CHAPTER II.

LADY GREENSLEEVES' STORY.

In the year 1674 (nearly two hundred years ago, my dears), I was born

in this house. My name, as you now know, was not Lady Greensleeves

or Lady anything then, but plain Mistress Frances Dalrymple. My

father, Sir Bernard, was the third baronet of our house. You know

his portrait in the mulberry-coloured coat and fair periwig over the

dining-room chimney-piece; my mother's hangs opposite, just as it did

when I first remember it. Well, as I said just now, I was born in

this house, and till I was ten years old I never left it for a single

night. You know we could not rush about in my time as you do now: as

for going to the sea-side in the summer, such an idea never entered

our heads. I suppose we were stronger than you modern people. At

all events, doctors never ordered us change of air; and we did very

well without it. Besides, we didn't care much about the sea in those

days. I daresay you would hardly believe me if I told you that I

never even saw it till I was past twenty, and then the sight was

anything but pleasant to me. But this was the fact, nevertheless;

and I do not think it ever occurred to any of us that we should like

to stay by the shore and build castles in the sand, and hunt for

shells and pebbles, as children do in these days.

'I was very happy here at Horsemandown running about with my three

brothers--playing with the dogs, and attending to our chickens, our

tame animals, our hawks, and goats, and rabbits. Ah, those were

merry days! (jolly, I suppose _you_ would say). Such games of

hide-and-seek we used to have in the garden and park! There were

about three times as many trees in the park in those days: one old

hollow oak there was, a splendid hiding-place, but in which nobody

ever thought of hiding, because it was always there that the seekers

first came to search. Old Shad (Shadrach was his proper name), my

father's falconer, used to call it Merlin's Oak. He knew an endless

stock of stories about King Arthur and his knights, and Merlin, and

all those people; and we used firmly to believe that King Arthur

lived at Horsemandown, and that the great table inlaid with brass in

my mother's grand withdrawing-room must have been the original

round-table. As to Merlin, old Shad had not the smallest doubt that

he was charmed to sleep in our favourite oak, and we thought of

course that Shad knew all about it. I remember little Roger, the

youngest of us all, asking Shad if he had ever been out hawking with

King Arthur. Roger had very odd ideas about age. He thought nobody

ever had been, or ever could be, older than Shad; and told Mrs.

Rebecca, my mother's tirewoman (I beg your pardon, lady's-maid), that

she was what he considered an elderly person. If she had been

thirty-two instead of twenty-two, I don't think she would have

laughed till she cried, or have taken the pains to chase Roger round

the room for a kiss. My brothers were all younger than myself.

Oliver came next to me. Poor Oliver, how fond I was of him! But so

indeed I was of Miles and Roger. The same tutor taught us all; and

the only lesson that I had apart from them was needlework. That hour

which I spent every morning, doing silk embroidery under my mother's

superintendence, was the time that I hated more than all the rest of

the day. My mother was very skilful in this obnoxious embroidery,

and indeed in all kinds of work; but in other respects she was not an

accomplished woman. So, as she and our tutor, Master Waynefleet,

were my only teachers till I was more than ten years old, I could

neither dance nor sing, nor play upon the harp, as a well-educated

young lady ought to have done. I don't think my mother considered

these accomplishments necessary. At all events, she did not take my

ignorance then much to heart. My father would sometimes look at me

with a doubtful, critical sort of expression, and ask me an abrupt

question, generally about my studies; sometimes he would inquire what

I had been doing with myself all day, and my answers never seemed to

please him. He would raise his eyebrows, and give a peculiar

whistle, or a short laugh, which always made me feel very

uncomfortable, and very much ashamed of myself, though I did not

exactly know why. However, it was not very often that this happened,

for I saw very little of my father; and, to say the truth, this did

not much distress me. Children in these days can have no idea how

dreadfully afraid of him I used to be; and yet I was by no means a

shy or timid child. Rather the contrary. I was not afraid of my

mother, nor of Master Nicholas Waynefleet; though I certainly never

dreamed of treating him in the familiar way that you would treat your

elders now-a-days. Not that I should have been any better if I had

been born in this century. Dear me, no! I should probably have been

the most pert and disrespectful of you all; but when I try to imagine

myself romping with my father, and asking him questions, or answering

him, as you do your papa and mamma, it really makes me quite cold and

shaky. Ah! even mamma, though I loved her with all my heart (and no

mother could be fonder of her daughter than she was of me), would

have been rather astonished if I had plunged into her arms and given

her one of those rough, unceremonious hugs and kisses that I so often

see inflicted on the present Lady Dalrymple of Horsemandown. Why,

she always taught me to courtesy when I entered or left a room, even

if no one was there but herself; and I very seldom called her

anything but madam. I daresay this seems frightfully cold and stiff

to you, but it was as natural to me as it is to you to address your

governess as "Miss Gregory," instead of using her Christian name.

Mamma and I were a good deal together. I being the only girl, and

papa being very seldom at home, I was her only companion, and my time

was spent pretty equally between her and my brothers. My father, as

I have said, was not often at Horsemandown. Some part of the year he

was, of course, obliged to be in London to attend Parliament; but at

other times he would be constantly away from home. He was a good

deal at the court; for my father was a great favourite of King

Charles II., and both he and my grandfather had been among those

gentlemen who were sent over to Holland to bring home the King at the

Restoration in 1660. He never took my mother with him either to

London or to the court, and I do not think she had any more wish to

go than he had to take her. His whole mind was wrapped up in

politics, and she took not the slightest interest in them; neither

did she care for the court and its gaieties. She used to tell me

that she had had enough of court life when she first married, and

hoped that, if ever I did go to Whitehall, I might be as glad to

leave it as she had been. All her interest now was in me and my

brothers, and in the affairs of the household and estate. She was an

extremely brisk, active person, always busied about something. I was

very proud of helping her in the garden, the still-room, and the

kitchen; for she always superintended the making of preserves,

pickles, and home-made wines, etc. We used to go about the garden

together, cutting off the dead roses, gathering saffron, lavender,

and camomile flowers, and spreading them out to dry in the sunny

window-seats of the still-room,--into the dairy to watch the four

apple-cheeked dairy-maids churning away at the butter, and pressing

the cheese; and we used to attend to the poultry too; and to the

bees; and to walk to any cottage on the estate where a sick person

had been heard of, carrying sundry draughts, compounded by my

mother's own hand. Well! I always like to remember those days. I

think they were the best, or if not _quite_ the best, at least they

were some of the happiest days of my life. However, I daresay you

would rather hear about my unhappiest days. That quiet, comfortable

kind of life that one really enjoys most one's self, is not half so

amusing to other people as one's misfortunes; but I am coming to a

more interesting part of my story now. One morning (it was in

December 1684, when I was between ten and eleven years old) Oliver

and I were going out hunting with old Shad. He had begun to teach us

to ride, almost before we could walk; and I must say I think we did

him great credit. This was the first winter we had been ever allowed

to hunt. Mamma had long given it up, though she was an excellent

horsewoman. She had no time for it now, she said; but she never

minded trusting us to Shad's care. And, after every gallop across

country, Oliver and I used to nearly tease the life out of the poor

old fellow till he promised to take us again. It was a fresh wind

this morning, with some bursts of sunshine from time to time, as the

clouds flew across the sky. Oliver and I would insist on racing one

another through the park, heedless of poor Shad, who jogged behind at

a sober pace, shouting to us imploringly not to tire the horses so

early in the day. We were flying along in this way, both in mad

spirits, down a rough, winding lane that skirted the park, both bent

upon seeing who should first leap a little brook that crossed the

path, when suddenly what should appear running towards us but a rough

grey Irish staghound, the sight of which made Oliver exclaim, "Larry!

and my father!" When his master went from home, Larry was seldom

left behind. They both had been away for more than a month, staying

with Sir Harry Mountfort at New Court, and my father had sent us no

notice of his intended return. Oliver, when he saw Larry followed by

two mounted figures advancing very carefully and deliberately over

the stones and ruts of the narrow lane, immediately turned and

trotted back to the side of the ill-used Shad, and I had a strong

inclination to do the same; but my little mare Hebe was going at a

pace somewhat too headlong to be checked in a moment, and I was over

the brook almost before I had time to think about it. I had shot

right between the two horsemen before I could pull up, and was not

surprised to hear a loud exclamation of mingled wrath and

astonishment as I flew past. A _very_ strong exclamation it

was,--not quite what your papa would like his little girl to hear;

but gentlemen in those times were not scrupulous as to their

language, even before their wives and daughters. When at length I

managed to bring Mrs. Hebe to a standstill, my father had dismounted,

and striding up to me, took hold of the bridle and turned her head.

Not a word did he say to me till he had examined Hebe all over with

an anxious and critical eye; then, patting her glossy neck

soothingly, he turned his mind to me. I suppose I looked in a

terrible fright. I certainly felt as if my cheeks were crimson, and

my hands shook so that I dropped the reins. My father put them into

my hand again with one of his sarcastic laughs, and then asked, less

angrily than I expected:

'"And now, Mistress Frances, where might you be going to in such a

hurry?"

'"We were going out with Mr. Atherley's hounds," I faltered out,

finding it very hard to keep from bursting into tears.

'"Oh, indeed! Are you in the habit of following Mr. Atherley's

hounds all by yourself?"

'"No, sir; Shad is taking me and Oliver. We have only been once

before." And as I spoke, I saw, to my great relief, Shad and my

brother emerging from a bend in the lane.

'"And pray, what does Shad mean by letting you start at this

break-neck pace, and down this lane too,--full of holes like

fish-pools, and flints as sharp as the point of my rapier? Out upon

him! If you had thrown down Hebe! That old fool Shad shall be taken

to account for this."

'In spite of the awe that I felt for my father, I could not sit

silently and hear dear old Shad abused, especially when I knew my

brother and I were alone to blame with regard to the "break-neck

pace."

'"Indeed, sir," I cried eagerly, "it was not Shad's fault at all. He

called to us the whole way not to gallop; but we wouldn't stop,

because we wanted to run races."

'"Faith! but she's a spirited little damsel," said my father's

companion, laughing. "Come, Dalrymple, as Hebe's knees, luckily, are

not broken, you must forgive her this time. You won't have the

trouble of keeping her in order much longer, you know. It will be

somebody else's business to scold her soon."

'Somebody else! What could he mean? I dared not ask, for he had not

spoken to me; so I could only glance curiously, first at him, then at

my father. There was not much to be gathered from their faces,

however. That of the latter was stern, and a little anxious, while

his friend's expressed nothing but amusement.

'"There, there! A truce to that for the present, Mountfort," my

father said as he caught my eye. "As you say, Hebe's knees are,

luckily, not broken--(no thanks to her mistress, though); so we will

say no more about it now. Frances, this is my friend, Sir Harry

Mountfort. Give him your hand; and don't look sheepish, like a

little country maiden who has never seen a gentleman in her life

before."

'Now, however sheepish one may feel, one does not like to be called

so before a stranger; so I held up my head, and made a tremendous

effort to look dignified and self-possessed, as became Mistress

Frances Dalrymple of Horsemandown. Sir Harry shook hands

good-naturedly; asked me about my hunting; said I sat my horse

admirably, and wished me a good day's sport; but I could hardly

answer him properly, because I was trying all the time to hear what

my father was saying to Shad and Oliver. He did not take Shad to

task, as he had threatened to do, but merely told him to go on with

Oliver, and to take the horses gently down the lane. But what was my

dismay when he said, "Mistress Frances will not hunt this morning. I

shall take her home with me!" I really could not keep the tears out

of my eyes this time, it was such a terrible disappointment. I

looked ruefully at Sir Harry, with a faint hope that he might

remonstrate on my behalf, as he had done before. But no: he

evidently did not mean to do any such thing; so I was obliged to keep

my vexation to myself, and watch Shad and Oliver with longing eyes,

as they vanished from view down the lane. I could not understand

whether my father was still angry with me or not, but thought he must

have put a stop to my hunting as a punishment for my carelessness in

risking Hebe's knees. What other reason he could have, I tried in

vain to imagine. He had never before cared to have me with

him,--never before introduced me to any of the friends who from time

to time he brought to Horsemandown. At all events, whatever his

motive might be, I thought it very hard to be obliged to ride soberly

home by my father's side, when I might have been galloping over the

fields, leaping hedges and ditches,--chattering at my ease to Oliver,

with no one to control us but poor, dear, old Shad, who let us do

almost anything we chose; and whom in return, I am afraid, we teased

without mercy. We rode slowly back up the lane, and through the

park; and though I kept on crying to myself, I contrived to choke

back the sobs that rose in my throat. But tears would roll faster

and faster down my cheeks. I thought of my last day's hunting, when

I had outstripped all the ladies of the party, not to mention Oliver

and Shad,--when the master of the hounds had praised my horsemanship,

and I had struck Miles and Roger with awe and admiration by bringing

home the brush in my hat. How proud I was of my exploits that day!

and how much I had been bent upon gaining even more praise this

morning! Dear me! I am afraid I must have been a vain little girl

in those days, and a very foolish one too, to make such a fuss about

a little disappointment. A year later I had learned to be wiser; for

the more of the world we see, the less important we think ourselves;

and when once we know by experience what real trouble is, little

everyday vexations seem much easier to bear. For some time my father

and Sir Harry were too much wrapped up in their own conversation to

take any notice of me or my tears. I daresay I should have listened

too, and forgotten my grievance, if I could have understood what they

were saying; but, unfortunately, they spoke French; and though I used

to read French and make translations every day with Master

Waynefleet, that was quite a different thing to being able to follow

it when people chose to speak in very fast and eager undertones. Now

and then I caught my own name, but that only made me feel more

aggrieved at not understanding anything else. So I cried on like a

silly child, "because I'd nothing else to do" (as that Irish song

says, that Christie is always singing when she goes up and down

stairs). At last Sir Harry turned his head to ask me whether I

thought mamma would give him a night's lodging, and looked somewhat

astonished at the sight of my dolorous face.

'"Why, Dalrymple!" cried he; "here's a melancholy state of things.

Your daughter is weeping out those bright eyes of hers, by way of

giving us a welcome to Horsemandown."

'"What's the matter now, Frances?"

'My father's glance of cold surprise, and the tone of annoyance with

which he asked this, checked my tears in a moment.

'"Well!" he repeated when I hesitated, thoroughly ashamed of having

behaved so childishly before a stranger. "Oh, is that all?" he said

when I murmured something about hunting; and he looked at Sir Harry

with a laugh, and an expressive shrug of the shoulders. "Don't be a

baby, child! I expected to find you more of a woman."

'This was humiliating. I would have given up two or three days'

hunting now not to have cried.

'"Never mind, Mistress Frances," said good-natured Sir Harry; "you

can go a-hunting when I am gone, you know. I shall be off to-morrow

morning, so you only have to-day to make my acquaintance; and you and

I are going to be great friends, I am sure." And so we were, before

many minutes had passed. My tears dried in the wind, and in a little

while I found myself talking and laughing with Sir Harry Mountfort as

if I had known him all my life, and much more at my ease then I had

ever ventured to be with my father. Sir Harry asked me all sorts of

questions, paid me all sorts of compliments, and said the most absurd

things with the gravest of faces; and my father, too, talked more

pleasantly than he had ever talked to me before, and laughed at his

friend's ridiculous speeches as much as I did myself. I began to

think Sir Harry the kindest man I had ever seen, and yet every now

and then there was something in his eyes that gave me a suspicion

that he was what Robin would call "chaffing me." All the time, I had

a vague sort of feeling that my mother would dislike him, though I

could not feel sure why. As we rode up to the house, Miles and Roger

came tearing out of the poultry-yard to see who we were, but, upon

closer inspection, tore back again, and, by the time we had

dismounted, reappeared walking demurely one on each side of mamma,

who wore her great black garden hood, and had her apron filled with

eggs. However she was dressed, mamma could not look anything but a

thorough lady, and a very beautiful woman too; still my father, as he

greeted her and introduced Sir Harry Mountfort, was evidently a

little bit distressed at her costume, and, I could see, was

particularly scandalized at the exhibition of the eggs. "So you have

brought back Frances!" she said, looking anxiously at my face, which

still showed signs of my crying fit.

'"Nothing has happened? She has had no accident with Hebe?"

'"No, sweetheart," replied my father, with a tinge of impatience in

his voice; "I wanted the child at home to-day. Surely when I come

home, after being absent for so long, my daughter might be content to

spend a few hours with me without grudging." Then, as I ran away to

change my habit and tell my adventures to the boys, I heard him add

in a lower key: "I must have a little conversation with you about

Frances, Sir Harry and I have----"

'The rest of the sentence I lost, but I had heard enough to throw me

into a state of extreme curiosity and excitement. Something must be

going to happen to me,--there could be no doubt about that; but was

it to be something agreeable or disagreeable? I felt half

frightened, yet at the same time in tremendously high spirits, as I

pondered over this mysterious something, and made all sorts of wild

guesses as to what it could be. How I longed for Oliver to come

home, that I might talk it over with him! But I knew he would not

return till late in the afternoon; and Miles and Roger were so

little. Besides, Roger was always making odd remarks, and saying

just the thing one did not want him to say. There was no telling

what he might repeat before Sir Harry or my father; for Roger never

knew what it was to be afraid of anybody, and he had a way of looking

at you solemnly, with his head first on one side and then on the

other, and then coming out suddenly, in his slow grave voice, with

some observation that from any of the rest of us would have sounded

most impertinent, but which, from him, only sent people into fits of

laughter. No! it would not do, I decided, to consult Miles and

Roger. I must keep my conjectures to myself till I could be alone

with mamma. She might perhaps tell me something, if there was

anything to tell. I saw nothing of her, however, till dinner, which

was in the middle of the day, not at eight o'clock in the evening:

that was our supper-hour. We generally dined all together, even when

my father was at home; but now that Sir Harry was in the house, I was

rather afraid that we should be condemned to have dinner in the

nursery. That might be all very well for the little boys; but for

me, the eldest of the family, mamma's companion, to be classed with

them, would be too humiliating. So I fussed and fidgeted, snapped at

my brothers, and made nurse quite angry, and good-humoured Rebecca

almost cross, by perpetually teasing them to know whether they

thought I should be allowed to dine down-stairs. At length a man's

step was heard on the staircase, and, when the door opened, who

should be seen but my father! Nurse jumped up as if she thought the

house must be on fire; Rebecca upset her work-basket and knocked down

the fire-irons; and Miles and I stopped in the middle of a furious

quarrel about a drum, which he wanted to turn into a cage for

dormice. No wonder my father created such a sensation in the

nursery; for never before had he been seen there, since I could

remember, except once, when Oliver had swallowed a bullet, and was

supposed to be dying. "Come down with me, Frances," said he, not

deigning to observe the commotion he had excited. He held out his

hand, and I sprang towards him, casting a triumphant glance at Miles

and Roger as I did so. But my father, instead of taking me at once

down-stairs, surveyed me all over so critically that I hung down my

head and blushed crimson, painfully conscious of a large hole

recently torn in my dress, and of hair which might have been brushed

that morning, but which looked as if it had not been touched for a

week.

'"Go and tell nurse to make you fit to be seen, child," said he in

his usual cold, measured tones; "and then you can come with me."

'Of course nurse was excessively elaborate in her proceedings after

this injunction. I thought she never would have done combing and

curling my unfortunate locks, or arranging and smoothing each plait

and fold of my best dress. But at last it was over, and I suppose

the result was satisfactory; for though my father led me away without

a word, Sir Harry Mountfort turned to my mother when we entered the

dining-room, and said something about "a sweet little bride," and

"hoping to see a coronet on those pretty dark tresses,"--remarks

which, while they puzzled me exceedingly, caused me to hold up my

head and colour with surprise and pleasure.

'I had never heard so many compliments before, and felt rather vexed

that mamma only smiled very faintly, and immediately began to talk

about something else--about a certain Earl Desmond, in whom both she

and my father appeared to be greatly interested, though I, who had

never heard his name before, could not care about him. So I let my

thoughts wander off to all kinds of subjects. I wondered what sort

of a day's sport Oliver and Shad were having,--whether Hebe was as

sorry as I was, to be cheated of her day with the hounds; and then I

wondered afresh what Sir Harry's mysterious words could mean.

Perhaps it would be as well to listen to what was going on, in case I

might be able to glean something from the conversation about myself.

So I turned my eyes away with an effort from the sunny slope of

green, swelling down, on which they were gazing (you know the view

from the window of the oak parlour), and fixed them on Sir Harry just

as he was saying:

'"Ah, your daughter will have a splendid position at court one day, I

doubt not, madam. The Earl of Desmond's ancient title and large

estates must give him a good deal of political influence, even if he

does not turn out, as I think he will, a man with a pretty strong

character of his own."

'The Earl of Desmond still! But what could he have to do with me?

And how, oh how, was I to have a splendid position at court through

his means? I did not dare to ask, as one of you would have done; for

to speak in the company of one's elders, without being spoken to, was

a proceeding unthought of in those days. I could only glance from

Sir Harry's to my mother's face, and then for the first time I

noticed how sad and anxious it looked. Her eyes, too, had a red rim

round them, as if she had been crying. What could be the reason?

'"That she may be good and happy, sir, is all I desire for her,"

replied she; "and that I trust she may be, in whatever position she

is placed."

'"With such a mother, she cannot be otherwise than good," replied Sir

Harry, with a little bow. "And as for happiness, she will have all

that people covet most, to give it her,--rank, wealth, beauty."

'And here, I suppose, Sir Harry caught sight of me gazing at him with

eyes rounded by astonishment; for he broke off what he was saying, to

ask me if I had forgiven him yet for spoiling my ride, and whether I

would do him the great favour of showing him the fox's brush I had

told him about, etc. etc. He certainly was very good-natured, and

treated me more like a woman than any one had ever done before. He

asked me to take wine with him, and bowed with so much deference,

that I felt quite shy and uncomfortable for a moment. He asked about

all my plays and studies, seemed quite interested in hearing of the

delights of going fishing with Oliver and Roger, in stories about the

young hawks which Miles and I were bringing up between us, and in the

brood of rabbits which belonged to us all. Then he wanted to know if

I was fond of music; if I could sing or play or dance; and, for the

first time in my life, I felt rather ashamed of being obliged to say

no to all these questions.

'"But you would like to learn, would you not?" said Sir Harry when we

arrived at this point in the conversation, putting another bunch of

grapes on my plate as he spoke.

'"Yes; I think I should, if mamma would let me;" and I looked

doubtfully in her direction. But it was my father who replied.

'"Liking has nothing to do with it. Frances will of course learn

whatever is necessary for her future rank and station. There is

plenty of time: the child is only ten years old, I believe."

'"Eleven in May," I could not help whispering though dreadfully

frightened at my own boldness; and I suppose mamma thought I had gone

quite far enough, for she rose to leave the room, signing to me to

follow her; which I did willingly enough, eager to escape the

displeasure which I felt sure I read in my father's eyes, and hoping

that now at last I should hear the meaning of all the mysteries which

had puzzled me that morning. Mamma looked very grave, as she took my

hand and led me into that little room which your uncle now calls his

"laboratory," I believe, and which smells of sulphur and gunpowder,

and all kinds of dreadful things. It never smelt of anything worse

than dried lavender and rose leaves in my time; for it was mamma's

own sitting-room, where she heard me my lessons, gave orders to the

servants, and did all kinds of things, which the present Lady

Dalrymple would leave to her housekeeper. I began to think that the

something, which I felt sure was going to be revealed to me, was some

dreadful misfortune, when she kissed me, and said:

'"My little Frances is longing to know what we were all saying at

dinner-time about her, is she not?"

'"Yes--oh yes, madam. What is it? What did Sir Harry Mountfort mean

by saying that I should have a splendid position at court some day?

And what did----?" Here I stopped abruptly, for there were certainly

tears in mamma's eyes, though she tried to smile, as she told me to

bring my stool to her side, and she would tell me all about it.

'"You heard us talking about the Earl of Desmond, Frances," she said,

smoothing my hair softly back from my forehead as I leant against

her. "He is a boy of about fourteen, an orphan, and Sir Harry

Mountfort is his guardian. Sir Harry is a great friend of your

father's; and for various reasons which you would not understand,

even if I told them to you, he has proposed that a marriage shall

take place between you and his ward. Your father has consented; and

he brought Sir Harry down here to-day to inform me of their plans,

and to make various arrangements which are necessary, before the

wedding can take place."

'"Wedding! Then I am to be married now?--soon?--not wait till I am

grown up?" I asked eagerly.

'"I believe so; before very long, at any rate," said my mother. And

I sat silent, trying to take it all in, for at least two whole

minutes. Confused and surprised as I felt, I was not quite so much

taken aback as Silvia would be if her uncle informed her that a like

event was to happen to her; for I had often heard mamma talk about

the little Princess Mary, the sister of the reigning king, Charles

II., who had been married when she was only eleven years old.

'Moreover, my own mother's wedding had taken place when she was but

fifteen, while a little cousin of hers had been a bride at nine.

'"Married to the Earl of Desmond!" I repeated slowly. "Then, shall I

have to manage a house, and have keys, and settle the dinners, and

order the servants, like you, mamma?"

'"Not for a great many years to come, I hope, Frances. I don't think

you are quite fit for that at present, are you?"

'"I could order dinner, I think," said I; a momentary vision coming

across me of myself in a sweeping gown just like mamma's, with

mittens on my arms, a large apron with pockets in it, a chatelaine

hanging by my side, and jingling an immense bunch of keys while I

discoursed to the maids about bleaching the linen on the

bowling-green, or to the men about the brewing; or perhaps gave away

medicine, food, and advice to the poor people on Lord Desmond's

estates. I gave it up with a little sigh, for I had a great desire

to be considered a woman; and then, a fresh view of the case suddenly

occurring to me, I cried: "Oh mamma, what shall I be called when I am

married? Shall I be Lady Desmond, just as you are Lady Dalrymple?"

'"You will be Frances Carey Countess of Desmond, of higher rank than

I am, my child. I am only the wife of a baronet: you will be the

wife of an earl."

'This piece of grandeur filled my foolish little head with such a

sense of elation, that I was on the point of running away directly to

tell the news to nurse and my brothers; but a glance at mamma's face

stopped me. "Don't you like my being Countess of Desmond, mamma?" I

ventured to ask, a sort of vague fear coming into my heart for the

first time. "They won't take me away from you, will they?" I took

hold of her hand and held it very tight.

'"No, no," cried my mother in a voice which sounded as if she was

angry with me; and yet she held me very close all the time. "You

will be my Frances, my only daughter, just the same. A wife's duties

are the same, in whatever station she is placed: and who can teach

you to love, honour, and obey your husband, as well as I can? But

what am I talking of!" she added in a different tone, seeing that I

was looking at her, very much puzzled.

'Mamma, who was usually so quiet and composed, had a bright colour in

her cheeks, and was talking faster and louder than I had ever heard

her in my life before. She smiled when she saw how surprised I

looked, and said, more in her natural voice:

'"You are too young, Frances, to understand quite what I was thinking

about. I could have wished that your marriage could have been put

off till you were old enough to know your own mind; but your father

says it must take place at once. Of course he knows best; so that

may be considered as settled. All I want you to remember is, that

the promise you make on your wedding day you will some day be called

upon to fulfil. And now run away and tell the others all about it."

'I said "yes;" but I do not think I quite took in all mamma meant, so

eager was I to obey the last part of her commands and tell my

wonderful news to the boys. I could not find any one in the nursery

but nurse and Rebecca, who were quite as much surprised and struck

with my tidings as I could have wished. Nurse said, "Mercy on us!

Dear heart alive!" three times over, and then begged I would not

forget my poor old nursey when I was a grand madam; while Rebecca

took to calling me "my lady" from that day forward, till mamma

discovered it and stopped her. But where were the boys? I cared

much more for what Oliver thought of the matter than for the opinion

of any one else in the world. And, besides--though I liked it--I

found the servants' sudden respect rather embarrassing. Miles and

Roger were out-of-doors, nurse said, "in some pickle or another,"

she'd "warrant them." Her words were certainly prophetic; for, after

a long hunt, I discovered Miles on the top branch of a very rotten

old ash tree, which overhung the deepest part of the pond in the

park; endeavouring with a long looped string to catch the sails of

his favourite toy boat, which had floated far away from the shore;

while Roger, on the very edge of the steep bank, was making violent

efforts to reach it with the end of a slender pole.

'Nothing I could say would induce them to come away, till I announced

that I saw Shad and Oliver riding into the stable-yard, and proposed

that we should race to meet them, and ask Shad to rescue the unhappy

boat. Roger set off directly, and Miles got out of the tree so

quickly that I really thought he must tumble into the pond in doing

so. He scrambled down safe, however, with very green clothes and a

very red face; and after a rush across the park, and a few words with

Oliver, the two carried off the good-natured Shad between them, and I

was left alone with my eldest brother. He was in very high spirits,

and whenever I tried to begin my story, burst in with some new

description of the run.

'"What a pity you didn't come, Frances!" said he at last. "By the

by, what did my father want with you?"

'"That is just what I have been trying to tell you ever since you

came in," said I pettishly; "but you would not listen; and I'm sure

it's much more important than about the fox getting into Farmer

Grimley's yard, or how you rode down all the pigs."

'"Why, what can it be?" said Oliver, looking intensely surprised.

"You generally like to hear about all those sort of things so much,

Frances."

'"Yes, yes, I know; but oh! Oliver, what do you think of this? I am

going to be married to the Earl of Desmond!" Oliver opened his eyes

so wide for a moment that I thought he would never be able to shut

them again, and then, much to my astonishment and, I am afraid,

disgust, went off into a hearty fit of laughter.

'"You going to be married! Oh Frances, I can't believe it! What can

the Earl of Desmond want to marry you for?" I do not think Oliver

meant to be rude, but brothers are not over particular; and I felt

deeply offended. I, who had been treated with so much attention by

my father's friend, who had been taken into mamma's confidence, and

who was about soon to become, as I phrased it to myself, "a married

woman," was I to be laughed at by a little boy a whole year younger

than myself?

'"And pray, why should he not want to marry me?" said I, drawing

myself up to my full height. "But, of course, one cannot expect a

child of your age to understand anything about it; so I was wrong to

expect it." And I walked away, with what I then thought an exact

imitation of mamma's most dignified manner, imagining that Oliver

must be completely crushed by this cutting reply. But he only

laughed (it is impossible to put Oliver out of temper) and said:

'"Come, Fan, you needn't be quite so scornful. Of course I want to

hear all about it. Who is the Earl Desmond? Not that gentleman who

came here to-day, surely?"

'"No," said I, slightly softened, but still, I am afraid, rather

patronizing; "he is a boy a year or two older than I am,

Oliver--about fourteen, I believe."

'"You don't mean it?" cried he, very much excited. "I fancied he was

grown-up. Is he coming here? will he live here? Oh Frances! I

always did wish you were a boy; but of course, if you marry this Earl

of Desmond, he will be my brother. I always did want another

brother, Miles and Roger are so little. By the by, what is his name?"

'I did not know; and Oliver went on with a string of questions, all

relating to my future husband, not one of which was I able to answer;

for, to say the truth, though my head had been full of my marriage

ever since I had heard of it, the bridegroom himself had hardly

entered into my thoughts at all.

'"Why, Fan, how stupid of you!" cried Oliver at last, after listening

to about a dozen "don't knows" in succession. "You don't seem to

know anything. I can't think why you did not ask mamma more

questions while you were about it. Girls are generally curious

enough at any rate about other people's business. You might at least

have found out whether he is to come here, or whether you are to go

and live in his house. I declare I shall ask mamma myself to-night."

'"No, Oliver; indeed you had much better not. Do you know I think

mamma is very unhappy about it?"

'"Unhappy! Then, of course, that must be because you are going away."

'"No, I don't know; but I have an idea that I am not going away,

because, from what mamma said just now----"

'"Well, what did she say? Come, dear old Fan, you always tell me

everything." And Oliver put his arm round my neck and pulled me down

on a stone trough by the edge of the horse-pond--not the kind of

seat, I think, that nurse would have chosen for the future Countess

of Desmond, especially when that young lady had on her quilted

scarlet kirtle and new silver-grey gown, worked with wheat and

poppies. When Oliver rubbed his curly, yellow head against my cheek

and called me "dear old Fan," I never could resist him, even when I

was really out of humour; so, giving up the grand airs that I had

been trying to assume, I sat by his side on the horse-trough and told

him all that mamma had been saying about teaching me to love, honour,

and obey my husband, and about my being called upon some day to

fulfil the promises which I should make at my marriage.

'"It's the having to obey him that will be the worst part," was

Oliver's first remark after we had both pondered silently for a

moment. "That's just what you will particularly hate, Fan. I'm sure

you'll never keep that part of the promise. Why, you never were

over-fond of obeying any one except mamma."

'This was a slight drawback, certainly, when one came to think about

it. Oliver was right in his opinion that I dearly loved my own

way,--and, with my brothers and Shad, I generally contrived to get

it: for to the boys I made the most of my privileges as the eldest

and the only girl; and as to Shad, he was the one person in the house

who was willing to let us all have our own way. But then there were

so many people to keep us in order. When there was mamma, my father,

Master Waynefleet, not to mention old nurse, one certainly did not

want any one else to command one's obedience.

'"Oh, of course, one's husband would be different," I said a little

bit doubtfully, nevertheless. "You know mamma always obeys my

father, though I don't think she quite likes it; at least not always.

Do you know she said to-day that she wished I could have waited till

I was older, to be married, but that papa thought it best that it

should be at once. So it must be settled." I did not add, as mamma

had done, "till I was old enough to know my own mind." At ten years

old, I thought people, of course, must know their own minds; and I

felt quite sure that I wanted to be the Earl of Desmond's wife, and

that it would be a terrible disappointment to me if anything were to

happen to prevent the marriage, or even to put it off till I should

be grown-up.

'"Well," said Oliver philosophically, "perhaps people's husbands are

different; at all events, that's your business. As long as I'm not

forced to obey him, I don't care who does. But, Fan, won't it be

good fun when he comes here. Is he very rich? I daresay he'll bring

his own horses, and perhaps hounds too, and we can all go out hunting

together. I wonder if he cares for fishing?"

'"I think he is very rich and grand," I remarked; "because Sir Harry

said something about my having a splendid position at court."

'Oliver's countenance fell rather at this idea. He evidently could

not appreciate the delights of "a splendid position at court."

'"Ah, but that would not be for a long while, surely, Fan; very

likely not till you are grown-up. Fancy you mincing about in a court

dress, just like a peacock, and saying, 'May it please your Majesty,'

and flourishing an enormous fan!"

'I was ashamed to confess it to Oliver, but in my secret soul I

rather liked this picture of myself in the "splendid position."

'"Yes," continued Oliver, "we shall have good sport if this husband

of yours is a pleasant kind of a fellow; but we should have better

still, if he was going to take you away with him to live at his own

house."

'This speech did not sound like a brotherly one; and it wounded my

feelings severely.

'"Really, Oliver," cried I, with flaming cheeks and eyes brimming

with tears, "you are very unkind and selfish. I thought you would be

glad that I am not going ever so far away, where you would never see

me at all."

'"Why, Fan! don't be silly. You always get into such a fume about

nothing. I only meant that I might come and stay with you, and we

could do everything we chose, and you could order dinner, and sit at

the head of the table, and carve, of course; or I could carve for

you, and we should have no lessons or cross-grained Master

Waynefleets to plague us."

'"Ah, but you would only be able to come now and then," said I more

gently, for my anger was a good deal softened down. Oliver's plans

for my married life were certainly charming, and threw even the

"splendid position" into the shade.

'"There's a good girl! That's the best of you, Fan. If you do put

yourself in a fume for nothing, you are out again almost as soon as

you are in. Now, you didn't really believe I wanted you to go away?

Why you must know how dull it would be here, without you to quarrel

with and lord it over the small boys!"

'The idea of such a state of things so melted Oliver, that, as we

were quite alone--not even the said small boys in sight--he actually

condescended to kiss me, or rather to let me kiss him,--a most

unwonted sign of affection on his part; for he generally sturdily

refused to be kissed by anybody but mamma (and even to that he

submitted with great reluctance), except once a year, on his

birthday. So, my good temper being quite restored by this, we sat

very happily on our trough, chattering too fast to observe that

Oliver's muddy boot was not improving the splendour of the scarlet

kirtle, and that the poppy-covered skirt, to the length of at least

two inches, was steeping itself in the green water of the horse-pond.

Presently the sound of footsteps and voices made us look round; and

when the yard-gate opened, and Sir Harry Mountfort and my father

suddenly appeared upon the scene, we were so much startled, that

Oliver's first exploit was to topple backwards into the trough, while

I, with like promptitude, sprang up, plunging one foot ankle-deep

into the pond. This was an embarrassing state of things. For the

first time I became conscious of the deplorable state of my frock;

and when I saw Sir Harry's stare of surprise, not unmixed with

amusement, and my father's face of annoyance, I felt inclined to take

another and more effectual plunge into the horse-pond, and vanish for

ever in its stagnant depths. It really makes me laugh now to

remember what a very absurd figure I must have looked, with my fine

embroidered dress soaked in muddy water, and my hair blowing about in

a mad state of dishevelment, from beneath one of Oliver's most

ancient and battered hats, which I had snatched off a peg in the hall

as I ran out to look for the boys after dinner. I had never been in

the habit of caring much how I looked. Brothers of ten years old are

not critical with regard to their sisters' appearance. On the

contrary, they make a point of discouraging the least attempt to look

"nice" (as you would call it); and as to taking care of their own

clothes, or those of other people, why, I should have been withered

up with scorn if I had suggested such a notion to my brothers! But I

never had. It was only to-day that Sir Harry's compliments, and the

prospect of my new dignities, had put it into my head to think about

my dress and appearance. The fact that I was a remarkably pretty

little girl had never struck me before; and now that I had begun to

care for these things, and particularly wished to look my best, here

was the bride-elect, the future Countess of Desmond, ignominiously

caught splashing about in a stable-yard, drenched in mud and mire,

and attired in that shabby, old, high-crowned hat. Oliver told me

afterwards that I looked like a witch who had just been ducked. My

father surveyed us from head to foot with a curling lip and severe

eyes; then he turned, with a short laugh to Sir Harry, and said

something in a low voice. The only words I could distinctly hear

were: "Just as I told you ... put an end to this;" to which Sir Harry

answered with a smile and a shrug of the shoulders, which stung me to

such a degree that I forgot all his flattering speeches, and for a

moment absolutely hated him.

'"Come here, Frances," my father said; and I obeyed slowly and

reluctantly. "What would your mother say, child, if she heard you

had been romping with your brother in the stable?"

'"She would not mind, sir; at least, perhaps, she would to-day,

because of my holiday gown. But I often come here with Oliver."

'"And we were not romping," interrupted Oliver; "we were only

talking; and it was my fault that she has spoiled her kirtle, for I

dragged her down on to the trough. Indeed, sir, mamma always lets

Fan come here; and she fishes for carp with me sometimes." I was

grateful to Oliver for standing up for me; but I could have wished

that he had not mentioned the carp just then.

'"Indeed!" was my father's reply. "Well, you had better go up to

nurse and tell her to make you look more like a gentlewoman, and less

like a strolling-player. A stable-yard is all very well for your

brother, but hardly the place where one expects to find a young

lady." This was a sentiment in which both nurse and Rebecca most

thoroughly agreed; and they continued to enlarge upon it all the time

that they were setting me to rights in the nursery.

'"A very fit place for Master Oliver, to be sure, seeing that he was

a boy and had all his old clothes on, just come back from hunting.

But to think that Mistress Frances should be found there! and by the

strange gentleman too--Mistress Frances, who was going to be married

so soon, and, what was more, to marry a lord! Alack! alack!" Nurse

could only shake her head despondingly. Her young lady was certainly

very far at present from her beau-ideal of "a grand madam." I felt

very much humiliated, and consequently very cross and sulky; and when

at last I was set free from nurse's hands, I stood in pouting silence

watching the sunset out of the nursery window, and wishing that Sir

Harry Mountfort and the Earl of Desmond had never been heard of;

envying Oliver, who sat eating the dinner that had been kept for him,

and holding forth to Miles and Roger on the adventures of Shad and

himself during their morning's sport.....

'When I awoke on the morning of my wedding day, with a vague

consciousness that something unusual was going to happen, the first

thing that met my eyes was a dazzling heap of white satin that

completely covered the table; and I had stared dreamily at it for

some minutes before the fact that I was looking at my wedding dress

dawned upon me. Then suddenly a clear recollection of what was going

to take place came with a rush into my mind. I raised myself on my

elbow and gazed round the room, which seemed quite spread over with

silk and satin, ribbons and lace. And there was nurse bustling about

amidst all the finery, herself in more gorgeous array than I had ever

seen her wear before.

'"Now, Mistress Frances, my dear," quoth she, when she saw that I was

awake, "'tis high time to get up and be dressed. Why, you've slept

full an hour later than usual; and I wouldn't wake you, because I

heard you tossing about last night, hours and hours after you should

have been asleep and dreaming."

'This was true; for I had been in such a feverish state of excitement

the night before, that though mamma had sent me to bed earlier than

usual, I had heard the church clock strike one before I could go to

sleep. And now, though the day to which I had been looking forward

for the last month had actually come at last, though my wedding-dress

was lying in all its glory before my eyes, I felt far more inclined

to sink back on my pillow and fall asleep again, than to get up and

be dressed, as nurse proposed.

'"What, sweetheart!" she went on, as I blinked my eyes drowsily;

"sure, you haven't forgotten you are going to be married to-day? And

there's the young gentleman himself playing in the garden with your

brother, and never so much as set eyes on his bride!" These words of

nurse's effectually roused me.

'"What!" cried I, wide awake at length; "did he come then, nurse,

after all? And was it very late? And what is he like?" I took a

flying leap out of bed before I had finished my string of questions,

and, mounting on the window-sill, looked out upon the garden and

park. You know the window I mean; my bedroom was the same that

Christie and Dolly have now--only, in my time the uneven oak boards

were not hidden by a carpet, and there was one immense four-post bed

hung with green taffeta, instead of two little curtainless French

ones. No pretty toilet-table was in existence then, decked out with

pink calico and white muslin. That little square table in the

library, carved with grapes and vine-leaves, and men with goat's

legs, used to stand in the middle of my room in those days, and I

used to look at myself in a small oval mirror in an ebony frame that

hung on the wall, and the top of which I had ornamented with my fox's

brush. Extremely bare and uncomfortable such a room would doubtless

seem to you, but it never struck me in that light. Compared to the

boy's room, it was extremely well furnished--almost luxurious.

However, I must not dwell upon my dear old room and its furniture. I

liked it because it was my own, and I kept all my treasures there;

but of course I cannot expect you to take the same interest in

it--only, I thought perhaps you might like to know how Christie's

bedroom looked when I woke there on my wedding morning nearly two

centuries ago. It was a lovely morning, though very sharp and

wintry. The sky was a pale-blue one, without a single cloud; and a

little snow had fallen during the night, but only enough to scatter a

few flakes among the dark glossy leaves and red berries of the holly

trees, and to sprinkle the country with a light powdery covering that

sparkled like diamond-dust in the sun. I could see the boys as I

looked from my window: there they were, as nurse had said, careering

about the garden--Roger's small wiry figure, Miles' square sturdy

one, and Oliver a head and shoulders above them both; and there was

also a fourth figure, towards which I strained my eyes with intense

interest. But at such a distance very little was to be seen; my

curiosity was obliged to be satisfied for the present with the

discovery that he was taller and stouter than Oliver, but neither his

face nor even the colour of his dress was to be distinguished. This

bird's-eye view of my bridegroom was unsatisfactory, being cut short

by nurse, who dragged me indignantly down from the window-seat just

as Lord Desmond was aiming at Oliver's head with a snow-ball, and I

was watching in breathless excitement to see whether it would hit.

'"Lack-a-mercy! Mistress Frances, do you want to catch your death of

cold on your wedding day, and for all the company to be at church

before you are dressed?"

'Not wishing to bring down either of these calamities on my head, I

reluctantly allowed myself to be drawn away from the window, and

submitted passively to a longer and more elaborate toilet than I had

ever undergone in my life before. Meanwhile I consoled myself by

asking nurse all manner of questions about the bridegroom,--what he

was like, who were his companions, and the time and manner of his

arrival. I could not get a great deal of news out of her,--she was

too much wrapped up in the splendours of my bridal gear. Only now

and then, between her bursts of enthusiasm over each piece of finery

in turn, and her pathetic warnings to me to "have a care of such

brave, goodly raiment," did she find time to impart in snatches the

following information.

'Sir Harry Mountfort had arrived the previous night with his ward the

young Lord Desmond, and his little niece Mistress Agnes Blount, who

was to be one of my bride-maidens. The house of New Court, Sir

Harry's home, was about twenty miles from Horsemandown, and the

travellers were nearly half-way upon their road when a report reached

them of highwaymen being in the neighbourhood. This rumour, though

vague and doubtful, was nevertheless somewhat alarming, as the

country through which their journey lay was extremely wild and

lonely; especially one part of the road through the Boarhurst

woods--those woods where you had your picnic last summer. There were

no broad, smooth carriage-drives through them, though, in our time;

only a narrow bridle-path, through which Lord Desmond and his

companions must ride in single file. So Sir Harry thought it prudent

to go back for a larger escort, and it was on that account that they

had not reached Horsemandown till ten o'clock in the evening (just an

hour after mamma had, much to my indignation, ruthlessly sent me to

bed). Thus much I contrived to draw out of nurse, by dint of

persistent cross-examination all the time I was being dressed; also,

that Lord Desmond was a dark young gentleman, a fair-spoken lad

enough, and not ill-favoured, but nought to set beside Master Oliver,

with his bonnie blue eyes and yellow locks.

'"As to little Mistress Blount, she was so wearied, poor lamb!" said

nurse, "that she scarce kept her eyes open to eat her supper; and

when my lady told me to put her to bed, she was not so loth to come

as you were yesternight, Mistress Frances."

'I was rather anxious to go down to breakfast in full bridal array,

from the rich lace veil to the long white gloves embroidered with

silver thread; but nurse was greatly scandalized at such a suggestion.

'"A pretty notion, forsooth!" quoth she with a derisive snort.

"What! Mistress Fan, would you have those beautiful lace ruffles dip

into the trenchers, and get steeped in honey and conserves? Sure,

Master Oliver's basin of milk would be pouring over your fine kirtle,

before breakfast was over. No, no; I am going at least to send you

to church fit to behold, happen what may afterwards."

'And mamma coming in while we were disputing settled the point

instantly in favour of nurse's decree. I could not argue with mamma,

so I was silenced as once; and quietly submitted to wear one of the

pretty new dresses, which had been made for my wedding outfit. Mamma

sent nurse away, saying that she would finish dressing me herself;

and I was glad to be alone with her, for I had seen much less of her

than usual of late. Ever since Sir Harry had left us, rather more

than a fortnight before, there had been a constant bustle of

preparation going on in the house. It was not only my approaching

wedding that caused this bustle,--the Christmas festivities had also

to be prepared for; and mamma had been busy from morning till night.

Besides the roast beef and boar's head, the plum-pudding and

mince-pies, for our own household, there was Christmas cheer for the

poor people of the village to be supplied,--blankets and fuel and

clothing to be given away. Then there were my wedding clothes, too,

for mamma to think about. Such an ample new wardrobe had been

provided for me, that I began to think that my husband and I were to

take up our "splendid position at court" at once, after all, instead

of waiting till the far-off time of being grown-up. I could not help

feeling considerable pride and satisfaction in these new clothes of

mine; they were made in such a much less childish way than my old

ones, and cut so much more in the fashion of the day. Once, when

nurse was asleep after dinner, I gave Oliver a private view of them;

but he made such horrible faces of ridicule and contempt, that my own

respect for them began to diminish on the spot.

'It certainly was wearisome work having these things continually

tried on. "Pride feels no pain," nurse and Rebecca used to assure me

when they pounced upon me just as I was rushing into the garden with

the boys to feed the rabbits, or into the kitchen on the chance of

getting a stray dainty from the manifold good things in preparation

there. Nevertheless my pride generally gave way, on these occasions,

to the twofold pain of being obliged to stand still, and of seeing

the boys run off without me; and I used to pout and fume and twitch

till it became hard to tell which was most out of humour--nurse,

Rebecca, or myself.

'"What is the use of my having all these grand new things if I am not

to have a house of my own, but to go on living at home just the same

as ever?" This question suddenly struck me one day, and I asked

nurse; whereupon she shut her eyes and shook her head, remarking that

"little ladies shouldn't be curious;" after which she gave vent to a

doleful and ominous sigh, and kissed me, muttering something about a

"poor thoughtless dear." Now, as mamma was putting the finishing

touches to my toilet, arranging my tucker, and smoothing the hair

that always seemed to get into disorder if I moved my head, I put the

same question to her; but she only smiled a little and stroked my

head, telling me that I should know everything in good time. "But,

madam," I persisted, "is Lord Desmond going to stay here, and live

with us, and play with me, and do lessons like Oliver?"

'"No, my dear Fan," she said, "he will not stay with us, neither will

you go away with him; but that is all I can tell you at present.

To-morrow we shall have time for a little talk together, and then you

shall hear all about your father's--about our plans for you. Now,

sweetheart, you shall say your prayers to me this morning; and then

we must go down to breakfast, and present you to this little

bridegroom of yours." My mother said these last words playfully, and

her own bright smile shone in her eyes for a moment; but in the next

they were swimming with tears, and her voice sounded very odd and

husky when, after I had prayed as usual for her, my father, and my

brothers, she bade me pray also that my husband might be blessed, and

that when I grew up to be a woman I might keep the promises which I

was going to make to-day.

'How well I remember the sudden rush of shyness which came over me as

I went down the staircase that morning! Never in my life before had

I felt so painfully and intensely shy. Miles and Roger passed us,

extremely snowy and wet and rosy, running up to their nursery

breakfast, and at that instant I had a strong inclination to burst

away from mamma and fly after them.

"I say," whispered Roger confidentially, catching my sleeve as he

passed, "your husband wants to know if it makes you angry to be

snow-balled."

'"Poor Fan," said Miles with heartfelt commiseration as he glanced at

my dress, "I suppose she will never be able to make snow-balls now,

or catch carp any more!"

'Mamma drew her hand gently away from me when we reached the door of

the breakfast parlour, and I followed her into the room with glowing

cheeks, and eyes fixed on the floor. It was in what is now the

billiard-room that we used to breakfast, and it seemed to me

perfectly full of people. Though Sir Harry Mountfort had not been

able to bring his ward till the night before, there had been no lack

of guests staying in the house since Christmas-eve. It was the first

time for two or three years that my father had been at home at this

season; and Horsemandown was fuller of visitors, and more merriment

had been going on in the shape of mumming, dancing, and Christmas

games, than had ever been the case before in my recollection. When I

rose up from the very deep and swimming courtesy with which the young

ladies of my time were taught to greet their acquaintances, I was for

a few moments only conscious of eyes bent upon me, and voices buzzing

confusedly in my ears.

"Ah, here she is at last!" "Here is the little bride!" "Poor child,

how shamefaced she is!" "Faith, a well-favoured little maiden too!"

were some of the exclamations that greeted my entrance; while my

father came toward me at once, kissed my forehead very

affectionately, and led me, wavering between shyness and curiosity,

up to one of the deep window recesses, in which Sir Harry Mountfort

stood talking to a group of gentlemen. He broke off what he was

saying, and advanced to meet me, exclaiming:

'"But here comes the heroine of the day--the fair bride herself! And

now for the introduction! Faith, Algernon, I should not mind

changing places with you a few years hence, if that face performs all

that it promises." The last words were said in rather a lower tone,

as Sir Harry leant his hand on the shoulder of a boy who was talking

eagerly to Oliver, and who had not turned, as most of the other

company had done, when mamma and I came into the room. He was

obliged to do so now, however, and, with rather an embarrassed smile,

came forward at his guardian's bidding, took my hand, and, murmuring

a few words of greeting, reluctantly kissed my cheek. I had not the

least idea of what I ought to say to him, and apparently he was in

the same predicament with regard to me. Mamma was obliged to go and

attend to her other guests, so I was left helpless, gazing at my

future husband in dead silence for a full minute. I suppose he found

this disagreeable, for he coloured intensely, and at length with a

great effort managed to say, "Oliver has been showing me your ponies."

'I said, "Oh!" and then by a sudden inspiration added, "Which did you

think the prettiest?"

'"Oh! Oliver's, without doubt."

'"_I_ think Hebe the prettiest," I said with decision. Silence fell

on us once more, and I really thought this time it would last for

ever. Never did I feel more grateful to Sir Harry than when he

brought up his little niece to me, saying he hoped we should be great

friends and see a good deal of each other.

'Agnes Blount set us at our ease directly. She was not at all shy;

she found it possible to smile and answer prettily when my father

politely hoped that she had recovered from the fatigues of her

arduous journey. She told us all about the adventures she and her

companions had met with the day before, appealing to Lord Desmond to

confirm her accounts of the dreadful danger they were in from

highwaymen, the darkness of Boarhurst woods, and the horrible state

of the roads, until she set him talking as unrestrainedly as any of

us. She won Oliver's heart by saying she was fond of rabbits, and

mine by the interest she showed in hearing about the bridal

preparations. The great banquet which had been preparing for so many

days I described minutely, as indeed I was well qualified to do; for

Miles and I had cried over the slaughter which had taken place in my

mother's poultry-yard, and had only been comforted by watching the

troops of red-armed cooks and scullions as they rushed hither and

thither in endless bustle; while huge pasties, delicate cakes,

mince-pies, and good things of all sorts, multiplied under their

hands as if by magic. I whispered that the wassail bowl was to be

thrice as large as usual, in my honour; and, finally, I imparted the

important intelligence, that at the dance which was to conclude the

day's festivities I was to appear in my bridal attire and open the

ball. I don't think I had a very clear idea of how I was to manage

this operation; but on that point Agnes managed to enlighten me,

without showing any unfeeling superiority over my ignorance. She

could do everything, I gradually discovered; at least a great many

things that I could not, and which, therefore, I looked upon with

respectful admiration. Sir Harry made her sing to us, in the

afternoon, a dainty little song, with a harp accompaniment, which

charmed everybody; and the graceful way in which she glided through

the mazes of a minuet with one of our guests so delighted my father,

that he paid her a formal and elaborate compliment on the elegance of

her dancing. I remember being very much surprised at the time, to

see him take so much notice of a little girl; but I found out

afterwards why he took such an interest in Agnes Blount's

accomplishments. Well, but I am getting on too fast. Of course you

want to know all about my wedding, from the smoothing of the last

crease in my voluminous satin train (the care of which was a source

of dreadful anxiety to Agnes and her fellow bridesmaids) to the

moment when Lord Desmond put upon my finger the tiniest gold

wedding-ring in the world. It is a most bewildering scene to look

back upon, even after all these years; and at the time I was so

confused by what I had to do, so encumbered by the grandeur of my

apparel, that I had but vague and indistinct ideas of what was going

on around me. I remember the lines of eager faces which startled me

when I stepped out of the coach at the churchyard gate. I recollect

experiencing a sort of shock on seeing that the familiar path up to

the church porch was covered with crimson cloth; but I think what

struck me most of all with a sense of the solemnity of the occasion,

was that Master Waynefleet whose thin locks I had contemplated for

many a Sunday, combed back and tied with a piece of ribbon, was on

this day resplendent in a curled and flowing wig, and wore a surplice

literally crackling with starch. I believe I clung to my father's

hand in a most undignified manner as he led me up the aisle. I have

a vision of a rainbow-coloured crowd of people on either side of the

altar; of mamma, a shade paler than usual, but trying to smile, in

order to reassure me; of Oliver, in difficulties with his sword

(which was only worn on state occasions, and was a source of mingled

pride and embarrassment to its owner); of Roger, in the background,

struggling desperately with nurse, in order to attain a lofty post of

observation on the tomb of a crusading Dalrymple. But beyond this I

saw nothing, and can only repeat what nurse told me afterwards, that

"it was a gallant show, and did her old eyes good to look at it. I'd

have gone ten miles barefoot any day to see you in all your bravery,

Mistress Francis, dear, and that sweet young gentleman, my Lord

Desmond, a-holding your hand so prettily, and your mamma, and all the

grand ladies shedding tears for joy, as indeed it was most befitting

they should."

'Nurse's praises and congratulations were the forerunners of a great

many more to which I had to listen that day. At first I liked them,

and thought it grand to be complimented on the "way in which I had

borne myself on such a trying occasion;" but at last I grew very

tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. The stiff, set

speeches which people vied with each other in making, the perpetual

allusions to my "tender years," and the hopes "that the union which

had commenced under such propitious circumstances might hereafter be

a source of great happiness to me, and of satisfaction to my

parents," were very tiresome; and to all this I had to reply, as

mamma had carefully impressed on me beforehand, "Madam, you do me

much honour," or, "I thank you, sir, for your good wishes," while I

made a profound courtsey to the lady or gentleman who addressed me.

Things were not much better at the long, formal, wearisome

entertainment which ensued, and which I thought never would be over.

People made speeches and proposed toasts with every glass of wine

they drank, and some of them drank a great many--so many that at last

it was not quite easy to make out whose health they did propose; and

when this point was settled, others seemed affronted at the toasts

they had chosen.

'I thought it all very uninteresting, after the health of Lord and

Lady Desmond had been drunk, and did not listen to what was going on.

I only know that the noise got louder and louder; so that, by the

time it was considered fitting that the ladies should retire to the

withdrawing-room, the clamour was so great that it was almost

impossible to distinguish what any one said. The last thing I saw,

as we left the room, was Sir Harry Mountfort standing up, flushed and

excited, holding a bumper of wine in one hand, while he brought down

the other clenched fist with violence on the table, and called upon

all present to fill their glasses and drink to the health of the Duke

of York, the true heir to the throne.

'"What were they quarrelling about?" I asked Agnes Blount when the

uproar had died away in the distance, and we had found a quiet corner

to ourselves at the end of the long drawing-room.

'"Oh, politics, of course," she replied. "We always know at home,

whenever the gentlemen get very much excited over their wine, and all

speak at once, and don't seem to listen at all to what other people

are saying, that they are talking about politics."

'"Well, but what are politics?" said I. "We don't ever hear anything

about them here."

'"Oh, don't you know? They are all about the King, and the

Parliament, Rochester, Halifax, and Godolphin, and a great many names

I can't remember, for I never listen. But I should have thought you

must have heard of them, for I know Sir Bernard Dalrymple always has

more to say about all those people than anyone else who comes to my

uncle's house."

"Then I suppose you have often seen my father before you came here?"

I asked.

'"Oh yes; he has been there a great many times lately--I suppose to

settle about your marriage. Algernon and I used to wonder what they

could be talking about when we saw them pacing up and down the

terrace by the hour together; till at last one day, just as we were

going to the fish-ponds with some bread and honey to feed the carp,

my uncle called Algernon to him and said, 'Come and shake hands with

this gentleman, Algernon; he is going to give you his daughter to be

your little wife.'"

'"Well, and what did Algernon say?" I asked eagerly; for, when Agnes

arrived at this interesting point in the story, she hesitated.

'"I don't think he quite liked the idea at first. You see, he had

not seen you then; and it seemed so strange and sudden an idea," said

Agnes rather reluctantly.

'"But tell me exactly what he said," I persisted, with a not

unnatural desire to know how my bridegroom had received the news

which had excited me so much.

'"Why, he said, 'When I am grown-up, I suppose, sir?' 'Oh no,'

replied Sir Harry; 'we will not put your constancy to so severe a

trial. In six weeks' time your marriage is to take place.' Then

Algernon grew very red, and looked at his piece of bread and honey so

hard, that I thought he was making up his mind where he would take

the first bite; but at last he looked up and said, 'If I must be

married, sir, I would rather marry Agnes, because she knows where to

find my fishing-tackle, and can always undo my line when it gets into

a tangle.' My uncle burst into a great fit of laughter when he heard

this, and Sir Bernard laughed a little too; but I grew very hot and

uncomfortable, and thought I should like to run away. So I pulled

Algernon's sleeve; but just then my uncle left off laughing and said,

'No, no, Algernon, I have no doubt that Agnes is much obliged for

your good opinion of her; but, as her guardian as well as yours, I am

afraid I must decline your kind proposal. And when you have seen

your future bride, who is about the prettiest little damsel I know,

you will, I trust, apologize to her father for having made such a

proposition in his very presence.' Sir Bernard said no apology was

needed. He shook hands with Algernon, and called him a fine fellow,

and, turning to me, said he hoped to have the pleasure of seeing me

at Horsemandown, and trusted I would be kind enough to impart to his

daughter that knowledge of fishing operations which Lord Desmond

thought so necessary in a wife. He looked very grave all the time,

but I felt sure he must be laughing at me, and I had much ado to make

my reverence and thank him without beginning to cry. That is how it

was settled; and when Algernon found out that you had brothers, and

that he was to have a week's holiday in honour of his wedding, he

began to like the idea very much. For you know, when I am at school

he has no companions at all at New Court, and his tutor and Lady

Mountfort are so very strict and severe that he has but a dreary life

of it."

'My feelings had varied to and fro during Agnes's recital. Sir

Harry's complimentary remarks hardly made up for Algernon's

indifference; but when she ended, I forgot his offences in pity for

one whose only companions were a tutor and Lady Mountfort, whose

stiff figure and severe expression of countenance had filled me with

awe and dislike the moment I saw her. "How dreadful!" I exclaimed.

"What should Oliver and I do if we had to live like that?"

'"Hush!" said Agnes; "don't speak so loud, or my aunt will hear you.

She says children ought never to speak when they are in the same room

as their elders, unless they are spoken to."

'"Oh! but to-day surely she would not mind. Mamma does not allow us,

in general, to speak when any one is here; but on my wedding

day"--and I drew up my head a little higher than usual--"things are

different."

'"I don't know," replied Agnes, looking uneasily in the direction of

Lady Mountfort; "she is so very particular. Perhaps I ought not to

have told you all this, Frances."

'"I am very glad you have. Oliver and I have so often wanted to know

something about Algernon, but mamma could not tell us much; and we

never think of asking my father any questions."

'"What has Agnes been telling you?" asked Lord Desmond, who at that

moment joined us with Oliver.

'"About New Court," interposed Agnes hastily, apparently afraid I

should relate the whole of our conversation. "I was telling Frances

how very, very strict my aunt is, and how quiet we are obliged to be

in her presence. I am sure school is almost better, if it were not

for the lessons."

'"Ah!" said Algernon with a heartfelt sigh, "I shall think it duller

than ever, now I have been here. Only imagine, Agnes: they go out

with the hounds once or twice a week here, with a groom who lets them

do whatever they like! Why, when I go out riding at home, or

whatever I do, there is always Master Hewling, with his starched

countenance and croaking voice, saying, 'It is not fitting, my lord,

that you should do this,' or, 'My duty to Sir Harry will not permit

me to allow your lordship to do the other!' I have never been

allowed to do what I liked since I came to Sir Harry's house--never!"

'"But I thought," said I with some dismay, remembering the brilliant

castles in the air which Oliver and I had indulged in,--"I thought

you had a fine house of your very own, with beautiful gardens, and

park, and fishponds, and great stables as big as our whole house.

That is what nurse told me!"

'"Ah!" said Algernon, looking so sad that I was quite sorry I had

said anything about it, "that was where we lived when my father was

alive. But it is of no use, for Sir Harry says I have not money

enough to live there; and besides, it is sold--no, not sold--what is

the word?--to somebody else."

'"Oh, but I heard something!" said Agnes, and then she stopped short

and coloured, while we all looked very much interested.

'"Well, what did you hear?" asked Algernon eagerly. "I will know,

Agnes."

'"I don't think I ought to tell," she said, faltering and looking

very irresolute.

'"Did you promise you would not?" demanded Algernon. "No? Then tell

me directly."

'And Agnes, who, as I found out afterwards, always did what everybody

asked her, said: "It was only that I chanced to be in the room when

my aunt was talking to Father Freeling about you, and she said, 'My

husband has arranged a match for Algernon, which will put all these

unfortunate money matters straight again. The young lady will have

an ample fortune when she comes of age; and, what is better still,

her father has undertaken to pay down, on her wedding day, a sum

sufficient to clear off all those mortgages (wasn't that the word you

meant, Algernon?) which Sir Harry's imprudent management rendered

necessary.' 'Indeed!' Father Freeling said, 'I think Sir Harry has

managed excellently well for the interests of his ward; and I

suppose, on the lady's side, the title is considered'--I couldn't

quite hear what; for just then my sampler frame dropped down, which I

think reminded my aunt that I was in the room, for she spoke in a

much lower tone after that, and I could only hear something about

'political considerations,' and the vote of Sir Harry being required

for some 'parliamentary bill,' and so on. I could not quite

understand what they meant, but I could see they thought you would be

much richer for marrying Frances; so perhaps you will be able to go

and live at your old home again. You would like that, Algernon?"

'"And we will all come and stay with you," cried Oliver, rather

louder than prudence warranted; for we had been talking hitherto

almost in whispers, in order to avoid the attention of our elders. I

looked at Algernon to see what he thought of this proposal. He

looked rather grave and puzzled; I think he understood a little

better than we did the meaning of all those long words which Agnes

had repeated so accurately, and which conveyed no idea to my mind at

all, except that Agnes thought I was very rich; which struck me as

being decidedly curious--my ideas of riches in those days being

limited to the amount of money I had in an old china cup up-stairs in

the nursery. I was just going to say that I had only at present one

silver piece there, when the stiff rustle of Lady Mountfort's gown

was heard approaching, and we all sank into silence. I should most

probably have forgotten all about this conversation, so little did I

understand the meaning of Agnes's words, had not Algernon much later

in the evening said to me in a low voice:

'"Perhaps, Frances, you had better not talk about what Agnes told us

to any one. She was not intended to hear it; and--and--somehow I

fancy that your father and my guardian would not be over-pleased if

we said anything about it."

'"Very well, I will not," I replied, wondering very much what part of

Agnes's communication it could be which was likely to make the

good-humoured Sir Harry angry.

'"You can keep a secret, I suppose?" said Algernon, surveying me, as

I thought, rather contemptuously.

'"Of course," said I in an offended tone; "I keep all Oliver's. But"

(my curiosity here becoming too much for my dignity) "I wish you

would tell me why."

'"I can't," replied Algernon, "for I don't quite know myself; but I

shall find out some day all about what they were saying. I wish I

had heard it before; it has something to do with the reason you and I

were married,--that is quite clear."

'"When you are grown-up, you will understand, I suppose," said I.

'"O yes; long before that."

'"But it won't make any difference," said I decidedly. "We can't be

unmarried again, however we may wish it, I know; for mamma told me

so."

'"Well, I didn't say I wished to be unmarried, did I?" demanded my

bridegroom not very graciously, and colouring very much as he spoke.

'"Oh no," I said, feeling guiltily conscious of what Agnes had told

me. "And I daresay we shall like it very much when we are grown-up."

'"Of course," replied Algernon. "And in the meantime it does not

much matter, because I don't suppose we shall see each other very

often."

'"Oliver thought you would come here and stay with us sometimes," I

remarked. "He is always wishing for a boy of his own age for a

companion, because Miles and Roger are so little."

'"Ah! I should like that," said Algernon, who evidently regarded a

brother-in-law as a much more interesting and valuable acquisition

than a wife. "But Sir Harry told me a little while ago that he was

going to present me at court as soon as Parliament met, and that it

had already been settled that I should be appointed one of the

Duchess of York's pages."

'"Oh," said I, rather struck by this piece of intelligence. "Shall

you like that? what will you have to do?"

'"I don't know exactly; but there are a great many pages--boys of my

own age; so it is sure to be better than New Court at any rate, where

there is no one at all to talk to when Agnes is away. And she is

only a girl, after all."

'This remark was so exactly what Oliver would have made under similar

circumstances, that I did not feel offended, and only asked whether

Agnes always came to New Court in her holidays.

'"Yes; she has nowhere else to go. Her father and mother are dead,

and Sir Harry is her guardian; and he promised her father that she

should never be made a Roman Catholic; so that is why he sends her to

school at Madame St. Aubert's. You know"--and Algernon lowered his

voice to a mysterious whisper--"Lady Mountfort is a Papist, and she

is always trying to convert people."

'"And is Sir Harry one too?" inquired I in a tone of horror; for to

be a Papist in those days meant to belong to a religion proscribed by

Act of Parliament, and hated by all good Church of England people.

'"I don't know exactly," said Algernon, "but he always does whatever

she likes."

'Poor Sir Harry! I pitied him from my heart; and wondered more than

ever how it happened that he should be the husband of such a

sour-faced, disagreeable dame as Lady Mountfort.

'"I daresay she would like to make a Papist of me," he continued;

"but she never shall; for my father was a Protestant, and I mean to

be just like him."

'I thought this resolution sounded heroic, especially as I believed

Lady Mountfort quite capable of inflicting a dungeon, bread and

water, and perhaps even the rack, upon any unfortunate person whom

she wished to convert; and I respected Algernon accordingly. He and

I became very good friends before the evening was over, though I must

say I infinitely preferred my first friend, Sir Harry, who danced

with me several times--helped me out when I made mistakes, or

appeared not to observe them--called me "Madame la Countesse"--and

made himself so amusing, that I found myself many times regretfully

wishing that I could have been married to him instead of to Algernon.

'Ah! well. People are not always quite so charming as one fancies

they are; and I never liked Sir Harry so well after I discovered that

it was he who brought about what I then considered as the greatest

misfortune that could happen to me. He persuaded my father that I

ought to be sent to school.

'Dear me! what floods of tears I shed when this dreadful fact was

first announced to me. It was after all our guests had gone--when

the gaieties of that exciting Christmas-time were over and done

with--when I was, to all intents and purposes, only little Frances

Dalrymple again, with all my short-lived splendour put away out of

sight, like that wedding gown which nurse had packed so carefully in

the great walnut chest, with dried lavender sprinkled between its

shining folds.

'To be sent to school!--till the way to Taunton! I thought I might

almost as well be sent to prison at once; and said so, in the midst

of my tears, to mamma.

'"I shall never be allowed to run about, or play in the garden, or

ride! Oh mamma, what will Hebe do without me?"

'Mamma almost smiled when I reached this climax, though she had

looked grave enough just before; and seeing the smile, I went on in a

more melancholy voice than ever:

'"Oh mamma, I didn't think _you_ wanted me to go away."

'"Frances, Frances, you don't know what you are talking of," said my

mother, taking me on her lap (great girl as I was), and holding me

very tight in her arms. "Do you really suppose I shall not miss you

a great deal more than Hebe will?"

'"Then why do you let me go?" I whispered, after a good many more

tears at the idea of mamma thinking I cared more for Hebe than her.

'"Because your father thinks it best for you," was the answer--the

answer with which mamma used to silence us even in our most

rebellious moods. No one ever thought of disobeying his commands;

and my hopes sank lower and lower.

'"But, mamma," I said despairingly, looking down at the little gold

ring I was so proud of being allowed to wear, "surely married ladies

don't go to school. I thought they did whatever they liked."

"Indeed they don't always, even when they are grown-up, Frances," she

said with a little sigh. "If I did exactly what I liked, I should

keep you at home with me, instead of sending you to school; but you

see I have to trust to some one else to know what is best for you,

and so must you. Why, it is just because you are Lord Desmond's

wife, that your father thinks you ought to learn a great many things

that I cannot teach you properly. If you were going to live down

here in the country all your life, perhaps it would not matter so

much; but when you are grown-up, you will most likely have to go out

a great deal more into the world, and mix with a great many more

people than I ever did; and you would find it very inconvenient to be

ignorant of things which every one else knows quite well. For

instance, you would like to be able to sing and dance as well as

Agnes Blount."

'"I am sure I never could," I said, feeling as if Agnes's attainments

were far beyond me, but beginning to have some glimmering perception

of what mamma meant.

'"You must ask her to help you. You are to go to the school where

she is now--Madame St. Aubert's. So you see you have one friend

there already; and I have no doubt you will soon make many more. So

cheer up, my foolish little Fan. You look as woebegone as if you

were going to be sent to the Tower."

'Mamma's words were more cheerful than her face when she said this;

and, as she put me down from her knee with a kiss, I began to see

that the parting was as hard for her as it was for me; and I managed

to say, though not without a deep sigh:

'"I don't suppose they will be half such good playmates as Oliver and

the others; but I will try and bear it; and I will learn everything

as quickly as I can, that I may come back sooner."

'"That's my good child," said mamma, patting my head approvingly.

"And remember, there are always the holidays to look forward to. How

you will enjoy them!"

'But the holidays seemed too far off for me to have much pleasure as

yet in looking forward to them; and I crept away, in extremely low

spirits, to tell Oliver of the fate that was in store for me.

'I need not tell minutely of all the days which followed before the

time of my departure arrived. They seemed to me to be few enough,

and to fly past with a rapidity that was quite dreadful. I spent

most of them in visiting all my favourite spots in the park and

garden--in saying good-bye to everybody, high and low, around

Horsemandown--and in giving Oliver minute directions as to the health

and treatment of my many pets. I will leave you to imagine my

farewells, and take up my story six months after my arrival at that

dreaded school, where happened all the adventures which make my

history worth hearing.'