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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 14, Issue 1150, 6 May 1870, Page 4

S^HE Monday came, aud Aimee t^sVlopking out of the window of a railway carriage, at the, M station, choking, back her tears, while her father stood b^elowjr.-giyingv a" guard a ' hardly-spared l^lf-ctown and :instructions to look after hia^,daQghter> - ; : ;« As usual, the guard was siost/si?ilj andlocked the door,; with many proinisesf that,; impossible, the young lady should hef alone -all:. the way. The train was just going to start ; Mr; Barlow said good-bye fojr the last time, and Aimee, at last giving .way, threw herself down on a seat at the, further end of the carriage, and burst into tears. Almost at the same moment a tall, handsome man ran across the; platform ; another guard looking hurriedly into Aimee's. carriage, so hurriedly as not to see her in her dark corner, unlocked, the - door, saying, " Empty compa]ftpaent here,. Sir Stephen," and Sir Stephen Dashwood jumped in. The train immediately started, and, almost as immediately, Siir Stephen realised that as it did not stop fop two hours, he would for precisely that length of lime enjoy the exclusive; society of a .weeping woman, which proapeofc filled him. with consternation. JELoweyer, English people are not usually expected tip speak; to each other till they are introduced; so though Sir Stephen waS.Tejyfceiiderrhearted, and every sob of poor Aimee's affected him most disagreeably,; he settled himself as far as possible from her, and began to study the Times. Aimee criedl for some time. Her own sobs and the great noise at the station had A prevented; her noticing Sir Stephen's entrance,. and when, after some time had ' passed, she .wiped away her tears aud raised her head, she gave a start and cry of., surprise at seeing him opposite her. Sir .Stephen looked up, and for a moment they stared at each other without speaking, Sir Stephen being really startled by such. , unexpected beauty; • Aimee possessed; the rare gift of.crying without disfiguring herself, and now, her eyes looking larger, and brighter than usual, the tears still hanging on their lashes, Sir Stephen thought she was the loveliest thing he had ever. seen. He smiled at last and said, "I am afraid I startled you." Not to speak to anything so beautiful was impossible, and he-was still more fascinated by the sweet, low voice in which Aimee answered/ "Oh,- no; it was only I did not know anyone had got in." "Are you going far?" continued Sir Stephen, anxious not to let the con versa- , tion drop. • , • • ■ "Jtathery ; But please, if you don't mindr— l don't want to be rude — mamma tojd me ; not to talk to strangers," and Aimee crimsoned with confusion. -?' But we ought not to be strangers," persisted ; Sir Stephen, "for I think we Both come' from M— — -." "Yes." ' '•-Perhaps you have heard of Sir Stephen Dashwood ? ?l "iQh, yes,, I have often heard papa speak '.of him. : He says he is so good, and givesso much money in charity." It was SiE Stephen's turn to colour a little/but he laughed and said, "lam glad to hear I have such a good character." 'M beg .your pardon," was all Aimee could stammer out, as his identity dawned upon her. ■•:. : .'. . .- : .-■ ,M.hope now you will allow me to take cara of you as far as we go together ?" " Thank you," was all that it occurred to AimeeVto say. "'And now/ may I ask your name P" " Barlow," . " Barlow ! Is the Mr. Barlow who is curate at St. John's your father P" "Yes." . " Then, Miss Barlow, indeed we ought not .to be. strangers. I assure. you your father ; and I are great friends; we see each other so often at meetings at M- ." Aimeelboked delighted, and Sir Stephen went on. "I should like to know where you are going, if it is not rude to ask ?" " T<J Birchleigh," she answered. ". The Dudley Harewoods' place P" "Yes." " How odd ! lam going there too." '* Oh ; ! lam :so, glad," exclaimed Aimee, " for X don't know any one there." " That's rather a doubtful compliment tome." "I: bog your pardon." And Aimee looked so miserable that Sir Stephen quickly answered, " I beg yours. I know what you meant : but don't you know Mrs. , Harewood ?" " I don't;, but she is a very old friend of mamma's. 8ut,.1 don't know, I think I ought, to tell -you, as you are going to Birchleigh, that I am going to be a governess.-", ;,--.,-- -, -.-■.-.' "I am : very sorry to hear it," Sir Stephen answered, .from the bottom of his heart. . , . " Whyareyousorry?" exclaimed Aimee, her whoJe face changing, brightening with animation, and; her eyes shining with a strangely-beautiful light;. "I think it such a thing to be thankful for to be able to go and work for my dear father and mother I." i. And then, ashamed of having so spoken, to a.stranger* she looked down and half-turned away, blushing and looking so lovely that Sir Stephen felt inclined to fal} on his knees and then and there implore her to give him the right to protect her; from all trouble and sorrow for the future. This, however, ., was too much of a good thing, -so he rushed to the other extreme, turned away from her, and took up XbxQ Times again, leaving Aimee wondering,if .she; had said anything to annoy him. Her conscience felt clear, and she took out. the - book her father had given her to. enliven the journey ; and when Sir Stephen threw down his . newspaper in disgust/she was reading, or pretending to read, so* intently that he had no pretext for disturbing her till they stopped at X , where they had to change carriages. :sHere, ; Aimee was so grateful to him ; he was* so kind looking after her and her small amount of luggage, and taking care of; her as they crossed the wide expanse of rail on their way to the other train, where, as a matter of course, he got into the same carriage with her. He fpund it impossible, though, to renew theiconversation. Aimee was afraid her mother would not approve of her having talked to a stranger, even though it was such a stranger as Sir Stephen Dashwood, and she resolved to speak no more to him. ; V- >'■- '--.<•■ '■"-;'■•■■'• , CHAPTER III; Tery,:'c6inpariatively, stupid Sir Stephen found the rest of the journey, and was very glaS;tQ reach /the Birchleigh Station, where was Waiting, who announces'iuatrMr3. Hare WOod was waiting for Miss Barlaw.; She Was 'driviiig herself in a low pony carriagS;:! and 'greeted Aimee most cor- .;.- dially.^"X drove over for you myself, -/I)oi^t^^l^ib^a^ht;''iji r ;would be less formida^l^d^ Sir V Steph^eJ^yOu m^t try to find room in the i^-'dp^^^^^^ie^ipee^^ou] by the ;S t f rS. C^H^^ : 1 Qiiß^ tr ai n .suited me better. ' I shall^p^- the '^alk^Birchleigh, thanks. ■ : ". What^M^iUo^^f^p'jou-'diiie?'''. ■'. ; . i : :^EigWp^i||tf ;|^e fjemty ■<>£ time,, j unless 3/pu [Xo^U^^^^^^-^f^jxx^/rJSjix- . revoir I"'.'^ And thfe spirited: little ponies started Briskiy homewards. . . \^ '•:". Aija?! ','yf'asM Qnce fascinated .by Mrs. /": -.-' .. z : ' : &3-':J:''ii-k' : -^-''.L- ; ;y?:'. \\ -.A. Hi k ii~s\

and young, that it seemed incredible she could be her mother's contemporary. "Dear little' thing!" she began, in her riebi sweet voice s as they drove off; " your mother tells me this is the first time you have left home alone. I hope i you will try to be happy with us. You ; know, long ago, your dear mother was my greatest friend." Mrs. Harewood sighed, and then went on, " I never can persuade her to come and see me now." " Oh, mamma never leaves home, even for a day !" exclaimed Aimee. " She is much too busy." Mrs. Harewood mused on the different lives of herself and her friend; then, as the thought returned to her, she asked, "Do you know Sir Stephen Dashwood well P" " I never saw him till to-day. He knows papa." " He s still rather young to chaperone young ladies," thought Mrs. Harewood ; wishingfco get to the bottom of the mystery, if mystery there were, she continued-— " Mr. Barlow asked him to take care of you ? " " No. He got into tlie same carriage at M . He told me himself who he was." Mrs. Harewood thought all might not be going well for Miss Ashley, but she did not like to commence her acquaintance with Aimee by a lecture on propriety of behaviour, and therefore devoted herself to amusing her guest by light talk on unimportant subjects. It seemed a long while before they readied Birchleigh to Aimee, and she was very glad when Mrs. Harewood led her into the morning room looking so bright and cheery after the twilight and drizzling rain outside. A young girl rose from a low easy-chair as they entered. " Mary, darling, here is Miss Barlow. Aimee, 1 think we must call you, dear. Do give her some tea quickly. We are cold and wet. I suppose the Ashleys are not come ?" ~ " No, mamma, but they ougjtit to be here now. Is Sir Stephen come ? ' " Yes, but he would walk. I hope he will enjoy this wet evening. How do you do, dear Mrs. Ashley ? " Thereupon ensued great kissing and hand-shaking as the five Ashleys entered. Then the confusion subsided. Mary poured out tea for the two ladies. Mr. Ashley talked county talk to Mrs. Harowood. Jack, who was bashful, sat with his eyes fixed on the ground, and Willie, who was forward, stared at Aimee, who sat silently thinking of Sir Stephen out in the rain, and wishing he would arrive aud protect her. She heard a heavy tread at last, and eagetly looked towards the door, but it was only Mr. Harewood, who shook hands with her cordially, and seemed as pleasantly kind as his wife. Something was said about rooms, and Mrs. Ashley and her daughter rose. ~" Come, Aimee," said Mary ; and to her great joy the door closed between her and Willies inquisitive eyes. The room assigned to her was close to Mary Harewood's, who was most kind in sending her maid ; and very lovely Aimee looked, as she went down stairs in her simple white dress, and great trepidation at the thought of " dining down stairs." Thirty people staying in the house, Mary said. The eldest and nnich-brought-forward daughter of a very wordly mother, Mary was as calm and self-possessed as if she had been "out" for years, and could not in the least understand Airaee's fears, or her pitiable entreaties to be allowed to drink tea with the children. So, terribly frightened, she entered the hu^e drawing-room, bewildered to see so many people and hear so little noise. Several gentlemen came forward to speak to Miss Harewood, and Aimee stood alone, feeling very wretched, but timidly raising her eyes now and then to look, in vain, for Sir Stephen. At length dinner was announced, and after a little waiting Aimee was assigned to Jack Ashley, who, being quite as shy as herself, conducted her in solemn silence down the great staircase, across the great hall, and into the great dining-room, where, still in solemn silence, they took their seats. Aimee had never seen such a sight before. The beautiful and rare fruit and flowers, the graceful ferns, the exquisite china and costly plate, formed a contrast to the meals at home. Ladies richly dressed and shining with jewels sat round the table, while, close to Aimee, was Mrs. Harewood, in pale green satin and white lace, diamonds flashing on her head and neck. Aimee felt as if she were in a dream. The scent of the flowers, the dazzling lights, the low murmur of many voices, were all mingling in confusion, and Aimee began to feel faint, when some one quietly took the empty chair at her right hand, and a low voice said, half-laughingly, " Good evening, Miss Barlow." She looked round to see Sir Stephen's handsome face ; but before she had time to speak, Mrs. Harewood interrupted, " Did you lose your way, Sir Stephen ?" " Of course," he answered in a resigned tone. " I ought to know my way by this time, but somehow in the dusk I missed a turn, and only got here half an hour ag ° # rr " How wet you must have been !" Aimee exclaimed, as Mrs. Harewood's next neighbour claimed her attention, in a voice of immense pity, which made Sir Stephen smile. " That does not hurt much. I suppose you got here before it began P" " It was just beginning." " A cold greeting ! Well, how do you like Birchleigh p" " I am frightened." " What of?" "Everything. I did so beg Miss Harewood 1 to let me have tea in the nursery." "lam very glad she refused such an absurd request. But please do eat something ;" for the idea of eating had not occurred to Aiinee. .. "Here's a bill of fare. There, I recommend that," he continued, pointing to a long French name, which conveyed no idea to Aimee's ignorant mind. However, the dish warranted Sir Stephen's encomium, and she felt better, and very grateful to him for his kind manner to her — so grateful, that at last she said, '.'/You are so kind to me ! I should be so miserable just now if you were not here." , " Mather strong," thought Sir Stephen. " What a dear little innocent child she is !" continuing, aloud, " I am very glad. You see I was quite right when I told you this morning we ought not to be strangers." " I am afraid I was very rude," Aimee said, timidly, with a fascinating blush. " I never travelled alone before, and I was so frightened." "You were not in the least rude. I am very glad we did make each other's acquaintance before we arrived here, for now I feel quite an old friend." " Oh, yes !" said Aimee, venturing to raise her eyes timidly to his face. " I never can thank you enough for being so kind to me. When you see papa again he.will thank you propei'ly." "I am quite satisfied with your thanks for.. the present." , "I shall write to mamma to-morrow, and tell her how kind you have been. And you will take care of me, please, won*tyou, all the time you are here P" „ .''With <*U my heart!" Sir Stephen

answered with such fervour that she looked up surprised ; while he wondered what there was about this timid child which had so bewitched him. "How is the election likely to go in your part of the world, Dashwood ?" here asked an old gentleman across the table, an eager politician, who seized the first pause to make this inquiry ; and Mrs. Harewood, 1 who was very political, joined in the conversation, and for some time animated talk went on amongst the people nearest their hostess. Aimee listened eagerly, feeling proud of the way all seemed to refer to Sir Stephen, and much struck by the easy way, yet not boastfully, in which he talked of men and measures. " Much to her annoyance, Jack Ashley now took courage and made his first observation to her. It was the stock question, " Have you come far to-day P" followed up, on her answering, "Yes, rather," by the usual second question in country houses, " Did you drive P" " Aimee's answer, "Icame fromM " surprised him, and thought of asking if she lived in that horrid place, but thought it might be rude. So he observed, " Very pretty plant that is." " Yes, very," said Aimee, who felt more shy with this stupid boy than with Sir Stephen. She began to wonder why this was ; then wished they would leave off politics, hoping he might in that case speak to her ; then wondered if she ought to speak to Jack, but could think of nothing to say. Dinner seemed at last as if it never would end. She might have enjoyed the novel scene, however, if Jack had not been sadly on her mind, as well as her terror of the fine ladies in the drawing- ' room afterwards. Sho looked towards Jack now and then, hoping he would speak and break their stupid silence, but in vain. At last Mrs. Harewood rose. Macy's numerous young - lady friends crowded round her as soon as they were in the hall, but she smiled good-naturedly at Aimee, who had shrunk into a corner, and introduced her to one or two of them. " Mary, how can you stay in this cold ! " exclaimed Miss Ashley, after a minute or two had passed ; she looked so regally handsome in her rich evening dress that Aimee hardly recognized her. " Miss Barlow, you are shivering," she added kindly, " come up stairs ; " and a general move was made. Miss Ashley continued to talk to Aimee. Mrs. Harewood had told her story, aud Caroline felt very sorry for the little governess. Aimee was surprised to find herself very comfortable in mind as she talked to her new friend in the stately drawing-room. The geutlpmen soon came up, and Aimee felt a severe pang when Sir Stephen, without even looking at her, went to Miss Ashley aud began to talk to her. It was unnecessary pain. Sir Stephen only remained the short time his intimate acquaintance with the Ashleys made almost imperative, and then moving away returned to her no more. "My match-making mother is wrong, I suspect," was Miss Ashley's calm reflection. Aimee had been watching them intently, with a vague hope that Sir Stephen might turn to her next, but in vain. He passed on to Mrs. Harewood, with the intention, however, of asking questions about Aimee, and went at once to his subject by saying, "I waut to know who your little protegee is P " " Miss Barlow P Her father is a curate atM . Your town, though. Did you never meet him ? " " Oh, yes ! often ; but I know nothing of his family or antecedents." "It is a sad story. Mrs. Barlow was old Mr. Howard's only child. You must have met him at my father's. He was our next neighbour." " Yes, I remember seeing Miss Howard once. Is sho Miss Barlow's mother?" Sir Stephen's joy at finding Aimee's mother belonged to one of the best families in Eugland was perhaps unreasonable. " Sho was a great -friend of mine. In those days every one thought she would be an immense heiress. She was engaged to Mr. Barlow when they were both quite young. Mr. Howard liked him very much. He had no money, but was very clever, and Mr. Howard meant him to stand for the county as soon as he left college. In the meantime, however, he became what people call " very good," and thought it his duty to become a clergyman." " And Mr. Howard was furious, and refused his consent P" " Yes. Mrs. Barlow, very rightly, I think, would not break off her engagement, and so they married, and Mr. Howard left everything to a distant cousin." " Mr. Barlow looks as if life had gone hard with him." " Indeed it has. His health completely broke down from over-work, a few years after their marriage, and my husband managed to get him the chaplaincy at S . Wretched pay, but the Italian climate quite restored his health, and feeling quite well, he thought it his duty, two years ago, to take that curacy at M— — ." " I should say his health was giving way again." " Most likely. Ho is one of those good but tiresome men who ought not to marry. I have no patience with a man in his position recklessly throwing away his life with a wife and children depending on him." " I am afraid we are hardly good enough ourselves to understand him," Sir Stephen answered, gravely. "Miss Barlow told me she was going to be a governess," he added." " Mrs. Barlow wrote to ask me if I knew of auy thing for her, so I asked her to come here to meet Mrs. Danvers, and see if she would do for her little girls." Do. Sir Stephen felt very angry that such a word should be applied to Aimee ; and then he wondered why he should care, and the answer would come, that, odd and unsuitable though it might seem, this young girl had taken the place in his heart which he had thought was left empty for ever. While he was coming to this conclusion a round game was proposed, and he weut to the youthful end of the room. " You will play, Aimee P" asked Mary Harewood. " I don't'know how." "Then I'll teach you," said Sir Stephen. " We'll bank together. Everlasting " Pips," I suppose, Mary p" Very pleasant Aimee found that game, and though most of the party hated the very sight of the cards and counters, they bore their fate manfully, and the evening wore away with a fair show of mirth.

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