Catherine Helen Spence

“ Besides I was ashamed of my writing, though it is better now, thanks to Amy. But I was ashamed whenever I thought of my mistake and your surprise; and besides I wanted you to right yourself because you felt you ought to do it, and not for my sake, for that would show you deserved my love. It is only when a man is unworthy that love can be a misery. Even if you had not told me that you feel that love, for me that makes me so happy I can scarce see you through my tears, I would never have mourned if you had proved yourself good and I had won you to your father and mother. ”

“ How terribly quickly the weeks and months flew past for both Lady Eveline and Miss Hope. It seemed as if nothing could break the charmed net that entangled them, but Miss Hope once made the attempt.
"How very happy you must be, Lady Eveline," said she to her one day.
"Happy!" echoed the girl with a sigh and a start.
"It is so seldom when young people make a marriage of affection that the parents on both sides are so reasonable as they have been in your case," said Miss Hope with a slight accent on the word affection. ”

“ Lady Eveline's parents and her aunt Lady Gower flattered themselves that, now she was fairly married, the love of a wife would naturally waken to a man who had no vices and few faults that they could see—who was disposed to be indulgent to her and proud of her. But people want a great deal of love or a great deal of prudence to begin matrimony upon, and poor Eveline had neither. The more closely she was brought to her husband, the more she was thrown upon his society alone, the less she found she liked him. ”

“ George, my lad, you'll see great changes in us too, and in the parish as well," said Mr. Copeland.
"No more than I ought to be prepared for," said George. "Mother looks thin, but still she is just the same in every other respect, and you are a little heavier than you were, father, but as erect as ever. With a horse up to your weight I fancy you could ride to cover as well as any one in the county yet. But let us not be altogether taken up with ourselves. Mother, this is my dear good wife. Let Jessie be a daughter to you. ”

“ But after the arrival of little Amy Staunton, and the kindness shown to her by the family, George seemed, as Hugh Lindsay said, to take hold of his place, and to work with more than eye-service. He was clever too, and handy, and in a roving life of ten years over the colonies, the intelligent young Englishman had learned things which neither the versatile Pa nor the solid Donald were ever likely to learn in all their lives; and instead of sending him out with sheep or cattle, as had been the first intention, he was kept as the man on the farm, and was always within call. ”

“ There was of come for a long time, along with this comprehensive view of the bearings of a subject, great ignorance of its devils, but Amy felt that her education had not stopped abruptly as she had feared, for this constant reference to her opinion and authority of a mind older and more powerful than her own, carried her back to old lessons which she might have forgotten, and at the same time forward in a direction into which few school girls are ever led, and towards subjects to which her father might not have called her attention. ”

“ Allan had written to him now and then with his father's wishes and orders, and everybody desired to be kindly remembered to him. Amy Staunton sometimes had a message—indeed Allan was fond of bringing her name into his letters at all times; but there was no special mention of Jessie or any message or letter from her though George had written to her twice.
Had he not been rash and foolish in thus in a measure binding himself without any particular affection for her; nothing stronger than esteem and a wish to feel love? ”

“ Isabel, that sneers at a good, sensible man like McCallum, will be taking up with Harry Weir that came in your place, if her sister Jessie, that we expected better sense from, cannot look higher than the like of you."
"I don't think there's much to be apprehended from Harry Weir, father;' said Allan; "a shambling awkward fellow, no more like George than a cart-horse is like a racer. But you must hear what Jessie herself says. People cannot always be equal in means when God has fitted them otherwise for each other." ”

“ Mr. Lufton had never shown himself in such good colours as he did on this occasion; he was so kind, so attentive, so thoughtful; he spared himself no fatigue and gave himself up to his friend's service. Mrs. Troubridge could now consult her own inclinations as to living in Adelaide; but she seemed to feel a remorse for her grumbling at bush life, and preferred remaining for a time at least with her children at Richlands. And Amy returned to Branxholm a second time with much more regard for Mrs. Troubridge, and for Mr. Lufton too, than she could have thought possible a month before. ”

“ I was dangerous to hint to John Derrick any suspicions with regard to Gerald Staunton, but Lady Gower ventured to remonstrate with her niece on the subject of his visits.
"I did not want him to come, aunt," said Eveline sharply, "but Mr. Derrick insisted on it. It was his doing, not mine."
"You never told him of his imprudent and absurd conduct at Gower's Court?"
"No, indeed," said Lady Eveline, "he is quite disposed enough to be jealous without any cause. He cannot live without society and he finds Mr. Staunton agreeable. ”

“ Even at the season of the year when Australian scenery looks its worst, when the grass is burnt almost to the colour of the earth it covers, an experienced eye could tell, by the length and closeness of the herbage, by the lay of the country and the look of the soil, and more especially by the numbers of fine gum-trees that enlivened the sombre colouring of the landscape with their great white stems and luxuriance of green foliage, that it was a well-watered region, and land that in ordinary seasons would grow anything. ”

“ But I think I have come to a turning in my life, and that I may yet become worthy of your affection. Something has come my path just at this time in the shape of a good woman, and whether I my ever see my way to marry her or not, whether I may ever grow deserve her or not, I shall always feel indebted to her for the advice she has given and the resolution she has inspired. If I am ever a comfort or a pride to you in my life, it will be greatly owing to her. ”

“ If such a woman as Jessie Lindsay, with her intuitive sense of right, her sound judgment, and her affectionate heart, could be brought to love an unsettled somewhat impressible man like him, the whole course of his life would be changed. ”

“ Miss Hope had wondered at John Derrick's being invited to Gower's Court, and after that to Darlington Castle, but as he had parted from her with regret, and as his letters to his sister always contained a message to Miss Hope, and as he had once written her a note on his own account, requesting the words of one of her favourite songs, she felt sure that she was not forgotten. Still the visit to Darlington Castle was alarming.
"We are all so fond of Lady Eveline; we saw so much of her when we were at Brighton. Is it not delightful that we are going to have her for a sister, Miss Hope ?" ”

“ It is a pity when old people set their hearts too much on boys. If my grandfather had seen what I've come to, every hair on his grey head would have stood on end. Ne'er-do-wells are best at a distance, as Mrs. Lindsay would say. Tom and Charlie have turned out better than me, that's one comfort," said George, with something between a sigh and a laugh.
"You've not turned out ill," said Jessie Lindsay gravely. "My father is much pleased with you and so are we all. Why don't you write to your friends, you that can write so well? ”

“ If I had not been a scapegrace and idle and fond of adventure, and gone off to sea when I should have stuck by my father, I might have been your equal in means; but I have never settled in my life, and have always spent my money as fast as I earned it. ”

“ Indeed, even if he had been a good correspondent, which he was not, a man of average capacity can scarcely write good love-letters to one woman when he is deep in a flirtation with another. His whole powers in that way are forestalled, and even at the best it was Lady Eveline's rank and position that he had been most attached to. Miss Hope's person and manners were far more to his taste, and if her other qualifications had been equally attractive there was no doubt as to whom he should have preferred. ”

“ Lady Eveline, I grieve to say, was far from truthful, and this Mr. Staunton was a very questionable person. My dear Anthony, you may be disappointed and deceived."
"My dear aunt," said Anthony, in determination with the opposition he met with, "do you not see that it is of the greatest consequence that my sister should be taken away from the undoubtedly vulgar people with whom she is living? At her age she cannot yet have imbibed much mischief; but every month's delay is dangerous now. ”

“ Evans was also glad to hear that these excellent people were in easy circumstances, and hoped and prayed that their kindness might be returned to them fourfold; she trusted that Amy would accommodate herself to her new circumstances, and not give way to selfish sorrow for those who were beyond her aid or her prayers, but would diligently try to do her duty in this world, and to prepare her heart for he next. She then went into some family details with regard to her husband and her children, mentioned them all by name, and told their ages, as if to show that she felt like an aunt ”

“ Amy Staunton had sprung up into an elegant girl of fifteen Isabel Lindsay, a year older and a head taller and very much larger in the frame, had nearly given up lessons, and was beginning to be of some use in the house. Phemie was still learning something from her young governess, and Allan did not see any prospect of ever completing his education; everything he learned only showed him how much more there was to be known. ”

“ She felt that Jessie was to be loved and trusted; she took her new daughter into her arms and blessed her.
Few people look their best after a long sea voyage through hot latitudes, and Mr. Copeland thought his son might have picked up a prettier wife in England. The Scotch accent, too, grated a little on his unaccustomed ears, and Mrs. George had no style with her whatever. But the mother's instinct assured her that George was a happy and a fortunate man. ”

“ Lindsay, "but the good man thinks everybody, big and little, should be as much taken up about flocks and herds, and land and crops, and vines and wine-making as he is himself. But if you're no going to eat any more we'd better clear away the breakfast, and let us all get to our work, for it's a busy day for more reasons than one."
It was altogether a strange scene to Amy. She had been brought up in comparative poverty, but it had been poverty accompanied by elegance and refinement. ”

“ It is the meanest and coldest thing I ever heard of a lady doing, to throw off he care of you, as she did, but never doubt your welcome at Branxholm."
"I is very good of your father and mother, it is very good of you, but—"
"I know it quite well," interrupted Allan, "our living is too rough; we are not fit people to associate with such a little lady as you are. Perhaps my father and mother are too old to change their ways, but for the rest of us, if you see anything that vexes or annoys you, just tell us. We would do better if we only knew how. ”

“ He brought forward his stock of small talk, which had been so irresistible to Miss Hope, and Lady Eveline did not seem to dislike it. She had never been in society, or been much with people of her own age. She had missed Herbert Darlington's frequent visits, for they were the only things that had brought any change to her life at home, for her father was very irritable and her mother querulous, and both of them were a great deal older than herself. ”

“ She had heard the indignation with which her father and mother had spoken of Herbert's mesalliance with Miss Pennithorne, and wondered at their civility to this Manchester family.
After about a month's acquaintance, a convenient opportunity having presented itself, Mr. John Derrick made a formal proposal to the young lady. Lady Eveline was taken by surprise; she had never dreamt of such a thing as that this plebeian young man would fall in love with her; her heart was indifferent and more than indifferent to John Derrick, but she disliked to give pain, and so she listened. ”

“ George's father and mother took her home. You have got a much better likeness than that, Jessie, my dear; let Mr. Derrick see what a lovely girl she is. I never saw a more beautiful photograph," said Mrs. Copeland.
"Would Mr. Derrick like to see it ?" said Jessie. " Photographs are seldom interesting to folk that don't know who they are meant for."
"Oh, yes! certainly, let me see your Australian beauty by all means," said Mr. Derrick, nervously. He could not help noticing Jessie's strong Scotch accent, and observing that she placed the accent of the word interesting on the penultimate. ”

“ Under a very commonplace character, John Derrick concealed an enormous amount of vanity, and a disposition to take deep offence if he was slighted, so that Miss Hope, who really loved him, and to whom he was the most important person in he world, was sure to be a pleasanter companion than the inexperienced girl who had been persuaded into an engagement with him for family and worldly reasons, and whose parents underrated all but the wealth of her suitor. ”