her: and as for Chrissie, she was already in tears.
"The lesson _has_ been a lasting one," thought their aunt, and she wasthankful to see it. But she was not one to "break the bruised reed."
"Leave the past, darlings," she said, "that is all over and forgiven.What I want to tell you is that you may help me to do something for ourdear boy," and as she spoke she opened two ring boxes, showing theircontents. There were two beautiful, though not very large, diamondrings--of different designs, but about the same size. The childrengazed at them in admiration.
"These are the only jewels of any value that I have kept," she said,"and they are not _very_ valuable, but they are old family ones, and Imeant them for you two. I know the pair would sell for forty or fiftypounds--enough, with care, to get a little country cottage for two orthree months where we could take it in turns to be with Jasper. But Icount them really _yours_, you see?" and she looked up at them.
"Oh, sell them, sell them. Auntie darling," cried both the childrentogether. "Thank you, oh, thank you, for letting us join in it. Whencan you settle about it, dear Auntie?"
"To-morrow morning, I think," was the reply. "I will tell no one butyou two, dears, and perhaps Mummy will let one of you go with me to ajeweller I know. I am rather nervous about omnibuses still. And thenwhen we bring back the money, we will all three together give it to yourmother, and talk over what will be the best place. Perhaps Seabayagain--it seemed to suit him."
And so it was settled. But, strange to say, the plan was _not_ carriedout! The dear old rings were never sold. They are on Leila's andChrissie's fingers at this very moment. And how this came about, I musthasten to tell you.
Something had happened which even Aunt Margaret had not yet been told."We must not raise false hopes till we know more about it all. DearAunt has been through so much strain already," Mr and Mrs Fortescuehad thoughtfully decided.
But at the very time that the consultation was taking place about therings, another and most important one was being held in a private roomat a certain hotel, where, after several letters had passed between MrFortescue and his tenant at Fareham, it had been arranged that thethree--for Mrs Fortescue was particularly required--should meet.
This was the subject of it. You will remember that Mr Maynard had beenstrangely struck by the name "Jasper Greville." It was that of a veryold man--a gentleman--whom he had known for several years in Australia.This Mr Greville had been foolish and extravagant in his early youth,and having wasted what money he had--not very much after all--had beenshipped off to the colonies by his relations, none of whom, as he was anorphan and an only child, cared very much what became of him, except onecousin, who had gone to Liverpool with him and done what he could forhis comfort, till he sailed. And this the emigrant never forgot. Tearsand years afterwards he wrote to his kind namesake--they were both"Jaspers"--to tell of his prosperity; but the letter was never answered,for by some mistake in the address, it was never received. And as theAustralian was by this time happily married and the father of severalboys and girls, and full of home interests and business, he never wroteagain.
Life had opened sadly for him, and now, when he was over eighty, itseemed as if it were to close in the same way. For after many happyyears, sorrow after sorrow fell upon him. His wife died, then hisdaughters; then again, after some years' interval, his two sons, in theprime of life, and last of all his twin grandsons, the last of hischildren, on whom all his hopes were centred, the sole heirs of hislarge fortune! And then all seemed at an end for the poor old man.
"What do I care for possessions on this side now?" he had often said tohis friend, Mr Maynard. "It is not a case of `moth and rust' with me--it is even sadder from this world's point of view, though not reallyso," for he was a true Christian. "I can look forward to the bettercountry where my dear ones are waiting for me. Still, I must not beselfish: I must make some use of my wealth. I will leave a fair amountfor good charities here, where it has been made, but besides thisMaynard, if you should come across any of my name in England, let meknow. `Jasper Greville,' remember--not Greville only; of Grevillesthere are plenty, but my branch was always marked by `Jaspers.' Ifancy, however, they have all died out. There were never very many ofus."
And so they had--all died out, except "Edith Greville," now MrsFortescue, the grand-daughter and only descendant of the kind cousin.
She--when she heard what I have just related--remembered vaguely thestory of the poor lonely young fellow whom her grandfather hadcomforted, and this was an additional assurance that there was nomistake about the relationship.
Now good Mr Maynard had lost no time in writing to his aged friend atthe antipodes, though very doubtful as to the letter finding him stillalive. But it had done so--and the reply, just a few days ago receivedby Mr Maynard, was the reason of his correspondence with Mr Fortescue,and the present talk at the "Marvellous Hotel." For the contents of oldMr Greville's letter were most important, as it brought an urgentrequest that Mr Maynard would do all he possibly could to persuade theold man's newly-discovered relations to pay him a visit, in his far-awayhome, without delay. And this was the subject of the consultation.
At first, of course, it seemed a very startling idea, and Mrs Fortescuegrew pale with nervousness.
"To leave them all and go so far," she murmured, but Mr Maynard caughtthe words.
"Not all," he said gently. "Our old friend specially begs that ifpossible you will bring my little first acquaintance--`JasperGreville'--his namesake. You see I wrote very fully to him, givingevery detail. I even told him of your boy's illness and delicacy. Itwill really be a curious coincidence if my prescription for him, `a longsea voyage,' should come to be followed! And," he went on, hesitating alittle, "as--as this letter explains, expense must be no consideration,"and though he said no more, his visitors fully understood that theunexpected and tremendous change in their means and position had beenthoroughly explained to the rich relation at the other side of theworld.
Then another difficulty struck Mrs Fortescue. She turned to herhusband.
"Your post, Reginald?" she said. "Will you not lose it if you are awayfor six months?"
But it was Mr Maynard who answered her.
"Not necessarily," he said. "In fact I can assure you that if Fortescuecares to resume his present work, the place will be open for him. Ihave plenty of influence in that quarter. But, my dear lady," hecontinued, and his tone grew more earnest, "you scarcely realise thewhole position. If you accede to Mr Greville's wish, and start withoutdelay, it will certainly mean that he receives you as his heir--orheiress--and he is very rich. You are his only living relatives--exceptpossibly some very distant cousins--there is nothing unnatural about it;nothing to hurt your reasonable feelings of independence--"
"No, I see that," she said gently. "It is very, very good of MrGreville all the same. Most old people grow selfish and give themselvesas little trouble as they can."
"That is not his character," replied Mr Maynard; "and remember, thereis the association of long ago kindness received from your grandfather,which he has never forgotten. My only anxiety is that there should beno delay. Mr Greville is aged and very far from strong. If youconsent, I will cable to tell him so, this very day. And the sooner youstart, the better for the boy, I should say."
And I do believe it was this last consideration as much as the prospectof a return to freedom from anxiety as regarded money, that at lastcarried the day with Jasper's "Mumsey."
It was astounding news--was it not?--that Mrs Fortescue carried back toSpenser Terrace that afternoon, when she left her husband and their kindnew friend to go on to the City, and she herself hurried home. AuntMargaret, of course, forgetting all about herself and the trouble andresponsibility this unexpected move might bring upon her, was stronglyof opinion that the decision was a right one.
"Have no anxiety about the girls and Roley and me," she said at once."We shall be all right. If we can afford to go for two or three weeksto Seabay, th
at will keep us all well and strong, I hope, and we mayvery possibly be together again by the New Year."
Mr Maynard's instructions to do everything to smooth away difficultieshad been most liberal, and when things _have_ to be done quickly, andthere is no lack of money to do them with, it is astonishing howspeedily they can be managed. Within ten days of the talk at the Hotel,the three travellers, pale little Jasper and his parents, were on boardship and on their way. The parting was a terrible wrench--it could notbut be so; and though none of the group put their fears into words,there were sad misgivings in all hearts, when our brave little boyhugged each dear one in turn, choking back his own tears and sobs,