The Bramleighs of Bishop's Folly Part 86

"I believe so. Your father knew of it, but did not deem it serious."

"Marion, of course, despises it still; and what does Temple say?"

"One scarcely knows. I don't think they have had a letter from him since they left Ireland."

"See what a wise fellow I was!" cried he, laughing. "I sank so low in life that any change _must_ be elevation. You are all great folks to _me!_"

There was a long and painful pause after this--each deep in his own thoughts. At last Jack asked suddenly, "How is Marion? Is she happy in her marriage?"

"We hear next to nothing of her; the newspapers tell us of her being at great houses and in fine company, but we know no more."

"Of course she 's happy, then. When she was a child she would only play with us if we made her a queen; and though we often tried to rebel--we were great levellers in our way--she always kept us down, and whether we liked it or not, we had to admit the sovereignty."

"Your younger sister"--he did not call her Nelly--"was not of this mould?"

"Not a bit of it; she was the peacemaker, always on the side of the weak; and though she was a delicate child, she 'd fight against oppression with the pa.s.sion of a tigress. Wasn't it strange?" said he, after a pause. "There we were, five of us, treated and reared exactly alike; in early life, certainly, there were no distinctions made, nor any favoritism practised. We were of the same race and blood, and yet no two of us were alike. Temple had, perhaps, some sort of resemblance to Marion, but he had not her bold, daring spirit. Where _she_ was courageous, _he 'd_ have been crafty. Whatever good there was amongst us, Nelly had it."

Another and longer pause now succeeded. "I say, George," cried Jack, at last, "how do you mean to break it to the girls that I 'm here? I take it, poor Nelly's nerves must have suffered sorely of late. Is she likely to stand a shock without injury?"

"It is exactly what I 'm trying to resolve this moment. Flushed with the walk, and cheered by the fresh air, you don't look sickly now."

"Ah, my dear fellow, that's not the worst of it. It is the sight of me as recalling my fallen fortune--that's what I fear for her; her last good-bye to me was blended with joy at my promotion--I was going to take up my command! She has never seen me since my disgrace."

"Don't call it that, Jack; we all know there is no other blame attaches to you than rashness."

"When rashness can make a man forget his condition, it's bad enough; but I 'll not go back to these things. Tell me how I am to meet her."

"Perhaps it would be best I should first see Julia, and tell her you are here. I always like to ask her advice."

"I know that of old," said Jack, with a faint smile.

"I 'll leave you in the summer-house at the end of the garden, there, till I speak with Julia."

"Not very long, I hope."

"Not an instant; she never requires a minute to decide on what to do.

Follow me, now, along this path, and I 'll place you in your ambush. You 'll not leave it till I come."

"What a lovely spot this seems; it beats Castello hollow!"

"So we say every day. We all declare we 'd like to pa.s.s our lives here."

"Let me be one of the party, and I 'll say nothing against the project," said Jack, as he brushed through a hedge of sweet-brier, and descended a little slope, at the foot of which a shady summer-house stood guardian over a well. "Remember, now," cried he, "not to tax my patience too far. I 'll give you ten minutes, but I won't wait twenty."

L'Estrange lost no time in hastening back to the house. Julia, he heard, was giving orders about the room for the stranger, and he found her actively engaged in the preparation. "For whom am I taking all this trouble, George?" said she, as he entered.

"Guess, Julia, guess! Whom would you say was best worth it?"

"Not Mr. Cutbill--whom Nelly fixed on--not Sir Marcus Cluff, whose name occurred to myself, nor even the Pretender, Count Pracontal; and now I believe I have exhausted the category of possible guests."

"Not any of these," said he, drawing her to his side. "Where is Nelly?"

"She went down to gather some roses."

"Not in the lower garden, I hope," cried he, eagerly.

"Wherever she could find the best--but why not there? and what do you mean by all this mystery?"

"Go and fetch her here at once," cried he. "If she should see him suddenly, the shock might do her great harm."

"See whom? see whom?" exclaimed she, wildly. "Don't torture me this way!"

"Jack, her brother,--Jack Bramleigh," and he proceeded to tell how he had found him, and in what condition; but she heard nothing of it all, for she had sunk down on a seat, and sat sobbing, with her hands over her face; then, suddenly wiping the tears away, she rose up, and, while her voice trembled with each word, she said, "Is he changed, George? is he greatly changed?"

"Changed! yes, for he has been ill, and gone through all manner of hards.h.i.+ps, and now he is dressed like a Montenegro chief, for we could get no other clothes, so that you'll scarcely know him."

"Let us find Nelly at once," said she, moving towards the door. "Come, George,--come," and she was down the stairs, and across the hall, and out at the door, before he could follow her. In her agitated manner, and rapid expression, it was evident she was endeavoring to subdue the deep emotion of her heart, and, by seeming to be occupied, to suppress the signs of that blended joy and sorrow which rack the nature more fatally than downright misery.

"See, George, look there!" cried she, wildly, as she pointed down a straight alley, at the top of which they were standing. "There they are.

Nelly has her arm round him. They have met, and it is all over;" and so saying, she hid her face on her brother's shoulder, and sobbed heavily.

Meanwhile, the two came slowly forward, too much engaged with each other to notice those in front of them.

CHAPTER LVIII. THE VILLA LIFE.

It is not at this the eleventh hour of my story, I can stop to dwell on the life of the villa at Cattaro, though I am free to own it was about the sunniest bit of landscape our long journey has offered us.

Seated, or lying on the gra.s.s, under the shade of a broad-leaved fig-tree, they listened to Jack's adventures, told with a quaint humor, of which they, who knew him well, could appreciate every shade and tint In his days of prosperous fortune it was rare to hear him speak of himself. The routine life he led seemed to develop little or nothing of his real nature; but now, dependent as he was altogether on intrinsic qualities, for whatever estimation he might obtain, owing nothing to station, it was remarkable how his character had widened and expanded, how his sympathies with his fellow-men had increased. Though nothing could be farther from his nature than any mawkish sentimentality, there was that show of trustfulness, that degree of hopeful belief in the world at large, which occasionally led Julia to banter him on his optimism; and this, be it said pa.s.singly, was the only show of freedom between them,--their manner to each other from the moment they met being marked by a studied reserve on each side.

"And surely, Prince," said she, calling him by the t.i.tle which in honor of his dress they had given him, "surely you must have met some charming creatures at the galleys. All the good qualities of human nature were not reserved for the c.o.c.kpit or the steerage, or whatever it is."

"Aye, even at the galleys they were n't all bad, though it's not exactly the sort of place men grow better in. I had a capital old fellow as comrade, and, I take shame to say, I ought to have thought of him before this. I say, George, have you any friends of influence at Naples?

I wish I could get my old companion his liberty."

"George has gone in to write to Augustus," said Nelly; "but if Lord Culduff could answer your purpose, I 'd ask Marion to interest him in the matter."

"There's a dear good girl, do write a line to Marion; tell her it's the greatest favor she could bestow on me. The poor fellow is a political criminal; he only shot at the king, I believe; and where they do that every week or so, it's hard to make it a capital offence. I 'll give you his name and his number when I go into the house."

"The post leaves early," said she, rising. "I must do this at once."

"Wait till I have finished this corner of my netting, and I'll go with you," said Julia.

"I say No to that," cried Jack. "I 'm not going to be left alone here.

If that's the way you treat a distinguished guest, the sooner he takes his leave the better. Stay where you are, Miss Julia."

"But I shall have no work, Master Jack. My net will be finished in a few minutes."