"Do you honour me by--" asked the younger man, much agitated.
"Not by asking you to solve that problem! But let me add your name.
What I want is a guardian, who will not violently break up the home and disperse the children. I believe Felix will be a competent young head if he is allowed, and I want you to be an elder brother to him, and let him act."
"You cannot give me greater comfort."
"Only, Audley, this must be on one condition. Never let this guardianship interfere with any higher work that you may be called to. If I thought it would bind you down to Bexley, or even to England, I should refrain from this request as a temptation. Mind, you are only asked to act in case the children should lose their mother, and then only to enable Felix to be what I believe he can and will be. Or, as it may be right to add, if he should fail them, you will know what to do."
"I do not think he will."
"Nor I. But there are ways of failing besides the worst. However, I do not greatly fear this illness of mine taking root in them. It has not been in the family before; and I am nearly sure that I know when I took the infection, four or five years ago, from a poor man in Smoke-jack Alley, who would let no one lift him but me. They are healthy young things, all but dear little Cherry, and I hope they have spirits to keep care from making them otherwise. You will say a kind word to my little Cherry sometimes, Audley. Poor little woman, I am afraid it may fall sorely on her, she is of rather too highly strung a composition, and perhaps I have not acted so much for her good as my own pleasure, in the companionship we have had together."
So the will was altered, though without the knowledge of anyone but Mrs. Underwood and the witnesses; and Mr. Audley felt himself bound to remonstrate no further against Felix"s fate, however much he might deplore it.
n.o.body was so unhappy about it as Edgar. The boy was incredulous at first, then hotly indignant. Then he got a burnt stick, and after shutting himself up in his attic for an hour, was found lying on the floor, before an awful outline on the whitewash.
"What is it, old fellow?" asked Felix. "What a horrid mess!"
"I see, said Lance. "It is Friday grinning at the savages."
"Or a scarecrow on the back of a ditch," said Felix. "Come, Ed, tell us what it is meant for."
Edgar was impenetrable; but having watched the others out of the house, he dragged Geraldine up to see--something--
"Oh!" she cried. "You"ve done it!"
"To be sure! You know it?"
"It is Achilles on the rampart, shouting at the Trojans! O Edgar--how brave he looks--how his hair flies! Some day you will get him in his G.o.d-like beauty!"
"Do you think he has not got any of it, Cherry?" said Edgar, gazing wistfully. "I did see it all, but it didn"t come out--and now--"
"I see what you mean," said Cherry, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up her eyes; "it is in him to be glorious--a kind of lightning look."
"Yes, yes; that"s what I meant. All majesty and wrath, but no strain.
O Cherry--to have such things in my head, and not get them out! Don"t you know what it is?" as he rolled and flung himself about.
"Oh, yes!" said Cherry from her heart. "Oh! I should so like to do one touch to his face, but he"s so big! You did him on a chair, and I could not stand on one."
"I"ll lift you up. I"ll hold you," cried Edgar.
The pa.s.sion for drawing must have been very strong in the two children; for Geraldine was most perilously, and not without pain, raised to a chair, where, with Edgar"s arms round her waist, she actually worked for ten minutes at Achilles" face, but his arm she declined. "It is not right, Eddy! look--that muscle in his elbow can never be so!"
"I can"t see the back of mine, but you can," said Edgar, lifting her down, and proceeding to take off his coat and roll up his shirt- sleeve.
"That"s the way. Oh! but it is not such an angle as that."
"Achilles" muscles must have stood out more than mine, you know. I"ll get a look at Blunderbore"s. O Cherry, if I were but older--I know I could--I"d save Felix from this horrible thing! I feel to want to roar at old Froggy, like this fellow at the Trojans."
"Perhaps some day you will save him."
"Yes; but then he will have done it. Just fancy, Gerald, if that picture was as it ought to be--as you and I see it!"
"It would be as grand as the world ever saw," said the little girl, gazing through her eye-lashes at the dim strokes in the twilight. O Edgar, many a great man has begun in a garret!"
"If it would not be so long hence! Oh! must you go down!"
"I heard some one calling. You will be a great artist, I know, Edgar!"
It was pleasanter than the other criticism, at bed-time.
"Hollo! Man Friday does not look quite so frightful!" said Felix.
"I"m sure I won"t have him over my bed," said Fulbert, proceeding to rub him out; and though, for the moment, Achilles was saved by violent measures of Edgar"s, yet before the end of the next day, Fulbert and Lance had made him black from head to foot, all but the whites of his eyes and his teeth; Robina and Angela had peeped in, and emulated the terror of the Trojans, or the savages; and Sibby had fallen on the young gentleman for being "so bold" as to draw a frightful phooka upon their walls just to frighten the darlints.
Indeed, it was long before Angela could be got past the door at night without shuddering, although Achilles had been obliterated by every possible method that Felix, Clement, or Sibby could devise, and some silent tears of Cherry had bewailed the conclusion of this effort of high art, the outline of which, in more moderate proportions, was cherished in that portfolio of hers.
Another work of art--the photograph--was safely accomplished. The photographer caught at the idea, declaring that he had been so often asked for Mr. Underwood"s carte, that he had often thought of begging to take it gratis. And he not only insisted on so doing, but he came down from his studio, and took Mr. Underwood in his own chair, under his own window--producing a likeness which, at first sight, shocked every one by its faithful record of the ravages of disease, unlightened by the fair colouring and l.u.s.trous beaming eyes, but which, by-and-by, grew upon the gazer, as full of a certain majesty of unearthly beauty of countenance.
The autumn was mild, and Mr. Underwood rallied in some measure, so as sometimes even to get to church at mid-day services on warm days.
It was on St. Andrew"s Day that he was slowly walking home, leaning on Felix"s arm, with the two elder girls close behind him, when Alda suddenly touched Wilmet"s arm, exclaiming, "There"s Marilda Underwood!"
There indeed was the apparition of Centry Park, riding a pretty pony, beside a large and heavily-bearded personage. The recognition was instantaneous; Marilda was speaking to her companion, and at the same moment he drew up, and exclaiming, "Edward! bless me!" was off his horse in a moment, and was wringing those unsubstantial fingers in a crushing grasp. There was not much to be seen of Mr. Underwood, for he was m.u.f.fled up in a scarf to the very eyes, but they looked out of their hollow caves, clear, blue, and bright, and smiling as ever, and something like an answer came out of the middle of the folds.
"These yours? How d"ye do"--How d"ye do"--Mary, you don"t get off till we come to the door!--Yes, I"ll come in with you! Bless me!
bless me! Mary has been at me ever so many times about you, but we"ve been had abroad for masters and trash, and I left it till we were settled here."
It was not many steps to the door, and there Wilmet flew on prepare her mother and the room, while Alda stood by as her cousin was a.s.sisted from her horse by the groom, and the newcomer followed in silence, while Felix helped his father up the steps, and unwound his wraps, after which he turned round, and with his own sunny look held out his hand, saying, "How are you, Tom? I"m glad to see you--How d"ye do, Mary Alda? we are old friends.--Call your mother, one of you."
The mother was at hand, and they entered the drawing-room, where, as the clergyman sank back into his arm-chair, the merchant gazed with increasing consternation at his wasted figure and features.
"How long has this been going on?" he asked, pointing to him and turning to Mrs. Underwood, but as usual her husband answered for her.
"How long have I been on the sick list? Only since the end of September, and I am better now than a month ago."
"Better! Have you had advice?"
"Enough to know how useless it is."
"Some trumpery Union doctor. I"ll have Williams down before you are a day older."
"Stay, Tom. Thank you, most warmly, but you see yourself the best advice in the world could tell us no more than we know already. Are you really master of old Centry Underwood? I congratulate you."
"Ay. I"m glad the place should come back to the old name. Mrs.
Underwood and myself both felt it a kind of duty, otherwise it went against the grain with her, and I"m afraid she"ll never take to the place. "Twas that kept us abroad so long, though not from want of wishes from Mary and myself. The girl fell in love with yours at first sight."
"To be sure I did," said the young lady. "Do let me see the little ones, and your baby."
"Take your cousin to see them in the dining-room, Alda," said the mother; the order that Alda had been apprehending, for the dining- room was by many degrees more shabby than the drawing-room; however, she could only obey, explaining by the way that little Bernard, being nearly two years old, was hardly regarded as a baby now.