CHAPTER III.

Observer, Volume 9, Issue 574, 28 December 1889, Page 8

CHAPTER 111.

HE (?).

The following evening 1 , Elinor was again in th» gA-.'den, watering her flowers, as her custom had . regularly been of late. There had been no raia i>r some weeks, and Mr Snell knew that she vv ould not omit this necessary attention. After a while he followed her there, and for a few minutes & -ood quietly watching her, as he had done before on a — to him — momentous occasion. Ifc was Christmas Eve. The morrow's dawn v ould usher in that day of gladness and rejoicing, of peace and goodwill, so dear to all — that day v hen hearts grow softer, and affections warmer,, and enmities and evil feelings fainter— the day t^at brings so many meetings, so many joys, and alas ! when all sorrows and trials seem only the bitterer and the harder to bear. Mr Snell was neither a poetical nor a very sentimental young* man, nevertheless some such thoughts as these • were running through his mind as he stood watching Elinor's tall, graceful figure moving amongst the flower beds. She did not see him, and for a time he gave himself up to the unwontedly serious reflections that had taken possession of him. He had come there on a special and most important errand. Should he be the most happy or the most miserable man ou earth at that hour to-morrow night? He asked himself that question again and again, in fear and trembling, as his eyes wistfully followed the white-robed figure. Suddenly, with, the courage of desperation, he emerged from his seclusion and stood before Elinor'? wondering ' eyes. What had come over the man ? He looked rather pale and agitated ; but the awkwardness, the slouching gait, the shy, embarrassed manner, all were completely gone. 4.nd since she had last seen him an hour ago, he had donned an entirely new suit of irreproachable fit and most fashionable cut, in which, though still ugly — very plain, to say the best — he looked absolutely quite a gentleman. She remembered that, in> spite of his many defects, he had never had, in her opinion, a really common appearance ; nevertheless she had never dreamt that he could look as he looked now. She gazed at him in sheersurprise for a moment, then as he did not speak said pleasantly. 'Itis a lovely evening is it not, Mr Snell ?' Ifc was truly a lovely evening ; but Mr Snell seemed wholly unaware of the fact. He looked vacantly round, began some vague reply, and then said abruptly : ' Miss Delisle. I have come to make a confession to you.' ' What sort of a confession ?' she asked, lifting her bright dark eyes to his agitated face ; and her steady gaze did not help him to regain his composure. ' A confession lam truly ashamed to make ' he said slowly. ' I am afraid Miss Delisle, you remember only too well what — what — I said to you here a few days ago.' ' Oh, the proposal you were kind enough to make to me,' said filinor sarcastically. ' Cer* tainly ; I remember.' Mr SnelPs face flushed. He looked unutterably asliamed and confused. % ' Yes, I allude fco that, Miss Delisle— to that most unfortunate and foolish affair ' (how grandiloquent the" man was getting !) 'I do not wonder that you refused to listen. lam amazed at my impertinence now. I wonder you did not bos my ears and order me away from your house. What will you think of me when you know the deception I have practised upon you all ?' He paused, and looked at her steadily for a moment. She did not speak, but he fancied hesaw scorn growing in her eye. ' Yes, it is true,' he said humbly, ' I am not your cousin's cousin at all. My name is not William Snell.' Still Elinor was silent. Surprise and anger weredepicted upon her face, and an ominous glitter- ■ came into her eyes. ' No,' she said at last, drawing herself up. 4 Who are you then, pray ! Some distinguished member of the nobility, no doubt, amusing himself at our expense.' ' Nothing of the kind, I assure you, Miss- : Delisle;' asserted the unwelcome visitor fervently. 'At least I have not been amusing myself at any „ one's expense. I have only baen too much in earnest. I am Edwin Vaughan,, only son of the- , late Sir Edwin Vaughan. baronet, of Oliffe Manor v. * England, and sundry other places.' . ' ',■•/ 4 And now, I suppose, Sir Edwin Vaughan.' said,'- ,x-'-, Elinor with withering 1 disdain in look and tone. };(p{;. Sir Edwin bowed in silence. .■ . ' •"^]?.%" ;;;■;s£ And what reason, may I askyhad' joxL^p^s^r^M '■{m& as you-'have^doriaSLWeritf :6jXf%li^ov:-o)^^^^^m

in love with you.and meant to win you if possible. Let me explain, Miss Delisle. I came to Australia and New Zealand for a pleasure tour, travelling as plain William Snell. Your cousin was once a tenant of my father's, and I took it into my head to look him up (I knew his address) and see how he was getting on. He had a photograph of yours hanging on the wall, and. I fell in. love with you at first sight. I drew him on to tell me everything about you. But he must either have misunderstood you ov grossly misrepresented you. He described you all — you in particular — as very proud and upstart, disdaining even to recognise him in any way. I thought otherwise from your face ; moreover I found out that he had fallen in love with you himself when you stayed at Sydney a few weeks on your way out, and that you had refused him, and that he still resented your want of appreciation.' ' I was seventeen and he thirty-seven, said Elinor, ' moreover he was even more insulting than — you. He thought I should be a great - acquisition in his shop. But go on.' ' I haven't much more to say,' said Sir Edwin, ruefully. 'I took him into my confidence, and with his help concocted the little scheme which I have since carried out. That is all. He seemed to like the idea.' ' It was a very stupid idea,' said Elinor. ' Yes,' acknowledged Sir Edwin, humbly : ' I think now it was. But I have always made up my mind that no one should marry me because I was rich and had a handle to my name. And— and — if you had been what he had represented you—' ' The temptation might have proved too much for me,' said Elinor, gravely, as he paused, looking very red and confused, ' I quite understand. No doubt my cousin enjoyed the idea of your making fun of us— of me in particular. What right hs/1 you to come here, posing as an ignorant, uncouth relative, and exposing us to all sorts of sneers and ridicule ? You have caused us a great deal of chagrin and annoyance, although we have tried not to show it. What had we done to deserve it ? We were neither proud nor upstart, as far as I know.' "' ' I apologise humbly, profoundly, Miss Delisle, said Sir Edwin ; ' and when I have the chance I will wring your cousin's neck for saying that you were. You have all been simply angelic to me, though I must have annoyed you greatly. It was all acting— every bit ; and I think for an amateur I did it very well,' he concluded, complacently. * I must acknowledge that you did,' said Elinor, coldly. ' But — but — Miss Delisle — Elinor,' he stammered, ' I was not acting the other day — I mean I was only too sincere when I asked you to be my wife. It was another stupid idea — only I wanted to see how you would treat an offer from William Snell. You were wonderfully forbearing, Elinor, you did not utter one sneering word. Eut dearest, listen now — say that you forgive me and that Edwin Vaughan has some hope of winning where William Snell failed.' * Sir Edwin Vaughan has no more chance than William Snell '; said Elinor, coldly. 'I do not love you in the least. Besides — ' she stopped . abruptly, as her thoughts flew to her other ' admirer, Mr Vernon Clinton. He had not asked her vet to marry him ; but she had every reason to believe he would— and she loved him, or thought she did. She really liked this repentant sinner, Sir Edwin ; but, — no, she would marry Mr Clinton. And he was a good match, too, though minus a title. Sir Edwin seemed to divine her thoughts. 'Is it that fellow Clinton,' he exclaimed suddenly. ' Look here, Elinor, darling— he's a scamp ; he's engaged to a girl I know at Home, and has been for years, and she will soon be on her way out to marry him.' Elinor turned white, even to her lips. - 'la this true ?' she asKed in a low voice. * Perfectly true — ask him if you doubt me — ask . him before me.' Elinor did not doubt him. Somehow she had always trusted even the ignorant and uncouth William Snell. It was a blow to her, but she would not show it. She turned and began watering her flowers again. Sir Edwin drew near, and suddenly took the can from her. * You must answer me, Elinor,' he said. cße kind to me, darling. It is Christmas Eve, when everybody ought to be happy. Say yes.' Elinor stood silent, with downcast eyes. Wounded pride, keen mortification, bitter disappointment, almost overmastered her. So Mv Vernon Clinton had only been playing with her. And yet he had told her that he should call on Christmas Day and she had felt sure that his visit would be a momentous one for her. And even so, she would never marry another girl's lover. And this n:an, she felt sure, was in earnest. Yes, she would accept Sir Edwin, and Mr Clinton should know to-morrow that she had not v/aited for him. ' I do not love you, Sir Edwin,' she said at last. ' It is not likely that you should as yet.' said he, cheerfully. ' I've done nothing to deserve it. I will make you love me in time.' Elinor frowned a little. What immense selfconfidence this young man must have ! And all of course because he is a baronet. ' You know all my antecedents,' she said, ' What would your people say ?' * Hang my people— confound my people. I've only a sister, and she's married and away in India. I'm not going to marry your antecedents. I don't care a rap what they are,' declared Sir Edwin, hotly. '■ I care only for you.' ' Mr St. George said just the same when we told him — I insisted that he should know,' remarked Elinor. 'He proved himself true.' ' Good fellow, St. George— l told him everything first day I knew him,' said " Sir_ Edwin. 'Now, Elinor, have you any more objections ?' ' No,' she acknowledged, after a pause. ' And no means that all-important yes,' began the impetuous young man. ' No,' interrupted >* linor. ' I will think over it —I will tell you m the morning.' And Sir Edwin had to be content with that answer. In the morning, before breakfast, Mrs Delisle, with a beaming lace, handed him a little white no he, and then suddenly fell into his arms and embraced him. ! ' I know, I know ; oh, lam so pleased, she - said, laughing and Crying together. ' I wasn't to give it you till after breakfast, but I couldn't •wait,' and then she ran off. ' Sir Edwin tore open the note. It consisted only of one word, ' Yes,' and Elinor's initials. But the infatuated youag man kissed it and was satisfied. Mr Clinton called that afternoon and saw Elinor alone. He confessed that he was already engaged, but offered to obtain his release if she would marry him. Elinor felt her disappointment almost atoned for when she saw his face as she *aid calmly : * ' You are too late, even if I could stoop so low. -I am engaged already. You will hear all in due time.' He could obtain no further information, and in ,his turn wentaway disappointed and keenly morti,'\fied.

And Sir Edwin spent that day the very happiest Christmas that he had ever had in bis life, or had ever dreamnt of having ; nor was Elinor by any means unhappy. In fact she began to doubt whether she had ever oared for Mr Clinton at all, or whether she was not half in love with Sir Edwin "already/ Of course he was ugly, and always would be ugly ; but now that she saw him in his true character she began to find something to admire in it more and more every hour ; and she could recall many little acts and words in the past that had revealed a gftnerous and kindly disposition, but which she had been too prejudiced to admit. Nor in truth was she wholly surprised when she had found that he was not a William Snell after all. As for Mrs Delisle, she was only less happy than her future son-in-law. The proudest arid happiest woman, in short, was she that day in all Arcadia. Mr Clinton heard all in due time, as Ennor had said. So did everybody ; and everybody said Miss Delisle was a very lucky girl, and before long Miss Delisle thought so too; long before her marriage indeed, which took place m three months from Christmas Day. And Sir Edwin was not a bit ashamed of his mother-in-law when after Violet's marriage she came to settle down near them in their Old Land. He would not have cared a bit if all England had known his Elinor was only a shopkeeper's daughter ; but as a matter of fact, nobody ever seemed to know. And away in Ponderby all those descendants of dukes and' marquises and earls, amongst whom Elinor had dwelt, were glad that they had always treated her as an equal, and therefore could claim her acquaintance when they took a trip Home, as they all had vague ideas of doing some time or other. So he conquered.