Felix"s majority made no immediate difference. His thirteenth part of his father"s small property remained with the rest, at any rate until his guardian should return from his travels in the East; but in the course of the winter his kind old G.o.dfather, Admiral Chester, died, and having no nearer relation, left him the result of his small savings out of his pay, which would, the lawyer wrote, amount to about a thousand pounds, but there was a good deal of business to be transacted, and it would be long before the sum was made over to him.
Wilmet and Geraldine thought it a perfect fortune, leading to the University, and release from trade; and they looked rather crestfallen when they heard that it only meant 30 pounds per annum in the funds, or 50 pounds in some risky investment. Mr. Froggatt"s wish was that he should purchase such a share in the business as would really give him standing there; but Wilmet heard this with regret; she did not like his thus binding himself absolutely down to trade.
"You are thinking for Alda," said Felix, smiling. "You are considering how Froggatt and Underwood will sound in her ears."
"In mine, too, Felix; I do not like it."
"I would willingly endure it to become Redstone"s master," said Felix, quietly.
"Is he still so vexatious?" asked Geraldine: for not above once in six months did Felix speak of any trials from his companions in business.
"Not actively so; but things might be better done, and much ill blood saved. I cannot share W. W."s peculiar pride in preferring to be an a.s.sistant instead of a partner."
"Then this is what you mean to do with it?"
"Wait till it comes," he said, oracularly. "Seriously, though, I don"t want to tie it all up. The boys may want a start in life."
Neither sister thought of observing that the legacy was to one, not to all. Everybody regarded what belonged to Felix as common property; and the "boys" were far enough into their teens to begin to make their future an anxious consideration. Clement was just seventeen, and though he had outgrown his voice, was lingering on as a sort of adopted child at St. Matthew"s, helping in the parish school, and reading under one of the clergy in preparation for standing for a scholarship. He tried for one in the autumn, but failed, so much to his surprise and disgust, that he thought hostility to St. Matthew"s must be at the bottom of his rejection; and came home with somewhat of his martyr-like complacency at Christmas, meaning to read so hard as to force his way in spite of prejudice. He was very tall, fair, and slight; and his features were the more infantine from a certain melancholy baby-like gravity, which music alone dispersed. He really played beautifully, and being entrusted with the organ during the schoolmaster"s Christmas holidays, made practising his chief recreation. That Lance would often follow him into church for a study, and always made one of the group round the piano when Alice Knevett came to sing with them, was a great grievance to Fulbert, who never loved music, and hated it as a rival for Lance"s attention.
These two were generally the closest companions, and were alike in having more boyishness, restlessness, and enterprise than their brothers. This winter their ambition was to be at all the meets within five miles, follow up the hunt, and be able to report the fox"s death at the end of the day. Indeed, their appet.i.te for whatever bore the name of sport was as ravenous as it was indiscriminate; and their rapturous communications could not be checked by Clement"s manifest contempt, or the discouraging indifference of the rest--all but Robina, who loved whatever Lance loved, and was ready to go to a meet, if Wilmet had not interfered with a high hand.
Before long Felix wished that his authority over the male part of the family were as well established as that in her department.
One hunting day the two brothers came in splashed up to the eyes, recounting how they had found a boy of about their own age in a ditch, bruised and stunned, but not seriously hurt, how with consolation and schoolboy surgery they had cheered him, and found he was Harry Collis, whom they had known as a school-fellow at Bexley; how they had helped him home to Marshlands Hall, and had been amazed at the dreariness and want of all home comfort at the place, so that they did not like to leave him till his father came home; and how Captain Collis had not only thanked them warmly, but had asked them over to come and shoot rabbits the next day.
There was nothing to blame them for, but Felix had much rather it had never happened. Captain Collis was one of a race of squires who had never been very reputable, and had not risen greatly above the farmer. He had been in the army, and had the bearing of a gentleman; but ever since his wife"s death, he had lived an unsatisfactory sort of life at the Hall, always forward in sport, but not well thought of, and believed to be a good deal in debt. His only child, this Harry Collis, had been sent somewhat fitfully to the St. Oswald"s Grammar School, and had been rather a favourite companion of Lance"s; but separation had put an end to the intimacy, and this renewal was not at all to the taste of their eldest brother.
"It can"t be helped this time," he said, when he heard of the invitation; "I suppose you must go to-morrow, but I don"t fancy the concern."
Fulbert"s bristles began to rise, but Lance chatted gaily on. "But, Fee, you never saw such a place! Stables for nine hunters. Only think! And a horse entered for the Derby! We are to see him to- morrow. It is the jolliest place."
"Nine hunters!" moralised Clement; "they cost as much as three times nine orphans."
"And they are worth a dozen times as much as the nasty little beggars!" said Fulbert.
On which Angela put in the trite remark that the orphans had souls.
"Precious rum ones," muttered Fulbert; and in the clamour thus raised the subject dropped; but when next morning, in the openness of his heart, Lance invited Clement to go with them to share the untold joys of rabbit-shooting, he met with a decisive reply. "Certainly not! I should think your Dean would be surprised at you."
"Oh, the Dean is a kind old chap," answered Lance, off-hand; "whenever he has us to sing at a party, he tips us all round, thanks us, and tells us to enjoy ourselves in the supper-room, like a gentleman, as he is."
"Do you know what this Collis"s character is?"
"Hang his character! I want his rabbits."
And Lance was off with Fulbert; while Clement remained, to make Geraldine unhappy with his opinion of the temptations of Marshlands Hall, returning to the charge when Felix came in before dinner.
"Yes," said Felix briefly, "Mr. Froggatt has been telling me. It must be stopped."
"Have you heard of the mischief that--"
"Don"t be such a girl, Tina. I am going to do the thing, and there is no use in keeping on about it."
Felix had not called Clement Tina since he had been head of the family, and irritability in him was a token of great perplexity; for indeed his hardest task always was the dealing with Fulbert; and he was besides very sorry to balk the poor boys of one of their few chances of manly amus.e.m.e.nt.
He would have waited to utter his prohibition till the excitement should have worked off, but he knew that Clement would never hold his peace through the narrative of their adventures; so, as they had not come in when his work was over, he took Theodore on his arm, and retreated to the little parlour behind the shop, where he lay in wait, reading, and mechanically whistling tunes to Theodore, till he heard the bell, and went to open the door.
The gas showed them rosy, merry, glorious, and bespattered, one waving a couple of rabbits, and the other of pheasants, and trying to tickle Theodore"s cheeks with the long tails of the latter, of course frightening him into a fretful wail.
"Take Theodore upstairs, if you please, Lance," said Felix, "and then come down; I want you."
"The Captain was going to dine at Bowstead"s," said Fulbert, "so he drove us in his dog-cart. If the frost holds, we are to go out and skate on Monday."
Felix employed himself in putting away his papers, without answering.
"I had very good luck," continued Fulbert, "four out of six; wonderful for so new a hand, the Captain said."
"Such a lovely animal you never saw," said Lance, swinging himself downstairs. "You must walk out and see it, Fee, for you"ll have it in the Pursuivant some Sat.u.r.day."
"Lance, I am very sorry," said Felix, standing upright, with his back to the exhausted grate. "Just attend to me, both of you."
"Oh!" said Lance, hastily, "I know there"s a lot of old women"s gossip about Collis; but n.o.body minds such stuff. Harry is as good a lad as ever stepped; and there was no harm to be seen about the place;--was there, Ful?"
"The old Frog has been croaking," hoa.r.s.ely muttered Fulbert.
Boys of sixteen and fourteen were incapable of coercion by a youth of one-and-twenty, and the only appeal must be to conscience and reason, so Felix went on speaking, though he had seen from the first that Fulbert"s antagonism rendered him stolid, deaf, and blind; and Lancelot"s flushed cheeks, angry eyes, impatient attempts to interrupt, and scornful gestures told of scarcely repressed pa.s.sion.
"You may have seen no harm, I find no fault" (Fulbert scowled); "but if I had known what I do now I should not have let you go to-day. My father would rather have cut off his right hand than have allowed you to begin an acquaintance which has been ruinous to almost all the young men who have been in that set."
"But we are not young men," cried Lance, "it is only for the holidays; and we only want a little fun with poor Harry, he is so lonely--and just to go out rabbiting and skating. It is very hard we can"t be let alone the first time anything worth doing has turned up in this abominable, slow place."
"It is very hard, Lance. No one is more concerned than I; but if this intimacy once begins, there is no guessing where it will lead; and I do not speak without grounds. Listen--"
"If it comes from old Frog, you may as well shut up," said Lance.
"There"s been no peace at Marshlands since he took that cottage--a regular old nuisance and mischief-maker, spiting the Captain because one of the dogs killed his old c.o.c.k, and bothering Charlie to no end about him."
"I have heard from others as well," said Felix; and he briefly mentioned some facts as to the scandals of the dissipated household, some of the imputations under which Captain Collis lay, and named two or three of the young men whose unsatisfactory conduct was ascribed to his influence.
He saw that both lads were startled, and wound up with saying, "Therefore it is not without reason that I desire that you do not go there again."
With which words, he opened the door, turned off the gas, and walked upstairs, hearing on the way a growl of Fulbert"s--"That"s what comes of being cad to a stupid brute of an old tradesman;" and likewise a bouncing, rolling, and tumbling, and a very unchorister-like expletive from Lance, but he hurried up, like the conclave from the vault at Lindisfarn, only with a sinking heart, and looks that made his sisters say how tired he must be. The boys were seen no more, but sent word by Bernard that they were wet through, they should not dress, but should get some supper in the kitchen, and go to bed.
On Sunday Lance had recovered himself and his temper, but in the evening he made another attempt upon Felix in private. His heart was greatly set upon Marshlands, and he argued that there was no evil at all in what they had been doing, and entreated Felix to be content with the promise both were willing to make, to take no share in anything doubtful--not even to play at billiards, or cards--if that would satisfy him, said Lance, "but we will promise anything you please against playing, or betting, or--"
"I know, Lance, you once made such a promise, and kept it. I trust you entirely. But before, it would have been cruel to keep you from that sick boy; now this would be mere running into temptation for your own amus.e.m.e.nt."
"Harry is not much better off than Fernan was," said Lancelot, wistfully.