SISTER _v._ SWEETHEART
There had not been, so far as I could recollect, anything that could be
called even a tiff--if such a wretched syllable can find its way into
the heaven seventy-seventh--between the lovely Dariel and myself; but on
the other hand I had left her rather more abruptly than courtesy would
warrant, because of the grievous tranquillity she displayed in speaking
of a fellow (a Prince Hafer, as she called him), who possessed almost
every hateful merit, and was eager to bring it in, to cut out mine, by
some underhand and undermining fraud. What had I done to be treated like
this? Was there no claim established on my part? Was it nothing to have
come down the hill that evening, at the risk of my neck and Old Joe's as
well, and then to put up with a strained conscience for a month, and
then to catch no fish every day, for it might be a week of hook and
barb, and then to run a frightful risk of hydrophobia, and then to let
my duty and the business of the farm--however, there was not much to be
said about that; but what had I done that no message came, that I should
be left to cool my heels, without even a distant sigh in token of some
little anxiety about me?
"Send Allai to me to-morrow night," I had said as plainly as possible,
"and you shall hear all about young Nickols." It was no young
Nickols--that was my mistake, or my jealousy had rejuvenised him; but
that could not alter the intention.
Was it to be supposed that Dariel, the gentle, and sensible, and
simple-hearted Dariel had taken offence at my hasty departure, and
resolved to have no more to say to me?
I passed a very anxious and uncomfortable time, endeavouring vainly to
turn my whole attention to the doings and the interests of other people,
who certainly had a strong claim upon me; but still a certain feeling
would arise in my kindest and largest moments, that it was scarcely just
on my part to neglect with such severity my entire duty to myself. Who
was farmer Bandilow, who was Lord Melladew, Jackson Stoneman, or even
sister Grace, that I should have no one to think about but them? Let the
whole parish, and the county too, rush into the Union, and break stones,
or be stone-broken, by means of this new crack; but love is immortal,
Love is Lord of all; what had I done to make him hold his blessed tongue
like this?
I strode about, and strove about, and let everybody know that when I was
put upon I could stand up against it; and my dear sister Grace, who had
ideas of her own, such as I had spoiled her into when she was my
childhood's pet, was beginning to smell--oh, vile metaphor!--a rat;
because I would not always do exactly what she wanted, and once I had
the courage to tell her, that there were other girls in the world
besides Grace Cranleigh. Her state of mind at this was enough to prove
to mine, that the great truth thus pronounced was a good one for the
world; and I venture, with some tenderness, to intimate as much. But how
much better for me, as for every man so placed, if, instead of using
tongue, I had plunged both hands into my pockets--a proceeding which
puzzles and checkmates the female race, because they cannot gracefully
do the like--and then had walked off with a whistle, which adds _pari
ratione_ to their outer insight.
"Then I am right," said Grace, catching her advantage, as a girl always
does, before it is even on the hop; "there is some sly girl, without the
sense of right to come and ask me what I think of it, who has laid her
snares too cleverly for my dear brother George, my only brother, I might
say. For Harold is too far above us in intellect to be counted as one of
the family. Oh, it is so sad, so sad and cruel to me!"
"Explain yourself," I answered, hitting by a fluke on the very best
thing to be said to a girl, because she never knows how to do it. And
what had Harold done, to be set in the sky, like that?
"You know what I mean well enough. Too well, George, I can see it in
your face. Now can you look at me in your solid old way, as I have every
right to demand, for even you will own that, and assure me on your
honour that I am altogether wrong? That there is nobody wanting to come
between us. That I am still number one--'A1' you used to call me; but
that sounds like slang; and I don't understand the sea. Am I number one
still, George?"
"Let every tub stand upon its own bottom." I was not taken altogether by
surprise, as she intended; for I had expected this for a long time,
knowing how sharp our Grace was. I could scarcely have said a more
appropriate thing; for my sister had her stiff linen apron on, bustling
about with it, as she did in the mornings, to attend to the dairy and
the poultry, and all that. And being of a noble English figure, she had
not pulled her waist in, as she found it her duty to do at one o'clock.
"I am not a tub, George. It is very unkind of you to use such
expressions about me. I don't care what you say in fun, you know. But
when it comes to serious talk--but I dare say _she_--oh, you could span
her with one hand."
"My dear sister," I replied, because I saw some sign of glistening in
her bright blue eyes, and knew that it was all up with me, if that
should come to drops; "I have never told you a falsehood, and I am not
likely to begin. Harold may have all the intellect of the age; but can
you say as much as that of him?"
She shook her head, and made a face, which enabled me to smile at the
superiority of his mind. "Well, then, I will tell you--there is a little
truth in some of your imaginations. Though not at all as you think.
Quite the opposite extreme. A great deal too good for me, too perfect,
too lofty, too beautiful, in every way too angelic."
"It is quite unnecessary to tell me that." Grace might have shown more
refined feeling than this. "But one naturally wants to know more about
such an example to all humanity."
"No doubt. But you must curb your curiosity, my dear; and imitation on
your part would be hopeless; you have got all this out of me by much
perseverance; that implies patience, which you will have to exercise."
"Now can you suppose for one moment, George, in spite of all your
self-confidence, that I would put up with such a thing as this? That an
abstract idea of some divinity is to be my entire knowledge of my
brother's choice?"
"I wish it could be otherwise, my dear child," I replied, with a warmth
that should have satisfied her; "just for the present it must be so. The
whole thing is very strange, and complicated with many things most
unusual. I am not a free agent, as the lawyers say; if a mysterious
thing of some importance comes to my knowledge confidentially, am I to
pour it forth to everybody? You would be the very last, I am quite sure,
to tempt me to anything dishonourable."
I looked at her impressively, and felt certain that such an appeal must
silence her. She thought a little while, and then looked at me; and some
flicker of a smile, which I could not altogether help, set her off
again, as if I were only talking humbug.
"You called me a tub just now; and this perfect and wonderful creature
that lives in the clouds is superior to all the Angels, but even a star
may look down into a tub, as they showed us the eclipse last summer. On
the other hand, the tub may look up at the star; but, George, can it
talk about the star? Come, that is a very sound argument now. You can't
get out of that, do what you will. You are bound to tell me everything,
darling George, by the force of your own reasoning."
No other relative but a brother could have held out against such coaxing
ways. She came, and sat upon my knee, and touched me with a run-away
glance (as a child does to a child before any cares come between them)
and then brought the hollow of her temple into mine, as if to say--"How
could I run away from you?" And then with the freshness of her sweet
hair falling round me (which brought into my mind at once our joyful
romps together) she knew a great deal better than to visit me with
sentimental lips, though they were quivering--for what man cares to kiss
his sister, except upon her forehead? But she, being up to all devices,
found I had a button off; and in the very place where it should have
been, which happened to be very near my heart, there she laid her
fingers trembling, and began to reproach herself instead of me.
"None of that!" I said, with the powers of logic coming to my aid;
although I defy any father, grandfather, or uncle to have so got out of
it. "Everybody knows how good you are. Well, well, do anything you like
with me."
"Now if it had only been somebody else, somebody who never can know
everything about you, as your favourite sister does, would you have
called her a humbug, George--to use one of your own sweet expressions?
Or would you have said, 'Yes, you have a right to know, you ought to
know everything about my affairs. I should be unworthy of the name of
man, if I kept any secrets from you, my dear.' And then what a help you
would have, as soon as ever--"
"As soon as ever I had told her all about myself! How you do mix up
things! But this curiosity of yours is useless. I am compelled to
maintain strict silence, until certain important events have taken
place. Until--"
"Why, it must be at least a Princess!" Grace exclaimed, jumping up, and
clapping her hands, and then walking, as if she had a ten-yard train
behind her; "we must all be kept waiting, until the impending vacancy of
the throne occurs."
[Illustration: "_Why, it must at least be a Princess._"]
"Exactly so," I answered; for after that bit of impudence, and her look
of contempt at the ceiling, she deserved to be driven to Bedlam by the
goads of curiosity; "how clever of you! There is a throne in question,
and one of the most ancient in the world. Well, I never should have
thought you could hit the mark like that!"
"I won't ask another thing. I would not hear it, if you told me. No, no,
not for Joe!" Oh, what would have Tom Erricker have thought, if he had
heard the dignified Grace thus indulging in slang? "I am not going to
have my head chopped off, for prying into State-secrets. Who is the
Prime-minister? He was to have taken Elfrida into supper, the other
night, but he didn't. Still I can apply to him, not to have my head
chopped off. George, don't attempt to tell me anything more.
Self-preservation is Heaven's first law. But I don't see how this
parish will be large enough for us. Ha! I see it now. How very stupid of
me, that is what the Earl of Melladew is come for. Closeted--is not that
the right expression?--closeted with his Royal Highness, Prince George
Cranleigh, for some hours! You see that nothing escapes me. But I must
be more cautious."
"No hope, sweet child, of putting me into a passion. And if nothing
escapes you, why should you ever ask a question?"
This was enough to floor even a girl of the highest abilities, for
nearly half a second; and as they seldom give more than that time to
their thoughts, a man may almost calculate upon the skedaddle of his
sister, unless she has at him again within that period. Not so with his
wife, she will stick to her guns, having bigger ones, and knowing how to
work them. Grace skedaddled, as consistency required; but with a popgun
over her shoulder.
"Alas, that we should have to watch my dear brother! He is so good and
soft--they will be sure to take him in."
At this I was exceedingly annoyed. So much so that, if dignity and
triumphant reason had allowed, I would even have called her back at
once, and challenged her to explain her words; which (as I said before)
is the last thing they can do. However, upon second thoughts I found it
wiser to leave her to herself, which would be a miserable self; when
reflection, which is a liquid operation with every true woman, should
have set her straight again.
But, thanks be to the Lord, who has made us real men, and given us power
to exert our brains, without pit-pat of the heart to distract them at
every pulse! Although I was not in the calmest mood for thinking,
because I had never had such a row with Grace before (and she was a
darling soul, whenever she let her mind come afterwards), nevertheless
my road was clear enough before me. "If I am to be watched," thought I,
"and everything is to be put upon a business footing, the sooner I
assert myself the better. I have talked rather big perhaps, because she
provoked me, and I am bound to have something to show for it. I will
strike a stroke at once. I will go and see my Princess."