Mr. Crewe's Career -- Volume 2

tried to hide her feelings. He, too, was harassed and tired, and she had drawn him away from the bench and through the pine woods to the pastures to look at his cattle and

rough the silent roads, his words and his manner remained as vivid as though he were still by

t look the same. It was the kind of a day when certain finished country places are at their best-or rather seem best to express their meaning; a day for an event; a day set strangely apart with an indefinable distinction. Victoria recalled suc

test which Mr. Flint had answered with a laugh; he thought Victoria's judgment better than his wife's. Ever since that time the Rose of Sharon had taken the attitude of having washed her hands of responsibility for a course which must inevitably lead to ruin. She discussed some of Victoria's acquaintances with Mrs. Pomfret and other intimates; and Mrs

's and that new hotel in Rome. I see my friends there. Victoria, if you please, likes the little hotels in the narrow streets where you see nobody, and where you are most uncomfortable." (Miss Oliver, it's time for those seven drops.) "As I was saying, Victoria's enigmatical hopeless, although a French comtesse who wouldn't look at anybody at the baths this spring became wild about her, and a certain type of elderly English peer always wants to marry her. (I suppose I do look pale to-day.) Victoria loves art

to consider position. They make it, my dear, as a by-product." Mrs. Pomfre

ron, "and their daughters sometimes squander

e, and she has great wealth behind her. I wish Alice were more like her, in some ways. Alice is so helpless, she has to be prodde

lint, "that Humphrey

d Mrs. Pomfret, "he can think

sorbed in her thoughts-driving over a wood road of many puddles that led to the Four Corners, near Avalon. The road climbed the song-laden valley of a brook, redolent now with scents of which the rain had robbed the fern, but at le

ded in a tumble-down open shed filled with a rusty sleigh and a hundred nondescript articles-some of which seemed to be moving. Intently studying thi

?" said Victoria. "I

hild

re the rich lady, mother met at t

as the potency of the smile

ria. "He must be quite grown u

ted to th

rself rescued brother from what seemed untimely and certain death, and set him down in safety in the middle of the grass plot. He looked up at her with the ai

ow old a

n, ma

," Mary's sis

t let brother play in that shed. And the very next time I

egan t

at this juncture Mrs. Fitch, who had run from the wash

she exclaimed. "I was alm

gently taking the woman's hand

ome into the parlour. You'll dirty you

a, putting her arm around the child. "The

Mrs. Fitch, fingering the flounce on Victoria's skirt, whic

ing on?" Victoria

came into the

hat I don't feel as if I ought to lie to you. He done it again-on Saturday night. First t

d Victoria, simp

to his buggy and come home. I guess he had a time with Eben. Mr. Vane, he came around here on Sunday, and gave him as stiff a talkin' to as he ever got, I guess. He told Eben he'd ought to be ashamed of himself goin' back on folks wh

ing to send you down s

the horse, while Victoria renew

es after this, she pulled her horse down to a walk, and was apparently on the point of turning around again: a disinterested observer in a farm wagon, whom she passed, thought that she had missed h

forks. Suppose Mrs. Fitch told him of her visit! Perhaps she could pass the Jenneys' unnoticed. The chances of this, indeed, seemed highly favourable, and it was characteristi

n paused on their drives to admire, and on the hillside was a little, old-fashioned flower garden; lilacs clustered about the small-paned windows, and a bitter-sweet clung to the roof and pillars of the porch. These details of the place (which she had never before known as Mr. Jenney's) flashed into Victoria's mind before she caught sight of the great trees themselves looming against the sombre blue-black o

ther side of the road, was a group of gray, slate-shingled barns, and here two figures confronted her. One was that of the comfortable, middle-ag

red backward, jerking the halter-rope taut. Then followed, with bewildering rapidity, a series of manoeuvres on the part of the horse to get away, and on the part of the person to prevent this, and

ably; "you'll get wet. Look out, Austen, t

ick glance upon her, but she did not dare look to the right or left as

e, wahn't it? You'd have been soaked before you got to Harris's. How

you to let me com

and a boot, and-I real

eat. The garment was a dark blue, and Mr. Jenney felt

secloth," he declared, nodding in the direction o

tling in her temples! His head was bare, and she had never really marked before the superb setting of it on his shoulders, for he wor

in the least. She had wished to see him again-nor did she analyze her motives. Once more beside him, the feeling of confidence, of belief in him

cident," he said, "fort

will not agree wit

the storm, and this unexplained desertion of their host gave rise to an awkward silence between them, which each for a while strove vai

ming," she said,-"isn't

lau

ve come back in season for it. I

like my own country so much better,-and especially this part of it," she added. "I c

appeared at the barn door b

se-Mis' Jenney is exp

our, with its Bible, its flat, old-fashioned piano, its samplers, its crayon portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Jenney after their honeymoon; with its aroma that suggested Sundays and best manners. Mrs. Jenney, with incredible rapidity (for he

Jenney, "but the supper's on the stov

ot along with him famously. His comments upon his neighbours were kindly but incisive, except when the question of spirituous liquors occurred t

"and helps with the horses and cows the same as if he wasn

lly have to go home. I'm sure it won't stop raining for hours. But I shall

" cried Mrs. Jenney from the doorway. "Supper's

ave to go," Vic

an invitation better. She would not be missed at Fairview. Her mother was inaccessible at this hour, and the servants would think of her as dining at Leith. The picture of the great, lonely house, of the ceremonious dinner which awaited her single presence, gave her

with pleasur

well Mrs. Jenney's oldest son was doing in Springfield, and how the unmarried daughter was teaching, now, in the West. Asked about Europe, that land of perpetual mystery to the native American, the girl spoke so simply and vividly of some

ith you, if you'll a

r. Vane. I'm so used to driving about at

home with you, dear,"

h up and go and f

" Mr. Jen

e clouds were already thinning under the moon. Austen had lighted the side lamps of the runabout,

" he said; "you do not know how m

to the tact of this remark: it was s

t be his understanding of her,

e answered, in a low voi

ed, with a characteristic touch, "I do not mean to say t

th him, softly

visit you are makin

come and go. Jabe's is my country house

is not my sort." A while ago, and she had blamed herself vehemently for coming to Jabe Jenney's, and now the act had suddenly become sanctified in her sight. She did not analyze her feeling for Austen, but she was consumed with a fierce desire that justice should be done him. "He was honourable-honourable!" she found herself repeating under her breath. No

te. An hour, and only the ceaseless pricking memory of it would abide. The barriers had risen higher since he had seen her last, but still he might look into he

u last?" she asked. "It seems that you s

stence of getting practice enough to keep a horse is not the most exc

which is in every one's

ing down

I have a somewhat evil reputation, and as he came out of my entry, peo

You see, I have certain sourc

and puzzled over it so

hy I should be expected to lose all interest in my fr

rply that she wished her words unsaid

vigorous passion h

mean it," she

land fell away, and fell again to the distant broadening valley, to where a mist of white vapour hid the course of the Blue. And beyond, the hills rose again, tier upon tier, to the shadowy outline

"it is so beautiful tha

o you ever fe

I can see that mountain from my window, and it seriously interfe

little catch

metimes it smiles, and sometimes it is sad, and sometimes it is far, far away, s

the sunrise from its

ould love to see

, the well-known paths in the darkness, to reach the summit in the rosy-fingered dawn: to see her stand on the grani

re on the rock, may have been in her mind as

reaching for the mackinto

of hair at her neck. Under a spell of thought and feeling, seemingly laid by the magic of the night, neither spoke for a space. And then Victoria

itated a long time before doing so. It was very stupid of me not to realize the scruples w

ed, smiling at her in the moonlight, "I must protest against your belief that I could have been an effective candidate! I have roamed about the State, and I have made some very good friends here and there among the hill farm

lance which he found at once

in me and in my integrity of purpose to ask me to be their candidate" (here she hesitated an instant), "and I believed that the cause were a good one, I should not h

s direct appeal, "I did not realize that you would be publicly opposing you

e faltered and glan

gone t

could not trust himself to speak further. How much d

olding of her coat, she would have known. A man who could keep silent under these conditions must indeed be a rock of might and honour; and she felt sure now, with a surging of joy, that the light she had seen shining f

ng, Mr. Vane-I have been w

termined,-and she wondered in agitation whether he divined what she was go

" he

I am asking for the truth-as you see it. Do the Northeastern

as it was, of much reflection. But at the moment, although he had been prepared for and had braced himself again

answered, "which you will

id, in a low voice; "I wan

im!" he repeated,

I doubt his sincerity. We have been" (her voice caught a little) "the closest fri

fference to her what he believed? Did she mean to differentiate him from out of the multitude? He had to

ed to hi

re it is not because you have not settled

e. I would tell you-anything. I do not agree with my own father,-we have been-apart-for years because of this. And I do-not agree with Mr. Flint. I am sure that they both are wrong. But I cannot help seeing their point of view. These p

piring. And above and beyond that, he was sure. Conviction rang in every word. Had he not, she remembered, staked his career by disagreeing with

o simply did not think about these questions ten years ago. Men of this type, who could be leaders, are ready to assume their responsibilities, are ready to deal fairly with railroads and citizens alike. This is a matter of belief. I believe it-Mr. Flint and my father do not. They see

ices are-bad?"

least," replied Austen, grimly. He was thinking of the pass which Mr. Flint had s

He no longer saw the shades of meaning in her face, but in the blackness of Erebus he could have sensed her presence at his side. Speech, though of this strange kind of which neither felt the strangeness, had come

u must talk to him. He doe

he was at once elated and depressed. Why had he been so singled out? And had Victoria defended him? Once before he remembered that she had told him he must see Mr. Flint. They had gained the ridge now,

as he

to do than to see me," he answered. "I

him, if he were to as

ance in your father's eyes," he added, with an attempt to carry it off lightly; "there is no more reason why he

ure that what you said about the change of public opinion in the State would appeal to him. And oh, don't quarrel with him! You have a faculty of differing with people without quarrelling with them. My father has so many cares, and he tries so hard to do right as he sees it. You must remember that he was a poor farmer's son, and that he began to work at fourteen in

ence to her father's origin had touched him deeply. "I understand, but I cannot go to him. There is every

elt his look fixed upon her with a strange intens

nswered slowly, "I would come-and gladl

he should be alone to seek their full interpretation. She turned, and looked across the lawn at

-and wait for Mr.

er face, searchingly

ney is not far behind. I think-