The herald., 1898-05-29
copyright, 1885, by Molly Elliott Sea-
Well.]

'Tis not in my nature to be cowed
by any woman whatever Therefore,
when 1 found myself in the presence of
my Lady Hawkshaw, in her Chinese
drawing-room, with her great black
eyes glazing at me, and her huge black
plume of feathers nodding at me, as
she sat, enveloped in q vast black vel
vet robe like a pail 1 said to myself,
After all, she is but woman" So 1
stared back at her with all the cool
ness in the world-and I was q seeker
after favor, too-and but fourteen years
of age, and had only seven and six
pence in my pocket. The tall footman
who stood behind Lady Hawkshaw's
chair made a grimace at me: and
responded with q fierce look, as if I
were about to run him through the
body.
"Jeames," said her ladyship, ego and
make my compliments to Sir Peter
Harkshaw, and say to him that his
registering kept me awake half the
night, and consequently 1 feel very ill
this morning; and that his great
nephew, Master Richard Glynn from
America, is come after a midshipman's
warrant in His Majesty's Maryland
desire Peter to attend me in my bow
dwor Immediately
Her ladyships French was the queer
est imaginable. Yet in her youth she
had the French tutor who had taught
the daughters of the Regent of France.
There was a silence after the tall
footman left, during which my lady and
/ eyed each other closely. 1 remem-
bered having heard that she had defied
her father, Lord Bosanquet, and one
of the greatest family connections in
the kingdom, in order to marry Sir
Peter who was then q penniless lieu
tenant in His Majestys navy and the
son of a drysalter in the city. This
same drys2lter was my great-grand-
father; but i had an infusion of an
other blood through my motherhood
bless her,-being of a high family and
baronet's daughter. The drysalter
strain was honest, but plebeian, while
the baronet strain was rather more
lofty than honest, I fancy.
Having heard, as I say, of the des-
perate struggle 1t cost Lady Hawkshaw
to marry her lieutenant. 1 somewhat
expected to find her and Admiral Sir
Peter HaWkshaw living like doves in
cage, and was disconnected at the mes
sages her ladyship sent her lord But I
was still more disconnected when Sir
Peter, a short, stout man, with chol-
eric eye, presently bounced into the
room.
'Sir Peter said her ladyship, there
Is your nephew Toms brat, who wants
q midshipman's warrant"
Sir Peter stopped short, looked me
over-I was tall for my age,-and
grinned savagely. l thought it was all
UP with me.
And, Sir Peter" screamed her lady
ship, "he must have it,
Hang me, my lady" snapped Sir
Peter, but when did you take such
an interest in my nephew Toms brat?"
This very hour, replied Lady
Hawkshaw, tartly, and tossing her
black plumes haughtily. you behaved
like wretch to the boy after the death
of his father and mother in America;
and God has given you the chance to
make amends and I say he shall have
his warrant"
Just then my attention was distract
ed from this matrominial engagement
by the silent entrance of two young
girls. One of them was about twelve
years of age. She had very dove-like
eyes and her dark lashes kissed her
cheek. She came and stood Familiarity
by Lady Hawkshaw's chair; and the
gentle affectionateness of her manner
toward that redoubtable person amazed
me at the time. This was my first
sight of Daphne Carmichael: and when
she fixed her soft, childish glance upon
me, it was like the sight of stars on a
cloudy night. But the other one---a tall
girl of sixteen or Northumberland
me so that l am obliged to confess I
had no more eyes for Daphne. This
I'D rrtv11 hn DIV hall CtA,,
mont, and was then and always by far
the handsomest creature I ever beheld.
l will not attempt to describe her. I
will only say that her brilliant face,
with such complexion as never saw
before or since, showed naughty in
difference toward the shabby boy over
whom Sir Peter and Lady Hawkshaw
were squabbling, and the sense of my
shabbiness and helplessness pierced my
heart under Lady Arabella's calmly
scornful gaze.
Both of these young girls were the
, great -nieces of Sir Peter Hawkshaw,
abut not on the drysalter's side, so they
were no bood-relation to me. Sir Peter
was their guardian, and Lady Hawk
shaw had charge of them, and was
most kind and devoted to them in her
way. / soon found out that every one
of Sir Peters famlly nad q 5000 friend
in Lady Hawkshaw; and l may as well
say here that for true devotion and in
cessant wrangling, I never saw g. mar
ried pair that equalled Sir Peter and
Lady Hawkshaw.
The discussion between them con-
corning me grew hotter. Lady Hawk
shaw logged in a great variety of ex-
traneous matter reminding Sir Peter of
certain awful predictions concerning
his future which had been made by
the last chaplain who sailed with him.
Sir Peter denounced the chaplain as a
snivelling dog. Lady Hawkshaw in
dulged in some French. at which Lady
Arabella laughed behind her hand.
The battle royal lasted some time
longer, but Lady Hawkshaws metal
was plainly heavier than Sir Peters:
and it ended by Sir Peters saying to
me angrily:
VERY well, sir, to oblige my lady I
will give you the remaining mldship-
mans berth on the Ajax, seventy-four.
You may go home now, but show your
self aboard the Ajax at Portsmouth,
before twelve o'clock on this day week,
and be very careful to mind your eye"
had neryed myself to hear with