Kingsworth was a moderate-sized old-fashioned house, standing amid bare
undulating downs above a low line of chalky cliffs and looking over the
sea. It was enclosed in a piece of barren down, which young half-grown
trees were struggling to turn into a park--trees that the wind blew all
in one direction, and forced into strange shapes and attitudes. Almost
on the edge of the cliff was a bit of ruined tower, and down below the
slope or the park and sheltered by the hill from the wind was a little
village, untidy rather than picturesque.
The rooms in Kingsworth House were small and dark; the situation, save
in sparkling sunshine, was bleak and dreary; yet its possession had been
the aim of a whole life's work--and would be a matter of infinite
importance to those whose fortunes these pages are intended to follow.
Kingsworth House had once been Kingsworth Castle, when the ruined tower
had been whole and inhabited, and the family traditions were both
ancient and honourable. But early in the 18th century, between
political changes and personal extravagance Walter Kingsworth was
ruined, and the family place sold to a stranger. He left two sons, who
set to work in various ways to earn their living. The younger went into
trade; in due time his family made their fortune, and his grandson
fulfilled a long-standing ambition and bought back the family place.
Their old house had been pulled down and the present one built by the
intermediate owners; but the Kingsworths of Kingsworth came back very
naturally to their place in the county, the rich merchant's son closed
his connection with the business that had made his father's fortune--and
the two young men, the purchaser's grandsons, who were lounging about in
the little dark library one windy sunny March morning, had no thought
but that their family place was an inalienable inheritance.
With the elder branch of the Kingsworths they had only a little
occasional intercourse, as these were settled far away in the North at a
place called Silthorpe, where they were solicitors of good standing, and
with a large business. The Kingsworths were fair fresh-coloured people,
with dark eyes and aquiline noses. They were slightly made and mostly
of middle height, and were proud of their resemblance to the family
type. James, the elder of those two brothers, was the handsomer, and
George the more thoughtful looking of the two. He was writing a letter;
while his brother, turning over the newspaper, looking out of window,
and idly stirring the fire, seemed rather at a loss for some amusement.
"I declare, George," he said, presently, "I am lost in admiration of
your good luck."
"Well," said George, good-humouredly, "if you think I am lucky I am the
last person to deny it. I am--successful."
"That _you_ should have succeeded in engaging yourself to an heiress! a
lady, and a very handsome girl into the bargain. Why--if _I_ could have
done such a thing, _then_ I should have won pardon for all my offences,
retrieved my character for good sense, got my debts paid--"
"With the heiress's money?"
"No, no, don't you suppose my father would pay them twenty times over if
I had done such a clever thing as to get engaged to Miss Lacy?"
"You don't seem to give my father much reason to think there is any use
in paying them," said George, gravely.
James shrugged his shoulders, then said abruptly, "Where shall you live
after your marriage?"
"I believe," returned George, as he sealed his letter, "that my father,
feeling the want of a mistress to his house, is very anxious that we
should live here. Mary would be like a daughter to him."
James' brow darkened. "I don't think I like that arrangement," he said
shortly. "I should find myself _de trop_."
"Well, James," said the younger brother, "I should think that you would
find your visits at home much more comfortable if you were not
tete-a-tete with my father."
"Perhaps. But I thought I had heard something of a government
appointment?"
"Yes," said George, with some hesitation. "But my father needs some one
to help him in all the business of the estate, and he offers me a sort
of agency of it. Don't be angry, Jem, I can assure you that your
interests shall in no way suffer."
"I suppose my father wouldn't trust _me_."
"Well--do you think he could?"
James Kingsworth started up at this unanswerable question, and walked
over to the window. Alas, there was a long story of extravagance and
disobedience, there had been evidence of fatal weakness of character,
and of culpable indifference to the father's wishes and feelings, before
things had come to their present pass. Who could blame the father who
had been so deeply disappointed in his elder son, if he turned for
support to the younger one? who could blame George because he did not
share in his brother's well deserved disgrace?
James Kingsworth was ordinarily callous and indifferent to the pain his
transgressions caused to others, nor would he ever confess to the
suffering they must frequently have caused himself. Now, however, he
was evidently hit hard, the step his father had taken showed him how
entirely his respect was forfeited; and though the brothers had never
been otherwise than friendly, there was a gleam of distrust in James'
eyes, which George felt to be unjustifiable. Had he not often smoothed
over difficulties, and prevented useless explanations that could only
lead to passionate scenes between the father and the son? For what a
cruel disappointment this eldest born had been to the ambitious man who
had shared so earnestly in _his_ father's desire to reinstate their
family in their ancient honour and high place!
Nothing more passed between the brothers. They were cool-tempered
people and rarely came to words. George was too fortunate, too sure of
himself, and too happy in his bright prospects to waste anger on his
brother, and James had that kind of nonchalance which is a very bad
imitation of a forgiving nature.
He strolled out now into the March sunshine and looked about him. He
was supposed to dislike Kingsworth, and annoyed his father frequently,
by complaints of the cold wind, and the bleak downs, the old-fashioned
house, and the general inferiority of the estate. Now he looked round
at the chalky downs, the sparkling water, the pale blue sky, and wished,
rather vaguely, perhaps, that his way lay clearer to the peaceful useful
life proper to its owner. He had constantly refused to take any
interest in the management of the estate, but none the better did he
like that his brother should be in any sense the master of it.
Mr Kingsworth, however, was a man who pursued his own course,
consulting nobody, and the arrangement was made. James was to receive
his usual allowance, and George was to assist his father in the
management of the estate.
"Provided," Mr Kingsworth said punctiliously, "that the young lady whom
he had chosen had no objection to make to the proposal."
Mary Lacy was a tall, dark-eyed girl, graceful and distinguished, with a
cultivated mind and strong enthusiastic temper.
George went to see her, and told her of the plan proposed. Their home,
he said, "had been lonely since their mother's death, and his father
required both her presence within the house, and his assistance about
the estate."
Miss Lacy listened, thoughtfully. "You think we are so much wanted as
to make this a duty?" she said.
"Don't you like the notion, Mary?" said George, surprised.
"I should like it very much," said Mary, with clear directness, "if you
were the eldest and the heir. But as it is, I think I want you to make
a career for yourself. But oh, George, I am ashamed of being so selfish
and worldly-minded. Of course we must do it if your father wants us.
And, don't you think, don't you think, George, that if Kingsworth was
very bright and cheerful, it would be better for your brother too?"
"I am quite sure that every one will be the better for having you there,
my dearest!"
"I will try, I will try my very best to have it so," said Mary,
earnestly.
What better could she wish than to help her husband to sacrifice his
natural desire for an independent career to his father's need? she would
be wealthy, and her marriage settlements were to be handsome, there was
no difficulty on that score, but she was ambitious enough to feel that
the choice was a sacrifice, and enthusiastic enough to glory in being
able to think of George as a hero, worthy of the good old Kingsworth
name. So when the honeymoon was over, the bride came home, a young
light-hearted creature, spite of her lofty carriage and shy manners,
ready to love and respect her new relations, and with a specially kind
thought, and as kind a look as her bashfulness permitted for James, who
was to be helped to reform by his good brother, and reinstated in his
father's favour.
James admired her very much. As he said, he could not have the luck to
fix his affections on so undeniable an object. He had a very different
ideal in his mind. What would his father say to the pretty penniless
nursery governess, who had won his affections? He did not care what his
father _said_, but he did care for what his father did, and a vague idea
crossed his mind that his new sister-in-law might be a kind and generous
ally.
She, on her side, felt that in setting these family disturbances right,
she would find an object worthy of all her energies, and one only to be
accomplished by herself living up to the strong Church principles and
religious motives which, adopted perhaps as a matter of taste or
education, were now to be tested by the trials of real life.