Roger Kyffin's Ward
Page 17
receive you as a clerk at a salary of 100 pounds a year. Itis a very good one, let me assure you, for a beginner. Many a young manhas to pay a large premium to be admitted into such a house; you maytherefore consider yourself especially fortunate. All you have now todo is to be punctual, to be ready to do every thing you are required,and to forward to the utmost of your power your principal's interest.Exactness is a great thing, and above all, rigidly honourable conduct.You will not discredit my recommendation, Harry, I feel sure of that."
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
"SEEING LIFE IN LONDON."
Harry accompanied his kind guardian into London the following day, andwas introduced in due form to Mr. Silas Sleech, one of the principalclerks under Mr. Kyffin, as well as to the other persons engaged in Mr.Coppinger's counting-house in Idol Lane.
"You are welcome, Mr. Tryon," said Mr. Sleech, with whom Harry foundhimself left for a short time. "I have heard of you before atLynderton; indeed, I remember your countenance very well as a boy. Youdo not probably recollect me, however. Still you may possibly haveheard the name of my respected father, one of the principal lawyers inLynderton. We are a very well-connected family, but we do not boast ofthat here. While in this office, we are men of business; we sink everyother character. You understand me, Mr. Tryon, and if you are wise youwill follow my advice. Here I am your superior and director, butoutside this door we are equals, and I hope soon to say, we arefriends."
Harry watched Mr. Sleech's countenance while he spoke. He did notparticularly like its expression. It was then animated and vivaciousenough, but directly afterwards, when Mr. Kyffin drew near, it assumed apeculiarly dull and inanimate look, as if he was absorbed completely inthe books over which he was poring.
Mr. Coppinger himself soon afterwards arrived, and called Harry into hisprivate room. He spoke to him much in the same way that Mr. Kyffin haddone.
"You could not be in better hands than those of your guardian," heobserved. "However, as after a time you may grow tired of your dailywalk backwards and forwards to Hampstead, you shall have the room overthe counting-house, and I shall be happy to see you at my house, whereyou can become better acquainted with your cousins."
Harry thanked his uncle for his kindness, and expressed a hope that heshould be attentive to business. The first moment he had time he wroteto Mabel, telling her of his good fortune in having a situation givenhim in Mr. Coppinger's house. He had previously written in a verydifferent tone, giving an account of his grandmother's death, and thepenury in which she had left him. He had not, however, told Mabel thathe would release her from her engagement to him. While any hope yetlingered in his bosom he could not bring himself to do that. Now he wasonce more in spirits, and he felt sure that fortune would smile on him.He had never told Mabel that it was very possible Mr. Kyffin might leavehim his property. He had determined never to build on such apossibility. In the first place, Mr. Kyffin was not an old man, andmight live for many years, or he might have relatives who had claims onhim, or he might not consider it necessary, simply because he was hisward, to leave him anything.
What a blessed thing is hope, even in regard to mere mundane matters.Harry had at this time nothing else to live upon. After all the grandexpectations he had enjoyed, to find himself at last only a merchant'sclerk with 100 pounds a year! Roger Kyffin's society might possiblyhave been more improving to Harry than that of his grandmother. At thesame time, after a few weeks, it must be owned that Harry began to wishfor a little change. Roger Kyffin had been in the habit of living agood deal by himself, and had not many acquaintances in the immediateneighbourhood. Now and then a few friends came to dine with him, but heseemed to think it a mark of respect to Harry's grandmother not to seeany society at his house for the first two or three weeks after herdeath.
Mr. Coppinger invited him to dinner the following day. He was to sleepat the counting-house, where a room had been prepared for him, which hecould occupy whenever he pleased.
"You may wish to see a little more of London and your friends," said Mr.Coppinger, "and you can scarcely do so if you go out to Hampstead everyevening."
Harry of course thanked his uncle for his consideration, and the next,day prepared with some little interest to pay his respects to hisunknown cousins.
Although at that time many persons dined early, the custom of latedinners was being generally introduced. Harry arranged his toilet withmore than usual care, and somewhat before the hour of five took his wayto his uncle's house in Broad Street. It was a handsome mansion. AsHarry knocked, the door flew open, and a couple of livery servants withpowdered hair stood ready to receive him, and take his hat and cloak.He followed the servant up-stairs, and was ushered into a largedrawing-room. A lady came forward, not very young, according to hisidea, but fair and good-looking, with a somewhat full figure, and apleasant expression of countenance.
"And are you our cousin Harry?" she said, putting out her hand. "Whydid you not come before? We heard about you, and are very glad at lastto make your acquaintance."
"I scarcely liked to come without my uncle's invitation," said Harry,"but am very happy to have the opportunity of making his daughter'sacquaintance. I conclude that you are Miss Coppinger."
"Yes, I am generally so called," answered the young lady, "but I am yourcousin Martha, remember that. You must not be formal with us. Myyounger sisters may encourage you to be so, but you must not attend totheir nonsense."
"I should like to know something about them," said Harry, feelinghimself quite at home with Martha, evidently a kind and sensible woman,and, as people would say, a bit of a character.
"That's very sensible in you, Harry," she answered. "Fortunately theyhave been all out, and only lately went up to dress, so that I shallhave time to tell you about them. Next to me there is Susan--she islike me in most respects, and some people take us for twins. However,she really is two years younger. Then there is Mary. She has only onefault. She is somewhat sentimental, and too fond of poetry--readsCowper and Crabbe, and Miss Burney's novels, half-bound volumes inmarble covers. She sighs over Evelina, and goes into raptures withClarissa. She is dark, thin, and slight, not a bit like Susan and me.Then there is Maria Jane. She is fair and addicted to laughing, andvery good-natured, and not a bit sentimental. Then there is Estella.Harry, you must take care of her. She is something like Mary, but morelively and more practical too. Mary lives in an idea of her own:Estella carries out her romantic notions. Then there is our youngestsister, Sybella, or baby we always used to call her, but she ratherobjects to the appellation. You must find out about her yourself.There, now you know us all. You are known to us, so you will findyourself perfectly at home by the time you see us assembled round thedinner-table. As we have no brothers we shall make a great deal of you,and take care that you are not spoilt. Above all things, don't fall inlove. You will become hideous and useless if you do. I don't at allapprove of the passion, except when exhibited in gentlemen ofcomfortable incomes, nor does papa. I warn you of that, so if you wishto take advantage of such hospitality as we can afford you--and wereally desire to be kind--you have been cautioned and must actaccordingly."
Harry cordially thanked Martha for the description of her sisters, andwith perfect sincerity promised to follow her advice. It showed himthat she, at all events, was not aware of his love for Mabel, and thoughhe thought her a very good-natured woman, he had no intention of makingher his confidant on that matter.
Harry had soon the opportunity of discovering the correctness of herdescription of her sisters. The youngest came in last. There was aconsiderable amount of beauty among them, so that they passed for afamily of pretty girls, but when he saw Sybella, he at once acknowledgedthat she surpassed them all.
She was a bright little fairy, just entering womanhood. Curiously likeMabel, so he thought: indeed, he would not otherwise have admired her somuch.
"I am not surprised that Martha warned me," he thought to himself. "Ifit were not for Mabel, I should certainly
have fallen in love with thatlittle girl, and yet Mabel is her superior in many ways; I am sure ofthat."
They were seated at the dinner-table when these thoughts came intoMaster Harry's head. Sybella's eyes met his. She blushed. Could shehave divined his thoughts?
His uncle was very kind. No man indeed appeared to better advantage athis dinner-table than did Mr. Coppinger. He at once made Harry feelperfectly at home, and as his cousins addressed him by his Christianname, he soon found himself calling them by theirs in return.
"We must make a great deal of use of you, Harry," said Miss Coppinger."We sadly want a beau to accompany us in the evenings when we go out.Father cannot often come with us. He comes home tired from business.We six spinsters have consequently to spend most of our time