Lady Hester; Or, Ursula's Narrative Read online

  CHAPTER IV.

  SKIMPING'S FARM.

  Skimping's Farm was the unlucky name of the place, and Fulk would allowof no modification--his resolution was to accept it all entirely. NowI love no spot on earth so well. It was very different then.

  The farm-house lay on the slope of the hill, in the parish ofTrevorsham, but with the park lying between it and the main village.The ground sloped sharply down to the little river, which, about twomiles lower down, blends with the Avon, being, in fact, a creek out ofShinglebay. Beneath the house the stream is clear and rocky, but thencomes a flat of salt marsh, excellent for cattle; and then, again, theriver becomes tidal, and reaches at high water to the steep banks,sometimes covered with wood, sometimes with pasture or corn.

  Then under the little promontory comes the hamlet of fisherfolk at QuayTrevor; and then the coast sweeps away to Shinglebay town, as anyonemay see by the map.

  Ours is an old farm, and had an orchard of old apple-trees sloping downto the river--as also did the home field, only divided by a low stonewall from the little strip of flower-garden before the house, which inthose days had nothing in it but two tamarisks, a tea-tree, and a rosewith lovely buds and flowers that always had green hearts.

  There was a good-sized kitchen-garden behind, and the farm-yard was atthe side by the back door. The house is old and therefore was handsomeoutside, even then, but the chief of the lower story was comprised inone big room, a "keeping-room," as it was called, with an open chimney,screened by a settle, and with a long polished table, with a bench oneither side. Into this room the front porch--a deep one, withseats--opened. At one end was a charming little sitting-room, partedoff; at the other, the real kitchen for cooking, and the dairy and allthe rest of the farm offices.

  Up-stairs--the stairs are dark oak, and come down at one end of the bigkitchen--there is one beautiful large room, made the larger by a grandoriel window under the gable, one opening out of it, and four more overthe offices; then a step-ladder and a great cheese-room, and a perfectwilderness of odd nooks up in the roof.

  As to furniture, Fulk had bought that with the stock and everythingelse belonging to the farm for a round sum; and the Chancery peopletold us that we might take anything for ourselves from home that hadbeen bought by ourselves, had belonged to our mother, or been given tous individually.

  So the furniture of Fulk's rooms in London--most of which he had had atOxford--my own piano, our books, and various little worktables, chairs,pictures, and knicknacks appertained to us; also, we brought whatbelonged to the little one's nursery, and put him in the large room.His grand nurse--Earl though he was--could not stand the change; butold Blake, who was retiring into a public house, as he could do nothingelse for us, suggested his youngest sister, who became the comfort ofmy life, for she was the widow of a small farmer, and could give meplenty of sound counsel as to how much pork to provide for thelabourers, and how much small beer would keep them in good heart, andnot make them too merry. And she had too much good sense to get intorivalry with Susan Sisson, the hind's wife, who lived in a kind oflean-to cottage opening into the farm-yard, and was the chief (real)manager of the dairy and poultry--though such was not Jaquetta's viewof the case by any manner of means.

  What a help it was to have one creature who did enjoy it all from thevery first!

  The parting with Bertram was sore, and one's heart will ache after himstill at times, though he is prosperous and happy with his wife andfine family at the new Trevorsham. Fulk went through it all in a graveset way, as if he knew he never should be happy again, and acceptedeverything in silence, as a matter of course, not wanting to sadden us,but often grieving me more by his steady silence than if he hadcomplained.

  One thing he was resolved on, that he would be a farmer out andout--not a gentleman farmer, as he said; but though he only worebroadcloth in the evening and on Sundays, I can't say he ever succeededin not looking more of the gentleman.

  We fitted up the little parlour with our prettiest things, and it wasour morning room, and we put a screen across the big keeping-room,which made it snug for a family gathering place. But those were thedays when everyone was abusing the farmers for not living with theirlabourers in the house, and Fulk was determined to try it, at least thefirst year, either for the sake of consistency, or because he wasresolved to keep our expenses as low as possible. "Failure would beruin," he impressed on us, and he thought we ought to live on theprofits of the farm, except what was directly spent on the boy, and tosave the income of the agency. (Taking one year with another, we didso.)

  So he gave up his own dear old Cid, and only used the same horses thathad sufficed for our predecessor--a most real loss and deprivation--andhe chose to take meals at the long table in the keeping-room with thefarm servants. He said we girls might dine in our little parlourapart, but there was no bearing that, and the whole household dined andsupped together. Breakfast was at such uncertain times that we leftthat for the back kitchen, and had our own little round table by thefire, or in the parlour, at half-past seven; and so we took care tohave a good cup of coffee for Fulk when he came in about five or six;but the half-past twelve dinner and eight o'clock supper were at thelong table, our three selves and Baby at the top--Baby between me andMrs. Rowe ("Ally's Rowe," as he called her), then George and SusanSisson opposite each other, the under nurse, the two maids, the hind,and the three lads.

  I believe it was a very awful penance to them at first. We used tohear them splashing away at the pump and puffing like porpoises; andthey came in with shining faces and lank hair in wet rats' tails, theforemost of which they pulled on all occasions of sitting down, gettingup, or being offered food.

  But they always behaved very well, and the habit of the animal atfeeding-time is so silent that I believe the restraint was compensatedby the honour; and it did civilise them, thanks, perhaps, to Susan'slectures on manners, which we sometimes overheard.

  Fulk made spasmodic attempts to talk to Sisson; but the chiefconversation was Jaquetta's. She went on merrily all dinner-time,asking about ten thousand things, and hazarding opinions that elicitedamusement in spite of ourselves: as when she asked, what sheep did withtheir other two legs, or suggested growing canary seed, as sure to be aprofitable crop. Indeed, I think she had a little speculation in it onher own account in the kitchen garden--only the sparrows were too manyfor her--and what they left would not ripen.

  But the child was always full of some new and rare device, rattling onanyhow, not for want of sense, but just to force a smile out of Fulkand keep us all alive, as she called it. She knew every bird and beaston the farm, fed the chickens, collected the eggs, nursed tender chicksor orphan lambs and weaning calves, and was in and out with the dogsall day, really as happy as ten queens, with the freedom and homelyusefulness of the life--tripping daintily about in the tall pattens offarm life in those days, and making fresh enjoyment and fun ofeverything.

  I used to be half vexed to see her grieve so little over all we hadlost; but Fulk said, "I suppose it is very hard to break down acreature at that age."

  And even I was cheered by the wonderful start of health Alured tookfrom the time Mrs. Rowe had him. He grew fat and rosy, and learnt towalk; and Dr. Hart was quite astonished at his progress, and said hewas nearly safe from any more attacks of that fearful water on thebrain till he was six or seven years old, and that, till that time, wemust let him be as much as possible in the open air, and with theanimals, and not stimulate his brain--neither teach, nor excite, norcontradict him, nor let him cry. The farm life was evidently the verything he wanted.

  What a reprieve it was, even though it should be only a reprieve!

  He was already three years old, and was very clever and observant.

  We were glad that he was too young to take heed of the change, or tosee what was implied by his change from "baby," to "my lord," and wealways called him by his Christian name. Mrs. Rowe felt far too muchfor us to gossip to him, and he was always with her or with me, thoughI do
believe he liked Ben--the great, rough, hind--better than anyoneelse; would lead Mrs. Rowe long dances after him, to see him milk thecows, and would hold forth to him at dinner, in a way as diverting tous as it was embarrassing to poor Ben, who used to blurt out atintervals, "Yoi, my lord," and "Noa, my lord," while the two maidstried to swallow their tittering. The farmers at market used to callFulk, "my lord," by mistake, and then colour up to their eyes throughtheir red faces.

  I believe, indeed, it was their name for him among themselves, and thatthey watched him with a certain contemptuous compassion, in the fullbelief that he would ruin himself.

  And he declares he should if he had lived a bit more luxuriously, or ifhe had not had the agency salary to help him through the years ofbuying experience and the bad season with which he began.

  Nor was it till he had for some years introduced that capital breedwhich thrives so well in the salt marshes, and twice following showedup the prize ox at the county show, that they began to believe in"Farmer Torwood," or think his "advanced opinions" in agricultureanything but a gentleman's whimsies.

  As to friends and acquaintance, I am afraid we showed a great deal ofpride and stiffness. They were kinder than we deserved, but we thoughtit prying and patronage, and would not accept what we could not return.

  It is not fair to say we. It was only myself--Jaquetta never sawanything but kindness, and took it pleasantly, and Fulk was too busyand too unhappy to be concerned about our visiting matters. If I sawanyone coming to call I hid myself in the orchard, or if I was taken bysurprise I was stiffness itself; and then I wrote a set of cards (MissTorwood and Miss Jaquetta Torwood), and drove round in the queerold-fashioned gig to leave them, and there was an end of it; for Iwould accept no invitations, though Jaquetta looked at me wistfully.And thus I daunted all but old Miss Prior. Poor old thing! All herpleasures had oozed down from our house in old times to her; and hergratitude was indomitable, and stood all imaginable rebuffs thatcourtesy permitted me. I believe she only pitied and loved me themore, and persevered in the dreadful kindness that has no tact.

  It did not strike me that pleasure might be good for Jaquetta, or thatFulk's stern silent sorrow might have been lightened by variety. Usedas he had been to political life and London society, it was no smallchange to have merely the market for interest, the farm for occupation,and no society but ourselves; no newspaper but the County Chronicleonce a week; no new books, for Mudie did not exist then, even if wecould have afforded it. We had dropped out of the guinea country bookclub, and Knight's "Penny Magazine" was our only fresh literature.However, Jaquetta never was much of a reader, and was full ofbusiness--queen of the poultry, and running after the weakly ones halfthe day, supplementing George Sisson's very inadequate gardening--aye,and his wife's equally rough cooking. She found a receipt book, andturned out excellent dishes. She could not bear, she said, to see Fulktry to eat grease, and with an effort at concealment, assisted by thedogs, fall back upon bread and cheese.

  Luckily plain work in the school-room had not gone out in our day, andI could make and mend respectably, but I had to keep a volume ofShakespeare, Scott, or Wordsworth open before me, and learn it byheart, to keep away thoughts, which might have been good for me; butno--they were working on their own bitterness.

  Sunday was the hardest day of all to Fulk, for this was the only one onwhich he could not be busy enough to tire himself out. We were a milefrom church, and when we got to the worm-eaten farm pew there was asmell, as Jaquey said, as if generations of farmers had been eatingcheese there, and generations of mice eating after them; and she alwayslonged to shut up a cat there.

  The old curate was very old, and nothing seemed alive but the fiddlesin the gallery--indeed, after the "Penny Magazine" had made usacquainted with the Nibelung, Jaquey took to calling Sisson, Folker themighty fiddler, so determined were his strains.

  After the great house was shut up, one service was dropped, and so thelatter part of the day was spent in a visit to all the livestock, Fulkladen with Alured, and Jaquetta with tit bits for each and all.

  She and Alured really enjoyed it, and we tried to think we did! Andthen Fulk used to stride off on a long solitary walk, or else sit inthe porch with his arms across, in a dumb heavy silence, till he saw uslooking at him; and then he would shake himself, and go and findSisson, and discuss every field and beast with him.

  At least we thought we should have been at peace here; but oneafternoon, when Jaquetta had gone across to the village to see somepurchase at the shop, she came back flushed and breathless, and said asshe sat down by me, "Oh! Ursie, Ursie, I met Miss Prior; and _she_ hasbought Spinney Lawn."

  _She_ was Hester; it had never meant anyone else amongst us when it wassaid in that voice. Fulk, when we told him, had, it appeared, known itfor some days past. All he said was, "Well! she has every right."

  And when I exclaimed, "Just like a harpy, come to watch our poorchild!" he said, "Nonsense."

  But I knew I was right, and sat brooding--till presently he said, "Putthat out of your head, Ursula, or you will not be able to behaveproperly to her."

  "I don't see any good in behaving properly to her," said Jaquetta."What business has she to come here?"

  "I do not choose to regale the neighbourhood with our familyjars"--said Fulk, quietly.

  And then--such a ridiculous child as Jaquetta was--she burst outlaughing, and cried, "What a feast they would be! Preserved crabs, Isuppose;" and she brought a tiny curl into the corner of his mouth.

  My pride was up, and I remember I answered, "You are right, Fulk. Noone shall say we are jealous, or shrink from the sight of her!"

  "When Smith told me that he had no idea who was the bidder, or he wouldnot have suffered it," said Fulk, "I told him I could have no possibleobjection!"

  And so we endured it in our pride and our dignity.

  Lady Hester Lea was the heroine of the neighbourhood. The romance ofthe disowned daughter was charming; and I was far too disagreeable toexcite any counterbalancing pity. She was handsome, and everybodyraved about her likeness to poor papa and the family portraits; and herMontreal convent had given her manners quite distinct from Englishvulgarity; or, maybe, her blood told on her bearing, for she wasimmensely admired for her demeanour, quite as much as for her beauty.

  Old Miss Prior--whom no coldness on my part could check in herassiduous kindness, and nothing would hinder from affectionatelytelling us whatever we did not want to hear--kept us constantlyinformed of the new comer's triumphs. Especially she would dwell uponthe sensation that Lady Hester produced, and all that the gentlemensaid of her. Her name stood as lady patroness to all the balls andfancy fairs, and archery, that Shinglebay produced; and there was nogoing to shop there without her barouche coming clattering down thestreet with the two prancing greys, and poor little Trevor inside, witha looped-up hat and ostrich feather exactly like Alured's; for by someintention she always dressed him in the exact likeness of his littleuncle's. I used to think Miss Prior told her, and sedulously preventedher ever seeing his lordship out of his brown holland pinafores, butthe same rule still held good.

  What tender enquiries poor Miss Prior used to make after "the dearlittle lord," as she called him. My asseverations of his health andintelligence generally eliciting that it was current among LadyHester's friends that he could neither stand nor speak, and was soimbecile that it was a mercy that he could not live to be eight yearsold.

  Of course that was what Hester was waiting for. And no small pleasurewas it when Alured would come pattering in with a shout of "Ursa,Ursa," and as soon as he saw a lady, would stop, and pull off his hatfrom his chestnut curls like the little gentleman he always was.

  Spinney Lawn was bought before Joel Lea came to England. If he hadseen where it was I doubt whether he would have consented to thepurchase; but Perrault managed it all, and then, with what he had madeout of the case, bought himself a share in Meakin's office atShinglebay, and constituted himself Lady Hester's legal adviser.


  Mr. Lea, after vainly trying to get his wife to return to Sault St.Pierre, thought it wrong to be apart from her and his son, and came toEngland.

  Fulk went at once to call on him, expecting to be disgusted withYankeeisms; but came home, saying he had found a more unlucky man thanhimself!

  Fancy a great, big, plain, hard-working back-woodsman, bred only to theaxe and rifle, with illimitable forests to range in, happy in toil andhomely plenty, and a little king to himself, set down in an Englishvilla, with a trim garden and paddock, and servants everywhere todeprive him of the very semblance to occupation!

  Poor man! he had not even the alleviation of being proud of it, andtrying to live up to it. Puritan to the bone of his broad back, hethought everything as wicked as it was wearisome and foolish; and livedlike Faithful in "Vanity Fair," solely enduring it for the sake of hiswife and son. I suppose he could not have carried her off, or alteredher course without the strong hand; for she was a determined woman, allthe more resolute because she acted for her child.

  He was a staunch Dissenter, and would not go to church with LadyHester, who did so as a needful part of the belonging of her station,or, perhaps, to watch over us, but trudged two miles every Sunday tothe meeting-house at Shinglebay, where he was a great light, and spentall that she allowed him on the minister and the Sunday school.

  As to society, he abhorred it on principle, and kept out of the waywhen his wife gave her parties. If she had an old affection for him inthe depths of her heart, it was swallowed up in vexation andprovocation; and no wonder, for the verdict of society, as Miss Priorreported it, was--"How sad that such a woman as Lady Hester should havebeen thrown away on a mere common man--not a bit better than alabourer."

  I detested him like all the rest; but Fulk declared he was sublime inpassive endurance, and used to make opportunities of consulting himabout cattle or farming, just to interest him.

  Fulk and the dissenting minister were the only friends the poor manhad, and the latter Hester would not let into her house. As toPerrault, he loathed and shrank from him as the real destroyer of allhis peace, and still the most dangerous influence about his wife. Henever said so, but we felt it.

  I think the poor man's happiest hours were spent here; and, now andthen in a press of work, or to show how a thing ought to be done, heput his own hand to axe, lever, or hay-fork, and toiled with thatcruelly-wasted alert strength.

  Fulk always says there never was anyone who taught him so much as JoelLea, and he means deeper things than farming.

  Sometimes Mr. Lea brought his little boy. I was vexed at first; butAlured, who had hardly spoken to a child before, was in ecstasies, asif a new existence had come upon him; and Trevor Lea was really a verynice little boy. He was only half a year the elder; and they were somuch alike that strangers did not know them apart, dressed alike, asthey were; or they were taken for twins, and it made people laugh tofind they were uncle and nephew.

  And I must allow the nephew was the best behaved, though it made mesavage to hear Fulk say so. But our Ally's was not realnaughtiness--only the consequence of our not being able to keep updiscipline, while we lived in dread of that seventh year that mightrob us of our darling--always sweet and loving.