Janet's Love and Service Part 60

"Ain't you most afraid that it might hurt her to hear you say so?" said Mr Snow, his eyes never leaving his wife's face. They were quite alone by this time. Will had obeyed the call of the children, and was gone away.

"No, I am not afraid. She knows I would not hurt her willingly, by word or deed, so you must let me say how very glad I am we lost her, for her sake. And when I remember all that she has lived through--all the sorrow she has seen; knowing her steadfast, loving, heart, and how little she is given to change, yet seeing her happy, and with power to make others happy, it gives me courage to look into the future; it makes me less afraid."

His eyes left his wife's face now, and turned, with a look of wonder, to Graeme.

"What is it, dear?" he asked. "Is there anything I may not know?"

"No. Only I am glad for Janet's sake, and for yours, and for mine, too, because--"

It would not have been easy to say more, and, besides, the others were coming up the walk, and, partly because there were tears in her eyes, and partly because she shrunk nervously from the excessive friendliness with which it seemed to be Mrs Grove's intention on the occasion to distinguish her, she turned, hoping to escape. She did not succeed, however, and stood still at the door, knowing very well what would be Mrs Grove's first remark.

"Ah! I see you have an eye for the beautiful."

She had heard her say it just as many times as she had stood with her on that very beautiful spot; and she never expected to stand there without hearing it, certainly not if, as on the present occasion, there were strangers there too. It was varied a little, this time.

"You see, Mr Green, Miss Elliott has an eye for the beautiful. I knew we should find her here, with her friends."

The rest was as usual.

"Observe how entirely different this is, from all the other views about the place. There is not a glimpse of the river, or of the mountains, except that blue line of hills, very distant indeed. The scene is quite a pastoral one, you see. Can you imagine anything more tranquil? It seems the very domain of silence and repose."

The last remark was not so effective as usual, because of the noise made by Charlie Millar and Will, and the young Groves, as they ran along the broad walk full in sight.

"It is a bonny, quiet place," said Mrs Snow.

"The garden is not seen at its best now," continued Mrs Grove. "The beauty of the spring flowers is over, and except the roses, we have not many summer flowers; we make a better show later in the season."

"It looks first-rate," said Mr Snow.

"It costs a great deal of trouble and expense to keep it up as it ought to be kept," continued Mrs Grove. "I sometimes think it is not right to spend so much time and money for what is a mere gratification to the eye."

Mrs Grove was bent on being agreeable, to all present, and she thought "the economical dodge" was as good as any, considering her audience.

"There is something in that," said Mr Snow, meditatively; "but a place like this ought to be a great deal more than that, I think."

"Oh! I expect it pays," said Mr Green. "To people who are fond of such things, I expect there is more pleasure to be got for the same money from a garden than from 'most any other thing."

"To say nothing of the pleasure given to other folk--to one's friends,"

suggested Mrs Snow.

"I was calculating that, too," said Mr Green. "The pleasure one's friends get tells on one's own comfort; you feel better yourself, if the folks about you feel well, especially if you have the doing of it.

_That_ pays."

"If we are travelling in the right road, the more we see of the beautiful things G.o.d has made, the better and the happier we will be,"

said Mr Snow. "It will pay in that way, I guess."

He turned an inquiring look on Mr Green, as he spoke, but that gentleman, probably not being prepared to speak advisedly on the subject, neither agreed nor dissented, and his eyes travelled on till they rested on the face of his wife.

"Yes," said, she, softly, "the more we see of G.o.d's love and wisdom in the beautiful things He has made, the more we shall love Him, and in loving Him we shall grow like Him."

Mr Snow nodded. Mr Green looked curiously from one to the other as they spoke.

"I suppose we may expect something wonderful in the way of gardens and pleasure-grounds, when you have completed your place, Mr Green," said Mrs Grove, who did not care that the conversation should take a serious turn on this occasion. She flattered herself that she had already won the confidence and admiration of Mr and Mrs Snow, by her warmly-expressed sympathy with their "rather peculiar" views and opinions. Whether Mr Green would be so fortunate was questionable, so she went on quickly,--

"Miss Elliott, Mr Green has been telling me about his place as we come up the garden. It must be very lovely, standing, as it does, on the borders of one of those vast prairies that we all admire."

Thus appealed to, it was unpardonable in Graeme that she should respond to the lady's admiring enthusiasm with only the doubtful a.s.sent implied in a hesitating "Indeed;" but her enthusiasm was not to be damped.

"There must be something grand and elevating in the constant view of a prairie. It must tend to enlarge one's ideas, and satisfy one; don't you think so, Miss Elliott?"

"I don't know," said Graeme, hesitatingly. "For a place of residence, I should suppose it might be a little dull, and unvaried."

"Of course, if there was nothing besides the prairie; but, with such a residence as Mr Green's--I forget what style of architecture it is."

But Mr Green was not learned on the subject of architecture, and said nothing about it. He only knew that people called his house a very handsome one, and that it had cost him a deal of money, and he said so, emphatically, adding his serious doubts whether the investment would "pay."

"Oh! you cannot tell yet," said Mrs Grove. "That will depend altogether on circ.u.mstances. It is quite time that you were settling down into a quiet family man. You have been roaming about the world quite long enough. I don't at all approve of the European trip, unless, indeed--"

She paused, and looked so exceedingly arch and wise, that Mr Green looked a little puzzled and foolish by contrast, perhaps.

"Miss Elliott," continued Mrs Grove, bent on carrying out her laudable intention of drawing Graeme into the conversation, "have you quite decided on not accompanying your brother?"

"Accompanying Will? Oh! I have never for a moment thought of such a thing. The expense would put it quite out of the question, even if there were no other reasons against it."

"Indeed, then I must have misunderstood you when I fancied I heard you say how much you would like to go. I thought you longed for a chance to see Scotland again."

"I daresay you heard me say something of the kind. I should like to visit Scotland very much, and other countries, too. And I intend to do so when I have made my fortune," added she, laughing.

"Or, when some one has made it for you; that would do as well, would it not?" asked Mrs Grove.

"Oh, yes! a great deal better. When some one makes my fortune for me, I shall visit Europe. I think I may promise that."

"Have you ever been West, yet, Miss Elliott? You spoke of going at one time, I remember," said Mr Green.

"Never yet. All my travelling has been done at the fireside. I have very much wished to visit my brother Norman. I daresay Rose and I will find ourselves there some day," added she, turning to Mr Snow.

"Unless we keep you in Merleville," said he, smiling.

"Oh! well, I am very willing to be kept there on certain conditions you know."

"How do you suppose f.a.n.n.y could ever do without you?" asked Mrs Grove, reproachfully.

"Oh! she would miss us, I daresay. But I don't think we are absolutely necessary to her happiness."

"Of course, she will have to lose you one of these days. We cannot expect that you will devote yourself to your brothers always, I know."

"Especially as they don't stand in particular need of my devotion," said Graeme stiffly, as she offered her arm to Mrs Snow. "Let us walk, again. What can Will and the children be doing? Something extraordinary, if one may judge by the noise."

Mrs Grove rose to go with them, but lingered a moment behind to remark to Mr Snow on the exceeding loveliness of Miss Elliott's disposition and character, her great superiority to young ladies in general, and especially on the devotion so apparent in all her intercourse with her old friend.