The Gold of Chickaree Part 38

'I said nothing you need take umbrage at,' her guardian returned somewhat bitterly. 'I spoke only in care for you, Miss Hazel; not in depreciation. I am about the last man in the world to do that.'

'It is nothing very new for you to speak in depreciation of me, sir,'

said his ward, in her old privileged manner. 'You know you never did think I was good for much.'

'Enough to be worth taking care of,' growled Mr. Falkirk in a tone which bespoke a mingling of feelings.

'Well, sir,?I never was fond of that process?but I have submitted indifferently well, I hope.'

'Allow me to ask, Miss Hazel,?what sort of care do you expect in the future?'

Hazel fairly looked at him and opened her eyes. 'Really, Mr.

Falkirk,' she said, 'you are very amazing!'

'You know, I must suppose, that your?_guardian_?has proved himself unfit to take care of your fortune, inasmuch as he has thrown away his own. And when fortune is gone, Miss Kennedy, the means of taking care of you are gone along with it. I warn you, though it may not be in time.'

Wych Hazel's hands took a great grip of each other. It was pretty hard to bear this to-day.

'For the last year and a half, Mr. Falkirk, the care of me?in every respect?has been referred, and referred, and referred, to other judgment than your own. I used to think you were tired of me,?

that you had lost your wits? Now, you think I have lost mine.'

'The judgment which I was obliged to consult, and which could not hurt you as long as I remained a consenting party, will have no restraint when my decisions are dispensed with. He can pitch all your thousands after his own, if he thinks proper.'

'Yes, you can do anything with an "if," ' said Hazel, trying to keep herself quiet.

'He will think it proper,' said Mr. Falkirk.

'You must have learned a good deal in three minutes, sir.'

'He is an enthusiast?a fanatic, I should call it; and an enthusiast sees but one object in the universe, and _that_ the object of his enthusiasm. It is all right, to him; but it is all wrong for you.'

It might have been the sheer pressure of excitement, it might have been some idea that the present object of Mr. Rollo's enthusiasm was nearer at hand than Mr. Falkirk thought; but Wych Hazel's sweet laugh rang out. She knew again that the laugh was nervous, but it was uncontrollable none the less.

Mr. Falkirk's countenance changed slightly, as though he had winced with some secret pain; but it did not come out in words, if the feeling existed. He waited till the laugh had died away, and even the stillness spoke of reaction in the mind of the laugher; and then he went on with a quiet unchanged tone,

'There is no use in going into this now. I wish merely to say, Miss Hazel, that the habit of taking care for your interests is too old with me, and has become too strong, to be immediately laid aside. I shall do my best to procure a settlement of your propriety?as much of it as possible?upon yourself; and I mention this now simply to beg of you that you will not interpose any sentimental or quixotic objection on your own part. I shall endeavour to get Dr.

Maryland to back me; he must see the propriety of the step. I only ask you to keep still.'

Mr. Falkirk rose. In a moment Wych Hazel was at his side, linking her little hands on his arm in the old fas.h.i.+on.

'What have I done,' she said, 'that you speak so to me? Have I been so wayward and wilful that I have really chafed all your love away, and there is nothing left but dry care?'

He touched her hand as he rarely had ever done, with a caressing, glancing touch, slight and short; but the man was silent. Wych Hazel drew him along, softly walking him up and down through the room, but she too said nothing, feeling perplexed and hurt, and not well knowing why. It was nothing new for Mr. Falkirk's words to be dry, but to-night they were so hard!?and when had he ever called her Miss Kennedy, in the worst of times? For once her instinct was at fault.

'I must go,' said Mr. Falkirk, stopping short after a turn or two.

'It is such an old story for me to make mistakes?' Hazel began hesitatingly.

'Have you made this one unwittingly?' he asked with sudden eagerness.

Hazel dropped his arm and stood off with the air which Mr.

Falkirk knew very well.

'This one does not happen to exist,' she said. 'But I mean?I should think you were so used to the reality, sir, that the idea would not give you much trouble. And there is one thing more I ought to say.'

'I am not troubled by an idea, Miss Hazel. What is the other thing?'

Not an easy one to speak, by the shewing, as she stood there gathering her forces. But the words came clear and low.

'It will be a good day for me, Mr. Falkirk,?I shall have more hope of myself,?when I am as willing to be poor for the sake of other people, as?Mr. Rollo?is. Would you feel more sure of my being taken care of, if you knew that he spent all he has upon himself?'

'Yes. He is spending it upon a vagary?a chimera; and that is as much as to say he is throwing it into a quicksand. He will go down with it.'

'I wonder what will be the result of that?' said Wych Hazel, in the cool way she could sometimes a.s.sume when she felt particularly hot.

'I don't like to look at the result,' said Mr. Falkirk. 'I will go, if you please, Miss Hazel.?But if you will be so good as not to oppose me, the result shall not be your dest.i.tution.'

'Oppose you!' said Hazel. 'With such an object in view!'?But then the mocking tone changed, and she said sorrowfully?'I beg your pardon, Mr. Falkirk!?But you are vexed, sir, and then you always vex me. And?I was not just ready for this to-night.'

'You need not be vexed that I want to take care of you,' Mr. Falkirk returned.

'No, sir. There are great many things I need not be,' said Hazel.

'I will try to do it. I may not succeed. Good-night.'

She put her hands on his arm again, following his lead now towards the door. But on the way another thought struck her.

'Mr. Falkirk,' she said suddenly, 'if you try to do something which you know I would not like?or in a way I should not like,?you must remember that I will never say yes to it. Not if there were fifty quicksands in the way!'

'Miss Hazel,' returned her guardian, 'I have not so long held my office without finding out that it is impossible to tell beforehand what you would like, or in what way you would like it. I must work in the dark; unless you prefer to give me illumination.'

'I should like,' said Hazel bravely, 'what Mr. Rollo would have a right to like. I suppose Mr. Falkirk will know what that is.'

'Pardon me. My only concern is with what _you_ would have a right to like.'

'Very well,' she answered,?'if you choose to put it so. But I could have no right to like anything which should seem like a reflection,?anything that could cast the least possible shade of dishonour.?Further than that, I do not see how it matters.'

'Does it matter to you whether you are your own mistress or not?'

said Mr. Falkirk, confronting her now with the question.

'I suppose that is past praying for,' said Hazel with a deep blush.

'But I never have been, yet.'

'You have in money matters.'

'About my own silks and sugarplums. No further, sir.'

'Do you wish it to be "no further" always?'

'I like my own way better than anything in the world,' said Hazel, 'except'?and she paused, and the crimson mounted again,?