LI E) RARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 or ILLI NOIS 
 
 823 
 L777h 
 
 v.l
 
 THE 
 
 HAZELHURST MYSTERY.
 
 THE 
 
 HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 % f oljcl 
 
 BY 
 
 JESSIE SALE LLOYD. 
 
 IX TWO VOLUMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 TINSLEY BROTHERS, 8. CATEERTNE STREET, STRAND. 
 
 1877. 
 
 [B'yht of Tmnslution reserved ly the Author.]
 
 LONDOK : 
 
 SAVILL, EDWAEDS ANO CO., PKIJfTEBS, CHANDOS STHEPT, 
 
 COVEJfT OAKDEK.
 
 
 ^ 
 
 K 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 OF 
 
 H THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 CHAP. PAGE 
 
 I. TO BE, OR NOT TO BE ? 1 
 
 X II. FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE 7S 
 
 III. LAURA Grafton's visit 116 
 
 ^^. IV. THE two roses 150 
 
 ,.^ V. the mystery 1^6 
 
 VI. BERYL CHANTLER 20 
 
 fc^
 
 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 f 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 TO BE, OH NOT TO BE? 
 
 ATE KEELEY sat with an open 
 letter in her hand. She had read 
 it through dispassionately — no 
 tremor could have been seen upon her lips 
 — no deeper shade upon her cheek — no 
 softening in her dark eyes — ^yet she had 
 just received her first offer of marriage, and 
 was debating whether she should or should 
 not accept it. 
 
 Greorge Grafton had written her an open, 
 manly letter, telling her of his love, and 
 VOL. I. 1
 
 2 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 asking her to become his wife. She did not 
 care for him one bit — of thaf; she was quite 
 aware, but the question was, how she should 
 get the most enjoyment out of her life — as 
 a poor single woman, or a rich married 
 one ? 
 
 Kate had been left an orphan, at an age 
 when girls most require a mother's guidance. 
 A railway accident had deprived her of both 
 her parents at once, and she was left to the 
 tender mercies of a serious maiden great- 
 aunt. 
 
 She was then but a tall sfirl of fifteen years 
 old, with large wistful brown eyes, and 
 nothing else particular to distinguish her, 
 except the unusually firm expression of her 
 mouth and square cut chin, which made 
 you feel the child would be powerful here- 
 after for good or evil. 
 
 Miss Maria Ansell (Kate's great-aunt)
 
 TO BE, OE NOT TO BE? 
 
 was a good woman in her way, but totally 
 wanting in the milk of human kindness. 
 She had lived hard as a poor gentlewoman^ 
 had the very narrowest experience and 
 views of life, but a keen sense of duty. 
 Duty governed her existence — to duty, 
 everything must be sacrificed — yes, even 
 she herself! Difficult as she found it to 
 make ends meet, and much as she disliked 
 children, she must adopt her niece's 
 daughter — the girl had no one else in the 
 world, and it was " her duly" — and Miss 
 Ansell sat more upright than ever with the 
 conscious pride of having put away tempta- 
 tion — the temptation of closing the doors of 
 her cottage against Kate Kerley. Such a 
 new element within its walls. Miss Ansell 
 knew full well, would put her life out of 
 time ; and with a grim smile she determined 
 to keep a '' strict hand" over the girl. 
 
 1—2
 
 4 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 She had not forgotten how her niece had 
 " disgraced" herself by running away with 
 a penniless man, and why, forsooth ? 
 because she loved him ! 
 
 Loved him, indeed ! — no respectable girl 
 would give sucli a reason for "misconduct" 
 so gross ! 
 
 She really could not think what had 
 •come to the young women of the present 
 •day — they were ready to throw themselves 
 at the head of the first man who asked 
 them — and were always louuging about in 
 attitudes that no modest girls would have 
 adopted when she was young. Well she 
 Temembered going to see her niece after 
 her marriage — it was her first and only 
 visit. 
 
 She found her sitting before the fire in 
 an easy chair, and her husband beside her 
 in another smoking ! and she had — ^yes !
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 
 
 actually she had her feet on the fender with 
 her dress up in front several inches, show- 
 ing her feet and ankles, with her husband 
 in the room ! And Miss Ansell shuddered 
 in her maiden propriety as she remembered 
 the indelicate scene, and how bold her 
 niece had been over it — not seeming one 
 bit ashamed. Miss Ansell had known too 
 well what was due to herself ever to visit 
 such a house again ; but now that judg- 
 ment had overtaken the offender, and 
 the participator in her guilt, she felt 
 it to be her Christian duty to offer a 
 harbour of refuge to the child of her erring 
 niece. 
 
 But, if she found she had inherited the 
 evil of her mother's nature, she must put 
 it down at once with example and 
 discipline. 
 
 Kate Kerley had had a happy home
 
 •6 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 during the early years of her life. Her 
 parents had presumed to love and to marry 
 regardless of Aunt Ansell and all other 
 opposing elements. So hardened were they 
 in their iniquity that the hour of repent- 
 ance never came to them. 
 
 Mr. Kerley had worked hard as a City 
 clerk, had generally managed to pay his way, 
 but had found it impossible to save ; and 
 they had died together. Had they lived, 
 it would have been to learn of the smash 
 of the house of business in which the 
 husband was employed, and a City panic 
 such as had not been known for fifty 
 years. They might all have lived on three 
 straws a day, and died a lingering death, 
 and sunk, God knows how low ; but, as 
 Miss Ansell said, and believed speedy judg- 
 ment overtook them, and there was only 
 one little waif and stray left to starve
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 
 
 alone, and for lier '' Providence" had pro- 
 vided a refuo^e in the heart and home of 
 her great-aunt, Miss Maria Ansell — a pious 
 Christian, and enlightened woman ! 
 
 Kate Kerley sat watching at the window 
 for the return of her parents, looking with 
 wistful eyes down the street. Anything 
 might have been made of that child. They 
 were the only beings on earth who loved 
 her, and whom she loved, and her face was 
 lit up with an eagerness and softness that 
 made her look beautiful. How manv lons^ 
 years it will be before any one calls her 
 beautiful again, however handsome they 
 may think her ! The child had a fire burn- 
 ing brightly in the grate, the kettle singing 
 cheerily on the hob. Some crickets hopped 
 about with their merry chirp. Everything 
 within the room was neat and home-like, 
 -although it was only a London lodging at
 
 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 week ! The red curtains re- 
 flected the leaping flames and cast a glow 
 of warmth around. The tea-things had 
 been spread on a neat white cloth by the 
 loving little hands, and when everything 
 was done, she seated herself at the window 
 to watch. 
 
 It was a long vigil. At first she took 
 an interest in the passers-by, but as the 
 evening wore on and darkness drew in, she 
 grew anxious, and at nine o'clock the land- 
 lady entered and seated herself without a 
 word of permission. 
 
 " Well, Miss Kerley, this is a queer 
 piece of work. What's become of your pa 
 and ma?" 
 
 Kate, who had been too much absorbed 
 to notice her entrance, here turned upon 
 her two large frightened eyes — 
 
 "What do you want, Mrs. Smart ?"
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 
 
 " Lor' bless the child, the3^Ve missed 
 their train. You needn't take on like that. 
 Your ma said they was a going into the 
 country somewheres." And, casting an 
 approving eye around the room to note its 
 neatness, Mrs. Smart discovered that Katey 
 had had no tea — nothing since her dinner at 
 one o'clock — and exclaimed, " Why, Miss 
 Kerle}^ no wonder you look like a ghost ! 
 Not one bit have you put between your 
 lips since middle day, nor yet one drop 
 neither, I'll warrant. And, bless the child 1 
 if you haven't let the kettle boil dry and 
 burn its bottom out ! Oh ! how careless 
 gals is. Well, it ain't no concern of mine 
 — your pa will have to pay for it, in course 
 — but I'd have you more careful in future, 
 in cause you see he's backward with his 
 rent, which shows he ain't in a thriving 
 condition."
 
 10 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 Kate's face flushed an angry red. " Say 
 nothing against ray father, Mrs. Smart," she 
 cried, witli an ominous tremble in her voice. 
 
 " Well, youVe a temper of your own. 
 Miss Kerley, certingly ! but you're not 
 over wise to quarrel with your best friend, 
 with five pounds owing for rent, and you 
 deserted, as one might say, by your parents, 
 for the Lord only knows whether they wdll 
 come back or not !" 
 
 A trembling seized upon Katey's limbs. 
 Her parents not come back — her parents 
 desert her ! It was with passion she 
 trembled, and she turned her face, now 
 set and pale, towards the landlady. 
 
 "Gro! leave the room!" she cried, with 
 a gesture of command that Mrs. Smart, 
 middle-aged woman though she was, felt 
 bound to obey in silence ; but when alone, 
 she gave way to her indignation.
 
 TO BE, OK, NOT TO BE? 11 
 
 " To be ordered about by a young minx 
 like that 1 in one's own house, too ! Well, 
 to be sure, things were come to a queer 
 time of day ! If Mr. Kerley couldn't pay 
 his rent, why, she would turn him out, bag 
 and baggage ! Oh dear ! what a world it 
 was, when honest folks was to be cheated 
 "under their own roofs, and then be ordered 
 about by a brat of fifteen !" 
 
 And Mrs. Smart sat down to supper, and 
 partook heartily of the sirloin of beef which 
 Mr. and Mrs. Kerley had had for dinner the 
 day before ; and handed a dry crust of bread 
 and a glass of water to the small servant-of- 
 all-work, who had never had food enough in 
 her miserable life to grow upon. 
 
 *' There, girl, have your supper; and be 
 quick, for them Kerley s may come home 
 any time. I wonder what they're up to, 
 that they should be out at this hour of the
 
 12 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 night, wlien all respectable folks is at their 
 suppers or family prayers afore they goes to 
 their lawful beds ! But there's no being 
 up to the ill ways of some people, and 
 they'll have to walk if there's any more of 
 these doings. Ten o'clock, and them not 
 home, and all the things to clear away and 
 wash up !" 
 
 The Kerleys had been the solitary bright 
 spot in the life of this hard-worked drudge 
 — they had treated her as a human beings 
 and she had improved in her own estimate 
 of herself under their kind words. Make 
 a man or a woman feel utterly lost and 
 worthless, and what pleasure has he or 
 she, what heart, to become anything else? 
 None whatever; but will drift on with in- 
 difference to the fact of their own depravity. 
 On the other hand, teach a person that he 
 is capable of good ; that, like others, he has.
 
 TO BE, OB, NOT TO BE? 13 
 
 personal responsibility and a soul to be 
 saved, and he will long to become some- 
 thing higher, better. The motto of every 
 human heart, whether acknowledged or un- 
 acknowledged, is " Excelsior," though it 
 may become deadened by sin to the know- 
 ledge ; as a man may become drunk, who 
 yet has a mind, and while drunk cannot 
 feel the degradation of his position. 
 
 To this poor little undersized drudge 
 Mrs. Kerley's oft-spoken words of kindness 
 were the first breaks in the dark clouds — 
 the first blue patches in the sky; and she 
 began to see there was something better in 
 life than hard words, cross looks, the pocket- 
 ing of stray pennies, telling lies to shield 
 ■herself, and making the eatables pay toll 
 on the road. Susan would not now have 
 shared that sirloin with Mrs. Smart evert 
 if she had been invited to do so ; and when
 
 U THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 she heard of the possibility of the Kerleys 
 being made to walk, she felt as she had 
 never felt before. 
 
 Brought up in the workhouse, Susan had 
 been sent to service when a mere child — 
 had been beaten, scolded, starved — hardened 
 — it was years since she had cried, but 
 human sympathy had at last come to her ; 
 and if she was dry- eyed, there were tears 
 in her voice and a lump in her throat 
 as she pleaded for the lodgers with her 
 mistress. 
 
 "Oh, please mum, don't go for to turn 
 them out, they /6' so kind to me." 
 
 It was not an argument in their favour 
 to Mrs. Smart, but it was the strongest one 
 on earth to the poor girl ; and now the real 
 tears began to flow, and Susan had a " good 
 cry," which gave her relief, though it got 
 her a scolding from her mistress.
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 
 
 " Bless the fool !" cried Mrs. Smart. 
 '' What have you to liowl about, I should 
 like to know. Haven't you got a good 
 place, a good missus, and good victuals ? 
 What more can any gal want, I should 
 like to know ! Lor ! there's a ring at the 
 bell. Mr. and Mrs. Kerley at this hour of 
 the niglit, I'll warrant. I only hope they're 
 sober ! but they needn't ring the house 
 down, they needn't." 
 
 Susan presently ran back into the room 
 with an orange-coloured envelope in her 
 hand, with a pale frightened face. 
 
 " Oh ! missus, here's the telegraph come 
 by a boy 1 something's 'appened, I know it 
 has." 
 
 How many wiser people feel sick at heart 
 at the sight of a telegraph-boy entering 
 their gates — have had cause to feel so from 
 past sorrowful experience. Can they noi
 
 16 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 understand the feelings of this girl who 
 had never handled one of these mysterious 
 messages before — to her doubly mysterious 
 and inexplicable — something " uncanny," 
 in fact. She knew the message ran ever so 
 quick all along the wires — from ever so far 
 off' — all in a minute; but whether it was 
 delivered at their end (written on pink 
 paper and enclosed in a yellow envelope) 
 by one of the ^^osts to the boy who 
 brought it round, was still a puzzle to her, 
 and the whole affair a terror. She 
 w^atched with trembling, nervously clasping 
 hands while Mrs. Smart read the message 
 aloud. 
 
 " To Mrs. Smart, 161, Staples Terrace. 
 From the Station Master, Worham. — Terrible 
 accident. Gentleman and lady killed. 
 Supposed to be Mr. and Mrs. Kerley from 
 letters in their pockets bearing your name
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 17 
 
 and address. Please communicate with 
 relations." 
 
 " Well now," exclaimed Mrs. Smart, " this 
 is sad ! and they owe me five pounds — dear,, 
 dear, dear !" and she raised her fat hands 
 with a deploring gesture and, lifted her eyes 
 to heaven. "Dear, dear, dear! only to think 
 ofthe judgments that do fall on some peo- 
 ple — it is just like Korah, Dathan, and 
 Abiram, a stor}^ as I'm very fond of,, 
 Susan." 
 
 Susan in the meantime had heard the 
 news in a stupor. Her small mind required 
 a long time to take in facts, and though 
 she had heard the fatal words, they had not 
 yet made themselves clear to her under* 
 standing. 
 
 " When are Mr. and Mrs. Kerley coming 
 back, mum ?" she asked. 
 
 " Why, never ! Bless the gal ! Do you 
 VOL. I. 2
 
 18 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 think I'd 'ave two mangled corpses brought 
 here ? Who do you think would ever 
 take the apartments after such a horrible 
 tradegy had took place in them?" 
 
 It was dawning on Susan now. 
 
 "Is Mr. and Mrs. Kerley the mangled 
 -corpses, mum ? Oh, poor Miss Kate, poor 
 Miss Kate ! what will become of her ?" 
 
 Mrs. Smart was not of a forgiving dispo- 
 isition, and Kate had ordered her out of the 
 room. 
 
 •'' Pride always comes before a fall," she 
 •said, solemnly ; " Miss Kerley's has over- 
 took her ! AVhat wdll become of her ? 
 What's that to me ? This is Toosday — 
 her week's up on Saturday, then she'll 
 
 go." 
 
 " But where mum ?" asked Susan. 
 
 " Drat the gal ! What a fool you are, 
 how should I know? There'll be things
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 19 
 
 enougli to sell to pay the rent, and wliat- 
 ever's left of course she'll 'ave. If she's 
 got any friends (which I doubt) she'll go to 
 them, or she'll go to the union, or any- 
 where, it don't matter to me, then perhaps 
 she'll learn not to turn honest folks 
 out of their own room !" and Mrs. Smart 
 arose in her righteous indignation to go 
 and break the news to the poor orphan 
 who was watching with weary, aching eyes 
 for the parents she should never see again 
 in life. 
 
 Susan followed her mistress, and ventured 
 to detain her by taking hold of her ample 
 skirt. " Missus," she whispered, " tell it 
 gentle, for the love of God !" 
 
 And Mrs. Smart ascended on her mission 
 of mercy ! What should Susan know of 
 God ? Not much, certainly, but a few 
 blessed words which Mrs. Kerley had told 
 
 2—2
 
 20 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 her — the most precious to her being, " Grod 
 is love y For His sake the girl pleaded with 
 this woman for the child of her who had 
 taught her this precious truth. 
 
 But the words meant nothing to Mrs. 
 Smart ; she had been a Christian woman all 
 her life, and had no particular weakness for 
 any especial texts like poor ignorant Susan, 
 unless it might be a pleasure at hearing 
 of the judgments that fell upon some 
 who thought themselves better than their 
 neighbours. 
 
 " Tut, tut," she cried, " who's been put- 
 ting such talk into your head, gal, I should 
 like to know ? The love of God, indeed ! 
 a great deal the likes of you should know 
 about it." And she roughly shook off the 
 detaining hand. 
 
 Susan's heart misgave her as she watched 
 the hard face go by and listened to the 
 heavy determined tread of the landlady, and
 
 TO BE, (3E, NOT TO BE? 21 
 
 after a few moments' hesitation she followed 
 stealthily. 
 
 Mrs. Kerley had told her it was wrong 
 to listen at doors, and she had given it up, 
 although it had been the chief amusement 
 of her life — the one romance of her exis- 
 tence ! But now surely God would know 
 her motive, and forgive her ! and she crept 
 close to the partly closed door, and watched 
 through the crack. 
 
 " Miss Kerley," said the harsh voice she 
 knew so well — " Miss Kerley, here's a tele- 
 gram to say that your Pa and Ma has met 
 with a railway accident." 
 
 Kate turned quickly, impatiently, upon 
 finding Mrs. Smart in the room again, but 
 when she had listened for a moment she 
 became deadly pale. 
 
 ''Where, where are they?" she gasped, 
 supporting herself against the back of a chair 
 on which she leaned heavily.
 
 22 THE HAZELHUEST ]\ITSTEEY. 
 
 " At Worham Station I suppose, that's 
 where the telegram's come from." 
 
 " I must go to them at once," cried the 
 girl, '' I will hire an invalid carriage, and 
 bring them home." 
 
 " You must not bring them here. Miss 
 Kerley, I'll have no mangled corpses in my 
 hoTise I can assure you, and as for an invalid 
 carriage why it wont make much difference 
 to them now whether the springs are easy or 
 whether there's none at all; and if you'll 
 take my advice you'll take care of your 
 money and settle your debts, and pay for 
 the funeral honest, instead of running about 
 the country." 
 
 While she spoke heavy rings seemed to 
 gather round Kate's eyes, and she looked 
 at the woman with horror. She became 
 livid, and her teeth were firmly set. 
 
 " Grive me the telegram," she said cahnly,
 
 TO BE, on iS^OT TO BE? 23 
 
 in so altered a voice that it was not to be 
 recog-nised for her own. 
 
 " You bear it well, I must saj, Miss 
 Kerley," said the landlady, handing her 
 the paper. 
 
 Kate read it through silently, the only 
 visible change in her face being the harden- 
 ing lines about her mouth, and then she 
 turned her eyes upon the other. 
 
 " Did I understand you rightly, that you 
 refuse to allow my parents to be brought 
 here?" 
 
 " You must not be offended, Miss Kerley, 
 but it would ruin the apartments ; for if once 
 lodgings gets a bad name they'll never let, 
 I assure you. I don't know how you're left 
 as regards money matters, but I can tell 
 you that your Pa is in debt five pounds to 
 me, so things couldn't have been very pros- 
 perous with him."
 
 24 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 If Kate Kerley had been twenty instead 
 of fifteen, and had known herself to be the 
 possessor of a thousand a-year, she could not 
 have shown better command of herself, or 
 more dignity. 
 
 " You shall be paid, Mrs. Smart ; when 
 is my time up with you?" 
 
 " Whenever you please, Miss," answered 
 the woman, who would have bullied the 
 €hild had she given way, but shrunk like a 
 toward under her scornful glance. " When- 
 ever you please. Miss, but the rooms was 
 took on a Saturday." 
 
 ''Then on Saturday I will leave/' answered 
 Kate. 
 
 Mrs. Smart hesitated. She wanted to say 
 she must have a week's notice or a week's 
 rent, but she turned coward beneath the 
 gaze with which Miss Kerley was regarding 
 her.
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 25 
 
 " Have you anything more to say, Mrs. 
 Smart ?" 
 
 " No, Miss/' 
 
 " Then go !" and this time the girl's 
 attitude was still more commanding, the 
 tone of her voice more coldly imperious, and 
 Mrs. Smart slunk away, but with revenge 
 in her heart. 
 
 "You wait, Miss Kerley, and see if I don't 
 make you pay for this. I didn't say any- 
 thing about the week's rent, but you shall 
 pay it, I can tell you." 
 
 When Kate had watched her enemy off 
 the field, she sank down on the floor by the 
 fire — by the fire which with loving thoughts 
 she had kept bright for the dear parents 
 who would never now come back to her. 
 They were dead ; how she wished that she 
 were dead also, instead of being alone in 
 the world. Do you, reader, realise what
 
 26 THE IIAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 she felt? Have you ever found yourself 
 alone? — your life one large desolation ? If 
 so, you can pity Kate Kerley as she sat with 
 firm -set face and haggard eyes, gazing^ 
 apparently at the fire, in reality at nothing. 
 The worst of all forms of grief is silent, 
 tearless grief Tears bring soft thoughts to 
 the mourner, but this cruel form of sorrow 
 brings nothing but intense agony to mind 
 and body, and tempts the sufferer to be 
 very wicked indeed. 
 
 Bitterest feelings filled the heart of Kate 
 Kerley. She had expended all the love of 
 her strong nature upon her father and 
 mother. There was not another being in 
 the world she cared ever to see again; and 
 now her parents were dead — cruelly killed 
 in the prime of life — God had taken them 
 from her — and she would never, never love 
 Him again, never believe Him to be "a
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 27 
 
 God of love," but as cruel, cruel, as He was 
 powerful ; and she clasped her hands in 
 defiance and rebellion against her Maker 
 till the nails cut into the delicate flesh of 
 the London-reared girl, who had never ran 
 about in the sun and tanned them, or 
 grimed them making "dirt pies,^' or working 
 in her own small garden. As she sat, 
 Susan crept into the room and knelt beside 
 her. 
 
 "Oh! Miss Kate, I am so sorry. I loved 
 them both as well as you, and they were 
 the first as ever give me a kind word ; and 
 oh ! Miss Kate, your dear Ma used to tell 
 me such lovely things about God. She told 
 me never to forget that He loved me, and I 
 never have forgot it," and Susan's honest 
 tears fell thick and fast. 
 
 "He does not love me, at any rate,'' 
 cried Kate.
 
 28 THE HAZELHUKST MYSTERY. 
 
 Susan looked at her. " Miss Kate, if you 
 could only think of them, poor dears, and 
 cry a bit, it would do you a world of good." 
 
 Kate shook her head. '' I shall never 
 cry again, Susan ; I feel as if I had turned 
 to stone. You mean kindly by coming to 
 me, but let me be alone, 1 had rather be 
 alone." 
 
 Poor little Susan, chilled and repulsed, 
 crept away, and with her went the only 
 love, the only sympathy likely, as she 
 thought, to cross the girl's path for many 
 a weary day. Kate never attempted to go 
 to bed, but sat where Susan had left her, 
 looking at the blackened ruin in the grate 
 without the faintest interest — a good repre- 
 sentation of the life, hope, and happiness 
 that had been so bright such a short time 
 since. The lights grew dim, flickered, died 
 out, and she continued to gaze on through
 
 TO BE, OE NOT TO BE? 29- 
 
 the darkness, hour after hour, till the day 
 dawned — till the sun rose and shone mock- 
 ingly into the window with the blind still 
 drawn up, as when she watched the night 
 before for her parents to come home. Susan 
 entered the room, and Kate started, and 
 asked her the time. 
 
 " Eight o'clock.'' 
 
 It was time for her to go. Did Susan 
 know where the station was for her to go to 
 Worham. Susan, of course, didn't know at 
 all, but would ask Mrs. Smart ; upon which 
 Kate's eyes shot forth a dangerous light, 
 and she forbade the girl to do so. She could 
 find out for herself, and she did ; made all 
 needful inquiries, and sold a gold locket and 
 bought a ticket to Worham with the money, 
 and went straight to the station-master 
 with tlie telegram in her hand — her face 
 deadly pale. The loving expression of her
 
 30 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 eyes, which had been her greatest beauty, 
 had changed to one painful to behold, 
 especially in a girl so young. It told of 
 agony, hatred, defiance, impotent fury — like 
 a wounded animal brought to bay, a dan- 
 gerous sort of animal too ! 
 
 The station-master was kind to her, and 
 told her the bodies of her father and mother 
 were at the " Grey Horse," and the inquest 
 would be held that day. But he thought 
 the best thing she could do was to go and 
 see Dr. Grafton, who had attended to all 
 those injured in the accident, and had 
 examined the bodies of her parents. 
 
 So Kate walked to the doctor's house and 
 found him at home. He was going to the 
 inquest, and she wanted to accompany him, 
 but he would not hear of it. She passion- 
 ately told him she would see the loved 
 faces again, and ho promised she should do
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 31 
 
 SO. He had sons and daughters of his own, 
 nnd looked upon the poor girl with affec- 
 tionate sympatliy and compassion. 
 
 " Miss Kerley," he said, taking her hand 
 in his, " will it pain you to talk to me and 
 tell me where your nearest relations live, 
 that I may communicate with them ?" 
 
 " I have no relations, Dr. Grafton, and no 
 friends," she answered, bitterly; "I must fight 
 ray own way as my parents did before me." 
 " But, my dear young lady, you are too 
 young, and too handsome to be alone in the 
 world." 
 
 " Not at all," interrupted Kate ; "' if you 
 could recommend me to any one as a 
 nursery governess, I should thank you. If 
 not, I will serve in a shop." 
 
 '' But surely, Miss Kerley, your parents 
 had friends who would be only too glad to 
 receive you ?"
 
 32 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 "Dr. Grafton, my parents had not a 
 friend in the world. They were poor, and 
 committed the crime of marrying for love ! 
 Who, after such a fault would stand by 
 them, do you think ? — not their relations^ 
 certainly. JN'o ; I have no friends, Dr. 
 Grafton," said Kate, bitterly. " I cannot 
 expect to be treated better by the world 
 than my parents were before me." 
 
 " Miss Kerley/' said the good old doctor, 
 " I have a daughter about your age, and I 
 should consider it ruin for lier to be cast 
 adrift on the world now. Forgive me, 
 my dear child, but for her sake I must be 
 your friend. T have a large household; 
 one more or less can make no diiFerence. 
 You must remain here.'' 
 
 Tears stood in Kate's eyes as she 
 answered him, " You are more than kind 
 Dr. Grafton, but it's impossible ; you are a
 
 TO BE, OR IS'OT TO BE? 33 
 
 stranger to me, and I could not be a burthen 
 on any one. Indeed, indeed, I appreciate 
 your kindness, though I cannot accept it/'and 
 she held out a death-cold hand to the man 
 who wished to shield her from the world. 
 
 " If you will excuse me a minute ; I shall 
 not be long," said the doctor, and he left 
 the room, returning soon after with a sweet 
 motherly-looking, white-haired woman, who 
 went over at once to Kate, and kissed her. 
 
 " Miss Kerley, or shall I call you Kate, 
 dear? my husband has told me all about 
 it, and I cannot let you leave us to-day. 
 No, don't make objections, unless there is 
 any one else you would rather go to." 
 
 " I have no one else," said Kate, humbly. 
 " Thank you for calling me Kate ; I will 
 stay to-day, please ! " 
 
 And she did stay that day, and many 
 other days too. Dr. and Mrs. Grafton soon 
 
 VOL. I. 3
 
 34 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 learnt the story of Ler life from lier, such 
 as there was to tell; and the former went 
 up to London and paid Mrs. Smart out of 
 his own pocket, and brought down to Kate 
 all the things that had belonged to her 
 parents, so that she had no further pain or 
 trouble in the matter. Mrs. Grafton went 
 with her when she looked her last upon 
 the dear dead faces, grieving for the tearless, 
 yet passionate agony of the gh'l whom she 
 had taken into her kindly heart, and 
 would fain have seen grieve as the child 
 she was ; then Mrs. Grafton took her by 
 the hand and led her back to her own 
 home, and she obeyed like one in a dream. 
 She did whatever she was told to do, was 
 perfectly tractable, put on the mourning 
 prepared for her, attended the funeral, and 
 continued perfectly listless, looking with 
 her large earnest eyes into vacancy,
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 35 
 
 doubtless picturing tlie world into which 
 those dear to her had passed, probably 
 longing to be with them. 
 
 A few days after the announcement of 
 the accident in the papers, the rector of 
 the parish received a letter from Miss 
 Ansell, begging for all particulars concern- 
 ing the death of Mr. and Mrs. Kerley, 
 stating that the latter was her niece. He 
 wrote at once and told her all that he knew 
 upon the subject, including the arrival of 
 Kate at Worliam, and her whereabouts. 
 Upon which Miss Ansell of the flesh held a 
 sharp conflict with her second self, who 
 knew it to be her duty to offer a home to 
 the orphan girl. Duty, as it always did 
 with the good woman, got the upper hand, 
 the flesh was ignominiously defeated, and 
 Miss Ansell having overcome and slain 
 temptation, sat on the extreme edge of her 
 
 3—2
 
 •36 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 •chair as upright as a poplar for the rest of 
 the day, her nose turned heavenwards, her 
 eyes fixed far above the erring mortals of 
 this world who succumbed to temptation. 
 How she thanked Grod she was not as 
 -others ! Can there be a doubt that He 
 accepted her gratitude ? Certainly not. 
 Miss Ansell, having decided to do her duty, 
 wrote at once to Dr. Grafton, saying she 
 would be ready to receive her great-niece 
 the following week. 
 
 Dr. and Mrs. Grafton felt sorry that a 
 relation had turned up to claim Kate, as 
 they thought she had more chance of for- 
 getting her sorrow among young people 
 than living alone with an old maiden grand- 
 aunt, but Dr. Grafton made up his mind to 
 pay Miss Ansell a visit, and went accor- 
 dingly. 
 
 She was more on the edge of her chair
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 37 
 
 than ever ! She must have been freslk 
 starched and ironed for the occasion, and 
 well iced. The room was prim to a painful 
 extent, the bell-pull cords were in holland 
 covers, also the tassels of the window-blinds, 
 the music-stool — the legs of the old- 
 fashioned piano had on long holland trou- 
 sers ! Miss Ansell would not allow such a 
 demonstrative thing as a piano to remain in 
 her room with naked legs ! No ! Not for 
 the world. She, a Christian woman, knew 
 what was due to herself and to decency, 
 and so the well-grown instrument, six feet 
 high at least, was taught decorum ! The 
 seats of all the chairs were covered with 
 holland, and the arms, a holland crumb- 
 cloth was stretched over the carpet; the 
 curtains, the carpet, the table-cloth, all were 
 drab ! Miss Ansell looked upon colours as 
 of the world, worldly, and not fit for
 
 38 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 the use of a godly woman, so her cot- 
 tage was innocent of such incentives to 
 vanity and other evils. " Jeremy Taylor," 
 *' Daily Steps Heavenward," " How to Live," 
 '' The Lake of Fire," " The Judgments of 
 Sinners," and a few other choice books in 
 the same style, were laid ostentatiously 
 upon the drab table-cloth, and a heap of 
 tracts upon a side-table, the top one bearing 
 the enticing title of " The Shortest Eoad to 
 Hell!" 
 
 Dr. Grafton took in these details one by 
 one, and dreaded the effect of such surround- 
 ings upon the high-spirited, overwrought 
 girl. Gentle treatment, cheerful society, 
 and love might bring her round; what 
 chance was there of any of the three here ? 
 He looked at the hard face and felt sure 
 that there would be but little love, but 
 little happiness for poor Kate in her new
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 39 
 
 life. Gladly would lie keep her if he could 
 but arrange it with this only relation of 
 poor Katie's. 
 
 "Dr. Grafton, I presume," and Miss 
 Ansell rose up like a lamp-post, as tall, or 
 nearly so, and almost as thin, as if she had 
 been suddenly straightened by machinery. 
 
 The doctor, who was a small man, looked 
 up at her with awe, and fell to wondering 
 how a human body could be so totally with- 
 out " ins and outs !" The semaphore 
 raised an arm towards a chair some yards 
 •off, and he meekly seated himself. Miss 
 Ansell continued in a sepulchral voice — 
 
 " You have come from Worham, I pre- 
 sume T 
 
 " Yes, madam, I have." 
 
 " On the subject of my letter ?" 
 
 " On the subject of your letter." 
 
 "You have, of course, informed Miss
 
 40 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 Kerley, my great-niece, that the Lord has. 
 raised up a friend for lier in her affliction, 
 even though her parents had gone astray ?" 
 
 " Madam," interrupted the little doctor,. 
 " we must deal lightly with the dead ; and 
 if I am rightly informed, their error was 
 their greatest blessing. Am I right, madam,, 
 in believing that their only sin against 
 the world was loving and being poor ?" 
 
 Miss Ansell looked him down with her 
 cold grey eyfts. 
 
 " You look at it like a worldling, sir — I 
 from the standpoint of duty, Mr. Kerley's 
 parents objected to the match, my brother 
 and his wife objected to the match, and / 
 objected to it and to him. After that they 
 chose the downward path of disobedience,, 
 and they were married." 
 
 " Was there anything against Mr. Ker- 
 ley?" asked J)r. Grafton.
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 41 
 
 " Yes, lie Avas poor, and a City clerk — the 
 son of a country doctor /" added tlie old 
 lady, spitefully. 
 
 " Dear, dear, I must have known little 
 Katie's grandfather then when I was a 
 boy !" and the good man smiled at the 
 thrust Miss Ansell had made at his dignity. 
 
 "Madam," he continued, "the sins you 
 speak of are in my sight virtues : but if you 
 fear any taint may have descended upon the 
 daughter of such parents, I can only say I 
 love the girl, let her live with me." 
 
 Miss Ansell started as if she had been 
 shot. 
 
 " Sir, the impropriety of such a sugges- 
 tion; I really — really " 
 
 He looked at her gravely, even sternly. 
 
 " The nicest people must have the nastiest 
 ideas, Miss Ansell, if they can find the 
 smallest impropriety in my suggestion.
 
 42 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton and my six children have 
 received and will gladly retain Miss Kerley 
 as one of ourselves," and the little doctor 
 looked almost as dignified as Miss Ansell 
 herself. 
 
 " You mean well, sir, I have no doubt, 
 but I hold to my opinion that there would 
 be impropriety in Kate Kerley 's living 
 under the roof of any man who is not a 
 hlood relation, and as I am her nearest living 
 relative, I shall not permit it. I hope I 
 know my duty, Dr. Grafton." 
 
 " And 3^ou consider that to be ?" he in- 
 quired. 
 
 " To take up the cross that has been sent 
 to me, and receive my great-niece." 
 
 The doctor sat silent for some time, and 
 then said — 
 
 " Kate is a very high-spirited girl, much 
 •older than her age, with a large capacity
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE ? 4S 
 
 for loving or hating. I should say you 
 might lead her, Miss Ansell, but you will 
 never drive her." 
 
 '' I have not the least doubt, sir, that I 
 shall be able to manage a girl of fifteen — 
 that must now be her age. Rest assured 
 ^he wont try rebellion twice in my house. 
 I will do my duty by her, you may be 
 certain." 
 
 Dr. Grrafton rose with an impatient sigh. 
 
 " When do you require Miss Kerley's 
 presence here, madam ?" 
 
 " I mentioned next week in my letter." 
 
 " Yes, to be sure, but Kate really is not 
 fit to travel at present." 
 
 " Well, sir, you can write and inform me 
 when she is, and when I may expect her. 
 There are some tracts. Dr. Grafton, will you 
 take one ?" 
 
 " Thank you, no, madam ; I have not any
 
 44 THE HAZELHURST MYSTEEY. 
 
 wisli to learn a sliort cut to the lower 
 regions ; I remark the title !" and Dr. 
 Grafton got himself safely out of the room 
 without stopping to see the effect of his 
 parting shot. 
 
 During Kate's stay at the Graftons, their 
 eldest son, George, came from Ceylon. 
 Havino^ amassed a lar^e fortune in the 
 grow^th of coffee, he had returned home the 
 happy possessor of forty thousand pounds, 
 and fell straight away in love with the dark- 
 eyed, grief-stricken young girl. George 
 Grafton w^as of middle height, had about 
 average talents, w^as moderately good-look- 
 ing, had a manly square-shouldered figure, 
 and hands that looked as if they had dared 
 to work themselves even under a Ceylon 
 sun ; but one thing George had far above 
 the common average, and that was his heart. 
 He was as honest and true a man as ever
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE ? 45 
 
 walked the earth. If that could gain a girl's 
 love, George's domestic life should have run 
 smoothly; but if outward graces are the 
 things that chain a girl's affections, then 
 Oeorge Grafton had but a poor chance of 
 Kate Kerley's love. 
 
 George blurted straight out from his 
 honest heart to his father and mother the 
 state of his feelings, and they heard him with 
 mingled pleasure, sorrow, and amusement. 
 
 What parents can be glad to know tliat 
 they are no longer first in the affections of a 
 child they have reared with such love and 
 care ? Yet glad they felt that he should be 
 happy, glad that poor forlorn Kate should 
 have a protector in perspective. Of course 
 she would love him ! Who could resist 
 such a fine fellow as George ? The girl 
 who got him for a husband would be 
 fortunate indeed !
 
 46 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 So thought Dr. and Mrs. Grafton of their 
 first-born. But to him they spoke differ- 
 ently. They said they would be very pleased 
 to have Kate Kerley as a daughter, but she 
 was far too young at present for George to 
 speak of love to. He might think of her as 
 much as he pleased, but for three years he 
 must hold his peace. Katie was not at all 
 likel}^ to find any other lover at her Aunt 
 Maria's, so he might make himself quite 
 happy about her. 
 
 And Katie bid good-by to the friends 
 who had been so kind to her in her trouble, 
 and went to Northley to her new home. 
 Miss Ansell and she had not met before, 
 and the sfirrs heart sank as she crossed the 
 room ; the good books still lay on the table, 
 the tracts on the side- table, the top one 
 pointing out the short cut to Hades as 
 before, and Kate gave an involuntary
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 47 
 
 shudder as she read the title, and thought 
 life with her great-aunt must he the very 
 shortest road there ! 
 
 When she turned her head from the 
 tracts, she saw her aunt had risen. The 
 semaphore's arm was uplifted, and Kate 
 was shaking hands with a skeleton, she 
 thought. Everything superfluous Miss 
 Ansell reckoned a sin, so she did with as 
 little food as possible, and with as little 
 flesh. She looked upon lovely women and 
 rounded figures as the worst of all the deadly 
 sins, traps to catch souls ! baits to tempt 
 the weak and foolish to perdition ! 
 
 She turned Kate to the light, and ex- 
 amined her face. " One comfort is, you are 
 not good-looking, Katherine." 
 
 Katherine ! She had been called Kate or 
 Katie all her life, and the formality struck 
 with an extra chill on her ear, and yet she
 
 4S THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 felt almost glad that the name so often 
 pronounced in loving tones by her mother's 
 gentle voice should not be spoken by that 
 harsh and cruel one. 
 
 " You are too late for lunch, so I hope 
 you are not hungry," remarked Miss Ansell. 
 " I dine at five o'clock !" 
 
 Kate had breakfasted at eight, and was 
 blessed with a hearty appetite, and when 
 she entered the house was very hungry 
 indeed, but now she felt she did not 
 care to eat : the hot, shut-up, close room, 
 after the fresh March air, stifled her, and 
 her heart had turned sick at the prospect of 
 her future life. 
 
 '' I — 1 am not hungry, thank you, aunt 
 
 — Miss If you please, what am I to call 
 
 you? 
 
 " My name is Miss Ansell, Katharine." 
 
 " Yes ! I know ; but I thought as you
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 41) 
 
 were mamma's aunt, I ought to eall you 
 aunty 
 
 " I object to familiarity, Katherine." 
 
 '' I understand you. Miss Ansell — you 
 have received me out of charity," she cried, 
 with flashing eyes, " not from love for my 
 mother, as I supposed." 
 
 " I received you, Katherine Kerley," said 
 Miss Ansell, sternly, " because it was my 
 duty — solely." 
 
 Kate's teeth clenched very tight, her eyes 
 glittered with a dangerous light, "Had I 
 known this before, Miss Ansell, I would 
 have begged my bread before I would have 
 burthened you with my presence — T hate 
 you already 1" 
 
 "Have you read 'Jeremy Taylor'?" in- 
 quired Miss Ansell. 
 
 " No." 
 
 " I thought not," she continued, ^' you 
 
 VOL. I. 4
 
 50 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 must do so : you will not find such language 
 in 'Jeremy Taylor,' I can assure you ; I was 
 prepared to find you a trouble, Katherine, 
 after the way you must have been brought 
 up, with such examples always before your 
 eyes as my niece and her husband." 
 
 " Be silent," screamed Kate, her voice 
 trembling with passion. "Do you learn 
 from * Jeremy Taylor' to slander the dead ? 
 If so, it is a wicked, wicked book, and I 
 Avont read it. Say what you like to me. 
 Miss Ansell, do what you like to me, I can 
 bear it ; but never attempt to speak against 
 my parents in my presence, or I shall be 
 tempted to " 
 
 " Pray proceed, Miss Kerley ! — if I choose 
 in my own house to use my own tongue to 
 express my own opinion upon my own niece, 
 what will Miss Katherine Kerley be tempted 
 to do ?"
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 51 
 
 " To kill you !" replied Kate, in a tone of 
 suppressed passion, her whole face distorted. 
 
 "Hoighty toighty !" exclaimed Miss An- 
 sell ; "who taught you tragedy, Miss Kerley? 
 or have you heen reading ' Bow Bells ?' We 
 shall soon understand each other better, I 
 have no doubt ; I will answer for it in a 
 month you will not dare to address me as 
 you have just done. I cannot overlook it, 
 but your punishment shall be light this 
 time." She rose and took up the top tract, 
 ** Go to your room and read this through, 
 and don't come down again until I send for 
 
 you." 
 
 At the word punishment, Kate's eyes had 
 emitted a hyght — she was to be punished for 
 standing up for her dead mother ! She took 
 the tract from Miss Ansell's hand, and 
 looked at the title, and then said, " A month 
 with you will take me straight to the Gate, 
 
 4—2 

 
 62 THE HAZELHUKST MYSTERY. 
 
 you may be sure, by the shortest route," 
 for which she received the soundest box on 
 the ears that she had ever felt, and was taken 
 by the shoulders and pushed outside the 
 door. 
 
 "War to the knife!" cried Kate, walkings 
 straight to the small room which the servant 
 had shown her as appointed for her use upon 
 her arrival. She sat down by the window 
 and looked out — there was nothing to be 
 seen to cheer her — a kitchen garden hemmed 
 in by a very high wall, nothing else. Yes, 
 there was the sky ! how lovely it was ! the 
 fleecy white clouds sailing so peacefully over 
 the azure surface, it soothed her to look at it 
 — it did her good — it made her think of her 
 parents, especially her mother — her blue- 
 eyed mother, with her soft white face. And 
 Katie softened even to regret for havings 
 spoken disrespectfully to her great- aunt.
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE ? 53 
 
 ^lie knew that even for Iter sake that blue- 
 eyed mother up there in the bright sky 
 would be sorry to see her give way to 
 violence and evil temper. 
 
 How well she remembered in the days 
 now passed for ever, when she was naughty 
 — one tender look, one gentle rebuke, would 
 quell the rising devil in her heart, and she 
 felt that Miss Ansell and her cold contempt 
 were to her like a red rag to a mad bull. 
 At ten minutes to five Miss Ansell walked, 
 without knocking, infco the room. Kate, 
 still gazing at the clouds with her head 
 lying upon the sill of the open window, 
 did not see her enter, and started at the 
 harsh voice at her elbow. 
 
 " What, Miss Kerley," gazing up into the 
 skies as they did in the Scriptures !" 
 
 " I was thinking of my mother," said 
 Kate, softly ; and then turning to her great-
 
 64 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEKY. 
 
 iiimt, she went on, *' I am sorry I was rude 
 to you, Miss Ansell, it grieved mother even 
 up there, I think," with a glance at the 
 blue heavens. 
 
 *'Don'ttalk romantic nonsense, Katherine. 
 Your mother is dead ! what should she know 
 about it ? Bo your duty as I have done jnme, 
 and you wont find time for such fine sen- 
 timents, I can assure you ; as to your sorrow, 
 I shall judge of that by your future conduct; 
 and now smooth your hair and come down 
 to dinner." 
 
 And Miss Ansell stalked out of the 
 room, and Katie came back from the clouds, 
 and from soft leelings to the stern realities^ 
 of life. 
 
 When Sunday came round, Miss Ansell 
 was, if possible, stifFer and more firm than 
 ever. 
 
 Kate was waiting (according to orders)
 
 TO BE, OR :N'0T to BE ? 55 
 
 lialf-an-liour too early, dressed for churcli — 
 her pale face in relief against her black 
 dress, black hat, and long flowing dark hair, 
 when Miss Ansell came in and looked at 
 her. 
 
 " You don't look respectable, Miss Ker- 
 ley," she said, slowly. 
 
 Kate raised her eyes, but made no answer. 
 
 " Can yon plait in three, Katherine," she 
 continued. 
 
 '' Yes, Miss Ansell." 
 
 " Then go to your room and put up all 
 that untidy mass of hair as quickly as you 
 can, into the smallest compass possible. I 
 should have thought you would have had the 
 decency to have done it without being told." 
 
 Kate left the room without one word, and 
 returned metamorphosed — the child seemed 
 to have turned into a woman all at once 
 — the large dark eyes looked larger and
 
 56 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 darker, and the brushed-back hair showed 
 the intellectual brow — the chin and mouth 
 seemed more than ever determined. 
 
 Kate re-entered the room as if nothing had 
 happened. The turning up of a girl's hair 
 is, as it were, a landmark in her life, and she 
 had been hurried past it with unkindly haste. 
 She had had no pleasant half hour before 
 her glass to try what style suited her best, 
 but had found putting up her hair a stern 
 reality of life ! it was to be done in the 
 smallest possible compass. 
 
 If Miss Ansell had studied the question 
 deeply, and had wished her niece to look her 
 very best, she could have given no better 
 advice, for Kate's was a small, well shaped 
 head, and the close coils of unpretentious 
 plaits took nothing from its classical beauty, 
 and discovered the swan-like neck which 
 Ixad hitherto been hidden behind the curtain
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE ? 
 
 of her dark locks. On the whole Kate Ker- 
 ley had no reason to regret her aunt's dislike 
 to her " untidy mass of hair/' in making her 
 £rst appearance at Northley Church. 
 
 The service was a very prosy one, and 
 Kate loved music — loved the painted glass, 
 mellowingthe light around her — loved every- 
 thing that was beautiful, in fact wanted her 
 senses appealed to by cross, candlesticks, and 
 flowers. 
 
 At Northley Church there was nothing 
 to fix her attention — a barn- shaped old 
 building, whitewashed inside throughout — 
 a very tall pulpit of dark wood, with a sound- 
 ing-board hanging overhead which looked 
 onade to fit down into the pulpit, and Kate 
 kept thinking what fun it would be to shut 
 the old parson up in it, and laughed aloud 
 at the idea of the noise he would make to 
 be let out ! an old square box for a reading
 
 58 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 desk, with another smaller box for the clerk, 
 who with deadly nasal twang gave out the 
 hymns and did his other duties manfully. 
 
 What could Kate find to interest her in 
 such a service, accustomed as she had been 
 to " St. Alban's " and " All Saints'." But 
 it was not long before she found that there 
 was a great deal to amuse her. In front 
 of her in a seat close to the pulpit, almost 
 under it, sat a boy who was affected in his 
 head. " Foolish Tom " they called him in 
 the vihage. " Tom " had his wits and 
 hadn't ! he was not bad enough to shut up 
 in an asylum, but he spoke a language only 
 understood by his mother — a sj)ecies of 
 bellow and grimace ex]}ressing all he had to 
 say. Tom never missed " saying his 
 prayers " night and morning, but to whom 
 they were addressed God only knows ! 
 Whether there was a glimmer of a higher
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 59 
 
 life in the idiotic brain, it is impossible to 
 say, or whether he was merely a creature of 
 imitation. " Tom " always came to church 
 and always sat in the same place, held a 
 prayer-book invariably upside down, turned 
 over the leaves when the parson did, sang in 
 his own fashion, without any words or the 
 faintest tune, and made a mumbling, gurgling 
 sound when the people responded. When 
 there were only familiar faces in the church, 
 Tom behaved himself fairly, but he could 
 notresistthe pleasure of surprising strangers; 
 and Kate Kerley was not an exception to 
 the rule. He began by making the most 
 hideous grimaces at her, and the more man- 
 fully she endeavoured to withstand the 
 temptation to laugh, the worse he became. 
 She tried not to look at him — not to think 
 of him — but it was a horrible fascination, 
 and her eyes kept wandering back to him.
 
 60 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 This continued for some time, and he went 
 through his usual catalogue of peculiarities, 
 and then, not feeling satisfied with his suc- 
 cess, he hit upon a new and brilliant plan. 
 Tom took off his boots and put them upon 
 the book rail of the nearest pew, then his 
 €oat was removed. Kate was crimson with 
 suppressed laughter and disgust, but unable 
 to take her eyes off " Tom." What would 
 liappen next ? she thought, when the 
 droning voice of the parson ceased, and in 
 its stead a sharp excited exclamation pro- 
 ceeded from the old pastor, " Jones, Jones ! 
 take Tom out of church!" Upon which 
 the clerk slid out of his box and coHared 
 Tom, and essayed to remove him ; but he 
 was afraid of losing his property, which he 
 had spread out neatly all along the front pew 
 of the church, and a fearful struggle ensued, 
 in which Tom had decidedly the best of it.
 
 TO BE, OR :N'0T to BE? 61: 
 
 and the " honest sweat '' stood upon, and 
 dropped from the brow of poor old Jones — 
 the clerk, beadle, sexton, pew-opener, town- 
 crier, and general factotum of North ley. 
 However, Tom, having secured every item 
 of his belongings, one by one, at last went 
 away like a lamb down the aisle, Mr. Jones 
 holding on tightly behind, and as he passed 
 Kate lie gave her a final grimace worthy of 
 Hengler's best clown ! 
 
 " Let us pray," said the parson's droning 
 voice, as Tom's footsteps became faint in 
 the distance, and Kate hid her face in her 
 handkerchief, and gave way to soundless 
 laughter ; but Miss Ansell, who had never 
 moved a muscle of her face during the whole 
 scene, gave such a virtuous tug at the 
 skirts of her dress that Kate heard the 
 gathers crack ! The clerk resumed his 
 place, wiped his forehead on a red pocket^
 
 <52 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 handkercliief, with yellow spots, and showed 
 signs of great exhaustion. 
 
 Mr. Cotter, the clergyman, was a tee- 
 totaller, and believed in water ; on it he had 
 flourished seventy-five years — so he told 
 his parishioners — and you never saw him 
 without a carafe and tumbler by his side. 
 On noticing Mr. Jones's fatigue he handed 
 him down the tumbler filled with his 
 favourite beverage, but the hot and tired 
 clerk at first failed to notice the movement 
 till recalled by Mr. Cotter, who said in a 
 stage whisper, which w^as audible to the 
 whole congregation, " Jones, drink some 
 w^ater, man !" He started up, and gulped 
 some down at once, but Mr. Jones was not 
 fond of water. Like " Meinherr van Dunk,'* 
 he liked his brandy with as little water as 
 possible, when the vicar was not in sight ; 
 and like the same renowned foreigner Mr.
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE ? 63 
 
 Jones had never been drunk in his life ! — so 
 he said ; but, as he plaintively remarked, 
 " Digging graves all weathers was dreary 
 work, and a sexton was a man who must 
 keep his spirits up !" 
 
 Mr. Jones took up the responses, and the 
 service proceeded quietly until the sermon 
 began. 
 
 Mr. Cotter had been ill, and it was his 
 first reappearance in public. He gave out 
 his text upon the recovery of Hezekiah, 
 and then looked round the church with a 
 comical benignant smile. 
 
 "Well, my beloved flock," said Mr. 
 Cotter, " you see the Lord has raised me 
 up, and here I am again 1 You all tiiought 
 I was going to die, now didn't you ? and 1 
 daresa}'' that you were wondering who the 
 new parson would be, and now I've disap- 
 pointed you, my boys, and there's a kick
 
 64 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 left in old Jack Cotter still, I can tell 
 you. 
 
 Kate's eyes opened very wide. Here was 
 something new in the shape of a sermon, 
 and she thought it was great fun, if only 
 they had opened the church windows or 
 doors ; but it was so awfully hot and 
 close, and the sun was pouring in at the 
 diamond-paned window, casting its burning 
 rays upon her till she began to wonder 
 whether her dress would catch fire ! and she 
 had not been listening long, or rather 
 trying to listen to the sermon, when her 
 attention was aroused by a scufiling in a pew 
 not far off. A woman had been unable to 
 stand the heat of the sun, and had fainted, 
 and several ])eople were pulling her about — 
 untying her bonnet strings, loosening her 
 collar, &c. &c. 
 
 " Jones !" called out Mr. Cotter from the
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE ? 65- 
 
 pulpit ; *' water — give her water !" and IVTr. 
 Jones again slid down, tumbler in hand, and 
 doing, doubtless, as he would be done by,, 
 held the same meekly under her nose ! 
 
 " Give her some to drink, you fool,'*' 
 called out Mr. Cotter, sharply. " Throw it 
 over her !" Upon which, remembering her 
 new Sunday bonnet, she recovered, and 
 Mr. Cotter proceeded with an eulogium 
 upon the effects of water, which elicited a 
 broad grin from a boy called Jim Sharp, for 
 which Mr. Cotter thought it necessary to 
 reprove him. " I saw you laugh, Jim 
 Sharp," he said ; " you'll go to the devil as 
 sure as I catch that bluebottle ! By Jove, 
 I've missed him — there's a chance for you 
 yet, Jim." 
 
 There was a great deal of good in 
 Mr. Cotter's sermon, and it was much 
 more sublime than ridiculous. There is 
 
 VOL. I. 5
 
 66 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 doubtless good in every sermon that ever 
 was written or preached, but such is human 
 nature that Kate failed to carry home with 
 her any of it but the above quotation from 
 the whole of his long discourse. 
 
 Miss Ansell, like any other Christian, 
 dined at one on Sundays, so as to let her 
 servant go to church in the afternoon and 
 evening ; but it is doubtful if she went, or 
 if servants ever do go after the martyrdom 
 and indigestion that most masters and mis- 
 tresses go through to enable them to do so. 
 If going without an egg in Lent for break- 
 fast will get a soul out of purgatory, as 
 has been averred, surely these masters and 
 mistresses will have crowns of glory for all 
 they suffer after their early Sunday dinners ! 
 But Kate's healthy frame knew nothing of 
 dyspepsia, and she had succeeded in eating 
 a large slice of the raw-looking boiled leg of
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE ? 67 
 
 mutton without ill effects. She was strong 
 in mind and body, and was nothing daunted 
 even by Miss Ansell's unpalatable dinners. 
 This especial meal over, she followed her 
 great-aunt solemnly into the drab and 
 brown holland drawing-room, where the 
 window was never opened, and was given 
 " Jeremy Taylor" to read. For an hour poor 
 Kate yawned over it behind the book, but 
 never got beyond the first page. She kept 
 beginning again and again, and finding 
 there were no points to carry away, as it had 
 been with Mr. Cotter's sermon. 
 
 At last Miss Ansell having finished her 
 tract, over which she had uttered many 
 righteous groans, fixed her cold stern eyes, 
 on her great-niece, " Katherine, come and 
 say your collect, epistle, and gospel !" 
 
 " I — I — I didn't know you expected me 
 — I haven't learnt them," she stammered. 
 
 5—2
 
 68 THE HAZELHUKST MYSTEEY. 
 
 " Say your liymn and Catechism, then." 
 
 " I haven't learnt any hymn !" 
 
 Miss An sell looked unutterable things. 
 " Katherine Kerley, did your mother spend 
 Sunday as a heathen ?" 
 
 Kate's eyes flashed, but she made no reply. 
 
 "Say your Catechism," went on Miss 
 Ansell. 
 
 'Now Kate never could say her Catechism ; 
 it was a mental defect, or perhaps it did not 
 interest her, but she never said it perfectly 
 in her life. The Nicene Creed was a slough 
 of despond to her ; " I desire," a maze from 
 which she could find no exit. Her chief 
 idea of the Commandments, and the one she 
 never forgot, was the fifth, for she could, 
 and did, heartily honour her father and 
 mother. So when she was told to say her 
 Catechism, she coloured very red, and sat 
 stilL
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE ? 
 
 " What ! lias not your mother taught it 
 to you ?" thundered her great-aunt. 
 
 "Yes," said Kate, "she did; but I've 
 forgotten it." 
 
 " Katherine Kerley ! you are stiff-necked ; 
 1 don't believe any girl of your age can fail 
 to know the Lord's Commandments ; say 
 them at once !" 
 
 First, second, third, fourth, fifth, so far 
 Kate got without a fault, scrambled on to 
 the ninth and through it, but not coi- 
 rectly. 
 
 " The tenth ?" 
 
 " I forget," said Kate ; " what's it about, 
 ^liss Ansell ? Oh ! I know. Covetousness. 
 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, 
 thou shalt not covet " 
 
 " Stop !" cried Miss Ansell. 
 
 " It is not wrong," said Kate. " I know 
 it quite well. Thou shalt not covet thy
 
 70 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 neighbour's wife, thou shalt not covet thy 
 neighbour's house " 
 
 ^' Wrong !" said her aunt, sternly. " I told 
 you before it was wrong." 
 
 " Well, what is it, Miss Ansell ?" 
 
 "The first clause ends with house, the 
 second with wife." 
 
 " Then it's no business to be so," cried 
 Kate. " The wife ought to be first ; a man 
 has no right to think more of his house 
 than of his wife, and it ought to be altered," 
 and Kate sat down with a determination to 
 do no more. 
 
 " Katherine !" proceeded Miss Ansell, " it 
 seems to me you are both ignorant and 
 impudent ; the latter is doubtless the con- 
 sequence of the former, and I shall make it 
 my serious and solemn duty to teach you 
 better. Explain to me what you read out 
 of ' Jeremy Taylor this afternoon."
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 71 
 
 "I can't; I don't think I read it at all.. 
 I certainly didn't understand any of it!" 
 
 Miss An sell groaned. 
 
 "I knew you would be a heavy cross, 
 Miss Kerley, but I never expected you 
 to be as bad as you are. Most people 
 have some redeeming point, even your 
 mother " 
 
 " Miss Ansell !" cried Kate, bounding 
 from her chair, "leave my mother at 
 peace in her grave ; if you regret your 
 charity to me I will go back to Dr. Grafton." 
 
 " ' He that putteth his hand to the plough 
 
 and turneth back ' " said Miss Ansell, 
 
 solemnly; but the arrival of the tea-tray 
 broke the text in halves ; and Kate con- 
 soled herself for the loss of the rest with a 
 plentiful supply of bread and butter — while 
 •her aunt watched it disappear with dismay, 
 and made a mental calculation of what an
 
 72 THE HAZELHUKST MYSTERY. 
 
 extra quartern loaf at sevenpence a-daj 
 would add up to out of her slender yearly 
 income. After tea she got a pen and 
 ink and wrote some time in silence. 
 " Katherine," she said, raising the written 
 paper, *' after the life you have led you 
 must have rules and regulations to attend 
 to for each hour of the six days of the week, 
 and others for the seventh. I have written 
 them foryou and expect you to act up to them." 
 Kate had thought her mother's sweet, 
 unobtrusive religion beautiful; but the 
 Pharisaical life of her great-aunt, with the 
 tithes of even her nail-parings and orange 
 rinds, disgusted her beyond measure ; with 
 her duty standard always set up to measure 
 her neighbours by, and her tongue sharp- 
 ened to condemn the erring — if this were 
 religion, Kate hoped fervently that she 
 should never be religious.
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE? 73 
 
 And so her life went on for three long 
 years. 
 
 She studied with her aunt, who was a 
 well-informed old woman. The amount of 
 scripture history that was crammed into 
 Kate's small cranium was wonderful ; but 
 all things must come to an end. So did 
 Kate's lessons, and she was promoted to 
 be a Sunday-school teacher and a district 
 visitor ! 
 
 Strange to say, with all her irreligion, 
 Kate took pleasure in both these occu- 
 pations, and fulfilled them well ; and some 
 of the hard lines would go from her face 
 when the little ones of her class brought 
 their Sunday offerings of flowers from their 
 •own especial gardens. Eain over head, wet 
 under foot, nothing kept Kate from the 
 school, nor from the cottages ; and now she 
 -sat in her own room, looking out of her
 
 74 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 window, reading her first love-letter ! As 
 usual, lier face softened under its gentle 
 influence as she gazed at the sky, and she 
 felt she did not love George Grafton as her 
 mother had loved her father ; and for five 
 minutes she determined to say ''No," to 
 write at once and say so, and she left the 
 window and sat down to her little desk and 
 began " My," and then felt uncertain how 
 to go on. If she were going to refuse him 
 she couldn't put " My '"' at all, for he would 
 not be iiers. After all, why should she 
 refuse him? he was good, not ugly; rich, 
 he loved her : and above all, he would 
 deliver her out of the hands of Miss Ansell ! 
 her life of poverty would be exchanged for 
 one of plenty and happiness. Why should 
 she not be happy with George Grafton ? 
 He had the means of satisfying her smallest 
 wish, her lightest whim ; and she would see
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE ? 75 
 
 the world and all tlie beautiful things it 
 contained ; go to dances, have horses, car- 
 riages and handsome dresses ; no more raw, 
 boiled mutton, but would be able to order 
 all the things she liked best. Ah ! how she 
 wished these good things had come to her 
 in the days when her father and mother 
 had been alive. What joy to have given 
 them handsome presents, just what she 
 knew they required most ! Now, Dr. and 
 Mrs. Grafton would be her parents. Well, 
 next to her own, she cared more for them 
 than for any one else in the world, even 
 better than George, though she was now 
 contemplating becoming " bone of his bone, 
 and flesh of his flesh." 
 
 After a while, Kate left the " My" and 
 accepted the ofler, without so much as con- 
 sulting Miss Ansell. 
 
 The first that that good woman knew
 
 76 THE HJ^ZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 upon the subject was the announcement of 
 " Mr. George Grafton" by the astonished 
 little maid-of-all-work, who had grown old in 
 Miss Ansell's service, and was her right hand, 
 or both her hands, if that expresses more. 
 
 Kate was not prepared for this visit, and 
 her flushed cheeks and downcast eyes might 
 well make the happy man think himself 
 beloved. Alas ! poor George. 
 
 Miss Ansel 1 was, of course, very angry 
 with everybody; nothing could excuse Kate's 
 deception and ingratitude, to say nothing 
 of her immodesty in having accepted a 
 young man she knew nothing of, without 
 the advice and sanction of her natural 
 protector. George was a most unprincipled 
 young man, for tempting her to do wrong — 
 at her age, too, a child, nothing but a child ; 
 and, truth to tell, though Miss Ansell had 
 never got really fond of Kate, she loved to
 
 TO BE, OR NOT TO BE ? 17 
 
 bully lier, and was aware that she should 
 miss her. 
 
 Miss An sell was getting old, and Kate 
 did her needlework, kept her accounts, ran 
 her errands, &c. &c. ; and though Miss 
 Ansell still called her " her cross," she was 
 a very useful one indeed. But Miss Ansell 
 knew the value of " loaves and fishes," and 
 was proud in all ways but one. If you 
 offered Miss Ansell anything little worth 
 having she would refuse it with very erect 
 head ; but if it happened to be of value, she 
 always found a " text " to bear her out in 
 accepting it — and now she thought how 
 blessed Kate would find it to repay her 
 dear aunt for all her kindness and affection. 
 Forty thousand pounds made George's 
 principles quite different in Miss An sell's 
 eyes, and she forgave them both, giving 
 them her blessing.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 
 
 OT all her hopes of future benefits — 
 not all Greorge Grafton's entreaties 
 — not all her Christian forgiveness 
 could induce Miss An sell to allow him to 
 remain for the night under her roof She 
 never had allowed a man to sleep in her 
 house, and never w^ould ; so after five o'clock 
 dinner he had to take himself off home, so 
 as to arrive at midnight — poor old Greorge ! 
 His heart was light, and the miles flew 
 by without his noticing the lapse of time 
 and space, as he sat looking out into the 
 darkening night, building his airy castles 
 — the bower for his queen — the home for 
 his young wife. It should be such a bright
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 79 
 
 one ! for his little Kate — little Kate of five 
 feet eight — as tall as himself nearly ; he was 
 •an inch taller perhaps, but she looked to 
 have the advantage. 
 
 When he had got into the train the sun 
 was shining on his love, on his thoughts, 
 •on his fancied home with its beauty of 
 summer shade and winter warmth. How 
 well he could picture the rooms, the flowers 
 and birds, and Kate there always, and 
 perhaps as time wore on little faces up- 
 turned to his with rosy lips asking for kisses, 
 little arms stretched out in welcom,e — 
 Katie's children ! all with her large dark eyes! 
 
 George awoke to the present with a 
 shriek from the engine, as if some evil 
 spirit mocked him ! with cruel mockery of 
 his rose-hued visions. 
 
 " Worham, Worham," called the sleepy 
 station-master.
 
 80 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 "Worliam, Worham," echoed the still 
 more sleepy porters. 
 
 "Grood night to you, Mr. George — any 
 luggage ?" 
 
 "No, thank you. Good night;" and 
 with hasty, hopeful strides Mr. George 
 Grafton turns towards his father's house, 
 regardless of the cabman's pathetic "Cab, 
 sir," as that disconsolate being discovers 
 that after waiting with his jaded horse for 
 the last train to come in, he has not got 
 a fare, so he administers a cut to the poor 
 brute to vent his temper, and a damnatory 
 clause to the world in general, the travellers 
 by last trains in particular, and gallops his 
 wretched " gee " up a steep hill to his stable, 
 where he arrives with heaving flanks and 
 painfully distended nostrils, and lies all 
 night un groomed in a cold sweat ! Poor 
 horses ! Oh ! that the patient, faithful
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 81 
 
 creatures liad better treatment. Any one 
 who can ill-use a liorse or a dog is worse 
 than he who will injure his fellow-man. 
 Watch the expression of a horse's eyes — 
 a worn-out suifering horse, and say if the 
 bitterest tears on a human face ever told 
 such a tale ! Watch the dog who has just 
 received a brutal kick from his master, and 
 mark the agony of his feelings ; his eyes 
 would tell of a suffering spirit, not merely 
 of bodily pain. This is a word in favour 
 of " dumb brutes." It is cowardly to 
 hurt them, they dare not return the 
 injury, few would, if they could, and they 
 cannot tell you what they suffer. 
 
 Greorge Grafton's marriage was fixed for 
 the following August, only two months and 
 he would be a Benedict ! which thought 
 made him eager to prepare the home he 
 had pictured for Kate. 
 
 VOL. I. 6
 
 82 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 At Hazelhiirst, about twelve miles from 
 London, lie found a beautiful detached 
 cottage ornee, standing in an old well- 
 grown garden, very different from the new 
 laurel-bound plots of the present villa resi- 
 dences. Deodoras, mountain ash, ever- 
 green oaks, elder trees in full bloom, bright 
 double red hawthorn, and single white, 
 " flourishing green baytrees," showing you 
 that they are not a biblical fiction ; guelder 
 roses, laburnam, lilac, rhododendron in glo- 
 rious pyramids, roses in standards, honey- 
 suckle, clematis both purple and white 
 climbed every where, white noisette, banksia, 
 Marshal Ney^s, and " gloires" clothed every 
 wall and verandah 1 
 
 This was a fit home for his wife, even 
 George allowed, and set to work at once 
 to furnish as he thought she would Hke 
 it. Carpets of rich warm shades — none too
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 83 
 
 bright — crimson or amber hangings of cost- 
 liest materials to suit Kate's dark beauty ; 
 black and gold furniture for her drawing- 
 room, oak for the dining-room, and walnut 
 for the third sitting-room. The conserva- 
 tory, which opened out of the drawing-room, 
 was a glory of bloom, and George looked 
 round well pleased at it all, and thought 
 that Kate could not fail to be happy here. 
 
 With George Grafton's fortune he need 
 no longer work, but after due deliberation 
 he made up his mind that idleness was 
 good for no man, and especially for one of 
 his age and active temperament ; so he 
 decided to go on with his business, the 
 coffee trade, in the great city, which he 
 could easily do from Hazelhurst. 
 
 Just before his marriage he ran against 
 an old college chum whom he had not seen 
 for years, the pleasure of the meeting was 
 
 6—2
 
 84 THE HAZELHURST MYSTEEY. 
 
 mutual, and George told him a hearty 
 welcome would await him at Hazelhurst, 
 and made him promise to come down. 
 
 Harry Cartland bad been wild in his early 
 days, but most young fellows sow their 
 "wild oats" before they settle down into 
 sbaid bachelors or Benedicts ; and Greorge 
 had no qualms of conscience in bringing 
 him into contact with his young wife. 
 Harry Cartland, so far as intellect and 
 appearance went, outshone his friend 
 thoroughly, but he was of a selfish, pleasure- 
 loving disposition. If Cartland set his 
 mind on anything, small or great, good 
 •or bad, he did it. Self-gratification was his 
 law, and he acted well up to it. He was 
 tall, over six feet in height, with a natural 
 unstudied grace which never deserted him ; 
 olive skinned, dark haired, dark eyed, with 
 a heavy falling dark moustache hiding his
 
 FOR BETTER, FOE, WORSE. 
 
 mouth, had it been visible it was a well- 
 shaped, though sensual mouth, with white 
 square- cut teeth. The face, as a lace, was 
 jDcrfect, undeniably handsome, and he was 
 always well-dressed. He left College with 
 George Grafton, and " saw life " in London 
 for awhile, running through what small: 
 fortune he possessed. He was not bur- 
 thened with relations, or good advisers. 
 Harry Cartland was his own master, and in 
 three years found it would be necessary for 
 him to earn his own living, and having a 
 friend, a London doctor, he made up his 
 mind to be a medical man himself. 
 
 Want of brains was not one of Harry 
 Cartland's faults, and he passed his exami- 
 nation creditably, and set up as a physician 
 in the " West End." Ho soon became " the 
 fashion." He knew exactly how to please 
 his lady patients, how to inl:ise into his
 
 «6 THE HAZELHUKST MYSTERY. 
 
 voice tender sympathy, to touch them 
 gently with his white, well-formed hands ; 
 he knew even when to glitter the diamond 
 ring upon his little finger, when to flash 
 looks of interest from his handsome dark 
 eyes, looks of pity, looks of congratula- 
 tion, looks of affection. Ladies like their 
 doctors to be kind, affectionate, and gentle, 
 and Dr. Cartland knew the exact amount to 
 administer to each. He never overdosed 
 them, never sent them away dissatisfied; 
 ladies' feelings were even more his study 
 than medicine. He found sympathy a 
 better tonic than quinine. But with all 
 his tenderness of manner he was so far 
 heartwhole ; if he made love at all it was to 
 advance himself in his profession. He 
 knew that Lady Henrietta de Courcy would 
 tell Lady Jane VVilloughby how charming 
 he waS; how clever, how kind, how sympa-
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 87 
 
 tlietic, and such a perfect gentleman! and 
 he was equally aware that Lady Jane would 
 turn up before the week was out, and that 
 she would tell her friend Mrs. de Jones 
 Smith how miraculously he had cured her 
 neuralgia ! and if he could do that he could 
 do anything ! 
 
 So Dr. Cartland prospered, and became a 
 great man, and a rich one, and those who 
 wished to consult him had to make an 
 appointment at least a week beforehand. 
 His patients were often kept a fortnight 
 waiting for advice, but then you know, " his 
 time was not his own." He was so very 
 busy — so much sought after ! 
 
 August was not long in coming round, 
 bright, warm, glowing August, and with it 
 came Kate's wedding-day. Miss Ansell did 
 her duty to her great- niece to the last. Kate 
 was married from her house. She even gave
 
 88 THE HAZELHURST MYSTEHY. 
 
 a wedding-breakfast, such as it was. The 
 under-done mutton was exchanged for a 
 sodden ham, an old cock was slaughtered 
 for the festive occasion, a pie, with crust two 
 inches thick, also graced the table, but no 
 one ever ventured to look what was inside ! 
 Of buns, and tarts, and " fingers," there were 
 enough for a charity-feast, apples, oranges, 
 very pithy and juiceless in obedience to the 
 season, and really nice fruit from the walled- 
 in garden at the back of the house, and two 
 decanters of Marsala ! Had not Miss Ansell,. 
 indeed, done her duty ? 
 
 Everybody at Northley went to see the 
 wedding, even " Silly Tom." The day w^as 
 line, but Kate saw with superstitious awe 
 that they had to pass by an open grave ! 
 She had wished for a quiet wedding, and 
 she had it. Only members of the Grrafton 
 family were present at the breakfast, except
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 89 
 
 George's best man, Dr. Cartland, and he was 
 the life and soul of the breakfast. He 
 laughed, told stories, made jokes, won golden 
 opinions, and even flirted witli Miss Ansel]. 
 Who could be offended with him? His 
 manners were perfect, so thought Laura 
 Grrafton, Kate's oldest bridesmaid, and so 
 thought Kate herself. Are not all wedding- 
 breakfasts too wearily alike to attempt to 
 describe? There were, of course, speeches 
 in which the health of everybody was drank, 
 and George Grafton, with new-born impor- 
 tance and dignity, returned thanks for 
 himself and Ins wife. No single man, no 
 older married man, can handle the word in 
 the same way. Did any one ever hear a 
 man speak of his loife in the same tone after 
 he brings her back from the honeymoon ? 
 
 George took his bride through Switzerland. 
 She did most of the sight- seeing on horse-
 
 90 THE HAZELHUKST MYSTERY. 
 
 back — he, vvalkino- bv her side — and Kate 
 was delighted. She had never been out of 
 England before, and felt a thrill of ecstasy 
 at the sight of Mont Blanc, at the Lake of 
 Geneva, at all the blue mountains, and 
 picturesque soft scenery, and at the end of a 
 happy month they returned to England, and 
 took possession of their pretty home. 
 
 And Kate had to confess that her hus- 
 band's taste had been perfect in his choice 
 of everything ; even the Victoria that 
 stood at the station, waiting for her, with 
 two shiny bays with black points, who were 
 pawing the ground in their impatience to 
 carry Mrs. George Grafton home. But 
 Katie, looking in her husband's face, knew 
 still that she did not love him as she ought 
 to do, though she believed she could be quite 
 as happy as the passive agent in the verb to 
 love, and was glad that she had married him
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 91 
 
 They were not long settling down in 
 their new home, and visitors poured in on 
 Katie. Little as she had seen of society, 
 she received them with natural grace and 
 good-hreeding. 
 
 Among the callers came Dr. Cartland, 
 rather later than the rest, after his work, 
 and George arrived from town before he had 
 been there long, and kept him to dinner; 
 after which they spent the lovely September 
 evening in the garden. 
 
 Kate, dressed in a pure white muslin, 
 with a crimson rose at her breast, and 
 another in the wealth of her dark hair, 
 looked even lovelier than she had done on 
 her bridal-day. So thought George, and in 
 Dr. Cartland's eyes she was the only hand- 
 some woman he had ever seen in his life. 
 As he looked at her, he was bound to 
 acknowledge there was something wanting
 
 92 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 in her face ; and after a while he found out 
 what it was, not then, not till long after ; 
 but the face, as it was, fascinated him more- 
 than any had ever done before. He had 
 seen prettier women, lovelier women, pink 
 and white, creamy milky-faced women ; but 
 what were they compared to Mrs. Grrafton, 
 with her wistful brown eves, in which were 
 such untold depths, unknown even to her- 
 self. Her clear dark complexion, her perfect 
 lissom figure. 
 
 Dr. Cartland watched her with the painful 
 knowledge gathering about his heart that he 
 was, for the lirst time in his life, in love — 
 in love with a girl he had seen but twice — in 
 love with his friend's wife. Of course, as a 
 man of honour, he was bound to keep away 
 from Hazelhurst, and, of course, as a man of 
 the world, he didn't. Who ever knew a moth 
 to fly away from a candle because it would
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 93 
 
 singe his wings ? Who ever knew a selfish 
 pleasure-seeking man forego the happiness 
 of the moment for the good of the future ? 
 
 No ! Dr. Cartland smiled upon his patients 
 till three o'clock; then, his arduous duties 
 over, he threw himself into his well-lined 
 brougham, with one word only, '' Hazel- 
 hurst." Not to make love to Mrs. Grafton, 
 but to see her, touch her hand, inhale lier 
 beauty with every breath. 
 
 Had Harry Cartland spoken, or even 
 looked love at Kate, it would have been her 
 salvation; but he did neither. He only 
 loved her, none the less madlj^ because he 
 was silent. Had you asked him, or had he 
 •asked himself how he expected it all to end, 
 he would have been unable to answer. 
 But, doubtless, he lived in the present only, 
 ■and trusted to the future to take care of 
 itself. He had not once told himself that
 
 94, THE HAZELHUKST MYSTEHY. 
 
 he could gain Kate's love, she was still his 
 friend's wife to him ! But to be near 
 her, with her, was necessary to him. So 
 long as he was satisfied in this, he need not 
 be dangerous, except perhaps to Kate's 
 inner heart. He would not while thus 
 satisfied seek any change. 
 
 Winter evenings saw the college friends 
 smoking their pipes together, found Harry 
 Cartland by Kate's side at the piano, spell- 
 bound by the rich, full tones of her voice. 
 The love words of her songs sunk into his 
 heart, making mighty echoes that warned 
 him to go while there was jet time, while 
 the love he bore her was yet innocent, still 
 unspoken. But he was deaf, deaf to every- 
 thing but the wild pleading of his heart for 
 love. Up to now, he had never for one 
 moment believed that she cared for Mm, had 
 indeed no reason for thinking anything but
 
 FOE, BETTER, FOE WORSE. 95 
 
 the right and proper thought that she loved 
 her husband, George Grafton. But now 
 with " Si fit savais " sounding in his ears, 
 the unusual tremor in her voice subdued 
 him, and there was a softness in her face, 
 about her lips that he had never seen before, 
 the something that had been wanting was 
 there now, and Kate was not only hand- 
 some, but beautiful. A lovely flush upon 
 her cheeks, a new light in her eyes. What 
 was it ? Was it love ? love for him I And 
 Harry Cartland's pulses throbbed to mad- 
 ness. 
 
 He leant over her, touching her, " Kate, 
 Kate !" 
 
 She raised her eyes to his. What answer 
 did he read in them? They were filled 
 with tears and love. 
 
 Yet on the brink of temptation, they 
 were saved ; for happy, unconscious George
 
 '96 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 came in, and Kate flew to him as to a 
 harbour of refuge. She had only just found 
 out her danger, but now it dawned upon 
 her; what had made the happiness of the 
 autumn and winter evenings? She knew 
 she had been happy, but had not stopped to 
 analyse her feelings, and now she had found 
 the key to the mystery. It was not her 
 love for her husband thjit had shed such 
 brightness over her daily life, but for another. 
 She was more humble, more gentle, more 
 painstaking to George, than she had ever 
 been before, and he, poor fool, was happy, 
 happy in his fools' paradise. And Harry 
 Cartland was happy, wildly happy in the 
 knowledge of her love, happier than if she 
 had told him of it, for the tongue can be 
 made to lie ; but no one could doubt those 
 trembling lips, those tearful, speaking eyes. 
 They told the secret that Kate would have
 
 FOE BETTER, FOR WORSE. 97 
 
 wished to carry to her grave ; but she felt 
 that it was known to one now ; and in her 
 heart she knew that she had learnt one in 
 return ; and somehow, hard as she tried to 
 shut this knowledge out, it asserted itself 
 again and again, vibrating through her 
 nerves with painful pleasure. 
 
 Kate coaxed her husband to get home 
 half-an-hour earlier, so as to avoid the daily 
 tete-a-tete with Harry Cartland, yet she 
 loved him and he knew it, and knew herself 
 beloved. She could not shut him out of her 
 life, but she wished to be a good wife, and 
 true to George. So, when Dr. Cartland's 
 brougham left him at Hazelhurst, he found 
 two friends to receive him instead of one, 
 and perhaps he was not altogether sorry. 
 
 While a child only sucks the barley sugar, 
 it lasts a long time, " linked sweetness long 
 drawn out ;'' but when he begins to eat it in 
 
 vol.. I. 7
 
 -98 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 good earnest, it is soon crunched away 
 between his relentless little teeth. Does the 
 •child ever regret not having made his plea- 
 sure last as long as possible, or is the excite- 
 ment of the " scrunching " and the remem- 
 brance of it preferable in his estimation. 
 Dr. Cartland had taken one small bite and 
 liad found it delicious^ but while the barley 
 sugar remained in his mouth, he was content 
 that it should melt ever so gently, so long as 
 he lost none of its sweetness and flavour, and 
 things went on as before, and summer came 
 round again. 
 
 Kate had not quite such good spirits as of 
 old ; she was thinner and paler, and George's 
 anxious eyes found it out. In vain she 
 assured him that she was v/ell — yes ! and 
 happy, but he was not satisfied and went 
 down to Dr. Cartland's house and consulted 
 liim about her.
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 99 
 
 Yes ! Dr. Cartland had noticed the altera- 
 tion in Mrs. Grafton which Greorge spoke of 
 — he would watch her more closely (could 
 he?) and tell him his opinion to-morrow, 
 and then George Grafton turned to his 
 friend: " Harry ! I hope I may not ha>Ye to ''go 
 away, but something has gone wrong about 
 the coffee, and I am really afraid I shall have 
 to run over to Ceylon and see what they are 
 up to ; all my fortune is in the business, and 
 I must, for Kate's sake, do the best I can. 
 I am certain they are not growing it as we 
 used to do, or the crop never could have 
 failed as it has done this year." 
 
 Harry Cartland expressed his hope that 
 his friend might be saved such along journey, 
 and that the next growth of coffee might 
 prove better ! and then George spoke again — 
 " I should not mind leaving her so much, if 
 she looked as well and as strong as she did a 
 
 7—2
 
 100 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 year ago, but she doesn't — if I go, Harry, you 
 will see her constantly and watch her as care- 
 fully as if she wer6 your own — you will pro- 
 mise/' he continued, seeing Dr. Cartland 
 hesitate. 
 
 "Of course, I shall be very happy to 
 do so, Grafton,'' said the other ; " and you 
 may trust me to do all I can for her in 
 your absence." 
 
 A keener observer than poor George, 
 would have noticed the increase of colour, the 
 unusual agitation of his voice, the eagerness 
 of his eyes. 
 
 " I shall be truly glad if you will." 
 
 ** Very well/' answered Dr. Cartland 
 with a sigh of relief; " I will promise to see 
 her often and watch her closely, only you 
 had better let her know it is your wish 
 before you leave, or she might not like me 
 to come."
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 101 
 
 " Never fear," laughed George Grafton ; 
 " Kate is above such nonsense, and will 
 always have a smile of welcome for my friend, 
 y^ou may be sure." 
 
 So George himself set the ball of his 
 destiny rolling with his own hands — poor 
 honest-hearted George who thought no evil. 
 That day in the City decided that he must 
 ^o to Ceylon or be a most serious loser, even 
 perhaps a ruined man, inasmuch as tlie loss 
 of money can bring ruin. The only chance 
 of setting things going again, was the per- 
 sonal superintendence of one who was 
 thoroughly interested and who understood 
 the matter in all its branches. George was 
 the man, and he must go even though he 
 must needs leave his wife at home. 
 
 Poor George Grafton ! Does nothing 
 warn you to let money — everything go, only 
 to remain by the side of the girl you have
 
 102 THE HAZELHURST MYSTEEY. 
 
 promised to love and to cherish ? When he 
 returned home he did not find it an easy 
 matter to break to Kate this sudden and un- 
 expected journey, and something in the un- 
 usual pallor of her cheek, and the sad wist- 
 ful eyes made the task more painful, and 
 when she advanced to meet him, with two 
 small hands outstretched, all he could do was 
 to take her willowy form in his arms, and 
 hold her to his heart silently. 
 
 Something in his manner startled her, and 
 freeing herself from his embrace she looked 
 earnestly in his moved face. 
 
 " Greorge," she whispered, " what is it?" 
 Allpossible and impossible terrors crowded 
 into her mind ; had he heard those words 
 " Kate, Kate," which though spoken six 
 months ago have vibrated ever since through 
 "her heart. Had she talked in her sleep of 
 the fatal secret gnawing at her inmost soul ?
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 103- 
 
 Had he seen her clanger, and was he now 
 ^Toinof to warn her ai^^amst it ? In truth she 
 hoped it might be so. She could not confess 
 her unworthiness, but if he had guessed it 
 and would help her against herself, how 
 glad, how thankful she would be. She felt 
 that he was a just man, and that he would 
 help her if he knew, even though it broke 
 his heaii;. 
 
 But when with emotion he said, " My 
 own Kate, I must leave you," she gazed at 
 him white lipped. 
 
 "Good God!" she cried out. "Why> 
 what have you found out ?" 
 
 The words might have conveyed a deeper 
 meaning to a more suspicious man, but to 
 George Grafton they meant nothing but 
 what was said. 
 
 " I have found out, my wife, that I -shall 
 be a ruined man if I don't look after my
 
 104 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 own business ; and that my little Kate will 
 have to ofive up her pretty home, her horses 
 and carriages, and all the things that go to 
 make the sweetness of her life, and will have 
 to dress in cotton frocks, and cook her own 
 dinners, and spoil those dear white hands ; 
 and to prevent all this I must go myself to 
 Ceylon, and put matters straight ; but oh ! 
 my pet" (drawing her to him), " it is hard 
 to part from you !" 
 
 " Don't go ! Oh, George ! don't leave me 
 for Heaven's sake, don't !" and she clung to 
 him with detaining arm. 
 
 " Katie, don't you know I would give 
 anything on earth to stay, but I cannot 
 make you a beggar, and must do my duty, 
 my little Kate." 
 
 "Do your duty !" she cried, with flashing 
 eyes, " that is what Miss Ansell would say. 
 Don't you say it, Greorge. Don't ; stay
 
 FOR BETTEE, FOR WORSE. 10^ 
 
 with me, that is your most 'sacred duty ; let 
 the money go — all of it, every penny. I 
 will work, we will both work, and we will 
 go away from here, and we will be happy," 
 said Kate looking gently and timidly at him. 
 *' We should be happy, George, should we 
 not ?" and she slipped her cold little hand 
 into the large brown protecting one of her 
 husband." 
 
 " My own brave darling !" he answered, 
 love beaming on her from his bright true 
 eyes. " You have made me very very happy, 
 but I cannot accept such a sacrifice from 
 you. 
 
 '' Ah ! you would not be happy in poverty 
 with me," sighed Kate, turning from him 
 wearily. '*' I thought you loved me, George !" 
 
 In another moment he had his arms 
 about her, and was looking earnestly into 
 the depths of her brown eyes.
 
 106 THE HAZELHURST MTSTEEY. 
 
 ■''Kate/' lie cried, ''it is impossible that 
 you can doubt me, mj one and only love ! 
 Did I not wait for three years patiently, 
 with not even a smile from those dear eyes, 
 to make you all my own, and now you say 
 you thought I loved you ! Oh, Kate I 
 Kate !" 
 
 She trembled as he spoke. George was 
 not great at making speeches. Even when 
 he proposed to her it had been in a few 
 words, but what he had said moved her and 
 kept her silent, it was all so true ; he had 
 waited for her, loved her, heaped upon her 
 every pleasant thing, and she ! — she knew 
 that two words from another man had had 
 the power of reaching where all poor George's 
 consistent kindness had failed to gain a 
 heart's response. 
 
 '' George !" she pleaded yet again, " Don't 
 go.
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 107 
 
 " Kate ! I must !" 
 
 A light came into her face, and looking 
 eagerly at him she placed her hand upon his 
 arm. 
 
 " Then I will go with you." 
 
 " Indeed, it is impossible, Kate." 
 
 " George, I am afraid to be left," and the 
 large eyes looked haunted. 
 
 " There is nothing to fear, Kitty," and 
 he took her hand. 
 
 When he called her " Kitty " it was in 
 his tenderest moods, but Kate turned from 
 him almost coldly. "How do you know 
 that there is nothing to fear ? George, the 
 day you leave me will be the last time you 
 will ever see me in this world. I feel — I 
 know it." And Katie's features were 
 drawn with agony as with blind eyes she 
 faced her fate. 
 
 " Kate ! my wife, you are ill, or you
 
 108 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 would never with your strong mind let such 
 fancies ran away with you. Thank God ! 
 here is Cartland ! I see his carriage at the 
 door !'' and George Grafton hurried from 
 the room. 
 
 A deadly sickness had come over her. 
 Kate felt as if life were deserting her. She 
 had pleaded with all her strength against 
 her destiny, against herself, and it was all 
 in vain, her husband had not understood 
 her danger, and now she must face it alone ; 
 and, as if that were not agony enough, here 
 was that other coming even now to torture 
 her with such sweet, bitter pain. Every 
 word he uttered would echo in her heart, 
 every look be mirrored back ; and then 
 there came a thought at first of relief, suc- 
 ceeded by pain. Probably, when George 
 was gone he would not come any more ; she 
 hoped he would not. Yes ! she forced her-
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 109 
 
 self to say she hoped he would not ; and 
 then with a start she found he was by her 
 side, looking at her with those large mag- 
 netic eyes that ever held her in their power. 
 She tried to give them back a calm look, 
 and then feebly burst into tears. Kate the 
 tearless — Kate the fearless — was shrinking 
 and trembling beneath the passionate gaze 
 of Dr. Cartland. 
 
 Much as he longed to clasp her to his 
 heart, and dry her wet eyes with his impas- 
 sioned lips, he commanded himself; not to 
 spare her, but to make her more surely his 
 own. Did he not feel that so long as Kate 
 had her husband to fly to, she was not in his 
 power ; but with George Grrafton safely out 
 of the way, with the permission to come^ 
 to come and see Kate whenever he chose, 
 which poor foolish George had given him 
 — he was as sure of his game as the
 
 110 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 deadliest marksman who ever lifted gun to 
 shoulder. Indeed, Dr. Cartland could afford 
 to be generous now, and calm poor Katie's 
 fears. 
 
 " Mrs. Grafton, your husband has sent 
 me to have a little talk with you. He came 
 to me this morning to tell me that you are 
 not feeling well !" and he drew a chair up 
 just opposite to her, and looked in her face 
 with the gentleness that had made his name 
 as a lady's doctor. " I like to sit opposite 
 my patients, Mrs. Grafton, and have a good 
 look at them. You are my patient now, 
 so you must submit to be looked at." As 
 he saw the angry red flush her cheek and 
 brow, and the trembling of the lower lip — 
 " Tell me, child, what ails you." 
 
 As he spoke the tears rushed unbidden to 
 lier eyes. 
 
 " I don't know what ails me, Dr. Cart-
 
 FOE BETTER, FOR WORSE. Ill 
 
 land, but I am ill," and more than ever the 
 trembling lips worked with suppressed pain. 
 
 How nearly she threw herself at his feet 
 and asked him to leave her, never to return, 
 for the love of God ! but then, with rosy red 
 upon her cheek she grasped what acknow- 
 ledgment that would be to him, and she 
 tried to gather her scattered thoughts. 
 
 "As I said before, Dr. Cartland, I am ill, but 
 I never asked ray husband to send for you." 
 
 Dr. Cartland gave her a forgiving smile. 
 
 " I suppose, Mrs. Grafton, I ought to be 
 offended with you, but," lowering his tone, 
 and looking at her steadfastly, "there is 
 nothing on earth I would not do for 
 you ; and whether you wish it or no I will 
 be your friend ! Give me your hand upon 
 that bargain." 
 
 Her friend ! She might still retain him 
 without disloyalty to George, and her heart
 
 112 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEKY. 
 
 gave a wild bound of joy at this compromise 
 between love and duty, and she stretched 
 out an eager little hand to her tempter. 
 
 While they were so, clasped hand in hand, 
 George Grafton entered the room. Were 
 they not ratifying their friendship ! and 
 Kate turned to meet her husband with un- 
 faltering eyes. 
 
 " See, George, Dr. Cartland and I are 
 making a compact to be friends." 
 
 " Mrs. Grafton was not at first quite 
 willing to let me be her friend in your ab- 
 sence, George, and was not best pleased 
 with me for wishing to see her stronger; 
 but I think at last she has consented to let 
 me feel her pulse," taking her slender wrist 
 into his hand, but looking at her husband. 
 ''A poor, weak, fluttering little pulse, 
 George — feel it," and he passed the wrist 
 into George's brown palm.
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 113 
 
 '^ There ! that will do," cried Kate. " I 
 hate doctors, or, at least, I hate being 
 doctored''' and she blushed as she remem- 
 bered that there was at least one doctor 
 whom she did not hate. 
 
 " How do you find her, Harry ?" asked 
 George. 
 
 " Weak and nervous ; she must have a 
 tonic." 
 
 " If George would only take me for a trip 
 to Ceylon, it would do me more good than 
 anything else," said Kate. 
 
 " I think not," answered Dr. Cartland. 
 *' You want quiet, rest, and care, not excite- 
 ment." 
 
 "Exactly my idea," said George. "No, 
 Katie, you shall not be sacrificed ; you shall 
 be at peace in your own home, and I will 
 fight the battle for you, and get back as soon 
 as I can." 
 
 VOL. I. 8
 
 lU THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 " What going, Dr. Cartland, so early ? 
 Well, if you must, you must," and Kate 
 held out a hand, kind, but not detaining, 
 nor did George ask him to dinner that 
 night, for he was so soon to be away from 
 his wife that he wished for the intervening 
 time to be spent alone with her. 
 
 " Good-by, George ; come back soon, God 
 bless you." 
 
 " God bless you, dear wife ; my heart is 
 heavy at leaving you. 'Now the time has 
 come for parting, all the pluck has gone out 
 of me. Kate ! Kate ! my little Kate ! do 
 you know how precious you are to me !" 
 and he clasped his left arm tightly about 
 her, while he held both her hands in his one 
 right one. " Is it too late to come with me 
 now, Kate ?" he asked, his hungry eyes feed- 
 ing on her beauty, and trying to take enough 
 into his heart to satisfy it during his absence.
 
 FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. 115- 
 
 " It is never too late," she cried, joyfully. 
 " Do you mean it? Will you take me ?'* 
 
 " Would you come even now, Kitty, with 
 nothing ready T 
 
 "Try me!" and she looked eagerly at 
 him. 
 
 " No, no ! I am a selfish brute even to 
 wish it. I must not take you, darling !" 
 
 The light faded from her face, but she 
 made no answer. Once more he held her 
 to his heart, and something very like tears 
 glistened in his moist blue eyes. Once more 
 he pressed his lips to hers, the lips that 
 would unite no more in life. Once more the 
 hands were clasped, and yet again ; and 
 George was gone — Kate left alone. ISTo f 
 not alone ! Had she not Dr. Cartland 
 still ? But the idea failed to comfort her. 
 
 8—2
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 LAURA GRAITOn's VISIT. 
 
 E. CARTLAND was sitting in an 
 easy chair, smoking a first-rate 
 cigar, and as he watched the white 
 clouds of smoke ascend and disappear, a 
 smile crossed his face. " So will vanish all 
 clouds from the blue sky of my love, and 
 there will be nothing left but sunshine for 
 my darling and me. Grafton has been gone 
 a week to-day. I wonder if Kate has been 
 dull ? it will be as well that she should feel 
 lonely till I come ; but a week's loneliness 
 will surely be enough to make her glad of a 
 comforter. Katie ! Ah 1 welJ, if the week 
 has not been long to her it has been to me.
 
 LAURA GRAFTON'S VISIT. il7 
 
 I cannot wait any longer," and lie rose and 
 runo^ his bell and ordered his brouo^ham. 
 
 Kate had been dull, had found the week 
 a very long one. At first she hoped Dr. 
 Cartland would not come ; had then re- 
 proached him in her heart for staying away. 
 Was this his friendship ? She was weary 
 of everything. What a blank life was with- 
 out George, and then she buried her face in 
 her hands with shame, for though she did 
 miss her husband she knew that there was 
 another step she had listened for each daj^ 
 of the seven since George had left, and that 
 she wearied in the waiting with a sickening 
 heart. She would not own to herself that 
 she wanted him to come ; but why didn't 
 he ? that was what troubled her, not his 
 absence. Was he ill ? if so, it was of course 
 nothing to her, but oh ! what a pain shot 
 through her heart, for which she could find
 
 118 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 no reason. She often felt a " stitch " now. 
 She rose and looked at her face in the 
 glass. 
 
 " How pale," she exclaimed, " and George 
 only gone a week ; what shall I look like if 
 he is awav six months?" 
 
 Dr. Cartland had entered and had heard 
 these words, and they did not please him. 
 
 "Such a devoted wife would certainly 
 not exist through so long a period of deso- 
 lation, I am sure, Mrs. Grafton. I have 
 called to inquire how the tonic suits youP" 
 and he advanced and coldly shook her 
 hand. 
 
 It was best so, much best ; yet somehow 
 this was not the sort of meeting Kate had 
 expected with him. What had she expected? 
 she had never pictured his greeting, and 
 yet she had looked for more warmth, more 
 colour. Kate could be cold too, so accepted
 
 LAURA GRAFTON'S VISIT. 119 
 
 Dr. Cartland's frigid hand with her finger- 
 tips, and then sat down. 
 
 " The tonic ! oh, you are very good, Dr. 
 Cartland, but I had quite forgotten it." 
 
 "And do you intend to continue your 
 forgetfulness ?" he asked. 
 
 "Probably." 
 
 " And, in fact, as your medical man 1 am 
 distnissed" he went on, indignantly. 
 
 " I did not say so, but pray take it in 
 that light if you like." 
 
 Then a silence, broken by Kate, " George 
 has beautiful weather for his journey." 
 
 "Very fine, indeed," said Dr. Cartland, 
 aloud. But in his heart he wished George 
 was dead. What did Kate want to talk 
 of him now for, and why was she so 
 cold? 
 
 Another silence, broken by him — 
 
 " It is a long time since I last saw you.
 
 120 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton. What have you been doing 
 with yourself ? Have you been dull ? 
 
 " Dull 1" she cried, with a quiver in her 
 lip, "oh no ! of course I have been as gay 
 as a lark, as merry as a cricket, and 
 all my friends have been so kind to me 
 that I have not been left alone one day 
 during the week — not once. What do you 
 think of that, Dr. Cartland, now, haven't I 
 kind friends?" 
 
 " If Mrs. Grafton has been alone at all 
 it must have been from choice ; of that I'm 
 certain.'' 
 
 " But it has not been from choice, and 
 you know it. No one has been near me, 
 not even you " — stopping herself suddenly. 
 
 " Not even me ?" said Dr. Cartland, 
 quietly. 
 
 " I did not say you," answered Kate, 
 pettishly. " Why should you come ?"
 
 LAURA GRAFTON'S YISIT. 121 
 
 " Wlij, indeed ; I am not wanted, am I ?" 
 
 " But I have been dull, very dull/' she 
 went on, not appearing to hear liim; "and 
 I shall write and ask Laura Grafton to 
 come and stay with me, she will at least be 
 some one to speak to." 
 
 This was a shock to Dr. Cartland, but he 
 would not show it. 
 
 "Will Miss Grafton stay long with 
 you? 
 
 " Oh ! I really don't know," answered 
 Kate, wearily; "very likely till George 
 comes back." 
 
 With difficulty the doctor suppressed an 
 oath ; but recovering himself, he asked, 
 " When will she come ?" and then an idea 
 shot across his brain — he would utilise her — 
 and with a look of interest he remarked, 
 " You must pardon me, Mrs. Grafton, if I 
 seem curious, but I am a warm admirer
 
 122 THE HAZELHURST ]\iySTEEY. 
 
 of Miss Laura Grafton — we are great 
 friends." 
 
 " Warm admirer — great friends," repeated 
 Xate, vacantly, with uncertain colour; "I — I 
 did not know ; George never told me." 
 
 "Now, wont you tell me wlien to come 
 and see her, Mrs. Grafton ?" 
 
 " Soon, next week ; whenever you like. 
 You wont think me unkind. Dr. Cartland, 
 if I ask you to go, but I don't feel well, I 
 can't quite get over — George's going away." 
 
 She ended up the sentence with an effort, 
 for the lie stuck in her throat. 
 
 " Take my tonic," said he, kindly ; " if 
 you will promise to do so I will run in to- 
 morrow and see how it agrees with you." 
 
 He shook her cold hand gentl}', and left 
 her without another word, and Kate sank 
 down into her chair, wearily. 
 
 " So he cares for Laura ; and I, fool that
 
 LAURA GRAFTON'S VISIT. 123 
 
 I Avas, thought he loved me. How much 
 better so, how thankful I ought to be. Oh 
 George ! George ! I am thankful to be 
 spared temptation "■ — and yet she shed bit- 
 ter tears, tears over the wicked, forbidden 
 love that was so sweet to her — " I shall get 
 over it now that I know he loves another," 
 she murmured, " I must write and get her 
 here at once. It is mucli best so, and I 
 can help him to be happy ; yes, I am glad," 
 and Kate sat down to her davenport and 
 wrote her invitation to her sister-in-law, 
 asking her to come and stay a month. " He 
 can say all he has to say in that time, I 
 should fancy," she said to herself, with a 
 sad smile ; "I am glad, but the flesh is 
 weak, perhaps I could not bear it much 
 longer," and Kate put on her hat and 
 took the letter to the post herself. 
 
 The next afternoon Dr. Cartland's
 
 124 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 brougham was again at Mrs. Grafton's 
 door, as the neighbours remarked, and the 
 owner stepped out, well-dressed, handsome 
 as ever. Kate was lying on the sofa ; a 
 smile flitted over lier lips when he entered. 
 Why should she be cold to him now ? her 
 future brother-in-law. 
 
 ** How is my patient to day?" he asked, 
 her smile reflected on his face. 
 
 " Mrs. Grafton, you haven't taken the 
 medicine ! " 
 
 " Yes, but I have," laughed Kate. 
 
 " Then it isn't the right sort, for indeed 
 you are looking ill." 
 
 " It was what t/ou prescribed, at any rate, 
 Dr. Cartland." 
 
 "Yes, yes!" he murmured half aloud ; " we 
 must go on with it for the present, it will 
 make things more sure by-and-by — poor 
 Katie, I am sorry you suffer."
 
 LAURA GRAFTON'S VISIT. 125 
 
 *• What are you talking about?" she 
 asked, sharply. " I can understand plain 
 English, but I can't understand that." 
 
 Dr. Cartland laughed. " I was thinking 
 of a medicine I should like to give you, but 
 I don't think the system is properly pre- 
 pared for it yet. You shall have it by-and- 
 by, and I shall see you. with the old roses 
 back again. 
 
 "Why don't you speak to me, Mrs. 
 Grafton ?" 
 
 " Dr. Cartland," she answered, " I know 
 you well enough to claim the privilege of 
 silence ; talk to me and I will listen. Laura 
 will be here to-morrow or the next day, and 
 then you will have to amuse her." 
 
 " Shall I read to you then ? I should like to 
 amuse you, though you don't seem to think 
 
 «o." 
 
 '"' I should enjo}^ it so much," cried Kate.
 
 126 THE HAZELHUKST MYSTERY. 
 
 " It would be ever so much pleasanter than 
 talking, there doesn't seem to be anything 
 worth talking about now George has gone," 
 and she sighed heavily. 
 
 "Yet," he answered, looking in her eyes, 
 " I have seen you daily for twelve months, 
 and we have never lacked conversation 
 before. Why is it so ?" and he held out his 
 hand to her. 
 
 " I thought you were going to read," she 
 said. " It would be far better than asking 
 me riddles which I cannot answer ; ask 
 yourself; you are older and wiser than I, 
 Dr. Cartland." 
 
 " If I were to tell you my answer, you 
 would not like it, so I will look for a 
 book." 
 
 He rose and walked to the table. 
 
 " ' The Idylls of the King/ will you have 
 that ?" and without waiting for her answer.
 
 LAUEA GRAFTON'S VISIT. 127 
 
 be sat down and read the sad and touching 
 tale of the love of Launcelot and Guinevere. 
 
 Dr. Cartland read well and impressively, 
 and what with the soft haunting tones of 
 the man she loved, and the story of the un- 
 happy Queen — so like her own — Kate's 
 whole heart was carried away, tears coursed 
 slowly down her cheeks, and weeping for 
 Guinevere's woes, she wept for her own. 
 Hungrily listening for Launcelofc's passionate 
 love, she felt the words which her love 
 should speak ^to her. 
 
 Dr. Cartland paused — the passion of 
 Launcelot had stirred his own. There 
 lay his Guinevere, and in another moment 
 he was on his knees beside her. His lips 
 pressed in maddest wildness to hers which 
 had so lately received George's last kiss — 
 his arms about her light young form — his 
 words of love falling on the ears which had
 
 128 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 heard George's parting blessing only a little 
 week since — a week and a day. 
 
 " Kate, Kate, my one love, forgive me — 
 forgive me, darling !" 
 
 And for one short space she clung to him 
 she loved with wildly clasping arms — only 
 for a moment 1 She had had her heaven, now 
 she must bear the remorse ! 
 
 What ! George's wife in the arms of 
 another, with beating, guilty, throbbing 
 heart, and that other the lover of George's 
 sister. She had indeed fallen low ! 
 
 With a bitter cry she started up, \vith 
 burning cheek and fevered eyes. 
 
 " It was all that book," she cried. " I 
 was Guinevere, not myself; you were Laun- 
 celot, not yourself," and springing to her feet 
 she trampledthe fallen book upon the ground. 
 " You shall never read to me again, Dr. 
 €artland, never. Go ! go 1"
 
 LAUEA GRAFTON'S VISIT. 121> 
 
 Awakened thus rudely from his mad 
 act, Cartland regained his feet. He saw 
 it was no time to urge the excited girl — 
 panic-stricken as she was by the violence of 
 her own feelings — he took her hand. 
 
 " Forgive me, Kate, I have been mad ; 
 but God knows 1 love you, in that I am not 
 Launcelot, but my own wretched self!" 
 
 She trembled exceedingly. 
 
 " Go ! Dr. Cartland, go !" and she clung to 
 the chair back in which he had sat for sup- 
 port. 
 
 '' One word first," he entreated. " You are 
 not angry with me ?" 
 
 " Oh ! go ! go !" she cried, and with a 
 backward look of love he obeyed her, and 
 Kate Grafton sunk upon her knees and 
 buried her face among the pillows of the sofa. 
 
 Oh 1 that she could bury her shame — and 
 yet, oh 1 God, what bliss to feel his lips — to 
 
 vol.. I. 9
 
 130 THE HAZELHURST MYSTBEY. 
 
 knew he loved her — if only for that brief 
 S23ace. If all the future belonged to Laura 
 Orafton, that minute no one could take from 
 hor — when heart beat to heart — pulse to 
 pulse in passionate love. 
 
 So Kate, meaning to be penitent, found 
 herself exultant. And, right or wrong, she 
 had for one glorious, shameful moment, 
 loved and been loved. 
 
 When Dr. Cartland's carriage stopped 
 next day at Mrs. Grafton's, he learned that 
 she had just gone out for a drive, and went 
 away annoyed and disappointed. She loved 
 him, that he could no longer doubt, with 
 all the warmth of her passionate young 
 heart ; the blood surged madly through his 
 veins as he remembered her beauty, and 
 felt in imagination again the pressure of 
 her arms, as for one moment of ecstasy 
 she clasped them around him.
 
 LAUEA GRAFTON'S VISIT. 131 
 
 " Why has she gone out to avoid me ?" he 
 said half aloud. " She cannot escape me. 
 No ! by Heaven she shall be mine. How I 
 love the girl ! My God ! how I love her ! 
 I would sooner give up everything on earth 
 than lose her. My lovely Kate." 
 
 The next day he called again, and Mrs. 
 Grafton was at home. This time the neigh- 
 bours remarked that the brougham was dis- 
 missed without its master, and shook their 
 heads in silence ; the time had not come to 
 speak yet, but they took their notes so as 
 to be well armed in case it ever should. 
 
 Already Miss Perkins (living opposite) 
 had made several entries in her diary, with 
 the spirit of retributive justice in her heart. 
 If ever dates should be wanted against Mrs. 
 Grafton, she, Miss Perkins, would have them 
 ready to hand. And why ? had Mrs. Grafton 
 ever injured Miss Perkins ? No ! but she 
 
 y— 2
 
 132 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 sinned against lier sex by being young 
 and handsome, rich, and well dressed, by 
 having a husband and an admirer, while 
 so many Miss Perkinses were left out in the 
 cold ! 
 
 But this time Miss Perkins' entry might 
 
 have been omitted, for Laura Grafton was 
 
 by Kate's side, and of the two a stranger 
 
 would have said the former was the object 
 
 of Dr. Cartland's attentions, and that 
 
 she received them with pleasure. They 
 
 carried on nearly all the conversation, taking^ 
 
 but little notice of Kate, who with downcast 
 
 eyes and bent neck, was trying to work at some 
 
 gossamer fabric, which would have become 
 
 point lace by-and-by, had she not ruined it 
 
 utterly with her trembling fingers. This, 
 
 then, was the man for whom she was on 
 
 the broad road to ruin ! But two days since 
 
 and he had confessed his love for her in
 
 LAURA GEAFTON'S VISIT. 133 
 
 wild abandonment, and now, before lier face, 
 he was making " strong running " with her 
 sister-in-law. Oh ! if only she could have 
 loved George like this ! Poor George ! 
 
 At last Laura turned to her a happy 
 flushed face. 
 
 " Why ! what a quiet mouse you are, 
 Kate ! One would hardly know you were 
 in the room ! What is the matter? Why I 
 •do believe you are crying." 
 
 "Then you believe wrong, Laura," ex- 
 claimed Kate, throwing back her head. 
 " But 1 am very tired of work ! shall we go 
 into the garden, the room is so hot ?" 
 
 Dr. Cartland rose and looked at her, then 
 came closer, and felt her pulse. 
 
 "Mrs. Grafton, you are ill to-night, you 
 are more fit for bed than the garden. We 
 have been selfish, and have overlooked you 
 in our pleasant talk of old times."
 
 13i THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 Miss Grafton had taken up the work 
 which Kate had dropped. 
 
 " Good gracious, Kate, how badly you do 
 lace stitches, this will never be of any use, it's 
 a perfect waste of time to go on with it; only 
 look at it, Dr. Cartland, is it not a tangle?" 
 
 He took the work into his hand, it was 
 quite enough to tell him what she had 
 suffered, and he somehow forgot to put it 
 down again. He longed to take Kate to his 
 breast, and tell her his heart was all her own ; 
 but with Laura Grafton standing by, it was 
 impossible. So he took his leave, but only 
 to return again the next day. 
 
 Laura and Kate were sitting alone ; they 
 had been together three weeks, and yet 
 another week would elapse before they 
 parted. Laura held in her hand a bonnet. 
 
 " Kate, your taste is better than mine, do
 
 LAUKA GRAFTON'S VISIT. 135 
 
 tell me how to make this bonnet wearable 
 with a mauve dress for the Horticultural to- 
 morrow/' 
 
 Mrs. Grafton looked up. 
 
 " Why that bonnet's blue, Laura." 
 
 " I know it is, but, don't people blend 
 blue and mauve together now ?" 
 
 " I dare say they do, but I couldn't lend 
 a helping hand in such a combination;" 
 and then, seeing a disappointed look cross 
 Laura's face she went on, " I shall not go 
 to the flower show, you shall have my new 
 bonnet, it is ecn^, and will go well with 
 your dress." 
 
 " You are a dear. Oh, that is kind of 
 you, Kate. You have good taste, and the 
 bonnet's a perfect love. Ucr/i ! and Dr. 
 Cartland said the other day it was his 
 favourite colour, do you remember ?"
 
 136 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 Did she remember? Ay, that she did. 
 Had she not gone off at once to her 
 milliner and ordered an ecru bonnet, so as 
 to look her best ; and had she not tried it 
 on with conscious pride — seeing how well 
 she looked in it before her glass — a pride 
 that Laura Grafton's could not reflect such 
 a face. But though she had the bonnet 
 something forbade her to " hoist " another 
 man's " colours ;" and now the sacrifice was 
 made and Laura was going to dress to 
 please his taste, not she. 
 
 " Do you remember ?'' repeated Miss 
 Grafton, receiving no reply. 
 
 " Yes," answered Kate, calmly, " that is 
 why I offered it to you. There is no surer 
 way to a man's approbation than remem- 
 bering his tastes." 
 
 " Do you mean, Kate, that you think I 
 want to please him ?"
 
 LAURA GRAFTON'S YISIT. 137 
 
 " I am sure you do," answered Kate, 
 with the ghost of a smile. 
 
 " And do you think he cares for me ?" 
 
 If a face could get whiter than white, 
 Kate's did so, but she maintained her calm- 
 ness. " To judge by appearances he likes 
 you very much." 
 
 " But, you know what I mean Kate, do 
 you think he cares for me as George did 
 for you ? do you think he wants me for his 
 wife ?" 
 
 His wife ! Poor Kate^s heart stood still. 
 She had never, even in the pictures she had 
 drawn in her imagination, got so far as 
 that. She knew sIlc could never be his 
 wife. His love, his darling, was all she 
 could be to him, and she had never once 
 remembered another could be more. So she 
 sat in a silent stupor, unable to give an 
 -answer to the question.
 
 138 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 *' Don't be reserved, Kate ; you have 
 gone tlirough it and I haven't. I never had 
 an offer in my life. Do you think Dr. 
 Cartland would have proposed if you had 
 given him the opportunity ?" 
 
 " How should I know ?" she cried, in a 
 tone of agony. *' He shall have the oppor- 
 tunity, never fear, Laura. Good heavens ! 
 how my head runs round ; do ring for some 
 water." 
 
 " How selfish of me to be bothering you 
 with my affairs, Kate," taking Jier hand and 
 rubbing it. " Why, you are as cold as ice 
 this hot day, and you are but the shadow of 
 your old self now I look at you closely. I 
 must speak to Dr. Cartland about you, 
 Kate." 
 
 " Dr. Cartland again," said Kate, im- 
 patiently, " are we never to hear any other 
 name — never to see any other face ?"
 
 LAUEA GRAFTON'S VISIT. 13^ 
 
 " Why, I thoug-ht you were sucli friends/' 
 said Laura, with wide-open, astonished 
 eyes. 
 
 " Friends ? of course we are ; but one 
 grows tired of one's best friends if one has 
 too much of them, you know." 
 
 Laura looked at her. " Kate, you look 
 very ill." 
 
 " I am not ill ; if George were only back, 
 I should be quite well." 
 
 " And you wouldn't get tired of him ?" 
 asked Laura, with a laugh. 
 
 " Never !" cried Kate, with such energy 
 as to startle her sister-in-law. " Oh 1 how I 
 wish he were here." 
 
 Kate had to go to the flower show, after 
 all. Dr. Cartland declined most positively 
 to take an unmarried lady without a cha- 
 perone ; but it was Laura who wore the 
 ecnf bonnet, a fact which Dr. Cartland did
 
 140 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 not fail to notice, and " drew in liis horns " 
 accordingly. In five days more Laura 
 Grafton would be gone : in the meantime 
 he would only see her once again. There was 
 already too much expectation in the young 
 lady's eye. What did he care for her? 
 Nothing, less than nothing. He talked to 
 her to make Kate jealous ; but he was per- 
 fectly determined not to get into any en- 
 tanglement with her. If Kate were single, 
 or a widow, he would make her his wife 
 to-morrow ; but there was not another 
 woman on earth besides her whom he 
 would marry. 
 
 The flower show over, Dr. Cartland took 
 the ladies to their door, and then bid them 
 ''All revoirr 
 
 The next afternoon Kate went for a 
 drive, and left Laura at home to see the 
 doctor, but he never came. This was
 
 LAUEA GEAFTON'S VISIT. 141 
 
 repeated the following day with the same 
 result. The third day, when Kate appeared 
 in her hat, Miss Grrafton said it was such a 
 lovely afternoon she should enjoy a drive, 
 and accompanied her, feeling very indignant 
 at Dr. Cartland for her two dull, blank after- 
 noons. It so happened that he saw them, 
 unobserved, and immediately drove over 
 and called. 
 
 Upon their return they heard of their 
 visitor, and Laura Grafton was dreadfully 
 annoyed. 
 
 "How provoking to have missed him," 
 she cried, " and there's only to-morrow left. 
 Can't you do something for me, Kate ? I'm 
 sure he will speak if he only has the 
 chance. Couldn't you just write him a 
 line, you know, and ask him to dinner 
 to-morrow ; it's my last night, you see, and 
 my only chance."
 
 112 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 " I will write if you wish it, Laura ; shall 
 I say you want to see hiui ?" 
 
 " Oh, no, no ! don't mention me ; say 
 you do." 
 
 " What," said Kate, with a melancholy 
 attempt at a smile, '' do you expect me to 
 take your sins on my shoulders, when I 
 have so many of my own ?" But she got 
 up at once and wrote. " There, Laura, will 
 that answer your purpose ?" and she 
 handed the letter to her sister-in-law to 
 read ; it ran thus — 
 
 " My dear Dr. Cartland, — We were 
 sorry to miss you this afternoon when you 
 called, but hope you will join us at dinner to- 
 morrow, and help us to spend Laura's last 
 
 evening. 
 
 "Yours sincerely, 
 
 "Kate Graeton." 
 
 Kate watched her as she read it two or 
 three times over, and wondered that she
 
 LAUEA GRAFTON'S VISIT. 143 
 
 ever could have been attached to her — ever 
 could have thought her a nice givl, and 
 good-looking ; she settled now that there 
 was nothing in her — she was bad style, had 
 no taste whatever in dress, and what brains 
 and beauty she had she had diligently 
 made use of as a '' man trap" during the 
 last month. If a man really loved a woman 
 would he require a whole month's " draw- 
 ing on" and encouragement such as Laura 
 Grafton had bestowed daily on Dr. Cart- 
 land? Did she not know every trick of 
 her face when in his presence, and did she 
 not despise her for her endeavours to 
 attract ? 
 
 "Are you quite deaf, Kate? I have 
 spoken to you three times." 
 
 " Wh}' do things always happen thrice ?" 
 asked Kate, with a faint laugh. " There 
 must be some magic in the number, I sup- 
 pose ; for I daresay you didn't raise your
 
 144 THE HAZELHURST ]\IYSTERY. 
 
 voice, and yet your third call aroused me 
 you see. You have not much to occupy 
 your time, Laura, suppose you write a 
 treatise on the mystic third time." 
 
 '' When you've done talking nonsense 
 perhaps you will answer my question," 
 said Laura, crossly. 
 
 " Let's see, what was it ? Something 
 about my infirmities, I think. Oh ! you 
 asked if I was deaf, did you not ?" and 
 without waiting for an answer, she continued, 
 " No ! my beloved sister-in-law, I fear I 
 cannot plead that excuse for my inattention 
 to your interesting remark. I am not deaf. 
 I am only stupid," said Kate, in a bantering 
 tone. 
 
 " How do you know my remark was in- 
 teresting, if you did not hear it, you wise 
 creature ?" 
 
 " Because whatever falls from the lips of
 
 LAURA GRAFTON'S VISIT. 145 
 
 Laura Grafton is bound to be so, of course I 
 that was as neatly a turned compliment as 
 you could have got out of Dr. Cartland 
 himself, I think," turning upon her quizical 
 half closed eyes. " You are not in an 
 agreeable mood, Kate : I asked you, and I 
 believe you heard me, whether you could 
 not press Dr. Cartland a little more to come 
 — your letter might be an invitation to a 
 stranger, instead of a man who is almost a 
 brother to you," and Laura Grrafton eyed 
 Kate keenly with no suspicion of her secret, 
 but with wonder at the changeful colour and 
 expression of her face. 
 
 It was some time before she received any 
 answer — not till Kate had conquered in the 
 struggle that had been going on in her 
 heart. "Why should she help Laura to 
 marry the man for love of whom she had 
 lost self-respect and peace? Why should 
 
 VOL. I. 10
 
 146 THE HAZELHUEST MTSTEKY. 
 
 she invite him, that Laura should wring a 
 proposal from him ? If she thought it was 
 for his happiness she would cut the heart 
 out of her body ; but was this for his liappi- 
 ness ?" and then her conscience told her that 
 anything that parted him from her must be 
 for his good, and that battle was won. She 
 raised a pleading, almost humble face to her 
 sister-in-law : " Indeed, I will do my best 
 to make things as you would wish them — 
 don't be afraid, he will be sure to come ; but 
 I could not press the matter further, I am 
 sure Greorge would not wish my letter 
 altered." 
 
 " As you please," answered Laura, coldly ; 
 " only most married women are glad to give 
 a helping hand to the single ones in their 
 little love affairs, but you must do as you 
 please, of course." 
 
 A look of pain crossed Kate's face — she
 
 LAURA GEAFTON'S YISIT. 147 
 
 knew the accusation was false and un- 
 founded, but it pained her nevertheless. 
 Might not Laura tell George that she had 
 stood in her light, and he believe her, and 
 Greorge would not like his sister persistently 
 hunting down her game as she had done 
 during the past month, and it was with 
 raised head Kate answered her sister-in- 
 law. " Yes, Laura, I must do as I please 
 in this matter, I cannot write more warmly 
 to Dr. Cartland even to insure your getting 
 him for a husband ; but I tell you he will 
 come for all that !" and she arose with the 
 air of a queen and rang the bell, which was 
 quickly answered by a trim little parlour 
 maid : " Jane ! tell one of the men to take 
 this to Dr. Cartland's, and wait for an 
 answer," and as the door closed Kate took 
 out her watch. 
 
 " It will be at least two hours before you 
 
 10—2
 
 148 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 know your fate, Laura, would you care for 
 a game at Badminton, or would you rather 
 await the issue in your own room ? for this 
 one is like the black hole of Calcutta, and we 
 shall be suffocated if we remain here. We 
 must set all the doors and windows open, 
 and make a thorough draught if we are to 
 breathe at all this evening ;" and, suiting 
 the action to the word, she pulled up all the 
 blinds and opened every place which would 
 admit fresh air. 
 
 "What a whirlwind," cried Laura Grafton ; 
 " I must do some of ni}^ packing, as I am 
 going away the day after to-morrow !" She 
 turned to Kate, as she spoke, with a faint 
 hope that even at this eleventh hour she 
 might be asked to stay longer ; but Kate 
 was stooping over some Gloire and General 
 Jaqueminot roses in a vase, delicately 
 smelling at them by turns to ascertain
 
 LAURA GRAFTOjS-'S YISIT. 149 
 
 which was the most fragrant, and then, as if 
 a sudden thought had seized her, she took 
 one of each colour from the vase, and hold- 
 ing up the Grloire she said, with a heightened 
 colour, and little nervous laugh — 
 
 "It is almost icru ! Will you wear Ids 
 colours still, Laura ? and I will mount the 
 red. Greorge always said a red rose was 
 the loveliest flower on God's earth ! Poor 
 old Greorge, I wonder how he is !" 
 
 Each girl put her rose into lier breast, 
 with a sort of party spirit. 
 
 '' There !" cried Kate, " the Houses of 
 York and Lancaster over again." 
 
 " Or, if you prefer a more peaceful simile, 
 Kate, we represent the * Two Eoses,' but we 
 shall be blown away if we remain here any 
 longer ; " and Laura made for her own 
 room.
 
 ^^? 
 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 THE TWO ROSES. 
 
 further plan was made between the 
 two, but each held by her "colours," 
 appeared in them at their tete-a- 
 tete dinner, and resumed them next morning 
 before breakfast ; and now Laura's last 
 evening had arrived, and she was already 
 seated in the drawing-room dressed for 
 dinner; the hand of the clock pointed to 
 five minutes to seven, and the dinner hour 
 was seven o'clock. When she had entered the 
 room, radiant in a blue silk dress trimmed 
 with home-made point, cut into a very low 
 " square,'' displaying her ample figure, 
 with necklace and bracelets of turquoise
 
 THE TWO EOSES. 151 
 
 and gold, and a cluster of " Gloires " in the 
 front of her dress, and another bunch in the 
 <jrepe'd masses of lier light hair; Kate 
 looked up. 
 
 "Five minutes to seven," exclaimed 
 Laura, " and you have not begun to dress ! 
 have you forgotten, Kate, that Dr. Cartland 
 does not like waiting for his dinner? you 
 know he told us so." 
 
 "I know he is always punctual, he will 
 be here in four minutes and a half, and I 
 shall not be ready till a quarter past seven. 
 Make the most of your time, Laura, a great 
 deal may be said and done in a quarter of 
 an hour, if you come to the point at once 1" 
 And Kate ran out of the room with a more 
 cheerful laugh than Laura had heard for 
 some time. 
 
 As the clock struck seven the door bell 
 rang, and in another half minute Dr. Cart-
 
 152 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 land was announced. His dark eyes took 
 in the scene at a glance. He even under- 
 stood the " Gloire " roses ! and he seated 
 himself as far as possible from Miss Grafton, 
 after shaking hands with her. 
 
 "What did you think of the flower 
 show, Miss Grafton? you don't see such a 
 galaxy of beauty at your country fetes, 
 I'll warrant." 
 
 *'Life is very dull in the country, Dr. 
 Cartland. What a draught there is here," 
 getting up and pushing her small lounging 
 chair closer to him, so that she might bring 
 all the guns in her battery to bear upon 
 him. "There, that is better!" and she 
 looked up into his eyes, and did not quite 
 understand the expression she read there;, 
 it meant, " I see your game, my lady, and 
 am willing to receive your homage, you are 
 a pretty girl, and you may worship me ;
 
 THE TWO EOSES. 153> 
 
 but if you expect anything serious from me, 
 you are mistaken ;" and yet he threw a 
 glance of admiration on her and said, 
 " Much better !" with a quiet laugh. 
 
 The colour rose to her cheek at his reply, 
 and she thought the proposal was coming ; 
 and she began hastily, " You know. Dr. 
 Cartland, I don't care for the country, I 
 should like my home to be in London," and 
 she lifted her eyes again to his face. 
 
 " I should not like the country either ; 
 so you see our tastes agree, Miss Grrafton !" 
 
 " You can't think what a dull life mine 
 is. Dr. Cartland," she went on, her eyes still 
 upturned to his. 
 
 ''Then what must mine be?" he asked. 
 "Your have your father and mother, and 
 no end of brothers and sisters, while I have 
 no one !" and he gave an actual, real sigh, 
 not, as Laura supposed, for her, but for
 
 154 THE HAZELHURST MYSTEEY. 
 
 another, because he daily found life was a 
 void without her. 
 
 "You dull!" cried Laura. ''Oh! Dr. 
 Cartland, I cannot believe it. Every one 
 says how sought after you are, how much 
 your patients respect you. You cannot be 
 dull, gifted as you are, you know there is 
 hardly a house in London where you would 
 not be welcome." 
 
 "And do you think that is enough to 
 satisfy a man ?" he went on, more thinking 
 aloud than speaking to her. "Is a man 
 never to know anything dearer than the 
 world? After all, my life is very blank indeed." 
 
 Surely this was coming to the point. 
 Laura's heart fluttered with expectation. 
 She must not rouse him from this senti- 
 mental mood, how dreamy and how handsome 
 he looked; ten minutes past seven, only 
 five minutes more, she must help him on.
 
 THE TWO ROSES. 155 
 
 "Blank! Ob, Dr. Cartland ! and you 
 have so many to care for you, see how 
 welcome you always are here ! is not Kate 
 ever glad to see you ? am not I ?" 
 
 He awoke from his dream with a start. 
 " Why, good gracious ! What has become 
 of Mrs. Grrafton? it is nearly a quarter past 
 seven !" Then, after a pause, '' You see, in 
 your pleasant compan^^, Miss Grrafton, I had 
 almost forgotten the time ; but the voice of 
 Nature will be heard, and I have arrived at 
 the conclusion that I am very hungry." 
 
 The door gently opened, and Kate entered 
 the room. 
 
 "Better late than never, Mrs. Grafton,'* 
 said Dr. Cartland, rising with alacrity to 
 shake hands. 
 
 " I am rather late, I own, but I am glad 
 to see you not looking much the worse for 
 the delay."
 
 156 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 " We were getting very impatient, were 
 we not, Miss Grafton?" he said with a 
 smile. 
 
 " If I am to tell the truth. Dr. Cartland,. 
 I think we were both very contented, and I 
 don't believe you even thought of the time 
 at all until just before Kate entered the 
 room," with a triumphant look at her sister- 
 in-law ; and then she continued, " it was 
 very naughty of you, Kate, to be late, 
 knowing that Dr. Cartland likes punc- 
 tuality, but " (shaking her head) " you always 
 are so long beautifying; what makes you 
 so, I can't think, for that muslin dress 
 would not have taken me three minutes to 
 put on." 
 
 " No !" said Mrs. Grafton, with bewitch- 
 ing, good humoured surprise. " Well ! you 
 see it took me exactly twenty minutes, as I 
 told you it would. T left the room at live-
 
 THE TWO EOSES. 157 
 
 minutes to seven, and appeared like fate 
 inexorably at fifteen minutes past ! voila !" 
 and Kate made a little gesture, dismissing 
 the subject, and accepted Dr. Cartland's 
 right arm in obedience to the dinner bell, 
 while Laura Grafton took the left. 
 
 " A thorn between the two roses, Laura," 
 said Kate, leaning forward so as to catch 
 her sister-in-law's eye across Dr. Cartland's 
 stalwart form. 
 
 Kate thought he held her hand unneces- 
 sarily tight against his arm, under the 
 ■circumstances. As he had come to propose 
 to Laura, why did he insult her by profess- 
 ing an affection he did not feel ? Had not 
 Laura said, meaningly, how happy they 
 had been without her, and he had smiled 
 and not contradicted her ! She supposed 
 they had settled it all, to their satisfaction. 
 She had suffered bitterly during those
 
 IcS THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 twenty minutes, but had been able to enter 
 the room with a smile, and as she sat doing 
 the honours of her table Dr. Cartland 
 thought she was lovelier than ever, her eyes 
 lit up by an unusual light, and a brilliant 
 colour born of excitement upon her cheeks. 
 Kate never had been so sparkling and witty 
 before, her blood boiled, was at fever heat. 
 Dr. Cartland noted each symptom with 
 inward satisfaction. Could she suffer so, 
 unless she loved him with more than the 
 ordinary love of women? That she was 
 suffering he knew. She helped herself to 
 the various dishes as they were handed 
 round, but he saw that she merely dallied 
 with them, eating none. He knew that the 
 woman he worshipped was suffering. He 
 sorrowed for her pain, yet exulted in it ! 
 Miss Grrafton would be gone to-morrow, 
 and then
 
 THE TWO EOSES. 159 
 
 Kate looked at her sister-in-law and rose. 
 " I am sorry, Dr. Cartland, we have no 
 one to amuse you." 
 
 " What !" he exclaimed, " you surely 
 don't expect me to remain here to be 
 Tommy All-alone ! I don't mean to drink 
 any more v/ine. You can't be barbarous 
 enough to desert me, Mrs. Grafton ?" 
 
 Kate wanted him to remain behind. She 
 wished to find out if it were all settled ; if 
 she had given Laura opportunities enough 
 to " land her fish." She wanted to know 
 the worst, or the best, not being at that 
 moment able to determine which ^vas which. 
 But anything would be better than the 
 agony of uncertainty. 
 
 Laura Grafton, however, had no desire to 
 lose sight of her game. She had " stalked " 
 it steadil}^, and did not wish him to have an 
 hour for reflection, sipping his wine in
 
 160 THE HAZELHURST MYSTEEY. 
 
 moody silence ; she merely wanted to take 
 up the thread where it had got tangled 
 before dinner, and wind it up to a satisfac- 
 tory conclusion, so she gave Kate no time 
 to answer. 
 
 " Yes, do come with us, Dr. Cartland, we 
 shall be sure to quarrel if you don't, or go 
 to sleep talking of the weather, and not be 
 ^ble to rouse up again all the evening, or 
 something dreadful will happen.'' 
 
 Dr. Cartland needed no further invitation, 
 but followed the ladies at once. They 
 selected their favourite chairs, and sat by 
 the French window, the evening air fanning 
 their cheeks, the conversation was general. 
 Laura wondered how she coald get rid of 
 the objectionable third element. If only 
 the length of the room were between them ! 
 then they could talk without being heard — 
 in subdued tones.
 
 THE TWO ROSES. 161 
 
 " Oh, Katie," she cried, " do sing us some- 
 thing ! You don't want music and lights, 
 like most people. One of those soft songs 
 you often sing in the gloaming will be de- 
 licious !" 
 
 Kate, clad in white muslin, with crimson 
 roses kissing her snowy neck, floated across 
 the room in the waning light, and began 
 Elaine's song of " Love and Death." 
 
 " Sweet is true love though given in vain — in vain, 
 And sweet is death who puts an end to pain : 
 I know not which is sweeter, no, not I." 
 
 " Love, art thou sweet ? then bitter death must be ; 
 Love, art thou bitter ? sweet is death to me ; 
 Oh ! love if death be sweeter — let me die." 
 
 ** Sweet love ! that seems not made to fade away ; 
 Sweet death ! that seems to make us loveless clay ; 
 I know not which is sweeter, no, not I. 
 
 " I fain would follow love, if that could be, 
 I needs mast follow death who calls for me; 
 Call, and I follow. I follow. Let me die ! 
 
 VOL. I. 11
 
 162 THE HAZELHUKST IMYSTEEY. 
 
 As the last notes died away, burning tears 
 fell upon the keys of the piano. She had 
 felt every word of it. How happy she could 
 have been had love been possible, how 
 thankful she would be for death — death ta 
 release her from the bonds of wifehood to a 
 man (good though he was) whom she could 
 not love ; to release her from the knowledge 
 of the affection of the man whom she did 
 love, body and soul, heart and life, for an- 
 other, from her double shame, her double 
 anguish. 
 
 " Let me die !" Kate's voice sounded its 
 agonised lament straight into Dr. Cartland's 
 heart, where it remained quivering painfully. 
 Music had at all times great power over 
 him, and these low faltering words and 
 notes of Kate Grafton's sunk deep. The 
 tremulous earnestness told him such a tale 
 of her sadness and her suffering that he was
 
 THE TWO EOSES. 165 
 
 touched to the quick. His love, his Kate, 
 wished for death ; was weary now, but was 
 it not in his power to make her wish for life 
 again ? His bright darling ! What could 
 she and grim death have to say to each 
 other ? she in her early bloom of girlish 
 womanhood. No ! she should not die, but 
 live for him. 
 
 He would with his left arm shield her from 
 the world, and with his right caress every 
 care-mark from her brow. His beautiful 
 Kate ! Thus his eager thoughts chased 
 each other through his brain, while Laura 
 Grafton whispered unheard in his ear. 
 
 She was sitting close to him, and he 
 eagerly leaning forward, looking into a 
 bright happy future with Kate, a smile of 
 joy playing upon his lips. Any one might 
 have mistaken the two for happy lovers. 
 Kate, her song of love and death ended, 
 
 11—2
 
 164 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 raised lier head, and in the twilight saw it 
 all. With a stifled wail she slid ghost-like 
 from the room. Why should she be a 
 restraint upon them ? They were all in all 
 to each other, she but a looker-on at their 
 joy ! She could not bear it yet ; by-and-by 
 perhaps she might see it unmoved, not 
 now ! She had skirted the garden, round 
 by the shady trees and luxuriant shrubs, 
 the magnolias, with their lamp -like flowers, 
 and having gained a bit of tangle wood all 
 moss-grown under foot, she sunk upon the 
 earth, her pure white dress bedabbled with 
 the evening dew. 
 
 "Oh! my Grod !" she cried, "let me 
 die," and so upon her knees she prayed, 
 " Let me die 1" Forgetful of time and 
 space, she lay there prone, a lovely, broken 
 flower, wrestling with her Maker for a boon 
 which could not be granted — ^yet.
 
 THE TWO ROSES. 165 
 
 Dr. Cartland heard the \vail of Kate's 
 despair, as she left the room, but her flight 
 was lost in the tumult of his own feelings, 
 and he was not aware of her absence. Laura 
 continued her soft talk, and he sat by her 
 absorbed in his own reflections, till aroused by 
 her asking in a raised voice for another song 
 from Kate, and then he became aware that 
 there was no answer. Laura cared nothing 
 for music, but it obliged her to talk in con- 
 fidential tones, so she liked Kate to sing, but 
 now that she was conscious of her absence, 
 she felt even more glad. She had an open 
 course ; she must take the lead, and fly 
 past the winning-post in triumph. 
 
 "Ah!" she exclaimed, "dear old Kate, 
 she has gone away. I like to see a woman 
 do as she would be done by, don't you, Dr. 
 Cartland? Now she knew that my last 
 evening with you T should like to have you
 
 166 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 all to myself, knd" laying her hand upon his 
 arm, and looking with bright eyes into his 
 face, " you know I do, do you not ?" 
 
 Dr. Cartland saw the pretty, hopeful face 
 very near his own, but had no desire to 
 possess it. He would, perhaps, at any other 
 time have robbed those red lips of a kiss, 
 but to-night there was no room in his 
 thoughts for her. Kate had gained such 
 an ascendancy over him that his mind was 
 full of her image, full and overflowing. At 
 any other time Dr. Cartland would have 
 enjoyed a flirtation with Laura Grafton, 
 taking very good care, however, that no 
 offer to make her his wife should pass his 
 lips, but not to-night. All that was real in 
 the man, all that was earnest, yes, and all 
 that was good, had been called out to-night 
 by his love for Kate. Had she been free 
 to become his wife he would have been a
 
 THE TWO ROSES. 167 
 
 better man for all his after-life ; for his love 
 for her was the one reality of his artidcial 
 existence. But Kate was not free ; she was 
 the wife of his friend. He knew it, but this 
 knowledge had no power now to stop his 
 determination. If she could not be his 
 wife, she loved him, and should be his 
 darling, his companion, the oasis of his life ! 
 With such thoughts it was no pleasure to 
 him to " spoon" with Miss Grafton, and for 
 once he put vanity aside. 
 
 " Laura," he said, " we have always been 
 friends, and it is a pleasure for me to 
 be with you. Don't think me imperti- 
 nent, but, once or twice, I have thought, 
 feared, that you gave me credit for a warmer 
 feeling. I never shall marry. Miss Grafton, 
 unless great improbabilities happen." 
 
 Laura began to cry. 
 
 "Ohl Dr. Cartland, I thought "
 
 168 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 Then throwing up her fair head with an in- 
 dignant gesture — ''Never mind what I 
 thought, but you certainly gave me to 
 
 understand " Then with a sigh—'' Never 
 
 mind, it's over now ; but tell me one thing, 
 did Kate know of these views of yours?" 
 
 " Certainly not. I [have never spoken of 
 my feelings to Mrs. Grafton/' 
 
 "Then good-night," said Laura. "You 
 will excuse me. Dr. Cartland, but I am 
 going to my own room. I am just a little 
 upset. I don't blame you, you know, but I 
 mistook your friendship for something else. 
 Good-by, Dr. Cartland ; think of me some- 
 times, and tell Kate when she comes back 
 that I'm gone to bed. Don't let her come 
 to me to-night," and Laura Grafton left the 
 room, and rushed upstairs, shedding tears 
 of rage and disappointment over her crushed 
 hopes and fruitless endeavours.
 
 THE TWO KOSES. 169 
 
 Dr. Cartlancl waited impatiently for 
 Kate's return ; every moment seemed an 
 hour. At last Le could bear the silence, 
 the quietness, the inaction no longer, and 
 stepped out into the night. One star looked 
 him in the face, glittering brightly — that 
 was Kate, the one bright spot, the one pure 
 feeling of his heart. What could have 
 become of her? He wandered on uncon- 
 sciously, taking the path she had trod an 
 hour before. He entered the tanglewood 
 which Kate often laughingly called her 
 *' wilderness," and stopped. What was that 
 white and glimmering on the dark ground? 
 His heart beat quickly, his breath came 
 heavily, his instinct told him that it was 
 Kate. But why, in God's name, was she 
 lying there so motionless ? Was he too 
 late'? 
 
 " Let me die !" Her last words rang
 
 170 THE HAZELHURST MYSTEEY. 
 
 through his brain painfully. Was she 
 dead? Had God heard and answered her 
 prayer? He rushed forward and prostrated 
 himself upon the ground beside the still, 
 white figure, and repeated her name again 
 and again in an agonised appeal. 
 
 " Kate, Kate, my heart's one idol — Kate, 
 my own and onl}^ darling, live for me ! do 
 not leave me, darling. Oh ! Kate, Kate, 
 you shall never leave me again !" 
 
 He drew her to his breast. How cold 
 she was, how wan, but she was not dead, 
 she was his own, his very own. He sat 
 upon the damp ground with Kate in his 
 arms, the moon shone out upon their love, 
 and Kate opened her large dark eyes with a 
 glorified expression, looking ujd into the 
 passion-pleading face bent over her. 
 
 " You love me, darling," he murmured, 
 holding her cold hands in his.
 
 THE TWO EOSES. 171 
 
 " I love you — God knows I love you, 
 love !" she answered, solemnly, for which 
 assurance he rained eager kisses upon her 
 upturned face. *' Dr. Cartland," she whis- 
 pered, " are you not going to marry Laura ?" 
 and even at the thought her features were 
 distorted by pain. 
 
 " Marry Laura !" he repeated after her. 
 *' My little Kate, how can you mock me ? 
 Don't you know that my life is yours. I 
 would give up every earthly wish for you. I 
 am not a religious man, as you know ; in 
 fact I think my Kate one day called me an 
 unbeliever, so I have no fear of after-punish- 
 ment, to take away from my happiness ; but 
 I am not an unbeliever, for I believe in you, 
 my heart's darling." Then, after a pause, 
 Kate lying happily passive in his arms, he 
 looked up. "As I said before, darling, I 
 <lon't believe in much, and I certainly don't
 
 172 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 kneel down each day to ask for daily bread, 
 and yet when I saw you lying there in your 
 white dress, with your dear pale face, I 
 have an idea that I called upon His name. 
 Kate ! somehow you open a higher life to 
 me ; help me from myself, darling, teach me 
 to be pure and good like you." 
 
 Kate trembled. 
 
 '' How happy we should have been, Dr. 
 Cartland." 
 
 *' Should have been, my love — shall be, 
 you mean. Kate, we will never part again* 
 Come home and be more to me than wife." 
 
 Wife ! That name recalled her. His 
 wife she could never be. Come home ! her 
 heart bounded wildly at the invitation, how 
 she longed to make her home upon his 
 breast ! But at the word " Wife," George's
 
 THE TWO KOSES. 173 
 
 face arose before her pale and stern, and she 
 gave a cry of pain. 
 
 " Dr. Cartland, spare me — spare George. 
 You know I cannot be your wife. I am 
 his." 
 
 '' Hush, hush, my love," he whispered, 
 soothingly. " You are mine now, you have 
 given yourself to me, you are not his ! Not 
 my wife ? Why, Kate, what does that word 
 convey to you? A foolish promise, rashly 
 spoken by a young and inexperienced girl, 
 or the true love of a noble woman's heart ? 
 My little Kate, which makes a woman most 
 a wife? Love, or a promise which it is 
 more sinful to keep than to break ? Kate, 
 you are mine ! If there be a God, I claim 
 you before Him — to come to me — ^yes ! to 
 be mine for ever." 
 
 She was carried away by his words.
 
 174 THE HAZBLHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 by his will, by their joint love. She 
 trembled in his embrace, and yet crept 
 closer. 
 
 " Come, Kate ! yes, now !" and he 
 rose with difficulty, his burden in his 
 arms. 
 
 " Put me down," she begged, " I want to 
 speak to you." 
 
 He placed her on her feet. How stiff and 
 numb she was ! and away from his warmth, 
 how cold ! 
 
 " Dr. Cartland," she whispered, " how can 
 I go, with Laura here ?" 
 
 " True," he answered, " I had forgotten 
 her. To-morrow, love, I will come for you." 
 
 " And you never loved her ?" asked Kate, 
 looking in his face earnestly. 
 
 " Never, Kate ; I have never cared for any 
 woman in my life, except you — never shall 
 — you are my one love," and he drew her
 
 THE TWO EOSES. 175 
 
 to liira passionately, and then, "liow cold 
 you are, my little one, selfish that I have 
 been to keep you standing, with this thin 
 dress, in the night air. To-morrow, love ! 
 Oh, how you shiver! Good-night, sweet- 
 heart. Good-night !"
 
 CHAPTEE Y. 
 
 THE MYSTERY. 
 
 ISS PERKINS had sat a great deal 
 at her window lately, she was still 
 there watching the passers by, and 
 ever and anon casting a hasty glance at the 
 gate which faced her own, and at the peep 
 of rose-clad house between the trees. " The 
 drawing-room blind has not been up since 
 Saturday, and that man's carriage has never 
 been once at the door since Friday. Some- 
 thing very unusual must be going on, and 
 yet I have never heard a whisper." Miss 
 Perkins got a little weary of her "sentry- 
 go,'' so set up a book to help away the 
 iime, and getting engrossed by it, almost
 
 THE MYSTERY. 177 
 
 left off her occupation of spider, till the 
 stopping of wheels opposite brought her 
 suddenly back from fiction to every- day 
 life, and stern facts. 
 
 " Good heavens !" shrieked the small old 
 maid, '' A hearse ! Tlien some one is dead 
 there, and that is why the blinds are down. 
 Who can it be? I must find out.'* But 
 just as she was retreating from the window, 
 her attention was arrested again by the 
 movements outside, and to her surprise, 
 instead of a coffin being brought from the 
 house, the doors of the hearse were opened 
 and a magnificent coffin of polished oak, 
 richly ornamented with silver devices and 
 inscription plate, was drawn forth, and it 
 was evident that it was not empty, for the 
 two men who bore it staggered under its 
 weight. Several frightened white-faced 
 servants were now upon the scene. Miss 
 
 VOL. I. 13
 
 178 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 Perkins opened the window and listened. 
 The parlour-maid was addressing one of the 
 carriers. 
 
 " But who told you to bring that here T* 
 said the girl. " We were not expecting any- 
 thing of that sort, and oh, it's dreadful !" 
 
 "Here's my directions," said the man 
 roughly, handing her a written paper. 
 " ' Mrs. Grafton, Hazelhurst House, Hazel- 
 hurst,' and here I must leave her." 
 
 " Her," cried the girl, " who is it ?" 
 
 " Can't say," replied the man doggedly. 
 
 " Do you mean you don't know ?" per- 
 sisted the girl. 
 
 " I never knows nothing, but what I am 
 told, and the gent, he gives me this, and 
 says, ' drive the party inside to that address, 
 and say as I am coming down to make all 
 necessary arrangements this afternoon."
 
 THE MYSTERY. 179 
 
 " Yes !" said she, ''but who is the gent?" 
 
 "Well, I suppose you will know him 
 when you sees him, Miss ; but if you was to 
 ask questions from now till the day of judg- 
 ment, I couldn't tell you." 
 
 The other servants had listened to the 
 conversation, and a happy thought struck 
 the coachman — 
 
 " Well, I suppose you know where you 
 brought the body from ?" he said, with an 
 air of authority. 
 
 " London." 
 
 " London ! eh ? but you see, mister, 
 London's a large place, what street may it 
 have been, now ?" 
 
 " Can't say — didn't look at the name — it 
 was early — hardly light when the gent 
 knocked at my door and asked if I wanted 
 n job, and vrhen I said ' Yes,' lie said I was 
 
 12-2
 
 180 THE HAZELHUEST JMYSTERY. 
 
 to put two 'osses into a 'earse at once ; and 
 when I was ready I got on to my box, and 
 up he jumped beside me/' 
 
 " With you ?" cried all the servants, in 
 a breath. 
 
 " On the box with me/' answered the man 
 solemnly. " His orders was, drive straight 
 on till I tell you to stop ; and I did. It 
 was almost dark, and I didn't notice no- 
 think partikler. All at once he calls out 
 for me to stop, and I stopped ; and then he 
 opens the door with a key, and he goes up- 
 stairs, and then I see a woman who looked 
 scared like, and I thought she was a-goin* 
 to talk to me; but just then he says, 
 ' come up,' and me and my mate went up, 
 and he desired me to take charge of thaf 
 (pointing to the coffin, now half out of the 
 hearse, half in), " and he give me this ad- 
 dress, and paid me handsome, and if you was
 
 THE MYSTERY. 181 
 
 to keep me talking all day I couldn't tell 
 you no more." 
 
 " I don't think we had better take it in," 
 remarked the cook, who was very nervous 
 and frightened. 
 
 " You see we haven't received no orders. 
 *' Couldn't you leave it at the ' Green Man* 
 till we know, sir ?" asked the housemaid. 
 
 "No! I couldn't," answered the man 
 sharply. " My orders was to leave it here — 
 are you ready Tom?" turning to his mate. 
 " If you wont take it in I'll leave it on the 
 doorstep — time is money to me — I'm in a 
 hurry." 
 
 And the men carried the coffin to the 
 steps and put it down. 
 
 " Will you take it in, or no ?" said the 
 undertaker; "it seems rather indecent like 
 to leave a body out here in the hot sun." 
 
 While he was speaking the servants had
 
 182 THE HAZELHURST MZSTERY. 
 
 noticed the plate on the coffin, and were 
 now gathered round reading it. 
 
 The parlour maid shrieked, '' Oh ! look,, 
 look, it's missus herself !" 
 
 " Nonsense,'' said the coachman, sharply, 
 *' I drove the missus and Miss Grafton to 
 the station myself on Saturday, it can't be 
 her." And then he read aloud, " Katharine 
 Grafton, wife of George Grafton, Esquire, 
 Hazelhurst House, Hazelhurst, died Sep- 
 tember 3rd, 187—, aged 20.'*' 
 
 " Shall we go in?" inquired the undertaker.. 
 " You seem to know the lady." 
 
 " Yes, go in," said the coachman. " Know 
 her ! ay, I should think we did, she was 
 the prettiest lady as ever you set eyes on,, 
 and as good a mistress as ever lived. When 
 my child died last winter she was very kind 
 to me and my good woman. You should 
 have seen her sitting in her handsome
 
 THE MYSTERY. 183 
 
 dresses nursing that child. Yes, he died in 
 her arms, died hard of convulsions, poor 
 little fellow, and then she S23oke like a sister 
 to my wife, she did. She paid for the 
 funeral, and a handsome one it was. We've 
 lost a good friend in Mrs. Grafton !" and the 
 man rubbed his coat-sleeve across his eyes. 
 The women were all crying, for they were 
 attached to their mistress. All at once they 
 perceived another figure among them — a 
 man dressed in deep black — evidently dread- 
 fully agitated, with a pale set face. 
 
 " Oh, T am glad you are come, sir," said 
 the parlour-maid, " if anything could glad- 
 den one at such a time. Oh ! sir, is it not 
 dreadful ? my poor missus." And the girl 
 began to sob heartily. 
 
 " For Grod's sake get her into the house ; 
 don't stand here for the neighbours to gape 
 at !"
 
 184 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 And without another word Mrs. Grafton's 
 €offin was carried into the house, from 
 whence only the Saturday before she had 
 walked out at the same door, with a smile 
 upon her lips, in the prime of her youth 
 and beauty. 
 
 Dr. Cartland attended to everything, 
 ordered the funeral, saw the clergyman, 
 wrote to Dr. Grafton, wrote to Miss Ansell, 
 wrote to George. He did not telegraph to 
 him, of what use could it be ? He could not 
 possibly be home for the funeral ; details 
 could be better told in a letter, at the best 
 of times telegrams are unsatisfactory 
 things. 
 
 Dr. Cartland did not remain at the house, 
 but came down every day ; that is, he came 
 on the two intervening days before the 
 funeral took place. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton was brought home on the
 
 THE MYSTERY. 185 
 
 Wednesday, and on the Saturday she was 
 to be buried. 
 
 On the Friday Miss An sell arrived. She 
 had come to see her niece once more, and to 
 follow her to her last resting-place. Dr. and 
 Mrs. Grafton had come also. 
 
 Miss Ansell directed one of the servants 
 to take her to the room where the body of 
 her niece lay. She walked with a firm step; 
 stiffer than ever in appearance, harder in 
 face, no emotion was visible in her cold 
 grey eyes. 
 
 The coffin was covered with wreaths of 
 lovely hot-house flowers, placed upon it by 
 friendly hands. The sight of them did not 
 please Miss Ansell. 
 
 She beckoned to the maid. " Eemove 
 that rubbish and open the coffin !" 
 
 " Open the coffin!" repeated the girl in a 
 hushed voice. ''Lor, Miss, it's screwed down!"
 
 186 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 " When was it screwed clown?" asked 
 Miss Ansell. 
 
 '' Oh ! how do I know, mum — Miss — 1 
 beg your pardon. Before she was brought 
 home, poor dear ! and only to think that 
 master, wlio loved her so, should be abroad 
 and know nothing about it." 
 
 " Who has seen Mrs. Grafton since she 
 died?" and Miss Ansell fixed her eyes 
 sternly upon the girl. 
 
 "Why, Dr. Cartland, ma'am. He gave 
 the certificate of her death, I believe, and 
 she died of infiammation of the lungs, which 
 carried her oflP quite sudden." 
 
 Miss Ansell grew more rigid and stifi[ at 
 every word. 
 
 " Who else has seen her ?" she asked. 
 
 " No one that I am aware of. The 
 doctor " 
 
 " I don^t want to hear any more about
 
 THE MYSTEEY. 18: 
 
 the doctor, girl ; tell me all you know about 
 your mistress since Mr. Grafton left !" 
 
 " Well, Miss, after master went away, 
 Mrs. Grafton seemed to fret very much. 
 She stayed indoors, and she got to look 
 very pale, and then Dr. Cartland came to 
 caU." 
 
 "When was that?" interrupted Miss 
 Ansell. 
 
 *• That was a week or ten days after 
 master went away. Dr. Cartland came two 
 or three times." 
 
 " What did he come for ? Was my niece 
 ill?" 
 
 " Yes ! master had put missus into Dr. 
 Cartland's hands to doctor, for I heard him 
 talking to him in the passage the last time 
 they met, and he said to the doctor, " Harry^ 
 take care of her as if she were your own sister. 
 I don't like the look of her at all — poor
 
 188 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 Kate ! she has grown pale and thin," and 
 then Dr. Cartland asked if there was any 
 consumption in the family, but I didn't hear 
 master's answer, for I had passed out of ear- 
 -shot. 
 
 "Well, Miss, to go on with my story: Miss 
 Grafton then came and stayed a month, and 
 we all thought as how the doctor was sweet 
 upon her, for they used to sit and whisper 
 like, and poor missus she mostwise sat apart 
 at her work, and looked low and forsook like. 
 Dr. Cartland was here last on Friday — I 
 mean before she died — it was Miss Grafton's 
 last night, and she and the doctor sat together 
 till late, and missus went out in the garden 
 -alone. When she came in she was as white 
 as marble, and as cold. I went up to her 
 room and asked her to have something hot, 
 but she wouldn't. She asked where Miss 
 -Grafton was, and I went to see if she was
 
 THE MYSTEEY. 189 
 
 in the drawing-room, but she had gone ta 
 bed, and I went back to tell missus and 
 found her all of a shiver. She said she had 
 been sitting out in the garden with nothing 
 on, and had caught cold. I went and got 
 her a hot bottle, for her feet were like 
 stones, and she thanked me and seemed 
 glad of it. I called her next morning, and 
 she was feverish, and said she had a pain 
 in all her limbs, and she coughed. She said 
 if it had not been Miss Grafton's last 
 morning, she would have breakfasted in bed, 
 but she had promised to go up to London 
 with her and see her oflP at Paddington. At 
 eleven o'clock they started off in the carriage. 
 Missus seemed more herself, and turned 
 round and asked me to order something 
 nice for her dinner, as she had not time to 
 see about it, and I did. T ordered her as 
 pretty a little dinner for one as you
 
 190 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 would wish to see, but she didn't come 
 back. She telegraphed to cook to say she 
 was not feeling well, and so should remain 
 in London with friends for a day or two. 
 And the next we heard of her, Miss," and 
 Mary wiped her eyes on the corner of her 
 white apron — " the next we heard of her was 
 when they brought her home like that !" and 
 the girl pointed to the coffin. 
 
 '' What was the undertaker's name ?" 
 asked Miss Ansell. 
 
 " The undertaker's name here is Winters, 
 Miss. I don't know the name of the man 
 Avho brought her from London." 
 
 " What ! you didn't take his name and 
 address ?" 
 
 "No, Miss ! we were just questioning him 
 when Dr. Cartland came, and the man went 
 away." 
 
 " Go ! and give my compliments to Dr.
 
 THE MYSTERY. 191. 
 
 Grafton, girl, and say I wisli to speak to him 
 here ;" and Mary went eagerly, glad to escape 
 Miss Ansell's questionings and stern looks. 
 
 When the old lady found herself alone, 
 she passed her hand quickly across her fore- 
 head as if to clear away the clouds from her 
 conscience. 
 
 " I must do my duty," she muttered. 
 " She is, or she is not, in that coffin. It 
 must be my duty to clear up the mystery, 
 even though it bring a scandal on my own 
 family, no matter what comes of it ; Maria 
 Ansell must do her duty." 
 
 And she turned her back upon the dead 
 w^oman, and watched with a flinty face for 
 the opening of the door. 
 
 Dr. Grafton was rather afraid of the stern 
 spinster, and obeyed her command at once. 
 He had been fond of his daughter-in-law, 
 and regretted her sudden death, both for
 
 192 THE HAZELHUKST MYSTEEY. 
 
 her sake and for the sake of the son who 
 was in a foreign land, unknowing the loss 
 he had sustained of the wife he so dearly 
 loved. He was, as I said, afraid of Miss 
 Ansell; but lie was quite unprepared for 
 what she had to say to him. The sema- 
 phore-like arms pointed to a vacant chair, 
 and then she seated herself so as to look 
 him full in the face. 
 
 "Dr. Grafton," she said, "as a man of 
 honour and a Christian, are you doing your 
 duty?" 
 
 " My duty," stuttered the little man, 
 " with reference to what ? Believe me^ I 
 never willingly neglect my duty, but I am 
 at a loss to understand you." 
 
 "Then of course you have ascertained 
 where your daughter-in-law died, and you 
 have convinced yourself that she is dead; you 
 can answer for it that she has not been mur^ 
 dered! In fact. Dr. Grafton, you have, of
 
 THE MYSTERY. 193 
 
 course, identified her body, and have had a 
 post-mortem examination of the same !" 
 
 The little man got very pale, and sprang 
 from his chair in great agitation. 
 
 " Surely, surely, madam, you cannot for 
 one moment imagine that there has been 
 any foul play, it is impossible ! simply im- 
 possible !" and he sank down again dejectedly 
 in his seat, as a bottle of soda-water after 
 the first fizz and splutter subsides. 
 
 Miss Ansell continued, mercilessly point- 
 ing with a long bony finger to the coffin. 
 
 "I repeat, have you identified her?" 
 
 *' I — I — no ! I can't say I have. I never 
 thought of what seems to me so unheard 
 of — I — I — might even say so indecent — a 
 proceeding as re-opening a coffin, unless 
 there were grounds for suspicion." 
 
 " Tut, tut," interrupted Miss Ansell, im- 
 patiently ; " perhaps it's filled with bricks !" 
 
 VOL. I. 13
 
 194 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 '' Madam," cried Dr. Grafton, " remember 
 she was my son's wife !" 
 
 "Perhaps," continued Miss Ansell, waiv- 
 ing him into silence — " perhaps you will find 
 her with her throat cut !" 
 
 " Good God V cried the unfortunate man, 
 heads of perspiration starting out upon his 
 clammy brow. " Who ? who, I say, could 
 wish to injure such a sweet woman as Kate ? 
 No ! no ! the thing's absurd — unheard of. 
 Kate could have had no enemies, and we 
 have Dr. Cartland's certificate of her death. 
 You must have forgotten this. Miss Ansell.'* 
 
 " I have forgotten nothing, sir," said that 
 lady, stiffly ; " but Dr. Cartland may be the 
 greatest villain unhung, for all I know of 
 him ; he may have murdered the girl him- 
 self." 
 
 Dr. Grafton smiled. 
 
 " I can assure you Dr. Cartland is thought
 
 THE MYSTEKY. 195 
 
 very liiglily of in his profession. I do not for 
 a moment think he would give a false certi- 
 ficate ; nor do I believe he had any grudge 
 against Kate. Why, they were the best of 
 friends, George, Kate, Cartiand and all. 
 No, no ! Miss Ansell, we may leave the 
 poor child at peace, Laura tells me she had 
 a fearful cough. I, as a medical man, can 
 assure you that inflammation of the lungs 
 often kills ver}'- quickly. Poor Kate ! She 
 was a sweet young woman, and my son will 
 lose a good wife in her." 
 
 Miss Ansell looked at him steadily, and 
 then spoke, '' I believe you are only a fool, 
 Dr. Grafton, though your conduct might be 
 taken for that of a knave. I mean to have 
 this coffin opened to-night. If she be in it, 
 there must be medical opinion as to whether 
 she died by fair means ; and, if there be any 
 uncertainty upon the subject, I mean to 
 
 13—2
 
 196 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 have a 'post-mortem.' Now, I am going to 
 see the clergyman and the magistrate about 
 it. You will find I can do my duty. I 
 wish you good-day, sir 1" And jMiss Ansell 
 stalked out of the room. 
 
 Dr. Grafton rose too, but only to go over 
 to the coffin. He gently smoothed the 
 flowers with his hand. " My poor girl," he 
 murmured, "if I thought for one moment 
 that any one had done you a wrong, I 
 would let them disturb you even now ; but 
 who should want to injure you, my little 
 Kate ?" and something very like a tear fell 
 upon the white blossoms. " Before Heaven, 
 I swear, I would avenge you, child," con- 
 tinued the old man, " if I thought that any 
 cne had harmed a hair of your head, but I 
 do not ; and why should I subject you to 
 scandal and gossip m your grave. I must 
 try and stop this strong-minded old woman
 
 THE MYSTEEY. 197 
 
 from lier purpose;" and he turned, and 
 quitted the room. 
 
 But Miss Ansell was not to be stopped, 
 she had already left the house when Dr. 
 Grrafton went to seek her ; and she succeeded 
 in alarming the clergyman and the magis- 
 trate ; and before daylight waned, all con- 
 cerned were in Kate Grafton's room waiting 
 painfully while the undertaker, with a 
 grating sound, unturned the screws, and 
 did the needful work, so that the dead 
 woman might again be brought into the 
 light of day. 
 
 Dr. Cartland was present, and, by his wish, 
 Kate's maid. Eager, anxious faces watched 
 to see the occupant of the narrow house. 
 Dr. Cartland was pale as the face which was 
 revealed to them, when the lid was at last 
 raised ; but he was quiet and calm, and very 
 unlike a man who is about t"> look upon the
 
 198 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 woman he has murdered. Every one, almost 
 involuntarily glanced at him. He neither 
 sought, nor shunned their gaze; but after 
 looking for some time at the face of the 
 dead, he said — 
 
 "She is sadly altered since I saw her 
 last ; so she will hardly be recognisable to 
 you. Dr. Grafton." 
 
 The father-in-law gazed earnestly at the 
 corpse. "She is altered, but the features 
 are the same. Yes ! it is my daughter-in- 
 law ; but how much older she looks, and 
 how disfigured !" 
 
 " Yes," said Dr. Cartland, " when people 
 die in a full habit of body they very quickly 
 change." There was an almost impercep- 
 tible tone of relief in his voice, as he con- 
 tinued, " I am glad you are satisfied, Dr. 
 Grafton, that I have not deceived you." 
 
 " I never, for one moment, supposed you
 
 THE MYSTERY. 199 
 
 had, Dr. Cartland," said the elder man, 
 grasping the hand of the other. " This 
 investigation has been entirely at the wish 
 of, and to satisfy, Miss Ansell, who I hope 
 is satisfied now." 
 
 " I would not swear to that's being my 
 niece," she answered, stiffly. '' She is 
 strangely altered if her death was a natural 
 one." 
 
 Mrs. Greorge Grrafton's maid here looked 
 up eagerly, ''I could identify my mistress, 
 if I mio^ht be allowed to raise her sleeve 
 just above the wrist, there will be a scratch, 
 I did it myself, putting her skirt over her 
 head, only a few days ago, there was a pin 
 in the dress. I did not notice it. Mrs. 
 Grafton was very kind, and only laughed, 
 and said, I had spoilt her beauty, and she 
 must wear long sleeves till it was well ; but 
 she straightway put on a white muslin with
 
 200 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 open ones, which showed the scratch, which 
 looked red and sore." 
 
 Miss Ansell at once stepped forward. 
 
 " Which arm ?" she asked. 
 
 " The left, ma am." 
 
 And in another moment, the arm lay 
 bared. Death's discoloration was upon it, 
 but there was also a scar like the one the 
 girl spoke of. 
 
 " I will swear to that," said the girl. 
 " Yes, that is my poor dear mistress !" 
 
 Dr. Cartland turned to Miss Ansell, "Are 
 you satisfied now ? I trust so, for my 
 friend, George Grrafton's sake ; these investi- 
 gations are most painful to me. He would 
 not, I am sure, like his dead wife to be 
 subjected to further inspection," and he- 
 gently closed one of the coffin lids. 
 
 •'•'You are right, Cartland," said Dr.. 
 Grafton,
 
 THE MYSTERY. 201 
 
 The clergyman and magistrate had 
 remained silent spectators of the scene ; 
 they now both advanced, with kind words 
 of regret for the dead woman ; but said 
 they were thankful that there was no 
 ground for suspicion. 
 
 But they were soon interrupted by the 
 stern old maid, " I am the only living 
 relation of Mrs. George Grafton ; this in- 
 vestigation has only satisfied me that she 
 is dead ; the next question is, how she came 
 by her death ? I must insist on a post- 
 mortem examination !" 
 
 In vain every one argued with her. She 
 had her own way, and the examination took 
 place the next morning before the proper 
 authorities; and it was decided, without 
 doubt, that George Grafton's wife had died 
 of inflammation of the lungs; and there 
 was nothing left to do, but to transplant
 
 202 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 her into " God's Acre." And even Miss 
 Ansell was satisfied that every one had 
 done their duty, and that Kate's death was 
 a plain fact, and no mystery, after all.
 
 CHAPTER YI. 
 
 BERYL CHANT LER. 
 
 MONG the passengers bound for 
 Ceylon were a Mr. and Mrs. 
 ■Chantler and their daughter, a young girl 
 of fifteen years old, a fragile, fairy-like little 
 creature, very childish for her age, shrinking 
 from even the most common-place acquaint- 
 ance with her fellow-travellers on board the 
 "May Queen." Beryl Chantler loved her 
 parents with the passionate devotion which 
 is felt sometimes by an only child, who has 
 no brothers or sisters to share his or her 
 heart amongst. Beryl had no room in hers 
 for any image save those two, who filled it 
 to overflowinsr.
 
 204 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 A sincere friendship grew up between. 
 Mr. Chantler and Greorge Grafton. They 
 had both lost their money from the failure 
 of coffee crops, both were on their way ta 
 try and retrieve their fortunes, but Mr. 
 Chantler had harder work before him than 
 George Grafton. He had bought his coffee 
 plantation from another man, knowing no- 
 thing about it himself, and found he 
 had made a bad bargain — had, in fact,, 
 been taken in. And now he had made 
 up his mind to settle in Ceylon, and work 
 the plantation himself, when he should 
 have learnt to do so ; whereas George- 
 only meant to put things straight, and then 
 return to his home, and his wife, whose 
 image he kept green in his heart. He had 
 promised to help Mr. Chantler too, and put 
 him in the right way of working his pro- 
 perty, and both men were standing on deck
 
 BERYL CHANTLER. 205 
 
 with hopeful hearts, not more than a couple 
 of days' journey from their destination. They 
 were talking cheerfully of their future, when 
 the captain's voice broke in upon them. 
 
 "We shall have an ugly night, gentle- 
 men. Do you see the golden rim round 
 the moon ? A storm is not many hours 
 •off, I'll warrant." 
 
 The elements rose slowly hut surely. 
 Black clouds banked the moon in until it 
 was hidden utterly in the darkness of the 
 night, but still the " May Queen" kept on 
 her course, and the captain stuck to his 
 post hke a man. But suddenly in the black- 
 ness they heard his voice — 
 
 *' Good God ! there is a light on our 
 right. We are out of our course. If that 
 should prove to be the Maldive Islands we 
 are lost !" 
 
 He was speaking to his first lieutenant,
 
 206 THE HAZELHUKST MYSTEEY. 
 
 but before he had time to issue any orders 
 they struck suddenly on the rocks, and the 
 good ship shivered from stem to stern with 
 the knowledge of her doom. The fires 
 were quickly put out by the rushing, 
 rapidly-increasing water. The captain was 
 calm and collected. He ordered the boats 
 to be lowered ; he called on all men on 
 board to help to save life, for the good " May 
 Queen" would sink more suddenly than they 
 were aware. He told them he should stick 
 to the old craft and share her doom, with 
 just a quiver in his voice, as he remembered 
 the dear ones who would await his return 
 in vain. He ordered torches to be lighted, 
 and by their glare they saw with dismay 
 that no boat could live in such a sea, upon 
 which he desired rafts to be constructed, 
 and upon them many of the passengers were 
 launched upon the angry ocean, while others^
 
 BERYL CHANTLER. 207 
 
 refusing to believe in the extreme danger of 
 the ship, preferred remaining on board, and 
 many persisted in getting into the boats, 
 which upset at once, adding to the horror of 
 the scene by the shrieks of the struggling, 
 drowning wretches. The large raft had been 
 launched with its freight of human lives. 
 There had been a fearful struggle for places 
 on it, in which George and the Chantlers 
 had taken no part. They were still upon 
 the deck of the " May Queen/' The captain 
 had watched off the raft, when his eyes fell 
 on the little group. 
 
 " Mr. Chantler,'' he cried, " why did ^^ou 
 not go on the raft ? She will ride the waves 
 in safety." 
 
 " We are three," he answered. " Three. 
 It was a case of every man for himself. How 
 they fought for a place ! like demons let 
 loose."
 
 •208 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 " By my word !" said the captain, " this 
 lily blossom shall not perish if I can help 
 it," taking Beryl by the hand. " Miss 
 Beryl, I have a daughter too, a fair girl like 
 you; kiss me for her sake, child. I shall 
 never see her sweet face again !" 
 ■ Beryl Chan tier, usually so shy, seemed 
 undaunted by the danger, and looking up 
 in the captain's torch-lit face, she saw the 
 tears he was shedding for his child, and 
 straightway went and put her arms about 
 his neck, and kissed him. Her parents had 
 moved some distance off, so as not to intrude 
 upon his grief. George Grafton had not 
 heard these words. He was just coming 
 up with some spars attached to some ropes 
 which he held in his hand, when the " May 
 Queen" lurched head foremost into the 
 water ; but George Grafton, Beryl Chantler, 
 and the captain were not yet engulfed. George
 
 BERYL CHANTLER. 20^ 
 
 seized the girl in his arms, and with the 
 seaman's help attached her to the spars 
 which they had hurriedly lashed together. 
 In the excitement Beryl was mercifully 
 spared the knowledge of her parent's fate. 
 
 " Go with her," cried the captain ; '' for 
 the love of God be quick 1" and George was^ 
 with a few masterly knots, secured to the 
 little raft with Beryl Chantler for his com- 
 panion. He held the girl's hands for sym- 
 pathy, and to help her face the death which 
 he doubted not was to be their joint por- 
 tion. The captain, and a few of the sailors 
 who stood by him, launched them safely, 
 and the girl clung silently to the hand she 
 held. Once she tried to pierce the dark- 
 ness, and asked George where her parents 
 were, and he had answered her — 
 
 " They are safe, dear child !" upon which 
 she had become contented. 
 
 VOL. I. 14
 
 210 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 They heard the captain's voice now at a 
 little distance, calling out to Greorge to take 
 care of her, and then there came a mighty 
 rush as the waters overwhelmed the " May 
 Queen." 
 
 Day was beginning to break, and the two 
 passengers on that little raft looked around 
 to see who else had been saved besides 
 themselves, but they were so small, and the 
 waves so high, that they could discern 
 nothing ; the wind had gone down, but the 
 sea was troubled still. The sun arose, and 
 beat upon them, mercilessly, and they soon 
 suffered acutely from thirst. The sea was 
 like a millpond now, as the sun was about 
 to set, when all at once George heard a 
 sound that made his heart leap for joy. He 
 could plainly distinguish the oscillation of 
 paddle-wheels, or a screw ; and in due time 
 a steamer came in sight of them, and was
 
 BERYL CHANTLER. 211 
 
 within hail. Her captain seemed to be on 
 the look-out for them, for he had stopped 
 and lowered a boat. Kind hands soon ex- 
 tricated both Beryl and George from their 
 cramped and painful position, and had lifted 
 them into the boat. The poor girl, who had 
 kept up a brave heart through all the 
 dangers of that dreadful night and day, was 
 now ready to faint at the reaction, when the 
 strain was taken off. She heard the officer 
 in command telling Greorge how they had 
 rescued a number of those who had left the 
 wreck on the raft, and her eager eyes sought 
 the steamer's deck, to try and discover those 
 she loved among the watchers' faces. She 
 was too exhausted to remember whether her 
 parents had gone on the raft or no. She 
 knew George had said " they were safe," 
 and she concluded that they had been picked 
 up like the others. In this belief she 
 
 14—2
 
 212 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 managed, with help, to get on board the 
 steamer, and then, when the little band of 
 saved ones pressed around to welcome her, 
 she faintly asked if her parents were among^ 
 them; and upon hearing the answer, fell 
 senseless on the deck. 
 
 George was by her in a second, and alsa 
 the young officer who had come to the 
 rescue, who, if truth must be told, had fallen 
 in love with the fragile girl at first sight, 
 perhaps because she was so young, and fair 
 and delicate-looking, while he, with his 
 bronzed face and powerful frame, looked to 
 belong to another world. Greorge essayed 
 to lift lier, but he was worn out, and the 
 young sailor pressed eagerly forward. 
 
 " You are tired, sir, let me carry your — 
 this lady — to my cabin 1" and without an- 
 other word he descended with his burthen 
 between decks, followed by Greorge; and
 
 BERYL CHANTLER. 213 
 
 Beryl was laid upon the sailor's little bed. 
 He gazed long upon that lily face, and then 
 turned abruptly to George. " Is she your 
 sister, sir?" 
 
 " No," he answered, with a smile at the 
 young man's eagerness. 
 
 " No ? surely she is not your wife .^" 
 
 Greorge laughed out. 
 
 " The young lady is Miss Beryl Chantler, 
 aged fifteen. Her parents — God rest them ! 
 — were drowned last night. I am, as far 
 as T know, her only friend on earth, and I 
 shall take her home as a present to my 
 wife, as soon as my work at Ceylon is done." 
 
 Charles Summers gave a sigh of relief, if 
 such a powerful noise coming from so brawny 
 a chest could be called by that name. This, 
 then, was no rival, he thought ; and he fell 
 to looking again at the inanimate little face 
 upon his pillow.
 
 214 THE HAZELHUEST MTSTEET. 
 
 " What is your name ?" asked Greorge. 
 
 " Summers — Charles Summers. And 
 J 
 
 "Grafton," answered Greorge. "And 
 now, Mr. Summers, can you find a doctor ? 
 or if you have not one on board, be good 
 enough to bring some brandy/' 
 
 " You don't think Miss Chantler is very 
 ill, do you, Mr. Grafton? We have no 
 doctor on board. You see, we have come 
 for a cargo here, not with passengers, but I 
 can get you plenty of brandy, and the 
 captain has a medicine chest." 
 
 " Never mind medicine, it is exhaustion. 
 We must try and get her round, and then 
 give her some food. She is famished, poor 
 girl. Look sharp, my good fellow, you can 
 gaze when you come back," and the sailor 
 rushed off, and soon came back laden with
 
 BERYL CHANTLER. 215 
 
 the brandy and the best food he could pro- 
 cure for Beryl. 
 
 It was a stranofe sisrht, those two stronof 
 men bending over the pale, childish form^ 
 rubbing brandy upon her hands, and feet, 
 and brow — putting bird-like sips between 
 her lips. Soon their efforts were crowned 
 with success. Beryl Cliantler opened her 
 eyes ; she looked at Charles Summers, but 
 did not remember him, and then she looked 
 at George, and said — 
 
 " Oh ! Mr. G-rafton, tell me the truth— are 
 my parents safe ? Yon told mo they were 
 safe." 
 
 George took her hand in his. 
 
 " Little Beryl ! I will be your friend as 
 long as I live. You will soon love my wife, 
 and be happy with her.'' 
 
 "But my parents," she cried, "are theij 
 safe ?"
 
 216 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 " Yes, Beryl ; safe from all further sorrow 
 and trouble ; safe from disappointment and 
 care. Together, and at rest, ' safe in the 
 arms of Jesus !' looking down with loving 
 eyes upon their child, telling her to keep 
 up a brave heart, to be a good woman, and 
 to join them in their happy home hereafter." 
 
 A spasm shot through the girl's blue eyes, 
 the dilated pupils looked at George with a 
 vague horror for a moment, and then she 
 burst into an agony of tears. 
 
 " Father ! Mother 1 come back to me ! 
 don't leave me alone ! come back, I have no 
 one but you ! oh, mother ! mother !" 
 
 George drew the girl close to him, but 
 did not by words interrupt her passion of 
 grief. He judged rightly, it was best over, 
 that tears would bring relief, the storm be 
 followed by a calm. It was Beryl's first 
 trouble !
 
 BERYL CHANTLEH. 217 
 
 George Gralton was as good as his word, 
 he was a friend indeed to the orphan girl. 
 Directly they landed at Ceylon, he made a 
 home for her. At first, he was going to 
 put her to board in a family; but she 
 entreated him not to send her among stran- 
 gers. So he got his overseer's wife to live 
 at his house, and take care of Beryl, and 
 the girl repaid him by the devotion of a 
 dog, would follow him for hours, or sit by 
 him silently, ever on the watch for his least 
 whim or wish. George was always kind to 
 Beryl Chantler, but his love for his wife 
 was too great for him to notice the girl's 
 affection for him, if he thought of it at all, 
 he considered it only natural she should be 
 fond of the man who had been her parent's 
 friend. But Beryl felt more than this. 
 The deep devotion of her nature had be- 
 longed to her parents while they lived ; and
 
 218 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTEEY. 
 
 now that they were dead, they were still 
 beloved, but youth needs more than a 
 memory to cling to, and Beryl had set up 
 George in her heart as an idol to be wor- 
 shipped, without once thinking that such 
 a love and worship would be wrong. She 
 believed him to be perfect, and she would 
 have given her life to save him from one 
 pang of sorrow. Such a love as Elaine in 
 her gentleness gave to Launcelot, Beryl 
 Chantler bestowed on George Grafton. 
 He, like Launcelot, had given his heart to 
 another; and dreamed not of the love he 
 had awakened. So time wore on, and Beryl 
 was almost happy even without her parents, 
 being near him ; seeing his face, hearing 
 his voice. 
 
 George found his plantation was not in 
 the bad condition he had supposed ; good 
 news, indeed, to him, when he was daily
 
 BERYL CHANTLEE. 21tv 
 
 and liourly longing to be back in that 
 pretty, peaceful home at Hazelhurst, where 
 he pictured his wife in her floating white 
 muslins, relieved, as was her wont, with 
 some crimson flower. He had received one 
 or two letters from her, friendly, affectionate 
 letters, such as might have come from a 
 loving sister to a valued brother. But 
 George, never suspicious, failed to miss the 
 ring of the true metal of wifely love. 
 
 It was a fortnight now since he had 
 heard, and he was sitting silently with 
 Kate's last letter in his hand, he had read 
 it often and often and been cheered by it, 
 but, somehow, to-day his spirits were at 
 zero ; and the well-read note failed to rouse 
 him out of himself. He did not even see 
 Beryl who sat watching him almost hidden 
 among the folds of the curtains. 
 
 " I cannot bear it," he murmured ; " I
 
 ^20 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 wish I had never left my darling ! how do 
 I know what ill may befall her ? and how 
 she begged me not to go ! Kate ! Kate ! 
 what presentiment of evil is upon me? 
 I had an offer for the plantation to-day. 
 Shall I take it ? We should not be rich, 
 but we should have enough for a dinner of 
 herbs, and contentment would make a good 
 sauce to accompany it, and you would never 
 reproach me for poverty, I know, dear 
 Kate." 
 
 So intent was he upon his thoughts that 
 he failed to notice the entrance of a servant 
 with letters, but when he saw them, he 
 rushed eagerly at them, and scanned the 
 writing of each hastily till he came to the last. 
 
 "None from Kate," he cried, and sunk 
 despondingly down in his chair again, no 
 longer in a hurry to open them, but pre- 
 sently there came into his mind a vague
 
 BERYL CHAJSTTLER. 221 
 
 idea of black borders, and lie turned once 
 more to the letters. His father's writings 
 was the first to greet him ; his letter was 
 kind and consolatory, offering George the 
 deepest sympathy in his trial, speaking with 
 loving regret of poor Kate, and saying how 
 unspeakably shocked they had all been at 
 her sudden death, and ending by mentioning 
 the care and kindness Dr. Cartland had 
 shown her in her illness. 
 
 A deadly pallor overspread his face as he 
 read, a deep groan escaped his lips, but he 
 uttered no word. 
 
 Beryl saw his anguish, and with nervous, 
 clasping hands, watched him, afraid to 
 move; afraid to interrupt his grief, what- 
 ever it might be — fearing to seem to pry 
 into it if she moved near, or offered her 
 sympathy — watching his face with the ex- 
 pression of dumb compassion, and sympa-
 
 222 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 thetic sorrow which a faithful dog would 
 have for his beloved master. 
 
 George next opened a letter from Miss 
 Ansell, announcing her niece's sudden death ; 
 and telling him that, having considered it 
 open to suspicion, she had deemed it her 
 duty to have it properly investigated, hut 
 she was glad to be able to inform him that 
 Kate had died from natural causes. She 
 expressed no sorrow for her niece's death, 
 or regret for her husband's sufferings, but 
 begged him to humble himself under the 
 Lord's chastening hand, lest worse evil 
 might befall liim ! 
 
 " Worse evil !" he thought ; " what worse 
 evil CO aid come to him than losing the wife 
 he had loved so dearly?" and he tossed Miss 
 Ansell's letter from him with disgust. 
 
 The next, which was from Dr. Cartland, 
 must be given verbatim : —
 
 BERYL CHANTLER. 223 
 
 ''Mr DEAR George, — This letter must 
 needs be very painful to me to write, and to 
 you to read, though I know your pain must 
 exceed what is felt by me or any one else. 
 I had better give you a detailed account of 
 your dear wife's last illness, and subsequent 
 <leath. I did not see Mrs. Grrafton for some 
 time after you left. I did not like to in- 
 trude upon her natural regret at your ab- 
 sence. When I called she told me Miss 
 Grafton was coming to stay with her, which 
 I was glad to hear, as she seemed low and 
 out of spirits. I was often at your house 
 during 3^our sister's visit. Mrs. Grafton 
 did not seem well or lively as she used to 
 be. Then, after a month's stay, Miss 
 Graftou left, and your wife went to London 
 to see her off. I did not know that she 
 intended to do so, and went to the station 
 to see if I could be of any use to your
 
 224 THE HAZELHUKST MYSTERY. 
 
 sister. I was very mucli shocked at the 
 change in Mrs. Grafton, and she coughed 
 distressingly — her cheeks were flushed, her 
 lips parched. Miss Grafton and I both said 
 how sorry we were she had attempted the 
 journey, but she said it was nothing, at least, 
 only a cold she had caught going into the 
 garden the evening before — she should be 
 all right in a day or two. We had not 
 much time to spare before Miss Grafton 
 was in the train and steaming from the plat- 
 form, then I took Mrs. Grafton to my car- 
 riage, which was waiting. I noticed her 
 breathing, and felt her pulse, and saw at 
 once the only chance of saving her was to 
 get her to bed immediately, so without even 
 asking her leave, I drove her to a respectable 
 lodging I knew of, and persuaded her to 
 come in. She was inclined to be angry 
 with me at first, but was too ill to raise
 
 BERYL CHANTLER. 225 
 
 many objections. I proposed sending for 
 another medical man, but sbe would not 
 hear of it. Of what use to go through 
 the sad details ? I telegraphed, in her 
 name, to her servants, not to expect bar 
 home. 
 
 " My dear Greorge, I could not save her I 
 I called in another medical man when I 
 found she was getting rapidly worse. She 
 could not speak when he arrived, and very 
 shortly afterwards she died of simple suffoca- 
 tion from inflammation of the lungs. I did 
 what I thought you would wish in the 
 ordering of her coffin, and having done so I 
 hired a hearse and bad her taken to her 
 home. I arrived there about the same 
 time, and was annoyed to find an unseemly 
 discussion going on as to whether your ser- 
 vants would take in the coffin — they all 
 seemed afraid of their own shadows. I 
 
 VOL. I. 15
 
 ^26 THE HAZELHURST MYSTERY. 
 
 wrote at once to Dr. Grafton and Miss 
 Ansell, and made all arrangements for the 
 funeral. I grieve to tell you Miss Ansell 
 made herself very objectionable, protesting 
 that she believed her niece had been murdered, 
 and that she should do her duty — and she 
 did it, if re-opening your wife's coffin in 
 the presence of witnesses, and a post-mortem 
 examination, was her duty. 
 
 " I need hardly tell you all this has oc- 
 casioned much Hazelhurst talk, and I did 
 all I could to prevent it. But Miss Ansell 
 pointed at me as the murderer of her niece, 
 so I could do and say no more. I think 
 you know George how sincerely fond I was 
 of Mrs. Grafton, and that her loss would 
 make a terrible blank in the life of a man 
 who has no '"'kith and kin,'*' has man}^ ac- 
 quaintances, but makes few friends. Miss 
 Ansell is now satisfied that the only mystery
 
 BEEYL CHANTLER. 227 
 
 was the death itself, which poor dear Kate 
 has gone to solve. You know, my dear 
 fellow, how truly sorry I am for you. — 
 With kind regards, your sincere friend, 
 
 " H. Cartland." 
 
 George read the letter through like a 
 man in a dream, and then covered his face 
 with his hands in the vain endeavour to 
 shut out the ghastly truth — that Kate was 
 dead and huried. The horrible spectacle 
 of the post-mortem examination came before 
 him — the gossip that had followed. She 
 had died alone, no friend of her own sex 
 with her ; no one but Cartland. " Oh, 
 God, help me to bear it !" he cried out in 
 the agony of his mind. 
 
 Beryl heard the words, and could no 
 longer keep away from his side. He started 
 when she laid her tiny hand on his. It
 
 128 THE HAZELHUEST MYSTERY. 
 
 took his fancy, even in his grief, that she 
 looked like a ministering angel, standing 
 beside him dressed in soft pure white. 
 
 "Let me help you, dear/' she pleaded, 
 *' what is your trouble ? I too have suf- 
 fered, Mr. Grafton !" and the tears stole 
 down her cheeks in sorrow for herself and 
 him. 
 
 He only patted the small hand, and she 
 crept to his feet silently, and nestled there, 
 which was more comforting than all the 
 words she could have uttered. There was 
 nothing for George to go home for now, so 
 he gave himself up to work, and grew 
 rapidly rich again. He talked but little to 
 Beryl, but found comfort in her presence. 
 He had told her all the story of his life, and 
 of his wife's sad and sudden death, and she 
 had listened, grieving for his grief, sorrow- 
 ing for his sorrow, envying the dead woman
 
 BERYL CHANTLER. 229 
 
 in her grave who had been so well loved. 
 But Beryl's love was all unselfish. She 
 gave all, expectmg nothing in return, and 
 was contented so that she might be with 
 Oeorge. 
 
 END OE VOL. I.
 
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 BY THE AUTHOR OF "FACES IN THE FIRE," &c. 
 
 NOBLE BY HEEITAGE. By Oeorge 
 
 Frederick Paedon, Author of " Caleb Worthington's 
 Wish," &c. 1 vol. 
 
 " An exceedingly interesting and well-written tale, the various incidents of 
 which are admirably planned, and worked out with considerable skill." — City 
 Press. 
 
 "Mr. Pardon's novel will afiord much pleasant entertainment to novel 
 readers." — Court Journal. 
 
 PHILIP CAREY, VISIONARY. Written 
 
 by Himself. Edited by Richard Digby. 1 vol. 
 
 TINSLEY BROTHERS, 8, CATHERINE STREET, STRAND.