The Honorable Miss: A Story of an Old-Fashioned Town

  CHAPTER XXX.

  GUARDIANS ARE NOT ALWAYS TO BE ENVIED.

  It would have been difficult to find a more easy-going, kind,happy-tempered man than Mr. Ingram. He had never married--this was notbecause he had not loved. Stories were whispered about him, and thesestories had truth for their foundation--that when he was young he hadbeen engaged to a girl of high birth, great beauty of person, and rarenobility of mind. Evelyn St. Just had died in her youth, and Mr. Ingramfor her sake had never brought a wife home to the pleasant old Rectory.His sorrow had softened, but in no degree soured the good man. There hadbeen nothing in it to sour any one--no shade of bitterness, no thread ofunfaithfulness. The Rector firmly believed in a future state of blissand reunion, and he regarded his happiness as only deferred. As far ashis flock knew, the sorrow which had come to him in his youth only gavehim a peculiar sympathy for peculiar troubles. To all in sorrow theRector was the best of friends, but if the case was one where heartswere touched, if that love which binds a man to a woman was in any waythe cause of the distress, then the Rector was indeed aroused to give ofhis best to comfort and assist.

  On the evening after her strange interview with Josephine Hart, Beatriceput on her hat, and coming down to her mother where she sat as usual inthe pleasant drawing-room, told her that she was going to see Mr.Ingram.

  "It is rather late to-night, surely, child?"

  "No, mother, it is not too late. I want particularly to see Mr. Ingramto-night."

  "Are you well, Bee? Your voice sounds tired."

  "I am quite well, dear mother. Kiss me. I won't stay longer away than Ican help."

  She left the house. It was getting dusk now, and the distance betweenthe Gray House and the Rectory was not small. But no Northbury girlfeared to be out alone, and Beatrice walked quickly, and before longreached her destination.

  The Rector was in--Beatrice would find him in his study. The oldhousekeeper did not dream of conducting Miss Meadowsweet to thisapartment. She smiled at her affectionately, told her she knew the wayherself, and left her.

  When Beatrice entered the study the Rector got up and took his favoriteby both her hands.

  "I am glad to see you, my child," he said. "I was just feeling theslightest _soupcon_ of loneliness, so you have come in opportunely.Sit down, Bee. I suppose Bertram will call for you presently."

  Beatrice did not make any response to this remark, but she drew a littlecane chair forward and sat down.

  "Except your mother, no one will miss you more than I shall when youleave us, Beatrice," said the Rector. "You are quite right to go, mydear. Quite right. I see a useful and honorable career before you. But Imay be allowed just once to say that I shall be lonely without myfavorite."

  "Dear Rector," said Beatrice. She came a little nearer, and almosttimidly laid her hand on his knee. Then she looked in his face. "I amnot going to leave you," she said.

  "God bless my soul! What do you mean, child? Is anything wrong? Youdon't look quite yourself. Has that young scoundrel--if I thought--" theRector got up. His face was red, he clenched his hand in no clericalstyle.

  Beatrice also rose to her feet.

  "He is not a scoundrel," she said. "Although if our engagement had goneon, and I had been married to Captain Bertram, he would have been one."

  "Then you are not engaged? You have broken it off."

  "I am not engaged. I have released Captain Bertram from his engagementto me."

  "Beatrice! I did not expect this from you. His mother is attached toyou--so are his sisters, while he himself, poor lad--! Bee, it wasbetter you should find out your heart in time, but I am surprised--I amgrieved. You should have known it before--before things went as far asthis, my dear girl."

  "Please, Mr. Ingram, listen to me. Sit down again, for I have a longstory to tell. I have not changed my mind, nor am I guilty of anyspecial fickleness. But circumstances have arisen which make itimpossible for me to keep my engagement. Captain Bertram sees this asplainly as I do. He is very thankful to be released."

  "Then he is a scoundrel, I thought as much."

  "No, he isn't that. But he has been weak, poor fellow, and harassed, andtempted. And his mother has used all her influence. I know now what shewanted me for. Just for my money. But I've been saved in time."

  "God bless me, this is very strange and dreadful. You puzzle meawfully."

  "I will tell you the story, Rector, then you won't be puzzled. Do youremember once speaking to me about a girl you saw at the Manor lodge.She was living there for a little. Her name was Hart."

  "Yes, yes, a very handsome, queer girl. I spoke to Mrs. Bertram abouther. She seemed to me to have taken an unjust prejudice against the poorlonely child."

  "Mr. Ingram, Miss Hart is engaged to Loftus Bertram, and he will marryher next Tuesday."

  "Beatrice, have you gone quite mad?

  "No, I am as sane as any other girl who has got a shock, but who isresolved to do right. Captain Bertram shall marry Nina, because in heartthey are married already, because they love each other, as I never couldlove him, nor he me, because they were betrothed to each other before heand I ever met, because Nina was dying for love of him, and onlymarrying him can save her. Oh, it was pitiable to see Nina, Mr. Ingram,and I am thankful--I shall be thankful to my dying day--that I saw herin time to save her."

  "Beatrice, this is very strange and inexplicable. Where did you see MissHart? I thought she had left Northbury."

  "She came back, because she could not stay away. She is at the Bells'. Isaw her there to day, and I brought Loftus to her, and--Rector, theylove each other. Oh, yes, yes--when I see how much they love each other.I am thankful I am not to be married with only the shadow of such areality."

  "Then you never gave your heart to this young man?"

  "Never! I thought I could help him. But my heart has not even stirred."

  "You did not seem unhappy."

  "I was not unhappy. It always gives me pleasure to help people. AndCatherine seemed so bright, and Mrs. Bertram so delighted, and Loftushimself--there was much to win my regard in Loftus. I did not know itwas only my money they wanted."

  "Poor child! And yet you are wrong. No one who looks at you, Beatrice,can only want you for your money."

  "Dear Rector, in this case my money was the charm. Well, my money shallstill have power. You are my guardian as well as my trustee. I want youto help me. You can, you must. I will take no denial. Loftus and I havehad a long, long talk this afternoon. I have found at last the verybottom of Bertram's heart. He came to me to save him, and I amdetermined to be his deliverer. One quarter of my fortune I give toLoftus Bertram, and he shall marry Nina, and his debts shall be paid,and his mother relieved from the dreadful strain of anxiety she is nowundergoing, and Loftus and Nina shall be happy and good. Oh, yes, I knowthey will be good as well as happy. You will help me, Rector, you will,you must."

  "Beatrice, you are the most quixotic, extraordinary, unworldly,unpractical creature that ever breathed. What sort of guardian should Ibe if I listened to so mad a scheme? What right has Loftus Bertram toone farthing of your money, without you?"

  "He can't have it with me, Rector. I would not marry him now at anyprice."

  "Then he must do without the money."

  "No, he must have the money. Steps must be taken to secure it to him atonce, and he must keep his wedding-day with Nina instead of me. Ninashall have my trousseau; we are exactly of one height--You have got tochange the name in the marriage license. If that is impossible thereshall be a special license. I am rich, I can pay for it. Oh, the joythat sometimes money brings!"

  "My dear ward, you are a little off your head to-night. How could youpossibly expect your guardian to be such a faithless old man."

  "Faithless? Mr. Ingram, have you quite forgotten my father?"

  "No, Beatrice, I remember him to-night."

  "Let his face rise before you. Picture his face--his unworldly face."

  "I see it, Beatrice. Yes, Meadowsweet was not cankered by the sordid
cares of life."

  "Truly he was not? Go on thinking about him. He made money. How did hespend it?"

  "My dear child, your father was a very good man. His charities wereextraordinary and extensive. He gave away, hoping for nothing in return;he was too liberal, I often told him so."

  "You were his clergyman and you told him so."

  A flash of indignation came out of Beatrice Meadowsweet's eyes.

  "I don't think, Mr. Ingram, that a Greater than you has ever said thatto my father."

  "Well, child, perhaps not. You reprove me, perhaps justly. Few of ushave your father's unworldly spirit."

  "Don't you think his only daughter may inherit a little of it? Mr.Ingram, what is money for?"

  "Beatrice, you could argue any one into thinking with you. But I mustexercise my own common-sense."

  "No, you must not. You must exercise your unworldly sense, and help mein this matter."

  "What! And help you to throw away a quarter of your fortune?"

  "I shall have fifteen thousand pounds left, more than enough for therequirements of any girl."

  "I doubt if the wording of your father's will could give me the powerfor a moment."

  "I am sure it could. I am confident that in drawing his will he trustedyou absolutely and me absolutely. He often spoke to me about money, andtold me what a solemn trust riches were. He charged me like the man inthe parable not to bury my talent in a napkin, but to put it out tousury. He said that he made you my guardian, because you were the mostunworldly-minded man he knew, and he told me many times that although hecould not give me absolute control of my money before I was twenty-one,yet that no reasonable wish of mine would be refused by you."

  "And you call this a reasonable wish?"

  "I do. And so would my father if he were alive. Bring his face onceagain before you, Rector, and you will agree with me."

  The Rector sat down in his arm-chair, and shaded his eyes with one ofhis long white hands. He sat for a long time motionless, and withoutspeaking. Beatrice stood by the mantelpiece; there was a small fire inthe grate; now and then a flame leaped up, and cast its reflection onher face.

  Suddenly the Rector started upright.

  "What day is this?" he asked.

  "Thursday--Thursday night."

  "And you are to be married on Tuesday?"

  "No, I may never marry. Nina Hart and Loftus Bertram are to be marriedon Tuesday."

  "God bless me! Beatrice, you have put me into a nice fix. Guardians arenot always to be envied. What's the hour, child?"

  Beatrice glanced at the clock.

  "It is half-past nine," she said.

  "You say that this--this Miss Hart is staying at the Bells'?"

  "Yes."

  "I must go to her. I must see her to-night."

  "Remember she is weak and ill. You will be gentle with her."

  "Beatrice, am I as a rule rough with people? Come, I will see you home,and then call on Miss Hart."