Page:010 Once a week Volume X Dec 1863 to Jun 64.pdf/527

 30, 1864.]

Laura Chesney stood at the window, watching the retreating form of the surgeon, Mr. Carlton, as he passed hastily down the garden path in the growing twilight. A short while and he would be back again as he had promised; and Laura's heart beat at the thought, at the anticipated rapture of seeing him again, and she remained silent, losing herself in dreams of the sweetest delusion.

Only to be rudely awakened. Miss Chesney stepped to Laura's side and spoke, her gentle voice sounding strange in its sternness.

"Laura, could it be that I saw you walk through the garden when Mr. Carlton came, arm-in-arm with him?"

Laura turned her face away from her sister's view, orfor [sic] even in that fading hour Miss Chesney would have seen the red flush that overspread it at the words, dyeing it of a blood-red. She made no answer.

"It was not seemly, Laura. Mr. Carlton is but a surgeon: a man, so far as we know, without connections. And you are a Chesney."

"With connections," retorted Laura, who was growing vexed and angry. "And much good they do me!"

"Laura dear, we are, as may be said, of the noblesse: we may not lose caste."

"I think we have lost caste already, with these wretched, paltry debts hanging over and following us about from place to place like a shadow," was the petulant answer. "They degrade us pretty well."

"You mistake, Laura. If you intend that as a refutation to my argument, you must look at things in a wrong light. In one sense of the word the debts degrade us, because there always is a degredation attaching itself to these petty debts; but they cannot in the slightest degree sully our caste; they cannot detract from our good birth or tarnish it. Do not again allow Mr. Carlton to put himself on a familiar level with you."

Loving him a she did with an impassioned, blind, all-absorbing love, Laura Chesney bitterly in her heart resented this reflection on Mr. Carlton. She was fast falling into that sadly mistaken, unhealthy frame of mind in which every consideration is lost in the one swaying passion—love. Openly she did not dare to dissent from her sister; it might have brought on an explanation for which Laura was not prepared; and Jane, deeming she had said enough, passed to a different topic.

"What did the fly driver say?"

"He insisted on the money's being paid to him between now and twelve o'clock on Saturday; failing it then, he will proceed against papa publicly. June, I am sure the man will carry out his threat. He was not loud and angry, not even uncivil; but he was resolute."

"And how is it to be procured?" moaned Jane, leaning her head upon her hand. "I would almost sell myself," she added, with a burst of feeling, "rather then bring these annoyances before papa? Oh, if I could but take these troubles more effectually off him!"

"Papa can do battle with them a great deal better than you can, Jane," said Laura, who was far from sharing Jane's ultra filial feeling on the point. "And it is more fit that he should."

"It in not more fit," retorted Jane Chesney, whose usually gentle spirit could be roused by any reproach cast on him. "He is my dear dear father, and I ask no better than to devote my life to warding off care from his."

"Would you wish no better?" asked Laura, in a low, wondering tone, as she glanced at the bliss presenting itself for her future life—the spending it with Lewis Carlton.

"Nor with better," replied Jane. And the younger sister gazed at her in compassion and half in disbelief.

"There are other petty cares coming upon us, Laura," returned June, in a different tone. "Rhode has given me warning to leave."

"Rhode has!" quickly echoed Laura in surprise. "What for?"

"To 'better herself,' she said. I suspect the true motive is, that she is tired of the place. There is a great deal to do; and she hinted, somewhat insolently, that she did not like a service where applicants were continually coming for money only to be put off; it 'tried her temper.' I told her the might go the instant I could procure a fresh servant. I do not choose to keep dissatisfied people in the house longer than can he helped. She What is it, Lucy?"

The little girl had come running in, eagerly. "Jane, a young woman wants to see you."

"Another creditor," thought Jane with a sinking heart. "Is it the woman from the fruit shop, Lucy?"