Wives and Daughters

THE DAWN OF A GALA DAY. [Illustration (untitled)] To begin with the old rigmarole of childhood. In a country there was a shire, and in that shire there was a town, and in that to...

A NOVICE AMONGST THE GREAT FOLK. At ten o'clock on the eventful Thursday the Towers' carriage began its work. Molly was ready long before it made its first appearance, although it...

MOLLY GIBSON'S CHILDHOOD. Sixteen years before this time, all Hollingford had been disturbed to its foundations by the intelligence that Mr. Hall, the skilful doctor, who had atte...

MR. GIBSON'S NEIGHBOURS. [Illustration (untitled)] Molly grew up among these quiet people in calm monotony of life, without any greater event than that which has been recorded--t...

CALF-LOVE. One day, for some reason or other, Mr. Gibson came home unexpectedly. He was crossing the hall, having come in by the garden-door--the garden communicated with the stab...

A VISIT TO THE HAMLEYS. Of course the news of Miss Gibson's approaching departure had spread through the household before the one o'clock dinner-time came; and Mr. Coxe's dismal c...

FORESHADOWS OF LOVE PERILS. [Illustration (untitled)] If Squire Hamley had been unable to tell Molly who had ever been thought of as her father's second wife, fate was all this t...

DRIFTING INTO DANGER. On Thursday, the quiet country household was stirred through all its fibres with the thought of Roger's coming home. Mrs. Hamley had not seemed quite so well...

THE WIDOWER AND THE WIDOW. Mrs. Kirkpatrick was only too happy to accept Lady Cumnor's invitation. It was what she had been hoping for, but hardly daring to expect, as she believe...

A CRISIS. [Illustration (untitled)] Mrs. Kirkpatrick had been reading aloud till Lady Cumnor fell asleep, the book rested on her knee, just kept from falling by her hold. She was...

MAKING FRIENDSHIP. Mr. Gibson believed that Cynthia Kirkpatrick was to return to England to be present at her mother's wedding; but Mrs. Kirkpatrick had no such intention. She was...

PREPARING FOR THE WEDDING. [Illustration (untitled)] Meanwhile the love-affairs between the middle-aged couple were prospering well, after a fashion; after the fashion that they ...

MOLLY GIBSON'S NEW FRIENDS. Time was speeding on; it was now the middle of August,--if anything was to be done to the house, it must be done at once. Indeed, in several ways Mr. G...

MOLLY FINDS HERSELF PATRONIZED. The wedding went off much as such affairs do. Lord Cumnor and Lady Harriet drove over from the Towers, so the hour for the ceremony was as late as ...

THE NEW MAMMA. [Illustration (untitled)] On Tuesday afternoon Molly returned home--to the home which was already strange, and what Warwickshire people would call "unked," to her....

THE BRIDE AT HOME. Among the "county people" (as Mrs. Gibson termed them) who called upon her as a bride, were the two young Mr. Hamleys. The Squire, their father, had done his co...

TROUBLE AT HAMLEY HALL. If Molly thought that peace dwelt perpetually at Hamley Hall she was sorely mistaken. Something was out of tune in the whole establishment; and, for a very...

MR. OSBORNE'S SECRET. [Illustration (untitled)] Osborne and Roger came to the Hall; Molly found Roger established there when she returned after this absence at home. She gathered...

CYNTHIA'S ARRIVAL. Molly's father was not at home when she returned; and there was no one to give her a welcome. Mrs. Gibson was out paying calls, the servants told Molly. She wen...

MRS. GIBSON'S VISITORS. One day, to Molly's infinite surprise, Mr. Preston was announced as a caller. Mrs. Gibson and she were sitting together in the drawing-room; Cynthia was ou...

THE HALF-SISTERS. [Illustration (untitled)] It appeared as if Mrs. Gibson's predictions were likely to be verified; for Osborne Hamley found his way to her drawing-room pretty fr...

THE OLD SQUIRE'S TROUBLES. Affairs were going on worse at the Hall than Roger had liked to tell. Moreover, very much of the discomfort there arose from "mere manner," as people ex...

OSBORNE HAMLEY REVIEWS HIS POSITION. Osborne had his solitary cup of coffee in the drawing-room. He was very unhappy too, after his fashion. He stood on the hearth-rug pondering o...

MRS. GIBSON'S LITTLE DINNER. [Illustration (untitled)] All this had taken place before Roger's first meeting with Molly and Cynthia at Miss Brownings'; and the little dinner on t...

HOLLINGFORD IN A BUSTLE. All Hollingford felt as if there was a great deal to be done before Easter this year. There was Easter proper, which always required new clothing of some ...

A CHARITY BALL. At the present time there are few people at a public ball besides the dancers and their chaperones, or relations in some degree interested in them. But in the days...

FATHER AND SONS. [Illustration (untitled)] Things were not going on any better at Hamley Hall. Nothing had occurred to change the state of dissatisfied feeling into which the Squ...

RIVALRY. For some days after the ball Cynthia seemed languid, and was very silent. Molly, who had promised herself fully as much enjoyment in talking over the past gaiety with Cyn...

BUSH-FIGHTING. During all the months that had elapsed since Mrs. Hamley's death, Molly had wondered many a time about the secret she had so unwittingly become possessed of that la...

OLD WAYS AND NEW WAYS. [Illustration (untitled)] Mr. Preston was now installed in his new house at Hollingford; Mr. Sheepshanks having entered into dignified idleness at the hous...

A PASSIVE COQUETTE. It is not to be supposed that such an encounter as Mr. Preston had just had with Roger Hamley sweetened the regards in which the two young men henceforward hel...

COMING EVENTS. Roger had turned over many plans in his mind, by which he thought that he could obtain sufficient money for the purpose he desired to accomplish. His careful grandf...

BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS. [Illustration (untitled)] It was a day or two afterwards, that Mr. Gibson made time to ride round by Hamley, desirous to learn more exact particulars of th...

A LOVER'S MISTAKE. It was afternoon. Molly had gone out for a walk. Mrs. Gibson had been paying some calls. Lazy Cynthia had declined accompanying either. A daily walk was not a n...

THE MOTHER'S MANOEUVRE. Mr. Gibson was not at home at dinner--detained by some patient, most probably. This was not an unusual occurrence; but it _was_ rather an unusual occurrenc...

DOMESTIC DIPLOMACY. The evening of the day on which Mr. Gibson had been to see the Squire, the three women were alone in the drawing-room, for Mr. Gibson had had a long round and ...

A FLUKE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT. [Illustration (untitled)] The honour and glory of having a lover of her own was soon to fall to Molly's share; though, to be sure, it was a little d...

MR. KIRKPATRICK, Q.C. Cynthia was always the same with Molly: kind, sweet-tempered, ready to help, professing a great deal of love for her, and probably feeling as much as she did...

SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT. Molly found Cynthia in the drawing-room, standing in the bow-window, looking out on the garden. She started as Molly came up to her. "Oh, Molly," said s...

MOLLY GIBSON BREATHES FREELY. That was the way in which Mrs. Gibson first broached her intention of accompanying Cynthia up to London for a few days' visit. She had a trick of pro...

GATHERING CLOUDS. [Illustration (untitled)] Mrs. Gibson came back full of rose-coloured accounts of London. Lady Cumnor had been gracious and affectionate, "so touched by my goin...

THE STORM BURSTS. The autumn drifted away through all its seasons. The golden corn-harvest, the walks through the stubble-fields, and rambles into hazel-copses in search of nuts; ...

CYNTHIA'S CONFESSION. "You said I might come," said Molly, "and that you would tell me all." "You know all, I think," said Cynthia, heavily. "Perhaps you don't know what excuses ...

MOLLY GIBSON TO THE RESCUE. It seemed curious enough, after the storms of the night, to meet in smooth tranquillity at breakfast. Cynthia was pale; but she talked as quietly as us...

CONFIDENCES. All the rest of that day Molly was depressed and not well. Having anything to conceal was so unusual--almost so unprecedented a circumstance with her that it preyed u...

HOLLINGFORD GOSSIPS. [Illustration (untitled)] "My dear Molly, why didn't you come and dine with us? I said to sister I would come and scold you well. Oh, Mr. Osborne Hamley, is ...

SCANDAL AND ITS VICTIMS. When Mr. Gibson returned to Hollingford, he found an accumulation of business waiting for him, and he was much inclined to complain of the consequences of...

AN INNOCENT CULPRIT. With his head bent down--as if he were facing some keen-blowing wind--and yet there was not a breath of air stirring--Mr. Gibson went swiftly to his own home....

MOLLY GIBSON FINDS A CHAMPION. Lady Cumnor had so far recovered from the violence of her attack, and from the consequent operation, as to be able to be removed to the Towers for c...

CYNTHIA AT BAY. Mrs. Gibson was slow in recovering her strength after the influenza, and before she was well enough to accept Lady Harriet's invitation to the Towers, Cynthia came...

"TROUBLES NEVER COME ALONE." [Illustration (untitled)] Molly had her out-of-door things on, and she crept away as she was bidden. She lifted her heavy weight of heart and body al...

SQUIRE HAMLEY'S SORROW. It seemed very long before Mr. Gibson came down. He went and stood with his back to the empty fireplace, and did not speak for a minute or two. "He's gone...

UNLOOKED-FOR ARRIVALS. Robinson opened the door for Molly almost before the carriage had fairly drawn up at the Hall, and told her that the Squire had been very anxious for her re...

MOLLY GIBSON'S WORTH IS DISCOVERED. Mr. Gibson came in rubbing his hands after his frosty ride. Molly judged from the look in his eye that he had been fully informed of the presen...

AN ABSENT LOVER RETURNS. [Illustration (untitled)] And now it was late June; and to Molly's and her father's extreme urgency in pushing, and Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick's affectiona...

"OFF WITH THE OLD LOVE, AND ON WITH THE NEW." The next morning saw Mrs. Gibson in a much more contented frame of mind. She had written and posted her letter, and the next thing wa...

BRIDAL VISITS AND ADIEUX. The whole town of Hollingford came to congratulate and inquire into particulars. Some indeed--Mrs. Goodenough at the head of this class of malcontents--t...

REVIVING HOPES AND BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS. "If you can without fatigue, dear, do come down to dinner to-day; you'll then see the people one by one as they appear, instead of having...

MOLLY GIBSON AT HAMLEY HALL. The conversation ended there for the time. Wedding-cake and wine were brought in, and it was Molly's duty to serve them out. But those last words of M...

ROGER HAMLEY'S CONFESSION. Roger had a great deal to think of as he turned away from looking after the carriage as long as it could be seen. The day before, he had believed that M...