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The Trial

C >> Charlotte M. Yonge >> The Trial




Thus she carried off Mary in her barouche to support her in the
return of bridal calls, while the others were organizing a walk to
visit Flora and the rifle target. Gertrude's enthusiasm was not
equal to walking with a weapon that might be loaded, nor to being
ordered out to admire the practice, so she accompanied the sisters;
Tom was reading hard; and Ethel found herself, Aubrey, and the
sailor, the only ones ready to start.

This was a decided treat, for Aubrey and she were so nearly one, that
it was almost a tete-a-tete with Harry, though it was not his way to
enter by daylight, and without strong impulse, on what regarded
himself, and there were no such confidences as those to Mary on the
previous night; but in talking over home details, it was easier to
speak without Tom's ironical ears and caustic tongue.

Among other details, the story of the summer that Ethel and Aubrey
had spent at Coombe was narrated, and Aubrey indulged himself by
describing what he called Ethel's conquest.

'It is more a conquest of Norman's, and of Melanesia,' said Ethel.
'If it were not nonsense to build upon people's generous visions at
seventeen, I should sometimes hope a spark had been lit that would
shine some day in your islands, Harry.'

Going up that hill was not the place for Etheldred May to talk of the
futility of youthful aspirations, but it did not so strike either of
the brothers, to whom Cocksmoor had long been a familiar fact. Harry
laughed to hear the old Ethel so like herself; and Aubrey said, 'By
the bye, what did you do, the day you walked him to Cocksmoor? he was
fuller of those islands than ever after it.'

'I did not mean it,' said Ethel; 'but the first day of the holidays I
came on him disconsolate in the street, with nothing to do, and very
sore about Henry's refusal to let him volunteer; he walked on with me
till we found ourselves close to Cocksmoor, and I found he had never
seen the church, and would like to stay for evening service, so I put
him into the parsonage while I was busy, and told him to take a
book.'

'I know,' said Aubrey; 'the liveliest literature you can get in
Richard's parlour are the Missionary Reports.'

'Exactly so; and he got quite saturated with them; and when we walked
home, I was so thankful that the rifle grievance should be a little
displaced, that I led him on to talk and build castles rather more
than according to my resolutions.'

'Hollo, Ethel!' said Harry.

'Yes, I think spontaneous castles are admirable, but I mistrust all
timber from other people's woods.'

'But isn't this a horrid shame of Henry?' said Aubrey. 'Such a
little prig as he is, to take the place of such a fellow as Leonard,
a capital shot already.'

'I wish Henry had been magnanimous,' said Ethel.

'I'd as soon talk of a magnanimous weasel, from what I recollect,'
said Harry.

'And he is worse now, Harry,' continued Aubrey. 'So spruce and silky
out of doors, and such a regular old tyrannical bachelor indoors. He
is jealous of Leonard, any one can see, and that's the reason he
won't give him his due.'

'You observe,' said Ethel, 'that this boy thinks the youngest
brother's due is always to come first.'

'So it is, in this family,' said Harry. 'No one comes so last as old
Ritchie.'

'But of course,' said Aubrey, rather taken aback, 'if I were not
youngest, I should have to knock under to some one.'

Ethel and Harry both laughed heartily; one congratulating him on not
having carried the principle into the cockpit, the other adding,
'Don't indoctrinate Leonard with it; there is enough already to breed
bitterness between those brothers! Leonard ought to be kept in mind
that Henry has so much to harass him, that his temper should be borne
patiently with.'

'He!'

'I don't think papa's best endeavours have kept all his father's
practice for him, and I am sure their rate of living must make him
feel pinched this Christmas.'

'Whew! He will be in a sweeter humour than ever!'

'I have been trying to show Leonard that there's room for magnanimity
on his side at least; and don't you go and upset it all by common-
place abuse of tutors and governors.'

'I upset it!' cried Aubrey: 'I might as well try to upset the Minster
as a word from you to Leonard.'

'Nonsense! What's that?' For they were hailed from behind, and
looking round saw two tall figures, weapon in hand, in pursuit. They
proved to be Hector Ernescliffe and Leonard Ward, each bearing one of
what Dr. May called the H. E. rifles; but Leonard looked half shy,
half grim, and so decidedly growled off all Aubrey's attempts at
inquiry or congratulation, that Ethel hazarded none, and Aubrey
looked discomfited, wearing an expression which Harry took to mean
that the weight of his rifle fatigued him, and insisted on carrying
it for him, in, spite of his rather insulted protests and
declarations that the sailor was an invalid; Ethel had walked
forwards, and found Leonard at her side, with a darkening brow as he
glanced back at the friendly contest.

'Harry spoils Aubrey as much as all the others do,' said Ethel
lightly, deeming it best to draw out the sting of the rankling
thought.

'Ay! None of them would leave him to be pitied and offered favours
by some chance person,' said Leonard.

'You don't call my brother Hector a chance person?'

'Did you say anything to him, Miss May?' said Leonard, turning on her
a flushed face, as if he could almost have been angered with her.

'I said not one word.'

'Nor Aubrey?'

'The volunteer politics were discussed last night, and Henry got
abused among us; but papa defended him, and said it did not rain
rifles. That's all--whatever Hector may have done was without a word
to either of us--very likely on the moment's impulse. Did he go to
Bankside after you?'

'No. I was looking in at Shearman's window,' said Leonard, rather
sheepishly, 'at the locks of the new lot he has got in, and he came
and asked if I were going to choose one, for he had got a couple down
from London, and the man had stupidly put his cipher on both, so he
would be glad if I would take one off his hands. I didn't accept--I
made that clear--but then he begged, as if it was to oblige him, that
I would come out to Abbotstoke and help him try the two, for he
didn't know which he should keep.'

'Very ingenious of him,' said Ethel laughing.

'Now, Miss May, do tell me what I ought to do. It is such a beauty,
better than any Shearman ever dreamt of; just look: at the finish of
the lock.'

'By the time you have shot with it--'

'Now don't, pray,' said Leonard, 'I haven't any one to trust for
advice but you.'

'Indeed, Leonard, I can see no objection. It is a great boon to you,
and no loss to Hector, and he is quite enough my father's son for you
to look on him as a friend. I can't but be very glad, for the
removal of this vexation ought to make you get on all the better with
your brother.'

'Ave would be delighted,' said Leonard; 'but somehow--'

'Somehow' was silenced by a coalescing of the party at a gate; and
Hector and Harry were found deep in an argument in which the
lieutenant's Indian reminiscences of the Naval Brigade were at issue
with the captain's Southdown practice, and the experiences of the one
meeting the technicalities of the other were so diverting, that
Leonard forgot his scruples till at the entrance of the park he
turned off towards the target with Hector and Aubrey, while the other
two walked up to the house.

The Grange atmosphere always had a strange weight of tedium in it,
such as was specially perceptible after the joyous ease of the house
in the High Street. No one was in the drawing-room, and Harry gazed
round at the stiff, almost petrified, aspect of the correct and
tasteful arrangement of the tables and furniture, put his hands in
his pockets, and yawned twice, asking Ethel why she did not go in
search of Flora. Ethel shook her head; and in another moment Flora
appeared in eager welcome; she had been dressing for a drive to
Stoneborough to see her brother, little expecting him to be in a
state for walking to her. With her came her little girl, a child
whose aspect was always a shock to those who connected her with the
two Margarets whose name she bore. She had inherited her father's
heavy mould of feature and dark complexion, and the black eyes had
neither sparkle in themselves nor relief from the colour of the
sallow cheek; the pouting lips were fretful, the whole appearance
unhealthy, and the dark bullet-shaped head seemed too large for the
thin bony little figure. Worn, fagged, and aged as Flora looked, she
had still so much beauty, and far more of refinement and elegance, as
to be a painful foil and contrast to the child that clung to her,
waywardly refusing all response to her uncle's advances.

Flora made a sign to him to discontinue them, and talked of her
husband, who was hunting, and heard the history of Harry's return and
recovery. In the midst, little Margaret took heart of grace, crossed
the room, and stood by the sailor, and holding up a great India-
rubber ball as large as her own head, asked, 'Uncle Harry, were you
shot with a cannon-ball as big as this?'

Thereupon she was on his knee, and as he had all his father's
fascination for children, he absolutely beguiled her into ten minutes
of genuine childish mirth, a sight so rare and precious to her
mother, that she could not keep up her feint of talking to Ethel.
The elderly dame, part nurse, part nursery governess, presently came
to take Miss Rivers out, but Miss Rivers, with a whine in her voice,
insisted on going nowhere but to see the shooting, and Uncle Harry
must come with her; and come he did, the little bony fingers clasping
tight hold of one of his large ones.

'Dear Harry!' said Flora, 'he wins every one! It is like a cool
refreshing wind from the sea when he comes in.'

In Flora's whole air, voice, and manner, there was apparent a
relaxation and absence of constraint such as she never allowed
herself except when alone with Ethel. Then only did she relieve the
constant strain, then only did the veritable woman show herself, and
the effort, the toil, the weariness, the heart-ache of her life
become visible; but close together as the sisters lived, such tete-a-
tetes were rare, and perhaps were rather shunned than sought, as
perilous and doubtful indulgences. Even now, Flora at once fixed a
limit by ordering the carriage to meet her in a quarter of an hour at
the nearest point to the rifle-ground, saying she would walk there,
and then take home Ethel and any brother who might be tired.

'And see that Margaret does not come to harm,' said Ethel.

'I am not afraid of that,' said Flora, something in her eye belying
her; 'but she might be troublesome to Harry, and I had rather he did
not see one of her fights with Miss Morton.'

'How has she been? I thought her looking clearer and better to-day,'
said Ethel, kindly.

'Yes, she is pretty well just now,' said Flora, allowing herself in
one of her long deep sighs, before descending into the particulars of
the child's anxiously-watched health. If she had been describing
them to her father, there would have been the same minuteness, but
the tone would have implied cheerful hope; whereas to Ethel she took
no pains to mask her dejection. One of the points of anxiety was
whether one shoulder were not outgrowing the other, but it was not
easy to discover whether the appearance were not merely owing to the
child's feeble and ungainly carriage. 'I cannot torment her about
that,' said Flora. 'There are enough miseries for her already
without making more, and as long as it does not affect her health, it
matters little.'

'No, certainly not,' said Ethel, who had hardly expected this from
Flora.

Perhaps her sister guessed her thought, for she said, 'Things are
best as they are, Ethel; I am not fit to have a beautiful admired
daughter. All the past would too easily come over again, and my poor
Margaret's troubles may be the best balance for her.'

'Yes,' said Ethel, 'it is bad enough to be an heiress, but a
beautiful heiress is in a worse predicament.'

'Health would improve her looks,' began the maternal instinct of
defence, but then breaking off. 'We met Lord H-- yesterday, and the
uniform is to be like the northern division. Papa will hear it
officially to-morrow.'

'The northern has gray, and green facings.'

'You are more up in it than I. All we begged for was, that it might
be inexpensive, for the sake of the townspeople.'

'I hear of little else,' said Ethel, laughing; 'Dr. Spencer is as hot
on it as all the boys. Now, I suppose, your party is to come off!'

'Yes, it ought,' said Flora, languidly, 'I waited to see how Harry
was, he is a great element towards making it go off well. I will
talk it over with Blanche, it will give somebody pleasure if she
thinks she manages it.'

'Will it give George no pleasure?'

'I don't know; he calls it a great nuisance, but he would not like
not to come forward, and it is quite right that he should.'

'Quite right,' said Ethel; 'it is every one's duty to try to keep it
up.'

With these words the sisters came within sight of the targets, and
found Margaret under Harry's charge, much interested, and
considerably in the way. The tidings of the colour of the uniform
were highly appreciated; Aubrey observed that it would choke off the
snobs who only wanted to be like the rifle brigade, and Leonard
treated its inexpensiveness as a personal matter, having apparently
cast off his doubts, under Hector's complimentary tuition. Indeed,
before it grew too dark for taking aim, he and the weapon were so
thoroughly united, that no further difficulty remained but of getting
out his thanks to Mr. Ernescliffe.

Averil was sitting alone over the fire in the twilight, in a somewhat
forlorn mood, when the door was pushed ajar, and the muzzle of a gun
entered, causing her to start up in alarm, scarcely diminished by the
sight of an exultant visage, though the words were, 'Your money or
your life.'

'Leonard, don't play with it, pray!'

'It's not loaded.'

'Oh! but one never can tell:' then, half ashamed of her terror, 'Pray
put it back, or we shall have an uproar with Henry.'

'This is none of Henry's. He will never own such a beauty as this.'

'Whose is it? Not yours? Is it really a rifle! H. E.? What's
that?'

'Hector Ernescliffe! Didn't I tell you he was a princely fellow?'

'Given it to you? Leonard, dear, I am so happy! Now I don't care
for anything! What a gallant volunteer you will make!' and she
kissed him fondly. We will order the uniform as soon as ever it is
settled, and I hope it will be a very handsome one.'

'It will be a cheap one, which is more to the purpose. I could get
part myself, only there's the tax for Mab, and the subscription to
the cricket club.'

'I would not have you get any of it! You are my volunteer, and I'll
not give up my right to any one, except that Minna and Ella want to
give your belt.'

'Where are those children?' he asked.

'Henry has taken them to Laburnum Grove, where I am afraid they are
being crammed with cake and all sorts of nonsense.'

'What could have made him take them there?'

'Oh! some wish of Mrs. Pugh's to see the poor little dears,' said
Averil, the cloud returning that had been for a moment dispelled.

'What's the row?' asked Leonard, kindly. 'Has he been bothering
you?'

'He wants me to sound Mary May about an invitation for Mrs. Pugh to
Mrs. Rivers's volunteer entertainment. I am glad I did not say no
one in mourning ought to go, for I must go now you are a volunteer.'

'But you didn't consent to mention her?'

'No, indeed! I knew very well you would say it was a most improper
use to make of the Mays' kindness, and I can't see what business she
has there! Then he said, no, she was certain not to go, but the
attention would be gratifying and proper.'

'That is Mrs. Rivers's look-out.'

'So I said, but Henry never will hear reason. I did not tell you of
our scene yesterday over the accounts; he says that we must contract
our expenses, or he shall be ruined; so I told him I was ready to
give up the hot-house, or the footman, or the other horse, or
anything he would specify; but he would not hear of it--he says it
would be fatal to alter our style of living, and that it is all my
fault for not being economical! O, Leonard, it is very hard to give
up all one cared for to this housekeeping, and then never to please!'

Leonard felt his brother a tyrant. 'Never mind, Ave dear,' said he,
'go on doing right, and then you need not care for his
unreasonableness. You are a dear good girl, and I can't think how he
can have the heart to vex you.'

'I don't care while I have you, Leonard,' she said, clinging to him.

At that moment the others were heard returning, and an ironical look
passed between the brother and sister at certain injunctions that
were heard passing about the little India-rubber goloshes; but Henry
had returned in high good-humour, was pleased to hear of his
brother's good fortune, pronounced it very handsome in Mr.
Ernescliffe, and even offered to provide the rest of the equipment;
but this was proudly rejected by Averil, with some of the
manifestations of exclusive partiality that naturally wounded the
elder brother. He then announced an engagement that he had made with
Mrs. Ledwich for a musical evening the next week. Averil had her
harmonium at her tongue's end, but the evening was a free one, chosen
on purpose to accommodate her; she had no excuse, and must submit.

'And practise some of your best pieces, Ave,' said Henry. 'Mrs. Pugh
was kind enough to offer to come and get up some duets with yon.'

'I am greatly obliged,' said Averil, dryly, 'but I do not play
duets.'

'You would do wisely to accept her kindness, argued Henry. 'It would
be a great advantage to you to be intimate with a lady of her
opportunities.'

'I do not like patronage,' said Averil.

'Ave! Ave!' cried the children, who had been trying to attract her
attention, 'if you will let us go to Laburnum Grove by twelve o'clock
to-morrow, Mis. Pugh will show us her book of the pretty devices of
letters, and teach us to make one.'

'You will have not finished lessons by twelve.'

'But if we have?'

'No, certainly not, I can't have you bothering every one about that
nonsensical fashion.'

'You shall go, my dears,' said Henry. 'I can't think why your sister
should be so ill-natured.'

Averil felt that this was the way to destroy her authority, and
though she kept silence, the tears were in her eyes, and her champion
broke forth, 'How can you be such a brute, Henry?'

'Come away, my dears,' said Averil, rising, and holding out her hands
to her sisters, as she recollected how bad the scene was for them,
but it was only Minna who obeyed the call, Ella hung about Henry,
declaring that Leonard was naughty, and Ave was cross.

'Well,' shouted Leonard, 'I shan't stay to see that child set against
her sister! I wonder what you mean her to come to, Henry!'

It was no wonder that Minna and Ella squabbled together as to which
was cross, Henry or Averil, and the spirit of party took up its fatal
abode in the house of Bankside.




CHAPTER IX



Too oft my anxious eye has spied
That secret grief thou fain wouldst hide--
The passing pang of humbled pride.--SCOTT


The winter was gay, between musical evenings, children's parties,
clerical feastings of district visitors, soirees for Sunday-school
teachers, and Christmas-trees for their scholars. Such a universal
favourite as Harry, with so keen a relish for amusement, was sure to
fall an easy prey to invitations; but the rest of the family stood
amazed to see him accompanied everywhere by Tom, to whom the secular
and the religious dissipations of Stoneborough had always hitherto
been equally distasteful. Yet be submitted to a Christmas course of
music, carpet-dances, and jeux de societe on the one hand, and on the
other conferred inestimable obligations on the ecclesiastical staff
by exhibitions of his microscope and of some of the ornamental sports
of chemistry.

'The truth is,' was the explanation privately dropped out to Ethel,
'that some one really must see that those two don't make fools of
themselves.'

Ethel stared; then, coming to the perception who 'those two' meant,
burst out laughing, and said, 'My dear Tom, I beg your pardon, but,
on the whole, I think that is more likely to befall some one else.'

Tom held his head loftily, and would not condescend to understand
anything so foolish.

He considered Bankside as the most dangerous quarter, for Harry was
enraptured with Miss Ward's music, extolled her dark eyes, and openly
avowed her attraction; but there were far more subtle perils at
Laburnum Grove. The fair widow was really pretty, almost elegant,
her weeds becoming; and her disposition so good, so religious, so
charitable, that, with her activity, intelligence, and curate-
worship, she was a dangerous snare to such of mankind as were not
sensible of her touch of pretension. As to womankind, it needed a
great deal of submissiveness to endure her at all; and this was not
Averil Ward's leading characteristic.

In fact, the ubiquity of Mrs. Pugh was a sore trial to that young
lady, just so superior herself as to detect the flimsiness of the
widow's attainments. It was vexatious to find that by means of age,
assumption, and position, these shallow accomplishments made a
prodigious show in the world, while her own were entirely overlooked.
She thought she despised the admiration of the second-rate world of
Stoneborough, but it nettled her to see it thus misplaced; and there
was something provoking in the species of semi-homage paid in that
quarter by the youths of the May family.

As to the sailor, Averil frankly liked him very much; he was the
pleasantest young man, of the most open and agreeable manners, who
had ever fallen in her way. He was worthy to be Mary's brother, for
he was friendly to Leonard, and to herself had a truthfully
flattering way that was delightful. Without any sentiment in the
case, she always felt disappointed and defrauded if she were
prevented from having a conversation with him; and when this
happened, it was generally either from his being seized upon by Mrs.
Pugh, or from her being baited by his brother Tom.

Averil was hard to please, for she was as much annoyed by seeing Tom
May sitting courteous and deferential by the side of Mrs. Pugh, as by
his attentions to herself. She knew that he was playing the widow
off, and that, when most smooth and bland in look and tone, he was
inwardly chuckling; and to find the identical politeness transferred
to herself, made her feel not only affronted but insulted by being
placed on the same level. Thus, when, at a 'reunion' at Laburnum
Grove, she had been looking on with intense disgust while Tom was
admiring Mrs. Pugh's famous book of devices from letters, translating
the mottoes, and promising contributions, the offence was greatly
increased by his coming up to her (and that too just as Harry was
released by the button-holding Mr. Grey) and saying,

'Of course you are a collector too, Miss Ward; I can secure some
duplicates for you.'

She hoard such fooleries? She have Mrs. Pugh's duplicates? No
wonder she coldly answered, 'My little sister has been slightly
infected, thank you, but I do not care for such things.'

'Indeed! Well, I always preserve as many as I can, as passports to a
lady's favour.'

'That depends on how much sense the lady has,' said Averil, trusting
that this was a spirited set down.

'You do not consider. Philosophically treated, they become a perfect
school in historical heraldry, nay, in languages, in mathematical
drawing, in illumination, said Tom, looking across to the album in
which Mrs. Pugh's collection was enshrined, each device appropriately
framed in bright colours. His gravity was intolerable. Was this
mockery or not? However, as answer she must, she said,

'A very poor purpose for which to learn such things, and a poor way
of learning them.'

'True,' said Tom, 'one pastime is as good as another; and the less it
pretends to, the better. On the whole, it may be a beneficial outlet
for the revival of illumination.'

Did this intolerable person know that there was an 'illuminator's
guide' at home, and a great deal of red, blue, and gold paint, with
grand designs for the ornamentation of Bankside chapel? Whether he
knew it or not, she could not help answering, 'Illumination is
desecrated by being used on such subjects.'

'And is not that better than the subjects being desecrated by
illumination?'

Mrs. Pugh came to insist on that 'sweet thing of Mendelssohn's' from
her dear Miss Ward; and Averil obeyed, not so glad to escape as
inflamed by vexation at being prevented from fighting it out, and
learning what he really meant; though she was so far used to the
slippery nature of his arguments as to know that it was highly
improbable that she should get at anything in earnest.

'If his sisters were silly, I should not mind,' said she to Leonard;
'then he might hold all women cheap from knowing no better; but when
they like sensible things, why is every one else to be treated like
an ape?'

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