Unlucky: A Fragment of a Girl's Life

bowered gables and red chimneys of an old house. On the right, and stretching away towards the horizon, a wide expanse of quiet

and Helen, swinging herself gently to and fro in a hammock under the bright sunshine, felt as muc

e idea did not immediately approve itself to Mrs. Desmond, who disliked the too close neighbourhood of poor relations; but the colonel, hearing of the suggestion, expressed a desire to fall in with it, and the matter was settled. Helen's fate trembled in the balance for a few days, as Miss Walker found herself unable to leave town, and Mrs. Desmond seriously contemplated leaving her troublesome stepdaughter behind in the governess's charge. Upon the first suggestion of such a plan to the colonel, however, he spoke so decidedly of his determination not to be separated from Helen that Mrs. Desmond saw that, for the present at least, it was useless to argue the point. Dr. Russell, meeting his little friend upon the stairs one day clenched the matter by remarking upon her altered looks, and he went out of his way to urge upon her parents the necessity of change of scene and a life of

own failings. Morbidly conscious that she was an object of dislike to her stepmother, she credited Mrs. Desmond with a depth of feeling of which that cold-natured woman was incapable. Anxious to show her true contrition for what was past, she was perpetually fidgeting her stepmother with small attentions which Mrs. Desmond not only failed to appreciate, but which she ascribed to motives of which Helen's generous, open nature was incapable. Colonel Desmond, indeed,

left to her own devices. Lonely Helen, lying in her hammock on this bright summer's day thinking of many things about which young heads should

t, owing to the colonel's state of health and her own shattered nerves, intercourse between the Grange and Rectory would be necessarily restricted, especially as regarded the young people. Agatha, however, the eldest R

own hair, but her lips were thin and their expression unpleasing. She walked, too, with a short, ungraceful step, and there was an air of demure superiority about her which was scarcel

you are Hel

ischievously, sitting up in her hammock, bu

ward to meet her; now she began to think her new acquaintance not only ill-man

o. You are Ag

know that

ears behind the churchyard wall. One of the choir boys sai

turned

a direct reply. "You are to come to lunch with

sked Helen not v

my aunt says that you may come

alled Helen to her better mind.

change of tone that perplexed her companion. "I oughtn't to have kep

my aunt, and I think I had better not

n. "We will go to my room by the backs

to make amends for them by chatting pleasantly as they went along. Her companion's frank and natural manner was not what Agatha had expected, and she remained stiffly silent. On the backstairs they encountered Martha, who was on her way

stepmother's presence, appeared before her. "I scarcely like letting you go, my sister's children are so well brought up. Pray be caref

ed Helen, struggling with her

ot recollected your forward behaviour when my cousin, Miss Macleod, was with us. Take example from Agatha. She is

er little brother's ears when she thinks

isgust me. How can you

am sorry I said it, though; it was mean," she went on. "I will try

to say to you, and I hope you will keep your word

the indignant words that rose to her lips. The door closed rather noisily behind her as she ru

ied, running up to him and fli

turned, laughing and gently dise

ent on, "tears! Wh

em away. "I am going to the Rectory to spend a long da

misinterpreted the situation, of course, but she made no remark as H

n?" asked the colonel rather

ed disag

You have heard t

did hope that we should have n

di

subject, but once more a shado

arly adopted by her mother's relations, from whom she had inherited a considerable fortune. Mrs. Bayden was the eldest of a numerous second family, and had married a poor clergyman while still young. All her life had been spent in a struggle with what is perhaps harder than real poverty-the struggle to keep up appearances on a small income. Her husband was a quiet, well-mean

Harold, were in the drawing-room awaiting the girls' arrival,

Agatha spitefully. "Helen took

," returned Mrs. Bayden impatiently, "an

ad to escape the gaze of so many pairs of curious eyes, although the relief was only temp

r. Bayden anxiously. The Baydens were alwa

remarked Aga

upon Agatha by her parents, and then Mr. Bayden, who was kind-

ely place," said Hel

, while their elders smile

at country lovely, do y

Helen, colouring. "I ne

ne's End lovely, and will call the op

began Helen, "th

efreshing after London, and the Grange is pretty. The church,

chitectural beauties, and the scantily-filled ch

that in the London churches," went on Mr. Bayden, the faintest susp

sent was unfortunate, however. Mrs. Bayden was proud of her choir, which she managed, as she did everything else in the parish, but being entirely destitute of musical taste she was quite unaware that the results obtained by her efforts were not musically satisfac

unt. I saw you looking at him. You can hear his voice o

't deserve the privilege of sitting in the choir. Jim

mured, "How wicked!" upon whic

hat?" cried Agatha in

en nervously, "be good, pray. You don

re," persisted Harold. "Mother

hich there was an instant's pause while hands wore join

and Harold, withdrew to the school-ro

th some curiosity; while Mrs. Bayden, who for reasons of her own was particularly anxi

und Helen. Aunt Margaret kept me with her for ever

to be kind after all," said Mr.

ly, and she only replied by an im

Aunt Margaret. She was quite rude and disagree

all at her time of life, and above all, why did she marry a man with a child? S

girl's very existence. In addition to this, quite enough about Helen's past misdeeds had been said to prejudice her in the Baydens' eyes. Under the circumstances it can scarcely be wondered at, perhaps, that her reception at

starting on his usual afternoon potter in his parish, "we must b

t luncheon, and she ought, at least, to have learnt better manners by this time. Our choir isn't

ything could do tha

go upstairs to the others now. Your aunt doesn't care for Helen, I know, b

ice, she was an excellent and helpful daughter, she had imbibed so high an opinion of her own talents, and of herself generally from this circumstance, that to everyone, save her parents, she was often insufferably overbearing. Then, too, she had been made the sharer of all her mother's hopes and plans, and neither Mr. nor Mrs. Bayden had any secrets from her. Her opin

e school-room and calmly sweep away some chips of wood and cardboard out of which Harold, with some wire and a few rough tools, was trying to construct what he called an organ. Harold had a taste for mechanics, and was always dre

he was saying gravely as Agatha

tn't to make such a mess in thi

ith enthusiasm, looked up and saw his

n't," h

raised the table-cloth whereon the litter lay

," screamed Harold, rushing at his sister and pushing her backward. "I h

nd of all those fine promises that you made last Sunday. Supposing you

rposed Helen, unable to witness the scene in silenc

ildren, what

ound. Mrs. Bayden, on her way upstairs, had heard the

ill do his silly carpentering here, and you know you have often told him he is only to do it in

, "how could you? Fancy if you h

gan Harold, but his

eady. That rubbish"-pointing to the wood and cardb

, and the "rubbish," tenderly placed in a

won't you?" he said, with a

You must be punished for your co

ess cost his mother. With a cry like that of a woun

y did provoke him. I should have been quite as angry, per

le. "When you remember the terrible consequences of your own conduct, you will not

she thought. Her interference could never do any good. But she was still smarting

o blame?" she asked Grace indignantly when Mrs. Bayde

ugged her

nd Harold are always quarrelling. It's just as often his fault as hers. I wish he was at schoo

ing so much as reading, was soon deep in her book. But Helen was restless and

he said presently. "You needn't com

ove. She merely nodded her ass

shrubbery. Pushing her way amongst the bushes with some difficulty, she came upon a spot that had been cleared, and there she found Harold digging away with might and main. He was so intent upon h

that he was no longer alon

you find me o

heard a noise in the shrubbery and

liked you directly I saw

ad on her shoulders, and an instinct warned her n

er what I'm doi

igging, ar

do anything else, and I slash away at t

n sm

! I can guess exa

she would be sure to say that I was in mischief,

o on digging, and I wi

rew down

all and talk? There is a place just there overlooking the road from wh

hey soon fell into pleasant talk. So deeply interesting were their mutual confidences, that it was not until a glimpse of Mrs. Desmond's victoria going by rapidly recalled Helen to a reco

asked Harold, seein

the Rectory. She said t

ay mother? Mamma

he isn't m

Helen was too deep-natured to wear her heart upon her sleeve. She knew quite well that Mrs. Desmond disliked the word mam

all this time," she said, breaking silence. "C

d she didn't want you to come at all. I expect it is about tea-time, a

dows. Mrs. Desmond's victoria had deposited her at the Rectory some time before Harold and Helen cou

e asked. "I told her to be r

a's assistance, was dispensi

t the school-room tea had gone up

her alone all the afternoon. Of course she has been with Harold. Birds of a

sh Helen were more like your girl, Susa

" returned Mrs. Bayden, her s

ld you believe it, I met him in the garden early in the afternoon, and I spoke to him quite gently, and

Mrs. Desmond unsympathetically. "You spoil your children. I po

interrupted Mrs. Bayden impatiently. She was by no means pleased

course; but considering that she has spent all her life in a country village o

't afford it at present,"

that you can't manage, though, to discipline him

y and looked imploringl

ren are so dear to me. And then

been at the Grange begging since we came. There can't be any poverty here, and besides-Why, Helen, what have you been doing to yourself?"

id Helen, painfully conscious of tumbl

What are those green

len, beginning to brush herself

oks to me as if you ha

d Helen, thankful to be able to

you been do

y climbe

a wall! W

it th

ister. "Dancing lessons, drilling lessons, deportment, this last especially, have been dinned into

sigh, and the Baydens, a little nettled at this hal

en. "I am sorry that I ever allowed you to come here. I kn

n, giving her hand aw

didn't mean to do anything wrong, I'm sure. And I daresay it was quite a

ayden accompanied his sister-in-law to her carriage, stand

m no sacrifice for my dear children's sake, as you know; but pray don't let her attack me again. It was most unfeeling of her to speak as she did about the parish. Indeed, it was worse than

rned Mrs. Bayden. "But I bear it, and so must you. As for parish matters, Margaret knows no more abo

I ask," said Mr. Bayden. "Really I feel

elf," answered the wife. "You mustn't forget that she

ttacking me again about her daughter. These people are never satisfied. They are a most ungrateful set. And Joseph Hall spoke to m

are, and the poor child, recalling all her good resolutions, began once more to exaggerate her own shortcomings, and to wonder miserably why it was that she was so hopelessly stupid and bad. And yet, in spite of everything, she did not regret her visit to the Rectory. Agatha and Grace might be cold and disagreeable, and sneer at her whenever she opened her lips, but Harold with his eager face and his odd fancies was quite different. If only she and Harold might me