Between Two Loves. Amelia E. Barr

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СКАЧАТЬ younger days. Her heart burned with anger. She felt as if her father was a traitor to her cause. As for her husband, he was trying to put himself in matrimonial colors which he did not deserve, trying to deceive her father, and to give him a wrong impression as to his treatment of her.

      When Aske, under the happy influence of that confidential two hours, met her, it was with lover-like admiration and affection. She had dressed herself with wonderful skill and taste, and his eyes brightened with pleasure as he looked at her. But she answered his glance with one of intelligent scorn. She was determined he should understand that she had seen through his effusive demonstrations towards her ​father. So the dinner, though an excellent one, faultlessly served, was a very painful meal. Eleanor was satirical, mocking, brilliant, almost defiant, and Jonathan suffered keenly amid the flying shafts of her ready tongue. But he remembered that a little meddling will make a deal of care, and he tried to pass over the unpleasant, doubtful speeches. As for Aske, he received them with an impassive good-humor, he talked well and rapidly, and kept the conversation as far as possible from all domestic topics.

      After dinner there was a most uncomfortable two hours, but Aske throughout them exhibited in a marked manner the influence which gentle traditions and fine breeding exercise. Upon his own hearth-stone he would protect his father-in-law from every annoyance, if it were possible to do so, and though he was naturally a much more passionate man than Burley, he never once suffered his good temper to desert him amid his wife's innuendoes and scornful sarcasms.

      Not so with Jonathan. He was astonished, pained, and then angry, and when this point had been reached he showed it by lapsing into a frowning silence. But Eleanor seemed possessed by a spirit of aggravation; her father's ​evident disapproval taught her no restraint, and her husband's amiability nettled and irritated her. At length Burley rose impatiently and said, "Aske, I'll be obliged to thee if thou wilt order my gig. I'd better be going, I'm sure."

      Left for a few minutes with his daughter, he turned to her and asked, sternly, "Whatever is t' matter wi' thee? Thou hast behaved thysen varry badly to-night. Thou niver acted like this at Burley, and if thou had, I would have put an end to it varry soon, thou may be sure o' that."

      "Nobody ordered me about at Burley. I did just what I wanted to do. You never quarreled with me, father."

      "I'm varry sure it wasn't thy husband as was quarrelsome to-night. Far from it He was patient beyond iverything. A better man to bear wi' a cross, unreasonable, provoking woman, I niver saw! Niver!"

      "You know nothing about him, father. Patient! Why, he has the angry word before the angry thought, and as for being quarrelsome, sooner than want a reason for a dispute, Anthony would quarrel with Aske, and Aske with Anthony."

      ​"I warn thee, Eleanor. Take care what thou art doing. It is far easier to put t' devil in a good husband than to get him out If thy mother hed iver talked to me as thou talked to Anthony this night, I would have gone to t' mill and I would hev stopped there till she said she was 'shamed o' hersen; yes, I would, if I'd stopped there t' rest o' my life."

      "I suppose all husbands are alike. I have no doubt they are."

      "Nay, then, they aren't There are some varry bad ones, and some varry good ones. Thou hes got a better than thou deserves. And don't thee forget one thing, thou can sow scornful, doubtful speeches if thou wants to, but thou will be sure to reap a fine harvest of plain, even' down hatred and sorrow. Mind what I say."

      But though he thought it right to speak thus to her, he had never loved and admired her so much. Marriage had developed the beautiful girl into a splendidly brilliant woman. The magnificence of her dress at dinner, the haughty confidence of her manner affected him strangely. He rode home in a conflict of emotion, but the end of every train of thought was the same—"She was a good, loving lass when she was under my roof, ​and there is bound to be summat wrong wi' Aske or wi' his way of managing her."

      The night was dark and close, and Jonathan was unusually sad, for it is the best natures that are most easily subjugated by moral miasmas. He had been full of love and hope, and suddenly a supposition of evil and sorrow had put its hand upon him. He could not close his eyes or pass it by. It had taken its place upon his hearth-stone, and he was compelled to listen to it He was in the atmosphere of an ill-conditioned temper, of a soul determined to quarrel with existence, and he was worried by an uncertainty which doubled his anxieties. For though he was angry with Eleanor, he was yet inclined to believe that her rebellion was, in some way or other, entirely Aske's fault. "It isn't fair," he muttered, "to badger a lass into such a way! I think little of a man that can't give up a bit to his wife."

      When he reached his park gates, Ben Holden was slowly walking about in front of them. He came up to the gig as Jonathan tightened the reins, and said, "Thou's earlier than might he."

      "What ever art thou here for? Is owt wrong at t' mill?"

      ​"Not likely. There is an offer from Longworthy, and he wants yes or no in t' morning. Thou knows thy mind on that subject, and we'd better send a night message."

      "Ay, we had. Get into t' gig, and we'll talk it over."

      When the house was reached, Burley said, "That's all about Longworthy; but come in and hev a bit o' cold meat. I want to talk to thee." Then turning to the groom: "Mind thou rubs t' little beast down well, and give him a good supper and bed. I'll mebbe be in to see after thee."

      There was a rack in the chimney-corner full of long, clean clay pipes, and after the "bit o' cold meat" the two men sat down to smoke. Hitherto their talk had been of wool and yams and wages, but after a short silence Jonathan said, "I hev been to Aske Hall."

      "Well?"

      "Nay, it isn't well. It is varry ill, as far as I can see. I don't know whativer is come over my lass. She was always bidable wi' me. I can't help blaming Aske, though he was as patient and kind as niver was to-night."

      ​"Aske is a tight master, he's more than likely to be a tight husband."

      "And my Eleanor is none used to take either bid or buffet."

      "That's where all t' trouble wi' womankind begins. If Aske hedn't set her up on a monument when he was courting her, she wouldn't hev hed to come down to t' common level after it. If iver I go a-courting, I'll tell no lies to t' lass. I'll not mak' her an angel before t' wedding, and nobbut a wife after it."

      "Thou art a wise man, Ben, but when thou fells in love thou wilt do as wiser men than thee hev done."

      "Ah, when I fell in love. But this is what I mean. Aske, before he got wed, was niver happy but when he was doing this and doing that, and running here and running there, to pleasure his lady. It was 'What can I get thee?' and 'What shall I say to thee?' and 'What can I do for thee?' And whether she smiled or frowned she was perfect. He liked to dawdle round her better than to go hunting or shooting. He thought little o' Aske Hall then, and was forever at thy house. His place on t' magistrate's bench was always empty, for he ​were sitting at Miss Burley's feet. As for farming matters, or government matters, he reckoned nowt o' them. He were too happy singing fal-la-la songs wi' thy lass, or rambling hand in hand wi' her in t' garden or park. Now then, he gets wed, and all at once t' angel, and t' queen, and t' mistress of his soul and life is turned into a varry faultable woman. He not only stops all his false worship, but he wants to get up on t' monument himsen and hev t' deposed idol do the worshipping. My word! It's not natural to expect it, that is, if t' idol has any feelings more than a stick or a stone."

      "Now thou talks sensible. But heving found out t' cause o' t' trouble, what would ta do to mend it?"

      "I would speak to Aske quietly, and advise him to tak' his СКАЧАТЬ