His eye kindled as he spoke, and a dark frown gathered on his brow, adding, in a low fierce mutter as he left the steward"s room, "and with interest too, such as he does not expect." Mr Grooc.o.c.k, however, did not catch the words, and believing the matter settled was glad to get rid of his surly visitor.
The house was at length got ready. Lady Castleton and her daughter Julia, with Madame De La Motte, who had now become rather her companion than governess, arrived, and were shortly after joined by Algernon. He had sometime before left college, where he had taken high honours, and was looked upon as a young man likely to rise in the world. He was, however, very delicate, and hard study had contributed to make him somewhat of an invalid. As his mother observed his spare figure and the hectic flush on his pale cheeks, she could not help at times fearing that he would be but little able to go through the career for which his ambitious father destined him.
"He must get into parliament as soon as possible, and in a few years I hope we shall see him a Minister of State," Sir Ralph had observed to her as she was setting out from London.
He himself, however, had little wish to commence the career his father proposed.
"At present, at all events, let me enjoy Texford, and yours and Julia"s society, mother, and when my father vacates his seat for Mumbleton it will be time enough for me to decide whether or not I wish to occupy it," he said to Lady Castleton when she spoke to him of his father"s wish.
When Sir Ralph arrived he did not appear to remark how ill his son looked; he was so occupied with politics and his various projects that he troubled himself about little else. When his wife tried to draw his attention to Algernon his only reply was--
"Yes, he reminds me very much of myself when I was of the same age that he is. I was slight and tall, and I suspect that my cheeks were paler than his, although I was accustomed to more exercise than he indulges in, and was fonder of riding and field sports. If he would take to hunting and shooting he would soon get round, and be well able to go through a political campaign in London."
The time of mourning for the old baronet was over. Several guests had arrived, others had been invited, and whatever some of the tenants might have thought of the exactions, as they considered them, which the new baronet had imposed, there appeared every probability that Texford would become a far more lively and sociable mansion than it had been during the latter years of Sir Reginald"s life.
CHAPTER TWENTY.
YOUNG MILES GAFFIN.
Sir Ralph and his family had been for some time settled at Texford, when the dame brought the news, gained from her usual source of information, Mr Grooc.o.c.k, that Mr Harry with another officer were daily expected at the hall.
"Mr Grooc.o.c.k says that Mr Harry has done all sorts of brave things, and that he will be captain himself before long," observed the dame to her husband and May, who had just then come in from Downside to pay her a visit. "It seems but the other day that he was a young midshipman, and now to think that he is old enough to be captain of a big ship, though he cannot be _very_ old either."
"I have known captains of nineteen," observed Adam; "and though they had not much experience, when it came to real work they did it as well as their elders and better than many. It"s not so much what age a man is as what is in him, and that will show itself even though he has not got a hair on his lip."
"Mr Grooc.o.c.k says there are to be grand doings at the hall in honour of Mr Harry"s return from sea," continued the dame. "All the tenantry are to be invited, and the labourers and tradesmen and workpeople from Morbury, and the fishermen too from Hurlston; and he made me promise to come and to bring my daughter, for he always calls you my daughter, May, and seems to forget what I once told him, for I am sure I did tell him all about you, though in truth you are my daughter, if a mother"s love can make you one."
"I trust that I always shall enjoy that love," said May, taking the dame"s hand. "I think I should like to go with you to Texford if the ladies do not object, for they certainly will not go. Miss Mary would not like the crowd, which I suppose there will be, and indeed it is possible that they may not quite approve of such proceedings; besides which, Sir Ralph and Lady Castleton have never asked them to the hall since they took possession, though her ladyship once called at Downside and left her card, but when Miss Jane returned the visit she was not admitted, and has not felt disposed to call again."
"But the ladies must remember Mr Harry, as they were staying with Sir Reginald when he was last there, and Mr Grooc.o.c.k says that he was as great a favourite with them as he was with everybody, so perhaps for the sake of seeing him, if they are asked, they may be persuaded to go,"
remarked the dame.
"Not if they consider it wrong to give such a fete," answered May. "I am uncertain of the opinion they will form. I cannot myself think it wrong to afford amus.e.m.e.nt to a number of people from whom they cannot expect to receive the slightest benefit in return."
"Well, if you don"t go with the ladies, May, I hope you will come with me. I should have little pleasure by myself; if I was to see you liking it I should be pleased also. You need not go and dance in the crowd. I should not wish to see you do that, even if you were really my daughter; but as you are a young lady, and there is no doubt about that, it would not be proper for you to mix with any but young ladies, and that, perhaps as you would not know any of those present, you would not wish to do."
"No, indeed," answered May. "It is strange that I should never in my life have spoken to a young lady, and I have no notion, except from the descriptions given in Miss Burney"s novels, of the way young ladies in general behave, or speak, or think. I should be terribly afraid of them if they are like some of the heroines whose histories I have met with in "Evelina and Cecilia," which I have read to Miss Mary, and in a new story she has lately had sent to her, called "Camilla," but I have not finished it yet."
"I don"t know what sort of young ladies are put into books; but you need not be at all afraid of anyone, May, I am sure of that," observed the dame. "I have known several young ladies in my time. There was poor Miss Ellen Castleton, and three very nice girls who all married well at another house where I was in service, and they could not have held a candle to you, that they couldn"t; but I must not say that for fear of making you vain, my dear. Just do you feel what is true, that you are equal to any of them and that will make you comfortable and at home.
However, as Mr Harry has not come home and the day is not yet fixed, there will be time to talk about it; only if the ladies say anything just tell them that I should be so much obliged if they would let you go, and that I will take good care of you, and you shall come to no harm or do anything they won"t like."
May gladly promised, for she felt curious to see Texford, since she had only a very faint recollection of the place.
As evening was approaching she wished her foster-parents good-bye. Just as she left the house Jacob came up from the boat. She greeted him in her usual unaffected way, but he seemed even less at his ease than he had been of late when he met her.
"Brother Jacob," said May, "I am so glad you are come. I wanted to ask you to collect me some sh.e.l.ls, as many as you can find time to gather; not all winkles and c.o.c.kles, remember, but as great a variety as possible. The ladies have a fancy for making a grotto in the garden, and I have undertaken to adorn the inside with shapes of all sorts of strange creatures to be formed with the sh.e.l.ls. They will, I am sure, gladly pay you for your trouble, and I shall be much obliged to you if you can get them as soon as possible."
"If it"s to please you, Miss May, I will do it with all my heart, and I want no payment," answered Jacob, his strong manly voice trembling more than he was aware of. Jacob was now a fine specimen of a stout young sailor.
"What has come over you, Jacob?" exclaimed May, with a look of surprise, yet laughing as she spoke. "I never heard you call me Miss May before.
I hope you are not offended at my saying that the ladies would pay you; they would not think it fair to employ your time without some recompense."
"But if it"s for you, I want no pay, and cannot take it," said Jacob, his voice softening as he spoke. "I will get the sh.e.l.ls, that I will gladly, as many basketfuls as you may want; only tell me when I bring them if there are not enough, and I will get more."
"Thank you, Jacob, I am sure you will," said May, and without further noticing his peculiar manner she tripped lightly away on her homeward road.
Jacob stood gazing at her with his hand on the door till she was out of sight. He then, instead of entering the cottage as he had previously intended, made his way in the direction she had gone.
May continued her walk towards Downside. Having stopped at the cottage of an old woman (one of the many the Miss Pembertons were in the habit of visiting) to enquire whether she had got over her last attack of rheumatics, May, as she turned round, caught sight of Jacob in the distance. It was not the first time she had discovered him following her, but she knew him too well not to believe that he had some good motive for so doing.
"Mother has not got over her fear of that man Miles Gaffin, and sends Jacob to watch that he does not run off with me, as she used to fancy he would do when I was a little girl," she said to herself.
The old dame a.s.sured her that she was much better for the stuff Miss Jane had sent, when May, as she wished her good-bye, looked back once more, but Jacob had disappeared. She therefore continued her walk, taking little further thought of him. Once, however, as she happened to turn her head for a moment, she fancied that she saw him, but he again disappeared round a corner.
She was still some way from Downside when, on a part of the road where there were no cottages in sight, she observed a young man leaning against a gate at some little distance in front. He was dressed in the fashionable costume of the day--a green riding coat and top-boots, with a huge frill to his shirt, while his hat was set rakishly on one side.
Though his features were not bad his countenance had a coa.r.s.e unpleasant expression, and notwithstanding the dress he wore his appearance was not that of a gentleman.
On seeing May he started forward and advanced towards her. Making her a bow as he approached, he said--
"Highly pleased, Miss, to meet you. I have been on the look-out for the last two hours. I thought you were not coming."
May did not reply, but moved on.
The young buck, however, was not to be daunted.
"Saw you at church last Sunday, and thought you had seen me; but I suppose you were attending to the parson, or your eyes were on the prayer-book."
May, wondering who this intruder could be, and beginning to feel excessively annoyed at his impertinence, walked on as fast as she could.
As he spoke of having seen her at church, she recollected remarking in a pew at some distance a youth who appeared to be staring at her.
"I fancy you must be under some mistake in addressing me," she said at last. "I am residing with the Miss Pembertons, and wish to have no acquaintances unless introduced to me by them."
"No, Miss, I do a.s.sure you that I am under no mistake whatever,"
answered the youth, in a tone of a.s.surance. "I have not the honour of being acquainted with the old ladies, but I have great respect for them on account of the care they take of you. They are not likely to be acquainted with a young buck like me, though they cannot object to your being so, and I would only ask you to give me the favour of seeing you safe home."
"Thank you, sir, I am very well acquainted with the road and require no one to accompany me," said Mary, a.s.suming as composed and dignified an air as she could put on. She, however, unaccustomed to a.s.sume any manner besides her own natural one, did not succeed much to her satisfaction. Her annoyance was greatly increased when, notwithstanding her remarks, the youth persevered in walking by her side. She now began to regret that she had not invited Jacob to accompany her, for she was very sure that no one would have ventured to have spoken to her thus had he been her attendant. She instinctively looked round in the hopes that he might still be following, but she could not see him. She therefore went on, trusting that her silence would induce the impertinent stranger to allow her to proceed alone.
"Ah, Miss, though you don"t seem to know me I have known you for all your life nearly. I am young Miles Gaffin, and I remember when you were a little girl living with old Halliburt and his wife, and I often saw you when I came home for the holidays, though I have been now long away from Hurlston studying the law, in which I hope to make a figure some day. A fine profession for making money, and the only way to make a figure in the world is to get that, in my opinion," and he laughed at his own intended wit.
Still May kept on her way in silence.
"Can this person be a son of that dreadful man Gaffin?" she thought.
"If the stories about the miller are true it is the sort of conduct to be expected from a son of his."
She felt that her best course was not to speak to the youth whatever he might say.