Leslie's Loyalty - Charles Garvice

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His wife had died when Leslie was a mite of a thing, and how he had managed to get on until Leslie was old enough to take care of him can never even be surmised; but she began to play the mother, the guardian, and protector to this visionary father of hers, at an extremely early age. She managed everything, almost fed and clothed him, and kept from him all those petty ills and worries which make life such a burden for most people.

      They had no settled home, but wandered about, sometimes on the Continent, but mostly in England, and Francis Lisle had hundreds of sketches which were like nothing under heaven, but were supposed to be "ideas" for larger pictures, of places they had visited.

      They had been at Portmaris a couple of months when we find them, and though Francis Lisle was just beginning to get tired of it, and restlessly anxious to be on the move again, Leslie was loth to leave. She had grown fond of the golden sands, the strip of pebbly beach, the narrow street broken by its wind-twisted trees, the green lanes leading to the country beyond, and still more fond of the simple-hearted fisher folk, who always welcomed her with a smile, and had already learned to call her Miss Leslie.

      Indeed, Miss Lisle was a dangerous young woman, and the hearts of young and old, gentle and simple, went down before a glance of her gray-blue eyes, a smile from the mobile lips, a word from her voice which thrilled with a melody few could resist.

      Francis Lisle went on daubing, his head on one side, a rapt, contented look on his pale, aristocratic face.

      "Yes, this is going to be one of my best efforts," he said, with placid complacency. "Go and sing something, Leslie. I can always work better while you are singing. Music and painting are twin sisters. I adore them both."

      Leslie went back to the piano with that peculiarly graceful motion of hers, and touched a note or two.

      "Were there no letters this morning, dear?" she asked.

      "Letters?" Lisle put his hand to his forehead as if rudely called back to earth from the empyrean. "Letters? No. Yes, I forgot. There was one. It was from Ralph Duncombe."

      Leslie turned her head slightly, and the rather thick brows which helped the eyes in all their unconscious mischief straightened.

      "From Ralph? What does he say?"

      "I don't know," replied Lisle, placidly. "I can never read his letters; he writes so terribly plain a hand; its hardness jars upon me. I have it—somewhere?"

      He searched his pockets reluctantly.

      "No, I must have lost it. Does it matter very much?"

      Leslie laughed softly.

      "I don't know; but one generally likes to know what is in a letter."

      "Well, then, I wish I could find it. I told the postman when he gave it to me that I should probably lose it, and that he had better bring it on to the house; but—well, I don't think he understood me. I often think that we speak an unknown language to these country people."

      "Perhaps he did not hear you," said Leslie. "Sometimes, you know, dear, you think you have spoken when you have not uttered a word, but only thought."

      "I dare say," he assented, dreamily. "Now I come to think of it, I fancy Duncombe said he was coming down here——."

      The slender white hands which had been touching the keys caressingly stopped.

      "Coming here, papa!"

      "Yes. I think so. I'm not sure. Now, what could I have done with that letter?"

      He made another search, failed to find it, shook his head as if dismissing the subject, and resumed his "work."

      Leslie struck a chord, and opened her lips to sing, when the sound of the wheels belonging to the one fly in the place came down the uneven street. She paused to listen, then leaned sideways and looked through the window.

      "The station fly!" she said. "And it has stopped at Marine Villa, papa. It must be another visitor. Fancy two visitors at the same time in Portmaris! It will go wild with excitement."

      The cranky vehicle had pulled up at the opposite cottage, and Leslie, with mild, very mild, curiosity, got up from the piano and went to the window.

      As she did so a man dressed in soft tweed got down from beside the driver, opened the fly-door, and gave his arm to a young man whose appearance filled Leslie's heart with pity; for he was a cripple. His back was bent, his face pale and gentle as a woman's, marked with lines which were eloquent of weary days, and still more weary nights; and in the dark eyes was that peculiar expression of sadness which a life of pain and suffering patiently borne sets as a seal.

      The young fellow leaned on his stick and the man's arm, and looked round him, and his eye, dark and full of a soft penetration, fell upon the lovely face at the opposite window.

      Leslie drew back, when it was too late, and breathed an exclamation of regret.

      "Oh, papa!"

      "What is the matter?" asked Lisle, vacantly.

      "I am sorry!" she said. "He will think I was staring at him—and so I was. And that will seem so cruel to him, poor fellow."

      "What is cruel? which poor fellow?" demanded Lisle with feeble impatience.

      "Some one who has just got out of the fly, dear; a cripple, poor fellow; and he saw me watching him." And she sighed again.

      "Eh?" said Lisle, as if he were trying to recollect something. "Ah, yes, I remember. Mrs. Whiting told me that he was expected some time to-day; they had a telegram saying he was coming."

      "He? Who?" said Leslie, going back to the piano.

      "Who?" repeated Lisle, as if he were heartily sorry he had continued the subject. "Why, this young man. Dear me, I forget his name and title——."

      "Title? Poor fellow! Is he a nobleman, papa? That makes it seem so much worse, doesn't it?"

      Lisle looked round at her helplessly.

      "Upon my word, my dear," he said, "I do not wish to appear dense, but I haven't the least idea of what you are talking about, and——," he went on more quietly, as if he feared she were going to explain, "it doesn't matter. Pray sing something, and—and do not let us worry about things which do not concern us."

      Leslie began to sing without another word.

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      The crippled young man, with the assistance of his companion, made his way into the sitting-room of Marine Villa; an invalid's chair was hauled from the top of the fly and carried in, and the young man sank into it with a faint sigh.

      "Leave me, Grey," he said. "When Lord Auchester arrives let him come to me at once; and, Grey, be good enough to remember what I told you——."

      "Yes, your grace," said the man; then, as his master lifted the soft brown eyes with gentle reproach, he added, correcting himself, "yes, sir."

      The young man smiled faintly.

      "That is better. Thanks."

      The valet unlocked a morocco traveling case, and took out a vial and medicine chest.

      "The medicine, your gra——, sir, I mean."

      "Ah, yes, I forgot. Thank you," said the young man, and he took the draught with a weary patience. "Thanks. Let me know when his lordship arrives. No, I want nothing more."

      The valet went out, shutting the door softly

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