MRS. RAYBURN'S CAP.
WE must now return to Kelmersdale. Happily for us, we can do so without being sick like poor Janet!
In spite of little Fred's good resolutions, things frequently went wrong between him and Mrs. Rayburn. She was not fond of children. Her one idea about them was that they must be well fed, go to bed early, and never be in the way at any time. Now, Fred was nearly always in the way. The children had no employment and amusement, for they never went out except into the stone court, and though they could play there for a time, when Frank got tired of running (which he did very quickly) Fred positively could not keep out of mischief of a very babyish, innocent kind; but his misdemeanours made Mrs. Rayburn very angry, and once or twice she whipped Frank for being so lazy, sitting half asleep and not seeing after his little brother.
If she had whipped Fred, she would have done no harm, for Fred was a boy to whom a whipping would have been a small affliction. He would no doubt have roared during the infliction, and laughed in her face five minutes afterwards. But Frank was very different—a sensitive, delicate child, to whom such a punishment was a real cruelty. Not that she whipped him severely; that she never did, but the injustice of her proceedings and the disgrace of the punishment was breaking Frank's heart and ruining Fred's temper. The little creature began to hate her with an intensity of which she had no idea; she never even observed the way in which he would sit staring at her with a frown on the smooth little forehead, and a sidelong look occasionally at some of her belongings, against which he was forming plans. As long as Fred lives, he will never forget her face.
Weeks passed, and no letter came from Janet. Mrs. Rayburn grumbled, but she really did not mind, as the children were no expense to her. But, after a time, she received a letter from her sister-in-law at Hemsborough which made her very angry. The letter informed her that her married niece, Mrs. John Martin, had heard from her husband, who had gone to America on business, and he had sent her the newspaper now forwarded to Mrs. Rayburn. Mr. Martin had been at New Durham, had heard people speaking of the trial that was soon to take place, and had, of course, recognized the Hemsborough name. The paper contained an account of Mr. Turner's transactions, his escape, the arrest of his partner, and the trial. The account was very brief. The prisoner had denied being a partner, though he had been assisting in the business. Of the foundry and the actual work he knew nothing. But it came out that he had advanced a sum of money to carry on the works, and the court was not satisfied that he knew nothing of the deceptions practised. The upshot was that Rayburn was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. There was no doubt that the Frederick Rayburn so sentenced was really Hopper and Mason's late manager, for Martin had been present at the trial, and knew him very well.
"Here's a pretty kettle of fish, Maria!" Mrs. Rayburn cried, as the girl entered her sitting-room just as she finished reading all this. "There's my precious stepson been cheating right and left, somewhere in Canada, and sent to jail for it, and no doubt, he and his wife mean to make off as soon as he gets out, and leave the boys to me! And what can I do but send them to the workhouse?"
"The poor little things!" said Maria. "La! Ma'am, they do no harm here."
"But what's to become of them? I can't put them to school; I haven't a penny, thanks to their father. I just ask you what's to become of them?"
"Well, my lord will be here soon, ma'am, and maybe he'll be able to advise you about them."
For Lord Beaucourt's visits were looked upon as the time when knotty questions would be decided for the inmates of the Castle.