Transcriber's note: Unusual and inconsistent spelling is as printed.
[Illustration: MR. BRISTOW STOPPED AND LOOKED
CURIOUSLY AT ARTHUR.]
Arthur's Inheritance
or
How He Conquered
BY
EMMA LESLIE
Author of "Gytha's Message," "How the Strike Began,"
"The Seed She Sowed," "Shucks," &c.
WITH THREE ILLUSTRATIONS BY PAUL HARDY
BLACKIE & SON LIMITED
LONDON, GLASGOW, AND DUBLIN
1901
CONTENTS
—————
CHAP.
I. A COUNTY FAMILY
II. A START IN LIFE
III. MRS. MURRAY
IV. HOW TO MAKE ENDS MEET
V. AN INVITATION
VI. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING
VII. LADY MARY
VIII. WHAT COULD SHE DO?
IX. A BLACK EYE
X. THE NEW RAILWAY
XI. WHAT DID HE MEAN?
XII. A SURPRISE FOR ARTHUR
XIII. A SHOCK FOR MR. ANDREWS
XIV. TURNING THE TABLES
ILLUSTRATIONS
—————
MR. BRISTOW STOPPED AND LOOKED CURIOUSLY AT ARTHUR—Frontis.
WENT ON INTO THE DINING-ROOM WHERE HIS SISTERS WERE SITTING AT WORK
THERE COULD BE NO DOUBT THAT THIS WAS THE MISSING LETTER
ARTHUR'S INHERITANCE
——————————
CHAPTER I
A COUNTY FAMILY
"WELL, I've done it, and if there should be a row, you girls must help
me to get out of it with the Mater."
The speaker was a tall, well-grown lad about fifteen. His two sisters
might have been a year older and a year younger, judging by their
looks. They were both sewing, but dropped their work as the lad seated
himself at the opposite side of the table.
"Oh, Arthur! What have you been doing now?" asked the elder sister,
with something like a sigh.
"What's this latest scrape, you bad boy?" said the other, shaking her
head and yet looking affectionately at her brother.
"Humph! Bad boy!" repeated Arthur. "That has to be proved, Miss Molly."
"Well, tell us what you have done, that we may judge," she said.
"I hope you have not forgotten that Mamma has already as much trouble
as she can bear," said the elder sister gravely.
"That's just it, Annie," said the lad in a changed tone. "I know that
Papa's death has changed everything for all of us, and that a lad like
me ought to be doing something to help."
"Well, of course that was settled, dear, and we are only waiting—"
"For something to turn up, like Mr. Micawber," interrupted her brother.
"No, Arthur, it isn't exactly like that," said Molly quickly, "for old
Mr. Best is looking out for you, besides some other friends."
"Yes! He has been looking out for the past six months; but as nobody
has been to him to ask if he can get them a boy, why, of course, he
hasn't heard of anything that will suit me; and so I've suited myself
without troubling him."
"Oh, Arthur! We cannot afford to offend old friends like that,"
protested his elder sister.
"Tell us what you have done, and don't beat about the bush any longer,"
said Molly impatiently.
"Well, I've got a place, a situation, an appointment, anything you like
to call it, at a shop in the town."
"At a shop!" almost gasped his elder sister, while Molly sat with
half-opened mouth, looking at Arthur in silence for a minute. At last
she managed to say, "What shop is it?"
"Oh! A fal-lal shop and a tailor's shop, where they sell everything
from a reel of cotton to a steam-engine."
"Oh! And are you going to be among your beloved steam-engines after
all?" said Molly, in a tone of relief.
"Oh, no! Reels of cotton will be more likely, I expect," said her
brother, trying to speak defiantly, but failing in the attempt.
"Now, just tell us straight out what you have done?" said Molly.
"Well, I am going as cashier to the Grand Emporium in London Road."
"Arthur, Mamma won't like that!" said the elder sister.
"I can't help it, Annie; there seems nothing else to be had. I have
waited six months for Mr. Best and the others to stir themselves, and I
can't wait any longer."
"But Mamma said a year longer at school would not hurt you," put in
Molly eagerly.
"Hurt me! Of course it wouldn't hurt me," said Arthur, "and I've
swatted as hard as any fellow since I've known about things. But the
fact is, we can't afford it. You two and Mamma are doing everything to
save money, why should I be the only one who is not to put his shoulder
to the wheel and make things move up a bit?"
"But a shop, Arthur! What will people say when they hear that one of
the Murrays has come down to a shop?" said Molly in a deprecating tone.
"Not much more than they say about us coming to live in a cottage with
one servant, and a shoe-boy to keep the garden tidy. Oh, don't you make
any mistake about it! Everybody has heard that we hardly know how to
make ends meet, and so I may as well go and earn ten shillings a week
to help as go to school and do the same sort of sums, for which Mamma
has to pay money she can ill afford. I don't believe the bill for my
last term has been paid yet," broke off Arthur, looking keenly at his
sister as he spoke.
"But it will be paid some day, and it can't make much difference to Dr.
Robinson whether you are there or not."
"Dr. Robinson makes his living by keeping school, of course, and so it
is little better than robbing him for me to keep on with my classes
there when I know that we cannot afford to pay the fees. Don't you see
that, Tabby?" he added, seeing that his little sister looked hurt.
"Has Dr. Robinson been saying anything about this to you?" said Annie
quickly.
"Humph! Dr. Robinson is a gentleman," replied Arthur. "Now let me tell
you what I have done to-day. You know, young Brading is one of the
fellows in my class, and he is not a bad sort either, though his father
does keep a shop. We two have been pretty chummy ever since he first
came, for I liked Jack, and I didn't care whether his father kept a
shop or a bank. I don't see where the difference comes in."
"Boys never do see that sort of thing," commented his sister.
"Perhaps not. Well, I had some fights with other fellows about Brading
before we settled it, for some of them were mean enough to send him to
Coventry, till I let them see a few of us wouldn't have it. So, being
chummy, Brading knew I was on the look-out for a situation, and this
morning he said to me: 'Murray, would you mind going into our shop? I
was to have taken the post myself if the fellow could have stopped a
bit longer, but he's going abroad, and must go at once. The Pater told
me about it last night, and when we'd had a talk, he told me I might
ask you to go and see him.' And so I went."
"And actually promised to go and serve reels of cotton in that shop?"
demanded his sister.
"Oh, well, I don't know about the cotton! Mr. Brading says my duties
will be in the counting-house under the accountant most of the time,
though I may occasionally have to help at the cashier's desk in the
shop. There! Now you know the best and the worst of it, and I hope
Hannah won't keep me much longer without my tea," concluded Arthur.
Molly sprang to her feet in a moment. "How stupid I am not to remember
that there is only one servant now! We told Hannah she might have a
half-holiday this afternoon, and forgot all about getting the tea. It
shall be ready soon," added Molly, as she went out of the room.
She was just stirring the kitchen fire and trying to make the kettle
boil when Arthur came in.
"I thought as much," he said, as he looked at the black grate. "Here,
let me have the wood while you set the things on the tray, and then I
will carry it into the dining-room while you cut the bread and butter.
Why shouldn't we learn to help ourselves?" he added, as he stirred the
little bit of fire into a blaze with the help of two or three sticks of
wood.
"Well, you are clever!" said Molly, when she heard the kettle singing
the next minute. "Hannah filled the scuttle with coals, and she said I
should want all of them to keep the fire going and make the kettle boil
for tea. But I forgot there was nobody out here to look after things,
and so it went quite low."
"And we have saved a scuttle of coals," remarked Arthur. "It will pay
to let Hannah have half-holidays if we save coals like that. Unless you
very much dislike getting tea ready," he added.
"But I don't, Arthur. You know I always do like doing things for
myself. I should not mind doing all the sweeping and dusting, if people
did not know; but you see, if people were to hear that we did not keep
even one servant it would be so dreadful!"
"For Mamma, you mean?"
"For all of us—you and all, Arthur. Oh, no, we could not do without a
servant! Though Hannah is very tiresome and wastes things dreadfully.
But is it quite settled that you are going to this shop? I can see
Annie is very much upset about it, and I do think we ought to study our
friends a little; don't you, dear?"
"Yes, I do, if we can manage it; but then if we can't, what then?"
"Oh, but you could go and tell this Mr. Brading that your friends did
not wish you to accept this appointment—and—and—"
"But look here, Molly. You say you must keep a servant, and that she
wastes things dreadfully. Don't you see that what I can earn will help
to pay for what Hannah wastes?"
"You ridiculous boy! As though we should let you do that!" exclaimed
Molly, as she poured the boiling water into the tea-pot.
"Boy!" repeated Arthur. "You forget that I am assistant-accountant
to the great emporium of Brading and Co. Boy, indeed! I ought to be
growing up by this time at any rate."
They were both laughing when they carried the tea into the dining-room,
but Annie was still looking very grave.
"Have you been to tell Mamma?" asked Molly.
"Not yet. She is a little put-out because tea is so late. It was very
careless of both of us."
"It was my fault," said Molly, "for I promised to do Hannah's work; and
so I will take Mamma's tea up to her, and then I can explain."
While she was speaking Molly went to the chiffonier cupboard, but could
not find what she wanted. "Didn't you order some biscuits yesterday,
Annie?" she asked, as she peered into the corners.
"Oh, never mind the biscuits! Mamma will like bread and butter to-day."
"Shall I carry the tray up for you?" said Arthur, as he opened the door
for his sister.
"No, no; Molly had better go. You might upset Mamma," interrupted Annie.
Mrs. Murray was an invalid, and had all her meals in her own
sitting-room upstairs, seldom taking any part in the family life. It
had always been so, as long as Arthur could remember. Occasionally
friends would call and spend a few hours with her, and her two
daughters of course spent a good deal of their time in her room; but
since she had been obliged to give up the attendance and company of
her own private maid, she had been fairly content with her two Persian
cats, who always had their quarters in her sitting-room, sharing their
mistress's meals for the most part. It was for these favourites that
the biscuits were wanted, and Molly knew there would be complaining
when her mother saw there was only bread and butter on the tray.
"Poor Tuffy and Bob have been wanting their tea for the last hour,"
said Mrs. Murray, merging her own complaint into that of her pets, as
they came purring round at the sight of Molly and the tray.
"It is all my fault, Mamma, that tea is so late; I promised to see to
Hannah's work, and forgot all about it."
"I don't blame you, Molly. Of course we never can do with only one
servant, and I told Annie so from the first. You have forgotten the
biscuits," she added sharply, as she looked over the tray. "My poor
Tuffy, they never think of you!" added the lady.
"There are no biscuits in the house, Mamma, and—and so we thought the
cats might have a piece of bread and butter for once."
"Cats!" exclaimed the lady. "If they were mere cats, and not my pets
and companions, they might be expected to eat common food, but you know
they are dainty and delicate as I am myself, and they cannot eat what
mere cats could."
"But, Mamma, Annie said last week that we were using too many biscuits
in the house now."
For answer Mrs. Murray burst into tears. "Take the tray away," she
said; "I cannot eat and see my pets starve."
For once the girl's bright face clouded, and she felt as though she
would like to kick the pampered beasts. She ventured to break off a
piece of the thin bread and butter, and try to coax one of the cats to
eat it while her mother was sobbing. But the cat sniffed disdainfully
at it, and then uttered a plaintive mew to attract her mistress's
attention.
"What are you doing to the poor thing?" said Mrs. Murray, removing the
pocket-handkerchief from her face. "Take the tray away," she repeated,
"I do not want anything now."
"Oh, Mamma, do try to eat something!" said Molly pleadingly. "Annie
will be so upset if I take the tray down,—and—and there are other
things to worry about besides cats," blurted out Molly.
"Then you and Annie must manage it between you, for I cannot bear any
more trouble;" and the invalid turned her head on her silk pillow and
subsided into gentle sobs.
Molly did not move the tray, but sat down beside her mother, and tried
to soothe her much as she would a sick child. But she could not coax
her to have any tea, and when she heard Arthur's footstep approaching,
she took up the tray and hurried out to meet him, fur fear he should
say anything that would disturb her mother still more.
"I was just coming to see what was the matter," he said, taking the
tray from her hands. "What is it?" he asked, seeing the tea and bread
and butter had scarcely been touched.
"Oh, nothing much! Only Mamma is not quite well, and I am afraid we
shall not be able to tell her your news to-night."
Molly took care not to give her brother the chance of going into the
room to say a word about it, but she and Annie tried all their powers
of persuasion to induce him to tell Mr. Brading that he could not
accept the situation, as his friends did not think it good enough for
the son of a county gentleman.
Arthur listened to all the arguments they brought forward with as
much patience as he could muster. But at last he said, "Look here,
if you were a boy like me, and not a couple of girls brought up in
cotton-wool, for fear you should hear a word of the truth about things,
you would know that the Murrays, if they are a county family, have been
going downhill for years and years. People say that Papa ought to have
given up the old house long before he did,—and—and—"
But there Arthur stopped, for he had resolved that neither mother nor
sisters should hear the hard words that had been said, if he could
prevent it, and so he sat silent for a minute, while Molly shed a few
quiet tears over what she deemed her brother's obstinacy and general
wrongheadedness.
"I don't think Dr. Robinson ought to take such boys as this young
Brading," she said at last.
"Brading is every bit as good as we are," cried Arthur indignantly.
"I suppose you will allow us to have our own opinion about that," said
his elder sister rather stiffly.
She and Molly began clearing the tea-things away, and when that was
done, Annie went to sit with her mother, and tried to coax her into a
more cheerful mood.
Molly stayed in the kitchen to wash up the tea-things, and Arthur took
up a book, but by the time Molly came back he had forgotten his anger,
and was ready to listen to the complaints against Tuffy and Bob.
"Mamma doesn't like to hear them called cats, she is so fond of them,
and won't let them eat common food; but the fact is, Arthur, we can't
afford to pay tenpence a pound for biscuits for them."
"But you can buy cheaper ones," said her brother quickly, "I have seen
them in the shop windows for half that price. If that is what has upset
Mamma, I'll soon put things straight, and then when you have settled
things to the satisfaction of the tabbies, just say a word for me, like
a dear girl."
He did not wait to hear what his sister answered, but dashed out to buy
some cheap biscuits out of his own pocket-money, and then Molly was
sent upstairs with them on a delicate china plate.
But on the stairs she met her sister coming down. "Mamma thinks she
could eat a filleted sole," she said with something like a weary sigh.
Molly turned back with her to the dining-room, still carrying Arthur's
peace-offering.
"Won't the pampered beasts eat them?" he asked, when he saw that the
biscuits had not been touched.
"I have not tried them yet," said Molly, "but if Mamma has made up her
mind that they are to have filleted sole, she is not likely to let them
eat cheap biscuits."
Annie's eyes were full of unshed tears as she asked Arthur if he would
go to the fishmonger's for her.
"But—but—you cannot afford to buy sole at two shillings a pound to feed
cats, even if they are Persians and Mamma's."
"Now, Arthur, you don't know anything about housekeeping, and so you
must leave me to manage all that. Mamma is very poorly this evening,
and has had no tea, but she thinks she could eat a little bit of sole
if I cooked it for her myself, so do go to the fishmonger's for me and
try to get what she fancies."
Molly went with him to the street door. "If it was for Mamma herself, I
should not mind so much," she whispered, "but I shall do those cats a
mischief one of these days, I am afraid."
"Make haste, Arthur," said his elder sister at the same moment.
And Arthur ran down the little garden path, his mind filled with a new
thought that he almost hated himself for harbouring, and yet it would
press itself upon his attention, try as he would to put it away from
him.