Verna

“ Why, you’ve been arguing against yourself with a grip of your points which would be worthy of the smartest K.C., and with a terseness which would not earn him his fee. What can I see in you?”—and his tone became very vehement and very serious. “I can see in you attributes which, taken together, should render any woman irresistible—a rare physical attractiveness, an unbounded power of sympathy, and a staunchness that would stand by a man through the worst that might befall him. Is that sufficient, or must I go on adding to it?”
Verna’s eyes had filled as he was speaking. ”

“ They must just take them as they found them, or, if not, stay away, was her rule.
“Why, here comes Harry Stride,” said Ben, looking up. “He seems a bit cross by the way he’s walking. You can nearly always tell a man’s mood by the way he walks. Hallo, Harry!”
The young prospector turned to join them, only too delighted. He was a handsome and manly-looking young fellow, as Verna was not slow to recognise as she noted his tall form coming down the garden path.
“Come from the club, Harry?” said the trader. ”

“ Tell me, is my father living? Shall we ever see him again? Oh, tell me," said the girl, earnestly.
"My dear child," replied Lady Helena. "Heaven forbid that I should answer you lightly such a question; I would not delude you with vain hopes."
"Oh, tell me all, tell me all, ma'am. I'm proof against sorrow. I can bear to hear anything."
"My poor child, there is but a faint hope; but with the help of almighty Heaven it is just possible you may one day see your father once more."
The girl burst into tears, and Robert seized Lady Glenarvan's hand and covered it with kisses. ”

“ Lionel rose, Lucy rose; Lord Garle and Decima came forward, and Sibylla sprang towards him with a cry. Lady Verner was the only one who retained entire calmness.
"Papa! it cannot be you! When did you come?"
Dr. West kissed her, and turned to Lady Verner with some courtly words. Dr. West was an adept at such. Not the courtly words that spring genuinely from a kindly and refined nature; but those that are put on to hide a false one. All people, true-hearted ones, too, cannot distinguish between them; the false and the real. Next, the doctor grasped the hand of Lionel. ”

“ Spoiled her rest! Ay, for many a day and night to come. Lionel disinherited! Verner's Pride gone from them for ever! A cry went forth from Lady Verner's heart. It had been the moment of hope which she had looked forward to for years; and, now that it was come, what had it brought?
"My own troubles make me selfish," said Lionel, turning back when he was half out at the door. "I forgot to tell you that Jan and Decima inherit five hundred pounds each."
"Five hundred pounds!" slightingly returned Lady Verner. "It is but of at piece with the rest." ”

“ Matilda Verne, you will one day see the fruits of your folly and taste them in all their bitterness!"
"I must divert him from such work. It is killing the man by inches; surely there is some way out of the difficulty—where there's a will there's a way.'"
Mrs. Montgomery said the last words with a will—aye, with the spirit of a Leonidas, and hastily arranging her toilet descended to the silent, deserted parlors. She evinced no surprise when confronted by Mr. Verne. ”

“ Lucy laughed. "I think you will always have enough bread and cheese," said she. "You look as though you would."
Decima turned to them. She had stood buried in a reverie, until the light tone of Lionel aroused her from it. "Which is real, Lionel? This joking, or that you have lost Verner's Pride?"
"Both," he answered. "I am disinherited from Verner's Pride; better perhaps that I should joke over it, than cry."
"What will mamma do? What will mamma do?" breathed Decima. "She has so counted upon it. And what will you do, Lionel?" ”

“ But deeper than this light attraction was the real human throb of the great city's throng, hurrying to and fro, some laughing, some anxious, some with a self-important strut of achieved success, others with the dogged defiance of failure and chagrin.
"The Great White Way! Was there ever anything so interesting?" thought Venna, appreciating with her bright mind the appealing contrasts. As yet she was too young to be saddened by the undercurrent of human longing and unrest.
Suddenly Venna exclaimed, "Listen, Daddy! There's a bunch singing hymns on the next comer. How great that sounds!" ”

“ Equally inviting looked the dressing-room. The first thing that caught Lionel's eye were some delicate paintings on the walls, done by Decima.
His gaze and his ruminations were interrupted. Violent sobs had struck on his ear from the bed-chamber; he hastened back, and found Sibylla extended at full length on the sofa, crying.
"It is such a dreadful change after Verner's Pride!" she querulously complained. "It's not half as nice as it was there! Just this old bedroom and a mess of a dressing-room, and nothing else! And only that stupid Catherine to wait upon me!" ”

“ Mulrady, whose attention was distracted for a moment by the appearance of the boy, resumed his post.
"It is all right," said he. "There are only four awake; the rest are asleep."
A minute after, the hole was enlarged, and Robert passed from the arms of his sister to those of Lady Helena. Round his body was rolled a long coil of flax rope.
"My child, my child," murmured Lady Helena, "the savages did not kill you!" ”

“ Vernon, to see the charmer of my soul. She received me with all the ardency of affection, and even shed tears of joy in my presence. I pressed her to name the day which was to perfect our union and happiness, and the next Sunday, four days only distant, was agreed upon for me to lead her to the altar. How did my heart bound at the prospect of making Miss Vernon my own!—of possessing in her all that could render life agreeable; I hastened home to my family and informed them of my approaching bliss, who all sympathized in the anticipated joy which swelled my bosom. ”

“ The woman passed the light of her lantern over Vernon's form and face. "His dress is a peasant's, but such clothes may be a nobleman's whim. I have heard it of the English."
"I am English," said Vernon in French.
She turned on him with a quick movement of relief.
"You are English and a gentleman? But I know nothing of you, only that you have come out of the sea. Up in the House we women are alone, and my mistress has death to face, or a worse than death. We have no claim on you, and if you give us your service it means danger—oh, what danger! The boat is waiting. ”

“ Gradually gently it crept up to the place where Vernon lay; and the little ripples fell over him wonderingly, with the low murmur of their musical laughter, and blurred and dimmed the vivid splashes and crimson streaks upon the white stone on which his head had fallen, and washed away some of the purple bells and green sprigs of heather round which his fingers were closed in the grasp of death, and played softly with his fair hair as it rose, and fell, and floated on their undulations like a leaf of golden-colored weed, until they themselves were faintly discolored by his blood. ”

“ By this time Verena had learned how peculiarly her friend was constituted, how nervous and serious she was, how personal, how exclusive, what a force of will she had, what a concentration of purpose. Olive had taken her up, in the literal sense of the phrase, like a bird of the air, had spread an extraordinary pair of wings, and carried her through the dizzying void of space. Verena liked it, for the most part; liked to shoot upward without an effort of her own and look down upon all creation, upon all history, from such a height. ”

“ There it is! The inference would be that he was coming to Verner's Pride; being on its direct way and nearly close upon it. But, the only tall men (as the boy describes) at Verner's Pride, are you three and Bennet. Bennet was at home, therefore he is exempt; and you were scattered in different directions—Lionel at Mr. Bitterworth's, John at the Royal Oak—I wonder you like to make yourself familiar with those tap-rooms, John!—and Frederick coming in from Poynton's to his dinner. ”

“ Never did she play better. Her music expressed her mixed feelings—now sad, now questioning, now joyously triumphant. Brother Hallock watched her with a wrapt expression, entirely lost to his surroundings.
At last her notes died away in a gentle trembling pianissimo. No one spoke as she laid down her violin. For a few moments each one enjoyed the spell of her genius.
Venna seated herself by the window and, drawing the shade aside, looked out. Suddenly she started. Coming down the hill, she saw a large group of about forty villagers, led by Mr. Allworth and Miss Harriet. ”

“ But I'd back Bourne's calmness and sound sense against the world, and I'd back Broom's."
"And they have both seen it?"
"Both," replied Jan. "Both are sure that it is Frederick Massingbird."
"What will Mr. Verner do?" she asked, looking round with a shudder, and not speaking above her breath.
"Oh, that's his affair," said Jan. "It's hard to guess what he may do; he is one that won't be dictated to. If it were some people's case, they'd say to Sibylla, 'Now you have got two husbands, choose which you'll have, and keep to him.'"
"Good heavens, Mr. Jan!" ”

“ You will give her to me, Lady Verner?"
"I suppose I must," was the reply of my lady. "But people have been calling her an old maid."
Sir Edmund laughed. "How they will be disappointed! Some of their eyes may be opened to-night. I shall not deem it necessary to make a secret of our engagement now."
"You must permit me to ask one question, Sir Edmund. Have you and Decima corresponded?"
"No. We separated for the time entirely. The engagement existing in our own hearts alone." ”

“ Fred, at the end of a twelvemonth's time, had got his half-crown still snug in his pocket. Had Fred come into Verner's Pride, he'd have lived in style on a thousand of his income yearly, and put by the rest."
He never would, Sibylla being his wife, thought Lionel. But he did not say it to John Massingbird.
"An estate, such as this, brings its duties with it, John," said he. "Remember those poor people down with sickness."
"Bother duty," returned John. "Look here, Lionel; you waste your breath and your words. ”

“ Mary Grant and her brother were up very early next morning, and were walking about in the courtyard when they heard the sound of a carriage approaching. It was Lord Glenarvan; and, almost immediately, Lady Helena and the Major came out to meet him.
Lady Helena flew toward her husband the moment he alighted; but he embraced her silently, and looked gloomy and disappointed-- indeed, even furious.
"Well, Edward?" she said; "tell me."
"Well, Helena, dear; those people have no heart!"
"They have refused?"
"Yes. They have refused me a ship! ”

“ Just then, to Miss Vernon's great relief and to Prissy's dismay, Dr. Warner entered the garden and demanded what was the matter.
"Claude amissing? What do you mean?" he said. "Who had charge of him?"
"Priscilla," was the answer.
"What was she doing to allow a child like that to go off by himself?"
"She was studying," replied Miss Vernon.
"Studying? Nonsense! What could she be studying?—Bring the book to me, Priscilla," he continued; then lingering a moment to look at the name, and muttering, "Astronomy? Absurd! What can a girl know or care about that?" ”

“ It told her on the spot, from one minute to the other and once for all, that the man who could give her that impression would never come round. She felt cold, slightly sick, though she replied that now he summed up his creed in such a distinct, lucid way, it was much more comfortable—one knew with what one was dealing; a declaration much at variance with the fact, for Verena had never felt less gratified in her life. ”

“ A day of pleasure also, unexampled in their lives; for their master, Lionel Verner, was about to bring home his bride.
Everybody was flocking to the spot; old and young, gentle and simple. The Elmsleys and the half-starved Hooks; the Hautleys and those ill-doing Dawsons; the Misses West and their pupils; Lady Verner and the Frosts; Mr. Bitterworth in a hand-chair, his gouty foot swathed up in linen; Mrs. Duff, who had shut up her shop to come; Dan, in some new clothes; Mr. Peckaby and lady; Chuff the blacksmith, with rather a rolling gait; and Master Cheese and Jan. ”

“ Don't attempt to stir out after sunset again. Should you get stronger it will be a different matter. At present it must not be. Will you remember this, Mr. Verner?"
"If my wife will allow me to remember it," he said, bending to Sibylla with a kindly tone. "My will was good to keep her in, all this winter; but she would not be kept."
"What has Jan been telling you about me, papa? It is a shame of him! I am not ill."
"Mr. Jan has told me very little indeed of your ailments," replied Dr. West. "He says you are not strong; he says you are fretful, irritable. ”

“ Verner. "Wouldn't you, now?"
"It would add ten years to your life," said Jan.
"I dare say! It's of no use your coming preaching to me, Mr. Jan. Go and try your eloquence upon others. I always have had enough to eat, and I hope I always shall. And as to my getting about, or walking, I can't. When folks come to be my size, it's cruel to want them to do it."
Mrs. Verner was nodding before she had well spoken the last words, and Jan said no more. ”

“ Verner?" responded Sir Henry doubtingly.
"Not Mr. Verner. I'm only Jan. You must have forgotten me long ago, Sir Henry."
Sir Henry Tempest held out his hand, "I have not forgotten what you were as a boy; but I should not have known you as a man. And yet—it is the same face."
"Of course it is," said Jan, "Ugly faces, such as mine, don't alter. I will walk with you to my mother's: it is close by. Have you any luggage?"
"Only a portmanteau. My servant is looking after it. Here he is."
A very dark man came up—an Indian—nearly as old as his master. Jan recognised him. ”