Lady Hester; Or, Ursula's Narrative Read online

  CHAPTER III.

  THE PEERAGE CASE.

  The end came suddenly at last, when we were thinking my dear fathermore tranquil. He passed away in sleep late one evening, just ten daysafter Hester's arrival. She had gone back to her lodgings, and we didnot send to tell her till the morning; but by nine o'clock she was inthe house.

  We had crept down to breakfast, Jaquetta and I, feeling very dreary inthe half-light, and as if desolation had suddenly come on us; and whenwe heard her fly drive up to the door, Jaquetta cried out almostangrily, "Torwood, how could you!" and we would have run away, but hesaid, "Stay, dear girls; it is better to have it over."

  As she came in he rang the bell as if for family prayers, and she hadonly asked one or two questions, which he answered shortly, when allthe servants came in, some crying sadly. Fulk read a very fewprayers--as much as he had voice for, and then, as all stood up, he hadto clear his voice, but he spoke firmly enough.

  "It is right that you all should know that a grave doubt has arisen asto my position here. Lord Trevorsham had every reason to believe hisfirst wife had perished by the hands of the Red Indians long before hemarried my mother. What he did was done in entire ignorance--no breathof blame must light on him. This lady alleges that she can produceproofs that she is his daughter, and that her mother only died inFebruary, '36. If these proofs be considered satisfactory by acommittee of the House of Lords, then she and Alured Torwood Trevorwill be shown to be his only legitimate children. I shall place thematter in the right hands as soon as possible--that is" (for she wasglaring at him), "as soon as the funeral is over. Until that decisionis made I request that no one will call me by the title of him who isgone; but I shall remain here to take care of my little brother, whoseguardian my father wished me to be; and for the present, at least, Ishall make no change in the establishment."

  I think everyone held their breath: there was a great stillness overall--a sort of hush of awe--and then some of the maids began sobbing,and the butler tried to say something, but he quite broke down; andjust then a troubled voice cried out--

  "Torwood, Torwood, what is this?"

  And there we saw Bertram in the midst of us, with the haggard look of aman who had travelled all night, and a dismayed air that I can neverforget.

  He had been quartered at Belfast, and we had written to him the dayafter my father's illness, to summon him home, but there were notelegraphs nor railways; and there had been some hindrance about hisleave, so that it had taken all that length of time to bring him. Fulkhad left all to be told on his arrival. He had come by the mail-coach,and walked up from the Trevorsham Arms, where he had been told of ourfather's death; and so had let himself in noiselessly, and was standingin the dining-room door, hearing all that Fulk said!

  Poor fellow! Jaquetta flung herself on him, hiding her face againsthim, while the servants went, and before any one else could speak,Hester stood forth, and said, to our amazement--

  "Captain Trevor! You know me. You can and must bear me witness, anddo me justice--"

  "You! I have seen you before--but--where? I beg your pardon," hesaid, bewildered.

  "You remember Sault St. Pierre farm?" she said.

  "Sault St. Pierre! What? You are Mrs. Lea! Good heavens! Where isyour mother?"

  "My mother is dead, sir. You were the first person who made known toher that her husband, my father, was not dead, but had taken--orpretended to take--an English woman for his wife."

  "Wait!" thundered Fulk, "whatever my father did was ignorantly andhonourably done!"

  Bertram was as pale as death, and looked from one of us to the other,and at last, he gasped out--

  "And that--was what she meant?"

  "There, sir," said Hester, turning to Torwood, "You see your brothercannot deny it! You will not refuse justice to me, and my son."

  I fancy she expected that the house was to be given up to her, and thatwe were only to remain there on her sufferance, perhaps till after thefuneral.

  My brother spoke, "Justice will no doubt be done; but the question doesnot lie between you and me, but between me and Alured. It is, as Isaid, a peerage question--and will be decided by the peers.Incidentally, that enquiry will prove what is your position and rank,as well as what may or may not be ours. Any further points depend uponmy father's will, and that will be in the hands of Mr. Eagles. I thinkyou can see that it would be impossible, as well as unfeeling, to takeany steps until after the funeral."

  Whatever Hester Lea was, she was a high-spirited being, standing there,a solitary woman, a stranger, with all of us four, and one wholehousehold, as it must have seemed, against her. I was outraged andshocked at her defiance at the time, but when, some time after, Ire-read King John, I saw that there was something of Constance in her.

  "That may be," she answered, "but when my child's interests are atstake, I cannot haggle over conventionalities and proprieties. I amthe Earl of Trevorsham's only legitimate daughter, and I claim my rightto remain in his house, and to take charge of my infant brother."

  A sign from Fulk stopped me, as I was going to scream at this.

  "Remember," he said, "your identity has yet to be proved."

  "Your brother there must needs witness. He has done so."

  "What do you witness to, Bertram?" asked Fulk.

  "I do not know; I cannot understand," said Bertram. "I saw this personin a farm in Lower Canada, and there was an old lady who seemed to haveknown my father, and was very much amazed to find he was not killed in1814. I did not hear her name, nor know whose mother she was, noranything about her, nor what this dreadful business means."

  "At any rate," said Fulk to her, "your claim to remain in the housemust depend on the legal proof of the fact. My father's first marriageis undoubted, but absolute legal certainty that you are the child ofthat marriage alone can entitle you to take rank as his daughter; and,therefore, I am not compelled to admit your claim to remain here,though if you will refrain from renewing this discussion till after thefuneral, I will not ask you to leave the house."

  "I do not recognize your right to ask or not to ask," she said,undauntedly.

  "I am either Lord Trevorsham's rightful heir--and it is not yet shownthat I am not--or else I am the guardian he appointed for his son. Iknow this to be so, and Mr. Eagles, who will soon be here, will show itto you in the will if you wish it. Therefore, until the decision ismade, when, if it goes against me, the child will no doubt be made award in Chancery, I am the person responsible for him and his property."

  "I have no doubt you will take advantage of me and of every quibbleagainst me;" and there at last she began to break down; "but if thereis justice in heaven or earth my child shall have it, though you andall were leagued against him."

  And there she began to sob. And those brothers of mine, they actuallygrew compassionate; they ran after wine; they called us to bring salts,and help her. Emily shuddered, and put her hands behind her; butJaquetta actually ran up to the woman, and coaxed her and comfortedher, when I had rather have coaxed a tigress.

  But I had to go to the table and pour out tea and give it to her withall the rest. I don't know how we got through that breakfast. But wedid, and then I made the housekeeper put her into the very best rooms.Anything if she would only stay there out of the way.

  When I came back, I found Fulk explaining why he had spoken at once,and he said he felt that she would have no scruples about taking theinitiative, and that everyone would be having surmises.

  Poor Bertram was even more cut up than we were. It came more suddenly,and he felt as if it was all his doing. He had no hope, and he tookall ours away. There had been something in the old woman thatimpressed him as genuine, and he had no doubt that she had known andloved our father. Nay, no one could suspect Hester of not believing inher own story; the only question was whether the links of evidencecould be substantiated.

  The next thing that happened--I can't tell which day it was--was Mrs.Deerhurst's coming, professing to be dre
adfully shocked and overcome bymy father's death, to take away Emily. She must be so much in our way.I, who saw her first, answered only by begging to keep her--our greatcomfort and the one thing that cheered and upheld my brother.

  Mrs. Deerhurst looked keenly at me; and I began to wonder what sheknew, but just then came Fulk into the room, with his calm, set,determined face. I knew he would rather speak without me, so I wentaway, and only knew what he could bear to tell me afterwards.

  Mrs. Deerhurst had been a great deal kinder than he expected. No doubtshe would not break the thing off while there was a shred of hope thathe was an earl; but he could not drive her to allow, in so many words,that it must depend upon that.

  He had quite made up his mind that it was not right to enjoy Emily'spresence and the comfort it gave him, unless he was secure of Mrs.Deerhurst's permitting the engagement under his possible circumstances.

  I believe he nattered himself she would, and let her deceive him withthinking so, instead of, as we all did, seeing that what she wanted wasto secure the credit of being constant and disinterested in case heretained his position. So, although she took Emily home, she left himcheered and hopeful, admiring her, and believing that she so regardedher daughter's happiness that, if he had enough to support her, shewould overlook the loss of rank and title. He went on half the eveningtalking about what a remarkable woman Mrs. Deerhurst was; and, at anyrate, it cheered him up through those worst days.

  Our Lupton uncles came, and were frightfully shocked and incredulous;at least, Uncle George was. Uncle Lupton himself remembered somethingof my father having told him of a former affair in America.

  They would not let Jaquetta and me go to the funeral; and they werewise, for Hester thrust herself in--but it is of no use to think aboutthat. Indeed, there is not much to tell about that time, and I neednot go into the investigation. It was all taken out of our hands, asmy brother had said. Perrault came over from Canada, and brought hiswitnesses, but not Joel Lea. He had nothing to prove, hadconscientious scruples about appearing in an English court of justice,and still hoped it would all come to nothing.

  We stayed on at the London house--the lawyers said we ought, and thatpossession was "nine-tenths," &c. Besides, we wanted advice for Baby,who had been worse of late.

  The end of it was that it went against us. Faith's marriage, heridentity, and Hester's, were proved beyond all doubt, and little Aluredwas served Earl of Trevorsham. Poor child, how ill he was just then!It was declared water on the brain! I could hardly think aboutanything else; but they all said it seemed like a mockery, and that hewould not bear the title a week. And then Lady Hester would have been,not Countess of Trevorsham, but Viscountess Torwood, and at any rateshe halved the personal property: all that had been meant for us.

  For we already knew that there was nothing in the will that could do usany good. All depended on my mother's marriage settlements, and as themarriage was invalid they were so much waste paper.

  My uncles, to whom my poor mother's fortune reverted, would not touchit, and gave every bit back to us; but it was only 10,000 pounds, andwhat was that among the four of us?

  I was in a sort of maze all the time, thinking of very little beyonddear little Alured's struggle for life, and living upon his littlefaint smiles when he was a shade better.

  Jaquetta has told me more of what passed than I heeded at the time.

  Our brothers decided not to retain the Trevor name, to which we had noright; but they had both been christened Torwood; after an old familycustom, and they thought it best to use this still as a surname.

  Bertram felt the shame, as he would call it, the most; but Fulk held uphis head more. He said where there was no sin there was no shame; andthat to treat ourselves as under a blot of disgrace was insulting ourparents, who had been mistaken, but not guilty.

  Bertram was determined against returning to his regiment, and it wouldhave been really too expensive. His plan was to keep together, and layout our capital upon a piece of ground in New Zealand, which wasbeginning to be settled.

  Jaquetta was always ready to be delighted. Dear child, her head wasfull of log huts and Robinson Crusoe life, and cows to milk herself;and I really think she would have liked to go ashore in the Swissfamily's eight tubs!

  The thorough change, after all the sorrow, seemed delicious to her! Iheard her and Bertram laughing down below, and wondered if they got thelength of settling what dogs they would take out!

  And Fulk! He really had almost persuaded himself that Emily would gowith us; or at the very worst, would wait till he had achievedprosperity and could come home and fetch her.

  Mrs. Deerhurst had declared that waiting for the decision was so badfor her nerves, that she must take her to Paris; and actually our dearold stupid fellow had not perceived what that meant, for the woman hadlet him part tenderly with Emily in London, with promises of writing,&c., the instant the case was decided. It passed his powers to supposeshe could expose her daughter's heart to such a wreck. So he held up,cheerful and hopeful, thinking what a treasure of constancy he had!And when they had built their castle in New Zealand, they sent upJaquey to call me to share it with them. Baby was asleep, and I wentdown; but when I heard the plan--it was cross to be so unsympathizing,but I did feel hurt and angry at their forgetting him; and I said, "Ishall never leave Alured."

  "Ursula! you could not stay by yourself," said Jaquey. And Bertram,who had hardly ever seen him, and could not care for him said it wasnonsense, and even if there were a chance of the child living, I couldnot be left behind.

  I was wrought up, and broke out that he would and should live, and thatI would come as a stranger, a nursery governess, and watch over him,and never abandon him to Hester.

  "Never fear, Ursula," said Fulk, "if he lives, he will be in safehands."

  "Safe hands! What are safe hands for a child like that! Hester's, whoonly wishes him out of her way?"

  "For shame!" the others said, and I answered that, of course, I did notthink Hester meant ill by him, but that, where the doctors had saidonly love and care could save him--no care was safe where he was notloved; and I cried very, very bitterly, more than I had done even formy father, or for anything else before; and I fell into a storm ofpassion, at the cruelty of leaving the poor little thing, whom hisdying mother had trusted to me, and declared I would never, never do it.

  I was right in the main, it seems to me, but unjust and naughty in theway I did it; and when Fulk, with some hesitation, began to talk of mynot being asked to go just yet--not while the child lived--I turnedround in a really violent, naughty fit, with--"You too, Fulk, I thoughtyou loved your little brother better than that? You only want to berid of him, and leave him to Hester, and he will die in her hands."

  Fulk began to say that the Court of Chancery never gave the custody tothe next heir. But I rushed away again to the nursery, and sat there,devising plans of disguising myself in a close cap and blue spectacles,and coming to offer myself as Lord Trevorsham's governess.

  The child had no relations whatever on his mother's side, and though,if he had been healthy, nurses and tutors might have taken care of thisbaby lordship, even that would have been sad enough; and for the feeblelittle creature, whose life hung on a thread, how was it to be thoughtof? I fully made up my mind to stay, even if they all went. I toldJaquetta, so--in my vehemence dashed all her bright anticipation, andsent her again in tears to bed. I wish unhappiness would not make oneso naughty!

  The next day poor Fulk was struck down. A letter came from Mrs.Deerhurst to break off the engagement, and a great parcel containingall the things he had given Emily. She must have packed them up beforeleaving England, while she was still flattering him. Not a word nor aline was there from Emily herself!--only a supplication from the motherthat he would not rend her child's heart by persisting--just as if shehad not encouraged him to go on all this time!

  Nothing would serve him but that he must dash over to Paris, to see herand Emily.

  Ra
ilroads were not, and it was a ten days' affair at the shortest; and,with all our prospects doubtful and Alured still so ill, it was verytrying. How Bertram did rave at the folly and futility of theexpedition! but one comfort was, that Alured was a ward of Chancery,and, in the vast kindness and commiseration everyone bestowed upon us,no one tried to hurry us or turn us out.

  Hester used to come continually to inquire after her brother, and therewas something in her way that always made me shudder when she askedafter him. I knew she could not wish for his life, and gloated overall the reports she could collect of his weakness. I felt more andmore horror of her; God forgive me for not having tried not to hateher. I sometimes doubt whether my dread and distrust were not visible,and may not have put it into her head.

  And then came Mr. Decies, again and again. He was faithful--I see itnow. He cared not if I had neither name nor fortune; he held fast tohis proposals. And I? Oh, I was absorbed--I was universallydefiant--I did not do him justice in the bitterness I did not realise.I thought he was constant only out of honour and pity, and I did notchoose to open my heart to understand his pleadings or accept them asearnest--I was harsh. Oh, how little one knows what one is doing! Tooproud to be grateful--that was actually my case. I was enamoured of theblue-spectacle plan; I had romances of watching Alured day and night,and pouring away dangerous draughts. The very fancy, I see now, wasplaying with edged tools; I feel as if my imagination had put thepossibility into the very air.

  Once indeed--when Jaquetta had been telling me she did not understandmy unkindness; and observed that, even for Alured's sake, she could notsee why I did not accept--I did begin to regard him as a possibleprotector for the boy. But no; the blue spectacles would be the moreassiduous guardian, said my foolish fancy.

  Before I had thought it over into sense or reason, Fulk came back fromParis. He had not been really crushed till now. He was white, andsilent, and resolute, and very gentle; all excitement of manner gone.He did not say one word, but we knew it was all over with him, and thathe could not have had one scrap of comfort or hope.

  Nor had he, though even to me he told nothing, till we were together inthe dark one evening, much later. He did insist upon seeing Emily; buther mother would not leave her, or take her eyes off her, and the timidthing did nothing but sob and cry, in utter helplessness and shame, andnever even gave him a look.

  It was not the being neglected and cast off that he felt as such awrong, to both himself and Emily, but the being drawn on with falsehopes and promises to expect that she was to belong to him, after all;and he was cruelly disappointed that Emily had not energy to cling tohim--he had made so sure of her.

  Bertram and Jaquetta had expected all along that he would be the moreeager to be off to the Antipodes when everything was swept away fromhim here, and he did sit after dinner talking it over in abusiness-like way, while Bertram gave him all the information he hadbeen collecting in his absence.

  I would not listen. I was determined against going away from mycharge; I had rather have been his housemaid than have left him toHester, and I must have looked like a stone as I got up, and left themto their talk while I went back to the boy.

  I heard Bertram say while I was lighting my candle, "Poor Ursula! shewill not see it. Hart told me to-day that the child is dying--wouldhardly get through the night."

  Now I had been thinking all the afternoon that he was better, and I hadgone down to dinner cheered. I turned into the doorway, and told Fulkto come and see.

  He did come. There was Alured, lying, as he had lain all day, upon hisnurse's knees, with her arm under his head. He had not moaned for along time, and I had left him in a more comfortable sleep. He openedhis eyes as we came in, held out his hands more strongly than wethought he could have done, quite smiled--such an intelligentsmile--and said, "Tor--Tor--," which was what he had always called hisbrother, making his gesture to go to him.

  The tears came into Fulk's eyes, though he smiled back and spoke in hissweet, strong voice, and held out his arms, while we told him he hadbetter sit down. Poor nurse! she must have been glad enough--she hadheld him all that live-long day! And he was quite eager to go to hisbrother, and smiled up and cooed out, "Tor--Tor," again, as he felthimself on the strong arm.

  Fulk bade nurse go and lie down, and he would hold him. And so he did.I fed the child, as I had done at intervals all day; and he sometimesslept, sometimes woke and murmured or cooed a little, and Fulk scarcelyspoke or stirred, hour after hour. He had been travelling day andnight, but, strange to say, that enforced calm--that tender stillnessand watching, was better for him than rest. He would only have tossedabout awake, if he had gone to bed after a discussion with Bertram.

  But in the morning Dr. Hart came, quite surprised to find the childalive; and when he looked at him and felt his pulse, he said, "You havesaved him for this time, at least."

  (Everybody was lavish of pronouns, and chary of proper names. Nobodyknew what to call anybody.)

  His little lordship was able to be laid in his cot, and Fulk, almostblind now with sheer sleep, stumbled off to his room, threw himself onhis bed, and slept for seven hours in his clothes without so much asmoving. He confessed that he had never had such unbroken, dreamlesssleep since he had first seen Hester Lea's face.

  That little murmur of "Tor--Tor" had settled all our fates. I don'tthink he had realised before how love was the one thing that thechild's life hung upon, and that the boy himself must have that loveand trust. Then, too, when he had waked and dressed and come down, thefirst person he met was Hester, with her hard, glittering eyes, tryingto condole, and not able to hide how the exulting look went out of herface on hearing that the Earl (as she chose to term him) was better.

  She supposed some arrangement would soon be made, and Fulk said heshould see the lawyers at once about it, and arrange for the personalguardianship of Lord Trevorsham.

  "Of course I am the only proper person while he lives, poor child," shesaid.

  I broke in with, "The next heir is never allowed the custody."

  I wish I had not. She hastily and proudly said "What do you mean?" andFulk quickly added that "the Lord Chancellor would decide."

  The next day he went out, and on returning came up to me in thenursery, and called me into the study.

  "Ursula," he said, "I find that, considering the circumstances, therewill be no objection made to our retaining the personal charge of ourlittle brother. Everyone is very kind. Ours is not a common case ofillegitimacy, and my father's well-known express wishes will be allowedto prevail."

  "And your character," I could not help saying; and he owned that it didgo for something, that he was known to everybody, and had some standingof his own, apart from the rank he had lost.

  Then he went on to say that this would of course put an end to theemigration plan, so far as he was concerned. No doubt in the restlessdesire of change coming after such a fall and disappointment it was agreat sacrifice; but as he said, "There did not seem anything left forhim in life but just to try to do what seemed most like one's duty."And then he said it did not seem a worthy thing to do nothing, but justexist on a confined income, and the only thing he did know anythingabout, and was not too old to learn, was farming, and managing anestate.

  Trevorsham would want an agent, for old Hall was so old, that mybrother had really done all his work for a year or two past; and he hadfelt his way enough to know he could get appointed to the agency, if hechose. The house was to be let, but there was a farm to be had abouttwo miles off, with a good house, and he thought of taking it, andstocking it, and turning regular farmer on his own account; whilelooking after the property, and bringing Alured up among his own peopleand interests.

  Bertram did not like this at all. "Among all our old friends andacquaintance? Impossible! unbearable!" he said.

  But Fulk's answer, was--"Better so! If we went to a strange place, andtried to conceal it, it would always be oozing out, and be supposeddisgraceful. If my sisters can bear it,
I had rather confront itstraightforwardly--"

  "And be _pitied_"--said Bertram, with _such_ a contemptuous tone.

  Nobody, however, thought it would be advisable for him to give up theNew Zealand plan, nor did he ever mean it for a moment; indeed, hedeclared that he should go and prepare for us; for that we should verysoon get tired of Skimping's Farm, and come out to him; meaning, ofcourse, that our dear charge would be over.

  He even wanted Jaquetta to come with him at once, and the log huts andfern trees danced before her eyes as the blue spectacles had donebefore mine; but she did not like to leave me, and Fulk would notencourage it, for we both thought her much too young and too tenderlybrought up to be sent out to a wild settler's life alone with Bertram,and without a friend near.

  To be farmers' sisters where we had been the Earl's daughters--well, Ihad much rather then that it had been somewhere else; but I saw it wasbest for Baby and still more so for Fulk, and clear little Jaquey heldfast to me and to him, and so it was settled!

  Our friends and relatives had much rather we had all emigrated. Theydid not know what to do with us, and would have been glad to have hadus all out of sight for ever, "damaged goods shipped off to thecolonies." We felt this and it heartened us up to stay out of thespirit of opposition.

  Old Aunt Amelia, who fussed and cried over us, and our two uncles, whogave us good advice by the yard! Alas! I fear we were equallyungrateful to them, both cold and impatient. No, we did not bear itreally well, though they said we did. We had plenty of pride andself-respect, and that carried us on; but there was no submission, nonotion of taking it religiously. I don't mean that we did not go tochurch, and in the main try to do right. Any one more upright than mybrother it would have been hard to find; but as to any notion thatreligious feeling could help us, and that our reverse might be blessedto us, that would have seemed a very strange language indeed!

  And so we were hard, we would bear no sympathy but from one another,and even among ourselves we never gave way.

  People admired us, I fancy, but were alienated and disappointed, and wewere quite willing _then_ to have it so.