CHAPTER IV
THE HERO
The junior Churchill partner returned home next day from a six months"
trip, and the house at Toorak was much excited by the event, for he was a great man in its eyes. He lived an independent life at the club and in a suite of sumptuous chambers in East Melbourne, when on this side of the world, but was received by his father and stepmother on his first arrival, and entertained until his own establishment was ready for him.
His stepmother, before she was his stepmother, had badly wanted to be his wife, and it was a source of extreme satisfaction to her that he still remained unmarried and disengaged, though thirty-five last birthday, and one of the greatest catches in the colony. She never would have a pretty governess in the house, lest Anthony should be tempted; and she kept a sharp eye upon the girls who sought and sighed for him--their name was legion--when able to do so, and systematically circ.u.mvented them. He was too good, she said, to be thrown away. In other words, it would be too dreadful not to have him at dinner on Sundays, and in and out of the house all the week through, petting her (in a strictly filial manner), and escorting her about when his father was busy.
"People talk of the troubles of stepmothers," she used to say, with her most maternal air. "_I_ have never had any trouble. My stepchildren never objected to me for a moment, and they are just the comfort of my life."
Of the two, Anthony was her greatest comfort; he was always there--when he was not in England. Mary Oxenham was a dear woman, but she seldom came to town.
Mary and her father went to meet the ship that brought Anthony back.
Mrs. Churchill stayed at home, to put flowers into his bedroom, and be ready to welcome him on the doorstep in a twenty-guinea tea-gown, designed on purpose. The boat, they had been informed by telephone from the office, was expected at five o"clock, but when Mrs. Oxenham called for her father at half-past three, he told her it would not be in before six at the earliest; and he was in rather a state of mind lest Anthony"s dinner should be spoiled. He sent a message to his wife to postpone it to half-past eight, and Mrs. Oxenham said she would kill time by going to the tea-room.
She drove thither in Maude"s carriage, which had brought her in, because she thought that its appearance at the door would be good for custom.
She was much interested in Miss Liddon and her praiseworthy efforts, and anxious to a.s.sist them; and she and Maude had agreed that it would be very nice if they could keep the tea-room select--a place where they could meet their friends in comfort. They thought this might be managed if they made a little effort at the start, and that, once established on those lines, the coming season would provide as much custom of the right sort as the Liddons could manage. Mrs. Oxenham desired it rather for Jenny"s sake than their own; she did not like to think of that lady-like girl having to wait on rough people.
On entering the yellow room, it was evident to her that all was well, so far. Several people were taking tea and scones, and the newcomer was more or less acquainted with them all. A frisky matron whom Maude had introduced there yesterday had come again, and she had a frisky man along with her--having promptly recognised the possibilities of the new establishment as a place for meeting one"s friends. She was lounging at great ease in one of the low, cushioned chairs, with her feet crossed and her gloves in her lap, and he was sitting in another, with his arms on his knees, which touched her pretty gown; they both sat up very suddenly when Mrs. Oxenham appeared. Two other ladies, with two other gentlemen, made a group at the furthest possible distance from them; and three smart girls in another corner were letting their tea grow cold while they chaffed and were chaffed by a couple of high-collared youths, who certainly had no business to be with them in their unchaperoned condition.
"So this is the first result," said Mrs. Oxenham to herself, as she bowed slightly in response to unnecessarily cordial smiles. "Oh, well, it don"t matter to her, I suppose."
"Her" was Jenny Liddon, who came forward with a glowing face, and directed her patroness to a particularly nice chair in Sarah"s neighbourhood. Mrs. Oxenham sat down, and made kind inquiries of her _protegee_ as to how she was getting on.
"_Beautifully_," Jenny replied with fervour, "thanks to you and Mr.
Churchill. We have had quite a number of customers already--we are paying our way, even now--and they all say that the tea and scones are good."
"Get me some, dear."
Jenny flitted round the screen, and came back with the fragrant teapot and the pat of sweet b.u.t.ter that she was so careful to keep cool; and Mrs. Oxenham ate and drank with the enjoyment of a dainty woman accustomed to the best, and not always finding it where it should be.
She talked to her young hostess as the girl pa.s.sed to and fro, with the object of making her feel that she was still recognised as a lady as well as a restaurant-keeper; for Mrs. Oxenham had ideas as to the status of women, and what determined it, which were much in advance of those popularly held.
"I am on my way to meet the mail steamer," she said, rising when she had finished her tea, and looking at her watch.
"Yes," said Jenny. "My brother told me Mr. Anthony Churchill was expected." She added with a little sigh, "The sea will be looking lovely now."
"You ought to get down to it when you can," said Mrs. Oxenham. "The air in this street is not very wholesome. You should have a blow on the St.
Kilda pier of a night, when work is over."
"By-and-by," said Jenny, "when we can afford it, we will have a little home there, and come in and out by tram. At present we do not spend a penny more than is quite necessary. We walk to the house where we sleep, and back. We just keep a room to sleep in; our landlady at this place is a fixture, and takes charge in our absence. But we live here."
"Not wholly on tea and scones, I hope?"
"No," smiled Jenny. "Mother sees to that."
"You must take care to play no tricks with your health. Mind that."
"I am as careful as I can be, Mrs. Oxenham."
"Take my advice, and don"t grudge sixpence for a blow on the pier; it will be the most paying investment of all, you"ll find. Where"s your brother? What does he do for you?"
Jenny blushed slightly. "There"s nothing he wouldn"t do for us if we would let him," she said. "But we won"t allow him to cripple himself."
"Does he live with you?"
"Not now. He has taken lodgings for himself."
"He doesn"t approve of the tea-room, does he?"
Jenny blushed a deeper hue. "He is only a boy," she murmured indulgently. "He doesn"t understand. He will some day."
She saw some of her customers make a movement to rise, and Mrs. Oxenham smiled farewell and departed, glad to be blocked on the dark staircase by new people coming up.
"Brave little creature!" was her inward e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n, as she stepped into her carriage, which seemed to block the narrow street. "I see what she has had to fight against. Ah, well, women are not all talking dolls, as Tony calls them. I wonder what Tony will say to her?" She paused to consider, and thought it would be as well not to take Tony there. "I hate to see all those men lounging about on her little chairs," she said to herself. "They are not meant for men. I do hope and trust they won"t any of them take it into their empty heads to make love to her. She is not exactly pretty, but she is very attractive--dreadfully attractive, for such a place. She doesn"t know it in the least, but she has a face that one can hardly take one"s eyes off."
The carriage clattered up to the door of the palatial business premises of Churchill & Son, and the chief stepped out with the alertness of a young man.
"It"s early," he said, "but we may as well catch the 4.30. Better be too soon than too late."
Mrs. Oxenham agreed, and they were driven to the neighbouring station, where they bade the coachman return to meet the special, and took train for Williamstown. Arrived there, the old gentleman b.u.t.toned his great-coat and helped his daughter into a sealskin mantle; and they prepared for a long pacing up and down the breezy pier, between the rails and trucks, while they waited for Tony. But in half an hour the ship appeared, and for another half hour, while she was being warped into her place, they had the bliss of seeing the dear fellow, though they could not reach him, and of hearing the beloved voice shouting greetings and questions at them. Amongst the swarm of pa.s.sengers hanging over the rails, Anthony Churchill, with his red beard on a level with the hats of ordinary men, was easily distinguishable. He was a fine man, and a handsome one, as well as amiable and rich; so it was no wonder that the girls, of whom there seem such a terrible number in proportion to their possible suitors, ran after him.
"How well he looks!" exclaimed Mrs. Oxenham--meaning how beautiful and distinguished, compared with other women"s brothers.
"Splendid!" said the father proudly.
Then the gangways were fixed, and he came hurling down through the ascending and descending crowd, and the majestic woman put her arms round his neck and kissed him.
They climbed into the special, and sat there and talked till it filled up and was ready to start. They wanted to know what was doing, and how everybody was. Anthony inquired after "Mother," as he facetiously called her, and his father and sister after that young lady for whom he had been searching so long. For they had a desire to see him settled with a nice wife, and bringing up sons and daughters, though Maude had not.
"I have not found her yet," the young man confessed. "I suppose I am hard to please, but I don"t seem to have met anybody with enough in her to make it worth while to go so far as matrimony."
"What should she have in her?" asked Mrs. Oxenham, smiling.
"What you have in you, Polly," he replied. "Some sense. Some ideas beyond dressing and smirking at men."
"Oh, well, you had better put yourself in my hands," said she. "As I know there are plenty of such women, I"ll undertake to find you one."
"Thanks; but I"d rather find her for myself."
"A man never finds a woman of that sort. He doesn"t know her when he sees her. He doesn"t know _any_ woman when he sees her. You leave it to me, Tony. Time is getting on, and we can"t allow you to degenerate into a selfish old club bachelor, thinking of nothing but your dinner. I shall begin at once. I know what would suit you far better than you can know yourself."
The wild idea that Jenny Liddon would suit him never crossed her mind for a moment, as a matter of course.
It was not quite seven o"clock when they reached town, and they got home to Toorak before it was time to dress for dinner. As the carriage rolled up to the door, Mrs. Churchill swam into the hall, with her fine laces foaming about her, and cast herself into her stepson"s arms, as she was lawfully privileged to do.
"Well, mother," he cried gaily, as he kissed her curly-fringed brow--a thing he never did unless she made him--"and how"s your little self? And how are the brats?"
The brats came headlong downstairs, and flung themselves upon him from all sides at once.