CHAPTER VI.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 349, 9 March 1889, Page 6

CHAPTER VI.

AT TUB PORTAL. < ' But youth and joy go fleeting by, Inconstant as the days of yore.' Certainly parents, even the well meaning, are apb to be very injudicious ab intervals in their dealings with their offspring ; apt to forget the time when they themselves were young, and had young ideas, notions and feelings ; apt to judge their- children entirely from their own individual standard

and their own particular point of view, conceiving of no other. If only they could rejuvenate themselves a little, soften their lioarts, and display a trifle more sympathy, and less worldly wisdom, nine times out of ten the object of their desires would be more speedily attained. Some such thought as these flickered confusedly throughs Dulcie's brain ; but they were interrupted by Bob's exclaiming, in accents of relief : 'Thank goodness, then, that's settled! and I shall be at the cross roads just below Milnacot Lodge to-morrow afternoon punctually at three, and wait there until you appear. ' ' Very well, Bob. By-the-by, what do you intend riding?' ' A remarkably superfluous question, seeing how extremely limited is the choice. Our stables are large, but the boxes, alas ! empty,, and the pony and old Blunderbuss are the solitary representatives left to uphold the honour of their race' 'Bob, I do so wish you were rich, very rich — like Mr Denver, 3 moan.' 'So do I, Dulcie. But wishing won't help much to make money. If it did, the first thing I should do would bo to buy you as many good hunters as you could possibly ride.' 1 They will come some day,' she said, with the sweet confident anticipation of youth. • You've got the makings of a clever man, and I predict that you'll end by being a celebrity. ' Bob could not help smiling at his companion's excessive sanguineness. 'No, Dulcie. I shall end as I have begun, by being a fool. I'm a great deal too stupid over to got -on in the world.' ' Stupid !' she echoed scornfully. ' Who says that you are stupid ? You are not a bit stupid.' ' Nobody can be very wise who is cursed with such an atrociously bad memory. It 'was that which floored mo at those beastly exoms.' 'Pooh! I don't think anything of mere book-learning,' responded Dulcie, with a contemptuous shrug of her pretty shoulders ; ' common sense is what people require in this world, and you're by no means deficient in that commodity, Master Bob.' •Ex nihilo nihil Jit,' quoted Bob, not a little proud to show Dulcie that his Undo Beckwith's money had not been entirely thrown away. ' What's that ? Latin ? I don't understand the language. Please translate your remark.' ' " Out of nothing, nothing comes ;" in other words, from an empty brain — a complete vacuum such as mme — no fino results can be expected. That describes my case exactly.' 'You are not half ambitious, Bob,' said Dulcie, clenching her little fists as she spoke. ♦ ISfow, if I were a man 1 should go out into the world and never rest until I had distinguished myself in some way or other, and done something worth my country.' ' Done what ?' inquired Bob laconical!} , feeling an uneasy consciousness that he did not come up to Dulcio's btandard of the sex ; for just at present his plans were extremely vague ; indeed, in her society he was almost unable tofoun any, being perfectly content to drift on day by day without occupation or, employment, so long as he could bask in the sunshine of her pre- , sence. •Oh, I don't care— anything/ responded the girl, earnestly. ' Anything rather than stop at home and idle away one's time like a veritable drone. Men should have some high and legitimate aim in life — at least according to my ideas.' He shifted hi.s {ground uneasily. He could not gainsay her views, so he took reiuge in equivocation, and an appeal to her deeper feeling?. 1 Do you want me to leave, Dulcie ?' he asked reproachfully. 'If so, I will go.' Some unaccustomed inflexion in his voice made her colour to the very l-oots of her hair. ' 1 was not speaking of my own personal wishes,' she said, gravely. ' But come, we have talked quite long enough, and I must be thinking of getting home. I wonder how the time goes V Bob rose from the ground/ shook himself like a great Newfoundland dog after a watery bath, and looked at his watch. ' By Jove !' he exclaimed, ' nearly seven o'clock, I declare !' ' Seven o'clock ? Good gracious ! I'd no idea it was so late. ' •No moie had I. But won't you stay a little longer ? There's no desperate hurry.' 'No, sir, not^ another minute. Pickup the rods, Bob, and let's be off. Heigho !' she addeJ, with a sigh, ' I wish people would not always catechise you when you get home. I know no process more unpleasant than having leluctarit answers forced out of one.' Bob did as he was bidden, and in another minute they were walking along the narrow pathway by the river-side at a rapid pace, which effectually put a stop to any but the moat fragmentary conversation. They ploughed their way steadily through the bare stems of the ferns, over bogs and ditches, across the little shaky bridge, with its rotten planks and low guard-rail, until they reached the garden gate of Milnacot Lodge. There Dulcie stopped short. ' We part company here,' she said, holding out her hand. ' I suppose we must.' ' That is to say,' Mie added, in tones of dubious civility, ' unless you like to come in for a few minutes.' •' No, thanks, Dulcie. I must make haste, and get back home in time for dinner, else the governor -will be crusty and kick up a row. He doesn't like being kept waiting for his victuals.' • Poor Bob !' she murmured, sympathetically. ' I'm afraid you are not very happy.' i It's my own fault. The old people, naturally enough, aro annoyed at my turning out such a failure.' ' You're not a failure, Bob, and you'll only make me angry if ever you say so again. / don't think you a failure, at any rate. ' He looked her full in tho face, and for one second a mist came over his eyes and blurred his vision. 1 (Jod bless you, Dulcie !' he said, huskily. ' If ever I am worth anything in this world, it will be entirely owing to you, and to your kindness and encouragement. I should be a very bad fellow indeed did I not try and render myself worthy of your good opinion.' So saying, he wrung her hand till she could almost have screamed with pain, and strode hastily away under the old elmtrees, whoso leafy branches stood out in delicate silhoutte again&t the pure bluegreen sky of evening. She stood on the same spot where he had wished her good-bye, watching his broa&retreating back and muscular shoulders, clad in a shooting jacket of light checked t Aged, until he disappeared from sight ; then she opened the garden-gate, and softly' stole into the house, trying to escapoher mother's and sister's eagle eyes, She expected a severe reprimand, and steeled herself not only with becoming stoicism, but also to exorb thab permission for the morrow on which her heart was set. She was not as yet conscious of the fact that it was Bob's presence, Bob's protecting care, and Bob's conversation, frivolous and uninteresting as it might be

to most people, that ijmade all the world seem bright, and mwe existence a pure delight. / She had basked so long in the sunshinethat she could not realise the cold, dark shadows of life thao all unheeded creep slowly on, until their gloom spreads itself around, chilling the warm faith and happy thoughtlessness and happy youth and changing them into keen, passionate suffering. She was at the portal, but had nob yet crossed the threshold of womanhood, or becomo acquainted with a woman's need of patient endurance.