Ranching For Sylvia Volume-554 - Harold Bindloss (best black authors TXT) 📗

Meant Was This--Your Devotion To Sylvia Is Not A Secret."

 

"I Wish It Were!" George Retorted.  "But I Don't Intend To Deny It."

 

His Companion Looked At Him Reproachfully.

 

"Don't Get Restive; I've Your Best Interests At Heart.  You're A Little

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Too Confiding And Too Backward, George.  Sylvia Slipped Through Your

Fingers Once Before."

 

George's Brown Face Colored Deeply.  He Was Angry, But Mrs. Lansing Was

Not To Be Deterred.

 

"Take A Hint And Stay At Home," She Went On.  "It Might Pay You Better."

 

"And Let Sylvia's Property Be Sacrificed?"

 

"Yes, If Necessary."  She Looked At Him Directly.  "You Have Means

Enough."

 

He Struggled With His Indignation.  Sylvia Hated Poverty, And It Had

Been Suggested That He Should Turn The Fact To His Advantage.  The Idea

That She Might Be More Willing To Marry Him If She Were Poor Was Most

Unpleasant.

 

"Sylvia's Favor Is Not To Be Bought," He Said.

 

Mrs. Lansing's Smile Was Half Impatient.

 

"Oh, Well, If You're Bent On Going, There's Nothing To Be Said.

Sylvia, Of Course, Will Stay With Us."

 

The Arrangement Was A Natural One, As Sylvia Was A Relative Of Hers;

But George Failed To Notice That Her Expression Grew Thoughtful As She

Glanced Toward Where Sylvia Was Sitting With A Man Upon Whom The

Soldier Stamp Was Plainly Set.  George Followed Her Gaze And Frowned,

But He Said Nothing, And His Companion Presently Moved Away.  Soon

Afterward He Crossed The Lawn And Joined A Girl Who Waited For Him.

Ethel West Was Tall And Strongly Made.  She Was Characterized By A Keen

Intelligence And Bluntness Of Speech.  Being An Old Friend Of George's,

She Occasionally Assumed The Privilege Of One.

 

"I Hear You Are Going To Canada.  What Is Taking You There Again?" She

Asked.

 

"I Am Going To Look After Some Farming Property, For One Thing."

 

Ethel Regarded Him With Amusement.

 

"Sylvia Marston's, I Suppose?"

 

"Yes," George Answered Rather Shortly.

 

"Then What's The Other Purpose You Have In View?"

 

George Hesitated.

 

"I'm Not Sure I Have Another Motive."

 

"So I Imagined.  You're Rather An Exceptional Man--In Some Respects."

 

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"If That's True, I Wasn't Aware Of It," George Retorted.

 

Ethel Laughed.

 

"It's Hardly Worth While To Prove My Statement; We'll Talk Of Something

Else.  Has Herbert Told You Anything About His Business Since You Came

Back?  I Suppose You Have Noticed Signs Of Increased Prosperity?"

 

"I'm Afraid I'm Not Observant, And Herbert Isn't Communicative."

 

"Perhaps He's Wise.  Still, The Fact That He's Putting Up A Big New

Orchard-House Has Some Significance.  I Understand From Stephen That

He's Been Speculating Largely In Rubber Shares.  It's A Risky Game."

 

"I Suppose It Is," George Agreed.  "But It's Most Unlikely That Herbert

Will Come To Grief.  He Has A Very Long Head; I Believe He Could, For

Example, Buy And Sell Me."

 

"That Wouldn't Be Very Difficult.  I Suspect Herbert Isn't The Only One

Of Your Acquaintances Who Is Capable Of Doing As Much."

 

Her Eyes Followed Sylvia, Who Was Then Walking Across The Grass.

Sylvia's Movements Were Always Graceful, And She Had Now A Subdued,

Pensive Air That Rendered Her Appearance Slightly Pathetic.  Ethel's

Face, However, Grew Quietly Scornful.  She Knew What Sylvia's Forlorn

And Helpless Look Was Worth.

 

"I'm Not Afraid That Anybody Will Try," George Replied.

 

"Your Confidence Is Admirable." Laughed Ethel; "But I Mustn't Appear

Too Cynical, And I've A Favor To Ask.  Will You Take Edgar Out With

You?"

 

George Felt A Little Surprised.  Edgar Was Her Brother, A Lad Of

Somewhat Erratic Habits And Ideas, Who Had Been At Oxford When George

Last Heard Of Him.

 

"Yes, If He Wants To Go, And Stephen Approves," He Said; For Stephen,

The Lawyer, Was An Elder Brother, And The Wests Had Lost Their Parents.

 

"He Will Be Relieved To Get Him Off His Hands For A While; But Edgar

Will Be Over To See You During The Afternoon.  He's Spending A Week Or

Two With The Charltons."

 

"I Remember That Young Charlton And He Were Close Acquaintances."

 

"That Was The Excuse For The Visit; But You Had Better Understand That

There Was A Certain Amount Of Friction When Edgar Came Home After Some

Trouble With The Authorities.  In His Opinion, Stephen Is Too Fond Of

Making Mountains Out Of Molehills; But I Must Own That Edgar's

Molehills Have A Way Of Increasing In Size, And The Last One Caused Us

A Good Deal Of Uneasiness.  Anyway, We Have Decided That A Year's Hard

Work In Canada Might Help To Steady Him, Even If He Doesn't Follow Up

Farming.  The Main Point Is That He Would Be Safe With You."

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"I'll Have A Talk With Him," George Promised; And After A Word Of

Thanks Ethel Turned Away.

 

A Little Later She Joined Mrs. Lansing, Who Was Sitting Alone In The

Shadow Of A Beech.

 

"I'm Afraid I've Added To George's Responsibilities--He Has Agreed To

Take Edgar Out," She Said.  "He Has Some Reason For Wishing To Be

Delivered From His Friends, Though I Don't Suppose He Does So."

 

"I've Felt The Same Thing.  Of Course, I'm Not Referring To Edgar--His

Last Scrape Was Only A Trifling Matter."

 

"So He Contends," Laughed Ethel.  "Stephen Doesn't Agree With Him."

 

"Well," Said Mrs. Lansing, "I've Often Thought It's A Pity George

Didn't Marry Somebody Nice And Sensible."

 

"Would You Apply That Description To Sylvia?"

 

"Sylvia Stands Apart," Mrs. Lansing Declared.  "She Can Do What Nobody

Else Would Venture On, And Yet You Feel You Must Excuse Her."

 

"Have You Any Particular Exploit Of Hers In Your Mind?"

 

"I Was Thinking Of When She Accepted Dick Marston.  I Believe Even Dick

Was Astonished."

 

"Sylvia Knows How To Make Herself Irresistible," Said Ethel, Strolling

Away A Few Moments Later, Somewhat Troubled In Mind.

 

She Had Cherished A Half-Tender Regard For George, Which, Had It Been

Reciprocated, Might Have Changed To A Deeper Feeling.  The Man Was

Steadfast, Chivalrous, Honest, And She Saw In Him Latent Capabilities

Which Few Others Suspected.  Still, His Devotion To Sylvia Had Never

Been Concealed, And Ethel Had Acquiesced In The Situation, Though She

Retained A Strong Interest In Him.  She Believed That In Going To

Canada He Was Doing An Injudicious Thing; But As His Confidence Was

Hard To Shake, He Could Not Be Warned--Her Conversation With Him Had

Made That Plainer.  She Would Not Regret It If Sylvia Forgot Him While

He Was Absent; But There Were Other Ways In Which He Might Suffer, And

She Wished He Had Not Chosen To Place The Management Of His Affairs In

Herbert's Hands.

 

In The Meanwhile, Her Brother Had Arrived, And He And George Were

Sitting Together On The Opposite Side Of The Lawn.  Edgar Was A

Handsome, Dark-Haired Lad, With A Mischievous Expression, And He

Sometimes Owned That His Capacity For Seeing The Humorous Side Of

Things Was A Gift That Threatened To Be His Ruin.  Nevertheless, There

Was A Vein Of Sound Common Sense In Him, And He Had A Strong Admiration

For George Lansing.

 

"Why Do You Want To Go With Me?" The Latter Asked, Pretending To Be A

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Bit Stern, But Liking The Youngster All The While.

 

"That," Edgar Laughed, "Is A Rather Euphemistic Way Of Putting It.  My

Washes Have Not Been Consulted.  I Must Give My Relatives The Credit

For The Idea.  Still, One Must Admit They Had Some Provocation."

 

"It Strikes Me They Have Had A Good Deal Of Patience," George Said

Dryly.  "I Suppose It's Exhausted."

 

"No," Replied Edgar, With A Confidential Air; "It's Mine That Has Given

Out.  I'd Better Explain That Being Stuffed With What Somebody Calls

Formulae Gets Monotonous, And It's A Diet They're Rather Fond Of At

Oxford.  Down Here In The Country They're Almost As Bad; And Pretending

To Admire Things I Don't Believe In Positively Hurts.  That's Why I

Sometimes Protest, With, As A Rule, Disastrous Results."

 

"Disastrous To The Objectionable Ideas Or Customs?"

 

"No," Laughed The Lad; "To Me.  Have You Ever Noticed How Vindictive

Narrow-Minded People Get When You Destroy Their Pet Delusions?"

 

"I Can't Remember Ever Having Done So."'

 

"Then You'll Come To It.  If You're Honest It's Unavoidable; Only Some

People Claim That They Make The Attack From Duty, While I Find A

Positive Pleasure In The Thing."

 

"There's One Consolation--You Won't Have Much Time For Such Proceedings

If You Come With Me.  You'll Have To Work In Canada."

 

"I Anticipated Something Of The Sort," The Lad Rejoined.  Then He Grew

Serious.  "Have You Decided Who's To Look After Your Affairs While You

Are Away?  If You Haven't, You Might Do Worse Than Leave Them To

Stephen.  He's Steady And Safe As A Rock, And, After All, The Three Per

Cent. You're Sure Of Is Better Than A Handsome Dividend You May Never

Get."

 

"I Can't Give Herbert The Go-By.  He's The Obvious Person To Do

Whatever May Be Needful."

 

"I Suppose So," Edgar Assented, With Some Reluctance.  "No Doubt He'd

Feel Hurt If You Asked Anybody Else; But I Wish You Could Have Got

Stephen."

 

He Changed The Subject; And When Some Of The Others Came Up And Joined

Them, He Resumed His Humorous Manner.

 

"I'm Not Asking For Sympathy," He Said, In Answer To One Remark.  "I'm

Going Out To Extend The Bounds Of The Empire, Strengthen The Ties With

The Mother Country, And That Sort Of Thing.  It's One Of The Privileges

That Seem To Be Attached To The Possession Of A Temperament Like Mine."

 

"How Will You Set About The Work?" Somebody Asked.