A voyage of discovery

by Hamilton Aïdé

"I have no idea; but I shall let you know as soon as we arrive. I have promised Mrs. Barham to go out and spend a day at your father's house. It will interest me to see something of your New England village life."

"Well," he began, hesitatingly, "I will not discourage you. Mother will love dearly to receive you, but you must not expect anything like an English village, or—or the comforts of an English rectory. Things are much simpler with us and quite different."

"I am prepared for that. If they were not different they would not interest me; though, indeed, all that concerns your mother would interest me. I took to her at once—I told you so—and, in that case, my first impressions have strengthened more and more."

He replied, gravely,

"Our having met you, Miss Ballinger—your having spoken to my mother has made a great difference in our voyage. I shall never forget it. When we meet again it will probably not be on the same terms. How can it be in a great city? I shall call, and you will be kind enough to say you are glad to see me; but the informal intimacy of our long talks on deck—can it be renewed on shore? I think not. Still, I shall always look back to those hours as some of the most delightful in my life."

"I hope they will be renewed. I assure you I shall always remember them with the greatest pleasure."

"Ah! you have many such pleasant memories, no doubt. I have very few."

The crowd, the shouts of porters, emissaries from hotels, and friends of passengers, who now rushed on board, put an end to further conversation. Grace had only time to bid him and his mother good-by (she had already taken leave of her other friends), when she was hurried off by her brother to the carriage which was waiting to take them to the hotel.

And here I will seize the opportunity, while our travellers are landing, of saying a few words as to the Ballinger family, which will make the position of this brother and sister more easily understood.

Sir Henry Ballinger, who died only two years ago, was, as every one knows, a remarkable man: prominent in politics, he had been twice a cabinet minister, distinguished as an author upon currency and international law, absorbed in the frigid, more than in the burning, questions of the day, but still so much absorbed as to have little leisure to bestow upon his children. Their mother died when Mordaunt was sixteen and Grace was twelve; and what they would have done without Mrs. Frampton, their father's sister, who almost took Lady Ballinger's place in the household from that time forward, it is hard to say. Mordaunt was at Eton; he was an impressionable lad, who stood too much in awe of his father ever to make a friend of him, and to whom the loss of a mother's sympathy meant more than it would to many boys. He was much less clever than his sister, but possessed far more "worldly wisdom," as it is called, which, from a high standpoint, is probably nearer akin to foolishness. Nevertheless, he had a capacity for strong attachment; and as a boy his mother had been everything to him. He was very fond of his sister, and as years advanced she became more and more prominent in his life; but at this time she was too young to be his companion, still less his confidante. Happily, Mordaunt and his aunt had always been great friends. He used to say he could talk more easily with her than with any one—her plane of wisdom was not too far above him. Soon after Lady Ballinger's death, Mrs. Frampton arrived on a long visit; and from that time filled the vacant place at the head of the table during several months each year. She had her own house in London, and when resident there the two establishments were separate; but when Sir Henry moved to the country, or if he took Grace abroad, Mrs. Frampton always accompanied them. Between the aunt and the niece there was also a strong affection; but, Grace's nature being less plastic than her brother's, Mrs. Frampton's influence was less than it was upon Mordaunt. As the girl grew up, the difference of opinion on many points between her aunt and herself grew more marked. It did not prevent them being the best of friends, but their way of looking at many questions was diametrically opposed. Intellectually, Mrs. Frampton and her niece had much in common; but Mordaunt had that respect for his aunt's judgment which led him to consult her upon points where Grace would have decided for herself, and decided differently.