Janet's Love and Service Part 71

"He is rather too devoted to business, too indifferent to the claims of society, and to the pursuits of the young swells of the day, to be natural, I am afraid. But it will pay. In the course of fifteen or twenty years, we shall have him building a 'palatial residence', and boring himself and other people, like our respected friend. You seem to be a little discontented with the prospect, Graeme."

"Discontented!" echoed Graeme. "It is with you, that I am discontented.

How can you speak of anything so horrible? You don't know Harry."

"I know what the result of such entire devotion to business must be, joined to such talents as Harry's. Success, of course, and a measure of satisfaction with it, more or less, as the case maybe. No, you need not look at Harry's friend and partner. He is 'tarred with the same stick,'

as Mrs Snow would say."

Harry's friend and partner, laughed.

"Mrs Snow would never say that about Mr Millar," said Graeme indignantly, "nor about Harry either; and neither of them will come to a fate like that."

"They may fail, or they may marry. I was only speaking of the natural consequences of the present state of affairs, should nothing intervene to prevent such a conclusion."

"Harry will never grow to be like Mr Green," said f.a.n.n.y, gravely.

"Graeme will not let him."

"There is something in that," said Arthur.

"There is a great deal in that," said Mr Millar.

"There are a great many to keep Harry from a fate like that, besides me," said Graeme, "even if there was any danger to one of his loving and generous nature."

She was more in earnest than the occasion seemed to call for.

"Graeme," said f.a.n.n.y, eagerly, "you don't suppose Arthur is in earnest.

He thinks there is no one like Harry."

Arthur laughed.

"I don't think there are many like him, certainly, but he is not beyond spoiling, and Graeme, and you, too, make a great deal too much of him, I am afraid."

"If that would spoil one, you would have been spoiled long ago," said Graeme, laughing.

"Oh! that is quite another matter; but as to Harry, it is a good thing that Rose is coming home, to divert the attention of you two from him a while," added he, as his brother came into the room. "And you will do your best to spoil her, too, if some of the rest of us don't counteract your influence."

"What is it all about?" said Harry. "Are you spoiling your son, f.a.n.n.y?

Is that the matter under discussion?"

"No. It is you that we are spoiling, Graeme and I. We admire you quite too much, Arthur says, and he is afraid we shall do the same for Rose."

"As for Rose, I am afraid the spoiling process must have commenced already, if admiration will do it," said Harry. "If one is to believe what Norman says, she has been turning a good many heads out there."

"So that her own head is safe, the rest cannot be helped," said Graeme, with a little vexation. It was not Harry's words, so much as his tone, that she disliked. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh! as to that, I am not sure. I don't think she tried to help it.

Why should she? It is her natural and proper sphere of labour--her vocation. I think she enjoyed it, rather."

"Harry, don't! I can't bear to hear you speak of Rose in that way."

"Oh! my speaking of it can't make any difference, you know; and if you don't believe me, you can ask Charlie. He is my authority for the last bit of news of Rosie."

Charlie looked up astonished and indignant, and reddened as he met Graeme's eye.

"I don't understand you, Harry--the least in the world," said he.

"Do you mean to say you have forgotten the postscript I saw in Rowland's letter about Mr Green and his hopes and intentions? Come, now, Charlie, that is a little too much."

"Mr Green!" repeated Arthur and f.a.n.n.y, in a breath.

"Are we never to have done with that unhappy man?" said Graeme, indignantly.

"The idea of Rose ever looking at him!" said f.a.n.n.y.

"Oh! she might look at him without doing herself any harm," said Harry.

"She might even indulge in a little innocent flirtation--"

"Harry," said f.a.n.n.y, solemnly, "if there is a word in the English language that Graeme hates it is that. Don't say it again, I beg."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. Graeme looked vexed and anxious.

"Miss Elliott," said Charlie, rising, in some embarra.s.sment, "I hope you don't think me capable of discussing--or permitting--. I mean, in the letter to which Harry refers, your sister's name was not mentioned. You have received a wrong impression. I am the last person in the world that would be likely to offend in that way."

"Charlie, man! you are making much ado about nothing; and, Graeme, you are as bad. Of course, Rosie's name was not mentioned; but I know quite well, and so do you, who 'La belle Canadienne' was. But no harm was meant, and none was done."

"It would be rather a good joke if Rosie were to rule in the 'Palatial Residence' after all, wouldn't it?" said Arthur, laughing.

"Arthur, don't! It is not nice to have the child's name coupled with-- with any one," said Graeme.

"It may not be nice, but it cannot be helped," said Harry. "It is the penalty that very pretty girls, like Rose, have to pay for their beauty--especially when they are aware of it--as Rose has good right to be by this time. Small blame to her."

"And I don't see that there is really anything to be annoyed about, Graeme," said Arthur. "A great deal more than the coupling of names might happen without Rosie being to blame, as no one should know better than you."

"Of course. We are not speaking of blame, and we will say no more about it," said Graeme, rising; and nothing more was said. By and by Harry and his friend and partner rose to go. They lived together, now, in the house behind the willow trees, which Rose had taken such pleasure in watching. It was a very agreeable place of residence still, though a less fas.h.i.+onable locality than it used to be; and they were fortunate enough to have the efficient and kindly Nelly as housekeeper, and general caretaker still, and she magnified her office.

Harry had some last words to exchange with Arthur, and then Mr Millar approached Graeme and said, with a smile that was rather forced and uncertain,--

"I ought to apologise for coming back to the subject again. I don't think you believe me likely to speak of your sister in a way that would displease you. Won't you just say so to me?"

"Charlie! I know you could not. You are one of ourselves."

Charlie's face brightened. Of late it had been "Mr Millar," mostly-- not that Graeme liked him less than she used to do; but she saw him less frequently, and he was no longer a boy, even to her. But this time it was, "Charlie," and he was very much pleased.

"You have been quite a stronger, lately," she went on; "but now that Mrs Elliott is better and Rose coming home, we shall be livelier and better worth visiting. We cannot bring the old times quite back, even with Harry and Rose, but we shall always be glad to see you."

She spoke cordially, as she felt, and he tried to answer in the same way; but he was grave, and did not use many words.

"I hope there is nothing wrong," said Graeme, observing his changing look.