Less Than Kin.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1030, 20 April 1894, Page 7

Less Than Kin.

By Mrs Will C. Hawksley.

+ Jn Five Chapters.

CHAPTER IV. The unexpected shock of Dick Russell's sudden, arrival seemed, in some inexplicable way, to put a new complexion upon the rather complicated state of affairs at Denleigh Vicarage. As to the cruel and malicious charge made by Joseph Wakelin, that assumed a quite cheerful aspect when this young, strong fellow, with his infectious laugh and happy eyes, had listened to the narrative given by his mother's lip 3, and then had torn all her fears to shreds, through the remnants of which more sun than shadow was visible. • You were rather unwise, were you not, ever to let him hear of the loss 1 Happily, however, one gold piece is uncommonly like . another, and I've quite a little sackful up in my portmanteau.' •But, my dearest son, do you suppose we well rob you 1' exclaimed Mildred, her eyes tilling. •If you've been economical enough to save out of your salary, it is yoursolf who should benefit, 1 'So I intend.' he rejoinod. 'And to settle okl Wakelin's mind is the first of my many advantages. Why, mother you never thought me selfish enough to be spending all my screw, did you 1 Only I had a fancy for bringing homo a lump, instead of sending driblets. Of course it is all yours and father's. Don't disappoint me by making a fuss now !' * At any rate, my boy, we will gladly accept this sum as a loan, until ray unfortunate memory reveals what I did with the original amount.' 'Then you don't believe it was stolen V—in some surprise. 'No; 1 don't. The more I think about it the more convinced do I become that I must have put it somewhere for safety. Only the question still remains, where T Thus the difficulty was, for the moment, solved. The pupil teachers ami the National Society were paid. And though, owing to Mr Wakelin's fostering care, the story of the loss spread about the parish, and was repeated with surmise and remarks which had they come to Dick's ears, might have proved detrimental to the peace of the community, the matter was, outwardly at any rate, smoothed over and forgotten. In regard to the change in Ena's position, however, all was not such plain smiling. For 20 years had these two young folks been taught to regard each other as brother and sister; and if the surprise caused by Sir George's will and the news of Ena's real parentage had come without any preceding interruption to their intercourse, probably the old relationship would scarcely have been disturbed. Such, however, had not been the case. To Ena, indeed, Dick seemed tho same Dick 'as of yore, only a little older, a trifle more sedate, and a good deal less boisterous and condescending. Also foreign travel appeared to have had upon him the unusual effect of bringing out a tendency to basbfulness unnoticed in earlier youth. But with the man, matters were far otherwise. When he quitted home, he left behind him a child playfellow, with long flowing hair, and ankles quite plainly to be beheld below her dresses ; a child who had been the sharer of his boyish scrapes, the innocent admirer of his wildest escapades, and the sympathising recipient of his university confidence. A3 a child she had still lingered in his memory during the years of absence ; and certainly he would have been less startled to find the same romping, undeveloped girl awaiting his return, than he was at receiving the greeting of a pretty, well-dressed, but quite grown-up young lady. This was not the Ena that he remembered, but altogether a transformed and more impressive personage. And so great was the alteration in herself, that it scarcely occurred to him as extraordinary that her standing towards himself should be different also, and that, in fact, as well as in fancy, he had lost his sister Ena for ever. At first a sort of shyness fell upon him. When, morning and evening, Ena lifted her face for his kiss of greeting, he blushed j and though he always gave the required caress, he was sensible that perhaps it might have been better to have refrained —a notion which never crossed Ena's brain. But gradually the shyness,though it did not altogether leave him, gathered about itself another and more pleasant sensation. As the days wore on, Dick found that the blank in his life caused by the loss of a sister was becoming more than filled. He discovered that liis plans were in some sort governed by Ena's arrangements, and that the thought of her was apt to exercise an influence upon his movements. Last of all, he arrived at the sage conclusion that he must always have had an instinctive realisation that he was not her brother, and that he was extremely glad that the truth regarding her had at length been proclaimed to the world at large. If only they could still keep her to themselves! Yet that was exactly where the hardship lay, that

just as she had acquired a new interest and value in his eyes — a value quite, unconnected with gold or silver — she must be carried off to make fresh acquaintances, possibly to be inveigled into a disregard of older and more famiUar friends. ' I hate the idea of your going amongst strangers and forgetting all about us,' he exclaimed moodily on the evening before Marmadtike's expected arrival. Mrs Daintry had already written to Mrs Russell, expressing the hope that Ena might travel to Rushton under her son's escort ; and Mildred had not seen her way to refuse so natural and proper an invitation. Therefore this was Ena's last night, at least for a while, in the house which from her infancy had been her home. It was one cf those warm, summerlike evenings that sometimes render May such a charming month. The. sun was setting behind the houses opppsite, and shooting great red rays of glory all athwart the sky. The whole air seemed full of the fading crimson light, which fell upon Dick's dark head, gilding it to bronze ; whilst it reflected itself in the brightness of the girl's gray eyes as they stood by the drawing room window and looked out out upon, thb strip of town garden be-, yond. ' As though I could ever forget,' shft said soberly and with a quiver in her voice. ' What opinion must you have of me even to say such a thing, Dick V He laughed a little. 'It wouldn't be easy to tell you exactly what opinion I have had and still have of you,' he said. • When 1 was away, Ena, never a day but the remembrance of you was with me, keeping me, I rlo believe,' very earnestly, ' from much evil. At that time you used to seem like the child-sister I had left behind.' He paused, finding, apparently, some difficulty in continuing. But she was not looking at him, and therefore did not observe the flush that had crept over his face. ' And now all that will be altered, she said. ' I'm not your sister ! And you'll get to love Bijou more than me ; and I shan't come and keep house for you in your curacy ; and Oh it's perfectly horrid/ With which final outburst of harassed petulance she covered her face with her hands and began to cry, much to the disturbance of her companion. ' Don't, dear, don't !' he implored. c Ena, you understand just as well as I do that I shall never, never care for that silly Bijou as I do for you.' The assurance went far to rally her spirits. Truth to tell, Ena was by no means a perfect character, whatever one benighted mortal might consider her. And since she had received tho unwelcome tidings of her own rightful place in the world, and consequent loss of all those relationships which had hitherto constituted so great a part of her happiness, there had sprang up in her heart a little, unacknowledged jealousy of Bijou, whose, position in the home and household of course remained as of old. Now, therefore, though she did not withdraw ber fingers, the voice from behind them sounded almost cheerful as she uttered one word of reply: ' Really V 1 Really and positively, Don't you think,' half timidly, ' that a friend can be quite as nice as a sister, Ena 1' A search which she had been for some seconds dilligently conducting in her pocket' here terminated in the distressing discovery that her handkerchief was missing, an idea which entirely drove away all others. { I wish you'd lend me your handkerchief,' she murmured in the most lugubrious tone. 'I can't imagine what has become of mine.' That was irresistible to Dick, who was himself as perfectly aware as the lady was absolutely unconscious, that he had been trying his 'prentice hand at love-making. To have his affectionate protestations nipped thus in the bud would have been annoying, had it not been so utterly comic. With a hearty laugh he produced the desired implement. ' Happily, it's a clean one,' he said. ' Ena, you're very little changed, after all ! Even governessing hasn't made you prim ! Pray, how often used you to have to borrow these articles of your pupils V ' About once a week,' diligently mopping. ' But they had loads ; so, what did it matter ? Oh Dick, how hateful of you to have made me cry. It has spoilt all my beauty !' ' Has it V looking into the flushed countenance and shining eyes. But the thread of conversation was broken, and he could not take it up where it had been dropped. Besides, Mrs Russell at that moment entered, full of instructions as to the packing. Therefore, when Marmaduke Daintry nftxt day carried off his cousin, pouring showers of information the while upon her devoted and bewildered brain, Ena went in ignorance as to all that Dick had desired to convey, and, indeed, with even a little soreness in her innocent heart that, at parting, when she said good-bye to him, he had not kissed her as usual. Rnshton House was a large and handsome building, of a type very different from the spacious but tasteless dwellings of Mr Wakelin and his brother magnates at Denleigh. The ancient gray walls frowned down upon a garden where old-fashioned flowers were allowed to bloom luxuriantly, and

I where carpet bedding was mainly j conspicuous by its absence. But as ! the victoria, which had been sent to j the station to meet Sir Marmaduke ■ and Ena, bowled quickly along and drew up at the hospitably open door, the breeze came to her laden with the scent of parly roses and fragrant lilies of the valley, ' What a grand old place !' she exclaimed in hnnpst admiration. For a wonder, there had been a momentary pause in the baronet's stream of talk. ' ' Awfully jolly, don't you know 1 A little ramshackle and all that. But money will soon put it to rights. Sir George would never spend anything, but scraped and hoarded in the queerest fashion. Don't intend to go in for that sort of stinginess myself. However,' recollecting that here was a fine opening for a compliment, ' he had so lovely an object for whom to hoard and save, that now I wonder much less than I used at his odd ways.' 'Do you mean me? with a slight stare of astonishment. It's very kind of you to say such nice things. But as Sir George had never even seen me, why ' And she wound up with a quizzical laugh just as the horses came to a stand-still. In the 'hall, a tall, rather stately woman was awaiting with some eagerness the new-comer. Hers had been a sorrowful life, and its troubles had drawn deep lines upon the high forehead and round the once rosy mouth. Married very young to a man for whom she had no love, Cordelia Daintry had been left a wido'.v with two little sons before reaching her twenty-fifth year. Of the&e boys, her heart had fixed upon, the younger, and him she watched droop and die in his childhood. The eldest lad was at that time at a school selected by his grandfather — upon whom they were all. entirely depondent — solely on account of its cheapness. Here, amongst rough boys, of far inferior rank to his own, the futm-e Baronet was educated, in spite of his mother's remonstrances. Flattered by the masters on account of his prospect, bullied by the boys because of his lack of pocket money and hampers, Marmaduke grew year by year more unmanageable and less attractive. No persuasions on the part of his daughter-in-law could induce Sir George to incur the expense of a university education for his heir. Nor, indeed, did the youth, who preferred complete idleness desire it for himself. And Cordelia had the mortification of seeing in her son, upon his entrance into such society as the neighborhood afforded, a vulgar, underbred representative of a once fine race. To his marriage she now looked forward as the one hope of saving him from the conspquences of past years. If he could meet with some sweet, gentle girl, whose soft voice and winning ways might have a softening influence upon his coai'se manners, and whose money might enrich the estate, improverished by Sir George's will, Mrs Dain try's ambition would, so far as it yet survived, be satisfied. And as Marmaduke had, upon the first blush of the affair, loudly announced his intention of ' making up to the little impostor' named by his grandfather as so large a legatee, the lady's anxiety to behold Ena may be better imagined than described. It was an anxiety very speedily set at rest, for the worn, rather tired face and the wistful look that crept into her hostess's eyes as she held out her hand in welcome, touched Ena's warm heart. The girl lifted her face and kissed her aunt. 'My dear, I hope you have had a pleasant journey V It was the customary inquiry, but made in so refine! and musical a voice that Eno almost started. Why, oh, why did her son bear no nearer a resemblance to the mother 1 1 Very, thank you. The ' ■ ' Well, Ena many have enjoyed it. But as to me, I'm downright famished. Thought perhaps they'd have ofiered one a glass of beer or something at the vicarage ; but no such ! luck.' Mrs Daintry saw Ena's color rise. ' I am sorry that you were not in time for luncheon,' the girl exclaimed ; ' but I fancied that I heard my mother ask you ' ' Mother ! She's no mother of yours ! Just look here, Ena; the best thing you can do now is to drop all that rot, don't you know ? Old Russell and his wife ' But even his rattling tongue was silenced there, as his cousin, to whom he was handing a cup of tea, prepared by Mrs Daintry, waved it on one side and stood up. ' Sir Marmaduke, you had better understand something once for all,' she said. 'Mr and Mrs Russell have been more than parents to me during the years when your grandfather would have left me, as he left my mother, to starve. The next slighting word that you utter against them will compel me to leave your house and to consider yourself from henceforth as a stranger. Thank you,' reseating herself, and accepting the cup he still held. • Yes, cream ; but no sugar, please.' Not another word passed upon the subject, for Mrs Daintry was too wise to undertake an apology, and her son was actually cowed. But Ena had fought her battle, and her sense of love and gratitude were not again wounded. Blind as Sir George's grand-daughter had proved to. Dick's earliest attempts

at winning her, she was quite unable to close her eyes to the persistent efforts of her next suitor. That Sir Marmaduke destined her to occupy the honorable and covetable position of a baronet's wife had become, within 24 hours of her arrival at Rushton, as i obvious to herself as to the rest of the. j world. Nor was he one likely to show himself a laggard in wooing or in explaining his wishes, which, within a week, he did in fact accomplish. Certainly, considered as that of a .Jover, Sir Marmadnke's method might be pronounced unique. The opportunity which he selected to make- Ena acquainted with the glory in store for j her was one afforded by Mrs Daintry's absence, upon a shopping expedition, from which a headache had detained Ena. Later in the clay, however, the cool breeze tempted her out, and she started to walk down the avenue to the park gates, where she might probably wait for the I'eturning carriage and drive back with her aunb to the house. But circumstances were too strong for her. She had not accomplished half the distance, when she encountered her cousin, who forthwith announced his intention of accompanying her, and then and there proceeded to expound his views of their future. ' So glad to see that you and the old lady take to each other,' was his first, happily worded, remark. ' She's awfully fond of you, Ena. Thinks you altogether out of the ruck, not in the least one of the common or garden sort !' ' Very good of her !' with an uncontrollable little, burst of laughter. ' Oh, not at all, not at all ! Any one can see that you were well born, and all that, don't you know 1 And the mater thinks so much of blood and good breeding, that otherwise things mightn't have been pleasant. Never do for you two, living in one house as you'll have to do, not to agree. She has the right to remain here always.' 1 So 'she ought to have,* indignantly. 1 But some girls wouldn't say so. I declare I w.as struck all of a heap, don't you know 1 at one time, fancying what battles there might be between her and my wife. But now that's settled comfortably for all parties.' ' Indeed 1 Allow me to congratulate you. .1 was not aware of any engagement.' She spoke half in mischief, half with the intention of showing the complete futility of his hopes. Anything would be better than to allow him to indulge in the , impracticable dreams which she and her wealth — espeoially the latter — had induced, though to listen to a formal declaration of his passion was not an occupation which Ena desired. Sir Marmaduke, 1 hosvever, quickly rose to the bait. •01), come now, Ena,' with a laugh. ' Where's the use. of coyness between you and me ? The whole county is talking about the way we stand to each other, though I've never actually told you in so many words that I wanted you. There ! confess now that you ain't so ignorant as yo!i pretend !' She flushed all over her face at his boldness. It seemed to her little short of an insult thus to have taken her consent for granted. 'Pardon me. Whatever may be my ignorance, of one thing lam very certain — / shall nover be your wife.' But he only laughed the more, loudly. 1 Nonsense, my dear. You don't mean to tell me that you're one of the sort that would rob a man of half the fortune that properly belongs to him, and give it to some other chap ? Got you there, eh, Ena? The sound of advancing wheels told her of speedy interruption and deliverance ; yet, ere that happened, she desired to guard against any repetition of such an interview. 'Here's the carriage coming,' she exclaimed, standing still and facing him. ' But before it reached us, let me be quite plain and frank with you. Belive me it is best. Nothing that you con say or do, no taunt and no inducement, will ever make me marry you. Please accept this as my final answer.' For a second or two he stared at her, all the jocularity dying out of . his countenance, and a ferocious anger tak ing its place. At last, very slowly, he turned away. 'Then I'll be seeing after some one else,' he remarked, ' and the sooner you're off these premises the better. I was a fool or I'd have taken in what all that talk about brother Dick meant ! Fancy preferring a parson to a Baronet !' But by that time Ena was seated in the victoria, offering pretty welcomings to Mrs Daintry, who; upon her side, found it extremely pleasant to be thus petted and made much of by a fair girl who might be to her as a daughter. Not the less, however, was Ena's mind fully made up upon the necessity for quitting Rushton House with all decent hast. With regard to the broad hint concerning Dick, she thrust ifc out of her memory for the moment, though she did not as yet fully realise to what it had opened her own eyes. She instinctively comprehended that it was one of those matters that must be "considered in solitude- and quiet. For it had brought her heart and her brain face to face. That evening, as Mr Russell returned homewards after a long afternoon of visiting in the poorest parts of his parish, he paused to pat on the head a little curly-haired youngster of about

seven years old. The boy looked up I at him slyly from under his long eyelashes, the pale, unchildlike features lighting up the while with some feeling at which the vicar did not guess. 'Do you know me, ray lad 1 Are you one of the Sunday-chool boys V he risked kindly. ' Not o' youm noo. Fey ther, 'c 'on't let me 300 no more theer, I'm to goo t' Methodists, coora Soonday. 'E says as thee stole some mooney, and as 1 shall )arn that sort o' thing quick eno' wi'oot trooblin' passon fort.. Mr Russell's caressing hand fell limply at his side. 80, whilst he had been content to fancy the whole trouble at an end, the scandal had heen growing day by day, until it had reached a pitch when a child dared fling it in his teeth ! No wonder that Mildred started at the sight of the drawn visage that encountered her gaze when, as usual, she went to the door to admit her husband, or that they sat together far into the night over the study fire — the evening had closed in chill and foggy — discussing the terrible little narrative. ' I can see nothing for it but a prosecution for libel against Wakelin,' exclaimed Charles, as at last they wearily rose. ' And I hate to go to law with one of my people.' ( Yet it is for the sake of your people that you must clear your name,' urged Mildred, almost timidly. « For their sake as much as for our own and our children's.' ' Clear my name ! Even the heaviest damages would scarcely do that now. A clergyman's i-eputation must be above suspicion. To think that my parishioners, after all these years, can believe such evil of me ! It breaks my heart.' (Concluded in our next. )