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The Hoyden

Chapter 3 HOW LADY RYLTON SAYS A FEW THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER LEFT UNSAID. HOW THE SCHEME IS LAID BEFORE SIR MAURICE, AND HOW HE REFUSES TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.

Word Count: 3160    |    Released on: 01/12/2017

versation in the drawin

you can persuade him," sa

nterests lie. Besides, I have great weight with him. I tel

crosses Mrs. Bethun

ve so easy of manag

a shrug. "By the way, Margaret did not back you up

e with you, she starts off at a tangent on some other absurd idea. She is full of f

? My life

looks at her aunt-such a wonderfully young aunt, with her yellow hair and her spa

spoil yourself, Marian; you do indeed. You will never make a g

good marriage, a

its suddenly

be mad to cherish such a hope. You are both paupers, for one thing, and for the rest

s might at this moment see that she could have killed Lady Rylton with a wondrous joy. Killing has

It would be quite in my line. I should arrange him, form him, bring him into Society, even against Society's will! There is a certai

n, who is shrewd as she is cruel, "and that you will not

ld I int

You can't bear to see any man

fault. It belongs to most wom

hands, I shall know how to deal with her. A little, ignorant, detestable child! I tell you,

to have a good time if M

y. "Not another word," says she, putting up her

stay and

Lady Rylton, with a

Sir Maurice is only crossing the lawn now, and by running through the hall outside, and getting o

nd makes a signal to him; it is an old signal. Ryl

s waiting for you in the south drawing-r

at?" asks Rylton, n

Shall I," smiling at him in her beautiful way, and lay

the hand lying on his breast and

ed with a long deep glance from her dark eyes. "T

ice?" asks he

advice to you is to come to the rose-garden as soon as possible, and see the roses before they fade out of

ve there too," say

though it had breathed devotion, troubles Mrs. Bethune; she frowns as he leaves her, and,

*

long experience has driven into him the knowledge that when his mother wants anything, all the delays and subterfuges and evasions in the world will not prevent her having it. To get it over, then,

e lounge, and agrees with himself to make his mother happy

where Marian had just now sat. He finds consolation in his mother's poodle

g," says Lady Rylton at last,

e, looking up. "If I'm not, it's your poodle'

e poodle, who snaps back at him, barking vigor

e answer from you

nswer! How ca

ook towards the open window. There below, still attended by Mr. Gower, and coming back from her charitable visit to the swans, is Tita, her little head upheld

k over his shoulder at his mother. "Is that

aurice; it is a serious

dear mother. She couldn't know her duty to her neigh

uld tea

ugh the window; her gay little laugh comes up to him again. "Do you know, she is very pretty," says

girl," says his m

ld be impossible to think of

hrugging her shoulders. "She's much more a boy

hat's what you call he

an tell y

So would you, if--" He pauses. "If she hadn't a penny you wouldn't know her," he says presently; "and you

her! Says his mother

occasion. I could not manage a ba

could help it, but she is one of the richest girls in England. And after all, though I detest the very sound of it, Trade is now our master. You object to the girl's youth; that, however, is in her favour. You can mould her to your own desi

pain. He seldom speaks of his father-never to his mother. He had certa

nk of this gi

g of the thing that is thrust under one's eyes morning, noon, and night. I shall think of

ent to you is an

ame too! She doesn't even like me! We shouldn't be taking her name in

w how it is with us, Maurice. We can hold on very little longer. If you persist in refusing this last chance,

r and patting her shoulder tenderly. "There must be some othe

turf has ruined us-brought us to the very verge of disgrace and penury, and now, when you

on, rather coldly. "If I have wasted a few hundred on a race here and there, it i

e your father--"

t my father," says he

ou accuse me!" cries sh

as it ought to be-a vindictive curve round the mouth

ays her son sternly. "To tell you the tru

rection. If she is to win the cause so close to her heart, she ha

. She is so rich, and you-we-are so poor! She has a house in Surrey, and one in the North-delightful places, I have been told-and, of

go and turning away impatiently. "Y

d it not b

wning now, and his tone is growing ang

child! Of course yo

want to,"

ou are very good-looking, Mau

hat?"

inate

her son, colouring a dark red with very shame. "Are you asking me to make love t

llenly. She has gone back to her chair, and now, with low

lton (it is really ridiculous to call her Miss anything; she ought to be Betty, or Lizzie, or Lily, o

y, whatever else she may be. But I tell you this, Maurice, that you will hate far m

can keep my

have been petted and p

if I were in the cradle!"

never

etim

he will marry you; but if in the meantime she meets anyone with money who will marry her, why, good-bye to you. But you must not marry! Mind that! You must be held in chains whilst she goe

ice. "He, I believe, did sometimes bel

inst himself, his judgment? Like his father; is he like his father? Can he, too, see only gold w

e, and see nothing but Marian smiling. You never see Marian frowning. Your corner suits you. It would trouble you too

ourself so unhap

cau

her, "let us have an end of this. Marian woul

you unless you get your uncle's money (and he is as likely to live to be a Methuselah as anyone I ever saw; t

n, interrupting he again. "If you have nothing b

ept your marriage with Tita Bolton? Maurice, think of i

her hand on his arm,

esses it, and drops it deliberately. "My dea

r crying as he crosses the hall, and then her words begin to trouble him even more. What was it she had said about Marian? It was a hint, a very broad one. It meant that Marian might love him if he were a poor man, but could love him much more if he we

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1 Chapter 1 HOW DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND, AND HOW THE SPARKS FLEW.2 Chapter 2 HOW MARGARET PLEADS FOR THE LITTLE HOYDEN, AND WITH WHAT ILL-SUCCESS.3 Chapter 3 HOW LADY RYLTON SAYS A FEW THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER LEFT UNSAID. HOW THE SCHEME IS LAID BEFORE SIR MAURICE, AND HOW HE REFUSES TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.4 Chapter 4 HOW THE HEART OF MAURICE GREW HOT WITHIN HIM, AND HOW HE PUT THE QUESTION TO THE TOUCH, AND HOW HE NEITHER LOST NOR WON.5 Chapter 5 SHOWING HOW, WHEN PEOPLE DO CONGREGATE TOGETHER, MUCH KNOWLEDGE MAY BE FOUND, AND HOW THE LITTLE HOYDEN HAD SOME KIND THINGS SAID ABOUT HER.6 Chapter 6 HOW GAMES WERE PLAYED, OF SORTS ; AND HOW TITA WAS MUCH HARRIED, BUT HOW SHE BORE HERSELF VALIANTLY, AND HOW, NOT KNOWING OF HER VICTORIES, SHE WON ALL THROUGH.7 Chapter 7 HOW THE ARGUMENT GROWS HIGHER; AND HOW MARIAN LOSES HER TEMPER, AND HOW MARGARET OBJECTS TO THE RUIN OF ONE YOUNG LIFE.8 Chapter 8 HOW A STORM RAGED; AND HOW, WHEN A MAN AND WOMAN MET FACE TO FACE, THE VICTORY-FOR A WONDER-WENT TO THE MAN.9 Chapter 9 HOW MAURICE PLACES HIS LIFE IN THE HANDS OF THE HOYDEN, AND HOW SHE TELLS HIM MANY THINGS, AND DESIRES MANY THINGS OF HIM.10 Chapter 10 HOW MAURICE GIVES WAY TO TEMPER, AND HOW LADY RYLTON PLANTS A SHAFT OR TWO. AND HOW MARGARET SAYS A WORD IN SEASON, AND HOW IN RETURN COLONEL NEILSON SAYS A WORD TO HER.11 Chapter 11 HOW THE LAST DAY COMES, AND HOW SOME STRANGE WORDS ARE SAID BEFORE THE MARRIAGE IS ACCOMPLISHED; AND HOW MARION BETHUNE SCORES A POINT.12 Chapter 12 HOW TITA COMES BACK FROM HER HONEYMOON, AND HOW HER HUSBAND'S MOTHER TELLS HER OF CERTAIN THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT UNTOLD.13 Chapter 13 HOW A YOUNG AND LOVELY NATURE TAKES A SHOCK MOST CRUELLY ADMINISTERED. AND HOW A DOWAGER TAKES A NEW NAME AS A DIRECT INSULT. AND HOW TITA DECLINES TO PROMISE ANYTHING.14 Chapter 14 HOW TITA COMES TO OAKDEAN, AND IS GLAD. AND HOW MAURICE CALLS TO HER, AND SHE PERFORMS AN ACROBATIC FEAT. AND HOW A DISCUSSION ARISES.15 Chapter 15 HOW TITA TELLS OF TWO STRANGE DREAMS, AND OF HOW THEY MOVED HER. AND HOW MAURICE SETS HIS SOUL ON ASKING A GUEST TO OAKDEAN; AND HOW HE GAINS HIS DESIRE.16 Chapter 16 HOW A DULL MORNING GIVES BIRTH TO A STRANGE AFTERNOON. AND HOW RYLTON'S EYES ARE WIDENED BY A FRIEND.17 Chapter 17 HOW TITA SUGGESTS A GAME OF BLIND MAN'S BUFF, AND WHAT COMES OF IT.18 Chapter 18 HOW TITA GETS A SCOLDING, AND HOW SHE REBELS AND ACCUSES SIR MAURICE OF BREACH OF CONTRACT.19 Chapter 19 HOW RYLTON'S HEART CONDEMNS HIM. AND HOW, AS HE WALKS, A SERPENT STINGS HIM. AND HOW HE IS RECOVERED OF HIS WOUND. AND HOW THE LITTLE RIFT IS MENDED-BUT WITH TOO FINE THREAD.20 Chapter 20 HOW TITA TAKES HIGH GROUND, AND HOW SHE BRINGS HER HUSBAND, OF ALL PEOPLE, TO HER FEET.21 Chapter 21 HOW EVERYONE GOES TO LADY WARBECK'S DANCE, AND HELPS TO MAKE IT A SUCCESS; AND HOW MANY CURIOUS THINGS ARE SAID AND DONE THERE.22 Chapter 22 HOW RYLTON ASKS HIS WIFE TO TREAD A MEASURE WITH HIM, AND HOW THE FATES WEAVE A LITTLE MESH FOR TITA'S PRETTY FEET.23 Chapter 23 HOW MARIAN FIGHTS FOR MASTERY; AND HOW THE BATTLE GOES; AND HOW CHANCE BEFRIENDS THE ENEMY.24 Chapter 24 HOW RYLTON MAKES A MOST DISHONOURABLE BET, AND HOW HE REPENTS OF IT; AND HOW, THOUGH HE WOULD HAVE WITHDRAWN FROM IT, HE FINDS HE CANNOT.25 Chapter 25 HOW TITA TOLD A SECRET TO TOM HESCOTT IN THE MOONLIGHT; AND HOW HE SOUGHT TO DISCOVER MANY THINGS, AND HOW HE WAS MOST INNOCENTLY BAFFLED.26 Chapter 26 HOW TITA LOOKS AT HERSELF IN THE GLASS AND WONDERS; AND HOW SHE DOES HER HAIR IN QUITE A NEW STYLE, AND GOES TO ASK SIR MAURICE WHAT HE THINKS OF IT; AND HOW HE ANSWERS HER.27 Chapter 27 No.2728 Chapter 28 No.2829 Chapter 29 No.2930 Chapter 30 No.3031 Chapter 31 No.3132 Chapter 32 No.3233 Chapter 33 No.3334 Chapter 34 No.3435 Chapter 35 No.3536 Chapter 36 No.3637 Chapter 37 No.3738 Chapter 38 No.3839 Chapter 39 No.3940 Chapter 40 No.4041 Chapter 41 No.4142 Chapter 42 No.4243 Chapter 43 No.4344 Chapter 44 No.4445 Chapter 45 No.4546 Chapter 46 No.4647 Chapter 47 No.4748 Chapter 48 No.4849 Chapter 49 No.4950 Chapter 50 No.5051 Chapter 51 No.5152 Chapter 52 No.5253 Chapter 53 No.5354 Chapter 54 No.5455 Chapter 55 HOW MINNIE HESCOTT GIVES TITA A HINT; AND LEARNS THAT HINTS MAY BE THROWN AWAY; AND HOW MARGARET'S SOUL IS GRIEVED.56 Chapter 56 HOW TITA COMMITS A GREAT FOLLY, THOUGH LITTLE IS THE SIN THAT LIES THEREIN. AND HOW MARGARET TRIES TO MAKE PEACE, AND WHAT COMES OF IT.57 Chapter 57 HOW MR. GOWER GROWS DARKLY MYSTERIOUS; AND HOW TITA HEARS OF THE ARRIVAL OF ANOTHER GUEST.58 Chapter 58 HOW TITA'S SOUL AT LAST IS STIRRED; AND HOW HER HAPPINESS IS THREATENED AND HERSELF SET AT NAUGHT; AND HOW MINNIE HESCOTT SPEAKS.