Evil communications, &c.’
‘But I shouldn’t think there’s any personal connection,’ said Marian.
‘Very likely not. But Milvain has been invited to contribute, you see.
‘Do you think he ought to have refused?’
‘Oh no. It’s nothing to me; nothing whatever.’
Mrs Yule glanced at her daughter, but Marian seemed unconcerned. The subject was dismissed. In introducing it Yule had had his purpose; there had always been an unnatural avoidance of Milvain’s name in conversation, and he wished to have an end of this. Hitherto he had felt a troublesome uncertainty regarding his position in the matter. From what his wife had told him it seemed pretty certain that Marian was disappointed by the abrupt closing of her brief acquaintance with the young man, and Yule’s affection for his daughter caused him to feel uneasy in the thought that perhaps he had deprived her of a chance of happiness. His conscience readily took hold of an excuse for justifying the course he had followed. Milvain had gone over to the enemy. Whether or not the young man understood how relentless the hostility was between Yule and Fadge mattered little; the probability was that he knew all about it. In any case intimate relations with him could not have survived this alliance with Fadge, so that, after all, there had been wisdom in letting the acquaintance lapse. To be sure, nothing could have come of it. Milvain was the kind of man who weighed opportunities; every step he took would be regulated by considerations of advantage; at all events that was the impression his character had made upon Yule. Any hopes that Marian might have been induced to form would assuredly have ended in disappointment. It was kindness to interpose before things had gone so far.
Henceforth, if Milvain’s name was unavoidable, it should be mentioned just like that of any other literary man. It seemed very unlikely indeed that Marian would continue to think of him with any special and personal interest. The fact of her having got into correspondence with his sisters was unfortunate, but this kind of thing rarely went on for very long.
Yule spoke of the matter with his wife that evening.
‘By-the-bye, has Marian heard from those girls at Finden lately?’
‘She had a letter one afternoon last week.’
‘Do you see these letters?’
‘No; she told me what was in them at first, but now she doesn’t.’
‘She hasn’t spoken to you again of Milvain?’
‘Not a word.’
‘Well, I understood what I was about,’ Yule remarked, with the confident air of one who doesn’t wish to remember that he had ever felt doubtful. ‘There was no good in having the fellow here.
He has got in with a set that I don’t at all care for. If she ever says anything — you understand — you can just let me know.’
Marian had already procured a copy of The Current, and read it privately. Of the cleverness of Milvain’s contribution there could be no two opinions; it drew the attention of the public, and all notices of the new magazine made special reference to this article. With keen interest Marian sought after comments of the press; when it was possible she cut them out and put them carefully away.
January passed, and February. She saw nothing of Jasper. A letter from Dora in the first week of March made announcement that the ‘Child’s History of the English Parliament’ would be published very shortly; it told her, too, that Mrs Milvain had been very ill indeed, but that she seemed to recover a little strength as the weather improved. Of Jasper there was no mention.
A week later came the news that Mrs Milvain had suddenly died.
This letter was received at breakfast-time. The envelope was an ordinary one, and so little did Marian anticipate the nature of its contents that at the first sight of the words she uttered an exclamation of pain. Her father, who had turned from the table to the fireside with his newspaper, looked round and asked what was the matter.
‘Mrs Milvain died the day before yesterday.’
‘Indeed!’
He averted his face again and seemed disposed to say no more. But in a few moments he inquired:
‘What are her daughters likely to do?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘Do you know anything of their circumstances?’
‘I believe they will have to depend upon themselves.’
Nothing more was said. Afterwards Mrs Yule made a few sympathetic inquiries, but Marian was very brief in her replies.
Ten days after that, on a Sunday afternoon when Marian and her mother were alone in the sitting-room, they heard the knock of a visitor at the front door. Yule was out, and there was no likelihood of the visitor’s wishing to see anyone but him. They listened; the servant went to the door, and, after a murmur of voices, came to speak to her mistress.
‘It’s a gentleman called Mr Milvain,’ the girl reported, in a way that proved how seldom callers presented themselves. ‘He asked for Mr Yule, and when I said he was out, then he asked for Miss Yule.’ Mother and daughter looked anxiously at each other. Mrs Yule was nervous and helpless.
‘Show Mr Milvain into the study,’ said Marian, with sudden decision.
‘Are you going to see him there?’ asked her mother in a hurried whisper.
‘I thought you would prefer that to his coming in here.’
‘Yes — yes. But suppose father comes back before he’s gone?’
‘What will it matter? You forget that he asked for father first.’
‘Oh yes! Then don’t wait.’
Marian, scarcely less agitated than her mother, was just leaving the room, when she turned back again.
‘If father comes in, you will tell him before he goes into the study?’
‘Yes, I will.’
The fire in the study was on the point of extinction; this was the first thing Marian’s eye perceived on entering, and it gave her assurance that her father would not be back for some hours. Evidently he had intended it to go out; small economies of this kind, unintelligible to people who have always lived at ease, had been the life-long rule with him. With a sensation of gladness at having free time before her, Marian turned to where Milvain was standing, in front of one of the bookcases. He wore no symbol of mourning, but his countenance was far graver than usual, and rather paler. They shook hands in silence.
‘I am so grieved — ‘ Marian began with broken voice.
‘Thank you. I know the girls have told you all about it. We knew for the last month that it must come before long, though there was a deceptive improvement just before the end.’
‘Please to sit down, Mr Milvain. Father went out not long ago, and I don’t think he will be back very soon.’
‘It was not really Mr Yule I wished to see,’ said Jasper, frankly. ‘If he had been at home I should have spoken with him about what I have in mind, but if you will kindly give me a few minutes it will be much better.’
Marian glanced at the expiring fire. Her curiosity as to what Milvain had to say was mingled with an anxious doubt whether it was not too late to put on fresh coals; already the room was growing very chill, and this appearance of inhospitality troubled her.
‘Do you wish to save it?’ Jasper asked, understanding her look and movement.
‘I’m afraid it has got too low.’
‘I think not. Life in lodgings has made me skilful at this kind of thing; let me try my hand.’
He took the tongs and carefully disposed small pieces of coal upon the glow that remained. Marian stood apart with a feeling