ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.
It is the end of the first week in January--bleak, black January!
Outside Looton the snow is falling lightly but persistently; already
it is a foot deep in the park. It is a bitterly cold, dreary, dark
evening. Not a single living creature is abroad that can possibly find
shelter. What a night for the homeless--what a night for the miserable
starving birds!
Inside Looton the prospect is much more cheerful. A huge log fire is
roaring up the chimney of the great hall, lighting up the frames of
dingy-looking portraits, reflecting itself in more than one dinted
steel cuirass and battered casque, and generally illuminating the arms
and armour of many a dead and gone Fairfax.
A large mastiff lies luxuriously at full length on a tiger-skin before
the fire; but of other living inmates the room is empty. The letter-box
stands on the table; no one is looking--let us have a peep. Here is an
epistle from Mrs. Mayhew to Miss Saville, which will doubtless tell us
all the family news.
“Looton, _Jan. 5th_.
“MY DEAR MISS SAVILLE,
“I am quite ashamed of myself for never having answered your kind New
Year’s letter. But you have _no_ idea what a whirl we have been living
in since Christmas. I never seem to have a moment to myself.
“Nearly all the party have gone out skating to-day--an amusement not
at all in _my_ line--so at last I have an hour to devote to my many
indignant correspondents.
“You have heard from Alice frequently, of course, and I am sure she
has told you how much we have missed you, and how disappointed she
and Regy have been at your absence. It is really too bad of your old
enemy, rheumatism, to seize on you just at this time.
“We have had such a Christmas! Reginald and Alice determined that,
as it was the _first_ they had ever spent together, they would
celebrate the occasion properly. There was a dinner to the tenantry,
to whom Maurice was duly presented in the character of the heir.
Theatricals and a ball entertained the grandees; nor were the poor
forgotten--beef, coals, warm clothes, and money were lavishly
bestowed on every side. The master and mistress of Looton are so happy
themselves, they do their very best to spread that rather scarce
commodity in all directions, and share it with rich and poor, as far
as money and kind words and deeds can go.
“You will like to hear all about Alice and Regy from a third party,
especially as I know how reticent Alice is about herself--her letters
are probably filled with Maurice and Reginald, Reginald and Maurice.
“Four months in Italy have worked wonders for her. She has completely
recovered her blooming cheeks, her gay spirits, and, above all, her
health. She still looks a mere girl in her teens, and as little of
the matron as ever. I have done my best to put a stop to her hunting,
but it is of no use, especially as she has Regy’s permission and
countenance. He only takes her when the distances are moderate and
the country to match, and as she is always superbly mounted, and
well looked after and piloted by her husband, I don’t think you need
be nervous; and I must say they both enjoy it so much, and look so
supremely happy when setting out together on a hunting morning, that
it seems almost a pity to make any more protests.
“Reginald is a changed man--no longer silent, morose, and cynical;
he is my own dear light-hearted Regy once more, and enters into
everything with as much zest and spirit as Geoff himself. A happier
couple than he and Alice could not be found. It is a pleasure to see
them together. She runs a good chance of being completely spoiled,
only for her sweet, unselfish disposition. She is allowed her own
way in everything. Fortunately it is Reginald’s way too, so there
is no harm done. Their opinions, wishes, and tastes seem to be
identical. Some day or other Alice’s individuality will be completely
lost and absorbed in Reginald’s stronger mind and will. I tell him
this sometimes, and make him extremely angry. I am keeping our great
piece of news to the last, as a _bonne bouche_. I am sure you will be
interested to know that Captain Vaughan and Mary Ferrars are engaged.
He has been here since the first week in December, and their happiness
is now of a whole week’s standing. They seem to be very well suited
and mutually in love. He confided to me that it was the extreme
felicity of Reginald and Alice that had encouraged him to follow
_their example_. This time last year who would have believed that
they would be the couple--of all others--to lure their friends into
matrimony? At times I feared a very different conclusion. However,
they fully bear out the good old saying, ‘All’s well that ends well.’
“With love and best wishes for the New Year, ever, dear Miss Saville,
“Yours affectionately,
“HELEN MAYHEW.”
THE END.
CHARLES DICKENS AND EVANS, CRYSTAL PALACE PRESS.
_Now ready, at all Libraries and Booksellers_,
PALMS AND TEMPLES:
INCIDENTS OF A FOUR MONTHS’ VOYAGE ON THE NILE.
With Notes upon the Antiquities, Scenery, People, and Sport of Egypt.
BY JULIAN B. ARNOLD.
_Prefatory Notice by EDWIN ARNOLD, Author of “The Light of Asia,” etc._
1 Vol. demy 8vo, with Frontispiece and Vignette, price 12s.
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.
“A lively and unpretentious piece of work, while being based upon
journals that were kept from day to day, it gives an extremely faithful
picture of a dahabeeah voyage. Too often the Nile notes of romantic
travellers seem to be steeped in the sensuous memories of the Sybarite
or lotus-eater, and are rather drawn on conventional impressions of
things, as they are supposed to be, than the reflection of facts or
exact recollections. Mr. Arnold thoroughly enjoyed the journey; but he
shows, at the same time, that everything was not always _couleur de
rose_.... In the way of sensational excitement, indeed, Mr. Arnold had
one adventure such as seldom, happily, falls to the lot of the Nile
voyager. His dahabeeah was actually shipwrecked--not in shooting the
perilous rapids of the cataracts, but on one of the lower stretches
of the river; and so his pleasant family party was broken up.”--_The
Times._
“He recalls very pleasantly the various incidents of that daily Nile
life of which every traveller’s reminiscences are so delightful. One
exceptional experience, indeed, he met with. His dahabieh was wrecked,
and the family party broken up, he alone being enabled, by the generous
and characteristic hospitality of an American traveller, to continue
the voyage.”--_Athenæum._
“A pleasantly and picturesquely, but very ambitiously, written
account of a trip up the Nile. The author is the son of one of the
most splendidly rhetorical of living journalists, and he bids fair to
inherit the characteristic gifts of his eloquent sire.”--_World._
“It may be that there is little new in this bright and gallant volume
of travel; but the young writer can fairly be congratulated on his
power of presenting, in fresh and vigorous colours, so much that
is old. He has written, in truth, a volume by no means deficient
in the quality which should be understood in the full sense of the
term--‘information;’ and his command of easy, graceful, and natural
language shows the literary faculty that might be expected in
him.”--_Daily Telegraph._
“The charm of this diary consists in its faithful account of the
life and experiences of an English party travelling in Egypt. A very
exciting and alarming adventure befel them almost at the commencement,
the vessel in which they were travelling being wrecked. The story
of the disaster, and the narrow escape of the two ladies and two
gentlemen, is vividly told.”--_Daily Chronicle._
“Messrs. Tinsley have seldom brought out a more attractive work than
this voyage upon the Nile.... The series of pictures furnished by
Mr. Arnold’s graphic description of the various scenes he visited
remain fixed on the mind’s eye of the reader long after the book is
closed.”--_Court Journal._
“‘The book,’ says Mr. Arnold in his preface, ‘does not aspire to take
the place of any learned treatise or methodical guide, but simply to
catch the joyous spirit of the rich sunlight of the river, and to
reproduce its scenes and sights by easy and passing touches.’ This
aim it attains with very considerable success.... Really a delightful
book.”--_Spectator._
“We cannot but congratulate Mr. Arnold on his success as a clever
and effective narrator. Seldom have we read a more enjoyable book of
travels than ‘Palms and Temples.’”--_Literary World._
“Mr. Arnold’s book is distinctly new, novel, and interesting.”--_Land
and Water._
TINSLEY BROTHERS, 8, Catherine Street, Strand.
New Books for the Season.
Tales and Traditions of Switzerland.
By WILLIAM WESTALL, Author of “Larry Lohengrin,” “The Old Factory,”
etc. 1 vol. crown 8vo.
On the Grampian Hills:
Grouse and Ptarmigan Shooting, Deer-Stalking, Salmon and Trout
Fishing, etc. By FRED. FIELD WHITEHURST (“A Veteran”), Author of
“Tallyho,” “Harkaway.” 1 vol. 9s.
Road Scrapings:
Coaches and Coaching. By MARTIN E. HAWORTH, late Captain 60th Rifles,
Queen’s Foreign Service Messenger, M.F.H., etc., Author of “The Silver
Greyhound.” 1 vol. 8vo, with 12 Coloured Illustrations, 10s. 6d.
Men we Meet in the Field:
Or the Bullshire Hounds. By A. G. BAGOT (“Bagatelle”), Author of
“Sporting Sketches in Three Continents,” etc. 1 vol. 7s. 6d.
_NEW WORKS OF TRAVEL._
With a Show through Southern Africa,
and Personal Reminiscences of the Transvaal War. By CHARLES DU VAL,
late of the Carbineers, Attaché to the Staff of Garrison Commandant,
and Editor of the _News of the Camp_ during the investment of
Pretoria. 1 vol. demy 8vo, with numerous Illustrations.
Palms and Temples:
Incidents of a Four Months’ Voyage on the Nile. With Notes upon the
Antiquities, Scenery, People, and Sport of Egypt. By JULIAN B. ARNOLD.
Prefatory Notice by EDWIN ARNOLD, Author of “The Light of Asia,” etc.
1 vol. demy 8vo, with Frontispiece and Vignette, 12s.
Among the Sons of Han:
Notes of a Six Years’ Residence in China and Formosa. By Mrs. T. F.
HUGHES. 1 vol. demy 8vo, with Map, 12s.
Keane’s Journeys to Meccah and Medinah.
Each in 1 vol. demy 8vo, 10s. 6d.
TINSLEY BROTHERS, 8, Catherine Street, Strand.
Transcriber’s Notes
Punctuation errors have been corrected.
Page 155: ‘case unprecendented’ changed to ‘case unprecedented’
Page 200: ‘ith what’ changed to ‘With what’