THE MARRABLES OF DUNRIPPLE.
"If I were to go, there would be nobody left but you. You should
remember that, Walter, when you talk of going to India." This was
said to Walter Marrable at Dunripple, by his cousin Gregory, Sir
Gregory's only son.
"And if I were to die in India, as I probably shall, who will come
next?"
"There is nobody to come next for the title."
"But for the property?"
"As it stands at present, if you and I were to die before your father
and uncle John, the survivor of them would be the last in the entail.
If they, too, died, and the survivor of us all left no will, the
property would go to Mary Lowther. But that is hardly probable. When
my grandfather made the settlement, on my father's marriage, he had
four sons living."
"Should my father have the handling of it I would not give much for
anybody's chance after him," said Walter.
"If you were to marry there would, of course, be a new settlement
as to your rights. Your father could do no harm except as your
heir,--unless, indeed, he were heir to us all. My uncle John will
outlive him, probably."
"My uncle John will live for ever, I should think," said Walter
Marrable.
This conversation took place between the two cousins when Walter
had been already two or three weeks at Dunripple. He had come there
intending to stay over two or three days, and he had already accepted
an invitation to make the house his home as long as he should remain
in England. He had known but little of his uncle and nothing of his
cousin, before this visit was made. He had conceived them to be
unfriendly to him, having known them to be always unfriendly to his
father. He was, of course, aware,--very well aware now, since he had
himself suffered so grievously from his father's dishonesty,--that
the enmity which had reached them from Dunripple had been well
deserved. Colonel Marrable had, as a younger brother, never been
content with what he was able to extract from the head of the family,
who was, in his eyes, a milch cow that never ought to run dry. With
Walter Marrable there had remained a feeling adverse to his uncle and
cousin, even after he had been forced to admit to himself how many
and how grievous were the sins of his own father. He had believed
that the Dunripple people were stupid, and prejudiced, and selfish;
and it had only been at the instance of his uncle, the parson, that
he had consented to make the visit. He had gone there, and had been
treated, at any rate, with affectionate consideration. And he had
found the house to be not unpleasant, though very quiet. Living at
Dunripple there was a Mrs. Brownlow, a widowed sister of the late
Lady Marrable, with her daughter, Edith Brownlow. Previous to this
time Walter Marrable had never even heard of the Brownlows, so little
had he known about Dunripple; and when he arrived there it had been
necessary to explain to him who these people were.
He had found his uncle, Sir Gregory, to be much such a man as he had
expected in outward appearance and mode of life. The baronet was old
and disposed to regard himself as entitled to all the indulgences
of infirmity. He rose late, took but little exercise, was very
particular about what he ate, and got through his day with the
assistance of his steward, his novel, and occasionally of his doctor.
He slept a great deal, and was never tired of talking of himself.
Occupation in life he had none, but he was a charitable, honourable
man, who had high ideas of what was due to others. His son, however,
had astonished Walter considerably. Gregory Marrable the younger
was a man somewhat over forty, but he looked as though he were
sixty. He was very tall and thin, narrow in the chest, and so round
in the shoulders as to appear to be almost humpbacked. He was so
short-sighted as to be nearly blind, and was quite bald. He carried
his head so forward that it looked as though it were going to fall
off. He shambled with his legs, which seemed never to be strong
enough to carry him from one room to another; and he tried them by no
other exercise, for he never went outside the house except when, on
Sundays and some other very rare occasions, he would trust himself to
be driven in a low pony-phaeton. But in one respect he was altogether
unlike his father. His whole time was spent among his books, and he
was at this moment engaged in revising and editing a very long and
altogether unreadable old English chronicle in rhyme, for publication
by one of those learned societies which are rife in London. Of Robert
of Gloucester, and William Langland, of Andrew of Wyntown and the
Lady Juliana Berners, he could discourse, if not with eloquence, at
least with enthusiasm. Chaucer was his favourite poet, and he was
supposed to have read the works of Gower in English, French, and
Latin. But he was himself apparently as old as one of his own
black-letter volumes, and as unfit for general use. Walter could
hardly regard him as a cousin, declaring to himself that his uncle
the parson, and his own father were, in effect, younger men than the
younger Gregory Marrable. He was never without a cough, never well,
never without various ailments and troubles of the flesh,--of which,
however, he himself made but slight account, taking them quite as a
matter of course. With such inmates the house no doubt would have
been dull, had there not been women there to enliven it.
By degrees, too, and not by slow degrees, the new comer found that
he was treated as one of the family,--found that, after a certain
fashion, he was treated as the heir to the family. Between him and
the title and the estate there were but the lives of four old men.
Why had he not known that this was so before he had allowed himself
to be separated from Mary Lowther? But he had known nothing of
it,--had thought not at all about it. There had been another
Marrable, of the same generation with himself, between him and
the succession, who might marry and have children, and he had not
regarded his heirship as being likely to have any effect, at any rate
upon his early life. It had never occurred to him that he need not go
to India, because he would probably outlive four old gentlemen and
become Sir Walter Marrable and owner of Dunripple.
Nor would he have looked at the matter in that light now had not his
cousin forced the matter upon him. Not a word was said to him at
Dunripple about Mary Lowther, but very many words were said about his
own condition. Gregory Marrable strongly advised him against going to
India,--so strongly that Walter was surprised to find that such a man
would have so much to say on such a subject. The young captain, in
such circumstances, could not very well explain that he was driven
to follow his profession in a fashion so disagreeable to him because,
although he was heir to Dunripple, he was not near enough to it to be
entitled to any allowance from its owner; but he felt that that would
have been the only true answer when it was proposed to him to stay
in England because he would some day become Sir Walter Marrable. But
he did plead the great loss which he had encountered by means of his
father's ill-treatment of him, and endeavoured to prove to his cousin
that there was no alternative before him but to serve in some quarter
of the globe in which his pay would be sufficient for his wants.
"Why should you not sell out, or go on half-pay, and remain here and
marry Edith Brownlow?" said his cousin.
"I don't think I could do that," said Walter, slowly.
"Why not? There is nothing my father would like so much." Then he
was silent for awhile, but, as his cousin made no further immediate
reply, Gregory Marrable went on with his plan. "Ten years ago, when
she was not much more than a little girl, and when it was first
arranged that she should come here, my father proposed--that I should
marry her."
"And why didn't you?"
The elder cousin smiled and shook his head, and coughed aloud as
he smiled. "Why not, indeed? Well; I suppose you can see why not.
I was an old man almost before she was a young woman. She is just
twenty-four now, and I shall be dead, probably, in two years' time."
"Nonsense."
"Twice since that time I have been within an inch of dying. At any
rate, even my father does not look to that any longer."
"Is he fond of Miss Brownlow?"
"There is no one in the world whom he loves so well. Of course an old
man loves a young woman best. It is natural that he should do so. He
never had a daughter; but Edith is the same to him as his own child.
Nothing would please him so much as that she should be the mistress
of Dunripple."
"I'm afraid that it cannot be so," said Walter.
"But why not? There need be no India for you then. If you would do
that you would be to my father exactly as though you were his son.
Your father might, of course, outlive my father, and no doubt will
outlive me, and then for his life he will have the place, but some
arrangement could be made so that you should continue here."
"I'm afraid it cannot be so," said Walter. Many thoughts were passing
through his mind. Why had he not known that these good things were so
near to him before he had allowed Mary Lowther to go off from him?
And, had it chanced that he had visited Dunripple before he had gone
to Loring, how might it have been between him and this other girl?
Edith Brownlow was not beautiful, not grand in her beauty as was
Mary Lowther; but she was pretty, soft, lady-like, with a sweet dash
of quiet pleasant humour,--a girl who certainly need not be left
begging about the world for a husband. And this life at Dunripple was
pleasant enough. Though the two elder Marrables were old and infirm,
Walter was allowed to do just as he pleased in the house. He was
encouraged to hunt. There was shooting for him if he wished it. Even
the servants about the place, the gamekeeper, the groom, and the old
butler, seemed to have recognised him as the heir. There would have
been so comfortable an escape from the dilemma into which his father
had brought him,--had he not made his visit to Loring.
"Why not?" demanded Gregory Marrable.
"A man cannot become attached to a girl by order, and what right have
I to suppose that she would accept me?"
"Of course she would accept you. Why not? Everybody around her would
be in your favour. And as to not falling in love with her, I declare
I do not know a sweeter human being in the world than Edith
Brownlow."
Before the hunting season was over Captain Marrable had abandoned
his intention of going to India, and had made arrangements for
serving for awhile with his regiment in England. This he did after a
discussion of some length with his uncle, Sir Gregory. During that
discussion nothing was said about Edith Brownlow, and of course, not
a word was said about Mary Lowther. Captain Marrable did not even
know whether his uncle or his cousin was aware that that engagement
had ever existed. Between him and his uncle there had never been an
allusion to his marriage, but the old man had spoken of his nearness
to the property, and had expressed his regret that the last heir,
the only heir likely to perpetuate the name and title, should take
himself to India in the pride of his life. He made no offer as to
money, but he told his nephew that there was a home for him if he
would give up his profession, or a retreat whenever his professional
duties might allow him to visit it. Horses should be kept for him,
and he should be treated in every way as a son of the family.
"Take my father at his word," said Gregory Marrable. "He will never
let you be short of money."
After much consideration Walter Marrable did take Sir Gregory at his
word, and abandoned for ever all idea of a further career in India.
As soon as he had done this he wrote to Mary Lowther to inform her of
his decision. "It does seem hard," he said in his letter, "that an
arrangement which is in so many respects desirable, should not have
been compatible with one which is so much more desirable." But he
made no renewed offer. Indeed he felt that he could not do so at the
present moment, in honesty either to his cousin or to his uncle, as
he had accepted their hospitality and acceded to the arrangements
which they had proposed without any word on his part of such
intention. A home had been offered to him at Dunripple,--to him in
his present condition, but certainly not a home to any wife whom
he might bring there, nor a home to the family which might come
afterwards. He thought that he was doing the best that he could with
himself by remaining in England, and the best also towards a possible
future renewal of his engagement with Mary Lowther. But of that he
said nothing in his letter to her. He merely told her the fact as it
regarded himself, and told that somewhat coldly. Of Edith Brownlow,
and of the proposition in regard to her, of course he said nothing.
It was the intention both of Sir Gregory and his son that the new
inmate of the house should marry Edith. The old man, who, up to a
late date had with weak persistency urged the match upon his son,
had taken up the idea from the very first arrival of his nephew
at Dunripple. Such an arrangement would solve all the family
difficulties, and would enable him to provide for Edith as though she
were indeed his daughter. He loved Edith dearly, but he could not
bear that she should leave Dunripple, and it had grieved him sorely
when he reflected that in coming years Dunripple must belong to
relatives of whom he knew nothing that was good, and that Edith
Brownlow must be banished from the house. If his son would have
married Edith, all might have been well, but even Sir Gregory was at
last aware that no such marriage as that could take place. Then had
come the quarrel between the Colonel and the Captain, and the latter
had been taken into favour. Colonel Marrable would not have been
allowed to put his foot inside Dunripple House, so great was the
horror which he had created. And the son had been feared too as long
as the father and son were one. But now the father, who had treated
the whole family vilely, had treated his own son most vilely, and
therefore the son had been received with open arms. If only he could
be trusted with Edith,--and if Edith and he might be made to trust
each other,--all might be well. Of the engagement between Walter and
Mary Lowther no word had ever reached Dunripple. Twice or thrice
in the year a letter would pass between Parson John and his nephew,
Gregory Marrable, but such letters were very short, and the parson
was the last man in the world to spread the tittle-tattle of a
love-story. He had always known that that affair would lead to
nothing, and that the less said about it the better.
Walter Marrable was to join his regiment at Windsor before the end
of April. When he wrote to Mary Lowther to tell her of his plans he
had only a fortnight longer for remaining in idleness at Dunripple.
The hunting was over, and his life was simply idle. He perceived, or
thought that he perceived, that all the inmates of the house, and
especially his uncle, expected that he would soon return to them,
and that they spoke of his work of soldiering as of a thing that
was temporary. Mrs. Brownlow, who was a quiet woman, very reticent,
and by no means inclined to interfere with things not belonging to
her, had suggested that he would soon be with them again, and the
housekeeper had given him to understand that his room was not to be
touched. And then, too, he thought that he saw that Edith Brownlow
was specially left in his way. If that were so it was necessary that
the eyes of some one of the Dunripple party should be opened to the
truth.
He was walking home with Miss Brownlow across the park from church
one Sunday morning. Sir Gregory never went to church; his age was
supposed to be too great, or his infirmities too many. Mrs. Brownlow
was in the pony carriage driving her nephew, and Walter Marrable was
alone with Edith. There had been some talk of cousinship,--of the
various relationships of the family, and the like,--and of the way
in which the Marrables were connected. They two, Walter and Edith,
were not cousins. She was related to the family only by her aunt's
marriage, and yet, as she said, she had always heard more of the
Marrables than of the Brownlows.
[Illustration: Sunday Morning at Dunripple.]
"You never saw Mary Lowther?" Walter asked.
"Never."
"But you have heard of her?"
"I just know her name,--hardly more. The last time your uncle was
here,--Parson John, we were talking of her. He made her out to be
wonderfully beautiful."
"That was as long ago as last summer," said the Captain, reflecting
that his uncle's account had been given before he and Mary Lowther
had seen each other.
"Oh, yes;--ever so long ago."
"She is wonderfully beautiful."
"You know her, then, Captain Marrable?"
"I know her very well. In the first place, she is my cousin."
"But ever so distant?"
"We are not first cousins. Her mother was a daughter of General
Marrable, who was a brother of Sir Gregory's father."
"It is so hard to understand, is it not? She is wonderfully
beautiful, is she?"
"Indeed, she is."
"And she is your cousin--in the first place. What is she in the
second place?"
He was not quite sure whether he wished to tell the story or not.
The engagement was broken, and it might be a question whether, as
regarded Mary, he had a right to tell it; and, then, if he did
tell it, would not his reason for doing so be apparent? Was it not
palpable that he was expected to marry this girl, and that she would
understand that he was explaining to her that he did not intend to
carry out the general expectation of the family? And, then, was he
sure that it might not be possible for him at some future time to do
as he was desired?
"I meant to say that, as I was staying at Loring, of course I met her
frequently. She is living with a certain old Miss Marrable, whom you
will meet some day."
"I have heard of her, but I don't suppose I ever shall meet her. I
never go anywhere. I don't suppose there are such stay-at-home people
in the world as we are."
"Why don't you get Sir Gregory to ask them here?"
"Both he and my cousin are so afraid of having strange women in
the house; you know, we never have anybody here; your coming has
been quite an event. Old Mrs. Potter seems to think that an era of
dissipation is to be commenced because she has been called upon to
open so many pots of jam to make pies for you."
"I'm afraid I have been very troublesome."
"Awfully troublesome. You can't think of all that had to be said and
done about the stables! Do you have your oats bruised? Even I was
consulted about that. Most of the people in the parish are quite
disappointed because you don't go about in your full armour."
"I'm afraid it's too late now."
"I own I was a little disappointed myself when you came down to
dinner without a sword. You can have no idea in what a state of rural
simplicity we live here. Would you believe it?--for ten years I have
never seen the sea, and have never been into any town bigger than
Worcester,--unless Hereford be bigger. We did go once to the festival
at Hereford. We have not managed Gloucester yet."
"You've never seen London?"
"Not since I was twelve years old. Papa died when I was fourteen,
and I came here almost immediately afterwards. Fancy, ten years at
Dunripple! There is not a tree or a stone I don't know, and of course
not a face in the parish."
She was very nice; but it was out of the question that she should
ever become his wife. He had thought that he might explain this to
herself by letting her know that he had within the last few months
become engaged to, and had broken his engagement with, his cousin,
Mary Lowther. But he found that he could not do it. In the first
place, she would understand more than he meant her to understand if
he made the attempt. She would know that he was putting her on her
guard, and would take it as an insult. And then he could not bring
himself to talk about Mary Lowther, and to tell their joint secrets.
He was discontented with himself and with Dunripple, and he repented
that he had yielded in respect to his Indian service. Everything had
gone wrong with him. Had he refused to accede to Mary's proposition
for a separation, and had he come to Dunripple as an engaged man, he
might, he thought, have reconciled his uncle,--or at least his Cousin
Gregory,--to his marriage with Mary. But he did not see his way back
to that position now, having been entertained at his uncle's house as
his uncle's heir for so long a time without having mentioned it.
At last he went off to Windsor, sad at heart, having received from
Mary an answer to his letter, which he felt to be very cold, very
discreet, and very unsatisfactory. She had merely expressed a fervent
wish that whether he went to India or whether he remained in England,
he might be prosperous and happy. The writer evidently intended that
the correspondence should not be continued.