Our Novelettes.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1581, 18 March 1887, Page 4

Our Novelettes.

THE DOMINIE'S SONS.

Chapter lll.—thb wihkbb. (Continued.) ■ Andrew wai invited, and went, after he had nearly renounced the party, at the last moment, in consequence of the irritation caused by his mother's taking it upon her to superintend his evening toilet, while she cast wistful glances at David's faultless tie, boots, and studs. " You are a braw man iu girth and stature, Andrew," Mrs Aucbinleck took to complimenting her much tried son. " Gin you would hold yourself up.and bear a bauld front like your neighbours—you are an inch taller in your stocking-soles than ever your father was, and that makes a majestic man." "You'll better tell me at oi.ee I am an Adonis," scouted Andrew.

"My mother i* right, old fellow; you really aro a well built Colossus," chimed in gracious David. But Andrew was little grateful for lh" compliment, and more exasperated than soothed by his brother's smooth tones. It had so happened, on the morning of the same day, that, as if in the wantonness of idleness and prosperity, Cosmo Templeton and his sisters, Cccy Bymer and David Auchinleck, having met each other accidentally near the spot, had looked into the school upon Andrew and his reading-books, writing copies, and peasant scholars. Andrew had received the company very shortly, and on their lingering had threatened to turu them out and lock the door upon them for disturbing his pupils. David had tried ineffectually to smooth down his brother; Cosmo Templeton and his sisters had slightly telegraphed to each other their opinion of the master's rudeness; while Cecy Junior, after having received a sudden violent impression of the seriousness and strain of Andrew's life, had hung her fair, wise head, and felt dreadfully ashamed of having been induced to join in the intrusion. But Andrew knew nothing of Cecy's penitence; he only knew how inauspicious the visit had been, and felt also with how little of the coolness of a man of the world, and with how little of the courtesy of a gentleman, be had met the visitors. When Andrew was installed in the manse drawing-ro <m, and seated on a remote sofa, the scene recalled forcibly that former dubious reward for being examplary luds which his brother had completely forgotten. David was as one at home on the heaith-rug, imprcsfing the minister himself, who had not gone souih of the Tweed for his humanities, hy talking of Baliol, the last year's examinations, the Bampton lecture, &j. But Andrew felt anything save an examplary lad to-night. Certainly he told I iinself that he was the most morbid, malicious brute in creation, 110 did not free his neighbours altogether from the charge of aggravating eelf-satisfaction and veiled arrogance. But what could you expect of them ? If he were as well armed and equipped for society, with as fair prospects as —say David or Cosmo Templeton, and were not a soured, niorcse, solitary school-master, doomed to grudge in obscurity to his dying day, no doubt he would have been as light and careless as Dane or Cosmo Templeton, now buoyantly exuberant, now refreshingly tranquil.

All was much the same in the pleasant, slightly showy room, from its profusion of flowers contemporaneously cosy fire, to its mixture of dainty fragile china (to which Cosmo had addeJ fur sLing, models of canoes, ii' 'I specimens of moccasin-) and its hemely Dorcus work, little coats aud muffatees, on which the ladies bestowed a portion of their leisure.

There was Mrs Templeton, still sitting in easy state behind her old-fashioned glittering urn.

Hero was Andrew's sup rior domiuie, fche minister, loving to tackle Andrew, as of yore, with mucty classics and false quantities, which lie wus not at liberty to correct. Yonder were the Misses Teraplcton, not apparently six yuirs older, still in airy flouting gnrmente, still with wonderful got up heads; though the young ladies had changed their style of hair-dressing, and what had once constituted smooth shining rolls and plaits formed now maseed chignons and rutlled waves. The Mi-sea Templeton remained impressed with their duties as hostess, consulting together, he thought, on his impracticability us a guest, and picparing to show him over again, ho verily believed, the old photographs, and to ting to liim the old Scotch songs. And Andrew was still blunt to Mr Templeton, and blundering to the ladies, though he was no longer quite eo thin-skinned as of old to pin-pricks of annoyance. How could he be, when his skin bore the scars of serious wounds ? He aid not think that he would now have minded much either the good folks' patronizing or bis own stammering or stumbling, had she not been there to witness his uncouthness. As if for the purpose of contrast, she was surely supremely beautiful and bright to-night, with not only David and Cosmo Templeton and the minister hovering about her steps and hanging on her looks, but the very women, in a tide of honourable enthusiasm which swept away rivalry, combining to exalt and make much of her. Andrew Auchinleck kept aloof from the queen, conviuced that she would not miss his noniage, and not wishing to trespass on old friendly regard and sympathy, though he gave the feelings their due from Cecy Kymer and did not writhe under the expression of the last on her part.

Amelia and May, Bab and Harriet, in spite of some acquired tact, in their resolution to do their duty as their father's daughters, pestered Andrew with attentions, until Cecy Kymer interposed j n his behalf. She was eager to hide the object of her interposition, and so she became voluble, discursive and saucy to Andrew for the first time since they had resumed their relations after he was the parish schoolmaster. r

Then Amelia Templeton, wrapped up in the tradition that Scotch songs were the only songs adapted to Andrew's taste, carried out the programme by singing, to suit his supposed capacity, one of the most stilted, wishy-washy of modern imitations of old Scotch songs. Immediately afterwards Cecy Eymer sat down in the place which Amelia had vacated, and proceeded to sing with fine power and art her grand German " Adelaide," Andrew's favourite song, as she knew. David Auchinleck «ud Cosmo Templeton stepped noiselessly to Cecy's side to drink in more fully melody in its passion; and Andrew, the ungrateful man, came lumbering!?, and as it were unwillingly, drawn by an irresistible attraction, face to face with the singer. But he 'failed to answer the unspoken appeal of her lustrous eyes. Cecy Ilymer was entreated to sing again. She occupied herself with the pages of a piece of music, trying to steady it on the stand before her. " Why don't you help mo ? " she enquired of Andrew, almost with pettishness.

" I am neither useful nor ornamental here,;' balf grumbled, half lamented Andrew, puzzled, hurt because she was hurt, aud with a dubioife approach to a smile; "you had better get Davie or Mr Cosmo to help you," " I don't want them."

The answer broke forth quickly and sadly, and the accent supplied what the words kept back. "If I cannot have you," it said, " I will have none of them." The imitation was not the heartless deception of a coquette who would not be content unless the had all kinds of spoil in her net—it was the generous abandonment of a woman who is fit to break ber heart because she is not permitted to lift up the man who has chosen her, and whom she has chosen, from his mistaken, unmerited humiliation. Andrew Aucbinleck would hare been a dolt and fool if he had not understood the words. "If you want me, I'll do what I can," he answered with a low laugh, bending oyer and adjusting what was amiss. His eyes were opened to a flood of light which rendered his unpractised fingers dexterous, and inspired him to hold himself up as his mother had recommended, the most towering figure with the boldest front in the room. The knowledge electrified Andrew; it melted and subdued him. In addition it shrivelled up and consumed arbitrary, accidental distinctions, and proclaimed him to all whom it might concern by sheer virtue of his manhood with its defects, and of her tender-heatted, magnanimous election, the winner of a woman whose price was far above rubies. Andrew went home in the soft falling rain with Cecy ' t ßymer, and when he returned to the school-house he found his mother waiting for him. "I ken where you've been, and it's all richt," she said to him, meaningly clapping him on the shoulder. "As for Davie, he has been liame an hour syne, and he has been rummaging among his boxes and books—what you might expect, let it be mid-nicht, in a grand scholar." Andrew was aware that his mother had leapt to and approved of the end. Moreover she had returned instantly to her allegiance to Davie, her highest risen and still rising son. "I am going, Andrew," said David next day, following Andrew when he went out after breakfast to the school. " No," protested Andrew, in default of anything better to say. " Yes," insisted David, " I have Dothing to stay for; and for that matter I have stayed a deal too long already." After a moment's silence, he added vaguely, with a shrug of his shoulders, " I believe it is as it ought to be." Though Davie spoke calmly, his fac« showed haggard after a sleepless night, in the summer morning. He had been as in earnest —it might be because of that peasant blood of his—in his love and in his ambition. "I shall probably join Evans and Ingledew in their reading party in Normandy, as they wished me," explained David, striving fever ishly to be commonplace and cheerfully communicative, and naturally ending the struggle, gentleman as he was, by bordering on bravado. " After that I shall be prepared to wish you and her every blessing, and stick to my college for the rest of my days." " They are early days yet," Andrew reminded him, gently ; " you'll be our scholar, Davie, as our lolk intended that you and 1 should be ; whom we shall be proud of, whom the world may be proud of—who knows ? " exclaimed Andrew, with a fondness which he had novor shown to his brother before.

It was Cecy Kymer's task to reconcile her mother to her beautiful, accomplished, admired daughter's marrying no better than a parish schoolmaster; but Cecy represented to Mrs Rymer, first, that if Cecy had married Air Cosmo leinpleton (whohad never thought of asking her to marry him, but was bespoken ever so long ago in another rjuarter), Cecy would have had to go out to Canada, while the minister might never have spoken to Mrs Kymer again. " 1 could never have stood that," ejaculated Mrs Kymer, speaking as if even now guilty, judged, and condemned. And if Cecy had had Davie, she would have hare cost hnn his fellowship and his living, the two would have been on the world without a certain bite to nut in their mouths, for all bis lenruing, and Airs Kymer's old friend Mrs Auchinlech woulk never have spoken to Mrs Kymer again.

" An' that could not have been tholed, aud hiz eae near connee'et, and me wanting to consult ber—for she was aye a fell smart woman, Mrs Auchinleck —where to win bread for my bairn," acknowleged Mrs Rymer gravely. But em. e Cecy was so h >ppy as to be going to marry Andrew Anchiuleck, all was plainest and smoothest sailing in delectable sunshine. A living was provided, Auldacres was next door, Mrs Aucain'euk was propitious. Then teaching was Cecy's business as well as Andrew s; she could help him as it had beeu projected she should help his father. " Demean herself by teaching in a parish school! " Demean hersaU by doing what her "man" did! He Andrew said a lady's mission was to go up hill and down dale, refining the world ; and she, if she had any pretensions to be a lady, would refine Auldacres parish school. Would she lose her graud friends? Let her lose them, if they could be lost. Her Andrew and her mother were her best friends, and she wanted none if she had them. Cecy's dear mother must an J did believe in her daughter's great good fortune and unclouded happiness. [the BSD.]