Dwell Deep; Or, Hilda Thorn's Life Story
Copyright© 2026 by Amy Le Feuvre
Chapter 19: Old Friends
‘One in heart, in interest and design,
Gird up each other to the race divine.’—Cowper.
‘Hilda, I have an old friend coming to dine with us to-night. I came across him in town to-day; you are sure to like him, he is a general favourite wherever he goes.’
‘What is his name?’
‘Ratcliffe—Charles Ratcliffe. I have known him a long time, before he cared for serious things. It was a meeting in town to which I took him that was, in God’s hands, the means of his conversion. That was many years ago, when I was just beginning to understand these things; I was quite a young fellow myself, and he is my senior by many years. I shall like you to know him, and I want him to know my wife.’
We were at breakfast, and it was a cold morning in February. Philip had taken a flat in South Kensington, and though in many ways we should have preferred a house of our own, we were perfectly happy with this arrangement. The only anxiety I had was Philip’s health; his lung that had been so affected still gave him trouble, and he was often confined to the house for weeks at a time. All day long I kept repeating the name of Charles Ratcliffe over to myself, and wondering where I had heard it before, but it was not until our guest was actually in our drawing-room, and shaking hands with me, that it flashed across me. Miss Rayner had been engaged to a Mr. Ratcliffe. Could this be the same, I wondered? And I determined presently to find out. He was a tall, handsome man with an iron-grey moustache and clear blue eyes. I could not keep my gaze off him. How often I had longed that somehow or other I might be permitted to bring those two together again! It would be strange if I were to discover that he was the identical man.
Our conversation got round to the Forsyths and their part of the country, and then I said boldly, ‘One of the prettiest parts is where Mrs. Forsyth’s sister lives, a Miss Rayner. She lives in an old farmhouse close to the moor. I spent some of my happiest days with her.’
He did not start or show any emotion at the name, as I hoped he would; but he said slowly, after a minute’s pause, ‘I used to know a Miss Rayner long ago—Helen Rayner her name was. I suppose it is the same, as I heard she had settled down there somewhere.’
‘She is a very great friend of mine,’ I said warmly; ‘but I do not think she will be there much longer now, she talks of giving the place up. In fact, she is coming up to town to stay with us next week for a few days, whilst she is meditating an interview with some missionary society; she wants to go abroad as a missionary. Perhaps, as you are old friends, Mr. Ratcliffe, you would like to meet her. Won’t you come and dine with us again whilst she is here? Would next Friday suit you?’
I saw Philip glance across at me with slight surprise; but I was too intent on my own plan to mind, and he at once added his invitation to mine.
Mr. Ratcliffe hesitated a little, and then asked if he might leave it an open question for that night, as he hardly knew what his engagements were. And having gained my point I changed the subject, and Miss Rayner’s name was not mentioned again.
We had a pleasant evening with our guest. And when he had gone Philip turned to me.
‘I need not ask you how you like him,’ he said, with an amused sparkle in his eye; ‘I never saw my little wife more determined on making acquaintance with any of my friends, or of improving the opportunity. Who else is to be invited to your dinner-party on Friday, may I ask?’
‘You mustn’t tease me,’ I rejoined,’ for you don’t know my motives. Come and sit down here, and let me tell you all about it.’
He did not seem as interested in my story as I was, though he laughed at my ‘match-making’ propensity, as he called it.
‘I recollect now,’ he said, ‘that he was engaged to some girl at the time I first knew him. It is strange that it should have been to Miss Rayner. I remember how glad I was when he told me it was broken off, for I feared she would be a stumbling-block to him. I should let matters alone if I were you, little woman. They are very happy now, both of them. It’s too late in the day to alter things, and neither of them would wish it, I am sure!’
‘You men never understand these things,’ I said, laughing; but at the same time I felt very doubtful as to whether my experiment would succeed.
Mr. Ratcliffe did accept for Friday, and now I grew very nervous about telling Miss Rayner. She arrived, and had been two days with us before I could pluck up courage to broach the subject, and it was Philip who eventually did it for me.
‘By the bye, Miss Rayner,’ he said at breakfast on Friday morning, ‘a friend of mine is coming in to dinner to-night. I hope you won’t object. Ratcliffe is his name.’
She gave a little start, but answered, ‘Of course I have no objection; but I told Hilda I would not be drawn into society whilst up here. I came up solely on business, and when that is over I shall go home.’
She did not ask any questions about him, and I said nothing. When he was announced that evening she and I were alone in the drawing-room. Certainly of the two Mr. Ratcliffe was the coolest. ‘We have met before, Miss Rayner, so need no introduction,’ he said, holding out his hand.
She took it. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘it was a surprise when I heard your name mentioned. What cold weather we are having!’ and we drifted into general topics of conversation as easily as possible.
There was no constraint at the dinner-table.
Miss Rayner could always talk well, and I never heard her talk better than on this night; more than once I saw Mr. Ratcliffe looking rather furtively across the table at her, but nothing could have been more indifferent than his tone when addressing her.
Then we began to talk on mission work at home and abroad. Mr. Ratcliffe seemed thoroughly at home with this subject, whilst Miss Rayner grew more and more silent. I was longing for an opportunity to leave them alone, and hoped that we might succeed in doing so after dinner, but I could not manage it. When he was taking his leave he turned to Miss Rayner and said, ‘Would you care to come down and see over the premises of the East End Mission I am interested in? If you have never seen London slum work, I think this would give you an insight into it.’
And to my great delight Miss Rayner responded in the affirmative. They arranged a time, and tried to include me in the visit, but I declined; and when the next morning I saw the two walk off together, I turned to Philip with a beaming face.
‘There!’ I exclaimed. ‘I consider I have managed that. Now if they don’t make it up, it won’t be my fault.’
‘You are a foolish child,’ Philip responded, as he turned round from his writing to draw me to him. ‘Why should you be so anxious to bring them together?’
‘Because,’ I said, as I laid my cheek lightly against his, ‘I want them to be as happy as we are, Philip, and I believe they will be.’