HARRY JOSCELYN.
——
VOL. I.
HARRY JOSCELYN.
BY
MRS. OLIPHANT
AUTHOR OF
“The Chronicles of Carlingford,”
&c., &c.
IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,
13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
1881.
All rights reserved.
{1}
HARRY JOSCELYN.
| CHAPTER I., II., III., IV., V., VI., VII., VIII., IX., X., XI., XII., XIII., XIV., XV., XVI. |
CHAPTER I.
THE WHITE HOUSE.
“MOTHER, I wish you would not make such a fuss. It is only Harryquarrelling with father; I am sure you ought to be used to that by thistime. It is just as sure to happen when they get together as that nightwill come after day.”
“I never can be used to it if I should live a hundred years,” said themother thus addressed. She was walking up and down a long low room,wringing her hands as she walked, her brow contracted with anxiety andalarm. Her daughter sat tranquilly knitting, following her with eyesfull of calm disapproval as her figure crossed the glow of thefirelight, and went and came into{2} the gloom on either side. Theoccasional sound of their low voices, the faint rustle of the elderwoman’s movements, the crackle of the fire burning brightly, with nowand then a small explosion and sudden blaze, were all the sounds thatbroke the quiet here; and this made all the more apparent a growl ofdeep-voiced talk in an adjoining room, with now and then a high word,almost audible, quite comprehensible in its excited tone. Father and sonwere in the dining-room, mother and daughter were in the parlour, apleasant division one might have thought. Outside the wind was blowingdown the valley with a force which might have suggested storm in otherlocalities, but was natural and ordinary here. It was April, butscarcely spring as yet in the north country. “As the day lengthens thecold strengthens,” is the rule under the Shap Fells. Joan Joscelyn, theelder daughter of the house, was seated near the fire with her knitting.She was quite still save for the twinkle of her knitting needles, whichcaught the firelight, and her eyes, with which she watched her motherwithout turning her head. Her shadow upon the drawn curtains behind herwas as still as though cut out of{3} paper. She was not very young nor