CHAPTER XII
Out in California
'A woman will, or won't, depend on't; If she will do't, she will, and there's an end on't.'
On the wooden verandah of Walter Dane's ranch in Southern Californiasat Gwen one evening, enjoying the orange-flamed sunset in front ofher. And lounging opposite her, smoking his pipe, was Walter--agood-looking young fellow, whose usual expression was supremegood-humour, but whose brow now was furrowed with anxious thought.
'You see, Gwen,' he said, knocking the ashes out of his pipe, andramming in a fresh supply of tobacco in a slow, meditative fashion, 'ithas been very good of you to come out and look me up. I've beenlonging for a sight of my own flesh and blood for years, and if I wasonly a sight better off, I'd offer you a home for good.'
'That I would not take, with many thanks,' said Gwen, laughing. 'Nowcome, ever since I arrived I have seen you have had something on yourmind, so unburden! What is it?'
Walter looked across the great sweep of uncultivated ground outside hisranch to the landmark of another ranch in the distance--a windmillwhich pumped up the water necessary for use from a great depth below.
'You saw the Setons yesterday. What did you think of them?'
As he asked the question he pulled at his heavy moustache rathernervously.
'I thought they were wonderfully nice people for colonials. The girlis a pretty little thing.'
'They are not colonials,' her brother returned quickly; 'at least, notmore than I am: for they haven't been in this country as long. Metaonly came out a couple of years ago. She was educated at home inBrighton.'
'Was she?'
Gwen was looking at her brother with keen eyes now. There was silencefor a minute, then Walter said in a very quiet voice,--
'We have been engaged, she and I, for a twelvemonth, and the wedding isfixed some time next month.'
Another dead silence, then Gwen said, with a little laugh, 'Well, I amsurprised. I did not think you were a marrying man. You never gave usa hint of this in your letters home.'
'No; for I foresaw a long engagement, and thought it might be deemedrash.'
'And how do you intend to support a wife?'
'I can manage it now. My ground is improving. The great difficulty inthis part of the country is want of water, and I have overcome that.Of course, it will be hard work for some time yet, but Meta knows whatthe life will be like, and an aunt in England has lately died, and lefther a legacy. She does not come to me portionless!'
Gwen gazed in front of her with compressed lips. She would not showher consternation and discomfiture to her brother, though to herselfshe was saying, 'I made a mistake in coming out to him!'
Aloud she said,--
'Well, I suppose I must congratulate you. And I will not stay out hereafter your marriage; you will have one of your family at the ceremony,which ought to comfort you.'
'You will like her as a sister, will you not?' asked Walter, withanxiety in his eyes, as he turned and faced his sister.
'Oh yes. I thought she was a nice little thing. Not much character, Isuppose; but you men prefer that style of woman. She struck me as alady.'
'Rather!' And with a short laugh Walter put his beloved pipe in hismouth, and with a sigh of relief at getting through his news, sank intoa lounge chair, prepared to give his full confidence to his sister, nowthat the worst was over.
But Gwen disappointed him by rising carelessly from her seat.
'I am very tired. Your early hours here make the day interminable.Good-night.'
She passed into the house humming the air of a song, but once in herroom her expression changed.
'He will marry and have a large family, and only just make his farmingpay to support them all. He has no ambition, no desire to make hisfortune and come back to England. It means a thorough colonial lifefor always. Oh, what fools men are!'
She paced her room with clenched hands.
'I never dreamt of such a thing. I came out here to shake him up, tomake him better himself. And I find he is perfectly content, andconsiders my coming a decided nuisance, though he doesn't like to sayso. He can barely afford to live comfortably himself, and yet hemeditates a speedy marriage. I should like to postpone it. I supposeif I asked him to let me stay out here for three or four months and lethis marriage wait till after I left him, he might agree, but then whatshould I gain by that? I want him to give up this farming, which willnever make his fortune; but if he has a wife in view he will cling toit! How I wish he had heard Mr. Montmorency talk of the certainty offinding fresh goldfields, if only men of push and a certain amount ofmoney could be forthcoming! I will not let my journey out here be allin vain! Walter must be roused, and made to do something better withhis life than his present existence. I wish Mr. Montmorency would payus a visit soon. He would advise him for his good. He says thiscountry is teeming with riches under the surface, only colonists areoften content with so little that they do not develop half theresources so close to them. After all, it won't hurt that girl to waitanother year longer. She looks a simple, stupid little thing; and ifWalter can be got to postpone his marriage, we may be able to dosomething with him yet.'
As Gwen thus cogitated, the scene in the cottage garden at home camebefore her, when she found Patty Howitt locked out by her irate sister,and her words flashed across her with clear distinctness now,--
'If I'm kept out here till dark, I'll maintain a promised wife comesbefore a sister!'
A shadow crossed Gwen's determined face at this recollection.
'It is not a case of me or the promised wife,' she muttered to herselfwith a little laugh. 'I would willingly go home again at once andleave the young couple to themselves, but it is of their future that Iam thinking; and they will thank me in the end for it, I know.'
Not a doubt crossed her mind of the wisdom or expediency of trying toupset her brother's plans and purposes. She knew what influence shepossessed over him. His was a placid, rather weak nature, true andsteadfast in his dealings with others, and quite capable of holding hisown as long as he kept in a certain groove; but for a man he wasstrangely uncertain and distrustful of himself, and one who alwaysfound it easier to take advice than to give it.
Gwen had a restless night. Her head was full of plans, and when thenext morning there was a stir outside the house, and she was told thata 'strange gentleman and lady' had arrived, she was quite enough versedin colonial ways to show no surprise when she went out upon theverandah and greeted 'Mr. and Mrs. Montmorency.'
Walter was a capital host, and was genuinely pleased to see any friendsof his sister. And Gwen felt that fortune had indeed favoured her, andsent to her aid the very one who could help best at this crisis.
Mr. Montmorency inspired most people with confidence, and it was notlong before he was deep in discussions of the country with Walter,telling him many valuable facts about agriculture that had come underhis own observation, and from that drifting on to talk of the mineralwealth that had as yet hardly been touched.
He remembered the gold rush in Northern California, and prophesied thesame would take place in the part they were in. Walter listened, butsaid little, and even when Mr. Montmorency went on to unfold a schemeof his shortly to be put into project, he showed little interest.
'It is very well for men of means to venture on such undertakings. Itwants capital, and there are few about here who would risk theirhardly-earned savings on a speculation which might fail.'
Then Gwen, with her clear head and quick brain, took the matter up.Even bright little Mrs. Montmorency could talk well on the subject, andfor the next few days little else was mentioned but a certain region afew hundreds of miles away, where Mr. Montmorency intended to beginoperations, and where he had already found proof enough of theexistence of gold to make it worth his while to start a company and setto work in earnest.
The next mail that left for England contained the following letter fromGwen to Agatha;--
'DEAREST AGATHA,--
'This is purely a business letter, and a very important one. I havetold you all about Walter and his surroundings already, so will not gointo that again. Mr. Montmorency has been staying with us. He is aclever, able man, very well connected, a nephew of Lord D----, and hasspent most of his life out here. He is starting a company for workinga gold-mine in this neighbourhood. There is a certain prospect of itsbeing a grand success. I send you a bundle of prospectuses and papers,which I want you to look carefully through. I know how cautious youare where investments are concerned, and, of course, one cannot be toocareful. You will see the directors are all wealthy men, and theirnames well known at home. Show the papers to old Mr. Watkins if youlike, and if you're afraid of acting without legal advice. Now I cometo the point. Mr. Montmorency has taken a great liking to Walter. Hesays he is too good to rust in this part as he is doing, and waste thebest years of his life in slaving to earn a livelihood, with noprospect of anything better in years to come. And he has asked him tojoin him in his undertaking, and become an active partner in theconcern. I won't waste time by going into it all, but it is a grandchance for Walter, and he is certain to make his fortune. The onecondition is that he must have capital to invest. He is going to sellhis farm, but that will not bring in much. What I propose is that wefour should invest our capital in this. Hand it over to Walter, andthen Mr. Montmorency will be able to take him into the concern. Weshall not lose, but be gainers by this. Mr. Montmorency can assure us5 per cent. interest from the first, and that is more than we aregetting now. There is not the slightest risk or speculation in thematter, and Walter is fortunate to have found such a friend in Mr.Montmorency. I have already promised my portion. Talk it over withClare and Elfie, and show them that it will not only be benefitingthemselves, but will be the making of Walter.
'I must tell you that he is engaged to be married to a very nice girlout here, and she is going to invest a legacy of hers in the samecompany. Every one round here has the greatest confidence in Mr.Montmorency. He is still staying with us, and Walter quite enjoys hissociety. If you want any more information about the company, you canget it by applying at their office in London. I do hope, for Walter'ssake, that you will not be long in making up your minds. It seems sowonderfully fortunate that I should have come out in the same steamerwith the Montmorencys. The mail is going. I must stop. If Waltergets the capital he needs, he will go off with Mr. Montmorency to thecentre of operations next month, and I shall then return home. I maytell you that he was thinking of getting married shortly, but he andMeta Seton have wisely settled to postpone it until he has a goodincome. I believe myself that he will soon be a rich man. If he is, Ishall be well repaid for my journey out here. Love to all. Will writeagain soon.
'Your affectionate sister, 'GWEN.'