landau!
He and his uncle had discovered from the police in the course of the morning that Ludmilla and her mother had not gone with the circus, but had been seen embarking in the Alice Jane, a vessel bound for London. His idea had been to hurry thither and endeavour to search out his half-sister, and rescue her; but Lance had assured him not only that it would probably be a vain quest, but that there would be full time to meet the Alice Jane by land before she could get there by sea.
To this he had yielded, but not so readily to the representation that the wisest way would be to keep out of sight; but to let Lance, as a less interested party, go and interview the van proprietor, whose direction had been sent to Clement, try to see O'Leary, and do his best to bargain for Ludmilla's release, a matter on which all were decided, whatever might be the upshot of the question respecting Gerald. To leave a poor girl to circus training, even if there were no interest in her, would have been shocking to right-minded people; but when it was such a circus as O'Leary's, and the maiden was so good, sweet, and modest as Lida, the thought would have been intolerable even without the connection with Gerald, who had been much taken with all he had seen of her.
'That is fixed, even if we have to bid high for our Mona,' said Lance.
'By all means,' said Geraldine. 'It will be another question what will be good for her when we have got her.'
'I will take care of that!' said Gerald.
'Next,' Lance went on, 'we must see what proofs, or if there be any, of this person's story. I expect one of you will have to pay well for them, but I had better take a lawyer with me.'
Clement named the solicitor who had the charge of the Vanderkist affairs.
'Better than Staples, or Bramshaw Anderson. Yes, it would be best to have no previous knowledge of the family, and no neighbourly acquaintance. Moreover, I am not exactly an interested party, so I may be better attended to.'
'Still I very much doubt, even if you do get any statement from the woman, whether it can be depended upon without verification,' said Clement.
'From the registers, if there are any at these places?'
'Exactly, and there must be personal inquiry. The first husband, Gian Benista, will have to be hunted down, dead or alive.'
'Yes; and another thing,' said Lance, 'if the Italian marriage were before the revolution in Sicily, I expect the ecclesiastical ceremony would be valid, but after that, the civil marriage would be required.'
'Oh!' groaned Gerald, 'if you would let me throw it all up without these wretched quibbles.'
'Not your father's honour,' said his aunt.
'Nor our honesty,' said Clement. 'It is galling enough to have your whole position in life depend on the word of a worthless woman, but there are things that must be taken patiently, as the will of One who knows.'
'It is so hard to accept it as God's will when it comes of human sin,' said Geraldine.
'Human thoughtlessness,' said Clement; 'but as long as it is not by our own fault we can take it as providential, and above all, guard against impatience, the real ruin and destruction.'
'Yes,' said Lance, 'sit on a horse's head when he is down to keep him from kicking.'
'So you all are sitting on my head,' said Gerald; 'I shall get out and walk-a good rush on the moors.'
'Wait at least to allow your head to take in my scheme,' said Clement.
'Provided it is not sitting still,' said Gerald.
'Far from it. Only it partly depends on my lady and mistress here-'
'I guess,' said Geraldine. 'You know I am disposed that way by Dr. Brownlow's verdict.'
'And 'that way' is that we go ourselves to try to trace out this strange allegation-you coming too, Gerald, so that we shall not quite be sitting on your head.'
'But my sister?'
'We will see when we have recovered her,' said Mrs. Grinstead.
'I would begin with a visit to Stella and her husband,' said Clement; 'Charlie could put us in the way of dealing with consuls and vice- consuls.'
'Excellent,' cried his sister; 'Anna goes of course, and I should like to take Francie. It would be such an education for her.'
'Well, why not?'
'And what is to become of Adrian?'
'Well, we should not have been here more than six months of course.'
'I could take him,' said Lance, 'unless Alda holds poor old Froggatt Underwood beneath his dignity.'
'That can be considered,' said Clement; 'it approves itself best to me, except that he is getting on so well here that I don't like to disturb him.'
'And when can you come up to town with me?' demanded Gerald; 'tomorrow?'
'To-morrow being Saturday, it would be of little use to go. No, if you will not kick, master, I must go home to- morrow, and look up poor 'Pur,' also the organ on Sunday. Come with me, and renew your acquaintance. We will make an appointment with your attorney, Clem, and run up on Monday evening, see him on Tuesday.'
Gerald sighed, submitting perforce, and they let him out to exhale as much impatience as he could in a tramp over the hills, while they sat and pitied him from their very hearts.
CHAPTER XXV. DESDICHADO
'Perish wealth and power and pride, Mortal boons by mortals given; But let constancy abide- Constancy's the gift of Heaven.-SCOTT.
Lancelot and Gerald did not obtain much by their journey to London. Gerald wanted to begin with Mr. Bast, van proprietor, but Lance insisted on having the lawyer's counsel first, and the advice amounted to exhortations not to commit themselves, or to make offers such as to excite cupidity, especially in the matter of Ludmilla, but to dwell on the fact of her being so close to the age of emancipation, and the illegality of tyrannical training.
This, however, proved to be wasted advice. Mr. Bast was impervious. He undertook to forward a letter to Mr. O'Leary, but would not tell where, nor whether wife and daughter were with him. The letter was written, and in due time was answered, but with an intimation that the information desired could only be given upon the terms already mentioned; and refusing all transactions respecting the young lady mentioned, who was with her natural guardians and in no need of intervention.
They were baffled at all points, and the lawyer did not encourage any idea of holding out a lure for information, which might easily be trumped up. Since Lancelot had discovered so much as that the first marriage had taken place at Messina, and the desertion at Trieste, as well as that the husband was said to have been a native of Piedmont, he much recommended personal investigation at all these points, especially as Mr. Underwood could obtain the assistance and interest of consuls. It was likely that if neither uncle nor nephew made further demonstration, the O'Learys would attempt further communication, which he and Lance could follow up. This might be a clue to finding 'the young lady'-to him a secondary matter, to Gerald a vital one, but for the present nothing could be done for her, poor child.
So they could only return to Rockquay to make immediate preparations for the journey. Matters were simplified by Miss Mohun, who, hearing that Clement's doctors ordered him abroad for the winter, came to the rescue, saying that she should miss Fergus and his lessons greatly, and she thought it would be a pity for Mrs. Edgar to lose their little baronet, just after having given offence to certain inhabitants by a modified expulsion of Campbell and Horner, and therefore volunteering to take Adrian for a few terms, look after his health, his morals, and his lessons, and treat him in fact like a nephew, 'to keep her hand in,' she said, 'till the infants began to appear from India.'
This was gratefully accepted, and Alda liked the plan better than placing him at Bexley, which she continued to regard as an unwholesome place. The proposal to take Franceska was likewise welcome, and the damsel herself was in transports of delight. Various arrangements had to be made, and it was far on in August that the farewells were exchanged with Clipstone and Beechcroft Cottage, where each member of the party felt that a real friend had been acquired. The elders, ladies who had grown up in an enthusiastic age, were even more devoted to one another than were Anna and Mysie. Gillian stood a little aloof, resolved against 'foolish' confidences, and devoting herself to studies for college life, in which she tried to swallow up all the feelings excited by those ship letters.
Dolores had her secret, which was to be no longer a secret when she had heard from her father, and in the
