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470 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP
native language.) The Charlotte had long passed out of the young
fellow's mind. That butterfly had fluttered off from our English
rosebud, and had settled on the other elderly flower ! I don't know
that Mrs. Baynes was aware of young Hely's fickleness at this
present time of which we are writing ; but his visits had ceased,
and she was angry and disappointed ; and not the less angry because
her labour had been in vain. On her part, Charlotte could also be
resolutely unforgiving. Take her Philip from her ! Never, never !
Her mother force her to give up the man whom she had been
encouraged to love? Mamma should have defended Philip, not
betrayed him ! If I command my son to steal a spoon, shall he
obey me ? And if he do obey and steal, and be transported, will he
love me afterwards ? I think I can hardly ask for so much filial
affection.
So there was strife between mother and daughter; and anger
not the less bitter, on Mrs. Baynes's part, because her husband,
whose cupidity or fear had, at first, induced him to take her side,
had deserted her and gone over to her daughter. In the anger of
that controversy Baynes died, leaving the victory and right with
Charlotte. He shrank from his wife: would not speak to her in
his last moments. The widow had these injuries against her
daughter and Philip: and thus neither side forgave the other.
She was not averse to the child's going away to her uncle : put a
lean hungry face against Charlotte's lip, and received a kiss which
I fear had but little love in it. I don't envy those children who
remain under the widow's lonely command; or poor Madame
Smolensk, who has to endure the arrogance, the grief, the avarice
of that grim woman. Nor did Madame suffer under this tyranny
long. Galignani's Messenger very soon announced that she had
lodgings to let, and I remember being edified by reading one day
in the Pall Mall Gazette that elegant apartments, select society,
and an excellent table were to be found in one of the most airy and
fashionable quarters of Paris. Inquire of Madame la Baronne de
S ________ sk, Avenue de Valmy, Champs Elysées.
We guessed without difficulty how this advertisement found
its way to the Pall Mall Gazette ; and very soon after its appearance
Madame de Smolensk's friend, Mr. Philip, made his appearance
at our tea-table in London. He was always welcome amongst us
elders and children. He wore a crape on his hat. As soon as the
young ones were gone, you may be sure he poured his story out ;
and enlarged upon the death, the burial, the quarrels, the loves,
the partings we have narrated. How could he be put in a way to
earn three or four hundred a year ? That was the present question.
Ere he came to see us, he had already been totting up ways and