第29章 CHAPTER VI(6)

"Then, father, we need not trouble about the Squire. I wish with all my heart to make his home sure to him as long as he lives. You are a lawyer, you know what ought to be done.""Good girl! I knew what you would say and do, or I should not have told you the trouble there was at Rawdon. Now, I propose we all make a visit to Rawdon Court, see the Squire and the property, and while there perfect such arrangements as seem kindest and wisest. Ruth, how soon can we be ready to sail?""Father, do you really mean that we are to go to England?""It is the only thing to do. I must see that all is as Mostyn says. I must not let you throw your money away.""That is only prudent," said Ruth, "and we can be ready for the first steamer if you wish it.""I am delighted, father. I long to see England; more than all, I long to see Rawdon.

I did not know until this moment how much I loved it.""Well, then, I will have all ready for us to sail next Saturday. Say nothing about it to Mostyn. He will call to-morrow morning to bid you good-by before leaving for Newport with McLean. Try and be out.""I shall certainly be out," said Ethel.

"I do not wish ever to see his face again, and I must see grandmother and tell her what we are going to do.""I dare say she guesses already. She advised me to ask you about the mortgage. She knew what you would say.""Father, who are the Tyrrel-Rawdons?"

Then the Judge told the story of the young Tyrrel-Rawdon, who a century ago had lost his world for Love, and Ethel said "she liked him better than any Rawdon she had ever heard of.""Except your father, Ethel."

"Except my father; my dear, good father.

And I am glad that Love did not always make them poor. They must now be rich, if they want to buy the Court.""They are rich manufacturers. Mostyn is much annoyed that the Squire has begun to notice them. He says one of the grandsons of the Tyrrel-Rawdons, disinherited for love's sake, came to America some time in the forties. I asked your grandmother if this story was true. She said it is quite true;that my father was his friend in the matter, and that it was his reports about America which made them decide to try their fortune in New York.""Does she know what became of him?"

"No. In his last letter to them he said he had just joined a party going to the gold fields of California. That was in 1850. He never wrote again. It is likely he perished on the terrible journey across the plains.

Many thousands did."

"When I am in England I intend to call upon these Tyrrel-Rawdons. I think I shall like them. My heart goes out to them. I am proud of this bit of romance in the family.""Oh, there is plenty of romance behind you, Ethel. When you see the old Squire standing at the entrance to the Manor House, you may see the hags of Cressy and Agincourt, of Marston and Worcester behind him.

And the Rawdon women have frequently been daughters of Destiny. Many of them have lived romances that would be incredible if written down. Oh, Ethel, dear, we cannot, we cannot for our lives, let the old home fall into the hands of strangers. At any rate, if on inspection we think it wrong to interfere, I can at least try and get the children of the disinherited Tyrrel back to their home. Shall we leave it at this point for the present?"This decision was agreeable to all, and then the few preparations necessary for the journey were talked over, and in this happy discussion the evening passed rapidly. The dream of Ethel's life had been this visit to the home of her family, and to go as its savior was a consummation of the pleasure that filled her with loving pride. She could not sleep for her waking dreams. She made all sorts of resolutions about the despised Tyrrel-Rawdons. She intended to show the proud, indolent world of the English land-aristocracy that Americans, just as well born as themselves, respected business energy and enterprise; and she had other plans and propositions just as interesting and as full of youth's impossible enthusiasm.

In the morning she went to talk the subject over with her grandmother. The old lady received the news with affected indif-ference. She said, "It mattered nothing to her who sat in Rawdon's seat; but she would not hear Mostyn blamed for seeking his right. Money and sentiment are no kin,"she added, "and Fred has no sentiment about Rawdon. Why should he? Only last summer Rawdon kept him out of Parliament, and made him spend a lot of money beside.

He's right to get even with the family if he can.""But the old Squire! He is now----"

"I know; he's older than I am. But Squire Percival has had his day, and Fred would not do anything out of the way to him--he could not; the county would make both Mostyn and Rawdon very uncomfortable places to live in, if he did.""If you turn a man out of his home when he is eighty years old, I think that is `out of the way.' And Mr. Mostyn is not to be trusted. I wouldn't trust him as far as Icould see him."

"Highty-tighty! He has not asked you to trust him. You lost your chance there, miss.""Grandmother, I am astonished at you!"

"Well, it was a mean thing to say, Ethel; but I like Fred, and I see the rest of my family are against him. It's natural for Yorkshire to help the weakest side. But there, Fred can do his own fighting, I'll warrant.

He's not an ordinary man."

"I'm sorry to say he isn't, grandmother.

If he were he would speak without a drawl, and get rid of his monocle, and not pay such minute attention to his coats and vests and walking sticks."Then Ethel proceeded to explain her resolves with regard to the Tyrrel-Rawdons.