of  it  on  the  way. 
But  abe  wa«  afraid  of  her  mother.  So  she  staggered  on  with  ber 
large  jug.  and  nobody  olT(.Tts)  to  lu-lp  luir. 

Her  great  •great-grandf a  then  bad  been  better  o9  than  she  was. 
At  any  rate  iu  Ibeir  diiys,  liowi-vi-r  ontd  it  was.  tbi^re  was  no  fog 
to  Bpoak  of;  certainly  not  one  like  this.  In  those  days  ahe  might 
not  haiv  been  cboked  with  coughing-  in  addition  to  frozen  finger 
tip*.  She  might  have  bed  chilblains,  but  her  eyca  would  not  have 
smarted  aa  tbey  did  now.  Shti  might  buve  been  able  to  sec  more 
than  ber  own  small  lenslh  in  front  of  her;  and  then  pcrhnpn  tiw 
would  have  lii'tected  in  good  tiiue  a  boy  with  a  red  nose  and  a  red 
oorafortcr  to  ronnole  it  who  wan  making  a  slide  on  thi-  puvcmeut, 
and  would  not  have  been  rim  into  by  that  boy  end  his  circle  of 
fri<'ndi'  who  were  assisting  him  in  making  that  slidit. 

Would  these  bnj-»'  prtrai-griTut-grandftithePs  have  behaved  as  ill  »« 
tJieir  great -great-grand  sons  did  when  llwy  hnd  ov<Twhelme<I  a  de- 
fenoelcsd  liitic  girl  aix  years  old.  and  knocked  her  over  nnd  Toll<'d 
upon  iher,  and  smashed  her  glorious  jug  in  thrHi  piM-ea,  and  spill 
her  pjreciou*  n«!tor  in  the  gutter)  1  hope  not,  I  trust  they  would 
baTe  helped  ber  tenderly  to  her  feet,  and  subscribod  among  them- 
se]*,,«  to  make  good  ihe  damage. 

jtbeite  boys  did  no  sueh  thing.    On  the  contrary  they  appeared 


4 


S  AU0E-F0R-8H0RT 

tn  rttjoicv  at  ibe  mishnp,  nnd  to  look  fonrard  with  nBtisfaction  to 
further  misfortune  for  itfl  victim.  "You  tike  tJie  'andle  and  tlie 
piwrA  borae,"  tbej'  said;  "won't  you  <!Otdi  it  'ot  neitberE"  Ani 
then  oni>  or  two  of  Ihcm  6fsi«ted  from  a  danco  of  joy  nt  the  pros* 
pect,  to  iwlWt  ttio  frngm(-nUi  of  ihi?  jug  aud  iiii reason  mgl.v  odvo* 
cate  their  careful  preservation.  "You  kitch  (ight  holt,  and  dont 
lot  go."  But  no  Booiitrr  hod  ihey  by  vigorous  aiid  eoulidt-nt  r<Tpi;ti« 
tioRB  produced  conviction,  and  the  little  maiden  was  really  satis- 
fied ttiat  the  pro[irr  course  id  such  a  case  would  U-  to  carry  home 
the  pieces  of  the  ]ug,  for  reasons  Bnexplnined,  than  one  if  them 
detected  n  sound  tlirough  the  fog  as  of  Law  and  Order  approaching 
and  slipping  their  representative's  hands  acro^  his  chest  to  keep 
out  the  cold.  On  which  account,  he.  being  PoUoeman  P  SI.  found 
no  boys  on  the  8cciii>— <inly  the  little  maiden.  To  whom  his  first 
words  were  not  encouraging.  For  they  were  idculieally  ibe  very 
words  thp  bnyn  hnd  twicd.  "You'll  cntch  it  hot,  little  missy,"  said 
he.  as  though  a  universal  understanding  existed  among  persons 
out  in  the  utrtvt,  from  which  little  girls  were  ext-hided.  No  won- 
der this  little  girl  aobbisl  ibu  more.  And  the  PoHcenmn  made 
matters  no  better  by  adding:  "Sooner  you're  'ome,  sooner  itll  bo 
done  with!" — n  ghastly  speech,  with  its  reference  to  an  undefined 
HOMKTiiiNO— the  same  that  was  going  to  be  caught  hot. 

*'Wb«t'fi  all  that  you've  got  in  there— pudd'n'^'  said  the  PoUw 
man.  This  was  an  absurd  question,  and  only  aakt^d  to  show  tbo 
speokcr'H  contempt  for  his  subject.  It  didn't  matter  whether  ho 
was  right  or  wrong;  he  was  so  great,  and  the  little  girl  waa  ao 
inaignificaiit ! 

"PieccB,  please  I    The  boys  said  I  was  to." 

"The  boya  said  you  was  lol  Next  time,  you  tell  'cm  to  mind 
their  own  consams,  or  I'll  let  'em  know  I" 

"Please,  Sir.  you  won't  bo  there."  This  is  what  the  little  girl 
wanted  to  say,  but  speech  failed  half-way;  sobs  had  the  best  of  it. 
It  waa  an  additional  horror  that  there  was  going  to  Ixt  a  next 
ttm&    Would  things  never  cease  getting  worse  and  worse] 

"Yon  may  chuck  *cm  down  beri' — /  give  liwve,  Ijein"  on  duty. 
Some  of  our  division  wouldn't.  Chuck  'cm  down!  I'll  take  my 
chance  of  being  reported."  And  the  little  girl  was  reflecting 
wliclher  she  ought  to  chwck  them  down,  with  fiirthi-r  brr-nknge.  or 
lay  them  carefully  in  the  gutter  without,  when  another  passar-bjr 
cnmc  out  of  the  fog.    He  was  ncijuaintcd  with  the  Policeman.  ' 

"What's  this  young  culprit  after,  Mr.  Officerl    Bad  case*"  oaid 
he.    The  reply  was  Hubstantially  Ihst  it  wns  a  very  bad  "iw.  al 
that  that  quart  would  never  be  drunk  by  them  as  paid  for 


I 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


3 


'^nlees  U>e  child's  iMirents  comes  ofnrc  it  frcMea.  Slw'd  bettor 
nm  and  t«ll  thorn  to  eome  quick,"  edid  the  Policeman.  And  tlie 
jottni;  inau  iu  apet'iut'li's,  w)i<>m  Iw  nddmui-d,  coiitirtnod  him  with 
Rach  grarit;,  and  hia  bron-o  beard  looked  so  coiirincinK.  that  iIm 
IjttJe  thing  naUy  sm-dim]  tu  ac(-i^i(  Ifan  suegi'Htiuii.  It  may  he 
Ilopp  had  mH^-ixil.  with  a  TJeion  of  her  parents  on  their  knees  by 
th«  beer  puddte,  drinkiue  dM>p.  Bui  she  did  not  start.  bixauM 
llw  upcclacl^s  hwkH  rntiuiriiiglj  at  her.  iind  their  owner's  mouth 
ask«d  her  name.  This  put  ntatters  oa  a  human  footing,  aud  th« 
aoba  aubiidcd.  But  tht-y  only  gtire  place  to  iuL-onaccutirctKiBS, 
•ppsrenllv. 

"Blow  your  nose  and  speak  np,  little  mis^y,"  said  thf  Policeman. 
"Don't  yon  hear  the  nentlcman's  asking  your  namef  And  tlie 
i&IM  repeated  h*r  haU-hcuni  vonin  inun-  auciilily.  aud  less  timidly. 

"fhuM,  you're  the  Kentleman  on  the  first  rtnor " 

"Oh.  am  U  Then  j-ou're  the  little  girl  in  the  extensive  base- 
Diait  with  cellarage.  Come  along!  Don't  cry."  And  *ft«!r  a  word 
with  the  Polioeman  about  new-bom  babies  being  sent  to  fetch  beer, 
tbt  nnal!  dclinqui^nl  ac^-pti'd  tint  protucliun  of  tlie  youns  ntau 
without  question,  and  walked  o9  clinging  to  bis  hand. 

But  tbey  bad  not  sntiv  many  Htopd  when  ^le  asknd.  "Pleasu  was 
the  to  keep  the  pieces  or  notf    This  required  conHdcratioo. 

'^hat  depends.  Mias  ExtcnHivu  Bu.Henittiil,  with  Cellarage,  on  the 
quality-  and  number  of  the  pieces.    Let's  bar*  a  look." 

Tbo  child  detached  her  hand  from  ber  protector's,  and  cxteiultn) 
her  pinafore  and  ita  contents.  He  picked  up  the  handle  bit.  and 
con  temp  lam)  it 

"Aa  an  example  of  the  Ceramic  Art,  Miss  Basement,  or  Mita  CeU 
hrage — which  do  you  prefer!*' — 

"I'lease.  Sir,  I'm  Alicia,  or  Alice,  for  short" 

"Well.  Alicia,  or  AHci^-for-sliort.  proridnd  that  the  whole  of  th« 
frajrmcnts  of  lhi»  jug  can  he  recovered  from  the  pavement,  1  will 
g^  BO  fur  as  to  oSer  to  acquire  it  for  thi-  sum  of  two  MbtllingH  nett. 
r*i  us  return  lo  the  scene  of  the  accident,  and  endeavour  to  re- 
coriT  the  misiiiiiK  fragments.  It  may  be  an  example  without  inter- 
est for  ibe  collector,  or  it  may  be  otherwise.  Here  we  are  on  the 
leene  of  the  trajj^-dy,  and  them  ar«  two  pieces!"  Tbero  were,  and 
apparently  there  were  no  others.  The«o  were  Tvcorcrvd,  and 
carried  away  with  tbe  rest  in  the  pinafore. 

Thft  young  geJitleman  in  tbe  spectacles  did  not  offiT  to  carry  any 
of  tbe  pieces.  He  appeared  to  draw  tlio  line  at  that,  on  the  score 
of  dignity.  SomtilhiiiR  of  this  Bpp<-iircd  alxo,  in  a  «;rtain  wnleu- 
tioBBoeM  and  pompo»ity  of  epeech.  as  a  protest  to  empty  epaco 


4  ALICE-FOR-SnORT 

B^inst  lis  poH-iiblo  ini«intcn>T0Ution  of  »  Kood-natured  netion. 
lie  felt  pIi»i8iiTv  in  bein^r  kind  to  the  etna))  six-year-old  in  hsr 
dmoUtion ;  but  wiui  not  ubovn  being  g)nd  it  was  n  thick  fog.  And 
that  the  house  wag  not  far  off.  lie  hoped  he  would  not  meet  a 
fricnti,  <wp«:ciull,v  a  waiifiWh  friend.  And  lii>  evil  star  saw  il3  oppor- 
tunity, and  dinappointed  him  on  both  beads  by  contriving  that  ttie 
ertiHt  on  ibi*  tup  floor  ithould  cut.  liini  oS  on  the  doorstep. 

Thie  younjc  Rentlemau  hud  lx«n  endowed  (or  viaited)  by  Provi- 
deiioi!  with  oni?  of  the  most  eingtilar  nunnmu-ii  ibat  ever  fell  (o  the 
lot  of  man.  It  waa  JenTthoufchl.  ilia  full  name  was  actually 
JdTcry  Snundrrs  Jerrirtboiight.  But  thi-n  all  his  frit:iid9  calW 
him  "Jeff."  So  it  didn't  much  matter!  Ur.  Jenythought  was, 
or  prrtf^nded  to  be,  very  vulgar,  and  waa  iicmr  without  a  pipe  in  bin 
moutb. 

"At  it  agin,  'Eath  V  anid  he,  ohaking  n  reproachful  bend  and 
cloeing  an  Bstiite  e,w.  *TJo  use  denyin'  of  it !  Oood  job  I  noticed 
j^ul"  And  Mr.  J<in7thoiight  continued  nbaking  bis  head  and 
grinnintc  offensirelj,  and  Alice  couldn't  for  l)ie  )ife  of  her  see  why. 
Hr.  Heath  replied  with  an  intensification  of  bis  dignified  mnnner. 

"If  I  iiiidcratand  your  inainiialiona  right!)-.  Mr.  Ji-ftttry  Saunders 
JerrytbouKfal,  I  may  say  your  most  offensive  and  unfounded 
in)i  n  untions " 

"Member  of  the  Corps  de  Bally.  'Eathf  But  Mr.  ncath  ig- 
nored Ihe  inti-miption. 

"I  presume  you  allude  to  this  younfc  lady,  whose  cliaracter,  I  beg 
to  inform  you.  and  whose  re[)utittion  (I  may  udd)  are  abovo 
aspersion.  Her  residence  is  in  the  spacious  basement  of  this 
munaion.  an<l  I  believe  she  conatitut«s  the  sole  incumbrance  of 
the  worthy  con  pie " 

"I  know — Mother  Gingham — looks  blotchy — aroeUs  of  three 
pennyworth  of  rum  shrub.    ^Vhnt's  tJir  kid  been  nt  V 

"Your  description  of  the  mother,"  said  Mr.  Heath,  "appears  to 
me  to  convey  a  correct  impreasion."  And  then  dropping  bis  arli- 
ficial  ni«uner  ho  went  on;  "The  poor  little  party  had  smashed  the 
beer-jug  and  I  n-wued  her.  T  suppose  I  shall  hnvp  to  sec  bi-r 
through  it.  You  know  about  BriBtol  and  Crown  Derby  and  that 
Kort  of  thing!    Look  at  the  bits  of  the  beer-jug." 

Mr.  Jerrylhougbt  did  ao.  and  became  suddenly  serious — bo  waa 
never  known  to  be  really  serious  except  about  Ccmmics  or  Chip- 
pendale furniture.  He  almost  gave  m  cry  of  pain.  "My  heart 
alivel"  said  he,  "I  wish  Td  seen  tlye  before  it  was  smashed.'* 

"ThoujEbl  you'd  suy  so.  J«-fl!  But  it's  xpilled  milk  now.  as 
well  as  spilled  beer.    Fancy  the  female  mother  of  this  small  kid 


AUCE-FOR-SnORT 


•mdinjT  her  out  willi  il!    Vaacj  htrr  ivn<Hng  bcr  oat  to  ibe  Pub 
at  all,  for  that  matter!" 

"She  ni-viT  knt-w  ilsi  valiio.  Stole  it  probolil.v,  and  con*id<T(Hi  it 
caretakiitRt  Why.  it'g  a  Robert  Sproddlc!  Lonlc  her* — I  tell  .vou 
wbatt  Tou  let  me  havL-  Oicne:  pit>c«a — 11]  elick  them  together. 
Keeda't  say  anythimr  abont  ii  to  Ooody  Pn>P<^nnint''  And  Alice, 
the  littli!  irirl,  tbmigbt  Ooody  Peppermint  cerUinl.v  ne<^  know 
tiothiii)[  about  it.  as  the  tnis  a  etraD|c«r  quite  out«i«i«  her  circle 
But  Ur.  Heath  perceived  that  this  uaa  Duly  anothor  lume  for 
Alice's  mother,  lie  saw  this  bccstise  he  was  crown  up.  and  be 
■nd  Hr.  Jeff  hat)  «<cret  reeiproeal  understandinifB  to  the  t>xcluaioa 
of  a  «pry  little  bliie-*yrd  nirl  of  <»x.  8ho,  bowcviT.  wns  not  too  stnnll 
to  diacerii  protn^tiun  for  luTM^lf  iu  the  tone  of  the  conversation, 
although  she  eo\i\<i  not  nnnt^rio  its  cnmpnnents.  She  yieMrd  tbo 
preciotM  frajcmente  of  the  be«r-jue  to  Mr.  Jeff,  who  had  not  im- 
proved hiK  appvArnncr  by  gripins  an  ey<^lni«  in  oni^  cyi-,  wtiieh 
seemed  to  hold  it  so  tight.  Aliee  tfaovjeht,  that  ahe  could  not  bare 
{Kilted  it  mit  if  hIu-  had  tried  <'vcr  so.  Also,  she  eoiild  nnt  under- 
nond  why  he  didn't  shut  his  other  eye.  One  of  the  M-nebont  nC 
the  Board  School  had  an  eyeglass,  and  always  did.  She  thouftht 
of  this  as  Ur.  Jerrythoug^it  n-i-:it  awa7  up«t>iir»  with  the  prcoiouN 
frsKioentx.  They  bad  been  promoted  to  a  Ceramic  posiliou  in  life, 
am)  wenr  no  loii^-r  a  eoninion  jug. 

"Now.  where,"  said  ilr.  Heath,  addressing  AlioG,  "wheM  is  your 
eaceellent  inotlw:r!  Be  good  enough,  Alicia,  or  Alice-for-shorl, 
to  conduct  me  to  Tour  respected  mother." 

It  was  iMt  tteoesaary  for  Alice  to  understand,  and  probably  »1ki 
didn't.  Mr.  Heath  knew  his  way  down  into  the  bascnnent,  becnus« 
be  wsa  grown  up,  and  knew  thiiijca.  Alice  look  hia  band  iind  held 
it  tifiht  like  a  little  sirl  who  didn't  wnnt  to  let  go.  Neither  did 
ahe  at  any  rate  till  her  respected  mother  had  had  time  fur  an 
oiilbrrak  of  dmnken  ang»-r  and  it»  nhiiliTni-nt,  Then  «he  would 
Bubstituie  maudlin  admonition  for  castijfalion  or  threats  thereof. 
Aliee  thought  that  if  her  protector  could  sheltir  her  tlinnigh  the 
storm,  she  oould  deal  with  the  admonition  stage  by  herwlf. 

"Thia  i«  a  mm  place.  Atice-for-sborl,"  said  Mr.  Heuth,  who 
seemed  to  talk  to  himself  for  the  pleasure  of  doinfc  so.  without 
waiting  for  piropli!  to  anirarcr.  Alive  conaidere<l  ahe  was  people. 
Sie  was  framing  a  question  in  reply  to  this  last  remark  of  Mr.J 
nenth,  to  find  out  how  he  came  to  know  it  was  rum,  and  not  gintlj 
For  she  at  once  connected  his  adjective  with  a  perviuUne  bottle. 
But  he  went  on  loo  qtiiekiy  fi>r  her  to  organiae  speech. 

"BUckbeetles  probably  abound.    Uicc  are  no  doubt  oi  tTi^u«&.\ 


4 


ALICE-F0R-8H0KT 


occTirrcnoc,  1  hear  a  c»t,  with  whicli  noincthing  nppcor*  to  have 
dUaj(ri-->:-d-  If  I  might  auf;ii4«t,  Alice-for-short,  you  had  better 
rcvomrocinJ  your  cat  lo  cwhcw  bUckboutW  nnd  uddict  hcrvelf 
eolely  to  moiue.  I  should  like  to  lire  down  here  if  I  was  a 
rnouac." 

Alice  wished  to  poiot  out  that  he  wasn't  one.  But  ahc  also 
wonted  to  sny  whnt  for?  So  she  missed  sajring  cither,  nnd  only 
etannl.  while  th^  eiieaker  couliaued: 

"T  should  fri-<]iu-nt  tlint  Bafc.  which  apprars  to  concist  almost 
enlireJ.v  of  means  '.-i  initrcss  for  porsoDa  auxious  for  the  teuiaius 
of  a  OoM  (luinjitiii^,  iiDd  n  most  discoiirnKing:  rib  of  beef.  That 
safe's  mission  n'ould  soem  lo  be  to  supply  a  stimulus  to  larceny  bf 
auggeationit  of  insecurilT,  I  trust  I  make  myself  fully  under* 
Stood." 

Not  fully,  appun^itly.  But  it  didn't  seem  important  to  either. 
Alice's  next  remark  was  to  the  effect  that  she  could  hear  mother, 
in  there.  Mother  uaan't  u  <^omplieat<!d  noimt  of  wntfrr  bc^inuiug 
to  come  in  and  losing  its  temper — that  was  clear  I  So  she  was 
■omc  loKcr  tioi.ic.  vi'^ilcd  nnd  hiildfii,  but  audible  by  members  of 
bet  family. 

"Mother's  in  there.  n*lecp.    Pleaw  ojin't  you  hear  her?" 

"Perhaps  she  had  better  be  waked?" 

"Pkmxt  I'm  frishti-iii.il."  But  there  was  no  nood;  for  the  aloeper, 
whose  snores  had  been  the  subject  of  this  conversation,  woke  with 
u  jerk  Hud  <mm<!  out  in  rciiponM-'  to  a  tap  at  the  door,  which 
Mr.  llealb  bad  thought  his  best  way  to  announce  himself.  The 
aniall  liiind  that  held  his  lif;hteDed  with  iippri'hension  and  the 
little  tbinK  clung  to  him  for  safety,  as  her  unsavoury  parent  atood 
rewaltx].  She  suggysti-d,  but  cume  abort  of.  tlie  Seven  Diala,  old 
St  Giles'  type— the  sort  that  used  lo  wear  a  red  baudkerohlef 
round  its  neck  and  no  head  covering.  She  adi!rtr»Ml  hiT  liuughtcr 
as  a  lilllc  Derit,  and  wanted  to  know  where  she  had  been  idling 
and  praneine  round;' 

It  certainly  wna  singular,  thou^t  Mr.  Heath  to  himself,  that 
any  premises  whatever  should  have  i^t  entrusted  to  such  a  care- 
taker. Was  thiH  tlie  person  who  had  K^en  nienlionetl  to  hiro  when 
the  last  downstairs  tenants  cleared  out  and  carried  with  them  a 
houseke<Tp<^r  whom  h<:  )uid  nlluwcil  to  undertake  bin  nttendaiico 
(outside  her  normal  sphere),  »^  n  worthy  successor  who  it  was 
desintble  on  all  actHinnts  Uial  Ht.  'Eatb  should  be  propitrly  mo-u 
to?  This  is  literal  reporting.  And  this  bousckoeper,  by  whom 
this  mother  of  the  blue-eyed  little  girl  hud  been  recommended,  had 
dcectibed  her  as  decent  and  eober,  and  had  dwelt  upon  the 


flood^ 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT  7 

oMa  of  her  'art.  SIkt  had  Mood  at  tlio  fount  with  fix  of  hrr 
ihirtecQ  dtildreo,  and  had  belpe<)  burj  three.  *^l  Miinded,"  said 
Mr,  II«nth  to  hi*  sirtpr  Ppfisy,  when  he  told  hmr  ^f  the  interview, 
"exactly  as  if  she  vras  making  a  merit  of  buying  three  of  the  diil- 
dwn  alive,  in  order  to  rediic  tlirir  nnmWr."  Anyhiiw,  »lw  murt 
htTC  seen  a  eaod  deal  of  tlif  fumlly.  nud  may  hare  had  somfl 
nwaiw  of  knowin^t  of  a  dcctncy  and  iu>brict]r  which  certainly  did 
not  spesk  for  itaSU  to  the  iiasser-by.  as  the  mother  paused  in  u 
pouDCC  of  vi-ngcaocf  nn  her  wnnll  daiigbttr.  "It  wii»  tlw  gliiro 
of  mj"  spectacles  brought  her  ujj  short."  said  Heath  to  Mr. 
JcrTTthousht  eftcrwardi).  "Spcctnclcj*  han  n  "irong  mornl  influ- 
ence. That  lens  you  pretend  to  use  and  can't  really  see  throuRb, 
in  a  fund  of  Immorality  in  it»df.  Your  appearance,  Mr.  Jcrry- 
tfaougfat,  is  dissolute." 

"And  what  did  the  has  do  thnn  t^  Mii<I  Mr.  Jerni-thotight,  wbo 
didn't  seem  dt^satiBfied  vith  his  friend's  account  of  him. 

"Sb*"  climbed  (iown  nnd  <TitiEril  iind  »nivt-lkfl  iind  abased  herself. 
But  I  saw  Alice  vould  catch  it  after  1  was  Konc  if  1  didn't  wifU'^i 
mattcn  down  with  cjixli.  So  I  brou|i:Iit  remuucrultun  in  vleverly, 
by  a  side-wind."  This  was  tlie  case,  for  the  alleiKed  hag  having 
taken  up  the  position  tbat  ilatlioe  never  was  svut  for  the  beer 
(txetfpt  this  onoe)  and  only  now  because  she  was  that  anxiouB  to 
be  allowed  to  it,  that  her  mother'*  tvnder  heart  bad  softened,  and 
thie  bad  bIIowmI  its  weakness  to  overcome  her  better  jud^nncnt. 

"And  nomethin'  within  me."  Hiiid  tbo  good  woman,  "aeemed  to 
murmur  in  my  ear  Uiut  tliat  child  was  too  youn^  to  be  Crusted. 
But  1  give  way,  bein*  that  casy-goin'  and  indulgent."  And  Alice 
dtiecled  another  something  in  her  mother's  ej-e  which  she  inter- 
prtted  n»,  "Confirm  me  nnd  I  will  nuike  concwaiona.  Suggrat 
doubts  and  you  shall  be  maltreated."  So  she  stltick  in,  in  a  Hmall 
ticmntoua  voice,  "Pbraxe  It  waa  me  acted." 

"In  course  you  asted.  Likewise  the  eipreasion  you  says  wa« 
'Marmy  d«r.'  you  **y».  quito  out  nnd  courngeou"  likt-,  'Manny 
dear,  you  tei  your  little  HalHce  go  and  fetch  father's  beer,  and  save 
you  trapcirinV  And  Mr.  ICnvnnagh  in  that  particular  about  tlio 
rhild  that  I  will  tell  you.  Sir,  and  concealing  uothing  give  my  hon- 
est word,  I  had  my  <lnubtH  nt  the  time,  «nd  Kuid  w)  to  tli<!  milk, 
where  we  bare  an  account  and  settle  weekly.  Ilut  Ur.  Kavanagh 
1  kept  in  ignorance,  which  he  remain!!," 

"1  tuppose  you're  Mrs.  Kavanagh  iben,"  said  Mr.  Jleaih.  with 
incredulity  in  bia  thoughtful  countcnnncr,  lln  «pokc  in  the  tono 
of  one  wbo  selecta  a  truth  from  a  heap  of  falsehoods,  but  isn't  con* 
cemed  with  the  quality  of  the  reaiduutii. 


a  AUCE-FOB-SHORT  ^ 

"Ilaiinaii  Kavanaeh,  Sir.  by  your  leave,  and  diriittened  accord 
ins^v.  And  I  wiw  jiiirt  tiding  rotind  to  got  a  little  order  lik«.  when 
ou  the  sudden  it  eame  upon  me,  what  au  ea^  two  niinut«a  it  wb3 
to  the  (.'Inwncc'n  Ilnnd.  «nd  Jrnlliw)  gonii  n  qimrlrr  of  an  hour. 
And  I  di>  assure  you,  Sir,  my  'art  eauk  within  mi<  to  tliitik  what 
might  hnpp<!n  to  (hut  child  and  rcmnin  unknown.  And  I  had 
jUBt  took  bold  of  my  honnet  and  ahowl,  whi^u  I  caught  Uil-  Bouud 
of  aotae  odu  knocking  ut  Um;  door.  And  it  tma  yCwrsrlf,  Sir."  Mrs. 
Karaaacb  ended  up  with  aii  implication  of  mccosaful  dramatic 
olimax. 

"Well,  Mn.  Eavansitb,  Alioo  has  had  a  mishav  and  broken  tha 
beer-jug.  It  wasn't  her  fault,  hut  mint!.  And  I  tM>niiidcr  com- 
pensiitioD  due,  and  shall  be  inclined  to  be  liberal  on  two  oou- 
ditions." 

"Which  were,  Sirf"  And  Mrs.  Ksvann(th  induljccd  in  an  intcn- 
tionnl  cough  belnw)  her  hand,  wliidi  t-onvpytid  nn  idt-u  uf  proa- 
poctife  bargaining — of  iKcing  hi>w  the  tond  Uy.  at  any  rat*;. 

H.'w,"  6iiid  Mr.  ntuth,  tukiuK  his  baud  from  Alice  to  use  ita 
forefinger  aa  an  indicator  of  nunibvrs  on  the  fon^tinircr  of  his  other 
hand.  Alice  trans ferrod.lwr  grasp  to  bis  coat-|Mckt.-t  flap.  "Onq 
that  Aiii*  shall  remain  unspnnked — ^if  I  may  use  an  cspreesion 
familiar  lo  my  infancy."    Mrs.  Kavana^h  esplod<s}. 

"Well,  of  bU  ilio  artful  little  bussjes,  1  never!  To  say  such  a 
thing  of  her  own  mother!" — 

"And,"  »aid  Mr.  Heath  afterwards  to  Kr.  Jerrythought,  "I  had 
my  banda  full  tu  <iuii^t  down  the  old  cat.  Ilowrvrr,  wc  did  gvt  on  t» 
th«  Ktoond  conditiou,  which  waa  that  tliia  jug  or  its  remnants 
should  become  my  property  on  paymont  of  the  turn  of  three  and 
ttwipcntv  hal  fpcnny ." 

"How  did  you  arrire  at  it.  'Eatlif 

"Thn.T  and  iiixpcnco  for  the  jua,  and  fourpenco-halfpcnny  for 
the  epillinjea.  It  appeared  that  a  jwraon  of  condition — who  waa 
held  up  a*  a  real  gimtlrmnn  in  contr««t  to  myself— had  oflcrod 
three  ebillinjcs.  So  I  went  sixpence  better,  and  overlooked  ita 
preWTit  condition." 

"It's  worth  all  of  a  guinea,  Bmashed  aa  it  is."  And  Mr.  Jeff 
Kbntifl  ovrr  iho  diuncinbciTuI  pirccH  a»  tln-y  lay  on  bia  studio 
table.  "Why.  it's  a  Sproddle— a  Robert  Sproddlo  too.  Don't 
think  much  of  Ebnnuzier  Sproddlo.  You'll  find  him — ah!  and 
i>if(ned  examples,  tool — in  any  bric-a-brac  shop.  But  Kobcrtl" — 
And  a]>M«hlr!KinciM  alone  cojied  with  thn  value  of  a  Robert  Sprod- 
dle- Mr.  Heath  etrctched  out  his  hand.  "Wbcro's  the  guinea. 
JeSr  said  be 


4 


ALICEFOR  SHOBT 


» 


"•111  put  it  down  to  the  accomit,  Charley."  r«pli«d  Mr,  Jeff, 
indolently.  "It'll  go  to  your  credit.  An  itrm  of  ono  p(>un<I  will 
app«ur  Bunultaneoiislj'  to  ntfi  credit — for  jininK  up-  Notbinic  but 
tho  bent  Diamond  Cvmrnt  will  he  employed.  Wbicb  of  couroc  U 
dear,  owinn  to  tbe  price  of  diamonds." 

"Yoo'rw  a  irwindlrr,  Mr.  Jiirythought,  Tliat'a  like  rou  «n<l  ihe 
Lalakia.  To  Latakia  one  and  fourponce'  on  one  side;  and  on  tht 
(illiL-r.  'To  purchaMSK  and  pii}*itig  for  Latakia  unc  and  (ourpeiive. 
Total,  two  and  ei^Alpenoe.' " 

"Thut'K  all  fair.  It'a  doullo  onlry.  Yon  niako  your  account* 
balanoe,  and  then  you  add  '«ni  all  together,  and  charfce  up  the 
total." 

"But  I  don't  see  why  I  afaonldn't  pay  vou  half  and  you  pay  me 
half." 

"Bccance  I  cot  it  on  tick  from  the  scnunptioua  eiil  at  the  liBccy 

"Vot,  becaune  she  knew  I  should  pay  for  it." 

"No,  CbarlMl  B^H-arisc  sho  in  in  lorn  with  your  humble  but 
dmerving  servant,  whose  attractions  for  the  only  sex  wliicli  difiera 
am  a  byn-word  witli  tfan  anKtocnKgr,"  ,  ,  . 

And  with  conversation  of  this  sort,  ad  infinUitm,  these  young 
men  be^ilrd  tKe  timel  For  tho  fo(t.  which  of  oourw;  continued — 
fogs  do — loaile  work  qjiitv  im possible,  ami  ibera  was  nothingr  for  it 
bnt  to  chattrr,  n«  aborc.  and  enioko  the  Latakia. 

If  you  <Jiou1d  hurt;  an  tinpreasiim  that  ibe  fintt-floor  Studio  u-ith 
a  high  north  lifcht.  arbitrarily  forced  up  as  an  addition  to  the 
middle  window,  and  the  ttky-Ii^hti-d  room  in  the  attiex,  whiTc  Mr. 
Jeff  was  mendinfc  his  juj;,  and  the  above  conversation  took  place^ 
if.  I  aay,  you  have  an  iropmMiou  ibat  tbL'  npartnient*  were  not 
bc«-biTC)i,  in  re^irct  of  the  work  done  iherciin,  you  will  ool  be  far 
wronir.  In  fact,  a  sense  of  impalii-ncn  at  tin;  impotdbilily  of  work 
waa  one  of  (he  few  tributes  to  the  tJodddw  of  Industry  our  young 
friends  ever  paid  her.  DurinR  a  ibiek  fiift,  tbcy  were  quite  ctni- 
vinced  of  the  work  (luT  would  have  done  bad  there  been  no  fog. 
And  the  work  they  hadn't  done  when  there  waa  none  a»umed  an 
inipreiwive  aetnnlily  to  tlu'ir  imnfniioIiniiH  whieh  iDcrenM<d  with 
its  density.  liv  tlie  time  there  was  a  halo  round  the  jtas-jeta,  and 
the  eonfirmetl  Londoner,  with  a  voice  like  a  mad  dog'^  choking 
hark,  was  beffinninc  to  think  it  lime  to  justify  fog  on  the  soore 
of  ila  nnti>H.-|itic  quulitics,  eaeh  of  thrsn  ytiuthx  was  picturing 
htmsetf  in  his  own  mind  as  a  monumental  example  of  ibn'nrted 
mthuciiuim,  a  potential  Van  Eyck  or  Memling  atraining  at  the 
leash  in  the  pursuit  of  elaborations,  cruelly  hindered  from  uMidu- 


10 


ALIOE-FOE-SHOET 


ous  ■nd  <tetonnincd  effort  by  s  foree-mojeun  trying  ta  iha  temper 
but  beroiMl))-  tmdunHl.  Tii'm  buIluciDation  dUnppcnrcil  vith  tha 
Tetum  of  daylight :  and  the  only  consolation  was  thai  tl  woa  too 
late  now,  and  you  L-ouldn't  cli>  niiy  «■«!  work  in  a  couple  of  houn. 
and  for  your  part  you  might  juat  as  well  shut  upl  And  you  did 
BO  accordingly. 

But  it  was  a  joUy  life  for  two  younR  men  in  the  early  twenties, 
and  (hey  eujoyud  it  tlioiouglily  und  c-jtllrd  it  Bohemian.  Very 
likoly  it  was,  but  of  course  if  one  haan't  livvd  in  Bohemia,  oiio 
doesn't  know  what  umounl  of  sultHfiKftion  tlit^  inhahitsnts  of  that 
country  get  from  buyiim  rolls  and  butter  and  herriujicB  and  chest- 
nuts and  Nirdini>s  and  other  small  euuUubilitii^s,  und  c:irrying  tbcm 
boine  oneself  to  irrc-Kut.ir  meals,  and  Kiviim  mo«t  of  them  away  in 
tlie  irnd  li>  Italian  modt^la.  Or  from  sleeping  at  tliitir  Stiiilio  when 
(oa  iji  Mr.  Ueath's  cose)  a  home  awatta  them  whidi  they  spend 
CTWy  alterimto  cTCning  or  more  nt.  One  has  to  accept  the  char- 
acter (riven  of  that  procince  by  those  who  profess  to  know,  and 
bopc  that  all  ita  inhabitnnts  ar«  under  fivc-and -twenty  and  full 
of  hope  and  buoyancy  like  thn  two  young  men  of  this  narratire; 
and  not  like  ourselves,  who  take  this  opportunity  of  recording,  as 
tlin  ricw  of  an  old  fi'gy.  ihot  wr  ptrrnonnlly  much  prefer  the  com- 
forta  of  a  liome,  and  that  nothing  would  induce  us  now  to  be  a 
Boliemiiin  on  any  human  <ron nidi; ration. 

Anyhow,  there  they  are  in  the  story,  for  better  or  worse  as  may 
be.  And  one  in  the  occupant  of  the  old  stale  drawiug-roum  of  Uita 
old  Soho  house  in  a  thick  fog,  and  the  other  in  a  thick  fog  and 
the  garrets.  And  so  for  as  the  outsider  can  see.  neither  dow  any- 
thing exc^t  kugh  and  sing  and  smoke,  and  sometimes,  when  there 
is  DO  fog,  pretend  to  do  a  little  work.  Perhaps  Uiey  will  improTO 
as  time  goes  on.    If  so,  the  atory  will  show  it. 


CHAPTER  n 

or  Alice's  bslonginus  axd  iion  tiiet  pell  out. 
nwrr-rLooH  came  dowkstaiks 


ALSO    BOW   TRE 


Alicia  KAVAKAnil,  who  was  Alice  or  Halliee  for  ehorl.  was  wbat 
ICr.  JeS  calleil  bi-r.  n  few  di}:!  ufti-r  tlie  iuciili^t  uf  tbi-  brokirn 
log.  lie  mid  kHc  w»s  a  new  'un,  and  was  moiv  your  twrt,  Cbarle^i 
tluut  hitt.  This  waa  true,  as  bis  sort  wiu  cuusiderubl)'  older,  u«u- 
ally,  than  himitclf — gviwrnlly  In  Her— •!  way*  of  a  particular  lypo 
of  wbtch  the  .vouRK  t«bacco  ladj'  ht.-  had  mentioned  was  u  sample. 
It  may  ha  remnrkwl  Wn  that  hr  urtinKTiI  to  tnkr-  ii  sort  of  pride  in, 
sa  it  were,  luniii^  <lowu  his  pronunciatiou  aiid  phraseolofcy  to  ibo 
fc«y  of  a  Socii'ty  h*^  himself  hml  n'.KmtTmI.  It  wan  BOtiK'tiDieit  a 
little  difficult  to  make  out  whether  he  was  playiiis  with  bie  h's  in 
order  to  offend  the  faitidioun,  or  whether  he  couldn't  aspirate  them 
if  be  ehoae.  His  comcoeiit  on  UaUice,  with  an  otttentaltous  mreaa 
on  the  initial,  wax  in  n^ly  to  hi*  friend's  remark  that  we  mufin't 
6i)thi  of  Mi^  Kavanagh. 
JJiM  Knvanngb  waa  new  enough  a"  to  years,  but  her  expericnco 
'as  old  «DOU|d)  and  ead  enough  to  make  her  feel,  when  she  let 
fO  Hr.  Hcath'a  hand,  tliat  she  von  Hlippiiig  buck  into  u  ]iit  tliat  a 
bcateficent  being  in  epoetacles  bad  kept  her  out  of,  or  out  of  the 
worst  of.  for  a  few  miimteii.  It  vrnx  n  short  interlude,  but  long 
enough  to  make  her  think  how  nice  it  would  be  if  tliere  waa  always 
tlte  B^riitleraan  on  tbe  first  floor,  and  not  <iuite  m  much  of  mother. 
But  time  passed,  and  ilailicc  sat  eojell  and  forlorn,  and  wept  when 
not  at  school,  or  sent  on  iin  errnnd,  in  ibit  gnieHotne  basement  with 
extensive  cellarage.  It  was  difficult  to  define  where  the  cellarage 
ended  and  the  baaetneut  tliut  won  otlicr  ibun  cenamgu  U'ean;  buth 
were  so  dark  and  damp  and  smelt  so  of  varieties  of  decay.  There 
was  more  fungus,  no  doubt,  in  the  coal-eellar  and  the  dust-'ole  liiau 
in  the  pantry  or  the  'ousekccpcr's  room,  but  even  that  was  rather 
a  matter  of  guesswork,  and  you  couldn't  really  tirll  without  a  light. 
And  there  was  notw— at  least,  it  was  only  wben  mother  lighted  the 
Paraffin  lamp  you  coold  see  anything  at  all.  For  Hallioc  had  so 
I  far  had  no  experience  of  what  sunshine  could  reveal  in  the  bose- 
I  nient  of  number  forty,  as  she  and  her  father  and  mother  had  only 
I       took  the  plact  in  November;  the  late  tenants  who  wcie  a.  Daw^- 

k- IT 


11 


ALICK-FORSHORT 


iug-ScbixiI  baviDg  cleared  out  in  this  middle  of  the  quarter,  on 
cliance  of  new  parties  wantinjr  to  cooM  in  before  qtuHcr-dav, 
uu(t  its  bi-ing  ponslblp  ti>  cxuvt  a  fraction  of  mnt  from  tbcn.  On 
which  accoimt«  the  Dancinfc-School  had  sanctioned  hills  in  the 
window,  tltoiigfa  six  wovkii  umuEiiirvd;  and  Mr.  Knvanngh,  a  most 
7V»poctablo  journeTman  tailor,  but  workinjr  at  home  at  preeeut,  with 
kia  wife  Rnd  one  iltiughtLT,  werp  l<!ndiii(;  platinibility  to  tho  ttatc- 
incnt  ihat  particulars  could  be  had  of  Messrs.  Lelteom  &  Tcn- 
nont,  the  A^nta,  and  oliio  of  the  Caretaker  on  the  priimisee.  >So 
poor  yiifn  Kavanash  passed  her  small  new  life,  mostly  weeping, 
ill  ihe  darknMa  and  tlie  fun({iia  growtliA,  cut  off  frotn  iiiMlnini  by  a 
awing-door  at  the  top  of  the  kitcheu  iUght,  and  unsuspected  by 
the  worJd  uhore. 

Thi^  wa«  a  cruel  door  and  made  a  frreat  di0erenoe  to  Hallioe. 
For  it  was  rery  heavy,  and  sbe  couldn't  push  it  open  to  come  back 
if  she  went  out  without  leave,  at  least  without  irreat  danKer  of 
tumbling  auddenl;  downstairs.  So  she  dared  not  go  out  wlicn  itbe 
did  not  ECO  Hccurity  of  official  recognition  on  her  return.  Few 
of  us.  il  is  to  be  hoped,  know  exactly  what  it  feeU  like  lo  call 
timidiv  for  admission  to  a  mother  who  will  slap  us  when  admitted, 
fur  bein^j  out  of  liuund«  without  a  {lassporl.  If  Hnllice  could  hare 
made  her  father  hear,  he  would  have  come  to  Let  her  in  with  no  worse 
Nemesis  for  her  than  a  bnlf-hcnrd  whimin-j  as  he  HhuSlcii  buck  to 
the  only  light  room  in  the  baaeoient — where,  however,  there  wasn't 
light  enough  to  fine-draw,  even  at  its  bc.3l,  nt  this  time  of  year. 
But  this  room  was  far  away,  at  the  end  of  Heaven  knows  what 
Btone-parcd  passages,  and  mysterious  rccpssea  and  strange  bulk- 
heads willi  no  assignable  purpose,  and  at  least  one  black  entry 
unexplored  hy  man  from  which  Rprctn-K  might  be  Hntt<ripu1c(i. 
Besides  there  was  always  water  coming  in  and  making  noise  enough 
to  drown  your  voic^,— ai  (Joody  I'r|i|)i?rniinl  said. — and  if  it  wasn't 
coming  in  the  Company  suffered  frightfully  from  moist  rales  and 
wheezing  in  its  piprs,  which  van  m-urly  a»  bud.  So  that,  what  with 
one  thing  and  what  with  another.  UalHcc  passed  most  of  her  lioio 
underground.  There  was  the  Infant  School  of  course,  but  Schools 
don't  count.  What  one  would  like,  at  six,  when  one  is  gettiug 
quite  a  great  girl,  would  bt)  to  gel  out  and  see  the  world.  Eiipe- 
cially.  in  Halliee'a  case,  the  great  big  upstair*  room  where  the 
Dancing- School  bad  biH-n.  She  had  juat  peeped  in  there,  and  wen 
that  there  were  the  remains  of  pnintingH  <>n  tlu-  walls,  and  it  seemed 
to  ber  a  palnoc  of  delights.  So.  tltounb  she  was  new,  she  full  "Id. 
And  «he  felt  older  still  after  tlic  beer-jug  adventure,  ond  at  the 
etid  of  throe  dajrs  had  quite  made  up  bet  mind  the  gcDtletnan  oi 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


13 


die  first  floor  would  go,  had  liw.  would  nnror  mw  bim  again.  Sha 
lilt  that  she  and  th«  old  bouse  wor«  about  tbc  sam«  n^,  and  that 
ane  iraS  U  fergottui  aiul  dedert(.-d  uh  tbi'  otbur. 

But  H>nici7  was.  as  I  ban*  said,  six,  and  tbe  house  was  two 
lundred.  or  ilwrcabouti  Kow,  Hallice'a  ktlten  was  really  yomigi 
Mf  fiw  wedn.  It  was  vary  intollifrcut  for  nil  that,  and  could 
iytnpathiae  with  all  ber  troubl«8;  at  least,  with  a  little  iuterpre- 
talion.     Its  owner  was  Tcry  liberal  on  this  point. 

"^o  bnnr  tiuit  fhild  a-tclling  to  that  cat,"  Mid  htrr  motlier.  "Aa 
if  die  was  a  'Eathen,  /  sa.v." 

Thin  remark  nboiit  IInlli<.i(a  profnnc  oommunicattono  wna  made 
hf  die  motiter  to  the  father  of  the  latter  while  waiting  for  the  com- 
^tion  of  the  cooking  of  a  Finnan  bii<]<)i>c-k  for  »upp<^r.  For  rvi^n 
Ur.  Kavanasb  Biop|>ed  waxiiue  thread,  anil  stickinic  on  trouaer-hut-^ 
biD*.  «i(l  putting  on  n  pulcb  very  ncnrly  of  oni;  colour,  so 
Tou  eould  really  hardly  tell,  when  there  was  any  dinner  or  supper 
going.  Somciiroiii  tlu'rc  was  none,  for  alt  Ix'  hnd  givnn  his  wifo 
the  money  for  it.  This  time  there  was  some,  and  Uallioe  was 
(TMiig  to  he  gir'  soinr  if  six;  wa*  gno<L 

"Don't  see  vrUut  harm  it  doea  you,"  said  Ur.  Kuvauagh  in  repljr^ 
to  bis  wifff.     And  then,  having  found  an  idea  to  harp  upon, 
was  able  lo  do  so.  and  <lid  it  in  u  peevinh,  <s>mplaining  minor  kcy'.-J 
Tou  ain't  bound  lo  lisxtm.    You've  got  yonr  own  businoss  to  mind. 
1  suppose.    Ain't  there  nothing  cW-  wuntx  utti-nding  tot    8uppo»- 
iog  I  was  to  out  in  and  listen  to  what  folks  was  saying,  who'd. 
4)  my  work  for  nici     My  luiiidn  unr  full  f-noiigh  without  that."' 
And  so  on.  until  hi"  wife  pulled  him  up  abruptly. 

"Now  1  I  don't  want  a  iawlmtiim."  suid  the  plcuitinnt  lady.  "Take 
tad  cat  your  supper,  nii'l  be  thankful."  But  ttr.  Kavunogb.  to 
Us  credit,  before  flying  ul  liia  food,  made  a  double  motion  of  hia 
bad  and  thumb  towards  ]Iallic«  and  .said.  "The  child " 

"The  diild's  plenty  greedy  enough,  witliout  yaitF"  This  rejoinder 
amie  very  tartly.  But  her  father's  appeal  led  to  UalUce  gettinfc 
ber  allowance  of  the  kippered  hu(ldo<'k  whilu  it  win  hot.  AW  to 
a  fair  aharc  of  n  new  ha  If -quartern  loaf,  very  black  on  the  under- 
cruat:  thoutifa  her  niother  acraped  the  Bolt  butti-r  uvi-r  il  much  too 
thin  for  Aliw'a  cxixvtnl  ions.  If  her  father  hadn't  given  her  soma 
oS  of  his  own  slice,  it  wouldn't  have  Iwrn  no  buUtu-  at  all  in  tlwj 
manner  of  Hpcakiiig.  Goody  Peppermint  did  nr>t  contest  the  point. 
She  was  lumtng  her  attention  to  a  means  at  her  dispoaal,  aSordcd 
by  anppCT,  of  affirming  indinvtly  her  habitual  Abstention  from 
spirita,  and  at  the  same  time  reaortiug  to  them  under  public 
sanction.  . 


14 


ALICE-FOR-SHOKT 


m 


Tou  knov  the  illusiou  habitual  tipplers  are  subject  to,  that  each 
appeal  to  th«  bottle  is  an  rxixi>tiotial  oocurnmcr,  and  n  dcparturo 
from  sobriety!  They  admit  the  departure,  but  aiErm  the  sobriety. 
'Htb.  Knvanngli'ii  Iif<<  wnH  nuiitc  up  of  such  dcpniiiirc*,  and  by 
for^ttiiijt  all  the  ])reTiou§  once  and  iirnorine  all  those  to  oome, 
ohr  hoDiMtl.v  achitrvi'd  a  Wtcf  in  Iier  own  praclicnl  aliHtontion  from 
liquor.  She  really  hardly  left  herself  interims  to  abstflin  ia. 
Tlifr«'  wcru,  howpvor,  HiiMnnl  opportunititM  that  »]»(■  tlierished  of 
afflrminji  her  normal  self-rcptraint  by  a  parade  of  their  cxcfp- 
tioiiul  i-haraolKT.  Brcakfuj^L  dinuer,  and  supper  yielded  ihe  luxury 
of  a  clear  conscience,  coupled  with  ihc  public  oxliibition  of  the 
nim-butt]i>:  and  as  she  tial  watdiiui;  h<?r  huabaud  cuTrvcliug  tho 
FhortcominKB  of  .Alice's  ptocc  of  brond-iind- butter,  her  miud  was 
gradually  approaching  a  bottle  of  rum  in  tlie  coruer  cupboard, 
whose  door  stood  sugg^irvly  on  the  jar,  almost  within  reach 
of  Iter  band. 

To  broach  a  topic  of  this  sort,  you  sBcct  faintncss.  smile  in  a 
aieklj  way,  and  aigb  as  one  aceuatomed  to  conceal  euScrinK.  By 
doinx  60  you  provoke  enquiry,  and  proiHire  n  fulcritni.  In  re- 
q>oiuw  to  her  husbiinri'a  "Why  don't  you  take  your  supper T'  Goody 
FVippemtint,  who  had  done  all  these  things  with  a  view  to  thia 
question,  n'plicd,  "No  airpctitc!"  She  emphaaisod  llii*  by  laying 
bcr  band  svrose  tliu  outaido  of  her  iutrrior,  on  vhich  bcr  liuHband 
bcftan  a  uroan,  and  cut  it  off  short  in  Ihft  middle. 

"Get  your  inoth«T  out  the  bottio  out  o'  the  cupboard,  and  Icfs  V 
done  with  it,"  said  he.  He  was  familiar  with  her  treatment  of  this 
subject,  and  rwrnl'^J  it*  hjpocrisy.  He  knew  the  rom-bottlo 
wotdd  come  out  of  Ihat  cupboard  sooner  or  later.  Tliis  timr  it 
cani«  out  sooner,  and  there  was  no  humbugging  round  over  it. 
Then  Goody  Peppermint  felt  belter,  and  co;dd  toudi  o  little  supper. 
Hallicc  felt  no  objection  to  nnytbing  that  produced  family  Rood- 
bumoor.  Preeeutly  her  mother  went  hack  to  the  pre-prandial 
topic 

"Yon  don't  need  to  be  that  tempersome  about  it,  Eairr'nagh,  and 
me  to  be  took  up  slmrp  licforc  the  child.  Cats  i»  cats.  And  when 
cats  is  talked  to  about  Priucea  and  sitn'kr.  a  cliild'*  mother  bas 
a  right  to  Bsk,  nnil  iisk  T  do,  nceordin".  Who  was  it  I  iieard  yotl 
tellin'  about,  child!  Prince  Sumuiun.  Tou  wpeak  up  and  tell 
your  folbcr,  nfore  I  get  np  ond  Rhnke  you." 

'Triuee  Spectacles."  said  Halliee,  timidly-  *T*oothy  know*." 
Her  father,  who  at  hi«  bcxt  had  nerer  had  a  romantic  turn,  and 
had  now  no  mind  for  any  tiling  ouUdde  piece-work,  and  hia 
natural  dcairr  to  murder  the  persons  who  employed  him  on  it,  did 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT 


IS 


twt  liac.  to  enquirins  what  Pussy  knew,  but  onlf  looked  at  his 
ilaUAht«r  in  a  weak-«)«<l  inonner,  and  MtiiJ.  "Ho— ha  I"  ETc  SL-cmnl 
■  good  dcnl  more  interested  in  the  haddock  than  in  FriacQ 
SpMtocIes,  whoever  be  vra-t.  niul  ilid  tiot  punitu'  the  nulijiict  of  his 
mittf*  supper,  or  sbccncc  of  it.  It  had  token  the  form  of  rum.  and 
idbered  to  it.  ConrerBalion  reiiiaiuod  dormant  until  HupiM^r  wns 
finiahod— which  nKanl  in  this  case  until  ercrythinB  ou  the  table 
vu  eaten,  a  rerj^  diSerenl  thing  ftoutetinurH  fruin  ibn  dinuppcur- 
maoe  ot  inclinniion  for  more.  AUoo'e  father  then  turned  down  the 
Itas,  which  was  flaring,  and  pulled  out  a  cberi^-wood  pipe,  which 
h^  clc-ntird  into  hii  plate,  nnd  subjodcd  to  perforation  with  a  wire, 
tn  make  it  draw.  Bui  long  as  was  the  puuBi.-,  and  much  a«  was 
thft  mni  bi-r  motbn-  consumed  in  it.  Aliee  knew  the  talk  would  iro 
DO  from  where  it  had  slopped.  Aiid  in  fact  it  was  resumed  exactly 
as  if  na\y  a  fi'w  iHWun<bi  bail  pnxsrd. 

"Ton  dfin't  jino  in,  eeeniin'ly,"  eaid  her  mother.  "Then  HalUce 
can  hardly  be  expected."  Thi-  liotllc  was  by  now  iK^inning  to  tell 
on  Ooodf  Pepperaiint,  &s  ilallice  <tnw  by  a  moist  ^leaui  in  the 
tjv  that  rolled  rutiud  (ownrdH  hcT  n*  itx  owner  dranlc  her  too  and 
rum,  or  rather  mm  and  tea;  and  she  anticipated  an  affectionatfr' 
ttagv.  which  would  bare  been  welcome  in  itself  but  for  an  anticipa 
tion  of  other  stajtee  that  would  probablj-  follow.  Indeeil  hui 
Ballica  Ixx-n  nslicd  wfinn  *hc  was  fondest  of  her  mother,  she 
would  probably  have  said  when  slie  was  snoring.  There  waa 
Bpcority  in  ber  snore. 

"She'll  tell  her  own  moUior.  Won't  die.  duckyt"  This  was 
soeompanied  with  an  alluring  smile,  which  Hallici'  scrmcd  sby 
(kf  riainji  lo.    "Come  and  tell  lllainniy  about  Prince — Prince " 

"Shu  sard  Spectacleii,"  said  her  father  briefly.    "It  ain't  a  nnnic'*] 
Alice  had  been  resolTtnx  to  take  her  parents  into  her  confidence, 
bat  this  was  so  unsympatlietic  a  way  of  trisaling  tlui  subject  that 
ibe  changed  her  mind  and  retired  into  her  own  soul.    Never  mindl 
Kbc  would  tc^U  Pusay  all  lliia  loo;  only  let  ber  wait  till  motl 
was  aslc^,  and  father  at  work- 

"Which  leads  to  auppoAe,"  said  the  former  to  the  laltt^r,  in  tep\ 
to  his  eotnment,  "that  the  fimt-door  front  is  the  cliild's  illusion." 
This  was  a  vairuely  selected  word;  of  serviceable  ambiguity,  it 
scenwd,  ,or  the  speaker  explained.  "It  illudes  to  llr.  'Eath,  on 
the  first  loor;  I'll  tliank  htm  not  to  put  sucli  ideas  in  the  ehild'a 
'eod.    A->iuffln'  of  her  young  mind  with  a  lot  of  noospapcr  non- 

A  sudlen  aggressive  tone,  not  warranted  by  what  had  gone 
lief  ore,  U  longed  to  tlie  growing  influence  of  rum. 


16 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


"IHiere's  worse  nonsense  tbsn  Princes."  said  Mr.  Earanaeh. 
And  Alice  thoug-ht  no  too.  Rut  her  mothcT,  after  ber  very  short 
stage  of  Kood-bumour,  was  feeling  round  toironU  a  quurrebomo 
one.  "She'll  my  child,  anyhow.  Ur.  K."  said  Fhe,  with  abrupt 
hostility  in  her  voice.  It  was  thickoninp,  for  in  order  to  put  on 
exact  quantity  of  rum  in. her  t«i  (in  accordance  with  iho  advice 
of  a  doctor,  whom  Alice  bad  uev«r  aeen),  ahe  had  pourod  too  much 
into  R  tumbler,  to  bo  above  the  cuts  and  Me  the  quantity  plain, 
and  had  then,  after  supplying  the  t«a,  forgotten  heraulf  and 
Kwallowed  the  remainder  raw. 

"Never  mind !"  she  had  said,  "a  drop  in  aeaaon  is  worth  a  I>ook'e 
mntioni.'' 

Alice's  father,  who,  it  may  be,  was  getting  more  talkative  after 
B  corrcapondioft  allowance  of  boer,  appeared  irritnled  nt  liis  wife'n 
claim  to  properly  in  Aliee.  "I  don't  see  bow  you  brinjt  thst  in." 
sdid  Iw.  "Who  Kaid  ahe  wasn't?"  And  Alice  tlicrcon  interpreted 
her  mother's  statement  as  meaning  that  -ehe  was  her  mother's 
child  but  not  her  fntlirT'» — n-gnnlcd  an  pi-rsonal  pro|)i!rty  of  eoune; 
for  no  other  relation  of  child  to  parent  came  into  her  fonall  calcu- 
lations. She  ascribed  her  father's  irritation,  and  all  that  followed, 
to  his  rcM!nljn<!nt  at  being  ho  excluded  from  rights  in  herself;  also 
she  was  entirely  in  sympathy  with  him— in  fact,  convlderod  Hhe  was 
mueb  more  his  chili)  than  her  mother's.  But  she  foresaw  there 
would  be  a  bad  evening  about  it;  for  she  divided  her  evenings  into 
bad  and  good,  and  always  knew  which  was  coming. 

"Willi  wiid  she  wasn't  C  Mr.  Kavaoagh  repeated,  with  ffrowins 

iixrrity  in  bis  roice.  Ami  as  no  one  Imd  sniil  that  Alice  was  not 
child,  Goody  Peppermint,  who  was  perfectly  ready  for  war, 
and  did  not  care  what  coaua  belli  was  agreed  upon,  sought  for  It 
in  another  quarter. 

"It  dicy  had  'a'  said  so.  youM  'a*  eat  still  and  listened  to  'em!" 
No  response  came;  the  pipe  had  to  be  carefully  filled  with  some 
strong  tobacco— Negro-bead  «r  Cavendish — and  this  absorbed 
atTention.  The  uomnn  kept  aitenoe  till  it  was  being  puffed  at, 
and  then  resumed  llie  attack.  She  seemed  tu  have  bt<i-n  laying  in 
ammunition. 

"Sitlin'  btinkin'  at  the  fire,  like  a  howl!  And  as  Ui  raisin'  a 
finger  to  protect  your  own  wife,  not  you  I  If  I'd  'a'  married  else- 
where, he'd  'ii'  stood  betwfrn  mc  and  inault,"  Her  bu>ban<l 
was  sticking  in  satisfaction  with  his  first  whiffs,  and  it  produced 
good-humour. 

"Who's  he  r  said  be  with  so  much  of  joctilarity  in  his  .voice  that 
Alice  fdt  ho^H:  dawn.    But  alas  I     It  only  made  Oooci^  Pcf)|wr^ 


at  wone.    Aliee  couldu't  for  tl*t>  life  of  ber  Btf«  vli,v  the  next 
should  be  so  muob  mora  vigoTous.     Aftor  all.  her  father 
only   saktd  a  reaaonable  quwtinti.     She  hetadf  wanted  to 
who  "fieevrhen^  wax.    Het  mother'g  replr  came  lik«  t  sud- 
dotlr  iinmmdci.'il  linttwy. 

'.Vof   a  cowardly  Rrinnia'  hspc,  sitting  snigKorin'  lit  the  fire. 
r«!    /  knunr  you.  Samuel  Kuirr'iui^b.    I  ltiii?w  you  wlioii  I  mar- 
ritd  you,  the  trorwr  the  luck.    And  it'o  benn  kop'  up  to,  all  along. 
And  thirtnm  cliililreu  I're  brought  you.  and  any  one  of  di«o) 
(barrins  6^v  dead)  you  might  Hit  by  ttnd  hrar  your  own  wifo  and 
ibtir  inoth«.T  i>ut  upou.  bihI  you  not  have  the  courage  to  so  muih 
U  exporstnlatel"    This  was  a  lucky  word,  and  unwd  nn  aj»i«>nr- . 
taee  of   wealcneas  from  defective  eyiilax.     But  the  q>eaker  loatj 
fnand  through  it«  discorory  gratifying  hi-r  vanity.     She  jwuirdf 
to  enjoy  the  rhetorical  triumph,  and  the  pause  called  attention  to' 
thr  fact  that  it  nwiviid  no  rvply.     For  Alictf's  father  wan  pretty 
Mil  uaed  lo  this  aort  of  thiug  at  this  particular  stage  of  hia  wife's  - 
iBtoxicMtion.     Ue  had  now  wttlcd  down  to  mnoki-.  and  intends 
lu  mtoke.    Hia  wife  for  her  part  bad  determined  to  irritate  him. 
and  the  more  he  said  Dothiug,  the  more  she  persisted  in  bcr  efforts 
It  wu  a  trial  of  ntn'ngth  btrlwecD  bJa  patience,  and  bcr  power  of 
poatpODing  the  maudlin  stage  wbteh  was  aure  to  come  nost.     Ho 
knew  the.  would  rr«ch  it  and  subside  into  stupefaclioD  if  only  fafr| 
eouM  hold  out  long  enough.    Biil  tli<-  t^nemy  bad  got  mme  terrible' 
K|Knting   guna;    particularly   the  raiteration   of  his  full    name. 
ad  the  allusion  to  his  nerrous  afleetion  of  the  eyes,  uo  doubt 
(kt  result  of  too  much  small  stitching  in  a  bad  light. 

"Uo  yc»— Samuel  Kairv'nagh!  You  can  smoke  and  sit  a-bUnk- 
ia'  at  the  fire,  Tbcru's  no  amount  of  proarvocation  touches  you. 
Hr.  K.  Nothin'  won't  never  spirit  you  up !  A  poor.  mean,  spirited 
mcu  from  the  bcgiunin'  1" — 

Alice  bad  a  sort  of  bope  at  this  point  that  if  it  waa  carried  npm.> 
ton.  her  mother  would  begin  to  die  down.  Her  father  kept  obiUi- 
rtliily  silent,  and  the  hope  iucfessed.  But  there  is  uu  steadiness-i 
ta  drink,  aiMl  afti'r  a  moment's  coDocasion  to  the  coming  druwsi- 
ana,  the  fininc  broke  out  afresh;  to  die  altogether  next  time,  said 
Hope.  Besides,  no  doubt  Kavanugh.  tliough  «ilvnt,  grinned  per- 
nptibly.  Absolute  torpidity  gives  no  vantage  ground,  but  a  grin 
waa  tiot  aofe:.    Tbu  weak  point  wns  sniped  in  •  moment. 

"Yet — Mr.  K.!  That  was  what  I  said,  A  cowardly  grinnin' 
bpr,  not  a  mnnl  Thankful  I'd  hare  been  nevrr  to  come  acrost 
fDU.  I'd  have  been  another  woman.  I  aay  noliuu' about  who!  But 
rour  brother  Joaathan,  though  one  leg  diorter  than  th«  o^Joei.  WA 


ALIOE-FOB-SHOKt 


been  ^^ 


nut 


n  good  'art— and  if  Td  V  married  bin),  I  aa;  it  would  bare  been 
loiiK  time  before  he'd  Ect  on  one  sidr  of  the  fire  and  snigger  at  hig 
own  luw-ful  wif<!  afore  their  child,  Uke  a  babooii  would  in  a  mcn- 
arirerie," 

"You    (to    ti>    }mi.    Alieo,     Hook    itl"    said    hor    father.     But 
Aliee  heeital«d  before  her  mother'fl  threateninK  e^e  and  raii 
finscr. 

*'You  dan?  to  (to  to  bed  afore  I  tell  you!    You  go  obe^■ing  ya 
fulht-r  and  dinx'gardiD'  your  mother,  and  a  nice  boiilins  you'll  gat 
to-morrow  when  you  eome  back  from  eehool " 

"No,  you  won't;  111  8m>  aqtiare.  You  hook  itl"  And  Alice 
hooked  it,  her  hopes  for  the  morrow  restiug  on  the  probability  of 
getting  away  to  Ix-r  fatbi:r'A  workroom  when  aba  camo  back  from 
school  nt  midday. 

The  gas-tamp  at  the  street  corner  wnx  bright  enough  to  xhinc  into 
Alice's  eleepinK-deii  against  the  front  baircy.  It  was  a  paniry 
undefiued,  that  looked  as  if  it  would  huvr  likrd  to  be  a  cellar,  but 
couldn't  quite  recollect  bow.  It  wae  clow  to  a  rich  preserve  of 
cnta;  a  cul-de-sat  whidi  must  have  been  contriTCd  for  their  epecial 
use  by  the  Architect,  as  no  one  elae'a  InU-rest  liad  Uta  studied, 
and  indeed  acccm  wm  forbidden  by  s  stronx  gateway  placed  arbi- 
trarily  ttcroHa  the  hairey,  aud  crowned  witli  a  clieval-ile-friac  that 
a  sparrow  could  not  have  pcrcJicd  on  with  comfort.  There  was  on 
the  othi-r  flid«  a  cellar-door  Tiaible  from  Alice's  window  when 
you  spitted  on  the  bottom  pane  and  rubbed  the  grime  "IT  with  your 
frock.  And  this  cellar  was  not  the  coal-eillar  nor  the  duit-hole,  nor 
yot  the  winc-cclIar  because  that  was  in  the  houtic,  to  be  dry;  nor 
was  it  in  any  way  reconcilable  with  human  purpose.  It  waa  a  aub- 
tcrrancan  nameless  horror;  a  place  your  imnginntioo  shrank  from 
doing  justice  to  in  respect  of  cobwebs  and  fungi.  It  was  an  object 
of  intcrej-t  to  Alice  nevertbelcsp,  because  wandering  what  there 
was  in  it  aupplial  food  to  fuiit-y,  and  was  an  inexliaustible  re- 
aource.  Just  think!  It  must  have  been  almost  for  over  since  it 
va»  closed,  and  what  might  not  come  to  liphl  in  the  way  of  buried 
trcaauro,  if  it  was  opened  now.  But  then,  of  course,  there  was 
the  other  side  to  the  pietwre.  Who  could  say  how  many  goblioa 
or  hideout!  vampires  might  not  be  kept  under  restraint  by  that 
thick-rusled  chain  and  padlock,  which  no  key  could  open;  even 
if  one  could  be  found — and  this  was  impoaaible  in  the  nature  of 
thinfcs.  On  the  whole  it  was  safer  it  should  remain  shut,  and  no 
Tii-ks  should  be  run  in  sejireh  of  diamond  earcaneta  that  had  got 
overlooked  by  their  owners,  or  secret  passajies  oonuDanicaling  with 
the  Qt'llura  of  the  Bank  of  England.    Alice  was  not  altogether  » 


ALICE-FOK-SnORT, 


IS 


Mranger  to  Romiuue  and  ita  poesibUilies  in  this  direction;  for, 
tiiimsh  she  had  not  n»A  xhe  Arabian  NiglitM,  nhr  lunl  liiid  nuiii  to 
W.  at  the  Sunday  School,  a  beautiful  Tract  called  the  'BoriedJ 
Treasure,'  vhich  wm  fa»dnating  in  Ki>itc  of  llu!  mciiti  way  ia  , 
wbich  ltd  Marul  was  .ipruug  on  llw  uDHuai>eotinK  reader,  and  uti- 
lised for  his  confusion.  Tben  miitht  be,  so  Alice  thouxht  this 
ctvning  att  ithe  huag  over  the  window-aill  to  g«l  a  look  at  tlie  sras- 
hmp  before  soinA  to  bed,  some  such  Buried  Treasure  in  that  vault. 
which  would  turn  out  n  subtttantial  reality;  and  not  a  corR>ctiva 
medicine  for  one's  natural  profanity,  the  incurability  of  which  may 
Ic  Mid  to  ban.'  bei-n  announoed  by  the  label  on  llio  bottle. 

Poor  little  Miss  Kavanafrhl  She  needed  something  to  dry  hor 
rrtM  thi-H  evening.  Shv  couldn't  even  dwell  upon  the  gan-bmp 
and  the  sunny  side  of  th«  mysterious  door's  possibilities,  because 
of  thtf  cold.  So  ebc  itiot  to  bed  as  quick  as  ever  she  could — and 
it  really  was  very  quiek^to  got  the  advaiitaso  of  nil  the  heat 
had  brought  away  from  that  beautiful  tire  that  her  parents  wera 
still  in  full  cnjoynkrnt  of.  If  it  was  pontiblo  to  enjoy  anything 
durittg  a  beavT  mitraille  of  augry  recrimination  and  reproadiL 
For  Alice  could  hear,  all  throUKb  the  time  it  took  to  Ret  the  bedJ 
lnk«wnrm  enough  to  go  to  nalucp,  a»  almoHt  continuous  current 
of  abuse  from  hor  mother,  and  an  occauonal  interjection  from  btrr 
fstiier,  readned  lees  articulate  each  time  by  the  ftr<'wi:ig  int1\i' 
owe  of  n  whole  qnart.  The  storm  rose  and  fell,  and  rose  and  fell, 
itn  what  eeetoed  hours,  and  Alice  lay  and  lixtt  ncd  for  a  luIlT'  Tbiik 
ate  csimc.  and  tlw  hiss  and  surslo  of  a  watcrpipe  burst  in  the  frost 
lot  the  upper  hand,  and  Alice  tliuught  a  calm  waH  inipt-iidiug.  .  .  . 
AlaK! — not  this  time. 

But  the  bed  was  beginning  to  get  warmer,  and  as  it  warmed 
Alicn'a  wiba  slowi^l  down  and  she  wont  into  an  uneasy  half-slc<T>, 
penetrated  by  a  sense  of  her  mother'a  volubility  afar,  and  nii  in- 
acBHing    cou«ci()usncss    of   cmphasiii    in    her    father's    thickmodj 
speech.    She  could  not  dislinguifJi  irords,  but  was  aware  of  a  oer^| 
taio  pbtaai!  by  its  aocL-nta  in  coDatant  rcpctitinn.     It  via*  oan  shg 
had  before  heard  her  mother  nee  to  her  father.    Nine  of  him  went* 
to  a   man  It  scemwl;  and  alio  did  not  undi^rstnnd  it.     But  ho 
seemed  lo  accept  it  as  having  a  meaning,  and  an  irritating  one. 
Miix  waa  in  ti-rrur  k-st  she  ^uld  hear  ■  blow.    For  she  rcmeu"! 
bered  how  once  he  had  struck  her  mother  when  stung  to  ferocity ' 
by  thift  very  same  uiit-.xpluitK-d  exprcftaion.     To  be  sure  on  that 
occasion  h^r  mother  had  snnpp^d  her  fingers  close  in  his  face;  and 
also  l)cing  very  druuk  bud  cullw!  him  a  snifiinjt;  tiJi,  with  n«  (idj(«- 
tive  pieflxed  which  did  not  scom  to  go  well  with.  'oAna.    V'^tW'^ 


20 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT 


in 

I 

Tim 

n  ~ 


xho  wouldn't  this  time.     Perluipc  ihcy  would  make  it  up  and 
to  bed. 

SliTp  OTrrcninc  Alice,  *n<\  the  voice*  ccnwil  or  wiir  mprged  in 
dreaiu — a  dream  in  which  there  was  gomething  tliat  had  to 
grappled  with.  aikI  AIUv.  had  to  do  it.    Bat  thn  diiHinilt<i'  n-as  thnt 
no  one  knew  whether  it  had  to  be  stopped,  or  turned  iu  another 
4)irvctiOD,  ur  dmni-d  )ip.  or  look  off  of  thn  hob,  or  rtraii  eloud  to 
the  Te«rher  at  Sunday  Sehoo]  without  being  sil!?  and  giggling' — 
for  uo  out-  kiUTW  in  thi^  drcjim  what  it  vua.    AU  thst  waa  certain 
was  that  it  went  on  and  on.  and  was  bad.     And  it  went  on  for^ 
hour^   und   bount.   until   quite    euddcnlj    (without   etiaii^ing   iti 
nature  in  the  least)  it  became  a  roieo  fpesktnfr  down  the  area^ 
It  vu»  Alicia  (hut  had  cbangt^d.  and  beoonit?  a  frightened  little  gtr] 
sittinir  lip  in  bed  in  the  dark,  waked  nbniplly  by  tho  airwy-bcll, 
which  had  been  jiulled  hunk-r  aud  rung  louder  iban  any  boll  irilliia_ 
humnn  rxjii'rienec. 

"What's  all  this  her*  row  at  this  time  o'  niphtl"  said  the  voic 
without.     And  Alicu  jumped  out  of  the  bed^t  was  m  nice  and 
warm,  and  snob  a  pity  to! — and  pulk-d  n  rag-stopptu-  out  of 
broken  pane  of  ([lase  to  answer  through.    And  wliat  she  said  wai 
that  plcasR  it  wait  f-futlurr  and  m-mothcr.    She  almost  always  mii 
please,    lint  she  could  not  hear  any  row. 

"Well — pkam:  you  come  up  and  open  this  here  strec-l  doorl" 

Alice  WHS  too  frightened  to  obey,  not  because  she  henrd  he 
parents  (|uurn.-lHiig.  btii  b<«aii»e  islic  t^uli)  liear  no  ooi«e  at  al} 
only  a  cat!  Was  it  a  cati  No — it  wasn't.  What  was  it  I  Wav* 
it  mothert  A  aort  uf  moaning — nhc  was  afraid  it  was  mother. 
61mi  was  so  terrified  sbc  jumped  back  into  bed  again,  and  drove  htir^ 
fingers  tight  into  her  cars.  Tbm  she  wanletl  to  hear  if  the  ntoaiffl 
ing  wa"  mill  therr — or  pcrhnpK,  after  nil,  it  mnm  a  cat  Slv-  un- 
corked her  ears,  keepiug  her  fingers  just  outside,  to  put  back  at  a 
jDMment'ii  notirr.  But  a  new  Toicc  came  in  th<t  irtmnt  from  owtr- 
head,  aud  she  settled  not  to  put  them  bacjc 

"Oooii'^TVcninB,  Offiivr,"  wiid  Mr.  Heath.     ITc  had  opi-iwsl  his 
front  window  and  looked  out.     It  was  only  the  kitelien  windows 
that  w(-ro  stuck   Uk  or  had  no  Bashes.     "Do  I  uiuk-rsland." 
continued,  "that  that  was  a  client  of  yours  shouting  hnu 
jtial  ui>w  ?" 

"Can't  say  yrt  awhile.  Sir.    It's  in  the  house.    It  'ad  be 
well  seal  to,    P'r'aps  youll  step  down  and  open  tht-  doorV" 

Alice  heard  the  first-Boor  shut  his  window  down,  while  the 
potic«nuui  slappird  hi«  gloron  to  knrp  warm.  She  wa*  con*eioua  thnt 
Ane  or  more  iraseera-hy  stopped  from  coriouly,  aud  that  the  polioft- 


j    ttia 

dows 


AUCE-FOB-SnOBT 


M 


m 
F 


nun  told  at  Wtt  on«  rnipiircr  tluit  it  mmH  nnj'  concern  of  his. 
One  Beemed  ofTenBirelr  inquiaiUve,  for  the  poUceinan  said  to  liim, 
"Fd  morn  ymj  on,  jroung  frlW,  if  thiwc  wnm't  nny  olbcT  job  on 
band."  TVi)  she  beard  the  street-door  open,  and  the  ])o)tcemaa 
ttHoe  in,  and  tbi-n  only  oompiiriton  of  nott-x  by  outKidcnt.  Tbcjr  \ 
accepted  the  account  of  ibe  first  man  up,  who  knew  no  more  ibao^ 
toy  tide  «h)(T  iibnut  ibf  nuilirr,  ibnt  it  wftN  a  burg'lnr  in  hidin', 
boyont  the  cbim  ley -stack  on  the  roof,  and  all  croMcd  tbe  iray  1o 
itx  aa  mudi  uf  tbi'  rnpttirr  nit  jxiNHiMr. 

Alice  slipped  out  of  ber  deii  wilh  ibe  nlence  of  bare  feet.  Sba 
Klippfd  paHt  tlw!  room  whrrr  Hbr  had  h'ft  her  pnrmt*  qiiamrllinBiJ 
jiist  tbe  moaninfc  unexplained,  past  its  eause  she  dared  not  gue 
■1,  MoA  lip  the  kitchen  irlairM.  She;  pamrd  the  policeman,  irh 
Stalled  his  searchliiiht  on  her  nilhout  comment,  and  went  straight, 
u  to  a  haven  of  protection,  to  the  bund  of  iht:  young  nrtiat  who 
lowed  him. 

"My  word!"  aaid  he;  "it'a  poor  little  Mijn*  Kavanagh.  Come  pp 
iff  the  cold  stone.^  And  Alice  felt  ber  small  self  picked  up  by 
*  strong  ann  and  carried  down  bi-lniid  tht^  politvman,  vbotie  myo- 
terious  bull's-eye  Usibt  sent  a  long  ruy  ahcui)  in  search  of  tricks  of 
ground  and  human  ambuKbce,  if  such  minted.  They  were  npproai-h- 
ing  the  moaning.  It  was  not  a  cat.  Alice  coiUd  not  speak.  ShfrJ 
eoald  only  hold  ti^t  to  her  protector.  She  and  PuKny  knew  how 
^ood  he  was. 

"Too  can  look  in  and  report.  Officer,"  aaid  be;  "til  keep  the  kid 
hack  a  minute." 

"Qiiitt  rijjbt  jou  ari-.  Sir,"  said  the  policeman,  and  walkrd 
nraight  alonfc  the  patc^age,  flaeliing  his  light  as  be  went-  Alice 
turned  quite  nick  with  terror.  Hr.  Ilr.itfa  put  lii^r  down  on  tbo 
groand.  and  then,  taking  off  his  loose  smoking-eoat.  wrapped  ber 
in  it,  and  picked  ber  up  again  aa  before!.  Aliw's  father  was  not 
bad  to  ber,  like  her  wiither.  but  be  did  not  know  how  to  do  thia : 
lort  of  thing.  Eridmily  it  was  an  attribute  of  timt-floon  and 
ipeetaclCE.    Ob  dearl     How  long  the  policeman  wasi 

"Sh — ah — ftb — sh — sli!  Mi™  Kavanugh  <k-nr.  Don't  you  make  a 
Doiae.  I  want  to  bear." — And  Alice  made  the  bravest  of  efforts,  and 
eboknl  back  ber  eobii.  )Ir.  Ilcalli  listened.  Whim  would  the 
policeman  come  back?  At  last  he  came, — "Drink!''  said  he,  brioflv.i 
—"I  don'l  n-<^onunend  taking  tbe  child  into  the  room,  but  do  as< 
you  think."  Mr.  Heath  asked  a  question  under  his  breath.  The 
rq>ly  waa:  "Can't  stay.  I'm  siure,  Str.  Yea  can't  tell  which  ia 
drink,  and  which  is  the  effect  of  the  injury — bad  scalp  wound  on 
tbe  bead.    Surycoo  muM  hafc;  the  caxr.  at  once.    Perhaps  you'll  be 


L^ 


AJUCE-FOR-SHORT 

MO  good  ttii  to  r«tniiin  Iiere  and  see  tbe  man  donsn'l  go  off.    Tl' 
a  pity  onr  surflxon'*  no  nwiTrr." 

"Thcrc'ti  a  aurgeoa  two  dovra  off." 

"1  beli*Te  80,  Sir.  But  I  might  bo  exce»linfr  my  iastruotions. 
My  Divifional  will  be  rouud  in  Uaa  than  a  quarter  n{  an  lioiir '" 

"I'll  be  responsible.  Cut  along  to  Dr.  Tajlor  at  No.  37.  and  say 
it"B  from  tiw' — Mr.  Char!™  Hcetb " 

''(Juiic  ritcfat  you  arc  nffnin,  Sir."  And  ofi  went  tbe  officer, 
much  nrliL-ved. 

"Oh,  you  poor  Httlo  kid,  how  you  do  sluJcel"  said  Ht,  Heath, 
(ind  Alictr  n-plii'd,  as  he  [iuUliI  the  coat  closer  round  her.  *'Vtn  not 
c-cold."  and  then  followed  on  with  explanation — ^"ii's  because 
of  m-mothcr.    ifuy  I  pleasi'  gu  ?" — 

There  was  a  footstep  behind  them  on  the  atone  stjiir.  It  was  the 
top  utticH;  tlial  is  to  say.  Mr.  Jt-fl.  tie  had  on  a  Turkish  fex,  with 
a  tassel ;  and  Alice,  in  nil  her  acute  misery,  was  Ktill  able  in  wonder 
why  ihiii  ira«  right  and  n-anonablc.  Fur,  as  hi;  wiia  a  grown-up 
gentleman,  and  a  friend  of  Mr.  Heath,  it  never  oocuired  to  her 
to  doubt  it.  He  bad  come  down,  bearing  an  imbroglio  aeelbiug 
below  ataira.  to  see  what  the  matter  wa».  Jfr.  Heath  managed  to 
toll  him  over  no  quick,  without  Alice  bearing  exactly  what  wag 
said,  and  fmisbed  up  with.  "What  alioiild  you  say  I" 

Mr.  Jeff  decided  that  a  minute  had  better  be  waited,  while  he 
went  in  and  had  a  look,  hintix-lf.  This  showed  .Mice  that  it  was 
under  consideration  whether  she  should  be  token  into  the  room, 
where  the  moaning  wimt  on  juiit  the  same.  And  Alice  ascribed  10 
him  mere  eurioBily  on  his  own  aecomit,  and  tliought  him  wlfiali. 
In  a  mfuient  or  two  hi?  eamo  hnck,  looking  pate  in  the  light  of  a 
gas-jet.  at  the  stair-foot,  the  policeman  had  lighted  just  before  he 
left.  He  came  back  shaking  his  bead,  all  the  louglh  of  the  postage. 
He  didn't  speak.    Mr.  Heath  spoke  first. 

"What's  the  man  uboiit  i"  naid  be. 

"Kneeling  down  Itc^ide  her.  Seems  in  a  greet  taking.  Says 
Cod  foTKive  him.  uiid  all  that  eort  of  thing." 

"Did  you  xpoak  to  him  ¥' 

"I  wiid  he  should  have  thought  of  nil  that  licfore.  Do  you  think 
the  child  unilerntands C  And  Alice  heard  a  reply  in  a  half-whisper 
which  nhe  thought  was,  "Don't  M'»  frighten  lu-r."  Suddenly  ake 
broke  out  and  began  to  struggle  to  Ret  away  into  the  room. 

"OU,  poor  father— oh.  poor  father!"     It  came  out  mixed  with 
dospairing  *ob«.    "Oh.  please.  Sir,  let  me  down  to  go  to  father.'* 
"•or   little  AUce-for-iihort !"  wiid  Mr.  Ilcath.     "You  promue 
'»e  ftighteoed,  chick,  and  we'll  go  to  father." 


^ 


ALICE-FOK-SnOKT 


S3 


"I*1efle«.  I'm  not  frifthlcned,"  said  Alice.  And  Mr.  JeS  aaid. 
"PVupH  you're  right,  'Eatli.  Cut  on!"  and  foltowrd  tlicm  into 
ibe  kitchen. 

Heath  MW  what  be  bxd  be«u  led  to  unticipale.  On  Hm  ground 
knc^tioff  was  the  man ;  in  front  of  him  on  her  back  with  bor  head 
in  a  pool  at  blood,  the  woman,  bnon-n  to  ihe  two  young  tnrn  ii» 
Goody  Peppmnint.  Once — twice — thr  man  utrvtchcd  out  his  band 
and  touched  the  prostrate  mass  before  him.  Thero  was  no  rvsponfte 
or  movement.  Wnx  the.  iitill  moiiningt  Ett-:!  tbiit  wii»  doubtful. 
Theu  preewilly  the  man  turned  round  to  the  two  Bpectatore.  and 
•aid  in  »  coWccUA  voice,  appiin-iitly  under  the  imprcstiion  that  aomu 
queetiou  had  been  aekcd:  •'Yeg — Keutlemen — my  wife,"  Neither 
Mid  »  word.  Then  he  said,  in  exneily  the  tmme  tone:  "Is  my  little 
pri  tberei"  and  Mr.  Heath  said,  "Tea,  Ahee  ia  hew."  and  let 
.Mice  go  down  and  run  to  her  fullirr.  "Ought  she  to  kiss  meT 
said  be. 

The  two  young  men  slnnced  at  each  other.  Heath  eanght  the 
drift  of  hie  question.  "Why,  God  blesa  me.  my  good  fellow."  said 
be,  "yoH  haven't  killed  your  wife." 

"You  think  not.  Sir)"  aaid  Kavanngh — not  att  an  enquiry,  but 
u  a  statement  of  faet.  "May  1  ko  to  the  bell  P  For  at  this  mo- 
ment the  wire  of  the  street-door  beil  wna  besrd  trying  to  rouse  it 
to  action,  and  after  a  pauae  sueeeL-di-d  so  eSeelualiy  that  it  seemed 
t*  if  it  would  never  leave  off,  hnving  been  started  contrary  to  ita 
wishes. 

"It's  the  oScpr  faaek,  with  the  surgeon,"  eaid  Mr.  Heath.  "Ju*t 
vou  trickle  upstfiir^.  ,TelT.  and  open  thi-  door  to  'em."* 

And  Mr.  Jeff  tkpnrted  to  do  so.  Mr.  Heath's  conmgcona  voice 
and  odd  phiaaea  were  a  iireat  comfort  to  Alice. 

"Your  wife's  all  right,  man  alive!"  said  he.  •TPait  till  tlio 
doctor's  put  on  a  plaeier.  and  she's  had  time  to  get  sober,  and 
nbe'U  !«  as  right  as  a  trivet." 

"Tliat  is  bow  it  is.  Sir."  said  Alice's  father  in  the  same  mechan- 
ical  way.  H<'  left  hi*  hand  in  Aliei''*  and  slic  fell  liow  culd  it  was 
as  she  kif«ed  it.  "Time  for  ber  to  get  sober.  That's  how  it  is." 
Thin  be  Mill,  (]n>]i])itig  hia  v<iice,  "They'll  take  me.  May  I  get 
1o  my  room  a  minute — only  just  down  the  pnssiigi' — afore  they 
«im<'f"  ll  WK-med  sueh  a  reasonable  rec]ueBt,  and  after  all  it 
was  addressed  to  a  very  younjt  man.  One  with  more  experiencw 
would  have  accompanied  him.  Heath  refleded  that  the  applicant 
could  not  get  oul  without  repaasiui;  the  door,  and  deaded  that 
lie  would  be  safe  enough.  No  other  contiiigvueiea  croMed  faia 
mind. 


14  ALICEFOR-SHORT 

.Tou  coma  here  to  the  fire,  Iftm  Kftriinash,"  said  be>  and  laked 
togellier  iU  Kmaioa  for  Alice  to  sit  by. 

Then  n  grisly  dream,  to  bo  mmcmlKircd  for  life,  passed  before 
the  ejea  of  the  frightened  child.  There  seemed  to  be  «  great 
di^nl  of  iHtliccinan  in  ttir  rooni;  more  than  wxs  nt  all  Dei^ssury, 
Alie«  tfaouitht.  Ooe  of  ihem  came  and  drew  water  from  the  boiler 
cIo*n  to  her,  and  »iu:  nimcmbirnyl  bow  iih«  hud  stooil  there  to  turn 
off  the  tap  the  minute  the  kettio  was  full  up,  and  how  that  kettle 
rom>li(^d  ttm  tea  Ikt  mothiTT  put  )u.-r  ruin  in,  or  put  into  hnr  rum. 
Sleanwhile  the  other  policemen  and  the  doctor  jiKUTlemaii  who 
came  back  with  them,  owrryinK  «  leather  cnse,  not  her  mother  up  oti 
a  chair;  and  then  the  Utter  got  a  pair  of  eciii^ors  out  of  the;  cnac 
and  began  cutting  h<-r  inothcr'i*  hair.  She  did  not  groan  at  any 
rate— oiily  breatlied  heavily;  that  wiia  good.  ik>  far!  Then  llio 
doctor  begnii  washing  her  head,  and  ihen  cut  her  hair  again.  Ur. 
Heath  was  holding  her  head  up. 

"A  little  mon-  over  this  way,"  said  the  doctor.  "Thank  you 
very  much."  And  went  on  cutting  the  hair.  Alice  looked  away, 
feeling  sick.  When  iihe  mii"tered  courage  to  look  ronnd  again, 
sIm!  wondered  what  on  eartli  t)u)  doctor  could  be  about.  It  looki-d 
aa  if  he  was  sewing  up  her  mDthcr'a  heed,  like  father  did  coata 
and  trouwni.    Could  nhe  bear  what  he  waa  aaying  to  Hr.  Hcathi 

"Probably  saved  her  life;  that  is,  if  her  lifo  w  saved."  said  ho: 
"I  can't  wiy  about  (Imt  jutit  yut.  But  thi;  lutmmer  struck  aalaut  and 
the  scalp  gave,  and  took  off  the  force  of  the  blow.  If  it  had  come 
Mraigbt  it  would  have  killed  on  the  spal.  A  little  more  this  way. 
Thftnk  yo*  very  much.  That's  how  5ueh  a  great  piece  of  sculp  vrnn 
lying  free,"    Of  cour»c  Alien  did  not  uiider9tau3  mosl  of  this;  but 

I  she  understood  some. 
The  fir*t  policeman  camo  back  into  the  kitchen  from  somewhere. 
U«  Spoko  to  Mr.  Heath. 
"Hc'a  quiet  enough  in  tlwtre,"  iiaiil  he.    "He  atii't  going  to  make 
a  boll.    Besides,  there's  nowhere  to  get  out  at.    And  if  there  was, 
then-'a  one  of  our  niwi  outnide." 
But  he  wasn't  gving  to  make  a  bolt. 
Mr.  Heath  looki-d  very  jiele,  and  rery  sorry,  thought  Alice.    Mr. 
Jcfi  8t<>od  by.  and  was  of  no  use.     But  he  showed  hia  good  will 
by  jerks  of  incipient  action,  indicating  readiuees  to  help,  and  hav- 
ing his  good  intention*  always  disappointed  by  somr  one  <^lM^  antic!- 
paling  him  and  doiug  what  waa  wanted  instead.    However,  he  got 
an  opportunity  in  time,  as  the  doctor  prvaontJy  aaid,  "I  wonder 
if  it's  come.   This  is  just  finished."    And  he  ran  upstairs  to  see. 


I 


1 
i 


ALIOE-FOR-SHORT 


S« 


'  on  bn  motlKT's  pnW.  "Itiit  of  ooune  shell  be  better  in  the 
IttSrtaarj  tluui  berc"  And  then  Mr.  Jeff  came  back,  tiAvin^  nained 
rtatUM,  Alice  thought,  hy  hu  <)i'H«ivc  nclion  in  mnnitig  upxtnin  to 
•ee.  h.  whaierer  it  was,  had  come;  and  her  mother  was  to  be 
carried  up  to  it.  She  whk  in  the  chnir  with  armw,  that  »lie  uu>(l 
to  qwnd  so  mueh  of  her  time  in  a  faalf-drunkeD  deep  in  when  at 
home,  and  vi»»  half  hcl<I  np  in  it,  )mU  slipping  down  in  a  bundle 
whc^ti  the  doctor  fini&hcd  his  mysterious  tailor's  work.  "We  conld 
pn-tty  well  curry  hi-r  up  in  the  duiir  aa  shi'  eita,"  tiai<I  Mr.  Heath. 
But  it  was  the  suKKestioD  of  inezperi«Dee,  and  the  mntiirer  view 
of  the  In»peetar  fif  PoHoe  was  that  ve  could  go  one  better  than 
that.  "There's  a  morable  streteber  in  the  ambulann^"  i>aid  the 
doctor.  And  ii  moment  after  aometbisfc  thnt  bumped  was  being 
brouirhl  down  the  kitchen  stairs.  Alice  wan  getting  very  incapable 
of  distingutHhiug  things,  and  eould  not  quite  make  out  how  it  was 
manased,  but  she  saw  ultioiatcty  that  motluir  wan  «truppvd  on  a 
flat  thing  with  handles  like  she  was  took  to  the  station  once  oa, 
and  carried  away  upstairs.    Ob,  how  awfully  while  tJie  looketll 

"We  mtist  gfl  down  now  aod  .tec  to  that  poor  kiddy,"  eaid  Mr. 
Heatb  to  his  friend  when  the  eonsiirumeiit  to  the  interior  of  the 
ambulance  had  bt^rn  safety  i-ITecled,  nn<l  the  inexiilicabU-  units 
that  always  cosgulate  round  a  centre  of  excitement  in  London — 
whalevitr  the  lime  of  ntgbl  may  bt — were  left  to  diseuHs  wlwlher 
the  chief  item  of  the  entertainment  was  alive  or  dead.  It  was 
a  Tvry  nncertatn  jtoint,  and  the  doctor,  when  aski-d,  wan  e\'a< 
sive. — "She'll  be  alire  when  she  gets  to  the  Infirmary."  said 
he.  Tou  bad  better  see  to  the  child.  I  ilon't  know  that  I'm 
iranted  any  more.  Good-night  t"—nnd  departed  with  his  ea*e  of 
{natrunKDls,  which  he  had  put  up  while  tht;  aln-tt^bi-r  wmi  travelling 
npetains.  "Vou'll  find  the  child  asleep,"  ho  added,  as  be  walked 
away. 

He  paunod  a  momt-nt  with  his  latch-key  in  the  lock,  then  with- 
drew ll.  and  turned  as  if  (o  (to  back,  then  stood  iuilecisire. — ^"Per- 
hapa  it  inn't  ncceesar}-,"  said  he. — "No,  I  suppose  it's  all  right." — 
And  this  time  he  let  himself  in  and  was  lighting  a  eaudle  lamp 
to  go  Dpstairs  with  when  be  buard  feet  running  en  the  pavL>ment 
outside,  and  a  man  shouting.  .  .  . 

That  was  Mr.  Heath's  voice.  What  was  it  be  said — "Stomach- 
pump,  doctor!  Stomach-pump  1" — He  shouted  it  before  be  reached 
tbe  door. 

The  doctor  did  not  wait  to  let  him  in.  Upstairs  ho  went,  two 
steps  at  a  time,  and  disregarding  the  "What  is  it,  Jamea{"  of  his 
wiffi  in  a  drcMing  gown  on  the  landing  above,  ma^  lot  ft  ^M  Vc^ 


s« 


AUCE-FOR-SHOKT 


lO*^^ 


hi»  oonsulting  room,  and  fled  with  a  socood  leather  case.  Aff 
wlule  Ur.  Ueath  was  knocking  nt  tW  dnor  hikI  pulling  louill;'  at 
thr  nigbt-bcll. — "Stomach- jiump/"  he  shouted  aettin  from  tlio  out- 
side as  he  heard  the  doctor  cnminR,  and  ngnin  as  hn  ti|>eiicd  tlw 
door,  "Slomaeh-pump."  The  doctor  showed  the  leather  eiiw.  and 
both  ran.  Mr.  J«9  bad  came  half-wn.v,  art  a  wort  of  coimocliitK  liiik.^ 
to  luhricate  eveBM — ecarceJy  with  aiiy  idea  of  showing  tho  wujr^ 
hack.  ^ 

But  the  Btomaeh-punip  waa  too  late  for  use.  ncept  as  a  rctro- 
Bpeclive  pump.  For  tlic  joiirncymnn  tailor  whom  tlin  two  polioe- 
meii.  left  behiud,  were  eiideaTouring  to  rouse — ansiousl.v  eooush, 
for  in  fnct  thi-y  never  ought  to  lian.-  lost  eight  of  him — waa  put 
rousinir.  "'It's  really  ouly  a  matter  of  form,"  said  the  doctor,  **to 
uw  tlic  pump  in  »ii(-h  a  case.  However,  we  may  as  well  know  for 
certatu  uhut  poisoned  him."  ^ 

"Ik  it  i>CTrf<«tly  certain  he's  dead!"  sutd  Heath.  fl 

"Stone-dead.    Cyanide.     Here's  the  bottle,     ilcrc's  the  ictass  he 

drank  from.     Dead  an  hour.  I  should  aaj-.     However "     And 

the  pump  was  called  into  council,  and  supplied  some  particulars  foi^ 
the  Coronvr.  ^| 

''Thai  poor  Hltlo  kid.  Jefl!"  said  Heath.    "We  must  do  wiiat  we 
can  for  her."    And  tlicy  walked  nway  to  the  kitchen,  one  as  pal«,_ 
as  the  Ather. 

Poor  Alice!    Xature  had  asserted  herself,  and  she  was  lu  a  ' 
sleep  with  her  head  on  a  fltooL 

"Wc  cnn't  leave  her  here,"  said  Heath.    "Is  there  no  woman 
the  house?" 

"Nobody  at  all,  l>nrr!nB;  ounwlvc".  Oround-fliior's  vacant.  Sc 
ond-floor's  vacant.  Oul;-  me  in  the  attii;s.  Tbird-flotir  goi-n  wit 
»ccon  dd  oor " 

"\Vr'd  better  put  her  bade  in  her  own  bed,  and  then  talk  abovi 
it,"    Which  was  done,  and  a  polico  officer  being  officially  in  ebargw 
of   tlie   i>remi»es    under    tlic  t'irc«m«tnnees,    Mr.    Heath    left   hJa^ 
VTotigie  with  an  easy  conscience  and  went  to  bed.  ■ 

And  Alice  slept,  without  a  drtuun,  tlic  intcuiie  sleep  of  overstrunff^ 
nature.  Tho  noi«M  of  burst  water-pipes,  the  discord  of  eats,  ihti 
clamour  of  a  pasiiing  row  outside  dialurbi'd  her  no  mure  than  they 
disturbed  the  other  sleeper  in  father's  work-room  at  the  end  of 
llie  long  stone  passage.  And  when  Cliaric*  Hii'Sth  wnUcd  up  "ud- 
denly  at  half-past  eight,  and  hurried  on  bis  elolhes  to  run  dowu- 
stuirs  aud  see  to  the  child,  she  wu  a»  sound  anlvep  an  evvi,  aud  it 
stvmed  a  pity  to  disturb  iiei. 


A 


CHAPTER  m 


op  me  AKTBCCDEXn  OP  aucg's  uglokodcos 

TwKSTT  yc*r«  bcfon*  hi«  morUl  rcmnins  were  left  in  charg« 
of  tbai  impassive  police  officer  in  that  extensive  basumi-nt  witlj 
ceU«rii^.  Samu«l  Kuvunagh  liaci  been  na  prosperous  and  bopeful 
I  fonnji  tailor  as  ever  rejoiced  in  a  new  wife  and  a  new  shop  iu 
*li«t  wan  then  die  suburban  diilrint  of  CVmdcn  Town.  Snch  a 
band^orav  founft  couple  as  he  and  tiie  former,  when  tbc.v  were 
nmried  at  Trinity  Church  oppusite  ihc!  biir>-ing  gmtind.  in  Upper 
Camden  Strept,  wctv  enough  to  make  that  dull  struciure  inter- 
tstiafr  for  the  momoiil,  and  tfven  to  aoflen  thi-  heart  of  it*  pvw* 
opener  into  (:ono<'™ion  of  their  right  to  compote  with  b.vfrone  Tec- 
ordn.  ^Vhilr,  n»  for  the  lattw,  it  went  without  M.vinjt  that  there 
uex-pr  was  such  a  shop.  In  after  .vejtrfl,  wlieu  Saimit-'I  bad  bi^-n 
obliE^  to  (tive  up  thin  «hop  and  hadn't  taken  nnothnr  yet-a-while, 
ai»)  vthvo  lie  was  workine  for  h^rd  taskmasters  to  kt.<op  his  much 
too  large  fnmily  nlivi:,  hix  mind  wnn  xtill  able  to  dwi:ll  with  tiatis- 
faetion  on  llie  beauty  of  the  ontaracts  of  superb  tronseriniTs  that 
flow>>d  in  the  window  to  fnH-inatc'  llie  panMrr-hy ;  of  the  (■onvinoing 
twills  that  only  needed  inspection  of  a  corner  for  you  to  see  at 
uncr  that  they  would  wear,  and  woiililn't  whow  diisrt ;  of  the  numer- 
ous portraits  of  the  same  younK  Rentlcinan  of  property,  as  he 
BppmrtYl  in  ibt!  wludc  of  his  wardrobe,  including  aeveral  tiniforma 
and  huDlins  and  ahootinR  costumes:  and  the  masterly  inscriptioa 
orrr  all  that  declared  thut  Kuvanagli.  in  Roman  lypc.  wa*  n  tailor 
and  profe»«x3  tronwr*  maker,  in  liatinn  Icltcring,  though  whether 
the  Wl  was  effrontery  or  modesty  was  a  mystery.  All  theae  ihin^ 
wtare  m  beautifid  and  no  new,  and  thi;  paint  smell  ao  freah,  and 
Samuel  was  so  wi'H  able  to  say  to  himself  that  he  had  got  value 
for  bis  money,  that  hiH  n>-grel  for  what  he  Imd  lost  nerer  quite 
dealroyed  Ibe  pleasure  be  derived  from  contemplation  of  its  details. 
This  waa  not  i<qnnlly  tnic-  of  hin  m<;mury  of  hia  younfc  wife  as  he 
looked  back  on  tbow  days.  That  vrould  not  bear  thinluDK  of  now. 
Btit  nt  thai  happy  time  she  was  aa  beautiful  and  new  aa  the  ahop, 
or  more  eo. 

The  ahop  waa  eboBcn  from  ita  proximity  to  the  publlc-houae 

S7 


i 


ALIOE-FOB-SHOBT 

kept  by  her  fattinr  in  King  Street,  Camden  Town,  from  bohmd^ 
the  bar  of  which  her  faBcinations  had  eotan^cled  lhi>  afiections  of 
the  yovug  tailor.     It  would  Ix-  uuftiir  to  Sitmud  to  «ny  tltnt  tli«J 
yoiiTig  lady's  li/)!  htid  inllut'nced  him;  but,  as  be  was  no  capitalist! 
bi:n>4>lf,  it  ceriainly  canie  m  very  cunveniently.  bi'I  mnilo  it  poui-] 
bio  to  «t«rt  in  businesii  on  a  much  better  footinR  than  any  hi-  eouldl 
have  achieved  out  of  his  own  n^sourcea.     In  othirr  rr-tpMa*.  th»l 
match  wms  consirfeix-d  by  goasipa  to  be  ruthor  a  riuc  in  life  for  thej 
(tirl,  and  likely  to  withdraw  bar  from  her  low  aMociatioiia.     Fori 
whcri'ii-i  Samtii'l  w«ii  tlic  Brcjit-srnndKou  of  a  baronet  (illcgitimat^l 
certainl.v — but  a  baronet  i§  a  baronet)  bis  wife  had  t«g''lar  rose  up( 
from  the  drcg»  of  you  might  nay.    And  it  wn»  ffvely  remarked  that 
the  reason  Hiiuiiali  would  uot  touch  a  drop  herself,  atid  wanted  to 
be  Band  of  'Ope  only  her  fnthcr  wouldn't  let  her,  was  that  nhu 
knew  her  mother  died  of  drinking,  and  she  was  afraid  she  would 
do  iJw  name  if  *hi:  H<)mitli-d  the  ibin  pnd  of  the  wedge.    No  doubt 
also  her  father  was  not  sorry  she  should  rise  above  a  banuuid. , 
So  long  AM  thi'  rvat  of  EuroiM!  drank  itself  to  death,  nnd  paid  ftharp,! 
be  bad  no  wish  thai  she  ahould  follow  her  mother's  example.! 
Bc«dw.  young  women  were  not  iTnrci-,  nnd-njnly  mind  youl  he) 
did  not  say  thia  to  Samuel — Haunab  had  a  short  temper.     And 
as  for  hia  future  son-in-law,  he  seemetl  a  likely  sort  of  young 
fellow,  "and  if  hje  did  fancy  a  glarst  of  beer  now  and  iben,  wl>jr| 
shouldn't  hnl    lie,  John  Shiirnnin  of  the  Cock  and  Bottle,  <ra»  mil 
the  man  to  find  fault  with  him  for  that.     He  wasn't,  eertainlyl 
In  fact,  all  that  eould  br  said  of  Hannah's  extraction  on  both  eidcM, 
wBis  that  the  more  thoroughly  she  had  been  «xtracted  the  better. 
WberesK  on  Samuel's  side  tbn  revYmio  wax  the  case,  and  it  was  felt^^ 
that,  in  spite  of  an  education  and  early  asBoctalions  little  betteF^| 
than  bi«  wife's,  an  outcrop  of  Baronetcy  might  reach  the  aurface      i 
if  not  in  biin.  at  least  in  one  of  bis  children. 

But  no  drawback  of  inheritiinec  showed  itself  in  those  days,  in 
Mrs.  Kavanagh  at  any  rate.  Tier  husband  was  what  her  father 
dewrihcd  him,  ntid  their  acquaintance  had  begun  in  tliu  couroa 
of  a  succession  of  transactions  across  a  metal  counter,  at  intervals 
which  were  now  and  then  at  firat.  and  soon  became  very  fre- 
quently. He  explained  to  the  Iad.y  that  he  came  for  her  only,  and 
not  for  half-and-luilf :  tliough  a  construction  of  that  i>xpKaaton  was 
possible  which  misht  have  an  application  to  thcmsolres.  And  when 
tHcy  ronrriisJ.  the  liquor-clouds  whii-h  niiiy  Ix'  aaid  to  have  enveloped 
their  courtship  vanished,  and  left  a  clear  sky  of  voluntary  renun- 
ciation  and  reNpeclability.  And  if  you  hud  ser-n  them  at  thia 
"'■W,  you  w:vcr  could  have  anticipated  the  chaogt'  that  waa  t4 


A 


ALICE-FOB-SHOHT 


» 


mne  OT«r  tbem  when  the  clouds  rv-g«tlivred.    Eren  a  knowL 
of  the  pomibiJities  of  drinlc  could  hardly  have  foreseen  a  reviv* 
of  ncinl  chnnctrriKtio*  K>  marked  tt»  Goody  Pcnterminl'N ;  tltousb 
■  ceriitm  Minounl  of  degenerate  speech  and  manner,  auch  as 
huKband  xbowrxl,  tniftlit  hnrc  Hi-cmcd  poesiUo  and  rcammnhlr. 

If  in  ila  firet  years  of  proaperily  you  had  been  attracted  by  thia 
node*t  and  Uighly-rratppctaWc  tnilur's  ahop  (for  Snmu<-I  lind  rc- 
ligted  (he  importunity  of  hta  scribe,  who  wished  to  write  Emporium 
■im]  other  Mtiick-up  cxpmwionti  over  the  door),  and  if  you  had  ))i!ou 
tempted  bj  it  to  entrust  your  lege  to  its  proprietor  that  he  nilRht 
4iow  tilt  Tuluc  of  biii  profnuiouii;  iind  furtlx-r,  if,  whiln  you  w<ire 
letns  measured,  the  younx  wife  of  that  Kood-tookinK  yo\iTiti  tailor 
iad  appeared  livoriug  iu  bt-r  arms  a  virry  &i(:  baby,  proliubly  you 
nmtd  bavti  come  away  with  a  pleasant  impression,  and  would  ha« 
■old  that  tbut  youiis  man  and  his  young  wife  were  having  a  good^ 
lintc.    So  they  were,  but  that  was  twenty  yrars  oko. 

If  at  some  linK  later  on,  having  eniployL-d  Karanagh  ever  ainecr 
and  recommeiKlcd  bim  to  several  friends,  you  had  kodo  to  his  sho|i 
lo  try  on.  becauw  (for  inatative)  oa  you  passed  the  aboi>  evcrf' 
«lay  and  Mr.  Kavauafch  waa  so  busy  there  reaUy  was  no  reason  for 
kia  coming  all  tlw  way  (suy)  to  Higbgntc,  you  might  have  uutiee 
•■  you  tried  on.  that  the  earth  was  getting  rapidly  roplonished  witl 
littlv  KavanagliB.  uiid  that  none  of  tlic^-  littk  parlies  wst 
thou  one  year  older  tiiau  its  sucei-ssor.  while  some  \were  less.  And 
jno  would  hare  canw  nwny  ahsking  your  head,  and  saying  that 
poor  tin.  Kavonafch  must  have  her  bands  full,  but  that  she  must 
br  A  good  sort,  to  kiH>p  all  thouc  children  looking  w  nice.  Bnt  if 
jou  saw  ber  on  that  visit,  you  would  probably  have  remarked  that 
■he  was  looking  worried.  Still,  you  would  hnvf.  n-Srvtcd  that  all 
&unili<^  were  cares  and  burdens,  and  that  at  any  rate  Kavannith 
and  bis  wife  seemed  happy  imd  contimti^l.  So  tlu-y  werr,  but  tbiiC 
was  (maybe)  fiftrvn  years  ago. 

At  the  end  of  another  few  years  you  would  have  atsen  a  very 
decide*!  chanfti^.  Urs.  Kavanagh  would  have  begun — more  than 
b(«un — to  look  like  a  woman  who  niuai  hurt-  been  good-lo<^in 
OBoe.  Before  she  bad  all  that  swarm  of  children,  your  penetrntioi 
would  probably  add.  One  thiiij;  would  have  been  clear — that 
tuhir'M  wifn  bad  lo*t  all  her  looks,  but  that  she  wns  a  ntc<^  rcwpect 
ble  person  for  all  (hat :  and  if  ^e  did  say  a  sharp  word  to 
tiresome  c)iildr«-n.  wltat  coutd  you  rap<>ct.  with  eight  already  and 
another  very  soon !  And  if  ashed  why  you  thought  it  necessary  to 
feel  quite  certain  itlie  did  not  nmell  of  spirits,  you  would  have  re- 
ferred this  certainty  to  the  fact  that  she  didn't.    And  you  "iro4\4 


L 


30  ALlCE-FOR-SnORT 

hare  bcm  uncnndii]  in  doing  »o,  because  yoar  reasouB  for 
eu&ftinir  the  point  canuot  hare  been  entirely  inaide  your  inner  > 
KeiouKiK-jif,  wilhoiU  Etiggrstion  from  witJiout. 

But  it  was  0  dozen  years  ago,  anyhow.  And  perliaps  it  wna  not 
more  than  tt^n  y^ar^  ngo  that  yon  huw  Mm.  Knvsniigli  agniu,  and 
were  impelled  to  think  and  =a.v  that  it  was  ahoctdug  ti>  »ec  bow  tlint 
ilri'ndful  hjtbit  was  growing  on  KnTannfrh'a  wife,  anil  that. you  hnd 
alivayg  ff:t!B  what  would  h&ppen.  And  this  was  uucaudid  too,  for 
you  woiiidn'l  li««',  or  didn't,  ^ 

Neither  did  you  predict  then  or  at  any  time  that  in  a  year  or  two^i 
Kavntiftjirh  would  b<-  auld  up  nt  thn  xuit  of  n  ctoih  nierobiuit.  But 
be  was,  and  then  you  and  many  others  were  found  to  have  eoneealed 
with  difficulty  your  f[l<x>niy  antiuipntiouM  of  iho  tailor'^  future. 
And  when  ho  called  upon  you  to  explain  the  temporary  nature  of 
his  vmbarraaamenta.  you  felt  it  your  duty  to  dwell  upon  the  evila 
of  driiiW.  (ind  their  inrariable  consequtmec*.  For  by  that  time  you 
were  in  a  position  to  fit>l  convinced,  not  only  that  hie  wife  was  loven 
to  Fpirit*.  hit  tliat  he  himwlf  wb»  too  fond  of  bwr.  In  fa<rt.  there 
wftB  loo  much  liquor  guiay  in  ibal  bouse,  and  you  were  not  sur- 
prised. 

Not  havinf;  Iwen  tFurpriftcil  tlien.  nothing  that  followed  in  the 
next  seven  or  eiulit  years  can  have  astonished  yoo  wry  much.  An 
intenni!<liato  Htnge.  in  a  down-bill  course,  a  foreman's  situation  at 
a  first-class  shop,  did  not  Inst  a  year,  and  would  not  have  lasted 
Bo  long  if  a  fnmily  of  Uiirteen  children  had  not  been  regarded 
by  hie  employers  as  an  arbitmry  whim  of  Proridence;  a  very 
unfair  load,  which  it  was  the  obvious  duty  of  all  kind-heart»xl  folic 
to  liKhten.  And  how  could  you  wondi-r  nt  any  inuu  for  drinkiuK. 
with  a  wife  like  that  I  Wliat  can  you  expect  when  the  woman  w-t* 
the  cxamplct  But  wc  (the  first-class  shop  in  question)  couldn't 
stand  this  gort  of  thinir,  and  we  had  to  look  out  for  a  n<^w  fureniiiu. 
Of  course  wc  could  give  poor  Sam  KnTanagh  plenty  to  do,  and  we 
did.  For  we  were  a  very  irood-natured  firm.  And  wc  got  plact'S 
for  his  elder  mnn  and  ihiughlcrs — removing  them  from  their 
parents  as  far  as  possible — and  five  of  the  younger  oiie*  were  so 
kind  as  to  die.  So  that,  by  the  time  Mrs.  Kavauaeh  had  taken 
to  coming  drunk  to  our  WcM  End  c^tablinhmcnl  and  thnaiti-jiing 
the  cflidiiiT.  and  making  poliee- removal  necessary,  there  was  only 
the  little  girl  Alice  left.  She  was  then  a  boby  of  two.  And  the 
finn  would  not  have  lost  sight  of  her  at  all.  only  our  own  aSairs 
St  ibst  time  were  giving  a  great  deal  of  anxii-ty,  and  the  partner 
diwl  who  bad  known  most  of  the  family.  And  also  we  were  influ- 
enced by  the  fact  that  Karanagh  obntinuti^ly  rcfuwd  to  get  rid 


\ 


AXICE-FOR-SHORT 


31 


of  his  wifr,  allbouffli  w«  vct«  legally  sdrtBed  ttuit  he  miglit  Have 
done  8o  if  be  luid  t^faosen.  So  wluit  could  we  dot  Not  very  much, 
cnruinlrl  And  tho  Coroner  at  the  inquest  adiuilled  tliU  to  tm 
Itu  case,  wben  wv  gav«  our  a«cuiint  of  Kavtmngh  from  irliich  tho 
aboTO  facte  are  dtcxl. 

The  last  few  j-eare  of  miserable  digringolade  aro  eonilr  imagined. 
Alioe  had  fcwrvvlf  kDovru  her  parents  in  any  charaeler  other  than 
the  otw  ihey  have  uppeared  in.  i:i  ihia  aIor>-.  Xuthiiig  hut  drink- 
unqualified  drink—oould  have  brought  about  the  chanitc  in  so  short 
1  time.  Then  were  etagi»  la  the  duwnwani  eotu-M^  nl  tlic  md, 
U  there  were  ai  the  banning;  but  their  followed  each  other  more 
qnidcljr.  The  hiat  had  K-^n  when  (lie  acraps  of  funiitun;  and  be- 
loajpoite  bought  hj  friends  at  the  auction  when  the  aliop  was  sold 
Pf,  aniil  gireii  to  (he  then  homeleaa  couple,  were  iiacked  »tt  from 
the  lodfciniT  that  wn?  the  bat  fixed  residence  they  had  of  their  own, 
(o  SO  lo  plaj^  itti  part  in  the  inauguration  of  tlu-ir  curei-r  n*  can** 
takers.  This  tr«k  wa»  Alice's  earliest  recollection.  It  waa  re- 
tponaihlc  for  an  idcM  in  her  nduiII  mind  tliat  her  pnri-ntu  had  once 
lived  in  a  palace — *  borne  of  privilege  and  delights  now  unknown. 
"Our  shop"  wa»  known  to  her  only  as  a  tradition  of  former  great- 
aeaa  ihaX  she  was  too  young,  recent,  and  inex)>erieueed  even  to 
pnmnne  to  think  about.  But  she  could  rem<-mbcr,  or  rotild 
mnember  remeinbering.  when  her  father  and  mollier  dwell  at>ov« 
Itround;  if  not  exactly  tn  a  'ousc  of  thoir  own,  at  any  rate  in  a 
portion  of  one.  And  it  had  n  real  front  pitrlour  too,  what  tb 
(offin  was  stood  in  when  Alice's  niKter  'Arriel  ¥r«8  buried  that^ 
died  with  tlie  fever.  Of  courat;  it  had;  and  what's  more  she  was 
buried  in  a  carriage  that  came  up  to  the  front  door  and  knocked.. 
All  wliieh  Altoe  must  have  recollected  quite  plain,  or  idie  neven 
<ould  hare  said  m  to  Polly  Uawkina  at  Sunday  School.  For  ahs 
wna  a  rer>-  Ini(bfui  little  girl. 

But  the  (tepartiin-  of  these  Israelites  into  the  wilderness  of  care- 
taking  oeeurred  wlien  she  wHs  »o  small  thai  she  now  seareely  knew 
henelf  in  any  other  eharneter  than  a  dweller  in  basements — a  kind 
of  human  rabbit.  trHvelling  from  burrow  (o  burrow.  When  a  mor«' 
was  in  contemplation  the  question  uppermost  in  Alice'.i  mind  wn«, 
was  there  a  front  airey,  and  what  were  its  <iualitie8 !  Just  as  tho 
SODS  of  Opuleitce  that  hire  a  property  for  the  season  are  anxious 
to  know  what  tlw?  extent  of  the  shooting  is,  and  if  there  is  a  jioek 
of  bounds  in  the  neighbourliood— so  Alice  would  timidly  unk  her 
fathirr  (never  h«r  motlier)  ubout  ihu  extent  of  ibis  airey,  and  even 
if  there  was  a  pack  of  eat>^  In  the  lai<t  of  their  encampments, 
the  Soha  houM  of  our  story,  the  airey  was  of  the  gwate^t  m^otV 


L 


SS  ALICE-FOR-SHOBT 

an<«  l)ecau»e  of  the  door  at  tie  top  of  tbe  kitchiux  stain  ao 
couldn't  nisy  get  in  and  out.  WbiMi  you  could  get  nut  on  the.  staii 
it  didn't  H>  much  matter  if  the  rooms  were  locked  up.  Thou) 
Alice  would  hnvc  frit  fnr  morr  (fratcful  to  the  projiriftorB  if  ihcy 
had  left  one  door  unlocked,  and  the  shutters  Blood  open.  Still, 
thvn  vn*  iilwnyH  llu!  gn-ut  irvnnl  vlicn  people  «Bin«  to  »e«  over 
the  pn>iniaeB,  and  Alice  was  able  to  follow  unobacrvcd.  On  mch 
occadioiiB  Hh«  would  be  aghuM.  ut  Uw  low  opinion  the  invesiifca- 
lorB  would  harp  of  the  8pac«  availablp,  the  number  of  rooms,  their 
stale  of  repair,  their  veulilattOD  and  eanitation;  and  would  marvel 
why  they  didn't  go  awny  at  oooc,  wppcially  as  they  always  tri-ntinl 
the  Milt  with  iudi^naiit  derision.  Also  why  her  mother  should 
join  chorus,  vhm  *hir  ought  to  havD  argued  gtfntly  but  firmly 
aKniaat  each  censure,  and  pointed  out  its  fallacy.  Instead  of  thia 
Khn  denounced  the  boum.'  an  »  plague-ceiitre  in  a  rvtcion  of  epi- 
demics; a  structure  ao  ruinous  as  to  defy  repair  and  call  for 
rcconKtructSon  on  different  Ittica.  and  preferably  Kitiicwhi'rc  t-W; 
and  a  blot  on  the  character  of  the  metropoliE  that  '^he  Authori- 
ties" ouffht  to  condemn  in  ibc  interi-st  of  the  public  asfvty.  It 
never  <x*»rr«si  to  Alice  ihal  these  views  were  other  than  pbtlo- 
Eophical  opinion.  She  did  not  analyse  hrr  mother's  veracity,  or  any 
of  her  <iualitic«.  She  accepted  li(-r  blindly  am!  without  queadon  as 
an  example  of  a  llother,  and  perceived  in  every  quality  that  was 
re|>uKnant  lo  her  an  essential  feature  in  that  relationship,  So 
far  as  she  noted  that  other  little  girlN'  moihcm  took  Icm  rum,  were 
IcMi  incoberrat,  less  somnolent,  more  peaceable  than  hers,  she 
decided  that  they  came  short  of  the  correct  atjindard  of  Motlierbood. 
They  i«?n;  pleH)<nnt''r  certainly,  but  were  they  not  poachinR  on  the 
donuins  of  Fathers?  Were  they  not  non-con forroiaU,  dissenters, 
inaovatoni  on  a  grand  old  tradition  t 

She  had  once  been  greatly  puuled  by  a  conversation  she  over- 
heard bi*Iween  her  eldest  brother,  a  young  fellow  of  nineteen,  who 
bad  been  got  a  very  good  place  over  PecJdiam  way.  in  a  'olesale 
Clolhier'a,  and  her  fnlher.  Thcr  latter  liad  miid  to  bio  »on :  "U 
wasn't  always  like  lliis.  Fred — not  when  you  was  a  little  chap — 

why,  you  <uin  rf^ollect !"     Aii<l  the  non  repliw!  that  he  could 

recollect,  fast  enough.  And  added:  "It's  your  own  fault,  father, 
for  letting  her  have  the  li(|uor.''  And  liiit  father  bad  not  resented 
thia,  as  Alice  thouxhl  he  would,  but  had  dropped  his  bend  in  his 
hands,  and  she  thought  br'  wua  crying,  and  went  to  him.  And  on 
that  he  took  her  up  on  his  knee,  and  said:  "Good  girl— gwid  girl — 
good  little  Aiioe-"  And  then,  turning  to  her  brotlier,  said:  'Tvo 
no  fault  to  find  with  you  for  epeaking,  my  boy,  but  it's  not  eoay. 


i 


ALICE-FOR-SHOBT 


SS 


liko  jou  tbiDk."    But  this  had  u«t  sof(eii«d  hit  Mn,  nlio  i«pc«ti 
that  It  ma  the  liquor,  Hml  nothing  but  Iho  liquor,  and  all  titai 
WW  wanted  was  c  little  decision  and  a  better  example.    And  Alical 
£dn't   IcDow   what  a  <leci9iou  nu^,   little  or  big,  and  wondered^ 
«teluT  i(  wna  an  in^trumcot,  or  a  druft.  or  an  animal;  but  iiicltn«l 
lo  tbe  first,  om  a<^MlUllt  of  aeiaaors.     Hvr  father'*  reply  threw  no 
li^l  on  ihia  point.    *'Tou  settle  it  off  niifdity  easy."  said  be.  *%ut 
niu're  not  tbe  Sral  .roun^  jackanapee  that  ever  waa  born."     And 
AUce  vrondero)  who  waa.     And  tht-n  Fn?d  wid  there  waa  mother 
Mtnioit  and  he  should  cut  it.     With  whom  iDotber  liad  worda  in 
the  passage,  and  tbi'ii  quarn-lliK)  with  her  father  for  setting  li«r 
own  wm  againat  her.     So  Alice's  niiitd  was  left  hazy  about  wtiat 
it  V*a  ber  brother  cuuhl  recollect  fast  enough;  ithe  puzzlitd  orer  it 
iat  all  that,  and  wnuld  have  liked  him  to  tell  her.    Out  she  knew  it 
#  wu  no  use  to  ask  biia    Hi-  would  uiily  any  Hhe  was  a  girl,  and  had , 
better  «Jiut  up.     Hi«  (h-nM-annur  wan  alwa.vs  haUKbl;,  as  it  was] 
such  a  very  large  'olesale  Clothier's  he  had  a  plaee  at.     Alice  eon-* 
orired  of  that  Clothier  a*  a  aort  of  Pope  of  Pevkharo.  and  her 
brother  Fied  as  a  otnfldential  Cardiuel. 

It  may  be  imoRitiod  tliat  this  son  and  her  other  brother  "held  oET 
from  tbetr  reprobate  pareuta  duriuK  the  latter  day*— the  dajra 
when  caretaking  had  been  accepted  nx  a  permanent  condition,  and 
the  notion  of  a  domicile  of  any  aort  had  goav  the  way  of  all  drea 
Hot  that  tile  new  uliop  tliat  wan  to  nrplnce  the  kiHt  one  could 
■aid  to  have  ever  been  definitely  given  up  by  Samuel  Knvanagh.  On 
contrary  it  always  presented  itself  Ui  him  us  a  coming  event, 
certainty  of  wboee  ultimate  existence  justified  a  nomadic  life, 
eraphaMiiM^d  ita  temporary  eharaoter.  During  the  daya  lluit 
fallowed  on  the  disappearance  of  the  old  shop,  he  would  apolotrise 
(or  erery  itoinMtic  slxntcoming.  erery  chaotic  lifreaUmenl,  by 
referring  it  to  the  almoat  momentary  nature  of  his  encampment. — 
"npc^  faa'  done  with  aU  thia  mcaa,  and  get  some  real  order."  ha 
would  aoy,  "so  aoon  a*  I  ever  get  my  nxiw  ahop." — And  he  held  on 
to  n  yague  belief  in  it.  even  when  Alice  was  (towing  quite  big, 
and  old  nmugh  to  talk  to. 

It  ntu?t  be  admitted  that  the  change  in  twenty  years,— from  thai 
pfocperoua  and  good-looking  young  couple,  in  tlieir  well-filled  and 
otderly   shop,  to  tbe  very  doubtful  journeyman  tailor  and  his 
drunken  wife,  in  the  basement  of  No.  40, — aeems  almost  incredtbla. 
But   ask  any  physician  of  the  riglit  eitperience— I  don't  meaiL'l 
aslc  him  if  he  ei-er  knrw  of  a  woman  in  Hannnli  ICavanagh's 
ctimatances  taking  to  drink  and  going  to  the  Dcvil—thal  would  ' 
a  coarse  and  unfeeling  irty  of  putting  it — but  just  gire  him  fall 


34 


AUCE-FOR-SnORT 


parti(>u1ara  nnci  n!ik  bim  if  lui  t-vtr  kmiir  of  n  cum  of  Alcoholism  in 
the  like  ptifclit.  and  we  what  he  save.  Afw!  as  for  beerioesa — well, 
if  poor  Knriinftgh  hn<l  eonir  tendency  that  way,  it  wat  no  sx^et 
wonder.  It  was  a  yery  modeet  and  unpretentious  achievement 
comiiurrd  with  AloohotisTo,  but  it  bus  its  efficiencies  as  an  agent  of 
the  Devit.  And  the  Coroner  I  have  mentioned  before,  with  the 
wholo  of  whost-  iiiijiiceil  tluT  reader  need  not  Iw  troubled,  ascribed 
the  blow  that  killed  hiit  wife  to  the  insobriety  of  Karana^h,  not  to 
tiny  bud  disjKmilioii  on  hiw  purt.  Hp  addi-t!,  aa  bta  own  private 
opinion,  thnt  the  more  beer  n  mnn  cniild  Inlte  withotil  nhuwing  it, 
liw  more  liable  he  would  be  to  sudden  outbreaks  of  unoontrollable 
itl-temprr,  amounting  to  fury  under  provneation.  And  of 
provocation  in  this  case  there  could  be  no  doubt. 


CHAPTER  rV 


or  lUCX's  BIDE  a  a  cab  with  the  nnST-PLOOK.    or  TSE  riRST-FLOOK's 
HIUCTIFltl.  SIMTKK,  ASD  WKR  fAKKOT 

Us.  Cbablbs  Hkatu's  family  resided  in  Uydc  Park  Gdrdm"  and 
•ere  Tcrj  late  tnr  brrnkfasl.  Thin  in  a\]  <hv  want  to  kuow  about 
ihem  for  the  moment;  which  t».  or  was.  siren  accurately,  a  qunrtor 
put  nine  tm  tl>v  momiiig  fnllowitig  the  bVL-itts  of  tlie  last  cjiaptw 
but  one.  There  was  uothtiuc  singular  in  eilhir  fact,  for  Mr. 
Andrew  Hmtfa.  Charles's  father,  wm  a  purtiier  in  Heath  &  Pol- 
Itlfen.  of  Londou  and  llong  li-ona,  nilk  merchants:  and,  bcidcs, 
it  wii»  ft  wwy  rich  comiectton.  If  you  know  uliout  *ilk  merehaiita 
anii  Tcry  rich  connections,  you  will  soo  that  not  only  do  ihpy 
account  for  pcoplo  living  in  Hjdn  Park  OnrJtiiiH,  hut  for  tltcir 
i^nting  down  Ute  for  breakfast,  even  when  breakfast  is  at  nine. 
Tbey  ftilly  account  fur  Charlr-i  Ilcjith  finding  tioliivly  down  when 
be  arrind  at  oine-thirteen  by  the  hall  clock.  But  not  for  the 
eqtraasion  of  diirnhfoundcd  nmuKcinrnt  on  tlic  fncf  of  tlie  young 
iroman  who  opened  the  door.  Neither  was  this  due  to  Mr.  Charles 
oomin?  from  hi^  Studiii  at  lluit  limo  in  thi-  morning:  that  wait  coni> 
iBMi  enoujcb.  In  fact,  Mr.  Charles  very  often  went  home  to  break- 
fast. An  be  leldon)  got  to  what  hi-  calkrd  work  U-furc  hiilf-pitHt  ten 
or  eleTen,  and  il  waa  only  a  twenty -minutes  'bus  journey  fruiti  duot  -, 
to  door,  thi-n'  did  not  aecro  any  rMiHon  (u*  has  htrcii  iK'forc  hinted)  i 
wh.v  ho  should  not  haro  always  slept  and  breakfasted  at  home. 
But  tlwru  h«;  would  not  have  felt  liko  an  Artial.  Art  is  n  vocation 
that  innst  bo  prnwwuted  in  earnest.  It  doesn't  do  to  play  fast  and 
LxMn  with  it.  Tli<^  Arti^it  hnn  to  livf  witli  his  work,  and  throw  hia 
whole  soul  into  it.  So  Charles  Heath  had  deeided  when  he  adopted] 
the  pruff-isioit;  and  hoing  supported  by  hiH  motlu.-r  as  to  UiaJ 
necessity  for  four  hundred  feet  super  of  studio  and  a  top  lijtht, 
had  auec«eded  in  getting  itubsidiM'd.  For.  the  moment  ahe  found 
his  father  inclined  to  dispute  it.  on  the  ground  that  the  artint  had 
nut  iMiintcd  a  single  piotnn?.  mu(-h  le»a  exliibitett  one,  she  threw 
her  whole  weiiiht  into  her  son's  side  of  the  soalo,  and  other  mem- 
bers of  tlw  fiiniily  followed  her.  Hit  htubund  gave  way.  but  then 
he  didn't  pretend  to  understand  this  kind  of  thing,  don't  you 


ae 


ALICE-FOK-SHORT 


1 

:  of  hifl 


wcct  And  of  couTW-  hi*  wife  and  bi«  mn,  and  all  tV  rest 
faintly  for  that  matler.  naturally  uiidtretood  iiH  alxiut  it.  Pi-nplo 
iioderatand  llm  Fine  Artu  when  thry  have  a  firm  convictiou  thai 
tbejr  do.  If  this  were  not  true  what  would  become  of  Art-Criti- 
cism) However,  it  will  nc^rr  do  to  bo  ted  off  into  diEcuasiou  of 
HO  tuiotiy  a  point  while  the  second  houaenuid  at  vigjity-nino  Ilj^do 
Park  Gflrdcns  is  waiting  (sm  nhc  is  in  this  hiatoi?)  to  hare  a  fixed 
and  stupefied  filare  of  astonishment  accounted  for.  She  remained 
IK-tritiid  until  Mr.  Charles,  having  dUmixsed  his  cabmon.  turned 
to  her  and  asked  if  Miss  I'eggy  was  up.  To  wliitli  nhe  was  nhle 
tcj  gnnp  that  sh<!  belieretl  iliss  Pegiry  was  up,  but  not  down. 
Further,  she  just  found  voice  to  ask — should  she  riiii  up  und  icU 
hcrf  And  Mr.  Charles  he  had  thi>  face  to  say  to  her — «o  shi 
reported  afterwards — "Tell  her  what  I" 

"Anil  then.'  wus  thfll  child  hold  of  hi.i  hand  all  the  while!    An, 
thins  to  conic  nnigh  Mr.  Charles,  1  ne%'er.  Cook  I     Nor  yet  you. 
lay.    And  ihen  he  eaya  to  her.  'You  coine  along,  Minn  Kavaiiagb, 
and  don't  you  be  frightened  1' " 

For  Mr.  Charles,  aorely  perplexed  at  the  aituatiou,  and  longing: 
to  RPt  his  poor  little  ^TDligh  out  of  the  Kha^tly  basement,  with  its 
cloiH.'d  room  under  piilice  guurdiannhip.  thtr  cunlenl*  of  which  be 
would  have  to  explain  lr>  Alice,  and  which  would  cither  be  tho  ec«ne 
of  un  itiqucHt.  or  give  up  ita  tenant  to  one  elsewhere— wbidi,  be 
did  not  know — and  sliw  longing  to  set  a«  ooon  as  posaiblc  to  his 
iuvarinble  confidante  and  eounsellor,  his  sister  Peggy — Mr.  Charles 
bad  decided  on  giring  Alice  as  few  opportiinilic»  of  asking  ques- 
tions as  possible,  and  had  simply  told  her  when  she  wokod  Out  she 
was  to  get  up  and  «nmc.  AH(^e*s  faith  in  bin  bad  been  ao  great 
tliat  even  Ms  "Never  mind  father,  now."  when  she  put  somo  qnos- 
tiiin  about  father,  had  bci-n  accepted  as  contaiuiug  a  sufficient 
assurance ;  and  as  for  ber  molhcT,  she  wns  being  taken  good  care  of, 
and  ihdt  was  plenty,  no  doubt,  for  a  Ultle  girl  to  know.  Little 
girls'  positions  had  been  too  frequently  defined  for  .Alici-  to  push 
enquiry-  on  any  subject  in  the  ease  of  a  reluctant  informant.  So, 
when  told  to  do  m  she  got  up  and  ojinie.  Mr.  Hejith  waii  on  UintiT* 
bot>kH  all  llie  while  leHt  she  should  demand  explanations,  and  even 
speculated  whether  it  would  not  be  w<-ll  to  suggest  that  ^le  ab^utd 
bring  Putufy.  aa  beinir  likely  to  divert  conversation  and  help  through 
the  cab-ride.  But  then  it  cromted  bin  mind  that  removal  of  Pussy 
might  suggest  nut  coming  back  and  her  inclusion  in  the  parly 
might  defeat  its  own  object.  So  hn  liad  limited  his  precautions  to 
asking  tlie  polieeinan  on  guard  to  keep  out  of  the  wn.v,  nnd  biii 
request  was,  to  to  q>eak,  greedily  complied  with  as  savouring  of 


1 


d 


ALICE-FOK-SnORT 


3? 


u.'bcm«8  and  tecncj,  and  beitis  profeetiionaL  It  may  be  aaid  to 
have  gjven  Zed-one- ibouauul  poAaive  empbjrinciit^-Monirthiiis  to 
lum  his  mind  lo. 

Alinc  Imviuij  been  onee  told  to  "never  mind  fntlM-r,  now,"  was 
tonlent  to  wait  for  tbo  then  wlwn  t-hc  would  be  at  liberty  to  mind 
Mm ;  and  this  all  the  more  teudil>'  because  of  the  glorious  uovclly 
of  ridinfT  up  in  a  cab,  on  tbe  scat,  beside  a  centkoian  who  H>einc>d 
to  have  a  niyalcrioua  power  of  making  nansoma  gallop.  It  woa 
my  funiij'  this  one  ^ould  go  Co  fact,  for  Mr.  Ele-atii  had  only 
Btintioned  to  tbe  driver  that  he  wJslied  to  get  lo  H.vde  Park 
QardeDa  before  midnight,  and  he  hoped  the  horvc  was  freiOi.  An^ 
the  cabman  bad  wiiil  llydti  Park  Oardcus  vos  a  long  n-a.r.  and! 
the  road  was  bad,  but  be  wotitd  try  what  he  could  do,  to  obliKr.  So| 
Aliiv  waa  aKtonisbiM]  wlu-n  th(^'  iitopi)cd  iu  about  twelve  minut 
ind  waa  told  b.v  Mr.  Heath  that  there  ihey  were.  But  then 
didn't  underwfand  the  ejnical  tone  of  inversiou  in  which  the  con- 
versation had  been  conducted. 

Sbc  had  misgivings  that  ahe  did  understand  tbe  expression  of 
Caroline  the  second  houMmaid's  face.  She  had  wen  it  on  other 
faces  clsowhrr<-.  and  it  Had  led  up  to  moni»<>-])abl'-K,  xitcb  lu  bra^i 
or  chit ;  and  nhi-n  it  appeared  on  her  mother's  liail  preL-eded  slaps,* 
■pattlu.  or  boxes  on  tbe  ear.  It  could  not  lead  to  them  hi-rv,  because 
had  she  not  a  proleetur;  who  wotdd  be  as  good  as  fatlier,  quite,  on 
that  point  f  Rut  she  quailed  a  little  before  the  second  housi> 
maid,  and  held  ou  lighter  than  before  to  Mr.  Charlea'a  hand. 

"You  oome  olong.  Miss  Kavfintigh,  and  don't  you  be  frightened." 
«aid  he.  And  the;  went  into  the  house.  Ob,  il  wot  big!  It  wo* 
clearly  ihe  largest  hotiao  in  the  world. 

Mr.  Charles  wasn't  the  Uuut  frightened  Inmnclf.  On  tlin  con- 
trary, AJico  hod  ihe  iraprtcsion  ihal  so  far  from  being  afraid  of 
the  gentleman  with  a  tray  whom  tbcy  nii't  on  the  way,  that  gentle- 
man was  afraid  of  him :  as  he  called  him  Sir  whenever  lie  spoke, 
and  she  knew  from  Teacher  at  Sunday  School  that  you  ot^glit  al-f 
way*  to  Bay  Sir,  Not  to  every  one  of  course,  but  when  tddreseing  ' 
Olympua.    Thia  must  he  a  com  of  Olympus. 

"Nobody  down  now  of  course.  Phillimore,"  said  Mr.  Charles. 

"Weii,  uo.  Sirl    At  least  not  at  present "     And  Pbillimorc 

reapectfnll.v,  to  aitologise  for  preaumplioii  in  seeming  to 
ad  the  Family.  His  difi'nei^  Kc-med  to  bo  that  though  nobody 
mt  down  now,  at  present,  muty  would  l>e  down  now.  very  aoon.  if 
you  would  oidy  give  them  time.  "I  think  that's  Miss  Uargarefs 
door."  he  continued,  and  his  words  received  a  meaning  they  would 
bIbc  bare  hiukod,  from  implication  of  sound  noted  t^at. 


38  ALICE-FOR-SHORT 

Tou  tMldle  in  tfaere,  Misa  Eavanegb.  Kobodr  1)  bite  you." 
And  Alice  toddled  into  a  front  parlour  with  a  pane  of  glnse  id  d 
frtinie  on  tlu!  rug  before  a  beautiful  6re.  auil  a  parrot  walking  about 
on  the  c«iling  of  bi»  cskc,  iip»idc  down.  Alice  f«1t  glad  that 
nobodjr  would  bite>  but  for  all  that  abe  wouldn't  have  trusted 
parrot, 

"Minute  aiij'body  corner"  said  be.  vith  perfect  di&tIn«tUMa. 
etopn  talking."  And  tlifrn  Iio  nhric-knl  worn-  thitti  ihir  railway,  and 
afturwardd  said  it  eeaiu.  Alice  suQ>ected  bini  of  not  being  in 
ciimcst.  from  something  in  his  mannl^^.  Tbini,  she  knew  nothing 
of  parrot*. 

A  dress  that  came  down  the  stoint.  and  tliut  wotihl  Iiarc  rustled  if 
it  had  been  ailk,  made  u  warm,  soft  sound  instead,  owing  to  its 
nialrrial.  It  stoppc^d,  and  wIioctbt  was  in  it  appeared  to  kiss  Mr. 
Charles; 

"U'hat'ii  the  rowf"  said  he.  This  «ouldu't  he  because  he  was 
kissed,  and  it  wasn't. 

"Why,  just  look  at  you  1"  said  a  warm  soft  roii-e,  like  Uie  dn-ss — 
only,  for  all  that,  it  filled  the  whole  place  so  that  you  could  liear  it 
quite  plain  when  the  parrot  was  quiet.  He  wasn't  though,  this 
time-,  and  Mid  twice  oTcr:  ''The  minute  auyhod)'  comca,  ha  slops 
talking,"  and  shrieked  each  time.  8o  Alioe  didn't  cateh  the  ntt 
of  the  speech,  but  ehe  began  loving  Mr.  Charles's  sister  (which  of 
course  it  was)  from  tlie  sound,  beforw  crer  she  set  eyes  on  hor. 

"Vou  Khut  «p  and  I'll  tell  about  it.  Peg."  said  he.  And  then  ho 
(iriipj)cd  Ills  voice  down  low,  and  went  on  talking  ever  w  long. 
But  when  his  sister'a  exclamations  came  in,  AHee  could  hear  them 
quite  pkin — "Oh.  Charley  how  terriblel" — "Oh,  you  good  boy!" — 
"But  is  tho  mother  killed  ?— Tell  me  all  the  ends  ^rst.  that's  a 
deor!"  Then  Mr.  ChnrW  »aid  something  she  would  hnvn  iMiard 
only  for  the  parrot.  Then  came  more  exclamations  at  iatcrrals. 
"In  the  Infinnary?"— "Wlmt  was  it— u  hammttr  r'— and  then  aftw 
a  good  d«il  of  very  earnest  underspcech  from  her  brother— "Oh, 

Charley,  how  awful!     And  bv  was  mutually  poi "     And  llien 

Mr.  Charles  said  hush,  "because  of  her" — and  they  were  quiet  a  few 
seconds.  And  then  the  sister  said  suddenly.  "Poor  little  thingi — 
Whflrc  is  she!" 

"In  here,"  said  Mr.  Charles,  ooroiug  in.  And  ob  how  beautiful 
his  MKter  WAS,  and  how  Alice  did  love  hcrl 

"Why,  you  poor  little  white,  deaolate  baby,"  said  she.  atoaf>ing 

to  biT  and  kiwting  her  cheelc,  and  thnn  put  her  hair  baek  off  her 

forehead,  becauae  it  was  so  rough  and  untidy.     And  AUw  waa 

'd  it  might  bn  a  mistake,  and  when  «ho  saw  quita  plain  she 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 


iiilKht  Sni  out,  and  be  eorr?  she  bad  kissed  her.  But  it  vbs  all 
Tight;  nnd  nciunlly.  Nbc  kinMxl  bcr  Mgain.  "AftrnrnnU  will  do," 
Mid  fihie,  inexplicably.  And  the  parrot  said  nfniu  as  before, 
"Minute  nnybodjr  oomn*.  hn  KtopM  tnlking,''  but  tbitt  tiiuL-  laughed 
"Ho.  bo,  bo— bo."  and  ended  witb  a  %hriek. 

"Ti-u't  he.  a  fiimiy  Polly,  Ali<4- !"  siiid  Mr.  Churlw.  But  brfo 
fhe  couM  answer,  Polly  said  with  xreat  force  and  distinc 
"Better  i-oT«T  Ittm  up  or  <m-  tthall  girt  no  pctice."  On  wbicb  bol! 
the  brotber  and  M^er  said  in  the  i-anw  breath  that  that  wait  Mamma 
»I1  ovTT.  But  ilr.  Clinrlfti,  keiug  told  pcThiips  bir  hnil  U-llcr  eover 
Um  up,  did  BO.  And  Alice  could  hr-nr  Polly  taUcing  (o  himself  id 
tn  nndortone — a  aolilMjuy  which  ttw-met)  to  oontuin  pntbo^  humour, 
and  expression,  but  no  words.  Ue  was  a  ftmny  parrot,  there  was  na 
^nhl  uf  Ifant  I 

"Well— what's  to  be  done,  PegT  said  Mr.  Charles  wbra  Polly 
wan  mmiImI. — Alice  was  getting  very  uneasy  about  she  could  not 
exactly  say  what,  and  was  beginiiintc  to  fwl  for  »peecb  with  bor 
lipn,  wIm-ji  llw  y»iiii4;  lady,  who  of  course  kucw  what  was  rixht, 
ttruck  in  with  "Suppose  we  irere  To  have  some  nice  brcaJcfaat 
first,  and  talk  about  it  afti-m-nnls."  This  M-cmtHl  lo  li-nri;  m>  maof 
openings,  to  deny  mt  few  autici  pat  ions,  to  be  so  replete  with  lati- 
tude* and  golden  bridgm  of  all  itortN,  that  AliccV  juclgnuTnl  ap- 
plaaded  the  Terdict.  which  came  naturally  to  an  ill-fed  infant 
StippoDc  wo  wcrct 

Practical  (lolttica  of  tbe  houaehold  dictated  that  on  IIm  whole 
th"  naffest  couriw  would  be  to  t^ll  in  afwinlanw-  from  another  Mphcre. 
"We'd  belter  get  Partridge,  and  explain."  said  Miss  Pegfcv  Heath. 
And  Pnrlridgi^  wan  got,  was  expliiinrd  to  nut  of  AlicrV  hrnring. 
and  was  first  revealed  to  Alice  as  ber  young  mistress  had  been,  aa 
a  sort  of  Om-k  choru*  to  n  iiiirrativc  she  winhed  ahe  could  hear 
herself.  There  was  something  in  it  unknown  to  her  that  came  in 
at  the  vnd.  and  inlcnnfied — ''My  goodticm  mcr!" — "Wvll.  now,  I 
decUler— 'TPell.  I  neverl"— "Only  think  I"— into— "Lord,  have 
mercy  on  ut!" — and  "flracioua  HcaTen!" — And  thin  HOmething 
unknown  was  always  told  in  a  dropped  voice  that  she  could  not 
Imv«  heard  iu  a  colloquy  outside  the  door  even  if  Mr.  Charles, 
who  remained  in  tli«  room  with  .\lice,  had  not  snid,  "Let's  talk 
lo  Polly."  and  taken  Polly's  covering  off,  Polly  wa*  a  great 
effotist,  nnd  when  he  brgaehed  himfclf  as  a  topic,  there  was  but 
little  clmuce  for  anything  ela«.  He  ahuwcd.  howtTver,  a  kind  of 
modesty  in  a  new  rnnark  bfl  made  very  frequently,  "Such  a 
noiae  you  can't  bear  yourself  speak."  said  he,  and  then  laughed 
cbwrfully. 


■10 


ALICE-FOK-SHORT 


■tnblvH 


Mn.  Fartri^e  was  the  bou9«kcep«r,  and  was  a  cotnfortnbl' 
body— (1  grrat  coinaolation  and  resource  in  all  kinds  of  difficul- 
tiea.  Alice  didn't  !*o  lier  way  to  dwliniug  to  krcukfoM  wit.li  Iwr, 
perceiving  in  the  orranKcnient  a  rccouniiion  of  the  distinction  be- 
tween bri-akfasts  «ni!  break fttstii.  She  (lidn't  ft?^^l  (iittli-  siir<?  how 
the  could  breakfast  with  OlympTi*,  whether  lOic  would  know  how 
to  ml  about  it.  She  tbuugbt  (UfficuIUca  miglit  bo  overcomi;  if  it 
vraa  only  Mrs,  PartridRe. 

And  thus  it  comcn  nl>ont  that  at  ihc  end  of  thj*  ehapti-r  Alice  i» 
enjoying  tmheard-of  luxuries  iu  the  way  of  breakfast  in  the  hou!4e> 
kcopor'a  room  at  fifl  llydo  Park  Gardcnit,  hut  \*  wondpriiig  all  the 
while  what  alie  'u  ^in^  to  know  about  after.  And  she  does  not 
know  il  is  Dejith,  which  hr^  cxpiiriracc,  ao  far.  has  never  intro- 
duced her  to  Id  the  case  of  Rrown-up  people.  Her  eistcr  that  wn-i 
buried  bad  diod,  ccrt.ninly;  but  then  nbe  wua  a  child,  ami  didn't 
know  liow  to  take  care  of  herself,  like  father  and  mother.  AlaOt 
it  was  u  very  long  time  ii£Ol 


CHAPTER  V 


or  TS£  PiasT-PLOofi  a  fimilt,  amd  of  how  Hia  mother  should  hatb 

BUX  TOLD 

The  sudden  sprinsinft  of  Alice  in  prrson  on  members  of  tho 
fnmilj''  lest  to  ho  relied  on  ifacii  his  atster  would  have  been  an 
embarrasemeiit  to  Charlc«  Ilcatli.  So  her  pKivinionul  <li»uppear- 
taee  into  the  boudcikeeper's  room  wss  welcome.  Altogether  Uiiii^ 
bad  eon«  u'ell  with  bim,  to  far.  But  h<'  begun  Ut  aa:  into  ilie 
'liffi(-iilt»-H  of  ihe  position.  However,  so  loiiK  a»  Vcggy  biicked  him 
up — thai  «BH  iho  chief  point.  If  ii  doubt  had  croeac-d  bis  nutid  in 
the  cab  about  tbiii,  bin  aiaier's  attitude  about  tbo  child  had  dia- 
npat«d  it 

"Oh,  dmr,  Chnrleyl"  said  &he,  aa  they  began  waitinjc  for  ibo 
re&t  of  tbe  family  lo  oumct  to  bri'nWfiist,  ''what  a  [icrfwitly  awfu! 
bunnov!  We're  never  had  a  Murder  before.  And  do  you  know, 
now  I  come  to  think  of  il,  I  don't  know  anybody  that  han." 

"Wc  mustn't  let  it  make  us  vain.  But,  Peggy  dear,  what'a  to 
be  done  with  the  poor  ki<i !" 

"SheV  thr  »ame  ynu  told  us  about  (hat  broke  the  beer-jujt.  and 
had  tbe  awful  inoiherf" — Th<'  iiucdlion  aetrmed  to  imply  that  lliere 
mtiibt  be  otbeT  luixoliJimB  iifoot  on  ilr,  (Jbarlea's  part,  elsewhere, 

"Goody  Peppermint.     Thai'e  what  we  called  ber.  Jefl  und  I " 

"Oh  yes— ilr.  Jerrythought."  Pce£F  seemed  inclined  to  laugh 
at  her  brolber's  friend. 

" and  as  for  the  father  (poor  begpsr)  ho  wasn't  vciy  muob 

better."  This  was  nearly  aaid  without  tbe  parentheaiB;  but  tbo 
recollection  of  th*  dead  body  in  the  (iriniy  basement  room,  with, 
on  the*  bi-ii(-h  u«rar  it.  tin-  latit  iintinisheil  job  of  the  tailor  il  bud 
been— the  poiHin-hoille  and  the  whole  horror — shot  acroM  tbe 
»peaker'ii  mind,  iitid  procunil  u  ptiAaiiig  acknowledgment. 

"What  can  one  expect  with  a  woman  like  that  i  At  least,  that's 
what  peoplo  always  aay."  Peggy  made  tlie  meckeal  of  proK^ts 
onainst  vernacular  currencies  of  apecch.  "Did  you  tind  out  any 
more  almut  thwn  after  the  beer-jug  business  t" 

"Very  little.  I  bad  a  talk  with  tbe  man  one  day.  As  for  the 
woman,  I  let  her  do  Ibe  Studio  out  because  there  was  no  ou«  eUii — 

41 


J 


49 


AUCE-FOR-SUORT 


i 


but  she  was  awful!     Quite  unsteady.     And  the  Entell  of  spirit 
eoough  to  mnki^  one  sick!     Rhc  told  me  n  great  nuiny  times 
ehe  had  had  thirteen  children " 

"Ob."  wiid  Pegg>-.    "Thirteen!" 

" — -and  that  she  niid  bcr  husband  had  been  unfortunate,  an 
oDRic  down  in  life.     I  thougbt  alie  waa  b'>iiie>  ftud  <hat  neither  all 
nor  he  could  ever  have  been  respectable  tradespeople.     But  I  aup- 
po!M!  lame  of  it  wan  true  bcenitsc  the  nuin  told  tlie  snine  storv."        J 

"What  did  Afl  Bar?"  1 

"Sai'i  ihi-y  hud  huti  n  very  good  shop — a  good  long  while  back — 
in  Camden  Town,  and  that  her  father  had  beeu  very  well  oS — a 
lioi'iiaed  victualler,  which  I  supposr  is  ii  public-house  kt-epei^ 

"1  suppose  so.    Perhaps  that  would  account  for  it." 

"For  what  r 

"For  the  woman  being  such  an  awful  drunken  wretch  as  yoif 
describe.    Because  it  seems  so  odd  that  any  woman  who  had  been 
the  least  respi^tablc,  or  able  to  read  and  write,  should  slip  down 
to  llio  level  of  a  St.  Giles's  druukard.     However,  I  nuppiiite  drink 
is  enough  to  account  for  anything."    Mr.  Oharlea  seemed  to  aceeptJfll 
this  witJi  reseiration.  ^S 

"There  was  a  good  deal  wanted  accounting  for  in  this  case,"  he 
said  after  a  pause  "Because  her  language  didn't  suggest  a  n>- 
speolsble  tradesman's  wife,  drunk  or  sober.  However,  they  told 
me  the  same  talo  at  the  big  Clothier's  shop  where  they  kni-w  him — 
be  told  mo  and  I  asked.  Their  Mr.  Abraham  would  have  done 
unythiitg  to  help  the  man,  and  in  faet  liad  got  places  for  his  sons — 
only  it  wasn't  any  u»e — really  they  were  best  off,  when  tliey  were 
out  of  c«»h.  and  couldn't  spond  it  on  drink.  Here's  the  Oovemor, 
coming  at  last  I    I  can  bear  him  humming  on  the  landing." 

Mr,  Cbfirltr*  wus  reclining  in  an  Austrian  bent-wood  chair  on 
one  fide  of  the  fire,  with  his  sister's  arms  fitted  round  his  nock  from 
behiud  as  she  It^aiied  on  the  chnir-baek.  "The  little  thing  scenu 
rather  a  poppet,"  said  she.    "Only  to  silent!" 

"you'd  be  uleut.  Peg,  if  the  Governor  hud  Bmaahed  your 
mother's  bead  and  piioncd  himself,  overnight." 

"1  don't  know!  It  might  make,  me  loquacious.  But  you'ro  a 
di-ar  lioy- — only  always  doing  mad  things.    Tbeni'n  the  rarthquak*." 

The  earthquake  was  the  Governor  ooming  downstairs.  His  six- 
teen stone,  or  thereaboutjt,  didn't  prvveiit  an  almost  brisk  descent; 
ttod,  though  slippers  only  were  involved,  it  shook  the  house,  and 
seemed  to  lead  up  naturally  to  acres  of  broadcloth,  pounds  of  fcold 
vrnlch-tackle,  old-fashioned  seals  thereon  that  seemed  tA  murmur 
responsibility,  and  a  powerful  nosL-bndge  made  for  a  powerful 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


43 


jtoIiJ-rimrDet]  iloaMe  cyegluiui  tbal  catlt-i)  uloud  for  a  sulMtaatial 
liAir-cluiin  «»  »  birthriKhl,  aii<l  would  have  foomcd  nnj-thioir  thxty. 
Il  made  you  think,  as  you  looknl  at  it,  of  itii  uwiwt'h  belauoe  at  tha 
Bank— with  it]>  oslra  bit  on  tbc  li>ft.  the  8aiuo  iii  both  I  This 
weupoti,  a  formidablo  u»<!  fur  uM>  on  fioanlii  of  Din^tors  and 
Conusittcce.  was  in  its  scabbard  as  tho  earthquake  oiitered  tba  , 
nam  and  caught  up  the  l&tt  word  of  the  vunveraaliou  with 
GXprcse  view  of  taking  no  notice  of  it.  He  alwaye  did  this,  VctatT^ 
taid.  and  itrefixwt  it  with  tht?  word  Hvy! — from  thn-v  to  fivi-  timc«, 
Tbi*  time  it  war  tho  latter. 

"Hey — liey!  Ht-y — liey — hoyf!— Atwnya  doing  mad  thingat-^ 
Ilejl — Who's  been  doinjr  mad  thinits?     Whfil'H  this  under  herel 

Kidn«T«,  hm!  hm!    And  poadu-d  ifig^.    Anil Dou'i  care  fo 

iny  of  'emi  Pbillimore !''  (this  was  tbc  respectable  mau  Alice  8M 
in  the  (MBsaicv),  "gvt  an:  a  mvouo-  onurlfrtlo,  and  tell  cciuk  to  look' 
■htrp.  I  can't  wait.  Got  to  be  in  Lotbbury  by  fire  minutes  to 
cteren."  And  Hr.  Ileatli  Svniiir  biiring  gouc  through  nn  <i>itmdo 
lif  salutation  from  his  sou  and  daughter  (not  without  dctwrtion 
of  ■  flaw  bj  the  latter.  "Sbaving-sosp,  as  usual.  Pappy  dear^),  be- 
gan faia  breakfast  on  a  targt?  Htack  of  letters  that  awaited  him.  HoxX 
of  tfaesp  he  pU)ibcd  unread  into  pockets  that  liad  a  mynteriuus 
tbsurboiit  power,  some  Iwr  nicrrly  flung  towards  tho  fiirplace,  and 
took  na  further  interest  in.  I'billimore  picked  ibvm  up  and  plaued 
Ihum  recpectfully  on  the  Kiil^buard.  ilis»  Elli-n  winhcd  nil  circu- 
lars kept,  was  his  explanation.  But  after  elimination  of  super- 
fluities, there  still  remainu]  letters  raough  to  laot  through  brrak- 
fast,  and  Hr.  Heath's  thumb  paused  iu  the  envelope  of  tlie  first 
of  tfacae,  as  aoon  aa  it  felt  <-onfidcnl  of  its  rip,  in  order  that  its 
owner  mW>t  make  a  remark. 

"Shouldn't  kiss  upside  down.  Peg!  It'a  unlucky.  Hey.  what! — 
Pour  me  out  my  coffee,  my  child — not  too  much  milk— j'ca.  larm 
himpa.  Wb'-n-'ai  ell  ilut  rc*t  <if  them?"  But  ho  rippcil  up  hi* 
letter,  and  didn't  wail  for  an  ancwer  to  the  <iuestion.  The  first  part 
at  hia  «pccch  will  be  rx]>lainol  to  a  ahrrwd  n-nd<'r  by  n  refcri-ncc  to 
particnlarv  in  the  narrative  at  the  moment  Mr.  Charles  heard  hia 
father  on  the  lauding,  'ii'ms  Peggy  didn't  know  it  was  uolucky; 
so  she  said. 

"Tley  to  bp  airn;!  Of  eourac  it'*  unlucky,  Evcryhody  kDow«| 
that. — Well.  Charley  boy.  how's  the  Fine  Arts!"  And  then  with- 
out waiting  for  an  answer,  "flow'n  the  Bnynl  Acndomy !— how's  the 
moiiit  water-colours  in  lub«1 — how'a  the  lay-figures! — liow's  the 
easels? — how's  the  landscapes  with  Cattle) — hovr's  the  Portraits 
of  Uer  Uajealy  walkin'  on  the  sJopes)"    But  thew  QBi^ftu'wft  ^«va 


44 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


not  lUMtionit  in  the  ontinarr  Aonsu,  bcins  only  intmiled  to  «Unv 
the  (UBparafrini;  attitude  of  a  superficial  observer  who  accpptrd  hit 
own  oxnltiaioii  from  Ui«  Comniunton  of  Puints  willingly,  on 
Bu»n.>  of  mor«  important  cnjiaffvmpQts  in  otb^  frocmasntirioi 
Tlipy  appi-ariMl  to  lay  strma  on  un  impliv»tio[i  thut  iiliullow  infor 
niiiliui)  naa  its  owner's  clioioe;  prct-omniecieucc  faavitiK  decided  that 
cnlighlcnnifnt  woiili)  not  h<^  wortli  hiring. 

"Weill"  said  Charles.  "The  Landacapra  with  Cattle  havcQ't  soti 
on  much  tliis  last  <ln.v  or  twu,  and  tlie  Portrait  of  Her  Majcsty'fl:[ 
btbindhand,"  But  if  he  meant  by  this  to  auggeet  further  enquiry 
to  his  fathfir,  and  to  proroko  his  interest  in  thi>  Recent  orviita,  liu 
was  iDiHtakeR.  For  the  lalier  only  said  three  times:  "Her — 
Majcstyl  Her— Majfuty!  Ilct^-¥«JMty !"  And  then  mldwl 
refleetirely;  "Ah — well!  We're  all  very  fine  people.  Aren't  we, 
Pussy-Cat  t"  So  Charluit  got  no  chuuoc  that  tinio  of  diitburtk-ning 
liinisplf  of  his  secret. 

Then  followed  au  irruption  of  the  remaiuder  of  the  family,  every 
onn  (if  whom  inKolcnil;  included  hiit  prrdfcejMoni  in  a  reroaik 
which  each  made  on  coming  In — "I  soy,  how  awfully  late  we  orof 
The  oub'  exoeptiou  was  Mi^  Kllen.  the  youngest,  who  said  instonil, 
"An"  tlie  ndvrrti semen ts  kni>tl  Am  you  quito  mire  theac  ore  all. 
Phillimoiet  Vee — Mamma's  coming  down.  I'll  have  tea  and  put 
fho  susar  in  myself." — If  ynu  think  a  minute  you  will  probably 
recollect  haviint  liPiinl  equully  frugraenlury  conversation  from 
younn  Indies  even  more  than  thirteen  years  old. 

A  ofriiitn  enthusiasm  about  breakfoiit,  and  on  indiipoaition  of 
the  breakers  to  be  in  too  Rreat  a  hurry  to  decide  what  form  it  was 
to  take,  combinitl  with  reviews  on  tho  part  of  eseli  of  all  the 
courses  open  to  them,  made  the  introduction  of  Charles  and 
Peggy's*  denouemfiit  dtfficull,  Beudes.  the  youngt-r  membew  of 
the  family  and  the  Governess,  Mis*  IVthcrinRton,  had  been  at  the 
play  last  night,  and  a  fierce  di^ussion  ensued  almui  the  heroiiie. 
However,  there  was  Mamma  enmins  down.  An  opening  was  sure 
to  occur  now  for  the  natural  iwlroijuction  of  Alice, 

Woto  you  evipr  in  a  situation  in  which,  while  you  wished  par- 
ticularly to  apeak  of  something  that  inlereated  you  grcMtly,  you 
were  made  to  feel  the  full  force  of  other  people'*  preoccupation  f 
Charles  Heath  almost  wished  he  had  come  aeldomer  to  faraakfaHt 
with  hiii  family.  If  he  hail  )>ern  a  rarer  occurrenco  some  ono  would 
bare  been  sure  Co  say,  "What  brlnfcs  you  here  this  time?"  It  had 
been  ao  «'Ji»y  to  give  th«  wholi-  story  to  Peggy  on  the  stairs,  and 
to  aecure  her  Immediate  sympathy,  but  how  on  earth  to  oet  about 
)     Wlint  could  be  done,  with  his  father  well  behind  tli6 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 


45 


Tiinta  newapaper.  hurtcii  in  the  Money  Column,  unci  only  making  i 
iDrK^rwionif  to  slight   riTriiili>s"inciiy|  at  bn-idkfHiit.  *ucfa  lU.  "Only 
half  a  «up,  miu^!    Aitd  not  too  much  sutrar";  and  all  this  while 
the  fa«t   and   fiiriotis  dincuiuiion  oi  Caniiibulism,  on  whicli  tlio 
int«t«9it  of  ihe  Prohleio  Play  of  the  evening  before  had  turned. 

IfowcTpr,  tho  initjftitic  ruHtli^  of  an  approuvbitig  J^Iamma  rli- 
rnaxed,  and  Chart**  felt,  as  he  kissed  her.  and  rfie  said,  "Why, 
Cbarlmf    Whm  did  yoti  oomer'  that  flopc  wajt  on  thi;  horixon. 

"But  I  do  not  see" — this  with  denunciatory  emphu^iit  {roni  Ellen 
tfa«  youngcid— "I  do  not  kt,  and  I  never  shall  src,  why  a  Cannit 
aboiiM  not  aumy  hU  l}i>u(.-aM^  Wife's  SxaUt  proviilail  hi!  hn 
eat«H  his  lir^t  vntv."  For  no  1cm  difficult  and  intricate  a  questioii 
than  IliLi  bad  artM-n  from  the  discuiuiou  of  tliL-  pruvtoiui  liruiiiift's 
•alert  ainnwnt. 

"Hj-  di«r  Ellen,"  aaya  her  mother,  in  tonea  of  digniScd  reproach, 
"vAat  is  all  this  noiml" 

"TPell,  Mamma.  it"«  all  teiy  wi-11.  but " 

But  her  moih«r  threw  so  decided  a  tone  of  moral  influence  into 
W  next  "Uy  doart"  that  Ellen  stibsidcd.  She  left  an  iuipreasioa 
on  her  brotlier'e  mtnd  that  ttlu;  reoardvd  somehow  tluit  them  was  ■ 
low  ii  she  H>  much  as  epoko.  It  may  have  been  said  mtto-viKe. 
A  lall  «n«icd,  untl  Cliarlo  Ix'^un  to  nee  hi*  way  to  possibilities. 

"There's  been  a  very  b«d  job  down  at  the  Studio^-^"  he  bc^n. 
But  lie  sot  no  ftirtlivr. 

"One  nwment.  my  dear."  said  his  mother.  "I'll  hear  you  di- 
rectly.   I  am  obligi'd  to  Kpr«k  to  Phillinwirr." 

But  before  Phtllimore  cuuld  be  aaaiiaited.  Me.  Ileatfa  Senior  sud- 
denly drcidnl  that  ho  had  now  Mym  t)ic  Timtf  lliin  mi>niing.  ntid 
wxd  see  ibem  no  more.  So  be  folded  his  newspaper  with  a  niiichty 
mstlins  on  to  iho  top  of  a  cold  (ongui;,  and  looked  reitolua-ly  at 
hid  walcb.  But  even  aa  he  kept  his  eye  firmly  ilxed  on  it,  aa 
though  he  sunpectfid  it  <if  meaning  to  go  wrong  at  that  parliciilar 
monwnt,  be  ejiuwed  tliat  he  had  been  keeping  his  eye  also  on  the 
oouvetsation,  with  a  view  to  ignoring  it  in  diitail  latt;r  on. 

"Hey!"  said  he.  "\Yhafg  it-allabout*  Why-y-y-y  shouldn't  a 
Cannibal  marry  hi*  DwxmsKsd  Wife'*  SiniiTJ" 

"Provided  be  liasu't  eaten  bis  first  wife,"  outa  in  Ellen.— "TJow 
do  say  I'm  riKht.  I'apnl" 

"ftliy-y-y  shouldn't  a  Cannibal  marry  his  Decensed  Wife's  Sis- 
ter I  Provided  Iw  hasn't  eatfn  hi"  first  wifa.  llej-)  That'n  it,  i* 
itt  Wby-y  aliouldn't  ..."  And  &o  on  da  rapo.  with  an  air  of 
judicial  weight,  .^nd  Ellen  made  hnlpI)-«<  uppcal  to  the  Publie. 
"Oh  dear!     I^n't  Papu  ajtgrarating !"     Wbidi  be  oeTl&\\i!^  ■«%%. 


«  ALICE-FOB-SnORT 

And  none  thtr  ln>9  so  becaiiE«  he  contintiH  to  )Kicp  hi*  o^e 
hix  ivatch.  as  the  tton-lamer  on  a  poesibljr  rebelltoua  lion.    It 
grild  Iiuntiii^-wntrli  n-ilh  a  H(),  nml  ax  «oon  «,»  H*  ownnr  conn' 
^rcyl  it  voiil<I  fco  aloiiK  safi^Iy,  bo  lihut  tliis  <)omi  u'illi  a  anap. 
miiHt  he  off."  Hiiid  lie,  with  tJii;  lri;ti<rhnnt  (WiHion  of  one  wbo  hn« 
made  up  bU  mind.    But  be  waa  intercepted  and  outflanked  at 
door. 

"1  only  want  jurt  one  word  with  you  before  you  ko.  my  dear, 
unid-his  wifi-,  mi-ckly.  Mrs.  llcjilh'w  dcadlin't  wwiponK  worp  ntrc'-k' 
jit'SB  and  pnlicnce.  She  wielded  them  with  diabolical  dexterity; 
and  Khnwcd.  in  ndriiDCP  and  nrtn'sit,  tbi;  nctirity  of  »  Ooxsnok. 
Her  husband  tnude  a  weak  protest  on  this  oocasioo:  but  the  fact 
that  Mrs.  llcfilh  should  hnvi-  spiikcn  iHrfore  aenncd  a  men'  mnrul 
lua.iim  wlifu  eonfroiited  wiih  the  praelieal  truth  that  she  eould 
not  niaJ:c  herself  hoard,  backed  by  a  certain  Bsitiiinpticin  of  fniliiro 
of  voice  after  stentorian  efTorts.     **l  cannot  get  Quiel,"  said  tiie 

([ood  lady.     "And  I  KPt  no  heljj ''     Mr.  TTcnth  kntiw  perfectly 

wcl!  when  his  wife's  iiuinner  portended  heart-failure;" so  he  sur- 
rendered at  discretion.     Especially  (is  an  nitcmpi  on  his  pnrt  to 
t'el  till!  comraunitation  mndi-  iiudi-r  pn-saure,  by  hinliii«;  that  fibe 
must  look  alive,  aa  the  City  was  yawning  for  him,  ended  in  hor^ 
tjikins  n  chair  to  draw  brt-iith  on.  ^| 

"Very  well  now,  that's  enough  1"  was  Mr.  Heath  Senior's  final  con- 
clnsion  aa  he  i^icapiNl  aftiT  Iho  just  one  word  tisd  spun  out  to  M.—^. 
hundred,  or  even  a  thousand.     Charles  Heath  and  his  sieter  es>fli 
chanjznd  lookti,  to  the.  offtict  that  communications  to  tliat  quarter  niuiiC^'' 
stand  over.    However,  the  more  important  parent,  tbe  really  influ- 
entiiil  executive,  rcmninrd.    .She  rpH-nlcrrd  the  breakfast  scene  with 
the  comuieul.  "I  ulwayH  know  it's  that,  when  your  father's  atten- 
tion goe*  wandering  and  I  enn't  get  him  1"  listen  for  oiio  momcnl." 

"Alwaya  know  it's  what.  Mammy  dear!"  asked  iier  son.  And 
the  replied,  briefly,  "Liver."  Cbarica  thoufdtt  be  had  got  his 
opportunity. 

"I've  boon  wanting  to  tell  you  about  this  awful  business  I*: 
night  at  the  Studio^^" 

".\nothcr  time,  my  dear  Chnrlos.  6ecau»e  that  can  wait. 
mu*t  write  now  to  Lady  Wycherly  Watkins  to  say  your  fatlier  can't" 
oak*  it  the  twenty-fourth.  And  it's  the  second  time  we've  put 
them  o9.  And  you  can  see  what  difficidtiea  T  have  with  your 
filtber."  A  mnraiur  that  followed  gave  Charles  the  inipreswion  that 
his  mother  had  said,  "Four  grains  nf  Blue  Pill,"  in  apposition  to 
nothing  whateviT.  Re  etiggesited  that  I'cgKy  could  write  to  Lady 
w-»hcTly  Watkins,  and  Peggy  said,  "Of  coune  1  eau.    It's  only 


I 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


<7 


\o  say  you  can't  go  on  the  twenty-fourth—/  knoir "    Bi 

mother  dropped  her  banda  ou  h<-r  lay  with  patient  dnipair. 
deftrl"  she  said,  in  n  voiw  that  Imrmonisptl  with  the  acition.  "oh,  if 
jOQ  vrould  oa]y  b*  quiet  one  iiiunu.-nl  and  let  aic  uriuagd. — Il'a 
alwajra  harry,  hurry,  hurry  I'"  Aflrr  nug^stitms  of  amonded  styl 
P«SST  ndjourncd  to  write  tli«  letter,  followed  hy  her  m»thL'r*a 
meekly  triumphant  "You  eco  1  can  ixvfcctly  well  arraoAv,  if  ynu'll 
only  Irt  HM-."  Then  Cliarle*.  Wiup  also  encouratti^  '>y  "  lull  lo 
breakfast,  nhich  thoiifcli  rcinfor»?d  by  very  Late  stragglers  was  now 
drawing  ti>  u  e!<i!M>,  thought  hi'  would  try  again: 

"1  really  should  like.  Mother  dear,  to  tell  you  about  this  dreadful 
affair  nt  i)k!  SiikUo.    Tou  know  thooe  two  piK)]ilt!  who  wtTm  caro-i 
tokiofr  at  ihe  bottom  of  the  house— who  had  the  little  girl  that* 
hrokf  the  jiig !" 

"Vea — my  dear  Charles,    Go  on— I'm  listening,    I  can  do  thUj. 

too,  whilo  I  listen.    Littlu  girl  that  broke  the  jug ^    And  Urcl 

Heath  marks  off  items  in  a  lif^t.  and  now  nnil  then  murmurs  to 
bcrtclf,  "Y«— that's  right."  "No— tlial  oufrht  to  bo  s  six."  "I 
must.  aiJc  Partridjte  about  the  pillow-eases'' — and  bo  on. 

"They  seem  to  bavi-  luid  a  drunken  qiinrri'l.  mid  tho  man  Atruek 
hia  wif«  ou  tuT  bead  with  a  bic  bflimner  that  had  beeu  used  to 
break  tltc  coal  with — 


'  But  t'harfeE's  method  was  not  dcxteroufl, , 
n<!  ahould  hare  said,  "I  want  to  tell  you  about  the  murder  ond 
suicide  last  night,"  and  then  he  might  have  procured  a  heuriug.' 
As  it  wax,  his  mother  creased  the  current  of  his  story  with  a  demand 
for  Phillimore,  whose  '*Yes,  Madam,"  in  resjwiise,  was  nwt  with. 
"No,  it'll  nothing!  I  euii  do,"  followed  by.  "Yes.  my  dear.  I  heard 
you: — Big  hammer  that  waa  used  to  break  (he  eoal  with. — Wtiat  is 
it.  Partridge  t"  For  Partriiigo  was  tagiiieeriiig  Dp[iroiiohi-s  in  a 
titntatiTe  way. 

"All  ri«ht.  Mother!"  said  Charles,  hauling  down  his  flag.    "Itll 
do  another  lime  just  as  well!"    And  hia  mother  replied  with  resijr- 
nation,  "Well — pcrhap*  it  vould  be  Uaier,  my  dear.    Preaently., 
Tea.  Partridge  f'~ And  Charles  departed  to  capture  his  sist«r,  th 
they  might  go  together  to  have  a  look  at  Alice,  whom  lhi»  hintory ' 
auppodes  at  this  moment  to  liarc  been  coiiliniially  eating  breakfast 
in  Mrs.  Partridge's  room. 

Porlridge.  the  gag  being  removed,  says  she  "wished  to  speak 
about  the  little  girl."  And  then  rejieats,  "The  little  girl,  ila'am." 
"What  little  girl.  Partridgi-*"  aaked  her  mistress. 

"Mr,  CliarWs  little  girl.  Ma'am." — This  is  in  an  of-counw-you- 
know  kind  of  voice— and  Partridge  went  on — "I  thought.  Ma'am.  I 
o'jght  to  mention  to  you  iJiat  the  child  seems  fftt  itom  '«dA,  »n.\\ 


4S 


ALICE-FOR-SHORr 


bos  e*.Urn  almfl.tt  nothing.     Not  tbnt  I  suppOM  it  to  be  nn^ihii 

iiifoclioHS — but  even  measles "    Partridge  interrupted  herself  ' 

•ny,  "HowpviT,  I  have  not  nllowcil  any  one  else  in  thr  rrtom. 
thoueht  you  would  wi«b  it.'*  And  Oien  hesitates,  in  growing  iluubt, 
nt  nn  rxpn-jtiion  in  Mrs.  IIi'uth*it  fare,  which  increosca  as  its  pro* 
prielcir  mIs  more  and  more  umjeBttcall.v  upriKht. 

"Pmy    rxplHtn,     Partridge!       Mr. — Charles's — little — girl " 

The  last  four  words  come  in  instalments,  with  an  accent  on  the 
firrt  KyltablcJt  of  the  first  three, 

"I  heg  your  pardon.  Ma'ant,  I  thought  you  knew."  And  then 
Mr«.  I'artridttv.  beinR  a  shrewd  woman,  perceives  that  th«  first 
caaential  of  her  own  puHition  is  llint  thf  little  girl  Hball  be  talked 
about  between  her  mistr«is  and  herself,  with  a  view  to  a  »oiind  foot- 
ing of  coufidpniH?  ill  which  t^ven  a  l(rtn|n>rary  ostracism  of  Mr. 
Charles  or  Miss  TIeath  might  be  warrantable,  for  purposes  of  irta- 
hility.  So  shi-  fortliwith  gives  all  parlieulars  of  the  eu^e  as  known 
to  herself;  and  they  arc  listened  to  with  an  expression  of  mut« 
sdf-<K>mniand.  rigbteonaly  dumbfounded,  but  reserving  sevtre 
comment  for  judicial  maturity.  WTicn  Partridge  bos  waded 
through  her  prose  ri>i(^ — which  kIic  prolong"  as  much  as  possible 
from  the  feeling  (^ared  by  almost  all  of  us,  perhaps)  that  any 
circumstantial  narnitive  of  cvcntK  apolugim.'^  for  the  share  we 
have  bad  in  th«n — alio  is  still  conscious  of  not  having  qui;*  suc- 
ceeded in  rraehing  a  sound  footing,  and  adds  after  a  moment's 
silence — "I  slioiild  have  eomc  at  onoe  to  yoa,  Ma'am,  only  1  sup- 
po«ed — -"  and  ftops. 

"I  flin  no(  stirpristsl  that  you  should  not  have  told  me.  Part- 
ridge. But  I  am  surprised  that  I  was  not  told — I  ought  to  hare 
beeu  told." 

And  Mrs.  Heath  entrenches  herself  in  a  dignified  rescnrc,  whiefa 

elicits  a  hesitatinj;  '"I'm  sure,  Ua'am ''  from  Partridge;  who, 

however,  tiot  having  quite  made  up  her  mind  what  she  was  sure  of, 
was  not  very  sorry  to  have  her  speech  amputated. 

"1  am  not  alinching  nny  lilnmc  to  you.  Partridge,  in  any  scnoe — 
but  I  feel  that  I  ought  to  have  been  told." 

Wheieiipon  Partridg)-  coughs  expressively  and  sympathetically 
behind  her  hand.  She  endeavours  to  make  this  cough  say,  "1  feel 
that  your  Mm  and  dau^tcr  do  not  recognise  to  tlie  full  your  posi- 
tion in  the  house,  nor  the  weight  of  cares  and  responoibilitit*  that 
beaet  you,  nor  the  udmini strati vc  skill  of  your  domestic  economy; 
but  I  perceive  tliat  tlioy  are  Kuilelei^s,  owing  to  the  purity  of  tlicir 
cxlrairliim;  and  while  willingly  admitting  that  you  ought  to  have 
old,  venture  to  hope  that  a  nio<fu«  vivendi  may  be  discover- 


M 


ALICE-FOE-SHOET 


49 


able,  and  above  all  that  I  maj  be  recognised  as  blamelesa,  and 
remain  always  your  obedient  humble  serrant."  Perhaps  she 
hardly  succeeds  in  making  the  cough  say  all  that,  but  ahe  feels  it 
ires  a  good  and  useful  cough,  as  far  as  it  went. 

And  her  mistress  gathers  up  some  debris  connected  with  respon- 
sibilities, and  goes  majestically  upstairs. 


CHAPTER  VI 


or  now  ALICE  COnLD  NOT  00  MAfK  TO  TATHEB.  hSD  WIIT.  Of  HOW  THl 
DOCTOK  CA«K  TO  ALICE,  ASD  AUCE  DHJN't  liO  TO  AX  ISqUEST.  A.NO 
OF  HOW  IT  CAilB  10  PASS  THAT  AUCB  WAS  KOT  TO  CO  HACK  TO 
UOTUEB 

"Wkh.,  Charley,"  kiihI  his  eisler  when  he  arriTed  in  the  b«A 
dr«wing-n)(«D  lo  look  for  hrr.  "I  hope  you've  got  Msmnia  toWT — 
But  Chsrley  shook  bi»  head  ruffiilly.  And  Pi-ggy  continued: 
"Then,  as  wxin  us  1  have  linisljed  Lady  Wycherly  Watkins,  wo 
hnd  K'll*r  go  down  ami  aee  after  Miss  Alice — she'll  be  getting 
alamipd,  nnil  iJaiiik  we've  dcwrted  her." 

Ladv  Wjohfrl,v  Watkins's  k-tter  will  go  Sy  post  of  iis  own  accord, 
BS  propitinlory  offrriniw  to  brownies  vanish  in  the  nisht  wh<-n  no 
r>nc  is  lookii^g.  So  it  u  left  to  itself,  and  Charlee  follows  F^ggj 
downs  la  Ik. 

When  the  brother  and  "istcr  arrived  in  Mrs,  Partridge's  room,  U»^ 
foiind  Altw  elofle  to  the  door  bs  they  enK-n-d.  prohuhly  because  Mrs. 
I'«rlridRv  had  gone  out  at  it,  rather  than  with  any  idea  of  going 
ojit  beraelf.  She  wan  very  iinw-tllwl  and  (?outd  not  be  oomfortable 
anywher*.  so  the  exit  of  her  last  protwtor  si^ptnpd  «s  (rood  as  ihe 
)H>arth-rug,  in  spite  of  thif  wamilh  of  the  fire.  When  slic  sow  who 
it  wa?,  she  made  for  Charles's  hand  lirst,  and  llieii  (or  Pf^gy's. 
But  slif  didn't  find  her  timjnie, 

"What  a  funny  little  old-fatJiioncrl  thing  rfie  is,  Charley,"  Mid 
hiti  »istiT.  "She  ni'TiT  Kpetik^  but  she  looks  intelligent.  Kiss  me. 
Alice  dear;  that's  right.  She's  a  soft  little  puss,  but  sbo  might 
he  thicker." 

"You  can  talk  fast  enoiijErh,  Alice-for-short,  i-nn't  youl"  sufigoated 
Chnrlfn.  flc  wn«  conHcioiis  that  ho  shonid  like  hi«  protcffiif  to 
iustify  him.  The  only  ajiolo^es  be  could  find  for  hiiDBelf  all 
turned  on  the  fact  (or  the  assumption)  that  no  other  cnune  whs 
open  to  him.  So  vivacity  on  Alice's  part  would  not  have  been 
unwelcome. 

"What's  that  the  little  chick  soya?  Say  it  afaio.  Alice-for* 
short  r' — And  both  brother  and  sister  ^looped  down  to  bear. 
Pf'ggj's  arm  had  gone  hack  round  Charles's  neck  after  being  uaed  to 
kles  Alicc—"Say  it  ogaiiii  dear,"  sntd  sha. 

SO 


ALICE-rORSUOKT 


n 


"Mustn't  I  go  h*t*L  to  fatborl" 

CbarlCT  was  WdinniiiR  to  embark  on  Home  niruc  course  of  > 
»ioii,  with — "Sot  juitt  yet,  Alice  iJeiir'' — wlu-ii  his  sisti-r,  inM-ing  wit 
elL>u«r  visiou  the  nian.v  rocks  abcad,  stopped  him. — "You'l!  only] 
mako  mattcni  wowc,  Churlry  tlMrling."  nhc  xaid.    And  ihim  added,] 
"I  can  do  it  best  alone  if  you  (to.     Bui  he'll  come  back  a^ain,'] 
Alice    dear.      Don't   l*   f rightcnpfl  1" — For    Aliw    hud   shuddered 
li^htur  on  to  the  baud  she  held.    She  wasn't — couUn't  bi — frijtbt- 
pn«l  of  being  left  nion*'  with  thr  btuiutifnl  sister  with  the  soft, 
goldcu  bair  and  alt  ber  wuruith  aud  lifrht;  but  then  tlu-  gi^ntlc 
man  in  speetneleo  wn"  her  originnl  protector,  and  her  connecting 
link  with  father.    But  if  he  was  coming  back,  that  was  all  right, 
sail  of  course  the  Udy  knew. — "You'll  come  and  sit  on  ray  knee  by 
Ihe  fire  till  he  cornea  back,  won't  you.  Aliect    What's  tliat.  denrf 
And  then  ibo  locty  stooped  down  a^ain  to  ii^et  at  Alice's  remark. — 
Tou'ru  loo  higt    No,  d«rl    You're  not  a  bit  too  big.    Cut  nl 
Charlej'.     Conio  back  aa  aoou  as  you  think." — ^Which  appear 
to  be  intellisible,  as  Charley  neeepted  it  and  cut  alonir. 

Alice  wasn't  lou  big  bj-  any  mentia— in  fact  when  her  mother 
had  once  called  her  a  ^eat  hulking  nir)  of  six,  she  waa  onlj  cor- 
leet  abinit  iIm-  numeral.  Tlie  Inily  didn't  Mf-m  to  find  any  difti* 
rulty  about  lakinj;  her  ou  her  knee — in  fact  her  action  seemed  to 
Alice  to  sufiscst  her  kinship  with  the  strong  arm  that  liad  picked 
her  up  oS  the  cold  alonea— only  last  uitcht.  and  it  did  seem  eucb  a 
long  timel  When  she  had  Alice  on  her  kneti  she  felt  ber  forehead 
and  her  hands,  and  tlien  said:  "My  child — I'm  afraid  you're  fever- 
tab." — As  Alice  didn't  know  what  this  meant,  aho  didn't  fee) 
rcApDnaibtc. 

"When  must  I  ro  bock  to  father?"  said  she. 

"Ton  can'l  go  bock  to  father.  Alice  dear,"  said  the  lady,  with  a 
chanfte  of  manner.  Alice  knew  it  was  something  new  and  stran^e^l 
bitt  (he  worda  did  not  carry  their  nieauiiig.  The  only  plaiuibl«n 
explanations  were  that  the  road  was  stopped,  or  that  the  way  would 
bv  iJio  difficult  lo  find  by  facraelf  un<l  no  one  could  come  witli  ber. 
Her  litUe  hot  hands  pulled  uneasily  at  the  hand  they  held,  and  sh« 
tried  to  proMVutu  enquiry,  wondering  all  the  while  wliy  the  lady'* 
eye*  were  fixed  on  her  so  pityingly,  and  surely — yes  1  she  waa  ante  of 
it — ihf  hilly  was  (frying. 

"Alustn'i  the  gentleman  with  spectacles  take  me  back  to  father )" 

"Mustn't  tbii  geittleinau  tute  you  Lack!"  said  Poggy,  imitating^ 
her  childi^  accent.— "No — dear  child!    The  gentleman  can't  tak4^ 
yoB  hack.     Listen,  dear  Alice,  and  I'll  t«ll  you.    If  the  gcntlenia 
took  you  back,  you  wouldn't  find  father," 


52 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


*^ave  ibtj  took  fatbi^  away  to  the  station  I" 

*Ti(o — dear — no  I  Father's  not  none  to  the  stytion," — erhotne 
•eoont  ngnin.  And  n  Tiirictjr  of  dilBoiiltim  pn^nciitcd  tlienisel' 
to  Peggy.  (loing  to  Heaven  was  obviouBl.v  the  standard  rewuros. 
But  it  was  iierhajis  prcsiimpttiDtiK  to  vouch  for  it.  Tlicu,  a  WAak- 
kne«(l  testimony  would  iiitrodin-'e  dieouswon  of  another  place  that 
he  might  hove  gone  to.  Without  Purgotory  to  mnkv  matter*  eaay, 
it  trould  be  much  aafer  to  aliut  the  door  on  the  lion  of  ilell-fire  than 
to  \ft  liim  in  to  fee  if  we  could  t\im  him  out  tigain.  It  was  no 
u§e;  PcKKy  ^a™  that  lu  the  end  ahe  would  have  either  to  give  her 
pcnonnl  vonchcr  for  Mr.  Knvnnngh'n  Knlvation,  or  to  fall  buck 
on  plain  death,  with  extinction.  She  eontd  not  look  a  live  child  in 
the  iafi-  and  afiinti  the  latter,  which  even  a  person  who  knows 
absolutely  nolhiriK  about  the  matter  besilatee  lo  sirear  to. 

Tlier<'  wax  nothing  for  it  but  a  frontal  nttacJc.  Shi-  had  time  to 
organise  her  forces — for  Alice  eat  gazing  at  her,  still  pulling  rest- 
It'.isly  at  her  hand.  She  woa  trying  hard  to  think  where  it  was 
they  said  mother  was  to  be  took  to.  And  slie  was  getting  t-ery 
near  the  Infirmary  by  mnvmlMTring  how  like  she  had  thought  it 
to  a  woni  sh(?  had  heard  Mr.  J trry thought  use  on  the  beer-Jug  occa- 
aion.  It  was,  he  said,  infernally  cold.  If  Alice  could  have  thought 
of  ihia  word  sh*^  woii]<l  have  aaketl  if  father  Intd  gone  to  the 
Infirmary  as  well  as  mother.    But  the  lady  took  her  attention  off. 

"Dear  Alice,  I  am  going  to  tell  you  when-  fKlher  has  gone  aa 
well  as  1  can.  Try  and  think  what  I  mean,  i-'alher  has  gone  to 
Heaven." — Alice  only  looked  at  her  with  large  puulcd  blue  eyes, 
nnd  kept  pulling  uneasily  at  her  hand.  She  was  thinking 
to  bvritelf,  Alien  was,  what  u  Htmng1^  thing  fathrr  should  be  able 
to  go  to  Jieavcn  before  he  was  dead.  Teacher  at  Sunday  School 
had  distinctly  told  her  Ihat  wan  impossible.  And  even  if  you  were 
dead,  you  didn't  go  there  in  any  hurry.  Father  wasn't  ik-ad,  of 
courael  The  lady  would  have  told  her,  or  Mr.  Iteatii  with  tho 
spectacles, 

Alice,  you  »e«,  waa  perfectly  familiar  with  the  fact  of  Death, 
only  she  did  not  grasp  its  application  to  particular  cnaoa.  She 
knew  that  an  elder  sister  of  hem  had  died  and  had  a  funeral;  but 
she  regarded  her  parents  as  entrenched  in  raaturily.  and  certainly 
safe  for  extreme  old  age.  Owing  to  her  early  experience,  her  mind 
coukl  accommodate  a  huge  infant  wortalily,  but  would  bav<!  d<.- 
ntanded  atrung  proof  of  the  death  of  a  real  iirown-up  person.  Coo- 
Beqncntiy,  it  never  occurred  to  lu-r  that  if  such  an  improbablo 
event  as  her  fatbiVB  drnth  were  (o  take  place,  there  would  be 
litatioD  about  teUIog  her.    She  could  not  presume  to  Mt  up 


1 


ALICE-FOK-SUORT  o3 

Teacher**  testimony  a^ainat  thie  I)eflutifu]  U^s  autWitr,  but  she 
Mtild  rftiee  collateral  iysucs,  nnd  prrhapM  got  a  Hidolight  on  b«r 

"Hurt  mother  bo  thoie  toot"  ithc  «»kpd.  Am)  Peggy,  having 
cMnmitted  Herw-lf  Id  the  salvaliuii  of  one  perfect  straiigi-r,  not 
farourably  known  by  report,  thoiiicht  nh<?  might  iixlutgi?  in  anothw. 
Aftrr  all.  it  win.  no  falsur  to  (ay  fifty  plwpl(^  luiiln'l  goni'  to  Udl 
than  to  Esy  it  of  one.  No  number  of  empty  purses  n-iil  make  vp 
*  won-rfign. 

"Not  yet,  Alice  dear.  Mother  isn't  dead.  We  hope  to  hear  that 
na<tfaer  in  g<!tling  quitr  wi'U  ut  thu  Infirmary." — Did  wc*  Wt-li! — 
we  vere  not  enthusiastic-,  but  we  would  hope  a  litlle,  grudgingly. 

"ThcD  father  i*  Acad"  Maid  Alic<?,  with  n  miiidity  of  nyllogism 
that  took  Pegie^  aback.  As  she  folded  the  child  iu  her  arms,  and 
kif»od  iK^r,  Mbr  f«lt  how  the  litili?  thing  trembled  and  shook. — 
"Yes  "  ehe  said.  "Poor  little  Alice  1  Father  ia  dead,"— But  she 
could  not  iK«  her  way  to  vcrbnl  unlace.  8h<'.  Miid  to  her  brother 
after:  "At  any  rate  1  didn't  talk  oonsolalorj-  to  her.  I  equeeicd 
the  poor  baby  up  close  and  let  her  cry  quietly." — 

A  hunuin  poitlticv  ia  the  he^  curw  for  a  bn>ken  heart.  Alice 
clang  tightly  to  hers,  and  felt  that  it  was  good.    But  poor  father  I 

As  Peggy  sat  counting  Alice's  sobs,  which  cAme  at  regular  inter- 
rals,  ami  wotidiTring  whpii  t'horlcy  would  rc-jippc-nr,  she  noticed 
ihat  breakfast-samples,  at  choice,  aeemed  1o  haTo  been  eubmitted 
to  .Alici,-,  and  not  appreciated.  She  reflected  that  six  years  old, 
however  much  it  may  be  harassed.  greiMrrally  bun  nn  appetite,  and 
fch  al«o  tliat  her  Upfiil  was  very  hot  and  had  a  high  pulse.  She 
waa  not  sorry  when  she  heard  from  afar  a  Miiiid  like  Oonvw-ation 
coming  downKtBiR<.  nnd  waa  conscious  that  it  was  accompanied  by 
an  ArchbitJiop,  in  the  person  of  her  mother.  Thin  might  lie  trouble* 
some,  but  after  ull  tbc!  ]i(K>it.ion  reiiiiircd  clearing  up. 

*Ti'e«.  my  dear  Charles."  thus  Uie  voice  of  the  Archbishtip.  "I 
mtirely  understand  sll  that.  But  what  1  say  i«.  and  I  say  it  again, 
— is.  that  I  ought  to  have  been  told.  Had  I  been  told,  I  coiJd  have 
arranged.  A*  it  is,  I  am  sorry.  But  you  must  yourself  see,  it  has 
luien  impoMitf*  for  me  to  arrange.  If  you  doubt  whut  /  say,  auk 
Partridge.  Partridge  knows  what  n  boune  like  this  is,  and  the 
difficiilty  of  arranging " 

i'eggf  rannnt  hear  Partridge's  tolto^voce,  but  appreciates  its 
value  aa  a  reinforewiieut  to  her  Principal.  She  guessra  that  it 
turns  on  the  incompetence  of  youth,  especially  when  male,  to  form 
any  opinion  whalevef  about  the  burduna  and  ieHpOQBl.\>l^iX\iA  ''^)».^. 


J 


64 


ALICE-FOR-SnOET 


fnll  to  the  lot  of  Archbifihopd;  and  that  it  filanc«  slii|i4)tl,T  at 
rfiutiiiiMs  with  which  Master  Ch»lc*  aind  hiw  liltp  would  acknowl 
edffo  thcimM.']vi!a  uiiataken  about  «*«mhiufc  if  th«r  euddenl^ 
chiingied  idrntitj  with  thrir  mother,  or  her  hoawk«c]>cr,  and  bad 
to  form  Miuare  to  receive  Ui«  Wash,  and  the  TradsBpeopIe,  and 
Cook.  Pteay'9  imaginntion  filled  thin  in  spcculstiTety,  but  h«r 
cnm  lipflrd  only  a  trtiiicated  peroration,  of  which  the  muturitj 
miiihi  liiivc  tnkpn  thn  form  of  n  tntimonial  to  tho  soodncss  of 
MitfltiT  Charles's  heart.  It  related  to  eometbiuji:  iinpredaive  that 
I'artridffc  always  did  mi,v,  and  always  would  Miy,  but  which  on 
(hilt  p«rti<mlar  occasion  she  failed  to  saj,  its  relevance  not  sus* 
tniiiins  itwlf  after  thi'  mtry  »f  tho  conclaro  into  the  room  wbcra^ 
Mias  Ptggy  sat  with  Alice  on  her  lap.  ^ 

"I'm  mirc  this  poor  liilli-  thing  in  vrry  ill.  Mamma,"  Prggy  wid, 
with  perfect  confidence  in  Iter  mother's  kindness  of  heart,  even 
when  her  inclividiinliticH  witt  mont  <x>nt<piciiouii.  That  Indy.  how- 
ever, was  not  inclined  to  give  up  her  strong  jwiat.  and  placed  it 
on  rpourd  o^in  m  aho  stooped  omr  th«  child  and  felt  her  hands 
and  forehead.  _ 

"Tluit,  mf  d«ar,  is  only  the  more  reason  why  I  should  have  beeoH 
told.     I  could  have  arruuKuL     Aa  it  In  now,  vm  munt  lisvn  Dr. 
Peyne  to  sec  her — or  if  he  isn't  there  we  must  hare  Dr.  Hera." — 
And  Charley  imyH  he'll  go  and  oec  about  it  at  ouoe,  and  leaves 
the  room. 

When  he  had  gotiu.  iho  UAiieritiea  of  tlu^  trituation  acknowledged 
tho  force  of  a  living  patient,  and  allowed  tbenisetves  to  be  smoothed 
over.  Alit'e  w«»  evidently  on  the  (>(lg<;  of  u  high  fever,  or  eonie- 
Ihiiig  vTry  like  it.  With  her  antecedents,  it  might  be  anything 
iiifectioua  ond  brrrifying.  Mrs.  Purtridgi^  and  her  miatnKW  thought 
of  all  the  worst  things  they  could  think  of.  Lung  and  tbro4it  com- 
pluinta  were  ineligibli!  for  want  of  symptoms;  but  sickening  for 
ntnallpox  and  scarlet-fever  were  very  popular— niid  bmin-fnvpr. 
oome  in  a  guud  thinl.  It  wtui  rutlii-r  diHuppointing  aftt-r  piUug  up) 
tbs  agony  to  this  point  to  have  i)r,  Payne  come  in  and  say, 
"Smallpox  and  M?urlet- fever — MtuR  and  nonsense  I  Child's  a  bit] 
favcrish — been  ovcr-excited.  Brain-fovcrt  Children  never  hnv«] 
brain-fever — not  when  the  bnun'«  lu-althy.  No  such  tiling  as  brain-J 
(ererl  All  Imngination  of  scribblers.  No— no!— give  her  some-] 
thing  quiet  and  moling,  and  make  her  sleei>.  She'll  be  all  right 
twentyfimr  hours." 

"How  about  llie  inquest,  doctor?"  says  Charles.    For  it  iipiieare< 
not  only  hiniMtf  and  Jeff,  but  even  Alice,  was  wanted  to  J 
-"Surely  she  oughtn't  to  go  out." 


ALICE-FOK-SHORT 


Si 


"Oh  00 ! — c^  not — of  ootirw  not.    Child  like  ihat!    There's  no 
doubt  about  the  facU>,  I  suppoxer' 
"Not  the  alijrfiteat" 

"Thrrn  1  don't  vet--  vhat  thry  want  with  witnraxnk"  Au<I  then 
ibe  doctor,  who  had  been  taltciiiic  exaclly  like  a  human  creature, 
Kuddcniy  bccjimf!  pro fi-wti oral  nffoin — "Xo!  Quite  iinpoiaihlc  to 
proDouDce— caM  of  this  sort — eynipioms  haven't  declared  thcin- 
•rhfw* — cnur  for  cnutinn — I  for  ono  wouldn't  tako  tl«'  rcapouaibiUty 
of  sajicliouing  eteetera." — And  what  Dr.  Payne  would  not  Minction 
vmmcd  to  be  anything  and  everything  tliat  win*  not  welcome  to 
Bfde  Park  Oardens.  Anyhow,  the  result  was  that  Aliee  was  put 
into  s  bed  a*  beautiful  as  anydiiog  you  can  »**•■  through  plate 
glosa  in  Tottenham  Court  Road,  and  a  feather  mattrcM  you 
Mtnaahed  down  into  m  th»t  thf  phrase  to  lie  on  it  sc^mcfl  inap- 
plicable altogether.  But  tlui  child  wua  too  bewildered  and  unhappy, 
apart  from  the  number  of  rfcgrw*  of  fewr,  whatever  thry  wen-,  to 
bo  able  to  enjoy  it  properly.  Shi^  acqiiit-Bced  in  everythiiiR  and 
held  tight  on  to  Slitm  Pvftcy  whenever  posfiibl)-.  KiK-ognition  of 
I  what  bad  happened  to  father  waa  fitting  less  and  Ictts,  m  her 
I  power  of  makiuA  head  or  tail  of  anything  diminished. 
^^m  Shp  wax.  hovrcvcr,  equal  to  obiwrving  oni;  or  two  tliingit  of  Inter- 
^^BI  before  a  disaitreeable  period  came  on  in  which  it  would  bnvo 
^(been  difficult  to  nay  wliich  w«»  Teacher  and  which  van  i!i*«  P<!ggy, 
which  was  Pussy  and  which  waa  that  fuitiiy  Parrot  tn  the  par^ 
lour.  She  w«»  alive  to  the  fact  tlmt  Mr.  Chnrlcii  Ilcnih  ritJier  had 
gone,  or  was  to  go.  to  a  thing  rulled  Tin-  Inqufst,  and  that  his  sister 
was  eony  for  him.  That  some  news  of  on  unfavourable  sort  camo 
about  her  mother,  and  that  tlio  doctor,  who  eami^  again  in  the 
evening,  refcrrtd  to  this  when  he  paused  in  some  writing  to  reply 
to  a  remark  of  Mr.  Charleii — "Very  doubtful,  I  Hhould  say — eon- 
etitution  undermined  by  drink — blood  in  a  bad  state"; — but  that 
what  lie  adiled — "flire  her  this  Inst  thing,  and  Khr'll  sleep.  Sbe'U 
be  all  right," — luid  reference  to  herself.  Thi<  last  event  she  was 
,ely  conaciouii  of  wbh  ihnt  n  vi-ry  important  nmad  of  *orapthing 
an  stood  by  her  bedi^ide  anil  said  m  a  prodigious  voice,  "lley 
,en  I  That'll  where  we  are.  A  ad  we're  going  on  well — that's 
htl" — and  then  Meeroed  embarrassed  by  its  position,  and  glad  to 
It  might  be  absurd  to  say  thnt  Alico  was  aware  of  a  certain 
r  of  forgiveueaa  towards  Mr.  Charts  for  importing  her.  which 
«n«  almost  as  oSoetual  as  condemnation  where  no  penalty  nttochecl, 
'  ki^'-ping  him  as  it  were  coiisluutiy  at  the  bar  of  pubhc  opinion.  She 
L Qjay    not    have  defined    this ;    but   nevertheltriw   have   taken    note 


I 


I 

M 


5« 


ALICE-FOE-SHORT 


Ur.  Charlea  and  all  the  family  except  bis  sister,  who  refused 
to  bo  sucked  into  it,  and  excused  Obarlc;  through  thick  and 
thin.  _ 

She  and  bcr  brother  made  up  their  minds,  irith  tlw  imreasoninic  I 
alftcrity  of  yoiilli,  tlint  Alicv  vrn»  to  bt?  n-tiiinod.  By  the  time  it 
came  to  the  filial  benediction  of  the  little  patient,  who  was  enjoined 
to  bt!  a  good  ^irl  and  ^>  to  lilixi).  it  hnd  hitcn  privately  aettled  by 
both  that  Alice  had  conie  to  i§lav — in  some  capacity  to  be  fixed 
afti^rwunb  pcirhups,  but  orrtaliily  to  titay.  Nvithi-r  would  hare 
assented  to  the  departure  of  a  stray  puppy  or  kitten.  As  for  possi- 
bic  <!xptni!>(-j(  or  ruspoiisibilittes  involvMl — dear  mcl — aiin-ly  Heath 
Si  Potlesfen's  shoulders  were  broad  enoufcb  for  anytliinic.  Their 
Teq>ectivo  ricwK  bccnmo  n  cnn=ipiracy.  by  muttud  cotifmiii(>:i,  in  aa 
interriew,  by  the  back  drawing-room  fire  before  dinner,  both  bar- 
inft  come  down  btrforc  cvcrybiMiy  else. 

"She's  such  a  dear  little  ihinit."  said  PeKKy.  with  her  foot  on 
the  fcudi^r,  and  an  animated  fiicc  in  the  tin-light.  For  caudles  in 
lien>  had  been  averted  by  sjiecial  appeal,  as  nobody  wanted  lights 
to  wuit  for  dinner  by,  and  wc  hnlcd  theni,  and  the  wcond  gong 
was  direel!)'.  and  if  peopli-  wuntitl  light  tliuy  could  go  in  tlwt  front  | 
drawing-room.  So  Pcfoty  and  her  brother  were  roasting  themsclvctl 
before  a  steel  fendnr  and  urate,  wit]k  a  monntrous  piece  of  best) 
Wallscnd  in  it,  which  would  laai  all  the  eveniDg  if  you  would  otilj'J 
put  Ibut  poker  down  and  let  it  alone. 

"Vcs — she's  an  enKaRiue  sort  of  Utile— «U98."  said  Charlee.  con- 
ceding tb(^  point  about  the  poker,  and  puttin^t  it  down.  Because  he 
didn't  really  want  to  break  the  coal  at  all.  Neither  did  he  mean  to 
say  "cuss" — wlien  be  bofran  to  epe-ak.  But  some  mysterious  influ- 
ence unexplained  made  him  put  it  in  that  form.  It  detucbed  him 
from  buniHD  weaknesses  and  motiTcs,  and  harmonised  with  a  ten- 
guinea  dress-suit,  whicb  he  had  succeeded  in  getting  into  with- 
out loHJug  B  t>hirt-stud,  or  splashinfr  soap  in  his  eye.  or  soiling  hia 
sfairt-front,  or  dropping  !iis  watcb  and  he  couldn't  bear  it  going. 
Any  of  these  events  would  have  taken  his  edge  off.  Uut  nothing  of 
the  sort  having  hai>|K'tUK).  Charley  felt  serene  and  lofty,  ordered 
Pbillimor*;  about,  and  called  Alice  a  little  euas. 

".She's  a  dear  Utile  thing,"  rtrsumi-d  Peggy,  not  noticing  the  9ub- 
Btituled  expn-ssion.    "I  do  hope  it's  nothing  serious.     Braiu-ferer  J 
or  lioniething  o(  that  sort "  " 

*'i>octor  «ttya  not,  anyhow.     She'll  be  all  right.  Peg  I" — CharW 
frit  it  hi*  duty,  as  a  Han.  to  rMisaure  his  weaker  suter,  andi 
accordingly  Touched  for  everything,  whether  or  no. 

Let's  be  hopeful  then  t    I  wish  I  could  fuel  coiaf ortabl 


1 


1 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT  67 

It  what's  to  brooms  of  her  irhcn  she  kom  home  again.    The 
ka  of  her  hinng  Mt  iiloiu-  wiiii  tiiat  mother " 

■Hlh  Lord!"  says  Charles,    And  he  looked  very  unoomfortahle. 

"It'll  very  <'ii3y  to  Kay,  'Oil  Lord,'  Charley  dear,  but  what'a  to 
b^  done  to  a^'oid  it  V 

"Tbo  Go^-emor  wi)uldn't  Mnnd  it.    Perfectly  ridiculouB," 

"But  you  heard  what  l*flpa  said — proper  CDquiry  must  be  made— 
child'M  rc^ativRi  mtiKt  bo  foiiiul — and  all  itiat  kind  of  thing." 

"Well — that  was  the  GoTCmor,  all  over  I" 

"Yovi  mean  you  think  bell  come  rouiul,  aiul  let  her  stop 
here." 

"Of  cotmo  he  will,  if  it  cxiinca  to  her  going  bnek  to  that  old 
cat.  Bui  the  (pood  woman  won't  recover.  Look  what  they  say  at 
the  Uospital^l  saw  the  IIouw  PhTsicinn  myself— said  aho  might 
poaaible  get  through,  if  Pyaimia  didn't  set  in.  I  ho]>e  Fyoimia 
jBeaiM  to  look  alivt- " 

"Ob,  Cfaarlej-I  What  a  horrible  ihinfc  to  say  I  Vou  know  jvu 
don't  mean  it " 

"Don't  If — Charley  nodfl  truculently,  as  one  who  known  him- 
»elf  an  Iroqnois  or  Cherokee. — "Besides.  l*ogKy,  you  know  pcr- 
frctty  wttll  you'd  hi-  n*  glad  lui  ai':  if  Pyicmia  <!id  »ct  iii." — Peggy, 
or  Pogjey,  as  Charles  suiuGtimcs  called  her,  said  nothing  in  rei>ly; 
it  is  just  powibtf  *hf  had  m!iigivin(;!<  hcrsi-If.  When  nbr!  ^oke 
again,  after  a  liltle  more  animated  coulemplatioa  of  the  fire-flidtcr. 
ebo  went  off  to  anotlu^r  point. 

"What  otiter  relatives  has  sheF' 

"NolhinK  but  brothers,'*  mid  Charles,  witli  a  auggestion  that 
that  in  t!ie  same  as  nothing  at  all.  Only  his  sister  wa;>i  inclined  to 
allow  exccpl  ions. —"What  sort  of  hrolhers?"  she  asked. 

"Oh — regular  brothers.  One's  in  a  fimtctiise  Clothing  Estnb* 
lishment.  another  in  a  first-clasn  iTonnioiigfry;  atmt.her  mongiM*  or 
mungH  ehcrtB,  and  auotlu-r  ilryaalts.  Goody  Peppermint  told  me 
about  them  when  she  was  doing  out  the  8lii<lici.  Some  mont  aro 
at  *ca  or  in  tlie  colonies — there's  such  a  lot  of  'cm  I  can't  recollect. 
The  oldest  in  the  Ciothicr's  shop  in  only  twenty.  Then  tlicro  waa 
a  brood  of  daugliters  ntuci  to  the  younK«st,  who  is  twelve,  and  dry* 
salts.  This  poor  little  devil — as  1  remember  her  cxcdlcDt  mother 
called  licr  when  fint  I  made  her  KCijuuiiitunCL — came  iii  last." 

'^t'^  a  queer  story!     Such  a  huRe  family,  and  this  poor  child 
seeming  to  be  left  stranded  in  thi.->  way.    What's  become  of  oil  tlin 
I      daii^rhit-rsr' 

I  "All  dead— five  of  tbcm,  I  nnd^mtund.    But  ibcrc  muxt  be  other 

I      rchitiona,  because  the  dr^saller,  she  said,  lived  at  an  wai,<%,  «x 


4 


M 


6B 


ALICEFOR-SHORT 


at  sfl 


L 


BodierliEthe,  and  the  cbeeeeroonger  has  been  boarded  out 
couu&'s,  nl  Sloko-Ncwington." 

"Whut  a  lot  you  have  managed  to  reeoUectl" 

Tvc  had  it  all  twice  ovpt,  and  aiiould  havp  hod  it  thnc 
H  the  woman  bad  cleaned  me  out  auaiii.  My  own  theory  is  that 
every  effort  haa  been  made  to  get  tlic  children  nway  from  tht-ir 
parents,  owiiifi  to  iheir  Jnmkep  habits,  and  that  this  out-  Rot  over- 
looked, being  a  small  faft-cnd.  Therp'a  dinner !" — And  tbfy  jiiiuijd 
the  party  in  tbu  front  drawinjt-room,  everybody  else  bavin?  been 
slowly  accumulatinK  durinji  this  conrcrsation.  But  not  before 
Peggy  bad  rranovMl  any  veil  ihen.*  may  havi-  been  over  her  actual 
vUhea  about  Alice,  by  snyinjt  to  her  brother,  "Well — Charley  dear — 
I.  (or  one  \iaiM-  she  won't  lie.  lillovnuX  out  of  thia  house  until  »■« 
know  she'll  be  properly  seen  to  and  not  neglected." — And  be 
bad  nulled.  "Exactly  my  idea!"  Eucli  npokc  with  very  Itttle 
confidence  in  any  haven  awaitinK  Alice  at  any  of  her  relations, 
01  olacwhcre. 

It  requires  frreat  experience  of  tlie  world,  and  a  profound  insight  fl 
into  iu  manners  and  customs,  to  know  what  i»,  and  what  is  iMt,  ^ 
■  dinner  party.     For  the  aaaembly  of  fourteen  persons  of  both 
sexes  that  were  gathered  on  this  occasion  in  Mr.  Heath's  front  h 
drawing-room  could  not  have  been  a  party,  as  the  six  ix;rsaiis  out-S 
side  the  family   wbo   had   been  invited    that   evcninie  had  beeafl 
askod  to  eomc  and  dine  quite  quietly,  and  tlie  invitation  Iiad  httd^l 
"No  party"  written  carelessly  in  after  the  writer  had  begun  to 
remain  the  render's  eincrirety.  and  was  suppnsed  t"  be  pouting  for 
a  reply.    One  lady,  an  invited  one,  was  even  accused  of  "dressing" 
contrary  to  instructions;  and  to  the  mole  mind  nhc  appe-arod  t4^ j 
differ  from  her  friends  in  no  respect  whatever.     She  hadn't  eveni 
got  less  clotbea  on,  which  wc  lielieve  to  be  a  recognitcd  form  oC\ 
dressing  more. 

Aa    Charles   and   b!^    sister   entered    the   front   room   the   laHiil 
obstacle  to  pairing  off  was  removed  by  the  announcement  of  theJ 
invuriuhle  lute  guest,  whom  you  won't  wait  for  any  longer;  buti 
you  do.     In  this  ease  be  was  a  friend  of  Charles's,  whom  we  bav» 
ban  bi'fore,  and  who  cauned  him  to  remark  w  he  eiitcwd  tlio 
^H>m.  tiankcd  by  the  reproachful  eoiuitimances  of  Philiimor*!  and 
an   Bceompliec,   that   there  was  Jeff   in  white   kids,   which  was 
ahaurdi     Poor  JeffI     He  was  destined  to  a  ditiapiHtintmifnt.     For 
lira.  Heath  sddre^xcl  him  thu":  "Will  you  take  Misa  Pcthering- 
ton,  Mr.  Jerrythought  J"  And  what  ahe  got  to  t!ie  first  two  letters  of 
the  lady's  name  he  thought  xhe  was  going  to  say  the  rest  of  Peggyi 
and  she  aaid  "-tlieriugtoa**  instead,  and  it  was  the  governess!    For, 


I 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


50 


tbf 


you  see,  Mr.  Jeff  didn'l  know  enough  of  Society  lo  know  for  cer- 
tain («M  wn  do)  that  no  la<I;  would  crcr  xpcnk  of  her  dauffbtcr  m 
iaa  Peggy. 

But  nn  exaltation  wns  awnitins  him.  The  ffrcAt  tlif^mc  of  the 
enint^  w«a  of  coiirae  the  iuvideut  «f  the  previous  day.  and  it  had 
to  be  told  over  and  oror  asnio,  noiw  of  the  nix  new-comers  arriving 
pxactly  on  xho  beginning  of  a  repeat.  So  a  partial  asaimiluliou  of 
the  la-»t  half  was  always  followed  by  a  new  recital,  subjoct  to  a 
■li  di-ii]  of  iDterruption  from  Its  oiidience,  tvbich  look  exeep- 
iou  to  the  accuracy  of  the  second  narrative,  and  oven  laid  claim  to 
Bort  of  inili-tK^ndent  knowlmlge  of  the  faotd.  Mr.  Kerr-Kerr,  th<i 
tieman  who  wae  Koinic  to  he  responsible  for  Fetrxy's  safe  arrival 
in  her  fttmily'ia  dining-room,  wu-s  ao  eonviuced  of  hia  powers  as  an 
interpreter,  thnt  he  Kot  on  an  explanatory  platform,  »nd  con- 
Ktitutfd  him»clf  an  official  newit-purvcyor.  Aa  tbiia:  "What  an 
extraordinary  and  shockinfc  affair  this  was  yesterday  at  Hr. 
Cbarlro  Ileiith'n  studio,  <-lc..  etc.,"  and  wait  then  plunging  Kienilily 
on  into  narrative,  when   Pejoty  interrupted  hiui  with    "This  is 

Mr.  J<Trytho»ght,  who  wu*  tbpr<'  nil  the  whili' "'  iitid  then,  fti-l- 

itig  that  no  emel  a  eommiinication  re<|uired  softening,  addod,  "lik« 
man  who  waa  at  the  Battle  of  the  Nile,"  Mr.  Kerr-Ktrr  meanly 
.deavonrod  to  make  the  laujth  that  was  due  on  this  account  into 
end  of  a  chapter  of  tlu:  eonvunMtion;  and  began  the  next 
pter  with  an  unfounded  statement  that  he  had  met  ilr.  Jerry- 
at  the  Rumford  Pinichn*.  But  he  hadn't!  Peggy  wu» 
t  oorry  when  dinner  was  really  ready,  this  time,  and  we  could 
Ko  down  at  laat.  And  Miii!i  Petlutrington,  who  had  remained  in 
■beynnce,  got  taken  a  little  notice  of. 

Papa  was  in  hie  beat  form,  genially  pittroiiiaing  to  the  linlf-doieii 
li'id<-rn,  for  evni  Sir  Walker  Kerr- Kerr,  Mr.  Kerr- Kerr's  father, 
ho  was  to  take  Mamma,  of  course,  because  of  his  Sir.  wa*  open 
io  patnmagn;  it  nppenred  in  fact  that  bo  wn»  nothing  particular. 
I'apa  pursued  his  usual  method  of  social  intercourse,  picking  up 
ugmenlii  of  <ilher  folk'n  Inlk,  rep<-nting  them  once  or  twice  wcight- 
aud  then  neglecting  ibeiu.  always  with  a  curtain  implication 
that  he  wa«  cnnferring  n  boon  on  Society  by  conaidering  them  at 
all.  lie  was  not  even  to  he  truBttrd  not  to  reproduce  fragmentH 
long  pa*t  con  vernation  in  this  way,  giving  an  impression  that 
must  have  been  thinking  profoundl.v.  But  bo  nfiver  diecluHctl 
fniita  of  bin  reflections,  and  his  hidden  treasure  of  thought 
icd  all  the  more  valuable  on  that  account. 
The  banquet  wax  far  advanced,  and  Pemy  '"^^  quite  unaware 
that  her  father  bad  taken  any  notice  of  her  words,  when  he  «ud- 


90 


ALICE-FOBSnORT 


donly  rososcitated  Iirr  illustmtion  sbout  the  Battle  of  the  Nile; 
whiHi  caiac  trom  a  rhyme  she  had  heard,  but  of  wliich  tihc  knew 
naithrr  the  niithor^hip  nor  the  mcantnR.  if  it  had  any. 

"il(!y!  Wluitwaathali  <4  (the  Bailie.  0^  the  Nile.  WAo  was 
ai  the  Battle,  of  the  Nilp?    HoyT 

"Pnpu!  Dou't  you  know!"  said  Peggy — "Oh  yea — of  courM  you 
know  that!  At  the  Battle  of  the  Nile  I  was  there  all  the  while, 
Kt  th(!  Siege  of  Quebee  I  had  Kke  broke  my  neck."  .  .  . 

"Uey,  what  a  rale!  Now  let's  have  it  again,  casyl  At  the  Bat- 
tle. Of  tilt;  Nil<'.  Heyt"  And  Peggy  is  under  the  neoc^ily  of 
repeating  it  again  all  through,  much  slower,  with  repetilioaa  and 
correctionK.  After  which  Mr.  Detilh  repeats  it  all  oner  more  in  a 
oonfirmatory  tone,  and  euda  up  with — "That's  it,  is  ii(  Well — 
we're  all,  very,  fine,  people  !"^Prggy  knows  perfectly  well  that  her 
fatlier  may  go  on  repeating  it  iudeSnitelj;  and  what  docs  happea 
is  nearly  a«  had.  For  the  old  boy  has  a  desire  to  say  something, 
when  he  rcallj'  baa  nothing  to  auy.  and  propounds  in  his  uiu:<t 
extensive  way  the  enquiry; 

"Bill  what  I  want  to  know  is — who  wojt  it  who  was  tliere  all  tha 
while  *'' 

And  then  Charles,  who  was  more  than  half-way  down  the  tablo 
on  the  (iLher  sii]i%  ihinking  thai  hh  enquiry  referred  tu  the  prei'ioua 
conversation  in  the  drawing-room,  whieh  he  had  ovtrheurd,  said 
"Jeff."  moaning  thai  ilr.  Jerrylhought  had  been  a  wittiesri*  of  ail  the 
tragedies  of  yesterday.  That  gentleman,  thinking  himself  spoken 
to  by  name,  replied,  "Tea,  'Eath.*  And  Charles  replied,  "Shut 
u]>,  JefFI  I  didn't  mean  you.  At  least,  I  did  mean  you.  I  meant 
yuu  wen-  in  the  liouiH'  all  along,  and  saw  the  doctor  pateh  her 
head  up." 

What  an  amazing  capacity  for  confuuon  there  is  in  a  large 
party  of  i}ersons,  all  talking  at  onoc.  down  each  side  of  a  long 
table!  On  (his  ii(s:niiion.  und  at  thi.i  moment,  it  irhnneed  that  Mr. 
Jerrythought,  after  a  triumphant  time  at  the  hegimiing  of  dinner, 
owing  to  Ilia  conneclion  witli  the  curn-ut  tragedy,  hud  beeit  tem- 
porarily thrown  into  abeyance  by  Materialisations,  which  were 
being  expwied  by  Sir  Wulki-r,  eatablialusl  biTyonil  question  by  a 
gentle-man  nl  a  great  ilintanee  off.  and  investigated  by  scattered 
units  in  the  spaces  betw(s.'n  ihi-in;  all  of  wluwe  altoutingH  from 
ofur  intersected  reasonable  conversation  at  reasonable  dislanees, 
and  qualified  valuabltt  reuiurkB  by  the  intro<luetion  of  foreign  nmt- 
ler.  Iiefom  ihey  could  reach  their  hearers.  A  political  sub-section 
also  was.  in  serious  undertones,  hinting  at  the  triviality  of  all  elae, 
*■•■■  occasionally  getting  overheard  and  misinterpreted  ia  tlie  nest 


J 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


ei 


0(Hap«rtmiUiit.  Sir.  Jcnrthoughl,  hownvcr,  when  CharleM  mads 
Hia  laat  remark,  as  above,  disceroed  in  it  o))portunitiea  for  rt^urrec- 
lioD.  A  [rnxk-st  dittcUimer,  in  a  ntisoil  vijict^  of  hin  sOLurc-  in  iha 
aiattCF  !ievmed  the  sureBl  road  to  a  permaceiicy  iw  public  opinion. 

"Stood  loukin*  on!  Cotdtlxi'l  he  nii^  uv-.  You  mndc  younwlf 
useful,  'Eath." — This  has  tvo  HTect^  The  spcaher's  fi^uoroiis 
■Itruiaiii  pnxiiiTtis  popularity,  but  brings  donm  n  aliowr  of  testi* 
noniols  on  his  friend;  this  is  a  sort  of  Nemesis  of  establishing  . 
claim  on  Europi.-,  and  it  tnaki^  him  very  uncomfortohli;. 

"Charley  ain't  bad  at  that  sort  of  thing,"  saya  a  younger  brolbit 
whom  w  bnvp  bnd  no  oocnston  to  notice.  His  nntnc  vra*  Robcrtf  j 
and  he  was  nulled  Rubin  or  B-jU.  at  choice.  He  was  not  u  brillinnt' 
gcnitM.  and  setierallj  clothed  his  thoughts,  when  he  had  aoj,  with 
aotne  one  e]»e*«  n-jidy-ninde  tvniarlcs.  Tn  this  caeu  lie  waH  quid: 
va.euo  about  wbnt  his  brother  had  or  had  not  done.  But  he  sus- 
pected UU  comrount  might  bv  p!>iu>ib!<-.  and  riiikisj  it.  It  had  tbu 
TCFf  painful  effect  of  causinn  a  chubby  K«nial  little  Mr.  Batlcy.  ono 
of  ifae  six  oulnideni.  who  imd  conio  to  dinner  to  tnuki:  bimaelf 
plwmuit,  to  f[0  so  far  as  to  drum  applause  on  the  table  with  hia 
knudilm,  and  say.  "Bravo,  very  pood.  Mr.  CIinHes!" — And  his 
example  was  followed  by  ollu-r  out«idcn,  wfao  bad  no  idta 
wbateror  what  they  were  applauding.  This  was  afrreeable  for 
Charles. 

But  perhaps  he  would  Ije  aHon-ed  to  lapse! — Test — The  dis 
aion  of  UatitrialiNatioms  which  had  flag:ged  for  two  seconds  whik 
its  Pros  and  Colts  contributed  plauditii  in  alnmluti'  ignorance 

ir  object,  revived  with  savage  energy,  as  thoufh  Time  had  been 
led. 

"t  ti'Il  you,  I  had  H-jM  IioM  of  both  her  hands,  and  the  JudireJ 
had  tight  l>uld  of  both  her  aukk-s.  and  I.aiiy  Pcntheoilm  had  botltl 
her  arms  tiffkt  round  licr  waist.'"— This  was  very  loud,  from  the 
representative  of  Belief.     Impartiality  followwi.  with — ".\nd,  if  [ 
underatand  you  rightly,  Mr.  Kcttlewoll,  the  Materialisation  was 

all  this  while  scattering  fiowew  out  of  M-nson  about  th«  room " 

But  was  interrupt*^  by  Incredulity  in  the  person  of  the  brother, 
Rubin  or  Bob.  who  suid  that  waa  nothing  to  JtfoHkdyne  and 
Coofcc. 

Then  llie  oonvi-rsation  gol  vt-ry  broken,  and  it  wan  diffipiiU  to 
make  out  who  said  what.  It  will,  therefore,  be  uo  more  than  u 
hcultliy  mliam  to  omit  llic  Hin-ukem*  nuinc^  in  tlic  tcxl. 

"Uty.  vhai't  it  all  about  j  Hey — PeRgj'  (  You  make  'em  tell  ua 
nl  tlii«  crtt"  .  .  .  'Trty  d<'ar  Hndntn.  Mr.  Heath's  a  practical  man, 
and  I'lD  BUre  hell  agree  with  me  that  when  a  Judge  Ita^  boI<l  of  a 


69  ALICE-FOB-SHOBT 


plen»^^ 


* 


little  bUi^  waBUm  bgr  the  trnkiea  ..."  "Ob  doar,  Pnpn.  pi. 
don't;  it  dot*  bfftber  poor  Charlej-  so,"  .  .  .  "Don't  think  unything 
of  her  puttins  the  red-hot  pnkrr  down  hcT  \mck.  Uiukcljne  and 
Ox^  'U  ait  ou  a  blazin'  coal  fire  ..."  "I{«action,  of  course,  ia 
what  wo  have  to  fear.  T-nok  nt  that  inirraiiM.<d  mnjoritj'  at  Qmn- 
wich."  .  ,  .  "But  /  want  to  hear  what  the  rumpus  is  o/i  abouK"  .  .  . 
"1  am  sure  your  fothrr  would  agree  with  mc  (you  auk  him,  Peggy) 
that  where  we  have  to  &nl  fault  with  (^Iiarley  is  uot  ..."  "We 
must  roly  on  tJIadstono."  .  .  .  "Poor  Charky!  Do  let  him  nloiu*. 
Munimal"  .  .  .  "As  for  Lody  Pi:iilht»iUui'a — Weill  Ihinga  tlien — 
botiiK  found  on  ihi>  medium,  that's  iiothiiiic  at  all!  Mai^kelyne  and 
Cooke  will  ..."  "^ly  <]ear,  I  wixk  to  speak,  but  I  eauuot  he 
heard.  All  I  was  sa.viuK  was  that  it  is  Charley's  }udgm-<nl  that 
is  in  fault."  .  .  .  "And  then  we  hnvr  Tutnmiiny  at  once."  .  ■  .  "But 
his  fteliun  is  alwa.v's  die  ripht  one — 1  am  eure  your  father  ,  .  .  " 
"How  do  /  think  they  do  it  8 — why,  by  'ocussing  the  sittw*,  of 
course.   I  know  a  gurl,"  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 

Our  reatwD  for  putting  the  forf^ing  on  record  is  that  it  vnx  m 
matrix  from  whieh  eniergwl  a  conversation  of  grp-al  momi.iit  to  our 
little  Alice,  who  remained  uneousciouri  in  Sirs.  Pariridge'ft  room. 
Hin-ping  off  tho  frvitinU  attack,  which  was  at  any  rate  to  have  one 
Kood  result,  in  preventing'  lu-r  rroitig  na  a  wituisia  to  the  inquest 
next  day  to  lc«t!fy  about  her  father's  death. 

For  as  soon  as  the  talk  turueil  on  AHce'a  nffairtt  and  Charlen's 
iudgminit,  the  excellence  of  his  heart  and  so  forth,  it  became  a 
bat tiodore-aud- shuttlecock  buBtnees  belwccn  the  boat  and  boaleaa. 
and  grsdiially  abated,  by  its  strons  moral  force,  the  Materialisa- 
tions and  the  Politics.  The  last  went  on  in  a  steady  uudertutie.  aa  a 
theme  of  moment  that  could  make  no  conce^i^ion,  but  the  former 
was  weakaied  hy  the  deff^rtion  of  Sir  Walker,  who  pliuigiil,  ao  to 
siwak,  at  the  paxKinK  nhuttlecoek,  and  stopped  it  flyinn,  with  the 
qutution:  "What  do  you  [iropoisr  to  ilu  with  tlic  cliild.  Heath t"  and 
without  waiting  for  ao  au>iwer,  fixed  that  gentleman  with  his  eye, 
and  proceeded  to  nketeh  out  the  principal  courses  that  were  tiot  open 
to  him,  while  his  hostess  on  his  left  made  tho  responses,  totto' 

"You  can't  tuni  her  out  in  the  street." 

"That  is  what  /  say.  Sir  Walker " 

"You  can't  let  her  f.-o  hack  to  her  drunken  mother,** 
"And  you  are  most  unreasonable  to  propcee  to  do  so." 
"You  can't  hand  her  over  ti>  thi-  Autlmrities," 
"And  however  you  can  entertain  such  an  idctt  for  a  moiDoat 
I  cannot  imagine." 


I 


AUCE-FOE^HORT 


63 


"And  rou  cannot  be  «xp«cted  to  provi<Ie  for  tbe  child  peniu- 
nently.    Wlial  conne  duill  yiiu  adopt  ifamif" 

Whctroitpon  llr.  Ilenih.  foelinjc  diat  his  position  as  Jupiter  wsa 
Bt  Htukt-,  biiloiirMl  his  Bunker's  uL-vuuiit  over  bin  iiutu;,  und  leaned 
bark  in  hii^  chair  witb  bi^  thumbs  in  his  waistcoat.  IIo  closed  Iiia 
li[M  tifjlil  first,  und  frowDL-d,  to  foreAluU  the.  gmt  duuinion  «f  his 
f^K^ch,  and  then  publisbod  on  edict: 

"Proper  enquirj-  must  be  made  into  the  chnnioler  and  circum- 
it«ncr«  of  the  famit)-.  But  (Hpcsking  as  ono  of  hot  MnJMtj-'s 
lunllced  of  di«  Peace)  I  oiay  say  thm  nulhiug  would  warrant  the 
detention  of  the  child  against  it«  parent's  consent— unlotw,  tiidocd. 
that  par«ul  stood  couricted  of  a  criininol  vffenci^.  I  may  Ik-  niia- 
takcn.  Sir  Wslkcr.  and  no  doubt  you  will  correct  mc  if  1  am  wrong" 
— tliia  with  pon<kroua  deference — ^"but  I  am  not  awure,  at  present, 
lliat  dninkcnnoM  is  in  iteeU  a  atatutorj-  offcTico.    How  ie  that  t" 

Sir  Walker  does  not  girt  the  i>piK>rliiiiity  to  show  his  knowl- 
edfrc,  if  he  bos  it.  For  the  lady  of  the  bouse  becomes  clothed  with 
■  hold  of  Huiwrior  Mini'tity.  without  pn)VTO-ation, 

"I  am  a  mere  weak  womsn.  my  dear,  and  far  from  a  Justice  of 
tlir  Pc-nce.  But  I  am  »uri;  Sir  Walker  will  aprei-  with  me.  that  even 
a  Justice  of  tbe  Peace  may  always  remember  that  he  is  a  Chris- 
tian." .  .  . 

Poor  Hr.  Heatli  was  too  dumbfounded  with  the  suddcnncm  of 
thia  attack — tlic  mon-  b(M:nu.-V!  In;  hnd  nitlicr  (bun  ollicrwiM  aup* 
posed  that  bin  wife  would  be  no  readier  than  himself  to  incur 
new  rcsponsibtlitif*— that  lie  was  not  able  to  ripotU  willi  alacrity. 
The  connoqiitmct;  of  tltiii  was  that  h\i  defence  was  taken  up  all 
aloDK  tbe  uble  witb  such  rigour  tliat  he  was  hardly  able  to  coa- 
trihiilc  tA  it. 

"Come,  I  say.  Mother,  draw  it  mild  I  Fancr  myitig  the  Gor- 
rm(>r'«  not  a  Chriatiiin." 

"No — Tllamma — ^you  shouldn'tl  If  PaiMl  isn't  a  Christian.  I 
tboubl  like  to  know  who  ia." 

"Dear  mcl  What's  that— what's  ihotl  Who  is  sayinR  Mr.  Heath 
iMi't  a  Cliristiaiif" — This  last  cutnnt  from  one  of  llu-  politic  in  lu, 
suddenly  roused  from  a  plca:wnt  drcnm  of  hcxatronsl  electoral  dis- 
tricta.  and  Saturday  plebiscites,  or  somelhiug  of  tJie  itort.  The 
rest  of  ibe  table  joina  chorus  on  the  same  lino. 

"T  truat."  icays  Mra.  Heath,  whoae  meekness  at  this  juncture 
pasaee  description,  "that  nothing  1  have  said,  or  could  say,  would 
ever  bear  iiih'Ii  an  intiTiimlntiou.  Sir  Walker  will  tell  you  1  am 
rare,  ■Itbeugrh  my  children  attack  me  all  at  once,  what  it  was  I 
really  did  say."— And  Sir  Walker  le«litiua  tliat  bur  remark  vvt  ^a 


84 


ALIOE-FOR-SHORI 


the  effiwt   thai   Christiimity  wn«  <M>inp(ititilp  with  hcinn  on 
CoDuniseioD  of  the  IVaq^     Kobody  aotee  the  fact  tltat  there  w: 
no  ubviouN  ponnc-cltun  between  Hus  truth  and  anything  else  in  tho 
oocTcreatioa. 

Ml*.  TTrath  probabI:F  fwln  thnt  in  apite  of  Sir  Wnlker  being  noth- 
ing particular,  she  has  Bcortii;  and  begins  pulling  on  her  gloTca, 
and  ripening  for  an  cxo(Iu«.  Prrhnps,  nlsn,  sbp  is  con»fi<in3  (hnt  i{ 
this  dirersion  is  effected  before  her  husband  has  time  lo  recover 
nnd  prott^t,  he  will  be  at  a  diuidvantage  Inter  on.  So  she  gi^ls 
away  with  her  flock,  and  leaves  JJan  at  liberty  to  throw  away  his 
wnielio,  iind  cit  sideways  on  hi»  ehiiir,  or  clinutn^  across  to 
eome  one  else'a,  or  anyhow. 

As  »(K>n  RH  Iklan  is  left  slone,  Muddcn  refi«on  danrna  on  the  convn<- 
Bation.  and  does  much  to  explain  its  precursor. 

"Sorry  your  mother's  so  hard  on  mc,  Charley  boy,"  any*  tho  old 
frentleman.  who  is  a  kind-hearted  being,  if  be  m  a  bit  pompous. 
"I'm  »ure  /  should  bo  glad  enough  for  the  poor  ebild  not  to  go 
back  to  that  uwful  uiuther  of  hera.  But  I  really  thoufrlit  it  would 
be  a  Rteat  trouble  to  yoiir  mother  to  know  how  to  dispose  of 
[ihr'*  got  her  hands  pretty  full  a*  it  i*."' 

''I  hope,  father,"  sa,vs  Charles,  seriously,  *'you  don't  blame 
Tery  much — think  me  a  great  fool,  I  mean — for  bringing  the 
littli-  party  home  here.     She  hooked  on  to  lue  and  bi-Id  on  like  a 
limpet,  and  I  really  didn't  see  what  else  I  could  do.    I  di<ln't  feel 
like  leaving  her  to  the  Police " 

"No,  my  boy,  /  don't  sec  what  else  you  conld  have  done.  What 
are  you  drinking.  Sir  Walker*  That's  Port— that's  Chiret.  What 
are  you  drinking,  Mr.  Batleyi  ...  If  you  want  a  mild  one,  try 
one  of  the  short  ones,  Thej-'re  the  mildest.  .  .  .  When'a  that 
coffee  comingt"  And  so  on;  tintil,  lieing  &nlisf!ed  tliat  erer?  one 
is  being  properly  pampered,  he  f(*ls  he  may  talk  lo  his  son.  yet 
not  be  rude  to  his  puestn.  In  fact,  they  are  igiioring  and  neglcet* 
ing  him.  Sir  Walker,  aftitr  throwing  eonfidt-ntial  mo m^y- market 
nnirmura  across  the  table  to  Hr.  Batley,  has  walked  round  to  him, 
am!  snid  lie  wouldn't  mind  mying  eleven  and  three-quarters  ex  iJic, 
and  Mr.  Uatley  has  said  that  we  might  be  able  to  get  you  that.  Ur. 
Ketllewell.  having  lost  hi:<  politician,  who  waa  n  lady,  in  morose 
and  reserved.  Mr.  Kerr-Kerr  has  been  forgiven  by  ilr.  Jerry* 
thought  for  III*  misitnke  in  the  draning'room,  and  thi:y  arc  talk- 
ing about  early  Itristol  in  what  may  he  c^led  a  eeramicable  man- 
ner. Robin  and  aomcbudy  elnc  arc  talking  about  the  Ihmma,  and 
making  a  great  noise. 

'^^'o — I  don't  M)c  what  ebe  you  oouH  ba^-e  done,  Charley,    If  you 


would 
le  m^H 


AUCE-FOE-SHORT 


ts 


come  borne  here  and  told  us  nil  about  it.  vUliotit  hrr,  yoitr 

woul<)  bavo  brcn  sbock«d  at  701k    /  »houldu't  hare  heen 

fillawed  a  tii)wL     Hey? "     Bui  ChuRd  wiiaii't  tailing  lo  tuk* 

anf  pxoeption  to  what  hU  futlicr  naid.  lie  was  coiit«in]>UitInjc 
a  mean  and  cowardly  ase  of  Pcggi,-'^  nunif>  t»  advunco  tlui  wcfaema 
for  tfaff  rvUntioD  of  Alice,  in  tonte  capacity.  The  fact  is.  a  ^a- 
crui  disposition  to  diis  end  exiatud  in  uU  quartern,  but  «WTy  one 
of  tliTM!  qiinrtcr*  irantcd  fomeliow  to  midco  a  >ca|>cgoat  of  some 
otlier  quarter.  Mk.  Ilealli  wouldn't  fMf  hoDeatly  wliat  sW  really 
favoured.  I>ut  was  rcody  to  bring  it  about,  if  »lw<  could  utilieo 
■  latitat  invlifiton  Bbe  u^tcribed  to  her  buabeiid,  ami  hold  him  up  to 
public  reproof.  He  for  his  part  wished  to  capture  the  position  of 
baring  giveu  way  to  a  whim  of  hi^  wife—*  beiievoteut  one.  but  still 
a  whim.  CharW  felt  sore,  on  reflection,  at  his  own  Qiiixotiam — 
and  tried  to  put  it  on  hia  lister.  After  all.  ^le  was  a  womsu.  and 
need  not  feel  awkward  and  gauche  about  doioR  a  kind-lieartod 
action.  He  bad  !<>  remember  bis  dij^uil.v  as  a  miin.  Young  men 
approve  and  di^approre  of  tbeiDselves  for  the  oddest  reaeouii.  and 
tbpy  ore  all  l»nT<i  with  thi»  mme  fcntlier. 

"Oh  no !  Tliat's  just  what  I  thoiiKbt  myf>e!f.  She  never  would 
have  stood  my  learinK  the  child  to  the  I'oticc.  And  now  neither 
ab«  nor  Pe^gy  will  at  all  liiie  her  to  gt>  hack  to  tliat  wretched  aot 
of  a  moibcr  of  here." — Observe  ihc  meanness  of  both  thcac  gcntlo-d 
men.  ailttng  there  smoking  cigars,  and  lr>-iug  to  shift  off  responsi-^ 
bilities  on  their  wcmiankind.  The;  smoke  through  a  short  spell 
of  silence. 

"Try  n  Klas«  of  BcncdoHino,  Jeff.  Didn't  you  ercr  have  any?" 
For  Mr.  JeS  had  loat  bis  presence  of  mind  at  si>  lonit  a  word,  nnd 
refused  tn  partake,  nod  was  sorry.  "Take  the  liqueur  bock  lo  Mr. 
JerrythouKht.  Fbillinn>re," 

"Siippow!  this  terrible  olij  raolhcr  goes  lo  a  better — Iiey,  Charley  I 
What  then  I  However,  h'c  shall  have  to  thitdc  tt  over  and  talk 
about  it."  WlMTcupim  Charles  in  the  most  ensiial  wa;'  makes  hi« 
insinuation  about  bis  sister: — "Peggy's  quite  taken  a  fancy  to  the 
child!"  lu-  sayn.  And  hi^  futlicr  replies  (slightly  varying  bts  pnv 
vioua  remark)  that  they  will  have  lo  talk  it  over  and  think 
about  it. 

It's  pretty  clear  the  ehanees  arc  against  Alice  being  banded  back 
to  Goody  Peppermint,  even  if  Pywniia  doesn't  set  in. 


Tbo  se<|uiO  of  till-  fnregning,  to  far  as  it  concerns  thia  story,  nuiy 
be  summed  up  as  follows: 
Charh;*,  acoonpanied  by  his  friend  Jeff,  attended  tlw  uw^ivke^.  on. 


w 


AUCE-FOB-SHORT 


Utnrifl^ 


!?nmuol  Kafanagh,  and  voa  oenaurcd  by  tbe  CoKHMf  for  sUi 
tlu-  il('<-<-iuMx}  to  ga  nut  of  lii«  Right.  ".\»  if,"  Hid  b»  sfl*rw«rd» 
to  I*eKKy>  iDdigDaiitlf .  "eTerjrbody  ourht  lo  be  able  to  $:nesa  tbat 
n  mnn  who  brvak*  hi*  wifi^«  bead  ban  a  bottle  of  Cyanide  of 
Potassium  in  the  next  roomT*  His  laxity  would  erideDllT  have 
been  prcvwitrd  if  Mr.  Jerry  thought,  who  contrived  to  fiffure  aa  faia 
gitaniian  fceuius,  bad  cot  goite  upstairs  (though  meal  proiaeworlb- 
ily)  to  oi>mi  the  rtrwt-door  to  the  doctor.  Tbe  Coroner  spoke 
highly  of  Hr.  Jerry  thought's  presence  of  mind  throiifihout.  But 
bo  WAS  mther  indifmant  at  the  absonoo  of  Altec,  under  the  shield 
uf  ft  medical  vertificate  to  tbe  eSi-et  tliut  aht!  was  <)uit(-  unfit  to  gi?e 
cvidencei  even  if  he  himself  eame  to  the  hoiiee  to  lake  it.  Uowcver, 
innflnuch  U  it  wujt  not  elcjir  tlmt  ii  litll<-  girl  of  *ix,  who  ^nw  no 
more  than  she  was  known  to  have  seen,  could  add  any  force  to 
tiK-  infiTrnpT  that  her  father  diod  of  the  Cyauidt!  tlmt  wn*  found 
in  his  stomach,  Alice  was  left  in  peace. — "The  Jury  wanted  to  KCt 
home,  and  found  nceonlingly,"  was  Charles's  report  of  the  verdict. 
And  with  that  verdict  Alice's  father  raniahea.  leaving  to  b: 
child  the  only  memory  of  her  babyhood  she  can  look  back  to  wi 
hnppinr.-i.'i:  but  a  mi^mory  dviilined  very  soon  to  become  dim  in  tha 
dazxlinir  surroundings  she  has  been  translated  lo  by  the  merest 
accident.  For  had  Chark-H  TIcath  fiiili^l  to  hi-ar  On-  ilinturbunco 
that  niicht;  or,  hearinji:  it,  concluded  (hat  it  was  some  family  mat- 
tcr  outside  his  pcrttonal  range,  Alice  would  probiibly  htivp  been 
transferred  to  some  relation  after  a  teniporary  sojourn  with  iho 
police  As  it,  was,  he — luckily  for  her  as  it  turned  out — came  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  person  who  was  callinfc  "Afurdcrl"  might  not 
bo  doing  so  for  fun;  and  then,  hearing  tht!  policeman's  knock  and 
voice  down  the  area,  decided  on  enquiry.  Now,  suppose  ho  had 
been  couud  a*lc(-pl 


.tin 


CHAPTER  Vn 


op  pcsst's  uilk,  am>  of  the  LAor  wrrn  trc  buck  sroTsi 


k 


Tbus  it  caaK  mliDiit  tliat  Alice  KaTanagh.  who  mu^  tier  ap- 
pearance in  Uiis  st<iT>-  )c^  than  a  month  since  as  a  small  wsif 
carrying  hone  a  bc<T-jup  tbroug:h  a  London  fog,  beoaiae  an  object 
of  concern  and  H/mpathy  to  vory  opulont  friends.  You  will  be 
qnitc  right  if  yow  infer  ilmt  all*?  miiat  Imve  been  n  pretty  and  at- 
traotive  Uuie  girl.  She  certainly  wns  that,  with  hor  clcnr  blue  ejva 
and  palo  brown  hnir.  and  Iier  aprMrarance  of  observation  nuil  re- 
aerm — of  keeping  silence  about  sonu-tliiiig  &h<;  wns  all  the  while 
Dialling  mrntal  notcn  on.  For  you  tnuy  huvi-  iiolice*!  tluit  Alice 
bnR  no  far  aaid  very  little  to  any  one.  If  you  are  an  imaginativo 
peMoa  you  may  have  heard,  at  the  suggestion  of  this  nnmttire,  a 
■null  voice  by  itself,  in  tho  dreary  basement  of  No.  40,  communing 
vith  a  small  kitten,  wbtcb  ia  held  out  nt  nnn'«  length — two  anna' 
lengths — by  the  stomach,  to  be  talked  to.  and  now  and  then  thrown 
in  a  woe-begone  oqtM-ak,  whiith  Miaa  Alice  iiitirrprets  in  niiy  senai* 
that  suits  ber  best.  Itut  slie  has  said  very  little  siuco  she  last  spoke 
1o  Pussy — did  in  fact  My  ulmofit  nothin)?  nt  the!  Ileiitli  mansion; 
until,  A  day  or  two  after  her  arrival  there,  during  which  her  silcnci^ 
waa  accc]>t4^  aa  natural  in  a  timid  child  under  her  circumiiianoM. 
ebe  Buddenly  jietitioned  to  be  allowed  to  go  home  to  Pussy,  and 
likewiao  to  take  aomi-  milk  in  a  bottlu  to  give  to  Pussy  and  her 
faiuily. 

"I  dechirr  I  nt-ver  tliought  of  Pusay,  Partridge  f  aaid  Peggy,  to 
whom  this  application  was  made.  "I  hope  she  won't  starve." 
Partridge  didn't  »ceni  ihi-  U-iuit  conconifd.  Perhaps  she  knew 
more  tlian  her  young  mistrtM  about  the  resources  of  a  I-ondon  eat. 
And  pcrbnps  didn't  cnri-. 

"Poothy  had  a  thawther  of  milk  quite  full  up."  said  Alice.  Sho 
li*liiil  a  good  deal,  and  P<«gy  ret>eat«!  "saucer"  after  lier  and 
lau^^ied. — "Doea  she  mean  to  hav«  a  full  saucer  every  dayt" — 
Partridgtt  really  had  no  ttpeciel  inaigbt  into  AUoe'a  meaning,  but 
she  had  arrogated  to  herself  powers  of  interpretation,  partly  bc^- 
cause  llnr  child  wn.*  Khi-piug  in  her  room;  partly  because  of  the 
pOHition  ahe  occupied,  half-way  in  the  sociiil  gnp  bi-twix-n  Alice  and 
Peggy,  which  caabhd  her  to  understand  botli.    &W  va\i.(^&  ^cif 

«7 


68  ALICE-FOB-SHOBT 


I  Alioff 


Alice's  mettning.  this  lini«',  a  MU«cr  of  milk  ever;  itny.  But  Alien 
shook  her  head  irith  continuous  empbasie^  and  appeared  to  be 
forniulatiDg  a  report  iu  eilcuee. 

"Wasn't  it  that,  Alice!"  said  Peggy.  "Wliat  was  it  then  T  And 
wlit-n  Aliet-  Htoppid  rih;ikinp  her  liead  (which  wasn't  immediat«i!y) 
she  drew  the  loDRost  powible  farealh,  and  started  the  following 
eputivb  on  the  top  of  it: 

"I'oothy  hud  a  thawtber  of  mitk  quite  full  up  becawth  father 
tbuid  Pootb,v  fboutd  bnvo  anotlier  Uiawther  of  milk  vetltv  tboon 

becawth  I  froed  it  over  and  mother  thnid  no "     And  by  thie 

tiini''  Alice  hnil  got  to  the  end  of  the  breutli  eiuppty,  end  paused  lo 
take  in  8  new  one.  Partridge  stepped  in  to  assist  the  communiea- 
tioii : 

"And  mother  punished  you  for  spilliiiK  the  milkl"  But  Alieo 
evidently  bad  HDnut  otbtr  IhIc  to  ti-!l,  for  *Iip  entrt-u<'hcd  heraelf 
behind  a  lonjc  head-shnke  of  denial  to  prepare  and  concentrate  it. 

"Didn't  molbi'r  piiniiih  you,  Alice  dear?"  said  Peggy.  And 
Alice,  in  whom  tliere  was  a  trace  of  reserve  towards  Partridge,  as 
coinpun-d  with  her  bearing  towards  Peggy,  immediately  paused  in 
the  hi-ud-shake.  iind  .inid  without  stopping  to  draw  in  iht^  requisite 
air-t?upply — "Mother  uever  Ijealed  me  only  when  I  was  naughty.'' 

"Ttipn  didn't  mother  think  yini  nnijghty  for  Hpilling  the  milkC* 
asked  Peg»r>'.     Aiiee  shook  her  head. 

"Motlur  didn't  beiitfd  me,"  wild  chc.  And  that  was  clear  proof 
that  she  couldn't  have  been  uau^fhly.  For  a  motlier  has  to  work 
hard  indeed  to  d(!!(tn>y  n  young  ehil<i*K  Ivlief  in  her  infallibility 
and  trutbfulnees.  Goody  Peppermint  had  assured  her  daughter 
that  sbe  nei'er  Ix'at  her  unless  she  was  nauglily;  item,  that  ahe- 
fJiould  always  beat  her  if  she  were;  ergo,  not  having  been  beaten, 
sJw!  couldn't  bjtve  been  naughty.  Tbe  logic  was  iirwiwlible.  but  on 
the  other  hand  the  prima-facie  naughtiness  of  spilling  milk  was 
nbviouB.  Ppggy  suspected  aomc  otlier  reason  for  Alict-'!"  immunity. 
"Uow  did  you  (ipill  the  milk,  Alice  f  she  asked.  Alice's  answer 
provoked  sitill  further  eimniry:  "Becoth  of  the  Hdy."  said  she. 

"But  why  did  you  spill  the  milk  because  of  tbe  lidy  t"  Alice  be- 
came communicative. 

"Becoth  the  lidy  had  black  spot*.  I  could  thee  oiom.  .\nd  the 
whilst  1  was  iheeing  them.  I  putted  my  foot  down  on  Pooihy — and 
Poothy  wml  in  tbe  mitk.  But  Poothy  got  the  milk — motht  of  it, 
off  of  the  pivement.  Only  the  thawther  was  broken  in  pieccfr^ 
fr«'  pi<^c^■ll.    And  mother  vtimc  out  of  the  kiteheti " 

"But.  Aiiee  dear,  who  was  the  Udy  who  had  black  spotst     Lidiea 
'     "    ■  'ive  black  spota " 


A 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


69 


■  "On  her  veil.  MJm  PeKKy.  no  doubt,"  eays  Psrtridge,  the  ister- 
^Kter.     But  Al'iif-  in  lt>a  >hiir|>  for  her. 

"She  hadn't  irol  no  vile.     Teaehcr  haa  a  vilo        " 

But  AliofT  ntofiti  in  hex  narrittivc  and  bL'Coini,<a  R'.s<!rv<<r1.  Perhaps 
the  is  feetiofi  exhausted  after  such  a  prolonged  effort.  P««gy 
nMumcs  hur  eiMpiirj'. 

"Toll  ue,  Alice,  who  th«  lidy  was — won't  youP'  But  Alice  only 
ftliuki^  u  «i>r(-c)ilnts  head,  niid  looks  piuzl<-d. 

"Law,  Miss  Pcggyl"  saye  Partridp?.  "The  child's  lomaDcii)'. 
Don't  you  Ibiai  (o  her  «tori«!9!" 

"No.  I'aitride*,  be  quiet !  1  want  to  know  about  the  lidy  with 
Iht  btuvk  B]iot».  Come  and  sit  iin  my  knnc  and  tell  me— that's 
riicht !"  Alice  complies  with  a  readinees  that  su^gmts  that  mis- 
givinga  about  Partrid^i'a  power:*  of  birlicf,  or  pronnnrju  to  dis< 
belief,  may  have  had  som«tfainii  to  do  with  her  reticence.  Once 
MtMbliHhi-d  on  Alice's  knee,  ahe  bvcumea  lo<iuaciou«  again,  but 
with  a  isliitbt  tendency  to  eaw  baokwarda  and  forwards  in  harmony 
with  tht  rhythm  of  her  narrulivo. 

"The  lidy  hadn't  Kot  no  vile.  She  oome  down  the  stairs,  but 
not  froo  the  door.     Bwoth  the  door  Ihqueaklh" 

ThU  Ja  a  diiGeult  word,  calliufc  for  emphasis  and  a  apf«ice  of 
pounce,  aa  well  as  the  incorporation  of  the  sound  of  a  door«  hingea. 
Peggy  fx^Rquiahes  the  door  for  the  present,  as  too  difficult,  and 
reeurs  to  the  rjxit*. 

"But  it-ll  me  more  about  the  lidyfs  apota.  Alice.  What  were  they 
made  off"  All  ill-framt^  qiM-titioti;  that  makes  Alien;  speechless 
again.  She  puuies  al)o\il  in  her  mind  for  an  answer,  and  none 
conies.  Then  alic  ficw  her  way  plainer,  and  introduces  a  new  ele- 
ment. 

"One  of  'cm  waa  here — auil  one  was  Atrre— and  one  was 
here" 

"Take  caro  of  my  eye*,"  says  Peggy,  laughing.  "Ridiculous 
little  finger!" — For  Alice  has  bc-en  indicating  the.  exact  where- 
abotits  of  each  »ipot  on  Peggy's  face,  with  gre^t  decision. 

*TIow  nuiuy  \rett^  there  altogeUier.  Alice!    Three}" 

"There  wnth  this— fme  on  one  side,  two  on  the  other " 

"That  uiake^  fivi-."  Fn.m  Partridge,  with  didactic  severity. 
But  Alie«'  trpulnes  hrr,  wilh  Ions. 

"And  ojie  in  the  middle  of  ihc  thin."  She  places  tlie  ridiculous 
little  finger  accurately  under  Peggy's  dimple.  Wlio  says— "Oh.  you 
funny  litlJe  thing,  bow  you  tickle!  Now  do  sit  still,  dear,  and  tell 
US  more  about  the  lidy." — For  Alice's  successful  arithmetic  has 
produced  a  oort  of  discbarge  of  fireworks  on  hei  pul. 


70  ALICE-FOR-SHOBT 

"^Vlicrc  did  the  lidy  goY'  ooatiuued  Peggy.    "Into  the  kitch^al 
Alice's  reply  i*  uluiont  n-proaohfiil. 

"Mdthfr  WBB  in  the  kitc^bi^ii  I" 

"But  didn't  mother  wc  llic  lidyl" — Apparfrntly  no  I     Alice  wiia^ 
ajmin  dixtiiifruishintr  herself  sb  a  lotpcian.     If  tJio  lidy  hud  gnnn 
into  the  kilchun,  molhiu'  would  have  ecen  her,     Uut  mother  had 
never  «icn  her.     Therefore  she  wejit  eomnwherc  cIm«. 

"WTifre  did  slut  jfci  thm.  Aliw)  dear  t  Do  try  and  tell  us  1  Don't 
yon  know  where  sJie  wentf  l-or  AIiol-  merely  shnkuK  her  head  and 
du«w8  her  lips. 

"Where  did  you  sec  her  lastl"  Peggy  varies  the  queetion  and 
elicits  n  dlnlemrnit. 

"I  thee  her  go  froo  tho  airey  door — out  la  the  airey — pa»t  the 
coallh — pail  ilw  dulbt " 

"Yes.  dear,  and  then?"  says  Tcggy,  who  i«  fwliiiir  rer>'  eiirious. 
But  Alice  eutri-nehea  herself  in  mystery,  or  can  tt-U  notliinK  more. 

'^Ave,  Minn  Vcegy."  days  Portridffc-  "What  did  1  toll  you  t  The 
child's  only  romaucin't"  And  adds  to  h<-r«--lf  ihat  Alice  may  only 
turn  out  a  Btory-tolling  little  huwty.  after  all!  Itowever.  thert-  i» 
no  publie  npi-culation  on  this  point,  for  tlu;  door  npmii,  and  Chnrles 
appears.  He  haa  been  to  the  Hospital  to  see  about  tioody  Pepper- 
mint. And  reports,  rather  rucfiill.v,  that  ttho  is  going  on  well.  In 
fact  if  Pyemia  doesn't  set  in,  there  doesn't  seem  mucli  chance  of 
our  being  delirered  from  her — eo,  we  will  dissimulate,  and  appear 
to  rejoice. 

"Thnt'n  nice,"  says  Peggy,  courageously.  "Mother's  going  to  bo 
quiie  guile  well  again.  Alice."  But  Alice  looks  doubtful-  Charlea 
meanly  lr«vcn  the  rurJnicinR  to  Pcgpy — is  eren  nut  ashamed  to  mur- 
mur something  to  himself  about  where  hie  sister  eitpects  to  go  to. 
But  bo  reaps  the  advantage  of  a  relief  from  embarrafiamcnt,  and 
ahelvra  the  topic. 

"Well,  that  is  a  smart  new  frock,  and  no  mistake,  Alice-for- 
ahort!"  aaya  he.  Alice  d^erts  her  patroness's  knee  and  makes  for 
Charles's  hand ;  his  claim  of  priority  is  growing  fainter,  but  haa 
not  died  out  yet;  perhaps  it  won't.  She  recites  the  deed  of  trans- 
fer of  the  new  frock,  that  lOie  may  not  seem  oblivious.  "T  wasn't  to 
spin  anyfing  <iver  it,"  fthe  «ays.  Au<i  Peggy  explains  it  still 
further— "One  of  poor  little  Trix's — tlinl  hadn't  bewi  girt^n  awny." 
— Trix  was  a  sister  neat  above  Ellen,  who  hod  died  eight  yean 
since.  Charlee'a  face  pays  a  tribute  to  her  memory — he  has  a  floxi- 
blo  and  expressive  face — and  needn't  say  everything.  "Then,  wlica 
we  want  something  to  spill  anything  over,  what's  to  be  donel  Eh. 
Uiss  Kavana^t"  itaya  be.     Partridge  aces  her  way  to  a  moral  lesson. 


X 


ALICE-F0R-8H0KT 


n 


OU1 


"Thnt's  what  Vm  Wn  snying  to  hor.  haven't  1,  Alicel  If  she 
vrttaa  to  make  a  raees.  she'll  liaTe  to  have  her  old  frock  on  aniu." 
Panride<)  rvqiiin-it  small  (.-crtificatca  to  bar  poaiUon  at  iottinals, 
ffliiii  writes  them  for  herself. 

"I  mnM.  have  pyr  old  flock  on  when  I'm  took  buck  to *'  and 

Alice  comes  to  a  ctandstill.  She  tjotcan  her  gpe«cli  buedleaaly — 
forgot  tluit  thf  <^)ti]<!ii't  01x1  ii|i  with  "fatliiT"  now,  and  had  only 
a  qualified  eDlbiisia^iii  alx>ut  muther.  Pejcg}'  faeada  the  aubj«ot 
off.  and  auiMj^nwdfTH  it  with  a  Muggmtion  atu;  might  not  have  mado 
at  all  if  it  had  not  eeemed  to  her  likely  to  act  a%  a  lubricant. 

"Alice  iit  to  go  bonui  fir^t  bcforu  mother  cometi.  Charley.  Putwj 
ham't  had  any  milk,  eo  Alice  and  I  ale  goinc  to  take  her  some  lu 
a  bottle,    Arvn't  wc  Alice !" 

"If  you  pleatho.  Mith."  safs  Alice,  and  turns  her  head  to  the 
commiMiariat. — ^"Poothy  never  baa  more  than  a  farvingaworf  at  a 
time." 

"I  may  com«  too,  I  suppoee.  Miss  KnvannfthI"  unys  Charles".  To 
thia  there  appears  to  be  uo  objection.  So  an  expeditiou  t))  ar* 
ranged  for  next  day  to  No.  40,  as  all  mxm  to  agnx  to  cidl  tha 
iiou**. 

The  remainder  of  thia  conversntioii  waa  n  rrsumi  of  tlie  tAorj 
the  lady  with  the  spots,  for  Mr.  Charley's  benefit.  Alioe  stuck 
to  hrr  inlc,  including  the  sudden  Bitpcarnnec  and  my^ti^rioiia 
of  the  lad.y.  She  added  to  it  that  after  the  lady 
waa  Kone  rfie  folt  frightened,  and  niolhrr  came  not,  nnd  then 
father,  and  both  said  there  hadn't  htxa  no  lidy.  And  then  all  went 
out  in  tlu'  airry,  and  Altec  showed  her  fflth<T  where  she  miw  tlw 

ly  last  "by  the  Krite  big  iron  (rife  in  the  airey."    Mr.  Charles 

id  that  »>iM  A  funny  Ktory.  but  eTidcntly  only  half  bttlirrcd  in  it, 

id  Alice  felt  mortified;  however,  she  resolved  to  prove  it  all  trno 
hy  xhowing  the  gate  in  the  area.  k>  that  ihen^  Hbould  b<^  no  doubt 
on  the  matter.  Then  the  brother  and  sister  had  to  (to.  but  Alice 
would  KTO  tliem  H.gain  to-morrow,  quite  for  cttrlaiii.  And  when 
they  had  left  the  room  Mrs.  Partridge  said  Atieo  was  a  fiutny  littlo 
pilehitr  for  Murv,  if  ever  tliere  wns  oul-,  uiid  took  ht-r  down  into  the 
kitchen,  where  she  found  many  ihinffv  of  surpnsKinK  inlen-st. 

"Only  oni-  thing  I  do  ^liimlalL-  for."  Kuid  Pegjry  to  her  brother 
as  they  went  upstairs  togethor.    "No  Mr.  Jerrythought." 

"Poor  Jefl!  Why  miiatn't  he  eoroe)  Hell  be  awfully  eul  up 
if  he  bean  we  explored  the  basement  and  him  upatnir*  all  tho 
timi' " 

"Then  he'll  hav«  to  be  cut  up,"  aaid  the  youn^;  lady,  unfeelingly. 
"Bacauae  I  draw  the  Hue  at  Mr.  Jerrythougbt." 


CHAPTER  Vin 


THE  PSTCHIC.II.  BCSURCH  INTO  THE  LADT  WITH  THE  SPOTS. 
L-BRTAIX  TAHLE.  AND  Or  HOW  ALICE  OKIKUIK  TtlK  IMHK.  HOW 
HEATB  CALLED  HtS  SIBTEU  TO  SEE  UB.  JOtlKSOK.  HOW  ALICE  WAS 
TOI.D  THAT  THAT  WAR  MOTHRH.  HOW  UIL  HKaTM'S  SIMTKIt  KMKKD 
UUniEK,  AND  VfUY.  Of  A  PAWN  ■TICKET,  AND  HOW  DR.  JOHS90S 
WROTF.  A  PUKSCIUPTION  WItON'a 


A  KEW  carctakrr  liitti  becu  discovered  to  ltv«  in  the  basement  of 
No.  40  and  show  the  extLiuivi^  prVDiiiM'a.  She  wan  Mm.  Twilla,  uid 
garc  the  Hpcctntor  an  impr^siiioii  tJtnt  she  was  atl  on  odg  side.  A 
ver>-  loiig  tooth  seemed  to  start  sonu^how  from  thi-  niot  of  tu-r  nose 
and  HUpport  her  upper  lip.  It  iniido  Attempts  at  speeeh  inef- 
fectual, i)i>d  nppeuroii  lu  faet  to  trunsfiT  the  seat  of  urticula'iuit 
to  the  TiKht-haiKl  upper  molar,  if  any.  She  waa  also  so  deaf  as  to 
be  »nabl<-  t(>  recuvL'  cutuiuiinicu lions  iixu-pt  tty  crini«ctur^;  and  so 
iU-informed  or  reticent  as  to  be  unable  to  impart  them  iioder  anj 
circiiniMunct^  Tier  rLiW-nitiif;  featun-s  wct«  ber  teinporuriness, 
and  an  alaerily  in  the  distribution  of  catnractA,  while  insulated  on 
patlo:iis,  that  wtis  inconsiderate  to  bjr»tanders  perhaps,  but  serrice- 
able  to  cleanliness.  It  would  have  been  bvncficinl  in  cntrjr  vay 
if  it  bad  not  L-nvenoined  the  tiature  of  lis  promutor.  and  made  her 
look  upon  her  follow-crcatures  as  iDcarontv  fiends  for  dtrljing 
bet  steps. 

Ifrs.  I'wilts,  having  been  inatsllod  as  a  eubiititutc  for  Goody 
Pct>]>c:riiiint,  had  iustinctirely  proceeded  to  do  out  the  first  door. 
UDoppofed.  Whether  any  intelligible  inirtruction  liod  rvaehud  her 
mind,  Charles  certainly  rfid  not  kuow;  but  he  had  accepted  Mr^ 
Twills  as  his  lot,  considered  as  a  fimt-fioor.  It  was  part  of  her 
nature  to  pay  no  attention  to  huumnit.v  as  such,  and  to  ignore  ita 
wanta.  But  considered  as  first-floorn,  wmond-floors.  or  oKees,  she 
did  it  out.  And  this  otBeial  position  of  Aire.  Twills  mndc  it  easy 
and  natural  for  Pcgg;-  and  Alie<%  accuuipaiiii--d  by  Charles,  to 
penetrate  the  subterranean  rejcions.  without  explaining  to  her  that 
the  nicely  dressed  Uttli-  girl  lliat  eaine  witli  tlie  first-floor's  sister 
in  a  carrisRe  was  the  child  of  the  previous  cnn!tuki-*r.  now  in  the 
Hospital,  and  a  father  who  bad  poi^ned  himself  on  the  pTvmiees. 
In  fact  nothing  that  occurred  during  the  visit  threw  any  light  oi 

78 


■OlMI 


ALICE.JFOR-SH0RT 


78 


what  MrB.  Tirilig  knew  either  oi  the  traetc  rtoi7  of  her  prejeces- 
toT^  nr  of  imythiiig  cl«'. 

P«KfT  '«'*  *8  ihey  drove  up  to  the  door  how  ebastly  wfrv.  the 
whole  of  the  <-iriMimxtnn<'<-M,  hut  was  glut!  of  one  iMn?  at  an; 
nie — that  the  child  could  only  have  the  vagiirJit  notion*  of  tiie 
cause  of  her  fiithnr'«  dtuilli.  She  rould  not  quite  make  out  how 
much,  and  was  afraid  to  talk  ahout  it  to  hrr.  SIic  had  tiiuim'd  lor 
that  hcT  niothrr  wu«  goittg  on  well  in  the  Hoepital,  and  that  she 
abould  90OI)  go  and  fee  her.  The  nNiiuriinci^  wbh  ni>l  welcomed  irith 
wptnre.  and  thr  subject  had  dropped  naturally.  She  was  relieved, 
on  ^ttiuff  lo  the  house,  where  her  bmthrr  cama  down  to  meet 
them,  at  Alice  ranking  no  Rrfrrenee  to  her  parents,  but  going 
straight  to  the  conetderation  of  Puiwy  and  the  milk.  This  was  of 
course  the  oatcnsiblc  cause  of  the  exeiimiun — the  renl  oiio,  ns  far 
as  Peggy  was  concerned,  being  to  get  a  repetition  on  the  Spot  of 
the  story  of  the  mysterious  ladj'. 

So.  as  soon  us  Pussy,  who  cerlainlj-  was  the  most  uncomely,  vae- 
besone,  and  gr«;n-ey«^  little  black  thing  ever  seen  by  roan,  had 
been  intpdducwl  and  prorided  with  the  farthing's  worth  of  milk 
Elipulatcd  for,  Peggy  rcvivetl  the  subject  of  the  lady.  But  in- 
dirrctly,  baring  had  some  experience  of  the  upsetting  effects  of 
direct  examination  on  Alice. 

"We  shan't  break  llie  saucer  Hits  time,  Alice,  shall  wet  Becanee 
this  time  there's  no  lady  with  spots  enraing  downstairs." 

"There  was.  h«fore"  said  Alice,  with  emphasis.  She  was  rather 
ap  in  arms  to  protect  her  story  from  doubts  that  might  be  cast 
«i  it;  perbapA  se^g  through  a  ccrtnin  amount  of  pretence  in  the 
general  aeceptance  it  had  received,  and  suspecting,  without  putting 
the  aiiiipicion  into  wdrds.  that  hIic  was  being  treated  like  a  child. 
Of  course  she  reallt'  raas  a  great,  grown-up  tfitX  of  six. 

"And  >Im'  camn  ripht  through  tliat  door  at  the  top  of  the  stairs, 
that  swings  both  ways?" — Pttwy  remembered  perfectly  that  the 
contrary  wa«  irtute<l.  but  thnughl  this  a  good  way  of  getting  a  re- 
peat. She  was  right.  Alice  shook  her  head  a  long  time,  and  then 
dischargifl  a  denial,  like  n  gun. 

«I — thed — sol  Becoth  the  dooi^becoth  the  door — becotb  the 
door » 

"Yes.  dear,  because  the  door  whati" 

"Becoth  the  door  Ihgueaktk!" 

"I  seel  Of  course  it  always  squeaks  when  it's  opened.  And  this 
time  it  didn't  squeak,  so  it  wasn't  opcm^li"  Alice  nodded  a  gTc«t 
many  tiroes  to  this,  rather  as  approving  its  clcamcM  of  statement, 
as  well  as  confirming  its  truth. 


I 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


n 


And  Charley  burst 
U!"  he  crii-d.     "A« 


"Poolhy  ilidn't  bear  it,  iiecrer."  »ttid  slie. 
out  laughing. — "ftTiat  a  funny  little  tot  it 
griivf  IIS  a  judgt;!" 

"Hush,  Charley,  don't!"  enid  bis  siatvr.  "Do  be  discreet,  or  wc 
•han't  geX  any  more " 

"She  doesn't  iimliTatJincI ** 

"Oh — doifan'l  she* — she's  as  sliarp  as  a  rator— "'  And  thru 
addreEsins  Alioc — ^"Never  mind  hiro  imd  hia  nooseuae,  popiiet — 
he's  oiily  laughing  at  us.  You'll  tell  inc  tinol.l)i*r  lime  hovr  tlu! 
l«dy   ramo   downatiirs,   w-on't    you?"     Alice   uodded.     "And   how 

ahic  fttni  out  into  the  area f    Morv  m(kI».    "And  how  vbe  went 

right  up  the  am  Btupa  and  out  into  the  siroett" 

The  Tigour  with  which  Alice  Kliook  hrr  hcjid  Ihrculvned  diitloca* 
tioD.  She  drow  a  trciueudous  breath  to  supply  hor  denial  with 
force. 

"I  tb^d — the  litty  went  past  the  coal-thellsr,  and  I  thed — ibe  lidy 

wcni  to  the  grite  iron  gite  acrost  tlic  niroy  and  I  thcd "  hore 

wtnc  confusion  came  in — "No!  I  didn't  tJjed — there  wathn't  no 

litiy And  Poothy  theed   lliere  wathn't  no   lidy—     And 

fstber  came  out " 

Thn  iilight  iniltxition  of  the  child's  voice  as  she  Bai<!  "father" 
contained  its  tribute  to  hts  memory — and  wns  more  cxpreasiivc  tJian 
An  «pitnph.  llnd  her  brother  not  been  there  probably  Peggy 
would  have  made  her  talk  about  father,  and  she  could  have  liod  a 
good  cry.  But  in  nuch  n  connection  the  old  "T«."o  la  company  and 
three  is  none"  is  more  than  ever  true.  So  it  was  best  to  turn  th« 
convrrsation. 

"Why,  Ali<«.  I  thought  you  said  the  lady  went  op  the  uea- 
steps !" 

"There  watK  no  lidy" — this  vwy  emphatically.  "Poothy  theod 
th«re  wjith  no  lidy " 

"You  mean  she  disappeared?"  Alice  vmuldn't  commit  bcrwlf 
to  biird  word*,  btit  vnn  inclined  to  invest  in  this  one  on  speoula- 
Uou.  She  sanotionet)  it  with  a  abort  nod,  and  her  two  hoaron 
glanced  ut  each  other. 

"At^  there  any  area  steps ("  aaid  Peggy.    "T  didn't  ar*  any " 

And  this  waa  true,  only  Peggy  hadn't  looked.  Alice's  blue  eyea 
opened  wide  and  indignant  at  the  suggcjition  tJiat  there  were  no 
area  *tcps.    "Come  out  and  thee  thorn."  said  she, 

"It's  horribly  dirty  out  there."  said  Ciiarles. 

"ThiH  old  nig  of  B  thing  won't  hurt,"  said  I'eggy.    "I  put  it  on 
purpose."     And  Alice  wondereal  alioiil  lb?  "old  rag."    She  bad 
thinking  how  beautiful  it  was.  all  the  way  in  tlie  carriage. 


J 


AUCEFOB-SHORT 

But  the  Br«<a  outside  wns  a  tttizzls  and  a  Ulthy  placoi  and  we 
aLudd^.red  at  lU  <luittp  and  driii  utul  rkiuIiI^  alinur.  Th*:  u«tori« 
of  TAtB  ibnt  exploded  nod  fled  aa  we  «m«rgcd  into  their  disagTceablo 
[Mirfuniu  u-c-rv  mivimii.v  and  monstroua  cats,  luifit  to  Utv  and  «)• 
most  incapable  of  death.  Surely  «-ilcbc« — the  norst  witcbw— bad 
be«n  «haii£«d  iutu  tlit-m  a  liuiidrt<l  yeara  ajto;  und  now.  when 
J'l^KT  in  all  her  yivulh  and  bcawty,  and  tho  old  ran  that  wouldn't 
hurl.  Btcpped  out  into  their  preeerve  aiid  sent  tht-m  fl,ving.  miij-  not 
one  of  thcni  haw;  Mtil.  oa  she  flung  a  cur«c  back  at  her — ^"I  loo 
»aa  yoDDx  and  beautiful  onoe,  like  you  1  But  I  gare  m.vself  to  the 
DcTiI.  und  ihtM  ia  bia  graliliidel" — You  majr  fnci  inclined  to 
exclaim:  "This  is  an  entirely  unwarrantable  B|jeeul  at  ion.  based  upon 
no  data;  a  ncothco»i>i>hic«l  nrincumnli"ni«in  without  ao  much  aa 
a  fingle  Himalayan  Brother  to  baok  you  upl  Justify  your  absurd 
imagination  by  the  jimductinn  of  additiati'  and  suhiitnntifll  evi- 
deoce,  or  proceed  with  your  story  without  raising  irrelefanl  i^ues, 
and  giving  ynur  rrsdcr  the  trouble  of  finding  out  how  much  ho 
may  akip  will)  safety" — that  la  to  say,  if  you  ore  in  the  habit  cf 
indulgiiifc  Id  Ions  exclamations.  Should  you  do  ao  our  rvply  i«: — 
if  yoti  think  our  oumiiMi  about  IiAndon  cat*  so  Wry  absurd,  atudy 
ibem  more,  and  note  the  effect  on  your  opinion. 

However,  it  won't  do  to  Imve  Prgg}'  standing  in  that  grimy  door- 
wuy,  in  tluit  flllhy  uroa.  while  we  sift  this  question  i<~i  the 
N:illoni.  Sh<'  didn't  vtatiil  tbcre  ni'>rr  than  just  long  enougli  for 
the  cats  to  ilisperse;  and  then  emerged  nuiilcd  by  Alice,  who  kept 
liiibt  hold  of  her  hand.  "The  roaltli  ilh  in  llicrc,"  »ai<i  ulie, 
"'and  ihu  dulhl  in  tliere" — and  pointed  to  two  vaults  in  which  only 
permna  of  iron  oonstitution  eould  have  enjoyed  a  long  imi)ri!ion- 
mcnt  for  life  "Thwlhr  itb  the  area  steps,"  Alice  esphiined, 
touchiuR  one  to  make  quite  sure. 

"Thi-n."  said  Pt^igjv  "wiittre  is  the  great  gate,  or  grilo 
gite!" 

"That's  round  the  corner,"  wiid  Charley,  who  was  following  in  the 
rear.  "Miss  Kavanagh  must  have  seen  the  lidy  through  the  win- 
dow—" 

"Froo  my  bedroom  window,"  says  Miss  Kavanagh.    "And  mother 

come  out— and  father  como  out.    And  there  wnthn't  no  lidy " 

and  Alice  goes  on  shaking  her  bead  with  a  wistful  expreeaioii. 
dramatically  indicative  of  fruitless  tieareh.  They  went  round  the 
comer  In  ilw-  gn-at  gatn.  Peggy  and  CharU-y  looked  at  one  anotber. 
"Tou  go  inside,  Charley."  said  she.    "See  if  you  can  we  me  hero 

from  the  pnaxiiRr — I'll  iitop  outnidi;  thr  wiiid<iw "    He  went  in- 

Btdu  and   presently   returned.     "Kiss   Kavanagb'a   all  lis^^"   ^ 


AUCE-FOR-SHOKT 

SBid.  "Tou  cnn  see  quite  pluiii  from  wheta  Puas^  was  drtok- 
ing  the  tuilk."  "And  Poothy  could  tbee  too,"  said  Alice,  who 
!«n>mp(I  tp  apprM'iatc  the  Icstimonial  to  her  accuracy' 

"Well — it's  a  f uniii'  story  1"  said  Peggy,  and  both  gave  it  up  as  a 
liiirl  job,  and  turned  to  go  iii<Ioors. 

"But  1  4id  thee  the  lidyl"  erics  Alice,  apposltngly. 

"Of  ROurK  you  did,  denr!  By  tJie  liyp.  you'vi;  never  told  ufl 
what  father  and  mother  SBid.     What  did  father  say?" 

"Thjiid  I  was  dt'nniiu'.    But  I  waso't  deainin'.    1  was  awikc        " 

"And  what  did  molht.'r  say  V 

"Thuid   I  wath  n   lilth-  liar! "     And  Peggy  fdl   thai   her 

wiihes  for  tliat  good  woman's  recovery  became  more  difficult.  Sbo 
changed  the  subject.  "T  wish,"  she  said,  "Mrs.  Twills — is  ahet — 
would  leave  the  boys  alone.  They  weren't  doing  us  any  harm." 
For  the  party  bnd  not  been  twi-tity  HCcoiids  Ju  the  area  before 
lebiuacliles  becfln  agglomeratinR  axninst  the  airey-pnlins  above 
them,  offiTJng  thpir  serviues  witli  cimfidt-nci?.  au<l  roiunleering 
uaeless  information.  They  also  threw  each  other's  ■  hats  doira 
through  tiir  pnliiis,  ntiii  then  dmi<'<]  liuviug  iJoiic  so.  Mrs.  Twills'* 
attempts  to  disperse  tlieoi  were  well-intentioned,  but  inefFoctual. 
It  WBJ!  time  wc  went  in.  clearly.  8o  wc  did  w.  and  perhaps  the  boys 
went  away.     And  probably  the  cats  eauie  back. 

"It  wouldn't  be  such  a  dreaiJfnl  plnw  if  it  were  clean,"  aald 
Peggy.  And  Charles  mentioned  that  iklrs.  Twills  meant  to  do  it 
out  an  soon  a*  there  was  Time.  But  ihRn-  wus  a  nolc  of  uneer- 
tflinty  in  his  voit-e.  and  l>oth  appeared  cautious  about  going  int« 
details.  After  all.  it  w.as  the  landlord's  business.  Whi-m  was  if. 
"it"  happened? — This  was  Peggy's  question  to  her  brother,  at  n 
moment  when  Alice  appeared  absorbed  in  Pussy.  They  passed 
through  into  the  kitchen. 

Mrs.  Twills  was  always  a  phase,  and  never  a  permanency:  and 
.she  had  left  behind,  at  her  own  'ousc,  n  superior  class  of  furniture 
to  that  »hc  found  on  the  premises.  So  the  Kavanaghs*  goods  re 
matned  for  tlie  lime  being  undisturbed.  Until  it  was  certain 
that  the  woman  was  not  going  to  recover,  action  was  paralysed — or 
rather  action  didn't  want  to  be  bothered,  huring  phtnty  to  see  to 
clucwhcrc.  So  the  TIouBe  Agents  who  had  charRc,  and  who 
repreaeolt-il  nelton  in  this  case,  availed  tliemsidvai  of  tlit;  ik-oting 
nature  of  Hrs.  Twills  a%  a  stop-gap.  and  stood  it  over  for  a  wook  or 
eo,  till  we  could  see  our  way.  Mr«.  TwilU's  attitude,  eo  far  aa  it 
could  be  understood,  seemed  to  be  that  of  premature  rcacotmcnt 
against  a.isumcd  allegations  of  interference  on  her  part.  It 
was  surmised  that  she  said  that  everything  was  left  just  as  it  was— 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


n 


JOO! 


she  vMU't  fX>ioe  b>  medilic  uritb  unytbiitg.  Sbi;  kft  nn  imprciMion 
of  havinjr  ccncured  tho  humnn  raoo  for  a  vice  of  interpoeition  in 
«adi  other's  affairs  tbat  she  naa  nobly  exempt  from.  Sim  can 
tutrdljr  bv  stiid  to  hjivp  upokrn  on  the  eiibjccl.  She  wiliidrvw  nftcr 
producing  an  eSect  of  having  done  so,  and  irant  upaUits  with  a 
pail. 

"It  w«B  iu  here,"  said  Charles.  "Nol — not  the  poisoninit— the 
m«r.  Ilprc*':  thp  hammer."  Vtesj  iihu<lil<!n,'d.  It  wan  an  awful, 
larKo  c&st-irou  hammer,  with  m  sharp  oomer  on  the  square  front. 
It  liiu]  cnmi'  out  nomeltnw  on  tlx!  loqutTfll  that  it  hud  been  uaed 
bi*  eooie  previous  leuants  to  break  oonl,  and  had  1>ccn  forsnttrn 
and  found  in  the  ct'llar. — "No  wonder  it  took  the  scalp  nearly 
off."  said  Charles,    "i'oor  fellow  r" 

"Poor  woman.  /  Hhi>u)d  «>' !"  said  V^ggy. 

Toor  woman  of  eaurso,  but  poor  fellow  too!"  But  both  were 
really  most  »orry  for  him — there  was  no  doubt  of  it  I 

"1  wonder  what's  in  here,"  said  Pemcy.  prying  into  the  drowent  of 
a  tnbli!  that  tuid  a  titrung  upi>eurau<M!  of  having  seen  better  days. 
It  had  been  a  wedding  prewnl.  twenty-odd  year.*  ago,  and  was  onrt 
of  the  two  or  three  things  the  couple  had  \uM  on  to.  Charles 
rema^(«l  on  hia  nistiT's  invniiinn  of  wic-rud  privacy;  and  she  said 
she  didn't  care,  sikI  it  eouUlu't  do  any  harm.  She  pulled  out 
■  portfolio,  or  what  soomcd  like  one.  But  it  wasn't  a  port- 
folio. It  was  a  series  of  pictnneB  on  miUboard  flaps,  folding  like 
*  ocnx^— it  was  the  young  gentloiaan  of  property  who  had  adorned 
the  glorious  fibop-window  in  the  years  of  hope  and  youth  long 
gonn.  He  had  liocn  cnn-futly  prr^snrvnd,  and  waa  «ti]l  Kmiling 
cheerfully  and  immovably  iu  all  bis  costumes.  But  could  ha 
bnvi-  apppart^  now  in  iht-  3i'!ih.  it  ni'vi-r  wout<!  I>avL>  <li>nc  to  elothe 
it  iu  coat^  and  trousers  of  that  cut.  I'all-Mall  would  have 
disowned  him,  and  PicciudiUy  would  have  cast  liiin  forth.  But 
his  portraits  had  been  treasured  by  tlieir  owner,  in  whose  heart  hope 
had  never  quit«  died  out  tluit  they  should  one  day  reappear  iu 
tlieir  Eptendour.  before  it  was  quite  loo  late  for  them  to  bo  tbo 
fnxhion.  Of  cotirac  poor  Kavauagh  kuew  latterly  they  were 
as  eKlinet  a«  the  Pharaohs,  bathe  clung  to  them  mechsnicaliy,  and 
ki^it  them  cWn.  To  throw  them  away  or  burn  them  would 
have  been  to  fldmit  that  there  never — no!  nvTcr— would  be  n  now 
Kbop  again ! 

Of  course  Pejcgy  and  Charles  did  not  grftsp  tlus  rvlalion  of  the 
colourml  printH  to  tlic  ruined  lif<!  of  their  kte  possessor.  Tbi^ 
only  said  "Some  of  his  tailors'  costumes,"  and  how  funny  they 
looked  nowadays! — '*Only  look  at  hi*  tight  trouRira  and  his  absurd 


I 


I 


19 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 


rftwer" 


-np  coVja*,"  ■aid  Peggy,  nnd  (ludKd  them  bsck  in  die  drawer 
ftod  ehut  it. 

"And  fhm,"  Mid  »!i«,  "he  w<'nt  nway  nnd  swallowed  the  pmson 
In  the  otlwr  room C 

"Qiiit^r  nway  nt  tlic  end  nf  the  passjtec,"  «tid  Charles.  "Wo 
can  Ko  thcrv.  but  it's  very  dark." — For  the  afternoon  waa  becoming 
the  t-'vouinf;,  niid  Fehruery  cHn  bn  very  dark  nt  hulf-pa^t  four  in  a 
London  baactncnt.  Mrs.  Twille  had  lighted  the  gas  in  the  khchen. 
Charlea  seuure'd  the  \nix  who«*  mutclu^,  when  they  decided  to  ignite, 
didn't  care  whnt  they  did  it  on,  and  led  the  way  out.  Veggy 
calW  Alioe.  hul  got  uo  uuBurer. 

'*\\'hcTC  it  that  yoiiiiB  person  1"  said  ehe. 

"Moat  likoly  along  tlu-rt — ihe  room  iihc  lOept  in,"  Mid  her  brother. 
So  they  paiutcd  alnntt  the  dnric  pag8a«e,  past  the  inexplicable  bulk- 
heads and  ciateniH  and  pipK-a^gloiurruliiiiiK.  k-aving  Alice,  as  tbi-y 
thought.  U-hind.  Charles  tighted  a  notch  or  two  on  the  way  to 
help  them  forward,   "tit-re's  ilie  room."  said  he. 

"Whnt'!«  thatr  wiid  Peggy.  And  what  was  whnt? — asked 
Charles  io  return.  "It'a  the  child  eryinjt,"  she  continued.  "I'm 
sure  it  isf  And  so  it  was,  for  when  they  went  into  the  room,  there 
wait  poor  AIiei%  who  had  found  hi^r  way  thure  in  the  dark,  to  cry 
by  herself  in  the  room  whore  father  died.  "Ob.  you  poor  little  for- 
tmki'D  aerap!"  aaid  P<«gy.  picking  her  up  and  giving  her  a  good 
lon^  kiss.  Alice  indeed  needed  consolation.  "Was — father— 
really — died — hi-ri'?"  slw?  aatd  between  her  eobs.  She  hadn't  been 
frijcbtened  of  the  darkness  i  in  fact  she  seemed  lo  have  thought  it 
waH  ittill  light.  I:i  it  true  Londoner  this  singular  belief  iu  dayliiibt 
after  the  fact  is  not  nncommon;  and  leads  to  rnfuwils  to  light  the 
gas,  in  deference  to  ipai-.dixits  to  tlie  effect  that  we  can  see  to 
read.  And  we  can't,  and  wc  know  we  arc  putting  our  cyiai  out. 
If  such  thinfca  be  iu  upper  stories,  what  can  wo  expect  in  base- 
ments! Perhaps  too  Alice  had  lived  ko  ninr^  in  tlu!  dark  that  it 
<lidu't  terrify  her  as  it  did  us  in  our  childhood. 

"May  I  have  Poothy  (o  tik(>  Ut  1h<^  big  houw-r'  said  Alice 
Children  of  six  don't  cry  for  ever,  and  the  reeurrence  of  Pnwy,  a 
good  deal  too  full  of  milk,  and  quite  hard  like  a  bulli-t.  supplied  th« 
context  for  a  new  parngrnph  in  Alice's  life.  Yce!  $h«  minht 
bring  Pir«tiy,  but  Puaay  was  not  to  be  allowed  on  the  oushJona  of 
the  carriage. 


Wbon  Ur.  Charles  and  Miss  Peffity  and  Puasy  and  Alice  reached 

Hydft  Park  Gardens  (about  which  journey  w«  roay  remark,  in  the 

pi  a  conundrum,  that  onr  first  and  our  scoomi  execrated  ouy 


J 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT  79 

tilted,  wbo  ma  not  allnwMl  on  the  liip  »f  our  fourth),  thej  found 
»  vuiuff  awailinf;  them,  who  vae  ]>r.  JohnsoD,  Sir. — "It's  not  tl;e 
Lcxicogrnphnr,  Pi<g,"  Mid  CburlcH.  "So  :>-i>u  iiiceda't  look  ao 
f ruchlened !" — It  vas,  in  fact,  a  younn  doctor  from  tbo  Hoo- 
pitnl.  whom  Clitirlt-s  linii  idjuIo  wmu-  iifquaiiiiaiioe  witJi  on  his 
ret.'eut  visits,  lit*  was  passinx  quite  cloov,  he  raid,  and  bud 
called  to  leli  Mr.  TTcath  ttut  ibu  patieut  he  was  interested  in  was  a 
good  d«ai  better,  and  if  Pytemia  didn't  »ct  in,  etc.  But  tbo 
said  patient  was  fidgeting  about  tlic  little  jcirl.  8fae  bad  beeu 
told  atiout  ber  basband— »*li !  it  couldn't  be  helped — of  course  her 
d^Kwition  bad  been  taken  as  soon  a»  fhe  wa*  fit  to  make  one^ 
you  aee  she  mi^bt  havi-  gone  delirious,  and  died,  any  lim»~fir»t 
interval  was  lokeD.  Dr.  Jolinson  iboiight  it  might  bu  well  for  bet 
to  *i-L>  the  link  girL 

Mr.  ilealh  tboDS^t  not.  He  did  not  like  to  set  up  his  judffntent 
in  opposition  to  that  of  »tbL>ra  bntto-  qualified  to  judge.  "But 
really,  my  dear  Sir.  the  woman  was  such  an  nwful  womitn " 

"A — what  sort  of  an  awful  woman  ?  What  did  sbe  seem  like  to 
you?    How  should  you  describe  heri" 

"A  r<-giilnr  Jeu'bcl — a  dniiikcii  rirago  jusi  on  the  edge  of 
delirium  tremens.     A  horrible  hagl" 

"OnrirtU"  1    Still,  one  doiw  niei-t  witb  tlieae  casea," 

"But  why  curiouat  Doesn't  abo  acem  like  that  to  you 
now  *" 

*Tfot  the  least.  I  believe  she  was  different  when  she  first  cann! 
in.  /  didn't  me  her.  The  11ousc»Surgeon  and  the  Nurse  had 
your  imprmion  of  bor  ihougb " 

"Do  you  mind  my  calling  vay  sister  T  I  should  lEke  her  to  beat 
your  aetmiut  herself ." 

"Not  at  all."  And  rrnlly  whr-n  we  cniiH'  to  tliink  of  it.  thers 
wan  no  reason  whatever  whj"  Dr.  Johnson  should  object  to  Mr. 
Uealh  ealliiiB  hi«  sistvr.  "Especially  as  he  tben-on  beard  her  «y 
in  ttic  di-tianee.  "Yes  plMse.  I  should  like  to  if  I  may."  If  lie  bad 
made  any  objections  perhaps  he  would  Iihto  withdrawn  them  ou 
benriniu;  Mr.  Heath's  sister's  voice.  Il  was  one  that  caused  imm^ 
diate  curiowty  to  are  ita  owner. 

"Very  well,  then !  I  shall  expect  to  m*  you  to-morrow  at  half- 
pa«t  ten  at  the  Hospiul."  It  is  Dr.  Johnson  who  Ppcaka.  and  wo 
have  skipped  a  Rrcat  deal  of  unneecii«inry  interview.  "I  auttcipaie 
from  wliat  Mr.  Heath  has  been  telling  me  that  you  will  be  rather 
surprised.  Dear  im-.  i«  that  HeT<:ii  o'oluek?  I  must  hurry.  But 
really  you  an  so  awfully  jolly,  and  youi  hair  itk  so  lwaul\i>^V  fttA 


I 


M 


n 


ALICE-FOK-SHOBT 

Boft,  am!  your  now  is  such  a  perfectly  snlisfaclory  wose.  nnil  your 
mouth  ie  sti  slienliiti-I.v  right  in  nil  n-jqioctx  whether  it  speaks  or  is 

rileat,  while    as   for   your   voic* !     It«aUy    I    mufit   run 1 

Gooil'tiight,  Miss  Ilrntht  G<>o<1-nigbt,  Mr.  Ilcathl  To-morrow 
at  the  Hospital  at  half-past  ten " 

Aad  thiit  young  cloH<>r  riinn  nnd  ■■ntches  a  cab,  and  t^lla  it  to 
fiet  along  sharp.  He  does  not  know — yet — that  hta  life  has  just 
boon  sliced  into  tvo  diittinet  IibIvl'S.  liku  B  C  and  A  D,  by  bis 
chance  visit  at  the  great  big  house  where  be  left  the  tirHt  gong 
ringing  for  dinner;  and  where  the  girl  hp  hnd  bocn  talking  with 
said  to  her  brother  an  she  went  away  to  dress — *'Wbal  vi-ry  nico- 
looking  young  doctors  tJn-y  have  nt  that  Hospital!  Can't  you 
fetch  me  a  few  more,  (^harlej- 1"  And  CUurky  rppliwl  that  one 
WHS  enough. 

PerliBpa  I  ought  to  mcintion  tlint  the  portion  of  what  thn  nice- 
looking  young  doctor  said  between  the  words  hurry  and  rvaily  / 
must  run  was  not  said  uuiUbly,  nor  in  fact  said  at  all.  But  ha 
thought  it  just  the  tame  for  all  that. 

At  half-past  ten  next  morning  Alice  found  borsclf  standing  by  fl 
Romcthing  on  a  bod  in  jin  cnormou"  momfnl  of  bed",  with  Mi«»       i 
Teggy  beside  her.  telling  her  that  that  was  mother.     For  Alice 
found  it  hard  to  mnlw  out  whnt  wn"  that  cnlonrlniwi  figuri-  with  lh« 
head  bound  up  in  bnodages.  like  a  sort  of  muRuuy,  that  lay  so  still 
nnd  fqjokc  sm  low.     And  then  preiu^tly  whe  inw  ihnl  it  wa*  motbitr 
Bure-  enough,  though  she  spoke  unlike  her,  and  very  slowly.  aiiii_^J 
never  moved  her  hfiad,  only  her  cyea,  '^H 

"Is  that  Alict-r  ^ 

"Please,  Mother,  yes,"  Mid  Alicei  and  was  frightened  at  tho 
sound  of  her  own  voii-e. 

"It  was  drink "    The  woman  got  th\iB  far — then  sremed  to 

atop  less  for  want  of  something  to  say  than  from  not  knowing 
exactly  to  whom  shn  was  t-peaking.  Peggy  detected  this.  an<l 
sitting  down  by  the  bed  placed  her  hand  on  the  colourless  hand  that 
lay  outside  tJie  coverlid.  It  moved  slightly  townrd.i  bi-r  in  iv- 
sponiie — and  her  eyes  followed  the  movement, 

"1  don't  know.  Ma'am,  who "  elie  l>egnn.  and  Peggy  aupplied 

the  information  she  was  framing  her  speech  to  ask. 

"Mr.  Heath's  aiiiter,  <in  the  first  lloor "    Peggy  wa*  colloqaial, 

hut  people  arc,  in  real  speech.  It  is  only  in  books  thoy  talk  like 
bookK. 

"Mr.  Tleath  in  the  spectacles — kind  to  Alice — 1  was  not." 

,iice  hasn't  said  so,   Mrs.  Kavanngh.     Alive  Bays  you  irer9 


I 


ALICE-FOB-SHOBT 


81 


often  rei;  kind."    This  was  quite  uumuruited,  but  Alice  coa- 
firaiod  it  wicji  nixlH. 

"Mr,  Heaib  waa  kind,"  aays  her  motlior,  avoiding  Ibe  point. 
"Ilo  wa*  kind  when  Alicr  broke  the  jug — Um  jug  *«  found  in  the 
little  cellar— is  that  hiJn  I" 

"No.  ThiB  is*  Dr.  Johiiaon."  For  it  liad  b«n  docidcd  Pegsy 
and  Alioe  should  no  alone.  Too  many  would  do  no  good.  Peggy 
tbinkit  it  vratikl  hi:  \]fM  to  !(-t  her  talk  of  rosy  thitiga,  and  rallM^ir 
wetcoDMA  this  jux.  She  vants  to  avoid  ihc  hualiand  and  lh«  poison. 
"Whens  did  you  find  the  jug,  Un>.  Kavunngh  f 

"There  was  a  kind  of  [ilaco  in  the  wall,  u  sort  of  hole  going  low 
down.  Samut] — that  was  toy  husband,  iUisa — cleared  it  out.  It 
<raa  clay  and  sand  like,  and  the  jug  buricil  In  it,  stood  right  in 
omler  llw  pavi-mrnt  anil  covered  over." 

"Wasn't  it  broken  1" 

"Not  brokv — oh  nul  We  th<>ught  to  keep  it  for  thft  beer. 
It  was  wrote  over  witb  verses — coorais  and  picturea," 

•TVa*  thvrt!  nothing  there  but  the  iugT' 

"Just  the  j'u^."  Uul  a  moment  after  ehe  continued:  "No^ 
Utaa.  I  woQ*t  t«ll  any  untruth.  When  wc  come  to  look,  there 
was  a  ring.     In  the  iug." 

"Rid  you  keep  the  rJngr 

'•Took  ii  to  the  pawashop."    Peg|!>,  Rlanctug  round  for  grown-' 
up  eyni|>athy,  meets  the  eyna  of  the  young  doctor,  who  elevates  bia 
erebrowa  with  a  alight  "Of  coune"  nod.    *^ou  don't  know  about 
pawnshop*,  Alias f 

«Oh  dear,  yea,  I  dor 

"I'm  fearing  the  ticket  may  be  toet  Out  of  my  dress-pocket. 
This  gentleman " 

"1  sno.  Mra.  Kavanagh.    Yon  mean  it  was  in  the  dress  you  had. 
on.     Will  you  eni]uire.  Dr.  .loUiison!" — No  doubt  about  that,  any- 
how !     Dr.  Johnson  goes  awny  to  cnquiro.    The  voice  of  the  woman 
dropa.  and  Fefcer  stoops  to  catvh  what  she  is  sayiij^.    Sbt-  speuks 
with  much  effort,  but  elenrly  and  eonseeutivoly ; 

"You  will  wonder.  Jliss.  but  I  would  like  to  tell  you." — Peggy' 
nods  go  on.— *'lt  was  the  drink — it  was  all  the  drink.    "My  mother 
was  good,  but  she  died  of  it.     It  was  one  story  alike — for  her  and  , 
for  mft"     She  paused  n  weond.     Best  not  to  hurry  her.  thought 
Peggy,    "She'd  had  six."  she  went  on,    "And  she  waau't  the  atroiig'^ 
woman  1  was,  at  the  first  go  off." 

Peggy  felt  the  whole  tale  was  told,  for  both,  hut  she  lot  bor  finii 
it  her  own  woy- 

"1  had  been  a  total  abalaincr,  Uias,  from  fear  of  it.      And 


«s 


ALIOE-FOB-SHORT 


RiiRiucl,  I  mndp  of  him  n  total  too,  or  near  upon  it.  It  nude  bim 
some  hsjipy  ilfliB,  and  made  me." 

"But  whnt  vt»*  it  madir  yoii  givfl  it  upl"' 

"WbDl  eau  a  womaii  do.  Miss,  when  her  etrength  is  not  eoough? 
And  when  the  Hwrtor  «)Tnpa  and  iinj'it,  'You  must  dritik  stout'— 

"You  niilit  take  |>ort' (     It  beKan  ao  with  her — it  be^n  so  with 

line  I    And  what  pnuld  you  hope  from  »  man,  but  follow  on i" 

"Oh.  Mr8,  Kavauaiurh!  1  am  so  aoiry  for  you.  I  eec^  it  all — so 
plain!"  The  woman  dropped  her  voice  to  a  whisper.  "Does  (h« 
child  know  ?     Dooa  Alimt  know  I"  mt 

"About  her  father!     I  don't  know.    8h«  knows  he  is  dead."        H 

"Whwi  Hhif  ia  old  enough  to  nmh-rstiitid,  will  ,toii  ic II  her  all  {" 

"You  mustn't  talk  like  that.  Mrs.  Kavanagh.  The  doctors  soy 
you  wit!  ifet  up,  and  he  yourwlf  again-" 

"Not  to  truaf  to.  Miss-  Muoh  best  the  oilier  way.  Iiltich  best." 
TJr.  Johnson  rptiinm.  lie  him  found  the  i«wn-tieki-t.  The  patieiU 
iinderstauds  and  says:  "Give  it  to  the  lady  to  ke^  for  Alice." 
Peggy  hcsitjites  n  minute,  then  put*  it  in  her  pura&  The  doctor 
goes  away  to  another  bed. 

A  nursing  sister  comes  up,  and  think*  lh«  patimt  ha»  tallu'd 
enough.  Her  tenipiTut)in>  n-ill  go  up  if  she  talks  any  more. 
PeRKF  says  "Kiss  your  mother,  Aliw."  and  facilitatfn  her  doint; 
BO.  And  mother  f«'!»  like  ii  hit  of  eold  wotid  to  Aliee.  Aiid  tliea 
Alice  thinks  slie  must  be  dreaming.  For  the  beautiful  young  lad.v. 
tJie  ineredilili'  being  who  hitu  rome  like  ii  atrnngi-  rcvi-Iuliou  into 
Alice's  life,  herself  stoops  and  kisses  the  cold  wooden  imaire.  and 
says,  "flood-bye,  Mrs.  Earanngh.  God  blesnt  you!"  And  the 
imag?  repeats,  "God  blesa  you.  Miss,  Tell  AliG&"  And  then 
they  go  It  way. 

They  are  met  by  the  young  dootor,  and  Alitw'a  dr^ain  con- 
tinu<!N.  In  it  she  and  he  and  Miss  Pcffgy  arc  driven  to  a 
strange  street,  not  very  far  off.  and  there  lie  pels  down  and  is  a 
long  time  in  a  rnriouK  i-hop.  lie  brings  with  him  when  he  comes 
out  a  little  packet  which  he  hands  to  Miss  Peggy.  "I'm  not  at 
all  Htir<!,"  he  tmyN,  "that  you  have  any  Icgul  right  to  it,''  and  fth« 
replies.  "It  was  given  to  me,  anyhow,  and  I  shall  keep  it  for 
Alie«  until  it*  rightful  owner  claims  it." 

That  sums  up  all  Alice  saw.  But  we,  who  know  all  things,  can 
assure  you  tbot  that  young  doctor  went  awny  in  a  tiirmoil  of 
conflicting  emotions,  and  bad  a  narrow  escape  of  killing  a  patient 
thai  aft«rnoon  by  writing  a  prescription  wrong! 


CHAPTEH  IX 


or  THE  NEW  TESASITn  AT  NO.  40,  AKD  BOW  KB.  HEiTH  HADE  TRm 
AtValNTANCK.    Of  TUB  CATS*  BOXES,  ASO  Of  OB.  JOllNnUN's  INPATU- 

tnaa. 

Tni:  groiin<l  floor  and  basenunt  At  No.  40  did  not  find  occupatlt 
rery  quickly.    The  Undlorii  wm  Me  to  wait  for  hxa  moniiy, 
nnturnllr  prrfpnwi  wailiii^  for  a  larK*  sum  to  waitiiic  for  a  Ginall 
ooe.     A  trait  of  thi»  sort  makes  ti*  f<«1  tlwt  1aii<llunls  am  liuinua' 
too,  **  wtill  at  (oriBiiia.     For  no  doubt  the  latter,  if  titej  could 
deep  with  comfort  in  the  ^tter,  would  wait  for  9ma.\\  rents,  hy 
choice. 

Pope  &  Chippeil,  the  fltfiiiied-sUiw  witid<iw  makcnt  in  the  nest 
■tteet  were  able  to  wait  until  midsummer,  when  they  hnil  rm-tivi-d 
notice  to  quit,  m$  the  liousn  wnc  cDiiiing  down.  But  they  were  not 
prepared  to  go  to  a  hundred  aud  twenty  for  the  prt'iiiisi-ft  at  No.  40,1 
(ntai>p«dl  wsK  of  s  weak  and  timoroun  nntiirc,  mu!  in  v\ev/  of  the 
exaot  sniTabilit)'  of  those  premises,  would  fain  have  hurriod  mat- 
t«ni  and  at  once  wcnred  Ihem.  But  Pope,  who  wan  »»tiit«  und  fur- 
eifcfated  and  wiry,  aud  batl  a  wnll-f7,'p.  rrfuw-d  to  listen  tvt  tho 
whiiqHrTinKH  of  pusillanimity,  nnd  pointed  out  his  reasons  tol 
Cbappi'!!.  vfhotn  hi-  rnllwl  loo  cautious  a  bird  by  Kiilf. 

"I  took  stock  of  'im."  said  he.  referrinc  to  the  landlord  of  ?fo. 
40,  affi-r  an  intiTi-iorw  in  which  he  had  offorrd  £fiD  a  year,  on  con- 
dition that  he,  the  landlord,  ahould  put  evi^rylhinK  into  startling 
order,  n^conatnict  mo*t  things,  and  paint  all  Burfflcc*  oxcrpt  tho 
window-panes  with  four  coata  of  good  oil  paint,  two  fUt  aud  two 
round. 

"I  took  stock  of  'im,  Mr.  Clinppnll.  and  you  mark  my  wordsl 
Wo  shall  itet  those  premises  for  three,  five,  or  seven  at  ninety-five, 
lawful  wear  and  tear  dooly  permitted,  and  knock  'em  about  just  as  ] 
wc  like* 

And  Mr.  Pope  w^nt  on  touching  up  a  head  willi  tnr-oil  and  a 
ctippIinK  bmi>}i,  while  his  partner  (who  couldn't  paint)  busied 
hliiiaftlf  on  a  wDrking  drawing  of  l^od-lim^.  The  advaiitago  of 
having  something  to  do  while  you  talk  is  that  you  take  time  to 
Ifaink  of  what  you  are  goin^  to  any,  and  pretend  il  U  VyirciMaa  ^um 

88 


M 


nre  grnppling  vilih  n  criHiH.  Mr.  Oliappirll  took  9o  much  time  that 
Mr.  Pope,  who  was  able  to  paint  the  rijifat-haiid  thief  in  a  three- 
light  onicifixion  niid  talk  at  the  saute  moment,  spoke  again  l>efore 
he  found  an.vtbins  to  eaj: 

"Thi.s  Itiniilor>l  ohnp  lu-  wasn't  born  yeateniaj--  I  as  good  aft 
heard  him  say  to  'imeelf,  'These  two  Johnnies  'II  come  back  a  wcele 
birfon-  I.aily-Day  and  make  nie  a  'undaoitie  offer.'  Do  yon  Hitppo«c 
be  don't  see  we  want  the  plaeel  Of  eonrsc  be  does!  /  Took  atock 
of  "im." — Mr.  Pope,  like  Mr.  .TetrylhooBht,  droppr'd  hi''  (i.ipirntrs. 
iitit  never  ax  if  be  did  it  in  fun.  It  was  altrays  plain  that  he 
couldn't  li(-lp  it.    Jirff,  on  the  contrary,  seimicd  to  think  it  humoroiiB. 

Mr.  Chappell  pretended  the  leads  were  ea^,  juBt  this  minute,  and 
nskcd  hi.H  purtni^r  what  he.  mnde  of  tbstt 

"Only  tbii=: — be  thinks  bo  can  rely  on  ub  for  one-twenty.  So 
the  next  Johnny  who  t-omes  for  the  crib  he'll  sny  one-thirty  to. 
Twigi     Safe  for  one-twenty;  try  for  one-lhirl.v.  sa.vs  he!"  .^^ 

"But  suppose  his  new  man  takes  ih^n  nt  one-thirty  f  ^fl 

"Naw  feeaht" — Mr.  PopG  gained  foree  for  this  expression  of 
fnith  in  tile  ntrxt  Johnny's  worldly  prudence  hy  speaking  through 
hin  DOt«,  which  ho  placed  slightly  on  one  side  for  tlie  purpose. 

"But  why  let  tliis  landlord  chap  see  we  want  the  place!     Wberc^i 
the  sense  of  being  so  tr^iisiiarent  V 

"To  advuntage  it,  Ur.  Chappeil.    Have  you  got  the  idearl" 

"No,  I  haven't." 

"Well,  but  it's  like  so  much  daylight.  Just  you  go  on  (in  your 
innocence  and  simplicity)  meaning  to  gire  one-twuity,  and  Inst 
minute  change  your  miu<t  Just  the  end  of  the  quarter — you  seel 
Only  mind  you — you  must  play  fair,  «nd  really  mean  it — becauM 
folk  arc  that  cunning  and  euspioious,  you  can't  foxy  'em  without 
Tcsortin'  to  honesty." 

'"Weil.  Mr.  Poiw,  we  must  hope  you're  right.  But  you're  bead- 
Blrong—you're  headstrong  I  I  nhould  hove  snid — close  with  oni>- 
iweuly.  with  immwiialc  posscMion,  and  get  out  of  this  as  fast  as 
we  can.     We  shall  have  it  down'  on  onr  hpads " 

"Not  we,"  said  the  astute  one.  "Spring  Gardens  nin't  con- 
d<;mning  these  premises  becauee  they're  ruinous,  but  becauM?  tbi-y 
can  compel  to  set  back,  and  get  the  line  of  the  street,  on  rebuilding. 
Spring  Gardens  ain't  so  green  as  you'd  think—judging  from  tba 
name!" 

Whether  Mr.  Pope  was  right  or  wrong  in  hia  views  about  MuniiN 
ipa]  OovemmtDt  at  that  date  is  no  concern  of  ours.  We  merely 
record  what  he  said.  Our  reasons  for  giving  the  conventation  at 
all  ar«  not  quite  clear  to  oureelvee,  because  all  we  want  is  to  know 


I 


AllCE-FOR-SnOBT 


68 


tfast  Pope  &  Chappcl)  took  the  basomcnt  nod  ground  door  of  No. 
40  on  a  lease  al  a  realal  o{  £110  aniiuoily.  and  (but  tfai^  workinm 
ctmc  in  at  Linly-Day  to  <lo  it  trp,  Ucsxrs.  !',  &  C  hnvinjt  uD<ier- 
taken  In  put  thc^  place  in  tliorougli  repair,  and  kt.i-p  it  no,  in  n.-tuni 
for  n  year  «-nt-fri-c. 

But  baviu^  written  out  Oiia  conrenuilton,  it  mnj  "tand.  For 
you  mar  be  interested  in  obserrinR  that  liad  it  not  hwa  for  Mr. 
Pope's  far->ij;ble(i  jiolicy  juat  uftur  Ctmstnm*.  wht-n  d\ic  notice 
came  to  clear  out  at  Midit^mtner,  the  stained-iilase  firm  mitckt  have 
tak<-n  possession  forlbwitli,  and  Aliee  nii(;ht  never  Uav<-  ^'unc  for 
the  beer — from  that  houso  at  least — and  then  Hyde  Park  Uardena 
would  hare  known  iiothiii);  about  hijT.  Set-  how  thin  thiii^  luingA 
on  that,  and  that  ou  t'other;  and  then  niomlim?  if  you  think  you 
will  b<-  any  the  wisiT  for  doing  so.    Wl-  don't  I 

Pope  &  Chappell  stipulated  to  bo  allowed  to  place  a  furnace  for 
dlniii-finng  in  Uur  viiiiltii.  wWrerer  convenient,  luid  to  vitilise  an 
exTerual  Que  on  the  side  of  the  house.  This  was  not  done  without 
the  aanction  of  the  Inmirnnwr  Office,  who  sent  a  sToili'lcss  and  in- 
experienced youth,  who  evidently  knew  nothing  about  fire,  and 
little  about  other  subjects,  to  inspect  and  report.  They  departed 
from  the  wbolcaomi'  prnHice  of  dfi-lining  to  insiin^  uiJi-as  there  waa 
no  risk  of  6re — but  then  the  landlord  of  the  premises  was  a  Dlrec- 
lor.  So  in  the  ciirly  day"  of  April  after  the  January  in  which  wo 
becan.  Charles  Ueath  and  his  friend  Jeff  found  intfresa  and  egrcsa 
difficnlt  owing  to  Bfcslomeration*  of  plnnks  and  pails  and  trestles 
in  the  entranoe-hall  of  the  house;.  Positive  assuraacea  that  thi-y 
wouldn't  bo  in  j/our  way  didn't  carry  conviction  to  a  mind  in- 
Tohed  in  a  forest  of  trestlc-li-ffii.  s()lieitou!i  for  t.hp  pre»pr\-alion  of 
ita  owner's  clothe*  from  a  cataract  of  whitewash,  and  apprebenfiive 
of  the  worst  eonsequcneea  to  his  Imt  from  Ihu  wlfish  pn-orcupation 
of  pcrsous  overhead,  it  was  small  consolation  to  know  that  strip- 
ping and  ciear-<WHtiiig  would  bi?  done  by  Thur««lny,  when  our 
natural  mtisfaction  at  eeeinjc  the  last  of  such  cheerier?  operations 
wn.1  to  be  blighted  by  n  rtrvelation  of  the  time  the  painting  itself 
was  KoiitR  to  take  afterwards, 

"It's  all  very  fine.  Jeff."  said  Charles,  after  eliciting  figures 
from  the  builders'  foreman — "but  you  look  in  Yasari.  I'm  sure 
Michael  Angrlo  didn't  take-  ea  long  as  that  over  the  Sistiiie 
ChapeL" 

"Yon  ain't  nounlin*  for  the  difference  between  oil-paint  and 
fresco,  'Eaih.  Only  one  co<it  in  fretco."  But  this  was  only  Mr. 
Jeir«  plcJiswitTT. 

When  Pope  &  Chappell  came,  in  earnest,  tbey  buret  out  <nv  ^^ 


i    - 


8«  ALICE-FOB-SnOBT 


■»  ™.." 


front  door  lut  an  oruption  of  blade  Icttcn  on  a  braxx  plate.  It  vM 
splend)<I.  nod  j-ou  couiO  Had  out  what  it  spelled  by  asking  th«  name 
of  the  Firm  at  the  Offico  od  the  Eround  Hoor.  But  it  was  as  dif- 
ficult to  read  as  Oacan. 

A  niiiric  in  (hi-  Vtilgntir  vtm  legibli%  and  said  Offi»?<?'B('ll.  in  n 
t-oruor  ut  the  bolloni.  For  a  fiction  existed  that  trade  was  not 
tolcrntrd  in  that  houiw,  based  on  some  cinnso  in  (hi:  li-iisr!.  Tills 
<>ou!t]  only  be  luiowu  to  people  great  enough  to  communicate  with 
the  Estate — an  I«is  lirJiiud  a  veil,  to  whom  tint  i>f  Snia  wub  puklieity 
itself.  Even  the  Laiidlord'e  eye  had  not  wen  her.  nor  hie  car 
lioard,  and  he  could  only  commiinioatc  with  bur  through  her  oolici- 
tor,  who  would  give  you  a  receipt  for  money,  but  would  leroal 

Ur.  .Ti-iT,  bein/ur  a  free  and  easy  sort  of  fellow,  soon  pidcod  up 
acquainlancp  with  the  Firm.  Charlis*  Heath  showed  rf«erve.  ami 
was  toiuhrmned  by  Mr.  Pope  as  stand-oifish.  Perhiipa  br  was.  But 
then  when  you  have  nn  imprtwaion  that  a  person  is  a  howling  cad — 
whaltrer  the  esact  meaning  of  tbnt  fxprcasion  may  be — and 
sa;  so.  no  ono  will  be  sun>riMd  that  you  do  not  court  hi« 
society. 

"Ho  ain't  exactly  that,  'Eath,"  said  Jeff,  the  tolerant— "IHs 
game  isn't  your  ponw? — but  he  ain't  a  bad  irhn[i." — Jnff  IcvclUsi 
«v«rrbod,v  up  and  down,  and  was  secretly  of  opinion  that  his  friend 
Heath  waa  given  to  ri<liii(t  the  'igh  'orse.  Possibly  be  waa.  He 
didn't  dismount  on  this  occasion  thoutcb. 

"What  M  his  little  game.  J<-fff  Unvtr  you  nmdp  that  out?" 
luiid  hr.  WbcroupoD  JefE  took  time  to  consider,  and  didn't  eeem  to 
eoDsider  (juipkly.  And  Charles  repeated — "What  is  hia  garnet 
ThatV  what  1  want  lo  know." 

,I(-ff  tvndi-d  the  pninl— "Of  course  he's  not  n  Boya!  Ac-ndemy 
Artist.  Moddles  au<l  'og's-hnir  bnieiheA  and  screw-up  easels  and 
things.  It's  a  Kirl  of  trade— kind  of  T>raperj-  business.  T  Ray, 
'Eath.  such  a  mmmj-  BiartI" — Ajid  ChurU-s  relinquisJiwl  his  en- 
iguiring  about  ^Ir.  Papc*s  game,  to  hear  about  the  rummy  start.— 
*'What  is.  JeffC'saidhe. 

"Vcyptr'*  a  Protestant  and  ChappcH's  a  Calholict" 

"Well,  of  eourae  it  ought  lo  bi-  the  other  way  round — Pope  ought 

to  l»c  a  Catholic  and  Chappcll  ought  to  be  a  Protestant "     But 

Jeff  didn't  understand  poiuta  of  this  si>rt. 

"I  found  out  why  and  all  about  it."  aaid  he.  "It's  becauM'  of 
the  trade.  According  to  the  shop  ilie  order  eomi-s  from.  Whi-n 
it's  a  Catlidlic,  Popo  turns  Chappcll  on.  When  it's  a  i'lotestaut. 
rersy  vlcerl"  ^1 


AUOE-FOR-SHORT 


B7 
But  Jeff 


"I  »Bc!    li'»  M  iDHcli  moro  conMdenliou*  tor  both." 
cmildo't  understand  it  on  those  lines. 

"It'*  lilw  the  'Appy  Fnmily  in  a  cngp  in  Endcll  Slrrot,"  ho 
Mid.  "I  fhould  have  thought  they  would  burn  each  olbftr  alive, 
lik.-G».v  Foxv^r 

"Why  don'l  you  write  a  siort  «>nij>rehensivtr  Hiatory  of  Engliind, 
Jcffr 

"Well — you  know  they  uacd  to  cook  t-ach  otlier,  likt-  Ktonks, 
once." — And  Churl**  thought  he  could  wc  in  this  a  memory  of 
Ur.  JefTs  childhood,  with  a  <lGtail  misundentoud.  Thi^  luit^r 
continufNl:  "Chnppcll  roccivc*  the  Catholic  customrrs.  I'ope  dof?a 
all  tl]c  other  sorts," 

"Ilnvo  tht^-  got  plenty  of  work  on  bandl" 

"Heaps  and  Iwapa!  Don't  know  whicJi  way  to  turn!  Didn't 
you  »cc  that  window-light  stuck  up  outside  Ust  weekP' 

"Tea,  I  thoufiht  it  lookwl  wt  if  it  didn't  know  which  way  to  tiiml 
Starins  KtraiBht  nt  you,  like  Electro-biology.     What  about  itf 

"Weill     That  was  for  bi-r  Muje*ty." 

"I  wiab  her  joy  of  it.  I'm  sure."  But  for  all  Charles  was  so 
bish  nnd  mighty  nnil  itcomful,  he  felt  a  fort  of  curio«ity  about  tim 
stainnl-glsasinongera. 

3vfP»  account  of  them  wa«  correct  a»  far  as  it  related  to  their 
division  of  taliour.  The  fact  is  that  the  I)i«M>iiaiun§  of  iho 
Churches  among  thcmwlves,  and  the  fwrtticr  <li««en8ions  of  I)i«- 
sntMH,  an-  an  (■nibarraasnieiit  to  ilie  Eeekaiaatii-al  iIt«orative 
artist,  who  is  rcluctantW  forced  to  take  the  numerooii  creeds  of  his 
clicntu  into  ecmsitdL-rution.  If  it  were  jiot  for  the  Variety  of 
Treatment  for  which  tbpy  afford  openings  ho  would  wish  them  all 
nt  .TtTtcho — tliB  crwKls,  not  the  oliciilft. 

Mr,  Jeff's  having  mnde  aequo intn nee  with  the  ground-fl'ior  and 

laemcnt  ti-jidcd  to  bring  the  fimt  floor  also  in  contact  wIlli  tlii-ni. 
But  as  lime  went  on  another  attractive  force  presented  itwlf,  in 
Alice's  OMtociationo  with  thiH  scene  of  her  early  cbiMiiood,  At 
Hyde  Park  Gardens  the  child  became  more  and  more  a  favourite 
with  the  houirhold;  which,  without  definitely  unnouniiing  ita  in- 
tentionH,  muile  up  ita  mind  not  to  part  ivitli  her,  A  vague  purpose 
of  sending  her  to  some  sort  of  school,  not  yet  discovered,  hnnji 
■bout  the  mpeuaible  HCniora,  but  at.'cmed  cji])uble  of  indeSnito 
jirocrseii nation.     Peggy    took    her   education    in    hand,   and    the 

nscholi)  genornlly  <!on»i<I<-red  it  bad  a  mission  to  make  her  make 
herself  useful.  She  was  very  apt  and  eJevcr,  and  wc  may  assure 
rcad«n  that  in  ihiii  story  there  is  no  fear  of  Alice  suffering  from 
uental  or  moral  neglect.    It  may  even  bo  quceUoned  vVvexVcr  Vrt 


I 

I 

1 


88  ALTCE-FOR-SHORT 

nxyral  eultuie  might  not  bftTc  boen  allowed  to  InpAc  at  intoirals — ' 
the  whole  boufcliotd  bavinft  combiiiod  (m  it  scpmed  to  Alioe)  in 
brlugiuK  to  bear  on  her  a  heavy  fire  of  maxims — a  gthraae  whicb 
striken  one  somehow  as  fajniliiir.  But  these  wer«  the  old*£ashioiied 
sort,  sucb  as — "Little  pirls  sJiould  be  seen,  not  heard." — "Speak 
when  you're  spoken  to— ilo  ns  you're  bid." — "  'Waste  not,  wont  not,' 
was  the  title  of  ibe  book." — And  so  forth.  Peir^cj'  ^"id  no  (tun.  or 
ncTor  fired  it.  Therefore  she  was  the  n.itHrnI  rvcipient  of  con- 
fidences wbicb  of  course  never  would  have  beeu  given  to  Parlridflw. 
who  was  very  good  and  kind,  but  for  all  that  never  to  be  relied  on 
not  to  improve  you.  Now  Alice  could  always  talk  to  Pegjry  with- 
out fcnr  of  ampliorstion.  Conmrqiiently  she  told  a  great  deal  of 
her  old  life  a(  No.  40.  and  at  previous  domiciles.  Ajid  however 
□onacmsiea)  or  fictitious  licr  nairatives  wjcmed,  Peggy  always 
Ustened  lo  them  patiently,  rather  hoping  she  woidd  hear  something 
further  abniit  the  lidy  with  the  spots.  But  this  story  stemed  to 
have  been  told  complete,  the  firsl  time  she  heard  it,  and  no  new 
light  eame. 

There  was,  however,  a  frequent  reference  to  the  cellar-door  be- 
yond the  (trite  iron  rrite.  It  was  Alice's  first  experience  of  the  grisly 
mystery  of  the  sulitt-rrimwin — of  thcr  sort  of  romance  that  iKrtonjta 
to  the  Caiacouibs  of  Paris  and  the  dark  arches  of  the  Adelphi,  and 
(with'  leas  of  soil  and  horror)  to  the  crypt  of  St.  Paul's  or  any.  ^H 
greut  Cathedral;  to  rock  sepulchres  or  the  heart  of  the  Pyramids.  ^| 
even  to  the  endless  cavern  that  swallows  Alph  the  sacred  river  and         ' 
Ic^ds  ti>  a  sunless  sen.     AU  of  us  liuve  felt  Uie.  fascination  of  thn 
underground,  and  Alice's  imagination  went  back  and  back  to  tiiis    fl 
dirty  door  in  the  back  area. — "But  I  never  theed  nnytbins  come    " 
out,"  ehe  said,  iu  reply  to  a  question  asked — "they  all  thtopped 
inthide.     Yelh!*'^And    Aliw   nodded    imprewively   to   her  (iue«- 
lioners.  who  were  Clmrlea  and  Pi-ggy. — "Wrll.  Miss  Kavanaeh." 
said  the  former — "one  of  these  days  we'll  have  'em  all  out,  and 
gel  a  good  look  at  'am." — Alice  thoiiglit  hirn  rasb.  but  courageous. 

This  was  before  Pope  i  Chappell  came  on  the  scene.  When 
tliey  first  took  possession  it  looked  ai  if  tlie  idea  of  exploring  this 
repulsive  cavern  mii^t  be  given  up.  But  when  Charles.  Klancing 
one  summer  morning  down  into  the  arm,  Mw  workmen  actually 
^ing  in  and  out  of  this  very  vault,  of  which  they  had  daringly 
broken  through  the  barriers,  he  rtsolred  in  iipitc  of  hi*  dislike  for 
the  howling  cad.  and  his  not  too  favourable  impression  of  the  new 
tenants,  to  court  their  acquaintance  to  the  extent  of  obtaining  an 
ingress  into  the  baiteroeiit.  and  to  remount  the  high  horse  after- 
wards if  it  seemed  necessary  to  do  so. 


■ 


d 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT  89 

'Ooin'  in  for  beiu'  forgivin*,  are  we,  'E»th  i"  Hnii]  Mr.  Jpff,  when 
Any  Cbarks  cxprnwd  an  interest  in  statRed-e:)ass  wtndowH, 
and  said  be  shouldn't  miiul  seeing  what  tliasc  chaps  dovnetairs 
verv  doinir- 

"Tou'Ii  have  to  explain.  Jeff,  that  I  don't  wont  to  put  up  a 
sa^morinl  window,  and  lliiit  1  know  no  ono  that  does.  Make  'em 
underetand  tlutt  I  and  nil  my  family  oin-lf  wish  to  hf  forffotten, 
if  ponible." — Mr.  Jerrylhoiight  gavo  a  knowing  introspective 
nod.— Til  attend  to  it,"  said  he. 

"And  I  Bay.  Jeff.  Imk  here.  I  think  yon  miffht  gire  them  a  hint 
that  whnt  interests  mc  is  the  firing — and  the  Atieking  togetlicr,  and 
all  that.  Because  I  don't  want  to  have  to  admire  their  blemed 
designs!" 

Ton  let  mc  alone— I'll  fix  you  up.  'Eath."— And  Charles  had 
to  bo  contented  with  thiit  much  siifi-ifuaril. 

When  Mr.  Jeff  introduced  his  friend  to  the  partnership  below, 
be  di<l  it  with  per?<i)iciioii*  <rimdour,  and  no  small  amount  of  what 
may  have  been  tact,  as  it  seemed  to  work  nry  wcIL  Whatever  it 
was,  there  wn»  plenty  of  it, 

"•Here's  my  friend  'Eaih—firBi  floor  1    lie  don't  want  to  put  up  a 

lemorial  window,  An  don't!  He's  a  rfg"!nr  artist,  co]or-t»hc«, 
middle- distance?,  Hglil  and  sJindc! — that's  his  gag!  Royal 
idem;  Artist  Now  you  two  euslnmcrs.  I  take  it,  are  quite 
pair  of  shoes.  Dim  reiigioue  light — dignity — simplicily — 
aroidanee  of  vulgarity — devotional  fei-ling — that's  your  gsgl  All 
right,  o)d  cockl  I  know.  I  got  it  tuil  of  the  noospaper  you  lent 
me.  It's  all  riglit,  T  know.'*— And  Mr.  Jeff  felt  that  he  was  doing 
in*tic«  alike  to  pictorial  and  monumeulal  Art. 

"'Appy  to  ronkc  your  acnunintancp,  Mr.  Heath  t"  said  Mr. 
Pope.  "Our  friend  is  pokin'  his  fun  I  I  don't  mind  him.  if  you 
don't." — And  Mr.  Chnppell  obsmrrd  that  everybody  knew  Mr. 
Jeff—!    But  there  was  a  trace  of  dignity  in  his  tone. 

"ituBtu't  let  me  disturb  you,  Mr.  GhappplI,"  said  Charles — ad- 
dressing Pope  by  his  partner's  name;  Jeff's  correetion — "Tki*  is 
IJr.  ("happell"— cutting  ncrofs  his  error.  We  dnresiiy  this  seems 
to  jrpu  almost  loo  trivial  a  thing  to  notice  in  a  narrative.  But  you 
are  miiitaken  if  you  think  so — for  it  made  a  considerable  differ- 
ence in  Charlec's  attitude  to  Mr.  Pope.  His  chivalrous  nature 
felt  thai  compensation  was  due  to  that  gentleman  for  calling  him 
out  of  his  name,  and  he  became  proportionately  civil  to  him.  Wo 
believe  thi-n>  are  stolid  philn«ophicnl  lives  that  are  quite  umnflu- 
cnced  by  minutise  of  this  sort — but  we  have  not  had  the  luck  to 
lead  ooe  of  them  ourselves.    Charles  was  really  iotenwjlj  **j»cK5Si- 


I 


M 


ALIOE-POB-SHORT 

biff  on  mich  pointx,  although  for  working  puiposes  be  always 
sffectoi]  a  Spartau  fortitude.  lu  this  cose  tlie  result  wns  the  <liit 
nplii'urnnci-  from  hia  nest  sprrch  of  a  faint  trace  of  loftiness  anil 
ccii(l«8(«u»ion  ahowu  in  bis  Erst. 

"It's  rntlifr  a  iJianio  of  mc  and  Jeff  to  come  snd  brp«k  into  your 
dayiight.  Bui  then  I  ihoviKlit  wl«  shouldw't  s*  wiOl  lutfir,  nnil 
Joff  «nid  yoti  had  a  big  bir  i>f  work  completing,  bo  wo  came  down." 
— ^The  oonceHBiou  made  hvrv  wua  ibat  Cbarled  hod  oontitniplalwl 
bald  indifTorcncc  to  thn  hiprarchj*,  and  had  schemed  to  get  to  the 
cellar  as  soon  as  possible  under  pretext  of  y*amiiig  for  t«dintcul 
infonontion.  Now  that  he  had  put  bimBclf  in  Mr,  Popc'a  debt,  he 
would  liquidate  it  by  defereuee  to  the  Esthetic  aide  of  deooration. 
Pope  and  Oliappi^ll  tnuM-d  n  moment  boforo  either  replied — reflect- 
ing as  a  Finu  reflects  when  its  counsels  are  harmonious.  "Canon 
Rhutcr'n  window,  I  suppose," — "Mon>  likely  Dr.  <,'ri'cd"3."^"\Vhich 
is  J>r.  Creed's  t" — "That  three-light  lancet,  for  Bisliupskerswell." 

"One  I  saw  waa  for  her  Mojeslj,"  struck  in  itr.  Jeff. — Mr.  Pofie 
mtiled  beniguty. 

"Wf  don't  aspire  to  ihnt  heikth."  sold  he.— "What  you  gentliv 
ineii  saw  on  the  atairease  was  what  we  professionully  term  a 
MaJMlj' — not  her  Majesty,  you  sec,  like  Mr.  Jcrryibought  misun* 
dtsratuud  it.  W«  were  referria'  to  tin?  figure  itself — not  the  tlienL 
Ob,  I  assure  you.  Mr.  'Esrh,  the  ditficuhiea  of  dealiii'  with  thia 

cIhss  of  subject,  especially  in  telegrams "    Ohappcll  iulLTrupt«<l 

Pope  at  this  point. 

"I'll-  got  to  g«  downstairs,"  oaid  ho — "IH  lell  Joe  to  bring  all 
three  lights  up.  Oh  yes,  they're  readyl  He  was  just  nawdustJng 
otT  the  foee  of  tlic  niiddin  one  vrhen  I  was  down  an  hour  ago." 
and  Chappell  departed,  and  in  due  cnurse  Joe's  footsteps  cams 
outside,  oud  ae^nuenta  of  window  were  introduced  and  deposited 
to  wail  for  more. 

"My  partner  he's  partiewlar.'*  aaid  Pope,  to  explain  Chappell,  as 
he  aeemed  to  tbink  he  needed  it — ^"And  yet  he  ain't  a  family  man 
like  me."— And  went  on  to  narrate  how  difCcult  he  found  it  to 
explain  aacred  aymbolic  imagery  to  bis  little  Ijny  Kit,  four  yeara 
old,  who  asked  questions.  Ami  presently  when  the  great  work  was 
being  held  up,  Charles  perceived  the  drift  of  this  conversation,  as 
no  doubt  you  liat-e  done.  But  he  wondered  at  the  humility  of  Ur. 
Pope's  tone,  about  his  rangv  of  patronage,  na  contrasted  with  his 
range  of  portraiturel 

A  certain  amount  of  inspection  of  n^ults  was  unavoidable,  to 
pave  tbe  way  fur  an  approach  to  the  interesting  means  by  whiclt 
they  wcr«  attained.    In  all  the  technical  or  applied  Arts  it  is  dcoo»- 


4 
I 


I 


• 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


91 


lui 


far;  (or  at  anjr  rate  politic)  to  aSect  a  eatisfaction  we  do  oot  f««I, 
and  don't  beliew  (bu  Aiii«t  ftrU  i-ithcr,  iit  ilu-  final  utit(«me  o(  «> 
much  patience  trnd  effort.  If  some  pr^eocc  of  tbis  «ort  wcrp  not 
k(-pi  uii  where  wotild  be  tho  rvUon  d'Hre  uf  nU  our  cotta^  indus- 
tries: all  our  art  need  lew  orks,  «nd  ccrratnic*;  all  our  unmitifialcd 
train injcmJiooU.  and  di*(;r»<^(-ful  i-xfaihilions  I  UnlMa  aomebod; 
BOmelinies  did  the  enjoyment,  how  could  the  rapid  conversion  of 
ll»e  whole  population  into  Art-Studi-nta.  Art-T<yichi»r«,  Art- 
Artistfi  Rvnorally  be  juetifiedl  If  it  vi«k  to  be  candidly  ndmittrd 
lliut  nobody   carta   twopcnt^i!  about   Art-Arteries   wheu   tboy  arc 

mpleted.  yet  boldly  affirmed  that  ercrybody  want»  to  haTe  a  hand 
ill  making:  sonie  more,  how  would  It  be  itossibli"  to  couviuue  ai>are 

sb  that  it  ounbl  to  purchase  Art-ObjcctJ"  t  Wonid  it  not  snap  ila 
Innrers  at  Art-Apolog^i^ta.  and  turn  ita  attention  to  the  prosata 
tilie*  of  lifo — molor-car«  or  bccf-extmrt.  tcnemcm-dwdlinBB  or 

lonical  food,  dynamite  or  Iwo-huudred-ton  gunat  Something 
lly  UBcfuU 

Wbciber  Charles  dissected  his  oira  mind  when  he  aSected  rap- 
tures at  Pope  k  CbsppcU'))  windows,  who  »hall  »ay{  Uc  may 
hav<-  said  to  hiniM-lf  that  it  wouhl  In-  illothcBl  to  winh  to  examine 

kiln  in  the  contents  of  which  he  felt  no  interest  whatever,  unlexs 
&r*t  cvntrired  on  stmoKphere  of  juntificuti<in  for  ibmn,  a  aanc- 
lion  of  factitious  cnthutfissm.  Or  it  may  hare  been  simply  the  grn- 
vruus  impube  of  youth  to  admire,  that  i»  bo  apt  lo  durelop  wheii 
the  producer  of  an  achievement  is  actually  in  the  room  with  it. 
And  can  be  talked  to.  We  ratber  think  it  vniM  fbis,  ourselves,  and 
that  CbflHoi  was  (not  to  be  too  pbilosopbtcal)  a  ti:ood-natured 
chap  who  saw  it  gave  pleajiiire  to  tlie  pin-ixHrufors  thrrcof  when  h« 
admired  the  benstly  rot  of  Messrs.  Pope  &  Chappell.  Por  that 
was  what  lie  called  it  uj  confidenci!  afterwards  td  Mr.  Jeff. 

However,  be  no  doubt  succeeded  in  giving  full  satisfaction,  for 
lu'  and  hiH  friend  went  downstairs  into  the  old  basemitnt  to  investi- 
jiate  the  mysteries.  Limpwssh,  paint,  and  window-cleaning  had 
lidiif  wonders;  su  had  new  sashes  wb^Te  n<'<!eitMary ;  so  had  new 
woodwork  where  not  necessary,  but  only  eostin'  a  few  sbilliiis  more, 
an  the  Hayin'  (unknown)  was,  than  brenkin'  np  and  pultin'  to- 
gether:— sim'lar,  you  had  to  take  account  of  carriage.  Simlar, 
you  take  an  old  bench  with  nails  drnvo  in.  and  qiile  a  plane,  and 
there  you  are  I  You  don't  save  nolhin'  In  the  end.  So,  as  in  thia 
caae,  you  decide  on  many  stiuares  of  y<'llow  deal,  and  unlimited 
carpenter:  and  whatever  your  bill  is,  you  smell  delightful,  and 
'jod  antiitepttc. 

The  iroat  gate,  or  grite  gite,  had  been  mthlesaly  o^a«>l.  v()& 


99  ALICE-FOR^UORT 


l>6en  done  Brunswick  black,  chcv«!-de-friBe  and  a!I.  The  rugate. 
riuuK  door  via*  oS  iu  hingcjt,  which  wcrvi  runU^d  through,  I 
ages  Oito;  »a  n-ere  the  bolts  and  chjim  thai  hiid  curbed  the  liberty 
nod  bnlBcd  tlic  i-ril  dciiinMi  »f  so  maii.v  finids  and  gobtinK.  and 
kept  them  for  so  many  years  from  Ketltne  at  iDoSensive  peraoiia' 
toi!!i  in  ill-tuokrd'Up  bcdH.  Who  could  be  safe,  now  they  were  gimc  ( 
The  vatill  inside  was  spaeioua;  bad  been  some  sort  of  wasb-house 
or  laundry,  and  had  for  imtap  reason  had  tt^  window  built  up. 
The  windows  had  beeu  replaced,  but  it  was  a  glorious  greenish 
witiduw  now,  filled  with  what  nomv  cnlk^  bottle-ends,  and  otlierii 
German  rounds,  in  those  days;  so  that  you  expected  a  profile  of 
Eluim-  iir  Enid,  und  didn't  girt  it.  TIuti^  had  been  a  stove  or  fur- 
nace of  some  kind  in  former  years,  as  a  flue  crossed  tlie  area  to 
tht:  houHc.  TluH  wan  lunng  nliliMid  fur  tin?  temporary  small  kiln 
that  had  come  from  the  old  shop.  But  a  much  larger  one  was 
coming,  and  th(!  floor  wim  tidc»n  up  in  one  comer  to  moke  a  foun- 
dation and  get  a  clear  start. 

"I  Buppom-  you  found  plenty  of  cats  in  here,"  said  CharleM  to 
Pope  and  ChappelL  The  latter  had  come  with  them  into  the 
vault,  nnd  then  had  to  attend  to  6omcthing.  Pope,  though  he  bud 
been  ao  hard  at  work  as  to  be  tinable  to  relinquish  his  mahl-stick, 
and  had  como  away  with  a  brush  in  bis  mouth,  scorned  to  have 
indefinite  leisure  at  his  diHiiosaL  H«  took  tbe  bruab  out  to  answer 
Charles's  cat -remark. 

"Rather!"  .said  he.  sardonically. — "Bui  you  should  ask  'Ayeroft 
Eh! — 'Aycroft!  This  gentleman  waa  asking  if  you'd  'appcncd 
to  see  any  cats  I"— 

Ilaycroft  was  the  bricklayer,  who  was  busy  with  bis  footinga- 
He  cast  about  for  •oinc  form  of  Hptwch  which  would  allow  of  tlia 
development  of  a  grievance,  aa  is  the  manner  of  his  kind.  Ue 
considered  and  spoke: 

"I  don't  know  what  you  call  cats.  I  should  have  called  'em 
cats,  myself;  bni  there's  no  tellin*,  nowadayal" 

"How  many  were  there,  Mr.  Ilaycroft!" 

"Wot— the  nuraIxT  of  them?  Well.  Sir,  aa  to  eountin'  of  'cnj,  I 
left  that  to  them  as  can  find  time  for  eountin'.  I've  not  my  'snds 
priHty  full  berr,  1  can  t«tl  you.  It  woiiI<ln't  do  for  mo  to  atand 
ettiL  to  be  eountin'  crfts.  All  1  sec  of  'cm  1  tell  you.  And  /  should 
have  called  'cm  cot*  myself.  But  as  I  say.  there's  no  knowin'!" — 
Cbarlea'a  innocent  attempt  to  make  conversation  had  been  niis- 
tnterprrtrd,  and  hn  fell  hurt.  His  friend  Jeff,  with  more  insight 
into  bricklayers,  pursued  the  subject: 

"Two  'undrud,  'Aycroftl    Will  you  let  'em  go  at  that  T— He 


rata-  H 
long  ^ 


i 

4 


4 


J 


ALtCE-FOR-SHOBT 


93 


L 


dropped  ItU  Ii's  oatontatiouslj  to  get  oo  a  sympathedo  lavel  with 
l!r.  Ilaycroft. 

"Couldn't  say.  Sir.  Noar  about.  I  should  think.  Haw  manj 
»bi>u)d  you  reckon  run  out.  Greasy,  wbcu  we  broke  open  the  door!" 
— As  the  luboun-r  addrf^ciccl  did  not  look  liku  un  Italian,  the 
natural  conclunou  wae  tbat  his  iiante  was  as  wc  h&ve  spollod  it. 
He  gave  biit  miiul  to  n  mnnctcntiouii  n-c^kouiuK- 

"Rstber  better  than  tulf-a-doxen,  Mr.  Uaycroft.  I  should  Mtf 
seven,  but  I  might  luivu  Mid  eighL  Likewise  there  waa  a  tabby 
hid  in  the  copper  'ole,  aiid  a  black  torn  wont  away  up  tbo  flue  and 
never  come  down " 

"Wot  did  1  tell  you?"  said  Mr.  lUycroft.  triumphantly.  "Ann 
number  of  'em !  Aiul  the  whole  place  aa  full  of  dead  'vus  as  ever 
itll  hold." 

"I  don't  see  any  dead  cata." — But  Mr.  Heyeroft  acomed  to  reply 
directly  to  thin  remark  of  Mr.  I'opc.  Ho  turned  to  Greasy.— 
**Wiiere  have  you  put  all  thetn  cats'  tiones?"  snid  he. 

"On  that  Indftr  behind  your  elbcr."  said'Orcnsy, — "No!  Higher 
up!  Right  you  are." — And  Mr.  Haj-croft,  with  a  passing  com- 
ment on  tbo  lediio,  as  a  specially  ill'cbosen  place  to  put  away  cats' 
boni'M  on — '■Wh«!rfl  any  one  might  chance  to  knock  'era  ilowii.  any 
minute'' — held  them  out  in  the  palm  of  his  hand  as  a  conclusive 
pnmf  of  acpurai-y  wrongly  impeached.  "Cats'  bonus — like  what  I 
said !" — And  turned  again  to  measurement  as  one  who  bad  t««ti- 
li<r<]  truly,  ntiil  wiis  niiw  culUid  away  to  other  duties. 

The  posttiTcn£«s  of  Mr.  Haycroft's  tone,  and  his  contradictious 
attitude,  east  a  glamour  of  controversy  over  Ihi-  couvi-rsalion  which 
Charles  had  not  had  any  intention  of  provoking.  Ho  now  felt  him- 
■rlf  Ml  entangled  i»  eats  as  to  be  Homebow  bound  to  examine  the 
bonee  held  out  to  him  by  the  bricklnyer.  He  held  thorn  in  bis  hand 
looking  at  tliem  longer  llwn  Mr.  Jeff  tliought  the  uccusiou  re- 
quired. Possibly  it  was  the  doubt  wbetber  he  ebPuld  hand  tho 
bonss  back,  which  M^-m<:d  ridieulouK;  or  throw  tbirm  away,  which 
Memed  oontemptuoua.  llr.  Jeff  did  not  gveae  at  any  other 
leason. 

But.  Mr.  Obftppoll  returning  nt  tltis  point,  the  talk  turned  avay 
to  other  matters,  such  as  the  structure  of  kilns,  the  relative  adran* 
iage»  of  cake  and  gas,  and  so  forth.  Presently  Charles  recurred 
qult«  suddenly  to  the  cats'  bones,  as  if  ho  had  been  thinking  of 
them.— "lFAfr«r  did  you  say  you  found  the  bones.  Mr.  Hayeroft!"  he 
uked.  And  so  muob  did  he  seem  to  ask  as  though  be  really  bad 
some  motive,  that  bis  quesiion  alisolutely  recei\'ed  a  direct  answer. 
The  bones  had  com«  out  of  the  ground  when  it  was  opened. — "  jUi«it. 


I 


94  AUCE-FOK-SnORT 


if  tifl 


L 


under  where  I'm  standing."  said  (irossy.  the  labourer — "as 
cntx  hiid  biicn  n-buryiiig  of  Vm,"  lie  aildpiL 

"This  brick  floor's  been  took  up.  one  time."  said  Haj-croft. — ' 
"An^l  it  ain't  maiden  Bxonnil  iiiidcmB»tli.  It'w  mndc  (rround.  It'a 
been  look  up  and  filled  in.  Whoever  filled  il  in  taiKbt  have  thrown 
in  a  dcjiil  »;nt,  u#  easy  as  not."'— Having  ('(immittrd  himM<tf  to  the 
view  thai  the  hones  were  cats',  it  was  necessary  to  fit  all  other 
iacU  to  iho  ihoory:  and,  although  cats,  if  liu-j  did  inter  their  rrla- 
tivea.  mifrht  not  remove  a  brick  floor  to  do  it.  that  could  nerer  be 
allowed  ia  Htand  in  the  way.  Mr.  TIayeroft,  having  inferre^l  the 
dead  cat  from  the  live  cats,  had  to  iuaKine  ^ojno  meaii^  of  Ketting  it 
tlirougli  tlir  parctncnt,  and  did  it  accordinKly.  Mr.  P<ii»c  pur- 
ccived  a  difficulty,  and  advanced  a  new  theory  to  meet  it. 

"Dogs'  boQC*.  Mr.  'Ayproft  1  Thftt'«  what  they  ore,  clear  enough ! 
Laiiy's  pet  dojr.  Wanted  it  buried  in  the  'onset  No  .vard  nor 
Rnrdirn.  Onvn  it  t»  the  butler  to  bury,  and  he  put  in  hiTc,  Little 
Kiiifi:  Charles  span'l.  with  long  flop  ears.  Nolhin'  more  likely." — 
And  the  <I(rtails  of  this  gTounHli'NM  romance  nrciini mended  it 
strongl.v.  But  expert  testimony  from  the  bricklayer  came  to  shake 
public  opinion. 

"If  you  was  to  ask  me,"  he  said,  "I  could  tell  you — and  miud 
youl  I  ain't  latking  about  whtit  I  don't  iindrrstand.  Weill  If 
you  was  to  ask  me,  I  sJiould  say  no  man  in  his  senses — I  don't  caro 
if  he  was  a  butler  or  the  mnntcr  of  the  'oiisci — would  go  to  take 
up  a  'erring-honed  brick  floor  when  he  eoidd  raise  n  stone  in  iha 
niroy  with  a  'arf  the  labour;  and  it  would  just  put  itself  hack 
aicain,  as  yon  miiiht  say.  Instead  of  wliicli,  you'rt-  askin"  him  to 
'amper  himself  with  packin'  a  email  barrcr  of  brick,  'arf  of  'cm 
broke  getlin'  of  'em  out.  and  makin'  good  breakuyc.  and  getlin' 
w^ll  shot  o'  bats  and  closures — all  what's  como  out  this  time's  'olo 

bricks,  and  so  I  tell  you "    And  so  forth,  nntil  Mr.  Chiippell, 

who  at  first  had  welcomed  (lie  lap-dog  theory,  rounded  on  Mr. 
Pope,  and  relieved  the  butler  from  the  troublcBomc  job  lie  had 
a»:igncd  him.    His  inventor  wouldn't  give  him  up.  though! 

"1  stick  to  dojfs'  bones."  siiid  lie;  thni  fti-ling  that  a  cnmpromi«w 
might  be  possible — "Perhaps  it  wana't  the  butler.  They  couM 
have  had  somebod.v  in.  Odd-job  man!  Stnbklioyt  Anytliin'I" — 
Mr.  Pope's  imagination  faltered  at  the  coachman,  lie  was  too 
majestic, 

Mr.  ChappctI  had  a  theory,  but  it  was  a  vteok  one  and  soon 
rejected.  He  sufr^stod  as  su6i<riujit  that  the  bones  were  accidental 
bone*,  out  of  the  kitchen  or  anywhcrr,  that  liad  got  dug  in  acci- 
diriitally.     He  went  back   (o   the   workshop — tb«  kitchen   where 


AUCE-FOR-SUORT 


»fi 


^ransgh  had  struck  his  wifp — and  Charles  went  wiih  him.  It  was 
UMNJ  Don'  for  cutting;  gIn.iA  iimi  li-jiiiing  up  lifflitx.  A  miKhiip  had 
occurred  that  took  attention  from  the  bonee.  which  Charles  hadi 
Hlipptil  iiitu  hisi  [iiyJci-l.  A  diiiniond  had  hirt^i  lout,  haring  flowal 
from  its  settintr.  and  a  search  was  on  foot  for  it.  When  thia 
oectira  in  a  slaxiiig  sliop  itrurj^tltinK  ia  twvpt  up  and  Hifl<N]  ihrounh, 
a  ine^  larR*  enoutih  to  let  the  diamond  throujih.  The  product 
tkgnin  aiftcd  (limit^th  n  nmli  lurgi;  (-iiotigh  to  n-tnin  tho  dinmond, 
and  then  eridcntly  what  comes  off  the  last  sieTe  must  coutaiu  it, 
and  NOOiGtimca  it  in  ho  nnutl  n  <ii]imlity  thnt  nn  hour  or  xn  with  a 
microscope  wilt  recover  the  lost  sbccp.  This  amused  Charles  and 
took  hi»  attiTntitiii  ofl  tbt*  bouua  for  the  limi;  Ijping.  But  when  ho 
went  back  to  his  room  to  chanKO  his  coat  to  fto  home  to  diuiier  (for 
it  hiid  gut  vt^ry  lnt«)  he  remembered  to  wrap  them  in  paE>cr  and 
put  them  in  hia  other  pocket  to  take  with  him. 

When  Charles,  six  months  boforc,  decided  on  what  seems  to  ua 
tbo  vorjr  nredlcM  ami  premature  alei>  of  taking  a  lurgu  nxpeninTie 
Studio  that  would  have  suited  a  fashionable  portrait-painter  in  fullj 
proetioe,  he  «m  not  nn  abonhite  boginiivf  in  the  literal  sense 
the  words.  Hi>  hud  been  an  Academy  student  for  a  emiplc  of 
yarn,  an<l  had  rery  nenrly  got  n  mcdnl.  TTc  had  Blleuded  the 
painting  schoi)lH  and  loomed  a  new  system  of  painting  flculi  eirry 
month,  a«  each  new  visitor  came,  Wliali-ii-r  innule  ideas  on  the 
subject  of  oil-painting  he  possessed,  had  brcn  dixorgnniiwd  and 
carefully  thrown  out  of  Kear  bj  the  want  of  unanimity,  or  prosciico 
of  pluraiiimity,  in  hiN  iniilnictors.  Rut  he  had  been  an  ntti-ntivn 
student  according  to  his  lights,  and  one  department  of  his  edu- 
cation Uai)  "'catight  an.'*  (Ic  had  prodW  by  his  ana  torn  icul 
lectures  and  demonsl  rat  ions  on  dead  and  live  corpses — perhaps 
because  he  really  had  more  turn  for  nich  tttudita  tliaD  for  the 
Arts,  for  which  his  capacity  was  doubtful,  and  his  bias  prohably| 
itnaginarr. 

Therefore,  when  Mr.  Ilayeroft  produced  the  alleged  hone*  of 
eats,  he  at  ouee  detected  the  miatuke.  He  was  perfectly  familiar 
with  thp  human  skeleton,  and  at  once  saw  that  if  these  w«re  not 
man's  bones,  they  were  monkeys'.  Probably  the  latter,  thought 
CharW  B<rc«»»e  people  don't  bury  dewascd  pnwons  iindirr  floor* 
in  laundries.  Ferliaps  the  recent  occurrence  at  No.  40  made  it 
Man  unlikf'ly  tlial  a  munler  nhoidil  have  tnken  place  then:  and 
been  concealed.  Didn't  seem  likely,  did  it,  that  anything  of  that 
sort  iihonid  occur  twiee  in  fha  »omp  hoiis<.'!  So  Ouirlee  di!('idi-<l 
on  the  monkey.   Howevei,  he  would  ba  accing  Joho&gu,  ^ni'KQiM 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 

&ak  him.    Hit  ftJt  prvlly  certain  Im  irauld  aoon  mc  Johnson, 
he  was  right. 

When  he  ^t  hunu-  he  found  (but  his  mother  had  tickets  for  an 
intcivfting  Lecture.  'ITio  subject  was  (as  reported  by  himself  to 
PffCT*)  '"Aiitieipution  in  ita  Ri:Intion  ti>  Rc-alisnlion."  But  ihwi 
he  WAS  not  olwn.T?  to  be  trusted.  Peefty  hnti  a  slight  fjtcp-ncho  nnil 
tbe  ntgbt-air  mi^bt  do  harm,  bo  shi^  lliougbt  she  wouldn't  come. 
Charles  remarked  that  she  didn't  lock  very  bad.  but  perhaps  it  waa 
OS  well  to  be  on  the  safe  side.  lie  would  take  his  mother  to  ihtr 
Lecture.  For  he  was  always  a  {lood  son,  was  Charles.  Now  on  tins 
*urni;  evening  his  father  (acconiing  to  him)  had  to  dine  with  the 
Oasbmonfters'  Company,  and  Robin  and  Ellen  were  ^ing  to  help 
nt  a  big  children's  party  witJt  Alius  Pt-tberington  tlic  gnvernvss. 
"Y'oull  be  very  dull  all  by  yourself."  said  Cbarles  to  bis  sister,  as 
he  and  his  niuther  departed. — "No — I  shan't,"  said  she,  "I'ro  got  to 
finish  'The  Mill  on  the  Floss.'"— 

Wlii.>n  ChurloM  ond  his  mother  got  home  again,  nt  about  derm 
o'clock,  none  of  the  absentees  bad  returned,  and  there  was  a  jtentle- 
mnn  in  the  drawing-room  with  Miss  Heath.  Thu*  Phillimore  bo- 
lifvwl;  he  was  reluelHiil  to  admit  knowledgi:-  of  the  gentleman's 
identity — Thomas  had  shown  him  up.  Hut  the  drawinit-room  was 
«mpty.  Philliraore  iben  <!on6ded  to  his  mistress  tliiH  he  lliouKht 
it  possible  that  Uiss  Heath  and  the  genttemsin  had  stepped  out 
into  the  gnrdrn. — "It  must  be  your  i-ousin  Frank.  Charley,"  said 
Mrs.  ileath.  and  opened  a  letter  and  read  it.  and  then  went  on, 
aomc  time  after — "Hadn't  you  bt-tter  get  them  in  J  She'll  make  her 
face  worse" — and  then  opened  another  letter  and  said— oh  dear! 
the  Sftlridges  couldn't  come.  Phillimore's  back,  as  be  manipulated 
blinds  and  shutters,  was  fraught  with  reticence  and  discretion. 
But,  for  oil  that,  he  hnd  just  snid  tu  himself,  a.i  »o  old  a  retainer 
could  speak  freely  and  confidingly  to  so  respectable  n  bntler: 
"Cousin  Frank,  indeed!" — 

Cbarles  walked  out  into  the  bitr  garden  that  is  neither  at  th« 
back  nor  the  front  of  the  big  house-s,  but  is  a  typical  nondescript, 
common  to  all  of  them.  It  was  a  glorious  July  nia^hl  with  n  nearly 
full  moon,  conscious  of  a  flaw  from  London  smoke,  for  whic^  one 
might.  If  one  chose,  bare  imagined  the  murmur  of  the  traffic  to  be 
n  long-sustained  apology.  An  insufficient  apology — but  any  con- 
trition is  better  than  none.  So  thought  Charles  ns  be  lighted  a 
cigar  nnd  laninterrd  along  in  what  he  tbouubt  the  best  direction 
to  take.  He  came  upon  Dr.  Johnson  and  Peggy  in  u  quiet  part 
of  the  garden,  and  was  no  more  surprised  at  finding  who  the  gen- 
tlemau  was  than  you  will  be  at  his  sudden  appearance  in  tie  narra- 


AUCE-FOK-SHOET 


»r 


live.  If  you  hare  h»n  kecpin);  an  obM^rrant  eye  upon  tt.  ITc, 
faowcrer,  wa«  curprwpd — but  it  was  a  very  flaccid  form  of  surprise 
— Uut  PeKiO'  and  liec  compauiuu  were  wHlkiiijc  tuw-nnln  him  nppa- 
rSDtly  wiying  notbing.  Abo  that  the  younii  doclor  swmwl  grave— 
don-ncfii^i  ptrhxpal  Peggr  aeetoed  to  think  her  broUier  wanted  an 
explanation  of  comething,  wbich  was  not  the  caw.  ^Hiat  she  said 
was,  "1  had  iomothiog  I  wanted  to  say  to  Dr.  Johoaou.  so  we  camM 
out  hpTC." — But  her  manner  distinctly  oddi-d,  "I  don't  want  to  be^ 
asked  questions  now — 1  will  tell  you  some  time."  Charles  did  not 
mo  what  the  luiyins  eoiiltl  hnv<;  b<vn  that  rouhl  ninko  tlu!  coming 
out  neoeaaary.  but  he  held  his  peace,  aud  behaved  discreetly. 

Tboy  rejoined  Mi*.  TIcoth  in  the  drawing- room.  That  huly'ii 
demeanour,  on  seeioji  that  it  wasn't  Cousin  Frank,  was  one  of  fore- 
bcnrancv  under  suppri-micd  nKtontslnneiit.  Shtt  oould  wait.  MeAU- J 
while,  courtesy !  But  of  course  without  a  suggestion  that  tlwrrp  wmS 
any  rejiHin  why  PfSSJ'  fhoiiJd  not  tuku  Dr.  .fohnson  for  a  walk  in 
the  garden.  Jieverlheless,  her  dautcbter  understood  somothing  from 
her  way  of  not  Hu^^'sting  it  that  made  her  say,  at  a  moment  when 
(Juries  was  taking  the  doctor's  attculioa  oS— "1  know.  Mamma; 
I  wanted  to  talk  to  Dr.  Johnxon.  ho  I  took  him  iu  the  garden.  .  .  , 
Oh,  my  faee-acbel    Thai's  gone." 

"ttTiat  do  you  make  of  'em,  Johnson  f  tiaid  Charles,  "What's 
tbt  vi'rdtct !"    He  was  ahowing  the  bones  from  No.  40. 

"Are  they  off  your  skeleton?" — for  Charlen  had  on  articulated 
oni%  at  the  studio. 

"Never  you  mind  what  they're  offl  What  do  you  make  of 
them!" 

"I  want  to  know  where  you  got  them."  ■ 

"Shan't  tell!    I  want  to  know  what  they  arc."  m 

"The  hones  of  a  woman's  or  a  hoy's  instep — hardly  largn  enougb 
for  a  fuU-Krown  man's.    1  should  say  a  woman'*." 

"Metatarsals — that's  right,  im't  itf  Charles  trola  out  his  little 
bit  of  scientific  nomenclature — is  even  inclined  to  cavil  a  little  at 
bin  frion<l  for  falling  thera  looi^rly  hones  of  the  insteii.  What  W 
an  instep,  exactly  (    However,  Charles  tella  the  wliole  story. 

**Thnt  in  a  moat  Dxtraordinary  and  ill-fated  house."  says  the  doc- 
tor.    "What  o'clock  sliall  you  be  there — to-morrow?" 

•TVhyt  Do  you  tliink  it'a  a  murder !"— The  attention  of  the  two 
ladies  U  caught  hy  the  word,  and  they  have  to  he  tuken  into 
connacl.  But  tlie  doctor  isn't  inclined  to  jump  at  murder.  "Uoro 
likely."  says  he,  "medical  students*  or  artists'  skeletons  These 
alarma  are  rery  eomnion.  But  if  thi-  floor  in  an  ol<l  tloor— -hm! 
What  o'clock  shall  you  be  there.  Heath )" — And  ten  o'clock  va  iasA. 


L 


J 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


for  nw(t  da^ — the  objedi'H'  of  tlip  movement  being  «  further  px* 
amination  of  the'  ftround  in  the  VRult> — pnKBJt.iy  not  easy  of  attain' 
ini'nt,  B»  il  will  involvt-  uiKluiitji  sonn!  i)rick!iiyer«'  orork,  alnm.vs  n 
troublcwmp  ntTnir,  ix-qiiirinR  tnct  and  force  of  authority  combine<l. 

Aa  Dr.  Johnaon  ftflid  (pHHl-tiijrht  tii  Piwey.  Churksi  niugfat  some 
word*  that  made  him  sny  to  himself:  "Oh.  wclU  1  §uppoee  I  shall 

h«ttr  all  shout  it  eouie  of  these  days "    He  wa«  a  litth:  iuipiiBi- 

tivc,  hut  could  quite  well  wait,  tte  brother*  ean  wait,  and  do.  when 
their  Bisters'  affairs  are  concerned.  It  Isn't  that  they  are  really 
indiffrreiit  aWut  their  welfnrr,  jio  much  am  thnt  it  i*  impomble 
for  UB  men  to  take  these  thin^  au  grand  srrieux.  Howerer.  eren 
if  ChnrlpH  hii<l  beard  every  word,  he  wouldn't  baTc  been  much  the 
wiser.    This  was  the  eouversatiun : 

"Now,  Dr.  Johniinn,  yiin'll  have  to  forgive  mcl  Tou  must  for- 
give me!    1  said  it  all  for  your  own  good " 

"What  <'Hn  I  do  to  «how  that  I  forgive  you  t" 

"Be  a  reasonable  man.  Qo  ou  comtnijr  to  see  us — to  see  me,  if 
you  like  to  put  it  ao.  Be  my  friend.  Only  do  be  aennible,  and  put 
nonsensical  ideas  out  of  your  head  about "  ■ 

"I  understand.    I  can't.    Good-niKht.^  H 

This  was  every  word,  and  Charles  would  not  have  been  mudi  the 
wiser  for  hearing  it.  Of  course  he  kni-w  ihat.  during  the  past  four 
months,  the  young  medico  had  been  a  very  frequent  viaitpr  at  the 
house.  We  know  this  now.  and  lieiug  miic-li  more  sagacious  thon 
Charles  was  in  matters  of  this  sort,  wc  infer  a  great  deal  about  that 
interval.  We  sec  in  it  a  young  man  of  good  abilities  and  fauli- 
leee  antecedents,  (loei<!ndly  handsome  and  a  great  favourito  with 
his  friends — but,  if  you  please,  in  a  high  fever;  to  all  intents  and 
purpoaea.  mad.  Like  «o  many  liinntic*  he  is  singularly  able  to 
eouiiterfcit  sanity — indeed  if  it  were  not  for  an  oecasional  pre- 
occupation you  wfuiid  nolier'  nolhiiig  in  the  least  abnormaL  But 
could  you  see  into  hia  mind  you  would  be  struck  tirst  b,v  an  ex- 
truonliiuiry  rapjiort  that  Mx^ma  to  exist  between  liini  and  Hyde  Park 
Gardens.  To  you,  no  doubt,  as  to  ourselves,  these  Gardens  are  a 
splendiit  reHidi-ntiul  property  overlookitig  Uydc  Park,  n  few  min- 
utes' walk  from  the  Marble  Arch,  and  so  forth.  To  this  young  doe- 
tor  they  aro  the  Huh  of  the  Universe — the  centre  pivot  on  whieii 
all  other  created  things  revolve.  Streets  that  lead  neither  to  nor 
from  Hydt:  Park  Gardens  are  stale,  flat,  unprufitidilc  thorough- 
fares; those  that  lead  there  are  glorified,  considered  as  approaches 
to  Hyde  Park  Gnrdens.  but  sinister  in  so  far  an  tliey  go  in  tho 
Opposite  direction.     You  would  find  that  whatever  he  may  be 


AUCEFOR-SHORT 

enploj'ed  on, — whether  he  is  wrhiug  a  prescription  or  uting  a 
atcthoacope, — he  nlwiijra  biui  in  hiN  owii  mind  an  imafie  of  himself 
in  his  reUitioD  la  Hyde  Park  Gardeus.    He  alwu7«  lucateu  Iiimwlf 
nwnully  as  oast,  wjst,  luirtli.  i>r  soiith  of  liydo  Park  Qardens.    lie 
appears  to  himself  to  be  nirsleriously  counected  with  it  liy  a  wire-ii 
lees  currt-nt,  but  he  i*  uut  able  to  i^pniui  it  ho,  rm  Htich  current*! 
af«  not  ;«t  diKcovcrod  or  inTeoted.     if  yon  add  to  this  that  luej 
sieefw  bad]y.  owiti^  to  tbc  iudueiioe  o{  tbi^  viirn-nt;  tlint  ho  bus 
on  slnwwt  idiotic  bgJtit  of  r^rvwding  a  few  notes  Peggy  has  written 
him.  relating  to  cotniag  lo  dinner.  bikI  ao  forth;  and  that  when  lie 
OOUM.  a*  may  happen,  on  the  word  Alargoret,  or  the  word  Ileatfa, 
in  print.  In  any  oouneictiou,  Im  becomes  as  it  wi-rv  trmislixed  and 
mnaiiu  {C*sinK  at  tbc  manic  Icttors  until  workodflj  life  jogs  him 
and  reminds  bim  tlmt  really  ihia  won't  do— if  you  uspribe  lo  him  al|j 
tboM  qunlitii<i>  ntid  attributes,  you  will  not  have  un  iitiduly  i^xn^ ' 
fcented  picture  in  your  mind  of  what  he  had  become  throush 
not  itrfu.iing  lo  nif  OhnrW  Ileiitb's  iiiiitoT  when  Charles  proposed 
to  bring  her  in  to  talk  about  Alice's  mother.     Of  course  had  tio'| 
been  a  prophet,  and  a  pnidmt  one,  he  would  have  ask«<l  Charles 
to  keep  bet  out  of  the  room;  or.  when  she  came  in,  would  have 
shut  his  «yrH  liitbl  and  iiU)pj>rd  hi«  cnni.     It  was  too  late  now. 
The  faoe  of  her  bad  come  intu  bis  heart,  aud  her  voice  into  his 
cars,  and  both  bud  Oomv  to  stay. 


CHAPTER  X 


OF  THE  DISTBICT  StmVETOB.     OF  THE  NEW  KILN-rOtUlOATlON  AND  WHAT! 
WAS  FOVfID  Ui   IT.      OF  AUCIs'li  VATUKn's  DKEAU.      »OW  ABOUT  TUB 
LADY  WITH  THE  SPOTS!      OF  Him  PEGGf's  XOOREttS 

Whex  Dr.  Jobnaon  arrived  at  No,  40  st  (en  o'clock  next  morn- 
injr,  excitement  wbs  alprady  tiirbulmt  in  the  ktooikI  floor  nnd  Iwso- 
mrnt.     Up  wvnt  siraipht  lo  the  Stinlio.  where  Chorles  and  Jeff 
were  reviewing  the  position,  ^nd  liiuird  from  tliem  t.hnt  Pope  &| 
Chftppcll  were  bristlinp  wilh  indiifnation  at  the  idea  of  havingl 
to  move  a  single  footing  in  order  to  dift  up  a  mine  of  dog's  boiie3,J 
JMBt  on  thp  word  of  mere  BnatoroiBtsI    Ha.vcroft  was  furious,  espo-j 
cially  as  he  had  liberally  fcurrenderei!  cat's  bones,  for  etratt^ciil  1 
piirposep,  and  adopted  the  King  Ohartcii  Spaniel;  nnd  th«n.  here  i 
you  were,  axkiiig  bint  to  ohangi:  Bguiii,  uiid  make  it  man's  boncstj 
He  hated  being  minced  about;  and  as  for  uodoin'  liniKliod  bri<Jf 
work,  it  wMit  ngaiiiAt  Itim.     "Tuko  it  nil  down  of  oonnw',  if  you 
likef  he  said,  "but  not  if  you  listen  to  me  you  won't  do  any  such 
thing!"'     And  wojit.  on  to  point  out  tliut  if  wo  gave  vmy  to  the 
weakness  of  paying  attention  to  persons,  circu]nstance«,  or  things, 
there  n('VPr  wouldn't  ouytiiiiig  gut  done.    However,  we  were  to  e*>:^| 
our  own  way — he  wouldn't  say  anything!  ^1 

"Tbpy  nrr-  nil  in  n  Jino  stow  downstairs,  I  can  tell  you."  said 
Cbarles.  "Haycroft,  I  believe,  is  laying  bricks  at  a  reckless  rate  in 
order  to  mitko  it  moro  difficult  to  decide  on  undoing  it.  Pope  is  in 
favour  of  consulting  n  Inwyor^goodneas  knows  on  what  line  I 
Chuppell,  as  far  as  I  understand  htm.  thinks  tip  bonivt  aro  too 
email  to  be  worth  making  n  fuss  sbout.  Besides,  if  it  was  a  mur- 
der, it  must  have  been  such  a  long  time  ugol  He  ammiH  to  bi-lioife 
in  some  Statute  of  Limitations.  If  yon  kill  n  sufficiently  small 
person,  and  then  wait  long  enough,  it  don't  count  I" 

"1  see,"  said  the  doctor,  "but  sbull  we  go  down  and  talk  to  tbcm )" 
Accordingly,  down  ihey  went ;  but  into  tlie  office,  not  ft^Ung  they 
would  be  welcome,  necraenrily.  elnewhcro. 

In  the  office,  prolonged  discussion.  The  attitude  of  Pope,  that 
me^ldiin'  was  contrary  to  his  own  nntun-,  tbnt  hiw  aneexlors  had 
been  strangers  to  it,  and  tbat  he  never  could  abide  it  in  other*. 

100 


ALICE-POR-SHOET 


Of  ChappcU,  that  ve  !ui<l  -nry  little  to  go  oa,  as  really  the  bonrn 
were  quite  insiRnificAnt ;  not  »»  thaiish  it  hud  lM>cn  n  wliole  foot, 
in  whicli  cue  bv  would  at  onee  have  a<Iv<ic8tod  a  further  search. 
But  he  thought  &  line  diottlil  bo  <lrawii.  Thciw  bouts  mi^bt  have 
got  tlxire  by  the  oierest  accident.  And  it  Vf««  not  only  tlw  cost 
of  taking  down  and  rebuilding,  but  the  delay  in  the  completion  of 
the  kiln.  The  eastings  were  invoiced  from  the  foundiT — in  fact 
wer*  on  the  way  now — «nd  we  were  losiuf;  money  srory  dny  from 
the  dobiy  in  tlie  construction  of  tbi»  kiln.  Run-Iy  Mr.  Heath  and 
Dt.  JohnEvn  would  not  think  us  bound  to  throw  our  work  buck 
on  the  Htrength  of  these  miwrable  little  honest  CbapiwU'a  con- 
tempt for  the  bones  was  beyond  his  powers  of  lanaruiwe. 

Chiirles  was  most  contrite  about  hin  own  share  in  the  matter,  aa 
far  M  it  occasioned  dislurbauce  and  trouble  to  the  Firm.  IIo 
coald  not  allow  them  to  be  put  to  any  cost,  as  really  had  it  not 
l)«en  for  him.  the  <iuc»tion  would  not  have  bwn  mi*r<I — !ii^  would 
willingly  coTcr  the  expenisee  involved.  This  conciliated  I'opc. 
As  for  Mr.  Jeff  he  <^borused  approval  of  everytbiug  that  sounded 
pbuvibtv,  and  said  that  that  was  his  idea ! 

Dr.  Jobunon'H  contribution  to  the  diacussion  was  th(^  importont 
ODC.  He  couldn't  say  for  cerlnio  wbut  tlic  leeal  oblii;ation  was  on 
a  medical  man  (or  any  one  cite)  to  whoMC  knowbnjgir  ihi?  discovery 
of  a  hoinan  bone  came.  If  a  eompletc  skeleton  were  found  buried 
from  wbich  llu>  integumcnti  hnd  evidently  fallen  awiiy  by  decay, 
tbe  dutf  of  immediatelv  communieatinii  with  the  authoritieji  wna 
obrioua.  But  if  tlie  poli<«  were  ^nl  for  every  time  a  human 
bone  turned  up.  life  wouldn't  be  worth  livinir  in  lodgings  which 
medical  studenta  or  artists  had  occupied.  It  must  depend  on  eir- 
CumittaDce«.  Perhaps  this  time  it  whh  nil  a  fus»  about  nothing. 
(Chappell  looked  consoled.  Pope  aod<led  the  nod  that  has  said  so 
all  alonjr.)  After  all.  we  really  didn't  know  wbo  bad  lived  in  the 
bouse — au  Eg>'pto]ogisl  perbups,  and  sonie  bils  of  mummies  bad 
got  midtid-  (This  theory  was  almost  noisily  welconteii,  and  evt^ 
one  laid  cbiim  to  having  thought  of  it.)  Might  we  go  down  and 
look  at  the  placet  But  it  seemed  it  was  all  covered  in  now,  and 
we  shouldn't  be  any  tlie  wisi^.  Well  then,  might  Dr.  Johnson 
personally  bear  the  account  of  the  first  finding  of  the  bones  from 
the  bricklayeittt    Certainly- 

Mr.  HaycToft's  account  amounted  to  a  denial  of  hav^inf!  seen 
anytbtnio;  wbatever  himself,  tbe  banes  having  been  picked  up  out 
of  the  hole  by  the  young  man,  known  as  OreoBy:  but  really  Tod- 
hunter,  if  you  came  to  that.  He  had  gone  off  tbc  job  yesterday 
evening,  owing  to  word*.    Could  he  be  got  at)    WcU — of  c»MX«^  Sx 


J 


lOS  ALICE-FOB'SHOBT 


■•  i.:>H 


would  he  «udy  enough  to  aend  for  bim,  providf^d  you  knew  hit 
addiCM — Dothinfi  ca«i«r!  But  Mr,  Iluycroft  didn't  know  his 
fiddresB.  upfortunaleiy.  "Tliere's  his  family,"  he  edded.  "only,  of 
coum,  thi^!/  live  down  in  Wornwitcnihirtr."  Ic  jJiort,  Mr.  Hny- 
eroft  had  rim<le  up  bU  niiud  to  obatructioii.  and  we  reall;  bad  to 
chooso  bFt«'<^n  Roiiig  to  the  Huthoritir!*  with  a  talc  of  Huapected 
foul  ptay,  on  the  strength  of  two  detached  metfilarsal  bones,  or  loir^ 
ting  tho  mnttcr  alone.  w 

"I  ^luiild  tbtiJt  twice  about  it  before  making  a  rumpiu.  Heetli," 
*»id   Johniton.     "Wc  shall    look   very   foolish    if  the   stoty   foils 
through,  for  uuy  reason.     Beatiles.  they  wouldn't  turn  thn  Ooronnr 
on  a^in  (to  tbo  b«st  of  my  belief)  about  an  aSair  that  mi^bCj^ 
easily  belong  to  laitl  eeutiiry."  f 

"Well  then."  said  Charles.  "I  Tote  we  let  It  alone."  And  Hay- 
croft  went  biioJt  to  work  triumphant,  and  in  a  few  days  was  ready 
to  connect  his  new  block  of  brickwork  with  the  liue  the  lom-uat 
liad  run  up  imd  never  ronic  down. 

But,  alas,  for  the  uncertainty  of  ihiogH !  Tribulation,  an  Unclo 
Rumua  ituys,  is  waitiug  round  tho  comer  for  all  of  us,  and  in  tliit  ^ 
caae  sud  inmblir  uwaitrd  Pnpr  &  Chnppell.  For  there  is  in  Lon-flj 
don  an  awful  Functionary,  called  the  DiKtript  Siin-eyor.  and  it  is 
written  that  witltout  hia  Huui^tiim  no  brick  iJiall  be  laid.  No  mat- 
ter whether  it  is  a  portion  of  a  buildinir  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  tbo 
word  nr  not.  a  notic^^  bus  to  bo  given  to  him.  and  tlien  be  vfiU 
inspect  you.  and  finally  measure  up  your  premises,  and  charge  a 
fee  aeeurding  to  their  arvu.  Popi:  &  Cbnppell  had  not,  sad  to 
nt;,  made  any  communication  about  their  new  kiln — with  their 
motives  v!V  have  nothing  to  do.  They  wit«  legally  in  the  wrong 
in  this  omission,  though  of  course  a  cube  of  solid  brickwork  six 
f«et  high  is  not  n  building  at  all,  and  tlicrcfore  ouglit  to  bo  fr«e, 
of  the  Building  Act. 

Now  had  it  nut  btyrn  for  thi-  ineident  of  tlio  bonos,  Ur.  Haj 
croft  would  not  have  had  words  with  Urcasy  and  sacked  him  off  tbclj 
job.  For  that  wu.i  what  had  hnpiM-ned.  And  these  "wiird«"  had 
been  artificially  fostered  with  a  view  to  the  sacking  of  Greasy, 
wliich  hud  actually  lio-.n  determined  on  by  Mr.  Tlnycroft  the  mo> 
ment  be  susq)ected  that  a  search  might  be  instituted  for  more  bonea, 
under  his  footing*.  After  all,  the  evidence  turned  on  his  testi- 
mony, and  Greasy's,  Left  to  bim»i-lf.  be  eould  lie  as  he  liked. 
There  was  securitj-  in  lonclineiss.  Therefore-,  Greasy  was  mdccd, 
on  pretence  of  words,  and  another  young  man  put  on  the  job. 

Orcasy  got  another  job,  on  a  ehimney-stnek  at  No.  2B.  This  job 
was  at  loggerheads  with  tbu  Surveyor;  and  acting  from  infontui'' 


SIX 

rce-^n 
tbSt 


1 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


lOS 


"fan  tiroueitit  by  Oreasy.  Iwitt«<]  ihe  Surveyor  with  unfairly  wink- 
inK  at  wrioiw  irr^mlsritr  «  No.  40,  nml  biMiring  hard  on  men 
CTTon  of  fomi  ul  No.  26.  "What  job  nt  So.  40("  said  the  Surveyor, 
in  the  person  of  his  clerk.  "WcVr  no  job  going  on  nt  40,  up  «t 
ihf  office," — ^"Aak  liim!"  aaid  the  job  at  2a.  Doddinjr  over  its  shouliter 
at  Grea^.  And  so  it  fell  out  that  a  few  Any*,  after  CburlvH  and 
Johniaon  had  the  iiiti-Ti-ipw  we  have  recorded  above,  the  Surveyor, 
tn  propria  persona,  descended  in  wrath  on  No,  40,  and  walked 
atrnight  into  dw^  vauU  witlioiit  -so  much  lui  asktiiK  leave. 

The  remfliuder  of  the  story  ia  Bad.  Let  u*  nhorten  it.  Pope  & 
Chnppell  m-ri!  xumnmni-d  hefom  the  magistrate  for  coniiavculiou 
of  the  Itutldiiuc  Act.  They  were  fined  and  admoniahed,  and  tfaft 
atniclun-  itMolf  i:^n<l<-miird  lui  irrtgiilur.  havlaflr  two  courses  of 
footkttRs  inatead  of  three.  lis  owners  were  in  despair;  but  thoT9 
was  nothing  for  it.  Down  it  bad  to  come  eni!  down  it  came. 
Hayeroft  said  it  was  enough  to  make  a  man  tnko  pison,  hut  ho 
only  took  an  extra  pint  of  beer,  which  be  did  not  account  as  poison- 
ons,  but  the  reverse. 

"Think  of  all  them  bale  cut  to  waslol"  he  eaid.  Because  when- 
ever he  wanted  »  but  or  eloHure  he  alwaysi  cut  a  whole  brick,  and 
tberofore  regarded  them  as  waste  when  once  thrown  aside.  But 
what  must  be  muM.  and — however  reluctantly — Mr.  Hay  croft 
started  on  the  afternoon  of  the  magisterial  decision  to  undo  all 
Ms  work,  end  clean  o3  the  brick*  for  a  fn-sb  ^tart. 

"I^  Rire,"  said  Charles,  an  hour  or  so  later,  to  Pope  and  Chap- 
pell,  "no  on<!  <mn  be  more  sorry  than  1  am  for  whatever  share  I 
had  in  it.    And  you  really  must  allow  me  to  do  irhat  I  ouii  to  make 

up  for  it "    And  wait  going  on  to  propose  that  he  sliould  con- 

tribnto,  in  a  princely  fashion  (as  one  does  when  one':)  fiither  is 
a  reckless  cheque-writer),  to  the  expenses  incurred,  when  Oliap- 
pell  interposed  (rather  to  Pope's  disKust.  Gliurli.-!!  tlu>u;u:ht)  and 
said,  with  more  vitality  than  he  ununll.v  gliowed,  that  thnt  wouldn't 
be  at  all  fair,  a«  really  the  bone  bueiuees  had  nothing  to  do  with  the 
nDmber  of  fooling^i. 

"On  the  other  'and,  Mr.  Chappell."  said  Pope,  "the  number  of 
footina  hnd  notfain'  to  do  with  the  tiatin'  we've  got  over  iL  What 
this  Official  'UmbuR  really  objected  to  was  that  he  was  loein'  a 
fifteen-sbillin'  fit-.  Do  you  KiippoNc  he'd  not  have  puMcd  (howc 
footina  if  he'd  had  notice  ?  He's  l>een  slatin'  us  to  keep  up  his 
salary.  That'll  whnt  we've  been  sluteil  for!  And  do  you  Kuppoim 
that  mociatrato  feller  won't  get  hU  commission  off  the  jobt  Of 
course  he  will  I  I  know  'em.  They're  all  alike.  'Appen  to  know 
the  expression  'fiaby,'  ib.  'Ehtht    Meanin'  untiua^vi^itOci:; ,  ^\f(fti- 


104 


AUCEFOn-SUORT 


ful,  unrclinMe.  Well — of  couno  you  dol  But  you  don't  know  tb« 
unloniiili^gy  of  it)  Ii'h  nbort  for  official,  tliat'it  whni  il  is." — Charles 
liadu't  l<n<.iwn  this;  and  Ur.  Po[)e  coDtinued.  as  a  reli^  to  Ilia  feel- 
ing»:  "But  T'm  luivin'  ni.v  rc-vuiigi!  on  himl  Sor  this  'cad  I'm  jkaitit- 
in'f  Well — I'm  makiu"  ii  ua  lUco  that  Diatricl  Siirvt-yor  ah  <?v(ir 
I  cnn  get  it."  Charles  said  he'd  been  lookinf  at  it,  and  won- 
derinjc  who  it  was  so  lUte.  and  now  he  saw,  aud  it  was  quito 
wonderful ! 

'"Ead  of  Judas  Iscariot.  I  like  the  idearl" — And  Mr,  Pope  was 
ovidenlly  rcrj-  happy  shout  it. — "Come  in  I" 

"JJeg([in'  your  pardon  for  knockin* "    It  was  Haycrofl  who 

hod  dodf'  so,  seeking  an  interricw.  "Excusin'  tlio  interruption. 
Aloti£  of  that  heiktli  I  meutiomj  to  you.  Mr.  Cliappell " 

"Oh  yes!"  said  Chappell,  "Hnycmft  tliiiika  tlic  kiln  would  have 
been  such  a  lot  better  with  a  few  inches  more  clear  of  the  ceiling, 
on  account  of  thn  flue '' 

"And  it  ain't  for  me  to  say  anything."  interposed  the  bricklayer, 
"but  now  ttm  work's  all  down  to  iho  foutingn  again  we  (!Ould  get 
the  heiklh  by  taking  out  a  bit  more  ground." 

Pope  assented.  "Do  just  as  you  like,  Mr.  Chappell,"  said  ho, 
and  w<-nt  on  with  Judus  Iscariot.  Chnppell  said.  "I'll  eoine  down 
and  hare  a  look,  Iloycroft,"  and  said  good-day  to  Charles,  and  they 
went  Bwny  fOKPthpr. 

Charles  remained  a  shoK  timp  ohnttinfr  and  then  returned  to  Ilia 
Studio,  a  tiling  lie  was  always  doing  with  a  fleree  resolve  to  mako 
up  for  lost  time.  He  poised  a  pleasant  liour  or  so  walking  to  and 
from  touching  distance,  and  looking  alternately  at  a  suit  of  stage 
nnnour  and  its  repliea  in  bis  picture,  and  messing  the  paint  about 
indwisivuly — toning,  he  called  it.  and  getting  quality.  He  wa« 
beginning  to  feel  quite  meritortoua  over  his  industry,  and  when 
bo  recognised  llic  footstep  of  JeiT  descending  the  stnirs.  whidi 
was  the  harbinger  of  tea  (a  truly  Bohemian  meal  when  it  is  near 
six  o'clock)  be  bad  the  effrontery  to  pretend  to  himself  that  he  wn« 
ttorry:  and  that  it  must  be  early,  and  that  he'd  no  idea  it  was  so 
late. 

The  nine  days'  wonder  of  the  kiln  had  been  exhausted,  and  Jeff 
and  Cbnrlea  had  talked  it  over,  and  in  and  out.  and  up  and  down. 
So  the  eonvertation  turned  on  the  Fine  Arts.  The  two  young  men 
were  of  diffrrpnt  jHrhoolK.  Charles  classified  Jeff  as  a  clever 
chap  at  a  email  waler-colour  sketch,  and  decidedly  gixid  in 
black  and  whiti- — gtit  a  very  good  quality  ia  some  at  his  work 
— shouldn't  wonder  if  he  turned  out  some  good  eaux-forfes,  if 
he  stuck  to  it— «nd  to  on.     His  friend  on  the  other  hand  por- 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


eeittd  in  Charles,  wilh  H(n>e  admirdtion.  a  hijih-flycr — Royally 
Acinictnicnl^'Is'tfy — Jfytbology — fine  bold  tn'Btmunt  of  t!w^  buuian 
tgan,  ami  so  on.  Tbey  bad,  bowcvcr,  n  cuminoii  intcrent— lh« 
pennai>eticy  of  pisracot*.  But  the  tnjiK',  which  LasUxl  tlirutigb  the 
■econd  mip  of  tea.  was  not  to  be  eshausted  this  time-  For  a  bur- 
ned footstep  ran  niwtair*  and  a  hurried  tap  came  nt  tlic  <loor. 

"Uajr  I  come  itit"  It  waa  ChappeU.  perturbed.  "Excuse  my 
running  in  in  thi*  way.  I  wnnt  to  nA — T  Oioiighl  you  two  KMitl^ 
men  had  bett4:r  stei)  down — if  you  dou'l  mind." — Oli  no,  we  would 
eone  by  all  mennsi  \Vltat  was  iti  But  llr.  Chappcll  is  out  of 
breath  from  ruuiiiiift  iipitutrs,  acid  also  has  to  oollecl  liiuuclf. 

"Ut.  Pope  thought  you  had  better  come  down  too — whilo  it's 
only  just  uncoTDiw!.'' 

"While  what's  r* — Both  ask  the  question  at  once.  But  then, 
oddly  mough,  tlon't  wait  for  any  aiinwcr,  and  all  go  down  together, 
lit.  Pope  callintr  out  from  below  to  ask  are  they  coming. 

T^MTf  make  Ktraight  for  the  vault,  rxeit^'d.  Outstide  thi!  door,  in 
the  area,  stands  the  bricklayer,  watching  for  his  employer's  rp- 
tum.  "I're  not  uncorored  any  more."  ho  iaye,  and  Chappell 
replied,  ""Yea,  quite  right !" — And  lb<-ii  tliey  all  go  into  the  vault. 

It  has  been  one  of  those  strnnRc  summer  days  one  gitu,  now 
and  again,  in  London  that  muke  one  feel  what  a  beautiful  city 
it  might  bo  if  it  were  not  for  the  filth  of  the  ntmosphore.  and  it* 
deponit*  on  the  building*.  A  wondrous  afterglow  ia  going  lo  come 
in  tbe  west,  when  the  sun,  now  on  its  way  lo  setting,  hAH  cnnsi^d 
to  bathe  One  world  in  a  stupendous  glory  of  golden  flame;  end 
again«t  that  afterglow  the  street-lamps  mean,  when  they  aro 
lighted,  to  show  as  emerald  stars.  And,  ibougb  the  sunligjit  oanaot 
reach  tbe  Tank  at  No.  40  itself,  it  has  a  utrangr  pnw«r  and  faculty 
for  negotiating  reflections  and  gleams  into  all  <Iark  comers  and 
hidden  ways;  and  such  ii  glenni  strikes  in  through  ihi-  window 
made  of  Qerman  rounds;  and  us  the  party  pass  inside,  ii  illumi* 
nates  for  a  moment  the  sjtot  whrrc  ihc  ground  is  being  taken  out 
afresh.  And  we  se«  at  once  that  what  it  shines  on — the  thing 
of  whidi  llaycroft  has  not  nncovcrtid  any  mori. — i«  n  thing  that 
aun  sfaODe  on  once  to  its  deliglit.  and  has  never  reached  till  now 
for  it  may  lio  a  hnndr*^  years,  when  thi«  reBected  ruy  caught 
upon  it  and  showed  us  tlie  shadow  that  ia  left  of  the  Bowercd  silk 
s»  it  oner  wore;  nml  thi-  substance,  au^  nait  is,  of  the  woman 

'bo  once  wore  it.  Something  is  left,  be  sure,  over  and  above  mere 
bone,  iwidn  that  Blocking  and  that  one  tihoe  tliat  Ktill  kK-ps  its 
And  when  we  hare  carefully  rvmoYcd  tbe  ground  that  hides 
fooo  on  a  body  that  scons  to  havir  been  pitduA  V<%^\nT\^  \tt.\» 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


» 


an  ill-dug  gnvc.  no  that  tlio  feet  at  first  sloped  up  and  projcc 
at  tile  ground  level,  we  mav  find,  as  wc  think  with  Khudderi:i^ 
curioaify.  *oni(;  truce  i>f  thut  fiiei-',  sunn-  record,  some  one  littlo 
thins  at  least  that  will  show  us  what  this  womnii  wiu  thut  wua 
forgotten  so  many  year*  lM>fore  wt-  wore  born,  even  the  oldest  of  ns. 

They  chucl»d  her  in  hero  in  n  'orry."  says  Huyeroft  in  n  voice 
fallen  to  th(!  ocfasioD,  "aud  tlnry  never  ilug  deep  enouieh.  That's 
how  that  shoe  come  off.  After  tlicy'd  coverrd  her  iii.  shi!  stuek 
out.  So  liicy  pulkxl  off  the  elioe,  and  'ainuier^l  the  toes  down,  for 
to  get  the  bricin  ilusb.  Tlint's  how  thi^ta  cnts'-boiic^  wc  fouml 
coaiK  off  sppiirule,"— Charlud  can  hardly  help  smiling,  through  the 
grisliness  of  the  whole  thing,  at  t!n>  sort  of  cluim  (in  dcfcnw  of 
hb  infallibility)  made  by  Huycroft  that  tlie  bonea  were  intriuHically 
cats',  though  occurring  on  a  human  Hkrli-tnu. 

"Go  on  getting  sway  the  ground — gently — gently."  says  Chap- 
pelL  And  is  so  solicitous  for  gmtkncss  o*  bnrdly  to  allow  of  any 
lemoval  at  a!I.  ITaycrofl  kneels  down  and  slowly  clears  with  his 
finscrs  round  tbp  head,  or  where  we  expect  to  find  thtr  head. 
''There's  something  covBring  over  it,"  he  says.  It  appears  to  have 
been  a  lapiiet  of  the  flowered  silk  drees,  thrown  back  over  the  faco 
to  iiidi'  it.  Popi-  cannot  naisl  tlm  lemplutiou  to  exliibilions  of 
sUr«wdn«s8  and  insight.  "Fou  mark  my  words!"  says  he,  "tbo 
murdcror  Ik'  <!oul<{n't  abide  to  look  at  it.  80  ho  just  chunked  up  tho 
akirt  to  'ide  llie  face.  Force  of  oonsciencel"  And  he  gives  short 
t)od«,  of  superhuman  sagacity.  Public  opinion  Ibiiil(s  his  tlieoiy 
on  the  whole  plausible,  though  premature. 

"The  liair's  oil  clogged  up,  a  sort  of  piokle,"  says  Haycroft. 
"There's  a  rare  lot  of  it  ihoiigh.  It's  all  in  a  sort  of  vrliile  miick," 
— Jefl  suggests  hair-powder.    Probably  right. 

"Are  you  coming  to  the  face.  Ilaycrofl  i" — It  is  Chappell  who 
asks  the  nuestion,  lie  Is  feverishly  oxcit^-d  to  seo  wliat  is  coming; 
but  nlno  bursting  with  cautiou  about  the  means  taken  to  arrive  at 
i(. — "Easy  doea  it.  Sir."  auys  Haycroft.  and  goes  on  at  bis  own  rate 

Ai]d  now  it  is  all  cl«ar.  so  far  as  it  is  safe  to  touch  it:  and  Hay- 
croft, assuming  always  a  rather  superior  tone,  aa  one  professionally 
intimate  with  the  bowels  of  the  oarib.  and  not  wwily  surprised  at 
anything  that  comes  out  of  it.  remwrks :  "It  won't  look  so  well  m  it 
docs  now.  to-morrow  morning,  uiiy'bing  like." — And  we  others 
accept  this — not  brenusc  wo  think  the  speaker  knows,  but  because 
we  have  no  knowledge  to  oontradiet  him  on. 

"Are  you  sure  there"*  no  ring  on  the  fingerH'f"  aifks  Charles. 
"Quite  sure,"  is  the  verdict.  '-See  'em  at  once  if  then?  w(-re.  But 
«t«p  ft  bit!     There  was  a  necklace,  sure  enough.     And  the  beads 


i 

ring  S 


1 


ALTCE-FOR-SHORT 


lOJ 


^pc  off  the  Htrinff,  and  «I]  Ml  down  undcmMlh." — "Don't  yoii  toucii 
'em,  on  any  B«.'omn,"  saj-fl  Pope,  auil  Uaycroft  ouswera  that  lie 
ain't  a-toudiin'  of  'cm.  PcArl*  is  whnt  thtg  aicl  Ho  can  &w  tb&t 
pn-tty  pluin. 

How  about  IcaTins  "it"  for  the  night  t  A  luizy  impiranion  hangs 
nboiit  tliat  »om«  one  ougbt  to  stay  lo  w-aicb  "it."  TliU  is  not  rea- 
H>uabl«,  cODeidcring  nil  the  long  yciiro  thai  "it"  ha«  born  uniwn 
niid  forsotteu.  Some  earlb  has  beea  remored — tiiat  is  all  the 
(ltlT«r«noc.  Speculation  in  afoot  about  piu»iblr  molt-atntion*  dur- 
ing the  tiigbt.  How  about  cats)  Uaycroft  renounces  Mb  previous 
poeition  about  catx,  and  only  allow*  tliat  oiut  vxiiitA — tbo  oiu^  up 
the  flue  that  uever  eome  down.  He  can  bo  etuffed  in  with  a  sack, 
and  that'll  keep  Aim  qui«t  ^-naiigh.  Riitaj  Thero  ain't  any,  in 
tlie  tnoQDer  of  apeakinir.  Been  too  many  oals  about  1  Boy«l  Well  t 
— of  courac  you  can't  do  anything  ugiiin*t  boys — they  an  all- 
powerful  and  all-de^lnictive.  But  then — they  don't  know!  B^ 
bMm,  they'll  imiin  h"  in  h<^ — Hiiyeroft  will  rig  up  the  door  tempory 
on  its  'iiifKs.  and  he  can  ttet  a  unnll  pad  that'll  do  for  a  shift] 
and  see  it  all  fast  nfon;  he  gout.  So  all  dtsperav,  and  canj 
away,  mch  vnt  according  to  his  8UBce]>tJbiIily,  more  or  less  of 
horror.  Uaycroft  ie  probably  at  ono  end  of  tho  »calc,  Charles  at 
the  other.  The  fonnor  in  fact  has  a  strong  set  off,  in  o  kind  of 
BCraw  that  he  hns  dintingoiahed  himself,  though  it  i«  not  m  cloar 
why.  It  is  tnie  tliat  he  assumed  the  position,  so  to  speak,  of  Master 
of  the  CcTPmoniiii,  sk  soon  as  ever  "it"  made  a  m-ngninablo  npijwir- 
anw  above  (rround.  But  then,  on  the  otlier  band,  bo  had  done  bis 
best  to  keep  it  uodcr,  and  would  havie  raoconled  but  for  n  sucoe»- 
■ion  of  accidents.  He  was,  however,  one  of  thoim  utronfr  characters 
Ihat  so  steadfnrtly  on  tlicir  way,  however  much  tliej"  are  iu  the 
wronir,  and  snap  their  fitip^rs  at  eunfntniion. 

Cltarlm  was,  »*  may  be  imsRined  by  whoever  has  read  his  char* 
acter  rijihtly  in  tliia  uarratire.  very  much  impri-stionnf,  cv<'n  more 
Ko  than  with  the  recent  suicide.  In  that,  the  whole  of  that  occur- 
rence bad  been  explieabh-  and  free  from  myiitirry.  It  was  Drink, 
and  that  settled  the  matter.  It  was  sJiockiuff  and  repulsive,  but 
it  was  vulgar  and  <i<'gr«<l«i — a  thing  lo  be  forgotten,  not  upccu- 
latcd  on  or  analysed.  In  this,  the  gruesome  silence  of  a  century, 
more  or  less,  anm  the  murdered  woman  won  thniot  under  irround 
and  covered  in,  to  he  seen  no  more — Ilie  thotifiht  of  the  body  lying 
there  unsusptrcted  while  iht;  livinn  a-oriit  pusse<l  inccwsantly  to 
and  fro  above  it — the  sliRhTness  of  the  chain  of  events  thiit  had 
kd  lo  its  diaooviiry,  any  fiiihirr  in  a  link  of  which  would  have  left 
tbe  aecrot  still  unrevealed — all  these  appealed  both  to  i>;«,\.\iM£  mv\ 


J 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT 

imtucintition.  Aiid  Chnrles  was  so  bnrrowrd  thnt  hct  folt  hft  ffoulil 
really  bo  i^lud  when  he  jp)t  home,  altogether  olcar  of  No.  40,  ami 
could  r«!ioTr  hi«  mind.  He  could  t^ll  thi-  3tor>-  to  Peggy.  He  wn« 
e»  BOTiy  for  JeS  for  haviuK  to  8ti>|>  iu  the  plai-e  that  he  invited  htm 
bom«k  Rut  Jeff  didn't,  mind,  1-ord  bless  you  1  Besides,  he  wu* 
going  to  the  Gaiety  to  see  NelUe  Farren,  with  old  Gorman,  and 
Cbarlos  (hr  pointwl  out)  had  birtlrr  come  too.  Ho  would  be  too 
late  to  dress,  and  it  would  be  ver?  uncomfortable  not  to  have  a  good 
wash  and  a  cdrnn  iliirt  nft«T  all  that  <!ori)se.  So  the  two  youug 
meu  set  oS  to  meet  old  Gorman  at  Orenionciui's ;  and  then  after  a 
mrrry  repast,  Char!<^  rriod  off  the  piny  and  rtarti,'d  to  walk  borne. 
But  he  ihovighl  better  of  it.  It  woa  wi  Jale.  He  aLgiioUed  to  a  cab — 
and  as  the  doors  shut  his  Ick"  in  of  their  own  accord,  hp  thought  of 
how  he  hud  riddeii  hump  with  AUoo.  Runi  little  AUee!  thought 
lie.  And  what  a  nice  little  party  she  was  getting  to  be — and  how 
ahie  would  stare  at  the  story  of  ilie  la 

CbarWs  thought  slopped  with  a  jerk  I  It  stopped  exactly  wbor* 
«e  have  sIopi>ed  it.  in  print.  And  it  left  him  with  a  puzzled  faoo 
all  the  way  from  Wardour  Street  to  Bond  Street.  Then  he  np* 
prared  to  pas«  through  a  phase  of  relief,  and  to  breathe  more 
freely,  after  remarking  to  himself  thai  probably  it  wa«  only  • 
coincidi-nec. 

For  the  thing  that  Charles  bad  recollected,  that  this  time-hon- 
oured panacea  for  nil  the  Unaccountable  Imd  betn  iuvoked  to  coun- 
teract, was  Alice's  story  of  tie  lidy  with  the  black  spots.  But 
of  course — it  was  a  coincidence!  Flow  could  he  he  so  foolish  as  to 
connect  the  two  things  together)  This  frame  of  mind  lasted  all 
the  way  to  Hyde  Park  Street.  Then  it  gare  way  to  a  compro- 
mise: "An  awfully  (luecr  coincidence,  for  all  thatt"  But  ha 
wouldn't  make  any  suggestions  when  he  told  Peggy  tin-  story — It« 
would  be  good  and  Scientific  and  Philosophical,  and  research  pay- 
chically.  He  should  like  to  see  how  it  struck  Peggy  when  no  bint» 
wHrt-  given. 

lie  was  juBt  in  time  to  join  his  father  and  brothers  on  their  wny 
up  from  tho  amoking-room.  but  lie  did  not  bt^n  bis  Btury  until  bia 
audience  was  complete.  It  took  some  time  in  the  telling.  When 
he  had  got  (luitl^  to  the  end  be  was  a  little  disconcerlml  at  the 
perfect  calmness  with  which  Peggy  said,  "Of  course  it's  Alice's 
lidy  with  tho  black  spota." 

Charles  wasn't  going  lo  be  caught  out.  Amour  proprv  stepped 
iu. — "Of  course!"  said  be.  But  o  trifling  indecision  in  hiit  voieo 
betrayed  him. 

"Then;  now  !'"aiclaimed  Ellen  tlio  youiigeat.  who  vaa  dining  down 


I 

I 
I 


I 


AIJCEFOR-SHORT 


10» 


L 


afl  tbore  wbs  no  company.  "I  don't  bcHcvp  Chopley  thought  of  it 
till  just  this  iiiinut«.    1  tion'l.'    Tliai  I  don't!" 

"Not  a  iMd  shot  for  «  ihirtw^nrr,"  »»id  Chnrlcs,  who  wax  truth- 
fulneas  itaeU.    "But  I  bad  thouglit  of  it— I  thought  of  it  m  the 

"One  often  thinks  of  thin«8  in  cabs."  said  Archibald,  the  eldeat : 
brother.  He  vim  rot  coiwidcTud  n  grniiw.  no  Im  had  bwn  nMugnodl 
a  position  of  Twponubtlitr  iu  his  fatiier'a  business.  Mrs,  [{eath 
alwa;^  bore  in  mind  thnt  Archibnld  h«d  bwn  hrr  first  Bdiievemcnt 
in  the  way  of  a  human  bo.v,  and  sho  felt  thnt  his  iolclIigeDce  ought 
to  do  hn  credit.  But  whtn^  he  fiiilinl  to  bring  his  idcns  up  to 
concert -pitch.  Ihc-  end  had  lo  be  attained  by  interiJ  relation.  On 
this  ocx-atiion  «ho  If-nned  back  in  hitr  obnir  with  hor  eyia  closi-d, 
and  epake  as  one  who  reflects  on  Philosophy  internally:  "I  do  feel 
that  is  #0  tnif— what  Archie  Miys" — and  proconiiixi  to  show  grounda 
for  a  belief  that  the  human  intelli^nce.  in  cabs,  is  enlarged  and 
expanded.  She  got  through  this  without  mom  intrrruption  than 
a  totiO'VOce  from  Ellen — "What  stuS  Kaiuma's  talking.  /  shan't 
liaten" — and  a  remark  from  Kobin  that  little  girls  should  be  seen, 
not  heard,  followed  by  a  ripoMt-  from  Elk-ti — "Just  as  if  I  was 
Alice!"  This  is  iutereating,  as  showing  that  Alice  was  an  estab* 
]i«hod  inittitution. 

When  Mrs.  Heath  had  done.  Peggy  reeumed — "What  do  you 
ntally  think,  Chnrlr?  V  said  <lio. 

"About  the  ghost!  Of.  of  course,  that's  an  accidental  cotn- 
cidonec — iit  leant,  1  don't  know  what  to  think " 

"Mate  your  mind  up  I"  thus  Peggy,  rulhleasly. 

"Well— rtally — Pogt — yo"  know  that  kid  has  lold  us  a  who 
buflget  of  stories  about  No.  40,    Juat  look  ut  tluise  romances  ahout^ 
bpr  father  and  thp  mjin  in  a  wig  that  woi*  in  the  kitchen — wellt 
yea,  of  cour«!  the  father  may  have  hail  a  touch  of  D.  T.,  and  that 
story  might  I>e  tnic.    But  think  of  that  one  about  bow  the  lidy  with 
the  e|>otB  was  dressed  iu  the  drawing-room  window  curtains!" 

P««gy  didn't  look  less  thoughtful  over  this — rather  the  con- 
trary. But  she  put  off  what  she  liud  to  say;  Mr.  Kealh,  according^ 
to  hi»  UKUfll  practice,  hanng  cut  into  the  conversation  with  revive 
of  a  retrospwrtivu  arrear,  Hi>  had  bi-ard  Archie's  remark  at>out 
the  cab;  and  he,  al«o,  had  a  joint  interest  in  the  justiticatiou  of 
that  young  man's  intelligi-nce : 

"Hey!  What's  that  Archie  says!  Thinking  in  cabs,  hey!  Wliy, 
I  do  all  ray  thinking  io  cabs.  No  time  auywhere  el.te,  hi^ !  Who'a 
hwa  thinking  in  a  cab!"  But  his  wife  was  not  properly  gial«ful 
for  this  raQy  on  her  behalf. 


\LTCE-FOR-SHORT 

"It'*  oil  thif  nnnsciwiciil  story  of  ChiirU-j-'n — abmit  omnfttliine 
they've  dufc  up.  aud  a  ghosi — oh  dcnr!     Tell  your  father — 1  can't 

raise  my  voiw "    Ami  Mrs.  ITcatli  sliciw«  sympttims  of  8yncop(), 

Jn  an  indocUivc  wa.v.  So  tho  tale,  wliioh  the  au^st  head  of  the 
houKC  tijtd  tlioui;tit  tit  to  puy  no  iitl<!nlion  to  wlicn  it  wne  first  tolil, 
has  to  be  ^ne  throug-h  again,  subject  to  jocular  interruption  on 
hie  purl,  and  a  smise  of  s.vrapnl.hctic  incmlulity  rising  to  applauns 
anionf;  the  other  moniberp  of  the  conclave. 

"Ht^!  Wfli— !(■«'«!  all  niipUty  find  ix-wplel"  Thus  Mr.  Hwith 
when  a  confuted  joint-stock  rei>ctition  of  the  story  comes  to  on 
imd,  and  ia  U>licr«>d  to  havi?  Uvn  liiyiriL  Ul-  pws  uu.  with  an  aspect 
of  tense  judicial  insipbt,  a  fhakm  forcftnucr  enjoining  careful 
atti-ntion.  "Now.  I  nfiouUl  like  to  ask  you  just,  this.  oiu-.  quL-s- 
tion:  What  wns  to  prevent  this  tailor  man  and  his  wife,  who  don't 
sft-m  to  hov(!  biin  tho  K-sl  of  charaeten,  from  taking  utime  of  tlie 
boncf<  off  your  wkvloton  in  the  Sttidio,  and  buryins;  tliem  in  llio 
vault)  Hi>yt  What  do  we  say  to  thntr'  Wbeix-on  Robin  Ids 
loo*e  a  ply  perKpicuoUR  "Aha  I''— and  the  world  feels  that  Nemesis 
is  OTOTtaking  Siipenstition  apncc  But  that  «he  i»  nipped  in  tho 
I>ud  when  Charles  attests  that  his  akeklun  is  a  man's,  and  lliia 
i»  a  wpmnn's,  lie  cite*  ihi*  as  the  nearest  conclusive  plea  to  band, 
but  (Im-su't  coiitribut«  mvn-b  more  to  iht;  ilebalc,  Wbot  on  rartb 
Cflwld  he  the  use  of  such  chatter  J 

P*«gy  said  ncilhin);  whatfvt-r.  She  and  hor  brother  got  a  Rood 
long  talk  on  the  terrace  in  the  eveiiiue  later,  of  which  follow 
csiracts.  Peggy  resuinrxl  tlit;  gliost-stofy  first,  all  the  prcviau*  mat- 
ter faaring  related  to  the  disinmruient,  the  vhanw  of  public  viiquiry 
throwing;  more  light  on  the  story,  and  ■«  forth.  "Well,  now, 
Charley  dear,"  she  said,  "what  do  we  really  think  about  Alice's 
lidy  i    B'lih  of  us,  you  know."  ■ 

"Poggy  dear — I  don't  even  know  what  I  think  mynoif  P 

"'Sot  I,  nithcr!  We  neither  of  us  know.  But  tell  me  more 
about  the  dress.    Can  you  sec  tlie  pattern  T' 

"Yes — just  the  remains  of  it.     Colour  all  ffone.  of  course — but 
you  can  see  that  it  was  silk,  and  worked  with  a  sort  of  Chim 
flowere " 

"And  was  it  like  the  Cretonjio  diinlzes  in  the  drawing-room  j" 

"Why i    Oh  yes,  of  course;  but  I  .irri    Well  now,  ihnt  i*  ve 

qu«'cr.    1  didn't  think  of  it  when  you  fejKike  at  dinner." 

"Charley  Slowlioy!  What  a  Killy  old  man  yo\i  are,  Charley 
dear !  I  IcU  you  what  though  I  We  must  make  Alice- for-short  tell 
US  again  about  the  man  in  a  wig " 

"It  wasn't  a  thing  that  happened,  you  know.    It  was  what  h«r 


ea^^ 
ery^ 


fother  (kam^.  He  dfamed  hn  doamed  it,  don't  you  remember)" 
Cbnrlce  mimickod  Alicp'*  rjcprrwion,  and  IxitJi  Inuglux). 

"I  recollect.  He  deamed  lie  deaiued  tt,  and  when  he  viked  up, 
bo  told  AlicT-  At  luoiit,  wlicrn  hn  wikMl  up  (lier  pronuncintion'a 
Itettinif  better  now,  and  I'm  glad)  he  was  sbikiiig,  and  be  eaid 
"Dood  Dod.  wlut  a  dr-am  I" 

"Yes — and  then  Alice  a»ked  him " 

"Alic^  aski-d  biin  what  it  witM,  und  hr  tnid  hfr  ho  d«am«id  that 
an  old  man  in  a  trig  bad  come  and  spoked  a  loiiic.  long  sword — 
9ver  «»  long — rif,'bt  froo  raotluT.  And  tlicn  lin  gavo  father  nver  tho 
loufc.  long  sword,  and  said  father  to  spoke  it  froo  too.  OIi  dear, 
how  fiinn;  slit-  wan!  nodding  it  into  un.  don't  you  knowi|" 

"But  first  she  said  an  old  man,  and  then  a  young  one— «n<l  then 
contradicted  IwriM'lf  and  got  quitr  cwnfiisi'd " 

"Well!  We  muat  make  her  tell  it  again  quietly,  and  not  upaet 
hi*r  with  too  many  quoxtions.  Shi^  it  sniiiU,  you  know.  Btaiidi-n, 
it  struck  me  afterwards  that  she  didn't  mean  an  old  man  at  all* 
but  nn  old- f nub  toned  man — and  couldn't  linil  tlie  wonlit " 

•'What  was  the  other  word  elie  used  i  An  old  grandfather  man — 
did  f^hc  mean  an  anovctra)  blokrt    I  Huy,  I'ogg}-!" 

"You  say  what  V 

"Well— if<t  another  ■ubjoct.    But  I  tikaulii  liko  to  know " 

"What  would  you  like  to  know,  dear  silly  old  boy{"  At  this 
point  of  th«  conrrryntion,  (tgiint  to  yonrnclf  tJint  Charles  is  smok' 
ing  on  a  dividi-d  frardcii  seat  in  the  waning  nioonliicht  (for  tha 
moon  is  still  there  that  saw  the  Gnt  dittcovirry  of  tlir  bom^s),  while 
Peggy  leans  over  from  the  other  half  to  ruffle  hie  liair  for  him.  by 
requeat.  He  likvs  it.  "Vou  n-ally  must  firat  a  swii-tluturt  tii  rii<ila 
jwir  hair  for  you,  you  old  ftoose."  says  she,  and  the  conversation 
continue*. 

"What  should  I  like  to  know?  Why — what  did  you  say  to  poor 
Johnson  tbnt  lit!  gut  no  upmn  about — that  evening  about  a  fort- 
night— ten    dafs    back?    1I«   didn't    luftke    you    an    oSkt,    did 

iw-r 

"Ob.  no  I"  Peggy  is  a  little  agacee.  Her  brother  fools  it  in  the 
band  that  is  nilRing  his  iinir  for  him. 

"Ob  dear,  nal  He  would  have  gone  on  for  months — for  years 
perhaps,  without  doing  that.    But " 

"Yes—bul 1" 

"But  bo  would  have  gone  on." 

'•But  gone  on  howt  It  always  seems  to  me  he's  such  a  very  good 
sort  of  chop  at  behaving — steady  sort  of  cuas.  How  do  you  mcjiu 
gum  onT' 


112  AUCE-FOR-SHORT 

"Oh,  Charley  boy!  You  or*  an  old  stupid.  Gone  on  adoring, 
of  coiir!=cI    Bui  I  believe  you're  only  pretending^ " 

"1  was  half-pretendiiifc.  I  wanted  to  put  it  on  a  footing.  Don't 
you  see  you  might  hnve  been  refusing  to  take  peptone,  or  let  him 
listen  to  your  chest,  or  something  of  that  sortl" 

"I'tc  got  nothing  the  matter,  and  I  wouldn't  let  him  doctor  me. 
if  I  had.  I  should  like  a  much  more  callous  physician — «  cold- 
blooded card." 

"Keep  to  the  point,  Poggy-Woggy!  What  did  you  aay  to  him 
(hat  iipsrl  him  soJ" 

"What  many  girla  would  like  to  say  to  many  men — only  they 
dan-  not,  in  cnac  they  should  find  thcrowlvo*  mistaken  and  look 
foolish.  Exactly  what  I  wanted  to  say  to  him  was.  'Don't  get  too 
fond  of  roe.  because  I  won't  marry  you  I'  omly  1  couldn't  put  it 
that  way,  now,  could  I.  Goosey  i" 

"I  don't  know " 

"Well— anyhow.  I  didn't!  I'll  fell  you  all  about  it,  and  then 
you'll  know.  I  walked  him  out  in  the  garden  here,  and  we  chatted 
about  Alice  and  her  mother.  Then  the  conversation  got  round,  as 
it  does  aomctimcB.    You  don't  want  it  to,  but  it  docs '' 

"Got  round  to  what!" 

"To  that  sort  of  thing  I  was  speaking  of.  X  think  it  was  mj 
Haying  what  a  terriblo  thing  it  was  to  think  tlint  this  man  who 
killed  her  muft  once  have  loved  her.  and  what  an  awful  thing  th« 
alow  death  of  love  was.  Of  course  I  was  thinking  of  real  love. 
Affedion-love — not  Fnlling-in-love  love " 

"What  the  Uooco  is  the  difference!"  Charles  hurst  out  laugh- 
ing. 

"There  ia  a  diflfereuoe.  Well — he  wouldn't  imderstand,  mad 
twisfod  the  eonvrrsation  round.    I  don't  think  it  was  fair." 

"Wliatdidhcsuyr 

"Well — perhflpn  it  was  my  fatilt,  partly.  1  said  I  supposed  his 
ufieclion  for  her  died  a  natural  death  as  soon  as  slie  got  old  an<l 
ugly,  and  wna  half  driven  mad  with  all  those  children.  And  thai  I 
Buppoaed  it  waa  the  usual  thing — that  while  ahe  was  young  anil 
pretty  he  was  fond  of  her,  and  then  as  soon  as  she  got  disagrocabfe 
be  bated  her.  Then  I  think  he  sOiouhl  have  let  me  change  the  con- 
verwition,  as  I  wanted  (o,  inrtend  of " 

■Instead  of  what  V 

"Instead  of  getting  vciy  much  in  earnest  about  how  Love  that 
could  change  wasn't  Love  at  all,  and  that  sort  of  nonsense — — " 

"Poor  Johnson!"' 

"That  waa  just  what  I  felt.    Because  I  like  bim  so  much  that  I 


AUCE-POB-SHOET 


113 


^c«n't  bear  the  idea  of  his  beioft  miserab]* — through  me.    So  what 
could  I  ilu.  when  lu!  Itegsn  soing  un  liko  that?" 

"There  was  Dotfainn  eo  very  much  in  that.    Mias  Petherin^on 
I      uid  the  nine  but  night." 
'         "Bother  Mi»8  Pctherington  I    Ther«  vas  Iota  more." 

"What  sort !" 

"I  su)>pow  I  »hall  havp  to  tell  you  to  mtko  it  understood.    He 
aaid.  1  know  a  man.  Mtsa  Heutli— and  I  kuow  hint  well,  so  I  can- 
not be  miiii.tkpii — nhoip  feclingK  towards  n  particular  woman  aiwm 
to  bim  BO  fixed  and  uuchanic^uble  that  be  oaunot  conceirci  chanj^J 
a*  ■  powjhili^,  nor  siv  hy  whut  nx-iins  clinnge  could  comt;  about*) 
But  I  have  do  ri^'ht  to  talk  about  him.' " 

"IIow  did  you  know  he  didn't  mt-iin  somebody  cIsp  !" 

"I  didn't — for  a  moment :  he  spoke  in  such  a  third-persoiiish  sort 
of  way.  But  a  moment  uftcT  I  xaw,  I  can't  toll  yoii  how,  that  ho 
wa»  speaking  of  himself  and  me.    And  I  u-os  so  sorry  for  him." 

''But  what  was  it  you  nuid  to  bim '(  That's  what  T  want  to  come 
at " 

"Why — as  wwn  as  I  could  wrcw  myself  up  to  stiokiiiR  point,  I 
said:  *I)t.  Johnaon,  I  know  a  woman — and  I  know  her  well,  so  I 
cannot  he  mistaken — who  susppcts  a  man.  a  friend  nhi;  liko  very 
mucb.  of  feeliiig  lowardtr  her  esactl.v  what  you  describe,  but  ^he 
knowK  ahe  cannot  return  it — ciinnnt  he  his  wife,  iu  short.  But  she 
does  wish  she  could  speak  plainly  to  him,  and  beg  bim,  pray  him. 

for  her  sake  ond  his  own,  to  put  all  such  ideas  aside '  and  find 

somebody  else,  in  short;  only  that  wasn't  how  I  worded  it." 

"Poor  Jnhn»onI    T[iiw  did  he  take  it(" 

"Very  well  indeed — but  very  gravely.  Stuck  to  the  allegorical 
treatment." — Peggy  won  holf-lnughinR,  balf-cryinu  at  this  point, — 
•"Did  ebi6  know  some  one  else  she  cared  more  forf — that  was  hU 
next  quoation. — 'Not  that  I  know  of.'  said  I.  'But  you  seem  to 
tbink  I  know  a  miphty  lot  about  her.' — 'I  think  you  do.'  said  he. 
'At  any  rati',  I'll  take  your  word  for  ber" " 

"Waa  that  ailT 

"No — we  turned  to  go  Imck  to  the  house,  ond  junt  then  I  got 
an  attack  of  courage,  and  stopped.  'Come,  Dr.  Johnson,'  said  I 
"don't  lei's  have  any  more  mystifications.  You  meant  mc  ond  I 
meant  you.  We  meant  eocb  other.  And  remember  that  what  I 
said  about  mysplf.  sidewaya,  I  reolly  was  in  caniest  about.' — Ho 
aaid.  T>o  you  wish  me  to  aay  prod-byef  and  held  out  bis  hand. 
And  I  ealW  out,  'No — tiTtninly  not!'  so  loud  that  a  policeman 
looked  over  the  raitinits.  Then  wo  said  no  more  and  walked  up 
to  the  liouM.    And  when  he  went  away  I  told  lum  \  \i3.&  «%\&  vV  ^ 


114 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


for  hifl  Bal(«,  itaA  he.  mustn't  miS  off,  liico  Cjiptnin  Bratlley  and  that" 
silly  boy — what  was  bie  iiamel " 

"Robtrrl  Forrest  i  I  Iiopc  lie  won't  Was  Jobtuon  good  I  Did 
be  promise  not  to  do  so  any  mor«{" — Pegsy  ftave  her  beautiful 
ht^ad  a  long  lugubrious  ^akc,  imitating  Alice,  witb  ber  f^broirs 
Up  nnd  eyelids  dropped. 

"No!  Very  bad,"  said  shfl.  "Said  be  covldn'i  cliBOge.  Stuff 
«nd  noR«ent«l'* 

It  was  getting  late  and  tho  moon  woa  tliinking  about  retiring. 
CharlvM  got  up  ofi  the  seat  and  tapped  the  tobacco  out  of  bis 
meerscIuiUDi  ou  it.  and  Pvggy  blew  the  uh  away,  for  tidiness. 
"Poor  Johnson  I"  said  he,  "I'm  sorry  for  Johnton.  But  I  say, 
Pepisy "  _ 

"What,  dear  boy!"  fl 

"Are  you  quite  sure        !"  ^H 

"Oh  y<'»!  Quite,  quite  sure,  I'm  very  fond  of  him  all  tbe 
same,  but  that's  oothiug  to  do  mtb  it," 

"You  fancy  you'll  miss  him  if  be  shies  offi" 

Peggy  half  assented.  "Well — 1  do— bat  perhaps  in  a  day  or 
two " 

" \-ou  might  think  differeutly.    Do  yoti  ever  miss  Captain 

Bradley  t" 

"Captain  Bradley! 


The  idea  1 1" 


CHAPTER  XI 


or  Tllie  STORY  or  TIIE  BCHCB.     a  P09Bt&I.B  CLCE.     MR.  CeRRINRER.     DR. 
MUTII  Goes  TO  sat  IIIU.     COXCERMNti  lIKDLiU 

Ub.  Pore  and  Kr.  CliappcII  lu'xt  day,  im  well  &a  all  the  other 
vritnesees  of  the  excavation,  stood  awaiting  thi.-  arrival  of  "t 
Autfaoritini."  to  whom  iiofi<H'  had  bo-ii  <liily  nircn  of  the  discovery! 
of  the  remains.  "I'm  thiukin',"  said  Pojie,  "ihai  this  lilllo  affair 
won't  work  •«  hndly  an  a  wt  off  ngainut  ihi-  lOatin'  we're  'ad  over 
this  kiln."  lie  bad  a  babii.  wLeti  lie  iJiot  a  uev  word,  of  tuakiiMC  it 
BO  a  long  way. 

"How  do  you  make  that  out  I"  aaked  his  psrtoer. 

"Too  axk  Mr.  'Eath  hix  opinion.  Ac(s>rding  to  my  idon  wo  alial 
have  a  rec'Inr  bcneflt.  SparrowKraphs  in  the  I'rwie — S'ciety  of 
Antintiarii'H — Archu-olotj-ists — intcrwiljii'  partioulara — ainj^r  dla- 
eorery — );harstly  details  of  einfc'lar  diacoveiy — identification  of  rv- 
nuina— 'co*  aomebody'a  aurc  to  find  out  tbey'ie  Nell  Qwyime." 

"She  wasn't  murdered " 

"Wi>ll  ihni — Homo  immoral  historical  female  that  iva9  murdered. 
Sure  to  somebody  turn  up!'' 

llowi'vw,  nobody  did  turn  up.  Not  for  want  of  immoral  hi»- 
lorical  females,  but  liecause  none  ooold  bo  found  to  hnvc  livml  in 
the  bouse  who  had  sIko  vnni»hcd  and  left  no  trace.  Mr.  Pope  was 
indisnaiit  irilh  one  or  two  dead  Sireus  who  were  said  to  have  en- 
joyed a  doubtful  reputation — a  curimiti  tafU^  vn  their  part  surely! 
^Bod  10  have  earned  it  in  thai  hou>u\  for  not  having  been  mur- 
dered there.    One  especially  would  hove  done  beautifully— but  aUa, 

instead  of  getting  murdored  alio  lud  married  the  Duke  of , 

and  had  sneaked  out  of  all  re«pon8ibility  for  authenticating  thman 
remaina,  loaving  that  tank  to  some  tibsctir)!  [irraon  who  hud  posai-i 
biy  been  moral,  and  certainly  hiatorical,  but  had  been  ijpuHnini-' 
ously  loet  sight  of. 

All  that  n-u.-<  (|iiitt!  eWr  was  iluil  tlieM!  were  the  mortal  remain 
of  a  woman,  probably  about   live -and- twenty  year*  of  age,  wit 
dark  hair  and  a  great  deal  of  it;  who.  being  completely  dreaaed  otl 
for  a  boll  in  a  Uowered  silk  dress  (whose  pattern  was  stilt  trae&- 
ablo),  bad  boon   atabh^l  tlirough  thu  heart   with   a  trcnieaduu.^ 
thruit,  owl  tbes  hastily  buried,  but  aftertiiiiid»  catcImWs  cb^vtv^ 

US 


lie 


AUCE-FOR-SHOHT 


n 


in  by  replacing  tli«  briokwork  fliwr.  Thr  mwr)n«r  ot  lln-  doatli  was 
inforrcd  from  a  fradur©  of  a  rib  behind  the  heart — struck,  it  was 
siijipdst'd,  with  gTPOt  force  by  the  point  of  llic  rapii-r  tliut  hiid 
Hlreniij-  passed  through  the  body.  Some  of  those  who  ejtamined  it 
profe8«e<l  lu  set-  the  iD^IentHtion  of  the  point  upon  the  bone — but 
thi»  WB8  disputed. 

\\'hat  had  been  a  letter  woa  atill  idfutiSaWe  in  whut  had  bwn 
the  boBom  of  the  dress — but  it  vitf  impossihte  to  decipher  tt  legible 
word  now.  It  had  been  a  love-letter  onee  perhaps — who  eovdd  eay  t 
Think  of  the  <'li-ur  bright  ink — of  the  scratching  quitl — of  the  ab- 
eorbed  successful  face  of  the  writer — a  hundred  years  agol — as  h© 
thought  to  liitnHelf  how  well  he  had  sai<]  that,  and  wondcrixl  what 
Uiaiiner  of  anewer  he  was  going  to  get.  But  perhaps  it  wan  only 
n  r*i-i-ipl  for  cookery,  or  an  luvitalion  to  tea.  Now,  the  blood-atain 
had  usurped  the  ink,  and  there  was  an  end  of  it  I 

The  jewels  had  all  bix-n  rcmorfd,  cxci'pt  the  |>earl  necklace,  which 
was  claimed  partly  by  the  landlord  of  the  estate,  and  partly  by  the 
Crown  BS  treasuri;  trove.  The:  Itut  claim  foiled  on  some  t<s;hnical 
count,  and  half  the  pearla  were  adjudged  to  the  finder.  It  being 
impossible  to  determine  who  he  wa«i.  the  proceeds  of  its  side  were 
by  eoin]uoii  eonst-nt  given  to  a  Hospital. 

The  ground  surrounding  what  bad  been  taken  out  was  all  virgin 
soil,  and  was  i<lcntiliecl  by  ITaycroft  a.H  similar  to  some  he  had 
cleared  out  of  an  arched  recess  near  the  staircnw.  Some  of  thi« 
bad  been  8erai)ed  out  reci^ntly,  he  tliought.  as  there  was  the  matter 
of  a  few  shovelfuls  under  the  stairs.  lie  pointird  out  thnt  probably 
tbe  murderer,  feeling  uneasy  about  the  thrown-up  soil  in  the  vault, 
bad  removed  it  to  This  recess,  and  packed  it  in  flush  with  a  sort 
of  parapet  across  the  lower  part; — "There  was  a  beer-caslc  stood 
in  thcr^r."  unid  this  theoriiit.  "l*anin'  it  was  on  the  parapet  in 
front  like — and  he  could  whovel  in  the  eile  and  flush  it  off  iindcr- 
nentb  no  noboily'd  ever  notice  it  hadn't  always  lieen  ibfri-."  And 
the  theory  was  accepted  and  adopted  (o  the  great  grntiScntion  of 
ilA  author. 

Neither  Charles  nor  Jeff  felt  the  least  bound  to  voluntwr  infor- 
mation about  tlie  jug.  Iieing  aakvd  no  quealious.  Besides  it  wasn't 
clear  it  had  anything  to  do  with  tbe  mstlcr.  They  brought  it 
down  (it  WHS  beautifully  mended}  into  Charles's  Studio  to  smoke 
over  it,  and  reflect  and  speculate. 

"You  set?  how  it  was.  Jeff!"  aaid  Charles.  "It  was  the  beer-jug, 
and  wa*  placed  inside  the  safe  recess  by  Homebody  and  lost  sight 
of.  Then  this  murdering  character  came,  and  chucked  iu  alljth*t_ 
loBn,  or  und,  as  Haycroft  said,  and  covered  it  in " 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT  11? 

"Bui,  1  e*y.  dinrlcyl  Whnt  wt  Goody  Pcppcnnint  imd  bcr  hus- 
band to  KTobble  up  that  stuff!  They  didnt  know  (here  was  a  jug 
ihet*." 

"Of  course  they  dido't,  etoopid!  But  they  were  caretakera.  The 
first  instinct  of  ii  oimtluker  i»  tbn  appropriuticin  of  thn  uninrcn* 
toried.  Tbc  Kvnnd  is  its  rcnUiMition,  ho  cnllcd,  at  the  pawuflhop. 
^  I  Tbey  k<-pt  (lit-  jug  in  ifaia  ciuie,  bt^cuiuit!  thtiy  tlidiight  it  of  no  Tolue." 
I  "That  IPOS  a  mistake  1    Just  look  at  it! " 

"They  gut  a  good  haul  out  of  it,  though.  I  ixpoct  ihut  ring'ii 
«^rth  monoy."  For  Charles  had  told  Jeff  all  about  the  rinc- 
"It's  to  be  kept  for  the  kid.  But  why  it  nhould  be  in  the  jug 
beats  nic    I  giro  it  up!" 

And  exerybody  gaw  it  up.  Hdaxiy  made  rash  atarts  in  oonvor- 
Mtional  effortu  to  dear  up  thin  my«tMy.  but  had  always  to  climb 
down  in  the  end.  Perhaps  the  weak  theories  were  more  interesting 
than  the  sounder  iini'»,  ns  Hhowing  tho  effect  on  feeblo  tninds  of 
attempts  to  grapple  witli  the  insuhible.  As.  for  instanee,  that  the 
ring  had  fallen  into  tint  bi^T.  This  was  Arehibnld'*,  but  he  de- 
clined to  enlarge  u|>on  it,  feeling  no  doubt  that  it  was  safest  in 
its  unailonicd  niinpliifity.  Then  t]>eri!  wiu  Partridge's,  who 
ascribed  it  to  the  "gointrs'on"  of  the  "girls"  and  their  young  men. 
but  alno  caulioiuly  avoidt^d  detail.  Robin  rediin^d  sticculation  to 
its  most  elementary  form,  hy  merely  shutting  one  eye,  and  saying 
that  wc  should  aee  we  shouU!  find  that  ttntre  was  Bom«  very  quitw 
•tory  attaehed  to  it.  Mrs.  Heath  preferred  to  indicate,  by  subtle- 
tic*  of  mnnni^r,  that  "hf  <^<ltl]d  see  llimuKh  tlio  whole  tiling,  q\iito 
easily,  but  that  it  would  not  admit  of  Kcueral  discussion,  especially 
nniong  young  pvTMonH.  "Ill  tell  you  after"  deacribea  her  altiliidc. 
Her  husband  suggested  ponderous  and  cxhaiintive  conclusion,  re- 
tainud  from  motives  of  a  magiatenal  nature;  but  only  committed 
faimwlf  so  far  as  to  ray  that,  if  the  affair  were  put  in  the  bands 
of  tile  Criininal  Investigation  Department,  he  bad  no  doubt  the 
heads  thcrcnf  wnuld  givo  n  gotnl  acimunt  of  tlu;  mflllcr. 

Charles  and  Peggy  botli  thou|iht  the  only  surmise  worth  a  straw 
wan  Ellen"*;  that  Ibcri!  was  a  magpie  in  the  houM.-.  This  ac(iuired 
so  definite  a  status,  as  to  be  spoken  of  as  "the  Uagpie  tboory." 
It  might  have  hnm  the  true  one,  but  it  waan't. 

Bow  often  a  clue  to  an  old-world  story  must  be  lost  sight  of 
throu)^  its  never  corntnn  to  those  who  seek  it  that  some  survivor 
could  supply  the  link  that  ts  wanted!  Ofteu  and  often  there  must 
linger  in  some  brain,  near  a  century  old,  of  some  forgotten  human 
relic— wXDc  tenant  of  an  Ahnshotise  or  Workhoasc,  oi  xKVl^K^iLtA.- 


lis 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


liouse  or  Qui — some  menioFy  of  uarltent  vbildliom!,  Bome  Kpokg 
word  from  lipi^  as  old  &»  his  or  hem  are  uow,  tiiat  would  tl 
u  liicbt  on  what  must  reiuntii  in  darkncsn  for  nil  time,  except  that 
word  be  iitt«rod  again  to  ears  tliat  will  listen,  and  miuda  that  trill 
riN-ord.  WImt  may  not  be  lo^t.  now  and  agnin.  in  the  gBrralities  of 
cslreroe  old  ajte,  shouted  down  h.v  the  vi^torous  surrounding  lif«. 
that  only  carcn  for  nowf  Wr  slight  and  dinfjird  the  rccolliictions  of 
tilt-  Kip  Vnii  Viuklcs  we  hare  ahout  us.  every  day.  beLuoae  the 
Knatnkill  Mountain  into  which  they  diBappcnrrd  from  the  village 
of  Cliildhfiod  wan  tbo  World  of  aclivf  life  itself!  They  have  oonie 
back  DOW,  and  Heudrick  Hudson  and  his  Rsnic  of  bowls  is  van- 
ishing  from  them ;  and  tin*  village-  alrfct  ooniia  buek.  And  tbey 
see  a^raiu  the  old  old  folk  that  wore  there — that  are  loofi  fcone  now — 
and  can  majbe  Iicnr  whut  tlwy  say  I  And  whi;n  thry  try  to  tell, 
we  say— "Oh.  bother  I" 

Weil!  That'n  the  wort  of  answer  tliey  get  very  oftiai.  And  w» 
lose  a  preat  deal  by  it. 

No  ccntrnarian  turned  up  to  throw  a  light  on  the  mystery  of 
No.  40.  But  n  jrooii  di-ul  of  trsdition  is  to  bo  got  from  leaser 
veterans.  The  Chelsea  I'cnsioner  who  wasn't  at  Chill  ianwallab 
himself  con  find  you  nani<«  on  its  monumental  column  uf  tbusc 
who  w«re  comrades  in  arms  of  old  friends  now  dead  who  wero 
tbePP,  nnd  told  him  all  nl>oul  it.  And  (be  Arl-Studcnt  of  sixty- 
od»i.  whom  Cbiirk'.H  inude  ueguaintanctT  with  at  the  Royal  Acadeojy 
school*,  was  a  Ipswr  veteran  of  this  sort.  He  was  a  sitrutigi'  eon- 
neetitif;  link  witli  tbe  paat,  a  life-student  of  the  schooK  dating 
back  almost  if  not  quite  to  th«  days  of  Fuseli.  Ilis  name  occurs  at 
the  corner  of  eopjierplale  illuatrations  of  tlie  days  of  our  Grand- 
mothers— the  grandmothers  I  mean  of  us  old  ones — your  gnist- 
grandmothers,  dear  hoys  and  girls  I  Instances  of  female  beauty 
called  variably  Relindo,  Zoe.  Fanny,  and  Gaiety,  Tenderness,  Coy- 
iMSa.  and  so  forth,  show  the  sipioture  J.  W.  Verrindcr.  and  ono 
or  two  illustrated  works  of  the  time  of  the  Peninsulur  War  were 
eontribnled  to  by  tlie  same  hun<L  By  what  slow  decjidene*  ihe 
unhappy  artist  hnd  dwindled  to  hi?  present  position.  Heaven  only 
knew!  But  there  he  was.  a  perpetual  iife-student,  who  so  far  as 
Cbarle?  could  Bseertnin  hnd  never  completed  a  diawjne  or  a  study 
since  the  one  that  had  won  him  his  medal  and  gained  him  his 
position,  early  in  the  century.  Since  then — bo  it  was  said  among 
tlie  students— old  Verrinder  had  pursued  exactly  the  same  eourU'  in 
tile  painting  school.  As  soon  as  the  sitting  of  eacJi  model  came 
to  an  end  be  would  wipe  out  the  work  be  had  done  with  turpentine 
tad  brgiu  unoUier  on  ilie  same  canvas.    The  polished  condition 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


110 


tl  that  caavuH  ninj-  hv  imsfrinrd.  But  Clinrlrs  frit  thnt  most  prob* 
sbly  tlw  man,  ne  he  iiov  eair  hitn,  vas  at  the  ead  of  a  slow  dSgrin- 
goiade,  and  thut  thirty  yean  ago  thingii  ■vr-rf  HiHorrnt.  Up  hsd 
slwftfs  (and  had  ainaye  had,  ^aid  tradilion)  the-  bAtat  elolhea, 
and  tbe  aanio  imliffcn-iin;  to  xoup  and  wiitrr.  An  imptidml  youth 
once  said  to  him,  "Why  do  you  nerer  wash  yourself?"  and  he 
r«Iili(.Hl.  "Why  nhnuld  I !"  and  tlwn  added.  "If  you  wcnr  me,  yiii* 
wouldn't."  But  he  uH^d  to  ehave,  or  be  ebaved.  it  was  allcgt^d  that^ 
be  had  uvvcr  had  anj'  lunch  Hiiicc  he  giivir  up  making  ch.ilk  draw*  i 
)nK*>  when  he  u»cd  to  eat  the  crust  of  a  twopenny  loaf,  prtMerving 
Ibe  crumb  for  i-raaur».  H«  must  have  bought  nen-  tubt^s  of  colour 
eometimMi  aa  he  couldn't  uw  them  twice  over:  but  no  one  had  «ver 
seen  a  new  cotour-tiiLc  nor  a  new  brush  in  hid  [tosac^ion.  Ho 
vas  alwajs  at  the  end  of  his  tubes,  but  always  able  (o  get  a  very 
little  more  out  at  ibiiti.  K(iwt-«?r.  Iw  supplied  him-splf  by  borrow-^ 
iiUts.  Up  used  to  retreat  rapidly  from  his  picturr  as  though  to 
ita  effect  from  afar.  8]i<t  then  suddenly  »winK)ug  rutiud,  pounce  vm 
a  twiRhbour  with — "llHlf-a-nqueexi?  of  indinn  Kedl"  or  whatever 
colour  he  wantc<t — (ilwayo  too  nuddm  nn  oppral  to  be  rtsisted. 

Charles,  always  rc<ckless  about  his  colourmau's  bills,  had,  at  this 
time,  juxt  laid  in  n  hugr  Kinck.    Ro  msgiiitici^nt  a  riillcirliou  at  ma- 
terial as  his  box  contained  was  rarely  to  be  seen  in  the  paintinjtj 
•choo!,  and  of  euurw  it  attnicttH]  alti-iition.     This  to»k  the  forml 
of  examination  and  condemnation  of  its  cnntrnt«,  on  the  ground 
of  the  sujwrlluity  of  ojieh  to  any  reasonable  artist. 

*'\Vbat  (io  you  wnnf  with  Cbrnmo,  No.  3  f 

"Whut  do  you  want  with  Ualachitc  Green  f 

"What  do  you  want  with  Cologne  Earth )" 

And  80  on  through  some  tliree  doien  tubes,  of  which  not  one 
received  unsnimouM  sanction,  except  Raw  Umber  and  Flake  White. 
EmcIi  was  eoudemued  in  turn  as  unnecessary  Io  a  serious  arlist,  and 
most  were  oenmired  n^  not  bring  p«-TTnnnirnt  Among  these, 
Asplialttim  came  in  for  universal  condemnation.  Just  as  it  was 
under  review,  Verrindcr  rhnrRi'd  baekwardM  the  whole  width  of 
the  room,  and  arrived  at  the  group  round  Charles's  box  in  time  to 
ovrrhenr  K>me  !<cathing  n-nuirk  about  it.    He  caught  at  it. 

"Asphaltum  not  permanent!  Uo!  Hoi — Wish  I  waa  u  per- 
manent as  Asphnltum " 

"Field  saj's  fre([uent  destruction  awaits  the  work  on  which  it  is 
much  employed " 

"All  humbug!" 

" owing  to  its  diqioeition  to  contract  and  crack  by  changes  of 

temperature " 


L 


1H>  ALICE-FOR-SUORT 

"Got  any  tbcrel  Tbieo  tube*?  Take  'cm  all  and  pay  you  Dezt 
week " 

But  Ohnrli'.t  iraa  mitcli  too  princely  for  thi*  koH  of  tbing.  Uv 
immediately  pressed  the  tbree  tubes  on  ilr.  Verriiider.  whose  eyea 
glnuRit!(l  witb  joy  as  he  grnsped  them.  "I'<iu'r«  a  gvntlnnnn,"  f>aid 
he,  and  theu  rushed  back  to  his  picture.  Charles  had  ua  further 
con Vi-raa lion  with  him  llieii,  but  some  wei^kii  ufti-r  whm  ho  wnx 
painting  close  to  him  from  a  Turk  who  had  been  captured  and 
brouiibt  in  to  sit  as  u  ino<lc'l,  Vcrrin<l(!r  lunied  round  and  luiid 
abruptly :  ^^ 

"1  haven't  forfcotten  you  gavn  mo  tbree  tubes  of  AsplialtumJH 
Fou're  a  gcJitlcmnnl"     And  then  showed  signs  of  another  lon« 
retirement.    But  after  be  appeared  to  buve  gone  for  good,  he  sud- 
denly came  back  and  exclaimed:  "Three  tubes  of  AaphnltumI    Mj 
Godt" 

"I've  got  more  colours  tlian  1  want.'*  ttiiid  Chnrles;  "isn't  tbon 
some  other  you  could  use?"  But  Verrinder  shut  Ms  lipa  tight  and 
glared,  and  shook  his  head  with  extrcDK;  rapidity. 

"No-no-uo-no-no-uo-uol"  said  he,  almost  in  one  word.  "I'm 
not  that  sort!  Hut  you're  a  gentleman.  There's  but  a  very  few 
kft,  nowndftys.  They're  ull  Feejeo  Injuns,"  His  mispronouncing 
of  a  word  or  two  did  not  seem  to  be  from  want  of  education. 
"Injuns"  might  have  been  jocularity — a  word  spoken  quotation- 
wise. 

diaries  was  getting  hia  own  canvas  into  a  terrible  mess,  owing 
to  the  Visitor  niuggesting  he  should  use  Pr\isflian  Blue  in  the  fienh. 
BO  ho  made  no  answer,  hojiing  Verrinder  would  die  down.  But  ha 
didn't 

"Feejee  Injuns,  all  of  *emt  The  profession's  gone  to  the  DeviL 
But  don't  you  give  awny  your  colours  too  freely.  Maylie  there'll 
come  a  time  when  you'll  wish  you'd  kept  some  of  'em."  This 
attitude  took  the  edge  off  his  reluctance  to  accept  a  further  dona- 
tion— in  fact,  seemed  to  make  it  dtlBcult  not  to  offer  more.  Charles 
did  so,  and  aaid  he  milly  hnd  to<i  many. 

"No-no-no -no-no  1"  said  Verrinder  again,     "I'm  not  that  wrt. 

But  look  at  my  box!    I'll  ttdl  you  Homctbing "    Charlea  looked 

at  the  cumbrous  contrivance  of  trays  and  recesses,  so  blotched  and 
hiddttn  witli  colour-aqut^eces  and  coagulatMl  oil  and  vuniiah  that 
it  was  bard  to  say  if  it  was  wood  or  metal.  He  decided  it  was 
metal,  not  japuuncd.  Vi-rrindcr  contlned:  "That's  my  new  box! 
You  wouldn't  think  it,  but  it  is  I  My  old  box  is  at  home — ^fortytive 
jeara!"  He  made  u  periodical  retreat,  knocking  down  an  catK.-!  by 
lb»  way,  and  setting  it  up  again  as  be  returned. 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


ISl 


L 


"Uy  old  box  was  IWvoti  &  luirood,  Cbnpaidc  It  hndn't  tubes 
in  it    Littlo  bladders  of  colour " 

"I  suppose  you  bought  it  »en>nd-linnd !" 

"I  didn't  buy  it.  It  was  siven  to  mc.  Ah  deary  me,  yee!  It ' 
given  to  mo."  Ami  hf.  became  silent  junt  lu  Cbnrk-s  was  begii 
ning  to  fw!  an  int<-rrnt-  He  tried  to  make  him  begin  a^io,  by 
little  hints  aud  sugireatiuua,  but  these  failed.  H<^  remiiin^  eilent; 
but  next  time  the  model  was  sitting,  he  addressed  Charles  sud- 
denly. "You're  the  young  man  that's  taken  tlie  big  Studio."  and 
then  went  on  to  gire  the  strrct  and  the  number  of  the  house.  He 
ended  with  an  inflexible  laugh — "Hoi  Hoi" — and  was  miher  iin 
■DDoyance  to  Chnrles,  who.  to  say  the  tnitb,  now  wished  he  had 
proTtded  himself  with  u  htimbk-r  workshop.  He  auid  $unii--tbing, 
in  thftt  mise  to  Verrinder,  and  added,  "I  daresay  you  were  lat 
ing  at  roe  for  tuking  u  great  big  plaeu  out  of  all  proportion  to  my 
abilities  to  use  it." 

"Laughing  bI  you!"  was  his  rejdy.     "No — no!     I  wouldn't  dai 
that  I— not  the  man  to.    Didn't  you  gi^'o  tne  throe  tubes  of  Asphal-1 
lUDit    No — no!    I  was  laughing  to  tliink  how  near  fifty  years  it  is 
since  I  was  last  in  that  Studio." — An  inflection  towards  seriousness 
camo  in  thci  Toiec,  but  raniehed  imm<'(l lately. — "It  waan't  a  Studio 
then— only  a  room.    The  high  window  was  carried  up  a  bit  later." 

"Who  wn»  it  occupied  it  then,  if  ono  may  auk  I"  Charles  was 
getting  very  curious,  but  was  afraid  be  might  by  acme  blunderg 
check  the  flow  of  information.  Verrinder  seemed  to  be  readyf 
enough  to  talk  though,  having  onee  begun.  He  inenlioiied  tha 
name  of  a  well-known  portrait  painter  of  the  beginning  of  tho 
century — and  added,  "It  waa  he  put  in  the  high  window.  But 
that  was  after  be  tumnd  mc  out." 

"Had  you  half  tho  Studio  then)"    Chftrlea  was  puziled. 

"No — it  wasn't  that  way  at  all.  I  was  his  nssiatant — eort  of 
pupil — used  fo  paint  on  baekgro\nids — curtains — hits  of  fumituro 
— 'POtUpftab  witli  nrna  on  'cm.  111?  gnvn  me  my  old  box.  Sonie  of 
tbe  bladders  in  it  were  very  old.  and  had  been  given  him  by,  who  do 
you  think  ( ''     Oliurle*  gave  it  up. 

"Joshua  Reynolds  himself  I  There  now!"  And  Verrinder,  hav- 
ing miccwafully  Hurpriw-d  hiit  hcjirer.  went  on  one  of  his  back- 
ward royages.  When  ho  returned  Charles  asked  him  why  hi* 
master,  or  miployer,  hud  turned  htm  out. 

"Too  much  company  1"  said  he.  "Ask  mc  that  when  the  Fetjea 
Injuns  hurt:  gone." 

In  the  eoorne  of  time  the  Indians  ilispi-rsfd,  Iravin^  owVj 
Charle^i  and  Verrinder  and  u  m-j^utlve  young  m&a  \uu«:V^vu4 ^9 ^'^'^ 


133 


ALICE-i'OE-SHOKT 


Turk.  It  was  a  few  days  before  the  cIobid^  of  the  Academy  Exhi- 
bition, im<l  tU(-  p\a<:v  wiui  tlic  doinc  of  the  Trnfalgar  Sqtinr?  Riiiid* 
iog,  where  the  Aendeniy  still  lived,  in  those  daye,  thouKli  tlie  time 
far  its  dtparturv  to  Burlinf^un  Houne  was  iipprOBcIting.  Tho 
Exhibition  was  open,  the  nntiiiuo  school  broktu  up;  and  the  pnint- 
ing  AcJioii]  mil)  T.ifc  achtiul  pro|H-r  hod  gone  upstairs  Into  what 
the  derision  of  that  date  (which  wo  oureolv»  have  never  feit  in 
Lannony  with)  thought  proi>or  It)  eall  Wilkius'e  Pepper-Caslor. 
As  soon  as  the  place  was  ijuiet.  and  tbu  encmj-  hod  tr(iop<;d  ilown- 
atoirs,  Vurriiidiir  resumed,  still  paiutiuiE.  Charles  also  went  on 
painiing,  as  he  wanted  to  hear.  But  he  prctcnd<;d  to  want  to 
Iiaiiit. 

"Why  did •  turn  ms  oiit(    Weill — it  wn«  his  own  house, 

Iwld  vn  a  kusi-.  and  hu  had  a  right  to.  Of  course  he  had  a  reason — 
thought  it  n  Kood  one,  no  doubt.  I  didn't.  Wotdd  you  like  to  know 
what  it  wasf"  Charles  fully  espected  if  be  gave  an  aSnoativo 
answer  to  be  nutt  witli  "Then  I  Hban't  tell  you!"  But  he  risked  it, 
BHyiiiiu;  simply.  "Yes — I  should — very  Bineh,"  and  was  quite  t&kcD 
abaek  by  the  direelncss  of  the  ncjily  he  got. 

"I  niadi-  I'lvi-  to  his  daughter.  That  was  the  reason.  YesI  be 
turned  me  out  o'  the  bouse.    Forty-five  years  ago !    Rutber  more!" 

Was  that  going  to  \>r  the  end  of  the  story!  thounht  Charles.  No, 
not  quill-  yrl.  Fie  would  talk  more  if  you  let  biin  alom?.  No 
burryl  Presently,  he  went  on,  dropping  bis  voi«.  and  dropping 
what  hud  lifi-u  almost  a  sort  of  biiffc)  manuiT  with  it. 

"Yps — that  was  over  forty-five  years  ago!  And  IVo  never  sot 
foot  in  iliai  house  sinee.  Oiioe  T  was  ijassinjr.  when  the  hills  wer« 
Mp;  Slid  I  half  thought  of  going  in.  But  I  thought  better  of  it. 
So  mi^iht  yuu  liavt^ " 

Charles  said  something  about  how  it  was  always  pninful  to  go 
back  to  old  timcM.  and  thtin  felt  that  he  at  bis  time  of  life  had  uo 
right  to  niorsliw  to  this  man,  speaking  to  him  now  of  twenty 
years  before  his  birth.  He  was  a  dirty  and  poverty-stricken  old 
figure  of  fun  lo  In-  sure,  and  a  great  tntighing-stock  to  llie  thought- 
leea  boys  whose  last  footstep  had  Just  died  on  the  stairs.  He  was 
grotosque  in  manner,  though  not  bo  in  speech — or  very  slightly. 
He  bad  ■  habit  of  puffing  out  his  cheeks  and  throwing  up  bis  eye- 
Itib;  hut  it  did  not  seem  to  expr(^<)  any  dctinite  phase  of  mind,  as 
it  would  come  at  any  time,  or  in  any  speech,  and  only  bad  the 
effect  of  making  the  &i)e«kcr  Bo(-m  not  in  oaruest.  As  he  referral 
to  bis  past,  and  made  his  hearer  fc«l  it  as  a  reality,  ho  bocamo 


tliia  Qtmo  !•  omtiled  (or  obtioos  rcuoiui.     Il  li  tb4t  ot  a  portnil  painist 
jira  at  tha  lloio. 


■  AUCE-FOR-SnOKT  1»8 

more  and  more  a  straiitte  possible  conaectinc  link  with  S  still  older 
bjgone  time.  Who  ccmld  «ay  what  wati  ktiimti  of  tlio  huumt  b;^  its 
occupant  of  fiftv  yean  ajto,  aud  of  its  traditions  acm  long  for- 
([Otteot  Cbarlos  thought  it  better  to  tiilk  nbout  the  Iiouac  lUvli 
M  Hu!  most  like)}-  course  to  briox  about  revelations.  He  sketched 
the  pre«ent  occupant*,  «nd  fniUd  tip.  "Of  counw  yoii  "aw  about 
thr  find  of  boniit  in  th<>  vault — thrw?  or  four  weeks  agot" 

'T  see  nothinft  nowadsjrs.  What  hon<i«(  Mutton-bonw  t"  This 
and  hill  ptilBng  out  his  cheeks  at  tbi^  tuomeul  gave  an  appearance 
of  incredulity  or  ridicule. 

"Xo.  Human  bones — a  whole  skeleton.  It  was  in  all  the 
papers " 

"I  never  MM!  the  papers.  I  u«v«r  see  unytliiug.  Ifan'a  bones 
or  woman's  bones  t" 

"Woman's  bones."  j 

"Was  it  Phyllis  Cartwrijihtr  ^ 

"How  can  I  loll  t  Nobody  knows  who  it  was.  All  the  anti- 
quarians  arc  trying  to  hunt  her  up,  and  are  not  getting  at  any- 
thing, m  far.    Who  «J(M  Phyllis  Cartwrightr'  J 

"Haven't  the  s]ig;htest  tdea  1"    Tliis  was  ptiuling.  " 

"Whu  Phyllis  Cartwright  then  ("  nslccd  Charles.  ITe  was  begin* 
Ding  to  think  the  man  wati  uut  taking  hia  wonU  au  terieuz;  the 
more  so  bocauM  of  his  way  of  puffing  bis  cJiccks  out,  and  raising 
his  eyelid*. 

"I  couldn't  say." 

"Soinetliing  must  have  made  you  think  of  Phyllis  Cart- 
wright " 

"Somiithing — ^yeal  Can't  say  what."  And  nothing  more  could 
be  got  from  Mr.  Verrindcr.  But  it  sei-med  as  if  what  be  said  was 
true,  aud  iluil  the  name  Phyllis  Cartwright  had  really  auddenly 
come  into  his  hc-nd;  he  eoiildn't  trll  why!  He  became  silent  and 
preoccupied  for  a  time,  and  then  suddenly  saying — "Why  Phyllis 
Cnrtwright  T'  n*  if  he  had  hccn  trying  for  n  irluo  to  her.  pnekisl  up 
his  tubes,  wiped  his  palette,  aud  riused  his  briis)i(--3  iti  tiiriieutiiie. 
The  final  cleaning  with  aoup  wss  in  a  waKhboiife  helow,  and 
Charles  carried  bie  own  brushes  down  also.  Uotli  cleaned  simul- 
taneously. Verrinder  sucking  his  bruKhex  to  "hape  them  off.  aod 
spitting  out  the  soapy  water,  "Why  Phyllis  Cartwright?"  said  ho 
again,  and  glared  roun<l  nt  Chnrlcs  to  emphnsiE<?  enquiry,  with  n 
brush  in  his  moutli  like  a  flag*-olet.  Charles  could  throw  no  light 
of  eounm-.  and  went  away  to  lunch  thinking  Verrindcr  more  than 
merely  queer,  possibly  craty.  Still,  be  had  kiiowu  something  abuut. 
the  bouse,  from  forty  to  tifty  years  ago. 


L 


134 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


Clmrles  hnd  epoitwl  his  study  of  Ibe  Turk,  whom  be  wu  bogin' 
nine  to  paint  iu  IVuwinn  EIluc.     lie  decided  not  to  go  back  ti 

thc-TP  WHS  another  Visitor,  even  if  he  was  onl^  old .*  who 

nlwnys  wnnlcd  Qceh  paiulcd  Indian  Rod  and  black,  llo  reappeared 
in  the  School  ut  thn  Dirxt  MHMii--tiliiftinfr,  aitd  gave  awnjr  his  Turk 
canvas  to  Verrinder,  who  cleaned  the  Prussian  Clue  bdcinning  o3 
end  started  t^raijfbtwuj'  on  a  attidy  of  u  young  woman  witli  >  good 
dosl  of  confidence  in  her  own  appearance.  Cbarle«  was  not  fortu- 
nate in  his  plaee,  ihtIiuph  Im.'Cuusc  he  came  iu  lute.  He  was  aoine 
diBtuncc  off,  and  just  in  the  line  of  Veirinders  beekwnrd  rushes. 
He  squared  in  an  ambiguity  with  charcoal,  with  the  splendid  inde- 
peiideuee  of  s  true  Academy  student,  and  was  beginning  t» 
«i]iiecz»'  otit  wormcunts  at  rottdom  on  hia  paklte.  when  Verrinder 
backed  on  to  him.  and  begRed  pardon.  He  had  inadvertently  blocked 
the  road.  Now.  lie  wanted  to  talk  more  to  Vrrrindcr;  and  what 
after  all  was  an  outline?  He  could  just  as  well  do  here,  three  feet 
off.  Indeed  the  outline  didn't  dignify  really,  being  a  matter  of 
form  in  the  non-artUtic  fieiise  of  tliut  [ibrase;  in  the  artintic  one  it 
was  a  matter  of  amorphousness.  Charles  shifted  his  easel,  and  Ver- 
rinder espreswrd  hii^  gralitudr',  repeating  his  conviction  that  Oharlca 
was  a  gentleman.  Prescnily  he  charged  buck  again,  niul  thn;w 
a  remark  to  Charles  en  passant.  "I've  found  Phyllis  Curtwright." 
said  he.  And  a  bystandi-r  iinmeflintely  naked  what  sort  of  fcrt  had 
«he.  imagining  sbc'  was  a  Model.  For  Art  seeks  for  ever  lo  find  good 
feet  on  Models,  and  finds  them  not.  When  Verrinder  next  came 
back,  he  had  another  cunmiunicalion  to  make.  "Found  her  on  a 
picture  buck — show  it  you  1" — and  rotumod  to  his  casol  before 
Charles  could  repl.v.  ^ 

As  soon  as  time  came  for  ifao  Model  to  rest,  it  tran^in>d  thatW 
the  name  was  on  the  back  of  the  frame  of  a  portrait  in  Mr.  Verrin- 
dcr's  possession.  He  had  seen  it  there  on  some  previous  occasion; 
and  hud  relaineil  the  name,  lliougb  lie  hnd  forgotten  wlien  am] 
where  he  had  seen  it.  "If  you  don't  mind  climbing  up.  Pll  show 
it  you,"  said  hi-.  Charles  got  the  impn'Hston  that  Verrinder  lired 
nt  the  top  of  somewhere. 

When  the  sitting  vnn  over,  he  spoke  to  Verrinder  again  alwut 
Phyllis  CartwriKht.  What  Imd  made  him  suppose  she  had  anj-- 
thiug  (o  do  witli  the  house! 

"Abal"  replied  be,  "I  didn't  see  that.  But  you're  a  gcntlomian. 
You  won't  a«k  questions,    So  I'll  tell  you  this  much.    The  portrait 

€atu«  from  that  houae^I'll  show  it  you "     He  looked  up  at 

aa  if  ho  thought  he  had  spoken.    "Ehl    There  was  nolh- 
■  Name  omlltod  tot  muds  raMgn. 


But  you  iroii't  aak  qnestiono.  It  was  aU  fortj'— nnr 
ream  ago."  Hi*  voice  had  been  as  promic.  ait  mattsr-of- 
fnct  ovrr  hi»  rWDlWiioii  of  the  liouw-,  «vt-n  wlicti  li(>  told  bow  he 
bad  Bhrunk  from  doing  over  it  again,  sh  it  wse  wbeii  lie  talked 
of  tli(>  AMphaltum  tutiL-H.  Tlie  only  sigii  be  sliowed  of  boiitg  affccbxl 
by  htB  owu  references  to  the  past  was  that  be  did  not  speak  aicain 
until  aftT  tho  uHual  hrusb-cWning  had  hoea  gmw  ifarougli.  and  ho 
and  Charles  were  goini;  out.  Then  be  said  suddenly,  "If  you  lik^ 
to  come  along  now,  I'll  mIihw  it  you.  But  nun<l  you,  1  wouldn't  hnvo 
done  it  only  you  gave  me  those  tubes.  It's  a  fine  colour — a  fine 
colour! — And  I  can  feel  you'll  uak  uo  iiuestiona."  Hu  lived.  h<!Miiil, 
out  Lamhelh  way,  and  walked.  Charles  sugge«ted  a  cab.  and  Ver- 
riixlcT  (aid— "Certainly.  You  pay." — And  a  liansom  wait  eiiliated. 
and  giTCn  an  address  "over  beyond  the  Hospital." 

"Some  people  never  c^me  ncroiM  tbn  river/'  said  he  to  Charlea; 
and  Charles  bad  to  confess  that  be  had  very  seldom  done  so;  also 
tbat  ho  had  never  been  in  the  str<«ta  they  were  passing  through 
at  all.  and  didn't  know  their  names. 

Verrinder  hved  in  nn  attic  at  the  top  of  a  high  house  certainly— 
but  un  tiihubiluul  of  any  coutiut^ntul  town  would  havo  niadi!  liglit 
of  it.  Il  was  roomy  euough;  but  wuh  choked  up  with  furniture,  old 
and  mouldy,  ond  many  pictures  with  the  faces  turned  to  Uiu  walls. 
The  window  of  tho  only  room  not  so  chokiJ  up  opciuKl  out  on  a 
aniall  vqiiare  of  le«ds,  sunk  in  the  roof  and  having  a  railing  out- 
side. It  looked  out  over  pleasant  enough  semi -sub  urban  gardens, 
now  lamenting  thoir  surrender  of  spring  green  to  the  London 
amoke.  Beyond  these  wan  a  dome  tliat  seemed  to  belong  to  u  build- 
ing of  importance,  and  Charles  was  surprised  that  there  should  bo 
in  London  so  large  a  Htnidurtt  and  that  he  should  be  unsble  to 
reco^ise  ii.  He  felt  he  ought  to  know,  and  waa  almost  axhamed 
to  ask.     Curiosity  won  the  day. 

"la  tliat  bitildicu;  over  there,  with  tlie  dome !"  In-  biigiin ;  and 

then  hesilated.  Verrinder  cut  him  short,  ood  spared  bim  ooofe*- 
sion  of  complete  ignorance. 

"Tho  Asylum,  Yesl  Bodlom,  if  you  want  to  know."  His  man- 
ner was  half  curt  and  forbidding,  half  subduml.  "Here's  the 
picture  1"  said  he.  abruptly.  He  opened  the  door  into  tho  next 
room,  which  seemed  to  serve  as  his  bedroom,  though  visibly  half- 
full  of  lumber,  and  immediately  rrtiimcd  with  a  canvas.  ".\iid 
here's  the  uame.  Phyllis  Cartwright.  It  might  be  by  Romney. 
Very  inf<rrior  to  Rcynoldn,  Homney!'' 

"It  ou([bt  to  be  valuable."  said  Charles,  and  was  thinking  of  saying 
be  wondered  its  owner  bad  never  aokl  it,  u  il  dV^l  we^n.  \a  \m  «> 


1 96  ALTCE-FOR-SnORT 

family  portrait.  VrrTiii(i<'r'it  nnKircr  nnliripntcd  sompthing  of  tlw 
Mrt,  "Valuable— yes  I  Hut  1  shan't  sell  it.  Shan't  sell  any  of  them ! 
They  uwd  to  hang  in  oiir  Imiisf.  They  tnmi:  stniigbt  hen-.    Tlicy'Tr 

niw-iT  bc«n  moved "  and  then  he  §toppcd  shorl,  and  turned 

another  picture  rouod  from  the  wall — "Man  with  a  big  nsmc,"  wiifl 

he;  "don't  think  much  of  htm!    Turner "  and  put  it  back  where 

it  was  liefore,  Ohsrles  stood  looking  at  Pliyllis  Csrtwright,  nnd 
wiahing  be  was  nt  libi-rty  to  ask  qutsliouft.  After  oU.  he  wasn't 
n  penny  the  wiser  for  seeing  a  picture,  nicr^^ly  hocausp  it  had  been 
in  the  hoiisp  in  old  times.  If  it  bod  bitn  known  to  have  beea 
paintod  in  the  house,  or  that  its  subject  had  lived  in  the  house, 
that  woiild  have  bcpn  quite  andthcr  thing:.  At  pn-si-nt.  Phyllis 
Cartwright  waa  a  name,  and  her  portrait  an  oil-picture — obscured, 
aa  ia  the  manner  of  oil-picMirex,  by  a  long  life  in  ibc  dark — so 
obscurw!  in  fact  ihul  it  would  have  been  hard  to  say  if  she  wa« 
dark  or  fair.  However.  Chnrlcn  had  promiwil  to  unk  no  questions, 
or  considered  that  hi-  b«<l.  So  lie  held  hi»  tongue  resolutely,  PreB- 
enlly  he  bad  his  rpward. 

"You're  n  gentlmnan  1"  Hnid  Vt-rrindcr.  "You  promised  and 
held  to  it — I  can  (ell  you  some  more,  but  no  more  than  1  want  to 
tell."    He  spoke  as  if  afraid  of  being  catechised,  ^H 

"I  will  ask  iiolhing."  said  Charles,    "Tou  may  truet  me "      ^" 

"The  picture  and  all  tJicse  others  came  out  of  that  house  you  aro 
nt  now — came  out  Iohr  l«fore  you  were  bom.     They   belonged 

to ,  who  turned  me  out  "f  the  hcius<'.    I  told  you  ("    Charles 

noddwl.  "He  bought  them  at  ihe  sale — the  Family  was  sold  up— 
name  was  Lutlrell — lieen  there  a  lone  time — sinoi;  the  house  was 

built "    He  made  a  short  pause,  then  said  abruptly,  "WcUI — 

That's  pretty  well  all  I  can  tell  you!"  It  was  disappointing.  It 
was  also  most  difficult.  Charles  foun<l.  to  make  any  foniment  that 
would  not  seem  like  a  question.    But  lie  found  something  to  say, 

"At  any  rate  that  is  something  to  know — I  have  not  been  able  to 
find  any  of  the  previous  history  of  the  house.  But  the  namM 
Luttrell  and  Cartwright  may  give  us  a  clue  to  follow." 

"Luttrpll  may — I'm  not  clenr  about  Cartwright — my  memory'a 
bad — I  know  they  were  a  very  fast  lot— ^ards  and  dice — that  aort 

of  thing.    I  suppose mtmt  have  told  mc-  about  them  often — 

or  else "     And  be  stopped  afain   with  a  deadlock.     But  he 

prr!M>i]ily  resumed:  "As  for  why  your  story  of  the  lion<^"  made  me 
think  of  PliyllU  Cartwright,  1  can  tell  no  more  ihau  Adam.  I 
muEt  have  seen  the  name  on  tbe  picture,  and  iM  it  alone.  Stupid 
way  one  has  I" 

*'Jl  wan  a  good  job  for  m«,"  auid  Cbartee,  "ibat  you  bsppeuul  to 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 


1S7 


look  at  the  iiicturc-liack  juRt  when  jou  did,  or  T  nhoulda't  harn 
knoom  about  Luttrell " 

"I  didn't  look  ut  it.  I  wiK  dozin'  up  here. — wpII  on  midnight  it 
was — and  it  crossed  m7  mind.  Crossed  my  mind  where  it  was! 
And  tlit-ii  I  pulled  out  tbi«  frames  from  betiind  the  ntliers.  niid 
ihciv  it  nni;  »urr  ciiouith.  I  oinst  have  seen  it.  y^ars  agonel  And 
it  liad  6lii)i)bd  niy  memory-.  Some  things  don't!  Some  thingx 
dol— " 

Cbaries  felt  that  if  he  stopper)  much  longer  he  sliould  forget  his 
promise  and  nsk  question*.  So  hv  nindc  a  pr<-lfii<Tn  of  bving  due 
EOinewhere,  aiid  said  he  must  run.  But  he  liad  profited  by  so  much 
«s  th«  name  of  the  ohi  holder*  of  Xo.  40  amounted  to.  And  them) 
might  be  any  amount  of  coouecting  link  among  ail  these  dingy 
convmiics.  He  crtKlitL'd  hinutdf  with  b  wiso  dis(?n<Lion  tliougU  iu 
not  UTing  to  get  at  too  much.    He  was  siiro  to  see  Verrindcr  again. 

Charles  was,  no  <ioubt,  wliat  Pi-ggy  had  culli-il  him — "Charley 
Slowboy" — in  some  respects.  As  ho  rode  away  to  a  very  late  lunch 
in  bis  btuiaom,  a  numhc^r  of  H(H!culutions  crosecd  his  mind  about 
Verriuder  that  Peggy  would  have  thought  of  at  once.  Was  he 
mad}  His  nuinn«r  wiW  very  odd,  certninlj'.  But  surely,  if  he  waa 
mad.  he  never  would  go  to  live  in  sight  of  Itedlniu.  Of  eourae 
uttlnax  he  was  mad.  Hddi>d  Chartos  to  him>u^lf.  ahMurdly.  But  then 
suppose  his  only  symptom  of  insanity  was  that  he  went  to  lire  in 
Hi^t  of  Bi'dlam.  V-iug  mud.  That's  a  very  circular  convrndrum. 
thought  Charles,  and  gave  it  up.  Ho  went  on  to  another ;  why  did 
Vi-rrinder  live  in  appurently  such  povwty  when  he  had  pictures 
in  his  pOMcssion  visibly  of  great  raluet  The  portrait  was  a  liey- 
nohls  or  a  Romiiey  at  thi;  IcasL  Nobody  oould  any  what  the  vniuo 
of  the  Turner  might  be  If  all  the  rwt  were  like  the  sample,  there 
might  be  thousands  of  pounds'  worth  of  pictured  in  that  attie.  And 
there  was  tlicir  owner,  dirty  and  neglected,  in  a  very  old  black 
suit  tliat  glittered  with  poli^i  on  tbu  JoinU.  in  booU  with  patched 
upptrr  leathers,  in  a  coloured  shirt  with  a  traditionally  white  coN 
lar.  held  only  bf  a  iront  button,  and  trying  to  climb  over  the  back 
of  his  head — altogether  a  miscrnblo  waif,  such  as  ono  may  see 
tnimchbig  aaiidwicbea  furtively  in  cornerx  in  public  museums  and 
fCallerics.  There  had  been  no  appearance  of  anything  that  could 
be  enlled  hnu-h  or  dinner  that  Charlfn  coul<!  reindlucl — slayl  waa 
there  not  the  eombinatinn  known  as  "the  tray"  in  household  espe- 
rienoe.  but  lacking  com|)onents>  Charles  felt  as  if  he  had  seen  « 
Dutch  cheese  near  a  n-rtical  btwr-jug  with  a  cracked  lip;  but  he 
vam't  sure;  it  was  more  a  sentimeDt  than  on  image  tliat  was  left 
in  his  mind. 


1S8 


ALICK-FOR-SHOET 


Anotfarf  speculation  ma:  Woe  Verrlnder  n  miiwTt     Ho — that' 
wmilthit  dol     No  nii*cr  in  kia  tenava  woutd  keep  such  valuable! 
pklum.    If  he  w«9  very  clever  be  mi^ht.  with  ii  rirw  to  a  riae  ia 
priop.     But  that  ih  Iwrdly  the  miser  character.     The  miwM-  longs, 
for  rpti'itt,  taui  Itoee  for  realieatioD.    The  dcnIcr  h»e  far  sight  and 
fortitude;  in  the  mi»or  both  ni*  mergmi  in  cupidity— no  much  so 
thai  1m>  eould  not  bear  the  idea  of  the  n>ftl  gold  a  picture  was 
vonh  beinir  in  nnothcr'a  poclcrt,  if  he  could  (cet  it  lulo  his  own. 
Oh  no!    There  was  no  secret  hoard  in  Uiis  cnw.     He  was  really 
at  poor  as  a  rat,  but  had  eomti  hidden  reason  for  holding  on  to  th«^ 
piclurea. 


CHAPTER  Xn 


or  A  visn  OP  alick  to  xo.  «,  and  of  ths  red  uan  with  tux  xHire 


L 


Whex  Charles  toM  PegBy  (some  iJays  after,  aho  buving  b<!i)n 
uway  «t  o  frictid'n)  about  his  expedition  to  Lambeth  with  Verrin- 
der,  she  said  ho  should  have  asked  more  qiieatiocis.  AfU-r  nil.  wi* 
were  nonr  tbi^  wimtI  Mr.  Vprrinder  rpmcmhcrod  the  house  a  very 
lonir  time  ago:  but  so  might  inaiijr  i>eo|jle.  Of  course;  it  was  ouriuiia 
tliat  nil  those  pictures  should  oner  have  hrca  in  that  house;  but 
then  if  we  were  not  to  ask  questions  what  use  waa  that  I  Couldu't 
Mr.  Verriiider  be  pcraiioded  to  come  to  dinner  at  H^t>  Park  Gar- 
dens! Peggy  would  soon  find  out  a  lot  about  it  if  she  could  gel  at 
him.  Churli.'S  buret  out  laughing.  "Well!"  snld  Peggy.  "I  don't 
see  atiylhint;  so  very  absurd  in  tliutl  Why  shouldn't  Mr,  Ver- 
rindcr  com<i  to  dinner  at  llydc  Park  Gardens'*''  The  reason  she 
spoki*  of  hvT  family  rL-sidi-nue  by  its  iiaum.  iiistvad  of  sayltur, 
"here,*^  was  that  she  and  Charles  ven  at  bis  Studio  when  thiv 
conversation  look  plaee. 

"Why  shouldn't  Mr.  Verrinder  eomc  to  dinner  at  Hyde  Park 
Onrdeiis!"  repctitod  Charles,  and  laugliis!  again,  "I'll  be  haiigtkl 
if  I  know.  Poggy — only  J  can't  help  laughing  for  all  thatl  How- 
erer,  I  don't  believe  h«  woidd  come,  if  I  aakeii  lum  ever  so.  But 
I  should  somehow  as  soon  think  of  sending  Mother  in  the  carnng■^ 
to  leave  eanls  on  iln.  Vurrindur.  It's  not  bccaune  he's  poor  and 
shabby,  poor  devil,  but  because  of  his  line  of  rumness — he  would 
be  out  of  his  element — aa  much  ao  us  a  Trappiiit  monk — more  ao!" 

"1  didn't  know  there  was  any  Mrs.  Verrinder " 

"Nor  yet  I  didn't,  myself,  PoggyWoggy.  till  the  other  day.  I 
don't  know  that  I  do  now,  because  she  may  be  as  dead  as  a  door- 
nail. But  there  either  is.  or  was.  a  Mrs.  V. — I  aayl  what  a 
diffioult  Art  painting  is!" — Peggy  assented,  and  he  went  on:  "Pm 
fick  of  painting  thin  Iwastly  armour,  and  it  won't  come.  I  vote  I 
have  a  pipe,  and  you  may  ruiHe  my  hair  for  mc.  As  Mon  aa 
Pnrlridge  and  Alice  come,  we'll  luive  ten.  Pve  bouglit  a  lot  of 
cakes  and  they're  in  that  parcel." 

"lit  ruffle  your  hair.  But  you  must  blow  the  smolw  the  other 
way."    Charles  agreed,  and  the  weary  artist,  w\m>  haA  w*jVtoA'«'\^- 

120 


I 


ALICE-FOR-SnOBT 

o*t  iiitamiirion  for  <iutt(>  two  hours,  setilod  down  to  hU  pipv  ou 
lb*  ftoor,  vith  hi.->  hi-iitl  in  bin  iiuliilgi'iit  Hstt-r't'  lap.  They  were 
n«7  iMndnoini*  yoiiitg  pi'oplc,  certainly,  both  of  them. 

TW  rMaaD  tbcy  wcro  t)»-ri<  nt  this  inirlicutiir  momimt  wa«  that 
Wi  unninnent  had  boon  made  that  Aliae  (as  a  kind  of  native) 
»hmiM  show  Mriu  Purlriilgv  tbn  houst-.  for  a  In-at.  P<^gy  hnd 
KfMt  t1rfMi«iird  hy  her  mother  from  the  carriage,  while  Fartridg« 
Mn)  Alice  vn-Tf  to  walk  through  the  Pork. 

"What  did  he  tell  yoii  about  Mr§.  Vemnderl"  said  Peggy,  falling 
Wok  on  the  oonrtfrHHticin. 

"He's  never  mentioned  her  himself.  It  was  the  Curator  of  ihe 
Schooliu,  wIki  hni  known  him  for  forty  year*  pnsU  Hr  was  vory 
lavilunt,  but  was  curious  to  hear  all  I  had  to  tell  him  aliout  Vet- 
riudcr'a  liousekw-ping.  Snid  he  went  to  sec  him  there  once — thirty 
yuan  ago!  Asked  me  if  I  had  'made  out  anythiue'  about  bis 
wi/^" 
"What  did  jon  say  T 

"Oh,  of  course  I  said  he  hadn*t  mentioned  her  to  me,  and  I 
didn*t  know  he  had  a  wife.  lie  n-idicd  lliat  he  bud  a  wife,  unlewa 
•be  had  die<!  without  his  hearing:  of  i(.  'Not  very  likely,'  he  said. 
I  told  htm  I  bad  nom  no  sign  of  any  hidy  in  (tie  place.  'Oh.'  said 
be.  'that  would  make  no  diSerenoe.'  And  then  he  shut  up.  There's 
•omrtliing  mm  about  it." 

"I  tell  you  what,  Charley.  Tve  got  an  idea  1  Mr.  Verrinder  must 
have  married  ihe  girl  be  was  turned  out  of  thi*  hoii«ir  for  making 
love  to,  in  the  end — because  if  ho  didn't,  how  came  be  into  posseS' 
»ion  of  h«r  fatlier's  property?  Don't  you  ■«■?  Look  here.  Hilly 
boy — and  blow  the  smoke  the  other  way.  Now  listen  to  me!  First 
of  all  Mr.  Thingummy  R.  A:  turns  htm  out  of  the  houMV  for  malc- 
iugr  up  to  his  daufchter.  Very  well  then!" 
"1  don't  wc  that  you're  getting  any  nearer." 
"Yes — I  am.  Don't  bo  in  a  hurry!  Next  they  midce  a  runaway 
match  of  it — the  .voung  people  do;  of  course  I" 

"That  was  all  right  and  natural,  wbfii  tlie  parents  objected.    But 
you  don't  understand!     Verrinder  distinctly  said  be  hadn't  «* 
foot  in  that  house  since  its  owner  turnird  him  out  of  it.    That  was 
u       the  first  thing  he  said." 

^^      "Tea — but  oni!  <ran  suppoee  all  Kortn  of  things.     He  may  have 
^1  moaiDed  obdurate — hardened  his  heart  and  died  unrcpentimt" 
^M      "No^ffcn/  won't  do!    Verrinder  would  have  U:en  sure  to  go  into 
^B  the  bouse  again  if  he  and  his  wife  inherited  the  things." 
^^^^^erhaps  he  left  the  house  and  went  nomewhere  else  beforn  he 
^^^K  *'  Cbxrics  ivjSccicd,  and  blew  the  smoke  the  other  way.   "That 


I 


AUCE-FOB-SaoUT 


181 


f     aeeuis  tMesible  asd   reasonable,"  raid  be.     "We'll  let   it  ga  at 

that." 
1         "Whu  ore  tli«  people  who  have  come  into  the  big  back  room 
downstairs  1"  aifkcd  Peggy. 

"Pictiirw  dealers.  I  believe.  They  wont  to  alter  the  littlu  oval 
skflighi— «av  tliorc's  do  li^lit.  Jc9  Is  very  indijiQa&t.  Sara  ita 
Vaiula  I  ism " 

"Oht— Mr.  Jerrytlioiisht.    But  i»  tlionj  no  li«hti" 

"Jvfl  6iiya  it's  a  glorious  old  Queeu  Anne  house,  uud  it's  vricked 
to  alter  it." 

"I  shouldn't  par  oi>r  attention  to  Mr.  Jerrythought  if  I  was  the 
picture  dealer.    It  wos  a  hollroom,  wasn't  it!" 

"Jeff  says  so.    He's  ill  Queen  Axinu's  confidence        "  ■ 

"Isn't  ibst  Alice's  voicoi"    Yvf.,  it  is.     And  in  come*  Alioe^ 
much  exeiicd  at  her  position  as  sbow-woniau.  or  jiatronesa.  of  the 
house,  iln^   Partridge  iicvcr  hnving   bwn  there  before.     Alice's 
iip<-ecb  and  apiniaranoe  have  improved  euorniousl.v.     Kt-ully  if  wo 
had  not  bad  our  cyca  on  her  for  the  pnst  few  niontbu.  unknown 
to  our  r<.-n(lors,  wo  should  not  have  nvognisod  liirr,  and  llitn  per- 
bape  we  should  have  written  that  a  pretty  blue-eyed  maiden  with 
mouMU-oolourr'd  buir.  nictily  dnr^tKtMl  in  a  Japunese  blm^priut  frock 
and  a  cap  of  the  same  colour,  came  running  rather  flushed  into 
the  room,  and  that  wc  did  Dot  rccolicet  hnving  seen  Iwr  b<-foro. 
As  it  is  we  are  in  a  position  to  assure  them  that  this  little  fcirl  waSH 
the  vf.ry  selfMimc  Alice  that  wnw  knoekM  down  by  ihoiic  usugbty'l 
little  boys  in  the  fog,  aud  save.!  from  u  wbip[iinit  by  Charles  Heath. 
And  tlioM-  little  boyx  were  no  tloubt  utill  piirmiing  their  ruriwir  of 
ineubordinnlion  and  depruvity.  while  Alice  bud  by  the  merest  acci'-M 
dent  bcHTU  lifted  high  nbove  ihcm  in  the  social  scale,  and  had  not,  w9 
far,  done  anything  to  disappoint  her  patrons. 

Eight  munlliH  is  a  good  long  period  in  the  life  of  a  child  of  nil— 
oTer  ten  per  cent,  of  the  whole,  vre  believe — aud  Alice  had  the 
impr«!»ion  ihat  slie  lind  lived  a  very  vf.ry  long  time  at  Hyde  Park 
Gnrdens  under  tlio  chronic  control  and  goveramt-nl  of  Mrs.  Part- 
ridge, subject  to  uccnsionnl  interventions  from  (he  higher  regions. J 
Indeed,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  occasions  were  frequent;  aud  a^ 
whobr  day  rarely  passed  in  which  Alice  did  not  iind  her  way  into 
the  drawing-room  on  some  pretext  or  other;  while  Peggy  for  her 
part,  aiid  Chiirlt'S  on  hin  intermittent  visits  at  home,  were  frequent 
visitors  in  the  hous^eeper's  room.     But  by  this  time  Alice  baa  _ 
noniR  into  the  room,  and  nhc  io  «>  anxious  to  H|ieak,  vre  must  notj 
keep  her  waiting.    She  was  too  full  of  her  mission  to  allow  of  anq  " 
obacn-imoe  of  vavrv  artitjcial  formif,  uad  pluBg>;d  SlI  ouce  w  iae^vo.» 


L 


^ 


13S 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


^ 


f**.  l\cT  pmniinciution  was  still  far  from  pi-rfcdt,  but  mucli  ioi' 
prored.  All  altering  plissc  of  toeth  bad  made  ber  lisji  take  anolbi-r 
(arm,  and  grent  t-florts  Uud  got  rid  <if  both  lidi/  and  lotidy,  and 
obtained  in  exchange  an  approach  to  lady.  We  shaJl  Ti-ry  soon  be 
nblo  to  print  Alice  u-itUotit  lier  prun  uncial  ion ;  it  will  be  so  norma). 

''Mustn't  I  Miir  Mid.  Parkridse  dowustaire,  all  where  Puasf  was, 

and  Mr.  Cliarl<-y  caxni-  down  eviir  •»  long  ego '"  and  bOT*  Alice's 

I  Tott'e  pot  a  kind  of  puzzled  ruefolaeM  as  she  added:  "and  wlier«| 
Uicrw  u»!<i-«l  to  be  futbcT  and  motlierl" 

Partridfte.  feelinj;  it  due  to  her  di^'nlt^   to  dissociate  lieraelf 
from  Hoe  thoughtless  enlhustasm  of  childhood,  remnrlccd  in  con' 
fidence  to  the  (jrown-up  world  tliat  we  were  quite  wild  witli  exeite- 
DWDt;  and  thim  rvmiiincd  aloft.     Chsrica  garv  the  authorisatioa  i 
adtcd  for.  I 

"Of  coHMip  yon  shall,  Alicc-for-Bhort !  That's  what  you've  eona* 
for.  Now  liatful  Ton  go  downstairs  into  the  oflioe — nol  stopl 
wait  till  I  tell  yon  what  to  sny — nnd  nstt  the  gmtlcman  there  to 
allow  ,vou  to  show  Airs.  Partridge  all  through  tlie  shops.  Sa; 
you're  Miss  Kornnagh  that  used  to  live  here."  Perhaps  the  last 
inxtriiction  didn't  reiich.  as-  Alice  was  <ilT.  after  repealing,  to  nhow 
her  elear  understanding :  "Mre,  Parkridge  all  froo  the  sops."  F 
th  and  {  were  still  ainhiguoua,  in  unstudied  speech. 

"We  won't  go  down,  Pc^y,  it  makes  such  a  lot  of  ub— loo  great 
a  riMtatiori !"  And  Partridge  followe  Alice  under  assnmptiaa 
of  guardianship,  but  really  very  curious  to  see  whore  the  hone* 
were  found.    Peggy  and  Charles  enn  always  go  on  chiilling. 

"How  arr  you  and  the  Doctor  getting  along.  Poggy  i" 

"What  a  ftill.v  hoy  you  arcl     Why  should  the  Doctor  (ns  you 

col!  him)  and  I  'get  along* " 

■  "What  do  yoa  want  ine  to  call  himi     Wliy  «houldn'l  you  geti 
along— —  V 

"t  don't  see  that  any  get-alonging  cornea  into  the  matter.    Dr. ' 
Johnson  and  I  are  very  good  friends  and  always  shall  be— if  I  hava 
my  way.    As  to  what  I  want,  you  to  call  him — of  courw  one  would 
naturally  prefer  to  call  him  Itupert — it's  such  a  pretty  name  I  Only 
wlM-n  »  mnn'-H  inelin<'d  to  behave  like  that,  you  can't  rail  liim  by 

hifi  Christian  name,  nor  he  yours "     You  see.  when  a  yoxtng 

Ia<ty  is  talking  to  h(T  hnithcr,  xbe  needn't  construct  her  xentcnccs 
carefully.    Cbarlea  quite  understood. 

"You  like  Johnson  a  d«il  h-ttrr  than  Captain  Bradley?" 

"Captain   Bradley!     Better  than    an  omnibus-full   of   Captain 
Ugh !— what  It  horrible  idfa  I" 
Pfioae  Jfohin's  told  you  about  the  Captain  V 


istfl 
;>wfl 


d 


AL1CE-F0R-8H0RT 


133 


L 


"No!     Ila"  ho  «niiioli-<!  himself  t"     (Rim«w!  t^tiHositjrt) 

'Tea— ft  Misa  Calleuiier — Edith  Calk-nder."  Peggy  appeared 
to  know  the  lady,  bot  not  to  admire  her  t«triiv«g«ntly.  "The  idea  1" 
Mid  ahe.    "Edilh  Callender !  1 1    Well— he  U  eaaily  congoled.    How. 

ever,  I  euppoM  it's  all  right  I "    Arc  wc^  wa  wonder,  nltoffrther 

wrong  in  tmrmisiiif;  ihnt  Peggy  whb  human  enoii^  to  fi-'el  almost 
no  pique,  in§tead  of  tuite  none,  at  the  man  nhc  wouldn't  huvc  mar- 
rictl  (no  the.  sutd)  witli  a  pair  of  tongd,  and  at  an  omnihus-fiill 
of  whom  glte  fairly  shuddered,  haviug  given  up  wearing  the  wiUow 
on  her  account,  and  cMiisoled  hiniM^If  with  inferiority)  No!  Peggy 
was  quite  dialinetljr  human,  for  all  her  philosophy.  Charles  evi- 
dently thought  so,  for  he  said,  "Don't  be  jealous,  PoRgy-Woggyl 
You  wouldn't  have  tlie  Captain  yourself.  Tou  didn't  expect  him  to 
ask  your  lc«vo  to  mnrry  Mies  Callender,  did  yout" 

"Hf'd  got  it  alrcmly.  I  w<iiuh?r  if  lie  told  Miss  Cullender  about 
—all  hie  previous  offers  1" 

"Pnrtieulnrly  hi«  la«t  one.  I  wonder  if  the  Doctor  means  to  tell 
the  next  he  offers  lo  about  Mia*  Peeruy  Heath " 

"Oh  not  Kupert  Johnson's — quite  a  different  sortl  Quit«I  I 
wiitb  lie  would  ttiough — but  ho  won't——" 

"How  do  you  know  that  F' 

"1  inouj  h«f  won't " 

"You  seem  lo  know  a  lot  about  him.  I  tell  you  what.  Peg;  1 
don't  bclicTv  you  would  bo  glad  if  another  ^r1  nccc]ited  Johnson — 
you'd  be  sorry.    At  least,  you'd  be  Klad  if  she  rejected  him " 

"Rcjpctif I  Rupert  .Johnson !     I  should  like  to  aec  a  girl 
him.     The  luinsl"     And  Peggy  scfrms  genuinely  indignant  withi 
this  shadowy  damsel. 

"You  did  it  yourself,  Pog.  anyhow  I" 

"No — Charley  denr — bo  fair!  I  never  rejected  the  poor  d<'-nr 
fellow.  I  only  warned,  cautioned,  and  earnestly  entreated  him,  like 
the  pasaeDRerK'  bradR  out  of  the  carriaHr  windows.  It  wouldn't 
have  been  right  not  to.  wht-n  I'd  made  up  my  mind.  I  think  I 
shall  make  the  tea  now.    They  can't  be  much  longi-r." 

A  step  wiu*  hejinl  outaide,  an<i  Pi'ggy  ■niil;  "There  they  are " 

But  Charles  said;  "No,  that's  Jeff.  We  must  let  him  come  in' — 
hci  always  oomm  to  tea.  Well  I  you  know.  I  couldn't  tell  bun  you 
were  oomiUK  and  hated  him,  and  so  he  must  keep  out.     Could 

II "    Peggy  laughed  aloud:  "I  dok't  liate  Mr.  Jerrjthoughl." 

eaid  she. 

He  was  admitted,  to  make  the  tea.  It  was  his  prerogative  on 
ordinary  occasions,  and  he  knew  where  things  were.  V;\».'n  ^t\\i 
don't  know  where  things  aio  you  caimot  make  Xxa.    "&&  acv  ^uxn- 


¥ 


IH  AI,ICE-FOESHORT 

wtf  lo  the  ittKking  <if  the  ten  with  a  fervid  intensity  t]uil  perlinpi 
jtvat  beyond  the  scope  of  his  Htibicct.  Ha  amount  of  cnncciitration 
trill  imablo  you  to  make  tea  well  beyond  a  certain  poiul.  JeS 
w-Bs  d<-!<tiaed  to  ov<>r*Jioot  his  mnrk.  and  nuiku  tlm  ten  tixi  rtrona, 
ll  had  to  bo  weakened  after  pouring  out;  and,  ae  we  all  know. 
it'*  not  the  same  thing. 

"Newr  mind,  Mr.  Jerrythoiight  1"  said  Peggy,  "ifs  a  fault  on  the 
Tieht  Hide,  If  it  liad  been  tO"  weiUt  we  should  never  iiuvn  forgiven 
you.  Should  we,  Alice?"  For  Alice  and  Mrs.  I'artrid^-  had  re- 
tuntcd  {mm  their  subtorrnnenn  expuditiou,  but  Alice  hnd  been  bo 
silent  that  iro  have  had  nolhiug  to  report  of  her,  and  tlie  etorj-  ban 
bcpn  Hilcnt  too,  Peggy  put  it  down  In  her  n^eollectiona  of  her  par- 
eula  haTinjt  corao  upon  her  and  made  her  thouglitfuL  But  then, 
wnitn't  Purtridite  aUo  a  little  dislrailct    She  had  no  associatiouB. 

Alice  replied  bricftj-  tn  Peggy's  quiittion:  "No— we  never  sould 
hove  forgiven  Mr-  Jellyfork";  but  the  subject  didn't  seem  to  com- 
mand her  attention.  Neither  did  the  cnkcM  Charles  had  so  sedu- 
louxly  provided.  Alice  was  quite  another  Alice  from  the  little  girl 
who  bad  rushed  tumultuously  downstairs  to  show  Partridge  over 
Iho  estate,  only  hnlf-un-hour  ago.  The  latter,  in  reply  to  on  uiider- 
t4>iie()  Miquiry  from  Peggy,  disclaimed  stomacli-aciic  on  Alice's  b»- 
hulf.  The  child  wua  fanciful,  that  was  alll  She  would  tell  Peggy 
aa  soon  as—presently  I — the  ohfttncle  to  iramrdiate  ^l•^■elation  being 
Mr.  Jerry  thought.  This  naturally  added  to  Pecgj'*s  desire  that 
that  young  gentleman  sliould  discontinne  his  review  of  the  London 
'Stage,  and  go.  lie  for  bis  part  hccauie  aware  that  somethiii;i  was 
amiss,  but  of  coursi'  pitched  on  tlie  wrnng  thing.  He  thought  it 
wait  the  lea.  and  i>trove  to  make  up  for  it  hy  brilliant  anecdotes 
of  Carlotia  l-eelerq.  and  even  wbitt  a  chap  be  kni?w  hud  told  him 
about  Madame  Vestris.  and  so  forth.  And  the  more  Pegjiy  wanted 
him  to  go.  the  mort;  hv  !ttrov«  to  compensnie  for  the  utrong  ten. 
So  that  no  one  was  any  the  wiser  when  Mrs,  Ileath  and  Ellen,  in 
the  carriage  on  ihp  way  back  from  ii  eull  in  Ruasell-sqitare,  eam» 
to  pick  Hp  Alice  and  Peggy  by  appointment.  Partridge  would 
toko  the  'tius,  and  Charles  wos  going  to  drees  at  the  Studio,  and  go 
out  to  <liuner. 

"Queer  little  cuss,  yonr  prolngfr^!"  auid  Jefl,  when  the  party  hud 
dtnp«r«^.    "She  ain't  a  chatterbox.'" 

"Slie  didn't  Hcrm  like  herself."  »aid  Charles.  "Perhaps  it  was 
finding  the  whole  place  so  changed." 

When  Ch(irle«  walked  into  his  Studio  on  hi*  return  from  his 
V  out,  bo  found  ji  huud-(lt;livered  note  on  his  oasel,  and  saw 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


135 


get*  a 
|H>|r8ect 

^     "Of 


it  w«8  from  Peggy.  Alice  was  in  a  very  qii«er  slate— seemed  to 
have  had  n  frighl.  Pfggy  would  wait  up  till  Iwclvo  in  cjuc  hr  was 
early  enouvh  to  come  on.  She  would  like  to  see  bim  as  sooii  aa 
ibU'-.  Charli-B  woiircd  liis  Hydi'  Piirk  Onrdciis  tntcli-kcy  from 
\et  pocJict,  pn<l  Kot  a  hansotu.  lie  would  be  there  by  eleven- 
thirty;  for  hiid  not  tho  Urown-Smitlia  hon-d  him.  iind  cnuscd  htm  to 
have  importaut  work  to-morrow,  which  a  lonx  uiKht'a  rest  wab 
csMcntial  lol  In  about  twenty  minutcH  tlie  lutoh-kc?  had  fulfilled 
its  function,  and  was  back  in  hie  pocket, 

Pcggy'ii  voice cam('  ilow:i  ihcHtaira  to  him:  "Is  that  you. Charley! 

I'm  so  (tiad  you're  come.    Alice  has  quite  f  righlened  us.    Really  one 

gctN  afraid  iibcmt  bi-r  poor  littk  head.*'     ChurleH  went  uptttnir^, 

Ihk   on   the  best  phrases  in   which  to  pooh-pooh  nervouB 

lalit^ 

"Of  course  it's  no  use  for  me  to  saj-  anything." — It  is  tSiS.  Heath 
that  qmakit,  nn  tlu<  point  of  mnji'stiL'  retirement  to  the  upper 
K^DB. — "But  if  I  were  at  liberty  to  say  exactly  what  I  thoujiht, 
it  would  b<! " 

"Yc9 — Mamma  dt^ar — what  would  it  bef" — for  Uainma  had  not 
/proTidc<d  herself  with  her  opinion  wlicn  she  b<>gan,  her  ntti^otiou 

ing  vouci-ntniled  on  her  atatua  oa  an  authority.  She  required 
tvo  or  thrvc  seconds  to  think  of  onc^  and  meanwhile  had  to  fill 
in  with  collateral  matter. 

"My  dear,  yoii  know  I  always  am  silenced,  «>  I  hold  my  tongue  I 
Rut  I  Ikink.  uU  llie  same  I — as  for  the  little  girl,  you  know  what  I 

ink.  becnuRC  I  hare  anid  it  nevcriil  time^  already,  Slw  i*  full 
,of  funciea,  aii<l  if  you  li§teii  to  her,  you  will  only  malie  lii?r  worse. 
She  oiiRht  to  hare  a  good  dose  *»f  Dover's  jiowdi^r.  uiul  liuve  no 
Stt«3ttioii  paid  to  her,  and  she  would  soon  bo  set  right.     Ilnwcver, 

n't  pay  any  attention  to  me!"  And  Mra.  Heath  went  upetairs 
Vkf  the  oidy  person  ill  aliihl  in  a  proccseion. 

Charles  and  Pi-ggy  Hoiight  tin?  drawing-room,  and  said  they  would 
turn  tliH  gjiB  ofl.  and  Phillimore  might  go  to  bed.  "The  others" 
were  not  home,  and  Pupa  wu*  in  "the  Library" — a  place  whcro 
•onw  litlea  of  books  were  sometimes  perused  through  pliitc  glass. 
PeMfy  hushed  down  a  hiirntT  or  two  (not  to  have  her  eye*  glarftd) 
an<l  duid  she  supposed  she  had  better  begin  and  tell  it  all  from  the 
besinninfi. 

"Tou  know."  she  continued,  "we  both  thought  Alictt  very  ailent 
«t  lea.  Wcdl  I  She  didn't  suy  a  word  all  the  way  home,  and  only 
n  eacMled  up  to  me  in  the  carriage-  ()f  courwj  we  got  hero  an 
^^^BuntoUD  long  time-  V-furo  Partridge.  When  ue  got  in,  I  V^v«>i«& ^W 
^^Bhild  and  eaid  here  we  were  back  agaiiif  and  1  ^lo^^  ^bc*^  <cu\o^^ 


1 


13« 


ALICE-FOR-SnOBT 


herself.    Do  70U  know  sbe  only  shook  her  head  in  that  comic  rueful 
wftj  «he  hiis.  nnd  didn't  apeuk  u  v.-»rd." 

"Was  she  ciying?    Had  she  been  cryingl" 

"Not  a  bit  of  itl  Let  me  go  ou  tCfUiog.  I  said,  'Whnt  i*  it,  Alice 
dear)  What'?  Ihe  matter  I  You'll  t«ll  nie  wbat'e  the  matter — 
won't  you  T — But  sbu  only  shook  her  head  and  kvpt  hrr  mouth 
shut,  till  I  eaid  to  her  Beriously — Tou  know,  Alice,  Mr.  Oharloy 
will  be  afraid  to  have  you  at  bin  Studio  unless  you  enjoy  gains — 
he'll  think  j-ou're  fritfhti'uetl  of  tlie  Imfy  with  the  apoto  '  And 
what  do  you  think  she  answered  1 — 'I  sould  be  frightened  to  iu^> 
once  mure — only  xot  tbp  lady '—'What  would  you  be  fright- 
ened of,  Alice  deari'  said  I — and  sJit-  aUHwen-d,  'I  HOuld  be-  fright- 
ened of  the  man  downstairs— the  man  with  the  knife '" 

"Oh,of  course!" saidCbarlea,  "I  understand  it  all.  IlwasPope's 
man,  Buttivant,  who  lead-lines  up  the  windows.  The  man  of  light 
and  ftfoding,  we  wittily  call  him,  JvIT  nnd  I.  He  makes  horrible 
grimsoee " 

*He  Inisii't  any  knife " 

"Oh  yes.  he  has!  A  putty-knife  to  jam  in  all  alons;  the  leads. 
9nd  then  wipe  them  sharp  alouR  the  flange  to  elose  it  down.  Ho 
does  a  good  deal  of  work  with  the  kxiife.  Depend  ou  it  that 
WM  iir 

"Wfll  I  Wait  till  you've  beard  it  all,  and  then  exi>Uin.  I  tbou^t 
it  was  Mr.  Pope,  or  one  of  biM  men;  and  I  enid,  'You  mustn't  be 
frighli-net!  of  Mr.  Popi',  nor  any  of  his  workmen,  Alice.  They 
won't  hurt  youl'  And  then  she  &aid,  oh  not  it  wiisn't  Mr.  Pope 
•t  alL  Mr.  Pope  wn*  a  very  nice — good — man,  and  sliowed  her 
blue  things  and  green  things  and  red  tilings,  and  looked  her  band 
'downslA-irs.  And  then  I  made  hcrr  tell  about  th('  men  in  the 
'shop,  and  the  man  you  describe  must  be  the  one  she  called  Mr. 
Puttyknife — it  was  natural.  So  then  T  presstvl  to  find  out  who  tin- 
inan  waa.  and  it  seemed  lie  was  a  bad  man  in  a  red  dress,  with  a 
lonn  ]oi>B  straight  knife,  ao  long  as  that  I  It  was  n  red  knife,  and 
the  man  was  red.  and  he  came  along  by  the  door  where  motlwr 
CMoe  when  the  jug  broke " 

"The  door  of  the  kitchen,  where  llicy  do  tin-  leadinjt  'i|>  now " 

"Ym — ^because  they  went  in  and  found  Mr.  Puttyknife,  And 
he  smelt  •A  ile-puint,  only  very  stroiiK-  But  Alice  must  have  beea 
ewmpli-ttly  npset  by  the  red  man  with  the  knife;  and  when  Part- 
ridge came  in  an  hour  later  (she  stopped  in  Oxfonl  Circus  to  buy 
me  something)  she  gave  me  her  version  of  the  story.  I'm 
■he's  none  to  bed." 

eivr  mind — tell  nic  what  »iic  soid- — " 


I 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


137 


"That  A]ice  was  in  the  beat  of  epirila  till  they  went  dovimtairK. 
She  hod  made  gn-nt  friends  with  Mr.  Pope,  looking  st  the  coloured 
glsBBU — uid  vtent  downstairs — 'hold  of  his  haud.'  Thwi  u4)en 
tb^  got  to  the  fftot  of  Iho  stairs,  Atim  'gave  a  xhrink,  sod  CAUght 
up  to  Mr.  Pope.'  I'm  giTin^  you  Partridtce's  words.  Mr.  Pope 
aekcd  if  she  was  afraid  he  was  going  to  run  away,  and  aho 
Hiinw4-red  fK>ini.-lhing  Partridin>  thought  was  nonseu*?  about  where 
bad  the  man  with  the  knife  gone.  Mr.  Pope  said  what  man,  and 
(J»e  uiiBwervd  tht!  ruil  nvHu,  And  then  Mr,  Pofie  thought  she  meant 
a  figwrr  in  n?d  in  the  gla«sc«,  8niiit  Somebody,  and  said  of  courws 
Wd  goni?  to  Heavfa,  becaiiae  lie  was  n  Saint.  Whereuiiuii  Alice 
Mid  (it  really  was  very  funny,  and  I  can't  help  laughing  at  it)  that 
abe  hopod  bo  hadn't  gono  to  Fleav*^,  btrmiisw  fatlier  was  there; 
and  Uiw  P<«gy.  that  she  belonged  to,  had  said  sot  But  aft«r 
that  die  never  said  a  word,  and  seemed,  cnid  Partridge^  quito  out 
of  it." 

"Well."  said  Charles,  "that  U  a  funny  etoryl"  And  not  a  single 
correct  accredited  wa,v  of  dealing  with  a  talc  of  this  sort  could 
b«  think  of,  brrtttT  than  tlint  the  child  munt  hnvtr  been  fi-vrrisJi,  ond 
bad  eaten  too  much  pudding.  "But  did  ^o  stop  out  of  it  «fl«r 
tbnt  allogt-thcrr 

"It  looks  like  it,"  said  Peggy.  '•Well!  Tou  know  how  she  was 
when  she  came  upstairs — and  all  your  beautiful  calto*  wenj  left! 
Sut  she  Memed  very  well  in  herself  till  about  an  hour  later,  when 
Partridge  came  to  me  and  told  me  she'd  got  very  hot  and  feverish, 
and  it  was  tlien  I  wrote  the  note  off  to  yon,  becnii«T  J  wax  fright- 
ened about  her  head :  however,  abi-  went  to  sleep  all  right  after.  It 
wan  no  use  sending  another  note  to  yon.  not  to  come." 

"Oh  no!  I  can  sleep  hi-n'  now  I've  come."  Only.  Cbarlea 
wstfo't  going  to  retire  with  that  object  until  he  had  made  some  littlo 
stand  on  behalf  of  tbo  attitude  of  tnind  towards  the  Intrinsically 
Improbable  that  is  Baoettoned  by  Common  Sense;  with  which 
also  testa  the  function  of  grouping  the  Impoieible,  the  Prolmbte, 
and  the  Actual,  with  good  sharp  boundary  linee  between  tbe 
gronpH. 

"I'm  pretty  clear  about  whot  it  really  was.  Peg."  said  he.  "The 
fcTcr  wan  really  the  enunc,  not  the  effect,  of  the  hallucination. 
It  was  a  case  of  suijpresm^  fever." 

"Caw  of  suppressed  fiddlesticks' cods  I"  eaidPeggj.  "Qo  tobedl" 


CHAPTER  ym 


OP    BBELtACOHiB    SJL.Vn«,    AND    WIUT    PECnV    THOUGHT    TUEBB.      iXO 

wuou  sue  uei  tuess 

Tp  the  bouea  of  Ibe  murdered  woman  were  flatterinft  thcnisclvn  I 
that  Ps^-cbical  Itcsptirch  wns  going  to  throw  a  liejit  on  tfieir  hUtoi? 
u:iil  iiteiility,  tliey  were  ilestiued  to  i]is«ppointm<.-nt.  For  thoi 
period  of  Tendon's  anmiRl  flight  to  the  country  had  muie,  and  thaJ 
Heath  family  were  off.  In  foct,  they  were  ovenhii-  in  the  ooiintry 
already,  for  mort  of  London  that  was  worth  tlie  name  had  leone 
some  wirt-kft  liaek,  at  the  time  of  tlic  f^'tiils  <if  Inut  chaptctr.  A 
good  hundred  thousand  prohably  had  been  deducted  from  the  four 
million"  odd  that  made  up  the  metropolis,  and  now  there  was 
nobody  left.  AlmuatI  If  Parliament  hadn't  been  eittiiig  so  Utd  ^ 
it  would  have  been  quit«L  fl 

Payehical  Reai-Hrirh  recniirea  at  least  one  volary  of  diabolical  ^^ 
tenacity  of  purpose  to  keep  ibe  life  in  it.  Almost  every  living 
human  crcnturc  lias  some  moosuro  of  interest  in  Ghoete  and 
Bogies,  but  it  ta  a  measure  tlini  is  very  apt  to  run  out  after  Bay 
twenty  minutes  nitlinB  *it  an  unrcsponnive  taMe.  with  your  littl» 
ilnjters  in  coMtoel  with  your  neighbours'  "to  keep  up  the  current"; 
or  after  maybe  sleepinn:  one  night  in  n  haunted  bouse  and  not 
seeing  a  grey  woman;  or  covering  a  quire  of  foolscap  with  plan- 
chette  writing  from  your  co-querist'e  first  husband  and  then  find- 
ing that  she  is  .Vivut  (whcn-Bit  you  thought  for  certain  she  was 
Jtfw.)  Smith;  or  beiiut  told  that  yoiing  Blank  had  confessed  that 
il  wttM  he  pushed  the  tiibir.  ju»t  to  show  what  awful  ess^  the  Com- 
pany (including  yourself)  were.  It  is  true  tlio  interest  will  revivfl 
sooner  or  later;  but  il  is  nn  intermittent  one.  and  n-quirt^s  philo- 
BOphical  (hou^bt  and  temper  to  do  it  full  justice.  In  the  common- 
place mind  it  i*  npt  to  lapiu?  unless  kept  up  to  the  mark  by  tlic 
Btimulus  of  a  neighbouriog  philosopher.  Let  us  all  do  honour 
to  tliotH.'  who  (nocordtng  to  tbi>  testimony  of  their  w^imtiRc  oppo- 
nents) hare  passed  through  long  periods  of  patient  resoarch 
Btching  for  sptwtrea  tbal  never  como;  weighing  medium*  in 
1  and  findii^g  they  weigh  oxactly  what  you  would  expect ; 
f  with  oilic-r  nittliunia  who  worm  thoir  way  out  of  tbft 


I 


1S8 


M 


ALTCE-FOR- SHORT 


139 


■ 


ipt  in  the  iark;  niid  getting  smtnlgci]  hy  mstorialisatioDa  with 
liiliou  and  lamp-black  auperijosecl  on  tfi*'  mt-fliiiin  for  teat- 
purpOM.  Hvvcr  mind  if  I  put  Homo  of  llic^  points  wrontrlyi 
join  me  in  adrairstion  of  the  pcreistent  philoeophy  thai  recognises 
tbc  fact  tbit  no  imount  of  ncgntivo  cviili-nwr  nhsotutclj-  proiiM  that 
atiylhiug  wbateYer  ieu't  due  to  any  CAUse  we  choose  to  invent  a 
name  for. 

(juries  and  Peggy  were  under  no  obligation  to  invent  new  names 
for  the  njKictni]  appc«ritn<!v  tliul  had  terri6cd  Alice.  Supi^riiuliirul; 
hflUuciuation  of  the  scdbcs  ;  idcn  wilh  the  forrc  of  n  lu^nnntion ; 
subliminal  conxriotiMM'K*,  utimtilnlPil  ]iy  iiucoiiai-ioua  hypnotic  sug- 
gestions from  bystanders  (le  that  right  t  We  hare  miagiringa.) ; 
purely  t>ubj<'Ctive  plimomc^non ;  nil  thce«  were  ready  to  hand,  and 
you  could  talie  which  you  liked;  or  different  ones  at  different 
times-  Charles  was  in  favour  of  No.  8;  for  after  nil,  did  not  ha& 
pBr«nIs  drink  i    You  couldu't  get  orer  that. 

One  thing  wna  quite  cerlain— that  when  Pckkj-.  who  inclined  to 
jVo.  /  was  away  at  Shellacombe.  and  Charles  was  It-ft  to  himaclf 
rand  his  ineredulities,  nothing  further  would  be  done  in  the  way  of 
investigation.  Ali(^<^  (if  course  went  to  the  seaside.  Charles  hcgau 
to  be  aware  that  his  prol^g^e,  whom  he  had  carried  oil  to  hie 
fathcr'.i  liousn  withi>ut  asking  himself  whL■Tl^  she  was  to  go  next  if 
she  was  not  welcome,  was  becoming  a  member  of  the  family.  IIo 
law  that  thiH  was  because  she  wss  sueh  a  denr  little  thins,  and  got 
lold  of  eTeiybod,v,  as  well  as  bimself  and  Peeey.  He  was  grate- 
ful to  hi-r  f<ir  being  one-  A  niee  Hx  it  would  hnve  hern,  said  be  to 
himself,  if  A  lice- for- short  had  turned  out  n  ItttJe  beast  I 

Alice- for- jJuirt  sn'mt'd  likely  to  prove  Alicc-for-long.  or  Alico-foj^ 
good:  probably  the  latter.  None  the  Iwa*  hccauiw  of  her  aptitude 
for  instrueticin,  and  greed  for  information  in  the  glorious  new 
world  in  which  she  found  herself.  It  wa»  little  wonder  that  tho 
dreadful  past  was  getting  dimmer  and  dimmer — rapidly  becoming 
a  dream. 

But  Peggy,  noting  this,  noted  also  that  of  this  dream  there  was  a 
survival — an  idealised  memory — that  stemed  to  her  an  injunliec, 
but  always  inirritable.  For  Alico  treasured  the  recollection  of  her 
leather  as  a  good  and  glorioiiM  1>eing,  constantly  adding  to  hia 
imaginary  perfections  as  time  went  on.  But  of  her  mother  no 
memories  were  pbunanl.  She  qtoke  without  rescntmv-nt  of  tb9 
puniNhmentH  she  had  so  often  received  at  her  mother's  banda;  but 
she  clearly  thought  juatice.  or  vengciinoe,  was  her  mother's  funt* 
tion ;  and  lore  was  her  father's.  Peggy  fretted  undet  wWV.  «R«a»«^ 
to  her  the  uufairoeaa  ol  it  alh    If  (which  waa  couce^'^aX^'S  i£CMiSiSub« 


4 
4 


4 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


howerer  improbable)  the  child's  mother  eould  see  from  Bome  Other 
Blatc  nf  Miftrncf  (or  of  entncthitig  cquirnlcnt  in  its  d^ree  to 
what  «*  irail  exiBtenw)  the  child's  memories  respeetireljr  of  her 
husband  nnd  herself,  sho  must  noods  fc«I  the  exquisite  cruelty  of 
the  order  of  creatiou  that  had  warped  her  life:  exoept  indM^l 
aomp  higher  winjom  liad  4mm<^  to  show  her  that  wrong  was 
really  risbt — but  in  a  sense  that  our  fmilu  intelligences  cannot 
grasp. 

P«gBy  would  nay  to  hersolf  at  this  stage  of  her  mental  reriew  of 
the  subject.  "But  then  my  intelligence  u  finite,  niid  can  only  per- 
ceivi;  Iho  i;rui;lty  nnd  the  wrung.  I  refuse  to  tell  any  lies  about 
what  I  thiiik  and  feel  now.  Iiecauae  one  day  I  may  think  other- 
wise." And  she  would  always  wind  op  with  "At  any  rate  /  won't 
marry  and  brin#  vbildren  into  such  a  world — and  any  oiiild  that 
wants  to  be  bom  must  find  another  mother  than  I.  finite  intel- 
lieeweeor  «ol" 

She  bad  almost  attempted,  onee  or  twiee,  to  procure  an  affec- 
tiouate  leiiieticy  towards  her  dtaid  mother  from  Alice,  and  had 
felt  the  hopelessness  of  the  attempt.  The  mother's  excuse  had 
turni^il  on  the  fact  tlint  iihe  hud  li'd  a  poison«^l  life — (hat  she  wait 
always  drugged,  and  that  her  iiersonal  identity  had  no  chanoo 
against  tbi:  drug.  And  Alicia  waai  far  too  young  to  underaland 
the  course  of  events  that  had  vitiated  her  blood  and  made  her  to 
all  intents  and  puqioiwa  giome  one  else.  Fur  the  creature  that 
Charles  bad  seen  on  that  occasion  of  the  broken  jug  was  much 
more  Alcohol  tlian  n  womnn.  Wlirn  Pi'ggy  spoke  with  her  at  the 
Uospital,  on  her  deathbed,  the  obsession  had  been  removi^d  and 
the  woman  had  i-ome  oiiuiii.  just  as  tndy  a»  the  denioniue's  sane 
soul  returned  to  him  when  the  Gadareno  swine  rushed  to  the  Uko 
Mid  bore  hia  eur.'M!  away  for  cvi-r.  She  had  come  back,  and  knew 
and  could  teli  her  own  story.  How  hard  it  seemed  that  no  rond  to 
the  same  cud  could  have  been  found,  abort  of  a  deathbed  in  a 
Hospital,  brought  about  by  a  murderous  blow  that  was  itself  a 
vlionl  in  the  long  aymphony  of  Drink  that  sounded  through  tho 
Inst  years  of  her  lifel  If  she  could  only  have  been  convicted  of  a 
theft,  and  sent  to  prison,  she  might  have  been  redeemed.  But 
whne  w«8  the  use  of  saying  any  of  this  to  a  child!  Some  day.  per- 
haps. Alice  would  be  able  to  understand  ber  mother'a  life,  and  see 
tliat  «he  alone  was  not  to  blame. 

Alice's  n-spue  from  the  fl!iini>  ami  ihe  mire  waa  to  lie  a  remunera- 

'c  one  to  hor  rescuers,  and  no  disappointment.    It  might  easHy 

been  otberwiite.    It  may  be  that  two-thirds  of  the  human 

that  plead  for  space  and  light  and  culture  in  the  great 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


HI 


hells  of  civilisation  nould  give  vt-rj-  littlu  joy  to  tbc  gardoiwrr'n 
hfHrl.  und  rary  rauc-h  work  to  hi»  hood.  But  that  is  just  as  true 
of  m8n,v  who  claim  them  as  a  birthriiprlit.  And  bow  about  the  odd 
third  tlutt  would  pay  *>  well  for  tranHplsnliiig !  Peggy  used  to 
turn  thie  over  and  orer  iu  her  mind  ua  she  wutohed  her  little 
pToiegft  cnr«>ring  biirc-li-gntrd  owr  the  snnda  at  Shdlacombe,  or 
in  hpr  first  Ktorioue  experiences  of  being  bowled  over  by  tlic  sunlit 
ripplu  of  the  littk  bn-uki'm.  Think  of  tiir  contrniitl  Think  of  the 
aordid  nnd  hngfritrd  life  of  the  class  she  came  fritin — t-vt-n  n{  the 
beet  of  it.  Think  of  tliut  nn.-H.  und  the  cntit  thereof  1  Think,  if  you 
dare,  of  the  niill  lower  depths  of  stuffiness  and  foulnoas — no  ron  on 
VeiiKy'a  thouehta  to  lieraelf — of  the  air  of  the  niiim»  whole  families 
sleep  in;  of  the  dreadful  world  in  which  the  threshold  of  the  gunlit 
filth-house  is  the  alepping-atone  to  the  mdy  gUuim  of  lleavcn  it 
can  ever  know  oo  this  aide  of  the  grave  I  And  yet  (even  as  Poggy 
quoted  BrowDJng  to  herself)  Ood  htis  not  imid  one  word!  And 
«II  the  other*  are  there— are  there — are  there  stilll  All  the  olbers. 
so  many  of  u'bum  inijfht  buve  liecn  Aliw?,  and  wen-  nott  PenKy 
felt  half-nutd  with  the  horror  of  it  all.  Oiere  on  the  ShellAeumbe 
htuieh.  with  the  blue  sea  nt  her  f<wt,  nnd  out  nlmvtr  it  an  inertKliblo 
coloMtis  of  ellmbing  cloud;  an  infinity  of  piled  white  vapours  bent 
on  touching  the  seoith.  Hnd  winning  like  to  sucontl.  Slie  felt  it 
almoft  a  pain  to  hear,  across  the  sands,  the  voices  of  the  childr«n  in 
the  water,  aud  Alice's  among  thum.  plain  enough — yea! — that  vna 
her  voice,  no  doubt  of  it !  And  there  were  the  erics  of  the  ffulU,  as 
niusieal  as  when  w<?  uttre  hen?  last  year — and  they  have  gone  on 
cvtr  ninec,  all  the  while  wc  were  in  our  hnplras,  fog-bound  ci-ntn- 
of  civilisation;  and  Alicfi  wjia  where  «-e  shudder  to  think  of  her 
now,  in  that  appalling  uuderin-ound  darkness  witli  her  mother 
snoring  in  a  drunken  sleep,  ami  the  bones  of  the  murdered  woman 
waiting  to  be  an  interesting  discovery.  But  the  other  children — 
the  other  children— they  are  all  there  still  I  And  I'eggy  quoted 
her  Browning  again,  and  added  blaspheraouttly  that  perhaps  it  was 
because  He  was  ashamed  of  His  handiwork.  Don't  bo  angry  with 
her,  y^.  nr  Mr.  Onindy!  She  is  only  grappling,  with  rough  ean- 
dour.  with  the  terrible  problem  that  has  perplexed  and  oppressed 
V»  all.  except  you. 

What  would  not  Peggy  do.  if  she  was  a  millionairet  She  would 
soon  hfivf  thrm  III!  mit^Bll  th"  ehildfen — into  the  minlight.  She 
would  pitch  them,  by  swarms,  into  the  glorious  water.  She  would 
drcMK  thrm  in  all  luirls  of  nice  little  costumes  »ui;h  as  Alitr  hnd — 
none  of  your  workhouse  grey!  She  would  feed  them,  and  teaclv 
them  (only  Khc  wouldn't  have  them  taught  an?  l«A»e\iwA«^t,  ftx^^ 


L 


J 


143 


AUCE-FOR-SIIORT 


t 
f 


turn  them  into  sober,  uaeful,  bone^t  member?  of  th&  common- 
wulth.  And  «*  for  tlirir  |iiirt--iiiii,  they  woultin't  mukf.  any  difH- 
culltea — ihey  nxvuld  let  hpr  do  ns  nhn  liked.  Of  co\ir*o  they  would, 
PessT  di-*r.  with  :rour  beautiful  hair,  aiid  your  beautiful  eyes,  and 
|1m>  »earoKt  apjiroftcfa  to  a  wrinkle  that  thought  nhout  a  very  dovil 
of  a  world  can  make  in  your  beautiful  brow— of  course  they  would 
let  you  harw  them.  No  difGculty  about  it!  In  fact,  tJicy  will 
mak«  none,  nettlier,  about  getting  you  plenty  more  where  thoao 
camtf  from,  if  you  want  them — or  if  you  don't ! 

Poor  Pewo"!  She  was  imii^itiff  siich  a  sweet  Garden  of  Edon, 
■U  fuU  of  hundrudit  of  happy  liltle  people  like  those  over  tbero 
(really  it's  time  for  that  child  to  fome  out!),  and  the  Inut  turn 
of  hur  drtiam  struck  a  diseord — it  was  just  as  though  tlie  Serptuit 
had  runjr  at  the  bell,  and  Rent  in  word  that  if  he  wasn't  admitted 
at  the  front  gate  he  could  find  no  end  of  ways  of  alipping  in.  And 
why  {ran  the  cumMit  of  Pegpy'i*  thoughts)— why  do  we  blame  him. 
wlifii  hia  ciiiefest  fuuction,  his  most  effectual  modus  opi^randi,  U 
to  inatiicale  a  blind  obedienec  to  the  very  first  instruction  Uod  gavo 
to  Man,  when  He  plaaul  him  in  the  pirden?  Ha*  he  not  a  elaim 
to  an  ahuost  official  position,  with  a  right  to  millions  of  promotion 
money,  for  his  rxfrtions  (in  conjunction  with  two  other  member« 
of  a  great  Syndicate)  towards  the  increase  and  multiplication  of 
man  and  the  replenishment  of  the  Earth  f  He  may  be  the  Father 
of  Lies,  but  is  he  not  also  tlie  Fatlier  of  r»ndon  and  Liverpoolt  I« 
be  not  perhaps  a  faithful  serpent,  a  well-intentioned  Afc^ncy.  who 
has  a  little  exceeded  bis  instruct! on ».  which  ought  to  haw  beon 
elenrrr,  and  contained  clauses  dealing  with  congested  districta, 
cubic  feet  per  adult,  accessibility  of  maikets.  and  so  forth?  Or  are 
w«  to  suppose  that  the  primordial  instincts  of  Nature  are  due  to  an 
oversight  of  the  Almighty  ?^that  if  he  had  only  th<jiight  a  littlo 
longer,  and  not  bwn  in  sjieh  a  hurrT,-.  he  would  have  turned  out  a 
t«ry  different  Creation;  and  poor  Mr*.  Kavanagh.  Alici's  mother, 
never  would  have  gone  to  the  ]>cvil,  and  her  husband  wouldn't  haTo 
hammered  her  scalp  off,  nor  provided  himaelf  with  an '■■emergency 
bottle  of  Cyanide  t 

Peggy  wasn't  a  Freethinkt-r,  not  »Iic!  But  ahe  wu*  rather  a  freo 
Thinker;  and  we  perceive,  dear  Mrs.  Grundy,  that  you  are  riflbt, 
and  that  such  Doctrines  are  Dangerous,  and  that  Peggj-  wa«  in 

rBeed  of  flnidancc.    Perhaps  we  nil  are.  when  we  move  in  the  dark. 

|3o(ter  to  sit  still,  and  shuii  speculation,  whether  tlie  Scripture 
nOTeth  ua  to  it  iu  sundry  places  or  not.    But  lOio  wasn't  that  sort; 
_mu«t  needs  be  a-thinking.     And  she  sat  there  on  llie  sands 
Alice,  I  aju  aure,  stop  in  a  great  deal  loo  long)  wonder- 


I 
I 
I 

I 

I 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


143 


JO' 


ing  at  (he  great  doud-uountutii  that  al^  or  aoorod.  or  botli, 
above  its  inmne  in  tlio  sea.     How  litllo  it  cared  for  tJie  emoke 

ail  of  uTi  o(«an  Iraiup.  Bristol-bound,  that  couid  do  ua  more 

lan  just  defile  the  horizon  a  littio  at  its  biiso,  out  ra^twarde.  Up 
climbod — up,  up! — for  tver.  iuto  the  unfathoumlik-  blue — you 
inly  Deeded  to  natcli  it  for  a  space  to  imairine  its  endloss  Icaniit's 
mountain  mid  vallvy.  of  pivcipioc  and  plain;  to  di.imvt'r  itH 
caverns  that  you  did  not  see  at  fintt;  and  then  to  populate  tiiem 
all.  plain,  precipit.'e,  and  uavcrn,  with  countloas  niyria<la  of  winged 
things,  each  one  a  little  joy-spot  to  itself,  and  all  the  lemons  of 
tkutn  rising  ^till  higher  and  bightr  to  the  high  heaven,  and  rejoic- 
ing in  the  Kun. 

"Yea,  that's  all  verj-  fine,"  said  PegRy  in  answer  to  her  own 
tbought.  "Of  conrsn  if  onn  <X)iild  bi^  a  littli;  Blnbry  Hort  of  Kpirit, 
swimming  in  the  blue  I  But  one  isn't.  And  suppose  one  is  Sally  in 
our  alley,  und  our  alh-y  in  a  Htent'h-holt',  with  no  mori-  joy  in  it 
.n  cau  be  got  from  an  ill-intentioned  Piiblic-ilouse  and  a  wcll- 
intmtionod  Piirson!    What  do  you  make  of  thatt" 

Nothing.  Neither  you  nor  I  nor  any  one  else  can  make  anything 
of  it.  It  remains  the  unanswi^md  and  unaniiwerablo  c'onundrum  ot 
the  iuscrvitaUe  Sphinx,  Nature, 

PeRgy  ""^*"'  obliged  to  leave  tJie  Origin  of  Evil,  and  the  Omnipo- 
tent Omni  benevolence  of  ila  Creator,  no  clearer  than  she  found  it, 
in  onicr  to  gt-t  Aliw-  out  of  the  water.  Ilnw  to  do  tliin  was  ut-arly 
as  difHcidi  a  probleni.  for  Aliee  had  the  coign  of  Tantage,  and 
knew  quiti-  well  that  neitiit-r  Miaa  Peggy  nor  Mrs,  Parkridge  could 
couTenienily  come  into  the  water  to  fetch  her  out.  llcr  position 
was  not  one  of  resistance,  but  of  poitpoocraent  and  ftui>plicatioii. 
Ita  ponttr  lay  in  an  infinitely  large  number  of  infinitely  small 
breaches  of  faith.  To  refuse  flatly  to  come  out  of  the  water  is  one 
thing:  <o  promise  to  <rome  out  in  a  minute— only  one  minute  more! 
— and  elwiiys  get  ihe  promissory  note  renewed  at  its  expiration,  i« 
another. 

In  thi-  end  Alice  was  fctclied  out;  and.  being  absolutely  cold  like 
a  fish,  and  having  pale  blue  finger-tips  and  chattering  teeth,  she  had 
to  run  about  l-vlt  so  long  in  the  sun  to  get  warm.  .  .  .  SttU  more 
food  for  reflection!  Just  to  think  of  what  and  where  that  child 
would  hnve  h«ra — ^but  for  the  merest  choniret     The  harder  Peggy 

und  it  to  grasp  the  difference,  the  more  hideous  «'as  the  thought — 
the  other  childrm  art;  tkerc  still! 

Though  Peggy  had  never  been  wanting  in  readiness  to  join  in 
charitable  work,  or  in  «orrow  for  misfortune  and  po\i!t\? ,  Aw  \ia\ 
never  suffered  from  tSie  nightinuro  of  oui  gtcat  aa&  ^t<^s^^<im.% 


144 


ALIOE-FOR-SnORT 


civilisation  until  tho  bormr  of  tlie  livo«  of  t^ns  of  tfaousaDda  naa 
brought  home  to  her  by  this  chauce  emancipation  of  one.  Shu  got 
no  forwardrr  townrds  a  conchmion,  even  by  thp  time  all  the  eand 
was  got  off  Aiice'a  feet;  which  was  a  loopj:  time,  but  not  Mrs.  Park-^H 
ridge's  estimato  of  "ix  wccIcm.  Shr  only  went  back  lo  htr  old  ent>*^| 
elusion,  tliat  Population  tuaa  the  root  of  all  evil,  and  that  liie 
world  miRbt  bo  a  Rood  and  hnppy  world  if  only  the  ji rope n«i tip*  of 
tho  Fatriarfhs  oould  be  kept  under.  "Moke  yourselves  scarce!" 
would  hnvp  bcon  her  advice  to  Uie  Human  Rncr — "Maki-  yoiirsirlvi-a 
scarce,  aad  we'll  do  the  real!" — we  being  Representative  Govern- 
nont,  or  Edticution,  or  the  Churclies,  or  Endowed  Charitica,  or 
Sodety.  or  C<M>peralive  Kffort— (me  or  other  of  them  I  Anyhow 
K>mo  nRi^cy  which  knnwi<  how  lo!  Mpanwhite  it  was  clear  that 
Marria^,  under  whatever  form  it  presented  itself,  was  tlio  Old 
Scrpcnt'a  tninip-<?«rd — and  oh  what  n  faculty  he  has  for  putting  a 
naiserable  two  or  three  on  the  top  of  our  best  Kings  and  Aces  and 
taking  thn  trick!  However,  it  wna  in  Peggy's  power  to  set  a  ROod^J 
ejumple  and  she  was  guiug  to  do  it.  W 

But  the  Serpent  ie  the  subtlest  eft  of  nil  the  field — at  Itaat  ao 
iays  WicUra  version — and  t-ven  at  this  very  moment  he  was  schem-^— 
ing  the  frustration  of  a  million  resolutions  just  as  <leberminc[!  al^f 
Pe^ioy's.  He  doesn't  go  to  work  in  identically  the  same  way  with^^ 
all  people.  If  he  did  he  wouldn't  be  a  subtle  eft  at  all.  On  the 
contrary  he  has  a  different  bait  for  every  fish.  lie  throws  his 
hook  !<>  the  shark  and  dog-tish  with  a  hug<^  coarse  piece  of  ficsh  on 
it,  tainted  as  often  as  not.  And  they  bolt  it  at  once  and  nra 
captured,  and  are  iieunlly  landed  and  curried  nway  by  him.  Some- 
times they  run  away  with  thu  bait,  and  the  angler  is  disappointed. 
But  when  the  fish  ie  a  ehy  fish,  and  wilt  only  jump  at  tho  most 
delicately  madcr  fly,  with  tho  moat  beautiful  colours,  then  the 
woild's  great  mischief-maker  has  plenty  in  stock  and  known  how 
to  use  tliem.  In  thr  caw  b^-forc  un  hi*  inmiediate  motive  is  only 
to  ruin  a  castle  in  the  air  of  an  enthusiastic  j'oung  lady.  He  is 
much  too  clever  to  try  to  shake  bcr  resolves,  by  oSeriug  her 
any  of  the  baits  supplied  by  the  other  two  members  of  bis  .Syn- 
dicate of  thn^i.-.  Rut  ho  will  look  in  bin  wuUct  and  find  some- 
thing, fl 

Peggy  srnt  Alice  and  Mrs.  Partridge  home,  and  "et  out  to  mee*^" 
her  mother  and  sister  and  Misa  Petherington.  who  had  gone  for  a 
walk  along  the  sands.     Then  it  proved  so  tremendously  hot  walk- 
ing, that  she  gave  it  up,  and  turned  to  go  slowly  home,  pursuing 
her  mr^ditations. 

"//  onls  oae  could  get  any  one  to  talk  to  about  one's  idea^ 


W^  ALICE-FOB-SnOKT  145 

how  nicP  it  would  be!  I'm  eur«  it  ouffht  to  be  posstblo  to  do 
sometliins — if  it  waa  ever  aa  little.  But  [wople  urn  §uch  fools  tmil 
so  iiDprncticaL    Papa,  for  instance! 

"Only  Fopa  isn't  quit«  u  fool,  becautw  look  what  he  said  onm 
whrn  I  did  gel  him  to  be  wrious  for  a  minute — about  not  being 
able  to  reform  the  World  until  we'd  refuruied  Uiit  Flesh  nnd  tlie 
Duvil,"  No  <loiibt  this  did  Mr.  Hcnth  credit,  though  we  fancy 
Ibe  remark  had  been  made  before.    But  let  Peggy  go  on  with  her 

"It  it  so  aunorine.  when  you  think  what  Ewarme  of  friends  sud 
acquainlanccH  you'vt-  got.  that  y»ii  ruii't  find  mid  you  ean  upenk  to 
obout  a  thing  you  are  always  thinking  of.  I  really  do  think,  of 
all  the  lot,  there  tf>n't  a  living  Houl  I  ctui  exchange  an  idi^u  witli. 
Except  Rupert  Johnson,  and  he's  quite  out  of  the  question.  It's 
dangerous  to  mmtioii  anything  to  him  now." 

The  sun  liad  gone  for  a  moment  behind  a  solid  cloud,  and  Peggy 
watt  HtandinK  in  ii  purpli^  inland — only  it  didn't  eeem  purple  where 
she  was.  She  half-closed  her  sunshade,  and  stood  scratching  the 
Mad  with  its  point,  making  letters.  We  really  don't  think  it 
was  aoythiug  but  the  merest  accident  that  one  of  these  letters  was 
nn  R-  Ind<i^  then-  wus  nothing  to  distinguinh  it  from  the  others 
she  traced  except  that  she  rubbed  it  out  with  her  foot.  If  it  stood 
for  Ruport  (whidi  I  see  is  the  iiurmisc  in  your  mind),  it  did  not 
do  BO  long,  for  she  bad  rubbed  it  out  almost  as  soon  as  she  had 
written  it. 

"Yra — that's  what  I  sh^il!  do — the  very  next  opportunity.    Of 

conrM  it  will  never  do  to  hnve  thia  sort  of  thing  goiue  on — oh  1 " 

This  interjection,  whii-h  wp  cannot  wrilc  in  the  text  nn  n«  to  do 
it  iiuitioe.  was  due  to  the  first  jwrception  of  a  young  man  approach- 
ing, with  intent.  A  handsome  sort  of  fellow  certainly,  in  n  very 
■•M-d<le  costume.  He  iniglit  be  a  yacbtaman.  We  did  not  catdi 
nhat  be  said  to  PcttflT.  hut  cnn  record  her  anMwor. 

"Well — how  can  you  eitpect  any  one  to  know  you  in  those  flao- 
nelly  thingst  You  don't  look  the  least  like  a  doctor!  When  did 
you  cornel " 

"Late  last  night    Went  to  see  n  friend  at  Barnstaple "* 

"You  knew  we  were  here  I" 

"Of  cotirw  I  did.  That'is  why  I  went  to  see  my  friend  at  Bam- 
ataple " 

"Good,  truthful,  honest  young  man!  But  I  never  told  jou  you 
might  come- 


k 


"Shall  I  gn  away  againr 

"To  your  friend  at  Barnstaplet    He  can  w^U" 


146 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


"It's  not  a  tip— it'"  n  she!  N<i — y<ni  nccyin't  look  so — it's  not 
Uuit  sort  of  she.    Sbe's  niuety-scren  iienl  month " 

"VVc)l  now,  Mastrr  Rupert!  Whnt  n  shame (  Ton  n-nlly  mni]i> 
me  ihiiik  it  was  Something.  I  should  have  beoo  bo  ([lad."  We 
can't  Ktop  in  iJin  midillc  of  n  convrrsiitiun  to  iinnly^c  ■  focllng  of 
siivb  a  siilide  (character  as  Peg^'s  alleged  exultatiou,  present  or 
fuhiw,  lit  Dr.  Johtksoii  having  st-t  hiineflf  up  will]  a  new  She,  nnil 
giren  up  his  noDsense.  "T  really  shoiitd  have  hoen  glnd  of  thai!" 
sho  n'p™t<il.  Shi?  nibbitl  it  will  in.  so  tUut  ibt'ro  ftlwiiUl  be  no  mis- 
take.   "But  <io  tell  me  about  the  old  lady  of  niucty-sevcD- -" 

"Shi'V  II  woniliTful  oM  liuiy — wiw  nboul  seventy  when  she.  fiwt 
made  my  aci|i)aint«nce,  and  hae  known  mo  all  my  life.  She  hae 
B  twin  ainlLT  who  is  irvoD  more  n<'tivu  than  berwif.  One  of  thuni 
must  live  to  be  a  hundred.    She's  had  four  busbnnds "  | 

"Bieas   UB  and  save   ua!     And  how  nmny  di^cendnntal  ,  .  .' 
Fancyl— four  familica,  earh  with  ii  name  to  iteclfl     Tell  mo  the 
names  of  all  the  old  lady's  husbands." 

"I  npviT  recollecl  them  twice  bHUc,"  said  Dr.  Johnson.  "But 
I  think  tliey  were  Spaekman,  Clale.  Lecheminutit.  and  BanHt. 
She's  Mrs.  Bnrrctt  now,  and  lives  in  a  cottage  at  BaniBlapIe.  Siie 
wtt*  my  Diirsi*  wlw'u  T  was  a  baby.  Slie  is  so  well  known  to  me  an 
Anne,  that  I  have  iu  practice  a  kind  of  di§belief  in  her  ever  hav- 
ing been  Hts.  Spaokman  or  Lectieminant.  I  make  u  concesaion  (o 
Barrett,  hut  grudgingty.  Ilaven't  you  ever  felt  the  same  about 
some  niirae  with  a  Christina  name!" 

"No— T  never  had  n  chancel  Because  Partridire  i?  my  only 
experience.  It  seems  to  me  that  sho  la  Partridfre.  in  the  nature  of 
thingH.  and  nothing  coidd  ever  have  altered  it.  I'm  not  quite  cer- 
tain what  her  Christian  name  is.    Here  we  are  at  the  bouse.    Of 

courw!  yoTi'll  com('  in  and  have  limchf "    Of  coutm-,  but  witli 

slight  shams  of  reserve.     "That  hat  looks  as  if  they  were  come 

bade "     They  limJ,  and  lunch  was  waiting,  and  Ellen  ruflhed 

downstairs  like  the  Falls  of  Niagara.  Ilcr  mother  followed  in  a 
mon?  wlf-wmteiiifd  way  like  the  water  in  n  tnrbine-tube,  and 
coupled  an  expression  of  well -con  trolled  pleasure  at  seeing  Dr. 
JobnKon  witli  iin  enquiry  how  long  he  waB  going  to  atay, 

Mrs.  ilealh  didn't  like  "the  way  things  were  goingr"  with  her 
flaiightcr  and  the  Doctor;  but,  beinK  wise  enough  to  know  that  any 
interference  on  her  part  would  defeat  its  own  objcet,  she  raised  no 
obj(:ctii>ii  to  Dr.  Johuson  taking  up  hia  quarlera  at  Slu-llacoinbc 
Hotel,  with  freedom  of  the  foreshores  of  Shcltacombe.  Nothing 
wa»  »aid  about  restrictions  on  viuiting  at  Sea  View,  which  wag 
the  residence  taken  bodily  by  the  Uoatb  family;  who  had  come  with 


A 


ALICE-FOR-RHORT 


a  coob,  aiu)  inore  aervantit  than  could  find  cmploTmeDt.  to  eta; 
till  the  rnd  of  the  Mason,  a  perioi  fixed  at  dUcrvtioii.  8ho1In> 
oombe  consisted  of  thb  hoiisi-  iind  the  Uotfl,  one  ot  two  mora 
houKT",  tlip  bjitchcr'jt,  and  the  Post  Office,  It  was  only  by  oon- 
eiuumale  6trat**y  that  any  oni*  coining  out  of  doors  could  avoid 
any  one  coming  out  of  any  other  doors;  so  reservations  iuuil«  with 
a  view  of  limiting  Dr.  Johimun.  or  any  other  llotvl  resident,  would 
only  have  betrayed  weakness  of  jurisdietion.  and  lint,  Ilpnth  felt 
that  subiuisBiou  was  tbi:  litrtlcr  part  of  valour,  and  mbmittcd.  Per- 
hajm  tbp  Doctor  would  really  believe  Peggy's  resolutions  were 
valid,  and  would  ahfer  oil.  So  .iIip  ki-|it  nintrcn^ly  neutral,  promptod 
by  her  own  version  of  her  dauKbter's  best  interesta. 

Now  Master  Rupert  (as  Pegicy  ba<]  tJiought  lit  to  chriiti-n  bim) 
had  never  nude  a  formal  suit  to  the  object  of  his  adoration— f/i  uf 
be  would  never  havi^  done  witliout  consulting  Iit^r  fainil.v!  Six- 
had  informed  him  that  nothin?  would  induce  her  to  marry  even  the 
man  she  Iik<'d  host,  in  tlie  world,  and  as  she  really  didn't  al  pren-nt 
know  any  one  she  liked  better  (as  a  friend  of  course)  nhc  was 
vtrs  anxiotm  ho  tdiotiUl  dismiss  noiiKeusical  idcaa  from  hi»  mind 
and  be  rcaMinable  and  seuiiible.  lie  had  assured  her  that  in  his 
wildest  dreams  hp  m-vi-r  nliould  liuvf  pre-sumiHl  to  tbiidt  of  offer- 
ing ber  his  wortblesii  self,  but  that  it  was  quite  inevitable  in  tbo 
Nature  of  Things  that  liht:  shoidxl  never  be  absent  from  hia 
Ihougbtis,  sleeping  or  waking.  Surely  it  was  hi*  own  look  out  if 
he  1c»l  his  rr-asoR  and  wimt  into  n  madhoust?  thiuugli  indulging 
this  prepossession.  She  had  cciven  him  plain  warning  what  be  hud 
to  expert  from  ber.  Very  good!  It  was  all  fair  on  both  sides, 
bien  ^nUndu.  And  we  could  walk  over  to  Surgo  Point,  and  tako 
Alice  with  us  this  aftenioon.  Oh  yeal — Alice  eould  ito  quite  aa 
far  as  thai — if  »lio  did  knock  up.  Dr.  Juhiirton  would  have  to 
earrj-  hor. 


CHAPTER  XTV 

OP  BOIIEMU,  AKO  BOW  THE  HIB8  PHTNXBS  APPEASED  THERE.      OF  TBB 
FLVB  ART»  AND  THE  ETGHTT.RKTH  CENTORV.     OP  TRRPSIOilORE,  AX»  4.J 
UtIOfiT  TIIAT  MK.  llE.tTU  HAW  ^ 

CiiAKLES  bad  a  subcutaneous  conseioiiaru'as  that  h^  wax  not  doing 
full  jtislicfr  to  the  Fine  Arts;  bh(J  when  he  resolved  to  remain  in 
town  for  the  prcsrnt  and  grt  »  little  <?bange-  of  nir  "Intt-r  on,"  he 
folt  lliat  hi:  wnti  H-uIIy  workintr  hard — etrivjng  ever  upwards,  and 
that  Life  was  roni.  Life  was  enrneul.  Besides,  whpn  everybody  was 
goiie  away  it  wue  so  jolly  iii  London.  There  was  next  to  no  smoke, 
and  you  felt  you  could  turn  round.  The  opeuiiigs  given  to  thOj 
Bohemiiin  for  asBerfinE  his  nationality  in  the  season  wcw 
moonlight  unto  sunlight,  were  as  water  unto  wine,  compared 
his  pnssibililies  in  this  dull  and  flat  recess.  lie  could  dress  ae  lu 
pleased,  and  even  go  without  a  waistcoat.  He  could  ait  up  all  niKhtl 
if  he  liked,  and  !io  in  bed  till  goodness  knew  whcnl  And  tlicn, 
when  d^oodnesit  knew,  he  reully  didn't  see  why  a  dressing-gown  and 
slipper*  wouldn't  do;  and.  accordingly,  they  did.  We  really  believe^ 
that  ■  multiplication  of  items  of  this  sort  would  grive  a  true  vtt:v 
of  Bohenuanisni  aa  practised  by  Charles.  There  are,  we  belie 
other  national  cbaracicristics;  hut,  so  far  na  wi;  have  b(K':i  nb)!; 
learn,  they  lack  local  colour  and  individuality — and  do  not  seem 
to  differ  mulcrially  from  those  of  the  great  nation  of  rr]>rtihatcs  all 
the  world  over.  Charles  was  not  of  this  class.  His  easy 
good-RAtiin-  iind  rendincirs  with  cash  made  him  popular  in 
Sohemian  circles,  especially  with  models;  so  much  so  timt  he  never 
sat  down  to  work  without  a  knock  coming  at  the  door,  which  when 
partly  opened  let  in  the  thin  end  of  a  Model.  Of  course  this  fl 
happened  exactly  as  he  made  his  good  resolution  to  stick  to  work —  " 
and  the  thick  t-nd  nhon-ed  no  disposition  to  go  unless  he  promised 
it  eittinga.  But  aa  Charles  didn't  want  it  then  and  there  (and  it 
was  rather  indifrnnnt  when  not  wanted),  he  had  to  stand  holding 
the  door  partly  open  while  he  conversed  about  it*  family  con- 
DSCtion  with  it,  for  a  lonir  time  before  it  would  depart.  Ho  wa« 
diHlurbed  again  in  onotlier  five  minutes  by  an  indigi'nt  m<Tl[ 
middk-aced  man  with  mutton-chop  wbiskere,  wbo  had  no  meana  o£ , 

HI3 


lieve^^ 
viev^l 
ieiv4^| 
)e  t«B 


1 


ALICE-FOE-SHORT 


149 


I « 


livelihood  except  8s  an  nrtiat's  model;  and  for  whoso  d«alb  by  star- 
vatioii,  UN  ha  wrnt  loo  protid  tp  ootnc  on  the-  Parish,  ChnriM  wns 
clcnrly  r««poneibl«  if  he  did  not  forihwilh  paint  bim  ot  seven 
sbillin^  n  day  and  bin  luuirb.  Of  oourw;  be  e<rt  half-B-cr(iwn  from 
Cbarles  as  a  uratuity,  and  went  niray  thinkind  how  soon  he  could 
comi-  »i;uiu.  ViMtorii  of  this  Mrt  vn^a  Irjiiig  enough  at  all  tiroea, 
but  when  all  the  other  artiste  were  out  of  town  thc^  vote  at  tbeir 
wo  rat. 

Mr.  Jeff  was,  iboug-h  scarcely  a  pqirobatc,  probably  a  murh  truer 
icuian  tliau  Charles.  The  first  tngtance  utilised  above,  when  it 
went  iipetairs  to  call  on  ibe  nrti»t  in  U«'  attivn  might  havu  b<wn 
beard  (or  a  very  long  lime  afterwards  bav-iuK  a  pleasant  but  noisy 
iRtcrvicv  with  him  and  a  oouplr  of  fellow-drtiala.  Mr.  Jl-II  mia 
Bt  work — was  iu  fact  puttioK  in  an  'ead  from  one  of  hi«  fric^dc 
;Iow  the  work  lhr<ir«  wc  cannot  nay;  the  impreaKioii  oulnide  iht- 
^door  was  one  of  Chaos,  accompanied  by  imitations  of  popular 
actoni.  The  n-awn  wc  comit  to  know  anything  about  it  is  that  Uisa 
Prj'iitic  and  her  sister,  the  two  lady  watcr-colour  arli^ts  who  had 
taken  the  second  floor,  told  Charles  nhniil  it 

"It  souitdfKl  aa  if  they  wen'  racing  rOuud  and  round  the  room, 
and  shouting  and  shrieking  all  tho  tinic."  This  was  the  account 
given,  and  Chark-a  ft-ll  bt-  could  iiltiitify  it. 

"Old  maids  call  auythiu'  a  noise.  You  can't  move."  Thus  Mr. 
Jcrrythoiight  iu  cxtc:i  nation  nftcrwardi"  to  Charles.  "It  wo»  only 
3oe  Scratchly  and  old  Gorman.  Teachiu'  him  a  now  dance,  sho 
wa» — no  'arm  iu  that,  Charley  f" 

"Not  a  bit  I  Perhaps  it  wa§  only  the  Misses  Prjnne  were  j«iloua. 
No  doubt  you  wiTc  Hs  i|iiiet  ait  niiCT"." 

"IJone  of  your  chaff,  Charley  I"  And  Ihen  a  spirit  of  conce^sjon 
showed  itself: — "P'r'aps  slie  was  rather  obntropuloiis  I  'Igh-spirited 
ffurl  in  her  teens  I" 

"She  hasn't  beeu  in  her  teeus  thia  five  years  past.  She'a  four 
and  twenty  at  IcasI  I" 

"She's  younger  than  th<»  Miiuies  Prj-nncs,  anyhow!"  and  Mr. 
Jerry t bo uirht  coii«idcrs  he  has  made  a  p(tint, 
.  "So  are  a  good  iiiany  im-ojiIp.  my  dear  JeS  I  But  there's  a  (crfi'utn. 

I        fiiul — a  Kood  many  tertium  quidt!" 

I  Mr.  Jeff  seems  vague  about  tho  meaning  of  this  pbrasc.  and  not 

I       quite  clear  that  it  is  not  an  imputation  on  character;  fur  lie  says 
^B.Binhtgvously  that  Miss  Lucretia  lives  with  her  mother,  and  if  that 
^^Hau't  enoufch.  what  is!    Charles  explains  the  expression,  and  Jeff 
^^  rays  oh,  be  »^^^» !    But  he  is  a  poor  Lutinist,  and  dow  tiiA,  lotj^  "iM 
ground  firm  under  hie  feet 


ti 


4 


150 


ALICE-FOR-SHOET 


^ 

ciun''H 


Whnt  Mr,  Jeff  did  feci  clear  about  was  that  it  was  rather  sickciun' 
to  liave  ibude  two  old  drunmlicOfH  (thi?  Miiia  Prj'iini^)  ct>nic  in  and 
epoil  tKi^  place.  Just  as  we  were  nil  so  jolly!  He  should  go  next 
(juarter,  Tiimin'  iho  wholir  [iliu-i'  iiilo  a  Dtsseriliii'  CliaiH-I! 
Qimkers'  Mectin'-houiw,  he  ctillcd  it.  Where  was  the  use  of 
payin'  aucb  a  hi^h  rent  whea  you  couldn't  call  your  soul  your 
own  I 

"The  MiMOB  Prynnes  won't  do  you  aiiy  tisnn.  Jeff,"  said  liis 
friend,  "if  you  leave  them  alone.  Don't  yoii  make  love  to  them 
aud  they  wim't  make  love  to  you."  j 

"Won't  they!  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that  0:ie  of  them — the  least 
8kinu>'  of  the  two — was  Uyia'  il  on  yesterday.  Did  I  know  if  there 
wax  a  trapdoor  anywhere  to  get  on  the  leads)  Wanted  to  make  a 
study  of  ehLmney-pot«  in  water-eolour." 

"How  did  yoii  coinr  to  be  talking  to  her!" 

"I  didn't — she  talked  to  loe.  I  heard  a  sound  like  ■  single 
middle-agi'd  fcmnle's  'oofs  in  that  queer  little  erili  tliat's  neither  a 
room  nor  a  landinjt — right  up  at  the  top  of  that  last  little  stair- 
case.   And  I  caught  her  there- 

" t'laiirunte  dvliclo,"  said  Charles,     And  this  lime  Jeff  B4!n'cd, 
without  hesitation.     It  sounded  bad,  and  felt  like  a  safe  inves 
tnent. 

"That"?  what  I  thought,  myself."  said  he,  "only  I  couldn't  say 
eo  to  Ikt.  T  n.iki'd  her  if  I  could  do  anythiu'  of  a  civil  sort,  Sli« 
wanted  to  know  if  the  place  was  staircase  or  premises;  and  suppoN* 
iiig  preniist-s,  wfaicli  did  it  go  with)  Of  course  I  said  it  was  part 
of  my  diggings,  but  I  shouldn't  be  using  it  till  to-morrow " 

"But  it  doesn't  belong  to  your  Studio  at  all." 

"\  know  that — but  premiaes  arc  not  like  property.  You  get 
in,  end  otlier  people  have  to  pick  you  out  like  a  winkle.  I've  chris- 
tened the  place  mine  now,  and  'ung  up  n  pair  of  old  check  trousers 
on  a  'ook  to  'orrlfy  tJie  Misses  Pryiines.  Well!  if  I  don't  they'll 
be  swarmin'  upstairs  with  biindboxes " 

*•!  dou'l  liolieve  it.     But  how  did  you  settle  about  the  roof  1 " 

"Told  lier  there  was  n  trnp-door  through,  out  of  my  bedroom; 
B  but  it  hud  been  tried  to  be  o|ieiied.  and  wouldn't.    Besides,  I  was 

I  always  in  bed.    Said  T  rpnd  in  l>ed  a  good  deal " 

I  Tou  newr  read,  Jeff!     What  a  story-teller  you  arel     I  say. 

^  It 
■  "^ 


I 


I  had  breakfast  very  early.  I  i-oto  wc  go  and  lunch  at  Crcmoncini'n. 
It'll  bo  one  o'clock  before  we  pet  it."  From  whi<'h  it  is  clear  that 
this  chat  took  place  in  working  houn;  and,  whichever  Studio  it 
was  in.  ih«  occupant  of  the  other  bad  no  busineea  to  be  idling  aud 
Calking  there. 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT  ISl 

So  etnnpVrtcly  is  the  imiigc  of  wliat  conititutoa  "an  Artist" 
txed  in  the  mind  of  ETeryman  that  as  soon  sit  he  know^  tluit  this 
Ktock  <|Uiilificii(i»nH  of  ibc  profesBion  are  compliei]  with,  ho  makee 
little  enquify  about  what  the  outcome  of  it  ail  is.  That  is  the  affair 
of  Critics.  Purdm*i--rs,  and  Dealers,  All  that  he,  Evt-ryuian.  has  to 
do  is  to  (ret  an  affirmative  answer  to  one  nr  more  of  tho  following 
queatioRS,  ami  tli<.-n  lu^  will  know  thai  lhi§  man  is  an  Artist — to 
wit:  llos  this  man  a  Stinliot  Has  he  one  or  more  easel* i  Docs  ho 
buy  large  i|UHntitit-s  of  ooloun.  and  net  professional  discount  f 
Does  he  employ  real  live  ModeJsf  Does  he  wnd  to  the  Academy  I 
If  he  docs  no  ouc  of  (heae  things,  he  evidently  isn't  an  Artist — if 
he  does  them  all  or  any  fair  proportion  of  them,  he  evidently  is. 
Evcr^rman  m  aalistied.  and  ni>  man  loolu  at  the  resulta  or  carm 
twopence  about  them.  Maybe  this  was  truer  in  the  siities  than  it 
is  now,  when  very  few  people  are  not  Artint*,  and  spcciilativt-  build* 
rTM  arc  running  up  barracks  of  Studios  in  every  suburb;  when 
Artiala'  Coloiirnien  are  as  numerous  as  inilk-ahops.  and  everj-  pout 
brings  a  new  little  book  of  canvas  samples;  when  most  of  the 
Timet  newspaper  is  taken  up  with  One  Man  Exhibitions,  which 
Kveryman  in  expected  to  go  to.  and  we  never  go  to  unless  we  bare 
a  free  paaa.  In  the  sixties  it  was  not  at  all  uncommon  to  hear  of 
n  picture  eale;  in  the  case  of  big  swells  ooroiietted  suppUcantB 
were  humbly  competing  with  Cali Cottonopolis  for  tho  privilcfre  of 
poeeeesinK  their  great  works  as  soon  as  they  should  deign  to  finish 
them.  It  is  all  chimgrd  now.  as  far  sk  the  buyer*  go.  and  Evcry- 
maa  is  really  weary  of  Kidiibitions.  We.  ourselves,  feel  we  mitfht 
p«y  a  shilling  of  gate-money  if  only  all  the  Picturc-.i  in  an  Exhi- 
bition w«r«  bung  with  their  faces  to  the  wall.  Not  seeing  so  many 
pictures  all  at  once  would  give  a  siiise  of  rust,  and  allow  n»  to 
rocrnit  and  bccomo  able  to  rejoice  In  Treatment  and  Quality  and 
Due  £:;ubordi nation  as  of  old.  and  to  recognise  Values  and  uU  that 
aort  of  thitig  instead  of  thinking  it  must  be  getting  on  for  Tea-time. 

But  we  have  digressi'il.  and  we  really  have  forgotten  why.  It  baa 
nothing  to  do  with  what  wo  wanted  to  say,  which  wnst  that  tho 
outcome  of  Charles  did  nut  seem  proportionate  to  his  espenditur«, 
eflort,  or  material.  He  was  an  Artist— no  doubt  of  ibat — for  did  he 
not  comply  with  all  the  regui^itions? — no,  not  quite  all!  lie  had 
never  sent  anything  to  the  Royal  Academy,  his  connection  thcn- 
with  being  only  through  his  studentship,  which  he  reverted  to  in  a 
purpoa>elc«K  way  at  intervals,  sometimes  not  going  there  for  months 
together.  But  on  all  other  points  his  claim  to  being  an  Artist  was 
indisputable.  Scarcely  a  week  passed  without  a  vcr^  i>VsA>oii».\fc 
and  expensive  new  canvas  coming  to  Ko.  40,  au^  Vnw£  «,\}\iyxM^ 


AUCE-FOR-SnORT 

to  B  most  E«iir«hiiig  ntammation  of  ite  merits.  If  then?  wns  a  flaw 
on  its  surface,  it  dearly  wasn't  fit  lo  pninl  on.  Of  if  it  was  too 
Rmootli.  Or  too  rotigli.  Or  too  sbsorbent.  Or  too  non'nhsorbent. 
Or  one-sixtc«titb  of  an  inch  out  of  trtic.  Or  maiijr  other  tbiuga.  It 
iilwnya  bui)  to  have  a  second  expensive  canras  at  its  back  "to  keep 
out  tbc  wet,"  and  Rrcat  circiiinsp<.-ctioit  wiut  necessary  in  knocking 
in  the  WMlges  to  lighten  it  up.  lest  one  of  them  should  be  the  leagi 
tighter  than  the  otiter.  But  nft<T  pnr(ix,viiiiiii  <if  SyiiUim.  i^niiitiocu 
of  Uethod,  epidemics  of  Ortcanisation.  the  Artist  would  "i^JUgb  in" 
n  firat  idea  with  a  nonchalances  duo  to  thr  Mud<lcn  »ub»titution  of 
■nspirutioii  for  mere  artiaanship,  to  wbicli  all  thesi<  precaiitioua 
more  properly  belonged.  PuttinR  it  in  broadly,  as  you  felt  it, 
vaa  your  firitt  Artistic  impulse.  Getliti^  it  iuto  u  horrible  mess. 
destroyioB  the  quality  of  the  irround.  and  losing  all  the  outline, 
waa  the  m>coiid.  Wipiuie  a  preat  deal  of  it  out  with  Bentoline  was 
the  third,  and  conioliiiB  yourself  with  the  reflection  that  it  would 
be  all  ripht  when  you  came  to  moddle  il  up  wufl  the  fourth.  After 
that  you  nmokod  and  looked  at  it  wintfiilly  n  good  deal,  and  said 
what  u  pity  it  wiu  you  huchi't  let  it  ulone.  And  then  you  (or 
Charles,  as  may  be)  would  order  another  eanvait. 

Hr.  Jeff  waa  of  unolhcr  wrt — but  still  an  Artist.  To  liim,  a  can> 
vas  was  a  canvas,  and  what  more  could  you  wantl  It  was  a  thing 
that  b'>  fltw  at  (or  an  hour  or  so,  witJi  raasterb'  touclies;  at  the 
end  of  which  period  he  wrote  "JerrythoiiRhl"  very  lnrBi>  airross 
one  comer  of  it,  The:i  it  waa  a  Jerry  thought.  He  bad  many 
admin-rt,  and  owing  to  the  way  be  wrote  his  nami?  gut  llie  credit 
of  having  jirofiled  by  u  year  or  so  in  Paris,  and  knowing  the  wcri't 
of  chic.  lie  was  quoted  as  an  authority  by  noma  of  his  oontempo- 
raries.  as  for  instance:  "Jeff  says  it's  no  use  looking  nt  tho 
Model" — "Jfff  says  it's  no  use  luokinR  ut  your  picture" — "Jeff 
says  retouching's  a  mistake" — and  so  forth.  He  was  true  to  this 
last  dictum,  and  let  his  first  painting  alone  n!ligii>uiil]r.  ITc  ccr> 
lainly  was  encouraned  iu  this  by  his  friends,  who,  when  tli^ 
saw  any  of  hia  work  showing  any  additions  to  their  fimt  tine  cuo- 
leas  rapture,  would  collapse  with  moans  iu  front  of  it.  "Uy  dear 
boy,  why  did  you  touch  it  again t"  they  would  say  tearfully;  ''all 
tbe  charm  is  gone — all  the  freshness!"  And  Jeff  would  agree  with 
them  most  cordially,  and  :<sy  he  couldn't  think  what  the  doocc  he 
was  about,  to  go  retouchiu'!  For  our  own  part  we  have  alwa>'B 
rcgnrdfrl  him  ok  the  forerunner  of  a  great  Modem  School  of  Art, 
and  consider  him  entitled  to  honour  on  that  account.  TIum  ia 
bocaum>  wc  xhrinU  from  the  attitude  of  mind  of  the  person  wbo, 
it>}d  that  a  certain  picture  conveyed  tbe  aame  Impreseiou  of 


I 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


153 


nn  AKprct  of  Ntitum  im  tlmt  nf  tlie  Artist  at  his  first  monient  of 
percciviimc  it,  i«mark»]  that  then  it  viae  it  bad  job  he'd  noticed  iti 
Fortiinntrly  for  3irff  there  whs  eveti  in  iIioko  cjiriy  tUya  a  public 
that  did  not  belong  to  thia  person's  school,  and  it  ^ood  cnme  to  con- 
sider itw>lf  iticoinplctr  withniit  n  J crryt bought,  und  fortuuate  to 
poeseas  an  exceptionally  good  example  of  him. 

Disturbing  rcfioctiona  mo.v  havi-  o(-cunvd  to  otitxid^s  who 
witnesaed  the  operations  of  either  of  theee  young  arltstA,  and  may 
have  been  cinphn«i»cd  by  their  results.  Did  Memling  go  to  work 
in  that  way)  Did  John  of  Bni^ef  Did  Titian  and  Velasquea 
(T)oil  their  firgt  painting  when  they  did  their  second  I  Did  tho 
Flort'atiuca  of  the  lUruaisaauce  run  up  such  bills  willi  llieir  colour- 
men,  and  have  in  new  panels  as  recklessly  as  Oharle*  hod  in  new 
ciuiTiUii^t  Cbarles'it  juntiticution  in  reply  to  binta  of  thU  aort 
WftB.  substantially,  that  of  course  they  did  things  a  lot  better  in 
tliow  days;  but  then  thc^y  wcrv  Old  Master*  and  didii't  siriiple  to 
lake  advantage  of  that  fact  Strange  mysteries  of  process  were 
known  to  tbom;  they  fn'ound  tlieir  own  colours — prepared  their 
own  canvases — made  their  own  bnisbes.  Kv«rything  was  diffcrftotl 
For  one  thinK.  it  was  the  Middle  Aites,  or  at  any  rate  only  a 
minute  or  two  lator.  It  wni<  u  pity  ihuL  w<-  lived  in  auch  n  sqxdl* 
bound  Em  as  the  present,  when  of  course  the  Arts  couldn't  be 
4;spi.-cU.-d  to  fluuriah.  but  wc  buc)  to  inuke  the  bent  of  a  bad  job, 
and  be  Artists  up  to  our  natural  capacity.  For,  in  spite  of  the 
vbilting  infliK-nco  of  the  PivBenl  Tenw.  It  woidd  only  mako 
matti?rs  ten  times  worse  for  us  to  be  disheartened  by  the  disquali- 
ficationa  of  our  <roii  tempo  ran  eon  tuitnit,  and  begin  not  biting  Artinta 
at  all.  It  wan  no  uw  giving  in,  because  we  couldn't  paint.  L«t  us 
bo  Artista,  whate\-er  else  we  were;  and  console  ouraelvM  for  our 
insufficiency  by  the  refleiction  that  an  Age  like  the  proaent  dmcrrvd 
nothing  better. 

Chnrlcx's  ideas,  whidi  we  indicate,  may  hanr  been  oxaAfferat«d 
through  his  not  liking  to  admit  that  he  really  didn't  know  bow  to 
paint  by  instinct,  and  had  been  able  to  tind  no  one  to  tc«oh  Mm; 
but  they  were  a  good  deal  in  s>-mpalhy  with  the  current  practice  of 
our  own  time,  so  far  as  we  oiirsetvi'S  have  observed  it.  Have  wo 
not  gone  on  creating  shoals  of  artista,  on  the  distinct  understand- 
ing that  compltanco  with  canons  is  the  whole  duly  of  man,  in  Art; 
and  tliat  the  h.vpotbesis  of  their  existence  now  is  that  tiiey  shall 
bo  overwhelmed  by  their  anteccdentK?  Put  he  bad  to  lind  excuHca 
for  not  being  able  to  get  aloug,  and  it  aatlsfied  bim  to  think  that  he 
wai  Mtruggling  after  a  vague  ideal,  which  tot  vfcSK  \),\ui'xV^Bi«fc&. 
Kaaaa  bad  gone  awdy  out  of  reach  cl  tbe  Wquilu  !&<%.    Vx.  ^»a 


t 

t 

J 


154 


ALICK-FOH-SUORT 


pleasant  to  him  to  rc^fled  tlmt  though  Smith  nnd  Brown  painti?(I 
better  ilua  be,  they  WL-re  ail  ao  fur  behitid  Titiun  tliat  it  rtully 
didn't  mottor.  Jeff  wii»  quite  in  sympBthy  with  him  on  the  grnpral 
trrouod  of  the  indisputable  iuferiority  of  uew  work  to  old.  with 
thiB  difif:r<.-n<!e:  that  ChBrlos  mndp  umt  of  the  Italian  Rennifetincc, 
while  be  himself  appealed  to  the  ejgbteenth  eciitury  id  England, 
with  excursions  to  Hollnnd  a  littli-  earlier.  Certain  forms  of  ugli- 
ness &?emed  to  have  a  charm  for  him:  but  if  he  couldn't  get  them. 
he  would  malcc  u  sliift  to  put  up  with  ubiiolutn  iimipidity  of  nn 
authentic  date.  A  Quecn-Aune  tcaxpoon.  without  more  sdo — that 
IB  to  nay,  nboiit  which  notlting  fiirlbi-r  could  be  snid  than  that  it 
WM  «  Queen-Anne  teaspoon — would  warm  his  blood,  and  caue« 
him  to  ri'joicu  by  its  divine  simplicity  iind  ontire  Tightness.  As 
his  work  began  to  be  appreciated  and  paid  for,  he  siunndered  a 
good  dcjil  of  Uh"  prouftedR  id  curia-ahopii  in  Wardour  Stni-t,  and 
would  often  g^t  Charles  to  come  upstairs,  iind  not  lose  a  minute,  to 
»e<!  some  piece  of  furniturt?  by  Cliippeiiilule  or  Sheraton,  wliu»o 
qualities  ClinrleB  hn<i  to  accept  on  the  nsaumnce  of  its  possessor. 

"Tlie  man  that  made  Unit  was  an  Artist,  Mr.  Charlea  'Eaih.  what- 
ever ,vou  may  sayl"  This  wns  about  n  chair  the  enthusiast  was 
gloating  ovrr,  "Look  at  the  desiRu!  Look  al  the  litiielil  There'a 
a  corner!    Ever  see  nuylhin'  finer  tlinn  thnt  corner F' 

"It's  only  a  corner  like  any  other  eorner.  It'e  a  decent  aervioe- 
able  chair  though.  Wliut  did  yon  give  for  itt  Seven  bob!*'— Jeff 
disdiiined  to  reply,  and  Charles  went  on:  "It's  a  mere  chair,  with 
nothing  to  b<'  unid  nlmut  it.  It  i.sn't  large,  and  it  isn't  small,  and 
it  has  a  back,  and  it's  sluSed  with  horsehair.  Can't  see  where  the 
Art  cornea  inl" 

"It  ain't  in  your  line,  my  boy!  It's  not  medieval."  This  wa» 
•poIc«n  with  compoaaiun.  'Tretty  thing  that  coloured  mezzotint — 
picked  it  wp  to-day  in  I^icrster  Square — fifteen  shillins!"  It  was 
a  lady — such  a  lady  1 — As  far  as  her  head  and  anna  went  slie  was 
inoffensive,  if  elegnnt.  and  seemed  more  than  contented  with  her- 
ai'If.  Bui  when  she  got  to  her  waist,  which  she  did  yery  quick, 
as  it  was  tucked  under  her  chin,  nhe  began  to  boom,  and  only  sub- 
sided during  her  stockings.  However,  elegance  resumed  its  sway 
at  her  feet;  altbovigh  they  eertniiily  would  hove  been  largi-r  had  we 
been  consulted-  For  some  reason  known  only  to  the  publishers  and 
their  confederates,  an  appeardnce  of  siekly  red  and  gn-en  and  bluo 
had  been  produced,  suggesting  to  Charles  his  earliest  experiences  of 
the  Fine  Arts  when  hu  wns  iilloww!  to  juiint  tlio  lllusirated  London 
yews  out  of  his  new  colour-bos.  on  condition  that  he  didn't  put 
tie  brush  in  his  luout^i.    This  su4;gostiDn  was  the  moru  foruiblo 


I 


I 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


les 


fbecansc  the  Miif^Jirntf*  «Tinr<l  to  hav-p  practised  th*  syBteni  en- 
'joined  on  Charles,  the  Buppreesiou  of  Colour,  on  some  high  moral 
grotiml  liltlf  aiijirf'piutt'd  by  oiw  nmbitinuK  of  n  Vwielian  Secret 
of  misins  Uum-nnter  with  VermilioD,  and  la.vioft  it  on  thick. 

"I  suppose  youll  My  t/uil  iaTi'l  nu^itrvnl  trither,"  continued  Mr. 
JeFrjlhouf[ht.  "You  are  the  most  narrow ■minited  b(^^r  I  «vcr 
came  acroas."  We  may  apolofpw!  for  hiK  way  of  aring  ttio  word 
nwdlBvoI  a»  an  adjedire  of  Art  pure  and  simpl«;  whereaa,  when 
grou  come  to  think  of  it.  it  really  refers  to  History  un<l  that  sort  of 
thing.  Charles  often  <!id  the  name.  Jeff  would  hare  pointed  out, 
if  cfaalleuged.  that  epoohs  and  periods  were  not  bin  game;  aDd 
ChnrlM  would  hare  ttgn-ni.    Siylr.  was  thf  game  of  both. 

"It's  rubliish.  anyhow!"  said  Charles.  "I'd  sooner  hare  tlie  Elwii- 
TOer  Rproddlp.  atiy  day  of  the  we«rk."' 

Jeff  appeared  shocked:  tliough  he  would  have  been  more  so  if  it 
hnd  b(H-n  Elwacxer,  as  alleged.  But  it  was  realty  Robert,  an<I 
t)i«r«  you  saw  the  value  of  a  name.  Why.  if  that  jugr>  broken  aa  >t 
WB*,  waa  put  up  at  Christie's,  eto..  etc.  etc. 

Colloquies  of  tliis  sort  were  frequent,  and  sometimes  led  to 
vrarmth  of  exprcsiion  on  both  sido — not  dircctpd  by  cither  aitainst 
ihe  other,  but  agaitist  the  respective  biUt-noirva  of  tlie  sp<^aken*. 
I  Charles  hadn't  much  patience  with  the  seventeenth  century,  but  he 
■  forgave  it  a  little  at  timc-i.  Agninat  tlji-  cigblei-Titb  hi^  fwlinga 
rwwB  thoM  of  the  Cherokee  towards  the  Choctaw.  If  it  had  been 
I  possible  to  scalp  a  Ci-nttiry,  ho  <v^rtainly  would  have  done  it.  But 
though  you  may  pciw  Time  himself  by  Uic  forelock,  metaphorically, 
he  is  indivisible,  amt  cannot  be  taken  a  clause  at  a  lime  like  a  Bill 
in  Commitlee.  -IcfTs  task  nf  ovcnvbrtmiTig  the  Middle  Ages  with 
sarcasm  and  invective  was  a  harder  one,  owing  to  the  vastness  of 
the  area  in  be  traversed  and  the  comparative  uncertainty  of  infor- 
mation. Uut  younif  men  of  imperfect  education  will  rush  in  where 
Philidogisis  find  .\n'hiii)!oci?ts  fe-ar  to  tread,  ami  Jt-ff  pluckily 
included  the  lieli^rion.  Philosophy,  Literature,  and  Art  of  tlin 
Media:i'al  period  (dating,  say,  from  the  dawn  of  ByKanline  Art  to 
the  decoration  of  the  .Sistino  Chapel)  in  the  broad  and  compro- 
bcDHive  category  of  Rot. 

Charles,  who  really  had  some  cducntion  of  a  «ort,  over  and  above 
A  public-«chool  smattering  of  the  Classics,  was  mucli  more  detaih-d 
in  bis  indictments  against  his  particiiinr  aversion.  The  discovery 
in  the  cellar  of  the  bonea  of  the  murdered  woman,  and  thir  little 
he  had  been  able  to  gather  about  the  old  house  itself,  had  set  him 
a-lbinktni^  about  toupees  and  patches,  und  sedan  cbuirs,  and  Wila 
and  Beaux  and  Beautica  in  tie  old  ballroom  V\i«  \«,u&A  \^vA.\n«p 


16S 


AlICE-FOK-SHORT 


1 


dnaler  was  defiling.  Aud  vlicii  he  recalled  wbat  little  he  Iiad  read 
of  tho  (lu^  vrhcn  tin-  old  hoiiKo  wn«  new  and  clean  un<l  nm<-h  of 
recent  plsster,  and  The  fields  wore  Gelds  aloug  ihe  Oxford  Itoad, 
and  tlie  I'utlle  froTn  tin:  country  Htupped  to  drink  nt  Bay™'  Water, 
near  ll.vde  Park  tiardens.  and  ihe  air  was  fresher  in  the  eprinic- 
time,  and  the  summer  bn'on-  mure  ridld^r  ladnn  with  ihti  ticfnt  of 
faajp,  and  ibo  town  ckancr  and  smaller— eti  11,  in  epite  of  all  this,  he 
thought  of  the  dnya  when  th<!  uH  huuae  woa  building,  and  of  itiow 
that  followed,  wilb  ehriukinff  and  aversion.  For  tht-y  warned  to 
him  to  brUtle  with  earda,  and  to  rattle  with  diee.  and  to  echo  with 
bInA|)h<;mic>,  nnd  In  rvx-k  of  corkii.  All  the  flnshing  of  nil  the  dia- 
monds, all  the  beauty  of  the  women,  or  as  much  of  it  as  one  could 
KM  through  thn  i)(iwdi-r  and  tbi-  pati'hes;  all  tht^  wit  and  all  the 
reparlop.  or  as  much  of  it  as  would  Ijear  rppctition ;  all  the  spirited 
blood  nil  I'd  iu  thi^  name  of  honour;  all  the  Courts  of  alt  the  Georges 
and  one  of  the  Annes,  whoever  the  other  may  \if — nil  the  righl- 
rcntb  fu-ntury  in  a  word — was  for  Cliarira  no  flavoured  with  the 
atmosphere  of  winc-cellarn.  ea  rrsonant  of  dicers"  oaths,  so  foul  with 
its  apothfOKii*  of  its  own  sensuali-iin.  ihnt  even  the  reapectable 
eurrivals  of  ita  upholsteries  aeetued  to  hiiii  tainted,  and  be  eould 
not  look  on  8  creditably  executed  tniihognny  sidelHiiird  in  one  of 
JefTs  favourite  bric-a-brac  shops  without  a  suspicion  that  in  the 
good  old  time  when  it  was  new.  its  good  old  owners,  if  male,  fin- 
ished the  Jfty  in  a  ntute  of  good  old  iulosicntion.  Of  cour«c  thiit 
wnx  nn  entirely  false  irapreaaion  of  a  very  deserving  Era,  pro- 
duced by  imperfect  study  which  had  lighted  on  one  or  two  doublfnl 
pnisagi-s  in  the  plays  of  Congreve  and  Wycherley,  and  a  dull  chap* 
ter  in  linssetaa. 

For  present  purposes  it  really  matters  very  little  if  Cbarlea  did 
think  of  the  age  of  his  English  great-grandfathers  as  a  slougji — a 
dn-ary  morass  with  Handel  shining  above  it  like  a  glorious  star, 
and  the  terrible  eloquence  of  Swift  denouncing  its  slime  from  a 
puddle  in  its  midst,  and  Blake  ignoring  it  and  getting  out  of  tt 
nnsullied  at  the  end.  Let  Charles  tliink  what  lie  likes!  Wo  know 
that  it  leaHy  was  a  brilliant  century,  and  that  Litemturc  and  the 
Ana  flourished-  Perhaps  if  the  latter  lad  flourished  a  little  lean 
and  taken  more  pains,  we  should  have  been  in  a  better  potiition 
to  Hhnre  Mr.  Jeffa  indignation  against  the  Vandal  dealer  when  he 
heard  that  it  was  abeolutcl;  proponed  to  repaint  and  deeornte  the 
ceiling  of  the  bidlroum  as  soon  aa  the  new  skylight  was  eonipW<'d. 

This  reminds  u«  that  It  wa*  when  thi-  two  went  away  to  lunch 
nl  On-moneini's  after  the  conversation  about  the  Misses  Prynne 
that  Jefi  told  Charlea  of  this  atrocity.    We  were  just  going  to  t«ll 


I 


M 


ALICE-FOE-SHORT 


187 


^^UboDt  this  when  we  j^t  led  nwajr  into  a  diwiUNion  on  th«'  Fioo 

^^^rts,  wtii<rh  hs«  loMcd  till  uow.     If  you  will  forftive  us,  we  will 

F       promise  uoi  to  do  so  any  mof*, 

I  "I  aupiHW  you  tliink  it  right  to  paint  ovor  the  ccilin'  and  rub 

out  TeTpsi<:i>orer'    Thua  JeS  at  cigarette  time  after  lunch  at 
OrcnoDcini's. 

"Bothf^r  Torpwchore!"  said  Charles.  "She's  nearly  rul>t>e.l  out 
as  it  is!  Why  don't  you  mIc  Bauerst^^in — that's  bix  name,  isn't 
It? — to  let  you  remove -her  from  the  wail  for  yourself — you  could 
add  her  to  your  collection  of  Art-Trt-«HHr«»." 

"I  *a>- — Charley!  1  wish  you'd  come  with  me  to  see  the  feller 
and  talk  to  him  about  it.  lie  cnn't  undrrslnnd  mc.  and  of  eounw 
I  can't  spi-ak  Oerman.  The  builders  are  comin'  in  on  Uonday, 
and  thcT*tl  mskc  such  a  hasli  of  the  ceilin'  tbuTU  won't  be  any 

chance " 

"Can't  Bauerstein  undcrtlund  Eiigli«h1" 

J'  "Not  M)  much  08  you'd  think.    Or  perhaps  he  pretends  he  don't. 

But  I  olferpd  him  a  hov.  to  let  nu!  try  to  get  Tcrpsicbure  off  the 

^wfeII  ;  90  he  had  a  reflson  for  understanding.    I  say,  Charley  f 

^P    "What  do  you  say,  Jcffl" 

^^  "Don't  be  spiteful  about  the  eighteenth  century,  but  coniR  along 
sod  tackle  Baucrntcin.  Ilc'd  lirti-n  to  j/ou.  You  see  if  he  don't!" 
We  need  banlly  eay  that  Charles,  thus  apiicali^d  t".  cutisetitfil. 
And  when  Ihr-  two  rctumi-d  to  No.  40  they  rang  Mr.  Rnucrstijin's 
bell,  and  explained  their  visit.  Charles  was  able  to  clear  up  a  mis- 
understanding.  The  German  had  tmaginc<l  Mr.  Jprrythought  to  bo 
an  Artist  anxious  to  compete  for  the  redeeoration  of  the  room; 

^HjjUid.  supiwsing  himactf  to  have  btvm  mistaken  hy  that  grntlcmnn 

HKot  a  confidential  employee  instead  of  the  prtucijial  of  tJu-  cunreru. 

^^nad  interpreted  .TeiPa  *ov.  as  a  doueaur  to  proeiire  hiji  influence  at 

I  headquarters.  He  had  neither  shown  nor  fi-lt  any  iudtguation  at 
this,  but  taken  it  as  a  matter  of  course.  Oh  dear,  no!  ho  said;  ho 
had  no  objection  to  the  removal  of  the  picture,  which  was  of  abso- 
lutely no  value.  Only  Mr.  Jerrylhought  must  make  haste,  as  the 
builders  were  coming  on  Monday.  'Tou'll  have  to  eonie  and  htilp, 
Charley."  Mid  Jeff.  And  Charlua  found  himself  engaRcd,  some- 
what under  protest,  in  rescuing  with  assiduous  care  a  most  miftcr- 
nble  <laub  (in  his  opinion)  from  the  hand  of  the  dnstroyer. 

But  the  whole  of  the  work  connected  with  the  preservation, 
removing,  reliniiig.  reui-wing  of  any  pictun^  alri-udy  in  existence 
{a  BO  fascinating  as  compared  with  the  onerous  task  of  original 
comixnilion.  in  wliieh  we  are  never  ceriaiu  wi.-  un^  doing  right,  that 
Charles  soon  became  at>sorbed  in  it.     Ko  in&ttKi  W«  etaicR«h^» 


I 


1(8  ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


^ 


the  object  of  antiquily  may  be,  we  bocom(>  blind  to  \t»  dofccts  tlie 
nioniPiit  wo  hnvp  to  do  nuvthinti  to  arrcst  its  decay.  It  is  this  very 
enlhusiasiii  ilml  oiukes  lhi>  Rt-HlorPr  the  dcttdlicBt  of  Destroyers,  for 
nothing  cnn  rWT  innke  hira  sw  that  the  fiMt  step  towards  ensuring 
the  contiuiied  eiustt-iioe  of  unj-tbing  is  lu  k-t  it  iiloiic.  Thf  niiliirttl 
itistim-t  of  tb<!  jiictu I*- restorer  in  to  take  Htcps  for  the  prencrva- 
y  tion  of  everj'  picture  before  it  is  dty.    But  he  likea  a  little  real 

tuiliquity  to  ^v(!  him  n  start. 

There  was  very  little  Terpsichore  left  to  conserve.  So  much  tho 
better.  <ronBiilereil  as  an  object  of  ciithuaiaau.  Her  smirk  was  still 
there,  like  the  celebrated  grin  of  the  Cbc*hirp  Cat  in  Wondcrlmid, 
nn<I  the  jrrafw  of  tlie  design  wub  thereby  manifest.  The  enlhiiuaBm 
bcame  infectious,  and  Mr.  Bnurwtcin  got  involved  in  it  and  gave 
Home  virry  pood  recomniendatione.  It  spread  to  the  ivgion  of 
Stained  OIahh,  nnd  Pope  k  Chnppell  came  (o  see  what  was 
goiuK  on. 

A  fierce  controversy  rnged  nt  the  outset.  What  gum  or  glue 
should  be  used  to  attach  thin  tissue  paper  to  the  face  of  tlie 
precious  vfork  1  Common  glue,  fish-glue,  i.iinglass,  gum  trngacanth, 
gum  HTabit-.  flour  paste — all  had  their  advoeates.  Wt-  believe  tJiH 
last  was  decided  ou  and  left  till  the  nc*t  day  to  gel  quite  dry. 

Nest  day  every  one  rose  feverishly  early,  nnd  went  to  see  how 
Terpsichore  was.  She  could  have  l^een  nothing  hut  a  piece  of  wall- 
phistor  with  somp  paper  pasted  on  it,  but  slu-  was  examined  and 
reported  on  as  if  she  had  been  a  successful  operation  for  nppcn* 
dicitis.    "In  a  very  good  «tiiti%''  was  the  verdiet. 

The  next  step  was  to  attach  coarser  paper  ami  then  follow  with 
a  sueeeasion  of  canvases,  each  enarser  than  its  predeci'ssor,  until  nt 
last  came  the  moment  to  decide  whether  we  would  simply  rip 
T<)rp«icliore  ofi  by  main  foroi?  or  whethpr  we  woidd  chip  <!ontinu- 
ally  behind  her  with  flat  knives  until  she  came  away  of  her  own 
accord.  Tlie  lant  seemed  bust,  and  Charles  and  Jeff  spent  a  (lay 
cautiously  worming  palette-knives  behind  Terpsichore,  and  fear- 
ing the  said  knives  might  nt  any  moment  inflict  irreparable  injury. 

They  were  deeply  engaged  in  this  way,  and  the  German  had 
(Imparted,  leaving  ihein  in  posspssion.  when  Charles,  who  was  worlr 
ing  on  a  ladder  to  the  right  of  Terpsichore,  took  off  his  spcotaclea  to 
wipe  them,  and  aoctdentolly  dmppcd  ihcra  on  the  floor.  He  had 
thought  they  were  alone  in  the  room,  and  that  Bauersteiii  when 
he  went  out  had  closed  liis  door,  leaving  them  i!ote  oecupunta.  Thi« 
could  not  be  the  case  clearly,  for  there  slood'a  lady,  who  certainly 
vae  not  in  the  room  when  he  went  away,  and  who  could  not  have 
dropped  through  tho  skylight.     iShe  had  noticed  evideullj-  that 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


158 


L 


duvles  had  dropped  his  spectacles,  and  V017  obligingly  sloops 
down  sa  Uionf-h  to  find  tht-m  ai]d  liaiid  tht-in  lo  liiui.  Cbarli>tt 
cniight  right  of  the  glnsses  under  the  Inddcr  nod  stooped  to  pick 
them  up. 

"Who  did  you  say  thank-you  tot"  said  Jeff,  tumiog  found  froiu 
his  L-hippiiiK  on  tbt'  laddt>r. 

"Thnt  lariy/'  aaid  Charies. 

"I  saw  no  lad?-." 

"Sho  was  here  jiint  now,  anyhow,"  snid  Charles. 

"Somebody  for  Dauerstetn.  I  auppoee.  But  he  must  hove  left 
tbc  door  open.    BrttCTr  sKiit  it." 

Cfasrics  went  out  to  do  so.  but  in  a  moment  eame  back,  puzxied. 
"I  My,  Jeff!"  wiid  lit-.    "This  is  (jitecr.    The  door's  shut  I" 

■^  aappose  she  shut  it,"  eaid  Jeff,  proBaieally  wnconcenied.  and 
chipping. 

Charles  eaid  nothing,  but  went  out.  Jeff  heard  him  open  and 
tiy  to  ctoftf  th«  door  gently,  then  witli  addt-d  forei.>;  tbtm  finally  pull 
it  or  push  it  to  with  a  loud  slam.  Then  eanie  a  violent  rinn  at 
th*;  bcJl.  C'Wrly  Cbarl<;s  had  abut  himiM'lf  out.  Jeff  got  delib- 
erately down  the  ladder  and  went  to  the  door.  "What'e  up  T'  said 
bo  oa  ho  lot  Charlen  in. 

"You  go  outside  and  try  to  pull  that  door  to  qoietly."  Jeff  did  a» 
directed,  and  made  n  itu<^<!i;.viiun  of  tneffeetuftl  trials,  increasiiif^  iu 
ioree,  tiU  the  door  hasped  to,  with  a  bang  titat  eehoed  through  the 
hnuae. 

•■The  door  wag  shut,"  said  Charles.  "Thnt  woman's  somewhere 
insidt-  slill."  Jeff  auggi-^ti-d  waiting  a  minute  to  see  if  she  reap- 
peared of  her  own  aecord,  but  she  didn't!  And  the  eloseat 
wtarih  only  iJiowud  tlmt  tlie  two  young  men  were  alone  in  that  part 
of  the  bouse. 

"There's  only  the  skylight — and  the  ehimney — and  the  drains — 
to  get  out  at."  <).iid  Jeff.  "Of  courtH>  atie  alammed  the  door  and  you 
didn't  notice  it." 

"T>id  you  f" 

"Oh  no!  /  didn't.  But  then  I  wasn't  in  it  It  waa  all  you  and 
her.    /  don't  come  in." 

"Oammon,  Jeff!  You  couldn't  be  off  hearing  ibu  door  slam. 
She  could  bare  shut  herself  in  quietly,  but  she  couldn't  shut  her- 
«.-lf  ou(." 

Tboy  made  feeble  i^xperiroents  of  getting  the  hasp  to  hold  bndt  *o 
as  to  allow  of  gentle  dosing,  but  without  result.  The  door  had 
been  readjuRted  to  wparate  llio  dealer's  sublet  from  tbft  Tctwtiwitx 
of  Po(H!  &  CbappeJl's  hoidins,  and  the  lock  was  \tii«m'iM^^  '«*"M- 


I 


180 


ALICE-FOR-SHOET 


sitxitrtivc.  It  would  pfrform  its  proper  function,  but  woulcl  Ho 
nothin);  els^ — not  if  it  knew  it  I  They  closed  the  door  ttnd  weat 
hark  through  the  lobhy  to  the  now  dnrlconing  room.  Thi<y  Iaiighi-<1 
uneaeil.v,  and  essayed  some  feeble  mutual  chafF  about  the  Udy 
liBving  come  for  one  of  t!ifni.  But  it  didn't  work.  They  lit  the 
fcas.  and  this  seemed  to  inaufcurnte  a  new  condition  of  things,  aud 
to  enahlc  tliem  to  take  up  ttic  Bttitmie  that  the  door  "mtidt  have" 
closed  witlioiit  tbeir  hcarinK  it.  They  adduced  strange  instonecs 
of  people  who  lind  *U-pt  throufc-li  tlischargeB  of  canuori  close  to  iht-ir 
cars.  The  improbability  prr  sc  of  the  door  closing  inatidibly  was 
made  use  of  to  cover  the  udililiontti  stuiftblin^block  of  its  occur- 
ring to  two  persons  at  or.w.  It  was  such  a  rum  start  its  bippcninff 
at  uil.  that  the  coincidenco  didn't  add  lo  ita  rumnees.  "Just  as 
like  ««  not  to  happen  to  both  nt  once,  /  should  say."  was  JefFs 
vetiiift.  He  implied  that  onco  such  high-class  rumnens  was  ufoot, 
we  might  exp<^  couBistency  in  the  st^rt  it  was  connected  with; 
it  would  work  out  alike  all  through. 

Wlien  Man  hue  to  account  for  an  unaccountable  phenomenon,  ho 
goes  through  the  mosi  violent  mental  pymnasttca  before  he  ac- 
knowtvdgni  himself  hcoten.  Chnrl^  nnd  Jeff  dcddod  that  if  they 
w«nt  away  to  dinner  now  at  the  Cock  and  then  to  see  the  new 
mclodramn,  they  would  liavc  lime  to  talk  it  over.  And  they  talketl 
it  all  over  through  dinner  and  through  the  blanks  in  the  per- 
formance— lint  didn't  get  any  forwarder. 

"It  must  have  been  a  ghost !"  said  Charles  as  they  let  tbemeelvc* 
in  Hi  No.  40, 

"ilust  hare  been  a  ghoat !"  repeated  Jeff.    "I  say,  Charley  I " 

"Continue  your  remarlc.  Mr.  .ferry the uKhl." 

"How  about  that  ghost  the  little  card  saw — Alice  (he  kidl 
Ohost  of  a  woman  I"  Both  had  thought  of  this,  but  Jeff  had  the 
courage  Ut  mention  it  first.  Perhaps  be  felt  he  had  a  less  dignified 
character  to  lose. 

"I  shall  go  to  bed,"  said  Charles,  abniptly.  "Junt  the  child's 
fancy!"  he  added,  reflectively,  as  be  lighted  his  bedroom  candle, 
"Oood-nighl,  JeffI    Don't  see  any  more  Ghosts  1" — 

But  he  thought  a  good  deal  about  it  all  the  same,  till  he  went  to 
sleep. 


^a^Uff^^        .•■ 


CHAPTER  XV 
or  Alice's  walk  to  sviwe  rowT  ajio  how  she  wrkt  over  tub  oum. 

or  A  DECLARATION  AT  A  CR1SI8 

Alice  repudiated  with  ecorn  the  idea  that  she  should  ever  get 
tired,  and  •)>  for  btnngr  mrriMl  by  Dr.  Jobiiaun — n  grout  hig  f(irl  like 
her! — ehe  was  euch  a  wi^ight.  dignity  npnrt,  ati  to  put  it  ^luitc  out  of 
the  quc«tion.  Dr.  Johnwm's  reply  lo  lUt§  was  to  oatdi  her  and  put 
her  ou  his  shoulder.  "Plenthr,  I  am  tbo  velhj/  hig!"  wan  the  pro- 
test, or  wan  c/)iitniiied  in  tlw  eonftision  of  exullatton  and  pro- 
t«Bl,  that  wae  sandwiched  bct»-nni  bursts  of  hnppy  lauffhtcr  in  a 
ahort  intcrliidp  on  the  luwu  in  front  of  the  bouno.  when-  notliiiig 
would  grow  but  taniarinlt  and  hyrlMng™s,  with  a  coiiccmiou  to 
hartVtonKiu'  ftxn  iti  tlin  btittrc-s^-wttll  that  made  it  a  terrace,  hft- 
tiause  of  the  wat«r  trickling  through  from  tho  clifi  behind. 

"What  n  "illy  man  you  an-  lo  wanti'  your  atrc-ngth  aol"  says 
Pe(c^.  coming  out  to  join  them.  "Do  put  the  child  down  inune- 
diatrly.  Wbi-ji  nhr'*  tir<^  sJic'll  Ik?  glad  of  a  lift.  Now,  Alico 
dear!  You  take  hold  of  me  on  this  side,  and  Dr.  JohndoD  on 
that — and  lln-n-  wp  an-l" 

But  the  trio  had  not  gqne  very  far  when  they  wcro  called  ba^; 
thai  is  to  suy.  thi^  went  oiHihI  to  and  didn't  go  back,  but  called  in 
return,  and  neither  caller  could  hear  the  olher.  So  AHeu  wrut 
hmA  to  glean  particulars,  wbilo  Peggy  and  th«  Doctor  wont 
slowly  on. 

In  the  eonrae  of  time  the  small  cniisury  overtook  thom  bubbling 
over  with  entrusted  communication.  Minns  a  great  amount  of 
stammering,  liaping.  and  panting,  for  the  ni(«sriigrr  won  out  of 
breath,  tho  actual  substance  wns  as  follows:  Misa  Ellen  aaya  Krs. 
Heath  snya  the  Coastguardamun  said  it  wasn't  Nafr  along  th« 
irndcr<!HfF  pathway  and  to  keep  along  the  hill-top  and  not  go  near 
tlie  edge,  and  it  was  written  up  no  public  roftd  but  nwin-  mindl 
This  was  girrn  fairlj'  (orrcctly — only  the  negotiation  of  the  words 
Coaatfcuardsman  and  Undercliff  wua  difficult,  and  early  awocia- 
tiona  cnrpt  in  in  the  rendering  of  public  road  as  public-house. 
P<*iy  shuddered  at  the  expert  articulation  of  the  word.  "We'll 
try  lo  do  without  tlte  puhlie-houw  this  time,  aaj'bowV*  «aXiWlt. 
Johnson,  cheerfully.    And  the  p.irty  set  oS. 


ALICE-FOK-SnORT 


Firet  ijiej  had  a  long  spell  of  wtod,  eomelimcs  ribbed.  Bometinips 
smootli;  sowctimcs  giving  way  utid  ri'Vfjiling  i)nriiT»ludee ;  eomc- 
timee  intersected  by  rivers  which  looked  like  nothing  till  you  were 
clo»4'  III),  but  biiil  10  Id'  wuUcikI  along:  tht^  i-ilgcr  of.  nni]  trhich  in  the 
end  dedected  the  traveller  towardx  America  one  way.  and  the  other 
wuy  towar<la  thc!  puiut  be  started  fiou. 

Alice  widied  Tory  much  to  utop  nnd  die  for  worms — a  fascinat- 
ing and  absorbing  employment;  but  for  its  full  enjoyment  a  fork 
is  necessary.  Practised  with  n  spade,  especially  a  woi^dcn  one,  it  is 
poinftd  to  the  worms;  ami  also,  except  hu  be  hard  of  heart,  to 
the  digger.  If  n  viviseclor  by  profcuion.  and  prone  to  scienliiic 
observation,  he  may  derive  iiiairuelion  from  the  way  in  which, 
when  a  womi  is  hBlve<l,  ils  iutelUntiinl  end  wrigglos:  but  no  one, 
Bcieiilific  or  otherwise,  can  pretend  to  be  .tatiatied  with  an  ampu- 
tation by  a  blunt  spade.  And  the  inconvenience  to  the  worm  of 
being  forced  through  the  sand  when  the  spade  is  too  blunt  to  cut 
it,  L*,  we  hope,  obvious.  A  pnraeol,  nr  siinslnitle,  tliongh  it  may  Hparo 
the  worm,  is  apt  to  be  fntitleas  and  platonic.  Therefore,  when  the 
party  arrived  at  an  expaosc  of  half-dry  wind  on  which  the  worm- 
caHia  were  sci  dean  and  beuutiful  that  they  inadf  one  wish  one 
was  small  enough  to  he  among  them,  as  among  hills  on  a  plain,  and 
enjoy  tlie  londBcape,  no  doubt  Peggy  was  right  to  answer  Alieti's 
appeal — "Only  just  one  worm,  Miss  Peggy — plpathc,  only  one" — 
with — "Nonstnsi.-,  child !  Wt:  shall  never  gi-t  to  Surgi-  Point.  JJe- 
sides,  it  spoils  my  sunshade,  if  one  digs  in  far  enough."  However, 
Alice  was  consoU^d  by  being  allowed  to  have  her  shoes  ofi  and 
run  in  the  water,  some  weight  being  allowed  to  short  cuts  that  were 
open  to  her,  ban-foot.  But  when  one  wishes  to  play  at  being  a  pony 
on  the  sands,  all  the  edge  is  taken  off  short-cnts, 

Rupert  .TiiUnson  wns  quite  distinctly  on  honour,  this  walk,  not 
tot  Not  to  what!  Don't  ask  impertinent  questions.  Let  it  sufBce 
that  bia  being  so  on  honour,  made  Peggy's  mind  eaay  about  allow- 
ing Alice  to  go  free  on  the  sands,  whether  as  a  pony  or  a  seeker 
of  sliort-euts.  It  woulil  perhaps  have  been  kinder  of  Peggy  to  make 
herself  as  ugly  as  possible,  under  the  circumstances,  instead  of 
putting  on  her  blue  niualin  with  sprigs,  an<]  her  hat  with  the 
white  ribbons.  They  i>iuited  her  exactly,  and  you  would  have  been 
iu  love  with  her  yourself,  if  you  had  seen  her.  We  had  very  nearly 
written  that  thc  blue  mnslin  was  a  new  rivet  in  the  attachment  of 
her  victim  to  his  idol — but  really  he  was  all  over  rivets,  and  there 
was  no  room  left  now  for  another.  As  ho  walked  beside  her  there 
on  the  sands— keeping  a  reaiiectful  dialauce  (eighteen  inchca  or 
thereabout*),  on  honour! — he  was  simply  in  a  state  of  wild  intoxl- 


r 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


163 


L 


cation.  H«;  siiw  nothing  but  Peggy — cared  notbitif;  for  the  jaspi>r 
•ca  that  yras  now  a  inoveilees  mirrur  fur  lliu  satnc  great  white  cloud 
sa  before,  which  ttM>lf  lim]  ni^vcr  movtsl  nil  day;  for  the  little  rip- 
plins  waT«  that  for  eom«  unknown  reason  decided  to  rise  and  come 
»  little  way  loiraitla  tbc  alioru  and  die.  wilb  it  Hhorl  rai'mur.y  of 
fionlina  foam  above  its  tomb;  for  th*t  myriad"  "f  littln  utiff  Bull», 
eat!h  StandinK  on  ita  owii  itiverled  image  iu  the  wt-t  sHiid.  and  mak- 
ing n«  woniler  where  he  can  hiive  pneki-d  iiwny  the  wings  that 
8lea[ue<]  »o  larKC  juet  now  iu  the  «un.  as  he  floated  to  a  rather  better 
plnc<^  in  front  of  his  friends  with  ii  muaicel  irry.  iind  aettled  down 
to  a  rather  nearer  riew  of  what  they  wen?  all  looking  at  iu  the  same 
direction.  Tie  bn<}  no  eyes  for  the  gfi-at  headland,  sleepint;  in  tlu! 
aun,  that  tliey  were  eoon  going  to  climb,  nor  for  the  white  saiU, 
full-ael,  of  the  tDotionle»t  «loi>p)i  tlint  had  triisl  to  crvep  round  it  all 
day,  aud  faikil.  Even  the  crah  that  ran  out  sideways,  from  under 
the  stone  he  kieJced.  and  defied  him  with  out.iprood  claw*  to  mortal 
combat,  could  wot  make  him  withdraw  his  eyes  from  Peggy.  Peggy 
was  hi»  univerM^,  and  except  when  nbe  hcrsitlf  culled  his  atlentioa 
to  iiK-idcnlu  in  the  olhift  universie^this  other  pM>ple'd  universe — 
the  infatuated  young  man  look  no  more  notice  of  it  than  he  did 
of  the  crab.  But  \vd  was  an  houourulile  yoimg  man;  and  oh  he  was 
not  to,  h«  didn't. 

'*How  that  young  person  has  changed,  sjuee  that  day  you  came 
to  tlip  Hospital— eight  months  agn!"  He  wiid  thia  jiist  as  it 
became  clear  that  ihe  short-cut  proKrammo  would  he  superseded 
by  tile  pony,  and  Alicia  am*red  nwny  in  that  character  over  ai 
favourable  eurfaca  with  no  ribs  on  it. 

"In  it  n'ally  flight  montfaat  I  had  no  id«n.  How  the  timo  doe-s 
run  away  1" 

"Quite  eight  motitba — no!  nlmoat  <iuite.  ITer  accent's  so  im- 
prored.  And  do  you  know  she  van  telling  me  all  about  Hubert  and 
Priuee  Arthur  and  his  cruel  uncle  in  tlw  garden  just  now — before 
ve  had  that  scrimmage  about  whether  I  was  to  carry  her." 

'^^ow  did  you  come  to  Prince  Arthur?" 

"Beeaiiir  Jie  .-uiid  siie  called  me  King  Johnson.  That  led  to 
Prince  Arthur  naturally.  And  she  was  bo  funny  about  Charley. 
'Do  you  know.'  said  slie.  Sflicti  I  was  a  vethy  vethy  vnlhg  littln 
(lirl,  and  told  Pu««y  stories — I  told  and  I  told — and  I  told  Pus^y 
O  !<ucli  a  long  story  oltout  Prin<n-  Spectaclea.'  'Wlio  was  he,'  I 
asked  f  'I  fink/  she  said,  *Xlr.  Charley  was  Prince  Spoctaclea — I 
fink  MO.  But  0,  it  was  such  a  vethy  velhn  long  lime  ago!'"  And 
Johnson  imitates  Alice's  maiuier,  not  inadcnunlrly. 

"A*  aoon  aa  ww  calch  tlw  poaj,"  says  Pv«gS,  "wwU  xqbShs  \*» 


I 


184 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


tell  us  more  nbont  Prinoc  Spoct«cIc«,    I  wonder  when  that  dear! 
iilly  boy  means  to  come  down  here.    Dtd  he  tell  you  f" 

''Hf  Kjii<I  hp  wiis  roming.  What  that  meant  I  cnn't  sojl  lie  and| 
his  friend,  Mr.  Jenythought " 

"Oh  yes  I  Mr.  JcriT^ouKht  1"  Pfggy  represses  n  disposition  to^ 
laugh. 

" were  much  exercised  about  a  ghotil  they  bad  seen." 

"That'll  intercstins  I  But  what  gho»ti  You  know  Alice  saw  mJ 
ghoet  on  the  stairs " 

"Q{  couritc  »hc  did  I  I  remember  all  about  it  And  we  said  it  J 
must  be  the  (thosl  of  the  boues— in  the  cellar "* 

"How  <fou1iI  it  have  been  any  other  gho8t  t  No  doubt  at  all  about  I 
il,  I  should  eay." 

"Are  yoii  in  «impat  (    Do  you  bt-Iic-vc  it  wns  a  ghost  ?" 

"I  don't  think  I  do.    I  don't  think  I  qiiite  know  what  to  believe,  i 
But  If  il  waa  a  fthost,  it  was  the  ghost  of  tliuse  bones — of  their  1 
owner,  that  is!     But  what  was  Charley's  new  ghost — and  Mr. 
Jenythoufcbt'a )"     With  the  same  ilisiHtHitiou  to  laugh;  but  w« 
would  not  leave  him  out  in  the  cold. 

"Charley  ni<l  ht-  would  write  you  n  long  letter  about  it.  What  | 
he  told  me  was  that  he  and  his  friend  saw  a  lady  in  the  pieture-  | 
dealer's  room,  and  they  didn't  know  how  she  got  in,  or  got  out." 

"Come  now,  Uaster  Rupert  I     There  must  have  been  more  than 
that.    I  aup[iufie  every  lB<ly  one  sees  in  a  picturc-dejiler's  room  isn't* 
to  be  n  ghost,  becauM  one  doesn't  know  bow  she  got  in.  or  got!! 
out  I" 

"1  don't  know.  Very  likely  I  (pit  it  wrong.  Youll  get  hia 
letter " 

"Why  shouldn't  the  lady  have  come  in  at  the  door  like  every- 
body elecf     As  they  did  themeelves!     Beeauae  if  the  door  wasn't  ^H 
open  how  did  they  gel  in!     It  wiwn't  Ihtir  room."  ^| 

"1  don't  know.  Don't  ask  ma.  That's  about  all  Charley  told 
me,  I  only  saw  hiia  a  few  minutes."  But  Pe^gy  persisted  in 
nnnlyBJng  the  utory,  in  spite  of  deficient  particulars. 

"What  did  he  meaii  about  not  knowing  how  she  got  out?  Any- 
body can  get  out  of  anywhere — only  ibey  can't  get  in  when  the 
door's  locked." 

"He  said  something  about  bow  they  hadn't  heard  ihc  door  sliut. 
But  ri^uUy  it's  no  u*  nskiiig  mc.    T  only  got  half  the  story." 

"Hadn't  heard  tbc  door  shut!  Why,  of  course  she  didn't  shut  it. 
A  couple  of  gtiesel" 

The  conversation  was  momentarily  interrupted  by  an  appltcatioa 
Srom  the  pony  for  Dr.  Johnson's  stick,  to  throw  into  tlie  water  (or 


ALICE-FOR-SHOBT 


1«5 


a  frimd,  a  cDllit-doff,  who  seemed  lo  lire  on  the  sbore,  waiting 
for  sticka.  W«»  be  Kiiro  (o  bring  it  out  I  Thp  ponj  guaranteed  it — 
and  went  sway  with  the  slick.  Pegftiy  ti'ent  on  danoIiabiDg  the 
evidenoe  di«  bud  not  hrard.  She  wo.i  onl.v  following  tinui-honotirecl 
pivoedenta  in  bcr  trratmcnt  of  the  miraculous  or  eiipcmatural.  A 
ieyi  of  tbeM,  taken  at  rundom,  art^,  judgnit-nt  first,  dotu  afttrwiinls; 
(iiippljr  of  data,  at  choice,  from  one's  own  stock ;  an  unfair  bias 
afraitut  other  peoplv'ti  spo(>ks;  an  aarriptiuu.  by  impli<'ation,  of 
Crriinism  to  prprious  investigator,  and  so  on.  ITowcvcr,  one 
jrenerally  makes  up  for  one's  behaviour  towanta  llie  Paycliioal 
Bmcarchce  of  others  by  the  excessive  impartiality,  amounting  aome- 
timea  to  onesidednesa.  with  which  one  treats  one's  own.  But  we 
have  no  tim<!  now  to  do  justice  to  this  interesting  subject. 

By  the  time  PcRKf  had  got  her  brother  and  his  friend  properly 
clniMifi(<<I — given  Uusn  a  n-ry  low  degree,  or  plucked  them  outright 
as  Gfaoetleadera— they  were  drawing  near  the  place  for  leaving  the 
ahoru  and  mounting  the  cliff.  The  pony  was  a  very  minute  spot 
tlmost  bul  of  hearinK;  but  vas  recovered,  none  the  dryer  for  ita 
advmtuf^n,  after  shouting.  Also,  the  collie-dog  had  swum  out 
lo  the  stick;  but  after  examining  it,  had  decided  it  was  the  wrong 
stick,  and  had  come  bock  without  it  for  another,  and  hud  burked 
■s  a  dog  barks  who  is  surprised  and  hurt,  but  not  angry.  The 
stick  had  gone  for  an  .\tlantie  voyage;  there  wasi  no  help  for  ttt 
Then  followed  ineident  connected  with  gc-tting  the  pony's  stock* 
ingn  on.  And  then  a  pauKe  cm  iJie  shingly  beucii  for  real,  the 
parly  beinfc  hot  with  watkiu(r  in  the  sun.  Pegity  seamed  to  think 
she  owed  witncthing  to  Pnyirhiciil  Ri'Mean^b,  after  her  recent  treat- 
ment of  it.  and  catechised  Alice  about  her  experience  with  the 
(potted  tally. 

"I  sawed  her  coming  slraight  down  the  etairs,"  recapitulated 
Alice,  "and  go  froo  the  airey-door  out — right  out — into  the  airey — 
aU  by  herself." 

"Did  abe  look  glad  or  sorry.  Alice!"  asked  Johnson. 

*K)b!    Somjl!"  very  emphatically. 

"Poor  spoiled  ladyl  Somebody  must  have  burted  her — wfe» 
was  it,  I  wonder  r' 

"Re-ally.  Master  Kupert,  1  can't  have  you  makinir  Alice  use  wrong 
words.  8be's  gftting  an  acoumpliiilicd  luHturian,  but  Hbe'n  a  bttd 
linguist." 

"1  apologiac.  It'a  hurl — it's  not  hurted.  Somebody  mu«t  have 
hurt  her— eh!  Alice f 

"Somebody — rouirt — have — fcurt  herl"  says  Alice,  by  litftlalmienVh. 
to  be  prepared  for  hurt,  which  is  fired  oS  conecX\s.    Vi^beS  ^wiJa 


J 


16S 


ALICE-FOK-SHOUT 


L 


she  has  done  her  iluty  by  Lindl«y  Murray,  but  rather  at  &»  ex*; 
pr-nse  o{  the  oonvcnuition.  Slu'  wishes  to  make  amends.  There  is  R 
flight  of  steps  cut  in  the  rocb  just  above  where  they  are  sittiagr, 
end  nn  idea  occtim  to  her. 

"You  go  up  thowj  Pteps  and  come  down  like  the  ladj  did— 
pwtend  you're  the  laily  1  Stoi>  a  iniiiule — we'll  put  the  Bpott  on." 
And  Peggy  proceeds  to  dcecptotc  Alice's  face  with  little  p8tch«fl  of 
tu-ii-wf«Ml.  "Two  hi*!*— two  here — one  here— (tnt!  one  here!  la  that 
riitht  !" 

Yes — that's  right!  And  off  goea  Aiiee.  But  she  returns  half- 
way, because  one  of  the  spots  has  eomr  off  und  flowed  nwny.  Sha 
eiitera  into  the  i>arl.  feeling  it  intensely,  and  must  have  every- 
thing right.  The  nccond  time,  thi-  pcrfoiroaiiec  comrH  off.  Peggy 
cnniiot  help  thinking  to  herself,  how  strange  it  would  have  been, 
if  the  story  had  been  real  (which  of  course  it  wasn't),  and  the 
murdered  woman  could  have  foreseen  that  a  hundred  years  later 
n  child  would  be  pretending  lo  be  her,  in  the  sun,  on  Shellacombe 
beach. 

"Why  did  you  catch  hold  of  yourself  by  the  tummy,  you  fnnny 
child?"  says  Peggy,  when  Alice  returns  amidst  the  applause  of  the 
andieticc.  The  piece  has  been  most  successful,  but  tho  incident 
of  the  actress  holding  her  left  side  with  both  hands  was  not  knotm 
to  he  in  the  text. 

"Because  the  lady  come  dou'7i  the  stairs — and  froo  the  aitey — 
with  hofe  hands  like  tliat."  And  Alice  encon-s  the  action  dcxcribcd 
and  continues:  "The  spots  never  stickeded  on,  only  just  till  the 
bottom  step.  Then  thej-  flowed  nway."  She  has  an  Artist's 
pleasure  at  thia  not  havinir  occurred  earlier,  and  impaired  the 
climax, 

Johnson  looks  putxlcd.  intcrculcd,  excited — a  little  uncomforta- 
ble. Hut  no  further  speculations  can  be  indulged  in — because  we 
shall  never  get  to  Surge  Point,  at  this  rate.  Peggy  quite  agreed 
to  this,  and  the  party  started  on  their  upward  path.  Alice  waa 
allowed  to  go  on  in  front,  under  a  guara:ite('  that  she  would  not 
go  near  the  edge  «nd  look  over. 

"Why  didn't  Alice  tell  about  the  hands  before  t"  said  Jobiiaon. 

"Do  you  think  that,  looks  ns  if  she  wns  mmnncing,  as  Part* 
ridge  calls  it !  I  don't.  To  nie  it  goes  all  the  other  way.  If  I 
had  to  tell  an  inciiWt  in  words.  I  should  lie  sure  to  Icnve  some- 
thing \mdcacribed.  that  I  should  be  equally  sure  to  act,  if  I  did 
like  Alice  did,  and  put  il  on  the  ittnge.  There's  the  Uiicierdiff 
path — we're  not  to  go  along  there.  Straight  on — Alice  I  N 
thtt  waji    Straight  ouT 


I 


I 


1 


ALICE-FOR-SHOET  1«1 

Uioc  mn  on  in  front,  lolking  nnd  nin^ng  lo  iiprwlf.  Sbo 
Qed  to  Peitny  to  have  cUftnged  compk-ti'lj-  from  the  subdued 
Bn<]  ill-nourinJicd  morsel  of  hiimaniltr  thai.  Chiirli'M  tind  brniieht 
honae  iu  ihe  cab,  eiglit  months  ngo — ns  completely  as  her  mother 
l)n<l  chnnj^itl  when  Itii^  AkMbol  demon  fiew.  uiid  left  hi^r  to  dio  in 
decency.  One  thing  is  very  (vrtain,  that  Uiss  Alice  wa*  now  hav* 
ing  u  lii^h  old  time,  as  the  phrase  is;  and  that,  child-1ik«,  ahe 
tooepted  ber  happineivi  without  wonder  or  speculation,  m  she  bad 
aocepted  her  misery  without  complaint. 

Ob  dear,  how  hot  it  wbh  to  bi?  nun;  climbing  np  that  Iii'll-sido 
under  the  aflemoon  sun!  It  had  been  hotter  certainly  st  mid-day, 
if  that  WM  an;  cxtmiiution.  Btit  it  wus  liot  iiiough  Etill  to  jitH- 
tif;  Alice  in  aajrin^  that  a  half-way-iip  rest  on  a  stone  Icd^  was 
like  sitting  on  the  hob.  HiiwL-vi?r,  there  is  nn  end  to  all  thiugi*;  and 
it  waa  ail  the  pleaeauter  when  the  smooth  round  *wrep»  of  down- 
land  were  renehcd,  and  the  party  was  working  idong  the  path  that 
waa  not  a  publico  road,,enjoyinB  the  fff^shne^s  of  the  sea-wind  and 
the  chortiH  of  the  innuiuc-rable  gulls  below.  They  tart  no  living 
creature  except  one  sheep,  who  seemed  to  have  missed  her  party, 
and  who  would  bWt  and  Htop,  ninl  wait  for  answer  and  gi't  none, 
and  then  start  running  again  and  be  heard  bleatinf,'  plaintively 
elsewhere.  Alice  was  much  concerned  and  wanted  to  offer  sym- 
pathy and  uiHi-iiuiiee;  hut  there  were  diStoidtiea  about  thia,  and  the 
idea  had  to  be  xivcn  up. 

The  <Uy  was  getting  on  (for  thi-y  were  much  behind  their 
intended  time)  when  they  came  within  what  seemed  a  short  dis- 
tance of  the  KTcat  lightlioiisc,  very  white  and  very  clenn  Uk«  a 
wcll-maih-  model  popped  down  on  a  smooth  carpet  of  down,  with 
the  sweet  immeasurable  blue  beyonil.  Tln-y  wi're  on  tlie  higlwwt 
point  of  llic  down,  and  they  bivoiincked  a  little  to  enjoy  the  view, 
befor*  descending  to  the  li(thlhouse.  The  wind  wiui  n,>p<-nting  of 
ita  apathy  all  day.  and  wim  making  up  its  mind  that  those  sloopa 
and  that  brisantine  should  Kct  round  the  point  at  last,  and  not  lie 
becalmed  all  night.  They  could  tum  thi-  wii»l-swc^?p  siin-nding  on 
the  water,  and  watched  for  the  flap  of  the  white  sails  as  they 
.greeted  ita  arrival;  and  saw  them  stir,  then  vacillate,  then  tako 
the  wind  and  start — hut  oh.  so  slowly  1  It  looked  to  Alice  as  if  60 
little  wind  aa  that  could  never  do  them  any  good.  Why  couldn't 
that  grenl  huge  steumer  out  tliere,  whose  engines  we  could  hear  so 
{dainty  up  here  at  this  height,  juet  turn  a  little  out  of  her  course 
and  picjc  ihem  all  up  and  take  them,  free  of  charge,  to  Bristol  or 
Cardiff!     Why  not,  indeed  1 

Alice,  interested  iu  the  ships  and  the  ateamet,  ven\.  B.'na,^  «.  'Si»/t^. 


I 


MS 


ALTCE-FOR-SnORT 


(listanoc  from  her  companions,  rpplyin^,  to  Pc^rt's  frequent  eau 
tiona  not  to  go  attar  the  ndgv:,  that  ihi-iv  was  no  vtlgi;  onlf  xmoovG, 
smoove.  emoove  fields — like  this;  and  Alice  palted  tbe  slieejt- 
cropped  down  to  show  how  sinooih  it  wus,  Pirggy  cnlli-d  her  back, 
and  fbo  came.  But  Alice  was  n  good  obedient  child  only  In  a 
I>artiul  or  Uniited  Beiisc,  Wlicii  alio  obeyed  you  iincr,  nhc  con- 
sidcTF^  that  that  was  enough,  and  that  it  was  no  business  of  hers 
to  consider  the  spirit  of  your  instructions.  Having  once  come  back 
sbo  had  tlone  her  duty,  end  might  go  nwa^  again.  It  was  not  her 
bueiaess  to  take  note  thai  Miss  Peffgy  and  King  Jomit<in,  a*  niw 
caUcd  him,  had  accidcntlj*  become  mnch  absorbed  in  sometiilns 
they  bud  to  talk  about,  and  were  not  aware  elic  hnd  gone  anny 
flgnin,  to  gft  a  rather  nearer  view  of  the  ships.  On  the  contrary 
bIh!  regarded  this  absorption  as  favourable  t<i  Iut  own  fr<Tdom  of 
action.  She  would  have  come  back  in  an  instant  if  either  had 
calleif;  but  as  it  chanced  neither  diil  so.  We  nei-d  not  suppose  that 
Master  Riijicrt  wus  forgetting  bis  compact,  tliough  for  anj-thinst 
we  know,  he  inii^hi  hare  be«n.  He  was  lying  on  the  turf  at  Peggy's 
feet,  with  hi«  chin  on  his  hands,  and  his  feet  towards  the  sea.  So. 
even  :(  be  bud  had  eyes  for  anything  but  Peggy's  face  ugainM  tho 
blue,  be  could  not  see  .^licc,  and  no  doubt  fancied  Pegg;  waa 
kee|>ing  Aer  cjes  on  her.  So  she  iliougbt  she  waa  herself;  but  you 
can't  possibly,  always,  don't  you  know.  If  ynu  happen  to  be  t«lk- 
ing  Sfri(>i;nly  to  a  fneod.  and  she  (or  he)  ia  sayini;  something  that 
engToseos  you.  entertains  yon,  plcnses  or  disjileiiscj  you  vtrty 
much — well !  every  now  and  then  you're  sure  to  flog  in  your  atten- 
tion; and  then  Alico  dances  away  out  of  range,  or  the  equivalent 
thing,  whatever  it  may  be  in  your  ease,  happens.  And  then  you 
start,  as  Peggy  did,  and  egme  hack  into  the  world  of  conseiousuesd 
and  action,  from — whatever  other  world  you  may  happen  to  bare  ■ 
been  in,  Uetaphysies.  Cookery-.  Political  Economy,  anj-thiuu! 

"Oh  dearl    I  wish  the  child  wouldn't  go  out  of  our  jigbt,"  anid 
ahc  as  Alic«  vanislied.  evidently  walking,  beyond  an  outline  of  tho        i 
bill  agaiost  the  sea.     Pe^y  got  up  to  follow  her,  and  ao  did  ^| 
Johnson.  ^B 

"She's  all  right  there."  said  he.    "It's  not  a  precipice  when  you 
get  there— these  places  are  so  deceptive.    But  I'll  go  after  her  and  ^_ 
fetch  her  back."    Peggy  waited  where  slie  stood,  on  tlie  main  paib- ^^| 
way  to  the  lighthouse,  with  tbe  little  heaps  of  stones  along  it,  kept  ^^ 
frcsb-paintcd  white  to  show  the  road  on  darlc  winter  nights.    Sh« 
was  not  anxious;  she  knew  the  ways  of  these  cliff-«idcs  too  well. 
If  you  were  to  bii  anxioua  every  lime  any  one  went  out  of  might, 
tlierc  would  never  be  an  end  to  it.    They  would  bo  back  directly. 


M 


I 


ALIC&FOR-SHORT 

Besides,  llMtor  Rupert  could  see  her  now — be  was  out  of  sight 
liini»lf.    They  would  bi-  back  dirifclly.  .  .  . 

How  fiinnitj'  the  blrtit  of  that  sbecp  eoundodl  How  it  ran 
ibout  tool  It  was  over  (biTo  just  iiow.  nnd  that  Inst  time  it 
•oundixl  iiM  if  it  wan  down  ibr  hil)-*ide  towards  ihc  wa.  where  Alice 
was.  Surely  that  foolish  link-  itionke.v  bad  not  gone  ruiuiiug  down 
to  tl»e  cliff  to  wc  tiic!  Jibit'p.  Rbc  munt  have  gonp  nn  a  lonft  way 
tbousb]  But  there  could  be  uothiug  wrong,  or  Master  Rupert 
would  hare  sboutMl  bocJc.  There  was  the  sbeei)  egnin — poor  thing! 
it  Koundi  quite  in  despair — stop  I 

"It  un't  the  thttp  at  all~U'a  Alieer 

Vfiesss  neither  says  nor  hcnrs  these  words.  Ab  «bc  lookiii  back 
after  to  that  terrible  inonienl,  ibey  seemed  to  come  into  her  memory 
with  the  mit  of  tbc  scene — with  the  glorious  am  and  all  Hi-aven 
above  it.  with  the  land  under  encbantment  from  the  first  lentrthcu- 
ing  of  tlut  iihodnws,  with  tlie  endless  mtisic  of  the  BMai-birds  U-low — 
ceD  the  mysterious  note  of  the  wind  on  the  tetcfiTaph  wire  that 
wama  tiw;  lifi-ljoat  of  abips  sighted  in  distress,  or  wrecks  so  near 
that  the  rocket  apparatus  ia  the  only  chance  of  rescue.  They 
would  all  <!omc  buck  vividly  to  her  recollection,  and  witli  tbcm, 
just  as  vividly,  tbe  words  she  neither  spoke  nor  heard,  but  that 
filled  the  place  just  the  same.  *flt  isn't  the  sheep  at  all — it'g 
Alioer 

How  quickly  one  can  think  whi-n  thought  in  driven,  forcnl.  stunff 
into  the  brain.  As  PcKKy  ^'^'^  (and  she  ran  bard  too)  to  the  point 
at  wbii'h  Jiibii.''rin  bud  disniipi-un-il  tbc  tbonght  bad  time  to  form  in 
her  mind:  /  »haU  tote  Ihem  both!  That  Alice  bad  slipped  down 
some  awful  precipice,  an<j  that  Johnson  was  after  her — that  was 
clear  as  noonday  to  her  almost  before  she  started.  But  then,  all 
ia  a  few  seconds,  followed  a  hideouu  vision! — she  would  go  home 
alono — atonrf  The  intensity  of  the  horror  of  her  eomiitg  to  the 
house  lo  tell  of  it — even  worse,  lljo  felling  of  her  brother  after- 
wards— all  crowded  into  that  little  wpan  of  time  between  the  mo- 
ment when  sbe  beard  the  slieep  erj-  last,  and  wlie:i  she  saw.  still 
some  litt!<?  way  below  her,  ibi?  figure  of  Rupert  Johnson,  who  must 
surely  hare  ftone  mad,  as  be  was  to  all  seeuiti^t  pulling  oS  his 
booltt  and  stockings. 

fcRify  rani  Oh,  bow  she  ran!  And  so  running  she  suddenly 
grasped  the  explanutiun — Alice  had  slid  down  the  rounding  curve 
of  Blippery  down,  urowing  steeper  and  steeper,  till  even  the  she^ 
that  cropped  the  sliort  lwTbug«  bud  no  foothold  on  the  grass  itH^lf, 
»nd  could  only  reach  it  from  the  tiny  roads  they  tbcTOBftV'^*  V*i 
made  in  voiinllea*  Ji^re^    If  Johnson  went  dtitcu  tlure  ai'unVKi  ^on 


IfO 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


would  to  a  certainty  lose  them  both.  Eren  barefoot,  as  she  saw 
ho  meant  to  try  it,  he  would  uevt-r  kwp  his  feet.  Anil  then  she 
knew  ahe  was  blocJcing:  her  mind  aftainet  the  thought  of  wbnt  losing 
JnbniKm  ni<-ntit.  It  tvua  autiiidin);  its  aummona  at  the  door,  but 
she  refufied  to  admit  it. 

Shi?  Bi-iufd  .Tohnsdu's  onn  when  slie  reached  him.  You  will  eea 
how  quickly  all  this  passed  from  the  fact  tliat  it  was  while  h« 
took  oH  two  lace-up  boots,  and  an  ordinary  pair  of  aocka — not 
stockings. 

"Not  both!  Not  Lotbll  Oh.  Alice,  my  darling,  forgive  meT' 
The  dc^airing  cry  had  no  <?xiicctatiow  that  Alice  could  hear — 
it  was  just  the  form  a  pang  took.  Johneon  hesitated — barely  a 
second.    Would  slio  not  rclcniio  hiH  nnnt 

"Margaret  Heath.  I  love  you  more  than  all  elee  there  is  for  mo 
in  Heaven  or  Earth — but  let  me  got — I  nsk  it,"  His  voice  fell  U3 
he  repeated  again.  "I  ask  it.'"  Bvit  Margaret  clung  to  his  arm — 
"I  cannot  bear  to  lose  you  both,"  she  said,  quite  rapidly,  under  her 
breath. 

And  in  that  moment,  this  man  knew  what  he  would  have  to  live 
for.  if  he  lived.  But  he  knew  he  would  not  Itt-  wortliy  of  it.  if  he 
allowed  the  excuse  that  he  could  not  release  himself  without  vio' 
lenoe.  It  was  true,  for  Peggy  was  no  chicken;  a  great,  alrongr, 
splendid  girl — more  tban  a  match  for  many  a  man  of  amall 
Rtreuglh,  Johnson  was  <lislini-tly  n  powerful  mnii,  but  Peggy 
fP'ipi>ed  hint  tirmly,  and  it  would  have  to  he  violence  or  sub- 
mi  ^'lini;. 

"Oh.  Hupcrt  Johnson — I  cannot  bear  to  lose  you.  Not  both! 
Not  both!" 

It  wax  a  hard  trial.  But  the  cry  Peggy  had  thought  waa  tbo 
^eep  came  again.  He  hesituted  uo  more.  *^Forgiv«  me,"  asid 
he,  "for  I  love  you." 

He  shook  her  oS  suddenlj-  with  force;  it  waa  needed.  In  fact, 
•he  sluggi-rrd  and  fell.  She  loved  him  for  his  strenRth,  ond  imme- 
diatel.v  picking  herself  up,  ran,  barely  glancing  round  to  see  him 
as  be  wi'iit  eautiouidy  biircfont  down  the  awful  curve,  and  ran,  ran,  j 
ran  till  she  reached  tfae  tighthouse. 


I 


As  far  as  Peggy  could  remember,  after,  what  happened  when 
she  got  there,  screaming — *Thoj-'n!  over  tbtr  cliff — they'ri^  ovftr 
the  cliff r — it  was  in  this  wise;  She  ran,  crying  out  continu- 
ally, through  a  beekyanl  devote<l  to  the  cultivation  of  fuchal 
tnd  the  washing  of  rather  clean  clothes,  and  was  met  by  their 
ItttiadKai,   vtho  was  large  and  trustworthy — of  that  there  oould 


I 

r 
heir^ 


i 


ALICE-FOB-SHOKT  111 

be  DO  doubt  I — and  nlio  iti^tantlj-  called  out  Phaylitn.  Some- 
thins  wbii"tlcd  iind  said,  "Pst — tiuidc!"  Tlitn  she  wn»  tiwur*  of 
.Caie — two — ihK*  meu  in  naty  biu«— one  with  a  ^rcat  bare  throat, 
vjth  a  loHK  coil  of  rope  on  his  shonUlcr.  Aud  iilthoueh  she  hod 
the  dimtni'ttt  impn-ssion  of  tin."  iiuinlMT  oiid  pemouulily  uf  iheae 
men,  a  long  scnr  on  the  throat  of  the  ropc-maii  that  begao  undeT 
the  vsr  am)  rndcd  un  a  innssire  clavick'  was  nn  cicnr  to  hrr  as  if 
abehad  not  been  fainting  away.  Then  things  djsupiieared.  scar  and 
all;  but  not  befon.'  she  <;iiught  iin  Irish  qiicstifin  from  the  Coaiit* 
guard  iaun<lres§ — "Me  dyurr — will  je  fhry  thin  oiul  till  ns  whera 
your  frinds  sn-i"  She  strugglfcl  hard  to  gW  words  out — she  knew 
what  to  say  could  she  have  E|>okc-n,  as  she  had  Hrrangt^il  it  nil 
bcfor*! — but  it  wn»  nsvlcss.  Everything  rnniehpd  as  n  man's  voicp 
ftaid — "No  good!  Search!" — and  was  followed  by  rapid  esit  and 
running  on  lh«  tiirf  outside.  Then  all  became  a  blank  until  sfao 
found  herself  asain  in  the  same  place  supported  by  a  powerful 
•oapy  arm.    She  was  being  criticisi-d. 

"She's  a  darrlin',  shurol     She'll  spake  directlyl" 

"She  hat  got  hair,  tnl"    Tliis  wan  a  Di>vonnhir«  acctmt. 

'Te're  an  impcrrtment  maiden!  Lave  the  loeka  alone  " 
The  Iri"hwfinian  had  acM-ptrd  Home  Di-vonahire  phrawM  evidently. 
"Will  ye  ibry  her  again  with  the  rUbs  to  her  lips.  Phaylini  {  Thry 
one  little  sip,  mc  dyurr!     TbiTc*ii  a  wnrrld  of  good  in  it.    Just 

to  put  the  hearrt  in  ye!    That's  right! "    And  PeftRy.  more  to 

oblige  than  with  any  hope  of  benefit,  swallowed  the  nasty  stuff. 
But  the  Iri&hwonuui  was  right — within  two  ciiuuteH,  iJiu  drew 
a  lon^  brcAtii.  and  the  world  came  back  in  intelligible  form.  Sh^ 
■at  U]i  mill  Bimke. 

"Ob, bow  good  yon  are!  But  they  are  killed.  IknowitP  And 
Peggy  nut  on,  dumb,  with  the  weight  of  all  Iciit  upon  her. 

"Is  it  your  frinds  thin,  that  wint  over  the  cliST  You  be  asy,  me 
dyurr!     T^ve  tbim  to  the  blioya " 

"I  irant  10  show  you   where  they  are,"  eaid  Peffftj",  suddenly 
';  awaking  to  tlio  position  and  struggling  up  to  her  feet.     She  stag- 
gered and  ooUapaed  again  on  a  wooden  settee.    "Ob,  in  a  :niuut«," 
«h«  said. 

"It's  a  «batic«  the  young  men  have  found  them  by  now.    You've 

little  call  to  he  nnxious.  Miss "     But  this  sort  of  eonsolatian, 

quawrriug  and  eon acient ions,  doi'a  not  suit  Phflim'a  wife,  in 
whom  Hope  eccms  a»  ntnmg  ns  her  brogue;  her  husband's  is  very 
slight. 

"Voti  love  tbim  to  the  bhoys.  me  darrlin"!  Shure  I  hear  ttsro. 
comiug  OD  the  hand  eod.  Listen  to  the  f  al«  oi  'em."  %xl\  ^\%  '««'^ 


I 
I 


173 


ALIOE-FOH-SnOET 
Peggy  hrard  no  feot.  and  wanted  to  go 


«nly  ■  pious  fiction, 
meet  cheni. 

"Not  yi-t,  mc  dyurr!— Ve'II  wait  here  with  me,  and  Phaflim  HI 
go.  Go  uiid  mate  iIib  boys,  Pbaylim.  AncJ  wht-ii  ye  know, 
whintlc^l  ..."  I'cggs  heard  the«e  last  words  somewhat  under- 
toned,  and  fancied  s}ii'  had  not  hwtn  meant  to  hnnr  th«n.  Thi-y 
niiuU-  her  shudder,  though  they  were  hut  little  in  themselves.  "It's 
youreilf  wiH  stay  here  with  nie,  quiet  like;  n«d  tlie  bhoys  II  Ih? 
here  within  tin  niiniitps." 

Whether  it  was  teji  minutea,  or  tRn  bou»,  Pi'ggy  i-ould  not  \utve 
giiciwd  from  nnythintr  in  the  context,  but  in  the  end  a  whistle 
sounded — "Will  ye  belove  me  aiiotber  time,  whin  I  say  it's  all 
right f  Koid  the  IriKhwotnnn.  "Twiccd  whistlin'  manes  all  right; 
watisl  is  for  a  casually."  she  wenl  on  t'spluiialoriiy.  Then  both 
ran  out  rrnssured.  There  they  were  coming!  But  Peggy  was 
hysterical  and  could  see  nothing,  for  tears  and  tht-  duxxle  of  tho 
wcMtfring  sun,  which  wos  just  in  n  line  with  Ihi-  coming  group. 

"Oh — tell  me — tell  mel"  she  cried,  "is  it  a  gentleman  and  a  little 
girl  I    Is  it  both  3"    She  caught  tlic  sou[>y  arm,  ond  detained  it. 

"Well  DOW.  I  falc  for  ye  03  if  it  was  niesilf!"  says  tbe  kind- 
hcartod  ercntune.  "TIo's  comin'  down  the  hill  with  your  little  girl 
on  his  showlthers.  pig-a-baek."  Whereon  Peggy,  quite  upsel,  could 
»lo  no  (ithcrwiwe  than  buret  into  a  tornmt  nf  tear*  of  joy,  and  fairly 
throw  heriu'lf  in  her  gratitude  ou  the  ample  l)oeoia  of  the  Coasl- 
guard'N  hidy.  "OU,  you  are  so  gooil !"  nhc  i-ricil.  But  they  mwrned 
to  take  ever  so  long  coming.    What  a  distance  she  must  have  run  I 

If  you  feci  B  little  ashnmcd  of  Pi'ggy  for  collapsing  in  tliix 
absurd  way,  be  good  enough  to  remember  what  she  had  gono 
through.  It  seems  to  us  that  to  sev  thi-  man  whom  in  her  own  mind 
and  hcnrt  she  had  just  mado  the  most  of  that  any  wnmon  can  make 
of  any  man — to  sec  him  disappt-ar  ovt-r  lliut  uwful  vanishing  curve 
to  what  seemed  cprtiiin  denlh.  and  then  to  mn»tcr  the  point  that  shn 
rould  not  help,  and  thai  ihe  iveoreat  soonest  help  m^ist  be  got;  and 
then  to  run  as  she  ran — it  was  a  good  half-mili-  ns  it  proved; — it 
fiurtainly  seems  to  us  that  all  tbia  made  up  about  as  severe  a  trial 
as  yourself  or  we  coidd  grt  through  unmoved.  And  Peggy,  for  all 
Iirr  Philosophy,  and  her  great  resolutions,  had  many  characteris- 
tics in  common  with  other  human  women.  However,  she's  all  right 
Again  now,  in  the  story,  and  Johnson  is  comin«  down  tho  hill  with 
Alice  on  his  shoulders;  and  she  is  even  turning  over  in  her  mind — 
will  yon  believe  it  ( — whether  she  won't  do  n  little  dignity  ou  tho 
subject  of  her  surrender,  It'a  so  awkward  I — she  can't  even  re 
member  exactly  what  she  said. 


>  to  I 


L 


M 

A 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 

As  for  Alice,  she — poor  chilil! — b  suiiply  in  a  dumbfounded 
not  bj-  any  mrniiii  cirnr  nboiil  whni  \\n*  happened.  Mnsti-r 
Rupert  aloDe  is  unmoved.  lie  has  got  hia  boots  on  asraiu,  but  is 
hntleML  Traces  of  mcrraiiingA  run  }«•  detected  on  his  wsiatooMt,  luid 
is  th«N  not  some  blood  on  his  hand  IT  "Yes — but  I  didn't  get  that 
on  llw  gran,"  aaj^  ho.  "Tbut  was  an  iudependent  affair  alto- 
getliOT." 

Th«T  pass  ibroutih  thf  eardoti  and  into  the  lightbounc  room  wheni 
Peggy  fainted.    Johnaon  spraks  first: 

"Vou  must  fomive  me.  for  the  reason  1  said." 

"Forgirc  you.  Maitter  Riiiwrt*     What  for»" 

"For  knocking  you  down,  of  course  I" 

''Did  you  knock  me  downl  Alit^'  dair,  go  n!th  thia  lady,  and 
eh«1t  let  rou  wa&h  your  hands  and  face  in  nice  warm  water.  You're 
■11  grubbied  and  duMed  uU  over " 

"Shure  nod  1  will!     And  will  ye  take  tayT    Thus  (bo  Irish- 

imKn — who  ia  ibe  inother,  it  seeuia,  of  the  massive  collarbone, 

!io  ia  not  a  rmidcnt.  but  a  ydung  mnn-of-war"«  man  ovi-r  from 

lymoutb.  »n  a  vLiil.  Wa  eertiiinly  will  lake  tay  altl>out;b  it's 
past  six  o'clock.  And  the  Devonshire  irirl  dispcrww,  to  prepare  it, 
Phi-lim  and  th*  ihriw  young  men,  all  myslerioualy  known  to  Ji>hn- 
son  already  by  their  Christian  nanics.  also  disperse,  perhaps  from 
Bn  inatinei.    Jobtwun  and  Pi'trto'  are  K-ft  alone. 

Pesgy  wanted  in  her  inmost  heart  to  fling;  dignity  to  Ibo  winda — 
but  ofae  was,  as  we  bnvu  lately  said,  a  woman.  Johnson  dtd  not 
feet  quite  sure  ho  would  not  be  presuming  too  much  if  he  took 
h*r  for  granted  in  iMliaetluetice  of  a  few  ehance  words  under  ten- 
sion of  siK-h  excititmi-tit.  There  were  tlw  mutcriolH  for  a  niiutite 
or  two  of  stiffness.  But  it  could  not  and  did  not  last  tonjc.  An 
you  Ran  guvee  at  the  aort  of  way  iu  which  it  ccHa(^d,  (here  can  be 
no  need  to  tell  you. 

"There's  Alice  coming  now."  said  Penjiy.  "Yes — you  may  call 
me  anything  you  like.  It's  one  comfort  I  can  call  you  Rupert 
instead  of  Dr.  Johnson,  which  I  hate.  It's  like  Boswclll — Tako 
care,  or  you'll  aeratcb  your  baud  again."  For  it  a|>pcared  that 
lh«  blood  on  Dr.  Johnson's  hand  was  made  by  Pcfigy's  ring,  when 
he  dragged  his  own  out  of  her  grasp,  and  as  he  said,  "knocked  her 
down."  It  wnK  Alico'si  ring,  or  what  wax  to  be  hi-nt  one  day,  and 
Peggy  was  wearJnjc  it,  as  she  alletced,  to  keep  it  aired  for  her. 

Alice'H  aecotint  of  tltc-  nct^iili-nt  waa  that  abe  didn't  go  near  the 
,  but  had  doue  religiously  as  she  waa  told.  But  the  gnuuil 
ao  grcatky,  that  ahe  went  like  boys  on  a  t,W^     K.i\^  ^ 


4 


ALICE-F0R-8H0RT 


Imitated  the  wRy  in  whioh  sJin  Ivgnn  1o  slide,  imd  finnlly  wnt 
down  on  her  hands  and  kntpee.  iiul  then  it  wne  too  late  to  tavo 
herself,  ami  ahe  went  on  nnd  on,  until  at  last  sIh-  <T08aed  over  r 
litlte  leilgc  nf  sheep  traclc.  She  gave  the  idea  that  she  nji*«e<)  it 
with  her  feet,  but  partly  BlHpixtd  herftelf  by  catching  at  it  with  h«?r 
hnnds — perhaps  straightening  hereelf  on  the  line  of  the  sloiw 
and  thereby  favouriuK  a  lower  ledKe.  on  which  her  feet  caught 
and  stopped.  Ponr  AliocI  The  position  was  awful.  She  might 
oven  hove  died  of  terror  eould  she  have  eonoeived  the  precipice 
Ix'low.  But  hnjtil.v  for  her,  ehe  did  not  realise  anything  worse  than 
that  there  was  water  there,  and  she  might  fall  in,  A  sheer  fall  of 
two  hundred  feet  diil  not  i-ome  into  lier  ealenlations. 

"Oh,  1  teat  frightened!"  said  she.  "I  tried  to  squeam  and  I 
Btiueamod — but  I  couldn't  squtram  well  heoausr  I  went  fwmp,  ftimp, 
ftunp — oh,  80  hardl  You  never,  never,  never  would  have  fought 
it  waa  me.  to  hear  it  1    But  it  was  mi?." 

".\nd  what  happened  next.  Alice  f" 

"Oh.  then  Dr.  Jomson  said  hold  tight  and  call  otit  again  Alice — 
and  1  said  please  I  waa  dovo  hero.  Theu  I  saw  Dr.  Jomeon  dig- 
ging in  bis  knife  into  the  ground," 

"I  was  obliged  to  moke  one  or  two  holes  in  tbe  ground  to  get  A 
foothold,"  said  he.  explanatoriV.     Alice  went  on: 

"Then  Dr.  Jonison  turned  upside  down,  and  came  down  with 
his  hands,  and  cntched  tne  round  here" — grasping  hcc  wrists  alter- 
nately. "And  Dr.  Jomsou  said  me  to  keep  quite  quit©  atill,  and 
Wf  sould  do  nithclj  for  hidf-nn-hour." 

"Yeel  And  Alice  said  elie  should  like  to  go  home  please,  didn't 
you.  Alice?"    Alicu  nod<lud,  with  feeling. 

"But  I  can't  understand  f  said  Peggy.  "How  did  you  manage 
to  hold  on!" 

"Why— don't  you  eeel  1  dug  out  the«i  holes  to  catch  my  toes  in, 
and  went  down  htuid  foremost." 


It 


nasty  tnoment  before 
felt  firm  I  knew  it 


I  knew 
was  all 


"How  awful!" 

"Not  a  bit  of  itl  There  was  a 
it  would  hold — but  a*  wion  a*  it 
right " 

"Wasn't  it  awful  when  ,vou  went  down  head  first)" 

"Tes — till  my  to<-ii  caught  the  bole*        " 

"I  don't  understand— didn't  you  put  your  toes  in  the 
flrrtt » 

T  wanted  to — but  it  wouldn't  work.  If  I  had  put  my  toes  in 
and  kneeled  forward  on  the  elope— don't  yon  seet— I  waa  afraid 
1  ehouM  pitdi  forward.    And  then  Alico  and  I  afaouldn't  havo  beon 


^ 


^ 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 


175 


liRTT.  Wn  KlictiM  have  been  bathinff"  He  iUuatiated  Ibe  kaeeUiif 
diiBcult.T  with  Ilia  knudclea.    Peggy  shuddered. 

"But  how  did  you  do  tbun  T' 

'^b— of  course  I  laj  down  flat  on  my  face  nnd  wiggled  round 
Aiid  slid  forward — it  wax  tatbrr  nasty  till  I  eaught  my  tooa  in  tlie 
holes.     If  I  liadu't.  Alioe  aud   1    Bbmildu't  have  hod  our  tens. 

Eh.  Aiicp  r 

I'egKJ'  is  conscious  of  a  feeling  of  suppressed  appUuse  among 
the  eoastgiinri)  foil:.  "Tt  was  a  bud  plnn-,"  myn  tli«  young  eailflr. 
"If  the  genll^mau  and  the  young  lady  had  come  wttii  a  run,  lliey'd 
have  ovi-nhot  tlie  U-dgp  I  was  iin,  and  after  that  it  was  str«ig1it 
ss  a  lead-line  down  to  Uie  sea " 

'"It  WBS  a  rare  good  joh  you  aigfitt^d  'cm  ho  »oon  as  you  did, 
Andrew,"'  says  one  of  the  other  rescuers.  Then  be  went  ou  with 
fuller  t'xplnnution  lo  Pi-ggy,  "Ton  wf,  Mn'aiti — it  was  in  ihis 
wise:  Wc  kiiew  what  sort  of  place  it  was  like  lo  be  in — knowingJ 
Ihc  rod(3  well.  So  Anilrc-w  h«  wtrut  ulwig  tint  eliff  face,  uudil 
Kevett  here  and  I  we  took  the  taekle  along  ou  tbe  hill-top.  And 
wbfia  wr  .ligliti-il  ihcni,  Andri-w  hi-  got  (o  a  liKlgu  just  under  the 
little  lady  to  make  a  sort  of  stand  if  tbey  was  to  come  free.  And 
Andntw  lir  made  thi;  line  fast  to  th<'  liltlt?  ludy,  and  alie  eaine  up 
easy.  Then  we  were  getting  afraid  there  might  bn  a  casualty,  for 
tbo  gcntl<-mau  was  too  stiff  to  inovo.  aud  we  couldn't  spare  one  of 
us  from  above  lo  go  down  and  nttncli  the  line,  and  wc  had  to 
*end  tht;  lint?  <lown  to  Andrew  and  he  couldn't  make  it  fast  to 
himself  for  want  of  turning  room— well,  yes  I"  (this  is  iu  answer 
to  a  remark  of  Andrew's) — "you  might  have  come  up  belike!  But 
maybe  it  whs  best  to  do  as  you  did." 

"Vnmt  did  you  dot"  said  Peggj: 

"Andrew  he  siiRg^ted  the  gentleman  might  slack  out  his  toea 
and  drop  down  t-^ay.  and  he'd  catch  him.  And  then  he  made  all 
fa«t  and  wc  got  your  husband  up.  Ma'om — aud  if  you  osk  mtt  I 
say  it's  God's  mercy  you've  (tot  him  bock."  Peggy  felt  this  was 
^gp  doubt  true  in  the  abatract.  but  thnt  Andrew  and  the  speakerj 
^^Btre  eulitled  to  acknowledgment.  "What  became  of  Andrew  | 
^Mid  she-    For  she  felt  he  wa«  left  on  a  rock-ledge. 

"Oh — Andrew  t    He  wt-nt  back  ihe  way  he  came." 

Peggy  ""d  Alice  wcr»;  both  very  Unxy  by  now — but  tea, 
seemed  to  abound,  with  all  its  contingencies,  in  that  lightbo 
bad  a  very  reviving  i-ff(*t.  aud  Peggy  ft-lt  fit  to  stort  for  ho 

)  ttmel    Alice  fell  into  a  sound  sleep,  but  this  dlda'l  xtuAVeti^ 
e  Andrew  came  back  witli  thiMn,  to  ehovt  a  «^M)TV-c^l^,  ft.vi&. 
Apr  tlie  whalf  way.    Just   us  they  wet«  ataTtVtuj  YwiJsJ 


n« 


ALICE-FOB-SHOBT 


overbeard  their  boetess  epeaking  to  tlie  coaBtgiuzd  who  had  given 
the  narrative  of  the  rescue : 

"Pater  I  Ton'r©  no  better  than  a  boim  fool  I  Oan't  ye  aay  with 
your  eyesight  to  discriminate  when  payple  are  swateheartingl 
Hosband  iudade!    Not  yet  awhile  1" 


CHAPTER  XVT 


or    HOW    BROTHEDS    ABE    FOOl:^,    ASD    HOW    PSOCT    WA8(rt    KXACTNt 
^tiAUKD.      or  AUCe's  rAWILY,  »UT  NOT  Ut'OU  ^, 

Chulcs's  letter  to  I'cfrti?.  with  sll  sboiit  tiiG  ghort  in  it.  cam* 
lab!  cnoufcb  to  criMta  hera  with  all  »lioiit  tlie  rescue  in  it.  Neither 
letter  was  quite  bcna-fide,  but  cacti  writer  aiipiKisod  the  rocoivw 
w<ii(!(i  n-iiil  bpiween  the  lints.  Charlea  wrote  in  the  tone  of  one 
whf>  pooh-pnoh?  sujicrslition ;  yet  knew  that  PeRKj"  understood 
him,  anil  would  w^i  ihat  lie  w»H  really  piiu!le<l,  and  did  attticli 
eomo  importance  to  the  story.  Pesrjty  wrote  a  full  aocount  of  the 
cliil  mtHadvL-uture^  but  did  nol  iDcludn  a  dcfinitt-  !itjttemi;nt  of  hor 
rriations  with  Dr.  Johnson.  She  apolonised  to  herself  for  doingr 
this  by  Kivning  to  ilie  fact  thnt.  ufter  all.  «Im>  wa.i  not  "ciigiig«d" 
to  Master  liiipert.  Who  ever  heard  of  h  girl  beiu^  engaged  to  a 
nutn  wilboiit  her  fatbi<r  being  cnnxulted — or  for  that  mattor,  her 
brother)  It  wasn't  even  oertniii  thai  Kupert  would  ever  be  able 
to  afford  to  marry.  But  of  eouriu^  Charley  would  kucss  all  about 
it  I  Her  letter  had  too  many  hints  of  the  stattia-quo  in  it  for  him 
not  to  see  wbut  was  in  tin*  wind. 

But  I'emjy  was  quite  miHtakcn.  Charles  read  her  letter  tlirotigh 
several  tiniea,  and  waa  greatly  excited  over  the  stofy  of  the  rescue. 
But  he  quite  missed  aceinfi  that  the  circumstances  therouf  bad 
been  accompanied  by  any  unusual  effervescence  or  incan<I<!scr^cii 
of  feclinti  in  two  of  the  actors.  Of  course  Peggy  did  not  write. 
''Dr.  JohnHun  aatd  that  lie  loved  me  passionately.  Then  he 
knocked  me  down,  and  went  over  the  cliff  with  his  boots  off."  but 
ahe  did  infnse  an  amount  of  itu^eation  whicJi  wpuld  have  been 
enoufHi  for  any  but  a  brother.  She  wanted  C'harley  to  see  and 
iindervland,  without  baviuK  to  inaku  a  furniul  Htnteininit.  Thnt  lie 
did  Dot  may  have  been  partly  due  to  the  prominence  his  mind  gave 
to  Alice  and  ber  eafety.  In  fact  be  thought  so  much  about  thi« 
that  vben  he  wrolo  in  reply  ho  forgot  all  about  his  gratitude  to 
Johnson  till  be  came  to  a  postscript.  He  was  eloquent  enontiifa 
8i«  soon  stM  he  rt-aehed  tlic  topic — in  fact  ihcrr  wn»  iis  much  post- 
script as  pra^script.  nearly.  But  at  the  beginning  he  waa  too  full 
Lof  lii«  littlo  protegee  to  find  n  word  for  bifl  friend  or  hiit  aiater. 
''Well — I  don't  know!"  said  he  to  Jeff,  in  tbe  <»va%  >A  ».  cwa.- 


178 


AIJCE-FOR-SHORT 


• 


Tereation  shortly  after,  "pcrhnpB  theie  mny  be  nomctliing  in  it. 
Only  (3ou't  you  go  auil  say  anj-llutig  about  it.  old  chap!"  For 
he  had  nmd  some  portions  of  Piggy's  letter  to  Jeff,  with  blanks 
of  omiHaioii,  and  resorvpsi;  and  had  thereby  caused  hini  to  oIoao 
one  eye  with  wBperbiiman  insight,  and  eay;  "It's  tho  Doctor!" 
-'What  i»r  aaked  Charles. 
'  ^l  say.  Charley!  Draw  it  mild.  Pretendin'  you  don't  know! — 
Jrinipy  couple — Hanover  Stjuare^HoIy  Mutrimoio'!  You  mark 
■my  words,  it's  the  Doctor!"  And  while  Jeff  added  confirmatory 
nods,  and  new  sagacities  of  exjireftsiion.  Charle>a  went  over  I»9 
letter  again,  thoii«htfully.  Rut,  that  timo.  he  only  said  ho  was 
eure  there  was  notliiug  iu  it,  and  one  wan  always  suspecting  things. 
Mr.  Jerrythought  said  they  would  see,  and  for  his  pnrt  he  should 
order  a  button-'ole.  to  be  bef<in--haMii,  if  he  waa  going  to  be  aaked 
to  the  wedding.  "Consider  yourwlf  asked  alread_v.  my  dear  Ixiyl" 
said  Charles;  "but  it  won't  come  uff."  For  Cbnrlt-s  hud  rcaily 
Iticlieved  Peggy  had  meant  all  she  said.  However,  he  made  wmo 
concession  afterward»,  an  alHirc  ri-conlfd. 

"I  shall  have  to  ram  it  home  to  Charley,"  eaid  Peggy  to  her 
lover,  when  ehn  had  rciid  tlirouRh  hi-r  brothi-r'n  letter  to  him.  And 
fihe  deliberately  concluded  her  next  letter  willi.  "Kii|>ert  says  he 
must  be  back  nt  the  Hoi^pitnl  on  Tucmiiiy."  Charley  wn«  then 
alleviating  the  hardships  of  Bohemiuui^m  by  diuinir  at  home  to 
JtetTi  his  fnlhir  coinpany,  on  the  prftext  that  the  old  boy  must  be 
feeling  lonesome.  That  evening  it  occurred  to  bim  that  he  might 
c)itablisJi  a  charactrr  for  iwrspieuity  and  experience  in  msttcni  of 
this  sort  by  broaching  the  tojuc.  But,  obviously,  the  proper  course 
would  be  to  check  the  impulae  of  responsibility  until  conversation- 
time  proper.  Aa  soon  as  his  meersehnum  was  lighted  would  bo 
time  enough.  Till  then,  he  would  be  content  with  feeling  (hat 
matters  of  this  sort  were  serious,  and  not  to  be  tritled  with,  and 
did  80  accordingly.  But  his  father  took  all  the  edge  off  his  achemev 
by  anticipating  Ina  disclosure: 

"Iley — what  waa  it,  Charley  boy!"  aaid  he.  "what  your  sister 
saysi  "We're"  not  going  (o  marry,  whoever  else  docs,  Becauao 
we're  not  going  to  preach  what  we  don't  practise!'  We're  mighty 
fine  people,  we  are!  And  then  we  go  and  fall  in  lore  with  a 
doctor!"^ 

Charles's  mortification  at  hanng  his  beginning  Fpoilod  waa  not 
of  a  serious  sort — but  he  would  console  himself  a  little,  and  9>bow 
his  experience  of  mankind,  especinlly  womankind.  "That's  jwt 
like  a  girl,  all  overl"  said  he.  "But  I  suppose  we're  all  been 
ej;'ecling  it!" 


i4fa 


a 


ALICE-FOR-SUOKT 


179 


I 


L 


"Wo  (hall  ell  say  wp  have,  anjhow!"  said  his  fnlhi?r.  "Nerer 
mitui,  Cliarluy!  I  itanwiy  wo  h«vc."  Charles  fplt  transpnront. 
Hi"  father  rontinupd:  "What's  the  Doctor!— what's  ht-  like?" 
Wbert-'oii  C!iarl(?>',  who(M^  triflinc  r^linm*  never  ptwpcd  out  of  doora 
4n[oc|>t  whrn  his  gcnpTOsily,  chivalry,  or  benevolenot^  wen-  usiuflti 
iftr  ai  meals,  broku  into  a  ht-arl-wholo  puncjiryrii'  iif  Johnson.  He>^ 
•wan  the  finest  fellow  that  ever  breatlicd.  in  himself;  tht*  ableatr 
in  mcdidne  and  surgcj?';  ibv  moitt  si-lf-siicriliciiig  irtccters  wllliin' 
Chark*'*  caqwriencc.  But  he  wns  too  honest  to  get  on  in  his  pro- 
fesaioQ — not  balf-biiiiibu)r  enough!  And  liia  motbtT  und  ni'lera 
wen-  dcptoidcnt  on  him,  and  be  would  always  bo  as  poor  as  a  rat. 

"Very  f-ood  testimonials,  anyhow."  said  hi§  father,  "I'vo  got 
aomc  more  in  bcrr."  And  hp  prodviei'd  letttra  written  from  Sbclla- 
«ombe  by  "ihe  boys" — whom,  by  the  way,  owinjt  to  the  cumbroua 
extent  of  lliia  large  fiiniiiy  we  Imve  not  In'en  nble  to  mention, 
ta  for.  They  wert"-  respectively  Kobcrt,  fifteen,  and  Dan.  ten;  and 
£11en  rntni-  betwei-n  tbtra.  They  bud  eoiue  to  Shelluuunibt'  on 
the  very  day  of  the  cliff  accident,  with  their  tutor,  Mr.  Capel 
Wridht.  All  the  jiarty  had  gone  next  day  to  innpect  the  soene 
of  the  accident,  and  to  bunt  at  the  fool  of  the  cliff  for  Dr.  John- 
ton't  hat;  and  these  letters  contained  full,  if  obscure,  particulars, 
interlaced  wilh  pnnegyrie  of  Dr.  Johnson:  and  ending  u|>  with 
bow  he  and  Pe^gy  Rot  left  behind  and  cut  off  by  the  tide, 
and  would  hnvc  hud  to  wnde  tlirough  the  water  and  i>po!l  their 
things  only  luckily  there  waa  a  boat 

*^iiy  I  see  Peggy's  own  letter!"  said  Charles  when  ho  had  run 
bis  eye  through  his  younger  brothers'. 

"Peggy's  <nrn  It-tterl  What  letter?  Oh— Peggy  himu't  writlm 
to  roe— not  she!  Fra  supposed  to  know  nothing  about  it.  It's  not 
■uppoaed  to  fxist,  I  believe.  I've  your  mother's  k-tler" — wbii.^ 
be  handed  over  to  his  sod. 

C"n.iid<-n.fl  as  n  report  nf  what  waa  occurring  at  Shellocombe. 
Mrs.  Heath's  letter  was  unsatisfactory,    Considercd  a?  an  indicl- 
mviit  uf  her  lin!i!>iind  for  not  interposing  to  prevent  a  variety  of 
things  which  she  did  not  describe,  it  was  maslcriy.    "I  am  sure  t 
waa  ri^ht  in  nayiug  to  Mnrgnret"   (so  run  the  letter)  "that  you 
would  not  approve  of  i*hat   is  noing  on;  but  that  I  could  my 
nothing.    My  eliildr^-n  mujil  go  thc-ir  own  way.    I  hav«  no  authority 
with  them.     But  1  have  notliing  to  say  aicainst  Dr.  Johnson  per- 
aonnlly.     He  apiiefrH  to  be  without  family  eonnediou  or  meanSa^B 
beyond  his  prospects  in  his  pr<ife8sion.     In  addition  to  this  thcy^B 
have  only  known  fuidi  oiher  eight  nionllw.    BviV  ni  <miit%k  W  ftM. 
approve  of  it,  J  hare  uotbing  to  say.    I  nm.  nwiti^  >^vt  \oa'^ns£<< 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


1  anjr^l 


1  bsvo  Inid  litiTgttrvt  that  I  hnvn  no  monns  of  knowing 
your  wifihefi  are.  liut  that  for  my  own  part  1  cannot  eanetion 
thing  raxk.  And  ihin  1  hnv<j  Miid,  thai  1  think  it  my  dulj-  to  sj^-uk 
plainly  aa  a  mother  (however  much  I  may  be  blamed  for  it)  and 
to  say  tbat  I  am  not  able  to  fonn  anjr  opinion  whuti!vcT  of  tlio 
dcvirnbility  or  otherwise  of  Ch*.  Johoaon,  as  I  have  not  been  con< 
suited;  but  that  a  daughter's  first  duty,  before  allowing  hprsclf 
to  fonn  an  atlachmeut  to  any  man,  is  to  obtaiu  the  consent  of 
her  pairntii.  liiit  that  if  my  husband  think*  otherwise,  it  is  my 
purl  lo  defer  to  him "     Cbarlea  atoppisi  reading. 

"I  think  1  must  havp  bcfiun  in  the  middle,"  said  ho.  "Isn't 
then'  a  sheet  before  this!" 

The  old  gentleman,  evidently  much  amused.  Bat  polishing  his 
eyeKlasses.  "Not  a  bit  of  itl"  said  he.  "That's  your  mother  all 
oTer.  The  b<!St  of  living  women,  my  dear  boy;  the  very  best  I 
But  she  ain't  by  way  of  being  consecutive.  That's  the  beginning — 
where  you  started." 

'1  don't  think,"  sai«l  Charles,  meditatively,  "that  I  should  like  to 
marry  ii  girl  who  axked  her  parents'  leave  to  fall  in  love.  She  would 
be  such  a  very  cool  customer.  I  wonder  if  Miimmn  did  so  her- 
wlfr 

"I  happen  to  be  able  to  UiW  you."  said  his  father,  who  was  ehuck- 
ling  to  himseJf  eo  that  his  speech  came  by  instalments.  "Your 
mother  refused  (o  introduce  me  lo  her  (iiHrcnti!  until  she  Imd  quite 
made  up  her  own  mind.  I  sihall  tell  her  Fve  told  you  that."  And 
Mr.  Heatli  laughed  till  he  waa  obEigud  to  lay  down  his  cigar,  and 
pull  out  his  silk  handkerchief  t«  wipe  his  eyes.  As  soon  as  he  had 
recovered,  he  pii6fM)  again  peacefully.  "The  best  of  living  women, 
my  dear  boy."  said  he  again,  "only  not  exactly  n  born  logician," 

"Here's  Peggy's  own  letter  lo  me."  said  Charles,  producing  it. 
Tlis  father  settled  down  to  read  it  comfortably,  through  the  newly 
polished  ej-eglasBCs,  while  Charles  sucked  ut  his  meerschaum  in 
Hik'iice.  lie  folHixl  it  up  when  he  had  finished,  and  handed  it  back. 
"TesI"  he  said,  "that  seems  to  me  pretty  dear.  1  shall  have  an 
official  visit  from  the  Doctor.    And  •  long  lettei  from  the  Mir*  '* 

"What  shall  you  say  to  himP* 

"Ob^of  enurse  1  shall  refer  him  (to  your  mother.  The  women 
settle  all  these  things.  Your  motlier  wants  to  put  it  off  on  mc, 
that  she  may  wig  nw!  afterwards.  But  I  won't  be  let  in  to  sa.ving 
anything;  beaidea,  the  young  people  wouldn't  pay  the  alighteat 
attention  if  I  did.  Ycm  can't  control  a  young  couple,  auy  more 
than  yon  can  a  mad  bull." 

Ch&rJes  saw  that  botvccn   tho  two  atools   the  young  ooop!* 


ALlCE-FOR-SnORT 


181 


wouldn't  fall  1o  lh(>  irround,  but  would  go  to  the  nltnr.  He  kUd- 
quielwd  tht-  rule  t>t  ibe  far-aighlL-d  miui  d{  the  world,  which  was 
mdier  nrlilicia);  sod  ho  wt(«  nil  Ihc  nict^r  ns  nhsolutv  trutli fulness 
dawned,  with  »  amile,  ou  his  countenauc^.  "I  reilly  was  telling 
fibK,''  nniit  hp,  "when  I  Knid  I'<I  hn^n  c-sptwliiig  it  In  fact.  JeS 
found  it  out  before  1  did. — Oh  no  I — I  didn't  tvad  the  whole  of  tho 
letter  to  .Ti-JT." 

And  when  he  xot  back  that  ^vcoinft  to  the  Bohemian  home,  ho 
found  Pt^Kr""  IfttiT  tlmt  Bupertod  lier  lover  without  «ruple,  aod 
f«h  llie  whole  aSair  wae  settled. 

It  must  be  much  easier  to  write  fiction  than  Ilietorj' — to  put  in 
and  leave  out  iticideiila  at  {ileusurv.  There  are  no  many  ihing*^ 
that  happened  to  the  people  wr  nr^-  writing  shout  that  have  no  rcol^ 
eoniveclion  with  what  (iu  fiction)  would  be  the  plot,  so  called,  of 
the  «tory;  hut  thnt  lay  dnim  to  short  parngmphs  nn  the  senrr  of 
their  fictuality.  and  tfarealen  the  conscience  of  the  chronicler  if 
I     omtltMl.    Ought  hi;  not  to  record  this,  or  Ihutl 

For  iastaace,  the  incident  of  Mr.  C^pel  Wright,  the  tutor.    Pe^m 
waa  vtry  sorry  for  it.    She  hftd  rfattg  bcfln  ptirf<'ctly  unconacioua. 
"There  must  be  some  man — somewhere — that   isn't  in  love  with 
one!"  Niid  slic,  pilfouuly,  when  Ell^n  dtwcmdod  on  her  with  tfao 
uewa  that  Mr.  WriRhi  had  written  to  bep  off  completing  his  eugaice- 
ncnt  on  thr  vorc  of  s  fnmily  distraction.    "You  know  what  ikai't 
all  about — with  your  Captain  Bradleys  and  .your  Robert  Forrcsta 
and  your  Mr.  Jerrylho lights" ;  which  last  aocunntion  prnvnkcd  fbVH 
nearest  approach  to  indignation  un,v  one  so  comic  could  warrau^H 
followml  by  the  despairing  rxpri'juion  of  conviction  recorded  above.  H 
Ellen  pounced  upon  it  as  so  much  vanity  on  the  part  of  her  sister;  ^ 
and  udiibited  lier  to  Eiiroiie,  *a  to  speak,  hb  &  jn.v  in  pr-ncock's 
fetithera — whieh  was  unfair,  after  the  form  her  reproat^het)  had 
taken.     What  amount  of  truth  there  was  in  her  suggestion  about 
our  friend  Jeff  wf  e-annot  say.    He  certainly  was  not  so  sensitive  ot^l 
Hr.  Cape]  Wriiiht,  whose  defection  wae  universally  laid  at  Pt-ggy'^H 
door.     She  was  very  unpopular  with  the  boys  after  the  diNippear-S 
I     ance  of  their  tutor  and  master,  and  bad  to  puss  o  life  of  penileDCttH 
and  apology.     Her  mother  dieccrn«l  in  the  number  of  Peggyi^l 
I     admirers  a  repetition  of  her  own  experience,  but  without  tlie  aan»-" 
I     excuKCK.     Her  fntJicr  naid  they  wero  six  of  one  and  half-a-dosen 
f     of  the  other. 

y  There  wiw  n  cttrtain  amount  of  occurrence  also  connoct«d  with 

I     Alice's  famil}-.     Her  father  the  tailor  had  a  haU-bcoVWt  tUDaMe& 
1    Jonathan,  suppow.'d  by  Alice  to  be  called  ao  tio\  wV]  Vnca.'naKi  "bib 


' 


n-as  stinU-sl  in  quantity*,  but  because  wliatever  waa  the  natural 
Icnicth  of  his  limbi*  they  bad  not  been  made  in  puim — one  Jcg 
being  very  mudi  aborler  than  the  other.  anJ  one  arm  perceptibly 
so.  Alice  in  her  own  mind  imagini-d  that  Jonntlinn,  wbui  ut 
home  or  iu  society,  would  mentiou  Samuel  as  bis  whole  brother. 
She  bad  scarcely  wrn  bim  at  any  time,  nnd  had  only  one  elca* 
memory  of  him — when  he  came  one  day  (before  No.  40)  to  quiirrel 
with  her  fathar,  upparentty  about  smniethiug  that  was  spoken  of 
by  both  aa  "the  document,"  aud  undernlood  by  her  from  its 
Hoiind  In  be  Homothing  euch  sujd  tlm  ollurr  nioiint.  while  he  him- 
self meant  somethiue  else.  It  was  a  dock  or  a  dog;  or  both,  if 
they  were  referring  tu  different  things.  Alice  inclined  to  tlic  latter; 
the  first  beinic  unfamiliar. 

Thi«  Jonathan  Kavnnaeh  (he.  was  the  non  of  Alice'a  grand- 
father) was  identified  aa  her  uncle  after  the  iuqueat  as  soon  as  her 
mother  wnx  lit  to  make  an  inltilligiblt-  titutcdnrnt  ul>out  her  belong* 
iTi;j>s.  It  was  not  thauRht  well  at  first  to  press  her  for  more  than 
pitrlieulant  of  the  quurnd.  After  her  death  he  i-aine  by  Bppoint- 
ment  to  see  Charles  at  the  Sliidio  with  refereuce  to  Alice.  He 
abandoned  hiH  claim  |o  giinnlinnahip  with  ahicrity.  Trade,  ho 
said,  irae  very  bad — hadn't  ever  beeu  so  bad  to  his  knowledKe.  He 
wasn't  culled  on  to  take  nnoUier  inmate.  He  might  have  donu 
otherwise  had  trade  been  good. 

"He's  an  undertaker,  it  seems,"  aaid  Charles  to  Peggy,  report- 
ing  the  visit.  ''If  people  would  die  a  little  faster,  he  would  talk 
to  Mrs,  .Tonathiin,  otu!  see  whnt  could  be  done.  Bui  with  this  njii  • 
ous  ejiidemic  of  immortality  going  on,  where  are  youl" 

"I  auppoae,"  anid  Peggy,  "there  are  too  many  nmlprtukers.  Just 
as  tbme  are  too  many  everything  elscB."  Here  followed  a  slight 
Bpaam  of  what  hus  been  called  PopnlBtion-on-tbe-Brain;  but  ber 
itnmediatc  interest  in  Alice  quieted  it. 

"Oh  no!"  replied  Charlea.  "the  human  race  is  boycotting  the 
iindrrlakera  out  of  spite.  Only  it  must  have  been  goiitg  on  it 
long  time.  They  said  at  the  abop  lliat  their  Mr.  Abraham  had 
called  on  thin  man  to  see  if  be  would  do  anything  for  his  half' 
brethren — a  long  time  ago— and  be  excused  himself  in  the  aamo 
way."  This  was  at  the  clothier's  in  Oxford  Street,  where  it  may 
be  remembered  Charlea  went  to  grt  information  about  lh« 
Kavonaghs. 

"I  suppose,"  Pepwy  then  said,  "that  if  this  man,  or  an; 
relations  that  can  be  found,  refuso  to  do  anything  for  the  chi 
they  will  fortwo  all  claim  upon  her!" 

"They  could  have  no  real  claim,  as  a  matter  of  right  and  wrong 


,    Ibo 

otbfl 
chil^ 


ALIOE-FOR-SHORT 


IBS 


—but  of  counc  t«w  wouldn't  bother  about  th«t   Wr  had  hcltnr  !ct 
It  al«n«.    They  won't  trouble  ual" 

So  sftpr  cnllinff  at  Ilydr  Piirk  Gardens  at  Charles's  8ugg<*tion 
"to  satisfy  himself"  that  Alice  was  in  good  hands,  and  at  the  8iig*M 
gcftion  of  hin  inurr  will  that  lie  might  Icnvc  r  curd  nnd  perhaptt^ 
uhijtiately  bury  tlie  fainilj-,  Mr,  Jonalhun  Kavanagh  retired  to 
d^voti-  liimMcif  to  thp  rclntivcs  of  eslnblirthnl  corpM'ti,  nnd  to  hope 
that  thc-y  would  soon  follow  the  )[ood  example  set  by  the  latter. 
After  thin  Alictr'ii  Rummunic^niioua  with  ht-r  wurtwly  known  family 
were  of  the  aliirhtest.  The  brother  at  tlic  I'cckbam  clothier's  cer- 
tainly Bpponrcd.  but  it  wub  to  [loint  out  ihot  he  wiia  sliortly  going 
to  set  up  for  himself  and  that  it  wouldn't  be  "fair  upon  him" 
that  Aliot'  -ibuuli)  "utand  in  his  way."  Cliarli-s  txtinguii'lH.-d  him 
rapidly,  to  hip  (treat  relief,  a*  it  selSah  young  !>egi[iir.  The  dry- 
(oltcr  of  RolhiThithi-  oame  alsti;  he  rental  bis  inability  to  eonlrib- 
Ute  to  his  winter's  support  on  the  fact  that  he  was  only  in  the  yard- 
Whtrreasi  had  he  bwu  in  the  Orfice  it  would  have  ln-iyi  enother  pair 
of  shoes.  "lie  didn't  give  me  the  idea,"  said  Charles,  "that  dry- 
•alting  Ktimulatcd  ihn  uudcmtanding.  I  ertdeuvourvd  to  find  from 
him  what  the  difTerenee  was  between  drysalting  and  wetaaltinic,  and 
he  fxnwnt"!  that  he  wim  only  in  the  yard,  but  they  could  tell  mo 
in  the  Orfuv.  So  neither  of  ua  having  any  more  to  say.  we  parted 
CD  good  temm," 

The  eheei»emonger  never  put  in  an  appearaneo.  This  was  so 
much  the  better!  He  wan  only  twelve  years  old,  nnd  would  hnvfl 
excited  commiseration,  and  called  for  succour.  The  only  on«^ 
Alice  «ccm4xl  to  entrrtniu  hh  n-nl  flmti  Hnit  blood  wax  a  young  H 
sailor,  the  next  in  age  to  the  drysalter.  who  was  nineteen:  he  wag 
K  h<^ro  in  h<^  eycn,  who  having  dirpartud  on  hi*  last  voyage  for 
SiDgapore  was  identified  in  her  mind  with  that  port,  which  waa 
voniurquentty  rather  laid  claim  to  na  an  nppunagc  of  her  family 
wbeu  it  accrued  nnder  Miw  Petherington.  She  felt  quite  at 
home,  did  Alice,  wlien  Singapore  appeared  u*  Qi»igraphy;  alio 
having  only  known  of  it  as  a  real  place  people's  brothers  could 
ICD  to. 

That  cxhaualA  nil  that  came  to  light  about  Alice's  belongings. 
Charles's  imprcHsion  was  that  they  genernlty  felt  that  Alice  watf^| 
quite  too  Hmidl  to  bother  about.    They  hu<l  other  tish  to  fry,  and  aha^ 
was  a  tittlebat.    Also  they  were  not  going  to  givr  the  parties  that 
had  tooJt  her  up  any  excuse  for  putting  her  down.    They  kept  out 
of  tba  way.    The  eldest  brother  lni<l  claim  to  the  Krapa  of  furni- 
ture. «nd  Clwrlea  purchased  of  him  the  table  in  "«Vttc\v  Xifc  *■&& 
Pefts;  had  found  tjju  pictures  of  the  youDg  Qoti\ema.iu    \v  '«%&  ^ 


1S4 


AXICE-FOE-SHOHT 


good  substantial  table  with  drawers,  and  would  be  useful  in  tlie 

Studio. 

.   Well  1    All  these  little  matters,  or  nearly  all,  belong  to  the  claea 

of  incident  that  are  not  necessary  to  the  story,  but  that  seem  to 

claim  a  passing  word.     The  claim  being  now  satisfied,  the  Story 

tn&y  go  on  from  where  we  left  it. 


CBAPTER  XVn 

L^riXlA     STIUKCBI      Or     «IS8     THISKLTON's     VBOnLE.      HOW 
lARLES  HAD  BETTEat  00  TO  tmELLACOUBE.     OF  REGEMT3  1-AKK  AtfU 
A  OOU,  UE  SAV  TUEItE 

Whfj^  Charles.  letuminK  to  his  Studio  that  niglit  (or  momiuR, 
for  it  wna  well  p»st  miilnigbt),  ivtid  that  coiicliteivR  letter  of  liiit 
sJBter's,  bo  esperienced  a  etiie^  of  iBc^ration  which  ma^  be  familiar 
to  many  who  hnrr  hvrn  in  liki!  cune.  Qiiitv  8ii<ld(-iil.v.  nod  Juot  a* 
tbougfa  it  was  all  a  matter  of  course  a  vtrj  doar  sifter  is  to  be 
tftk«n  from  un.  She  was  with  us  in  the  iiurftery — has  liorii  with 
us  ever  aince;  she  has  ehored  all  tbo  hurdcnn.  all  the  sorrow^  nil 
the  jo.vs,  of  our  babyhood  and  boyboiAl;  and  if  the  vbancc->  of  the 
curnTHt  of  life  hare  drifted  us  more  apart  ns  boybocid  chaujuwd  to 
maahood.  and  the  g:tr1  became  a  woman,  still  we  bavc  floated  down 
in  iQi<l3<tream  tngirther  and  uever  quite  lost  toticb.  And  then,  all 
in  a  moment,  the  old  epoch  has  ended  and  a  uew  one  has  beicuD. 
The  foot  of  a  alrniiger  is  in  the  home  of  oiir  fnthent.  We  may 
lore  bim.  admire  and  respect  him:  it  does  not  malterl  This  was  a 
littl*!  Mcrvd  comer— «  side  ehapet  in  the  Temple  of  Life,  and  was 
so  bespoken  by  ue  for  a  privatu  ri^fugp.  n  siri^iirt-  biiven  from  itttina 
and  wreck,  that  the  incoming  of  anj-  other  bas  little  less  than  tbe 
force  of  au  eviction  to  ourselves.  We  n(«d  not  wonder  tbot 
Charles  felt  raw  and  rebellious,  as  be  went  to  t«d;  nor  that  he  paid 
very  liltl«  attention  to  a  letter  containing  n  patiictic  request  for 
ten  potmde.  "/  know.*'  said  he,  partly  interpolating,  partly  reading, 
the  nctunl  text,  "it's  going  to  save  the  writer  and  her  widowed 
nodwr  from  an  execution  at  the  hands  of  a  cruel  creditor,  whose 
demand  for  twcnty-seveu  pounds  thirteen  and  sixpence  hns  been 
scraped  together,  all  but  nine  pounds  nineteen  and  threepence,  h; 
lianl  work  and  strict  economy — but  which  hns  to  be  sntistii.-d  with- 
out fail  by  the  day  after  to-morrow  at  mid-day.  Just  the  usual 
thing!  BotlMT  Lnvinia  Stralccrl"  xnid  be.  "I  know  no  Lavinis 
Straker,"  that  being  the  signature  of  the  applicant. 

IStaA  morning  be  fult  chilly  and  grown  old.  He  said  to  him- 
self (probably  with  truth)  that  if  he  had  not  been  ci;fMCt.\nft  % 
Model  to  sit  for  the  bead  of  Itc^u  in  bift  picluto  ol  \k»^  vc& 

18$ 


k 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 

Cordelia,  h*  would  rertoinly  hnvo  "yliiicfc<'(J"  work,  nnd  gnnn  for 
a  walk  <i>  Hainpfttoad  [lealh.  It  was  eo  jolI>-  this  time  of  }-car  with 
the  Icflvc*  drifting  about  and  nobody  in  town. 

Cbarica  vena  naUy  fonder  of  dreaminft  than  action.  Hla  iniud 
vaa  alwaffl  at  work,  but  the  riridnvM  with  which  imaAe«  presented 
themtclvN  to  biin  wna  mialoudtnt^;  and  be — piHir  fellow  I — had  had 
tbe  misfortune  to  construct  a  vivid  imaiie  of  himself  as  an 
Artint,  whioh  it  wnH  quite  bi^yond  hi*  powcra  to  )nt<^rprct  into 
action.  His  Kuardiau  Angel  was  not  on  the  alert,  or  had  lost 
touch  with  him  for  n  moment,  when  he  wicctcd  his  profession. 
He  had  tluceived  othi-rs,  a^  well  ua  biuiseli'.  For  thoufili  In.* 
was  defcclivp  in  mfvhniiical  aptilHdo,  he  had,  as  a  boy,  suificicnt 
to  mulut  drawitiKs  which  showoil  indiriiltiality  and  powor  in  tlio 
mind  of  thoir  author  of  a  certain  sort.  Was  it  any  wonder 
that  bis  fumily  and  hia  frit-ndd  tboughl  they  could  foTCmxt  a  futun! 
for  bim  in  Art?  If  only  ho  could  acquire  the  mere  technical 
facility — luiyboily  can  do  tlmt  with  jH-rscvfrnnni!  What  mnkcjt 
the  Artist  par  f^xcellencc  is  not  vulgar  accuracy  of  eye  and  dex- 
ti'rity  of  hand;  it  in  the  mind  that  lies  behind  vinion  and  mampu* 
lalioii.  Tbi;«e  latter  can  be  Irninpd,  But  the  Prom<i(lK-an  fire,  or 
Inspiration,  or  whatever  you  like  to  call  it,  that  distinguislics 
Phidias  from  Fiddlcstlickn  (wn  know  wc  are  eafe  in  tbat  solecUon 
of  a  name— there  is  no  such  sculptor) — this  quality  is  inborn;  and 
when  ynu  suspect  ila  exitttcnoe  ibo  best  thing  you  can  do  ta  to 
develo))  its  indispensable  concomitants,  and  give  it  a  chance  to 
ftBW-rt  ituplf. 

Very  much  the  best  I  But  do  you  do  it  by  ooumea  of  chalk 
dniwing  from  tbi'  Antique  (a  singular  name  for  all  that  in,  in 
plaster)  with  a  plumb-bob  to  show  you  what  is  exactly  above  what. 
and  a  conviclion  ibnl  if  a  drawing  cannot  hf.  savixl  exactly  by  bread 
alone,  it  can.  at  any  rate,  by  bread  (not  too  new)  in  combination 
with  atippUngt  Or  will  the  end  be  attained  by  Mudy  in  a  School, 
where  there  are  as  many  different  systems  as  there  are  teachers, 
of  which  [lyiitcms  tlie  totid.  minus  one.  must  needs  be  misleading 
system?)  We  are  only  asking  these  questions  apropos  of  the  ways 
in  which  nt-  know  Charlos  studied  the  Fine  Arts — of  the  better 
ifyiitems  that  have  superseded  Ihem  we  know  nothing  whatever.  All 
our  datn  an-  of  bygone  ages,  and  no  doubt  we  should  be  pleasaully 
aur|iriscd  if  we  ooutd  see  and  know  what  is  being  done  in  the  Arts, 
nowaday  a. 

If  Charles  could  have  had  half-a-dozen  Icaaous  in  th«  um  of 
colour  from — whom  sliall  we  snyt — QncntJQ  Matsys  will  do  na  well 
as  another — so  as  to  grasp  the  iieceaatty  for  ore  and  nn-tbod — for 


W  AUCE-FOR-SHOKT  18? 

(Waning  ea*b  <iay'§  work  as  ibc  precureor  of  the  nes(,  he  catght 
at  least  hnvc  learned  how  to  Icnm,  if  thi-  Antwerp  blii<;k«niith 
hndn't  been  able  to  five  him  another  eis  kssone.  But  his  course 
of  Btudy  <xiDt«ined  nothing  Ihnt  forcird  thii  nM-dn  of  hi«  work 
upon  him,  and  it  was  not  in  him  to  find  them  out  for  himself,  as 
gKAt  artist?  whcwo  studcnwbip  wnn  hnlf-ii-eimtury  ngo  bad  to  du. 
S<)  lit:  nov<T  really  learned  his  trade  at  all  I  He  revelled  in  the 
•antcmplation  of  the  invnt  workii  hi-  wan  giiing  to  paint,  and  tho 
ordi-ring  of  unlimited  materials  from  fascinatino:  ArtistB'  Colour 
Shops ;  and  he  spntiged  and  Flammnd  about  royally  with  the  coloun, 
used  anyhow,  when  he  got  tlieni.  Bat  he  never  organised  anything, 
nor  perceived  that  he  wn?  only  inaiciiig  piclimiiMir;'  messee  on 
iTonvas  nitli  a  vii-w  (o  eouwrting  tht-m  to  sometbiu^;  else,  later  on. 

He  had,  ready  for  total  modification,  a  preliminary  mea«  of  this 
Kort  in  tlie  bead  of  R<^m  in  tlu;  pit-ture  of  T^ar  and  Corddi* 
above  mentioned:  and  on  this  momini::.  nhen  he  felt  so  ehilly  and 
grovD  old,  ht!  was  expettinf;  a  nTiain  IrlJHs  Thiuelton  to  come  and 
be  painted  a«  Rcinin.  Miss  Thiselton  was  that  very  common  oecur> 
n-ncn — s  young  woman  in  rcfKiecd  circuinstaacca,  who  wonid  bo 
thankful  for  sittintfe  if  it  waa  quite  ctearl.v  understood  that  she 
wann't  a  MoiU'L  8hi:  drew  a  sharp  line  at  hrr  neck  and  wriittx  and 
r«|uircd  &  certificate  of  dioraoter  from  Artlsta  before  she  sat  for 
tbi-tn. 

Keal  3(odels  are  prone  to  begin  talking  in  an  Imbecile  wfay  the 
momnnt  they  enter  the  Studio,  and  rontinue  until  they  depart 
Uiae  Tbisclton,  not  beinjt  a  real  Model,  held  her  tongiip  al  first, 
So  an  opportunity  is  giTen  of  describing  her  when  her  face  i"  at 
reet.  which  ia  her  best  aspect.  As  she  ia  sittiuf;  for  Regan,  the 
reader  may  likn  to  form  a  judgment  of  Charlcs'e  injsigbt  into 
Shakespeare. 

Ton  know  tliow  hcnds  that  disnn  and  fascinate  when  tho  face  ia 
turned  full  on,  and  disappoint  when  the  aide-viewa  are  rwealed 
Inter  I  And  also  thoKe  whose  profiles  are  full  of  glorious  promise, 
with  O  such  a  dreary  oome-down  to  follow  when  you  get  at  both 
eyca  at  onoel  It  would  be  unfair  to  place  Mise  Thiselton's  in  the 
latlor  ctaaa,  without  rttu-.Tvi:*.  But  though  she  owned  two  beautiful 
side-fac«s,  one  on  either  side,  they  marrt'd  her  full  faee.  when 
aubmitted  to  ihct  same  speclntor.  by  their  diSerenoo  of  opinion 
about  what  it  was  to  be.  She  did  not  squiiil — abeit  omtn.' — but 
both  bor  fine  eyea  could  hardly  rest  upon  yonr  face  at  once,  as  long 
as  abe  continued  a  mere  acquaintance.  Focus  forbade  it.  The 
iotomtins  rippln  on  her  interesting  hnir  consoled  o^e  fet  ^w 
defect,  and  tn  fact  was  one  of  Uias  'niiM\Uii\'&  <^gI  vWw^a  ^n 


J 


186  ALICE-FOK-SHOET 

beauty — and  was  always  busy  correctins  mistaken  Impressioni.  It 
was  lii-lpcd  hy  ■  i>Hrti[;iilurl.v  pretty  pnir  of  soft  white  ban&  with 
filbert  nails,  and  an  iniplicatton  ot  a  very  gtHxl  trj-ing-ou  %ur«' 
tor  a  tnantic  department. 

Bcffan  was  sticking  her  chin  out  apparently,  at  the  montent 
choacD  by  tlie  artist.  Miss  TluMtlton  liicn-fore  is  duing  so  too, 
about  balf-an-hour  after  her  arrival,  Charles  havini;  taken  all  tJiat 
lime  tnixins  up  Besb-tiuts;  wbiclt  hv  won't  bi;  able  to  use,  becautw 
he  can't  use  any  tints  at  all;  hut  whioh  no  arlist  could  possibly  use, 
ux(%pt  on  th(!  by^iuthesis  tliat  C<irrugf;io  (for  instance)  couldn't  5rc. 
We  all  know  how  our  chins  got  the  beet  of  us  and  protrude  while 
tluT  (Inclor  i*  f(.i>ling  our  pulst;,  in  anticipation  of  the  word  of  cuin- 
mand  to  put  our  tongues  out.  Evea  so  Ilegan,  as  interpreted. 
But  in  order  to  do  absolnle  justice  to  the  conception,  and  acliicv« 
the  uictftii:!^  of  u  olosu  rendering,  it  is  necessary  that  iit>guu  should 
HUnd  lip.  It  i«  not  clear  whj-.  for  thti  srtii^  apiienra  to  be  work^X 
lag  quite  independently  of  the  model;  and,  to  our  thinking,  the  V 
girl  might  just  as  wwll  have  unt  down.  But  sho  didn't,  and  th<! 
consequence  waa — an  occurn-nve  not  at  all  infrequent  under  the 
circumstances — that  she  became  dizzy  and  ultimately  pitched  hoad- 
lung  down  ofl  ihn  "throne"  she  was  standing  on.  Charles  was  j'lut 
in  time  to  catch  her,  and  save  her  from  a  bad  fall.  To  his  great 
emWrraHmcnt.  instpxd  of  pulling  herself  togi^lher.  nml  saying 
she  would  he  all  right  directly  as  a  sensible  youii^  person  would 
have  done,  she  remained  on  his  bonds;  either  really  inanimate,  or 
pretending  to  he  so  for  some  purpose  best  known  to  herself.  Our 
own  opinion  is  that  there  is  no  necessity  to  suppose  the  latter. 
The  faint  may  have  been  genuine  enough.  No  suspicion  to  th« 
contrary  crossed  Charles's  mind,  but  he  was  mightily  emharrasswL 
He  didn't  understand  this  sort  of  thin);  at  all.  and  was  in  two 
minds  whether  he  should  not  summon  help.  There  were  no  women 
within  call  except  the  tu'i>  lady-artiste  upstairs,  and  soineliow  lie 
didn't  think  he  should  improve  matters  by  going  to  them.  He  was 
saved  from  further  s|ieculatic>n  l>y  the  young  woman  coming  to  Iwr 
Honsi'ii.  She  would  he  all  right  soon  if  she  sat  stUl  and  rested  for 
a  few  minutes.  Charles  would  have  been  much  better  sati.ifieil 
that  slie  should  dcqiart.  and  suggested  a  cab  home.  But  ho  could 
not  say  he  couldn't  work,  if  she  felt  able  to  resume  sitting;  and 
he  could  do  no  less  than  be  amiable,  under  the  circumstances.  So 
he  lit  a  pipe  and  went  on  with  Regan,  unassisted  by  Nature. 
Nature  sal  on  ajid  rested,  but  this  permitted  much  more  (nawn'a 
inftnte  than  is  pomiblc  when  Nature's  fact-  has  to  keep  still  or 
Bome  terrible  mishap,  undcUncd,  will  occur  in  the  euhtle  and 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 

(ielicratc  opf^ration?  of  tlie  canvas.  Charles  felt  that  if  speech  naa 
otil,v  n!IrcT  in  thin  case,  silence  was  copper,  nnd  dccidial  on  giuiirrul 
OOVrerBation.  with  a  sort  of  flavour  in  it  of  his  boin^  quite  accue- 
tomed  to  l)ii«  Aort  of  tbiii^  and  l)eing,  an  it  were,  n  murriixl  man 
with  several  RTown-up  daiighlere. 

"Getting  ni?ht  agutn.  Miiw  TbisL-ltont  Thai'*  rightt  Now  you 
had  much  ix^t«r  tnke  my  word  for  it,  and  have  a  little  brandy  in 
thai  eold  water.  Du  try  ill"  This  with  an  afttHrlution  of  gri-at 
responsibility  about  sgmething  in  Itrg^n's  nose,  and  without  look* 
lag  round  to  see  if  Nature  would  take  the  braudy-  Churlca  him- 
eMfy  wished  his  relations  with  his  fttmnle  Models  to  rpinoin  im- 
personal; as  impersonal  at  any  rale  as  tbey  would  p&niiit.  H» 
wa.iii'l  at  nil  indigi'noii?  in  Bnhcniin,  and  was  much  Ii-hh  popular 
with  them  than  hia  friend  upstairs. 

"Oh  nol"  rcjilied  Nature,  "do  please  take  it  away,  Mr.  Iloath. 
It  makes  me  ill  again  only  to  look  al  it!  Are  ,vou  a  good  sailor f 
Charles  removed  tlii^  hmndy- bottle  without  replying  to  the  ques- 
tion; but  presently  said,  as  though  it  had  taken  a  long  time  to 
reach  him — "No,  very  bad — that  in,  pretty  good!  1  suppose  the 
brandy  made  you  think  of  tbatl" — Beeause  his  not  liuviiig  on- 
am-riHl  madf  him  ncora  to  himself  nrcdleasly  distant,  almost  uncivil. 
After  all.  tiifre  icmi  a  half-way  between  being  grumpy  with  Nature, 
without  which  your  work  lacked  an  indescribable  something,  and 
taking  it  tu  Cremariie  or  Roaberville. 

"I  did  think  of  the  Channel  boot."  said  Miss  Thiselton.  But 
she  was  not  a  real  professional  Model;  so  she  seized  the  occasion 
for  a  certain  amount  of  rcsrrvr,  and  remained  silent  accordingly. 
The  effect  of  thia  on  Cluirles  was  that  he  decided  (hat  slie  was 
quitfl  mfe  to  be  at  ca«e  with,  and  that  he  had  been  a  donkey  for 
being  so  aliff.  Tie  would  talk  a  lillle.  Wlint  should  he  talk  about? 
Siippoae  he  tried  the  ncqnaintnnee  who  h.id  sent  this  iliss  Thtsi'l- 
toH  to  him.  There  could  be  no  pilfaila  and  snares  there.  He  was 
a  man  he  haci  met  once  at  an  Arts  Club  be  had  joined  some  timo 
^ince.  of  whom  be  knew  as  little  as  the  circumstances  allowed. 

"What  sort  of  work  does  i(r.  Gnlsworihy  do)"  He  asked  it  in 
the  tone  of  one  wtio  liaa  selected  a  topic  of  conversation — you 
know  how  one  speaks  when  ono  has  selected  a  topic} 

"Do  yo;i  ra<-an  Mr.  Calthwrpef 

"Ah — to  bu  aure^ — Calthorpel  What  sort  of  pictures  does  hn 
paint  r 

"Oh  <ieiirl  Poor  Mr,  Calthorpc!"'  This  vrith  a  smile  of  commis- 
eration. Charles  ini mediately  felt  anhunx^d  of  not  having  known 
Calthorpc  waa  a  dufler,  and  threw  a  alighl  clftVm  Xo  VkB.V\a%  vcn^ 


4 


lOO 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT 


m 


conceated  (lint  IcnowkdRp  into  an  "nlil"  of  nsscnt.    The  ^aiii 
Indy  nrwpfd)  thi.i  us  valid,  ami  proptiyUsi  to  intensify  ilisparBec- 
ment  of  Mr.  Calthorpe's  pictiirt;g  by  concessions  in  thp  way  of  con- 
oulntion.    The  iiictiirea  cmiWn't  Iw  hclptsl;  Imt  we  could  exaggvrnie 
personal  testimonials,  as  a  sct-otT. 

"1  rwslly  oiiKlit  nil  t"  say  so  Uioitgh;  lie's  been  so  very  kind  to 
me.    He  really  is  the  Itiudest  hearted  man,  Mr.  H^ath " 

"No  doubt  he  iwi't." 

"I  iee  your  pardon  T' 

"I  nii-'aa  he  i* — i>f  course  he  is!  T  uaed  the  wrong  word." 
Charles  wasn't  paying  altcntioD. 

"Yce^ip's  bci'n  very  kind  to  me.  And  of  course  I  abotiM  ba 
sittinc  for  him  still,  but " 

Cbiirlca  wasn't  on  ihi-  aWt.  lie  ought  to  bn^e  broken  in  anj 
asked  if  Nature  felt  equal  to  etnndinK  up  with  its  ehin  out  aitain. 
Miss  Thiselton.  not  being  opfioiwd,  wi^nt  on  aftfr  a  Mligbt  hesi- 
tation; "IJut  my  mother  wished  me  not  to  ait  for  him  any  nuHte — 
I  dareany  it  was  nil  rigbtl"  Shc^  made  a  prctencfl  of  ^carins 
away  thii  ^tection  of  the  Gonvereation  to  make  room  for  eome^ 
thing  cnlintly  new. 

"Do  jjou  know  Mr*.  Calthorpe.  Mr.  Heath  i" 

"Not  the  Ica^l  1  Never  Mcn  herT'  He  was  so  absent,  or  Renan 
so  <'ngrosttinp.  ihat  he  quite  f.titi-d  to  6<>e  lliat  the  clearing  up 
movement  had  not  been  bona-fide.     It  wasn't! 

"Ah — llwrn  .Tou  wouldn't  know — of  cotine  you  wouldn't 1" 

"Know  what  V 

"I  oughtn't  lo  aak.  Ntiver  mind  !**  It  was  obvious  at  this  point 
that  pn«a«r»  for  information  oURht  to  follow;  otherwise  reJa- 
liona  might  become  alraincd.  Cbnrlca  aciiiiiesM^d.  but  without 
intciT«t. 

"Oh— hut  I  do  mind!    What  wouldn't  I  know?" 

"I  know  I  may  trurt  you  not  to  repeat  anything  I  say.  Whedter 
Mrs.  Caltborpe  is — is  eonsidered — is  at  all  a  jcoloiis  person?' — 

I*t  no  male  human  creature — even  though  he  be  an  Arch- 
bishop I — imagine  be  can  restrain  a  live  fcinulc  Model  who  has 
mndir  up  her  mind  to  talk  about  ladies  and  gentlemen.  Further, 
let  him  not  suppose  that  when  once  she  has  suof-eedt-d  in  givini^ 
the  convewwtion  a  foothold  in  the  departments  of  huninn  life  (hat 
range  from  Arcadia  to  the  Divorce  Court,  he  or  imy  one  else  will 
Buceefd  in  preventing  her  from  bringing  hersrlf  in.  eitlier  as  part 
of  the  cast  or  as  an  example  to  her  species.  Mis^  Tlusi'iton  hod 
made  up  her  mind  that  sbe  wnnn'l  going  to  talk  Thcolo(t>'  («u; 
•re  put  it  that  way),  and  she'        'l  going  to  let  Charles  ofi. 


I 


1 


p 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT  191 


'Do  you  think  she's  jealous.  Mr.  Heath!"  she  repeated.  "But 
you  don't  know  her,  of  course— — " 

*^0W  should  I  know  anytliiug  about  hett  Fra  only  seen  him 
at  the  Obb." 

"I  wish  you  had  seen  her.  because  you  could  have  toUl  me,  and  I 
should  bar4^  trusted  t/oji."  Thiii  ptnoed  the  speaker — as  one  of  the 
lonelr  and  defenceless,  u-ho  in  a  world  of  traacheiy  had  Hght^N]  on 
a  rtcrlinn  smil  akin  to  hi^r  own — in  the  ranke  of  friendship  at 
ItuM.  Wberntis  Clwrlea  had  harguiui-d  only  for  tbi-  privik^i  of 
oontemplatinf;  a  good-looking  head,  for  purely  technical  purposes. 
at  the  rate  of  ocur  KUiUitit'  per  huur,  and  refreshments  if  its  owner 
sat  on  into  the  afternoon. 

"I'm  a  very  bad  judgu  of  choracler,"  said  fac^  endcavouTiuK  to 
extricate  himself. 

"Oh,  do  you  think  sot  But  you  could  have  told  ma  if  it  was 
tme  about  the  li!(enc«a " 

"What  Ukt-nt^!" 

"Tbe  likeness  to  mc.    Hr.  Caltfaorpo  said  his  wife  was  an  ugly 

likeness  of  mcl     At  least,  the  pro&le  was "     Charles  looked 

round  to  see  whai  Urs.  Calthorpe  was  like.  Verdict,  be  should 
^'draw  Uies  Thiselton's  side-face  as  soon  on  ho  had  got  rid  of  R^an. 
t  really  was  lovely,  now  lie  came  to  look  at  it.  You  didn't  sec  tho 
stiflfbt  defect  in  the  eyes  in  this  view,  and  the  lar^  iIro)>ped  eye- 
lid was  very  good,  with  just  a  trace  of  blue  vein  viiiible.  It  is  tha 
artist's  misfortune  that  however  much  pains  be  takes  to  fix  up  his 
model,  Nutum  (when  it  gets  down  to  rest)  always  contrives  to 
erolve  something  better.  For  the  moment,  Charles  judged  it 
safest  to  get  Natun?  re-r-stnblis!iOfl  ns  Regan,  heeause  lie  was  l>e- 
'eoming  slowly  conscious  that  Miss  Thiselton.  anchored  in  an  arm- 
diair,  and  giving  way  to  a  form  of  tittle-tattle  uncougcninl  to  liim, 
was  not  business.  However,  Regan  did  not  last  very  long,  turn- 
ing visibly  bin*'  again  after  standing  for  a  few  minutes.  "Per- 
haps it  would  be  better  not  to  try  any  longer,"  said  she.    "I  am  so 

Very  sorry,  Mr.  Ifcatb.  but  I  didn't  sleep  lust  night "    Charlea 

said  never  mind — come  again  on  Thursday.  Or  on  Friday,  same 
liroet  Yes,  she  could  come  on  Friday,  unless — "Unless  whatl" 
asked  Charlei?.     Unless  nothing,  apparently. 

Just  as  Miss  Thiaelton  was  on  the  point  of  wltlidrawing  finally, 
she  turned  round  to  Charles  une)t|)ected!y — "I  hoj)©  you  an?  not 
nngry  with  mc  about  that  tetter,"  she  suiil.  Charles  was  completely 
uuled — a  little  afraid  the  young  woman's  bead  was  unsound. 
"What  Ictterrhposkrd. 

"AleUer  1  wrote  asking  you  tn  lendmc  mowtj.  \  wa  w*  w^'^m*^ 


]9S 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


1 


and  woTTy  now.    1  know  I  ought  not  to  huvc  done  it.    But  ymi 
to  kind " 

"I  luivp  nfTiT  linci  any  letter." — Cburles  piillfd  out  one  or  two 
papers  from  Ills  pocket,  to  see  if  ho  had  overlooked  or  absorbed 
romcthinp  wittxiiit  knoninj;  it.    But  therv  wss  notliiiifi!.  to  all  surrm 
inff.    Miss  ThiMlton,  however,  pointed,  and  said.  "That  one  there— 
thiTc  it  in!'* 

"But  this  isn't  you,  MiM  Thiselton.  This  ia — wbat'a  her  name 
Lnrinin  Strnkcr.    You'rt^  not  Lnvinin  Struker " 

"Oh  dear — how  stupid  of  mel  1  signed  my  own  name,  and  I 
ought  li>  have  KJgiicd  the  luune  you  know  me  by.  Do  you  know, 
Mr.  Ucalh,  I  quite  loat  my  hcjid  yesterday  1  You  would  forgive 
n)<r  if  yon  knew — I  thitik  I  bnve  not  gol  quite  right  yet— talking 
as  1  dill  just  now  about  that  Mrs.  Callhorpe.  But  you  do  forgive 
met"    Tliis  as  if  tlutt  wua  Hwr  Kiilly  importiint  point. 

Oharies's  recent  dose  of  this  yoiinn  woman's  profile  and  trans- 
pnn-iii  eyftlid  just  atoppwl  bis  Haying  to  bimM.-lf  tliut  she.  was  an 
outsidiT  of  hia  soul,  and  be  really  hadn't  leisure  either  for  blame 
or  forgiveness,  Tbi"y  (.■crtainly  euutd  not  huvt-  c«mi>  inti>  court 
earlier,  even  after  the  young  lady  had  pitched  her^'lf  into  bis 
arms  off  tlie  throne.  For  tIiot;gh  no  <loubt  what  wc  liuvc  htard 
froni  a  heroine  of  a  stage  love-story  is  true,  that  if  you  can  once 
makp  "him"  carry  you  across  tlit-  -ilrt'et,  or  uptitairii  or  down,  or 
Buatnin  you  when  insensible — it  will  Rive  you  an  immense  advan- 
tti^  later  in  engaging  his  aRiKitions,  even  if  tlw^v  »r<.'  not  cn(«nglcd 
right  off:  though  we  quite  admit  thi*.  there  is  n  diHorence  when 
it'll  rIbowM — panlon  our  homely  way  of  putting  it!  We  mtian  tlint 
Charles's  chief  experience  of  the  tumble  wan  a  severe  elbow-lhruet 
on  thi^  MtifT-ncvk  placi-  in  hin  khoulder,  nnd  it  wa«  still  hurling  him. 
It  exonerated  its  infiictor,  x>erbaps.  from  any  suspicion  of  guile — 
but  it  nlxo  may  havo  left  him  ralliiT  inipulicut  of  i>itbtT  blkme  or 
£tirgViieabBt,  as  applied  to  Mise  Thi«cIton.  The  recipe  of  the 
forogoing  nctrc^  got  no  vbuncc  of  working.  But  tlui  profile  »nd 
llie  drooping  eyelid  secured  an  expression  of  rendincss  to  forgive, 
whicli  was  distinctly  iin  aclvimce  on  what  might  have  boon.  "Ob — 
bother!"    Besides  it  made  Charles  ask  what  the  trouble  was. 

It  was  a  hrotlwr — ii  younger  brother,  who  bad  run  into  debt 
to  save  a  friend,  ile  was  quite  young— only  just  twenty-one — and 
flbc  and  her  molher  hud  just  managed  to  clear  iJie  poor  boy,  and 
get  him  out  of  his  scrnp<^  But  thno  n  tenant,  who  occupied  ■ 
aroull  frt-ehuld  hmnK  belonging  to  her  mother,  had  dieappcarcd  with 
his  furniture,  leaving  rrnt  owing;  tind  the  house  wna  mortgaged, 
and  ihct  Jutcreat  was  due  to-morrow,  and  it  was  no  use  aaking 


I 


^ 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT 


193 


for  an  extcnston,  en<l  so  on,  and  so  on.  CfaarlcN  felt  it  wiu  all  as 
u*uiil,  cwn  to  the  fact  that  if  he  would  lend  Miss  Tbiaelton,  or 
Strflk«r,  ten  pounds  its  repaTinent  could  be  asatimd  hy  srcuritJM 
^ithnoat  too  good  to  bo  tnii-  in  an  imperfect  world  Itko  our%     He 

lid  not  allow  to  hiinaelf  that  he  was  oonscious  thi^  profile  and  the 
eyelid  had  anythins  to  do  with  his  coD»?ntins  to  advanoe  the 
mouej-,  which  he  iras  just  abb?  to  do.  He  fonsidnr^-d  himivlf  an 
dent  agcot — rather  too  good-natured  perhaps  t  He  wouldn't 
anytfa))i£  to  the  Qovernor  or  anybody  elan  about  it  thoiigli. 
c  would  send  Miss  Stralcer  the  monejr  in  the  course  of  the  after- 
noon, or  to-morrow  moniiug  by  firat  post.  She  look  her  diipttrtiire. 
And  aft«r  lunch  he  put  two  five-pound  notes  in  on  envelope  and 
t  them  ofi  by  poat  to  her.  regiatered. 

Our  own  opinion  is  thnt  it  would  have  been  well  for  Ohaj-Ies, 
■t  this  moment  in  hi^  life,  to  go  awny  at  once  to  Peggy  at  Bliella- 
CO<mbe.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  feeling  we  have  referred  to  about 
iiis  sister,  and  the  ebaiige  thia  love  aftair  of  tiers  vmt  sun-  to  niaka 
in  their  live*,  he  would  certainly  have  done  so.  He  would  proba* 
;bly  hnvi-  it-ry  noon  forgotten  i!k'  profile  and  the  i-yrlid ;  or  Prggy 
vould  have  suspected  ihein,  and  (hen  her  quick  healthy  insight, 
and  bi^r  knowledge  of  her  brother,  would  have  pushed  them  away. 
But  Charles  felt  certain  {although  he  had  no  official  informa- 
tion oa  yet)  tJiat  things  would  change,  and  would  never  be  so  jolly 
^ajrain  ae  they  had  been.    He  was  glad  it  was  Johnson,  certainly; 

ut  thi-n.  wiLMi't  hi-  sorry  it  was  anyhod.vf  No!  he  wouldn't  go 
to  Sbellacombe.  He  would  go  and  walk  about  R^renta  Park. 
KampHleail  was  tno  far  off  noiv,  and  hr^  might  meet  somebody  >n 
Kensington  Gardens.  He  felt  internally  scarified,  and  disposed 
to  be  si-ntimcnLal.  He  wiui  in  an  un.tufe  mood  to  he  by  himself, 
and  irben  he  went  out  for  his  walk  be  waa  mysteriously  accom- 
panied by  a  profile  and  an  eyelid,  which  were  much  too  clever  to 
force  theniMiIvee  on  his  notice,  and  floated  away,  like  muata 
jWaiiianteK  in  tlie  eye.  wht'n  iin  iittempt  wiut  made  t"  pursue  and 
nvict  them.  He  was  uudtT  the  impresaion  that  his  mind  was 
full  of  his  sister  ami  .Tohnnon,  and  he  wa«  quite  mistaken.  It 
would  have  been  well  for  him  that  he  should  have  had  Jeff  in  to 
us  usual,  but  ill-liie!c  voubl  hnve  it  that  that  artist  hud  gone 

way  to  paint  a  portrait.  It  was  in  the  nature  of  things  that  every- 
thing JcfF  did  alioiild  have  iu>mething  Inughablc  about  tt,  and  in 
this  case  it  was  that  he  had  gone  to  paint  hia  aunt's  portrait  at 
Upper  Clapton.  It  must  have  been  laughable,  or  Cbarlo*  wouldn't 
bare  lAugbed  when  he  told  a  friend  who  was  goiui;  to  oelV  ctv  ^«% 
(witli  a  rcmoiltiihlo  soup-ladle  he  had  plcWcd  \iv  "^"^^  '"^  ^""^  »i*>\i'i^ 


i 


Ift4  AUOE-FOR-SHORT 


■ 

bavaB 


I 


• 


nbdul  thf  rpaBoti  he  noiiWti't  find  Him  iipgtairA,  iin<1  tlir  f 
(who  was  Mr.  Kerr-Kerr,  ii  you  wish  lo  know)  wouldn't  have 
laiighcii  bnclc.  It  msdr  thmi  rrrr  cJut-rfiil  tJiat  Jeff  should  have 
Booe  to  Upper  Clapton  to  paint  his  aunt.  But  Cbarlea'a  melancbolr 
come  back  on  him,  in  cnrnpnny  witji  the  profilp  and  eyelid,  na  won 
as  Mr.  Kerr-Kerr  <l«part^  leaviiiit  the  precioua  aoup-ladle  tn  his 
charge;  and  Chorlcs  tiN>k  them  nil  thr«^  melancholy,  profile,  and 
eyelid,  to  lleKenls  Park  with  him;  aud  stood  on  the  §uspen8ioii 
bridge  nvrr  tin-  OnnnI  nni!  nur^d  the  first,  never  hontig  the  can- 
dour to  acknowledge  the  other  two. 

It  (Miitributcd  to  the  mdniicholy  and  fostered  Jt  to  dream  of  ifa' 
days  when  those  May  trees  over  there  were  in  Marylebone  Fieldi 
and  tho  r<^ul  Dr.  Johnson  and  Olin-r  Goldsmith  nsi^d  to  walk  out 
and  about  anionic  them,  with  IkiEEy,  perhaps,  taking  notes,  either 
naeiitally  or  graphicnlly.  Thotte  were  the  ilays,  or  none  so  long 
After,  of  No.  40  in  its  prime;  of  games  of  quadrille  or  faro,  till 
near  on  to  dayliglit.  in  thi-  Studio  Charles  occupied;  of  orgies  of 
([Dm)«ndi»ing  and  drink  in  the  ground-floor  front  with  the  coU 
umned  recess  ut  om-  end  for  the  buffet;  of  stalely  tniuiieta  end 
gavolles  in  the  old  ballroom  the  picture-dealer  had  defiled.  Those 
were  the  days  of  that  foul  murder-rtory  w>  should  never  know 
the  rights  of — ell.  all  forgotten  now ! — not  a  clue  lo  guide  ue.  A 
newspaper  paragraph  about  it  had  moralised,  and  pointed  out  the 
lesaou  it  tnupht  us,  ilint  sooner  or  later  murder  would  out.  And 
Peggy  had  remarked  tlint  the  moral  seemed  to  her  to  bo  that  mur- 
der Bometimes  didn't  out,  unlii  it  might  almost  as  well  bavfl 
•topped  in.  "Wbut  a  many  murders  do  stop  in,  moat  likdy!" 
said  Charles  to  biiuself,  on  the  canal -bridge  in  Regents 
Park. 

"Would  it  bf-  any  use,  I  wonder."  he  eouiinued.  "to  look  up  t]ia^| 
queer  old  fiab  Parminter — not  Verrinder— again  and  try  to  gei™ 
Aome  more  out  of  hiui.  One  hawi't  any  time — that's  the  worsti 
I  shall  think  about  it  though." 

"You're  such  a  lazy  chapl"  said  Conscience— a  compunion  w! 
Derer  leaves  us,  and  who  giHs  no  famiHnr  that  nhe  breed*  eonlem 
for  her  own  counsels,    "Stteh  a  lazy  cbaitl    Wliy  can't  you  do 
instead  of  thinking  about  ir(" 

"I  rejilly  shall  though,  serloualy."  aaii)  Charles,  "because  ono 
ought  to  try  to  cWr  up  ghost-stories.     What  was  it  the  great 
tSamuel  said  about  it — under  those  very  trees,  ma.vhap! — 'the  ques-^ 
tion  of  tJti 
question  human 
wee  than  we  were  three  thousand  yean  ago.'     That  funny  littl* 


m 


aid  about  it — under  tnose  very  trees,  ma.vhap! — (he  que*-^— 
he  appcnrnnee  of  ghosts  was  perhaps  the  moiit  importaa^f 
humanity  had  to  decide,  and  we  were  no  nearer  a  deci^* 


AUCE-FOR-SUORT 


1»5 


Alioel     How  I  Bhoulil  have  liked  to  see  bcr  actinfC  the  Iftutsi  oa 
the  beach  nt  Sh<-lliit;c>nitic!" 

"You  ought  to  (to  there — you  promised,  jou  know,"  eaid  Con- 
science, still  at  bi»  ejbow. 

"X  shall  Ro.  All  iQ  Kood  tinie.  Don't  be  a  nuisaBoel  I  must 
jnat  May  for  ono  morr  Aidiiig  n!iirn  ihut  ticnd'tt  dry."  The  pro- 
file  «i)<]  the  eyelid  asserted  themselves 

"If  it  wusu't  for  thctn,"  asid  Cou»d«Dce,  poiutiaK,  "you  would 
go  down  lo-morrow  P 

Churlc'H  luitghcd  iw^onifully,  *'I  iii-rer  beard  sudi  noiiaense  in  iny 
life."  8aid  he.  "If  iI'h  to  bo  thiu  «ort  of  thinjr.  I  shall  give  up  Art. 
and  tidtf  to—"    But  tliul  was  as  far  as  In-  jfot, 

Uo  turned  to  walk  buck  slong  the  broad  walk.  The  gate  wm 
clotting;  but  hi-  tvus  ullowed  to  paiu  if  be  would  prombie  to  go 
atraiiiht  across,  and  not  keep  the  gale-eloBtiig  back.  Ue  wnlked 
on  lltrough  the  nlmutit  deserted  Park,  shouts  of  "All  uutl''  ri-aching 
bun  from  wandering  guardians,  and  the  beasts  iu  the  Zoological 
GanlL'n.i  Kt-niing  to  i>cho  tJieir  injunctions.  No  wonder.  Charlie 
thought,  if  it  is  true  they  am  allowed  out  ou  parole  in  the  ejupty 
Park,  at  night,  an  the  story  goes  I 

In  oriler  to  leiigtlum  out  liu  wulk  in  the  siUtn<!(!  uf  tlx;  Park,  now 
moonlit  and  enjoyable,  and  at  the  same  time  to  keep  faith  with 
the  autboritii-s,  hn  niad<!  for  IfaiKiver  Gate,  instcud  of  kncping 
on  the  broad  walk.  A  belated  workman  or  two,  and  a  park-keeper 
who  eaid.  "All  outt"  sternly  and  riTprndchfully,  wpto  all  the 
folk  ho  Mw  until  he  drew  nextr  the  bridge  over  the  OrnumeiituI  j 
Wat«r.  Then  he  became  uwure  Ihitt  there  was  a  woman  behind  himifl 
following  at  no  great  distance:  but  still  near  enough  to  give  llio 
irapresrion  that  alie  wiui  foUuwttig.  If  so.  &Ite  must  have  been  fol> 
lowing  for  some  time;  for  the  Park  at  this  point  is  (or  was  in 
tboae  days)  very  bare  of  trees  or  any  incident  of  cover,  and 
Charlc«  must  have  scon  her  had  he  passed  her  anywhere  on  the 
open  grass  land.  He  quiekened  hh  pace,  realising  that  o  prowlor 
of  the  class  be  suppoeed  her  to  belong  to  would  see  tu  this  a  faint 
that  her  society  was  not  eoveled.  She  also  uppeariKl  to  quicken 
her  pace,  but  not  aufficirntly  to  lessen  the  distance  between  them, 
Sometimes  a  cabman,  fancying  he  has  been  signalled  to.  will  follow 
you,  without  your  seeing  why;  and  then  he  is  naturally  indignunt 
when  he  finds  hU  mistake.  Wus  this  woman  wnilcr  »  liito  delusion  T 
Cburlos  had  heard  of  such  things.  But  as  be  stopped  a  inonieut, 
hesitating  between  two  paths,  he  ndtin-d  that  she  stopped  too, 
wliich  Mi-med  to  him  to  dispose  of  tlic  theory. 

He  reached  the  exit  gate  opening  into  thu  \iLQCt*<:Vt4^  vi«.&^  «.v.\ 


196 


AUCB-FOK-SHORT 


felt  inclined  to  argue  with  its  guardian,  who  told  him  to  "Look 
■ilin',  i-tin't  j^out"    It  sormcd  ridii'iiloiia  to  loolc  nlive,  when  therg, 
was  somo  one  else  fif  t;  yards  behind,  who  vas  still  at  liberty  to  look  | 
deiid,  at  choice,  and  who  wa^  (o  htr  nUowi-cl  to  escapi*  nl»).    Charles  ' 
loitered  a  moment  on  the  other  s'niv  of  the  way.  lighting  a  cigarette, 
in  order  to  <^oo»e  tlie  opposite  dirt-ction  to  (be  one  taken  by  the 
woman.     She  came  out  at  the  gate,  and  he  thought  he  heard  her 
finish  un  iniiudible  rt^mark  to  the  park-keeptr  with  the  words,  "TeU 
him  to  Ko  that  wayl"  and  then  pointed  to  her  left  and  went  off, 
qiiit^kly,  to  thi^  right.    Charles  tbouuhl  he  recognised  the  woman's 
Toicc,  as  a  voice  he  had  hcnrd,  but  without  bring  sure  whose  voice, 
and  waiti'd  to  see  who  it  was  that  was  to  he  sent  the  other  way. 
PrcHcntly  a  man  come  running,  who  jccmcd  to  nuike  enquiry  of  the 
park-keeper,  who  appeared  to  tuni  him  over  in  his  mind,  nnd 
then  finally  pointed  with  his  thumb  to  his  left;  in  compliance,  pre-j 
eumably.  with  the  woman's  instructions.     Seeing  Charles  hnd  no-J 
ticcd  the  trnnKaction,  he  vouchi>afcd  some  explanation — "He's  best] 
out  of  the  way."  he  said. — "Ugly  sort  o'  cuatomerl     Furring.  /! 
ehould   say" — and   seemed,    to    Charles,   to   think    this  sufficient. 
Cbark'S  was  amused  tn  And  that  he  himself  was  inclined  to  accept 
it,  as  one  accepts  anything  and  everything  in  England  that  is  done 
by  a  person  with  any  sort  of  badge  or  uniform.     Besides,  in  the 
alight  glance  he  had  nt  the  ugly  sort  of  customer,  he  had  noted 
in  htm  that  worst  of  all  eomhi notions,  the  clerical  and  tlie  disso- 
lute.    He  turned  nnd  went  his  way  home;  and,  as  he  wcnt.'an 
impression  grew  and  grew  that  he  knew  whose  voice  this  woman's  j 
was,  and  also  the  ligiire  that  went  with  it.    IJp  would  listen  very' 
carefully  to  Miss  Thiselton.  or  Straker.  next  Friday,  and  would 
observe  the  good  trying-on  figure,  to  see  if  this  impression  wb§ 
light 


CHAPTER  SVIU 


OP  uiSH  a-rSAsen's  AKrecEOOTs,  and  beb  voice,   why  didn't  CHASLeg 

UO  TO  BIIKLLACOmiEt     IJOW   Mb!^  rKITNXB  MAW  A  OIIOST.     tlOW  l>II. 

jomftwN  SAW  utaa  strakeb.   ciubles  isn't  ct  lovs 

JtKXT  Fridav  iMimp.  end  wltli  it  Mias  Siraker.  She  was  looking 
very  dim.  thounht  Chsrles — tni:ch  too  nicn  r^-cr  to  have  nnj^ing 
in  common  will)  thui  Park-wum«ii.  The  Kood  tryiiig-on  figure  waa 
nnu"  enotipb  certainl.v ;  ihe  voice  was  going  1o  souni]  quite  different, 
Charles  frit  confident.  She  was  very  joumaliere,  clenrly.  wni  Miss 
Straker;  for  this  time  she  hardly  struck  iiim  as  at  all  lop-eided  aa 
die  looked  him  {mnkly  in  the  face,  and  thanked  him  for  his  timclr 
loui. 

"I  doo't  know  what  we  should  have  done.  Mr.  Heath,  if  it  had  not 
b^en  for  your  great  kin<lno5s.  My  mother  would  have  liked  tn  come 
and  thank  you  herself,  but  I  thought  it  would  ouly  bore  you,  and 
Mid  uo!" 

Wa«  it  the  voicet  Wellt  It  would  have  been  more  eatiefaetor? 
if  it^bad  hetu  mopt-  unlike  it.  Still,  it  wiis  crrtiiinly  possible  to 
b«licTc  it  wniin't,  and  Chnrlw  adjuetod  his  belief  accordingly — at 
least  for  the  present.  This  moriiiHft,  MiiiM  Stnikcr  «■«»  nt  her 
bwt,  and  Charles  wanted  her  not  to  have  beeu  that  woman  in  tb« 
Park.  It  did  not  seem  to  oocur  to  bira  lliat  she  miglit  Iiavc  been 
tbr  TikHt  of  tli«  vile,  and  y«  n  gof^  model  for  Ilegan.  A  porfectlj 
lofrical  and  detached  artist  wouldn't  have  airwl  twopence  wlirtheel 
An  waa  tbi-  Pnrk-wnman  or  not.  Still,  Charles  did  not  suspect 
that  ho  was  other  ihsii  perfectly  detached. 

IfJMS  Straker,  birooming  abunrbed  in  Rogan.  and  romembering 
ih*  reserve  due  to  a  noi-professional  p(jBiti<pn.  gave  no  further 
opportunity  of  judging  of  hi-r  voice  until  she  struck  work  and  asked 
for  a  rest.  "I  outcht  to  have  asked  you."  said  Charles,  apologising. 
"YouTl  have  to  sing  oufwhco  you  want  to  rest.  Miss  Tbianl — ■ 
StraJcor."  He  began  with  one  name,  and  corrected  himself  iu  the 
middle. 

"Itiss  ThiBcliitrnkcf,"  *aid  she,  laughing.  'It  makes  a  funny 
nanw.  But  I  don't  mind  which  yuu  call  mo.  Mr.  Calthorpo  was 
»«ry  impertinent,  1  thought.    Don't  you  think  it's  i«t^  Viav^TVaiwtA 

197 


L 


198 


ALICE-FOR-SHOKT 


to  call  a  girl  by  her  Christiau  unine,  Mr.  Heath?"     Charles  n 
comparing  the  voice;  ami  was  getting  no  nearer,  but  only  puizli 
hiniseif.      Ho   replied    absently,   "Tes — very  I"     The   young    lady 
mcnndored  on.  lint  in  a  suavi>  unilerlune  which  gave  uo  clue. 

"Mr.  Caltborpe  used  to  call  mc  l.avvy.  My  brother  always  caiU 
me  Vinny.  Which  do  j-oii  like  boat.  Mr.  Heuthi  But  I  iniistii't 
talk  and  disturb  you."— And  she  picked  up  a  book  and  began  to 
read.  Now  Chiirles  saw  the  book  woa  Lea  Tntfailleurx  tie  la  Her, 
and  be  didn't  believe  Miss  Rtmker  could  read  French.  However,  if 
pretending  lu  mud  French  kept  her  iiiiiet,  why  »!iouldn'l  she  pre- 
tend 1  It  pleased  her  and  didn't  hurt  him.  Besides,  the  prolilo 
and  the  eyelid  hud  recrudesced  in  that  position.  Oh  nol  With  a 
profik  and  an  eyelid  like  that  she  never  could — never — never! 
There  was  one  tMn^  though  she  could  do  and  was  doing,  vit.:  eani- 
ing  money  at  the  rate  of  one  ^lulling  an  hour  by  reading  Victor 
Hugo  in  a  comfortable  armchair.  Charles  [iroteated.  in  the  uame 
of  business.  "And  s  nici^  humbug  you  arc !''  tlioughl  he  to  hinuiclf, 
us  Mi«>B  Struker  put  duwn  the  voliuue  with  apparent  reluctance,  and 
climbed  up  to  be  Regan.  Her  hand  felt  very  honest  though,  aa  b» 
ht^lpcd  her  on  to  tbp  throne. 

"I  love  Victor  ilugol  Bon't  you  love  Victor  Hugi>,  Mr.  HcaUtt 
But  1  like  Noire  Dame  de  Paris  better  than  the  Travailleura  df  la 
Mert    But  I  like  Leg  MigSrahles  best.    Isn't  Jean  Valjcnn  gran<U" 

"I  didn't  know  you  nwd  French  so  weU."  Charles  was  taken  by 
surprise.    She  could  pronounce  Tranaitleurs. 

"llidn't  yon?  I  thought  you  know.  Oh  dear,  yesl — Why,  you 
know  my  mother  is  a  Frenchwoman,  and  I  lived  in  Paris  till  I 
waH  niuf'tivn!  I  rend  French  much  better  than  English.  I  can't 
read  Dickens  and  Thackeray  half  like  I  can  Dumos  or  Victor 
Hugo." 

Charles  felt  ashamed.  Perhaps  his  suspicion  about  the  Park- 
woman  wa«  juHt  Bs  groundless  as  his  assumption  that  thia  girl, 
more  French  than  English,  could  not  read  French.  He  was  always 
Euapccttng  things  I  Why,  at  this  very  moment  lie  was  imagining  a 
too-ready  assumption  of  some  bygone  rapport  in  the  words,  "I 
thought  you  knew." — Never  mind!  He  would  clear  all  scores  by 
never  thinking  about  the  Park  incident  again.  He  apologised 
cordially,  in  secret 

"We  lived  at  Cboiny-le-Roi  till  my  fatlier  diixl."  pursued  Mi» 
Straker.  picking  up  her  thread  of  narrative  at  the  anxX  rest,  hav- 
ing been  conscientiously  silent  during  work  time.  "It  was  very 
nice  at  ChoisyU'-Roi.  I  was  learning  sinflring  then.  Do  you  Ul 
giDging,  Mt.  Heath  {"     Now  Charles  was  very  fond  of  mu»c 


ALICE-FOB- SHORT 


Iflft 


MHMid  •  littk,  himself.    "Were  yoa  ("tmlyins  for  the  profession  I" 
Wiaked. 

"Oh  ywl  I  have  «  good  voice.  High  sopnno.  Bnt  I  can't  sing 
for  l«og  together.    If  only  it  w«ro  stronjrerl" 

"How  tmmr-  yon  to  fiomc  to  Londnnf  8urely  Paris  is  bctlt-r  for 
traininfc  than  London  )"- 

"Much  bi-tirr,  if  yoit  can  affort!  iL  But  u-c  were  very  poor,  and 
I  had  an  off«r  of  Irnining.  wiihniit  paying  any  fees  at  all,  from 
Pcscialino,  who.  you  know,  lives  in  London.  I  got  OD  vety  w«ll  tiU 
my  voice  played  tricks." 

"T  thonght  your  mother  had  some  house  property  in  London  ("     ^ 

"No— the  house  is  at  Choiay-tp-Boi — our  old  house.     The  mort-fl 
gagct^  if  on  Eii^lixhnian.    1  shouM  like  to  go  back  to  Paris  now  wa 
have  had  to  giro  tip  the  singing.     Shouldn't  you  like  to  live  in 
Pari*.  Mr.  Iltathf 

"Oh  yee — I  shouldn't  mind  liring  in  Paris.  But  tell  me  about 
your  voicp— hovf  <W-a  it  hreak  down?" 

"It  goc»^BPpK  clean  nnny — all  of  a  sudden !  I  was  singing  to 
an  Ag^airy — to  tT>-  for  an  eiifcagemeut.  I  had  sung  (nio  song — very 
well,  I  thouitht.  I  tried  another,  and  found  I  had  no  voico— 
eonldn't  sing  a  note!  Wasn't  it  funny  I  Did  you  ever  hare  it 
happen  to  yon,  Mr.  Heath  1" 

"i  never  sang  to  an  Agency  to  try  my  voice,"  eaid  Charles,  "or 
it  might  luivp.  But  <li<l  that  make  you  give  it  npt  Wasn't  it  rathtsr 
premature  T' 

"Oh  no  I  It  happened  o^ain  soon  aft«r.  We  had  to  give  it  up. 
Then  Pesciatino  ««id  it  was  no  use  my  going  on  trnining.  Theo 
Mauritti  was  always  in  want  of  money " 

"Is  that  your  brother  *'* 

"Yea— and  money  liad  to  be  found — so        " 

"Tou  took  to  sitting.  I  ean't  help  thinking  you  wen  rnther  pie- 
mature — in  too  great  a  hurrj- — about  the  voice— hut  of  course  I 
can't  tell."  Chnrleii  was  leaving  Iti-giin  to  take  care  of  herself. 
His  irTepressiblc  ftood-nature,  coupled  with  a  haunting  sense  that  he 
had  doni"  this  poor  girl  nn  iiijuslice.  wn»  gaining  ground;  iind  there 
was  no  friendly  guidance  at  hand  to  steer  him  into  safe  waters. 

"I  jih'iuld  like  you  to  hear  me  sing.    Only  you  hiive  no  piiino," 

"Not  1  should  he  playing  all  day,  instead  of  working,  if  I  had  a 
piano '■ 

"Oh,  do  yon  playt  But  those  ladies  upstairs  have  a  piaiii>— 
thi'y  wouldn't  mind )" 

"Wouldn't  mind  lending  itt    I  wouldn't  agk — don't  knq-n  iVowwi. 
wdl  enough t    Oh  dear,  no!    Certainly  ttial  wom\4  iw^fti  4o"    "^^i^ 


soo 


ALICE-FOR-SrrOKT 


n 


Charles  didn't  fool  at  nU  confident  about  thp  tIcwb  th?  two  Mita 
PcTDnes  vould  take  of  un  invasion  of  tbi-ir  pn-'mim-a  by  n  mtlwr 
showy-look injc  younK  fctnolp,  to  give  a  matin^p  ransicale  to  an 
nudi<'n(v  of  oni'  ninglc'  gtntlirmun.  Even  with  llw  powurful  Mnc* 
tion  of  their  own  pnmcnce  it  would  be  doubtful ;  while  as  for  ask- 
ing  Ji-f!  to  oouxoliiluli*  uiiiltiiM,  Ll-  wuuld  only  make  tliL'm  worM. 
The  MiH  Piynncs  wrn-  already  inclined  to  kick  and  make  com- 
pluiut  about  Mr.  JerrylhougUt'a  noiace  overhead;  und  there  had 
own  been  allegations  of  ilisivjiu table  female  cbarftct<!»,  only  as- 
cribalik-  lo  liini.  occurring  in  the  gauewnys  of  the  houM>  «t  un- 
earthly hours  in  the  momiite-  Je£F  indignantly  repudiated  this — 
it  IK  but  ju.1t  to  Liui  lo  say  ho. 

Charles,  at  this  moment,  in  thie  narrative,  is  hcsitatine  about  a 
plunge,  which  if  taken  may  affeet  his  future  st—iously.  Wbilc  he 
is  thinkins  about  it,  we  may  mnltc  farther  rcferoncc  to  these  sug- 
geattons  of  the  Miaa  Prynnes  about  Mr.  Jeff.  Their  alory  was  that 
on  the  occasion  of  a  partial  eclipse  of  the  moon  which  was  predicted 
lor  hnlf-fiast  ihnje  in  tin-  inornin([,  ihey  had  tiniidlj-  ventured  forth 
to  obaerre  it  from  the  window  of  the  little  crib  mentioned  in  a 
former  eiinpter  by  Mr.  .IiTrytiiouglit.  that  was  neither  a  roum  nor  a 
lauding;  a  clear  sky  being  visible  thcrpfrom.  They  remained 
watching  it  until  all  the  Astronomy  proper  had  come  lo  un  end. 
and  the  luoeu  was  left  to  ki>  on  by  itself,  without  addition  of 
factitious  interests.  Then  lliey  returned  as  ihi'y  hud  oonip;  but 
were  scandalised  at  being  passeil  on  the  stairs  by  a  most  disreputa- 
ble-looking person  in  n  sort  of  flowered  dressing-gown,  who  could 
only  be  g<'ing  up  to  see  the  moon  from  where  they  had  seen  itt 
or,  culpahilu  dirAu,  to  thi^  nparlment  occupied  by  tliot  very  doubt- 
ful and  noisy  artist  with  the  abaurd  name.  Tbe  younger  one; 
though  si)eeelili'PS.  coulil  not  restrain  her  curiosity;  oiui  ki-pt  her 
eyes  long  enough  on  this  person  to  see  that  she  disappeared  into 
his  room,  no  doubt  closing  the  door  very  quietly  9o  that  no  one 
should  hear  it  slam. 

They  of  course  did  not  tax  the  delinquent  with  hia  irreirularitiea, 
but  it  came  tp  hia  hearing  indirectly;  being  communicated  (t» 
downataira)  by  a  person  of  Mrs.  Twills'a  olasa  (but  much  thidcer), 
who  came  in  to  do  out  the  Misa  Prynnes,  and  lo  empt.  snd  any 
little  hit  of  eooking  when  wanted.  She  was  a  mnrried  woman, 
and  could  communicate  on  stieh  a  topic  with  Sir.  Chapp<^11.  who  waa 
also  married.  Mr.  Chappell  did  not  see  his  way  to  making  or  med- 
dling in  Mr.  Jerrjrthoughl's  affaire.  What  c()neern  waa  Mr.  J.  of 
hia^  But  Mr.  Pope  saw  his  way,  to  the  extent  of  aujorMting 
sxistonco  of  B  reciprocal  understanding,  hy  winka  or  ducka, 


ng  t^ 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


SOI 


twMD  himtflf  and  Mr.  J.,  from  which  Europe  was  to  be  csoludcd 
by  mutual  cuDsent.  This  led  to  rcvelution  nnd  totnl  dciiinl  hy  tho 
cufprit,  only  applicable  (by  fpe^ial  prorigo)  to  this  particular  case; 
for  Jeff  repudiated  ua  »  persa:iel  insult  any  imimtntion  of  bcbnv- 
ing  him»elf,  a«  a  rule;  and  only  alleged  that  at  tlie  time  in  ques- 
tion bis  door  was  lockwl  tiKbt.  and  he  was  fast  asleep.  He  further 
eaid  that  if  it  was  a  humbugging  gho^t.  he  vould  thank  it  to  go 
aud  'ornt  somebody  e]»e,  Charli-s  hud  htatni  t^iiottgh  of  this  story 
to  make  him  nhy  of  taxing  the  lolerotion  of  the  Miss  Prj-nneB  by 
nqueMing  loans  of  pianos  for  his  lady  ucciuMintiuiccs.  But  we 
may  now  go  back  Ic  him.    lie  has  had  plenty  of  time  to  decide. 

"But  I  suppost?  your  motlii-r  wouldn't  object  to  niy  calling  on 
you  to  hear  you  sing  I " 

"Why  should  she  r 

"I  thought  poeajbly — it  was  only  an  idea — that  ebe  wouldn't  like 
Artists  you  are  sitting  for  to  be  on  tlie  footing  of  friends— I  mean 
ordinary  friends- "  He  felt  be  wasn't  putting  it  well,  and  hesi- 
tated over  it  a  little. 

"Certainly  she  wouldn't — not  any  Arliste.  But  see  how  kind 
you  have  been!  She  wanted  to  come  and  thank  you  lo-dny  hrnwdf, 
but  I  thought  it  would  bore  and  hinder  you,  and  she  had  better  not. 
But  she  rrally  i^  most  grateful,  Mr.  Heath." 

Charles  had  taken  bis  plunge,  and  was  committ«d  to  Miss 
StrukcT  BG  an  ncqunintunce.  But  he  threw  in  a  little  word  or  two, 
to  define  and  limit  his  position. 

"Tou  sec.  Miss  Slraker.  I  often  hear  of  people  who  want  a  good 
ringer,  to  make  a  parly  go  off  wcll^and  who  pay  very  well  too. 
Mind!  Tf  T  don't  think  your  voic«  up  to  the  mark,  I  shall  have 
to  be  unkind  and  sny  so " 

"Oh — tlie  voice  is  ail  right."  said  Miss  Straker  with  equable 
coofi^loncff.  And  »he  resumed  R<%an  with  olncrity,  at  oni;  who 
knows  time  has  httm  wasted. 

It  might  hare  struck  n  bystander  that  as  won  as  ever  she  saw  n 
el«nr  toad  to  n  jiennaiienl  acquaintance  with  Charles,  she  began 
to  make  it  much  easier  for  him.  It  might  have  bnen  unfair  to  aug- 
gt»t  that  her  fish  iK-iiig  hooked  she  gave  htm  the  line  to  himself, 
and  Ml  on  the  bank  quietly,  taking  good  o-nr*'  not  to  frighten  him. 
But  the  oerlainly  knocked  otf  the  little  tentative  pcreonalitiea 
which  are  the  drtight  of  thi-  female  Model  in  full  swing,  and  which 
11  aho  seeined  to  be  on  the  way  to  acquire  in  perfection  after  a  little 
,  more  experience.  If  dw  did  thix  with  n  view  of  making  Charles's 
t  visit  at  her  mother's  an  caay  and  natural  thing  to  him.  po»«ihW 
I     pleasant  to  repeat,  it  abowK  that  ithc  undctHi-Qoi  \^i»  \\is.u.    '^iaa 


S02 


AUCE-FOR-SHOBT 


had  gone  a  long  tray  towards  diagusting  him  b.v  her  ettampli 
inlrojuoe  the  story  (probablj-  not  exactly  true)  uf  Urn.  Ciilth< 
jealoiiBr:  and  hi>  didn't  feci  st  nil  Bttrnctcd  to  a  discueaion  of 
what  iuira«^  tltal  lad^-'s  hiiabuiid  &li(>iild  biivt'  cmlli-tl  bcr  by.  She  had 
much  better  have  left  the  pnilil«  nnd  the  eyelid  to  do  the  job.  Hut 
now  il  wus  all  riKht.  And  uo  doubt  Miss  Luviniu  SlnikiT  ho* 
came  much  pleowinler  to  Cbnrlea  when  ((rtr  whatever  reason)  she 
gavi-  up  atiemptiiii;  to  captivate,  and  adjusted  her  coucfraation  with 
a  due  regard  to  the  aetuul  degrvf  of  their  nequaititaner.  She  also 
inado  liim  guite  comfortitble  ou  the  Park  <iueslluii  Ly  Burtiig  sh« 
and  a  friend  had  heard  The  Mr»iiah  the  evening  before,  but  had 
hud  to  WRit  nn  Iioiir  in  tlie  street.  So  r\xt:  could  not  have  beca  in 
Ilejietilii  Park  after  "the  official  hour  of  sunset." 

*'I  Mhaii't  be  free  for  some  daj'K  now,"  nnid  Charles,  when  tlw 
sitting  was  over.  "But  after  next  week  I  have  no  eagftgeineat. 
To-tDurrt)W  morning,    I    itin   going  down    to   Dcvonsliire,    to    taj 

family "     For   be    had    remembered    hia    promise    to    Cou- 

seience.. 

"I  didn't  know  you  had  a  family." 

*^o  inon?  I  have,  in  thtit  aiiiise — in  the  sense  you  mean,  I  mean. 
I  was  )q>enking  of  my  mother  and  sisters.'' 

"I  »-e.  I  didn't  know.  But  you  will  come  and  hear  nxe  iung,  aH 
the  siime,  won't  youf"  Charles  said  of  course  be  would,  as  mor 
as  evi-r  he  returned  to  town. 

Now  observe,  that  if — (only  we  don't  at  all  say  this  wms  tbo 
citM.0 — 'f  this  young  woman  was  a  desiguing  youiiR  womau,  her 
last  two  remarks  did  her  powers  of  design  great  rrediL  The  fiwt 
did  awnty  with  any  impressions  her  previous  eouversatiou  might 
have  created,  by  registering  the  fact  that  she  did  not  know  that 
Cbark-a  was  a  single  man.  The  second,  by  leaving  it  doubtful 
whnt  "all  the  name"  applied  to,  left  a  meaning  opim  to  it  fruitful 
of  eugiiKsiton  that  Charles's  coming  to  see  her  as  a  single  man 
might  he  open  to  interpretations— not  of  a  sininter  «ort.  wrtjiinly, 
but  of  a  nature  that  made  it  more  pure-hearted  and  frank  in  her 
to  disclaim  thirm  in  advance,  "You  need  not  bt'.  the  Ituist  fright- 
ened. However  much  I  like  you.  I  sliould  seorn  to  take  advantage 
of  you,"  was  what  lOie  had  eoiitrivi-d  to  say,  if  we  mny  Judge  by 
the  way  Gburlea  again  blamed  himself  for  having  misinterpreted 
her.  "Whnt  a  vain  ass  T  ani '."  he  said  to  himself.  WliiU?  she,  if  si: 
had  fiueb  meanings,  niay  have  felt  very  like  Becky  Sharp  after 
master-strolie. 

Charles  saw  her  dawn  to  the  door,  hone-xtly  believing  that,  of  t! 
two,  hers  was  the  pastoral  nature.    As  hn  stood  watobing  thfi 


.__  -—-^ 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT  SOd 

tryiii«-oo  fi|n>TC  go  down  the  litrpct,  ho  wa«  acofwini  by  "Hullot 
Charley — who's  the  Beauty  F'    And  ihere  eU-od  Dt.  Johiidciu. 

"She's  not  n  Bcmity.  Shn'ii  only  a  Modfll,^  naid  Charles.  And 
then  his  chivalrous  heart  turned  round  and  blamed  him  far  speak- 
ing in  eiipb  n  w«y  of  any  girl.  "She**  a  very  nice,  IntLvliko  Kirl." 
be  eJdtid,  correcting  and  c.iteuualinir.  "Onlj'  I  ahouMn't  call  hur 
B  Ttr-HUty,  Minrtly.    I'm  [minting  biT  iw  Rpgnn.'' 

"SKe  was  a  nice  ladylike  Rirl.  with  a  vengeance!  Now,  Charley, 
come  along  in  Bn<l  hcuT  all  my  lu'ws.  Ni-vrrr  mind  the  nic-o  lady- 
like inrL"  For  Charles  was  keeping  his  «ye  on  the  raniahing 
form.    It  ttirnL'd  a  L-urniu'  and  wait  gutiv. 

"PcKgy  liasii't  written  to  me  y«t  about  it,"  said  he.  Surety  none 
but  bi«  n)otfaL<r's  son  could  ever  have  got  so  far  tn  meJios  rex  with- 
out an  lnd«x,  or  a  Preface,  or  an  Exordium,  or  at  least  a  Title-page. 

"1  mi*  lh(Tr«T'n  not  much  to  tell."  Haid  Johnnon.  "But  di>  My  you 
haven't  been  execrating  mc — you  said  I  might,  you  know! " 

"Dili  I !  Well.  I  suppone  1  did." — For  in  a  couverftution  wh  baro 
not  recorded,  Charles  bad  said  In  his  friend,  jokingly,  that  if  he 
hn<I  fifly  HiKtirrN,  single  ones,  iTohnson  wnii  tvdromc  to  make  offers 
to  them  all  round. — "But  then,  ruy  dear  Paracelsus,  that  was  to  be 
if  1  hcd  iifty.  That  would  leave  me  foMy-nino — or  in  case  of 
bigamy,  forty-eight;  or  qu^ogauy — tetrogamy — whatever  it 
ought  to  bt — forly-six." 

"I  see  you're  not  very  angry,  old  chap " 

"Angiy!" — Charles  could  only  wring  his  friend's  hand  affee- 
tionately.  "Angryl — Why.  as  far  as  it's  being  yow  (roes,  nothing 
oould  plt-'aEse  me  Ifttcr.  Oidy  of  CfHiref — only  of  course^it's  a  sort 
of  break  up;  mipht  have  gone  "n  a  little  longer,  don't  you  knowP' 
'or  even  in  iliose  itiiya  i>ef'pli-  used  to  say,  "don't  you  knowl" 
then  tbey  used  to  say  other  things  as  well.  A  time  e4imo  when 
asid  nothing  rl«c. 

JobtisoD  looked  as  if  he  did  know,  and  was  rorry.  "I'm  a  brute," 
be,  "and  I  know  it.  But  you  would  have  bad  to  forgive  sorac- 
elsc,  old  bey,  if  it  hn<in''t  befn  me.  Aa  for  Margaret,  I  tliink 
'«  not  miieh  u&banied  at  mi',  at  prci«ent.  But  she  didn't  like  to 
confess  up;  because,  you  see,  she  had  made  up  her  mind  not  to 
marry,  on  high  Philanthropic  grounds — good  example  to  her 
Bpecies—fliid  so  forth !  So  she  said  if  you  hadn't  found  it  out 
from  her  letter*,  I  must  breidc  it  to  you.    Now  it's  broki; !" 

"And  at  any  rate  ic  isn't  anybody  else — that*8  one  comfort  I 
What  did  the  Oovemor  sayP' 

"Oh.  of  course  1  haven't  seen  him — 1  want  you  to  come  and  Wt^ 
UK'  in  that  quarter.    Your  mother  and  1  maj  \k  (a\^  \o\)a>'(«  \a«An 


n 
I 


4 


904 


ALICE-FORSnORT 


it  up  now,  after  difficiilticji.  Vfc  are  on  very  good  terms.  But  aba 
tclU  int.-  I  inimt  aulicipule  oppoditJou  from  Mr.  n<.-iitli."  ChorW 
Iflughod  uitrrnitlly.  nni)  muj  have  bcgiin  to  emilc  outwardly,  for 
Johnson  addtii.  "Don'l  you  ihink  so!"  However,  Clwrlcs  womi't 
eoinp  to  commit  his  fntlx^r,  or  any  one,  to  iinj^ing.  So  he  toerelj 
promised  bis  moral  support,  thut  oveniuK,  if  Jobution  would  como 
back  to  dinner  at  Hyde  Park  Oardt-ns,  nftcr  a  visit  at  the  Hos- 
pital— an  institution  he  said  he  fell  ashamed  to  look  in  tlte  faoe, 
after  the  way  he  had  neglected  it  lately. 

Mr.  Heath  Senior  cerlainly  made  all  the  slereotyiwil  ol>ieclion«; 
and  though  ChnrJea  felt  incredulous  uudcr  the  skin,  and  detected 
in  them  a  certain  spirit  of  jMinpositj'  tu  which,  in  his  futliiT,  bo 
was  no  sirnnger,  they  did  not  attoRethcr  fail  to  impress  his  friend 
as  genuine.  Master  Rupert  felt  uneasy,  uud  fcnrecl  his  projected 
mother -iii-lnw  was  right.  But,  as  it  chanced,  matters  official  hav- 
ing been  !efl  in  abeyauee,  the  talk  turned  on  his  family,  and  lie 
mentioned  hii"  fnther'a  Christian  name — Philip  Keiirick  Johnson. 

"Why,  God  bles9  my  soull"  exclaimed  old  Hentb.  "You  don't 
mean  that  i  Ken  Johosou— 'whyl-^he  and  I  were  at  school  toitether 
at  Clifton.  Well,  now — that  is  strange!"  Charles  felt  immo- 
diatfily  that  the  objections  had  only  a  feeble  hold  on  life — wero 
apiritlcM  and  ana-mii;. 

"Tes,"  said  the  Doctor,  "1  think  my  father  wtu  at  school  at 
Clifton.  Tlic^n  bi'  wrnt  to  Addiixronihc.  He  died  when  I  was  ijuite 
a  boy.    He  was  killed  at  Inkcrman." 

"T  remember — you  laid  u*.  But  1  never  knew  be  was  Ken  John- 
son t  Wily,  we  were  the  greatest  friends,  he  and  II  We  were 
tliere  three  years  nearly.  We  fought  six  times  in  the  first  two  yeari 
— beginning  of  every  term.  Somclimes  he  licked;  si>metim«i  I 
licked "    Charles  felt  that  the  objections  were  moribund, 

"But  you  didn't  always  fight,"  said  he. 

"Oh  no !  Last  term  I  was  lliere  he'd  got  a  beetle  I  hadn't — (we 
n»ed  to  collect  beetl«!) — Neeraphonu  St^pulhr  I  think  it  was;  and 
I  had  a  beetle  lie  hodu't,  whose  name  I  enu't  riKiollect— dear,  dear 
nowl  Whnt  was  the  nnnio  of  that  bectlcf  Charles  said  never 
mind.  "Ob  yes— but  I  do  mind  I  I  should  like  to  remember  the 
name  of  that  beetle."  However.  Mr.  Heath  hnd  to  itivo  it  op.  and 
Tent  on:  "Anyhow — he  put  Necrophortu  SepuUor  iu  a  little  pill- 
box and  put  him  down  my  back  in  data,  and  we  got  in  a  row  with 
the  master,  and  after  class  I  Rave  him  mine  iu  exofaangie.  Ah 
dearl" 

Charles  felt  that  the  objections  were  dead,  and  that  tbey  mi^t 
be  handed  over  to  t/eerophoru*  SupuUor,  about  whom  Mr.  UeaA 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


305 


prolMbI;  wron^.  bs  we  belierc  lie  in  a  vi^ry  common  1ie«t)c. 
irhow,  it  was  <iuite  clrar  no  on<<  could  obj«ct  to  nny  one  marr<rinii 
hill  ilaugfater  if  he  buii  fouf^dt  tbut  man's  father  throuich  two  yt-ars 
of  Mhool,  at  (he  bcKiniiiiiS  of  vvctj  term.  But  a  definition  of  the 
poeiilton  WHS  uallod  for — that  dipitty  ahould  suffer  do  outrage  I 

"As  for  you  two  young  fnlks — ^ynu  and  Ppgfty — yow  must  think 
it  o»er  a  bit — coimider  :iutkiii^  sullied — ^bad  to  be  in  too  f^reat  a 
hurry — hardly  known  each  olbcr  a  ypnr— your  own  pmsprrts.  my 
boy.  most  uni*rlain.  etc.,  etc..  etc."  But  Charles  noticed  that  Dr. 
Johnson  hnd  b'-cnme  my  b<iy.  And  wheu  be  eoid  gDod-uigbt  tn  hit. 
father,  after  Johnson  had  departed,  evidently  reporting;  a  Rood 
dMil  of  progress  to  hiniwlf.  tbi!  general  recapituliitioii  ni-rtninly 
contained  no  eleineut  of  serious  obstacle  to  the  happiness  of  the 
two  loTcrs. 

"We  must  gee  what  your  mother  has  to  Bay.  Chariey.  If  she 
Miy!i  I'm  to  say  yes,  T  suppose  I  shall  hnin'  to  my  yes — iifhcrwisc, 
othervifie! — she  and  Pep  must  have  it  out  between  them.  I  expect 
they're  ordering  the  wci]i)ing-dres£v3,  and  bHittling  who's  to  bi;  naked 
to  the  wi?ddiiiK.  /  ahau'l  have  any  voice  in  the  uiattcr.  You'll  find 
it  all  witled  when  you  get  there  to-morrow.  But  just  fancy  that! 
Ken  JohuBou'a  sou  I" 

Cbsrie*,  re-envnioped  by  this  interview  in  the  atmosphen;  of 
Home,  forgot  all  about  his  Studio  acquaintance — the  profile  and 
thp  eyelid  wore  discntablished  for  the  lime  being.  But  they  floated 
back  iitto  his  field  of  vision  as  soon  as  it  was  empty,  and  brewed 
dinMcnirion  b<"twocn  him.-telf  and  Conseii-ncc,  For  the  latter  had  thn 
bad  taste  and  feeling  to  suggest  That  the  prospect  of  locintc  Pegtcy, 
SO  far  as  he  should  Inw  her,  was  less  repellent  to  him  than  it 
would  have  secured  a  luuntb  ago— ever  su  tittle  less,  pi-rhaps.  but 
Btill  less. 

"If  you  mean."  Charles  angrily  replied,  "that  Vm  in  love  witli 
this  etupid  Model  girl,  and  tbat  she  could  make  up  to  me  for — 
thore  I    I  won't  talk  aliout  it.    It'*  too  disgusting  and  ridicnlona.'* 

"/  never  used  tbe  expression  'in  love,'"  said  Conscience;  "you 
made  that!"  .\nd  Charles  said  he  wasn't  going  to  tnlk  any  more 
about  It,  as  it  was  late  and  he  would  have  to  catch  au  early  traia 
at  Waterloo. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


op  MR. 

TllS  IBVrLB. 
SEARCH 


*T  THB  RAILWAY  STATION.     OP  ALICS-FOB -SHORT  J 
WHO  WAS  THK  NICK  LADVMSB  OBtLf      PSVCIIICAl, 


CtURLEa  cauK^t  the  early  train.  Ah  he  entered  the  station  a 
dingy  tigiire  KaitJ,  "How-iie-rln,  Mr.  TTcjilh  ("  ta  him^ — »  din((y  fixu^ 
in  a  najileae  bat.  with  a  threadbare  coat  anxiouelf  butloned  against 
contingencies  of  biittonlpssncas  elsewhere;  with  an  umbrella  that 
was  pretend i UK  il  hadn't  a  bruki-n  rib.  and  knew  biitrr;  witli  n 
cflrpct'bftK  made  of  cnrpct,  as  they  always  were,  oace,  and  one 
end  of  Its  leather  hauille  made  uncoitgenially  funt  with  xtrinif, 
and  a  brass  plate  on  which  a  name  was  once  l^blc.  Il  was  what 
had  eaiifrht  Chiirlcs's  eyi'  first,  and  hi-  wii«  wondering  whim,  ax  it* 
owner  dddreaaed  him.  Then  he  saw  that  il  would  have  been  Ver- 
riitdcT,  if  it  really  belonged  to  its  present  owner. 

What  was  KaddcHt  in  ihe  poor  fellow's  dilapidation  waa  that  ho 
evidently  believed  he  had  Buceceded  in  his  attempt  to  emnrten  up 
for  tlie  public  (-ye.  His  sliirt  liiid  been  washed,  but  probably  at 
home,  in  a  household  without  servants.  Ills  coat  had  been  brushed, 
IxtrhnpH  with  the  wooden  hn&is  of  whnt  was  onen  ii  clotliejt-bruah, 
but  now  was  bald  and  hairless.  His  hal  had  been  stroked  round 
with  his  sleeve,  inoNt  likely;  and  th^n  he  lind  felt  that  be  euuld  go 
on  parade.  Charles  only  felt  sorry  for  him.  not  repelled  by  his 
shnhbiness. 

"How-de-do.  Mr.  Heath  t  I  haven't  forgotten  you  eavc  mc  three 
tubes  of  Asphaltuin.     Beautiful  coJourl" 

"Are  you  going  hy  the  eifthl- thirty.  Mr.  Verrinder!  Because  if 
you  arc  wc  can  travel  togrther."'  If  Charles  had  rati  Mr,  Kerr- 
Kerr,  who  was  rather  a  point-d»-vif«  (tentlemau,  he  would  have 
dodged  him,  bocause  he  wanted  to  be  by  himsidf.  But  ax  it  wa* 
this  poor  woe-hegone  piece  of  unljquity.  chivalry  stifjiped  in.  Ho 
wasn't  going  to  shy  off  froni  tlie  poor  devil.  IJc  could  have  pro- 
vided himself  with  good  and  sufficient  reasons,  but  he  would 
have  suspected  himself  of  snobbishncfis,  and  ho  wasn't  going  to 
run  the  riak  of  trial  and  conviction. 

"Where  arc  you  going  T"  said  he.  when  Verrinder  answered 
him  yes  to  faia  first  question.     Verrinder  wae  going  to  Witlej. 


I 


k. 


20« 


A 


ATJCE-FOR-SHORT 


907 


"ni  take  tickets  for  both."  said  Cbariea;  Tm  going  to  trflvcl 
third."  Of  cuunx'  tie  wasn't,  but  he  didn't  want  any  cUsa  dia- 
otioiiB.      lie    tixik    two    thint-claBs   tickets,  knowing  he  could 

bi^  varrtttgi'  and  i>a.v  excess  fani. 
"Yoa  never  came  to  aee  me  at  my  Studio,"  said  he  when  tiicy 
were  settled  in  llieir  places.     The  train  moved  nlowly  out  of  the 
station,  and  vs.*  brtiinning  In  be  at  its  ease  about  croes-lines  and 
ambuahes  before  Verriader  answered  hiiu, 

"Oh  no— oh  not     Too  Kmg  ngo  for  mo!     It's  a  good  way  to 
«ome,  too.     No,  ao — not  my  line — thauk  you  1" 

ChariM  uiidertitood  that  he  really  thiinkrd  for  the  invitation — 
that  tlicTe  wae  no  element  of  derision  la  the  phrase.  "I  see,"  said 
he,  "I  won't  botlwr  you  to  come.  It  i*  a  very  long  way."'  Charles 
ored  the  distance  as  the  reaann,  lest  be  should  seem  to  impute 
rift  aensibtlily  about  old  nieniriries  tJie  other  seemed  to  wixh  to  di.'t- 
claim.  Ho  judged  by  a  hardness  in  hi§  voice.  Charles  ntmcin- 
beted  at  ihia  moment  that  he  had  promi»Hl  to  make  no  on(]uiries 
into  Vcrrinders  previous  story.  Otherwise  the  words.  "Too  long 
ago  for  me."  apart  from  the  voice,  might  huve  given  him  an  eicU9& 
Verrinder  said  very  little  indeed  during  the  short  journey.  Ho 
•aid  he  Khni:Idn't  likn  tn  Im  n  brick  ma  krr,  but  that  they  said  the 
smell  wasn't  untvholesome.  lie  said  he  »houldu't  care  to  wurk 
on  the  line,  but  tJint  hr  undentood  you  atn-ays  got  compensation. 
He  seemed  to  assume  that  no  railway  employee  could  escape  death 
by  miMdi-cnlure  or  Iwdily  injury.  IIo  rcflt-ctcd  that  it  w»*  much 
civieter  in  this  part  of  the  world  before  the  railway  came,  showing 
how  far  baek  hia  memory  of  this  part  of  tlie  world  winit.  IIk 
miKht  have  become  interexting  at  this  pniot,  Charles  thought, 
but  tlicy  nrrivi-d  nt.  Woking  mid  he  changed  for  Witley.  Chartea 
remembered  this  little  incident  long  after. 

Tlw  jourmry  to  Sb<dlaoombe  was  such  a  long  one  that  it  is  not 
be  wondered  at  that  the  profile,  the  eyelid,  and  the  proniincTd 
oioe  wen?  completely  forgotten  by  the  time  Peggy's  arms  were 
[»und  her  brother  at  the  little  railway  station  at  Cleave,  where  she 
^CBioe  with  Alice  to  meet  him  end  show  him  how  quite  the  same  she 
was  in  spite  of  her  escapade.  lie  felt  that  was  all  right.  As 
Lmucb  the  same  aa  the  little  unalterable  railway  station  on  the 
slo  line,  with  the  roses  still  in  bloom  along  the  pUtform  fence, 
and  the  name  of  it  done  large  in  pebble  mosaic  on  a  alopo  of 
grocn  along  the  other  end  of  the  platform.  Even  the  two  or  threo 
other  people  who  arrived  were  exactly  the  same  as  usual;  and  they 
were  driven  away  in  the  same  two-horac  carriage  and  the  same  dog* 
cart  by  ihe  sanui  civil  men  whoae  nature  detied  the  \qSmsxi<:k»  cA^ 


I 


i 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 

metropolis.     Or  if  they  wore  oot  abaoluttl.v  tlw  Sjun*  people 
btid  Fomc  quality  about  tbem  which  BDswcrcd  all  tb«  purpoeox  of 
iJ*'nti(y  witbotit  committing  il«  owner  to  being  on.vbody  elae, 

"Oh,  you  bnd  boy  1"  said  Peggy,  when  she  bad  driven  conviction^ 
home,  "do  you  nu-an  lo  my  you've  eomo  hiTL'  wiUi  no  lueeae«| 
but  thalC    It  swmed  ao;  or  else  the  trnin,  sanctioned  by  n  whieilaj 
from  (he  far  pnd.  was  taking  awny  ChnrlcH's  box.     No!     It  wa« 
ftll  ri«ht,  and  there  was  nothing  for  "the  man"  to  find  room  for  in  ] 
front.    So  Charles  and  Pegsy.  and  his  eoutemptible  little  valise, 
were  off  in  the  twilight  throagh  the  little  Tillage  street,  whiebi 
was  as  much  thp  same  as  the  station  had  been,  or  oven  more  bo;^ 
with  the  snnii'  sun-browiifd  white-hnircd  chiltirt-n  growing  up  to-' 
be  the  same  ptople.  and  the  same  people  remembering  how  very ' 
mtich  the  same  children  they  were,  otier,  tlipmaclvps !     CharW 
felt  how  premature  be  had  been  to  funey  the  world  wus  goiu^  to 
disperse  because  bis  sister  marri«i.     She  wouldn't  change,  any-] 
bowl     Why,  look  at  herl    There  she  was,  more  herself  than  everl.l 
And  very  lovely  Peggy  looked  in  the  half-light,  I  can  tt-ll  yottfj 
with  her  hair  shaken  out  and  only  the  least  little  shade  of  iun- 
scorch  from  long  exposure  on  the  inexhaustible  satids.    Alii^'s  cye§ 
were  fixed  on  her  in  admiration;  but  then  they  almost  always  were. 

"And  is  Alice  burnt  black  too!"  »nid  Chiirlc-S,  afli-r  reference  to 
the  baking  powers  of  Sbellaeombe,  which  were  alleged  to  be  quite 
outside  and  beyond  all  jirtfeilent,  off  tbc  Equator.  It  really  i» 
fluite  wonderful  what  individual  cbaracteriatics  towns  have  aloDg 
the  English  const. 

"No — ab:furd  little  monkey  t     She  stops  quite  white,  like  that 
8ho«r  Ur.  Charley  your  face,  Miss  EaTanugb."    Alice  docs  aeem 
strangely  white,  or  ivorylike;  eon);idering  that  she  too  has  be«t] 
baking  in  the  sun,  and  living  most  part  of  tbe  day  in  a  tent  oaj 
the  sands.     She  has  become  more  than  ever  one  of  the  family  hji 
iiow,  in  this  yypsified  life,  and  must  be  thought  of  ns  such.     It  ia 
Cttrious,  because  really  it  is  only  a  short  Iwo-thirds  of  a  year  since 
she  was  that  poor  littk — almowt  strty^  Arab,  we  wanted  to  writOv^^ 
Peggy  felt  all  the  more  for  the  others  who  were  left.  ^B 

"Let's  have  a  look  at  you,  Alicc-for-i'hort,"  says  Charles,     And 
Peggy  has  to  remind  lier  eompnniona  that  a  waggonette  is  not  aj 
place  to  romp  in.    "We've  got  to  shut  up  and  lie  good,  Alice,"  ha 
eays.    vVnd  Alice  repcata  after  bitn.  "Sut  up  and  be  doodi"  and^ 
bccomcn  demure. 

"But  I  did  tumble  over  the  tiff,"  saya  she.  as  if  it  waa  a  merit- 
an  extenuation  of  any  current  miiijlcmtuinouni. 

"Cliff,  childl    ^Vhen  will  you  leani  to  speak  plain '(    Oh  dearll 


i 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT 


»» 


My  hajVs  all  oomine  down.  No — it's  no  use  trying  to  stick  it  u(>, 
Alice  AfttT — never  niiud!  Wi;  tlmll  Le  b«ck  directly — and  you 
shall  do  it  up  for  roe.    Say  cliff,  plaint" 

"Curl'iff!"  Thiii  with  ii  gtviit  pfforl  from  Alipe,  who  continue, 
"Tumbled  over  it,  I  did.  And  l>r.  Jomson  came  <lowu  upiiida 
down  nnd  cjitdiwl-trd  hold  evtr  ao  tight "  ^H 

"Caught,  Alice!    i  told  you  causkl  before."  ^| 

"Taiight."    Witli  c'onitciimtiou.i  jfmvity.    "And  I  was  fightcned." 

"Tell  Mr.  Charley  nbout  the  bwtlc.  Alice." 

"Then-  was  u  bi-«tlc — Oh.  ihu  di^c-est  little  btietle— so  big,  lika 
that — and  he  jrot  ou  iny  nose,  and  ticklpd — oh,  he  w<u  so  pretty — 
such  bi^Hutiful  colour!)!" 

"Go  on.    What  did  you  say  to  the  beotle?" 

"I  stflid — niispofliijg  Dr.  Joniaoii  slidiis  duvn  atop  of  us.  what- 
ever shall  we  do  to  hold  him  up  V  ^M 

"What  inde«l?"  said  Charles.    "What  did  thn  b«rtle  say?"  ^ 

"He  flowed  away  because  hi?  was  angry.  Angry  with  mii!  Be- 
CAuitc  I  rubbird  him  off  my  iinsc  on  to  the  grast — grass.''  A  con- 
ecieutioua  correction. 

"What  did  you  think  quite  first  thing  of  nil,  Alice,"  asks 
Charles,  "when  you  Erst  wt^nt  over!" 

"I  thinkcd— I  thought— susposing  T  go  in  the  water,  and  Mias 
P«KSy  *he  conies  after  me,  and  Ur.  Jomaon  he  conies  after  Uiss 
P«Wy — *^  should  all  be  in  tlip  water  together." 

"Excuse  my  sayiug.  ili^  KuvBiiHfih.  that  that  was  a  flat  and 
insipid  way  of  looking  at  the  position,  nnd  not  worthy  of  your 
youthful  promise."  Alice  stands.  Peggy  stimulates  her  memory  by 
a  word  or  two. 

"Tea.  Miss  Pegfty — please !  I  wundled  and  wundled  and  wundled 
^^usposins  we  was  all  in  the  water  together— poor  Mr.  Ohnrlcy, 
what  would  he  do  wivout  us!  Ajid  I  waiited  to  cry,  hut  I  was 
fightened  it  would  jolt!  And  then  the  strong  man  came  up  be- 
hind— I  wa*  gliid !  And  hi?  tiird  loe  up — don't  recoUeet  uuffint 
morel''  says  Alice,  breaking  off  abruptly,  and  shaking  her  head 
|>r(jhibitivttly. 

"And  here  we  are."  says  Peggy.  "Really.  Miss  Eavanagh,  if 
you  don't  li-vini  to  stay  nothing,  instead  of  ntiflinf,  I  shall  give 
warning  and  find  another  place." 

"Nolfting,"  sny*  Alicf.  forcibly  and  dl.itinctly.  And  Peggy 
IdBses  her.    We  hope  Alice  won't  be  spoiled. 

Said  Cbarlee  to  Vii<rKT-  nest  momEng  on  the  eands:  '^<ra  \c% 
us  all  about  it,  Pogfy-wogg."    Tor  the  iuil-ap  VftxwiwM.  V^  "^ofc 


SIO 


AlICE-FOR-SHORT 


s^a-flide  houee,  playing  at  gnmca  vvi-riitglit.  nud  tlie  lawlras  Chnoi 
railed  th<-  nrrRnsemcnt  of  plnns  for  the  dajf,  in  the  morniiii;, 
prevented  all   peaceful  eommuuication  between   t}w  brothw  Hndl 
sister;  nnd  mutunl  tncit  mncIioQ  had  beea  givcu  bj  each  to  ibe] 
other's  deferred  questtoningti. 

"No!  First  j-oii  tell  mo.  Como  the  other  side  because  of 
HHJoke.  No—nearer  up  under  my  suuabade  ai»d  tlien  I  caii  ru 
your  hnir  for  you.  Oh  dear!  It's  so  stioky  with  th<;  ta\t  water." 
For  there  had  been  swims  before  breakfast.  "No,  I  wou'l  tell  you 
anylhiiiK  at  nil  till  you've  told  me  n  great  lot— heaps!  Bupcrt 
came  to  see  you  yesterday — I  know  that  much — aud  you  went 
homo  and  diiu'd  at  tlie  Gardens.    Now  go  on  aflrr  that!" 

Charles,  enjoying  the  drowsy  spell  of  the  sea  after  so  long  a 
doso  of  tlie  Hliiffy  town,  was  able  to  listen  to  the  musical  plash  of 
the  waves  and  the  cry  of  the  sea-birds:  the  laughter  of  the  bathers 
and  their  vnin's;  thi^  even  boat  of  the  oars  lielping  a  pleasure-boat 
with  windleirM  sails  over  a  mirror  towards  a  sheet  of  silver  that  ma? 
be  wind;  to  lislen  to  and  fnj'oy  al!  tltese.  and  yet  to  give,  in  easy 
inataimonts.  a  narrative  of  the  previous  day's  events.  He  bega 
with  Rupert's  urrival  on  the  dooratflp.  Ho  ascribed  his  scruiiulo 
care  in  ouiitliug  any  hint  of  Miss  Straker  (the  if>>od  tr.vinK-on 
figure  passed  nwny  down  the  street  in  hi*  bniin,  but  he  .taid  nothing 
about  it)  entirely  to  the  faet  that  the  bill  before  the  House  related, 
to  Peggy,  not  to  himself.  He  vcoulil  ktn-p  in  the  background,  &iv 
say  nothing  about  any  Miss  Strakers.    We  understand. 

He  judKT^  it  best  to  make  the  most  of  hiti  father's  little  exbibi- 
tion  of  orthodox  obatacle-mongerinp,  and   Peggy  was  eatnewha' 
downenxt  for  a  moment.     But  she  broke  into  o  happy  laugh  o: 
relief  when  the  story  came  of  the  school  fellowship,    "You  mustn't' 
of  Conner  ntlnch  too  mncb  weight  to  tlw  mere  fuel  Uial  Paracelsus'a 
father  was  at  school  with  yours."  said  Charles,  nolnnnly. 

"Oh,  you  d('iir  prosy  old  boy!  Tile  idea!  Wh)-.  of  course  there 
won't  be  any  bother  with  papa.  Just  fancy  1  Fought  each  other 
fiveiy  term  for  stix  termul  Do  yon  know,  T  really  believe  if  I  bated 
Rupert  (or  Paracelsus,  as  you  will  persist  in  calling  him)  Papa 
would  want  mc  to  marry  him.  And  then  they  swopped  specunens. 
That's  what  Bob  aud  Dan  are  always  doins.  I  wonder  if  that  was 
phosphonii"  wlint'it-hi*-nnnH-  that  lickU-d  Alice's  nose?" 

"NecrophortiS  StpuUorf  No — he's  a  ghoul.  I  suppose — liw*  on 
oorpspR.  Ry  the  bye  (only  it's  a  sbitme — he  isn't  a  ghoul  at  all). 
I  mei  tlitit  i)uttr  fellow  Verrinder  in  the  train  j-eaterday.  Fil  tell 
you  about  him  presently."  , 

I'eggy  didn't  show  any  intereat  lu  Verrioder.     But  the  gboul 


M 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


ill 


made  her  lliinkof  somcUiing*lM-  wiu  wmnling  to  tullciibout,    "Hi>w 
about  thnt  ghiMti" 

"Which  ithoalt"  said  Charles.  Hi-  didn't  want  to  tell  Peggy 
about  thv  ghtut  the  j-oungvr  iiit»  I'rTnne  saw  on  the  ataire.  It 
di<ln't  ^etnn  to  liini  ii  fit  ghost  for  Pemy.  Brothers  aro  mighty 
particular,  wo  can  tc)I  you  I 

"I  <lidu'l  know  there  were  two  ghosta — unl«M  you  count  Alice's 
prirntc  ghost  with  tlir  spots!  1  meant  the  one  Rupert  told  ma 
■bout — what  you  aiid  ,vour  ab«urd  friend  (well!  lur  i»  absurd) 
aaw." 

Til  tell  j^ou  about  that  presently.  I  want  to  hear  more  about 
you  nnd  Parnrrli'tiiL." 

•^There's  uothiiiji  left  lo  lell.  dear  old  boy  I  We  are  a  ludy  and 
gr-ntWninn,  nud  that'll  all  nbout  it.  ilcre'K  his  letter  that  came  thia 
morning — eix  pages  I  And  what's  more  I've  read  every  word — 
j-c*!— while  nil  that  racket  was  going  ou.  before  we  came  out. 
Vm  dreadfully  ashamed  of  myself,  though,  if  you  ask  me.  Here's 
n  little  bit  of  pfistupript  I  haven't  read " 

"There's  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of — ^you're  not  the  only  Udy  and 
gentleman." 

"I  didn't  mean  that — I  meant,  all  my  good  resolutions!  This  is 
about  you."  And  Peggy,  having  cxeitcd  as  much  curiosity  iu 
Charles  as  can  be  felt  after  bathing  in  the  sea  before  breakfast, 
and  then  treating  breakfast  striously.  and  then  wiltling  down  to 
acnoke  In  the  smi  under  favourable  circumstances — after  doing  this 
'eggy  becomes  absorbed  in  the  letter,  with  an  nnimnted  serious 

lunlenanee.    "One  can't  wonder  at  I'aracelsus,"  thinks  Charles,  as 
looks  drowsily  at  it. 

"Who  was  the  nice  ladylike  girl  who  went  away  down  the  streetf" 
'oggy's  quealion  is,  or  would  \x!  to  a  bystander,  mendy  n  <|ue«- 

in— quite  free  of  implications  of  any  sort.  But  Charles's  nature 
was  not  cunning  enough  to  see  that  his  safest  courM!  would  bo 
to  say  it  was  only  Kiss  Thisclton,  and  explain  her  afterwards. 
"I^t's  hara  a  look  at  ttie  l«lter."  aaid  he.  as  ii  he  couldn't  tell  who 
it  was  without  the  context. 

"WcUi"  said  Teggy,  interrogatively,  a  few  momenta  later;  for 
Charles  r«ed,  and  made  no  sign. 

■TlTell  whatr' 

"Wlio  was  the  nice  ladylike  girll" 

"The  iitee   ladylike  girl  t"     Charles  pretended  he  was 
ia  another  part  of  the  letter.      "Ob   yc» — of  eoorw! 
'b  see — the   nice   ladylike   girl — that   muat  have   been 
ton." 


I 


inter-      H 

1 


913  AUCE-FOB-SUORT 

"Of  couTBe  it  muBtl    Who  ele«  could  it  have  bwuf    There  i 
fpirit  of  mifchit'f  in  Uiis:  but  the  fad  is.  tbut  Peggy  alwajs  sees 
clean  through  her  brother,  aa  though  he  were  plate  glass. 

"i'ou  d»in't  knew  Mies  Thiselton.  Tou're  never  sii-ii  her,"  says 
he,    Peggy's  answer  revealed  ihe  weakness  of  hie  position. 

"Denr  silly  old  Charley!  As  if  there  were  a  bun<irt(i  and  fifty 
uiee  la<l^likc  girls  sand-hopping  about  all  over  llie  Studio  just  thtit 
minute  when  Kiipert  ennic  in.  Tou  are  such  a  dear  tranepart-nt 
boy  1"  Ccrlainly,  make-believe  wasn't  Charles's  strong  point,  lio 
ni!V«;r  made  nnjr  one  believe.  But  thui,  he  olwaya  confessed  up, 
candidly. 

"Miss  Thiselton,  or  whatever  bir  name  is.  isn't  a  aecret.  Vxa 
painting  Regan's  head  from  ber.    She's  very  like  Regno "* 

"That's  a  reconmienddtion  1" 

" to  look  at.    Jtut  she's  not  at  all  like  her  in  character." 

"How  do  you  know  thatP'  Oh  dear,  how  ahani  people'a  aisten 
are  sometimes!  However,  Charley  bad  to  justify  his  estimate  of 
Aiiss  Tliiselton.  somehow. 

"I'm  only  guessing."  lie  tried  to  rwall  something  that  would 
accredit  the  young  woman,  and  felt  the  land  rather  barren,  "you 
ouffht  to  e>-mpathiM  with  ber.  Poggy-Woggy.  anyhow;  she  has  « 

younger  brother  who's  a  source  of  anxiety  to  h^r "    Charles 

has  a  riditfulous,  balf-bumorous  expression  as  he  says  this. 

"Ob,  Charley  dearl  Tou  never  were,  and  never  will  be.  a  aourco 
of  aDxiety  to  lue.  Only  you  are  so  good-natured.  What  does  Miss 
Thiselton'6  youngrr  brolhpr  do  to  make  heTanxiows!" 

'*Oh,  ruDB  into  debt  and  she  has  to  save  his  life.  He's  not  a  bad 
boy,  but  silly." 

"Well!  That's  like  you,  tool  But  now,  dear  old  boy,  listen  to 
me  quite  seriously.  How  much  money  have  you  lent  Miss  Thisel- 
ton to  help  her  with  her  younger  brother  J" 

"How  do  you  know  I've  Ipnt  her  any  ("'  says  Charley,  feebly. 

"Oh.  you  are  the  transparentesl,  dearest  old  boy."  And  Pe^T 
docan't  press  the  subject,  but  goes  on  ruffling  her  brother'ti  liair 
for  him.  After  a  little,  CharlcH.  who  always  ends  by  complete  eon- 
feaeion,  after  making  nobody  believe  anytfaiug  at  all,  rcsum«a  thft 
conversation. 

"I  want  to  do  Mias  Thiselton  a  good  turn  if  I  can.  She  soys  eihd 
has  a  very  fine  voice- — -" 

"Skf  saj-s  sjie  has  I" 

"We]l~«he's  a  little  odd  about  it.  certainly."  Charles  givM 
particuIarB,  briefly,  of  Hiss  Straker's  story  of  the  Toioe.  'Tou 
N^  if  she  could  get  some  evening  eDgegemicntl^  it  would  btt  ton* 


4 


- 


M 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT  SIS 

,  to  be  discouraged  wlien  the  Toice  aeiually  did  break  down — 
it  may  iwror  do  aesin.  I'm  sure  we  could  find  Home  one  lo 
give  ber  an  opening." 

"Of  coiiMc  wc  coutd.  Any  number,  if  the  voice  is  really  fine. 
But  on«  inuHt  know.  How  if  I  were  to  come  to  the  Studio  to  hear 
ber  einsi  when  wc  come  back  t" 

"Fre  promised  to  call  at  her  mother's  next  week  to  hear  bcr."  At 
which  a  t>»ssing  bck  of  concern  rests  for  a  few  seconds  on  Peggy's 
face;  a  sli);hl  jjhaw?  of  apprehension-  Are  sneh  simple  brothers 
a*  this  one  of  hers  to  be  trusted  in  the  jaws  of  Miss  Thi^ltnna 
with  splendid  voices  and  French  mothers  t  She  hoped  lie  was — but 
hardly  fell  that  cautions  from  her  would  bo  of  any  aerricc.  In 
fact  that  they  mit'ht  precipitate  instead  of  avert.  Perhaps  it  would 
be  safe — why  should  she  be  so  nerrousl  She  chan^rcd  the  subject- 
"Bul  when  am  I  to  hear  about  the  Ghost  f  Charles  was  not  sorry 
to  ftct  awny  from  Miss  Thieclton  or  Btrakcr.  Fortunately  he  hod 
aaid  nothiui;  about  profiles,  or  eyelids.  And  as  for  the  Park,  of 
couTwc  that  wasn't  Miss  Strnker.  He  decided  on  a  platform  of 
iRcredulity  to  tell  about  the  gbost  from. 

"I  don't  belicTe  it  was  a  gbost  at  all.  It  was  a  lady  who  went 
nway  witlionl  uiukiiig  a  noisr."  And  he  di-scribes  all  the  circum- 
stADoes,  clo^ly  enough;  but  he  ehirks  doing  full  justice  to  the 
inlructable  charactrr  of  ibe  door-lock,  as  a  resource  for  explana- 
tion 10  go  to.  Peggy  if  sure  she  could  pull  that  door  to,  and  mako 
IK)  noitte.  This  groundh-as  pretcaision  piques  Charles,  who  resumeii 
the  door,  and  intensifies  its  fastenings. 

"Wltat  was  tilt-  figure  like  to  look  ntt"  Peggy  asks,  thinking 
perhaps  that  if  Iho  door  was  a«  competent  ns  all  tliat,  it  might  be 
worth  concession  of  possible  ghoat-ship,  under  protest,  to  examine 
into  the  personnel  of  the  spectre. 

"Ton  see  my  glasses  were  on  the  ground,  anil  .Teff  was  pegging 
away  at  Terpsichore.  She  left  an  impression  of  a  grey  head  and  a 
good  deal  of  crinoline.  I  saw  the  white  hair  as  she  stooped,  in  a 
puff  on  the  top " 

"But.  Charlej-  dear,  you  couldn't  see  it  as  she  stooped  unleBs  she 
hod  no  hat  or  bonnet  on." 

"No,  that's  true.  It  was  funny.  But  it  was  only  an  iinpreBsion. 
Il  all  hnitpeucd  in  an  instant ;  iind  how  wrm  I  to  know  who  would 
or  wouldn't  come  into  Mr.  Bauerstein's  gallery?" 

"It  wa.i  a  ghost.  Charley,  it  was  a  ghost  I"  But  Chnrlcs  disc^mn 
the  mocking  tone  in  thie,  and  is  hurt,  lie  wants  lo  do  the  ridicule 
hinuelf.  and  otbLT  people  to  take  the  ghost's  case  up,  that  he  maf 
pelt  tbetn. 


I 

A 


su 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


o^o^^ 


"I  don't  we  wh;  vou  beliere  in  Alice's  ghost  and  mak*?  game 
mine."  be  saya, 

"Well  then  1  He  shall  have  a  little  ghost  for  himself  he  Bhall— 
if  he's  goodl  But  it  reully  it  very  euriuus,  imw,  isn't  ill  Seri- 
oimlyj"  P*8sy  fw'"  that  Frivolity  ought  to  giro  place  to  Paychical 
Keseareh.    Charles  aeeepts  tlii?  position. 

"We  could  tiini  on  n  Mrdium  or  a  Clairroyant.  Jeff  knowa 
one  who  saw  fouqience  in  a  ebiU!'§  stomaeh,  and  they  had  to  turn 
it  iipxidi-  iton-n  and  iihnke  it.'' 

"Fourpence  in  coppers !"  saya  Peggy,  immediately  on  the  alert 
on  th*>  ehild'a  biJislf.  "Oh  <li.nr!  I  hope  it  wnMi't  foiiqHiict;  in 
coppers  i" 

"I  Hiippotu;  it  wiitt  n  tanner,  I'll  ask  Jeff."  But  P<-J!gy  louka 
veiy  uncomfortable.  "I'll  remember  (o  ask."  ('harles  coutinuca. 
"Anyhow.  ini!cliuin  or  no,  I  tell  yoii  what  T  will  da.  I'll  hunt  up 
poor  old  Verrinder  again— did  I  tell  you  I  met  him  eoming  along!" 

"Tm,  you  said  so — at  Wnterloo." 

"I'll  go  to  see  him  again,  and  try  to  find  more  about  the  house 
ftnd  the  people  that  bad  it.  I'll  make  n  point  of  going.  What 
waa  the  name  of  the  people?    Lemuel,  wasn't  itJ" 

"No,  not  Lemuel — ^Tri-mlrtt,  T  think  it  wn«.  I  know  then-  wiw  an 
R  in  il."  Whieh  was  an  example  of  the  sort  of  attention  a  story 
receiver  from  the  amateur  Psychophil.  Fntioy  the  feeling!*  of  a 
ghost  tliat  is  concerned  to  reveal  buried  treasure  to  impovcridied 
heirs  1    Alas,  poor  ghost ! 


CHAPTEE  XX 


OP  mss  STRAKKR  H  COUi.  AM>  HOW  CHAKLES  WENT  TO  SKE  HER  Af 
OF  IlKII  ITOULI\  MOTIIKB^  AND  I!OW  CIUfiLBS  SPOKE  FKEXCB.      OF  , 
CHAT  AFTER  UVSIC,  Ul  THE  Dr»K 

WnEX  Chttrl<Tii  Mid  lulinti  t«  Pi-ggy  nnd  Alice  nnd  other  members 
of  bis  family  a  neiek  later,  at  the  little  railway  alatiun.  his  aUtor's 
laiit  iujundion  to  bim  wax  to  go  and  m-c  Vcrrindcr  nitd  intmp  bim 
well  about  his  knowledge  of  No.  40.  Obariee  eaid  he  would  make  a 
point  of  it.  That  in  xucb  nn  in<-i!tiv«  oxprowion  that  it  miKWdH ; 
one  who  uses  it  is  apt  to  feel  that  promise  in  such  terms  h  almost 
a*  go<xl  an  prrfortimncc,  uitd  Ibut  be  baa  already  done  \i'\*  diil;. 
Il  is  alao  clear  that  anything  you  am  guiuK  '"  nmke  a  t>i>nil  of  oaai 
be  "stood  over'  for  special  attention  later,  while  aimhing  yoU' 
ore  not  making  a  point  of  had  bcttir  }<r  done  right  off.  or  it  mnjr 
get  forgotten.  Rut  it  may  be  ire  arc,  in  sayins  tbis,  only  trying' 
la  iwncoct  exL-uaed  for  poor  Oliurli^,  w!io  ia  rather  a  favourite 
oars.  Detter  perhapi!  admit  at  once  that  he  oURbt  to  hare  gone 
to  «ev  Verrindt-r.  aud  ht  didn't 

What  a  pity  be  could  not  forget  his  promise  to  Miss  Straker  to 
go  nn<i  hear  her  fling!  Perhaps  if  hie  nx^ollt-cliiig  it  had  involved 
»n  ftdmiMion  that  he  wn»  intcreslcd  in  a  ghost,  be  would  have  for- 
gotten. And  then  who  knows  bow  differently  many  things  might 
htn  nonet  What  a  pity  one  cannot  always  forceeo  everythingf 
maH  arrange  accordingly  1 

Ho  had  dono  a  good  deal,  in  the  swret  drowsy  world  of  the 
Devon  beach — surely  in  eueh  a  place  the  Lotus  is  at  ils  best — 
to  forget  all  about  tlxt  prolilc  and  the  eyelid  and  the;  voice  that  was 
to  follow.  But  he  had  not  carried  oblivion  far  enough  to  have 
no  curiosity  about  wlint  il  was  ho  had  nearly  forgotten,  Thia 
curtosily  would  be  satisfied  when  Minn  Straker  reappinred  for 
her  next  wtting.  Tie  whs  quito  <;lt'ar  ia  bis  own  mind  that  he  could 
iMitiufy  it  without  danger.  A»  to  the  visit  for  the  purpose  of  hear- 
ing her  Toice,  that  was  business,  don't  you  seei  He  took  good 
care  to  keep  ibal  separate.    It  was  a  promise,  and  he  was  bound  in 

I     honour  to  fulfil  it. 

I         Miaa  Straker  was  punctual  to  her  engageiosiA.     Sba  XwAtsA. 

I  215 


J 


31« 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


pluiti,  nniJ  had  n  coI<3.    ChatU-tt  wutin't  quit*'  sure  wluttlwr  lu! 
glatl  or  M>ri7  for  this.    On  the  whole,  be  ivas  inclined  to  be  glad. 
ju3lif!(»I  him  in  not  being  in  luve  wilk  h»r — which  bo  nerer  hod 
been,  of  course  I    Uut  it  is  always  pleasant  tg  feel  that  ODe  has  been 
justifii-(l. 

The  weather  had  goae  off — lost  all  its  beauty.    Things  generally 
had  co11a]iHe<]  and  become  flat.    They  had  changed  nlao  at  Shelta- 
be  on  the  day  he  catne  awiiy.     Rut  on  the  Atlantic  when  tho 
tber  changes,  things  don't  go  in   the  direction  of  Ibtneaa. 

iant  rollers  were  pouring  in  nt  Shelliicombe.  and  bathing  nas  a 
thing  of  the  paaU  While  Alice  was  enjoying  the  eiperipnce  of 
her  iirat  npnlly  rotigh  sen,  Charles  was  wondering  what  po^6«3ed 
bim  to  praniise  lo  hear  Miss  Straker  sing.  He  wsfin't  much  vexed 
though  st  things  being  so  flat.  It  put  matters  oti  u  elenr  footing — 
8  business  footing,  in  a  certain  sense,  lie  was  detcrmiued  not  to 
allow  thent  to  get  on  any  other.  ITe  would  get  Hiss  Strslcer  one 
or  two  good  introductions — if  she  really  had  a  fine  voice — and 
then  he  would  wash  his  bands  of  her. 

If  Charles's  coiuniunings  with  himself  strike  you  as  being  rather 
unreason  able,  takf  this  into  account:  that  he  was  constantly  deoy- 
ing  the  young  lady's  ideiility  with  that  woman  in  the  Park.  Con- 
tinual denials  are  like  creeds,  of  which  it  has  boen  said  that  no 
man  ever  recites  one  until  he  doubts  its  substauee.  Evun  so  no 
man  formulate*  hia  disbelief  in  anything  until  be  doubts  its  fal«e- 
hood.  If  lie  had  not  been  haunted  by  a  misgiving  that  that  noman 
WM  rciilly  Mixn  Strnker,  it  would  not  have  been  necessary  to  dia> 
believe  it  so  frequently.  He  tried  to  think  of  subtle  ways  of  elicit- 
ing from  her  where  she  bad  been  on  that  Regents  Park  occaaion- 
But  Charles  had  doubts  of  his  own  powers  of  tinessc.  lie  could 
not  even  deceive  himself.  If  he  had  been  able,  do  you  suppose 
be  would  have  been  auch  nn  inveterate  self-cxaminerl  No!  H« 
would  have  alloweil  bimitelf  peace  and  quiet. 

Miss  Slraker  was  to  gel  over  that  eold  before  he  went  to  hoar 
the  voice-     Charles  sei/ed    the  opportunity  to   throw   an   almost) 
hard-hearted  tone  iulo  his  recognition  of  the  fact  that  this  didn't 
matter.    Any  rime  would  do — that  suited  the  roeaUst.     His  tima 
wasn't  hers  exactly,  but  he  would  be  sure  to  be  able  to  find  nn  hou: 
or  80. 


I 


In  this  story  (perhaps  you  may  have  noticed  itf)  some  of  tbo^ 
chorocliT.i  ATv  known  to  and  understood  by  ua,  the  writer,  down  to 
the  ground.    Others  there  are  whom  wc  can  make  no  profession  of 
underatanding.    We  cau  otdj-  conjecture  and  surmise  about  their 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


81? 


I M 

to 


Baotives  and  feelings.  Never  mind  wb;  thia  ia  so;  include  Idise 
Strokfr  in  tbi?  Inlt^r  <-Ius«.  ronkc  Cbarks  the  most  eanapicuouB 
cbarader  in  the  former,  and  ask  no  qtit^tions. 

WhclhtT  the  young  womun  hbicI  to  herself  ibat  so  lonft  as  ho 
ended  by  eominir  to  the  hoiiw  and  hcoring  her  sing,  ihc  iiitfTim 
wall  of  no  imiiortanw,  wfr  bavt-  iiu  raeaus  of  knowing.  It  is  possi- 
ble ihat  we  do  her  gTcBt  inj\iKlipr  by  spct-ii luting  on  tlint  point. 

nd  n-mi-mbvr  tbia  too,  that,  admitting  that  she  had  mailc  up  her 

lind  to  entangle  Charles  and  capture  him,  flbe  wub  not,  sn  far  ax 

«  «an  see,  playing  tbe  game  unfairly.     For  it  is  a  game  every 

woman  has  a  right  to  play — as  good  a  right  as  the  swimmer  has 

to  Ntrikc  out  for  the  shore.    Remember  too  the  stakes  she  puts  on 

tbe  tabic. 

You  may  also,  if  you  like,  ascribe  to  Miss  Straker  a  feeling  of 
ignily.  and  bclierc  that  this  promptrd  her  to  hnvr  a  cold  and  be 

ther  morose  and  sulky  during  that  interim;  a  feelinie  which  said 
ber  that  fkr  van  not  going  to  entmp  thi«  giiiMcxs  and  trans- 

reul  young  man,  and  bring  biiu  within  reach  of  a  prehensile  par- 
ent, wilh  any  ulterior  motives.  Why,  see!  Was  she  not  snifflnp, 
and  being  an  unattractive  o^  pusaibli-?  You  aru  wiilcomc  to  this 
view.  It  isn't  ours.  According  to  us,  tbe  cold  was  oppressive,  and 
she  Ml  quite  nurc  of  Mr.  Uenlh  when  it  hod  gone,  and  she  wasn't 
froing  to  exert  herself  to  be  pleasant  until  (so  to  speak)  it  ahould 
be  worth  putting  capital  into  the  vcnturr. 

"But  then  tbat  makc«  her  out  such  a  cold-blooded  character!"  we 
fancy  vr«  lu-iir  you  laying.  Doc*  it  f  And  suppose  it  does,  bow 
do  we  know  she  wasn*t) 

Anjrhow.  about  n  week  after  his  return — a  week  including  three 
sEltinga  of  Hegan — Charles  found  himself  on  his  way  to  Warren 
Street,  Camden  Town,  lie  chose  a  day  when  Regan  had  been  in 
abeyance,  so  tbat  no  question  of  a  perxonnlly  conducted  tour  should 
in.     It  isn't  called  Warren  Street,  now.  and  tliere  i-i  no  uw 

>ur  looJiing  for  it  under  that  name.  We  believe  it  is  called 
lanccy  Street;  if  so.  we  preft-r  thu  fornwr  nainc.  Charles  waa 
inat  a  little  dincomposcd  to  find  from  Miss  Strakcr  tbat  the  pleas- 
anteet  way  to  walk  was  to  cross  Rcgcnt-i  Park  to  Gloucester  Gate, 
and  then  go  past  the  York  &  Albany  and  turn  to  the  right.  When 
afae  gave  him  her  address  before,  he  did  not  associate  Camden 
Town  with  Regents  Park.  Subjectively,  that  Park  began  for 
bim  cilber  at  Hanuvvr  Gate,  or  some  point  in  the  Maryleljone  Road. 
If  you  went  througb  it,  you  came  out  at  Primrose  Uill,  '^toWi^.i, 
But  you  might  get  to  Hampiit^d,  or  IU|j,\ig&\e,  ot  ^RT4t\<^-^i&- 


I 


k 


218  ALICE-FOR-SHORT 

Tweod.    XoK  Chatlea's  ouly  active  mental  association  with  Camde 
Town  VM  n  street  colled  Owiohurfth  Stn-i-l.  thut  you  went  to 
Kiii^'s  Station,  and  came  away  from  as  won  as  you  possibl; 
coijld.    So  when  Regents  Psrk  came  into  court,  Chnrlc*  wisliod 
somewhere  «Iae.     He  drovi-  it  out  by  reflectiug  that  where  he  mw 
the  woman  was  do  neani^r  Camijm  Town  than — thnn  plaovs  gen«t-j 
nlly  urr. 

It  was  a  wild  and  punty  afternoon,  bred  of  promattire  niiiinoc 
tialu,  wh*'n  he  found  himself  kucickjng  iit  the  donr  of  ii  two-winH 
(lowed  bouse  opposite  to  a  tavern  in  a  garden  that  overhung  tt 
rnilrond.  which  nt  this  point  was  in  a  deep  trench,  brnccd  againit 
IiuidBiipa  by  iron  girders.    The  dwellers  near  by  live  ill  an  incettant 
roor  and  ru^h  of  pacing  trains,  luid  tis  Charles  nrrircd  a  tuimol-  h 
moulli  WHS  about  to  throw  up  a  train  ahortly;  but  bad  only-  MI'S 
far.  covered  the  tavern  aforesaid  with  smoke.     It  came,  in  a  lei- 
surely ftort  of  way,  na  hu  looked  out  of  the  flrat-floor  window, 
waiting  for  a  sloppy  servant-Riri  to  say  "Mr.  ileath*"  in  some  other 
part  of  tlic  Iioiisr,    He  lia<l  told  hia-  to  suy  il.  in  this  pbdhii^i^;  but_ 
by  mutual  consent  the  recitation  had  been  deferred.    He  was 
ecious  that  ibe  voice  of  iiias  Strakcr  awked  suspiciously  if  ho 
bocD  shown  into  the  drawing-room:  evidently  ho  had  had  a  nar 
escape  of  being  k-ft  waiting  '*in  the  hall."     He  could  not  hava' 
said  after  whether  he  heard  this,  or  whether  it  was  a  residing  of  the 
charncit-r  of  tlin  sloppy  servant  ihnt  i-iiforn«^l  it  as  a  coroHaiy. 
Ho  caiisht  more  clearly  a  French  remark;  "Tii  as  beau  mp  gronder, 
Jc  veux  le  porter.     Jc  nc  KtiiN  pns  encore  si  vteille";  and  Miaa 
Straker's  reply:  "Ah.  mon  Dieul    La  belle  chose  tiue  d'avoir  une 
mure  qui  Hluibillc  en  farfadct — iii  lutin !"    It  wum  odd  to  Gharlca  to 
bear  her  duent  French  after  his  judgments  of  her  for  affectation 
of  acquaintance  with  tlir  tniigunge.    Perhapa  some  of  her  defeeta 
cf  Kngli«ih  speech  were  due  to  her  early  up-bringing.     He  then  ^ 
heard   her  way   impatiently:    "Allons,  ma    mere.   Monsieur   uotit^| 
attend!"  and  her  mother:  "Descends — descends!    Tu  fais  toujours 
Ic   brouillamini.     Descender   uuxwi    Ic   c-nnichit";   and    then   Miu 
Straker  appeared,  preceded  by  a  poodle.    They  had  been  very  audi- 
ble on  an  upper  landing  ns  tlie  di>or  wun  widi-  open,  and  pi-rhapa 
had  been  leaa  careful  about  being  heard  as  foUca  ai«  when  the| 
apeak  their  own  tonguo  abroad. 

The  young  lutiy  was  eerlaiidy  looking  her  best,  and  Charks  was 
•orry.  He  wanted  to  feel  st-cnrc  in  hia  cntrcnclimeni*;  and  that 
P«BBy'*  appreheuaious,  which  he  saw  as  clearly  as  the  saw  through 
him,  sbojild  turn  out  groundless.  If  they  could  be  proved  to  liavo 
no  /oaadBtion  up  to  dale,  iiidepeudeut  impulses  in  the  futurt!. 


■;  but I 

0  ha4^H 
trrowjH 


•^ 


M 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


SI» 


qnlM  uiu»nnec(«d  with  (lie  prevbiia  pnifilc  and  eyelid,  might  n>- 
main  sn  opra  question.  Not  that  he  wanted  Miss  StralcoT  at  home 
to  provtt  ivimktTe.  She  wiut  mdeiinu^  tn  ii  <MM-tnin  nllowAnce  of 
com«tineC8 — but  it  was  to  be  cxaotlir  cDouKh  to  mak«  his  visit  pleM- 
ant,  without  making  him  feel  tihy  of  wbnl  lir  Hhould  hare  to  report 
to  Pemty.  who  was  alwars  headquarters  with  hiin. 

"Unmma  will  hn  down  dirootly."  Mid  HiM  Sirakcr,  and  Mhook 
bands  unpTofeseionally.  The  venue  was  ehantred,  and  she  was  no 
longer  cvirn  ii  biilf-fliilgis}  Ibtodfl,  but  n  youug  lody  unexplained. 
"Would  you  like  tea.  Mr.  Heath!  Shall  we  have  lea  now,  or  shall 
I  singt  1  tliiuk  I  xbnll  wing  brtlrr,  after  tm.  Whot  do  you 
think)  I  think  Tea."  And  aa  Charles  thought  Tea  too.  she 
pttlird  n  bell  wbieh  didn't  ring.  "WoiiUl  j-oo  bo  ao  kind  as  to  pull 
that  other  one,  Mr.  Heath  t  Sometimes  this  one  doesn't  ring." 
Cbarks  did  so,  and  felt  an  inch  further  insido  the  family  circle. 
He  bad  pulled  one  bell  on  one  side  of  the  hearth — she  had  pulled 
the  oppoeite  one.  All  thrM  littlo  thing*  have  an  effect  on  life,  for 
better  or  worse. 

"Ilere  i«  Mr.  Il^nth,  Matuma,  in  here,"  she  continued,  frying 
to  the  door;  and  t'liurlcs  tlsiTcon  thought  he  caught  llir  word« 
"Toujours  gouvernante — je  n'en  ai  pas  besoinl"  in  a  miffy  undei^ 
tone  from  the  old  lady.  IT<t  daughter  may  have  govemriwed  her, 
but  there  was  no  doubt  about  her  appearance — it  was  distinctly 
goblin-Hko.  Charlr*.  dvitcribing  her  aft<Twnnl«  to  Peggy,  could 
only  testify  to  brilliant  parti-coloured  ribbons,  like  flames  that 
appeared  to  radiate  in  every  direction  from  a  little  old  (or  oldith) 
woman  who  might  have  been  good-looking  onoe,  but  not  on  ber 
datightcr'*  lines.  If  she  had  been  good-looking,  it  would  hare 
been  piquancy,  iiuite  free  from  anything  the  least  serpentine. 

"I  am  Tcry  plir.-ln-nee.  Ynu-Misterrr-Enee."  Thi-  good  lady 
•peaks  Eugli^i  right  enough,  with  only  an  occasional  Frencb 
phraw,  but  cuts  her  sontenoce  into  segments,  independently  of 
their  RM-aoing,  uwiialiy  ending  eacb  segment  in  the  middle  of  a 
word,  and  with  an  ovcrpowerins  French  accent:  "If  I  wa*«  at- 
Ubcnv.  Tee  to  sunk  you  a^  I  shoode  laigue.  You  woode  not  find 
toe  tni7ni(*.  But  I  am  iinderTO  the  »«m  of  my  dniigh.  Tcrrr  and 
dM  will  not  nil.  Ow  me  to  iipik."  This  is  the  ueurti^t  we  can  man* 
age  to  Urs.  Straker's  English,  phonetically.  She  ended  in  French 
for  the  lieiiefit  of  Ikt  daughlirrnr.  "En  eftel.  Madcinoist-lle  me 
tieut  toujotirs  en  frein";  and  her  daughter,  who  was  niakinff  the 
tea.  Mid  pan-nthetically,  "You  muntn't  mind  Unmma.  Mr.  Heath." 

The  bystander  of  a  family  tiS  never  knows  wlutt  to  say.  and 
perbapa  is  safest  eaying  nothintt'     Bui  u  C\wa\e*  Wi.  Wi^-i 


I 
I 


220 


ALICE-FOB-SnORT 


opene<I  bU  month  in  the  house  Ix^fore  the  battli',  he  folt  he  rc« 
must  speak  at  the  armisl-ice,  not  to  appear  taciturn.  "I'm  aura 
Uisi  Stroker  buUic.-:)  ynii  awfully.  MxliiirK.',"  he  snitl.  cliKling  the 
question  of  the  latitude.  "Dut  I  mustn't  quarrel  with  her  abou 
it,  am)  upset  the  nppK-eiirt,  or  ehi-'ll  throw  me  ovnr  ntid  I  shan't 
be  able  to  set  my  head  done."  But  though  Madame  speaka  fair  Kog- 
Ititb,  subject  to  ameiiiimeiita,  dlie  does  not  know  all  its  slang  and 
colloquialisms. 

"Throw  you  ovare?  Comment!  Ovan'.  when*!"  And  Hade- 
moieello  (ucplains:  "llonsieur  a  peur  qu'il  soil  bouIevers4  au  milieu 
de  son  Iravnil — <iu?  jc  lui  manque  si  nous  nous  d^sncuordons."  This 
is  accompanied  by  a  shaking-off  action  of  the  hand  not  eniployed 
ti'u-mnkiiig,  to  ilhistrnt'--.  It  is  a  very  pretty  white  hand — ther«  ia 
no  doubt  of  that! 

"Mn  foi.  noni  But  now  I  umlerr.  Stant  what  you  m«aa. 
'Throw  you  ovare' — it  is  slanck — arjrol." 

"That's  it!  We're  n  elangj  lot^ — we  English.  Americans  ai 
worse.  I  don't  think  you're  much  to  tjoast  of.  nowadays,  in  Paris." 
But  it  is  almost  as  difficult  to  speak  limited  English  that  a  fot> 
eigner  will  be  sure  to  understand,  as  to  s\ieak  another  language. 
The  goblin  in  puzzled,  and  her  daughter  has  to  interpret. 

"Monaieur  dit— que  nous  autres,  nous  sommes  aussi  argotcu: 
comme  les  Anglais— commo  Ics  Am^ricaina." 

"Ainfli  ilisait  toujoure  ton  p6re — te  Dietionnaire  was  gone  to 
Reville.     Mon   mari.   Monsieur,  my  oi-band."     Charles  felt  that 
iuterpri'iplion.  curried  lliis  lenRth,  reflected  on  his  education,  and 
began  trying  his  own  hand  at  French,  rashly  perhaps. 

"Je  ptiis  purler  tin  pi!u  Fruncuis,  mais  je  n'ose  paa,  paroeq 
j'ai  toujours  peur  d'user  les " 

"Mais  oui — mais  tmi — continue! !     Tout  va  bien — Monsieur  n 
pas  du  s'arr^ter."    But  Charles  has  to  go  helplessly  to  the  daughter 
to  be  rescued.    He  laughed  at  himself. 

"There  now,  you  see,  I  wanted  to  say  that  1  waa  alwaya  afraid  of 
using  ihn  wrong  words — what's  the  French  for  the  wrong  words' (**■) 
Neither  mother  nor  daughter  are  very  prompt  to  reply.  One  a»y9' 
"piirlcr  iiioxnctcment,"  the  other,  "parler  il  trnvers.*' 

"Yes,  but  what's  ihe  esaet  French  for  'the  wtnug  words'!  Thafs 
what  1  want  to  know!" 

*'Peut-«tre  les  mots  inexacts — les  mots  mal-ehoisis," 

"Then  when  I  got  the  wpong  umbrella  in  I'aris  and  wanted 
tell  tliG  man  at  the  Hotel  it  was  iho  wrong  umbrella,  ought  I  to 
hare  said  lo  parapluie  inexact,  or  mal-choisi?" 

"Won't  you  have  another  cup  of  teat  You'vt  had  twot — yes,  but 


lat 

i 

"I 


M 


ALICE -FOBSnOfiT 


W 


IT*  snotlKir.     Not     Very  well,   then.     'Saw  well  hove  inuaic. 

''ould  70U  be  M  kiiid  as  to  close  that  window,  Ur.  lioatlii  You're 
learast  to  it,"    Charlc*  did  ss  miiiOKtnd. 

"Hope  you  haven't  been  feeling  cold?"  be  said. 

"Oh  not  It  isn't  that.  It's  boeauKo  it  sound*  •»  in  the  utroct, 
and  the  people  atop.  What  aort  of  music  do  you  like  best,  Mr. 
Healht    Gounod's  Bcrcciiscl    WilUbat  doi" 

"Cerlainly,  but  unythtn^  you  like        " 

"Gluckr 

••By  all  meapfl!    Whatever  you  yourflelf  prefer." 

"I  don'l  care.  One  song's  the  Bamc  ns  another.  Perhaps  T  sing 
tbJB  beet.  I'm  sorry  our  room's  so  emull.  Mr.  Heath.  Never  luiiid 
taminff  over.    I  can  do  thnt.    You'll  hear  best  in  .vour  old  place." 

The  MiiiR  was  the  Gounod  she  had  nieutioui.-d.  It  was  a  song 
Charles  had  never  cjired  for;  it  wasn't  in  his  line,  lie  would  have 
preferred  aome  Gluek.  But  the  voice!  It  was  simply  btiwildering — 
that  ia  to  say,  bewilderiDfc  as  coming  from  a  young  persou  lo  all 
•cnmtng  m>  itnmusicsl.  For  Charles  had  decided  in  hiH  mind  thnt 
abn  waa  an  altogellier  iinmti.iiejil  character.  Probably  ahe  was. 
Sut  her  voice  was  superb,  for  all  that. 

She  followf^l  <in  with  a  Htornrllo  of  Oordigiaiii  and  then  "Pur 
Dicesti,''  and  others;  but  seemJttK  quite  indifferent  to  which  she 
•ang,  or  what  aort  of  mu^ic.  It  wa-i  apparently  only  necessary 
that  it  should  be  a  tax  on  any  ordinary  singor'a  high  notes.  She 
acnncd  pi^ectly  bnppy  at  the  top  of  the  human  gamut,  singing 
with  a  piano  tuned  up  lo  concert  pilch.  Charles  sat  on.  sat  on. 
listening  to  one  song  after  another.  The  dnsk  of  the  evening 
lirew,  and  the  gobliu  went  to  slee;>  in  an  armchair,  and  woke  with 
staria  at  eno re-crises,  and  said  ma  foi,  ahe  had  l>een  presque 
lie  I  But  Charles  still  sat  on,  and  another  song  came.  At 
Uiss  Stralcer  said  we  should  have  to  have  lights,  and  she  was 

■rry,  because  it  was  much  nicer  without.  After  balf-a-doien  songs 
■«t  IcuHt,  ihi-rp  could  be  no  immediate  hurry  for  more,  if  only  from 
mercy  to  tbe  singer.  Also  acouatie  advantages  of  distance  from 
the  munic  ceased  and  determined.  To  remain  at  Ibu  other  end 
of  the  room  would  surelj-  api>ear  aeodleaalj  stiff  and  ceremonioua — 
fur  tlu-  goblin'it  protest*  at  intervals  covered  all  reawnablo  claims 
of  chaperonage.  Charles  orosaed  over  to  the  piano,  and  eat  beside 
it  in  the  half-dark.  He  wan  a  little  intoxicat«l  with  the  music. 
But  he  was  conscious  of  a  wish  to  retain  formality  of  relations, 
piaviaioDally  nt  any  rate.  lie  eniild  make  any  cunceissions  at  any 
time;  but.  if  he  committed  himself  by  a  word,  ha  could  not  with 
lu>  idaaa  of  huuour  retract  on«  letter  of  it. 


933 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


"I  cannot  understand,"  be  eaid.  'Svbat  you  told  me  about  ihai 
voitt:  br<-iiking  down.  Ton  hare  niing  to  mc  for  quite  an  hour  andif 
a  haJf,  and  there  secma  no  auco  of  fatigue." 

"None  whnti'vi^r!  But  it  might  brrnk  ()<iwn  now  at  this  moment; 
anything  the  least  upsetting — a  person  I  did  not  like  coming  inta 
tb<?  ro»ni — might  do  it." 

"But  how  does  it  break  downT' 

"Simply  stops " 

"Would  you  be  afraid  of  taking  an  evening  engaet>ment — to  sinff, 
at  u  piirty  i" 

"Not  a  bill  Only  the  people  mijiht  be  dleappoiuled.  I  should 
be  ob1ig»l  to  tfll.  Kone  of  tJif  aspnti*  will  rccominciid  mo  bocaueo 
of  it.  1  broke  down  at  a  swell  parl.v  at  Lord  Bulintr's.  and  it  was 
my  ln»l  chnnw-  with  th<^  agent?.    It  had  hnpppned  before," 

"And  you  could  go  on  singing  now,  nud  liuvi;  no  fear  of  a  break- 
down  r" 

"Singing  to  you — none  whatever."  The  aoMnt  on  you  waa  rety 
idight.  It  might  have  mrant  anything  from  "you  alone,  whom  of 
all  other  I  would  soonest  Hiiip  to."  to  "you  when  you  are  tlie  i>nly 
ptTson  in  the  room,  and  not  6\ieh  an  important  one  neither."  Per- 
hh^  Cbnrlctt  ought  to  huvo  bud  u  greater  alacrity  towardii  the  latter 
interpretation.  He  did  not  catch  at  it.  After  all,  he  was  not  euob 
a  sttiio  that  wntimeutul  oonfidcncf-K  with  n  hi^d  of  very  beautiful 
hair  al  least,  two  side  faces  that  taken  apart  were  certainly  rery 
int<'rOHting,  and  a  hand  that  ginnmcd  white  in  tlic  dunk  on  th<-  key- 
board, should  have  no  chamis  for  him.  Charles  was  young,  and 
male,  and  diingi-rously  incxiK-rieuccfl  fur  bis  iige  in  the  riingo  of  bia 
own  susceptibilities.  He  fondly  imagined  thai  a  limited  study  of 
Peggy  nud  bc-r  friends  had  given  him  m>  iiisiglil  into  wumunkind. 
As  if  they  bad  ever — oven  Peggj-  herself — told  him  tlic  whole  truth 
■bout  anytbingi  And  if  he  had  been  told  nuw,  tbal  this  girl  was 
saying  to  herself,  "I  have  only  to  watt  quietly,  and  this  younc 
man  will  jump  down  my  throat  of  his  own  aoeord."  Iw  woidtl  hav« 
repudiated  the  suggestion  indignantly.  Hind  you,  we  ore  not  say- 
ing any  Much  thing  was  true;  end  we  have  no  mi-icis  ai  fulhumiiig 
Miss  Strakers  thoughts  as  she  sits  sketching  a  slow  tunc  with  her 
lingi;r  fipH  on  tin-  silent  piano,  with  Charles — well!  u  little  furtlier 
off  would  have  been  safer — thinking  to  himself  that  we  could  do 
without  the  lights  a  bit  longer.  We  ace  only  Haying  if  Charlea 
had  been  told  this  he  would  have  mapped  tho  teller's  bead  off; 
while  we  should  have  said.  "May  be  ao — may  be  noil" 

"•Surely  the  model  business  must  be  very  distasteful  to  you  I" 

"Honey  has  to  be  earned,  Mr.  Heath.    Of  course  when  Mamma 


4 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


233 


and  I  c«m(^  to  London  wo  thought  the  singing  ms  going  to  b?  s 
great  Bucceao.  Pcwnntiiio  wiis  tto  bopefiiL  You  luu^t  not  tliink  it 
was  pnt  aside  too  easily.  Wo  made  many  trials  before  wp  gave  up. 
But  of  cskiii-ito  <in<!  <!un(K>t  Uke  aittiijig  to  artiats.  No  iromaa  could. 
Oh  d«ar!    What  am  I  sfiyingr' 

"Why  not?     I  nuitc  ondfM^tfliid." 

"I  was  sot  ihinkinK  of  you  when  I  said  artists.  I  am  glad  to 
*it  for  you,  Mr.  Ilwilh,"  Surely  tlwrii  was  no  noed  to  qualify  tJii«. 
"At  least — I  mean — Wei! !  I  only  mean — artists  are  not  all  alike. 
TIndn't  wr  brttrr  hnvr  th(?  Inmp  ?    Just  listen  to  Uamma  t" 

"I  like  sitliHjic  in  tlw  hrilf-dnrk." 

"So  do  I.  Hut  shp  won't  f\eep  at  niglit.  if  ^e  goes  on  like 
that,"  And  tin-  ponversnlion  ran  on,  or  snimti-n-i!  iin,  like  thi» — 
Charles  eouldn't  hare  said  hon  long — till  a  clock  struck  and  be 
jiimpt'd  up  »nddcnly  saying  hv  must  be  gone,  it,  being  wrvi-n  o'clock, 
by  Jove,  and  ho  had  no  idea  I 

"Mamnn,  rvcillp-toi!  Monsieur  E'en  va — 11  vent  to  foiro  w» 
ndicnx."  But  tlw-  goblin  denied  having  bocn  aalrep.  and  Olinrl^s 
took  his  ieave,  saying  that  ho  should  certainly  try  nbat  be  could 
do  in  the  way  of  cvvning  (.■itgagcmcnts  fur  Mias  Slrakcr. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


HOW  CBABLEa  WEST  TO  BEUnUH,  ANH  CaME  BACK.     HOW  UtS3  BTKAB 
SiNO  TILL  ELEVEN  o'CLOCK.     ALICE's  sPECI«EN.     PaoPllKTIO  POLLTj 
UOW  CHARLES  COULD  LOOK  UI8  SISTER  STRAIOUT  IN  THE  FACE  ABOUT' 
tllSS   8TRAKER 

Whrx  Charles  next  bow  bis  sister  tbe  equinox  was  past,  and  tb^l 
irsles  that  hnd  hem  in  such  a  h\irry  to  Kct  to  work  thut  iifii^raoon 
of  liisi  visit  to  BJiHs  Straker  had  eome  to  an  t-nd  reluctantly  aft«r 
a  busy  life  cxpct-dinfr  terra-time.    Thpy  hnd  Kalisfied  thMns<-lvi^s  tliatnl 
front  WM  nt  bund;  that  fog  would  be  forUieoming;  tbai  every  day"" 
would  be  shorter  and  chillier  than  its  predecessor;  and  that  tbo 
metropolis  would  he  miserable  eiioiigb  nnw  without  having  ehimney- 
stncks  blowii  <iowii  and  jietticoats  blown  up  nnd  umbrellas  blown 
inside  out.     The  early  riser,  rubbing  the  windnw-pane  dear  for 
belter  vision,  could  see  the  hoar-frost  glitter  in  tin?  cnrl.v  MinlighL 
He  eould  then,  by  waiting  a  little,  sei'  llie  suioke  of  the  earl; 
kitchen  fires  pn  slrninht  tip  nnd  spread  itself  nround,  and  thicken 
and  thicken  and  thicien  until  it  was  an  early  fog.  and  its  nature 
and  origin  could  be  analysed  and  investigated  and  made  a  Blue- 
Book  of,  and  its  conw'Ction  with  the  kitchen  fire  denied.    And  no 
doubt  tbe  eiiuinox  knew  this  quite  well,  and  felt  thnt  London  w*^;, 
provided  for,  and  went  off  on  onotlicr  job. 

Chnrles  had  not,  U-m  in  Tendon  the  whole  time.    He  had  spent  i 
week  in   Belgium,  going  in  the  boat  from  Antwerp  to  'Lav 
Bridge.     It  made  him  think  of  Mrs.  Gomp  and  the  Ankworks 
Package,    It  was  a  mill-poud  sea.  huving  a  rest  after  ft<*nt  exer- 
tions, nnd  if  it  had  not  been  foggy  the  voyage  would  have  been 
pleasant.     As  it  was.  Charles  (ell  it  would  have  been  edifying  to 
have  Mrs.  Gamp  on  board,  and  hear  her  opinions  on  the  subject  of 
tbe  steam- whistle.     He  was   very  gind   when  they  got   into 
Scheldt,  and  still  gladder  when  he  had  found  his  way  to  b  He 
und  was  having  eoff™  out  of  ihi-  thiekest  of  all  possible  cups,  ai 
listening  to  a  carillon  playing  "Voici  Ic  sabre,  lo  aabn-.  le  snbre.'_ 
There  ie  no  pWsanler  sensation  in  the  world  than  feeling  yoo 
have  really  got  abroad,  after  being  in  EngUtnd.     And  tlwt  coSe9_ 
i*  the  thing  that  drives  it  home  to  fou. 


n  va«^ 

^entifl 
andodfl 


AtlCE-FOR-SHORT 


99S 


Oliarle*  wandcrml  about  Antwerp,  twnacioua  of  defective  ctilti- 
ration.  lie  felt  that  his  orgnn  of  Kutx-ns  ought  to  h&vp  been 
inoK  <iCTploiM.i!  before  be  came  ihere.  He  was  very  gla<i  Pegrgy 
vsen't  with  him  in  connection  with  the  anatomicnl  dcmoneirB- 
tiou  picture  in  llie  Oallery,  But  he  can't  really  hare  cared  very 
much  nbotit  Art,  for  he  got  bored,  and  went  by  boat  to  T«iD»chi«~ 
and  iMick.  And  next  morning  be  went  to  Audenarde,  and  the  oarilifl 
]oD  «id  it  was  la  fillc  de  Uadame  Angot  And  then  he  went  on  to 
Brufres.  and  found  that  St.  Ureuia  oonldn'l  be  seen  for  another 
week,  becnuge  of  some  Teitrrungement  of  the  Gallery.  So  he  saw 
what  he  eoulil  and  wi-ut  on  to  Cbt-nt.  Ht-  really  went  much  too  faat 
to  «oc  anything.  Trnvetlers  by  themaclvea  are  very  apt  to  do  tbia;. 
Howevi-r,  he  was  auiu^d,  rueliiu^  about. 

Ue  sppnt  an  hour  or  two  nt  Bevcrnl  olhnr  Flemish  toxmx,  and  thwM 
went  back  lo  Antwerp,  wbert-  be  found  a  ateainboat  just  start-^ 
iog  for  Rotterdam,  and  thought  ho  should  like  to  *ix>  tlolland.  H« 
had  still  a  day  of  his  return  ticket  left.  But  aliia!  before  be  had 
got  lialf-way  he  found  the  nnxt  boat  back  would  bo  too  late  for 
the  London  pa<'ket.  So  be  hnd  to  gel  out  nt  Dordrocht  to  oaleh 
the  boat  that  had  already  started  from  Kotterdam.  Ho  spent  two 
boun  in  Holtitnd.  walking;  about  nt  Dordrecht.  He  caught  tlie 
London  boat  iboutth,  and  reappear^  at  London  Bridge  just  eight 
day*  oftLT  liir  nturtcii. 

You  ibink  that  all  thin  hns  nothing  to  do  with  our  story  t  Te&— 
it  hai*.  For  it  »hows  that  whutl^'l^r  impression  Mi&i  Straknr  had 
produced  on  the  susceptible  young  man  bad  had  ample  opportuni- 
ties for  vanishing,  in  all  rcutum.  .Tusl  tbiuki  Eight  whole  days, 
Bpent  in  about  that  number  of  picturesque  old  towns,  Wo  are  siiro 
that,  when  we  wrTi-  twi-nty-four,  no  young  lady  would  havn  la.-iti-d 
throuKh  that-  Hriworer.  we  don't  bclicre  that  this  one  realty  did. 
It  wiw  iin  unfortunate  curioaity — akin  to  whtil  he  who  fimily 
abatains  from  a  novelty  in  nectar  feels  as  to  what  it  would  have 
taxtvd  like  had  lie  drunk  it — that  made  Charles  discover,  on  hiB 
return  to  his  Studio,  that  it  was  absolutely  essenlial  that  Miss 
Rtraki^r  should  come  next  day,  before  his  impreeaions  of  Flemish 
work  had  faded;  othorwiw  Uegan  might  suffer.  He  couldn't  get  a 
Irtter  to  her  itt  timi;  fur  im  nnMwer.  nnd  it  would  be  just  as  easy 
as  not  for  him  to  call  round  at  Wsrreu  Street  in  the  course  of 
the  <Trening  to  securv  hn.  In  thciac  days  there  were  no  sixpenny 
telegrams,  reply  paid. 

So  he  must  Dii-d»  luvi-  a  ride  in  a  lianBom  to  what  lie  lum«elf  ana* 
pected  of  being  a  danger  ahead,  merely  be-cause  he  had  nowhere  in 
particular  to  go  to — for  bia  family  were  nox  4m«  «v  M^jAa  "?*.■**- 


A 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT  ^ 


Garden*  till  next  daj,  and  even  hia  father  had  been  swer  the 
fortuigbt  at  Shellacombc.  If  be  had  only  b(y.-ii  content  to  bide  for 
a  talk  with  bis  »^(?r,  thintre  might  have  taken  a  different  coane. 
Mind  you!  If  Cbnrti-«i  bud  liccrn  irresistibly  attrnct<^  to  thi*  girl, 
ve  should  not  bare  bad  a  word  of  blame  for  htm.  Bui  be  was  aoy- 
ing  to  liimMrlf  nil  tlir  whib-  ibiit  be  wiis  perfectly  det^ichcd  and 
independent.  The  only  evidence  that  he  bad  to  the  contrary  was 
tbat  hr  oiiid  it  3:0  nfu-n. 

He  went  to  Warren  Street  and  soothed  his  conscieiife  by  keeping 
the  hansom  waiting  half-An-bonr,  «k  ibousb  forsitotb  be  meant  to 
go  soon.  Then  he  settled  down  to  stay  on.  and  disuii^s<?d  it.  Utsa 
^tKker  was  as  good  ax  bcr  description  of  her  own  pciwcn  wbca 
tbi^rc  was  no  one  abe  disliked  in  the  room;  for  she  sang  to  Charles 
and  the  goblin  and  the  poodio  till  pa«t  eleven  o'clock.  Poesibty 
it  is  only  lllx;aus(^  wc  are  ixi  fond  of  puur  Charles  tliat  it  seems 
to  us  to  have  been  somewhat  ead — it  certainly  was  neither  bad, 
nor  perhnps  even  mad — but  it  ivae  at  least  sweet  enough  to  makii 
him  feel,  as  be  let  Ihliss  Straker'e  very  vhiie  band  leave  his.  at 
tbe  street  door,  that  ho  whn  rtmning  away  from  bim.wlf  ss  wd. 
an  from  her,  and  tbat  lie  bad  (ibia  lime)  got  away  safely  fro: 
both. 

We  hope  wc  arc  not  doing  tliis  girl,  witb  her  beautiful  rippling 
hair  and  superb  voice,  and  slight  obliquity  of  visage,  a  great  injus- 
tice But  the  transilion  to  tlie  family  party  at  Hyde  Park  Gar- 
dens Bomeliow  aeema  to  remove  us  from  a  doubtful  atmi 
phere  to  a  healthy  one-  Tbc  comer*  home  had  brought  tlio  fr«>ih 
nesa  of  tbe  sea  with  them,  and  Charles  had  a  fe«liwK  difficult 
to  describe  in  drawing  eompari^ns  with  his  previous  evening. 
It  was  tbe  firat  time  be  bad  lived  in  two  worbls  apart,  and  tbongh 
be  bad  no  sort  of  repugnance  to  tbe  two  worlds  merging,  be  had  • 
haunting  sense  of  its  iinpractieabilily.  Suppoaiug  Mi^  Straker^ 
(and  as  be  carried  the  senrence  no  farther  in  bis  mind,  wby  should 
we) — bow  aboHt  Peggy  t  Oh  dear,  wby  did  ihcy  sci-m  bo  anti- 
podean) 

Charles,  while  denying  Mi«s  Strakrr  overtly,  had  in  some  dvptb 
of  bis  inner  conaciousneas  a  speculalioa  going  on  about  the  recep- 
tion of  a  young  lady  exactly  resembling  her  into  «  family  exactly 
n'jjembling  biii.  In  this  aubliuiiual  drama  the  parallel  of  Pfggy 
went  to  call  on  tbe  parallel  of  Mies  Straker,  and  found  it  good- 
found  it  in  fact  fiilfiUiug  all  aorta  of  self-denying  functions,  and 
an  example  of  heroism  in  respect  of  ita  adoption  of  tbe  trade  of 
Model.  All  tbe  revelation  (tf  cbaract^r  went  in  the  direction  of 
sound  moral  <]ualitiea,  tending  to  ju&tify  the  parallel  of  himeelf,  to 


^^ 

ing 

us--^ 
ar>^| 
oanH 


ALICEFOR-SHORT 


m 


afaov  its  judirnmit.  siid  to  exonerate  it  from  too  unconf^itional 
«iirm»rlrT  to  mpm  iM-oiity — (in  whioli.  bl>w^^v(■^,  P<'ggy'9  dniililc  UM 
tnoie  Btnsi  than  his  did;  in  fact  the  latter  epoke  of  Miss  Strakar's 
to  tho  former  an  wquinting,  nnd  got  indignantt;  ftxtingiiished.  Rill 
father's  |>arallel  kept  curiously  iiuiet,  but  his  mother's  was  actire 
on  the  ncorc  of  Fiunily:  wo*,  howuvcr,  just  cm  thr  point  of  siirrcn- 
deriug  to  llie  warm  advocacy  of  Pefrtcy's.  when  the  original  of 
Chsrle*  found  hn  fa&d  nrHvi'<l  at  (Tycl<!  Park  Gardi-nn  in  tht^  nick 
e£  tile  departure  of  unloaded  vehicles  and  the  middle  of  a  Chaoa  of 
WM-blown,  Kun-tannud  arrivuU,  kiaoiufc  liim  when  femalo  and  aikingi 
queatiom : — 

"I  am  gnins,''  thun  tht;  voii-e  cif  Alice.  pl(uir  abort-  Ihi^  turmoil; 
"I  am  leoinK  to  show  Mr.  Charley  the  thpelhimen  I've  collected — I 
colhrcrted  it  tiiidiT  a  great  h>g  otone — ever  so  big !  Oh,  it  wan  auch  ■ 
hig  stone.  And  .it  kicked,  the  thp<>thimeii  did,  awflr — but  I  held 
on  tight,  nnd  Dan  he  took  it  and  oli-aniil  it  out,  nnd  it  trnulfln't 
die  for  fver  so  long.  Such  a  beautiful  thpethlmenl  And  oh,  it 
does  smetl  no  nice" 

"To  be  sure.  Alice-for-sbort  dear.  I  must  »eo  that  upedmcR.  It 
sounds  a  beautiful  sitecimen." 

"But  tlio  born  BTe  itoing  hack  to  tbi-hool."  saya  Alicfl.  ruefulljv 
She  sto's  it  n'tlh  confidence  in  its  relevance  to  a  sympathetic  mind, 
She  and  Chnrlcji  nnd  Pi^gy  get  out  of  the  mainsln^um  of  truiika 
and  arrivals  into  s  batJcwater  in  the  parlour,  where  the  parrot 
liTM.  Thr  4-xcitcmi'nt  witliout  is  taking  form  in  Polly  in  n  surt 
of  whtrlwind-daucc,  upside  down,  round  the  top  of  his  ca| 
with  a  curt,  dry  remark,  at  intcrvBls — "Better  keep  that  dooi 
•huL" 

"Alice  is  to  no  to  school,  tool  We've  settled  it  all,"  says  Pefwy- 
"But  you.  dfiir  boy.  you  do  look  eo  townified.  Whj-  wouldn't  you 
come  for  longer  to  the  sea  1" 

"Tvf.  been  all  Oria-  tlie  Low  Countries,  harriii^  Flolluiid — 
couldn't  get  there  in  time.  Pvo  had  plenty  of  change.  I  only  got 
home  two  dnyd  ago,  so  I  don't  see  how  I  cun  look  towitified." 

'^'ve  such  a  lot  of  thing*  to  talk  about  that  t  don't  know  which 
to  betrin  with " 

"PleHSie.  Miss  Peggy,  may  Polly  come  out.  jnrt  this  oncp — jus 
only  thi»  once  He'll  promisi-  me  to  be  good — won't  you.  Polly  1 
But  he  declines  to  commit  himself — may  even  have  conncicntious 
missiiissa  how  far  it  ia  safe  to  do  so,  fur  he  aaya  in  a  very 
aaecadi  manner  indeed:  "The  bird  makes  such  a  row  ytm  can't 
hear  yonrwlf  iipi'uk." 

"Nonacuoe,  diick!    The  idea  of  having  PoWy  omV  uq"*.  \o.  ^■■wA 


SS8  ALIOE-FOB-SRORT 

I  think  he  hnd  better  be  covrrad  »p.^     Pcrhapa  he  hadt  for 

has  begun  calling  fdr  ihe  Police,  at  the  top  of  his  lungt. 

"Bui  I  shall  sliow  you  my  thpcthimen,  Polly,  when  you  do  come 
out,"  says  Alice,  as  conaolation.  auii  Polly  falls  iuto  an  undertonQ 
about  something  that  amuses  him  very  much. 

"I   really  have,  tliough,  Charley  dear,  heaps  of  tliinga  to  talk 
about.    Only  first  1  want  to  know  about  the  younff  lady  thai  si 
Miss  Slraher." 

Charles  wtis  a  little  disconcerted  by  the  suddenness  of  lliss 
Straker'a  appcnrsnce  into  ibe  conversation,  having  iiuite  forgotten 
that  in  hia  lust  letter  to  Peggy  he  had  said:  "I  heard  Miss  StntkcT 
eing  last  nighl— her  voice  is  wonderful." 

"Who  JB  Miss  Struker!    Wliere  did  you  hear  her)" 

"Didn't  I  tell  you  about  her?    At  Sheilacomber 

"Nol    That  was  Miss  Thiselton.    Bh-ss  tJio  boy!    He's  got  sui 
a  lot  of  young  ladies  he  doesn't  know  which  is  which  1'' 

"It's  the  same  young  lady.     She  eat  for  me  as  Miss  Thiselti 
But  her  real  name  is  Straker," 

"Oh— Charley  dear!" 

"What.  PoggyWoggy )" 

"Is  it  the  same  girl  that  went  away  down  the  slxeetr* 

"Why  shouldn't  it  he!" 

"I  didn't  any  it  shouldn't.    I  only  asked  if  it  was," 

"Of  fourae  it  wasl" 

"Well  thcnl  Why  need  we  be  so  toiich,vt  But  you're  a  dear  old 
boy.  Now  I  must  run  or  1  shan't  be  ready  for  dinner.  Come 
*)ong,  Alice  Where's  Partridge,  I  wonder."  And  Peggy  depart* 
upstairs  in  the  wake  of  the  family,  with  Alice  attached. 

Charles  was  ready  for  <linner.  So  lie  went  up&tairs  to  the  draw- 
ing-rooro-  But  first  he  uncovered  Polly,  who  said  thereon  without 
emotion,  "Straker.''  He  reiieated  it  three  times  with  perfect  dta- 
titictncsa.  and  then  broke  into  a  genial  laugh.  Charles  covered  him 
up  a^ain.  He  felt  that  U>a  grent  a  prominence  might  be  given  to 
iht  mime  It  Poil>'  shouted  it  all  the  evening  in  the  bearing  of  tha< 
bonsehold. 

*'And  now,  Cliarley  darling,  do  tell  mc  more  about  Miss  StrakeT." 
This  is  in  oonveraation  after  dinner  in  tho  bnck  drawl] 
Xlie  rest  of  the  family  are  playing  games  in  the  front. 

"Why  tlid  you  say.  "Ob.  Charley  dear,'  do<wii*tairii  about  her 
Peggy  is  far  too  truthful  to  stand  on  bet  indisputable  rtgbl  to  ssy, 
"Oh,  Charley  dear,"  and  mean  nothing  at  aU.    Bc«idv«,  intonation 
is  worse  than  eyllablea. 


4 


IL4UU   I 


ALICE-F0R-8H0ET 


t*9 


•^ell!  I  did  hopo  she  iras  allogclhpr  n  new  one  Of  floone  I 
know  nothing  whatever  agaiuet  Uias  ThiAettuu,  or  Stnlnr.  Only> 
if  it  luul  boeii  a  aew  one,  she  might  not  have  been " 

"Whatr 

"Why,  of  course  you  know  what  I  mean — n. Model  and  (hat  sort 
of  thing," 

"I  don't  believe  she  ie  that  Gort  of  thing.  But  no  doubt  she  is  a 
Hod«l  ID  a  sense.  She  sat  for  Mr.  Calthorpe,  who  I  ln^lieve  knew 
h«r  fiiat  aa  ■  musician — he's  n  good  deal  that  way — and  he  passed 
hef  on  to  me."  Charles  went  oo  and  gave  a  cireumstniitial  account 
of  hi*  ai-qiiaintnnce  with  the  young  woman,  Etnting  fnct«  but  Hoften- 
init  Bspeeta.  He  said  nothiug  about  the  Park  inciUt-ul:  after  all, 
bin  haring  half-mistnken  some  one  else  for  Miss  Rtraker  wasn't 
eridence.  He  could  not  have  told  it  either,  without  deeming  to 
have  been  threes-fourth*  miHtnken  at  least, 

'^ut  what  I  can't  see."  said  he.  when  lie  had  made  a  clean  breast 
of  it,  ■'is  why  I  shouldn't  get  her  a  ]Einging  job — even  if  she  w<u 
that  sort  of  thing  (in  reason  and  moderalion  of  eour»e).  If  it's 
bad  for  girls  to  sit  for  artist*,  surely  it's  bett*?r.  when  one  can,  to 
get  ihem  something  elst'  to  do.  Aud  this  girl's  voice  is — I  really 
can't  tell  you  what  it  is!  It's  the  most  singular  case.  I  should 
like  to  know  what  Paracelsus  will  think  almut  it." 

"IIclI  be  here  directly,"  said  Peggy,  with  confidence,  "Ilis  note 
only  «aid  ho  wouldn't  be  hero  to  dinner.  Vi-s.  I  should  like  to  hear 
her  voice."    But  she  looked  very  thoughtful  over  it  too. 

Peggy's  coufideuee  in  the  early  apiiearance  of  Dr.  Johnson  was 
wrll-gronndcd.  She  went  out  to  moot  his  footstep  on  the  stairs, 
and  Cliarles  remained.  fecHug  diBcreel,  She  returned  in  due  course 
— which  meant  quite  four  minutes  in  this  casr — bringing  with  her 
a  very  medical  attendiiut.  The  yachtsman  or  .ourlat  had  vanished, 
and  his  tlt^rees  had  reasserted  iheroeclvcs.  Wliethcr  Hupert.  was 
himself  again  now,  or  had  been  himself  then,  who  shall  say! 

There  wan  evidently  room  for  a  good  ilenl  of  conwrxntion  about 
Shellaeombe — but  it  came  to  an  end.  Then  Peggy  seieed  an  oppor- 
tunity and  *ftid:  "Kow  let's  ask  about  the  voice.  You  tell  him 
about  it.  Charley."  And  Charles,  rather  glad  to  have  Miss  Straker 
brodclusl  on  ti-chuiciil  grounds,  said:  "Yes.  we  want  your  opinion," 
and  went  on  to  describe  the  case,  "You  saw  her  at  the  Studio,"  said 
be  when  hv  hud  iloni<  so  sufficiently.  "You  (-iillnl  her  a  beauty. 
P«rtuipa  ehe's  hardly  that."  On  the  whole  he  felt  he  had  done 
very  well,  considering;  and  that  Pnracolsii*  wouldn't  get  any  mi*-! 
taken  impreB«ion«.  as  ho  called  them,  about  her.  He  laid  menUl^ 
KUeea  on  tbe  importancci  of  this.    But  vhen  ¥uw:iAs>w  w&.\ift 


230 


ALICE-FOB-SHOKT 


couldn't  recall  another  eaae  like  it,  but  he  would  aak  HiiScr. 
Hiiffcr,  or  Mfiini!  itgch  Dame,  nbout  it,  Chnrlen  felt  illoirieally  that 
he  wasn't  prepared  to  hare  Klisa  Straker  diamUaed  so  lightly.  He 
vm*  riithrr  difKuiilt  to  satisfy,  wiis  Master  Charley,  and  not  quite 
clear  whether  he  wanted  to  talk  about  her  or  not. 

But  conversation  is  like  fro^  in  ■  mnrsli.  or  birdn  Id  a  wood. 
It  will  die  quite  awa^,  and  make  you  e.ipeet  the  nest  topic;  wln-n 
jurt  one  rfiirp  of  ■  nightingale  or  trill  of  a  fl\iti'  from  a  froglot,  and 
the  whole  performance  ie  gone  through  again,  da  capo  ad  libiltua. 

"Whiit  wn»  the  name — Strakerf"  nskod  the  Doctor.  "U  that 
what  Polly  meant.  I  wonderl  I  thought  it  was  traitor,  and 
couldn't  niak<'  it  out." 

"I  suppose  his  shawl's  slipped  off,"  said  Peggy.  *'Sometillies  It 
don<  3ntl  then  he  begins.  I  thought  I  hoard  him  shrieking;,  juMt 
now."  Shi?  went  to  the  door  again,  and  it  wa«  soon  manifeat  that 
Polly  was  sliouting  "Straker"  al  short  intervol.i,  Charli-s  didn't 
at  all  look  forward  to  having  to  cxjijain  Polly's  new  word  to  the, 
funiily  geticrally.  And  he  was  very  audible.  Even  after  the  d' 
was  closed  it  was  difficult  not  to  hear  him,  attention  being  o: 
anoused.    And  he  eertainly  kept  the  qu^tion  before  the  house. 

"I  wisli  you  would  go  to  set?  her.  Master  Rupert."  said  Pi 
"You  could  pretend  you  wanted  particulars  of  the  case  for  a 
What  do  you  think  it  isf" 

"Sonietliing  nervous.  I  fancy.    Nothing  to  do  with  the  throa' 
nothing  in  the  organ  itsi^lf." 

"Does  she  look  hysterical.  Charleyl"    But  the  Doctor  wys  looi 
ar«  nothing  to  gi>  by.  nor  symptoms.     Some  women  are  hyaterii 
without  any  symptoms  at  all. 

"Then,  how  do  you  know!"  says  Peggy,  with  severity.     "B 
flTcn  if  she's  not  hy3t*'rii:nl  I  should  like  to  know  more  about  her.^ 
Because  U  this  dear  goose  of  a  boy  ia  going  to  sit  liatening  to  her 
by  the  hour  together  .  .  ." 

"I've  only  done  so  once— or  twice." 

''  .  .  .  I  should  like  to  know  what  nort  of  a  girl  whi^  r«uilly  is." 

"Why  don't  you  go  and  see  her  yourself  I"    Thus  Johnson. 

"Because  T'ni  afraid  I  shoiddn't  like  her.  And  thm  what  to  say 
to  Charley  I  couldn't,  couldn't  tell  I" 

"Do  you  think,"  eays  Charles.  "I  car«  so  much  as  all  tliBt!" 

"Charley  dear,  don't  be  artifioiaL  Oh  dear  I  how  transpar«: 
young  men  arel  You're  not  much  better  yoursult,  Rupert,  eo  g' 
needn't  talk." 

"But  I  really  don't,"  says  Charles.    And  reassured  hy  hia  o 
voice,  he  teally  tbiuka  be  doesn't. 


!r 

I 


Supert  hasn't  preeti-d  the  front  room  jet,  for  all  he's  been  such 
■  Ionic  time  chatiing.  At  this  juncture  comee  Mrs.  Hi^ath's  Toice, 
uking,  "Ik  th^t  Dr.  Johnson  I  hear?"  with  an  accent  that,  sei-ms  to 
imply  that  I>r.  Jackson  and  Dr.  Wilsou  might  have  oome.  He 
got*  nvray  U>  an  accolade,  being  very  popular  with  alt  handd. 

"Now.  Charley  dear,"  Peggy  says,  very  seriously,  'nisten  to  wh&t 
I  mat  going  to  say " 

"I'm  listening." 

"Very  well  then.  What  I  have  to  say  is  this— Yea.  Sit  still  like 
that,  and  I'll  rufile  your  hair.  That's  right!  Now  about  Miss 
Strakor " 

"Fire  awayl" 

'^f  you  can  look  me  strnight  in  the  face,  and  say,  really  and 
truly  I  needn't  be  uneasy  about  you  and  her " 

"Of  course  I  can  say  that.  Really  and  truly  you  needn't  be 
linear " 

"Oh,  yon  silly  boy  I  Do  you  think  I  don't  know  nhcn  you're  pro- 
TflricatinKt    Voii  know  quite  wdl  what  I  mean." 

"Perhaps  I  do.  But  then  I  dou't  know  whether  I  do  or  not. 
So  it  otnL-s  to  tJic  same  tiling  in  tlic  end." 

"Are  you  indiSerent  to  this  girl — absolutely  indifferent  1" 

CharU'-s  takps  off  his  spfctnrles  and  polishes  tliem.  When  you 
can't  answer  yes  or  no  to  a  question,  it  is  well  to  have  some  slick  to 
whittle,  some  pipe  to  light,  snme  stitch  to  take  up.  Pulisbing 
spectacles  ts  very  good.  Before  Charles  replies,  he  makes  the 
IrnxM  briKht;  then  looks  round  at  his  sister  through  tlu-m. 

"Aleolutely  indifferent  is  a  large  order,"  says  he.  "I  don't 
Itnow  that  I  can  quite  nin  to  that." 

I'efCKy  knows  nothing  about  Uiss  Straker — only  suspects  and 
doubt*.  And  all  hrr  misgivings  nioy  be  groundless.  But  Chnrluy 
IB  her  brother  of  brothers — her  idol  of  old  time.  There  is  trouble 
in  h(!r  hrarl.  ami  troidilc  in  her  voice.  But  its  words  ore  only, 
"Very  well,  Charley  dear,  you  would  like  me  to  go  and  see  her.  and 
ni  go,"  Then  Chnrlea  iriea  to  pull  s  little  philosophical  indiffer- 
ence into  the  conversation :  "Yes,  I  should  like  to  know  what  you 
really  think  of  her  voice:."  But  he  feels  he  is  a  little  behind 
time  with  this.    It  may  as  well  stand,  however. 


CHAPTER  XXn 


L 


BOW  PEOGV  CJlLLED  ON  MISS  ETIMKER,  AND  MISS  STBAKER  WENT  TO  ' 

GARDENS.      HOW  ALICE  AGREED  WITH  POLLT  ABOUT  HER,     CHARLEs's 
PATHER  TKISKS  IIIH  A  FUUL.     HOW  JIISS  STRAKER  WROTE  A  LETTER, 

AND  Landed  a  rtaa.   but  what  about  begekts  park' 

Peoov  wns  aa  good  n9  her  word,  aud  did  go  to  call  upou  Miss 
Strakcr.  It  was  by  appointropnt.  and  Miss  Strsltpr  wns  nt  home. 
It  was  oTi  uuc-omfortabW  visit;  but  Uien  it  would  hove  been  mora 
so  if  there  had  not  been  tho  resource  of  its  professional  charnctcr. 
Its  object  clearly  was  to  forward  the  .vouiim;  woman's  musical  proft- 
poetp.  The  agents  might  haw  given  her  up,  but  that  was  no  reiiKin 
why  private  introduction  should  not  push  her.  Provided  nlworfl 
that  the  voice  was  all  that  Charles's  fancy  painted  it.  But  oveo 
with  tliis  Imekground.  the  visit  was  an  oucomforlahle  one. 

Miss  Straker  san^.  and  woa  in  good  form.  There  was  no  doubt 
nI>oul  iht?  vciioiT.  That  wa»  all  right,  at  an.v  rati«l  Bill  vfliy  did  it 
present  itwif  so  stroogl.v  as  a  set-off,  a  moke-weight,  against  sonut- 
tiling  that  wasn't  (  Whut  was  it  shout  the  dinger  that  made  "at  B»r 
rate"  so  necessary?  Why  did  Peggy's  mind  employ  tlie  same  pbraae 
about  tile  goblin  Fn-ncli  motlier  b3  she'  was  drivni  homo  nftttr 
nrrsnging  a  day  for  Miss  Straker  to  sing  at  Hyde  Park  Gardens  to 
her  family  and  a  few  appr^iative  friends!  Wilmt  rfie  then  said 
to  liersrlf  was,  "He  wouldn't  marry  the  mother  at  any  rate!"  Of 
eourse  not.  Nor  the  poodle.  But  the  appearanw  of  thia  consid- 
eration showed  that  however  little  Peggy  might  feel  drawn  to  the 
young  woman,  she  had  recognised  fully  the  dangers  of  llic  aitualion, 
and  ucknowkdged  to  herself  that  her  amount  of  beauty  (with  that 
hair  and  all),  coupled  with  such  a  voice,  might  be  quite  euougli 
to  daxxlo  en<l  ttntauglc  a  boy  nf  Charley's  sort.  But  then,  what 
bad  happened  after  all  to  justify  her  in  assuming  that  this  was  iho 
girl's  motive  and  intention)  Absolutely  nothing,  except  (lerbap* 
that  it  happened  to  be  Charley,  and  who  could  help  being  in  love 
with  Charley,  for  all  his  spt-ctnoles  8  We,  in  this  story,  know  moro 
ubont  Mi*"  Straker  than  Peggj-  did.  Yet,  for  anything  we  know, 
she  may  have  bcwii  trotli-plight  to  somu  othL-r  yimng  giintleman  else- 
where, without  having  overtly  deceived  anybody.  Unless,  indeed, 
JOU  bold  that  she  ought  to  have  said  to  Clurlea,  "Tbat'a  the  end. 

33% 


4 


ALICE-FOR-SHOKT 


asa 


■ 


mto 


i  III 

L 'n 

Hthcs 


of  tbe  BOngs — now  ro — Vm  engaged,"  or.  "Leave  hold  of  my  band, 
Mr.  Heath,  it  i*  another's;  n  fnir  shnke  is  one  thing,  but—";  and 
eo  on.  It  always  eeeme  to  us  that  it  would  be  safer  to  forbid  friend- 
chip  bctvn«n  whut  Mrs.  Smith  rnlleil  j'oung  ladies  and  gentlemen  of 
Opposite  eeses.  tlian  to  pretend  to  allow  it  and  then  be  so  nice  and 
critical  about  the  di-tncanuiir  uf  the  former.  Especialljr  as  we  are 
so  very  c&sy-Koinir  about  the  latter.  This  tirade  of  ours  applies, 
howrvrr,  only  to  Miss  Strnkcr's  attitude  up  to  thi-  dnti-  of  hcT  visit 
to  H.vd?  Park  Gardens.    After  that,  discrimination  is  called  for. 

As  to  thi!  ritiit,  it  was  a  success.  There  was  no  hitch  in  tho 
nn^nK,  and  no  dissentient  voice  about  its  value.  The  ,vouug  lady 
was  looking  her  b<'!it;  uiid  that,  as  we  have  said.  wn>  very  ^trik- 
ios  when  the  line  of  eight  was  not  exactly  at  right  angles  to  the 
WEIR  of  her  ^-ebnlls;  it  improved  also  in  inverses  ratio  of  their 
inclination.  Charles  was  internally  triumphant,  with  the  slightest 
rtviTvalion — aunlogoiis  to  the  one  Peggy  had  made  in  another  con- 
nection. "They  could  all  see  what  a  fine  singer  she  was.  at  any 
mto!"  There  were  rules  at  which  they  could  not  see  Boraethinn 
;  not  specified.  But  there  were  many  other  things  which  ono 
Vftuld  see,  at  any  rate.  Elleu  said  troldly  that  one  of  these  was  that 
ahn  wnnn't  n  lady,  and  had  evidently  never  bi-cn  in  good  society. 
"You're  a  nice  young  lady  to  talk."  said  her  father;  "why.  you've 
only  been  in  good  society  yourself  thirteen  yeard." 

"There  now!"  anii!  thi-  monkny.  loftily,  ''tliat  shows  how  much 
Papa  knows  about  things.  As  If  I  was  in  any  society  at  all.  Why, 
I'm  not  out  yet!" 

"Then  T  vote  you  shut  up!"  said  Dan,  the  youngest  boy.    "Alico 

d  I  think  she's  awfully  jolly.  Don't  we,  Alice  T"  Now  nona  of 
le  young  people  had  had  much  opportunity  of  forming  an  opin- 
ion, having  unl.v  been  in  tho  room  for  a  limited  term,  and  then  on 
tolerance  as  it  were. 

"Wliat  <lo<yj  Alice-for-sliorl  think !"  said  Charles.  "Come  and  tell 
me,  Alice-for-short."  And  Alice  comes,  ending  with  a  leap  on  to 
Mr.  Charles's  knee. 

"I  Mink,"  she  snys,  struggling  en  the  initial  to  avoid  saying 
fiiik.    "I  tAiiik  the  same  what  Polly  thinks." 

"What  does  Polly  think  !"    Alice  warms  up  to  narrative  with  hpr 

ea  qiarkling,  and  holding  very  tight  to  Mr.  Chnrl<!.-i'a  wntch- 
cbain. 

"Poily  thulh-ink»— Kiss  Straker's — quite,  quite  beautiful!  Polly 
eeed  her — sawed  her— of  coorlh  I  She  came  into  Polly's  room.  To 
MM*  in  the  glass  and  take  oS  her  shawl.  And  oh,  such  a  (uuivs  ti'A 
woman  1" 


I 

i 


ALICE-FOR-SHOET 


"And  Polly  said  she  wa^  quiW  beautiful!    Oo  ahead,  Alice." 

"Yc*.  only  otln-r  word*.  Polly  iinid.  'Just  iiko  mc,  jtut  lilca 
me.'  and  I  said  who.  And  ho  said.  'Straker.'  very  loud-  And  I 
cntled  hitn  a  vain  bird — ^yes,  I  did."  And  Alice  adds  emphasis  with 
nods. 

"Perhaps  Polly  meant  her  mother,  Alieffl"  sugKcata  Peggy,  with 
gravity.  But  Alice  gives  a  long  incredulous  shake  of  the  head. 
She  knows  Polly  bctti-r  than  that. 

"Well  1"  said  Charles,  after  more  comparison  of  notes  about  the 
funny  old  woninn  and  her  daughter.  "At  any  rate.  Miss  Straker 
has  Polly's  good  opinion."  It  is  extraordinary  how  oftvu  thi 
reservation -111)  ruse  came  in.  Blio  had  a  wonderful  voice,  at  any 
rate.  She  bad  great  facility,  at  any  rate.  She  had  beautiful  hair, 
IjCBUtiful  hfinds.  tcttth.  figiirp,  etc.,  nil  nt  any  rote,  Charles  liked 
her.  at  any  rate.  Peggy  didn't  dislike  ber,  at  any  rate.  Every- 
body used  the  •■xprcssion  without  noticing  that  every  one  clw  had 
done  so  too.  However,  in  spite  of  this,  the  visit  wan  on  tlie  whole 
B  success. 

If  we  bad  been  Charles  and  had  wanted  to  avoid  an  appearance 
of  being  in  love  with  Miss  Straker,  in  the  interval  between  this 
party  and  a  larger  one  to  whieh  musical  influence  wns  to  \ie  invited, 
we  should  not  have  acted  as  be  did.  In  our  opinion,  he  would  have 
done  better  to  disccmlinue  viltings  ultogetlirr  iit  the  Sliidio,  and  n^it 
to  call  uuneeessaril.v  at  Warren  Slreet.  Instead  of  which,  nhal 
between  arranging  nt  every  .Mtting  for  the  day  after  to-morrow,  and 
calling  at  the  house  in  the  evening  to  eoy  to-morrow  would  do  just 
BB  well,  he  contrived  to  see  a  very  greut  deal  of  Miss  Struker  in 
the  interim  between  the  two  parties.  What  precise  form  their 
intorviewingii  took  on  these  occasions  need  not  be  set  down  ia 
detail;  we  are  satisfied  that  the  goblin  would  not  have  fallen  asleep 
if  iihe  had  not  had  full  confidence  in  her  daughter,  ond  ns  for 
Charles  we  ourselves  feel  every  confidence  in  him.  No  doubt  their 
bchnviour  was  uncKccptiounblc  But  what  coneerns  this  story  is 
that  when  at  tbe  second  party  the  young  lady  scored  a  most  bril- 
liant Mjccess,  the  opiuion  wns  freely  expressed,  in  conversation 
about  her  and  Charles,  that  "anybody  eould  see."  In  dealing  with 
interesting  subjects  of  tlii.t  elass.  Society  does  not  always  talk  lika 
a  book.  Speech  in  frsgmenla  is  more  expressive.  Society  con- 
firmed nnd  extended  tbe  verdict* of  tbe  famil.v  circle;  tlie  lady  sang 
ma^ificently.  looked  well,  was  quite  producible — all  at  any  rate. 
But  ulwnyit  tliere  was  this  same  reserve. 

However,  anybody  could  seel  There  was  no  doubt  of  that.  And 
OB  everybody  looked  (.perhaps  even  more  than  they  were  asked  to 


1 


AUCE-FOR-SHOKT 


235 


look),  erpfybody  did  see.  PegRy  felt  uneasy,  fretted,  distressed — 
but  iJitf  ooiil<]  not  *ay  exactly  v!iy  xhc  ftlirnnk  from  hcsriiig  what 
she  knew  ehe  should  hear.  There  was  a  sort  of  Btlffness,  ahnoat. 
b<'lwi*ii  Iht  mid  C!mrlc-y — m-ither  Kpciiktns  to  tJic  othCT  of  Mimi 
Straker,  I'ejKj-'s  feelings  taUinit  the  form  of  secret  commise ration 
for  her  brdthiT,  mid  his  of  o  ^ti^iiioion  of  it,  cotipI<^l  witji  4is  iifiir  tin 
approach  to  reseniinenl  Ujicninst  it  as  he  could  feel  where  Poggy 
wn»  con(H"nicd.  Tctuion  in  vnrioiw  fornin  run  through  thi-  fainil;r. 
Charles's  mother  offered  him  aD  tnauimate  cheek  to  kiss  and  with- 
dn-w  it  on  the  icpot.  Ht-n  wna  un  attitude  of  it^rcrtful  iliinuty 
under  trisl;  of  fulfilled  foreknow ledtio  of  diutftcr  elisbtcd  by  ft 
hciiilittronj;  circle  of  rclntionH;  of  an  intimtion  ultiinHtely  t"  brin^ 
to  book  the  real  fon»  et  Qrigo  matQrum,  her  husband.  The  boys 
worn  uiidi-r  tcnition  in  another  ttra^e.  They  wero  bottling  up  ilcri- 
sion — icaitioK  for  the  sifnial  that  should  let  them  loose  on  their 
rictint.  Elli-n  oloni',  acknowlc'dfriiig  no  jurisdiclion,  bound  by 
oettber  man  nor  Mrs.  (irtrndy.  attacked  Charles  boldly  on  the  sub- 
joet,  and  iiskctl  liim  hi«  inlcnlitinK  to  bin  fati-, 

"I  don't  care  what  Miss  Petheringtou  says,"  said  Miss  Ellen. 
"I'm  foiirtoen  next  July  and  Tm  not  going  to  hold  my  tongue  nnd 
be  ahislied.  What  I  want  to  know  is.  are  we  going  to  have  Miss 
Straker  for  a  simter-in-law  or  an?  we  not  ?  Which  is  it  to  bo  f  Aiul 
that  old  <iuy  witli  tlio  rilmnda  for  an  sunt  I  No— Charley  I  It's 
DO  UK  your  glaring  and  looking  inscrutable.  I  mean  to  mnk<;  yoii 
IcIL  Now,  Charley  dear — is  it  to  lie  Miss  Straker  or  is  it  not?" 
But  Charlo  kept  on  looking  inscrutable.  "Is  tekai  to  be  Mis* 
Straker,  Jumping  Joan  V  be  asketL  It  was  a  general  nickname  for 
Elk-n,  from  «  well-known  nursery  rhyme. 

"Is — Miss — Straker — going — to  murry  you  or  not?    Now  is  that 

plain,  or  ahnll  I  nay  it  all  orer  again  I    Is — Miss "    But  Charles 

interrupted  her  to  eay  Miss  Straker  hadn't  asked  to  be  allowed 
In,  M  far  1 

"Now  isn't  Charley  ridiculousC  This  was  in  appeal  to  Teggj, 
the  only  other  person  in  the  room.  "As  if  one  didn't  know  tluit 
ladies  never  propose T' 

"Xadi«  jivwT  propose,"  said  Charles,  imperturbahly,  "without 
consulting  the  gentleman's  little  sister  Joan.    Not  real  ladie»." 

"Now  iwi't  Charley  irritalingf  Anyhow  1  nhnll  ask  Papa  what 
A«  thinks.  You  see  if  I  don't."  But  Charles  and  Peggy  made  but 
a  poor  job  of  a  laugh  over  it,  when  Joan  had  departed.  Pege7 
was  more  than  half  inclined  to  cry,  in  reality;  while  Charles  could 
only  aay  hp  rc«Ilj-  hadn't  proposivl  to  Miss  Straker,  after  «,Vi\  "V 
won't  hare  you  worried  about  it,  my  darUug  ViS,  oa^^v'j'Br  «aSw 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 

hia  sisirr,  kiseing  him.    Aiitl  he  felt  in  two  minds  nhout  wTipi 
he  wouldn't  wash  his  hands  of  the  whole  concern,  and  pret«ud 
he  wnntcd  lo  go  awny  and  study  in  Rome,  or  oomcthiiig  of  that 
BorU 

That  ovOTiitiK  ho  and  hi?  father  were  left  alone,  late, 

"Charley  boy."  aaid  the  old  geutleman.  suddeuly,  "tell  mc  about 
Mim  Straker." 

It  waa  Charles's  nature  and  instinet  to  meet  every  questiMi  (from 
his  father  certainly)  in  llie  spirit  of  llie  qiiestionoT,  and  to  rfply  in 
full,  without  evasion  or  reserve.  In  the  present  eaae  he  hesitated. 
not  from  any  dtairv  to  kei.'p  back  informslion.  but  bccnnnc  he  rc4illy 
could  not  see  his  way  to  wording  it.  It  would  have  been  an  ease- 
ment to  him  to  be  able  to  say :  "I  love  this  girl,  and  would  marry 
her  if  I  could.  Will  you  consent  to  her  if  ever  I  canf  Will  you 
take  her  for  your  daughter,  and  help  me  to  n^k  my  motlicr  to 
accept  her  too?"  lie  could  uot  manage  this,  and  very  strangely  it 
WM  the  first  four  words  he  could  not  Sll  out.  Uo  could  linvc  aiikfid 
his  father's  consent  to  his  marrying  the  lady  easily  enough.  But 
although  ho  could  have  nffirnieil  his  intention  as  to  action,  he  shrank 
from  anything  that  expressed  or  defined  a  fffcling.  Under  pressure. 
he  might  have  said  grudgingly  that  he  supposed  he  was  what  pco- 
pUt  call  in  love  with  her.  Bui  be  would  not  hnvc  wiJoonicd  the 
obvious  rejoinder — "If  you  only  suppose  it,  hadn't  you  better  try 
to  live  witliout  her.  for  her  sake  and  yours !''  Because,  you  ecc, 
he  had  got  to  the  point  of  wanting  to  marry  her,  and  taking  for 
granted  that  he  wouki  not,  could  not,  want  to  marry  her  unless 
lie  loved  her.  What  a  pity  he  could  not  analyse  bis  own  feelings, 
and  coUnIe  tbeiu  with  the  fact  that  he  had  only  known  MittS 
Straker  a  few  week? ! 

"I  can  only  tell  you  a  very  little  about  Miss  Straker,"  sfaid  he, 
replying  to  bin  father's  question.  "What  I  can  tell  won't  take 
long.  She  was  introduced  to  me  by  a  fi-llow  artist,  not  as  a  pro- 
foaeional  model,  but  ns  a  young  lady  whoso  circum stances  were  not 
very  prosperous,  and  who  would  not  raind  caniing  a  little  money 
by  sitting  provided  the  artist  was  n  friend,  or  a  friend's  friend — 

well  introduced.  I  mean "     Charles  hesitated  a  moment;  hia 

father  may  have  been  looking  n  little  incredulon:'. 

"How  do  professional  models  generally  begin?"  be  asked.  "Do 
they  knork  at  un  artist's  studio,  and  say  they  feci  like  Hercules  or 
Venus,  and  don't  the  artists  wont  a  model?"    Charles  laughed. 

"Very  oflc-u."  he  said,  "especially  Venus.  Oidy.  you  ijuito 
understand?  Venus  wasn't  in  it  tliia  time."  Yes,  that  was  quite 
undtTstood.    "However,  FU  toll  you  the  rest  I  know  about  her. 


n 
4 


1 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


flSt 


Her  fatlipr  was  n  teacher  of  Ia[iguagi?8  in  Paris;  whether  he  U  llr- 
in^  or  not  I  am  uiiwrtuiui  there  is  some  rcliictBnoe  to  speuk  of  it 
Bad  I  don't  like  to  ask — ho  tuaj  be  a  eveej).  She  haa  a  younger 
brother  mtint-'d  Maurice  whom  1  have  not  seeD  yet,  ami  a  mother — ■ 
as  per  Mmplc  the  other  day." 

Charles  tJien  rec-apitulakil  the  atory  of  Uie  singing  experience, 
«nd  honoiimbly  admittei]  how  often  he  had  been  at  Warren  Street, 
and  that  he  had  found  the  houae  very  iittraotivc.  T/  he  did  not 
Ktatc  to  A  nicety  the  exact  degree  of  familiarity  that  subsisted 
between  him  and  the  young  ludy.  we  feel  surt-  l!mt  (if  you  hav« 
CTcr  been  young  yourself)  you  will  excuse  him.  Fancy,  every  time 
ther«  was  any  little  kiasiuK  or  squeezing  or  truderueH-i,  if  you  hnd 
to  achcidule  it  and  frame  a  rcporti  Charles,  howover,  didn't  coean 
to  flinch  from  any  easeuttal  in  his  confeasiuu. 

"I  know.  Fnther,"  said  he,  "that  what  you  wanted  to  know  about 
was " 

"Exuctly!"  said  his  fnther.  "About  your  own  relation  to  her— 
is  there  anything  you  can  tell  mef 

"Is  there  anyl"  Charles  reflected.  "I  am  not  sure  that  I  ahould 
have  her  sanction  for  saying  there  was.  She  has  never  nutburined 
roe  to  do  so.  Nothintc  has  passed  between  us  that  would  make  it 
nnjuatiiiablo  in  her  to  refuac  ma  lo-niorruw,  if  I  mnde  her  an  offer. 
of  my  invaluable  self."  This  was  stretching  a  point;  but  it  wafl] 
tmo  thin  fur,  tliul  tlu^  tsHt  time  Oluirli-s  purtcd  from  lu-r  nt  hnr 
mother's  door,  they  parted  in  silence.  Otherwise,  the  parting  had 
been  as  loverlike  ab  yoti  would  wish  to  ace,  or  as  tli«  coutribulora 
would  wish  yon  shouldn't. 

"What  w  your  aetiuil  relation,  my  dear  boy,  at  this  momenlf" 
Charles  paused  a  moment — then  replied; 

•If  nothing  hut  the  ufficial  tnilh  is  to  be  lold.  none  at  all — but 
tins  official  truth  would  bo  a  lie.  In  my  own  heart  I  hold  myself 
pledged  to  her,  and  T  believe  she  knowa  it.  Whether  she  holda  her- 
solf  plolged  to  Die  I  do  not  know.  Ilnve  I  ony  right  to  pri-J<«  her 
to  say  ajus  does,  when  I  have  not  had  any  professional  success  and 
may  nm-er  hare  any — am  still  a  mere  st\identi  When  I  took  up  tin 
profession  of  an  artiat,  I  knew  it  was  u  lottery,  mid  was  quite  deter-* 
min«d  not  to  involve  any  one  else  in  the  risks  I  ineurred  myidf, 
I  knew  I  might  never  be  able  to  marry,  and  accepted  the  positiou." 
This  sounded  hoTAJc,  and  Charles  felt  happy  over  it  But  hia 
father  evidently  did  not. 

"Arc  you  wire  yon  <]id  accept  the  position  V  said  ho.  "It  aoomal 
to  me  that  a  resolution  never  to  marry  was  very  little  Ufte.  \k'a\sflft^ 
you  also  made  up  your  mind  nCTer  to  iaW  m  Xotq— X^iV  sXwwi  wA 


838 


AUCE-FOR-SHOBT 


I 


showing  it  Tou  can't  carry  out  the  idea  honestly  short  cf  run- 
tiiag  ttwav  frDin  ctAtiy  girl  you  like." 

Poor  Charley  looked  veiy  downcast.  "I  see  it  now."  said  he; 
"it'n  j'liBt  as  yoH  Bay,  FBthrr !    Brit,  oh  ilftnr ! — it  i>  so  insidi(nis." 

"T«»— it's  quite  celebrated  for  that  qualilj."  The  old  boy 
(■hucklci!  to  hinutcrlf  over  hi*  Hon'*  cnniloiir — but  was  eorry  for  him 
all  the  more.  "But  wait  a  while.  Charle.v  boy.  wait  a  while  t  Hope 
to  »cc  the  way  clear,  and  try  to  nee  atraight." 

All  ibia  occurred  two  or  three  dnya  after  Om  muflical  gsthering, 
and  the  second  day  after  the  porliuii:  in  Warren  Street  which  wo 
haT«  hinted  at  above.  Charles  had  rcccircd  a  nota  from  Ui«s 
Sirakcr  in  thu  morning  asking  him  to  put  off  his  nest  visit  till 
he  should  hear  aiinin  from  her.  She  had  to  go  into  the  country 
for  a  day  or  two.  The  letter  was  not  stamped;  perhaps  was  brouglil 
by  the  brother  (whoui  Charles  had  not  ao  far  seen),  and  left  in 
the  lettcr-boK  at  No.  40. 

When  he  got  back  to  the  Studio  after  the  above  interview  with 
bi»  father,  he  found  another  letter  wniting  for  him  from  the 
young  lady,  with  the  postmark  Watford.  She  had  written  from 
the  country,  and  it  was  a  long  one — must  have  something  in  it. 
CharU-s'ft  face  teamed  with  satisfaction  ad  he  opcnih]  it.  It 
changed  as  he  read  aa  follows: — 

Pabfitt's  F.iBM,  on  the  RicKutNsn-ouTu  VioiD, 
Near  Watfobd,  Middlesex. 
Ur  Dear  Mr.  Heath, 

I  hnvo  mudu  up  my  mind  I  should  write  to  you.  hut  do  I 
do  right  f  1  am  inexperienced  and  do  not  know  where  to  look  for 
advice,  for  you  have  ttpttn  my  Unman,  and  as  for  poor  Jfauricc,  ho 
IB  a  boy.  But  1  know  you  are  good  and  will  believe  me  it  is  for 
both  OUT  luikeii  I  apeak. 

I  have  been  awake  all  night  thinking  of  our  parting  last  evening. 
And  I  am  ctitivinwd  it  is  right  that  I  shoidd  apeak  without  reserve. 
There  should  be  no  conftatmcnis  helivten  us, 

I  am  convinced  that  !t  is  belter  for  both  of  u«  that  wc  should  not 
deceive  ourselves.  I  feel  sure,  although  I  can  scarcely  tell  you 
what  makca  mc,  that  happineji-i  is  not  possible  for  us  except  at  a 
price  I  could  not  ask  you  to  pay.  I  cannot  ask  you  to  rttnonca 
jiour  family  for  my  sofcrr.  You  will  say  there  is  no  need.  But. 
indeed,  indeed,  I  am  right.  Sometimes  we  women  sec  these  tliinga 
more  plainly  than  mm.  I  can  wx-  so  plainly  that  there  is  a  gap 
bttwoca  u».    I  cannot  ask  you  to  make  tbla  ^crifio;  fur  my  «k«. 


I 


ALTCE-FOR-SHORT  nv^ 

"Dcsit  Vr.  TT««tIi,  you  must  not  blaino  mc.  You  trniitd  not  if  yon 
could  kiiuw  what  pam  it  costs  me  ti^  wrUu  tbU.  liut  I  kiiuw  that 
/  din  right  and  that  it  ia  for  your  happiness  that  no  aiiould  say 
good-bye.  It  ie  best  that  we  should  forget.  Think  of  mc  only 
as  your  most  affectionate  friend— 

L.  S. 

Do  not.  I  beg.  say  one  wprd  of  this  nor  show  this  letter  to  your 
good  nnd  bt-ntitiful  sister.  No  one  is  to  blame — but  I  em  sure  of 
what  I  say.    Adieu  1 

Waa  this  letter  written  with  a  full  undcra landing  of  Charles's 
choractrr,  and  an  intention  thnt  he  would  behave  exactly  03  he  did 
bt-hace!  For  of  course  its  effect  upon  him  waa  (and  we  say  ihia 
hopinnc  that  wo  have  made  his  cbarac-tcr  as  clear  to  you  as  it  is  to 
ouraclvu)  tliut.  in  the  firmt  jilaoe,  he  tfcitrfrly  slitpt.  lu  tlu-  next 
that,  after  an  insufHcient  breakfast,  h<?  niadi?  straiitht  for  Euston 
Station  to  catch  jin  cnrly  train  for  Watford.  In  li-nn  than  nn  hour 
be  waa  being  driTon  lo  tlio  address  so  circumstantially  detailed  in 
the  letter.  He  was  told  at  the  house  that  Mi^s  Lnvinia  had  walkrd 
out  but  would  hn  bncJc  idiortly  ss  brcnkfnot  wiu;  n-udy.  H'^  uskej 
ia  which  direelion  she  had  gone,  and  wejit  to  meet  her.  When  sho 
saw  him,  hct  exclamation  was.  "Oh,  Mr.  Hcnth— you  cmmol  lutve 
got  nijr  letter,"  Hi>  made  no  immt^liote  reply,  but  caught  her  in 
bis  arms,  kissing  her  passionately.  Then  he  said,  in  a  voice  that 
showed  the  tension  of  hiH  f«-Iinga:  "Tour  letter  t  It  brou(i;ht  mo 
hero.  But  I  will  not  have  it  sol  You  are  mine  and  I  am  youra. 
Beaides,"  he  continued.  l)eeoming  calmer,  "indeed  you  are  quite 
mistaken  in  imagining  things  about  my  family — they  are  not  what 
jou  think  them.  What  a  sillj-  girl  you  are!"  But  fur  all  thai  he 
had  his  own  misgivings. 

We  have  said  that  we  make  no  pretence  of  undcrslandiug  Miss 
Straker.  But  we  wish  that  it  aliould  be  itoted  that  if  she  did  intend 
to  bring  about  fhia  result,  no  mor(>  nkilful  mnnipuEatiun  could 
have  been  resorted  to.  It  might  have  failed  completely  with  another 
man  than  poor  simple,  chivalrous  Charley  I  Under  tlie  circum- 
stances its  effect  was  threefold.  It  assumed  a  more  advancod 
iifugf-  in  The  Lovcr'n  Progress  than  wn*  warrantable,  or  than  it 
would  have  been  safe  lo  assume  witli  every  other  man.  A  good 
many  young  gcnttemcD,  »»  we  understand,  hare  t^ven  gone  tho 
len{[tb  of  kissing  younfr  ladies  (not  under  mistletoes),  and  yet 
both  would  have  been  nurprised  to  hear  ihnt  there  were  to  be  do 
conceabnents  between  them.  Secondly,  under  cover  of  this  asauniQ- 
tioor  it  made  a  very  explicit  declaration  oi  tho  ^cud^s  w»^^1&RQ^A 


I 


340  ALICK-FOK-SHOKT 

the  writer  without  &ix^  appearance  of  ovOT-forwardneea  on' 
^  Irt.  TLirdly,  and  chitfly,  it  onticipnttd  tJw;  omsurca  of  &e  liigher 
nq;>ectabUitif8,  and  disarmed  ihem  hy  anticipation.  How  could 
OTQB  n  Title  liHVi?  descended  in  wrnth  oii  the  social  surroundings 
of  a  girl  who  had  of  litr  own  accord  quoted  ibem  to  free  its  aon 
from  the  rash  undertaking  of  a  motaeDt  of  hcedlesness.  But 
whatever  suspicion  passes  tbruug:h  our  mind,  or  yours,  tliere  wo« 
none  in  Charles's,  as  he  nccompanicd  Miss  Straker  back  to  the 
farm-house;  where  she  was,  as  slie  explained,  the  guest  for  a  6ty 
or  two,  of  a  friend  she  liad  made  iu  the  course  of  her  musical  ad- 
vunturea  with  Apeiila  iu  London.  Her  name  was  Clara  Parfitt, 
and  she  was  a  fellow  rictim  with  Mies  Stralter  of  the  said  Agents. 

Naturally  Charles,  who  had  had  no  brealcfaet  to  speak  of, 
accepted  an  invitation  to  stop  on  nud  have  some  more.  He  passed 
the  morning  intending  to  go  by  each  train  in  succession,  but  they 
all  snorted  away  audibly  from  ihi?  slaliuti  without  him;  slowly  at 
tirst  as  if  to  give  him  a  chance  to  overtake  them;  and  then  fneter 
and  faster,  even  as  trains  relieved  to  have  the  matter  sellled.  He 
stayed  to  dinner,  an  early  mid-day  dinner,  farm-house  wise.  To 
he  brief,  he  forgot  himself  entirely  in  n  fiKil'ii  paradise,  imd  Clara 
Parfilt  showed  herself  a  model  of  sympalbetie  discretion;  for  she 
undertook  tneitly  to  play  priijiriety,  and  dt-serted  the  part  without 
providing  an  imderstudy.  What  with  one  thing  and  another,  the 
succession  of  deferred  departures  ended  in  his  just  catching  the 
last  train. 

There  were  two  roads  to  the  station,  and  there  hod  been  somo 
debate  aa  to  which  way  the  gig  which  was  to  take  bini  was  to  drive. 
One  was  the  better  road,  the  other  the  shorter.  The  couple  were 
toiisiderately  left  to  make  their  adieux  clear  of  company. 

The  ni^lit  had  clouded  over,  and  cold  sleety  rain  was  beginning. 
By  Charles's  reiioest.  Mibb  Struker  did  not  come  out  into  the  open. 
ijhe  remained  under  the  honeysuckle  porch;  the  gig  was  waiting  at 
the  otlier  end  of  ihe  gardeu  walk. 

"Good-bye,  my  dearest  love!"  said  Charles.  "Now  remember! 
No  more  doubts — no  more  besilation:!.  You  are  mine  and  1  am 
yours."  And  then,  after  such  a  farewell  as  becomes  a  love^,  he 
was  seate<]  in  the  drifting  ruin  beside  the  driver,  "'It's  got  rather 
late."  he  called  back  to  her.  "but  we  shall  catch  the  train." 

"Tell  him  to  go  that  way,"  she  called  after  bim.  and  pointed 
to  her  left.  The  young  man  who  drove  turned  round  reluctantly, 
"Tlie  ro-ad's  a  bad  ro-ad."  be  said,  "but  belike  it's  a  surer  one, 
taking  count  of  the  time." 

Charles  just  caught  hia  train.    But  wbi-retts  the  youug  man  who 


ALIOE-FOR-SHORT 


241 


wulked  r>m  (be  gnrel  gardcn-puth  was  joyous  with  an  intoxicS' 
tion  that  conies  onlj'  once  in  a  life,  the  one  that  rode  homi^  in  ths 
rnilway  train  was  inisorable  with  a  tnisi^viii!;  thnt  by  the  tim«  be 
reuched  Euston  had  grown  to  fever-poiiil. 

For  the  words,  "tell  him  to  go  that  way,"  wore  the  worda  spoken 
by  the  womnn  nl  the  Pnrk  gntc.  and  the  tiiovcnicnt  of  the  hand  thnt 
(loititi'd  to  the  left  was  t!ie  nioveniwnl  of  hers,  nnd  tin-  volri'  itself 
was  here,  and  the  fi^re.  And  the  worst  of  tt  was  that  she  had 
told  him,  unnsked,  that  she  herself  had  hecn,  at  the  moment,  e!9&- 
where. 


CHAPTER  XXni 


BOW  PBOCr  CALLED  AflADC  ON  MI»R  STRARER,  AXD  OOT  LtTTLE  COMFOItr 
FOB  CUAALBS.     litSS  STRAKEU'S  L'NCXKTAIN  SOVKD 


Charlies  h^d  promised  to  go  to  dinner  at  "the  Oardena" 
evening,    lit-  did  not  go.  ertiding  iiiatvad  a  note  to  Peeiiy,  tell: 
her  not  to  expect  him.     He  wasn't  feeling  »ory  first-rnle — nothiDf 
pnrtimilur  wrong;  only  a  alight  cold,  ttnd  he  thought  it  best  to  ke«p 
indoors  for  a  dn.v. 

This  wn«  en  unusual  attitude  for  Charles.  His  normal  comw 
would  hare  been,  being  unwell,  to  tab  to  the  family  msii«ion  to  be 
nursed.  But  he  was  always  transiian-iit.  us  Pt'ggy  suid.  She 
MW  at  once  there  was  a  screw  loose.  "It's  Misa  Straker.  somehow!^ 
»}><•  Raid,  with  insight.  "I  shall  go  anil  seo."  Sti  nn  th<-  in'irnin? 
of  the  third  itay  aft<r  Charles's  inteniew  with  bis  father.  Peggy 
went  to  the  Studio. 

"Oh.  Charley,  dearest  hoy,  what  i>  the  matter!"  said  shf  to  the 
haggar<]  worn-out  %ure  she  found  there — "instead  of  her  brother," 
WHS  how  it  presenti'd  itsolf  to  h<:r.  Anything  wnrse  than  a  flight 
cold,  or  a  reseonable  disquiet,  had  not  erosseil  her  mind.  "Yeft-^ 
you're  quite  in  a  high  fevnr,  and  I  shall  send  for  Bupeit." 
felt  his  hands  and  kissed  him. 

"No.  Poggy-Woggy,  please  1    We  won't  have  Rnpert  just  yet. 
tell  you  all  about  it.  and  then  I  sliun't  be  so  had.     I  didn't  want 
to  come  hoini-  and  have  Joan  jumping  all  over  me." 

"Very  well,  dear!    Come  and  Irt's  he  quiet  and  you  tell  me 
about  it.    Of  course  it's  Miss  Straker." 

Of  course  it  was;  and  ns  Chnrles  lold  the  whole  tnith,  ani 
wouldn't  tell  anything  but  the  truth;  and  as  he  never  oould  soften 
anything  without  sliowiitg  obviously  that  be  was  softeninji:  the 
atorj  pn-9«.iitt'(l  itself  to  Peggy  as  an  u^ly  one  enough.    Still  it  vm* 
impossible  to  say  that  there  were  no  circumstances  whatevw 
whieh  a  young  woman  might  be  alone  in  a  Park,  yet  blandi 
Only,  how  about  ExcIl-t  Hall  t    It  was  n  rase  for  absolute  ampeo- 
sion  of  opinion,  pending  ennuiry.     Pet.i.'y  was  thoroughly  aware 
that  even  in  making  such  fn<jiiiri(-'  ''i         .  inl'l  be  dan^r.   For 
sister  who  (however  warranlably.i   -':ii,|.-,  doubta,  negotiates, 
posee.  io  the  preliintuurie«  of  a  brother's  marriage,  oiust  be  ) 

U2 


e»— 

Sb^ 

III" 

ant 

'1 

■no^ 
ften 
the 
w«« 


-.  ^  ^ 


ALICE-FOR-SHOBT  343 

pKFcd  to  etAnd  or  fall  by  tint  ctvent.  If  it  cnitim  nboiit,  Aq  will  bo 
ttie  lister  in  Law  alone.  doC  in  affection,  of  her  brotht.-r'd  wife;  if 
it  dijcA  not,  lier  brother  will  puss  through  n  cnacoDdo  inoTcmciit 
of  forjiiveneM,  «DdinK  in  &  triiiiupliaul  wcdding-mardi  with 
aiiulher  Ituly,  witli  griititudct  obbligalo  to  hcmolf. 

PfKHS  ^^8  vise,  and  took  Up  the  poeition  that  the  niiitter  mutt 
be  <:k'urL-cl  up  at  oiun;.  in  jiinticc  to  lIiM  Straker.  It  was  probably 
easily  explainable,  if  onlj  we  looked  it  lu  the  fatie.  "You  irt»piil 
boy,"  said  slie,  '"you  don't  mean  to  say  you  wodid  go  on  and  marry 
tllis  poor  girl  without  speaking  to  her  about  (hi»)  Tlieii  why  not 
•peak  Dowl  As  she  herself  said,  there  ought  to  bo  no  concealmcnls 
betn-eeu  you." 

"Xo — Poggy  darling  [  But  fancy  my  going  to  her  first  thine' 
afli.-r  the  way  we  ported  only  a  few  hours  ago.  and  hurnling  oil 
this  on  her  only  because  of  a  eouad  in  her  voice,  a  movcmeut  of 
h(-r  bend.  If  it's  all  nonsense,  as  molt  likdy  it  is,  think  of  the 
figure  I  shall  cut!" 

"That's  true  enough."  said  Peggy,  "I  di<ln'l  think  of  that  But 
why  shouldn't  I  go  to  see  her.  and  try  if  I  can't  touch  the  point 
without  searing  herl  I  should  soon  sec  if  there  was  anj-thing 
in  il," 

"How  diould  you  set  about  itf* 

"Dou'l  kiiuw — gouauj-! — till  I  tr>-.  I  should  be  guidtid  by  the 
conversation.  Now  just  you  let  me  go  and  sec  her  at  once  and  see 
if  I  don't  g<rt  riMiugh  to  ch'ur  up  tlu;  mistake — it's  only  a  mlfitakv, 
I'm  sure  I — and  I'll  come  straight  back  here  and  put  your  mind 
St  oaM!.  Will  she  1x1  at  homei"  Pence  dawned  in  potir  Charley's 
storn)-woni  heart,  and  he  kisaed  bis  sister  and  called  her  a  duck 
and  an  Angel.  Yes,  most  likely  she  will  be  at  home.  So  off  gooa 
PrKKy  atraightway. 

Poor  Peggy  I  She  had  undertaken  a  difficult  task.  She  felt  liko 
Jiidus  as  she  kissed  what  she  did  not  suppose  waa  oerttiin  to  become 
her  sister  on  the  cheek.  "From  what  Charley  tells  me,  dear  ilisa 
Strnkdr,"  said  slir.  "I  think  I  may  take  it  as  certain  that  he  has 
cboccn  you  for  his  wife,  und  that  you  have  chosen  him  for  your  hus- 
band. X(>ne  of  his  fiimily  know  it,  except  myself.  And  I  have 
come  at  once  to  tell  you  that  whoever  niy  brother  loves,  I  love,  «ud 
to  ntik  you,  so  far  ns  I  am  concerned,  to  tbinW  of  yourself  as  already 
one  of  our  family."  She  felt  that  »lie  had  bceu  rather  makiti^; 
a  «pcec-h,  and  waxn't  iture  she  wasn't  a  hvimbug.  Perhaps  we  all 
ff*l  this  whcnerer  we  say  anything  consecutive.  Honesty  is  aup- 
powtd  to  bo  fraught  with  jcrk«,  and  cincority  with  sloppinew  o£ 
style. 


Slise  Stntker's  eyes  nought  the  ground,  and  the  fine  cfdidB 
naaerted  theraselvfs:  "Oh.  how  kind — how  generous  of  you,  dear 
ii'itis  Ueatht    How  otn  you  forgive  tnpt" 

"Forgive  you  for  making  my  brotlit-r  happy!  Thut  ia  easy 
enough,"  Peggy  laughed.  The  conversation  that  followed  was 
general — but  on  the  same  linesi.  P<-ggy,  bowfever.  dwell  on  the 
fact  that  her  own  action  was  quite  independent  of  any  of  her 
fiimily.  whom  ehe  had  no  right  to  eommit  in  uny  way.  But,  uud 
slie,  no  one  of  us  would  ever  oppose  Charley  in  anything  be  had  it 
heart. 

"I  think  he  lovee  me,"  isaid  Miss  Strnker.  As  she  aat  on  the  sofa 
beside  Peggy,  with  iier  head  drooped  and  her  eyelids  in  evidence, 
she  certainly  looked  well.  If  Peggy  had  seen  her  on  the  stage. 
nhtr  would  hav(?  said  how  Irue  to  Nature,  Seeing  it  done  in  daily 
life,  eomo  slight  idea  crossed  her  mind  that  it  was  like  on  tba 
stage. 

"You  may  be  suro  he  always  means  what  he  says,"  said  she.  most 
uniheatrically.  But  she  bud  aomebow  to  get  on  to  the  Park  quca- 
tion.  How  should  the  do  it  t  It  got  more  and  more  diffictilt. 
Suppose  slie  was  to  try  round  by  Exeter  Hall,  and  see  if  she  could 
get  a  lift.  "Y«u  are  very  fond  of  muaic,"  she  went  on;  "ao 
Charley." 

"I  suppose  I  am  fond  of  mueie — yos,"  aaM  Miss  Straker.  "Sonii 
times  I  think  I  am  not — but  only  that  I  happen  to  have  a  voice,  ai 
that  has  made  lue  ^Jug." 

"You  must  tip  fond  of  mueic-~0T  how  could  you  stand  an  hour 
outside  Kxeter  Hall,  waiting  for  the  doors  to  open!"  Miss  Straker 
looked  blank. 

"Oh  no!    I  never  did."  said  she. 

"How  very  funny  1    Chnrles  certainly  told  mc  you  told  him  a] 
standing  outside  Exeter  Hall  one  evening." 

Was  it  or  was  it  not  the  case  that  Miss  Straker  was  biting 
lips,  and  looking  a  little  pnlei     There  was  a  piuiw-  of  a   fc-w 
iM-eonds  h^fore  she  spoke.    When  she  did  there  was  the  least  sh: 
of  eiiapplabuesB  in  her  tone, 

"What  can  make  Mr.  Heath  say  so!    It  must  have  been 
where  eii*e  I  said — the  Egyptian  Hnl!  perhaps!" 

"Very  likely,"  said  Peggy,  conciliatorily,  "but  it  doesn't  the  least 
matter.     Charley  made  a  mistake."     For  Peggy  hiid  got  a  littli 
nlormed,  and  was  not  prepared  to  rush  the  position.     "Perhaps,' 
she  said,  "you  are  fonder  of  music  than  you  thi:ik,  and  if  you  ha< 
to  do  altogether  without  it,  you  would  miss  it  very  much.    I  dare- 
say- you  practise  a  great  deid!"    But  Miiut  Stntkcr  did  not  aiwwcr 


I 

>ur 
^sJter 

-I 

t  har^ 


^ 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


US 


»nd  w»n»M)  uncfl^.     She  w^nt  back  to  the  previous 
Son.    "Am  ^•Il^  siirt?  he  s«i<l  Eieler  Hnll?" 

"Quite  SUIT,"    And  u  Miee  Strakcr  had  KTived  the  point  her- 
wlf,  Pvssy  reiiulvvd  to  curry   it  a  litt]c  further.     "Quiln  lurn,, 
Becauee  he  said  he  muet  hav»  been  mistaken  in  fsBcyiiig  he  eat 
you  ftomen'ben>  t\%e.  the  wiini?  evening." 

There  could  be  no  doubt  about  it.    Ikfiss  Strakcr  was  rer;  di»-l 
quictMl.     She  twiated  her  fing«rs  into  one  unother,  cleared  bor 
throat,  and  tidgrted  a«  «h«  eat. 

"Whi-rt?  did  hv  ibink  he  saw  met"  she  said.  But  the  uttonpt  to 
epcak  uncoDccnicdly  was  not  a  buccww. 

"In  R^-gvuU  Park  oomirm  through  a  grate  into  tliti  inntr  circle,  fajr 
the  Botanic  Garden.    8oroo  one  wim  folIowinK  the  person  he  to<dc, 
for  70U,  and  she  asked  the  uian  at  the  gulu  to  sny  iihc  hud 
in  the  oppoBiIe  direction,"    Miss  Straker  wn?  certainly  very  pale. 

"Thrrt-  in  my  mother,"  nnid  she,  bs  a  kno<-k  cumc  at  the  nlmct* 
door.    She  left  the  room  hurriedly,  as  tbougrh  to  niect  her  comin^;^ 
but  her  FtepH  mounted,  nudibly.     One  eneily  hears  tlie  difltirenc 
between  goini;  upstairs  and  grains  down. 

"Et  puis  I     Xe  se  trouvc-t-ollc  pso  il  la  maison^nia  fillet"  said 
the  Ooblin,  corning  in  n  minute  or  mo  Inter.    "Ow-do',vnii-do,  Uccm 
seeoe?       She-as-leuve-you-by-your.        Self-eet-ees-rude."       Peggy,| 
wifely  shNtflininK  from  ncbool-rooni  French,  raid  Mitts  Straker  \ 
iuat  Bone  upstairs.    She  was  afraid  she  inisht  be  unwell. 

"Slwt  wan  veriwell  r^rinanor.  Ning  I  will  go  and  sec,"  said  the 
Ck>blin,  and  went  upstairs. 

Then  Peggy  hr-nrd  acraps  of  a  colIo(|uy  which  was  (like  the  on© 
Charles  had  overheaitl  under  tlie  same  oiroumslanoes)   probahl; 
more  audible  owing  to  the  speakers'  taking  for  granted  it  wouldl 
not  be  uuderstood. 

"Non— non  I  Jo  ne  me  s^ns  pas  maladc  .  .  .  ne  chuchottc  paa 
.  .  .  ni  lu  n'ns  pus  bi-Miiu  dc  beiigler.  K'esl  il  pas  possible  de  parler 
i  demi-voix  sans  vocifererl"  .  .  . 

''Tu  me  rrproeh(!S  toujournl  .  .  .  Mais,  iju'est  ce  quelle  a  dit — eo 
efletr 

"C'^it  loil"     The  rapid  qwech  disappeared  behind  a  closed^ 
door,  and  became  a  murmur.    Presently  tho  door  opened,  and  ahe 
Oiugbt  Miaa  Straker's  words. 

"Dia  eomuA  J«  le  tous  ai  dit  I    Moi  je  ne  bougo  pas.    Je 
ioL"     The  old  woman   ■aid  stuni-thing  which  might  have  beeifl 
"Hoa  tyran."  and  came  downstairs. 

"EUe   a  un    pen   dc   vertige.   tnn    filW      8he-B8-geedncSB-Q{-4ap 
Kaia,  Hadenioiselle  ni'u  bieu  compria\    C«  ii*«tt\  t\«i^T    ^^n 


946  ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


Frencfi 


PcfCgy  bad  been  bctravod  ia  a  rash  momieDt  into  anying  in  Frin? 
thai  ahe  voinprcbeiidiHl.    It  let  Uadame  looae,  releoang  her  from 
Engliab. 

"Ce  n'est  rienl  ga  va  passer — affaire  d'une  <I«mi-h«urc!  Plait; 
il!  Kaia  comment  fnut-il  vous  en  aller — gi  pen  Je  tempa!  Vri 
meiit,  si  vous  voiis  en  allex,  ic  dois  payer  raiiii-»d<\  Elle 
biimera."  But  Peggy  insieted  on  departing.  She  had  diatinc 
bfard  Mixs  Strnker  sn;  alic  would  not  come  down  again,  no  whcrfi 
was  the  use  of  stopping!!  Neither  she  nor  the  Goblin  really  cared 
for  convprsation,  and  the  Inttt^r  vury  likely  did  not  know  how 
quick  events  had  moved.  If  i«he  had  she  would  have  broached  the 
aubjcct,  inatcnd  of  talking  ahmit  how  Iivt  datightdr  Iiiilliod  hor. 
She  appeared  to  be  referring  to  a  recent  blowing-up,  without  con- 
sidering that  Miss  Heatli  waa  not  9uppos(<d  to  know  aufthtng 
about  it- 

"Ma  fille  me  fait  totijours  le  bouc-fimiBOftirp  dc  see  bfnioa,    Vou* 
Buvei!  bieu  ce  que  c'est — le  boucn^missaire  ?" 

But  Peggy  didn't  know,  and  the  Goblin  didn't  know  what  the 
Kngliah  eiiuiralent  was.  Thia  made  both  ft-ol  the  limitrdncM  of 
tlit^ir  tuinintmion;  so,  after  a  little  more  reciprocal  mieunder- 
standing.  fnr  virility's  snki',  leave-taking  developed  naturally  wi 
out  cfi^-tslinfai^tioTi  to  eiTher. 

Peggy  went  strnight  back  to  her  brother,  thoroughly  iinhnp; 
about  the  whole  concern.  What  did  it  matter  if  Miss  Straker  wi 
unable  to  nceotint  tn  him  for  the  fact  tliat  ahe  waa  out  iil»n(^  lal 
in  Regenta  Park?  There  might  be  a  thousand  ways  of  explain' 
ing  thnt.  Bnt  nothing  cmild  clear  away  tlie  apparently  deliberat« 
falsehood  about  her  having  heat  elsewhere  at  the  time.  And  what 
P^SW  had  ovcrhcnrd  seemed  to  supply  the  motive  for  il.  "C'etait 
lui,"  the  laat  wurdH  she  Iiad  heard  as  the  door  closed,  could  only 
m^-an  that  Mips  Strakcr  had  caught  sight  of  snnic  oni?  she  Oioiight 
Chark«,  and  had  fearciJ  that  hf — whoe^-er  he  was — also  had  seen 
her,  and  had  then  fudged  up  the  Escter  Hall  story  to  cover  contin- 
gencies. Why,  if  she  reciiigntaed  him,  she  should  not  sjwak  to  him 
and  get  his  companionship  and  protection  home  was  a  mystery  to 
Peggy.  But  then  eJie  forgot  (liat  a  young  lady  who  did  not  know 
lier  brother  as  she  did.  might  not  think  bim,  as  she  did,  an  Angel — 
or  if  human,  a  preux  rhevaHer  at  least. 

\-  She  told  Charley  all  her  interview  with  the  daiight*;r,  and  so  far 
na  she  could  he  sure  of  the  French,  of  the  rest  of  her  converaation 
with  lh«  mother.  It  was  all  miserably  unsatisfactory;  almost 
damnatory,  so  far  as  telling  a  lio  went.  Peggy  saw.  before  ahd 
ie£t  Oiurles,  thai  hia  feverish  misery  and  anxiety  were  changing  to 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


S47 


1 


anitry  cosTiclicm.  Fi^nring  he  h)iouI<I  ni^ih  intn  nn  exlrrmc  in  tbU 
direction,  find  do  Mies  Straker  more  injustice.  &ho  trio}  to  eoftcn 
matl«re.  "Vou  know.  <tfur  Cliurli-y."  slu-  siaid,  "thCTi*  ur*  so  many 
thingd  it  miitht  have  been.  And  think  nbat  a  trirl's  t«rror  would  be 
of  one  false  vonslruclion  tliut  roi^cht  Iiavt  bn-n  ptit  »»  lit-r  bt^inj,' 
there  alon«  at  that  time.  Do  you  know ;  I  atmoet  think  1  my»c!f 
miglit  havo  gone  the  k-uKlh  of  n  good  round  lit-  luidcr  the  circum- 
8tan«re." 

"No,  you  wouldn't.  Peg,  Tou  would  have  up  and  explaineil. 
TTou'ri.'  only  Haying  that  to  exonerate  hcT." 

"Ob,  Charley  1  You're  gt^tting  too  hard  o:i  her  before  you  know. 
Now  do,  dear  boy,  do  as  I  eay.  Or  let  it  be  this  way — ni  write 
to  her  at  once,  and  iuiy  thai  I  by  my  atupidity  haTe  made  you  un- 
comfortable.   Put  it  all  on  me," 

"What  po>«J  will  ihut  do)  I  should  linve  to  tell  hex  when  an<!  bow 
I  rccf-gnia-tl  her— the  night  before  last  when  I  came  away  1  Oh, 
Peg^y.  it  will  never  be  Oie  aarac  thing  again.  It's  nil  spoiled  I" 
And  the  poor  fpllow  broke  down  and  wa*  so  miserable,  that  Peggy 
aaw  tbt-re  was  only  one  remetly  possible — nnrescrviHl  explanation. 
If  ^iss  Straker  collapsed,  and  Charles  threw  her  ofi  as  worthless, 
*M  that  aiieh  an  eviU  It  would  Ixr  less  poin  for  bira  to  know  the 
truth  now  and  get  it  over,  than  to  be  undeceived  about  her  too 
hiie.  Bi.'sidex,  wlio  conld  way  iiow  I'drnpli-liOy  »li()  might  not  clear 
herself?  Anyhow,  she  was  entitled  to  a  frank  indictment  and  a 
fair  triaL 

It  was  settled  that  Charles  should  see  her  forthwith  and  should 
i"pcak  plainly,  Peggy  wn»  biddi'U  to  atny  a  wi-ek  in  the  country 
with  a  friend.  She  had  to  be  off  very  soon  to  pack:  in  faci,  she 
looked  at  her  wateh  over  it.  But  CharU-y  wouhl  write  to  her  all 
about  it  directly,  wouldn't  hel  And  he  wouldn't  go  and  do  any- 
thing doaperate,  that  wfl>  a  dear  boy.  would  bet  Peggy  kis^r-<l  him 
exbauatively,  end  said  good-bye.  But  she  went  away  with  mia> 
Sivings  in  her  heart. 


CHAPTER  XSJV 


OF  Vim  PttXISSK  S  SECOKO  OIIOST,  AND  IIKtt  CAT,  MOSES.  flllE  IS  NOT 
ao  »CR.\aGy.  AFTER  ALL.  PaVCHICAL  BESEAROl.  HOW  CHARLEil 
MOKE  MUM  KTRAXEK  qCITK  Orr.  UISS  OEOUGIE  AUHOWSUITII. 
FBOUy  WILL  ME  Utas  STBAKKK  AOAIN 

Poor  Charl«y  could  not  ecrew  his  oourajce  up  to  sticking  point. 
It  was  perhaps  »  rclii^  to  him  that  Mr.  Jprfjihoiight  spj>c«r<?(t,  and 
took  Uim  awiiy  lo  hmch.  This  Keutlcinan.  the  largeness  of  whoao 
heart  seemed  capable  of  welcoming  the  widest  posribio  circle  of 
frit-mis.  hud  reotiitlj-  tweu  alimrbtd  iuto  the  hosoma  of  th«  Miaa 
I*ryunes  nil  tlie  second  floor.  This  rapprockrmrni  had  betn  effected 
hy  n  se^'ond  nppearaneo  of  tho  Knmc  ghost  in  the  sucre<l  hwlcbamber 
of  the  ladies,  nl  mi  ourlj-  hour  of  the  morning;  when  there  was  no 
doubt  the  door  was  loeked,  and  was  found  locked  by  the  occupants; 
who  when  full  dnytight  ca:nt  mustered  courage  (o  get  up  and  over- 
haul ihi.-  njiparition  of  tlie  gloaming.  Tts  authentication  as  a 
speetro  hnd  cleared  Mr.  Jcrrytbought's  charaeter.  and  «spiTJwion» 
of  th<T  n-inciraii  of  the  two  youngish  ladicrs  for  tltc  iiyustiee  they 
had  done  him  wcro  reported  willioitt  reser^-ation  by  Mrs.  Farwig. 
whom  we  think  wb  hovt-  mentiuiii'd  before.  You  may  remember 
perhaps  that  she  did  for  the  Miss  Prynnes,  She  also  did  out 
Mr.  JerrytlicMighl.  But  tlicw  doings  out  wen-  xporndic — slic  only 
done  the  top-tenant  out  now  and  again,  just  to  get  hiiu  n  little  tidy, 
or  wherever  would  he  '■'  htvnl  Her  function  in  the  i:ic-idcnt  on 
hniid  was  to  convey  to  Mr.  .Icrrythought  the  ajwlogies  of  the  two 
ladies,  snd  their  wnsc  of  the  injustice  they  dono  him.  without 
commitliiig  cither  party  to  nn  «i'knowlt?dgmL'nl  that  it  knew  the 
other  party  giv'  Mm.  Fnrwig  leave  to  say  any  such  a  remark  parned- 
Noboily  was  to  know  that  anything  of  anj-  sex  wluilever  had  been 
seen  prowling  about  the  apartments  of  its  anti-tj-pes. 

Nevcrtlieleas  the  eecond-floor  had  felt  that  uHHmd*  were  du<r  to  ■ 
the  attics,  and  had  wished  them  a  good-morning,  on  the  stairs. 
The  attii's  wero  not  going  to  miff  off  and  btt  hutTy,  and  hud  re- 
sponded. Both  were  conscious  that  the  substratum  of  events  was 
tlie  gho.it;  hiit  that  if  alluded  to  at  oil,  it  would  hiivc  lu  tx!  when 
scquaiiitanee  was  maturer.  Another  at«p  forward  was  made  owinK 
to  0  Pursian  cat,  the  properly  o*  "     Uis*  Prj-nne»,  finding  that  a 


I 
4 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


149 


chiiir  in  tkft  a(tie  studio  wa.t  good  to  nlocp,  curl  up,  and  Mntdi  oo. 
The  first  time  ihie  cat,  whose  name  was  Hoaes,  appeared  in  Ur. 
Jfirrjthougfat'ii  mom  vnjuyinK  n  ri>fre»hit>g  »lumb<T  on  the  wid 
cliair,  that  (tentleman,  not  realising;  ita  identity,  conceived  the  idea 
of  taking  it  by  the  Bcmff  of  the  neck  and  cjcctinft  it.  Hut  Moms 
WSB  capable  of  inlen§e  deliberation  coinliiiied  with  iiiconceivuble 
rapidity  of  action.  When  the  Hcruft  was  within  a  ynrd  of  the 
hand  that  was  lo  lake  it.  Moaes  be^an  to  consider  placiiily  w!iat 
he  shonld  do  when  it  nhoiild  be  within  a  foot  lie  turned  the  matter 
well  over  in  his  mind,  without  undue  haale.  and  dtcidi-d  that  if  it 
caine  ncarrr  hn  would  gvt  ready  to  djotc  townrds  the  door.  When 
it  was  an  inch  off.  he  varied  hia  proprramme  and  wt-nl  away  with 
R  ffickct.  in  the  oppofito  direction.  Tie  left  the  room  after  trying 
to  rip  the  floor  up.  and  yawnin(f.  Btil  having  seen  that  the  chair 
was  ffood.  bn  rcapjifjintl  in  it  nt  interval*  (without  allowing  him«clf 
to  be  infiueneed  by  closed  doors  and  windows)  and  when  missed 
downxtaint  would  be  mOnimed  by  hi*  owner*.  Probably  he  wnn 
mainly  responsible  for  the  visiting  acquaintance  between  the  sec- 
ond>floor  and  the  atticK  liaving  eo  niellowi?d  that  comparison  of 
soles  about  the  i^boat  luid  become  possible  by  the  time  Gkarlea 
and  ilr.  Jeff  were  lunchinR  toRctber  at  Creraoncini's,  at  the  prea- 
viit  moment  of  tbis  story.  Even  Charles'*  painful  preoccupation 
(ascribed  by  Jeff  to  stomach)  did  not  altogether  prevent  his  paying 
nltrntion  to  this  last  appearance  of  the  ghost.  Let  us  follow  Jeff's 
nsrratiw; — 

"She  ain't  so  very  wrnRpy  wlitn  you  come  to  shake  hands  witli 
her — the  younffcst  one  I  menn.  It's  more  ae  a  conpio  it  tcUfl,  and 
tlien  you  notice  it  No  I  1  should  say  ihe  youDgeart — ahe'e  Miaa 
Dorothea— didn't  ran  over  eight  and  twenty  to  thirty.  8h«  mw 
the  ghoHt.  They  admitttfd  they  wns  in  bed — but  then,  of  courae, 
I'm  ircttin'  like  an  old  acijuaintanee " 

"But  I  say,  Jeff,  thia  was  before  it  was  daylight,  as  I  under- 
rtand/' 

«Yes.  sort  o'  half-lighl." 

"Then  where  the  dickeni«  would  tlwy  be  hul  in  bed  t"  .4nd  to  thin 
Jeff  replies  enigmatically,  "Some  women  are  like  that,  when  single." 
And  rather  makes  a  parade  of  bis  knowledge  of  the  vari«tivs  of  thin 
Strange  animal. 

"The  WTraggiput  one— she's  Miss  Loura— she  didn't  ace  the  ghost, 
or  only  just.  She's  au  excellent  sort  of  female,  you  know,  Charley; 
1'tc  nothing  to  eay  against  her— only  it'*  no  use  trying  to  draw 
a  veil  over  her.  It  would  be  affectation!  Because  fon^  dcot  S%. 
«nd  scraggy  to  a  degree " 


360 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


How  much  did  ibo 


"But  about  the  ghoBt — the  giiost! 
one  net- 1" 

"Sho  oouldu't  see  because  her  eye!!  doo't  come  open  easy  first 
thing  in  tho  nioniing.  But  MisM  DorolbiM  saw  Iier  quilu  pisin. 
Sho  hfld  a  lot  of  grey  hnir  and  a  sort  of  sacquc  as  they  used  to  call 
'«m — flowored  silk — nud  othi  hand  to  her  side.  I  told  '&n  in  my 
opinion  it  was  the  iihost  of  the  bones  in  the  cellar— you  pecoUect!" 

"Rulbi-r!     Wliy.  it's  not  u  twt;lvemoutli  ojuro.    But  don't  you  seo 
what  it  is,  Jeffi    They  read  all  nlwiit  the  boncx  in  the  nirwRpapOTs, 
ami  luiw  tlip«T  was  a  tlowertd  silk  ball-dres^,  and  then  they  go  and 
see  a  iihost  to  mateh.     They  don't  ace  exoelly  the  same  things 
that  would  bv  flat  and  uniiiteresting.     They  make  the  dress  a 
peisDoir,  and  the  powdered  toupoe  cornea  out  grey  hnir.    Then  lh«, 
bonM  had  lieeii  run  througrh,  so  ihey  stick  her  hand  to  her  side 
But  that's  what  it  is  of  course  !**    The  code  of  honour  in  matter*  o( 
Psyehieal  Research  is  ao  very  queer  that  Charlea  thouRht  uolhioff 
of  conactotisly  keeping  back  Alinr's  di'tjiil  of  the  hand  od  her  aitli 
He  was  not  goine  to  eoeouraice  superstition. 

"Xow — 1  gay  I"    Jeff  is  indipnant.    "What  on  earth  hnrc  tb 
Misa  Pryiini's  to  gain  by  eookin'  up  a  ghost  ?"' 

"They  don't  cook  it  up.  my  dear  JeffI    Of  course  Mins  Thoodor 
tkourjhl  she  saw  the  gbost,  just  as  she  deseribr-d  it," 

"Thought  be  hanged  1"'  says  Jeif.  "Besides,  her  name's  Doro- 
thea." He  is  very  unconviiic(>d,  but  it  is  Iiecausu  a  slight  has  beea 
put  upon  Am  ghost.  If  the  ghost  had  originated  elsewhere  ho  might 
have  ^out^  on  another  tnck.  ^h 

ClinrWs  temper  is  not  at  his  bei^t.  because  of  his  cireutnstanceaj^l 
Thej-  make  him  supercilious  and  irritatiog.    "I  should  he  incHned^^ 
to  refer  the  second  ghost  to  a  more  reflex  action  of  the  ncn-e* 
centres," 

"Reflex  Grandmother!"  interjected  Jpff;  "1  tell  you  what 
Charley  1    If  .you're  going  to  talk  rot,  I  ahull  'ook  it," 

"Reflex  action  of  the  nerve  centres,  consequent  on  httTing  twea^ 
the  Grsl.    The  6rat  one  is  less  ditBcult  to  account  for.    It  was  out 
in  the  passage,  and  we  luiTen't  got  to  deal  with  the  difficulty  o£] 
the  locked  door." 

■'Who  saw  ■  ghost  himself?     Come  now.  Charley  'Eath,  ar 
that!  Who  saw  a  feminine  form  iu  a  flowered  silk  drt-ssing-gownl 

"Of  course  I  did  1     I  wns  eomiuK  to  that,  only  you're  in  irnch  a 
hurry.  Jefll     Well,  we  knuw  that  one  wasn't  a  Khost,  hecause  I 
ncrer  see  ghosts.    I  ought  to  know.    Well  I    Mr*.  Farwig  got-ji  and 
talks  all  abotit  that  ghost  to  the  Uissee  Pryniics,  and  they  bein^, 
onlj  a  couple  of  ailly  hystcTiwI  """ma,  of  cournc  go  and  ace 


1 

ut 

ilty  o£^ 

inswej^H 
[ownf^^ 


I 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


SSI 


|cbo«t  of  the  »&mc  pattern.  They'll  svt  eome  more  liko  it  directly 
— you  wc  if  tbry  don'l !" 

'"Now.  do,  you.  mean,  to  say,"  eays  Jeff,  gee-eawing  his  words,  as 
one  wbo  waimK  up  to  urgumnit.  "tliat  liliss  Dorotlicn  Prrniu?  is  a 
I«dy  you  wouldn't  believe  on  oath  ?  And  if  so.  why  not  a  ghost  on 
thr  stitirK  an  wrll  n*  anything  Hnoi" 

"Beeau^e  of  its  intrinsic  improbability,"  Charles  is  rather  proud 
of  thiK,  hut  JcIT  flouts  it.  "lutrinHic:  OrundroollicT !"  says  hi'.  He 
is  tu  the  hahit  of  resorting  to  this  form  of  sneer.  It  is  not  complex, 
and  iipprars  to  he  to  some  minds  exlmuxtivt. 

The  discussion  of  the  ghost  goes  on  as  such  discussions  do,  not 
cxBPlly  cimfirming  the  opinions  of  the.  conlron-rsialists  (fur  they 
may  bare  none),  but  strengthening  their  respective  determinations 
to  uphold  the  first  thc^ia  each  has  committed  himwlf  to.  This  is 
called  sticking  to  the  point,  and  each  enjoins  the  other  to  stick 
to  it  nt  intcrvnls;  alnays  meaning  of  oounc  hiit  own  point,  not 
the  other's.  If  the  discussion  is  abotit  a  ^hosi,  neither  i^ares  much 
nboui  the  question,  but  each  in  uxually  ia  love  with  his  own  ^If- 
sBMrtion.  as  in  tlie  pn-aait  case. 

When  each  had  tnid  the  other  wrpral  times  that  he  was  per- 
fectly »ui reasonable,  Charles  anil  Jeff  mint  Imck  to  work;  the  lalier 
perhaps  to  wonder  at  himself  for  having  espoused  the  cause  of  Miss 
Dorothea's  testimony  so  slr<)ngly.  1l«'  former  to  r««olle(!t  how 
iinhappy  he  was  and  what  an  unpleasant  task  he  had  before  him. 
For  even  if  some  explanation  was  forthcoming,  the  Exeter  Rail 
•tory  wa»  »  fib — must  have  been ! 

Ab  soon  as  ever  he  could  brood  over  his  trouble  again  undisturbed, 
he  brooded.  Did  it  cros"  his  mind,  we  wonder,  in  the  smallest  pos- 
sible degree  that  be  bad  Just  been  able  to  tako  a  certain  interest 
in  A  wrangle  about  a  gbost.  in  sjiite  of  it?  However,  it  is  quiin 
true,  no  doubt,  that  it  came  buck  upon  him  in  full  force  when  left 
to  himwif. 

He  brooded  continually,  but  could  not  bring  himself  to  go 
•traight  to  Miiw  Rimkcr,  as  he  ought  to  have  done,  and  ns  he  had 
arranged  to  do  with  Peggy-  Someliow  it  had  seemed  ea§ier  to  him 
to  do  it,  ill  hitr  |]n-Acti<«.  His  courngir  hud  fiiilrd  him  nuw,  and  ho 
could  not  even  bring  himself  to  write  until  quite  late  in  the  even- 
ing. Then  after  a  hng  Iftler  to  Peggy.  '"  which  he  said,  "I  am 
vriling  to  Lavinia," — a  convenient  ambiguity. — he  wrote  another 
to  the  latter  Hiying  that  all  must  be  at  an  end  botwor^n  thorn.  She 
faereelf  had  truly  said  that  there  must  be  no  coneealmeBta  on 
MtlwT  part,  an<]  he  could  not  but  fM'l  after  what  hi*  nstcr  had  told 
him  of  their  interview  two  days  since  that  Wia  wwn  <ia\A4Rt«» 


952 


ALICE-FOH-SHORT 


qoirf  ^1 


in  Wr  liit<l  bwn  mUpUced:  an  nppnrentljr  in  order  to  avoid  inquiry 
into  soiu«tliiiiff  possibly  quite  I>lainel«M  in  iUelf  she  bad  rc-j)arTr<) 
tn  a  ftuli-racnt  thut  wan  nl  1i:it>it  a  aubt«rfusi:!.  uad  ntu-r  such  a 
thinic  liad  once  corae  to  his  knowledge  it  vns  impossible  that  hia- 
fttttlitiS^  for  hvr  Ahuulii  n-inHin  ticii-'lianged.  Shu  hail  uut  ireslMl 
him  ne  be  had  trcnt<^  her.  She  could  imftgino  whtit  it  coat  him  to 
8fly  fiiD-wi'll,  but  he  <JOuld  iK<e  no  other  courai!  open  to  him.  He 
had  much  better  have  saved  himself  so  many  words,  and  nritlcn: 
"You  told  me  a  lie  about  Exeter  Hall,  and  fou  muHt  have  hud  a 
(Cood  rcflson;  so  1  won't  tnnrry  you.  U>  off!"  Why  muM 
writers  ulwa.vs  be  ho  eeutentjous? 

"Ob  denr— oh  dcnr!"  »nid  Peggy,  when  nhe  had  n>fld  thro^ 
Charles's  letter  to  her,  coiitaiaiint  »u  abstract  of  the  above,  "■viha) 
a  mess  that  dr«r  boy  doea  get  inlo  whenever  I'm  not  there  to  look 
after  biiu  I"     And  theu  under  pledfres  of  strictest  secrecy  she  toid 
the  facts  and  showed  the  letter  to  a  Tcry  great  friend,  "the  eldest 
dauichter  where  she  was  staying^  (wc  absolve  ourwelves  from  any] 
ahBrn  in  the  construction  of  this  phrase,  by  inverted  commas),  a: 
that  youug  lady'a  remarks  are  wortli  recording.     Though  ou 
twenty-three,  she  had  had  great  eTpericnce. 

"Fancy  breaking  it  olT  on  high  moral  grounda!    As  if  Ikal  could 
last  I"    Peggy  felt  her  own  position  called  for  some  justificatioa. 

"T  iltcln't  want  it  broken  off,  (icorgiu  dear.    I  only  wuutod  all 
he  clear  as  soon  as  possible." 

"Well,  of  coorBc,"  Mid  Georgic,  who  alway*  posed  ss  an  autho: 
ity,  "if  fhere'a  to  he  a  row,  the  sooner  the  better  I    It's  no  use  hold- 
ing in — it's  woiac  when  it  comes." 

"It's  such  an  iujusiice  to  the  iwor  girl " 

"Bother  the  poor  girl  1"  interjects  Georgie. 

" to  puaa  judgment  on  h>T  in  ihis  sort  of  way.    What  ean  shft 

poflsibly  do  I    Write  and  beg  pardon  f    What  would  you  do  yourself 
now,  Oeorgie!" 

"I  should  write  fast  enough.  But  I  shouldn't  beg  pardon.  What 
would  it  be  for?  I  might  confess  to  the  wrong  murder.  No!  I 
should  tell  him  it  was  clear  ho  had  never  loved  me—that  he  didn'trj 
love  m>-  now — thot  it  wu»  evident  he  lovud  some  one  else — uamiugi 
who,  where  possible.  I  should  point  out  that  he  bad  slighted  and 
inaultrd  me,  but  for  nil  tlmt  I  sliould  never  lovft  another,  and  I 
should  wind  up  by  suggesting  that  I  ehould  pass  the  rert  of  my  Ufi 
praying  for  bin  happineea," 

"iiut  it  woid<]  be  so  much  better  to  have  a  complete  ezplaiiatioii 
and  gi'I  it  ul!  dear " 

"Would  it  though!    Now  look  here,  Margaret  I    My  w«y.  the 


I 


AUCE-FOE-SHORT 


chap  would  be  on  hia  kneir^.  brgging  m;  pardon,  nnd  promising 
never  t4>  <)o  *o  a.a^  more.  KxptaoAtion-waf.  it  would  be  jaw,  juw, 
JAw.  and  there  would  m-rer  U'  an  <^nd  of  it!  Bcnidcs,  in  affain  of 
this  sort  it's  no  use  brinjiinfi  in  foreiim  matter — morality  and  jua- 
tiee  and  right  an<l  ull  (lint  sort  of  tiling.  HowcTcr,  no  doubt  you 
would  be  glad  for  thi§  one  to  come  to  an  end — now  wouldn't  you  !'* 

"Tht!  only  tiling  that  would  make  id«  glad  would  be  that  Charley 
should  be  happy,  and  now  he  won't  be." 

Wo  ur<!  Horry  thiit  Peggy's  friend.  Miss  Arrowstnith,  has  no  moT 
plaoe  iu  this  story,  because  it  seems  to  us  that  there  is  juucli  in  her 
SUini<^lion  that,  in  the  court  of  Love,  Love  himself  dhould  be  judgn 
>i>d  Jury,  police  und  wituesKes.  usher,  gnoler,  exc«utioni-r — tiint  ho 
should  write  the  records,  grant  the  reprieves,  forge  the  fetters, 
sharpen  tht!  axM,  keep  tlie  key  of  Hut  slocks — rt-ward  the  de-«rrving, 
and  reprimand  the  culprits.  We  have  re-worded  her;  but  if  that 
was  what  Hhe  meant,  we  are  inclined  to  agree. 

Peggy  wrote  hack  to  Chark-s  bnggtiig  him  to  go  at  once  nnd  giva 
poor  Larinia  a  chance  to  defend  herself.  She  also  wrote  to  Uupert. 
ordering  him  t»  go  without  delay  to  CharlcH.  and  telling  him  what 
to  say.    He  did  oa  he  whs  bid.  going  alralgbt  to  thi>  Studio. 

"That's  what  Peg  snys  1  am  to  say,  Charley,"  said  he,  when  ho 
had  finiHtiiiL 

"Mias  Straker  can  write,"  said  Charles,  grimly.  "What  do  yon 
tliink  yourself,  ParBeelsuH^' 

"Tell  me  more  about  the  Park  incident.  Was  this  man  with  her 
there?" 

"Ko— he  was  following  at  some  distance.  She  might  haire  out- 
wntki^  or  outrun  him."  Tic  put  his  palette  arid  brunhcii  down 
and  leaned  bis  mabl-stick  against  the  angle  of  the  chlmney-piecfl; 
obviously,  a  pipe  wn«  better  than  trying  to  work  when  you  couldn't 
work. 

"I  don't  tbink  anything  of  the  incident  tn  itself,"  he  mtumed. 
"if  only  she  hadn't  told  that  Eseter  Hall  story  I  No — Faracelsusi 
dear!  I'm  not  ibe  only  mim  that  ever  was  disillusionrd.  There'l 
nothing  for  it  but  to  forget  it."  And  Charles  sits  on  and  pu 
at  B  coDKolatory  pipe,  gazing  at  tlie  fire  on  the  liearlh  (for 
time  came  again,  with  decision,  some  time  since),  and  his  fri«ii 
•lands  (^^o«ito  to  him,  in  nil  the  fulness  of  his  own  triumphao 
bappinua.  and  feeU  a  greater  pity  from  the'  contrast  of  their  Iota, 
But.  whatever  bis  instructions  were  from  headquarters  (perhaps 
heartqnartvn  would  be  n<Nin:r  the  mark)  he  was  not  going  to  »itf 
a  word  that  would  start  the  bare  afresh.  It  was  clearly  bcM,  ^W\. 
Charley  ahould  paas  through  this  extictWacc,  iLiii 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


And  vrhalt  Wbat  Paratvlsiis  ne«r1v  sutd  to  htnuclf  was,  "And 
marrr  a  decent  woman."  But  he  didn't  iiuilc  sa.v  it;  he  paused 
and  ami-tidpd  the  unissued  thought  into,  "Pi-ggj-  will  find  somebody 
to  con»ol«  hiui." 

Bill  Peggy  wnsn't  going  to  Iji-gin  tliia  qii<yit  till  ht-r  (ionscimo© 
was  quite  Itnppy  about  Uiss  Straker.  When  fihe  caiue  hack  a  £ew 
(inys  after,  she  found  Charles  luid  rweivtHl  no  reply  lo  his  lettt-r. 
"But  1  tell  you  this  plainly,  Charley,"  said  she,  "if  I  had  received 
xudi  It  l<!tti<r  us  yours  myiidf,  I  sUoultl  luiv<!  torn  it  uji  in  a  rage. 
/  wouldn't  have  answered  it,  and  I'm  not  surprised  at  Lavinia  nol 
having  done  so.'"  She  was  lo  ix-  T.uvinia  nlill.  in  Peggy's  mouth 
St  lea^t.  Wna  ('harles  quite  certain  he  welcomed  the  fa<:t,  after 
doing  so  much  forgetting — of  which  the  first  forty-eight  hours 
had  Itrtm  so  i-ery  painful  and  Uboriouc)  Would  be  not  rather 
have  had  some  more  definite  asBistance  towards  bis  present 
attitude? 

"I  tell  you  what  I  shall  do,"  said  hiB  sister,  "unleae  you  positively 
order  me  not.  I  shall  go  to  Lavinin  myiu-lf  and  talk  about  It,  and 
get  at  the  whole  tnith.    I  suppose,  Charley  dear " 

"Yes,  Poggy-Woggy — what  ['' 

"I  suppose  that  if  it  all  turns  out  a  lot  of  mares'-nests,  you  ipi 
be  glad — reallf/  glad  t" 

"Oh.  Foggy  dearest,  who  wouldn't  be  gUd  in  my  circumstances! 
Wliat  do  you  take  me  for?" 

"A  dear  silly  old  Itoy.    I  sliall  go  lo  LnvinSa  to-morrow,  anyhow !" 

How  much  better  it  would  be  if  everybody  alwoyn  let  fvcry  one 
else's  love  nffnirs  alone — shut  their  ej-rt  tight  and  looked  iho 
other  way.    But  we  don't  want  to  blame  Peggy,  mind  you ! 


^ 


CHAPTER  XXV 


CHARLBfl  AND  JBPF  00  TO  SEE  VERKtNDCa.      HE  WILL  NOT  VSK  HIS  OLD 
PAUIT8  my  HOKK 

CnjJiLKM  Mt  tDiich  too  tItsfKvvri  to  work  effwrtiially.  and  in  the 
course  of  his  broodiDRs  over  the  position  futuid  Wiii»elf  itnndw,- idl- 
ing into  hi«  pTMonal  rprrric*  a  good  deal  of  Jeff's  ghost;  that  was 
the  deflcripiioa  his  mind  reeogmiaed  the  la-Hl  iij>p<>iirum^t-  by.  He 
regarded  his  own  as  more  suthcntie:  Alicp's  original  venture  as 
the  moHt  *ti.  Tliey  Ki»l  value  io  proportion  ti>  the  iiniounl  of  aug- 
fteetion  prticcding  their  oocurrenee. 

Thir  ghoat  rviainded  him  that  he  bad  never  been  to  hunt  up 
Verrinder  a^ain.  That  would  be  a  nice  thins  to  do  now.  He 
would  ^^t  >I<'lf  to  come  niid  the^  would  go  tot(i:ther.  It  was  the 
fifth  of  November;  a  Kr«y  negative  day — wasn't  going  to  anow — 
wsan't  going  to  rnin — much  loo  npathetic!  It  would  he  a  capital 
do;  for  the  fireworks.  Su  Charles  and  Je9  decided,  as  they  char- 
tered a  promiiiing  hnnsnm  fur  the  espodition.  They  spoke  of  "tlio 
Fireworks"  as  one  of  the  ueeessilieii  of  the  year — as  Protestants 
and  Engliihmf-n! 

Jeff  was  acquainted  with  the  general  bearing  Verrinder  had  ou 
thi!  lion«e.  and  under^tond  lliat  light  might  ho  thrown  on  Chnrlcx's 
ghost  by  hiin,  and  indirectly  on  his  own.  However  much  Charles 
might  Regard  it  as  "purely  nubjoctive."  htt  intended  to  nppropriiitn 
any  illumination  thrown  on  the  one  as  equally  applicable  to  the 
othi-r.  He  Mpoke  unhcHitatingly  of  both  sulijtwtirity  and  objectivity 
as  Grandmother.  Uis  frequent  use  of  this  expression  compels  repe- 
titirin  ad  nauteam. 

"1  was  in  two  minds."  said  Jeff  as  the  cab  rolled  away,  "whether 
to  invitj'.  tlic  Miss  Prj-nncs  to  come  too  (of  courw  onkin*  you  fintt, 
Charley,  don't  you  know)  I  Only  they  couldn't  both  have  rode 
bodkin." 

"You're  a  nice  chapl  Besides.  T  don't  see  why  the  Miss  Prynnes 
should  be  in  it." 

"Tbi-y  saw  the  ghost.  No!  Eeally,  Charley 'Eath.  you  may  make 
gtunc;  but  Mi«  Dorothea's  a  vi-ry  inti'lligi'nt  pexnon." 

"We  (wuldn'l  hare  done  it  without  Iwo  «k\i*,  Ini  «.\\.  Sia.'C    ^a«&. 

2&5 


i 


9»» 


ALICEFORSHOBT 


• 


i n si in<! lively  aToitl  discussion  of  bow  lo  divido  the  pictured  ittut, 
of  the  four  lictwepn  the  wibe  they  couldn't,  hare  done  without, 
ordtr  not  lo  prupitk  with  the  poiiii  of  which  should  ride  with 
wliich.  It  i«  tho  elder  Sliw  Crynne  (a  mere  m^ue  potentiality  in 
this  caAe)  diBt  is  the  kuI  stumbling-hlock.  Chirks  feels  a  diangc 
<if  Kubjcct  wowld  be  conFiderate. 

"I  Bay,  Jefll    YouV«  lived  in  Paris.    Wlial  doee  a  Mossoo 
by  a  iniwry-Doseeay  r' 

"A  whatr 

"A  RiiacrT-DORegay." 

"S©roebo«iy'a  been  'oaxin'  you.    What's  the  FrMieh  for  jlf" 

"A  BouqaeMnisire.    What'?  that  if  it  isn't  a  nusory-noeegayl 
An  old  party  said  tt  to  my  sinter  Pr^.-f:?.'* 

JefT  piMtiled  ahotit,  tryinR  tho  words  over  and  over,  and  at  la 
announced  that  he'd  spottetl  it.    "It's  what  the  Mossooa  e*U  tha' 
pictiirt  of  Holnuin  Hunt's — Ifi  bouc-^missaire.'    The  eerape-Roal. 
don't  yon  know,  in  tlie  Wild<Tniw».    But  then  tlicy  call  oil  sort*  oi 
thtntre  all  sorts  of  thin^!    You  never  know  where  to  have  'em."- 
And  with  Kwch  convcntntion  llicy  whilcd  away  tho  time  durii^ 
drive  to  Lambeth. 

Tile  mriffhboiirhood  •Mmod  rtplctc  with  Ouya — ^morc  »o  than 
whut  Charles  accounted  the  more  civilised  regions  north  of 
Tbomeit.    A  vigorouM  Protestant ivm  tvcmcd  to  flourifh.    As  ihi 
stood  oa  the  doorstep  of  the  houw  Verrinder  lived  in  the  atti 
of,  an  extremely  young  group  of  nnti-Pspixts  aitsailed  their  «a 
with  the  corrupt  and  worthless  modern  substitute  for  the  origin 
exhortation  lo  aympathiae,  which  wnn  Kufiicicnt  in  our  youth, 
old  times  they  would  have  paraded  their  inability  to  see  aw)'  reaBo: 
why  Gunpowder  Tn-iwoii  ■hould  ever  be  forgot.     Now  they  hri 
"Guy  Fox  Guy.  hit  htm  >n  the  eye."  which  seemed  unhiatori' 
The  Guy,  in  llicir  cn«c,  wim  a  wry  small  boy,  oonducled  by  han 
owinK  to  his  niash  not  fitljim.  and  obscuring  his  vleion.     lie  solic- 
ited a  pvtiny  to  burn  himself — an  appeal  that  would  huw  touchi 
a  harder  heart  than  Charles's. 

Tho  first  pulln — plautFibte  one* — at  two  of  tho  bolls  on  tho  di 
posts  wwre  ignored.  The  second  series,  backed  by  a  knock  th. 
Bpoke  impatk-ncc,  was  answered  with  reluctance.  The  function 
the  dooropcner.  when  it  was  at  last  opened,  apiwared  to  be 
Oppom  ingroM,  yet  to  act  ns  a  medium  of  eommiinicatiou  with  a 
concealed  authoHly.  The  result  was  not  encouraging.  The  author- 
ity would  not  undertake  to  say  Mr.  Verrinder  was  nut  in,  but  would 
not  interest  itself  aclively.  Its  manner  suggested  disbelief  that 
uv  one  could  possibly  want  to  aoc  Mr.  Verrinder.   "Do  you  know 


M 


AlICE-FOR-SHORT 


257 


Tb.  TerTiDilert"  it  shouted  from  its  lair  at  tbe  end  of  a  laag 
pa!»<iffc.  Cbsrli's  said  y*,  unqtii^Htioniibl; !  "I  *tippi>»!  you  know 
he's  riftht  up  atop  o'  the  houael"  Charles  eaid  he  had  been  up  to 
Mr.  Verrinder's  room  oIlc^^  befons,  Tbf>  mitiioritj'  Uim^on  nppwirwd 
in  its  shirt-sleeree,  rolled  up,  and  stood  soapinft  its  arms  at  the 
end  of  tbe  pasenge.  ''I  ^ippiMir,"  euiid  their  nvui-r.  a  willov  and 
depreesed  man,  "I  may  relj'  on  you  two  Kentlemeii  to  say  I  nerer 
pivc  Ic-BTC,  to  latoriwnilf-  me  fr<nn  U-iii"  'iiwlcil  orcr  the  ccinlii;  if  so, 
up  you  goes,  and  weleouiel"  Charles  gave  llie  required  uoder- 
takinff,  and  the  dour-ward  nOnxcd.  "It  ain"t  Mr.  Vcrrindpr  so 
much  as  my  missis  I'm  keeplu'  la  view."  said  the  »oaper.  still  luxu> 
riating  in  wap'strokcM  nil  down  liis  8nn)>. 

Cfaarlea  and  JeS  passed  up  tbe  wooden  aiaira;  not  folloired  hf 
the  girl  who  bad  opened  thn  door,  but  conscious  that  the  soaper 
cnmo  out  alome  the  pai'ntK  and  irlaneed  up  after  them. 

Up  wpnt  back,  swmitig  Katisfied.  Xo  tenant  appeared  on  the 
way  up.  except  a  suddt-u  younjr  mau.  who  flunK  liiH  door  wide 
open,  said  abruptly,  "Oh,  1  hvg  your  pardou,"  quite  unre-iuonnbly, 
and  Hhut  it  again  with  ii  slum. 

Tbe  door  of  the  room  Charles  had  entered  by  on  bis  previous 
vinit  wiut  cloMd.  and  no  nnRWcr  onmc  to  his  knock.    lie  kiioekeAj 
more  than  once.     Verrinder  evidently  wasn't  there.    "I  shall  risk™ 
trring  the  door,  ns  we've  come  such  a  long  w«y,"  said  Charles;  "he 
may  be  asleep."    But  the  lioor  w«i»  loi-ked.    They  pudied  oanb 
inidnr  thi-  <loor;  then  turned  and  went  downstair*. 

Charles  went  down  in  front,  Jeff  did  not  follow  closely.  "It's 
no  use  stopping,  Jeff,"  said  Charles,  "we  murt  give  it  op  and  learo 
s  messaice."  But  Jeff  hung  back.  "What's  tbe  rumpus,  Jeff  f  said 
Charles  from  below. 

"Just  eome  up  here  balf-a-minute.  It's  rum!  At  least  I  can't 
make  it  out."  Cbnrles  went  up  again.  The  reason  be  was  sum- 
moned was  that  Jeff,  as  hia  eye  came  on  tbe  level  with  tbe  keyhole, 
Nw  that  it  was  blaek;  while  lie  bad  noticed  thnt  light  wa.H  coming 
tbroURh  the  opening  tliey  had  pushed  the  cards  through. 

«The  key-H  in  tb.r  lock,"  said  Jeff.  ^ 

"What  of  that  r  ■ 

"How  did  be  lock  tlie  door  when  he  wrat  outt"  ^M 

"There's  another  lock."  ^ 

"So,  tlH-rr  isn't.    He's  in  therw  stilL" 

"Ob  nol  He  came  out  by  the  other  door — there's  a  door  to  tbe 
other  room.  Come  along,  Jeff  I  Well  mention  it  downstairs.  De* 
pend  on  it,  Sir.  Soapy  knows.  C^me  along!"  But  fot  &VV  \VaX 
Cbarln  rtimembcre  eb-jirly  that  pictures  vei«  v^^*^  V^iat^  u;^\a9\ 


M 


S«8 


ALICE-FOB-SHORX 

tt  w«s  from  there  Verrinder  lo<^  the  portrut 


r  nn 
ay 

1 


that  oflicT  door. 
PhyUifl. 

"Hnin't  you  fognd  him  ("  ssys  the  soapy  oiio,  comitur  forth  dry." 
and   pulling  on  an  oven-ont.     Hi:  has  been   unartenin^  for  nn 
oxciinion,  and  uiiist  be  utilised  before  he  reaches  the  street  di 
He  means  (toiug.  elearly. 

"We  hnvi'ii't  found  him.    And  his  door's  locked  inside, 
the  key's  in  the  door." 

"S'poBc  he's  oiit !"'   The  speaker  ignores  the  diffieullies  in  the  way 
of  this  solution — perhaps  does  not  perceive  them.    "Amelia!" 
rtsjioiise  comes  from  the  basemenf-. 

"Mr.   Verrinder's  gone  out,  ain't  he?"     The  maid-of-all-ivo: 
comes  to  the  snrfaee. 

"He  hasn't  look  iu  his  milk — nor  yet  the  esn — nor  yet  I  haven't 
lienrd  him."    Then  she  ends  np,  ns  it  strikes  Charles  most  iiieon* 
seciitively,     "1  shouldn't  worrit,  Jlr.  Tnluall,  if  I  was  yoiL"    B 
»he  wails,  wiping  her  hnnils  on  her  apron. 

Mr,  Tatnall  apix-Krs  to  be  eonsidering — in  fact  to  have  for 
monieut  put  nsidf  his  intention  to  go  out.  He  seems  to  hope 
suekiiig  bin  eheeks  in  and  feeling  for  inspiration  on  llieir  n 
shaved  surfaces  with  his  thumb  and  middle  finger  will  lead 
results,  but  does  not  seem  satisfied  with  what  he  gpts.  Presently  he 
half  asks,  half  affirms :  "He's  been  at  his  game  ngain,"  the  >iu«stiou- 
iiig  half  being  nddressed  to  Amelia,  who  in  return  says,  "Wlint  did 
1  ear  to  Missis!" 

"What  i*  Mr.  Verrinder's  gnmeC  asked  Cbnrles. 

"W'hat  did  the  'Potheeary  enll  it  this  time?"    Thus  Mr.  Tatnall 
to  the  MiTvuiit,  who  still  stands  wiping  her  hands  on  her  apron,  it: 
seeming  to  pin  her  faith  on  jt. 

"Mr.  VerrindeT  said  go  to  the  photograph  shop.    That's  wbetc 
got  it." 

"That's  about  it,  gentlemen!"  said  Tutnnll.  heginotng  to  moTe 
away  satisfied.  "He  stoopifies  himself  with  chloroform.  He'll 
come  round  soon.  Tou  knock  nt  hi»  door  iigiiin  in  a  quarter  of  «n 
hour — he'll  answer  to  you,  Give  him  a  quarter  of  an  hour."  An 
off  goes  Mr,  Tatnall,  more  interetiled  in  hia  appointment  than  in  h! 
top- tenant. 

Charles  and  Jeff  decide  on  giving  him  a  quarter  of  an  hour; 
former  verj-  uneaay,  remembering  that  T^vnniigh  had  ptirehawrd  hi 
cyanide  of  a  photographer.    They  will  take  a  walk  round,  and  call 
in  again  shortly.    An  inspiration  scixts  Amelia,  and  she  take*  her 
hands  from  her  npn^n  to  point  through  tJie  open  street-door. 

"If  you  was  to  walk  round  by  the  Uorspital  *nd  ask  for  Dr. 


all 

I 


AlICE-FOR-enORT 


iS9 


Fludycr,  ho  knows  itr.  Vcrrindi^r."  Uer  Epe<?ch  is  full  of  elinoa 
■nd  impUcation,  but  it  ei-n-crt  iiit  (urn.  Churlcs  quittt  undetttandt, 
and  ItDow^  "th«  Hospital"  is  Bothlehem  Hospital,  or  Bedlam. 

Dr.  Flmljtr  is  easily  uttaimiblo— knows  Verrtnder — hud  lietter 
come  round,  and  will  bo  read.v  in  a  minute. 

''Can  B  men  kill  kimaclf  witli  Clilo reform !"  asks  CharW,  as  liutj 
walk  briskly  lownrds  the  bouse. 

"nt'"it  only  got  to  lakL-  (-noufEb  of  it," 

When  they  arrive.  Amelia  ha?  reblacked  her  hands,  and  has  to 
havi'  a  lU'W  wipe,  Tlwry  ull  go  upalairt.  Thin  time  the  sudden 
young  man  only  peeps  out  digcrcetly  and  retires  in  silence. 

They  knock  at  the  door  Bgain — under  ti-uBioiL  "lie  was  there 
last  nitcht,"  says  Amelia,  perhaps  antieipating  an  enquiry, 

"I'll  taki!  on  myitulf  to  hai-ft  the  door  broken  open."  says  lhi> 
doctor,  after  a  moment's  consideration.  "Unless  there's  another 
iray  in."  Charles  rrnienilicrs  the  lc?nd-flat  Miink  tn  dw  roof,  and 
sufTKcsts  the  question  of  its  attainability.  There  may  be  a  trap* 
door.  Tcs,  it  is  slowly  elicited  that  ihnrc  is.  Up  tliem  «tepa;  'ooked 
up  to  the  oeilin'.  Also  that  there  is  a  younjr  man  has  been  out 
on  the  roof  muny's  tliR  timi; — and  ho  may  happen  to  be  downntaini 
BOW.  Amelia  Roce  to  seek  him — though  why  it  haa  been  so  diffieult 
to  got  at  this  trapdoor  and  this  young  man  is  not  clear.  FTowfrrcr, 
he  comes  with  alacrity,  is  out  on  the  leads  and  finds  the  window 
Dnfantcned,  and  gctx  through  and  opens  the  door  in  much  leas 
time  than  it  took  to  discover  his  c.iistfinoc.  How  the  room  smells  of 
chloTofomi  1 

There  are  the  remains  of  a  scanty  supper  on  the  table — or  rather 
what  givcM  the  imprcKHion  tbut  the  supper  was  scanty.  On  a  [leg 
on  the  half-open  door  of  a  cupboard  Charles  identifies  the  napless 
hat  iind  highly  poliiih<!d  coat.  A  (lefectirc  ambrelln  stands  open 
on  its  circumference  to  dry  in  a  corner.  Last  ni^iht  was  drixzly. 
Til-  bad  come  in  wet.  had  witcn  in  his  loneliness  whatever  two  cold 

bops  oS  the  neck  and  the  balance  of  those  cheerless  potatoes  repre- 
ented;  and  bad  (so  it  is  silently  supposed)  gone  awuy  to  rest  on 
be  other  side  of  that  closed  door  each  hcsitntcn  to  open, 
cither  from  doubt  or  certainly  of  what  may  be  found  on  tlie  other 
«ide. 

Dr.  Fludycr  acts  first — as  he  knew  him  best — and  goes  into  the 

om;  the  others  follow.  The  smell  of  chloroform  gets  stronger. 
I  bod  i«  ocxiupifd.  Thtr  doctor,  going  first,  turns  down  the  cover- 
lid, which  has  all  the  appearance  of  being  pulled  tight,  for  com- 
fort, round  the  hack  of  the  nightcapped  bend.  He  takes  hold  of  thn 
ulder,  and  shakes  the  motioaleM  figure.    ^n.\  VlL  nncKffi&  «JA- 


S60 


ALI0E-F0B-8H0RT 


k 


nnd  \mrc»pon»ivc.     Tl  will  ncrfi  rcirpond  to  Iiunun  touch 
Whatewr   its  occupant's   exory   on   this   earth   was.    it   ia 

DOW. 

But  he  muRt  havL'  become  insensible,  ond  died,  one  might  nlmo: 
6ay,  in  comfort.  The  Sinire  is  in  the  attitude  thst  most  oourta 
hWp — »  perfi-srt  pre-arruiifw-mejil  for  a  long  nifdit's  «yiL  Tlin 
©nlj  evil  feature  i?  the  towel  pressed  close  round  tho  mouth  and 
no»e,  and  firuily  held  in  front  with  both  hands.  He  hud  pou 
the  cUoroform  on  it,  and  ho  lay  down  to  sleep.  "Yes,"  snid  Dr. 
Fludyer,  as  he  removed  it.  "Tie  did  this  erery  night;  at  lea*l  eve 
night  when  ho  couldn't  sleep  without  it — mort  nights,  I  fancji 
This  lime  he  took  more  than  he  rec^koned  on.  About  twelve  hoi 
ajwl  .  .  .    What?  .  .  .    Oh  no  I — nothing  to  be  done.    Slono-dead.' 

The  throe  men  and  tlic  girl  go  back  !nIo  the  sitting-mom  without 
«  word,  closing  the  door  very  gently.  All  are  white  but  the  doctor; 
the  girl  is  ashy  whitt.  Of  course  it  is  all  in  the  doctor's  line,  ho  is 
Oiereljr  grave — to  hurt  nobody's  feelings.  In  this  ease  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  there  is  any  one  to  hurt.  ''1  will  sec  to  all  the.rti  i»  to 
done"  he  eoye;  "there  is  no  immediate  hurry.  l>id  you  two  gentli 
men  know  poor  Verrinder  well  f"  Charles  tells  in  the  fewest  wo: 
how  very  liltlo  he  bun  known  of  him,  nnd  ends  by  volunteering 
be  of  any  use. 

"There  is  nothing  to  he  done  that  I  cannot  do,"  ««y»  Dr.  Find 
yer;  "unless  you  know  of  any  of  his  relational!     He  asniired  ma 
ihul  he  wuit  abdoltitely  nloiic  in  the  world,  except  for  the  one  peri 
through  whom  1  happened  to  know  him.     A  patient  over  at  I. 
Hospital."     He  aodv  out  at  the  window,  towitrds  the  diimi^  of  tho 
madhouse,     lie  speaks  with  retioenoe,  and  Charles  does  not  like 
pteas  enquiry.     His  aeciunintnnee  with  the  di-jtd  man  had  bocn 
alight.    He  repents  that  he  has  told  everything  he  knows  of 
and  feels  that  he  aud  .leff  have  no  renexiii  for  rcnwining;  may  cvi 
be  df  trap.     But  the  doctor  continues  speaking  ef  him: 

"I  knew  him  fairly  well — poor  ehapl  So  far  as  any  one  coul 
know  him.  But  he  wns  very  rcsrrved.  1  don't  think  he  was  really 
so  poor  as  he  seemed — but  be  wouUl  not  spend  anything  on  hiroaelf. 
Once  he  Mid  to  nie  that  he  was  putting  by  money  in  ciute  he  should 
ever  have  a  home  again."  The  doctor  had  followed  Charlea't^ 
glance  round  the  bare  npurtraent. 

"Will  there  be  an  inquest  i"  said  Charles. 

"I  think  probably  not.    I  don't  think  you  need  anti<:ipato  bci 
bothered  about  that." 

"I  wmm't  tliinking  of  tlie  trouble." 

"Well,  anyhow,  I  think  there  won't    I  shall  make  an  auti 


0  la 

I 


W  ALICE-FOR-SHORT  S«l 

tliCTc'f  Burc  to  br  fatly  lir-nrt  or  nnnicthing  of  the  »ort.    Tho  dose 
of  chlorofom)  I  allowed  him  could  not  have  killed  a  healthy  man." 

"How  do  you  know  he  didn't  cx<*c'd  it  V 

"1  don't  know — he  may  haw  done  so.  I  could  only  ^vc  him 
dir^ctiooH  nnd  trurt  to  his  doing  ns  I  told  him.  I'm  afrnid  when 
there's  a  craving  for  ausBthettce.  proinieea  are  worth  very  little." 

"He  didn't  kill  himself,  I  suppose!"  Kni<l  Charlr;!.  heeilatinKly. 

"loteutionally  t  Oh  uo— ob  dear,  nol  He  only  iliil  what  he  may 
have  domi  fifty  tinx-ji  before,  for  anything  I  know.  He  overdid 
the  doae,  and  this  time  the  hearl-coni plaint  met  it  hulf-wsy.  You 
•ay  you  met  him  at  ibc  Royal  Academy  Schools  i  lie  wa^  tatkinff 
about  them  to  me  a  little  while  ago— said  one  of  the  young  mtn 
had  given  him  thrco  tubes  of  colour — seomod  very  much  pl«ased 
about  it" 

"I  recollect.  Ono  of  the  chspn  did.  I  rccolloct  his  talkinn  about 
his  old  box  of  colours,  and  how  there  were  some  old  bladders  in  it 
tJmt  ho  naid  had  bclonitrd  to  Kcynoldn." 

"Oh  ye«!  I've  seen  that.  It's  under  that  bookcase.  I  daresay 
you  feel  curious  to  look  at  it." 

It  waa  pulled  out  and  placed  on  tlie  table,  near  the  potato  desola- 
tion. Cbarlcs  opened  it.  and  felt  in  touch  with  an  earlier  world. 
Fifty  ycnrti  or  more  ago  en  artist,  vfho  must  have  known  theae 
colours  were  authentic,  bad  frivon  this  box  to  a  young  man  full 
of  hope,  longing  for  and  believing  in  his  use  of  it  in  the  future.  It 
was  all  past  now,  future  and  all,  and  the  years  bad  borne  no  fruit; 
and  the  lieurt  that  hud  beaten  so  tiififa.  that  long  half-oentury  ago, 
WBB  dead  at  last.  The  eoloor-tube»  in  the  tray  were  bard,  and  the 
dippers  cli'ggi-d  with  dried  beL-ltaps  of  oil  and  vamiah.  The  badger 
iioftener  was  indurated  and  awry,  and  the  blade  of  the  palette- 
knife  had  a  waint.  Charles  felt  curious  to  see  one  of  the  little 
bladders  of  which  he  had  heard,  if  one  remained,  and,  seeing  oono 
nbnve  the  trny,  lifted  it  to  neareh.  Underneath  lay  a  letter.  Dr. 
Fludyer  was  giving  some  direction  to  the  servant. 

"Here's  n  letter  directed  to  you.  doctor."  Ciiarles  handed  it  to 
him  aa  be  npoka  He  felt  it  was  time  for  him  and  Jeff  to  be  uroing. 
To  stay  on  would  be  like  waiting  to  luuir  the  contents  of  the  letter. 
Obarlea  ctoswl  the  bos.  and  prepared  to  go.  Ur.  Fludyer  merely 
looked  at  the  direction  and  iilippMl  Oie  letter  in  his  pocket. 
"I  expected  tliis."  he  said,  "but  it  was  an  odd  place  to  hide 
it  away  in.  Very  lucky!  Will  you  two  gentlemen  leuve  m« 
your  namea  and  addreeseet  I  ought  to  be  off  too.  They  want 
me  round  there.  I  shall  come  buck  in  an  hour  or  ao."  OvMSidk 
amid,  aa  be  hasded  bim  bis  card,  be  would  comft  o^«  ui  a.  ^i  ^ 


« 


i 


909 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


tvfo  to  hear  thi*  rosults  of  tlic  poKt-mortmi.  But  tbo  doetor  rrplinl, 
"Don't  come— rU  write  I"  and  tfaey  said  good-bye  sod  weut  dovn- 
Btairs. 

The  perverae  Toung  nan  put  hU  head  out  agaiD,  and  said, 
it  from  Nesbitt'il"  and  Idggml  more  pardon  wlwn  he  hoard  t 
wasn't.  Ae  th^  reachod  the  street-door  a  latoh-key  clicked  in  i 
and  Mr.  TfttuaH  ontrrtsj.  The  appointinmt  had  involnrd  beer,: 
mnntfcstlj- 1  ITi"  deprM»ion  and  kqIIowdcss  had  disappeared  to- 
Itelbor.  Chnrka  fp|t  disincliiiod  to  bv  hi.-i  informiint  aliout  hin 
timanl's  death,  or  doleful  chniiKcs  to  ring  in  anj  form;  feelinf;  thai 
rciillj  Mr.  Taluall  would  havu  to  pri'tctid  u>leniiiity  and  be  hypo- 
critical,  and  the  clash  would  bo  too  gTMt.  The  beer  however 
aiaerlcd  il^lf.  and  told  ha  human  bottle  to  say.  jocularly:  "Hain't 
he  slept  it  off  yet?  Won't  you  si^c  him  another  quarter  of  an 
hourr 

"Shall  we.  ObarleyT   Would  it  be  any  use T 

"Not  a  bit  of  use.    Come  atonal" 

And  tboy  went  away,  k-aTing  Mr.  TatnaU  to  bear  the  news  fi 
Amelia,  or  otlicrwiae,  as  might  happen. 


CHAPTER  XSVI 


HOW  AIJCE  KKCir  ALL  ABOUT  IT.  ALICB »  KINO  AND  THE  3KVnaM 
TBEREOK.  UISS  STHAKCR'S  LOHU  LinTKIl,  WIIICU  OUARLES  DID  HOT 
IIKAD  TO  IIW  PATHRB.  BCT  HOW  ABOl'T  METER  HALL?  OF  SCHL'SOHYJ 
DAYS  AXD  BQUAtilir  DAYS.  UOW  l-EUl'Li:  TALK.  WAS  CUA8LE8  tS 
BAN   CXPAIR,  AFTER  ALL » 

CirAKLKS  was  lookine  no  doubt  Tcry  miwrnbic  and  depress 
vihtm  he  wnt  lo  see.  bid  laniily  the  cvenlDx  nfler  this.  He  did  Dot' 
kncnr  how  far  the  whole  :=tory  of  himstlf  and  Miss  Slrnker  hnd  be- 
Ronwr  [tublio  properly,  but  he  bad  on  unea<v  ecuse  that  he  w^s  being 
treated  considerately,  and  this  mtide  him  uncomfortable.  As  he  hnd 
quite  made  tip  hii«  mtTid  thnt  the  whole  tiling  had  come  (o  an  eJidi 
it  would  have  pleased  him  best  that  it  should  never  have  been 
hndwn  to  bnvc  i-iintnl — if  would  hnw  hwn  comfortabler  lliat  flvcu 
P«gey  should  have  been  in  ifrtioranfi?  of  it.  But  he  eould  not  find 
«at  how  far  the  nvcnt  bud  tnkrn  xubstflntinl  form  in  the  c.wji  of  hit 
family.  As  often  happens  aftiT  any  e-ii^iling  ocpurrenee,  it  wai 
not  c«"y  to  n-eall  cxnctly  whnt  had  passed  and  io  what  order  o£ 
events,  and  to  assign  to  each  recollection  its  own  proper  import- 
ance. It  cerlniiily  sisnnpd  to  him  this  evpninB  that  there  was  a  dia- 
poeition  to  treat  him  as  the  killed  and  wounded  afiw  a  battle, 
physioOly  as  well  as  Hpiritnnlly;  the  former  tendency  showing 
it^lf  in  eoneessions  of  the  most  eomfortable  vhnir^  or  aofa- 
cuahinns,  or  tlie  best  ptnei!  in  front  of  the  tire,  or  havinn  a  fresh 
brew  of  tea  made  instead  of  lettinK  him  drink  that  horrid  black 
BtufF;  while  Hw  tatter  took  the  farm  of  an  almost  l^amboyant 
silence  about  love-affairs  and  eu^ap-menls,  and  indeed  young 
ladicit  in  K(-[i<rral — they  Iteing  the  true  gist  of  such  matters — but 
3fise  Klraker  in  particular.  ' 

Thirl  atmofphfire  «f  R4?d-Oro8S  effort  on  Charles's  behalf  in- 
creased if  anythiuK  at  dinner,  later  in  the  evening.  There  was  no 
compnny ;  therefore  the  prewnoe  of  Cham]ingni'  had  to  be  accounted 
for.  Charles  perceived  in  it  not  only  s  benevolence  towards  him- 
self, ns  one  proHtrated  1^  the  Ktraiii  of  tryiii)^  irxpi-riences,  but  also 
an  element  of  Bacchanalian  rejoicing  at  a  fortunate  delivery  froiu 
a  rc|Tett«ble  embarraaament.    H<-  was  grateful  {qi  ^bl£  l«T\n<» — ^viu'v. 

S63 


S04 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


inhfl 


for  Uic  tatter.  Kobod;  (unless  it  was  his  father)  had  beea  in 
confidence,  atid  lit-  would  have  appreciated  a  mOK  vi^roua  i|^o: 
of  the  whole  thinR-  He  could  not  shake  fi*e  from  the  idea  that 
Archibald  wanti-d  to  wink  at  him.  and  aay — "Well  out  of  tliat 
acrapc,  Oharlcy,  old  chapl" — that  Kobin  wanted  to  offer  &oiue  form 
of  <%nu;riitululiun,  btit  tliet  if  lie  did  itpeak  he  woulil  taku  rvfuac 
in  Komc  inapt  abstraction;  for  example; — "It's  alwaja  something 
of  that  »i>rl,"  or — **Therc's  nothing  like  midcing  one's  mind  up," 
OTon — "You  can't  help  things  happening,  don't  you  knowl"  Hi 
felt  perfi-ctlj'  certain  that  if  infortiictd  of  the  Pftrk  incidunt,  hi* 
brothers  would  discorn  in  it  a  fishy  start,  and  that  Elleo  waa  simply 
longing  to  break  out  oguirist  !Miiut  Strnkrr.  As  for  the  boys,  they 
wcfo  at  school,  and  although  he  paid  Alice  a  viett  in  Mrs.  Part- 
ridge's domiuionti  (wberi-  she  continued  to  live  eitJicr  because  U 
Partridge  didn't  want  to  give  her  up,  or  from  mere  nornUd  co 
tiuuanoe).  h«  said  nothing  to  her  about  Miss  8lrakvT.  She  la  at!! 
so  nry  young,  thought  he  to  himself. 

But  the  Truth  is  Alin;  was  oI<l  i-noiigh  to  nndr-rstaiid  a  great  dci 
about  it;  little  girls  atirays  do.  Our  oini  opinion  is  that 
younger  they  are  the  mono  tliey  know,  and  that  inespcricnoo  co 
on  them  uuawarea  between  dhildhood  and  womanhood.  The  fact 
is,  Alice  had  catechised  Peggy,  and  acquired  a  compendious  insight 
into  the  plot  of  the  story.  Charles  had  been  rerj-  fond  of  Miss 
Strakor;  ever  so  fond — as  fond  as  that— indicated  by  palms  hel 
far  apart — and  Miss  Straker  was  naughty,  and  Charles  woa  ao 
That  wsit  all,  and  wax  dear.  Tie  may  have  suApocted  that 
pathetic  blue  eyes  behiud  his  little  protegee's  rougb  hair  w< 
brimming  over  with  pity  for  Mr.  Charley,  and  that  she  was  quite 
at  a  toss  how  to  console  him.  She  could  sit  on  his  knee,  however — 
Qveo  wnder  the  cireumstances  in  which  he  found  her  this  evening, 
just  retiring  for  the  iii(th(;  and  Alitv  wiw  vrry  niee  in  a  suitable 
coetume.  and  it  was  pnKsililo  to  criticise  her  toes.  Charles  thought, 
as  he  always  did  about  Aliee.  what  o  good  day'it  work  Ik  di 
that  day  ho  put  her  in  a  hansom  and  brought  bcr  home  to 
Ganleii^ 

He  had  said  but  little  to  Peggy  before  dinner  about  Lavinii 
Peggy  had  not  bnen  to  see  linr  yi-t.  but  trould  do  so  if  she  got 
eooouraging  answer  to  a  letter  she  had  written  two  evenings 
Nonr  hii<I  come  so  fur.  Tbl^i^  long  talk  had  bnfn  about  Verrinder, 
and  the  end  of  Charles's  fruitless  excursion  to  see  hiio.  Pi^gy 
was  much  eonccrnrd  el  his  untimely  d«alh — untimely  in  the  sense 
that  it  took  away  the  last  chance  known  to  them  of  llirowing  ligh' 
on  No.  40.    Charles  muat  find  out  about  what  would  be  done  wi' 


1 


ALTCE-FOR- SHORT 


365 


bid  picture*,  and  try  to  bujr  tbat  one  of  Phyllis  Cartwrigbt.    They 

bad  just   been  talking  about  the  ring  and  the  ghoil.  or  rather 

uboHts.  when  Chnrl<-i<'H  attention  waa  caught  bjr  Bomothins  in  the 

iaext  room,  and  Peggy  did  not  succeed  in  recalling  it  till  dinner  wai 

?  announced. 


•^ow— let'*  look  at  the  ring!"  anid  she  to  Charles.  wh«n  tho 
latter  came  into  the  drawing-room  after  smoking  time — that  is, 
^«ftcr  bin  smoking  time;  for  the  otfai^re  rrniained  behind.  Any 
abnormal  action  of  his  waa  put  down  to  hie  recent  loTe-afTiiir,  and 
^liia  abrupt  withdrnwal  after  smoking  one  cigarette  was  nodded 
over,  aud  said.  Am/  or  akf  about,  as  b;  sagacity  ttiat  could  quite 
pierce  the  mcnning  of  that.  Sagacity  may  have  been  right  this 
far.  lluit  lu-  <tii]  p(i  upstairs  expc-ctiiig,  or  hoping,  to  find  a  letter 
bad  reached  Peggy.    But  tlie  post  bad  not  yet  come. 

"Yes!     It's  always  fun  guessing  over  rayBttrriea,"  said  he.    For 

?tggy  had    been   propounding  an    idea    ihnt   the   namei;   of   the 

on  the  ring  or  their  inilialit  formed  some  »ort  of  posy,  or 

a.  that  might  afford  a  clue  to  work  upon.    "Let's  have  A 

'look  at  the  ring.    There's  the  post  I"  .  .  . 

"No — it's  not.  Thai's  Rupert.  He's  only  come  for  a  short  time 
^tbongb.  fl«  he  has  to  n^t  hack  to  a  patient.    Now,  look  here!    Tou 

now  that  ring  of  Aunt  Sarafa'a.  witli  ruby,  emerald,  garnet,  ame- 
thyst, ruby,  diamond — all  the  initials  spetl  regard,  which  woa,  I 
auppoae.  tltc  sentiment  our  gieat-grandfatbera  felt  for  our  great- 

■ndmothcrs " 

"It  sounds  chilly,  nowadays  I  Let's  look  at  tliis  ring  the  same 
way.  The  emerald's  the  biggest.  It  ought  to  begin  there.  What's 
thf  next  one?" 

"Amdhyst,  silly  boy!  Call  yourself  an  Artist  and  not  know  an 
Amethyst  when  you  see  one.  Come  her<-  and  help.  Rupt-rt!  That's 
a  ruby,  comes  next.  Well!  That  spells  ear;  emerald,  smcthyst, 
ruhy.  That's  a  pearl  comes  next.  I  suppose  you  know  a  pearl 
when  you  see  itt'*  .  .  . 

"Wiiy  didn't  you  take  the  diamond  for  ihe  initial  f"  asks  Rupert ; 
•^at  would  moke  dfar;  there  would  be  some  sense  in  that." 

"To  be  eure!  Sharp  boy,  go  to  the  top  of  the  class.  Then 
another  emerald.  Then  a  sapphire.  Then — what's  thist — a  topas. 
1)eare3t !'— Well  done  us !  And  the  nest  ktter's  P.  I  say.  Charley, 
darlinfT,  it's  going  to  be  Phyllis." 

"There's  no  reason,  remember,  why  it  should  be  Phyllis  merely 
because  there  was  once  a  person  of  that  name  at  t\\c  Wjaftr 

"I  know — itat prosy  old  boy!    But  tbcTe'siiioKawrtvwa^onvi^^ 


2B«  AUCE-FOE-SHORT 

make  il  PliylU*,  if  we  con.  Whet's  thia  next  stoner  But  alaa! 
Nobody  knew.  It  was  a  red-brown  utonc,  followed  by  a  det-p  bfuo 
opaques  one.  Then  an  opaque  yellowish  white  one.  Then  anotbor 
sapphire. 

"Flow  diaappoiuliiig!"  said  Pe«Ky.  "Tou  see,  even  if  we  go* 
the  letter*  wo  wnnt,  there'*  not  enough  of  thnn.  We're  only  6re 
and  we  want  seven.  There  is  the  post!"  And  Pegg?'  put  the  ring 
ba<^  on  her  finger,  and  it  wnvn't  examined  o^iu  for  mnny  many 
years. 

For,  even  ns  she  drnw  tlif  ring  on,  n  lettiT  wns  iieing  brought  up- 
stairs tliat  was  to  make  a  diSorenoe.  and  a  great  one,  in  the  livct  of 
both.  "It's  her  handwriting.''  snid  Charles,  affvcling  Stoicism. 
Thi''  moment  ho  saw  the  letter  he  began  thinking  about  bolicving  he 
had  done  llliss  Sirnker  an  injustioe.  Her  not  writing  had  fortified 
him.  If  »he  had  not  told  bim  a  lie.  how  simple  to  write  and  say 
Ko.  He  had  not  been  able  to  six',  n^  Peggy  did,  tlint  his  own  letter 
wa!<  one  ibat  keen  resentment  and  sense  of  undeserved  wrong 
might  leave  imanswercd  juat  ua  much  a»  conscioua  guilt.  He  had 
taken  the  letters  from  the  servant  ti>  pa^s  on  lo  his  sialer;  but  she 
left  Jliss  Stroker'o  in  lis  hand,  to  open  himself,  if  he  liked.  He 
continued  to  practise  Stoicism,  and  laid  it  on  the  sofa,  between 
them. 

"W.-11— Charley  r 

"I  know  there  ean  he  nothing  satisfaotOTy  in  it " 

"Then  I  .Hiippose  I  must  open  it.  What  a  BOOM  you  are,  Ifaater 
Charley !  I^n't  he  now,  Rupert  l"  Rupert  gave  an  amuaed  nod  of 
assi-nt.    "Now  let'*  have  the  lettiT,"  said  he. 

Tt  WHS  a  three-slieet  letter,  and  Peggy  became  absorbed  tmd  atten- 
tive. Cbarlew  carried  hia  alTi^clalion  of  stoical  indifference  the 
length  of  taking  the  opportunity  of  telling  Dr.  Johnson  all  about 
Vcrriniler.  It  cost  him  a  viiiiblu  effort,  but  he  may  have  been  satia- 
fied  with  his  porformanec, 

"You're  always  coming  in  at  the  death.  Charley."  said  Jobnwn. 
"I  know  Fludycr.  Man  with  a  complete  set  of  artificial  teeth.  Met 
him  on  a  very  interesting  tiienlal  enae— male  patient  thought  he 
was  his  own  aunt,  ond  was  always  boning  her  caps  and  bon- 
Beta " 

"You've  alwa.vs  got  some  mm  new  mental  ease,  Panicelaus— — " 

"Wf'Il !  Il'»  a  subject  Tve  always  had  a  hankerinfi:  for.  I  do  get 
a  good  deal  of  practice  that  way,  somi^w.  I've  had  charge  of  any 
number  of  loonies " 

"And  now  you've  icot  a  whole  family  on  your  hands  t" — Thi«  waa 
■P^Bro'j  ^'^<'  continued — "Now  don't  disturb  me.     I'm  reading." 


4 


J 


ALICE-FOR-SnOKT 


S«7 


'Which  was  most  unfair,  ae  do  one  had  invited  her  into  the  con- 
TCnuition. 

"Vemnder  died  of  the  Chloroform,  of  couree.  But  Fludyer  will 
£»d  enough  fattj  heart  to  c«rti(icnt«  on.  n(:'ll  dMwrvft  ibc  ?rali> 
tilde  of  an  overworked  coroner.  Besides,  if  he  doesn't,  they'll 
l«  down  on  him  for  nllflwiiij;  u  piilii^nt  to  liuvr  no  miK'h  Clilomfomi. 
You  didn't  get  any  more  out  of  liim  about  Verrindep— did  you? 
iWho  Willi  th<'  |>ati(-nl  in  tW  iioapiidll" 

"I  thinic  he  didn't  want  to  tell  me.  tie  might  tell  you 
pCThafn." 

"They  arc  reticent  about  tiii«  sort  of  case,  naturally.  VU  remem- 
Iwr  to  ask  about  him.  If  vn  talk  abotit  Vt^rrinder,  he's  pretty  sunt 
to  mention  biin,  and  then  it  will  come  easy." 

Poggy  got  to  the  end  of  the  letter,  snd  snid,  "Is  that  all!  Stop 
■  miuute!"  Then  she  harked  bactc.  reperused,  barked  back  again; 
then  folded  (he  letter  abruptly. 

"Don't  read  it  how.  Charley,  if  I  let  you  have  it." — Charles 
promised. — ^"Kead  it  quietly  by  youmplf,  and  think  it  well  over." 
He  put  it  in  his  pocket,  and  tbi-n  left  tbi'  rooia.  Fie  hud  «uid  he 
would  smoke  a  pipe  in  his  father's  room  late,  and  have  a  quiet  chat. 
3fr.  Heath  Riiiior  bud  gone  away  from  the  party  in  tlie  front  room, 

few  minutes  ajco. 

"I  hope  I've  done  right,"  said  Peggy  to  Johnaon,  when  the  door 


'Are  you  afraid  of  «  recurrenee  of  ayroploroat    I'm  not.    I  be- 
ierc  he  is,  as  he  said,  disillusioned.    However,  I  don't  know  whafs 
in  the  letter,  of  eourEe," 

Charlr-s  and  bia  father  settled  down  to  a  really  comfortable  chat; 
one  which  ignores  bed.  and  is  conscious  of  toddy  and  lemons  and  a 
full  coal-acuttle.  "We'll  turn  ofl  the  gaa  here.  Pbillimore,"  re- 
leasee that  priuie^minister.  And  nothing  r<'niain))  but  to  inai^u- 
rnte  Uie  eonwrsalion  each  anlieipatee,  and  botli  fight  shy  of,  after 
a  very  elaborate  Brrangvment  of  preliminaries. 

"We've  quarrelled  with  our  sweetheart,  I  understand?  Hes", 
Cbarkiy  boyl"  Chnrlr*  ({ives  a  shrug;,  wliieh  means  ixithiug.  hut 
ftcknowled^es  that  the  Biil  has  been  brought  up  for  consideration. 
Til*  oM  boy  proeurc*  a  rejiricvc  of  a  moment  or  two  in  L'onnvclioD 
with  choice  of  lumps  of  sugar  for  toddy,  and  then  says  vaguely: 
"Swccthcartat  Sw<!etlieart8  is  ilt  Well,  we're  all  mighty  fine 
people!  Now  telt  us  all  about  it."  and  leans  back  in  his  arm-cbair, 
B  liatener  witli  cloned  eyes. 

Charles  remembered  that  his  father  hti<l  bud  no  <^c!viA  \Tv^t)nEA,* 


SS8 


AIICE-FOE-SHORT 


I.  tbM     I 


tlon  about  anrthingr  (bat  bad  huppoiu^d  aiDce  they  lost  torn 
on  the  subject.  Sinco  then  ttie  actusl  B^ucnw  of  eronts  m»,  ^bUk 
uiwifr  the  influeivci'  of  u  letter  from  Mias  Straker  (which  had 
jumj)^  to  tbo  conclusion  that  what  wfl»  no  moni  than  a  well- 
nilrunced  flirtulioD  gmvn  her  u  ri^bt  to  aiitieipate  a  deeiHiTC  dncU- 
ration).  bo  bad  hurried  on  to  an  eeUtircustmriif,  and  become  the 
decturcd  lorer  of  the  j-ouiib  lady,  with  no  roorcr  knowledge  of  hor 
character  and  antccodcota  than  wc  have  been  able  to  commuaicat 
to  the  rcudcr  of  thia  nurrutivc;  probably  with  I^ab,  for  we  (an 
jrou)  are  under  no  tender  int)a«tic«  from  either  a  profile  or 
eyelid,  and  llic  wonderful  aoprano  is  only  a  hearsay  to  ua.  Tt 
then  be  had.  as  he  thouxht,  identiSed  her  beyond  a  shadow 
doubt  ttf  having  brr-n  in  Rcgentt  Park  under  circuntvtancea  tha 
seemed  to  him  Inexplicable,  at  the  very  lime  that  ebe  assur 
him  she  was  waiting  at  Exeter  Hall  door  to  hear  The  Mgtsia 
That  ther«on  be  had  wriltcii  putting  su  end  to  all  relations  beti 
thorn,  and  hud  had  no  answer.  That  Pe^cgy  had  thought  him  wroE 
and  luulj-.  and  had  written  to  Mina  Slrakcr.  That  h<^  had 
»eply  to  her  letter  in  his  pocket,  unread.  Ail  thcso  thines  Charli 
now  told  bin  fathiT,  and  ended  by  saying  that  yee,  certainly,  no 
it  was  all  over  between  th«m. 

"Cnle(«  intiecH,'"  ht;  added,  "this  letter  eontainji  wlint  I  cxp 
it  cannot  and  will  not  contain — a  complete  explanation  of 
Fark  business,  and  her  tic  (because  it  wo*  a  lid)  about  Esc 
Hall."    He  touched  hia  pocket  with  on  implication  to  the  actio 
that  the  letter  would  remain  thcr«  for  private  perusal  later  on.    Hi 
father  aceint-d  quiti?  to  accept  this  as  natural  and  just,  and  pr 
ferred  no  request  to  see  it. 

Perhaps  Charity  him^-lf  felt  lie  could  more  easily  wait  to  kno 
its  eonlents,  because  be  wiilied  to  establish  justification   in   hii 
father^M  <-ye»  on  tlie  matiTialH  of  the  status-quo.     He-  wnnte<l  hi| 
])oaitioQ  to  be  logical  from  existinf;  data,  and  if  the  letter  shot 
contain  disturbing   new  eli^miTnta.   to  bnve   tiimr   to   think  the 
orcr  be^fore  acting  on  them,  or  committing  himself.    The  thougb 
was  not  cleorly  outlinM.  only  haxy. 

"I  cannot  see,"  said  be  in  conclusion,  "that  I  ahould  be  doir 
Miss  Straker  any  good  by  atlempling  to  micw  a  relation  that 
feel  has  lieen  destroyed.  H  I  could  conceive  any  poisibte  explac 
tion  ..."    He  paused. 

Thi>  hnlf-clow^d  eyes  of  his  Ualener  opened  aomirwhat  an 
turned  round  towards  him.  "Charley  boy,"  said  he,  "you've  been 
fool  I  You've  bcwrn  a  fool  all  along.  The  beat  thing  you  can  do  nn 
is  to  put  this  girl  out  of  your  bead  and  attend  to  your  work.    Oa| 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


200 


rnnny  to  temp  of  tbp9«<  for«i|Ri  places — Italy — Rome— md  ataif 
the  Fine.  Arts  Uier«.  Mis-s  Strakor  won't  brviik  bi^r  heart  ttxnit 
you^not  she!" 

Ohnrira  fluabod  pcnyptibly.  tin  wnan't  quite  no  cool  ynt  tbnt  ho 
oold  bear  to  bear  her  spoken  of  slifthtiDglj  by  any  one  but  bimself. 
His  fittbcr  continued:  "Qiiitn  right  to  look  inilignsnt !  But  )>bo 
won't,  for  all  that  I  You  ro  to  Italy  and  Rome— you  needn't 
Ittick  flbout  tlu:  moniiy.  Bi''«i<Ics,  if  I  wniin't  hrn!  to  pay  the  biltH, 
there's  a  lot  of  money  of  your  Aunt  Grace's  that  will  cotae  to  you. 
Ju*t  you  think  about  it!" 

Charlti-  iliJn'l  think  tlie  Buggestion  at  all  an  unpleasant  one. 
but  he  itidu't  iiki-  hriuK  toW  he  was  a  fool.  Ho  knew  he  wnx,  but 
would  h^ve  preferred  to  be  complimented  for  his  wisdom  in  know 
ias  it  Focling  hr  hadn't  much  to  «ny  in  wlf-dcfMice.  be  pulled 
away  at  iiia  pipe  till  its  extinction,  aud  waited  on  until  his  father 
catn«  to  the  end  of  his  ctgar.  without  Miyiug  anythitift.  Tb<^  cigar 
went  on  to  its  ^xtremest  end.  ilie  smoker  reeortliw  to  a  itenkulfo 
point  to  hold  it  when  it  scorched  his  finger*.  An  hv  closed  tlic  pen- 
knife Im:  turnc'd  to  his  sou.  and  said:  "Ah,  wi-11!  Wr'rv  not  all  of 
US  as  vife  as  we  miifht  be.  You  know  why  your  aunt  left  you  that 
moncqr,  Charliryi" 

"Because  she  was  sure  I  should  never  make  anything  by  my  pro- 
{MBion.  Perhaps  I  nhan't."  Charles  felt  quite  hopoful  though,  in 
his  heart,  for  all  that.  Little  hi  Itnijw  of  the  days  that  were  to 
come,  when  mm  then  scoring  by  snnuni  thousands  were  to  IIto  in 
ciread  of  bankruptcy.  He  was  in  some  m,VBterious  way  to  be 
litektf,  aaiii  ITopc.  However,  it  was  satisfactory  to  think  that  hi* 
aunt  had  led  bim  two  hundred  a  year.  He  felt  hurt  that  she 
should  have  iuHultcd  him  in  hi^  will.  "Bmaust  be  will  never  do 
anylfailig  as  an  artist"  was  the  reason  asigned  for  a  life  tuterest 
in  fiv«  thousand  poundx;  be  waxn't  to  be  trusted  with  the  principal, 
perhaps  wisely. 

"It  won't  do  to  marry  on,  my  hoy.  However,  I  don't  bcliovo  you 
would  marry  without  my  consent  and  your  mother'a.  and  of  course 
if  we  liked  your  wife  we  nhoiild  help  you.  I'm  very  glad  you  ar« 
oS  with  Miss  Stretcher — what's  ber  name! — because  so  far  as  I  can 
(MH?  ncilhiT  your  mother  uor  I  nhoubl  biive  likird  her.  By  (be  hyo, 
bow  lon^t  had  you  known  her  altogether?    Three  months*" 

Cbnrlcit  didn't  auswer,  but  raised  the  qucntion  of  bodroom  can* 
dlesilcka. 


He  was  a  hit  cowardly  about  reading  the  letter,  Jiut  wbe>\  \i<i 
found  himself  alone  in  the  bedroom,  BtiU  ceaened  loi  Vvo^  i>-'^  ^ 


270 


ALICE-F0K-8H0RT 


teaourw  againM  tlu!  lun-critiM  of  Bohcmin,  he  hud  no  fiirtli 
exciuc  for  not  reading  it.    Ue  opeued  it  and  read  as  foUows: — 

"Deaii  Misa  iruTti: 

*'I  will  writp  ti>  yoH.  faiit  not  1o  your  brolher — be  has  treated 
mc  cniclly — oh.  cruelly  1 — and  I  will  nut  see  nor  speak  to  bi 

Cliarloi  wiia  not  propnred  for  eudi  PruBaian  tactics.    H«  wi; 


SOI 
en 


to  monoiKilise  the  position  of  tlie  initiator — the  injured  penon  wl 
bad  a  right  to  resfiitmenl.  Tiie  letter  went  on  ou  liups  ideiiti< 
with  thosT  siiRgcatcd  by  GcorRie  Arrowsmith. 

"But  I  forgive  him.    It  la  not  bcvaiiEe  my  own  fi-clings  towards 
him  hnvc  changed  or  could  ever  change,  that  I  write  this.     It  is 
becau§o  I  see  now  that  hi-  does  not  lovr  me — thnt  he  bus  net' 
tovrri  mr.    lloppincKs  could  never  have  been  our§,  even  if  the  gret 
social  ohttacUs  betwi^eii  us  could  hnvr  bi-cn  ovrroomc.     1  csnn' 
bring  m.v)M'1f  to  think  that  these  have  had  any  share  in  his  hasi 
end  nufeelini;  conduct — for  I  will  cull  it  no  worHc  than  tha 
:^h  no!    lie  is  too  good  and  geoeroiu — that  can  never  have  infl' 

cL-d  him  !" 

Charles's  conscience  wriRgled  uneasily;  now  (upon  lus  honour] 
wa«  he  positively  crrtain  he  bad  never  ssid  to  himself  that  at 
rate  if  he  did  lose  Lavinia  there  would  be  peace  aud  iiwiet.  n 
not  a  beastly  bobberyJ  No!  Ilis  conscience  absolved  him  of  thai 
Kui  as  to  whether  be  had  fell  a  little  releas»fd  from  n  gobli; 
mother-in-law— well  1  it  would  give  him  the  benefit  of  the  doubt 
bring  in  the  verdict  not  proven.  He  was  rather  glad  to  get  on 
to  the  eubslanoc  of  tbc  ciplanntion : — 

"I  have  notking  to  conceal  about  the  circumstances  which  yo 
letter  lellg  mc  wn*  the  provocation  to  nil  this  erueltji  and  unkind-' 
ne»g.  I  will  write  it  all  without  reserve,  for  I  know  I  am  safe  in 
your  hands,  but  T  do  not  wiiy  allow  (Charles  cni«cd)  Mr,  lleatb  to 
read  it.  Still,  do  aa  you  think  best  I  I  say  this  because  I  do  not 
wi»li  him  to  TTproAch  himself,  and  ho  cannot  but  da  so  when 
knows  the  innocent  cause  of  my  presence  in  the  Park  at  that  la 
bourl  I  will  tell  you  cvcrytliing,  na  I  would  have  told  faini' 
indeed  I  would — had  he  asked  me, 

"Our  gticat  trouble — I  moan  mo  and  my  mother — is  my 
father."— Charles  stopped  abruptly,  let  the  letter  fall  on  his  ko' 
while  he  stroked  his  beard.  Hie  mouth  thought  of  giving  a  wkiatl 
but  decided  n«t  to. — "Wbyl — she  said  he  waa  dead,"  said  be.  to' 
empty  apace.  However,  he  went  on  with  the  letter:  "He  ia  of  un- 
sound mind,  and  we  have  to  live  apart  from  him.    But  he  follows 


on 

M 


AlICE-FOR-SHORT 


»1 


ns  fibout.  I  amnot  in  a  letter  toll  the  vhole  slory.  Rut  v«  left 
Poriit  thniush  him,  aii<l  he  foII<>wi-<l  ua  to  Lundoii.  He  <Ioes  nal 
know  where  m;  are  livinK.  I  must  tell  you  he  does  not  seem  msane. 
but  it  ia  impOiutiltlL'  for  my  motluTr  niid  myxcU  to  livu  with  bim." 

Charlci  paused,  considered  and  decided  that  it  was  excusable  to 
call  the  father  <l«a(l,  umlcr  tlie  oircuiu»t8nra.'«.  He  wa«  softening, 
but  this  did  not  make  him  RUispect  himself,    lie  read  on: — 

"On  that  evening  I  euught  sight  of  him  coming  from  n  coffe«- 
ehop  near  the  Chalk  Fami  Tavern.  1  did  not  know  he  had  come  to 
London,  bm  I  knew-  if  ht  saw  me  he  would  follow  mc  home.  He 
v&s  disputing  vrith  n  cabman  about  the  fare.  I  walked  away 
towards  Primrose  Hill,  and  when  I  reached  the  gate,  eaw  he  was 
following.  I  went  as  quick  as  I  could  across  the  Hill  and  Rot  to 
the  Park  gate  near  the  Ojmnasium.  Thi>y  were  just  closing,  but 
I  ROt  through  and  I  thought  most  likely  he  would  not.  and  after 
running  a  little  more  I  walked  slower  to  recover  breath.  I  was 
afraid  to  go  townnis  where  we  livcil  for  fojir  hi-  should  follow.  So 
I  went  the  other  way.  Half-aeross  I  saw  Mr.  Heath  in  front,  and 
did  not  want  to  owrtake  him.  All  the  Mme  I  fnlt  safer,  seeing 
him"; — (Charles  softened  perceptibly  at  ihia  point) — "just  before 
WB  reached  the  (rate  I  hoard  a  jitep  behind  and  then  saw  my  father 
had  got  through  and  was  still  following.  I  hung  a  little  back 
to  make  sur«  Mr.  Heath  was  through  the  gate,  and  then  nsked  the 
gate-keeper  to  send  the  man,  who  was  following.  t)ie  wrong  way,  if 
lie  should  nsk  which  way  I  went.  He  was  good-natured  and  sniil 
y«8.  Ail  this  while  your  brother  must  have  seen  me.  and  thought 
it  might  he  me.  But  he  was  in  ttm  vhadow  and  T  thought  he  bad 
gone  on.  When  I  got  home,  going  round,  I  was  glad — hut  I  am 
afraid  now  that  any  time  my  futlurr  may  find  out  where  wc  are. 

"Dear  Miss  Heath,  if  you  feel  inclined  to  blame  me,  for  all  this 
plotting  and  seheiutwg.  think  what  it  must  he  to  W  followwl  by  a 
father  who  has  before  now  threatened  the  life  of  both  your  mothof 
and  yourself.  Of  course  she  and  I  both  know  it  is  his  head  that 
is  Bffect«'d— but  he  seems  so  sane  that  every  one  else  is  mis- 
led. .  .  ." 

*Tlut  bow  about  Eseter  Hnll  ?"  said  Charles  to  himself.  He  went 
on  readinjf  the  letter,  which  dwelt  on  how  the  writer  had  all  but 
taken  him  into  her  confidence  next  day — how  slie  reproached  hcr- 
aelf  DOW  for  not  having  done  so.  But  only  let  Peg^cy  think  what 
ia  meant  bf  the  e-xistcncc  of  insanity  in  any  family — what  the 
eAeots  of  its  publication  aret  Was  she  wrong  in  this  conc«al- 
mcntt  Perliajw  she  wu*.  But  slic  never  intended  to  v'nVi'aft'A, 
And  then  things  had  followed  on  eo  audiifti\\y\   S>\ie  waW^  \ia.iNjw^ 


S79 


ALIOE-FOR-SHORT 


takra  by  Burprise.    But  the  (act  was,  tliat  had  it  not  Y^o  for 
mother,  she  would  liavo  told  c\-crjrl!iing,  ntid  mndo  no  rvwrvi 
"But  bow  bI»uI  Ejeter  IlalU"  ihouRht  Charles  ogaia.    Wae 
tie  whole  of  tbc  letter  (    No — here  wa*  n  pont.«ortpt  ovcrlwif. 

"P.  8.:  Aa  to  what  j-ou  say  about  Eseter  Hall,  I  am  completely 
puizlH.     I  am  auro  that  Mr.  IltMith  tniKtonk  itom«thing  I  Mai< 
But  I  caiinol  make  out  what.     I  wailed  with  a  friend  at 
EKjTtinn  Hall  two  nightji  before.    1  esn  recollect  nothing  flue 
could  have  been," 


That  was  nil  I  Charles  read  it  through  again,  and  .vet  a^in. 
first  effect  upon  him  wa«  to  incrensc  the  csB*perntion  he  felt  agaiturt 
the  attitude  of  hta  family.  He  found  himself  resoMnp  that 
would  give  it  hot  to  that  jtoudk  monkey  Joan,  if  she  Icl  him  ha' 
any  more  of  her  nonsense.  He  cho^e  to  regard  this  pesolre  as 
quite  another  department  of  his  mind,  nnd  having  n<i  cnnnnction 
with  the  letter.  Probably  it  waa  the  thin  end  of  a  wedge,  which 
was  well  in  and  working  forwArd  by  the  time  he  rc-MiTclopcd  tho 
letter,  and  was  at  Ubtrrly  to  pretend  he  whb  not  goiii^  to  allovr 
himself  to  be  intlucneed  by  it.  It  wh8  a  wedge  that  went  cod- 
tiiiually  forwards,  never  slaekeil  Iwck  in  the  Ic^st;  it  was  easy  to 
foresee  that  at  its  thick  end  Miss  Strnkcr  would  bo  acquitted.  But 
before  coming  to  that  point  it  irtuek  once  cir  twice — mainly  om 
Exettrr  Hall.  Charles  began  the  series  of  refiectioua  that  ended 
in  a  »(iund  itlcrp  with  an  unalterable  certainly  that  it  wa»  Exeter 
Hall  and  last  night — not  the  Egyptian  Hall  and  the  ni^t  befons 
last.  The  certainty  was  relaxing  to  o  eoncesaion  that  it  tautt  have 
been  the  night  before  last,  aud  be  must  have  been  mistaken,  whrn 
(iblivitm  i-nsuH.  Next  morning  this  conceBsion  waa  recalled,  but 
witli  a  feeling  that  some  protest  ought  to  have  been  made  ns 
Bct-off.  So  he  decided  that  perhaps  it  was  the  E(typtian  Hall,  afi 
all.    But  it  wasn't  the  night  before  last — oh  dear,  no! 

It  ia  iM>  easy  to  remember  any  number  if  you  can  only  reme: 
not  to  recollect  any  other  numbers  at  the  sumi-  time.     But 
be  to  you  if  you  onco  begin  to  speculate  about  whether  it  was 
two  or  n  three! 

Charles  had  got  himself  so  muddlrd  over  it  by  the  time  he 
down  to  brcakfant,  and  found  Peggi-  ibe  only  arrivnl.  that  Vt  fwrbi 
said  when  they  began  to  apenk  about  it:  "l.ct  me  see!  Waa  it 
Exeter  Halt  1  was  so  certain  it  waf,  or  llie  £|^-plian  Hall?  Oh 
ycK,  it  was  Exeter  Hall,  of  course."  And  he  really  felt  comforted 
when  Peggy  uasurt^l  him  tliis  was  the  caite.  She  kcrpi  back  a  oon* 
pjcljon  tluit  Charley  was  being  unfair  to  LsTtuia  on  the  strength 


ALICE-FOR-SHOHT 


973 


of  e  v^ty  ehaky  memory:  >im1  •!>«  didn't  M7  "Mim  Strakcr"  in 
her  mine),  toreaetiag  that  she  might  turn  out  Laviiiia  after  all  I 
Bat  she  nneti't  goins  to  isj-  anylhing  to  iofluoncc  him  000  wftf  or 
the  other — thought  she  woajv'l.  anyhow  I  Each  felt  that  the  paat 
nijrht  bad  had  a  aoftcnintr  cfFrct,  nnd  that  now  what  tticj  had  to 
talk  about  waa  nut  so  mui-h  wLecher  exouae  could  tie  fuuud  for 
Miss  Straker  aa  how  thry  ouM  mukr  nm^nds  10  fa^r  for  the  amount 
of  injusliw  done,  whatever  it  wu^  without  plunf^ing  into  too  grtrat 
■n  cxtr«mo  of  roinstatenwnt.  i'pggy'n  «ensc  of  justice  was  struK- 
gtinj;  agaiitat  tho  dread  of  takiui;;  the  reeponaibilitr  of  throwing  tbo 
lovers  into  one  another's  arma  agnin. 

*Tou  Icnow.  Charley,"  said  she.  "I  do  feel  that  the  whole  buai- 
oess  was  too  hasty — too  much  like  the  way  propte  make  love  on  the 
Ktuge." 

"Or  mistakes  off  it — isn't  that  what  you  moan.  Poggy-Wog?  In 
fii<-t.  you  consider  your  brother  a  pigheaded  gooaet" 

"That's  it,  dcarl  You  put  it  brauttfully.  Yon  see.  I  can't  help 
fecUng — (jou  won't  be  augrj-,  dear,  if  I  say  it! — Promi*.-!) — feel- 
injl  ([lad  it's  all  over,  becAUso  I  do  think  Larinia  may  be  right,  and 
that  you  n«rcr  really — really — did  care  about  her.  At  lenst.  not 
M  iniKh  as  you  thought."  She  is  {rettioR  her  ship  into  all  eort«  ■ 
of  iboab  and  troubled  water?,  and  knowa  it.  But  the  net^l  of  Hnd-I 
tag  some  way  of  making  up  for  injustice  goads  bcr  ou — "So 
can't  pretend  I  should  be  gbd  for  your  sake  that  it  should  all  coi; 
on  nfido.  In  fact.  I  do  think,  Charley  dear,  that  yon  and  Lavinia ' 
aro  httttrr  apart."  Slie  said  "Lavinia"  feeling  that  a  harthntss 
might  he  safely  wiflened — it  was  a  aiialake.  Besiilea.  the  idea  of 
boins  asunder  is  fraught  with  the  idea  of  coming  together,  and  in 
our  opinion  Charles  wus  not  in  a  state  of  mind  (o  be  trusted  with 
it.  "All  the  same  it  secna  unkind— to — to  believe  we  were  mis- 
taken— don't  j^u  aeei — and  not  to — to— ^"  Peggy  f<'lt  the 
watvi*  very  unaufe  indeed;  wished  she  was  out  of  them.  She  hud  to 
prcl«ud  to  arrange  Charley's  beard  and  moustache  for  him,  in- 
stead of  finishing  the  sentenec.     lie  did  it  for  her. 

"And  not  to  go  and  tell  her  we  thiiJc  it's  all  explained  and 
w«'re  5tTj-  sorry  for  cverj-thing,  but  that  for  other  rcasgiw — niil 
Kood  ones  this  lime— I  would  on  the  whole  rather  not  marry 
bcr." 

"Oh.  Charley  dear — how  can  you  be  so  nonsi'^nsicul !"' 

"How  would  yon  put  it  then,  Peggy!"  But  Pegoy  couldn't  toll. 
Charted  cnt  the  Gordian  Knot. 

"Tho  question  is  simply  whether  the  stoty  is  true.  If  It  wm«> 
true,  Uiaa  Straker  would  be  to  me  all  she  wa«  \)cioT«,  u>&\  don'jA 


274 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


0 

'M 

.1  to      , 


bn  dioroiishlr  ubsmed  of  inytdf  for  my  bnsliuosit,  and  nbouM 
nl  once  and  a«lc  bet  to  fonciTe  and  tak^  mc  bock.    But  i«  it  tmc 

I'l^^sy  ^dd  brcn  no  onrly  wnvJct^  1}<r(orc  that  she  took  reivgc  in 
eileucc.  We  must  confess  to  bciDK  unable  to  8«e  what  she  ousht 
to  bavo  Mill.  She  f«:lt  rorj-  <toubtful  if  it  wnan't  cowardly  to  leave 
Charles  to  think  ehc  thouKht  it  faW.  and  miRht  have  found  some- 
thing to  aaj,  in  time,  but  an  eruption  of  fastbreakcrs  stopped  the 
coHofjuy. 

Alii-e.  iu  Ibe  natural  course  of  her  identifScalioo  with  tlie  faniil; 
had  brwmo  nn  rstabliflhcd  incidt-iit  at  brwikfn»t.    "Tbc  boy»"  hn' 
been  tbe  main  as^nls  in  bringing  this  aboul,  and  had  in  conse- 
qiicnpc  hfyDtnc  veiy  unpopular  with  Mr^  I'nrtridg<'.    Wc  an:  norry 
to  iay  that  Dan,  the  .voungoBt,  had  denounced  thai  old  retainer 
wiititinft  Aliw  nil  to  her  Ixiislly  olil  itrlf.     Thin  wa«.  howcvisr, 
secret  communion  with  his  brother.    lie  and  KUen  took  the  p1a< 
in  the  Hmth  family,  thai  NihilinU,  Doukhobont,  AgncBLtim.  Turk 
Heretics,  and  InGdels  Reneratly  bold  in  the  Iliinian  family.    Usu? 
ally  the  espousal  of  any  cuuso  by  Ja<-k  and  Ellm  was  enough  to 
rDHiiro  iti>  condemnation  and  opposition  by  their  seniors.     B 
occasionally  a  case  occurred  that  wa4  uwer  good  for  banning 
ower  bad — if  not  for  blcnninK — at  lesst  for  apontoneons  encourajce- 
ment.    Such  a  one  wa^  Jack  and  Klleu'a  danund  that  Alice,  vr. 
had  inrrgrd  in  the  family  mcaln  in  Dcvonsliire,  should  continue 
do  so  in  London,  so  far  as  breakfast  was  concerned  at  least.    Alii 
was  really  welcome  CTcrywhcrc,  but  the  elders  felt  it  a  duty 
sustain  her  nondescript  position  somehow;  hence  she  mny  be  aa\ 
to  hare  slowly  become  a  member  of  thr  family  un<h-r  protest. 

On  (he  occasion  in  Iiand.  Alice  was  among  the  enrlie<<t  of  the 
faatbreakera  nt  Hyde  Park  Clardfiis.  All  wi^rc  rath<T  early  this 
roorninfr,  so  Mr.  Heath  Senior,  baTinfr  shaTod  (aa  aforesaid)  over- 
nifchl,  meant  to  ipt  to  the  city  nt  ten.  Hence  Prggj-'s  interview 
with  ChnrlcH  had  been  cut  short.  Let  us  try  to  hear  as  much 
the  coutmraalion  as  we  can  through  the  rattle  of  knivei  aiul  fori 
and  mere  demands  for  more  milk,  less  milk,  one  mere  lump,  and 
en,  that  drown  and  internipt. 

"Of  courao  yoti  may  have  ecruncliy  tonei  if  you  like,  Alice 
Why  isn't  Alice  to  have  scnincliy  (oast,  Ellen  f" 

"Bceausn  little  girln  ought  to  be  consistent.    Alice  said 
day  (Not  I'm  not  a  tyrant — any  more  than  crerybody  else  ia) 
she  liked  (hick  loost,  tight  brown  all  over,  and  now  »lio  wants 
thin  and  hard  and  the  black  scraped  oS " 

"Of   eoiirth    I   do!      Berauee  yelhlcrday   waa   Tbnrtbday 

*tu*  Alice,  implying  that  some  scheme  for  the  belter  organisati 


J 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


STS 


"of  life  luis  to  be  observed,    Pcgg;  enquired,  "Why  thick  toast. 

', slightly  broiram),  on  Thursday!" 

"Because  Thurtliday  ia  a  thquoahy  <iay,  like  Monday.    Ail  the 

>otherH  nw  «cr«nchcy  and  crickly,  except  Thntiirday." 

J  "Now,  Peggy,  isn't  that  ridiculous}  As  if  Wednesday  wasn't  ■ 
lot  squothicr  than  Monday,"     But  thi«  ricw  of  Joan's  ia  com* 

'  bated  by  Charles,  who  lakes  Alice's  part. 

"Alicxt  i»  quite  right.  Thurnday  and  Ifondny  aro  noft  and 
squashy,  ictlh  no  crust.  The  others  are  crusty;  only  Saturday  Is 
doubtful.    She's  [(crfcctly  right,  so  (wniit  now,  Joan!"    But  .Tump- 

,  inn  Joau  i<i  not  a  younfc  pcrsou  who  can  be  contra  die' ted  with 
jiniiunity.    Slit  rouiidH  on  Charlm  with  tlu-  >ti)ring  of  a  pitnthiT. 
"1  should  like  to  know  what  Alies  Straker  would  say  to  that  I" 

(On  which  H'ua  Pclborington  auya  with  n  chilling  liiiit  of  remote- 
neu  from  the  conTcmation  in  her  tone,  "1  think.  Elten,  you  had 
better  eat  your  bruukfast."  And  i^Irs.  neatb,  wbi>  hati  nccnii'd,  and 
is  flbotutding  spaciously  behiud  the  um,  enquires  once  for  aU, 
"Ellen,  am  I,  or  am  1  not.  your  mother  t" 

"Suppose  you  write  and  ask  Miss  Straker,  Joan!"  says  Charles 
hinuwrlf,  gond-hiiniourird  and  iinmovrd.  lli<  is  reully  fonil  of  thi» 
demonstrative  little  sister  of  his.  and  usually  very  much  amused  at 
the  way  ohc  hit.'t  out  all  round,  and  adjusts  llie  uiiiverM-:  "Bccauwt 
1  conid  take  the  letter,  yoa  know."  Mrs,  Ileath's  attention  is 
arouHed. 

"I  tfiink,  my  dear  Charles, — but  I  know  I  slial!  be  set  aside. — I 
ghould  have  a  right  to  be  told  when  Mim  Strnker  is  to  be  asked, 
and  what  she  is  to  be  asked  to.    But  do  nol  consider  me!" 

t     "You  don't  understand.  Manimn  di-nr!     It's  not  an  invitntioo — 

flel'a  see,  what  waa  it  she  was  to  be  asked?"    For  Peggj-.  who  says 

'this,  has  bocn  quite  bewildered  by  the  mpiditic!*  of  the  convei^ 

iMtion.    Alice  cuts  iu  with  a  real  desire  to  clear  up  obscurities,  and 

[place  thing*  on  a  proper  fnofing. 

I     "Miss  Straker  is  to  be  athked  if  Thurthday  and  Uosdajr  aioii't 

»quai:hy,  and  other  day*  crusty '' 

"All  but  Saturday,  doubtful  I"  says  Charles.  And  Alice  repeat* 
after  bim,  "All  but  Tbnliirday,  doubtful !"  Her  cye.i  gleam  with 
earnestness,  and  her  small  face  is  serious  without  trace  of  a  Kmilc. 
The  company  fed  a  wi$h  to  kiss  her;  but  it'a  hrciikfast.  M  tbey 
can't.  Urs.  Heath  either  ignores  the  tririnlity,  or  does  not  nee  tho 
giat.  of  the  convcrsati'in.  and  says  freexiiigly,  "At  any  rate  we 
bare  no  day  free  till  Wednesday.  And  I  bdg  that  no  arrange- 
mcnta  may  be  mode  witliout  my  knowledgi-  and  sanction." 
"Mamma  dear — indeed  nobody's  making  uns  »TTaae!«»Ksi^a^^'^* 


276 


ALIOE-FOB-SnORT 


nil  a  mistake!  yahody'b  he'ing  aaketl  tMjvthcTe,  etc..  ttc"  TliU 
wna  m  xort  of  joint-^tock  rcmiirk,  joined  in  bj  sorcral.  Now  ICrs. 
Ueath  was  not  so  uuobBervaiil  aud  stupid  us  might  wwm — for  oon- 
curnMitl;  with  thin  «)iiiciisiqo&  thcTO  luid  been  another  ftroong  tbe 
males,  rather  loud  aud  absolutely  in4:i>inpT«beiisible  to  byMandcn, 
Hc!«^  in  a  clianw  famplc:— 

"It'8  Slack's  bustnces— not  mine.    Tou  must  write  at  o: 
thu  moment  we  g<?t  to  thu  office." 

"What  am  1  to  say)    I  don't  evea  know  if  it  was  bor  o' 
aiccft        " 

"It's  no  concern  of  ourn,  anyhow)  If  it  had  been  proper! 
packed,  it  would  have  been  eatable  enough.  What  could 
Slack  to  shout  m  loud,  I  can't  imaRinc!"  .  .  .  And  so  on.  Vfl 
merely  give  a  fragment.  As  thia  and  mueh  more  RTOaa-ooiiiiterod 
continually  with  tho  dinloRue  about  Alice's  squashy  days,  Mrs. 
Heuth  bttd  good  ex<nise  for  misumlerataiidiTig.  But  nhe  hod  non« 
for  rejecting  nil  rxplnnnlionx,  and  adhpring  to  a  false  conception 
on  its  own  merits,  while  admitting  tacitly  that  it  had  uo  foum 
tion  in  fact. 

"I  may  be  right,  or  I  may  be  wrong,  my  dear  Hargarel.    I 
accuNtomed  to  hr  corrected.    But  T  do  soy,  and  I  will  say,  that 
ought  not  to  be  asked  to  receive  Miss  Straker.   The  Kemp-Brciwn 
are  a  different  thing.    Tlicrc  has  been  no  occurrence  tfaere  of 
sort  or  kind."    Charles  has  been  getting  more  aiul  more  nettled  at' 
the  scmi-allu«ions  to  himcclf  and  Hiss  Strnkcr,  and  at  this  point 
the  wonn  turns, 

"Am  I  nnkrd  to  the  Kcmp-Brownes',  Foggy- Woggy  T'  nyB  be 
aemi-sotio-voec  across  tbe  table. 

"Oh    ycje.  Charley  dear,  you're  asked."    PcK87  looked  at 
apprehensively — nearb"  asked  him  not  to  be  a  gooae, 

"I  iihall  go  to  the  Kemp-Brown ee'l"  he  said;  "I  don't  see 
reason  why  I  shouldn't  go  to  the  Kemp-Brownes'.  and  I  shal]  go.'* 

This  rviioltition  lind  n  certain  note  of  driinnee  in  it.  The  Kcrap- 
Browues  were  very  musical  people,  and  a  Miss  Straker  ereiiing  bad 
been  pending  ever  «inn^  this  family  had  heard  her  ning  at  Hydo 
Pnrk  Oardi-ns.  Of  course  Charlrs  miRht  go,  and  remain  at  tbo 
other  end  of  ihn  ro()m — rn^ver  apiak  to  tht  siiijKer.  or  even  lialcn  to 
her.  But  that  wasn't  his  meaning  I  Yet  it  was  impomiblo  to 
hold  of  a  mere  acceptance  of  an  invitation  to  a  friend's  bouse 
cause  a  young  lady  was  going  to  sing  there  about  whom  there 
been  un  occurence  of  a  sort  or  kind.  An  imcomfortable  feeling  p 
vailed  which  might  have  dispersed  naturally  If  the  tnlk  had 
down  nnturally.    But  jt  was  cut  off  short  by  the  other  end  of  tba 


Ui 


died^ 


AlICE-FOR  SHORT 


877 


table  getting  overwhelmingly  loud.  Mr.  IleatbV  lempvr  h»A  been 
ruffled  hy  points  under  diwntaaion  tielween  liini  tind  Arehibald,  the 
rld«st  con  in  the  businctw,  and  at  this  juncture  it  climaxed.  He 
went  the  length  of  AtrikioK  tbo  table  with  his  hand, 

"T  don't  c*rr  what  McCormipk  aajsl  He  hae  nolhinft  lo  di>  witli 
the  matter.  I  should  say  the  same  if  he  was  the  Archbishop  of 
Cunterbufy.    As  for  Ekins,  hes  n  oolos^nl  idiot P 

"There  was  nobody  at  Kew  at  the  time,"  says  Archibald,  meekly 
and  npnloKcticnlly ;  and  the  outsiders  whose  attention  is  attracted 
I7  the  rehemence  of  things,  feel  inclined  to  support  Archibald  and 
help  to  point  out  that  there  really  wmt  nobody  at  Kew,  without 
knowing  of  any  reason  why  there  should  have  been,  or  anytbine 
whatever  about  it. 

"I  shall  be  veiy  cautious  another  time,  and  so  I  tell  him  plainly." 
thua  Ur.  Heath,  with  a  Kcsticulaling  foreling^,  "I  abnil  be  very 
caulioua  another  time  about  leaving  anything  whatever  in  the 
band*  of  Wither*  &  Shanks.  I  <lon't  cow  whether  it's  wool  or 
petlitoee.  You  may  tell  him  1  said  so.  Uol  I  don't  want  any 
more  tnt.  Tou  may  tell  him  I  said  so.  Is  tbc  cab  there.  Phillt' 
morel" — Vea,  it  is;  and  oS  goes  Mr.  Heath  fuming  against  some 
p<!r«OD  or  persons  unknown,  who  will  remain  unknown  to  us,  aa 
tfaey  do  not  come  into  this  history. 

I**C8y  *HW  that  tiic  circunistancea  of  Charles's  rupture  with 
lAif*  Strakcr  were  responsible  for  the  condemnation  her  family  had 
eh4Xw«r<s()  npon  that  young  lady  without  waiting  for  a  full  and  true 
account;  that  this  veiy  condemnation,  half-beard  and  perhaps 
cxaggeruted  by  him,  had  stimulnted  his  readinosa  to  turn  round 
and  believe  himself  wrong;  and  ihut  any  word  slie  said  might 
cither  d(j  the  same  thing,  or  be  mont  unfair  to  a  girl  who  appeared 
at  least  to  be  in  a  most  unfortunate  position-  If  !l  had  been  to 
aare  Charley  from  certain  iinhappinese  Ae  might  like  enough  have 
flung  all  other  considerations  aside — but  was  she  sure  it  would., 
•ftvo  himt  Might  tbem  not  be  intinilely  worse  Mis£  8lrakers  it 
the  bush  T  Vt'hnt  had  she  against  her,  personally,  but  a  slightly 
drawly,  theatrieal  monncr!  After  nil  the  (|ueetion  was,  would 
Charley  be  happy  with  her  I  She  couldn't  say  yea — but  could  ahe 
Bay  DoT 


CHAPTEE  XXVn 
now  MI9S  PRTNKK  nuxTBD  roR  MOSES.     HOW  ciiARLrji  wnj. 

PIiyU.M  CAHTWBIOUT.      JOKAH  AND  ST.   UAROVRET.      UOW  CHABLES 
WBST  rCK  A  WALK   IN  RBOKNTS  PAttK.      ASI>  OVSRUEAKD  A  COS? 
8ATI0>I.     HOW  HE  FOUSO  MIHH  HTRAKER  AT  HOME 


^ 


When  Charles  (tot  to  the  Studio  he  found  «  letter  from  Dr. 
Fliid.'n'r.  CnuM^  of  diukUi  watt  tin  ht;  unticipntt'il,  henrt.  Chloroform 
contributory,  lliieiiiess  inalrucllons  were  (tiveii  iu  Verrmder'a  let- 
ter to  himwH,  mid  n  will  hnd  boon  found  ns  indiiriiti'ti  thrivin.  Aa 
soon  HH  forcnalities  ehoidd  havo  beeu  complied  with  the  pictures 
would  bo  n-iit  to  nu(-tioii.  Ohiirli-s  sriid  t<i  liiiiiHi'lf  ihnt  hr  would 
go  to  the  sale  and  buy  Phyllis  Cartwrigfat.  It  turned  out  that  It 
wsK  to  bo  othcTwivo.  al 

For  when  he  cawie  to  thiuk  over  the  eventa  of  the  Inst  thi**"^ 
wceke,  it  became  more  and  more  manifoat  to  bim  that  the  situation 
lietwreu  himself  and  thc^  young  lady  had  t>ocD  msinly  of  hi*  own 
creatine'.  Of  what  value  were  pliKhted  troth,  vowa  of  vonatancjr, 
and  so  ft)r<li.  that  wmild  not  rtand  the  strnin  that  had  bwn  put 
upon  hisi  It  had  all  hintceil  on  his  own  aLTtiriUT  of  recollection, 
and  if  he  hnd  rt^iilly  luvpd  tlie  girl  eurely  he  would  have  doubl<,>d  hitaJ 
own  heariiiK  rather  than  coudeiriti  hi-'r  in  «ii<-h  an  off-hand  way^^ 
And  thtn  Imw  inijusl  his  family  hnd  bppn!  If  they  wcrtt  all  ready 
to  rejoice  over  liis  manifest  devotiou  to  Miss  Stralter  cominft  to  an 
abrupt  Hid.  would  it  not  have  been  kindiir — moro  Ktrai(i;h  I  forward, 
to  "pcnk  plainly — not  to  give  such  an  uncertain  note  in  a  matter 
involving  »o  mudi  to  atlt  People  iieunlly  e»jM"ct  evfry  fine  elco  to 
cut  and  dry  their  conduct;  to  open  with  a  flip  and  §>hut  with  a 
click.  Cbarlen  wua  no  exci-ption.  lie  growled  t<i  himself  and 
nursed  a  »ort  of  working  rewntment  again^'t  bis  family,  to  bo 
diM-nrdi-d  wlii-n  done  with.  ITn  could  no*  consent  to  ho  over- 
weighted by  the  opinions  of  people  who  eoidd  be  so  unjust — for 
plainly  as  tlit-y  all  allowed  their  eondeinnalion  of  iliss  Rtrukcr,  they 
actually  did  not  know,  or  knew  very  imiwrfectly,  the  Rrounda  of 
his  seoeaaion.  He  could  fancy  Archibald  snyiiuK.  "So  Cluirlcy'K 
thrown  that  yoonir  woman  of  hi*  overboard.  Good  job,  tool"  and 
Bobtn  repeating  auuielhtng  acquired  from  on  older  mouth,  au' 


] 


AtlCE-FOR-SHOKT 


97» 


i§,  "fiasy  fnouuh  to  see  which  waj  the  cat  would  jump,"  or,  "Are 
you  Ktrprim-d  t  I'm  nol";  nnd  Jonn  imiKiunciug  iiuilibly  u!l  over 
the  house  that  Charley's  Lavinia  wne  an  ineidious  minz,  and  she 
didn't  can-  if  Chnrlcy  did  hcjir  hrr  say  so. 

No !  It  was  altojrethrr  weak  and  wrong  to  let  himself  be  swayed 
by  their  shallow  d(«iMoiis;  a  ctrar  aUlicntion  of  hi*  own  individu- 
ality, a  rraunciation  of  his  claims  to  manhood.  He  owed  it  to 
htmKlf,  and  lo  L«viuiu  if  hia  vowtt  w<^re  worth  a  straw,  to  act  pre- 
cisely as  he  would  have  acted  if  there  had  been  nothinv  to  consider 
but  their  two  selves.  P^gy  was  of  cour^  an  isulatt-il  cu^e,  ulways 
for  iwparatv  cotui deration.  But  then  Pcg^  would  admire  and 
excuse  any  action  of  bis  ibut  was  based  on  a  ehrinkiu!;  from  wrongTrJ 
stimulated  by  a  tttmerouE  or  cbiralrous  motive.  If  he  went  stntifiht 
to  Lnvinin  heri-  nnd  now.  for  forgiviiiesB  and  rijpall^he  know  that^  , 
Pofnry  would  applaud  him  in  her  heart,  arfi'iAne'^Mt' foS^■fc-^'^'  *  f_ 

But  hi-  would  do  nothing  in  a  hurry  1    To  iHH)tbe  bimoelf  and  1 
in  a  calm  frame  of  mind,  he  would  have  a  ftood  look  at  Kesan.  and 
eee  if  sb<r  was  rvslly  dry.    If  he  t-rer  did  finish  Regan  (and  obri- 
f>U8l,v  ho  couldn't  do  that  without  Miss  Straker),  fit  any  rate  sb 
would  har»!  a  thorough  drying  1     And  if  he  didn't,  at  nny  rat«   it 
was  no  fault  of  his  I    An  inspection  of  Regan  Klarinf;  apace  with  a 
chin  wi-Il  abend  of  hrr  pyes.  nnd  clcnobing  two  wrll-balniiCfi!  fista, 
ended  in  a  decision  that  at  any  rate  it  was  too  late  to  do  any  worh 
now.    Thio  phrsKc  had  recrudcncrd ;  but  to  somo  nrw  end.  not  yet ' 
determined.     As  no  work  was  possible,  the  iiest  beat  thing  would 
be  to  pay  iTcif  n  TiKit  in  his  Studio.     He  hadn't  been  th^c  for 
ever  90  long. 

Tbn  Hiss  Prjnnes'  door  was  half  open,  and  did  not  know 
whether  the  person  who  hfld  the  handle  inside  was  slu.vicju  in  or 
onming  out.  Whoever  it  was,  he  or  nbc  hoard  Charles's  footstep 
and  inclined  to  staying  in.  He  passed  up  and  met  ii  Buimd  of 
Toicca — Jeff's  and  the  .rounger  Mis»  Prynnr-'n.  The  formi-r  testi- 
fied that  if  its  owner  saw  Moses,  he  would  bring  him  down  at  once. 
The  latter  tliat  it  would  l>e  sure  to  be  all  right.  Moses  was  always 
diaappearine,  and  always  turning  up.  Further  that  tea  would  be 
fite.  and  .Terry  was  to  be  eiire  not  to  be  late.  Oh  no.  tlint  he 
wouldn't!  The  voiees  seemed  to  mingle  with  alacrity  and  eitbila- 
ratton.  Charka  piiusrd  a  minute  on  the  stairs  with  a  sudden 
amused  look.  Some  idea  had  dawned  on  him.  "No!"'  said  he  to 
ttimself.  ■'that  would  he  too  riiiicTulouB!"  Only,  a*  Mis*  Dorothea 
paaaed  bim  on  the  Maire,  with  the  smile  of  her  interview  still  on 
her  face,  and  a  geod-morning  for  himticlf  that  tiorrowcd  a  chatice 
cordiality  from  it,  he  added,  intemall^f,  "B\jl  w\t^  twA^ 


ALICE-FOBSBOBT 

"Wliat  A  time  you  have  beeot"  said  the  door-handle  bolder, 
her  fliater  rcpliMl.  ""Wc  wei*  looking  for  Mogea."    Thi>  door  cloccd 
on  a  seneo  of  a  slight  domestic  ruction.  j 

"Au,v  niore  gliosis,  JeS!"  ^ 

"No.  only  'untin'  for  the  cat." — Mr.  JerrythoniAt  also  had  a 
plr>a!iuiit  twinklu  on  htm.  and  a  slight  flush. — ''Wi-II,  I'm  blowcdl 
there  he  i«  all  the  time,"     And  there  he  was  sure  onoujcb,  ci 
vliug  round  ibc  visitor's  calves.     It  was  ns  nothing  to  Mok;« 
cease  to  exist  when  hunted  for,  and  to  re-materialise  when  coi 
Ten  lent. 

"Half  a  minute  till  I  take  him  down.  Charley  I"  And  JeS  ca 
tures  Mosc9,  purring  like  a  forgo  in  full  blast,  and  bears  him  awi 
to  his  owner. 

"I  WAS  just  going  to  give  you  up  and  fro,"  saye  Charles,  some 
minutes  after — somi:  uiaiiy  miuule* — when  JeS  reappears  aimIo- 
grtic.  ^M 

The  rescued  Terpsichore  had  an  easel  to  herself,  as  hftTing  intcr^H 
Gitling  igualitiiM.    We  have  noticed  ttint  works  of  Art  that  arc  bcinjt 
cared  for  and  cos^ed  over,  soon  develop  qualities.     It  la 
known  that  new  things  seldom  have  any  qualities  whatever.    It 
a  puixlc  to  thc!  metaphysician,  but  presents  no  difficultin  to  tbs' 
artist.    Terpsichore,  who  probably  was  painted  in  an  afternoon,  and 
tlu-n  looki'd  hanale.  und  crud<-,  and  commonplace,  and  meTctncio\i: 
and  affected,  and  Sat.  and  appealed  to  no  sympathies,  and  toucbi 
so  chord,  iind  in  whoso  oompositiim  no  Trentment  was  visihlr,  ani 
Values  entirely  disregarded — this  very  Terpisichore  now  that  si 
had  had  her  Ufe  saved  at  such  t-xpeiise,  and  been  provided  with 
gilt  frame  (only  the  gilt  was  kept  down  and  not  allowed  to  stare) 
hod  become  endowed  with  qualities,  niid  hud  had  a  good  deal 
style  distinguished  in  her  by  a  sensitive  and  thoughtful  Omni: 
cience— in  fact  the  Cultivated  Critic  himself  had  Tisitad  Jeff*i 
Studio  and  discerned  in  Terpsichore  an  interesting  example  o 
something  it  was  dutiful  to  be  interested  in.    Undtr  glass,  the  po; 
tions  the  Destroyer's  band  had  spared  suggested  the  beauty  of  t 
holf-vflnisbed  bits  he  had  had  a  gtiod  scratch  at,  and  very  near 
abolished  before  tW  Preserver  caught  him  at  it  and  chased  hi 
away. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  hert"  Charles  asks. 

"Intercitin'  memento  1"  says  Jeff.  "Shan't  part  with  her.  Miatf 
Dorothea  was  saying  the  frame  would  bear  puttin'  down  a  little 
moro.    Wl>at  do  you  think  f 

"Was  that  when  you  were  looking  for  the  cat.  .Ttfff" 

"You  go  along,  Charley  t    You're  always  poking  your  fun !    Ni 


ALICE-FOR-SHOET 


»1 


IfiM  Dorothea  nMy  is  a  very  Ben»ble  person  I    Ain't  it  time  for 
lunch r 

It  isn't,  jn«t  yet.  But  it  will  be.  In  the  meantime  we  can 
CODveree  a  jrood  deal  about  Vcrrindor'A  drath ;  nboiit  the  old  iiig  thia 
story  begnu  with;  t-ren  ubout  each  other's  work,  which  we  regard 
with  lukewarm  intereet,  each  prcferrinjf  tn  stimulate  the  other  into 
talk  about  hin  own,  un<lcr  prpteiit'e  of  udvtw"  he  doesii't  m«an  to 
take.  Hut  when  Charles  came  to  look  back  on  this  conversation, 
it  wrtninly  Ktruolc  him  that  Mis*  Dorothea  figured  in  it  rery  ofteii 
as  an  estremely  sensible  person,  and  wondered  whether  anjlhing 
wouI<]  come  of  it. 

Urs.  Farwifc.  on  the  stairs,  suspected  Charles  of  having  been  un- 
dcrfctl  lat<!ly.  She  Iind  noticed  it  these  three  dujra,  and  mentioned 
it  to  her  husband.  She  referred  scvcrsl  timcx  to  this  Inst  fact;  and 
not  only  had  olw?  said  to  Farwig  that  Mr.  'Eath  hndii't  been  look- 
ing himself  this  Ions  time  pflst,  nnd  whnt  he  wanted  was  keeping 
up.  but  nhf!  hud  dwelt  upon  the  same  theme  to  our  old  acquaint  unco 
Mrs.  Twill",  whose  memory  cluntr  about  No.  40,  even  as  Petrarch's 
about  Vauclusc.  or  Dante's  about  Florence.  .Mm.  Farwig  seemrd 
to  adduce  the  number  of  limes  she  had  mentioned  any  circumstance 
as  cumulotive  evidence  of  its  primary  certainty.  As  she  bad  stood 
her  pails  on  the  stairs,  durin'  ciMtnin',  and  ebe  herself  had  stood 
between  her  pails,  Charlrs  and  Jeff  could  not  avoid  a  longish  collo- 
quy, a  iiood  deal  of  which  was  for<'iKn  matter,  and  reviewed  the 
difficullirs  (if  bringing  up  a  young  family  on  an  unccrtnin  income. 
However,  the  pails  were  removed  in  time,  ami  Mrs.  Farwig  made  a 
bad  fininb.  oriitorio-nlly,  with  the  words,  "Ah,  well — as  I  any  1"  And 
tiien  Charles  and  JeS  got  downstairs. 

But  thiry  did  not  get  away  to  lunch.  For  Mr.  Baiterstein,  the 
dealer,  intercepted  them,  and  drew  them  into  his  room  lo  see  a 
Morhind.  Churl<-a  <!vudod  giving  an  opinion  about  it  by  saying  lie 
thouicht  Morland  such  a  very  equal  artist.  Being  applauded  for 
this  he  roslily  ventured  further  on  the  same  lines,  and  said  ho 
thought  Reynolds  nn  example  of  an  unequal  artist.  But  the  opin- 
ion of  Europe  was  evid('utl,v  aguiust  biro.  lie  retired  aithamGd.  M 
Then  thtry  drciilcd  they  really  mu»t  get  away,  or  they  wouldn't  % 
get  lunch  till  dinner-lime.  They  might  have  done  so,  hud  Cliarles 
not  rrwilb-dt^  us  he  wh"  k'.iving  the  house  that  there  was  scaoc- 
thing  he  wanted  to  say  to  Bauerstein.  It  related  to  the  sale  of 
Vtrrriuder's  pi<-tures.  and  a  short  confcwnce  ended  up  thus: — 

"Then  you'll  bid  for  it  for  me,  up  to  lifte«n  pounds  f    I  can't  well 

Ed  tliat." 
)lr.   Bau«r8teiu   would   undertake  the   c<nani\%^\inv.    "^^ 
- 


1^ 


S$3 


AT-tCK-FOR-SHORT 


would  bid  tip  to  fiftoao  pounds  for  Charlce.  If  be  bid  bibber 
would  b«  his  owb  purcbasv.  Wliat  did  Clmrli^st  tiay  tliv  nnci 
wast  "Villis  Gardride"? — Charles  wrote  il  down  for  him,  with  a| 
oUicr  nwcHiil  parliciilars.  But  ihis  dday  jusl  mmdi'  tbp.  dnpiirtui 
for  Or«iuoncini'8  overlap  witL  that  of  Pope  and  ChappeU,  win*  wei 
loquacious  in  tbL-  passage  as  Oharks  cntne  forth  to  rrjoin  Jof 
Pope's  vulgar  tongue  was  audible  as  bo  I«ft  the  old  ballroom 
the  door  liis  and  Jeff's  private  ghost,  as  tlwT-  olicd  hirr.  haj 
oome  out  nt. 

"Expectin'  a   beggar  tii   know    about  Trsnsuhsturntlution ! 
Protestant  lifggnr!     And  him  n  Dennl" 

'■Wlint  did  you  say  to  him.  Mr.  Poiif»"  Thii*  Chnppcll.  who  ij 
always  a  little  uneasy  about  what  may  happen  when  the  Firm'j 
divinity  is  gaugpd  by  oxpprts  in  bis  aliacncc. 

"Said  the  religious  pardiier  was  takin'  a  morsel  of  bread  ftl 
cliMee  and  a  gloBs  o'  shiTry,  hut  hti'd  be  round  in  five  minute*." 

"No — you  <lidn't  say  that.  Mr.  Pope,  I  do  hope?"  Mr.  Cbappef 
is  alsnncd,  hut,  odvnntngp  is  only  being  taken  of  hi»  bc-ing  matte 
of-fact.  Had  ho  hei:-n  on  tJiu  other  aidi-  of  tbii  paaaagc,  ht  woulc 
have  seen  that  Mr.  Pope  had  closed  one  eye,  for  the  beneiit  of  him- 
self and  Mr.  Jerrylhought. 

"Not  in  thofe  tcrma.  pardnerl  But  in  tlie  spirit  of  the  retuar 
My  pardnpr  always  says  'refer  him  to  ini»'  \w  says.  So  I  'and  Vn 
all  ovL-r  to  'im-^Deans.  Minor  Canons.  Viears,  and  Curates.  Bish 
ops  and  Arelibi  shops  c^me  by  uppoinlin<-nt  and  be  sees  'em  bii; 
self."     This  explanation  he  addrt^sses  to  Jeff. 

"What  did  you  mx  this  lime  though.  Mr.  Pope!"    Chappell  awin 
uneasy,  and  would  rather  know. 

"Said  I  would  sooner  be  should  tnlk  to  you  about  it.    Said 
own  views  were  those  of  the  religious  public,  without  diBtinctioii 
of  Mwd  or  smt " 

"No — you  didn't  say  thai,  I  hope?" 

"Somelhin'  to  tlint  effect.    It  amindcd  all  right.     Anyhow,  M^ 
goin"  to  send  the  templates,  and  bell  run  to  three  pun'  a  foot  ffl 
figure-work,  and  ten  shillins  for  gri.iuilli-.     And  when  hL>  coma 
again,  you'll  'ave  to  talk  to  him  about  Transubstarntiation. 
look  out  for  squalls." 

Charles  had  come  into  touch  in  the  middle  of  this  dialog 
Seeing  him  suggested  a  new  topic  to  Mr.  ChappelL    "That  was  Mi 
Heath's  sketch  of  Jonah  and  St.  Margaret  ho  liked,  wasn't   [^ 
Mr.  Popc-r— 

"All,  to  be  sure,  Mr.  Heath!    He  was  vwy  much  took  with  yoii 
sketch.    I  pointed  out  to  him  the  propriety  of  the  treatment- 


ALICE-FOK-SnORT 


S83 


*Thcrtf«  a  110116  mullion  between  tlicni.  anyhow."  Mii<I  Cbarlee. 

"Not  from  that  point  of  vk-w.  I  don't  mi-uu.  T  wos  rcfiTrin*  to 
the  Icndin'  inoidents  in  their  live*.  One  got  swalkn^  by  a  whule — 
thr  otlicr  by  ii  dragon — n  Mhr  fwliti'  lliey'd  liavc!  'A  pnrtfy 
idea,'  I  said.  "staDdiu'  of  'em  fide  by  »dc.'  He  afreed.  ;lie  Dean 
did-  Anyhiiw,  you'll  hnvc  to  drorc  *rro  out  to  scale,  and  I'll  lend 
you  a  hand  over  the  lead-lines." 

CharlpK  cordinlly  thnnkcd  Mr.  Pope.  It  garp  him  quite  n  scnto 
of  pleasure  that  hL-  ahould  really  do  »omelhing.  however  small,  that 
should  bear  fniit  an  profrwnional.  He  frit  imt  a  little  a^hnmcd  of 
his  miperior  lone  about  Pope  &  Chappell  when  be  first  made  their 
acquaintance  throutcb  Jeff.  To  whom  he  apologised  as  tiiey  walked 
nirny  U>  lunch  logi-thi-'r ;  he  eouidu't  well  do  »>  lo  Popi-  bim»elf, 
atlhotiirh  he  wan  lontnng  to  mnke  amends  for  bis  churlishness. 

Ro  long  HH  ho  wan  in  conlaet  with  tlie  rarini  little  vnirld  that  had 
drifted  into  No.  40;  so  long  as  he  was  sitting  with  Jeff  at  Cremon- 
cini'91.  chuffing  the  waiter,  who  was  o  Genoese,  niul  cnck-avnuring  to 
Kconcile  the  Italian  of  the  latter  with  some  slight  experience  he 
had  of  thp  PuTgaOirio;  so  long  ns  he  was  wtilking  Wck  with  his 
companion  throngh  the  pea-soup  that  flootlcd  the  etri^et,  in  a  singti* 
lar  fit  of  post-mortem  snmmer  that  bad  eome  off  the  Atlantic  with 
a  BWt  of  southwest  wind  und  blown  tin?  curly  frosts  awuy,  and 
waB  makinK  folk  anticipate  (rreen  yules  and  full  kirk-yard 
K>  long  as  these  things  were,  and  he  had  distmction.  he  was  in  no' 
danger  of  doine  anjthing  in  a  hurry ;  not  if  the  situatioQ  was  of  his 
own  cnnting,  ever  sol 

But  when  Jeff  had  gone  away  to  his  five-o'clock  appointment  to 
tea  with  the  sensible  Miss  Dorothea  and  her  indisputably  scraggry 
aialer;  whi-n  tie  bad  declined  to  aiwompawy  hira  in  responsi'  to  an 
invitation  ho  seemed  to  have  no  hesitation  in  giving.  qikI  was  left 
alone,  aa  he  alleged,  tr)  writv  lettora  iKKrau.-ie  it  wn>  too  dnrk  In  work ; 
when  he  had  filled  out  half-an-hour  with  a  pipe  of  the  celebrated 
Latakia,  and  liad  reuinrked  to  himself  that.  JetTs  aci}unintan(i!  with 
itit/t  Dorothea  seemed  going  ahead  at  a  great  pace—and  he  nerer 
reflected  on  the  great  pace  at  which  another  ncquflintiinen  had 
gone  ahead  recently;  when  he  had  done  all  these  things,  and  found 
no  more  to  do,  am!  rr-ully  liad  no  Irltcrs  to  writt — how  oftiTi  onAj 
Mya  one  has,  when  one  hasn't! — why,  then  he  was  very  diatiUAll; 
in  danger  of  doing  Norarthing  in  a  hurry;  only  he  didn't  know  it! 
He  fancied  he  had  got  a  really  good  opportunity  for  reviewing  the 
position  with  (he  extremest  deliberation,  and  went  out  for  a  wall 
through  the  pea-soupy  streets  in  the  wind  that  am«U  of  the. 
and  watched  the  *cuvcmgi-re  KcavcngLi^  (,"«e  prasoOMi^  "Cor  WMi^ 


iB* 


ALIOE-FOR-SHORT 


d  of  wbat^i 


with  vri6e  toolhlewi  rakes,  and  spooniug  it  into  tureens  ou  wheels 
which  beinji  Put  in  motion  spillod  mo«t  of  it.  and  carried  away 
rttmainder  to  soma  deatiiiatioii  known  only  lo  the  Parish. 

Obviously  the  proper  wiij  of  not  doinii  anything  in  n  hurry  would 
havt!  been  to  go  for  a  walk  in  Hyde  Park  and  KeuaiugluD  Oar- 
dens,  and  then  no  homo  to  dinner  and  have  a  good  long  talk  with 
Peggy — who  <!ou1d  xay  tlint  ahii  hadn't  hnen  to  see  UiHst  Strakert 
It  would  have  l>een  much  wiser  in  him  to  do  so,  instead  of  what 
he  did. 

Ue  did  start  towards  Hyde  Park.    But  when  he  ^t  to 
Place  he  turned  to  the  right.    He  would  walk  up  to  tlie  end  of  Port- 
laud  Plaee,  through  Park  Crcacont,  and  go  to  "the  Gardens"  alODi 
the   Maryk^bone   Road.     He  called   itomcbody,  or  samethin; 
wasn't  <-lear  which — to  witness  that  he  wasn't  thinking  of  gol 
near  Regents  Park;  still  U'na  Camden  Town. 

Bui  when  he  got  to  Park  Square  he  reflected  that  he  laal 
wanted  n  bit  of  a  walk,  and  it  was  so  nice  ami  airy  across  Regoo 
Park  in  this  unseasonable  delight  of  a  balmy  wind,  and  then  round 
bf  the  outer  eiri^le  and  St.  John's  Wood,  and  Maida  Vale.    A  cap-j 
ital  walk,  and  long  enough!     Of  course  he  would  bo  within 
quarter  of  a  mile  of  Warren  Street. 

His  mind  turned  resenlfnily  on  the  passing  imp  that  had  mu 
mured  this  in  his  ear.  What  sort  of  weak  eharaeter  did  that  Imi 
take  him  fori  Cnuld  he  not  trust  himself  within  n  qnartrr  of 
mile  of  this  girlt  Aye.  that  lie  couldl  He  could  trust  himself 
to  take  no  rnsh  step  unintentionall.v.  As  to  what  ho  jihnoJd  or 
should  not  do  as  the  result  of  matun.'d  intentiou — why,  the  iuten- 
tion  wasn't  mature  yetl  If  ho  wer«  to  mature  auch  an  intenti 
between,  for  inetance.  the  comer  of  Park  Square  and  ilie  Zoolo^i 
Gardens,  he  wasn't  going  to  be  intimidated  by  the  opinion  of  aa^ 
inaignificant  imp  like  that  I  I^'t  him  and  bia  fellows  scoff  at  his 
headstrongnesH,  rashness,  vacillation,  inconsistency — what  did  ho 
Caref  If  ho  really  onl.v  fi'lt  oonvinced  tliat  llisn  Slrakt^r's  story 
of  her  father  was  substantially  true,  he  would  go  and  sue  for  for- 
gireiiees  at  once.  Why  did  ho  doubt  its  truth)  It  was  only  that 
Exeter  Hall  recolleetion — and  see  how  hazy  he  had  boon  a 
thatl 

Then  he  became  conscious  of  what  Peggy  would  have  said  to  hi 
at  once  bad  she  se^n  him  now:  "You  foolish'boyt    Can't  you 
you  are  thi:iking  all  this  becauMe  you  are  hankering  after  Warrei 
Street,  and  the  nearer  you  get  the  more  you  will  think  it." 
»<;kHowl(-dgcd  th((  shadowy  Peggy's  insight;  pulled  himself 
•^d  crossed  the  Park  resolutely.     Ue  felt  Spartan,  and  «at  do' 


or 

cn'^l 
io^H 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


S88 


L 


OQ  a  seat,  near  tho  Primrose  FTill  entmnw  bo  kiunr  »o  well,  to  rest 
after  auch  a  moral  effort. 

His  c»r  nan  cnught  by  conriinntion  in  Fmnc^b  not  very  far  off.  J 
Wonls  not  fatniliar  to  him  he  could  not  calcli,  but  easy  phraseflV 
and  repetitionf  be  mndc  out  clearly  enough.    Tho  voice  tbat  spoke 
first  wa^  a  .voting:  man's. 

"Elle  esl  maiadc  .  .  .  die  n'a  pa*  pu  venir  .  .  ." 

"Ce  sunt  il«!i  menaongea,  et  tu  ea  menteur,  mon  fila  .  .  .  elle  ne 
I'a  pas  voiilu  .  .  ." 

"No  3u£Gt-il  pas  (luVlle  voua  a  envoys  cat  argciit!  .  .  .  pourquat 
la  fatieucr  aineil  .  .  ." 

"Jfl  ne  veiix  pas  la  futiguM',  moil  .  .  .  Ecoute  toil  Je  t'atteoda 
une  (It^nii-htrurel  .  .  ." 

The  two  voieee  iheo  fell  end  CharUs  lienrd  no  more  until  they 
■SBuzned  the  winding-up  tone,  which  always  brings  louder  speech. 
The  elder  man  became  audible  first — anil  tbat  of  the  younger  re- 
mained inaudible,  bein^  always  pitched  in  a  lower  key. 

"Alors  nous  sommcs  d'nci^ord  I  Tu  viens  ici  me  porter  de  I'argent 
— et  moi  je  t'attcndx  samedi— iL  cette  heure.  .  .  .  NonI  Nonl  Ma 
foi — je  rentreprenda !  Elle  peut  se  fer  de  moi,  .  .  .  Mais  mon 
adresscl  Pourquoi  vcut-el!c  cnnnuitre  mon  adrcsse)  .  .  .  Faut 
^crirc  ail  Cnf6  au  dela  .  ,  .  corarae  avant.'' 

The  yoiiut:  man  then  walked  away  westward.  The  other  ealled 
after  him.  "Maurice  I"  and  then  seemed  to  change  hia  mind,  adding, 
"Non^-non— 06  n'est  rien!  Va-t-onI"  Then  he  turned  to  go  iu 
tbn  o|>iios)t«  direction,  and  Charles  suw  he  would  pass  near  bim. 
There  was  a  gas-lamp  close  by,  and  as  he  passed,  stowing  away  in 
hia  puno  the  money  he  had  received,  Charles  saw  him  plainly.  An 
appearance  at  onoe  clerical  and  disaulule  was  too  disliuctive  to  be 
tnistaken.  There  wan  no  doubt  whatever  about  it.  He  was  tho 
nan  tlint  had  fnllowcd  Miss  Straker.  and  been  mi^diriKtiHl.  .  .  . 

Charles's  resolutiou  was  taken.  He  walked  straight  to  the  hou«o 
in  Wum>n  Btroct.  As  be  crossed  the  roud  towards  tho  house,  ha 
thought  he  saw  Laviaia  just  retiring  from  the  window;  and,  a 
moment  after,  cume  a  chord  on  the  piano.  If  Charles  was  at  thid 
time  (piilly  of  any  self-deception,  it  was  in  forcing  his  mind  a  littlo 
to  the  belief  thnt  whc  had  not  seen  him  approaching. 

Was  Miss  Straker  at  home?  The  sloven  he  asked  the  quostioa 
of  seemed  ambiguoiiii.  so  he  naked  it  in  another  form:  "Shall  I  find 
her  in  the  drawiut^-room  l"    The  sloven  replied,  vacuously :  "If  you 

wan  to  go  up  and  sec "     He  heard  her  singing  above  at  tlie 

piano.    He  left  the  sloven  as  a  Iiopeless  ease,  and  went  upatalvft- 

Jtist  aa  ho  opoood  the  door,  after  linockin^  6\\;^i\!j,  Vr  XwAt^ 


at^ib 


289 


ALICE-FOB-SHOET 


die  inBtrument  closed  noisily.  The  sound  must  have  drowned  his 
knock,  as  no  answer  came.  He  looked  in  without  speaking.  The 
girl  was  leaning  forward  over  the  piano-lid,  her  face  in  her  hands. 
He  spoke  to  her  b;  name,  and  she  looked  up. 

"Why  have  you  comet"  said  she,  almost  with  asperity. 

"I  have  come,"  he  replied,  "to  ask  your  forgiveness.  Will  you 
forgive  met" 


CHAPTER  XXVin 


ST  K03   UUTAHUR  IK  tLUS 


It  wa*  n  San  morniii;;  in  Hay.  The  iiihabitanta  of  Sobo  were 
f«e1iDK  ch^rfitl  from  tbe  fir>t  oatbunt  of  mnl  nunnliinc  the  year 
had  grnntrt]  tliem.  The  streeU.  if  not  quite  dry  after  a  lortfr  aea- 
Boii  of  continuous  rain,  wore  ftoins  to  be  dry  wnm ;  and  the  new  ehor*  i 
woman  vho  was  elrnniiig  tbo  front-door  atepn  at  No.  4'X  seemedl 
aunpiine  of  a  permanent  resull,  Thcro  wore  almost  as  mnny  two- 
hortio  carrie^^  with  coronets  on  thi-tn  ub  onmibiisrs  in  Rej^'iit 
SlnK-l,  and  oabs  were  scjirt'ely  beiDK  allowed  time  to  disgorge  their 
plebeians,  by  the  impaticnw  of  fn>sh  plelwinn*  to  tnkp  their  plaeea. 
County  families  in  full  vie<iiir  had  cli-am-d  their  windows  and  pu 
acarlet  gvrauiuina  in  their  baleouies  and  incited  myrmidona  to  be" 
ready  with  roll»  of  carpet  to  shield  the  feet  of  arrivahi  from  tho 
cold  inhospitable  pavinjr-Btone.  But  we  must  not  be  led  away  to 
Berkeley  Squar«;  our  proper  place  is  at  the  old  Soho  houw,  known 
to  UB  only  by  its  number  in  the  Htreet,  where  on  this  May  morning 
the  nvw  ehar  was  cleaning  down  the  steps,  and  a  "harmonioflutc" 
luirn-I  orpnii  was  playinir  'Ernutii  iiivolnmi'  sprerfll  timm  over. 

She  was  a  new  char;  there  was  no  doubt  of  that — biU  as  ia  the 
race  of  leaws.  bo  is  tho  race  of  ehnrs,  and  their  employer*  nro 
always  turnine:  orer  a  new  leaf.  Mrs.  Farwiyr  no  longer  dtd  down 
the  itcp»  and  did  out  the  hou»c.  but  the  hieroglyphie  of  Pope  It 
Chappell  wa^  bright  upon  the  door-post,  and  the  two  human  erea- 
tnrcH  il  vouched  for  were,  a«  usual,  at  work  in  what  had  bwn  the 
front  parlour:  combining  tlie  painting  of  glass  against  the  light.J 
and  tho  provinion  for  more  to  come,  with  the  recejition  of  visitor 
anxioua  that  somebody  else  shouhl  not  be  forgotten,  and  that  they 
tb«mseln^»  should  b«  home  in  mind  as  his  commom orators. 

"Fm  apecnlalin',"  thus  Mr.  Pope  to  Mr.  Chappidl,  and   iheaj 
pauses  a  few  seconds  to  concentrate  on  a  stipple,  "I'm  spoeulalin'' 
we  aball  hear  of  a  wedding."     Mr.  Chapfiell  says  simply  and 
briefly.  "Who  r 

Ur.  Pope  appears  to  pause  atxl  couaitler  among  possible  coupl<>a; 
iliy  asks,  as  one  wh'i  belicrcs  he  has  struck  wV,  V.wv  ■»i«-i^ 
att«ngtii«Ded :  "Wliut  do  yoa  s&j  \a  q\u  &T%V%n«it^ 


U. 


287 


S6B 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


• 


■  llJh 

iedL 


"What  made  you  Ihtnk  of  Mr.  Heailii" 

"Why — yoMT  grumblin'  at  havinfc  to  'unt  up  his  St.  Harfcar«t'ft 
leadt."  ^ 

"Well,  Mr.  Popo,  Vd  a  right  to  Krwmble.    I'vp  had  to  trace  theflH 
all  over  apraiii.  anybow.    But  I  don'l  mean,  what  inu<l«  you  think 
of  him,  himsrlf^what  made  you  think  he  wae  Roirifc  to  be  marriedj 
/  werer  beard  be  was," 

"Only  a  sort  of  eppculativc  idear  of  mino,  partner,"  eaid  Pop 
"No  man  Ie§8  likely.  1  should  aay,  if  you  was  to  aak  me— I  threw 
out  the  idenr — — " 

"Scniehody   must  have  said  eomelhing  about  it— else  bow 
earth  should  you  come  to  think  it  i" 

"I  didn't  thiiJt  it — a  mere  floaliu'  ideor!^n!j  'ang  mc  if  I  c* 
eee  why  our  first-floor  shouldn't  get  married  as  much  as  any 
elae'a " 

"Of  course  not~l  never  said  he  shouldn't,  anyhow," 

"You  never  said  he  shouldn't,  partner,  1  gtual  youl    But,  to 
thinkin',  yoH  took  op  the  gaimtlet " 

"No— I  didn't.    I  didn't  say  as  much  as  you  did.    You  said 
man  was  lees  likely.    Why  did  you  say  that  i" 

"Well !  beeuiia;  T  thoutiiht  it.  I^ok  at  the  thing  nil  round."  Eo( 
Mr.  Pope  and  Mr.  Chappell  didn't  look  at  it  all  round,  for  the 
offioc-bcll  jnnglcd,  and  on  Archifrt-t  cjime  in  to  find  nn  much  fniiH 
M  he  could,  and  to  denounce  ten  cler£«tory  windows  for  want  o{ 
repose,  and  only  allow  a  little  grudging  prnisir  to  the  "Joat 
Pope  was  at  work  on,  on  the  score  of  the  breadth  of  treatment 
the  whale.  .  .  . 

While  this  goes  on,  let  ua — as  is  our  prerogBtiTo — look  round 
tlie  ofHce.  and  eec  what  the  cJinnges  have  been  since  wc  were 
last.    For  a  feeling  is  on  us  that  changes  have  taken  place,  thougt 
we  cannot  Bay  ofT-band  what  they  are.     Let  us  look  at  them  in 
detail.  ^H 

W<!  cannot  recall  every  drawing  of  a  window  that  bung  upon  tl^H^ 
walls  on  our  previous  visit,  but  surely— surely — that  great  aevea- 
Jighl  perpendicular  window  over  the  chimney-pieoe  was  not 
then?    What  a  picco  of  work  to  hove  done  in  the  timcl     And 
ihi*  swarm  of  major  and  minor  Prophets,  Apostles,  Archangels,"" 
Nativities  and  Flights  into  Egypt,  Oood  Samaritans  and  Unjust 
Slewurils,  fitted  into  every  posdiljlo  type  of  window  tracery.  Nor-_ 
man.  Decorated.  Early  English,  late  Tudor,  even  Inigo  Jones  ai 
Christopher  Wren — surely  the  walltt  were  not  then  all  but  hidde 
bdiind  these  f 

Well  I  look  a  bit  closer — look  ^ope  and  Hfr.  Chappoll, 


Ihera^ 
nd  a» 


difa 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


SM 


land  then  ngrwiiig  with  ei-erything  the  F.  R.  I.  B.  A.  aajs, 
witli  a  rii'w  lo  compl.viiiit  with  noue  of  it  in  practice.  Wht-n  wo 
Baw  htm  fir^t.  Pope's  hair  wos  black,  iron-Krcy  at  most,  with  u 
tendimcy  to  whiteii  lowarils  the  whinker.  Now  it  i*  moat  strangely 
8il?ered  over — and  though  Chappell  seemed  then  to  mean  to  be  bald, 
there  was  nothing  About  bis  reaiieotublc  head  ihot  suggested  an 
onion  or  an  egg..  Kow  his  head  is  more  than  roBpeot^ble — It  is 
veoerablc — n  hejid  most  propititioim  to  an  ecdeHiasticnil  btiiiinesa; 
and  both  of  them  have  a  certain  famil.y  effect  «ud  grlve  ao 
impmsion  of  vuburban  rrsiilfiicwi,  fritught  with  <lniight^rii  anilj 
croquet  biwua.  And  what  is  the  speech  we  catch  from  the  good- 
looliing  yotinK  ninn  of  twrnty-udd  who  comcK  in  with  a  drawing, 
■nd  bnnda  it  to  Mr.  Pope:  "la  it  this  one.  father f  And  the  replj- 
is:  "That's  it.  Kit;  put  it  on  the  tnblo." 

Why,  Nurely  now — that  time  that  Charlca  Heath  came  fint  itita 
their  office  with  Jeff,  to  make  the  Firm's  ac^juaintanoe— mirely 
Po^  upokc  then  uf  a  child  of  four,  who  alao  wn.i  Kit,  and  who  . 
uked  emharraseinR  qucvtiomi   about   rctif{ious    Art.      You    miun 
recoils  thott    What  do<-M  it  all  nuiini     What  i*  tho  moaninir  of 
Pope's  grey  head  and  Cliappell's  bald  crown,  of  tite  sij^Ha  of  work 
and  prosperity  on  tlio  walls,  of  the  venerable  employee  addressed] 
u  ButtifuTit  who  brings  iu  window-lights  to  show,  of  the  msuy 
footsteps  that  come  trooping  il<iwn  the  stairs  outside  and  make 
Chappcll  aajf  that's  the  chaps  going,  and  it  must  be  twelve- thirtj-  ( 

What  indeed  (  It  menni  that  sixteen  years  have  passed,  not 
«iite«n  weeks  (as,  for  all  the  story  baa  told  yet.  it  might  bare 
been),  sinw  Alice  broke  the  jug  and  Chnrles  nhielded  her  and 
brought  lier  borne,  a  small  forloru  midget,  to  his  father's  house;- 
since  she  stood  by  her  mother's  deathbed  at  the  Hospital,  and  heard  ^ 
ber  fipeak.  that  one  time  only,  in  the  vaivn  that,  but  for  drink, 
would  lure  been  her  own ;  since  she  saw  the  memorable  ghost  upon 
the  ainirs.— 

But  the  story  knows  nothing  yet  of  what  has  come  to  pass  tn  all 
those  sixteen  yean.  It  comes,  as  Rip  Van  Winkle  came,  to  note 
the  signs  and  memories  of  many  changes  that  have  been  wrought 
in  die  abwnce  uf  its  chroniclers.  It  knows  nothing  yet.  but  that 
Charles  is  an  unmarried  man.  and  still  a  tenant  of  the  first-floor 
Studio  at  No.  40.  Let  it— ^r  let  us,  if  you  prefer  it  so — go  up 
and  look  at  him. 

We  wonder,  as  wc  go,  who  elae  remains  in  the  house  of  those  we 
knew.    Some  one  has  gone  awaj' — else  where  are  all  "the  chaps" 
work  about  whow!  foototeps  Cbappell  saw  it  was  twelve-thlct'^A- 
Either  Jeff  or  the  Uisscs  Frynue  hate  ^vcu  uq  tiacAi  Vb'ouv:^'^  ■ 


Jud^nfc  by  the  sound  of  tboM  fed  we  should  ao;  both.   There  muet 
b«  a  dozta  paintera  or  more  Ht  work  upsta in— orders  for 
past-windows,  and  whole  e)ere«Uirie«  in  a  lumpi  tm  oot  do: 
single-buided  1 

On  the  stairs  we  pass  a  bearded  man — a  man  in  «arly  ini< 
lift-,  whose  face  gives,  or  leiives,  tlic  impn-ssiim  ihnt  hn  is 
younger  than  he  looks.    It  is  sad  and  careworn,  but  handaome  Bn< 
thoughtful  and  atlrnctivc,  and  we  should  stop  to  look  at  him  if 
were  not  in  such  a  hurry  to  get  to  our  old  friend  Charley.     W 
he  be  much   changed — changed  out  of  all   knowledge — in 
::ixteen  long  years  { 

Wc  cannot  sec  him  now,  for  his  door  is  shut  and  locked  and  hi 
is  gone  away  till  two.  A  notjoe  on  a  slate  on  the  door  says  he  wi! 
ho  back  then;  so  wi-  tnm  to  go.  clisappuinteil.  And  tliHi  as  wc  g9 
down,  il  dawns  upon  us  that  that  was  he — that  man  we  passed  U]>on 
the  stairs.  Of  course  it  was!  Think  of  the  spcctncles  and  all! 
We  should  have  recognised  him. 

But  it  may  be  we  recoiled  imcoDSCiously  from  doing  so,  and 
could  not  bear  to  thiidc  that  he  should  look  so  sad  at  heart.  Were 
we  not,  perhaps,  shutting  otir  eyes  to  his  identity,  and  hoping  to 
Kce  flguiu  the  young  bright  urtist  we  left  here,  sixteen  yeaitj 
ago? .  .  . 


When  the  F.  R.  L  B.  A.  heard  it  was  twelve-thirty,  he  recollecti 
that  he  had  an  appointment  nt  that  time,  and  fled  in  a  cab.    Po] 
and  Chappell  and  Kit.  the  son  of  the  former,  who  iind  come  in  fro; 
npstnirs  to  join  hia  father  at  lunch,  passed  the  time  in  discursive. 
chat,     The.v  did  not  leave  till  one^so  there  was  a  cool  twenly 
minutes.    Pope  resumed  the  previous  conversation. 

*'Bad  job  it  was.  that  marriage  of  his!  Pon't  you  go  makin^r  ■ 
runaway  match  with  a  ramshandry  sort  o'  half-Fr*-no-h  girl,  with- 
out your  father's  consent.  Kit,  or  I'll  disinherit  you."  j 

"Did  old  Mr.  Heath  disinherit  himT  asked  Kit.  I 

"Not  hel — Easy-goin'  old  cock  I  No — I  bclicTc  he  allowed  'em 
two  or  three  h\indred  n  year — and  Charles  Hcatli  hud  a  trifle  of  his 
own — with  tlie  cartoons  he  did  for  us  they  made  up  to  seven  or 
eight  'undred.  But  Lnrd  1  if  it  had  been  seven  or  eight  thouM&d 
she'd  have  walked  into  it." 

"What  was  her  name,  FatherF* 

"Scraper."  replies  Pope  with  confidence;  but  is  corrected  b^ 
Chappell.  and  Kit  evidently  says  lo  himself.  "1  thout^ht  so." 
speaker  eonlinuea:  "1  don't  think  the  old  hoy  forgave  him  for 
time.     They  didn't  get  the  three  hundred  at  first — and  ihey  mui 


I 


L 


W^  ALICE-FOR-SHORT  291 

lutve  had  »  rough  timo  of  It.    Childn-n  coming,  niul  his  painting 
Iarg«  pictures  Dobody  l)OUg)jt." — 

"Can't  My  I  wonder."  says  Pope;  "I  wouldn't  hiiv«  Vm  Bt  a 
gift.  Sat  he's  a  nice  fclkTl  Aniooein'  way  be  has  of  puttiti' 
thiuss.too!    How  many  kida?   Two?" 

"Two,  I  fancy.  First  a  girl  and  tlien  a  bo7,  like  tlie  children's 
gamo.    The  prl  died." 

"Uow  did  he  como  to  make  it  up  with  Wa  father!"  Kit,  who  ask?, 
is  youngr  and  penetratinar.  and  wishes  to  go  to  the  root  of  all  Bvib- 
ject«.    Mr.  Pope  can't  throw  much  light, 

"What  was  it  Jeff  said.  Mr.  Chappell?" — He  posses  the  qu«- 
tion  on,  and  Chopjicll  i*  little  Iwltcr.  but  can  record  that  the  recon- 
ciliattou  was  brought  about  "by  Lady  Tliingtimbob.  thi;  wife  of 
Sir  Wbat's-hie-namo — you  know,  the  frT<?at  physician — married 
Hiss  Ileatli — great  hennty  she  was — you  riwolloct  V 

"Sir  Rupert  Johneon.  I  know.  He's  a  tremendous  swell  now. 
Whnl's  liis  gag.  Kit  f  Tou  know  about  things.  Ts  it  stummidk — or 
oviariotoniy — or  sof tenin'  on  the  brain !"  Kit  seems  a  very  well- 
informed  bov' — hns  quite  nulelassed  bis  fnthir.  lie  bcHevos  Sir 
Bupert  Johnson  is  the  great  aullujrily  on  the  Bruin. 

"Ah!  to  be  surel"  snys  bis  father,  "when  Royalties'  brains  get 
•oftcntn',  they  setid  for  him  to  jironounce — or  lir  oviariotomisea 
'em."  He  treats  those  useful  and  much  maligned  members  of  so- 
ciety in  iho  reckless  tone-  of  one  who  doesn't  expect  ever  to  make 
tlu-ir  acquaintance.  Kit  recalls  the  eonveraatiou  back  to  Cfaarlca 
H««tfa;  he  askn  when  hiit  wife  di"!.     Hi»  father  replies: 

"She  ain't  dead.    Slu?  don't  mean  to  die  in  a  hurry." 

"I  thought  you  said  Mr.  Heath  wa*  a  widower,  Father  f" 

"Xo.  p(M>r  beggar!  Good  job  if  he  was,  /  sliould  say.  If  he  were, 
he^d  marry  again  fast  enough!  No,  he's  divorcified  her  a  vinculo, 
and  ithe's  enjoyin'  guilty  splendour  witli  Duke  Rniley  or  Duke 
Humphy,'*  For  a  little  while  before  this  time  the  famous  Bab 
Bnllnd  bed  appeared  which  introduced  that  lawless  couple  to  itn 
readers. 

"Tim  Catholic  Church,"  says  Chappell.  with  severity,  "does  not 
sanction  the  mnrringr  of  divorced  persons." 

"Don't  it  {  Well  then,  all  I  can  say  is.  it  ought  to  gire  double 
allowance  to  the  party  that  divorci-d  'cm.  Bigamy  to  balance,  don't 
jou  »«e?  That  would  work  'fm  up  four  square  again,  like  at  first." 
Bnt  Mr.  Chappell  doesn't  reH»h  this  trifling,  especially  before  a 
juung  man;  be  puts  on  lua  out-of-doora  coat  and  his  hat  and  goes 
away  to  lunch.  Mr.  Pope  begins  following  his  examylu  'EiV.  wu^n^t. 
to  cling  to  the  conversation. 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 

'T88J.  Father!" 

"What  do  you  say,  sonny  I" 

"I  thought  Mr.  Heath's  wife  ww  detuiV* 

"Wrfl— ahe  ain't." 

"Whyr 

"I  shonld  Imre  heard — certain  I" 

"Look  here.  Father.     /  thought  ehe  was  dead.     Gwert 
80  too." 

"Your  eister  thought  so — well — you  were  a  couple  of  wise  younu 
customcTB.  8hc'H  alive  and  kicking."  N«v«rtlieleBS,  Mr.  Popo 
pauses  with  one  arm  in  an  out-of-doore  eJcovc,  as  though  waiting; 
contradiction. 

"I  mean.  Father,  that  when  we  saw  that  advertisement  at  break* 
fust  this  morning  we  thought  it  couldn't  possibly  be  her,  if  she 
dead  already." 

The  urm  goes  no  farther  into  the  sleeve;  its  owner  fixes  his 
on  his  son's  face. 

"Wliat  advertisement  t"  he  asks,  with  aroueed  interest.  The 
young  man  repeals  it  conscientiously,  word  for  word.  "  'At  Wies- 
baden, on  the  5th  instant.  Lavinia  Strakcr.  Friends  and  rptationa 
will  kindly  accept  this  the  only  intimation.* " 

Mr.  Pope  gives  a  short  whistle,  and  says,  briefly,  ''My  wig!"  Hi 
thru  pulls  on  the  long  tli-liiyisl  <'0iil,  and  hi?  and  his  son  walk  oir 
together.  Presently  be  remarks,  as  the  result  of  meditation 
"There  may  have  Inn-n  fifty  Ijiviniii  Slmkr.rii."  Kit,  however,  ia  i 
a  position  to  quote  a  high  social  authority. 

"Owen  tlioiight  not,"  says  he,  "because  the  advertisement  looked 
BO,"  and  his  father  seems  to  understand  this — so  we  need  not- 
eoumine  it  critically.    But  Kit's  conclave  with  his  sister  is  not 
escape  without  comment. 

"Nice  young  pair  of  half-Iiatdied  chicks,  you  and  your  sisterg 
to  be  talkins  about  the  poultry  yard — and  you  never  asked 
mother,  I  lay!" 

"Gwcn  said  mother  would  shot  her  up."  says  Kit,  somewhat  roe* 
fully — and  then  tlie  subject  of  an  ill-made  template  diqiloioes  thtt, 
I  poultry  yard,  and  lasts  till  lunch. 

K 


CHAPTER  SXIX 


HOW  PBOCT  HAD  BEOOHE  A  OREAT  MAS-DOCTOR'S  WIPE.  HOW  ALIOE-TOR- 
HIIOKT  HAD  BKEN  MUfR  rOK  LONfl  KKOUdll  TO  HEOOUI!  A  WOUAX, 
BOW  THE  PARROT  HAD  FORUOTTCN  NOTIIINO 

Kit  Pope  was  quite  rifibt  about  Sir  Rupert  Johnson.  He  was 
the  jfwnt  ftiit-liority  <>i\  th<-  Bruin.  Not  ihnl  he.  was  mistnisteil  ii 
Other  departtucnts  of  Medical  Science,  but  that  that  was  his  great' 
Rnd  •Hpi^rwilinK  spiviolity.  For  iin.v  oiw;  to  nnsuroi?  hr  wn9  in  his 
senees  in  the  fnc*  of  the  contrary  verdict  from  Sir  Kupcrl  Johnson 
wouh!  hftifn  bi*ii  ht^Id  ii  auffieit-iit  proof  of  iuaauttj^  in  iteejf;  so 
that  no  one  whom  he  pronounced  road  had  anj  chance  of  proving 
the  Hoiindnesa  uf  bia  tnind  but  by  ftcquieaciug  in  and  insisting  on 
its  unsoundncM, 

But  our  old  friend  Ifaitkir  Rupert  was  ttingulnrly  mi-rciful  in  his 
judiiments.    He  bad  eaid  attain  and  Sffain  to  the  many  people  whou 
hud  come  to  him  to  gvt  hin  help  towurdii  putting  uudi^r  reAtraint^ 
Bomc  person  whoso  property  they  souiibt  control  orcr:  "If  you  want 
to  lock  Ihta  [nun  up  boeause  he  baa  a  harmlesa  d(!lufl{on,  you  must 
get  another  doctor  to  help  you.    I  won't !"    And  he  would  maintain 
that  almost  everybody  had  some  delusion  or  otlier  if  he  would  onl; 
confcas  it,  whereupon  his  encmiev  would  allcKc  that  he  bad  srH 
that  everybody  was  mad.    He  was  appealed  to  once  to  aid  and 
in  oonsigning  to  an  a«ylum  a  girl  who  bclicrcd  sho  won  followed 
by  a  white  dojr,    "Put  her  under  restraint!"  said  he,  "wliat  do  you 
want  to  rWitrnin  licr  from )    The  only  thing  you  object  t'l  i»  ihnt  sIjo 
thinka  she  is  followed  by  a  white  don — she'll  think  so  just  the 
iu  Colney  Hatch.''    Tlio  utory  went  (but  how  it  rame  to  he  knoyni^ 
who  can  say  ?)  that  he  onoe  aaid  privately  to  a  man  who  thought 
be  waa  N«polc<)n;  "1  aoe.  Emperor,  that  what  you  nay  is  tnie— but 
why  can't  you  hold  your  tongue  about  it?    They  won't  believe  you."j 
'And  that  patient  was  eurul  in  no  lime;  but  if  bo  is  still  living,* 
probably  thinks  bo  is  Napoleon  to  this  day.    A  tjuoi  malt    Tbs 
fact  was,  Sir  Rupert  did  not  bi'licrtt  that  fancies  of  this  Rort  prored 
that  the  braiu  wa«  diseased;  so.  as  long  as  ihey  were  barmlees  in 
tltemselvea,  he  ihovi^'ht  it  In-st  to  i<!t  them  alone.     But  if  Najiole 
had  begun  recruiting,  he  would  have  locked  bim  up.    What  a  p' 
tiier«  was  no  one  who  could  do  the  same  to  bia  vto\0\^v^,  't'W  '"%*• 

203 


S9« 


ALICE-FOH-SHOKT 


D«aaU]B 


comet  ewnigh  in  hU  belief  tbst  he  was  Nnpolcon,  or  u  ui 
tbought  10  faare  bccii  ao. 

As  we  bdTO  neen  frnm  the  conversation  of  Fopc  and  ChnppcU, 
Rupert  Johnson  and  Pt^KRy  Ileuth  wi-rt--  married;  ua  to  thi-  dale  of 
their  man-iagc.  the  fact,  that  they  had  four  boys  and  thme  irirl* 
leaves  us  none  tlie  wiser,  but  the  oircumstance  thai  two  of  the  boya^„ 
wcr«  at  liarrow  makr'ji  it  likely  that  it  eame  almut  not  so  rcry  lonijH 
, after  we  parted  from  i'eggy  at  Hyde  Park  Gardena  sixteen  years'™ 
ngo;  that  day  when  Alice  asked  for  serunchy  toa^l  bocniiK?  it  wxa 
Friday.    Anyhow,  it  was  ten  years  since  they  moved  into  the  house 
in  Harlcy  Strwit,  and  tht'y  had  bwra  a  long  tiino  in  Welbi-ek  Street 
before  that.    Sic  transrunt  human  rrsolutionn;  all  the  benefits  that 
were  lo  aecnje  to  the  luinmn  race,  by  way  of  oxaraple.  from  Mi«« 
3far]iaret  Heath's  singleness,  were  lost  past  all  recovery.    Whether 
thft  aubtleat  eft  of  all  the  field  felt  tlie  Lalaiiee  was  in  hia  favour,  or 
vidied  ho  had  let  matters  alone,  who  can  sny  t    But  he  must  have 
been  a  Utile  disconcerted  at  the  suceesaful  family  of  seren — all 
more  or  lees  with  their  father's  strength  and  their  mother's  beauty, 
and  tJie  ehnraclr^r  of  both,  who  In  holiday  linici  rendered 
house   in  Harlcy   Street  untenantable  except  by  persons  of 
strongest  nerves  and  moat  forbearing  dispositions. 


ity, 

I 


i 


When  after  a  long  flbsenoe  wc  come  baek  full  of  expectation  of 
diangn.  wo  are  often  almost  irritated  at  the  pertinacious  samenMS 
of  some  of  the  iicople  oiid  tiling  we  had  left  liehind.  Wc  our- 
selves are  exactly  the  same,  of  course;  onr  persistent  unalternble 
tea  is  so  abftorbitijt  in  the  foreieround  of  our  Self,  that  tritiinsr 
changes  in  details  of  that  coDipoaitc  entity  count  for  nothing.  Wi 
went  away  a  complete  carcass;  we  oome  back  minus  a  leir.  an  a 
an  eyi' — or  all  three — or,  for  that  mutter,  all  six.  I'jua  eomp 
What  concern  Is  that  of  yours!  Mind  your  own  business!  It 
our  Self  that  left  you  broken -hen  rtM  at  our  deiiarture;  thai  wrote 
you,  duly,  those  letters  that  grew  less  and  less,  and  waned,  until 
at  last  Ihey  nil  bul  <%a3(sl.  and  then  caitic  only  to  ask  some  Utttft 
farour — something  wc  couldn't  get  in  the  colony,  or  we  wouldn't 
liother  you,  but  if  you  could  get  it  would  .i-ou  forward  per  etcetera, 
care  of  somebody.  It  is  this  very  Self  that  hna  come  back  to  yoti, 
we  warrant  it,  look  yoti  now!  And  we  know,  intensely  and  un- 
chan^ably  aa  we  remain  thn  nanie.  that  Time  hn*  hiH'n  at  woric 
onr  absfiicc.  and  has  made  hay  witli  your  identity  that  was  aa 
fresh  glided  pasture  of  the  Spring.  Whatever  we  are,  we  know  that 
you  will  have  grown  very  fat,  or  very  thin,  or  very  serious;  or  lost 
your  hair  or  your  teeth,  or  your  looks.     Venua  will  have  fied. 


m 


ALICE-FORSnORT 


»fi 


tie  colour  tbit  vm  bo  becoming — so  more  than  becoming.  Bwt 
we  can  make  allowADces — we  know  lbi»  waj  of  life;  and  we  and 
our  tu^suK^  drive  tip  to  tlir  door  you  wured  your  farewell  to  i« 
fr<Tm,  ten — fifteen — twenty  years  ago.  and  have  no  mifigivings — 
l(t>caiiiie  ire  are  do  longer  n  child  nnd  can  realise  all  about  Ticnc, 
und  chanice,  and  that  sort  oT  tbinjc,  don't  you  know? 

And  liere,  after  all,  wo  find  you.  Well ! — we'll  he  hangrd  if  we 
ran  see  the  difference,  when  all's  said  and  done.  You  are  (some- 
tinx-'ii)  »o  very,  very  little  nltnr^l — compared  with  what  we  ex- 
pected. Your  hair  ie  still  all  your  own,  and  much  of  its  old  colour; 
jrour  te*th  may  be  n<fw,  one  or  two  of  them,  hut  that  won't  part 
UB,  even  if  you  confess  up  about  tbcm;  your  hands  may  be  a  bit 
I«rg«^r — but  what  of  tlinti  They  arc  swi-et  and  full  nf  lift-  and  «<d- 
come,  and  your  voice  and  manner — why,  surely  they  are  the  very 
MiDiR  we  remember  in  tlie  old  yarn  which,  if  not  quite  unfor- 
Kotten,  we  are  so  very  easily  reminded  of.  An<l  then  in  the  6r8t 
flunh  iif  our  long-look<'d-(or  return,  we  unil  you  are  full  of  gladness, 
and  ihiidc  it  will  all  he  as  it  was  in  the  days  before  our  paninn. 

But  it  isn'tl  The  chill  eomcs  noon,  and  wc  know  thnt  our  n-joic- 
ing  ia  dying  jIowo.  It  won't  come  back,  the  old  time,  fur  all  we 
•wept  and  gamiiihcd  our  honrt»  to  receive  it.  And  then  wc  look 
round  at  tlie  thin^  that  he,  the  new  young  lives  that  have  come 
and  grown  in  our  ah«encc;  the  vae^int  places  that  were  full,  tho 
homes  that  have  been  cleared  away:  the  tenementa  or  dwelling 
or  nuutxionH  that  havt!  rincii  where  they  stood  I  And  we  nettle  down 
to  the  actual,  and  try  to  find  some  solace  for  the  loss  of  the  things 
that  were;  but  perbapa,  afttr  alt,  if  we  got  tbcm  back,  they  would 
interfere  seriously  with  th«  thinK«  that  are,  and  that  we  really 
must  attend  to. 

However — to  go  back  to  what  we  were  saying — this  firm  con- 
servation of  appearance  and  identity  has  its  irritating  element. 
It  is  most  frequent  Wtween  the  twenties  and  the  forties;  and  what 
a  lady  of  forty  can  forget  about  little  incidents  of  her  twenties, 
nnd  the  way  she  is  wrapped  up  in  the  new  young  lives  slie  is  (to 
a  great  extent)  responsible  for,  may  make  the  outsider — you  or 
oun*lf — feel  very  IIbI  indeeii. 

But  what  is  the  end  and  object  of  all  the  lecture!  It  is  to  pre- 
vent the  render  of  Oiia  narrative  imagining  that  the  beautiful 
young  matron  who,  on  the  late  May  morning  when  we  saw  Charles 

L Heath  on  the  Mairs  at  No.  40,  iind  thought  he  must  be  somebody 
else,  was  writing  a  letter  in  Harley  Street  and  being  dreadfully 
hindered  by  two  very  little  girls — that  this  young  wotnan.  who 
might  have  been  deJicribed  as  Margaret  Heath  aii4'B«ne.W!.>A4^wi- 


196 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


olI«t  nenrly  no  much  of  tin-  first  half  of  thin  atory  Hhft  makes 
of  as  you  con  wlio  [lave  juBl  read  it.  Uut  you  can  recollect 
well  enough — thrn-  nhr  i*,  hitr  vx-ry  self,  orily  jwrhiips  iIhmtc  i»  in 
her  figure  a  declaration  that  it  intends  to  approximate  to  her 
mother's,  ns  wr  ktifw  hi-r.  in  nnother  i-ixteen  yc«ni,  nni]  the  hand 
that  holds  the  pen  has  lost  the  girlish  beauty  of  the  one  that  wrote 
to  Mrs,  Wycherly  Wntkiiw,  miil  bus  jtot  n  now  lic-aiily  n{  it*  ovti: 
its  strength  and  self-reliance  rest  ou  it  as  a  garment,  as  it  pauses 
above  ili<!  pni)«r,  t-vMx  na  a  hauil  ihat  tbinkn.  and  ilutu  not  wean  lo 
write  a  word  that  need  be  altered  or  erased.  And  at  this  moment 
tlie  youngirr  diild.  a  Uttlo  tbr«!-yi'ar-old,  capturpH  the  arm  it  b«- 
longs  to,  and  makes  further  writing  impoBsible — ita  owner  has  to 
Appeal  for  iiucctnir. 

"Alice  dear,  do  come  and  take  Alee  away,  and  show  her  pictures 
of  sfimothing  horriblr,  or  let  her  spin  the  irrrestrinl  globe  round, 
shall  never  get  my  letter  done.    Yea— awect  Ducky  I    That's  s 
gul  Tid.v — and  tlio  otht-r'n  a  Scrpm." 

"Wiss  is  to  eat  wissT 

"Wliifhever  you  p]«a«-,  my  pet — but  go  away  to  Aunty  Lis 
and   lei   itumniy  write."     And  then   as  she   refuses,  flatly,   hu 
nweclly,  to  go  to  Aunty  Liwy,  her  mother  calls  aiiain,  in  a  rais 
voice,  for  Alice.  .  .  . 

She  will  come  in  from  somewhere  directly — our  old  own  Alie 
for-«hort !  Shall  wit  know  her  u^nin  I  Oh !  ye» — why,  we  «s:ogni* 
Peggy  at  oncol    There  will  he  no  difficulty  about  Alice, 

Here  she  comes;  we  «au  bear  her  rustle  heyoml  lliut  door.    No 
this  in  Annty  T.isny, — Peggy  calls  her  so, — and  Tory  pretty  elie 
Newr  a  sweeter  face  to  he  found  in  all  the  length  of  Horl^y  St 
—^11  you  lak(!  the  wager  T    But  ice  want  to  see  Alice  .  , 

What  did  we  expect  to  see?    We  fancy  we  hear  yuii  ask  this  (]ueA^ 
tion.    Xot  a  little  girl  with  n  eorl  of  comic  manner,  all  her  own, 
after  nil  these  years  {    Oht  no — we  knew  she  would  l>e  u  woman^l 
theoretically.     Kor  did  wc  think  she  was  ffoing  to  be  plain,  wi^^l 
those  big  blue  e,vi<s  oud  that  Hltle  oval  face,  ao  well  set  on  licr  smnll 
round  ihmnl.    Wc  sii»iwcted  »hc  would  turn  out  pretty,  but  it  wa 
to  be  ,m  lines  we  were  prepared  for — and  nothing,  in  AUce-fe 
short  that  wa»,  pn;pared  us  for  Aunty  Li»sy  that  is.    Not  tha^ 
now  we  come  (o  look  at  her,  we  do  not  feel  that  it  is  really  she; 
a*  we  look  her  identity  dawns,  grows  stronger,  becomes  irreaistibb 
We  see  it  now — but  what  a  funny  way  of  rvmaiiiing  the  satni 
Mot  Bt  all  the  one  we  should  have  chosen.     But  it's  done  nc 
and  we  may  lake  her  as  ahe  atimcla,  and  bo  gUid  that  after  all 
lias  turned  out  su<^  a  very  pretty  wotuao. 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT 


391 


Such  a  Tcry  pretty  womiin!  That's  it!  Ii'#  thn  maturity  wo 
r«uit — wi-  wKUk-d  hct  to  be.  in  some  sense,  a  cliilil  sliU;  older,  of 
course — toller,  of  cflurw;  more  dignified,  of  course — heni>B  of 
tbt»s«.  of  course.    But  not  ft  woman. — 

Vi'eU  I  it  can't  be  helped — we  must  accept  her,  self-possession  rmd 
nil.  L(-t  us  he  glod  sho  han  kept  ber  paJe  blue  eyes  and  her  small 
round  throat,  nnd  thankful  that  her  hair  is  much  the  same  colons— 
mouMt-eotour  with  «  tiuge  of  cbfsliiut;  does  that  eonvei,-  anj  idea 
CO  you(  And  let  us  be  Rratcfiil  that  fhe  has  never  overpassed  tbo 
nvenign  height,  but  is  itelite  and  compact  slilL — Oh!  dear!  bow 
very  petite  and  compact  "he  was  in  those  old  days — what  a  tnnall 
midget  it  WBK  that  was  pviUnl  witli  a  ropo  up  the  precipice  at  Suriie 
Point,  and  left  Dr.  Jomson  behind  her,  upside  down.  We  must 
nc«;pl  the  inevitable — look  facta  in  the  face— and  drop  the  eubjeet. 
Or  the  story  won't  go  on. 

When  P*vKy.  liaviiig  been  rescued  by  Alice,  or  Aunty  Liaay,  from 
the  offgreraioiis  of  the  small  thing  of  the  same  name,  hnd  finishcil 
her  letter,  she  folded  it  bu<1  allowed  the  other  small  thing,  because 
she  had  been  so  good  it  seemed,  to  lick  it  and  stick  it  to  for  a  treat. 
Th«i  bIic  wrote  anotlu-T  li-tliT,  uti<l  the  nilc-nce  of  tlie  back  drawing- 
room  in  Harley  Street  acknowledged  only  the  scratching  of  ber 
pen;  a  mummrtKl  recital  from  a  {ii<:tun:-book  of  tlie  evnior  haby, 
whose  name  was  Phyllis:  a  hushed  demonstration  in  Zoology, 
cbie^  fictitiouH,  in  the  room  Ik^'ohiI  to  keep  the  junior  baby  in 
check,  and  a  distant  murmur  of  carriage  wheels  implying  that 
vititor-time  waa  coming  or  Itud  come.  A  premature  Summer  bad 
set  in  with  a  rush:  as  sometimes  happens  in  May,  and  then  we 
know  we  bare  to  enjoy  it  while  it  lasts. 

Jjidy  Johnson  (that  wna  Pcggj-  Tlenth's  name  now,  and  we  can't 
get  over  the  o<!iiily  of  it)  finishtd  her  last  letter  rapidly,  as  a  Itlter 
easily  written  and  involving  nothing;  sbo  fastened  and  liirected  it 
ss  one  does,  much  reliered,  at  the  end  of  a  batch  of  letters,  and  said 
triumplinnt.ly — ''There  I" 

"Now  you  may  ring  the  bell,  PhiUips,"  she  went  on,  addresein; 
Ibc  little  girl ;  "only  pull  it  down  very  gently  and  when  you'vo 
got  it  down,  don't  hang  on  the  handle  but  let  it  go  back  click. 
That'H  right,"  And  the  1*11  was  bo  suceessfully  rung  that  it  went 
on  for  ever  so  long,  and  had  hardly  stopped  wheti  a  he-servant,  in 
Hupprewe<l  liveiy.  entered  the  room  with  prompUiees  in  his  manntir 
and  responsibility  on  his  eonntennnce. 

"Theee  letters  must  go  at  once,  Handaworth.  These  for  llie 
post— these  by  hand — send  James.  And  say  he  must  take  the 
uodcrgn>und — and  tell  nurso  she  can  come  td  Vh«K  ^-&&tWi" 


AUCE-POB-SHORT 

Poggj  spoke  of  these  oJiiHren  (ta  ncoidcnttt  «hc  hud  not  oncournged, 
and  Iland^worth  dienppeared  with  the  letter?  and  his  iofitructions. 
Wliilt;  ihr  door  Stood  opra,  a  porrot  wns  nttdible  briow;  we  should 
perhaps  hare  included  him  Ui  the  currenl  noiBes;  but  really  when 
tlip  door  closn]  ngniii  it  nlmoHt  shut  his  voice  out,  80  aubstanti 
was  it  and  so  close  at  the  joiuts. 

"Your  bsbr'x  Tt'ry  quiirt  in  iherp,  Alice." 

"She's  gone  off  like  a  top  on  my  knee;  I'm  writinsr  over  her.' 
And  tile  scTstchtng  of  another  pen  could  hare  been  hnnrd  by  a 
sharp  ear.  "Come  here — she's  sweet  1"  Peggj-  went  into  the  littl« 
patch-room  where  Alice  trns  writing,  and  put  bor  arm  uriiund  the 
edopied  aunt's  neck  from  behind.  Both  gloated  over  the  sleepiaf 
hipfiil.    I  wish  you  could  have  sw;n  tJiem. 

"Did  you  be«r  that  parrot.  Alice  l" 

"Oh  dwir,  yes!  I  heard  hitn.  Isn't  it  funnyt  He  only  doea  i' 
now  at  iulerrals..    I  haven't  heard  it  for  months  and  months." 

"I  was  trying  to  think  when  he  liegnn — was  it  wh<Tn  -■die        " 

"Ob  not    Ajtes  before  that.    Why.  it's  as  long  as  I  can  recollect." 

And  then  both  ladies  said  together,  as  by  an  inspiration; 
yes!  I  know — I  remcmlicr."  and  Alice  says,  for  both,  what 
remember: 

"It  waN  that  day,  of  course,  whi-n  stlic  first  came  to  the  Garde 
and  sauiir."    And  Peggy  goes  on  with  the  reminisocnoc : 

"I  know.    I  rccoliett  it  all  now.    It  was  when  that  old  :nollier 
hers  was  in  the  front  room — and  he  picked  the  name  up  and 
iihriekird  it  nit  the  crening.     Poor  Charley !" 

The  iiurse  came  in  and  the  children  were  oonvpyed  away,  oni 
awake  and  one  asleep.    As  the  door  aiM'ncil  there  came  again  fro 
afar,  clear  and  unmistakable,  the  name  the  parrot  had  shrieked 
fore— "Straker!" 

"There  now!"  said  Alice.  "Well!  he  is  a  funny  PoUy.  Whal 
on  earth  has  made  him  rake  that  up  nowT  I  wiali  ho  would  pu< 
the  kettle  on  instead,  and  then  we'd  all  have  tea." 

"We  Docdn't  wait  any  longer  for  tea.     Ellen  won't  come  now.' 
And  Lady  Johnson  pulled  the  beil  for  tea,    "I'm  not  at  home  i 
anybody  come*,  nandiiworth."  in  tlte  poirtscripl  to  her  invtruetion 
bring  it.     aiie  went  on:  "Charley  will  come  in  and  will  have  ft 
nice  quiet  timet.     I  really  am  getting  to  bate  people  more  and 
mort " 

"What  nonwnxc.  Miss  Pi-ggy !"  for  the  old  first  rutmc  of  all 
clung  to  its  owner,  as  far  as  Alice  was  concerned,  and  we  are  glad 
she  has  not  fonwttcn  it.  ko  far,  in  the  Btory. — But  read  on,  and  yoil 
will  aee  she  will  vary  her  nomenclature,  moat  porrcravly,  aa  aho 


I 

« 
e 
t 

I 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


2»9 


continues:  "You  know  you  don't  bate  lota  of  people,  so  come  now, 
laHtf  Johnson " 

"I  mean  I  hale  people  that  call  aui)  leave  cards,  and  are  at  Ixnae 
on  Thursdays — Mucic,** 

"Veiy  well.  Lady  Johnaoo,  then  1  shall  tell  the  Stosaing«ra  you 
hate  them,  if  it's  tJinl.    Bolides,  it's  rcry  enod  mnxic." 

'■Veiy  good  music,  and  we're  ftoinji:  but  it  isn't  to-day  and  to-day 
M  Thurwiiiy— tlie  Slossingcrs  ia  the  fourth,  and  the  elercnth." 

"Ye»— and  to-da.v's  the  fourth." 

"Tt  ciui't  be!    .\t  least,  if  it  is,  I'rc  dntini  my  letters  wrong," 

''Then  you've  dated  your  letters  wronR — look  at  the  newspapcl^^ 
it's  out  tlierc  BotiiewhtTi'."  On  which  Pi'gtT  Wfiit  to  si'ek  for  it, 
and  Alice  waited,  leaning  hack  in  her  chair  and  looking  round 
after  her  to  hear  thn  date  confirmed.  She  heard  the  iiewsivapcr 
ruMie  as  Pegsy  picked  it  up;  and  said  interrogatively.  "Well — 
Lady  J'ohnson — wlto'a  right!"  TTcr  accuracy  was  atlmitled.  "Quite 
riuht,  dear;  it  is  to-nioht.  I  don't  mind  going  at  all." — But  tbc 
ep«^cr  had  caught  on  to  tlie  paper,  and  hail  bc:gun  to  (liink  uf 
somethiufr  «be.  She  was  looking  at  the  Birthe,  Deaths,  and 
Marriage*. 

'■Salmon — Wainwright.  Wasn't  that  a  Miss  Wainwri^ht  with 
those  i>coplc  at  Briiibton  where  Ellen  stayed?''  .\nd  Alice  replied; 
"No,  not  Wainwright — Pulborough" ;  and  neither  seemed  to  think 
the  error  in  recollection  anytbinR  to  bo  surprierd  at.  Alice  had 
dipped  her  pen  to  go  on  writing,  when  Lady  Johnson,  who  had  not 
put  the  paper  down,  gave  a  short  sudden  cry — of  surpriw  cer- 
tainly—scarcely  pain : 

"Oh  I  Alice,  oh,  my  dear  I    Come  at  once.    Look,  Wk  at  thiii!" 

And  Alice  went  quickly.  Slie  took  the  sheet  of  The  Times  from 
the  poioIinR  finger,  and  rend  the  announcement  of  a  death  wo  al- 
ready know. 

"Oh.  Margaret  darlingl    Yes — it  must  be — it  murti    Oh  dear!" 

And  both  wiimcn  burst  into  tears;  (liey  are  not  exactly  tears  of 
sorrow  for  the  death — that  could  scarcely  be.  Rather  ibey  are  a 
tribute  to  i1m»  wholo  unhappy  pa«t.  and  ihu  wasted  and  ruined  life 
of  poor  Charles  lleatb.  It  is  the  end — the  official  end — of  n  sad 
epoch,  and  Death  cornea,  as  his  way  Is.  to  report  progress;  to  put 
his  sea]  upon  events,  and  make  us  think  back  upon  the  bygone  time. 
And  then  we.  for  our  part,  may  weigh  it  well,  and  wonder  if  all 
thai  we  reirret  the  loss  of  was  really  good,  and  evcu  if  what 
aenncd  so  hartl  to  endure  was  always  evil.  And  may  decide — most 
likely— that  those  are  points  on  which  we  may  never  be  a  penny 
the  wiser,  and  that  wc  ^ay  as  well  let  thvm  aVstl^. 


CHAPTER  YYT 


BOW  I>EATH  KUR  KBEDa  KT.  -IAD.  EVEN   OF  A  RIDDiXCT.      ROW  A  BOI 
NAUED  POtUtl  Sad  KM\LLP0S,  A^D  AUCE  went  to  NtaSE  BIU 

Pkogv  and  Alice,  ss  thcjr  waited  for  tea  in  the  front  room,  lUte 
ing  to  the  perpetual  rumble  of  carr!ag«a,  softeocd  down  to  nil  i 
the  iEnmedinte  vicinitjr  by  a  udghbour  who  fasd  buret  out  in  stra 
all  over  Ibe  street,  were  very  aiknt  at  6rst.   P^gy  wmt  and  )ook< 
out  at  tlic  front  window,  wbilc  Alice  made  tbe  tea.    Tbe  kettli 
fined  and  xputtered.  and  probably  winbiKl  it  eoiild  put  it«  *piri 
lamp  out;  the  near  double -knocks  of  the  callers  close  by  were  an- 
swered by  otlieraafar;  uiid  Bomi;  «i-ri.'  fulilc.  wliilcotber*  fnictlfiod. 
Fotly  was  noigy  below,  and  whenever  the  dour  opened  for  aoi 
development  or  extcu nation  of  t^-n,  his  iibrirk  wnx  in  cvidenoo.    H 
aeoidental  revival  of  a  favourite  about  of  former  yearn  wuh  grtitlr; 
and  Alice,  when  she  had  made  the  tea,  went  quietly  downataire  aud 
put  hia  ahawl  over  him  and  quenched  lum.    Tbi^n  nhtt  returned  to 
pour  it  out,  and  carried  the  two  cups  to  tbe  little  table  near  ttM 
fresh  spring  air  from  the  open  window,  and  both  ladies  sut  down  oa 
the  sofa  that  belonged  to  it. 

"How  much  can  yon  remember  of  all  that  time,  Alicef    Ti 
were  onlj  ■  small,  you  know." 

'"Remember  t    Why,  I  remember  it  all,  aa  plain  n»  yc«ferday 
how  abe  caaie  to  siu#,  and  poor  little  Dan  said  bow  awfully  joll; 
•bo  was,  and  when  wv  woro  cent  away  to  bed  wo  listened  oa 
etaira." 

"Poor  littlo  T)anny!    But  wo  did  all  like  her  then.  Alice,  didn*1 
wc!     I  know  I  wanted  to  like  her  then,  for  Charley's  saki 
bocauee  I  saw  how  it  wa«." 

"So  did  I.    But  it  wftNn't  ao  hard  for  me  to  like  her,  because  I 
thousht  Mr.  Charley  must  be  right.    I  think  wo  understood  it> 
th«!  sttiiirn,  Danny  and  I."    And  Alicu's  snd.  clear  eyea  look  wlai 
luUy  back  into  the  past.     Did  we  understand  iti — Peggy 
to  borvcJf. — Both  ait  silent  in  iittervaU.  und  whi^n  they  apeak,  it 
with  voices  dropped.    This  time,  Alice  speaks  first  agnia. 

"YoM  know  I  wasn't  aucb  n  amall  as  all  that;  I  was  old  enough 
to  fo  to  Misa  Fonescue's,  or  very  nearly.  You  know  it  was  in  th« 
January  I  went,  when  tlio  bard  frost  CMXait." 


w 


"I  woiKicr, 
remimsceDce, 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


"I  know.  Toil  went  away  the  day  before  the  ice.  Tou  were  not 
there  when  Danny  was  brousht  in."  Peggy's  mind  pausra  on  tbo 
mecnory  of  mnother  pHef;  it  U  long  enough  ago  now  to  t«Ik  of  it 
quiotlf.  Ila7«  you  ewr  rocotrniifcd  tho  fact  that,  in  trouble,  case 
comes  from  talking  of  another  trouble  iudlcadl  Alloc  feels  it  too, 
in  this  ca«e.  and  docs  not  break  the  thread;  she  is  silent  and  Poggy 
contlnuee: 

"I  remember  Rupert's  voice  no  welt — TJon't  give  in — don't  givo 
in' — oh.  9u<-h  u  long  lime!  And  then  at  Last  thert!  waa  no  hope  at 
•IL  And  yet  we  fell  it  was  wrong  to  despair,  and  leave  the  poor 
little  drowned  body  alone." 

"Ob,  I  know  I  I  thought  I  recollectixl  it,  but  of  course  I  don't.  I 
wasn't  really  there.  I  only  heard.  But  I  remember  your  letter  to 
Hiss  Portescve,  and  her  saying:  Tm  afraid,  Alice,  this  must  be 
from  your  AiiiiC  Itargnret' — and  the  black  edge.  She  always  said, 
*Your  Aunt  Margnrnt.'" 

"  says  Peggy.  Etriktng  a  new  vein  tn  the  mine  of 
"if  you  can  recollect  when  you  went  away  to  Uiss 
Fortescuc's,  and  how  we  could  hardly  get  you  off  Clinrleyl" 

"Oh  yen  I  I  reniemlier  it  all.  But  it  aeema  now  as  if  it  was 
another  little  girl,  not  me." 

"Do  you  recollect  my  keeping  on  that  you  were  not  to  be  a  goose. 
boesOM  Sir.  Charley  wasn't  going  awayl" 

"I  recollect.  At  lenal,  I  seem  to  r(«co!lect  that  the  other  little 
irirl  wont  nearly  frantic,  and  screamed  to  Mr.  Charley  not  to  go 
away;  and  you  all  tried  to  commie  her,  or  me.  whichever  it  was." 

There  is  a  moment  or  two  of  silenoe,  and  then  Peggy  says: 
"He'll  be  here  very  siion  now — it's  nearly  half-past,"  and  then 
drops  back  to  reminiscenoe. 

"Perhaps  I  was  wrong  in  letting  him  perauode  me,  but  what 
difference  could  it  have  made,  when  he  came  to  me  and  said: 
Txiok  here,  Poggy-Woggy,  I'm  going  to  cut  it  short  and  marry 
I^vinia  to-morrow T — what  could  I  say  to  him?  Wliul  good  would 
it  have  dom-.  if  I  had  refused  to  go'i — and  how  could  I  when  bo 
aaicl;  ^f  you  don't  come.  Pogg>-.  there  won't  l>e  a  living  soul  in  it 
of  my  own  l«longitig»,  and  people  will  think  you  think  all  sorts  of 
things'— whai  could  1  huve  done  but  what  I  did!" 

"Nothing.    It  was  all  right ;  it  had  to  be.'' 

"But  I  did  think — 1  always  shall  think — Papa  was  wrong,  well! 
ntiataken— «nly  it  scenw  hard  to  say  so  now,  and  I'm  surv  Mamma 
was.  It  was  refusing  to  receive  her  was  such  a  mistake.  Of 
course.  Papa  was  obliged  to  go  Mamma's  way," 

•^famrael"  ■- 


b 


AUCE-F0E-8H0RT 


"And  OR  for  ita  being  her  duty  because  of  Ellen,  that  wm  aH 
BtuS  and  DonwDse;  it  was  no  fault  of  hers  that  the  father  waa  a 
bad  chnmeter."    Alice  puta  in  a  won!  for  Mra.  Heath.  i>r  "GrRnd* 
mamnui."  for  that  U  her  status  now.    "Was  she  Dot  risht  after  all 
— ON  it  tiirni'd  out  in  the  end.  I  mean — IJhe  father,  like  «ou'' 
people  say,"  says  Alice 

"Te» — «be  turned  out  badly,"  eajs  P^g:r;  "but  wbnt  1  mean 
thnt  if  Mamnia  had  been  mora  cominr,  and  temporised  a  little,  i 
might  all  havi?  itiiid  down  naturally,  and — oh,  dear!  it's  no  atm 
thinking  of  it  now;  but  of  cotiree,  as  it  was,  all  poor  Charlcf'i 
ehivnlry  was  up  in  arms;  you  know  what  Charley'a  like  I" 

"Obi  j-es— Iknowl" 

"And  then,  of  eounw,  Memmu  had  to  girc  in  in  the  end.    Ti 
were  not  there  the  day  he  brought  her  back  from  abroad  to  thi 
Gardrnx,  niid  tixik  ht-.r  Atraiiibt  (u  Mamma  ami  said:  'This  is  my 
wife.  Mother,     If  j-ou  send  her  uway,  you  send  me  too.' " 

".\nd  what  did  Grannj-  sayt" 

"Said  iJu-  htid  bivn  Ht^t  at  iiaitght,  but  it  was  her  duty  as  a 
Christian  to  forgive.  It's  a  »hamo  to  laugh,  Alice  darling,  but 
really  I  can  hardly  help  it.  Poor  Kammnl  Ae  long  as  fke  could 
make  dear  Papa  do  the  work  and  keep  in  the  background  herself; 
she  waa  all  Spartan  fortitude.  TbI^  mitiiitc  »hi>  wah  faee  to  fB< 
with  the  enemy,  ehe  turned  tail.  And  Lavinia  looked  very  nice^ 
and  poor  Charley  lookisl  *a  happy  and  hfjiitiing.  Oh.  dnurl'*  And 
Peggy  doean't  look  aa  if  she  found  it  hard  not  to  laugh.  Alice 
ktsaes  her,  en  piutanl.  to  kcn>  hi-r  up.  A  prolongrd  knoek,  that 
sounds  like  a  disquisition  ending  in  a  pun,  eomea  at  tlie  street 
door;  and  the  conrersation  is  held  in  check  until  the  concomitant 
footman  has  met  lijs  fate,  and  died  nway,  Icnviiig  card*.  Speedl 
could  not  be  audible  below,  but  such  a  lone  coat  as  came  with; 
the  knock  affeeta  the  imagination,  and  itnpo:«a  the  secrecy  o: 
silence  on  whosn  has  said  be  is  not  at  home. 

Peggy  and  AliiMi  npi-ak  with  liiitt^l  voicnt;  until  the  young  ma 
(who  knows  all  about  it)  lins  enthroned  himself  on  the  box,  an 
gone  away.     Then  Peggy  apeaka  nbore  her  breath  again,  as  ona' 
relieved : 

"I've  never  made  out  to  thia  day  when  it  waa  that  it  began. 
(Those  people  were  the  Fotheringays.)  Tou  know  they  were  ve: 
happy  at  lir»t,  or  aeemeil  ao.  T  fancy  it  wai<  while  you  were  atiH 
too  small  to  understand  much  about  it  1  can't  eay  I  ever  found 
much  fault  with  her  myaelf — but  of  course  she  waa  extravngaii 
and  there  was  always  the  one  thing.  Charley  used  to  turn  it  int 
S  joke  at  first,  and  talk  about  her  sweethearts;  tbcD  the  moment 


ALICE-FOK-SHOKT 


303 


th 

Ai 

sh 

I at 

III 

my 

ha 

Kfoi 


there  wa«  &  suspicion  of  anrihinfi  beiun  ia  mniest,  poor  Cliarti'.v* 
pcn>ii>tMit  ntkinpl  t»  kiicp  it  a  juki;  g<>t  painful.     NothitiK  would 

lakA  him  ^«e  th^re  was  anytfainn  wronu  with  Lsviuia;  he  was  (no 
chivalrous  to  nilmit  it.  I  don't  boliovn  he  ever  rcnlisad  it  until 
that  bu8inf««  with  Low«i]«tcm." 

"Thpy  wi-ir  at  lh«  Hottl  together?"  half  Myc.  half  ask*  Alice. 
And  PeBiry  replies:  "Yes,  and  poor  Charley  al!  the  time  thouelit 
shc!  wait  lit  Birmingbiim  with  her  mathi-r.  Robin  cnmc  upon  thrm 
at  Leaminiftou  and  went  xtraiKhl  for  Lowenstem.  and  ahe  tlirew 

rtclf  on  Rubin  and  bi-Id  him  while  I-owwiMrm  ran  tiwa;.  Thrti 
eh&  wanted  to  make  him  believe  there  was  no  hann  in  it — ju<il  ttn 
accident!  But  l)i«  waiter  had  told  Robin  tlity  werr:  Uossoo  and 
Sfadame  Ratron  .  .  .  i«n't  that  hiuiT'  But  it  wasn't.  Pe^n* 
stywsl  to  find  a  satisfaction  in  talking  it  all  over,  and  Alice  in 
hearine  her.  6o  she  w«nt  on: 

"IIo  never  would  hare  divorced  her,  you  know,  except  for  hor 
sake.  He  Huid  it  would  bo  her  IitHl  i-hnnn!  of  being  a  ri*spcctn- 
wonuin;  but  »he  never  trot  the  chance,  for  Lowenstern  laughed 
It  hvr." 

■TTaa  she  with  him.  I  mean  Lowensiern.  when  ahc  diedl"  Alice 
a»k«  fli?  bclivring  that  there  may  Btill  lie  things  slir  has  nevrr  heard. 
The  unhappy  soprano  had  been  talk<>d  of  as  little  na  possible. 

"I  don't  know  the  leflst,"  Pcegy  nnswpTs.  "Charley  and  I  ol- 
myi  felt  the  less  wo  heard  about  her  ilie  better,  and  you  see  tlie 
advertiscmmt  girca  no  clue.  I'm  sure  that's  hia  knock."  But 
no  I  It  wasn't  hia  knock.  ei,-en  now.  and  it  was  getting  quite 
late. 

"I  wish  he'd  como."  8a,v«  his  sister,  "I'm  all  on  tlie  jar — and  it 
makes  mi-  fancy  every  knocJ<  is  his.  That  wasn't  anybody,  it  was 
a  mistake — they've  g«ne  away  to  thirty-five  opposite."  And  t)is 
two  Mand  at  the  window  and  watch  tlie  mistake,  in  the  shape  of  a 
thick  lady  with  a  thin  daughter,  rcinvtatcd  no  ocnirati;  and  gatli- 
iied  into  the  bosom  of  thitty-6vo,  opposite.  Alice  keeps  silent,  but 
goes  on  talking. 

"I  was  always  so  very,  ^-ery  glad  Papa  never  lived  ta  know  it. 
Thp  diHrrace  would  have  broken  his  heart." 

"And  people  don't  really  niind."  Alice  cuts  In  suddenly  and 

ther  enigmatically-  "You  know  what  I  mean,  dear!"  And  Peggy 
sccmji  to  know  so  well  what  she  means,  that  nothing  but  a  nod  with 
cIo«ed  lips  is  neoeaflary.  Wc  know,  of  courx;,  that  what  Alic9 
meant  was  that  public  condemnation  isn't  in  eameat  about  any- 
thing of  this  aort,  and  indec!  has  an  clement  of  forgivvDesa  \tv  \% 
for  tfaoee  who  kindly  provide  interesting  divotce-«iM"rt.  i»iKh.  'SVisS- 


304 


AUCE-FORSHORT 


■hould  VIC  do  vitliflut  them,  when  ve  ore  regular  pereon*:  ve 
always  be  at  church ! 

"Poor  <lear  Papa !  How  Iir  um^  to  repriMch  himself  for  letting 
Charley  be  an  artiett  I  remember  how  be  asid,  vbon  I  told  him 
how  good  hf'd  bwn  to  Chnrlpy,  that  he  owed  it  to  tie  i>oor  boy 
for  never  having  stopped  him.  'ilow  can  a  man  know  bo  can't 
point  tinlvKH  somebody  teltx  hiiti?'  Huid  he,  'and  nobody  ever  told 
poor  Charley.'  And  then  be  blamed  himself  for  n«rer  having 
had  the  courage  of  hJa  opiiiioua — 'But  we  were  all  such  mighty 
fine  people' — you  remember  Papa,  AHco  doarf  And  Alloc  remem* 
bcn-d  very  wtll.  Both  ait  on,  thiidcing  of  bygonea,  but  tlie  lant 
recollection  has  given  a  new  list  to  the  conrersation.  and  Peggy 
recurs  to  a  theme  that  in  rvidtrntly  oftwi  under  dincuaston.  "Alice, 
dear."  aaya  abe,  as  one  provided  for  a  frceh  poesibility  in  it; 
Alice  aaya.  "What!" 

"Do  you  really  think  Charley  will  never,  never,  a 
anything  of  it  T' 

Alice  waives  the  issue.  "He  makes  eomelbing  by  s-tained-glass," 
contains  tlic  implicutiun  that  he  makes  nothing  by  itomething 
pictures,  no  doubi.  We  notice  that  ther«  is  in  Lady  Johnson  a 
lain  dcfer«ncc  for  Alice;  that  she  seemn  to  impute  authority 
her.  IndwiJ,  Alice's  face  has  a  sense  of  btighlneas  on  the  fo 
bead;  which  i*,  however,  well-set  and  free  from  overpoworinft 
phrenologies,  or  we  are  not  sure  we  would  hnve  anything  to  do  witli 
her.  It  doe«  not,  as  nome  fornhends  do,  advertise  the  profoundness 
of  its  thou(rht.  But  it  leaves  one  with  a  sense  thai  something  ha« 
flntibcd,  and  we  can't  siuy  what ;  and  wc  know  that  the  eyebrows,  not 
dark  but  firmly  pencilled,  will  back  up  the  flash,  if  need  be,  (or  a: 
they  are  so  etill  in  tlu^ir  reixiiM;.  Ju>it  thiit  timv,  tbey  move  a  liCtli 
a  slight  half-riicful  wrinkle,  as  she  adds:  "Poor  Mr.  Charley  1"  Fi 
note,  thai  to  her  he  in  ulwii.vs  "Mr."  Charley.  It  i*  not  ocnimoni' 
ousness — rather,  a  form  of  familiarity. 

"He'll  n<;ver  paint  a  n-ally  finitdicd  picture,"  Miya  »hp.    And 
are  painfully  conscious  that  the  tlnsh  has  penetrated  the  dark 
cornera  of  the  subject.    Bui  it  huii  fnutid  nomething  there  it  would 
like  to  »how  us.    "He  bns  plenty  of  ability,  you  know,"  Alice  goes 
on,  "only  he's  on  the  wrong  tack." 

"Do  you  mean  he's  painting  the  wrong  sort  of  picture's  i 

"No,  no.  The  wrong  tack  altogether!" — But  just  an  we  arc  aoi 
to  hear  what  Charles's  mitter  ahould  have  been,  there  cornea 
knock  both  n-<!ogniite  aa  really  bin.  Peggj'  aayii,  "1*11  ro,"  and 
leaves  the  room  to  meet  him.  Alice  does  not  follow,  but  waits 
half-way  to  the  door,  listening  to  hear  than  meet.    In  u  mmncot  it 


lin^^ 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


805 


is  clear  th&t  they  bt»  not  speakinx  of  the  dcaib.  SomeUimg  present 
and  pnwing  in  <tiii|>luuiiif;  it.     Alice  fpxts  out. 

"I  don't  belicvo  it,"  Peggy  is  saying.  "Only  another  falae 
nliirm!" 

"Weill  Fm  odIj  saying  what  old  Payne  aaya — I  hope  he's  wrong." 
Alici-  RHkM  whnt'it  th<r  matter,  and  Lady  Johnson  anitwcrs: 

"Dr.  I'ayne  saya  Pierre  has  Rot  smallpoz." 

"Hnn  gi.:  *anic  of  the  C4irly  Kymptonw,"  Charlwt  corrects  iho 
broad  slatemeul.  "Ten  to  one  he's  wrontc.  We  shall  see  to- 
morrow— intmiiwhilr.  I  nughtn't  to  cotnc  hrre,  I  only  came  over 
to  tell  you;  Payne  said  there  would  be  no  danger  yet," 

"Oh!  Charley  dc-iir,  what  an  alarmi«t  you  srcl  Now  do  come  in 
dnd  don't  be  silly."  And  under  his  sister's  soothing  inHuence 
Chorlrs  t^mcs  into  llir  dm  wing-room,  anil  nubinit*  to  tlie  current 
refreshment  under  protest.  "Going  without  your  tea  won't  make 
it  a  bit  safer,  yon  silly  oM  hoy."  sayii  Pi'Bg>'.  Charles  aoqiuciwo" 
generally,  but  evidently  thiiiks  if  he  keeps  at  a  distance  ami  kisses 
□olMxty,  hill  germs  will  HiK-k  round  him  and  not  cross  the  room. 
He  givoi  iletnils  of  the  syinptomn.  which  Pfggy  tntiit*  with  deri- 
Bion:  "If  one  waa  to  pay  attention  to  all  the  fussifications  about 
infection,"  she  says,  "there  would  never  be  an  end  of  itl" 

*'Whnt's  Alice  after  T  asks  Charles,  for  Alien  has  quitted  the 
room  and  run  upstairs,  Presently  she  is  audible  returning.  Pnggy 
huH  biirn  thinking  out  the  bi-st  approach  to  lltt-  suhjtM't  of  the 
adrertisemenl,  Alice  calls  to  her  from  outside,  and  she  goes  out; 
then  follow*  a  sliorl  colloquy  in  ftti  undertone,  uiitl  Peggy  returns. 
"What's  Alice  afterl"  Charles  asks  agnin.  She  replic*  equivocally 
and  thr  (incstion  dies  down,  and  slu'  goes  and  sits  hy  bitr  hrotluT  on 
the  arm  of  the  hig  chair  he  is  drinking  llie  half-cold  tea  in.  The 
hand  that  begins  automatically  to  ruffli'  his  hair,  as  in  old  days,  is 
higgtT,  and  the  hair  it  touchea  is  either  cut  closer  or  not  so  thick, 
but  now  that  wc  see  tbem  together  in  this  way.  and  there  ia  leisure 
to  think  both  i>ver.  we  are  aware  tbttt  the  ebanges  of  Time  have 
icone  mostly  in  the  direction  of  gravity  and  sadness  on  his  part, 
and  men-  amplification  on  bers,  Lutly  Johnson  of  Harley  Street 
with  four  boj's  and  three  girla  is  quite  as  like  Peggy  Heath  as 
oni-  could  nnisonahly  expect.  But  w()  could  have  reconciled  our- 
selves to  much  more  tangible  change  in  Charley,  to  bare  bis  old 
iiinil«  iMick. 

"Have  you  had  any  other  news.  Charley  deart" 

"T«!"  A  simple,  direti  alBrmalive  is  so  rare  that  P<wgy  at  once 
aees  he  knows  of  his  wife's  death.  She  conld  not  have  gm«,sft(i  \\ 
from  anything  in  bia  previous  munncr.    S\w  gsAa  ^tiu  ^s»^>.  v^iA 


ALICE-FOK-SHOKT 

know  what  lo  saj  next,  ond  snyK  nothing;  if  he  has  h^srd  « 
particulars  of  the  event,  he  will  t«ll  her  of  his  ovn  accord,  h 
Alice's  disnppcBmiice  is  still  unncoountcd  for,  nnd  Charles  harl 
beck  on  it.    -'What  was  Alice  after?"  be  says. 

"Now  yon  mustn't  be  «ngryl  SIw  wpnt  utmight  awn_v  to  AcaciB 
Itoad  to  see  after  Pierre."  Cbarlea  starts  up  from  hie  chair  in 
great  perturbation. 

"Obi  PoggT-Woggy,  how  oould  .voui    Oh  dear!    Oh  dear  I 
must  go  and  see  and  ecnd  her  back  again." 

"Kow,  Charley  dear !  don't  be  silly.    Besides,  you  kuow  perf« 
well  you  can't  manage  Alice — she  always  gets  her  own   wayj 
Charles  appears  lo  be  conscious  Out  ibis  is  so,  and  subsides  in 
bis  chair  again.    "It'e  all  rcry  fine.  Lady  Johnson,"  he  says;  (or 
liko  Alice,  often  uses  tlu9  designation,  ''hut  suppose  Altoe  ca' 
it.  and  comes  out  like  a  uutmcg-grntcr  nil  over  f" 

"I  don't  lieliirvi-  Uht<t"s  any  'it'  for  bvT  to  cnlcb;  and  I  aho 
love  Alice  just  the  same  if  she  was  ever  bo  scratchy." 

"So  kIiouIiI  1.    But  yoii  ought  to  consider  the  poor  girl  he: 
Aliee-for-sbortl    Just  thinfcl" 

"Bo  easy,  old  mnn.  Nobody's!  going  to  be  a  nutmcg-gratuT.  I(> 
ouly  one  of  your  panics  about  the  boy." 

From  which  it  would  npix^r  tliat  Charley  is  often  in  paDi 
about  his  boy.  Ho  aeems  to  accept  his  sister's  decision  on 
point,  as  on  other*,  hut  nothing  alters  the  rcsoltito  sadness  of 
face;  it  is  consistently  melancholy,  without  a  trace  of  the  lachry- 
mose. It  becomes  tct?  abucnt  as  he  sits  in  the  big  armchair, 
with  Peggy  rufEing  his  head  as  of  old.  She  does  not  mean  to 
hurry  him  to  speak  of  the  di-iitb — iilic  knows  lie  will  in  his  own 
tunc.  When  thai  comes,  he  says  as  though  there  had  been  a  conver- 
sation to  continue:  "Nol  I've  lieartl  no  dctniU — t  only  know  what 
the  advertisement  tells — it's  all  orer  now."  lie  seemed  to  put  it 
away  as  though  ho  said :  **Nuw  w<^  have  spoken  of  it,  and  tbat'a 
enough" — but  the  thought  was  on  him  that  her  death  must  suroly 
bring  rvvival  of  blame  for  her,  and  he  was  all  on  the  alert  to  fore- 
stall it. 

"It  was  all  my  fault.  Peg,"  lie  says,  and  be  is  only  r«alBrmii)g  an 
old  position.  "It  had  all  come  to  an  end.  and  it  was  my  obatinaey 
brought  it  all  on  again — I  was  really  never  the  husband  for  her.'* 

Peggy's  lips  want  to  sAy.  "Which  of  tbc  other  two,  or  thre*,  was  ?" 
but  she  korps  ihcm  still,  nnd  says  nothing,  at  least  to  that  eftect. 
All  she  says  is:  "It  was  a  mistake,  Charley  dear,  but  it's  all  ov< 
now."  As  his  last  words  were  to  iho  same  eflect,  he  cannot 
any  exception  to  iL 


1 


i 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


%0t 


Tieiw  rwwilecta  her  after  a  fashion."  said  he.  his  mind  lunding. 
ns  it  Wfrc,  on  an  Msad  whvrv  ho  knew  hi«  eistcr's  hnd  already 
arrired.  "He  was  five  years  old— only  a  year  youii^-r  than  Alice 
wa»,"  Alice  thus  r^^frrrod  to,  without  farther  descrirtion,  means 
Aliw  at  iht^  time  of  iier  first  ooeurreuet' ;  in  fact,  aa  ii  aubHluntiri; 
that  describes  that  oecumrncc:  "But  then  boys  are  so  much  younger 
than  ^rl»;  Fin  not  altogtrtlicT  aorry  he  reDM-mbtrni  her  itn  little.** 

Peggy  is  bound  to  talk  to  her  brother  about  his  wife's  death,  but 
is  al«o  longue-ticd  on  tho  aubjoct,  and  wants  to  help  him  to  fabri- 
cate extenuation  of  her  conduct;  as  she  can  imagine  none,  leaat 
of  nil  hy  laying  blame  at  hin  door,  whe  bns  to  be  siK^nt.  Shv  would 
like,  oererttaeleaa,  to  soften  her  silence,  the  meaning  of  which  she 
know*  bo  ItnowiL  She  has  slifjht  prnpctisitics  towards  moral  tags, 
true  in  themselves,  but  fra.ved  with  ovcrrnuch  use.  She  giTCe 
thecn  up  though,  and  cannot  wen  managn  tho  most  trenchant  nf 
all  known  words  to  the  point;  for  she  believes  in  her  heart  that  in 
thill  rery  popular  dcpartroc-nt  of  human  offence,  her  brother  is  as 
much  "without  ein"  as  she  herself  is.  She  may  be  mistaken — 
rery  likely  in,  we  think  we  hear  you  say,  if  you  arc  human — hut 
what  do  ue  know!  So  slio  doea  not  suggest  that  she  and  Charlej 
should  make  a  merit  of  not  casting  stone*,  and  still  clings  to  silence 
againat  her  will. 

IIo  knows  why,  and  loaves  it  alom',  but  the  very  silence  works 
upon  tliem  both,  and  when  Peggy  breaks  it  at  last  with.  "Oht 
Chnrlry— Chnrlry  darling."  and  n  protest  against  a  sob  in  her 
Toice.  he  lets  Ihe  head  she  draws  to  her  sink  on  her  bosom,  and 
tnakos  no  morr-  ado,  but  rrlps  as  a  child  cries  when  it  seeks  con- 
eealnwnt  for  its  tears.  So  they  remain,  and  dwell  upon  the  spoiled 
past.  And  mi  Rupert  would  have  found  them,  only  that  when  P«niy 
hears  him.  without,  she  geta  up  from  Charley  am)  goes  to  meet 
him,  and  Charles  thinks  he  hears,  or  thinks  he  mixht  hare  heard 
had  he  liatviiHl.  the  words;  "And  a  good  riildancK,  too!"  at  the 
end  of  a  communication  crossed  by  grunts,  for  the  great  physician 
doesn't  soften  his  speech  eseept  for  occasion  ehon-it. 

The  sppenr«nce  of  his  brother-in-law,  and  the  telling  him  about 
the  boy,  reminded  Charles  that  ha  ought  to  get  back  home.  He 
bail  forgotten  about  the  germs,  although  they  were,  no  doubt,  just 
aa  much  to  the  fore  as  ever.  "I'll  run  you  round  and  have  a  look 
at  the  kid,"  said  Sir  Rupert,  and  influenced  his  carriage,  throiigb 
the  ageney  of  HeiuUwortli.  to  atop  and  tuke  them.  Fiw  minutes 
more  diat-marKin  and  twelve  minutes  trot  found  them  at  the  door 
of  Charles'  domicile  In  Acacia  Road.  St.  John's  Wood,  with  Alice 
coining  out  on  the  balcony  to  aco  who  the  carti&CQ  vu.  W  ^omV^^ 


AUCE-FOK-SHORT 


passed  with  a  friend  at  that  moment,  you  would  probablr  havo 
raid;  "You  didn't  »rp  that  very  prrtly  wonrnn  in  the  belcon;  just 
now?"  And  he  would  have  replied:  "No.  why  didn't  you  lell  mtV 
And  you  would  hove  f<^lt  thnt  piThap»  it  wa«  bocauw  Alice's  was 
a  Bort  of  beauty  you  took  pleasure  in  e^ufrgerating,  but  didn't 
want  to  be  convicted  on.  So,  feeling  you  had  not  your  friend  ia 
8  cumer.  you  would  have  condoliH]  with  him  on  his  luas. 

However,  Alicp  rently  did  look  vrry  pr<'tty  on  tho  balcony;  sun- 
set iJKht  iu  May  is  an  improvement  to  ail  of  us.  and  you  felt  that 
wbnTi  it  dird  away,  there  would  "till  be  mucli  to  bo  Haid  for  heri 
but  »he  didn't  wait  to  see.  for  she  came  downstairs  and  took  tha 
wind  out  of  Cbarlcv'  latch-lcey'n  oai),  by  opening  tJic  door  from 
inside. 

CbariM  had  n  diMpiiointment  in  iitore  for  him.  Peggy**  dwcr- 
fu]  confidence  had  made  him  set  his  mind  on  being  pooh-po(died 
nnd  c«lk-d  an  alarmiiit.  AHc^i.  on  the  contrary,  was  what  is  called 
encouraging.  This  means  confession  that  something  is  afoot  whicb 
we  Imve  to  be  i?nconrap*d  abuul.  Pr.  Puyrii'  hiid  been  again  (which 
was  bad  enough  in  itself),  and  had  esid  we  were  not  to  be  the  least 
uneooy.  because  wc  nhouldn't  know  what  it  was  till  tliis  time 
morrow  at  least.  Meanwhile  we  wcr«  approaching  smallpox  hj 
process  of  climtnnlion,  Dr.  Payne  having  just  dn>rived  us  of 
diseases,  which  we  had  some  hopes  of.  by  disallowing  their  principal 
eyniptoma:  na,  for  inntnnce.  who  evirr  heard  of  measles  with  no  ran- 
nins  at  the  eyes !  We  had  been  sanguine  about  measles — now  we 
had  to  givo  it  up.  ThtM  waa  the  aiiluitftncr  of  Alice's  report  of  pro^ 
re-M  on  the  wsiy  up  to  the  patient's  bedroom. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  latter.  Sir  Rupt^rt  was  departing  from  th« 
door  with:  "Remember!  all  I  "^ay  is  that  possibly  it  isn't."  And 
with  that  aoiall  consolaliun.  Alice  and  Charles  wi^t  back,  gricr- 
ouxly  downcani,  into  the  house  to  do  what  little  mi^t  be  done  to 
ftllay  fever  that  meant  to  have  ita  way.  and  to  keep  a  watchful  «yo 
for  the  arrival  of  that  most  unwelcome  guest,  the  cutaneous  erup- 
tion that  was  to  chrislea  the  disorder.  Meanwhile,  Pierre,  a  little 
chap  between  eleven  ami  twelve,  had  become  something  red-hot,  the 
identity  of  which  he  was  himself  doubtful  of.  but  of  which  hr.  knew 
thia  for  certain,  that  he  had  n  pain  in  ttg  back,  or  it  had  a  pain  iu 
his.  For  he  could  not  tell  which  was  wbteb,  Pierr*!  <>i  llie  rwl-hot 
thing!  ond  in  the  eouwe  of  a  few  day*,  for  all  Sir  Itupcrt  had  said 
that  possibly  it  wasn't,  it  was  perfectly  ckar  that  it  wo*,  and  the 
fcrer  raged  and  would  not  be  contforlcd. 


ast      I 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


nOV  rifARLCa  AND  HBH.  CAMP  RAD  A  rLA9fl]CAL  CAflMAN,  AICD  ItOW 
TUKT  ENJOYED  THE  BALt'tiNY  IS  THE  llOONUGtIT.  HOW  CHARLES 
WAS  A  BAD  AHTIRT,  AND  ALICE  SHOWED  HER  LOVE-LETTKKS 

When  Lady  Johnson  suid  Alit*  jilways  pot  her  own  wny  with 
Charles,  she  spoke  no  morp  than  the  truth.  la  the  controversy 
thnt  followed  Sir  Rupert's  dtiparture,  hs  to  whether  Alice  should 
stay  or  Ro,  Cfaarl«s  hadn't  a  chanoi^ 

"Whal'it  till!  DBA  of  trttinins  for  a  narse  for  two  yesre  if  one 
isn't  to  nuTse  a  cate  that  turns  up  pTOvidenlially.  to  keep  one's 
hand  int  Answer  me  thut,  Mr.  Charley  dear!  And  n  nio«  undo 
■  you'll  look,  if  I  (to  haek  now  and  Rive  it  (o  Fhillipa  am!  Alee," 
This  lart  wan  tiu:  proper  di^tinction-nnme  of  the  little  Alice — her 
"i"  was  omitted  for  eleaniGsa.  Phillips's  real  iiainc  waa  Phyllis. 
"You  know  quite  well,  Mr.  Charley,"  Alice  continued,  "that  if  I 
had  my  white  drcMs  snd  big  ribbons  under  my  chin  and  my  blue 
cloak  and  bonnet,  you  would  think  I  was.haciIlus-proof." 

So  Aliop  got  her  own  wny;  she  turned  every  one  out  of  the  house 
except  the  cook  and  its  master,  and  only  acquiesced  in  an  auxiliary 
iind<^r  extmne  preseun-.  This  functionary  had  a  bncilhie-proof 
uniform  of  tlie  eorreeteat  type.  But  slie  had  soon  to  be  exchouged 
for  another  becauec  the  pntient  romplnincd  that  in  the  emallest 
hours  of  the  muruioK.  when  he  asked  for  drink,  she  held  the  cup 
near  his  lips,  then  drew  it  nway,  to  timlnliee  hiui.  Was  this  fever, 
or  wua  it  true!  Who  could  tell)  Anyhow,  an  exchange  was  effected, 
and  a  new  one  relieved  guard  nt  intervals.  She  was  a  sister  of  St. 
Sridgi't  and  a  daughter  of  a  jeweller  in  Bond  Street,  and  Alice 
look  kindly  to  her  and  made  a  good  deal  of  acquaintance — in 
fact,  she  often  nllowrtl  a  neeilless  inmud  on  what  might  have  been 
hours  of  sleep  in  order  to  get  a  good  chat  with  twister  Eulalie, 
chiefly  about  tliat  interesting  topic,  the  supernatural.  She  even 
went  the  length  of  turning  tables  with  her  in  the  silmce  of  th« 
night. 

Now,  even  without  the  added  stimulus  of  shosts  and  spirita, 
tliere  is  a  fascination  in  the  companionship  of  the  sick-room.  No- 
where   is  intercourse  morv  social^all  formality  \&  %«c\i^  vk^I* 

809 


« 


310 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT 


responsibilitT-  is  dpfiiu^.  itnd  rofrTHbmonU  arc  nlnars  juatifinkler* 
yet  never  de  rigueur  if  unwelcome.  If  we  arc  incliniNl  to  be  silent, 
there  is  always  the  excuse  that  t)ie  patieiit  U  getting  to  sleep,  but 
if  we  wish  to  talk,  who  can  prevent  us?  And  if  we  do  chance  to 
feel  thnt  we  have  been  making  ti^o  much  noi^  we  cmn  alw^v 
make  up  for  it  by  a  short  interlude  of  going  on  tip-toe,  and  aayinc 
BometUiug  inaudible  lo  show  how  tiKht  we  an-  holding  our  tongues. 
In  fact,  we  havo  only  to  consider  the  patient  sufficiently  to  oosim 
tbe  luxury  of  a  dear  conseienco,  and  we  can  enjoy  ounelns 
thoroughly. 

However,  as  you  say.  that  is  perhaps  a  malicious  and  cyntcal  iray 
of  pHttiiig  it.  But  be  ca«yl  Poor  Pierre  never  wfl«  a  penny  the 
worse  from  any  neglect  of  hia  nurses.  The  most  beautiful  eom- 
mnnii-ntions  of  the  Inhle  would  be  ruthlessly  sacriiici'd  the  instant 
either  nurse  heard  the  patient  move,  or  thought  she  did.  Alice 
and  Sister  Eiiliilic  enjoyed  the  protection  of  the  Rnd  Crow  in  the 
Battle  of  Life,  but  did  their  duty  by  the  casualty  tbey  had  ift^_ 
charge.  a^t 

"We've  christened  ourselves  Mrs,  Gamp  and  Mrs.  Prig,"  eai^^ 
Alice  after  reporting  to  Charles  the  events  of  his  absence  and  the 
state  of  the  patient.    Uore  than  a  fortnight  liad  passed,  and 
worst  was  orer.    No  one  had  Ix.-cn  nllnwed  in  the  house  but  Charli 
and  the  doctor — the  primordial  one.  Sir  Rupi^rt  Iwing  <|iiitn  ue 
necessary.    Charles  hnd  gone  every  day  to  his  Studio,  avoiding 
fellow-man.  and  rushing  upstairs  surroundLnl  by  mental  picture* 
of  germs  like  a  swarm  of  bees,  only  smaller,  and  then  locking  hia_ 
door  to  keep  the  swarm  in  and  his  felluw-mnn  out.    Thla  eondue 
would  hardly  have  passed  muster  nowadays,  but  in  ihow  years 
pie  had  not  been  brought  under  control.     At  this  nioment  of 
story  he  was  sciieming  in  his  mind  to  Inko  Alice  out  in  a  hnnsoc 
smallpox  or  no—it  was  such  a  glorious  evening,  and  the 
girl  had  really  hardly  Ix-en  out. 

"Mrs.  Gump  and  Sirs.  Prig  didn't  turn  tables,"  said  CharU 
"However,  when  Mrs.  Gamp  comoe.  or  Mrs.  Prig,  whichi^-cr  idi«" 
ia,  you  and  me.  Miss  Kavnnsgh  dearest,  are  going  for  ever-such-a- 
long  drive  in  a  cab — yes,  wo  are!    And  you're  going  to  nit  up  on  the 
seat  beside  me  and  look  over  the  door.   Do  you  recollect  that,  Alic 
I  wonder?" 

"I  remember.    Only  my  feet  dt<ilii't  touch  the  grotmd  then.    Bt 
ought  we  to  ride  in  n  cab  I" 

"We  can  call  the  driver's  attontioD  to  the  germs."    Charles  saj 
this  with  much  of  his  old  manner.    "Or  we  can  hare  the 
aterilised  after.     I'll  tell  him,  aoyhow.    There's  Mrs.  Priif— oc 


rifa 


tha 

i 


ALICE-FOE-SHOBT 


an 


^^^E,  AliL-e — gH  yotir  bonnet  on."  And  as  Mrs.  Prig  comoj  in  to 
^nRltie  KtianI,  Alice  diwippcars  to  get  iviniy.  "We're  getting  on 
beautifully,  Hr.  Hvatb,"  iMiya  Mn.  Prig,  "iind  if  only  there  are  no 
complies  t  ions " 

"I  can't  Bay  I've  ever  tcva  him  look  worse  thnn  he  doea  to-dfliy." 
sayB  Charles,  rather  dejectedly.  But  the  nurse  goes  into  the  sick- 
room, Bt  th(?  diKir  of  which  tlii-y  arc  stHnding.  nnd  her  voice  cometi 
out  in  cheerful  confirmalion  of  her  opinion.  "Looks  don't  count) 
you  know,"  she  »ayH,  and  Cfiarlt^a  ftfcis  hapjiier. 

Just  OS  Alice  end  he  are  departing.  Mtie.  Prig  cslls  out  from  the 
landing  above:  *'Oh,  Miss  Kavanagb,  I  was  forgetting  to  tell  you — 
W  father  knew  about  the  stone;  he  says  it's  a  Jsciotb.  Pre 
brought  it  back  all  »afc.  n«re  it  is  I  Ton  take  it."  And  comea  a 
few  steps  down  to  tranisfer  a  ring  from  her  finger  to  Alice's. 

Charles  chose  a  particularly  showy  Ilnneom  with  n  spirited  horse, 
and  got  Alice  and  himself  in.  She  thought  he  was  going  to  forget 
tbe  caution  he  had  contemplated  to  the  cabman,  but  ebo  WOR 
mistalcen. 

"This  young  lady  and  myself,"  said  he.  through  the  trapdoor, 
pushed  up  by  his  ati<-k- point,  to  the  driver,  "arc  from  the  Smallpox 
Ilospitah    Any  objection  I" 

"Xone  wbatirvcr.  Sir.  O-onTalesTtTit,  I  presume  t"  Thus  tho 
Cabby  replied,  with  immovable  gravity,  and  Alice  felt  that  even 
now  shi'  hud  hnrdl.v  gauged  the  Inigth  and  br<-udth  of  tlie  London 
cabman's  mind.    "Well,"  said  Charles.  "1  did  my  duty,  anyhow  1" 

"Which  way  did  you  ti^ll  him  to  goT' 

"Didn't  tell  him  any  way — I'll  show  him  with  my  stick.  Let's 
go  along  Fincldfry  Road  and  round  Hampstead,"  which  accordingly 
they  set  out  to  do. 

•TTbal  was  it  Mrs,  Prig  said  about  a  stone!"  asked  Charles  when 
tliey  had  «ettl«d  down  to  chat. 

"Why,  don't  you  recollect  my  old  ring — the  one  there  was  that 
funny  story  about  i" 

"Surely,  The  old  ring — what  that  poor  mother  of  yours  found 
is  Jeff's  jug.  r  wfinder  whether  Jeff  sold  the  old  jug.  And  you 
were  bringing  thi-  beer  from  the  pub.    Poor  little  Alice  1" 

"It  all  tasna  now  like  a  strange  old  dncum,"'  says  Alice  "Oh, 
■0  long  agol  Only  that  time  I  went  over  the  cliS  seems  like 
lh«  other  day;  and  it  was  only  just  after  when  all's  snid  and 
done." 

"I»  all  said  and  donel  But  go  on  tolling  about  Mn,  Prig  and 
the  tilone." 

"Why— Sister  Eulali«  aajrs — (oh,  gi&do\u\  liiaX  (^A&.  '•rSv  \* 


313 


AUCE-FOB-SHORT 


L 


run  over — no,  he's  all  rijrhtl) — Sister  Eulalie  aaya  about  that  stone 
— you  rcmcmlipr  tiic  utonc  vie  couldn't  find  ihc  nnmo  of 1" 

"I  remember  tbere  was  a  §toue.    And  I  rt-mwnbor  one  ev«iiin|f  j 
before  the  fire  in  the  bnek  ilniwing-room  st  the  Gardens,  tne  and' 
P<«gy  and  Rupert  trying  to  miikfi  it  sjietl  Pliylli*.     We  wanted 
to  (ack  it  on  to  thp  ghnst  at  No.  40.    You  saw  thp  ifhoM.  Alicct" 

"I  enid  I  saw  a  lady  on  tbe  ataira,  didn't  II    I  wonder  what 
did  see!" 

"You  seCTn  a  Terj-  weak-kneed  witness.  Miss  KaTana^b.     N' 
much  to  be  elicited  from  you.     But  let's  sec  whnt  the  Jacinth  wi 
do  for  us.    Don't  put  your  glove  over  it."    For  Alice  ia  pulling  away 
at  a  ti^ht  glove  that  bus  Ix^en  refusing  to  come  tm  since  tbc7 
started.     She  runs  it  back  as  far  as  the  ring,  for  inspootioa: 
Cliarlts  examines  it.  1 

"I  recollect  now,"  he  says;  "but  the  Jacinth  comes  after  the  P,| 
and  that's  uo  use  at  all.  I  wish  it  wait  after  the  L,  tliat  would  giro 
u*  a  lift,  l)ee4iU3e  J  is  I." 

'Tm  sure  that  thing  after  the  L  isn't  a  stone  at  all.  It's  a  littla 
bit  of  ivory;  that  would  io.  you  know." 

"Peggy  wanted  the  two  J.'s  U)  be  Lnpis-lamli. — Wi-ll !  that  look) 
right — lliiit  i»  n  bit  of  Lapia-lanuli."  Both  reflected  over  tfaa 
rinfi  Alice  held  out  for  inspection  occr  the  folding  doors  of  the 
cab. 

"It  dott  look  like  Phyllis — doesn't  it,  Alicef    If  only  Jacia 
bcftnn  with  an  II  wc  should  be  almost  quite  complete," 

The  littlo  incident  that  followed  was  aliray*  spoken  of  after* 
wanb  by  Ch«rl(«  and  Alice  aa.  par  exeellence,  THE  surprise  of  tbeir 
lives,  for  a  voice  came  from  above.  throuKh  the  little  trafMlooi 
the  voice  of  the  cabman,  but  not  Mundiug  ut  all  like  the  voice  of  a 
teal  cabman. 

"T  can  understand  it,  Sir,  if  youll  excuse  the  interruption' 
(I've  (tot  my  eye  on  the  horw.  You  needn't  be  une-asy)— Jacinth  is 
Hyacinth — nynt-Inlh  bcpus  with  an  U."  But  the  horse  was  not 
prepared  to  allow  his  driver  such  liberty,  and  shiid.  and  had  w  bo 
cslmi'd  d<iwn  with  lunliiiig  ami  disparagemeut.  which  seemed  good 
for  his  nervous  syntem.  Ue  settled  into  an  cn-<y  arable,  after  o; 
or  two  Bnort»  and  lumd-fliii^.    The  driver  resumed: 

"He'll  be  all  right  now.  You'll  excuse  me.  but  you  we  I  waa 
just  looking  through  to  mention  that  the  road  was  up  in  front, 
and  I  beard  you  say  Jacinth  didn't  bt^in  witli  an  H.  Youll 
«rxcuKe  met"  Both,  who  had  been  laughing  at  tho  oddity  of  the 
whole  thing,  said  at  onco:  "Certainly — you're  quito  right";  and  the 
cabman  added:  "It  wai  no  use  goiug  on  and  having  to  com«  back — 


4 


be 

I 


Jl 


ALTCE-FOR-SHOBTl  8W 

ni  turn  off  this  next  twm,  if  you've  no  olij€«tion";  to  which 
CharlM  aESf^ted,  *'Uo  anywhere  round  by  Untiipatead,  for  a  drive," 
hf.  Raid. 

"fiut — what  a  strange  e«bb:rr'  said  Aliee,  and  a^^n  bunt  out 
Uusbing.  It  tMxoncd  too  ridiculous  that  this  puicxlc  of  the  stone 
should  be  solved  after  all  these  years  by  an  occasioniil  cabnuiD, 
!<I)ciikinK  through  n  holr  in  his  own  roof.  It  war  iicrfectly  clear 
though  (and  Chsrles  felt  quite  ashamed  of  not  having  solved  die 
iDTBtery  before)  that  Phyllis  was  spelled  by  the  initials  of  thp  ring- 
atones;  only  that  11  and  T  were  sufiplied  by  one  Stone,  and  both  L'« 
by  another.  But  interest  in  the  discnvcry  was,  for  the  moment, 
superseded  by  the  way  it  had  come  about.  It  really  had  to  be 
account<!d  for;  it  was  impossible  to  accept  such  a  phcnomenoa 
without  explanation. 

"Shidl  I  shout  up  through  the  hole  to  him,  and  ask  him  if  he's  a 
Senior  Classic,  or  what!" 

"T  don't  know  whnt  nni-  »nght  to  do.''  said  Alice.  "Some  expla- 
nation is  necessary."  And  Charles  said,  "We  can't  let  it  ajone^ 
iropoKsiblc." 

Tbi^  explanation  came,  but  not  till  the  drive  was  over,  and  all 
three  were  at  the  slr*Tt-door  of  Charley's  home.  Thm,  as  Chnrlea 
handed  the  oabniun  an  extravagant  fare,  to  avoid  complications,  be 
asked  him  point-blank :  "How  came  you  to  know  about  Jacinth  and 
Hyacinth )"  Alice  stootl  looking  at  him  and  vroudertng  what  he 
would  answer. 

"1  am  not  the  only  roan  that  has  failed  in  life,"  be  said;  "it  was 
my  own  fault." 

And  tliat  was  all !  But  it  seemed  enough.  He  slipped  the  faro 
into  his  poeket  uncounted,  remounted  his  box,  and  rode  away. 
Alice  ran  quickly  upstairs,  to  relieve  guard:  Charles  followed 
slowly,  his  face  sadder  and  more  thoughtful  than  ever. 

"We'vr  Imd  «u«h  a  funny  lulveuliire."  Thus  Alice  to  Sister 
Cuialie,  and  she  gave  an  account  of  the  cabman.  Not  having  seen 
bira,  the  nurse  was  less  iutereslc-d  in  his  antecedents  than  in  the 
confirmation  of  the  identity  of  the  stone.  This  was  a  personal 
matter;  after  her  fatlier'a  opinion  she  felt  it  was  in  the  family. 
But  Charles  was  rather  silent,  and  said  nothing  further  about  it 
till  quite  late  in  the  evening,  when  the  pulieiit  had  gone  off  to 
sleep  after  a  visit  from  the  doctor.  Progress  was  satisfactory,  and 
eluit  was  possible  till  one  or  the  other  of  the  guardians  should  go 
away  to  rest.  It  was  a  beautiful  warm,  early  summer  night, 
and  thvy  could  sit  out  on  the  balcony,  within  eaay  hearing  of  the 
patient,  should  be  wake. 


I 


314 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


1 


These  two  were  neceMarilj*  isolated  from  the  world  without, 
thrown,  little  loth,  on  one  nnothcr'n  nDcirty.  Thfirn  wii«  oiir 
tlione  casi's,  rare  enough,  of  a  relatiou  between  two  of  their  age  and 
BOX  into  which  no  clement  of  disquiet  could  enter;  yet  which  waa 
not  tbL>  relation  of  father  and  dnusht«r,  nor  uf  brother  and  sifttcr. 
AlicG  was  not  changed,  iu  the  eyes  of  Charles,  from  the  Alice  he 
had  picked  up  off  the  stones  that  Piiasy  broke  the  Haucer  on,  and 
bad  wrapped  up  in  bis  coat.  Kc  himiwlf  was,  to  her.  simply  the 
great  and  wumJroiia  good  that  had  come  au(l<len1y  down  from  tbe 
firet  floor  to  the  baHctncnt  to  raise  her  up  from  what  she  had  sinc« 
learned  to  know  was  Hell,  hut  which  had  till  then  been  merely 
a  lot — one  of  those  things,  or  statm,  the  Sunday-scliool  teacher  had 
given  lier  lo  underaiand  it  wua  sinful  to  repine  at.  So  Aliee.  being 
anxious  to  oblig?  her  Maker,  had  done  all  that  in  her  Iny  to  bo 
grateful  to  him  for  short  eominons,  underground  darkneas,  a 
lather  peevish  at  the  best,  and  a  mother  half  drunk  nt  the  wtfrst, 
but  improviug  perccplihly  as  she  beeauie  iiUH^usible.  Stitl.  she 
found  her  task  of  gratitude  a  muc-b  lighter  one  when  ther«  was 
"vouchsafed"  to  her — as  she  understood  had  occurred  in  t!io  fore^^— 
going  instances — an  An^I  in  spectacles,  who  had  picked  her  u|^| 
and  wufted  bl^r  away  to  an  earthly  ParudW  of  wuriutli  awl  light^^ 
and  love;  a  ParadiM  that  had  since  become  her  very  own.  It  had 
nnver  ero.**^  Alit-i-'s  mind  that  had  «1k)  not  been  the  <lfur  little 
maiden  she  was,  she  would  nerer  have  clung  to  that  spray,  but 
would  hui'e  hud  to  puns  out  into  another  wildcrneas — lieltet  than 
her  first,  and  protected;  but  still,  not  the  haven  of  calm  waters 
and  bulniy  wind.i  her  mi-mory  now  knew  as  flydc  Park  (iHrileiu,  A 
hint  that  nbe  herself  had  helped  the  end.  that  her  merit*  had  any 
thing  to  do  with  it,  would  havn  seemed  lo  lier  blasphemy  ogainat 
iir.  Charley.  He  was  an  Avatar  that  had  been  vouchsafed  a 
wan  bi-ing  vouehitaffJ  to  lier;  and  to  suppoae  tluit  her  ixiriiunal  i 
tit7  bad  made  his  benevolenoe  an  easy  one  would  have  made  hi 
KPm  to  hrrMi'If  imdcNcrving  of  having  anytliing  furtlicr  rou' 
safed,  now  or  henceforward.  On  which  account  when  the  ala: 
came  thiitPicrre  bad  smollpox  Alien  did  forthwith  what  nhc  woii. 
have  done  equally  had  it  been  Bubonic  Plague,  and  went  straii 
away  to  nurse  him.  It  has  trHn»ii>ired  that  she  hnd  had  two  ycai 
training  aa  a  nurae,  so  the  thing  waa  a  matter  of  course.  He 
Mr,  Charley's  boy,  and  there  was  an  end  of  it. 

We  may  Bpeeolate,  from  these  data,  about  what  these  two  were  to 
oni<  another,  and  to  themselves,  a^i  tbiry  iial  out  on  iius  balcony  In 
the  sweet  summer  night,  eujoyinjc,  as  Charles  put  it,  tfa«  cooltb  of 
the  warmth.     The  smoke  of  his  mcorscfaaum  pipe — for  faa  ali 


iui  aliUH 


315 

[ed  a  mc^rsdiaum  with  a  lonu:  atein.  and  Lataldft— enrled  up 
thr  still  iiir.  nnd  llip  rfl!<!ctiQn  of  a  backward  balf-moon,  only 
juBt  climbing  above  the  puTpIe  haze  of  an  excusable  miuiinum  of 
Xondon  tog,  glared  in  hix  xpectaclcx  bn  he  looked  through  thom 
it  the  girl  opposite;  perhaps  we  should  write  the  woman'  oppo- 
FiK",  for  Alice  waa  on  thn  way  to  twenty-four,  if  you  ple«ae. 
But  he  saw  tha  girl  fJie  had  been  to  him  all  along — he  merely 
looked    on    her    womnnbnod    as    a    plagii;    intrusion    that    had 

Sbeen  fussing  rouud  theso  five  years  past  ont]  that  nobody  had 
»aDted— least  of  nil  himself!  Why  could  she  not  stop  a  baby,  and 
fce  banged  to  herl  Twenty -three  I  Just  fancy — Aliw-for-sliort  1 
That  cxpri-sses  how  be  thought  of  her  as  near  as  we  can  put  it.  And 
all  the  while  abe  was  a  woman  grown,  muture  of  form  and  wetl- 
ItMablisbcd,  and  with  all  her  Rhore  of  beauty,  and  more  than  her 
■bare  of  self-reliance  and  character.  And  he  whs  elinging  to  h<:r 
fcabyhoixl,  as  a  father  ding*  to  that  of  his  favourite  daughter. 
Aiid  how  did  he  picture  himself  to  himself,  tliis  man.  as  be  eat 
,  there  silisitly  smoking  in  the  moonlight,  watching  her  and  think* 
ing  of  htB  own  spoiled  puat.  and  unhappy  life;  of  his  vague  nnd 
^^ill-directed  efforts  in  an  nrt  ho  was  never  born  to  practise;  of  his 
^^bnisplaced.  luislaken.  miafeatun^l  [ovr  for  the  woman  his  iutetuie 
^Viebivalry  still  refused  to  chink  of  as  entirely  bad;  and  of  the  many 
thing*  that,  but  for  this  and  Imt  for  that,  might  have  been  and  were 
not?  His  image  of  biinself  was  that  of  an  old  man,  weary  with 
ad f -reproach  and  loneliness  of  heart,  ready  for  confession  and 
mMutance,  if  such  were  possible,  but  seeing  no  outlet  for  either. 
He  bad  chosen  his  life,  and  must  go  on  to  the  end;  it  waa  a  gar- 
den where  no  growth  eould  be;  where  no  seed  had  been  sown  in 
its  Season;  where  no  slock  had  been  grafted  wilb  a  right  acton; 
The  plantain  wns  in  the  turf,  and  the  wire-worm  in  the  flowcr-bctli ; 
and  one  diiy  (he  tap-roots  of  the  creeping  weed  would  be  over  all, 
and  the  gardener  would  still  lie  there,  older  still,  sadder  still,  nnd 
saying  in  his  heart :  "This  is  what  is  left  of  the  rose-tree  I  planted 
yearn  uso — this  was  the  vine,  and  this  tlie  fig.  And  when  tlie  young 
,Jeavea  csme  in  their  first  eprinir,  their  first  communion  with  the  sun 
md  showers,  I  dreamrd  of  thr  bloom  and  the  fruit  that  were  to  be, 
«rul  nerer  doubted  of  iheir  fulness.    And  see  them  now  I" 

Alice  knew  Mr.  Chfirley  was  unhappy  about  his  profession,  but 
did  not  know  how  much.  She  allowed  herself  a  measure  of  self- 
deception  about  his  status,  and  when  Mr.  Jerrylhought  A.  R.  A.  af- 
firmed that;  *"Eiith  hmi  wrixed  some  a9i>ects  of  Nature  that  every 
one  else  had  overlooked"  sbe  really  believed  that  his  words  meant 
something,  and  that  Mr.  Charley  had  a  etrtiuge  au^t'wt  \svttKt  \Aft 


yc 


I 


4 

I 

J 


m$ 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 


L 


in  his  Art.  Shc>  heard  other  friendb'  Toicoe  si>eak  of  th?  qimlit; 
oii(]  tone  tbnl  <linti[iKtii^Hl  il,  mid  Inngucl  to  be  abk-  to  ^cw  tli^m 
horBolf — but  atast — iinflijpc<?Bafully.  So  &he  Rnchored  her  ship  to 
tbi-  Tcick  of  ber  owu  iucapucity,  aiiJ  trusted  tbut  it  wad  Ibis  alone 
that  pOEtponed  her  rwcbing  a  port  of  belief  in  his  power*  m  ut 
Artist. 

As  to  the  way  in  which  she,  for  her  part,  thouglit  of  hprwlf  in 
hiT  relation  to  him.  it  was  simple,  atraight forward,  intelligible. 
She  was  somethiDg  he  was  wi^Icome  to,  if  it  wna  po»eible  or  con- 
ceivable tbal  it  shoiilil  bring  him  niij  earthly  advantage.  What  ean 
I  do  for  poor  Mr.  (!hnrley'il  This  was  the  qut'Stion  shi"  nski-d  hi-r- 
eelf  e^aiu  and  a^rain.  Tf  it  had  been  clear  to  her  that  the  sacrifieo 
of  her  right  hand  wiiuld  have  done  biin  any  laortal  good,  she  would 
simply  have  stretched  it  out  and  said:  "Cut  awayl"  If  it  could 
have  been  shown  by  some  witeli  ibal  two  blue  eye*  alone  wi-n* 
wanting  to  complete  a  cjildron  from  which  Mr.  Charlcx's  happiness 
would  spring,  she  would  have  cried  out  at  once  to  that  witch: 
"Take  this  pair  of  mine,  and  look  nharp  nbout  it.  What  are  you 
hesitating  forf  For  any  decent  witch  woulii  have  hesitated.  To 
eay  that  Alice  Imd  faced,  without  a  shudder,  the  risk  of  boing 
turiitvl  into  a  uutnicg-grutcr  by  amullpox  for  Charles's  tinke,  would 
be  a  false  way  of  stating  a  true  thing.  For  Alice  had  never  waited 
to  picture  to  herself  thfi  tonsequeiicea  of  her  action.  Her  mini 
ignored  the  risks  altogether,  as  things  irrelevant  where  MrJ 
Chnrlpv  wa*  concerned ;  she  never  even  condcsixndcd  to  ai 
"Bother  them  r 

So  now,  if  we  were  to  tell  tlie  honest  truth  about  why  tbc  two 
blue  eyes  (which  fortunately  no  witch  was  making  an  offer  for) 
were  lot'kinK  rather  happily  this  evening  at  Charles's  grave,  ab*ont 
fuec,  tlirough  the  floating  clouds  of  his  Latakia.  we  should  have 
to  record  that  Alice  was  thinking  of  the  death  of  her  patii^t's 
mother  in  its  aspect  of  a  release  to  his  father.  She  was  really  say- 
ing to  herself:  "Now  Mr.  Charley  can  marrj-  Lady  AnstrntlK-r 
Paaton-Forbes  and  nobody  find  fault."  This  Udy.  an  enormously 
rich  widow  of  irreat  beauty  and  accomplistiments,  waa  aiipposiHl 
by  Peggy  and  Alice  to  have  a  fascination  for  Charles;  porhapa 
she  had,  only  so  far  aa  we  know  she  does  not  come  into  tbia  atoi^r, 
except  HH  a  thought  in  Alii^e's  mind  as  she  «ils  there  gasing  at 
Charles  and  his  smoke,  and  herself  (we  suppose  we  ought  to  n^^n^ 
to  say)  lawlessly  xmoking  a  cigarette.  But  she  wnn  well  behind 
the  hulofmy  parapet  nod  invisible  to  the  public,  so  forgive  her 
Now  it  is  time  to  let  tlicni  talk  n  little, 

"I  knew  that  cabman  to-day,  Alice— recollected  bim  since  f 


ted 
ind^ 

=1 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


«T 


**YoD  fcnpw  him  t  Oh  dear !  What  «  pily  you  didn't  Mop  him. 
Fm  so  sorry." 

"I'm  not.  It  was  an  ugly  Ktory."  CharlM  pnueed ;  lie  was  almost 
eonr  h^  h&d  said  it.  but.  however,  Alice  wouldn't  ask  for  tho 
story,  as  lie  had  said  it  was  ngiy;  or  wouhl  be  satisfied  with  gueas- 
iiUt.     He  continued : 

"H«  and  I  were  at  Harrow  togellier;  he  went  to  Cambridge  and 
diatineuisbed  himself — took  a  good  place  in  Matbomatice  and  a 
Btin  better  one  is  Classics — I  heard  of  it  all  afterwardu.  Ho — well, 
he  dif^aoed  himself  atid  was  ruined." 

"Oh.  poor  fellow!    Quite  hopelessly?" 

"Quite  hopcUjsaly."  The  pity  in  the  blue  eyfls  wmild  hnvo  sought 
for  more  information,  but  there  is  somethine  in  Charles's  t'oiee 
which  <;losi!s  tlie  door  on  this  raan'a  misdeed,  and  Alice  aslm 
no  further.  Charles  goes  on  to  tell  what  he  will,  and  no 
morv. 

"He  waa  sent  to  penal  servitude—I  forget  for  how  long.  Hi?  hud 
influcDtinl  frionda,  and  efforts  were  mnde  to  get  him  off  on  th© 
More  of  inanity;  hut  a  ruthless  judge  tuld  tlie  Jury,  whiuh  the 
prisoner  had  no  influentlnl  friends  on,  that  no  man  wa«  insane  in 
■  legal  »i*nst-  when  he  was  jwrfeclly  eonsoious  of  his  own  actionii. 
He  said:  'No  doubt.  Gentlemen,  there  is  a  sense  in  which  Cain  was 
inMnt;  nhrn  ho  killed  Abel,  but  hnd  he  lieen  tried  in  lhi«  Court, 
I  should  haTe  summed  up  ogaiost  him.*  So  poor  Densil  was 
packed  off  to  gaol  without  benefit  of  Clergy.  Hi>  was  in  thn 
Church,  by  the  way.  Edward  Thwaites  Denzil — that  was  his 
fumo." 

"What  a  shocking  story  1  It  seems  so  impossible ;  he  looked  a  nice 
man." 

"A  very  nice  man,  A  good  man.  too.  I  dare  say — as  good  as 
another  nmn.  tlmt  in.  Btu  he'd  txx'n  pitchforked  into  a  profession 
he  had  no  business  with," 

Charles's  voice,  on  hiit  last  thm)  words,  bad  a  stymie  of  witarioeas, 
or  pain,  in  it.  Alloc  knew  its  cause,  and  her  mind  lost  touch  with 
the  story  of  the  cabman,  ititen.>stiug  though  it  was,  and  went  solely 
to  join  her  compnnion  in  his  thought  of  his  own  life.  He  took 
this  brain-wave  for  grauted,  and  went  on  as  though  it  bad  really 
become  sppfch : 

"I  wasn't  pitchfork*^   into  mine.     It  was  all  my  own  doingyj 
Poor  Dcnxil  wtm  jammed  into  the  Church  by  bin  family.    If  bo  bad 
be«n  made  a  soldier  of  he  would  have  been  all  right — or  a  states- 
.  or  a  lawyer,  or  anything  to  keep  him  out  of  mischief " 

■^Oh,  Mr.  Charley  dear,  what  a  shame  I    I  won't  »X  ««i\\%iwtv\a 


I 


L      man,  < 
I         *^0h 


»I6 


ALICE-FOR-SHOHT 


joxi,  so  UmtcI    Toil  never  lose  a  ehaoce  of  sariag  something  i^' 
ful  about  tb«  poor  parsons." 

"Why  shoulil  I*    Only  ihis  lime  I  didn't  mean  to  be  spi 
On  the  contmi?  I  was  complimenting  tbem  for  rrniaining 
under  their  eircunistiuifea,    Y'ou  kuuw  the  atory  of  the  AldiemirtP" 

"Yes— no!— go  nn." 

"Tlio  A]i?hemist  wbo  eontraet*d  to  turn  copper  into  gtild?  He 
made  his  ndmirers  subfieribe  the  copper,  then  nseembled  them  to* 
father  to  ace  the  ma^ic  transmutation;  hut  be  gave  them  a  caution 
— a  neccaanry  rgndilion  to  obacrvc.  On  no  account  was  any  odo 
think  of  a  bhie  monkey.  The  copper  vanished  from  the  crucil 
hilt  no  gold  eame  in  its  placet  The  (xirwircr  taxed  tlie  spcctato 
with  thiuking  of  blue  monkeys,  aiid  one  and  all  admitted  they  had 
thought  of  notliing  else." 

"What's  the  moral.  Teadiy-Weach.v  V 

"Clear  enough.    Folk  that  spend  their  livM  profcsrionallT 
Ding  Evil  can't  tliink  of  anything  else.    The  blue  monkey  ia 
eaae  of  a  parson  U  our  dear  old  friend  the  DcviL" — But  Charles 
pulled  up  short  in  hia  homily;  h«  didn't  want  to  hnw  to  <;xpi 
Mr,  Thwaites  Denzil's  blue  monkey  in  full.    The  nearest 
iiwny  from  the  unhappy  cabby  led  bock  to  the  pamllcl  abo 
himself. 

"Anyhow,  Alice  dear,  the  poor  beggar  wait  right  when  he  wid  ha 
wasn't  the  only  man  that  had  failed  in  Life."  Aliee  threw  away 
tlie  end  of  the  Inwlean  cigarrtte,  and  «nt  fnrwiird  with  her  rlbown 
on  her  kneea,  and  her  face  resting  in  her  hands,  looking  up  at 
Charles. 

"You  are  thinking  of  youreelf,"  abe  said.   It  woa  not «  questio: 
but  a  statement. 

"Of  both  my  selves,  dear."  he  replied.    "Of  my  human  self- 
and  a  nicn  hash  I  made  of  that,  and  wc  won't  talk  about  it.    A: 
of  my  professional  self,  and  that,  at  any  rate,  we  can  talk  abow 
A  nice  ha>li  I  made  of  it  all  the  same." 

"How  old  ar«?  you  now — really  and  truly  how  old)    Fortytwof* 

"Forty-one  iieit  November." 

"There,  see  now,  you  arc  even  younger  than  I  thought.  I 
thought  you  were.  Oh  yes!  you're  going  to  say  that's  noiiseiixc— 
but  you  know  what  I  mean."  And  Charles  admits  it.  "1  will  not 
deceive  you,  my  sweet,  1  do."  he  aaya.  And  tlie-ii  his  citation  iron 
Hra.  Gamp  recalls  Stater  Eulalie. 

"Mrs.  Prig  guesaed  roe  forty-flev^D,  and  I  gticaaed  her  twenty 
nine.  She's  thirty-nine,  she  say«.  Im't  it  inondiblef"  But 
Alice's  face  doesn't  care  what  age  Siater  Enlalie  ia:  tltc  burden 


III  on 

:ib^ 
ttor^^ 
had 

a  ilea 

'^ 

boiS 


1 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT  31« 

uk  laterost,  n  straagr  one,  is  upon  it,  atul  she  Joes  not  mean  to  be 
headed  oH  bj  anjrbodr'*  ttgc. 

"Bov  can  you  know  whcilier  you  are  guccoasful  or  oot  at  forty 
(mel  How  do  you  know  you  won't  have  a  tremendous  succom,  all 
of  a  sudden!  Yee— after  another  ten  years,  perhaps — but  soma 
tinw!  And  then  twenty  years  of  real,  hnppy  work.  It  has  all  been 
before.  thU  eort  of  thing.    Why  not  you  f 

AticT!  hn«  taken  one  hiind  from  under  her  chin  to  point  nt  poor 
Charley,  like  an  accusing  Angel,    "Why  not  youf  she  repeats. 

"You  n(i"lirt  look  90  rcpront'liful.  Miss  Kavanagh  darling.  I'm 
open  to  conviction,  like  other  culprits.     Hut   not   I'll   loll  you, 

dear "    He  knocks  out  the  ashea  of  the  Latakia  from  his  pipe, 

and  reflcctP  on  the  (ir»l  inatnlmcnt  of  hin  csptanation.  Alice 
replaecta  lier  band,  and  remains  with  closed  lips  and  ftyes  of  &ced 
attention.  A  «tray  lock  of  hair  flnutJ)  over  heir  forehead  in  the  light  w 
nijcht  wind  that  is  seeking  windows  to  Mow  In  at,  but  makingl 
little  effort  to  blow  them  open  for  itsrif.  If  a  sptxTtntor  twenty 
feet  biKh  could  have  looked  over  the  balcony,  he  would  certainly 
hare  felt  the  beauty  of  Alice's  rameiit  face  without  exactly  know- 
ing wheilier  it  was  due  to  its  inlelligeuee.  or  the  reinalna  of  the 
afterglow,  nil  but  dt-nd  now,  but  juxt  able  to  put  a  faint  cadence  vt 
benedietion  on  record  before  saying  good-ulght. 

"T  icnow  Diy  work  is  rubbish.''  Thus  Charles  at  tho  end  of  his 
panse.  "All  unreal  rubbish!  I  know  itl  As  I  look  baok  throuffh 
tlu!  dr4-ary  mukn  of  itpoilc^d  cauvaees,  I  ask  myself  th<^  quc!«lion:  'If 
theae  had  been  tbe  work  of  another  person,  and  I  had  been  Crceeua, 
ahould  i  have  purchas(^d  Ihenif  Nut  I!  And  yet  I  paint  on,  hop* 
IDK  that  Orceeus  will  see  somelhinK  in  my  work  I  do  not  see  myself, 
«nd  humbly  ask  to  txs  i>eriailT('il  to  possess  it." 

"Bccauw?  you  look  at  your  own  work.    Von  should  never  do  that,  j 
Put  the  canvases  away  till  Crceaus  comes.     Tbe  less  you  see  of 
tbcm  the  better." 

"That's  what  Ckmub  thinks  1"  But  Alice  is  too  earnest  even  to 
notice  any  cynical  exaggerations  or  "grim  ironies"  of  Master 
Charley's — she  knows  his  way  of  old,  Her  mind  is  on  a  warpath  of 
•olid  purpose,  and  she  doesn't  mean  to  humour  any  extravagances. 
She  takes  absolutely  no  notice  of  his  remark,  but  Koes  on. 

"Keep  them  out  of  your  sight,  and  take  the  word  of  your  friends 
about  iheir  value — not  your  own.  Think  what  Mr,  Jerrythougfat 
aoysl  And  what  did  that  man  sny  tlwt  <:ame  to  dinner  at  Harlej 
Street  ?    He's  an  Art-Critic  and  an  authority.    He  ought  to  know," 

"He  »«id  my  pictures  showed  a  delicacy  of  insight,  combined 
with  a  breadth  of  treatment,  that  foretold  a  fut,ut«  (ot  'Ciofc  bx^^v&v. 


L 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


Tlut'a  nhat  he  said.     What  he  me&nt  woe  that  tho  L^oviile 
UDcxctptionnblc,  the  PommeTy-und-Gntno  extre-MC,  nod  that 
would  lake  »  leg  of  the  crouse.  please  1" 

"Oh.  Mr.  Charlfy— Mr.  Charley!    Tor  shame  I    If  you  lake 
tone  «'hat  beeomes  of  the  value  of  human  leetimony  to  anything  I 

"Whnt  i*  the  value  of  human  {cstimony  to  anything?" 

"Very  well  then !  I  won't  talk  to  yoii.  Unless  you'll  be  reaeon- 
nhlo."  A  good-htitnoiired  smile  twinkles  over  Charles's  face  as  ho 
looks  with  admiration  at  the  earnestness  tmd  the  flashing  blue  eyes, 
not  t|iiiti!  without  suspicion  of  a  tear  in  ihcm.  He  aurri-'Hcierw  aiKJ 
promisee  to  be  reasonable,  adding  something  under  his  breath. 

•that's  that  you  saidt"  asks  his  monitress, 

"I  said — 'Bravo,  Atieel'  "  This  belongs  to  the  class  of  irrelevant 
conconiilanls.  and  A!i<*  tnk<-s  no  noiioe  of  tliat  either.  She 
ploughs  straight  through  the  weeds,  and  goes  on  turning  up  the 
furrow.  ^H 

"Besides,  there  are  plenty  of  other  people  who  say  just  the  saia^| 
about  your  work — it  isn't  as  if  it  was  only  one  little  humbug  of  an 
Arl-Critic.     And  then,  your  work  has  never  been  properly  w.'^-n. 
The  public  don't  know  it."    But  Charlea  notioea  that  hi*  defeiiiior 
retires  to  a  second  line  of  defence,  and  s\ispcct»  that  the  fcui 
on  the  first  line  were  not  fit  for  use.     "Who  were  iIil-  plunly 
other  people  r'  he  asks.    Alice  feels  that  one  or  two,  who  have 
on  the  tip  of  her  tongue,  are  not  strong  examplea,  and  will  oc 
weaken  her  case.    She  extricates  herself  cleverly. 

"No — I  won't  set  them  up  just  for  you  to  knock  down ;  .v<hi  I 
you  will.    But  thouiih  you  won't  bt^Hevc  me.  iJjt-rc  n-ally  are  nv 
brrn  of  pt'oplc  who  think  a  deal  of  your  pictures.    Wliy.  only 
other  day.  Lndy— Wliat's  her-name?  (Tou  know  who  I  mron — with 
n  bridge  to  hir  nose— well—Tie ver  mind!)  was  asking  about  the 
and   saying'   how   interesting  and  original   they  were."     Chull 
shakes  an  incrcdnloiia  head  slowly. 

"Dear  little  ilifitresa  Alite."  he  saya,  uring  another  of  her  roai 
appcllationa,    "I    have    noticed    that   people    are   rather    fond 
aacribing  a  factitious  ioiportanco  to  events  of  Hltltr  mom<-nt 
themselven  by  dwelling  on  the  fact  that  they  only  occurred  th^ 
other  day,     T  will  take  this  opportunity  of  poinling  out  that  the 
opinions  of  T.ndy  No»'bridge  are  not  of  any  valoo  in  thcmwlvca, 
and  do  not  acquire  any  from  the  date  of  their  utt«TaDee, 
TMient."    Charles  hns  fallen  into  his  old  mock-pompous  or  didac 
form  of  epeedi.  and  Alice  laugha  with  pl»»aure,  for  it  iit  n  »i( 
to  ber,  tJiot  he  Is  \vks  unhappy  at  heart.    Be  would  not  do  it  if  he 
were  quite  miserable.    She  knows  him,  i.own  to  the  ground. 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


Ml 


"I  was  iUTP  j(m  were  talkiiuc  nonsense  all  alontc,"  she  uys.  hope- 
fully. But  she  is  iiifiappoiuted  when  his  tone  ohanges  B4[aiD  ia 
Ilia  reply. 

"No,  drar.  no!"  he  Mys.  "I  vax  talking  nonsmse  then,  but  not 
before.  1  know  people  praise  my  work,  as  you  say,  after  a  fasliion — 
but  they  speak  eneovraffingly,  Doti't  you  know  how  nrushed  one 
I  feels  when  one's  encouraged  eneourngingly!"  Aliee  thinks  of 
I  nbutting  thia  on  thi'  ground  of  its  intrinsic  absurdity:  but  uUsIifl 
^rite  knows  how  true  it  is,  and  gives  up  the  idea.  "Oh  dearl"  says  V 
^Hp^  "I  wish  I  knew  about  paintuig  and  could  praise  it."  Charles 
^^Eui^  aloud  at  this. 

"bh.  MistnsB  Alice — Mistress  Alice !"  he  soys,  "that's  just  what 
you  couldn't  do  if  you  did  know.  You  praise  It  now  because  you 
lovo  me  and  Peggy,  aitd  becatiao  you  think  you  have  n  wnrranty 
from  impartial  authorities,  but  you  haven't  for  all  that!"  Char!e<t 
knoclcK  thf  ash  out  of  his  pipe  with  a  sigh.  Thon  he  begins  to  fill 
it  Ofrain,  and  rallies  to  cheerfulness.  "Now  we're  talked  enou^ 
aliout  tne !  I  want  to  know  about  your  precious  self,  cliick ! 
What  did  you  write  to  poor  Rogt^r?" 

Alice  unpacks  the  arrsngemont  of  hand-support  for  her  face. 
wfai<-fa  huH  had  moiewfaut  the-  force  of  a  gun-curriage;  aud  sub- 
stitutes a  hoir-ruffling  disposition  of  her  ami"  above  her  hertd. 
which  i*  not  unladylike  when  llit-re  ia  no  company.  It  has  an  effect 
vf  effrontery,  with  conscious  wrakncsH  in  thit  background.  , 

"I'm  sure  I'm  very  aatry  fur  Mr.  Sflwyu-Kerr,  It  wasa't  me. 
you  know."' 

"Wasn't  you  }"* 

"Wasn't  my  fault  1  Besides  he  aays  if  I  had  been  ever  so  di»- 
Dgrteahlc  it  would  hare  been  esaclly  the  same," 

"Poor  Mies  Karansgbl  8bc  uia4  in  a  fix!  Nol — I  don't  see 
what  was  to  be  dune.    But  what  did  you  say  to  himi" 

'"/  don't  mind  your  seeing  thr  letter.  Mr.  Charley.  It's  not  gone 
yet.  Ill  run  in  and  get  it."  Which  she  does,  but  does  not  return 
immodiali'ly.  Charles  goes  in  to  look  for  her,  and  mnits  her  com- 
ing out  from  the  back-room  where  the  patient  is.  "I  thoiiidit  I 
IwBrd  him."  she  says,  "Lut  he's  sleeping  uieely  stilL"  Charles 
goes  in  to  tlie  light  to  read  the  letter.  After  a  glance  at  the  first 
page,  he  lookfl  up.  "Higlily  proper  I''  is  his  comment.  "I  wonder 
if  yoti  girls  are  aware  tliat  every  one  of  you  writes  exactly  tho 
Rsme  IcttiT  under  the  same  circumstances T' 

"Oh,  Ur.  Charley,  we  don't  I  I'm  sure  mine  is  quite  original." 
Charles  rtrtiirns  to  thi?  Ii-Uisr  and  rends  nloud ; 

"  'Dear  Mr.  Selwyn-Kerr' — nothing  oilg\iia\  \a  I^V,  MxaWiwi — -'"V 


i 


d  is I 


323  ALICE-FOR-SnORT 

cannot  find  words  to  teU  tou  bow  completol.v  four  letter  yesterday 
took  me  by  «uipri«e.  1  Mk  yon  rood  carnoetly  to  believe  me  when 
I  say  that  I  had  no  sutpicion  of  tho  «xUteiice  of  aui^  a  fceHng 
nn  the  pnrt  of  one  whom  I  hnve  nlwayn  rcffarded  onlji  a$  a 
friend,  however  cordial  the  friendly  Ttlation  mifcbt  \m-  that  fa>a 
always  subsisted  between  us.  and  that  will.  I  hope.  alw*)« 
continue.' 

"Now,  MisB  Kavanaehl  will  you  be  kind  enougrh  to  teD  me 
whether  you  consider  that  ori^nHl,  and  if  so,  why}"    CharW  i* 
sitting  on  the  eonier  of  a  substantial  cquare  table  as  he  reads 
iinder  the  gns  Alice  1ms  juet  turned  up.    We  can  recognise 
table,  and  the  drawer  in  it,  bb  the  one  in  which  Peggy  found  the 
tailor's  patltrn-book ;  it  has  become  part  of  "the  furuiture"  and  is 
taken   for  granted   and  undiatinRuished.     If   it  enn   think,    h 
puu^led  it  must  be  at  the  Alio'  of  now  and  ita  memory  of 
Alice  of  then.     Does  it  remember  the  days  of  its  first  furnitmre- 
poliab.  when  there  was  no  Alice  at  allt     The  days  of  the  ^reat 
Shop,  where  everything  was  new,  and  your  orders  received  prompt 
and  careful  elteiilion!    If  it  does,  it  aaya  nothing  about  tbem,  nt^H 
doea  it  seem  inquisitive  about  the  precise  relation  of  the  gentlcnu^^ 
who  IB  silting  on  it,  and  the  young  lady  who  atanda  there  beniiie 
bim. 

Tet  it  might  be  pusiled  at  this  too.  although  the  explanation 
would  be  most  reasonable.     For  nothing  could  throw  more  Ughl 
upon  it  than  the  perfectly  easy  and  uneonoenied  way  in  whi 
Alice  lays  her  right  hand  across  Charles's  shoulder,  and  with 
left  hand  takes  hold  of  a  comer  of  the  letter  he  is  reading; 
though  retaining  a  right  to  unntch  it  hack  on  nrpentanoc,  if 
should  occur.    Nor  the  way  in  which  his  left  hand  goea  aeroaa  and 
finds  two  fingerB  of  her  right  to  hold,  whiit-  his  own  right  keeps 
a  firm  hold  on  the  letter,  as  a  hand  that  suspects  foul  play.    Out- 
side in  the  balcony,  they  might  have  bwni  p<x>plrr  who  had  met  ft 
year  ago;  as  we  see   them  now,  they  are  redolent   of  three 
four  hietres  of  intimacy,   beginning  with   tho  babyhood  of 
younger. 

"No,  Mr.  Charley  dear,  do  be  serious!     That's  only  the  in' 
duct  ion." 

"Very  well  then  I    On  we  go :  'But  I  should  bo  ftclinji  in  .a  n>' 
vrons  and  cowardln  manner,  from  scruples  about  aitying  n  di' 
a^rrii^ablc  tiling,  if  I  l<-ft  you  to  supjiiiiH?  that  my  feelings  lowari 
you  could  ever  be  other  than  those  of  friendihip.    Pray  diunis* 
fite.  id<-A  from  your  mind.' 

"Poor  Mr.  Sclwyn-Kerri    Squelched  T'    Charles  looks  round  at 


tion 
hi<« 

i 


ALICE-FOR-SnOBT 


33$ 


tll6  pi«tty  face  on  bis  left,  whoec  owner  Je  biting  its  under  lip,  bmM 
one  half  vvx^d.  half  latigtiing;  au<l  whoib!  cbivlui  aliow  a  elJKhtl 
flush  of  embarTMnneDt.  acccntinfc  the  beautj'  of  it«  eyes.  "Weill"! 
Bays  ahe,  in  an  abaurd,  npulofcutii;  maniK-r,  "go  ahead  and  read  tba* 
TCBtl"    CbarlcR  nbalces  h)«  h<?ad  rcpronchfutly  and  reauroes. 

"T  am  lo  bUine — at  leaal,  I  blaiue  myself — for  not  gueaatngv 
about  it.     find  I  Etispis-tcd  tbn  tnitli.  T  mittbt  nt  I(-a«t  havn  dis'fl 
couraKed  you  by  my  manner  from  u  course  which  can  only  result 
in  pain  fur  botli  «f  us,  esiieoidlly  for  inp;  for  indiwd.  di'ur  Mr. 
Seiwyn-KciT,  1  did  and  do  value  your  friendship,  and  now  I  feci 

it  baa  (fot  spoilud '    That's  original,"  said  Cbarlea,  Htoppiug — 

"  'not  spoiled'  is  d«?cidedly  original." 

"I  thought  of  aayiiig,"  says  Alice,  Bubmissivelyr  "couldn't  bn 
OUUlStce  to  keep  going,  aod  not  have  any  Love  in  itf  But  I  had 
to  giTO  that  up.    However,  go  on  I" 

Charles  does  not  go  on  at  once.  He  glances  on  a  few  lines  ia 
ad?ance.  murmuriug  to  himself — "'ought  to  tell  .vou  Iio:i«atly — ■ 
Jesaie  Freeth'— what'a  all  tbisf"  And  Alice  saye.  "Head  it  aloud,'*^ 
and  rj-liniiiiishes  tin?  hold  coriirr  to  place  her  hand  on  his  unoccu- 
pied shouldi-r.  and  put  her  cbiii  ou  it  We  givi-  llie-ie  photographic 
dctailn,  to  help  on  a  conception  of  the  general  position.  Without 
ibem.  mi aap prehensions  might  ariae.  Gbarles  reads  aloud  as 
bidden. 

"  1  feel  that  I  ought  to  tell  you  honestly  that  I  was  completely- 
thrown  off  m.v  Kiiard  by  a  foolish  report  (as  I  now  suppose,  aQ 
entirely  falae  onu)  that  you  and  JcHsie  Frectb  wen;  iMigngod,  or 
nearly.  People  arc  so  silly  1  I  daresay,  though.  I  believed  it  all 
too  easily  bi-cutise  I  am  so  fond  of  Jessie,  anil  I  thought  it  would 
be  so  nice,  and  you  would  ask  me  to  your  house,  and  now  per- 
faapa  Jessii^  will  be  unhappy  about  it,  because,  you  know,  if  on«  ■ 
pcTMO  makes  a  mistake,  another  may.  Do  forgive  me.  for  writing' 
all  tliis  to  you — but  I  owe  il  to  myself  to  tell  you  how  I  was  misled. 
I  could  not  bear  to  be  thought  heedless  or  inconsiderate  towards  a 
friend)  eBpi-cially  towards  one  whom  I  have  always  valued  as  I 
have  yourwif,' " 

"Turn  liver."  said  Alice.  Charles  did  so,  and  continued,  remark- 
ing that,  "here  was  the  peroration." 

"  "Dear  Mr.  Selwyu-KiTr,  you  have  done  me  tlie  greatest  honour 
that  any  num  enn  do  to  any  woman,  so  do  not  believe  that  I  am 
ungntefvt  or  unfeeling,  because  no  other  course  ia  possible  to  ma 
than  the  one  I  hare  taken.  1  shall  be  very  unhappy  about  you  tintil 
I  bear  (as  I  eameetly  hope  1  some  day  sJiall)  that  you  have  found 
bappincss  dacwhtre."    Meanwhile  I  canuol  sij  \i»  v'^'^vti.'S  ■CuaS.X 


M 


324  ALICE-FOK-SHORT 

c«n  never  b«  more  to  joa  than  what  I  now  ssk  to  dc  allowed  to 
aga  mfself. 

Your  affectionate  and  faithful  friend, 

AuciA  Kavanaoh.*" 


4 


r 


Char1<»  turned  back  the  paeee,  asking,  "What's  the  asterisk ! — 
oh,  hrrt-  wr  are  I"' 

"Oh.  Mr.  CharW,  don't  say  I  mustn't  put  that  in.  Think  what 
II  bother  it  will  be  to  writi*  it  nil  orer  again.    And  so  cold-blooded!" 

"Ixit'p  fee  what  it  is,  Mi?tr«r88  Alice.  'P.  S. — I  bope  I  ghall  not 
do  wroiifc  in  Apt-aking  of  litis  matter  to  Jessii"  Freeth.  I  will 
prvmuif  not  to  talk  to  anybody  clw,'  And  then  you  come  straif^t 
©fl  and  show  the  letter  to  roe.    You're  a  nice  little  Alic^for-sliort !" 

"Oh,  I  do  liko  it  so  when  you  call  me  tbat.  You  haven't  done 
it  for  ever  so  long.  But  I  may  send  the  letter,  mayn't  I?  I 
thougbt  it  such  a  good  one." 

"It's  a  capital  letter.  It  sbowe  the  authoress.  You  sead  it  ofll 
Jessie  Frceth  and  Roeer  will  suit  each  other  to  a  nicety." 

"Oh— but  1 " 

"Yea — hut!  So  come  now.  Miss  Alice!  You  wouldn't  bo  Ruilty 
of  matchmakiiif;  of  course!    But  Ihnl't  what  will  come  of  it." 

"How  can  I  leave  poor  Jcseie  in  iKnoranm )  She'll  forget  all 
about  him  if  I  tell  her — only,  she  oufibt  to  know.'"  Alice  is  all  up 
in  arms  about  her  friend,  and  her  face  is  flashing  with  eameet- 
n<-s*  again.  She  hns  seemiHl  to  think  the  little  drama,  so  far  na  abc 
herself  cume  into  it.  otily  a  farce.  Women  are  apt  to  look  on  all 
their  offers  but  o:ie  as  farcea.  But  ahe  evidently  fears  for  her 
friend  what  speech  in  time  from  betaelf  may  prevent.  "I'm  not 
malehmaking!"  snys  she.  indignantly.  Her  ehin  hns  conw  off 
the  hand  on  Charles's  shoulder,  and  she  is  half-sealed  on  the 
table  behind  him.  He  is  relighting  his  pipe.  When  he  has  done 
this  they  go  out  on  the  balcony  into  the  moonlight,  and  settle 
down  8g  before. 

"Wliy  do  you  say  'no'  to  all  of  'em.  little  Alice  T' 

'Tve  only  said  no  to  three  so  far,  unless  you  count  in  Sir  Tbomw 
Brabaxon  (    lie  makes  four," 

"I  certainly  count  him.  But  wby  do  you  i  Little  Uistrvaa  Alioe^ 
if  there  is  any  one  in  the  bush  you're  keeping  back,  do  confeM  up! 
Take  a  poor  old  widower  into  your  confidence."  Charles  sits  took* 
lag  at  Alice's  drooped  <-yelids  and  hesitating  manner,  aud  waiting 
for  a  concession.    Presently  she  looks  up; 

"Why  do  I  eay  not     Because  saj'ing  ^ee  involves  so  much, 
suppose. " 


'• 


ALICE-FOR-SHOET 


its 


"It  involvee  a  gr^at  dt-ul.  So  ilof*  iiKking  for  il.  Think  what 
it  must  ban  coet  ihe  Brabazou  to  screw  kimself  up  to  tbo 
point " 

■^Ue's  quite  bapp;r — he  heard  poor  father  was  a  tailor! " 

"Ycji — Imt  he  was  vorr  heroic.  Ilr  knrw  about  tho  bc^r  and  the 
Pub  ftoty,  anil  jet  he  came  to  the  scratch." 

"fiut  not  about  the  tailorl  I  wait  (rUd  he  had  the  consolation 
tbftugh — it  wot  a  cooBolation.  A  tailor  U  a  tailor,  put  it  how 
ymx  niaj!'* 

"So  he  ia — but  never  mind  Sir  Tommj",    /«  there  nobody  in 
bucbf" — Alice  shakes  licr  head  alowly  from  Hide  to  »ide,  and  at' 
laat  says,  "No — there's  no  one  I  care  about  in  the  bush— certainly, 
no  one!" 

"Well!  We  must  wait  and  hope.  Little  Alices  mustn't  be  wor- 
ried and  hurried.  And  they  i^hall  be  old  nisid^  if  they  Uiie.  And  if 
ihejf  don't  they  ahal!  ranrry  whuevtr  ibcy  plraw." 

"SiippOBC  they  want  to  marry  people  that  don't  want  to  marry 
them!" — liut  tliis  queation  rvmaiua  unimswcrtd  because  the  patient 
wakes. 


Alice  sita  thoufcbtful  after  she  has  orerruled  an  attempt  of 
Cbarlvif  to  mnko  her  go  to  bed  while  he  sit«  up  witli  the  invalid. 
This  happens  ever>'  uight  and  Altee  usually  gets  her  way.  as  she 
dom  to-tiighl.  She  xils  and  tliioks  and  thinks,  and  tlicn  says 
with  a  siirh,  "Ob,  how  glad  I  gkatt  be  to  kiss  Aunty  Peggj-  again  I" — 
For  Pierre,  suddenly  wakeful,  has  wanted  to  know  why  Annly 
Peggy  was  talked  to  over  the  balcony  to-day  and  not  allowed  to 
oom«  up.    He  is  getting  very  convalesceaiL 


CHAPTEE  XXSn 


HOW  AUCe  OOT  LET  IN  FOR  PARNASSUS.     U<iW  SHE  WISIIKD  CHAIII.S3| 
BESPLEN&EST  WIFE.      OF  TWO  F0OL8,  AND  WHAT  THEX  SAIDl 
US.  TUAT  CAME  TO  LIOUT 

A  RKHARK  of  Charles's  townrH«  the  md  of  Inst  chapter  rcmaind 
us  thai  a  faut  haa  been  neKlecl&I  in  this  record.  Wlieii  he  said 
Alice's  letter  showed  the  nuthorow,  he  was  not  speaking  at  nndom. 
nor  in  jesU  Bhe  was  not  only  an  anthtireaa,  but,  conaiileHnfr  her 
years,  a  very  successful  ono^  8hc  was  responsible  for  a  »i)iall 
volume  of  poems,  which  were  spoken  of  respectfully  by  the  Preaa, 
and  for  several  shorl  stories.  It  is  possible  tliat  you  are  aoquaintcd 
with  both,  and  if  so  may  agree  with  us  that  the  latter,  though 
credits  bill  to  Alice,  were  like  her  love-Iottera  (or  friendship- 
answer  to  a  love-letter) — that  is.  nut  specially  original.  But  her 
verse  certainly  showed  a  faculty  for  verso- mak i ng ;  and  when  The 
Predominitnl  Era  remarked  that  Mr.  Brown,  tlie  Author  of  Wfek- 
Ende  at  Pamaigut,  recalled  Miss  Kavanagh's  method,  that  iu- 
£iiential  organ  expected  Ur.  Brown  to  feci  flattered  and  ny 
thank -you.  ^m 

Whether  Alice's  dispositions  towards  ih»  Uiise  couM  harp  brci^H 
detected  in  her  recitations  to  Pussy  in  the  basement  of  No.  40  we 
cannot  eay.  For  our  own  port  we  think  either  Terse  or  prose  in 
auch  Tcry  young  people  giifea  no  real  clue  to  their  capadliea  later. 
Almost  all  childrm  (liltl«  girls  especially)  tell  stories  and  nulw 
verece.  But  we  a^ee  with  Lady  Johnson  tltul  an  incident  that 
happened  during  Alice's  school-days  at  Misa  Fortoecu«'s  showed 
that  (he  technical  faculty  of  6lting  lan^sge  to  rhj'thni  and  pro- 
riding  both  with  the  same  meaning  was  more  marked  in  her  than 
in  her  school- fellows.  Miss  Fortesciie  was  an  enthuaiaat  in  Poetry, 
and  used  to  oxumine  tier  jmpils  on  the  subject  and  award  prizes  as 
a  stimulus  to  reading.  Slie  had  been  more  than  onc«  in  a  tight 
comer  owing  to  her  lilierol  views  about  wliat  littln  girlx  ought  or 
ought  not  to  read.  Indignant  pnrenia  had  descended  on  her  brand- 
ishing Elizabethan  poems  which  tliey  hud  cuuglit  tht^ir  ofTspring 
reciting,  and  (wo  regret  to  write  it)  :>Jie  had  resorted  to  the  mi^an 
expedient  of  Imputing  depravity  of  mind  to  the  rvader  who  saw 
anything  (o  question  in  thorn.    It  was  a  powerful  fulcrum,  but 


initi^ 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


S»7 


feel  for  the  parents,  and  doubt  if  it  was  fair  plnj.  This  phase  of 
thv  >ubj<«t,  h«wcTcr,  tloee  not  concern  ub  at  thi.t  momiMit. 

It  ebaneed  thai  Miss  Fart«Bcue  one  da^  took  it  into  her  head  to 
■Et  op  what  i«  cnllfd  B  'corrcction-clttBs.'    The  idea  was  to  take  is 
IuukI  koj  paaaages  from  celebrated  poets  that  atruck  Miaa  Forte:tcu«| 
a«  incomplote  or  defective,  and  to  write  in  or  substitute  others 
more  lu  keeping  (accordiu^  to  her  ideas)  with  their  Bnrrotindioga, 
She  explained  to  Peggy  that  her  motire  in  doing  this  was  uot  tOa 
nnu-cd  the  defects  of  Shakspeare,  etc.,  but  to  givt!  a  wholcMnne' 
stimulus  to  the  litcrnry  fnciiltic*  of  her  pupils.    The  loeideut  in 
blind  was  tlie  seltiuK  of  au  cxaini  nut  ion -paper  (with  marks)  in 
which  some  passages  were  to  have  subalitulea   written   for  the 
italicized  liut.^  or  the  hiatus  (in  other  cases)  filled  in.    Uere  was 
one  case: — 

"Hen  Tvttt  hit  IiaMl  npon  tbe  lap  of  Earth, 
A  loQlli  to  Fiirtiiu*  anil  to  Fiini«  UDknuim  i 
Fair  Sclimm  frfnenrd  nnl  on  hit  ftiinl^f  tiirlh, 
Aii<l  Mclanobol;  iiuuk«l  bint  foi  bt.T  own." 

Miss  Forteacue  selected  this  line  for  excision  we  are  not 
i  on  to  speculate.    It  was  in  the  examination  paper,  and  Alice 
Bupplied  her  substitute  thus: — 

''Hot  lOng.  nor  lute,  made  matio  >t  liia  birlli." 

Perhaps  filling  in  blanks  left  b.v  a  I'oct  was  Irss  impertinent  than 
this  ioterfcnnco  with  an  existing  text.  The  impertinence  was, 
bowerer,  Miaa  Fortescue's.  Alice  had  to  fill  in,  or  loeo  marks.  So 
she  went  at  it  brarely.  These  that  follow  have  blanks,  left  by 
Shelley,  filled  in  with  italicised  words  fay  Uiea  Kavnnagh:^ 


"And  atlU  1  lore.  Hid  ittU  I  Ihinli 
Bat  ulritigi'ly.  fnr  my  liuarl  can  drinli 
Thv  drotji  of  miuh  il«ap»ir  aiiit  Ijic 
Ali>t  linv:  n  eain  prrroijatlTr! 
And  ir  I  Iblnk.  m;  thonghu  como  tut, 
I  mix  tbe  preaent  nllh  tbe  put 
And  Baub  socma  oilier  thui  tbe  ImI. 


^^^^^^B  EHnging  lore  to  its  lone  mate 

^^^^^^B  111  tb*  Irj-bo^tr  (llscouaotata  I 

^^^^^^B  Tc>lc«  tbe  airecteit  tTcr  bc&idl 

^^^^^^P  TKan  CA#  ,1^'*  tr**!  in  l/u  noon-day  tky 

J  Of  Ulia  ainrc  Il«lj," 

f        No  dotibt  yon  would  have  acquitted  yonraelf  bett«r.    But  our 

businctw  is  merely  to  record,  and  wo  onlj  nutiC  titvw  'I'utiv&KfA  Vi 


L 


32B  ALICE-FOR-SUORT 

rmnark  tbnt  Alice's  answers  were  so  immoaaurablj'  belter  than 
lUose  of  (he  other  young  jteople,  tlat  MUs  Forleseuc  retained 
tUom  to  •'how  to  Latlf  (then  Mrs.)  Johnson.  And  Charl«e.  Both 
required  Alioe  to  write  ver&ea  on  the  spot,  and  Aliee,  who  would 
h«Tc  thrown  her  eiaminnt  ion -papers  into  the  fire  if  they  had  b«n 
retunitd  to  her.  did  ua  she  wua  bid.  Pqjgy  informed  aii  editor  of 
a  Monthly  *hiit  unless  he  inserted  a  poem  of  Alice's  in  his  cotunmt 
she  would  ue^cT  aak  hjui  to  dinner  aeraiii.  and  he  not  only  complied, 
but  dem.inih'd  nion'  of  the  same  sort,  and  ti^Dt  it.  So  that  io  tt: 
the  poem^  of  A.  K.  accumulated;  and,  as  you  possihly  know,  faft' 
tlicir  admin-m  to  this  day. 

Ho  now  we  can  understand  what  Alio«  was  at.  in  that  Uti 
piitoh-room  nt  Harley  Stretrt.  Also  what  slie  evidently  meant  to  h* 
at  as  soon  as  she  had  got  rid  of  Mr.  Charley — "packed  him  oS  to 
bed"  WHS  ihi-  way  liir  mind  put  it — and  had  devoti-d  heraelf  to  the 
patient's  restless  hour  or  so  after  his  long  sleep.  But  her  prepara- 
tiims  and  her  new  [ii-n  did  not  lead  to  much  eopy.  Perhaps  tho 
ntmosphcre  and  the  incidents  of  a  fever-ward  are  not  favourable  w 
nutli<in>bip — they  wtm-  all  there  in  tliis  case,  but  wp  are  keeping 
them  out  of  sij-hl  as  mueh  as  possible,  as  we  all  know  what  they 
are  like  without  telling.  Or,  If  not,  we  have  been  stra 
favoured  liy  Providence. 

Anjhow,  Alice  felt  very  little  like  writing  when  sho  be^n  to 
and  threw  down  the  new  pen. 

She  went  out  into  the  starlight  on  the  balcony.  The  street  hi 
Htilled  down  towards  the  small  hours  of  llio  morning,  as  much 
streets  do  in  London.  Stray  gusts  of  late  homc-coniers  in  Tlansouis 
recurred  with  iutermittonl  rntlle  und  slopping  to  of  enti-donr^ 
Every  one  of  them  made  believe  to  be  the  last,  but  left  a  silence  that 
siM^med  conscious  there  would  soon  be  unolhiT.  And  it  cftme.  And 
then  the  heel  of  a  deliberate  policeman  appeared  to  be  trying  to 
impress  the  paving  stones,  and  convinec  them  tlmt  every  one  had 
now  gone  to  bed.  But  they  rejected  his  evidence,  and  were  justi- 
fieil.    For  there  was  alwn>-s  one  last  cab  still  I 

But  it  was  pleasant  tu  sit  there  thinking,  in  the  sweet  lUght- 
air.  And  Alice  sat  and  thought,  and  wished  and  wished.  Her 
wishes  took  a  curious  turn.  She  wished  she  was  Lady  jVnstrutber 
Paston- Forbes,  and  then  she  could  marry  Mr.  Charley  and  u»e  all 
that  money  to  make  him  happy.  For  she  took  Charles's  paasioi 
for  this  lady  an  grand  tSrieux-  "Now  Hit*  Btnkcr'*  d<^ad." 
her  thoughts  to  her.  "(hew's  nothing  to  prevent  it.  Oh  dej 
how  nice  it  would  be  1"  But  so  completely  wa«  Cliarlcs  tho  grown-up 
person,  and  so  cumplctiily  woa  her  version  of  hurvelf,  aJ  hoc. 


*d. 

a 


n-up 
'  hoc,  tl^ 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


S2ft 


little  girl  (h^t  be  b«d  draim  up  out  of  the  fifulter  and  placed  in 
affluence  And  hnppincM,  that  no  slightest  idcn  of  benefit  thnt  would 
arise  from  the  obvicuB  fact  that   if  she  was  Lady  Ausiruther 
Paaton-Forbe*,  tb«t  Udy  would  certainly  be  Alice  Itnvanngb,  was 
allowed  to  enter  iuto  her  calculationa.    The  intensity  of  her  wlah 
to  we  Mr.  Charley  happy,  n  wish  into  whieh  no  eolfiab  thought 
entered,  reall.v  required  the  eipedient  of  meDTint;  her  peraonalit^j 
in  th«t  of  an  imagined  benefnctrix,  to  make  a  working  hypothreis.! 
She  knew  tlml  Charles  was  very  poor;  the  extravagance  of  "Uias 
Blraker''  had  made  him  so.    And  she  b»ilt  a  glorious  eastle  in  thg 
air  in  which  this  next  Urs.  Charles  Heath  was  to  engineer  her 
wealth  BO  as  to  place  her  hiisband  on  a  piiinucle.    But  tbr  magnifi- 
««nt  widow  was  not  to  be  trusted  with  her  own  identity,  intact, 
to  do  that    Alice  disintegrated  it  with  an  infusion  of  herself;  she 
waa  to  suppV  volition   and  purpose.     Meanwhile  her  discarded 
remainder  never  r-aiui'  into  court — it  was  to  exult  with  iliss  Peggy^ 
— for  in  this  dreamland  all  the  dramatis  persona  were  to  belong^ 
to  llie  early  lime — over  llie  great  achievement  of  achievements, 
(he  making  of  Charles  into  a  happy  and  successful  man.     BoUier 
obstacles  I — She   chose    to    dwell    on    it,    for    the    sbccr    pleasure.^ 
of    lh<-    tlioiight.     Fancy    seeing   Mr.    Chnrley    really   groat    and 
happy,  and  she,  little  Alice-for-sborl,  having  really  bad  a  baud 
in  it! 

And  as  Alice  pondered  under  the  starlight  with  an  uiiiinated 
face.  Charles  was,  let  us  hoiif,  asleep.     If  so.  maybe  his  own 
waking  thoughts  had  crept  into  his  dreams.     They  wore  aboui] 
Alice,  and  Alice's  loo  numerous  n-jected  lovers.    He  did  not 
about  most  of  them;  but  one  or  two,  Boger  Sclwyn-Kcrr  particu-' 
larly.  aiK-jned  to  him  to  be  worthy  applicants.    He  could  not  under- 
stand AliceV  persistent  decision  in  her  treatment  of  the  subject. 
He  could  n^coihtcl,  with  a  smile,  his  sister's  firm  resolve  about 
marriage,  and  her  lament  in  the  same  breath  for  their  effect  upoa 
tho  roan  she  utr(-u<l.T  lovpd.    But  in  Alice's  case  thL-re  was  no  sus- 
picion of  exalted  Tiiriiose.     She  boDcstly  meant  that  she  didn't^ 
vant  to  marry  tlie  gentleman,  and  aaid  »o  iiluinly.    "Of  course,"'! 
thought  Charles  to  himself,  "she  buttered  him  up  aliout  friend- 
I     ahip— they  always  dof    Even  Peggy  friendshipped  Rupert.    But 
tbea  die  gave  him  distinctly  to  understand  there  was  no  one  she 
I      liked  better."     Sleep  did  not  allow  him  lime  (o  finish  wondering 
I      whether  Alice  reall.v  liked  some  one  else  better.     But  perhaps  she 
I      did.     "Bvtier,"  in   this  case,  be  it  observed,  always  means  fifty 
[     tinacs  as  well,  or  even  more. 
I        What  mauwer  of  tiling  Charles  likened  his  \vi«  ta  -McXva^ft  "ums^ 


ALICE-FOR-SHOBT 

to  ehov — a  garden  run  to  waeto~-a  weedj  tenglc  on  oxhausted 
No  plnct!  tltiH  to  plant  a  sweet  youiig  rosie-trc-e  in !  The  teoant  of 
the  garden  naa  decpl;  interested  in  the  place  the  rosc-troe  should 
find — et-ienbere.  But  it  nevi^r  croaaed  Lib  miud  for  a  mouittiit  that 
it  could  possibly  bloom  and  flourish  atnoiig  his  nettlts  and  rag- 
wort, and  bv  wuiiUl  fain  have  eevn  ita  otraer  plant  it  on  Tirgin  boU; 
in  a  garden  full  of  sunlight,  no  ray  of  which  orer  seemed  D<nr  to 
pierec-  tie  overgrowtii  of  his  own.  He  was  a  spoiled  piece  of  goods 
in  his  own  «yes,  and  his  tired  old  heart,  spacious  and  empty  cer- 
tainly- was  not  the  home  for  a  young  tenant  and  new  curtains  and 
carpets.  If  this  Chaos  of  metaphors  conveys  its  meaning,  it 
may  perhaps  be  excused. 

Hcanwhile  tlie  young  tenant  never  dreamed  of  herself  in 
capacity.  She  and  Peggy  were  joint-caretakers  i>erhapa,  but  o 
really  responsible  occupunt  hnd  still  to  be  found.  Lody  Anstruther 
Paatou-Forbes  was  a  pourparler,  subject  to  approval  on  mor«  in 
mate  a<-qtj(i!ntance.  She  was  the  most  probable  at  this  momeU 
But  there  were  othera.  The  moat  desirable  fruit  on  the  stall  w; 
always  being  picked  up  and  handled  to  see  if  it  was  really  fit  f 
Master  Charles's  consumption.  It  is  true  that  Puggy  had  m< 
than  once  wondered  whether  it  was  necessary  to  go  out  of  doors 
find  it.  But  then  she  hud  snid  to  herself,  ''See  what  I  may  spoil  by 
htntiiig  Bt  such  a  thing  T'  and  decided  on  leaviug  these  two  uncon- 
aciousn esses  alone. 

Neither  did  either  of  the  joint-caretakers  figure  to  tfaemselTea 
what  a  ruinous  concern  the  owner  of  the  hovise  thought  it.  Cct-_ 
tainly  Alioe  did  not  as  she  sal  there  in  the  summer  night,  coi 
juring  up  an  image  of  Lody  AjiHtriither  Puaton-Furbca,  conduct 
by  another  image,  a  radiant  one.  of  Charles,  to  the  altar.  She  e 
went  the  length  of  dressing  the  bri<lc  in  white  satin,  trimmed  wi 
laoe,  embroidered  with  roses  and  leaves  en  chiffon.  It  is  of  coursa 
possible  that  the  perfect  serenity  with  whicli  she  aurreiiden;d 
Charley  to  the  keeping  of  this  impressive  spectacle  wns  founded 
a  confidence  in  its  instability.  She  might  have  grudged  to  the' 
actual  what  she  yielded  easily  to  a  dream  of  her  own  invention. 
But  even  had  she  hesitated  in  the  casting  of  the  parts  in  tlii 
drama,  there  would  have  been  no  suspicion  of  a  tendency  to  assi 
n  leading  part  to  lierself.  She  might  have  put  in  another  bride; 
ahe  had  recollected  Charles  expressing  admiration  for  an  eligibl 
one;  but,  as  it  clmnoed,  :ioue  occurred  to  her;  so  Cbarlea  and  Iicr 
Ladyship  lived  happy  ever  after — that  period  in  dreamland  be 
ready  to  occur  within  any  given  limits,  to  meet  the  views  of 
dreamer. 


d<^H 

th^ 

lion, I 

SlgM 

ribi^ 


ALICE-FOR-SHOBT 


MI 


It  was  so  sweet  anil  the  ni(rht-air  eo  wann  on  the  balcony  that 
Alice  th«ui(ht  she  nuKht  *aWy  <Io»  n  little.  I'icrrc  wae  well 
within  liearing  and  aha  had  made  up  her  iniiid  that  as  lung  ai  hu 
slept »  sound  she  wasn't  gning  to  wake  him  up  for  bcpf-tea  or  jplly 
or  DtcdiciiU!  or  anjrthiii(r.  whatever  the  doctor  said.  But  she  had 
the  presence  of  mind  hcforp  dropping  off  to  wrnp  hprsi-lf  In  n  warm 
railway  rug.  tt  might  turn  cold;  but  it  was  bo  much  uioer  out 
here  than  in  the  room. 

Sh(!  may  have  slept  an  hour  when  she  was  half  u-akcd  by  the 
sound  of  voices  close  at  hand.    It  occurred  to  her  that  she  did  not 
know  where  die  was ;  so  ahe  roused  up  thoroughly  to  sec.    She  ealiB- ^ 
fied  herself  on  tbie  point,  and  slio  that  the  voice*  were  those  O^H 
Charles's  next-door  neighbour — a  paiuter  like  himself,  hut  a  sue- 
oeesful  one — and  of  a  friend  who  seemed  to  have  walked  home  with 
him  and  to  he  takiTig  leave  to  go  to  hin  own  honw.    Ought  idte  tofl 
iudtcate  her  presenct?  by  coughing,  sneezing,  shouting,  or  olherwiseffl 
She  WBK  he«itnting  which  to  choose  when  a  qncwtion  from  tho 
friend  stopped  her,  and  her  curiosity  to  hear  it  answered  made 
her  refrain  and  Usten.  dishonourably.    But  then,  the  question  was 
about  Mr.  Charley.    Honour  be  hanged! 

"Who  lives  west  door  on  this  sideF' 

"Heath.  Chiirhs  Heath.  You  know  the  story  about  him?  Nol 
Wh>',  you  must  know  itl" 

"I  ifon'i  know." 

"Well!  Three  men  arrengetl  to  give  a  dinner  and  each  was  to 
aak  the  womt  painter  bo  knew.  Nobody  turned  up  but  Heath. 
And  he  wanted  to  know  why  he  had  had  on  invitation  from  all 
three,    ilawl  Hnwl  llawT 

•^arl  Bar!  Ear!    What's  his  work  like  though,  reelyT  h 

"Footy  stuff.    Gormy  colour.    No  drawin'I"  ^| 

"Man  of  jiroperly?" — At  this  point  Alier!  fell  that  the  eonTeras^H 
tion  WAS  carried  on  for  a  moment  by  facial  expression.  Then  tbfli^l 
Queationer  said   lie   twigged,    and    the  other   resumed   articulate 

"At  Icul,  I  oughtn't  to  say  that.  His  governor  didn't  cut  up 
SO  fat  as  was  expected.  He'd  bceu  very  warm  iu  his  time  though. 
Sut  he  cune  to  grief  in  Trade.  Stilt,  not  so  badl'*  And  again 
tbe  other  said  he  twigged.  Then  the  first  dropped  his  voice,  and^ 
Aliee  knew  h(-  wax  going  to  spcjik  about  a  leily.  But  he  iateusifiediH 
in  interest  to  nuke  up  for  hie  aotto-voce.  Sbo  only  caught 
anatebex,  however: 

"You  must  have  heard  about  tliat  affair?  ,  .  .  seveu  t«  >sv^t. 
years  ago  . ,  .  moddle  .  .  .  fguie-moddle  .  .  .  t^  ■s«k\  "K*  to»x^«&. 


^ 


33S 


ALIOE-FOR-SHORT 


.  .  liandsomc    womiin  .  .  .  ^mit    Binder 
dark  horse  to  put  his  money  on " 


licr    right   enough! 
.  .  .  fine  eoprona  .  . 

"She  alive!" 

"Couldn't  eayi     Went  regularly  to  the  bad,  I  beliere  .  .  .  dl| 
TOrte-tourt  proceedings  .  .  .  sorry  for  himl     TTnV  n  nino  fcUcr 
nice  a  feller  as  I  know  I    Do  you  know  what  o'clock  it  i»,  cny  boy )" 

"Tbrw.    Good-uighl!" 

"Good-night  1" 

And  th<;  two  iM'pariiU'd  with  sudden  nlncrity.  to  makrt  up,  by 
saving  two  minutes,  for  tho  spending  of  three  hours  in  talk  like  the 
above.  The  one  :^iut  liimaclf  briskly  into  his  house;  the  other 
broke  into  an  exculpatory  trot  till  he  prefenvHl  walking,  and 
!igbt«i)  a  cigar. 

As  soon  as  tbc.v  were  clear  out  of  the  way,  Alice  went  indoors  to 
finish  hcT  doze,  so  far  bb  she  f<^U  likt'ly  to  do  so.  She  was  giimply 
boiling  with  indignation,  especially  about  the  story  of  the  three 
invitntioiis.  Now,  liad  Alice  only  known  it,  sive  need  not  lum 
troubled  about  this,  For  this  story  is  told  in  just  as  many  formt 
a::!  thtrre  arc  professions.  A  ii^  made  to  figure  as  the  worst  lawTsi^ 
B  aa  the  <iulleat  writer,  C  as  the  slowest  actor,  D  as  ihe  gruut 
liar,  and  E  as  tho  drciiricst  bore  in  London.  It  i«  a  very 
•tory,  but  we  confess  wo  are  getting  tired  of  it.  It  wan  new 
Alice,  and  her  blood  boiled  on  Charlc.-r's  behnlf.  As  for  ibe 
orences  to  his  Inte  wife,  she  knew  well  enough  that  tlic  tinhcar 
portions  of  the  conversation  were  worse  than  what  had  read 
hcT  ears,  and  tho  soti^-enh-ndus  probably  still  wor*>  llian 
Her  wrath  did  not  diminish  when  she  remembered  that  she 
board  this  very  same  next-door  nciRhbour  (who  waH  no  "Iran 
speak  in  praise  of  CbarWs  art.  mid  nscribe  to  it  a  subtle  qualit 
Had  his  tongue  really  been  in  his  check  all  tlic  while)  She  aidn^  '. 
self  this  question,  and  then.  Ifeooming  cynical,  asked  this  one  al 
"Do  real  Artists  ever  speak  a  word  of  truth!"  And  then  remetl 
Ixircd  that  Charles  wan  the  soul  of  truthfulness,  aud  could  not  bv 
speculate  on  the  inevitable  inference:  Was  he  n  n^ol  Artirtl 

How  if  it  really  bail  all  been  a  mistake  from  the  beginning 
Stippose  Charles  hod  gone  to  the  Bar — would  the  Bar  hawj  slipped 
away  from  him,  like  an  ignit-faluva  over  a  marsh  J    If  he  had  eale 
faia  Terms,  would  ho  havo  learned  how  to  unt  his  word*  grac 
fully,  later  ont     Other  men,  as  good  as  he.  had   learned 
to    prevaricate,   before   now.      Why    not    hct     Ho    miglit    n< 
have  been  able  to  rise  to  the  height  of  a  politician;  but,  if 
was  only  i>lraight forward  equivocation  I     And  after  ho  bncnmo 
Judge,  be  wouldn't  have  had  to  nupprcaa  his  veracity  any  loc 


ALICE-FOH-SHORT 


»3 


reviewed  olhirr  prnfcKnionii  in  tbe  same  c^nionl  tone,  produced 
by  what  sh^  had  just  heard,  but  alwiiye  with  the  useumption  taken 
for  srantKl  ibut  Cburbiit  vould  have  heeji  cigual  ix>  nn;  of  thrin. 
He  had  tfarovm  a  doubt  on  his  powers  as  an  Artist  duriui;  twenty 
Toart  of  practice— liut  it  wua  onlj'  ■  doubt.  Alice  would  tidmit 
no  more  than  that. 

There  was  a  general  tuicliMiey.  in  all  her  Bpeeitlntion  about 
Cbarles'e  capabilities,  to  exclude  a(?tioD  in  favour  of  reflootiou  and 
imagination.  When  she  asked  hcTself  wliy  she  bc-lieviH)  in  them  at 
all — because  she  admitted  they  miint  be  definitely  referable  to 
voniL-thinj:  he  said  or  did — she  fiiiiiid  bersi-lf  compitUwl  ti>  nnnwer 
that  it  was  something  he  said  or  wrote;  nothing  he  did.  Have 
not  vtr — have  not  you! — siiniPtimes  been  foreiil  to  the  conclimiim 
that  so-and-so  mtul  be  a  rcry  clever  man  because  of  little  thin^ 
be  has  thrown  out  in  en  iitnunecmed  way — thing*  you  could 
Boarcely  seriotisly  repeat  as  aebieveinent«  in  epigrain,  but  that 
gave  a  ntrong  bian  and  ooloiir  to  your  estimation  of  what  he  had 
nol  said,  but  kept  in  reserve*  When  Peggy  one  day  asked  Alice, 
"What  make*  you  think  Charley  could  write  a  playl"  Alice  was 
nonplusaed.  She  felt  it  would  be  most  unjust  to  Charles  to  trul 
out  chance  turns  of  speech  of  his  as  the  materials  on  which  to  build 
him  np  as  a  poet  or  c  wit.  But  she  bollevcd  in  stime  latent  polcn- 
tlftlitieg  all  the  same:  and  when  her  sieva  indignatto  against  tho 
gentleman  next  door  had  subsided,  and  her  fir^t  vigorous  ncscnt- 
meat  of  his  criticisin  of  Charles  had  given  way  to  the  counter- 
awing  of  the  pendulum — "How  if  it  really  had  been  n  mistak*- 
from  thp  beginning?" — she  rci-alW  tliia  conTOrsation  with  Peggy;| 
and  then  she  wondered  whether  the  conviction  she  was  not  able  toj 
support,  but  felt  so  strongly,  niigbt  not  have  been  baaed  on  a  uiiased 
possibility  that  would  no/  have  l>een  a  mistake  from  the  lirglnning. 

Sliu  looker]  at  tier  pulii-nt.  He  was  sleeping  ijuili--  beautifully 
aorain,  while  she  hersnlf  hnd  become  suddenly  intcnsi-Iy  wakeful. 
This  does  happen  when  one  bus  K^u  jerked  out  of  one's  sleep. 
Sbo  re-read  poor  Jlr.  Sclwjni- Kerr's  letter.  Tt  was  one  of  those 
mUtakea — to  our  thinking — an  offer  iu  writing.  It  lacked  epon- 
tanoausness;  nil  the  vital  parts  had  an  effect  of  steam  intentionatly 
turned  on.  while  tbe  more  restrained  portions  suggested  priggiah- 
aesa.  Alice  said  to  herself,  "Yes!  Passionate  protestations  of 
respectful  admiration."  Il  was  her  iiwlation  in  the  zone  of  small- 
pox that  had  made  ilr.  Kerr's  declarntion  rinne  by  post.  "I  hope 
he  doesn't  tl>ink  Pm  going  to  cateli  it."  added  Alice,  and  you  may 
wonder  why.  What  *hc  meant  wait  tliat  there  would  be  a  certain 
lierotsm  (the  antithesis  of  Ur.  Uuppy)  about  a  '^i<;»qca«\  xo  «.\n&i 


L 


SU  ALICE-FOR-SUORT 

in  the  jaws  of  an  infections  hospital,  nnd  thst  aho  misht  feel 
mornlly  liuunil  to  marry  ita  uutbor.  "But  it  oil  turns  on  whether  be 
believes  I'm  vaccinated  and  it  took.  At  least  that's  what  Mr. 
Charlej-  woulil  Bay." 

WLenever  any  odd  turn  of  thought  or  Iiiiiicrous  phrase  preeeotod 
itself  she  always  put  it  down  lo  Mr.  Cherte)-  in  ibis  way.  At>d 
ehe  noTC  proceeded  (ainayg  ascribing  her  thoughts  p?t«ntially  to 
Oliarles — olasdiiK  thi-m  as  what  he  would  have  thought)  to  con- 
struct a  preposterous  lever  de  ridvau  about  a  hcroino  who  had 
nndertakim  a  amnllpox  patient.  She  hud  two  auitora.  a  vaocina- 
tionist  and  an  anti-vaccinntioniet.  Each  was  anxious  to  koow  how 
effoelually  aho  hud  been  vaccinated,  but  for  liifferent  reasons.  The 
former  bec-ause  he  wanted  to  write  oS  an  offer  of  marriafio  to  her 
and  Bpem  to  be  running  a  riak  of  a  nulmeg-gruter  bride,  heroically, 
but  all  the  while  relying  on  well -authenticated  lymph.  The  other, 
heeatise  he  wanted  also  to  propose  by  posl.  but  not  until  he  hail 
examined  a  sample  of  the  lymph  injected  into  the  deltoid  of  hil 
beloved,  to  moke  sure  that  it  didn't  contain  the  virua  of  Bubonic 
Plaifuc.  One  never  ean  tell.  The  scene  of  this  romarkahle  Kttk) 
affair  was  to  be  the  waiting-room  of  the  doctor  who  had  vaccina^ad 
her,  where  the  two  suitors  would  present  themselves  simuttaneouely 
to  make  enquiries,  each  with  a  ready-written  letter  in  his  pocket 
Each  suitor  then  was  to  try  to  bribe  the  vaccinator  to  give  infonni- 
tion  of  ft  terrifying  nature  to  the  other,  to  put  him  off.  The  anti- 
vaccinator,  to  say  that  the  lady  had  occidentalli-  been  vaccinated, 
with  common  Epellicans,  and  was  open  to  any  amount  of  nuallpox;  ' 
while  his  rival  endeavoured  to  induce  him  to  exhibit  some  virua  o( 
Bubonic  Plague  (which  he  has  taken  the  precjiution  to  bring  in 
his  pocket)  as  tlie  selected  sample  specially  used  on  the  lady.  "I 
wish  Mr.  Charley  would  write  that.  I  know  he  could  do  it,"  Mid 
AUccl  "If  I  could  only  find  something  he  had  written,  to  convict 
him  with,  I'd  soon  midii'  him  write  more." 

Whether  an  old  recollection,  eonneeted  with  the  table  they  had 
read  th(!  letter  on,  was  really  the  underlying  cause  of  all  this  spccn- 
lation.or  whether  the  latter  had  revived  the  former,  would  be  hard  to 
My.  Anyhow,  at  this  moment  Alice  recalled  a  conversation  of  year* 
ago  between  Peggy  and  Charles ;  how  a  hunt  was  made  for  a  missing 
letter  in  tho  drower  of  this  table,  and  how  Pe«gy  turned  over 
sonic  papers  and  said,  "What  are  all  these?" — And  how  Charles 
had  »aid  they  were  nothing,  and  hustled  them  bnclc  into  the 
drawer.  Our  own  belief  is  the  rt-co!Iection  of  this  had  hung  about 
ber,  unconfessed,  all  along.  She  thought  otherwise  Utcr,  and  waa 
inclined  to  believe  a  well-disposed  spook  had  a  hand  In  her  reviral 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 


835 


of  the  incident  and  consequent  impulse  to  open  the  drawer.  Which- 
ercr  it  waa,  ubc  did  open  it,  and  sieenied  not  dispkoand  with  her 
InvcetigRlion  of  its  contents.  "1  w&s  sure  of  it,"  said  ehe,  half 
•Joud.  Slie  put  bade  nil  she  had  taken  out  except  one  roll  of  paper 
which  she  deliberately  appropriated,  after  glancing  at  it.  "Verj' 
well,  Mr.  Churky,"  said  she.  "now  we'll  see  who's  right."  But  the 
closing  of  this  drawer  made  a  noise  and  waked  the  patient,  whoae 
chtim  for  attention  put  an  end  to  further  examinntion.  So  after 
enough  inspection  to  see  that  it  appeared  to  be  a  storj,  having  for 
its  title,  "The  Other  Road  Rouiiil."  Alice  put  it  awaj'  where  sho 
could  lay  her  hand  on  it  again,  and  devoted  herself  to  Pierre  until 
Sister  Eulalio  appeareil  to  ruliovK  her,  by  which  time  she  wiu 
heartily  triad  to  go  to  bed  and  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER  SXXm 


HOW  LATAKU  KEPT  OfT  INFECTION.  AKD  HOW  ALICE  WENT  TO  ratBKSfl  DT 
THE  COUMTKY.  ttOW  I'tlYLUS  C.UlTHKlCtlT  CAUE  OUT  OF  A  DABS 
ROOM,  AHD  JEFF  &AW  AX  OPTICAL  DELCHIOH  9 

Whcs  tlipre  U  bad  iiliiesa  about,  work  goes  to  the  wull.  Tbs 
Artist  may  be  putting  tbe  last  touch  on  tJie  concentrated  pffort  oi_ 
ycnn,  Ihi*  Author  on  the  yery  verpt^  of  a  triumphant  climax 
bite  been  looking  forward  to  through  hundreds  of  eeomine 
intini.Tative  pagt;e,  the  Phyeiologiat  within  an  ace  of  puitEng  salt 
the  tail  of  the  vitnl  principle,  the  Musici«n  of  striking  the 
chord,  or  tbe  Accouutant  a  balance — it  all  cornea  (o  the  same  thing 
No  matter  how  industrious  we  may  have  been,  nor  how  engroei 
in  the  crisis  of  the  moment,  just  let  diphlberin,  typhoid,  Aiiia 
diolera — even  vulgar  mono  syllabic  mum  pa — make  ihe'ir  appeoranoe 
in  the  household,  and  tliere's  an  end  nf  everything  I  The  colour, 
that  waa  to  have  brought  this  into  harmony  with  that,  or 
t'other  down,  dries  on  your  palette  u:iused.  Thf  ink  on  the 
that  waa  to  have  embodied  your  subtle  fancy  get?  wiped  o9 
your  Utile  bit  of  wet  sponge.  Your  attentive  observation  o1 
sterilised  vacuum,  which  amtEbse  had  as  good  as  undertaken 
appear  i».  ia  iuternipted.  Th(!  to^  chord  and  the  balance  remain 
alike  untitnick,  nnd  you  have  to  go  for  the  doctor.  And  your  work 
good  to  the  Devil. 

But  if  you  care  for  your  work  and  an;  keenly  in  tamest  a' 
it.  you  don't  give  in  without  a  etrugsle.  If.  like  poor  Charley, 
are  half-hearted,  yon  do.  Charles  didn't  really  do  any  work  at 
Studio  during  Pierre's  illness.  lie  went  there,  surreptitiously,  b' 
lather  thnn  otherwise  jumped  at  the  probability  of  spoiling  evi 
thing  he  touched,  as  an  excuse  for  never  toucfaing  anything  at  all. 
Besides,  ho  couldn't  have  motlels  to  work  from!  The  indecisive  bo- 
grlnnings  he  made  ab  apologies  to  his  own  conscience  had  more  th« 
character  of  rccnrds  of  what  he  hadn't  done  than  of  work.  But 
fidgeting  over  these,  feeling  anxious  and  miserable,  and  keeping 
every  one  else  out  of  the  room,  seemed  to  fill  out  the  day.  Only 
it  was  rather  like  eating  chemical  food  to  give  a  sporums  setiw 
a  full  stomach. 

SSft 


day.    Only 


ALICE-FOK-SHORT 


m 


Our  oW  friend  Jeff  paid  him  frw|Wont  visit*  outside  the  door 
during  the  illneas,  and  waa  talked  tu  by  Charles  from  within  even  , 
after  the  pnticnt  bad  been  nllowod  to  get  up.  Wbon  one  day.  somo  1 
eix  weeks  after  the  first  attack,  hi;  kamwl  that  Pierre  wn«  tn  gf>  to 
tho  «ea-fidc,  he  fintly  refused  to  be  cxehided  from  the  room  any 
longer.  lie  atimmed  up  his  altitudi?  tuwurds  medical  authority  nnd 
hrffienic  prceaution  in  two  forcible  words,  "'Ang  roll"  was  the 
ftentiraent  iritli  wUieli  be  met  Chark-n's  refiua]  to  let  him  como 
in.  And  he  followed  thi»  with  a  threat,  if  Ohnrlee  pereisted.  to  go 
straight  awa^  to  (he  Kmallpux  Hospital  and  rub  Iiia  nose  in  a  c'on- 
fluent  CB«e  of  the  deadliest  type.  He  eiiceeeded  in  getting  past 
the  door,  but  made  one  coneession  to  prudenee.  "Tou  won't  object 
to  my  amokin'.'"  said  b^  "tia  a  precoutioo  against  infection,  don't 
you  know.  Charley." 

So  as  the  two  old  friends  sit  there,  puffiuji  clouds  from  the 
Latakia  of  the  bygoiio  tiniv,  wi!  can  take  a  look  round  at  tliu 
Studio  and  noto  the  changes  of  uxtocn  years. 

There  is  the  easel  Charles  was  paiiitint;  Regan  on  wbi^n  wc  wero 
hero  Lael;  ibere  is  the  throne  sbo  oame  tliat  memorable  header  off 
into  Chuili.-»'.-<  arma;  ihore  is  the  chnir  she  n-i$ted  in  after  that 
adventure.  The  table  she  sat  readiuK  Victor  Hugo  at  is  gone— we 
raw  it  the  other  day  at  Acania  Roiid — and  there  i^  another  in  its 
place.  We  recognise  the  tobacco-jar  from  which  Jeff  fills  a  pipe 
1m  find*  on  the  chimney-piece,  and  tlic  mahl-stiek  Charles  puta 
down  as  he  liehts  one  to  keep  Jeff  company.  Why  should  any  I 
man  have  more  tlian  one  mahl-atiek  in  his  life^  Of  courie  there  in 
the  Invariable  lay-figure  with  her  head  on  the  wrong  way.  Wc  know 
her  of  old,  with  her  Hquan-  IwU-hcads  burit-d  in  her  syrtcm  and  her 
akin  slipping  over  thejn ;  her  effrontery  in  pretending  she  has  a  key. 
while  she  knows  it  cannot  lie  found,  and  wouldn't  work  if  it  could ; 
her  repulsive  appearance  when  bt-r  bend  conies  off  aceideutally  and 
we  shudder  at  her  peg.  Olher»-i8e,  we  sec  little  for  recognition. 
The  room  seems  much  fuller,  but  it  U  mostly  due  to  canvases  that 
are  modestly  turning  their  fiicea  to  the  wall,  nnd  a  certain  number 
of  framed  pictures,  sometimes  with  a  printed  numeral  pasted  ou 
tho  frame— a  memory  of  an  Exhibition  it  was  concealed  from  the 
public  eye  in,  or  would  have  been  if  the  public  eye  hud  sought  for 
it.  On  the  easel  is  a  picture — ordy  we  can't  see  it  for  n  staincd- 
gUitid  cartiMin  that  ts  in  front  of  it.  which  is  upside  down.  We 
cannot  quite  make  out  whether  it  ia  Saul  and  David,  or  Christ  and 
tbo  Woman  of  Samaria.  It  may  he  oilber.  and  it  doesn't  matter. 
It  is  Qtiite  as  much  leads  as  anything  el-<c,  and  the  leads  seem  Ut 
bctons  to  another  design.    The  walls  amV  ceVVvng  W\e  %<>^-  '"''^ 


i 


S3B  ALICE-FOlt-SHOBT 

dirty— Kine  cannot  intemipt  work  and  have  tliincs  shifted  for 
nhitcwnnhinftit  and  cicaninpt — cela  t«  vott!  But  tbea  vet?  mod 
other  people  don't  see  it;  nor  anything  else,  bccaiiae  of  the  filth. 

Chnrles  nnd  JefT,  having  smoki-il  and  rliattc^d  in  the  room  rvcr 
fiinee  we  vfere  here  last,  notice  no  change  at  all.  It  is,  to  tfaeiD,  the 
firet-flnor  Studio  and  nothing  el»c.  It  hiia  no  qtinlificBtion*.  Tbo 
windows  have  been  cleaned  at  stated  iutervalB.  and  the  floor 
Hprubbed,  nnd  what  mori-  do  you  wiinl  {  Tlir  unn.'ucliul>le  zonr* 
of  the  ceiling  have  some  cobwebs  all  to  themselves;  and  aa  Charles 
objects  to  Mrs.  Corrigiin,  tlict  pn-sent  chargee  ttaifairen,  stnndiiig 
on  the  top  of  a  pair  of  equivocal  steps  and  strctchin'  up  a  Inooia 
jnut  to  movr  the  worNt  of  the!  dust,  tl:e  said  worst  thtokenii  and 
blackens  and  floats,  well  out  of  reach;  but  is  rcR-ardcd  for  all  that 
as  temporary  prr  #c,  thongh  fortuitously  pemiAncnt.  Probably  it 
understiinds  human  nature,  and  r^-joicc"  at  Mm.  Corrigan's  in- 
creasing unsteadiness  froui  beer.  Both  it  and  the  dirst  are  port 
of  the  exi.sting  order  of  things,  and  Charles  lins  aCTjuired  a  com^^ 
plete  ignorance  of  the  esistenoe  of  both.  ^H 

"The  hoy's  going  down  to  St.  Leonards  to-morrow.    Payne  e»j^^ 
he  won't  bo  very  badly  marlceiL    You  see,  he's  young."    Of  course 
it  is  Charles  who  speaks.    Jeff  nods  iu  a  way  that  says.  "Tou  will 
R*  that  all  my  optimistic  prophedea  will  be  confirmed."    He  pur- 
Buea  the  same  line  in  words.  ^H 

•Nobody's  caupht  it  neitlier!  What  did  I  tell  you  (  It's  all  rul^^ 
bish  about  infection  when  you're  properly  vaccinate*!.  Yon  flak 
my  wife!" — For  ever  since  Miss  Dorotliea  Prynne  became  Itte. 
Jeff,  about  a  year  after  Charles's  rash  nnd  unfortunate  mnrriaac> 
ahe  has  been  referred  to  by  her  huahaiid  as  a  well  of  accuracy  unde- 
filed.  nc  throws  truth  and  falsehood  into  hotchpot,  and  ri^ividM 
the  mixture  into  what  Urs.  JeS  says  is  true,  and  what  she  coD- 
dcnina  as  fatee. 

*T(r«lI!    You're  right  so  far,  Jeff,  but  we're  not  out  of  tie  wc 
yet!" 

"Now  youll  be  foomigated.  my  boy  I  And  stripped  and  all  your 
clothes  burnt-  And  squirted  all  over  ilininffctiintH,  Dolly  any* 
they  always  do,"    And  Jeff  is  quite  satisfied  that  this  is  the  case^ 

"I  suppose  we  shall  have  to  do  something.  But  it's  not  wo  bad 
as  alt  that.  I  ebau't  be  sorry  though  to  have  a  clean  bill  of  health 
again."  ■ 

"Miss  Kuvunagh's  going  with  him  to  the  sea-aidol"    Thla  la  fl 
atateroent,  so  far  as  confidence  in  an  afiinnetive  answer  pic» — ■ 
question,  so  far  ns  no  such  confidence  is  warrantvd.     Charles's 
answer  aeccpts  the  latter  form. 


::* 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


S89 


"Whj,  bo!— Alice  is  gone  aJwady." 

"OoBe  alrendy  I"* 

"Gone  to  Mmu  frien<U  at  Cli*I verb u rat,  wherever  tliat  U,  to  g:et  a 
thorougti  change  of  air — somtr  friends  of  Peggy's.  My  brother-in- 
Inw  B<lT'is«s)  it — tliou4;bt  slie  couldn't  have  a  cumplele  change  too 
soon.  In  fact  when  I  went  home  ye^terdny  I  found  it  had  all  been 
Mettled  in  u  hurr;  and  nho  had  gone  oS,  leaving  the  Sister  and 
Sarah-«ook  to  see  to  Piem." 

"Oh.  I  •er." 

"Sister  Eulalie's  to  come  down  to  St.  Leonards  with  us  to-mor- 
row. I  ulintl  Mop  thorr  long  enough  to  gcc  things  nrc  going  on  all 
right,  and  then  I  must  get  back  to  worlc  again.  This  sort  of  tbing 
won't  do." 

"\Vork  regHar  upaetl"  Jeff  sj-mpatbisee  with  the  position.  Ho 
is  prepared  to  go  any  lengths  of  insincerity  in  hi«  laiocntalionit 
OTer  llie  hardship  uf  being  dragt»il  away  from  oDe'a  work.  Ue 
eecs  con«olatioD  ahead  though.  "NcTor  mind,  old  chap  I  Tou'II 
work  utl  tht!  bctt^T  wlien  you  do  get  to  it  again." 

Charles  jumps  at  tlif  pleasant  chanee  of  self-deception  that  is 
offered  him:  "Yes.  I  know  that  is  sol  There's  nothing  like  a  littlo 
compulsory  idleness," 

"liesl  thing  in  the  world,"  says  the  optimist,  '^ou  go  away  to 
tbo  Ku  for  a  week,  Charley.  And  you'll  come  back  a  giant  rs- 
freshed.    See  if  you  don't  I" 

"l  ahnll  be  all  the  better  for  it." — Charles  ts  temiicrate — speaks 
with  reserve.  He  would  have  been  better  pleased  to  have  the 
fiction  toned  down  to  his  powers  of  prirt<rncc.  The  giant  rcfreahed 
has  stuck  tu  the  giizard  of  his  credulity.  He  tliiiiks  of  auggesling 
a  duScT  refreshed,  as  an  amendment;  but  shrinks  from  the  egotism 
of  humility,    Etrtlc-r  chnnge  the  subji^cll 

"I  shsll  have  to  have  a  regular  good  overhauling  of  all  my  mate- 
rials— they're  in  a  fearful  mess.  Just  look  at  that  box!" — "Tlw  box 
Strikes  US  as  familiar — for  we  are  not  conscious  of  the  time  we  have 
aldpped;  the  sixtfwn-yiuir  interim.  Our  knowledge  of  that  box  is 
OS  of  yesterday.    Jeff  knows  all  about  It  though. 

"Wlial  n  queer  old  curd  be  wos  to  bo  sure,  to  leave  it  to  you — ■ 
just  because  you  gave  him  some  AsphaltumI  Do  you  believe  it 
wa»  Reynold*'",  Charley  t" 

"Not  the  boi.  Hardly!  He  only  swore  to  some  little  bladders 
of  colour.  I  never  found  them.  And  what's  so  funny  is  that 
wbat's-bis-nome— don't  you  know) — the  man  that  bad  this  house— 
whose  daughter  Vcrrindcr  was  in  love  with— what  was  Uia 
nomef 


k 


L 


340  ALICE-FOK-SHOKT 

"Ob,  I  know,  perfectly  welll     Sneathly—Crapewell — Lampvie 
— I  ehall  remeinb('r  dinrctly " 

"Well — never  mind!  That  cliap,  anjhowl  He  must  have  uaed 
tbia  box  n  hundred  times  in  this  very  rooto." 

Jeff  looks  rouiid  8  little  uncomforlubl.v,  "Yore  gliostises !"  says 
he  Charles  remarks,  with  the  slightest  sound  of  injury  ■»  bis 
loDe,  "Well.  Jeffl  There  haven't  bet^i  any  more  ghosts  for  over 
eo  long.  Years  and  years  1  Come  now  I" — He  doesn'l  fe^l  bo  can 
be  acc'iisecl  of  Psyfliieal  Resiairch,  this  time!  He  gofs  on  ei* 
culpatorily :  "The  laat  one  was  seven  years  ago  at  least ;  tlie  woroan 

the  bny  snw "     He  stops  dend,  and  Jeff  disclaims  couDectioit 

with  this  iveiit.    "1  wasn't  here."  be  says. 

But  ho  knows  why  Charles  stopped,  nnd  of  the  incidenL  Told 
briefly,  it  was  tliat  on  one  oceasion,  when  Charles's  wifo  was  at 
the  Studio  wilh  the  boy  Pierre,  the  latter,  bcinit  then  a  vhild  of 
Bvv  <ir  six  years  old.  had  looked  n  good  doiil  nt  an  empty  dtailt 
and  afterwards  had  a^ed  who  the  lady  who  laujuhed  wuri,  who  was 
Kitting  in  it.  Jeff  knew  that  what  stopprrit  Charles  iu  his  allusion  to 
this  incident  was.  not  only  that  it  involved  bis  wife  (for  thty 
had  frequently  conversed  about  her,  and  Charles  was  rather  eaiy 
in  his  confidences  wilh  Jeff),  but  tliut  there  was  another  person  in 
the  room  at  the  time,  the  man  Lowenstem,  wbom  Urs.  Cborlct 
had  subsequently  eloped  with.  It  had  been  his  firet  introductiou 
and  could  not-but  be  an  unwelcome  recoUcclion. 

Charles's  stumbling  into  this  lino  of  Thought  jerks  the 
oouveraalion  out  of  its  groove;  and  Jeff,  who  has  been  for 
N>me  timo  on  the  watch  to  aik  a  question,  makes  this  atumblo 
of  Charles,  of  which  both  are  perfectly  conscious,  aa  ezcuso 
for  it. 

"What's  become  of  her,  Charleyt" 

Charles  lays  down  a  pipe,  not  half-smoked,  on  the  eascl-lc'ic 
This  is  an  uncommon  thing  for  any  smoker  to  do.  He  got!*  to 
the  window  and  looks  out.  or  mokes  believe  to.  Jeff  follows  him. 
with  concern  on  his  face.  He  places  hie  hand — slightly  alapii  itp— 
CO  lo  Charles's  shoulder,  and  leaves  it  there. 

"De«d  1"  ho  asbs  abruptly.  He  is  uiore  in  Charles's  confitlcnco 
lliau  any  man;  on  this  subject  more  even  than  Rupert.  The  lat- 
tcr'e  impatient  indignation  against  Charles's  wife  bars  frco  inter- 
course  between  them.  Charles  wants  no  discordant  note  to  claxh 
with  his  own  chivalry.  He  cannot  bcuir  to  hear  her  condemned. 
Jeff's  simplicity  of  character,  combined  with  a  lartnr-bearlcd  dnira 
to  Sin.  made  in  order  (hat  he  may  depute  the  stone- throwing  to  a 
Public  whose  virtue^  acknowledges,  makes  his  blunt  speech  often 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


341 


wclccme  to  Charl«a,  where  a  Utcl  be  nwkcii  no  prctcnnon  to  would 
have  b(*ii  waeicd, 

"Deadt"  he  wpcati^  "I  sec."— For  Clinrlc«  maito*  no  reply. 
Both  flO  back,  and  Charles  takoe  up  hU  pipe  again.  He  doesn't 
mind  talking  aUiiit  her. 

"Of  course,"  sa.va  he.  "she  herself  really  di«l  long  ago.  But  the 
Iranian  ohc  changed  into  is  dead  now.  She  died  somewhere  abroad. 
Baden-Baden  I  think  it  was." 

"TbafB  all  Tcry  weU,  old  chap!  But  you  don't  really  think 
tbat.    People  ain't  ttomchody  else " 

"Thai's  a  very  common  misluke.  Jeff  dear.  I  know  that  n  popu* 
lar  belief  exist*,  to  that  effect.  But  recent  investigatiooa  hiiYe 
abowti " 

"Gammon I" — This  eomca  so  explicitly  that  Charteji  fctN  ho 
won't  get  a  hearitig  for  a  viirw  he  ncriously  holds  unless  he  drops 
the  popular  lecturer,  and  speaks  by  the  light  of  hi«  own  belief. 

"I  mean  what  I  say.  Tlicrc  are  plenty  of  extreme  cases  of  double 
«on*ciou5iics9 — of  people-  who  have  «|iokrn  only  French  in  one 
state  and  Dutcb  tn  the  other,  and  so  forth — who  have  been  two 
(lifferent  people  at  different  times,  in  fact." 

"And  then  when  one  of  ihem  ptioncd  you,  you  wouldn't  'aiyt  the 
other— is  ihat  it.  Charlej-T 

"Ac  to  hanging,  that's  the  Judge's  business.  But  I  shouldn't 
think  harshly  of  the  other,  if  I  thought  it  was  a  case  of  double 
identity.  There  must  be  plenty  of  cases  of  change  that  don't 
go  quite  so  far,  but  wbcTO  it  can  hardly  be  said  to  be  the  ssmo 
peraon." 

"Hust  there!  I  can't  see  my  way  to  half-and-half.  According  to 
nty  idcar,  Charley,  identity's  got  a  sharp  edge  all  n)und.  Tou're 
either  me  or  somebody  else.  All  the  same,  your  idear  is  'andy  for 
'  Pi^-ogamiRti'.  or  wlmlevcr  yon  call  '<Tii." 

Vague  e&etches  cross  Jeff's  mind  of  questions  he  would  like  to 
adc,  such  as:— Uas  Mrs.  Corrignn  two  identities:  one  a  mid- 
was^ly  slate  laying  claim  to  sobriety,  tlu-  other  a  Snturdaily  state 
convincing  of  beerl  Or,  did  the  late  Mrs.  Charles's  second  iodi- 
riduality  begin  tn  ookc  through  )ier  on  that  ilny  whcit  Baron  Von 
Lowenstern  was  brought  into  the  Studio  by  Herr  Bauersteiu  and 
casually  introduced  to  the  Artist's  wife)  Had  he  asked  this  last 
qnc«ti»n  of  Chark-ti.  the  reply  must  have  bevn  that  this  was  not 
her  Tery  first  fluctuation  of  identity,  of  a  nature  to  accommodate 
Folygnmisl*.  or  wliaU'Vcr  we  call  tlieni. 

But  he  a^ed  no  such  questioDS  and  poor  Charley  was  spared 
mon  ranindcn  of  that  painful  time,  and  fotccA  \a  ua  ^MSf^wst 


k» 


L 


S42  ALI0E-FOR-8HORT 

exouse-mongering:  vhkh,  howerer  loj-a]  hi»  effort,  laag  fabe 
eveD  in  his  own  enra.  Kvcn  what  bad  been  wid  h«d  rpc«)lcd  to 
liim  bow  01)  that  murninii;  hia  wift^  had  come  dowu  to  the  Sttuilo 
for  moDey,  nlUiouKh  ho  had  told  her  he  could  not  overdraw  »t  the 
Bniik,  but  Uiiit  he  kii<-w  Ru|JL-rt  would  bolii  him  again.  And  bov 
Rupert  eiRiied  a  blank  fhcK|up  for  him  thnt  croninx.  aud  he  filled 
it  in  with  n  iift.v.  iind  )tavQ  hi«  wlfo  half  next  day.  And  hoir 
\l)^rv  were  slraiued  r<?!atious  between  tfaGm.  aud  she  vent  awBT 
for  ji  wivk  to  ht-r  motlicr.  And  lic)w  nil  tlic  roit  you  know,  or  nwy 
punss  i-auie  to  pass,  including  how  it  wae  "elicited"  ou  the  trial 
ihflt  a  iliifiup  of  Bnron  Lowcndrm'*  for  £100  jtayablc  to  il.i%-  C 
nt-mJi,  hud  bi-tii  part  cashed,  part  takeu  In  settlement  ol  an 
account,  by  a  Uoiid  Strwtt  dressmakers  firm  at  about  that  date. 

Ilowcvt-r,  Jeff  did  not  pursue  the  iiiibjfvt,  an<l  CliarW,  ttfter 
musius  a  litdc,  seemed  to  give  up  the  point.  For  he  said  pries' 
cntly,  "I  suppose  whiit  1  really  meant  was  that  iihi!  hiH'nnu!  wome 
one  else  to  me.  So  she  did — quite  another  person.  If  1  had  nMt 
lnrr,  it  would  biive  bei-n  ti  stningcr — not  my  hoy's  mother.  She 
died  long  ago,  to  all  inieuta  aud  purposes.  But  I  would  rai 
the  had  done  it  outright," 

\Vlien  you  want  to  gi:t  away  from  n  stibjcct,  and  not  to  sdriii 
do  so,  your  l>est  eoitrse  is  to  bark  back  To  a  previous  stane  of  the 
conversation,  with  n  view  to  turning'  off  the  rond  dI  hduio  point  you 
httve  iiutt'd  en  paggant.  The  presence  of  llerr  Bauerstein  a  little 
while  since  would  have  done  to  vnlnmrr  n  subject  ChnrJew  had 
wished  to  apeak  of,  hut  he  didn't  want  to  revive  the  obuoxio; 
ajipearanco  of  the  Baron  on  the  scene;  so  ho  sot  clear  hack  to 
first  Bt^rt: 

"Let's  seel  What  were  wc  talkinti  of?  Poor  old  Verrindei 
colour-box.  Has  Bnuerstttin  sold  lh«  Turner  j-M !  Voti  knuw 
had  a  bijt  offer  for  it  I  I  heard  of  it  just  before  this  illnees." 
But  Jeff  haxn't  ItcJird.  Tie  in  not  in  the  way  of  lic-nring  thesa 
things  now,  as  he  was  iu  old  times,  lie  lives  at  Abbey  Road, 
St.  John's  Wood,  and  han  hin  Rt\idio  in  tho  house.  lie  is  a  fre- 
quent visitor  at  Charles's  house  uheu  there  is  no  barrier — lience 
rather  uncommon  presence  at  the  old  place  to-dsy.  "Do 
know,  Jeff,"  CliarW  ootitinues.  "I'm  in  two  minda  if  I  won't  h» 
Phyllis  Cartwright  cleaned  after  all  I  I'm  sure  the  hand  v< 
come  out  bright,  and  we  should  so*;  the  stonoit — by-the-bye  V' 
never  fold  j'ou  we  found  out  about  live  name  ou  the  ring."  And 
he  tells  the  whole  *tory  of  tJu?  cab-drive  and  tlic  myst<.'rious  welt- 
informed  driver.  Whereupon  Jeff  says  hookey — that  was  a  r>im 
surtl    It  is  surprising  how  titik  lie  has  changed  in  the  sixteen 


n 

n  HI     I 


naiJ 

1 


M 


ALICE-FOH-SRORT 


84S 


rean-  Tbero  in  nothing  in  him  thnt  coiTp»poDds  to  the  s^tled 
aadn«88  that  bad  coni«  upon  Cbarlea.  He  is  vbi^rfut  anil  meanx 
to  bo  cOTpulcnt  one  day,  but  hns  only  just  announced  the  fact. 
OtbemisQ  hia  diScrencos  are  u««li^ble. 

"I'll  oomo  in  and  have  another  look  at  her  when  you're  open 
to  the  public  again."    Thus  JriJ.  n-fi-rring  to  thr  portrnit. 

"She  isn't  at  the  bouse.  IVe  had  her  brought  down  here.  She's 
in  the  buck  room,"  Ho  g<?ta  up  und  leads  thr  vrny  inln  th*!  bark 
room,  whciTi  he  used  to  sleep  in  the  days  of  early  liohtmiauiHiii. 
Thi?  tthutti^re  are  closed,  and  a  long  ray  of  light  struimo  through 
a  heart-shaped  hole  in  the  top,  and  makes  a  solid  bar  of  illuminated 
dust  acruKH  the  room,  in  which  flies  end  strange  floating  things 
eome  and  go  all  day.  Tbc  epaee  is  half-choked  with  aeeumulaiiug 
rubbinh.  ami  is  hot  with  the  bent  of  numnier  snd  unopened  win- 
dows. A  recent  fall  of  soot  basu't  improved  lbi>  almosphere.  and 
proToke-a  an  admission  thnt  we  must  hare  tbc  Sweep.  When  he  han 
done  his  worat,  lira.  Corrit.'an,  who  i^i  straining  at  tbf  l<-n>li.  will 
bo  tmlooaed,  and  will  do  the  whole  place  thoroughly  o\it.  Only 
she  i»  so  orrlciis  ehe:  is  sure  to  break  aometbing.  ChnrW  has  a 
touching  belief  in  the  existence  of  intact  valuables  in  t)ie  gloora. 
Il  datea  from  the  lart  time  bo  stowed  some  bric-i-brac  of  hi«  wife's 
away,  to  keep  it  safe.  Since  which,  seven  years  ago,  Utile  enough 
has  been  seen  of  that  room  and  ita  contents.  It  is  a  ehapel  of 
ease  to  thi?  congn-gation  of  lumber  in  the  front  one.  and  it  is  not 
often  that  anything  that  finds  it  way  here  is  sought  for  again  and 
brought  out  into  the  light.  Phyllis  Curtwright  isi  nn  excvptiou, 
owing  to  Jeff's  visit  and  the  accidental  turn  of  the  conversalion. 

"Tifl'it  havi!  h(T  out  in  tlie  iirxt  room  a:id  g<-t  a  good  look  nt  h^r. 
Those  shutters  are  a  bother  to  open."  Thus  Charles;  and  PbjUis 
is  conmyed  into  the  8tu<]io  proper,  and  pinord  on  an  eawd.  TIv 
sita  doiro  in  front  of  her,  and  moistens  the  chilled  ramisb  that 
cbacurcs  her  hand. 

"What  was  that  picture  of  a  chap  with  a  sword  P'  It  is  Jeff 
who  asks  this  quertion.  He  got  a  look  round  at  the  ehnpel  of  ease 
But  ererj"  one  in  a  lumber  room  always  is  interehted  in  Bomething 
that  sticks  out,  and  it  doesn't  do  to  indulge  bis  eiiriosity  too 
mueb.    Maybtt  CharlL-a  ibinka  so,  for  he  pnya  liltk-  atleulion. 

"1  thought  so,  Jef!.  Look  here!  If  I  rub  a  little  oil  on,  just 
to  nhowl  There! — there  you  nrel  What  picture  of  a  chap  with 
a  sword  f  Jeff  looks  at  Phyllis  Cartwrigbt's  hand,  and  deals  with 
it  before  replying. 
\  "That  hand,  ajid  the  Snger  with  the  ring  on  it  would  coniA  «pA 
kite  bright  and  clear  if  you  gavu  it  to  wk&V&-^a\&-utiufe— '&«m«»* 


»n 


ALIOE-FOR-SHOET 


elirfW 


I 


stein's  man — to  do.  .  .  .    What  picture  f — Whj,  thnt  one  the 
vm*  strikin'  on — jiist  in  front  uH  yau  go  in."     But  ObarlM  is 
intent  upon  Phyllis.     "Braccbi — that's  his  name!     lie  shall  ha 
it  to-mtirrnw."     Charles  is  very  decisive  now  and  then.     But 
reconHiders,  this  time. — "Only  I  suppose  he'll  cateh  smallpox  front' 
it  now.    Bctt<'r  wait  n  woek  or  so  ...  1  don't  know  which  pictu 
you  mean.    Man  with  a  sword )" 

"That  chap  in  ft  Goorgo  the  Second  dress, — deep  crimson  eoa 
a  waistcoat  and  a  half,  and  tic-vrig, — vith  a  drawn  rapier  in 
hand — straight  in  front  as  you  (to  in." 

"You've  got  QueiTi  Atmc  <iii  the  brain.  Jeff."  But  for  all  thai 
the  atlenfion  of  both  is  altractcd.  so  to  speak,  to  their  own  oonver- 
aotion,  and  it  is  promoted  from  the  Ktatuo  of  ehat  to  ihat  of  active 
interest.  "There  it  no  chap  in  a  Queen  Anne  dreaa."  Charlea 
is  <iuite  positive  on  the  point, 

'ill  *how  it  yon,"  aays  Jeff,  und  they  nrtnm  to  the  l»ck  room. 
"Just  herel  ,  .  .  Weill  that's  runj  too."  And  stands  puEsled.  For 
there,  whi?n(  Jeff  cxpoctod  to  find  it,  is  a  picture  ocrtninly.  Bui 
it  is,  quit*  diMiiiotly,  tht;  Three  Oraeea;  an  old  picture  of  Char 
that  he  means  to  have  out  again  and  go  on  with,  some  day. 

"Well.    I'm   blowcdl"  says  Jeff.     And   Chnrtcji  appi'MRi   rather 
blowed  loo.    But  very  soon  optical  delusion  comes  to  the  rescue,  and, 
properties  of  refraction  and  polarised  light  not  clanificd.  «■>  far, 
sciunlisls.     And  Charles  and  Jeff  think  no  more  about  it; 
presently  the  latter  takes  his  leave,  scattering  his  path  as  he 
with  rraKHtirancv  about  smallpox  on   thu  autlioritj'  of  bia  wi 
who  is  able  it  ap|)ears  to  vouch  for  several  cnses  within  Iwr  O' 
OXpuTicnce,  where  smflltpox  hne  provi-d  rather  an  advantage  thaH 
otherwise,  clearing  the  blood  of  vital  orftanisms  of  a  diabolical 
nature,  and  above  nil  lbintr>  improving  thn  complexion. 

Ohurlea.  left  alone,  falls  back  into  thinking  how  dull  the  houae 
will  be  without  Alico  when  be  goes  back,  hut  for  all  that  hovr  ni 
it  is  of  tliose  frienils  of  Peggy's  at  Ewhurst  to  hare  her  so  soi 
after  the  illnew— however,  Kopcrt  knows  nil  about  it;  so  it  m 
be  all  right.    Shu  was  looking  dreadfully  pule  and  tired  y«atei 
and  now  shell  come  hack  her  old  self.    Il  won't  be  long, 

Alan,  for  Alice'a  little  achcnie  for  Charles's  prosperity  and  lia 
nesa!  He  hasn't  a  thought  for  Lady  Anstruthcr  Paston-t'orl 
And  OS  for  hia  late  wife — well !  she  did  die  wveu  yearv  ago,  "to 
Intents  and  purpose." 


Wn 


CHAPTEK  XXXTT 

low   CUaSLEE    west  to   the   AtPa.    AKD   FOUND  THEy    TOBHB   amX. ' 
BACK  IN  KNOLAKD  AND  Orr  TO  KllKLLACOUBE.     Bl'T  NO  AUC'K-     llOW 
ST.   PUB   HAD  A  CAP,   AND  MR.   WILKlMaON   WAS  CURED   WITH    RAT'S 
MXMID  AXD  TReACLH.     OF  A  LETTER  UNDER  A  CARPET,  AND  ITS  UQUT 
OOC  AX  ESCAPADE  OP  AUCE'jI.     HOW  THE  nCNlC  CAMK  HOME 


^ 


It  was  pkastint  cool  July  wiuiUu^r  when  Chnrlc*  and  Sister 
T!ulalir,  now  fully  cbrietened  Mre.  i'rig.  tuok  their  convaleeceot 
down  lo  St.  LeouufiU  to  m-niit.  It  was  nothing  like  to  hot  as  that 
c«I«bra(c<I  Autumn  when  Aliee  so  nearly  ended  her  <]uy^  in  tbe  aea 
ot  SlMTlliicDmbe.  But  it  wan  rrry  pleasant  for  all  that,  and  when 
Charlea  had  socu  Mrii.  Frig  niid  hin  son  comforlablr  provided  for, 
he  rMumrd,  not  without  reluctance,  to  London,  and  surrendered 
his  bouse  into  Uie  batulii  of  prop<!rI>-  rnM'inntrd  upholEtenrrs  (who 
had  taken),  and  who  almost  came  up  to  the  standard  hinted  at  hj 
Jeff,  and  suslnintd  by  hi*  wife'*  niithority.  For  they  ripped  up 
everything,  and  jiulled  down  eTerythinit.  and  wrapped  up  every- 
thing that,  was  to  bo  takm  awny  and  biimrd.  in  nhccts  saturated 
with  Carbolic  lutiou.  And  there  followed  in  their  wake  an  armjr 
of  equally  wclI-Toccinaied  pdinten,  plai^terers,  and  paper-haofrera, 
nndvr  wboM-  niiKpict-s  BlrippinK,  clcur-eoating,  und  repainting  ran 
riot,  hand-iu-hand  with  Carbolic  Acid,  over  the  whole  houee. 
Chorlc*  bung  nboiit  (hc^  pnanisKW  to  protcot  them  from  tin-  germ- 
deAtroyer.  and  secure  a  reaiduum  of  his  property  for  future  u«e> 
While  the  twnp<?»t  of  diaisfoction  raged  he  camfied  )»«  a  BohiMDiaii 
at  the  Studio;  armed,  he  said,  with  a  medical  Certificate  that  do 
germ  had  been  dctwted  on  him  by  the  moiit  pow<;rful  miscrij»c(i|)e. 
He  ubs<ilutp]y  refuw-il  to  go  ni-ar  Harley  Street,  or  see  a  living  soul 
of  his  belongings  there  until  he  should  have  had  a  good  run  abroad, 
Romi'whprf  in  tbi-  <;ciuntry. 

But  be  was  all  the  more  anxious  to  see  Alice  before  he  went  away, 
and  wos  rstW-r  puzzh'd  at  her  being  away  eo  lung.  Being  glad  she 
should  get  a  good  change  he  said  nothing  to  that  cScet  even  to 
Supert  when  he  came  to  ace  him  at  (lie  Studio.  Peggy  wanted 
to  <roroe,  but  he  begged  her  so  earnestly  not  to  do  so  that  sb* 
jicldcd.     It  was  to  be  Dobody  but  RupcrV  mhIW  W  t^  ij^vifc  ww*.'a 

Mi 


3td  ALICE-FOR-SHORT 

and  irot  quite  above  suspicion.  Why  bo  took  it  for  kthdUhI  that 
Hoy  sclf-rvHpediiis  ftcrm  would  avoid  his  brotber-in-Uw  be  couM 
not  liav«  soid;  but  bo  it  wasl 

TTf-  got  my  twatriU  m  full  of  Carbolio  Acid."  said  he.  "that  I 
ameil  h  everj-whoro,  Rvcu  this  letter  from  Alico>  jurt  fresh  from 
the  country,  iit-cnis  to  mc  to  amoU  of  it." 

"Oiif  gels  llieee  fancies,"  replied  Sir  IJiipcrt.  But  when  Chartet 
turned  awny,  he  piokini  up  tint  k'ttcr  ami  nnurh  it, 

"Alice  eeenis  very  well,"  Charles  went  on;  "when  does  Peggy 
expect  her  back?    Of  course  the  lunger  she  stayji  the  bc;tt»u-." 

"Thft  iongfir  tlie  better.    And  the  longer  holiday  you  take  the 
better.  I  should  say-     You  go  owny  to-morrow,  Charley.     Lea* 
«verythiiig  in  niy  hniida.    You  can  Iru&t  ine," 

"Of  course  I  can.  Dr.  Jomeon.    But  I  should  have  likod  to  se^ 
Alice  bcftiri- 1  go." 

"What  fori" 

"Uo  particular  reaeon.    Just  it  fancy!'' 

"You  can't  do  any  work  now,  and  you  know  it.  Much  better  use 
up  the  spoiled  time  in  getting  some  hcttltli.  Go  to  SwitzL-rlund  for 
a  nicinth  oiid  gvt  really  set  up."  Charles  felt  iileaaul«  from  the 
implication  that  his  work  would  have  reality  and  value  when  bo 
returned.  Tin  iM^liovcd  under  the  skin  in  his  own  eaiiuuite  of  Its 
worth.  But  still,  it  was  reassuring  tn  walk  oror  the  Mbca  and  prv 
tcnd  the  warmth  of  the  ignea  supposiU  did  not  Teaeh  hb  fceL  He 
was  t!ru1-:-fiil  to  Rupert  for  tile  way  he  made  his  BUgffestiou,  and 
classed  the  nmruinc^  of  glaciers  us  steppitig-stonM  to  picturM  oa 
the  line  at  the  K.  A.  So — after  a  little  more  demur  because  he  fdt 
that  somehow  he  Nhould  like  Alice  to  be  ratified  before  his  depart- 
ure, thou|(h  lie  couldn't  anal>-se  the  feelfug — he  packed  up  and 
found  himself  in  due  course  looking  at  the  bridge  of  boats  at 
Cologne,  and  admitting  to  hiinaelf  wtiat  nn  inroad  on  hiN  health 
the  events  of  the  lost  two  mouths  had  made;  as  one  does  when  the 
holiday  has  realty  eonie.  oikI  ouc  can  allow  the  arlificial  tcasioa 
to  alack  down,  lie  waited  till  he  trot  letters  from  his  sister  and 
Alice,  and  abo  from  hiit  Mun  und  SintiT  Eulnlio  at  8t.  Loonarda. 
He  found  these  warranted  ease  of  miud,  and  Indulged  in  it;  and  by 
the  time  he  got  to  Luci-rni-.  in  two  rather  tedious  railway  joumeyB, 
he  waa  beginning  to  feel  that  he  had  done  the  best  tiling  in  taking 
his  brother-in-law'*  adrice — and  probably,  he  found  himself  adding, 
for  Alice  and  his  boy  also.  But  he  was  rather  vague  aliout  the 
exact  nature  of  the  benefit  his  absenoe  would  confer,  and  sus< 
pected  he  was  taking  a  mean  advantage,  and  aaaumtiig  it  on  inauS- 
rient  grounds  for  purposes  of  sclf-juatification.    You  me,  be  was  « 


M 


AlICE-FOR-SHORT 


little  ad£cted  to  nrrr-indiils(!ii<w  in  evlf'iiiuilyus.     Tt  1.1  n  rictti 
thai  (Icwdops  UD<ler  cuiidilioua  of  shakeu  nerves  and  health  beloir' 
par,  and  is  none  tho  weaker  from  disappoint  men  t  and  friutrntcd 
pllrpaM^ 

It  vanishes  Hmonjc  the  AIp«,  at  nnjr  rate  if  yon  climb  them. 
ChiirlcH  Vila,  cuuglit  up  ut  Lucerne  bj-  a  robust  party  of  r'>i''>SJ 
tnouotaineers.  vho  prevailed  upon  him  to  nccompanj'  them  up  v.^ 
Tcr7  iujtigniftojiiit  \u:«k  who»p  name  w(^  havo  forgotten.  Aa  ba 
Stood  on  its  summit  looking  at  a  eunset  that  was  batbinn  the 
world  of  gliiciem  in  pri>iimtii?  lik'ht  on  oiti-  Bidi^  and  d<in-n  on  tlia 
deep,  coo)  crystal  of  the  darkeniiiK  lake  bcloiv  on  the  oiher,  and 
afar  to  tho  bngc  Ktill  in-Aik*  ngniiixt  the  dcy,  KrvDv  in  their  confi^J 
deuce  of  to-morrow'e  dawn,  §elf- analysts  fell  away  into  the  back-' 
yronnd.  And  whrn  he  woke  at  a  chalet  next  day,  after  fifteen 
faoura'  conlinuoua  sleep,  and  found  that  bis  young  friends  liod  foi-j 
BakeD  him  to  ascend  one  of  the  monsters  he  had  seen  aKainet 
Klin,  Kwviiif;  instructions  tlial  lie  was  un  no  ncuotmt  to  In'  waked, 
self -analysis  was  as  good  as  dead.  He  did  not  wait  for  the  return 
of  the  mounlaineers,  hut  went  on  to  the  nest  place  he  expected 
letters  at ;  and  ihtn,  beiii);  reassured  liy  ibem,  and  unstimulalwl  by 
other  mountaineers,  passed  a  pleasant  three  weeks  in  humblo 
pcdestrtuuism  from  town  to  town,  ami  out'  or  two  most  unam- 
bitious ascents  of  peaks  of  a  commodious  siie,  suited  to  his  aapi* 
rations.  Then,  fueling  entirely  rtriK-wcd,  but  always  witb  a  senae 
on  him  that  he  had  been  keepinjt  away  in  order  to  be  renewed,  and 
that  )i(r  mustn't  do  »a  much  longer,  he  came  bai-k  nnit  perceived  that 
tliiuRs  Enjtlish  were  very  undersised,  and  it  would  take  him  some 
timf  to  livir  himm'lf  intn  his  groove  ogain. 

But  be  broke  the  sbofk  of  re-entry  into  ibe  stinted  life  and 
(TTudKed  spaces  of  I^ondon  by  going  first  to  St.  Leonardf-.  and  taking 
hi*  boy  and  ^frs.  Prig  n  long  drive  to  HnstboumC'.  The  sweep  of , 
the  channel  wind  over  the  flats  of  Pevensey  and  Hurstmonceat: 
the  incessant  fauslied  music  of  the  iM-a  that  never  tires  of  its  ebb 
and  flow,  the  cry  of  the  sea-bird  that  bas  never  pau§ed  since  tbo 
cnceotArs  of  all  the  persons  of  condition  in  Engbtnd  i;Duie  uver  and 
ovfirwhelnied  tiurib — (at  least  we  understand  that  thi^  is  His- 
tory);— all  thesr  things,  and  tlw;  example  of  content  with  tbem 
■huwii  by  the  black  cattle  on  the  flats,  seemed  to  contain  tho 
eaeence  of  a  pause— a  blank  of  silence-^an  iMDply  kiif  to  rest  tbo 
mind  on  between  the  cbiiptL-r  nlHtut  the  Matlerborn  and  that — 
well!  about  Brewster  Sessions  and  Tied  Houses,  eupposo  wc  aaj — 
anything  of  that  sort  1 

ills.  Prig  hadn't  seen  Alice,  of  course.    Ba\  sW  Wi'Viai  "^w^v-i 


MS  AUCE-FOR-SHORT 

of  letters — alao  of  oouise.  Whoreupoo  CharlM  tlioujtbt  to  himself 
thnt  if  that  wu  to  be  of  onuntc  too,  iin.  Gamp  ■nd  Mm.  Prig 
must  bare  gone  into  ver?  close  alliance  in  a  Tery  short  time.  Very 
young  scbnot-girU  i)o  thiit  on  tho  npnt ;  without  the  nccokratioD  of 
Sehtinx  first,  like  their  future  lortta  and  maaters.  or  aUvea.  But 
after  nil,  these  ladim  were  grown  up,  espcciallr  Mrs.  Prig.  How 
e\-er,  eiie  only  produced  ODe  letter,  so  perhaps  it  iraa  a  lapMU 
txni;v(p.  The  leltvr  wus  quite  satisfactory.  And  wo  vnn 
home  to-morrow.    And  we  wcnL 


>  gottiy 


Charles  was  conactoua  of  a  gvod  deal  of  irapBticnce  to 
again  after  his  long  ocpnration,  and  vexation  that  be  should 
fold  her  at  oiic-u  nt  tfarley  Strtwt.  Xnlurally  alie  und  nil  her  yoang 
brood  had  taken  fiitcht  aud  were  basking  on  the  sea-b^ach.  Th«7 
hud  this  year  gone,  iift<-r  tu>vrral  seasons  of  Bcotlund  and  tho 
Lakes,  to  their  old  quarters  at  Sh<?11acoinbe.  which  had  grown,  and 
become  quite  a  largi-  waUrriiij^-pliici'.  to  Vvegy'»  great  diagu-ct. 
Charles  was  rexed  at  having  stUl  a  long  journey  before  him  next 
day,  und  wan  ver;'  diittrait  on  his  way  up  from  St.  Lc-onarda,  giv- 
ing only  partial  attention  to  iuci<]eiita  on  the  route.  He  waa  pre- 
occupied with  his  own  thoughts,  and  remained  so  until  ho  reached 
h(nii«  and  the  accuraulationa  of  unforwurded  eorreaiJondeuw  and 
parwls  demanded  attention,  and  a  beautiful  new  ExpcrimcnlBl 
Clurniii-al  Chest  for  Pirrrt;  from  Aunt  Pi^pgy  called  for  ajinpiithy. 
which  could  not  be  denied  to  atich  delicious  stoppered  bottles  and 
porcelain  capsules  and  spirit-leitips. 

Charles  was  not  a  little  disconcerted,  on  his  arrival,  nt  a 
from  Alice-  telling  him  not  to  bir  Hurpriacd  if  he  didn't  find 
at  Shellacombe^    Why,  tlie  family  had  been  nearly  a  month  at 
een,  and  surety  Ali(M^  wunti^  the  Hva-nir  a*  much  aa  any  of  them 
13eaides.   f^tncy   Shellacombe   and   no   Alice  1      It  seemed   absurd. 
But  Alice  nuiil  alu>  -ihouid  ei>m<!  in  a  day  or  two,  an  noon  a>«  hi-r 
friends,  where  she  was,  would  let  her  go.     Well!  that  seemed  all 
right  too.     Fancy  any  one  who  had  got  Alice  wanting  to  be 
of  her! 

Then  a  thought  cnmc  into  his  mind — was  it.  nt  last,  Mr.  Ali 
Waa  it.  at  last,  some  one  Alice  was  not  prepared  to  aay  oo 
some  ono  she  was  thinking  of  saying  yes  ti»t     He  wdcomo^ 
thought  mecbanicaU}-.     He  bad  so  often  said  to  himself  that 
should  rejoico  when  this  camo  to  paw,  that  it  would  never  do  tP 
be  Iwhind  now.    Oh  dear,  yea!    That  would  be  deli^tfuL 
pleastnl  Peggy  would  be! 

He  found  tho  pleasure  Peggy  was  goins  to  feel  faciiitat«d 


± 


1 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


S49 


ten.  He  ns  Me  to  kt  Am  stand  over  for  a  while  to  laake  wn;  for 
iL  There  couldn't  be  tlui  Hmallait  shjidow  of  doubt  about  iia 
existence— but  thro,  of  course,  he  wasn't  going  to  begin  ringing 
joj^-bvlls  until  he  kattir  Homi^lbing  nbout  tbi-  clmp.  if  it  wus  a  chap. 
But  ther«  nowt  II«  knew  ali  about  it.  It  alwa^  was  a  chap,  wheu 
girl*  went  (o  Ktfljr  at  country-hniiti.'*  and  couldn't  be  got  bncic  to 
their  sorrowinK  relations.  He  had  known  the  same  ihiuB  happen  a 
bundriH]  times.  Hp  snid  thi»  to  him»clf  with  confidence,  without 
reBeetiu^  tliat  he  had  probablj-  nut  been  acquainted  trilh  a  cool 
hundred  of  marringcablo  youns  ladicn  in  the  whole  course  of  bU 
vzieteDce.    Few  of  ua  have,  at  forly-one. 

He  acquired  a  sudden  interest — it  was  odd  he  had  not  felt  it 
before — in  "'/o  Mrs.  Wiiitringharo.  The  Manor  Rou-w,  Chclrer- 
huret,  Surrey."     Who  was'/o  Urs.  Wintringham?     He  cast  about 
in  Kin  mind  to  think  wliich  circle  of  Peggy's  friends  she  would  be    J 
found  amon^.     He  succeeded   iu  faucj^iiig  she  niuKt  be  a  Mlaa   1 
Constancp  Batlcjr,  who  hnd    married  a   squire  with  a   parit— of 
wfaoin  nothing  else  was  reported  to  distinguish  him  from  lii*  fclbw- 
oreatures.     That  was  it,  for  certain!     They  had  picnics  ia  tliat 
park — picnics    in   parks   always   brought    nbout    general    cngage- 
menta.     Charlea  felt  raiu  of  his  penetration.     But  he  was  going 
to  keep  his  raptures  under  until  he  kmrv  thnt  the  diap  was  a  verjr   m 
nice  chap  indeed.    Of  eourse  they  would  come,  when  called  on;  but  \ 
he  should  be  rather  difficult  to  witiafy  in  rcKjwct  of  Mr.  Alice-for- 
•hort.     There  wasm't  another  Iik«  her  in  the  world,  and  it  would 

never  do  if But  the  if's  were  too  hidco\is  to  contemplate,  and   ■ 

Charlm  brushed  them  aside  in  favour  of  asking  Sinter  Eulalia  ■ 
about  what  "'/a  Mrs.  Wintringham"  amounted  to.  He  had  to  let 
this  Ktand  over,  as  it  appeared  liuit  while  htr  wnsi  n'uding  his  letters 
ujiisiair^  she  bad  departed  to  catch  a  train  to  the  home  of  her  elder 
sister,  St.  Bridget,  after  sliouting  good-bye  up  the  Maim  to  him, 
and  telling  him  not  to  come  down,  or  she  would  lose  it. 

So  when  repacWingn  and  adjustments  were  done  and  bedtime 
came,  Charles  paid  a  Talediclory  viait  to  his  boy.  who  was  nice  in 
clean  sheets  and  a  clean  nightgown — boys  are.  you  know! — and  was 
soatcd  on  hiM  pillow  fmbraeing  his  knees  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  his 
eiureat  fetish,  tbe  glorious  Chentii^al  Chest,  which  he  had  placed  ■ 
at  the  bed's  side  for  piirpow^i  of  wornhip.  and  wanted  to  have  ■ 
candlelight  for  to  the  extent  of  a  t ix- to -t he-pound,  not  a  quarter  I 
burned  through.    "Isn't  it  orfly  jollyt"  «aid  he,  and  witbdrt-w  not 
hi*  gaze  from  tlie  idol.    Wliereupon  his  father  captured  bis  candle, 
kissed  him.  and  went  nway  to  bed. 

Ic  went  away,  and  left  Iu  hiniavlf  in  iVre  lyiuA  li^\ts!<A,  W*\  <o« 


^^Hc  wi 


sao 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


old  aadncBB  come  on  him  a^rain.  The  old  feeling  that  his  life 
gone  askew  from  tho  brgiiitiing  nnd  thnt  it  was  too  Inic  nov 
remedy  it  Tbo  memory  of  fim  old  Jays  when,  rifijilly  or  wrongly, 
he  boliCTcd  in  that  boy's  mother — of  whom  ho  spoke  truly  vrhen  bo 
ftiii)  aim  huil  been  dciid.  to  him,  through  all  theao  years  n-ben  abe 
wa«  tiviiiK  her  siiocowfnl  Tereion  of  n  mistakeD  life  with  some 
oni>  (or  moru)  L-lm-whort-,  The  sciisi;  of  agi- — aeu  of  mind — agi"  nf 
heart — in  a  frame  that  refused  to  acknowl«djie  any  subetantial 
change.  For  he  wus  obliged  to  admit  lliat  oven  in  hia  twenties  he 
would  have  overslept  himself  after  that  climb  with  his  youny 
friends  of  the  Alpine  Club,  and  could  n«Tcr  bavc  regarded  it  as  a 
mere  prelimiwarT,-  stretch  before  siarUng  for  the  Dent-du-lli 
His  mood  was  that  of  one  who,  feeling  so  old  at  heart  and  worn 
spirit,  wus  litili-  ill  iovi-  witli  his  ovra  vigour,  and  would  a 
have  welcomed  (rrey  hairs  and  failing  muscle,  to  tell  the  truth 
ihe  door  about  the  inner  life  of  the  household.  It  was  a  natural 
feclins  under  tho  circumstances,  but  perhaps  not  altogetber 
relied  on  to  laat. 


t  as  a 
UidJM 

>th  •!■ 


nodec^l 
ibanH 


Woa  it  Inie  that  i^hellncomhc  had  bceome  quite  a  large  water- 
ing-place!   The  little  unalterable  railway-station  at  Cleave  waa  i| 
statn-quo,  or  very  neariy.    Usually,  at  a  side-ntation  of  this 
when  thf  neighbourhood  braces  itself  up  to  got  abreast  of  mo 
civiti^lion.  s  sordid  and  iinbreile  hnrror  etarts  from  the  enrth 
pToelaimH  iliut  it  is  ihc  Railway  Hotel.     It  owns  a  pewter  bar 
floated  with  bccr-slops;  and  if  you  enquire  of  a  chance  cretin 
without  eniploynicnl.  who  is  iu  a  fatuous  apartment  labelled  Pa 
lour,  whether  you  can  have  a  chop,  a  aandwicb,  a  biscuit— wit 
each  ita  duo  ntlownnco  of  grease,  flngermarks,  or  mould — he 
tell  you  to  arsk  at  this  same  pewter  bar,  and  you  will  sliortly 
that  it  is  a  grove  with  no  Egi-riu — ibiil  its  tutelary  guiius  i« 
Article  of  Faith,  and  that  no  amount  of  impatience  and  euggeMi* 
noises  will  cause  him  (or  her)  to  materialise.    Ko  such  instal 
of  tile  nighttnurc  of  pruiiiicrity  hud  come  to  tlie  Uttk-  .station 
Cleave.    The  roses  still  in  bloom  on  the  platform  fence,  and 
hollyhocks  and  diihlins  that  lined  the  approach  frnm  the  gate, 
enjoyed  a  sea-wind  untainted  so  far  by  anybody's  Entire, 
when  Charles  arrived  with  his  boy  by  an  afternoon  train,  he  foui 
exactly  the  nune  people  going  away  by  the  aame  carriages^ 
same  station-master  calling  attention  to  the  fact  that  be  wasi 
tbe  same  age,  by  the  collapse!  of  an  attempt  at  a  gtcry  head,  ni 
tbe  timidity  of  an  irresolute  corporation.    Ho  took  (to  all  appeaE 
ance)  tbo  same  waggonette  with  tbe  same  young  man  to  drin> 


^& 


J 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


»X 


it.    He  inre  up  ati«mptinir  lo  eolra  suf;s«9ted  problemfl  of  timd 
and  change,  and  fc-It  luick  on  the  mcrntor;  of  Alice  Uie  nnaO,  and, , 
how  she  jumped  oS  the  opposite  aeai  onto  hitt  knee,  to  shoir  hil 
how  little  ber  fnco  was  burned  by  the  eun,  aad  had  to  tubride^ 
rt'buked.    And  bow  ahe  told  the  tale  of  the  rescue,  and  Dr.  Jom- 
eon.  and  the  bccllc.    Oh,  bow  vividly  the  little  animated  face  catne 
back  to  him,  after  uU  iboM.-  yean  I 

And  then  he  remembered  another  incideol.  the  da.v  before  be 
went  owftv,  II  f(m!  to  a  foolish  roiirriaffe,  with  n  serene  face  and  an 
intoxicated  heart — the  ioeidtiit  spoken  of  li>-  Peggy  nl  Horle 
Street.  For  it  wan  true  that  as  be  left  the  bouse,  the  child,  who? 
had  been  very  silent  all  day,  and  under  imputation  of  stoniiieh- 
acbe,  epraiiff  suddenly  into  his  anas,  and  strained  him  liichtly, 
ConvulHiri-ty,  about  the  neck,  and  cried  aloud,  *'0h.  Mr.  Charley, 
lEr.  Charley,  doo't  go  away  from  us.  Don't  go— don't  goV  Aa  be 
sat  in  the  car,  and  thought  hack  into  the  past,  be  could  feci  the  lit- 
tle arms  about  him  still.  Theu  this  memory-  revived  liis  inarnage. 
and  the  two  betwocn  them  made  croas-cuts  in  his  heart.  And  he 
thought  on  into  the  cjirly,  happier  years  of  his  miirried  lift — slop- 
ping short,  by  a  gteol  effort,  on  the  threshold  of  the  clouded  time. 
He  was  glad  to  be  helped,  though,  by  the  plash  of  the  wnvca  and 
tfae  ery  of  the  binlN.  when  llic  si-a-roud  was  reached,  none  too  soon  I 

Nobody  at  the  house,  not  a  soul!  Unlcsa,  indeed.  Uandxwonb 
and  the  cook  and  the  houseniiiid  were  souls.  Her  ladyship  and 
the  younit  ladies  and  gentlemen  ("I  wish  he  would  say  miasia  and 
the  cliiidrcn,"  thought  ChnrW)  hnd  p>n<-  to  o  twi-pieiiie  at  St. 
Fob's  Gop.  For  St.  Pob  bud  a  Oup,  and  they  always  had  hol-wnter 
at  the  boat  in  the  cliS.  Uence  picnic*,  frciiucntiy.  (!hnrle»  wimld 
walk  out  that  way,  Handsworth — and  would  be  sure  to  ini-'et  ihem 
ooming'  buck,  though  of  course  her  Ladyship  would  drive  by  the 
roftd.  All  very  clear.  But  Charles  wouldn't  start  this  mtuute.  II« 
ami  his  boy  would  biive  u  cup  of  tea  first  and  go  off  presently  acroaa 
the  field-path;  they  wouldn't  be  coming  home  just  ypl.  Charles 
knew  ihiit,  broadly  «[M-iiking.  iwople  don't  come  home  from  picnic*. 
Very  late,  and  with  ^eat  difficulty,  they  may  be  gtmdt-d  home,  oejj 
OOAJted  home.  But  if  it  is  Cnu  (and  just  look  at  that  big  yelloi 
noon  rise  over  the  hill)  two  houn  lato  is  the  earliest  to  expect 
tbein.    Xo  hurry  I 

"T  say,  pater  I" 

•'Wbal  do  you  eay.  filius?  Only  don't  talk  with  your  mouth  full. 
A  iboughtles*  «i>rld  will  coudfmn  you  as  greedy,  whereas  the 
reverse  i»  the  case.  Clearly,  he  whn  talks  with  bis  mcmtli  full  \«*' 
fere  inteUcdual  intercoune  with  bia  kind  lu  in^itt  S.u\o\%'QQKft'^^^^"'^ 


■Ifa 


• 


ALICE-FOR-SHOKT 

plMSun-H  <i{  tbc  tnbl<!.  It  Khows  tbc  etipremat?  of  mini]  otct — fat 
inBtance — white  bread,  rather  too  new.  and  much  better  fnab 
butter  than  oiie  ever  gels  in  to-wa."  But  Pierre  has  delected 
a  claasical  lapse  on  liia  fuilier's  part,  and  interrupts  Iiim  with 
deeieion. 

"I  Buy,  that's  wrong!" 

"What's  vfrong !" 

"Filiuis,    It's  vtx^fltive  fili.    Filiu*  fili  filium  filii  filio  fi!i» " 

"I  believe  you  are  strictly  correct.  Pour  me  out  another  cup  and 
don't  epill  it.  Yps,  two  lumps  like  usually.  And  DOW  perhaps, 
vocative  fili,  you'll  say  what  you  say,  pater  1" 

"Why,  tber«'s  s  boy  at  school  whow  father's  a  Bussisn,  end  h^nt 
on  oil  and  live  fishes  and  bites  his  mother  when  thry  quarrvl.  Hc't 
oarfully  strong,  and  can  lick  coalhiMvers-^— "  ^^ 

"What  a  very  dlsngrpeable  person  I    What's  hie  name!"  ^H 

"Wilkiueon." 

"A  singular  name  for  a  Riiesian.  But  be  may  hav«  assuned  it 
to  disguiae  hts  nationality.  The  Russiana  are,  I  understand,  a 
subtle  and  a  scheming  race." 

"Oh  yes — he's  a  Russiim."  Pierre  continues  with  unshaken  co4- 
fideiiLVL  "Bostdea,  be  can  turn  right  round  in  lli«  middle  and  not 
twist.  And  onoe  he  turned  round  and  couldn't  ftet  back.  And 
they  had  to  nib  liiin  with  rat's  blood  and  treacle." 

"And  ihea  he  came  round  F' 

"Oh  yes — he  cnini-  round  then."  Pierrr'ii  faith  in  the  trcatiiumt~ia 
toudiiug.  His  father  wonders,  if  all  sehoolboye  believe,  as  Becmu  to 
bo  the  caw.',  nil  tile  wild  legend*  their  sehoolmntes  tell  about  e«ch 
other's  parents,  which  are  the  wicked  boys  who  make  them  I  He 
get*  o\it  his  pipe  and  tobacco-bag. 

"Your  story.  Pierrot,  appears  credible  tlirougbout.  with  one 
exception.  Tbc  name  Wilkinson  eeems  to  me  to  cast  doubt  on  all 
the  other  ]iurlicular9>,  which  are  in  accordance  with  wliat  wc  know 
of  the  habita  of  Kus«ianR  scnerally.    But  Wilkinsonl"  .  .  . 

"Well — ^you  ask  old  Butlin  if  his  name  isn't  Wilkinson!"  Thia 
was  his  schoolmaster. 

"Ah!  but  is  he  n  Ru»sion — thai'*  the  point?    The  Muscovite  is     ■ 
i:9Ecntial.     Where's  the  matches?     AH  mine  are  done." 

"Handsworth's  taken  ihcm  away.  I.ook  hero!  I'll  lijilit  a  bit  of 
paper  At  tlic  uni."  And  Pierre  picks  up  an  accidental  half-letter, 
that  seems  on  the  drift,  to  make  a  spill  and  light  it  at  the  spirit- 
lamp  Htill  burning  under  the  tea-urn. 

"You're  a  man  of  resource,  Pierrot,"  his  father  says;  "now  miud 
vou  don't  act  youncif  on  fire!"    But  an  Ibv  boy  begins  to  tmr  • 

k d 


~ffl 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


S68 


piece  off  to  mike  the  opill,  he  iutfirniptd  Itim.    "Stop  hnlf-a-minuto, 
old  man,"  be  gays;  "let's  aee  what  we're  tearing  up." 

"It's  Aunty  Lissy**  writing,"  says  the  oliaervunt  elcren-ycar-old ; 
"it's  only  a  letter  I" 

"Onljt  a  letter!     You're  a  nice  young  man."    But  I'ierrot  ia 
frieliteoed,  for  fais  father  has  barely  glanced  at  Ibc  fintt  two  linen    J 
vl>en  he   iittcnt  what  vrould  hare  beeo  »   cr>-  had   it   not  been    I 
chedced.    "lly  God  I"  criea  he,  "fancy  that !"— And  he  almost  stag-  I 
gere;   then  drops  back  on  a  sofa-seat  behind  htiD.  holding  tho    ' 
letter  grasped  on  hl^  knt-o  in  one  hand,  whilir  tlic  other  olencbea 
tight  and  jerks  on  his  other  knee.    Pierrot  almost  begins  to  cry 
in  cameitt. 

"Oil.  Papa— oh.  Papa— aw  you  ill !" 

"AJI  rigbt#dear  boy.  all  right!    If 8  nothing — only  I  got  a  start." 
He  takos  tile  frightened  youngster  onto  his  knrc.  and  ennsotes  him. 
Telia  him  to  be  a  wan  and  eo  fortli — not  to  be  frightened  at  trifles— 
inculcates  Spuria,     lie's  not  a  little  girl,  is  heT    Re  i?  not.  and 
ia  proud  of  that  adiieTement,     Very  well  tlien — he  had  better  go    . 
a^d  rim  about  on  the  beach,  because  we  tbiidt  we  won't  go  to  meet  I 
thbm,  but  will  »tay  and  smoke  our  pipe  till  they  com".    Alao  we  are    ' 
on  no  sceouiil  to  go  in  tlie  water,  bee-uufie  wt-  miifht  get  a  chill 
after  our  recent  illncM.     But  perhaps  to-morrow  in  the  middle  of 
the  day.    Even  then,  wo  mustn't  stop  in  too  Imig.    Pierrot's  mind 
slips  easily  on  to  a  matter  that  eoncenis  him  so  nearly,  and  ho 
'forgets  his  fright  and  goes  out  to  glont  over  tin-  o<'irun  he  is  going 
to  bathe  in  to-morrow. 

Hia  father  rctoains  motionlcsx  on  the  sofa,  hiIII  grnMpiog  th4 
letter,  (or  <iuite  a  minute.  Then  he  draws  a  long  breatli.  "That 
darling  childl"  ho  says,  in  an  undertone,  and  again,  "Tbnt  darling 
child!  Alice-for-shonl  Think  of  it!"  He  drops  thi?  letter  for  a 
moment,  gets  at  his  pocket  handkerchief  and  wipes  his  forehead; 
then  polisiics  his  api^ctades.  and  the  tiiime  Alice  etiristened  him  by 
in  ber  scerel  mythology  passes  through  his  mind.  "The  dear,  dear 
iittlo  thingl''  he  says,  and  has  to  dry  his  eyes  before  ho  puts  tbo 
gUaaea  back.  Then  he  picks  up  and  smonths  out  the  letter  and  goes 
oe«rer  the  light — there  is  not  much  left — to  read  it.  It  is  a  half- 
page,  and  begins  in  the  middle  of  a  sentenee- 

".  .  .  dreadfully  afraid  he  must  come  to  know  it  in  the  end,  becauM 
though  Dr.  Pill  aays  I  shan't  be  hudly  marked  and  Mrs.  Wintring- 
kam  thinks  so  too — (mind  you,  don't  direct  to  the  MoUier  Superior 
when  Mr.  Cbnrli^  cotivs  back — he  might  n.v  the  letter^ — wl  ciivtisw 
there  must  be  »ome  mark — for  a  year  ot  to  ftt  VeoAt — wai  'Obom^ 


9S4  AUOE-FOR-SHOBT 


L 


across^ 


Mr.  ChnrUy  iB  the  mort  unobaerrant  male  I  «tct  came  ac 
about  people's  faces,  and  their  thinics,  still  I  do  Kor  lliink  wr  can 
hocus-pocus  him  for  good.  Only  I  wnnt  to  he  quite  well  and  stronK 
aud  able  to  lutigb  at  him  wbun  the  cat  dova  come  out  of  the  bag. 
Kcet>  the  cat  in  the  lonfcest  we  can,  anyhow.  What  a^ravate^  rae 
is  thai  tliere  is  sure  to  he  a  mark  just  round  the  corner  when 
people  ftlwa;*  .  .  ." 

That  was  the  end  of  the  other  ude  of  the  sheet — Charles  could 
not  fill  out  ihi^  sentence^  He  gave  it  up  after  one  or  two  gtusnct. 
But  he  read  both  sides  over  and  over  ajcain.  Then  he  aat  on — 
nut  on  in  tho  twilight — hix  left  hand  still  holding  the  letter.  If 
he  moved,  it  was  only  to  raise  his  two  banda  togetber  and  drop 
thi-TO.    Nothing  vlia:    At  In»t  he  roused  himself  with  a  little  ehah''. 

"Was  there  ever  such  another  dear,  di'ur,  iJfar  girl  in  tin-  world  f" 
Hfi  made  the  tnquiry  of  space,  and  didn't  wait  for  an  answer. 

ITc  pulled  the  bell — or  rather,  the  bell-hundli;,  A  boll-handle 
docs  not  transmit  potter  except  the  wire  bo  efficient;  or  perhaps 
there  was  no  bell.  "It  aounds  att  if  there  wax  none,"  aaid  Charlet: 
"perhap?.  more  accurately,  it  doesn't  sound  aa  if  there  waa  odk 
It"*  Platonic,  anyhow." — So  he  went  out  to  find  IInnd»worth,  and 
met  him  coming.  Handsworth  had  "heard  tlie  wire"  and  oon- 
rliidcd  "that  Mr.  Charles  hod  rung."  l'tjrn«c»  about  parlour-bells 
seem  to  run  into  inaccuracy  naturally.  Charles  asked  for  the  lamp 
or  a  couple  of  candles  to  write  a  letter  by.  When  illuminated,  be 
discovered  writing-materials  an<l  sat  down  aud  wrote. 

He  wrote,  absorbed,  to  the  end  of  a  four-pafce  letter.  It  vm 
written  straight  through,  signature  and  all,  without  any  apparrni 
difficulty  in  rtructuro,  or  stumbling- blocks  in  phrasing.  Then  be 
looked  at  hia  watch,  ga^'e  a  aliort  whistle,  picked  up  hi*  liat,  and 
started  out  to  find  liaster  Pierre.  A  signal,  once  or  twice  repeated, 
of  the'  nature  of  a  coo-ey,  convinced  him  tluit  that  young  mm 
had  got  well  out  of  hearing,  and  would  have  to  be  chased.  He  was 
considering  wbptfau  llie  cbaao  nc<^d  begin  now,  or  might  stand 
over  for  a  little,  when  his  ear  was  caught  by  the  sound  of  wbeett. 
and  an  anticipatiriT  ery  tlmt  it  wa«  Uncle  Charley  at  laat. 

"Yes,    it's    Cnele    Charlej'.    and    what's   more   be   knows    id! 

about "    But  Charlcit  stopped,  to  do  full  justice  to  hi*  welcome 

to  his  sister. — "There's  forgivenesa  in  that  hug,"  thought  Peggy  to 
herself,  after  a  qualm  of  miKgiving  at  hix  word«;  there  could  be  no 
doubt  what  it  wub  he  knew  all  about.    He  continued: — 

"Tes.  I  know  all  about  it,  I'oggy-Wc^gy — (How  well  you  are 
looking,  dear! — give  me  another  kisa,  and  don't  look  ao  soared) — 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


MB 


and  T  am  only  My,  liint  of  all  the  ilarling  glrla "    And  roalljr 

Charles  couldn't  Mtv  anf  oiorc,  as  a  mattpr  of  fact.  8o  he  let  it 
ttlono  diiriog  d<^bnrontton  from  tlie  oarHiuct!,  wliioh  iiiroIri-<]  Phillips 
and  Alee  beiitji  carried  ujistairs,  likp  Sabine  women  souud  a.ileop, 
ov<T  thnir  fiiclc-V  ln'o  slioidJcr*.  For  Im  suid  he  prffcrrcd  taking 
tbeni  bolb,  as  a  too  uxorious  Roman  soldier  mitcht  hare  done.  He 
abot  them  onto  n  bed,  like  c<iol!i,  nod  Iffl  thu  remainder  of  their 
arrangement  to  th*  nurse. 

"WpII— Clmrh-v!" 

"WeU— Lady  Jolmsont" 

"Come  and  wit  dourn  ticrc.  dear  old  boy,  and  I'll  tell  yon — ^no, 
don't! — Come  out  in  front  in  the  moonlipbl,  and  well  »it  on  the 
nat — How  well  you're  lookingl— The  Alps  for  crerl" — Charles 
■ays  tlicy  luid  that  Hort  of  flavour  about  theiti  wbeii  hr  came  away; 
and  then  tliey  botii  go  out  towards  the  long  stream  of  mootilijrbt 
on  th«  spfl,  und  ibe  mysterious  blin;k  pyminid  betwwn  it  and  the 
moon,  whieh  ranishes  when  you  hide  both.  They  anchor  ou  a  seat 
in  tlic!  wildc.-rn<'99;  where  the  si-a-wind.  lind  it  not  been  asleep,  would 
have  been  doing  a  little  swwping  of  tliy  sand.  A*  it  was,  it  wa«  fto 
still  the  lufts  of  spike-grass  hardly  slirrtid..  PeiKgy  appnjacht-d  tho 
subject  seriously. 

"It  was  Alice  herself — (Yes,  I  know!  There  ia  nobody  Hke 
Iwr!) — ntid  "he  alvmys  gets  her  way,  you  know — now  isn't  it  truct 
Weill    She  arraitged  it  wttli  the  SisU-r " 

"Mr*.  Priitr 

"Yes,  Mrs.  Prig.  Tf  slie  eaugbt  it,  nhn  was  to  go  away  at  on«fi 
to  this  nursiufc-home,  or  another,  if  tbcy  couldn't  lake  ber  in.  The 
lutad  of  it  \*  an  old  friecul  of  lllrn.  Prig.  She  bcgnn  feeling  hcnd- 
acbw  and  chills  two  or  three  days  before  you  n-eni  to  St.  t^i^onnnU, 
and  the  pi-nplc  at  tho  borne  wnt  a  upecial  earriage  for  her— just 
fancy!  it  naa  a  four  hours'  drivir  nnil  wo  knowing  nothing  ubuut 
it! -" 

"But  the  dear  girl!  Wliat  did  they  <Io  it  forf  Bocauw  we  were 
up  to  our  eyes  in  contagion  already — germs  all  over  the  placo       ■" 

"Don't  you  twt^i  She  tlwugbt  you  wouldn't  get  away  for  a 
clionge— besidrt  your  getting  on  extra  chance  of  catebing  ii,  if  you 
buoft  about  tho  house.  And  ahe  know  she  would  be  just  as  woll 
nutaed — or  better." 

"The  i>oor,  darling  childl  All  by  herself  at  a  Hospilall  Oh, 
Peggy  I    But  what  did  Rupert  tayV 

"It  wu*  no  use  his  saying  anything — nor  me  either.  The  thing 
was  done.  I  was  nrj  near  telling  you  thougli,  only  Rupert  stopped 
me.    Ve*.  fttopiwd  me  I   And  I  tliiiik  now  he  w6a  qi»Xe  t\;^v.  '''9t\t.v 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT 


L 


poKC,'  ho  (inid,  'Cb«r)<7  is  told,  And  hang*  «l>out  at  tlio  houM;.  «8  be 
would,  and  catfbos  il  too.  and  dies,  and  Alice  recovers,  w!iat  good 
will  it  have  done  Iicr  to  Icll  him?  Cirriimwribc  the  dicoaee  first — 
tnik  lai-tiipbj'iiicB  und  inc>riilil,v  «flerwanU!'  Tltul  wni  nliat  he  raid. 
And  1  think  he  was  ritibt,  Charlev.  Alice  will  have  ftom«  pleas 
now  in  mwing  wlint  ii  capital  job  tlie  Alps  have  ttirncd  you  out." 

"Dut  when  eball  I  aee  her  I — that's  wliut  I  want  to  know.    W 
nhc  U:  hiTt-  in  n  day  or  two,  an  she  saysl    And  are  the  doctor  and 
Mrs.  Wintringham  righl  about  the  marks,  or — whal'a  tbr  matter  (" 

"How  do  yi)u  cnnie  to  know  what  they  sayT' — For  Peggy  has 
looked  blank  surprise  at  Cbarl«,  and  cut  short  his  torrcot  of 
questions. 

"How  do  I  come ?    Why,  of  course — oh,  1  forgot  though,  I 

iicTer  told  you  how  I  read  your  letter."     And  Cbarlea  d««cri 
what  bad  happened. 

"See  what  comes  of  eaves-dropping  and  such  like,  you  fool! 
boy!  You  might  have  remained  in  the  dark — ]  see  how  it  was, 
llioush.  It  was  those  children.  Tliey  get  my  iRttcrn  and  pu«b 
them  under  the  carpet,  to  keep  them  set-ret,  I  expect  the  otbei 
half  of  this  one  is  under  tlie  carpet  now." 

"But  arc  they  right  about  the  mnrksr' 

"Indt-rd.  I  do  hope  8o.  dear  Charley."  Peggy  looks  very  serious. 
"Because  for  a  girl " 

"Oh — I  know — I  knowl"  says  Chnrtes,  willi  pain  in  bis  Toioe. 
"And  oh  dear — ihere  was  I.  fancying  what  kept  A1ic«  away 

aomclbing  of  that  kind.     And  now,  now !"    Chagrin  and  di 

tress  cannot  do  much  more  with  two  words,  than  make  tbem  Ii! 
these. 

"But,  Charley  dear — ere  you  so  very  sure!    Would  you  be 
very  glad,  if  Alice  were  really  engag<?d  to  be  married?" 

"I'm,"  almost  »liuiits  Cbarlee,     "l'e»— if  ibi.'  man  were  good 
enough  for  ber,    I  want  thai  dearest  of  girls  to  have  the  very 
of    cvifylhing — thu    be* I   of    husbaixU — tlie    happiest    of    hi 
Evfrytking.    So  do  you,  Foggy -Wc^ej,  and  you  know  it." 

PpBfry  dmisn't  deny  this.     But  then-  is  a  curious  n-serve  in 
handsuuie  face  in  the  moonlight,  as  she  sits  looking  at  her  brotb 
It  might  have  influenci.'d  some  sprach  Inter,  but  the  convorsAtion  w; 
cut  short  by  jolly  eatyrs,  so  to  speak.    They  u-ere  so  many,  and 
mnny.  and  such  glee.     Metaphor  apart,  they  were  tho  picnic  i 
wluit  hud  bi'in  the  pieiiie.  an  hour  ot  two  siuee.  which  hud  now  coi 
back  with  many  strange  tale«  to  tell,  and  alive  to  the  advan 
of  supper.    Pii;rre  reappean^l  with  them;  but  it  scemod  tluit  be  was 
indisposed  to  admit  that  he  had  lost  much  or  anythiiig  by  ht 


-M 


iiifi^ 


'4 


1 


ALICE-FOR-SHOBT 


857 


on   for  Uk  pflsl  two  months,  and,  in    fact,   iraa  inclined 
WtpKstion  ttie  advantages  ot  pi<:nioe  as  (.-ompiiricJ  with  Smallpos. 

So  wbaterror  comment  waa  pending  in  Ladji  Jolinson'a  mind  on 
her  brother's  natural  aspirntions  for  a  beloved  protegif.  it  was  not 
made,  on  thiti  occjiiiion  nt  k'nst,  iind  Charles  tutik  no  note  of  an; 
ezproesion  on  her  face.  No  wonder  t — for  his  was  at  this  moment 
obaesaed  hy  a  ainall  nc]ihew  of  seven  years,  who  *pronj;  on  him 
from  behind,  and  mar  b«  said  to  ha^ e  sounded  the  kejr-Dote  of  the 
pcrfonnanvc-  for  tho  rest  of  tho  evening. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 


aOW  ALICK  LOOKKD  OUT  rOR  A  SPARSOW's  SHADOW.  AMD  LCT  HER  }iVf0t 
RKAD  CUAKLEB'S    LBTTEU   ALOL'D.      UOW    CIIUtLeo    MADB    A    MOKTAt 

SHORT-CUT  Aeaavit  a  ckdrchyard,  and  took  alice  to  WIMBLEI 

HOW  ORANDUAHMA  VfOVLlt  TALK  ABOUT  MISS  STKAKKB 


IXHI^ 


L 


Ir  Uin  u-hole  human  race  were  polled  to  decide  the  queelion, 
what  18  thp  most  dcliirhtful  tbinK  in  the  world  that  doM  no  baroi  to 
niiy  oDc  doe,  aurtrlj  mon^  tluin  half  would  auswer — coDTaleaoemie. 
Of  course  there  are  do  end  of  foeatcr  satisfactions  thnt  hare  idotd 
oliiim  on  our  conMiderntion,  if  wu  include  thoae  which  invohe 
discomfort  or  incoDveuieuce  to  our  fellow -creatuivs.  Nobodf 
would  place  a  mcro  ecnstial  enjoyment,  like  returninjr  health,  on  i 
lore!  with  iihooting  or  finhinK  or  winning  hc-jivily  on  the  Stock- 
Eitchanee  or  at  Moule  Carlo,  all  of  which  involve  correapondinK 
drawback?  to  some  one  else,  and  couldn't  be  enjoyed  without  tluoL 
But,  for  an  ahaotutcly  innocuous  jileaaure,  give  ua  getting  well  after 
an  illness. 

So  Alice  thought  to  herself  us  she  wnkeil  up  vttry  iilowly,  on  tha 
second  nioming  after  our  lusl  chapter,  iai  ail  the  comfort  of  h«f 
little  room  at  Chclverhurst,  tho  old  Surrey  manor-house  that  had 
been  turned  Into  a  Nursing  TTome  for  badly  infctttiotui  cawsL 
not  hare  Smallpox,  if  the  end  of  it  was  to  be  a  atre«im  of  inomi 
aunligbt  on  an  imitatii>n  Chincst;  rbintx  a  hitndriNl  yrnrH  old,  and 
wallpaper  to  match  with  pheaeante  n>]ieati-d  at  intervals,  but 
showing  any  gauche  contteioiisncss  of  their  own  sameness?  An' 
btnlruom  china  of  the  very  same  data.  unchipiM-d,  yi-t  authentic 
BO  beautiful  t.hnt  Charles's  funny  friend  Mr.  iIcrryihouKht  would 
have  bid  for  tlie  merest  soap-diah  i  For  tbnt  waa  how  Alice  thought 
of  Jeff — as  a  being  whose  sole  joy  was  the  aulhentictt;  of  hia  col- 
lection of  early  Georgian. 

Jeff  might  have  used  his  favourite  exprcaaion,  "Grandmother !" 
in  a  new  sense  about  the  authenticities  at  Ghelverhuret.  ami  with 
a  greater  ap])0«iti-n<ta3.  For  the  liuiiiSR  as  it  stood  wah  rxaetly  what 
it.  was  when  the  present  owner's  Grandmother  died;  and  tery  nearly 
whnt  it  huci  bcx-n  when  !>lie  married,  say  a  hnndred  years  a^ 
Mrs.  WiQiringhaiu.  when  her  mother  and  huabaud  and  foar  chil- 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


sw 


difd  of  SmsIIpox,  inbcritMl  it  nnd  turni^cl  it  into  n  Xuniuff 
Utimt'.     But  we  har*  uolhiiiR  to  do  with  tliie,  any  more  than  we 
have  with  niij  of  the  appalling  trngwJirn  whoiw'  mirvimrs  pasi  us 
in  the  vtroiit  every  <Uy,     We  onlj-  meotion  it  to  account  for  the 
intense  antbenticity  of  the  ewer  and  hnxin,  thp  chintz  and  the  wall- 
pnp<:T,  which  AUoe  can  see  the  auQ-made  window  ou.  and  is  feeling  i 
glad  of.    How  heavenly  it  in  in  thin  dc-nr  tilttc  dui^k  of  s  room  sh«1 
waa  moved  into  yesterday  after  all  that  dreadful  fever  and  madden- 
inn  akin-torture  in  the  real  scrvico  ward  of  the  institution  in  the 
new  building  in  the  garden,  a  little  way  off!     For  tlii»  was  one  o£j 
two  or  tbrr*  choice  retreats  in  the  "ilothcr  Superior's"  own  hous 
whic^h  Hbc  kii>t  in  n-iM-rv<'  for  cniivnliiiccnlK  in  Kpecial  eases.    Alic 
eoon  became  a  special  case,  even  when  the  fever  was  on  her.    It  was^ 
a  way  she  had  with  her. 

In  the  middle  of  the  sun-made  window  was  a  cast  shadow  of  Ivy- 
leaf.  It  moved  with  n  •iiddcn  movement  that  was  not  wind.  Ali™> 
lay  and  watched  it  drowsily,  delightfully.  She  wua  watfbing  for 
the  little  dicky-bird  tbiit  rfic  knew  was  causing  that  ninveracnt, 
aomcwbere  out  of  night.  She  knew  tlint  by  piilliuf;  ut  n  flufty  bell- 
rope  handle  close  to  her  hand  she  could  have  milk  or  lueat'jL-lly 
or  anytliiiig  »he  liked  to  n&mo.  But  she  preferred  to  watch  for 
the  shadow  of  the  little  dicky-bird.  Would  it  bn  u  swallow,  or  a 
tomtit,  or  a  little  wren,  or  only  a  common  house-eparrow  i  And 
would  she  know  it  by  it«  shadow!  .  .  . 

Yea — there  it  was,  sure  enough!  An<!  Alice  would  have  guesacd. 
up  to  oockn«r'point  of  bird-knowUdgc.  if  only  the  little  character 
would  have  stood  still,  or  aaid  something.  But  be  only  got  involved 
in  bimsnlf,  and  became  a  ripple  of  feathers,  and  a  flick,  and  dis- 
appeared without  rt'TTiark.  Alitv^  wntclu'd  f<ir  him  again,  viMcd  at 
his  silimce.  She  watched  ell  the  while  the  ivy-spray  travelled 
•cross  a  Chintvc  phcamint.  Then  the  little  bird's  shadow  <!aino 
again,  and  Alice  decided  he  waa  only  a  sparrow.  He  said  some- 
thing very  lout!  twice  over — something  out  of  all  proportion  to  bis 
size — and  Bew  away.  Then  Alice  suddenly  went  to  sleep  again, 
quite  Clonlruriwim'  to  her  espeotBtions, 

She  heard  through  her  sleep,  without  seeing  any  need  to  wake  for 
it,  the  mmtid  of  music.  Ii  was  that  Ave  Unria  of  Arcadelt.  Most 
likely  you  know  the  ont?  I  mean — one  often  hears  it.  Il  is  juat  like 
Heaven  under  ordinary  circumstances;  but  when  it  is  the  firat 
music  heard  after  a  bud  illnettH.  liow  thcu)  Almost  worth  the  ill- 
nea*  Ui  bmr  it,  with  th«  life  comins  back  to  one's  veins,  in  the  sweet 
air  and  the  dean  white  sheets,  and  what  would  <^ae— but  for  it— bb 
kUcooc 


luua 


MO 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 


So  A)i<«  ihousrht  as  she  came  slowljr,  slowlr,  from  the  eleop 
liateiicd  to  the  St*t<m'  mctinit  in  tim  liltle  dinpd  tfacr  hw)  mai 
tfaemselres  iu  the  gsnJeD.     So  she  ns  still  thinkine  when 
Wintrin^hnm.  who  wa«  ugly  but  goml.  cbidc  in  to  {My  her  n  mo 
tng  Tisit,  and  briue  her  iier  I«tten.    What  did  U  matter  bow  niu^ 
row-minilr^  shn  was? 

"Three  Miss  Kavanagha,"  wya  the  good  ladj-;  "Miss  KaraDaf;] 
UiM  Knmnnsh— MiM  Kavanagh.*'    Sh«  hands  the  thnw  to  Ali< 
"And  vnn  for  Hi^  Alice  Kavansirh."  wliivh  abe  psnea  on 
lately,  that  then  may  be  no  decvptioo — like  a  conacienttous 
jurer, 

"Thftt's  Mr.  Charky.  I  know."  says  the  patient;  "he  a! 
liliNH-AlicrcH  me."     But  slii-  duesn't  seem   in  any  hurry  to 
them.    It's  such  fun  lookiiif:  at  Uie  outside  of  a  letter,  abe 
sidrrn. 

"Have  your  own  way.  my  denr."  Mys  (he  Mother  Superior,  m 
Alice  group"  the  four  cnrelopea  on  the  counterpane  in  front  of  her; 
"you'w  to  be  .ipoiled.  you  know."    She  is  a  little  chuekly  rather 
woman  of  tifty-odd;  you  would  not  describe  her  as  teroptiiig, 
what  we  bare  heard  called  coddlcioinc-    But  Alice  wnnW  to  kiss 
(or  all  that.     Perhnjis  Aim  sees  siruiglil  throujth  to  tiie  soul  tl 
pawed  throuffh  the  Vnlley  of  that  Shndow  of  Death,  and  was  sa 
frotn  wreck  b.v  it*  ihuuglit  f<ir  tnivclltrra  to  come.     Anyhow,  el 
fceta  at  the  ugly  face  somehow,  and  kisses  it.    "Vou  Kare  been 
darlins  to  mc,"  say*  »ho;  '*«o  hn*  cvprj-hmiy." 

"You're  a  pleasant  one  to  do  with,  luy  dear!    There'*  the  diffi 
oncp."     And  pwiwntly  the  Uotber  Superior  gor*  awoy,  after 
specting  Alice's  face  carefully.    But  she  Icares  Sieter  Alethea 
attend  to  her  further  spoilinii. 

It  v/ui  a  lucky  whim  of  thv  patieut'a  that  made  ber  leave 
letters  unopened.     Diet,  even  aocordinit  to  a  regimt,  is  noun: 
inff — and  wi-  are  uot  nure  the  rrttin^'^  in  thiit  cane  wann'l  wlintr 
Uie  patient  felt  inclined  for.    Anyhow.  »he  wait  the  better  for  it,  a. 
refection  had  rvachnd  the  utagc  of  two  tuhleiipounful*  <!T<-ry  f 
hount  before  she  ;;;at  her  finger  Inside  Charles's  envelope,  and  beg: 
to  rip  without  raisftiviDK,  .  .  . 

''Wliat's  ihe  matter.  d<uir  Mias  Kavanagbf  said  Sister  Aletfa< 
alarmed,  as  Alice  dropped  the  letter  with  a  half -cry.  half-gasp. 
fell  back  on  her  pillow,  spccchlcMi.     Howercr,  ahc  soon  recore: 
her  Toieo. 

"Mr.  Charles  Heath  has  found  out  I'to  Imd  it.    And  I  wan 
him  not  to  know!" 

"Ob,  is  that  all!    1  thought  Eomcthiii«  was  the  mattarr   8: 


1 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


SSI 


WM  At]  imiKirtiirbiiblo  Sister.    Imperturbability  is  a  verr 
I  ^aliiy.  in  a  Hoopital. 

"I  wish  jroti  wou)d  read  it  all  tbrou^  for  me.  Sister,  while  I 
dhut  mj  eyes."  You  st«.  Ali(«  vaa  no  grateful  to  tbe»i>  i-xL-ellent 
ladiM  that  she  got  pleasure  from  KivinK  them  her  unreserved  con- 
fifknfii!.  Tlioiigb.  indn'ii,  if  tbi>  Ictti-r  huii  bc<'n  from  Mr.  Selwyn- 
Kerr  or  Sir  Tbomss  Urabazon,  the  would  uever  hare  lei  another 
•Dul  M.T  it.  Kx(-irpt  of  roiirse  Miss  Pc^gy  or  Mr.  Charlc]r.  Poople 
took  their  chance  of  that,  if  ihe.v  wrote  letters  to  her. 

Siatnr  .Alcihcii  wn*  nothing  loth  to  rt-ad  the  lettir*  for  Alirc. 
When  :fou  have  reuounccil  the  world  it's  fun  to  gel  a  read  at  other 
people'*  letters  and  «*  what's  going  on  in  it-  Bt-nidrx,  nhe  had 
just  aaid  her  prayera  in  (be  Chapel.  But  would  Mr.  Charles  Henth 
not  mind  her  seeing  his  letter  I 

"Oh.  no!  Wliy  *lioiil,i  he!  As  if  I  didn't  Itnow  Mr.  Clinrlerl 
Cut  avTAy."  And  Alice  lay  back  on  the  pillow  and  listened.  The 
really  wnn  an  dirment  of  phy^ioal  trciikiic«  in  thist.  Alice  wa»  glad 
to  haTe  anything  done  for  her;  for  all  she  fell  so  well  aud  happy 
it  coiild  not  be  relied  on  to  last  if  she  tried  to  do  aoythiiig  beyond 
extating. 

"Fire  away.  Sister  Thca  dear,"  aaid  she.  Sister  Alethea  hesi- 
tatwl  a  moment,  (hen  proceeded : 

"  'You  most  dear  aud  darling  little  ^irl,  there  is  nothing  like  you 
anywben^  in  all  this  world.  Yes,  I  know.  I've  beard  oil  about  it. 
Alice-for-fJiorl  I — only  thiuk  of  it.* — Is  that  whal  he  means?"  The 
reader  hung  lire  for  n  moment,  doubtfully. 

"Is  what  whal  he  nieanst  .  .  .  'Alict-for-nhorl?'  oh,  ye«! — il'a , 
enly  Mr.  Cliaricy.    That's  all  right.    I  understand.    Go  ahead  P 

"'And  inHli-ud  of  (hut.  tlierc  wait  I  climbing  the  Alps.  .  .  .'    Are-- 
you  aure  I'm  reading  right,  Misa  Kavanagh !    Because  it  doesn't 
socm  to  make  sense." 

"Oh  dear,  yeel  It's  all  right.  Don't  you  know  about  'Instead 
of  that  you  go  and  Kteal  turkeys' t  You  don't  understand  UrTj 
Charley.  Qo  atratght  on."  Tbi?  Sister  wvmed  unconvinced,  buC 
continued : 

"  'Wlijitpip-er  can  I  say  to  my  dear  little  girl  for  thia?  What  ia 
there  to  be  said  except  that  I !'  .  .  ." 

"Can't  you  make  out  his  handwriting  f" 

"Ob  yee— it's  quite  legible.    Only  -  .  ." 

"Only  what  J" 

"Are  you  really  sure  he  wouldn't  mind  other  people  reading  altl 
ihisf  Aliee  Inughivl  oloud,  iinle  cheerfully.  Why  on  eatth ^fcft'O.^A 
}Aj.  Charley  mLnd  auybodj-  n:iiding  itl    01  eotim^Nitb  WMCnV  \'^- 


• 


363  ALICE-FOR-SHOBT 

Siatvr  Alcthcn  glanced  on  to  the  D«xt  pa««.  seemed  still  to  besitai 
then  fiuaU.v  resumed: 

"  'Whnl  in  them  to  be  tnid  t^xcept  ibnt  I  lore  you  ami  Ahull  alvAjV 
love  yoti.  RL>ail,v  when  you  Gome  to  think  it  over,  Aticc-for-ehort, 
dsrlinR.  you'll  find  that  ihnt  nhsufls  tlic  BiibiiMTt.  Further  than 
that  ihcn-  is  nothiug — only  just  this — that  if  that  dear  8w«?t  face 
of  yniin  is  disfifpired  1  shall  nerrr  be  happy  ngnin.  It's  thr  Mimpla 
truth.  But  whst  I  can't  gut  OTcr  Iv  liiat  there  was  I,  cUmhioK  all 
those  Alps  all  the  white  1' 

"'Now,  my  dwir — look  here!  I  kiiiiw  you're  not  fit  to  move  jwt, 
snd  can't  be  for  a  day  or  two.  But  I  know  you're  in  icood  hand& 
So  I'll  pill  up  with  not  seeing  you  for  a  fuw  days  more — though 
I  tell  you  plainly  1  don't  above  half  like  il — and  then  I'll  come  and 
fi-tch  yon.  That's  something  to  look  forward  to,  unyliowl  Good- 
bye for  now,  darling.' 

•"Signpd— Mr.  Charley.'" 

"Itn't  il  a  uic«  letl«r?"  said  Alice,  with  her  eyc«  closed  anil  het 
head  back  on  the  pillow.  She  seemed  very  happy  over  it,  now  that 
the  fir»t  shock  of  finding  Charles  kni-w  the  whole  truth  watt  orcr. 

"Oh,  a  verj-  niue  letter  I"  The  hewilth-rment  on  the  imperturbable 
face  of  the  Nursing  E^ister  was  just  as  risible  as  if  Ilcaven  had 
given  hiT  one  capable  of  expression.  But  Alie<>  didn't  see  it;  w 
that  didn't  matter. 

"I  .lon'l  think  I  shall  write  back  1o  Mr.  Charley  yet.  not  tiUj^ 
know  belter  about  iiij-  luarka.     Dr.  Pitt  said  he  thought  be 
bf  able  lo  roakc  a  good  gwss  in  a  day  or  two." 

"Uo  you  think  this  gentleman  wouUl  miad!"  Sister  Thea  frft 
it  would  be  too  familiar  to  say  "Mr.  Charley."  lint  lOie  knew  no 
other  aauie.  "I  mean."  she  continued,  "that  I  fancy  it  won't  moke 
any  difference  at  all  to  him." 

Alict?  ofieni'd  her  ews  to  full  astonislinient  point,  and  I 
round  at  ihe  Sister.  "You  don't  tnoiu  Mr.  Charley !"  she  sai 
"  'Not  make  any  difference  to  him  1' — wliy,  hell  ju.it  bn-nk  hia  licnrt 
ubout  it!  I  don't  believe  he  ever  reaHv  wilt  be  happy — just  as  Iw 
says.  I'm  sur«  bo'U  l>c  always  thinking  about  me,  all  day  1 
And  as  far  as  that  goes.  I  shouldn't  care  twopence  if  1  was 
picturesque  cottages  outside  all  over,  provided  it  did  him  any 
What's  it  called  (  .  .  .  rough-cast.  Or  Pierre's  compaasco — I  ntcon 
the  box.  .  .  ."  Alice  was  gettinir  tired  with  talkinic.  and  said  so. 
8he  wouldn't  be  able  to  read  her  utlier  letters,  and  she  wanted  to 
read  them  all  to  herself.  So  Sister  Thea  took  srvcrol  things  in  the 
room  as  point*  of  order,  and  when  they  were  iliHpostHl  wf,  carri 
awa;  an  exttnot  tray,  to  come  back  in  du«  course. 


moke 

ooklH 
said^ 

licnrt 

as  1)9  I 
lon^^ 

Roonn 


A,  carriij^i 


ALICE-FORSHORT 


afts 


It  vaa  AUce  *I1  over  to  hand  bcr  letter  from  Clurles  to  the  Nun- 
ins  Siit«r  to  rood,  nnd  to  hnv«  rc»rnT«  nbout  Peggy'*.    Her  ab 
lute  coii6dence  in  her  relaliona  wilb  Charles  prereiitcd  her  ever 
kmkinK  at  them  critically,  much  less  nnnlysiiiK  them.     It  com- 
pletely iKlntjnri)  lier  in  this  cxm-  iutu  whnt  tevint^d  to  SiMcr  Thea.J 
a  most  pcrplcxiiiK  Inck  of  common-eonec  and  common  insi(|:h^  Per-f 
hap*  tfaiH  wiis  pnrtty  »wiii|c  to  iiiT  wi-nk  nnd  hnxj;  ctinditiaii  of  mind>l 
At  another  time  she  nuRhl  have  done  otherwisf-,     Thia  time  ahtt 
felt  no  miagtvinga  as  the  doxcd  off — fvcn  in  the  act  of  opening 
Pfgey"^  letter — after  tlie  Sister  went  awa.v. 

Tbo  sunlight  had  dewrtcd  tbo  Chinese  pheaMnts  on  the  wall,  and 
was  down  on  tho  curiiet  under  the  window  whi^n  *he  next  tliought 
of  waking.    She  felt  the  envelope  Mill  on  her  finger  as  she  laj 
there  not  quite  sure  wlictlicr  to  wake  or  not.     Thi«  reminded  herj 
she  liad  not  read  the  kiter.  and  roused  her  to  do  eo.    It  waa  writt 
tlw!  day  afw^r  ChnrU-s'ii— hut  had  come  by  the  same  post.     Alic 
wasn't  to  he  the  It^ast  uncomfortahle.    diflTli-H  had  taken  tho  newt^ 
Terj;  »CDiiihiy,  and  had  promised  not  to  fidiret  about  her.     Fe^:gy 
told  all  al)0ut  luiw  the  atory  hiul  oome  out.    "It  was  such  a  picoc  of 
luck,"  said  the  writer,  "that  your  letter  thoee  wicked  little  mookeya 
had  got  at  and  Irft  i>licking  out  of  the  ciirpni  wnn  juKt  the  sheet 
about  what  Ura.  WiDtringliam  and  Dr.  Pilt  said  about  the  mark 
Just  think  if  it  had  bcrn  that  about  the  guf  you  looked  in  thi 
glaiat    Cltarlcy  went  to  look  under  tlie  carpcrt  for  tlie  reat  of 
letter,  but  I  had  been  beforehand  wilh  him,  and  pretended  it  wa 
lout."    Sbo  went  on  to  naj-  that  Chnrlt-s  liad  conM-iitod  to  reniain  all 
Sbellaconibe  for  the  present,  and  not  go  tearing  off  lilce  a  maniac  to 
CLdverhurFi,  where  he  couldn't  do  any  good  and  would  only  catcb 
some  new  infection.    Rupert  was  coming  down  on  Saturdar  >ii 
would  keep  him  (|uiet,    'thi»  afternoon  he  and  Pierre  bed  walkt 
over  to  Siirge  Point.  Ui  mit^  wher«  Aunty  I.isay  nearly  wi^nt  over  tiin 
oliff.    Did  Alice  remember  .\ndrew  O'Kourke — perhaps  she  hardly 
could — Ur*.  O'Roiirkv'ii  aon  at  tlu;  LighthouM' t     Poor  fellow  1  h« 
bad  volunteered  to  go  over  the  chip's  stem  in  a  gale,  to  find  what 
had  fouW  the  ncn-w,  an<l  was  drownc^l.     Alice  could  quite  vtAl 
retnemher  the  strong  man  that  had  come  behind  ber  on  tbe  cliff, 
and  then  carri«d  her  bomc.    When  Sister  Thui  come  in  with  her 
becf-tca,  tetn  were  running  down  Alice's  cheeka  for  the  strong 
man.  and  the  Sister  was  promised  the  whole  storf  of  the  rescue  : 
soon  ai*  the  p4iti<;iit  might  talk  more.    For  Alice  waa  weakneaa  iUeb 
the  moment  afae  spoke  or  moved. 

What  WW©  the  other  two  li'ttcw!    One  from  Pwtt«,  •S«j«rWi'Mt 
tbe  glorious  Clieuucal  Chest  Aunt  Fegg^  b&Oi  gv^n  Vua,  's'Vi^:^  % 


ALICE-FOR^EORT 

book  full  of  oxp«rinient«  it  would  bo  scientific  to  tiy.  Only 
only  .  .  .  onJ.v.  there  was  caiikm-  in  thn  fruit.  ^1  in  the  necKr 
cup!  Thr  ttift  WHS  saddled  with  the  condition  that  its  recipient 
should  not  makf  gunpowder!!  .  .  .  Pierrp,  who  wii»  den^oping 
milliard  and  destructive  iiintincte,  felt  that  science,  so  handicapped, 
was  u  tncrv  Drud-Sr?n  iipplc.  And  thi-rc  wrn,"  thi-  (luantitioji  givrn 
in  tbe  booli.  sud  evcrythtnfEl  Alice  tumod  from  the  con  lein  pint  ion 
of  this  enormity  with  a  feeling  of  Krntiliidc  thnt  lliv  tjcicntific 
lieoreatioQ  of  blowing  himself  to  piecee  had  been  forbtddeu  lu 
Pierre. 

And  the  other  letter — who  was  tlml !  Alice  didn't  at  once  recog;- 
ni»n  the  handwritinir-  Instead  of  rcferrinB  to  the  cncIoBure.  nho 
preferred  to  rtinuiti  out  of  its  conruli-iicc.  and  wonder.  Thi-n  shtf 
wild,  suddenly,  "Oh,  I  know — of  coursel"  and  opened  it.  Which 
was  ahHiird. 

She  looked  very  much  amused  at  the  first  pafce.  and  her  amuse- 
ment grew  lut  slu:  n^ad.  By  the  time  she  got,  to  the  Iimt  shnct — ^it 
was  a  lonit  letter— ahe  was  fuirlj'  lelued  to  and  eiiBrossed  with  the 
contents,  bcr  fitcc  sparklitiK  with  a  forecast  of  tlic  lough  thnt  was 
ffdiiig  to  come  ut  thi-  end.  WhiMi  it  came  ithe  used  up  her  lad 
re^rve  of  ritrour  to  enjoy  it,  and  fell  back  ou  the  pillow  cxbausWtL 
and  drying  the  leiirs  her  laugh  liiid  l^ft  liiJiind. 

"There  now !"  she  said  to  space,  as  soon  as  sbe  thought  she  would 
be  audible.  "What  will  Mr.  Charley  eay  to  Ihali  Shan't  I  catch 
it !    Howct-vr,  I  don't  care  what  hi-  says.    I'm  not  responsible." 

She  beRan  to  frame  the  wording  of  her  letter  to  Charley,  in 
which  elie  would  giro  all  particulars  of  what  had  amused  her  so, 
llut  when  one  does  this  sort  of  thing  on  a  pillow,  one  goes  to  sleep 
again.  Alice  did,  and  actually  stppt  till  Mrs.  WintriD^ham  and 
Dr.  Pitt  came,  who  found  her  asleep  under  envelopes  and  band- 
writings. 

"Better  not  try  getting  up  to-day,  but "    And  that  is  as  much 

B«  Dr.  I'itt  need  say.  in  ibis  story.  It  was  a  good  fonicaat  of  next 
day,  as  Alice  did  then  gi^t  up,  and  netually  lay  in  a  hammock  oo 
the  lawn  in  the  sun,  and  talked  to  the  ugly  little  Mother  Superior 
about  the  old  days  before  the  Snuillpox  wlum  tbe  "Homo"  was 
another  sort  of  liome,  and  her  children  played  on  the  lawn  there. 
Aliee  felt  so  narrow-minded  for  always  cjitcliing  hcntelf  forsiving 
this  little  womnti  for  being  iiarrow-mindeiL  Sbe  wat  so.  no  doubt. 
But  after  all.  what  do  we  know,  the  wisest  of  iis'i  Presently.  Alio* 
found  herself  repeating  old  Mr.  Heath's  "Well ! — we're  all  mighty 
fine  i>«>ple!" 

Sbe  just  managed  a  short  note  in  a  shaky  hand  to  Mr.  Charley. 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


355 


promiaintir  him  another  aIiiio§t  dlrectlj,  with  somethintt  v^r;  amuv 
ing  in  it.  And  next  dny  shn  was  better  utill,  and  wrote  it.  But, 
after  all.  sht-  pualpouttl  lbi>  fioinelhttuc  very  autusiDic.  Conva- 
Icwence  tbcD  bctrao  to  prognr^  rnpidljr  and  the  <U.t  whs  SxeA  for 
her  reraoral.  But  Mrs.  Wintriufcham  didn't  nant  this  patient  to 
go,  «iul  got  it  tmide  as  lotir  as  possible. 

A  word  of  compliment  i«  due  to  I'oggy  at  this  jtincturv.    For 
fifae  kept  bur  nattiral  eagenicss  to  see  Alicf  hack  in  llnrlr-y  Strc«t 
in  check,  and  absented  to  the  convalescent  going  for  a  while  to  her 
mothcr'M  villa  un  Wimbledon  Common  hcfoiti  returning  to  tha 
bouae  that  she  always  regarded  as  her  home.    Poor  Peggy  I — ^just 
think!    Thrrp  had  been  scarcely  any  Alice  for  her  nincc  that  day 
in  May  whun  tlie  iwwa  came  of  Charles's  wife's  dealli.    And  htrro 
we  were  almost  in  September!     But  Peggy  was  all  the  readier  tO^H 
give  way  on  thii^t  point  liecuuae  tlie  drire  from  Clielrvrhtmt  to  0«k^| 
Villa  was  shorter,  and  it  had  been  settled  that  a  loiin  carriage  drivfl^f 
wo*  bftller  than  a  ruilwiiy-journi--y  witli  two  etiuiigi^n.  ami  a  drivo  at^B 
OBcli  end.     Aud  Grandmamma'^  carringir  cotihl  rith<^r  bu  shut  or 
open.     But  as  a  reirard  for  her  self-restraint  in  the  matter  o£^ 
Alice'ii  return,  she  insiirted  on  Charle-s  remaining  at  Shollacombl^l 
until  the  lime  was  quite  ripe  for  biui  to  go  and  bring  Alice  airoy^ 
froxa  Ch<-l«Thun«t.    So  Mr,  Charley  had  to  keep  his  curiosity  in 
«faeck  for  another  week  u)>out  the  some-thing  n-ry  amusing.    At  thn 
end  of  that  time  he  returned  to  London  with  his  son.  whom  he 
fortbwitJt  deHpaiehed  to  finish  his  tioHdnys  at  his  Omndmrithrra, 
and  get  as  much  cricket  as  was  compatible  with  a  small  amount 
of  oocaaiunal  nttciition  to  his  hoslr!>3.    He  would  eomo  on  himself 
io  a  day  or  two.  and  bring  the  convalesceut  witli  him. 

This  remindii  n*  that  we  have  qoile  lost  sight  of  old  Mr*.  Ilejith. 
After  the  break  up  of  "the  OurdKiis"  she  rctin-d  to  a  villa  on  Wim- 
bledon Common,  always  attended  by  her  faithful  Partridge.    Her 
itttitude  towuriU  maukind  wus,  bridly,  that  it^  woll-bcing  suffi^ned^ 
from  its  neglect  of  her  behests.     This  could  only  be  conveyed  b^fl 
implication,  a*  an  abstract  moral    principli*.  in  lurh  cases   (fi>fV 
instance)  as  an  earthquake  in  Japan  or  a  misprint  in  Bradabaw;fl 
but  in  nil  family  matti'ri^  it  was  a  conerele  reality.     No  rea8ona'*S 
Me  person  could  doubt  that  tlu;  <I<-aUi  of  bcr  htisbund,  the  di.iperaal^ 
of  ber  sons  and  daughters  with  other  people's  daughters  and  sons, 
and  the  opportunities  nf  liinisting  themiietvit<  into  tlu^  family  circle 
ibus  given  to  intrusire  babies,  were  alike  due  to  inattention  to 
her  guidance.     Combinations  of  a  paradoxical  nature  w\to!\^\vqk* 
vcoufKd;  SB  in  the  case  of  ber  exocwiivc  ioiidiiK««  iot  ^'wtTc  'VvC^a 


JM 


368 


ALICE-FOR-SHOET 


noun^^ 


raigbt,  in  x-rrrc  In^cul  M)aM8tcii«3-.  luive  led  to  a  Mitiin  amoiur 
of  foririvcuess  lowards  the  boy'a  mother.  Uts  Gwinny  (whow 
<Jcr(iti(m  hp  ontircly  rrtiimifl)  wiw  not  pivpered  to  ito  IbU  len^ffJi. 
HUt]  a  modui  viluptrandi  had  to  be  (Iieco?ered  which  should  bit  iIk* 
mothrr  and  mixH  the  eon.  The  one  thnt  nH>amni<-n<lc(l  it^tf  to  Itlr*. 
Heath  was  that  of  treating  Pierre  as  exactly  the  very  jrrandson  sha 
would  horo  hAd  in  nny  cAse — a  *ort  of  fiiixlnincntnl  pritioiiilc  id^| 
Nature — and  his  mother  aa  an  interloper  who  had  had  the  impertl'^^ 
nenoo  to  b««r  him.  Of  coutk  idio  never  »*i<l  nnytliinK  of  this  to 
poor  Pierre  himself,  whose  ideas  about  hia  mother  were  of  the 
hazif^  sort.  Uc  was  jiirt  alire  to  the  fact  that  jJie  bad  "eot  away" 
from  bis  Governor;  but  owing  to  llw  latttr's  chivalrous  on<l  gi>ntle 
manner  in  the  few  cases  in  which  he  alluded  to  her,  he  grew  up  witb 
a  curititis  idi-ti  tJiat  'tM  niolbcr'H  cutting  away  vim  not  a* 
boys'  mothers'  euttinfc  away;  and  be  once  had  a  deadly  battle  vrl 
a  nchool-ff'Ilow  trlioH;  father  haii  cut  awny  from  hit  mother,  a 
who  bad  presumed  to  compare  the  two  cases.  We  are  referring 
olil  Mm.  fleutb  and  her  relationi"  with  Pierre,  now,  to  ftive  so 
stance  and  reality  (o  hia  frequent  absence  from  home.  Tlu>  fai 
in  that  during  his  holidays  bis  Graimy  simply  got  him  down 
Wimbledon  whcni'ver  iibc  oould,  and  possibilities  of  cricket  in 
neighbourhoo<!  added  to  its  attractions, 

Now  on  thi?  occasion  of  Charles's  return  from  Shcllacombe  ne«r 
ibree  niontbn  bad  elap-ied  since  Pierre  had  paid  a  visit  to  Oak 
Villa,  and  his  Granny  bad  been  neglected.    So  bis  father  sent  him 
off  ibe  day  aftrr  tlieir  arrival,  eomewhat  crestfallen  nt  not  bci. 
allowed  to  take  his  Chemieal  Chest  with  bim.  and  inaugurate 
search  vritb   dc-stnictivo  acida  and  enustic  nlknlics  all   over  hi 
Grandmamma's  flpotless  ehiutees  and  irreproachable  caipeta. 
had  to  be  eontj^ntcd  with  Cricket,  and  defer  Chemixtry  for 
present.    Hie  father  waa  positive  uu  tliu  point,  and  Pierre  bad 
giTc  it  up. 

After  packing  bim  off,  Cburles  went  straight  to  bis  Studio, 
saw  his  way  now  to  a  little  quiet  painting.  Seeing  his  way  to  it 
was  a  common  frnmc  of  mind  of  his.  But  K^eiiig  what  it  would 
be  when  be  got  to  it  was  tjuite  another  matter.  It  was  curious  that 
the  fact  that  what  he  was  looking  forvi-ard  to  with  pleasure  was  not 
the  clothing  of  some  image  in  his  mind  witli  a  Rrality,  but  iha 
reinstatement  of  the  contents  of  a  neglected  colour-box,  the  open- 
ing of  a  partvl  of  new  hog-hnir  and  snble  brushtw  and  »o  forth,  and 
the  arrival  of  a  new  double-primed  canvas;  and  that  this  fact  gave 
bim  no  miNgivingn  about  his  capacities  for  making  uite  of  tbem 
ecductt^v  uateriala  when  -he  bad  got  tbem.    But  so  it  was.    Aa 


^ 


L 


W  ALICE-FOR-SHORT  W» 

he  walked  down  to  bio  Studio  noxt  moming  hi>  wn*  ahxoIutcl.T  with- 
out anj  purpose  oa  to  what  he  vaa  going  to  put  on  the  <!anva3  be 
had  ordered  in  Long-Acre  jceterday  on  his  vny  from  Waterloo. 
But  tliin  {nmf.  of  miad  WHnnnd  to  him  conipiitible  with  a  rerjr  de- a 
fined  purpose  indeed — a  moral  one.  wliich  lie  des<rribed  to  himsetCH 
m*  making  up  for  lo»t  time.  lie  Ksid  to  himw-If  rrp<intndl,v  thnt 
tbi^  would  never  do  and  everytbtiig  was  leetting  bebtndband.  But 
he  shut  his  eyw  to  the  fnct  thai  this  hBeltwnr*lnes»  of  hi*  work  wns 
a  pure  abstracttoa.  and  waa  aveonipuiiied  by  no  imiigir  of  a  point 
of  arrested  profrreas  of  an;  particulnr  picture,  or  of  definite  sicps 
toward*  the  iRBiigunttion  of  nnotlior.  All  \ic  know  was  hv  would 
go  to  work  in  earnest  owd  make  up  for  lost  lime.  That  was  the 
correct  Mcpn-sKion,  Of  courne  Ik-  mui>t  get  a  littlo  order  ut  the 
Studio,  and  find  out  wbetber  Slariuccla  Ooldoni  could  come  and  sit. 
If  you  tr>'  to  begin  right  off,  before  your  materinU  are  in  order  and 
you've  got  your  modi:l.  you  only  gi"t  into  confusion. 

So  when  Charles  got  to  the  Studio  he  got  a  little  order  there  with 
the  aiwistfinor  of  Mrs.  Cnrrigiin.  Ami  llirn  hn  wroti-  a  numroonH  to 
3iCartucciu  with  u  new  J  pen,  and  poitt«<l  it  oil  whi-ti  hv  went  to 
liineh.  And  when  he  came  back  he  found  thnt  hie  brushes  and 
cnnvn?  hud  comn.  Which  being  unpacked,  nil  was  ready  for  a 
start.  And  the  intense  reality  of  the  bruabes  and  canvaa  imposed 
upon  him,  Hnd  convinced  him  thnt  he  really  knew  what  he  was 
going  to  painL  Or  if  tbi?y  didn't  <juitc  do  that,  tbey  prevented  bia 
raising  any  doubts  about  the  genuineness  of  hie  voeation.  But 
for  tbcm,  il  may  l>«  it  would  have  croMicd  hi*  inin'l  thut  in  nil  thia 
past  five  weeks  no  seed  of  a  pictorial  concept  bad  germinated  in 
the  noil  of  bin  imagination.  An  it  wan,  (he  only  way  in  which  ho 
rc^iaterMl  a  suspicion  to  that  effect  was  in  the  iudulgi-nce  of  an 
idea  that  the  ml  had  tnin  fallow  to  advantage  and  that  the  harvest 
when  it  came  would  be  all  iIil-  more  pU-ntiful  ibercfore.  It  wo*  a 
kind  of  apology  for  finding  himself  at  n  loose  end.  It  always  took 
a  little  time  to  got  to  work;  only,  wlien  yoii  did  gi't  to  work,  you 
found  the  advantage  of  the  rest.  And  theu — you  made  up  for 
lost  tiniR ! 

Still,  there  must  have  been  an  undercurrent  of  discontent  at  the 
kKMe  end.  Klse  why  did  he  feel  it  to  be  such  a  welcome  relief  to 
something  undefined  that  Mr.  Poi>e  Kbould  come  into  hia  Studio 
with  a  Nnall  commission  that  had  to  be  executed  immediately! 
That  was  what  Charley  ft^lt  »o  grateful  for..  Mr.  Pope  wanted  a 
dcetch  for  a  five-light  window  that  was  to  illustrate  the  Decalogue. 

Or.  at  Icott,  half  of  it.    For  it  wa«  one  of  two  windnw*. »  s«i«". 
aod  the  proposal  was  that  each  wiudow  shKniU  V\\utf.iii.Vb  %ct^  cMmr 


3S8 


AIJCE-FORSHORT 


[ 


mandmoRls.   But  a  difficull^r  had  arisen.    An  ndioun  iitoR>n  tranc 
^ri)«»-(l  tb)-  middle  of  tmdi  lisht.  making  twenty  medaUion-ii|: 
ill  all.    Pope  &  Chappell  propowd  to  allow  two  mpdallioriK  to  eat 
common dfnenl- — one  to  illtixtratit  itj>  bn^rh,  tlw?  oUitr  its  obstrr 
»uee.    But  this  vt-ry  reasonable  idea  had  failed  to  procure  tb 
appixiral  of  the  R<mMot  of  W««t  Eastlcifih,  more  oo  the  iworw 
•one  details  in  tlin  way  of  currying  it  out  than  on  that  of 
principle  involved. 

Charlcii  hud  bt^Tn  a  purty  to  the  originul  Auggcations  of  treat- 
ment; BO  the  aSair  was  not  new  to  him,  and  no  iniroductira  yia^^ 
nceckMTT.     AftiT  u  ftrw  wanlx  of  cbnt  and  congruliilntioiu  froi^| 
Mr.    Pope  on   his    robust   appearance. — "You'll   hare    lo    'elp    OB 
through  lliin  job  after  ull,  Mr.  'Cutli.''  xaid  hr.    "Ten  characktcn 
illustrative  of  observance  of  a  Commandment — ten  conlrairiwi 
Twipr 

"Has  the  Parson  ehanged  his  tnindt" 

"That,  Mr.  'Entb,  I  havo  no  means  of  knowin'.    He  haa  <|i 
tbtB  life,  and  hia  aueoesaor,  who  orkupim  tbi-  plaee  be  han  raca 
is  a  man  of  a  different  relijrioHB  kidney,    Aa  Mr.  ('beppell 
wlwnwer  he  getn  u  chance  'Sijiiol  homincB,  tot  sententiae' — it'a 
only  Lulin  be  knows;  so  we  mnBtn'l  liegrudgt^  it  him.    /  don't  v 
know  il,  mjnelf.    But  my  young  sou  haa  tranalated  it." 

"They  want  the  window  then'f    All  right,  1  can  do  it  at  <in< 
Just  a  lueky  <Jiunce  while  I  wait  for  u  toorlel  I  pjirtii^iilurly  wi 
Am  I  lo  stick  to  figures  of  Potiphar's  Wife  and  Batbsheba 
number  awrn?" 

"The  present  Incumbent  baa  pointed  out  that  these  Sgurea  m 
lie  reversK-d  with  ndvantagc.  and  cither  will  do  for  either.    J 
you  think  it  owr — it  works  out," 

"All  right!  Only  I  don't  sec  why  BnthKheba  shouldn't  do  duty 
as  an  offt-nder.  Ami  aa  for  the  olht-r  ont— well!  it  wua  no  merit 
of  hers,  certainly,  but  she  did  not  break  the  Commandmenl." 

"Ha  <loLibt  <iwin'  to  the  other  party  ijuotin'  it  in  time.    I  tbougl 
the  idea  pleasin'.     But  that's  not  the  pint  of  view.     The  p: 
inciimt)cnt  i*  nnxiouH  not  to  compromise  Havid." 

"But  haven't  we  given  David  a  light  oil  to  himself  aa  no 
BCTvancet    In  mimbor  four!" 

"Certainly,     Ou  the  grouiit)  that  be  <iid  not  raurder  Uriah 
Hittile.    The  enemy  did  that  job  for  him.    If  that  wnim't  obserr- 
ing  of  the  Comma mlim-nt,  pwiplr  ain't  cany  to  aatjafy." 

"Weill — if  the  parson  is  content,  of  course  I'm  game, 
say  I  BW  tbougli  why  Buthiihcha  xhoiild  come  in  ax  an  obwcrvaiUN;' 

'"That,  Mr.  'Eath,  is  obvious  to  the  meaueet  capadtjr, 


ALICEFORSHORT 


369 


nlhi^n',"  Baid  Mr.  Pope,  modestly,  "to 


We  have  to  look 


V  own. 

fit  tiie  nuillt-r  from  thi-  point  ni  v'lcvt  of  the  Psalmist'ii  cimswirntiinw 
scruple?.  lie  felt  that  he  had  placed  himself  aiid  Buthsheba  in  a 
falde  pOBttioQ  ma  long  M  her  Itiwful  husband  was  still  livinK.  and 
'alslened  to  remedyit.  H*  u-i^d  to  ubaerrc  number  nevi^ii  witli- 
nut  diarrgnnlin'  number  four,  and  acted  accordingly." 

"I  see.  Be^tiiT  luli^  tliuii  ncvc^r!  Clvarly  an  instance  of  ohndicnco 
to  (he  Commandment.     Cain  remains,  1  suppose  f 

"Subject  (o  poiisibic  alteration.  Fartic*  hnve  objected  that  there 
was  no  Commandmeut  iu  Cai»'s  days,  and  he  maje  have  acted  in 
ignorance.  Extcniintin'  circumstances.  ]iut  the  principle  U  the 
same.    Get  it  done  Thursday,  if  you  can." 

So  Charles  worked  peacefully  on  the  traced  windon-Ufchts  Mr. 
Pope  had  brought  him,  till  (tarkncvt  i<topped  him.  And  all  the 
while  believed  that  he  was  beinK  curbed  ami  n-atraini-d,  by  on 
unkind  choncc,  from  the  vinorou"  prosecution  of  a  well-defined  idea 
oa  his  new  cauvaa.  If  any  <^)ruer  of  bis  brain  faurbouri'd  a  dormant 
mm>i<^on  that  be  had  welcomed  a  let-off,  be  wasu't  ^tug  to 
«ncour>Kn  it  to  become  active   Sot  he  I 

He  put  in  the  &iisbia{;  (ouches  and  iuscriptions  on  Tburaday 
morniDg,  tvo  days  later;  and  started  for  Chelvcrhurst  at  one 
o'clock,  after  a  hurried  sandwich  at  Walcrloa  im  tho  way  to  tbn 
train.  The  Nursing  Home  was  an  hour's  walk  from  the  station, 
nnd  Iw-  bad  arranged  to  come  down,  to  nccompnny  Alice  to  Oak 
Villa.  Sister  Eulalie  was  to  be  driven  over  iu  Graiulmaiiuna's 
two-horse  carriage  that  could  be  open  or  nbiit,  and  tlmn  tlic  tlircc 
were  to  drive  back  to  Wimbledon  in  lime  for  tea.  It  was  only  a 
t«R>iDilc  drive,  and  Charles  tyire"rd  ibc  proupcct  of  it  in  his  imag- 
ination as  he  walked  quick!}'  along  the  cross-cut  of  byroaiU  be 
bad  to  ask  his  way  so  often  on;  and  where,  for  all  be  was  within 
tw^-nty  tniirs  of  five  millions  of  I^iondonnn.  be  so  often  had  to  knock 
at  a  cottage  to  make  hi»eD(tuiry.  for  want  of  a  passer-by. 

Ti!ii!^lhnt  waa  sometliing  to  look  forward  to.  Alice-f or-sbort  1 
Think  of  itl 

Thi»  lookfd  very  like  Chclverhurst  So  tljiught  Chartt-s  to  him- 
celf  as  lie  walked  into  u  little  viUa^re  a  motlier  of  twins  at  a  road- 
aide  cottage  bad  spoken  confidently  of  his  finding  in  something 
rather  better  tluin  five  minutes'  walk  on,  provided  he  didn't  turn 
neither  to  the  right  nor  yet  to  the  left.  So  he  had  left  those  twins 
where  be  had  found  tJictn,  penned  by  a  timber  barriOT  inside  a 
cottage,  after  sympalhtsiug  with  tbeir  mother  about  family  res)M>u- 
eibilities;  and  bad  identified  a  poomp  by  the  ro-ad  as  a  certain  l&w^- 
mark,  and  found  a  martul  easy  cool  auToaa  VW  tWT(iv^iw\  Vi  'Jiaa 


M 


L 


AUOE-FOR-SHORT 

mnRor-houM*,  (tn<l  in  lime  tbc  nmnor-hoiiEi*  itself.  And  there, 
enuuieb,  bIooi)  Grandmamma'E  carrisRe  waiting  at  th«  door.  Which 
was  opened  to  him  by  Sinter  Theu,  whu  euppoa^d  ho  was  ihe  gcntli-- 
mun,  and  acoepiod  his  own  belief  lo  that  eSvct  as  conclusive,  and 
showed  him  in  through  a  grc<-:ihouse  iiltDospbcre  of  womt  l«avc« 
and  fl»wi^r3.  and  a  cfaorua  of  eiuging  birds  who  eurol.v  must  hare 
been  recently  vaccinated  and  taken,  so  confident  did  tlwy  wccm  of 
tlx-ir  Mxiirity  fruni  infection.  It  wasn't  at  all  like  a  boapitat. 
thought  Charles.  But  then  bis  condiictrruK  explained  that  the  nurs- 
ing-wards were  "over  there."  and  added  that  Mrs,  Wintrlti^bani 
had  never  had  so  much  as  a  boolc  iDovi^d  in  the  hcin»o  tdncc  the 
dajrs  when  her  calamity  chan^-d  her  from  the  head  of  a  healthy 
family  to  the  Mother  Superior  of  a  Nursing  Sisterhood.  Ono 
might  have  thought  thu  children  that  hnd  died  were  atill  in  the 
air  of  the  place,  and  that  he  miftht  have  heard  the  voices  of  ihera, 
anir  moment.  But  ChiirleH  w«a  too  full  of  tbo  tbouglit  of  what 
Alice  was  going  to  look  like  to  do  much  with  passiniE  ideas  of  this 
iiort — dismiss  them  or  acetyl  tlit-m. 

Alice  was  in  the  garden,  and  no  doubt  it  wae  some  sympatfaelio 
apprehension  by  Sister  Tbea  of  his  anxious  misgivings  on  this 
point  that  matlc  her  dim;ovcr  some  excuHe  to  go  bui-k  into  the 
house  for  a  moment,  iind  leave  him  lo  meet  Alice  alone.  .-Vt  least, 
no  other  motive  occurriJ  to  Charles,  He  never  even  speculated  on 
the  possibility  of  one,  and  thought  that  hie  concept  of  his  relatioB_ 
to  Alicc-for-short  murt  of  cotirHe  be  every  one  el»e'a. 

"Now.  Mr.  Charley  dear,  you're  not  to  be  a  goose  and  make] 
seriouM  matter  of  it.    It  really  doc-xn't  dignify  one  acrapt" 
ie  a  little  crying,  a  little  laughing,  in  Alice's  voiee. 

"Take  that  heaiitly  thing  away,  darling,  and  let  mo  see. 
And  Charles  pulls  away  the  end  of  tlie  woollen  neck-wrap  Al 
used  for  a  m<imentary  concealment,  and  knows  the  worst, 
been  piling  up  such  borrora.  in  llio  lUilmeB-gTater  line,  that  be  is" 
really  immensely  relieved.  But  ho  breaks  down  a  little  over  it,  for 
all  that,  a:id  the  signs  of  it  are  on  bira  aa  he  goes  back  to  th«  bouM 
with  Alice  hanging  on  his  arm.  Sister  Thea  and  the  Uotber 
Superior  have  decided — they  were  eavesdropping,  you  aee! — that 
the  way  Charles  kissed  Miss  Kavanagh  as  soon  as  he  had  taken  a 
good  look  at  hrr  face,  all  over,  left  no  doubt  of  tbi;  natiiro  of  the 
position.  But  had  they  l;eeii  near  enough  to  hear  the  way  he  called 
ber  hia  "dearest  child,"  the  phmsr  and  doinething  in  th*  tone  would 
have  puzzled  them. 

"You  should  have  seen  me  when  I  was  dcxquamnting,  a  fortoi|tfat 
ago,"  says  Alice,  with  pride,  "and  then  you  wouid  have  said  I  was 


V  AUOE-FOK-SHORT  371 

^bMttdit  to  tlie  cstabltsbtnenL    You  see,  I'm  itotbin^  to  look  at, 

Chitrl('«  muk<!tt  nn  HTort  to  ImU  in  witli  thin  wa.v  of  treattug  iha 
position,  and  nets  m  far  &s  to  mj,  "Ob,  no  I — ^you're  «  vcrry  poor 
Cudr,  indeed.  AliiM^for-sbort."  But  a  fault  in  lib  voiw  stop*  him; 
au<i  h«  enda  up,  "No — I  can't  Uugb,  dearest  I  it  waa  all  me  and  m7 
boy." 

So  Alice  gets  him  oS  the  subject,  and  telU  him  nbat  o  dclifihtful 
tinK  tihe  has  hnd  *inci'  xlu^  came  out  of  tbu  fLi'iT-uunl  into  the 
bouse.  "It's  perfectly  absurd  to  have  goae  on  hero  so  lonjt,"  she 
aafs.  "Only  Mrs.  Wintrtnghiim  ban  ticen  no  kind,  and  Si^trr  Tbca. 
It's  almost  worth  beiu^  a  case  of  diecTelc  smallpox  to  be  so  spoiled 
and  ooesettxl  up  aftorwnrdf." 

She  makes  liim  turn  back  wIkd  tbey  g«t  to  tlie  bouse  and  go  onc« 
lound  the  tride  gravel  path  and  sec  tbc  strawberry  beds.  In  which 
connection  she  lelk  the  Htorj-  of  Mm.  Wiiitriii^bani. 

"And  ob.  ilr,  Charley,"  she  says  at  the  end,  "tbe  poor  lady  told 
mo  it  was  always  ou  hiT  mind  liow  iihc  liad  puuiohud  her  boy  for 
goiufir  uii  (he^e  very  U^»  uuil  gathering  the  strawbemee.  and  thai 
afternoon  he  corajilainod  of  a  headache  and  was  sick.  And  sbo 
told  him  it  scrred  him  right  for  gobbling  uuripo  strawberriw — and 
all  the  while  it  was  rr  that  was  coming.  Poor  thiogl — she  can't 
forgire  herself,  now.    They  nil  died,  you  know!" 

Alice's  eyes  were  full  of  tears  as  she  stood  telling  this  to  Ur. 
Charltry  on  the  gravel  path.  But  Mr.  Charley  was  only  giving  half 
attention.  He  was  absorbed  in  Alice's  marks.  He  wanted  first- 
hand medieiil  authority  that  they  would  absorb  or  dixappear.  Wax 
Dr.  Pin  eomingi  No-^e  wasn't.  Dr.  Pitl  liad  just  gone.  But 
really  Alice  was  <iuite  smooth  alraaiiy.  Feci  if  she  wasn't!  There 
now! 

Id  caKe  you  should  feel  alarmed  about  Charles,  remember  that 
Alice  had  really  been  n  wuek  out  of  <tuurantine.  Everything  had 
medical  sanction. 

Charles  thought  tliat  if  the  Ilospital-staff  felt  the  parting  as 
much  with  all  their  patients,  tliey  must  be  iu  a  state  of  constant 
laccrnlion.  AIho  that  if  all  tlieir  patients  promised  tn  writ?,  as 
Aliire  did.  and  kept  their  promises,  tlw  postman  was  to  bo  pitied. 

However,  fnrewcll*  sn<i  benediction*  came  to  an  end,  and  (^rl« 
found  himself  being  driven  away  in  his  mother's  earrioge— opni. 
because  it  was  so  warm — with  Alice  and  Hisler  Rulalie.  who  had 
been  all  this  whil«  with  her  old  friend  the  Mother  Superior.  Don't 
be  frightened — she  hadn't  boon  near  any  dangerous  cases. 

"^ow,  Ur.  Charley,  I  liavti  got  a  aurprbu  ioi  jQ^      fc^iuo&  v^*^ 


S79 


ALIOE-FOE-SHOBT 


duced  a  letter — Jrasic  FmKh'a  of  oourae.    But  she  didn't  open  it, 
yet  a  nbile. 

*^s  that  tfae  fomething  mr  «mti«ing}" 

"Yea."    Alioe  nodded.   "Now  gneas  who's  goiog  to  marrj  who," 

"I  can  HPT  by  tlie  rnvclopc,  Miw  Frectb  .  .  ."  Alice  hid  thu 
eoT«lope,  abruptly,  too  Ute. 

"You  saw  ihe  Conicrbury  postmark  1" 

'*1  did.  I  alway«  do,  on  bcr  letters.  I  used  to  find  one  in  the 
box  for  you  every  other  day.  .  .  .'' 

"Well ! — id)  a  great  whame.  You  spoilt  half  my  surpriae.  But 
who's  flbo  ongaged  to  t — that's  the  point  I" 

"Roeer  Selwyn-Kerr — H  you  aak  me!'' 

"Well  now! — I  declare.  That  is  a  gbamel  Now  oonfcae,  Mr. 
Charity,  you  ku(>w  all  along.  ,  .  ."' 

"Certainly  I  did.  I  told  vou  eot  On  the  table— don't  y<m  recol- 
lect!" 

"^ea — but  that's  not  what  I  mean.  You  know  what  I  ueaik 
Mother  Peg  told  you.    Now  didn't  AwV 

"Let  m«  see! — yee-s-e-sl     She  did  say  eometbing  about  it 
I'd  forgotten  that.  .  .  ." 

"Ob.  th<?  nieaunese!     To  make  believe  you  could  forget 
acrogs  the  middle  of  anything  in  ihat  way !    Isn't  he  mean,  Sisterl 

"^cv<T  nuw  anything  like  it  in  my  life,"  aaya  Sister  Eulali^ 
From  which  trivial  conrcrsation  you  may  sec  that  the  party  were 
in  the  bighcit  spirits  and  wen.-  enjoying  their  drive  along 
dusty  road  thoroughly.    That  is  why  we  bare  r^ortod  it, 

Cliarles's  unliiippiness  at  being  brought  faee  to  faee,  cloae 
it  were,  with  all  that  Alice  had  suffered  for  him,  and  at 
the  ri-cnrd  of  it  on  her  face — (however  much  ItdH  emphatic  ft  one 
than  he  e^^pected) — was  giving  way  before  the  ahecr  pleasure  of 
having  her  back  again.  To  see  bcr  tinxbi:ig  out  at  him  for  bia  evt- 
Hiona  and  paradoxical  uonseinse  was  altc^cether  too  good  to  be  tme. 
It  wan  nn  exhilarating  dream.  And  when  the  airriage  got  involmd 
in  nbeep  in  a  Une.  be  wuh  g1u<l.  because  it  went  slow  and  that  made 
the  drive  longer,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  tho  monotiiiiQiui  remark* 
of  tlw  aheop  quite  pivveiited  him  hearing  Uias  Frvetb'a  letter  read 
aloud. 

Alic«  didn't  read  it  all  tlirongb  aloud.  She  watm't  going  to  ba 
dialoyab  But  nhe  read,  under  pledges  of  secrecy,  a  good  deal  mOK 
than  ilia  writer  ever  meant  for  the  geu<Tal  putilic.  And  it  laatcd— 
the  letter  and  couuneul«  thereon — very  nearly  all  the  way  to  Oak 
Villa;  the  main  poiota  of  the  diHcumiun  turning  cm  bow  far  Aiiflt. 
had  be«n  reaponsible  for  the  results  it  narrated. 


ty  were     , 

ng  amd 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


>;s 


"Well,"  Mid  Chai'Iw  as  a  nxrvdcscmce  of  the  convcrution 
brouglit  them  in  sigbt  of  ifae  hoiu«,  iu  repljr  to  Alice's  fifticili  dis- 
claimer of  responsibility,  "sU  I  can  say  is,  Uistrrss  Alice,  that  if 
jroti  call  yoiirMlf  a  diiicri-ct  cnM  of  miullpox,  I  dou'L  Here  vc  arc, 
and  there's  Pierre  watchioR  for  us." 


L 


In  after  yean  Sister  Eulalio  need  often  to  talb  about  that  de- 
lightful drive  wo  hod  from  Chclvcrhurirt  to  Wimbledon  nnd  tho 
pleaaoDt  vveuinff  that  followed.  But  ahe  felt  under  an  obligation 
to  use  the  powers,  somehow  trHditlonall;  vested  in  bcr,  of  a  pro- 
feaitonal  Diirxe  over  a  reiNint  patient,  to  induce  Alice  to  p>  to  bed 
eArl7.  Uenoe,  when  ten  o'ctoek  came,  ibrco  bedroom  candlesticks 
out  of  fiv(!  witrn  Iigbt<.-d ;  and  Charlci  and  hia  mutlicr  wiirc  left  to 
recapitulate  life  gone  by,  or  forestall  the  future,  at  pleasure. 

Un.  Heath  was  not  unlike  niiy  other  old  Indy  well  on  in  tho 
Bffventiea  in  preferrintf  the  former.  Uut  die  had  ber  own  way  of 
treating  rwapitulstion.  It  may  be  diwcribed  an  dcAlins  with  two 
IMrallels  of  event;  one  of  them  a  potential  (lolden  Age.  wliit^h 
wotUd  hare  come  about  if  she  had  been  attended  to,  the  other  com- 
mon Ifintoiy— 'tho  chaotic  oousequencc  of  u  wilful  Era's  neglect 
of  her  powers  of  foresight. 

"Yoa,  m;  dear  Charles,  put  the  shado  down  n  little — it  dazales  my 
ejee  .  .  .  that's  right!  What  was  I  sayinnf  About  Pierre,  of 
eouTte.  What  I  mi-nn  is,  that  however  tliuiikful  wo  ma.y  be  that 
by  the  merey  of  (lod  we  have  eseaped  a  great  danger,  we  ought  not 
to  loso  night  of  the  faet  that,  hnH  wi«r  cmmwU  prtnrailed,  it  need 
never  have  been  incurreii.  Had  I  Letn  listened  to,  Pierre  would 
have  been  re-vaccinaled  two  year"  ago.  .  ■  ■" 

"My  <l«ar  Mother,  the  boy  was  re-vacoiualed  two  year*  ago." 

"Let  me  finish,  my  dear,    lie  was  vaccinated,  but  it  Is  more  than 
doubtful  if  ho  ever  look.    Wlint  I  nnid  at  tlut  time  wan.  'I.iiiten  to , 
Dr.  ProJgett,'  end  you  did  not  listen.     And  now  you  see  tho  con* 

"Hut  .Shaw,  who  did  it,  said  we  might  re-vaccinate  fifty  times  and 
he  mightn't  uke.  .  .  ." 

"My  dear,  do  let  taa  finiab.  and  then  you  aball  speak.  J>r.  Prod- 
gett'a  view  wna,  'go  on  till  it  lakc»— no  matter  how  often.'  And 
now  wo  see  how  right  he  waa." 

"But  it  wasn't  certain  he  didn't  take,  slightly." 

"Wy  dcarl  how  uould  tlutnf  be  a  K^lti-r  pniof  that  he  did  nol  tafie 
than  the  fact  that  he  afterwards  showed  himself  liable  to  infection. 
To  Tt>jccl  ao  eoneluMve  a  proof  is  to  mioim  to  learn  bj  cj 
Perhaps  another  time  I  shall  be  lieteDed  to." 


dta 


^ 


374 


AUCE-FOR-BHORT 


"Well,  Orondmamina  deur,  Pierre  ahal!  be  re-vaeciiiated  ngAinl 
soon  as  be  U  v^H  cnou^li.    I'rixigctt  shall  do  it,  and  go  on  till  ha 
tRkM." 

"My  dear  CharleB,  you  know  perfectly  well  that  notbiDg  I  haw 
sii!d  would  wurrnnt  such  an  absurd  mistni*!  of  Providence.  Be- 
aides,  it  would  be  merely  ghulliiie  the  stable-door  after  thu  stwil 
had  broken  Iookc.    But  you  are  your  father's  own  son." 

This  dida't  seem  relevant,  but  commeut  iniphi  have  been  inter- 
preted as  eontroTcrfial.  Chnrlen  folt  that  he  was  not  the  person  to 
question  its  trulh.  eBp(--cial)y  eoDHidtfring  who  tiiiid  it.  So  he  heU 
bis  tongue,  and  Mrs.  ileatb  continued:  "We  may  be  thaukful  tlul 
your  boy  has  bei-n  siiumi  to  u«,  and  no  doubt  Dr.  Prwlgi^tt  would 
agree  with  tue  that  re- vaeci nation  would  be  quite  superfiuoux,  for 
the  present  nt  least." 

Charles  ubalaiuud  from  Haying  "Blow  Dr.  Prodgettl"  partly  fron 
a  sub-consciouenefs  that  hie  doing  so  would  not  be  due  only  t» 
impalifjicc  about  viic<:inuliDn.  He  was  really  a  httJn  nettled  at  tho 
thankfulness  to  Providence  not  having  had  a  more  deSnite  refn- 
ene»  to  Alico.  It  wnv  only  fuir-phty  he  wu«  asking  for:  there  wat 
no  trace  of  a  clniin  fcir  inon:  tliau  ecguality  for  Alice  Besides,  be 
bad  been  breathing  free  about  Pierre  for  more  tbuu  a  month,  aad 
Alice's  deliverance  was  quite  recent.  So  Charles  didn't  blow  Dr. 
Prodgett.  in  order  to  show  no  impntifnce  about  Alice.  He  only 
Miid.  rather  drily,  "No  doubt  ho  would."  and  left  the  field  to  h^ 
mother.  After  all,  she  was  well  on  in  the  m-vinitit^i,  uiid  if  she  did 
half -forget  Alice,  wa»  it  not  through  her  devotiou  to  Pierre! 

"Remember  too,  my  dear  Charles — only  it  is  a  subject  t>ainful  to 
refer  to  and  prrhape  I  do  wrong  to  refer  to  it.  ,  .  ." 

"There  can  be  nothing  to — to  not  talk  about,  between  you  and 
mo.  dear  mother.  .  .  ." 

*'Quile  so,  my  dear.  Tou  arc  right  to  say  so,  T  was  going  to 
say  (onl,r  I  remember  tliat  painful  news  we  had)  that  it  is  not  •» 
though  the  darling  boy  had  the  constitution  to  which  hi»  birth  ad  an 
EngUahmBQ  entitles  him.  I  eaii  never  forget  that  Lavtnia  Straker 
was.  on  one  side  nt  leaet,  n  Frenchwoman." 

'O^at  can  him  mother's  nationality  have  to  do  with  Plcm  not 
taking  when  vaccinated !" 

*')Iy  dear  Churles.  if  you  would  not  be  so  impatient  with  nw  I 
would  tell  you.  1  should  never  have  alluded  to  I.uvinia  Strtker, 
knowing  nil  I  do.  (!XCl^pt  to  lay  strests  on  the  fact  thai  she  need  not 
be  referred  to  between  ua.  Thai  is  indisputable."  Hen:  CharW 
made  up  his  mind  to  dinputc  nothing,  aad  leaw  the  old  lady  mrtB- 
blanche.    She  coDttnued:  "But  I  may  speak  of  Pierre's  par«Qta^ 


ALICE-FORSHORT 


Stff 


ftit  Abstraction.  Hail  he  had  iLo  ^'ood  fortune  to  hare  an 
lish  mother, — I  bnvc  Dr,  Prodgelt's  word  for  thi«, — it  wouM  huve 
been  much  eaaier  lo  pronotincc  in  hiia  case.  I  cannot  blaine  you,] 
my  dear  bor.  for  this — nor  would  I  if  I  could.  But  neither  cnn  I 
blame  mytAt.  M7  worst  enemy  eouM  not  say  tbftt  I  did  uut  point 
out  the  dangirrs  of  my  dear  son's  nnhnppy  mdrriage.  .  .  ."  Here 
Charles  felt  thai  oarte-blancbe  was  being  taken  too  much  advan- 
tajie  of,  and  withdrew  it. 

"Surrly,  Mother,  there  is  no  need  to  go  hnek  to  that  now."  There 
is  a  &hade  of  suppressed  asperity  iu  his  voice.  The  old  lady  int«ii- 
eificd  her  nierknes.s,  but  maininint^  her  dignity. 

"My  dear,  have  I  not  been  careful  Ut  say  that  I  have  only  referred 
to  this  subject  sh  one  that  it  i»  not  neccs«iiry  for  iis  to  go  back  tol 
Do  roe  Juatice.  I  only  usk  for  justice.  No  one  who  knowsi — (and 
who  should  know,  if  not  yourself? — nay  own  sou! — how  painful  that 
unhapp.v  uffair  wus  to  mt — however  little  I  wiid  tit  the  timt-l) — 
can  possibly  imagine  that  it  is  any  plea§ure  to  me  to  speak  of  it." 
Here  a  disposition  to  tears.  "But  I  failed  to  make  myself  hunrd^ 
then,  and  now  it  wit)  be  the  same." 

Charles  saw  conciliation  would  be  the  better  part  of  discussion, 
and  mid,  good -bnmou redly,  ''I  don't  see.  Grandmamma  dear,  how 
poor  Lav  eomes  into  the  matter."  The  name  tlrandmamma  haa 
always  a  propitiatory  effeel.  and  the  old  lady  softens.  Logically  the 
rcveriM?  sliould  bme  be»-n  tlie  cam-,  but  we  have  explained  that  she 
Kfrarded  "Lavinia  Straker"  as  an  intruder  into  the  realm  of  parent* 
agr,  who  had  uHiirped  the  function  of  Pierre's  real  parent,  an  Eng- 
Uahwoman  still  at  larg^. 

"That  iK  <'xiietly  the  point,  my  dear.  She  does  ii<)t  come  in,  and 
we  need  not  talk  about  what  is  painful  to  both  of  us." 

Charles  got  up  from  hia  chair,  throwing  away  a  cigarctU  pcr-\ 
mi»0 — as  the  windows  were  open  to  the  warm  ni([bt-air — and  went ' 
aeron  to  his  mother  and  kissed  her.     lie  would  have  liked  to  talk 
about  Alice,  and  hoped  "Laviniu  Strnker"  wan  clear  out  of 
eonrersotion.     But  he  was  premature.     The  kisa  proved  only 
Hteppiug-stone  (o  a  new  Irt-atinenl  of  tlip  subjet^t. 

"That  is  my  dear  hoy.  I  know,  dear  Charles,  that  you  are  alwaya 
good  at  heart,  if  it  Httle  unrtTasonable.  .  .  .  Well,  my  dear — you 
ar^  a  little  unreasonable.  Because  it  is  impossible  and  absurd 
to  pretend  tliat  Larinia" — concession  here;  Strakcr  omitted — '"was 
not  on  one  side  fc  Frenchwoman.  Tou  have  thrown  half  your 
ciffarettc  away.    Now  you  may  smoke  another.''    More  conceseioa, 

"Anyhow."  aa>-s  Cbarlea.  determined  to  make  matters  pleae&iW, 
"lav's  Jfrcnch  parentage  was  better  than  hei  £.Tt^^  ^jiirT 


ALIOE-FOR-SHORT 


I 


^ 


"My  dear.  I  am  not  mentioning  I^vinU,  M  I  promised  you  just 
now.  I  am  fti>c-iikiui;  of  ibi-  mw  na  a  race.  Ko  one  can  deny  tliat 
FreDChwomen,  as  a  racp,  are  frivolous  und  uafaithful  to  their 
huRband*.  .  .  ." 

Charles  kept  hU  temper.  "Come,  I  eay,  iTother,"  t^id  he,  "not  all 
of  them!" 

"So,  my  dear  Charles,  not  <tU!  I  am  wiUinjt  to  admit  that  there 
an  exceptions.  But  tho  osccptioos  provp  the  rule,  am!  tl«!  more 
numerous  and  eniiapieuoua  thi>  exceptions,  the  more  firmly  the  rule 
holds  good.  If  your  father  wqw  ben  he  would  aay  »o.  Ask  any 
ooe.  .  .  .    What's  ihut.  Partridge  T 

Actually  our  old  friend  PartridjW,  com^  to  i^^  if  her  mistresa  if 
ripr  for  a  niglit'n  rest.  No — she  isn't,  but  will  V-  the  raomvint  Mr. 
Charles  has  tinished  his  cisaretle.  Partridge  is  sixteen  years  older 
than  nhe  via*  when  she  first  cstah)ii>hed  n  Nort  of  proprietorship 
over  Aliee.  She  is  not  iiielined  to  relinquish  it  allofrether  now, 
for  all  the  Hosiiital-niirsrs  in  Ctirirtfndom.  Hrnw  oupproMed 
ructions  between  herself  and  SialtT  Euklie— a  usurper  I  It  il 
rather  hard,  you  ««e,  when  you  have  been  rp-voccinatcd  on  purpose 
to  give  an  unqualifiiHl  widcomn  to  an  ex-amnll  pox -patient,  to  hatv 
an  unexi^eeted  Sister  thrust  herself  in  and  keep  you  o9. 

"Never  mind.  PiirtridKi-.''  snyH  Charlcn.  "To-morrow  rfic'II  go, 
and  you'll  have  Aliee  all  to  yourself." 

So  now,  n*  Alioe  in  cnmforljihly  located  for  a  complete  conrv 
leaeence,  the  particulars  of  which  arc  not  want<rd  for  thin  ctnry,  wc 
nay  leave  her  to  enjoy  it,  and  you  ntay  faney  for  yourself  how 
Obarl<-H  wi-nt  biiek  to  work  and  made  up  for  lost  time.  lie  drew* 
ten  cartoons  of  Breaches  of  Commandments  and  ten  01)«WTnn<*». 
And  »!>«>  bcffnn  a  picture  to  be  called,  "The  Shirt  of  Nessua" — the 
dyinjc  centaur  giving;  Pi-jiinira  his  funic  as  a  IcKiicy. 

Whether  it  was  a  mere  accident  that  made  tlie  bride  qf  Heraclsf 
much  more  like  I.nvinis  Rtrnkcr  thnn  ctit  wn«  fti-jran,  wp  do  not 
kuow.  But  she  turned  out  like  enough  to  make  Charles's  ititimate 
friend*,  on  analysing  the  story,  sec  in  it  a  trace  of  the  leniency  with 
which  be  always  spoke  an<l  thoujrht  of  his  wife's  desertiun.  Jeff 
remarked  that  it  was  a  good  job  Charles  hadn't  a  poisoned  arrow  to 
aend  after  hin  Kcssus.  He  n^'er  re^rarded  tlic  disappearance  of 
Mra.  Charles  Heath  as  an  unmixed  evil.  In  fact  he  expressed  sar- 
priw  (to  Mr.  Popi')  tlmt  Cliarle»  had  lost  an  opportunity  of  immor- 
—ligtwp  liJH  late  wife  in  a  "Breach"  med&lliou  of  the  second  winduw 
for  Weet  Eastleigh. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 


A  SUDDK:!  Qtn  or  CATALepflV.  THE  ilAUK  WAS  TERBniDeR.  BOW  SOI 
fttTFEBT  ADVOCATED  TBBPMIMXQ  OLD  JlkKK.  WAS  Tliti  OLD  OAK- 
VIIEST  WUUKCr  WHY  VKICIUNI>CK  WATCH&D  BF.ULAU.  HOW  aURLES 
BEL0N<;ED  to  the  aBNeuTIOIC  op  PBK-VtPEBS 

"If  I  couM  only  get  some  iorl  of  coolnetw  between  thorn,  so  that 
they  would  qunrrri  nnd  make  it  up  ii^tn,  like  rcj^ukr  lovers, 
ibt-Te  would  be  ftoiue  chitnce        " 

Pfggj  ix  sp^akinn  to  hpr  faushond  three  monUut  after  the  end  ot 
luet  cJiupti--r.    L(!t  her  go  on : — 

"Bui  it's  perfcctJv  uk^Icss.  If  1  try  talkinR  to  each  of  them  about 
the  olbi;rV  tittle  iiffnir* — imiijfitiary  onea  you  luidcrxtuiKi  (  .  .  ." 

"1  underataud." 

".  .  .  it  only  cndo  in  Charles  iiiT(«tiffating  through  alt  Alice's 
upplicunU  an<]  rayiii};  they're  nut  half  good  enough,  and  Alice 
rakins  up  Lady  Anstruther  I'astoQ-Forbea.'' 

""Wliy,  iJii-'it  niHirics]  a  curate  1" 

"1  darcaar  the  haa.  Tm  sick  of  her,  aiiyhowr'  Peftuy  pauaea  a 
few  iwoosdi^  prctnmably  to  allow  of  her  ladyship's  dom-nt  iutirrntcnt 
in  a  eountr;  pariah,  uuil  tli<-ti  gvpn  on:  "I  auppo^e  now  Ali(.-e  will 
loolc  up  aoDio  oUicr  daizling  niebcor  for  Charley,  and  turn  her  on. 
Il*B  all  Bo  unaatiiifnctoiy ! " 

"Let  'wn  alone,  wife,  let  'em  alone.  'Over  rocka  that  are  ateepeat,* 
don't  you  knowT'  Sir  Hupt-rt  is  makinK  ontries  in  his  Diary  in  hiw 
own  room,  and  hie  voioe  heard  through  the  opcm  door  between  it 
and  hi»  wife'*  bcdroonj  givrs  a  hint  of  proocciipation. 

"You're  Dot  lisi^'ning.  Dr.  Jomson," — For  this  is  the  fumilr 
nanve.  par  txcelUnee,  for  its  head.  It  is  a  tribute  to  Alice's  statua 
in  it  from  childhood. 

"Fire  away,  darling  I  I'm  listening  now." — And  Feggy  bears 
the  Diary  slapped  to.  Shu  hopes  he  won't  bc^in  gtropping  a  razor 
next.  But  sufficient  unto  the  day  ia  the  evil  thereof.  She  oon- 
tinues.  seriously: 

"If  I  dared,  I  would  do  as  you  imid — tpeak  Rlraigbt  to  Charley, 
and  tttll  him  I  don*t  believe  Alice  will  ever  be  really  happy  with 
any  one  else.  But  Ju^t  think — if  I  were  to  make  a  bluudiuT — ^ 
it  aU  wrong  I    I  might  just  spoil  aU." 

S77 


37B  AUCE-FOB-SUORT 


. 


dfc^ 


"Don't  do  it  if  you  feel  afraid.    But  I  don't  tliink  I  should 
much  afraid,  if  I  wlti-  a  wonmu." 

'■Wh.v  don't  you  do  it  nowf 

"Because  a  man  gpeukiug  to  a  man  qd  tlie  Bubject  always  baa  a 
flavour  of  a  morul  lecture." 

"Why  hadn't  a  woman  »" 

"Because  a  woman  muy  be  undertaking  a  ronfessioa  for  a  friend. 
A  man  would  be  supposed  to  act  in  consequcnou  of  Momttthing 
noliee<i  in  lielioviour;  atteiitions--thal  sort  of  game!" 

"Charley  wouldn't  mind  anything  from  you." 

"Ho  wouldn't  bv  aiiKry  with  atv,  I  know.  But  would  the  end  he 
jKiinedt  I  doubt  it.  It's  ticklish,  anyhow  I  I'm  bound  to  My  I 
had  mudi  wioni^r  U-t  it  alonv." 

Sir  Kupcrt  comes  out  of  hia  room,  dress iiig*KOwned,  PesKy  i* 
in  liku  plight,  silting  Ix-fori.-  the  6re.  The  wind  is  norlli.  and  ne 
dmll  have  snow,  and  poor  Kobiii  will  very  soon  bo  fitting  in  a  bam. 
Pires  art!  welnomt-,  and  Sir  Rupert  isn't  sorry  to  roast  himMlf  a 
little  before  goinic  to  bed. 

"Don't  fret  nliout  it,  dear  lovel"  ho  says;  "it  will  all  turn  out 
right,  left  to  itself.  You  see  if  it  doesn't!" — But  Peggy's  unxioui 
beauty  only  clears  a  little;  the  cloud  hangs.  Still,  the  hand  thai 
comes  caresiiingly  round  her  head  has  reassiiranct-  in  iL  It  U  like 
her  husband's  voice.    Both  make  matters  better  than  they  find  them. 

"I  won't  fret,  dear!"  aaya  Peggy,  and  rneann  not  to.  But  ab« 
isn't  sure  what  she  ought  to  do,  and  she  remains  as  one  who  con- 
Bidets,    Ro  talks  of  something  else,  to  clear  the  cobweb*. 

"Talking  of  love-affairs.  1  went  to  Bedlam  lo-doy.  They're  all 
against  me  about  that  case  except  Paisley." 

"Let's  see!  What  ease  was  that?  The  girl  that  eats  tbs 
noedlcsr 

"No — no!  She's  at  the  Hospital.  I  mean  Uie  very  old  womsD 
who  never  speaks ;  has  been  fed  with  a  spoon  for  fifty  yearu — ffou 
know  t" 

"I  think  I  remember.    She  moves  about  though,  doesn't  sbet" 

"Ilardly  that!  Still  site  do<;s  move  and  takes  nourishmmt,  to 
that  there  is  uo  difficulty  in  dealing  with  the  ease,  iiom  the  nur«c<' 
point  of  ricw.  But  it  is  all  like  an  automaton.  In  a  certain  sense 
her  lufulth  is  wonderful  She  must  he  nearly  niociy,  but  » 
extraordinarily  well  preserved." 

"Well  i — you  were  going  to  say !" 

"I  was  going  to  say  that  they  had  a  consultation  orer  thu  com  nt 
my  suggestion,  and  that  thi-y  won't  have  it — except  Paisley — that 
she's  a  caee  of  traumatic  insanity.    I'm  sure  she  is.    It  waa  not 


^ 


ALIOE-FOR-SHORT 


Sf« 


found  out  at  the  Iwginniiiff — tta  junn  iifsrly  before  she  came  into 
the  Hospital,  ami  thi'ii  ehc  was  badly  diafiaosed,  1  >iiispcct-  And 
I  bclicvp  there  would  V*  n  posaiHlity — it'w  only  ii  possibility,  miiull 
— tbot  if  she  were  Irepaiined  some  mental  revival  miitlit  take  place. 
But  I'm  the  only  person  it  has  ever  ocoiirn^d  to  tint  it  might  be  a 
c«M)  for  operating.  It  would  be  rcry  intereetiiiK  to  try,  at  any 
rate." 

"WoiiW  it  be  right !"  M 

"Perhaps.    Possibly  even  a  release  from  a  long  agony — an  incoii>f 
ccivable  release.     Baron  Trenck  would  be  a  triflr  by  coinparison. 
Anyway,   it  wouldn't  be  wrong  becaute   it  was   intensely  inter- 
esting." M 

"No.  darling!    I  didn't  mean  that— you  know!"  " 

"1  don't  want  to  slice  people  up  for  a  lark.  But  there  arc  casta — 
and  I  think  tbis  is  one " 

"What  is  known  of  how  it  began  t"  Peggj-'a  thoughts  have  got 
frw  of  her  perplexity,  and  she  is  (tetling  interested  in  the  Case. 

"Tbe  description  in  the  Register  Ht  the  Asylum^l's  fifty  years 
old  now! — just  fancy!  it  was  standing  there  near  ten  years  before 
ve  were  bom " 

Peggy  shudders.  It  i>  too  appalling  to  besr  flunking  of.  Rupert 
continues : — 

" says  she  was  found  one  day  by  her  husband  seated  at  tJie 

fvoX  of  the  stairs,  in  the  atflle  in  which  she  rejoains  now.    She  waa 
not  brought  into  the  Atrium  for  a  long  time  after.    There  was  then 
DO  trnei*  of  n  lo-sjon  on  the  bend  or  Epiiie.     My  own  belief  is  thatS 
if  she  had  been  properly  examined  at  first  something  would  have-f 
been  fountL     But  the  huebund  doenn't  aeem  to  have  been  very 
Aharp  about  it." 

"Didn't  earn,  perhaps!" 

"On  the  contrary,  he  was  heartbroken,  hived  for  thirty  years 
in  a  place  close  by,  that  he  might  be  at  hand  if  a  lucid  interval 
cftine.    None  ever  came.    He's  been  dead  a  long  time." 

What  stranRc  tricks  memory  plnya  us  when  she  has  the  field  to 
herself!  A  good  honest  weneh.  und  sen'icffsble,  is  she  when  any 
check  is  at  hand,  to  keep  her  in  order  and  ronke  her  do  her  duty. 
She  only  wants  the  slightest  reinind«.  and  there  she  is.  ready  at 
her  post  to  act  when  called  on,  or  candidly  to  eonfess  to  fnilure. 
But  Icjivc  her  in  <-mpty  space  (we  ought  lo  say  empty  time,  in  her 
case)  without  a  monitor  of  any  sort  in  sight,  and  behold  t — in  tho 
twinkling  of  an  eye  she  changes  to  a  diirarderly  slattern  ilint  will 
do  nothing;  and  then,  in  the  twinkling  of  another  eye.  into  an  im^ 
of  the  activity  of  a  wildest  nnd  the  niendacil.^  ol  «l  Js.^'^J -NKaVi^^ 


L 


dS&i 


ii&l 


380 


AXICE-FOR-SIJORT 


a 


Don't  sa?  that  it  is  impo«>iblR  that  Peggy  and  h«r  husband  can 
have  forgotten  Vurriuder  and  Charles's  report  of  bU  death,  and 
^IM!  ou  with  their  conversation  lui  thougli  iiivy  had  ut^rer  beard 
of  it.  Taktt  a(!ixiu»t  of  sixleeu  mortal  years,  and  recollect  thai 
j/ou  read  it  yesterday.  Wc  will  sti«wcr  for  it  that  nnitltcr  of  thoo 
at  thr  tnonicnt  connecti^d  Verrinder  with  this  case  of  catale^isy. 

"What  a  terrible  story!     What  in  her  nanacT 

"Do  you  know? — now  it's  very  fuxiuy — but  eilber  Fve  never  b©sn 
told,  or  Fve  forgotten.  The  name  was  on  tho  roffister  too- — llac- 
farlane— Brindlcy — whnt  was  it? — V«ry  funny!" 

"But  what  do  they  eali  her  at  the  Ass[}itaf" 

"Oh — they  catl  licr  Old  Jane.    I  don't  know  if  Iter  nanu!  is 
Juno.     It  doesn't  follow." 

Old  Jane  I  Sixty  yoara  of  torpor!  And  the  man  that  lorod 
that  ah(!  loved,  waiting — wailing — a  stone's  throw  off.  for  a  l 
interval  that  ni^Tor  came.  Oh,  but  it  was  grialyl  P«gKr  M^  quit? 
siek  to  think  of  il.  Rhe  .iliut  her  eyue  tight,  tried  lo  grasp  wbal 
it  would  have  been,  had  it  been  herself  and  Rupert.  And  it  iniflfat 
ham  biTun,  for  lluit  matter.  Just  n  knock  (in  thn  head.  «iK>ugli  to 
d^ltresa  tli(*  akiill  (if  Rupert  was  right)  hut  not  enough  to  came 
aierciful  death.— and  then  sixty  years  of  life — such  life!  How- 
CT«r,  of  cnurse  it  wna  quite  possible  that  Old  Jane  was  inMnc 
constitutionally,  and  that  accident  liad  uotliing  to  do  with  it.  That 
would  he  much  loss  allocking,  aoinchow.  i'ou  say  wits,  jwrhapa! 
But  is  it  not  true  that  a  life  all  warped  and  twisted.  l>y  a  trivial 
miscarriage,  is  more  shocking  thun  when  it  bears  the  Knilmark  of 
an  unseen  mystery — eometblngr  that  looks  like  the  well-considered 
fiat  of  n  malignnnt  Destiny,  not  an  uninttmtional  slab  of  Chanoet 
The  higher  metaph.vsic  will  no  doubt  point  out  that  then  ia  roally 
no  such  thing  ns  Chance.  Rnt  it  won't  point  out  what  constitatei 
the  strange  thing.  Chance,  that  there  ia  no  such  thing  aa. 

Peggy  and  her  husband  talked  so  long  and  ao  late  about  Old 
Jane,  that  Lucy  their  eldeat  daughter  (we  hare  not  senn  hvr,  ao 
far),  who  alc^t  overhead,  wondered  what  on  earth  papa  and  m«nima 
wetK  going  on  about.  And  juat  on  the  point  of  dropping  asleap^ 
Mammn  suddenly  half-roused  up  and  asked  (somewhat  in  the  man- 
lutr  of  an  inquiititinr  domionai'  in  January)  whether  the  naoM 
wasn't  Verrinder.  But  papa  had  quite  stopped  goiii^  off,  and  had 
gone  off,  paNt  rvcall. 


"What,  on,  earth,"  said  Mias  T.uey,  wliea  she  appcan-d  next  aora- 
inf: — ahe  waa  Misa  Johnson,  please  you,  and  going  to  he  fifti-cn  very 
soon. — ^"What — on — earth,  were  you  and  mamma  lalkiuc  about 


ALICE-FORSHOBT 


S61 


late  Ifirt  nijrht?     Talk— talk— ulk—ta!k— talk— talk!     I  thought 
you  wcrp  never  going  lo  stop  and  go  U>  •Iwpu" 

*'We  wen  talkiiig,"  replita  hor  father,  menduviously.  "about  Utile 
pussy  cats,  and  how  tbey  ought  to  klss'thcir  father  oa  both  sides, 
inHtend  of  only  onn." 

"yonsfnae.  puppy  I" — But  ibp  broad  hint  was  taken  for  all  that. 
"Do  come  and  bolp  me  ti>  tnunagp  him,  Aunty  l.isay.  Tou  know 
you  can  alvrays  make  hitn  r«aw)uabl«."  Lui^.v'a  uiotber  u»ed  to  say 
sho  reminded  hrr  strongly  of  hrr  Aunt  Ellen  when  sh--.  ws»  a  girl. 

Alice  U  making  tea  at  (his  momt-nt  in  the  story.    When  yoitJ 
•re  makina  tea  you  don't  answer  cbits.     But  wbpu  you  have  filled' 
the  pot  qiiitft  up  to  till!  top,  then  you  answer  the  child,  mid  ti^ll  them 
to  kiss  you  on  both  eidee,  as  veil  as  papa.    At  least  Alice  did  so. 
in  this  MISC. 

"And  there  m  no  bad  side,  and  T  don't  «are  what  you  say.  Aunt; 
Ltssy.  Vou  can't  feel  it  with  your  lips,  if  you  try  ever  "o."  Tha 
chit  tries  ever  so.  Otlwrs  trj-  <)ver  bo  too,  and  our  old  Alioe  bids 
fair  to  be  suffocated  under  this  course  of  experimental  rc^e-arch. 
On«  hM  to  pay  penalties  for  extreme  popularity. 

As  Peggy  appears,  rather  later  thun  the  world  (tenerally,  we 
ont  help  beinji  reminded  of  that  other  break  fast-table,  year*  ago. 
at  Hyde  Park  GanJeiM.  W<!  aee  that  Peyrgy  iii  on  her  way  to  her 
toother's  majesty  of  form  (suppose  we  call  it)  and  it  can't  l>o 
helped.  If  nhe  could  only  achieve  a  certain  pomposity — ("poor 
Grandmamma  I") — we  eboidd  feel  that  she  was  on  the  rnnd  to  gin'* 
era]  identification.  But  she  doesn't  cork;  up  Ui  tho  murk.  We  aee 
the  likeness  of  tlie  confidence  and  youth  of  now  to  that  of  old;  that 
Lucy  is  ns  cocksure  of  everything  in  Ilcnvcn  and  Eartli  im  her 
Aunt  Ellen  was  before  her;  that  poor  little  drowned  Dan's  posthu* 
mous  namesake  (given  the  chance)  would  g"  on  the  ice  in  diitiance 
of  pai4(-keepera,  even  a^  he  did.  Lvt  us  hope  no  such  thinjc  may 
happen,  and  that  Luey  may  not  many  a  reprobate  in  the  face  of 
every  warning,  and  be  left  a  young  widow  dependent  on  relations 
after  payiuR  all  her  dear  husband's  debts,  gambling  and  othcrwiiw. 

We  Mt  uU  ibi-ai-  tilings,  and  then  we  sec  there  is  a  tiling  we  miaa.J 
It  is  Alice-for-sborl.  There  are  midgets  and  poppets  in  this  hous 
too,  but  if  tlw-y  wen-  down.itairs  now  and  not  in  tlic  nunery,  wo 
should  see  they  belonged  to  another  typo  of  midget  and  poppet. 
We  arc  glad  to  find  that  the  young  woman  who  is  eornv*ling  tho 
«ffectB  of  what  amounted  to  a  scrimmage,  before  atttiug  down  to 
brrflkfavt,  actually  reminds  us  of  what  Alice-for>short  was  then. 

"Well,  children.  I  hope  you're  satisfied.  Aunty  Liaay  is  goint; 
to  liave  lea,  lliank  you  1     And  you  may  pout  \l  om\,  Iwt  N»«,  \\i\'^i 


L 


\0    DC 

rer  tfe^ 


d^r.  and  sAret  her  ibc  trouble.    And  you  boys  tna;  baud  ber  die 
hot  roUo  from  tlic  fender;  only  don't  fight  for  which  it's  to  be" 
Juic;r  is  of  cour«i.'  Ltic^,  who  proceeds  to  predominate  over 
«cr\'in£  out  of  tra  and  coBre. 

"1  tfll  ,vou  what.  Aunty  Lissy" — it  is  Rupert  »bi>  speaks 
you  don't  look  alirp  Bnd  ecttle  up  about  vho  he's  to  be,  you  won't 

f^l  thi!  bt-tic'lit  iif  your  morks "     Two  or  tltree  denuindit  an 

made  for  explanation. 

"Why ! — wMsn't  your  epidermis  going  to  ketT>  Yforthless,  shnllow, 
thingummy 'hobs,  nud  were  tiomelhin^-oT'Olhers  ot  a  diataocel 
Brilcd  rnsherl  yes— pnss  your  Atinty  the  mustard  along  with 
Dan.  and  don't  spill  it  over  the  lableeloth." 

"You've  given  me  the  whole  dish  fnU.  No,  Dr.  Jomson— como 
now — be  ri-usouablel  It  wnen't  me  said  that.  It  was  mannDO." — 
This  is  the  name  Peggy  is  known  by  whenever  there  is  a  quorum 
of  childr<-n. 

"Was  it  me)  I  hope  not.  It's  too  much  like  a  book  for  a  good 
boy." 

"All  I  can  say  is,"  Alice  goes  on,  "that  if  Mr.  Charley's  n«it 
(treat  find  for  me  comes  and  says: — 'See  how  I  love  you  !u  spito 
of  your  rcpwlrrive  phyiiiognomy,*  I  shall  just "  But  she  in  inter- 
rupted by  Dan,  who  wants  to  know  what  pkjtsiotjnom)/  means. 

"It'll  long  for  mug."  And  Don  retin.'!i  for  the  time  to  reflect. 
"Thero  nowt  tlial  boy's  made  me  foritet  what  I  was  f;oii;g  to  suij!" 

"Do  you  know."  interposes  the  grent  physician,  "last  night 
mammn  nHked  me  quite  sudd<.-iily  whiit  iin  old  womun's  name  witf, 
and  I  knew  it,  I  know;  nnd  her  asking  knocked  it  clean  out  of  my 
head,  and  I  haven't  luT'n  iible  to  get  il  back  since." 

"Of  c<nirs<^  you  didl"  says  Peggy,  looking  up,  "and  I  reooileded 
it  afterwards,  and  you  were  a«l«!pr — Sir  Rupert  tn^Cf^ix  bewil- 
derment by  ruSliug  his  hair,  and  glaring.  "Well,  that  u  a  little 
incximpn^K'neible.  I  admit.  Rut  I  reeolleeted  what  the  name  must 
be.  Of  course  it  w«.t  Verrinder.  And  llinl  poor  fellow  Charley 
knew,  that  died — oht  before  ever  we  were  married,  must  have  htta 
ber  husband  f 

Rupert  sits  Ktill  with  an  animated  face,  letting  memory  revive 
ami  lake  ponM-ssiou.  "Of  courm-l  I  recollwM  it  all  now.  Foney  my 
never  putting  two  and  two  together  I" 

One  of  Time*  odd  revenges,  or  pnredoxc«,  i*  that  AMcc  shovs  no 
interest  at  all  in  this  reminiscence.  But  is  it  really  odd.  aecing 
abe  wa«  aix  when  it  hujipfTnedl  She  certainly  shows  none,  and  white 
P^BT  "nd  *"<■'  hn*l«»d  talk  about  Verrinder.  she  explain*  to  Dan 
the  meaning  of  the  word  mug,  metapboricoUy  uacd.    Dan  bas  come 


I 


ALICE-FOR-SHOBX 


389 


out  of  his  maxe  of  thought,  anJ  demanded  lijrht,  more  light.  But 
Peggy  brings  Alice  back  into  her  section  of  the  cunvcrBation.  say- 
ing.  "Alice  <lear,  do  listen  to  thia.  You  ought  to  be  interested  in 
it  because  it*3  nil  mixed  up  with  your  ring."  On  which  Alice  does 
one  of  the  little  illoincal  thiiip  one  tio  often  dovs,  in  reality  and 
out  of  fiction,  and  immediately  looks  at  her  ring,  with  her  pretty 
fingers  stretched  out  for  its  l)cst  adranlage.  "Why  my  ring?''  sba 
asks. 

"Because,  MJss  EaTanegh,  this  Verrinder  was  tlie  queer  old 
artist  Charles  knew,  that  had  the  portrait  Phillips  was  called  aft«r, 
that  was  supposed  to  have  Iwen  painted  at  No.  40.  And  was  sup- 
posed to  have  beeu  connected  with  your  ghoat.  Aiid  was  eupposed 
to  hare  had  to  do  with  the  murder  in  the  cellar." 

"Oh.  I  remember!  Thi-\v  dug  up  bones." — Thus  far  Alice,  id 
responge  to  explanation  as  above,  given  mixcdly  by  Peggy  and  her 
huaband.  We  have  to  keep  on  recollecting  Alice's  age  sixteen 
years  ago,  to  account  for  the  way  she  accepts  the  story  as  a  passing 
intc-rest,  nowise  vital.  The  ring  had  always  been  to  her  a  rin^ 
with  au  o<l(l  association,  half- forgotten,  lliut  had  as  it  were  wanted 
to  spbU  Phyllis  and  failed.  There  had  been  some  talk  of  the  story 
Bince;  as  when  Phillips  was  christened  Phyllin  Cnrtwright  Johu- 
80n,  in  a  freak,  at  the  time  CharleB  hud  the  old  picture  out  andM 
won  discussing  if  it  should  be  cleaned  or  not.  But  even  about  her^ 
oim  ghost.  Alice  was,  as  Charles  said,  a  wi^ak-kiiivd  wituexB.  tf 
yon  are  about  twenty-three,  turn  To  and  try  recollections  of  sis  aud 
MCven,  and  you  won't  wonder  at  Alice. 

However,  she  on  reflection  acquired  a  strong  vicarious  iQt«reat 
in  the  eubject.  She  recollected  how  interesting  it  would  bo  to  Mr. 
Charley  to  bear  all  about  it  when  he  came  in  the  evening.  Also. 
OS  noon  as  fhe  full.v  assimilated  the  story  of  Old  Jane,  she  felt 
excited  to  Bee  how  the  experiment  would  turn  out,  if  it  were  ever 
tried. 

There  were  a  good  many  difficulties  in  the  way  of  this.  .\11  the 
Asylum  was  against  it.  except  Dr.  Paisley,  mentioned  by  Rupert  as 
bi«  only  supportirr.  Its  strongest  opponent  was  Dr.  Fludyer,  whom 
we  recollect  at  the  time  of  Verrinder's  death,  and  who  was  in  fact 
the  only  person  who  could  be  considered  to  be  his  rep rvseutn tire. 
He  bad  what  Rupert  called  a  strong  inverse  interest  in  the  life  of 
Old  Jane,  because  a  sum  of  money  left  with  him  an  trustee  for 
bor,  was  to  come  to  him  at  her  death.  This  made  him  morbidly 
sensitive  about  any  departure  from  the  routine  of  fifty  years.  So 
loDg  oa  no  changi-  was  made,  he  was  Hiife  from  iniputiitv<%  (li  u^\ 
vnpleasant  Borl.    He  certain!^  would  aol  conaenx,  \a  wo.  wxj^iviaKoS' 


WW  B 


L 


S$4  ALICE-FOR^HOKT 

which  cou]d  at  1>est  onh  frive  me  cbanoe  in  a  thousand  of 
benefit  to  the  pntimt ;  nnd,  which,  ten  chanoM  to  mui,  might  end 
in  hn-  di-ath  duriun;  the  operation.  Sir  Kup«rt.  who  was  a  Tery  old 
friend  of  hie,  ^aid  to  him ;  ''You  know,  Fliid^^r,  I  have  only  a 
acientifie  iiitt^rest  in  the  case.  And  I  have  no  toctu  tlanAi.  For 
I  am  not  even  nttachcd  to  the  Iloepilal.  All  I  say  is,  that  if  Old 
Jane  wcrr  m.v  inolh(!T,  I  wouhl  make  the  trial."  Fl»drer  ntplitd: 
"So  wtiuld  I,  oii  the  stTentelh  of  an  opinion  like  yours,  if  ebe  wcM 
ffiir  molbor.  But  she  isn't,  and  at  her  thiuth  I  should  come  into  t 
tbouaand  poundci  iu  consok.  I  would  rather  she  di«d  a  perfi 
natural  dratb.^ 

'^ou  admit  thon."  said  Sir  Rupert,  "that  you  are  grudgins 
poor  old  rc-mnnnt  a  dinner  you  voidd  sive  ^our  mother,  la  order  tA 
aruid  an  iroputaiion  no  man  who  luicw  anj-thing  about  you  wooU 
attach  the  »lif^tC'Ht  wriaht  to." 

"Would  yuu  (I'uaraDtn;  her  ourviving  the  op<;nition,  Johnaaaf 

"No — 1  wouldn't  1    Nor  your  mother's  either,  caltri*  paributJ' 

"You  don't  undcrKtand.  What  I  mean  i*  that  nobody  would 
impute  mere  selfish  ncicnlific  interest — nor  t^vaa  a  wiith  for  a  than- 
eaud  ])ounds — as  a  motive  in  the  ease  of  a  son  and  nioUier." 

"Quite  a  mistake  I  Thcrv  ia  a  large  and  inlhiential  public  which 
belieT«>s  lluit  the  Faculty  of  Kedidne  ia  only  restrained  by  Law 
from  vivisecting  its  vitm  and  daughters  under  ansetheties;  and 
a  «liil  lar^r  one  that  cretUta  it  with  r4.-adinefs  to  do  Hw  iiamo  with- 
out amtatlieties  for  a  thousand  pounds — mother,  father,  anybody, 
vvm  la  the  third  and  fourth  generation.  Nercr  mind  M«>n/  Oi' 
the  old  woman  a  ehaucc.    If  you  do  kill  her  she'll  bo  gratef  uh" 

"You  don't  know  that." 

"Don't  It    Weill  abe'a  not  altogellier  iu  her  right  mind 
baps  I  don't !" 

A  tibort  timer  after  this  couveraation  Sir  Rupert  got  a  not«  from 
Dr.  Ftudycr,  as  follows: — 

"I  have  inanage<I  to  aaaign  my  tnial«ealiip  to  tho  Iloiipital, 
well  as  the  interest  in  the  reversion.  Uy  colleagues  know  why  I 
have  done  this.  I  ttliouldn't  at  all  wonder  if  a  good  maity  chang^^^ 
of  opinion  came  about  in  the  matter  of  Old  Jane.  I  fancy  tl^| 
Opposition  was  a  good  di.-al  my  <loing.  .  .  ."  ^^ 

"I  do  hope  you're  rigbt,  deareet."  said  Pegry,  when  ha  iT«d  her 
this  letter. 

"I  ahal)  have  no  doubt  I  am  if  ihei,-  all  oome  round.  Bnt  I  i 
say  nothing  further  to  influence  tbcm.  I  totd  them  m.v  opi 
bceauMc  it  wnn  and  in  tny  opinion.  But  the  ease  tti  theirs, 
thej-  mutt  take  the  reepouaibilily  of  doc'  "     ** 


>odv, 

I 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


3dS 


"Well  now— I  rait  that  m*an !" 

"Not  a  bit  nf  it!  If  tlipy  iMrttlc  to  do  it,  I  tiball  back  tli«iii 
op.  But  I  ehati't  ea.v  more  tliau  I  have  done.  They  know  what 
I  think."  And  thi?n  hi»  wife  frit  certain  thnt  Mooiter  or  later  tlie 
trial  would  be  made. 


L 


Meannbile.  Old  Jane— that  was  jouag  Jane  once — wan  a  eaae 
in  a  ward.  She  was  foiinic  Jaoo  once,  young  and  actire  Jane, 
with  u  life  before  her  to  live,  witli  another  young  life  (*>  it  trans- 
pired afterwards)  to  come  and  to  be  lived  for  later,  when  that 
atrange  unforeseen  mistchance  cu»xign«d  tier  ti>  a  living  death, 
with  the  husband  she  had  loved  watching  by  the  tomb,  waiting  for 
news  that  the  corpw  had  mored,  for  a  glentn  of  hope  that  he  might 
see  the  disjnanlliH]  bonie  repleuiflhed.  aud  the  firea  burning  a^uin 
upon  the  hearths.  Think  how  bo  raunt  have  started  at  every  step 
upon  tht-  itiiin,  how  he  inttst  buvi-  said  to  biin-ti-U  a  thousand  times, 
''It  may  be — at  last !" — ond  liow  it  was  a  mistake,  or  a  parcel,  or  a 
letter  witli  notJiing  in  it.  Think  hctw.  one  by  one,  the  friend.i  be 
had  hnil  died  away,  and  he  had  no  heart  for  more,  even  hud  he  had 
the  power  to  draw  them  to  him.  But  the  rpring^  grew  brackish  in 
that  deJKrt.  and  liven  dried  up.  And  the  canker  of  hia  loncUnes:* 
crept  into  his  heart,  and  hi*  life  grew  to  be  a  blank,  a  long  drawn- 
out  paufc.  nn  awaiting  »f  a  thing  tliat  enme  not;  a  silence  with  a 
liKteoer  in  it — a  listener  for  a  word  that  was  still  as  possible — so 
diey  anid  who  Khould  know — as  nn  tlie  day  whiii  he  found  bit  wife 
Bpeecbleee  at  the  stairfool,  at  the  beginning  of  the  eilenoe,  and 
wondered  why  (he  ilid  not  uprnk. 

Poor  old  Jane,  that  was  young  Jane  oucel  That  was  ulive.  and 
Gpokc  and  breathed  and  moved  in  the  days  before  the  battle  of 
Waterloo:  the  days  before  any  railway  with  trains  worth  men- 
tionins  on  it,  or  any  paddleboat  on  the  Atlantic,  with  its  trium- 
phant reeord  of  nine  mih-s  un  hour  all  tin-  way  from  Brintol  lo 
Mew  York;  the  days  before  the  Twopenny  Post  and  Winsor'a 
Patent  Cus.  In  ihoae  days  her  awful  burnt!  of  hnlf-a-i-entury  wan 
unbuilt;  and  the  l^eldH  were  tcrcen  near  where  it  stands;  and  milir- 
vtonea  to!<l  the  fout-travL-!l<-r  on  ih<-  Lnmbeth  Rnnd  that  he  was  one 
from  Westminster  and  two  from  I^ndou.  For  then  Betlilehem 
fioapital  wan  in  M<iorfi(!ld»,  far  enough  away,  and  "The  Magdalen" 
Btood  where  it  stands  now;  and  Its  patients  were  under  trimtmcnt, 
in  those  day«,  with  leg-locks  and  surprise -baths,  and  rotatory  diaira. 
Lucky  for  Jane  that  while  thin  Syatcm  wtm  in  vugiio  nbe  was  still 
young  Jane,  and  the  daughter  of  a  fashionable  portrait- vuvXei 
who  waa  having  a  high  old  lime  at  No.  A/i,  ooi  o\^  Vu:>m»6  vd>  %>^aA\ 


I 


see 


AUCB-FOR-SHOET 


i 


wher«  she  was  requitiii^  the  passion  of  bis  f  ounie  assistant.  «4ww 
rmplofmcnt  wan  to  put  his  tabU-cJoth,  hi*  chair-hark,  bis  bit  «f 
(Irapet?,  his  Inndacupp  backgrouud.  intu  hh  faaluomibI«  portrait. 
Thi*  fnthrr  of  hers  had  a  very  good  slanding  io  his  day;  and  erco 
now  llie  fortitiititc  owiior  of  o:ip  of  his  works  will  nay  to  you,  "Tbat'i 
a  Slecjilp,''  with  conBdciKw  that  you  will  be  au  fail  of  Slevxle^ 
That  wasn't  his  rwJ  :umi<r,  niul  we  are  not  going  to  tell  it,  for  the 
»ime  reason  we  have  kept  Becw?t  the  name  of  the  street  he  Ureii  in. 
He  was  there,  name  or  no,  and  paintet!  the  fanhionnlili-  |iortniit> 
iu  the  room  where  Charles  is  now  at  this  tuomeut,  with  Alice,  vbo 
has  lx!en  sliopping  in  Oxfonl  Stre«>t  and  ho3  looked  in  to  pay  him  « 
visit,  telling  him  that  Dr.  Jouifloii  is  quite  excited  because,  owintr 
to  bis  advice,  (bey  are  going  to  trfTiau  the  old  lady  of  nearly  ninety 
at  Bethltheni  Hospital. 

"And  she  was  old  Verrinder'fl  wife!  Poor  old  chap!  Sixty 
yeiire!" — Charles,  who  says  tliis.  is,  wc  perceive,  going  to  leave  oS 
bringing  bis  picture  tugethor  (that  i«  what  he  was  doing)  and  to  til! 
a  pipe.  One  would  really  think,  from  the  amount  of  bringing 
together  tliey  r«ijiiire,  that  Charles's  ])ittures  were  painted  iu  scg- 
menla.  each  in  a  ditTerent  European  capital.  He  deserts  some  piM* 
of  it  (so  to  speak)  on  its  way  from  Itoda-Pesth  (for  inrtance) 
sits  down  on  one  of  tliose  boxes  witli  an  S  perforated  in  them,  ini 
which  valuables  get  and  rattle  for  ever  and  never  eome  out. 
lights  the  }>ipe  and  sits  faeing  Alice,  and  the  gloi>m  we  know  was 
on  bis  face  before  she  came  in  has  vanished.  She  has  thrown  her- 
self  into  the  choir  M>s«  Straker  sat  in  us  llinH  Tliiscltou.  read) 
about  the  Octopus.  Her  hands  are  on  the  arms,  and  her  face 
bright  and  animated,  and  fluslicd  with  walking  in  tlie  cold,  cli 
weather.  And  you  really  can  only  just  see  any  mark,  bar  ibat  hi 
place  round  the  corner  where  pcoplr  kiss  you.  That,  it  sorms,  wi 
on  tlic  next  page  of  that  letter-  What  did  it  matter,  as  long  ae 
kissed  you  I    That  was  her  selfish  view. 

Alice  keeps  her  parcels  oh  her  knee,  to  express  the  full  nwmeo- 
tariuess  of  the  proceeding.  "I  am  in  the  lop  of  a  bird  of  paamgc," 
they  Efem  to  say.  She  vtry  often  pays  Charley  a  flying  visit  of  this 
£iort,  but  always  defines  the  po«iti.-iii  to  hernelf.  no  doubt  aa  an 
apology  for  interrupting  business.  This  time  she  has  come 
to  tell  him  about  Rupert's  announcement  the  night  before  It 
quite  true  he  will  tw-  nt  Harley  Street  in  the  evening,  but  then' 
you  see— Alice  was  absolutely  passing  the  door. 

"Dr.  Fludyer  wbh  at  dinner  la^t  night,  and  HJr.  Lionel 
who's  to  do  it,"    Alice  continues  thus:  "We  wvn  »o  sony 
weren't  there." 


ALICEFORSHORT 


387 


L 


"It  vu  Mm.  Jeff's  birtiiday.  nnd  T  couldn't  bo  off  going.  Did 
Flud^r  aaj  if  lie's  fotmd  out  any  more  about  Old  JnncT' 

"Oh  y<«.  Hi-  tiilkiMi  n  Rood  dciil  ubotit  h(-r.  oiid  told  us  lots  of 
tliiii«s.  But  I  thought  it  was  the  twins'  birthday — or  tho  twinsca*— 
which  ought  it  to  bc(" 

"I  prefer  twinseB'.  But  it  was  moat  of  their  birthdaye.  They 
take  them  nil  in  a  lump  now,  on  the  samp  djiy.  Wc  Ii«d  a  most 
turbulent  eveuiug.  But  telJ  me  what  Fludyer  said  he'd  found 
out." 

'•Well — bo  hadn't  found  out  auything  now.  But  when  Mies 
Peggj-  and  I  (tot  at  him.  of  course  we  made  him  talk  about  whnt 
Verrinder  bad  told  tiiiii — bi-apit  mon-  tliaii  Lord  Rupert  ever  did." 
This  was  another  sobriquet  of  Rupert,  used  in  this  case  as  a  »ng- 
Bc^stion  that  its  owni-r  ne<!dn't  be  so  high  niid  mighty  and  give  him- 
self airs,  because  we  could  collect  evidence  much  better  than  he. 
V<>rrind<!r  had  told  nt  odd  times  a  good  drul  about  his  wcdiliiig. 
"It  was  a  retiular  Orelna-Oreeu  bueiness.  They  actually  went  all 
tiler  way  to  Scotlntid,  nnd  were  pursut-d,  nnd  got  a  couple  of  people 
tltcir  own  Aite  to  put  on  tlieir  clothes  and  go  on  instead  of  iheia 
in  the  coach  to  York,  and  they  stayed  at  the  Inn  and  took  another 
<:oHch  laiiT.  Tlien  her  father  was  i:i  such  a  rage  be  never  would 
speak  to  her  or  see  her  after.  Dr.  Fludyer  says  he  never  saw  Vcr- 
rindrr  really  smile  except  that  time  he  told  about  the  Htage-coadi 
trick." 

"Did  Fluyder  moJte  out  there  had  ever  been  a  reconcilia- 
tion T 

"Oh  yes — there  was  no  reconciliation.  He  never  told  Dr.  Flud- 
yer the  father's  name.  But  they  mtver  mudt-  it  up.  He  :nad<'  a 
little  by  illustrations  to  books — they  were  always  done  from  hi^ 
wife." 

"I  think  I've  seen  one.  It  was  called  Uelesinda.  She  waa  bein^ 
»  Beauty,  and  goggling  at  you." 

"I  know !  Well — poor  Jane,  or  Meleainda,  used  to  ^ve  singinfr 
lessons  m  help  thing«  out.  And  they  were  awfully  poor  and  the 
father  never  would  help," 

"And  did  Fludyer  »ny  he  told  him  how  tho  catalepsy,  or  whatever 
it  waa.  began)" 

"Yes — only  he  says  he  didn't  tell  him  much.  Only  he  told  it 
ovitr  and  over  again;  so  he  recollecls  it.  Ther«  was  a  very  old  lady 
Uelesinda  knew,  whom  he  caUed  her  father's  landlady — but  Dr. 
Fludyer  never  made  out  why,  or  what  she  wns.  Either  abe  had 
epeut  the  evening  at  their  house,  or  they  at  hers,  Dr,  Fludyec 
wafin't  sure  which,  and  she  had  been  tellioe  t^bcYci  (A&  i^tv«».  ^ 


386 


AlICE-FOR-SHORT 


L 


nhra  the  was  a  girl,  and  inthsr  Molcsinda — that's  Old  Jane, 
knuw ■• 

"I  know.    Go  ahead  P' 

"EiUutr  dbo  wrat  opMairs  to  bring  the  old  lady's  thiofrs  down  for 
her  to  iro,  or  went  up  to  get  on  her  own,  one  or  the  othcr- 

"Docttn't  mn««T  which!    And  «he  tumbled  downstairs  I" 

"Jiiat  that!  Oril.v  .von  might  have  let  me  do  tlie  climax,  Ur. 
Chflrlcy  d<?nr!  Spoiling  my  story  I  Wv\\ — thc.v  benrd  n  cry  and  • 
lumbk  and  went  out  and  found  her  eilliug  at  the  foot  of  ihe 
stairs.  And  h^  snid  to  her,  'My  darling— are  joii  burl  f— And 
nwer  an*wiT«l.  und  n<!Ter  spoke  e^ain." 

Alice's  Toice  breaks  as  »he  finishes  T)t.  Fludyvr's  rnmini: 
"Poor  old  JaneP  uja  Charles.    And  both  eit  ailent  for  a  spaa. 
Then  Alice  speaks. 

"I  think  tlir  Old  Oak  Chest  was  worse."  tihe  sajiL 

"Do  you?     I  don't!     Young  Lovell's  bride  was  dead  outriiill' 
And  ns  for  young  Lovell,  I  ex[icct  he  married  tlic-  prcttitwt  bridn- 
moid.     Oh    nol     This  was  worse.     But  did  he  never  tell  Fludyer 
bow  he  came  to  have  th«  father's  pictures  f 

"Oh  yes — Dr.  Fluityi^  did  aay  something  about  tbaL  Wlutt  mi 
it  (  Oh,  /  remember.  He — the  father — died  a  year  or  so  after  th* 
daughter  was  pieced  in  the  Hospital.  At)  his  bclnngineit  \r«at  to  a 
nepliew,  who  wasn't  u  bad  fellow  and  allowed  Verrinder  to  chooM 
a  dozen  of  the  pictures  provided  be  only  saw  the  backs.  So  Ver- 
rinder  chose  from  tlinn  with  their  fneea  to  the  wall." 

"lie  made  a  lucky  choice,  Bauerstein  hsis  just  sold  the  Turner 
ior  e:)|[ht  hiindml,  1  suppose  that  wax  when  he  miliccd  the  tunne 
Phyllis  Carlwrieht."  But  Charles  didn't  say  the  last  two  words. 
Bo  only  thought  tliem,  end  Alice  wasn't  on  the  alert,  and  didn't 
ask  what  name. 

"Why  did  he  never  tiy  to  sell  them  T 

"I  can  understand  that.  There  whs  uothinin;  to  be  gmued  thi 
by  withdrawing  her  from  the  .Anylum.  I'robably  she  was  better 
cared  for  there  than  she  would  haw  been  eWwhere,  Beaid^yt,  he 
knew  the  value  of  the  pictures  would  go  up.  ile  kept  on  hoping— 
poor  devil ! — for  iiewa  of  u  uleam  of  liirfil,'' 

"I  suppose  it  was  what  they  Kold  for  that  made  up  most  of 
tlioui4ind  jiounds  Dr.  Fludyt-r  talked  about.*' 

"I  was  told  they  fetched  two  hundred.     But  be  iniut  have  h 
aomethtng  of  bis  own,  or  what  did  he  live  on  i" 

"Dr.  Fludyer  supposes  he  ran  throtiRb  most  of  it  tryinfc  to  k 
np  bis  home,  and  nurse  her.    And  llicn  wWd  ho  was  beaten  at 
he  got  her  into  the  Hospital  and  lived  oa  a  akilliag  a  duty. 


a  t       I 

M 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


389 


irpMit  at  Diueb  of  hi*  life  ah  hn  could  at  the  Ro.val  Aoa(I«niy  RcfaooU. 
Tbe  landlord  of  the  house  sa^B  bie  used  to  pa^  whutt  bour^  outaide 
on  thi!  roof,  looking  nt  the  dome  of  the  Aayhim." 

Charles's  face  clouds  orer  sUfrhtly — "That's  bow  1  ahall  end  up," 
eaid  be  "I  don't  mean  nittitiK  on  a  rnof  lookiofc  at  Bedlam.  I 
mean  meaainfr  about  at  llie  Schools.  Only  I  haven't  a  Lif<!-Sta- 
dcntehip,  by-the-byel    Not  even  an  A<*adeniy  medallist  1" 

"Oh.  Hr.  Cliurley!  ^V)lat  affcclntion  and  nouiWDHc!  Yo;i  know 
you'i*  only  fishing  for  compliments.  Wly,' — 'The  Shirt  of  Neesus' 
ie  tlte  b«Mt  thins  you've  ever  painted,  and  it's  to  be  done  by  April 
and  hunfi  on  the  line." 

"It  gniinda  exactly  like  the  Wash,"  says  Chnrli-s.  "I  wonder 
whether  NeeanVs  ahirt  was  sent  home  starched,  and  pinned  to- 
gether without  ca»«r,  and  Nesaiis  conldn't  net  the  pin»  out  and 
used  an  expression."  Alice  laughs  with  pleasure  at  a  relaxation  in 
the  tone  of  the  convcraation. 

"I  like  yon  now!"  she  says,  "You've  come  out  of  the  dumps. 
But  you  know  what  1  think,  Mr.  Charley,  and  what  Mother  P^ 
tiiink«  ("    Tct  another  nicknajnc;,  for  Peggy,  thU  time.  M 

"No— what  {"  1 

"Why,  wc  both  think  ,vou  would  sucwed  in  the  other  as  well." 

"Which  other !    I  haven't  succeedi-ci  in  this  one  yet," 

"Now.  that's  mere  affectation.  Don't  be  so  jnvcnile,  Mr.  Charley 
dear  I  Why,  of  courac.  Literature — Fiction — I  ought  to  know  t  Vm 
m  literary  lady." 

"I  darpJtny  you  would  know,  Alice,  if  I  had  ever  written  any- 
thins." 

"That's  aupprcseio  veri  and  suggeatio  fnl»i!  Besides,  it's  fibs!" — 
The  blue  eyes  jret  more  serious  as  Alice  goes  on — "No^Mr.  Char- 
ley dearest!  I'll  deal  candidly  with  you.  I  stole  a  manuscript  of 
jours  and  read  it.'' 

"HuOo!" 

"Tm,  I  did.  And  it  n'cnt  away  with  me  and  my  germs  to  the 
Kursjiut  Home,  and  when  the  raeh  had  come  out  I  began  reading 
it.    Th<'n  I  got  awfully  bad  again  and  1  hud  to  finish  it  after." 

"Here's  a  pretty  confession.  Alice- for-ahort !  Well— I  never  T' 
Charles's  face,  ns  he  xitc  pufiing  at  his  pipe  and  gazing  nt  the 
penitent,  is  full  of  love  and  a<lmirat)on  for  her.  If  the  former 
is  crossed  by  a  hnlf -thought  ihst  the  love  of  a  reel  father,  brother, 
uncle — whateviT  be  counts  himself— -docs  not  call  for  keeping 
under;  he  thruets  it  aside,  fortified  by  the  confidence  that  »h*  has 
no  auch  line  of  tlinught;  and  if  it  is  so,  so  long  as  he  keeps  it  under. 
it  can't  matter  what  it  is.    Alioe-for-sbort  is  to  \]fc  \i^»^^  «A  «. 


BUi 


390 


AltCE-FOR-SnORT 


Banctioncd  Romen.  n*!)!!  nover  n  blood -f):ii<I  between  the  fsniilis* — 
a  highly  Midowetl  Lovell  whose  old  oak  chest*  don't  hasp.  Prob- 
sbiv  what  nniild  bo  r<;htctAii<«  to  lose  Alioe  take«  the  form  of  : 
jjoslerous  ilemaiids  on  the  powers  of  the  Creator  in  connection 
Mr.  A\i<if.  Bill  his  ndmiration  is  unqualified,  cvm  bjr  that  «i 
mark  just  round  tho  ooruer,  where  they  ktaa  you,  Howerer, 
Alice  go  on  with  her  utory. 

"Tin  not  much  nslinniwl,  Mr.  Churiey  Heath;  m  yflti  needn't  lo 
eo  reproachful.    I  finished  it  after,  when  I  was  Ketlinjc  better,     AnJ 
J  thought  it  was  beuause  I  was  so  weak  and  used-up  that  I 
over  it  as  I  did." 

"Probably  it  was.     A  sufficiently  large  Public  of  conn 
from  Siuallitox  would  be  a  boon  to  sentimental  publishers." 

"No — it  wax  nothing  of   tlio  sort.     Sister  Thc-a   got   it   after 


"The  Smnllpnxt" 

"Nol    The  manuscript.    And  she  cried  and  sniffed  all  one  nij 
And  then  the  Mother  Superior  got  it  and  crird  and  nniffi^d  too," 

"And  which  was  this  raluuhle  and  aSectiner  work  that  you 
Hiss  Thief,  dear)    And  where  did  you  steal  iti" 

*'Chit  of  the  drawer  in  tlie  old  tabli;.    If  Fd  known  there 
others,  I'd  have  turned  the  whole  place  out." 

"What  was  this  one!" 

"About  Cicely  Smith " 

"Oh  yes.  I  remember  her.     She  lived  in  b  MmH  irtnffy 
detached  rilla  on  some  land  that  was  ripe  for  bnlldlDg,  and  nob 
built  any  more  villas " 

"Yae,  and  her  father  called  hiruaelf  an  A^ent.  on  a  faraw  platu. 
and  nobody  knew  what  he  was  Agent  for.  And  she  bad  a  stut^ 
mother,  and  a  stufty  aunt,  and  there  were  scarl<-t  geraniums  and 
daudelions  in  the  front  garden.  And,— oh,  my  gracious  me^ — i»0» 
Study  it  nil  was!" 

"I  remember  Sia'ly  Smith.  She  wanted  to  marry  anybody  to 
get  away  from  home,  and  propo!>cd  to  a  cabman.  She  proposed  hf 
letter,  and  directed  to  his  number,  ami  he  wasn't  driving  Iiia  en 
cab.  and  the  wrong  cabman  wrote  that  he  was  a  married  man  or 
nothing  would  hum  suited  him  belter." 

"Oh,  indeed,  Mr.  Charley  t  Then  there's  anotiier  one  for  me  tt 
read.    Hand  over  tlitt  manuncript  1" 

"Wasn't  that  Sisly  Smith  (  Then  it  was  Sis'ly  Brown.  There 
were  three  of  them,  I  know,  all  Sis'ly-    Which  wa«  Sis'ly  SmitbT 

'■How  funny  you  don't  remember!  Don't  you  remember  the 
yoaog  man  who  used  to  go  every  morning  to  the  City  piast  Cicely 


AUCB-FOR-SHORT 


391 


Sn!th*8  bouse?  And  hov  he  asked  if  the  umbrella  wa«  hen,  and 
tbcn  after  thnt  thi-y  «nid  good-inoming  iilwa.vH^  And  Imw  tiha 
uaed  to  look  out  for  hiiu  every  day,  and  one  day  he  didn't  comet" 

"Allow  mo  to  nrmark,  Miss  Kavanngh,"  nays  Charles,  spCAking 
exactly  in  the  same  vay  as  he  »poke  to  Alice  a3  she  hujcged  Tlio 
ingtttentK  nf  her  brolwn  becr-jiig  in  the  street,  years  ngo.  "that  thn 
British  noTeliat  would  have  an  easy  task  before  him  if  he  <y>uld 
command  a  public  ready  to  shed  teeirs  on  such  very  small  provoca- 
tion.   The  tale,  so  fur.  strikes  me  aa  neither  novel  nor  exciting." 

"You  old  Mtipid !  It  wan  the  way  it  was  told.  It  «iuitc  made  ono 
amdl  thi-  Jx>ndon  suburb — the  May  loixiner  with  the  burnt  ballast — 
and  tben  when  the  heap  wa»  burned  nnd  got  cold,  how  tlic  mallows 
burst  out  nil  over  it.  And  th-*  inexpliealjle  steam-boiler  that  bud 
got  Wt  in  the  fields  and  seemed  to  belong  to  nobody.'" 

But  Charles  slinkos  a  slow  iiicri^dulous  head.  "There  is  nothing 
in  that  boiler  beyond  the  powers  of  the  humblest  aspirant  to 
literary  fame,"  he  says,  and  Alice  thereon  itayii  if  lie  means  to  be 
aggravating',  she  shall  go.    So  he  draws  in  his  horns. 

"No — darling  child!  It's  only  my  nomH-nscI  I  remember  the 
story  quite  well.  Sie'lj-  beard  the  young  bt'ggar  was  dtrod.  and 
cooked  tip  a  rniunncc  about  bim.  And  the  Ktuffy  home  went  nn,  and 
Sis'ly  got  old<T  aud  older  and  older,  and  htr  fnther  look  to  drink- 
ing and  had  a  strr.ke.  nnd  tlic  stuffiness  got  BtuSicr." 

"Of  courst-,  you  n^membcr  all  about  it!  Bui  whnt  I  thought 
to  good  was  tho  growth  of  the  ghastly  suburb,  and  then  the  end. 
Only  I  don't  think  y<iu  should  have  madt-  thir  old  man  tell  her  he 
Hhouffht  be  recollected  coming  along  that  road  every  morning 
when  be  vaa  a  boy.  l)cfore  tliey  made  the  short-cut  to  the  station,' 
and  never  recognise  her." 

"What  would  you  have  had  me  do.  Mistress  Alice?    Marry  'em 

upr 

''Certainly.    It  would  have  been  such  a  relief!" 

"And  him  sixty!" 

"How  oft*n  am  I  to  tell  you,  Mr.  Charley,  that  Ag^  has  nolh- 
ino — nothing  whatever! — to  do  with  ill" — Alice  is  quite  Hushed 
and  excited,  because,  you  see,  it  is  this  rubbish  about  age  that  is 
standing  in  the  way  of  some  most  happy  arrangement  for  Charles. 
Her  eyrjs  are  this  much  morp  open  than  bis,  that  she  bin:  wonder^ 
whether,  if  he  married  again,  she  would  misbehave  herself  as  aha 
did  on  the  w;  of  hi*  first  marriage.  She  acknowledges  the  wrench, 
but  is  blind  to  ever^.-  happiness  except  bia.  What  would  she  liava 
been,  but  for  him) 

Her  rooted  belief  in  the  lerma  of  his  oflcctioa  foi  Idsx  Sk  Vao* 


393 


ALI0E-F0R-8H0RT 


foM;  one  phase  of  it  aesures  her  that  be  doesn't  love  her 
that";    the   other   that    their    rolation    (connmiucntly)    nrvd       _ 
ch«iig«  if  bp  marrie*  fifty  wives — nil  of  whom  Alioe  would  1ot« 
too  if  he  did. 

But  Altcu  will  be  late  for  lunch,  and  tlio  tnunjiliitg  of  Pope  i 
Chappell's  men  icoiug  upstairs  says  ono  oclock.  So  she  cools  down 
and  finjr*  «lic  m\wt  nin,  and  kIh-  and  tho  parMltt,  which  have  awuit^ 
this  moment  with  coufldeuce,  are  consigned  to  a  UaDSom.  whidi 
promises  to  look  ^arp,  aud  nearly  runs  over  a  butcher's  boj,  who 
defies  it  with  ytAU. 

Charles  ^oea  away  to  lunoh  at  Crcmundni's.  with  a  bapfir  stow 
at  heart,  wfatch  will  have  to  last  him  till  senD  o'clock,  vrhcu  be  ml) 
bare  Alice  again  in  Harlej-  Slrttct.  Ho  bnitds  a  few  extra  pe^ 
foctioos  into  Bomeo.  or  Lovell,  without  the  dimmest  overt  idea  ei 
any  aelf-defenaive  motive  in  «o  doing. 

Parenthetically,  wo  may  ask  you  to  note  that  there  was  nothing 
in  the  forceuiiiK  interview  to  &x  Alice's  sttentMo  on  VerrindBr's 
connection  with  No.  40.  She  knew  of  it,  but  vairuely.  The  wbok 
of  hi.t  trugrily  could  be  dwelt  on  without  the  old  bouso  cominiB!  into 
the  story  at  all.  You  wilt  see  later  why  we  ooU  jmtr  attoatloa  ts 
this. 


CHAPTER  xxxvn 


now  Snt  RUPERT  IJOT  IJI8  WAT,  AKD  PCOOY  AND  AUCC  WENT  TO  BEDLUE. 
WIIEBE  WEBC  THE  PATIENTM?      A  V»a.E»»  VIUIL 

In  spite  of  Dr.  Fludyer's  chnngr  of  opinion,  there  wna  a  goad 
deal  of  delay  before  the  operation  waa  decided  on.  All  the  officials 
of  the  HriHpituI  Mfmcd  to  fc**l  onnfidont  that  if  Old  June  wns  care- 
fully fed  she  worild  last  indefinitely.  After  sixty  years,  three 
month*  rountcd  f<ir  little.  It  woi*  February  before  the  final  deci- 
BJon  waa  arrived  ut  and  the  <luy  fixed. 

Thrn,  one  morning  iiiddcnly.  Sir  Kupert  said  to  his  wife.  "Tho 
operation  nu  Old  Jnnc  i«  fixed  for  Thurndiij'."  He  spoke  ne  if  it 
was  quite  an  everyday  affair, 

"Oh,  Rupert,  darling  I  Uow  anxious  you  will  beT*  But  he 
appeared  quit«  unmoved. 

"Not  the  least  r'  eaid  he,  Tve  given  my  opioion  for  what  it'a 
worth,  and  tlu'y  think  it  worth  acting  on," 

"I  should  run  away  and  hide  my  eyea  and  hold  my  ears  till  it 
WB»  over,  if  I  wm-  you  1" 

"No — you  wouldn't!  If  you  were  me  you  would  do  oa  I  mean 
to  do.  I  nhall  be  on  the  spot  the  whole  time,  1  shan't  bp  of  any 
nee,  but  Isaacson  saya  he  would  like  me  to  be  there,  He'a  twenty 
timoi  the  operator  I  am.  But  he  would  like  my  moral  support,  ho 
suys." 

"I'm  thankful  I'm  not  going  to  be  there." 

"I  want  you  lo  tome,    Yoi:  and  Alice," 

"Good  heavens,  Kupert !    What  neitt  t"  Peggy  exclaims. 

An<i  thrn  the  voice  of  Alice  ironies  through  Uie  door  from  thb 
little  puS-rooni  where  she  is  seribbUng:  '"What's  that  about  mef 

"Come  in  here  and  well  tell  you."  Both  say  thin  togtithcr,  and 
Alice  rustles,  and  udjtiats  papers,  and  ehuta  an  inkpot,  and  comes. 
She  wttles  on  a  sofa,  with  her  chin  on  her  hands,  as  we  linve  Mcen 
ber  before.  Tire  away!"  she  says,  and  Die  blue  tye*  stand  open 
lo  receive  information.  Sir  Rupert  eite  down  beeide  hia  wlfo  oppo- 
site to  her. 

"Didn't  you  hear  what  Dr.  Jomeon  said  I" 

-No-I  didn't  I" 

393 


• 


tor  M 

4 


394  ALICE-FOR-SHORT 

"He  wants  mo  and  jou  to  go  to  Bedlam  and  sec  that  i>oot  old 
woman  trepanned." 

"Well!  I  don't  think  I  can  M«nd  it." 

"Xo  more  could  I.    But  if  Dr.  Jomson  liLes  nw  to  go,  and 
dowii  and  have  hyaterica.  I'm  game," 

"I  don't  want  you  to  see  anything  of  the  openlioo."  He  i* 
tpuve  und  serious  and  (luilv  iu  earnest  "What  I  n-ant  in  to  ban 
one  or  more  ([ood  obeervcrs,  preferably  women,  at  hand  when  ibn 
ri:viviil  of  coniw!ousneaa  oonics.  if  it  cumcit.  !^[,v  own  imprrauioa 
is  limt  it  will,  to  a  certain  extent.  Only  there  may  be  a  complete 
nrliipsc  nf trr,  and  I  want  evurylhiiig  to  h-  otifHTn-ud  and  ns-ollcctcd." 

"Why  won't  the  people — nurses — aitcndants — at  the  Aaj-lum  do( 
Why  u»  ("    It  is  Peggy  wlio  nflkit. 

'•Bcfause."  answers  her  husband,  "they've  got  a  Iheorj-  api<«e 
about  everything,  and  nono  of  them  will  recollect  anything  ihai 
don't  n^ree  with  it.  I  want  raw.  live  human  creatures,  of  good 
average  iniplligence," 

"(id  iiii<l  s!up  your  wifki-il  pnpa,  Alwy  dnrling.''  Big  Alice  is  i 
speaking  to  little  Alee,  who  was  present,  and  look  an  e«u-ly  opp«^j 
tunily  of  climbing  up  her  when  site  eat  down.  ^^M 

"Tbiu  you'll  come,  you  and  Alice  i"  ^B 

*Tio,  tfaat'e  not  fair !  We  nevtr  promised."  Both  join  In  tfai* 
atateuienl,  more  or  leaa. 

"I  muKt  tell  you,  I  don't  the  Icnst  sntioipato  anything  like  a 
resurrection  from  the  grave.  It  would  be  ulnuxtt  like  that  if  the 
showed  any  consecutive  intelligence.  But  what  I  want  to  have 
very  t-arefuUy  noted,  is  whether  she  tI;row8  any  light  on  how  far  she 
has  been  <?onscioiie  in  all  this  enormous  period  of  apparent  mental 
torpor.  la  absolute  suspL*nsion  of  the  n)in<l  for  so  long  oompuiiUle 
with  maintenance  of  the  ctrinilation  and  all  the  bodily  functional 
If  it  was  so.  in  this  case,  o  good  many  scientific  conclu«ona  wiU 
have  to  be  reconsidered."  Sir  Rupert  i>auae(i.  Perhaps  bo  ia  tOBh 
uing  too  much  into  anticipation  of  the  lecture  on  the  subject  faa 
will  certainty  give  at  some  future  time,  at  the  Tloiipital,  or  else- 
where. He  pulla  out  hia  watch  and  looks  at  it.  "Thai  man'*  late," 
he  says,  showing  that  his  present  moment  of  idlcnoM  is  not  part 
of  a  programme,  though  a  rewnt  cup  of  tea  was.  But  there  comes 
a  knock  nt  the  door.  "There  we  are."  he  nay*.  And  Ilandsworih 
comes  in  and  says  he  has  shown  the  gentleman  into  Sir  Rupert'* 
room.  "Very  good  thcnl  Three  o'clock  on  Thursday."  And  be 
hurries  away,  looking  back  to  sdiy,  "K'ow  mind  you  neither  of  you 
nwki^  any  other  Migagemcnt," 


AXICE-FOB-SnOET 


9Wt 


"A  wilful  man  will  bare  his  way."  says  Peggy,  laughing,  to  Alice. 
And  Aliov  n-plwa;  "Never  miiidl  He  reuU.v  waiila  us;  »o  let's 
go  I" 

The  day  had  come  for  Alio©  and  Peggy  to  risit  the  Kloomy 
myctMy.  Bedlam,  which  had  brcii  hitherto,  to  both  of  tliMn,  only 
the  name  of  n  nt(ihliiiare.  u  Daiitoaijuo  Hell  of  horrors,  ibot  went 
on  existing  somewhere,  but  that  no  one  had  ever  come  acToss.  To 
have  Bedluii)  sprung  upou  tlieni  as  an  actuality,  tu  a  modern  time 
and  in  the  metropolitan  area,  was  an  experience  in  itself,  quite  apart 
from  what  it  was  going  to  Ix.'  when  tlicy  got  there.  Pi-'ggy  looked 
forward  to  this  with  shrinking,  in  which  anticipated  pity  of  the 
nnliappT  inmates  allowed  of  no  nlleviotiim  from  curiosity.  Alicvj 
felt  the  same,  but  the  vital  activity  of  her  laquisillveness  about 
the  unknown  palliated  it,  and  now  that  she  had  made  up  her  mind 
to  the  adrt^uturc  nhe  would  not  liavt!  given  it  up  an  any  account. 

Ucr  imagination,  ninnintc  ahead  of  her  eompanion'a,  6Uicge8ted| 
that  it  would  be  safe  to  forget  medijcval  Bedlam,  and  prepare 
I  mind  for  somelbing  not  much  wor^e  than  a  Workhouse.  To  thtl 
end,  the  mind  would  clearly  be  easier,  if  the  convtrwution  on 
way  down  took  the  form  of  a  general  rfeiunC  of  recorded  horrorfi ' 
It  would  be  like  Onrrick's  performance  of  Maebefh,  when  he  showed 
his  dread  of  Banquo'e  ghost  by  going  nearer  to  it  with  outstretched 
proleeting  hnnds  and  averted  head.  Besides,  so  much  stress  eould 
be  laid  on  jiastncssea,  and  the  general  advantages  of  being  Uodcm 
eould  be  exhibited  by  force  of  contrast. 

"All  the  time  I  was  going  ofi  last  night,"  said  Alice,  in  Saint 
Hartin's  Lane,  "that  song  Madge  Wildfire  sings  was  running  in 


my  head : — 


"Id  lb«  bonny  cells  <>f  Bcrllam 
When  I  wiui  inu^ail-titvuty 
I  tud  hempen  bracelet!  ilrODg 
Anil  invrTT  whip*  iliii|{-<1<iii|; 
And  prafer  xad  tailing  plealj." 


p  And  Lady  Johnson  said  she  remembered  it  well  and  bow  it  lined 
to  make  her  shudder  when  she  was  a  girL  "Oh,  Alice,  think  of  it!" 
she  naid,  "one  and  inenty !" 

"It  i*  gnpleasant,"  said  Alioe;  which  was  bravado.     She  con- 
tinued, piling  up  the  agony.  "They  used  to  be  put  to  sleep  on 
wooden  pallets  in  the  middle  of  big  rooms  with  the  floors  covonM]  all 
over  with  pin-points  sticking  up.    And  e."diiV>ited  to  the  p\i\A\R  *».  «, 
^low,  and  spun  round  rapidl)-  on  chairs,  &nd  con&oe^  'N\.\WiMt.  Vc^A 


396  ALICE-FOB-SBOBT 


jfii^ff 


i 


ID  underiTound  duD)cean&    And  the;  weie  rstiOs  sane,  ta  of 

Dot.     How  nice  it  m  thnt  it's  now,  aowl     And  tluit  it'o  Cbarios 

Cross,  with  the  fouutaina  playing." 

It  wos  CharinK  Cross,  and  th«  sun  hnd  jtut  como  out  «ft«r  a 
abuwu-r,  and  a  very  small  street  Arab  was  ioduljpng  in  an  cacapaiila 
in  the  foil  tit  si  n*.  For  in  defiance  of  all  decency,  he  had  fluni;  ofi 
bia  [hiu^  and  gone  into  the  water,  end  was  deriding  tbc  ciril 
authority.  Peggy  wanted  to  stop  and  adopt  him  on  the  spot — he 
was  so  tempting  in  bis  well-knit  nudity — but  tlio  other  appoint* 
mont  could  not  be  trifled  with.    They  had  to  go  on. 

Everytbinii;  ihey  passed  und  saw  insisted  on  bc-ing  looked  at 
and  neighed  in  its  relation  to  Old  Jane.  Even  the  juvenile  r«be], 
Blnppitig  bi.i  aliiniug  tmnniy  contentedly  in  the  nunKbino,  with  a 
subdivision  of  Police  threatening  bim,  but  unable  lo  act,  nuida 
tbera  conlrnsl  hi*  uplcndid  liberty,  and  glorious  outlook  of  future 
defiance  of  authority,  witli  In-r  cancelled  and  torpid  life.  The 
window  iif  Whitehall  from  which  King  Charles  stepped  out  into  the 
sun,  and  thi--ncc  tuto  his  grave,  suggestiid  that  his  fate  wn«  an 
enviable  one  by  comparison.  The  Horsiiguards.  however  much  they 
were  making  believe  that  they  were  cut  off  from  sympathy  with 
human  life,  its  struggles  and  passions,  wore  only  doing  so  ofiicially, 
and  were  really  taking  notice  of  everything  and  meaning  (o  con- 
vi^rse  intelligently  with  one  iintillier  about  it  as  soon  as  they  irett 
at  libi-rly  to  speak.  No  surgical  relief  to  the  brain  would  be 
necessary  there.  Even  when  Peggy  and  Alice  said  nothing  ti> 
one  onoiber  about  iinpreasioiis  of  tliis  sort,  they  felt  iheni.  one  or 
both.  And  both  probably  expericncc<I,  without  defining,  a  feeling 
of  the  ouUousuess  and  self-absorptiun  of  tlie  vast  crowd  in  its  con- 
stant ebb  and  fiaw,  and  contented  ignorance  of  old  Jane's  sixty 
yiMTB  of  silence  and  oblivion.  This  was  unroasonabic ;  for  wen 
they  themselves  giving  her  a  thought,  six  months  agoi 

"I  must  say,"  said  Alice  to  Peggy,  ns  they  turned  round  towards 
the  bridge,  "the  poor  old  wotnau's  was  a  mui^  nioer  eort  of  insan- 
ity than  that  other  one's  Dr.  Fludycr  told  us  of,  who  talked  inces- 
santly for  aeven  years.  I  hope  lo  goodnewt  w(>  shan't  ^ec  a  case  of 
that  sort." 

"I  hope  not,"  aaid  Pegay,  fervently.  She  was  fw-ling  very  un- 
easy about  possible  horrors.  Alice  wasn't  unfeeling,  but  in  lier 
tetiipiiriimcnt  active  curiosity  outflanked  unennine«s.  She  tber^ 
fore  talked  and  speculated  for  herself  and  hi-r  companion. 

"Wliat  a  goo<l  tiling  it  would  be  if  people  that  talk  too  mucfa 
could  be  vaccinated  off  Old  Jim^l  What  art?  all  those  men  oa  tbo 
terrace  there  over  the  riv.  r  ■:     M>  mbcrs  of  Parliament,  are  tbeyl" 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


»n 


Alice  stopped  and  b(>came>  reScctirc.  We  have  no  means  of 
knotring  whctlicr  her  UigtightK  wrre  disrespectful  or  otherwise. 
They  most  hare  lasted  over  the  bridge,  as  it  waa  abreast  of  KU 
Thomas's  Hospital  thnt  nhc  drew  n  long  breath  of  n-licf.  and  Mid. 
"We're  not  goiu^  to  bear  a  debate — that's  one  comfort  1" 

Pferhapa  you  who  read  tliU  lure  been  a  prowler  about  London, 
like  our«eIf.  If  so,  you  will  know  the  huge  building  with  the 
portico  and  dome,  and  its  plecsiiul  open  grounds  all  round,  and  ita 
beautiful  oval  lawn  in  front.  But.  if  a  languid  pn;>w)er — liko 
oiirself — content  to  look  at  many  thingH  and  woudi:r,  and  make 
□o  enquiries,  you  may  hare  sauntered  by  this  huge  building  and 
nciTcr  iLSkL-d  it-H  Dame;  nt^vcr  known  tlmt.  as  an  institution,  it 
records  and  represents  three  hundred  years  at  least  of  the  most 
appalling  miscrry  tliat  cttn  full  on  man.  You  may  huvi:  phkwkI  it 
over  and  dismissed  it;  as.  if  one  is  lazy  and  pronls.  one  is  apt 
to  do  with  Inrgp  building*  thnt  look  a»  if  they  hnd  bonrdn  nnd  funds 
and  annual  reports.  No  doubt  they  are  all  riitht.  and  really  have  a 
purpose  if  one  could  only  find  it  out.  If  they  were  merely  Insti- 
tutioDS  p*r  «e,  without  qualifieatioiiH.  wf-  must  survly  (if  n-e  think 
seriously)  wonder  that  any  one  should  hare  been  at  Uie  trouble  and 
expense  of  eomitructing  tli«n!  If,  however,  after  you  got  homo  it 
came  to  your  knowledge  that  the  huge  building  was  Bethlehem 
Hospital,  nud  that  BrrthlcluTm  Hofpilnl  was  actually  Bedlam- 
Bedlam  itself,  no  other  1 — you  must  then  have  felt  sorry  you  did 
not  know  it  ut  the  limr.  itnd  pay  n  litlli'  more  attention. 

For  though  it  is  no  longer  in  Moorlields.  but  Saint  Cleorge's.  even 
a*  when  in  Mo'irfit-!d,»  it  wa«  no  longer  in  Bishopsgate-,  it  is  still 
the  Uospital  of  St.  Mary  Bethlehem.     Kveii  aa  ihc  Cuaes  that , 
were  in  the  home  of  the  old  thirteenth-century  monastery,  whoso] 
property  had  been  "redistributed,"  were  shiftetl  through  the  air 
and  light  from  their  prison  to  the  new  one  of  Uoorditcfa.  so  when 
the  latter  gave  up  its  nienlully  dead,  this  waB  the  new  tomb  to 
which  the  still  animated  bodies  were  transferred.     The  tradition 
of  horror  haa  never  paused,  sinoe  the  Srtt  poor  creature,  auppoaed 
(groundcdiy  or  not)  to  be  possessed  by  an  evil  spirit,  was  t^ea 
diarge  of  by  the  pious  frati-niily  of  Saint  Mar>-.  nnd  judiciuualyi 
imiwlvd  on  spikes,  burned,  lashed,  or  put  in  cragiping  iroDs.  as  ft- 
practical  stop  towards  the  ejection  of  a  Devil  who  made  light  o£ 
Kxorciam. 

And  if  Alice  and  Charles,  as  a  result  of  slight  nnd  unskilful 
investigation,  had  bit  upon  tlie  right  records  of  the  treatment  of 
this  iait  exodus  of  woe,  it  was  little  bettct  lUan  l]tu.X  i>l  ^btb  ^i\«.t%. 


I 

L 


398 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


^ 


If  tl)e  m^rrj  whips  ding-dong  had  been  hung  up  out  of  tbe  way,  i 
hcmpni  br(iccl<-l¥  strong  coiiliniied  in  evidenw — iiml  iJid  eo  till 
few  ji-art  later.  But  it  is  all  long  ago  now,  for  except  as  an  expe- 
dient of  rclatiw* — a  check  on  obnoxious  brothers  and  sisters, 
wivea  or  husbands — probably  there  baa  never  been  a  fetter  on  a 
lunatic  for  more  than  6{tf  years  pn^l.  Maybe  it  makce  let*  diSer- 
enec!  Ibuu  ono  thinks!  But  it  ia  pleasant  to  kui>w,  pleasant  onir 
to  believe,  that  nowadays  SJadnc««  is  all  the  lunatic  baa  to  suffer 
from,  and  tliat  be  hiia  not  to  eiidurt  Medievalism  into  the  Imrgatn. 
!^till.  insanity  is  what  it  is!  What  the  Latin  poet  called  it  1\to 
tiiciiiHaiid  jt-iira  ogo  it  remains  now — the  greatdit  of  crils,  that 
knows  not  the  name  of  the  ^lave  that  boyhood  knew,  nor  the  face  cf  ' 
thii  friuiid  who  culU  im.  in  vain,  by  our  own. 

"Bat  I  can't  hoar  any  palientH."  said  Peggy  to  lier  htisband, 
when  he  met  them  under  tbe  great  porch,  with  Dr.  fludyer.  Ha 
had  come  early  to  he  present  at  tbo  operation,  and  had  sctit  tha 
carriage  back  for  them.    "What  did  you  expect!"  said  be. 

"Wliy,  of  course,  I>r.  Jomson  dear  !*'  answcn-d  Alice,  for 
her.  "Mother  Peg  expected  to  hear  the  patit-ntu  howl  antl 
gibber." 

They  passed  up  two  flights  of  slaira  into  a  loofc  galler7-Uke 
ward — quite  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long.  But  it  wasn't  liko 
P<¥*.v's  idea  of  Bedlam  at  all,  nor  Alice's.  It  was  furnished  from 
end  to  end  as  luxuriously  as  a  fir«t-class  hotel.  There  were  ptctuiee 
on  the  walls  and  flowers  on  the  tables.  A  lady  was  playing  a 
piano.  Others  sat  about  reading,  or  looking  at  picture  books,  or 
doing  needlework.    One  aaw  notbiiij;  wrouK.  "*«  for. 

"Bill  we  shall  see  some  of  tbe  patients  1"  said  Peggy.  The  norao 
who  accoinpunied  tliem  answered:  j 

"These  are  sU  patients.    This  is  a  patient"    She  laid  her  batxl  1 
on  the  sliouliler  of  a  girl  who  £tat  eto«c  by,  counting  her  fingnx.] 
"Ob,  no!  she  doesn't  know  I'm  speaking  about  her.     She  doesn't | 
know  anytliing."    This  was  in  aittiwcr  to  a  half-expression  of  pro- 
tect or  apology  from  Peggy.    Then  she  addressed  tbe  girl  herself 
by  name,  nu(J  the  girl  replietl,  ''Directly  I"    But  she  went  on  count- 
ing her  fingers. 

''It  loolcs  so  reasonable  for  a  moment,"  said  the  nurse,  "hut  she  | 
has  been  like  that  for  three  months.  She'll  become  chronic,  motl 
liki-ly.  But  she's  perfectly  itufi-  by  herself.  That  other  one  isn'L" 
Tbe  other  one  was  a  placid  rcs)>ee1abte  lady,  who  looked  quite  fit 
to  be  left  in  charge  "f  the  ward  single-handed.  Peggy  said  ao,  end 
the  nurse  replied:  "Yeel    Rcspousible  sort  of  person,  to  look  otl 


f  ALICE-FOR-SnORT  399 

But  abe'a  i>ot  safe  witli  a  knife.    It  came  quite  8udidei)l]r  tbougli; 
it  mav  gn  &wnjr  a«  quickly  as  it  came."  ^H 

"How  diiiit  comer  ^ 

"She  »rn(  a  Icir  nf  mutton  fl.ving  at  h^r  husband's  head  one  daj 
nt  <!iiini-r.  Somfrihiiifc  he  aaid  annoyed  h<-r,  an<l  that  brought  it 
out.    This  is  the  ward." 

They  hii<)  got  to  the  ent)  of  the  long  ward,  and  went  into  a 
passniie  that  nuide  a  lobby  to  another.  Alice  would  so  much  hare 
liknl  to  know  tvhy  the  girt  counted  her  fingers,  and  what  it  was  the 
husband  had  said  to  exasperate  hia  wife.  Did  not  many  husbands 
tir.irrve  to  hare  legs  of  mutton  thrown  at  theint  Also  a  group  she 
had  noticed,  near  the  piano,  had  puziled  her.  A  young  man  on  m 
sofa  with  hia  face  in  his  hands,  oceming  to  be  either  in  pain,  or 
Hreat  trouble.  Over  him.  with  pity  on  her  face,  «(omi  a  comiily 
pleasant  eirl.  Her  right  hand  was  on  his  shoulder;  her  left 
Stroked  his  head.  "It's  her  huisbaiul."  said  the  nurac.  But  then — 
this  was  a  Women's  Ward  I  However,  there  waa  no  time  for  ques- 
tioning— Alice  would  adt  after.  They  passed  on  into  n  nnall  ward, 
with  beds,  wher«  they  were  to  find  the  object  of  thia  journey — iha 
old  chronic  patient  of  a  lifetime. 

You  know,  perfectlj-  wkU,  how  when  the  image  of  anrthing  you 
anticipate  seeing  has  taken  op  apace  in  your  mind,  you  (ixpcd 
llie  tiling,  wbi-n  it  conieH,  to  fill  up  as  large  a  space  in  the  room  (or, 
for  that  matter,  the  district)  in  which  you  find  it.  Old  Jane  had 
filled  up  so  much  of  Alice's  and  Lady  Johnson's  minds,  that  they 
could  hardly  believe  that  little  white  still  thing  on  the  bod  was 
really  she.  What  they  saw  seemed  a  aniall  mask  with  wlule  hair 
on  a  pillow,  the  head  it  belonged  to  encased  in  a  covering  that  made- 
it  more  like  the  sarcophngiis  thnn  lis  contents.  The  body  it  be- 
longed to  was  just  manifest,  no  more,  through  its  coverlid.  The 
likeness  to  a  gnyea  Image  was  the  greater  that  it  hardly,  if  at  oU, 
•ugge^ted  Dettth. 

The  operation  had  only  just  been  completed,  and  all  sign  of  it 
removed  except  the  bead  bandages,  when  Alice  and  Peggy  came  into 
the  ward.  Ur.  Isaacson  the  surgeon  stood  by  tlie  bed,  his  eyes 
fixed  Btlrntively  on  thi:  face.  His  intensely  Egyptian  features 
sugiiestcd  a  I'haraoh  standing  over  his  mummied  mother.  He  took 
no  notice  of  the  new  arrivalc.  Sir  Kupert  went  to  him,  and  they 
Stood  talking,  aotto-voce,  side  by  side.  Then  Isaacson  raised  his 
Toicc. 

"T  don't  believe  she'll  speak.     I  can't.     But  if  she  does,  it  will 
be  within  a  week;  either  speak  or  try  it  on.    I  must  be  oS"     \\a 
dropped  his  roivc  a^ain  and  Alice  fancied  ebe  be&i&  Uon.  «&'s  Nw.^^»& 


4 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 

to  remoTe  a  kidnpy  at  three.  So  like  a  late  luncfa,  thought 
He  wiithrfl  Lody  Jolweoti  Aiid  Miss  Kavaufi^b  good -iiioru  jug,  but 
retuctautly.  a«  if  he  scorned  to  be  ungenerous,  but  had  vnj  little 
heart  in  biit  wiihing.  H<iwe?er,  he  madft  up  for  it  by  tbi:  eordiulitj 
with  which  he  wished  them  a  whole  good-da^  a  minute  later.  But 
then,  mind  you,  the  first  vfish  wns  that  of  n  dcluiovd,  the  «oo; 
of  ■  relcaB)>d  man. 

And  then  Alice  and  Peggy,  (it  Sir  Rupert'R  wixh,  made  up  t 
minds  for  a  long  vigil.    Il  woa  two  o'clock,  and  they  wen.-  not  to 
at  liberty  till  eight ;  not  even  then  if  OM  Jnne  broke  out  in  speeoh. 
"But  it's  whnl  she  says  firtt  I  want,"  wiid  Rupert;  "and  if  it  dosn'^ 
come  very  soon  it  won't  be  for  some  time.     SliU.  it's  worth 
chance  of  her  speaking  for  you  to  be  here.'' 

So  he  departed  aud  left  them  »tting  on.    The;  could  chat 
the  nurmr,  and  hear  about  Cn»es. 

"I  dtdn'l  know  you  had  any  male  patients  on  this  aide,"  said 
Alice. 

"We  haven't  any.    Why!" 

"Because  of  that  poor  fellow  we  saw.  wliOBC  wife  had  conui 
we  him." 

"She  hadn't  come  to  see  him.    He'd  come  to  see  her.    St'»  aQ 
right!    Skc'i  as  mad  luf  a  March  hare." 

"Is  it  possible!    She  looked  no  nhsohitcly  snnc." 

"She  put  the  baby  in  the  fire,  to  purify  it  from  Sin,    Ha«  to 
wntehed  constantly,  or  Khe'cl  kill  berself.    Because  she's  too  bad 
to  live  I    Ouly  been  married  a  couple  of  years." 

"Was  «Ac" — Alice  nodded  towards  the  bed — "always  quite 
and  silent,  like  this)" 

"Not  quite  like  tJiis:  that  ie,  ehe  has  never  spoken  since 
came  here.  Before  n-e  were  honi.  But  she  hn>'  always  moved 
slightly — enough  to  show  she  was  alive,  A  nume  who  waa  hare 
before  her  husband  died,  told  mc  tliat  once  she  was  thought  (o  have 
moved  and  tried  to  speak.  They  sent  for  her  husband,  who  used 
to  livcf  near  brre,  in  ciuc  anythiug  chnnged.  But  it  turned  out  a 
uigtake.    They  had  better  have  watted  till  they  were  sure." 

Poor  Vcrriiiderl    Fancy  how  he  came  round  in  reaponae  to 
summoual    Fancy  how  he  went  back!    So  thought  Alic«  to 
»elf. 

"She  told  mc  too,"  continued  the  nurse,  whose  name  waa  Qai 
ford,  Alice  learned,  "that  after  that  he  got  «o  sleeplees  at  ni, 
that  he  took  to  chloral  or  chloroform.    It  had  to  do  with  hia  death 
in  the  end." 

Z.atJ'j  Johu80it  wan  Tcry  eiJent,  and  aeemed  oppirMod.     Alios 


But 

I 

sech.    ' 

CTM'I      I 

I 

pad     ^ 

i 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


401 


on  the  Kintrary  prosoaitcd  nctivc  enquiry  on  nil  «iibioct$.     Wn^H 
it  not  horribly  trying  work!     It  was — and  verj-  few  i)L<ople  COuloV 
bear  it  for  I«nR.    "You  might  ?land  it  for  sis  weeks;  her  Isdysbip 
wouldn't  bold  out  for  twonly-four  boure,"     Peggy  felt  tli«  truth 
of  this.    Uow  came  Urs.  Gaisford  to  be  able  to  bear  it)    She  sup- 
poMid  Hhi;  IciUTW  what  it  was  to  be  worse  off.    How  lung  had  nIio 
boma  it!     She  bad  been  eighteen  years  in  the  institution — about 
sixteen  in  ber  prr-sent  position.    Alim;  thought  tltis  n^fi'mnl  to  her  ^ 
atattia  ftS  a  nurse,  and  asked  no  further  <|ueetiou  on  tht?  [Mint.  I 
She  fnncicd  Mho  noticod  •onu;  r^-iwn-c,  and  changr-d  the  »ubject.H 
Would  Mrs.  Gaisford  show  ht-r  all  over  the  iusiitution  ih^idi^  timtJ'V 
Oh  ye«,  that  she  would,  paddod  rooms,  swimming-bath,  billiard- 
rooma,  lliealrv,  end  ballroom— every  thing  I     If  it  hadn't  be-on  that 
tfaia  Case  must  bo  seen  to,  wo  could  have  gone  to  see  the  Magic 
X4Uit4;m  thin  evening  under  llic  Dome  in  the  ChnprI  Room.     Dr.  h 
LtTingstone   in   Central    Africa.   Mrs.    Gaisford   beliirvi'd.     Alic«H 
thought  of  K[ndg«  Wildfirv'a  song,  and  the  prayer  and  fastincfl 
piMity.     The  clash  betweeu  the  perfect  modorn  lliupitsl  and  tlio^ 
genuine  ecrap  of  moyen-age  that  Alice  hu<i  brought  from  Harley 
Streot  night  be  dpscribed  as  historically  painful 

Am  Alice  nnd  Peggy  remained  watching  by  tho  motionlesa  figure 
for  over  five  houra,  and  Alice  talked  nlmoat  all  thai  time  with  the 
aurae.  rou  may  bo  suro  she  heard  a  great  deal  about  Insanity  in  all 
its  phaaeo.  But  we  cannot  writt^  it  uU  down  here,  and  need  uot. 
as  she  wrote  it  all  down  herself  afterwards.  If  you  recollect  her 
«toty  of  "Ann  Carlyon,"  you  will  see  how  flhu  niude  u»c  of  ihc  girl 
who  counted  her  fingers.  Ann  (you  may  remember)  was  betrothed 
to  a  man  who  wnn  sentenced  to  ten  ycnr«"  penal  servitude  for 
forgery.  In  the  first  year  alie  got  iiit^'  t!ir-  liubJl  of  counting  her  Urn 
fingers  continually:  in  the  second  l><  .  . mled  to  the  ninth,  and  so 
on.  If  spoken  to  ahi;  nlwayH  counlinl  hi  Ixit  limit  Ix^foro  unnwering. 
At  the  end  of  the  fifth  year  came  the  news  that  he  had  died  in 
priiion.  AfUT  tliat  &lie  never  ceasrd  counting  as  far  us  the  fifth 
finger,  and  became  a  hopeless  lunatic.  Peggy  said  she  had  a  great 
mind  nevpr  to  speak  to  Aunty  Lis.3y  again  when  she  wrote  this: 
"You  wicked  A.  K.,"  said  she;  "how  ever  can  you  do  auch  things, 
with  tluit  innocent  bhie-ejed  look  nil  over  your  face,  I  cnn't  think!" 
And  Alice  looked  a^ihumed,  anil  unswered:  "But  I  did  cry  over  it, 
Slotber  Peggy  dear,  and  real  tears  tool"  And.  ns  she  said  it,  tho 
little  aix-yenr-oid  Alice,  '"Alice  the  kid,"  came  hack— oh,  »o  strongly 
— to  her  queetioner'a  mind.  But  all  this  bos  nothing  to  do  with 
the  atory, 

If  ore  than  once  during  the  lon^  vigil  by  t!bi  \)«d«u&K  iiiua  <a^  "^^^ 


402 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


tbrfc  wBtchera  f«iieii'<l  she  saw  a  moTeraent  of  the  §tUl  featt 
It  always  turoed  out  to  be  n  mi^ltiko  due  to  ncrrousnoss.  At 
leset,  if  movement  there  had  tieen,  it  was  not  i-onfimicd  Kod 
repented.  There  was  a  gr^at  difference  between  the  -suEoeptibilitr 
to  nervouB  impressions  of  the  three ;  Ihc  nurse  being  by  far  the  le«tt 
impressionuMc,  while  L«dy  Johnson  towards  the  end  of  the  timi-  wa* 
quite  upeet  in  ber  judgment  by  the  constant  strain  of  6x^  atten- 
tion. "I'm  sure  I  saw  the  lips  move  then,"  ^le  would  say  at  inter- 
vals. But  she  was  always  wrone.  Both  she  and  Alice  irer«  gUd 
wb«n  the  cloek  gave  them  leave  to  so. 

And  when  Pegi^y  arrii'pd  at  home,  and  went  to  lntr  own  roooi, 
tirm]  and  dieeoiioerted,  she  felt  quite  sorry  for  her  husband,  and 
the  report  Hhe  had  to  give.  "I'm  afraid  you'll  be  so  di^tirteil. 
darlinjt."  she  began.  But  Sit  Rupert,  uho  was  in  hU  dressing- 
room,  only  asked  if  they  had  brought  back  Fludyer  in  the  carriaice 
with  lliem.  "I  told  him  to  come,"  be  said.  "^  any  one  eW  com- 
ing (  No  one  else.  Then  I  shan't  dress,  it's  «0  lato — oh!  theirfa 
his  knoek.    I  thought  he'd  eome." 

"But  it  is  disgusting,  dear,  isn't  itl" 

"Yes  I  The  old  lady  ought  to  bava  looked  alive  I  But — better 
luck  next  time  1" 


CHAPTKR  XXXTin 


HOW  0L1>  IXSZ  WAKCD  FROU  TOVKO  JANE's  SLEEP.      ROW  AUCE  WENT 
BACK  TU  BEDLAM 


i\6  be  no  doubt  of 


AHc 


It  wm  ft  disappointment— ther 
and  PcgB7  had,  witlioiit  mJmilliiif;  it.  wurkod  tbemadTea 
a  slate  of  expeclation  that  Old  .lane  would  "come  to."  It  woe  trufl 
that  Sir  Rupert  hnd  dnrlt  <m  Iiin  belief  Uiat  thrrc!  wiiH  only  one 
chance  of  it  in  thousands;  that.  almOBt  to  a  certainty,  the  matter 
of  the  brain  was  compacted  pnxt  all  reiii^nteincnt,  nod  that  the 
recoTety,  if  any.  wouW  be  slow  and  the  steps  imperceptible.  All 
that  he  had  committed  himself  to  was  that  there  would  be  goma 
amount  of  reeovety.  and  when  therw  wiia  none  whatever  he  waal 
disappointed.  .Still,  he  bore  it  phlloeopbieally.  On  the  other  hand, 
Alice  and  F'rggy,  whow  imaginntion  hnd  endowpd  thi-  humnn  brnin 
with  a  rtsiUfiicy  surpasein(e  thul  of  the  best  X'ara  rubber,  were 
inclined  to  resent  the  result  cif  the  experiment,  and  to  consider  that 
tbey  had  been  cheated.  However,  in  response  to  Rupert's  caution, 
"^ot  to  be  too  prcrioua,"  because  tho  play  wasn't  played  out  3^ 
tltey  agreed  to  suspend  judgment. 

As  it  turned  out,  it  wns  as  well  that  the^  did  bo.  For  a  fortnight 
after  tlie  operation  Old  Jane,  quite  auddenly'  spoke.  We  bare  to 
rely  for  the  particulars  of  her  first  utterances  on  Mrs.  Gatsford, 
tfac  nurse  who  was  with  lu-r  nt  the  time,  and  on  Dr.  Fhidyer,  who 
was  at  otiee  summoned.  Staled  briefly,  the  facts  appear  to  luva 
been  an  follows:- — 

Since  the  operation  the  only  noticeable  change  in  thi-  patient 
had  been  that  the  slight  appearance  of  a  distinction  between  a 
eleeplng  and  a  waking  atute  hud  become  intensified,  so  thut  it  was 
no  lonser  a  matter  of  opinion  which  predominated.  Ou  this  occn- 
aiou  the  nurse's  attention  wuo  aroused  by  n  more  dpfinite  aspect 
of  healthy  sleep  than  she  had  seen  hitherto.  It  may  have  beea. 
only  hi-r  fancy  that  the  colour  of  thi;  face  had  changed,  but  she  hnd^ 
no  doubt  of  the  fact  that  the  lips  moved  once  or  twice  without  giv- 
ing any  sound,  in  a  way  that  seemed  to  suggest  an  effort  to  speak. 
She  at  onoe  sent  word  to  Dr.  Fludyer,  who  arfived  from  hi*  own 
rcaidencc  about  an  hour  latiT.  Her  impression  must  have  been 
Strong  about  the  movement  of  the  Ups,  as  it  wg,B  <kc\^  ^j^sv  ua^s^^^'v 

408 


404 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


and  thftv  was  a  bravf  downpour  of  rain.    It  was  not  an 

to  hting  (rvvQ  a  doctor  out  of  bie  bed  into  the  streets,  except 

cauw  shown, 

On  hia  arrival  be  found  that  nolhiiiK  further  had  occurred;  but 
be  noticed  the  chance  in  the  nppcamncc  of  the  patient,  and  t»- 
BBrkcd  to  the  atirae  that  had  he  knovn  notbinx  of  tbe  case,  bt 
should  have  nippowd  her  to  be  in  a  hmlthjc  xl^-vp,  mnking  of  coutm 
du«  ailowanoe  for  ber  age.  Tlie  a]ixy>  of  very  otd  people  wbeo  Dot 
stenoroiis has  an  appearance  of  torpor.oftcn  enough.  He  remained 
wntrhing  liy  ilie  btnUidc  for  tin-  nligbtest  moTement,  occasionally 
touchiug  the  patit^nl's  pulse,  but  obaerTed  do  change  of  any  sorl 
At  Inm,  dopairiug  of  anything,  and  hairing  a  alight  luU  in  tbe 
Mead^r  torrcula  of  rain  which  had  continuod  for  more  than  two 
hour*  wilhoitt  inlenniiN>!on,  ho  got  up  to  gou 

"Send  for  mo  again,''  said  he  to  the  nuree,  'If  you  eee  any  more- 
mcnt  whatever,  or  think  you  do.  Never  mind  if  it  in  fancy.  I 
would  eooner  be  brought  liere  fifty  timea  by  miatake  than  roiw  fee- 
ing the  return  of  eon»ciouenc»s^if  ever  there  in  any.  Powibly 
you  u-ere.  aa  you  think  now,  miHtaken  tliia  time.  Bui  nevor  nuDd! 
6end  again."  And  the  nurt«  promised  to  do  ao,  thoui^  evidently 
diBcon<N.■Tt(^d  at  ber  mintake. 

Dr.  Ftudyer  put  on  the  overcoat  lie  bad  taken  off  on  coming  into 
the  ward,  and  hi*  hat.  lie  took  on<'  mure  look  at  tbu  almost  inani- 
nate  white  figure  on  the  bed  before  him.  the  head  enoloaed  in  a 
«loKe-litting  black  coif  that  protcc(<^d  without  opproaing  the  seat  of 
the  operation.  He  touched  tbe  pulse  of  the  inotionkea  hand  co 
the  coverlid  once  more,  and  finding  no  flucUintiun  of  tbo  alow  but 
that  had  for  sixty  ycara  refpateied  the  vitnlily  of  a  living  tomb^ 
turned  to  go,  leaving  tbe  nurse  to  her  dreary  rigil  iu  the  aileoo^ 
broken  only  l>y  tlie  touiid  of  the  fulling  rain,  and  now  and  tbm 
the  groan,  or,  almost  worse,  tbe  lau^b  of  some  distant  patient.  A* 
be  walked  out  into  the  corridor  a  thiot  alammed  and  the  ediocs  rerar* 
berated  tlirough  the  building.  The  sounds  of  a  discuaeion  or  altar* 
cation,  that  wo*  purl  of  the  door-sla aiming  incident,  mixed  in 
another  sound  that  had  caught  his  attt^ntion  and  raudc  him  *' 
The  voice  of  a  woman,  not  the  nuree,  coming  from  the  ward 
had   just    left. 

Ye*,  it  came  quite  distinctly  from  that  room,  and  wae  not  iba 
voice  of  the  Dtiree,  for  bi-r  voice  followed  it  immedtuiely— «iitinly 
different. 

"Oh— Ur,  Fludyer!  come — come  at  once!'"  And  aa  he  rt^arU' 
in  rcApouae  to  tbe  agitated  xununons,  the  first  *«ioe  came  ajia 
with  the  startled  sound  that  was  in  it  before,  showing  d  gro' 


iiur* 


ALICE-FOR-8H0RT 


400 


towatdi  tenor.  'TOiat  i*  it!"  nnd  «gain,  ■'Wlidt  m  itf  And  the 
loud«r  a«c«iit  suggeeted  the  sort  of  uiieran«>  of  ouc  vho,  auxious 
to  wsm  »  RUKpcctcd  evil-doer,  betrays  bia  own  apprcbcnsiou  in  thft 
8lt«nipl. 

Dr.  Fhidycr  afterwards  told  Sir  Itupcrt  that  at  this  point  he  felt 
dumb-etruck— could  not  find  ii  word.  The  nurse  wa.i  morr  prompt; 
perhapB  Teadi«r  in  tbe  class  of  fiction  with  which  patieuts  are 
eootbed  and  silenced. 

"The  doctor  says  you  are  not  to  move,  Mrs.  Verrinder,  but  to  lio 
quite-  HtiU  till  he  comes.'' 

The  ggure  that  had  half-moved,  and  still  seemed  to  struggle 
to  ntove,  fell  bnck  pn^ively.  Thon  the  voice  came  again,  only  with 
lees  of  strain  and  tension. 

"But  you  will  tell  mc  what  it  i?!    What  is  it!" 

The  uurae  replied  with  tvliat  struck  Dr.  Fludyer  as  n  good  deal 
of  readiness  and  tact.  "I  am  only  just  cume.  The  doctor  will  be 
here  soon."  The  [lutient  appeared  to  oltdch  full  meaning  to  these 
words. 

"Will  you."  she  Paid,  slill  with  bewilderment  and  apprehension  in 
her  trine,  "be  no  kind  ns  to  ring  the  bell,  or  rjill  the  girl.  Call 
'Elizabeth'  over  the  stairs,  and  she  will  come."  And  then,  aa 
though  she  mistrusted  the  cnrrjing  out  of  these  instructions,  she 
beg*n  to  call  herself.  "Elizabeih!  E!izal>elh!"  No  response  fol- 
lowing, «he  went  on,  "The  girl  must  hare  gone  out."  And  then 
middenly.  "Where  is  Mr.  Verrinderi" 

The  nurse  replied  as  before.  "I  have  only  juel  come.  Ma'am,"  and 
tl»en  looked  enquiringly  at  Dr.  Fludyer.  He  uinleratood  lier,  and 
nodded;  she  continued,  "The  doctor  has  just  com©— but  he  begs 
you  will  lie  still  and  not  try  to  talk." 

"That  is  quite  right,  Mr*.  Verrinder,"  said  he;  "you  lie  quite 
still  and  try  not  to  talk."  This  slightly  varied  way  of  putting  it 
scenii^l  to  have  its  effet-t.  for  the  patient  appeared  to  acquiesce. 
I>r.  Fludyer  said  afterwards  to  Sir  Rupert  that  from  this  moment 
he  made  up  his  mind  to  belmve  exactly  as  lie  should  have  done  had 
tbe  suspension  of  consciousness  been  sixty  hours  instead  of  sixty 
year*.  He  found,  he  said,  that  by  adhering  blindly  to  this  rule, 
difBeulltes  that  9eeme<!  insuperable  vanished. 

He  sat  down  by  the  bedside,  anil  put  hi^  linger  on  the  pulse. 
"That  i»  right,"  lie  r«rpeBted.  "He  quite  quid  and  we  shall  do 
nicely."  Then  anticipating  that  her  next  sjieech  would  be  a  repfr- 
tition  of  licr  hiit,  he  ihnught  it  sufesl  lo  foreiilall  it.  Uv  had  made 
lip  ht-t  mind  iliat  some  falsehood  would  be  inevitable,  and  felt  it 
voutd  be  safest  to  bo  beforehand. 


406 


ALTCE-FOR-SnORT 


• 


"Mr.  Vcrrinder  has  hr-en  obligrd  to  go  niray,"  \»  Mid.  "We 
have  not  heard  from  him."  And  then,  conscious  that  tt  waa  nbait- 
lutcly  nwpwary  to  touch  nomp  npw  point,  little  matti-r  what,  tJiat 
would  arrest  the  current  of  enquiry,  he  added,  "I  tan  Dr.  F!udj«r." 
He  could  not  at  tho  time  analyse  his  reasons  for  beliovias  Ihii 
would  unsu-er  the  purpose,  but  it  seemed  to  do  bo,  ]tfaybe  tt  cnn-iej 
a  sutntcstioD  that  more  would  come  without  being  asked  for;  and  he 
thought  it  fiufest.  linviug  procured  a  pause,  to  follow  on  in  it  at 
once,  and  chooee  bis  own  line  of  explanation. 

"You  have  had  a  moat  dan^rous  illness.  Mrs,  Vcrrinder. 
have  been  for  a  long  time  imconscious.     You  are  not  in 
own  home,  hut  in   a   Hospital.     You  were  moved  hero  at  yo 
buahand's    wish,   as   be   knew    you    would    be    far  better   nu 
hero  than  woidd  hove  lieen  possible  at  home." 

"And  is  he  gone  away,  leaving:  me  beret"    The  old  Hpa,  Uiat 
not  know  how  old  tlipy  were,  twitchi-<l  and  worked  about;  and 
old  eye*,  that  probably  saw  little  and  thought  the  cause  wraa 
ncss,  went  nearer  to  turning  round  and  looking  at  the  doctor  ibtat 
they  had  done  yet. 

"lie  was  obliged  to  go.    lie  had  no  choice." 

'^Vhnl  eould  oblige  him  to  go!    TTr  had  told  mc  nothing." 
doctor  felt  he  was  at  dangerously  close  quarters  with  his  difficull 
and  he  murt  retreat. 

"You  muat  remember,  Mr«.  Vcrrinder.  that  I  have  only  « 
latcl.v  tnkcn  charge  of  you,  and  T  cannot  giro  you  all  the  infor 
tion  I  should  like  to  give.    The  nurse  also  is  new,  end  knowa  nv 
leas  than  I  do.     It  is  now  thnw  in  the  morning,  and  eho  sent 
me  quite  suddenly  a  couple  of  hours  since,  having  seen  »igm 
consciousness  returning." 

"Oh  dear  I  I  am  so  sorry.    I  could  have  waited,    I  fear  yoa 
to  get  up  to  come  tn  me." 

"That,"  said  Flud^er  afterwards  to  Sir  Rupert,  "was  llio  woi 
of  all.  Ttiere  wa.-i  an  awful  unrarthly  tcl  about  it  that  ber  di 
speech  was  really  an  apology  made  in  the  beginning  of  the  cxtntuv 
It  felt  as  though  it  were  not  thi-  old  woman  who  had  coute  ba 
like  a  ghost  into  the  present  time,  b\il  that  T  was  K-ing  dragR 
back  into  the  past.  The  colloquial,  rvrryday  character  of  her 
epeceh  was  so  nitcnse.''  But  he  persevered  in  lh<r  course  lie  bad 
laid  down  for 'fiimsclf,  and  glued  his  mind  to  the  fiction  of 
three  days'  torpor. 

"We  doctors  gvt  uwd  to  thia  w>rt  of  thing,  Mrs.  Verrindcr," 
enid,  cheerfully.     And  Ibe  recmnlient  Ggur«  Rrplied,  in  the 
voice  of  apprcciative  civilitTi  "You  are  recy  good." 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


407 


ink  it  riitht  tc  tell  you,  itn.  VcrriDdcr,"  ho  continued, 
"that  your  accident  made  an  operation  neooaar;" — he  hesitated 
a  loomenl. 

*1  cannot  umlerstand,"  Kht-  wiid;  "Tiavc  Ihnd  nn  Accident  J — oh,  if 
I  could  onlj  understand  l**  The  distn^^  in  her  voice  woe  lateusely 
pniiiftil  to  hiT  hcjin-rii,  arcuntomi-d  as  both  were  to  erery  incident 
of  mental  disease.    Dr.  Fludjer  thought  he  saw  his  way  clearer. 

"I*  it  possible,  Mre.  Vcrrindcr,"  said  hp,  speaking  with  studious 
gcntlcneSB,  ''that  you  do  not  remenil<er  your  fall — on  tho  Btair*!'' 
Sbe  seeiaed  to  think  a  minute.  "Tcs,  I  do  remember  that  1  fell 
on  the  stairs,"  said  she,  "but  Uiat  was  just  now."  The  doctor 
saw  hia  way  clearer  siill. 

'"No,  dear  Mrs.  Vcrrindcr.  That  ie  where  your  mistake  is.  It 
waa  not  just  now.  but  some  time  since.  I  will  not  tell  you  how  long. 
You  hare  been  insensible  for  a  long  time."  He  paused,  but  the 
puzxtod  look  on  the  old  face  seemed  not  to  intend  speccli — only  to 
wait  to  hear  more.    He  went  on : 

"Your  fall  on  the  stairs  resulted  in  concussion  of  the  brnin,  and 
aa  a  consequence  you  fell  into  s  state  of  insensibility.  A  recent 
operation  haB  rclieT«d  the  depression  of  the  skull  which  caused 
tiuB  insensibility,  but  bus  left  behind  it  the  pain  you  arc  now  fecl- 
JDH  in  the  back  of  the  head.  You  hare  not  spoken  of  it.  but  I  know 
it  is  there."  The  patient  murmured,  "Oh  yes — grcjit  pain,"  but 
spoke  more  drowsily  than  before.  Evidently  the  exertion  of  her 
recent  spcvch  was  telling. 

"Until  that  pain  subsides,  Mra.  Terrinder,  I  wish  you — I  moat 
earnestly  beg  of  you — to  be  patient  and  not  try  to  talk."  Ho 
stopped  again,  for  the  nurse  bad  conveyed  to  bim  by  a  sign  that 
she  thought  no  more  need  be  said  then.  "She'll  be  quiet  awhile 
now."  abe  said. 

What  had  Htruck  the  doctor  as  strangest  in  all  this  was  the  way 
in  which  the  Hpec-eb  and  manner  of  the  patient  had  lent  itself  to 
the  fiction  thai  l^hc  hod  only  been  two  or  three  days  insensiblo- 
If  be  eouhl  have  fell  certain  of  ii  result  he  was  inclined  to  antici- 
pate— namely,  reaction  and  collapse — he  would  have  assured  her 
that  this  was  no  liction  at  nil.  But  he  was  handicap{>cil  by  the 
thought  of  explanations  to  come.  ITe  was  fortified  by  scientiGc 
certainty  of  her  extinction  in  caiM^  of  death,  and  no  umivllling  new 
scientific  certainties  happened  to  have  been  recenfly  demonstrated; 
ao,  to  put  it  briefly,  if  she  died,  fibs  wouldn't  luattcr.  If  you  hap- 
pen to  belong  to  any  of  the  many  schools  of  philosophy  that  con- 
demn his  view,  as  well  as  each  other,  be  good  enough  to  recollect 
that  be  bad  no  thought  but  for  the  pattenL 


■§08 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 


i 


After  waitlDf!  the  beat  part  of  an  hour,  bolh  nurae  and  doCUT 
became  (■onrinced  that  the  cxcit«nw-n{  uuci  i^xertioD  of  speech  bid 
produot)  (heir  uaturitl  eSect,  and  tbat  ponr  old  Jnno  had  collapsed 
into  a  deep  ulccp,  or  it*  iMiniviiletit  iu  her  condiliou.  They  were 
niistnkc:n;  for  as  Uie  doctor  was  departing,  he  wm  a  second  time 
recalled  by  a  voice  from  the  b«K!.  Its  self-commiiiid  wn«  cxtmordi- 
nary:  token  upart  from  the  abaormttl  state  of  the  spesk«r.  It 
perfectly  normal  in  iteolf. 

*■!!!  the  tct-ntleuan  gone— thai  was  here  just  now  ?" 

"No.  Ma'am!    Dr.  Fludyer  is  heif." 

"Dr.  Fludyer.  I  did  not  catch  your  name  bcfoK?.  I  hkl 
somctliltig,  Sir.  I  wisli  to  &bk  you.  But  I  speak  with  difficult 
Something  catches.  And  I  have  no  feeling  except  the  huad-paii 
Willit  goi" 

"Oh  ycsl    We  must  hove  patience,  and  lie  quiet.    Do  you  fe 
my  hand  on  yours!     Nowl" — He  raised  and  replaced  his 
on  the  inanimate  one  on  the  coverlid,  once  or  twice. 

"Yes,  I  think  I  do.    But  my  head  prevents  my  feeling  nnylhii 
«lBe.     Is  this  good  woman  touching  my  other  hand)"    The  uu 
bad  done  so.    She  drew  ber  hand  down  the  body  ond  lega.    "DiJ" 
you  feel  that  I"  said  she, 

"Oh  yes!  I  felt  you  touch  my  chest."  The  doctor  and  nurw 
glanced  at  each  other. 

"We  must  not  talk  too  much."  said  he.  "There  was  something 
you  said  you  wising  to  aak  me,  Mrs.  Verrinder."  ^_ 

"Fes.     Ity  baby  was  to  come  in  September.     Will  this — wi^H 
thi9 — r  ^ 

The  doctor  beckoned  the  nurse  away  from  the  bed,  and  they  apolce 
together  in  n  whi«prr.  They  had  taken  for  grnnt^rd  thiil  the  patient 
would  not  be  oonseiouB  of  their  doing  so.    It  waa  a  mistake,  ^^ 

"Is  it  something  I  am  not  to  bear)"    The  terrified  inflection  o|H 
the  voice  was  painful  iK-yond  e:xprcaeion.  ^1 

"You  shall  hear  directly.  Mrs.  Verrinder."    The  doctor  said  this, 
and  ngniu  siioke  to  the  nurse,  under  hid  breath,  but  einplialicallyg 
She  shrugged  her  shoulders  very  slightly,  and  raised  her  eyebrow^ 
as  in  protest,  and  then  went  aj^in  tu  the  patient.    Wlwtn  »h»  i 
her  effort  iu  doing  so  was  audible  in  her  voice. 

"Dr.  Fluiiyer  wishes  me  to  tell  you,  Mrs.  VerrindeT,  yotir 
waa  born,  and  did  not  live."     She  could  get  no  further.    Yet 
was  mniiifestly  unt  a  soft  ehuraeter — no  rncro  dweller  on  the  : 
mental  si<le  of  the  terrible  dramaa  she  saw  dai!y>    She  waa  a  tbo 
Oligh  madhouse  nurse,  chosen  as  specially  worthy  of  reliance.    Be 
this  ease  Btsggered  her. 


L 


ALICE-FOR-SHOKT 

"What  sh«  tells  yon  ia  true."  eaid  I>r.  Fludyer.  firmJy.  but  quiet];. 
"Tour  baby — a  little  girl— wm  born  pmnntiirely  in  consequonm  of 
tbe  accident.    It  could  uot  have  been  reared,  in  any  ease." 

"Whm  we  lold  her  of  the  death  of  the  child,"  iaid  Fludyer  when 
be  afterirards  described  this  scene  to  Sir  Rupert,  "she  was  <iuite 
silent  and  motionless  for  tuorr  than  a  tainiitc.  Then  she  gav<!  a 
cry — if  one  can  call  it  a  cry — such  as  I  hope  I  may  never  hear 
again.  It  affected  Oaisford  as  much  as  it  did  me — and  I  can 
Bwure  you  Oaieford  ix  not  one  to  be  easily  upset." 

"Did  she  say  anything  articuhite  after  that?"  asked  Buport. 
Fludyor  ghook  hie  hp«d. 

"Ilardly  a  word  I"  he  replied.    "She  began  saying.  'Oh,  what  will 

My '  or  'What  will  he '  and  got  mi  further.    After  tlint  she 

became  almost  silent,  and  has  remaine<i  so.  except  for  short  be- 
ginnings, such  as  'I  must  pet — — '  or  'Will  you  send 1'     Sho 

aeems  to  be  weaker  than  at  first,  and  to  half-captura  tbougbta  and 
let  them  slip." 

"Get  some  food,  Fludyer;  you  must  want  it-  And  afterwards  wo 
can  talk  of  whnt'd  to  be  done  nest."  For  tliia  was  in  Harley  Strt«t, 
whither  Dr.  Fludyer  had  gone  as  soon  as  the  hour  was  plauMble. 
He  wed  not  hiive  bet-n  so  scnipulous.  for  the  great  physician  was  at 
the  end  of  a  very  early  breakfast  when  he  was  shown  iu.  "Jane 
baa  spoken !"  said  he.  And  (hen  he  used  the  kst  cnergiea  a  weari- 
some night  had  left  in  him  to  give  a  conscientiously  detailed 
account  of  the  amazing  rcvivnl. 

"I  suppose  llit-re  never  was  anoliier  cbbc  like  it,"  aaid  Rupi'it. 
"Sm  that  Dr.  Fludyer  gets  plenty  to  eat.  Ilandsworth.  You'll 
Ascuaci  me,  Fludyer,  I  must  nm  up  and  tell  Lady  Jobn«on  thin." 
For  the  hallucination  we  chronicled  long  ago  of  a  you:ig  Houee- 
Fbysician,  of  a  atrnngo  wireless  current  between  himself  and  that 
handsome  eldest  daughter  of  old  Heath  in  Hyde  Park  (^iiirdeiis.  wan 
elill  as  active  as  ever.  And  for  all  that  he  was  so  great  and  distin- 
guighe<l,  he  wan  junt  as  eoDscions  now,  wherever  be  was,  of  the  hcua 
of  Harley  Street  and  I-ady  Johnstm  in  it,  as  ever  he  was  of  '"the  Oar- 
dens"  and  their  relation  to  Miss  Margaret  Heatb.  Only  he  bad  got 
utu-d  to  it,  you  i>cc!  In  the  present  case  Dr.  Fludyer's  tale  waa 
firstly  to  be  pasfic<l  on  to  Peggy,  auil  secondly  to  excite  iis  full  inter- 
cut ax  «00D  88  she  was  qualilied  to  share  it.  It  was  rather  a  tit-bit 
to  him.  but  he  wasn't  going  to  turn  it  over  id  his  mouth  until  she 
was  helped.  There  was  a  gleam  of  satisfaction  on  his  face  as  he 
luilf^opcood  Uw  bedroom  door.    He  went  straight  to  the  pomt. 

"She's  tp<Aenl    Hay  I  oome  mi" 


■ 


410  AI.ICE-FOR-SH0RT 

"Yc*,  coma  inl  Wlio's  spoken?  Oh  dear,  I  liad  fenen  asleep 
again." 

"Old  Juno,  of  course.    Btit  it's  only  jiist  rig'lit," 

"Tou  (lou'l  mean  hi    How  <)ic]  you  hoari" 

"Fliidycr  hns  come.  Sprikc  at  threo  o'clock  thia  momiiis- 
pohfreiit  too."  Sir  Ruiwrt  made  no  coacealtnent  of  hU 
phant  feeling.    Hr  had  ecorcd. 

Til  e«l  up  ot  once.  Pull  tliot  beli  liurd.  and  Uien  run  •way 
and  dou't  hinder,  that's  a  ducky  1  That's  right  I"  And  Sir  Kup«rt. 
nnxiouii  not  to  hindi-r.  is  rt^treating  dovmstuira.  wlu!!)  tlw  door  hv 
hao  }\i(X  closed  ie  opened  to  tell  him  to  mind  and  not  let  i>r. 
Fiudypr  gc>  till  ihi-  speaker  comes. 

(We  could  have  put  this  little  convereatioQ  into  much  toon 
logical  order.  But  the  fact  is,  ttiat's  the  way  people  talk,  and  il 
can't  be  helped.) 

Sir  Rupert  could  not  have  t>een  more  than  four  minutes  on  tbo 
stairs — because  he  only  had  a  short  inter^-iew  witli  Lucy  about 
what  sort  of  literature  yowng  lad ics-«f- fourteen'*  Rovcmoeaea  haw 
a  right  to  sny  tliey  arc  not  to  read;  and  as  for  PliillipN  and  Alee 
he  brought  theni  down,  one  oii^r  pacli  slioulder,  Neverlhelcaa  be 
found  trhcn  he  got  back  to  the  breakfast-room  that  Aunt  Lis^ 
was  inti-rvifwing  Dr.  Fhidycr,  and  knew  all  about  it 

"I'm  going  straight  away  to  see  her,"  she  said.  And  abe  had 
clearly  mnde  up  her  mind.  We  bcliei-e  we  have  made  it  underatood 
that  wbeu  Alice  deeide<(  on  a  course  of  action,  opposition  waa  use- 
less. Besides.  Dr.  Fludyer  was  oiilf  too  glad  that  she  should  do 
aa  she  wished. 

"It  will  be  veT7  kind  of  you  to  come"  he  said.  "I  have  no  fault 
to  find  with  Haitifonl.  nor  ihr  others.  But  tbeir  employment  girea 
them  a  certain  tone — they  can't  help  it.  This  poor  old — curiosity — 
IS,  n'nii-inbcr,  not  inxatif  now  in  any  sense.  And  probably  no  human 
creature  ever  needed  consolation  and  synipathj'  from  a  fellow- 
woman  more," 

"Mamma  will  want  to  go  too,"  remiirke<l  Sir  Rupert,  using  tliis 
epithet  in  acknowledgment  of  the  two  little  people  he  waa  unload- 
iug  from  hts  shoulders.    "At  least  I  suppose  so." 

"I'm  not  sure  mamma  had  better  come."  Tbua  Alioe,  thought- 
fully.   "Won't  there  be  rather  too  much  of  us,  dootorl" 

"I  would  just  03  soon  she  didn't  go."  said  Sir  Rupert.  "Sha 
does  take  these  things  to  heart  so  terribly.  Not  that  you're  an 
unfeeling  beast.  Aunt  Lissy.    But  you  luivc  a  sort  of  bu<iyaiiey." 

"Listen  to  papa  trying  to  (cut  out  of  his  difficulties,  Lucy." 

"Wlty  mustn't  I  got"  says  Miss  Luoy.    And  papa  obaorvw  la  an 


AlICE-rOR-SHOET 


4U 


un<!iM-tone  to  Dr.  Ftud>'«r  tbat  be  has  broiiffbt  itn  old  houw  nbout 
his  ears.  Lucf>  howewr,  is  Kdwxd  ad  aliiturJum  bj'  a  claim  from 
Alec  that  abc  shall  do  U>a 

Wheu  Peggy  came  down  ten  nunutes  later,  she  found  the  matter 
settled  br  cinincil,  niui  i-iiforoed  by  eiKoiastutice.  For  Alice  bad 
burrieJ  through  bcr  own  breakfast  iu  order  to  depart  at  once  with 
Dr.  Fludyer  in  bis  rcspunsiblr  bniiif^hum,  which  had  bctn  waiting 
all  this  while.  Appealed  lo  as  Mother  Peg,  darling,  to  be  reaaou- 
abtr.  shu  KiinrniJcird  h?r  wish  to  coioc  too,  especially  as  liino  was 
passiug,  and  ahc  couldu't  get  her  br«!akfuat  and  son  Suaith,  the 
housekeeper,  in  less  than  half-an-hour.  So  Alice  went  off  with  Dr. 
Fludyer.  "Jusl  like  an  elopement."  said  she  as  she  look  her  scat  in 
the  carriage.  "Sorry  about  Mrs.  Flu  dyer,"  said  the  iloctor. 
"Also  you're  eixty  if  you're  a  minute  1"  said  Alice,  the  rude,  un- 
Indylikv!  girl  I 

"And  what's  so  inleo^y  ahoeking  to  me,"  she  went  on,  her  laugh 
djing  abruptly,  "is  that  the  poor  old  curiosity  we  are  going  to  is 
oif  age  only;  so  far  as  the  living  of  life  goi-s!" 

"And  niiae  into  the  bargain."  said  the  doctor,  ''as  far  as  tlui 
pnftjtnge  of  lime  goes.  And  I'm  afraid  it  goes  furthest  in  the  long 
runl" 

Tim  carriage  went  responsibly  along  the  proper  side  of  the  way, 
with  two  eilent  people  iu  it,  thinking. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

HOW   ALICE   STATED  IN   BEDLAW,    ASI>   HAft  TO   BE  CTKTHU   LCTTKEU. 
HOW   liKS.  OAtSFORD  WAS  A   UENTAI.  CASK 

"Has  she  said  sn;  moreT'  aaid  the  doctor  to  tbo  oune.  as 
met  them  just  outside  the  door  of  the  ward. 

"Only  once.     She  roused  up  an<l  said  agsin  OOuH  we  not 
to  Miss — somethiug  like  'letter  L' — I  could  not  catch  thn 
She  said  she  was  very  old,  but  she  was  sure  she  would  conie."j 

"What  did  you  say  to  hert" 

"Oh — I  Enid  ne  would  send,  and  she  went  oflf  into  a  does  a^ftli 
She  hasn't  spoken  or  moved  since." 

*'You'rc  a  rneh  woman.  Mrs.  Gnisford." 

"Oh  no — nothing  ea&ict  than  to  say  she  was  out  of  town— had  i 
oold — anything  I" 

"You  gfe  I  have  brought  Miss  Eavanagh  back  with  rae. 
will  remain  with  you  in  the  ward.    I  nil!  just  look  at  the  patient 
and  then  see  Dr.  Poislegr."    Alice  and  Mrs.  Gai«ford  exchangc^H 
good- morn iugs.  and  they  went  into  the  ward.  ^| 

"Is  it  possible  she  hns  really  spoken  K"  said  Alice,  as  she  lookod 
at  the  white  motionless  teute  on  the  bed.  She  had  asked  the  ques- 
tion under  ber  breath;  she  did  not  imagine  it  could  have  boon  over- 
heard. To  her  surprise  the  patient  moved,  Hud  said  quite  di»- 
tinctly,  but  weakly:  "Who  is  it  liat  has  come  inf  Dr.  Fludyer 
replied : 

"Only  Miss  Eavsnagh.  She  has  come  to  sit  with  you  till  I  come 
beck.  Mrs.  Verrinder."  He  felt  that  the  policy  of  tjikiug  things 
for  granted  wns  safe,  and  spoke  ns  though  the  patient  would  of 
course  know  who  Miss  Kavaniigh  was.  His  instinct  was  right. 
She  accepted  Miss  Kavanagh  without  question,  no  doubt  on  the 
slreogth  of  the  contidence  in  his  voice.  After  one  or  two  eSorla 
towards  speech,  she  got  at  her  words  again.  '•Can  you  Snd  a 
chair?"  she  said.  Her  total  unconsciousness  of  her  own  history, 
of  the  long  lapse  of  canoellcd  life,  eould  not  have  U*n  driven  homo 
to  her  hearers  better  tbnn  by  tliis  slight  speech.  All  the  continuity 
of  her  old  experience  was  in  it.  It  was  what  the  would  h«ve  said 
to  a  visitor  !iad  shr^  bocn  convalescent  in  her  own  bedroom,  at 
sixty  years  ago ! 

4U 


lid  have  said 

ji 


ALICEFOR-SHORT 


4  IS 


sit  here,  plens^.  Mrs,  VfTrimior."  suid  Alice.  He 
iu  Ibe  etill  place,  witli  iU  ceoturies  of  vooful  memories,  wns 
spring  violets  in  n  coal-shaft.  She  *at  down  ao  ihnl  Uw  patient 
ahould  aee  lier  aa  mueh  aa  poaaible.  It  ehowed  (so  the  nurse 
thought  to  herself)  how  rapidly  her  facultitw  were  (K^ginniiiK  to 
assert  themselves,  that  she  said,  as  Alice  look  her  scat.  "Yea — I  cao 
see  you  now." 

"la  thttre  nothing  roii  would  like.  Mrs.  Verrindert"  said  Alice. 
She  settled  at  ouoe  that  it  would  be  best  to  be  easy,  trivial,  collo- 
qutsl — anything  rnlher  than  l>etray  her  own  appalled  feeling. 
"Can't  I  tell  tbein  to  get  you  anythingl" 

"She's  to  have  her  beef-tea,"  ssid  Goisford  the  nurse.  And  tlien 
Alice  felt  the  truth  of  what  Dr.  Fludyer  had  said-  The  iiieidenta 
«nd  surroundings  of  madhouse  nursing  made  it  impossible  for 
thin  woman  (good  in  herself,  no  doubt)  to  adopt  the  rote  this  caw 
called  for.  Deference  was  lacking,  and  could  not  be  assumed  at  a 
sJiort  notice 

"Would  you  like  that,  Mrs.  Verrinder!"  eaid  Alice.  But  the  old 
figure  shook  its  head,  and  spoke. 

"I  aliould  iiite  u  cup  of  ten.  Only  tell  Elizabeth  one  slice  of 
bread-and-butler.  not  more,  la  the  girl  coiue  back?"  Then  her 
recollection  cleared,  and  she  knew  it  was  no  longer  her  own  home. 
She  began,  "Oh  dear — ob  dfur — oh  dear!"'  a  paiiic-strickpii  sobbing 
Utterance  most  painful  to  hear,  "why  will  they  not  tell  me?  I  know 
it  ia  something!''  Alice  was  just  making  up  her  mind  tbut  it 
would  be  quite  impossible  to  keep  the  truth  from  her  much  lonirer, 
and  that  she  might  just  as  well  be  told  at  once,  when  the  pt-rturba- 
lion  began  to  subside  apoutuoeoiisly,  and  before  long  alur  had  fallen 
back  into  seeming  unconsciousness.  Then  Alice  spoke  witlt  tlio 
nurse  about  the  difficulties  of  die  case. 

"If  we  did  tell  her  the  truth,"  said  the  latter,  "do  you  suppose  she 
would  believe  it?"  True  enough!  She  wouldn't.  "But  how  long 
do  you  mean  to  wait  before  telling  her!"  asked  Alice.  Postpone- 
ment and  i-vasion  were  all  Mrs.  Gaiaford  could  suggest. 

"If  you  can  get  time  fur  the  huud  to  Ueul  up.  and  get  her  taking 
regular  nourishment — why,  then  the  poor  soul  will  have  to  be  told. 
Only  I'm  afraid  she's  going  to  get  too  ^linrp  for  us.  You  see  she's 
nothing  the  matter  with  her  really.  It's  only  the  bead.  And,  to 
me,  it  looks  like  coming  round." 

"Do  you  really  mean  she'll  come  round  altogetherl" 

"If  she  comes  round  at  all.  why  shouldn't  she  come  round  alto- 
g«tlwri"  This  seemed  seuse;  and  at  ihix  moment  Dr.  Fluds<« 
rejoined  them,  bringing  Dr.  Paisley  and  also  Su  V^uvett  i^\a»Ott« 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 

irbo  bud  follow^]  as  aoon  as  b«  was  nble.    Ho  bad  been  obliged  to 
answer  a  letter  before  leaving  tlie  bouse. 

"7<uw  let's  h«vc  n  look  at  the  ul<l  Inilj-,"  said  he.  And  then  «D 
fire  went  on  iuto  the  ward  from  the  anteroom  where  Alivo  snd 
Mn>.  tidisford  had  bccD  talking. 

It  would  bo  todiuiis  to  follow  tbe  conversation  of  the  doctors  at 
the  bcditide.  We  can  ouly  touch  on  points  that  conovrn  thi«  Btaty, 
and  the  old  Mrs.  Vi-rrindcr'a  rvluti(iii«  with  Alice.  The  medicd 
details  would  hare  Kreat  interest  for  ecientific  leadcn,  as  the  cw 
wsB  crrluiiily  whnt  Sir  Riiiiert  ciillt'd  it,  one  of  perfectly  pheuum- 
eoal  vilalit,v.  But  these  are  already  Lq  print.  We  may.  boweTCii 
take  odvnntage  of  the  word*  of  cyc-witnciwcs.  The  following 
quoted  from  Ut.  Tludyer's  account  of  the  case: 


"One  very  noticeable  point  in  connection  with  this  curious 
WW  that  while  the  patient  wan  able  to  recollect  clearly  tbe  im 
Tien  that  had  tukiii  pluct?  immodtalely  before  her  accident, 
memory  was  (and  has  since  continued)  clouded  and  indistinct 
uliotn  (^iTnts  thnt  occiirnxl  before  this  intervjpw.  This  went 
Itiigtli  of  confuaing  the  i<l(Tntity  of  Miss  A.  K.  (the  lady  I  hv 
mentioned  as  present  at  the  time  of  her  (irst  recovery)  witJi  that 
a  friend  of  her  own  previous  to  her  marrinsv.  Even  now  t 
slie  hua  come  to  tbe  full  knowled^  of  her  extraordinary  history^ 
and  can  speak  calmly  and  with  clearne^  of  her  husband's  death, 
sbi;  oiiniiot  rid  bersidf  of  thlri  eonfusiuii,  and  constantly  |^o<-~i  bnelv  to 
it,  and  has  to  be  recalled  to  a  knowledge  of  the  actual  facts.  It 
wan,  however,  of  great  service  in  supplying  an  antidote  to  tho 
sense  of  solitude  among  absolute  strangers  which  would  otherwi 
have  aSccted  her,  probably  injuriously.  I  am  inclined  to  oecril 
a  great  deal  of  her  mental  reisatalement  to  (he  preaencc 
sciotbing  influence  of  Misi  A.  K.,  acting  in  connection  with 
hallucination,  which  It  has  not  aiwaya  been  thought  prudent 
discourage." 


i 


For,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  first  thing  Old  Jane  said  after  a  loi 
ailunec,  following  on  tlu-  doparlurc  of  tbe  three  doctors  from  her 
bedside,  was,  "Where  is  Cynthia  Luttrell  {  She  was  ben  junt  now^ 
and  stood  out  agsiust  the  nurse's  denial  of  any  such  person, 
latter,  however,  shrewdly  detecting  the  nature  of  the  dtJusi 
n-citllcd  Alice  (who  hnd  left  the  ward  with  Sir  Rupert  and  the 
others)  ajcain  to  the  bedside  of  tlie  patient;  but  without  bringiiiK 
any  of  the  doctors  bock.  When  Aliw  resumed  ht-r  placL-  by  the  bed. 
the  patient  said,  mote  clearly  than  she  had  spoken  y«l,  "I  am  eo 


AtlCE-FOR-SHORT 


416 


F 

slad.^ou  are  come,  dear!  Kiss  me — only  very  carefully,  and  take 
'  CKre  not  to  Jolt  m;  liend.  Is  tlint  nurse  gouet"  Thuiv  wdh  the 
eti^teat  shade  of  asperity  in  the  tone  of  the  question.  The  nurso 
■nd  Alice  sxcbongdd  noda,  atmoet  imperceptibly,  and  thtr  former 
aoqolesced  in  self-fflippTession,  disai^pearii^  behind  a  screen.  She 
remain^  there,  but  mado  some  vor;  useful  shorthand  notes  of 
vhat  foHowed. 

Alice  stooped  OVCT  the  recumbent  figure  and  kiswd  the  pale,  thiu 
lipa.  A  memory  of  her  oiini  youth  crossed  her  mind;  emu  she  had) 
always  kept  intact,  while  many  others  had  faded  outright.  It 
was  tlie  r<s:oll('ctinn  of  the  lieiuitiful  and  wonderful  Misa  ITettth  as 
8he  stooped  over  the  pallid  remnant  of  what  she  had  liad  to  call 
her  mother.  To  think  that,  even  thwi,  this  poor  old  tiling  was  here,. 
JD  this  Tery  building! — had  indeed  been  here  thirty  years  and  more  f  I 
It  WB«  not  n  thintt  for  tbc  mind  to  fnec.  Alice's  could  not  supply  a 
word.  Besides,  had  abe  spokeji  she  might  have  pone  hysterical. 
That  would  nc\-cr  dot  She  kiwed  tbo  poor  cold  lips,  not  ffrudir- 
ingiy,  in  silence,  and  sat  down  ua  before.  Old  Jane  continued, 
evidently  quite  satisfied  it  was  Cynthia  Luttiell,  whoever  she  was :    | 

"I  was  so  Borrj-  you  couldn't  come  last  night — lit  least  last  week 
or — when  was  I  brought  heref"    Alice  ahowed  presence  of  mind. 

"When  was  Mrs.  Vcrrindcr  brought  here,  nurse  ("  But  Mr«. 
Oaisford  was  for  too  astute  to  speak,  and  Alice  continued;  "She'll 
be  back  directly,  and  I'll  ask  her.    1  was  sorry  too," 

"Bitause  you  know  John  and  I  got  your  old  couflin  Becky  on 
the  story  of  the  ring,  aud  it  was  more  interesting  than  I  can  tell 
you.    I  feel  so  much  beller  since  that  ten." 

"I'm  so  glad.    I  do  wish  I  had  been  there  to  hear  it." 

"Never  mind !  We  must  get  her  on  it  again,  when  I'm  up.  It 
was  so  stupid  of  me  not  to  recollect  the  drugget.  I'd  noticed  it 
going  up.  and  tlien  coming  back  forgot  all  about  it.  Then  I  tried  ' 
to  save  the  hooks  and  missed  ihi-  bauieler  rail."  She  was  almost^ 
garrulous,  talking  as  one  who  had  settled  down  to  o  chat.  Mr». 
Gaisford,  in  her  concealment,  felt  glad  her  pencil  would  not 
want  cutting.  Alice,  alwny"  adventurous,  resolved  to  run  a  riak. 
"Cousin  Becky  does  chatter  sol"  ahi?  said.  It  was  a  succeaa,  "She 
dout  But  I  can  tell  you  we  quite  forgave  her,  this  timo.  Sho 
said  abc  thought  wc  knew  it  all.  long  agot  But  what  with  all  theae 
new  excitements,  and  the  new  gas-lamps  in  Pall  Mall,  we  young 
people  n<-ver  troubli^d  about  our  fathers  and  mothers.  Slie  w^ut 
on  talking,  like  old  people  do,  you  know,  dear,  and  she  must  be 
near  ninety."  Oh,  how  untruthful  Alice  did  feel  I  Old  Jona  «mi.- 
tinued: — 


L 


416 


ALIOE-FOR-SHORT 


"I  shouM  like  lo  tcli  you  the  whole  «loi7  MinMiini\  Only  it'» 
pity  I  caa't  now!  1  n-ooUecl  it  aU  ao  plain — &b  if  it  was  haU-an- 
hour  a^.  But  I  think  I  «ba)]  haro  to  havo  a  tooth  ufst  to.  Hf 
mouth  isn't  nomfortjiblp,"  Alitt'n  curioaity  got  the  better  of  lier. 
She  could  not  reeiet  sayiuK  samethinK  to  keep  "cousin  Becky"  tn 
the  foreground.  ^ 

•TPbat  was  it  sot  her  off  talking  about  this  particular  stoiy  V     ^H 

"She'd  had  news  of  a  trndcsmnnV  wife  in  Kcntinh  Town  whdU^ 
uhe  used  to  help  with  money.  I  (.-au'l  tcuiemher  her  name.  But  she 
was  a  sort  of  illegitimate  niece,  or  eoiwln.  I  fancy  dhe  was  a 
daughter  or  granddaughter  of  Sir  Cramer  Luttrell — that  irouU 
be  Beeky's  uncle,  you  know, — that  horrible  man!^  This  seemed 
to  want  an  aeseut,  and  Alice  gave  it,  fc«liug  more  and  more  ft 
liar. 

".\11  thia  happened  when  Beeky  waa  sixteen."    Thia  ckidr  mtlKr 
suddenly,  after  a  short  pause,  in  which  the  old  woman  perbape 
douKl.    Slut  spoke  as  tlioiigh  she  was  continuing  a  story.    "I  mna 
all  this  about  the  duel  and  that  odious  sifter  of  his.    She  was  as 
bud  »»  he  was.    It's  funny  t)iat  old  Becky  should  be  eneh  a  nice 
old  ludy!    Becjiuse  she  i»  a  dear  old  thing,  nilh  her  grand  nmnitcn 
and   old-fashioucd   language.     Surely    that  must    be  John   come 
back  If"    Alice  said  she  would  go  and  see,  and  came  back  reporti 
a  negative.     She  remarked  that  little  perfomianct^s  of  thia 
seemed  to  satisfy  at  the  lime.    Just  so  we  derive  satisfaction  fi 
walking  to  tbi'  eomer  of  the  street  to  antieipntc  an  eipect<M] 
by  a  few  seconds. 

But  when  ^ho  came  back  she  found  the  patient  drowning  off. 
roused  up  a  Utile  to  say,  "I  do  wish  1  could  recollect  ihe  name 
that  woman  at  Kentish  Town,"  and  then  became  apparently  uncon 
Bcious. 

It  was  clear  (o  Alice  that  this  viridly  remembered  narrative 
sixty  years  past,  heard  then  from  the  lips  of  an  old  lady  of  ni 
tnight  put  her  in  touch  with  sotoe  forgotten  evenW  of  at  least 
hundred  and  thirty  years  ago  I    What  might  there  not  be.  hanging 
on  this  frail  old  life!    Her  cwrinsily  was  intenwiy  excited     Tl 
nurse  also  was  eagerly  ou  the  qui  vive.     Between  them  they 
e<;rted  a  plan  of  action.    As  the  patient  bad  got  this  misconoepti 
about  Alice  being  "Cynthia  Ltiltrell"  let  her  keep  ill    If  it  hcl 
hiT  on  through  the  dniisers  of  convalescence  after  the  opeiE' 
so  much  the  better.    As  to  the  discovery  tlint  iihc  had  been 
in  ihio,  when  she  eamc  to  know  the  whole  truth — indeed,  as  to 
thitts  at  all  making  nuy  diffcnmce,  the  idea  wa*  abnurd.     Let 
imasiaary  "Cynthia  Luttrell"  be  made  a  atepping-uone. 


ive  ^H 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT  417 

il<«,  with  her  usual  intrppidity,  volunteered  to  lire  and  sWp 
thi>  Ai^yhiin  for  the  titnp  Mug,  as  her  presence  was  so  clearly 
beneticittl.  The  arrungement  was  easily  made,  um!  a  messenger 
dcstwtchcd  to  llnrlcj  Street  with  n  letter,  to  bring  back  nccesenrics. 
WllCD  he  got  there,  the  only  member  of  the  family  in  the  house 
happened  to  be  Uis«  Lucy,  waiting  for  friends  to  call  for  her  to 
go  to  the  Dotnnic  Gardens.  She  read  the  lotter  and  pocketed  it, 
and  despatched  the  goods;  and  when  she  rejoined  her  family  (who 
were  a  little  puzzled  at  Alice  being  so  Into)  nnnounccd  to  them  that 
Aunty  Lissy  was  gone  to  Bedlam,  sud  there  was  her  letter  if  they 
liked  to  look  at  it  1 

Charles,  when  he  came  late  in  the  eveuing.  was  much  disquieted 
at  this  escapade  of  Alice's.  "Joat  »co  what  n  little  while  atto 
she  was  ill  herself,"  said  he  to  bis  sister.  But  Peggy  reassured  him, 
telling  him  Rupert  was  driving  down  to  the  Asylum  in  the  moni> 
ing,  and  he  had  better  stoj)  and  go  witli  him.  And  a.*  for  Alice, 
«be  had  Seen  quite  well  and  strong  for  three  months  past,  and  he 
needn't  be  an  old  fidget  I 

Ths  steady  drip  of  tbo  rain  which  bad  begiin  ngflin  and  threat- 
Cned  to  go  on  through  the  night  made  the  gloom  gloomier  ut  tlu> 
Asylum.  The  ward,  or  room,  the  patient  had  been  placed  in  had  no 
other  occupant  tlian  herself,  the  nurse,  end  Alice,  for  whom  ii  bed 
had  been  prepared  near  by,  while  that  of  the  uuree  was  concealed 
behind  the  itcrrcn.  There  was  an  evident  animus  on  tho  patient's 
part  against  thi;  woman,  but  feelings  of  this  kind  are  so  common 
in  ncn-e  and  mental  cases,  that  no  importance  was  attached  to  it. 
The  only  concession  made  was  that  she  was  to  be  kepi  out  of  sight 
as  much  as  possible;  while  Alice's  soothing  influence — which  could 
not  be  gainsaid — was  to  be  made  the  moat  of. 

There  was  a  small  anteroom  with  an  open  fire  in  it,  which  was 
welcome;  for  tbe  weather  had  gone  bitterly  cold,  as  well  as  rainy. 
The  ward  was  well  warmed,  but  a  stove  is  not  an  open  fire;  and 
Alice  and  the  nurse  felt  glud  of  the  alternative.  They  satisfied 
ibemselves  that  the  slightest  sound  from  the  patient's  bed  would 
reach  them,  and  sat  on  lute  into  the  night,  finding  many  things 
to  talk  about. 

"You'll  see  it  will  be  as  I  say,"  said  Mrs.  Gaisford.  "She'll  go 
hack  again  on  this  conversation  tliat  happened  immediately  before 
the  accident,  and  then  get  tired  and  fall  asleep.  She  may  never  do 
anything  eUe,  all  tbe  redt  of  her  life." 

"But  suppose  her  head  gels  stronger — ^you  sold  why  shoDldn't 
itC 


■Li 


I 
I 

i 

i 

I 

J 


4id 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


"And  I  <Ioii't  see  vbj-  it  shouldn't,  but  it  inaj  not.  P'edietiOR* 
are  not  much  good  in  case*  of  tbis  sort.  If  it  docf,  she'll  rctncmber 
just  like  you  or  mr,  und  then  sbi^ll  have  to  be  told." 

"It's  very  drcudful."  ^ 

"So  it  in;    but  one  ts  sure  to  have  to  put  up  wilh  »otn«tbiiiJV 
and  it  may  as  well  be  this  ae  aDythiDs  else.     Was  that   herT 
Alice  went   to  sc«.   but  the   tigiirc  on   the   bod   vat   silent 
motionless.    She  returned  to  the  fireside,  and  settled  down 
chat. 

"How  c-ume  you  to  go  in  for  3ifental  Coses  P  she  asketl.    Tan  : 
during  AUtVa  two  years'  training  (at  a  London  Hospital)  she 
fallen  into  sympotby  with  nurschood. 

"1  was  a  Mental  Case  myself.  Here.  Acute  Ruiciilal  Man 
Then  I  married  one  of  the  attendants."  As  Alice  had  made 
her  mind  ri>t  to  be  surprised  at  anything,  thii»  was  ea«y. 

"Mr.  Gaidford  in  at  Witley  junt  now.     That's  the  eonral 
Bomei.     That's  where  I  met   him.     Wc'v«  no  children, 
shouldn't  linve  bern  the  least  efraid.    I  saw  you  thought  of 
itanee?"    Alice  uoddeil. 

"There  was  nothing  to  inherit.    I  was  as  sane  as  you  are  now. 
But  under  the  Bome  circumstances  you  woul<t  try  to  kill  yourself. 
It  was  the  only  thing  a  girl  of  iiixtetu.  in  her  senses,  could  try  to 
do,  that  I  can  see."    Then,  droppinir  her  voice,  though  there 
no  one  near,  the  madhouse  nurse  told  Alice  her  story.   It  haa : 
ing  to  do  with  ours;  but.  briefly,  it  was  a  tale  of  the  sudden  revel 
tion,  to  a  totally  inezperienoed  fcirl,  of  the  full  n^sourccs  of  tb« 
Devil,    We  need  neither  tell  it,  nor  dwell  oil  it, 

"He  was  a  Church  warden,"  said  Mrs.  Gaisford  in  conclusion, 
"great  churchgoer — used  to  road  prajcrs  in  our  church.     Uan 
fifty.    Seven  children.    Said  I  hnd  rncournged  liini." 

"Oh  dear  I  what  a  sickening  world  it  is  I"  exclaimed  Alice. 

"That's  exactly  what  I  said,  and  felt     And  that's  what 
settled  I  waa  mnd  for.    They  preached  to  me — said  it  was  wicked 
to  try  and  destroy  myself," 

"What  did  you  say  to  them  I" 

"Said  it  was  God's  fault,  not  mine."  ' 

"Wlint  did  they  sny  to  thntf"  

"They  couldn't  aay  anythinfr.     What  was  there  to  be  saidf* 
Alico  wasn't  prepared  with  an  answer.    "How  long  were  you  herelj^ 
she  asked, 

"Eighteen  months.    Then  I  was  sent  to  Witl<q'.    By-the4)ye,  I 
was  tlicre  I  saw  this  case  first.     Dr.  Fludyer  had  her  sent 
there  for  a  chan««.    Be  was  curious  to  aee  if  it  would  hare 


isioo. 

J 

wicked 


ALICE-FOE-SHOET 


419 


effect.    Her  husband  weut  dowu  too.    He  slvaya  lired  close  to  tlia 
ca»p.     Breniinr  tlmrc  might  iinvc  been  a  cliange," 

'•Ami  be  died  sisteeii  years  ego !" 

"Quito  (hat.  Let's  see  I  Yes — I've  been  inamed  fourteen.  It 
was  ibcii  I  met  Guilford,  lie  was  a  young  doctor — at  least  hd 
would  hafe  been  if  lie  could  have  passed.  But  he  was  nlwavs 
ploughed,  on  Brain.  It  was  n  subject  he  hod  given  special  atten- 
tion to,  H>  hi;  got  a  plncc  here.  Sir  Rupert  says  lie  knows  more 
about  madness  than  all  the  staff  put  together." 

"How  caxM  be  lo  propose  to  you  T' 

"I  know  all  about  it,  to  I  can  toll  you.  He  and  two  others  were 
talking,  in  the  garden.  And  they  saw  me  on  the  lawn,  willi  a 
friend.  Ui«  friend  said:  'I  don't  believe  that  Case  is  mad,  or  ever 
was.  If  iJic  hod  a  husband  she  would  never  trj-  to  pid-h  herself 
out  of  window.'  My  husbond — tliat  is,  Mr,  Gaisford — took  a  px>dj 
look  to  make  siire.  and  then  said;  'I'll  play  you  fifty  up  for  whicti 
it'a  to  be.'  And  they  went  to  the  billiard  rnom.  and  ho  won 
two  breaks,  and  cnmo  across  the  lawn  and  naked  nic  to  luarry  hlnii? 
It  didn't  take  long." 

When  Alice  told  this  to  Charlca.  afterwards,  he  recalled  how 
be  had  met  Verrindcr,  on  hia  way  to  Shellacombe,  n  few  day*  nfti^r 
ber  misadventure  at  Surge  Point.  How  things  do  intersect  in  this 
world  I 

The  end  of  the  utory  made  Alice  fool  chocrfwl  again.    Slie  coulj 
sleep  now.  she  tliought.     So  ahe  went  to  bed,  not  far  from 
patient,  fur  readiness'  sake.     Mra.  Gaisford  said  she  would  Neo 
the  fire  out,  and  tlien  go  tno. 

She  was  going  to  settle  down  to  go  to  sleep,  when  the  old  lady 
•poke  again,  but,  as  she  thought,  not  coher«titly.  For  what  kIio 
eaid  was,  "I've  just  recollected  the  name  of  that  Kentish  Town 
couNin  woman.  It  was  Alice  Kavanagh."  She  was  miiing  the 
recollection  of  what  she  had  lately  heard  witli  th^  memories  of  sixty 
years  baclt 


CHAPTER  XL 


now    ALICE  lUR   AWAY,   A^1>  OLD   JA>'E  GI;e;!1SED.      HOW   CHARLES 
AUCE  GOT  rnorrOGKAPHED   IS    VBRSLNDCR's  LODOINOS 

Alice  la^  down  under  the  impression  she  could  go  to  sleep  on  tbo 
spot,  without  more  ado.     As  »oon  ns  ber  head  readied  lliv  pilloil^H 
fhf  found  this  was  a  mistake.     The  censrle^  drip  of  tbo  raiq^| 
and  aorae  unwarrantable  lliub-twilchinKS  without  ontpcfdcntu,  hsc) 
their  say  in  the  matter.    But  she  found  her  way  to  dreumluiid  in 
the  end,  and  n  very  disagrccnbl^'  drcAmknd  it  was.    For  there 
a  Hospital  tbete  made  up  of  all  her  Uospttals,  nnd  Sir  Rupert 
lecturing  on  her  smallpox  marks,  and  all  the  students  refused 
kiss  tier  on  acoount  of  them,  nnd  she  was  sorry.    Only  she  oouldi 
be  sure  whether  it  was  Sir  Ruperl  ur  that  ChDrcbwardun.     Rb 
was  hoping  it  was  really  the  latter,  when  ati  iiitellisent  nurst!,  will 
wings,  suddenly  said  "Cynihinr  nnd  *.lw  awoke  with  a  start, 
a  fi-'w  wcouda  Old  Jane,  who  had  spoken,  again  said  "Cynthial 
and  Alice  said  she  was  coming. 

"Here  I  nm,  Mrs.  YerrindiT,"  said  she,  and  was  at  the  bedrid 
in  an  instant. 

"Would  you  light  a  candle,  deart    I  want  to  see  if  I  eao't 
this  thing  on  my  head  comfortabler.    I  was  asleep." 

Tlie  nurse  was  on  the  nicrt;  but,  true  to  the  plan  of  campAi^n, 
had  allowed  Alice  to  go  first.  She  eame  forward  aud  wUispcn-d  to 
Alice.  "We  must  fuss  a  little,  to  natisfy  her.  Wc  enn'l  tout-b  tiM 
bandages  now."  A  little  manipulation  of  this  aort,  and  Old  Jaoc, 
who  probably  was  feeling  restraint  more  as  vitality  Increased, 
tlividcd  that  that  was  mueb  comfortabter.  Mrs.  Oaiaford  said, 
under  her  brentli  to  Alice,  lliat  she  would  have  been  an  enormous 
strong  person,  had  ehe  lived  (sic!),  and  retired  to  her  conceal 
to  tako  notes.  Old  Janu  went  on  taUctng  with  less  of  apparcst 
effort. 

"I  really  am  feeling  better,  dear.    I  think  it'c  you.    You  do  mo 
good.    Come  and  sit  by  me — toueh  me.''    Alice  did  so.    'Tou  know, 
dear,  you  mustn't  tliink  it  was  you  [  meant,  when  I  said  that  about 
ChriEti  an -naming.    I  didn't  want  you  to  call  me  Mrs.  Verrindc 
you  say  Kale."     Alice  afterwards  felt  tain  of  her  penetraljo 
Instead  of  trying  to  Snd  out  what  the  iacwlcBt  was  in  lait  ni^t 

4S0 


mousI^H 
■bnenH 

IpRTCBt^ 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


431 


coDvcrHitioD  (rixI?  yvnT*  ngo),  »  thins  of  rmlly  no  imporlnnct^ 
nhc  noted  on  ibc  hint  nt  oiicp. 

"Did  I,  dear  Kat«?  I  didn't  know.  1  euppow  it  was  because  of 
Hut  nurw.  She's  gone."  How  liKrky,  thought  vhe.  that  she  had  not 
CsUcd  her  Jane;  of  course  that  wae  s  sobriquet. 

"I  doo't  like  her,''  said  Old  Jane.  "But  you  are  eo  nice.  Sow 
I  want  to  tell  you  what  .vour  eousiu  Becky  eaid.  Fancy  your  not 
knowing  about  old  Sir  CremerB  will!" 

"It  ia  odd.    But  Pre  never  beard  a  word  of  it." 

"Well,  you  know,  it  was  like  this.  Old  Sir  Craincr — that  wa«  bi» 
unclr,  you  kni>w  ? — hc'  wad  iho  innn  that  married  thu  great  heirestt 
and  brouRht  all  the  money  into  the  family.  Let  mo  seel  She  wb« 
ft  Saxclhy,  and  limped — not  tho  NorthuUertoii  family — Oloueester 
people.  I  fancy." 

Aliee  was  so  afraid  the  old  memory  would  wander  away  into 
seductive  genealogies,  that  she  went  the  length  of  support iug  tho 
claims  of  the  Olouce^ler  people.  But  nhe  m-rd  not  have  done  tltia 
violenee  to  her  eonseieuee.  There  was,  behiud  the  patient's  readi- 
IMOT  to  conrersc  about  the  Inst  rivid  recnilrction  of  her  henllhy, 
youthful  life,  a  growing  need  for  r-xplanation  of  her  surround 
inga.  This  had  been  kept  in  abej-ance  by  suggestions  that  her  hu«-^ 
band's  return  was  imminent,  and  it  was  clear  that  at  any  moraont 
dissatisfaction  might  set  in,  and  suspicion  could  not  be  beaded 
oS  indefinitely.  It  seemed  tQ  Aliee  that  a  wave  of  misgiving 
passed  through  her  mind  at  this  moment.  For  there  was  a  tone 
of  distress  in  hrr  voiee  as  she  continued. 

"Perhaps,  dear  Cynthia.  I  hud  betttr  uot  leli  you  now ;  another 
lime  might  be  better.  I'll  recollect  it  all  for  you.  Is  that  nurse 
here!  Oh  no,  I  don't  wnut  herl  I  only  wanted  to  know  sho 
wasn't  listening."  This  was  trying  (o  an  inexperienced  liar. 
Bow  Alice  vowed  to  herself  that  she  would  never  incur  the  like 
embarrassment  afcainl  It  wasn't  her  own  veracity  she  was  oon- 
cnmed  about.  That  might  take  its  chnjiec,  ll  was  the  fear  that  if 
ahe  ventured  too  far  in  an  une»it!oreil  laud  of  mendacity,  she  might 
loec  her  way  or  get  rtuek  in  a  bog.  She  fell  back  on  an  ambiguity 
that  seemed  to  admit  everytliiiig,  and  osaure  sympnthy.  "Better 
speak  lowl"  she  said,  and  got  nearer,  as  though  to  listen  better. 
Tht  old  voice  f<'ll  almost  to  n  whisper. 

"I  don't  want  her  to  hear  what  I  was  going  to  any.  I  can't  tell 
what  it  t«.  but  I  ir*-i  as  if  there  wne  something  wrong.  It  may  he 
my  bead."  Alice  felt  it  would  Iw  quite  safe  to  assent  to  this,  ant) 
indeed  laid  stress  upon  it.  But  the  reference  to  the  bead  injury 
as  B  meana  of  accounting  for  e%-erythiug  seemed  to  be  losing  force. 


ALICE-FOK-SHORT 

Old  Jane  fell  back  on  the  moat  troublesome  poinl.  "Where  eaa 
■Tdlin  biivir  gone,  nut  to  bo  buck  by  »ow}  H  be  had  gone  to  Uis 
Gossette'.  bo  certainly  vould  have  been  back.  Can  be  have  gene 
to  the  Furnivnla"  J"  Alic-e  vL-ntiircd  on  wying,  "Tcs!  can  hel"  But 
abe  wad  iorty  she  bad  spoken  at  all.  for  tlie  uld  it-ouian.  notins  * 
sound  in  her  roice.  said:  "You're  not  erj-inir.  dear?  Not  aboui 
mei  I  shall  be  all  right  soon  whi-ii  Jnbn  coinua  buck,  and  thm 
we'll  hiive  ibe  piano  moved,  and  we'll  try  the  duet  in  the  front-rocm. 
That  hack-ruoin  was  always  bad  for  music."  Slui  went  on  with  mom 
references  to  the  anaiieenients  of  her  bouse.  Alice  did  not  tiuder- 
nlntid  clcfirly  enough  to  rccolleet  them,  and  llr».  (iiiixfoni  conM 
uot  hear.  Then  she  said:  "You  know  the  front  top  room  was  to  be 
tlic  nursery— now  we  tuny  npvcr  want  it.  No.  doar  Oynthia.  don't 
:iow.  don't  1  Not  because  of  uie  I" — Ali<w  made  a  abifl  to  pull  her- 
self together,  and  spcnk  coiirugcouvly — it  was  a  poor  attempt.  Thf 
old  viiioL'  that  went  on  was  weak,  but  brave, — "You  mustn't  thiak 
that  I  shall  fret  about  my  baby.  It  was  Cod's  will.  And  the  doetor 
suid  it  vmM  uot  have  lived,  ,  ,  ,  Bui  I  know  John  will  ftwl— 
and  then  you  know  he  may  blame  mc  for  being  so  careless.  I  sfaaU 
be  so  glad  when  be  comes.  .  .  .  We  used  to  talk  about  the  link 
thing,  anil  how  nice  ene  of  our  own  would  be.  And  if  it  wan  a  girl 
it  was  to  b<^  L-alled  Fanny,  And  if  a  boy.  Frank.  And  be  wonted 
a  girl,  and  I  didn't  care.  .  .  .  Oh.  dear!  it's  all  done  with 
now.  .  .  .    Perhaps  that's  him?"' 

It  was  no  use—Atice  could  bold  out  no  longer.  She  felt  tb> 
hysterical  tears  eotiiing,  and  that  come  tlu-y  must.  Slie  had  jm^ 
eiici'  of  mind  aud  voice  enough  to  say,  "Yes.  Mrs.  Oaiafordt"  •> 
though  she  had  been  called;  and  thrn  iibe  i>lip[H<d  away  into  the 
unlc-room.  the  door  of  which  had  been  left  unclosed,  as  the  aurw 
had  not  thought  it  necessary  to  shut  and  lock  it  according  to  tbe 
usual  rule,  tho  ()uti'j  door  being  loeked  and  they  Ix^lng  th«  only 
occupanta.  She  had  just  time  to  clow  it,  when  ahe  gnrc  way  to  a 
torrent  of  tears.  For  the  life  of  her  she  coidd  not  keep  them  huA. 
But  she  oould  recover  herself — would  do  so  in  a  minute.  Only  gir* 
her  a  minute  I  Perhaps  she  was  a  little  weo&eueil  nince  that  illaca*. 
for  all  she  had  been  so  well  for  three  months. 

She  felt  it  was  b^t — if  it  could  be  (lone — to  liave  her  ery  out 
in  that  mi:iulc.  If  it  could  not.  what  a  useless  girl  was  sho  in  auy- 
thing  of  this  sort!  .\nd  she  had  boa.ttfK]  to  h<Tielf  of  her  own 
trtrcngtb,  many  a  Hme.  She  gave  way  for  the  minute;  then  choked 
il  back.  "Coorage  nowl"  said  or  thought  she  to  hcri«'lf.  and  laid 
her  band  on  tlie  knob  of  the  door.  Perhaps,  pleaae  Owl,  the  old 
lad;  bad  drowsed  o9  again. 


AUCK-FOR-SHORT 


4S3 


But  th^re  was  another  haiid  on  the  other  side.  The  door  was 
opciird  from  trithont  nnd  the  nur»e  came  in.  Her  face  looked 
set  xnd  stony  iu  the  fireliKhi.  for  the  gas  was  turned  dowa.  She 
hsd  Iwcn  behind  the  kcwth,  and  bad  come  oiit  as  Alice  closed  the 
door.    The  niinute  bad  bevn  more  than  a  minute. 

Alic«  bad  hc^rd  no  voices  through  the  door,  onlj^  a  cry.  But  it 
was  a  nolid  door  with  n  listed  rim,  aud  shut  close.  She  nan  by  Mrs. 
Oflieford's  face  that  something  had  passed,  and  that  it  had  been  of 
mofncnt.  Tet  she  stiirtcd  wfaui,  in  reply  to  her  questioiUD{r 
"Whyt"  that  was  a  lesponee  to  an  admonitory  fingrer  that  she 
pointml  at  as  she  asked  it,  came  two  words,  "file's  told !" 

'K)bdear!  it  was  my  fault!"  and  truly,  Alice  fancied  it  was, 

'It  must  haw  come,*'  esid  the  other.  "(Jo  in.  She's  quite  quiet 
now."  And  Alice  passed  in.  feeling  that  it  would  he  no  great 
wonder  if  the  quietness  were  death. 

But  it  waa  nut.  She  had  gone  buck  into  a  Mcmi-torpid  state,  and 
remained  so.  A  shock  that  might  hare  produced  inaeaatbtlit;  for 
a  time  in  u  pcrvon  in  full  heidlh  hnd  rciicled  in  a  greater  dcgix^:  oa 
a  system  tltat  was  fighting  for  cxi«l<-iie<-.  When  six  hours  later 
Sir  Kupert  arrived,  accompauieil  by  Charles,  who  had  been  feeling 
Very  unensy  about  Alice,  the  patient  hnd  not  moved  nor  spoken. 

"We  could  hardly  expect  uuything  else."  said  Bupen.  "And 
as  you  say,  Mrs,  tiaisford,  it  must  have  corac,  aoonir  or  later. 
J  don't  think  we  need  aiwume  that  it  will  be  permanent." 

"Won't  she  have  to  be  told  all  over  again  1"  asked  Alice  "That's 
what  I'm  afraid  of." 

"Well.  Aunty  Llssy.  don't  let's  beg  and  borrow  troubles.  What 
wan  it  that  piissrd.  exactly,  Mrs.  Gaiafordi"' 

"After  Miss  Kavauagb  ran  away)  You  did  nm  away.  Mis* 
Knvanngh,  now  didn't  you  t" 

'•Simply  turned  tail  and  fled,"  said  Alice,  "I  couldn't  boar  it  I* 
Altdr  indeed,  Alice  waa  holding  very  tight  to  Charlcji's  arm,  for 
protection  agatmit  her  own  ehaki-n  nervous  aj-stem.  Mrs,  Gaisford 
continued,  stoically  enough.  It  i»  possible  that  the  patient's  animua 
against  her  hud  iwutributeil  to  her  Htoicisin.  On  the  other  hsndi 
attraction  towards  A!ic«  had  no  doubt  hastened  the  tatter's  collapse. 

"I  cumc  out  from  the  scri-en  where  I  had  been  taking  notes 
(here  they  are),  and  then  immediately  the  old  lady  said:  'Why 
is  MiH  Luttrell  crying  j    What  have  I  done !' " 

*^]Ss  Luttrellf  exclaimed  tugether  Sir  Kupert  and  Charles, 
both  with  surprifc  But  Sir  Bupert*s  was  only  tliat  another  per- 
son had  been  in  the  room;  Charles's  astonished  tone  of  voice  went 
deeper.    Sir  Ilupert  said:  "Lot's  have  Uisc  Lut.ttcV\  Sitt*^  "Ctiiinr 


AIICE-FORSHORT 


Charles  answered   A1ic«'s  "Why  uhfww-w,  Mr.  Charley  1"  in 
rapid  uniicrlonc:  "It'*  very  iniMu-l     I'll  tell  iifwr." 

"There  iraa  no  Mies  LutlreU,"  said  tlie  nurse,  iuconiprebeusibi 
nnd  tben  Alice  cloaivd  up  the  KitiiiitioEi. 

"She  took  me  for  u  g\t\  aiMavd  Cynthia  Luitrell  that  »h«  k 
sixty  yean  asoT    Charko  felt  the  hnnd  on  hi*  Ann  tishteii. 
the  9]Muikcr  ahudder«d.    "We  lot  Ut-r  lliink  »o.    It  aeetnod  to  SAath« 
her.    But  I  couldn't  havo  kept  it  up.    It  must  bav«  coEoe."    Tl 
Mr*.  GaiHfwrd  ireat  an  witli  her  report. 

"I  Raid.  'You  hare  done  nothing,  poor  soul!'     I  cotildn't 
»|)calcing  m.  Sir  Riip<-rt.  but  pirrhapd  it  wuMn't  cool  judgnuml 
She  tried  lo  sit  up.  and  said — with  a  sort  o(  indiftnatioD — 'Vfhy 
do  you  "poor  soul"  me,  iroman  i    Wliy  am  I  to  be  "poor  RooWf' 
I  Boid,  'For  Qod's  soke  be  quiet,  Ms'un,  and  FU  tell  you  all' — not 
meaninir  to  tell  quite  the  whole.    She  naid.  'SomethinK  is  beine  k«pt 
twek  from  me' — nnd  after  a  moment's  jiauae  (while  I  was  trying  to 
feel  clear  abnut  it)— 'I  know  it!    My  husband  is  dcndf     It  ca 
00  suddenly  t  could  not  niieak  nnil  alu'  cried  out  and  Ml  back.    Am 
ahe  hasn't  moved  since.     Oh  yes!  I  know  she  understood.     Si 
Mw  from  my  silence.''    Thiit  wa*  in  ansiror  to  a  joint  cniiuiry, 

Tbey  approached  the  bed.  where  the  figure  lay.  as  aiilt  aa  befoi 
it  had  finit  spoken.    There  was  no  reapooM  to  pretKure  or  niovi 
incmt  of  ihc  hnixL    But  the  pulee  and  heart-beet  n-vrc  rcgtihir,  anil 
the  bTeatiiinjc  steady.     "UnoonscioumeM  was  instatitaneoua, 
Fludyvrf"  Haid  Sir  Rujiert  to  his  colleague^  who  had  conu;  in 
time  to  hear  most  of  the  story. 

"I  don't  think  the  game's  up.  though,  Jofauaonf" 

"Nor  I.    She'll  pull  round  in  time.    Uopo  she  won't  have  to 
told  nK«inl" 

Deciaioua  followed,  toiichinff  aotion  to  be  taken.    Mrs.  Gi)i»(i> 
to  remain  behind  in  conwlont  watch.     Sir  Ruptrrt  to  l)e  <iri 
rapidly  awuy  to  an  appointment,  but   willing  and  able  to  gi 
Charles  and  Alioc  a  lift  a#  far  as  Knion  Squarv.    Lift  rejected, 
not  going  home  to  the  heort  of  tlie  subject.    Xot  Alitw  would  lea 
her  thines  in  case  of  coming  back,  nnd  you  would  take  her  for 
little  walk,  ^fr.  Charley  (tear,  wouMii't  you,  and  then  wc  wouli 
hare  a  nice  drive  home  in  a  hansom  because  it  had  slot>|><^d  raJn 
ing  and  wn*  going  to  comi'  out  qiiiti!  fiiu'.     Alic«  brightened  u 
over  the  prospect.     But  it  seemed  horribly  unfeeling  to  go  away: 
nnd  IcflTc  Mra.  Gaisford  nil  alone.     EHpeeially  Ih-cciiihc  lhi>  ustiat 
result  of  twelve  hours  of  Alice  had  conw  to  Mrs.  GaisfoMl.    Shr 
waa  in  love,  and  Alice  \v»4  %a  V\«a  liie  tnyn'lWnt  woman  for  coo 
■tlatiou.    Then  aclion  waa  lokeii  oa  ^iwi  4««uns«».  %;vt%Q.\!w<. 


lothe 

'4 

"Tir 

rr 

not 
ept 

1 


>r  coa-^^ 


AUCE-FOB-SHORT  42» 

whirled  away  London vards  to  frceli  tivUi*  nnd  i^oiutiltationR  m-u-. 
And  Charlw  aad  Alioe  forsook  Mrs.  Oaieford  and  fouud  ihemftelves 
sauntering  purpoM-lcsslv  in  the  oppoxitv  dir«elion.  Alice  Bpoko 
finrt. 

"Ob.  if  she  misht  only  die !    Never  come  to  at  all  I" 

"Well-ll-llI  I  don't  know " 

*01i  yeal  I  know  very  well  tliough.  I'll  tell  you  what  I  should 
really  like.  Mr.  Chorlcy." 

"Toll  away,  darling!"  Charles  used  to  use  all  sorts  of  lernu  of 
endearment  to  Alice.  ciqieciRlly  when  she  was  visibly  in  trouble 
At  thin  Riomi-nt  ahe  was  takiug  full  leave  to  cry,  as  a  release  and 
luxury. 

"T  sbould  like  when  I  get  to  Harley  Struct  to  find  n  t/^lt^aph 
meeeage  to  say  she  was  gone."  For  in  those  days  people  didn't  say 
wire,  nor  <'V<'n  trli-gram. 

"Poor  old  ladj!  1  wouldn't  grudge  her  tbe  pleasure  of  dyinj^, 
Hcaren  known!  But  I  want  to  bear  who  Cynthia  Luttrvll  was. 
Particularly  becatise  I  nmember  poor  Verrinder  himself  telling 
lue  the  old  No.  40  house  belonged  to  a  family  of  that  nanie^" 

"Then  thntV  why  you  Mid  whcT*'-w-w !" 

"That  is  the  reason  I  employed  that  espreseion.  Madam.  'n»t 
alone  was.  I  submit,  a  sufficient  roation  for  the  employment  of 
that  vxi>reaision.'*  Charles  is  making  use.  pt-rhaps  you  may  obserre. 
of  the  mock-pompous  phrasing  he  so  often  falls  into  when  he  is 
jn  a  particularly  goo<l  humour.  He  is  nuw  iiupremely  hajipy,  for  he 
has  got  Alice  all  to  himj°elf,  and  though  he  is  concerned  at  her 
dintn-n  about  Old  .lime,  he  knows  it  will  clear  off.  Ik'^^ides.  thia 
sauntering  with  Alice  in  stret'ta  unknown,  without  au  idea  where 
tbey  will  lead,  or  iiny  scrutohlc  piirjioiM-.  nxfldly  meets  his  views, 

"I  may  mention.  Miss  Kavanagh.  that  if  1  hadn't  said  whew-w-w 
for  that  reason,  I  should  ha\-c  said  it  for  another.  So,  as  the  sayin* 
is,  it's  aa  bruu<l  as  it  is  lon^." 

"Now,  Mr.  Charley  dear,  do  come  downstairs,  and  bo  n  Cbrit- 
tinn — I  niL-an  ti-11  me  right  oS,  and  don't  go  round  and  round.  I 
never  met  such  an  unmitigated  circumference  as  you  ar«  in  all 
my  life." 

"Very  well  then!  As  soon  as  we  have  not  been  run  over  by 
this  cab,  which  !»  now  upprouching.  I  will  throw  off  nil  disg^uise 
and  speak  candidly."  And  as  soon  as  they  have  reached  an  oppo- 
site side  of  A  road,  Charles  keeps  his  promise,  in  a  dry  buaiueas 
manner. 

''Cynthia  Luttrcll  wan  the  name  on  one  of  the  portraits  Bbuct- 
eteio  bought  at  Verriudtr's  sale.    Il  was  wiitti^i^  QaXibttWii^^i*^ 


4S8 


ALICE-FOB-SUORT 


i 


I'i  say" 


I 


Phyllie  Cartwrigbt.  Bauprsteln  may  have  it  stiU,  I  couldn'' 
at  this  length  <if  timr  whether  it  rc«cTiib!rd  your  ugly  Httlc  miur. 
or  not."  Alice's  grave  absorption  lu  the  subject  ignores  this  un- 
proTolEcd  ilisrourlesy.  "Shu  couldn't  wn  it,  I'm  nore — the  mug  1 
mean.  It  muat  have  been  my  voice.  You  know  it  must  acorn 
Iwr  only  like  ycntcrdny  that  she  heard  thin  Miss  Ltittrvll's  voice, 
wonder  if  she  is  still  living?" 

"i[ost  unlikely.     Dr.  Fludyor  could  not  find  s  trace  o£ 
friend  ur  connect  ion." 

"What  waf  Sir  Cramer  LnttreU  T 

"I  don't  know.    Vvc  never  ht^ard  of  him." 

"She  talked  about  him.     lie  was  a  bad  lot — a  horrible  man. 
Mid — and  bi.i  -Hitter  wiu  un  odinus  as  himself.    But  let  ntc  tell  y< 
all  as  I  recollect  it.*'    And  thereon  Alice  g&ve  all  tliu  fragmenl 
as  thi\v  Imd  come, 

"It  made  me  wi^h."  said  shi-.  "that  I  luid  reuUy  uiidi-ratood  be' 
whtit  we  really  do  know,  and  what  wc  don't,  about  the  history 
No.  40.  ICow  I  had  quite  forgotten  tliat  Mr.  Verriudcr  told 
the  \io\ifc  had  belonjpMi  to  a  family  of  huttrclls.  Don't  you  kni 
how  children  forgt-t  things  one  would  Ihink  tlii-y  would  remember, 
end  remember  the  most  abaurd  things.  Then  when  they  1: 
thing:!  rpponted  after,  they  don't  pay  attrntion  becnuBc  tlipy  hn 
heard  them  before,  and  they  are  grown-up  people'*  thincs.  nnd 
only  belong  to  ihnt  ob»ilcte  race.  At  Ic-ast  I  did.  So,  thouKh  l'« 
heard  it  later,  the  story  has  never  caufibt  on  pro|K-rly." 

"I  tell  yon  what,  Alice-for-»hort,*'  said  Charles,  "wc  won't 
too  much  Bpcculating  about  it— doTi'l  let's  run  the  risk  of  mnki 
np  a  legend  out  of  Burmises,  and  then  fancying  we've  beard 
Well  p03iies.i  our  souls  in  pcuoe.  and  hope  that  pivir  oU!  Jane 
pull  round  enough  to  give  us  «ome  more  reminiscences.     Faoi 
rrnehing  baek  through  a  bundre<]  and  tliirty  year*!" 

"Very  well  then  1  Let  it  alone's  the  word.  Now  I  tell  you  what 
I  shouhl  like  to  do.  Wo  can't  be  far  off  where  her  husband  wen; 
to  live — I  do  feel  curious  to  see  the  place." 

The  neighliourhood  had  lost  the  shadowy  remain*  of  a 
suburban  character  that  it  still  had  when  Charles  and  JeS  w 
poor  Verrinder's  departure  sixteen  years  before,  and  bad  beco: 
sheer  unqualified  town.  But  the  row  of  houses  (ibey  found  it  wi 
some  diffiewlty)  frnm  one  roof-lop  of  which  he  bad  watched  the 
mudhousc  dome  for  over  thirty  years — always  hoping,  ncT«r  quite 
despairing — there  it  stood,  still ;  one  of  those  terraces  that  slowly, 
•lowly,  gives  up  iis  right  to  be  called  residential,  and  makes  Kradaal 
conccsiiou  to  degrading  miscelbnies.    Qrouud-floora  become  oflkn 


L 


ALICE-FOR-SHOBT  427 

wWrc  so  nutn  tilcvps  or  diaefl;  bnemicol*  Uint  vcrc  bumble  ns  mem 
kiicbena  thrust  themselves  fonrord  and  clutm  a  statua  in  com- 
iDprciat  life  8»  iftoroge-rooni.  lnsiittitinn«  ore  in«t)tut<ij,  and 
supported  {in  vain)  liy  Voluntary  Contributions,  on  first-floors 
that  will  one  day  foil  &  pn?y  to  Dentists,  or  pvcn  to  Clainroyants. 
Second-flciora  aubniit  to  itilliiiers  uud  Typewriters  and  luvitR  tlut 
Public  up  b7  an  independent  appeal  on  the  door-pest  in  poliehed 
fam:(K.  There  too  nppi-ar  more  ln-lt*  tbun  Pi«t  i^viT  wroir  about, 
or  Irving  acted  in — a  rash  of  bells  that  makes  you  think  before 
^QU  ring.  And  at  tlio  door  of  tltc-  hon.-ii-  ('hiirlcK  ind(.'utitu>d  was 
a  top-to  p-toi)-bell  that  said  with  emphasis.  "Phot  ogr  a  pliers  Bell," 
and  soemcd  to  havo  no  doubt  at  all  about  it.  Charl<s  remembered 
llie  place  on  the  roof:  just  the  piaw  for  a  Photoftraphie  Studio. 

"I  should  so  like  to  see  the  rooms,"  Alice  said.  TMightn't  we 
go  lipi" 

"We  should  have  to  b«  took,"  said  Charles. 

"Then  let'*  he  took,"  said  Aliei-.  And  they  rang  the  explicit  bell, 
and  it  niade  a  icreat  noi^e  souienbere.  Then,  to  eorroborate  iJiem- 
eelvc*.  itiey  went  leisurely  up  the  stairs. 

Thoy  n-ad  iht*  door-plate  of  the  Instilutiou  on  tlic  first  (luor.  and 
wond^^  at  the  keen  insight  of  its  founders  into  the  needs  of  tho 
htiroan  race.  But  Charles  had  forgotten  its  pr»]X-r  title  before  he 
jot  qnite  upstairs;  for  he  called  it  the  "Societj-  for  Providing  Inex- 
pensive I.iinchf^ns  for  DestTving  Baritoneti."  which  appeared 
atnurd.  However,  it  didn't  matter!  They  got  to  the  photographer* 
And  Charles  nrn^w'nted.  with  pi-rfrct  gravity,  that  he  and  Alien 
had  met  as  strangers  outside,  and  she  had  a^ked  for  his  pholograpb. 

aright  they  look  out  and  ner  the  view  (  Yes,  they  might.  Whot 
was  that  large  don-e  over  j-onder  f  *'I  see  you're  both  siraugera  in 
this  part  of  the  world,"  enid  the  phototrrnpher,  trickling  onto  a 
glass,  refleetivtty.  "That  plact?  over  there's  B*-dlam.  Some  people 
admire  that  dome  very  much.  There  was  a  man  lived  in  these  rery 
rooms,  ycjirt  iigu — an  Artist,  loo.  he  was — only  for  the  sake  of  the 
view.    Thirty-odd  years  1    Sow.  Sir.  if  you're  ready,  I  am." 

Vilun  D  very  promising  negative  had  been  secured,  and  Chnrli-s 
bad  writ le»  the  aildn-H«  to  which  six  copies  were  to  be  sent,  he  asked 
the  photographer  whether  ho  had  known  the  former  tenant  pcr- 
sonan?.  "Ratlier!"  waa  the  n-ply.  "Why— he  kill(>d  himw.lf  with 
chloroform  bouffht  at  our  shop!" 

Alice  thought  to  liersclf  that  tragedy  was  easicul  to  bear  with 
when  she  hH>i  the  stage  to  herself.  The  clash  with  groiesquerie 
roakea  what  i*  grisly  in  itself  grislier  still.  She  and  Charles  did 
not  fed  quite  cheerful  agstu  till  they  wtie  litivmi£\\UMJtt».\^i».'>J^^* 


I 


498 


ALIOE-FOB-SHOBT 


in  ilie  Strand.  Then  they  went  to  the  National  Oaller;,  anil  when 
they  reappeared  in  Harley  Street  at  past  six  o'clock,  had  to  confcM 
to  having  had  a  regular  good  outing. 

"I'm  quite  in  deapair  about  them,"  said  Peggy  to  her  baaband 
that  night.    "Are  they  going  to  go  on  like  thu  for  everf" 

"You  be  a  eensible  w^ich  and  let  'em  alone,"  eaid  BuperL 
"Th^re  as  happy  as  ever  they  can  be,  and  vhat  more  can  you 
want!" 


CHAPTER  XU 


BOW  OlJt  JAMS  PVT  OK  KER  WIDOW'a  WKKDS.  ANO  84W  HKBSELF  m 
THE  OLAS!).  HOW  ALICE  AND  OLD  JANG  SEsniED  TEUPORABILV  AT 
CUAkLEs'li  UO[I:(K 

It  must  be  much  less  difficult  to  woave  a  fiction  tbsn  to  give  a 
narrative  of  octtia!  evenl*.  Our  conviclioa  U  that  ibo  fornwir 
would  be  £'««y  by  compnrisoD.  Ono  could  do  as  ono  pleased;  and 
ODc's  reader  would  have  to  accept  one's  word  for  tlic  tnith  ot 
statements  inconsistont  with  one  another,  doimc  violence  to  his  sense 
of  protMibility,  a:i(l  not  far  ui>nrt  ouotigh  for  their  dincroiMincy  to 
reraain  unnoticed.  Of  course  if  any  obli^lion  rettted  on  the 
writer  of  6i;tion  to  make  improbable  events  seem  probable,  and  givo 
plausibility  to  oulru^'H  U)i:iiiniit  understand iug  and  cxpuricnce,  fae 
would  h«vc  his  hands  full. 

With  narrative  of  actual  evt'nt.  it  is  otherwise;  thut  i»  to  say,  if 
the  event  is  to  bo  so  narrated  as  not  to  seem  improbable  to  an^  and 
every  reader.  We  may  aa  well  *ny  at  once  that  in  ibi*  narrative  wo 
have  completely  given  up  the  idea  of  doing  so — in  fact  we  saw  how 
impoMiblo  it  would  be  soon  after  the  lir«t  ntart.  Wc  can  only  go 
on,  stupidly  narrating  what  happened,  and  not  allowioR  aurscivea 
to  be  influenced  towards  curtailment  of  any  portion  by  its  intrinaio 
improbability.  Our  only  ntotive  in  any  omiMioa  la  our  wish  to 
avoid  prolixity. 

PerimiiH  we  ouRht  to  dwell  at  (?mali'r  IiMigth  on  the  long  and  care- 
ful nursing  that  followed  the  fearful  shock  poor  old  Jonc,  or  Kati;, 
Iiad  to  endure — the  Hbuck  that  had  to  he  endured  sooner  or  later, 
and  that  cbanoed  a  few  hours  sooner;  on  the  slow  recovery  and 
dawn  of  life  in  a  citanged  world;  on  her  life,  in  abort,  iu  the  Asylum 
until  she  was  cautiou§ly  removed  from  the  awful  home  ohc  ncrw^ 
know  tlu!  name  of,  and  the  tcrriblo  tMrnpaniona  in  miafortun«  at 
had  never  seen. 

But  before  wp  got  so  far  forward  as  this,  many  things  ocourred 
that  we  should  have  likwl  to  tell  in  fulL  We  cannot  do  more  than 
namo  them;  or  sln^tch  ibem  at  most. 

Cue  was.  the  very  painful  interval  in  which  Old  Jaae,  ^V«vm^ 
she  know  of  her  husband's  death,  and  of  tW  fact.  \WV  ^oe  ^oa& 

428 


M 


I  HUB 


«0  AUCE-FOR-SHORT 

paKScd  some  time  before  she  was  removed  lo  "the  Hospital,' 
niiiiiKiJ  in  t'omplL-tt-  itniornncv  of  the  dunilion  of  her  uncoiutciunri 
neas.    She  knew  that  her  huabaiid  bud  ooine  to  live  dose  at  band. 
to  watch  for  n  possible  njvivnl ;  that  ho  had  been  Hlrfidwa  at  night, 
had  resorted  to  a  powerful  §oporifie.  and  bad  killed  himself  with 
an  ovurdotK-;  tliat  Cliiir)c»  had  madv  his  ocquaintanccv  m  a  Stiidmt 
of  the  Koyal  Academy  "where  be  weut  in  the  ereninBr,  because  oi 
his  Life  Studentship";  that  "at  first"  it  was  not  thought  ndviitnble 
to  operate,  but  that  her  case  attraete*!  the  attention  of  Sir  Rupert 
JohosoD ;  with  the  result  that  after  much  consultalion.  the  opirration 
was  dceiilL-d   on.   and   wua  performed   most  auece&sfulb-  by 
Lionel  Isnaeeon,  the  ^reat  surgeon;  but  thougb  she  watt  told 
these  things  slie  was  told  notJiing  about  tiinea  and  seasons.     Un 
she  came  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  about  this,  tbe  wav  she  was 
always  fretting  under  disere|>nneieH  and  impowiibiliti^w  tras  ino«t 
distressing.     In  the  end  camt;  tlie  inevitable  revelation,  aod  the 
manner  of  it  was  this: — 

Clothes  bad  been  provided  for  lier — tlie  fact  that  it  was  a  widoil 
wardrobe  having  removed  many  difficulties  iu  ehoosicg  it.    She  1 
been  induced  to  wear  spectacles,  for  which  the  accident  to 
hejid  was  made  responsible.     But  now  the  Umc  had  oome  wh 
she  was  tit  to  move,  without  danger  to  the  head.    It  was  the  oi 
)»iircr  of  appn-beneion.  for  in  all  other  resjiects  her  condition  wna 
marvellous;  even  her  teeth  being  better  than  those  of  many  youn|^H 
people.    They  had  always  been  carefullj-  seen  to.  ^| 

^She's  a  dear  old  ihiiifc,"  said  Alice  to  Charles,  "but  what  ia  to 
dreadful  is  that — rieept  for  the  feel  of  it — she  really  han  no  mean* 
of  knowing  she  isn't  young.    I  know  perfectly  well  that  the  image 
she  has  of  herself  is  that  of  a  young  widow — probably  very  prctt; 
In  fact  she  as  good  as  says  she  was  thought  so — $he  calls  it  i« 
No  doubt  Alice  had  come  to  rank  her  as  a  "dear  old  thing" 
more  readily  that  she  herself  htid  l-eeome,  in  the  old  lady's  eyes, 
Bucb  a  very  dear  young  thing.    In  fact  ihe  whole  of  the  poor  old 
eoul  had  gone  out  in  love  to  Alice — she  was  its  resource  and  refuse 
in  a  barren  land  of  hitter  waters;  tlie  one  blue  gleam  in  ■  wtati 
sky. 

So,  the  trying  on  of  her  new  dress  presented  itself  to  th«  old 
mind,  that  bad  not  a«ed  with  the  body  it  dwelt  in.  exactly  ae  it 
would  have  done  to  any  other  young  woman  of  twenty-four  or  -five; 
to  Alice,  for  tnsteuce,  bad  her  case  bei-n  alike,  lapse  of  unknown 
time  apart.  We  do  not  believe  that  under  any  conceivable  circum- 
slanves  is  a  yciung  woman,  who  thinks  of  herwlf  as  comely,  abso- 
iutely  iudificreut  to  a  new  dte&s.   Ftobsbly  Old  Jane  vae  : 


i  aanaariy    , 


ALICE-FOB-SEOUT 


431 


indifferent  na  any  recently  Iwreaved  widow  ever  was.    But  she  was 
curious  to  ere  how  th«  drc$s  titu^l.  for  all  that. 

*li(n't  ti«!  atuil  heoTj-r  she  eaJd.  "and  won't  it  be  too  tight  in. 
front  if  I  vyvT  net  any  Bcsh  on  my  bones  ngnin  t  I've  got  dreod- 
fully  tliin — (Irvudftilly !  Inn't  it  ii  very  long  wuistt  And  such  a 
lot  of  flkirtel" 

"It's  much  the  Mime  as  mine,  deiir  Kate.  But  you're  eo  weak,' 
jou  know.  You  won't  feel  thi-  weight  when  you  pet  a  bit  stronger." 
So  spoke  Alice,  wh<i,  of  course,  had  cnmo  cxprcwly  to  sec  it  tried. 
But  ehe  felt  like  the  skater  on  ice  tliut  scarcely  liean  him.  Hi^r 
heart  quite  foiled  her  ns  Old  Jane,  who  could  now  move  about  with- 
out much  difficulty,  "tbougli  fi'eling  vory  Ktraugv,"  workvd  gradu- 
ally over  towards  a  fult-Ii->iigth  mirror  that  had  eome  from  Heaven 
known  wluil  purpose  coniiccti-d  with  insanity,  ff>r  her  to  m-c  hcr- 
aeif  ij).    She  was  preoceupied  and  distressed  with  her  urmpits. 

"It  muHl  he  let  out  a  little  on  this  side."'  she  said,  "it  cuts  under 
the  arms.     But  it  will  do  very  well  for  now.    Thi-y  always  art; 
troablcsome  nhout  that.    I  have  to  sjieak  every  time,  and  it  never^ 
doe*  any  good ;  and  I  do  like  room.     Who  t»  thalf" 

Alice's  heart  was  iiuakitig.  and  slie  could  not  speak.  iSts.  Onlft- 
ford  spoke:  "\Vho  is  what,  Mra.  Verriiidert"  Old  Jane,  instead  of 
going  DC«rer  to  liie  glass,  looked  all  round  l>L'hind  her. 

"I  would  have  awoni,"  said  she.  "that  I  saw  the  reflection  of  a 
new  old  lady,  with  white  hair,  in  the  ploss.    Where  is  alie!" 

"There  ia  no  one  hen-  but  ourselves,"  said  the  nurse. 

"How  very  odd!"  she  replied.  "I  would  have  sworn  it."  And 
then  iihe  oppronehed  nearer  to  the  Tnirror;  but.  always  preoccupied 
with  that  vexatious  armpit,  elie  did  not  look  up  tilt  she  ffot  quito 
olose.  Th(.-n  she  broke  into  an  liysterical  laugh,  more  painful  to 
hear  than  any  ery  of  pain. 

"Oil,  Cynthln — oh,  Cynthia — it's  nu^l"  For  she  mom  often  ealled 
Alice  Cynthia  than  not.  although  she  knew.  Alice  helped  her  as  tha 
Staggered,  and  iruided  Iier,  trembling  like  an  aspcn-leof,  to  n  chair. 
The  old  buniia  I'hing  to  her  as  sJie  kissed  tlie  wrinkled  face.  Sho 
could  not  speak — the  nurse  did  not.  Old  Jane  spoke  first,  through^ 
gasps  that  <-auglit  her  voice: — 

"Ob  now — oh  now — ^you  will  tell  me — you  will  teil  me  all!  I 
knew  there  was  HomcthiTtg — you  leiil  tell? — will  you  nott"  And 
then  aa  one  who  struggles  for  »elf-coutrol.  she  asked  again  the 
question  she  had  aitked  in  the  first  ^peerh  that  had  followed  her 
sixty  years  of  silence,  "What  i»  ill" 

"Ves — 1  will  tell  yoji.  dear  Kate,  t  will  tell  you  all !"  And  Aliea, 
rocoTcring  hcraclf,  told  in  few  and  leaulute  wor(V&  ^)kUl>  aXoT)  «&  n(« 


433 


ALICE-FOBSHORT 


know  it.    She  fllncbed  at  nothing,  and  ended,  "I  was  n 

it  you  all  Inns  »s>y,  Avar  Kntc.    But  I  couldn't  find  iho  heart.** 

"And  that  is  quite  altt"  aakcd  Old  Jan«,  when  abe  lud  fiFiithA 
She  eoemcd  to  have  become  much  calmer. 

"Quite  all!" 

"Help  me  acroes,  that  I  may  look  a^in."  She  epok«  aa  beiog 
ciirioiiH  to  ««>.  There  wan  little  fcnr  in  hpr  Toicc.  "Stand  by  nw, 
dear  child,  so!  Then  1  shall  ece  both  at  once.  And  that  is  you,  and 
that  is  niel  A  littlo  further  back  I  nhnW  fiee  plainer.  The  frlaatM 
are  the  wrong  focua  for  this  distance,"  She  stoud  with  Ali<!e'i 
hand  pressed  clow  to  her,  for  perhtips  two  minuter,  and  then  eaid: 
"The  dress  is  uol  cut  like  my  grey  {lopliii.  Bui  it  will  do  Toy 
well — only,  John  is  not  here  now.  .  .  ." 

The  only  scheme  that  had  recommended  itself  for  disposing  of 
the  old  lady  on  leaving  (he  Asylum  wnn  that  the  should  go  pn- 
visionally  to  ('harles's  house;  and  accordingly  a  ferw  hours  later  she 
wait  on  hiT  way  thi^n-  with  Alice  and  Mr".  Oaiaford,  who  wore  glad 
on  the  whole  that  their  coiopauiun  failed  to  identify  places  and 
buildinRs.  I'erhaps  dim  eyesight  had  more  to  do  with  this  than 
lack  of  memory.  Otherwise  hIic  might,  by  croiiiiing  the  river,  have 
got  a  clue  to  the  name  of  the  Hospital  she  canie  from,  which  ifaey 
had  mftnaged  to  keep  back.  For  nil  that  «kill  nod  never-tiring 
paliL-iK*  can  do  in  the  moat  ijerfecl  of  modern  Hoapitida,  to  olle 
viate  the  lot  of  tho  most  afHicted  of  mankind,  fails  to  ooun 
the  terror  of  the  niunc  Bedlam. 

She  did  not  really  grasp  the  position — how  could  sj»et 
Charles  (whom  she  knew  by  no  other  name  an  yet)  and 
(whom  she  knew  now  to  be  Alice  Kavanagh — though  she  always 
seemed  puzzled  hy  the  name)  were  most  hospitably  taking  her  in^H 
tbia  she  understood.  And  also  that  her  stay  was  to  la^l  uuUI  m(^| 
time  08  some  shadowy  permanent  arrangement  could  be  made;  an 
arrangement  dependent  on  the  discovery  of  u  claas  or  oection  vt 
Mciety  which  the  old  lady  spoke  of  as  "my  relntircs,"  But  she  did 
not  seem  tmpresse<l  by  her  family's  neglect  of  her  in  tlm  IToj^i 
nor  by  tt«  delay  in  ttiming  up  to  relieve  her  hosts  of  her  p: 
Bhe  slielvfd  anythiug  tliat  threatened  a  difficult  problem,  nea 
alwaj-B.  This  wax  a  great  relief  to  Alice — was.  as  she  said,  half 
hattle.  She  used  ihis  exprt-SBion  ho  often  in  conniMAioa  with 
Verrinder.  that  Charles  had  to  point  out  that  the  number  of  half 
jios.iible,  cvm  to  battles,  is  limited. 

Whatever  fraction  of  the  battle  it  was.  tliis  readinM)  to  be  aniet 
under  accomplished  facts  was  voted  a  "kt-o9"  to  tbe  byst«adc« 


-iiring 

Aii3^ 


ALTCE-FOR-SHORT 


4» 


what  might  else  have  proved  an  embarraMment  In  more  tlian  ot 
coin:  Stip  ucxirp(<-<l  ibi-  whole  of  the  nrlntion*  between  those  wl 
came  to  see  her,  without  curiosity.  And  soiDctiinus  n  goad  deul  of  j 
explaining  wsn  wonted,  or  would  have  becu  had  her  miud  been 
fully  active.  Such  a  mind  might  have  <:n<iiiirpH.  iv-nllciu'ljr,  whjit 
wa«  Alice  to  Charles,  or  Charles  to  Alice!  What  was  Alice'a 
position  at  Horli-y  Stn«ll  Who  or  what  wan  Piem??  But  Old 
Jane  never  asked  any  queations.  She  chriiiti-ii»?d  Ctuirli-n  "Mr. 
KavDRsgh*'  nt  first,  but  wlien  xhe  found  this  wais  wrontr,  she 
accepted  him  as  Mr.  Heath,  without  rt-uaming  Ali«*  "Mrs.  IK-ath,"  i 
although  Alice  more  than  once  thoui{ht  «he  delected  a  disposition  14 
do  so.  Id  truth,  Alice  und  Chnrlut  might  biivc  puzzled  any  mere 
outsider. 

Mrs.  Cuiiiford,  towards  whom  her  pnticnt  had  relented,  accom- 
panied her  to  Charles's  as  what  migbt  he  called  a  nurse  of  firal 
inxtancT,  withnut  intention  to  remain  long  in  ehnrge.  Pe^y  (and 
Sir  Rupert  acting  under  her  ordt-m)  bud  iiegoliated  this  in  the 
counw  of  wreral  visits  to  the  Asylum,  which  had  been  fully  appre- 
ciate*) by  Old  June.  "How  sweet  your  Aunt  hi"  said  the  Utter  to 
Alice  after  I.ady  Johnson's  first  visit.  "She  does  me  gooiL"  And 
Alice  let  the  accusation  of  Aunlhood  remnin  undefended.  Hut 
Pegsy  wan  not  without  a  distinct  motive  in  urging  thi*  arrangi;- 
mcnt.  She  took  alarm  at  the  alternative,  which  appeared  to  be  that 
Alice  should  go  instead. 

"If  Alice  goes  and  lives  at  Charles's,"  said  she,  cmphatiwilly,  to 
her  hiinband,  "thtTn-  will  simply  be  no  ehanc«  al  all!" 

"I  should  have  thought  the  more  they  saw  each  other  the  better — 
if  that"*  your  gamef 

"Of  course  it's  my  (tame,  darling.  But  you  are  such  a  stupid 
old  dearl  Can't  you  nee  thnt  if  they  go  on  much  longer  like  this 
they'll  get  grbned  in.  and  there  they'll  stick,  like  a  couple  of  geese  l" 

"You   express   it  beautifully,  dearest!     Doesn't   your   mamma] 
cxpreM  herw'lf  beautifully.  Alwyt"     This  was  to  the  only  other 
person  present,  who  seemed  to  hold  aloof  from  the  eonvi-rMtion, 
and  to  be  pursuing  n  (httached  line  of  thought.    "3Je  and  PhiftilpsJ 
wanta  the  ciprum  on  the  deery  cake  between  us."  ehe  says.  qAiictlyJ 
but  firmly. 

"Tou  delicious  little  greedy,"  says  her  mother;  "you  know  por^l 
fectly  well  you  oidy  put  your  sister  in  to  save  appearunoen — at  any 
rat«  you  shall  not  have  it,  ducky,  till  hIir  cornea.  That's  flat!"  For 
Alcey  has  suKgested  that  she  sho\ild  beeome  her  sister'n  bailcic  in 
the  mntter  of  thi-  citron  on  the  Uadelra  cake,  by  holding  out  bee 
hand  tu  receive  it. 


494 


ALICE-FOB-SnOBT 


ufcJI 


"Your  pupa  knows  perfectly  what  I  mean,  Alocj — and  you 
be  iloest  Aud  you  know.  Dr.  Jouuon.  if  Charley  and  Alice  voutd 
bo  dragged  apart,  one  to  Jericho  and  the  other  to  Comitry,  he'd 
write  next  day  to  soy  be  couldn't  live  wilJbout  her,  aud  she  mosi 
como  at  once  and  make  the  ueual  arrangnnient.  Uost  likely  eht^d 
have  written  iilready.  But  if  she's  going  to  live  in  his  houae  1 
Another  cup  of  tea  (" 

"Tea — lotik  alive!  Brwauec  I  must  run.  I  rote  for  letting  '«a 
alone.    It's  strictly — ehl" 

"My  dear!  of  course  it  iai    If  it  iiui't  correct  with  an  old  lady  of 

eifihly-sLn  there,  it  never  will  be.    Besides !    However,  there's 

Phillips  coming  and  we  mustn't  talk.     That  cbild'e  getting  SP 
eharp  she  knows  absolutely  ewrything.    Shc'ii  five  nest  month." 

But  there  lemains  a  thoughtful  troubled  look  on  the  beautifnl 
faoe.  which  ve,  who  know  tbingn,  know  to  nx-an,  "Oh,  Cbartcy 
and  Alice — bow  you  aro  waEting  the  precious  hours!  Aud  hen 
you  are,  count rucling  a  ni:w  impa«t,if,  a  ctupid  deadlock  that 
will  just  Kpoil  all,  and  take  away  the  ta^t  chance  for  good!" 

Alcey  and  Phillipii  got  the  oitron  oR  the  Madeira  calcc,  betweoi 
them,  and  Alcey  got  moat.  And  Atmt  Liatiy  announoxi  that  cnn- 
ing  that  she  was  going  to  camp  out  for  a  bit  at  Acacia  Road,  jiHt 
till  old  Mrs.  Verrindtrr  had  had  time  to  turn  round,  and  g«t  nad 
to  things.  Aud  she  kissed  the  whole  family,  to  console  them  (« 
ber  impending  absence. 

And  thus  it  cnmc  to  pass  thnt  in  the  nrxt  chapter  we  nhall  \un 
to  speak  of  Alice  and  old  Mra.  Vtrrindt--r  as  residing  temporarily 
(with  a  sort  of  firmness  in  the  tcmporarincss)  at  CharWs  bowe 
in  St.  John's  Wood,  Charles  did  not  trouble  much  about  the  otU* 
expense;  for.  thanks  to  Alice's  discovery  of  a  now  employment  fev 
him,  be  was  making  huge  sumit  of  money;  tlirce  or  four  hundnxl* 
year,  Iteport  said.  She  always  deals  in  round  numbers.  Anyhow 
Charts  was  quite  happy  about  his  fjcpenscs.  And  it  was  well  that 
he  ^ould  rejoice  in  Alice  while  she  lasted,  for  it  was  juat  a«  like 
AS  not  that  when  »bc  marrit<d  he  would  see  little  or  nothinc  man 
of  her. 

"Little  or  nothing  more"  of  Alicel  Oh.  but  his  heart  was  »ore 
to  think  of  itl  But  sutGcient  unto  the  day  was  the  evil  tbereot 
and — after  all— there  wot  nothing,  at  present  I 


CHAPTER  3Xn 


or  TRt  ttVTS  OF  OHAKLES'S  ART.      UOW  ABOUT  OLD  JAX^S  llKMi:«IE8F 
BEST  TAKE  HER  TO  SO.  40 

It  was  near  raidaummer  of  the  year  in  whidi  Old  Jano  wns 
atixl  on  before  Charles's  household  could  be  said  to  have  set' 
down  to  tlie  Murae  it  intended  to  imrHuc  ETvrybuily  was  con- 
tenti*d  with  it.  inside  the  familj' — only,  7011  must  disL-ount  some- 
tbing  from  (lie  Miti*faction  of  FTnrIf?  8tn«t,  which  had  lo«t  a 
ffraat  deal  of  Alice;  more  than  it  could  afford.  But  it  would  hare 
been  wowft,  "if  Mr.  Alier."  Wc  borrow  a  phrase  of  Charles.  A« 
for  him,  if  he  Iiad  had  to  choose  between  giving  u|>  Alien  (lo  nnv 
not  impouiblc  he)  and  accommodating  all  liedlam's  discharned 
patienttf.  be  would  havi-  choM-n  the  Utti^.  And  as  for  Alice,  our 
suspicion  is.  that  though  &he  felt  for  Hurley  Street,  she  cousoled 
tu!r»elf  witli  iliK  ntcollection  ihnt  it  wan  only  a  shilling  cah;  and 
that  she  really  was  determined  to  get  aa  much  Mr,  Charley  as  she 
possibly  could,  until  she  (and  PcRgy,  she  chose  to  think)  should 
Bucceed  lu  their  ciidearoiira  to  conaipn  Charles  to  some  uueom- 
fortabio  female  with  gifts,  or  exalted  motirca,  or  l'roi>crty — or 
aom(!thin^  Hs'  Clinrlca  wotdd  care  nothing  abutit.  Provisionally, 
ahe  felt  divided  between  the  two  establishments,  which  she  spoke 
of  pespcctircly  as  ilarlcy  Street  and  Chiirky  Stroct. 

You  may  be  sure  that  tlie  mtiiage  m  Charley  Street  was  the  sub- 
ject of  much  comment  and  criticism;  had  it  been  a  menagerie 
it  eould  not.  hnri>  ntlractrd  much  more  ntleiitiun.  Beaides.  another 
subject  at  the  same  time  kept  Charlea  under  discussion  amon; 
his  friends:  namely,  his  extraordinary  and  unnntici|jated  succeea 
in  Liti-ratiiri',  Our  old  friend  Jeff,  of  whom  we  have  seen  nothinff 
lately,  took  a  gloomy  view  of  the  outlook,  on  bclinlf  of  the  Fine 
Arts,    Up  hiid  a  low  opinion  of  Litcrutun-. 

""Ealh'lJ  never  do  any  more  work  now."  said  he,  n-grcifully.  to 
his  wife.  "He's  <lone  furl"  And  tJjc  sensible  Dorothea,  whom  five 
children  had  assisted  to  an  expansive  maturity,  remarked  with 
some,  bat  not  much,  diffidence:  "Perhaps  uubody  will  be  any  the 
wowe." 

"I  don't  know.  DoUy!— I,  don't,  know,  Dolly!— Nol  I  do  a«t 

435 


L 


4M 


ALICE-FOK-SnORT 


J 


root     ' 


know  about  tliat   There  was  a  Qualit?  in  'Kntli'i  work  tbat  mBrb«)I 
the  mao " 

"Didn't  you  Mf,  JrSrejr,  that  he  couldn't  draw;  nor  paint; 
compose  I" 

"1  did,  tas  detirl    Rijjht  you  sro.    But  with  it  all  there  waai 
Qualtty.  A  BomeUiiug  you  dou't  often  mc^ct  with.     Not  a  thin^ 
the  untrained  eyo  can  ec«  right  off.     You  ar«  increduloas.  Mri. 
Jerry  thought.''  ^H 

"No,  my  dear.  I  dare  eaj  it's  all  right."    But  Jeff  (eels  that  tl^l 
vubjrct  rnniint  he  left  irtrftnd<i<)  in  this  flat  and  unsntisfaetory  con- 
dition.   It  haa  to  be  illuminated  by  something  thai  it  is  not  grtrvn 
to  normal  minds  to  attach  any  intelligible  rac^ning  to.    lie  tur&s 
the  Hcnrchli^ht  of  u  Higher  Crilicisin  upon  it, 

"What  wnu  Wilkinson  Foster  eayin' — in  that  critique  of  the 
Bunu-l  School  I  Depend  on  it  tliat's  the  point.  Tliat'a  tho 
Charley  'Eath  »p)ite  upon.  Literary  Art,  mind  you  I  It  alwaya  ends 
in  n<^iect  of  Values.  Once  yon  bfgin  that  garoc,  it'»  all  up.  But 
Charley's  work  is  full  of  Quality."  And  Jeff,  who  is  iimoking  in  a 
garden- bom nxx-k  »n  his  own  lawn  nt  St.  John's  Wood,  on  a  beau- 
tiful summer  evening,  a  short  time  after  CbiLrlux'tt  fir*l  »lor7  had 
such  a  prodigious  run,  and  watching  a  spirited  rail;  in  a  giunc  of 
lawn-lcnnia  Ix-twccn  faia  chlest  girl  and  a  couple  of  young  male 
appreeiators.  who  have  come  on  their  bicjelea  and  tlon't  ineaa  to  go, 
dedicate*  a  sigh  and  a  beailshtike  to  the  memory  of  Charles's  ruined 
art.  The  sensible  Dorothea  gave  up  the  Fine  Arta  whc^n  aha  tnar- 
ricd,  and  docHn't  trouble  about  them  now.  But  her  interest  in  h^H 
fellow -erea  111  res  is  strong,  and  she  ulwny*  iliverlii  all  convcraatit^H 
to  Humanity.  She  is  neither  impressiTe  nor  shrewd  of  tongue,  M 
one  wonders  that  slie  always  succeeds.  But  she  doec!  And  it  mu 
be  something  in  the  subject.     It's  easy,  this  time. 

*'Can  you  make  the  old  lady  out,  Jeffrey  t" 

"No— yea — thai  is,  stop  a  minute  1" — Jeff  ia  pitting  th«  duratii 
of  his  tobacco-smoke  rings  against  the  rnllies  of  the  lawn-tenniaT 
and  the  rings  always  beat.    "That  one's  lasted  out  a  rally,  aad_ 
sboutin'  liftecn-lovc,  and  crossin'  over.    No,  i  can't  BUtke  hei  ouL^ 

"What  did  lie  teil  yon  r 

"She  ain't  a  relative " 

"No.    I  know  that.    But  what  did  he  tell  you  t" 

"He  was  rather  close  about  her.    But  ahe's  old  Mrs.  Vcrrinda 
and  she's  bad  a  long  illness.    That's  why  she's  to  rum  in  her 
uer.    She  don't  seem  ill — not  for  an  old  lady  of  eigtity-aix." 

"Of  course  one  can  understand  why  Mr.  Hc«tb  has  h*-r 
ouljr  I  don't  aec  the  ueceauiy  for  it.    After  all,  Alice  ia  the 


ALIOE-FOR-SHORT 


48J 


M  one  of  the  family.  And  cveiy  one  tbiiika  they're  uncle  and 
niecf        " 

"What's  all  ihal.  got  to  do  witi  tbe  turn  outT' 

"Why  ever.ylhiiig — don't  you  see,  Jeffrey  i  Mr.  lleatli  wanta 
Alice  there,  ttnd  fnncif-s  hr  o\it;lit  to  hitve  Home  oKler  persoa  in  the 
botiM.-.    /  don't  see  why.  hut  he  thiiika  go        " 

"Isn't  it  nmiiin'  it  rather  *ard  to  make  it  an  eighty-sixer!  I 
■iihould  havo  tbuu|(;bt  forty-two — forl.ylbrt* — or  fifty  for  atruugere! 
Plenty!    But,  bint  a  widower  and  all!    'Ookyl" 

"Bui  where  did  he  get  ber  from!  She  must  be  aucouotable, 
eomehow." 

"SjHter  Peggy  WumI  b(?r  up.    Or  their  frieud  Dr.  FUi<lyer " 

"Stopl" — llilra.  Jerry  thought  points  at  her  husband's  watch* 
pocket,  while  her  eye  fixes  him  to  attention. — "That  doctor  that 
came  to  40,  years  ami  anes  ago,  and  you  wilaeaeed  a  transfer  tbinff 
for  him— he  was  Fliidyer !    Tou  told  nii>* — -" 

«WeU— what  of  that  r 

"Why.  of  couTM^l  It  was  about  that  poor  fellow  that  com- 
mitted suicide — you  remember  Aim?" 

"Perfectly.    I  remember  all  about  it." 

"Well — bow  slow  you  are!    What  was  his  name^" 

"Calleuder."  This  is  an  absurd  lapse  of  raemory  on  JeiP*  part, 
and  his  wife  points  out  that  though  tbc  name  Callcndcr  occurred 
•bout  the  time  of  (lie  svncide  in  qui-etiou.  it  was  in  quite  anotlictr 
connection.  That  wa»  Edith  Callender,  doesn't  be  remember,  that 
waa  to  hare  married  Captain  Bradbury,  and  took  to  homiropnthyt 
Of  course  that  queer  artist's  name  was  Verrinder,  and  this  must 
be  his  mother,  or  his  aunt  But  Jeff  won't  acknowledge  his  mis- 
take. 

"No — it  was  Callender,  not  Verrinder.  I  noticed  partic'Iarly  at 
th«  time  that  it  wasn't  Verrinder.  Besides,  it  was  Captain  Brad- 
ley, not  Bradbury." 

"So  it  was.  He  was  spooney  about  I,ady  Johnson.  So  wero 
others."  Dorothea  nods,  with  iusigbt.  JeS  doesn't  dieguiae  the 
j>oint. 

"So  were  other*,"  he  admits.  Anil  Dorolliea  saya  nobody  wonders 
at  it,  and  ho  needn't  look  so  guilty.  Then  compromise  becomes 
posaible  about  tlv  nanici);  JeS  gives  up  Callender,  in  return  for 
bis  wife  surrendering  Bradbury. 

"I  thought  ber  rather  a  sweet  old  lady,"  says  sbc,  when  this  is 
settled.  "Only  so  queer!  I  couldn't  make  out  what  she  meant 
sotnctiiDdi.  What  was  that  she  said  about  'the  poor  Queen' t  Did. 
you  und«rtitaud  r' 


I 


3a^^ 


438  ALICE-FOll-SUOKX 

*^o — T  couldn't  make  that  out.    Xor  vrlinl  tint  wan  snj'ing  «l 
the  new    ihratrc.      What  new   theatro)      There's   not  been 
tlivntru  burneil,  Dcithcr." 

"And  about  some  shocking  murder  of  a  Uember  of  PorlUi 
Thctxr  was  nothing  in  the  tiewspnppr.    What  name  wae  it  el>e  aaid 
Pertiy,  wasu't  itl" 

"Vcs — Percy.     /  saw  Dotbinfc  iu  the  paper  1" 

It  was  littli--  wonder  ihcy  weru  piiuiW.  For  the  "poor  Queen" 
was  Queeu  Caroline,  aud  the  Kew  Theatre  wu»  Drur>-  Louc,  and 
"Percy"  was  Spencer  Perceval,  Aod  they  were  all  thinKs  of  yeater- 
day  to  prior  o)d  -Tunc.  She  had  nut  lind  time  yet  tn  get  abreast 
of  the  age  she  found  herself  suddenly  landed  in,  sixty  years  afti 
her  death — for  that  wn*  what  it  amounted  to. 

We  are  sorry  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jerry iho ugh  1.  of  Circua  Road 
St.  John's  Wood,  convcTBed  no  further  about  the  new  iumate  at 
thi'ir  nei^ihbour's  in  Acaciii  Road.    They  went  on  to  uonnidcr  ho 
far  Kit  I'ope,  who  was  playinj;  lawn-tennis,  was  "desirable.'' 
was  <Jesiroiia,  no  doubt.    JcfT  Knid  bir  n^alty  didn't,  a«c  tliat  it  nat- 
tered what  a  young  man's  father  was  like.     And  bis  wife  said  if 
they  didn't  stop  "it"  now,  it  wouldn't  be  any  icood.    Did  JeS  bear 
tKalt    He  was  calling  her  Jc^ssie  alrt-ady!     However,  tiw-nt-  j^ai 
people  really  don't  come  into  the  story.    They  are  perfectly  Impp 
just  now.  and  what  more  can  they  wantt    And  Jcaric  waan't  six" 
teen,  bo  tliere  I 

Kit  Pope's  objectionable  father  was  very  curiow*  indeed  when  bo 
heard  that  a  sing'ler  old  lady  Mr.  Heatli  had  KOl  from  somewbe 
who  had  known  No.  40  when  she  was  Rirl,  was  coming  to  see 
house.    So  was  Mr.  Chappcll,  hut  much  more  temperately. 

"No,"  said  tlie  former  to  the  latter,  in  answer  to  a  qiiestioti, 
"1  can't  say  I've  exactly  seen  the  old  party  inyitcif.    But  I'tc 
u  aort  of  aquiiitindicular  view  of  her  (puttin'  it  motaphoric 
owbig  to  that  yoiinp  jackanapes  of  a  «on  of  mine.     He'a  bIwb 
flanderiiig  rouuil  uft<-r  that  little  Jessie  girl  of  Jeff's  at  Cireuf 
Goad,  and  shc'»  seen  her  to  talk  t^.    Then  of  oounu;  nho  te|U  Kilj^l 
and  Kit  be  tells  (1w<t[i,  and  Gwen  Hhu  ttslls  her  mother  and  yoi^H 
faithful  servant,  Sir.     Prodoocin'  the  impremion  of  a  picco  of 
'oary  antiquity — relict  of  u  bygom;  curcr.    Toull  bo  intereiited, . 
Chappcll,  without  bein'  enthoosiastic.     After  knowin'  you 
years,  Mr.  Chappell,  I  am  quorlitied  to  say  that  eiithuaiaHin  i> 
your  gag.     Can't  say  I've  soeu  her  though,  so  far  I     Name  <d 
Terrinder." 

"VcrrindcrJ    Hum!    Feel  as  if  Pd  heard  the  nam«v  too." — i 
itt.  Chuppell,  who  was  writing  Perpendicular  h>ttariiiff  on  a 


M«    01 


ALICE-FOR-SnOBT 


4W 


felcvrapb-tape  that  took  two  Aniti?ls  to  can?  it,  laid  down  hu  pencil 
to  think  morv  canily.    It  didti't  m-mi  tn  hcJp  him,  tor  be  presently  — 
took  it  up  a«ain,  with  the  remark :  "Felt  aa  if  I'd  heard  the  name.'*    ■ 

"I  Wds  tryin'  to  tbiok,  too,"  Mid  Mr.  Popn.  But  it  wu«  quite 
three  minul«a  before  thought,  aeimmpuuied  only  by  tiie  ticktiiK  of 
the  clock  on  the  chimnry- piece,  fnictified.  Tlicn  cnch  cscloitnod 
that  he  had  "kdI  it.'"    !t  wiis  n  briiin-wnvp.,  itvideiilly, 

"Who  do  you  make  it  out  to  bel"  asked  Mr.  i'opc. 

"BauemtciuV  pielurei*  btr  bought,  yeara  ago,  iit  tbut  sale  at 
Newingtoii  liults — ke  was  Verriiiderl" 

"That's  tbo  bcfutar.  Sir  I  A»  large  as  life.  1  knew  it  wo*  him." 
Which  w8a  palpably  >  lie,  taken  literally;  but  was  a  fa^on-d*- 
parler  that  passed  muster,  taken  leniently.  Mr.  Cbappell  did  not 
cavil,  nnd  his  partner  continued:  "It  rcinniTiii  itself  with  the  Bont^it, 
to  my  mind.  Bui  as  to  how,  I  couldn't  aay  off-hand.  No  'urry." 
Pfcacntly  he  seems  to  think  he  haK  been  a^kod  a  iiucstion.  which  ia 
not  the  case,  and  (fooa  on:  "Whut  Bones'*  Why.  our  Bonos,  on  the 
premises.  Whose  Bone*  did  yoa  think  I  We're  the  only  house  with 
any  Bones." 

The  reason  we  hare  tnterleared  these  fragmentary  acrapB  of 
intcrriewa,  in  oar  wish  thai  you  should  not  be  blind  to  t*ie  impreii- 
Bion  Old  Jane  prodwoi-d  on  msual  visitors  at  Charley  Street,  I>ur- 
iag  tlie  tirst  fortni^rht,  wlien  Mrs.  (iuieforU  was  still  in  evidence  in 
Daree'a  costume,  she  was  obviously  an  invulid,  llimiKh  not  incapael- 
tated.  When  Mra,  Oaisford  tore  bi'rst!lf  uway  with  tears,  rowing 
sb«  would  never  have  such  s  happy  time  again,  the  old  Indy  seemed 
really  on  ber  way  to  a«  much  hcaltii  and  strength  us  hrr  cighty- 
aix  years  could  be  expected  to  allow.  Doctors  and  nur^e  alike 
thought  that  llm  careful  cystemnlie  routine  of  the  HoapituI  hud 
had  a  preservative  diaracler.  and  that  hrr  phyaiiiue  was  really  in 
better  form  than  if  ii  had  had  to  endure  the  dangers  and  exlmus* 
tions  of  a  uurmii!  life.  Hn.  Gtiiiford  (whoic  Htraiiicd  rcluliuns 
with  her  patient  had  died  a  natural  deotli)  was  perfectly  right  in 
IwT  surminc  that  if  the  brain  rpcovercd  she  would  have  nothing 
the  matter  with  her.  She  was  so  will,  when  the  niirsi?  wi-nt,  tliat 
hIw  was  much  distressed  in  ber  mind  about  what  gratuity  she 
should  give  h(-r.  and  bormwr^  a  ■nvrrrign  of  Alice  (to  be  repaid 
by  her  shadowy  relatives),  which  Mrs.  Gaisford  accepted  with 
gTctitndc  and  promptly  brought  back  to  Alice,  who  gave  her  a  kisa 
instead. 

Aforally,  she  was  sweet-tempered  and  tractable.  She  complained 
jnncb  of  htr  inability  to  u*n  hcT  hnuHK;  though  in  truth  tbcvt 
reaumptiOQ  of  rilality  was  far  more  TUpi<i  Ooan  eoiAii  Vo^f:  \^«^ 


440  ALICE-FOB-SHOHT 

anticipated.  Iler  geaerni  attitude  of  mind  and  fwling  SMmed  to  ba 
tKnt  which  Homrlimes  follows  on  nn  overwhelming  »hwk ;  im  t^quabld 
Boiiuiescunce  lu  ao  exiatentt-  ihul  bad  lo  be  i.tjui|il«t«f,  aw-ieptinii 
slifiiht  tcimfiorary  intcrpsls  ns  tliry  accrued,  but  without  atiytbing 
that  t'ould  be  interprt-ted  ns  jny  or  sorrow.  Tb«  uvarcBt  approach 
to  the  former  was  discernible  iii  ber  intcDse  love  for  A]ic<.>;  while 
thi:  int.li-r  hud  completely  pcrtncatvd  tho  wholf^  lumoiphi-m  uf  ha 
exifltuncc — even  as  a  fog  ia  uniformity  with  one  iuctdent  only,  a 
diac  of  MUD  that  is  one  spot  in  an  expanse.  Alice  was  tbc  »un  in 
this  case;  and.  ua  was  natural,  she  grew  very  fond  of  the  poor 
old  wTPck:  and  strove  always  to  boar  in  mind  thai  she  must  nimd* 
think  of  h(T,  not  us  oiici-.-itrul.  but  as  a  contemporary.  Her  old 
mind,  sh<.>  reuiemberod,  was  twenty-six.  not  eighly-sis. 

Tbv  imprf»>ion  producitl  on  introduction  wan  that  of  a  pretty, 
very  old  lady,  witb  very  white  hair  and  most  picturesque  wrinkles, 
but  little  fallen  away  in  the  lower  part  of  tho  fare.  She  hod  a 
good  dual  i>f  snow-white  i^ebrow;  none  of  tU<;  stenincaa  of  face  90 
«ften  associated  witb  old  age — the  expreaaion  either  negntirely 
sweet  as  in  sculptured  efluiies,  or  more  actively  breaking  into  what 
Cbarle.s  cnlled  a  submissive  smile.  There  was  something  about 
ber  lliat  Riiide  It  most  difficult  for  him  to  think  of  ber  as  linritig 
been  tlie  wife  of  that  o<)d  old  Lift-  Student  al  tbe  Itoyal  Aeademy- 
But  this  very  somelhiuK  quite  explained  wby  Verrindt^  batJ  hm-ct 
falturrd  in  bis  lifr-king  vigil;  why  be  bad  tliought  that  any  chance, 
however  >iin«ll.  of  ony  sligbteat  revival,  was  etUl  the  beet  chance 
loft  for  him  on  earth. 

The  slaved  Uint  wo  are  of  thir  matter  that  enclooee  ual  Think  of 
that  one  undetected  contusion  and  all  it  meant! 

So  long  a  time  passed  at  Charley  Street  without  any  hint  of  an 
allusion  to  the  T.utlrqlls  nnd  the  ^tory  alxiut  Cousin  Bi'eky  anil  the 
ring,  that  botli  Olmrleei  and  Alice  beimu  lo  feel  afraid  that  it  migbl 
never  revive  in  the  old  lady's  mind.  They  did  not  like  to  make 
open  attempt*  t^  stir  up  lier  nH-inory  and  put  her  again  upon 
narrating  it,  for  fear  that  in  the  attempt  to  rrvall  it  her  recollec- 
tion should  become  cnnfiiseit.  They  fcti  that  the  more  aponta- 
npoimly  slu)  n-tumed  to  it.  the  better  tho  chance  of  a  cl«ar 
connected  narrative, 

"iliidi  better  not  fidget  ber."  said  Sir  Kupcrt.  "If  it  dooMi' 
occur  yet  awhile  it  doesn't  the  least  follow  that  it  won't  be  oa  clear 
when  it  oomi>?,  (Hre  In-r  time.  But  1  don't  see  why  yoti  shouldn't 
suggest  it.    Why  not  take  her  on  a  risi;  to  the  old  houacl    Ti 


nu' 


suggest  It.    Wl)y  not  take  her  on  a  nstt  to  th«  old  bouacl     le^^ 

kdhancoe  to  one  it  would  all  come  back!"  ^M 


AUCE-FORSHORT  441 

Tbie  WAS  asked  bj-  Sir  Rupert  on  mon?  thfn  one  occasion,  and 
tht:  Lisl  tirni;  ivu  linked  it  AJice,  wlio  wus  ketinnf;  well  !n  tuiich 
with  Uarley  Stre«t  by  making  afternoon-tea  there  nearly  «Ter7  day, 
pauKd  with  tbc  great  media's  w-cond  lump  of  8iig«r  in  the  tongs 
lo  reply:  "Bucauee  It  is  m  au-ftiUy  ^rialy."  And  she  went  r«  far 
a»  she  darvd  (for  fcsr  of  qiilling  the  tea)  towards  acting  a  shudder. 
Peggy  did  it  for  ht-r,  bcLug  itev  from  tea-«ups.  Tlien  slie  cnlurged 
upon  the  grieliuess. 

"JiiHt  funcy.  Dr.  Jomsotil  she's  nc%'cr  been  in  that  house  einoc 
she  married,  and  thert-'s  tht-  room  her  fallier  painted  in.  and  nbe'll 
bu  ablo  to  tell  which  her  bedroom  was,  and  where  tboy  eat  in  the 
evening,  and  all  sorte  uf  things." 

"And  why  shouldn't  sheC 

'Ten't  he  opaque.  Mother  Pegtrylf  Well  then — because  I  should 
buret,  you  Blupid  man.    Cau't  you  see)" 

^Of  course  Alice  would  burst,  I  can  quite  see  that-  I  should, 
mjself  1" — It  was  Pet^Jty  who  said  this. 

"Of  course  u'^u  would,  darling,"  replied  her  husband,  "but  Z 
thnught  Alice  was  rolled  steel  plates." 

"Su  I  am,  as  a  general  rule.  But  there  arc  limits  ^en  to  rolled 
steel  plates."    Rupert  lakes  up  a  brutal  attitude. 

"If  you  do  burst,  what  does  it  matter  t"  ssya  he.  On  which  Alioe 
Bays  ibiai  she'll  burst.  "I'm  always  ready."  she  udds,  "to  sacrifice 
tnywlf  and  jump  into  holes,  like  Thingummybob  I"  Marcus  OtiT- 
(luM.  possibly. 

Pegiry  ihoii^-ht  lo  herself  she  would  really  like  to  come  too.  if  the 
truth  were  told,  snd  said  so.  Curiosity  is  a  powerful  iut-entivc 
But  Alice  ruled  Peggj-  out,  aSecIiouately. 

"Don't  you  see,  darling,  the  fewer  there  are,  the  better  for  the 
ehanccsl    /  think  only  me  and  Mr.  Charley " 

"Very  well,  dear;  only  you  and  Mr.  Charley." 

"You'll  see  he'll  think  so  too,"'  For  Aliee  hud  no  sooner  ex- 
cluded PoKiry  'ban  she  felt  sorry  for  her,  and  wasn't  sure.  So  she 
built  in  a  moral  support.  But  Lsdy  Johnson's  mind  hnd  wnndered 
from  the  point,  iiml  «lie  was  thinking  to  herself:  "'If  Aiiee  would 
only  drop  'Mr.  Charley'  there  might  bo  a  chance!''  For  the  use  of 
this  prvlu  to  her  brother's  mime  was  a  constant  affirmation  iin^ 
register  of  the  nay  in  whii^fa  Aliee  thought  of  herself:  she  was  still 
the  little  girl  with  the  beer-jug.  and  he  was  her  xnviour  from  • 
hideous  nuRhl-have-been  that  ran  alongside  of  her  as  she  lived. 
As  long  as  she  hod  this  idea  and  w«a  scheming  other  schemes  for 
Charleys  happiness,  and  as  long  as  be  was  uurning  his  lieliff  iti 
bit  own  Duliity,  and  wstcbiug  for  a.  humdu  p«rl«(A.w^  w\io  '«u>  ^» 


44ft 


AUCE-FOB-SnOKT 


cUim  Alice  on  hie  merits — why,  there  dimply  to<u  no  clianoel  It 
tbi:  wtiiilt]  only  Diice  call  him  Ciwrley  witliout  Uu)  'Ht'l 

Itut  there  waa  consolatiou  too  in  the  assurance  with  whicli  Ali«ft 
sail),  "IIi'V  sure  to  look  in  for  mo,  and  you'll  saw;  if  he  doesn't  say 
I'xflclly  tlie  same  as  I  du";  and  ulno  in  Charhri'.i  voioe,  wh«n  In 
came  an  hour  later,  sayins  in  the  passage  below:  "Mtaa  KaTana^ 
here,  ITandiwortli t  In  your  Autit  Alia^for-nhort  here.  Juicy?" — 
the  first  form  of  the  question  iiiokiu^  a  parade  of  uuoonoeni,  the 
second  contnininR  an  audible  caress. 

''Ves.  t'nek-  Charley,  and  ahit  wantM  yoii  directly.  IIow  yoa 
scratch !  It's  settled  you're  to  take  old  Mrs.  Vcrrinder  to-morrow  at 
thrct^-thirty  to  yoiir  Studio.  To  iwe  your  pidure-s  and  to  see  all 
over  the  house.  And  she's  not  to  be  flustered  for  fear  tdic  ahouldn't 
ttrll  ahijut  h(rr  Coukiii  Bi-cky's  first  ball.'* 

Charles,  as  he  went  upstairs  partly  towf^d  by  Mias  Lucy  the  pi^ 
(lorotnuot,  thought  to  himsijf:  "A  hundred  and  thirty  yesrs 
agol" 


CHAPTER  XT.m 


OLD  jack's  TISIT  TO  MEB  UOUS  Or  SKVKXTT  VIUIH  AOO.  A  PEEP  IKTO 
THE  KlfillTRENTH  CESTURY.  WHO  THE  OHOKT  VJAIi,  iiSUKU  THE  tlT- 
TLK  Q.INCI.VU  FIUUKE.     UOW  LAVIKU  &XT  LV  TItK  CHAIK  AQ.UN 

Ah  Vise  Lucy  had  said  it.  It  na3  no  use  cout«atinK  the  iKiint. 
Wbeii  Ohflrtps  Biriirpd  in  the  drawing- room,  tic  found  that  that 
dirtutrix  WU.1  ournvt  in  the  iiiuiii;  ouly,  elict  hud  hi^riu-'lf  fixi^l  thu 
date,  vhioh  had  not  bc«n  irpokcu  of.  The  final  decteiott  was — 
Miartime  next  wr-ek.  Pvsgy  would  catav  and  drive  Alice  and  Jifra. 
Veiriuder  down,  and  po  on  herg«lf.  Oh  uol  alie  wouldn't  come  iot 
Kow  dbp  thought  of  it  shr  saw  Alice  wns  right.  But  Juiry  might 
go — ehe  wasn't  liko  a  jtrowti-up  person.  And  she  was  shurp.  and 
would  do  to  recollect  everything.  Juicy  poekcted  the  affront  to  her 
dignity  in  consideration  nf  the  concession  that  aceompanicd  it 

Aiid  ihuB  it  was  settled,  after  the  luime  of  a  long  lifetime,  that 

Katharine  Verrindcr.  nef  ,  should  re-enter  the  bouse  she 

passnl  her  youth  in — tlie  houec  she  left,  more  than  nisty  years  ago, 
a  headstrong  young  girl,  probably  madly  in  Ioyc  with  her  equally 
infatuateil  companion. 

Charles  and  Alice  diacussc<l,  on  their  way  back  to  Charley  Street 
that  evening,  whctiicr  it  would  be  hci-t  to  tell  her  that  the  bouso 
bad  been  identified  by  her  Imsband,  wlien  at  work  la  the  Painting- 
School  with  Charles,  or  eimply  to  take  her  to  sec  hie  pictures,  and 
leave  her  (o  find  it  out.  If  she  did  not.  they  could  tell  after.  So 
tb>T  decided  on  the  latter.  Wlien  they  told  her  of  the  projected 
ezpodition.  she  showed  no  siin'rise.  taking  it  cquahly  as  she  <Iid  all 
tbinga  now.  There  was  a  little  stress  laid  on  her  readiness  to  go, 
but  both  her  Iicjiri^m  imputed  it  to  a  desire  to  seem  courteously 
anxious  to  sec  Charles's  pictures. 

"You  know.  1  daresay,"  she  said,  "that  ray  dear  husband  waa  a 
painter.    So  is  my  father," 

She  knew,  or  had  known  that  her  father  was  long  den<1,  with  tbe 
rest  of  her  story.  But  she  was  not  able  to  maintain  her  grasj)  of 
the  fa«tM,  with  the  exception  of  the  one  that  ahaorbcd  and  super- 
eeded  ail  others,  her  hunband's  death.    That  was  never  absent 

"I  used  always  w  be  in  Studios  once.  Where  did  you  say  youn 
waa,  Mr.  ncatlil" 

448 


b 


444  ALICE-FOB-SQOBX 


1 


'111  X Street,  not  very  far  from  Soho  Square." 

"Oh,  but  I  know  I  I  ought  to  know — for  that  wna  wEure  taj 
father  lived.    At  numbor  scvea.    What  is  your  numberf* 

"Number  forty." 

"Quite  up  tlie  Btrept.  But  we  mipbt  go  to  look  at  tho  outiiiili-  of 
my  father's  house.  lie  is  dead — you  know'f"  She  had  remembered 
that  shp  knew  he  was  dead,  but  not  wlio  had  told  hnr.  "Perhaps 
they  would  let  ua  just  look  in — the  new  people.  I  should  so  liko 
my  dear  Cynthia  to  see  over  it.  My  darling  Cynthia  I"  ImagL' 
to  yourself  Alice  sitting  at  the  feet  of  aii  old  lady  whom  you  at 
onep  call  a  de»r  old  lady,  whose  almost  trnnsimrcnt  hand  nmootht 
over  the  mouae-eoloured  hair  that  haa  a  touch  of  cbeatnut,  and 
then  caresses  the  faintly  marked  cheek  below.  We  want  you  Co  got 
rid.  M  far  aft  possible,  of  the  idt-jt  of  a  patiejit  in  a  boBpitul  nard. 
Vou  may  add  a  mental  portrait  of  Charles,  as  this  narrativ«  baa 
tnndf  you  tbiuk  of  him,  vrilb  eyes  »f  much  coiiteutmenl  rcatiag  od 
Alice  through  a  pair  of  double-lensed  8|)ectac1os — a  line  througti 
the  middle.  Make  hini  square  and  Mtrong-huilt,  and  of  itn  age  you 
might  guess  to  be  forty.  Don't  put  too  much  gray  in  hia  brown 
beard.  Give  him  a  meerschaum  pipe.  You  may  chance  on  a  good 
group,  true  enough  to  nature.  We  know  we  describe  badly;  and 
shiill  tliink  we  have  not  succeeded  at  all  iu  our  description  if  it  ha* 
not  produced  an  impression  of  somelhiiig  strange  about  the  three — 
something  that  does  not  belong  tu  a  very  pretty  young  woman,  a 
normal  grandmother,  and  a  good-looking  husband  in  spectacles 
fifteen  years  her  senior,  only  that  doesn't  matter.  The  oddity  of 
it  all.  nevertheless,  should  hardly  bo  within  guessing  rangv;  for 
(we  ftsk  you)  could  it  have  bei-n  guessed ( 

Alice  kissed  old  Kate's  hand,  to  cheer  her  up.  "TbcyOl  ahow  u« 
the  house  if  we  tell  them,"  she  says,  and  add?:  "If  they're  no* 
Christians,  at  least  Uiey're  human."  But  obviously  it  isn't 
fair  to  condemn  tliese  hypothetical  people  unheard,  and  tbry 
lapse. 

"I  daresay,  dear  Cynthia — (1  know  you're  Alice  you  know,  but 
I  like  to  call  you  Cynthia) — I  daresay  it  will  nil  seem  very  itnmge 
to  go  bark  there  now  my  father's  dead." 

"Very  strange — it  must." 

"I  wonder  if  they've  altered  the  place,  the  new  people.  If  tb^ 
have.  1  don't  think  I  shall  lik«  it.  Ton  eoe,  Fve  been  there  neor^ 
all  my  life." 

"I  should  think,  Mrs.  Verrindor,"  CharlcJi  Bays,  "that  wliat  will 
strike  you  moat  will  be  the  way  the  whole  ncighbouifaood  baa 
built  up." 


AtrCE-FOR-SnORT 


445 


L 


"Ah.  yea]  I  dareaay  they've  built  all  over  thoec  pnitty  Pidding- 
ton  fields  where  we  used  to  walk — Jobn  uid  I.  I  aliouldu't 
wonder." 

Alice  said  to  Charles  afterwards:  "Wlien  she  talks  like  that  it'a 
you  and  me  thai  want  to  cry.  She  goes  on  quite  quietly."  And 
Charlcfl  said:  "She  only  fe^Is  here  provisionnlly,  1  suppoisel"  Tci 
which  Alice  replied :  "Soiuethitig  of  that  sort,  and  it's  not  to  last." 

When  the  carnage  called  with  Lady  Johnson  and  her  eldest 
daughter  in  it.  to  drive  Alice  and  that  odd  old  Mrs.  Vemnder  to 

No.  40  X Street,  the  old  lady  walkMl  downstairs  quitu  hy  her- 

aelf ;  and  we  auspect  (for  we  have  only  surmise  to  ^ide  us  about 
the  working  of  old  Knte's  mind)  that  nhi^  only  accepted  nssistnnce 
into  ilie  csrriu(i:G  in  order  not  to  hurt  Lucy's  feelin^cs,  who  offered 
it.  This  youDg  person  conceived  of  herself  as  in  charge  of  tho 
exi)edition.  and  respongible  for  the  log-hook.  If  she  had  been 
scheming  to  write  a  History  of  My  Own  Times  and  leave  out  noth- 
ing, she  could  not  have  bcvn  more  attentive  and  wutohfid. 

She  gave  the  old  lady  a  good  deal  of  infonnation  about  the  build- 
W8'  and  places  they  passed,  which  might  well  have  puzzled  a 
ekarer  mind,  assigning  to  Regeuta  Park  and  tlie  Church  in  Laiig- 
hi>m  Place  dates  anterior  to  the  Stuarts;  whereas,  they  had  no  exi«t- 
ence,  or  very  little,  till  Old  Jane's  had  pniPlically  oeascil.  Presently 
tb^  latter  closed  her  eyes,  perhaps  quite  bewildered,  and  did  not 
Open  them  till  the  carriage  stopped  nt  Ho.  40-  Then  she  looked  out 
and  said:  "1  hot>e  they  will  let  ua  in."  Alice  said:  "But  this  is  Mr. 
Charley's  Studio — this  ii«  number  forty.  We'll  go  to  your  old  house 
after.  Or  shall  we  go  now!  Stop,  Hulchins!  We'll  go  on  to 
number  seven  and  come  here  after."  For  Alice  continued  a  litlla 
mixed  in  her  mind  about  bow  much  was  known  of  tbe  relations  lie* 
tween  No.  40  and  the  Verrinders. 

''Bui  this  in  our  old  house!"  said  Mrs.  Vorrinder,  quite  collect- 
edly. "I  know  it  by  the  comer,  and  those  things  there."  Sha 
pointed  at  the  extinguishers  on  either  side  of  the  entrance.  "You 
know  once  there  were  no  atreet-lainps,  liefore  we  were  born,  and 
tbe  running  footmen  used  those  to  put  their  torches  out."  Alice 
hesitated.  Peggy  and  Miss  Lucy  looked  at  one  another.  None  wa« 
so  quick  to  wilvc  the  mystery  as  the  old  lady  herself. 

"I  see,  darling  Cynlbia."  rfie  said,  "they've  changed  the  numbera. 
It's  tfa«  Tcry  wiin«  house.  Now  bow  atrauge  that  doen  aeem!"  It 
did. 

T-ndy  Johnson  drove  away  to  her  Tnslitution:  hove  w«  eves 
mentioned  itt    It  wan  u  home  for  the  UUV\iite!U.ulI>t'uiwsutMte.\iN»^ 


db 


4 


hofaS 


446  AUOE-FOR-SHOItT 

and  Iind  hern  in  ibn  nt>wspApertf  Hrenil  tintcs  for  interfcnnfc  vH 
the  liberty  of  the  subject.  But  tie  subjects'  jwrcnt?  dinappointed 
tbeir  bncknrK  by  H!wAy»  coniinK  to  tin-  BL-ratf'h  filtliily  drunk. 
Peggy  waa  driveu  oS,  tLiiikintt  of  the  Drunkeu  Parent  who  hiid 
Iwen  CBiTi<N)  nut  hnlf-tipBii  b<.-tw(icn  ihost-  cxtingHishent,  «o  many 
Tears  ugo  now;  niid  how.  hm!  Kupert  onl.v  chanced  (even  tlica) 
to  eome  across  tfae  old  lady  who  hnd  jiiKt  passed  in,  thero  mieht 
Htill  luivR  IxHui  a  measure  of  life  liift  fur  her  tiiid  Uc-r  liuiihuud,  who 
would  not  theu  have  needed  to  play  fast  and  loose  with  chlorofonn. 
Prciinitly  ftbi*  got  to  t1i«  Iii^ititulioii.  and  forgot  it  all  in  bur  delight 
Kt  a  IMTW  mab  refugee  uf  four  aud  a  half,  who  was  beinic  washed 
for  the  first  time  in  hiit  life,  and  making  stntvmrnl^  about  which 
of  ibo  attcnddiits  and  viHitora  be  eould  foigbl.  "Viliat  very  uitu 
ehuuky  chitdreu  incbrinles  do  contrive  to  have  sometimesi'* 
Miid. 

Aud  Kafhariue  Verrinder  stood  on  the  threshold  of  (Ih>  house 
she  left  near  seventy  years  a^ol  There  was  Bomethinn  eo 
in  thi;  Tculily  of  the  place,  the  actuality  of  the  Old  Jane  who 
pome  out  m  Yonngr  Kate,  that  Alice  felt  quite  sick  aud  dizsy 
Mho  lliouglit  of  it.  She  mu^t  talk  nnd  nsk  que-itious  for  relief. 
Which  was  the  diuiufr-room  in  Kate's  time?  This  on  the  richt. 
But  the  bid  room  alouit  the  paE»ag:e  wst  really  tho  lini-st  r«nm  in 
iIr-  house — nboulilii't  w«  ^  in  and  bkc  it!  Alice  said  y 
hadn't  we  better  do  tliat  when  Mr.  Charley  had  frivcn  us  a  cup 
teti  upntaira  in  tlut  Studio  i  Yes — suppose  lie  did — and  then  we 
could  come  dowD  after. 

Mr*.  Verrinder  did  not  ercm  much  impro«»cd  with  Chftrl 
pictures,  possibly  not  8o  much  Iweausp  (hey  were  not  ipJoU  pictu 
as  bccati*c  they  were  not  of  any  school  she  had  been  familiar  wi< 
in  her  youlh.  She  constantly  lost  ^i^rht  of  what  ahe  wi>uld  prr- 
ceive  at  once  after  a  moment's  thought,  simply  because  it  was.  not 
humiinly  possibly  to  be  always  on  the  watch  for  c<ontinae])ci*i 
evolved  by  a  nefralive,  for  that  was  what  the  blank  in  her  life 
aenird  to  her.  It  wan  not  like  keeping  a  term  of  imprisoniueilt 
mind.  That  wouM  have  been  a  taupble  fact,  however  munoton 
and  howoTcr  difficult  to  SMign  it*  duration.  She  had  stopped 
suddenly  und  begun  a^aiu  like  a  elotJc,  and  the  pause  wan  nwro 
vacuum.  So  when  she  i^nid  to  Cliarlcs  that  his  work  was  a  little 
like  young  Mr.  Haj-dou's.  slie  spuki-  ns  taking  it  for  granted  ^t 
Mr.  Haydon  might  still  be  at  work  tu  ilie  next  street,  for  anything 
ihal  ap]M>ared  to  the  eontriiry.  When  Chnrle*  Maid ;  "Benjamin 
Robert  Haydon)"  as  a  question,  the  replied:  "\  tiunk  lua  name 
Senjamin."    They  allowed  tbinga  of  this  tort  to  paw,  an  much 


'4 

wi^H 
pn- 
.not 
ici*i 

icidi 


ALTCE-FOR-SnORT 

possible;  there  wm  no  object  in  conitiintlr  reminding  bcr  of  tbt? 
terms  she  had  to  live  on. 

The  interest  n-Tived  wcrni'd  to  net  more  as  a  stimuUnt  to  vitality 
thau  as  a  source  of  pain,  and  this  was  a  great  relief  tu  AJice.  She 
■toon  Miw  that  nnythinp  like  a  break-down  on  the  old  lady's  part 
was  DOt  to  be  apprcheuded.  and  even  did  not  bwitati!  ta  suggest  nn 
inapcction  of  thi>  rooms  upstairs.  Charles  said  thej  were  full  of 
work-people,  doing  stiiini^d  gluns.  This  ratlier  pxoittid  hi'r  ooriosity, 
and  the  ascent  was  made.  Some  young  men  who  were  painting 
quarricii  in  oin-  iipiicr  roitn  wtrri?  rutlier  iislonialied  when  a  pictur- 
esque old  white-headed  penou  looked  in  and  said:  "This  ut  my 
bedroom." 

She  told,  fraementarily,  bow  the  Luttrell  family  to  whom  ths 
liouic  had  bclongix)  at  tho  time  it  was  built  had  sttuandcrcd,  gam- 
bled away,  or  sold.  uU  llieir  property;  until  at  hist  what  was  loft 
of  it,  chi<:-t1y  this  house  and  some  fanns  in  Yorkshire,  was  the  sole 
properly  of  the  only  survivor  of  the  fumily.  by  nunic  Miss  Rebecca 
Xdittrell,  who  bad  let  the  house  to  her  father.  "We  were  very 
intimatn  with  hvr,  John  and  mo,"  she  snid,  "and  she  tried  to  mako 
[(  up  with  my  father.  Bui.  all.  deur  mc!  how  obstinate  he  wual" — 
"She,"  of  course,  was  Cynthia's  "cousin  Becky." 

Th<T  Wfre  coming  slowly  down  from  tlic  uttiot,  and  passing  tli« 
room  the  Jlitis  Prynnea  bad  slept  in.  wlien  Mrs.  Verrinder  stopped 
and  said;  "We  used  always  to  call  this  room  Aunt  Esther's  room. 
8hc  was  Mrs.  Grcvillc  Kaini<!H.  wliose  h;i:ibittKl  was  killed  in  a  dueL 
It  made  a  trreat  talk — but  I  told  you  all  this  before  i" — she  stopped 
suddenly.    "Only  I  cnn't  recollect  when." 

"It  WHS  at  the  Hospital,  dear  Kale.  Wlien  you  were  in  such  pain 
with  your  head.    No  wonder  you  don't  npooUect!" 

"I  remember — I  reroeinber,  darling  Cyiilhia."  She  went  slowly 
down  the  stairs,  saying  at  intervals  "1  remember.  Yes,  in  tho 
*0spi1al."'  For  nhc  alwiiys  said  "'Ospital,"  us  we  daresay  you  have 
noticed  many  old  ladies  do. 

Whoa  they  got  bock  to  tho  Studio,  she  sal  down  to  reat,  but 
seemed  marvdlously  lilllo  fatigued — mflrvellousiy  to  Alice  and 
Charles,  for  they  could  not  help  imn^niug  that  thi;  long  abey- 
ance or  aemi-i-stinction  of  the  system  must  have  involved  decay. 
It  was  an  assumption:  all  the  medical  auttioritics  took  tlic:  oi>po«it4i 
▼iew,  and  inclined  to  the  belief  tliat  if  she  was  not  already  stronger 
than  she  would  have  been  iit  a  normal  life,  ebe  would  ultimately 
beeome  eo.  Rut,  of  courM*.  there  was  nothing  In  itself  extraordi- 
uary  En  an  old  woman  of  eighty-six  walking  upstairs,  and  return- 
tug,  and  (alkinji  all  the  wlUlc. 


446 


AUOE-FOR-SHOBT 


m  tb^^ 


L 


"'Uy  head  ooties  a  Iiul<!,  but  not  to  btirt,"  ebe  ssid  when 
bud  sitttleil  ilowu.     "Yce,  that's  right,  put  &  elision  bohiad 
head."     She  snt  in  thv  nmKOiiiir  that  has  appt«rv[l  utice  or  t 
in  this  fltory.  Vfilh  her  eyes  closed,  seeoiine  to  like  talking. 

"What  W8S  it  made  mc  wpcnk  iibout  the  duel !" 

"You  thoiiKht  1  was  Cynthia  Luttrell.  dear,  you  know!"     AH 
as  she  said  this  felt  terribly  n-sponsible  Irsl  she  stiould  brenk 
thn-ad  of  memory.    "Tbta  you  began  lo  tell  me  bow  much  the 
Cvnthia's  cousin  Bocky  had    Miked,  and   the  strnugc  etory 
hsd  tohl." 

"The  real  Cvnthia's  cousin)     And  all  the  while  j/ou  ar« f 

She  pnnsed  with  hrr  di-licutc  old  hand  prtssed  acrom  her  eyea,  to 
»liul  vttt  the  world  and  let  her  think.  Alice  said:  "And  all  th« 
while  I  was  Alice  KnviinAgh.  I'll  close  this  sbuiter;  then  it  wun'l 
glare,"  She  did  so;  while  the  old  lady  mumiured:  "Alice  Kava- 
Ba«h — Alice  KHvanngh — I  can't  make  it  out  now."  Alice,  remem- 
bering that  she  had  once  before  got  into  confusion  with  her 
tried  to  turn  her  from  it. 

"And  all  the  while  /  was  Alice  Kavamigh.    But  you  said 
would  toll  about  Cousin  Becky  another  time." 

"So  I  did,  dear  Cyiithio.  Only  it's  all  very  oddl  But  nowr 
roindt  Come  and  sit  down  here  ami  touch  me.  and  111  tell  it  all 
now  as  I  recollect  it.    Dear  me,  how  clear  it  does  all  come  baekl' 

We  must  caution  you  ihat  the  story  ji&  she  told  it  was  not  o 
Eccutive  like  the  following.     But  it  would  be  purposeless  to  reoord 
pauses  and  breaks  that  you  vtin  imagine,  perhaps  hotter  thaa 
can  tell  them. 

"Old  Becky!  Now  isn't  it  strange  to  think,  dear,  that  my  fa 
painted  her  portrait  in  this  very  room,  and  I  aal  here,  just  a  tnen 
girl — wanting  really  to  go  away  to  .Tohn  Verrindcr,  who  was  at 
work  in  the  big  room  downBlulrs.  We  culled  it  tlie  gallery.  Mr, 
Haydon  wanted  to  put  in  a  skylight,  and  paint  a  picture  exactly  the 
size  of  the  wall.  ,  .  ,  And  they  made  me  luimtc  you  doing  your 
hair,  to  amuse  them.  You  know  what  I  mean,  darling;  I  mean 
mimic  the  real  Cyntbta — ah,  yea! — dead  and  guna  long  dow^ 
child! — perhaps.  .  .  , 

"I  rememtier  it  all  quite  clearly,  like  yesterday.  Something 
Becky  off  telling  aboul  her  greal-uncle's  queer  will.  I  hope  I  afaall 
remember  this  part  all  riRbt.  But  it's  diflicultl  I  tbink  though 
it  was  somelbiug  like  tLi^; — 

"Old  Sir  Cramer  left  ihe  Vixcneroft  property — it  was  only 
small  farm  or  two  in  TorkAhiTc.  and  a  lot  of  moorland,  to 
iriic  for  lifc>  and  afterwards  to  any  female  deeoendant  of  his  that 


ith^^ 


m 


AA 


M 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


449 


was  in  poaseuion  of  a  certain  family  diamond  after  hia  widat 
death.  If  it  was  not  tn  possesftioD  of  a  femali?  descendant,  eitlior 
legitimate  or  ilkgitimntc,  that  di(ln*t  miittcrr,  it  wua  to  go  to  tlio 
Sohool.  at  Blaydon,  where  Le  was  educated.  .  .  . 

"You  may  fancy,  dcjir,  how  nil  thr  fitnalcK  of  the  family  longed 
to  get  posaeeuoo  of  tbul  diHuioud,  lieeauae  though  Vixeuprofl  was 
email,  still  it  was  landed  property,  and  meant  a  eafe  income  of 
some  two  hundred  a  year — not  bud.  j-ou  know!  When  tlie  old  mau 
was  on  his  deathbed,  the  son.  the  Sir  Cramer  who  was  your 
cousin  B«cky's  uncte,  [lersuaded  him  to  have  tiic  diamond  [)Ibc«) 
in  a  ring  with  a  lot  of  other  atones;  and  be  himself  erran^tud  t!ie 
order  of  the  stonrs.  lie  told  hia  father  if  he  did  not  do  this, 
tbore  would  be  a  dispute  about  the  identity  of  the  diamond.  Of. 
course,  be  was  right.  But  whor«  ho  was  such  a  cunning  fox  ^sfa* 
that  he  arranged  the  stones  so  that  the  initials  made  his  wife's 
name.  .  .  . 

"The  old  man  hud  ahsoluto  fnitfa  in  lus  son.  and  as  he  felt  him-] 
eelf  failinx.  shifted  all  matters  more  and  more  into  his  handai.] 
He  l<'ft  all  tho  propt-rly  thnt  was  not  entailed  to  his  widow  uneon-| 
ditionally.    But  (so  Becky  thuufcht)  be  must  have  Imd  some  uu- 
eaaineM  about  whether  some  previous  woman  wasn't  really  his 
wife,  who  might  have  walked  in  ntid  made  some  legal  tmublo, , 
Anyhow,  he  $i?emed  to  have  an  idea  that  he  could  secure  bis  daugh'' 
tcr"*  inhibiting  Vixcncroft  by  this  expedient  nbout  the  ring.    Wlien 
his  widow  died,  wbicb  was  not  oo  very  long  after  he  did.  she  hod 
ncTcr  given  the  ring  to  Esther  Koimcs — which  is  what  Bocky  sup- 
posed be  meant  her  (o  d-j — and  ibc  ring  woau't  to  be  fountL    You 
nndcmtand  that  Esther  was   Sir  Cramer's  half-sister,  and  very 
much  younger  than  he.     It  was  her  mother's  marriage-lines  that 
might  have  been  flawed,  not  hit." 

Some  difficulty  in  cWring  this  up  caused  delay  in  the  story 
here.  To  spare  the  teller,  Charles  suggested  the  point  should  bo 
wntvi^d.  It  wnwi't  neei'swiry  In  unilerstand  all  the  motives  for  a 
crasy  clause  in  a  will.  There  had  been  tbauxands  of  wills  crazier 
than  this.  So  Old  Jane  continued,  occasionally  mimickingr  the 
manner  of  the  original  teller  of  llie  story,  perhaps  involuntarily. 
Evidently  it  was  all  very  vivid  to  her. 

"TVell  1   Esther  Kuimes   (she  was  Oreville  Kuimcs's  wife)  bub- 
pected  her  brother  of  baring  appropriated  the  ring  and  that  it  was 
really  the  one  on  his  wife's  finger.     The  order  of  tlie  stones  waau 
named  to  identify  it.  in  ihe  Will.     But  it  did  not  seem  to  tally' 
with  this  Tins,  which  eertninly  mnst  buve  lieen  set  estjCA^Vt.'s  \at 
Idicty  Luttrell,    Ila  Initiala  made  hut  niuud,  you  ae«i^!^ 


460  ALICE-FOR-SnOBT 


to  hl^^^ 


"Uy  rinff  is  like  that,"  gaid  Alice,  but  Ciiarl^  oontrired  to 
wilracr.     Uiss  Lucy  eitl  iibsorliing  tbr  xtory  with  almost  sarage 
inteusity- 

"Oh,  thnt'a  fiinnyl  Well — but  I  must  b«  futi^uinfc  yon 
Wtll  then!  I'll  go  on.  Lady  Liittrcll  niM-er  would  aliow  tlw.  vrholo 
ring  toirelbcr,  and  there  was  some  hilch  about  one  of  the  inttiitla. 
Slit-  iilways  nianiij^^I  to  bafBe  ntttmiiilH  to  ci>unt  tlir  Kton««  fairlj. 
But  Esther  felt  sure  it  was  the  ring,  because  of  the  spleodirl  dia- 
mond, niid  that  her  broilier,  whom  she  hate<l,  had  rr«lly  stotcn  it  tn 
his  father's  lifetime.  Becky  supposed  that  her  aunt,  who  was  titj- 
vain,  hnii  pcrKunded  liim  to  let  her  wear  it— or  pcrhapt  he  ihouxht 
it  really  was  sofcfet  so.  as  no  one  could  ponsthlj  miipecl  when  it 
was  shown  *o  publicly.  Anyhow  (so  Bc<Jiy  thoufcbt).  Esther 
Kaimes  must  ha^'L>  made  uji  her  mind  to  nttaok  her  ai*tcr-)a-ttw 
about  it  the  lirst  time  thoy  were  together  with  a  lot  of  people. 

"Tliat  was  the  bit  i>f  the  story  ihiit  excited  me  and  John  eix 
Beeauac  old  Becky  was  an  eye-witness  and  now  it's  ever  neve 
yean  ago!    Just  fancy!    One  almost  shudders  to  think  of  it," 
thought  passed  throiipb  Alice's  mind  ef]uivali;iil  lo:— If  this 
lady  is  shuddering  to  think  of  it — (being  herself,  to  to  HE>eak,  sixty 
ji;ara  ngo) — what  muKt  /  be  now,  tiearly  twice  as  far  on  from  the 
event?     It  was  uut  an  idea  that  could  be  formulatftd,  and  it  <U»^ 
Bolved.    Old  Jane  went  on  after  a  moment's  pause. 

''It  was  like  this.   Becky  was  a  girl  of  aistecn  and  w«s  to  confl 
nt  n  grand  hall  at  the  Cramer  Luttrells',  at  our  old  hou»e.  you  lai< 

in  X Street,  .  .  .    To  be  sure,  <]Brling  Cynthia,  I  had  <iul' 

forgotten — thin  house,  of  course.  Ah,  dearl  .  .  .  Weil!  B-.-cky  was 
to  come  out — and  she  danced  id]  the  ovcnins,  miDuets  and  tbingsi 
not  this  horrid  new  waltzing — there  was  nothing  then  like  it!  And 
there  was  a  young  gentleman  she  danced  a  (rrcat  deal  with,  and  he 
told  her  on  the  stairs  he  should  dream  about  her  for  wticka.  and  An 
never  saw  him  again!  Do  you  know  /  almost  cried,  with  her  sit- 
ting there  aa  Hinglo  as  you  arc  yourself,  in>:  ilear,  and  looking  li 
an  old  marquisel  .  .  .  John  had  to  keep  her  to  the  point,  or 
believe  ahu  would  hare  gone  on  talking  till  now  about  that  yrta. 
man — she  told  ua  who  he  was,  and  I've  forgotten — a  nephew  of 
Sir  Richanl  Stcele'.i,  1  think.  .  .  . 


ixty 
the 

4 


SI  I- 


"\Miere  was  I!    Oh,  your  cousin  Becky  1    Well,  it  was  aaur  ^^M 
md  of  tlie  ball,  and  jJic  eould  nee  dayliffbt  coming  ihpoagli  tK^^ 
Itlllo  skylight  in  the  ceiling,  when  EstlMir  Kaimci^— slu^  called  her 
Ifistresa  Esther  Kaimes';  wasn't  it  funny! — suddenly  erii-<i  out: 
'A  wa^r — A  wager!    His  Lordiibip  wagen  n  hundred  guineas  that 
BO  one  in  tfaia  room  hath  a  ring  showing  ten  aorta  of  atone,  qm 

I  «. ^     M 


^^  AUCEFOB-SHOBT  tfl 

^reral  stone  to  each  setting,'  And  then  Becky  b«v  Lady  Lut- 
trell,  her  aunt,  elooo  ber  baud  lifihtly,  nn<l  tliru»t  it  in  tlu;  boAom 
of  her  dreee.  But  it  was  Lord  Forrars  of  Toft,  a  great  man  at 
thr  Court,  wlio  had  laid  tlie  wnger,  and  every  lady  in  the  routii  liud 
to  show  her  ring — it  could  not  be  avoided.  Bocky  said  §hc  eaw  t^ir 
Cramer  scowling  ot  his  sieUr — he  hitd  on  rvil  fntx-,  and  was  u  inna 
of  ungovernablo  temper — au  evil  man  who  had  kilW  many  an 
opponent  in  duels;  for  he  was  one  of  the  bc»t  awordsmen  of  hla 
time.  But  for  all  hia  auger,  the  oounttng  of  the  jeweU  on  each 
lady's  linKer  went  od,  till  it  came  to  his  wife.  Thcu  be  himaeU 
drew  her  ring  ofl,  and  licid  it  up,  nayiiig  to  Lord  Ferrnrs:  'Sue  you, 
my  Lord!  I  will  not  allow  tlua  riuK  out  of  my  posaeaaion.  even  to 
your  Lordnhip.  Siit  I  will  count  ovor  tbi-  Htom^,  that  you  iibull 
see!'  And  he  counted  rotiud  them,  cli'flrly  showiiiK  thirieeo  atones, 
and  three  occurred  twice,  mo  that  the  ring  really  bad  ten  stooca. 
Bttl  (and.  my  dear,  I  om  trying  to  give  old  Beckj-'a  own  words  the 
beat  I  can — no!  it  doesn't  hurt  my  head)  I>»rd  Ferrars,  before  he 
would  pay  over  hia  hundred  poun<lft,  would  have  tbeM;  Btonee  named, 
80  be  should  know  that  each  one  was  truly  a  precious  stone  and 
no  counterfeit.  And  there  was  one  which  stood  for  au  /  in  the 
nanie,  and  my  Lord  would  have  it  tliis  was  but  a  bit  of  ivory  and 
no  precious  stone  at  all  I" 

"If  I  can  only  keep  my  head  I"  thought  Alice  to  bersirlf.  Tbero 
was  the  very  ring  oti  her  ruiiierl  How  doubt  it?  But  the  trouble 
was,  to  keep  speculation  in  nbcynncc  and  secure  the  wholo  atory. 
A  false  step— a  wrong  word — might  spoil  it  a!L  Still,  the  old 
lady  had  wanned  to  the  narrative,  and  weak  as  ber  voice  was,  she 
Bhomeii  no  immediate  signs  of  collapse.  She  went  on,  giving  the 
impression  that  she  was  mimicking,  cleverly,  but  in  a  weak  voice, 
the  spcueh  end  ncei-nt  of  the  original  narrator. 

"Then  Mistress  Kaimes  laughed  out  loud  before  them  all:  'Your 
T.ordiibip  ia  right  1'  she  cried  out  so  that  all  could  hcnr,  'and  noDtt 
should  know  it  better  than  I.  for  that  ring  is  my  mother's,  and 
Done  of  Ph<r!liK'K;  for  all  my  brother  has  set  the  stones  so  that  >t 
shall  seem  hers  alone.'  Theti  she  told  out  Ihit  whole  storj^  as  she 
ffucmcd  it,  shrewdly  enough;  she  was  a  voluble  wencb,  and  full  of 
malice  ugainnt  ber  brother.  Ho  let  her  fininb,  and  then  said :  'ThLi 
ia  a  fine  tale  for  the  small  boiiraof  the  morning  I  I  will  lie  account- 
able for  all  that  n-liitiTS  to  my  father':!  properly  and  his  dcvlsings  to 
whoever  has  a  neht  to  eull  me  in  (|uestii>ii,  but  in  tlie  right  time 
Bad  place.  I  know  welt  how  to  answer  any  man  who  does  so,  who 
lias  no  such  right.'  But  his  Lonkliip  cried  out:  'Pcacol  peacel  let's 
har«  no  bloodshed  over  a  tight  wager,  to  amuse  a  Ud^.'    BnaNa 


I 


L 


I 

•am 


ALICE-FOH-SHORT 

did  not  CHteh  that  ■  family  feud  was  in  it,  and  tbougtit  only 
Ihe  ring.  'Let  me  but  look  at  it  tn  m?  own  hands,'  says  he,  'and 
if  the  two  emeralds,  or  two  eai>phiret>,  arc  of  two  ahadea,  they 
alul)  count  as  separate  atones,  and  Mistreea  Kaimea  ah*]]  have 
tho  hundred.'  Then  Sir  CrBnior,  keeping  elo«  to  hand,  be  aurol 
let  him  haudle  tlie  riug.  But  inat  iu  that  uionieDt  there  came  a 
great  riot  from  the  card-room  above  whcr*  Mr.  Oreville  Katm 
Esther's  husliuiid,  was  at  quudrille  witli  nlherK,  and  play  hud  r 
hiffh;  and  then  angry  altercatiou  on  the  staira.  Sir  Cramer  would 
sTiiitcii  back  the  ring,  but  his  Lordship  held  to  it,  and  by  a  cban< 
each  reliuquiahed  it  to  the  other,  at  Ihe  same  moment,  and  it  f< 
Becky  woB  close  and  saw  all  that  happened.'' 

This  hud  been  a  long  spell  of  narrutivc,  with  only  trifling  in' 
ruptione  omitted,  and  Alice  bcgiged  the  speaker  to  rest.     "I  wa: 
to  get  it  all  told."  said  she.    "But  give  me  some  tea."    After  a  few 
nips,  %iie  resumed. 

*'Your  ciiufiin  remenil)ered  it  all  so  clearly — how  she  saw  Lai 
Luttrell  standing  juet  under  the  little  figure  dancing  on  the  wall  in 
the  middle  of  the  mom,  and  how  when  tlic  ring  fell,  site  saw  M 
KaimcB  step  quickly  to  tlic  place  and  stoop,  and  llieu   say: 
thought  it  was  that!'  and  make  believe  she  had  mistaken  a  mark 
the  wall.    But  B<'cky  wnii  crrtoin  slic  hud  picked  up  the  ring,  and 
when  none  eould  find  it  elsewhere,  abe  told  her  aunt.  Lady  Li 
trcll.  she  thought  so  for  a  surety. 

'"But,  oh,"  said  old  Becky — and,  my  dears,  I  ean't  tell  you  fa. 
strange  it  was  to  sil  there  and  hear  that  old,  old  Isdy  talking  aboi 
it  as  if  it  WHS  all  yesterday — just  think  of  it — Herenty  yeara  ago 
'But,  ohr  8he  said,  'I  was  frightened  and  dumb,  as  you  may  gu' 
with  terror  when  I  heard  the  shouting  and  the  oaths  upon 
atairs,  and  the  anger  of  the  gentlemen  in  their  drink,  and  then 
bush  for  a  moment  with  a  sound  of  steel  in  it — for  swords  wi 
drawn,  cTcn  in  the  house  itself.' 

"But  no  blood  was  shed  then,  for  when  that  sound  came. 
Cramer,  who  was  by  ibc  door,  slioutcd  aloud:  'Let  no  one  leave 
room.  That  ring  is  on  my  Lady's  finger  again  before  any  o; 
leaves  this  room.*  And  then  he  threw  open  tlie  door,  and  a>  be  went 
out  I  beard  the  cla^  grow  louder,  and  the  door  close  upon  it,  and 
then  it  stopped  and  there  was  only  Sir  Cramer's  voioo  uyinf: 
'Put  them  up,  gcntlMnen.  put  ihem  up!  If  you  will  ma«!l. 
Park  is  near  enough  to  hand.'  Why  we  heard  wa"  that  the  oi 
door  WOK  still  open,  and  through  it  my  Aunt  Esther  dipped 
bearing.  I  hud  little  doubt,  the  ring." 

l£eep  well  in  mind  that  all  this  was  delivered  by  Old  Jane  afi  a 


» 


iag: 


ALICE-FOR'SHORT 


45S 


L 


rbatim  report  «f  the  narrator's  words.  Her  V'nr<Tii  could  dis- 
tin^nish  this  clearly ;  so  tuarked  was  the  old  lady's  dramatic  power 
— ebe  wo*  litcrsllj  pla.viug  the  psrt  of  old  Becky. 

"Then  baok  comes  Sir  Cramer,  fumiii^  mightily,  for  he  was 
DODO  the  calmor  for  thiH  mcounlcr  in  liic  passage.  'They  would 
not  Ataud  me  dowii,'  saj-s  he  to  his  Lordahip.  '1  hav9  «ent  them  to 
KUike  a  finish  in  the  Park,'  and  Oh  I  m.v  dears  I  how  my  blood  ran 
CoM,  me — »  young  girl!  Then  my  aunt  must  speak  a  miuute  with 
Sir  Cramer — and  then  she  points  to  where  Aunt  Esther  had  gone 
out.  For,  my  ilcjim.  I  had  spoken  s  word  in  her  ear.  And  oS  goea 
Sir  Cramer  after  hef.  like  road, 

"There  will  be  bloodshed  over  thi§.  Lady  Liittrell."  aaya  bis 
Lord«hip.  Aud  then  nil  the  guests  hurried  off.  and  there  was  call- 
iag  ioT  carriages  in  great  confusion.  But  for  me,  I  ran  for  aj 
room  and  held  my  ears  in  my  pillow,  to  hear  no  moiC,  or  as  little 
aa  mi^t  be." 

Old  Jane  stopped  short,  and  so  entirely  bad  her  numetie  power 
(subdued,  of  course,  by  feebleness,  but  eiitiK-ly  true  to  an}  carried 
her  hearers  with  her,  that  it  almost  seemed  to  them  aa  though  thdf 
renlly  heard  the  narrative  of  long  ago  pause  and  vanish  into  the 
past.  It  is  uadeaa  for  us  to  try  to  make  this  purt  of  our  tale  : 
probable,  for  nothing  snalofcous  to  it  comes  into  common  life, 
reason  from  like  to  like.  Picture  to  yourself  the  beat  aetor  ,vou 
know,  retelling  a  tale  of  his  grandfather's,  beard  in  his  child- 
hood; and  then  throw  in  t)ie  fact  that  all  that  Old  Jane  told  ab 
feh  sbe  bad  heard  almost  yesterday,  and  you  may  be  ready  to  admit 
that  wc  may  have  rrported  this  entirely  excn'tional  narrative  with- 
out  exaggeration. 

Alice  and  Charles  were  not  a  littlo  alarmed  about  their  old 
charge.     She  was  shaking  a  good  deal  from  the  excitement:  and] 
considering  her  fragile  appearance,  and  all  the  circumstance*  of 
ihr  cNiie,  wc  must  admit  it  was  rather  tcTrifying.     She  had  not 
talked  so  much,  all  told,  since  her  revival. 

"Let  me  alone,"  she  xaid,  olmoKt  insudibly,  "I  shall  coiuc  all  to 
rifchta  if  I  lie  quiel."  Charles  recollected  something  opportunely. 
"Thcrfr'a  a  bottle  of  the  d<'nr  olil  Govrmor's  prccioun  old  port." 
aaid  he,  "in  the  bottom  of  the  cupboard  here — been  here  for  ages!" 
Out  it  camp  and  was  uncorked  in  a  twinkling.  The  old  Indy  did 
not  protest  against  it  at  nil.  "Ob,  no!  I  like  port,"  said  she.  And 
Cbarlee  and  Alice  and  Lucy  sat  quietly  by  while  the  magic  of 
th«  nectar  worked.  Presently  Old  Jane  drew  a  long  breath,  and 
fipok«, 

"Yea !  I'm  glad  of  that.    Now  I  shall  be  ablo  to  *■>  wA  «»  <o» 


*H  ALICE-FOE-SHORT 

old  ballroom,  wboiv  it  all  happcnrd.    Only  think  irhttt  ■  Hnw 
it  must  be.  by  now !" 

As  Ihpy  went  down,  a  vision  (ind  nn  eclio  passed  tltratigh  Alic 
mind.  A  vision  of  tlie  dazsliiiK  crowd  in  turmoil  and  confuaioa  on 
the  stairs — of  tic-wigs  and  lonp-*kirtcd  eoats  uuignificrnt  with 
gold  and  silver  lace — of  long-Iapppted  waiatcoata — of  jewellod  bilt* 
of  Teal  rapiers,  no  mere  court  swordf^,  but  deadly  implements  of 
di-oth — of  knee-breothfs.  eoloiired  silk  stockings,  slioK  rKplmdnnt 
with  buckles — face§  flushed  witli  drink!  An  echo  of  loud  accusa- 
tion, of  licentious  s]ieecli  and  furious  oiitli,  of  stnmg  lungx  over- 
bearing (be  voice  of  ibe  peacemaker,  scarcely  heard  in  the  cfaaotie 
din;  and  then  when  they  reacluxl  the  ballroom,  now  Heir  Bauw 
stein's  picture  gallei?,  another  vision  of  the  still  more  d'ltfling 
throng  of  dancers — of  tall  toupwis  and  powdor  and  patchcM— of 
Saahing  diamonds  and  painted  fans— of  wide-spread  skirts  and 
high-beeltd  shoes.  Another  echo;  of  women's  voices  and  laughtpT; 
of  wit  and  repartee  not  altogether  unstimulatctl  hy  drink,  of  tbu 
music  of  Bach  and  Kaiueaii.  It  was  all  gone  now,  and  Uerr  Bauer- 
stein  was  having  a  row  wiUi  a  pi  dure- frame  iiuiker. 

"I  shall  not  pay  you  one  penny.    It  was  a  fine  old  Italian  frame, 

and  it  ia  ruined.    Bi-foro  I  pay  you  one  penny  1  will  »w  you . 

Ah.  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Heath,  but  it  is  trying  to  have  a  fine 
old  frame  ruinrd  with  a  bad  gold." 

The  old  lady  was  looking  wistfully  round  at  the  room.  "Oh  doar!" 
said  she.  "they  havo  altered  it  no.  All  the  figTires  have  Rone  off 
the  waUs.  and  the  ceiling  is  all  chang(^d.  But  tlic  <:himn<^  ia  tbo 
same,  with  the  wreaths  on  it.  And  the  fireplace — and  I  remember 
the  two  doors,  with  the  rounds  over  the  top.  And  whcro  Joha 
Verrinder  used  to  work  to  get  the  best  of  the  light," 

Alice  noticed  how.  when  she  spoke  of  ber  husband  at  thia  data^ 
ehe  always  called  him  John  Verrinder.  It  was  tlie  way  aba  had 
thought  and  spoken  of  him  as  her  fatlier's  assistant.  She  took  no 
notice  of  the  numerous  pictures,  and  crossed  over  to  the  plaeA 
where  Terpsicliorc  had  l>een. 

"There  was  a  little  dancing  figure  up  there."  ebe  wid, 
"and  it  was  here  old  Becky  said  she  saw  her  aunt  pick  Op  iba 
ring." 

Mr.  Bauerstcin  was  interested  in  this:  *1  do  not  know  of  any 
ring."  be  said.  "No  one  bas  picked  up  a  ring.  I  should  have  told 
Mr-  Pope,  or  Mrs.  Corrigan."  Charles  explained.  "This  lady,  Mra. 
Verrinder,  livul  in  the  house  a  good  many  years  ago."  This  was 
enough  for  Mr.  Bauerstcin  to  know,  he  said,  and  he  wared  hltnadf 
out  of  hia  iutruaion  with  two  fat  hnada  outai>rcBd.     But  he  re- 


M 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT  ASS 

mainci  on,  iiibjcct  to  tbie  correction,  and  obeerrcd,  intoFcetedl^. 
01<i  Jane  coulinuetl: 

"And  tbta  she  went  out  at  that  door."  She  turned  round  vith 
a  revival  on  her  of  her  recollection  of  old  Becky's  telling.  "You 
know,  we  almost  felt.  John  and  I,  that  we  could  see  it.  She  showed 
UK,  BgniuBl  the  folded  screen,  just  how  she  hiw  Mrs.  Kaimes  stoop 
and  pick  it  up  where  it  had  rolled  e^ia>»t  the  wnll.  It  would  huvo 
bcvn  just  here,"  It  was  then  that  Charles  suddenly  remembered 
the  person  that  he  fancied  he  saw  in  that  very  place,  who  stooped 
down  to  pick  up  his  spectacles  for  him,  and  then  vanished  myste- 
riously. It  was  so  odd,  that  he  had  to  moke  up  his  mind,  prori* 
Honally,  that  he  didn't  really  recollect  it,  as  a  safeguard  aaainst 
ghoat-concession.  It  was  long  enough  n^  for  thnt.  But  it  got 
still  worse  when  Old  Jane  continued:  "Kiss  Luttrell  mid  her  aunt 
had  an  immcnw  powdered  toupee,  like  they  used  to  wear  at  dress- 
balls,  and  slie  saw  it  bob  as  Uie  stooped,  and  she  was  afraid  it  would 
fall  forward.  She  showed  us  exactly.  And  it  was  just  here  the 
little  dancing  figure  was  on  the  walL" 

Charles  fell  quite  uncomfortable  as  the  old  lady  rose  up  from  a 
half-indication  of  the  way  old  Becky  bad  shown  them  exactly.  But 
give  bim  time  I  He  would  find  correct  attitudes  of  mind  enough, 
if  he  only  had  time.  As  for  hi«  suddenly  recollecting  a  misgiving 
about  that  woman'^  hair,  or  hat,  coming  off,  didn't  that  sfaov 
now  how  fanciful  one  was,  and  how  little  one  oould  trust  one's 
etcetera  t 

Alice,  please  observe,  had  the  vaguest  knowle<!ge.  gatliereil  ebild- 
wise.  of  this  incident,  which  was  talked  of  at  the  time,  but  not 
fostered  and  encourmred  later.  It  was  eixt««n  years  ago,  and  abe 
was  a  babe  and  suckling. 

Mr.  Bauiirstcin  spoke  to  Charles  under  his  breath,  and  asked  him 
if  Mrs.  Verrinder  was  the  mother  of  the  gentleman  whose  pictures 
he  bought.  Not  sho  was  his  widow.  Of  course  he  wouldn't  talk 
about  him  to  her.  Of  course  not,  but  there  was  a  picture  with  a 
name  on  the  hack  he  hud  just  heard  Urs.  Verrinder  luentioii.  It 
Iras  in  behind  here,  and  he  would  get  it  out. 

Alice  explained  to  Old  .Tane,  who  seemed  pleased.  But  she  also 
seemed  embarrassed  by  whatever  forced  home  to  her  mind  that 
Alice  wo»  not  Cynthia  LuttrclL  She  wanted  her  to  be  as  much 
Cynthia  aa  possible — not  to  be  diafranehieed.  Still  it  would  be 
interesting  to  see  if  there  was  really  any  likeness.  Her  father 
painted  Cynthia  three  times.  She  wondered  which  it  was.  Uuch 
the  best  was  the  round  head  and  aboulders  in  a  square  frame.  Ob. 
dearl  bow  strange  it  all  wa^l 


I 


L 


too^ 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 

IliiT  Batifinitein  cniRrgcd  from  a  cttntntt  with  canTBMB,  lieannf 
what  was  nianifeatly  the  round  Cynlhla  in  the  square  frame.  He 
held  it  out — it  was  not  very  largi; — at  arm's  length.  Hp  I'Kiltod  up 
at  Alice.  It  woa,  he  said  iu  Oermaa,  not  uulike  tl>e  Fmulein. 
It  was  not;  in  fact,  it  was  quite  like  enough  to  warrant  Old  Jane's 
firat  confusion  of  iduntity — not  an  aatoatshing  likeiMias — • 
of  family  likeness. 

Tlie  old  lady  herself  was  pleased  that  this  should  be  no:  ahe  tti 
justified  in  ber  own  eyes.  But  what  trouhli?d  her  greatly  was  tbat 
the  picture  had  got  so  hlack.  Young  Mr.  Uulready  alwn^  told 
John  Verrinder  her  father's  pictures  would  get  black  if  he  used 
»o  much  ilegilp.  But,  oh  dear  I  ttia  was  terrible — in  such  a  short 
time  I  She  had  forgotteu  again — but  they  did  not  remind  her. 
And  nl  this  moment  Ladj  Jobogon  appeared,  having  called  for 
them  in  the  carriage,  and  been  bunting  for  them  upstairs  fur  hours. 
Old  Jane  was  l>cginning  to  give  In:  *o  it  was  just  as  iwilll  There 
was  Qo  room  for  Charles  in  the  carriage.  So  he  saw  them  oS  ami 
went  back  into  the  house. 

He  wi'nt  upstairs  to  finish  a  pipe  and  think  it  orer.  And  ha 
Bat  and  thought  in  the  dying  light  of  the  late  afternoon. 

It  wns  all  so  strange — so  mercilessly  strcngc,  was  how  be  thought 
of  it.  The  chance  that  brought  liini  across  old  Verrinder.  in  hit 
studentship.  The  strange  renewal  of  his  memory  of  him — almost 
faded — by  the  slight  cluiuce  of  his  biotber-in-law's  attention  buing 
caught  by  Old  Jane,  in  a  passing  visit  to  Dr.  Fludyer,  at  the 
Asylum.  The  almost  miraculous  resuscitation;  and  hut  and 
strangest,  this  thread — one  might  ahnost  say  this  cable.  •»  atrooc 
vas  it — of  tradition  and  its  vivid  drama  of  a  hundred  and  thirty 
3reers  ago — of  the  days  of  Watteau  and  Laucret — ahnost  the  days 
when  Ilaiidi'l  was  writing  to  the  order  of  Qu^en  Anno — when  Sir 
Oodfrey  Kueller  was  hut  just  dead  and  Oliver  Ouldaniith  but  just 
born.  A  pity,  was  it  not,  (hut  this  messngc  handed  down  through 
the  ages,  all  but  lost  a  tliousand  times,  and  only  recovered  by  a 
chance,  hod  no  better  tale  to  tell  than  one  of  a  scoundrel  mod  a 
tbief,  a  betroyal  of  a  father's  trust,  a  brutal  riot  of  dnmk<-n  prof- 
ligates and  fools.  "It  was  vfiy  Queen  Anne,"  thouiiht  Charles,  as 
he  sat  unci  Emoked  iu  the  twilight.  "I  suppose  JeS  will  be  delighted 
with  liis  pTotigee." 

That  brought  back  the  memory  of  Uiniatrlf  and  Jeff  hard  at  work 
on  the  preservation  of  Terpsichore,  and  then  naturally  on  what 
he  chose  to  think  of  as  all  those  absurd  storim  that  got  hatched 
up  about  the  old  house  and  its  ghosts,  lie  supposed  Poggy-W< 
would  be  triumphaDt  over  this  cuincidenoc  about  the  woman 


!y-won^ 
man  wi^^f 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT  Wl 

the  while  lieud  wlio  got  out  of  the-  rooin  without  their  hearing. 
Uecauw,  of  course,  it  was  clear  enough  that  was  only  an  batluci- 
nation.  It  only  lasted  a  few  seconds;  and,  mind  <rou,  he  had 
dropped  hia  spectacles.  And  waau't  it  just  about  that  time 
that 1 

And  then  he  beared  a  sigh,  aiul  gate  up  sbnpiiig  the  tliought  tliat 
an  abnormal  excitement  of  mind,  caused  by  the  Ititni^ioti  of 
Lavinin  Sfriilter  into  his  life,  had  made  him  not  quite  r'Mqinusiblo 
for  what  he  did  see  and  didn't  see.  He  tliought  fit  to  ioret^t  that 
I^vinia  had  not  really  done  so.  She  accnied  rery  soon  after  ihati 
eertainiy!  But  Charles  wasn't  plajdug  fair  iu  making  her 
responsible. 

The  image  of  T.aviuia  came  and  sat  in  the  chair  in  the  half* 
li(?ht — made  his  heart  beat  and  his  eyesight  dim,  for  a  momenL 
Oh,  what  n  fool  hr  had  been,  in  ibnt  infatmiled  pastl 

Yet,  if  it  were  all  to  do  ajuruin.  would  lie  act  otlerwise?  Surely! — 
and  that  too  even  if  he  knew  tbe  thing  be  had  now  learned,  iu  vain; 
that  if  0  nmrringe  of  dissonant  uiinda  is  to  Inst,  it  must  be  in  a 
world  where  no  strong  temptation  sliall  cross  its  patli.  and  snap 
the  dimxy  bond.  His  old  chivalry  enmc  in.  and  forged  excu^s  for 
the  image  aitting  in  the  chair.  Wliat  right  had  he  to  make  her 
his  ^ke-fellow  with  so  little  warrant  that  both  were  prepared  to 
travel  the  Game  road  at  the  same  rate!  .  .  . 

And  then,  were  they  not  happy — very  happy — for  a  term?  And 
wait  she  not  bis  boy's  mother?  And  nowl  He  thought  of  how 
there  was.  in  some  place  of  burial  he  should  never  see,  a  slone  that 
held  her  nnrre,  not  hia,  and  made  no  record  of  the  life  they  shared. 
And  he  held  his  mind  resolutely  closed,  in  his  chivalry,  agaiuat 
all  thought  or  (^culation  on  what  her  other  life  had  be«n.  AU 
the  blame  of  that  be  laid  to  the  score  of  others;  whom  wc  are  at 
liberty  to  think  may  have  been  no  worse  than  herself. 

A  liort  of  stupid  idea  crossixl  his  mind  of  removing  that  ohair 
that  brought  her  memory  back  into  tbe  other  room;  but  he  felt  tta 
cowardice,  and  bruslied  it  away  with  the  tears  he  could  not  deny 
tbe  existence  of.  Besides,  where  would  Alice  sit  next  time  she 
camet  The  moment  the  image  of  Alice  sat  in  the  chair,  the  Hun 
afaone  again  in  Charles's  heart,  and  the  flowers  bloomed,  and  it  waa 
filled  again  with  the  singing  of  the  birds.  The  eclipse  had  paaacd. 
It  wan  time  to  be  oS,  and  Alice  would  be  at  home.  How  Peggf 
w'ould  have  said,  "You  fool!" 

But  it  did  not  occur  to  Charles  that  there  was  anything  fooliah 
about  his  attitude.  Alice  was  the  beet  thing  iu  the  world,  of 
ooune;  but  as  to  what  it  would  be  to  ha\e  Vo  gvNft  Wt  'av — ^^i^"i^-" 


eufficient  for  the  i»y  was  the  ovil  thereof  I    And  wu  lie  not 
ut  hia  own  tabic  at  aefCD-tbirty.  uiid  Altoe  tht>  samet 

As  he  was  hurrying  away  h«  wa?  stopped  by  ilr.  Baucrstein 
lull  him  that  the  portrait  of  Ph.vlliit  Cartwright  bnd  Ixv-n  carrfiil 
repaired  ami  vami^od.  But  tlicre  had  beeo  a  niishap— that  fool 
Brasobi.  the  restorer,  had  cleaned  one  Btone  out  of  the  ritifr  before 
he  found  out  that  it  had  been  painted  over  ihn  varoiah.  after  tb 
picture  bad  boett  finished  some  years.  31r.  Bauersteia  was  to 
serious  and  conourncd  about  it. 

"Can't  be  helped.  I  suppose!"  said  Charles,  and  started  f<i 
home. 


CHAPTER  XLIV 

PSTCHKUL  BESEABCH.      OOW   HERCL'LES  OVERTOOK  NESSCS.      STCTT-SH 
rvK  THItKE  WICKETS.     SlIE  MUST  FIAVE  BEEN  PRETTY  ONCE 

When  Charlea  walked  up  to  the  door  there  was  Alice  ready  for 
dinner,  Icnning  on  the  parapet  of  the  bnlcouj',  on  tho  iook-oiit. 
Cliurlvs  nas  veiy  Jate. 

"Now.  Mr.  Charley !    Look  alive !" 

"How'e  Mrs.  SiddoDs)  How'a  Bachelf"  Alice  found  no  diJSculty 
in  UDdcretaudiog  that  this  was  a  compliment  to  old  Jane's  drt- 
nuitic  faculty.  "She's  gone  to  bed,"  she  replied.  "She  won't 
be  BD.v  the  worse." 

"1  hope  not  r  Chorlea  is  fishing  for  his  Intchkej'  with  odo  foot 
ou  the  doorstep.    Alice  is  so  full  of  soinc  topic  sht:  can't  wait, 

"l»n'l  this  strange  about  tho  woman  f ' 

''It's  uncommon  strange  about  the  ring.    But  which  wonum?" 

"/  had  forgotten  herl  Mother  Peg  recollected  it  all  in  the  car- 
jitiec.    The  woman  you  and  Mr.  Jerrythougbt  saw." 

"I'm  coming  up."  And  Charlea  came  up,  and  devoted  himself  to 
pouring  cold  water  over  that  woman  and  over  Psycliical  Rosearch 
generally,  except  in  so  far  aa  it  threw  doubts  upon  its  owu  con- 
cluJtions.  In  that  aapoct  it  look  a  respectable  place  among  tho 
exact  sciences.    As  for  the  ring,  it  got  ignored  for  the  nioroeut. 

IIow«Ter,  he  had  relented  to  a  certain  estmt  by  tobacco  time,  and 
was  prepared  to  adinil  lliui.  though  no  one  of  the  Ho.  40  ghosts  was 
worthy  of  credence  taken  separately,  the  whole  of  them  taken  to* 
gether  deservwi  careful  consideration  with  a  view  to  their  rejection. 
Ho  called  thiB  dealing  with  cumulative  evidence.  Alice  treated  his 
Method  dia respectfully. 

"Now  you're  going  on  like  the  Legal  Mind.  Mr.  Charley,  and 
talking  a  lot  of  nonsense  S'>^'^  don't  believe."  The  Legal  Mind 
w»i  brother  Robin,  whom  perliapa  you  recollect.  He  was  gaining 
laurcla  ut  Uie  Bur. 

"It's  only  my  intense  love  of  truth,  dear  Alice- for-short.  It's  so 
•trong  I  can't  nfTord  to  mn  the  risk  of  being  mistaken.  I  prefer 
to  suspend  judgment.    So  the  old  lady  wasn't  knocked  up !" 

"She  was  very  quiet  all  the  way  in  the  catriatsb.    K\i\ -rftwiQ.  ■«* 

^^=-  ^^^^^^^^^^^ 


1 


490 


AUCE-FOR-SnOBT 


L 


g^^l 


got  homt  I  tliougbt  ahe  would  be  just  aa  well  in  bod.    Til 
and  see  if  sbe  Bt«  t!iv  bi>ilcd  fowl." 

When  Alice  cnme  back,  she  was  able  to  report  tluit  sbo  bnd 
done  so;  but  had  told  Priicilla  site  didn't  n-ant  any  nwrv  aud 
would  go  to  sleep.  We  record  these  trivial  facta  bocaose  we  credit 
you  with  being  glad  to  know  that  Mrs.  Verrinder  waa  being  prop- 
erly attended  to,  and  wuh  cumfortablf  asleep  upstairs  while  Alice 
and  Charles  were  talking  in  the  drawing-room. 

"Now  give  me  a  cigarette."  auid  Alice.    "How  many  ghosts  ha 
there  been,  all  told.  Mr.  Charley  1" 

"One,  your  own  little  ghost,  niy  dear.    I  mean  the  Udy  with  t! 
spots.     You  recollect  her?" 

"I'm  not  sure  whether  it's  her  I  recollect,  or  being  lold  of 
after.     But — oh  yesi — surely   I  recollect  her.     And  my  poo: 
mother  I"     Alice  always  flinches  at  this  recollect itm  and  Char' 
is  sorry  he  has  revived  it.    He  goes  on  rapidly  to  his  eecond  ghost 

"Then  you  had  auothcr  one.    The  red  man  with  the  long  knt: 
on  the  si  airs.'" 

'T  rt-membcr  him  plainly.     I  was  quite  ill  with  t«Tor.     lis 
waen't  exactly  on  the  stairs,  but  in  the  puasage — nearer  the 
door." 

'^Then  there  was  the  woman  ghost  Ura.  Jeff  saw  twice  up«ta! 
She  pooh-poohs  it  now;  but  all  I  know  is  she  wanted  to  take  k' 
poor  dear  Jeff's  irreproachable  character  about  her,  and  then  thcro 
was  the  woman  that  got  out — ihnt  /  saw.     Thai  I  hav«  no  doubt 
was  an  hallucination,  because  I  eaw  her  myself." 

"Tliea  whenever  a   disbelieving   Tliomas  ecc*  B  ghost   ifa 
haliuoinntiou  t" 

"Genernlly  speaking,  yes!"    Charles  ia  so  extremely  happy  j 
now  that  it  is  difficult  to  make  out  if  he  ia  in  earnest.     You  see, 
be  has  got  Alice  all  to  himself.     Host  erenings.  thcro  would 
Pierre  or  the  old  lady ;  but  Pierro  has  been  nt  a  crtckct-matcb. 
no  doubt  gone  home  with  a  friend  to  dinner:  and  Old  Jane  is  d 
ing,  perlutpK.  of  tlic  old  days  in  the  old  house;  having  a  nu: 
titious  time  maybe  with  John  Verrinder,  where  be  used  to 
to  get  the  light. 

"Was  that  alir  Alice  aaka. 

"Unless  you  count  an  absurd  fancy  of  JefTs  about  a  picture 
a  man  with  a  sword,  thafa  all !" 

"Well  1  that's  one  for  you — two  for  me— two  for  Mrs,  Jeff — am 
half  a  one  for  Mr.  Jefi.    Not  a  ghost — say,  a  pbcnomcnon.    Fiva 
and  a  half!" 

"WeUr 


us 

i 

ubt 

J 


* 


ALICE-F03-S1I0RT  «l 

"Well!  what  more  do  you  w«iitr' 

"I  want  tlie  other  hjilf,  to  make  up  six." 

There  Don,  Mr.  Charley,  thafs  just  like  you  I  You  never  can 
be  tQ  earnest,  for  tiro  minutes  togutber.'' 

"FIl  be  in  earnest  then,  dearl  I  don't  think  we're  got  quite  all 
the  phenomena.  There  wns  n  woman  sitting  in  a  dmir  aitd  laugh- 
lag — at  the  Studio — it  was  Pierre  saw  it." 

"I  never  heard  of  that." 

"You  were  at  Miaa  Forleacue'a  at  that  particular  time,  1  recol- 
lect (luite  well." 

'^ell  me  about  It.    Waa  nobody  else  in  the  roomf 

"Oh  yea  I  There  was — besidca  myself — Baueratein.  a  friend  of 
hia,  and — and  Pierre's  mother."  Alice's  face  goca  gravis  81i« 
throws  away  quite  half  the  cigarette,  and  falls  into  her  attitude 
of  conccntrotion ;  her  chin  in  her  hands  and  her  olbowj*  on  her 
kneea.  She  is  seated  on  a  very  low  chair  at  Charlea's  feet,  which 
ho  haa  dcpositpd  on  a  Tcry  high  one. 

"Of  coiirw.-  Pierre  was  ihe  mereat  baby.    Was  he  frightened  i" 

"He  said  he  wasn't.  He  didn't  seeoi  so.  I  saw  him  looking, 
looking  at  Bomctbing;  and  afterwards  he  said  it  was  this  figure 
slttiDg  with  her  arms  folded  in  the  ch«ir,  and  laughing  at  hia 
mother." 

"Wliat  was— she  doing?"     _ 

"Talking  to  Mr.  Baueratein'a  friend,  by  the  window."  A  cloud 
has  fallen  on  Charles.  Put  they  have  spoken  togcthrr  often  enou^ 
■bout  "her"  for  Alic«  to  know  that  it  ia  not  caused  only  by  Ifrs. 
Charlc-B  Ifeath's  appearance  in  the  conversation.  Alice  looks  puz* 
tied — only  for  a  few  seconds.  Tlien  she  sees  it  all.  "Oh!  lir. 
Charley."  she  saj-s.  "1  wonder  you  didn't  murder  himl" 

*1  did.  very  nearly."  so  id  he. 

"Mother  Peg  knows  nothing  about  that " 

"I  never  told  her  a  word  of  it.  Don't  you  tell  her,  Alice-for- 
ahort  darling,  and  II!  (etl  you.  .  .  .  Yes.  dear;  but  I  don't  want 
bor  to  know,  because  s)ie  always  thinks  it  was  her  fault  we  were 
married;  thinks  it  would  have  gone  oS,  but  for  her.*' 

"Very  well.  I  won't  telL  You  tell  me."  Alice  has  quite  fot- 
gottrn  the  ghosts,  and  listens  intently  with  tightly  closed  lipa. 

"I  traced  them  to  Spexzia,  and  caught  him  on  the  stairs  of  the 
Hotel  They  are  funoy  stairs,  that  play  you  tricks,  and  you  nlway» 
turn  up  in  the  wrong  place,  do  what  you  will  I  He  managed  to  get 
out  at  the  bacit,  while  I  came  out  at  the  front,  goodness  knows 


I 


^K^iowl      How«v«r,    I   chaaed    him   out   in    the   street  and   cau^t       H 
^^m ^"  ■ 


403 


ALICE-FOE-SHOBT 


L 


* 


"And  llicn  r 

■1  ha!f  murJered  him." 

"Oh  1  I'm  80  gU<l."    Alice  drnrs  n  greflt  hrwth  of  rcli'pf. 

"Not  quite,  llial  time  I    And  t'other  time  only  ihrci^uM-teni  Ot_ 
seven-eights — like  Mr,  Lammk'e  friends,"     Charles  has  takcu 
feet  off  the  vi-ry  high  flbnir,  and  left  Alice  on  the  very  low  on 
lie  is  walking  about  the  room.     Alice  naturally  waula  to  know 
what  "t'other  time"  was.    Cliarlcs  saye  is  she  quito  sure  iifae  won't 
mention  a  word  of  thifl  to  Peg.    Alice  says:  "Honour  brightt" 

"Weill  be  didn't  half  like  the  thrashing  he'd  had,  and  wanted  a 
duel  with  swords.  like  iu  The  Corsicau  Bruthurs.  Of  coiirac',  I 
said  notliing  would  pltrase  me  l)ettfr.'' 

"Tou  (    Oh  I  Mr.  Charley !  you  never  used  a  aword  in  your  life." 

"Exiictly.  So  I  went  to  a  great  professor  of  Schenna,  as  the 
Italiaus  absurdly  call  fL-ncing — but  then  they  are  for<-igimrt        ", 

"Tea — yes  I  go  on." 

" and  asked  bim  bow  much  he  could  teach  me  in  a  fortnig 

I  never  having  handled  a  aword  in  my  life.  He  said,  tbroush  an 
inlrrpreler.  who  spoke  English  fluently:  'No  usefulness.  Kot  fg 
you.'  Ami  then  added:  'I  vite  you  eontt'  Be  gavi;  mo  ft  foil 
show  my  paces  with,  and  put  some  chalk  on  the  end  of  his  oftn. 
In  a  few  sceonds  he  hud  put  a  white  Kjiot  extictly  on  evi-ry  bllttoB 
of  my  waistcoat,  beginning  at  the  top  one  and  going  down  I" 

"Good  gracious  me!" 

*Tes,  he  had.  Tht-u  he  told  me  all  he  could  recommend  wa»  that 
I  should  point  my  sword  straight  at  my  adversary  and  keep  qutet. 
I  did  ao,  and  tlic  excellent  man  wiui  in  nuch  a  hurry  to  murder 
me,  in  addition  to  his  otiier  benefactions,  that  he  rushed  right  on 
to  my  abominable  spike,  and  very  n<!arly  hurl  himself  ecriously. 
He  was  in  hospital  six  weeks.  I  believe," 

"And  she  nursed  him,  I  hope)" 

*Tlity  dearest  little  Alice- for^orl.  you  tiiink  every  woman  •«  good 
as  yourself,    Nol  she  didn't  wait  for  him,"  ^^ 

"Good  God!"  fl 

"It's  quite  truel     But,  my  dear  little  girl,  I  tell  you  ike  wa^* 
dead.     This  was  some  one  else  who  enme  instead." — Charles  has 
Stopped  walking  about  the  room,  and  is  standing  by  Alice,  wlio 
got  up  off  the  very  low  chair  during  the  narrative  of  the  duet 

"And  all  this  while,  you  poor  dear  Ur.  Charley,  you  neror 
anybody!" 

"Wby  should  It     Peg  would  have  thought  it  wa*  h«r  fault 
know.    And  as  for  you,  dear  chidt,  I  tltink  you  were  out,  but  tbalj 
M  much  M»  one  could  »ay." 


ALICE-FOE-SHORT 


469 


Alice's  cyca  are  flashing,  iind  she  is  fairly  treuibliugr  with  excite- 
mi-iil.  "Oh!  it  wsa  too  bad — too  bad  I"  ehe  cries.  "1  can't  help  iC 
She  was  horrible!" 

"Oh I  no— geutly.  darling,  gently!" 

"Yeal  she  destroyed  your  life  for  you,  and  aot  you  all  adrift  t 
And  let  you  kce;)  lifr  odious  old  mother  from  sl&rration — you  know 
she  did!  And  never  so  much  as  tried  to  sec  Pierre  sicain.  She 
will  sn  unnHlurnl  Bea»l!" 

"No,  no — darlijig — gently,  gently  I    Not  so  bad  as  that!" 

"Don't  cnre  what  you  say,  Mr.  Charley  1"  suys  Alice,  relieved 
and  calming  down,  ''that's  what  she  tvas.  And  cow  you'll  never 
get  married  agnin— Mother  Peg  enya  so." — Charles  evades  the 
question. 

"I'm  much  more  interested  about  a  little  girl  I  know  and  her 
offers  thun  I  am  or  ever  shall  be  about  myself." 

"No — Mr.  Charley — uo  I  It's  no  use  your  talking  like  that.  It's 
got  nothing  whatever  tn  do  with  my  haviug  no  offers  worth  coa- 
sideritig.    If  it  was  the  Emperor  of  China " 

"Who  is  married  at  present,  I  believe." 

"If  it  wos  the  Emperor  of  China  and  lie  undertook  to  divorce 
tbem  all  and  become  a  Christian.  I  wouldn't!  Not  until  I  saw 
you  quite  comfurlahly  and  happilg  settled  with  a  really  nive  wife. 
I  wouldn't!  I  wouldn't!  I  wouldn't/ — so  there!" 

Perhaps  nothing  could  have  been  more  forcibly  illustrative  of 
the  false  gamut  in  which  the  duet  of  these  two  was  being  played 
than  the  tittle  incident  which  followed.  About  the  time  of  the 
lotroduetiou  of  the  Emperor  of  China  into  the  conversation,  Alice 
and  Charles  were  standing  near  enough  to  ono  another  for  her  to 
Acoeutuate  lier  ileclarMtion  and  enforce  it  by  holding  to  the  two 
lappets  of  his  coat-collar,  which  she  had  just  brushed  some  tobacco* 
■sh  off,  for  tidiness.  Her  doing  this  reacted  somehow  on  tlie  dra- 
matic ensemble.  It  was  a  species  of  little  ritual  by  the  way, 
performed  to  attest  a  solemn  asseveration.  Cliarles  did  not  acem 
to  attach  much  weight  either  to  the  ritual  or  the  asseverstion.  lie 
seemed  to  be  thinking  wistfully  of  something  else,  nfar  off,  as  he 
amoothed  over  the  »oft  mouse-coloured  hair  with  a  tinge  of  chest- 
nut For  him,  it  still  lay  on  the  brow  of  the  little  girt  with  the 
broken  jug.  It  waa  that  fact  that  made  it  seem  mtural  aud  con- 
secutive that  Alice  should  put  both  her  arms  quite  round  bis  neck 
Bud  ki»s  his  cheek.    She  was  so  sorry  for  him  In  his  lonelineea. 

If  it  did  occur  to  him  (not  that  we  believe  it  did)  to  say  to 
Alicr:  "Then,  dear  love,  if  I  can  secure  you  ben.',  alive  and  eontiuu- 
oua,  by  not  attaching  to  mj'scif  sooio  odious  ^UtpltAa  wmu^M^i  ^^i^^- 


I 


1 


AUCE-FOB-SHORT 

then  I  woD"t — I  won't — I  won't.  So  thcw!'*  If  this  diet  occur 
liim  hv  brunbrd  it  nway  in  favour  of  uiotbi-r  ihouglit.  "If  I  am 
rcnHy  acting  as  au  influence  over  this  dear  child,  and  the  happioew 
of  her  life,  ought  I  not  forthwith  lo  marry  Miss  Evcritt  Oollinson  i* 
Thin  was  the  last  fltkftiuu  uf  the  council  in  Hnrley  Street;  sbe  «M 
tven  lc8B  popular  with  Charles  than  Lad;  AnstruthcT  PastoDi- 
PorbcB  had  Ijeen. 

We  are  convinced  that  there  was  one  thought  that  never  entered 
into  hie  mind — the  thought  that  what  his  heart  called  faia  old 
wasted,  thwarted  life  could  ever  be  linked  mth  this  Toung  n> 
one — all  the  more  because  he  priied  and  vjihied  Alice  almost  nbo 
eveiythiug  ele«  in  Uie  world.  Yea!  atmoat  wore  iban  P«ggyl 
eccme  to  you  and  to  us  that  this  ought  to  hare  e^uggeeted  an 
proTcd  waj  of  looking  at  the-  whole  matter,  but  it  didn't.  It  Es 
strange  but  true  that  any  utilisation  of  Alice's  affection  for  himself 
aH  B  stepping-stone  to  an  Blmosi,  ineonccirablc  huppincaa,  m  rein- 
statement of  his  old  broken  life  Ly  a  love  sweeter  than  any  be  b*d 
ever  known,  would  have  seemed  to  him  a  disloyalty  towards  ber 
yovith  and  inexperience.  "Oh  dear  I"  (we  can  fancy  many  «  lady 
saying)  "if  onl}'  men  would  mind  their  own  affairs,  and  let  us  look 
after  oursl" 

Howev-er.  Charles  was  not  without  excuse  for  what  would  liave 
been  mere  officious  altruism  in  others.  Tie  rcfrardcd  Alice  aa  a 
charge  entrusted  to  liint  by  Fate.  He  had  oil  llie  dutifi  of  a  parent 
towards  her.  and  ^^brank  (so  to  speak)  from  the  appropriation  of  a 
fund  placed  in  his  haniie  to  his  own  purposcJi.  He  mij^t  have 
thought  (only  we  have  no  evidence  that  he  even  went  that  far)  that 
it  would  have  been  quite  another  mattiT  if  he  had  never  made 
of  his  own  life.    It  was  all  his  own  fault. 

It  is  almost  needlesa  to  dwell  on  the  fnet  that  every  manifcsta" 
tion  of  Aliee'd  affection  for  bim  only  empbusised  the  character  his 
mind  had  automatically  given  it.  lie  did  not  say  to  bimeelf  that 
the  very  freedom  witli  which  her  anus  went  round  hia  ueek — ■ 
absolute  unreserve  with  which  her  soft  lips  kissed  his  check — f' 
niahed  a  sufficient  proof  that  ber  love  for  him  wait  not  ''that  *o: 
sud  that  ahe  was,  in  effect,  a  daughter.  He  did  not  say  it,  but 
facts  that  might  have  made  him  speak  pasKd  upoecb  by, 
settlt^l  in  bie  soul  in  silence. 

We  are  dwelling  (lo  your  disgust,  we  doubt  not)  on  then  points 
because  wc  really  want  to  take  >'ou  into  our  confidence  about 
Chifrles  and  Alice,  and  what  they  thonBht  and  felt,  HevBT  you 
mind  how  we  come  to  know  tbeae  tbijij[a 
accuracy.    Be  content  with  tbatl 


^ 


^^m  ALICE-FOR-SHORT  4M 

CbarloB  rather  laid  atroas  upon  bia  treatment  of  Alice  as  k  very 
little  girl,  and  when  she  bad  kissed  bim  as  above  narrated,  merely 
Bsitl:  "Now  tile  other  side  to  make  it  even,"  By  thn  timi!  thr  bal- 
aa«e  was  struck.  Charles  was  beaming  a^ain.  Alice  had  kissed  the 
cloud  away.  A  sense  of  disraissnl  of  the  recent  oonviirjintion 
ensued.  Charles  glanced  back  for  a  n?8umptton  point,  and  bad 
to  go  a  long  way. 

"Let's  see.  Miss  Kavauagli!  Wliat  was  it  yon  interruiited  my 
flaying  just  now?    Ob,  about  the  ring " 

"Just  now !  Three  hours  ago !  But  it  is  strange — the  strangest 
thing  of  the  whole  turn  out." 

"It's  all  clear  so  far  as  how  the  diamond  was  worked  in  with 
the  other  stones.  Stick  out  your  little  pud."  AIi«  compiiea. 
ThtTT  is  the  ring.  There  arc  tbi*  stones.  And,  as  interpretrd  with 
th«  help  of  that  alray  cabman,  they  oertaiiily  spell — "dearest 
Phyllis." 

''Why,"  aakeii  Alice,  "did  he  go  in  for  such  n  long  string  oti 
stones}  Dear  would  hare  been  enough  in  all  conscience  I"  ChorleM 
shook  his  head  with  gravity.  "It  would  have  looked  as  if  it  had 
been  done  after  marriage,  and  referred  to  milliner's  bills."  He 
t«ofc  Alice's  tingers  in  his,  and  pondered  over  the  ring.  For  him, 
it  was  on  tlic  little  hand  he  had  led  her  home  by,  to  tbe  extensive 
basement  with  cellarage. 

"Now,  Alice-for-short.  we  can  consider.  Si>  far,  we're  clear! 
Except  on  the  supposition  of  an  undesigned  coincidence.  Of 
OCkune.  it  is  poff^blc,  though  not  probable,  that  this  ring  is  a  ring 
some  one  accidentally  droppt'd  in  that  cek-brated  beergug — some 
one  who  came  in  to  look  at  the  premises." 

"Not  M  very  improbable,  compared  to  some  of  the  expedients  of 
incredulity  at  bay." 

"I  b<iR  your  pardon — I  beg  your  pardon!  It  wasn't  me.  Well 
now!  how  did  this  here  ring  get  into  that  there  beer-jug?  thafs 
the  point," 

"1  think  I  see.  Mrs.  Kaimea  was  frightened  when  the  enraged 
brother  wime  after  her,  and  dropped  it  in  the  beer.  I  suppose  they 
had  beer  at  parties  in  those  days.  TIm-u  it  got  overlooked  aud  was 
left  in  the  jug.  Then  the  jug  got  used  for  common,  and  waa 
stood  dotm  by  the  side  of  the  cask." 

Trobability  itself!  And  then  when  the  Luttrell  family  cleared 
ont,  their  beer-cask  and  draught-jug  were  passed  ou  as  a  sort  o{ 
tenant's  fixtures." 

"No.  no,  Mr.  Charloy,  dear!  didn't  you  tell  me  I— only  rery  likclj. 
Tre  got  the  story  all  wrong." 


^^^w 


4«6  ALICE-F0R-8H0RT 


J  my 


•Didn't  I  tell  you  what!" 

"Dida't  yon  tell  mn  that  it  waa  supposed  tliat  the  sand  that 
tsken  out  of  where  the  bones  were  biiri<^  had  bwn  »hoT«U(^  irf 
on  the  top  of  the  beer-jug  and  thut  wus  how  it  got  bidden  till  my 
poor " 

"Tatlier  Bud  mother?" 

"Tes — found  il{     And  aurel.y  this  rinff  never  nmld  haro 
living  in   that  beer-jiig  for  very  long  nridtttectedf     WImjiwi, 
Charles    remarke    that    the    plot    is    tbichcninp,    and    he    muet 
iitt  his  pipe  to  think  that  over.    Assisted  by  a  few  whiSa,  he 
auines: 

"You  mean  the  iug  must  have  been  covered  in  when  tbo 
were  buried!" 

"And  that  the  ring  cannot  have  been  long  in  the  jug. 
would  have  been  found." 

"So,  if  Mrs.  Esther  Kainies  put  the  ring  in  the  heer  that  evenii^, 
^^         the  bonrs  must  have  been  interred  ihen  or  sliortlj  «ft<!r.''  ^^ 

^^h  "It  seems  to  fix  the  date  of  the  bones,  doesn't  itt"  ^M 

^^^  "Well — perl;aps!    But  if  so  I  should  eay  it  threw  a  doubt  on  tl^l 

r  date  when  the  ring  wae  put  in  the  Jug.     There**  the  hojrl"    ^^| 

there  is,  and  in  a  few  seconds  he  rushes  upstairs  and  burets  into  1^^^ 
room  shouting.    "Kot  outj  sixty-six  for  three  wickttji!'' 

When  cricket  comes  in  at  the  door,  rationa)  intercourae  fli«S  oat 
of  the  window.    And  if  you  arc  wise,  you  say  it  is  time  to  go  ti> 
bed.     Charles  said  so.  and  Alice  and  Pierre  took  the  broad  bid^f 
^^         and  went.    Charles  himself  bad  another  pipe,  ^H 

^B  He  smoked  his  pipe  out.  turned  off  the  gas,  Ht  hin  bndrooi^l 

^^  candle,  and  followed.  When  he  came  to  his  boy's  bedroom  door  h^^ 
opened  it  genlly  and  looked  in.  He  need  :iot  have  bet^n  to  p«irticu* 
lar.  The  cricketer  was  already  in  a  deep  and  motionless  sleep. 
He  looked  at  him  for  a  few  moments,  not  fearing  tlint  any  cukdle* 
light  would  disturb  such  a  depth  of  slumber — a  depth  that  an  ■fler- 
noon  of  powerful  off-driving,  etc.,  etc.,  deserves  and  reacheft— 
and  thought  to  himself  that  a  cricketer  of  this  age,  awake,  mi|^ 
ges-ls  the  man  be  is  going  to  be;  but  put  him  to  bed,  and  forth* 
with  be  suggests  the  baby  be  was!  The  arm  thut  had  not  gone 
quite  to  bed,  and  slill  bung  out«ide.  was  as  sound  asleep  as  the 
rest;  and  Gliarles  remembered  his  old  happiness  in  an  curly  day, 
when  he  looked  at  that  same  hand  once  as  it  rested  on  ita  looi 
boBom — one  day  wtirn  they  vniv  going  out  to  a  party,  and 
was  produced  at  his  request,  and  consented  to  be  took,  bat  nhl 
to  wake  on  any  tvrmji.  "Poor  I.hv,"  said  Charles  to  himself.  .And 
be  would  have  gone  to  bed  sad,  only  as  it  cbanood  he  mot  Alice     j 

I ^J 


ALICE-FORSHORT 


4«T 


in  «  •Ort  of  blue  twi-ffown  thing  in  tho  puMge,  comins  from  the 
old  Udys  room.  "Sb-sh-sh-sh-sU !"  said  she,  rery  satto-voce,  "jusi 
look  In  at  herl    She's  like  aii  e&gj  on  a  tomb." 

So    the    was.      "Slie    must    have    hvrai    u    pretty    girl    once," 


eaid  Alice. 
dcarr 


"I  should  tbiok  eke  must,''  setd  he.     "Oood-night, 


CHAPTER  XLV 


now  MA.  floorr  had  wkitten  a  novel,    more  hemort  or  old  j» 


i 


CHSLHU   WATERWOBKS  IN   UTOE   PABK1 
SUfEIINATUiUL  PIS 


UOKE  IMORBDIENTS  P0&  A 


■Ji 


"But 


Old  Janb  paid  the  penalty  of  her  high-Btmng  condition 
she  told  the  slory.  She  was  below  pur  for  several  days,  anil 
to  like  to  be  quiet,  and  to  read,  in  an  absent  way.  anything  she 
had  rend  in  her  youth.  She  asketl  for  the  poems  of  Mr.  Walter 
Scott,  which  she  had  bocn  very  fond  of.  But  slie  was  mud)  eur- 
prieed  and  interested  to  beur  tliat  Mr.  Scott  had  made  a  Erreat  suc- 
cess SB  a  novelist,  only  a  yeai  or  so  after  her  accident. 

"I  have  miesed  so  many  things,"  said  she,  with  a  gentle  swe«t- 
uesa  that  waH  (juite  characteristic.     Then  as  if  thu  tlionght  had 
crossed  her  mind  that  she  need  lose  no  more,  ehe  continued:  "But 
you  are  always  writing,  darling  Cynthia,  and  it  isn't  lelteni. 
tell  me!"   Then  Alice  told  her.  to  amuse  her,  what  she  waa  writ 
now  was  a  Et«ry,  and  she  was  to  Iiave  a  hundreds  pounds  for  it  i 
the  publisher  didn't  change  hie  mind  when  he  read  it 

"^Tell,  that  M  nice,  dear!     Fancy  being  kbk  to  earn  a  iriiot 
hundred  pounds!" 

"Ah,  but  that's  nothing  to  Mr.  Charley!    So  you  know  he's  tiH 
have  a  penny  a  word  for  the  story  he's  wriltug  nowf    But  the^| 
it's  got  to  be  exactly  twelve  thousand  words."    This  was  the  case, 
and  Charles  had  writtti-n  an  absurd  letter  to  his  publisher  to  know  if 
the  word  finU  was  to  be  included.     Would  be  write  by  return,  he 
said;  bccuune  it  all  d«]>ende<)  on  that  what  plot  hi;  choacl     Alic 
didn't  tell  the  old  lady  thiit;  it  was  too  complex. 

"You  must  read  them  both  to  me,  darling  Oynthin.  won't  yonl 
But  I  have  such  a  lot  to  read.  I  »hvuld  like  to  read  that  novel  of 
Mr.  Soott's  you  ttdd  me  of."  This  did  not  mean  Wattrtey,  nor 
any  parlicukr  novel.  AU  she  realised  was  that  Mr.  Walter  Scott, 
the  poet,  bad  wrilti-n  "n  Niivt-1"  and  hml  a  great  aucoeos.  She 
was  glad  to  hear  that  he  had  been  made  a  baronet.  Waa  b» 
JiringI — but,  ah,  yes  I — she  had  forgotten. 

Alice  promised  to  g«t  a  copy  of  "Scott's  Nowl"  with  a  print 

468 


1.  ue 

roB^^ 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


M9 


1     elei 


^^^    JCn.  Verrinder  to  read.    There  ms  mom  than  one 

cditiog^SiikM.  Sbe  fpcjco  to  Cbitrloa  iibout  it,  M  «b«  thonfl^ 
TTatwWtfjr  wotild  bo  dull  for  her;  Charles  r«coinm«Qded  the  Start 
of  Stidlolhian.  The  oW  Inily  tried  (o  rend  it,  b\it  she  had  over- 
esiinuited  her  powers  uf  fixing  lier  atteaticn  on  anything  new,  and 
ft»vc  it  up.  She  fdl  back  on  the  Vicar  of  Wakefield  and  the  Bible. 
Practically,  aliA  could  only  rrad  wluit  ehe  had  rend.  Alice  tried  her 
with  Dickens  and  Thackeray,  but  ehe  could  make  nothing  of  them. 

She  wnB  perfectly  sweet- tempered  nnd  t-ontentetl.  Whpn  Wft 
alone,  as  of  course  she  was  for  hours  at  a  time,  ahe  very  rarely 
r«ng  the  hand-boll  that  stood  beside  her  for  Pri^'illo  the  maid,  who 
was  always  at  baud.  She  appeared  to  r«ad  and  re-read  the  Gospels 
and  the  Vicar  of  Wakrfkld.  Wheirevcr  Alice  found  her  rrading 
tbe  former,  she  would  look  over  her  shoulder  to  find  where  she  was 
readi&R.  It  was  almost  always  the  story  of  the  Itesurrection.  Sboj 
onco  accounted  for  this  to  Alice:  *^ou  aee,  my  darling."  ^  taii 
"it  may  be  reaily  true,  and  not  only  like  Goinft  to  Church."  Thcro" 
wuM  every  reuKun  to  siip{fOM!  tlint  tlie  main  ibuught  current  in  her 
mind  wa^; — Should  she  meet  ber  husband  again,  or  Dotf  She 
had  evidently  had  n  doso  of  Sunday  Iteliginn  in  her  youth,  and  did 
not  find  it  a  lower  of  strength.  Shtr  fell  back  on  the  best  transla-j 
tion  eho  could  get  of  the  original  story.  It  was  the  Psychical 
Bt-Mmrch  of  u  ntrunded  and  ^ipwrecked  soul. 

She  took  very  kindly  to  Lady  Johnson,  whom  she  called  • 
delightful  pt^r^ii.  P<^ggy  used  often  to  come  and  Btt  with  Iter; 
but  she  was  afraid  to  say  a  word  of  her  wishes  about  Cfaar1o«j 
and  Alice,  test  it  should  pans  on  to  them,  and  only  serve  to  make! 
ibem  uncomfortable,  without  bringing  ber  wishes  nearer  their 
fulfilment.  Bcsidi'S,  Ruiiert  (■iilrenCcd  her  on  no  account  to  breathe 
a  hint  of  "anything."    So  she  held  her  tongue. 

But  there  was  no  (-mburgo  on  conversation  about  Ifo.  40.  Aa 
Ptg^J  had  been  quite  outside  the  audience  of  the  cousin  Becky 
story,  she  could  tnlk  shont  the  old  bouse  without  seeming  to  con- 
nect them  together.  One  day  she  referred  to  the  Phj-Uis  Cart- 
wright  portrait,  which  hnd  come  from  the  cleaners.  Xow  you 
must  hear  in  mind  that  by  common  consent  the  whole  of  tbe  mys- 
terious occurrence*  nt  tlm  bouan  had  brcii  kept  bnclc  from  the  old 
lady,  for  fear  of  any  portion  of  fheiu  acliuii  as  suggestion,  and 
qualifying  ber  recollections,  whicli  were  probably  far  from  cx-| 
bauHled.  Charles  was  eaiiecially  anxious  nothing  should  confusft^ 
or  bewilder  her.     r*ft  alone,  she  would  remember  more. 

So,  when  Pi-'ggy  iqioke  to  lier  about  the  portrait  and  how  llie 
eleatier  bad  muddled  one  of  the  stouoe  in  the  rtne  tl»<;>\i^  iuA 


470 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


eitt 


i 


undfrstanding  that  it  had  been  painted  orer  Ute  first  ramUb. 
irns  cnrcful  not  to  nlluilo  to  the  discovrry  in  tbp  cellar,  or  the 
cundidutes  for  PsycbicHl  lU-search.  The  portrait  was  merely  an 
intcrcslinii  portrait,  so  fur  an  nhv  vns  Buppowd  to  bo  informed. 
It  wiiK  thi-  portrait  of  oni'  Plij'Ui.i  Curtwriglit.  Imt  wlvnt  Abould 
knon  of  I'li.vlli'^  Cartwrinhtt  Sbe  merely  mentioned  the  name 
the  one  *hi'  lind  lic-nni  Charley  eitll  it  bjr.  The  old  lady  repeated 
it  after  ber,  two  or  three  times. 

"That  must  be  Lady  I.uttrdl'a  portrait — my  deor  Alice'*  cau^ii 
Rebecca  Luitrell's  aunt  by  marriage.    Her  name— yea! — ^her 
wot  Cartwrigbt." 

"Not  Alie<;'«.  dear  Mrs,  Verriiider,  You  mean  tJie  C>^lthia  eht 
reminds  you  of."  The  thin  colourless  bands,  that  loolce<d  slmoel  ae 
if  tlicry  might  vnniiih  nt  Huy  ntomcnt.  miidi-  u  itort  of  de»i>airi 
movement.  "I  am  always  making  that  mistake,"  said  their  owi 
"hilt  I  know.  Lady  Johiiiioii,  thnt  you  forgive  mo.  Of  course 
meant  dear  Cynthia  Luttrell,"  She  spoke  in  a  wistful,  absent  wi 
not  as  expressing  doubt  of  what  nhc  said,  hut  with  a  kind  of 
leflecliou  in  ber  voice  of  the  distance  and  dimness  of  the  person 
she  spoke  of. 

"It  in  so  difBeult  to  think,"  she  went  on,  "tbat  my  real  Cyut 
is  gone.    She  mtial  ha  d«ad  or  ahtt  would  hare  eome,  or  written.' 

It  bad  been  found  possible  to  gire  the  old  mind  the  idea  of 
actual  lapHe  of  time;  hut  not  of  the  complete  detachment  it 
effected,  between  herself  and  all  her  old  associationa.     Ou 
ocicnsion  Kbe  did  not  dwell  on  the  oriffinnl  Cynthia;  «hc  wvnt 
to  the  portrait,  speaking  slowly  and  re  fleet  irelj-, 

"1  wonder — which — stone— it  isl    Not  the  diamond,  I  hopet" 

"Nol     At  least.  I  don't  tbiuk  there  was  a  diamond." 
was  getting  a  little  alarmed   lest  sbe  should  mako  a  false  stop. 
If  the  ring  was  invisible  liefore  it  was  eleaucd,  liow  should  aha 
know  what  stone  bad  been  taken  out  1    Yet.  of  course,  all  the  whi! 
abe  did  know:  it  was  the  jacinth. 

"There  must  have  been  a  diamond,  dear  Lady  Johnson,  (A« 
mond,  yon  know !'' 

"\'ery   likely   I'm  wrong— you  aee   I  haven't  seen  it  mjraelf. 
Charley  told  me."     The  old  lady  was  not  critical  over  this: 
mind  was  fructifying  thouKh. 

"Of  coursel"  she  !Miid,  after  a  short  silence,  in  which   P. 
helped.  "Ludy  Luttrell  would  be  sure  to  hare  the  ring  puiuli' 
with  the  diamond  hidden,  and  only  the  letters  of  Phyllis  visible. 
Because,  dear  Lady  JnhiiHon,  don't  you  »ce  that  her  object 
to  prove  the  ring  was  her  own,  bo  she  had  it  painted  on  a  pict 


aha 

1 

iibleT^ 
M  w^^ 
ptctu^H 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


471 


L 


that  it*9  done  of  her  before  fhe  married."  Old  Janp  wtts  wouder- 
fullf  diorp  niitl  bTif.'ht  thiH  inQming.  How  P<%gjr  did  vUli,  if  »ha 
was  jugt  jFoiujc  to-  te]I  sometbiuir  intcreatinic,  that  some  one  else 
bad  been  thrro  to  help  in  rccollocims  it  I 

"Can  j-ou  recollect  tie  picture  youtself.  Mrt  VerrinderJ" 

"I  darceay  I  shall  when  I  soe  it  Onljr  tbere  were  »o  many 
picturca!  In  my  fatlu-r'*  houao,  I  mean.  I  woiider  bow  tbia  came 
to  be  iher«)  I  f^hould  have  thought  old  Becky  would  hare  taken 
nwny  nil  licr  piduTcs." 

"li&d  #Jic  any  place  to  hang  them  in  t" 

"'So — thnt's  tnie!  SW  lived  with  a  relation,  who  hated  her 
famil)'.  but  forgave  ^fr.  Of  course;  she  left  the  pictures  in  my 
father's  charge."  This  srerocd  not  to  matter — old  picture*  do  «lop 
about  tbe  world  in  a  rague  way.  till  aomo  estbom«QOua  peraoD 
detects  quality  in  them,  and  has  them  restored;  and  then  some 
«ther  denouncea  his  Vandalism,  and  )x;lwee:i  t]ie  two  U)l>  pictures 
(let  into  expensive  frames  behind  plate  gls^s  and  have  Vokios  or 
Agnvvr  bmckctrd  after  them  at  sales.  Let  Old  June  go  oik 
talking : — 

"It  was  wonderful  she  remembered  it  all  so  clearly.  VtHiat  I 
told  you  and  my  dear  Cynthia,  you  know i'' 

"No,  not  me.    Tou  told  iUice  and  Charley,  and  my  girl  LuQf." 

"Yp* — a  nice  little  thing!  Isn't  sW  hi-re?"— SW  is,  "But  she  if 
haTing  an  Argument  with  Pierre  two  rooms  off.  Pegsy  discerns 
help  in  reco  Hit  linn,  and  summong  her. 

"Yea— my  child!"  says  the  old  lady.  "Kiss  me!  Of  course  you 
were  there,  and  heard  all  about  old  Beclcy  and  the  ball,  and  tho 

duel "    Lucy  is  amied  at  all  points  for  interrogation  and  record, 

and  immediately  vaults  on  to  tho  hack  of  an  interviewer's  Pegasus. 

''Not  the  duel,''  says  she,  shaking  her  head  finnly.  "You  didn't 
tell  us  about  it.  You  only  said  there  was  a  duel."  The  old  lady's 
«ye»  rest  with  pleasure  on  the  enmcKt  face  of  the  new  one — the 
very  new  ont — bracing  itself  up  to  take  notes.  There  is  seventy 
years  between  them  !  And  the  notes  are  to  be  about  whnt  was  seen 
and  heard  by  uiioiluT  very  new  one.  in  tlaya  that  have  become  His- 
tory and  can  be  researched  in.    Oh,  so  long  ngol — 

"Didn't  I  tell  about  the  duel  1  But  I  loKI  yon  how  old  Becky 
heard  the  men  quarrelling  on  the  stairs!" — Oh  yea,  Lucy  testifies, 
and  how  8ir  Cramer  went  out,  nn<]  came  hack,  and  then  went  off  in 
s  rage  after  his  sister. — "Weill  my  dear — those  two  men  that  ijuar- 
relled  went  away  and  fought  in  the  Pork — in  Ilyde  Park — with 
Hwordv.  And  one  wan  killed  I  It  ia  so  dreadful,  dear  Lady  Johnson, 
to  think  that  that  wickedness  goes  on,  even  now!  Tbui^s  \.«WTSM>'io»«« 


I 

i 


i 


473 


AUCE-FOR^nOET 


i 


was  a  man  shot  in  a  duel  «t  Nini?  Elms,  only  the  other  d^yl" — Si 
[wiisMi,  seeming  to  tiy  to  remember  womKhing.    "Yt»'.  I  rcnuimUrr 

now.    It  was  LorJ ."  who  ran  N«7iUe  Kaimee  ihroujth  the 

body.  And  o!d  Beck;  said  lh«  story  wont  that  this  f^rd  wai^  in 
lov<-  with  UiHln-s9  Knimcs,  ns  she  cnllcd  lu:r — but,  6fjw  child, 
oughtn't  to  tell  you  all  this  wickednees." — Lucy  alkies  that 
ia  fsmilisr  with  pveiy  enormity  man  is  capable  of.  nnd  bcr  mother 
says  at  any  rate  ab«  knows  the  oununuudmuuls.  The  old  ladj-  con- 
tinues:— "Weill  he  nnd  Esther  Kaimes  had  broken  one  of  them — 
so  they  said!  And  after  the  duel  l>otlt  of  them  vanuilied.  In  fad, 
it  was  believed  that  when  she  slipped  away  with  the  rtni;,  she 
followed  llie  duellists  to  the  Park,  nnd  went  rtrnighl  away  to 
Paris  with  her  husband's  murderer.  Old  Becky  said  she  waa  bad 
enough  for  nny thing." 

"I  wonder  where  ibey  fought  in  Hyde  Park?"     Tin*  is  Ln- 
who  is  projecting  a  personally  conducted  tour  to  the  spot,  if  it 
be  identified. 

"Old  Becky  told  us.    It  was  on  the  hanks  of  what  she  called 
New  Scrppntine.    Rut  I  think  her  memory  was  confuted  with 
age.    Bl-ouu^  ehtr  aaid  it  was  ju«t  beyond  where  the  Chelaea  Water* 
works  ueed  to  be." 

"Are  you  sure  tlie  name  was  Lord ?"  askejJ  Peggy- 
old  lad,v  was  quite  sure  she  had  it  right.     Peg^.  however,  £i 
equnlly  sure  there  nnisl  be  some  mistake.    She  auapected  tbe  oi 
inai  old  narrator  of  having  made  one.    Her  mind  waa  cvideni 
wandering,  on  somu  subjects.    Fancy  tho  Chelsea  Waterworks 
Hyde  Park !    Besides.  Peg:g>-  had  a  recollection  about  Lord 
which  mad«  the  story  moat  improbable.    She  would  talk  to  Cha: 
about  It. 

"Did  they  always  wear  swords,  all  of  them,  in  those  daysT'  aala 
Lucy.    "What  did  thi^y  d<i  whitu  tlir-y  dani^i-dt" 

"1  can't  say.  my  dear  child.     I  can  only  tell  the  tale  aa  old 
Btrcky  told  it  to  us— John  and  me.     Ah,  deorl  I  can  almost  shu 
my  eyes  now,  and  fancy  I  hear  her  telling — it  seems  only  like 
other  day."    But  the  interviewer  is  not  happy  about  those  swords. 

"Perhaps  they  left  them  oulsidt:,  Hko  timbrvllas,"  says  ahe. 

"Perhaps  they  did.  my  dear.  But  Sir  Cramer  must  have  bad 
on.  Bec.-Bu.'ht?  I  remember  Miss  Rr^hi^-on  !<nying  he  tonched  it  witli 
his  finger  when  he  spoke  to  Lord  Ferrara  about  hie  father's  will. 
Of  course  the  others  may  have  found  theirs  in  the  loU^  wfam  thcj[ 
came  down." 

At  this  point  Peggy  thought  Ifrs.  Verrinder  was  be^iimiBg 
•  A  w«ll-knawii  ium«  it  ths  Ubm.    Aboat  ITSMO. 


'M 


old 

I 


AUCE-FORSHORT 


47« 


feci  tired.  So  *he  c«Ilcct(^d  Lucy  nod  carried  bcr  off,  Btill  not 
quiUr  contented  about  ibi-  Bwoniii.  It  was  tJie  effpct  on  a  young 
tniod  of  being  compelled  to  tliiuk  of  a  past  age  as  an  actuality. 
81m;  woald  hare  ncceptc-d  ntiy  amount  of  rapiers  on  the  stage  as 
readily  as  tie-wiga  and  hoops,  when  there  was  courtliness  going  on, 
and  repartee.  But  when  it  carac  to  talking  about  people  who  had 
been  leen  by  an  old  friend  of  the  live  person  you  were  talkiiiir  Ur— 
why  really  I  Lncy  would  go  home,  and  read  Eiimond  and  The-  FoHr 
Ovargea.     And  hc-r  moilier  would  ret^lleet  to  nKk  Charles  about  a 

fltOT7  ehe  had  read  of  the  death  of  Lord which  Banned  to 

her  to  quarrel  with  that  of  his  elopement  with  Mrs.  Kaimcii.  Also, 
■he  naked  herself,  why  should  a  man  run  away  to  Paris  merely  be- 
cause he  had  killed  another  in  a  duel  {  lu  those  days  it  was  all 
right.  ITc  hnd  only  to  marry  the  widow.  But  perhapn  ho  thought 
it  would  be  better  taste  to  do  that  in  Paris.  She  would  talk  to 
CbarW 

She  got  the  opportunity  shortly.  A  few  days  after  thi.*,  Alice 
went  into  the  country  to  help  a  friend  to  look  at  a  house  her  hus- 
band was  in  treaty  for.  So  Charles  wii^  lonesome,  and  appealed 
to  Peggy  to  rescue  him  as  much  as  possible.  Ilu  didn't  wunt  to 
leave  the  old  lady  quitia  alone.  It  really  was  eictraordinary  what 
R  bold  slie  had  unconsriously  established  on  him  and  Alice.  So 
he  wouldn't  «ome  away  from  Charley  Street  in  the  evening.  But 
Ptggy  vrould  come  and  sec  the  restored  picture  at  No.  40 — wouhln't 
ahel  And  then  he  would  t^ome  to  Ilarley  Street  to  tta.  Only  if 
he  frtayed  on  U>  dinner  he  must  go  nway  directly  after, 

"So  you  shall,  Cliarlcy  dear!"  said  P^ggy  after  they  hud  looked 
at  the  picture  together,  "He  shall  go  home  to  his  adopted  grand- 
mamma, he  shall!  I  don't  at  all  wondirr  at  you,  dunr  old  boy.  / 
should,  if  I  were  you.  There's  somethinit  so  very  sweet  about  her 
white  hnir.  And  those  snd  eyes  that  «ecni  to  have  given  it  all  up. 
And  those  transparent  hands  one  sees  the  veins  in.  I  really  could 
have  cried  like  any  little  girl  when  she  held  out  that  almost  atnioa-j 
pherie  wedding- finger  to  ahow  me  how  slack  the  ring  bad  goo 
And  then  she  said,  quite  with  a  quiet  smile — it  was  /  tluit  wnnted 

to  cry — 'It  was  n()t  like  that  wlicn  John '"     Peggy  pulla  up 

short  with  her  lipa  very  tightly  shut,  for  some  reason. 

"I  know !"  said  Charles,  "I  can  assure  you  she  puta  me  and  Alice 
to  it  sDmetimee.    Alice  has  to  run  away  to  cry." 

"Don't  you  i" 

"Oh  no  I  I'm  a  male  he — it's  another  pair  of  shoes.  But  it  ia 
trying,  now  and  again.  The  evening  before  last,  for  instance, 
ahe  woa  very  quiet.     Then  Alice  wuat  to  h«n  &u^VAsy^^D«n  ■^■gi^ 


lAd 


47* 


ALtOE-FOR-SHORT 


L 


eniil  whnt  wm  itf  Ami  whnt  do  ^ou  rappoM  tbc  poor  old  lad; 
thinkiuji;  aboutt  Why.  pancakral — of  nil  things  in  the  world. 
John  was  so  fond  of  pancake*  and  *hv  was  w  afraid  that  all  that 
time  he  never  got  any.  with  no  one  to  sou  to  him,  Ue  never  took 
any  care  of  himself  I  But  she  was  quite  quiet,  the  ws;  she  said 
it — musically  quiet — you  know  her  wayT' 

"I  know.    I  don't  the  least  wonder  at  you,  Charley  dear  I" 

"Then  iibc  wx;nl  od,  'I  nhould  Ukc  to  kniiw  if  he  e\Tr  bought  b! 
self  a  new  hat.    One  of  the  last  things  I  reeoHect  was  when 
wrnt  out  to  buy  some  atrnwborricw  becnuno  old  Miss  Kcbccca  waa' 
comiug.  and  t  said  to  him  he  really  nmnt  gi-I  himself  a  new  hat.' — 
And  I  thought  to  myself,"  said  Charles,  "this  would  nccouut  for 
the  pu(ir  old  ebuji'H  extraordinary  hut.     I  rpcolliret  Home  of  the 
students  at  the  Schools  making  game  of  il,  and  trying  it  on. 
bi'liingi-d  lo'ilie  date — well!  say  of  Napoleon  at  Elba." — Charli 
recalled  the  occasion  when  he  met  Verrinder  on  the  rail,  ant! 
diMmul  allcinpt  to  moko  «  poliahcd  coat-sleeve  renew  the  oap 
that  strangi-st  of  headdresses. 

"Have  you  adopted  her  altogether,  Chnrle}*  darling)" 

"Well— me  and  Alice — we  ahouldu't  like  to  part  with  her, 
know  !^ 

^Yi>n  are  so  funny — you  and  your  adopted  daughter  and  yo 
adopted  grandmother!"     If  Peggy  had  any  hope  in  saying  t 
that  Clinrles  would  recoil  from  Alice's  daughtership,  she  wajs  got. 
to  be  disappointed. 

"Yes — my  adopted  dsuehlcr — Alice-for-short !"  Image  to  you: 
self  That  he  is  sitting  at  Peggy's  feet,  she  being  in  Miss  Straker's 
old  chair  and  ruffling  bis  bead  for  him,  junt  aa  of  old.  Thore  is  no 
tort  of  change  between  tliis  brother  and  sister.  What  they  were 
once,  that  they  are  now.  Charles  oontinHes: — "Dear  little  Alice- 
for-short!  Recolli-ct  her  coming  in  here  and  having  no  caki 
because  of  the  man  with  the  red  knife,  on  the  stairs  I" 

"Sir  Cramer  Luttrcll,  I  suppose!     Oh  yes — it  socms  only 
terday.     Wliul  a  <!ear  little  maid  she  was !" 

"And  what  a  dear  little  maid  sho  is  still  I  I  almost  wish 
was  a  dear  littli!  matron."  And  when  he  says  this,  doea  he  nay  it 
ratlier  urliScially  I  Peggy  feels  annoyed  at  the  way  she  coi 
mitted  lierself  to  "adopted  daughter."  It  just  cornea  to  h\ock 
pouncing  on  Charlea  with.  "You  fool!  why  not  make  her  one 
Charles's  enormous  unconscioiii>iicia  of  tlic  pojtsjbility  of  such 
auggealion  is  irritating.  To  liuve  him  repoi^ng  there  with  his  ears 
50  temptingly  within  reach  of  boxing,  nnd  showing  on  his  face  the 
glow  Alice  lights  in  his  heart,  is  very  IrritAliug  to  Peggy.     But 


I 

ram      I 


lioe- 
iafc^j 

J 

y  it 

ers 


ALICE-FOlt-SHOBT 


475 


the  rexDfmhns  Rupert's  injunction,  and  ehone  eeU-restraint.  Only, 
tbt'  years  ore  going  by — tlic  prftcioiiK  years  1  Howerer,  Charlea  can 
dwell  on  Alice-for-sbort.  and  blow  riues  out  of  bis  pipe,  and  yet 
mW  of  something  eke. 

"But  I  ftuj-.  Popgy-Wogej— Sir  Cramer  Luttrell !  Now  111  Uy 
any  wagvr  you've  worked  Old  Jane's  tale  of  old  Bpeky  up  with 
all  the  celebrated  ghoMta  and  biKlcvilments  of  thid  maiidion,  and 
made  a  rcfrular  Supernatural  Fie." 

"It  domn't  want  any  working  up,  Charloy  darling!  Tho  pic  ia 
already  made.  Perhaps  I  oughtn't  to  say  that  llioujih !  There's 
n  littlf  uppcrcrunt  wanting  yt-t." — And  tlurn  P<'«gy  r^i-apitiilittcd 
carefully  all  particulars  of  what  alie  and  Juicy  had  beard  from 
Ur*.  Vcrrindcr. 

"It  couldn't  be  Lord  ."  said  Charles,  "because  his  body 

WM  identified  in  tlic  dead-house  on  the  Simpion  not  so  many  years 
■go.  I  saw  hiui,  you  know! — just  s  sort  of  frozen  niuwiny.  H(?  had 
been  tirenty  years  in  the  Morgue  when  I  saw  him.  Ue  had  just 
been  identified." 

"And  how  long  had  he  been  in  the  ice — or  snow!" 

"It  could  only  be  giiwscd  by  the  date  of  his  clothes.  Mind 
you] — there  was  nothing  to  identify  him  by — only  a  purse  with  a 
good  lot  of  money  in  the  pocket.  A  fine-loc'king  man  in  an  English 
Oeorgi'  llie  Si«ond  dre»» — not  a  Iravelling  dress,  strinigi-Iy  eTiough.' 
He  had  probably  Kone  up  the  moraine  of  the  glacier,  in  company 
with  others  und  had  slipped  and  fidirn  in  tt  cmvasee  and  never 
been  found.    He  may  have  been  there  a  century — any  timet" 

"How  UBS  he  found  in  the  en<i }" 

"One  of  the  great  dogs  that  had  been  missed  for  sonio  day* 
came  back  excited,  and  snid  (or  ns  good  as  said)  that  he  had  found 
Eomething  worth  coming  for.  He  led  the  fntrs  to  u  uusly  place, 
when?  sure  enough  was  n  block  of  ice  some  eittra  sun  hod  struck 
on.  and  utelled  a  corner  away.  And  there  were  four  human  fingers 
with  rings  clicking  out." 

Peggy's  allention  is  arrested  by  the  dog.  It  was  such  a  darling. 
She  would  have  liked  to  be  there  to  kiss  it.  Charles  remarks  that 
she  would  luive  fuu:id  it  large  and  sloppy.  Peggy,  n  little  dia- 
courngcd  by  the  eloppiness.  goes  back  to  the  text. 

"But  how  did  Ihty  find  nut  he  was  Lord in  thn  rndf 

"Well  I  he  had  got  to  be  one  of  three  or  four  missed  travellers 
recorded  on  the  books  ut  the  monastery.  The  question  was  which 
be  was  to  be.  The  only  one  that  answered  at  all  had  evidently 
given  a  false  name — I  banai't  details,  you  know — only  TSgve 
tecoUection " 


L 


476 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


"I  understand.    Go  on!" 

"Then  I  lliiiik  it  was  like  tbia.  There  iras  a  careful  dnwiog  of 
llim  showing  bis  tectli.  It  was  dony  by  n  Dutclimui — a  rtiry  lairc- 
ful  druwiiig.  What  put  the  family  making  the  uompariaou  I  don't 
know.  But  a  photograph  was  sent  out,  and  it  wan  derided  beyond 
'  a'  doiibl  that  the  teetli  of  ttie  skeli;tou  wL-ro  the  lu.-tb  of  lb«  draw- 
ing. When  I  waa  there  the?  were  juet  Koing  to  remove  tho  reinataa 
to  England." 

"And  when  was  iliat,  and  why  did  you  never  tell  me  such  an 
interesting  story!"  Charles  Bays  it  was  when  hn  wan  abroad  for  a 
fortnight  seven  ydars  ago.  Peiggy  knows  well  what  was  afoot  at 
that  date,  and  aska  no  more  questions. 

"But,  Charley  donr!"  slii-  says.  "I  do  not  see  why  Lord 
comiug  to  gtief  ou  the  Alps  should  iulerfore  with  old  Becky'^ 
itory.     Why  shouldn't  they  both — him  and  this  scandalouH  K»Ui«r 
Kaimes — bav«  been  lost  on  the  Alps.  »n<l  she  not  found  I"  ^H 

"So  go,  Poggy-Woggyl    She  would  be  on  the  record  as  missinj^^ 
at  the  monastery.    It  isn't  as  if  tliey  had  gone  on  by  llie  diligeuce. 
They  wouldn't  do  that  and  desert  the  diligence  to  go  Alpineerii 
slone.    No.  nol — she  never  was  there" 

"Pprbajis  she  stuycd  in  Paris  with  aomi-body  else.  She  was  quit 
equal  I  However,  just  you  wait  till  Alice  is  back  from  Hrs.  Qais* 
ford's,  and  see  if  tin-  mid  I  don't  put  a  finisliing-louclt  on  the 
Supernatural  Pie,  Why!  just  look  at  the  ring!  There  it  is  on 
the  picture.  Aliw'.i  very  »»wn  ring  to  the  life  Only,  why  need  that 
fool  clean  away  the  jacintht  However,  it's  on  the  original  etiU( 
Now  come  to  ten  and  thou  go  buek  to  Qmnnyl" 

Alice's   friend    was    Mrs.    (laisford    the    Hospital   nurae. 
husband  bad  rcR<'wed  bis  cfForts  for  the  degree,  and  had 
rioualy  passed.     He  was  buying  the  house  for  a  private  enlerpris 
of  his  own,  and  expected  an   inexhaustible  auppljr   of  opoloDt 
lunatics. 


imttR 


«d  that 
il  etiUL 

mjimW 
lerpriB^^ 


CHAPTER  XL VI 


TUB  nS  CBBEPa  iSI.       BOW  AUCE  SAW  KRS.  SJUMe9  AQUK  &T  Xa  4Bl 
HOW   CtlAKLGS   AM>  ALIOS   WKNT   TO  SKK  TIIK  TUWKlt.      SI)  DID  OLB 
JAiCe  ASO  HEB  HtrsBAyD  ONCE.     OF  EXPEBtUEKTa  WtTH  A  WGDOtNO-'^ 
RIMO.      AX    KUHAXKAasUimr,    AND   A    DBCKPTIOX.      STILL,  OLD  JAXK 
OORS  TO  8LESP  BAPPt 

itaa.  YEKiuNPca  added  little  or  notluug  to  her  version  of  old 
BedcT'a  story.  As  time  went  on  her  recollection  of  the  narriilive 
became  lesa  vivid,  aud  more  dlSuae.  It  might  buve  been  expected 
that,  as  it  died  sway,  she  would  OMao  to  confuec  between  Alice  and 
the  shadowy  Cynthia  Luttrell.  But  ihn  contrary  was  the  case;  iCJ 
anything  the  confusiou  increased.  No  doubt  this  was  partly  owinsl 
to  the  accidental  likeness  between  Alice  and  the  portrait  of 
Cyulhia,  which  Charles  purehaAe<l  of  Ur.  Baueratcin,  and  hung 
beside  the  portrait  of  ber  Aunt  Phyllie  in  his  drawiog-room  at 
Acacia  Roud.  There  was  also  an  element  of  added  confusion  in 
Old  Jane's  memory  of  the  Alice  Kavanagh  who  was  some  sort  of 
pcnsi»nnaire  or  dependent  of  old  Miss  Luttrell.  Neithi^r  Alic 
nor  Charles  doubted  that  this  person  had  been  mentioned  by  oli 
Becky  in  that  interview  of  sixty  years  ago.  But  they  did  thinlc 
that  probably  Old  Jane  had  mixed  her  first  hearing  of  Aliee'^ 
name  with  one  perhaps  nearly  resembling  it-  This  won  much  more 
likely,  surely,  than  that  there  should  have  been  another  Alice 
Kavanagh  in  the  connection.  Old  Jane  herself  assented  to  this, 
eaying  very  likely  she  was  mistaken.  This  possible  previous  Alice 
Kavana^h  had  no  interest  for  her — in  fact  only  came  in  acci- 
dentally. 

As  for  the  tales  of  the  disinterred  bones  and  the  frequent  ghosts 
at  No.  40.  they  were  told  to  Old  Jane  as  soon  as  it  appeared  that 
she  was  not  likely  to  add  to  her  remlniseenees.  But  she  seemed' 
to  have  been  educated  in  a  adiool  of  incredulity;  phases  of  tliis, 
and  its  reverse,  pass  over  Society  from  time  to  time.  When  Old 
Jane  was  a  girl  the  stajre  of  provisional  receptivity  we  now  live 
ia  wu  undreamed  of.  It  was  not  then  thought  necessary  to  self- 
zeapect  to  preface  a  final  rejection  of  superstitious  fancier  with 
any  parnile  at  all  of  our  readiness  to  give  them  a  fair  hearing. 
BoDtgen  Rays  and  Radium,  Gramophoaes  e.u4  VIVt^NRa^  ■\.sJ\tv 

4T! 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 

rapbf ,  have  produced  the  cautiona  sparring  which  bclongw 
•econd  round  of  a  Figjil.    Incrediilitj  bas  bad  all  th«  bounce 
knocked  out  of  it. 

Old  Jsne  came  quite  fntib  from  anotbcr  age;  and,  when  con- 
fronted witli  Psychical  Ile«earcb,  was  able  to  enjojr  a  good  gh 
Klorj-  to-dsj  for  it>  own  naki',  with  a  w(-Ili!efiu«d  inteDltOD  to 
belii^e  lu  it  altogetbor  to-morrow.     Her  readiness  to  enjoy 
forget  it  was  qiitic  conchmive  iigninHt  t»kitig  hitr  into  couucil  in 
thf  collation  and  claaaification  of  tbo  various  items  that  had  to 
woven  into  a  coiwccutivo  utoiy. 

Alicfi  and  Peegy,  therefore,  laid  their  beads  tojrcther  undis- 
turbed. They  made  up  their  miiid*  about  nil  the  fucn  i-xcirin  bow 
thi^  ring  cuine  in  the  beer-jug.  It  looked  as  if  that  must  remain 
a  mystery  for  all  time.  But,  for  the  rent,  it  wan  clear  that 
gboHt  Charl(!ti  bad  scL-n  wan  Katber  Kaimes  re-acting  her  share 
the  terrible  eveuing  of  the  ball  and  the  duel;  that  probably 
wftK  aliio  thn  liiljr  witli  the  sjiots;  and  that  her  remaius  were 
found  in  the  cellar.  If  this  last  was  so,  the  eugg^tion  was 
strong  tliitt  the  hideouB  red  man  with  thtt  kuife  was  her  mu: 
and  that  an  organised  attempt  bad  been  made  by  the  uuredttn; 
spirits  of  the  murdered  sister  nnd  her  guilty  brother  to  llirow 
light  on  their  own  miiidec-cK  Peggy  revived  the  etorj-  of  Ali 
father's  deam  (that  he  deamed  he  deamed)  as  a  eontribution 
tliis  conclusion.  If  you  hai-e  forgotten  all  about  this,  see  pajie  1 
But  the  theory  that  this  dream  was  an  iiapreaaion  on  tbc  drcami 
mind  of  an  attempt  to  ahnn  n-hnc  hud  happened  on  the  same 
involTed  the  investigatore  in  the  difficult  (|ueati»n  of  bow  iht;  muf- 
dcrcr  nnd  his  rictim  came  there.  At  what  hour  of  the  day  or 
night)  If  Sir  Cramer  purBue<!  his  »i»U-T  into  this  buM-incmt  Ttjom 
(as  Alice  supposed),  then  vhere  were  the  servants?  Even  if  they 
were  unable  to  prev<-nt  tbc  miinlcr,  or  dared  not  Interj'"'^-  their 
presence  would  have  ensured  a  dieclosure  in  the  end.  Beaide^ 
iidopting  the  only  mt-una  of  accounting  for  the  ring  in  the  jug> 
namely,  ihat  Mrs.  Kaimes  to  avoid  detection  dropped  it  in  as  a 
t<Tmportirj-  plnt^-  of  conctmlment,  it  surely  could  not  hare  remained 
in  the  juk  undetected.  It  must  either  hare  been  noticed,  or  washed 
out  unnoiiced.  And  supposing  that  Sir  Cramer  bad  overtaken  bis 
eisler,  auJ  bad  beon  convincrsl  eilliM  by  acareiiing  lier  <)r  by  her 
manner  thnt  she  bad  no  longer  got  It  eonoealed,  is  it  likely  that  be 
would  stab  her,  and  cancel  by  her  dcatli  the  only  puastble  testimony 
to  its  whereabouts]  But  Pesgy  in  her  own  mind  rejected  that 
jug  BllogeihcT — thought  it  a  pious  fiction  of  Alice's  OMxtier  on 
her  <lcatbbcd.    Oi  course  the  woman  bad  found  tbe  ring! 


L 


1 


ALICE-FOR-SHOUT 


470 


was  it  tn  the  jugt  Mi^tht  oot  alw  uud  her  hunband  have  disin- 
terred enough  of  the  buried  body  lo  find  thp  bandi!  nnd  irniovc  thii 
rings;  Uien  <»vered  it  up  carefully,  and  concealed  tlieir  own  bandl- 
work}  But,  of  course,  she  could  not  propound  this  theory  to  Alice; 
it  would  be  too  atrocioiia  ii  burdi^n  of  criniinnlity  to  heap  on  licr 
pareats'  memory.  Still,  it  recommended  itself  to  her.  Had  not 
the  fingera  been  found  rinj;lcHf.  whil<:  n  gorgmuN  array  of  pcariN 
still  huHg  about  what  had  l>eeu  a  throat)  Bui  then! — surely  ihe 
murderer  would  not  bury  the  ring  he  bad  biTH  seckiiigl  Yi»,  he 
niisht;  fancy  the  horror  of  u  <'0U8ciiance-stricken  man  face  to  face 
with  his  own  deed,  when  thc'ktorm  of  brutal  fury  tl^t  caused  it 
had  subiiidcd ! 

However,  speculation,  thoush  amusing,  was  of  little  avail;  and 
there  wsn  no  nppnnmt  clinnci'  of  anything  further  coming  to  light. 
Charles  and  Peggj-  and  Alice  now  and  again  made  excursions 
among  possibilitir*,  without  getting  any  forwarder. 

Tiie  currents  of  Life  ran  in  their  usual  clianneR  Peggy 
wished  two  of  them,  instead  of  running  side  by  side  a  pace  apart, 
to  run  in  ihr  name.  If  she  took  her  spade  nnd  just  made  a  start 
for  iheni  would  it  not  be  po«aib1e  1o  eunduct  them  into  it,  and  rely 
on  ths  joint  torrent  running  peacefully  on  till  it  should  be  due 
in  the  olcmat  «cal  Oh,  how  her  lingers  did  itch  to  grasp  that 
spade!  Itui  her  husband  always  dissuaded  her,  anil  the  Peggy  who 
of  yoie  wanted  to  make  all  the  he-rivulets  and  she-rivulets  run  in 
opposite  wateralie^ift,  underwent  gi^nvine  exasperation  at  the  plneid- 
ity  with  which  her  brother's  life  seemed  to  flow,  and  the  musical 
ripple  of  Alice's  alongside  of  it^ — just  within  reach!  It  won 
maddening! 

Peggy  was  not  at  all  sure  she  was  grateful  to  Mrs.  Verrindor  for 
rising  (so  lo  speak)  from  the  tomb  to  help  in  the  cronstitution  of  a 
lunne  where  such  a  state  of  things  was  possible.  She  could  not  say 
to  Iierself  that  nhe  wislied  the  old  ]ady  was  slill  under  tlmt  flwful 
dome.  But  she  did  wish  some  asylum  (with  a  small  initial)  could 
luiT«  been  found  for  her  other  than  her  brother's  firesidi;;  where 
(so  it  seemod  to  Peggy)  the  beautiful  old  silver-haired  imaKQ 
tended  to  foster  and  Piirournge  the  fietion  of  the  adopted  daughter. 
If  Charles  could  adopt  a  grandmother,  why  not  a  daughter) 
Moreover,  although  the  mixing  up  of  the  improper  i<len  of  "pro- 
prtet)""  with  either  Cbarlt«  or  Alice,  or  bringing  it  into  question, 
was  obviously  absurd;  still,  if  Old  Jani?  hod  not  been  tlicec,  you 

Icnoir  perfectly  well But  at  tbts  point  Lady  Johnson's  mind 

always  dismissed  the  subject,  and  we  may  do  so  too.  W0  know 
perfectly  well  I 


480 


AUCE-FOE-SHORT 


Ptgey  and  ber  Husband  always  upokc  of  U  an  "the  TTnoti*- 
factoi7  State  cf  ThiDice";  aod  it  became  a  ciefiuite  entity  with  a 
title,  like  tlic  Bill  of  Rights  or  thr  Protestant  SuccuMtion  or  tbo 
Statute  of  LimiiaiioiiB.    "Any  improvement  in  the  UDsatisfnctorr 
State  of  Tilings?"  was  Rujiert's  way  of  nskintt  whrther  mny 
bsd  been   made  towards   the  resolution  of  uhat  Pvggy  lliou 
quite  M  good,  or  na  bad.  as  a  discord.    And  his  wife  would 
tbat  there  was  not  a  sign  of  sny,  unices,  indexed,  her  patience 
BBttiiig  rxhauett-d,  when  she  would  prefer  "Worse  than  ererl 
dear— bow  trying  thi-y  are!" 

Her  mother  took  up  a  very  well-defined  position — in  fact,  as  Luq 
plirasntl  it.  nranditiamma  took  it  up  and  harpt'd  upon  it.     It 
ODo  of  encrgelie  silence,  to  which  attention  waa  frequently  call 
by  the  speeeldcea  oii(>.    "/  idmll  nay  nolliingJ" — ^thus  ran  lJ»c  com- 
munica lion— "Your  brother  Charley  knows  I  shall  say  nothing,  and 
I  sny  it.     I  said  nothing  before,  and  I  xhatl  «ay  nothing  no^H 
Charley  knows  what  cajue  of  it  bffore.  am!  this  time  hi-  will  lia^l 
out  loo  lafe,  as  he  did  then,  that  be  had  better  hare  liMeifed  to  me- 
But  I  do  nut  wi^i  my  opinion  to  bo  quoted,  and  1  must  bi-g  thstjil 
nay  not  be.    Charley  and  Alice  must  just  go  their  own  way. 
as  for  old  Mrs.  Vcrrinder,  I  am  for  from  Baying  she  is  not  a 
ladylike  person.     But   thcr«   ur«   limits!     Howu%-er,   as  long 

Charles  and  Alice  are  satisfied "'     And  the  speaker  entered  ■ 

a  career  of  saying,  actively  and  continuously,  nothing. 

This  old  laiiy  had  taken  very  strongly  to  her  grandson — we  thin 
we  mentioned  this  when  Charles  and  Alice  pnssi'd  those  two  days  nl 
her  house  at  Wimbledon,  after  the  smallpox.    We  need  say  no  mora 
now  ti>  maki-  it  understood  that  when  Pierre  is  not  at  Aeaein  R 
impa linn  butterflies  in  a  smell  of  camphor,  cutting  himself  with  i 
tooU  and  not  atopping  hammering  directly,  or  explaining 
technical  itoiuts  in  cricket  t«  Urs.  Verrinder,  ho  is  either  at  school 
or  at  Oak  Villa  at  Wimbledon,  dictating  new  oonccssious  from 
OranihuutliiT.  

From  whichever  cause,  he  was  not  at  home  with  his  father  and 
his  adopted  uuut  (who  should  strictly  have  bfcn  his  ndoplod  cousin, 
— but  never  mind!)  one  day  in  the  September  following  the 
in  which  Old  Jane  was  operated  on.    All  the  world  was  out  of 
except  a  few  stragglers,  who  eeemed  to  have  had  no  reaaoft 
coming  back,  unless  it  were  to  establish  a  gri<'vanc«  against 
who  remained  away  for  takiitg  a  longer  holiday  than  ibaaaelves. 
They  could  have  the  double  satisfaction  of  writing,  **0h,  how  I 
envy  you  those  delicious  tiea  breexeal"  and  as  many  other  acaiiide 
things  as  they  could  think  of,  and  at  the  same  time  thoroughly 


»u»i^^ 
thrfP 


AUCE-FOn-SnORT 


481 


L 


enjoying  the  delighte  of  au  empty  toirn — a  delicious  racaucj  of 
svirUog  drj-  Igutoi  in  unpopulous  squann  and  streets,  of  dis- 
pAMionale  busineaa  trausac-tioas  that  you  and  the  other  party  can 
tnkc  your  time  o»cr  because  there  i»  no  one  else  waitioft,  of  oppor- 
tunities of  dancing  to  piaiio-arguiiy  in  what  woulti  bavi!  b<H.it  "tho 
TniSc"  two  months  ago,  of  undisguised  teiidre^sos  with  the  Bread, 
or  the  Alilk,  cjr  the  Wash,  over  the  Airi-j-piilinst.  But  even  tho 
joy  of  those  who  stop  iu  town  is  as  nothing  to  that  of  those  who 
rvtum,  fxuberpnt  after  seu-bnthes  mid  prawns,  to  the  fag-end  o£ 
your  paradise,  and  find  they  have  got  the  Uetropolis  all  to  thein-( 
iwlvcs;  and  now  they  can  realty  get  a  little  work  done  and  not  bo  ' 
bothered. 

Charles  and  Alice  belonged  to  the  latter  class.  After  actually 
Inking  the  old  lady  successfully  to  Littti-hnmplon,  and  bringing 
her  safely  back,  they  settled  down  to  work.  Alice  wrote  all  the 
morning — rather  in  the  «ld  Indy'^s  room  than  nthenvi*r.  thnt  nba 
might  lisleu  to  the  seralehing  of  the  pen.  Charles  departed  to  the 
Studio,  whi-re  lit-  adiitrcd  rrligiousl)-  to  a  fiction  thnt  he  wnn  a 
painter,  and  freiiui-iitly  bad  a  good  ckuii-tip  fur  u  sturl  to-morrow. 
But  be  was  really  all  the  time  "jotting  down"  short  stories  at  a 
p(!nny  ■  wortl;  nud  at  this  particular  time  gratifying  his  sense  of 
absurdity  hy  writing  a  monosyllabic  story,  with  a  view  to  writing 
a  polywyllnhie  one  later.  "You'll  see,"  said  he  to  Alice,  "the  next 
volume  of  this  seriee  will  be  considered  too  tbicJt."  Ue  foreaawj 
a  tiBW  when  litcmturo  would  be  paid  hy  letters  and  spaces,  tho] 
latter  counting  double,  so  as  to  eusure  the  maximum  of  ideaij 
per  line.  Or,  perhaps,  be  said,  words  will  be  paid  for  by  the  grosa. 
Ot  a  apeeiul  tariff  fur  each  word — for  instauce.  him  at  threirpLtiee 
a  gross;  krr  at  a  shilling;  love  at  eightc^D pence;  and  regular  good 
plummy  wordii.  such  a*  forever,  evermore.  Sin,  und  so  forth,  at  fiwe 
shillings  to  half -a -sovereign. 

It  was  then  ot  tlic  very  beginning  of  this  September  afternoon— 
ten  niiiiules  past  twelve,  in  fact — that  Alice  niade  her  appearance 
at  Ko.  40.  in  pursuance  of  an  nrrnngement  made  at  hn^akfast  to 
take  Charles  down  ibe  river  in  a  boal.  and  see  the  Tower.  A  glori- 
ous excursion!  And  Old  June  would  be  quite  safe,  because  Mra. 
Gnisford  was  coming  to  sit  with  her  for  en  hour  or  so  at  tea 
time,  «nd  stop  on.    So  you  needn't  be  uneasy  about  her. 

At  thrt  door  Alice  chunc4-d  on  Mr.  Pope,  coming  to  tlte  Office 
from    the    lower  regions.      Ue   wished   ber   good-morniog   rathee 
absently,  and   remarked  that  we  didn't  see  much  of  you,  MiMA 
Kavnuagh,  in  these  parts  nowadays.     Alice  replied  that  that  must 
be  because  Mr.  Pops  was  always  in  his  roam  luLid  ^t  'voxV-nWn.'ScA 


462 


ALICE•FOI^SHORT 


came,  as  sue  iras  there  nearlj  every  day.  The  fact  is.  Ifr.  Pope 
had  made  his  ramark  on  tlic  jcrj  conxtnon  nuuinption  tbat  it 
dcicHii't  insttcr  what  you  say,  as  lODg  as  you  eay  notliiog  ela& 
Even  so,  when  we've  got  to  catch  the  'bu»  vv  remark  tlwt  it's  a 
ht-uuliful  lUiy,  when  it'a  reolly  a  beastly  day;  or  vice-veraa.  Mr. 
Pope  was  roused  by  Alices  reply  to  a  sense  of  his  own  inaccuncyj 
and  implied  an  aduiii>st<in  of  iL 

"i  iMtve  got  my  'ands  pretty  full,  liies  Kavnnajih,  aod  thafa 
thi<  truth.  Toii'i)  say  so  if  ytm  wua  to  aw  the  Dinaxii)'  variety  d 
Martyrs'  heads  we've  knocked  off  and  burned  in  this  last  month. 
Large  WeKt  Window  in  mumory  of  St.  Peti-r  Martyr.  Partiva  he 
hurneil  himself,  turn  and  turu  about  with  medallions  of  opposition 
martyrdoms.  Pretty  idcnr!— Mr.  Chappell  bc'a  attended  to  hi* 
aide,  me  to  mine," 

"I  don't  understand  I  TKd  St.  Peter  ever  bum  anybody  {"  Hr. 
Popf  Bmiled  benignly.  "Hot  ht-I  Knew  liettcr  than  to  'anj.sncfa 
thing.  This  was  a  mediievally  disposed  party — Inquisitor  I  believe 
— ^'Oly  Office!  You  go  to  tho  National  Giillcry — tlwrre'ii  a  picter  of 
him  beia'  etuck  througli  the  gizeard  iu  a  pleasant  champagne  coun- 
try. Would  you  perhaps  care  to  kw  some  of  tfie  'eada}  Got  'em 
on  a  b<-iich  dowimtair.i." 

Alice  was  rather  early,  and  was  not  only  amused  at  the  i<lea  of 
a  window  commemomtinK  impartially  the  reciprocal  murders  o£ 
the  Holy  Catholic  Church  aiid  ita  vuriuiui  Dissenler-i;  but,  owing 
to  recently  revived  interest  in  "the  No.  40  uhosts."  fell  welt-dis- 
pofinl  towardei  n  journey  into  the  bii*eni('nt,  whcrv  she  had  not 
been  for  a  very  long  time.  Even  though  it  would  be  painful  to 
her  to  be  reminded  of  her  pbtc:iIs'  tragc^dy.  iJtc  would  bear 
in  order  to  revive  the  recollection  of  the  Udy  with  the  spota  and 
red  man  with  the  knife.  She  did  npt  specially  relish  either, 
its  own  sake;  but  her  curiosity  had  been  aroused  b>'  the  recent 
versutions.  So  she  accepted  Mr.  Pope's  suggcKtion,  and  foil 
him  through  the  swing-door  of  her  youth.  Oh.  how  well  aho  re- 
membered the  dreadful  feeling  with  which,  when  she  camie  back  from 
School,  or  fetching  tlit.-  beer,  >Oie  wuuld  push  it  two  inches  ba<^  and 
call  out,  "Mother!"  And  how  that  worthy  lady  would  set  it  quite 
open  and  wiy  immediately,  "Now! — don't  keep  me  alandia'  bi 
before  she  had  time  to  pull  her  ^inall  seljf  together  for  a  alarL 

She  did  not  wish  Mr.  Pope,  though,  to  suspect  her  of  any 
motive  than  o  desire  fur  Martyn.     So  she  wai  carafnl  not  to 
back  or  al^out  her  on  the  way  down  to  the  workshop. 

Tlie  heuclH  of  till!  Mnrtym  were  irapiirtiiilly  mixed  up  on  thi> 
loading-up  bench,  and  Mr.  Pope  picked  them  up  one  by  una  to  i^v 


quite 

1 


ALI0E-F0R-8H0HT 


4S8 


L 


It^inBt  Ih*  light-  "'Eaiis  of  Riilfc-y  and  F^timRi" — thus  ran 
conim«iitary. — "Intprestio'  countenance!  'Ead  of  an  Albigence. 
All  bclongin'  to  my  side.  'End  of  Jonn  of  Arc — Mr.  Chappell'tj 
department.  /  call  it  appealin'  to  the  Gallery.  Hi.  George,  ajm'lar 
romnrk! — St.  Lawwncc — St.  Barbara.  AH  Mr.  Chappell's — Butti- 
fnnt!  Where's  that  superb  bit  of  ruby  j-ou  cut  fur  the  danua  in 
Ko.  T—Latimcrr 

"Sorry  to  any.  Hr.  Pope.  it'«  been  broke  !n  two,  snd  vie  shall 
hare  to  jinc  it  up  with  a  airing-lead." 

itr.  Pope  turiMHl  lyiite  nd  with  vexation.  "Now  Mr.  Buttifunt, 
what'e  the  meaninR  of  this!"  said  he. 

''You  must  ank  Mrs.  Cnrrigan  that.  Sir,"  rrpliod  Buttifant.  with 
a  fluepicioD  of  satisfaction  ii>  his  manner.  "It  ain't  my  fault  tf , 
«hc'n  aliowi-d  down  here.  I'vt  spoke  my  mind  free  enough  1"  Somt 
explanation  followed,  touehii;);  on  the  water^upply-  Mr*-  Cor-^ 
rigan  had  to  ho  allowed  the  run  of  the  basement,  in  this  conneo* 
tion.  If  you  let  her  come  in  here  to  liruw  water,  how  could  you 
prevent  her  meddling,  when  as  like  of  not  it  was  six  in  the  niom- 
ing(  Of  courw!  .the  just  went  smashing  round.  like  an  carthquako, 
with  nobody  lo  prevent  her.    Thus  Butltf&ul. 

"What  docs  she  say  herself  J"  said  Mr.  Pope.  Alice  looked  round, 
iully  <!xpecliiig  to  see  Mm.  Corrigan.  about  whom  eh<r  liad  a  strong 
impreeaioti  that  she  had  followed  Mr.  Pope  and  herself  down- 
ataint.  This  impression,  whieh  iihe  eould  not  assign  itA  origin  to, 
was  so  strong  that  (althouich  she  regarded  herself  as  quite  outside 
the  discussion)  slie  could  not  help  (-onimeiiti:ig  on  tlie  nlucincc  of 
the  expected  image  of  Mrs.  C  prefacioR  a  guilty  (person's  defence 
with  obeisancee,  and  not  impressing  the  jury  favourably.  "Wiill. 
but — she  was  here  only  just  thi*  miuute.  She  came  down  Miiud 
OS."  Mr.  Popo  hadn't  seen  her.  But  she  must  have  been  there, 
clearly.  "Some  of  you  young  jokera  just  slir  your  stumps  and  fiud 
her,"  says  Mr.  Buttifant  to  the  apprentice  world  generally.  But 
Mrs.  Corrigan  ii  not  in  tlic  basement  now.  whatevirr  she  was  two 
niinutes  since,  and  the  young  jokers  report  accordingly.  One  of 
tbcm  accmn  to  have  something  on  hin  mind,  not  nccpssnrily  a  joke, 
to  communicate,  ami  Alice  saj-a  "WhalC  1»  him,  lo  encoura^ce  him. 
Pope  also  addi*.  "Speak  up,  young  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum," 
which  aeemd  to  Alice  a  severe  trejitmt-nt  of  mere  r^pectful 
hesitation  before  seiuors.  It  causes  the  hesitation  to  vanuii, 
however. 

"There  teas  a  lady  come  down.  Not  l^trs.  Corrigan.  A  ladfl 
Behind— behind — behind" — this  hesitation  is  produced  by  the  obri- 
Oua  rudcnca*  of  calling   Alice  "you"    to  her   {okk.     \^\^}a£A.^»^>'s 


484  AIJCE-FOH-SHORT 

"Behind  Mftdam"— is  decided  on.   Perhaps  the  fpeaker  has  a  fricni  j 
or  brntbtT  in  »  draper's  shop. 

"Behind  mcT  sajf  Alice,  looking  round  uncomfortsblr. 
whtit  I    What  was  abe  like  I" 

"Couldn't  say.  Miss  I    But  she  was  a  lady " 

"She  must  hure  boen  liki;  somethiog.    Wat  she  like  mel" 

Two  of  the  jokere  eecm  to  haye  noticed  the  lady,  and  the  one  who 
has  spoken  refers  to  the  other.    After  eoneultation,  to  Alice'it  sui^ 
priae.  both  nod  bbbouU    Mr.  Pope  is  impatient.    "Don't  you  b^lievo 
either  of  'em,  Uise  Kavsmkgh.    They're  unlf  guuuiu'.    Couple  of  ^ 
everlaetin'  young  humbugs  I" 

But  it  is  in  the  nature  of  that  Btninge  ftnirool,  the  uneducated^ 
Englishman,  to  he  hopelessly  iuoapahli-  of  din-ct  narrative,  under 
uirvuiuBlauces  of  peaceful  interchange  of  idcAS.  lie  requires  the 
etimulus  of  n  gricriincc.  or  the  desire  to  provi-  a  friend  u  liar,  before 
hia  tongue  will  unloose  itoelf.  No  sooner  has  Mr.  Pope  put  the 
matter  on  a  disagreeable  footing,  than  the  young  humbugs  find 
their  voices.  The  spcokiug  one.  n  freckled  boy  with  a  re<d  bead,! 
to  vbom  contention  appears  congenial,  extends  an  indignant  pabnj 
(with  his  case  on  it,  prejsiimably)  toward*  Butttfant,  as  the  iat 
roediary  through  whom  a  sense  of  wrong  undeserved  may  be  eon'^ 
veycd,  even  from  n  drummer-boy  to  a  Field-UarahBL 

"It  ain't  only  me!"  be  cries,  indignantly.  "You  ask  young 
James!  lie  seen  her  as  well  a$  I  did.  He's  hem  to  ask!  You 
adc  him.  lie  won't  tell  you  no  lies.  Spots  of  hink  on  her  facp  asd 
a  piller  of  wool  on  ber  bead." 

"1  Bee  the  ink." 

"Ah,  and  you  see  the  wool." 

"It  wam't  wool.    More  like  scruffy  hair!" 

"You  see  it  though,  whatever  you  call  ill" 

"Oh  yes — I  sep  it,  plain  enough  I" 

"Wot  did  I  tell  you  (  Young  James  he  see  it — and  I  see  it, 
you  can  tell  the  guv'nor  I  see  it."  The  freckled  boy  retiree  into 
private  life  to  c-nres!)  hie  grievance,  and  pushes  ihinga  about  irrita- 
bly. Buttifant  doesn't  see  his  way  to  anything  further,  and 
devotes  hini«elf  to  the  Martyrs.  Mr.  Pope  sa.va  it'a  qiracr,  andf 
you  can't  account  for  things — a  view  which,  carried  far  enough, 
vould  undermine  Physical  Science.  Alice  thinks  *hr  won't  stop 
any  longer  because  ^le  believes  Mr.  Hoalli  may  be  waiting  for  her. 
Whether  Ifra  Corrigan  got  blown  up  or  not  wo  really  cannot  say. 

"My  deaieiit  child,  how  white  you  look !"  said  Cbarli^:>  a*  iUiee 
eam«  in.  He  was  just  finishing  the  twelfth  thousand  of  the  nnoDO* 
ajrllablee,  and  fancying  the  potysyllabl«  would  be  a  lot  eaaier. 


ALICE-FOfi-SHORT 

"So  would  jov,  "ill.  Charley  dear,  if  you  were  me!  Just  fancy  I 
The  Udy  with  the  spots  came  downstairs  behind  met" 

"Down  whatstflirst  Did  you  see  her T — Thus  Charles,  and  Alice 
tells  the  ta]e.  Wheo  she  has  dooe,  Charles  says  that  as  she  camu 
in  the  quite  reminded  him  of  herself  when  «he  wsb  frightened  by 
the  red  man  with  tiie  knife,  and  wouldn't  have  any  coke.  When 
she  was  a  small  kid.     Alice  can  recollect,  perfectly. 

Charles  and  Alice's  voya^  down  the  river  (after  lunch  at  Cre- 
moncini's;  for  which  wc  have  given  them  time)  and  visit  to  llic 
ToTttr,  wa»  an  ideal  experience.  Escapades  of  this  sort  are 
always  delightful;  but  when  you  have  a  little  extra  ghnst  to  talk 
about,  what  can  you  want  more!  Tliey  certainly  wiint<^i  nothing 
more.    There  was  no  drawback — unless  it  was  tbat  in  one  corner  of 

t  Charleses  tntnd  was  n  recollection  of  the  same  excursion  with 
'Violhei  companion  6fteen  years  before.  The  doubt  whether  it  wa» 
pleasant  or  painful  was  worse  than  the  certainty  of  the  latter 
would  have  been.  It  seemed  cruel,  all  tiie  same,  to  brvish  it  out 
of  his  mind,  end  let  the  present  supersede  it  eo  completely,  Hi» 
old  vice  of  self-examination  was  at  work.  Alice  couldn't  cod- 
"tribute  con^ously  to  the  brushing  out,  but  she  was  the  uncon- 
•cioiiB  cause  of  it  in  the  end.  For  an  intmsiTe  thought  (which 
seemed  brutal  to  "poor  Larinis")  of  how  different  it  would  seem  to 
Alice's  husband,  under  like  circumstances,  drove  Lnviniu  and  her 
lanjfuid  interests  out  of  her  widower's  mind,  and  substituted  an 
image  that  ho  tried  not  to  think  a  discomfort. 

Alice's  husband  I  There  I — of  coursi — Charles  wasn't  blind  t 
Of  course  he  knew  quite  well  it  was  going  to  be  a  wrench,  when  it 
cume.  How  could  it  be  otherwise?  Alice-f or-sliort ! — just  think  of 
it,  after  all  these  years  I     But  then,  consider  the  child's  own  wel- 

Pianl  It  had  to  be  seen  to,  of  course,  that  this  vagtir  htisbund-in-a- 
uiBt  should  turn  out  resplendent,  flawless,  chivalrous,  distin- 
gairfied— •  man  among  men.  Dear  usi  If  the  women  wc  loro 
could  wed  the  only  men  we  would  be  glad  to  give  them  up  to,  whet 
very  perfect  husbands  they  would  bare  1 

If  tb»  slightest  suepicion  of  tlie  absurdity  of  the  way  he  clasaed 
Alice  eros§ed  Charles's  mind  as  be  watched  a  beautiful  younir 
woman  (who  wiu  Alice)  looking  down  the  river  from  near  the  for«!> 
'«Qd  of  the  boat,  it  was  only  for  tJio  moment;  he  did  not  see  her  face, 
■nd  the  individualit.v  was  low  forcible.  She  might  have  been  any 
other  wcll-Snislied  girl  of  £ve-and- twenty.  And  Peggy  might  have 
been  pairing  off  her  lonely  brother  with  her  every  bit  as  much  as 
ii  »he  had  been  Mis»  Ercrilt  Collinson.    But  wh^B  dii-aft  TeNi-annA. 


* 


I 


4 

I 
I 


L 


ALICE-F0R-8H0RT 

to  wfarro  Charles  waa  sittiug  smoking,  and  brought  back  her  ani' 
mated  face  with  tbo  clear  blue  eyes,  tiin  mouse-coloured  hair 
touched  with  chestnut,  a  little  wind-blown  ou  the  forehead,  the  ro' 
of  unimpeached  pearls  between  the  )ip»  thiit  nobody  crcr  ki 
apparently  (if  that  slight  defaceincnt  rouud  the  corner  was  W. 
people  always  Visaed  you) ;  when  in  short  she  came  back  her  t< 
own  self— why,  clearly  then  shi-  wna  Alice-for-short,  and  not  n  real 
person  that  could  be  wet  lu  Society  and  louaLn't  on  any  account 
go  out  without  gloves.  And  Alicc-for-sbort  she  was  going  to 
remain,  as  far  as  Charles  could  have  any  juriadiotlon.  Because, 
according  to  him,  when  Alice  was  standing  gazing  orcr  the  boat's 
prow  at  a  pernicious  ttig-bout  that  was  stiorting  down  iho  rirer,  unit 
abreast,  and  belching  out  solid  black  like  a  cuttle-fish,  an  old 
«hap  was  enjoying  a  pipe  a  few  yards  off,  and  picturing  to  him«o 
■  glorified  lionie  that  waa  to  be  Alice's,  and  what  a  aatiafuctiou  H 
would  bo  to  the  old  chap  to  talk  over  Alice's  happincu  with  hi 
sister,  and  what  u  reiuiurcv  it  would  be  to  him  to  have  "Alice's" 
go  to  when  he  felt  lonely,  and  smoke  a  pipe  with  her  paragon  of 
huHbaodl    Certainly. 

A  contictouMnciia  of  Peggy,  inaide  Charlea's  mind,  seised  up< 
this  point,  and  asked  him  point-blank,  "Why  did  you  say  'Cer-' 
tainV?    Couldn't  you  l>e  glad  to  smoke  a  pipe  witli  tluit  adrairttbl 
Mr,  Alicia  without  ratification  C    His  mind  wriggled  uneaaily.  aa 
evaded  the  question.     It  had  the  effrontery  to  begin  thinking 
his  lint  wife;  to  caress,  as  it  were,  his  widowerhood.  and  confirm  hii 
position.    Ue  was  an  old  chap,  clearly.    However,  here  was  Ali- 
bock  again  talking  about  the  little  extra  ghoit. 

"He  was  an  odioiis  boy.  with  freckles  and  a  bullet  head — a  Iti 
of  boy  thnt  always  tells  lies " 

"Boya  of  that  sort  can't  see  ghosta," 

"Of  coumo  they  can't  I  It  stands  to  reason.  But  the  other  ba; 
was  a  dear  little  black-eyed  chap.  Be  was  speaking  the  trot: 
I'm  sure." 

"But  if  boy  number  one  always  tells  lies,  and  swears  to  the  sa 
ghost  as  boy  number  two,  who  always  tells  truth,  the  two  talc* 
neutralise  one  another  to  a  nicety,  and  there  warn't  any  ghost  at 
all !  This  teaches  us  the  absurdity  of  believing  in  the  Hupernatural, 
and  the  advisability  of  diiitnifiting  our  own  judgment,  and  putting 
faith  in  overrbody  else's " 

"Now  you're  talking  nonsense,  Mr.  Charley.    Only  I  like  yi 
when  you  talk  nonsense.    Do  be  seriouK  though,  just  for  a  miiinte 

But  the  sun  was  sparkling  ou  tlie  water,  and  the  tide  was  at' 
die  full,  and  determined  to  enjoy  iteeU  tborougblj  until  it  was 


'4 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT 


487 


* 


obtised  to  go  out,  like  b  CjibinH  whtiAo  dttya  are  niunlwTed.  And 
the  boat  WM  being  turned  aBtarn,  and  goinji  too  far.  and  then 
iroinfc  on  ahead  easy,  and  RoinK  too  fur  the  other  wuy,  imd  refusing 
to  hnir  r<-ni>on  arid  lie  up  alongside  at  the  suggestion  of  a  littlo 
bell  amidBhips.  And  we  were  being  exhorted  to  <^iiiM^ntrate  our 
mind  on  gi-lting  <iiil  tickets  ready.  So  Charles  and  Alice  put  off 
the  minute  they  were  to  be  serious  in,  and  got  n&horc  pnckod  tight 
bctwocn  hackit  in  front  and  fronta  behind,  And  at  last  eaeaped  along 
Great  Tower  Street,  and  were  aoon  enjoying  decapitation  with 
I^dy  Jane  Grey,  and  the  advantages  of  tlie  raek  with  Ouy  Fawkee. 
WhereuiHjQ  Charles's  mind  went  back  to  the  day  when  he  and  Jeff 
wont  to  seek  out  Verrinder,  and  encountt-red  a  very  poor  read- 
ing cf  the  great  eouspirator,  whose  mask  had  to  be  held  on  by 
Catesby. 

"Wdl.  Mr.  Charley  I"  said  Alice,  who  was  examining  Guy's  sig- 
nature before  and  after  torture,  "/  don'i  sec  anything  to  laugh 
at."  Charles  explaine<l  the  smile  his  recollection  hud  provoked;  of 
coarse  his  doing  so  recalled  Vcrrinder.  Alico  went  off  at  a 
tsngenL 

"I  hope  Mrs.  Gaisford'a  wrong."  said  she,  suddenly. 

"Wrong  about  what  T 

"About  iJie  old  lady.  She  thinks  she  might  slip  off  at  any 
moment,  quite  suddenly." 

"She's  very  old.  Any  little  thing  might  do  it— a  alight  cold — 
an  attack  of  bronchitis." 

^*iir*.  flai^ford  thinks  she  might  die  simply  of  old  agtt.  with 
hardly  any  warning." 

"I  suppose  slie  might,"  said  Charles.  "I  eupposo  ehe  might.'* 
But  the  thought  of  losing  Old  Jane  (you  may  think  il  strange  to 
say— but  we  do  not,  altogether)  had  made  them  both  so  sad  that  it 
needed  a  parlicularlv  hidiKiiis  dungeon,  with  inseriplions  on  the 
wall  written  by  those  who  had  lauguiahed  there  for  years,  while 
the  sun  shone  overhead,  to  make  them  forget  it  and  feel  cheerful 
sgain. 

At  tlie  end  of  expeditions  of  this  sort  people  get  nilent  and 
thoughtful,  and  even  go  (o  sleep  in  the  cab  home.  Neither  Charles 
nor  Alice  did  this,  but  both  were  very  contemplative,  in  different 
ways. 

Charles  was  thinking  to  himffelf  bow  more  than  strange  it  was  that 
thai  Verriiider,  whom  he  had  aeen  first  before  the  dawn  of  Alice- 
for-«bort,  was  even  tlien  a  liearlbrokirn  wnt<'hi-r  for  the  return  of  the 
niyiiterious  thing  called  Life  to  a  brain  which  never  opened  to 
receive  it;  that  the  woman  he  waited  for  in  vain  through  a.U.\!cini«M 


4 


L 


ALICE-FOR-SHOKT 

jfcars  was.  even  imw.  t-xpecting  liuna  at  home;  and  what  a 
funu;  thing  it  was  that  Guy  Fawkcs,  of  oil  people  i&  the  world, 
•hould  have  tiiken  his  mind  buck  to  Vcrrinder,  duriiij;  a  pVoaure 
excursion  with  a  little  girl,  who  at  that  time  when  he  tiret  saw  him. 
W8»  bringing  horoe  the  beer  from  jiubliw  round  the  coracr.  TIw 
waa  no  <-ad  to  the  rumiH-ss  of  thiuiw,  clearly. 

Alice  WHS  trondering  to  herself  what  would  hnppen  if  Old  Ja 
were  to  go  out  suddcnij',  like  tin-  gus  all  owr  ihi-  lumsie  ibe  o 
day,  when  Pierre,  in  the  eovir§e  of  scientific  re*earch.  turned  it 
oS  at  the  main.  The  iiucslion  bail  a  twofold  mt^uning  for  her. 
One  way  it  meant: — How  much  will  you  and  Mr.  Charley  misa 
the  dear  old  silver  hair  and  pationt  muHical  voici.'^  tlu'  otlier,  bow 
will  her  death  affect  .your  reaidence  at  Mr,  Charley's!  Alice  oouM 
answer  the  first  qiication.  both  for  herself  and  Charles.  The  soonnd 
waa  more  Iroubleaoroe.  It  did  not  cotmeet  itself  with  Mrs. 
Grundy  in  the  least.  It  waa  entirely  a  matter  of  Charles's  c4m> 
fort ;  never  was  utiei-Ifishness  more  absolute  or  less  eg[otistic.  There 
van  no  trace  in  it  of  the  spirit  of  aggressive  self-saerifiee  which 
ruDS  n  debtor  and  creditor  account  with  God,  and  usually  tnakea 
false  entries  on  botli  sides.  It  was  simply  resolvable  itito  inib- 
inquiries,  such  as: — "If  I  stop  on,  will  it  come  iu  the  way  of  Mr, 
Charley'*  raarryiog,  and  beins  really  happy!"  or,  "If  I  go  away, 
will  Mr.  Charley  be  properly  ntlendcNl  to,  and  not  bi!  put  off  with 
underdone  loiu-of-multou  much  too  fat.  and  watery  potaloesi" 
Then  cnmo  a  twinge  of  doubt  that  hml  never  croMed  her  miiM) 
before: — "After  nil.  my  stopping  on  and  makinit  the  place  com- 
fortable  may  be  had  for  Mr.  Charley,  even  if  Old  .lane  it  there." 
Conceivably,  Miss  Everitt  ColHnson.  or  some  equivalent  benefit, 
night  come  to  pass  more  readily  if  she,  Alice,  were  out  of  the  way. 

All  this  while,  rnind  you.  she  was  quite  aware  thai  there  was  a 
mauvaU  tjnarf  d'h^ura  in  store  for  h#r  when  her  final  surrender  of 
nil  rights  in  Mr.  Charley  should  come,  and  lie  bIioijIcI  be  uxiried 
away  by  Miss  Everitt  CoIIinson.  or  Miss  or  Mrs.  Somebody -Some- 
thing, anyhow!  Did  it  mueb  inattt-r  who — it  would  be  all  one  to 
Alice?  Her  mind  raised  a  sliRhl  involuntary  protest  against  the 
exclusion  of  the  poMibility  that  she  might  keep  some  of  Charles, 
for  all  be  found  a  real  wife  elaewlicre.  But  it  gave  up  the  point 
after  a  perfunctory  effort.  There  1— it  wouldn't  be  the  same  (iiiti«r. 
and  it  wb«  no  u«e  prcleniling.  If  Mr.  Charley  had  a  Mrs,  Charley, 
when  would  Alice  get  a  ride  alone  with  him  in  a  Haniomf  Nobody 
really  ctijoj-»  riding  bodkitu  ,\nd  think  how  long  ago  it  was  that 
Alic»-  had  her  first  ride  in  a  Hansom  with  Mr.  Charley.  Oh  not 
If  Mrs.  Charley  was  in  thu  Hansum,  she  would  wiiih  them  aa  pleu> 


i 
I 

I 


•nt   a  ride  as  ben  was  now — bat.  as  for  bodkin, 
knew  itl 

Pftrhflps  we  are  all  wrong  in  oiir  interpretation  of  little  girls,  or 
vromi^n,  but  w  certainl^^  believe  tbat  most  of  tbem  would  have  felt 
cxiirlljc  ns  Alice  did.  Tho  only  difference  we  can  sunnise  between 
what  fihe  fell  now,  and  what  she  felt  when  as  a  mere  baby  she  tried 
to  p\it  a  spoke  in  the  wheel  of  Charles'a  foolish  wedding,  is  that 
Ihcn  she  said.  "Oh.  Mr.  Charley,  dou't  go  away  from  n«."  Whertas 
now,  the  might  have  said,  "from  me."  But  we  don't  vouch  for  it, 
because  we  don't  know. 

Whatever    Alice    would    have    thought,    under    eircumatancea 
which  had  aot  arisen  so  fur,  her  thoughts  in  this  present  Hansom 
bad  to  come  to  n  close    For  the  delightful  ride  which  etideil  the         h 
(Mighifiil  excursion  did  so  on  its  own  account;  and  Charles  and        H 
Alice  were  on  the  doorstep  at  Acacia  Road.  Baying  well  1 — they  had 
had  a  delicious  time  I 

Priscilla  the  hawdiuuld  was  on  the  watch,  and  just  in  lime  to 
tnnke  thit  door-bolt  overshoot  Charles's  latchkey;  a  thing  he  said 
always  tried  his  temper.  But  they  were  very  lat^,  and  she  and 
cook  had  wauled  Mrs,  Verrinder  and  Mrs.  (Jaisford  to  have  dinner 
ajid  not  wait.  They  preferred  waiting,  and  Mrs.  Verrinder  waa 
asleep  in  tlie  drawing-room.    They  look*^  iu  at  her, 

"Sho  really  is  wonderfully  pretty,"  said  Alice  to  Mr».  Oaisford. 
"hut  we  must  look  olive  for  dinner.  Mr.  Charley.  It's  iiwfiilly- 
latcT'  Whereupon  Mrs.  Gaisford  said:  "Don't  hurry  on  my 
account — I  shall  cnteb  my -train."  in  a  tone  which  clearly  meant — 
do  hurry  1  I  shall  lose  my  train. 

So,  whi-n  the  eoffrc-stnge  arrived,  it  was  Natural  that  SCra.  Gais- 
ford  should  pull  out  iier  watch  and  apparently  see  written  on  its 
facn  that  it  would  take  her  three-quartprs  of  an  hour  to  gft  to 
Victoria  and  the  train  was  nine-forty.  Alice  went  away  with  her 
to  find  her  things.    They  had  only  time  for  three  words. 

"I  expecl  it  will  lie  as  I  said."  said  Mrs.  Gaisford.  through  a 
eafety-pin  she  was  holding  in  her  mouth :  "She'll  go  ou  a  bit  longer 
— perhaps — hut  one  day  she'll  go  out^like  the  flame  of  a  cnndlc. 
Tou  needn't  be  uneasy  about  her  I"  Alice  thought  this  very  incou- 
eequent,  but  it  was  just  like  Mrs.  Gaisford.  She  was  always  like 
that.  "All  the  some  she  may  live  to  be  a  faimdrecL  She  wns  talk- 
ing  very  funnily  about  you — I  must  run!  It's  the  last  train 
to-night,  and  it  won't  do  to  mie»  it.  Good-bye!"  and  off  went 
Mrs,  Gaisford.  Afler  raising  Alice's  curiosity  tJie  left  it  unsatis- 
fied. "Never  mind.''  said  Alice  to  herself,  and  went  back  to  finish 
bcr  coffee  in  the  drawing-room.     She  com\^  \iksm  '^fc  >Ju^  -i&n^\>9& 


I 


490 


ALICE-FOR-SHOET 


L 


4 


Toicp  talking  on  to  Charles  sa  she  opened  the  door.    It  intvrru 
itseJf: 

"Is  that  my  diirling  Cjntbtal  I  was  just  aayinK  to  your  hi 
baud,  toy  dear,  that  John  and  I  trrat  to  the  Tower.  Wc  had  to 
tidcctfL  And  wo  auw  all  ifae  things  you've  seen  lo-day.  Only  W9 
didn't  go  in  this  queer  boat  thing  you've  been  down  the  river  id. 
Fancy  ^cam  engines  on  board  n  boat!  W)iy  doesn't  it  sink 
Tbi-y'iv  all  mode  of  iron,  uuil  it  nmat  be  suoh  a  weight!" 

The  only  eSect  produced   by  the  old  Indy'n  rai«<lc*criplion 
Charles,  was  that  Aliri-  lopkcMt  up  at  biin  in  an  amUsod  interroga 
tiT«  way,  and  he  soiiled  and  shrugged  his  shoulders.    If  tbcy  had 
been  a  pending  couple,  not  qutti;  ripe  but  veiy  touchy  and  seiiailiv«, 
it  might  have  been  embarrassing.    Ther  let  it  pass  unnotioed. 
Old  Jnnr  cnntinned: 

"I  suppose  it's  right,  making  all  these  railways  and  things.  Bot 
there  were  none  when  I  wn*  with  John — none  in  London,  I'm  mirc. 
It's  all  very  strangi.- 1  We  did  very  well  witliout  theiu  then.  When 
John  and  I  went  off  to  Scotland — wo  ran  away,  you  know,  to  get 
OArried — we  went  in  the  stage-couch.  We  went  n  deal  fojiter  than 
theee  trains,  as  you  call  them."  She  disbelieved  allo^Eelher  in  the 
apeod  of  railways,  treating  speed  ns  a  kind  of  abstract  idea—* 
tiuRg  timetables  and  mileage  had  no  bearing  on.  "I  was  a  wilful 
girl,  and  I  suppose  we  did  what  was  wrong.  But  m;  father  tamed 
against  Jolm,  and  then — ah.  dear!" — it  wuh  always  wh<»i  slie  spoke 
of  her  father's  quarrel  with  her  husband  that  her  voice  showed 
most  distress.    Alice  tried  to  gel  her  mind  off  bite. 

"But  you  did  go  to  the  Tower,  like  us  J" 

"Oh  yesl — and  tlien  we  took  a  little  boat,  and  a  man  rowrf 
down  the  river,  and  wc  saw  a  great  West  ludiamau  going 
the  docks.     It  was  a  beautiful  sunshiny  day.  only  it  came  on  a 
shower,  and  wetted  us  through.    But  we  didn't  mind.  John  and  11" 

"Wo  didn't  go  in  a  little  boat."  said  Alice.  "Another  time  wo 
must.    This  time  we  shouldn't  have  had  time  enough.'' 

"We  had  plenty  of  time — all  day!  We  went  off  early  in  (be 
morning,  witli  sandwiches.  Some  with  mustard  and  some  with- 
out— for  me.  because  I  didn't  like  mustard.  And  w»  lived  all  day 
long  on  them  and  penny  butis  and  ginger-beer.  And  when  we  got 
home — paet  twelve  at  night — there  was  nulbing  to  eat,  becauso 
cat  had  been  in  the  larder.    But  wc  didn't  mind,  John  and  It" 

Her  thoughts  were  back  in  the  days  of  youth  and  ativngtii 
confidence.    Wlien  she  was  first  resuscitated,  those  days  bad  aeemed 
like  yesterday.    As  she  slowly  absorbed  the  f  acbt  (that  ia,  if  abe  really 
did  absorb  them)  tbo  Ions  J^ara  that  had  elapsed  began  to  tell;  and 


iow« 
intaS 


"J 


AUCE-FOH-SnOET 


491 


Rle: 


thouffh  stskTDCTits  in  figuna  could  have  had  ]ittl«  nwaninir  for  her, 
nvil  ihn  n-uA  atUl  far  short  of  ^aspiii^  them,  tiie  underatood  (he 
position  bettrr  than  even  Charkij  «r  Alice  bad  expected.  Some- 
thing of  a  nMil  of  iiiKilo^  for  her  slowiiees  Bt!t!iiicd  to  htt  \uttiging 
in  her  mind  now,  iieTertliclcss. 

'"You  know,  dnrlintt  CyiiUiin,"  elie  went  on,  "and  T  know  I  onght 
to  know,  ho«-  vtry  very  long  ago  it  la.  But  it  is  so  hard  to  think  it. 
If  I  let  mymtlf  forfnrl,  il  ({rows  to  be  the  other  day  that  we  bought 
my  new  Iriah  popliu  and  John  wanted  it  made  witliout  tlouncea 
And  it  wns — how  mnnjr  yeora  ngo,  ray  dear — you  aay?" 

"Hope  than  fifty  1"  said  Aliit  And  Churles.  who  hud  bwn  very 
silent.  re|)catcd  her  words.  Something  seemed  to  have  made  him 
rery  grave  and  drenmy. 

"More  than  fifty — more  than  fifty."  Old  Jane  repeated  it 
several  times.  "But,  «h,  how  litthr  use  words  iire!  It  mmmus  as  if 
it  could  not  be  I  Why,  it  really — really — scarcely  Beeins  a  day 
since  my  dear  John  pulled  the  bell  too  hard  in  our  little  titling- 
room  at  Stoke  Ncwington  and  thp  rope  eHnie  down  and  knockf^l 
my  wedding-present  off  the  mantelshelf  and  broke  it.  It  was  a  little 
Dresden  China  phcpherdess  old  Mii«  Luttrell  gave  me — -wc  called 
it  my  wcddiiig-pn-wnt  becaiiisc  it  whs  the  only  one  we  hod — it  and 
the  little  shopheni  in  a  three-cornered  hat.  playing  on  a  pipe.  Wo 
CAlled  it  John's  wedding-present,  John  mended  up  the  ehcphcrd- 
e«8  with  glue  Only  the  other  day  1"  Alice  bad  drawn  her  chair 
close  to  the  old  lady,  and  put  her  arm  on  the  cushion  the  old 
(■ilrered  head  lay  back  on,  witli  tJie  tytn  half-closed.  Site  stroked 
the  white  locks  rcsponsively,  but  would  not  trust  herself  to  speech. 
Old  Jane  talked  on  <|uictly;  there  was  no  audible  pang  in  her  ruice. 
]t  was  a  (|uiiH  niusiciil  ripple. 

"There  was  n  tumbler  knocked  down  too,  with  John's  grog  in 
it — I  hud  junt  made  it.  only  Elimlwth  hadn't  brought  the  sugar." — 
She  aceuied  to  be  looking  at  her  hand,  spreading  and  closing  the 
delicate  finger-tip*. — "I  can  almost  hear  my  husbaud'H  voice  now, 
saying.  "Don't  cut  your  pretty  hand,  dear  love.'  because  I  stooped 
to  pick  up  the  glass.  And  then  Elizabeth  came  in,  and  I  said 
bring  iinother  glass  and  the  xtigar-basin." 

Slie  ke|)t  ou  looking  at  her  hand,  and  moving  the  slack  wcdding- 
ling  up  and  down  on  the  fingi-r.    In  a  moment  she  resumed; 

"And  do  you  know,  darlinj;? — (I  am  old  now  and  it  doesn't  mat- 

1 1) — 1  thought  to  myself  what  a  prt^ty  hand  it  was.  And  I  aaid — 
I  really  did,  dear! — I  naid,  'Tea,  Sir!  see  what  a  pretty  hand  I  have 
given  you  I  And  much  you  deserve  it!'  But  you  know,  darling 
CTDthio,  that  was  my  joke    For  I  loved  John  deo-rl;  I    1.  ias*«A.  >^ 


L 


call  Mm  John  Anderson,  mjr  Jo!  It  wae  a  song  thcro  wnx  then- 
■bout  'fotir  locks  are  like  the  sdow* — I  should  like  John  to  Me 
mine,  now — 'John  Anderson,  my  Jol' "  She  still  dwelt  on  her  band, 
and  taking  Alice's  in  her  other  one.  placed  the  two  left  hands  «id« 
by  sid*.  comparing  them. 

"Yes,  dear  Cynthia,  you  may  find  it  hard  to  believe,  but  my  pntty 
hand  then  wa^  like  your  pretty  hand  now!     And  now — look  >t 
mine!"    Alice  wanted  to  say  how  pretty  it  was  still.    Bui  the  word* 
6tuck  in  her  throat.    Charles  did  nothing  to  reinforce  her;  rathc^H 
the  contrary!  ^H 

"Ob,  uiy  darling,  what  is  itl    Sve  now — that  is  stupid  no!    Just 
think — that  I  should  net  yoti  ofi  crying  with  all  this  melanebolfj 
talk!"    But  Alice  eulleetci]  her  self -possession,  tho  more  easily  tha^ 
tears  baring  been  publicly  spoken  of,  she  could  now  produce 
pocket -hantlkerchief  without  disguise.    When  it  had  retired  to 
lair  again,  she  kissed  Old  Jane,  affectionately,  but  did  not  te 
loquacious. 

'Tou  are  really  so  much  younger  than  me,  di^ar,  that's  whyl 
aaid  Old  Jane.     She  seemed  to  mean  that  youth  could  not  lo 
deatli  in  the  face  as  old  age  can — or  something  to  that  cSocL    All 
&he  seemed  to  imply  tliat  the  strange  thing,  on  the  face  of  it, 
Alice's  youth,  not  her  own  age.     Every  one  is  normal  in  his  own 
eyes.    Alice  felt  she  must  try  to  say  something,  if  only  to  confine* 
herself  of  her  own  self-control.     She  pulled  oS  her  own  ring — 
the  celebrated  ghost's  ring,  as  Locy  called  it. 

"You  ought  to  Iiave  a  guard-ring."  slie  said.  *'lo  keep  youra  on. 
Like  this." — And  she  slipped  it  on  Old  Jane's  finger,  outside  the 
gold  ring.    But  Old  Jane  said  it  was  just  aa  sloppy,  and  one  wot 
have  to  be  made.    You  see,  they  were  talking  so  imlike  people 
books! 

"Now.  Cyntliia  darling — just  to  please  me,  aoe!    You  try  mjt 
ring  00  your  finger."    Ali<?e  took  the  gold  ring,  and  wa»  about  Vt^M 
put  it  on  her  wedding- finger,  when  the  old  lady  iuterpo^d.    "JJo-^J 
nol"  said  she,  "that  will  never  do!     Most  unluckyl    Ur.  Charley 
must  put  it  on  that  hand.     You  muat  only  put  it  on  the  right.'|_ 
Alice  thought  this  was  some  funny  old-world  supeistitiou  she 
not  know,  and  sUpiied  the  ring  on  her  right  hand. 

"Of  course."  added  Old  Jane.  "I  should  have  liktd  it  on 
other  hand.    Because  it  would  have  looked  just  like  mitie  that 
But " 

Alice-,  with  the  most  perfect  simplicity  and   unconaciouac 
withdrew  the  ring  from  her  right  finger  and  held  it  out  to  Cb 
Old  Jane  interposed  again. 


L 


■  ALIOE-FOR-SHORT  4M 

■  "No— no!    That's  unlucky  too." 

W  "XonaeDW  unlucky!  Stick  it  on,  Mr.  Charley,  and  tuivc  dons 
vith  iti"  Thus  Alice,  and  out  goes  lier  wcdding-fingiT  pruper 
towards  Charlea.  He  has  been  very  grare  and  quiet  for  some  tiai«. 
Now  be  speaks. 

"I  tbiuk.  darling  girl,  that  perhaps — perhaps  you  don't  qiiitoj 
understand  what  Urs.  Verrinder  meant."     He  conK's  and  sits  omJ 
tlio  other  fide  of  Mrs.  Verrinder.  and  speaks  to  her  by  her  name, 
gently  and  affectionately. 

"Dear  Kale.  I  am  afraid  you  have  got  a  false  idea  about  roe  and 
Alice.  I  am  not  going  to  marry  Alice,  and  Alice  is  not  going  to 
marry  me " 

'*Oh.  Mr,  Charley  dear,  wilit  a  silly  old  goose  you  are  \"  Alice  baa 
flushed  scarlet,  and  her  pulac  baa  gone  up — very  much  upl  "Dear 
Kat«I  she  never  thought  any  such  nonsense.  Do  tell  her.  Mr. 
Cbarl«r 

"Tou  tell  her.  Alice!"  Tliis  was  mean.  Tou  sec.  the  fact  la 
Charles  had  not  the  dimmest  idea  what  he  was  going  to  say.  AHco 
might  try  her  hand. 

*"Tou  don't  undoratand.  dear  Kate.     Ifs  not  like  that.    Mr. 

Charley  and  I  are — Mr.  Charley  is — well  1  it's  quite  different " 

And  Alice  doesn't  feel  that  she's  scoring.  Charles's  dt^licacy  is  in  . 
terror  lest  any  form  of  disclaimer  should  be  interpreted  into  som»<l 
thinx  dreadful,  and  fnels  he  must  cle^r  the  position,  ' 

"Alice  was  a  baby  when  I  knew  her  first " 

"And  picked  me  out  of  the  filthy  stn-st  and  the  area  full  of 
cat"  and  my  bedroom  near  the  waK-r  coming  in.  and  took  me  home 
to  Mother  Peg,  and  saved  mc!  Tea — my  dear — my  dear — you 
rfid/"  Alice  is  getting  excited,  but  escili-nient  mu.y  not  be  good  for 
Old  Jane,  and  $he  sees  her  way  out  easiest  by  turning  all  to  a  joke. 
She  remembers  Charles's  letter  Sister  Alcthea  read,  and  the  stolen 
turkeys,  and  winds  up:  "And  instead  of  tliat.  suppose  I  was  to  go 
and  marry  you  1    Poor  Mr.  Charley  !"* — 

Charles  is  just  going  to  avail  himself  of  tho  proffered  exit 
through  Inughler,  when  be  is  stopped  by  the  twirs  he  sefs  running 
down  Old  Jane's  cheek.  During  the  attt-mpted  explanation  she  has 
tieen  looking,  puzzled,  from  one  speaker  to  tho  other.  ICow  eha 
herself  speaks. 

"Oh  no!  oh  no! — it  isn't  true.  Tou  are  oidy  joking  with  met, 
But  do  DOt^^o  not  1  Oh,  do  tell  me  truly — are  you  not,  you  two — • 
»re  you  not  to  be  married — to  be  made  man  and  wife?"  She  keeps 
loc^inf  from  one  to  the  other.  The  position  she  has  pLacod  tbeot 
in  is  a  convolution  of  emburrassmenla. 


494 


AUCE-FOE-SHORT 


» 


Alicp.  confronted  for  the  6ntt  lime  with  the  problem  ol  her  own 
r<>hiliona  with  Charles,  which  from  childhood  she  has  always  taken 
for  panted,  thinks  first  and  foivinoKt  of  Am  difficult  position,  and 
how  ehc  elmll  U'st  extricate  him  from  it.  Slie  thinks  of  sajii^: 
"1  love  Mr.  Charley  so  dearly  that  1  certainly  wouldn't  tnarrjr  hiai 
on  any  nccotint.  Ho  mu?t  marry  somebody  he'a  passionate); 
attadied  to,  eteetera."  But  what  sn  ideal  Foncy  trusting  Hr. 
Charley  with  an  admission  of  thnt  *ort!  flc'd  onW  a  ring  at 
once,  if  it  wo8  AUee-for-short.  even  if  he  was  head-over-ears  in 
]ove  with  two  or  three  duchcsecs.  Then  slip  thinks  how  would  it  b* 
to  aay,  "I  hate  Ur.  Charley  «o  that  nothing  would  Induce  ni«,"  and 
turn  it  oS  as  a  joke:  But  she  is  not  certain  tlie  joke  would  avert 
the  further  discuiution  of  the  point,  and  besides! — the  nilvcr  hnir, 
l!ie  lMA«*<!hiiig  look,  the  trembling  hands  still  holding  her*  iind 
Charles's — how  could  n  joke  be  thought  of,  much  lew  spoken!  She 
is  MT4'Iy  pumIikI  what  to  tiiiy.  But  Uie  is  always  full  of  tntivpidi^ 
and  resource,  is  Alieel  An  idea  crosses  her  mind.  She  knows  OU 
JaDc':<  luraring  ih  :iot.  i;i]iial  t(i  a  sotlo-voce,  and  she  speaks  acfOM 
her  quickly,  under  her  breatli. 

"Caa't  you  think  of  anything  to  aeyP* 

■'No!  whatever  I  think  of  seems  wrong." 

"Then  do  as  I  tell  you.  Mr-  Charley,  and  ask  no  q\iestion«L 
tend  we're  engaged,  for  her  sake  I" 

"For  lier  saket"    Alice  nods.     She  stoops  over  the  old  wriiiklod_ 
face,  and  kieses  it  affectionately. 

"Dear  Katel  don't  cry — I  will  tell  you.    We  mean  to  be  nuurio 
one  day — me  and  Mr.  Charley — when  Wre  in  the  buniour.    And 
we'll  tell  you  all  alxiut  it  when  we  know  ourselves.    There  I" 

An  expression  of  perfectly  seraphic  rnpttira  illuminatea  the  old 
face.   "Oh.  my  darlings,"  she  says,  "I  was  right.    I  was  right, 
it  will  be- )" 

"Oh  yes — one  day  1    But  we  are  verj  happy  as  we  are." 

"And  you  will  be  hnppier  yet— *9  John  and  I  were," 

Alice  had  to  admit  to  herself  that  her  adventure  had  been  a  ridi 
one.  She  had  not  had  time  to  consider  the  consequences.  It  wM 
not  only  that  the  old  lady  was  sure  to  talk,  whatever  promisee  4^ 
KEcrecy  she  might  make,  but  th«t  she  herself  felt,  the  moment  iturt 
Old  Jane  gave  way  to  her  delight  at  the  announcement,  that  sbs 
was  not  really  prepared  to  play  out  her  part  in  the  drama.  She 
could  have  otrnpiy  made  her  miiutatcment,  and  there  aa  end.  BMt> 
to  have  to  face  the  constant  recuT«-nee«  that  might  be  expected. 
and  to  supply  llic  little  inventions  that  would  certainly  l«  eBUtd 
fori    Uow  about  that!    And  worse  still,  bow  about  meeting  21r. 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


40& 


Charley  to-morrov  morning!  Just  for  to-night,  and  for  nn  expo* 
dicnt,  it  Oitln't  inuttor  wlint  nouaeiifie  we  talked!  But  bow  abuut 
the  cold  ItKht  of  day  t  It  would  ociTcr  be  poseible  to  keep  discreet 
sUenco  oo  the  subject  by  mntiiul  coiwcnt.  Th*t  would  breed  n  sub- 
OHUcionsnoss;  that  would  ui-ver  do.  It  intglit  even  undcrmiiiu 
tbem — Alice  shuddered  to  think!  .\nd  if  it  was  bad  for  her  it 
would  be  worse  for  him.    Sti-  whul  ahe  bad  d<«n'! 

At  the  same  lime,  what  was  the  altcnialiveil  Stickinji  to  thp 
truth,  and  ktttng  the  <lcar  old  thing  hruik  her  poor  heart  over  it  t 
A  prettj'  choice  I  No— she  could  rub  the  unaeifishneas  of  the 
motive  into  Mr.  Charier,  mid  square  it  all  up  that  way. 

Tht«  ri-flectious  passed  rapidly  through  Altoe's  mind,  probably 
ia  some  modified  fomi  through  Charles's  alio,  «»  thoy  stood  by  the 
old  lady,  neither  liking  to  withdniw  the  hand  slic  lield;  both  at  a 
loM  what  to  say  De.\t.  Presently  tu.-r  own  fingers  rela.\ed.  and  sbt.' 
remained  perfectly  motionless  with  her  eyes  closed — so  motionleM 
that  Charles  lliought  she  had  fainted.  But  die  had  not.  It  was 
only  the  sudden  sleep  possible  to  old  age  and  low  Titality. 

"She's  all  right,"  said  Alice,  after  examination.  "Very  little 
pulao — but  it's  there!  She  ought  to  have  something.  Thpn^'s 
aome  brandy  in  the  cellaret  of  the  sideboard."  But  before  Charles, 
who  went  immediately  to  get  it,  returned,  the  old  lady  opened  her 
eyes  and  drew  a  long  bn-atli.  ''T  must  have  dropped  aaleep  for  a 
miiiule,"  she  said;  "I  wonder  whether  I  was  dreaming  or  not." 
and  then  seemed  to  become  partially  unconscious  again. 

"Oughtn't  we  to  st-nd  for  Shawi"  said  Charl».  Shaw  was  tlie 
local  medical  resource.  But  at  the  sound  of  his  name  the  old  lady 
roused  herself.  "No — don't  send  for  any  doctors  for  me,"  slie  snid, 
not  without  asperity.  'T  shall  be  beat  in  bed." 

She  tried  to  get  on  her  feet,  but  succeeded  so  ill  that  Charles 
settled  the  matter  by  picking  her  up  like  a  baby — she  was  almost 
a  featherweight — and  carr>'iiig  her  tenderly  to  bi-r  room.  Alice  sum- 
nJon<'d  Priscilla,  and  the  two  of  them  got  her  to  bed.  Then  she 
became  wakeful  and  remembered  the  events  of  the  evening  clearly. 
So  Alice  decided  on  sitting  with  her  till  she  slept;  Charles  on  a 
final  pipe,  and  made  himself,  as  Alice  requested  him  to  do  so. 
scarce. 

"l(y  darling."  nnid  Old  Jane  wheu  she  was  comfortably  settled, 
ami  Priscilla  had  waned.  "I  can't  tell  you  bow  happy  ,vou  have 
made  me.  I'ro  been  thinking  that  it  was.  and  thinking  that  it 
wasn't,  off  and  on — off  and  on!  And  tlii-n  when  I  heard  your  cab 
back,  something  mado  me  fancy  it  u<fi«.  for  certain.  Theo.  \.  v%^- 
powO  I  iiaid  nomelhiug  and  you  both  VhoiiEXM.  \  \Jiu\i^\.  ^wi.  isikw 


4ftS 


AZTCE-FOH-SHORT 


going  lo  b^  married  at  onco.  Of  course  I  incanl  in  tb<^  caA.  But 
DOW  it's  ull  quilp  rifbt,  bdiI  I  sbutl  sleep  and  wake  quit«  kspi^." 

"Do  you  <ir*ara  much,  dear  Katel" 

"YeK,  a  great  deal.  It's  alwnys  inc  nnd  John.  Tlieiv's  oti«  dmn 
1 4lr«ani  over  and  over  again.    Wc  are  walking  about  iu  those  pretty 

Paddington  fields,  and  be  rails  mo  Miss just  as  he  usc<d  to 

do  at  first.  Because  that  was  before.  We  went  there  again  though. 
Oul?  thie  particular  dream  is  always  before.  And,  oh  dear!  I  can 
HiiK'll  tbi>  May  blosaim,  and  hcnr  the  Miij;iiig  of  the  birdii^  We 
heard  a  uightingale,  I  know.  Oh  yes!  I  dream  thai  dream  OT€r 
and  over  ogain."  Alice  fell  the  lump  in  her  throat,  nnd  for  wply 
only  stroked  the  speaker's  hand,  as  it  lay  ou  the  coverlid.  Old 
Jane  went  on,  speaking  more  with  pleasure  than  pBia — with  |Wf- 
feet  wclf-commaud  at  any  rato. 

*'We  walked  moro  tJian  sis  miles,  John  said.  I  daresay  the  Udf 
are  not  so  pretty  now.  We  went  all  round  by  Westbournv  OiMB 
etid  the  Grand  Junction  Canal,  and  saw  a  barge  go  tlirough  Ae 
lock,  nnd  nil  tiic  water  bubbling  up.  llnw  we  did  enjoy  it,  that 
day!  I  shall  :iev<-r  vnjoy  anything  again  so  much.  .  .  ."  There 
etaae  a  little  pause,  giving  the  idea  (lo  Alice  at  least)  that 
had  remembered  her  age,  and  wtis  reflecting  tliat  future  cnj' 
if  any,  must  needs  be  elsewhere. 

"Cynthia  darling,  do  you  know  what  I  should  really  like,  instetii 
of  going  to  Heaviai  when  I  die — because  you  know,  dear,  tbcy  may 
want  me  to  go  to  neaven.  and  John  might  not  be  there — I  don't 
thiidc  he  believed  in  anything  at  ull — do  you  know  what  I  abtHlld 
like — really — if  I  could  have  iny  own  way  t" 

"No  I  what,  dear  r* 

"Why,  I  should  like  lo  die  in  my  Bleep,  juat  in  the  middla  id 
that  dream.    Only  to  have  the  dream  go  on.    Because  the  smeD  of 
the  May — in  the  dream — and  the  siuging  of  the  birds — and 
tile  sunlight  I    Now  you  go  to  bed,  dear.    I  shall  sleep." 

Rhe  turned  her  liend  again  and  closed  her  eyca,  but  left  her 
etill  on  the  coverlid.    Ahcc  said  good-night;  kissed  her  again,  and 
left  the  room. 


that  ^^ 


euDi 

halW 


CHAPTER  XLVn 

BUT  Sin:  DOBS  NOT  WAKE,  TIllH  TlMt:.  ASH  SUE  DIED  USDER  A  DnitFaiOV. 
HOW  SlTPO^e  IT  IIAO  RKKS  TRUE  I  HOW  CHARLES  UET  UlS  llE-tU' 
PEHE  IS  THB  BEOESTS  PARK.  TDB  WITCHES  IX  UACBETH.  A  LET- 
TER or  UISS  STIMKKB's.      llUW  ir  AUUK  HHItsKLC f 


i 


AuCE  bereelf  slept,  unmistakably.  Only,  owin^  to  her  general 
■rmicniMnt  nbout  being  called  in  the  morning,  it  was  very  Inle 
Indeed  before  ehe  v/aked.  For  hor  syalem  was  that  Priscilla  should 
remain  in  aboyancc  until  slie  rang  her  bell,  and  should  then  spiiear 
vitli  hot  water.  This  plan  of  life  bad  been  established  with  a  view 
to  its  inevitable  corollary;  that,  hovrever  early  Alice  rang,  the  hot 
water  ftbotilt)  Ix-  rcudy  foi"  delivery.  In  fact  it  was  only  the  corol- 
lary in  di^-uiw — a  italalable  way  of  introducing  it.  to  avoid 
unpleasantness. 

So  when  sho  awoke  at  nearly  nine  o'clock,  she  said  good  gracious 
how  late  it  was,  and  pulled  the  bell  violently.  Not  because  sha 
supposed  the  hot  water  would  corae  any  quicker  on  that  account* 
but  as  a  foretaste  of  compensatiug  alacrities  to  come.  Lot  no  rash 
retainer  presume  on  nu  exceptional  delinquency  like  thisl 

"What  is  it  by  downotairei"  said  she  to  PriscUla  as  she  opened 
the  shutters.  And  Priscilla  replied.  "Flve-and -twenty  to.  Miss." 
Nine  understood. 

"Oh,  well!  that's  not  so  had  na  I  thought.  U  Mr.  Cliarlea 
down  I"  Uc  had  been  down  an  hour,  and  wns  writing  in  the  draw- 
ing-room. Very  w(-ll  then — say  breakfast  in  ten  minutes,  and  Alice 
would  be  rendy  by  then.  And  tell  cook  not  to  boil  the  eggs  too 
hard.    Yesterday  they  were  not  eatubte. 

"Am  I  to  wake  Mrs.  Verrinder,  Miss!" 

"Certainly  not.    Is  she  sound  asleep!" 

"Oh  yes.  Misa — quite  sound!" 

Alice  was  so  preoccupied  with  the  difficult  task  of  getting  through 
ablutions  and  into  garments  in  ten  minutes,  that  she  did  not  notici!, 
or  postponed  noticing,  that  Priscilla's  question  was  unusual.  Gen- 
eral inHtrHt-tions  interdicted  Mrs.  Verrinder  ever  being  waked,  tit 
all;  in  fact  Charles  and  Alice  (fortified  by  Sir  Rupert)  regarded 
mucJi  iW-p  as  likely  to  prolong  life,  and  quite  invalu&bW  ^J:l  ^^ 

4» 


I 


J 


I. 


L 


old  Indy.  It  was  not  until  Alice  had  broken  the  bacic  of  lier  toilette 
and  was  combing  out  hpr  hair,  that  her  mind  went  Ixtck  on  the 
ftig-cnd  o(  Iwrr  confereaci;  with  Prii*eillu.  and  iben  debx-tcd,  retro- 
Bpectivdy,  eomc  kind  of  uncertoint?  in  her  laet  words.  Had  she 
gcinc  too  fnr  in  tuking  for  ^nntcd  that  ertiipidilj  would  nccoust 
for  aD.vthinK  and  everytbinii:  Pri^oilla  said  or  did  C  She  Slopped 
combing  n  nioim-nt  with  u  thoughtful  fiic^i',  then  hurricdl;'  pulled  on 
clippers  and  a  sort  of  pcitcnoir  or  lea-Kown.  and  went  oul- 

Priscilln  and  cook  {iinoaunl  ngain)  were  stnndinK  at.  Mrs.  Ver 
riiider's  door  oonversing  in  an  und*rton(.-,  Thiy  looked  frightened 
and  Priscilla  said,  "Here  idie  isl" — a«  though  they  had  been  apeak' 
isg  of  her. 

"Haa  Mm  Terrinder  rung  I" 

"No — Miss!"    Alice  glanced  at  the  speaker.  Cook.    Her  replyi 
inalead  of  Priscilla.  who  stood  nilenl,  wa»  coutrurj'  to  routine— 
an  invsnion  of  Priscilla's  province. 

"Have  you  been  into  the  room  i"  Alice  asked.  And  Cook  agaia 
Krpticd,  "YcF,  MiBs."  Priscilla  remained  silent,  Alice  waiTcd 
explanation,  and  pushing  the  door  gently  open,  looked  in.  Only  for 
two  seconds;  for  nhnottt  immediately  slic  closed  it,  and  turning  ran 
quickly  downstairs  to  the  drawing-room,  where  Charles  waa  writ- 
ing. He  tomcd  «■  »hc  entered  ftn<)  saw  something  was  WTcmc. 
"Another  gboal,  dear !"  he  said,  jokingly. 

"I  want  you  to  come  upstairs  at  once.    Come  now!" 

''How  while  the  child  Itioknl    FlI  come,  darling."    But  she 
as  if  she  migbt  fall,  and  Charles  passed  his  arm  round  her.    "(A 
noJ  I'm  all  right,"  she  snid.    But  sbn  It-nncd  on  him,  tool 

He  paused  au  iuatant  at  the  stairfoot.  and  glanced  round  in 
face.    "Old  Jane!"  he  said,  interrogatively.    She  nodded,  and 
went  upstairs. 

On  the  lauding  were  Cook  and  Priscilla,  as  befOK.  Both  were 
crying,  ns  though  the  short  inti-rim  had  madv  things  clearer  to 
them.    They  followed  Charles  and  Alice  into  the  room. 

Tho  old  hand  that  Alice  bad  held  Ihc  night  before  Ktill  lay  where 
she  bad  left  it  un  the  coverlid ;  but  what  it  had  of  eoluur  tlwn,  vat 
gone.  It  might  hnvo  been  alabaster.  The  old  face  that  looked  so 
happy  to  Alice  as  she  said  farewell  to  her  wan  almost  an  white  as 
the  hair  upon  the  brow.  But  for  that,  what  Charles  and  Alice  botk 
knew  at  once  wait  Heath  might  haro  been  alccp.  80  little  had  tlN 
lips  parted,  so  nearly  did  the  eyelid  still  close  over  the  glazed  ej* 
llint  it  would  hare  been  hard  to  »ay  wherein  what  was  now  left  ct 
Old  Jane  differed  from  what  had  been  Old  Jaiw  in  bor  balf- 
ccnlury  of  living  Death  in  the  Asyluin.    But  no  one  who  bad 


^m 


ALICE-FOR-SHOKT 


4»»^ 


i 


and  noted  Dmtfa  tlut  is  really  dead,  could  have  doubted  for  a. 
moment  tliat  the  end  bad  come.  For  a  abort  balf-y«ur — no  more! — 
8h«  had  stepped  from  ibc  tomb  iuto  the  1i|{ht:  and  now  the  dust 
would  rcliiru  to  Earth  ua  it  whh.  b.i  tbe  Spirit  liiid  returtu^  to  God 
w!io  gav«  it.  But  neither  Alice  nor  Charles,  if  thousht  took 
ehapf"  thus  ns  they  stood  by  tlic  tnotio)ilo--u  form  that  hnil  movt'd 
and  spoken  for  tbem  so  few  houra  l>efore,  eould  hava  pone  further 
with  tho  Preacher,  and  said  that  all  was  Vanity.  Ilad  not  Old 
Jnoe,  in  that  brief  span  of  liuic.  woiiud  liersielf  round  thc^  hearts 
of  bothi  And  what  was  tbe  meaning  of  it  alii— <if  the  thread  that 
wa.i  now  broken — of  the  mcanory  that  would  remain?  All  wait  not 
Vanity,  preaeh  whoso  might  1  So  long  as  Love  itself — the  mystery 
of  all  mysti-nt» — shall  remain  unsolved,  thcrt'  is  an  immeasurable 
music  beyond  the  octave-streteh  forlorn  of  our  fingers,  an  uufath- 
OTHable  ocean  beyond  our  little  world  of  pebbles  on  the  shore.  J 

Alice's  nurse-experience  bad  taught  her  all  tbo  minor  duties  that  I 
w«igh  uti  down  iu  the  preocnec  of  Death — all  the  "things  that  have  ' 
to  be  done."  She  knew  them  better  than  Cook  or  Priseiila,  who 
wont  away  to  provide  some  necessaries,  after  a  few  words  of  in- 
atruclion.  Having  given  these  Alice  returned  to  Charies.  who 
after  writing  a  few  words  for  Priseiila  to  take  to  Wr,  Shaw  the 
medical  man,  had  come  back  into  the  room,  and  stood  looking  at 
the  seeming-sculptured  effigy  upon  the  bed.  Tie  placed  his  arm 
round  her  ngaiii,  as  it  had  been  befon-.  She  found  her  voice,  in  a 
whisper  almost. 

"Oh,  Mr.  Charley  dear]  To  think  that  ahe  was  here  with  us — 
leas  than  ten  hours  ago— and  now 1" 

"And  now  we  don't  know  what  to  think." 

"No,  nobotiy  doewl  I  was  tliinkiug  what  shall  we  do  about  her 
wpdding-ringlf    It  will  come  off  when  they  move  it."  J 

"Tie  something  round  her  finger."  ^ 

"No.  1  won't.  I'll  put  it  on  my  own  finger  till  .  .  .  wellt  the 
did  la«t  night,  you  know." 

"All  right,  darling.  I  dont  object.  You  can  pat  it  back 
after." 

Alice  asked  pardon  in  her  heart,  aa  sbc  stooped  over  the  old  white 
face,  and  kissed  the  ivory  brow.  The  hair  still  felt  as  it  would  have 
felt  yuaterdny.  She  drew  the  ring  from  the  finger — how  caaily  it 
came  ofil — and  placed  it  on  her  own  hand  behind  the  Ghost's 
ring.  But  it  brought  back  the  evening  before  so  vividly,  that  she 
waa  fain  to  hide  her  sobs  on  Charles's  shoulder.  Cook  and  ?tU^ 
ciUa  wouldn't  be  back  for  u  minut«  oi  two.   ^b  aim.  AoasA.  ^i'M^^ 


fiOO 


ALICE-FORSnORT 


L 


ber.  >a  his  free  lund  carcsaed  tbe  loose  hair  that  bad  oaif 
half -com  bf-d. 

"Poor  lilUe  Alicfc-for-short T  said  he.  But  it  wuuld  bare  pUEsled 
an.v  «ti«  to  SH.v  if  it  was  a  father  or  a  lover  that  !q>olcc.  CoD- 
<!c!vably  the  lutlvr.  iiedciiig  rviiiforcf-ment  fur  u  »purtoud  pateniitjr 
in  tbe  name  beetoved  on  Alice's  babyhood,  preserved  tbrouitli 
Alice**  stribood.    Or  poMxibly,  he  did  uot  know  hinuwlf. 

Alice  felt  happier  for  her  torrent  of  tears;  but  thou|[h  she  dried 
her  eyes,  she  <iid  not  diseoeiute  herself  from  him,  hut  looked  up  la 
bis  faoe  with  eomethius  «u  her  mtud.  The  clear  blue  ej-ea  gaxed 
into  bis  through  the  Inst  of  the  shower,  and  the  handii  Old  Jane'* 
were  once  so  like  folded  themselves  ou  bis  shoulder  as  the  fingen 
of  the  left  moved  on  the  third  finger  of  (he  right  ovi-r  Old  Jane'* 
Tedding- ring.  It  waa  that  that  kept  taking  lier  mind  bade  to  Ihs 
OTcning  before. 

"tl  does  seem  such  a  sbaioc!"  said'slie  at  lasL 

"What  eeeme  a  sbame,  darliiigl" 

"'Why!  To  think  that  tbe  last  thing — the  tery  last  ibins  of  all 
when  we  were  together — you  end  she  and  I — was  a  dtceptitmV 

"What  was  the  deception  f" 

"When  we  suid  let's  pretend — oil  lha(.  It  wasn't  you,  dear  Hr. 
Charley,  1  know.  It  was  I  did  it — nobody  but  nic.  And  abe  b^iered 
it  all  and  never  knew  it  was  pretencel  X  felt  no  giiiltj  up  koe 
when  she  said  bow  happy  it  made  her." 

Whether  it  occurred  to  Charles  tben  that  bo  migbl  say,  as  an 
infallible  logical  sequenee,  "Then  why  not  make  it  a  reality  i"  we 
do  not  know.  Rut  if  it  did,  w«  feel  certain  he  dismissed  it  at  once 
The  serene  unconscioin^ness  of  that  nspect  of  the  matter  in  tlw  blue 
eyes  that  looked  up  again  so  trustingly  at  him  as  tlteir  owdft 
pleaded  guilty  to  bi'T  duplicity;  tbe  e\'idetil  r<:tention  by  tbst 
duplicity  and  that  only  of  the  for^round  of  her  mind,  completely 
forbu<ie  any  n-fcrence  to  a  sL'ltfsh  aspect  of  the  cane  on  cither  part. 
The  predominant,  indeed  tbe  only  aspect,  for  Alice,  was  that  ber 
last  intercourse  with  ber  old  dead  friend  liud  been  Koiled  by  a  decep- 
tion on  her  part.  Charles  could  never  avail  himself  of  a  fahie  con- 
text of  ideas;  he  ncct'ptwl  AticiT'n  thought  of  the  matter  ns  the  only 
one  poBsible'-ihe  only  ground  on  which  it  could  bo  discusMcd. 

"What  made  her  hnppicHt  wok  bc«t,  wnnnl  it  C  bo  mid.  "DobH 
grieve  about  that,  dearest  little  Alice.    What  does  it  matter  1" 

Alice  dried  her  eyes,  "I  daresay  it's  only  a  fancy,"  said  ebf, 
"but  one  does  have  fancies  I — 1  would  sooner  everylliing  I  said  to 

her  bad  been  true "     Alice  was  interrupted  by  the  udvetit  of 

the  doctor,  koocklesa  but  with  musical  buobi.   Priacilla  ksid  left  tbe 


W  ALICE-FOR-SHORT  WI 

InMhSoor  QB  ^  iar.  She  and  Cook  vctv  thmwinR  tKcir  whole 
tMnrtato  aTcrtlng  elune.  oiitflmnkiug  rings,  and  making  uDdcr 
their  breath.  Cook's  attitude  appeared  to  Alice  to  consist  o{  imper- 
fect Jy  digvsted  reminiscences  of  correct itudes  elsewhere.  An 
unwarranted  Prayer-book  thai  lived  uonually  lii  a  soup-tureen  on 
thi-  drrsser  mas  seen  by  Alice  in  ihe  Tea-AnhydrMe  on  the  little 
wooden  table  in  the  kitchen.  It  was  not  on  sen-Ice;  a  mero  imple- 
ment of  bcrcavcmpnl.  The  doctor's  verdict  was  soon  given;  &nd 
tlicn,  hia  fmic-liou  diaclioreed.  he  went  his  way. 

If  Charles  had  ever  coolemplated  straining  Alice's  words  to  a 
mMning  nhe  had  not  xeen  in  them,  he  must  have  fell  gind  now  tliut  _ 
be  did  not  do  so.  Her  detachment  from  any  such  TOeanUig  waafl 
■bsotuti*.  She  would  sooner  evcrytliing  shp  snid  had  bc^n  true  I 
And  what  she  had  said  was  that  be  and  sliif  wui*  to  bf  man  and 
wife.  But  tliough  Charlrs  could  not  jump  at  a  misinterpretation, 
to  gain  au  end  he  had  never,  so  far.  dreamed  of  oh  possible,  he  could 
repeat  over  her  words  to  himself,  as  ho  went  in  to  town  to  give 
directions  for  the  fimerai.  He  was  to  meet  Alice  at  Ilnrlej-  Street, 
where  she  would  go  at  once  aftfr  she  bad  got  things  settled  at  the 
houac^  But  there  was  no  hurry,  and  he  wanted  a  walk.  Bo  walked 
Bcroas  Regents  Park  repeating  to  himself  Alice's  words:  "She  would 
sooner  everything  she  said  had  been  true  I" 

Ah!  Now  suppose — only  suppose — be  hud  been  tlie  joung  man 
who  crossed  this  greensward  sixteen — seventeen — years  ago.  instead 
of  the  old  man  he  had  elected  to  think  himself  now!  Or  rather, 
the  worn-out.  used-up.  Bpoiled.  disfranchised  man,  who  could  not 
offer  an  unsullied  love  (according  to  his  own  romantic  notions)  to 
any  woman.  But  suppose  it!  Jual  for  oncel  Let  Imaginalioa 
loo«e — give  hiT  the  bit  in  her  teeth!  And  them,  suppose !^how  if 
everything  that  AHc^  bad  said  had  b«eii  true!  Charles's  heart 
quickened  as  bis  blood  ran  riot  in  his  vein» — as  it  mounted  to  his 
head.  He  went  diuLy  with  tlie  idea — ihe  dream  of  a  happineas 
almost  too  intoxicating  to  be  bomel 

JuHt  conceive  it!  If  tlie  words  could  have  loeeut  what  he  knew 
they  could  not  mean,  that  she  would  rather  it  had  been  true  that 
thvy  wen-  to  be  tnnn  and  wife!  Shut  your  eyes  to  think,  Charles! 
Tea!  Bqaenzn  your  fin^-rs  on  theui  if  that  is  any  help — to  think 
what  that  would  mean  for  all  the  days  to  come  that  you  have  left 
of  life;  of  the  life  you  have  choaeii  to  think  of  as  a  dried  leaf  hang- 
iae  to  its  stem  till  the  winter  shall  swesp  it  away.  What  would 
that  swMtt  impoHHible  reality  realty  bet 

Cliarles's  dizziness  was  so  genuine  a  vertigo,  that  he  actually 
stopped  and  dropped  on  a  park  seat  to  voltecl,  hua»-\S.  Im  «.si£iuika>&. 


Boa 


ALICE -roR-snoRT 


.  Ihi*  Kort  of  tliinr 


— to  unthink  liie  dunscrous  thoudlitfl.  Might  u< 
(listiicb  his  i>xiBliiie  relntion  wilJi  Alk-e — bis  moat  precious  pos- 
eeesion,  and  eiibetitut«  nothing  for  itf  Abstt  o»i«n/  Shake  it  oS 
snd  have  donf-  with  it! 

The  seat  had  auotbor  occupant;  a  preTious  one.  Had  CIiarlc< 
been  in  a  taood  to  cMunine  nnd  obwrvc  he  would  not  liav<-  not  dovn 
betide  him  bo  easily.  Ho  was  a  Park-waif  of  the  dinnneal  type 
possible:  nil  the  dinjcior  that  each  and  all  of  his  mouUly  ffamuiDtt 
criMl  itloud  that  it  hod  Wen  tilnt'k  niid  rvspeclablc  utimr.  and  in 
some  myeicrioua  way  laid  claim  to  having  always  been  tvom  by  it; 
prciM'nt  on-nrr.  OftciU'iit,  thr  mixctrnblo  nonilc^cripl  tliut  liniiss 
about  the  jwrka  ia  clothed  in  a  style  more  eclectic  than  any  known 
to  Ihi?  Arts  in  their  very  Jatcj^t  Periods.  Hix  cnat  may  cry  alood 
that  loisg  UK"  it  W1I9  III!  Art'lidiaicoii's,  and  that  its  prcm-nt  owner 
is  a  layman:  his  trousers  that  they  once  ndoriM>d  a  Buck,  in  the 
days  wlien  they  had  all  tludr  hiiltoiiii:  a  Buck  six  inches  longer  ut 
the  legs.  Ilia  hat  may  have  lieen  touched  by  a  Oroom  in  the  dayi 
of  its  g:lory,  and  hix  bootn  inoy  have  txx-n  'luispokctt'  for  nnjboc(!> 
except  himself.  Then  you  probably  disoem  that  he  never  was  anr 
food,  and  are  not  impressed  that  he  has  aeen  bc'tu<r  days,  or  it- 
itcrvcd  thi-ni.  But  witli  Ohnrhw's  dtK^aycd  neighbour  it  wan  otbe^ 
wise.  Charles  decided  on  the  better  days  at  onoe,  and  agaioat  tin 
dcecrtii  inunediafcly  afti-r;  tJn-n  followed  n  mivgiring  that  he  h)i 
aeen  tlie  face  before,  the  depraved  old  face  that  insisted  alike  on  iU 
claim  to  bclontr  to  the  r<?»pectnldc  and  the  criminal  classes.  It 
was  posaiblo  that  it  niig:ht  hv  the  R«vereud  Tbeophilus  Strakcr, 
Lflvinia's  father,  sent  to  the  fmvaux-fortf^  by  a  French  oourt-of- 
Imr,  twenty  years  Uffore;  c»nvicte<l  sinn;  in  England  of  what  the 
newspapers  call  blackmail,  and  the  French  police  ehanlage,  mean- 
ing thereby  extortion  of  money  by  diiw'aovfiil  thrc«ts:  HrinR 
klways.  aa  (.'harles  had  well  known,  even  when  sub«.idifliiip  the  old 
Frenchwomnn.  bin  wife,  after  her  daughter'*  deanrtian,  on  what  bt 
could  extra<;t  by  complatnta  or  tbreuta  from  the  one  or  llio  other. 
It  was  so  possible  that  it  was  fan,  that  Charles  immvdintcly  iom 
to  walk  nway.  He  thought  as  he  did  so  thai  he  heard  the  word*. 
"Stop.  Sir  I"  but  he  went  on  without  noticing.  Then  the  otlwT  b(«SB 
shouting  after  him,  "Mr.  CharW  Tlcatli — Mr,  Charles  Hcuthl*" 

It  wad  just  the  hour  of  the  morning  when  the  Park  is  at  iti 
fullest^bte  enough  for  <!*)iiiiilctc  cnj'iiymcnt  of  the  autumn  morn- 
ing; tou  iriirly  for  absenee  at  luncb.  People  veie  passing,  and 
Charles  turned  back.  The  old  reprobato  evidently  meant  to  cooqwl 
kim  to  sto])  by  uttrneting  the  attention  of  paasera-liy.  and  thcr«  wa< 
BO  saving  what  device  he  might  not  resort  to.    Besides,  on  second 


L 


^^  AUCE-FOR-SHOET  608 

IhoughU,  WHS  it  tifit  posiiblt'  lio  might  know  eometliin^  a1>out  j 
Lartnia'a  last  cUys  t    It  was  not  iu  Charles's  nature  to  «xpal  alto«l 
gvllirr  from  hi*  mind  the  racinoiT  of  n  pjitit  lovb    The  draught  haiU 
turned  to  wormwood,  but  wna  It  not  once  wine— wini?  from  tiid^ 
grapes  tbnt  had  ripened  in  the  iiiin  of  his  rnrty  dufMf    Aad  had  not 
be  and  ahe  n?joioed  iu  their  awettneee.  ajid  dreamed  no  foretaste  of 
the  bittcrncw  in  etorel    Ho  turned  back  and  sat  down  again  beside 
bia  reepcdable  father- in- law. 

"Tou  were  in  too  great  a  hurry,  mon  gendre!"  Charles  know 
he  would  tr>-  to  be  ait  irritating;  ax  possible  uutl  resolved  not  to  ba 
irritated.     He  replied  with  perfect  equanimity. 

"1  WBH  not  anxious  to  rM^ogiiiiH'  you,  Mr.  8traker.  But  if  you 
have  anything  lo  say,  I  will  hear  it." 

"You  talk  <uisily,  fflitn  gfndrf.    Y<mi  talk  aa  a  man  tnlkd  who  hata 
alepl  all  night  in  a  warm  bed.  warm  sheets — warm  blankets — a" 
pillow  for  thv  head  t    A  man  who  has  bad  hot  eofft't!  rn  famille — liot 
coffee— buttered  toast  1 — Eughl"    The  sound  he  made  through  his 
eloaed  leeth.  aud  a  sort  of  grin-glnrp,  cnnoot  be  iqiellcd.    It  com* 
bitied  pity  for  himself  with  resentment  agniiiMt  Chnrlei^. 

"Where  do  you  BupjKiBe  /  have  slept.  Mr.  Charles  Heuth  ?    When 
do  you  suppose  I  shall  brpnk  my  fantl     I  will  tell  ynu.    I  evadcdJ 
tlje  park-keepera  last  night  nln-n  they  plowtl — lay  hid.    I  slept  onl 
tic  graHs— what  sleep!     1  was  thawing  in  the  sun — like  a  froKeu 
snake.  Sir  1— when  you  came  by.    \  man  thaws  elow  on  an  empty  * 
Stomach.      Oui    vraimenti — hier   j'ai   din£    par   cmurl"     Charlca 
remembered  tJmt  this  man  bad  bti-n  a  iir»;aoher — (in  fsci.  a  very 
famous  one  in  a  puny  world) — and  he  could  be  eloquent  in  English 
M  well  CN  in  Fn-nvb.    Proluibly  be  was  lying.    Had  lie  reully  luu[ 
no  dinner  yesterday  ( 

"I  am  Hurry  you  hove  got  your  d<'aert8,  Mr,  Straker.  But.  coma 
lo  the  point    How  much  money  are  you  going  to  ask  me  for?" 

"Enough  to  pay  for  the  breakfast  I  have  not  had  yi-t.  A  pint 
of  coffee— aucA  coffee  I  Stale  bread  rfohaufffi  ii  I'eau.  and  butteriue 
kopt  over  from  yesterday — kept  under  tho  firm's  bed,  1  should  say. 
Tou  bad  freah  l)utler  thia  morning,  mon  grJidrvt" 

"I  believe  so — I  don't  remember  taking  any."  In  fact,  Charles'v 
morning  meal  hml  bnen  n  mere  form. 

"Madame  would  remember — Madame  I'fpouBe.  Oette  fille  cbar< 
nuuitc  <iuc  j'ai  ru  promencr,  loujours  nu  braa  dc  Monaieui^^ 
toujouta  131  carrosfle.  I  saw  you  mid  your  pretty  wif<: — main  vonun« 
elle  est  gentillet — in  a  Hansom  yesterday.    Yes,  mon  gendre!" 

Charles  eould  not  tell  why  it  was  that  his  mixing  of  French  and 
Engliafa  should  make  him  more  irritating;  probably  he  1uxdw«'A. 


rfita 


sot 


AUCE-FOR-SHOET 


f 


hardly  noted  which  ho  wos  usiug.  But  so  it  was.  IIo  had  hard 
work  to  Ti-piy  quk-llj:  "That  yoimg  ladj  is  not  my  wife"  Mr. 
Strakcr  broke  into  an  offensive  laugh. 

"11(1 — ho — ho!  M'sietir  Charlos!  Sot  jour  wifet  Et  puis,  de 
qui  est-elle  I'tpouse  l  Vf  quelqu'un  qui  n'a  p80  8U  bien  gander  k 
serasli?  Moimiciir  Charli-s — Monsieur  Charles— d'un  boimeur  m 
di'liLatl     I  any.  Mr.  Clmrluj.  1  s.iy.y!     Clckl" 

And  the  foitl  croaluro  luadc  a  clucking  sound  to  esprees  tnutnal 
undcrstaiiditig  in  rajoymcnt  of  wickrdness.  He  half-cloMNl  one 
eyt.>  over  the  upper  side  of  a  twisted  grtn,  and  flipped  Lis  uow  in 
furtheran<:e  nf  hi*  poxitiun. 

Oharlee  was  unable  to  endure  him  any  longi-r.  Tic  Ktortod  ti> 
his  fcot  scarlet  with  anger,  nnd  seizing  the  reverend  gentleman 
hy  the  collur,  in  spite  of  hia  strong  rvluctanoc  to  touch  it,  shooJc 
him  to  and  fro  until  his  disreputable  old  head  vibrated  on  hii 
HhDuIders.  It  wns  not  an  act  of  prowess;  and  Charles  often  felt 
ashamed  when  he  thought  of  it  Hfterwiirds.  But  he  tvos  irritated 
beyond  all  bearing. 

The  old  mi^en-nnt  gathered  hiiDtvlf  together  on  tho  gnss,  vhim    \ 
Charles  huil  flung  kim;  and  eat  ititittering  curses,  not  too  audiblf- 
A  repetition  might  bo  feared.  ^m 

Thi'To  wern  very  few  people  close  at  hand  at  tho  moment — ti^| 
ladies  who  ware  frightened  and  took  to  their  beela — sonw>  boyj 
who  thnuRht  it  inten'»tiiig,  and  were  building  up  hopes  of  a  fijfh^- 
and  a  park-keeper  with  a  Crimean  niedul  appniudiing  along  thu 
walk.  leisurely  enough.     Straker  recovered  hia  hat  and  bid 
alowly.  and  then  turning  to  Charles  said:  "Voua  m'on  rum 
eompte,     I  will  ]iay  you  for  this."    Charles  gave  him  JeaTt'  to 
hin  worst.     To  bis  surpri^  tho  park'kwper  who  now  came 
seemed  to  take  the  jtistiee  of  his  poeilion  for  granted,  over 
1>eyon<l   the  normal  dcferenw  to  the  better  dressed  of  two 
putants,  which  is  inherent  in  eonslHbuIaries  of  all  Mrts. 

"Do  you  wish  to  cluirgi-  him.  Sir?"  said  he. 

"Does  he  wish  ta  charfce  mef"  said  Charles, 

"Have  you  any  charge  to  make  I"  said  the  Crimean  hero,  adi 
ing  Straker.     The  latter  made  no  reply,  and  began  to  move 
Charles  called  after  biin.    "You  pretended  j'ou  wrrp  alarving," 
aaid ;  "I  don't  want  you  to  starve,"  nnd  gave  him  a  sovcrciRO.    The 
reverend  gentleman  said,  "Damn  you!"  hut  look  the  moDe;  asd 
wont  his  way. 

'■He  was  at  hie  usual  game,  Sir,  I  suppose?"* 

"You  knew  bim  then  V' 

"Hv'a  pretty  well  known.  Sir.    I  should  lik«  your  cord. 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT  e«S 

you're  no  objeclion."  Charles  ^ve  it,  nnd  nildrd  thnt  Mr.  Strnkrr 
was  unhappily  a  comieetion  of  liia  own.  Biid  that  he  had  no  eom- 
plxint  against  him  rxcn»t  that  he  had  bwn  nffrnsivp  and  imperti- 
iwut.  He  had  lost  his  temper  oiid  was  sorry.  The  purk-kwi«-r  said 
that  sort  of  thing  was  trying,  and  tlicn  Charles  walked  ou  to  com- 
plete his  business  and  n-oovcr  hin  nimmiinily. 

He  was  just  administering  to  himself  a  dose  of  Alice,  mentally, 
to  clear  (he  filth  out  of  his  mind,  when  hi'  bfciimr  iiwarc  tliat  ho 
had  been  ovc-rtalten  by  three  boj-s— the  sume  that  had  wltneaaed  the 
fracas.  The  Bmallcst  of  the  three  iiccmcd  to  be  the  spokesman  i 
be  opt^ied  bis  case  by  ^ying  that  he  xaid,  Oiiv'norl 

"What  do  you  say.  old  man  ?"  said  Charles. 

"I  say.  Oiiv'nor!  The  boys  has  got  a  letter  wot  they  picked  up^ 
they  picked  up— they  picked  up        " 

"Where  did  they  pick  it  up !"' 

"Orf  of  the  ground.    You  arsk  'em !" 

"Could  you  indicate  the  locality  <l"     Charles's  manner,  and  the 
beaming  giKid-naturc  of  his  face  bb  he  looks  at  the  little  Arab 
(wbo  is  sucking  his  cap  when  not  speaking),  remind  ua  of  the] 
Charles  who  talked  to  the  little  girl  with  the  beer-jug  1 

"Show  yur  wlierei  Over  there.  Ton  come  along  of  us.  We'll 
ebow  yer !"  And  the  three  all  point  Bimultaneou<=ly  like  the  Witches 
in  Slocbelh.  to  Ibi-  place  where  the  row  wan.  But  the  eldest  hoy, 
who  ma.v  be  eleven  years  old.  suddenly  disliugiiishes: 

"Tou  young  ha"!  Wot  do  you  want  to  be  walkio*  the  Ouv- 
'nor  all  the  way  back  there?  Don't  you  listen  to  him,  Guv'norl" 
And  then  the  speaker  tunis,  inconsistently,  on  the  young  ass.  and 
MSks  him  why  he  <lon't  tell  the  Guv'ntir  it  was  where  the  miuistcr 
Moke  was  on  the  ground  i    Charles's  old  manner  grows. 

"Let  iiH  avoid  recrimination  I"  he  saye.  "I  nm  to  nnderstaDd,  am 
I  not.  that  the  boys  picked  up  this  letter  where  the  minister  bloke 
was  on  tbe  ground?"  The  Witches  in  ^MacbLth  nod  simultanc* 
on  sly. 

"Then — where  are  the  boyal  This  is  in  strict  order,  and  arises 
aaiurally  from  ihu  question  before  tlie  House."  The  Witdies  look 
at  one  another,  puzzled.  Then  tiie  First  Witdi  (the  young  boin) 
Sa  illuminated. 

"Them  two  I"  be  aoya,  and  indlcalea  his  compaiuona  as  If  tbey 
were  on  a  diHtnnt  promontory. 

"Is  there  any  objection  to  the  production  of  this  corresponilenee  V 
Tlu'  tone  of  the  colloquy  ts  parliamentary,  but  tbe  conduct  of  tbo 
Second  ami  Third  Witch  is  not.  For.  instead  of  saying  that  it  v« 
n<rt  at  present  voueisteni  with  tlic  pubUi:  aeivVee  Vi  <^  fnt'iiae^  «•**• 


I 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT 


oiioe  produce  two  foldet]  ahp^U.  ono  apiece.  CluiTlea  wonders  wfeal 
would  happcD  if  the  Homo  Secrt'tBrj",  for  in^tatioo,  wore  to  pro- 
duce ■  dociiuient  from  tlie  interior  of  bia  trousers,  tmbiittoning 
bis  n«iMcoat  to  gat  at  it,  as  the  Third  Witch  did  I 

"Thruppiiive !"  All  the  ihrvft  Witdivs  wiy  thia  nt  once,  likr  a 
well-trnincd  0])eni -chorus.  Charles  (rives  them  ■  penny  apieo^. 
und  takes  the  paiiers.  The  thrco  walk  away,  coavcnting  about 
inveatments. 

Oiarlftt  mw  that  thr  letter  fir  Icitcra  had  probably  fallen  out 
of  his  aiuiablo  faihcr-in-law's  ha.,  ami  ought  to  bo  returued  to  him 
if  an  iipporl, unity  rvrr  occurred.  Ho  thought  most  likely  none 
ever  would,  and  was  content  tliat  il  should  1)0  ao.  But  as  he  "»• 
putting  them  nwnj-  in  hi»  pocket,  his  eye  was  caught  by  tlra  writ- 
infC.  It  was  his  late  wife'a.  Possibly  you  noidil  hare  hem  too 
Hcrupulou*  to  took  at  them.  Charles  was  not,  uoder  the  ciroum- 
stauw!? — and  we  eonfi-ss  that  wr  sihonld  hare  done  <:xnctly  u  lu 
did.    He  found  the  heKinaing  and  read  on,  as  follows; — 

"Mon  pert — Tou  do  not  deserve  it.  but  I  will  aend  it — it 
urKcut  wish  of  la  bono?  Uamnii.    Kile  raffole  de  sou  aimable  m 
Potir  moi,  jo  ne  in'eugouc  pua  autoiit  dc  mon  pcre.     Rut  take 
money — I  hope  it  may  keep  j-ou  out  of  gaol  for  a  time. 

"As  I  told  you,  the  letter  came,  I  felt  sure.  Ce  jeunc  bonune 
cxt  In  vriii  dindon  do  la  farce.  Sa  famille  est  bien  richc — il  u'a  pas 
besoin  de  raritent.  Pour  K-m  Bcuux  Artji,  «;  Kont  sou  dnda — H  n'en 
gairncra  jamais  rien  I  Dut  I  shall  not  ask  him  for  any  niorc  just 
yet — je  vuis  toudre  le  brsbis — jo  nc  vcux  po*  I'^cordier. 

"You  sei> — you  could  uoi  catch  me!    Voiis  aurei  beau-faire  da 
^crcher  trouvcr  notro  petit  chex-noua.     I.ct   it  alono — ^you 
never  have  another  iionny  from  me  if  you  find  us  out. 

Totre  fiUe — pas  trop  devou^ 


Charles  opened  the  accond  letter  without  rcfo1diii£  the  first,  and 
read: — 


"Mon  pJre — I  sliull  not  come  myself  to  bring  you  tJie  ca;th^bot 
Vaurice  will  meet  you,  and  I  write  this  note  for  him  to  take. 

"Would  you  h^icv?  itf  Oe  puuvni  Charln* — ho  miw  mo  in  th* 
Park  after  I  ran  away  from  you — ^j'ai  peur  qu'il  m'a  reconnu.  1 
h»ve  told  him  I  was  nt  Esetcr  Ilall  at  the  time — I  do  not  wish  him 
to  know  about  mj-  respectable  parent — and  yet  I  should  have  no 
«tury  to  tell  without  bilugUks  ^nu.  In.    At  orcccut  he  ia  luDed  lA 


4 


AUCE-FOR- SHORT 


507 


sleep.     H  ^rt  2  poinps  ferm^e.     Hais  je  ue  veux  pas  I'eTCtller. 
And.  tlicrcforr,  nion  nmi,  br  content  not  to  9W  jrniir  dutiful  iloiiKh- 
ter  for  the  pTwent.    Or  else  fix  another  met!  iii^- place,  farther  froiniJ 
Uonniciir  Charles's  daily  round.    Ho  say*  be  often  walke  that  way.  ' 
Tell  Hniiricc  aomcwkere  t-\».     Ainpthtll  Sijunret     He  won't  go 
OTCT  that  way. 

L. 
"Ce  bon  Charles  va  me  racconunaDderl    But  first,  be  must  hear 
mc  «ing.    Cela  a'entend." 

Charlrs  an^ily  crumpled  up  both  letters,  aiid  walked  briskly  on. 
He  thouglit   he  could  urcount  for  their  Iodr  prpJicrTtitjon,  and 
resppearanoc  now.     The  old  fox  had  evidently  kept  ihem  to  ler- 
roriw-  his  daiighljT,  and  LaviniaV  frequent  inlcrcf.'*»irin«  for  this 
father  of  hers,  and  dunatiuna  to  liim.  had  been  tnad«:  under  appn;' 
benitian   nf  thuip  production — and  perhaps  others.     Probably  ho 
carried  them  about  with  btin  latterly  in  eaw;  he  Hhould  M'er  gntj 
dpccch  of  Charles.     lie  had  been  sent  away  from  the  house  morflfl 
than  oni'e.     But  hp  could  caisily  have  used  Ihem  to  net  nioney,1 
and  may  have  bad  them  in  bis  liandn  with  thut  view  at  tlie  time) 
of  the  ruptunr.     Anyhow,  it  was  certain  that  ho  left  them  on  th6 
grnsa. 

It  was  in  vain  that  Charles  said  to  himself  that,  after  all,  tho 
lettCTe  told  him  no  more  than  he  knew  already.  Wliy  nbnuld  not 
Lavinia  write  m  to  her  father  t  H<-  caught  rather  despairioftly  at 
her  contemptuous  way  of  menlioninii:  htm.  as  evidence  that  at  that 
liniv  ohc  was  forming  no  scheme  of  entangling  him,  whatever  ahe 
did  later.  But  eonietlilns  in  the  postscript  that  be  eouki  not  define 
camo  in  the  way,  and  this  attempt  to  whitewash  Lovinia  fnilccL 
Be«i<]eR,  lb<*  whitewaeb  was  not  while.  It  miebt  obscure  a  dinny 
stain,  but  it  was  of  n  primy  tint  itself.  There  was,  however,  nn 
clemt^nt  in  the  iHtt^rs  for  tlie  force  of  whidi  perhaps  Cliarlea  did 
not  make  full  allowance — may  not  have  been  actively  eonseioua 
of — nnmc^ly.  tht-  half  English,  half  French.  It  rvniimletl  biin  that 
the  repulsive  object  he  had  just  got  rid  of  eo  summarily  was  bono 
of  the  bone,  flesh  of  the  flesh,  of  this  woman.  And  she  was  Pierre'a 
mother!  The  admixture  of  tongues  by  both  did  not  of  neccsiiity 
imply  like  eharacter  in  the  two,  but  the  dose  of  it  from  both  so 
near  together  had  the  cfTi^ct  of  a  nightmare. 

Poor  CbartesI  He  was  so  wrenched  and  twist«d,  so  put  on  the 
rack  by  the  wliol«  incident  and  its  «ros«-fire  of  ihotighta  and 
memorien,  (hat  ho  waa  almost  glad  to  remember  he  bad  other  trou- 
bles in  band,  «o  eweet  by  contrast  was  the  tliought  of  lbs:  c.\tk  W^s 


L 


80a  ALICE-FOR-SnOEt 

nnd  eilv^T  bair  of  roeterday;  so  ewMt  was  it  fttttl,  even  with  the 
jitillcir  of  Deulh  upon  il,  that  to  go  back  on  it  tnx  like  nwnkeaing 
f roui  a  dreadful  dream.  And  with  it  came  agh'ia  ibe  prMsure  of  tlie 
two  soft  lutnds  upon  his  shoulder,  the  mcTnorr  of  the  clear  blue 
eyi'a  that  had  looked  up  toto  las  with  ao  completu  u  faitk  thut  be 
would  imdersfnnd.  Them  was  trouble  and  grief  in  all.  as  then 
might  be  iu  a  winter's  nioruinn  for  the  escaped  pnry  of  lui  incrubit*. 
But,  ob,  the  frrshncsH  of  the  nir  and  the  eparklo  of  the  jewels  iu  ibs 
snow  I  Churl<-H  tore  up  the  letters  into  piecci  iMiough  for  aiUtslj, 
and  scattered  them  to  the  winds. 

One  thins  waa  certain — be  wouldn't  suj  a  wfin)  to  Ve^gy  about 
!t.  Her  old  self-blame  for  the  marriage  would  come  hack,  and  do 
cud  hn  gnincd.  He  might  tell  Alice.  He  would  like  to  tcW  AUcb 
overylbiiiR — only  all  ihia  would  be  pain  to  her.  Why  teU  her  what 
would  hurt  hcri  Slill,  it  cniild  be  nothing  but  bnim  to  him  that 
she  should  see  his  whole  soul;  only,  thought  he,  I  would  not  haw 
her  look  down  into  a  eharncl -house. 

This,  you  see.  was  exaggeration.  Ahoe  would  uot  hare  looked 
down  into  »  chariiel-house:  ouly  into  a  dwoHing  the  last  teaaDl 
had  tnoiie  a  dii^raccful  litter  in,  and  run  away  from.  But  she 
would  have  seen  that,  tbough  the  owner  bad  not  made  the  pWs 
lidy  for  a  n<^  tvmnnt,  he  hnd  duntcd  every  tabic,  polished  ewij 
pedeatal  and  console,  cleauei)  up  every  window-ledge  and  mantel 
shelf,  tbnt  he  could  place  an  itnoire  of  herself  on.  She  would  ban 
jHN'ii  ont?  of  a  vt-ry  little  girl  with  B  very  largi!  Iiomiet  and  an  aprm 
full  of  something;  and  another  of  the  same  little  girl  well  wB^ied 
and  dried,  ami  ilreHHtsl  in  a  littlu  blue  frock,  throwing  her  wboW 
small  soul  into  a  spasmodic  delivei?  of  the  memorable  tale  of  the 
spotted  lady.  Then  many  anoUiiir  image,  of  tW  growing  school- 
girl, acquiring  information  at  a  great  rate  on  everj-  conueiTaUe 
subject;  of  the  eieprri mental  nur»e  of  two  or  throe  years  ago;  *oi 
laxt.  but  not  lee^t.  a  eoustant  double  image  of  herself  ua  tthi;  mi^ 
have  been,  and  herself  as  she  wna — ibe  former  exceeding  the  wildeet 
aspirations  of  the  Smallpox  Hospital,  the  latli-r  a  deal  too  bcAtitifuL 
and  not  doing  proi>er  justice  to  that  awful  mark  round  the  corner, 
where  people  kittwil  you.  Rhit  would  have  seen  all  tbeae,  and  prob- 
ablj  would  hare  sa  id :  "What  a  pity  1  should  not  come  in  and  dmn 
up  all  this  mess — fi>r  I  love  this  house  so  dearly,  and  it  broaka  mj 
heart  to  see  it  neglected  and  forsaken," 

Of  conrse  she  would  have  *>aid  no.  and  Charles  knew  it.  And 
that  would  have  Imen  reason  enough  alone — ebaniel-hou»c  apflrt— 
for  Charles  not  to  want  his  soul  se^n  through  by  Alice,  Why,  if  alu 
came  to  know,  from  au  autoiiay,  bow  absorbingly  be  loved  ber,  alio 


ALICE-FOE-SHORT 


609 


wookl  at  once  fling  uH  her  own  fwlioKs  to  the  winds  and  siy :  "Oh, 
dear  Mr.  Charli*y,  liow  t-ati  you  be  bu  ailly  t  Do  you  runllj  aiipiiost.-  I 
would  pvrr  Wvo  you,  if  you  wanted  tue  to  stay)  Marry  uu-  riKht 
off  if  you  like — uulhinj;  vfouM  please  tne  better  1"  Ycs--OhorIes 
knew  that.  But  would  nothinir  please  her  better}  There  was  tlte 
crux!    Cliarled  couldn't  have  Alien'*  happiness  tampered  with. 

Then  there  crept  into  his  luind  a^aia — he  eouM  not  keep  it  outi — 
the  Mroi.*  strain  that  bad  sent  the  blood  flying  to  his  head  before — ft 
Hallelujah  Chorus  breaking  into  u  Poatoral  Sympbouy.  and  filling 
his  whole  soul  with  its  triumphant  reaonanei's — "How  if  Alice 
herselT' — it  always  beKau.  and  alwaj-s  lost  artieutate  expression  in 
its  admiaaion  of  the  posxibility  of  an  ailiraiatlTe  answer.  *'It 
misrht  «ven  be!  Sucli  thing's  hare  bei-n,  and  will  be  again."  But 
if  «o,  how  bed  human  reason  survived  for  the  after  life— for  the 
bours  of  fruition!  Absurd  speculation!  Be  still,  ambitious  soul  I 
Bemember  what  you  are,  for  your  own  sake  and  her*.  Do  not  giiro 
Vtay  to  extrnvngsnee.  and  destroy  the  happiness  that  is  real,  for  lh» 
sake  of  a  dazuHng  ohJinuera. 

Charles  silcnoed  the  iniimrtunities  of  his  soul  and  waited  up  from 
bis  dangerous  dream,  as  he  passed  through  the  gate  where,  years 
ago,  be  had  seen  Lavioia  give  that  intolerable  father  the  slip. 

'•Poor  girl  1"  said  he,  "i>erliap3  if  one  only  knew ''  and  walkud 

bri§kly  on  to  his  business  in  a  humour  of  incorrigible  forgiveness. 

Perhaps  you  may  not  see  as  plainly  as  we  do  tbnt  the  difficulty 
between  AHee  and  Charles  was  an  epitome  of  all  inan'a  stumbling 
block*  that  are  laid  in  his  path  by  SelMiness  and  .Altruism.  Just 
as  Am  results  work  out  the  same  under  consistent  Sciriahneaa  or  con* 
eistent  Christianity,  bo  would  theirs  Lave  done  had  each  bad  citlior 
»  uiraeiilous  insight  into  the  true  well-lieing  of  tho  othiT,  or  a 
blind  absorbing  greed  for  that  other,  regardless  of  obstacles  at 
iorgt!ttu\  of  everything  but  lis  object.  We  prefer  the  latter  nv>-' 
tJTe  force  in  love-affairs,  but  unforttinalely  it  is  only  posuble  to 
Homoo  and  Juliet.  Maturity  will  be  thinking  about  other  folk^ 
welfare,  with  painful  reaults — Poor-Laws.  popululiona  pauperised, 
and  collectirely  congested,  but  with  personally  empty  stomachs. 
There  in  muth  to  be  said  for  tht>  Stone  Age.  What  the  ciaet  par- 
allel of  the  Poor-Law  was  in  the  case  of  Charles  and  Alice  we  do 
not  know,  but  we  do  «•<?  that  tli<;  chivalric  scrupten  of  the  formei. 
didn't  do  the  latter  any  good,  and  made  Charles  poor  indeed. 


I 
I 


CnAPTER  XLVin 


h 


bead 

I 


MOKE  80  BUNI>  AS  THOSX  WHO  CAH't  SEE.  fBaG\  OI>'ES  AIJCK  tlP.  Tit 
WAXT  TO  MABSr  AUCB— RUBBISU  t  A  GRSAT  Rm'KLATIOK,  WlttCK  : 
FKUUTltHt; 

That  nisht.  Old  Jnni-'*  l«»t  on  thin  enrth,  Ludy  JobRmn  and 
Husliitnd  were  rwapitulatinjr  in  their  bedroom  and  dressing-room. 
as  we  havp  known  them  to  do  before,  reljring  on  tho  »oIidily  of  n 
Hnrley  Street  house  to  prevent  that  Ittlle  monkey  Lucy  overhead 
hearinK  CTery  word  they  said  as  they  shouted  from  one  room 
till-  other, 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know  what  to  say  to  Nelly."    This  comee 
puzzled  tone  from  P'^ggy  in  tlii!  bi-droom.    Rupert  firit  sayit  he  ci 
hear,  and  then  reiilies  without  wailinB  for  a  repeat.     Why  an 
peopio  always  so  ineonsistcnt  in  convcrsotion  f 

"Advise  her  not  to  aak  for  advice — tell  her  to  maiirj-  bim  wi 
it!    She's  done  it  once  before,  and  may  as  well  do  it  agftm." 

"Sho  says  he's  such  it  hoy!" 

"Does  be  wipe  it  off  when  she  kisses  him}    It  seems  to  me 
the  point  I''    Each  smiles  and  known  tlic  otlicr  <!och,  in  ^itc  of  tlw 
wbII  between. 

"Yes!  your  youngest  daughter  waa  funny.  Dr.  Jomson.  Sh» 
wouldn't  miilly  that  little  hoy.  beceuae  he  wiped  it  off  when  she 
kissed  him.  Did  you  hear  the  little  boy's  perfectly  disgusting 
ORy  for  his  conduct!" 

"Oh  yea! — lliere  was  something  to  he  said,  though.    A»  for  N' 
she  wants  to  marry  this  one,  whether  or  no — only  thia  time, 
particularly  wnnls  to  do  it  a  contre  cceur,  und  bec«use  other  f< 
adviM-  it.     One  ^he  can't;  t'other  she  can  try  for.     But  tht 
do  very  well — never  fi-nr!" 

"I  suppose  be  went  to  Vevey  on  purpose.    I  wish  I  was  half  it 
easy  about  tJie  other  two  as  I  nm  about  thi.'m." 

"Tbo  Contented  Vat-illatora  i     Couldn't  they  be  forbidden 
another's  society  (    That  would  do  it"    But  they  couldn't  obviously. 
Pc%87  review*  other  possibilities. 

"I  can't  bear  to  think  of  ihe  old  lady  dyinjf— one  gets  so  Tery 
fond  of  her.    But,  of  course " 


'M 


ATJCE-FOR-SHORT  «ll 

"Of  courao.  tlut  wouii!  mtkv  o  tliflereupe  t    I  say,  t^if  Jonuon  V 

"Whotr 

"Couldn't  ;^ou  ptTHtiadc;  tbr  (rtutborwoinaii  not  to  tie  up  all  my 
ahirts  vilh  b«sstl.v  little  red  thrvad§i  That  ironum  is  an  ineamato 
Send — nlw  known  I  hnto  it  and  d««  it  on  purpose — trtc.,  etc.,  etc." 

But  tlie  converaatiow  loses  interest  for  us.  Why  we  are  con- 
«mcd  ill  nn^rthing  m  inconneciitivo  i«  Ibnt  when  Prggy  h™rd 
next  morning,  at  nn  unusually  early  time,  an  unusually  early  voico 
as  of  Alice  on  the  stairs  askioft  if  Lndy  JohnKin  was  in  the  ba<.'k 
drnwinft-rcnm,  nnil  llu-ti  Alictt  vunu-  til  with  u  pale  face  and  the 
Dews,  her  Hret  remnrk  was:  "Oh  dear  I  and  I  was  talkinii  of  hpt 
Imt  niglil !"  For  it  Ktnick  I.«dy  ■T»)tn.'ton  as  a  eniel  and  i-'uld- 
blooded  [hin(c  to  speak  conrcrsationally  of  any  one  who  was  near 
cloflth  eliwwhcrp,  or  dying,  bowcrcr  ignorant  wc  might  he  of  this 
Iflet.  She  |iut  i>y  the  letter  she  was  writing  to  her  sister  Ellen — a 
letter  not  wry  likely  to  deter  that  utill  young  Udy  from  her  nirw 
enteTpriae — and  sat  down  beside  Alice  on  the  sofo. 

When  wns  it  and  how  was  it?  Particulsm,  known  to  u«,  aro 
gire4i.  Doctor  says  ho  ean  call  it  hcnrt -failure,  for  the  link"-  of  a 
naioe.  Iteatly  it  was  just  what  Anne  Oiiisford  aulieipated — a 
natural  end  of  her  term  of  life,  fi^timulated  perhaps  by  a  little 
excitement  jual  before  she  went  to  bed.  She  burneil  up  a  little  loo 
mach  overnight  and  dickered  out  in  th«  dull  small  hours  of  the 
momini; — between  one  and  two,  l(r.  Shaw  thouglit. 

"You  darting  child!  And  you  found  herl  And  where  bos 
Chark-y  g«ner' 

"Oono  for  ifr.  Iklouli).    I  don't  know  what  hia  real  name  is." 

"And  will  Chorley  enmn  "n  here!'' 

"Ves — he  was  to  come  straight  on."  And  so  keenly  did  PeKgy 
■can  erery  word  Alice  saicl  about  Charles,  that  she  absolutely 
noticed  the  omission  of  the  name  with  the  invariablit  Mr.  ami  the 
accepted  pronoun  Charley,  and  thought  to  herself:  "Now,  how  nice 
it  will  be  if  ne^t  time  she  speaks  of  him,  she  calla  him  Charli-A  or 
Charley!"  But  she  said  nothing  except  "What  bad  the  dear  old 
Ia<ly  betin  exdliHl  abiiutt"  and  Aliee  disappointed  her  in  her  fir»t 
Bentencc.  For  she  looked  unhcsitaliu(Ely  straight  into  Peggy's  face, 
the  blu<^  eyes  full  of  tears,  and  answered:  "Poor  darling  Old  Janet 
Do  you  know,  dear  UotJier  Peg,  alie  hjid  absolutely  got  it  into  her 
head  that  Mr.  Charley  and  I  were  fiances.  1over«,  Darby  and  Joan, 
don't  you  know  {  And  were  going  to  be  married  ami  abe  anked  u* 
wb«D.  And  poor  Ur.  Charley  had  to  tell  her  we  weren't  I  Ohi  I 
was  «i  sorry  (or  him.  Tou  know  how  he  hateti  giving  pain.  And 
sbc  cried  sol    And  then  I  did  what  I've  felt  so  eorrj  fni  wcigk,^:^? 


I 
I 

I 


SIS 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 


a 


k 


caiifii>  she  reallj?  m«i  so  we  thought  she  would  be  hurt — yoa  know 
how  frail  she  looked  If" 

"Wlint  did  you  doT' 

"I  told  her  a  greai  fib  just  to  makv  her  mind  caey.  I  said 
Chnrlcy  and  1  were  goiuf;  lo  be  mrtrriml.  siomi;  day,  if  crcr  wc  wcro 
in  the  humour,  and  it  made  her  so  happy,  and  Mr,  Charley  didn't 
mind' — it  was  only  nonsense!  But  you  would  hnrc  dono  it  your- 
self, beeause  aho  cried  bo." 

"I  don't  wonder!"    Peggy  cannot  for  the  life  of  her  ro«ist  sayitif 
this.    When  ^he  has  said  it.  for  one  moment  (Am  fiiucie«  ihc  cat  is 
out  of  tlm  bKg,  and  all  the  fat  in  the  fire:  but  how  little  sh«  luidi 
stauds  her  Alice! 

"No  more  do  II    1  should  have  been  so  bittorl;  disappointed 
self  if  I  had  tliought  any  girl  /  was  very  fond  of — nnd  nbe  wm 

Teiy  fond  of  me '*    And  Alice  breaks  dowu  lu  the  tniddlv  und 

loses  speech  in  sobs.    She  recovers,  however,  and  finishes  up :  "wa? 
to  marry  Mr.  Charley  aud  then  I  found  it  was  nil  a  mistake !" 

"Thill's  why  I  didn't  wonder,  darling!  because  I  am  very  fond, 
indn^l,  of  you!"     Alice  looks  purjiled  over  this — doesn't  ^«em 
follow  the  reaeoniuK— prefers  tu  finisJi  what  she  was  sayinjf. 

" — Because,  just  think  what  dhe  would  losel" 

"Oh!  Alcey — Alcey,"  cries  FenBy.  quite  out  of  patience,  "do 
here,  my  ducky,  and  tell  your  Aunty  LiMty  abe's  the  btgg«st 
goose  of  an  Aunty  crer  was." 

"Well,  I  do  not  sec  anything  goosey  in  that!    Txn't  be  bei 
than  any  other  man — any  man  we  know,  I  mean?    And  just  tbin' 
bow  uneasy  one  would  be  about  the  poor  girl  herself — why.  she 
might  have  faueied   Mr.   Charley   mas   (,-oinK   to   mnrry   bcr!— I 
Kimply  cannot  bear  lo  think  of  it — it  would  be  too  dreadful  fi 
her." 

".\lice!  you're  hopeless  1  I  give  you  up.    Tell  your  Auuty  Li 
she's  hopeless,  DuckyT'    But  tlie  spoiled  younxest  of  the  family 
buEy,  and  says  so  explicitly.     She  is  reading  fn)m  a  hook  hdi 
upside  down,  a  talc  of  two  mouses  and  a  worm,  which  she  has  to 
make  up  as  she  goes. 

"Very  well,  dnrlinft— you're  biddy  and  you  shan't  be  disturbML 
But  your  Autily  is  ijuite  hopeless,  and  I  give  her  up." 

Alice  eays:  "I  don't  see  why  I'm  hoiieless!"  But  >dw!  sits  on 
the  pusaled  look  gruwiug  on  her  face,  and  buttons  and  unbuttons 
the  glove  she  has  not  taken  off.  Pejtpy  having  giren  her  up,  leaves 
her  to  tliink  it  out,  ^ven  ok  the  propounder  of  a  eouuudrum  thnt 
has  made  up  bis  mind  not  U>  soy,  "Give  it  upf  Alice  speaks  fint 
m  the  cud: 


!— I 

I 

H  to 

rbed. 
w«P^ 


J 


AUCE-FOn-SnORT 


«13 


"I  can't  see  what  you  mean,  unkfis  it's  something— tliat  you  can't 
pomibly  mean." 

^'Wlty  not)"  Obserre  that  bath  these  ladies  take  what  it  is  for 
granted  1 

•-Well— evidently!" 

"Why  M-idaitly  T 

"ifc  and  llr.  Charley— jnst  fancy  I" 

"What  is  there  abBurd  in  that?    It  wouW  be  very  nice." 

"Very  nice  for  me — r<?8l  Of  course  il  would  prevent  any  Other 
firl  marrytner  him  and  taking  htm  away.    Besides " 

"Besides  what  f 

"Oh,  the  whole  thiug!  But  how  do  you  know  Mr.  Charlny  would 
like  itt     That's  the  point  1" 

"I  don't  ibnoiv,  but  I  can't  see  bow  there  can  be  any  doubt 
about  it." 

''Did  you  pvct  ask  WmT" 

"NevM!    But  I  kuow  Clmrlfty-" 

"1  could  a?k  him  nyaelf,  of  course."  Alice  doesn't  seem  pre- 
pared io  d"  any  bashfulnesi  on  the  subject.  She  takes  the  matt 
quietly  enough,  us  tiie  bulhcr  from  the  shorn  tiikcK  the  chill  on  hil 
feet  in  the  shallowB — the  gapping  is  to  ctinie  later — tie  glorious 
oompti;t(!  immersioD  last.  But  her  principal  feeling  is  confuaign  at 
aa  unforeseen  combination. 

"Of  course,  I  could  Hsk  him  if  he  would  like  it — but,  of  coiire^ 
htt  would  say  yea  directly.    That  would  never  do!" 

"Why  not  r 

"Because  ho  would  be  doing  it  for  my  eakv.  Tou  know.  'Hr. 
Charley  would  do  artfithifig  for  my  sake.  Ue  would  haug  himself 
to-morrow  if  I  oskcd  bint — he's  bo  fond  of  mc,  dou't  you  ecu  i  I 
sometimes  think  he's  as  fond  of  me  as  I  am  of  him." 

"AliiM?  dear!  you  are — without  exception — one  of  tlie  moat  be- 
wildering little  minxes  I  ever  came  across.  What  on  earth  you 
expect  I  Psn't  make  out!" 

Alice  substitutes  a  pullJug  on  and  off  of  the  glove  for  buttoning 
and  unbuttoning.  If  Pcgg?-  is  not  mistaken,  there  is  the  faintest 
fluvh  in  the  world  on  tlie  bewildering  minx's  cheek. 

"You  see.  Unr^aret  deareal," — en  unusual  method  of  address, 
always  implying  acriousncse, — "it  would  be  verj'  nice  that  way,  and 
I  should  lovb  Mr.  Charli-y  dearly  for  it.     But  it  wouldn't,  you 

know,  be  quite  the  samo  thing  as  if — as  if "    The  flush  is  ecr- 

tflinly  tncreaaing,  and  Alice's  eyes  aro  much  preoccupied  over 
that  glove. 

"A«  if  whati" 


"It  wouldn't  be  quite  the  Hin>c  thing  ii«  if — na  if— bn  wantci! 
me  aD  itiT  bis  own  ^kc.  I  thiuk  autny  othuft  girls  would  feel  the 
mow.    Like  grocdincw,  you  know  I" 

Lady  Johnson'^  luugti  r'lug^s  out  all  through  the  house,  and 
Charles  asd  Sir  Kupert,  vbo  have  just  met  on  the  d(K»r¥t<>p,  wonder 
what  ia  making  MotliiT  Pi^gy  laiigb  so.  Sbv  is  luugbiug  at  the 
naiveti  with  which  Alice  has  expressed  a  uni^ersnl  truth.  She 
kiH9Cs  her  n  great  deal  on  both  sidc«,  «nd  twyn:  "Wlint  a  vrry 
biiuiaci  minx,  after  all  I" 

"Ven  re  two  mousos  looked  hold  of  pach  pud  of  re  wum,  and 
pulled  re  wum  in  hulfed,  and  ve  wum  kyed  because  it  hurt(.-<l  to  be 
pulled  in  half  and  vc  mouses  didn't  k;e  because  thej  was  bad 
mouses,  ete."  Thu»  continues  the  legend  in  n  Hwect  situttcred 
monotone,  which  has  been  theoretically  reacbins  the  eara  of  its 
audience  all  along. 


^ 


fe 


L 


CharlM  walked  into  the  great  phynidnn'a  private  xanctum  with 
him.  ratieutE  who  could  not  minister  to  themaelTes  were  waitiiiK 
in  the  anleruoni.  but  let  them  wttitl  Opiiiinnx  likt'  Sir  Rupert 
Jijbn!M>o'ii  werti  tilings  t^i  bi-  waitfd  for.  Tlie  momirnt  h«  mw 
Cbcrks  he  guessed  the  news  from  his  face. 

"When  did  it  bappe:i !"  said  he  aft^r  a  few  wordx.  Ohartvfl  gan 
particulars.  "1  shonld  like  to  examine  the  brain."  resumed  Sir 
Rupert.  •  "Would  Alien  object  to  a  poMt-mortem  ?  Tou  t^fv,  1  regaril 
you  and  Alice  as  the  old  lady's  representatives."  Charles  citid  it 
would  burdl.v  be  possible  to  lufuiH!  it,  under  the  circnm stances; 
aftpr  all.  it  was  an  ante-mortem  that  "the  ease"  bad  owed  her  abort 
spell  of  renurreetioH  to. 

"This  will  upset  ,vou  and  Alice  verj  much." 

"Very  much!    Alice  hn*  been  very  much  up«et  by  it.    You 
»ho  bad  got  rety  fond  of  the  old  lady,  so  had  Pierre,  .  .  ." 

'■So  hud  you  I    Alway*  trl!  troth  and  rfiamc  the  Devil.  Chorb 
But  I  didn't  mean  only  that  sort  of  upset.     I  meant  your  faoni 
keeping..    We'n-  not  going  to  let  you  have  Alice  all  to  yo\i 
and  so  1  tell  you  plainly.    ^Vbile  the  eld  lu<ly  was  tliert?— -wclH 
could  only  hwr<'  bc«D  for  a  ehort  time.     At  least,  that  vna 
forecast.    But  now " 

"I  MX  what  you  mean.    Of  course,  it  will  be  mudi  better 
Alice  to  come  back  liere.    For  her  own  sake." 

"Ah  1— and  for  yours.  (Never  mind  the  patient,  lie's  only  the 
heir  to  half-a-mlDion  and  the  rehiiivc«  want  to  know  if  he's  fit 
to  look  after  it  and  I  can  tell  'em  he  i^n't  in  fire  minulcK.)  And 
for  yours.    Wheru  were  wet    Yes— «bc  had  better  conne  back  here 


ALTCE-FOR-SnORT 


au 


k. 


for  Tftur  Molto.  BucRu»c  look  Bt  it  this  va;,  dear  boy  [  Tou*r«!  n 
jouBg  man  still.  «nd  oufihl  to  marry  ag«in — get  that  boy  of  yours 
■  mother  to  look  after  him.  Tlis  Orannj-  spoils  him,  and  if  Alice 
lemains  with  you,  you'll  never  marry." 

"Certainly  not!"    Kiuphn«iit  Itself,  on  this  point. 

"And  ahe  wont  marry  either,  I  foe!  il  in  my  bouea.  and  Peg 
feela  it  >n  hers.  And  tre  want  hor  baek  here — the  hou»o  haim't  been 
the  siainc  houtie,  vrilhoul  h«r!  So  maki;  up  your  ntiud.  old  boy,  and 
give  AlicT'  up.  And  I'cit  will  tell  her  to  innko  up  her  mind  and 
eira  you  up,  TliL-ro'i)  no  way  out  i>(  it,  unless  you  murry  kiii'U 
other !^  The  physieiaii's  shrewd  eye  turns  round  on  bis  brothcr-in- 
hiw.  with  uercileas  <h«iaion,  and  ri-iuiiiiia  fixing  him.  Charles 
wavers,  but  thoughtfully,  not  morally. 

"Perhapa  you  don't  want  to  marry  her?" 

"No,  Rupert,  tbat'e  absurd,  and  you  know  it!  Fancy  any  man, 
in  his  senses,  not  tvanting  to  marry  Alice!" 

"Some  people  do  want  to  marrj-  other  nirls,  for  all  that !" 

"Tbey  mustn't  espeet  nny  sj-mpathy  fn^m  me,"  says  Charles,  with 
•  tou«h  of  his  pnradoxieal  humour.  Rut  he  i>uts  it  aside,  and 
meets  eameslness  with  earufatueaa.  He  seia  tiiat  Ruiwrt  bun  a 
wclWefined  purpose  in  wbnt  lie  soys,  and  that  evasion  would  be 
BltaU>y.  "Look  at  it  this  way,  Rupert,"  he  sa.vs.  "If  1  were  to  ask 
Alice  to  marry  me.  she  would  ac«!pt  mc  at  onec " 

"Wei! — what  hanu  would  that  do  youl  (Never  mind  the 
patient)" 

"None  whatever — unless  X  went  out  of  my  senses  with  happineesi 
I  am  making  yciu  my  father-confessor !  B\it  remember  this, 
Rupert!  All  her  life,  almoat,  Alice  has  fancied  that  she  owes  it  to 
me  that  nhe  i"  not  a — well!  Ood  knows  wbnt  she  might  or  might 
not  have  been  had  I  iiol  piekrd  licr  up  and  put  her  in  a  Hansom  and 
brought  her  home  to  the  Gardens."  (Charles's  voice  fluctuate* 
towards  ti-uiU-riK-MB  us  his  mind  picks  up  the  little  blue^yed  mid- 
get's image  and  places  it  in  a  spectral  cab.)  "And  she  hasn't  the 
l«nsl  idea  that  she  is  to  me  a  pm:ious  jcwi^,  a  diamond  that  I  treas- 
ure all  the  more  that  I  found  it  on  a  dust-heap.  She  fancies  bi;r- 
self,  the  darling  girl,  divjily  indehlnd  to  me,  wlien  really  il  is  I  thai 
ua  h&r  debtor.  She  can't  possibly  know  whether  or  not  hor  feel- 
ings towards  me  are  or  are  not  mieh  aa  a  girl  ought  to  fcttil  towards 
a  man  who  is  to  be  her  husband.  Bbe  only  knows  slie  ia  ready  to  do 
whatever  1  ai^k  her.  I  know  all  that  in  a  doivn  ways.  Would  it 
be  fair.  Rupert. — now  tliiiik  of  it  seriously, — to  take  advantage  of 
the  position,  and  allow  her  to  make  an  irnrvocable  step  under  what 
I  myself  believfl  may  be  a  misappreheosion  of  her  O'KU  {«»^\u.'£&'<!' 


616  ALIOE-FOB-SHORT 

Charles  knows  he  i?  in  I'nmest,  but  feels  that  he  aound*  like  a  Dord 
of  hie  ^amlmolb^r's  youlh. 

"Don't  you  be  too  mptaiihyBica!  nvfr  it,  CbnrltT.  Let  Alice  tjj 
her  own  fish — you  see  to  yours.  Don't  iumRint-  Alice  wou1<l  do  her 
benefactor  such  an  injnsticr  os  to  marry  him  out  of  gratitude;  fih» 
bus  your  tntereata  far  too  much  at  heart  for  that.  Now  you  know 
vihttt  I  think  al>out  it.  If  I  didn't  consider  you  were  a  Menial 
Chm!  I  wouhin't  keep  the  Duke'a  nephi^w  wiiitinj;." 

At  this  moment  Pbiltimore  appeared,  and  said  be  believed  MiM 
Knvanafch  wanted  Mr.  Charles,  atid  had  been  asking  for  hink 
"Therel  ypu  see — Charley!"'  said  his  brolber-in-law,  but  PbilliniaK 
didn't  understand,  naturally  ] 


J 


i 


In  due  cnursc  t!ie  whole  of  Alice's  conreiMtiOB  with  Peffgy, 
Cbarlee's  with  Rupert,  were  eommuiiicated  hj  eadi  of  the  lattff 
to  the  othtr.  Due  course  in  this  rase  was  in  the  confidence  of  ihB 
night — the  nest  night.  Aud  narrative,  eowmeul,  and  nccesWT 
(lualifieatioTi  went,  on  into  the  small  hours  of  the  moming;  aad 
t>ucy  above  wondered  what  ou  earth  papa  and  mamniN  could  hm 
|[ot  to  talk  about. 

No  wonder,  after  each  had  hnard  the  other,  that  they  looked  «l 
Charles  and  Alice  as  joint  eonstituents  of  a  lighted  lirpworit  wfaitk 
is  now  nothing  but  a  red  spot  in  the  dark,  but  means  to  dtstinguilh 
itself  as  soon  as  it  is  on  f)ie  job.  They  rrmained  quite  siloDt.  BtH 
giving  way  to  the  ncak  impatience  you  show  when  you  tip  catk- 
erine-whoels  slightly,  to  start  them.  It  isn't  any  ubc;  and  jiu* 
aa  like  aa  not  you'll  jigfrle  them  on  their  piu,  a»<l  they'll  gnt  Mtuck. 
The  same  holds  good,  in  principle,  of  Orcheetms  and  the  DraiM. 
No  reasonable  Conductor  or  Uaungt-r  allows  himself  to  be  infto- 
enced  by  catcalls  and  noisy  stampinK.  Much  better  to  be  qtuet> 
and  wait  with  patience  as  Hupcrt  and  Pi'ggy  di<L 

They  had  not  to  wait  long.  For  on  the  afternoon  of  Iho  day  on 
vhi<'b  wh.it  had  been  (or  bad  held)  Old  Jane  wax  laid  in  the  earth 
—ashes  to  the  ashes  of  her  loiiit  dead  husband,  dual  to  his  durt^ 
Peggy  was  conscious,  as  she  came  downstairs  to  go  oat  shopping, 
with  her  el<le3t  daughter,  and  then  call  on  the  somebody 
things,  of  a  certain  emprenement  in  the  behaviour  of  the  s' 
door,  or  tlie  umbrella-stand,  or  Charlotte,  who  hud  tx^-n  d 
the  latter  and  answering  the  former,  or  Lucy,  who  had  rushed  down 
in  front  of  her,  armed  cop-a-pie  either  for  Shoolbred'e  or  Society. 
It  wns  iudelioile  uud  unusual,  and  ruaik  her  tell  Spaec  she  won- 
dered what  all  that  was.  Space  must  have  told  Charles  to  anHwtr 
the  qucvtioD,  fur  what  he  «aid  an  be  cmui  up  two  atairs  at  a  lime. 


AlICE-FOR-SHORT 


an 


to  antidpate  Pe(r(^.  was.  "It's  ua!"    He  waa  so  radiant  that  she 
cimpl.v  Htood  at  gaze — heart  and  speech  stopped — to  hear  what  was 
coming  next.    Fur  ronu^mbtr,  CharlM  and  Alice  were  back  froED  a 
foneral,  and  tbe  speaker's  face  was  out  of  keeping. 
'Tve  brought  Alice  back."    That  waan't  nil.  clearly  | 
*Tee — jta — Cbarley  darling !  go  on — go  on  quick !" 
"Not  for  gnod.  you  know  ]    ru  tet  you  ha»e  her  for  awhile. '"   But 
hi*  ■i«ter'd  arms  arc  round  his  ncdc,  and  the  tears  and  laughter 
of  her  jo.v  show  that  no  more  is  needed;  the  murder  is  out,  and 
wild  cxcitcmmt  and  felicitation  reign  in  Hnrlcy  Street. 

"Ye*— Mr.  Charley  and  I  are  going  to  be  married  unless  I  cliange 
my  mind.  I've  promised  not  to  marry  him  if  I  change  my  mind." 
1%us  Alice. 
"Vfe  shall  have  to  see  about  yonr  thiDge."  Thus  Lucy. 
"S'ant  I  have  tmtters  <ifT  the  tote  to  pull  faw  mysolff  Thua 
[^ice  junior,  who,  whenever  anything  in  the  nature  of  a  celebra- 
mm  is  afoot,  surrenders  farrself  to  an  uncurbed  pns^iion  for 
rrackers,  which  almost  always  turn  out^  so  to  speak.  Oead-Sea 
crackers. 

Bnt  this  is  all  anticipation — mere  story-spoiling,  in  factt    If  you 
wish  to  know  how  this  K«u1t  cumc  about,  go  on  to  tho  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  SLIX 


THE  UTTLE  ABCAMAKB.  AXD  BOW  ClIARL^  SOL'OIIT  TIIKU.     A  FUVERIL 

IK  A  r<Xi,  ANtt  HOW  ALICE  CX.IUXRI1  TUB  iini:piiE3o.  \sa  WHAT  net 
pors'd.  how  ch.1rle9  oould  btakd  tt  ho  lohoeb,  u«d  ooos 
wasn't  candid 

Wbex  Charles  left  Sir  Rupnl,  mskinn  war  for  the  Dukn't 
nephew  (who  lookw!  moiw  Iik«  n  wolf's  iit-phcw.  for  his  ears  MtK* 
out  like  bats'  wings),  he  found  that  Alice  did  not  want,  as  mislit 
have  bn'n  Hiipposrd,  to  leoil  him  xtriiighttrny  to  thi:  Altar  of  Hyrnco. 
but  (o  tell  him  that  fiho  and  Luey  were  going  to  Jay's  in  Kq^cnl 
Street.  They  would  come  round  to  No.  40  nft^-r,  if  Churlrai  wu 
going  to  ]ie  then-,  iu  time  for  htnch;  and  then  Ibey  could  all^ 
and  lunch  together  somewhere,  or  come  back  to  llartey  Stitvt 
Agreed  to.  And  Chnrlc*  wan  to  be  sore  to  nscoltcct  thin;  to  ke 
partteiilariy  certain  tu  r«meubci  Oiat;  and  to  mnkn  a  point  of  nM 
'forgetting  the  other.  Aiireed  to  also,  aud  Aliee  and  Lucy  took  aa 
impatient  eth  that  wotild  Iwrilly  stand  titill  fnr  ihcin  to  grt  in,  ad 
went  off  lo  buy  details  of  mouTning.  Charles  took  the  cah*s  uum- 
her  carefully,  as  part  of  a  nonsensical  system  of  fidgeting  about 
Alice  whenever  she  went  out  of  his  sight,  and  walked  awn;  to  hu 
Studio. 

His  brain  was  rather  in  a  whirl  after  the  events  of  the  last  dar 
or  two.  Wlicn  he  arrived  at  No.  40  he  was  not  altogetlier  sorry  t» 
exchauKc  a  few  words  with  Mr,  Pojh^,  whom  he  met  coming  dows- 
atairs.  It  Ir-nded  to  settle  matters  down — to  recOKnitiou  of  the 
routine  of  every  day  life.  He  told  about  lh»^  death,  iti>(>nkin(r  of  it 
OS  a  serious  loss  to  hintoelf  and  Alice.  By  the  merest  acciiU-nt  bf 
called  her  Alloc ;  deliberation,  in  «i>eaking  to  Pope,  would  certaintit 
have  made  her  Miss  Kavanngh.  It  would  have  seemed  incro  pnf 
^ism  to  correct  it. 

"Sort  of  maternal  parent  to  Mrs.  'i^thl'*  aaid  the  aiaiiied-gUK 
maker.    He  was  always  allotting  Aliec  to  Chnrles^pcrhaps  he  had 
derived  a  spirit  of  prophecy  from  the  uumeroua  laalahw,   Uabak- 
kuks,  and  Jonnli:*  whom  he  lind  delineated,  all  looking  as  if 
had  a  low  opinion  of  the  future— aud  naturally  tliia  mention) 
by  her  Christian  name  had  its  effect  on  him. 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


m 


[ 


"TboTc  M  ne>  Mrs,  Heath,"  said  Chflrles,  socinj:  the  migt«k*.  "3Iy 
wife  died  eomp  years  Ago — don't  yini  reme mlwr  i''  Poor  iii.  Popo 
looknd  disconcerted. 

"I'm  puttin'  my  foot  in  it,"  said  he.  "I'm  wanliw'  that  leeftenant 
of  mine — my  son.  Kit — to  keep  me  on  thi"  aijuare.  Yoii  ask  hiin! 
He'll  toll  yoti  his  ^v'nor  spends  his  timo  forg«ttiit'  himself  and 
commenioratin*  other  p<yiple.*' 

"How's  Kitf  said  Charles,  to  chaniie  the  suhjeet. 

"Spooney  young  cuKtomcr  1  That's  vhnt's  the  matter  with  Kit. 
Olhi^rwiee.  lawit-teniila,  football,  swiiumin'  matches — enythin'  you 
like  I" 

"I*  it  Miss  .Terrythoujrlit »" 

"That's  the  young  lady,  Sirl — if  you  cal]  her  a  young  lady. 
I  don't.  I  call  her  a  little  girl — n  little  girl  in  her  ti^cnji.  and  not 
too  many  of  'em.  Can't  see  why  their  mothers  can't  let  'em  alone, 
(or  my  part  I  Mc  and  Ur.  J.  "old  to  the  o[iiniou  of  lookin'  the 
other  way  when  there's  any  kissin'  goin'  on,  and  IctUn*  'em  alone. 
Couple  of  infants  in  arms,  ueeordin'  to  me  I" 

"A  long  engagement's  the  best  thing  in  the  world  for  a  boy,"  said 
Charles.    "I'm  on  your  side  and  Jeff's.    They  can  watt." 

"So  I  lei!  'em.  But  what  upsets  their  respective  mammas  is 
the  way  they  have  of  going  about  looking  for  furnitur«  for  tbcir 
house.  Catalogues  all  owr  tlie  place — best  white  wool  in  super 
tick  mattref.3 — combination  chest-of-drora  and  washstand — three 
fifteen.    That  sort  o'  game  1    No  knowin'  wlinl'Il  como  next  I'' 

"Nothing  like  beiiiR  beforehand,"  said  Charles.  He  wauled  to 
go  upxtairs,  but  i/lr.  Pope  wsk  full  nf  his  subject. 

"You  aak  Mr.  Bauerstein^-here  ht*  eumes! — how  tliow?  twi>  young 
sharers  wrrc  going  on  in  the  Gallery  yesterday."  Mr.  Bauersiein, 
appealed  to  for  furthi^  explanation,  shook  with  latightiir  itili-rnnlly, 
and  recalled  bow  that  nice  little  girl  had  pitched  upon  a  very  sweet 
little  pair  of  Dresden-china  figures  and  made  a  note  of  tbc  pri«e. 
She  was  sure  her  Aunt  Sarah  would  give  ibum  to  ber  and  Chrin- 
topher  for  n  wwlding-present,  if  she  asked  her,  and  her  mother  said 
thereon:  "But  you  are  not  engaged.  I  will  not  have  it."  Mr. 
Baucrxtcin  bpeamc  inarliculnte  with  laughter.  When  he  recovered, 
he  wi])ed  his  t^e.s  aiicl  his  Hpi>ctac]es  and  said:  "They  arc  raluablo 
figures,  but  one  is  broken.  I  bought  them  vrilh  itr.  Verrlnder'a 
picturci".    Mr.  Hcjiili  would  remember  i" 

Mr.  Heath  remembertn]  the  pictures  (but  bad  ncvi-r  norn  the 
china)  at>d  also  recalled  where  he  had  been  hearing  of  Drea- 
dcu  porcelain.  Theae  little  figures  were  Old  Jane's  weddinic* 
preeeut. 


^^fa 


L 


630  ALICE-FOR-SHOBT 

Clwrlra  had  no  difficulty,  vrhea  he  bad  <oId  Ht.  Bauenteia  of 
the  death  of  Mrs.  Verrinder,  nnd  that  »bo  had  mentioned  thoM 
figures,  in  negotiating  a  piircihaHi'.  He  carried  the  Uttlu  shepbeH 
aud  sbepberdesa,  in  Court  dreeees,  up  into  the  Studio.  Ant)  tightrd 
o  pipT,  nnd  wondered. 

Sixtj-  .vears  sroI  old  Bedc^'fl  frift  to  Old  Jane^  when  sho  vraa 
young  Jnn<' — when  life  wa»  new  nnd  brig!it.  and  llw  sun  ahoiw  on 
Paddiu^rtOD  fields.  In  iho  da^'B  when  a  Gretna  tircen  elopement 
from  I^ndtm  meant  fonr  days'  posting,  day  and  nigbl,  Oirou^ 
pa^iloral  Aik-nces  that  are  now  remnant  with  puinping-enginea; 
under  skies  then  clear  that  now  arc  tainted  with  a  Cimmrriaa 
glocini.  or  blacked  outright,  like  Hell — through  Tillages  that  have 
become  raitway-statione  and  nll8ge-inni<  that  have  become  Hotelh 
with  lifiM.  That  like  wu^  tlie  wedding  journey  of  young  Jane  uul 
her  bridcgrooni.  and  the  wcdding'preeonts  limy  canw  back  to  wen 
tliis  very  eomtt  little  Arcadian  pair,  and  do  others.  And  bow 
strangely  theti  had  come  bock,  by  a  succcasioD  of  unconnected  acei- 
itriitiv.  to  a  link  with  tbHr  original  donor — to  the  old  ballrooca 
where  she,  young  liecky.  tliea  a  girl  in  her  first  aeason.  had  wil- 
nessed  an  infamous  scene  of  the  good  old  days;  tlie  days  of  Vauxhall 
and  Ranelagh  in  their  glory,  of  a  Court  that  aped  a  narem,  of  a 
Press  thut  <Uired  not  speak  for  dread  of  the  Pillory,  and  a  Parlia- 
ment packed  with  placemen;  tho  days  when  no  woman  oould  c«I1 
her  soul  or  body  her  own — in  a  word,  titc  days  of  a  huitdn-d  and 
thirty  j-eara  ago.  Tliat  waa  the  imase  of  those  dii.vs  Clmrli-j"  liad 
in  iiis  mind — maybe  a  fulme  one!  How  he  wouki  bare  liked  to 
follow  out  the  atory  to  iia  sequel,  the  cellar- murder!  For  that 
the  two  were  connected  he  did  not  doubt.  But  now  then)  were  do 
further  data  to  ground  aunniaes  on.  The  mystery  mtutt  rvinnin  a 
mystery,  for  all  time. 

If  only  we  coukl  liarc  oblivion,  judit  wlicre  wo  want  it  I  If  we 
could  bnt  use  the  curtain  that  hides  from  us  a  past  our  curiniily 
craves  to  fathom,  to  veil  tlie  thingii  in  our  IjvcK  that  wc  are  crsr- 
ing  to  forg«t  1  So  Charles  thought  as  ho  watched  hta  amoke-rings 
melt  to  nothing,  ami  die.  If  onl.v  tliat  cloud  that  hid  that  murder 
and  its  slory  could  bo  lifted,  and  become  instead  an  impcn«trabb> 
durkncM  biawM-n  him  awl  hiit  own  pant!  Ho  was  not  of  that  si 
that  consoles  itself  with  the  retleetion:  "At  any  ratn  I  was 
to  blame.*'  Rather,  ho  was  always  seeking  to  whitewash  others 
his  own  ex|ieiise.  He  wouhl  far  niKUier  have  trvosand  his 
weak  attempts  in  his  dead  wife's  favour  than  have  to  look  at  ber 
in  the  ugly  light  of  thoiw  two  lettem  ho  bad  torn  up  and  tlirown 
away  to  gladly.    But  tbero  was  something  in  tbu  tone  of  the  le4- 


ablo 

i 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


Ml 


Ura  that  vss  vtotse  even  thau  the  contemptuous  expressions  about 
faimmlf.  "Lc  vrai  dinclon  de  la  farcp,"  wa*  bad  enough — even  irith 
the  forced  excusf  thul  »be  hardly  kuevi  him  nt  (Jut  time — but  the 
6cmi -jocular,  hail-fcllow-well-mci  Iodc  in  which  she  wrote  to  hot 
crtminiil  ulti  pun.-nt  Imd  sickened  ChiirkTK  a!  liis  t«ak  of  cstemiatioo. 
"I'm  afraid  I  e&ik  do  nothing  for  poor  Lavinia  after  tliat,"  eaid  he 
to  himself.    Only  note — he  still  snid  "Poor  LnviniaP 

By-lhe-lye  (apropos  of  Lavijiia).  he  waa  all  this  lime  forgetting 
that  dear  boj*  at  home,  who  van  jutit  a«  dear  to  him  a»  if  his  mother 
tad  liecn  an  uiigi'L  Of  i-ourfli',  the  poor  child  would  be  eomitig 
back  from  hi«  (Jranity,  and  there  he  would  find  his  "oiber-wicket 
{{TBiiuy."  nv  he  cstlitl  Old  June,  lying  dviul  nnd  void.  And  tlio 
boy  had  never  seen  Death  near.  So  Charles  gave  up  the  intention 
of  beginning  n  gb^s-ciirtoon  he  had  promiaed  Pope,  and  writing  a 
hurried  line  of  eaploiuition  to  Alice,  which  he  directed  uud  nltached 
to  hie  door,  went  back  to  Acacia  Road  as  fast  as  a  cab  could 
take  him.  But  he  nrnppt^d  up  the  Drt-^deu  tiKurcs  and  carried  thent 
home  vitb  him. 

Poor  Piorrel  He  had  arrived  and  heard  the  news,  with  no  one 
but  Cook  and  Priscilln  to  conKoh^  him.  As  far  as  Chtirk-s  could 
make  out  he  must  have  divided  bis  despair  between  eliedding  tearo 
OD  Cook  (who  was  kind- hearted,  though  greasy)  and  listening  out- 
aide  the  dealh-chttmbiT  with  no  tangible  motive,  and  with  hia  shoes 
off  in  ca«c  he  should  make  a  noise !  When  fae  sew  bis  father  his 
sob*  madn  him  nlmoKt  innrticiilat<>,  but  fae  managed  to  convey  that 
h«  bad  been  looking  forward  to  telling  the  old  lady  that  on  Satur- 
day he  mado  three  sixers.  And  now  she  would  never  knowl  Hia 
faith  in  her  interest  in  cricket  was  touehing.  (It  was  a  holiday,  for 
some  reason,  and  Pierre  wan  engaged  to  go  to  a  schoolfellow'*, 
whert-  h(!  was  to  Ppeiid  thi-  night,  and  return  to  school  with  his 
friend — it  was  a  large  public  day-scliool — in  the  morning.) 

Alice  would  be  pretty  sure  to  stop  on  in  narley  Street;  so 
Charles  made  up  his  mind  to  stay  at  home,  and  write,  Ue  was 
near  the  end  of  his  polysylliibic  story,  nwl  the  publinhi-r  wo*  dy- 
ing aloud  for  it.    He  must  unpack  the  Arcadians,  though. 

Where  should  be  stnnd  thcmt  On  the  cbimncy-pieco  would  bo 
bent.  But  first  lu!  must  wash  the  miih-.  Tin-  (female  had  evidently 
hr*-a  the  broken  one,  and  Mr.  Bauerslein  had  had  her  cleaned  from 
glue  and  properly  men<lcd.  She  looked  as  good  n*  iww.  But  thu 
miilc  (as  well  a.K  IierM-lf)  bud  been  au  iukpot,  or  rather,  lived 
in  a  ohampaigu-country  where  each  tree  bad  an  inkpot  at  its 
roots.  Ho  had  b(<en  carek'SH  and  the  ink  bad  got  ou  hU  &»«v4.Nk.- 
Barry  silk  atockinga. 


L 


en  ALIGEFOK-SHORT 

TbcTc  n-AH  It  piece  of  iMpcr  n>ueh]>-  gummed  or  pasted  ondcr 
bis  hollow  base.  Ou  it  was  faint  writing,  ncat\j  vaDished.  But 
"For  K«lcy"  utill  Remained  legible.  Oli!  how  Mlrange  it  WM,  with 
ber  lying  ilcad  upstaira! 

Tbp  writing  wo*  tw  faint  that  if  hot  water  wb»  usod  to  wash  it 
or  (o  detttch  the  papor,  the  forest  ink  might  go  outright.  Ctuirl«s 
decided.  a>  the  eafcst  coutm?,  to  xtAud  it  in  cold  water,  and  lei  tb^ 
paper  mak  ofT  slowl.v.  Tbnt  would  iiut  hurt  it,  anil  it  could  Iw 
replaced,  if  Alice  liked.  Every  arrangement  Charles  made  wae 
tiulij<-ct  to  tliis  eondition.  He  left  that  courtly  little  chcphcrd 
sitting  on  aa  island  in  a  basin  of  water,  well  out  of  rcadi  of  Pria- 
cillii'H  Irop  df  zcle,  for  which  nbo  was  celebrated.  Then  ho  sat  down 
seriously  to  fioisb  bis  story,  and  to  work  in  all  the  lougAtt  words 
ho  knew. 

A  pause  for  refreehnients,  and  three  hours  more  writing  and  be 
wa?  at  the  end  of  the  twelve  thouaftnd  words.  He  acknowledged 
ftiligvie,  and  iDiift  for  tea.  Just  an  he  wn*  tDeai>uriii|t  it  obI 
B<*rupuIoti«1y,  eame  the  sound  of  Alice  So  he  put  lu  aDothet 
heaped-up  spoonful.  Alice's  footstep  on  the  stairs,  and  her  VMM, 
in  tltc  rtroms  nliovc.  giving  instructions  to  PrisiHIla,  put  a  vm 
heart  in  him,  in  place  of  the  mere  workadajr  heart  of  the  pMt 
throe  hours. 

"Now,  ilr,  Charley  dear,  teat  Have  you  stirred  itt  Only  Jut 
made — very  good  I  l*m  not  going  to  stop,  you  know.  I'm  tcoijig 
linck  til  Iliirltry  Stret^L  Fve  ixtmo  for  my  thing!!.''  The  uvw  heart 
fell — went  down  below  the  level  of  the  old  one. 

"Mu»l     you     go,     Alicc-for-short )       Does     Peggy     soy 
muMf' 

Alice  longed  to  say  tliat  Poggy  would  bo  only  too  glad  to 
iter  up.  undrr  certain  circiuiicitaaeea.  But  although  she  had  maife 
claim  to  be  able  to  speak  of  those  circumslanocs  to  Mr.  Charlaf 
with  perfect  eelf-conimand,  kIk^  found,  face  to  face  witli  the  under- 
taking, that  it  was  not  so  easy  as  it  had  seemed.  The  water  WW 
up  to  the  bather's  waist,  and  she  was  gn»^i>ing. 


1 


I  up  lo  lue  DHiuers  wui^i,  uiiu  sue  wii»  itiibjiini;.  j 

^K  "She  thinks  T  had  better  go  back,  all  tilings  considered."  ^M 

I^V  "Whatever  shall  I  do  without  you,  my  dearest  girK"    Alice  thlB^ 

1^  ^nnHjk    A     ni'.tnnlihfolip     11,  la^    atjn\  Porlinf^a     til  A     intent  nir    flfAA     .in^ulH. 


ntado  a  completely  falsa  step.  Pcrlmps  llie  gasping  was  uncoa- 
troHahle. 

"Of  course,  if  you  were  ill,  dear  Mr.  Cliarlcy,  I  would  coiae 
dlreclly.  whatever  they  said." 

What  a  mistake  I  Immediately,  whatemr  Charlia's  mind  bwl 
allowtrd  ilaelf  of  imaginingH  that  Alii^'s  heart  might  In:  bis  om- 
risht,  a«  tliough  lie  were  ^\»  jottftB  \Wtwnj  Iw  Wl  often  allotte<l  Imt 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


ua 


to.  was  swamped  in  a  vi§ion  in  whicli  Gratitude,  Benevolence,  crea 
Duty,  cnmv  »n  ihi  iitage,  while  poor  litUo  Lov«  fluttorod  Bvny  crest- 
fa  Ilea  1o  the  flies. 

"I  daresay  thej  arc  right.    But  I  don't  know  vliat  I  shall  do 
without  yOH,  Alioi-for-ahort,  for  nil  thotl" 

"Yoti  don't  know  what  you  can  do  till  you  try,  Mr.  Charley  dear! 
Just  yoii  try'     Anyhow,  tiB<dt  I  gn — thntV  certain. '' 

Aud  bai^k  Alice  went  sure  enough.     And  so  hurt  and  discon- 
certed W08  Chnrk'S  at  being  roughly  broii({ht.  face  to  fncc  mth  iho 
inctitable  full-atop  to  his  daily  Alice  that  he  actually  for^t  thaH 
poor  little  Arcadian  shepherd,  and  left  him  playing  on  n  reed  in  * 
faia  litllv  tlirM-camered  bat,  with  never  a  shepherdess  to  vonsola 
him,  on  a  shelf  in  his  own  bedroom  where  nobody  vUo  nould  touch  j 
him  and  bi*  would  bi-  safe,  if  nnywhc-re.     So,  as  it  chauce<l,  Alicsfl 
heard  nolhinK  about  him,  that  time. 

Charles,  when  he  nppcarvd  next  morning,  went  as  near  heing  ill- 
tempered  as  Priscilla  could  recollect  seeing  him.  She  made  umt- 
tera  worse  (Rhc  was  quite  without  tact)  by  saying  Miss  Alice  said 
co&GC  wn*  to  he  made  for  two  just  ihr  same  whether  mnsU^r  was 
alone  or  not,  because  good  coffee  coulda'i  be  made  for  one.  and  it 
could  always  be  tiuishcd  in  the  kitchen.  This  rubbed  Alice's 
abaence  in,  mid  Charles  felt  it  was  uiidi-servtd.  So.  iuntead  of 
conversing  amiably  with  Priscilla,  be  told  her  that  would  do.  This 
waa  a  hint,  and  Priscilla  took  it,  ntid  left  him  to  th<.'  Daily  Teto' 
graph.  He  ate  a  soulless  egg  and  prepared  U>  go.  He  glanced 
in  at  the  room  where  the  body  lay.  The  gleam  of  morning  sun 
that  struck  across  it.  ai  he  opened  the  closed  shutter,  eliowed  where 
Alice  had  placed  some  flowers  about  the  6gure  on  the  bed,  when 
ahe  bad  come  upstairs  tlie  day  bcfnre.  The  motionless  remnant  of 
eighty-six  years  of  nominal  life,  that  had  only  been  actual  for  less 
than  one-third  of  its  time,  was  so  pale  and  unsubstontia!,  such  a 
mere  technical  record  of  humanity  passtd  awny,  that  the  littlo 
China  shepherd,  could  be  have  seen  it  and  spoken,  would  havo 
called  it  porci'laiu  like  hitnself,  and  never  eoulil  have  dreamed  that 
thfil  was  once  the  bride  that  owned  him.  sixty  years  ago!  Look 
at  bis  sbci))icnlrss — how  little  the  chang<^!  True,  she  had  been,  _ 
broken,  and  mended!  So  had  Old  Jane,  but  the  mending  had  com^l 
too  \liUf.  ^ 

Charles  uncovered  the  face,  and  let  hia  imagination  put  down 
the  perfect  happiness  of  its  serenity  to  the  last  impressions  on  her  J 
mind  at  ili-uth,  the  memories  of  her  old  days  with  her  husband;  ■ 
of  tho  happy  hours  in  Paddington  fields,  that  arc  fields  no  more; 
il,  not  Ivaat,  lliu  delusion  about  himself  aivA  Uiiie.  ^ia\  0»»i«» 


^nd,  nt 


£24 


AUOE-POR-SHOHT 


k 


did  witli  she  had  boen  under  do  do1u»ioa  wbcn  Hbo  died.    So  bad 
Alice  wislMMJ.  but  Dot  iu  exuctly  the  flame  way. 

IIow  about  that  rintft  Ue  drew  Uie  coTerlid  also  oflF  tb»  haod. 
Tm,  there  wu  tho  riog  all  Hgbt.  Alice  had  rvplaeol  it  ;«Htcrda;. 
Charles  wondered  whether  Air.  Mould  (whom  real  name  was  ttrnored, 
though  no  doubt  he  hud  ouo)  wok  nniUy  to  In;  tnisti'd  ubutit  valua- 
blea,  when  uo  member  of  tbe  family  stood  by  to  see  the  ooffin-Ud 
ficrvwed  on.  Wo  womkr,  too.  Let  a*  hope,  with  ChnrlcM,  that  « 
strong  iirofeorioiial  feeling  prevents  malpraclioes.  But.  what  do 
we  knowV  Charles  took  bi»  last  look  at  the  siiror  bair  itnd  oM 
features  Alice  had  grown  to  love  aa  in  so  abort  a  lime,  and  won<lered 
where  or  what  the  younK  soul  was  now,  that  had  »lcfA  on  earth  for 
Kixty  ycitro.  TIo  clcMod  up  (he  room,  gsn-  s»mi'.  direetiun*  nbont 
tbo  undertaker,  who  would  probably  come  before  he  returned,  and 
9onio  olbcn  in  ease  Sir  Rupert  or  I>r.  Fhidycr  should  ootm  to 
cxaiuiut?  ihe  bojj-,  and  went  away  to  spend  al  Uie  Studio  tbe  work- 
ing bouni  of  the  loneliest  day  he  lisd  had  for  n  long  timix 

However,  he  completed  a  cartoon  for  Hr.  Pope,  who  was  greatly 
delighted  with  it.  With  a  singular  perversity.  Fate  had  ordained 
that  Charles  should  devclope  a  capacity  for  doing  respectable  wwk 
the  moment  ho  had  anolbir  emplo.vmi'nt  hr  was  lictter  fitted  for. 
TTud  Home  guardian  Aiigi^l  bi^mi  purgiost^ly  blocking  hia  path;  aod 
now,  baring  turned  him  into  a  better  groovv,  was  allowing  him  a 
little  luxury — a  plirasant  self-juiiliticatiou  for  bis  many  piclurea 
that  eluug  about  him  stilL  Every  day  as  he  looked  at  the  dreary 
buclcE  of  tbe  canvases  against  the  walls,  they  aetsmed  to  him  y««n  the 
lottust  bad  eaten  and  been  uuablo  to  digest.  And  ev«ry  day  be 
wished  he  oould  bum  them  all  and  see  tbe  last  of  tlx^m. 

FI('  did  not  viah  it  Itnm  at  the  end  of  this  lonely  day  liiao  ou  any 
other,  but  he  put  very  little  side  on  in  his  wishing.  For  he  felt  that 
nil  lifd  had  gunn  colourh:«H  and  flat.  He  had  imagined  be  could 
really  eive  up  Alice,  for  Alice's  own  sake;  and  be  was  not  best 
pitywcd  wirh  himself  for  beginning  to  susiiect  that  Iu-  might  {Msai- 
hly  be  mistaken.  He  was  lioiicsily  (but  quite  fallaciously)  con- 
vinced  that  the  surrender  was  necessary  and  incx'itabki,  and  woti 
of  Goune  mnke  it.  But  be  was  by  no  means  mire  he  wouM  not 
out  on  tbe  radc,  and  destroy  all  the  merit;  and,  what  was 
important,  all  the  intended  good  effect  of  bin  self-denial, 
every  throe  of  disquiet  (ond  eat^b  was  worse  than  the  last)  end 
the  same  way — consider  Alice  1  Nobody  could  say  Charles  Heaj 
did  not  make  a  good  light  againxt  an  opponL-nt  who  never  atl 
without  a  certainty  thai  there  is  a  traitor  iu  the  enemy's  camp 
iiimsc^lf  I    And  bo  is  an  opponent  who  can  bido  bis  tioio — who 


ALICE-FOR-SHOBT 


5a 


[ 


afford  to  wait — whose  eDlrenclimeuu  are  aeeure;  wbose  efMOUoIs- 
sariat  is  unimpcnchablc,  iinij  whtwur  namo  is  Lore. 

When  Charles  had  couipletL'i]  bU  carlouD  (a  coloured  cartoon, 
becaum  it  bad  little  numeral*  nikd  letters  all  over  it  to  show  what 
glasses  to  use)  he  went  nway  to  Harlcy  Strei^t.     But  ho  felt  that 
Hartey  Street  had  irot  a   little  dog's-earey].     Are  we  too  meta- 
phorical?    Our  meauitit;  Js  that  Charles  was  conscious  of  Somfl 
tbiuK>  and  conscious  of  a  consciouaness  of  Soniethtug  un  the  part' 
of  Alia;  and  Peggy  and  Rupert.     And  further  he  was  conscious 
that  each  and  all  of  them  were  doing  their  level  Lest  to  enable  nil 
and  cncb  to  pretend  ihot  there  never  was  s  community  with  so 
little  below  the  surface.     A  parade  was  mode  of  the  Bhoor 
usualnexs  of  rurrr.nt  lifi%    It  was  an  epidemic  sensitiveneee  that 
always  breaks  otit  In  faiuiUts  nhcnr  ciigiignmi-nL-*  am  hrirwing,  or 
suspected.     l*ndor  these  circumstances  it  has  always  seemed  to  us 
ibnt  tbo  kitli  and  kin  of  the  two  principals  might  be  described 
as  their  strained  relations.    I'ejtKy  and  Rupert  talked  s  good  dealj 
into  tlm  night,  and  rotlicr  n-gnrttcd  that  tliey  should  have  said 
anything  about  it — the  Somethingl     And   Lucy  nvi-rhend,  IbivJ 
time,  felt  quite  sure  she  knew  what  papa  and  mamma  were  talk-^ 
ing  about. 

But  to-morrow  was  the  funeral.  It  was  an  early  October  day,  on 
which  [.ondon  was  turning  over  in  its  mind  how  it  would  do  ita 
first  NovembL-r  fog, 

Alice  and  Charles  were  to  be  tho  only  mourners — Lucy  wanted 
to  come,  but  her  mamma  overruled  lier.  Shi>  had  a  cold,  cer- 
tainly, but — well!  perhaps  there  was  a  mixture  of  motives. 

Old  Verrinder's  will  bad  dctermiuMl  that  lie  sboitid  be  buriitd , 
at  Kensal  Greejt,  in  the  Dissenters'  Oround,  and  that  the  remair 
"of  his  dearly  loved  wife,  when  actual  Deatli  nholl  enmic"  should 
be  laid  "bc»ide  my  own."  Dr.  Fludyer  had  carefully  observed  all 
the  terms  of  his  will;  and,  therefore,  it  was  at  Kensal  Green  Ont 
that  the  henrw,  after  a  respectful  crawl  through  suburbs  iu  which  - 
the  mtddle-elasa  was  teading  what  it  called  its  life,  and  a  cheerful 
trot  (after  n  pause  to  collect  itself)  through  what  were  once  iha 
fields  its  tenant  walked  in — thinkioK  perhaps  to  herself  nil 
lime  what  a  very  nice  sort  of  young  fellow  this  young  mnn  besid 
her  was,  papa'ii  new  assistant  t — that  ibis  bear^,  l>eurin^  her  ashes^ 
to  his  ashes,  her  dust  to  his  dust,  remembered  what  was  due  to  itieL 
and  tbo  occasion  and  went,  under  a  profound  conviction  of  our' 
common  lot,  vi-ry  little  quicker  over  the  soft  gravel  road  than  if  it 
bod  contained  the  chrysalis  of  a  by^ne  churchwarden. 

liondou  was  trying  a  curious  exiierimeul  with  u  great  hWk. 


Oi^ 


ALICE-FOK-SnOBT 


L 


cluii<l  overhead  when  Alict-  and  Charlts  followed  the  coffin  to 
grare.  Tbo  iog  had  risen  from  the  ground  and  hu»s  alioTr,  liko 
n  pnll.  Tho  spaTTOwe,  who  alwajrs  seem  to  know  about  these  thins^, 
twillered  to  onn  anolher  that  it  vaa  abiionnal,  and  on(>  app<'arH 
to  ask  suddenly  if  it  wasn't  an  eclipse.  Alice  thought  thej  quar- 
relled iibiml  it  riolcnily  in  thp  dust — or  the  ashcjt  Tlifn  ihry  kfl, 
in  the  hrtiids  of  &  local  Btonemason,  the  k-tttring  to  follow  ln-r 
hti»hEtnd's  name  on  the  headstone:  "Kntharinc  Vcrrinder.  Wife  of 
the  abore.  Died  September  187tt,  ageil  oightj-six."  And  tlion  wew 
driTcn  oS  for  homo.  Tho  mounune-coiidi  was  cheerful  about  it; 
that  joh  was  done,  anyhow! 

On  the  wn;  Charles  was  silent — very  silent.  But  thro  be  bad 
b(i-ii  tlmt  fivi'  yi'HM  hcforf-,  Mt  his  faille's  funeral,  whim  Alioo  went 
also,  and  returned  with  him  and  his  mother  nnd  Petrtt.v  in  one  of  the 
poai'hcH.  Shf  remembered  ihut  he  hanlly  said  a  word.  This  tim?, 
however,  he  did  epeak  in  the  end.  just  aa  they  ^t  to  Prned  SttceL 
"I  ncrer  tnhl  you.  Alicp  dear,  nhoiil  the  Utile  shrphiTd."  said  bfc 
And  then  he  told  her;  and  she,  who  bad  had  an  uncomfortabb 
imprcsMioQ  that  she  should  somehow  loarc  him  at  hi*  door  and  b( 
driven  home  alone  to  Ilarley  Btrvet  in  tlii*  hiKubrious  ancitnt 
carriaiie  that  smelt  of  the  Georges,  replied  that  she  must  coma 
in  then  to  sec  that  little  pair  of  Utopians,  and  she  supposed,  but 
hesitatingly,  that  they  might  send  this  thing  away,  and  she  go 
home  in  a  hansom.  She  spoke  as  though  doing  so  might  outcac* 
aoroe  fnncral  propriety  unknown  to  her. 

"I'll  risk  itt"  said  Charles.    "But  it's  rather  like  sending  O 
hall  away,  or  tlie  Lion  and  tlnicorn." 

But  it  made  no  difficulties,  touching  its  hat  in  the  person  of 
bcad-eteward.  who  may  hare  felt  ni-nrer  pewter  than  before.  Ho 
looked  that  sort.  Charles  and  Alice  drew  freer  breath  as  the  lart 
obsequy  diBpereed.  und  vhv  ran  into  the  honsc  to  open  the  shutters. 

"Ilowever  those  men  get  any  wives,  I  can't  imagine."  Kaid  she, 
when  she  and  Priscilla  had  opened  everywhere  and  hit  in  what 
light  there  was, 

"I  believe  they  all  marry  pcw^openers,"  said  Charles,  with  perfi 
seriousness.    And  Alice  believi>d  him  fur  a  moment;  then  h«r  laoch 
rang  ont  quite  happily  and  naturally.   The  funeral  was  over. 

"Oh!  here's  tlie  little  lady!  What  n  pretty  littJe  thing  I  Heir 
she  must  be  missing  her  little  shepherd  1    Where  is  hiet" 

"TTp  in  the  UKlroom,    On  the  top-shelf — by  the  window." 

"Which  bedroom — yours  or  mine?" 

"Mine.    Beatdc  Julius  Citsar  above  the  books.    He'e  stood  in 
hasjn." 


le  s« 
traj^ 

.f  itfl 


hai^j 
feM 


AUCE-FOR-SHORT 


527 


L 


"All  right !"  and  off  goes  Alice,  twice  aa  quick  ae  Charlea  would 
btiTe  done,  and  comes  back,  basin  and  all.  Ho  sit*  gravely  hy, 
looking  ut  li«r.  He  h  very  saddeaed,  or  dittrait,  or  aomethiii^. 
This  won't  do  I  Alice  citn't  go  off  in  hansoniG  and  Icavo  him  like 
thin.    8hc  rauBt  <:hl^e^  him  up. 

''Tak«  care  of  the  btl  of  paper,  §Iuck  underneath  him,"  Baj^  he^ 
but  abwncly,  a*  if  lit  didn't  care  so  very  much  about  the  little 
ahephierd. 

"Tbwp  )«  no  piece  of  paper.  Yes,  there  i»I  It'a  floating  in  tbo 
water.    I  aaj-,  Mr.  Charley " 

"What's  tbi>  meaning  of  this — written  on  it  I"  ^ 

"Ifa  what  Miss  Luttrcll — old  Becky,  you  knour— «tuok  on  it. 
Some  direction  lo  noini.-  one  she  left  it  with — 'for  Katey.' " 

"Yef-,  I  eeo  all  that,  but  tliis  on  the  other  »idel    How  comes  myj 
aaaiKi  to  be  written  on  it  at  alii"  V 

"Hullo.  Alice-for-short.  darling  I  What'a  all  that*  ..  .  Lef» 
have  a  Wk Well.  Vm  blowcd !" 

So  was  Alice.  For  there,  on  the  aide  of  the  paper  which  for  sixty- 
odd  ye«ri.  bad  stuck  under  that  little  shepherd  who  had  paRHud  J 
atraij;ht  from  Vvrriniler's  strange  t-yrie  tlial  looked  out  on  Bedlani'^ 
to  the  back  slums  of  Mr.  Bauerstein's  collection,  and  only  been 
rc*uacilaicd  for  repair  the  olhor  <liiy — on  tliat  iiiexplicuble  acrup 
of  paper  was  written  plain  and  clear  for  al)  lo  read,  Alice's  own 
name,  "Alicia  Kuvnnaghl" 

If  Charles  had  been  by  himself  when  this  came  to  Ii«ht  he  would 
very  likely  hnv«  given  up  trj-ing  to  guess  the  conun<lruro.  Bui 
Alice  was  sharper.  She  orJy  wanted  time  lo  put  two  and  two 
toecthor. 

"Then  there  was  an  Alice  Kavanagh.  That  was  what  she  meant 
- — dear  Old  Jono!"  Alice's  eyes  arc  full  of  tears.  "Don't  you 
remember,  Mr.  Charley,  how  die  said  tlu:ru  was.  and  we  didn't 
believe  her,  and  thought  it  was  because  she  heard  my  name  just^ 
after  she  came  tot  Oidy — how  slraugi-  that  it  nhould  be  Ali<:ia,V 
tool"  Charles  remembered  it  all,  but  proceeded  to  discover  that 
there  wii»  nothing  very  remarkable  in  tbo  coiiKudcDco.  He  hud  a 
disposition  towards  minimising;  had  always  shown  skill  in  this 
direction  in  denting  with  the  So.  40  ghosts.  There  might  be  fifty 
Alicia  Kavanaghs.    \Vliy  noH 

Said  .Mice:  "Why  not  indeed  I    I'm  one  mj-self,  and  it  would  h^M 
too  aelliili  lo  expect  everybody  else  not  to  be!     But  I  must  wash" 
thi«  Little  man's  ink  off  and  make  him  as  smart  as  his  littke  sW' 
III  do  it  directly  we've  had  some  luucU."     \u4  fe\«t  &i  W4',  «(?sii»it 


5Sd 


ALICE-FOR  SHORT 


Homo  Map  and  >oda  from  FriM-illu.  CharluH  was  almost  too  pr 
occupied  to  eat  anjrthinic;  and  she  oould  see  plainly  that  all  Cd 
cSorte  to  produce  that  iniposeible  thing,  a  dironk  lunch  to  l)econic 
acute  at  iilcHEun!,  hu*!  lurned  out  unless.  Alice  was  son?,  but 
then  she  was  ncarlv  as  bad  hcreclf.  Ilowemr,  Charka  soothed 
his  tmiibled  soul  with  n  pipe,  and  watching  Alice'a  pretl;  fingen 
removing  the  ink  from  the  soiled  Arcadian. 

'"Don't  pour  my  cofTpe — not  till  I'vi'  quito  finished  him."  aaid 
nhe,  "The  ink's  in  nil  his  frills  aud  folds,"  But  she  got  him  Quito 
smart  like  his  littJc  love,  and  stood  them  on  the  diiniocj>pi<-co 
togethiT — rather  far  apart  certainly.  But  aa  they  were  infl^bli 
and  sounded  when  tapped,  what  did  that  matter? 

Th<;  great   gloom    of  London's  littl<!  oxportmcnt.  now 
hours  in  operation,  had  brought  chill  as  well  sa  darkness  on 
.TohnV  Wood  ct-rtuinly,  probidily  ctaowhcre.    The  fire  wan  lightedi 
aud  flickered  on  tlie  faces  of  Charles  and  Alice  as  he  puffed  at  bis 
pipe  and  nhi-  dmnk  her  coffee.    Both  were  sad.  bol  each  in  ita  own 
waj-;  Chariee's  au  abaorbt'd  siiduesft.  full  of  thought;  Alice's  a  sad^ 
neea  of  tears  that  may  have  their  way  and  leave  the  soul  in  peace. 

"OhI  Mr.  Charley  dear,  think  bow  long  ngol  And  they  ma 
have  placed  them  on  their  chimne.v -piece  just  as  we  do  non^- — " 

"On  oursf  But  I  ^all  have  (he  chimney -piece  all  to  myseU 
dearest  AUco-for-short !  Alice  baa  run  away — gone  to  Harli 
Stroet  now,  instead  of  Charley  Street," 

"Oh  I  don't — plojisc!  don'l!     You  know  I  can  alwayi  come 
pay  the  little  China  shepherd  and  shcpherdesa  a  visit — whenever  I 
like." 

"Ye*,  dear  child  1  I  know.    And  you  will  come— often — till " 

Something  n  little  queer,  surely,  in  Cbarks's  voice. 

"TiU  whatr 

"Till  afti^  I  luive  mad*  Uiraii  a  wedding-present,  dear,  to  you. 
And  then  you  will  alwaya  be  abb-  to  see  them,  at  boise.  The 
time  will  come,  and  you  shall  have  them,  darling  I" 

Charles  tried  u  laugb,  uud  it  tununl  out  a  mi»crnble  failure. 
Alice  got  up  and  went  to  the  window.  "I  tlitnk  the  fog's  clearing" 
afae  said.  "I  ought  to  bo  going."  A  minute  or  two  elapses,  as  abe 
atutds  at  the  window,  very  tremulous.  Then  she  turus  round,  not 
concealing  it  well  at  all,  and  sajii,  as  she  puts  on  hor  cloak: 

"You  know  how  I  hate  to  hear  you  talk  like  that— yes:  about 
me— marrying  t  I  ought  to  go  now,  dear  Mr.  Charley.  Tou'i* 
pomiRR  this  evening,  of  course  i"  Alioe  i%  going  off.  The  tog  ia 
clearing,  no  doubt.  Charles's  farewell  ttecms  to  hang  fire.  The 
tact  U,  that  if  Aliec  W  l(vmu\ou»  Chulm  is  worse.    He  has 


w 

t     I 


ALICE  FOK-SnOBT 


830 


his  pipe  down,  for  Boioking  Iin.-i  bircoinc  a  mcro  pretence,  aod  ecdi 
hand  altrrnaioljr  grasps  the  other  to  ke«p  it  stii),  and  betray*  its 
onrn  weakness. 

"AliocI  Stopl"  He  has  made  no  effort  to  control  hia  voice — 
knves  it  to  its  own  dcviccsi.  So  left,  it  simply  announooi  to  Aiiro 
what  is  (rominff  next.  She  kuowti  what  it  will  niL-an.  tbougrh  aha 
dooan't  know  whnt  form  it  will  takp.  Uer  heart  thumps  painfully. 
uDcontrollabl.v,  as  alie  closes  tlu!  door  she  i.t  jual  opi-ninK,  and 
goes  hnlf-wny  back  to  Charles. 

"Ye*— Mr.  Charley  denr— whatl" 

"It's  no  use.  darliue,  I  mu*(  speak!  I  siinply  can't  bear  to  b© 
withoat  yon.    I  aimply— can't— ^cnr  it  t" 

Alice  says  never  a  won!.  She  can't.  But  alie  knows  CUarlea 
won't  misinterpret  her  silcncp,  if  she  docs  not  flinch  from  the  amiit 
that  come  ao  naturally  n)un<l  her.  After  alt,  a  Kirl  can't  be  ex- 
pected to  speak  when  nerve-tbrills  ar«  all  through  her  arms  and 
hands,  and  making  her  tetrth  chultttr,  aa  a  galvanic  buttitry  doea 
when  you  bold  the  handles  and  the  proprietor  puts  it  ou  too  much. 
In  Alice's  ease  tho  current  i«  only  perceptible  because  it  is  inter- 
mittent. Soon  it  will  l>c  <^mHtanl,  and  then  we  ahall  have  all  thu 
advantage  and  none  of  the  fuss. 

Charles  wa»  able  to  sjx-jik  timi,  and  he  spoke  to  Alice's  bead  that 
was  on  his  shoulder,  to  Alice's  face  that  he  was  kissing.  And  he 
bad  the  meanness,  the  unmanlinesa.  to  any:  "Oh,  my  darling!  how 
you  shake !"  Alice  had  thoujiht  of  saying  it  herself  of  him  and  to 
him,  only  really  it  was  just  the  critical  moment;  like  the  bather  of 
our  funner  metaphor  she  wun  half-way-in,  and  the  ganping  madu 
speech  unpossiblc.  This  was  the  moment  of  the  plunire.  and  th>3 
ensit'ttt  way  nf  taking  it  wuh  to  teari!  it  to  the  other  Imtln-r  who  liad 
hold  of  her  hand.  lu  a  very  lillle  time  both  felt  that  the  plun^ 
was  taken,  and  that  they  were  fellow -swimmers  in  a  sunlit  ocean 
of  happtnesA.  The  last  pliase  of  the  metaphor  bad  come,  and  was 
to  last  a  long  time.  It  Ima  in  fact  tainted  till  now — it  is  no  breach 
of  confidence  to  tell  you  this.  However,  for  the  proseut  our  busi- 
ness is  to  round  off  this  little  perturbation  of  two  human  souU.  and 
to  qualify  them  to  go  ami  lell  Rupert  and  Peggy,  an  we  believe  we 
have  already  shown  them  doing. 

They  sal  on  the  table  to  real.  This  could  be  done  witliout  preju- 
dice to  tile  siatus.quo.  Then  Charles  found  the  voice  of  overyday 
Speeich,  after  one  or  two  deep  drawn  breaths,  likv  thn  aigh  a  big 
dog  gives  an  be  seltles  down  to  aleep,  after  gyratiDg  on  his  axis  In 
search  of  it: 

"Yca«— darling   love— Alice-f or-abort  1   tbat'a   about   it*— I.  «».^\ 


I 


530  AUCE-FOR-SDORT 

live  without  you.    I  kn^w  I  couldn't  ever  so  lonjc  afto.  tnd  ke 
ail  multing  bcrlit-vi'.    Duly  I  <loQ't  tbiiik  I  ercr  succ««(lecl  in  male 
ing  myself  believe." 

"Poor  ilrar  Mr.  ChnrlcyT'    It  isn't  much  to  any,  but  ifi  sonw 
tbiaj;; — a  coDlribiilion  towards  future  poesibiltty  of  speech. 

"Of  course,  if  you  hail  takm  kindly  to  nny  other  fellow- — - 

"Only  I  didn't!"    A  shade  of  reeentftd  spirit,  tht'  original  Adua 
of  contrndictioiimeM,  hclpn  Alice  migbtily  nt  thi«  point.     Sk 
will  speak  like  lu-rself  djreetly. 

" that  was  railly  fit  for  you,  darlinfi  (which  was  imt 

Me!),  I  »hould  have  had  to  pive  fo\i  away  to  him  with  tlte  heU 
grace  I  could.    But  there  was  no  such  person  eccmingljr;  only 
kept  on  thinking  there  might  Ixi." 

"And  then  1  should  have  been  Mrs.  Harris,"  saya  Alice,  Coi 
ing  up  out  of  Charles's  neekcloth,  and  iqicHking  collectedly.  Per- 
haps you  can  analjae  her  remark  to  the  bottom.  She  did  not.  her- 
Bctf ;  but  seemed  content  with  it  for  all  that.  Then  n*  she  lookfd 
at  Old  Jane's  empty  chair,  on  which  a  ray  of  strange  tiuexpt^^ted 
sunlight  was  shining,  for  the  fog  had  vanished,  sha  brolra  inxa 
flood  of  tears  and  cried  as  if  her  hcnri  would  break. 

"Oh,  Kate— Kate!  dear  old  Kate — if  only  you  eould  have 
Oh,  my  dearest,  tliink — think  how  she  was  sitting  crying  tberei,  only 
five  days  ago.  because  it  wasn't  tnie!  Thiidc  how  huppy  it  would 
have  made  herl     And  then,  perhaps,  she  might  have  lived  a  littb 

lunger — and "    Alice  was  conscious  of  the  absurdity  of  adding 

what  her  ingrained   nalvetS  of  character  suggested :   "And 
the  little  shepherd  and  shepherdess  ngain."     But  tlw  truth  in, 
abaurdit}-  would  have  been  a  natural  absurdity,  and  the  cscluai' 
of  it  was  an  artificial  deference  to  the  spirit  of  the  mourning  coa' 
She  lind  seen  what  was  profeseionnlly  possible  done  in  the  morn- 
ing at  the  cemetery;  end  she  felt  that  liie  muies,  if  speech  could 
havo  been  lawfully  theirs,  would  have  rebuked  her  for  suying  audi 
a  thing,  and  would  hnve  looked  rtfproachful,  anyhow.     She  woidd 
wiiit  to  say  it  another  time,  when  those  august  but  rtuiTy  crcatu 
ehuuld  bo  forgotten.    At  present  the  sun  had  not  poured  lUlo 
room  long  enough  to  rinse  their  memory  away. 

''It  woidd  have  eomc  to  tlie  same  thing  in  the  «id,  darlingv 
says  Charles,  caressing  the  hand  Alice's  return  to  a  sane  demeanour 
has  left  him^  He  docjm'l  feci  that  his  remark  in  very  profound;  hut 
it  will  do.  He  won't  be  answerable  much  for  what  he  saja,  until 
he  and  his  fellow -swimmer  ar«  a  little  u»cd  to  tbo  golden  sea  tbry 
have  juat  pltitiged  into. 

"Everything  does  that  I"  saya  Alice,  for  whom  ve  majr  also 


uldj 

I 


«T 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


»31 


,  at  present  she  is  nn  irrcxtionsiblc  imbecile.  Some  little 
'of  the  claims  at  ilail.v  liftr  ia  woutifd  to  rotiac  these  people 
irom  the  state  of  colUpw  they  have  fallen  into.  The;^  mustn't  fiU 
on  that  lahle,  momUaiug,  uU  tho  re«t  of  tlu!  nfternooiil 


What  cajnv  to  roiiii«  tlK^m  wnw  PriNcilla,  who  but)  an  iiiMpiriitidn 
to  take  awav  the  cotToe.  In  pur?uanoc  of  her  Helhoti,  she  charted 
the  drawing-room  rlour  like  a  i<l(riim-rani,  and  entcriDg  Buddcnlf,J 
said  Uol  as  if  she  had  beeu  addreuaitig  u  varlct.  This  waa  due 
finding  ilnster  sitting  iiii  Ihc  table  with  his  arm  round  Miss  Alice. 
On  which,  PriaciUa  retired,  ^yiug  it  was  nothiug.  She  seemed 
nshaiDcd  of  th«  weakncs*  of  this  eonclusion,  though;  for  she  eloscd 
the  door  with  teiideriieas,  nod  retired  stealthily,  ller  retention  of 
her  soul  in  xilcnce,  however,  went  no  farther  than  the  kitchen  door. 
"Now!"  Mid  *]ie,  triumphantly,  "what  did  I  tell  j-ou,  Cookt" 

But  Coofc  was  turuiutr  eataracla  of  water  into  her  sink,  to 
iloodijr  it  well  out  after  n  real  giKid  wash-up,  and  Priscilla  had 
to  wait  until  the  dninmiing  aouml  i>(  a:i  ovenvroiiglit  waltr-jet  on 
a  metal  pail  had  softened  down  to  a  steady  narrative  of  its  wrongs. 
Tbva  the  rc]K'ated  her  question,  and  Cook  turned  round,  wiping  a 
great  deal  of  flesh. 

"What  did  you  tell  met  Oh.  Priscills,  you  untruthful  girll 
What  did  /  tell  j/ouf"  Now  please  observe,  thiit  neitlier  said  what 
it  was.  Full  particulars  were  in  the  expression  of  Priaeilla's  face, 
in  which  Cook  saw,  distinctly  n^flecti'd,  on  image  of  Charles  and 
Alice,  exactly  as  we  left  them,  or  its  equivalent. 

"No,  Cook!  Now  you  ain't  cnndid!  Tt  was  me  told  yoa.  Ask 
tho  Wash — ask  Pinnoeks — I  can  see  their  boy  elandin'  tlierv  at 
th«  time — their  hoy  himself!  etc,  etc." 

We  are  sorry  we  cunnot  give  enough  of  this  canvenatton  to 
■how  at  what  point  Cook  and  Friscilla  recotniised  tlie  fact  that 
the  matters  tliat  provokinl  the  discussion  had  as  strong  an  intiTevt 
an  the  question  which  of  ihem  had  first  pointed  them  out  to  the 
otlu^r;  that  is  to  say,  if  they  did  so  recognise  it.  Wc  confess  to 
doubts  on  the  point.  This  discussion  was  still  going  on  when 
Charles  and  Alien  came  downstairs  after  ringing  for  Priscilla — 
when  tho  latter  was  informed  that  Mr.  Charles  might  come  back, 
but  it  waioi*!  certain;  but  that  anyhow  Priscilla  was  to  leave  a  big 
can  of  hot  water  for  him  that  would  hold  the  heat,  and  put  a 
towel  over  it,  or  it  was  no  use.  And  then  they  went  off  in  a 
^b.  And  In  due  course  invaded  Harley  8lreet  tempestuously,  with 
the  oewa,  as  we  have  before  related. 


CHAPTER  L 


L 


BOW  CHARLES  CLEARCD  OUT  HIS  OLD  CtiPBOAHIW.     OF  UVtKIA  STB 

SPITAPH.     or  A  WCUDINO  AND  ONE  OF  ITS  sr.<JI!i:i.l<.     or  A  HKUOVAL, 
AiXn    A    DOCUMENT    THAT    CAME    TO    LIFE.      HOW    THE    FAT]IES   Of 

aucb's  bed  uak  had  bi:en  i.v  fear  or  (kii>,  ahd  ack^owledgD 

AN0T1IRII    OP    KIK    MONK.      HOW    AUCE    WAS    OeaCRSDtB    PitOU 

ncnu  OF  A  DEVIL,    hkbhews  thirteen 

And  all  that  happened  two  yeara  ago.  How  the  time  does  nm 
away,  to  be  niret 

Twii  yt^ars  ago  from  now — that  is,  you  know,  from  the  now  of 
this  particular  chapter.  IIow  long  ngo  it  it  from  tho  date  nt  iw  who 
write,  or  ,voti  who  read  docs  not  malter.  Quite  a  liltle  tifetiiae 
back  from  tlie  former  dale,  that  of  ihe  iuk  we  are  now  uaini;.  An 
obviouBly  indeterminable  figure,  from  the  latter.  Perhaps  you  ban 
piclcMl  up  a  forgotten  roltim«  from  tho  waxtriff  of  a  booksrltcr't 
Mail — the  iwopemiyworlhs  that  would  be  such  barRaioa  if  they 
were  wanted  at  all.  Or  your  attention  may  have  been  caujcht  by  a 
wealth  of  unsold  sheets  that  its  publisher  haH  hwhI  to  pa<-k  ■  pre*- 
cut  from  a  friend  in.  Throw  us  away,  and  read  the  present  1  Yov 
can't  poesibly  do  anything,  by  rcjiilinK  thi*  laxt  chapter,  cxeqit 
oscite  a  languid  ciirioeity  about  what  bus  gone  before,  which  will 
never,  in  your  case,  be  satisfied.  And  nothing  is  more  irritating 
thaD  taring  to  follow  a  story  on  an  unfolded  sheet.  m 

When  Charles  and  Alic«  had  a  wedding,  about  three  montba 
after  we  siiw  tbcm  last,  it  was  after  much  discuBHion  nf  whcth^ 
they  should  take  a  new  house,  or  remain  on  at  Charley  SirweL 
The  author  this  street  was  called  after  wan  really,  at  heart,  anxioua 
to  clear  out  of  it.  and  get  «ome  more  oblivion  of  hi*  most  unfortu- 
nate early  marriage.  But  happening,  before  overt  declaration  of 
this  feeling,  to  detect  or  suspect  a  «trong  attachmml  to  th«  old 
residence  on  the  part  of  Ibe  authoress  he  was  marrying,  he  not  only 
ooticealed  it,  but  affected  a  reluctance  to  moving  that  he  did  net 
fetL  The  recouatitution  of  all  old  arrangnnrntA  that  followed  wu 
accompanied  by  many  painful  ineidenta  in  the  way  of  reappear- 
ance of  little  old  familiar  things  from  cupboards  that  bad  never 

TAA 


AUCE-FOR-SnORT 


K9S 


been  opened  since  the  day  when  LaTinia  went  to  tee  her  mother, 
never  went  ncnr  her,  nnd  never  came  back,  for  leaaona. 

Uspleu  Mill  tries  of  thia  sort  an-  alwa.va  luiwelcomc.  althoufih  as 
anon  as  they  become  memories  ibey  are  forgotten  with  alacrity. 
The  unworn  pair  of  gloves  with  the  little  wrap  of  sil\-er  pnpcr  round 
tfar  button;  tbi^  long  bottle  with  Jean  llarin  Furina  on  it.  nnd 
littlo  eau-de-cologne  in  it  still;  the  cnmb  no  longer  practical,  being 
in  two  halves,  but  kept  bra-aunc  it  wiis  torloise-Khell ;  all  these — 
from  a  drawer  that  had  mislaid  its  key,  and  had  to  be  broken  into 
— brought  back  a  thousand  other  things  to  Charles  that  he  did  not 
mind  facing  in  solitude,  but  that  lui  luted  wiicii  Alice  was  to  hand. 
On  a  hi^h-up  shelf  in  a  cupboard,  under  a  stack  of  paper-coTcred 
French  novels,  was  quite  a  cubic  foot  of  soprano  songs,  most  of 
whifli  Cbnrlea  couli)  remember  Lavinia's  n-iideri:ig  of;  aomc  of 
which  had  been  put  away  unsung,  having  probably  been  sent  by  the 
nutbor*  to  induce  her  to  sing  tliem  at  concerts,  with  or  without 
remuneration.  Host  of  the  others  were  favourite  songs  of  hia, 
and  made  it  clear  to  Charles  why  go  often,  when  latterly  he  asked 
for  special  song«,  these  favourites  were  nt^ver  to  be  found.  At) 
time  went  on  bis  wife's  tastes  had  always  been  in  revolt  againe 
his  own. 

It  w*8  nil  T«ry  trying,  and  a  good  dcnl  of  burning  had  to  bo  don& 
There  was  tlie  usual  "Oh.  you're  never  going  to  throw  that  away  I" 
which  comes  Uke  a  millstone  round  the  neck  of  the  Augean  soaven- 
^r  every  time  he  thinks  he  has  registered  an  instalment  for  the 
dust-heap.  But  it  was  got  tbruugli  in  tlie  end.  and  all  Lavinia 
was  swept  away  except  a  glass  paperweight  with  perishable  annuals 
blooming  inriide  it.  "Let's  keep  ju«t  something,  Charley,"  naid 
Alice — about  the  time  when  after  a  severe  contest  she  was  dropping' 
the  "Mr." — "Only  just  a  little  Honueopathic  Monument  of  poor 

Aunt  La!     Perhaps,  after  all 1"  and  as  it  waa  so  very  mudi 

after  all  Cbarb-s  conscnt^id  tu  the  paperweight. 

liut  strictly  speaking,  this  paperweight  was  not  the  only  monu* 
meat  of  "poor  Aunt  I^i"  that  camo  to  light  just  at  tliiM  time.  For 
Pierre,  turning  over  stray  sheets  of  paper,  stopped  suddenly  on  k 
pencil-dketch  of  a  tombstone,  with  "Wbiit's  this,  Aunty  1" 

"Wliat'H  what,  Pierrot t"  said  his  father.  "Let's  look!"  But 
Alice  had  got  it  first,  and  was  looking  at  it  with  grave  ejff. 

"It's  nothing,  Charley  dcarcat,"  said  she,  and  suppri'ssed  it. 
Pierre  was  conscious  that  it  wasn't  ejuctly  nothing,  but  something 
that  called  for  silence  on  his  part,  llo  aoquiesoed — tbc  more  read- 
ily aa  tombatnncit  were  grown-up  people's  coneema,  not  bis.  B«&v<tK«>« 
Alice  iiiT«ated  a  meeaage  lo  the  gardeuei  U,  Vbn:  qs:w  \v;t\ts«,  v^gA 


634 


ALICE-FOR-SnORT 


L 


packed  Masler  Pierre  off  lo  give  it  him.  Thrn  she  reprodnocd 
tile  ekctrh,  tind  vrnt  scrotui  tu  Clinrti-s  ■a-hh  it,  where  he  yns 
burroiviug.  half-cbokeil  with  dust,  in  forgotten  lumber. 

"I  thought  you  said  it  was  only  her  name  on  the  •tone,  Charley 
darling."  said  she.  Charles  took  the  sketch  from  her,  and  his  cyw 
too  were  grave  over  it. 

''It  was  only  hrr  iinmc,  on  the  old  atane."  Mid  he;  "  IjiviiuB 
Siraker,'  and  juat  the  date  of  her  death.  I  had  this  )>ut  up  iuateod. 
PporLav!" 

Alice  TL-od.  thoughtfully,  from  the  <irawti]ig:  "Tndt-r  this  stoae 
lie  the  mortal  remains  of  La<'iiiia,  sometime  the  beloved  wife  of 

Clinrles  lli-ath  of  So,  40 Strctet,  Soho,  London.    Bcquictcal 

iu  pace.'"  and  tlii-n  remained  silent. 

"AD.Whiiig  wrong,  pet '(  I  had  it  done  in  Knglish  ...  it  wasot 
any  busiiieHS  of  the  Voiib,  after  all,  ,  .  ." 

"I  wasn't  thinking  of  that,  darling.  I  vae  think  of  the  'Beqni- 
c^cat  in  pace,' " 

'■Well.  Aliee-for-short  f 

"I  thought  you  didn't  believe   people   requieaeatted    in   pt 
There  was  a  perrerso  pnrndoxicnl  twinkle  in  Charlca's  fsc«  as 
answered : 

"Of  course  I  don't  I    It  doesn't  mean  her.   It  means  me.  .  .  " 

"Toul" 

Tea.  X!tB3  Kavanafch,  roe!  So  you  needn't  be  so  bounocali 
Are  you  not  aware,  Uadum'' — Charles  goes  on  with  a  trace  of  his 
own  old  munner — "that,  when  two  con»etruttve  grniliren  are  fol- 
lowed by  A  word  that  demands  an  antecedent,  the  latter  of  ihti  two 
is  referred  to.  Tbal.  is  my  recollection,  nnyhow.  The  meaning  i< 
obvious;  that  I  shall  be  obliged  to  ei-erybodj— except  j-our  own  dear 
self— to  say  nothing  to  me  about  her;  and  let  me  hare  the  Itucury 
of  forgiving  her.  if  I  clioose.  ,  ,  ." 

"It  was  so  like  him,  altogether,"  said  Alice  to  Lady  JohnMD, 
when  elic  totd  her  nf  tliis  inciilejit. 

"Ob.  yes  t"  said  Peggy,  "that  was  Charley  down  to  the  grouiK)." 

Did  you  ever  realise  that  before  Alice's  teens  set  in  ilrs.  Charles 
Heath  was,  for  years.  Aunt  La;  a  nhowy  woiniin  and  a  brilliaDi 
singer,  of  whom  her  husband,  "at  any  rate,"  was  fond  i  We  an  not 
prepared  to  say  that  we  do  even  now,  without  thinkintr  it  over. 

However  tedious  the  job  was,  it  was  all  got  through  in  the  end. 
And  then  tho  whole  domicile  wn»  repainted  and  papered  Willi  Tt 
lis  Rose  and  Honeysuckle  and  Sunflower — (w<(  can  give  the  nddr 
of  the  lirni  tliot  makes  those  jinpers  if  you  want  it;  but  perl 
itishardlf  aucessary)— auiiC^aiWwid  AKco  Ucath  went  away 


ALICE-FOR-SUORT 


S«« 


the  Xorth  Bill!  Havtb  of  Italy.  an<i  the  Xflftli  of  EKypt,  and  were 
tviay  ever  fo  long.     And  wh^n  Ihpy  <'nme  back  (rtn  tin-  Atlnnciir) 
tlwy  w«r«  «lmo!it  offensively  robust  ajid  boamiiye.     However.  tlieyJ 
Rcltled  donu  to  pr«dueiiiK  copy  and  were  not  disliirbod  until,  morv" 
than  a  year  niivr  thrir  murriii^-.  tliey  wfrrc  inlniilt^d  oh  by  nn 
cscessirelj'  ugl.v.  violent,  and  ill-tempered  person,  colonrod  purple^ , 
who  had  never  bci-n  in  the  world  beforo,  nn<I  didn't  iwvm  to  approval 
of  it.    In  spito  of  his  uaaly  temper,  and  his  iiuihilily  lo  keep  hia 
breakfast  down  when  jolted,  bo  Rot  hi*  own  w»y  in  everything. 
And  one  of  hi«  <!<-mands  a  trifle  later  was  thut  more  roomy  i)remiaea 
tiboald  be  provided  for  him.  rather  nearer  Ilarley  Street,  go  that 
hia  oouatn  Lncj"  i'hoiil<l  ho  able  to  tnk'-  him  iind  linvi>  him,  nnd  hia 
Onillli7  when  glie  came  to  Barley  Street  §hoiild  be  able  to  call 
on  him  by  the  w»y,  and  show  him  hpr  wntch  that  iwiid  lingl    Alice 
said  be  said  ho,  anyhow — said  so  froquently ! 

"And,  oh,  Charley  darlin(r,"  she  added  once;  "poor  dear  Old 
Janel    Think  liow  itlic  would  huvo  enjoyed  thisi  baby !" 

"Uo  you  remember,  sweetheart,"  Charles  asked,  "that  time  about 
three  weeks  before  she  died,  when  you  eaid  it  was  the  second  wecJc 
in  Si-plemlii'r  ?" 

"Yes!  and  die  <iaid.  'It'a  juat  about  now  my  baby  was  to  have 
come!"  Oh  <lc4ir!  I  oan  hear  her  saying  it  now.  I  don't  believe  stie 
remembered  the  interval,  at  that  niomwit,  thp  least," 

"Moat  likely  not]  Take  care — Rupert  Dankl  has  got  at  the 
ink." 

"It's  hia  hereditary  instinct."  Alice  referred  to  Rupert  Daniel 
for  confirmntion,  asking  him  if  it  was  not  his  little  hereditary 
instinct  then,  and  saying  llmt  if  be  wnul<-d  to  bluL-k  himself  all 
over  he  should,  he  nhmitd.  This  wag  translated,  as  Kiipert  Daniel 
seemed  to  require  it,  into  one  of  the  dinWts  in  \i*r:  Itut  hi» 
mother  was  not  as  good  as  her  word,  and  strangled  him  off  the 
inkstun<L 

"What  does  his  hereditary  instinct  tell  htm  about  the  house  in 
Avenuo  Hon<(  f"  naked  Charles,  sitting  sideways  on  his  chair  to  fold 
bis  arms  over  the  back,  and  contemplate  his  family  through  his 
own  «moke. 

"Ke  says  it's  no  nparer  Ilarley  Street  than  this,  but  that  thero 
would  be  lots  of  room,  even  if  he  ever  has  a  little  sister.  He  votes 
for  going  there,  and  says  take  it  on  lease  from  Lady  Day.  SevcDi 
fourteen,  or  twenty-one  yeara.  Only  the  landlord  must  put  the 
bouse  in  thorough  auhstautial  repair.  He'll  choose  the  papers 
himself  and  see  the  painter  about  the  colour  of  the  wood-work 
where  already  painted.    Won't  you,  toy  pessusickle  eoo^t^^^'ni'C' 


5S«  ALICE-FOR-SHOBT 

"What  does  bo  aar  about  the  rmtt"  askcj  Charlr*.  n-bo  fdt  Ibe 
ivapoDsibility  of  the  propowdl  irtvp.  He  took  very  kindly  to  ihi* 
indin^:!  way  of  setlitig  Alice's  souctiou.  It  bad  a  kiDd  of  ilavour 
of  eonsiUtatioii  of  ab  Oracle. 

"lis  sajro  hJK  papa  ih  n  Hilly  gooac  fur  not  afferioK  a  hundred  anJ 
twenty— only  if  be  was  a  little  older  he  wouldn't  spluttCT  90  sad 
his  manmin  would  undt^ntand  him  better.  Oh,  my  »wijct— mj 
pri-ciHun  In-'UBiirL — do  take  turel  He's  got  hold  of  tne  by  the  car- 
riiiR  aii<!  he'll  scratch  himself.  Come  and  fcet  him  oS,  Cbark; 
darling,  licforn  he  nninltTr.-i  hiniruL-lf  ami  niu  too," — 

The  Oracle  was  detached  from  his  prey,  and  his  counseb  iC- 
ctDliid,  prwumnbly.  For  a  few  wct-k*  after,  in  jipitc  of  the  Charley 
Street  renovutions  being  ua  good  as  new.  the  lu^otialiaiw  were 
completed  for  the  other  house,  and  liupert  Daniel  was  amtngiBC 
the  diTCcinitionx  and  allotting  the  rooms;  at  Irant,  Mrs.  Charles 
Heath  said  be  was. 

And  noir  the  ev«nt  wo  have  to  relate  will,  we  hope,  justify  this 
little  ('xciir»ion  into  the  happy  murrii<d  life  of  Clmrlcs  and  Alice; 
of  which,  else,  we  have  no  Toaaon  for  didcoursiuK.  Whether  it 
threw  an  indiri^ct  li^Iii  on  the  activity  of  the  No.  40  ghosts,  H 
was  alleged  by  the  party  we  may  speak  of  as  their  support^n,  job 
will  jintg^'  wlicn  you  nrc  in  powie-iwion  of  the  facta. 

A  Firm,  Conuimnily.  or  League  that  described  itself  broadly  M 
R^tnovaU.  but  owned  llic  name  of  TamwcU,  and  in  Hnnll  oooC- 
dcntial  ilnlicM  on  itH  cunl  add»l  that  it  was  also  Jobs  done  viih 
Horse  and  Carl,  67  the  da]/  or  hour — this  oKcncy  had  for  two  day* 
had  poHscesioD  of  both  bouses;  stood  with  itH  vans  at  both  doon; 
covered  the  jiavemeutia  lu  front  of  each  with  a  mixed  mysterious 
Sue  of  mattings  and  strange  chips,  while  it  deceived  it»  hoiwa  with 
n  vain  show  of  empty  boKs  upon  their  nosea;  auggviitiiiK,  but  not 
fiillillin^f.  the  idea  of  oats.  Its  constituents  had  bandied  iiistni^ 
tions  across  pieces  of  fiimitnrc  at  critical  angles  of  *lairca«>o*. 
rtfiproi^all.v.  Miid  bad  expressed  the  lowest  opinions  of  each  other'* 
faculties.  There  was  not  one  of  thrm  who,  utartinft  in  a  puiv 
atinciHtilurn-,  coulil  not  huve  Ix'cii  traw-d.  by  tliit  aniell  of  bror  he  Mt 
behind,  throunh  the  worst  intric-acies  of  the  Ituri  forest.  Aud  any 
two  of  them,  coming  upntairs  forwonLf.  gave  tlic  listener  unMien  the 
irapresaiou  that  one  cart-horse  was  oominir  downataira  backward*. 
And  the  hoarccncM  of  them  who  Khali  14:11  f  Or  their  sustained 
power  of  conversation  wilhom  subieci-matter)  Or  their  pei^i- 
ration! 

It  waH  on  tho  Dccond  day  of  their  ministry— towards  the  dut^  of 
it— that  a  spirit  of  iubilatiun  di-v^lDped  it»clf  among  tbem.  U 


ALICE-FOB-SHORT 


83} 


th«  verj  last  van  kft  the  ioaig  of  Charley  Street,  pureu«<I  by  its 
youngest  nlxrttoT  known  ai  "the  Boy"  with  a  forgotten  article 
that  never  sbuuld  have  seen  the  light.  He  waa  proud  of  the  rescue, 
snd  plBcrcI  it  inHicIc  a  fender  on  the  tail  of  the  van.  Which  then 
«rei)t  round  hy  'Igli  Strc'crt,  inxliTnd  of  f^>in*  itrntght,  to  get  a  cup 
of  Tea.  This  took  a  hag  time  to  drink — was  perhaps  hot,  and 
Tamwt'tl  had  to  put  it  in  the  rauccr  and  blow  it.  It  wa^  not  vrhole- 
Boine  Tea,  because  when  Tamwell'a  L-omponi3itii  racnr.  quite  an 
hour  later,  to  Avenue  Road,  they  were  all  (exc^t  the  Boy)  arti- 
ficially concealing  ita  efTecle. 

But  no  effort  could  disguise  a  thickneas  of  speech,  nor  auooess- 
fully  affect  n  power  of  walking  stroitiht.  And  thej  did  not  etnell 
of  Tea. 

"What  u  to  ho  done,  Char1e>-{"  said  Alice  to  her  huabaiid.  who 
liad  <wine  from  his  la»t  last  hist  look  nt  the  old  borne,  turning  over 
many  things  iu  bia  heart,  as  you  may  well  believe. 

"What's  wrong,  dRfling  love?" 

"Why!  all  thi-e*  men  arc  nn  drunk  us  thry  van  be — ihcy  can't 
possibly  get  ibi-  things  in  lo-uightl" 

"Can't  they?     They've  got  to  I"     The  delinquents  were  in 
bajtcmont.  cbirffy.     Charles  penetrated   bolow;  and  found  thvm^* 
poaaibly  endeavouring  to  collect  theioselvea,  in  ibe  front  kitchen. 

"Now,  Mr.  Tamwcll,  what  do  you  moan  by  coming  here  drunk  t 
You're  all  drunk — us  dnink  as  you  can  be!" 

"No.  Shir  I  Kosh  drunk  as  we  can  be  I  Sfaober  as  we  can  be, 
Hiali  Iffjithl"    CharlcK  appearrd  to  give  this  couaideralion. 

"Perhapa  you're  right.  Mr.  Tamwell.  At  any  rate,  you're  not 
quite  so  drunk  as  you  can  be.  Now.  look  here,  oil  of  you  I  You 
may  just  go  to  work  uguin.  and  g<-t  the  job  through.  Bui  crvety 
eiiigle  ihing  you  break,  every  scrap  of  damage  done, — if  it's  only  a 
scratch  on  the  wallH, — will  cotne  off  your  account.  Now  you  under-] 
•tand!" 

At  this  juncture  the  Boy,  who  was  sober,  struck  in;  "It's  my 
dad'*  tho  bmt  on  Vm,  Sir  I  Send  him  'omc.  tic  and  Sum  and  the 
Sook — (what  wo  call  him — the  Dook) — can  stop  on  and  end  up 
lh«  job.  I'll  eee  to  'em."  Charles  waa  puulcd  about  his  dud,  and 
the  Boy  explained:  "The  Iiysl  on  'em,  in  the  manner  of  speaking; 
tbe  forradeet  you  might  say  I"  So  Sam  and  ibe  Dook  stopped  on, 
in  charge  of  the  Boy,  who  did  his  work  nobly. 

It  was  towards  sevi-n  o'clock,  and  the  dispositions  of  furniture 
were  going  on  by  gai^light,  when  Teggy  and  l.ucy  drove  up  to  tho 
bopa^  and   waded  upstairs  through  unallotted   furniture  bT««iVf 
high  to  tlje  back  rvoai  with  the  bigbay.opeiimsouiivaViiMftsCTi- 


L 


u  uw 


J 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


"\ow — ^you  poor,  tired,  dirty  peopk.  we've  come  to  fetch  you. 
Aunty  Lis87,  j'our  son  has  been  reproaching  you  bitterly  for  ^or 
nbseaoe.  Do  get  the  thingut  in  iint:hovr — t}u.'y'll  Htaiid  till  to-momy* 
— and  come  home  to  di^nerl"  It  was  Peggy  who  spoke.  But  Loq; 
chimed  in. 

"Ob.  do  look  Bt  thin  poor  .\iinty  T-issy.  Kbit's  quite  nrom  OBl 
and  done  for.  Do  come  alou^,  Aunty,  at  once.  Never  mind  tbe 
things!" 

"It's  not  the  fatigue.  Juic;  dear!  It's  those  men  being  so  £ 
innbly  drunk.  The  Bof's  worth  the  wbol«  lot  put  togntbcr.  Bricis 
it  in  berel  No — not  upstairs,  Pri»dllH — in  here,"  Tbi*  waa  ttie 
very  last  piece  of  furniture.  It  was  the  old  tnble  that  we  have  m 
often  mpntioDcd — Aliue'a  poor  mother'K  wedtiing-pn-M-nt  that  hiul 
fltootl  so  long  in  Cliurles'B  room.  Alice  thought  of  it  as  "the  tabic 
I  accepted  Charley  on." 

"You'll  hnv(t  the  legs  oS,  I  tell  ycrl  Turn  her  over!  Ni 
dowD  your  end  under  tlie  gairee— down,  your,  end!  Ke«p  your 
ffyo  on  the  bookense— you'll  jam  the  bookcaxo — keep  her  off — ktcp 
her  otf.  8«m,  ycr  darned  fool!  .  .  .  There!  wot  did  I  tell  ycr,  tolb 
on  yer  {  A  tid.v  5oh  you've  made  of  it.  and  then  you'll  aay  /  iltw 
itt"    Thus,  volubly,  the  capable  Boy. 

Sam  wiiH  on  the  flour,  sobcired  fay  having  a  tolerably  heavy  laUt 
on  the  top  of  bitii  a^  he  fell.  Alice  and  Charles.  I'^ncy  and  Lucy, 
were  n  group  Htnnding  back  to  keep  out  of  th«  way,  in  the  nom 
into  wliii-h  the  tabid  ha<l  pitched  itaelf  and  8am.  PriHeilla  aad 
Cook,  atlraeted  by  the  noise,  were  on  the  stairs  outside,  baring 
come  from  an  u|tii(T  room.  The  T>iike  anil  the  Bay  in  the  doorway, 
tfaa  former  trj'ing  to  lay  claim  to  having  foreseen  this  and  4»MikaT- 
oured  to  prevent  it  It  happened  because  be  wasn't  listened  to,  b» 
mid  dninkenly. 

As  BOOH  as  it  was  clear  that  no  bones  were  broken  the  table  vi 
turned  face-up,  and  public  opinion  had  leisure  to  retteet  how  mueb 
_  worse  it  would  hav<r  iMAn  if  Boinelbiiig  totally  ilidi-ri-nl  bad  ha|i- 
pened.  It  was  at  this  point  that  Lucy  asked  what  that  was  that 
fell  out.  It  wn:>  detected  on  the  floor  and  picked  up.  A  little  sted 
pin,  or  rod.  with  a  wooden  head  on  it. 

"Put  it  back,"  Alice  said,  "it's  a  thing  to  stop  the  drawer  coming 
out.  I  wonder  it  didn't.  You'll  see  tbe  little  hole,  just  the  shape 
of  the  head " 

"I  don't  Bce  any  little  hole."— "Oh  yes,"  Alice  said,  "U  mi 
there."    And  slie  came  to  find  it  hiirself. 

"This  is  funny,  Charley  1  There's  two  little  pins,  ejaotl;  alika> 
Titem  must  be  two  \llt\ft  laoVat  ^xwaX^  iKv^ke!" 


ALICE-FOR-SHORT 


63» 


"I've  never  seen  nwri?  than  oni-."  sny*  Churlcii,  anA  fiomc*  to  look 
for  it.  But  both  arc  lookiug  along  and  round  the  table-corner,  just 
ori-r  tlie  ilrnwi-r. 

"You're  lookmic  in  the  vrtoug  place."  8*53  Lucy.    "There  it  iftt 
Right  "111  iu  the  middle  of  the  table."     So  it  is,  and  under 
monienlurj  inipn-saion  thm  it  is  an  extra  stop,  it  is  roplnwii.    Theft. 
Alice  is  suddenly  perceptive  and  says :  '•My  opinion  is  we've  all  gone 
sillr.    If  it  had  keen  like  that  we  mnt  could  have  <q>et)ed  the 
drawer  without  ItndinK  >t  outT' 

"Of  course  not  I"  eaTs  Charke.  The  Duke  and  Sam,  as  authoTi- 
ties  on  funiitun?,  otter  valueless  opitiiona.  which  arijnire  nothing 
from  a  display  of  much  respectful  reserve  and  drunken  deference 
cm  their  part.  The  Boy  is  more  to  the  purpose,  only  ho  speaks 
willi  a  tone  of  abttoliite  <routempt  for  the  whole!  Immiin  ruce. 

"It  don't  blong  with  that  drore.  No  c'nectionl  'Nother  drore 
insiilel  Secrecy  drore  I  Ofions  into  the  wneaney  when  this  is  took 
out.  You  loolt  t'other  sidel  Correspondin'  sitiwalion.  corre- 
spondin'  'ole!  ...  Oh  no!  don't  you  believe  mo  unless  you  like — 
but  llinl's  the  way  of  it.     Yim  sec,  ili^H!" 

He  pas^ii  over  opa<|up  seniorities,  and  CAlabliiihes  direct  com- 
munication  with  the  other  creature  In  the  room  that  is  his  own 
age,  iir  theri'MboiitK.  The  four  eyes  of  the  two  an:  in  an  instant 
couoentrati'd  un  tin-  tahle  surface.  Which  will  see  il  first,  lie  or 
Lucj-t  It  is  a  draw.  Both  shout  exactly  in  a  breath,  that  thcr« 
it  ■■!  And  Liiof's  clean  gloved  finger,  and  the  Boy's  dirty  one, 
touch  it  at  the  same  inomcnt.  The  Boy  is  a  proud  boy.  as  the 
second  pin  is  extraeted,  the  drawer  pulled  out,  and  two  small  hidden 
unauapecled  drawers  brought  to  light;  pulled,  as  he  hod  foretold. 
into  the  waeancy,  by  small  sunk  handles,  There  was  0  folded 
sheet  of  foolscap  paper  in  one  of  tlion  witli  writing  on  it.  But 
nothiftR  elsL-. 

"Charley  dnrlinR— what's  this!" — Alic«,  who  bjkibVs,  is  reading 
the  paper,  whtcli  she  has  unfolded. 

"A  Bill  I"  says  Charles  at  a  guees.  But  there  is  no  printing  01 
it.  notliing  hut  handwriting.  A  formal  document,  on  old  foolacAp 
with  uncut  edges  like  a  leeal  document.  It  has  the  marks  of  age — 
the  faded  ink,  fi>e  siiots  of  many  siees— black  asteroids  in  a  space 
that,  hi'ld  to  the  nose,  smells  of  a  law-stationer's  lumber  room — tbeJ 
damaged  edge  where  a  mouse,  lung  <ieiid,  paused  for  rcfreehmcnta.J 
Three  or  four  Kingle  sheets  tied  at  the  comer  with  n  piece  <if  tape, 
conveying  an  idea  of  a  claim  to  be  engrossed  un  parehiueni,  and 
•domed  with  the  usual  column  of  wafers  one  expectx,  which  are 
jrour  Act  and  Dcv'-d;  and  with  a  real  seal, of  wax;  but  there  iu<it>^W 


540  ALICE-FOB-SHOBT 

siiniatures  and  an  informal  KtteslAtioD.    An  informal  documeiit 
altogri.hcr,  but  appartTtiiljr  liaving  »  fomud  intentioii. 

"Well.  Chark-y.  don't  «Utiiii  gaping  at  Ul" 

"What  on  earth  \b  it,  dear  old  boy  t" 

"Now,  Uncle  Charley,  don't  be  ridicuIotMl  Here— gtTe  it  met 
I'll  read  it,  if  you  won't," 

Thuii,  TwpcTtivclj',  Alice,  Peggy,  nnd  Lucy.  But  Charles  rcmaliM 
immoTablu,  witli  hin  i^ea  ou  tht?  piipiT.  He  U  looking  at  tlia 
signs tiires.    Suddenly,  he  folds  it  up  and  thrusts  it  in  his  pocfcek 

"Shan't  tell!     Wait  till  nfter  dinner!" 

"Oh — what  a  thameU"    Sic  omnet. 

Bui  Charles  *tiiek  to  hi*  point  and  carried  it,  omntbiM 
iradicentibus. 


J 


k 


Pi<!ture  to  youritclf  that  after  dinner  hint  come,  nnd  the  nuk*. 
Sir  Bupert.  Charles,  and  hh  brother  Bobin.  the  ht^al  Mind,  ham 
promisicd  to  amokc  quick  and  given  their  wordu  diny  won't  look 
flt  thu  pniicr  iH'foru  they  come  upalaira.  "All  right,"  Charlca  tajt, 
*'I  won't  let  it  out  of  my  pocket.  Honest  Injun  V'  Further,  that 
they  hiivc  come  upstairs  and  Charles  is  tantnlisiuR  them  all  by  tlM 
deliberate  way  in  whieh  he  prepares  to  read.  However.  uU  is  ready 
at  last!  But  fir«t  be  says  to  his  wife,  whose  arms  are  round  \6i 
tiivit  from  behind  ns  ahi-  looks  over  his  shoulder,  "I-«ok  at  the  sinut- 
lures.  Mi»»  Kavanunh!"  and  ndda.  "What  do  j-ou  nay  to  thai, 
.Maternal  Parent?"  llis  ways  of  designating  her  are  considend 
acaiidiilou:<  by  his  mother,  who  is  present,  hut  whom  he  is  not 
this  ease  addressing. 

As  to  de«eribing  the  bewilden'd  mirprise  on  Alice's  face,  it 
simply  imr'oseiUe.    Use  your  imaginaiion  (o  the  utmoat,  is  all  W« 
can  say.    What  follows  is  what  Oharica  read: 

"I  tile  undersigned  Edward  Cramer  Slendliall  LuHreil.  hnronC^ 

of  Orwwys  Morehsrd  in  the  County  of  Devon  and  of  No.  7 

Street,  Soho  near  the  eity  of  T^ondon,  Wing  in  fear  of  God  and 
daily  expectation  of  d«ath  from  mortal  disease  which  hath  for  thne 
whoh^  yeara  biddm  defiance  to  the  skill  of  physicians  whether  of 
this  eountry  or  of  France  or  Italy,  do  hereby  affirm  and  de«Ura 
as  my  true  testimony  in  reftard  to  my  relations  with  Alieo  lh« 
n-Eiutrd  wife  of  John  Kavanagh  of  the  dniry-fam  known  aa  ihs 
Flete  on  the  road  from  HiKbgate  to  London  in  the  parish  of  St 
Saviour  by  Gospell  Onfc  field.  Thnt  F.()wnrd  Kavatiagh  now  apprcii* 
ticed  to  a  Taylor  and  n-puled  the  eldi^ot  son  of  the  aboTe-t 
John  Kavauagh  ia  iu  truth  my  own  aoo  by  tbe  said  Alioe  burn  it 


ALIOE-FOB-SHORT 


Ml 


falan  sifpcct  nnd  brltof  of  lawful  wedlock  iii  her  fathrr'a  hoiiso 
Samuel  Lecheminant  of  IiarBstaj»Itf  in  the  county  of  Devan.  And 
is  registered  in  the  Parinh  tyjtiotcm  of  that  town  oh  Edward  I.ut- 
tndl  ths  Km  »f  Edwurd  and  Altoc  LultruU  tu  wbitJi  tiuuio  the  Miid 
Alice  did  at  that  time  believe  herself  truly  entitled." 

"Thut'a  a  very  funny  thin^  too."  aaid  Sir  Rupert,  interrupting. 
*^owever.  never  mind  I  Qo  on.  I'll  tcU  you  after."  Oharlea 
oontiDu«d : — 

"For  by  no  other  me^ns  tlinn  a  false  ceremony  of  marriage  could 
this  young  wench  be  won,  bt^int;:  then  but  sevoutijen  y^iirs  of  uge 
and  filled  up  with  hiKh-flonn  ideas  above  and  beyond  her  plac« 
in  life.  Wherefore  I  Itring  now  on  my  death-lH^d,  &*  I  truly  cun- 
ceivc.  do  humbly  pray  tbut  GM  may  for^rive  her  aln  uod  mini!,  and 
many  another  that  1  have  done  of  a  like  Hort.  For  it  i«  not  to  her 
alone  that  I  havo  done  wrung,  nvitliur  could  I  account  to  iny*clf 
for  all  the  wrongs  I  have  done  nor  of  all  the  women  to  whom  I 
hare  forsworn  myself  to  deceive  them.  For  whom  too  I  pray  that 
their  ein  may  be  forgiven  as  I  doubt  not  miiiit  will  hr^  through  no 
ItaRrit  of  mino  own,  but  thrtiugh  tJie  grat'e  of  Our  Lord  Jesua 
Cbriat,  Amen!  But  in  the  case  of  this  same  Alice  Lechominanl, 
called  Kavanagh,  I  ywld  to  her  tinea&ine^a  of  couHcioice  and  her 
(!am<!«t  and  rtrpentc^l  prayer  and  do  now  aolemnly  afErni  that 
she  resolutely  defied  all  my  advances  except  she  should  bo  truly 
and  honourably  niy  wife.  On  which  ground  seeing  that  the  rMwiit 
deatli  of  my  duarly-Ioved  first  wife  Barbara  Lfld,y  Oplethorp  had 
left  me  without  reasonable  excuse  for  otIic<r  conduct,  1  was  fain  to 
gire  way  to  hi-r  ncntplcit.  and  do  aSrm  now  tliut  ticithing  wan  k'ft 
undone  that  could  eontribute  to  deceive  so  shrewd  a  youn^r  person, 
whow»i  father  wan  by  good-fortune  bedridden,  and  whose  motlier 
was  b(!!<(itti'd  against  mysi-lf  and  full  of  malict-  and  ill-feulliig.  on 
which  account  her  dau^ht^r'a  mind  was  easy  towards  her  exclu- 
sion from  our  councils.  But  there  was  need  of  contrivance  and_ 
expeuditure  of  monej-  (which  hud  heap -better  spent  on  diadiaiv^ft 
IBS  debts  on  my  Devonshire  estate)  to  make  such  arranitement  oa 
would  aootliiR  all  (tiiKpicion  of  tn'^chi-roun  action.  And  I  doubt 
now  wbelher  I  should  have  Kaiue<i  the  end  but  for  old  experience 
in  like  ndvcntures  whieh  had  taught  mo  wiKdnm.  And  I  now  maka 
thi(>  aolunn  affirmation  on  Oath,  being  tu  fear  of  Deatli  and  with 
serious  and  awful  apprtrbfiiston  of  Futurity;  in  i)art  that  Alice 
Ijecheminant  (or  Kavauagh)  mny  hcjir  in  mind  that  if  ye  forgiva 
not  men  their  ttvspOMet  neither  will  your  Fathor  forgive  ^^^  i«v»x 


543 


AllCE-FOR-SHORT 


tivspftsses  (Matt.  tI.  15)  and  inny  twm  in  time,  as  T  h»vr  donn, 
otitw  die  Rook  of  our  Salvation;  but  in  some  part  also  on  thia  turn- 
ditioQ  that  the  said  Alice  shall  sign  an  tindirrtnking  that  she  vil^_ 
(ongo  all  claim  eoevi-r  on  me  aa  ■  huabaud,  ad<nowtedKing  ^>^H 
ceremonial  of  maTriage  with  ine  to  have  been  invalid  and  informal, 
however  much  iJic  may  hiive  tJinuglit  olherwiw  at  thi-  limo.  And 
fiirilitr  ilial  for  my  Rreatcr  security  from  all  such  cinim  she  Jiall 
sol^mpnise  Holy  Matrimony  with  the  xaid  John  KavansRh,  thereby 
iiicurri:ig  tin?  jiiMiHlty  fif  Bifiatoy  should  mini--  own  nuirria^*  with 
her  ever  be  proveit.  And  further  that  the  said  John  Kavanagh 
connidcrntion  of  his  ac-c-ommodntion  to  thia  rnd  Khali  enjoy 
use  and  einolutuoiit  reut-freii  during  bia  life  of  the  Farm  be  nu 
occupies  aforepaid  without  prejudice  to  my  own  mnnoria) 
tbfrrcin.  And  iihall  be  indemnified  in  reapuct  of  all  l^xpen*<!a(  he  mo 
incur. 

"And  in  coofirmntion  of  the  above  attt^ation  1  now  append 
signature  ihia  third  day  of  Fi^bruary  wvenlcni  huudn-d  and  thirtj 

three,  at  my  house  situate  and  beiiiK  No.  7 Sireet,  Soho, 

"(xiosEo)  EuwAiui  OiuuEtt  Stcnohau-  Lcttkicll. 

"(witnessed)  Dorothy  Kelhev, 

"(Uouaekceper  to  the  aboTe)." 


L 


This  singular  document  <<0Mld  not  be  understood  in  otu  . 
Charles  had  no  sooner  finished  it  than  he  tum«d  baek.  and 
llie  whole  more  nlowty.  no  one  interrupting  him.    A  pause  of  flile 
follon-ed.  and  then  Pt'ggy  found  her  voice: 

"What  a  hideous  monster!" 

"And  icAiif  a  lonthitome  hypocrite!"   Thiswaa  Alice. 

"Man  of  the  world,  my  dears,  man  of  the  world."    This 
Charles. 

"But  I  want  to  know  wlint  relation  Alice  Lc-thingnmmy  was  of 
AuDly  Liasy."    Thia  Wfta  Lucy,  who  perhaps  only  half  era»r<'d  tli^H 
iull  iniquity  reroftled;  certainly  ^e  could  not  prasp  its  molivee.     ^| 

"My  dear  I,ucy,"  this  w»fl  her  Orandmother,  mnj<wtic-nlly,  "I  can 
only  Nty  when  I  waa  a  little  girl  of  your  age.  I  was  alwaje  aeut 
to  bed.  Yea — alwas/a — whenever  documents  of  this  sort  wew  got 
out  and  read  aloud," 

"Tou  w'vcT  «nw  R  document  like  it  in  your  life  oome.  Orandmal 
besides.  I'm  right!  How  came  it  in  Aunty  Liwy's  father'a  dra««rf 
ThrttV  what.  /  want  to  know." 

"Suppose  you  shut  up,  some  of  yon.  while  I  read  the  resL"    Thus 
Charles,  and  popular  assent  followed.     Un  the  bock  of  one 
was  wrilteo  in  a  woman's  hand,  in  blacker  iidc 


B^^M^ 


ALlCE-FOR-SnORT 


B4i 


"January  16,  1751. — I.  Alice  Luttrell,  nSe  I.echcmiDant,  actuaUy 

th*  wifp  of  Sir  Edward  Crnmcr  Luttrell  whose  signaturr  i*  orrrleaf 
.      di<l  eightt-i'ii  yeara  since  aJBn  in  extliaiipe  (or  ihi*  n  rolitiquiiih- 

ment  of  all  clflim  as  a  wife  on  ihe  said  Sir  Cramer,  and  did  thou 
'      oontriK-t    luwful    matrimony    with    my    supposed    liuHhiind    John 

KaTanaiih.  Thereby  iiicurriii^  risk  of  bij^mj^.  This  1  did  for  the 
I  rvaHon  ibiit  liad  T  not  done  so  I  nij-srlf  and  my  supposed  hii»band 
\  Jobn  Kavatiach.  then  iu  brokeu  Ueultb  niicl  a  cripple,  hud  bran 
I      turned  into  tho  Htrtwi.     Yet  even  this  1  refused  to  do  except  this 

wick<M]  niun  whom  nnverlhitlesa  I  could  not  but  love,  nn-iiig  ho  wa» 
.  iny  husband,  i^hould  bear  testimon.v  to  bis  owii  detreplioti.  prectiiied 
'      on  a  young  «irl  q"i1<"  innooriit  of  this  world  and  its  wickedneea. 

And  as  he  lius  donti  lliis.  so  will  I  pruy  fur  him  as  \v-  for  mv,  for 

that  I  have  loved  him  iii  dei^pite  of  ntyself.     Else  1  ebould  b8T« 

prayed  that  he  might  expiate  hie  sins  in  Hell. 

"AtlCE  Katamaoh." 

"Hwe's  some  more  Id  another  Iiand,  written  in  pencil,"  aaid 
Charles.   And  then  read : — 

"E<iwBrd  Kavaiiagh  bom  1710  was  my  grwit -grand father.  My 
grandfather  Jobn  Karanagh  was  born  I7S4  or  S.  This  Alice  Kitv- 
anagh  was  his  great-Rrandmothcr.  If  this  document  ie  found 
after  my  death  I  want  whoever  linds  it  on  no  account  to  let  iny 
half-brother  Jonathan  get  it  as  his  game  in  doing  so  would  bo  for 
no  good  and  to  Kpilc  me.  Abo  the  same  in  un  trust  worthy  and  ban 
DO  riglil  to  anything  of  mine.  I  have  seen  lawyers  lo  find  if  thero 
is  money  in  it  but  all  go  against  it.  Samuel  Kavanagb  114  Pratt 
Street.    Camduu  Town.    November  16  1844." 


The  tmip^rt  of  discussion  that  followed  this  no  doubt  cleared 
up  llie  idc-as  of  those'  who  took  part  in  it  about  what  the  actual 
story  was,  its  moral  and  legal  aspects.  To  our  mind  the  former 
wan  well  expressed  by  the  lady  known  to  Pemty  and  AUce  as  poor 
dear  Robin's  uninlerestiug  wife.  We  bavK  sti-n  nothing  of  her,  and 
foci  she  ought  to  say  something  in  the  story.  What  she  said  was: 
"Oh  dear,  oh  dcarl  this  is  oil  very  shockingi"    Wo  agn^. 

We  are  not  qualified  to  agree  or  disagree  with  her  liuaband't 
exposition  of  the  legal  aspeota.  But  we  cannot  help  suspectlngl 
that  the  fact  that  the  intf  rests  of  a  very  d^nr  brother  (for  Charley 
was  vory  dear  to  all  his  family)  and  his  wtf<?  were  concerned 
caused  him  to  infuse  an  unprofessional  timouiit  of  co((unni.v-«imMa 
into  tlia  letter  he  wrol«  to  Charles  ailet  l.\i,Vi'i(.\si%V\.'«(»SL<W«t. 


54«  AUCE-FOB-SnOBT 

If  70U  will  just  have  patience  till  wp  bar«  rocordod  an  cxoerpt 
of  TOnvCTsation  brtwccn  Sir  Rupert  nnd  Lady  Johnson  Kfier  tbcy 
hnd  ivlirfH)  (TO17  Intc)  for  tbc  night,  ire  will  give  you  Robiu  Q.  C.'a 
kller  in  fiilL 

"I  My,  Dr.  Jomson— — " 

"W«il  till  I've  done  Hplnahiwff!    Now." 

"Why  did  you  say  'that's  a  very  funny  thins  toot  Neror  mind, 
BO  on  f    I  forgot  to  a«k  you  in  all  th«  rumpus." 

"Oh.  oh !  To  be  sure !  Do  you  remember,  darling,  how  I  cane 
down  to  Shcllacombe  in  s  boating  guiti"* 

"Rather!"    Einpliftsis  can  say  110  more. 

"Do  you  remember  I  told  you  about  my  old  nurse  at  Darn* 
M«plc— old  Sarah  Barnitl  ?" 

"J  remember — she  was  ninety  and  a  twin — nud  had  bad  four 
hn«bands  and  no  children." 

'^vll!  the  Kcoud  husband  was  a  Lecbouinant.  And  )h<:  Rbowcd 
ine  in  the  churchyard  a  curious  epitaph  of  au  aunt  of  his,  who 
must  have  boon  this  very  Alire.     As  nt-nr  ns  I  rreollcct,  it  run: 

'Alice  L .    The  victim  of  a  Devil'    Then  tlictro  wim  a  Srriptuie 

reference.  Hebrews  thirteen.  I  think  it  waa.  I  remember  I 
resolved  to  look  up  Hebrew*  thirtcrn.  and  you  knocked  it  all  out 
«f  my  liuid.  Thirn  ntxt  clay  was  Alice  and  Thu  Bvctlc."  (Tbia  i*, 
as  it  were,  the  title  of  a  chapter  in  tbeir  lives.) 

"Now  rcn!!y,  Rupert  darling,  you  might  have  fold  ns  that  down- 
stairs   ThiiJc  Lou-  interesting  1" 

"Well ! — I  had  it  on  the  lip  of  my  tonitue  to  tell  it.  But  then 
I  thought  as  l:ki?  as  not  n(:bTi:ws  thirteen  wax  juft  a>  well  not 
trotted  out  with  peuetrating  intelligent  Lucys  all  over  tlw  place. 
like  lyiix<:«.    We'll  look  it  up  to-morrow." 

"Uo  j-ou  remember  the  great  white  doud  over  tie  offing  that  day, 
that  never  went)" 

"Yes!  And  the  dog  that  wouldn't  go  tn  the-  water  after  my 
stick  ?    And  Alice  tlie  pony  t" 

"And  Ali«-'.-'  performance  of  the  lidy  with  the  Bpotsl" 

"The  spots  that  flowed  away.  And  tlitt  «lu!<.i>  that  ran  about  t 
And  how  xcared  you  were  at  the  accident  F' 

"Well,  lovct  who  wouldn't  have  been  AcaredJ  Just  think  bow 
iliffercnt  things  would  have  been  now,  auspoaing  we'd  all  gone  in 
the  water  together.''  .  .  . 

And  so  the  conversation  ran  on  till  sleep  stopped  it.  You  bava 
read  the  substance  of  it  all  in  Chapter  XV. 


CHAPTER  U 


OF  SIR  CRAMEB  STESDHALL  Ll'TTRKLL  S  WILL,  AND  HOW  ALICE  «  PROP- 
IcnTV  WAS  TOO  UtllUK  TO  I'l.AIM.  III>W  MIK  LKT  IT  ALoHK  AM>  WAa 
nAPPr.  OF  A  OAT  8HB  COULD  tteMBMBER  tX  THE  AKEA,  AND  THB 
DTiUXGENESS  Or  TUISO* 

A  WKKK  or  mora  (>lapwd  before  Robin's  letter  came.    CiurleS] 
and  Alii.1^  Imd  alri>itil<r  dircldcd  that  undor  no  circuiniitDncc*  would 
ibey  instilute  prooeedinira  to  prove  their  claim  to  onii  of  the  lars 
oollicrir-*  in  England.    Xovcrthclc«s,  they  wcro  Blad  to  have  theil 
dficiaion  iiupported  hy  U^l  opinion. 

Kobin'e  lettof  W8»  its  follwws : — 

"16T  DevoxsHDtB  Placb  W., 

Apr:  11. 18T9. 
"II V  Dlar  Charley, 

"I've  fonnil  the  will  after  htinting  hnlf  throusli  tbe 
tivo  CuteiKiarti.  Copy  encloM'J.  Voii'lt  aut!  that  th6  tottator 
entirely  under  the  influence  of  hia  eon.  He  acts  •alway§  with  th» 
knowledjte  and  consent  of  my  dear  »on  ...  in  whom  I  have  abeo* 
lute  confidence,'  and  whom  be  namea  aolc  executor.  HLi  <ii!nr  aon^ 
had  evidently  convinced  his  dear  father  that  if  he  left  the  uiien- 
tailed  property  to  RsthM*  KnimeK  hb  the  daughter  of  his  lawful 
wife  tlic  Dowaper  I.ody  I.iittrell,  and  Estlier'a  legitimncy  wns  cnlle 
in  queetioD.  her  inlieritance  might  miscarry.  No  doubt  he  said  I 
fait  paps:  'Vau  can't  suggest  thnt  Esther  is  illegitimnlc.  but  you 
can  make  sure  that  she  sbuU  inherit,  whether  or  no  I'  And  tbi-n  lia 
developed  his  rinfT'trick,  always  adccting  great  concern  on  Esther's 
behalf.  As  (o  whether  tlie  old  scoiindrvl  was  too  easily  duped  hyj 
the  youuK  ooe^well !  consider  what  failing  [uwera  and  appr 
inji  death  mean.  Fancy  yourself  sinking:  and  bow  yon  would 
lean  on  the  etrong  support  of  a  devoted  eon! 

"Aa  to  the  validity  of  eucb  a  Will,  it  must  have  depended  entirely 
(to  my  thinking)  on  bow  far  the  ring  was  produced  simply  as  evi- 
dence of  identity;  I  can't  eoneeivo  any  judicial  ruling  that  tho 
dianoe  poesession  of  that  ring  by  an  illegitiinate  daughter  not 
•Btonded  by  the  Testator  could  constitute  a  legal  claim. 

"Apart  from  this,  if  a  claim  were  mode  to  property  after  tha 

US 


540 


AlICE-FOR-SnORT 


lapse  of  a  tbouaand  years  there  is  nothing  so  far  as  I  know  in  tbi? 
ronstitvition  of  Hk  Cnurt  of  Chancery  to  prevent  a  conai deration 
of  rhc  ca»e  on  its  merits,  and  (theoretically  at  least)  the  claimaiit 
might  succcod  in  asserting  his  title.  But  it  is  nry  doubtful  if  any 
Bvidence  could  l>u  produced  which  would  prevent  a  Court  of  Equity 
doiDK  what  it  has  a  perfect  right  to  do,  and  takinx  adTsntntt^  of  tba 
existing  Rtfltutes  i>f  Li  mi  tut  ions.  Thnt  would  be  th*-  u«uol  con 
and  in  the  present  case  the  hundred  uud  lliirty  years  n-ould 
fatal. 

"When  old  Sir  Cramer  died,  youiiK  Sir  Cramer  was  vniight  in 
trap  of  bis  owu  setting.     Xo  rtUK  was  forllicoming,  and  Vixi 
croft  h<?camc  the  property  of  Blaydon  Scliool.    Whothor  it  rca 
became  so  legally  is  mure  tlian  doubtful.    The  Law  of  Hortmaij 
as  it  stood  at  the  date  of  the  will  may  have  appeared  to  sancti 
a  biiqucjit  of   nad  projMrrty  in   perpc-tuity  to  an   iuKtitution    li! 
Blaydon  School.     But  to  niy  mind  the  existence  of  such  a  beqi 
HrKU<^«  thnt  no  Icfial  advice  was  taken  in  this  matter.    Tbo  fa' 
and  sou  cooktsl  it  up  between  tluun.    And  thn  son  did  not  troublo 
himself  about  the  Keversionary  Legatees.    He  didn't  meaii  the\ 
to  inherit, 

"But  cvra  if  the  title  was  sound  when  the  will  was  writtni),  it 
far  from  certain  that  it  was  90  when  it  was  signed.  Tlie  signal 
was  appended,  oddly  enough,  on  the  very  day  when  tho  preseni 
Statute  of  Mortmain  came  into  operuti»n.  prt-Muraahly  at  midday. 
If  tho  last  sienalurc  was  written  at  eleven  fifty-£vfi  on  June  34, 
1S36,  this  Will  might  have  held  good  undi-r  tlie  <dd  Acta  or 
but  if  at  twelve-6ve  it  would  come  under  the  present  Act. 

"So  there's  a  chance  of  voiding  the  title,  for  the  ghost*.    Ooul' 
they  prove  that  tlie  Will  was  witnessed  after  twelre  o'clodc  t 

*Tou  and  Alice  must  not  imagine  that  the  poesession  of  the  ri' 
and  the  proof  (sufficient  to  my  mind)  thnt  Alice  ii"  an  illesitimuie 
deecendent  of  Sir  Luttrell  can  make  yoti  possessors  of  the  Pcn- 
carrow  Weald  Collieries,  which  is,  if  you  please,  tbo  'Vizeocroft 
estate"  of  the  Will! 

"yocii  Aitect:  Bao: 
"R. 

"P.  8. — ^There  must  have  been  some  traditions  current  in  Alic 
faxoilyi  or  somehow,  somewhere;  because  the  No.  40  ghoeta 
all  made  to  match  the  story,     Othcrvitw  tbc  ^losta  were 
Which  is  absurd,    Q.  E.  D." 


ible 

I 


The  extracts  from  Sir  Cramer  Stcndluill  Luttrell'a  Will  were 
although  containing  only  the  portions  of  interest  to  Charles 


ALICE-FOK-SnOBT  6iJ 

and  Alice;  and  «s  the  letter  ha?  already  given  joa  BQBW  of  it« 
coptents,  we  shsll  not  gnx'  llie  whok*.  Tbu  importsnt  point  was, 
that  after  dealing  with  a  rery  cousiderable  property  outaide  hie 
entailed  family  estate,  which  with  a  frw  Icgocim  mndo  »p  tlie 
total  not  dcvisjtd  to  liis  widow  for  life,  in  the  event  of  his  not 
ntartyin^'  again,  the  will  went  on  to  what  was  really  only  a  Moall 
item  in  this  total,  the  Pciicairow  Wi'nid,  or  Visenuroft  farm  or 
fsrmii,  ill  II  very  pfcuHar  way.  Old  Mrs,  Verrindcr  had  reracm- 
K-nsi  rightly;  this  property  was  octoally  left  (witliout  sjin-ifying 
any  hrir  by  naim-)  "to  whomsoever  of  niy  female  deBcendanta  shall 
bn  by  lawful  meaus  in  posaei^sion  of  the  rinK  containing  the  Mysoor 
diamond  taken  by  my  brothi-r  Dcnia  Stcndhall  Liittrell  from  the 
finger  of  Shuhudiir  Kbau  Babadoor  ul  the  battle  of  Chingleput  and 
given  to  me  by  him  on  the  day  of  his  duel  with  Lnrd  Cainidrutn 
of  Saltoun  whereby  he  rnmn  by  bis  ih-itth.  Wliich  Lonl  bath  ren- 
diTiwl  account  to  me  since  of  his  deed,  and  may  Ood  have  mercy  on 
his  Soul  I  And  this  property  of  I'cnrnrrow  Wcntd  in  the  north* 
riding  of  Yorkshire  I  giv«  atid  bequiiuth  to  such  female  dcsucudaiit 
of  mine  whether  abe  shall  have  been  born  in  lawful  wedlock  or  not, 
if  B  daughter;  but  only  if  lawfully  born  in  otlier  case.  And  that 
there  may  br  no  doubt  whatever  of  the  identity  of  this  diamond  I 
1iuvl>  caused  it  to  bo  set  with  other  stones  in  n  riitg  in  a  manner 
to  place  it  beyond  dotibt  that  it  in  truly  this  diamond  and  no  other. 
And  I  Imve  arranged,  with  the  full  concurrence  and  consent  of  my 
dear  Son  and  Sole  Executor  of  these  presents,  that  thcso  alone* 
nhnll  be  as  followetb:  Sapphire.  I.upis  Luzali.  .tucynth.  Pi^rl. 
Tourmaline,  Emerald,  Ruby.  .\nielhyHt,  and  the  Diamond  afore- 
named. Also  therein  a  second  Sapphin;  and  Rracrald  and  I.apia 
Lazuli;  and.  by  the  advice  of  my  dear  Son,  on  whom  I  rely  in  all 
matters  of  prudence  and  foresight.  I  have  caused  one  blank  «paw) 
to  contain  ho  precious  stone  at  all,  ami  but  a  piece  of  plain  ivory, 
that  being  in  his  Judgment  a  most  sure  and  safe  aid  to  a  perfect 
i den ti Heat  ion  of  this  ring  should  any  doubt  urian  to  call  it  in  qneit- 
tiou."  Then  followed  an  appointment  of  reversionary  letratees; 
naming  first  the  sM-.hool  in  his  own  eonnty  of  llereford  where  tho 
tealntor  (preriuinably)  was  educated.  It  hiid  been  aaeertuined,  since 
the  finding  of  the  Will  (from  the  Pencarrow  Company's  solicitors 
— intimatR  friends  of  Robin),  tliat  the  prop<!rty  had  pamiod  to  thia 
school  and  remained  in  ita  poaseaaion  for  thirty  years.  It  was 
then  sold  to  a  private  individual  who  died  shortly  after.  Flis  son, 
who  inherited  it.  lost  it  at  carda.  The  auccessful  caril-plaj-er  found 
out  about  the  coal,  and  promoted  tb»  Company. 

As  AlioCi  after  reading  thus   far,  rc-tcad  tiiiftvii^  "^ssai  \ia)w  A 


I 


ALICE-FOR-SHOKT 

>  Gharfei  took  ber  tund  in  his,  latH  turned  tbe  tiae — ^  ^'^ 
Bv  iMifl— round  on  faer  finger. 

•Itay  mn  dD  thww  now,"  wiid  he,  *lTOrT  and  ■fl,'* — Aljoo  rfiud- 

md  frJi  owpy.    "But  jtiBt  tfaink."  Charles  continued,  "how 

da  ■■itbk  aon  must  have  chuckled  as  be  read  through  tho  atones 

hKfcwstAr 

"Tm  so  fflad."  said  Alice,  "that  he  ran  Lord  Cairodnim  through 
for  ramusig  his  brother  through.  It  Hbowod  ho  had  mtaethinc 
food  about  him." 

-Did  it  I"  said  Charles. 

■^elll  Ton  know  what  I  moan,  darling.  I  mean  that  a  littlo 
boneel,  snva^w  tvecsge  is  like  a  breath  of  fr«ah  air  among  snch  a 
parcel  of  skunks."  CbarlcH  ngrrcd.  Was  then;  any  more  of  tho 
Will  f  be  aiik«d.  That  was  all  there  van  of  interest.  Theio  wnx  no 
nxuiti'^n  of  Alice  J-cchcminnnt.  nor  of  any  of  her  felloir-Tictima. 

"And  thiii  lOftn,"  said  Alic«,  "was  the  father  of  tbo  red  man  I 
^^w  with  the  Icnifn.     Ugh  I     Do  j-ou  know,  dc■rts^  I  ean  alwajs 

aver  at  the  nfoUw-'lion  of  bim,  even  now  I" 

*'Dcaiv<t  love,  when  you  talk  like  that  you  remind  me  of  Alice- 
fordiort  in  the  extensive  basement  with  cellarage  I  on  almost 
Me  the  horrid  black  area  again,  and  the  cat*." 

"I  reraember  the  cat&  Tbi-re  wan  a  ydlow  one  with  one  eye 
eut  It  was  nametl  Barleycorn.  I  don't  koow  why,  nor  who  named 
it  1  bad  forgotten  it  altogether  till  this  minute.  How  fanny  il 
all  i»l" 


FWIB 


ADDENDUM 


"(The  folloTins  is  nn  pxtrnct  from  Ihe  diary  of  the  late  Ablid 
Bernardiu  FflbrSt,  of  Bouleetiii  I'Amicinay.  a  most  accomplished 
man  ami  iii(lu«.trioii$  schoUr,  who  died  iu  1843.  The  diary  is  full 
of  Eudt  IcnglJiy  nerrativps,  chiefly  intcKsliiig.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  whole  niaj-  one  day  be  given  to  the  world.  As  the  Abhfi 
expreeaes  stroog  opinions  sbout  the  obligations  of  Father  Con- 
fessora,  we  must  suppose  that  he  did  not  regard  this  eommuntca- 
tion  as  comioK  under  the  seal  of  coafesaion,  and  need  be  under  no 
ecruplo  about  publishintc  it.)" 

(The  above  la  the  editorial  note  accompanying  its  publintion  in 
the  JvurrM  ttBi*r,  February  39.  1863.) 


"May  27,  1813. — I  have  just  come  from  viaiting  the  poor  Mi- 
cbaud.  Latterly  I  have  ecm  him  twice  in  the  week.  But  this  is 
the  third  time  this  week.  For  he  cnntiot  luHt  long,  le  pauv^re  Is* 
raell  His  cough  hae  been  better  since  the  mild  season,  but  he  ia 
very  old.  He  will  not  see  bis  hundredth  birthday,  assuredly. 
N<*verlhele89,  two  youra  ago  I  had  anticipated  it. 

"I  will  charge  myself  with  the  painful  labour  of  writing  out  tho 
atrnnge  story  he  has  totd  me  of  the  nuirdcr  in  .  .  .  But  here  I  feci 
myself  stopped.  I  cannot  K've  the  name  of  the  street  nor  the  quar- 
ter in  Paris  where  this  frightful  crime  was  committed.  For  Israel 
Michniid  will  tell  nothing  of  its  whirriHtbouta.  He  has  only  told 
nie  one  or  two  nainee  (aa  he  has  said,  'by  a  lapsus  linguce').  desir* 
ing  always  to  shrink  from  involving  othcni,  or  their  anccatora' 
memory.  I  <yiiiiioi  idi-jitify  by  thcei-  namea;  they  are  not  uncom- 
mon namee.  and  the  time  is  long  ago. 

"Two  days  pant,  the  poor  Israel  ai-costfd  me  thus  as  I  sat  by  his 
bedside  thinking  how  strange  it  was  I  should  know  this  man  so 
well,  for  himself,  yet  know  so  little  of  bin  provenance  and  Bnt«- 
crdents.    I  will  give  his  words  the  nearest  that  I  can  recall  them, 

"'You  have  well  said.  M.  I'Abbd,  that  it  ia  in  vain  wo  choke 
back  (on  a  beau  Euffoquer)  n  puilly  knowledge;  for  tliut  God  know* 
nil,  and  can  read  all  lieartH.  But  your  blameless  life  has  left  you 
to  know  nothing  of  bow  a  guilty  secret  may  burden  the  soul  of  him 


1 
i 


£50 


ADDEIfDUM 


ttlwaj^" 


who  poseeasee  it.  Httic  ae  he  ma;  hnvc  vhsrcd  the  piilt,  but  alws 
— always  dreading  the  consi'cjiMMKM'H  of  bis  coufeiuion  lu  utluir 
to  ftlhitra.  U.  I'Abbt'.  nbom  he  oaonot  absolve,  but  niust   needl 
love,  .  .  .'    lie  was  internipW-d  by  his  cough. 

"  'Tell  mc'  I  Miiiit,  whiTii  ho  hud  recovertil.  dml  lay  oxhnuKtcd, 
't(-U  nil-  ux  luucb  a^  .vou  are  vrilliug  1  should  bnoir.  ^o  mote!  I 
will  uot  agk  yoii  for  uamo  nor  place.  I  will  guard  your  (>r«ret  a» 
tliuugfa  I  wcTfi  of  your  faith,  and  your  confessor.  But  1  will  tortga 
the  oonfessor'B  right  to  bear  all.  All  I  desire  is  that  you  should 
«ftse  your  mind.' 

"  'Afa — raoii  pin — but  you  an  good !  And  you  will  ask  me  otAb' 
ing — Doibtng  of  the  others— ODb'  of  myself  f 

"  'I  promise  it.    Tnist  yourHcIf  to  mc' 

"  Then  I  will  t.^11  you.    But  I  will  tell  you  slowly,  else  I  mty  ' 
arrested  by  my  cough.'    He  ibeu  continued  as  follows,  with  pAU 
OK  I  have  indicated  tbem,  1  eittitig  always  silent  by  ht«  bvdi- 


>DOtfi> 


"  'As  a  boy  I  was  placed  out  in  service  by  my  father  with  the 
Sieur  Latmlle.  .  ,  .  Ah.  my  God  I  how  eotifusi-d  I  getl  (oomme 
je  me  cionfonds)  ...  1  hud  promised  myself  to  tell  no  name  ereo 
to  joul  ...  He  had  a  son  uf  my  own  eg(^— tt  brave  lad.  but 
furious  as  a  wild  l>i?a>;t  when  rouwd.  He  made  of  me  a  friend, 
(Mrrvit.or  though  I  waM,  We  vrerc  togi^thcr  nit  boy*,  in  the  play- 
ground as  also  in  the  schoolroom,  for  my  elder  patron  hia  fetfaiir 
gnve  me  also  some  edueation,  which  I  needed.  Had  I  not  loved 
him  otherwise.  T  should  have  loved  him  beiiuuM;  litt  wiu  the  »on  of 
an  old  and  beloved  master,  to  whom  1  owed  everything,  and  for 
whom  1  would  hare  died.  .  .  . 

"*It  is  seventy-five  y«»ra — yes!  M.  I'Abbf,  seventy-fivB  yean 
sinoo  I  was  first  in  service,  after  the  old  man's  death,  in  the  family 
of  hiB  son — you  will  pardon  me,  M.  I'Abbfi,  that  1  do  not  give  his 
name,  nor  that  of  hia  residence;  1  (hank  you  for  allowing  mc  to 
omit  nil  names,  To  what  end  should  I  resume  them,  when  In  fact 
the  wbok-  affair  reliites  to  seventy-five  yeara  ago — and  iww  they  nrv 
all  dead!  All  dead  long  since;  my  master  and  his  wife,  their  aona 
and  dnughlerM;  even  the  last  one  I  knew  of  as  still  living — his 
brother's  daughter — very  old,  nearly  as  old  as  I  am.  For  I,  M. 
VAbb^,  have  ninety-seven  years.  It  is  true,  and  eo  is  the  tale  I  have 
to  tell,  for  my  memory  is  clear,  and  all  comes  hack  to  me  as 
yesterday.  .  .  . 

"  'Ti's — and  it  is  soventyfive  yearn  since  that  terrible  night. 
most  terrible  I  have  ever  experienced.  Seventy-fi.ve  since  he^ 
master  then — althougW  uiy  WwiiiE't  avi.U — come  to  the  room  wk 


ADDENDUM 


SSI 


^^^9^t;  an4  Nbaking  tne  i^  tbe  ehoultlor,  for  T  Kicpt  sound,  enid  in 
a  voice  that  I  can  he«r — yea]  my  God,  I  can  hear  it  now — "Wake 
up.  iKTur),  wak*  tip  and  hrlpl  I  hnvc  filain  my  eistcr,  and  know 
not  wbi-re  to  put  ht-r  awiy.    Wnki-  up  mid  bolp!" 

"'Fijrur*  to  yourself,  M.  I'Abb^,  that  iu  the  first  momi^nt  I 
bclicwd  mywlf  the  victim  of  a  friglitful  nightmnre  from  llcll  (un 
vfo-ituble  cuucbetuur  d'Eiiff-r),  for  we  vcn'.  witliout  any  li^bt.  But 
I  ro»e  tri?mb1iug.  and  could  scarce  etrike  a  light  for  tremliling — 
indeed,  I  had  mueli  ndo  to  (ind  the  Hint-and-stecl  (pierrc  k  futtil) 
while  he  chafed  with  impatience  in  ibt-  durk.  And  then  wlien  tbo 
lamp  burned  slowly  up,  I  saw  ium.  And  his  face  vas  wliito  and 
like  a  Devil's,  for  the  an^r  was  still  on  it.  He  wns  ^till  in  his 
coBtume-de-hal — for  there  had  been  u  gri'Sl  ball  in  the  bouse,  anil 
card-play  till  late,  and  somewhat  of  riot  and  confusion  at  the  end, 
lis  was  not  uncommon  in  tbat  day.  And  as  he  stood  iberc,  his  coat 
of  red  ailk.  worked  over  in  broderiee  de  sot«,  and  tlui  ml  fai:inga  of 
bis  long  waistcoat,  reaching,  as  was  then  the  custom,  ncarlj'  to  bis 
knee,  wrro  not  so  red  as  the  drops  I  saw  on  tic  blade  bo  stil' 
grasped  in  bis  right  Land,  while  his  left  was  on  his  heart  as  though 
from  pain. 

" '  "Uy  mairtcr,"  said  I,  when  I  refonnd  my  voice,  "all  I  am  ia 
yours.    Tell  me  all,  and  trust  me." 

" '  "T  hare  killed  my  eisler.  Israel,"  said  he  ftgain — "I  have  struck 
bcr  her«-.  through  the  hoart.  with  this  sword.  Tbia  blood  that  you 
see.  is  her  blood,  and  tbe  blood  of  my  father,  and  her  mother— not 
mine!"  And  bo  lifted  ibe  hand  tbat  was  on  his  heart,  and  iitruck 
it  back  aa  be  said  tbe  word.  Then  be  cried  out,  yet  keei>ing  Lis 
voice  under  as  in  fear:  "Quick — give  me  some  rog — tiod's  cutsu 
be  on  the  blood!"  Then,  with  somi-  clout  of  rag  (torchon)  that 
I  gare  him.  be  wiped  the  sword  all  its  length,  and  flung  the  rag 
from  him  as  though  it  stung  bim.  But  he  continued  holding  tbo 
Kword  and  I  saw  there  was  no  scabbard,  and  wondered.  But  I 
beard  after. 

"  *  "It  is  not  true,"  he  cried  in  the  wimo  voice,  but  as  though  bo 
answered  some  one.  "It  is  not  true  1  I  am  not  Cain,  say  what  they 
may!     She  was  no  more  my  sister  than  a  many  others — some  I 

know  not  of "    Then,  stopping  ainldeiity,  be  eaught  me  by  the 

arm,  end  fuiid:  "Help  me,  Israel!  She  is  dead,  by  her  own  fault 
Why  did  she  madden  me  as  she  didt  Oh,  that  I  hnd  not  bad  thi» 
ncuunied  sword! — But  to  what  good  in  nil  this!  She  is  dead. 
Would  you  that  I  abould  die  too — on  «  gibbet  ('*  For  in  thoso 
days,  M.  I'Ahb^,  we  had  no  guillotine.  .  .  .' 

"At  this  point  tbe  old  man  elopped.    Ue  woa  exL&\^\K&\  vai^^ 


S03 


ADDENDUM 


saw  that  I  should  have  to  be  patient,  and  ac«ei>t  tlie  atorjr  m  it 
ciiine^  I  mniio  him  lukii  a  littlr  <^nffci-.  with  ii  few  dro)»  of 
coKnac  ill  it.  and  tt  revived  hiui.  I  eaw  he  waa  anxious  to 
tinuc. 

♦"How  much  bure  I  told  of  it.  IT.  I'AbWr 

"'Tour  oiaster  saya  to  you,  M.  Israel,  would  you  that  be 
should  die,  on  a  gibb"-).' 

"  'Ah.  Ituiy.  yes!  I  <^aii  see  biro  now,  ob  lie  lieara  me  eviemr  tlui 
whatever  he  mtiy  hare  done,  he  may  entrust  himself  lo  my  fidelity. 
*'CoR]e  with  tnc,''  bo  Koy*.  And  wt-  go  togvihvr.  And  tbcii 
follow  hiin  along  ihe  lon^  pas^gv  ibat  Ie«da  from  m.v  rooiu  to  Ii 
kitchen.  And  1  am  able  to  seo  that  it  is  already  daylight — ju 
bcfon.'  Dunrim. — and  tbnt  what  I  thoiiKht  woh  tlic  darkness  of  ni^t 
was  but  the  closed  shutter  of  my  room,  and  that  he  had  abut  the 
door  before  he  spoke.  And  when  I  am  going  to  blow  out  the  lamp 
I  carry  he  siiys  to  me:  "Do  ii»t — it  will  be  wanted.''  For  it  wafl 
troublesome  to  get  a  llgbl  iu  ihosu  days. 

"  'We  gn  into  the  kitchen,  where  all  is  dark,  though  one  may 
the  dawu  through  tho  ahutter-crucks.  I  go  fimt,  for  lie  puts 
fint,  ami  follows  me,  flinching  back  (rttenlaut).  I  go  firat,  ulwa. 
in  a  shiverinii;  fit  (en  frisson).  There  is  a  draunht  down  the  chim- 
ney, and  a  nnell  of  soot,  for  the  weather  in  suddenly  warm,  and 
the  air  in  Ihe  huuM>  ookl — at  l(1tI■^  in  boua>»  of  lhi;i  Mirt.  For  I 
must  tell  you,  M.  I'Abb^,  that  tliis  house  was  not  like  the  bouBe« 
in  this  quarter  of  I'aris;  there  wore  many  like  it  lher«,  though! 
T!u!  ciitrMo]  waM  U'tow  the  hrel  of  tlie  Htrrint.  and  otw.  d^aeended 
to  it  by  a  stairway.  It  was  dark  too — very  disrk — dark  at  all  times, 
even  iu  the  day.  So  one  sees  it  was  little  wonder  I  oJiould  ha 
struck  tile  light,  betieviug  it  nigtit. 

"  'Well  I    We  go  in.    I  place  tlie  lamp  on  the  chimney-abolf. 
nhield  it  from  the  draught,  and  go  to  open  thi^  i>hutter.     But 
will  not  permit  me  lo  o|)eii  it  fully — nor  to  touch  but  only  oi 
nor  to  go  near  the  other  window  till  there  is  light.    Then,  wl 
the  glejim  comes  in  of  day  from  without,  I  aee  what  la  lying  u' 
Ihe  other  window. 

"'Understand   me.   SL.    rAbbSI    I    did  not   love  tliin    Ma< 

Queoneii.     Who  didt '     He  stopped  suddenlj-.  and  reproi 

himself  for  having  again  let  slip  a  name  he  had  wished  to 
I  pointed  out  to  him  how  little  it  mujrt  matt«T.  nftrr  «>  many  yea 
If,  I  said,  it  ha<l  even  been  twenty  or  thirty  year»,  and  the  culpri 
had  been  still  living,  it  would  bare  been  another  matter.     But 
.nhould  not  eoniiidcr  it  my  duty  to  n^vcal  any  portion  of  what  l 
laiglil  tell;  and  indeed  considered  myaelf  under  the  pledge  ol 


im-^B 


ADDENDUM 


S93 


MClBcy,  se  mucli  ae  though  the  etor^  had  be^^n  giren  in  thn  Cod- 
fCMdonaL'    He  wemed  TMssuivtl,  and  proceeded. 

'"Wo  one  loved  tLi§  lady — baufcbty,  defiunt,  win,  clow  with 
nioii«]r,  and  in  her  »iiil  cruel,  nnd  bittpr  of  tongruf.  But  to  mw 
lier  lying  ibere — stabbed  lo  thi-  heart  by  her  own  bxothcr,  her  blood 
Btjil  oozing  out  on  the  flowered  silk  of  the  rioh  robe-ite-bal  she  bin! 
been  djtiicing  in  but  an  htmr  nince— Oh.  but  it  was  horrible,  hor- 
rible I'  Mit-'huud  paused,  jireasing  hia  tingcrs  on  his  cyM.  «a  tbou^ 
ho  *HW  it  nil  again  and  would  shut  out  the  sight — then  went  on:  *I 
can  we  tlie  white  face  now,  M.  TAblit, — the  nnns  thrown  stroighc 
above  the  head — tlie  eyes  that  iclare — the  bloodlesa  Hps  that  pnri — 
thi-  tcetb  still  close  set— for  she  was  but  just  dead.  I  see.  a  pace 
awuy  apoa  the  floor,  the  haiid-lnTtip  (the  hud  carried — 1  knew  it  for 
hers — and  the  broken  glas9  tlial  had  rolled  upun  ilie  floor.  Then  I 
Jonk  round  and  k-c  her  brother,  m.v  mnstcr;  etill  holdini;  the  snortl 
that  had  slain  hor.  ga/ing  aslant,  with  his  fun-  wt,  on  the  work  he 
could  not  undo.  And  I  henr  him  epoak  again  a  quick.  aiifloRatrd 
whisper  (dL-ini-voix  6touRaiitc)  titat  line  fg  fig-ht  with  his  teeth.  £ 
can  hear  tliem  clotte  ugaiuftt  it  and  cut  it  sliort,  by  jcrkit- 

" '"There  is  no  time,  Israel,  no  timel  It  must  Iw  done  now,  at 
once — before  the  hou»cho)d  wakes.  There  is  none  1  can  trust — 
none  but  you,  mon  I«rai-1."  Then  In-  gasps  twice  before  he  can  say: 
"it  must  be  done  now  at  once — underground  1"  And  he  point* 
down. 

"'"But  where,  won  inaltrc ?    If  wc  remove  il " 

*""l)ah.  my  friend,  you  are  a  fooil  We  caiinot  removo  it.  Wo 
inn»t  find  a  place  hen — here  at  hnnd — some  dark  cellar.  There 
ore  plenty  such,  and  you  know  tbt-ra  better  tlian  I  do.  Think!— 
God  has  given  you  wits — think  1" 

"'And  then  I,  hnlf-stunneil — more,  to  wiy  truth,  for  pity  for  my 
master,  my  brother,  than  for  any  sorrow  for  tluit  dead  Jesebel.  who 
had  struck  me  with  her  fiat  more  tban  onoe,  K.  I'Abb^! — I  thiiUc 
ul  my  best.  And  I  can  think  only  of  n  dark  cellar,  but  Ititle  usedM 
without  the  house,  opening  into  an  enclosed  nrcnc — I  k:iow  of  n^ 
hi)u«c  near,  like  it,  to  make  you  underetand.  I  tell  b>m  of  thi*, 
and  he  says  I  am  un  brave — it  is  good  1  But  wc  shall  bo  seen  from 
tlic  sttxct — is  it  not  true?  Bui  I  aay  no!  For  I  will  watch  from 
the  9lair-lop,  level  with  the  utrwt,  that  no  one  comes,  while  be 
earrie*!  it  across  the  arine.  And  noun  will  bear  in  the  house,  for 
the  lidor  at  the  stjiir-head  within,  ihat  always  dusts  of  it«clf,  and 

■  Tba  Abb^  feviiic  to  haTp  bpm  oorionaly  nnixiDidoaa  ot  tha  abannUly  at  pnt* 
ling  on  pnpcr  ft  lolc  tliat  «■■  to  besnerall  UoncTcr.  otberi  Iwto  iIodo  Uu  ■>"»<> 
Hung,  (<ir8ottiiiglhelio»atl>bili9tadMlh»al»auMC«.'wi. 


894 


ADDENDUM 


is  heavjr  so  that  no  sound  la&y  pass.  U?  master  would  Uien  that 
I  should  carry  it  across  the  nrSne,  wbilo  ho  vcmM  watch  above.  But 
I  iui,T  to  liim:  "Ilow  thr^n.  my  dear  nuiBter,  if  the  wut^^fainan  who  is 
alwaj'B  on  hU  beat  (qui  se  tieat  toujours  aux  aeuets)  abouJd  note 
you  in  paiwing?  What  would  you  say — you  who  ncrer  (Iomoih)  Io 
this  £t8|^!  He  koowti  me  well,  end  that  I  slwp  below.  It  is  an 
affair  of  a  word,  and  be  pasacs  on."  (in  then  my  master  a£«eDts. 
with  a  sort  of  growl  or  $uart  (usp^oc  de  grosncnient)  tornlilc  to 
hear:  and  1  find  the  key  of  this  collar,  and  open  it  with  some  forco, 
for  it  ia  niOdum  opened.  It  is  a  lurge  cellar,  or  washhouao,  von^| 
dark,  for  the  window  is  closed  over  wUh  boards.  ^1 

"  'I  carry  my  lamp  with  grejit  care  acrow  the  arJne.  and  place  it 
eafoly  in  the  cellar.  Then  I  find  in  tlic  fucl-cullur,  near  by,  a  Npndt! 
and  a  crowbar.  And  then  I  tell  my  master  all  is  ready,  and  he 
must  listen  for  my  signal  that  none  is  near  to  ace  Then  I  go 
to  the  stair-top  and  watch.  And  there  is  no  one  near  but  some 
drabs  and  yo\ins  gattunts  ^InginR  discordantly  and  all  drunk.  I 
wait  Io  sev  thi-m  w<:ll  past,  am)  to  sw  that  they  have  aauiuUitd  the 
uhIl-Ii.  who  sounds  his  rattle  (fait  son  allarine  do  sunnette). 
I  know  ihcy  are  employed,  and  give  my  siRnal,  a  tap  on  the  kite 
window. 

*"M.  I'Abbe,  I  can  see  him  now  I    I  can  see  lilrn  come  bearit 
rr  across  his  shoulder,  round  tbo  comer  of  the  houm,  and  pa 
under  an  srdiwuy  that  crosses  thu  ar^no.     And  na  he  comes,  m 
bead  strikes — hard  I — on  the  pier  of  the  archway.     But  he  ^ivee 
no  heed  to  this,  for  what  he  carries  has  no  feeling.   Ob — ^horrible 
horrible!  .  .  . 

"  'M.  l'Abb<^,  I  can  tell  no  more  now.    If  God  pleases  that  1 1 
live  till  to-morrow,  I  will  tell  you  more'  -■ 


I 


"May  29. — I  have  thought  it  better  to  defer  my  visit  to  the 
old  Michaud.    He  was  exhutisted  by  bin  effort  thit  day  before  y 
terday.    I  found  him  much  rested  this  mornini;,  and  moat  aiixtoui 
to  resume  his  narrutivir.    I  told  him  he  should  do  so,  but  would 
answer  first  a  question,  to  satisfy  my  curiosity.    It  was  not  to  find 
any  name  nor  place.    'Tell  mo,'  I  said,  'as  to  this  master  of  yg 
Was  he  of  noble  birtJir 

"'Assuredly.  M.rAbb^ I' 

"  'And  was  be — this  uncontrollable  violence  apart — an  bono 
able  gentleman,  just  in  his  dcnlinga  with  his  fellow-m«n,  and  geOi 
ou9  and  forbearing  to  those  weaker  than  him«i>lf  T 

"'I  never  knew  him  under  any  other  character.  If.  TAbbn:  until 
/ndccid  he  gave  mc  the  wboW  ^lur;  ol  t-Vw  vnaViTctviUUHuent  which  led 


ADDENDUM 


ES& 


to  this  flwfnl  bunness.  T  hnd  alwaj's  figurttl  him  to  myiwlf  Ktrictly 
bonourable  in  all  money  math-ra.  As  to  gataiit^ries,  no  doubt  be 
wa9  like  hi«  father;  but  in  theee  matters  we  knov,  M.  I'Abb^,  that 
oU  yming  men  of  spirit,  in  a  high  paeitioo,  are  the  same  What 
woiUd  you  r 

**  'I  would  many  thinga,  mon  chcr  laracl,  that  I  shall  never 
atlain,  in  this  world — aiDong  olhora  that  incp  of  spirit  should  bo 
neither  rcrmin  nor  devils.  But  do  not  let  uu  waste  your  strength 
over  divussion.  Go  vtx  and  tell  me  irbat  happi-itt  next.  ¥i>ur 
master  eamea  this  poor  lady,  his  victim,  to  the  vault  for 
burial ' 

"'Ah.  M.  I'Abbf,  do  not  speak  ao  crueilj'.  Mon  pauvre  mattrel 
But  I  will  tell  you.  Listen  I  My  master  carries  her  to  the  vault, 
hut  I  do  not  see  him  go.  For  when  the  bead  strikra  on  ttic  hard 
brick,  1  am  eiek  and  look  away,  to  see  no  inore.  And  I  see,  down 
tbc  street,  thnt  the  jdung  blood*  and  tbpir  wmuen  hnvf!  gone  their 
vrtyB,  in  great  glee,  and  the  watehuian  ia  in  paiu  sitting  doubled  up 
on  the  pavement  edge.  Then  I  hear  my  master  say,  "pet  1  Israel  I'*— 
^nd  I  must  go.  .  .  . 

"There  on  tlie  brick-floor  is  what  waa  the  woman,  all  aokew 
(toute  de  biai^).  She  that  was  dancing,  gay,  full  of  repartee;  for 
ahe  was  n  bcl  esprit — one  cannot  deny  it! — And  now  look  at  her! — 
ah,  my  God  I 

"  'But  there  is  no  time  for  eatiuctflge.  Wo  must  work.  We 
<?hoo«e  a  pince  for  the  grave  that  tio  prayer  will  be  Bflid  over.  And 
I  take  the  crowbar  and  loosen  up  the  fir^t  floor-brick.  The  brickft 
are  sot  xig-sag,  and  it  is  diffieull.  My  master  beeonits  impatient. 
But  in  time  it  is  done,  and  I  take  the  spade  and  we  work  alter- 
nately in  silence  for  what  I  should  have  believed  an  hour.  But  it 
is  less.    We  are  both  istrong  and  can  work  quick. 

"  'Th(.'n  comes  the  ti-rrible  moment.  Ah,  M.  TAbbS — a  moment 
to  make<  the  strong  man  shudder.  I  can  hardly  speak  of  it  now. 
But  it  has  to  be  done.  .  .  . 

"  'We  have  atraightened  out  the  body  when  I  entered  the  vault. 
That  is  well  done.  And  my  mastor  throws  back  the  dresa-lappel 
to  hide  (masquer)  the  face  Wo  need  not  see  it  again.  Then  says 
my  master  to  me:  "You  merit  your  reward,  my  Israel.  Take  the 
rings.  It  would  be  a  pity  to  lose  the  good  rings."  But  no!  I  would 
not.  Then  my  master  stoops  and  inkeH  Ibu  rings  from  the  hand, 
bague  d'allitmce  afld  all,  and  would  have  me  take  tbem.  But  I  still 
refuse,  and  ho  calla  me  fool;  but  slips  the  ring.i  in  hj.^  pocki-t.  But 
ho  will  not  unmaak  the  face  agaiu,  for  all  the  pearU  there  are  oo 
the  neck.    I  aaw  them.  J| 


ess 


ADDENDCTl 


"  'So  he  tikes  the  head  oni)  I  take  the  fc«t,  nnd  ««  la;  it  in  tbo 
DRw-nuidc  grnve.    And  wi!  fill  iit  ibe  aatuly  mould,  so  much  ■«  will 
«ut«r  in.  and  commenoe  to  replace  the  bricks  as  before.     But  aaa^— 
foot,  with  iUt  Hittiii  thor,  will  protrude  do  wlint  <m  mayl     Thtil^| 
my  maHtcr.  impatient,  auatches  up  a  brick  and  beatd  it  into  tbA^ 
RTouud.    And  I  liiru  sick  and  hide  niy  ejvs,  for  I  bear  the  bones 
that  crark  (la  {cntn  den  oa).  ^M 

'"Tbeii  we  flush  over  all,  and  replace  the  brickwork  with  care^l 
Then,  ther^  is  question  about  the  mould  we  hnvc  taken  o\it.  It  will 
ahow  ibM-lf.  and  rcrvcal  all.  says  my  master.  But  I  It'll  him  ihnt  no 
one  conies  to  this  vault — that  I  will  lock  Ibe  door,  and  lake  the 
key.  And  yearn  may  pass,  but  none  will  know.  Btmidnt,  if  wu 
vork  longer  now  we  fliall  lie  seen ;  for  the  sun  haa  come,  and  we>  bear 
the  footsteps  of  the  workmen  goinfc  to  their  work,  and  their  roic«a 
And  the  ctink  of  thn  tin  canii  of  the  laitiCre  as  Mbn  goiii  down  tho 
ittR!(^t  I'll  criante.  It  is  time  to  jret  back  lo  bed.  "Sliiilauu?  is  a 
sound  sleeper,  nr&ee  i  T>ieu,'*  says  my  master.  And  we  go  b«ck 
to  hide  our  lic-urtd,  an  beat  wt>  may.  .  .  .' 

"'Ah,  poor  Israel,'  said  I.  'how  I  weep  fof  youl    For  you  had 
ilone  no  crime,  you  yourself  I    Your  only  crime  waa  that  you  icara 
help  to  a  man,  who  surely  ancms  to  me— pardon  my  f rnnkncnn !--™ 
to  have  gone  near  lo  be  a  devil  iticarnale.'  ^M 

"'Ah  no,  mou  p^ret'  replied  the  old  man,  'it  is  not  as  you  thinSc 
For  what  merit  have  wc  of  our  own.  the  betit  among  uil  ,\nd  I 
know  tills,  tlial  my  poor  master,  ere  he  died,  turned,  a»  his  father 
had  done  before  him,  to  the  blew>ed  Lord  Jesus,  by  whose  blood  ws 
can  alone  be  wiislied  fn^e  from  sin.'  And  then  the  nld  iuTalid  went 
on  to  console  himself  for  ibe  crime  of  a  man  he  held  In  lovtujit 
memory,  by  a  long  screed  of  gibberish  (r^cil  de  baraf[ouin«iie«)  of 
the  BO-ealled  Evangelical  Hcetaries.  For  there  in,  I  know,  more 
than  one  coterie  of  heretics  that  flatters  its  conscience  with  a  belief 
that  sin  is  safe  for  nil  provided  that  the  sinner  applies  in  tim« 
(even  to  the  hour  of  his  death)  to  the  I^rd  Jesus  as  bis  tntcrcoaaor 
nnd  Mediator;  and  yel  fails  to  see  that  The  surest  way  to  Uis  merey 
is  through  the  be«tifie<l  Mar>',  Tlis  swei>t  Mntlier.  Yrt  I  too  hf^ie 
that  this  iiitercessiou  may  not  l>c  for  sinners  only,  but  for  thodo 
who  have  lived  to  give  whnl-may-be  of  hsppinoss  to  their  fello 
man.  But  I  will  not  he  ki]  away  by  this  theme.  Let  mc  continiK 
Michaud's  story.  He  had  broken  down  at  this  point,  and  I  wouh 
have  had  him  deniitl.    But  premuitly  be  rtunimed,  of  his  own  aecor 

"  "I  would  you  should  know,  M.  I'Ahbo,  the  alory  my  niuolrr  toW 
me  of  the  events  th.it  anticipatod  Uiie  murder.     He  told  mv  thci 
nil,  keeping  nothing  back— for  who  viae  was  there  to  whom  he  could 


ADDENDUM 


5«7 


epeokt — but  b;  fits  and  starts  (i  bstaus  rompua),  not  in  aae  con- 
tinuous Darntiv«.  It  is  too  \oag  to  tell  at  what  intervals  pie- 
ci«oly.    1  will  tell  it  in  oav. 

"  Tliis  Hailanic  Quesnes  was  the  half-sialer  of  ray  mast«r.  as  he 
had  said.  She  bad  ever  (no  ho  told  mii)  been  scheming  and  plolting 
to  rob  bis  duughtcr  of  an  iuheriloiun-  uprcinlly  di'viaivl  to  her  by  hU 
father.  It  was  owin^  to  an  en lann lemon t.  he  said,  that  it  all  caute 
nhoiit.  For  his  father,  being  whiinsieni  in  his  old  age.  and  not 
being  in  good  terina  with  his  U'lle-fille.  my  muster'd  wife,  tbougii 
much  attached  to  his  grandchild  her  dauithtor,  had  thought  well 
to  attach  u  npi-i^ial  condition  tu  tlijs  bi;qiifj<t;  namely,  that  on  com- 
ing of  ajte  his  iirandcbild  should  l>e  in  possession  o(  a  certain  ring 
he  had  Kivrn  her,  else  she  should  not  inherit,  "Naturally."  said 
my  mnatcr.  "T  i-ntniHlcd  this  ring  to  tin?  care  of  Uadame,  ray  wife, 
enjoining  her  to  wear  it  ntght  and  day.  And  this  site  did.  until, 
as  I  nhatl  tell  you.  it  was  stolen  frora  her  by  my  sister,  Madame 
QuesQee.  on  the  eveniiig  of  the  ball  that  ended  so  diaustrousiy  foe 
her."  .  .  . 

"  1  need  not  say,  M.  I'Abb^  that  it  was  not  for  me,  a  poor  senrl- 
tor,  to  unil(!rt<tand  ibi'?  ins-and-outa  of  the  inheriunce  of  property. 
1  was  content  to  make  no  enquiry  about  this  muttt-r. — though  it 
seemed  to  me  strange, — and  to  be  content  that  all  was  as  my  master 
tolrl  inn.  I  myself  saw  Bomewhat  of  ibc  theft  in  the  ballroom,  and 
can  answer  in  part  for  the  truth  of  my  master's  narralir«,  of 
which  I  can  r^^ieat  the  words.  But  first  I  must  tell  you  of  tho 
reiisun  uo  enquiry  was  mu<lo  about  the  diHappnamnn;  of  Mad&nte 
Quesnes.  It  was  this.  At  ihe  end  of  this  bull,  it  may  U;  at  two  or 
three  in  the  raorninR,  there  broke  out  a  great  quarrel  amone  cer- 
tain geutttrtui-n  who  in  an  up|n!r  room  had  hwrn  plnying  card»  for 
high  stakes.  And  some  would  have  it  that  a  certain  Uilord 
Attglaix,  who  wa*  reputed  to  be  the  lover  of  this  Madame  Queane»^ 
but  what  do  1  know* — had  provolK^l  her  hii«bitnd  to  the  duel  by 
occusotions  of  cheating  at  cards,  whereon  blows  were  struck  and 
swords  <lriiwn.  But  my  mailer — this  I  saw — coming  from  tho 
dancing-room  in  auger,  bade  them  put  up  tbtiir  swords  and  bi'gont; 
to  this  Pare  to  fight,  as  became  gallant  geutleraen.  rather  than  to 
btiSet  one  utiollifr  on  the  stairs  like  drunken  cttuscns  in  a  tavern 
brawl.  And  they,  all  in  fear  of  him,  for  none  would  face  his 
sworvl. — as  it  va*.  to  »ay  the  truth,  nn  assured  death  to  da  so. — 
went  away  to  the  Pare  as  bithit-n,  and  tliere  M.  Quesnes  met  his  end 
from  the  sword  of  Milord,  who  fought,  having  won  lb<?  cJioiee  of 
place,  wilb  his  back  to  tlm  nun.  But  frora  that  hour  Milort!  was 
not  ogaiu  seen,  aud  the  tale  went  that  he  and  Madame  QuF.<,n.ci.  U»A 


ADDENDUM 


* 


L 


fled  together  and  wrrc  living  tog«Uier,  in  Ttaly  t>r  Coraicn. 
bmuK  thav  was  mut-b  uuger  8t  Court  over  the  deatb  of  bcr 
band  Ihau  from  nay  mauvaise-honic  of  their  amoure.     Indeed, ' 
eomo  said  he  bad  in«df  her  hi«  wifr;  but  otJii-rs  mndc  light  of  tbin. 
Kojing  he  had  Ultle  uei-d  1o  do  so,  and  was  noi  ihn  inuti.     Thi» 
etory  was  the  more  easy  of  belief  that  bi.v  master  atlinned  that,  an 
hour  or  »o  nflor  idl  hml  ilrpiirti^d,  hn  oanitr  {mm  lii«  room  hrariag 
a  noise,  and  saw  Madame  Quesncs  Roing  downstairs  as  though  to  ^ 
IeaT«  the  house.    And  this,  M,  I'Abbf,  you  will  see  teas  true,  if 
tell  you  the  n»t  of  my  master's  tale  In  his  own  words: — 

"'"This  arraosenicul  of  tlie  inheritance  being  seen  and  well 
understood,  mon  Israel."  said  be,  "figure  to  yourself  my  anger  and 
di»giiEit  when  I  hear  t]ii^  woman  proclaim  alnttd  at  the  ball  that 
she  has  taken  a  wager  that  no  lady  in  the  room  has  len  stones  In  a 
rin^,  setting  aside  small  stones  that  encircle  other  stones.     Well.  I 
know  this  is  a  scheme  uf  hers  to  get  my  wife's  ring  from  her  fingetP^^ 
and  euatch  it  away  and  hide  it.    For  I  know  her  capable  of  such^^ 
conduct.     And  I  hear  her  tell  some  cock-and-bull  ta!o  (histoirc) 
vh<!u  I  refuse  to  allow  tliis  ring  to  leave  my  wife's  finger,  of  how  itj 
is  really  a  ring  of  her  mother's  that  my  wife  has  stolen.    And 
then,  as  I  would  not  offend  the  great  Duke  who  had  laid  the  wafRrJ 
I  mysrif  kecii  hold  of  the  ring  for  him  to  coinil  the  tilone*.    And'^ 
between  us.  eaeh  thinking  the  ring  in  the  other's  keeping,  we  let 
ICO  at  the  instant.    And  (hen  as  the  ring  rolls  away  on  the  ground, 
I  am  called  away  (o  make  peace  without.    And  then,  when  I  return,! 
vhere  is  tlie  ring!    Where,  tnilyf    But  Madame,  my  sister.  kDOws,! 
and  knows  well.    And  I  his.  froin  her  face,  what  my  wife  belicrea,] 
and  t  siieak  with  her;  for  T  would  know  also.   What  slie  tells  tan  i*, 
that  Mademoiselle  my  niece  has  seen  her  aunt  stoop  and  pick  Op 
the  ring" — this,  M.  t'Abhf',  was  the  young  on>hclinc  daughter  of  J 
his  brother  the  soldier;  slie  hud  but  sixteen  year*— a  child — anj 
ibis  mamiotte  repeats  again  what  she  has  seen;  and  that  MadaniA^ 
her  aunt  escaped  by  the  other  door,  at  the  moment  that  I  returned.! 
It  is  enough  I    I  pursue  her,  and  meet  you  withouL    Tou  renM!ai<] 
bcrl  .  .  ." 

"  'And  M,  I'Abbe,' — thus  spoke  Michnud  himself,— 'I  remembered 
well,  and  that  I  had  seen  Madame  Queaiies  midir  away  throiifih 
the  door  leading  down  to  the  entresol.  And  her  return  at  this 
momi-ni,  imd  that  my  mnxtcr  taxed  her  with  tbo  theft,  and  «hfl^^| 
defied  bint,  aud  denied  all  kuowleiUfr  of  the  ring.  But  ^hc  madeB 
but  a  poor  excuse  for  her  inexplicable  visit  below,  where  slw!  may 
have  b<«n  three  minuten,  bt-fore  ray  master  met  me  on  the  stai 
«bore,  seeking  her,  and  heanl  from  me  that  slic  was  below.' 


t 

I 

op 

^1 


ttaira^ 


ADDENDUM 


8S9 


did  not  wnnt  Micbuiid  to  wastes  bit  ittrength  in  making  cWr 

lima  of  amall  imporlance.  eo  I  recalled  him  to  the  narrative  of 
the  murderer  himself. 

"1  will  tell  you  tout-de-»uit(-.  mon  p6nv  But  now.  I  wish  to 
make  you  see.  so  to  speak,  the  excited  confusiou  of  the  guesla  who 
disperse,  and  to  hear  the  vnii  terrible  of  my  master,  who  siMiees  all 
recriminations  by  euUing  out  tbnt  lie  knows  well  who  lias  the  riu^. 
and  it  will  be  found  in  lime.  Uul  for  H.  le  I>ue.  llie  great  man, 
be  has  onl^  npologies  that  this  fracss  should  cross  the  pleasure  of 
liiH  guests.  Olid  tries  now  to  trout  the  whole  concern  as  contemptibh; 
(faire  fi  de  I'affaire  toute  eiiti^re)  and  the  ring  itself  as  a  more 
hrimbarion.  And  for  tho  T>uke,  ho  speak?  tum  fair,  but  ehow* 
liitniirlf  incredulous.  And  ther-  the  last  c-nrrisgc  and  the  last  Snhm 
chair  (chaise  a  porteura)  ia  gone,  ami  when  my  master  turns  to  seek 
bis  sietei^behold  I  she  is  gone  away  to  bed,  for  she  and  her  husband 
wiv  to  sleep  in  the  house,  having  comi-  from  tlie  country  expressly 
for  this  ball.  And  Uadame  paci6ca  him.  and  swears  that  it  is  but 
that  his  sister  is  only  making  game  of  him  (veut  pluisaotcr) ;  and 
nt  li'ast.  she  will  not  leave  the  house.  And  tbon  iny  master,  to 
make  sure,  gives  a  double  turn  to  the  key  of  the  porte  d'entrfe,  and 
all  go  to  their  rooma.  I  delay  only  to  put  out  the  lights  and  then 
dcsoraid  to-niy  room  below  and  am  soon  unconscious.  But  for  what 
happened  while  I  am  asleep.  I  will  tell  you  again  my  master's  own 
words. 

" '  "'After  I  go  to  my  room" — it  was  thus  he  told  me — "I  am  too 
indanied  against  Madame  my  sister  to  repose,  and  I  do  not  go  la 
bed  at  once.  Uy  wife  goes  to  bed,  and  sleeps  sound.  She  can  sleep, 
und  is  sure  the  ring  will  be  found.  It  is  impossible  my  sister  should 
be  so  fripojine.  At  least,  she  can  sleep,  if  1  cannot!  Aiid  then. 
a  little  time  after.  I  hear  a  light  struck,  and  I  hear  footsteps.  And 
Its  I  look  out  from  my  door  li>  stf  who  is  moving,  I  bear  tho  creak 
(grincement)  of  the  door  of  your  stair.  And  then  I  say  to  myself. 
mon  eher  Israel,  thnt  ibis  young  marouflo  whom  my  sister  has 
brought  with  her  from  the  country,  und  who  seems  a  Boh£mien,  a 
Gipsy,  may  be  in  league  with  burglars;  and  I  cheat  myself  in  figur- 
ing him  descending  the  stairs  nii-picds.  to  admit  the  voleur-do- 
null.  And  it  is  for  Tatr  u«  uccursitl  fancy  (rcve  maudit),  for  it 
is  this  that  makes  me  carry  my  sword — Dieu  ait  mercil — sana 
fourr<'jiui  et  c'est  ca  <iui  m*a  fait  autant  de  malheur.  Ne  suls-jo 
pas  vraiinent  malheureux,  mon  Israeli 

" '  "Well  1  I  too  descend  the  stairs,  not  too  qtiickly,  lest  mon  ami 
vilain  should  not  lie  well  inside  the  house  when  I  arrive  tt  It-  ta 
me  a  divertiftsement.    But  I  nm  BMrprlaei  \o  &ai,  «.^  <or  ^vwt^w*^ 


eeo 


ADDEKDIjM 


i 


bcyom!  ill*!  door  of  the  sqiioakinjr  hinRp.  my  sister  etill  in  her 
coMumeiie-dmiw,  who  has  just  li^rliK^)  her  lamp.  And  at  this  I 
do  not  wondrr;  for  thoii  knowest  li«w  diirk  it  ia  b«lon  tht-rc.  But 
I  do  wonder,  for  a  moment,  what  nia.v  be  the  busiucsa  of  Madame 
in  the  basement,  at  this  hour.  Thpn,  in  anothor  moment,  I  have 
und<^rHtaoiI  all,  and  T  spmk.  ^m 

" ' "  'You  have  hidden  the  rinj;  down  here,  my  beloved  aiatcr,  anil^| 
now  joii  havp  drsccndrd  to  find  it.* 

" '  "  It  in  tnif?!  rny  ImJuvpU  brdlier  I"  alio  replica  in  a  mockiufr  tone, 
'but  what  would  you  1  1  cau  look  for  it  another  time,  when  my 
beloved  brother  is  not  here.  Ah  1 — ^my  ilenr  brother,  roon  trcn  do 
demi-Kung,  who  is  it  tliat  would  have  torn  the  olothea  Croin  my  baek, 
to  hunt  for  this  rinj; — eaue  reepeet,  eane  ^gard  ni  de  femnto  ni 
«riir!  Si*  nowl  I  nm  nloiio  lu'n.-— I  nm  powerli-wt.  Scarcfal- 
eear«b !  but  there  will  })<■  no  ring,'  And  ahe  luuKhs  in  my  fat-e  (t 
rit  au  nee).  And  thou  knowest,  mon  Israel,  the  laniih  of  my  ^iote 
when  elie  mooke.  And  nhc  lani^liH  lone;  and  loud  (■nuiigli,  I  bOiuiiIi 
have  thougfbt,  lo  wake  you  in  .your  cheuil  down  there.  But  iu  irut 
you  had  drunk  too  much,  and  il.  Tlvrogne  sleeps  sound.  Confe 
it,  mon  eher!    Havi;  J  not  reason?    At  l«i*l,  you  do  not  wake 

*"  "  'Main  dierehe — chereho  toujoum,  mon  frftre  »!  hieu  aimv ! 
ne  ift  trouveras  pas— la  bague  precieuee— 6ur  ma  pcrsonne.  VoiUi* 
cc  rjyi  est  vrail  Maia  peut-fitre  tu  penx  la  trouvcr  ailleur»L  Elle 
n'eat  puH  loin  do  vous,  Momdcur  l*£ci>r<!hL'ur.  Chervhc,  chcfctie 
bient    Tu  la  trouveras.  .  .  .' 

"'"I  nm  cnmired  against  her,  and  rnge — be  "urc  of  it!  But  T 
know  tihe  ia  eiieakiuti;  trutli — for  brotliers  alwayn  know,  of  ndt 
other,  or  sisters  of  sisters,  or  either  of  other,  R  there  is  truth  in 
what  ia  itnid.  And  T  sn-k  about,  and  she  tnakca  an  tliough  to  acoai»^_ 
modnt«  me  wiih  the  lamp  ^ic  holdii.  mocking  always,  and  sayinjH 
now,  vou  are  warmer — now  colder,  as  th«  childrm  play  at  cache* 
c-nche." ' 

"(I  then  know — I  had  not  seen  it  before — that  all  this  bod  takm 
place  in  Knitland.    For  there  th<-  children  piny  'hide  and  vedc*  ia_ 
thin  way.    But  I  say  nothing,  and  Michaud  continued,  n-peatii: 
always  the  tale  of  his  master,) 

"'"And  1  seek  thus,  fcelinit  sure  that  what  she  saj's  is  trno. 
far  aa  that  ehe  hn«  ooncoiilod  tfao  ring,  nn<l  at  no  great  diatanc 
Then  says  slie.  making  a  moue,  as  one  does  to  a  child — why  do  I  no 
•cck  JD  the  kiteheni    1  pass  into  the  kitcbon,  all  dnrk  with  ctos 
Bhultera;  and  I  searcji  uboiit.  while  she  stands,  the  vixen,  leaning 
baek  against  the  window-eupboard,  her  anus  akimbo,  or  her  elbows 
on  the  ledge,  wlieie  a\«o  lite  vW*»  ^»s  \jKn»i.   Stjat  can 


ADDENDUM 


SSI 


is  not  a  comely  wench ;  but  «a  for  me,  she  maddens  ms  and  I  bate 
bcr. 

"  *  'Then  wh«n  this  faroe  has  gone  on  some  while — I  know  not 
how  long — she  brcoka  into  a  low  maltoious  lauich.  'Ah,  mou  Mre 
bieD-aimf,'  she  aoora.  'you  aro  colder  now  than  orerl  You  were 
wanner  in  the  passaRe.' 

"'"Then  the  Dpvil  wizcs  on  me,  and  I  become  niad — yea! — 
mad  outright,  nion  IsriM-lI  Ton  nnid  it  wan  hcrr,'  1  cry,  furieuso- 
ment.  But,  wilh  irritating  calmuesa,  slie  picks  up  Jurr  lamp,  tosn- 
ing  her  head.  'But  I  never  said  so.'  saya  abe,  almoat  amiling,  "I 
only  aaid  why  not  nock  in  the  kitchen  I' 

" '  "And  then  he  poeseesee  me  outright — the  Devill    I  am  hU. 

"'"Oh,  mon  Israeli  thoo  dost  not  know — haat  never  known — 
bow  Bwlft,  Itow  foicile  to  the  swordsman's  hand  is  tho  weapon  ho 
knows  BO  well  I  None  can  know  it  who  baa  not  Iteen.  aa  I  hare 
trnl.v,  a  gT<tat  awonleinan,  n  perfect  niasterl  But  I  tell  you.  it  was 
the  Devil  that  wlted  me.  As  I  atood  tlu-n:.  her  mocking  nnik.  her 
lip  that  curled  up  from  her  white  teeth,  her  bead  ihruwn  beck,  her 
*TcIid*  dropped — all  fed  my  delirium  of  fury.  Again  abe  apoke, 
wilh  itweetncss. 

" '  "  'Ii  is  time  for  bed.  raon  frore  hicn-aime.  Let  us  go.  Madamo 
will  mis«  you.  Et  mou  mart  adorable  sera  aussi  de  retour — a'il 
n'est  pas  tu^  par  oo  joli  pelit  Milord  Anglnis.  AUons — tu  penx 
cbercber  encore  ilemaiii — el  \t:  demain  Hiiivant.  .  .  .' 

"  *  "Oui.  i«  le  redia,  mon  Israel.  Nul  autre  jteut  le  aavoir,  la 
dfimangeaison  de  doigts  qu'clle  Hcnl  pour  son  $p^p — la  main  qui 
eait  bten  s'cn  serrir  .  .  .  o*«at  ca  qui  m'a  trohi — ntaia  c-lb  nurnit  dQ 
ponser  i  >;«.    Al'ex^ep^rer  ainai!    Kile  aurait  dft  peuaer.  .  .  ."  ' 

"At  thia  point  I  daw  (nays  the  Abb^)  that  the  old  man  was  be- 
coming: exhausted  after  oo  loiig  a  nx-itul.  II(-  eouitLiitiid  to  atop,  but 
said:  '1  have  more  to  teU.'    He  theu  fell  asleep  and  I  left  him. 


"June  9. — I  bav«  again  aeen  old  Israel,  and  he  hoa  lold  mo  tho 
rest  of  his  story,  but  of  a  continuity  so  broken  that  I  judge  it  best 
to  write!  the  narrntivc  an  my  memory  understands  it,  and  not  to 
attempt  to  f'lvt  all  his  fragmentary  words, 

"He  told  me  how  the  murderer,  having  none  other  to  confide  in. 
and  (not  bring  a  ChriBtian)  having  no  resonrw  in  tho  Church, 
Iiad  talked  to  hini  oonalunlly.  And.  said  hi-,  be  could  tun:  that  tins 
tooth  of  his  remorse  bit  deep.  Yet  ho  would  marvel,  when  by 
chancft  the  name  of  thiii  Exthcr  (the  niBtrr'n  nnmr,  which  also  came 
act!  1  den  tally)  was  ajKikcn  In  his  circle,  bow  bravely  lui  would  ap<;ak 
out  and  denounce  her  for  the  dishonour  she  had  done  to  bla  fanvvl,t. 


up  hia 


682  ADDENDUM 

juequ'alore  sans  tacfael  For,  as  he  had  told  mc  before,  the  was 
euppo^  at  this  time  to  \>e  living  in  sin  with  thu  aoh\i>  Milord 
AnglaiB.  And  when  ke  did  not  reappear  (for  he  never  did)  it  was 
luid  »o  her  account.  But  she  could  not  be  cau^t,  so  none  was  any 
the  wixcr.  And  the  story  ht'iag  put  about  hy  my  nuidli.T  that  aha 
had  left  the  house  on  the  momiiiK  of  the  duel,  and  was  nowhere  to 
be  found,  put  a  padlock  on  gOLasip  (cadcnaMutit  Ips  Iniigiics). 

"Tot,  in  spill]!  of  all  thi^.  when  he  was  alone  with  hid  ao  faithful 
servant,  the  Sieur  Latreille  would  break  down  and  shed  tcara. 
Then,  one  day,  being  grwitly  afEidcd  at  bcart,  ho  told  hini  that  bo 
would  not  have  Iho  guilt  on  his  soul  of  having  told  him  a  lie;  and 
then  admitted  that  hie  version  of  the  inberitjincc  and  the  rinft  story 
waa  false,  and  that  be  bad  rt-ullj*  in  some  way  dc^ceiveil  Itta  fathis. 
But  of  this  I  have  underalood  little,  ami  can  only  think  that  poor 
Hicbaud  must  have  misconceived  much  of  it,  or  been  dmssiag 
wlu'n  ht-  lri(-<l  to  ttrll  it;  for  it  was  (as  1  beurd  it)  a  inerv galinintiaR, 
a  confused  tale  of  the  initials  of  the  ring-jewels  which  made  up  bis, 
wif<T'»  namo  of  Philli^t — I  <!()u!d  make  no  sense  of  iL 

"But  this  was,  it  may  be,  no  truer  than  the  other  version  he 
told.     I  mistrust  all  the  story,  except  the  portion  poor  old 
bimsplf  knows  for  truth.    That  he  in  truth-telling  T  csnnot  doubt. 

"One  ibiiiie  more  he  told  me,  ihal  one  should  put  on  Tec«r<i.  Ilia 
master  continued  uneasy  about  the  soil  that  had  been  dug  up  out 
of  tile  grare,  and  that  Mill  lay  in  a  he-np  in  the  vault  where  they 
bad  left  it.  He  himself  was  unwilUog  to  make  any  effort  to  con- 
ceal this,  tliinkiug  tlmt  no  one  would  see  anythiuK  in  it  more 
tban  some  rubbish  left  by  hrieklnycrH.  But  hix  laaHtor  had  in  hia 
Houl  the  restlessness  of  guilt,  and  must  needs  be  filwa.v9  doing 
Hometbing  active  to  conceal  his  erinic.  i>o  he  persiutdea  Michaud 
to  go  with  bim  in  the  dead  of  night.  duiI  to  riintovc  tliiM  rabbith  or 
loam  in  buskel- loads,  ehnosing  for  its  receptacle  a  hollow  (conoa- 
vilA)  in  the  wall  under  the  stairway — of  which  T  con  only  under- 
stand this,  (hut  it  is  covered  in  part  by  a  large  beer-code,  and 
that  when  thin  is  sliifted  a?ide,  nnd  Michnud  reaches  down  to  find 
its  depth,  behold  a  beer-jug  tu  a  rect'ss  ivhicli  he  would  have  re- 
moved before  tilling  in  the  loatn,  Thereat,  said  he,  his  maater  vaa 
in  a  great  perturbation.  One  minvite  be  would  hare  this  ju|t  re- 
moved, the  next  he  commands  that  it  should  be  left  quiet — now 
this  way,  now  thnt.  comme  une  vraie  girouette. 

"  'Enfin,'  said  be,  'nous  somnws  decides  de  laiwcr  tranquille 
cruche,  et  de  ca  jo  me  sens  mfcontent;  parce  que  je  I'ai  reconuui 
pour  une  cruche  ^gnr^e  I'an  pass^.  pour  laquelle  Ton  a  fait  che: 
besucoup— out,  que  Ton  a  cru  votee.    "Alors,"  dit  mon  maltn^ 


-now 

cettfl 
'nuu^l 
rcbdfl 


ADDENDUM 


903 


^■^  (I 


'^bisscz-Igs  croirct  Pliit5l  ca  qwc  dr  fnirc  nfrnpconiiCT  I«  e«is  qui 
nc  Miupconne:il  rieii.  Ilemplaces-k-vitc  1 — vhel"  Et  cntiuitc,  je  la 
remplace.  et  noue  alloDs  Terser  les  panieis  touB  pleins  dans  le  trou. 
Et  cnfiii  c'c^t  fini !'  .  .  . 

"It  maik-  ine  uJ  (adds  tJie  Abb£)  that  T  oould  not  Join  my  poor 
friend  in  his  attempts  lo  whitewash  (reblanchir)  his  old  friend 
and  mauler.  But  I  wnuld  i^lnilly  have  donr  so  lind  1  sei'n  a  loophole. 
I  could  only  aay  that  we  must  hope  that  the  Almighty  Wisdom, 
which  can  tnily  read  the  hiimnn  licnrt,  might  find  some  excuses  for 
hiB  oouduct  which  it  was  not  given  to  our  limited  vision  to  dis* 
isffuiab." 


"August  22. 1814. — The  poor  Israel  Uicbaud  is  departed,  ninety- 
eigbt  years  of  age.  Ilsd  he  lived  till  la  Saint  Uiehel,  he  would 
have  been  nincty-niiic.  lie  Imd  been  happier,  he  said,  in  this  Inst 
year  and  a  half,  for  having  told  me  tho  terrible  tale  of  the  murder 
of  Madame  Quesnes.  He  hcli!  to  hia  nffeclion  for  liis  old  master, 
tbu  Sieur  LatreiUe,  to  the  last.  It  was  a  strange  fascination!  I 
Imve  promised  to  pray  for  this  murderer,  and  must  do  so.  But. 
mon  Dieu  I  with  how  much  more  heart  one  prays  for  good  men,  thaa 
for  human  wolves  and  foxes  f 


^  (Editor's  Note. — As  there  are  still  so  many  who  do  not  read 
French,  the  above  has  licen  translated  so  as  to  suggMt  iu  original 
as  nearly  as  possible — retaining  thu  Freneh  at  discretion  in  one  or 
two  places,  and  bracketing  in  the  words  that  might  add  emphasis 
to  Uijpir  8ul)stituti^.  This  treatment  «f  a  foreign  luuguagu  ia  nut 
without  precedent.) 


I: 


WILLIAAt  DG  MORGAN'S  SOMEHOW  GOOD 

Hhe  drHiuufic  story  oF  aomo  modern  English  pooplo  \n  a 
llmigc  Aitu^aion.     SUA. 

"A  book  V  ^v^m^r.  u  inuHr.  u  v-bolaome.  u  wliie:,  am  uty  In  th*  r»nfc* 
flC  fipliun,"" — Thf    \'*rlnni.  , 

"  Dnor  Fciniihhf  (rinnd*,  rnm[iiinton^  pljiyt"*!''^  nf  hln  arff  (h«M  nw  and 

thjl  (hey  muM  be  your  fji^mt*  nnnl  fnmilLar",  tr><7 — f-jr  Ihrlr  mw  vlunn 
&nil  theU  tiuniann«iw^  i*ke— ui  iheir  Jfvt*  nnd  idk  p**Tim#»,  noi  l*w  lb*n 
ill  thiitr  micvh**  (^a*I  j»y*-  .  -  -  If  Vf'U  [f>vr  yoiir  T^jMLPntrt  you  mny 
i-hhin^   H    *sf«ly  pnnui^n — nn'l    hav^   jnur    r«mnL"---iV<U'    I'tirA:    Timtf* 

"Otir  oM«  aoTflliti*  (Uirk^n.*  hiicl  Tluekemyl  viU  hnvo  <o  look  lo  thtnr 
Intiivb,    t^r    tli«   nnf    crri«   in   fut    tin'vtnc   hiTiiHlf   lliAir   niiiAL,     A    liijihM 

cirmliiy  of  rn'^nym^ui  limn  »  c]H(ivivli|p  tmni  ihn  Wfxk  uf  iuit  Lilhi*r  narvlJHt 
i\rMK  liviUK  nml  nrfirr  m  vilhpr  I^nRlnnrl  or  Atn^tirii-      ANuiMiMy  miL<«l4T|y. 


WILLUM   DB  MORaAN-5  ALlCe-F0R-5H0RT 

The  »tory  of  a  ]x)ndQn  tvnif.  n  fricnilty  /irtiAt,  bi4  fricuda  And 
fHUiily^    8ov<Tiith  pnutini;.    $1.75. 

"  lt*n!t\  wi>rtb  rmfSiii^  hml  prniidna  -  -  -  wiU  he  hiiUnf  nm  s  mjMlpri)l«ic«. 
If  nity  wn(«r  of  iUk  iJr^winf  nm  &■  n4cl  «  l^filf  frrtUity  hrrar#.  n  ^iinr1«r 
ccmurv,  tit  flTm  «  dccnrl*,  (hnl  wrttpr  it  ^'tUlnm  De  Moriau," — iftKTvn 
T'rriftinr'ijj/. 

"  It  i»  Jhi#  ViH»rini»  «ji*  iJ»#iU  tliat  tiiHtk*  in  thi»A  rinhn  iiit«r*Hmr'  o**r- 
oromlrtl  hnolc*,  ,  -  -  Fua  l>y  fhip*  in*  n*w  Ixxik  jn  hk  nrh«  tiLfiiiitniH  anij, 
UktPnwtiFia  fc*  il>i  pTT<Jiy^*-nt,  ,  ,  ,  F i-*nwh*rii  hit  *1t,  Iwrnirii:,  mirf 
Kfuil&f«hil>  '  ■  ■  tHc  Irufi  rrrerlve  imiitrinftlion.   ,  .   ,  Wtll  he  remcFiibciM 

WILLIAM  DE  MORQAN'S  JOSEPH  VANCE 

A  novel  of  life  ncnr  l«ndon  in  the  SO's.  Eighth  printtDg. 
»I.7S. 

"Th«  hat-ik  at  ihn  tvl  tWriIi*:  thd  t>fat  Ihinii  in  Hrtinn  nnt^m  Mr.  M^n^ 
dUh  and  Mr.  Ilntily:  mn^r  mkK  ii4  pljuv  a*  iho  Ht^i  sp^wi  hndUh  nivpt 
that  bm  fippeflrp<l  Jn  the  ineEitlelh  «nlury," — Levis  Melvilll  ka  Neut 
York  T»m*a  S'lttiritttv   iln-ifii'. 

"U  ih*  M^'l-r  Iili«  bi>rh  "Darid  Cfiptwrfiiilir  »hd  'Peinr  IMhHmhi/  h« 
C<Vi  find  th«  two  (rodkff  in  Ihife  emu," — 7^^'  tnAtjtndfnt. 


«*«  ir  Ihe  mdrr  ttill  oNid  h&K  nwe  and  aildr^BM.  th<>  puhllAhpT?  wLlL  wnd, 
fn>rn  lim«  to  iiirt*i  iolonnMion  regariling  thrij  nen  buoki. 


HEXRY 


HOLT     AND 


COMPANY 

KEW  roitK 


MAY  SINCLAIR'S  THE  HELPMATX 

A  story  of  marnrd  life.     Third  printing.     |I.£0. 

**  An  adTincc  upon  '  Tllp  l>iHnr  firr^" " — Lofuton  Timtt- 
■■  Tlir  i)nc  novel  uii  Ow  divufi'e  Queitlon.''~Bo>tfn  IVoaKripL 
*'  A  nnlvwntthr  benk.    .    .    .    Than  u*  thia^  anid  in  thaw  pans,  md 
Mid  irry  plilnlf.  'Rhlrb  ami  to  Iw  Hid.  whjoh  ftn  rarrty  Fnoa(ti  akl — 
•Imoit  n*TEr  »  wellHld.    TTiebook  w>nt»iD»onftirnrtUblng<»ei.Ptr*«M.  < 
ptinuav,  itn<l  *uf>j  ft  pjclurp  of  Uiv  rbudqaa  of  «  khi]  wanuD  H  axUt*  . 
mwheiT  rl«c  in  out  lltcntDr*-"— .Veip  I'orJt  Ttrnti  Satvnlaif  JttrvUta, 

"Uwterlv  .  .  .  •itUlietftthtcorc."— Bixton  .^m'ltMr. 

"  K«criticl*Di  of  1rid««  cui  lrA*r  In  dooht  th«  0«iit  ilJittinrtiAn  i^f  hfr 
(nnmwnihfp.  Vtry  certainly  (he  mud  hJiK  nude  her  rrtiuutloti  br  thu 
book.  If  It  had  not  bccD  alraadr  WOTi."~pHiieA  tLoodOD). 

MAY  SINCLAIR'S  THE  DIVINE  FIRE 

A  irtoty  of  a  I^Midon  pocU     I3th  printing.    $l.SO. 

~  Id  all  «ar  npw  flcllnn  I  hnrc  found  nothlnc  worttif  to  «wnp«fe  wlUl 
"n*  DITino  Fin.'  "— UuT  Uoh  In  Tlu  Allanlie  JfontMiK 

"A  full-leocth  ttudr  of  Ihc  pottic  tomptninicrit.  fruKd  in  ■  fwtat  and 
ForlooiJi'  Intoratliw  enilronnMnt.  and  dtawn  wlllia  flnnncaB  of  iMnd  ltet< 
(irilnone'i  ailfnlnillan.  . .  .  Uorinrtr.  x  loil  >li*llnctiociar*l1'M^  tnWli 
bcincnf  ■ifKirtiinc  Inlrmt  froa  cwwr  locorvr."— Mnl. 

"  I  ami  list  boak  the  noi,t  renurkablc  that  I  bne  TMd  ta  manr  ftm." 
—Owta  S*jiiu>  in  f^mrh  (Ixtidon). 

MAY  SINCLAIR'S  THE  TYSONS     .    .     »th  printinc.    $I.SO 

"  MulntBlna  a  cilndnf  crip  upon  thr  mind  and  wnwu.  rMnp*lUnc  «■•  to 
aeknuwlnlita  tbc  aatboc'i  K(niu>."~-CfeifatK>  Rnvp(t-H(r(il& 

MAY  SINCLAIR'S  SUPERSEDED    .    .    iai  printing.    tLU 

"Makm  on*  woiiilri  if  In  tuturr  yaarn  ttin  quit!  lltllD  EUiclUh 
mar  not  be  rrmtnlml  nn  •  n*«  Jaor  AiuUa."— .Von  J'urfc  Sun. 

MAY  SINCLAIR'S  AUDREY  CRAVEN      tnd  prinUnff.  $1.50 

"  II  ninka  bich  In  orliinalllr.  Intemt  and  powfr.  .  .  .  Andnir  ti  ■  lU*- 
tlnct  cnaliuii."— TVhmj  Stvinu; 

A  If  thcnadcT  will  and  hi*  nan*  and  addms  thr  publlnhfr  will  mat. 
tnm  (Imc  lo  lima,  iurDrnnlloa  lecudinf  their  new  boofea. 

HENRY     HOLT     AND     COMPANY 

rrUUBUU  (>-''<^)  VEV  TONS 


I 

I 


"THE    RETURN 


*HE    ESI 


OVER   AGAINST  GREEN   PEAK 

Or  MiHi  i^Ki'uiNK  lIiHi-MUBr 

The  homrly  espurieuciai  o(  u  briglil  jouug  nouiau  aud  her 
Aunt  Siuan.  nol  lo  mrniloo  Ihc  "  hired  glr),"  in  New  England 
coiiDti;  lUe.    $1.35  nei;  by  mail.  |;I-33. 

"Tlip  nhvloni  fticndllrFH  it  ihp  lllllf  hook  wu  Immed lately  dliumlnit. 
]1 1«  Lf-i*iiMHy.  mtfal,  dcUtrhiriil.  TlirDa^fhonL  rant  ft  VAin  of  gcatiD  liqirior,  <it 
rpoBlnni.-itf.of  nitatl!-t-Md  iiiii}jEjaliidin,  of  H«plrit  lumly  attni  Ui  bvaatj  tod 
ngcr  [II  Bhir*  it*  diiliitiiio  "—I'Afniio  Knxrit-llitaiil, 

COMMENTS  OF  BAGSHOT 

By  J.  A.  SpKsiiKii.  ciliior  or  "  The  Wwlmltuitcr  ObmIW," 
ll.aStiRl;  br  mail.  «l.31). 

Deli^kitiil  commeRi4  upon  a  great  rnn^  of  subJecU.  Iiidiiding 

"  Krietidslii|)."   "  BorL«, I'lie   ElevmUi-IlDui   Mud."   "SUy- 

nraa,"  "WchIUi."  ■'  I'ovprtjf,"  "Tlic  Needy  and  the  Greedy." 
■■  Wonifln's  Mornlity,"  rlc 

TM  Spti-'alor  fIjoiirtcinV— "  Whili-  .iffimliMt  llir  ciui«l  nf  twdini.  neni- 
Ihclrvi  1ou''tir)il«!t>  Iftumlwiilv  niiit  ilni-  i«ii<'»  fluvl)',  Nol  only  Uiiiikii 
hnn«l(.  tiul  mikn  rail  (hink  .  .  .  wiw  unrl  uiilv.  .  .  .  Whclhudmllnit 
with  d™l(i  Hint  Inimortiilily.  iir  rl<-hp«  ond  Socluhim.  hi'  nlwiiyi  ■■■iiitdvw 
1(1  Iv  puniri^iLi  ;ini1  inl<^n-HUnif  iind  Vft  urtwuv.  Air  llirrr  ih  (in  nttt-mpt 
filhrr  At  fl^tichv  ryiiii^irtin  rir  rluvijii-'iilvruni.  .  -  .  Wr  lulviw  nur  taid«n  to 
mul  nirrniltv  Die  iidinintiilp  mxulM  ■lwiitSaruiliiiaiiuidll>«iliot'(il(H[^oec 
^ArltlotJc'*  ' nnvninrt-nt  man.' 

WORDS  TO  THE  WISE-AND  OTHERS 

Ry  Mitu  Ki.i.ts  llttiiNH.Siii'.mns.     #1.50  net  ;  by  tuiiil.Jl.Bfl, 

The  Bool  and  FollBRn  of  Style— When  Slwl  Strtkw  Punk— 
Our  Kin  mid  Otbcrv—AI  the  Eod  of  the  ItAlDbow—JIodora 

I^titr  Wriliu);,  wilb  viirioiiii  ul-Iub1  exaniplw— Out  Coiuidtti 
Hiimiiine — TlicSbiin  Tbnt  Arc  Not  Xumbend. 

Hi/iina  yVijiwmjrf— '"A  rrrfihneu  nad  plqiinncy  wholly  driichtlal.  ,  ,  . 
Opclii  fiY»h  (iDori  Into  dcllchtrul  thourhta  and  Ainclei.'* 

San  t^tmeHat  CyinmWf— *'  Sunic  <it  lhl^M:  vuMva  nte  union*  UiD  btal  In 
Ihf  KnglMi  ImiBuiucp." 

fM<niiO  HteantHtnilil—"  CaatiAttvA  in  wmnrftion  with  rounllew  other 
em:tlcnT  voTlCBortheenntded  literary  Reason  It  rrscmblcs  'ui  oajIactvcvi 
In  ilvM'rlHdry.'" 

TAPER   UCHTS 

By  -Misa  Elles  BrnN»  ijuKiixiJi.    $1.35  not;  by  mall.  $1.34. 

Sprlii(i)Irld  HtpuNlam—"  Thv  ami  mtiiflirtiirv  >Iniiiii(iir  (lUiiv  !■  Ihc  loit 
parr.  .  .  .  A  i«md  and  mna  third  nadinic  !<  pretty  lUcly  to  end  at  the 
Willi:  plufc, " 

HENRY   HOLT  AND   COMPANY        ^"-.J^g 


FiVE    DELIGHTFUL    ANTHOLOGIES 

POEMS  FOR  TRAVELERS 

Compiled  bj  Ujlkt  R.  J.  DuBoib.     tSmo. 

Covon  PraDcr.  Oertnany,  AutUii.  SmtiorlAnil,  Italy,  and 
Ontc*  in  aomc  tlircc  liuni:lrrd  p)cin»  (nearly  utii'-tblnl  of  tb«ui 
by  Ajnerlcan*)  from  nbout  i>ii«  liuDiired  aiul  tliiii)'  )H>«tii.  All 
but  some  forty  of  thme  poems  were  urlt-inully  writteu  iu  KasUsh. 


Tbe  throe  folloirltii;  bouks  nrr  uaiform.  witb  full  glU 
flexible  covL-re  and  pictured  cover  liutug*.  ISuio.  E»cli.  cloiti, 
11.30:  leUber,  |3  50. 

THE  POETIC  OLD  WORLD 

Comi^led  by  JSiaa  1.,  II.  Ilirui-iiitKT. 

CoTcra  Eiirnpc.  fncludiog  Spiilii.  Belgium  and  the  Brillah  IsW. 
In  lome  tno  liimdrad  poema  from  alMut  uiuely  poeta.  Some 
tbirty,  uot  originally  nrltt«u  in  Ktigliib,  &n:  gireu  in  both  Uio 
original  niul  (be  b»t  ftvailiible  tmutlutloo. 

THE  OPEN  ROAD 

A  llttio  book  for  wayfiircrs.    Compilud  bj  E.  V.  Luoa. 

Some  laA  ponms  frum  ovlt  A)  autlion,  iucludlag  F^Uxenld. 
Shctlcy.  Sh.ikcspearc,  Kenneth  OnihnnK',  Stcvcmoa.  Wbltuuii, 
BrownlnR,  Kciits.  Wor(la«orl!i.  Maltlicv  Arnold,  TenaT»on, 
WIIKam  MurriH.  Mnutice  Uuwtelt.  laaak  ^Vnllon.  WillUm 
Baiana.  Ilerrick,  Dobaou.  Lamb,  Alillon.  WIdUler.  elc,  cK. 

"A  very  thannlng  Iwok  rrnin  mver  to  mirr."— Wo'- 

THE  FRIENDLY  TOWN 

A  little  Imok  for  the  url»nnc.  compiliil  by  K.  V.  LtrCAS. 

Over  Ji)U  *rlcclii>n«  In  vcir»o  «nd  pm«  from  1(X)  aiilbon. 
incliirling:  Jaiaw  R.  Lowell.  Biirrotinbi.  ITiirrick,  TUack<-rny, 
Boon,  Vaugtm.  MHtou.  Cowlt-v.  Browultig.  Stfvnnjon,  Uenley, 
l,iiMgfelluvr,  Kuula.  Swift,  StrrHlltli.  Liimb.  linng,  DobMa. 
FiiaCfnilcl,  Pepyii.  Adduou,  Kcmblc.  BonweU.  Holme*,  Wilpolo, 
and  IjotrIocc. 

'  Would  liave  duli^tml  Cliulai  Ijiiiil>."~?1M  ^oHon. 


A  BOOK  OF  VERSES  FOR  CHILDREN 

OrcrSOO  poems  T^pr^'ientloij  Mome  m  aiilhor*.  Compiled  by 
E.  V.  Ldcar.  Wiihdecuruilouaby  F.  D.  Bbdi^>ui>.  United 
edition.     fS.OO.     Library  uditiuu,  |1.DU  net, 

"W«  Imnw  ft  no  Dtli«r  tntliolocv  tur  rhililrvn  mi  camplet*  and  w«a 
■rTHUWd/'-I.WIIc. 


HENRY   HOLT  AND  COMPANY