jabbed him all over with insufficient wounds, had at last driven the steel through his windpipe. The small boy escaped, carrying with him two shillings and threepence which Kate had left upon the drawing-room mantelpiece.
George Vavasor was rather low in stature, but well made, with smallhands and feet, but broad in the chest and strong in the loins. He was a fine horseman and a hard rider; and men who had known him well said that he could fence and shoot with a pistol as few men care to do in these peaceable days. Since volunteering had come up, he had become a captain of Volunteers, and had won prizes with his rifle at Wimbledon 4 .
Such had been the life of George Vavasor, andsuch was his character, and such his appearance. He had always lived alone in London, and did so at present; but just now his sister was much with him, as she was staying up in town with an aunt, another Vavasor by birth, with whom the reader will, if he persevere, become acquainted in course of time. I hope he will persevere a little, for of all the Vavasors Mrs Greenow was perhaps the best worthknowing. But Kate Vavasor’s home was understood to be in her grandfather’s house in Westmoreland.
On the evening before they started for Switzerland, George andKate walked from Queen Anne Street, where they had been dining with Alice, to Mrs Greenow’s house. Everything had been settled about luggage, hours of starting, and routes as regarded their few first days; and the common purse had beenmade over to George. That portion of Mr Grey’s letter had been read which alluded to the Paynims and the glasses of water, and everything had passed in the best of good-humour. ‘I’ll endeavour to get the cold water for you,’ George had said; ‘but as to the breakfasts, I can only hope you won’t put me to severe trials by any very early hours. When people go out for pleasure it should be pleasure.’
The brother and sister walked through two or three streets in silence, and then Kate asked a question.
‘George, I wonder what your wishes really are about Alice?’
‘That she shouldn’t want her breakfast too early while we are away.’
‘That means that I’m to hold my tongue, of course.’
‘No, it doesn’t’
‘Then it means that you intend to hold yours.’
‘No; not that either.’
‘Then what does itmean?’
‘That I have no fixed wishes on the subject Of course she’ll marry this man John Grey, and then no one will hear another word about her.’
‘She will no doubt, if you don’t interfere. Probably she will whether you interfere or not. But if you wish to interfere –’
‘She’s got four hundred a year, and is not so good-looking as she was.’
‘Yes; she has got four hundred a year, and she is morehandsome now than ever she was. I know that you think so; – and that you love her and love no one else – unless you have a sneaking fondness for me.’
‘I’ll leave you to judge of that last.’
‘And as for me, – I only love two people in the world; her and you. If ever you mean to try, you should try now.’
* * *
CHAPTER 5
The balcony at Basle
I AM not going to describe the Vavasors’ Swiss tour. It would not be fair on my readers. ‘Six Weeks in the Bernese Oberland, by party of three,’ would have but very small chance of success in the literary world at present 1 , and I should consider myself to be dishonest if I attempt to palm off such matter on the public in the pages of a novel. It is true that I havejust returned from Switzerland 2 , and should find such a course of writing very convenient. But I dismiss the temptation, strong as it is. Retro age, Satanas. No living man or woman any longer wants to be told anything of the Grimsell or of the Gemini 3 . Ludgate Hill is now-a-days more interesting than the Jungfrau.
The Vavasors were not very energetic on their tour. As George had said, they hadgone out for pleasure and not for work. They went direct to
George Vavasor was rather low in stature, but well made, with smallhands and feet, but broad in the chest and strong in the loins. He was a fine horseman and a hard rider; and men who had known him well said that he could fence and shoot with a pistol as few men care to do in these peaceable days. Since volunteering had come up, he had become a captain of Volunteers, and had won prizes with his rifle at Wimbledon 4 .
Such had been the life of George Vavasor, andsuch was his character, and such his appearance. He had always lived alone in London, and did so at present; but just now his sister was much with him, as she was staying up in town with an aunt, another Vavasor by birth, with whom the reader will, if he persevere, become acquainted in course of time. I hope he will persevere a little, for of all the Vavasors Mrs Greenow was perhaps the best worthknowing. But Kate Vavasor’s home was understood to be in her grandfather’s house in Westmoreland.
On the evening before they started for Switzerland, George andKate walked from Queen Anne Street, where they had been dining with Alice, to Mrs Greenow’s house. Everything had been settled about luggage, hours of starting, and routes as regarded their few first days; and the common purse had beenmade over to George. That portion of Mr Grey’s letter had been read which alluded to the Paynims and the glasses of water, and everything had passed in the best of good-humour. ‘I’ll endeavour to get the cold water for you,’ George had said; ‘but as to the breakfasts, I can only hope you won’t put me to severe trials by any very early hours. When people go out for pleasure it should be pleasure.’
The brother and sister walked through two or three streets in silence, and then Kate asked a question.
‘George, I wonder what your wishes really are about Alice?’
‘That she shouldn’t want her breakfast too early while we are away.’
‘That means that I’m to hold my tongue, of course.’
‘No, it doesn’t’
‘Then it means that you intend to hold yours.’
‘No; not that either.’
‘Then what does itmean?’
‘That I have no fixed wishes on the subject Of course she’ll marry this man John Grey, and then no one will hear another word about her.’
‘She will no doubt, if you don’t interfere. Probably she will whether you interfere or not. But if you wish to interfere –’
‘She’s got four hundred a year, and is not so good-looking as she was.’
‘Yes; she has got four hundred a year, and she is morehandsome now than ever she was. I know that you think so; – and that you love her and love no one else – unless you have a sneaking fondness for me.’
‘I’ll leave you to judge of that last.’
‘And as for me, – I only love two people in the world; her and you. If ever you mean to try, you should try now.’
* * *
CHAPTER 5
The balcony at Basle
I AM not going to describe the Vavasors’ Swiss tour. It would not be fair on my readers. ‘Six Weeks in the Bernese Oberland, by party of three,’ would have but very small chance of success in the literary world at present 1 , and I should consider myself to be dishonest if I attempt to palm off such matter on the public in the pages of a novel. It is true that I havejust returned from Switzerland 2 , and should find such a course of writing very convenient. But I dismiss the temptation, strong as it is. Retro age, Satanas. No living man or woman any longer wants to be told anything of the Grimsell or of the Gemini 3 . Ludgate Hill is now-a-days more interesting than the Jungfrau.
The Vavasors were not very energetic on their tour. As George had said, they hadgone out for pleasure and not for work. They went direct to
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