A COUNTY FAMILY.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1081, 24 January 1879, Page 3

A COUNTY FAMILY.

(By the author of "Lost Bir MMwn^jrd." CHAPTER iXXVl^— (Coirtimied)V v! : MR^ WILIJIAM'S. AOTOORAPH. si ." I have spoken to Lucy for you,^l^iUiwn— l pleaded your cause with her only last night ; upon my word andhonour,,'Ldid."; - -oyilr-'a: •■■;» .=*> VI don't doubt it," said the other, coolly. "I. know' you are upon my side in the ; matter, because it is the side on'iwhich yourubreadis battered ; but it is, not to gain you for a. fatfier-in-law th*t f am ['bo anxious, but to gain your, 'daughter for ! - ? a wife;i s When she ;hers<el£;has said; to. me, 'Ask papa,', then I. shall >e satisfied.?'"' *'■ ' "■■'■'*''' "' " ' ' ! " -'■■;-•'•■'. ■■■■*> '-■ V- ' ''And that she shall de some day, "said Mr Waller, cheerfully. " Indeed, between ourselves; ibe has promised a 9 much already." - ; ;, '• Some.,- day, means nothing," , said William, resolutely^' " Lucy Herself must tell me to-day l thatl stte i"i«;l ready to becomebMra William Blackburn."- • ,.., .;..,, , ..... fi x?' To-day ! That is impossible, Sir," cried Mr Waller. • „-■■ ?- „ ■ •-■ •■..■ >■- -■■.• • ■-; ■: :r. "Then I shall find it equally impossible todayj to put Imy name, to paper," said the other with .determination ; .^.aridJLt.js.e.em»Jto_me_that you I can't wart." ■ • :.-..■■ Mr Waller's usually tranquil face was greatly agitated ; anxiety and rage alike: made prey of him. It was true that he could not wait, but he had had no idea that William also would be so urgent. Whenever the subject of bis mairiage had been hinted at before he had shown no. signs of impatience. • : r, "jit is a harsh thing, Blackburn, to demand' to have my daughter's answer from her own lips| under circumstances h'ke yours, so soon. Bug my necessity, as you observe, is great and pressing. If you are really fixed- in' your resqlye^ ".■■■'■' : \-: ; .-A ± ■,■'■■:■'■■ . ■■.. J " you need not say ' if.' lam." i " Then I will ask Lucy, as a favour to myselfi to waive- those feelings of delicacy, which; though you do not seem to possess them, should actuate you far more than her:" William started at him dogged wonder ; he had no idea of what he was alluding : the recollection of how short a : time had elapsed since his supposed bereavement did not .even occur to him. . i» ■•" I say I will ask my daughter to forget what you have notchosen" to remember; and to give you her^ promise that when the fit time comes she! will become your wife." . V The titi 'time! " returned the other fiercely ; " whit the deuce do mean by that ? I think I ■ have beenput off and put off sufficiently long as it is ; butit'sirid use ' mincing matters with' you, I find. When she saya-'yes,' she must also name the dayjijSir : any day she pleases, cf course ; but it mf|jif be a pretty garly one,; J, can tell; her— within six weeks at farthest." [_ 'MSix weVks!" exclaimed Mr Waller, ahgrily/: fot 'every moment of this man's companionship made the idea of his 'daughter's marriage with 'hini more hateful,; and.the "ijeiise of his^owß helplessness more* galling^ " You r mu6't ' have lpatj your^wits, Blackburn, as you have surely lost your J mem6ry. Do you know how 1 many' days it is since you were/r«e to wed?" ; . . r ; , ; ." William had risen from his chair, in token that he bad, given Mb ( tiltimatum, but he now sat hurriedly down again ; his face had turned deadly pale, and his brow was overspread with dew ; hia tongue clave to the roof of his mouth, and when he got it free it was only to meisten his ■ suddenly parched lips. As he eat there, damp and venomous- looking, with protruding eyjjgjiit came involuntarily into the mind of his fj«||pin,-]a\y elect how like he was to that order of reptiles 'which is. called rßatrachiari. : U':IO ..,.'] 1 am glad to see at least that the recollection nf your late bereavement moves you," said Mr j Waller, grarely. "' Doubtless your affection for [Lucy may be some excuse for your obliviou of ihe. past ;. but still, Sir, these declensions of life, or at least of, good society, should never be forgotten. Your proposal shocked me, as you saw :..■; nor could it, believe nie,' fail to. shock others also. To marry so soon afteryour wife's'death, would not only provoKe? antagonism to yourself, but toLiicy, and would preyent her from being of that social service to you 1 Wiitbiyour iieighbours,i.6f which you stand: so much in need. , \Jfayv Sir, Ido not hesitate to say: that any such hasty marriage would provoke the most injurious reflections aud enquiries respecting your late wife. How, it will be asked, did he treiat ; Aw*y : and when Tahd < where — — '/But there* I see, I-bave said enough, William. I am sorry to have pained you so, but your most 'injudicious proposition left me no alternative. See, there are the young -ladies in the -garden^ Nojr, jfiyou still 'wish ta see Lu6yi-^-p'' V < }j f Mr William shook-his head. ," No, no ; not now— another time. I don't feel well; the sun : upon the river has made me faint and shaky." : "Italwayshasthesameeffectuponme/'saiiiiyrr. Waller, cheerfully. If you don't feel quite equal'to run your eye over this little document I'll! read it over to you. There, if you will be so good as to put your name where my finger is, in your usual handwriting as 'much as you can, please. Dear me, you are shaky.!. Thank : you. And how let's go out aud join the ladies ; I sball.be glad to discuss that other little matter with you whenever you please." , ' But Mr-William was in no mood to join thel ladies, but .withdrew, himself to his own t room, perhaps for horizontal, more proliably f or spirituous,, refreshment ; and Mr Waller himself .renjiained where he was, busy with his o wnre-i- --! fledtions.n v /;.j': v' , .■.■■..■.-. ii v- ■■;!:■?; .rI-- ; -: T ; .;..-.; " '('lt's niy belief that fellow's half -CTacked,!', soliloquised h£ "If his heart was not softened just-now, it must be his brain. that's going. Allcase is rjght % enough— he won't last long. Gad, f'aVmosV think it would have been be^i vto iejb him have'hisTway, for after six : we«p time , there ?is no,, saying whether he may be alivei J And yet I' don't 'think I could ever' dear girl -marry such -a; creature even ior-a day. , , lam sure he' treated that wife of hw ill—»«r> ill; ' br his conscience would Jiever; have stung him as it did just now: He's a bad fellow, and a deuced ugly one too sometimes : he looked more like a toad than a:ma!n whenlCbegaiiitOftalkto him. Yes, my dear, l'm.cpming," and he kissed his hand to "Lutey, who ? was looking fartively toward the dining-room window, .«i-Well,- I've- .got Jiis.. name^ere^for a thousand pounds, 4f they, will only wlieve it % his name, arid that's a good morning's work, at all events." .There's some ..thing iboutHis'latewife^ that's clearV' IworideV whether°the screw ! Uefe-there'^]affer^l^jttffwbich;; Master Stanhope yorider-applies his chisel, with ,Bu6h -effect ?-r-What a-loveiy .day yoiishavei pro- ; videdrforusi Miss ;EllenV; and how; charmmgly > iooks;J^ ao j^j ; ;. o . rait! .7[VPSi/.{J^ig j conti)t*«d.J •■•Sltt. 1 .