The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-17
CHAPTER VIII.


Certainly Wilfred Carnegie found no future
reason for entertaining better opinion Of Philip
%airfax; and, In the course Of time, he had the
Pest Of reasons for entertaining a worse one.
Her fathers letters still continued to have bad
effect upon Phil On certain occasions Wilfred
fancied she had been crying over them.
She had been at Brackenceugh three months,
when an epistle arrived which seemed to disturb
her more than any previous one Wilfred was
In the room when she received it, and, as soon as
she had glanced at the frat page, she left her
seat and went upstairs and the glimpse Wilfred
caught of her face, as the door closed, did not
add to his mental tranquility
The fact of the matter was, that, at length,
one of Mr. Fairfax's creditors had managed to
Guido the rest in vigilance, and the result was,
that that ingenious gentleman was arrested for
debt
He was not much disturbed. however He
treated the matter with his usual whimsical
grace, in writing of it, and did not seem at all
depressed.
'"rhe truth is, my DEAR" he said, airily, 81
naturally feel that our condition is not, by any
means, hopeless, 80 long as we have friends like
these people at Brackencleugh. One instinct
lively turns to such estimable and delightfully."-
lucky persons. But, at the same time, would
advise discretion, since indiscretion might be
fatal to our future interests. If you feel that
you have the kind of influence which it would
De safe to use in the present emergency, use it,
but by no means use it rashly. And I would
advise that, if you decide to apply to either of
our friends, apply to Mrs. Dorothy. Young
men-such young men as Mr.. Wilfred Carnegie
ARE apt to be fastidious."
Phil read this affectionately fastidious appeal
to the end, and then crushed it in her hand, al
most tragically, her checks burning with hot
bushes
II did not think, she said, II did not think it
could have come to this 1 did not think he
would have done IT,"
She burst into tears as she spoke-angry tears
tears of indignation and shame. For the first
time in her life she experienced definite feel
Ing of rebellion against her father If she had
febeled before, it had only been the ghost of
rebellion, crushed back into the secret places of
her heart But now the force of the feeling
reused within her almost frightened her.
'He expects me to ask them for money" she
said again "And he takes it for granted that
that have the right to do it-coolly."
That she need only ask for anything she re-
auired, or fancied she required, she knew but
the knowledge only added to her bitterness of
spirit. Often during the past three months,
she had found herself blushing at certain of her
recolections What was she after all, but
kind of traitor to these two generous. affection
ate natures! She had come to them at the very
beginning with plot against their happiness
In her heart-a plot too wild and Numerically
bad to succeed in her girish, innocent hands:
but still, plot The night she had told her
father that she would accept Mrs Dorothy's in
vitation to Brackencleugh she had done so be-
cause she had suddenly seized upon the desper
ate. romantic fancy of revengnG herself Mr..
Wilfred Carnegie, after the manner of divers
Aeroines of certain three volnmed novels she
had read And it had been her father who had
suggested the plan-absurd and youthful as it
was. 1t was by no means absurd, however, in
Philip Fairfaxs hands In his eyes Wfred
Carnegie was simply promising investment,
and the whole affair was most admirable bust
ness venture merely requiring tact. Here, on
one hand was Phil-or rather here he was him.
SELF since Phil was subservient element
something must be done for Phil, rather for
the element represented by her; and here on the
other hand, was young man who had been
lucky enough and clever enough to win what
might have been their own, but for his most I'M
desirable existence. Why. then, should not this
individual be made useful under these adverse
circumstances 1t WAS natural that he should
wish to marry somebody, and why not Phil?
Apart from paternal partiality, Mr.. Fairfax was
GoInpacently conscious of the fact that nil was
a decidedly attractive young person She was
well born and reasonably we'll educated; she was
pretty; she was ingenuousi she was unseifsh.
Nine men out of ten would fell in love with her,
promptly and it was impossible that the
tenth should do otherwise than admire
her. 81 admire her myself" said Mr.. Fairfax,
with praiseworthy frankness. Sand Ernest,
who was far too thoroughly man Of the world
TO be sceptible-Ernest would not have been
unlikely to act like a mailman, at one period Of
bis exstance. if I had allowed him" Then,
why should not Mr.. Wilfred, who could afford
b
like q mailman, why should not this Mr.. Viii
fred marry her! And why should not Philippa
accept the invitation to Brackenceugh. and thus
gain the opportunity to present her charms for
inspectiona
Thus simple was Mr. Fairfax's mode of rea-
soning. But Phil arrived at her conclusion in
different and less practical manner-a manner
perhaps, not uniahuenced by the laudable teach
ing of the three volumed fctiops, before men
toned. It Is not impossible that she had argued
after the manner of heroines, in the excitement
of the moment. Poor. passionate misguided
little seul The grumbliug sections clods had
buried more than the littls ring that morning, or
1t seemed to her that such was the case. She
was miserable and sore- hearted, and it was quite
natural that she should feel cynical and reckless
since she of too high spirit so be crushed.
She was full of scorn for her false lover, full of
scorn for herself, full of scorn for the whole
world. The love she had read about and thought
or In secret. the love she knew she had surely
seenin one mans eyes, the love poets rhymed and
prose writers raved about was a cheat and
sham-a mockery to be bought and sold There
was nothing left And then had come this sud
don fear for her father. He loved her at least,
and If she was to lose him. tool And it was
in her power to make him happier, perhaps, to
save him altogether. If Mr.. Wilfred Carnegie
fancied, in the future, that he had loved her
and was willing to make her his wife-why
potl There was such thing as real love-it
E0uld only be fancy. It could not hurt him
much to be deceived into IMAGINING that he had
won her heart Yes she would sacrifice herself
Cor governor.
So she had come to Brackencleugh and once
there somehow other the fresh sweet air
cooled and cleared her excited young brain and
brought her to her senses before she was aware
Of it And when she saw Wilfred himself and
learned to like him. the foolish, feverish fancies