The change which had taken place in the fortunes of Maurice Leigh was
one that might have dazzled him a little, if he had not had a strong
counteracting influence in the thought of all he had left in Canada. He
found himself, without hesitation or difficulty, but with a suddenness
which was like the transformations in a fairy tale, changed from a
Backwoods farmer's son into an important member of an old and wealthy
family. Only the other day he had been working hard and holding up to
himself as the reward of his work, the hope of becoming a successful
provincial lawyer; now he was the heir, and all but the actual
possessor, of a splendid fortune and an estate which gave him a foremost
place among English country gentlemen.
His arrival at Hunsdon, his grandfather's house, had been a moment of
some embarrassment both to him and to Mr. Beresford. Each had some
feeling of prejudice against the other, yet each felt that it was only
by having a mutual liking and regard that they could get on comfortably
together. Happily their very first meeting cleared up all doubts on the
subject. Mr. Beresford instantly decided that a grandson who so strongly
resembled his own family, and who even in the backwoods had managed to
grow up with the air and manner of a gentleman, would be, in a year or
two, quite qualified to become Squire of Hunsdon, and that in the
meantime he would be a pleasant companion.
Maurice, on the other hand, forgot his grandfather's former harshness,
and reproached himself for his unwillingness to come to England, when he
saw how solitary the great house was, and how utterly the feeble and
paralytic old man was left to the care and companionship of servants. He
wondered at first that this should be so, for the rich generally have no
want of friends; but the puzzle soon explained itself as he began to
know his grandfather better. Mr. Beresford had been a powerful and very
active man; he had been proud of his strength and retained it to old
age. Then, suddenly, paralysis came, and he was all at once utterly
helpless. His son was dead, his granddaughter married, and away from
him; his pride shrank from showing his infirmity to other relatives. So
he shut the world out altogether, and by-and-by the loneliness he thus
brought upon himself, growing too oppressive, he began to long for his
daughter's children.
The moment Maurice came, and he was satisfied that he should like him,
he became perfectly content. His property was entirely in his own power,
and one of his first proceedings was, rather ostentatiously, to make a
will which was to relieve him of all future trouble about its disposal;
his next to begin a regular course of instruction, intended to fit his
grandson perfectly for the succession which was now settled upon him.
In this way, two or three weeks passed on, and Maurice grew accustomed
to Hunsdon and to the sober routine of an invalid's life. It was not a
bright existence, certainly. The large empty house looked dreary and
deserted; and the library to which Mr. Beresford was carried every
morning, and where he lay all day immovable on his sofa, had the quiet
dulness of aspect which belongs to an invalid's room. There had been
some few visitors since Maurice's arrival, and what neighbours there
were within a reasonable distance seemed disposed to be as friendly as
possible; but still the monotony of this new life left him enough, and
more than enough, leisure for speculations on the past and future, which
had a large mixture of disturbing and uneasy thoughts to qualify their
brightness. He waited, too, with considerable curiosity for the return
of his cousin, who, with her husband, was away from home when he
arrived. She had married a neighbouring baronet, and when at home was a
frequent visitor at Hunsdon; and this was all that Maurice could learn
about her.
But one morning, as he sat with Mr. Beresford, and the usual daily
conversation, or rather lecture, about some affairs connected with the
management of the estate was in full progress, a pony-carriage swept
past the windows and stopped at the door.
"It is Louisa," said Mr. Beresford, and the next minute the door of the
room opened, and a little woman came in. She was so very little, that if
she had chosen, she might have passed for a child; but she had no such
idea. On the contrary, she had a way of enveloping herself in sweeping
draperies and flowing robes that gave her a look of being much taller
and infinitely more dignified than Nature had intended. She came in, in
a kind of cloud, through which Maurice only distinguished an exceedingly
pretty bright face, and a quantity of fair hair, together with a sort of
soft feminine atmosphere which seemed all at once to brighten the dull
room as she went straight up to her grandfather's sofa, and bent down to
give him a kiss.
"So you are come back?" Mr. Beresford said. "But you see, I have
somebody else now. Here is your cousin Maurice."
Lady Dighton turned round and held out her hand. "I am very glad to see
my cousin," she said. "It was quite time you had somebody to take care
of you."
She had a gay, careless manner, but her smiling eyes took a tolerably
sharp survey of the stranger nevertheless, and she was not ill satisfied
with the result. "He is very good-looking," she said to herself, "and
looks _nice_. Of course he must be very countrified, but we will help
him to rub that off." So she took him under her patronage immediately.
She said no more to him, however, at present, but occupied herself with
her grandfather, asking a great many questions, and telling him of the
places and people she and her husband had seen during their two months'
tour. Mr. Beresford was interested and amused; the little lady possessed
one decided advantage over Maurice, for she and her grandfather belonged
entirely to the same world, though to two different generations, and
could enter into the same subjects and understand the same allusions.
While they talked, Maurice had an opportunity of looking more
deliberately at his cousin. He liked her small graceful figure, her tiny
hands, and bright sunshiny face, with its frame of almost golden hair
arranged in full soft puffs; he liked the air of daintiness and
refinement about her dress, and the musical sound of her voice as she
talked. He admired her the more, perhaps, because she was quite unlike
the type of woman which was, in his thoughts, beyond admiration. But it
did occur to him how lovely Lucia would look, with the same advantages
of wealth and station as Lady Dighton, and a delicious vision swept past
him, of the old house brightening up permanently, under the reign of a
beautiful mistress.
He had not many minutes, however, for fancies; the most important news
on both sides having been exchanged, the other two were coming to
subjects in which he could join, and went on smoothly and pleasantly
enough till luncheon. After that meal Mr. Beresford always went to
sleep; it was generally Maurice's holiday, when he could ride or walk
out without fear of being missed, but to-day he only strolled out on the
long portico in front of the house, while Lady Dighton went to have a
chat with the housekeeper.
Presently, however, a gleam of bright colour appeared at the hall door,
and Maurice went forward and met her coming out.
"Shall I get you a shawl?" he said; "it is not very warm here."
"No, thank you; I like the cool air. I want to come out and talk to you,
for grandpapa takes up all my attention when I am with him."
They began walking slowly up and down under the stone colonnade, which
had been added as a decoration to the front of the dark red brick house,
and Lady Dighton went on talking.
"I was so glad when I heard you were here. Ever since poor papa's death
I have felt quite uncomfortable about grandpapa. I came over to see him
as often as I could, but, of course, I had to think of Sir John."
"And Dighton is a good way from here?" Maurice said. He had not been
quite sure whether his cousin would not regard him as an interloper,
coming between her and her inheritance; and he was still sufficiently in
the dark, to feel the subject an awkward one.
"Only six miles, fortunately. I say fortunately, _now_, because I hope
we are going to be very good friends, but till I saw you, I was not sure
whether it was fortunate. It is so disagreeable to have near neighbours
whom one does not like, especially if they are relations."
Her frankness was amusing, but not very easy to answer. However, the two
or three words he found for the occasion did perfectly well.
"You are exactly like the Beresfords," she went on, "and that I know
must please grandpapa. He never liked me because I am like my mother's
family. I don't mean that he is not fond of me in one way; I only mean
that my being like the St. Clairs instead of like the Beresfords is one
reason why he would never have left Hunsdon to me when there was
anybody else to leave it to."
Maurice felt a little relieved and enlightened. His cousin then had
never expected to inherit Hunsdon; he took courage on that, to ask a
question.
"But as he could not have thought until lately of making a child of my
mother's his heir, who was supposed to stand next in succession to my
uncle?"
Lady Dighton gave a little sigh to the memory of her father.
"Grandpapa always wished him to marry again," she said. "Mamma died six
years ago; then I was married, and from that time I know perfectly well
that grandpapa was continually looking out for a new daughter-in-law. He
was disappointed, however; I do not think myself that papa would have
married. At any rate he did not; and then, nearly two years ago, he
died."
"And has my grandfather been alone ever since?"
"Yes. For some time he was too much grieved to trouble himself about the
future--and then he was paralysed. Perhaps you have found out already
that Hunsdon is a great deal more to him than so many acres of land and
so much money? He loves it, and cares about it, more I believe than
about any living creature."
"Yes; I can understand that the future of his estate is quite as
important as the future of a son or daughter would be."
"Quite. He never could have borne the idea of its being joined to, or
swallowed up by another. Therefore, I do not think, in any case, he
would have left it to me. It was necessary he should have an heir, who
would be really his successor, and I am very glad indeed that he found
you."
Maurice did not quite understand the slight unconscious sadness of the
tone in which Lady Dighton said, "in any case;" he did not even know
that the one baby who had been for a little while heir of Dighton, and
possible heir of Hunsdon, had died in her arms when the rejoicings for
its birth were scarcely over. But he felt grateful to her for speaking
to him so frankly, and his new position looked the more satisfactory now
he knew that no shadow of wrong was done to any one by his occupying it.
Lady Dighton understood this perfectly well. She had a quick perception
of the character and feelings of those she associated with; and had
talked to Maurice intentionally of what she guessed he must wish to
hear. She had a great deal more to say to him, still, about her
grandfather and her husband, and the country; and wanted to ask
questions innumerable about his former home in Canada, his mother, and
everything she could think of, the discussion of which would make them
better acquainted. For she had quite decided that, as she said, they
were to be very good friends; and, to put all family interest and ties
on one side, there was something not disagreeable in the idea of taking
under her own peculiar tutelage a young and handsome man, who was quite
new to the world, and about entering it with all the prestige which
attends the heir of fifteen or twenty thousand a year.
They were still talking busily when Mr. Beresford's man came to say that
his master was awake. They went in together and sat with him for the
rest of the afternoon, until it was time for Lady Dighton to go. When
she did, it was with a promise from Maurice, not to wait for a visit
from Sir John, who was always busy, but to go over and dine at Dighton
very soon; a promise Mr. Beresford confirmed, being in his heart very
glad to see such friendly relations springing up between his two
grandchildren. Maurice, on his side, was equally glad, for not only did
his new friendship promise pleasure to himself, but he had a secret
satisfaction in thinking how well his cousin and Lucia would get on
together if--
But then the recollection that he had left Cacouna in possession of Mr.
Percy came to interrupt the very commencement of a day dream.