E-text prepared by Robin Eugene Escovado
An Old-Fashioned Love Story
by
Author of John Halifax, Gentleman,&c., &c., &c.
It was a very ugly bush indeed; that is, so far as any thing in naturecan be really ugly. It was lopsided—having on the one hand a stuntedstump or two, while on the other a huge heavy branch swept down to thegravel-walk. It had a crooked gnarled trunk or stem, hollow enough toentice any weak-minded bird to build a nest there—only it was so nearto the ground, and also to the garden gate. Besides, the owners ofthe garden, evidently of practical mind, had made use of it to placebetween a fork in its branches a sort of letter-box—not the governmentregulation one, for twenty years ago this had not been thought of; but arough receptacle, where, the house being a good way off, letters might bedeposited, instead of; as hitherto, in a hole in the trunk—near the footof the tree, and under shelter of its mass of evergreen leaves.
This letter-box; made by the boys of the family at the instigation andwith the assistance of their tutor, had proved so attractive to someexceedingly incautious sparrow that during the intervals of the post shehad begun a nest there, which was found by the boys. Exceedingly wildboys they were, and a great trouble to their old grandmother, with whomthey were staying the summer, and their young governess—"Misfortune,"as they called her, her real name being Miss Williams—Fortune Williams.The nickname was a little too near the truth, as a keener observer thanmischievous boys would have read in her quiet, sometimes sad, face; andit had been stopped rather severely by the tutor of the elder boys, ayoung man whom the grandmother had been forced to get, to "keep them inorder!" He was a Mr. Robert Roy, once a student, now a teacher of the"humanities," from the neighboring town—I beg its pardon—city; and alovely old city it is!—of St. Andrews. Thence he was in the habit ofcoming to them three and often four days in the week, teaching ofmornings and walking of afternoons. They had expected him thisafternoon, but their grandmother had carried them off on some pleasureexcursion; and being a lady of inexact habits—one, too, to whom tutorswere tutors and nothing more—she had merely said to Miss Williams, asthe carriage drove away, "When Mr. Roy comes, tell him he is not wantedtill tomorrow."
And so Miss Williams had waited at the gate, not wishing him to have theadditional trouble of walking up to the house, for she knew every minuteof his time was precious. The poor and the hard-working can understandand sympathize with one another. Only a tutor and only a governess: Mrs.Dalziel drove away and never thought of them again. They were meremachines—servants to whom she paid their wages, and so that they didsufficient service to deserve these wages, she never interfered withthem, nor, indeed, wasted a moment's consideration upon them or theirconcerns.
Consequently they were in the somewhat rare and peculiar position ofa young man and young woman (perhaps Mrs. Dalziel would have takenexception to the words "young lady and young gentleman") thrown togetherday after day, week after week—nay, it had now become month aftermonth—to all intents and purposes quite alone, except for the children.They taught together, there being but one school-room; walked outtogether, for the two younger boys refused to be separated from theirolder brothers; and, in short, spent two-thirds of their existencetogether, without let or hindrance, comment or observation, from any