ABINGTON ABBEY
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BY THE SAME AUTHOR
THE HOUSE OF MERRILEES EXTON MANOR THE ELDEST SON THE SQUIRE'S DAUGHTER THE HONOUR OF THE CLINTONS THE GREATEST OF THESE THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH WATERMEADS UPSIDONIA ABINGTON ABBEY THE GRAFTONS RICHARD BALDOCK THE CLINTONS AND OTHERS
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ABINGTON ABBEY
A Novel
by
ARCHIBALD MARSHALL
[Illustration]
New York Dodd, Mead and Company 1919
Copyright, 1917 By Dodd, Mead and Company, Inc.
TO MY DEAR LITTLE ELIZABETH
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE I THE VERY HOUSE 1 II THE VICAR 15 III THE FIRST VISIT 27 IV NEIGHBOURS 41 V SETTLING IN 56 VI VISITORS 72 VII YOUNG GEORGE 90 VIII WHITSUNTIDE 104 IX CAROLINE AND BEATRIX 121 X A DRIVE AND A DINNER 136 XI CAROLINE 151 XII THE VICAR UNBURDENS HIMSELF 165 XIII A LETTER 181 XIV LASSIGNY 197 XV BEATRIX COMES HOME 214 XVI CLOUDS 228 XVII BUNTING TAKES ADVICE 245 XVIII TWO CONVERSATIONS 254 XIX MOLLIE WALTER 271 XX A MEET AT WILBOROUGH 287 XXI A FINE HUNTING MORNING 301 XXII ANOTHER AFFAIR 316 XXIII BERTIE AND MOLLIE 332 XXIV SUNDAY 348 XXV NEWS 364 XXVI THE LAST 378
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: Abington Abbey by Archibald Marshall
- 2: George Grafton did look rather younger than his fifty years
- 3: George Grafton was one of them
- 4: Beatrix was even prettier than Caroline
- 5: Miss Waterhouse was tall and straight
- 6: Sir James Grafton was George's elder brother
- 7: I don't know what will happen at Abington
- 8: Which took a very slight turn when the Vicarage was passed
- 9: Mercer brought in the Daily Telegraph
- 10: Compton Brett was the owner of Abington Abbey
- 11: Mercer felt vaguely distressed
- 12: Grafton turned to him with his pleasant smile
- 13: While Grafton and Caroline stood by
- 14: The Vicar looked at her critically
- 15: Couldn't you both come to tea at the Vicarage
- 16: Worthing was agent both for Abington and Wilborough
- 17: They wandered about the gardens
- 18: Grafton was at a loss for a moment
- 19: I have never seen a prettier girl than Miss Grafton
- 20: Grafton only has a few hours here
- 21: Fortunately Lady Mansergh is not their mother
- 22: Beckley left off asking us to the house
- 23: Carruthers had everything to make life happy
- 24: Beatrix generally did get her way
- 25: And Beatrix on one of the let down seats
- 26: I want to talk to Worthing about that
- 27: Grafton was not a man who dwelt on the past
- 28: As he looked at their photographs on the mantelpiece
- 29: Miss Waterhouse took little part in the conversation
- 30: I shouldn't take much notice of what Mercer says
- 31: And Abington had been delightful to them
- 32: They introduced me to Beatrix and to Mr
- 33: Mercer was seen bearing down upon them
- 34: Besides the Grafton family and Worthing
- 35: Grafton Lord Handsworth's sister
- 36: As Beatrix lightly took her defence on her own shoulders
- 37: For he knew what he thought of the Pembertons
- 38: At least as far as Caroline was concerned
- 39: Beckley and Vera called last week
- 40: Lord Salisbury disapproves of everybody
- 41: Miss Waterhouse hardly ever failed to suggest Mrs
- 42: Miss Waterhouse solved the awkward situation
- 43: Beatrix caught hold of him and kissed him
- 44: He preferred to dine alone with his family
- 45: The nearest golf links worth his playing over
- 46: The Marquis de Clermont Lassigny
- 47: With Lassigny she had not felt like that
- 48: And sat down on a stone bench in a niche of yew
- 49: Francis seemed to have done that
- 50: But you never will bring them to Frayne
- 51: This is really a nicer place than Frayne
- 52: But Francis Parry is in love with her
- 53: But Francis Parry is a very nice fellow
- 54: She was more of a child to him even than Barbara
- 55: But Beatrix would take his hand
- 56: That's the best fun of the lot
- 57: It's chiefly owing to Miss Waterhouse
- 58: It's not so nice as the park at Abington
- 59: To confess to him and not to Father Brill
- 60: Pemberton was engaged with Caroline
- 61: Pemberton doesn't even know Mrs
- 62: But in her large airy room at Abington
- 63: Especially when he was at home at Abington
- 64: I'm going to have a bath and a shave later on
- 65: What he says is that he wants me damnably
- 66: Which invitation he gratefully but diffidently accepted
- 67: The living of Surley was a 'plum
- 68: Should succeed him as Rector of Surley
- 69: Carruthers was the Bishop's niece
- 70: She is bound to make friends with the Graftons
- 71: I'm sure Rhoda and I did our best to make friends with them
- 72: I didn't know she knew the Pembertons
- 73: She goes over with the Graftons
- 74: I thought he would be my willing helper in my work
- 75: Lawn tennis and other garden games
- 76: Bradby had not put in his appearance
- 77: She says she's engaged to Lassigny
- 78: Grafton came out of the office
- 79: She allowed his feelings against Lassigny to affect her
- 80: Grafton did not reply to his question in direct terms
- 81: Grafton looked down on his plate
- 82: Miss Waterhouse laid down her work on her lap
- 83: He had not yet heard from Lassigny
- 84: So now the absence of its signs hardened him
- 85: But I don't want you to marry Lassigny
- 86: Lassigny was announced a little after twelve o'clock
- 87: Lassigny looked merely surprised
- 88: As Lassigny turned to leave him
- 89: And forgive him anything that was wrong
- 90: Beatrix clung to her a little as she kissed her
- 91: Caroline thought she meant Lassigny
- 92: Beatrix must work that out for herself
- 93: She would never love anybody but Rene
- 94: I should say Frenchman or no Frenchman
- 95: Beatrix met him at the station
- 96: And Lady Mansergh was one of them
- 97: Said Lady Mansergh enthusiastically
- 98: I think Geoffrey Mansergh must have told her
- 99: I've not spoilt your life for you at all
- 100: If Lassigny had pressed his suit
- 101: Lassigny had withdrawn his suit
- 102: And Jimmy and Bunting went off to the gooseberry bushes
- 103: How did you know the harrow was there
- 104: If you call Kate Pemberton ancient
- 105: He did owe something to Lady Handsworth
- 106: But Grafton lunched alone with his sister in law
- 107: You couldn't expect it to last quite like that at Abington
- 108: And Grafton went immediately to Claridge's
- 109: Grafton felt a sudden spurt of resentment
- 110: I might prefer another sort of match for him
- 111: He was disappointed that Beatrix hadn't come
- 112: But Lassigny hardly seemed to fit in
- 113: Beatrix laughed at her mischievously
- 114: After shaking hands warmly with Beatrix
- 115: Vera Beckley never knew it till he tried to kiss her
- 116: You know I don't mean the Vicar
- 117: Beatrix kissed Mollie good bye
- 118: They were everything to you before the Graftons came
- 119: But hunting was to be the staple amusement of these holidays
- 120: The meet was to be at Wilborough
- 121: This is Caroline and this is Beatrix and this is Barbara
- 122: And the Grafton girls liked him
- 123: And Beatrix showed no sign of having changed
- 124: Grafton knew what and whom he referred to
- 125: There were a few undistinguished barristers
- 126: Ella Carruthers had her hand on Barbara's shoulder
- 127: She knew how much Beatrix loved him
- 128: Grafton was not unimpressed by this frank disclosure
- 129: Caroline and Beatrix had no lack of society
- 130: She saw Maurice Bradby standing at a little distance off
- 131: Beatrix was rather taken aback by this directness
- 132: Beatrix was interested in this disclosure
- 133: Rather unmeaning face which touched Beatrix
- 134: Beatrix did not put her at it again
- 135: She felt rather soft with regard to Bertie and Mollie
- 136: She was more doubtful of her lover
- 137: The hunt had set directly away from Abington
- 138: Mercer exulted openly in the return of her allegiance
- 139: I have been told that before he came to Surley
- 140: And when he had finished with the question of Surley Rectory
- 141: It was at that moment that Bertie Pemberton was announced
- 142: Bertie had been at Oxford himself
- 143: Bertie was himself in a moment
- 144: He had jibbed at the thought of that photograph of Lassigny
- 145: He's rather interested in the Pembertons
- 146: The Grafton family went to church
- 147: Mollie would have received his letter early that morning
- 148: Mercer pursued their way homewards
- 149: Jimmy and Young George then withdrew
- 150: It was a sign of the rightness of his love for Mollie
- 151: So the Graftons hardly knew him
- 152: And Lady Wargrave sometimes succeeded
- 153: Wargrave has promised me a trip every two years
- 154: So she and Miss Waterhouse slipped out of the room
- 155: B and the Dragon have gone home
- 156: Beatrix had gone to bed when they got in
- 157: And said We've had a hog of a time
- 158: But Caroline had had to struggle for it
- 159: What did she mean by the full benefit
- 160: Less dependent upon pleasures that had to be sought for