Ellen Wood

“ Carlyle seized his opportunity.
"Barbara," he whispered, "make no opposition. You must come. What I really want you for is connected with Richard."
She looked up at him, a startled glance, and the crimson flew to her face. Mrs. Hare returned to her seat. "Oh, such a day!" she shivered. "I am sure Cornelia cannot expect Barbara."
"But Cornelia does. And there is my pony carriage waiting to take her before I go to the office. Not a flake of snow can come near her, Mrs. Hare. The large warm apron will be up, and an umbrella shield her bonnet and face. Get your things on, Barbara." ”

“ He proceeded to the drawing-room.
"Such a journey!" said Major Thorn to Mr. Carlyle. "It is my general luck to get ill-weather when I travel. Rain and hail, thunder and heat; nothing bad comes amiss when I am out. The snow lay on the rails, I don't know how thick; at one station we were detained two hours."
"Are you proposing to make any stay at West Lynne?"
"Off again to-morrow. My leave, this time, is to be spent at my mother's. I may bestow a week of it or so on West Lynne, but am not sure. I must be back in Ireland in a month. Such a horrid boghole we are quartered in just now!" ”

“ Carlyle's lips. He knew it was what Barbara would have done.
"But, Archibald, what about Cornelia?" returned Mrs. Hare. "I would not for a moment interfere in your affairs, or in the arrangements you and Barbara may agree upon, but I cannot help thinking that married people are better alone."
"Cornelia will quit East Lynne," said Mr. Carlyle. "I have not spoken to her yet, but I shall do so now. I have long made my mind up that if ever I did marry again, I and my wife would live alone. ”

“ I should be happier with a wife.
"That she may go and disgrace you, as the last one did!" intemperately spoke Miss Carlyle, caring not a rush what she said in her storm of anger.
Mr. Carlyle's brow flushed, but he controlled his temper.
"No," he calmly replied. "I am not afraid of that in the one I have now chosen."
Miss Corny gathered her knitting together, he had picked up her box. Her hands trembled, and the lines of her face were working. It was a blow to her as keen as the other had been.
"Pray who is it that you have chosen?" she jerked forth. "The whole neighborhood has been after you." ”

“ Dear me, is it an honor—the possessing a brother such as Richard?"
Miss Corny sniffed. "Pigs may fly; but I never saw them try at it."
"The next consideration, Cornelia, is about your residence. You will go back, I presume, to your own home."
Miss Corny did not believe her own ears. "Go back to my own home!" she exclaimed. "I shall do nothing of the sort. I shall stop at East Lynne. What's to hinder me?"
Mr. Carlyle shook his head. "It cannot be," he said, in a low, decisive tone. ”

“ Carlyle? The sooner I get away from here the better. I can't feel safe."
"You must not think of it before evening. I am aware that you cannot remain here, save for a few temporary hours, as it would inevitably become known to the servants. You say you think of going to Liverpool or Manchester?"
"To any large town; they are all alike to me; but one pursued as I am is safer in a large place than a small one."
"I am inclined to think that this man, Thorn, only made a show of threatening you, Richard. If he be really the guilty party, his policy must be to keep all in quietness. ”

“ They are too thick together, he and Thorn, and are birds of a feather also, I suspect. Great swells both."
"Oh, Richard don't use those expressions. They are unsuited to a gentleman."
Richard laughed bitterly. "A gentleman?"
"Who is it you have seen Thorn with?" inquired Barbara.
"Sir Francis Levison," replied Richard, glancing at Miss Carlyle, who drew in her lips ominously.
"With whom?" uttered Barbara, betraying complete astonishment. "Do you know Sir Francis Levison?"
"Oh, yes, I know him. Nearly the only man about town that I do know." ”

“ He slept here last night."
"Oh, Archibald!"
"Only fancy, Barbara, I opened the window at nine last night to look at the weather, and in burst Richard. We could not let him go out again in the snow, so he slept here, in that room next Cornelia's."
"Does she know of it?"
"Of course. And Joyce also; we were obliged to tell Joyce. It is he you have come to spend the day with. But just imagine Richard's fear. Your father came this morning, calling up the stairs after me, saying he heard Richard was here. I thought Richard would have gone out of his mind with fright." ”

“ Carlyle. Whatever passing fancy she may have entertained for me in earlier days, she has shown no symptoms of it of late years; and I am quite certain that she had no more thought or idea that I should choose her for my second wife, than you had I should choose you. Others have angled after me too palpably, but Barbara has not."
"She is a conceited minx, as vain as she is high." ”

“ Carlyle.
"Well, it may be, or it may not be, that that villain is coming here," he resumed. "I shall call in at the police station, and tell them to keep a sharp lookout."
"You will do nothing of the sort justice," exclaimed Mr. Carlyle, almost in agitation. "Richard is not likely to make his appearance at West Lynne; but if he did, would you, his own father, turn the flood upon him? Not a man living but would cry shame upon you." ”

“ Carlyle, breaking into a smile.
"Here she is. Barbara," carried on the unceremonious justice, "what is it that you see in Carlyle more than anybody else?"
Barbara's scarlet cheeks answered for her. "Papa," she said, "Otway Bethel is at the door asking to speak to you. Jasper says he won't come in."
"Then I'm sure I'm not going out to him in the cold. Here, Mr. Otway, what are you afraid of?" he called out. "Come in."
Otway Bethel made his appearance in his usual sporting costume. But he did not seem altogether at his ease in the presence of Mrs. Hare and Barbara. ”

“ That cobs all, Carlyle."
"You will not hear me out. It is known that you are much exasperated against Richard—"
"And if your son serves you the same when he is grown up, shan't you be exasperated, pray?" fired Justice Hare.
"Do hear me. It is known that you are much exasperated, and that any allusion to him excites and annoys you. Now, my opinion is, justice, that some busybody is raising these reports and writing these letters on purpose to annoy you. It may be somebody at West Lynne, very near to us, for all we know." ”

“ Your income is yours, and you will require it for your own purposes. I have neither a right to, nor wish for it."
"It will make a pretty good hole in your income, the withdrawing of it, I can tell you that. Take care that you and East Lynne don't go bankrupt together."
At this moment the summons of a visitor was heard. Even that excited the ire of Miss Carlyle. "I wonder who's come bothering to-night?" she uttered.
Peter entered. "It is Major Thorn, sir. I have shown him into the drawing-room."
Mr. Carlyle was surprised. He had not thought Major Thorn within many a mile of West Lynne. ”

“ Carlyle.
In a few minutes they were seated in the pony carriage. Barbara's tongue was burning to ask questions, but John sat behind them, and would have overheard. When they arrived at East Lynne, Mr. Carlyle gave her his arm up the steps, and took her into the breakfast-room.
"Will you prepare yourself for a surprise, Barbara?"
Suspense—fear—had turned her very pale. "Something that has happened to Richard!" she uttered.
"Nothing that need agitate you. He is here." ”

“ Were I to say that it was a royal princess, or a peasant's daughter, you would equally see grounds for finding fault."
"Of course I should. I know who it is—that stuck-up Louisa Dobede."
"No, it is not. I never had the slightest intention of choosing Louisa Dobede, nor she of choosing me. ”

“ You may depend upon one thing, Richard, had the policeman's object been to take you, he would have done so, not have contented himself with following you about from place to place. Besides when a detective officer is employed to watch a party, he takes care not to allow himself to be seen ”