The Rebellion of Margaret | Page 8

set
like a flint at a mere suggestion of such a thing, "a change would be
better still. She has been too long in this flat, low-lying district;
Brighton or Eastbourne, or any part of the Sussex Downs, would be of
immense benefit to her."
"And if I follow neither of these alternatives," said Mr. Anstruther
harshly, "if I let her go on as she is doing now, what then?"
"Then I think you will run a great risk of having a morbid, melancholy
young lady on your hands--a delicate one too--for she is in danger of
becoming anemic, unless her health improves."
Dr. Knowles spoke so emphatically that, averse though he was to the
idea of letting his granddaughter go away, Mr. Anstruther dared not
disregard his warning. Nothing, he told himself obstinately, would have
induced him to accept the alternative proposal and fill his house with
young people for her sake. That would have been denying the very
principles on which she had been brought up. But the change was
another matter altogether. The next point to be considered was where
he should send her; the doctor had specified the Sussex downs, and that
brought to Mr. Anstruther's mind the fact that he had a friend who lived
in a village high up on those same downs. Many years ago he had
visited her in the breezy place in which she had chosen to make her
home, and if his memory served him rightly, and he had no doubt on
that point, Windy Gap, as the village was called, would be bracing
enough to please the doctor, and quiet enough to satisfy him. To the
best of his belief there was scarcely another house within three or four
miles, and even if she had possessed near neighbours Mrs. Murray
would not have been likely to hold much intercourse with them, for she
was very deaf, and, as when he had known her, at least, she had

objected strongly to using an ear-trumpet, and few people had sufficient
lung power to make her hear without it, she had been quite content not
to hear them at all. Mr. Anstruther smiled rather grimly as he reflected
that Margaret's stay at Windy Gap was not likely to make her own
home seem dull by contrast when she returned to it.
Although he had held no correspondence with Mrs. Murray for many
years, they had in the days of their youth been such very good friends
that Mr. Anstruther had no scruples at all in writing to ask her if she
would be willing to consent to receive his granddaughter on a long visit.
An answer came by return of post to say that Mrs. Murray would be
delighted to have her, but that as she was totally unused to young
people and would be at a loss to know how to entertain a young girl,
George must give her some idea of what amusements she would need.
"My dear Julia," wrote Mr. Anstruther by the very next post, "Margaret
requires no amusement of any sort whatever. I particularly wish her to
make no friends and to pay no visits. You will find her obedient and
quiet, respectful towards her elders, to whose opinion she has been
taught to defer implicitly on every point. You, I think, were among
those who remonstrated with me when fourteen years ago I sketched to
you the lines on which I intended to bring up my granddaughter. When
you see the result of my training, however, you will admit that your
remonstrances were misplaced. I will not, however, disguise from you
that during the last few days her conduct has not been altogether
satisfactory, but suspecting that a grave act of disobedience of which
she had been guilty arose from the fact that she was not quite in her
usual health, I called in a doctor, and he confirmed me in this opinion
and recommended change of air. Of course, you are aware that when
Margaret comes of age or when she marries, if she marries before she is
twenty-one, she inherits a fortune of about £2,000 a year. Her mother
inherited nearly double this sum, but she and her husband--she married
her second cousin and did not change her name--between them reduced
the capital by considerably more than half. But I have brought Margaret
up in utter ignorance of the fact that she is an heiress, and have always
taken pains to prevent her from coming into contact with any one who
might inform her of it. And this I have done to guard her from being

married merely for the sake of her money. Let her lead while with you
the same simple life that she has led hitherto. Make her study for five
or six