Текст книги "Beyond The Blue Mountains"

Автор книги: Jean Plaidy

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He said: “My daughter, life can be cruel; delay is dangerous. You know in a small measure what happened to me and to your mother. I could not bear that you should lose your happiness. Love is all; what is a paltry promise compared with the love of two young people! Take the letter. Add a sentence. Say “Come to me without delay! I need you!” Say that. Carolan.”

There was almost a command in his burning eyes. She broke open the letter, and wrote at the end of it: “Everard, please, please come for me … at once. Don’t wait, Everard, please.” And there was a frantic appeal in those words, for the burning eyes of her father frightened her.

She re-sealed the letter and handed it back to bun.

“He will come,” he said confidently.

“He would not be able to stay away from you…” He went on: “Carolan, what shall you do today?”

“I shall find plenty to do. Remember I have never set foot in London before, and from what I have seen I find it most exciting-‘ “Do not go out, my child. Wait; I shall show you London. But do not go out unaccompanied. It is unfortunate that today I have urgent business, but that will not always be so. I shall take you to Ranelagh, my child. I will take you to hear the talk in the coffee-houses. We shall sit by the river and watch the barges go by. We shall go to the playhouse.”

“I think I am going to enjoy my stay in London, Father.”

“I intend that you shall, child. But for today, promise me this -stay in. The neighbourhood, as you have gathered, is not one in which a gentlewoman should walk alone nor, my dear, are many places in this big city. But give me your word that you will not venture out until I can accompany you.”

“Of course I give my word.”

“Why do you smile?”

“Because it is so good to have an anxious parent. No one bothered whether I went out or stayed in before.”

“London is different from the country.”

“Still, nobody ever cared before.”

“Millie will be here at nine, Carolan.”

“Millie?”

“Our little maid.”

“Ah! I wondered how the work was done. I could not quite imagine Mamma…”

They smiled together.

“No,” he said, “I should not care for your mother to soil her hands. So there is Millie.”

“She does not live here?”

“No, she lives at the end of the street. She comes in at nine o’clock and goes at four. We like it better that she should not spend the night here; we prefer to be alone. She is a little simple, poor Millie.”

“I see.”

“She will be here soon, and will open the shop.”

“But can she deal with customers?”

“There are few customers.”

She looked at him anxiously. That would account for the worry lines about his brow. He was finding it a terrible struggle to make ends meet. And no wonder! Not only was the shop in the wrong neighbourhood, but there was no one to attend to customers when he had to go out no one but a girl who was ‘simple’. How could he hope for a prosperous business!

He saw her thoughts and patted her hands.

“Do not frown, little daughter. I am doing very well; this is a fine business, and very soon I shall retire. It will be to a house in the country, a house which my daughter and her husband … and their children… will not be ashamed to visit.”

“Your daughter and her husband and their children would not be ashamed to visit you here,” retorted Carolan.

“I know. I know. But you wait, Carolan, and see the fine house in the country I shall have!”

“I am glad the business is prosperous, Father.”

“You need not worry your head about us, Carolan. Well, when Millie comes, the shop will be opened. You and your mother need not think about it. Listen! I think that is Millie’s step; I will go and let her in.”

Millie was a sandy-haired girl of about Carolan’s age. She had a pale face and closely set eyes; her skin was pock-marked, her mouth perpetually open; she seemed vacant.

“Millie,” said Darrell, ‘this is Miss Carolan, my daughter.”

Millie nodded, without looking at Carolan.

“And now,” said Darrell, “I must be going. Carolan, do not forget what I have said about going out alone.”

“I promise. I shall wait for you to accompany me. Father.”

She kissed him and went to the door of the shop with him. She stood there watching him; as he turned the corner he waved. Carolan went back into the shop. Millie had taken down the shutters now. but it was still gloomy. Strange, thought Carolan, if her father was doing such a prosperous business here. But when he had said that, he had not met her eyes; she had a feeling that things were not as glorious as he would have her believe. When she married Everard they would have her. father and mother to live with them; of perhaps they would give them a little cottage close by. Her father would be happy enough with a little garden in which to grow flowers and vegetables, she was sure. But in the meantime she would make things a little more Comfortable for them here. She went into the kitchen, where Millie was bending over the sink.

“Let us have a real clean-up today,” she said.

“This place is very dirty.” a Millie merely pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes by way of reply.

“Do you not think so?” demanded Carolan, a little irritated.

‘dunno.” said Millie.

“Well,” said Carolan tartly, ‘you can take it from me that it is! Those shelves are full of dust; the floor needs washing. When did you last wash it?”

“I dunno,” said Millie.

“Forget.”

Enthusiasm burned in Carolan’s eyes; she was a crusader; she was going to make this home of her parents fit to live in. They were like children, both of them; and Millie was worse than hopeless. Very slowly the girl was washing the breakfast dishes. There was nothing domesticated about Carolan; that had been Margaret’s forte. How she longed for Margaret’s advice now! She imagined Margaret’s dainty nose wrinkling up at the sight of this kitchen. The kitchen should be made so that even Margaret would approve!

“Good gracious!” she said.

“Do you take all the morning to wash a few dishes? Then it is no wonder that this place is so dirty.”

Millie regarded her from under bushy eyebrows.

“I am going to change all that,” Carolan continued.

“I will help with those dishes, then you can wash the floor and we can… arrange things.” Millie was a most irritating person. If she had been sullen or if she had burst into protests, Carolan would have found her attitude understandable; but the complaints seemed not to touch her at all. Slowly she went on with the dishes.

“Millie!” said Carolan sharply, and caught the girl’s arm. Millie let out a cry and dropped the plate she was about to plunge into the water. The sleeve of her dress was so rotten with sweat and age that even Carolan’s light grasp had torn it, but it was not at the tear that Carolan stared, but at the weal on the flesh beneath it.

“Why…” gasped Carolan.

“Who did that?”

Millie looked at her arm, and then a faint expression crept into her face the first Carolan had seen there and it shocked her that it should be one of fear.

The father,” said Millie.

“Your father did that! You mean he beat you … and that’s why you are so slow? Are you in pain? Why didn’t you tell me … It ought to be dressed … you should have said so.”

Now Carolan’s irritation had melted before the warmth of her pity for Millie and the heat of her indignation towards Millie’s father.

Millie said: “S’nothing. He’s always doing it.”

“You call that nothing! Does it hurt? Of course it must hurt. It ought to be bathed; it’s very dirty.”

So, instead of cleaning out her parents’ house as she had intended, Carolan spent the morning washing and dressing Millie’s arm, making her hot chocolate to drink, and trying, without much success, to get the story of Millie’s life from her. All she discovered was that Millie lived with her family of ten or eleven Millie did not seem altogether sure of the number in one room at the end of Grape Street, and that Millie’s father drank too much gin with results of which this was a good example.

“When he attacks you,” said Carolan, ‘you should hit back. If he is as drunk as you say, he should not be so formidable.”

Millie only stared at Carolan with vacant eyes.

“You should not stay there!” said Carolan.

“Could you not get a job where you could live in?”

“I dunno,” said Millie.

Then you should find out.”

“How?” asked Millie surprisingly, but Carolan really had no suggestion to offer. She said: “I will think of something. And tell your father if he dares to hurt you again I… I…”

Millie waited expressionlessly, but when talking to her, Carolan had discovered that, if a sentence became too complicated to finish, it was possible to trail off without comment from Millie. She did this now, but she was determined nevertheless to add Millie to those people whom she must help during her stay in London.

The morning was speeding up, and Carolan did not notice until later that not once had the shop door bell rang.

At midday she carried a tray upstairs to her mother’s room.

“Come in!” said Kitty sleepily, and Carolan went in.

It was something of a shock, remembering Kitty’s room at Haredon. Then of course there had been Therese to fold up her things. Now, the dress Kitty had worn the previous night lay on the floor, and undergarments were strewn beside it. The room smelt musty.

Carolan said: “You are shutting out the sunshine; I’ll draw the curtains better than that.”

“Don’t open the window, darling,” said Kitty fearfully.

“I do not trust the morning sat.”

“Scarcely morning now, Mammal Did you not hear the clock strike twelve?”

“Did it? I am a lie-abed. And you have brought me a tray; that is nice. Much nicer than that foolish Millie’s bringing it!”

“A cup of chocolate to begin with,” said Carolan.

“Do you like that?”

“I adore chocolate, darling. Bring it here. Hand it to me, there’s a love … But first give me the mirror … Goodness gracious! I do look a sight, do I not?”

She looked old, thought Carolan, untidy; and she had put on so much weight. The lace of her bedgown was draggled, and there were chocolate stains on it. But the voluptuous bosom, showing through the lace, was white as ever. She looked the picture of indolence, the beauty who is ageing, who has fed too well on the sweets of life and shows signs of it in her face.

Kitty grimaced into her mirror.

“How do you find I look, darling? Have I aged much?”

“Scarcely at all, Mamma,” lied Carolan.

“You have put on flesh though.”

“Ah! But in the right places, as Therese used to say! What happened to Therese?”

“I do not know. She went.”

“And poor Sambo?”

“He went too.”

“And that beast, Jennifer?”

“She fell down the stairs one night… dead drunk.”

“Serve her right, the wicked creature! Carolan, there is one thing I always wanted to know. Did she beat you?”

“Sometimes.”

“You should have told me… Why did you not?”

“I do not know,” said Carolan, and thought of Millie and felt inadequate and suddenly humble.

“She will never beat you any more, Carolan. Give me my chocolate, child. I do not care for it cold.” She drank greedily.

“Ah! This is good! You make better chocolate than mad Millie does.”

“Mamma… you are not sorry you ran away?”

“Ran away from Haredon? My child, how can you ask? Of course not. I would follow your father to the end of the earth!”

There she sat leaning back on her pillows, carefree, thinking of nothing but that Carolan made better chocolate than Millie.

“But, Mamma, this is so different from Haredon!”

“I do not wish to return, nevertheless. Of course, I miss Therese. What a wonder she was! Certainly I miss her. But I hated the squire, darling. Your father is my true husband.”

“He is a dear,” said Carolan.

“You are fond of him already?”

“He is so gentle, so … everything that one would hope a father might be. But, Mamma, this place … is it … is it… a good business proposition?”

Kitty laughed.

“La, child! Do you expect me to understand what is and what is not a good business proposition? I was never clever enough; I leave that to your father.”

“He seemed to me a little worried.”

“Worried! Indeed he is not! He is very happy here… with me … and I am happy. All those long years I waited for him, did I not? Waited and grieved, and he came for me as I knew he would… but the waiting was hard…”

Carolan smiled at her with tolerant affection. How fortunate to be able to believe just what you wanted to believe. Dear Mammal No wonder she had had so many lovers; she would make each feel that he was the best, the only one that mattered, while the others were mere episodes. And she would make that belief possible, because she herself believed it so sincerely.

Carolan tried again.

“Everything down there is in such a jumble, Mamma, so untidy. The shops I passed on my way here had wares displayed temptingly in their windows. Ours is not very attractive… not even very clean.”

Kitty leaned on a plump elbow and surveyed her daughter. She began to laugh.

“What a little wiseacre you have become, Miss Carolan. So solemn. It is no use trying to make me solemn, I warn you. I positively refuse to be. Why, what should I have been now, had I allowed trifles to worry me? Old. Haggard! With a million lines about my face!” She picked up the mirror and looked at her reflection smilingly.

“Whereas … I am … I refuse to tell you how old I am, Carolan! And you should be ashamed to ask me! When I think of all I’ve gone through … the weary waiting for your father… and then, after we came together again…”

“Yes.” said Carolan eagerly, seating herself on the bed, ‘afterwards, when you came together?”

“There was a terrible time I went through! Poverty! My child, you have no conception of what poverty I suffered. I… who had always previously been so free from want. Even when I was with Aunt Harriet and I can tell you I suffered in that hell-cat’s house, my dear even then I had enough to eat!”

“Mamma! Were you and my father starving, then?” Kitty was rocking to and fro on the bed in an agony of remembrance.

“It was terrible! Terrible! The filthy lodging-houses! The dreadful food…. and then no food at all. Your poor father used to say: “Kitty, it would have been better had you stayed at Haredon!” I answered: “Indeed not! My place is by your side, Darrell. No matter what I must suffer, that is where my place is!” ‘ Was it really true, wondered Carolan, or was she playing another part the faithful lover? No I There must be a modicum of truth in it.

“Did he do no work then, Mamma?”

“He worked for a merchant. He worked along the wharfside.” She shivered and covered her face with her hands. Then she removed them and smiled radiantly.

“But why do we talk of it? Now all is well.”

“Ah, Mamma! Are you sure all is well?”

“My child! Oh, my solemn little darling! Of course all is well. We have the shop now. Your father says the shop will make our fortunes, and your father was never a man to adorn a tale. He says that after a short stay here in this perfectly frightful neighbourhood … And let me tell you, Carolan, it is frightful, and you must always remember should I and your father forget to lock up the doors and lower windows every night…”

“There is so much I do not understand,” said Carolan.

“It is such a queer sort of shop… without any customers.”

“You must not worry your head over it, Carolan – I do not. I trust in your father. He has promised me a house in the country with servants to wait upon me, and he is not a man to make promises lightly, that much I know. Oh, Carolan, what a happy day when we leave this place! I can see the house I shall have … I can see it clearly …” Her manner changed suddenly. Now she was gracious, full of dignity, receiving her guests at the top of a wide staircase; and that image was more real to her than this tawdry room and her daughter, sitting there on the bed.

Kitty stopped dreaming abruptly and said: “My dear, pass me that wrap, and I will have a little more of the bacon.”

She ate heartily.

“I am glad,” said Carolan, watching her, ‘that you do not regret leaving Haredon.”

Kitty laughed.

“That place! That beast there! Ah, how he tormented me! And should I be the one to pine for a country life? No! No! Now if I had a carriage… I cannot get about as I would, but your father will not get me a carriage; he says we cannot afford it. He has said we must save… save… so that we can leave this wretched business behind us. But when I get my own house, servants to wait on me … ah! Then you shall see. Perhaps I could get Therese … Dear Therese. With her lotions and concoctions, what she could do with me now. In the country I shall bloom again.” She smiled at her daughter appraisingly, a little complacently.

“You have charm yourself, my dear, but you will never be what I was. Your looks are modern. Looks are not what they were in my young days. Ah! We knew how to be beautiful then. But you have a look of me about you, Carolan. A pity your eyes are so green; blue would have been so much more appealing. And if your hair had been fair like mine … But you have my nose, darling, and my chin, and though not quite my mouth. You have a lot of me in you, Carolan.”

Carolan curtsied.

“Thank you kindly, Mamma.” She stooped and kissed her mother.

“I will leave you to dress now, and perhaps soon my father will be home, and he will take me walking.”

“Do not expect me too soon,” warned Kitty.

“I miss my dear Therese And darling, bring me hot water, please. I loathe cold, and I declare that if either your father or Millie did not bring me hot, I often could not resist the temptation not to wash at all.”

“You shall have hot water, Mamma.”

Thank you. I will wait for it. Ah, my darling, how good it is to have you home! If you could but know how deep was my longing to have you here during those years of separation!”

It was during the afternoon that the idea came to Carolan. Not a single customer had come into the shop. She had listened eagerly for the sound of the bell all the afternoon. Kitty sat in the parlour, idly turning the leaves of Madame D’Arblay’s Evelina, and talking now and then to Carolan. Millie was dusting the upstairs rooms.

Carolan said: “Mamma! I have an idea. I am going into the shop; I want to tidy things a bit. It is very gloomy out there, and I am sure it is wrong to go all day without a single customer. It will be a surprise for my father.”

Kitty laughed.

“My darling, how difficult you find it to sit still, do you not! You are not like I was … even at your age; I was not nearly so restless. But if you would like to…”

“Do you think my father would be pleased?”

“Of course he would be pleased, dear man!”

Then I shall go. Leave the parlour door open and I can talk to you as I work.”

“Yes,” said Kitty, ‘leave the door open.”

Carolan stood in the dark interior of the shop, and wondered where to begin. Such a hotchpotch! And how typical of her father to show the most unattractive of his goods in the most prominent positions! Those old clothes hanging in the doorway; shabby things green with age! And the window chock-full of unwholesome looking garments, while in odd trays he had quite an assortment of pretty, though apparently cheap, jewellery. And if some of the old silver were polished up, what an attractive face the little shop could show the world!

First of all she would take the old coats from the doorway; then she would clear the window. Cheerfully she set to work, and in a short time she had a pile of unsavoury garments laid out on the floor. The window space was clear, but very dirty. She would dust it for today, and tomorrow she would get Millie to help her and they would get to work in earnest.

“Darling,” wailed Kitty, ‘such a dust is floating through!”

“It shows how badly it needed cleaning!” called Carolan excitedly.

There was a smear of dust on her nose; her eyes were brilliant. Now and then she would click her tongue indulgently, as some fresh example of her father’s carelessness came to light. She found a piece of black velvet and enjoyed herself, laying out the jewellery on it. The shop was going to be tasteful, as alluring as the shops she had passed on her way here. She tried to visualize her father’s pleasure when he saw the alterations.

She stood, her head on one side, surveying her handiwork. She frowned at the great bunch of old coats hanging against the wall just behind the counter. An eyesore! As soon as she touched them a moth flew out. She began to pull them down, but they were heavy and not easy to move. She had to get a chair to stand on and unhook them. And when she had them down, a door was disclosed; she tried it, but it was locked!

“Mammal’ she called.

“What door is this?”

“What door, my love?”

“A door here in the shop. There were a lot of coats hanging over it. It is locked!”

“A door …” mused Kitty.

“Oh, I remember. We never use it; we always keep it locked. At least I think your father uses it sometimes… I do not know.”

“Where does it lead to, Mamma?”

“I think to a basement room! I’m not sure.”

Carolan went to the door between the shop and the parlour. She surveyed her mother with exasperation.

“Mamma, do you mean to say you have never been through that door?”

“Why should I go through it?” asked Kitty.

“But surely, when you came to the house…”

Kitty yawned indolently.

“My darling, shut the door. The dust is worrying my throat, and my throat was never really strong. I often thought that, had it been, my mother would have had me trained to sing. She said my voice was exactly like Elizabeth Sheridan’s.” She smiled, flushed with the applause of an enthusiastic audience.

“But when you looked over the house,” persisted Carolan impatiently, ‘did you not open that door and see what was beyond it?”

“My dear,” said Kitty, “I was not as inquisitive as you. I do not worry myself where this leads, and what is beyond that. It is a mistake to worry about things that are of no importance.”

Carolan sat on the table.

“Mamma, tell me about how you came to the shop. Where did you get all this furniture? It is by no means new; did you pick it up through the business?”

“When we came to the shop…” began Kitty.

“Well, it was just as it is now, when we came to the shop; I do not remember it any different.”

“Ah.” said Carolan, swinging her legs.

“I can guess what happened; my father bought the place just as it was furniture and all. He must have had a windfall, if before you were so poor that you had nothing to eat!”

“Yes, that was it,” said Kitty.

Carolan took her mother’s face between her hands and kissed it. She was thinking of Darrell’s trying to explain his business affairs to this adorable, inconsequent creature.

Poor darling Mamma, and poor darling Father! she thought. She leaped off the table and went back to the shop.

She decided to heap all the clothes into a corner and consult her father about them when he came in; and as she was doing this the bell tinkled and a man walked in. A customer! she thought jubilantly. But almost immediately she recognized him as Jonathan Crew.

“Good afternoon!” he said.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Crew.”

His great dark eyes went all round the shop, from the window to the newly exposed door.

“You are very busy…”

“Indeed yes. And you? You are not working this afternoon?”

When he smiled, his skin seemed tighter than ever. He exposed a row of strong white teeth.

“Sometimes I am sent from my office on certain commissions. If I execute them with speed, why should I not have a half-hour to spend as I will! You are well, after your adventures of yesterday?”

“Very well, I thank you.”

“And making good use of your time, I can see.”

“Do you notice any difference in the shop? But I suppose you do not; it was dusk when you saw it, was it not?”

“I notice some alterations; I have always been told that I am an observant man.”

“And the change is for the better?”

“Very much for the better!”

Kitty called through the door: “Who it that, Carolan?”

“It is Mr. Crew come to inquire how I am after yesterday’s journey.”

“Come in!” cried Kitty.

“Come in. Me Crew.”

Carolan led him into the parlour.

Kitty, sitting upright in her chair, extended her hand; she was like a queen graciously receiving an honoured subject.

“It is indeed kind of you, Mr. Crew.”

He bowed courteously over Kitty’s hand.

“I was anxious to know how your daughter was today. Ma’am. London gave her a rough welcome, I fear.”

“Not all London amused Kitty.

“And she has you to thank for that, sir!”

“It was the greatest pleasure to be of some small service.”

Carolan’s eyes strayed back to the shop.

There are one or two things I must dear up before my father returns. If you will excuse me, Mr. Crew… You talk to Mr. Crew, Mamma, while I finish.”

Kitty pouted. Was this the way to treat a gentleman caller! Carolan must learn better. There was a smudge of dirt across her nose, and her pretty hair looked most inelegant.

“Run to your room, darling.” said Kitty severely.

“Wash, and change your dress. I will entertain Mr. Crew while you do so.”

“No, no!” insisted Mr. Crew.

“I see I make a nuisance of myself. Miss Carolan is a young lady who, having started a job, win wish to complete it. I admire her for it; moreover I will help.”

“There is no need.” said Carolan. There is little to do now.”

“Nevertheless, I insist on helping!” And help he did; he worked very hard, stacking the old clothes together in a corner of the room.

This kind of shop interests me greatly.” he said.

“You never know what you will find!”

When they had finished. Carolan said: “I long to see my father’s face when he comes in.”

“He will be astonished, I am sure. How long do you stay, Miss Carolan ?”

“I am not certain. Two months, or possibly less.” Two months can be a long time. And your idea is to turn this shop, before you leave, into what it was surely meant to be?” That is my idea.”

“I sincerely hope that you will achieve it.” There is my mother calling; let us go to her.”

Kitty, the mother, a little shocked at the unconventional behaviour of her daughter, but smiling indulgently because she was such a child, said: “Now, Carolan, go to your room and wash your hands and face at once. To please me… go. I insist!”

When Carolan returned Mr. Crew was talking of London; and how vividly he talked! Carolan was ready to listen as eagerly as her mother. He told of the pleasure gardens, the coffee and chocolate houses, the play. He had seen Mr. Sheridan’s School for Scandal years back; he had seen the great Mrs. Siddons herself. He often caught glimpses of the Prince and Princess of Wales; and when he was a mere boy he had once seen the Prince with Mrs. Perdita Robinson; that was in the days when the Prince was young and handsome and had not put on weight so distressingly, before he had married Maria Fitzherbert. And yes, Mr. Crew confessed he had set eyes on the fair Maria too. He seemed to know everything and have been everywhere. Kitty loved such talk and drank it in eagerly. She told Mr. Crew that someone had said she was remarkably like Sarah Siddons, though for the life of her she could not see where! Mr. Crew put his head on one side and made a play of studying her critically. Yes, he said, there was a resemblance, but he thought it was chiefly in the expression.

“My little daughter is all agog to see the Town,” said Kitty.

“I trust, Ma’am,” answered Jonathan Crew, ‘that some day I may be allowed to show her a little of London__to show you both of course.”

“That is most kind. My poor husband is such a busy man; he is here and there on business, and there is little time for pleasure.”

“But perhaps,” said Carolan, “Mr. Crew is also a busy man.”

“I have some leisure,” he answered.

“And it is gracious indeed to offer to spend a little of it on us,” said Kitty.

“It is you who are gracious.”

“Flatterer!” laughed Kitty.

Oh, Mamma! thought Carolan. Don’t! He is not a bit like that. Can you not see?

But Kitty did not see; she gazed at the visitor admiringly, and fluttered her long golden lashes. Carolan was uncomfortable, over-silent and a little gauche.

Kitty thought: I am still attractive then! Here is a young man who calls to see my daughter and finds me more interesting. Does not a woman become more attractive as she grows older -providing of course she is not too old? What she gains in flesh she loses in gaucherie. For all we know, this man may be a great gentleman a rich merchant perhaps even a lord! How I wish I had put on the black velvet! Black is becoming to a fair skin. But perhaps this blue is more enchanting … Therese used to say blue was my colour.

“I must go,” said Mr. Crew.

“But I trust you will allow me to come again.”

He bowed over Kitty’s hand, and Carolan went to the door with him.

“I hope to see more of the interesting things in your interesting shop,” he said.

“Please come whenever you want to. My father has lots and lots of things tucked away, I’m sure. I vow he most likely keeps the best locked away in the basement.”

“I think that very likely. You are going to be his guide and counsellor-that much I see, Miss Carolan. Then I may call again?”

“Please do!”

Thank you! Thank you! Goodbye.”

Kitty was smiling when Carolan returned to the parlour.

“My dear, an admirer so soon!”

“Not an admirer at all. Mamma.”

“La! child. You are but a baby.”

To my mind,” said Carolan, ‘he admired you more than he admired me.”

“Nonsense!” said Kitty, smiling to herself.

“I am an old woman, though I do admit I was very, very young when you were born, Carolan.”

It was an hour or so later when Darrell came into the shop. Carolan waited in the parlour, listening for his exclamation of surprise and delight. She peeped through the parlour doorway at him. He was staring about bin as though he scarcely recognized the place.

She ran out to him.

“Do you not think it a great improvement?” she asked demurely.

“Why …” he stammered.

“What… what has happened?”

She slipped her arm through his.

“You had so many pretty things tucked away, and you showed all the most unattractive of your stock. Now, Father, that is not the way to manage a shop!”

He was silent for a long time; she tried to see his face, but he had a gift of drawing the mask so firmly down that it was impossible to see behind it.

“Father… Father .. , you are not pleased then? You think I am an interfering, stupid creature ? You are not pleased ? ‘ He turned to her then. He took her hand from his arm and kissed it tenderly.