The Parson O' Dumford Part 37

"There, let her alone," said Richard, defiantly.

"I knew it, Eve," continued Mrs Glaire, speaking with suppressed anger; "but on my remonstrating, he promised me that it should all be at an end, and for the time, like a weak, foolish mother, I believed in his honour as a gentleman, and that he would keep his word to me and be faithful to you. You see how he keeps his word."

"There, that'll do," cried Richard, defiantly. "I'm not going to be bullied. I like the girl, and shall marry her if I choose."

"Liar! Coward!" exclaimed Mrs Glaire. "You would not marry her: but break the miserable girl's heart, as you would break that of your cousin, if I would stand by and see you do the wrong."

"Oh no, no, no, aunt--aunt--pray don't," sobbed Eve, interposing. "You are hard upon dear d.i.c.k, aunt. He does not care for her: it is some mistake. He cannot care for her. It is Daisy's doing; the wicked girl has led him away. d.i.c.k, dear d.i.c.k, tell me, tell me, you don't love her, that--that--Oh, d.i.c.k, it can't--it can't be true."

She threw herself sobbing on his breast, but with a degree of force, hardly to be expected from her, Mrs Glaire drew Eve away and stood between them.

"No," she exclaimed, "he shall not touch you; he shall never touch you again till this disgrace is wiped away, and he has shown himself in some way worthy of your love; for I will not stand by and see your future blasted by the action of a son who has proved himself a scoundrel."

"Look here, mother," cried Richard, hotly, "I'm not going to stand all this. You want me to marry Eve, and I shall marry her some day; but if I choose to be a bit gay first I shall. I'm my own master and shall do as I like."

"Worse and worse!" exclaimed Mrs Glaire, whose voice was now an angry whisper. "Not one blush of shame--not one word of sorrow or humility before the pure, sweet, forgiving girl, whose feelings you have outraged. I ask myself again--as I could almost say, thank G.o.d your father is not alive to know it!--is this my son?"

"There, confound your heroics!" exclaimed Richard, impatiently.

"You say I want you to marry Eve, and that some day you will," continued Mrs Glaire. "Disabuse your mind, Richard, for I do not wish you to many Eve, and marry her you shall not."

"There, that'll do," cried Richard; "I've had enough of this. Here, come along with me, Evey. I'll walk home with you and explain all."

He tried to take Eve's hand, to draw through his arm, but she drew back from him, looking cold and pale, while her eyes dilated, and she shuddered slightly.

"Here, walk home with me, you little silly," he continued.

"No--no--no," said Eve, slowly, as she turned from him, and clinging to Mrs Glaire's arm, she hid her face upon her aunt's shoulder, as in those few moments her girlhood's innocent belief and trust in her cousin pa.s.sed away, and with the eyes of a woman she for the first time saw him in his true character.

"As you like," said Richard, flippantly, and a.s.suming an injured tone.

"You'll be sorry for this."

No one answered him, for Mrs Glaire drew Eve's arm through hers, and without a word they walked hastily home.

"d.a.m.n it all!" exclaimed Richard, taking the cigar from his mouth, and throwing it impatiently down. "How cursedly unlucky. Well, I don't care: they must have known it some day. Evey will soon forget it all, and I shall easily get round the old woman with a bit of coaxing. Now where's little Daisy?"

He walked hastily down the path by which she had fled, knowing only too well that it led farther into the wood, and feeling sure that he should find her waiting for him to join her.

He was quite right, for before long he came upon her, sitting down and crying as though her heart would break.

"Hallo! little pet," he cried; and she started up in a frightened way at his words, "what have you got to cry about? I'm the one that ought to bellow. See what a wigging I've had."

"Oh, Mr Richard!" sobbed Daisy.

"There, _Mister_ Richard again," he cried, catching her in his arms.

"Then d.i.c.k, dear d.i.c.k, there must be no more of this, I shall never be able to hold my face up in the place again."

"Stuff!" he cried, "come along."

"No, no," she sobbed. "I'm going straight home now."

"Just as you like," he said, cavalierly, and he took out his cigar-case.

"Don't be angry with me, d.i.c.k, please; for I'm so unhappy," sobbed the girl.

"You've got nothing to be unhappy about, I'm sure," he said. "It's only what, I told you. The old woman won't stand it, and we shall have to make a bolt. You see it now yourself."

"Ah, but father--mother, d.i.c.k."

"They'll soon come round, like my old lady will."

"But I couldn't go, d.i.c.k, dear d.i.c.k. Do pray speak to father."

"Not I," said the young fellow, coolly.

"Then let me, pray let me."

"No, nor I shan't let you do that neither. He won't mind; and I'm not going to be talked to and patted on the back and that sort of stuff. If you love me as you say you do, you'll listen to what I say."

Daisy looked at him uneasily, and then turned away her face, sobbing to herself, "Oh, dear."

"Now then," continued d.i.c.k, "let's finish our walk."

"No, no," sobbed Daisy, "I must go back home now."

"Not yet you won't," he said, angrily.

"But indeed, indeed I must, d.i.c.k, dear d.i.c.k. Pray don't speak crossly to me."

"You get worse and worse," he said. "There's always some silly excuse ready."

"But I must--indeed I must go home now, d.i.c.k," cried Daisy, imploringly.

"And I say you shan't yet," said the young man, half angrily, half laughing; and then--"Curse it--there's that Tom Podmore again, with young Maine. Did you know he was coming?"

"No, no: indeed no," cried the girl, reproachfully.

"He's always watching us," cried Richard, and catching Daisy's arm, he walked with her rapidly down a path leading to one of the outlets of the wood, where they parted, Daisy hurrying home to be received with a quiet nod by her father, who was just going out, while her mother looked at her curiously as she went to take off her things.

Volume 2, Chapter III.

BANKS'S OBSTINACY.

Joe Banks made his way straight through the place to the big house, where, on knocking at the front door, it was evident that he was expected, the girl saying quietly--

"Missus will see you in her room, Mr Banks."