Uncle Geoffrey

“ Away went all the wholesome self-reproach which he had begun to feel, away went all fear of Uncle Geoffrey’s eye, all compunction in meeting his mother, and he entered the dining-room in such lively spirits that his uncle was vexed to see him so unconcerned, and his mother felt sure that her entreaty had not been disregarded. She never heard to the contrary, for she liked better to trust than to ask questions, and he, like far too many boys, did not think concealment blameable where there was no actual falsehood. ”

“ Uncle August, you are driving me mad! Explain! explain! I cannot bear these enigmas!” cried the poor fellow, springing to his feet in a fearful state of agitation, while a cold perspiration started out all over his face.
Mr. Huntress gently forced him back into his chair and began at once to tell him all that had occurred, from the moment of the departure of the bridal party from the church, up to the present hour.
Geoffrey sat throughout the fearful recital as if he had suddenly been turned to stone, and when at last it was concluded, there were several moments of dreadful silence. ”

“ Uncle Geoffrey still in Shylock’s yellow cap, and Fred somewhat grim with the Prince of Morocco’s complexion.
“How d’ye do, Phil?” said Roger, returning his cousinly shake of the hand with interest. “What! are not you Philip Carey?”
“O, Roger, Roger!” cried a small figure, in whom the Italian maiden predominated.
“What, Aunt Geoffrey masquerading too? How d’ye do, aunt?”
“Well done, Roger! That’s right! Go on!” cried his father, laughing heartily.
“Is it not my aunt? No? Is it the little Bee, then? Why you are grown as like her! But where is Aunt Geoffrey then? Not here? ”

“ Geoffrey began, then stopped short, a burning flush rising to the roots of his hair, although his heart had thrilled with joy to every word his uncle had uttered.
“Well, out with it; surely you are not going to argue against your own cause, when you can have everything your own way—that is, as far as I am concerned,” Mr. Huntress said, laughingly.
“But I wish you to consider the matter in all its bearings,” the young man responded, very seriously. “You must not forget that you are utterly ignorant of my parentage. ”

“ I will go directly to Uncle August and confess my love for Gladys in a manly, straightforward way, and if he does not oppose me—if he betrays no repugnance to such a union, I will no longer conceal my feelings from her, although it may be years before I shall dare to ask her to share my fortunes. I know if I can have before me the hope that she will some day become my wife, that no goal will be too difficult for me to attain. ”

“ Geoff; she loves you far too well for that,” returned Mr. Huntress, gravely, but still closely watching his protege, for he could well understand the pain he was suffering.
43Geoffrey’s face kindled, and his companion could see his temples throbbing as the blood coursed more quickly through his veins at his words.
“Thank you, Uncle August, for assuring me of Gladys’ affection; but I want her respect as well,” he said, with a slight quiver in his tone. ”

“ Geoffrey to the lower regions, where Thomas Parker awaited him, and as soon as he returned was addressed by his father: “Geoffrey, I put those papers on the table in the study, if you will look over them when you have time, and tell me what you think of the turnpike trust.”
A few moments after the door was thrown wide open, and in burst three boys, shouting with one voice—“Uncle Geoffrey, Uncle Geoffrey, you must come and see which of Vixen’s puppies are to be saved!”
“Hush, hush, you rogues, hush!” was Uncle Geoffrey’s answer; “don’t you know that you are come into civilized society? ”

“ From that moment Geoffrey gave all the pent-up affection of his bruised soul to this little daughter, and as the years went on they grew very dear to each other. But an active-minded, strong-hearted, able-bodied man cannot take a babe as the sole companion of his existence. Probably Geoffrey would have found this out in time, and might have drifted into some mode of life more or less undesirable, had not an accident occurred to prevent it. In his dotage, Geoffrey’s old uncle Sir Robert Bingham fell a victim to the wiles of an adventuress and married her. ”

“ But where is Uncle Geoffrey?”
“Gone to Allonfield.”
“More’s the pity. There are a whole host of rats in the great barn at home. Pincher caught me one just now, and they are going to turn the place regularly out, only I got them to wait while I came up here for you and Uncle Geoffrey. Come, make haste, fly—like smoke—while I go and tell grandpapa.”
Off flew Fred to make his preparation, and off to the drawing room hurried Alex to call grandpapa. ”

“ Huntress, a sly smile curling the corners of his mouth, “how it would do to let Gladys go with you; she has always been sighing for European travel.”
Geoffrey sat erect in his chair, as if suddenly galvanized, and shot a look of astonishment at his companion.
“Uncle August! you know that wouldn’t do at all, unless—Aunt Alice should accompany us,” he said, in confusion.
Mr. Huntress burst into a hearty laugh.
“I imagine it could be managed without depriving me of my wife as well as my daughter. How would it do to have that young lady go along as—as Mrs. Geoffrey Dale Huntress?” ”

“ Allan might favor for tea."
But here I caught hold, not of the key-basket, but of the hard, work-worn hand that held it.
"Oh, Deborah! do be good to us!" I broke out: "we will trouble you and Martha as little as possible, and we are all going to put our shoulders to the wheel and help ourselves; and we have no home but this, and no one to take care of us but Uncle Geoffrey." ”

“ It is a pleasure to give you advantages when you improve them so eagerly. I will make it an object to Mr. Rivers to remain with you during the vacation, and then we can decide later where you will go in the fall.”
“Thank you, Uncle August, you are like a dear father to me, and I could not love you better if you really were. I hope some day to prove, in some tangible way, how 44grateful I am for your goodness,” Geoffrey said, with deep feeling. ”

“ Geoffrey repeated, in a startled tone.
“Very. There has been a most villainous plot connected with this affair.”
From Mr. Huntress’ manner, Geoffrey saw that something of a very grave nature had occurred.
“What is it?” he demanded. “Tell me at once; I can bear anything better than suspense.
“Geoff, there was a wedding!”
“Uncle August!”
“But no one save ourselves and our good doctor, as yet, suspects that there was anything wrong about it.”
“Are you crazy? What do you mean?” cried the young man, breathlessly. “A wedding? That could not be. ”

“ May pressed Geoffrey's hand with gentle sympathy.
"You have my real regrets," she said. "What a horrible thing it is to think that you are all powerless to help it. Good-bye."
Geoffrey found Ralph at the entrance to the castle gate. There was a queer smile on his face, a smile of amused expectation.
"You found her charming?" he asked.
"And clever," said Geoffrey. "I guessed your plot, uncle. She is very clever."
"The cleverest woman in the world, the most wicked, the most unscrupulous. Of course she asked you to dinner, and, of course, you will go. Nobody is to know of it, mind." ”

“ Still Mr. Huntress noticed his paleness and the unusual gravity of his manner, and wondered at it, for he had seemed remarkably cheerful, even gay, the previous evening at Mrs. Loring’s.
“The boy is working too hard,” he said to himself, anxiously: “he has too much ambition for his strength,” and he resolved to caution him anew before he left.
As they arose from the table Geoffrey looked at his watch.
“Uncle August,” he said, a hot flush mantling his cheek, “I have an hour just before I need to go. Can I see you alone for a little while on a matter of business?” ”

“ My occasional visit to him was the only indulgence I had ever been allowed, and these visits were not permitted to be of too frequent recurrence.
He saw how much I was affected at bidding him good-by.
"Geoffrey," said he, taking me by the hand and drawing me aside: "one word with you before we part. I know your attachment for me is sincere. Believe me, the feeling is reciprocated in its fullest extent. Your uncle is not your friend. Few men act wickedly without a motive. He has his own reasons for treating you as he does. ”

“ Sir Geoffrey only grunted, and Ralph went on.
"In many ways I'm rather sorry for Melville, uncle. Of course, I know he has been a lot of worry to you, but he's my brother after all, and it isn't easy to get the sort of work that he could do."
"He's had a good education," said Sir Geoffrey, "and he's got good health and a pair of hands. What more does a man need to earn an honest living?"
Ralph was very happy, and when one is happy it is difficult not to feel generously disposed even to those one loves the least; so now he championed his brother quite sincerely. ”

“ An’ I brought my troubles to ’ee, Uncle Ben, when I was a lil’ maid. Squire said that a marriage ’atween cousins ’d be dis—astrous. If he were talkin’ eugannicks, why then I hate an’ despise eugannicks—yas, I do.”
“He was talking eugenics. Sir Geoffrey is a great gentleman, Prue. There are not many left like him. He lives on his own land, he spends all his money amongst his own people.” ”

“ Huntress to Geoffrey, “made a very singular will—a very arbitrary and unnatural will. He divided the whole of his property, which was very large, into two portions, one of which he bequeathed to me, the other to his niece, Miss Estelle Everet, who is now my wife—upon the condition that we would marry each other. He gave us until Miss Everet would be twenty-five to make up our minds; if we both refused to comply with his wishes at the end of that time, and each married some one else, the whole fortune was to go to a certain Robert Dale, who was first cousin to our uncle. ”

“ But one thing is better than with us, the eldest sons don't defy fate and marry them! When he gets to fifteen I shall begin to have nightmares in case Hurstbridge should bring me home a Gaiety daughter-in-law, though probably by then there will be such numbers of Birdie and Tottie and Rosie Peeresses, that I shall have got used to it, unless, of course, the fashion changes and goes back to the time Uncle Geoffrey talks of, when those ladies found their own world more amusing. ”

“ Seriously, Allan, I think it is the best plan under the circumstances. I am not fond of being alone," and here Uncle Geoffrey gave a quick sigh. Poor Uncle Geoff! he had never meant to be an old bachelor, only She died while he was furnishing the old house at Milnthorpe, and he never could fix his mind on any one else.
"I like young folks about me," he continued, cheerfully. "When I get old and rheumatic, I can keep Dot company, and Jack can wait on us both. Of course I am not a rich man, children, and we must all help to keep the kettle boiling ”

“ Hush, Geoffrey! these walls have ears. I, too, am tortured, maddened by your questions. You are too imprudent—too impulsive, to trust with matters of such vital importance; I have revealed too much already. Try and forget the events of this morning; nor let your uncle discover by look, word or gesture, that you are in possession of his secret. He is deeply offended with his son, not on account of his base conduct to this poor orphan girl, but because it is likely to hinder his marriage with Miss Moncton, which has been for years the idol wish of his heart. ”

“ He drew her close to his wildly bounding heart and laid her head upon his breast.
“My own darling! that means that you love me even as I love you! Oh, Gladys, how I have longed to hear this confession from your lips, and yet I have never dared to betray the affection that has become a part of my very life.”
“Haven’t you, Geoff?” Gladys asked, a mischievous smile wreathing her red lips, which, however, he could not see.
“No; for I felt that it would not be right to do so. I feared that Uncle August would feel that I had betrayed his confidence, and taken an unfair advantage of his kindness. ”

“ I was feeling tired and as blue as blue—some day I may tell you [197] about that, Uncle Rod, and I was glad of the quiet and beauty of it all; and of late Geoffrey and I have been such good friends.
Can't you ever really know people, Uncle Rod, or am I so dull and stupid that I misunderstand? Men are such a puzzle—all except you, you darling dear—and if you were young and not my uncle, even you might be as much of a puzzle as the rest. ”

“ CHAPTER VIII. HOW GEOFFREY AND MONA PLAN A TRANSFORMATION SCENE.
Time, with lovers, "flies with swallows' wings;" they neither feel nor heed it as it passes, so all too full of haste the moments seem. They are to them replete with love and happiness and sweet content. To-day is an accomplished joy, and to-morrow will dawn for no other purpose but to bring them together. So they think and so they believe.
Rodney has interviewed the old man, her uncle; has told him of his great and lasting love for this pearl among women ”

“ Yet, Geoffrey, many things which appear at first sight impossible, only require a series of persevering efforts to become both easy and practicable. You might render your unpleasant position with your uncle more tolerable, by yielding to his authority with a better grace. The constant opposition you make to his wishes, is both useless and dangerous. ”