The Queens Cup | Page 6

the leading
farmers, where as a boy he had been always made heartily welcome.
Before mounting his dog cart, he stood for a few minutes chatting with
Martha, his host's pretty daughter.
"You are not looking yourself, Martha," he said. "You must pick up
your roses again before I come back. I shall leave the army then, and
give a big dinner to my tenants, with a dance afterwards, and I shall
open the ball with you, and expect you to look your best.
"Who is this?" he asked, as a young fellow came round the corner of
the house, and on seeing them, turned abruptly, and walked off.
"It is George Lechmere, is it not?"
A flash of colour came into the girl's face.
"Ah, I see," he laughed; "he thought I was flirting with you, and has
gone off jealous. Well, you will have no difficulty in making your
peace with him tomorrow.
"Goodbye, child, I must be going. I have a long round to make."
He jumped into the dog cart and drove away, while the girl went
quietly back into the house.
Her father looked up at the clock.
"Two o'clock," he said; "I must be going. I expected George Lechmere
over here. He was coming to talk with me about his father's twelve-acre
meadow. I want it badly this winter, for I have had more land under the
plough than usual this year. I must either get some pasture or sell off
some of my stock."
"George Lechmere came, father," Martha said, with an angry toss of

her head, "but when he saw me talking to Captain Mallett he turned and
went off; just as if I was not to open my lips to any man but himself."
The farmer would have spoken, but his wife shook her head at him.
George Lechmere had been at one time engaged to Martha, but his
jealousy had caused so many quarrels that the engagement had been
broken off. He still came often to the house, however, and her parents
hoped that it would be renewed; for the young fellow's character stood
high. He was his father's right hand, and would naturally succeed him
to the farm. His parents, too, had heartily approved of the match. So far,
however, the prospect of the young people coming together was not
encouraging. Martha was somewhat given to flirtation. George was as
jealous as ever, and was unable to conceal his feelings, which, as he
had now no right to criticise her conduct, so angered the girl that she
not unfrequently gave encouragement to others solely to show her
indifference to his opinions.
George Lechmere had indeed gone away with anger in his heart. He
knew that Captain Mallett was on the point of leaving with his regiment
for India, and yet to see him chatting familiarly with Martha excited in
him a passionate feeling of grievance against her.
"It matters nought who it is," he muttered to himself. "She is ever ready
to carry on with anyone, while she can hardly give me a civil word
when I call. I know that if we were to marry it would be just the same
thing, and that I am a fool to stop here and let it vex me. It would be
better for me to get right out of it. John is old enough to take my place
on the farm. Some of these days I will take the Queen's shilling. If I
were once away I should not be always thinking of her. I know I am a
fool to let a girl trouble me so, but I can't help it. If I stay here I know
that I shall do mischief either to her or to someone else. I felt like doing
it last month when she was over at that business at Squire
Carthew's--he is just such another one as Captain Mallett, only he is a
bad landlord, while ours is a good one. What made him think of asking
all his own tenantry, and a good many of us round, and getting up a
cricket match and a dance on the grass is more than I can say. He never
did such a thing before in all the ten years since he became master there.

They all noticed how he carried on with Martha, and how she seemed
to like it. It was the talk of everyone there. If I had not gone away I
should have made a fool of myself, though I have no right to interfere
with her, and her father and mother were there and seemed in no way
put out.
"I will go away and have a look at that lot of young cattle I bought the
other day. I don't know that