An Ambitious Man

Two weeks later the organ loft of St Blank's Church was occupied by a

stranger. For a few hours the Baroness felt a wild hope in her heart

that Miss Irving had been sent away.

But inquiry elicited the information that the young musician had

merely employed a substitute because her mother was lying seriously

ill at home.

It was then that the Baroness put into execution a desire she had to

make the personal acquaintance of Joy Irving.

The desire had sprung into life with the knowledge of the rector's

interest in the girl. No one knew better than the Baroness how to

sow the seeds of doubt, distrust and discord between two people whom

she wished to alienate. Many a sweetheart, many a wife, had she

separated from lover and husband, scarcely leaving a sign by which

the trouble could be traced to her, so adroit and subtle were her

methods.

She felt that she could insert an invisible wedge between these two

hearts, which would eventually separate them, if only she might make

the acquaintance of Miss Irving. And now chance had opened the way

for her.

She made her resolve known to the rector.

"I am deeply interested in the young organist whom I had the pleasure

of meeting some weeks ago," she said, and she noted with a sinking

heart the light which flashed into the man's face at the mere mention

of the girl. "I understand her mother is seriously ill, and I think

I will go around and call. Perhaps I can be of use. I understand

Mrs Irving is not a churchwoman, and she may be in real need, as the

family is in straitened circumstances. May I mention your name when

I call, in order that Miss Irving may not think I intrude?"

"Why, certainly," the rector replied with warmth. "Indeed, I will

give you a card of introduction. That will open the way for you, and

at the same time I know you will use your delicate tact to avoid

wounding Miss Irving's pride in any way. She is very sensitive about

their straitened circumstances; you may have heard that they were

quite well-to-do until the stroke of paralysis rendered her father

helpless. All their means were exhausted in efforts to restore his

health, and in the employment of nurses and physicians. I think they

have found life a difficult problem since his death, as Mrs Irving

has been under medical care constantly, and the whole burden falls on

Miss Joy's young shoulders, and she is but twenty-one."

"Just the age of Alice," mused the Baroness. "How differently

people's lives are ordered in this world! But then we must have the

hewers of wood and the drawers of water, and we must have the

delicate human flowers. Our Alice is one of the latter, a frail

blossom to look upon, but she is one of the kind which will bloom out

in great splendour under the sunshine of love and happiness. Very

few people realise what wonderful reserve force that delicate child

possesses. And such a tender heart! She was determined to come with

me when she heard of Miss Irving's trouble, but I thought it unwise

to take her until I had seen the place. She is so sensitive to her

surroundings, and it might be too painful for her. I am for ever

holding her back from overtaxing herself for others. No one dreams

of the amount of good that girl does in a secret, quiet way; and at

the same time she assumes an indifferent air and talks as if she were

quite heartless, just to hinder people from suspecting her charitable

work. She is such a strange, complicated character."