An Applied Guide to Research Designs:

Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed

Methods W. Alex Edmonds
Visit to download the full and correct content document:
https://textbookfull.com/product/an-applied-guide-to-research-designs-quantitative-qu
alitative-and-mixed-methods-w-alex-edmonds/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Biota Grow 2C gather 2C cook Loucas

https://textbookfull.com/product/biota-grow-2c-gather-2c-cook-
loucas/

Social Research Methods Qualitative Quantitative and

Mixed Methods Approaches 1st Edition Sigmund Grønmo

https://textbookfull.com/product/social-research-methods-
qualitative-quantitative-and-mixed-methods-approaches-1st-
edition-sigmund-gronmo/

Handbook of methodological approaches to community-

based research : qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods 1st Edition Leonard A. Jason

https://textbookfull.com/product/handbook-of-methodological-
approaches-to-community-based-research-qualitative-quantitative-
and-mixed-methods-1st-edition-leonard-a-jason/

Research and Evaluation in Education and Psychology

Integrating Diversity with Quantitative Qualitative and
Mixed Methods Donna M. Mertens

https://textbookfull.com/product/research-and-evaluation-in-
education-and-psychology-integrating-diversity-with-quantitative-
qualitative-and-mixed-methods-donna-m-mertens/
Empirical Political Analysis Quantitative and
Qualitative Research Methods Richard C. Rich

https://textbookfull.com/product/empirical-political-analysis-
quantitative-and-qualitative-research-methods-richard-c-rich/

Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research 3rd

Edition John W. Creswell

https://textbookfull.com/product/designing-and-conducting-mixed-
methods-research-3rd-edition-john-w-creswell/

Educational research planning conducting and evaluating

quantitative and qualitative research fourth edition
Creswell

https://textbookfull.com/product/educational-research-planning-
conducting-and-evaluating-quantitative-and-qualitative-research-
fourth-edition-creswell/

Quantitative methods for health research : a practical

interactive guide to epidemiology and statistics Second
Edition Bruce

https://textbookfull.com/product/quantitative-methods-for-health-
research-a-practical-interactive-guide-to-epidemiology-and-
statistics-second-edition-bruce/

A guide to quantitative methods Y. B. Almquist

https://textbookfull.com/product/a-guide-to-quantitative-methods-
y-b-almquist/
 An Applied Guide
to Research Designs
Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods

Second Edition ·

W. Alex Edmonds
Thomas D. Kennedy
Nova Southeastern University

.• 1):

ISAGE
Los Angeles I London I New Delhi
SingaporeIWashington DC I Melbourne
($)SAGE
FORINFORMATION: Copyright © 2017 by SAGE Publications, Inc.

SAGEPublications,
Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
2455TellerRoad
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage
Thousand
Oaks,California
91320 and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
E-mail:order@sagepub.com publisher.

SAGEPublications
Ltd. Printed in the United States of America
1Oliver'sYard
55CityRoad Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
London,EC1Y1SP
UnitedKingdom Names: Edmonds, W. Alex, author. I Kennedy, Thomas D., author.
Title: An applied guide to research designs : quantitative,
SAGEPublications
IndiaPvt.Ltd. qualitative, and mixed methods I W. Alex Edmonds, Nova
Southeastern University, Thomas D. Kennedy, Nova Southeastern
B 1/11MohanCooperative
Industrial
Area
University.
MathuraRoad,NewDelhi110044
India Other titles: Applied reference guide to research designs
Description: Los Angeles: SAGE, [2017] I Earlier edition
SAGEPublications
Asia-Pacific
Pte.Ltd. published in 2013 as: An applied reference guide to research
designs : quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. I Includes
3 ChurchStreet
bibliographical references and index.
#10-04Samsung
Hub
Singapore
049483
Identifiers: LCCN 2015045991 I ISBN 9781483317274 (pbk.: alk.
paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Social sciences-Research-Methodology. I
Education-Research-Methodology. I Research-Methodology.
Classification: LCC H62 .E327 2017 I DOC 001.4/2-dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015045991
Acquisitions
Editor: LeahFargotstein
EditorialAssistant: YvonneMcDuffee This book is printed on acid-free paper.
eLearningEditor: KatieAnchetaand
RobertHig;iins
ProductionEditor: OliviaWeber-Stenis
CopyEditor: AmyHarris
Typesetter:C&MDigitals(P)Ltd.
Proofreader:Jeff Bryant
Indexer: WilliamRagsdale
CoverDesigner: CandiceHarman
MarketingManager: Susannah
Goldes 16 17 18 19 20 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Brief Contents

List of Tables, Figures, and Diagrams xi

Foreword xiv

Preface xvii

Acknowledgments XXV

About the Authors xxvi

1. A Primer of the Scientific Method

and Relevant Components 1

PART I. QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR EXPERIMENTAL

AND QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 29
2. Between-Subjects Approach 35
3. Regression-Discontinuity Approach 51
4. Within-Subjects Approach 57
5. Factorial Designs 75
6. Solomon N-Group Designs 93
7. Single-Case Approach 103

PART II. QUANTITATIVE METHODS

FOR NONEXPERIME~TAL ¥ESEARCH 117
8. Ex Post Facto and Posttest-Only Designs 120
9. Observational Approach 125
10. Survey Approach 133
PART III. QUALITATIVE METHODS 141
11. Grounded Theory Perspective 145
12. Ethnographic Perspective 152
13. Narrative Perspective 160
14. Phenomenological Perspective 168

PART Iv. MIXED METHODS 177

15. Convergent-Parallel Approach 181
16. Embedded Approach 189
17. Explanatory-Sequential Approach 196
18. Exploratory-Sequential Approach 201
19. Mixed Methods, Case Studies, and Single-Case Approaches 208
20. Action Research Approaches 212
21. Conclusion 218

Appendix A. Less Common Designs for Experimental

and Quasi-Experimental Research 222
Appendix B. Types of Case Study Designs 229
Appendix C. Five Types of Mixed Methods Designs 231
Appendix D. Reporting Preliminary Statistical Findings 232
Appendix E. Analysis by Design 251
Appendix F. Qualitative Data Analysis 321
Appendix G. Validity, Control, and Causal Inferences Checklist 332
Appendix H. Consort 2010: Checklist and Guidelines
for Reporting Parallel Group Randomised Trials 334
References 338
Author Index 352
Subject Index 357
Detailed Contents

List of Tables, Figures, and Diagrams xi

Foreword xiv
Paul E. Spector
Preface xvii
Audience xx
Features xxi
Unique Features xxi
New to the Second Edition xxii
Companion Website xxiii

Acknowledgments XXV

About the Authors xx:vi

1. A Primer of the Scientific Method and Relevant

Components 1
The Scientific Method 2
Validity and Research Designs 3
Independent and Dependent Variables 5
Internal Validity 7
External Validity 8
Construct Validity 9
Statistical Conclusion Validity 9
Design Logic ' ... 13
Control 13
Design Notations 15
Assignment Techniques 15
Comparison and Control Groups 18
Sampling Strategies 18
Probability Sampling Techniques 20
Nonprobability Sampling Techniques 20
 Research Questions 21
Types of Inquiry 21

PART I. QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR EXPERIMENTAL

AND QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 29
Experimental Research 30
Quasi-Experimental Research 32
2. Between-Subjects Approach 35
Pretest and Posttest Designs 35
k-Factor Designs 36
Posttest Designs 43
3. Regression-Discontinuity Approach 51
4. Within-Subjects Approach 57
Repeated-Measures Approach 58
Switching-Replications Design: A Primer 59
Crossover and Latin-Square Designs 61
5. Factorial Designs 75
6. Solomon N-Group Design 93
7. Single-Case Approach 103

PART II. QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR

NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 117

8. Ex Post Facto and Posttest-Only Designs 120

9. Observational Approach 125
Explanatory Design 126
Predictive Design 126
Statistical Tools 127
Predicting a Single Variable for
the Predictive Design 128
Predicting More Tban One Variable 128
10. Survey Approach 133
Primary Threats to Validity 134
Cross-Sectional Design 135
Longitudinal Design 135
PART III. QUALITATIVE METHODS 141
The Case Study 143
11. Grounded Theory Perspective 145
Systematic Design 146
Emerging Design 146
Constructivist Design 146
12. Ethnographic Perspective 152
Realist Design 152
Critical Design 153
Case Study Design 153
13. Narrative Perspective 160
Descriptive Design 161
Explanatory Design 161
Critical Design 161
14. Phenomenological Perspective 168
Existential Design 168
Transcendental Design 169
Hermeneutic Design 169
Case Study Design 169

PART Iv. MIXED METHODS 177

Mixed Methods Legend 179
15. Convergent-Parallel Approach 181
Parallel-Databases Design 182
Data-Transformation Design 182
Data-Validation Design 182
Multilevel Design 182
16. Embedded Approach 189
Embedded-Experiment Design 190
Embedded-Correlational Design 190
Embedded Case Sn.tdy De~gn 190
17. Explanatory-Sequential Approach 196
Follow-Up Explanations Design 197
Participant-Selection Design 197
18. Exploratory-Sequential Approach 201
Instrument-Development Design 202
Theory-Development Design 202
Treatment-Development Design 202
19. Mixed Methods, Case Studies, and Single-Case Approaches 208
Mixed Method A-B-A Designs 209
Sequential Case Study Single-Case Design 210
20. Action Research Approaches 212
Embedding Research Designs Within the Action
Research Approach 214

21. Conclusion 218

Philosophical Tenets 218
Evaluation Approaches 219
Data Analytics 220
Final Remarks 220

Appendix A. Less Common Designs for Experimental

and Quasi-Experimental Research 222
Appendix B. Types of Case Study Designs 229
Appendix C. Five Types of Mixed Methods Designs 231
Appendix D. Reporting Preliminary Statistical Findings 232
Appendix E. Analysis by Design 251
Appendix F. Qualitative Data Analysis 321
Appendix G. Validity, Control, and Causal Inferences Checklist 332
Appendix H. Consort 2010: Checklist and Guidelines
for Reporting Parallel Group Randomised Trials 334
References 338
Author Index 352
Subject Index 357
List of Tables,
Figures, and Diagrams

TABLES +
Table 1.1. Threats to Internal Validity 7 Table 1.6. Design Notations 15
Table 1.2. Threats to External Validity 9 Table 1.7. Group Assignment Design
Notations 15
Table 1.3. Threats to Construct Validity 10
Table 7.1. Design Notations for
Table 1.4. Threats to Statistical Conclusion
Single-Case Approaches 104
Validity 11
Table 20.1. Design Notations for the Action
Table 1.5. Control Techniques for
Research Approach 215
Experimental, Quasi-
Experimental, and
Nonexperimental Research 14

FIGURES +
Figure 1.1. The Scientific Method 3 Figure 3.1. Sample of a Cutoff Score 52
Figure 1.2. Conceptual and Operational Figure 4.1. Wait-List Continuation Design
Definitions 6 (for Random Assignment) 60

Figure 1.3. Example of"a Stratlfied Random- Figure 4.2. Switching-Replications Design
Assignment Technique 17 (for Nonrandom Assignment) 60

Figure 1.4. Example of a Sample Extracted Figure 11.1. Systematic Design 147
From a Population 19 Figure 11.2. Emerging Design 148
Figure 1.1. Quantitative Method Flowchart 29 Figure 11.3. Constructivist Design 150

Figure 1.2. Double Pretest Design for Quasi- Figure 12.1. Realist Design 155
Experimental Research 33 Figure 12.2. Critical Design 156
xi
xii + AN APPLIED GUIDE TO RESEARCH DESIGNS

Figure 12.3. Case Study Design 157 Figure 16.2. Embedded-Correlational

Design 192
Figure 13.1. Descriptive Design 163
Figure 13.2. Explanatory Design 164 Figure 16.3. Embedded Case Study
Design 193
Figure 13.3. Critical Design 165
Figure 17.1. Follow-Up Explanation
Figure 14.1. Existential Design 171 Design 197
Figure 14.2. Transcendental Design 172 Figure 17.2. Participant-Selection Design 198
Figure 14.3. Hermeneutic Design 173 Figure 18.1. Instrument-Development
Figure 14.4. Case Study Design 174 Design 203

Figure 15.1. Parallel-Databases Design 183 Figure 18.2. Theory-Development Design 204

Figure 15.2. Data-Transformation Design 184 Figure 18.3. Treatment-Development

Design 205
Figure 15.3. Data-Validation Design 185
Figure 19.1. Sequential Case Study Single-
Figure 15.4. Multilevel Design 187 Case Design 210
Figure 16.1. Embedded-Experiment Design Figure 20.1. The Cyclical Action Research
(One-Phase) 191 Approach 214

+ DIAGRAMS
Diagram 2.1. Pretest and Posttest Control Diagram 2.8. 2-Factor Posttest Control
Group Design 37 Group Design 46
Diagram 2.2. 2-Factor Pretest and Posttest Diagram 2.9. 2-Factor Posttest Design 47
Control Group Design 38
Diagram 2.10. 3-Factor Posttest Design 48
Diagram 2.3. 2-Factor Pretest and Posttest
Diagram 3.1. Regression-Discontinuity
Design 40
Pretest-Posttest Control
Diagram 2.4. 3-Factor Pretest and Posttest Group Design 1 53
Design 41
Diagram 3.2. Regression-Discontinuity
Diagram 2.5. 4-Factor Pretest and Posttest Pretest-Posttest Control
Design 42 Group Design 2 54
Diagram 2.6. Example of a Posttest-Only Diagram 4.1. A Repeated-Measures
and a Historical Control Approach 3-Factor Crossover
Grotlp Design 44 Design 62
Diagram 2.7. Posttest Control Group Diagram 4.2. Example of a 3 x 3 Latin-
Design 45 Square Design 63
 List of Tables, Figures, and Diagrams + xiii
Diagram 4.3. Pretest and Posttest Design Diagram 7.1. A-B-A Design 106
(One-Group) 64
Diagram 7.2. A-B-A-B Design 107
Diagram 4.4. Pretest and Multiple-Posttest
Diagram 7.3. A-B-A-B-C-B-C Design 108
Design 65
Diagram 7.4. Changing Criterion Design
Diagram 4.5. Switching-Replications Design
(A-B) 110
(Experimental) 66
Diagram 7.5. Multiple Baseline Design
Diagram 4.6. Switching-Replications Design
(A-B) 111
(Quasi-Experimental) 67
Diagram 7.6. Multiple Baseline Design
Diagram 4.7. Crossover Design (2-Factor) 68
(A-B-C) 112
Diagram 4.8. Interrupted Time-Series
Design (One-Group) 69 Diagram 8.1. Two-Group Ex Post Facto
Design 121
Diagram 4.9. Interrupted Time-Series
Design (Two-Group) 70 Diagram 8.2. Posttest Design
(One-Group) 121
Diagram 4.10. 6 x 6 Latin-Square Design 72
Diagram 8.3. Ex Post Facto Design 122
Diagram 5.1. 2 x 2 Factorial Pretest and
Posttest Design (Between- Diagram 9.1. Explanatory Design 129
Subjects) 77 Diagram 9.2. Predictive Design 1 130
Diagram 5.2. 2 x 2 Factorial Posttest Diagram 9.3. Predictive Design 2 131
Design (Between-Subjects) 79
Diagram 10.1. Cross-Sectional Design 136
Diagram 5.3. 2 x 2 Factorial Pretest and
Posttest Design (Within- Diagram 10.2. Longitudinal Design 136
Subjects) 81 Diagram 19.1. A-B-A Concurrent Design 209
Diagram 5.4. 3 x 2 Factorial Posttest Diagram 19.2. A-B-A Sequential Design 210
Design (Between-Subjects) 82
Diagram 19.3. A-B-A Nested Design 210
Diagram 5.5. 2 x 2 x 2 Factorial Posttest
Design (Between-Subjects) 85 Diagram 20.1. Posttest With a Historical
Control for the Action
Diagram 5.6. 2 x 3 x 2 Factorial Posttest Research Approach 215
Design (Between-Subjects) 87
Diagram 20.2. Pretest and Posttest Design
Diagram 5.7. 2 x 2 x·2"Mixed>.Factorial for the Action Research
Design (Mixed-Subjects) 89 Approach 216
Diagram 6.1. Solomon Four-Group Diagram 20.3. Posttest-Only Design for the
Design 94 Action Research
Diagram 6.2. Solomon Six-Group Design 96 Approach 216

Diagram 6.3. Solomon Eight-Group Diagram 20.4. Ex Post Facto Design for the
Design 99 Action Research Approach 216
 Foreword

esearch methods in the social sciences (I include behavioral

R sciences and education under this broader term) are quite varied,
as the number of settings and situations in which our investiga-
tions occur are immense. Furthermore, concerns about research ethics and
potential harm inflicted on human subjects put severe limits on what is
feasible, requiring social scientists to have at their disposal a plethora of
possible approaches to apply to a given problem. Social scientists, particu-
larly those who do nonexperimental research and those who conduct field
research in naturalistic settings, must be well versed in many varied meth-
ods in order to be prepared to apply optimal approaches to address their
research questions in specific settings. Although different disciplines within
social science have developed some of their own approaches and practices,
there is a great deal of overlap among disciplines in the methodologies
utilized.
One can classify methods according to whether they are qualitative or
quantitative. Although there are a variety of approaches, qualitative meth-
ods are distinguished by their collection and synthesis of information in a
largely nonquantitative way. For example, individuals might be interviewed
about their experiences living in a college dormitory. The researcher will
review and synthesize the responses, looking for meaningful themes.
Quantitative methods, on the other hand, tend to involve defining variables
in advance and then quantifying observations of those variables. Thus, one
might ask college students to complete a survey in which questions ask for
ratings about various aspects of the dormitory experience, such as how
much they liked the food on a 1-to-5 scale. Different disciplines within
social science tend to favor one approach over the other-for example,
anthropologists make frequent use of qualitative methods whereas psy-
chologists mainly use quantitative methods, although there are exceptions
on both sides.
The qu~ntitative methods training in social science often divides meth-
odology into assessment, design, and statistics. Assessment concerns

xiv
 Foreword + xv
techniques for measuring or operationalizing variables largely using multiple-
item psychological tests and scales. Design is the structure of an investiga-
tion that defines the sequence and nature of both the conditions subjects
are exposed to and the observations taken on those subjects. Statistics
concerns the mathematical procedures used to analyze the quantitative data
produced by the study once the design is implemented. Assessment,
design, and statistics are all important elements in any quantitative investi-
gation, so students must develop expertise in all three. Certainly one must
have sound measurement to be able to draw conclusions about the under-
lying variables of interest, and one must analyze data using appropriate
statistics, but it is the design of the investigation that is most important in
being able to draw inferences from an investigation.
This book deals primarily with design, including both designs for
experimental and nonexperimental research. It is perhaps unique in provid-
ing a balanced treatment of both qualitative and quantitative methods that
are integrated at the end when mixed methods are discussed. The book
begins with a general discussion of basic principles of the scientific method
in social science, including topics such as validity and control. It then cov-
ers quantitative methods, including experimental, quasi-experimental (in
Part I), and nonexperimental (in Part II) research. Part III discusses a variety
of qualitative methods, including grounded theory, ethnography, narrative,
and phenomenological approaches. The book concludes (Part IV) with a
treatment of mixed methods and action research that involves elements of
both qualitative and quantitative methods.
This book includes both basic and advanced designs, making it useful
as both a textbook for students in a course that covers design and as a
guide to experienced researchers. The book provides an example from
the literature for every design covered. A brief overview is provided of
each example study's research question and procedure, as well as recom-
mended statistical approaches for data analysis. The citation is provided
from widely available journals, so each article can be consulted for IJ1ore
details. Thus, the reader can easily see how each research team was able
to use each design and how those researchers handled data analysis and
interpretation.
Although not every.social),scientist will use all of these designs, the
serious student of social science research methodology needs a basic
understanding of how design features inform appropriate inference. Such a
student should have a working knowledge of qualitative and quantitative
methods, as provided in this book. It can provide an introduction to design
that can later serve as a reference to details of specific designs that can be
applied to a particular problem. The development of the computer over the
xvi + AN APPLIED GUIDE TO RESEARCH DESIGNS
past three decades has shifted much of the focus of social scientists, espe-
cially those who do quantitative studies, from design to statistics as increas-
ing computing power has allowed the development of increasingly
computationally complex statistical methods. Thus, in graduate programs
we find many classes on statistics but few on design. It is important to
remember that it is the design and not the statistic that is the basis for infer-
ence, making the study of design of vital importance, and this book is an
invaluable resource for both social scientists and aspiring social scientists.

Paul E. Spector
University of South Florida
Preface

T
he objective of this reference book is to visually present, with
consistent terminology, quantitative, qualitative, and mixed meth-
ods research designs in education and the social and behavioral
sciences in a way that students and researchers can readily understand
and accurately apply in their own investigations. Through our experience
and research for this guide, we realized there are many inconsistencies and
variations of terminology, both within and between research texts in educa-
tion and the social and behavioral sciences, especially with the use of the
terms method, research, approach, and design. We believe that the termi-
nology should be clearly distinguished with the appropriate nomenclature.
The interchange of terminology creates confusion among consumers of
research, particularly students. We attempt to resolve the confusion by
breaking down each aspect of the research terminology into its compo-
nents in a hierarchical fashion to provide clarity for the reader. As seen in
the chart that follows, the resulting nomenclature is thus used throughout
the text for the quantitative and the qualitative method.

QUANTITATIVE

Level Explanation
METHOD, The method provides the theoretical, philosophical, and data-analytic stance (e.g.,
a quantitative method,) .

... . . ',
...
RESEARCH
2 Research refers to the systematic process of control (e.g., group assignment,
selection, and data collection techniques). Research can be experimental, quasi-
experimental, or nonexperimental (e.g., a quantitative method, and experimental
research 2 ).

(Continued)

xvii
xviii + AN APPLIED GUIDE TO RESEARCH DESIGNS

(Continued)

QUANTITATIVE

Level ' Explanation

T T
l

APPROACH3 '' The approach is the first step to creating structure to the design, and it details (a) a
'
'' theoretical model of how the data will be collected and (b) if one case, one
'' group, or multiple groups will be associated with the process (e.g., a quantitative
'' method 11 experimental research 2 with a between-subjects approach 3 ).
'
-----------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T ' T
DESIGN4 The design is the actual structure or framework that indicates (a) the time frame(s)
in which data will be collected, (b) when the treatment will be implemented (or
not), and (c) the exact number of groups that will be involved (e.g., a quantitative
method,, experimental research 2 with a between-subjects approach 3 and a pre-
and posttest control group design 4 ).

QUALITATIVE
Level Explanation
-------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
METHOD 1 : The method provides the theoretical, philosophical, and data analytic stance
: (e.g., a qualitative method,).
-------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T '

RESEARCH2 : Researchfor the qualitative method is nonexperimental (e.g., a qualitative

: method, and nonexperimental research).
-------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'

PERSPECTIVE
3 : The perspective is the first step to creating structure to the design, and it details

: the theoretical perspective (or lens) of how the researcher(s) will approach the
: study (e.g., a qualitative method,, nonexperimental research 2 with an
___________________
i ethnographic perspective 3). ____________________________________________________ _

T T
DESIGN4 : The design is the actual structure that indicates (a) if one case, one group, or
: multiple groups will be associated with the process and (b) when the data will
: be analyzed (e.g., a qualitative method 1, nonexperimental research 2 with an
: ethnographic 3 and a case study design 4 ).

This book is designed to improve one's ability to conceptualize, con-

struct, test, problem solve, and acquire knowledge, all of which are char-
acteristics of scientific inquiry and the creative process required when
 Preface + xix
conducting research. We have discovered, in teaching research methods
courses and supervising dissertation committees, that students often have a
difficult time conceptualizing the most appropriate research design, en
route to collecting the data and answering the stated research questions or
hypotheses. Based on this observation, we sought to find the best text that
could help resolve this critical issue. We found that most research methods
texts are more broad, covering the entire spectrum of the research process
while devoting only a single chapter or a few sections embedded through-
out (often incomplete) to research designs. Furthermore, the authors of
these texts often present the research designs without quality visual repre-
sentations and sound real-life examples. The issue is further confounded
when investigators omit from the Methods portion of published manu-
scripts an accurate description of the research design that was employed.
We also discuss the issue of inconsistent terminology; for example, it is
not unusual to see authors use the following terms interchangeably: a car-
relational method, correlational research, a correlational approach, or a
correlational design. Although this may not be entirely wrong, it is not
entirely accurate (or specific) and can lead to confusion. It would be more
accurate to say all together in sequence, a quantitative method, nonexperi-
mental research, an observational approach, and a predictive design (and
then, of course, the correlational statistic or regression analysis is applied
to the observational data). These inconsistencies, at best, can lead to confu-
sion and difficulties when attempting to conceptualize and choose the
design that best fits the research problem and subsequent questions or
hypotheses; at worst, they can render findings invalid. Considering these
aspects, students often find themselves lost at that critical part of the
research process while attempting to (a) choose a design that will allow for
the acquisition of data best suited to answer their research questions or
examine their hypotheses and Cb)incorporate a design into the Procedures
section of their Methods chapter of their dissertation.
Although we cover a variety of practical research designs in quantita-
tive, qualitative, and mixed methods, this book is not intended to be a
complete reference guide for individuals conducting program evaluations.
We briefly address this issue at the end of this guide. We revealed through
our research for this bo<ik that,piany of these sound research designs pre-
sented within are underused in education and the social and behavioral
sciences. We hope the presentation of these materials will continue to
strengthen research in the area through the application of sound method-
ological techniques. These designs can be applied in field, laboratory, and
even web~based settings. Although this book does not go into great detail
regarding the theory or philosophy of qualitative or quantitative methods
 1
xx + AN APPLIED GUIDE TO RESEARCH DESIGNS

and the associated research designs, we do provide recommended texts

and articles for the reader who is interested in a more thorough under-
standing of a particular approach, method, or design. The intent of this
book is seemingly paradoxical, in that we attempt to give students and
researchers a dense (no filler) yet quick reference guide for conceptualizing
and creating a design that best fits the primary research question. Thus, this
is an applied text, using visual aids and real-world examples, rather than
covering foundational and theoretical issues.
Visually delivering the information coupled with relevant examples
may optimize the learning process and subsequent application of learning.
The reader will notice that we often state that further decisions about the
applications of particular research designs should be based on "theoretical
and logistical considerations." Although we attempt to apply linear logic
and black-and-white elements to scientific methodology, there are many
instances in which "rules of thumb" and old laws do not apply. Research in
the field of social sciences is still relatively new, and the vast and varied
contexts in which we investigate create a level of complexity and sophisti-
cation that often requires subjectivity and interpretation.
As mentioned earlier, this book is meant to cever the most practical and
common research designs currently used in educational and the social and
behavioral sciences. Referring to these research designs as "common" or
"practical" is somewhat a misnomer, and it does not imply that the designs
are less powerful or the results have less meaning. In reviewing many arti-
cles over the years, we have noticed that, all too often, researchers use
unnecessarily complex research designs that complicate the application and
subsequent statistical analyses, leaving much more room for error. Parsimony
is a favorable word in science; that is, a design should be as complex as it
needs to be and, at the same time, as simple as it needs to be.

+ AUDIENCE
The target audience for this book is the researcher in the fields of education,
sociology, psychology, nursing, and other human service fields. More spe-
cifically, this book is written for undergraduate students working on honors
theses and for graduate students working on theses or dissertations. This
book will assist all students who (a) have a basic understanding of research
methods, (b) are in the process of conducting research, or Cc)plan on con-
ducting research at some point during their careers. Furthermore, it can also
be used as a tool by professors who are either teaching research courses or
supervising students on theses and dissertations. Specifically, professors will
 Preface + xxi
find this reference guide useful in assisting and guiding students interested
in improving their understanding of how research is set up and conducted.
We have attempted to create a visual system in the form of a practical, easy-
to-follow reference guide to help in the conceptualization and development
of many of the common research designs. We offer examples of this visual
system "in action" for each of the designs presented with the use of pub-
lished studies. In addition, further recommendations and suggestions are
provided for those interested in acquiring a more comprehensive under-
standing of basic research designs. The book includes the core designs that
are used by quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method researchers.

FEATURES+

We have maintained a singular focus on research designs and have pro-

vided an example for each chosen research design with a relevant peer-
reviewed article. We have incorporated a number of features throughout
the book that will assist students in designing their own studies. In each
example, we summarize the procedures and include the relevant variables
in a design notation model. In many cases, the research article examples
include multiple research questions or hypotheses. However, for the sake
of clarity, we attempt to present one overarching research question that
summarizes the major goal of the study. In some instances, for research in
qualitative methods, we include a research aim. Research using mixed
methods usually contains an additional research question to answer the
inquiry associated with combining quantitative results and qualitative find-
ings. In addition to the example research designs, we also include brief
discussions on (a) the relevant aspects of research, (b) different types of
designs, (c) the scientific method, and (d) a list of recommended readings
pertaining to each area. Also, located in the appendices, we present many
examples of rarely applied research designs, as well as case study designs,
with ·brief notations on the intended use and effectiveness.

·' UNIQUE FEATURES +

We have summarized and condensed over 140 articles and books included
in this reference guide. In addition, there are many unique features associ-
ated with this guide. These features were included to enhance the under-
standing of the concepts and designs presented:
xxii + AN APPLIED GUIDE TO RESEARCH DESIGNS
• An array of relevant references and sources for the reader
• Consistent terminology, which is emphasized throughout (a stan-
dardized taxonomy)
• Discussions on the differences between within- and between-subject
approaches
o The use of the k-factor design as a means to distinguish multiple-

treatment groups
• Inclusion of both within-subjects and between-subjects k-factor designs
• Diagrams of factorial designs
• Examples of the Solomon N-group designs as an extension of the
four-group design
• Diagrams of single-case approaches
• Diagrams of nonexperimental research such as observational (cor-
relational) and survey approaches
o Visual models for qualitative methods

• Proposed designs for mixed method single-case approaches and the

action research approach
• Appendices covering examples of rarely used, but relevant, research
designs for experimental and quasi-experimental research, case stud-
ies, and mixed methods
• An appendix covering statistical analysis by design and a brief guide
to reporting statistics
• An appendix devoted to coding qualitative data

+ NEW TO THE SECOND EDITION

For the second edition of this book, we have expanded and added upon
the already extensive coverage of research designs for qualitative, quantita-
tive, and mixed methods. Many of the additions were included based on
feedback from students, researchers, reviewers, and our own personal
experiences using the text in classes and in our research endeavors. As a
result, the coverage of research designs is more complete and includes top-
ics not previously addressed. In addition, in many cases, we were able to
update critical references in relation to a specific design or approach dis-
cussed within the text.
This is a general list of the topics and areas included in the second
edition:

• Explanations and examples of conceptual and operational defini-

tions for independent variables
 Preface + xxiii
• Examples of moving from the primary research question to the spe-
cific method, approach, and then appropriate research design
• Elaboration on the survey approach, including a discussion of the
most common threats of external and construct validity
• Presentation of statistical tools common to the observational
approach for nonexperimental research
• An expanded discussion on the switching-replication design, includ-
ing a variant of this design when random assignment is used called
the wait-list continuation design
• An expanded chapter and updated references for the single-case
approach
• A new chapter on the action research approach, including diagrams
for specific research designs that can be used for participatory action
research approaches
• A new appendix that details specific statistical analysis in relation to
the research design, which includes vignettes, research questions,
the design, and step-by-step analysis using SPSS (data files available
via the companion website)
• A new appendix covering the general procedural steps for qualitative
data analysis
• A new appendix that presents quick reference materials for writing
and summing up preliminary statistical analysis, including effect size
estimations, power analysis, and statistical symbol interpretations
• A chart that allows researchers to gauge the quality of an experimen-
tal study based on internal validity, statistical conclusion validity,
control, and cause-and-effect parameters
• The Consort 2010: Checklist and Guidelines for Reporting Parallel
Randomised Trials

In relation to the updated content of the text, the ancillary materials

were also updated. This includes the PowerPoints, syllabi, discussion ques-
tions, and assignments. Materials such as data sets, checklists, and articles
are also available via the companion website .

.. COMPANION WEBSITE +
Visit the companion website at study.sagepub.com/edmonds2e to access
valuable instructor and student resources. These resources include
PowerPoint slides, discussion questions, class activities, SAGE journal
articles, web resources, and online data sets.
Acknowledgments

e would like to thank Daniel L. Stufflebeam, PhD, and Ronald

W J. Chenail, PhD, for providing their insight, thoughts, and sug-

gestions about our book. Dr. Stufflebeam and Dr. Chenail's
expertise in their respective areas is undeniable and ultimately helped
strengthen the overall product. We would also like to thank Paul E. Spector,
PhD, for his insight and contribution to this book. His dedication to the
field of scientific inquiry is unwavering, and we are honored to have him
as a part of this project. We would like to thank Robert K. Yin, PhD, for his
thoughts and suggestions, as well as Destine Pine for his editorial and for-
matting contributions. A special thanks goes to Vicki Knight at SAGEfor her
support and dedication to the project. Although Vicki retired following the
production of the second edition, she provided a great deal of insight and
thoughtful reviews that contributed greatly to this new edition. We wish her
the best of luck. A number of reviewers provided useful and valuable feed-
back, which ultimately shaped the book: Jennifer E. Dalton, University of
Toronto; Donna Schnorr, California State University, San Bernardino;
Behzad Esmaeili, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Rebekah Cole, Old
Dominion University; David Han, University of Texas at San Antonio;
Raphael Heaggans, Niagara University; Lydia Kyei-Blankson, Illinois State
University; Michael R. Pryzdia, Arizona State University; Micheal Newell,
National University of Ireland, Galway; Marnie L. Moist, Saint Francis
University; Michael R. Pryzdia, Arizona State University; Fairuz J. Lutz,
Wesley College; Janet Reid-Hector, Rutgers University; Angela M. Sikorski,
Texas A&M University-Texarkana; Julia C. Tang, Mount Saint Mary's

.
University, Los Angeles; Dennis L. Veleber, University of Great Falls.
',.

XXV
 About the Authors

W.Alex Edmonds, PhD, BCB, is an associate professor of research at Nova

Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. He graduated from Florida State
University and received his doctoral degree in Educational Psychology with
a minor in Statistics and Measurement. Over the years, Dr. Edmonds has
applied his knowledge of research design, measurement, and assessment
in both field and laboratory examinations. He has published extensively in
a variety of areas, such as psychophysiology and educational psychology.
His primary interest revolves around applying unique methodological and
statistical techniques as a means to exploring the relationship between
emotions, physiology, and performance in a variety of domains. He also has
over 10 years of experience in applying biofeedback in field and research
applications. While in graduate school, he conducted his field work with
the track and field team at Florida State and started using biofeedback for
research and practice during this time. He has utilized biofeedback exten-
sively with various types of athletes for performance enhancement, as well
as stress-regulation techniques for individuals with type 2 diabetes and pain
management for patients suffering from chronic pain. Dr. Edmonds is certi-
fied through the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance in general
biofeedback.

Thomas D. Kennedy, PhD, BCB, is an associate professor of research at

Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. He received his PhD in
Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami and his MA in
Clinical Psychology from Southern Methodist University. For 5 years, he
has been a faculty member at NSU, where he has developed and taught
research and statistics courses. He is the Institutional Review Board rep-
resentative for the School of Education. His clinical experience consists of
providing neuropsychological assessments, behavioral medicine interven-
tions, and group therapy in inpatient and outpatient settings, including
the following: the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center,
University of Miami Mailman Center for Child Development, Jackson

x:xvi
 About the Authors + xxvii
Memorial Hospital, University of Miami Institute for Individual and Family
Therapy, and the Dallas County Jail. His research interests include two
convergent tracks, one focusing on at-risk children and adolescents and
the other exploring biofeedback and other complementary and alternative
medicine interventions. He has received multiple grants and provides
evaluation and grant writing services for various organizations in southern
Florida. He has published and presented in the areas of juvenile crime,
psychophysiology, and research methodology. Dr. Kennedy is a licensed
psychologist PY 8307 and is certified through the Biofeedback Certification
International Alliance in general biofeedback; he maintains a small private
practice for children and adolescents .

•
 I'd like to dedicate this book to all my past supervisors,
professors, teachers, and dedicated students. They have
provided me the support, skills, interest, and motivation to
continue the lines of scholarly work and achievement in a
never-ending effort to expand our minds.
-Alex Edmonds

I would like to dedicate this book to my wife Karen

and my three boys, Aiden, Ethan, and Ashton.
-Tom Kennedy
CHAPTER 1

A PRIMER OF THE
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
AND RELEVANT
COMPONENTS

T
he primary objective of this book is to help researchers understand
and select appropriate designs for their investigations within the
field, lab, or virtual environment. Lacking a proper conceptualiza-
tion of a research design makes it difficult to apply an appropriate design
based on the research question(s) or stated hypotheses. Implementing a
flawed or inappropriate design will unequivocally lead to spurious, mean-
ingless, or invalid results. Again, the concept of validity cannot be empha-
sized enough when conducting research. Validity maintains many facets
(e.g., statistical validity or validity pertaining to psychometric properties of
instrumentation), operates on a continuum, and deserves equal attention at
each level of the researcQ-pro~s. Aspects of validity are discussed later in
this chapter. Nonetheless, the research question, hypothesis, objective, or
aim is the primary step for the selection of a research design.
The purpose of a research design is to provide a conceptual framework
that will allow the researcher to answer specific research questions while
using sound principles of scientific inquiry. The concept behind research
designs is intuitively straightforward, but applying these designs in real-life

1
2 + AN APPLIED GUIDE TO RESEARCH DESIGNS

situations can be complex. More specifically, researchers face the challenge

of (a) manipulating (or exploring) the social systems of interest, (b) using
measurement tools (or data collection techniques) that maintain adequate
levels of validity and reliability, and (c) controlling the interrelationship
between multiple variables or indicating emerging themes that can lead to
error in the form of confounding effects in the results. Therefore, utilizing
and following the tenets of a sound research design is one of the most
fundamental aspects of the scientific method. Put simply, the research
design is the structure of investigation, conceived so as to obtain the
"answer" to research questions or hypotheses.

+ THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

All researchers who attempt to formulate conclusions from a particular
path of inquiry use aspects of the scientific method. The presentation of
the scientific method and how it is interpreted can vary from field to field
and method (qualitative) to method (quantitative), but the general premise
is not altered. Although there are many ways or avenues to "knowing,"
such as sources from authorities or basic common sense, the sound appli-
cation of the scientific method allows researchers to reveal valid findings
based on a series of systematic steps. Within the social sciences, the gen-
eral steps include the following: (a) state the problem, (b) formulate the
hypothesis, (c) design the experiment, (d) make observations, (e) interpret
data, CDdraw conclusions, and Cg)accept or reject the hypothesis. All
research in quantitative methods, from experimental to nonexperimental,
should employ the steps of the scientific method in an attempt to produce
reliable and valid results.
The scientific method can be likened to an association of techniques
rather than an exact formula; therefore, we expand the steps as a means
to be more specific and relevant for research in education and the social
sciences. As seen in Figure 1.1, these steps include the following:
(a) identify a research problem, (b) establish the theoretical framework,
(c) indicate the purpose and research questions (or hypotheses), (d) develop
the methodology, (e) collect the data, CDanalyze and interpret the data, and
(g) report the results. This book targets the critical component of the scientific
method, referred to in Figure 1.1 as Design the Study, which is the point in
the process when the appropriate research design is selected. We do not
focus on prior aspects of the scientific method or any steps that come after
the Design the Study step, including procedures for conducting literature
 Chapter 1 A Primer of the Scientific Method and Relevant Components +3
reviews, developing research questions, or discussions on the nature of
knowledge, epistemology, ontology, and worldviews. Specifically, this
book focuses on the conceptualization, selection, and application of com-
mon research designs in the field of education and the social and behav-
ioral sciences.
Again, although the general premise is the same, the scientific method
is known to slightly vary from each field of inquiry (and type of method).
The technique presented here may not exactly follow the logic required for
research using qualitative methods; however, the conceptualization of
research designs remains the same. We refer the reader to Jaccard and
Jacoby (2010) for a review on the various scientific approaches associated
with qualitative methods, such as emergent- and discovery-oriented
frameworks.

Q@Jil•
The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method

Identify a Need

Establish a Theoretical Foundation

Formulate the Research Question

Design the Study

Collect the Data

Analyze the Data

Report the Results

VALIDITY AND RESEARCH DESIGNS +

The overarching goal of research is to reach valid outcomes based upon
the appropriate application of the scientific method. In reference to
4 + AN APPLIED GUIDE TO RESEARCH DESIGNS

research designs, validity is defined as the extent to which the outcome

accurately answers the stated research questions of the study. Validity is a
complex construct and takes on many different forms, operates on a con-
tinuum, and theoretically can be considered multidimensional. In other
words, the outcome of most studies cannot typically be dichotomized as
valid or not valid. Validity also has a place in psychometrics (i.e., the theo-
ries and techniques associated with educational and psychological mea-
surements), and it is generally known as test validity.
The validity of a measurement tool simply means that it measures what
it is developed to measure. The focus within this book is the validity related
to research designs, not test validity (for more information related to test
validity, reliability, and measurement, see DeVellis [2011] and Viswanathan
[2005]). Although securing validity is critical at the design stage, it should
be a consideration throughout the general steps of the scientific method.
The importance of securing "acceptable" levels of validity for research in
quantitative methods cannot be overstated. However, aspects of validity
have also been addressed for qualitative methods. Validity and the qualita-
tive method include focusing in on the trustworthiness of the data, such as
Lincoln and Guba's (2013) evaluation criteria, as well as the rigor and qual-
ity of the data collection procedures (see also Golafshani, 2003; Loh, 2013;
Williams & Morrow, 2009). Additionally, the concept of external validity can
have a place in qualitative methods as well. We refer the reader to Chenail
(2010) for a review on nonprobabilistic approaches to aspects of generaliz-
ability for qualitative methods.
In the following sections, we summarize four types of validity related
to research designs for quantitative methods: internal, external, construct,
and statistical conclusion validity. Originally, the concepts of internal,
external, construct, and statistical conclusion validity were all conceptual-
ized for the application and development of experimental and quasi-
experimental research (Campbell, 1957; Cook & Campbell, 1979). Since
that time, many researchers, books, and Internet references have attempted
to classify and order these types of validity very differently in accordance
with nonexperimental research, as well as within different disciplines
(e.g., epidemiology).
With minor additions, we organize and present the types of validity
primarily based on Cook and Campbell's 0979) original work, along with
Shadish, Cook, and Campbell's (2002) composition. Any condition that
compromises the validity related to a research design is known as a threat
(i.e., confounding variables). All types of validity are applicable to experi-
mental and quasi-experimental research; however, the conceptualization of
internal validity (by definition) does not apply to nonexperimental research,
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 CHAPTER XI.
CHANGE OF AIR AND SCENE.

Mr. Jessop duly arrived, and found, to his amazement, that his fish
and fruit had been forestalled; and there were other and yet greater
surprises in store for him.
He listened to Madeline’s plainly told tale, with his glass rigidly
screwed into his eye, his mouth pinched up as if he had an unusually
intricate “case” under his consideration.
He never once interrupted her, until she brought her recital to an
end, and she, in the heat and haste of her narrative, had permitted
him to know more of their poverty than he had dreamt of.
The Wynnes were as proud as they were poor; the extremity of
their straits was kept for their own exclusive experience. Mr. Jessop
gave an involuntary little gasp as he listened to the revelation about
the pawnbroker, the history of the miniature, and medals, and rings.
“By the way, I am going to redeem them the first thing to-morrow!”
said Madeline hurriedly.
“No, no, no, my dear Mrs. Wynne; such places for you are simply
out of the question. I will go,” protested Mr. Jessop, who had never
been inside such an institution in his life.
“No, certainly not; they know me quite well at Cohen’s, and you
are a stranger. I don’t mind one bit, as it will be for the last time; and
why should it be more out of the question now, than yesterday?
Does money make such a difference in a few hours?” (Money
sometimes makes a difference in a few minutes.)
 On the whole, Mr. Jessop approved. The scheme was rash,
romantic, risky; but it was the only plan he could see for the present.
Mrs. Wynne must take her father in hand, and talk him over. “He
did not think she would have much trouble,” he added consolingly, as
he looked at her pretty, animated face; and he told himself that the
old fellow must have indeed a rocky heart if he could resist that. And
now for business, for action, for a council of war.
In a quarter of an hour it was all settled, so unanimous were
Madeline and Mr. Jessop.
A great doctor, whose speciality was low fever, was to be
summoned the next morning. If he consented, Mr. Jessop was to
come in the afternoon with a very, very easy brougham, and take the
invalid at once to Waterloo station, and by rail and carriage to a farm
house that he knew of, about fifty miles from London, where there
was pure air, pure milk, and every incentive to health. The baby and
Madeline were to follow the next day, after everything had been
packed up and stored with Mrs. Kane, who was now amenable to
anything, and amiable to imbecility.
The prescribed journey did take place by luxurious and easy
stages, and actually the next night Mr. Wynne passed under the red-
tiled roof of the farm in Hampshire. He was worn out by fatigue, and
slept well—slept till the crowing of the cocks and the lowing of the
cows had announced, long previously, that the day was commenced
for them. He sat in a lattice-paned sitting-room, looking into a sunny
old-fashioned garden (filled in summer with hollyhocks, sunflowers,
roses, and lavender, and many sweet-scented flowers well beloved
of bees), and felt better already, and made an excellent early dinner,
although his portly hostess declared, as she carried the dishes into
the kitchen, “that the poor sick gentleman—and ay, deary me, he do
look bad—had no more appetite than a canary!”
The sick gentleman’s wife and baby appeared on the scene in the
course of the afternoon, “a rare tall, pretty young lady she were,”
quoth the farm folk. A country girl took charge of the infant, who, as
long as he had plenty of milk in his bottle, and that bottle in his
clutch, was fairly peaceable and contented with things in general;
and was much taken with Mrs. Holt’s cap frills, with her bright tin
dishes on the kitchen shelves, and with various other new and
strange objects.
Madeline was thankful to get into the peaceful country, with its
placid green fields and budding hedges; to live in Farmer Holt’s old
red-roofed house, with the clipped yew trees in the sunny garden,
and the big pool at the foot of it overshadowed by elder trees.
Thankful to enjoy this haven of rest, away from murky London, with
its roar of hurrying existence and deafening street traffic that never
seemed to cease, night or day, in the neighbourhood of Solferino
Place.
Here the lusty crowing of rival cocks, the lowing of cows, the noise
of the churn were the only sounds that broke a silence that was as
impressive as it was refreshing. All things have an end. Madeline’s
three weeks’ leave soon came to a conclusion; and she most
reluctantly tore herself away from the farm, the evening before she
was due at Harperton. How happy she was here! Why must she go?
Laurence was better, a great deal better. He walked in the garden,
leaning on her arm at first, then in the lanes with no support but his
stick. He was more hopeful, more like his former self—he was
actually engaged in tying flies for Farmer Holt, as Madeline watched
him wistfully, with her chin on her hand. She loved the farm itself—
the farmer’s wife (kind Mrs. Holt, with a heart to match her ample
person). The sweet little chickens, and ducks, and calves, and foals,
were all delightful to Madeline, who, active as ever, had helped to
feed the former, learned to make butter, to make griddle-cakes, to
milk, and was on foot from six in the morning until nine o’clock at
night, and had recovered the look of youth and well-being which had
so long been missing from her appearance.
The farmer himself was to drive her to the station in his dog-cart,
and she and Laurence strolled down the lane together to say a few
last words ere they parted—for how long?
Laurence was hopeful now, and Madeline was tearfully
despondent. He was recovering, and felt more self-reliance every
day. He would soon, please God, be back at work.
 “I don’t know what has come over me, Laurence,” said his wife, as
they came to the gate and a full stop. “I feel so low, so depressed,
something tells me that I shall not see you again for ages,” her eyes
filling with tears. “And I feel so nervous about meeting papa,” and her
lips quivered as she spoke.
“Nonsense, Maddie! you must never meet trouble half way. Your
father cannot but be pleased with you, and when you tell him about
me——”
“Oh, but I won’t, I dare not at first,” she interrupted hastily. “It all
comes back to me now. The days in that big house in Toorak, and
how I used to be afraid when I heard his voice in the entrance-hall—
his voice when he was angry. I used to run away and hide under a
bed!”
“Nevertheless you must tell him, all the same; you are not a child
now. And when you point out to him that his silence for two years
and a half left you to a certain extent your own mistress, and that
your unlucky marriage was the result of the reins being thrown on
your neck——”
“Now, Laurence!” putting her hand on his arm, “you know I won’t
listen to that; and if the worst comes to the worst, I can run away
again!”
“So you can; and I think in another fortnight I shall be fit for—for
harness. Jessop says——”
“If Mr. Jessop say anything so wicked, he and I will quarrel!”
exclaimed Madeline indignantly. “You are not to do anything for three
months; there is plenty of money left yet.”
“Yes; but, Maddie,” producing some notes, “you know you can’t
appear before your father like that,” pointing to her dress. “You will
need a couple of decent gowns; and I don’t think much of that hat.
You must take forty pounds, without any nonsense, you know.”
“No, I won’t,” pushing it away impatiently. “I don’t require it.”
“But you do, and must take it, and do as I desire you—goodness
knows it’s little enough! Promise me to spend every farthing on
yourself. You ought to be respectably dressed when you meet your
father. Where is your common sense? And naturally he will ask—
Where is the hundred pounds he gave you for new frocks?
Remember, Maddie, if he is very angry, you can always come back
to me”—kissing her. “And now that I am not so down on my luck, I
feel anxious to work for you, and the sooner the better; and the
sooner you return the better. Here is Holt,” as the farmer, driving a
slashing long-tailed colt, came quickly round the corner into view.
“He is driving that crazy four-year-old! I hope he will take care of you.
Mind you leave her there safely, farmer,” as his nimble wife climbed
up into the lofty dog-cart. “Good-bye, Maddie; be sure you write to-
morrow.” Stepping aside as they dashed through the gate, carried
forward by the impatient chestnut.
Madeline looked back, and waved her handkerchief. Yes, he was
still standing gazing after them, even when they had gone quite a
distance; finally she applied the handkerchief to her eyes.
“Now, don’t take on so, ma’am,” murmured the farmer, his eyes
fixed on the colt’s quivering ears. “We’ll take good care of him! He is
a real nice young gentleman; and as to baby, I don’t see how the
missus will ever part with him. You cheer up! Ain’t you a-going to
meet your father?”
“Yes, Mr. Holt,” she faltered; “but I may as well tell you that he has
not seen me for more than twelve years. He—I—we thought he was
dead. He does not know that I am married!”
“Oh, great gooseberries!” ejaculated her listener emphatically.
“What a taking he’ll be in!”
“No, and he is not to know just yet. I am Miss West, not Mrs.
Wynne, until I have paved the way. I’ve told your wife all about it; she
knows.”
“I don’t see what your father can have to say agin Mr. Wynne?”
said Holt stoutly. “He is a gentleman. The king himself is no more.”
“Ah, yes; but he has no money,” sighed Madeline.
“Maybe he has brains; and them does just as well. Don’t let your
father come between you—you know the Bible says, ‘As——’”
 “Mr. Holt!” she exclaimed, flushing indignantly, “do you think I
would ever desert Laurence? No, not for fifty fathers. No, not if my
father came all the way from London on his knees, would I ever give
up Laurence and baby, or forget them for one single hour!”
“Nay, I’m sure you wouldn’t, excuse me, ma’am. But, you see,
your father’s very rich, and you are just wonderful pretty, and when
the old gent—meaning no offence—has you living in a kind of
palace, with servants, and carriages and ’osses, and tricked out in
dress and jewels, and every one pushing and jostling one another to
tell you what a grand and beautiful lady you be—why, maybe, then
you won’t be so keen for coming back; you know it would be only
human nature—at least,” coolly correcting himself—“woman’s natur.”
“Well, Mr. Holt,” she returned rather stiffly, “time will tell. I cannot
say more than that,” unintentionally quoting from Mrs. Kane. “I know
myself that I shall come back, and soon. Remember,” stopping when
she had jumped down, and holding his bony hand tightly in both of
hers, “remember,” she repeated, looking up into his honest rugged
face, with dim and wistful eyes, “I leave them in your charge. Don’t
let Laurence overtire himself—don’t let him walk too far. Don’t let the
baby have a halfpenny to play with again—or the toasting-fork. And,
oh, I must go! Remember, above all, that I shall soon return.”
Exit Miss West, running to take her ticket and claim her luggage;
and Farmer Holt, fearing the effect of the train, for the first time, on
his rampant colt, prudently turned his head back towards the cool
green lanes without any dangerous delay.
 CHAPTER XII.
“SHE WILL DO!”

Madeline, having arrived in London, drove direct to No. 2, and

spent one more night under Mrs. Kane’s roof, where she was
received with open arms, and proudly shown a letter marked,
“Private and confidential,” and signed by the neat and respectable
signature of “Letitia Harper.”
“I answered her! Ay, my word, that I did!” cried Mrs. Kane
triumphantly. “She’ll not come poking her nose after you again. I
knew Miss West for a long time, I said, and nothing to her discredit.
She was a most excellent, reliable young lady—who kept herself to
herself: and should I mention as Miss Harper had kindly referred to
me? That wor a poser, I can tell you! Back came a letter telling me
on no account to say a word to Miss West, and enclosing a postal
order for ten shillings for my trouble! That was a rare joke! the
trouble was a pleasure. And how is Mr. Wynne? and how is the dear
baby?” continued Mrs. Kane, whose speech and affection were alike
at high tide.
It was evident to Madeline herself that she must get some new
clothes. She was not even wearing out the remains of her trousseau
—never having had one. What would her father say to her faded
cotton, and still more shabby serge? Even the eleven-and-ninepenny
hat was now passé. Knowing, as he did, too, that she had the means
to dress differently! She must spend money on her wardrobe without
delay. Accordingly, after breakfast, she sallied forth, and went to a
first-class establishment where a great sale was in its first frenzy.
Here, among a mob of well-dressed ladies, she struggled for
standing room, and waited for attendance, and saw dress after dress
on which she had set her heart snatched away and sold. After
patient endurance of heat, tempers, rudeness, and unblushing
selfishness, she secured the attention of a harassed girl, who
perhaps feeling that she was even such an one as herself, assisted
her to choose a neat covert coating, a tailor-made coat and skirt—a
model costume of crêpon, with immense sleeves and a profusion of
jet and black satin trimmings, also a black gauze evening gown—a
once-exquisite garment, but now shockingly tumbled by ruthless
hands, though it was a “Paris pattern.”
These, with a smart silk blouse, a picture hat, a cape, shoes,
handkerchiefs, veils, and gloves, swallowed up twenty-five pounds.
Then she returned with her parcels in a hansom, displayed the
contents (by request) to Mrs. Kane, and spent her evening in altering
the bodices and packing her trunk: it was not very full. It did not need
any one to come and sit on the top and press the lock together. Next
morning she was en route to Riverside, and that same evening in
Mrs. Harper’s arms!
Mrs. Harper and her daughter were delighted to see her. The
house was empty; the girls had gone home for the Easter holidays,
and they would be very cosy and comfortable. They asked many
veiled and clever questions anent her money. What had she done
with it? Surely she had not spent it all? How much was the tailor-
made? How much was the black? But she gave them no satisfactory
answer. That was her affair, and not in the bond!
Days passed, and yet no sign of Mr. West, and Mrs. Harper was
becoming a little impatient and irritable. Could he mean to disappear
for a second time? What was she to think?
Meanwhile Madeline wrote to the farm daily, posting the letters
herself. Here is one of them as a specimen:—
“My dear Laurence,
“No news yet. So glad to get your letters. I call for them
every day. It looks funny to see nothing but W. on the
envelope, but it would never do to put West, much less
Wynne. It makes me very happy to hear that you and baby
are getting on so well and are making the best of this lovely
weather. How I wish I was back with you—ten—fifty times a
day—strolling about the lanes and fields among the lambs
and primroses, instead of being cooped up here, in this hot,
dusty suburb. You must not do too much! How dare you walk
to the top of Brownwood Hill! It is just four times too far. How
could the Holts allow you to be so foolish? But I’m afraid you
don’t mind them. You ask what I am doing? I am trying hard to
make believe that I am Madeline West once more. Don’t be
shocked, my dear Laurence, but at times I succeed admirably,
especially when I sit down to an hour’s practising on the
schoolroom piano. I am getting up my music and singing
again, and working very hard, so that my father won’t be
disappointed as far as my voice is concerned. I have looked
over the new books that the girls had last half in the first class
—horrible essays and lectures and scientific articles—about
the glacial periods, and shooting stars, such as I abhor, and
you love; but I know that I ought to read up, for I am a
shameful ignoramus. I, however, enjoy rubbing up my French,
and have devoured several most delicious books by Gyp.
Miss Harper lent them to me. She said, now that I had left
school, I might read them. I asked her—just to see how she
would look—if she had any of Émile Zola’s. I had heard so
much of them. She nearly fainted, and said, ‘My dear, you
must never even mention that man’s name!’ I have learnt to
dress my hair in the new style. I’ve gone shopping with Miss
Harper. Altogether I’ve been very busy, and when I sit in my
old place at meal-times, and stare at the familiar wall-paper,
and familiar cups and saucers, and when I listen to the
Harpers’ well-known little sayings and turns of speech, when I
look out of the windows, or sit alone in the schoolroom, as I
used formerly to do in holiday times, I honestly declare that I
feel as if all about you was a dream, and that I cannot bring
myself to realize that I have ever left school at all. You see I
am naturally a very adaptable creature; I drop into a groove at
once, and accommodate myself to circumstances. For
instance, Mr. Holt said I was born to be a farmer’s wife! I have
lived here for so many, many years that I fall straight back into
my old place. Then I rouse up and go off to the post-office,
when the second post is due, and receive one of your
 welcome letters; and I know that I am not dreaming, but that I
am actually married. Oh, Laurence, I sometimes look at the
Harpers and say to myself—If they knew! I wish that this
waiting was over! I wish my father would come! This delay
makes me so nervous and so jumpy. It’s like sitting in a
dentist’s drawing-room! I sincerely hope that anticipation will
prove to be the worst part of the business. Miss Harper is
coming. I hear her heavy step! No—I breathe again. Only
fancy, she asked me yesterday, with one of her old sharp
looks, whom I was always writing to? and I was fortunate to
have so many friends—such wonderful correspondents! With
a kind of sneer, then, she said, ‘I’m going out, and I may as
well post your letter,’ but I need not tell you that I declined her
amiable offer, and posted it myself. You say that baby
screams at night, and must be consigned to an outhouse, if
he continues to make night hideous. How inhuman of you,
Laurence, to write such horrid things, even in joke! Do you
think he could possibly be missing me, or is this a foolish idea
with respect to an infant of five months old? Ask Mrs. Holt to
feel his gums. Perhaps it is a tooth? And now good-bye, with
many kisses to him, and kind remembrances to the Holts.
“I am, your loving wife,
“M. W.”
Very shortly after this letter was despatched Mrs. Harper received
a telegram from the agents to say that the Ophir was expected at
Plymouth the next afternoon.
What a fuss ensued, what rushing and running and packing, and
calling for twine and luggage labels, and leather straps and
sandwiches on the part of an excited spinster, who was enchanted at
the prospect of a jaunt down to Devonshire—all expenses paid.
Once fairly off, and away from her own familiar beat, she was little
better than a child. It was not Miss Harper who looked after
Madeline, but Madeline who took care of her. At every big station
she was seized with a panic, and called out, “Porter, where are we
now? How long do we stop? Do we change? Is the luggage all
right?” Her fussy flight to the refreshment-rooms, and frantic dashes
back to the carriage—usually the wrong one—was amusing to her
fellow-travellers, but not to Madeline; and, besides this, her shrill and
constant chatter about “your father,” “I do hope the Ophir won’t be
late,” “she is a splendid steamer, 10,000-horse power,” “and I hope
they have had a good passage,” made her former pupil feel a keen
desire to say something cross, knowing that Miss Harper imagined
that she was impressing the other inmates of the carriage, but in
reality was making herself supremely ridiculous.
Madeline was thankful when they were safely housed (luggage
and all) in the best hotel in Plymouth. Miss Harper had only forgotten
her umbrella in the train, and lost a considerable share of her temper
in consequence, but a good dinner and a good night’s rest made this
all right, and she wore a smiling face as she and her charge and
many other people went down the next morning to board the newly-
arrived Orient Liner Ophir.
To a stranger it was a most bewildering scene, and Miss Harper
and Madeline stared about them helplessly; but of course the new
arrivals were readily singled out by the passengers, and Mr. West
had no hesitation whatever in promptly selecting the prettiest girl
who had come up the side as his own daughter.
It would have been a severe blow to his penetration and self-
esteem had he been wrong, but it so happened that he was right.
And now, before introducing him to Madeline, let us pause and
take a little sketch of Robert West, millionaire, who had made
considerable capital out of the fact, and taken the lead socially
during the recent voyage, from whist and deck-quoits to the usual
complimentary letter to the captain. He is a man of fifty-five, or a little
more, short, spare, dapper, with a thin face, hair between fair and
grey, quick bright hazel eyes, a carefully trimmed short beard, and
waxed moustache. There are a good many deep wrinkles about his
eyes, and when he raises his cap he no longer looks (as he does
otherwise, and at a short distance) a man of five and thirty, but his
full age, for we perceive that his head is as bald as a billiard ball.
(N.B.—His photographs are invariably taken in his hat.) He is
dressed in the most approved manner, and by the best tailor in
Melbourne; a fat little nugget hangs from his watch-chain; a
perennial smile adorns his face, although he has a singularly hard
and suspicious eye. His history and antecedents may be summed up
in a few sentences: His father, an English yeoman of a respectable
old stock, committed forgery, and was transported to Port Philip in
1823; he got a ticket-of-leave, acquired land, squatted, married in
Port Philip, now Victoria. His success was fitful, owing to drought,
scab, and the many other evils to which an Australian settler is heir.
However, he gave his son a fairly good education in England. He
desired him to make a figure as a gentleman. To this end he pinched
and struggled and scraped, and finally sent Robert down to
Melbourne with a certain sum of money, and a stern determination to
grapple with and conquer fortune. Privately Robert despised his
horny-handed old father, the ex-convict. He hated a squatter’s life—
loathed dingoes, dampers, buck-jumpers, and wool, and he soon fell
into a comfortable berth in a land-agent’s office, and being steady,
capable, hard-headed (and hard-hearted), prospered rapidly; in his
young days everything in Melbourne was of Tropical growth.
He married a veritable hot-house flower—his employer’s only
daughter—a pretty, indolent, excitable, extravagant creature, with
French blood in her veins, who carried him up a dozen rungs of the
social ladder, and brought him a fortune. Her house—in Toorak—her
splendid dresses, entertainments, and equipages were the talk and
envy of her neighbours and sex; she was in with the Government
House set, and she lived in an incessant round of gaiety, a truly
brilliant butterfly.
After six years of married life, she died of consumption; and her
widower was not inconsolable. He kept on the big house, he
frequented his club, he heaped up riches, he gambled with
selections as others do with cards; he was not behind-hand in the
great land boom which led to that saturnalia of wild speculation
which demoralized the entire community. Suburban lands were
forced up to enormous prices—a thousand times their value; people
bought properties in the morning and sold them in the afternoon at
an advance of thousands of pounds. New suburbs, new banks, new
tenements sprang up like mushrooms, under the influence of
adventurous building societies, and every one was making an
enormous fortune—on paper.
When the gigantic bubble burst, the consequences were terrible,
involving the ruin of thousands. Robert West had seen that the crash
must come, but believed that he would escape. He tempted fortune
too rashly. Just a few more thousands, and he would sell out; but his
greed was his bane. He had not time to stand from under when the
whole card house toppled over and his fortunes fell.
He was left almost penniless: the banks had collapsed, land and
estate was unsaleable. He was at his wits’ end. He seriously
contemplated suicide, but after all decided to see the thing out—that
is, his own life. He went to Sydney; he kept his head above water; he
looked about keenly for a plank of security, and providence—luck—
threw him one. Land he had taken with grumbling reluctance as part
payment of an ancient debt—land he had never been within five
hundred miles of—proved to be a portion of the celebrated Waikatoo
gold mines. He was figuratively and literally on the spot at once; his
old trade stood to him. He traded, and sold, and realized, keeping a
certain number of shares, and then turned his back on greater Britain
for ever, intending to enjoy life, and to end his days in Britain the
less. Money was his dear and respected friend; he loved it with every
fibre of his little shrivelled heart. Ambition was his ruling passion, and
rank his idol. To rank he would abase himself, and grovel in the
gutter; to rank he intends to be allied before he is much older—if not
in his own proper person, he will at least be the father-in-law of a
peer. Money for the attainment of this honour was no object; and as
his sharp, eager eyes fell on the pretty frightened face that was
looking diffidently round the many groups standing on the deck of the
steamer, he told himself, with a thrill of ecstasy, “That if that girl in the
black hat is Madeline—by Jove! she will do!”
 CHAPTER XIII.
MR. WEST’S WISHES.

Standing close to Mr. West—or, rather, Mr. West had attached

himself to him—was his favourite fellow-traveller, a young and
somewhat impecunious nobleman—Lord Anthony Foster—the son of
a duke, whose pedigree was much longer than his purse, and one of
a large family. Most of this family were already established in life,
and had repaired their shattered fortunes by a prudent and wealthy
marriage; but Lord Tony, as he was called, preferred his liberty. He
was fond of sport and travelling, and was postponing the evil day (as
he considered it) which, alas! must sooner or later overtake him, for
his private fortune was small. His elder brother, the present duke,
was close-fisted, and his personal expenses, do as he would,
invariably exceeded his expectations—it is a little way they have with
many people—and although he had no extravagant tastes (so he
declared), yet he was liberal, and liked to “do things comfortably.” In
his appearance no one would suspect that the blood of a hundred
earls ran in his veins; in fact (low be it whispered), he was a rather
common-looking young man—short, square, with a turned-up nose,
wide nostrils, a wide mouth, and a faint light moustache; his
complexion was tanned to mahogany, but a pair of merry blue eyes,
and an open, good-humoured countenance made up for many
deficiencies. He was not a ladies’ man, but popular with men; not at
all clever, but ever ready to laugh at other folk’s good things, and his
own mistakes—shrewd enough, too; a capital shot, an untiring
angler, an enterprising traveller, and, according to his own account,
an unparalleled sleeper. He had no profession, no ties, no landed
estates to look after—the world was his landed estate—and he was
now returning from a long tour of inspection in Japan and Australia.
Lord Tony had met Mr. West in Sydney society, and Mr. West had
taken an immense fancy to him, and had privately arranged the date
of his own departure so as to secure the young lord as a fellow-
passenger. He had also shared his cabin. In this unaffected young
man, with a pleasant, hearty manner, and a large connection in the
peerage, he saw a link to upper circles, and a ready ladder for his
nimble and ambitious foot.
Mr. West was determined to get into society, to enjoy his money, to
be in the swim, and to make a splash! He had obtained one or two
good introductions to merchant princes, and he had cemented a fast
friendship with Lord Tony. Friendships grow quickly at sea, though
these same friendships frequently languish and fade on shore. He
had frequently and pointedly alluded to “his only child,” “his
daughter,” “his little heiress;” he had displayed with pride the
photograph of a very charming girl in her early teens; he had thrown
out hints, that if she married to please him—a nice, unaffected, well-
connected young fellow, who would give her a coronet on her
handkerchief—the money to spend and keep up her position would
be his affair.
Lord Tony’s married brothers and sisters were continually and
clamorously urging heiresses upon his notice; it was “his only
chance,” they assured him. “He must marry money.” If this pretty girl
now speaking to West, with visible trepidation and becomingly
heightened colour, was the heiress he was always swaggering about
and dragging into his conversation, Lord Tony told himself, as he
took his cigarette out of his mouth and blew away a cloud of smoke,
“that, by George! he might do worse.” And so he might. Presently he
was formally introduced to the young lady and her companion, and
Mr. West, who was metaphorically carried off his feet by Madeline’s
unexpected grace, was in a condition of rampant satisfaction. She
would go down. She would take anywhere; and actually, for a few
lofty seconds, he scorned a mere lord, and saw a wreath of
strawberry leaves resting on her pretty dark hair.
Miss Harper was not slow to read the signs of the times—to
interpret the expression of the millionaire’s growing complacency: he
found Madeline prettier than he had anticipated; he was greatly
pleased; and she immediately improved the occasion, and
murmured a few well-timed words into his ear about “dearest
Madeline’s air of distinction, her exquisitely shaped head, her
vivacity, her remarkable beauty; fitted to adorn any sphere; always a
favourite pupil; a most accomplished, popular girl;” whilst Madeline
gravely answered Lord Anthony’s blunt questions. He was the first
lord she had ever spoken to, and as far as she could judge, neither
formidable nor imposing.
After a little she found herself being led up and presented to the
captain and to several of the passengers, with a look and tone that
told even Madeline, who had a very humble opinion of herself, that
her father was exceedingly proud of her!
Oh, if he would only be kind—only be good to her! if her pretty
face, that he appeared to value so much, would but open the door of
his heart, and admit her and Laurence and his grandchild! But it
would not. Do not think it, simple Madeline; it will only admit you in
company with a peer of the realm.
After much fuss and bustle, Mr. West and his party disembarked.
Never in all her life had Madeline been so much stared at. And she
was not merely looked at curiously—as a pretty girl who had never
seen her father since she was a child—she was doubly interesting
as a great heiress, and a very marketable young person. She was
not sorry to make her escape, and was conducted down the
gangway in a kind of triumphal procession, led by her exultant
parent, her arm on his, whilst Miss Harper followed, leaning on Lord
Anthony—who was to be Mr. West’s guest at his hotel—and I have
no hesitation in affirming that this was the happiest moment of Miss
Harper’s life, if it was not that of her pupil’s (as to this latter I cannot
speak with certainty). Arm-in-arm with a lord! What would people say
at home when she went back? Her heart already beat high with
anticipation of the sensation she would produce upon the minds of
her particular circle. If one of them could only see her! But there is
always an “if.”
Mr. West was rather indisposed after his voyage. He could not
sleep, he declared; he missed the engines; and he remained at
Plymouth for a few days. So did Lord Anthony, who was in no
particular hurry. Miss Harper had reluctantly taken leave, and
returned to Harperton, endowed with a valuable present “for all her
kindness to Madeline,” quoth Mr. West, as he presented it with
considerable pomp, and this offering she graciously and modestly
accepted—yes, without the quivering of an eyelid, much less the
ghost of a blush! Perhaps, so crooked are some people’s ideas, she
had brought herself to believe that she had been kind to Madeline—
and, indeed, she had never been as hard as Miss Selina. She would
have liked to have remained at this luxurious hotel a few days longer.
Everything was done en prince. A carriage and pair, a really smart
turn-out (cockades and all), took them for a delightful drive. There
were excursions to Mount Edgecumbe, promenades on the Hoe.
Plymouth was gay, the weather was magnificent, Lord Anthony
Foster of the party—and so amusing! Miss Harper was easily
amused—sometimes. She threw out one or two hints to Mr. West to
the effect that she was excessively comfortable, that this little visit
was quite too delightful—an oasis in her existence; that mamma was
not lonely—in short, that she dreaded parting with her dearest pupil;
but nevertheless she had to go. Mr. West was ruthless, he was blunt;
he was, moreover, wonderfully keen at interpreting other people’s
motives. He perfectly understood Miss Harper. She was, no doubt,
very much at her ease; but he owed her nothing. She had been
amply paid; she had had his girl for twelve years, and could afford to
part with her young charge.
Moreover, Miss Harper did not belong to the class of people he
particularly wished to cultivate—that was sufficient—and he smilingly
sped the parting guest, after a four days’ visit. During those four days
Madeline had been installed as mistress of her father’s
establishment, and was endeavouring to accustom herself to her
new rôle. Everything was deferred to her, the ordering of dinner, the
ordering of carriages, and of various items that meant a considerable
outlay. She took up her position at once with a composure that
astonished her school-mistress. She stared at Madeline in
amazement, as she sat at the head of the table in her new black
gauze, and comported herself as though she had occupied the post
for years.
 In about a week’s time, the Wests (still accompanied by Lord
Anthony) went to London, staying at the Métropole Hotel; and here
Mr. West, who was a brisk man of action, and resolved to lose not an
hour in enjoying his money and realizing his plans, set about house-
hunting, con amore, assuring delighted house agents that price was
no consideration—what he sought was size, style, and situation.
Under these favourable circumstances, he soon discovered what
he required. A superb mansion in Belgrave Square, with large suites
of reception rooms, twenty bedrooms, hot and cold water, electric
light, speaking-tubes, stabling for twelve horses, and, in short, to
quote the advertisement, “with everything desirable for a nobleman’s
or gentleman’s family.” It had just been vacated by a marquis, which
made it still more desirable to Mr. West. If not near the rose, the rose
had lived there! Indeed, to tell the happy truth, a duke resided next
door, and an ambassador round the corner. So far so good. The next
thing was to be neighbourly. Then there was the business of
furnishing—of course regardless of cost. Days and days were spent,
selecting, measuring, matching, and discussing at one of the most
fashionable upholsterers in town, and the result was most
satisfactory, most magnificent, and most expensive. There was a
dining-room hung with ancestors—Charles Surface’s, perhaps—but
certainly not Mr. West’s. A full-length portrait of his father in prison
dress would have been a startling novelty; there was an ante-room in
turquoise blue, a drawing-room in yellow and white, and a boudoir in
rose and pearl-colour brocade. Of the delights of these apartments,
of the paintings, statuary, bronzes, and Chinese curios, of the old
silver and china and ivory work, and pianos and Persian carpets, it
would take a book to catalogue.
As for Madeline, accustomed, as we know, to four Windsor chairs,
two tables, a shabby rag of Kidderminster carpet, and a horsehair
sofa with a lame leg, her brain was giddy as she endeavoured to
realize that she was to be mistress of these treasures, and to preside
over this palatial establishment. Carriages and horses found places
in stables and coach-houses; a troop of well-trained servants
populated the house. There was a stately lady housekeeper, a
French chef, a French maid for Madeline, three footmen in mulberry
and silver buttons, and a butler whom one might have mistaken for a
dean, and whose deportment and dignity were of such proportions
as to overawe all timid natures, and of very high value in his master’s
eyes.
Madeline shrank from her lady’s maid, but she was a necessity—
noblesse oblige. She did not wish the sharp-eyed Parisienne to spy
out the nakedness of the land, as far as her own wardrobe was
concerned, and was at many a shift to postpone her arrival until she
had garments more befitting her background and her father’s purse.
Indeed he had not been pleased with her gowns, “they looked
cheap,” he had remarked with a frown.
“Is that all you have, Madeline, that black thing?” he asked rather
querulously one evening, as they stood in the drawing-room awaiting
Lord Anthony, and a friend.
“Yes, papa; and it is nearly new,” she said in a tone of deprecation.
“It does very well for the present, and I must wear it out.”
“Wear out! Stuff and nonsense!” irritably. “One would think you had
a shingle loose. I really sometimes fancy, when I hear you talking of
the price of this and that, and so on, and economy, that you have
known what it is to be poor—poor as Job! Whereas, by George! you
have never known what it is to want for a single thing ever since you
were born. You have as much idea of poverty as your prize black
poodle has!”
Had she? Had she not known what it was to frequent pawnshops,
to battle with wolfish want, to experience not merely the pleasures of
a healthy appetite, but the actual pangs of painful hunger. Oh, had
she not known what it was to be poor! She gave a little half-choked
nervous laugh, and carefully avoided her father’s interrogative eyes.
“I’ll give you a cheque to-morrow,” he resumed, “and do go to
some good dressmaker, and get yourself some smart clothes. Lady
Rachel, Lord Tony’s sister, is going to call, ask her to take you to
some first-class place, and choose half a dozen gowns. I really mean
it; and put this thing,” flicking her fifty-shilling costume with a
contemptuous finger and thumb, “behind the fire. You are not like
your mother; she made the money fly. However, she was always well
turned out. I don’t want you to ruin me; but there is a medium in all
things. What is the good of a daughter who is a beauty if she won’t
set herself off?”
“Do you really think me pretty, father?” she asked, rather timidly.
“Why, of course I do! We shall have you setting the fashions and
figuring in the papers, and painted full life-size, when you have more
assurance, and know how to make the most of yourself. Remember
this,” now giving his collar a chuck, and speaking with sudden
gravity, “that when you marry”—Madeline blushed—“when you
marry, I say,” noticing this blush, “you must go into the peerage,
nothing else would suit me, never forget that. Now that you know my
views, there can be no misunderstandings later on. Never send a
commoner to ask for my consent.”
“But, father,” she ventured boldly, now raising her eyes to his, that
surveyed her like two little fiery brown beads, “supposing that I loved
a poor man, what then? How would it be then?”
“Folly!” he almost yelled. “Poor man. Poor devil! Love! rot and
nonsense, bred from reading trashy novels. Love a poor man! Do
you want to drive me mad? Never mention it, never think of it, if I am
to keep my senses.” And he began to pace about.
“But,” she answered resolutely, pressing her fan very hard into the
palm of her trembling hand, “supposing that I did? Why should I not?
—you married my mother for love.”
“Not a bit of it,” he rejoined emphatically, “I liked her, admired her;
she was very pretty, and had blue blood—foreign blood—in her
veins, but she was a good match. She had a fine fortune, she was in
the best set. Her father took me into partnership. I was a rising man
—and—er—I know all about love; I have been through the mill! Ha,
ha, it’s bad while it lasts, but it does not last! The woman I loved was
a little girl from Tasmania, without a copper. She tempted me
mightily, but I knew I might just as well cut my throat at once. No, I
married for good and sensible reasons, and one word will do as well
as ten. If you ever make a low marriage, a love match with a pauper,