Chapter XXII.

Otago Witness, Issue 1942, 7 February 1889, Page 29

Chapter XXII.

" I Want You Under My Personal Protection While Jim Peels As He Does Towards 'Sou." Farmer George|[was not only grieved on his only son's behalf, whom h3 gave credit for possessing far deeper feeling than was actually the case, but also on his own, for Winny was every whit as dear to him as though she had been^his^daughter, instead of only his dead sister's child, and here she was turning away from them all in order to marry a perfect stranger, who, in all probability (for so old Ballinger argued to himself) would almost directly thereafter return to Australia with her; for he was well aware that England possessed attractions for very few people indeed who bad onco lived and prospered in that far-away land of gold and almost perpetual sunshine. Winny had handed him her father's letter to read, and had also shown him her photograph, explaining the while how Amos Robinson had assured her he had nearly worshipped it for years, and that 'twas it more than aught else which had induced him to take a voyage of 13,000 miles in order to attempt to win her for his wife. This explanation caused the farmer to think better of Robinson than he had done whilst wondering how he could have been so deeply smitten with her at first sight and summoned up the audacity to tell her so. When, therefore, he happened to come suddenly across Amos, who, feeling far from comfortable, had been trying to keep clear both ,'from father and son until they bad to a certain extent digested what he felt sure ere this they had both of them had to swallow, "namely, the knowledge that Winney Scudamore had agreed to become his wife, George Ballinger said sadly, but by no means angrily : " Well, lad, I wish you joy, notwithstanding that you have bought heavy sorrow to me and mine, sorrow that we shan't recover from in a hurry, I reckon." "Oh, don't say that, Mr Ballinger," responded Amos, a great load suddenly taken off his heart by the resigned manner in which tlie farmer had received the news ; "oh don't say that," he repeated, " for I've no idea of robbing you altogether of Winny, which would be a poor return indeed for the kindness that you have shown her for so many years. I know very well how exceedingly loth she would be to leave one who has been as a second father to her, and really Buckinghamshire is such a beautiful county that I've almost determined to turn farmer like yourself, and make it my home for the rest of my days." "What, and never see Australia again 7" exclaimed Ballinger, equally pleased and surprised at the communication. " And never see Australia again, just so. The fact is that with its sage-green foilage, and its parched and dusty plains, it never had any attraction for me, except as a moneygetting place, and such an object no longer exists. Then, again, that terrible voyage home has sickened me of the sea altogether, and the mere idea of Winny undertaking so perilous a journey would fill me with something very like horror. No, no, Mr Ballinger, her dead father's matters, will inculded, can all be arranged and settled by a power of attorney, and so, to use a stereotyped expression, you will find that instead of losing a daughter you have gained a son." "And delighted shall I be to do so," exclaimed the farmer grasping Amos Kobinson heartily by the hand ; but then the expression of his countenance underwent a sudden change, and he continued in an altered tone : " I very much doubt if my poor Jim will take the same view of the matter, though. He is terribly cut up by the conduct of his cousin, whom he has looked forward to one day making his wife almost from a child. He knows the news already, and is in a terrible way about it. In fact he feels pistol bullets and knife points towards you, so pray don't stroke his fur the wrong way if you can possibly help it." l( Not I, for I do assure yoa that I'm uncommonly sorry for him. But at 22 no pas-

slon Is very deep, and you'll find that his will motrnot drive him to kill 'either me or himself. 'By-the-bye, this is a good opportunity for me •to express my regrets for what he forced me to give him an hoar or so ago. His pluck and spirit were so great that he did not know when he was beaten. I positively couldn't afford' to spare him. Had I tried to, he'd have given me worse than I gave him." " What you've given him with your fists won't hurt the lad, and I'm pleased to hear that he made so good a fight of it- extremely" pleased—for it's an honest old English'way of settling minor differences that I much approve of. No, it's the blow that you've planted in his heart, not on bis head, that's troubling me at the present." (< Postpone its troubling you until you see whether'it spoils his appetite, Mr .Ballinger. He may sulk with his meals for one day, or even two,' for love will often drive lads so far, bnt'ifhe makes up for it on the third, and I fbr one 1 shall be extremely surprised if he doesri't, why then the worst will be over." ' ""Arid the'worst won't be very bad in that case," laughed the farmer, but then he added inore 'gravely': "You evidently aren't a bit surprised that you're ho favourite of his; indeed it would be very surprising if you were. On that account I hope you'll take no heed of his dog-like snarls and growls, for you must own, you know, that you've given him j a bitter pill to swallow, and that's the way > in which he expresses his dislike to it. He ! Call's you an imposior, perhaps credits it, but you might very possibly do the hame under like prpyocation were your positions but reVersed. He even just now went as far as to declare that he'd no doubt you were the last man on the raft, but that it was that very fact which enabled you to take John Scudamore's belt from his dead body to master all the secrets that it contained, and afterwards to pass yourself off as his mate, who doubtless had fed the sharks ere then. I tell you all this in order .that you may know what j poor Jim'is capable" of saying, so that you and I may both", discover whether you are capable of bearing it good naturedly." It was perhaps well for the party addressed that .Ballinger looked steadily on the ground, insteaa of straight into his face while he disclosed to him his son Jim'ri suspicions and possible convictions, for that face suddenly became as pale as any ghost's, even to the very lips. • The changed expression didn't last for more than half a minute, however, for the mock Amos Robinson's power of will was great, and never, perhaps had he put it to such .quick and pressing service before. "By Jove! your son should be an author, and contribute sensational 'romances to the '•'penny dreadfuls,' which I should imagine have been his favourite class of literature," he then exclained with a laugh, immediately adding, " Oh, I do assure you, Mr Ballinger, that'whatever he may say won't affect me in the least, nor will it, I feel equally sure, influence Miss Scudamore. • All's fair in love and war,' runs the proverb, and although 1 do not by any means subscribe to the doctrine, I shan't feel at all, or at the most very much incensed at the beaten side resorting to such tactics. Above all I shall remember — always remember —that James Ballinger is your son, and that whatever his personal treatment of me may be it has been far more than made up for by the confidence reposed in me, and the hospitality and kindness shown to me by his father." " Well, now, I consider it very kind and hearty of you to say so, Mr Robinson, and Bince it has pleased you to cxprese so gcod an opinion of me, I feel great satisfaction in telling you, in turn, that my opinion of you has been very much raised and exalted by what my dear niece has just told me about you, which was to the effect that you made not the least effort to compel her to marry you—that you even offered to freely release her from any moral obligation that she might consider herself to be under to do so on account of her father's letter provided that she felt assured that she could not be happy as your wife. This magnanimous conduct on your part proves conclusively that you are no mere fortune-hunter, and also amply disproves, as far aa I am concerned, that you are that which my son, in his jealousy and bitter disappointment seeing through a glass darkly as it were, sets you down to be. Hanged if I aren't already inclined to think that you will make my dear Winny a far better husband than he woult? do." " I will try to make her a good one at any rate. I'm thinking, Mr Ballinger, whether it would spare your son's feeling 3 were I to take lodgings is some neighbouring village until Winny becomes my wife. I cannot help but know that it must be infernally disagreeable for any man to see another, whom he hates, sitting as an honoured guest at his father's table, and in constant company with the girl whose affections he has deprived him of," said Robinson, though far from wishing that his proposal should be accepted. Nor was it, for Ballinger at once rejoined, " No, no, you must remain at Buttercup Farm. It is my wish that you stay at Buttercup Farm. I have a strong desire to have you under my own eye —under my own personal protection, so to speak —whilst my son Jim feels as he does towards j ou. Ah, you don't know Jim as I do—how could you ? He's a very good-natured, opened-hearted, generous young fellow, and all that, but then he has his weak points, and I understand 'em all the better because my own disposition was just as passionate and as headstrong when I was his age. I assure you that I shouldn't feel at all comfortable were you anywhere else than at Buttercup Farm, for the next few weeks at any rate." " Ob, well then, in that case at Buttercup Farm I'll certainly remain," laughed Robinson, good naturedly. "I assure you, my dear sir, that I find my quarters here far too comfortable to feel the least desire to leave them on my own account. When I made the propOEition I was thinking of the comfort of others, or rather of one other." The conversation then slowly drifted into other channels, but Amos, whatever the subject broached, never let slip an opportunity of expressing sentiments calculated to raise him still higher in the credulous old farmer's good opinion.