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CO N TENT S

C HA P TER

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CH A P TER

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MY LA D Y s D

I PL O M A C Y

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CH AP TER
C LA R I SS E S M I S G I V I N G S

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CO NTENT S

C HA P TER XI

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PA G E

C LA R I SS E E XP O S T U L A TE S

CH A P TER XI I

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TH S I R RA N D O LPH

CH A P TER X III
S ETT L E M E N

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220

239

SU N SH IN E

AND

C H APTE R I

SN O W

T H E R EGIMEN TAL CUP

the top o f a small knoll which might

al m ost be designat d a hill i n a coun ty that
could boast O f little more than undulating
ground a re assembled a mixed assemb l age
all apparently deeply interested in the sports
which are t a king place at the foot o f their
post o f v a nt a ge The occupants o f a couple
o f drags
and perhaps a dozen o r s o o f
carriages fro m which the horses have been
taken o u t a small posse o f horsemen a n d
a somewhat more numerous gathering of
pedestrian s c o n s ti tu te the little crowd The
carriages are chiey tenanted by ladies while
ON

VOL

SUNSHINE A N D S N OW

the m en who lounge upon the drags are n u

mistakably for the most part soldiers I n
th e background are pitched a coupl e o f
m arquees
O ne of these seems dedicated to
pe rpetual lunch and numerous are the fair
visitors who i n turns abandon their carriages
to m ake acquaintance with the lobster
s alads mayonnaise & c contain ed within its
h ospitable walls ; the other is given up
to the costuming o f the gentlemen riders
fo r these people are congregated for the pur
pose o f celebrating the regimental steeple

chases o f H M s
th Hussars a n annual
fete day which that j ovial corps considered
only properly solemnised by i n
c ould be
vi ti n g all the neighbourhood around their
Granted
s tation to j oin in a gigantic picnic
propitious weather and this was usuall y a
m ost enj oyable outing both for themselves
as a picnic with pleasant
a n d their guests
a n d drink o f the best
eople
plenty
to
eat
p
a n d something to amuse is sure to be
Very di fferent fro m the ordinary race
.

T H E RE G IM ENTAL

CU P

meeting there is neither stand n o r betting

ring The blatant professional layer against
everything and every body is conspicuous by
his absence only The j udge s box is a
four wheeled d o g ca rt the stewards stand a
waggon B ut there is plenty o f wagering
going o n quietly amongst the dr agoons
themselves and the sporting gentlemen o f the
district ; those hard ridi ng young farmers
too have been huntin g alongside the soldiers
a l l last season have their o wn
opi ni ons o f
what both m en and horses c a n do and back
their j udgment freely amongst each other
s o that there is no lack o f the excitement
which moderate speculatio n gives to the
spectators at such carnivals
B ut the race o f the day is about to be run
and for awhile there is a cessation of lunch
an d
irtation
The m en aye and the
women too for many o f the latter have
seen the competitors co nstantly i n th e

l
hunting e d eagerly discuss yet again
the chances o f thei r fav o u rites I fear the
,

SUNSHINE AN D S N OW

ladies in this case allo w their partiality to

obscure their j ud g ment plun gi n g despe
ra te l
as
regards
gloves
some
popular
o
n
y
cavalier without much reference to what he
may ride ; still both amon g st those in
trailing robes o f silk and those i n broadcloth
amongst amazons i n short skirted hab its
amongst wiry tough m en in Melton cords
and butcher boots ; o r amongst th e mous
ta ch e d gentlemen in po t hats and ulsters
who are smoking s o assiduously o n the tops
of the drags ther e seems to be a conviction
that VV il ful ! ate should about win
The m en are all full o f h o w you n g
Ch e rrito n h er owner was the o n e man with
the hounds duri n g that famous hour and fty
minutes from O xenby Gorse j ust before l a st
Christmas when neither master n o r hunts
m a n ever succeeded in getting within hail
a n d the pack ran into their fo x and killed
without assistance Then again some o f the
hunt recall that day when the fox slipping
them crossed H a z in gl ey Brook and how Jim
,

T H E RE GIM ENTAL CUP

H a wk s b u ry

that occasion riding \V il ful

Kate s e t the el d There is n o do ub t but
the mare c a n j ump a n d stay s till there is
also a suspicio n abroad that She has a temper

Mr H a wk s b u ry come here for o n e

mome n t if you please cried a young lady
mufed i n the richest sables and seated
i n a stately albeit somewhat Old fashioned

barouche
I want to speak to y o u
The gentleman a ddressed turned his head
then raising h i s low crowned felt hat reined
up the clever short legged b a v cob he wa s
riding by the side o f the carriage
A stout thick s et broad shouldered m an
o f fty v e o r thereabouts sitti n g his horse
squarely like a m a n well accustom ed to the
saddle clad i n a riding coat o f O xford
mixture d arkish cords a n d boots reachin g
to the knee H e wore a starched white
scarf wit h a neat gold pin b u t beyond that
there was nothing to denote his clerical
profession Yet the Rev R obert Ha ks
bury preached twice a week as surely a s
on

SUN SHINE AN D S N OW

he hunted three times i n the season and

was wont to boast that he was never late
for a marriage a funeral a dinner o r at
the cover side
Delighted to s ee y o u Miss Auriole l he
exclaimed a bright smile su ffusing his Olly

rubicund visage as he Shook hands

What
chance has brought y o u from the \V o l d s to
grace the M u d d l ebu ry neighbourhood
I might ask the same o f you rej oined

the young lady laughin g

Allow me to
introduce y o u to my hostess Lady Dampier
The Rev Robert raised his hat as h e
replied
Don t you know there s a Hawks
bury going to venture his neck in this next
race and that the lad s the best h a nds a n d
seat o f the family I wasn t bad in my day
Miss Auriole a n d th e v ll tell you c a n hold
my o wn n o w amongst the welters when
hounds are running ; but Jim s better than
I ever wa s

Y o u know you ou ght never to have

been g ood i n that way retor ted Mis s
,

T HE RE GIM ENTAL CUP

Auriole
I t is a wonder the Bishop
doesn t speak to you
Don t be saucy Letty rej oined Rober t
Just at present
H a wk s b u ry chuckling
I m looking after my nephew a n d another
parishioner apparently I f he and sh e lead
their pastor into all the iniquity of a race
course he cannot help himself h e is boun d
to look after his ock
Mos t especially that terrible Fox family
i n which he takes such preposterous and u n
reasonable interest replied Miss Auriole
her eyes dancing with fun
but Mr
H a wk sb ury will Jim win to day do y o u
think
.

Well I kn o w nothing about this mar e

he s going to ride beyond I s a w her this
morning and can afrm She s a rare good
looking o n e and t to go : S he showed the
W hites of her eyes and laid her ears back o n ce
o r twice i n a way I don t altogether like
but
they s a y thoug h a puller she s not to be
called a bad tempered o n e At all events
,

S UN SHI NE AN D S N OW

they are very sanguine of success that is to

sa
both
Jim
and
his
friend
Mr
C
h
e rri to n
y
Good bye for the present I must go down
to see the start
and lifting his hat the
S porting rector cantered easily away
L e ttv Auriole gazed somewhat inquisi
ti v el y after him as he departe d
A ne
intelligent face tho u gh certai nl y n o t
c lear
to be called a handsome o n e quick vivacious
gray eyes strong re g ular white teeth set in
and heavy masses
a som e what large mouth
braided low over her
o f dusky brown hair
forehead made the girl to some extent
yet She had scarce ever been called
s triking
on e
ood
looking
for
thing
Letty
b
ut
:
g
Auriole was a n heiress S he was a beauty
by inheritance o f acres a belle i n virtue of
her income Youn g la d ies o f fortune enj oy
the prerogative o f never being supposed
decient in personal charms but there wa s
this
n eve r o n e less blinded by attery o n
point than Le tty A keen physiognomist
would have said Yo u will impose upon that
,

T H E RE GIM ENTAL

CU P

girl only through her affections

O nce
powerfully interest those and all women are
alike blind ; till y o u do that if o u r science
is not u tterly worthless s h e will read you
pretty clearly
S he is excite d about this race
S h e has
known a ll th e H a wk sbu ry family from child
hoo d a n d Jim H a wk s b ury who i s about to
ride this mare with the ill omened name has
been her playmate i n days gone by S he
has not seen much o f him s i nce he j oined
the s ervice but still they have met occa
and
Letty
rather
admires
her
old
s i o n a ll
y
companion and i s stro n gly impressed wi th
his horsemanship I n a sporting cou n ty
that means a good deal a n d c a n y o u but
hold your o wn in the dr awi n g room y o u
start with several points i n hand Prowess
i n the hunting el d counts with th e dames
o f the Shires much as prowess i n the tilt
yard did with those o f the days o f bluff
Kin g Hal
N ot very far from the waggon at the foot
.

,
!

S U N SHI NE A N D S N OW

10

of the knoll whi c h does d uty as the stewards

s tand a wiry ba y mare is bein g saddled fo r
t he coming enco u nter S he lathers slightly
an d
lashes o ut occasionally i n a fretful
fashion that keeps the little knot of b y
s tanders who are looking o n a t her toilet
i n a sta te of much liveliness and commotion
Indeed s o res tless is tha t bay mare i t
seems Shift position as you m a y there is no
keeping clear o f her heels if you linger i n
her vicinity Two gentlemen standing a
li ttle apart are contemplating her v a garies
wit h looks of extreme dissa tisfaction

said th e
I t is most unlucky Jim
shorter o f the two a fresh looking boy o f
twenty W hose usual cheery face is now most

o m inously overc a st ;
but there s no dis
guising it the training has proved a little
too much for her ; the j ade s been Showing
temper for the las t ten days ; n o t th at I
have bothere d her with schoolin g She doesn t
wan t that but She s turned awkward i n her
gallops S he always did pull a bit but n o w
,

'

S UN SHI NE AN D S N OW

12

Observed the proprietor o f VV ilful Kate

ruefully as that queer tempered quadruped
lashed out with so m e what extra viciousness
at her circle of admirers
B u t come along
Jim ; o ff with your coat ; i t is time y o u
were u p
Ji m H a wk sb u ry leisurely di vests himself
o f his overcoat
and appears i n his smart
oran g e Silk racing j acket a slight well kni t
fellow r a ther above the middle height clean
shaven all but his dark moustache a g ood
resolute face and bold black eye lips
slightly compressed j ust now as if i n a n
ti c ipa ti o n o f being eng a ged i n a n awkward
piece o f work Shortly
Another minu te
and he is o n the back o f W ilful
o r two
Kate Fo r a fe w seconds the mare refuses
t o move ; then as i f ashamed o f herself
walks quietly a way to j oin her fellow com
,

e ti to rs

S he

looks as if S h e meant to behave

herself after al l cried Ch errito n
Keep
your eye o n Traveller a n d humour her we

T H E RE GIM ENTAL

CUP

13

may b e h a ppy yet ; with which partin g

advice the Chirper ! it was his nickname in
th e corps ) betook himself i n search o f some
eligible place from which to witness the
coming stru ggle
There were j ust half a do z en runners fo r
the th Hussar Regimental Cup and o f these
Six three seemed almost equal favourites
The regiment themselves principall y b e
l i e ve d in Captain Boulder s Traveller a bi g
slashing brown horse who i n the hands o f
his practised owner had carried o ff one o r
two m inor steeplechases
The g entlemen
o f the s u rrOu n d in
hunts
f
o r the most part
g
pinned their faith in a handsome gray that
had been sold to the Colonel by o n e of
themselves a few months back with a n eye
to his winning t h is very race ; while the
farmers had a strong fancy for Wilful ! ate
not quite s o well acquainted these last
W ith the q ueer temper of Mr
Ch errito n s
mare as his brother O fc ers ; tru e they had
seen her a bit fractio us i n the hunting eld
.

'

S UN SHI NE

14

AND

S N OW

at times but had never beheld her i n what

her owner termed her tantrums
A s they walk slo wly do wn to the post
Jim H a wk sb ury makes up his mind that
this race as far as he is concerned must be
run more i n accordance with \V il ful Kate s
humour than with his o wn j udgment I f
S he
be coaxed into doing her best
can
he fears nothing but Traveller
Bet ween
Boulder a n d himself he thinks it wi l l be a
n e poi n t but as Jim murmurs to himself
with a grin
I may have the luck to leave
him i n the water ; the Travell er has no
s e c ia l i te for brooks
p
The ag falls a n d a Slight murmur from
the knoll proclaims that they are o ff the
gray leading but before they reach the rst
fence Ji m H a wk sb u ry comes to the front
a n d crashes through it a good four lengths
i n advance safe over though the mare
j umped in slovenly fashion ; but it is mani
fest to young Ch errito n and other observers
that Jim c a n hardly hold her and that he is
,

T H E RE GIM ENTAL C U P

15

makin g running as a lesser evil than ghting

I
with his horse The Chirper s face falls
again Though he has backed Wilful Kate
for a good bit o f money it isn t that he h a s
s et his heart upon W inning the re imental
g
cup a n d it has been sore disappointment to
him that his acciden t prevented his ridin g
himself The wa y the mare took that rst
j ump Showed a n unpleasant tendency to
g allop through the fences a n d the Chirper is
quite aware that is o n e o f her peculiarities

when her temper is upset

The brute
he mu ttered ; She ll n o t only lose us o u r
money but break Jim s neck How I wish
I d struck her o u t and never asked him to
ride ; with which re flecti on he j umped upon
the W heel o f a n adj oining carriage to Obtain
a better vi ew
How do you do Mr Ch errito n
s a id
Lady Dampier
I trust you have come to
W itness the triumph o f your mare
and to
enable us to be the rst to congratulate y o u
Let me introduce y o u to Miss Auriole

S UN SHI NE A N D S N OW

16

Mr H a wk sb u ry is a n o l d friend o f
m ine
said that young lady bo wing
so I
assure you I have a strong interest i n the
success o f \V il ful Kate
I c a n only s a y I am awfully sorry to
hear it rej oined the Chirper lu g ubriously
S he looks more like breaking Jim s collar
bone j ust now than winning
and as he
spoke he though t it would be well if the
race terminated no more s eri o u sl v fo r his
unfortunate j ockey
Jim H a wk s bury meanwhile was quite
aware that he had not been very far from a
fall at the rst fence ; his mare it i s tru e
was pulling very hard but still he had no
intention o f riski n g such another slovenly
performance o n VV il ful Kate s par t withou t
interposing
A s they came to the next
j ump he let her feel the spurs pre ttv
Sharply ; the effect was electrical ; she cleared
it with ple n ty to spare but in the next eld
Jim felt the mare was away with him O n
went j umpi n g beautifully ; no more
sh e
.

T H E RE GIM ENTAL C U P

17

slurring of her fences but at the same tim e

Ji m had lost nearly all control over her
H e could j ust manage to keep her in the
course but tha t was all and h o w lon g h e
w ould even possess power to guide her Jim
felt was rather problematical depending
pretty much upon which o f them got beat
rs t
Before two miles had been aecom
l
i
sh ed
I
i
l
l
f
u
!
ate
was
lyin
g
about
a
V
p
quarter of a mile in front o f the rest o f the
eld still pulling hard and fencing m agn i
c e n tl
The
ounger
riders
began
to
feel
a
y
y
li ttle flurried a t H a wk sb ury s portentous
lead N otably does young Clarkson who is
riding the Colonel s gray begin to think it
time to endeavour to d iminis h the gap
between VV il ful Kate and himself The wily
and veteran Boulder hero o f scores o f
steeplechases who is lying well o ff gives
a grim chuckle as he sees his companions

quicken their pace pumping their horses

o u t to catch a runaway who never c a n g et
to the winning post mutters the Captain
,

VOL

S UN SHI NE

18

S N OW

AN D

Fo r

that experienced j ockey had divined

after a very little the reason o f the terri c
running that H a wk sb ury was making and
knew perfectly well that no animal ever
foaled could last at that pace for three
m iles and a h alf

I must congratulate you Mr Ch errito n !

exclaims Lady Dampier

Your mare looks
really as if she would come i n alone
The Chirper shot a glance o f unmitigated
contempt at the speaker and once more
betook himself t o studying the struggle
before him
Miss Auriole s aw the glance
Lend me your glasses a moment I s h e
exclaimed hurriedly to her hostess After
gazing throu gh them steadfastly for a few
seconds she turned Sharply and said
I
don t wonder you d o not look sanguine
Mr Ch erri to n ; if I know anything about it
your mare has overpowered her rider
Ch errito n nodde d
Got clean away with him Miss Auriole
,

S UN SHI NE AN D S N OW

20

nly likely to be Some what too much i n

hand thinks Jim as he marks the sober
f ashion i n which the wilful o n e disposes o f
her next j ump
There is but o n e thing for it now and that
is to nurse the mare carefully to the nish
S he may last ridden i n that way
Then
a gain he has a long l ead and it will take his
adversaries some little time to catch him yet
Meanwhile he i s comi n g to the brook and

re ects that his chance o f being left i n the

water is as good as that o f Captain
Boulder s \V il fu l Kate falters in her stride
a s S he nears it a n d Jim s resolution is taken
at once It will be cheaper he thinks to
go i n at once rather than risk a bad fall by
He
d riving a pumped mare at a big j ump
kicks his feet clear o f the stirrups pulls his
mare up into a mere canter a n d then they
lop
uietly
into
the
middle
o f th e water
q
p
It is an articial brook and as Jim con
H
e
does
n o t even
o f no depth
e c ture d
,
j
A few seconds and he and \V il ful
c ome o ff
O

C UP

T H E RE GIM ENTAL

2 1

Kate scramble o u t o n the other side both if

anything rather freshened by their d ucking
S til l o f course he has lost ground a n d h e
is n o w progressin g at very moderate speed
He looks anxiously back and sees that h i s
a n tagonists are rapi dl y closing with him
Perhaps the brook may dispose o f some fe w
o f the m though he c a n see a t a ll events
th e Colonel s gray a n d the black j acket o f
B oulder are safe over and these are th e
two
mos t dangerous o f his opponents
However he fancies his mare is galloping
stronger from h is j udicious nursing ; he i s
still i n fro rlt and it is possible when they
come up alongside that neither the Trave lle r
nor Gray Bertram may prove t o have much
left i n them
A S Jim H a wk s b ury rounds the nal turn
for home a n d comes into the straight
Gray Bertram races up to him
run
in
Clarkson who is riding the Colonel s nag i s
by no means a bad horseman bu t like most
young j ockeys is i n rather too great a hurry
,

S UN SHIN E A N D S N OW

22

get to the winning post They have only

ab out half a mile to go now over four large
a ss eld s
en
r
old
swath
what
hunting
m
g
w o uld call real galloping g round and Clark
s o n thinks it ti m e to take up the running
Jim resigns his lead without a struggle but
eyes the gray keenly
I Shall catch h i m again
he mutters ;

h e has not a great deal left i n his horse

and cannot affo r d to take liberties a n d Ji m
throws a n anxious glance over his Shoulder
to s e e who may be hi s im m ediate followers
N ot much cause to trouble h i s head as far as
thre e o f them are concerned for o n e is still
the wro n g Side o f the brook and two more
but the Traveller
a re hopelessly beaten o ff
i s creeping up to him fast a n d evidently has
plenty o f go left i n him
N o w Jim knew pretty well that his m are
h a d the speed of the Traveller and though
he thought if he
s h e was somewhat beat
could wait t ill he g o t quietly over the las t
fence an d then m ake a race o f it from there
to

T H E RE GIM ENTAL

C UP

23

he might win B ut the astute Boulder

was e qually alive to this vie w o f the Situa
tion a n d had not the slightest intention o f
nishi ng the contes t to suit Wilful Kate
The Capta in i n fact felt fairly condent o f
winning ; he kne w that hi s horse was the
freshest o f the three between whom the race
now lai d and no sooner was he over the l ast
fence but o n e than he imme di ately took a d
vantage o f this circumstance a n d sent the
Travell er along Jim felt he must keep
with h i m or be beat Gray Bertra m is
leading so m e four lengths but the Captai n
nearly catches him as they come to the last
fence an d Wilful ! ate is barely a couple o f
len gths behin d
cry the Spectators and
A good race
all three horses are proclaimed as winning
by their respective partisans Two top the
j ump a n d the n comes a thud a n d a crash
a n d l V ilf ul Ka te a n d her j ockey roll over
in to the win n ing eld a n d lie motio nl ess
A woman s shriek breaks from a little
.

S UN SHI NE A N D S N OW

24

knot of lookers o n who had assembled at the

last fence to s e e th e nish and it is
rumoured that a young lady has fainted in
truth H a wk s b u ry s fall wa s bad to look
upon The m are had been more beat than
Jim supposed ; the quickened pace o f the
last eld had completely nished her and
when She cam e to the j ump she made no
attempt to rise but galloped straight into it
Assistance o f course there was plen ty o f
Without waitin g to s e e the triumph o f the
Traveller by two eas y lengths the Chirper
Spran g from the wheel o f Lady D a m pi cr s
carriag e but ere his feet had well touched
the ground his steps were arrested by Miss
Auriole s voice

Mr Ch erri to n She murmured turni n g

ou
white even to her very lips
will
y
promise to co m e back and let me know what
has happened to Mr H a wk sb ury exac tly
won t you
I m afraid i t s a very bad fall
n either of t hem got u
p
Miss Auriole was right ; it is an ominous
-

CU P

T HE RE GIMENTAL

25

Sign when horse a n d rider lie where they

fall I n this instance \V i lfu l Kate was too
d one to move her hapless j ockey Simply
insensible
Rely upon me replied the Chirper
tersely a n d sped down the hill as fast as his
legs could carry him
Half a n hour o r so elapsed and even Lady
Dampier albeit a somewhat unobservan t Old
lady began to think Miss Auriole a little
incoherent i n her conversation when Cher
riton returned

Jim s a good deal shook but he s come

to himself again now though s till rather
hazy The doctors don t think there s any
thing serious as far as they c a n s e e but the
arm his bridle arm is broke S till Miss
Auriole that will mend a n d I don t th ink
h e s much to fear beyond the tedium O f a
sick room
Thank y o u s o much re plied the young

lady with a bright smile

it looked such a
bad fall I couldn t help feeli ng anxious I
.

S UN SHI NE

2 6

m ust

AN D

S N OW

n ow
good
bye
O
ur
horses
have
y
been i n some time a n d we were only
w aiting for yo ur report to go home
The Chirper raised his hat and walked o ff
i n a meditative manner to the luncheon
tent W ilful Kate s m isconduct he con
s id e re d required to be washed down with a
glass o f Sherry
They re queer things women muttered
the young philosopher a n d I don t profess
to understand em ; but I don t fancy as a
rule they turn as white as Miss Auriole did
when a fellow gets a cropper unless h e s a
husband brother o r sweetheart I t s quite
cle a r Jim can t stand in the light o f either
and the Chirper
o f the rst two to her
tossin g d own his Sherry indu l ged i n a wink
e xpressive of much sagacity
sa

S UN SHI NE

AN D

SN OW

age he should do and th e wh y completely

baffles them His arm is goin g o n most
satisfa ctorily they c a n discover n o other
inj ury beyond external cuts a n d bruise s ;
still i t is evident the patient is in a state of
mental depression Concussion of the brain
whisper the faculty a n d the more they c o n
sider that vie w o f Jim s case the less c an
they arrive at a conclusion regarding it
But it was reser ved for Mr Ch errito n to
clear up th e myst ery which that precocious
young g en tleman did i n a fashion all his
o wn
The Chirper was at that blessed time
o f life when we believe implicitly i n
o ur
boyhood s idols His faith i n Ji m Hawks
bury s horsemanship fo r instance was u n
bounde d ; indeed he had much general
belief i n his brother subaltern but i n a
m edical point of vie w his trust was placed
i n a certain Alec Donaldson who had
nursed him th rough a nas ty touch o f ty
fever
some
four
years
previously
h
o id
p
The Chirper would have smiled compassion
,

B Y T H E S ALT

WATER S

29

ately had you suggested that any o f the

leaders of the profession i n town were to
compare with his somewhat obscure friend
Donaldson

I t s all bosh
observed the Chir p er to
hi m self o n e morning as he walked away

from H a wk sb urv s rooms ; Jim s got n o

more concussion of the brain than I h ave
Jim s moped bored consumedly bored a n d
no wonder at i t contemplating Muddle
bury barrack square for ten days would
take the bloom off my spirits to s a y nothing
of his broken arm and the g eneral d em o ra l i
sation pro d d c e d by a regular crumpler
He must go away o f course he must
When the d octors tell you there s a want
of tone they mean your constitution requires
a llip and when y o u want a ll ip it
m eans o f course y o u want a lark If Jim
isn t qui te up to a lark yet he is t for
a change at all events
Mr Ch errito n s ideas of a change as
concerned himself usually took the form
,

S U N SHI NE

30

S N OW

AN D

of

a round o f the L ondon theatres and

sundry suppers at E va n s s & c supplemented
b y breathing the invigorating air o f Cre

morne till a s much past the W itching

hour o f night a s could be indulged in
compatible with the patern al legislation o f
o ur degenerate times ;
but he was quite
awa re that this wa s far too powerful a
panacea for Jim H a wk sb ury in his present
state
Having howeve r arrived at the
conclusion that change o f air wa s What
his friend wanted the Chirper i n most
illogical fashion came to the conclusion

that s ea air was the desideratum

If you
can t take your llip in o n e form Jim
you must in another argued Mr Ch errito n

Y o u want ozone Burnside now is famou s

for its ozone Besides Alec Donaldson the
cleverest medico in all E ngland lives there
Combine chan ge o f air with change of
doctors y o u s ee
Bless you Alec and
Burnside will set vou up in no time
H a wk s bury s m edic al attendants cordiall y
,

'

WATERS

B Y T H E S ALT

31

concurred in a change being advisable

though strenuously insisting upon quiet a s
absolutely necessary Well there were few
quieter spots t h an the little watering place
Ch erri to n had suggested a n d a few day s
more s a w Jim co m fortably established there
Donaldson i n whose hands he placed him
sel f really was a clever m an
He pro
n o u n c e d the M u d dl eb ur
doctors
right
i
n
y
their conj ecture ; there had no doubt been
slight concussion o f the brain but at th e
sa m e tim e he s a w no re a son for alarm Al l
such cases requi red quiet and Burnside wa s
j ust the place for his patient ; let h im
lou n ge about and do nothing he could n o t
do better And in truth Ji m H a wk sb ury
was fain to o wn that was about as much a s
he was at present t for He naturally a
most energetic man was now well conte n t
to Sit for hours and watch the lazy waters
as they rippled o n the shi ngle Though it
was late i n N ovember the weather was stil l
mil d and genial that Short span o f steamy
,

S UN SHI NE AND S N OW

32

some times vouchsafed us before the

rst erce outbreak o f winter Jim passed
m uch o f his time in th e O pen air
Loun ging o n e m orning after h is usual
custom on the promenade he became con
scious that he was attracting the atte n tion
T o study th e s e who are
o f two strangers
studying us is a common instinct of
humani ty ; it was but natural that Jim
should d evote himself to obser vin g th e pair
who apparently took such an interest i n
him
A gentlemanly m a n about fty whose
hair and beard were freely grizzled d a rk
eyes looking keenly o u t from a face which
showed traces of habitual ill heal th His
companion was a good looking girl of seven
teen o r thereabouts straight as a pine and
supple as a willow in h e r lithe well rounded
gure ; the dark eyes olive complexion
a n d strong likeness existing between them
clearly indicated the i r close relationsh ip
The stran g ers a n d Jim passed some half
warmth

BY

TH E

WATER S

S ALT

33

dozen times on t he promenade eyeing one

another with the peculiar intentness which
is observable amongst those who dwell by
the salt waters W h y it is s o I can t s ay ;
but the m an who goes on his w ay in a big
city paying little heed to the concerns O f
his neighbour becomes absorbed i n the
business of that neighbour should he en
counter him by the s ea S ide
Away from
his accus tomed occupation from Sheer em zut
he adopts Mr Po l l ak y s business I presume
and literally and emphatically keeps an eye
upon those who cross his track
A t length as th e stran gers once more
met H a wk sb u ry the gentleman raised his
hat and courteously hoped that Jim had
nearly recovered from his fall

Thanks replied the dragoon

I am
getting all right again n o w ; but I was a
good deal shaken and indeed broken at the
time Might I ask how y o u came to kno w

?
of my mishap

A s it took place a goo d way from this

,

V OL

S UN SHI NE

34

S N ow

AND

and y o u never s et eyes on my daugh ter o r

myself before interrupted the stranger
with a smile
We were spectators o f your
accident standing i n fact at the very fence
where it occurred

Ah replied Jim g aily and addressing

himself to the young lady

I m afraid I
m ade a most unfavourable rst appearance
It wa s terrible to look at said the girl

with a Slight Shiver

It makes me feel
Sick to think o f it even n o w
Y es Mr H a wk s b u ry it was a bad fall t o
look at I really thought myself that you
were killed
As for Clarisse here sh e
fainted outright
I really regret returned Jim gallantly
that I Shoul d have s o upset your nerves
but it was n o t m y fault the m are wa s beat
I ve some recollecti on I n my o wn hunt
ing days observed the stranger dryly of
having it drilled into me that the m an who
rode a beaten horse at a fence was respo n
sible if grief came o f it

'

A ND

S UN SHI NE

36

S N OW

similarly Situated ; th e very dulness of the

pl ace threw them together As Jim said
afterwards
I went in for quiet and by
Jove I got it D oncaster the week after
the L eger is tumultuous compared with
B urnside
S till the perfect quiet j oined
with the change o f air had been the very
thing he required in the rst i n stance and
now the societ y of the Lydons amused with
out fatiguing him Jim was progressing
rapidly tow ards complete r ecovery
Alfred Lydon was somewhat o f a mystery
to H a wk sb u ry T he artist had seen muc h
of life and his keen caustic remarks on m e n
and manners amused the young man ex
c ee di n l
stil
l
altho
gh
it
was
evident
t
hat
u
gy
he was narratin g personal experiences he
never claimed to have been an actor in the
scenes he described T he curious part of
this to Jim was that his allusions sometimes
had reference to that section o f the L ondon
w orld who devote themselves in these d ays
to H urlingham and Princes and wage battle
.

B Y T HE S ALT

WATER S

37

ercely at E pso m and Ascot T hat he

spoke correctly concerning it al bei t o f a
time before polo was a n d ere the sublime
conception of roller skates had entered th e
brai n of their inventor Jim k n o w quite
enough of the pa s t history o f that world to
feel assured yet according to his o wn
account he was S imply an artist whose
home wa s in Canada and whose sole errand
i n En gland was to escape the greater severity
of a Canadian winter
From Clari sse Lydon Jim gathered little
more Her father was an Englishman but
he had married and settled in Lowe r
Canada a n d till they had crossed the seas
u pon their present errand S he had never
been o u t of that country Her mother had
been dead about two years Since which s h e
had kept house fo r her father leaving the
convent where She was at school indeed for
that purpose
When Jim inquired how i t was they
happened to be present at the steeplechase
so

S UN SHI NE

38

AND

S N OW

replied briefly That he had known

all that part of the world well i n days gone
by and having a curiosity to s ee it again
made a smal l tour throug h it before going
to Burnside Being i n Mu d dl ebu ry we o f
cours e heard of the races and s o went out
I had a taste that way once
to s e e them
and know a horse or horseman when I s e e
him That was a good mare y o u rode there
and would have abou t won could you have
held her at starting
C oncerning his E u
w
lish
life
or
of
hat
part
of
the
country
he
g
belonged to L ydon never spoke more plainl y
than this It contrasted strangely with the
openness with which he talked of the latter
or C anadian portion of his career ; and yet
as a rule it is the days of their early man
hood that men most love to look back upon
Days i t may be o f hard work and narro w
m eans ; but ho w we slept and what spirits
and digestions we had in those times

A nd to morrow you leave B urnside !

exclaimed Cl arisse Lydo n a s s h e and
L ydon

BY

S ALT WATE R S

TH E

39

H a wks b ury

paced the little promenade

with the quick step the keenness o f a
closing N ovember day demanded for what
ever war m th may b e i n the weather towards
the end of autum n it dies with the s u n

Yes it has been a very pleasant fort

night and done me no end of good I feel
quite set up a gain Do y o u know I think
tha t you and your father have ass isted my
c onvalescence not a little
3
said the young lady
w
s
o
Ho

\V ell you see I was on the verge o f

getting moped when you took compassion
on me and in quired into my case returned
H a wk s b ury laughing

N onsense
retorted Clarisse y o u had
your friend Mr D onaldson to talk to and
I m sure he is excellent company
U ndoubte dl y ; but the n
you s ee
Donaldson has his patients to look after
and from what I s e e of the practice that
involves considerably more time than prot
I sho ul d have had little o f his compan i on
,

'

S UN SHINE AND S N OW

4O

ship till after dinner ; a n d even then as he

s ays
the extra pa ro ch ial s send for him
sometimes because they re so bored they
think they must be ill

Ah life here must be somewhat stag

nant withou t employment ; but I feel
attered to think we have been of s ervice
to y o u

I ndeed you have

Without the com
of
yourself
L
ydon
I
an i o n sh i
a n d Mr
p
p
should not have derived a quarter of the
benet ! exclaimed Jim warmly

I think you have done papa good too

D o you kno w I never heard h im talk to
anyone a s he has done to you O f course I
d on t understand half y o u s ay when you
s peak of a ll that fashionable L ondon life
and I had no idea papa knew a n y thi n g
about it either
H e has known it w ell in bygone y ears
M iss L ydon replied Jim
O f course his
time was before mine there ; but I h ave
heard enough of the past on various occa
,

BY

TH E

S ALT

WATER S

41

sions to feel sure he mixed freely in it

o nce

W ell m ind you come a n d s e e us at ! e n

Singto n as you ve promised Re m ember
I am in a S imilar case there to you here

knowing n o o n e and i n s a d danger o f

getting moped
Would not that be ter
ri ble 3 cried the girl lau ghing

I shall be only too glad

But don t
forget I don t live i n tow n and only visit
it at intervals
I am aw a re S ir of the onerous duties
vou owe to the S tate replied M iss L ydo n

with a saucy smile

but wh en B ro a d sh ire
and the adj acent counties see m sufciently
tran qu il we S hall trust that you will honour
the m etropolis
Jim raised h i s hat as he replied i n a
similar sportive strain :
Miss L ydon s
lightest wish is a command I shall look
forward to presenting myself in S outh ! en
sington soon after Christmas

A n d n ow
T hat will be good o f y o u
,

S UN SHI NE

42

A ND

S N OW

really I think I must go in W ill you

come to o and have some tea 2

N o thanks
I promised D onal d son to
be home betimes as it s my las t day I
have said good bye to your father and now
sad to s a y m ust do the like to y o u
replied the girl as s h e stood
Y es

facing him
\V e ve had a very pleasant
time here and p a pa and I S hould miss you
much if we were staying on b u
t we als o
leave on Friday D on t think nevertheless
tha t we shall not look forward to seeing y ou
again G ood bye is a terri ble word to s a y
when there is no prospect of that however
that is not s o i n your case and extending
her hand Miss L ydon looke d him frankly
in the face

God forbid replied Jim as he pressed

the little hand warmly

W e shall meet
again ere man y weeks are passed and then
with a low reverence H awk s b u ry took his
leave

You ll do now said D onaldson next

.

'

S UN SHI NE AND S N O W

4 S4

as he exchanged a mighty hand grip

h i s charge
Love to the C hirper
and tell him if he don t send me patients
at the rate of half a score a quarter I Shall
h ave to betake myself so m ewhere else
this neighbourhood is far too healthy to
suppor t a new m edical man

s on

C H APTE R

I I!

ABBEY

RI N GS TO N E

RI N G S T O N E A B B E Y ,

the seat of the Hawks

burys was a quaint many gabled country
house built in the form of an L I t had
been ori ginall y a long low m ansion run
ning under seven gables but about the
commencement of the eig hteenth century
the then reigning baronet fancyi ng he
requ ired more room either for his family
or his friends built a S hort leg on to the
old buil din g and considerably spoilt the
picturesque appearance of i ts many gabled
front artis tic tastes not bei n g v ery pre
valent amongst the hard ridin g hard
drinking country gentlemen of those days
-

S UN SHI NE AND S N OW

46

who were given to patching their houses

i n most incongruous fashion
I t stood in
a n el y wooded park the grand old timber
in which had been carefully t ended or
planted centuries before by the old monks
who were then lords of Rin gsto n e for the
present country house like many others
had sprung up on the ruins of a monastery
the foundations and s h ponds o f which
were still to be traced i n some broken
ground no great distance beyond the shrub
T he H a wk s b ury s
indeed dated
b e ri es
their appearance in B ro a d s h i re from the
days when the monasteries went down
T hey had probably little more ardour for
the R eformed Faith than their sovereign
liege or m any other zealous reformers of
those days ; but they were a needy
rapacious race and when su c h a very fat
goose as the church of those times was to
be plucked were l ittle likely to be absent
from the pluckin g At all events a c ertain
Ralph H a wk sb u ry and his two sons are
.

RI N GS T O N E

ABBE Y

47

recorded to have been very active in the

d issolut i on o f the monasteries in those
parts and to have obtained a considerable
a ssignment of the l ands appertaining to the
Abbey of Rin gs to n e which they had been
a t some pains to destroy
in a ck n o wl e d g
ment of the zeal they had displayed
I t was a qu eer somewhat inconvenient
old house as most old houses are
Anti quity and comfort a re by no mean s
synonymous terms and our ancestors not
only s a t in vile straight backed chairs
which either fro m ignorance or cynicism
they call ed easy but were content to do
wi thout many appurtenances which we
nowadays deem necessities
B aths and
bath towels for instance w ere s uperu ities
o f which our forefathers had ne ver heard
Rin g s to n e was nei ther much better nor
much worse t h an other old dwellings of
i ts kind
I ts o w ne rs had fro m time to time
modernised its furn i shing and adopted the
latest improvements o f the age created a
,

A ND

S UN SHI NE

48

S N OW

smoking room for example lled w ith

loun g es that mi ght satisfy a lotus eater ;
but the great glory of Rin gs to n e was its
hall a large square shaped apartment
floored and panelled with d ark oak run
ning fro m b asement to roof tree and with
nothing but a gallery which traversed three
sides of it midway to break its height
Fitted up in all respects like a drawing
room the family habitually s a t in this room
the front door being fenced o ff by a screen
which ran up to the bottom o f the gallery
on that side

S o we are to have Ji m home to

dinner ! exclaimed a dark vivacious little
lady who was busying herself with some
water colours near the replace
I s up
pose it was a nasty fall to look at eh
L etty
Miss A uriole raised her eyes from her
book and paused a moment before S he

sh e
replie d
I don t pretend
said at

length t o really ride to hounds like you

-

R I N GS TO N E

S ara

ABBE Y

49

know
I
often
go
hunting
;
in my o wn milder fashion I ve seen falls
before but I never saw man and h orse go
down like that I felt a little like fainting
I really thought he was killed
S tupid boy I ve no patience with him

cried the other

I intend to scold him
well when he arrives What business had
2
he to ride the rst wretch he was asked to
I don t understand his lingering so long
at B urnside
I t s not like Jim to be
content with a quiet wateri n g place
I
cannot help fearing that he is not so far
recovered as he says

Mr Ch errito n when he wrote j us t

after the accident said Jim was m uch
Shaken generally ; remember

Yes and that reminds me that I shall

have something to s ay to M r Ch errito n
about his asking my brother to risk his
neck on that ill tempered brute replied
Miss H a wk sb u ry with a sharp quick n o d
o f her head
H e s a special crony o f Jim s
still

vo u

)7

V OL

S UN SHI NE

5O

AND

S N OW

and has been coming here twice o n l v some

thing prevent ed him S o I don t suppos e it
will be long before we meet

I m sure h e looked unhappy enough

during th e race and was antic ipating what
occurred from the moment he s aw his m are
had got away with her rider
That s what I blame him for retorted
Miss H a wk sb ury imperiously
H e should
have had his anticipations sooner and not
persuaded Jim to chance l ife and l imb in his
service What Uncle R obert ! exclaimed
the you n g lady springing to her feet as the
door opened and admitted the rector s stal
wart gure
W h y are you not at Ri ck erb y
Gate

7
Ah very s a d S ara isn t it
S uc h a
scent a s t here ll be this m orning to o H ow
ever i t couldn t be I d a parish meeti n g to
see to and have a funeral at three or else I
should have come across to know if eithe r
of you wanted an escort
He s getting better the last year o r two
,

S UN SHIN E

52

A ND

S N OW

o f this kind lived upon excellent term s

with their parishioners and did a great deal
of good after their own lights N ot m uch

m en

given to sch ools o r the celebration of saints

d ays it is true ; but interesting themselves
considerably in the secul ar concerns of those
u nder their care
Free of advice and u n
S paring of censure ; more anxious perhaps
for their parishioners temporal than spiri
tual welfare T he worst men of this type
of parson generally betook themselves to
drink and all manner o f uncleanness ; but
these clergy o f the days gone by are not to
be j u d ged by the black sheep that were
a mong them
R obert H a wk sb u ry was extr emely popular
with his ock
H e not only knew them
but pretty well all their concerns talked
con dentially over wh at was to be done
with B ill or Maggie when they were a

little older
S et
the store pig t e
estimated what it would weigh or advi sed
T here wa s
a bout prun i ng the fruit trees
,

'

RI N C S TO N E

ABBE Y

53

no better j udge o f ricking thatching

hedging ditching under draini ng & c in
all th e country S ide than the R ev R obert
and he was constantly appointed arbiter
of such points at the agricultural m eetings
i n the neighbourhood
If he had a rough
tongue for what he considered the pecca
d ill o eS
and he utterly ignored a goo d
m any that more modern clergymen would
weep over they k ne w him to be free
of hand and kind of heart in ti m e of
trouble I f the young men of Rin gsto n e
preferred cricket to church on a S unday
aft ernoon they were little likely to b e
lect ured by their rector He could by
no means be brought to s e e cruelty in
holding
with
C
hrysippus
that
c o ck h tin
g
g

was
the
nal
cause
of
cocks
c o c k h ti n
g
g
and held privately that poaching was
the one S i n a man could scarce make
ato n ement for He was a keen sports
and though he might j oke about
m an
g ates and gaps and use them too on
,

S U N SHINE

54

AN D

S N OW

o ccasion no o n e i n the hunt having

greater knowledge on those points yet
s carce anyone went straighter when hounds
were running in earnest A nother faculty
too he had and it is one whi c h the poor
invariably regard with m uch veneration
shrewdness I t was very d ifcult indeed
t o humbug the R ev R obert H e kne w
the domestic a ffairs of his flock too well
forsooth for that could put his nger
on dru n ken men or feckless wom en as
cause of want or destitu tion or explain
th at H odge s garden failed to yield for
want of H o d ge s work put into it Fo r
the rest he always d isplayed a most
l audable curiosity on the subj ect o f birds
and foxes seldom failing to introduce
in qt
concerning them into his speech
and preached two sermons a week which
it is to be feared contained but one point

namely brevity
o f an excellent discourse
T he R ev R obert wis e r than this garrulous
generation knew th a t he gured to small

ABBE Y

RI N GS TO N E

55

ad vantage i n the pulpit a circumsta n ce

that those privileged to occupy it seldom
seem conscious of
Well continued the rector after a
S hor t pa use
you ll have Jim to take care
of you out hunting n o w for a spell

U nless his accident has changed him a

good deal Jim invariably forgets our very
exist ence as soon as they nd s aid Miss
H a wk s b u ry laughing
I t is a failing which runs in the fam i l y
exclaimed Miss A uriole
I ve known you
desert me S ara without compuncti on under
those circumstances
It s i n the blood I m afraid L e tty
continued the
W e su ffer both S ara and I
rector with a smile on his lips
S he has
misgivings as to whether it s ladylike to be
in the rst flight and I as to whether it s
clerical yet we get there at t im es without
meaning it T here never w as a H a wk sbu ry
yet c ould stop h i s horse when hounds were
ru n n m g
,

'

S U N SHI NE

56

S N OW

AN D

candal about ! ueen E lizabeth re

to rte d S ara her quick black eyes dancing
with fun
W hen I am there I m follo wing
m y M entor and v ery much shocked to n d
wh at s come of it
Y es m y dear ; i t s a very s a d business
all round and the less we s ay about it the
better I f we ought as m o dest men to be
dumb about our merits as prudent people
w e d b eSt be silent on our weaknesses
observed the R ev R obert w ith mock
solemnity
As if it were possible when favoured of
fortune to be altoge ther S il ent about one s
good luck rej oined M iss H a wk s b ury in
demure i m itation o f her uncle s tone
It
is so hard not to crow a wee bit when o n e
h as had the best o f it
E specially when Miss L ambton has had
very much the reverse my dear I nterposed
M iss A uriole
A t which observation the two burs t into
a peal of laughter for M iss L ambton was a
No

ABBE Y

RI N GS TO N E

57

of whom S ara H a wk s b ury e n

iderable j ealousy ; and how
terta in e d con s
j ealous women c a n be of each other s horse
m anship is scarcely to be conceived
W ell I ve some j ustice business to talk
over wi th your father said the rector
rising s o good bye girls for the present
I sha l l look in on you for lunch

Do replied S ara as U ncle R obert

quitted the room
A shrewd quick witted girl was S ara
H a wk s b u ry blessed with high spirits and
It was wonderful
a n e x cellent constitution
what fatigue that slight delicate gure co ul d
endure After hours passed in the sad dl e
her foot wo uld be as light i n the dance as
her hand had been all day upon th e bri dl e
S he never seemed to tire her spirits never
seemed to a g S he was not altogether
popular for her tongue though never bitter
was a little sharp I t was not that S he said
biti n g things or made sarcastic remarks
about those s h e mixed with bu t people
rival

D iana

AND

S UN SHI NE

58

S N OW

had an uneasy impression that she could

if s o minded W e have all met with those
who are regarded distr u stfully on this
accoun t S ocie ty always vie ws the power
o f sarcas m with suspicion and will pardon
inconceivabl e dulness sooner than the mere
thought of becoming its target B ut S ara
H a wk s b ury was a warmhearted sensi ble
girl and very rarely gave vent to the
satiric humour that s h e undoubtedly pos
sessed rather addicted to athletics as far
as a lady may be and sometimes lled
with Slight compunctions that s h e went
perhaps a little too far i n s uch pursuits
but pleading in excuse that she couldn t
do things by halves a n d that whether it
w as hunting S kati n g dancing or what not
if
s h e did it with all her might
a fault
it be one that it would be as well if a good
many of us could fall into
Though a practical girl enough y e t
M iss H a wk s bu ry cherished one little bit of
romance S he d i d dearly hope that sooner
,

S UN SHI NE

60

A ND

S N OW

he had m ore important things to think of

than marriage although if cross examined
it might have puzzled him somewhat to
enumerate them S till it is little likely
tha t the scheme will not be brough t before
him in due course S ir R andolph is hardly
the man to leave anybody in ignorance
of his wishes on any point or to forgive

the slightest contravention of them a n

indolent despot not troubling himself as
to how things went i n his little world a s
long as they did not interfere with his
own whims o r comforts ; bu t no more
domestic autocrat existed than the cynic a l
easy going baronet when aroused and
though both his children were tolerably
strongwill ed yet they habi t ually listened
to S ir R andolph with considerable respect
w hen he bestirred himself in earnest
A s for Lady H a wk s bury s h e w as an i n
sincere woman who deemed herself a very
M achiavelli i n petticoats
S tanding in con
spouse and
s i d era b l e awe o f her d espotic
-

ABBE Y

RI N G S T O N E

61

even i n some S light measure of her straight

forward s o n and daughter she a lways sought
to gain her ends by the most transparent
s chemi ng
H er husband would at times
look on rather amused at her machinatio n s
at others wo ul d r uthlessly and contemp
tu o u s l y expose them
A wom a n that it was
impossible to like S he was s o palpably insin
cere such social change as s h e spent was so
unmi stakably of base metal even when sh e
really was delighted to s e e people a n d told
them s o it sounded like the veriest bit of
humbug possible From always acting a
part S he ha d at last lost all natural cha
S he was purely arti cial as regards
ra c ter
her feelings as complete a psychological
sham as some of her compeers who would
fain bloom perennial are materially S ooner
o r later it is plain that S ir R andolph and
my lady will interfere ea c h in their o wn
fashion in behalf o f this alliance that they
have decided on for th eir rs t born
A n d what might be Letty A uriole s
,

'

S UN SHI N E

62

AN D

S N OW

thoughts on this matter if thought S h e h a d

2
B e that as it may S he kept
about it
her own counsel as modest ma i den might ;
and S ara H a wk sb u ry was far too true
hearted a girl and far too shrewd to seek to
force her friend s condence o r to mar h er
own pe t sche m e by premature hint o f the
same to either of those concerne d Up to
the present the H a wk sb u ry family had all
refrained from interference in what appeared
to them a most desirable arrangement but a
d esire to assist the course o f events is s o
inherent a passion of our nature that it can
scarcely be supposed that they w ill practise
such abstinence much longer
,

'

C HA PTE R

JI M H

IV

MISS L YD O N P RETT Y

Is

as we have seen scoffe d

at the idea of being smitten b y Clariss e
Lydon but he thought a good d eal about
her all the same as the train whirled him
away from B urnside T hought over their
good bye and re flected he should have felt
very loath to think that they were not to
meet again an d that soon S till a man
might feel th a t and n o t be the le a st in
danger of entertaini n g warmer sent iments

Fellows a lw a ys wil l gabble s o if o n e

walks half a dozen times with a pretty girl
and insist upon it you re spoonin g mut
tere d Jim
V vh a t an ass D onaldson i s
A W H S B U RY ,

S UN SHI NE

64

AND

S N OW

T hen

he began to reflect that M r Cher

riton had agreed to meet him on the way
and pay his twice postponed visit to R ing
stone and that he had quite forgotten to
write to his mother to tell her he was bring
ing a friend with him I t didn t matter h e
could telegraph and if he could not it still
d idn t matter
L ondon is reached at last ; but Jim speeds
across from \V aterloo to ! ing s C ross a n d
snatches s u ch tfu l m eal as a railwa y
station permits
A meal at a r a ilwa y
statio n like sleep in a railway carri a ge is a
thi n g of ts and starts and the food a n d
the sleep are about e qually unsatisfactory
O n again up the Great N orth R oad at a
pace that would make the travellers of fty
years ago speechless even to t hink about
till with a scream mi d st shrieks of C hange
here ! th e train pulls up at R etford Junc
tio n one o f those centres from which tra
directions
v ell ers branch o ff in all directions
at times m o st unexpected such as ndi n g
.

Is

MISS L YD O N P RETT Y

65

themselves on their way to M anchester

when believing they are j ourneying to
Y ork
Mid all the bustle and apparent confusion
Jim soon catches sight of M r Ch erri to n
calm and serene with a well subsidised
porter in charge of his belongings
Al l right Jim I e x claimed that gentle
Ot
man as he Shook hands
room
in there
Y ou don t chan ge which is
something to be thankful for Y ou do
apparently to get anywhere else and the
variety o ffered makes selection difcult
A ll right there you are m y man
con
tin u e d the C hirper as he stepped into the
M ain obj ect o f the o fcials here
carriage
seems to be continually clearing the plat
form ; if they can only get people a n d port
manteaus into the carriages it don t matter
what becomes of them B y Jove old fell ow
you re beginning to look yourself a gain
O h I m all right
W hat s the news a t
Mu d dl eb ury ? How s the regiment
.

VOL

S UN SHI NE

66

AND

S N OW

Mu d d l eb u ry is i n

its usual s tate o f

un m itigated dulness I suppose knife gri nd
ing isn t an inspiriting occupation ; a n d
that s what Mu d d l e b u ry gets its living by
y ou see I forg et how many kn i ves and
forks they turn o u t per annum but there s
no ex cuse I know for anyone eating with
their ngers
?
A nd the regiment
A little low about the near approach o f
C hristmas and its liabilities otherwise pretty
replied the C hirper
ouri shing
! uite
resigned to quit M u d d l eb ury at any m o ment
it may ple as e the H orse Gu a rds in their
wi sdom to decree

I t s not to be called a good quarter

s aid Jim
though its being s o hand y to m y
o wn county m akes it suit me better t h an the
rest o f you
-

Beguili ng the w ay wi th t o bacco and regi

m en ta l gossip the t w o fri ends i n d u e time
arrived at H e reb y wh ere a wagonette w as
awa i ti n g t o carry th e m t o Rin gs to n e A s
,

S UN SHI NE AND S N OW

68

for there was La d y H a wk sb ury to be i n

tro d u c ed to who welcomed him with an
excess of fervour that m ade M r Ch errito n
make some mental observations of a trite
though scarce complimentary nature ; but
nally whe n s h e told him s h e regarded
him as h er son s preserver the C hirper
suddenly recanting all his previous con
arrived at the conclusion that the
v i c ti o n s
good lady was incurably addicted to hoaxing
her fellow creatures
I t was really w i th some sense of relief

that he m et L etty A uriole s pleasant M r

Ch errito n must allow me to claim a o
quaintance with him although we met
under somewhat unfortunate circumstances
near Mu d d l eb u ry

O f course I recollect that i s it would

have been impossible to forget you know
Y ou lent me a wheel to stand upon
V ery
good o f y o u indeed Yes S hocking business ;
lost our money and the mare s never got
o ver it s a d to say
,

MISS LY D O N P RETT

Is

?
Y

69

T0

tell the truth replied M iss Auriole

smil in g I was thinking o f how very near

M r H a wk sb u ry was n o t getting over it
By Jove y es W hat a brute you must
think me I assure you I was as much
o u t up
about Jim as anyone could be
Miss Auriole ; but you s ee when one sees
him all right again one forgets all that
sort of thing
L etty A uriole did not feel inclined to
charge M r Ch erri to n with selshness S he
had seen h o w an xious he had been during
the race and knew as they all kne w at
Rin gs to n e how devote dl y h e had watched
by Jim s bedside in those rst feverish days
that had followed his fall
B ut the dressing bell cut short further
conversation thou gh the Chirper while
conferring with himself over the perfecting
of his necktie as is not unusual with man
kind came to the conclusion that L ady
H a wk s b u ry would take a deal o f under
standing Miss H a wk sb u ry s speech had
,

S UN SHI NE

7O

A ND

S N OW

been m ade clear to him by his subse quent

talk with L etty A uriole

\V ell and what d o you think of M r

?
e
r
r
i
to n
Ch
in quired L ett y as the ladies
regained the d raw i n g room after d inner
Did you have that severe word with him
you threatened this morning w hen you
little thought you were to meet him s o
soon

He s charming returned M iss H awks

bury
S uch a thoroughly audacious boy
it would be d ifcult to be angry with him
I t really was very funny to hear h is i n
dignation when I rather insinuated that he
ought to have ridden such a n awkward
ani m al himself and not have asked Jim t o
risk his neck
asked M iss
W a s he very angry 9
A ur i ole smiling

Y es indeed ; I began to think I Should

never pacify hi m ; and had to listen to s o
l o ng a story of his s prained w rist and how
Jim could ri de anything that I so m ewh at
.

'

Is

MISS LY D O N P RE TT Y

71

repented of my maliciousness H owever

we are great friends again now W hat di d
?
Jim te l l you about B urnside h o w di d he
2
get through his days there

O h he said it di d hi m a deal of good

and that he thought D r D onaldson clever
Pronounced it stupid as I should imagine
a small wate ri ng place in N ovember would
.

'

be
hear he picked up some new friends
there rej o ined S ara H a wk sb u ry carelessly ;
but as he didn t mention them I suppose
they didn t interest h i m much L ydon or

some such name artist people I think

M r Ch erri to n said
T he C hi rper although perfectly unaware
of the fact had been under a forcin g pump
during the latter part of dinner H is friend
D onaldson in a letter tellin g hi m how
H a wk sb ury wa s improving had laughingly
remarked that his patient had made a c
qu a intance with some people of the name
o f L ydon and that a prettier nurse a con
I

S U N SHI N E

72

AN D

S N OW

va l es c e n t

need not wish for than Miss

L ydon
T o a remark of S ara s that it w as
s urprising the dulness and solitude of B urn
side S hould have done her brother S O much
good M r Cherri to n had replied that he
fa nc i ed Jim had found some very agreeable
p eople there M i s s H a wk sb u ry s attention
was aroused a n d by insidious cross exa
minat ion it need be scarcely said s h e was
s oon i n possession o f all the C hirper had to
tell her amounting to very little it must
be owned but S ara with her pet proj ect
e ver i n m ind
viewed with suspicion every
pretty girl who dawned upon her brother s
horizon ; and on that point M r Ch errito n
was clear to wit that M iss L ydon wa s
oodly
t
o
look
upon
g
L etty paid small attention to her friend s

remark
not the girl this to give her love
unsought
It was but natural her cheek
s hould blanch at seeing H a wk s b u r s fall
y
when w e bear i n m ind that s h e had been
brought up in the fam ily ; and Mr C her

MISS LY D O N P RETT Y

Is

73

riton was by no means warranted in the

deduction he drew upon that occasion S ir
Randolph had been left guar d ian to L etty
in conj unction with a n uncle by her mother
some fteen years before but th e little girl
was by no means an heiress at that time
It was not till the death of her maternal
grandfather which happened about four
years previous to the time o f which I a m
writing that L etty Auriole inherited the
hundred thousand pounds of which She was
now possessed Previous to that s h e had
only the ftee n thousand pounds settled on
her m other upon her m arriage a n d which
ca m e to Let ty under that se ttlement

V ery nice indeed o f Mr Ch erri to n to

pay us a visit interposed Lady Hawks
bury
I believe he was kindness itself to
Jim although he was very near being the
death of him It wil l be pleasant for you
Let ty to have Jim as a hunt ing escort
m ore especially as the doctors won t al low
him to ride at pr esent
.

S UN SHI NE

74

S N OW

AN D

My lady was w ont to be rather

dis

j o inted i n her discourse but to do h er

j ustice when s h e said her s o n was forbidden
to ride S he meant from a H a wk s b u ry poin t
of view moderate equestrian exercise being
by no means regarded in such light by that
especially hard riding family
T wo very pr u dent cavaliers they a re
like to be at prese n t laughed M iss H awks

bury ; for M r Ch erri to n s wrist is still s o

weak he tells me that he can only really
use one han d I don t fancy they intend to
do much in the hunting way mamma
T he entrance of the gentlemen from th e
dining roo m cut short further S pecul ation a s
to their future proceedin s and S ara H awks
bury beckoned her brother to a seat by her
side with the design of cross exa mining h im
on his doings at B urnside
H ad Jim
guessed her intention it is probable h e
would have declined her i nv itation They
were excellent friends those two ; but
w i thout the slightest sus pic i on o f th e
,

S U N SHI NE AND S N OW

76

patients to attend to so you could n t talk

to h i m all day

N o nor to anyone else

retorted Jim

j esuitically
I wasn t up to it
I S houldn t
have g e t well if I had I was ordered to
keep qui e t

Y ou are equivocating Jim

said M iss
Yo u
H a wk s b u ry with moc k solemnity
had better confess at once Whom did you
C
l
fraternise with
O h t he b o a tm e n l T hen there was such
a j olly old coastguard S ara

That you used to walk up and down

the para d e with observed Miss H a wk s b u ry
demurely
I heard as m u ch
A h well ! If y o u kno w all about him
i t s no use my going on
N o I wasn t
particularly dull thank you said Jim
now quite awake to the impending
attack
l
Is Miss Lydon pretty inquired S ara
abruptly
If you ll tell me where s h e lives I ll
,

MISS LYD O N P RETT Y

Is

77

write and inquire rej o ined her brother

with great nonchalance

Jim if there was no one but ourselves

here I d box your ears whispered Mi ss
H a wk sb ury la u ghing

W h at is it you want to know you

7
little vi xen
W hy
all about M iss Lv d o n o f
course
Then why didn t you ask about M iss
L ydon at once instead of beating about the
bush in this fashion
I s s h e pr e tty
asked Mi ss H awk sb ury
pertinaciously
S he s rather n i ce look ing
A nd pleasant to talk to I suppose

S he s a very c h arm i ng girl and her

father a most amusing man
returned
Jim
W hat are they 4
C anadians He i s an artist ; and now
really you know as much about them as I
do If you d li ke t o hear about that old
,

'

SUNSHINE AN D SNOW

78

co as tgu ardsman I ll tel l you his history

s aid Jim impressively

N o thank you ; I don t care about

hearing any further particulars about that
I was only curious about
a ncient mariner
the lady because you made such a n u n
necessary mystery of her rej oined Miss
H a wk sb ury with all her s e X S profound
indifference to accuracy

I don t think I ve made any o f her

retorted Jim
I resisted cross examination
when I found myself i n the box that was all

Y o u had b etter conde i n me for the

future Your little irtati o n s always reach
my ears sooner o r later ; usually sooner
observed Miss H a wk s bu ry dryly
Jim laughed as he rose a n d strolled across
to his mother It was vain to arg ue with
his Sister o n this point he knew It was
her custom to denounce any civility he
might o ffer to a lady as irtation i n which
habit Miss H a wk s b ury was by no means
Singu lar among women

M I SS

IS

L YD ON P R E TT Y

79

don
t
like
l
M
u
d
d
e b ur
y
y
Mr Ch errito n
remarked Miss Auriole

N o and it s not quite o u r fault

M u d d l eb u ry unlike the Grande Duchesse
d on t dote upon the military and thinks the
s o oner we go whe r e
glory waits u S the
better

A n d that i n your case means Aldershot ?

s aid Letty interrogatively
Yes ; we go there i n the Spring where
lory
in
its
pacic
form
o f el d days and
g
w iggings doubtless awaits us

Wiggings I exclaimed Letty

I beg p a rdon Miss Auriole i t s military
U
nfavour
s lang fo r irascible fault n d in
g
able but by no means reticent criticism o f
o ne s effo rts to serve one s country
Ah y o u mean the general s get angry
when y o u make mistakes cried Letty

Rather, an d when we don t as well I

regret
to s ay it s n o t conned to the
generals but spreads like an epidemic
th ro ugh the senior ranks A el d day Miss
And so

ou

S UN SH IN E

80

S N ow

AND

Auriole either ends in a hurricane o f wrath

o r universal contentment

Like a real battle i n con gratulations o r

bitter anguish

Just so replied Mr Ch errito n gr in

ning ; only we get over the bitter ang uish
state rather quicker at Aldershot After
lunch and a cigar we u sually feel ourselves
again

A n d I suppose
said Miss Auriole

much amused that praise and blame are

meted o u t i n somewhat zigz ag fashio n
much after the manner o f O ld Bailey j ustice
as described in Hook s Gilbert Gurney
Y o u remember they acquitted and found
the prisoners guilty alternately without
regard to evidence
Precisely exclaimed the Chirpe r glee
fully ;
all commen d ation to day general
diffusion o f wiggings to morrow
It s
always a toss u p which

Take care
cried Letty laughing ;
,

IS

M I SS

L YD ON P R E TT Y

C
3

81

suppose I were to publish these terrible

disclosures
Impossible Y retorted Mr Cherrito n

with a n a ffectation of great dismay

My
prospects in life Miss Auriole are i n your
hands
Well I must pledge myself to be d is
It would be too s a d to think that a
c re et
hero s career Should be nipped i n the bud by
the imprudence of a woman s tongue

Thanks Miss Auriole

replied Mr

that is step the rst s o

Ch erri to n g aily
clever people tell me O nce g et the la d ies
to believe in your future and the m en soon
follow suit Wil l you promise to use your
in fluence i n my behalf the rst time you ve
a chance
I t s not very likely I fear that o ppo r
tu n i ty will come to me but you may count
upon me if it should rej oined Letty with
marked gravity
I ll tell you o n e thing said the Chirper
1)

V OL

I.

S UN SH IN E

82

AN D

S N ow

lowering his voice and glancing round as if

i n some trepidation lest his words Should be
overheard ; o u r heads are gentleme n you
know and when that s the case they always
n d it rather hard to s a y N o to a lady
A S Al ec Donaldson says y o u don t know
him I suppose no o f course y o u don t
continued Mr Ch errito n as Letty made a

Sign o f dissent
H e s deep very d eep is
Alec ; well as he says if y o u want any
thing o ut o f anybody always trust to a
woman s inuence in preference to a man s
N ow as I said befo r e Al ec is clever and I
believe in Alec

Y o u mean the Mr Donaldson that has

?
been taking care o f Jim
inquired Letty
much amused
Just s o r eturned Mr Ch errito n noddin g

his head solemnly

He c an patch up
schemes a s well a s constitutions c an Alec
Ah well Lady H awk sbu ry is looking
fo r her bedroom candle s o I suppose it is
tim e to reti re B u t depend upon it Mr
,

S U N SH IN E

84

AN D

S N ow

What a n awful frame o f mind to retir e to

rest i n
You re right it is retorted Mr Che r
riton grinning
Pass the whisky I m no t
t to go there yet

CHAPTE R V
TH E

BI G

PIKE

VE RJ UICE t o o u r fee l ings is the rst tap o f

old age at our door
When we n d we
cannot walk as we once did ; when han d
and eye begin to fail a little ; when thos e
rocketers we co ul d once brin g down s o deftly
pass over o u r heads scat hl ess ; when th e
fences seem bigger than o f yore and o ur
accuracy i n making a losing hazard seems to
have unacco u ntably departed a te rrible ti m e
that for those keenly addicted to a ll such
pursuits a n d who having been o f the rst
ight now nd themselves compelled to
succumb to yo un g er blood They do n o t
subside in to the second place without much
.

S U N SH IN E

86

S N ow

AN D

repinin g and irritable excuse fo r their short

comings Want of health o r want o f condi
tion they mutter when the stubbles prove
their horses are only half
s o wearisome ;
broken ; the billiard table is n o t t to play
upon It is no use my friends you have
Shot your bolt ; have reached the zenith o f
your life and are now steadily progressing
towards its nadir After a little we become
more r econciled to o u r lot ; are content to
enj oy such amusement as we m ay yet
comp a ss without cari n g that we are beaten
at o u r pet pastime ; but it i s somewhat
bitter that rst discovery that we are not
what we once were
S ir Randolph has o f
a te admitted this sadl y to himself and it
h a s made him wondrous Shy o f j oining i n
those eld sports o f which he has been all his
life s o arduous a supporter
It was n o t his a ge fo r h e wa s not ve ry far
past fty and m en constantly show no sig n
faili n g til l much late r o n ; but S ir
of
Randolph had lived hard i n his you n ger
.

'

TH E

B IG PIKE

87

days and drawn freely o n his p hy s iqu e

Constitutions like estates are n o t in ex
h a us ti bl e an d m en ru n through the former
quite as easily as the latter spen di ng at
times indeed the two together and pre
paring for themselves a premature old age
by no means lovely to look upon At this
epoch o f their lives m e n are apt to take up
strange fancies ; avarice for instance often
contracted about this period and gr eat
anxiety displayed concernin g o u r hoard in
this world j ust as it behoves us to be
th i nking o f another
I am not speaking o f a n y particul ar age
i n man s life ; merely o f that time when he
rs t becomes conscious a n d reluctantly
admits that he is growing o l d
It may
come to him at forty at Sixty at eighty ; it
is impossible to s ay
There was a well
known hunting m an in the Shi r es b ut a few
years ago wh o was bad to beat in his
e ightieth year
It had ce rtain l y taken r oot of late in S ir
.

S U N SH IN E

88

AND

S N ow

Randolph s mind that it was the duty o f his

s o n to repair such holes as he S ir Randolph
had made i n the property ; i n Short Jim
was to tinker the family kettle by a wealthy
marriage Getting exceedin g anxious abou t
the integrity o f the Rin gs to n e estate is Sir
Randolp h j ust as it is becomin g more a n
affair o f his son s than his o wn While he
could hunt four days a week and Shoot two
during th e winter time and thorou ghly enj oy
his London season the baronet had recked
little o f his early indiscretio ns and troubled
his head less about Jim s doings providing
he made no great demand for supplies i n
excess o f his allowance
But when gout
and failing health reduced S ir Randolph to
pass much time by the reside he began
like many m e n in Similar cases to breed
crotchets a n d hatch whimseys Impossible
he thought t o leave the world with s a ti sfa c
tion till the estate was quite clear again
Jim must wed someone s ui ci en tl y well
dowered to do that O f course he didn t care
,

T HE B IG PIKE

89

whom but with a n heiress like Letty Aurio l e

close at hand it really seemed superuous to
look farther He has no intention o f speak
ing to Jim o n the subj ect at present ; he
will bide his time and not interfere till he
deems it expedient
Meanwh ile h e Sits
broodin g o n what is like to prove a n addled
egg
The malignant Chirper is gratied next
morning by nding his hopes f ulll ed The
ground is white with a hoar frost a n d the
evergreens glittering with icy gems The
fea thers of the robin stand up and he has
taken upon himself that aspect o f rotund
dej ection he always exhibits i n hard weather
presenting nothing but a uffy a n d discon
Solate lit tle ball to the spec tator from the
mi dst o f which peer his keen greedy little
eyes The blackbirds and thrushes hop des
f
o
across
the
lawn
small
chance
o n d e n tl
;
p
y
th e worm being abroad this mornin g rise
the blackbird never so early O ur feathered
contemporaries always look s a d i n a hard
,

S U N SH IN E

90

S N ow

AND

frost as for the matter o f that so do o ur

poorer brethren
There is mighty little
pleasure in that exhilarating air when it is
c utt i ng through insuf cient
clothing and
small use in a n exce eding appetite when
there is nothin g wherewith to satisfy it A
sharp frost may be a j oyous time with the
well to do but it is n o t attended with much
mirth as concerns the birds and that portion
o f huma n ity who live from hand to mouth
portentous di fculty about obtaining the
necessary worm i n both cases

A clear dispensation o f nature this i n

favour o f your i n rm iti es exclaimed Letty
Auriole as She greeted Mr Ch errito n at th e
breakfast table

Yes replied that gentleman benignly

i t seems as if Jim a n d I were going to

have a turn
O f enforced indolence
interrupted
Miss H a wk sb u ry laughing
Don t atter
yours elf Mr Ch erri to n that we mean to let
There
are
plenty
o f thi n gs
o u o ff s o easy
y
.

S U N SH IN E

92

AND

S N ow

last remark there s always plenty o f fu n to

be had i n a frost G ood morning to y o u all
?
H o w are you Mr Ch e rrito n
I trus t Ring
stone air a n d Rin gs to n e claret brought you
peaceful Slumbers D o I bless my soul S ara
such a day for pike sh in g They ll be
greedy for food this weather I ve j ust run
up to propose a day o n the lake Trolli n g
for us and a little tri m m erin g for the ladies
when they come up with th e l unch What
I
do you say Jim
The very thing I don t think either
the Chirper o r myself c an u s e a ro d but we
c a n manage the trimmers well enou gh

H o w nice o f you to think o f it U ncle

Robert exclaimed Miss H a wk sbu ry
I wonder it d idn t occur to y o u at once
Y o u and I have pulled o ut a big sh
S ara
before n o w when the ground was like iron
and the water edged with ice I ll go and
look after the tackle if you ll see to the
creature comforts D on t forget the cherry
brandy it ll be co m forting o n the lake

T HE B IG PIKE

93

Particularly s o muttered the Chirper

He had no experience or great
s o tto @0 0 6
Opinion o f shing i n any Shape and b e
though t him o f sundry acquaintances who
had often summed up their three weeks
salmon sh in g much in this fashion : Water
thick as pea soup all the time I wa s
there I only go t three rises a n d n o t a s h
However r eected Mr Ch errito n
a
good lunch a well ll e d cigar ease and the
cherry brandy will carry o n e through even
Shoul d the Rev H a wk s b u ry turn o u t to
have been unduly sanguine
But the rest
and had often
o f the party knew better
witnessed rare sport upon the lake Plenty
o f good sh to be taken there an they would
bite a n d your pike s appetite is keen in
the hard gray weather wh en the black
north easter
,

eeps th gol de n reed b eds

C ri s p s th l y d y k e
H un ger s in to m dn ess
E ve ry pl u n gin g pik e
Sw

az

S U N SH IN E

94

SN ow

AND

The rector is o ff to confer with keepers con

cerning rods bait & c turning i n the door
way to exho rt the girls to wrap well up fo r
i t will be cold o n the lake
A S for you fellows he continued good
the work Should keep you
h u m o u re d l y
warm enough
We mean doing o ur best Uncle Robert
laughed Jim
but we ve only a sound arm
apiece
Ah I I forgot that
N ever mind
vo u ve a hand apiece for the e a rs and we
must trust to the trimmers to keep you em
ployed Come down when you re ready
You ll nd me o n the water
7
h
n
pike

s
i
great
fun
Miss
Auriole
IS
g
inquired the Chirper i n a low t one
O f course it is when there are plenty o f
sh o n the trimmers and the rods are i n
luck Punctilious people call the former
poaching work but we don t mind that at
,

Rin gsto n e

Two o clock

sa w

a neat pony carriage pul l

-

S U N SH IN E

96

S N ow

AND

understand this you s ee

I thou ght the
point was to take sh out o f the water and
we ve spent the whole mornin g putting them
in Must have a g ood afternoon th ough
Miss H a wk s b u ry if we only pull up what
we ve put down
There s over a dozen
trimmers all with something o n That we
c a n swear to as we put it on

This affectation o f i g norance does not

impose upon us returned S ara

But
h o w d id you two cripples get o n in the
.

boat

Beautifully after we got regulated

replied Jim
?
How regulated
What do y o u
,

mean

Why you see at rst my right hand

was s o much too stron g for the Chirper s
left that we only turned round and roun d
but after we had settled he was to pu l l two
strokes to my o n e we go t o n pretty well
N either very quickly nor straightly may be
but that didn t matter
,

B IG PIKE

TH E

97

And

where is Uncle Robert

What
has he done
N othing much as yet three small sh
\V e left him at the Rock pool where he
told us i n condence dwelt a monster A
monster I fancy still u n c atch e d a n d de
term in e d to d well o n
there rent free
remarked Mr Ch errito n cynically

Uncle Robert will account for him i n

due time never fear retorted Miss Hawks
bury
He has rather more perseverance
t han some shermen I wot o f
O h come now returned the Chirper ;
everyone knows patience and not perse
v era n c e is the real thing i n th i s sort o f
sport
Bait a hook and watch a oat
\Ve re watching o h s o a n xiously
Trouble
for
the
sherry
Jim
u
o
y
U ncle Robert is spinnin g
exclaimed
Letty laughing
Y o u understand that
Mr Ch errito n
N ot without a wheel a n d a lady to
?

VO L

S U N SH IN E

98

superi n tend it

AND

S N ow

replied the Chirper

m en

d a c io u sl y

Yo u

little humbug cried Jim

Don t
be imposed upon Letty by this a e cta ti o n

Jim my dear said Miss H a wk sb u ry

with gr eat gravity
I am afraid your
friend is really ignorant o f the science o f
the angle
Does he know more about
hunting o r is his wrist also a n affectation
This attack was more than Mr Ch errito n
could bear and he was about to reply at
length when the arrival o f the rector c u t
short the badinage

Can t persuade him to look at my bait

this morning S ara a n d there s a twenty
pounder i n the Rock pool if ever I s a w
I have risen him four times and
on e
struck the rst but he broke away almost
immediately I mean to have him though
Give me something to eat quick it s time
we were r ound the trimmers
A keen sportsman and m an o f decision
U ncle Robert
N o dalliance with the esh
.

S U N SH IN E

100

SN ow

AND

and we c a n pull enough for this sort

o f work
Mr Ch errito n if you will go
forward y o u c a n help U ncle Robert with
the trimmers and learn a little about p ike
s h i n g generally

You must push alon g girls cried the

rector cheerily
The light won t hold
above another hour o r s o
Those small d iscs o f painted cork
which represent the trimmer are not easy
to nd o n an expanse o f ope n water
Drifti n g as o f course they do with the
wind o r it may be with the liveliness o f
the bait attached to the line ! fo r quite as
often as n o t it is a living sh and not a
dead that is offered as a bo n n e bo u ch e to
the bigger denizens o f the pond lake or
stream) they naturally stray widely from
where they were cast in ; a Sharp look
is consequently necessary when the
o ut
picking up o f them takes place They pro
gress s o far with n o great success a couple
a small j ack and three eels
o f fair pe r ch
u s,

T HE B IG PIKE

101

which occasion much trouble by their

si n uous a n d slimy writhings are th e s u m
to tal o f the take O nly two more to pick
up a n d these as yet n o t to be discovered
U ncle Rober t looks puzzled
Didn t y o u s ay y o u put o n e down south
3
o f the island Jim
Just s o ; can t y o u s e e it
N 0 Ro w slo w girls a n d give us time
to use our eyes i n front returns the rector

Think I ll have a weed mutters Mr

Ch e rri to n more convinced than ever o f what
a fallacy pike s h in g in every shape i s as a
sport

Let u s try up towards the Rock pool

Uncle Robert cried Jim
It was a very
l ively bait a n d quite likely to invade the
sanctuary o f your t wenty pounder

N onsense it s right up wind ; but a

few more second s a n d the rector exclaims

gleefully
You re right Jim there it is
an d
with a s h o f some ki n d o n it to o
E asy S ara
and the Rev Robert leans
,

'

S U N SH IN E

1 02

AN D

S N ow

forward to seize the trimmer Hardly had

he raised the cork from the wate r than it is
twitched from between his ngers and goes
skimmin g up the lake at a great pace

H e s o ff again ! shouts the rector

N ow
girls let s s e e y o u row There s a big o n e o n
this time by the way he carries the tri m mer
away with him
Put h er head for the
island Jim ; h e s travelling that wa y and
nearly a s fast as we are
Letty and S ara bent to their e a rs till
their faces ushed when once more came

the welcome cry o f E asy I from the rector

S till n o sooner had he grasped the cork disc
o f the trimmer and by s o doing place d a
slight strain upon the s h than it was
wrenched from his hand with a j erk that
tumbled him o n to the gunwale o f the boat
and toppled his low crowned hat into the
water The girls lau ghed immoderately i n
which laughter the rector good h u m o u red l y
j oined
Mr Ch erri to n becomin g imbued
.

S U N SH IN E

104

AND

S N ow

that after a few mi n utes the rector c alled to

Hes
Mr Ch errito n to let go his hold
pretty rmly hooked but I am a fraid o f his
breaki n g u s he excl aimed a s the trimmer
on c e more went d anci n g across th e water
A gain and a gain wa s th e trimmer lifte d a n d
a fter
a brief tussle once more abandoned
under the sage comm and o f U ncle Robert ;
but the last tim e th e resistance waxed
fainter and it was evi d ent they were tiring
the s h o u t S till the light wa s w a ni n g
rapi d ly and unless they kept very close to
the trimmer there was n o w great d a n ger o f
l osi n g Sight o f it The girls are tired o u t
an d
Jim an d Ch erri to n have taken their
places at the e ars Miss A u riole is steerin g
a n d S ara Sits b e si d e h er uncle in th e b o w
O nce more the r e ctor c atches h old o f th e
l ine a n d fo r the rst time ventures to begin
to ha u l i n a little I t c o m es in slo wly but
s u rely a n d a fter a fe w m inut e s a h u ge pike
is j ust seen a t the surface o f the water ; then
W i th a n a n ry pl u n e he o nce more wrench e s
g
g

T HE B IG PIKE

the

l in e

105

from the rector s hand and dashes

o ff across the lake

Pull hard the starboard e a r I screams

U ncle Robert frantically

Put her head
once more fo r the island Letty ; the villain
i s nearly done
The next time th e rector seizes the line i t
is evi dent th e ght is nearly over
It h a uls
i n with sullen resistance i t is true b u t
there is no longer the erce plunges o f
previous times A t last th e bi g sh appears
upon the S I U fa c e still s truggl ing but i n
iner t languid fashion compared to his
former ery wrestl ing with his enemies

S tand back S ar a he s beyond your

strength Quick Jim y o u with the lan di n g
net
Jim H a wk s b u ry dropped hi s e a r into the
water sprang forward and seized the net
S lowly the rector hauls i n the dyi n g
monarch o f the lake givi ng yet convulsive
but impotent j erks against th e cruel hook
,

3)

S U N SH IN E

10 6

S N ow

AND

imbedded i n his entrails He is too big for

a landing net and they have n o gaff
S teady Jim cries the rector ;
thro w
the net away a n d when I bring him close
up to the boat slip your n g ers into his
gills Lie down man across the gunwale
That s i t And as soon as you have g o t
your grip call o u t to me W e ll have him
bet ween us
Fran tic with excitement Mr Ch errito n
also dropped his o a r T h ere was something
i n pike s h i n g after all
S lowly a n d gh t
i ng for his ebbing life inch by inch the big
p i ke is drawn under the pro w A erce
snap o f his
greets Jim s bare o u t
stretched arm ; but Jim is no stranger to
the sport and not likely to give his victim
a chance to lacerate his hand
Another
minute a n d his n g ers are within its gills
N ow U ncle Robert haul in all y o u can
o r I m i n the lake
A great splashin g a n d then Jim the
pike a n d the rector are in a somewhat
.

S U N SH IN E

10 8

AND

S N ow

it did not seem quite s o clear how they were

to get their boat to th e Shore under these
circumstances N 0 great distance certainly
n o t more than three hundred yards o r so
but h o w to obtain the necessary propelling
power that was the question The whole
party broke into a peal o f lau ghter when
they comprehended that they were virtually
water logged

I n all cases o f shipwreck

said the

rector with a twinkle o f his eye

the
proper thing is to serve o u t a ration of rum
to begin with S ara my dear where s the
?
cherry brandy
Let us make a libation i n
h o nour o f o ur victory
Well said Jim H a wk s b u ry after much
j esting o n their pitiable condition this i s
all very well ; but neither j okes n o r cherry
brandy will take us ash ore and to wait till
we drift there is somewhat too indenite
What a re we to do
Do I replied U ncle Rober t
why
.

T H E B IG PIKE

109

taking what advantage we c a n of the drift

we must sacrice o u r hats gentlemen an d
paddle with them
The absurdity of the proposition redoubled
the laughter o f the s o to speak water
logg ed par ty ; but the rector with a quiet

N ow Jim you take the other side pro

cal ml y to put his pro posal into
c e ed e d
practice ; and after some ten minutes they
succeeded in reaching the bank though i n a
not particularly convenient place for land
ing
Then tired a n d s o m e wh at wet with
Jim and the rector bearing the big pike
between them o n a cross stick the merry
party made their way back to the
house
Don t you think pike shin g rather
3
said Miss Auriole to Mr Ch errito n
fun
as She took her can dl e from his hand in the
hall
Capital I never had a pleasanter day
replied the Chirper
I
o r laughed more
,

'

S U N SH IN E

1 10

AND

S N ow

only hope y o u didn t get very wet getting

ashore

N othin g to signify returned Letty

A n d to s e e you all paddling with your
hats was worth a r egular ducking

S U N SH IN E

1 12

S N ow

AND

by no manner of means
N ot that the
dowager affects j uvenil ity in dress o r pre
sents herself before th e world a b eing
composed by her l ady s maid a wondrous
and ghastly effect o f rouge false tresses and
g eneral decrepitude Very much th e re
verse o f all this is Lady H a wk sb u ry senior
oman with a
A nice gray haired o l d w
delicate bloom o f N ature s o wn giving even
yet o n her faded cheek with an eye keen as
a gled s a n d a tongue to s a y the least o f
it both quick and sharp a step so light and
rm a s to utterly belie her years I n fact
few people would have given the d owa ger
credit for being within fteen years o f her
actual age
S he is a pretty picture as s h e Sits there
this spri n g morni n g clad in the dainty gray
Silks s h e especially affects with a marvel
l o u s l y neatly turned foot peeping o u t from
beneath her petticoats S he has kept the
n eat
e ti te gure even yet that made her
p
famous in her day and the o l d lady is
.

T H E D OWA GE R

1 13

proud still of her personal advantages but

she is far too shrewd not to know that if She
would look her best it must be as winter
nowadays a n d that the woman who struggles
articially to preserve the autumn o f her
life reminds o n e pai n ft
A
o f stucco
grand Sight is the ruin gray but the ruin
that would hide the ravages Of time by
stucco ah I that is a sorrowful sight to s e e
Letty Auriole saw the country Side season
as it may b e deno m i nated pretty well out
before She left the Abbey
The hounds
were mee tin g at early ho urs and the violets
and primroses in full blow ere sh e bade
Ri n g s to n e farewell
It was the usual arrangement between her
and o l d Lady H a wk sbury
Miss Auriole
went t o the Abbey for the autumn and
wi nter mo n ths wh il e the dowager paid a
round o f visits S he was amazin gly popular
that o l d lady with her shr ewd caustic
tongue warm heart and exuber a nt vital i ty
O ld pooh ! nobody ever recollected Lady
,

VOL

S U N SH IN E

1 14

S N ow

AN D

age ; how shoul d they when

She so utterly ignored it herself
E ven
when s h e spoke o f elderly people like me
my dear it seemed only an excellent j oke
True her hair was gray but i t was still
thick and soft and with the keen dark eyes
looki ng o u t from beneath the yet dark
straight brows it seemed o n ly a freak such
as N ature wil l sometimes play with o ur
locks
I fancy that many o f those who
laughed with Lady H a wk sb u ry in those
pleasant country houses never in the faintest
manner reali sed that i n reality s h e wa s a n
o l d woman
But Rin gs to n e Abbey th e d ow a ger never
could be induced to s et foot in Though
very fond o f her grandchildren s h e had no
great affection fo r S ir Randolph S he had
said many years before that it was a
thousand pities Robe rt had n o t been the
elder and as is sometimes the case S h e h a d
bestowed the rst place in her heart o n her
youngest boy O nce again had Jacob stolen
H a wk s b ury

S U N SH IN E

1 16
she

AN D

SN O w

and Letty foregathered again after their

s eparation

And s o y o u found my step daughter

?
eh
Caroline has some difculty
c ivil
about that even when her intentions are o f
the best
I m sure Lady Caroline is always kind
ness itself to me inter posed Letty
I daresay child ; but Caroline when
s h e is pressin g you to stay always appears
s o very much as if s h e means
I
o u to go
y
sometimes try to hope that she has her
intervals o f sincerity but I regret to s ay I
don t think I ever witnessed o n e
Y o u don t like her and s ee very little o f
her retorted Miss Auriole

Qui te true as to the rst and a thing

t o be devoutly thankful for as regards the
second
Just as wel l too Le tty o r I
should probably be much more Sincere than
She d consider good taste ; not but what I
think s h e knows my opinion o f her pretty
well We Often arrive at that without an y
.

D OWA GE R

TH E

1 17

explanation Haven t you sometimes known

a person dislikes y o u though you have never
?
ac tually spoken to e a ch other

I don t recollect such a case replied

Letty meditatively

Ah y o u will before you come to

spectacles unless y o u are a woman o f n o
observation
I have known many and I
only hope they were equally aware I didn t
like them said the Old lady sharply
Grandmamma don t be vicious said
Letty laughing
Although n o t her r elations She was a c
customed to call all the elders o f th e
H a wk s b u ry family by such names as if sh e
had been veritably Sister to S ara and Jim
S he had been s o completely brought u p
amongst them that they represented in
fact a l l the kinship sh e had ever known
with the exception o f her maternal grand
father who had left her a h heiress O f her
mother o f course s h e recollected but little

S O Jim s come to Aldershot Observed

.

S U N SH IN

118

SNOW

AN D

the dowager
I am glad o f th at I shall
s e e something Of him this year and I like
.

Jim

7)
.

Yes ; the regiment arrived this last

month Jim wrote to S ara to apprise her
o f the fact
and to point o u t that if we
cared to s ee a el d day when the summer
time comes he would feed and take care o f
.

us

9)
.

E xcellent

we ll go I always like the

glitter and display Of a review My hus
band wa s a dragoon y o u know for ve o r
s i x years after o u r marriage and I moved
about with the corps all that time I h ave
plenty o f military friends even yet there is
S ir Richard Bowood wh o called here only
two days ago I expect him to do some
thing for Jim
inquired Letty
H o w so
He has great interest a n d co n sequently
is certain to get a command before long and
then I may perhaps persuade him to take
Jim o n his staff
;

S U N SH IN E

12 0

AND SNOW

There s not very much scheming about

it and one is bound to lend a hand to o n e S
o wn
blood where o n e can
When does
3
Randolph come up

N ext week a n d I hope it may do him

good He has almost given up his hun ting
this season ; Sits moping in the house and
complains that he grows Old
G o d bless the boy I cried the vivacious
O l d lady
Old h e Old at fty
\V h y I
declare I hadn t altogether given up dancing
at that age

N O indeed gr a ndmamma ; n o need to

tell me that cried Letty laughing merrily
W h y didn t y o u write me word from the
H u g e s s o n s this winter that y o u had found
?
y ourself involved i n the Lancers
Hush child replied the dowager wi th
a comical glance
Y o u must not whisper
such a story in town I can t have my
country frolics bro ught up i n array against
me in Mayfair I acted in charades and
committed all sorts o f indiscretions there ;

T HE D OWA GE R

12 1

b ut

Randolph to talk Of growing old yet

why it s preposterous

He has aged though the last t welve

month a good deal in appearance Y o u will
notice it I am sure i t s a good while since
you have seen him re m ember
Yes Ah well I I suppose a wo m an like
Caroline takes a good many years O ff a man s
l ife said the dowager meditatively
F o r Shame grandmamma I won t have
au n t abused before me
Q uite right Letty ; but I have g ot to
the time o f l ife when our likes and dislikes
are pretty well pronounced Moreover I am
Of that same temperament as Madame N o get
who said that S h e had neve r enj oyed such
delicious quarrels as with her late husband
a
a n d that to a woman o f her constitution
real downright quarrel was a positive luxury
I cherish my di slikes from a Similar convie
tion But my dear we have a ll o u r pet
prej udices
That the dowager had there certainly wa s

S U N SH IN E

12 2

AND

SN O

little doubt S he was a woman Of strong

feelings a n d neither loved nor hated by
halves A very outspoken O l d lady too
n o t of that unpleasant kind
be it under
stood who under the imsy pretext O f plain
s peaking
seize upon every opportunity o f
being discourteous a n d di sagreeable ; but o n e
who made no pretence of being interested in
people n o t to her taste a n d candi dl y owned
that She had n o wish to meet them again to
an
mutual
friends
w
h
o might insist upon
y
knowing i n what light She regar ded them
That She a n d her step daughter Should be
as water unto Oil in their mingl ing was
palpable to everyone
Lady Caroline with her insince rity and
placid feelings was the incarnation o f all
the dowager held i n greatest scorn Her
love even fo r S ir Randolph which was the
strongest passion Of her nat ur e was as
her step mother avowed onl y tepid ; indeed
the O l d lady had once gone SO far in her
wrath as to decl are that her step daughter
.

SUNSHINE AND S N OW

12 4

at honours o r happiness by the particular

path s h e had staked o u t for them S he
was willin g they Should select their o wn
road i n life a n d then the kindly Old lady was
ever will ing to lend a hand when She could
An excep tional case certainly Most o f o u r
dear frien d s would fain set us o n the road
to E lysium but they stoutly insist upon pick
i n g o u t o ur route and taking o u r ticket fo r
uS
no probability they think o f o ur getting
there through o u r o wn cloudy imaginings
I suppose
said the dowager after a
pause o f some duration Jim has quite g e t
over that fall

I think SO His arm was still a little

weak when he left b ut that was a mere
matter o f time
Ah yes ; he was down at Ri n gs to n e I
remember The H a wk sb u ry s like valuable
china crack a good deal but seldom break
past patching

I think Jim has been scientically

mended replied Letty laughing

He
.

D OW AGE R

TH E

12 5

brought a brother o i c er down with him

on e
after your o wn heart grandmamma
S uch a n audacious b oy

Ah laughed the o l d lady I do like

those audacious youths they always amuse
me ; they are a peculiar production o f
the age
That wonderful combination o f
n a i vete
impudence and fun is almost
peculi ar to the present generation ; some
what scarce nowadays though very quaint
how loathsome is the imitation
The
Brummag em edition is the quintessence o f
vu lgarity
That n a i ve impertinence o f
tongue Sho ul d be wedded tO th e most
courtly manner and most trained o f voices
and there we have the Louis Quatorze age
again suffe ring under the drawback Of o u r
most unromantic costume Why i n this age
of
luxury do o u r men wear broadcloth
instead o f velvet and e m b ro id erv
P erhaps because the populace might
j eer at them if they Showed themselves
i n such attire replied Letty laughing
-

'

SUNSHINE

12 6

SNOW

AN D

Pooh rej oined the o l d lady with a

most contempt u ous toss o f her head

When the gentry fear the c a n a i l l e it i s

time fo r them to resign their place i n this

country n o bl ess e o bl ig e my dear o r there

exists no necessity for a n o bl es s e
A prouder o r more thorough aristocrat
than O l d Lady H a wk sb ury never live d
S he held that had the nobility o f France
stood by a n d struck for the Crown i n 8 9
the great r evolution might have b een
averted a n d congratulated herself always
that the division Of the nobility between
the two parties saved our o wn revolution

from being low

That very great differ
en ce between th e two countries when each
had to face that vast problem the nishing

f
up and burying o the feudal system to
wit that the barons o f England had from
the d ays o f John been ever in W holesome
opposition to the Crown while those in
France had been ever i n league with it
was a thing She could ha ve by n o manner
,

CHAPT E R
C LAR ISSE

AT

V II

HOME

LD E R SHO T albeit a somewhat dull and

dusty residen ce is not disliked o n the

whole especially by those who have some

tolerable private income with which to carry
the war I am n o t alluding to the
on
Kriegspiel nor to the mimic campaigning
o n such a pretty Scale with which we are
fain to content ourselves every autumn It
is not the fault o f the War O f ce you c a n
not have a n army without payin g for it
nor for the matter Of that a eet or other
toy o f nations a n d burthen o f that O p
pressed impostor : the virtuous worki n g man
Whether these things are necessary fo r
,

C LAR ISSE AT HOME

12 9

salvation who Shall s ay but it is well

to understand that it is doubtful whether
we possess them or have any chance of
possessi n g them till we once more n d
ourselves immersed i n a big war
O ur
organisation like o u r soldiers existing
principally upon paper an d what o u r
liberal rulers so hilariously put down
it is not g i ven to their successors to
build up
But the war O f wh ich I
Speak is that fell struggle tO may I s a y

get along the which is a cruel a n d

constantly recurring problem tO SO many
genial pleasant easy g oing people whom
we mee t i n o u r way through this world
Men aye and women too with a laugh i n
their eyes a n d a j est o n their lips but who
would be sore puzzled to s a y where they
were to lay their impecunious ngers o n
that next hundred pounds necessary to
carry o n the campaign
Jim H a wk s b ury rej oicing in a fair i n
dependent income a n d not without ex
o ur

V OL

S U N SH IN E

13 0
eri e n c e
p

of

AND

SNOW

Aldershot determines speedily

upon the plan o f his summer h e knows
that dust stricken agglomeration o f Sheds
well He takes rooms i n town a season
ticket a n d resol ves to enj oy what he c a n
compass Of London life from March to
August
\Vhen A l dershot compels his
presence as it doubtless will a good deal he
take it o ut i n tobacco duty and
can
rackets
N ot quite that devotion to
his noble profession y o u would expect
n o r that which military reformers actually
conceive to exist i n the subaltern o f the
period this ; but Jim H a wk s bury is
fashioned by no manner o f m eans o n
that ideal young modern Teuton O f cer
i n spectacles wh o spends his days i n
pl aying Kriegspiel and m a p d rawing and
his nights in the perus a l Of deep treatises o n
military tactics I don t want to d epreciate
the Teutons but in the last big ght they
had things made somewhat simple fo r them
To cond u ct a revolution and a g reat war at
,

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

13 2

exacts from those that bow down an d

worship at its tinselled altars when to call
means not to s e e the people y o u like who
probably would never quarrel with you o n
s o smal l an e m i s s i o n
but the toiling over
miles o f ags to n es to leave cards Jim was
not much better than his fellows o n this
point a n d I don t suppose it would have
occurred to him to carry o n a watering
place acquaintance such as this had been
unless he felt rather more interested than
usual i n Clarisse Lydon N o t much given
to succumb to wiles o f women either is
H a wk sb u ry but he has certainly though t
more about this girl than he can remember
to have thou ght of lady fair Since he was SO
terribly smitten with his sister s governess
when about fourteen years Of age a passion
to wh i ch her l iberality with fruit tarts at
luncheon and j am at evenin g tea S ara
always stoutly maintained most materially
contributed
However a bright April morning nd s
,

C LAR IS S E AT HOME

13 3

Jim striding gaily along th e Fulham Road

bent upon th e discovery o f Grove Terrace
at N O 1 0 of which Clarisse had informed
him s h e and her father resided
N eat
comfortable o n e storeyed houses these each
owning a wonderfully good basement a t
not mere servants ofces such as you
usually n d them but containing a goo d
room o r SO besides having moreover a little
patch o f garden ground i n front and another
rea r
o f considerably more pretensions i n
Grove Terrace too evidently took pride in
the c ul tivation of these little plots Her e
and there lived a Micawberish sort o f family
who had abandoned their domain to cats
and broken bottles yet i n the main the
little patches Of ground were lled with
neatly trimmed Shrubs while the more ex
tensive ground behind was mapped o u t into
gaily blooming parterres surrounded with
soft well shaven turf
A respectable looki n g maid servant ih
form s him that Miss Lydon is a t home i n
,

S U N SH I

13 4

SNOW

AND

answer to hi s inquiry and u shering him

into a bright prettily furnished little
drawing room begs him to wait while She
announces his presence to her mistress

This is good o f y o u Mr H awk sb u ry I

exclaimed Clarisse a s after a lapse Of two
o r three
minutes She entered the room

Papa will be as pleased to s e e y o u as

myself I don t think we need make a
stranger o f y o u SO if y o u please I will
conduct you to the workshop at once
I Shall b e only too glad replied Jim as
he follo wed the girl upstairs

It would be rather tO O arrogant to call

it a studio although that is practically what
w e make Of it paintin g room might meet
the case but u pon the whole we generally
call it the workshop Here we are come
and SO saying Clarisse threw open the
in
door o f the room immediately above that
into which H a wk s bu ry had been rst Shown
At a n easel placed near the win dow stood
Lydon leisurely pursuing his callin g He
,

S U N SH IN

13 6

SNOW

AN D

re m arked Clarisse
The doctors s a y he
mustn t go o u t when the W ind s in the east
and Mr H a wk sb ury it never seems to be
a nywhere else in this country
I t i s rathe r troublesome and badly
behaved o n that point I must admit said
H a wk s b u ry for th e rst time Observing
how worn a n d ill Lydon looked ; but we
must hope we are pretty well at the end o f
it n o w This has been a lovely week ; surely
o u got o u t
y
Y es a n d it does me a deal O f good only
Of course o n e can t expect to pick up all at
o nce

O h you re ever SO much better papa

a n d if the ne weather will only last and
o u to get about and s ee people y o u
e nable
y
will soon be yourself again It is SO dull for
him continued the girl appealing i n some
measure to H a wk s bu ry to be Shut up here
I n Canada y o u s e e there were people to
drop i n and talk to him but we have n o
friends in E ngland
.

c LA R I S S E

Yo u ,

AT HOME

13 7

must have found it some

what wearisome said Jim as he thought
h o w monotonous the girl s life must have
been during the four o r ve months that
had elapsed Since he m e t her at Burnside

Ah She said merrily

it seems very
tris te to me this country o f yours with its
fogs rain and want o f sunshine We hav e
o u r dogs weather
it is true at times in
Canada but we have plenty Of bright clear
days i n o u r W inter Above all we never
seem to have lost the s u n for good as you
do here

?
A n d W hat did y o u do with yourself
inquired Jim
I had my piano and m y books and my

painting fo r I m a pupil o f papa s y o u

must know ; then y o u s e e nothing ever
hurts me s o I could always get o u t for a
run and the shops alone were something
to look at i n this big place ; and occa
S I O n a ll
ou
I
W ent
j
ust
n o w and then
y
y
know to o n e o r other o f th e ma ti n ee ente r
to o ,

S UN SH IN E

13 8

AN D SNOW

ta in m e n ts

that are always going o n

concerts theatrical pe rformances & c
W hat by yourself

O f course monsieur
I t is not nice
I know for a girl b u t who h a d I to go
with ; and I am bound to s ay nobody h a s
ever interfered with me
Jim could not help thinking that Clarisse
wa s rather to o pretty a g irl to run about
London by herse l f in this fashion an d
glanced at her father to see what he might
thi n k o n
the subj ect ; but Lydon h a d
resumed his paint ing and apparently took
no heed of their conversation
S he read wha t was passing through h is

mind in hi s face and added

I s e e that
you thin k I ought not to go about alone
but recollect I am compelled to be inde
pendent and act a good deal fo r mysel f

I didn t mean that o f course said

Jim somewhat taken aback at nding hi s
tho u ghts SO easily gu essed at by his c o m

panion
I was only thinking it mus t be

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

1 40

papa ; Mr H a wk sb ury s right ; i t

will be g ood for you interposed Clarisse

Well I will
You are to m ake no
obj ection to my running away somewhat
early It is a good many years since I
last dined at The Vacuna added Lydon
i n somewhat absent fashion
Jim said nothing to this A S before re
marked he was quite aware that this
London life had been very familiar to
Lydon at some period Of his career It
see m ed strange that it should have been SO
but H a wk sb u ry was no wh it astonished at
hearing that the Canadian artist was familiar
with the precincts o f The Vacuna Fas t
a n d fashionable London had dined gambled
an d
had been ruined there for at least
thirty years n o w SO it might well be that
Lydon who had apparently once been o f
that world wa s familiar wi th that pleasan t
but somewhat maligned caravanserai

That s all right then cried Jim rising

and n o w I Shall wish y o u good bye till

GO

C LAR ISSE AT HOME

141

Friday at
Miss Lydon you will give
m e permission to come again will you
,

n ot

Mr H a wk s b u ry you wi ll have o u r
gracious leave SO to do laughed the girl
j umping up and making him a mock

She
reverence
continued
Y o u k n ow
we Shall be always glad to see y o u Have
we not made y o u free o f o u r very palla
are y o u n o t elect Of the workshop
d iu m
O h yes thanks
N o wonder I was
Slow to believe i n that privilege ; to admit
such a n idler as myself augurs ill for your

industry
retorted Jim laughing
but
have no hope I Shal l n o t make y o u abide
by al l the consequences o f your rashness
For the present good bye
As he walked back to London proper
tho u gh wher e that begins o r ends is some
what d ifcu l t to determine in these days
Jim ce rtainly did not think Miss Lydon o n e
whit less attractive than he had in those
Burnside days o f last N ovember
The
,

SUNSHINE AND SNO W

1 42

father too interested h i m strangely with

his somewhat moody absent manner cour
te o u s though and with the air o f a m an
who had lived amongst the best society i n
his day when he chose to exert himself ;
h o w came he by all this fund o f anecdote
and bygone gossip ; much o f it as yet still
oral tradition and n o t gone to the composi
tion o f biography
Then Jim became somewhat los t in s pe cu
lation as to whom he Should ask to meet
Lydon He thought of a n d rej ected a good
many of his acquaintance as he strode up the
Fulham Road nally igniting a hu g e cabana
to assist his cogitations He felt intuitively
that though by some accident he sca rce
fathomed he himself got o n well with
L y don that he was not o n e o f those m e n
who would amalgamate with everyone He
had never seen it but y e t he knew in s tin c
tive l y there was a bitter Side to Lydon s
nature likely to display itself should he nd
himself in unco n genial company He rather
,

CHAPT E R VIII

A P OO L AT

EO A R T E

VA CUN A was a club Of no little

Its members
n otoriety i n the London world
were of all sorts o f professions and pursuits
with p e n chcm ts for play m e als at abnormal
hours a n d humour o f a practical description
It had no particular hours for closing o r
Opening but seemed to meet the require
ments o f the members o n that point Per
haps like the club they also kept no
particular hours
Its doings either scan
d a l i s e d o r amused the neighbouring monachal
institutions Fo r instance when the story
went round that so m e o f its more hilarious
constituents after nishing a very late pool
TH E

A POO L AT

HO A R T E

145

night i n February impelled by a laud

able love Of order had tidied u p the bil l iard
room by puttin g the cues into the re th e
balls through the windows and the marker
into the refrigerator there was much grin
ning an d wagging Of heads midst the

adj e ining communities mutterings O f comic

disgraceful abominable
according to
the light the i ndividual happened to see it
in
People s conception Of j okes are s o
varied that the different view at times
taken o f the j ocular facet involves much
awkward complication
They gave you a n excellent di nner at
The Vacuna a n d there was a most
luxurious smokin g room o n the ground o o r
i n which to enj oy your cigar and c o e e
afterwards
The r e were two o r three
wicked little rooms o ff it i n which y o u
invariably between nine and ten found a
select band who were willing to play cards
till daylight whist cart baccarat o r a
on e

VOL

S UN SH IN E

146

SNOW

AN D

dash Of unlimited
those reckless Spirits
were not very particular
In the breadth Of their views the com
m i tte e had provided for those members who
were better billiard players than church
goers trusting I suppose to their nding
sermons in the balls and good i n every
thing by permitting them to pursue their
favourite diversion o n the S abbath ; all o f
which combined with sundry little play
scandals caused The Vacuna to stink in
the nostrils of all right minded people but
to be a n intensely popular and fashionable
club Fashionable society has Of late years
shown a strong hankering to patronise any
thing with a strong s oup co n o f wrongdoing
about it
Loungin g in the o wer decorated hall Of
this Temple o f Indolence were H a wk sbu ry
and Mr Ch errito n o n the Friday evenin g
duly awaiting the arrival of Alfred Lydon
for after much consideration Jim had
resolved to ask the Chirper to j oin them at

S U N SH IN E

148

AN D SNOW

Mr Ch errito n was extremely astonished

We are all we n t to build up most fanciful
Sketches Of those about whom we hear ; to
imagine a m an tall o r a woman fair upon no
other grounds than o u r Sheer imaginings
The Chirper s conception o f the elderly
Canadian and somewhat vagrant artist was
very far from being that o f the hi gh bred
l ooking man who i n perfectly correct even
ing costume shook hands with H a wk s b u ry
and then quietly consigned his coat and hat
to a servant H O W little men Of different
professions at times know o f each other
Mr Ch errito n for ins tance had a hazy idea
that all artists we re b eards fanciful velvet
coats Slouched Rubens hats and smoked
gigantic meerschaums He was thoroughly
taken aback at meeting a painter who might
have passed for a colonel of dragoons
barring his short trim grizzled beard but
the Chirper was Of that a g e whe n new
experiences come thick upon u S
Having introduced his two guests Jim led
.

A POO L

A T

EO A RT E

1 49

the way to the dining room and the party

were soon Sitting i n j udgment o n th e c h ef
o f The Vacuna
It was a very pleasant
meal that Lydon was evidently amused by
Ch e rri to n s gay b oyish talk a n d the latter
rattl ed carelessly o n about all that was doing
i n town mixing up the coming Derby the
j ust decided boat race the theatres Hurling
ham a n d the gossip o f the day i n the m ost
incongruous fashion Again was Jim struck
with how well at o n e time Lydon must have
known fashionable London It was a good
many years ago e vidently from some Of his
remarks ; t hat the m en Of his time Shot
their pigeons at Hornsey Wood instead
Of S hepherd s Bush a n d Hurlingham fo r
instance ; but beyond a steady progression
westward fashio nable London keeps pretty
much to the o ld round Of amusemen ts with
which it began the century S ome m o d i
cation has taken place o f course in them
Polo an d Prince s for example instead o f
pugilism a n d the Five s Court ; but the round
-

SUNSHIN E

150

AN D

SNOW

Of the season co n tinues a good deal the

same only the cro wd thickens

Y o u remember the j udge s famous P a s

i
n Racine s comedy
when
s o n s a u d el u e
g
the advocate in the case of the stolen capon
commenced his addr ess with a n imaginary
account o f the creation o f the world ; SO i n
like m anner we must not linger over the
Side dishes but pass quickly to the smoking
room His coffee and cigar n ished Lydon
announces his intention o f going home ; and
as it happens to be a mild night H a wk s b ury
proposes they shall walk with him a bit O f
the wa y

Quite a duty says Jim to take a d

vantage O f a slight cessation o f the east
wind if you are not afraid Of the night
.

air

3}

N ot at all
another cigar

laughed Lydon as he lit

I am well wrapped up a n d
the dinner and the talk have done me a deal
o f go od ; as Clarisse says I get moped seeing
no o n e in Grove Terrace
,

S U N SH IN E

1 52

SNOW

AN D

were i n Cleveland Row close to them and

there the trio sought Shelter accordingly
They were rather n ice rooms that Hawks
bury had got h O l d Of very superiorly
furnished to the usual ru n o f lodging
houses which wa s easily explained by the
fact that the furniture was the property o f
the tenant o f the rooms a regular London
man who going abroad for some months
thought he might as wel l let his domicile
for the season Jim proceeded to stir up
the re light the lamp and settle his
gu ests i n the cosiest chairs he possessed
after the approved fashion in such cases
but it was no u s e attempting to settle th e
Chirper That young gentleman was s uf
feri n g from repressed vivacity
Walking
would have afforded some relief to his rest
lessness but to Sit down placidly and smoke
was beyond him He felt irresistibly i m
ell e d to use his o wn phrase to do some
p
thing
He was good tO play bill iards o r
whist o r go to any place O f amusement
,

A POO L AT

HO A R T E

153

but Mr Ch errito n conceived h is evening

lamentably misspent if he di d not partake
Of some o n e o r other Of these diversions

Mr Ch errito n s Fe w Hours with the Best

Authors had been very fe w Since he com
His super
m en c e d his mili tary career
abundance o f vitality prevented the display
To
o f much taste for reading o n his part
the riotous animal temperament common
to most of us i n the sprin g time Of life
quiet and steadiness are peculiarly u n pal at
able
Ch e rri to n d g e te d about the apartment
cigar i n mouth maki n comments o n the
upholstery
Frith S Derby Day Jim
?
eh
he Observed pausing opposi te a print ;
wonderful like the hill yet isn t it barring
?
the bonnets
S uppose they wore em like
that i n those days
Ah here we have
Gladiateur last year s h ere Mr Lydon
Y o u should have seen what a n e xh i b i
tion he made Of his eld at Epsom ; at
least it looked s o from where I was H o w
.

SUNSHINE

154

SNOW

AN D

threw my hat i n the air when the number

went up
Aristophanes a n d Z E s c h yl u s i n
terra cotta I Why does the proprietor
keep those bugbears of his youth still befor e
?
him
Perhaps he plays knock em downs
with them when he s o u t Of sorts ; they did
it intellectually with him n o doubt i n d ays
lang syne S till raining like the devil con
tin u e d the Chirper peeping disconsolately
through the window cur tains
Come a n d S it down you restless young
reprobate cried Jim
Reprobate yourself Sir retorted Mr
Ch errito n loftily
which a s Mrs Brown
would s a y is polite for y o u be dashed
y o ur very chambers savour of th e turf and
the classical drama a mixing o f the ancient
and modern which i n Short no fellow c a n
understand
Ha a backgammon b o ard I
I m immense at backg ammon I tell y o u
what it is I ll play either y o u o r Mr Lydon

the best o f three games for half a sovereign

N O W what do you s a y
I

S U N SH I N E

156

SNOW

AN D

nothing but a couple O f packs of cards inside

Where are the men Jim

Haven t the faintest idea returned

H a wk s b u ry lazily ;
look about you ve a
talent for discovery a n d are full o f ene rg y

PO O h I I m not going hunting about

for things that j ust as likely don t exist
The proprietor you s e e no doubt is a
regular m a n i n h is habits
Threw the
backgammon m en into the re because he
considered that game tO O Slow S ent the
boxes a n d dice after them b ecause they
suggested hazard which he thought too
fast Don t you s e e he has settled down
into a regular whist and cart player
Have three games Of the latter will you
?
instead o f the backgammon
concluded
Mr Ch errito n shu fing the cards
A keen observer would have been s truck
had he been attentively watching Lydon s
face at this j uncture O ne would almost
have said a Slight spasm crossed it a n d that
he seemed to V iew the cards u neasily
.

POO L AT

EO A RT E

157

Perhaps y o u will j oin us i n this said

Jim
E cart is surely a well known game
i n the Canadas
W e might have a pool
I never touch a card
replied Lydo n
SO brusquely that his companions both
turned to look at him His cheek ushed
slightly as he became aware Of the attention
his manner had excited and i n somewhat

sharp deant tones he added : I presume

there is nothing s o very extraordinary i n a
m a n having no taste fo r cards
Certainly not but Ch e rrito n and I wil l
replied
n o t play if it is going to bore y o u
H a wk sb u ry courteousl y

N O no pray go o n ; I used to play

once I have given it up you understand
muttered Lydon
Jim said no more He could not under
stan d h o w the proposal that he Should j oin
a mild p o ol of cart could affect a man
and yet if it h a d not been that the idea was
s o utterly preposterous
he would have said
Lydon was strongly a ffected by it
He
,

SUN SHINE

158

AN D

SNOW

quietly mixed himself a brandy and soda

and then cut with Ch errito n for the deal
Fo r a man who had g iven up play it was
curious the fascination the game seemed to
have for Lydon A S it continued there was
a Slight ush visible o n his pale cheeks and
what a bea u j o u em would have recognised as
the light o f battle gathered in his eyes
The combatants were game and game a n d
as they cut for deal for th e conqueror the
Chirper Observed curtly
G O you a n extra s o v o n this Jim
Al l r ight replied H a wk sb u ry
I Shall be h appy to bet you the same
interposed Lydon
Mr Ch errito n l ooked up with some little
astonishment but speedil y recoveri n g his
manne rs an swered
Certainly if you
like
It s o happened th a t the g ame prove d a
very close o n e T h e antagonists were four
all and the nal point somewhat sharply
disputed Lydon wa s looki n g over Hawks
-

'

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

160

Should have proposed o n that last hand we

were very weak

replied the Chirper

or
S O was I
else o f course I shouldn t have done SO
Y o u go t rather the best o f the take

In

I)
.

Perhaps so ; I should have played your

rst han d I n the meanwhile H a wk s b u ry
as it still rains we m ay as well have a pool
eh said Lydon still toying with the cards
a n d speaking in a Slow hesitating fashion
very unlike his usual custom It looked as
if he had been ma d e to play against his
better j udgment
The young m en could not help exchan ging
a glance O f surprise at this remarkable i h
version o f ideas o n the part o f their c o m
panion but Jim hastened to reply without
comment
Certainly we can t do better if it won t
bore y o u
S uppose y o u and Ch errito n
commence
All right r eplied the Chi rpe r
What
.

A POO L AT

EO A RT E

161

Shall we play
A sovereig n eve ry time we
?
come in
Lydon nodde d assent a n d imme di ately
threw the com o n the table a n example his
adversary follo wed and the game began
There is n o need for us to foll ow the u ctua
tions o f the cards but it was curious to
notice how completely absorbed the artist
became i n th e play He took no heed O f
time o f the increasing little pile o f gold by
his elbow he a sked no further question s a s
to the weather He seemed to have bee n
fascinated by these bits o f pasteboard in th e
way a bird i s fascinated by the serpent whe n
the erce agony of fear a n d desire to y
from impen di n g dan g er is succeeded by a
dreamy helpless lethargy Lydon was like
a m a n under a narcotic He Showed neither
exultation nor despair as the l u ck turned
either for o r a g ainst h im yet it was not the
trained equanimity Of a practised player
He Showed such intense interest in the
game A n habitual gambler would have
?

VOL

SUNSHINE A ND SNOW

1 62

looked most likely quite as keenly aft er his

o wn interests
but would have done s o i n
that nonchalant fashion which is d e T ig u eu r
wit h all who play high Careless as he seemed
about the stakes there was none Of that
feigned in di fference ab out the artist O n
the contrary his companions were struck
with its very antithesis his intensity It
puzzled them The stakes they were playing
fo r were not high enough to account fo r
being nervous o r excited about the result
nor did Lydon seem either It was Simply
such a complete absorption i n his p ursuit
such as H a wk sbu ry could never call to mind
havi ng seen before even amongst the most
reckless gamblers
That he was no tyro was very evident
If Jim was no more than a n average per
former a t cart he knew enough to recog
nise that Lydon was a brill iant player an d
felt that if science was to count fo r anything
at cards it was not much to be wondered at
that he a n d the Chirper were having u n m is
,

SUNSHINE AN D SNOW

164

passin g his hand across h i s face

twenty
past o n e I I had no idea o f the time I

thought no bah I have never once

thought about it ; but in days long Since I
was wedded to whi st a n d cart It s years
Since I have touched a card
The Old
passion s eized me tO night a n d I have
recked little how long we have been
playing

The rain s all over exclaimed Cherrito n

who had been peering out O f the window
a n d I think I will be o ff
I trust Mr Ch errito n I Shall n d a
Speedy opportunity o f Offering you your
revenge Observed Lydon
Prav don t mention it \Ve ve n o t been
playing SO seriously that y o u need feel it
incumbent re turned the Chirper gaily
,

o th e r s m u s t l o se
O nl y b u t win i t an d wh o w o ul d r e fu se

T h e r ed g o l d to b e a r h o m e in th e m ornin g ?
For

s o m e m u s t wi

an

concluded the cornet with mock solemnity

,

A POO L AT

E C ART E

165

Your winnings Mr Lydon by n o means

necessitate two cabs N o w I m Off

Hold hard a moment ; s o we all are

retorted Jim
Couldn t have y o u Singing
about the streets i n this way you know
without being there to collect the coppers
Is that poetry all o u t o f your o wn head
?
young un

O f course it is
It s Tom Brabazon s
parody o f The Fishers
I learned i t s o
t h ere c a n be no doubt about it being o u t of
my o wn head c an there
O vercoats
an d
wraps were rapidly
assumed the lamp turned down and the
party descended into the street The night
was now fair a n d Lydon had Slight di fculty
i n obtaining a cab
He bade the young m e n
a kindly good night said vaguely that he
Should always be delighted to see them i n
Grove Terrace a n d then drove o ff in the
same abstracted state that he had fallen into
ver Si n ce the co mmencement o f the cart
O d d his turning round i n that way
.

SUNSHINE AN D SNO W

166

remarked Ch errito n as the pair turned up

Kin g S treet
F o r a man who had given
u
play
I
never
s a w a fellow s o keen
p
Curious very said Jim
He seemed
to m e quite to shiver at the rst sight o f the
cards O nce starte d an d I never in my life
s a w such an enthusiast
H e s n o t a gambler ;
h e s more I sho u ld s ay
He wa s like n o
o n e I ever s a w before at play
He reminded
me o f what o n e has read about enthusiasts
o f science
an d prosecuted his cart with
the same ery ardour that m e n give to the
investigation o f the most intricate ques
tions

He could play though

remarked
Mr Ch errito n dryly
Yes ; as far I can j udge I Should s ay
I tell y o u
h e s o f the very rst calibre
w h at he gives m e the idea O f a m an who
h a s played deep a n d much i n his time a n d
about whose play the r e is a history o f so m e
,

s o rtf

IX

CHAPT E R

MY LA D Y S D IP L OMA CY

L E F T HA N D E D people are by n o means u h

i h this world but left m inded
c o m mon
people we cannot but admit are stil l more
O ften met with
I do not mean that people
whose views are opposed to o u r own are
l eft minded Heaven forefend
But we are
a l l well acquainted with that servant who
persistently places the left boot i n place o f
the right and vic e vers d who canno t help
a ssociati n g
your sponge bag with your
tobacco pouch and whose general left
mindedness occasions y o u in finite dis
c omfort
I gn o ra n c e I y o u s a y partial ly
Practice enables people born left handed to
-

MY LAD Y S

D I PL O M A O Y

169

acquire the use of the right a n d similarly

you may improve left mindedness but y o u
c a n no more eradicate the moral than you
T O the end o f
c a n the physical peculiarity
their d ays those with this kink i n their d is
position usually regard things fro m a n e x c ep
For instance reader
ti o n al poin t o f vie w
you may re gard a thing as black and I a s
white but the left minded m a n will declare it
to be green
a light i n which a s yet it h a s
occurred to nobody else to l ook upon it
The left minded o n e arrives at his conclu
sions a n d purs u es his ends after a fashion
all his o wn
Crooked are the premises
which lead to his deductions indirect al ways
the way by which he seeks to attain h i s
desires Clever people o f this class waste
a n in n i ty Of time i n gettin
at
W hat they
g
want ; they insinuate for instance that
they like buns wish somebody would o er
them buns instead Of boldly asking fo r buns
o r the i r equivalent
,

Lady

H a wk s b u ry

the younger

was

as

1 70

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

have been already g athered pecu

lia rl y left minde d and n o t only peculiarly
but a bb il y to boot
S he was i n c e s
s an tl
scheming
about
the
veriest
r
i

e
s
t
y
m an oeuvring that people Should be o n o r
O ff
her visiting list ; for tickets for this
fo r invitations fo r that
Trying at times
to circumvent her liege lord o n the s ubj ect
Of the supplies for my lady possessed much
facul ty for the spending o f money
S he
would instinctively attempt this periodi
cally although She was n o t only a littl e
afraid o f her indole n t husband and knew
that he read her like a book but h a d
always found him tolerably lenient when
her modiste s bill got more than She could
grapple with It was her ladyship s way
and if She had wanted to borrow a paper
knife She would have inveigh ed against the
discomfort o f uncut periodicals for minutes
with a vie w to inviting a n Offer Of the loan
o f that article soone r than to have requested
it direct
m ay

172

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

at which it was desirable that he should

se ttle down determined my lady and then
there was a possibility that the heiress
might be wooed and wo n by somebody
else if Jim Should del a y comin g forward
much longer Letty lived a good deal with
the dowage r a n d She mused my lady
a l ways ma n ifests a n utter disregard for the
interests Of the family ; the dowager s
Opposition to her o wn marriage O f course
bei n g a clear case in point
Quite possible
that spi teful old woman would promote
Letty s wedding with somebody else if She
th ought it would annoy me continued
Lady H awk s b u ry to herself
S he is quite
capable Of sacricing us all to her petty
j ealousy Of my unfortunate self
The
d owager was neither a spiteful o ld woman
nor the least j ealous o f her d aughter i h law
S he nourished indeed too contemptuous a
feeling regarding her ever to have enter
ta in e d any sentiment O f that sort but the
two ladies disliked each other heartily
,

MY L A D Y S

D I PL O M A O Y

17 3

and when that is the case we are usually

prepared to believe the worst o f o n e
another
Despite many experiences to the c o n
Lady H a wk sb u ry never fo r o n e
tra ry
i nstant doubted o f her abil i ty to bring such
a thing as a marriage about if She took it
i n hand
S he considered herself a c o n
summate tactician these social man oeuvrers
a lways do ; no quanti ty o f failure ever the
least able to convince them to the c o n
S he had merely to d ecide u pon her
tra ry
plan Of action and that once settled o f
course the rest would be easy Any other
mother under the circumstan ces wo ul d have
probably talked the th ing over with her
s o n an d then left it
but this would have
been i n nitely tO O Simple a plan for Lady
H a wk s b ury
S he had as s h e usually did
taken up a theory of her o wn concernin g
Jim s relations with Miss Auriole which
was perfectly u nwarranted an d o f which
S ara could have di sabused her i n two
.

'

S U NSHINE AND SNOW

174

minutes that is if it had been possible

to have convinced Lady H a wk sb ury her
o wn sa g acity could possibly be at faul t i n
a matter of this nature S he held that
Jim was careless about pressing his suit
because he felt that he m ight gather the
fruit when he would the truth bein g that
the idea o f marrying Letty had never
crossed Jim s mind Taki n g her own view
then o f the position my lady decided that
her s o n must be at once roused from this
fancied security O nce awaken som e u h
certainty about the ultimate possession of
th e prize a n d Lady H a wk s b u ry conceived
there would be little fear but what her s o n
would infuse plenty o f e a rnestness into
his indolent courtship Lady H a wk sb u ry
would have smiled incredulously even at
Jim had he ventured to deny the existence
o f such a courtship
Full Of her mach in ations which s h e had
now arran ged to her entire satisfactio n he r
ladyship only waited till her s o n should

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

176

I th ought perhaps the clubs a n d The

Vacuna i n particular mi ght have been
more fruitful
N O indeed ; there is not a story to any
one s detriment aoat unless y o u call poor
M a i n to wer s ill luck so
?
What is th at
Well it is rather hard lines o n the
Viscount you see He lost a lot o f money
over the Two Thousand a n d this came
round to the ears o f his intended s father
The o l d gentleman has tu rned violent and
swears he will never give his daughter to
a gambler N ow she was a good match for
M a in to wers havin g money and all that
Of course but he was most genui n ely
attached to her besides loving her purely
for her own sake as a man Should Rathe r
hard upon him isn t it ; g etting not only
a facer over the Guineas but losing a
wife to boot
Yes replied Lady H a wk sbu ry
but I
suppose when men play they can n o more
,

MY LAD Y S D IP L OMA CY

17 7

expect to avoid loss o f reputation than

money

PO O h I don t preach m other

I m not
standing up for gambling myself ; it s not
o n e o f my weaknesses but as long as a m a n
pays when he loses I don t think his
ch arac ter suffers much in these days
But y o u s e e Lord Ma in to wers has
replied her ladyship
S O you thin k a m a n
should love his rm e e e for her own sake do
?
you Jim
The hussar nodded
\V h a t a very uncomfortable a n d u n
fashionable doctrin e Yes decidedly they
manage these things better in France said
Lady H a wk sb ury with an affected titter
It may n o t be fashionable retorted Jim
stoutly but I don t s ee it s uncomfortable
I don t go i n for the love a n d the cottage
business a n d think people who have g ot
nothing are j ustied i n marrying j ust
because they re exceeding spoony o n one

another \V h a t I mean is this i t is better

VOL

178

SUNSHINE

SNOW

AND

a m a n Should care more ab out a woman for

herself than for what She brings him
E xactly sai d La d y H a wk sb u ry using
her mechanical tone which conveyed the
impression that she had not heard o n e word
that was said but answered upon nding it

was her turn to speak

What now do
you think o f L etty s engagement ?
Letty s I Yo u astonish me This is the
rs t I have heard Of it
Well it s not exactly a n en g agement
yet y o u know but it looks very much as if
it would shortly become o n e
?
Who s the m a n
said Jim
S ir Richard Bo wood
Maj o r General
K G B and all the rest Of it D o you
?
kno w him

Very Slightly ; he s not at all a bad

fello w He has the reputation o f being a
very smart ofcer but has been singularly
unlucky about seeing service Rather Old
?
for Letty though isn t he
S ir Richard

m ust

be fty if h e s a day
,

SUNSHINE

1 80

SNOW

AN D

be whenever S h e chooses to claim it and

knows it as well as y o u and I d o
O f course Of course
I didn t quite
mean that returned Lady H a wk sb ury
quickly already aware that her intense
dislike of her mother i h law had betrayed

h er into a n indiscreet remark

but g irls
e specially when they have money are apt to
long to s et U p a n establishme n t Of their
Perhaps that is Letty s view
o wn

S he s n o t actually engaged then as

,

et

No

b ut

it looks as if it would come to

that

Shortly
What makes y o u think s o
Good heavens ! why the man s al ways
?
What does that mean
i n Park Lane
?
What does he g o fo r It cannot be to see
your grandmother People don t manifest
m uch a n xiety for her society as a rule
Jim smiled
He knew perfectly well
that th e dowager was a n extremely popular
Old lady and that it was quite possible S ir
.

MY

AD Y S

D I PL O M A O Y

181

Richard Bowood might be a n o l d friend

He did not in th e least suspect his mo ther s
m a n oeu vre b u t he did begin to think She
had di scovered o n e more o f those mares
nests which She was somewhat notoriou s
for introd ucing to the notice o f h er
acquai n tance

I don t thi nk your evidence quite c o n

e lusive
he replied at l ength
M en
acquire the habit Of d ropping into particular
houses without having any matrimonial i h
tentions It has never been much i n my
line but some fell ows nev er seem settled in
a place till they have established themselve s
o n that sort Of footing with some family o r
other

I c an only s ay if I was s erio u sly in

tere s te d in Letty Auriole I Shoul dn t lik e
S ir Richard B o wo o d S constant attendanc e
i n Park Lane
This was a little piece Of exaggeration o n
Lady H a wk sb ury s part The General was
undoubtedly an habitual visitor and a n inti
.

SUNSHINE

1 82

AN D

SNOW

mate friend of the dowager s but he wa s by

no means the e mu d e la m a i s o n that her
daughter i h law was making him o u t to be
Well if Letty s admirers think S ir
Richard getting dangerous they had better
make runni n g in earnest themselves
E xactly ; that s j ust what I knew you d
My
dear
Jim
sa
o u can t think h o w
y
y
happy you ve made m e ! I felt sure y o u
would agree with me as soon as you were
told about the General s unscrupulous
designs ; and Lady H a wk s b u ry clasped her
hands in what appeared to be a gush o f
enthusiasm
This was her ladyship s great mistake i n
life By nature a somewhat insincere cold
u n emotional woman She had carefully cul ti
v a te d
an
enthusiastic emotional manner
The resul t may be e a sily imagined
t was
impossible to believe Lady H a wk sb ury ever
to be i n earnest ; She was always over
acting If s h e really was glad to s ee you
s h e strove to convey the idea that the Sight
,

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

1 84

What o n earth do y o u mean

cried
the hussar suddenly extricating himself
from the depths o f the chair i n which he
had been lounging

Did you not s a y j ust now that if S ir

Rich a rd was really coming forward it would
be advisable for Letty s admirers to do the
?
like

O f course I did and I s a y SO still

However much a m an may think he h a s
the best o f a race o f this sort he can t
complain o f bei n g beat if he lets the other
fellow walk over

And yet that is what y o u are goi n g to

?

do apparently
I I W h y my dear mother what have
.

to

with it
Why cried Lady H a wk sb ury utterly
oblivious fo r the moment o f her subtle plan
fo r accelerating her son s sluggish passio n
why y o u can t expect to marry Letty
Auriole if y o u don t ask her
The hussar gave vent to a low whistle
do

MY L A D Y S

D I PL O M A O Y

185

He s a w it all n o w My lady s schemes were

Often the subj ect Of mirth to her children
She usually blurting o u t her deeply con
c ei ve d designs pretty much aft e r the manner
s h e had j ust done
It was with a smile he
answered :
S O y o u have been endeavouring tO plant
the thorns o f j ealousy i n my breast and
thought to spur me to m adness by telling
me h o w well S ir Richard s attentions were
received \V h a t a crafty mo ther it is I
You know Jim it is fo r your o wn good
But I don t want to marry Letty

Y o u must
ex
N o t marry Letty !
claimed Lady H a wk sb ury a ghast
E xcuse me I really cannot s ee any
must about it I ve n ever thought about
marriage at all as yet and am sure there s
no necessity for giving it my serious atten
tio n at present
Yo u will d isappoint me and your father
dr ea df ully Jim if y o u d o n o t marry Letty
Auriole
.

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

1 86

I know my mother that these are

speculations women indulge i n more often
than men Leave me alone for the present
I am i n no hurry fo r a wife ; but mother
when the time does come I must choose fo r
myself Good bye
Lady H a wk sb u ry s a t very disconsolate
a t the collapse Of her scheme fo r some time
a fter her son s depar ture
S he solaced her
however with the reection that She
s elf
had done her duty that She had found her
s o n a bride a n d if there was no bridal the
Much comfort
fault rested not with her
too did She derive from the reection
that some seven a n d twenty years ago the
dowager had found S ir Randolph equally
impracticable o n the like occasion
,

AN D

SUNSHINE

188

NOW

pronounce upon his case He himself would

the
same
of
sa
an
o n e o f his friends under
y
y
si m ilar circumstances would give the same
advice exactly t h at he feels convinced they
would give him
Cut it at once Old fellow Your artistic
friend d epend upon it is artistic i n more
ways than one Jim can t you s ee y o u
have falle n into the hands o f a re gular leg
who taking a d vantage o f your being some
what smitten with his daughter is Simply
?
Skinning y o u Pull yourself together re
e c t that Mr Lydon is i n all probability a
professional gambler a n d his daughter a
decoy duck
S uch Jim H a wk s bu ry knew would be
the verdict o f any o n e o f his acquaintances
who Shoul d happen to discover all the cir
c u m s tan ces o f his intimacy with the Lydons
Yet Jim was prepared to stake his life o n
Clarisse s integrity
He swore her s weet
face could never lie if he was bein g pl un
dered it was without her knowledge o r
.

C LAR ISSE S MISGIVINGS

1 89

connivance he would pledge his existence

He recollected her astonishment when the
rst time he appeared i n G rove Terrace after
that memorable dinner at The Vacuna her
father had suggested cards ; how the servant
had to be sent o u t to the stationer s to buy
a couple o f packs a n d h o w Clarisse looking
o n at their game wi th some curiosity had
told him S h e didn t know o n e card from
another and that s h e had never seen her
father play before was not aware indeed he
could
E xceeding artfulness that a little over
d oing it y o u kno w girl her father s c o n
federate O f course
Yes that would naturally be the j udg
ment a m a n o f the world must give in such
case \Vhen a young ofcer Of dragoons
picks u p a n elderly gentleman of whom he
knows nothin g with a pretty daughter a t a
watering place fraternises with him a n d the
result o f their intimacy is continuous cart
and continuous l O S S to the dragoon ; the
.

SUNS H INE

190

AN D

SNOW

conclusion our worldly friend would come

to must be obvious And yet agai n Jim
H a wk s b u ry could by no m eans arrive at
that conclusion
He recalled to mind the Singular change
O f purpose
that had come across Lydon
i n Cleveland Row the Sin gular agitation
which seemed to possess him before he
determined to play and the extraordinary
absorption he had Shown in the game after
he had once commenced He reected that
a simil ar mental struggle had seemed to
preface Lydon s sendin g fo r the card s in
Grove Terrace and that he always played
in th e same wrapped manner that he had
done upon that rst occasion Again a l
though H a wk sbu ry n o w owed h I m a consider
able sum h e seemed perfectly indifferent
about p a yment W a s the m anner this s um
had mounted up ch aracteristic Of the card
?
Sharper or the reverse
Their stakes had
gradually been raised higher and higher at
Lydon s s u ggestion in order that Jim
.

192

SUNSHINE AN D SNOW

innitely more charming o n these sunny

May afternoons than this persistent card
playing with her father
S till he was
conscious that there are times when a
certain amount o f draughts cribbage o r
their equivalent have to be got through
with the parents Of the beloved o n e There
is some servitude even i n these days to be
undergone before Rachel is committed to
but that it Should take the
o u r keepin g ;
form o f cart for high stakes was tO s a y
th eleast o f it Singular and unprecedented
But that resolution of Lydon s to wrench
himself from the th rall o f the de m on of play
was rendered nugatory by a peculiar but
ins urmountable Obj ection which he s a w to
their desisting at this particular time N 0
money had passed between them ; and
now they come to make up the account it
became apparent that Jim was a heavier
loser than even he had imagined himself to
A S fo r Lydon he professed great
be
asto n ishment that his winni n gs could have
,

C L A RISSE S MISGIVI N GS

19 3

amounted to so hi g h a gure He declared

that though h e had roughly noted down the
res ults o f each encounter he had never been
at the pains to add the m up
My dear H a wk sbury
he said
I
cannot take this s um fr om you ; it is i m
possi ble for us to stop j ust n o w ; we must
go o n till the balance between us is tri vial
either o n o n e side or the other then we will
make a n end of it at once and put the
accursed cards away forever
He spoke passionately a n d Jim fancied
he could see him Shiver slightly as m en do
at times o n recalli ng some ugly memory of

the past
What interpretation thought
H a wk sb u ry as he walked back fro m F ulh a m

?
is o n e to place upo n this
o n that occasion
Most m e n I presume wo ul d say I am i n
the hands o f a n experie n ced gambler who
is intent upon plucking me to the last
feather ; a n d upon my lif e I couldn t blame
them for thin king that it is s o The only
thing is that I don t agree with them
.

V OL

O
.

SUNSHINE AN D SNOW

194

The glamour o f love closes o ur eyes to a

multitude o f things It glosse s over and
renes obj ectionable relations ; it maketh a
bare sufciency to assume the aspect Of a
comfortable independence ; it tinges o u r
hopes with rose colour ; it teaches us to
look upon those roseate hopes as already
realised ; it i s wont to give us overweening

condence i n o ur future in Short it is

wont for a time to deprive us Of the clear
us e o f o u r understanding
Jim H a wk s bury
is a shrewd m an o f the world and if it h a d
not been fo r the attraction o f Clarisse
Lydon s bright eyes he had never been
drawn into the cart business N o w he
cannot think ill Of Clarisse s father ; he will
not suspect that there c an be more than
ill fortune connected with the reverses he
SO consistently sustains Then a gain he
argues this : four hundred and eighty seven
pounds for his losses amount to that in
Spite o f the small stakes they commenced

playi n g for will involve an application to

.

S U N SH IN E

196

AN D

SNOW

lways saying good bye to friends ab o ut

whom you can make no denite conj ectur e
a s to when you may see them again
Yes
replied Clarisse
but thank
Heaven we always do hope to s e e them
painful to
a gain ; good bye would be too
b ear if it were n o t for that We Shal l very
likely come to England again if n o t well
w e must hope that duty or curiosity may
c all y o u to my country
I m afraid there s no chance Of the rst
I
they never send horse soldiers to Canada

wonder why not b y the way ; not a cavalry

c ountry I suppose
O h I don t know replied Miss Lydon

roguishly ;
I don t see why you Shouldn t
S kate curl valse and drive as well as the
infantry Ofcers That making yourselves
ro c i en cv i n ball giving are
a greeable a n d
p
what we Can ada girls look upon as the
c hief duties o f the army
Well laughed Jim I hope we Should
n o t be found wanting in any o f these points ;
-

M I S GI e

c LA R I S S E S

Gs

197

the ladies Of En gland I think cherish

Similar vie ws concern ing o u r utility
The conversation here rather dr opped
between them
We exchange nothing s
without much effort but when we contem
plate speaking in earnest we are wont to
n d speech less uent a n d to hesitate mor e
about opening o u r lips
These young people had each of the m
something o f grave impor t to s ay to the
other a n d were me di tating how best that
something was to b e said It was a harder
proble m to solve for the m a n than th e
woman because Clarisse Lydon did kno w
what She wished to ask a n d H a wk sb ury
was b y n o means SO thoroughly den i te with
regard to his question What Jim wished
to kno w was how far he h ad progressed in
his fair companion s good graces It was n o
light irtation this o n his part
He felt
thoroughly i n earnest but nevertheless b e
had by no manner Of means made up h is
mind to put h is fo rtune to the test this after
,

SUNSHIN E

19 8

AN D

SNOW

noon He would fain discover what chance

there might b e fo r him Should he ask t hi s
girl to be his wife and yet he had not
thoroughly decided that he would do SO let
thi n gs look propitious as they might
I suppose we don t all sally forth with
denitely made up o n these
o u r minds
occasions a n d that accident quite as often
precipitates a m an into matrimony as not
Miss Lydon o n the other hand had i n
the last few days awoke to the fact that Jim
a n d her father were not playing cards fo r
sugar plums and that knowledge had per
S he was very young
turb e d her g rea tly
and S h e knew very little about card playin g
but few Of us at tain o ur se venteenth year
without either orally o r by readin g knowing
that gambling is pretty sure to be disastrous
to some o f those engaged i n it
Clarisse
s a w no thing but harm either to her father
a m a n She at all even ts liked ex
o r to
trem e l y ; and yet girl as she was how was
Indulgent as her father was
s h e to interfere
.

SUNSHI NE AND SNOW

2 00

Clarisse with some little hesitation very

much given to playing cards
N O I Why ?
Because y o u play here continually She
answered quickly w h ile the colour in her
cheeks deepened ; a n d from a ch ance word
o u dropped the other n ight
I
fancy
o
u
y
y
and papa bet a good deal o f money o n the
gam e It r ather worries me to th ink it
should be s o
This wa s an awkward complication Jim
was silent He could n o t deny the fact and
he did n o t quite know what to plead in
extenuation
I will tell you why continued Clarisse ;
I k now very little about cards but every
body knows when they are played fo r money
someone must lose We are n o t rich a n d
,

cannot

d to lose
assure y o u you r father is none

aor

ca n

the worse
quickly

That

fo r

o ur

battles

interposed Jim

m akes

it

no

better

replied the

C LA R ISS E S MISGIVINGS

201

girl
If he is not then y o u must be an d
I am no whit better satised with the result
I cannot conceive what made him prop ose
such a thing U ntil the other night I had
no suspicion that you played for anything
but trii n g stakes
It annoys me very
much to n d that it is quite the reverse
more pa rticularly as it wa s papa proposed
this dr ea dful ca rt
Miss Lydon you may acquit your father
altogether o n that point
replied Jim
earnestly
We commenced o ur cart the
night he dined with me and cards were
proposed then neither by him no r myself
but by another m a n who had di ned with
us

I am glad of that very glad Of that

I assure y o u Mr H a wk s b ury till the other
day I never s a w my father with a card in
his hand
We never had such a thin g
in the house before that I can remember

Y o u s e e rep l ied Jim more inte n t up o n

so o thing the girl s vexation than an ythi n g
.

)1

S U N SH IN E

2 02

AN D SNOW

lse your father it SO happened was very

lucky upon that rst occasion i n my rooms
a n d when I ca m e down to see hi m a day or
two after I daresay he thought he ought to
give me a chance o f winning back what
I had los t to him
N O very great sum
b y the way

O h yes that must have been how it

was cried the girl gleefully

He could
n o t want to wi n your money vou know
Jim as he looked into her bright eager
face believed her implicitly albeit he was
conscious Of a lurking conviction that it
would have been difcult to induce the
world generally to share in that belief ;
moreover whatever Alfred Lydon might or
might not wish o n this question o f winning
he had SO far undoubtedly wo n
However Miss Lydon said Hawks
bury you re giving us good advice and I
will take care to prot by it Your father
as you s a y does not want to win my money
any more than I do to lose it N aturally
e

SUNSHINE AND S N OW

2 04

S he

knit her brows and thought for a

little and then said st retching o ut her hand :
Good bye I am not sur e but I think I
understand Things will be all arranged
when next you come Don t let it be long
rst
,

CHAPTE R XI

C LA R ISSE EXPOS T U L AT ES

C LA R ISSE sat ponderin g for some minutes

after H a wk sb ury had departed S he was
very seriously di sturbed at discovering that
her suspicion s about the card playing were
only tO O true It did not seem to her to
make much difference as to who was the
loser who the winner To pay a large s um
Of m o ney Clarisse knew would inconvenience
her fathe r considerably S he presumed it
wo ul d b e pretty much th e same with Mr
H a wk sb ury
S he could not quite analyse
h er fee l in gs but it was very repugnant to
her to thi nk that the o n e friend they had
made in En gland shoul d have such cause to
.

SUNSHINE AND

2 06

SN Ow

rue the day he had made their acquaintance

That it should have all happened too i n
their own house made it appear worse still in
her eyes S he was very young and with
slight knowledge o f the world but She felt
intensely that this was a n affair upon which
people would indulge i n bitter commentary
should they k n ow Of it True they lived
s o completely by themselves tha t there was
little likelihood O f its being discussed but
the girl derived little comfort from that
Honest and straightforward by nature
and with a dash Of chivalry i n her di s
position this spoiling O f the guest beneath
their roof tree seemed more shameful to
Clarisse the more She reected o n it S h e
hel d to the Arab tradition concerning the
obligations o f bread and salt and lacked
utterly the rened cynicism SO much i n
vog u e midst society at present S he felt She
must speak to her father about this matter
a n d yet S h e relished the idea no more than
.

sh e

had that Of interrogating

H a wk sb ury

S U N SH IN E

2 08

AN D

S N ow

I don t know he replied

that yo u
had much cause tO fret y ourself about it
,

ma m ig n o m i e

Clarisse was astonished how gently he

answered her S he could not know that her
remonstrance recalled to Alfred Lydon
another fair face that had similarly i n b y
gone years pleaded with him to forego the
fascination Of high play nor what unutter
able wo e the deaf ear he had turned to
her prayer had afterwards occasioned the
pleader
S he hesitated a moment before She a n
S he could not quite tell her father
s were d
SO cast about for
S h e did not think it right
a more uncompromising term
sh e
I do not think it nice
said at

length to wi n a lot o f money from a guest

.

a pa

pray how do

A nd

u
o
y

know I have

he inquired curiously
Because I spoke to Mr
ab o ut it

H a wk sb ury

C LAR ISSE EXPOS T U LA T ES

2 09

And

he told you s o
I told hi m I
N O indeed he did n o t
knew that you were playing high a n d th a t
I didn t like it He seemed to think tha t
I was afraid o n your account and hastened
to assure me that y o u were n o t hurt by it
But o f course that is equivalent to saying
that he is the loser
,

It is true I have wo n a good deal fro m

him ; and it s God s truth Clarisse I wish
I had not
I know it papa I was sure o f it I
told Mr H awk sb ury that I was sure you
couldn t want to wm his money
S it down child and listen to me Mor e
than twenty years ago I wrecked my life at
the card table I m n o t going to indeed I
could not bear tO tell you the story but I
woke o n e morning socially r uined From
that moment I vowed never to touch a c a rd
again and till about si x weeks ago I kept
my word Gamblin g to me is a passion SO
absorbing tha t there is n o thing for it but
,

V OL

SUNSHINE

2 10

AN D

SN O

total abstinence Like the drunkard o r the

Opium eater I have no rational limits when
I once embark on my delirium
You ve
read perchance Of m en who when they
once broke from their resolve against ardent
Spirits lost a ll co n trol over themselves and
could not refrain til l either necessity o r ill
health compelled them I am the same i n
card playin g I would play as long as ever
I could induce m e n to s i t at the table
I
would play fo r almost any stakes they chose
to propose O nce I taste this madness I am
no longer master Of myself I am usually a
fortunate player I am abstemious play
well and am always absorbed in the game
my adversary never Obtains a b and s breadth
over me through inattention o r want o f
memory a n d the maj ority o f m en who play
at times commit these indiscretions ; those
who are neophytes continuall y do SO
interrupted Clarisse i n a l o w
voice
what chance had Mr H awk sb ury
with y o u eve n o n your s h o wm g
.

SU N SHI N E AND SNOW

2 12

he spoke a n d looked moodily into th e

empty grate
A terrible idea ashed across Clarisse s
m ind and the girl turned pale almost to
her lips ; but no she would not conceive
that it was possible anyone could imagine
her father guilty o f anything dishonourable
?
still what else could he al lude to
That
dim conception She had had that people
might make bitter comment concerning
this busi n ess if it got abroad began to
take denite Shape in her min d

She
Y o u surely cannot mean papa

stammered at length
that a nyone could
dare to impute dishonourable motives to
,

?
ou
y

Quite likely he answered dryly

O h why o h why did you ever begin ?

S h e exclaimed vehemently as the idea that
H a wk s b u ry might also be imbued with that
suspicion presented itself to her

Ah ! he r eplied Slowly as if arguing

mo r e with himself than answering her :
,

C LAR ISSE EXPOS T U LATES

2 13

Why
Plausible motive to mysel f I
had won a li ttle from him a n d wished tha t
he Should win it back
Real reason the
sp irit Of play that had been fettered within
me for over twenty vea rs was once more
unchained

S til l papa what induced y o u to i h

crease the stakes as you have done of
?
late

The mockin g end o f play within me

I wished H a wk sb ury to recover h is losses
I s wore that I would play ba dl y that I
wo uld display such carelessness a n d O b
tu s e n ess that fortune must ru n
i n his
favour Abs u rd I could no more resist
?

doing my utmos t to beat him when we

faced each other at the card table than if
I had been playin g for my very existence
I am a gambler Clarisse o f the highest
class ; o n e who plays to win n o t for the
actual st a ke but because to beat h is
opponen t is a necessity to hi m
My
nerve is a s good playing for hundreds as
-

SUNSHINE

2 14

SNOW

AND

for halfpence the erce thirst to win about

the same in either case
I am a phe
n o m e n o n i n this respect
I have seen few
like me ; never anyone who resembled me
altogether
Those whom I have e n
countered that come nearest to me they
who reckoned the victory Of more account
than the Spoils never possessed my faculty
o f absorptio n when the stakes were triing
It seemed that the battle mus t be waged o n
a certain scale to interest them thoroughly
With me it is not s o once place cards i n
my hands and I must win if it i s possible
for me to compass it I cannot bear defeat
let the priz e be only a sugar plum I t i s
not SO in other things he continued i n
melancholy tones
I would it were a n d I
might have Shown more earnestness in life ;
but play Clarisse is my master and I have
n ever been able to strive SO thoroughly i n
any other pursuit
It s a n infatuation
monomania what y o u will my curse and
.

cannot help it

SU N SHIN E AND SNOW

2 16

little fool h o w c an I
I who am
at present a considerable winner refuse to
continue ! Impossi ble I must play o n as
long as he likes That he will ever recover
his losses i s as I told y o u hopeless
Despite every resolution I could make I
cannot help playing to win I am to o good
fo r him i n every point and c a n no more
resist putting forth a ll my strength when it
c omes to the test tha n I c an help bre a thing
I must win
Clarisse dropped her head upon her
hands
E ven She s a w no solution o f this
Cl e arly her father as a winner
d ifculty
to continue the fray
n o t decline
c ould
Should the loser desire it ; a n d yet as he
himself told her the longer the struggle
S hould last the worse it would be fo r Jim

My mind is made up said h er father

after a pause o f some minutes
I am as
there Should be a n end Of this
a nxious
business as yourself
We must l eave
E n gland at once ; it i s but anticipating
Yo u

O LA R

ISS E

E XPOS T U LA T ES

2 17

departure by three weeks All that

i s very simple
Y o u have only to bear i n
m ind that H a wk s b u ry must have no inkling
o f our change o f plans

D O y o u mean that we are not to s ay

good bye to him
excl aimed Clarisse with
symptoms o f dismay visible i n her coun
o ur

ten a n c e

Precisely That is a very essential

part o f my plan
.

But what will he think of us

It i s SO
u ncourteous SO unkind n o t to wish him
farewell
It is impossible Ca n y o u n o t s e e that
if he says good bye to me he wi l l have to
pay what he owes me
But you wouldn t take the m o ney said
the girl anxiously

Y o u don t u nde r stand these thin g s

I
Should have no alternative ; it would be
impossibl e for me to refuse M en when
they gamble do s o i n earnest an d I cannot
treat H a wk sb ury as if he were a child It
,

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

2 18

would be a n impertinence that he would b e

quite j ustied i n resenting
N o ; he will
feel himself bound i n honour to settle with
me before I leave and I cannot decline to
receive his money ; but if I leave at once
unexpectedly without his kn owledge I
prevent there bein g a settlement betwee n
us It is the only manner i n which I c a n
pre vent his suffering a somewhat heavy los s
at my hands and to some extent re d eem my
broken v o w

I understand replied the girl

It i s
better far that he should think us rude than
that you s hould take this money S till I
o wn that I am sorry that he Should even
be left to imagine that Of us

Y o u seem strangely a nxious about Mr

H a wk sb u ry s good Opinion
said Lydo n
quietly

N ot more than we have good cause for

He is th e o n e friend remember that we
have made Since we s e t foot i n thi s
country retorted Clarisse thro wing back
.

CH A PT E R XI I

AS

A FE W WO RD S WI T H SI R
Ji m

RA N D O L PH

H a wk sb u ry

walked back from

Grove Te rrace after his talk with Clarisse
Lydon he began to think somehow seriously
over the Situation
Yes he no longer
attempted to deny to hi mself that his feeling
for the girl was considerably more than it is
good to hold i n the game o f ephemeral
ir tation ; even that had never been very
much in Jim s way a n d s o far he had been
strangely careless to female fascination It
was not that he hadn t been kin dl y regarded

by those o n promotion o r a t all events

by their mothers a n d chaperons for a
good looking young fellow who is heir to a
,

FEW WO RD S WI T H SI R RAN D O LPH

221

baronetcy an d some e ight o r ten thousand a

year is worth spinnin g for save by those
who do their an gl ing in very highly
preserved waters But Jim s enthus i astic
sporting propensities keep him rather aloof
from the drawing room as a rule it was n o t
that he felt at all ill at ease i n woman s
society simply that he did n o t run after it
He was popular with the s ex enough an d
by n o means decient i n s m all talk when he
met them at the dinner table could do his
duty manfully a t a country ball when he
could be g ot there ; but it must be owned
when s tay m g in a country house he was o n e
those m en you s aw little o f i n the
of
daytime
Jim H a wk sbu ry is very fairly sensible for
twenty ve an d proceed s as he walks
l eisurely through the Park to argue this
affair o u t with himself Quite clear he
admits in the rst place that he has arrived
at caring about Clarisse very much more
than is p r udent and what conclusion is he
,

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

222

th i s

to come to o n
point what is to be the
?
end o f it
It is d ifcult to decide this
because he has not at all made up his o wn
mind o n the subj ect Does he thoroughly
believe i n the honesty and honour of this
?
man whose luck at cards is so unvarying
He thinks s o but is conscious o f dim
mis g ivings i n the background ; above a ll
that to no o n e else conversant with the story
w ill any such cre d ulity be vouchsafed
That
Clarisse is thoroughly innocent o f a n y com
li
t
o plunder him if such scheme after
cit
p
y
all there be he is prepared to s wear ; after
?
tO day s conversation who could doubt her
S till does he love this girl of whose ante
cedents he knows nothin g well enough to
marry her in the face o f the world and h is
?
relations
He cannot say
He is quite
aware Of what the verdict would be o n such
a match Keep the story quiet as he likes
he must go to his father fo r this money a n d
S ir Randolph will dra w his o wn deductions
only to o quickly o f the wh y it was w anted

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

224

rather trusted to his usually good luck to

pull him throu gh Lydon unfortunately
proved the better card holder o f the twain
O nly o n e line to take
though t Jim
make up o ur account get the money from
the g overnor that involves a ro w o f course
but one s had em before and then settle
with Lydon and tell him I ll have no more
Of it If he s a leg he may try to dissuade
If he is n o t he
m e and look dissatised
will acquiesce readily and express some
civil regr ets at my ill luck : regrets
muttered Jim with a rueful smile
In
which I shall heartily concur
Two mornings after he had come to this
r esolution Jim created some astonishment
at Rutlan d Gate by presenting himself there
i n the morning a n d requesting to s ee
S ir Randolph
A little thrill o f curiosity
diffused itself throughout the house at this
intelligence
What brings Mr H awk sb u ry here
3
asked the butler o f his
before lunch
.

! C

A FEW WO RD S WI T H SI R R A N D O L PH

225

compatriots below stairs which it s never

his habit to come here before ; an d as for
wanting to see S ir Randolph it is what his
family is not given to at this time Of day
Per
an d I say emphaticall y with reason
s ee as little as possi ble of
s o n all
I
prefer
to
y
h i m i n the mornin g dislik ing all unpleasant
ness which ars upon the nerves
My lad y rapidly arrived at the concl usion
that her arguments had proved irresisti ble
a n d that Jim had come to explain his i n te n
tions regarding Letty Auriole to his father
while S ara H a wk sb u ry when her mother
informed her Of the fact murmured to

herself : Jim s got into a scrape o f some

sort
I wonder what it is only money I
trust
But o n o n e point the household
were i n accord although u nknowingly a n d
were stricken with a n insatiable desire to s e e
Jim whenever he Should emerge from S ir
Randolph s sanctum My lady a n d S ara
the butler and lady s maid all smitten wi th
this la udable spirit Of inquiri n g into things

VOL

SUNSHINE

226

SNOW

AN D

concernin g them We may not b e

aware O f it but any departure from the
ordi n ary routine o f o u r lives places us at
once under the strictest surveillance Of o u r
domestics who think it incumbent upon
them n o t i n o u r interests but their o wn to
be as well informed about o u r thoughts
words actions a n d correspondence as may
be possible o f attainment
S ir Randolph always retired with his
letters a n d the paper to his o wn room after
breakfast and it was perfectly understood
that he was by no means heavenly Of temper
if disturbed even when there was important
reason fo r doing SO therefore the house had
ca u se to imagine the interview between
father and s o n about something o f i m
portance S ir Randolph was not a m an who
had ever Shown much a ffection for his
children and those wh o disliked his cold
indolent manner wo u ld have added n o r for
anyone else ; he was not a m an of warm
sympathies and quick feelin gs nor given to
n ot

SU N SHIN E

228

SNOW

AN D

retir e to their studies under Similar

d elusion
N O ; I am in a scrape rather replied
I got entan gled i n play before I
J im ;
knew quite what I was about and I ve lost
a good lot Of money
E xcuse me replied the Baronet
but
you re o u t o f your teens : at your age m en
d on t get entangled in play

Well they ought n o t replied Jim as

and it s been
h e quietly took a chair ;
d euced stupid o f me to do so ; however it s
done and there s nothing for it but to pay
I have stopped and you need be in no fear
o f my taking to it again

I always considered when I settled your

s u f
resent
allowance
tha
it
was
to
be
t
p
Remember it was increased two
c ient
ears
ago
o n a n occasion o f this kind but
y
n ow
o u have discovered that g ambling is
y
o n e o f the essentials o f a young man s life
i t will be difcult to say what income you
m a y require
to

'

FEW WO RD S WI T H SI R RA N D O LPH

229

It is no use talking in this way father

I have knocked about the London worl d
quite long enough to know that y o u played
in your youth very much higher than I
have done
Because I was a fool once Sir it doesn t
follow I am going to abet y o u in becomin g
on e
retorte d the Baronet Sharply

A S I told you before I have q uit e

nished with it I h ave gone no tremendous
smash I m not asking y o u to n d a very
big sum Five hundred will s e e me all
clear
And suppose I decline to l et y o u hav e
?
it said S ir Randolph considerably relieve d
to n d that it was no worse
You will compel me to raise it retorte d
Jim coolly
O f course I c an in more way s
than o n e though it would probably entail
going to the tribes for it
Judging by
those that are left to u s i t s a n innit e
mercy that ve sixths Of the dozen wer e
lost
,

SUNSHINE

230

S N OW

AND

The est rather tickled S ir Randolph and

he replied with quite a gracious g rin :
Wrong agai n Jim ; competition always
knocks down prices and if we had not lost
the confounde d ten tribes we should have
paid fteen per cent instead o f fty Yes
they were a loss a great loss to mankind ;
play and plunging will ru n high if ever
they re found again
But I think y o u
needn t trouble the children Of Israel this
time
You Shall have the money if you
will only fall into my wishes about another
little matter

?
What is it
asked Jim with some
curi os i ty

Bah a mere n o thin

a thing that I
know you have h a d i n contemplation fo r
years past
We have all known it and
wish ed it Uncle Robert and all o f us I t s
getting time y o u settled down Jim
I
Should like to have a glimpse Of the boy
who s to follow y o u before you reign at
O nly tell me that
Rin gs to n e i n my stead
,

'

'

SUNSHINE AN D SNOW

232

it
is
my
wish
that
should
do
o
u
s
o
y
y
exclaimed S ir Randolph with ushe d cheeks
and studied tones
Just s o replied Jim curtly

Then nd your ve hundred a s y o u

best may retorted his father with eyes
ami n g with passion It was the rst tim e
that anyone o f his fa mily had fairly revolted
and deed h i s autocratic decrees
NO
wonder that S ir Randolph s wrath was
stirred
Jim and S ara also had Shown
the m selves contumacious before o n occasion
b u t this was the rst clear case Of Open
m utiny
Jim rose v ery delib erately
O f course

he said
if that i s your nal decision
there s n o more to be said I must either
ple d ge th e commission o r raise money o n
what is coming to me I t s a small a a ir
and not very d ii cul t to m anage
And has it occurred to y o u that I Shall
probably suspend your allowance ? inter
ru te d S ir Randolph sharply
p
ou

A FEW WO RD S WI T H SI R RAN D O LPH

233

h
d
u
e
o
w
o
I
don
t
well
coul
s
e
;
y
without having the verdic t o f socie ty against
Y
ou
if
not
that
Of
t
h
e law cour ts
ou
y
might curtail it b u t y o u cannot leave your
only s o n and heir without decent provision
Besides my dear father I have more c o n
dence i n your sense Of j ustice This ve
hundred you have every right to refuse me
but to cut O ff my allowance because I have
o t a little into difculties is surely scarce
g
fair
I am sorry we can t agree about
things but as i t is SO I c a n only apologise
for tro u blin g y o u a n d s ay good bye
S ir Randolph vo u ch s a n g no reply Jim
left the room with the intention o f als o
leavi n g the house but the butler who was
lying in wait in the h all pounced upon h im
and said that Lady H a wk sb ury wished to
s ee
him before he went
S urely my
mo ther can t want to talk this all over
again
mused Jim as he ascended the
stairs
By th e Lord if there is o n e thing
more annoying than another i t s one s r e

SUN SHINE AND SNOW

234

l a ti o n s

taking into their heads the arrange

ment o f one s marriage as if anyth ing but
biliousness and ill feelin g could come Of
s u ch unwarrantable interference in a man s
affairs
Good mornin g mother said Jim as he

entered my lady s boudoir

Pray excuse
my askin g what I s I t without preamble as
I am grievously pressed for time
I beg
pardon S ara I didn t s e e you at rst a n d
crossing the room he shook hands with his
Sister who was coiled up o n a n ottoman i n
the window
I don t wish to keep you Jim returned

Lady H a wk sb u ry
but y o u have had a
long and condential interview with S ir
Randolph this morning May I a sk what
?
about
A mother s anxiety about her boy
may well excuse the question
I t was palpable as s h e spoke that She
cared no thing concerning th e conference Of
her husband a n d s o n unless it had touched
upon the pr es ent great scheme Of her hear t

SUNSHINE AN D SNOW

236

Randolph agrees with me o n this point ;

really the sooner y o u settle things with
Letty the better
I kne w nothing o f this interposed
S ara quic k ly and earnestly seeing at once
that her parents had Shattered her o wn pet
dream by indiscreet interference
I told you the other day mother said
Jim that y o u were altogether mistaken i n
this matter
Letty and I are excellent
friends with n o wish to b e anything more
to each other
If y o u want nothing more
with me excuse my saying good bye I am
rather hurried
You are mad ungrateful to thwa r t
the wishes o f your parents exclaimed Lady
H a wk s b u ry applying her handkerchief t o
he r eyes with much theatrical emotion
Muttering something to the e ffect that
parents who formed unreasonable wishes
had no right to complain o f their n o n
ful lment Jim with a n o d to his Sister left

the room

A FEW WO RD S WI T H SI R RAN D O LPH

237

To think that he Should be SO obstinate

said her lady
s o blind to his o wn interests I
ship plaintively a n d n o more able to resist
the temptation o f posing before h er daughte r
than if the audience had been larg er
Ah it has been a sad mistake meddling
between those two m amma I don t kno w
what chance there was before but I m
afraid now that wedding will never be
replied S ara
S he knew none better that there was a
strong vein Of what o ur friends call re
solution an d o u r detractors obstinacy
underlying her brother s character that
especially was he n o t to be coerced o r
bullied into other people s opinions
Jim
said quite truly that he had n ever dreamed
o f falling in love with Letty Auriole a n d to
achieve that blissful state a t command o f
the authorities has been proved a n i m
possibility from time o ut Of mind What
ever the future might have brought forth
S ara felt assured no warmer affection than
,

SU N S H INE

238

AN D

SNOW

friendship would ever be born between

those two now E ven if her brother would
lend himself to such a scheme Letty was
far too quick witted a girl not to s e e
through the hollowness of a Simulated
passion nor did S ara indeed desir e that
they Should make a marriage ole c o n ve n a n c e
N O ; if no real love could ever spring up
bet ween the two then She wa s content that
her dream Should never be realised that it
never would be now S ara H a wk s b u ry felt
assured
.

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

2 40

d i n gs

the more wrathful he becomes

He mutters dis paraging comment o f S ir
Randolph to himself such as sons will use
at times when the ir pro g enitors decline to
provide decently for their necessities
It
was no great s u m fo r him to n d he argued ;
and I ve never gone a real cracker as some
fellows do He s never been called upon to
provide for more than a slight miscalc ulation
I don t want to go in fo r post
o f revenue
Obits bills and all the regular r outine and
I don t think after what I said he s likely
to interfere with the allowance ; but marry
as I choose I will by G d I and at no
Very clear upon this latter
m an s biddin g
poin t Jim most especially decided that his
wife Sh all be o f h i s o wn selection and advice
o r recommendation o f relatives bear i n no
wise upon that question
S till th e question more immediately i n
hand is the procuring o f this ve hundred
pounds It is not as Jim truly said o n e
There were
o f any very great difculty
c ee

9)

SE TTLE M ENT

2 41

hundreds i n Babylon who would be o nl y to o

pleased to supply the heir o f Rin gs to n e
Abbey with considerably more than that
s u m upon some formal Sig ni ng Of stamped
papers B ut if Jim had as yet been without
dealings with the money lenders he was n o
neophyte about s tepping within the toils
and was simply running over in his min d
who of his friends might b e best tted to
advi se him i n such emergency
S till cogitat in g upon this subj ect h e
wal ked u p the north Side of the Row s o
a s to avoid the throng that constitute
in

s ocie ty s
Slang
a park when he wa s
suddenly arrested b v a hea vy hand o n hi s
sho ulder a n d th e exclamation
Jim my boy y o u look as if you had a
book that woul d n t bear think ing over

U ncle Robert I he ej aculated tur n i n g

round on the aggressor why what brings
3
o u to to wn
y
We ll that s sati sfactory responded the

Rector with a j olly laugh

It can t be
.

'

V O L

SUNSHINE

2 42

SNOW

AN D

the book anyhow W hat b rin g s me to town

Why what has brought me to town for the
l ast ve and twenty years the Isth mi an
games lad I m up to see the Derby
O f co urse
What a fool I am I Excuse
me I was rather i n the clouds j ust n o w
?
Where are y o u going
To lunch a t the mother s You d better
come to o Jim The Old lady s real fond o f
o u and mind she s one i n te n thousand
y
Your grandmother is worth about a score O f
women o f these times Pooh you needn t
think o f your sweetheart whoever s h e be
Fo r fun fo r pluck for brains I never s a w
her equal I can recollect when She used
to dance and lighter foot than hers there
wasn t i n all Bro a d s h ire
The Rector was alway s enthusias tic about
his mother ; if he was her favourite s o n he
well repaid her a ffection From his bo yish
d ays to the present time Uncle Robert would
have been always ready to slave n ight and
day at her behest He said no more than
.

SUNSHINE A N D SNOW

2 44

and only to be evoked by extreme reckless

ness of conduct o n Jim s part He had stood
i n times past more than once bet ween S ir
Randolph and his son takin g upon himself
to break the lad s deli n quencies to his brother
a n d fend O ff that rst rush Of wrath which is
the natural outbu rs t Of a n indolent disposi
tion when its serenity is abruptly disturbed
It had always seemed a matter O f course
to have a talk with Uncle Robert over any
worries o r perplexities both to Jim and
S ara even when th ey arrived at a n a ge to
treat d irec t with the reigning powers It
was therefore the m ost natura l thing i n
the world that Jim Should relate the story
o f his unsuccessful applicatio n to his fathe r
for the ve hun d red to the Rector O f the
condition S ir Randolph had attached to his
complyin g with the d emand Jim said
nothing h e Simply chronicled his refusal ;
neither was he more communicative when
U ncle Robert put some rat h er probin g
questions concerning h o w this money was

SE TTL EMEN T

2 45

lost That i t was lost i n play he made no

disguise b u t that he intended to s ay no
more he made very evident The Rector
was far too high mind ed a m an to attempt
to force a condence ; indeed his great i h
ue n ce with his nephe w and n iece had bee n
greatly acquired by their complete reliance
that it was never necessary to tell more o f
th e s tory than they chose to U ncle Robert

I don t think Randolph behaved well

to you I admit said the Rev Robert at
the en d Of his nephew s story
of course
if y o u me a n gambling it wouldn t be much
good coming to your h elp but I don t think
Y
o u evidently don t intend to tel l
o u do
y
me all about this business an d I wish to
know no more than y o u choose I should I
thoroughly believe y o u want Simply to pay
up your losses a n d have done with it as
n
I
d
give
o u the
money
i
a
ou sa
y
y
y
minute if I had it bu t country parsons
don t have such balances at their bankers as
a rule
.

SUNSHINE

2 46

SNO W

AN D

My dear uncle y o u couldn t think I

meant that interrupted Jim

I alway s
bring my scrapes to you but I don t want
anything more than to unburthen m y mind
I daresay I shall raise what I require without
paying unreasonably for it

N O doubt ; i n the meanwhile lunch i s

the thing we st a nd at present most i n need
I ve a Bro a d s hire appetite man and
of
unless sport den i es me Opportunity can
always ply knife and fork with a vengeance
at this time S por t o r food when the clock
chimes two tha t s my maxim
H O W are y o u Robert
exclaimed the
D owager as She rose to receive her burly

son s kiss
I was expecting y o u and
thought I might reckon o n your fondnes s
\V h ere did y o u n d
for the e s h pots
Jim
An y how I m very pleased you did
nd him S h e continued as She greeted

her grandson ;
and now come along
luncheon I know is ready
Letty has
gone to have hers with the D e s b o ro ugh s ;
,

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

2 48

A somewhat material belief my mother but

very antithetical to Spiritual conversion

And the eshl y poacher the carnal

?
in
m a n o f snares and night practices
quired the Old la d y her eyes twinkling
with fun

I regret to admit that I happened to

encounter two o f those malignants but a
week Since egging an d the result has been
that two of the most incarnate poachers i n
the parish are likely to be i n most excellent
c ondition for harvesting havin g withdrawn
into temporary retirement o n a strict and
,

r egular diet
What is this I hear about your father
J im
Letty tells me he is moping ; giving
&
hunting
Shooting
I
meant
to
have
u
c
p
ou
before
but
forgot
it
a sked
a n d you
y
.

d on

t come here s o Often as y o u ought you

know
The hussa r was conscious O f Shortco m in gs
i n that respect
He had called more than
o nce but he knew his grandmother tho ugh
,

SE TT LEMEN T

2 49

unreasonable di d like at tention from

those s h e was fond o f and that he stood
high i n her good graces he was perfectly
a ware It was with some Slight hesitation
that ignoring the nal attack he replied
that his father had n o t been well that winter
a n d was forced to take care Of himself
I am sorry to hear it I was in hopes
it was only o n e Of Randolph s whimsies He
has crotchets at times a n d some years back
took it i n his head that his heart or his
lungs were affected I forget which ; but I
know it t urned o ut to be only his energy
Who s he under ?
F ergus s o n replie d Jim curtly

And now said the Old lady sharply

?
what s the matter with you
You look
as if you d ge t into a scrape O f some kind
What mischief h as he got into Robert
Fallen in love with someone he ought n o t
o r h a s he been comple ting that expensive
bit Of literary work a Derby book
Is the
cause o f his wo e feminine o r equine
n ot

SUNSHINE

2 50

AN D

S N OW

woman with a n adamant heart o r a h o rs e

?
a
n
with
indifferent leg
Jim sat speechless under his grandmother s
badinage for a moment a n d then replied
N othing much I m I n a bit o f a hole but
I Shall scrape through without a n y great
damage to myself
,

The Dowager made no reply but looked

inquiringly at her s o n
N 0 great harm done replied the Rector

Jim s had a ro w with his father about

money matters H e s been hit a little at
play
Hold har d U ncle Robert that ll do I
didn t come here to bother grandmamma
with my difculty
And I Should like to kno w after you r
?
o wn
parents to whom y o u would come
interposed Lady H a wk sb u ry with a Slight
Shrug Of her Shoulders and elevation o f the
eyebrows
I don t approve Of pl ay mind
because it so Often means ruin but I m not
scared at the idea Of it either It was th e
,

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

2 52

your grandmother a n i nnocent Wait till

o u s ee
Y
ou
will
have
interest
t
O
a
y
p y
mind a n d now I ll confess what a n avaricious
Old woman I am S he paused for a moment
a n d with a comical expression i n her face
said : I couldn t bear the idea Of all tha t
heavy interes t g oing o u t of the family and
throwing herself back into her chair Lady
H a wk sb u ry indulged i n a hearty peal Of
laughter a t her o wn O k e
Her ladyship was a s good as her word
N O sooner had they regained the drawing
room than She s a t down to her davenport
Handing this to Jim She
a n d wrote a note
bade him be o ff to her m a n Of business with

it at once saying : Y o u will catch them

b efore closing if you take a cab I kno w
these things ought to be settled promptly I
won t say don t play again b u t I would have
you let high play alone for the future
Good bye N o never m ind thanking me
I
Yo u haven t time a n d I don t like it
kno w very well you re what y o u call awfully
.

SE TTL EMEN T

2 53

obliged and I feel what y o u call awfully

j olly N ow be O ff with vou
The Dowager had been i n the London
world from her girlhood and had learned to
view its follies and its vices with a lenient
eye S omewhat of a pa g an i n re g ard to the
stricter moral ities perhaps especially o n the
point o f charity towards one s nei ghbour
when that neighbou r was eminently di staste
ful to h er S he held the code Of honour Of
society i n respect to gambling a n d s aw no
gr eat harm in it as lon g as a man paid when
he lost a p o in t by no means deemed impera
tive by the great gamblers east o f Temple
Bar
Jim s interview with Lady H a wk sbu ry s
solicitors was perfectly satisfactory
He
was told that the money S h ould be at his
disposal next day and departed by the
evening train fo r Al dershot in a tranquil
frame o f mind and with the determination
to win d up m atters with Lydon o n the
morrow That he had come to this resolve
,

SUNSHINE

2 54

SNOW

AN D

through Clarisse s inuence prin c ipall v he

made no disguise himself He would have
d one it a litt l e later indeed must have
done it a little later as he knew full well
Since Ly d on s departure would have made
it imperative ; but i t pleased him to think
that he Sho u ld do it at her biddin g He
pictured to himself a sweet smile Of a p
proval when he told her that the cart was
all ended and O f late Jim had grow n
strangely solicitous ab out Miss Lydon s
Courteous to women he ih
O pinion
variably was but he had troubled himself
very little as to h o w they regarded him s o
far an d yet as I said be fore it was not
that he had encountered chilly reception at
their hands A good looking young fellow
with Jim H a wk s b u ry s breeding and pros
peets was scarce likely to meet that
He started next day fo r Grove Terrace
with a goodly roll Of notes I n his pocket
He had made up his mind that if Clarisse
Should be at home he would ask to speak

SUNSHINE AND SNOW

2 56

this point for the maid servant infor m e d

him that her mistress was o ut but that he
would n d master i n the painting room
and thi ther Ji m made his way
Ha H a wk sb u ry exclaimed the artist
Charmed to s ee you I am only to o glad
to have an excuse to knock O ff work and
subside into talk a n d tobacco
S it down
and have a cigar
Clarisse is o ut but I
daresay o n her return s h e will be able to
endorse my invitation and promise y o u
that there is dinner o f some kind
Y o u are very good but I must g et back
to Aldershot to night
My dear H a wk sb ury excuse me
My time here grows short a n d the sooner
you exact your revenge at cart the better
I Should b e very loath to stop as we are
now though I ll o wn honestly I wish we
had never commenced
That s j ust what it is said Jim slowly
It would perhaps have been better and I
b elieve y o u when y o u say y o u are loath to
-

SE TTL EMEN T

2 57

o ff

leave

as we stand j ust n o w but my

m m d s made up I ll play no more and have
come down o n purpose to settle with you

Impossible ! we can n ot leave O ff s o I

not take what y o u o we me now
c ould
though I don t know exactly what it is
a n d here Lydon s usuall y somewhat snee r
ing features were visibly agitated

I o we you four hundred an d eighty

s even
replied Jim curtly as he dre w a
roll o f notes from hi s pocket a n d proceeded
leis urely to count o ut th e s um
Yo u can not suppose I would take that
amount from y o u interposed the artist
Quite right rej oined Jim grimly as
he went o n with hi s counting
I cer
Hoped it would
ta in l y didn t suppose it
be the other way you know
But I tell y o u Mr H a wk sb u ry I r efuse
a
positively
refuse
to
receive
that
y
money rej oined Lydon springing to his
feet

N o w what is the use o f talking n o n

,

VOL

S U N SHINE

2 58

AND

SNOW

sense said Jim coolly

I ll give i n y o u
don t feel more cock a hoop about taking it
than I do about payi ng it
B ut y o u are
a m an o f the world Yo u know there is no
condoning of these sorts O f debts It s n o
matter how it all came about
I ve lost
You ve wo n and m us t
m u s t pay
an d
receive You may give it to hospitals o r
what you will but y o u understand there is
one m a n i n the worl d you can t bestow it o n
myself
But s tO p Try y o ur luck once again

cried Lydon
it must ch ange
.

N ot likely ; I ve come to the limit Of

my tether a n d a man at the en d o f his rope
,

is always done Besides said Jim c o n

I ve vowed
ti n u in g the numberin g o f notes
to play no more
The artist walked the roo m impatiently
fo r a few minutes

Here you are exclaimed Jim

four
eighty ve i n notes and two sovereign s
make us quits
.

SU N SHINE

2 60

SNOW

AND

to be brought to the idea that it was

possible to bring it to any other conclusion
Jim had plenty Of clear common sense and
a very accurate perception o f the right a n d
wro n g o f his o wn world
He kne w o f
course Lydon s proposition was an absurdity
A m an who allows himself to be forgiven a
play debt loses caste in the estimation o f hi s
compeers ranking almost belo w the m a n
wh o fails to pay
Good bye I exclaimed Jim after a Short
pause during which the artist continued to
pace the room in a n extremely excited
m anner
I Shall hope to s e e y o u o n
Friday and Shall perhaps petition fo r some
dinner
Lydon stopped Short i n his walk
Good bye good bye I he said
.

Friday I

Yes o f course ; delighted to s e e you

O nce more good bye I and he gripped Jim s
hand with a fervour s o unusual as to rather
astonish the hussar
.

SE TT L E MEN T

2 61

Yes Clarisse wil l be sorry to have

m issed y o u
Good bye I
?
What the devil s the matter with him
mused Jim as he walked leisurely west
wards
Brandy o r opium couldn t have
made a greater mess Of him than those four
hundred and eighty seven pounds seem to
have done Receiving money never bothered
me i n that way
Three days later o n the Friday afternoon
when Jim H a wk sb u ry went down to Grove
Terrace and inquired fo r Miss Lydon the

s ervant girl made an swer that they were

gone
?
sai d Jim with
Y es but n o t for good
an easy smile o f interrogation
I think SO Sir they left fo r Live rpool
r eplied the n ymph o f the bell pull
,

END

OF VOL