All the Year Round. a Weekly Journal
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"THE STORY <?F OUR LIVES FROM YEAR TO YEAR."-SHAKESPEARE. ALL THE YEAR ROUND. A WEEKLY JOURNAL. CONDUCTED BY C HARLES DICKEN S. WITH "WHICH IS INCORPORATED HOUSEHOLD WORDS. N°· 488.] SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1867. [PRICE 2d. age don't act Mentor to a pretty girl like 11iss MABEL'S PROGRESS. Thingnmmy from friendly interest. Chc! ehe! BY TDE AUTaOR OP .. AUNT lliBO.AUT'8 TBOtJDLE," I have lived scventy years in this quecr world, Geraldina mia, and I've sccn a good many queer BOOK IV. things in it, but I never saw that yet! Be. sides," added the old Indy, fanning herself via· CHAPTER v, TllE FRINCESS PUTS MORE COTTON lently, as she was wont to do when excited, IN HEll. EARS. " besides, even granting hi s friendly interest, for OLD Lady Popham, never very reticent in her t.he sake of argument, there can be no good speech, was especially confidential with Geral. reason why he should object to his friend's dine O'Brien; and the latter had not been very m~rrying Alfred Trescott. It would be a highly long in Dnblin before ber godmother had lold sUItable match." ber the whole story of Clement Charlewood's Of It seems so, certainly, so far as we know." visit to Cloncoolin, and of his strong disapproval H As far as we know! Why, of course, I of the idea of a marriage between the pretty know all about it. Alfred is a genius-a genius, "Ophelia" and Alfred Trescott. I tell you . And the girl, too, is very clever and "I heard be had been to see you, fairy charming, and likely to do well. Both young, godmother," said Geraldine. both ambitious, both artisls; it is perfect! "Oh, you did P Well now, wasn't it an odd quite perfect!" said Lady Popham, working I'roceeding, child P Not his coming to see me. herself up into one of her accustomed fits of That, under the circumstances, was quite na· enthusiasm. tnral, and I'm sure I was charmed, and all that "Yes," replied Miss O'Brien, thoughtfully; kind of thing. But the edraordinary motive of " Mr. Alfred Trescott is very clever, 110 doubt; his visit-for he told me with refresbing can· but I'm not at all sure that I should like my donr that he had not made the journey to Cion· my sister, for example, lo entrust her happiness coolin on my account! I declare, I thou/?ht at to his keeping." first tbat the man was in love with 'Opbelia' "Your sister!" cried my lady, stopping sbort himself. Bnt he denied it when I asked him, in a quick restless promenade up and down the point blank." long drawing.room. "Your sister! Ab, ce serait It may be remarked, in passin~, tbat this was tout autre cuose!" one of those inaccuracies to WhiCh Lady Popham Geraldinc made no answer, but sbe thought in her impulsiveness was liable. Clement, 10 his within herself that Clement Charlewood would ' conversation with her, had merely asserted that probably refuse to admit I he existence of any he was not engaged to Miss Bell. such wide and necessary distinction between his Miss O'Brien looked up with a bright blush friend Miss Bell and 11iss O'Brien's bypotheti. on her cheek: "Did he, tairy godmother P" cal sister. There had heen, for somc time, a "Yes, indeed he did. So I could only attri· desire growing in Geraldine's mind to makc the bnte his interference to a much less elcllsahle personal acquaintance of this girl, the m~ntion motive-enmity to yoong Trescott. I don't like of whose name had caused such commotIOn at stabbing people in the back. Why should he Bramley Manor; and Carlo Bensa's visit to try to injure the young fellow with me P" Merrion.square furnished her with the link ne· "I'm quite sure that Cle--, that Mr. Charlc· cessary for her purpose. Lady P opham had wood woUld stab no one in the back, my lady," never been accustom cd to put any restraint said Geraldine, indignantly. upon Ihe promptings of her curiosity with reo (C AndiamoJ andiamo J signorina mia! But I gard to tbe private history of her artistic pro· iell you he did it. Yes; he did it. Told me all te ~es · and Signor Bensa's Italian nature was sorts of bad things about .Alfred. And why ratheJ lIattered thau o\Tended by thc lively should he interfere P If he isn't in love with interest manifested by "miladi" in his family Miss What's.her.name himself, his motive must affairs. He could nnderstand reserve and con· have been hatred to young Trescott, as I said." ecalment upon points which he had an interest "He may have a friendly interest in the in keeping secret; hut the idea of a ret!cenee yonng lady, god mamma." which had for its objcct merely the aVOIdance "Friendly fiddlestick! A young man. of bis of a too easy familianty with persons for whom TOL. XTIII 433 146 [Augu.tlO,1S07.J ALL T.HE YEAR ROUND. [conducted by he neither fclt nor professed affection, was to herself, and told other )leople, to keep Geral. him, as it would be to IllOSt Italinns, completely dinc's rich godmother III as good humour as inconceivable. 11e t.herefore chattered on with might he. perfect good humour about his wife, and his 011 the morning of the day au which Clemen!; bally, a\ld his pnpils, and his prospects, and his Charlewood had had the conversation With wife's COUSIIl, MISS Dell, who wns so clever and Penelope recorded ill my last chapter, and had so good, and so much beloved by them all. And also visited Mrs. Saxelby at Hazelhurst, Miss after Lady Popham had Aiven hlln all the neees· O'Brien, followed by her old groom, rode quietly snry illstruetions about the arrangement of lbe into Kelly's.square, where Mrs. Walton lived. fort.hcoming conccIi, she proceeded to sound him Carlo Bensa had prepared Mabel for the visit. a litt.le as to his kuowledgc of Alfred Trescott's lt was impossible to decline .to see Miss O'Brien, private ebarneter. Bul hcre she found herself even had tbere been time to do so; but Mabel suddenly baOled . The vivacious lit tic man lost would have given much to avoid receiving no parbele of his vivacity, no sparkle from hi. her. eye, no brightness from IllS smile, but one might Aunt Mary and Uncle J ohn, ~uite uncon· as well have attempted to s-rasp a will·o'·the· scious of this feeling all their niece. part, were wisp as to get at his real opmion of the young much pleased by the kind mes.age that Benst fiddlcr. And yet Carlo Bensa could not be said llad brouliht, and by his report of the interest to be a guileful man. He was !10od hearted Lady Popham and M:i6s O'Brien had shown in and well intentioned. But to IllS mind and Mabel. conscience the case was clear: "miladi H had "I think it ver.v nice, indeed, .of tbe young taken a grent fancy to the handsome Alfredo. lady," said Mrs. Walton, "and a very becoming Benissimo! She was a great lady, and could at tention to so old and intimate a friend of the afford to indu4;e her caprices. Carlo Bensa family that her cousin has married into. I think might inilireeily be benefited by "miladi's" Miss O'Brieu', polite behaviour puts to sballa patronage of this unknown artist. Beuissimo ~{r. Walter Charlewood altogetller. He bas as-ain! He (Carlo) would do his best and earn never taken any notice of you, Mabel deIT, hiS money honestly; but tbat be 'vas to imperil since he bas been in Dublin. And you on .DeIl his place in "miladi's" good graces, and risk intimate terms with his family, almost like OM losin~ a good engagement for tbe sake of ex· of tliemselres!" pressmg his candid opinion that Alfred Trescott For Mrs. Walton had learned much about the was a selfish, idle, dissipated young rascal, in· Charlewoods, and about Mabel's intimacy at complete as an artist, and hateful as a man Bramley Manor, from Alfred Trescott. ·And ehe! ehe! Was he a fool, or an Englishman, though poor Mabel sometimes writhed under that he should do this thing 1 nut about" Miss her aunt's speeches on the subject, she could Bell," there was no such feeling . Of her he uot alfeet to deny the facts of tbe case. All she could talk heartily and frankly; und wben Miss could do was to assure Aunt Mary that her O'Brien, alleging as an excuse I,er family can· going on the stage had put a stop, to all famitior nexion with some very old and intimate friends intercourse between herself and the rich, pros of Miss Bell's at IIammerh.m, proposed to do perous Hammerham magnates. herself the pleasure of calling on that young "I don't see wby it should, at all," said lady, Cnrlo Bensa undcrtook to say that his Aunt Mary, slontly. But then John Earnshs. wife's cousin would feci much pleased and had patted his wife's hand, and reminded her, Oattcrcd by such a visit. smilingly, of the old lady in the Orkney Islands, It was arrmlged betwcen L ady Popham and who had found it necessary to reoounoe her Geraldi ne that the laller shoulll avail herself of third cousin, whom she had never seen, in con· the opportunity of her moruill~O ride-which sequence of his marriage with an actress.