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diff --git a/41564-0.txt b/41564-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a946f3e --- /dev/null +++ b/41564-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6443 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41564 *** + + MABEL. + + A NOVEL, + BY EMMA WARBURTON. + + _IN THREE VOLUMES._ + + VOL. I. + + + LONDON: + + THOMAS CAUTLEY NEWBY, PUBLISHER, + 30, WELBECK STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE. + 1854. + + + + + TO + MISS EMMA TYLNEY LONG, + THIS WORK + IS INSCRIBED + AS A SLIGHT BUT SINCERE EXPRESSION + OF GRATEFUL ESTEEM. + + + + + MABEL. + + + + + CHAPTER I. + + Oh, timely, happy, timely wise, + Hearts that with rising morn arise, + Eyes that the beam celestial view, + Which evermore makes all things new. + + New every morning is the love, + Our waking and uprising prove, + Through sleep and darkness safely brought, + Restored to life, and power, and thought. + + KEEBLE. + + +One morning, early in the month of August, a few years since, the sun +rose lazily and luxuriously over the hills that bounded the little +village of Aston, which lay in one of the prettiest valleys of +Gloucestershire. The golden beams of that glorious luminary falling +first upon the ivy-covered tower of the little church, seemed, to the +eye of fancy, to linger with pleasure round the sacred edifice, as if +glad to recognize the altar of Him, who, from the beginning, had fixed +his daily course through the bright circle of the heavens, then pouring +a flood of brilliancy on the simple rectory, danced over the hills, and +played with the many windows of the old Manor House, which, situated at +a short distance from the church, formed one of the most striking +objects of the village. + +Only here and there a thick volume of smoke rose from the cottages +scattered over the valley, while the only living object visible was a +young man, who thus early walked down the steep and winding path, which +led from the rectory, and strolled leisurely forward, as if attracted by +the beauties of the early morning. The slow pace with which he moved +seemed to betoken either indolence or fatigue, while his dress, which +was of the latest fashion, slightly contrasted with the ancient-looking +simplicity of the place. + +Captain Clair, for such was his name, had quitted his regiment, then in +India, and returned to England, with the hope of recruiting his health, +which had been considerably impaired by his residence abroad. + +On the preceding evening, he had arrived at the rectory, upon a visit to +his uncle, who wished him to try the bracing air of Gloucestershire as a +change from town, where he had been lingering for some little time since +his return to England. + +In person, the young officer was slight and well made, with a becoming +military air; his countenance light and fresh colored, spite of Indian +suns, and, on the whole, prepossessing, though not untinged by certain +worldly characters, as if he had entered perhaps too thoughtlessly on a +world of sin and temptation. + +There is, however, something still and holy in the early morning, when +the sin and folly of nature has slept, or seemed to sleep, and life +again awakes with fresh energy to labor. The dew from heaven has not +fallen upon the herb alone, it seems to rest upon the spirit of man +which rises full of renewed strength to that toil before which it sank +heavily at eve; and as Captain Clair felt the breeze rising with its +dewy incense to heaven, his mind seemed to receive fresh impetus, and +his thoughts a higher tone. Languidly as he pursued his way, his eye +drank in the beauties of a new country, with all the fervour of a +poetical imagination. + +On the right and left of the village, as he entered it, were high hills, +covered with brushwood, a few cottages, with their simple gardens, lay +in the hollow, and the church, standing nearly alone, was built a +little above these, having the hill on the left immediately behind it. +There was great beauty in that simple church, with that thickly covered +hill above, and nothing near to disturb its solemnity. + +Further on, the hills opened, and gave a view of the whole country +beyond, presenting a scene of loveliness very common in our fertile +island. A small but beautiful river wound through the valley, carrying +life and fertility along its banks. Wide spreading oaks and tall +beeches, with the graceful birch and chestnut trees bending their lower +branches nearly to the green turf beneath, enclosed the grounds of the +Manor House, which, built on a gentle ascent, looked down on the +peaceful valley below. + +The house, itself, was a fine old building, well suited to the habits of +a country gentleman, though not so large as the gardens and plantation +surrounding it, might have admitted. These had been gradually acquired +by each successive owner of the mansion, who took pleasure in adding to +the family estate by purchasing all property immediately adjoining, but +had wisely refrained from patching and spoiling the house itself. + +Captain Clair was determined to admire every thing; he had got up +unusually early, and that in itself was a meritorious action, which put +him in perfect good humour with himself. It was a very pleasant morning, +too, numbers of insects, he had scarcely ever seen or thought of since +he was a boy, attracted his attention, and flew out from the dewy +hedges, over which the white lily, or bindweed, hung in careless grace. +The butterfly awoke, and sported in the sunshine--and the bee went forth +to the busy labors of the day, humming the song of cheerful industry. +All combined to bring back long forgotten days of innocent childhood and +boyish mirth; the pulse which an Indian clime had weakened, beat +quicker, and his spirits revived before the influence of happy memories +and the healthy breezes of the Cotswold. Then, as the morning advanced, +he lingered to watch the movements of the villagers, and to muse upon +the characters of the inmates of the different cottages as he passed +them, and to observe that those who dwelt in the neatest were those who +stirred the first. The labourers had gone to their work, and now the +windows and doors were opened, and children came forth to play. + +As he returned again to reach the rectory in time for its early +breakfast, he perceived one dwelling much superior in character to those +around it, with its antique gable front ornamented with carefully +arranged trelliswork, over which creepers twined in flowery luxuriance, +and the simple lawn sloping down towards the road, from which a low, +sunk fence divided it. Here, careless of observation, a young child had +seated herself--her straw hat upon the turf beside her, while she was +busily engaged in twining for it a wreath of the wild lily, forgetful +that in a few minutes its beauty would perish; she was a lovely child, +the outline of her infantine features was almost faultless, and her +little face dimpled with smiles as she looked up from her occupation to +nod some brief salutation to the poor men as they passed her on their +way home. + +Arthur Clair could scarcely tell, why, of all the objects he had +observed that morning, none should make so deep an impression as the +sight of that young child, or why he felt almost sad, as he thought of +her twining those fading flowers, and as he strolled on, why, he looked +at nothing further, but still found himself musing on the delicate +features of that young face. + +When he reached the garden gate, he found his uncle strolling about, +waiting for him. + +Mr. Ware was a fine looking old gentleman, with silver hair curling over +a wide and expansive forehead. Though a little under the middle height, +there was a gentle dignity in his manner that could scarcely fail to be +noticed, or if not noticed, it was sure to be felt. He was neither very +witty, nor very learned--yet none knew him very long without liking him. +His face, not originally striking, had become more handsome as he had +grown older--for the struggle between good and evil, which must be in +every well principled mind, a perpetual struggle, had been carried on by +him for many years, and so successfully, that each year brought heaven +nearer to the good man's thoughts; and now, as the race was so nearly +finished, his zeal became more earnest, and his conscience more tender; +fearing, lest, after a life spent in his Master's service, he might be +found lingering at the last, and lose the prize for which he had been so +long striving. In his eye was that look of serenity and peace which +seemed to say, "he feared no evil tidings;" for he walked continually +under the protection, which only can give that feeling of security which +those who have it not would bestow great riches to possess. We have +lingered longer than we at first intended in description, but, perhaps +not too long. + +When we look back to the innocence of childhood, we sigh to think that +we can never be children again; we recall that happy time when the world +had not written its own characters of sin and falsehood in our hearts; +we sigh to think that childhood is gone--but no sigh will recall it. But +when we see an old man who has passed the waves of this troublesome +world, true to the faith with which he entered life, we feel that here +is an example which we may follow. Childhood we have left behind, but +old age is before us, and if we live on, must come; and, as the body +decays, do we not feel that the spirit should increase in holiness and +strength, preparing itself for that beautiful world of light which it +must enter or die. + +Mr. Ware had resided for many years at Aston; when a younger man, he had +been tutor, for a few months, to Colonel Hargrave, the present +possessor of the Aston property--and though with his pupil, only during +a tour through Italy, the attachment between them was such, that the +young man solicited his father to prefer his tutor to Aston, when that +living became vacant, partly, he told him, from his wish to secure +himself a friend and companion, whenever he visited home. Mr. Ware +gratefully accepted an offer which at once placed him in independence; +and, as soon as he had settled himself in his new house, he carried one +of his favourite projects into execution, by sending for his only +sister, who had been obliged to procure her livelihood as a governess; +his own small means being, since their father's death, insufficient for +both. + +It was not then for his own sake entirely that he rejoiced in his +improved circumstances. When he drove his neat little carriage to meet +his sister, and when he brought her home, and shewed her his +house--their house as he called it--with its pretty comfortable +sitting-room, looking out upon the garden, and the neat little chamber, +where all her old favourite books--recovered from the friend who had +taken charge of them during her wanderings--rested upon the neatly +arranged shelves, he felt as happy as man can wish to be. And when, with +eyes glistening with pleasure, he assured her that it was her home as +long as she lived--he said what he never found reason to repent, for the +cheerful face of his companion bore perpetual remembrance of his +brotherly kindness. + +He had once thought of marriage; but the idea had now passed away +entirely. In early years, he had been sincerely attached to a school +friend of his sister's, whom he had met during one of his Oxford +vacations; but she died early, leaving her memory too deeply impressed, +to make him wish to replace it by giving his affection to another. His +sister, now almost his only near relative, had sympathised, most +sincerely, in his loss, and had endeavoured to aid his own manly +judgment in regaining that cheerfulness of tone so necessary for the +right discharge of the every-day duties of life. She had been rewarded +by the more than usual continuation of a brother's early love and +esteem, and she had, therefore, no scruple of accepting his offer of +protection, and a home. + +From that time, she had continued to keep his house with the most +cheerful attention to his wishes and whims, and with an evenness of +temper which had always been peculiar to her. + +There was an air of gaiety about the whole house; the two maid-servants +and the old gardener seemed to possess peculiarly good tempers--they +were, indeed, scarcely ever disturbed, and we may venture to add, that +they were not very much overworked. + +There were hives of bees in the garden, chickens in the court-yard, and +the gaily-feathered cock strutting about, giving a lazy crow now and +then--all seeming to take their ease, and enjoy themselves. In fact, +there was a blessing on the good man's home, that was always smiling +round it. + +It was to this pleasant abode that the young soldier had come down +wearied with London amusements, like some strange being who had yet to +find a place in its social order. + +"You are fortunate, sir," he said, as he strolled down the garden by his +uncle's side, "in your neighbourhood. I have seldom seen anything before +more comfortably beautiful, if I may use the expression." + +"I am glad you like it," replied Mr. Ware, "and I assure you I shall be +quite contented if it has the power to make you spend a month or two +here agreeably. If you are fond of scenery, there are many places worth +seeing, even within a walking distance." + +"I suppose the Manor House is amongst the number?" observed his nephew, +"I have been admiring it extremely. I cannot think why Hargrave does +not come down here. Has he been since he came into the property?" + +"Yes--but only once, and then only for a short while; but you speak as +if you knew him?" + +"A little," replied Clair, "he came home with us from Malta; but +friendship, sometimes, ripen fast. He found out my relationship to you, +which commenced our acquaintance; I was charmed with him--indeed, I +scarcely ever met more variety in any character. Sometimes I could +scarcely keep pace with his flow of spirits, and then he would fall into +a fit of musing, piquing my curiosity to discover why so great a change +should take place, as it were, in an instant--in short, I'd defy any one +to get into his confidence. But you know him, sir?" + +"Yes," said Mr. Ware, "I knew him very well at one time; his father sent +me with him to Italy, and in return, the generous boy obtained me this +preferment. But I have not seen him now, I think, for six or seven +years--though we write to each other occasionally. You must tell me more +about him at your leisure, however, for he is a great favourite with +Mary as well as myself; but now, I think, you must be ready for +breakfast--Mary is waiting for us, I see. Afterwards, if you are not +tired, we will pay a visit to the church--there are two or three +monuments of the Hargrave family worth looking at." + +"You are very kind," replied Clair, "I am sure I feel better already +with the fresh country air--and health after sickness is happiness +itself, sometimes." + +At this moment, Miss Ware opened the glass door which led into the +garden. She was dressed, with studied simplicity, in a black silk gown, +with white muslin apron, and her cap, looking as white as snow, fastened +round the head by a broad lilac ribbon; but the smile upon her face was +the best of all, and was never wanting at the breakfast-table, for she +always maintained that no one had a right to be dull after a good +night's rest, or to anticipate the troubles of the day before they came. + +"Good morning, Edmund," said she to her brother, "and good morning, +Arthur," giving her hand to her nephew. "I was just preparing to send +your breakfast up-stairs, when I heard you had been out for more than +two hours." + +"I am not sorry to save you the trouble of nursing me, aunt--I have had +enough of that in London," said Clair, gaily, as he followed her to the +morning-room, where breakfast waited them. The meal was dispatched with +cheerfulness, and he amused his aunt by an account of his walk, and the +guesses which it had allowed him to make of the character of their +poorer neighbours, with whom she was herself well acquainted. + +After breakfast, Mr. Ware invited him to join his morning ramble. + +"I shall have an opportunity," he said, as they descended the hill +leading to the lower part of the village, "of pointing out to you some +of the evils of absenteeism--of which you have, doubtless, heard much. I +have always noticed, that what we gain from our own observation is worth +much more than the information of others. In this little spot, +unhappily, you will see very much to condemn. I have already told you +that our landlord, Colonel Hargrave, has not been here for more than six +years, and before that visit, which was chiefly occupied in field +sports, his sojourn here had been very rare, for his talented mind led +him to seek the more extensive knowledge to be gained from foreign +travel, even before he entered the army. His father, who has now been +dead some years, constantly resided here, till the death of his wife, +which made Aston a very different place from what it is at present. Poor +Mrs. Hargrave was universally beneficent, and was so much loved and +respected by the people in this neighbourhood, rich as well as poor, +that her name is scarcely ever mentioned without the title of 'good' +being added to it. The time when good Mrs. Hargrave lived is always +looked back upon with affectionate regret. When she died, however, her +husband, who was passionately fond of her, took a distaste to a place +which constantly reminded him of his loss, and he only paid very casual +visits to it during the remainder of his life, which did not last long +after the domestic blow he had sustained. At present, the estate is in +the hands of a rapacious bailiff, who amply fulfils that proverb, which +says, 'A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which +leaveth no food.' Unfortunately, I have no influence with him, and as he +has to pay me tithe, he regards me in the light of others who are +dependent upon him. It is an unhappy state of things, certainly, for the +wages of the poor laborers employed on the estate, are, in some cases, +kept back for months together. You may easily fancy how difficult it is +for men to live under these circumstances, having no other resource +beyond the fruit of their labors." + +They had, by this time, reached the hollow between the two hills, where +a great many cottages were situated. About them was an appearance of +neglect, that is, at all times, disagreeable to contemplate. In most +parts, the thatch had become blackened by the weather, and here and +there pieces of it had been blown off by the high winds, or were kept in +place only by heavy stones laid upon the roof. In some places the walls, +which bounded the little gardens, had been suffered to crumble +down--loose stones lying in the gaps, but no effort seemed to have been +made to replace them. A ditch ran along the road, partially covered with +long grass and weeds; but the glimpses here and there afforded of it, +told that it was used as a receptacle for the drains of that part of the +parish--and a noxious stench arose from it exercising a baneful +influence, as might be seen by the pale faces of the children who played +about it. + +Added to this, there was a desponding tone over the general features of +the place, which might have accounted for the wastes of ground which +might be seen, here and there, covered with weeds, rather than converted +to any useful purpose. + +"Surely," said Clair, attracting his uncle's attention, "this +self-neglect cannot be attributed to Hargrave?" + +"Not altogether," replied Mr. Ware, "this is an evil which I hope time +will remedy; there is, indeed, no excuse for it; yet the reason I +believe simply to be, that the people, losing their accustomed +stimulant, arising from a resident family, and depressed by the low and +uncertain wages they receive from an oppressive bailiff, have not yet +learned to take care of themselves; but yet I hope, from day to day," +said the good man, looking round, "it would not do for me to despond as +well as the rest." + +Stepping over a small plank that crossed the ditch, they entered one of +the cottages. The interior presented a kind of untidy comfort; a large +heap of fuel lay in one corner, and a bed was at one side, and seemed +used as a substitute for a seat during the day. The windows, where panes +had been broken, were filled up with dirty rags; two or three children +were playing about with naked feet, and their mother, a remarkably +pretty young woman, was working at the darkened window. By the fire was +seated a strong hale young man, with his hands upon his knees, +contemplating it with gloomy fixedness. A red cap ornamented his head, +and partly shaded a pair of dark eyes, and a scowling countenance. + +Mr. Ware could not but enter the cottage with the consciousness that he +was not particularly welcome; yet this did not render his visits less +frequent. + +"Well, Martin," said he, "I am sorry to see you at home, for I fear you +are out of work." + +The man answered, without rising from his seat-- + +"I am out of work, and so I am likely to remain, I suppose. It is +up-hill work to have nothing better to look to than this comes to--and +it is very hard to be owed ever so much money, which I have earned by as +honest labor as was ever given in exchange for money. I have heard you +read--'_cursed is he that keepeth a man's wages all night by him until +the morning_,'--but I don't know what would be said to him that can keep +them for months, letting a poor man starve, without thinking of him for +a moment. When rent day comes round, then it must be rent, or turn out; +we hav'nt got no power in our hands; but I say 'tis a very hard case." + +"It is very hard, I allow, Martin," said Mr. Ware, "but the wrong done +you does not excuse your sitting here idle; have you been trying for +work?" + +"Yes, I've been to all the farmers round; but there's none to be got." + +"How do you manage to get on then?" + +"We live as we can," answered the man, sullenly. + +"Well, my good fellow," said Mr. Ware, kindly, "make another effort, and +do not sit down here idle all day. I hear that Colonel Hargrave is +coming to England shortly, if, indeed, he is not already here." + +"We have heard that so often," growled Martin, "that we cannot put any +faith in it. He'll never come to do us any good, I reckon." + +Mr. Ware offered him a little more advice as to exerting himself, and +then, with a small gratuity to his wife, left the cottage with his +nephew. + +"He is a notorious poacher," said he, as they walked on, "and his excuse +is, if they do not give us our own money, we must take an equivalent. +It is difficult to preach while poverty and starvation are opposed to +the maxims we would wish to inculcate. I wish something could make the +Colonel believe the actual state of things; but I do sometimes fear he +entirely forgets us. In that neat-looking dwelling," he continued, after +a pause, "lives a woman, who has hitherto obtained her livelihood by +supplying the poor inhabitants with bread and other necessaries; for +some months past, however, Rogers, the bailiff, has found excuses to +withhold the wages from most of the workmen engaged in repairing the +premises at Aston, and they have been obliged to live upon credit, which +this poor woman has been persuaded to give them--in consequence, she +tells me, she is nearly ruined; and from the confusion in which her +money matters stand, she has fallen quite into a state of melancholy. I +went to her yesterday, so that I will not ask you to see her to-day; but +we will come in here," he said, at the same time lifting the latch of a +door, which opened into a small room, more like some hovel, attached to +a tenement which contained several families. + +It was a wretched-looking place, and Clair could scarcely suppress a +shudder as he entered it. It was but badly lighted from a broken window; +an old piece of furniture served, at once, for a table and a sort of +cupboard; two chairs, and a stool, completed the furniture, with the +exception of a shelf, on which the poverty of the house was displayed, +in half a loaf of bread which rested on it. Here an old man sat by the +smouldering embers of a wood fire, holding his hands as close to it as +possible, as if he hoped to find comfort in the miserable heat it +afforded, for his thin hands looked cold, though it was still early in +autumn. He welcomed them with pleasure, and offered his two chairs to +the gentlemen with ready alacrity, taking possession of the stool for +himself. + +While Mr. Ware continued talking to the old man, Clair gave a searching +glance round the poor dwelling, and trembled to think how the cold +December wind would whistle through the old window; but when he thought +of asking some questions concerning it, he was checked, by hearing the +two old men discourse with such apparent ease and cordiality, as if they +had entirely forgotten where they were. + +"Is it really possible, sir," said he, when they had left, "that nothing +can be done for that poor old man?" + +"I fear nothing can be done," returned Mr. Ware, "unless we can persuade +Hargrave to return to us." + +"But how," enquired Clair, "would his coming remedy the evil." + +"It would do so in a great measure," replied Mr. Ware, as they turned +homewards. "A man with his wealth could afford to keep all that are now +out of labour, well employed. A farmer cannot well afford to pay an old +man for the little labour he can give, but a rich landlord can easily +find him employment; at a lower rate of wages, of course. Formerly, +those who were too old for hard work, were allowed to sweep away the +leaves, or clean the weeds from the walks on the estate, which were a +few years since beautifully kept. The absence of a rich family in a +place where the people have learnt to depend upon them, is a serious +loss. You will wonder, perhaps, that I do not instantly, and fully +relieve the situation of the old man we visited just now, but the +poverty which has prevailed in almost every house during the past year, +has been very great; and I have been obliged to divide my charity so as +to make it more extensive. Besides, I do not much approve of giving +where it can be avoided; and, therefore, husband my means for the +scarcity of the coming winter." + +"I should have guessed," said his nephew, "that some such motive +influenced you, or I know such cases would meet with instant +relief--but of one thing, I am certain, Hargrave cannot be aware of +this." + +"We will hope not," said Mr. Ware, somewhat sadly; "but I have written +to him frequently, and if Rogers gave me the proper directions, it is +hardly likely my letters have not reached him. It is too probable, that, +like many more, he relies too much upon his bailiff." + +They had, by this time, reached the rectory, and Clair, exhausted from +unusual exercise, threw himself into an arm-chair, and took up a book. + + + + + CHAPTER II. + + From dream to dream, with her to rove, + Like faery nurse, with hermit child, + Teach her to think, to pray, to love, + Make grief less bitter, joy less wild. + These were thy tasks,--. + + CHURCH POETRY. + + +About a quarter of a mile from the rectory, and close to the Church, was +the pretty little residence which had attracted Clair's attention in his +morning walk. It was an old fashioned little house, with gable front, +and latticed windows, with ivy climbing over the walls, and jasmine and +honeysuckle creeping in rich luxuriance over the old porch. In front, +the grass-plot sloped down, with a wide gravel walk running round it, +to the gate, which shut it in from the high road. At the back lay a +spacious vegetable garden, irregularly laid out, and interrupted here +and there by a rose-bush, or bed of beautiful carnations, as it suited +the old gardener's taste--for he had lived in the family so many years, +that no one dared dispute his will in the garden--it was conducted on +his most approved style of good gardening; and old John would have +defended that style against all the world. To have discharged him from +her service would have been one of the last things his mistress would +have thought of; therefore, the only alternative was to let him have his +own way in every thing. One part of his system was to put every thing in +the place best suited to its growth, without much regard to order, and +the garden often presented a strange medley in consequence; the hottest +corners were shared by early lettuces, and rich double stocks, and +radish beds, and so on, throughout the garden; but there was something +not unpleasing in the mixture, though it looked a little singular, and +the general neatness was not to be found fault with--and the turf walks +cutting the garden in many directions, were always smoothly cut and +rolled. + +The spot where old John was most certain to be found, was just in the +middle of the garden, where he had enclosed a small piece of ground by a +high and closely clipped yew hedge, to keep out the wind. In this small +enclosure, were two or three hot-beds, with cucumbers, melons, or some +very early radishes, or cress under glass frames. He had always +something to do round these beds, the matting covers were to be put on +or taken off, and the glasses opened a little more, and more, as the day +advanced, and then, of course, to be closed again, by degrees, towards +evening. If any one touched them but himself, he looked as if his whole +crop must inevitably be spoilt; but the secret might have been, that, he +had always some little surprise to bring out of them, such as a +cucumber ten days earlier than could have been expected; or some mustard +and cress, before any one else thought of planting any, which, of +course, was not to be seen till quite ready for the table. + +There was an appearance about the inside of the house, as well as of the +garden, as if a great deal of money had been spent upon it formerly, for +there were many solid and ornamental comforts in both, which might have +been dispensed with if required. + +The drawing-room, though small, was substantially and elegantly +furnished, though old fashioned; every thing in the room too bore the +evidence of refined habits, but nothing told of any present expenditure. +Such as it had been ten years before, it very much remained now. The +dining-room and usual sitting-room, had much of the same appearance +though it did not give quite the same reflective, feeling--ladies' work, +and a child's playthings, gave life and animation to it. + +Colonel Lesly had lived here for many years since his retirement from +the army, having lost a leg during the Peninsular war, where he had +served as a brave officer, and only retired from the service when unable +to be of further use to it. On his return to England, he, with his wife +and child, settled in his native county--and fixed on this cottage for +his residence. His wife was most sincerely attached to him, and her +society with that of their daughter Mabel, made him scarcely regret, +being obliged so soon to retire from a profession so well adapted to his +tastes. He had been fond of reading, when a boy, and had not neglected +the opportunities presented by his wandering abroad, to cultivate his +taste for general information. One of his chief pleasures soon became +that of teaching his little Mabel all he knew, and her intelligent +questions often led him to take an interest in subjects he might +otherwise have neglected. + +Since their settling at Aston, Colonel and Mrs. Lesly had had several +children, who had all died in infancy, still leaving Mabel as the only +object of parental love; fondly did her father guard the young girl's +mind, growing in intelligence, and beauty, whilst her speaking features +lighted up with smiles whenever he came near. Proudly did he watch her +as each year gave her something more soft, more touching, more womanly; +and earnestly did he hope that life would be spared him to guide aright +a mind of such firmness and power, joined to feelings so warm and eager, +that it seemed to him a question which would have the ascendancy, heart +or mind. But that wish was not to be granted, and Mabel's first real +sorrow, was her father's death. He had gone on a short visit to London, +upon some urgent business, and had there taken the typhus fever, which +made its appearance soon after his return home, and, acting on an +enfeebled constitution, carried him to his grave, after a short illness. +A few days after his death, Mabel's youngest sister was born. It was, +indeed, to a house of sorrow and mourning, that the little child came, +for her mother's constitution never recovered the shock she had +sustained in the loss of one, not only most dear, but on whom she had +become almost wholly dependent. + +It was then that Mabel felt the benefit of her father's lessons so +firmly impressed on her mind, and resolved to act as she believed he +would have led her to do, could he have been allowed the power of +guiding her still. So severely did her mother feel the loss she had +sustained, both in health and spirits, that she rather required support +herself than felt able to afford it to those dependent on her; Mabel, +therefore, soon felt the necessity of exerting herself, as all the +family responsibilities seemed left entirely to her care. + +As soon then as she could at all recover from the blow occasioned by her +father's death, she applied herself to the management of their now +reduced income, and busied herself in cutting off all the expenses +which the Colonel's liberal habits had rendered almost necessary to his +happiness, but which were now quite beyond their means. + +In the course of her enquiries, she had no greater opponent than old +John; he first insisted that he himself was quite indispensable to the +arrangements of the family; and when he had gained that point, he was +equally obstinate about the carriage and ponies. But Mabel had the +advantage in that particular, at least; the old gardener was left in +quiet possession--but the coach-house and stable were shut up--and after +many a battle with their old friend, everything else that could be +dispensed with, was cut off, till the expenditure was reduced to +something within their income. John pined and fretted, but his young +mistress had such a winning way, he could not keep his ill-humour long. +He had declared, during one of his contests, that she never could be +happy without the pretty pony which had carried her up and down the +hills so often; but he was obliged to give up the point, when he saw the +delight with which she carried her infant sister in her arms and danced +her in the sunshine, with half a mother's hope and pride, as if she +wanted nothing more to make her perfectly happy. + +Sometimes, when the child grew older, she would take her to gather the +yellow cress, or the cowslip, and watch her trembling steps with the +most careful attention, or lead her to the church-yard, and there, +seated on their father's tomb, give her her first lesson in eternal +things. And then they would return together to cheer their mother's +solitude, and try to divert her from her never ceasing regrets; and thus +years passed by, and if sorrow laid again its heavy hand on Mabel's +brow, resignation had followed to smooth away its lines, and leave it +soft and gentle as before. + +On that bright August morning, which we have before described, she was +sitting with her little sister, now a beautiful but weak and unhealthy +child, of seven or eight, at her lessons in the cheerful little +sitting-room. Mabel--with her bright, quick eye, changing color, and +speaking countenance over which a thought, perhaps a single shade of +mournfulness had been cast, and the little girl by her side looked well +together, and they were almost always in company. Amy was at her French +lesson, which that morning seemed peculiarly hard to learn, and much as +she always tried to please her sister, she could not help turning her +wandering eyes rather often to the open window to watch the butterflies +flit past in the merry sunshine. + +"It is so difficult, Mabel dear," said she, at length, "I learnt it +perfectly this morning, but I cannot remember the words now." + +"Well, try once more," replied Mabel; "but you must not look out of the +window." + +"But my head aches so," said Amy, coaxingly, knowing that Mabel could +hardly ever resist her plea of illness. + +"Well, there is mamma's bell, and while I go to dress her, you can take +a run round the garden--but do not be long, or I shall have to call +you." + +Mabel went up-stairs, and Amy ran off to the garden--her first object +was the fruit trees, to see if any were on the ground--she found +none--but many beautiful ripe peaches were on one tree, which was +carefully trained against the wall, and one finer than the rest, +perfectly ready, and peeping out from the leaves, looked peculiarly +tempting. She stopped to look, then felt it gently, then tried to see if +it were loose, till one unfortunate push, and the peach tumbled to the +ground. Amy looked frightened, and gazed round to see if any one was in +sight, but seeing no one, she picked it up, and began to eat it. + +Suddenly the awful step of old John was heard coming from the +cucumber-bed. + +"How did you get that peach, miss?" he said, roughly. + +The child turned red, but answered quickly, + +"I picked it up." + +"Well, I would not have lost that peach," said he, "for half-a-dozen +others. Miss Mabel told me to save half-a-dozen for Mr. Ware, and this +was the best of the lot--I shan't have such another beauty this year. +Oh, miss." + +"But you said I might have all I picked up," answered Amy, clinging to +her subterfuge. + +"Yes; but I thought this was too firm to fall, watching it as I did +too," said he, as he looked in consternation from the tree to the half +eaten peach in Amy's hand. + +The child was not long in taking advantage of his silence, and ran into +the house just in time to take up the French lesson before Mabel +returned. + +There was a look of indignation not easily mistaken by Amy on her +sister's face, when she entered the room. + +"Oh, Amy," she said, in tones of anger and surprise. + +Amy looked up, but said nothing--she was frightened, for she knew that +she had been doing wrong. + +"I did not think," said Mabel, while an expression of contempt curled +her beautiful lip, "I did not think you could be so mean as to screen +yourself from blame by a falsehood." + +Amy was going to speak, but her sister interrupted her. + +"I know every word you would say; but it is all, all wrong. I heard +every word, and I dare say, guessed every thought. You did not really +mean to pick the peach, but you could not resist the temptation to +loosen its hold. When it fell, you were surprised and sorry; but you +could not resist the temptation to eat, because you were alone, and +thought that no one saw you; then, when John came, you turned coward, +because you were wrong, and told him you had picked it up--and this was +true, though it was also true that you were the means of knocking it +down first--so you had neither the courage to speak the truth, nor tell +a falsehood." + +Mabel spoke quickly and impetuously, and as the whole truth glared on +the child's mind, the hot tears fell quickly on her burning cheek. + +"You do not love me, Mabel," she said. + +"Because I will not let you be mean, deceitful, and wicked. What would +papa have said had he seen his child act so?" + +"Oh, forgive me, dear Mabel, and do not talk like that," said Amy. + +There was a tear in Mabel's eye that softened the severity of her tone, +and sitting down by her, she said, more quietly-- + +"Amy, love, in that little action, I saw enough to make me indignant, +and more to make me sorry; for if you do not get rid of that deceit, +which has led you wrong now, it will go on, leading you into worse +errors, and how can I take care of you if I am not certain you are +speaking the truth. Falsehood is the beginning of all sin; and you will +learn to deceive me; and when I think my darling is all I wish her, I +shall discover something hidden and sinful, that will tell me I am +wrong. Oh, I am so vexed." + +"Forgive me--oh, do say you forgive me?" cried the punished child. + +"Have I the power to forgive what is sinful?" said Mabel, kissing her +affectionately. + +Amy understood, and running to the chamber where they both slept, she +fell upon her knees, and clasped her little hands in prayer. + +A child's repentance is not very long, and Amy soon returned, her +countenance meek and subdued, and looked timidly at her sister. + +"Now then, Amy," said Mabel, "prepare yourself for a difficult +duty--come and tell John all you have done." + +Amy hesitated and trembled. + +"He will be so cross," said she, entreatingly. + +"Very likely; but you are not a coward now--you are not afraid to do +right. It is difficult, I know, for John will not understand what you +feel, and may remember it for a long time; but still you will come." + +Amy gave her trembling hand to her sister, and, with a very blank +countenance, accompanied her in search of John. + +They had to go all over the garden; but found him, at length, standing +disconsolate by the peach-tree. + +"John," said Amy. + +"Yes, miss," replied the old man, gloomily, and half angrily. + +"John," she continued, "I touched the peach, and that was why it fell +down." + +He looked too amazed to answer. + +"I am very, very sorry--will you forgive me for telling a falsehood?" +murmured Amy, beseechingly. + +John looked still very surprised and angry. + +"Miss Amy," he began, "I could not have thought you--" + +"But forgive her this time," interposed Mabel, "she is very sorry, and +it has been a hard struggle to come and tell you how very wrong she has +been." + +"Bless you, miss," answered the old gardener, quickly, "you are your own +father's child, and I know how much you must have suffered when you +found any kindred of your'n a telling lies. But I forgive you, Miss Amy, +and never you do wrong like that again. Bless you, Miss Mabel, for you +be leading the dear young lady in the right path, as well as walking in +it yourself." + + + + + CHAPTER III. + + Love not, love not, the thing you love may change. + + +What general interest is excited by the arrival of the post. Who ever +settled himself in a new place, for the shortest time, without making +himself acquainted with its details, the time when it arrives and +leaves? And who ever entirely loses this interest, spite of its often +more than daily occurrence? There is no sameness in it, because there is +no certainty. + +Letters only came to Aston twice in a week, and then they were brought +by a man--who could hardly be dignified by the title of postman--at +some uncertain time in the middle of the day. + +On these days the road by which he came was an object of interest to +Mabel and her sister, and they often walked in that direction to secure +any letters there might be for them, without waiting for their tardy +delivery. They were often joined by Mr. Ware on the same errand, and +that afternoon they overtook him as he was leisurely mounting the first +hill on the road. + +"Well, young ladies," said he, greeting them with a smile, "we are all +going to meet the postman as usual I suppose?" + +"Yes, sir," replied Mabel, "the post always seems to have sufficient +interest to make even you choose this road on Tuesdays and Fridays." + +"Well, I confess," he replied, "I always have great pleasure in seeing +the man turn the corner, besides, as he is so uncertain, one is tempted +to take a longer walk, expecting to see him every moment." + +"Yes," said Mabel, "we almost always meet him, and yet there is seldom +more than the possibility of a letter after all." + +"My hopes are not quite so indefinite," said Mr. Ware, "I am always +certain of a paper, which is often worth more to me than a letter. I +used to think when a person took great interest in the post it was a +sign that they were not quite happy at home or in themselves." + +"And do you not think so still?" said Mabel. + +"Not so much, certainly," he replied, "I think it often arises from the +feeling that we are not quite independent of the outer world till the +letters of the day have been read. Good and bad news must frequently +come by letter, and, therefore, as long as we have any friends separated +from us, we must feel a little anxious to know if there be any news at +all." + +"Do you not think," said Mabel, "that this is sometimes carried too far, +and may degenerate into almost a sickly feeling?" + +"Yes, certainly; I would not have any one indifferent on common +subjects, but too great attention to things of this kind must be wrong." + +"I have often thought so," said Mabel, thoughtfully, "when I have felt +quite anxious on seeing the man coming, and then when I open my letters, +full of the most ordinary business, I feel quite ashamed of myself." + +"And what were you really hoping for, dear child?" said Mr. Ware. + +The color rose fast over her truthful countenance, but at this moment +the postman himself was seen, and saved her the pain of answering. + +Mr. Ware soon secured his papers, and one or two letters, and being +anxious to convey one home to his nephew, he took leave of them where +the road separated. + +"Now then," said Mabel, when they had parted from him, "let us see which +will get home first, for mamma will be glad to get this letter from aunt +Villars." + +Amy reached home first, but Mabel quickly followed her to the +drawing-room. + +"Here, mamma, is a letter from aunt Villars," said Mabel, echoed by Amy. + +"From Caroline," said Mrs. Lesly, "I do not think it can be from +Caroline, for there is no Bath post-mark, it comes from Cheltenham." + +"Do open it mamma, and see if they are at Cheltenham," said Mabel. + +"Fetch me my glasses then," returned her mother, "stay--here they are, +but you must not hurry me, or my head will begin to ache again, it has +been very bad all the morning." + +"Oh, yes, mamma, there is plenty of time; come, Amy dear, and take your +bonnet off." + +Mabel had taken up her work before she again ventured to ask any +questions. At length she said-- + +"Is aunt Villars at Cheltenham, mamma?" + +"Yes, my dear, but only for a week or ten days." + +"Will she come and see us now she is so near?" she enquired. + +"I will read what she says about that, my dear," said Mrs. Lesly, taking +up the letter, (some part of the aunt's communications being always +mysteriously reserved). + +Here it is:-- + + "I cannot leave Gloucestershire without coming to see you, dear + Annie, and your sweet children, and therefore, if you say nothing + to the contrary, I will drive over some how on Monday, and remain + till Tuesday. If not asking too much of my dear sister, I shall + leave Lucy with you; she is not quite well, and a run in the + country will do her good, after the heat of Bath. My little girl + finds pleasure in anything, and I promise you she shall be very + good if you will let her come to you." + +"Oh, how nice, mamma," cried Amy. + +"Very nice that your aunt is coming, I allow," said Mrs. Lesly, "but I +do not know what to say to Lucy, all little girls are not so good as my +Amy." + +"It would be unkind to refuse her," said Mabel. + +"And if she is not well, poor child," added her mother. "I quite forget +how old Lucy is, she cannot be so very little after all." + +"But," said Amy, "aunt calls her, her little girl, and says she will be +very good; if she were grown up like Mabel, of course she would not be +naughty." + +"I do not know that," said Mrs. Lesly, with a smile, "grown up people +are often as naughty as little ones; so either way she was right to +promise. Well, we must have the spare room opened, it must be quite +damp, I fear, after being shut up so long." + +"Oh, no, mamma," said Mabel, "I open the windows every morning, myself, +so that I am sure the room is well aired." + +"There must be a fire there, however, I suppose," replied her mother, +trying to exert herself to think. + +"Yes, Betsy shall light a fire there to-day, and I will see that the +room is comfortable." + +"But stay," said Mrs. Lesly, who was always troubled by anything like +arrangements, "who is to sleep in Lucy's room when Caroline is gone. I +am afraid we cannot manage it." + +"We will see how old she is when she comes," suggested Mabel, "and if +she is afraid to sleep by herself Betsy must sleep with her; but from +what I remember she cannot be very young." + +"Well then, my dear," said her mother, "and so you will promise to +contrive to make everything comfortable; now nothing makes me so ill as +arranging, and your poor papa never left me anything of that kind to +think of. I remember once going down to Weymouth, when you were a baby. +I could not tell what I should do there, being obliged to sleep at an +hotel, for the first night, for we could not find a lodging, the town +was so very full. So when we came there, we could get nothing but a +small, uncomfortable room; and some how or other, we could not find any +of the baby's things without pulling our boxes all about so, and I was +so tired and teased, that I sat down, and--and-- + +"'Annie,' said he, 'now don't cry--I can bear anything better than your +tears--leave everything to me--it will be much the easiest plan.' + +"And so I did--and he put my nurse to work so busily, that my baby was +asleep before I could think about it; and the next morning he was up +early, managed to secure us a lodging, and made us all comfortable. Ah, +I am afraid he spoilt me, I do not know how to do anything now, I +fear." + +"Well, dear mamma," said Mabel, twining her arm round her neck, and +kissing her affectionately, "I would not have you miss my dear papa less +than you do; but you must not tease yourself about anything. Did I not +promise to try and supply his place? I do not mean to let you have any +trouble at all. Here is your desk and a new pen--the ink is a little too +light, but it writes freely--and now, while you answer my aunt's letter, +you will be glad to get rid of us." + +"I do not want to drive you away, love," replied her mother; "but you +know I can never write if there is the least noise--so, perhaps, you had +better go, and take Amy with you. I have not written for such an age, it +makes me quite nervous." + +"Oh, yes, I know, mamma dear; come, Amy, we will go and look to the +spare room. I will seal your letter, mamma, when it is finished." + +Mabel was soon busy in thinking over the accommodations necessary for +visitors, with Betsy's aid, amidst Amy's incessant questions. + +"Do you think, Mabel," she began, "that Lucy is very little?" + +"I do not much think she is little at all," replied Mabel. + +"But aunt Villars called her, my little girl," persisted Amy. + +"Yes, but many mammas talk of grown up children in the same way." + +"Do you think," said Amy, after watching her sister for a few minutes in +silence, "I had better put some of my books on the shelf for her to +read, if she happens to like them?" + +"If you have any that will look pretty, you may put them there +certainly." + +"Do you think she will like the swing at Mr. Ware's?" + +"If she is like you, perhaps she may; but whether she be little or not, +we must both try and make her pass her time pleasantly, you know," said +Mabel, as she glanced round the room with approval. + +The chintz curtains had been re-hung--the snow-white coverlet had been +placed upon the bed--and the dressing-table arranged with the most +careful attention to comfort and convenience. Everything, in the careful +arrangement which Mabel had bestowed upon the room, seemed to speak a +welcome; and through the open window the fresh breezes of the Cotswold +hills passed freely. + +"Does it not look comfortable?" said Mabel, appealing to her talkative +companion. + +"Yes, Mabel, dear, everything looks nice that you manage; but," added +she, returning to the former subject, "if she is a great girl, what can +I do to amuse her?" + +"Oh, many things," returned Mabel; "even you can do, I think, if you +try; you must not talk to her very much, and ask her too many +questions." + +"Do I tease you, Mabel, dear, when I ask you questions?" + +"Not often; but then you know I love you," said her sister, "and +therefore do not get teased." + +"But why do you think she will not love me?" + +"I think it very likely she will love you," said Mabel, looking down +upon her affectionately, "if you are good; but not till she knows you, +not very much, at least. You know, we must buy people's love." + +"Do you mean by making them presents?" said Amy, looking a little +shocked at the idea. + +"Not what you mean by presents certainly," said Mabel, smiling. + +"What then?" + +"Well then, first, you must give them your love, before you consider +what they think of you." + +"Is that a certain way of buying love?" + +"It will be nearly certain," said Mabel, "to get you good will, at +least, from every one, whose esteem is really valuable, for when we +love, we try to do everything that is kind; we are not easily offended +by little things that might annoy us, if we did not love; and then the +wish to avoid giving offence, will lead us to govern our feelings, so +that we may not be sullen, or out of temper, which would make us +disoblige them by saying anything to wound their feelings." + +"Would it do anything else?" said Amy, who always liked to hear her +sister talk. + +"Yes, I think it would lead us to speak the truth, for fear of +encouraging them in any bad thing; for if we must not do wrong, we must +not let it be done by others, if we can help it, particularly by those +we love." + +"But then," said Amy, "if a person is bad, do not you think it would be +better to wait and see? We ought not to like a bad person, you said, one +day." + +"Not exactly that; I told you not to be intimate with Mary Watson, +because she did many things I did not like, and knew a good many little +girls, who could not teach her any good; but still, I think, if, for +some reason, we were obliged to have Mary Watson here, you might love +her just as much as I told you to love Lucy, for if you spoke the truth, +she could not think you liked any of her naughty ways." + +"Then why may I not know her now--could I not speak the truth?" + +"Perhaps you might," said Mabel; "but I think, sometimes, that not to +avoid temptation, is taking one step to evil; so I thought it best to +avoid Mary Watson, as I could scarcely hope you would do her very much +good, and she might do you harm." + +"You always think of me, Mabel," said Amy; "when do you find time to +think of yourself?" + +"When I go to bed," she replied, "and then I ask myself if I have been +as kind to my little orphan sister as I ought to be?" + +"But, Mabel, dear, when you sit alone, sometimes, and look so very sad, +and I come in, and see tears on your face, is that about me?" + +"No; but it is not often so." + +"Not often; but I am so vexed when it is. Why is it, Mabel dear?" + +"Because," she said, her eyes filling with tears as she spoke, "somebody +loved me once, who does not love me now." + +"No, I am sure that is not true--every one loves you; mamma, Mr. Ware, +Miss Ware, Betsy, John, every one." "I am sure that can't be true, and +it is naughty to fancy unkind things; Mabel, dear, dear, Mabel," said +the child, jumping on a stool and throwing her arms lightly round her +neck, "and you are never naughty." + +"Oh, yes I am, many many times a-day," said Mabel, hiding her face on +Amy's shoulder, "my good, good, child, what should I do without you." + +"Oh, nothing without me, you could not get on at all without me." + +"Not very well, I think, certainly," said Mabel, smiling through her +tears at Amy's satisfaction, "but we have been a long time away, and +mamma must have finished her letter--come and let us seal it before the +man calls again, for if it is not ready, what will become of our +visitors." + +"But, Amy," said she, sinking her voice almost to a whisper, "never tell +mamma or any one that I ever cry, or why I cry." + +"Oh, never, you know I can keep a secret." + +"You promise," said Mabel. + +"Yes, I promise faithfully." + + + + + CHAPTER IV. + + This is a likeness may they all declare, + And I have seen him, but I know not where. + + CRABBE. + + +Mrs. Lesly had been, as a girl, both beautiful and accomplished, gifted +with good natural talents, though possessing little perseverance and +much indolence of character. Upon her marriage every faculty of her mind +became absorbed in devotion to her husband, and an almost indolent +dependence on his will. Since his death she had continued so very +depressed that, at the time when both Mabel and Amy might have much +needed a mother's care, she felt every exertion too great for her +weakened nerves and failing health. + +She had, by her marriage, entered a family a little above her own, and +now suffered the too general consequence, in the neglect of her +husband's relations. She felt all things deeply, and this, if possible, +aggravated her loss. The Lesly and Hargrave families were closely +connected, but the absence of the Colonel, whose family mansion lay so +near them, prevented her receiving that attention which the +neighbourhood of a rich relation might have procured her. The secluded +life to which she now clung so earnestly, only increased the extreme +sensitiveness of her feelings. Her mind therefore, suffered to prey upon +itself, became a curse instead of a blessing, as it might have been, had +it been employed in any useful purpose; and the delicacy and refinement +of her nature, now only quickened her perception of the slightest +coldness, or unkindness in those around her; spreading about her a kind +of atmosphere of refined suffering, which duller eyes would never have +discovered. + +Yet the indulgence which she claimed from others always rendered her an +object of affection, and her devotion to the memory of her husband +veiled many failings, and excused her indolence sometimes even in the +eyes of the most ascetic. Joined to this weakness of character, however, +she possessed many fine qualities. She was generous in the extreme, and +liberal to a total forgetfulness of self, and would forgive, where no +injury was intended, with a magnanimity, which, applied to a real +offence, would have been noble. She was also very patient under the +oppression of continual ill health, and though too indolent to exert +herself, she was capable of suffering without complaint. + +Mabel inherited her mother's intellect and delicacy of feeling, but +seconded by a strong will and great common sense. She possessed also +beauty equal, if not superior, to hers, though in her face it always +seemed secondary to the feelings which were spoken by it. But there was +one peculiar charm in her character, which secured the love of those +around her as powerfully as an Eastern talisman. It was a reliance on +the good will of others, drawn perhaps from the reflection of her own +heart--a kind of security in the feeling that there is always good to +those who rightly seek it; a trust in the virtue of others which often +proves a touchstone to wake its hidden springs, whilst all feel ashamed +of disappointing a hope, founded more on the truest feelings of charity, +than on weakness or pusillanimity. + +Unlike her mother, she scarcely ever suffered from illness, and +gratefully used the blessing of strong nerves and untiring strength in +aiding the weakness or bearing with the irritability of others. + +Happy the child who possessed such a guide and playfellow, to listen to +all the questions and trifles so wearisome to the sick or weak. + +Mabel's patience was often called in requisition during the few days +which passed before the arrival of the aunt and niece from Cheltenham. +At least half a dozen questions would be asked almost in the same form, +to which she had to give answers. + +At length however, the long expected hour arrived, and Amy had seated +herself on the lawn to catch the first sight of that corner of the road +which was the furthest point visible, and Mabel was frequently sent to +the gate to watch for the carriage, by Mrs. Lesly, who was enduring all +the discomfort and nervousness of being quite ready to receive them a +long while before it was at all probable they would arrive. + +Captain Clair, too, who had, as Mr. Ware's nephew, established a kind of +intimacy at the cottage, was leaning over the gate, refusing to come in, +lest he should disturb the family meeting, yet seeming well inclined to +chat away the time with either of the sisters. + +"I am sure you are spoiling your sister, Miss Lesly," said he, after +hearing the patient answer to the sixth repetition of 'do you think they +are coming;' and Amy had ran in to her mamma to report. + +"That is a very grave accusation, but I do not think you quite believe +it," said Mabel; "indulge, but not spoil." + +"Well, indeed," said he, "it would be difficult to find fault with such +persevering self-denial, so we will say, indulgence." + +"It requires little self-denial," said Mabel; "to be kind to a very +young, and very dear sister. No, self-denial will not do, I will not +take the praise of a martyr for doing what I love best. Are you +certain," she added, "you do not feel the sun too much, where you are +standing, had you not better come in and speak to mamma?" + +"Not on any account, thank you," he replied, smiling; "I intend to +vanish when the carriage comes up, and present only the very +interesting appearance of a departing friend, in order to give a little +life to such a landscape." + +Mabel laughed. + +"Here they are, then, now you may look picturesque." + +"Not quite yet, wait a bit, I must be a little more prominent first, or +they would never see me. Now is the very moment," raising his hat to +Mabel, and with these concluding words, he walked slowly away. + +Mabel was seized with momentary shyness, and retreated unobserved, to +seek Mrs. Lesly, whose head began to ache, from waiting so long--but, as +the party took a long time in alighting, and collecting from the vehicle +a multiplicity of boxes, she felt ashamed of being afraid of strangers, +and ran down again to meet them. + +"Oh, my charming niece," exclaimed her aunt, with apparent cordiality, +and kissing her warmly; "how do you do, my sweet girl, let me make you +acquainted with my Lucy." + +Lucy, who, to Amy's disappointed eye, did not look at all little, took +Mabel's hand with earnestness, and putting one arm round her neck, +kissed her with extreme warmth, exclaiming:-- + +"We shall be dear friends, I know." + +"I hope so," said Mabel, startled alike at her relation's warmth, and +her own composure, which appeared something like coldness. + +Mrs. Lesly was met by her sister with the same enthusiasm which quite +overcame her weak nerves, and she burst into tears; she could not tell +why, she thought it might be joy, or that her head was overpowered by +the sweet scent on their pocket-handkerchiefs, or the rapidity of her +sister's conversation, and expressions of endearment. Mabel looked on in +dismay, a scene had been produced which she was puzzled to remove. + +"Dear mamma, do not cry," said she, then turning to Mrs. Villars who was +overwhelming her with caresses, she added, hastily; "mamma is not quite +well to-day, but she will be better presently, if she is quiet a little +while. Will you come and take your bonnet off, aunt, for you must be +tired after your drive." + +"No, my dear, but I think I will venture to leave her a moment while I +run down and see if our boxes are all right; an immense deal of luggage, +but then, I am going home, you know. I brought my maid too, though I +forgot to mention her in my note." Mrs. Lesly looked alarmed. "I really +do not know if she has looked to every thing, but I will go and see, I +always like to see things right myself," and with an important air, she +hurried down stairs. + +Mrs. Villars was of imposing appearance, though too bustling in her +manners to be altogether dignified, with colour a little too brilliant, +and hair a little too stiffly curled, to be quite natural. Yet, whatever +was artificial, was very well added to a good figure, and fine face. + +Poor Amy was quite awed into a bewildered silence. Mrs. Villars +presently bustled back again, telling Mabel she was now quite ready to +go to her room. + +"This way, then," said Mabel, shewing them to the chamber she had so +carefully prepared; "this is your room, and I hope you will find every +thing comfortable." + +"Oh, I dare say," she said, looking round, as if approving a child's +doll's-house; "everything so very neat and nice, and where is Lucy to +sleep." + +"This is the only spare room we have furnished and fit for sleeping in +now; the rest are shut up," said Mabel, a little timidly, "and we +thought you would not mind sleeping together for one night, as you say +you cannot stay longer, aunt." + +"Oh, yes, we will contrive--but what is to be done with our maid." + +"I must manage for her presently," said Mabel; "Betsy has been told to +make her comfortable for the present." + +"What time do you dine, dear," said Mrs. Villars; "the air of these +hills makes one hungry. I really could dine unfashionably early to-day." + +"I fancied so, and therefore ordered dinner to be ready half an hour +after your expected arrival," said Mabel; who tried to keep them in +conversation till Mrs. Lesly should have time to recover herself; and +this delay so far succeeded, that on their return to the drawing-room, +they found her quite composed. + +Dinner being soon after announced, Mrs. Villars gave her arm to her +sister, in the tenderest manner possible, saying. + +"Well, dear, I hoped to find you quite strong, I must not have any more +of these naughty hysterics, or I shall think you are not glad to see +me." + +"Indeed--indeed, Caroline, you mistake my feelings." + +"Well, then, smile away, and I shall read them right. What do you think +of my Lucy?" she added, in a whisper; "I wish I could shew you all my +girls--for admiring beauty, and accomplishments, as you always did--I do +not know what you would say, if you saw them all together. Now, in my +opinion, Mabel is perfect." + +The last speech reached Mabel's ear, and, perhaps, was intended to do +so--but quick as she was in the ready perception of virtue, she had +never feebly blinded herself to the faults of others. These few words +made her feel uncomfortable--for she was immediately aware that there +was a want of sincerity in her aunt's manner, which, betraying some +latent reason for dissimulation, always produces a feeling of dislike, +or fear. + +To Mrs. Villars Mabel soon became an object of fear--she could not tell +why, but she had scarcely been a few minutes in her company without +perceiving that superiority which the weak-minded find it difficult +cheerfully to recognise. Superiority in what, she did not stop to +analyse--but even while most lavish of her endearments, she was secretly +almost uncomfortable in her presence. + +Mrs. Villars had given herself a worldly education, which, though it had +moulded even her virtues and foibles according to its own fashion, had +never yet been able, entirely, to eradicate the sense of right which had +been inculcated in earlier years; yet she only preserved it as a +continual punishment for every act of dissimulation and wrong, without +ever allowing it to regain entire ascendency over her; though it was a +conscience to which she felt bound perpetually to excuse herself. So +false, indeed, had she turned to herself, that Mabel's open, honest, +truth-telling eyes seemed something like a reproach. + +Love for her children--one of the greatest virtues of a woman's +heart--had become one of her greatest failings. Her natural disposition +rendered her love strong and untiring; but worldliness had warped its +usefulness, rendering that love, in its foolish extreme, only a means of +making herself miserable, without really serving them. She learned to +spoil, but had no resolution to reprove; and they had grown up in +accordance with such training. + +As children they had been coaxed and bribed to appear sweet-tempered and +obliging in company--the plan succeeded; but only left them more +ill-tempered and unmanageable when the restraint was removed. This +system was, however, too readily followed; and as they grew older, their +foolish parent saw no other efficient plan for securing their position +in society, than that of continuing the same course of indulgence. She +now tried, by the most unbounded gratification of their wishes, to +secure to herself that love which timely discipline might easily have +preserved in tempers not naturally degenerate. But veiling this +weakness, she prided herself on the greatness of her parental love, and +threatened to weary every one else by the excess to which she carried +it. + +Glad of an opportunity of touching on her favorite topic, she said to +her sister-- + +"You must come and see us all some day. Mr. Villars would be so glad to +see you, and I should have an opportunity of shewing you my pet girls." + +"I never stir out now," returned Mrs. Lesly, shaking her head +mournfully, "scarcely even beyond my own door. But Lucy will, I dare +say, give us a specimen of all your sayings and doings in time. I should +much like to see the children; but fear there is but little inducement +to ask any of them to a place where there is so very little going on. My +Mabel is very fond of the country, or I should often have been vexed at +our seeing so little company." + +"Oh, you are quite mistaken, my dear," said Mrs. Villars, quickly. +"Caroline and Selina are very fond of the country, and so are you, +Lucy." + +"Yes, I like it very well in the summer," said Lucy, languidly. + +"Do you like the snow?" asked Amy, speaking for the first time. + +"No, not much; but we had better not talk of snow in August--it is too +near to be pleasant," said Lucy, a little impatiently. + +"You forget the balls, my dear," said her mama, soothingly, and watchful +of her children's tempers as a lover of his mistress. + +"No, mama, I was speaking of snow in the country, and there, I suppose, +there is not much dancing. Are you fond of balls, Mabel? but I forgot, I +need not ask, for, of course, you are." + +"I have never been to a public ball," replied Mabel, "but I have often +enjoyed a dance at a friend's house." + +"Have you really never been to a ball," exclaimed Lucy, opening her +pretty blue eyes wide, with half real and half affected astonishment. +"You would be enchanted with Bath. We have such delightful balls once a +week. The Thursday balls they are called, and then every season--" + +"Lucy, love, you will tire your aunt with your prattle," said her mama, +"now confess, Annie, does she not make your head ache?" + +"A little," replied her sister, "but do not let my weakness interfere +with her enjoyment. She will have little else to listen to besides her +own voice," Mrs. Lesly added, trying to smile away her sister's chagrin +at finding it really possible that she could be tired at hearing Lucy +talk. + +There was a momentary pause, when Mrs. Lesly, anxious to conciliate by +returning to the subject she perceived gave most interest, enquired-- + +"Is Lucy your eldest?" + +"Oh, dear no! Caroline is the eldest, Selina second, and Lucy the +youngest." + +"But I think you have one more, have you not?" said Mrs. Lesly. + +"How can you forget how many children your own sister has?" said Mrs. +Villars. + +"My memory is getting feeble, and you must excuse me," replied Mrs. +Lesly anxiously, "my forgetfulness arises from no want of affection; but +I have not seen you for a year or two now." + +"I had forgotten," returned Mrs. Villars, "how time flies. I really must +write oftener to you, and keep up your knowledge of us. Well, there is +my Maria--but, poor child, I am in despair with her--so unfortunate." + +"Not ill, I hope?" enquired Mrs. Lesly. + +"No, no--that could be cured--a doctor might cure that; but this, +nothing can cure. She is ugly--positively ugly--by the side of her +sisters at least; and more than that, she is ungraceful. I have tried +the best academy in the town, but nothing will do her any good--such a +contrast to the rest, she never will settle I fear." + +Mabel glanced at Amy, who was drinking in her aunt's words with the +eager curiosity natural to a child, and fearing the effects of this +worldly conversation upon her young sister, she persuaded Lucy to come +with them into the garden. + +Lucy put her arm in Mabel's, whilst Amy watched the movement jealously. + +"Here is a lovely peep at the hills," said Mabel, leading their guest to +one of the prettiest parts of the garden, where a stone seat was placed +near a break in the trees, commanding a view of the country beyond. + +Here they seated themselves, looking for a short while, in silence, on +the landscape, which the setting sun rendered still more lovely. Had +Mabel expected any fine remark to follow this momentary pause in the +conversation, she would have been disappointed, for Lucy's next enquiry +was whether there were many nice people in the neighbourhood. + +"Yes," said Mabel. "Mr. and Miss Ware are very nice people." + +"Who are they?" asked Lucy. + +"Our rector and his sister." + +"Is he unmarried?" enquired Lucy, with increasing interest. + +"Yes," replied Mabel, smiling, "but not very young." + +"But still marriageable, I suppose?" + +"Barely," said Mabel, "at least, I do not think he would consider +himself so now. Why, he must be nearly seventy." + +"Then who was that fine young man that was walking down the road just +now, with light whiskers, and a military air. I did not expect to see +such a handsome, _distingué_ looking young man down in the country +here." + +"That is Mr. Ware's nephew," said Mabel. + +"Oh! then he does live here--what is his name?" + +"Captain Clair; he is only here for a short time, for his health," +replied Mabel; "but how could you tell he had light whiskers?" + +"Because he passed while we were at dinner, so that I had a good look at +him," said Lucy, half blushing. + +"Amy," said Mabel, "there is Captain Clair beckoning for you to run to +him, and I dare say he will get you the blackberries he promised you." + +Amy ran away to the garden-gate, where Captain Clair was waiting for +her, and hand in hand they were soon down the blackberry lane that led +to the fields. + +"What a very fine young man," exclaimed Lucy, as she watched them out of +sight; "do you see him often--I suppose he is a beau of yours?" + +"No, oh, no," said Mabel; "a sort of friend he has made himself--but +certainly not a beau." + +"Ah, you say so." + +"And I mean so," said Mabel. + +"You mean then, that he is free for conquest," laughed Lucy, +coquettishly. + +"As far as I am concerned, he is as free as air," said Mabel; "but I +would not have you attempt such a conquest, I should think he was too +easily won to be kept long in subjection." + +"Ah, I know what you mean," said Lucy; "a sort of man that falls in love +with every tolerable girl he meets--the very thing for a country visit." + +"Well, I suppose neither party would be in much danger if those are your +real sentiments," said Mabel. "Captain Clair is too discerning to be +entangled by a mock feeling, and you are wise enough to think of nothing +more." + +"Exactly so," replied Lucy; "but oh, whose pretty house is that amongst +the trees?" + +"Colonel Hargrave's," said Mabel. + +"Colonel Hargrave!" cried Lucy, "cousin Henry, as we call him now. Do +you know, Mabel, he is just come back to England, and mamma wrote to ask +him to come and see us in Bath. I am so longing to meet him; and we have +made up in our minds, already, a match between him and Caroline--that +you know would do very well, for she is just thirty, and he must be a +few years older, must he not?" + +"Yes, I think so," said Mabel. + +"And that would be a very nice difference, you know. I am quite longing +for him to come. I have talked the match over with Selina so often, that +I cannot help looking upon it as quite certain; and then we should have +such a nice house to come and stay at; and you would be so delightfully +near--would it not be pleasant?" + +"You will find it cold without your bonnet," said Mabel, evasively, +"shall we go in and fetch it." + +"No, thank you," said Lucy; "but I see you are not fond of +match-making." + +"No, I confess I am not," said Mabel; "but I suppose you hear a great +deal of it in Bath, where so many matches must be talked over." + +"Oh! an immense deal--it is quite amusing to hear of so many projected +marriages, and of their coming to nothing after all." + +"But that is why I think match-making anything but amusing," said Mabel. + +"But then all the _éclat_ of a conquest would be gone," suggested Lucy, +"if there were no talking beforehand. I assure you, last year, there +were I do not know how many half offers in our family. Selina and I used +to walk round the Crescent and count them all up, and they helped us +through the dull weather amazingly; something like the nibbling of a +trout, which just serves to keep up the hope of ultimately catching one. +Mamma talks a great deal about Caroline's beauty, and her charming +spirits--but she does not know how to sleep for wishing her married. It +would be horrible to have her an old maid--so I hope and trust the good +Colonel, with, I dare say, Indian guineas, and an Indian face, will take +pity on her, and bring her here." + +"Give me a description of Caroline," said Mabel, suddenly. "Is she not +very beautiful and accomplished?" + +"How you startle me," said Lucy. "Why she is very tall--fine features, +people say--she has black hair and black eyes, and dances +splendidly--polks to admiration--so very good-natured--and witty before +company--and rather the reverse behind the scenes--in short, would do +much better for Mrs. Hargrave than for the eldest of four maiden +sisters--and so, in all due affection, I should be very glad to see her +married." + +"Is she clever as well as beautiful?" said Mabel. + +"She sings and plays beautifully. Yes, I believe she is clever--knows +French well." + +Mabel sighed. + +"I do not know how it is," said Lucy, when after a short silence, they +prepared to return to the house, "but I feel you to be quite a friend +already. I must love you, whether you will let me or not." + +"I shall be very glad to have you love me," said Mabel, gently; "but +wait till you know me better." + +"I can never wait and deliberate, when loving is the question," said +Lucy; "it is like me; I am always quick in my likes and dislikes--and I +feel now as if I could tell you every secret of my heart--I am only +nineteen, so such want of consideration is pardonable--is it not, dear +Mabel?" + +"It is not quite safe, perhaps," replied Mabel; "but yet rather easy to +forgive, in the present--instance--at least, when I feel myself to be +concerned. But if you make me your friend, you must give me the power of +an elder sister." + +"Not like Caroline," said Lucy, with a look of pretended terror. + +"I shall not let you find fault with Caroline," said Mabel, "that is my +first effort of authority; but you have chosen to love me, and you must +take my friendship on my own terms." + +"Well, I think I will take it on any terms. I dare say it will be worth +having," said Lucy; "but first, you must seal our friendship with a +kiss, and tell me that you love me as much as I do you." + +"My love is of slower growth," replied Mabel, smiling; "but I promise to +deal with you as if I loved you. Will that do?" + +"I suppose it must," said Lucy. + +"You are right," said Mabel, kissing her pouting lips, "that must do +till we know each other better." + + + + + CHAPTER V. + + Whence then that peace + So dovelike? settling o'er a soul that loved + Earth and its treasures? Whence that angel smile + With which the allurements of a world so dear + Were counted and resigned? + + MRS. SIGOURNEY. + + +Mabel and Lucy retired that night early, in order that they might leave +the sisters time to talk quietly over the fire, which a chilly evening +rendered not unwelcome. + +Mrs. Villars placed her feet on the fender, and turning up her dress to +prevent the fire injuring it, she made herself perfectly comfortable in +preparation for a long chat. Mrs. Lesly had seated herself opposite in +her arm-chair, with a glass of lemonade on a small table by her side, +which she sipped from time to time, as she listened to long accounts of +her sister's hopes and fears for her children's welfare, together with +various anecdotes, tending to show the admiration they excited wherever +they appeared. At length, these long and varied narrations came to an +end--and Mrs. Villars, turning to her sister, enquired, in a tone which +seemed to say, confidence claimed confidence, if there had not been some +story about Mabel's marrying. + +A very sensible feeling of pain passed for an instant over Mrs. Lesly's +countenance before she replied-- + +"Yes, but that was a long time ago, and I cannot bear to think of it +now." + +"But," said Mrs. Villars, who always peculiarily interested herself in +anything relative to marriage, "you never told me the particulars, and I +should so like to know them." + +"No," said Mrs. Lesly, "I remember I only just mentioned it for I was so +much pained at the time, that I could not write on the subject." + +"You never even told me the gentleman's name," said Mrs. Villars. + +"No, Mabel made me promise to mention that to no one; I felt it was +delicate and right in her to wish it, and I have never spoken of him +openly since, indeed amongst ourselves he is as if forgotten." + +"A man of property, was he not?" said Mrs. Villars, "and quite young I +think you said?" + +"Yes," said Mrs. Lesly, with a half sigh, "the marriage seemed in every +way desirable, they were well suited in age, and I thought in character, +and rejoiced to think that she would have a companion in life so well +calculated to show her off to advantage. He was, besides, a man of +considerable fortune, and my Mabel is, I think, particularly fitted for +a station above that which she at present enjoys. Her taste in painting +and sculpture, has been acknowledged by masters--and tho' so kind and +useful and simple hearted now, I always thought she was fitted to +dispense even patronage. Ah, well, these were the dreams of days gone +by, and I do not know why I bring them up to-night, except to shew you +that the sacrifice she made was no ordinary one. Ah, poor girl, the +contrast is striking, now she is soon likely to want even a home." + +"Was it not a long attachment?" said Mrs. Villars as her sister paused. + +"Yes," returned, Mrs. Lesly, rousing herself, "they had been more or +less attached from childhood. There was always a kind of wayward +goodness in Mabel, that was very attractive. She had generally her own +way, but that way seemed so unselfish that I had neither the power nor +the wish to complain. He admired this spirit, mixed with so much +sweetness; nothing she did seemed wrong, and even when she was +indiscreet, which I dare say she might have been very often--he said, it +was because she was more pure-minded than other people." + +"Well, I do not see anything very sad in all this. I should have been +highly flattered," said Mrs. Villars, "now my Selina is so like what you +describe, she does the most indiscreet and pretty things imaginable +sometimes." + +Mrs. Lesly continued silent for a few minutes, then again rousing +herself she continued-- + +"He used to call Mabel his little wife, long before her papa died, and I +used to think over it all, as you remember we used to talk of things a +long time since." + +"I see," thought Mrs. Villars, "a case of jilt, very distressing, but an +old story to those who know the world as well as I do." She felt a +slight sensation of comfort at arriving at this idea, when she +remembered her own unmarried daughters. + +"Well," continued, Mrs. Lesly, "whenever he came to the neighbourhood, +which he often did, they were almost always together. Sometimes they +would walk in the fields at the back of our house, Mabel leaning on his +arm, whilst he carried Amy. But unfortunately when his father died he +went to Paris, and staid there about a twelve-month. When he returned he +was altered, how or why I could not tell, but it seemed as if the +simplicity of his character was gone, though I tried hard to think him +only more manly. Mabel was a beautiful girl when he returned, and it was +soon easy to perceive that however changed he might be in other +respects, his affection for her remained unaltered." Mrs. Lesly stopped +to sip her lemonade, and then with some little effort continued--"His +return," she said, "to which we looked forward so much, did not make us +happier. He would persuade her to go out sometimes, but she always came +back soon, and often looked as though she had been crying, though she +never said any thing--I then noticed and watched him more carefully, +and at length I found that he had not entered the church since his +return from France, a practice he never before neglected. I then paid +more attention to his conversation, and often brought up serious +questions on purpose. Here I discovered the sad truth; he talked very +seriously of virtue and moral responsibility, but if I spoke of religion +in connexion with it, he changed the subject or looked at Mabel, and was +silent. + +"I was now quite puzzled, it seemed hard to find fault with one so good +in every other respect, but in religion, which he spoke of as a curious +and useful superstition, acting as a guide to vulgar minds. 'Mabel,' +said I, one day, 'what does all this mean? What has come over him to +make him think as he does?' + +"You must know, Caroline, that indolent as my weak health has made me, +and careless of imparting things, I used so much to value, I had not +neglected my child in the most important of all points of knowledge; +sickness had made me prize that, in proportion as every thing else lost +interest; but I did fear for her when, with only my weak lessons she +had, perhaps, to answer the arguments of a man of peculiar talent, and +great though mistaken penetration, aided by the love, I was well aware, +she felt for him." + +"But you studied these points well I know," said Mrs. Villars, "and I +dare say fully explained them." + +"You are right," replied Mrs. Lesly, "at least I tried to do so, I +always have endeavoured to make the heart and head act together. You +will see that I succeeded, beyond my hopes. It seemed that he had been +in the constant habit, of confiding every thing to her, and had always +found an admiring listener to his thoughts on most subjects. On his +return from France, he was too candid to conceal from her, the change +his opinions had undergone. It appeared, from his own account, that +while abroad, his society had been mostly composed of those generally +distinguished by the name of free thinkers. Perhaps, feeling that he +could argue well, and with a too presumptuous trust in himself, he +courted every opportunity of disputing with them on the nature of their +opinions. With daring intellect, he trusted every thing to his +understanding, and nothing to his faith. He found superior intellect, +and the consequences were too natural--I do not think he had any settled +views afterwards, and I very much fear became little less than an +infidel. All this I gleaned by repeated questions from my poor, +broken-hearted child. + +"'Now,' said I, 'my Mabel, this is too serious a point for husband and +wife to differ upon, this I once hoped you would be to each other, but +he is no longer worthy of you. Now you must prove what and how you +believe.' I spoke sternly, for I feared for her, she kissed me fervently +but she could not speak. 'Do you understand me, Mabel,' I said. + +"She only replied, 'I do,' but that was sufficient, my heart ached for +her, but I was at peace. It was not long after this conversation, that +the last scene occurred; I remember I had been sitting in my room all +the morning, finishing some work that Mabel had begun for me. At length, +I grew tired of being alone, and, taking up my work, I went down stairs. +I heard a voice speaking loudly in the sitting-room, and I guessed whose +it was. I felt frightened--for since my William's death, everything +affects me--so I stopped; but I heard my child sobbing, and I opened the +door directly. She was seated at the table, leaning down, and covering +her face with her hands. She always feared to vex me by letting me see +her grieve; but I saw she was too agitated even to think of me at that +moment. He was standing opposite, glaring on her like a maniac. + +"'Madam,' said he, turning to me as I looked for an explanation, 'it is +well, perhaps, that you are here, to witness your daughter's coquetry, +or her madness.' + +"'Sir,' replied I, 'pray remember to whom you speak; there may be a +slight difference in our rank, or wealth rather, but none that I +recognise where my child is concerned.' + +"'Do not attempt to reason with me,' he replied, 'I am mad. Your +daughter, in whose love I, at least, had faith, is fanatic enough to +refuse to marry me, because we differ on some absurd points of +superstitious doctrine.' + +"'I cannot agree with you,' I said, trying to speak calmly, 'in calling +them absurd, and that is where we differ. What happiness can Mabel +expect with one who ridicules the motives which are, at once, the guide +and blessing of her existence?--or what reliance can she have on a man +who does not even recognise the principles on which she alone relies for +strength. I think Mabel is quite right to remain as she is, +sacrificing, as she does, every worldly interest to a noble principle.' + +"The poor girl started up, and walking to him, laid her pretty hand upon +his arm, and looking at him beseechingly, she said--'Do not let us part +in anger--I can bear anything but that--let me remain your friend for +ever, even as you are; but do not think me wrong for refusing to be your +wife.' + +"I never shall forget that moment; he shook her from him, as if +she had been a serpent. She reeled back for an instant, and then sank at +my feet. + +"He looked down upon her, as she lay upon the floor, hiding her +face in my gown, as if he would have withered her with his contempt. Oh, +how could he think I could have trusted her to one like him? + +"'Feeble as was my hold on religion before,' he burst out--"'It is +broken now, if this be the effects of it,' and he looked down upon my +poor stricken girl. + +"I was silent. + +"'What right,' thought I, 'have I to retaliate upon him reproach for +reproach?' but I thought my heart would break. + +"'Why did she not try to win me to her truth,' he exclaimed, 'if she +thinks it of so much consequence?' + +"'Has she not done so for the last four months?' I said. + +"'Yes; but as a wife,' he replied, 'she would have had treble power.' + +"'She is forbidden to be your wife,' I said, 'by the very religion she +professes--and would her acting in opposition to its laws have convinced +you of its truth?' + +"'There was no love in the case,' said he, not heeding me, 'and now she +wishes to be my friend,' he continued, with a sneer, 'as if there were +any medium with me between love and hate, except utter forgetfulness.' +"'Madam,' he exclaimed, as if suddenly remembering himself, 'forgive me +what I have been saying; had she let me, I would have been to you more +than a son--as it is--fare well.' + +"Without another word to Mabel, he left us, and I have never seen him +since. + +"I dare say a great deal passed more than I have told you; but I am very +forgetful now--though I well remember how miserable I was that day, and +for a very long time afterwards, for poor Mabel was very ill, and never +left her bed for weeks. I sent to our good Mr. Ware, and told him +everything, and asked him to come and comfort Mabel; and so he did, most +effectually. Night after night did I sit by her, terrified by her fits +of delirium and the dreadful exhaustion which followed them. I took cold +then, and my nurse wanted me to go to bed, and leave her to watch by +her; but what was life and rest to me, without my child? + +"Amy sat upon her pillow nearly all day, and would whisper, 'don't cry, +dear Mabel.' There was not much comfort in her baby words; but I think +Mabel liked to hear her. + +"Mr. Ware was unwearied in his attentions to her; and, at length, she +began to rally. Then I became ill, with anxiety, perhaps, or the cold I +took from the night-watching, and it was quite touching to see how hard +she tried to get well, that she might nurse me in turn. Oh, what a +comfort it was when she began to smile again. You see how well she is +now--she is never ill, and how cheerful and happy she seems. I try to +think it all for the best, though it is difficult sometimes." + +"Well, you have, indeed, had a great deal to vex you," said Mrs. +Villars, much touched. + +"I have, however, much happiness to look back upon," said Mrs. Lesly, +sighing gently, "in my William's kindness for so many years; but my +health is failing sadly--and I have one care certainly, when I think of +leaving my children without a friend in the world to take care of +them--particularly as with my life, my pension, which is the only source +of our income, will cease." + +"Yes," said Mrs. Villars, "it was almost a pity she did not marry the +young man--what a provision it would have been for both." + +"I think you would have acted as I did," said Mrs. Lesly, "would you +not?" + +"Why you know," she replied, "I never thought of those things as +seriously as you do, and my love for my orphan children would have been +a great temptation. Indeed, that love for my family guides me in almost +everything, and after all, why his staying away from church would not +have prevented her going." + +"No, no, Caroline," said Mrs. Lesly, too indolent to contest this narrow +view of the subject. "I have been foolish in many things, over and over +again, but in this I feel that I acted wisely." + +"Not with much worldly wisdom, dear Annie," said her sister, smiling. + +"Yes, indeed," said Mrs. Lesly, "those who believe in an overruling +Providence, act most wisely, even for this world, when they obey its +laws." + +Caroline sighed; her sister's single-minded language recalled days long +gone by; when their views had been more in accordance, and for the +moment, she would have given much to have retained the simple faith of +their childhood; for her life was made up of shallow, and quickly +forgotten repentances. + +After a pause, she said:-- + +"Annie, I hope you will live many years; but if it should be otherwise, +do not have one care for your children, for while I live they shall find +a home, wherever I may be." + +"My dear, dear sister," said Mrs. Lesly, while tears of gratitude and +affection dimmed her eyes; "that is so like your old kindhearted way of +speaking. Could I believe that you would, indeed, be a friend to my +children, I should be spared many a wakeful night, and this freedom +from anxiety might prolong my life. But, Caroline, you have a large +family, and can ill spare your means." + +"It may be so," replied the other; "but you set me an example of doing +right without regard to consequences; why should I not follow it? And +you recall the days of our happy childhood, when these feelings, and +such as these, were common to us both--let them be common again, dear +Annie." + +Mrs. Lesly, kissed her sister with grateful affection, and again, and +again, thanked her for her generous promises. Alas! judging of her by +herself, she little knew how evanescent were her resolutions, nor +guessed that the sentiments she sometimes professed, as little belonged +to her own heart, as the delusive images of the Fata Morgana to the +waters they enliven. They soon afterwards parted for the night, Mrs. +Lesly more cheerful, and her sister more serious than before their +evening conversation. + + + + + CHAPTER VI. + + He only can the cause reveal, + Why, at the same fond bosom fed; + Taught in the self-same lap to kneel, + Till the same prayer were duly said. + + Brothers in blood, and nurture too, + Aliens in heart so oft should prove, + One lose, the other keep, Heaven's clue; + One dwell in wrath, and one in love. + + CHRISTIAN YEAR. + + +Mrs. Lesly found Mabel waiting for her in her room. A book was lying +open by her side, but she appeared to have been rather thinking, than +reading. + +"Mabel, my love," she said, "it is past twelve o'clock. I am so sorry +you sat up for me." + +"I am only waiting to undress you, mamma," said Mabel, "you are so much +later to-night, that I thought you would be tired. I have been lying on +your sofa, half asleep, for more than an hour. Have you been talking of +me?" she added, lowering her voice. + +"Yes, a little," replied Mrs. Lesly; "but why do you ask, what can any +one say ill of you." + +Mabel sighed. + +"I talked of you, dear, not merely to satisfy my sister's curiosity; +but, because there is in the world a very strong prejudice against +single ladies, old maids, as they are termed, in contempt, when there is +no good reason given for their not marrying. It is a foolish prejudice, +but still a strong one; and, therefore, I would rather that people knew +why you are not married; at least, that all those who have any right to +criticise your conduct, should know that it has been by your own +choice." + +"Ah, mamma," said Mabel, "you are thinking of my feelings as they would +once have been." + +"And as they may be again," said the mother; "but not as they ought to +be, I allow. But you bear your trial so well, love, that I would not +have it increased by one unkind, or worldly remark. You have done right, +and can, therefore, afford to suffer; yet there is no harm in sparing +yourself any needless pain. Go to sleep, now, my child, I do not wish to +see you tired, to-morrow." + +Mabel retired to her own room, with feelings stirred up, she scarce knew +why, by the arrival of their new guests, and she would willingly have +thought awhile in silence, but Amy was awake, and restless. + +"What time is it, Mabel, dear," for by that affectionate title, she +usually addressed her. + +"Past one o'clock, dear," said Mabel; "are you awake, still." + +"I have been to sleep, once," said Amy; "but I was dreaming all the +time, first of Lucy, and then about Captain Clair, and the +blackberries. You said she would not like me quite at first, but she +seems to love you in one evening--how is that?" + +"I really do not know; Lucy puzzles me, rather, but she says she likes, +or dislikes, quickly." + +"But that is what you tell me not to do," said Amy, sitting up in her +bed, as if prepared for a regular discussion of the subject. + +"Yes," said Mabel, "because I am afraid you will not choose your friends +well, and may be mistaken if you judge too quickly." + +"Well," said Amy, gravely; "I suppose Lucy is clever to find you out so +soon, but it puzzles me to think how she could tell you were good, in +one evening." + +"I do not think she does know much about me, yet," said Mabel; "but do +not let us think of her just now, for if we never think of ourselves at +any other time, I think we should before we go to sleep. So, now you +must not talk any more." + +Mabel then turned her pillow, smoothed the hair back from her heated +cheeks, and made her comfortable, so that Amy, having no further excuse +for keeping awake, soon fell asleep. + +The next morning Mrs. Lesly was up earlier than usual, that she might +enjoy as much of her sister's society as her short visit permitted. + +After breakfast, Mrs. Villars said, that if they could have a chat by +themselves, she should be glad. + +To this Mrs. Lesly willingly agreed, and after some little conversation +on the arrangements of the day, led her to her sunny dressing-room, +where her own mornings were most frequently spent. + +"I hope," said Mrs. Lesly, taking up her work, "that nothing unpleasant +has occurred, to make you wish to speak to me; but, perhaps you have +been thinking over our last night's conversation." + +Mrs. Villars coloured slightly with the consciousness that the feelings +awakened by her sister's conversation, had been of very short duration. + +"No, dear," said she; "last night I listened to your trials and +troubles, this morning you must hear mine." + +"Oh," said Mrs. Lesly, "I would never have taken up your time last +night, had I known that you were thinking of any thing that pained you." + +"You are always too kind to me," said Mrs. Villars, "and I am sure I +would much rather hear you talk than talk myself, for it does me good to +be with you, but really, now we are sitting down, I have hardly the +courage to speak of what I wanted to say." + +"No one is ever afraid of me," said Mrs. Lesly, "and you know, if you +are in any trouble, I never can find fault." + +"Well then," said Mrs. Villars, "I will tell you exactly how I am +situated. You must know that Mr. Villars has had, or pretends to have, +had a great many losses this year, which have really quite soured his +temper. He does nothing now but grumble, saying, I am not half so +economical as I ought to be, and I do not know what peevish stuff. He +says I dress the children too expensively, and then he tells me they +would look better in white muslin than in all the laces I put on them." + +"Well, there I think he is right," interposed Mrs. Lesly, "nothing makes +a girl look so nice as a simple white dress." + +"I cannot agree with that," said Mrs. Villars. "Caroline has just the +figure--just the majestic style of beauty that does not do for white +muslin and simplicity, and in her black velvet and pearls, I do assure +you, she looks fit to be a duchess. Selina, too, has just that fairy +beauty which requires the lightest and most delicate of colors, and how +very soon they soil, particularly with polking--and, besides, they +cannot always be wearing the same dresses in a place like Bath. I cannot +help wishing to see them respectably dressed, when I hear every one +speak so highly of their beauty. You must forgive a mother's pride, but +I cannot help it." + +"But, my dear," said Mrs. Lesly, "if your object is to marry them well, +you ought not to dress them so expensively. Few men intending to marry, +like the prospect of furnishing an extravagant wardrobe. The idea of +having to pay for their dress should gently insinuate itself, not glare +upon their attention in velvet and satin." + +"Now, Annie," said Mrs. Villars, "how unkind it is of you to talk in +this way. You see, I had reason to be afraid of speaking to you." + +"I meant it most kindly, I do assure you," said Mrs. Lesly. + +"That may be," said Mrs. Villars, poutingly; "but that cutting way of +speaking hurts the feelings, and you are very fond of it, sometimes." + +"Well, dear," said Mrs. Lesly, "I only meant a little good advice, but +as you do not like it, I will say no more." + +"Besides," continued Mrs. Villars, "I expect girls with such pretensions +and advantages as mine have, to marry men of wealth and station, who +will only be too proud to see them dress well. You ought to see them +enter a ball-room, and how immediately they are surrounded." + +"Ah, yes, I dare say," said Mrs. Lesly, who was always too indolent for +any long argument, and generally gave up a point, even with Amy, when +persisted in beyond her patience. + +"But now then, to return to my little difficulty," said Mrs. Villars, +recovering her good-temper. "You know Mr. Villars is so horribly cross +now, I do not dare to bring anything before him." + +"I am sorry to hear that," said Mrs. Lesly; "my William never said a +cross word to me, that I remember." + +"Ah," sighed Mrs. Villars, "it is very different with me, I assure +you--Villars is always finding fault now, since the girls are come out." + +"Well," repeated Mrs. Lesly, "I certainly never remember being afraid of +my poor husband." + +"No; but then he was a soldier, that makes a man very different," said +Mrs. Villars, "so kind and open-hearted. Now Villars, though he has left +his business in the city, and is only a sleeping partner, yet he seems +to take as much interest in it as ever; and if anything goes wrong, then +he is off to London to give his advice, he says, and comes home so +cross, there is no speaking a word to him, and if he finds us going out, +as we do, of course, nearly every night, then he goes off sulky to his +study. Married life with such a man, is no joke, I can tell you. When we +first married, he had such an easy temper; he says I spoilt it, but the +fault lies at his own door, of that I am certain. But I would not say +this to every one." + +"I hope not, indeed," said Mrs. Lesly, much pained; "it is better to +keep these things from everybody; and you cannot blame him without +finding fault with yourself at the same time." + +"And that I am not disposed to do," interrupted Mrs. Villars; "no, I +assure you, before company, I make him appear the very pattern of +perfection. I would not lower myself by showing the world how very +little influence I have over him. But now to the point--I must tell you, +that last winter, I was foolish enough to run up some bills with my +jeweller, milliner, and others, a little higher than ordinary, and now +every day they become more importunate, and I have made excuses till +they will listen no longer. I do not know where to turn for money, till +this business pressure is over and Villars has recovered his temper. Now +could you, I know you could if you would, just lend me a hundred pounds +for a few months?" + +"Ah, Caroline, but ought I?" said Mrs. Lesly; "think of my poor +children, and my health such as it is." + +"But what possible harm could that do them?" said Mrs. Villars, as if +surprised; "do you think I could be so barbarous as to think of hurting +them. It is perfectly safe with me; and I will pay you in six months." + +"But, my dear Caroline," said Mrs. Lesly, "why not tell Mr. Villars? it +will be but the anger of an hour--contrast that with the pain of +deceiving him." + +"I do not mind telling him everything, when his present difficulties +are over--now it would be unkind to ask me." + +"But," answered her sister, timidly, "do you think I am right in +suffering more of my money to be in private hands, even in yours?" + +"Oh," said Mrs. Villars, coloring slightly, "you are speaking of the +five hundred I owe you already; but you know I promised to pay that back +with five per cent interest when my aunt Clara dies, and leaves me the +legacy she promised, and which Villars always said I should do just as I +liked with. I gave you a memorandum of the promise, in case of any +mistake." + +"Yes, I know," said Mrs. Lesly; "but I really do not know what I have +done with it--I am afraid it is mislaid." + +"I dare say," said Mrs. Villars, again coloring, and looking down upon +the spill she was twisting from the pieces of an old letter; "but +surely, if it be lost, you could not think your own sister would--" + +"Oh, no, no," said Mrs. Lesly; "I think nothing but that you are +imprudent; and oh, Caroline, however I may disguise the truth from +Mabel--I am not ignorant that a few weeks may, and a few years certainly +will, bring me to my grave. Now am I right to trust so much even to +you?" + +A mother's courage was strong, even in her timid and indolent mind, and +she spoke with tears in her eyes. + +"Now then," said Mrs. Villars, "I promise, if you will be generous this +once, that your children shall never want a home while I have one, and +every comfort which my own possess shall be theirs; only rescue me this +once from my husband's anger." + +"I have done it so often," said Mrs. Lesly, "I am afraid it is unkind to +both of you to do it again." + +"Oh, do not say so," cried Mrs. Villars, "oh, think again, do not say +that, and you so kind and good. You know I have given you a written +promise, to pay it out of the legacy aunt Clara is to leave me, and that +is as binding to my mind, beloved sister, as a legally executed deed; as +Villars promises positively, I shall do what I like with the money, when +I get it. Have I not promised to continue to pay five per cent interest +to your children as well as yourself, should you not live, as I hope +and trust you may, many, many years. I can do that easily, as I have +done before; at least I could have done so had we not agreed to let the +interest accumulate, that I might pay you in the lump. Where is my +promise? you have lost it you say, but I remember it all well enough. +Oh, good, kind Annie, think again." + +"But that paper is lost," said Mrs. Lesly, with a vacant look, and she +passed her hand over her forehead, as if trying to remember something of +it. + +"I would offer to write another promise," said Mrs. Villars, "only I do +not like to bind myself to two sums; for every one may not be so +honourable as yourself, and you must have it somewhere, but you need not +doubt me if it is lost, need you?" + +"I wish you would not talk of doubting," said Mrs. Lesly, "it makes me +feel so uncomfortable; but once again, my dear sister, let me entreat +you to have no concealments from your husband, they never lead to good. +If you will tell him everything, I promise to lend you the money." + +"That is as good as refusing altogether," replied Mrs. Villars, sulkily, +"why not say you will not at once, that would be plain and open, but as +it is," she added, bursting into tears, "I see you do not care for me." + +"Well, dear," said Mrs. Lesly, much pained, "you know I can never bear +to see you cry--dry your tears and listen to me. How are we to get the +money?" + +Mrs. Villars brightened up in an instant. + +"Why," said she, "you bank at Coutts's--write me a draft, and I will get +it changed in Bath, some how; I can manage it as I did before." + +"My money," said Mrs. Lesly, with unusual gravity, "has been reduced for +your sake, to a very few hundreds, a mere trifle, but my children!" +exclaimed she, suddenly dropping her pen, and clasping her hands +convulsively. + +"I have promised to be their mother," said Mrs. Villars, "but nonsense, +you will live many years yet." + +"Do not think of it, do not think of it, my doctor knows my constitution +too well to flatter me with such vain hopes. I have been better since +you have been here, but that is excitement, and now my head aches so." + +She placed her hand upon her forehead, and sank into deep thought. + +Mrs. Villars grew impatient; for there was a struggle going on within +her, in which her better self was busily engaged; and the worldly woman +almost feared the world would lose the victory, while she trembled at +the feelings she was exciting. + +The whole truth indeed being, that the money she so earnestly solicited, +was intended, not to discharge debts already incurred, but to furnish +additional display both in dress and housekeeping, during the +approaching visit of Colonel Hargrave to Bath, which the worldly mother +hoped, till she believed, would end in a marriage between him and her +eldest daughter, whose temper was becoming soured, by the failure of +repeated matrimonial speculations. + +Mr. Villars had found it necessary to lay down a plan of economy for the +following year; limiting its proposed expenditure in a manner which +little suited the taste or the tactics of his family, and it, therefore, +occurred to his imprudent wife, that there would be no harm in +forestalling the legacy of a thousand pounds, promised by an invalid +aunt, by adding another hundred to the five she had already borrowed +upon it, under the impression that any present expenditure would be +amply compensated if she succeeded in placing her daughter in possession +of Aston, with whose broad lands she was well acquainted, though of the +character, disposition, or principles of its owner, she was quite +ignorant. + +She well knew how to work upon her sister's feelings, already enervated +by grief and ill-health, and the narrow views of a selfish woman had +often led her to do so; but now, as she regarded the weakness that +seemed to implore protection, she felt her powers of dissimulation fast +failing before these new thoughts of compunction. After all, she thought +she might do without the money, the girls' old dresses were new to +Hargrave, and he might be a man of simple habits, and, perhaps, would +really be more attracted by white muslin, than crimson velvet--if so, +she was perhaps sinning for no purpose--might she not do without the +money--she might, but she had never learnt the principle of self-denial, +where right and wrong is concerned; and then come second thoughts--why +did she wait for them? When temptation is present, the first quick +generous impulse is the safest. There is a voice in our hearts which +never directs us wrong, let us listen to its least whisper. Why, like +the avaricious prophet of old, are we dissatisfied with its first +answer--why will we ask, and ask again, till the reply suits, not our +conscience, but our desires. + +In this case as in many others, Mrs. Villars's second thoughts +triumphed. Why should she submit to her husband's pitiful economy--was +it not his fault if she were forced to borrow; and she paid, or meant to +pay, her sister good interest, which would atone for every thing; and, +at the end of the season, no doubt the longed-for marriage would take +place; and, even supposing her grateful daughter forgot to share her pin +money with her, Mr. Villars could not but applaud her conduct and settle +her debt; and, even if not--but she was in no humour for ifs--and a +glance from the window at the rich woods which skirted the Aston estate, +and a glimpse through the trees at the mansion itself, quite settled the +question, and she continued twisting her spills with perfect +satisfaction. + +Not so Mrs. Lesly, she had seated herself at her desk, indeed, and taken +up her pen with a trembling hand; but her eyes were vacantly following +her sister's occupation. + +"This will never do," thought the worldly woman; yet she was afraid to +hurry her. + +"I was thinking," said Mrs. Lesly, at length, after continuing in the +same attitude of observation, "I was thinking how very strange it was +that I never remember our talking about money, but you were making +spills all the time." + +"Why, you see," said Mrs. Villars, carelessly, "I never thought it worth +while to bring my work for the short time I generally stay, and I never +like to sit quite idle." + +"Yes; but when you stayed with me for a month, it happened then as +well," said Mrs. Lesly, in a musing kind of tone. + +"It was rather strange, certainly--but more strange that you should +remember such trifles," said Mrs. Villars, her face turning rather +disagreeably pale. + +Poor Mrs. Lesly, fearing she had offended her, took up her pen, and +wrote like a frightened child, then quickly handed her the draft. + +Mrs. Villars hastily rose and kissed her, and then, taking her pen from +her hand, wrote a memorandum of the loan, which Mrs. Lesly placed in her +work-basket. + +At that moment, Amy ran into the room, crying out-- + +"Mamma, mamma, I have cut my finger--do please give me a piece of rag, +or I shall spoil my dress." + +Mrs. Lesly, easily frightened, hurried to her assistance, and, though +Amy kept exclaiming that she was only anxious about her dress, hurried +her off to a receptacle of old linen, which she kept in preparation for +every accident. + +Mrs. Villars glanced at the paper she had just written. + +"How careless Annie is," thought she. "Yet she seemed suspicious just +now about the spills--could she have guessed I tore up the other papers +I wrote? No--impossible! It is so awkward to be pressed for money, at +all sorts of times, and poor Annie is not long for this world, I see. +That Mabel has a sharp eye, and would not be easily deceived. Well, it +does not alter the obligation one bit, and what does it signify between +sisters. I only do not wish to be hurried." + +A clue to these thoughts might be given by her putting out her hand, and +drawing the paper to her, amongst the pieces she was tearing up. Where +was the voice of conscience then? Alas! for a time, it slept, for she +had slighted its first warning. + +She tore the paper in two, and then said to herself, "Well, it is done +now," rather as if somebody else had done it, and it was no act of her +own. Then she slowly twisted bit after bit into spills, laying each with +those she had already done, and the last piece had just assumed its +taper appearance, when Mrs. Lesly entered the room. + +"What did I do with that paper?" said she, after looking on all sides +for it, "how careless I am." + +"I think," said Mrs. Villars, "you put it in your secretary--you had it +open while you were writing." + +"Ah, so I must, I suppose," said Mrs. Lesly; but she looked +suspiciously at the secretary, she had no remembrance of going there; +yet, she had had it open that morning, she knew. Her sister must +remember better than she did. She would look presently, she had not +quite the resolution to look now; and suffering her characteristic +indolence to overcome her prudence, she sank into an arm-chair, and took +up her knitting. + +At this moment, the chaise, which had been ordered, slowly drove up to +the door, and Mabel entered to tell them that luncheon waited them in +the sitting-room. + +Mrs. Villars started up, full of business and bustle, which she felt to +be a welcome relief after the morning's _tête-à-tête_, and hurried down +stairs. Mabel regarded her mother's pale looks with affectionate +anxiety; but there was little time for thought, as Mrs. Villars and her +maid kept the house in a perfect ferment for the next five minutes. + +Amy stood looking aghast at a very bright carpet-bag, with a kind of +travelling scent about it, which she thought grander and newer than +anything of the kind she had before seen; and she quite shrank within +herself when her aunt kissed her, and blessed her in a tone which made +her feel cold; nor was she sorry when she saw her get into the carriage, +attended by the bright carpet-bag--and when box after box was moved to +the top of the creaking vehicle--and when the vehicle itself moved down +the walk, she drew a long breath, as if relieved from some heavy +pressure, feeling the place once more quite their own. + +Lucy ran to the gate, to open it to let her mamma pass, kissing her hand +to her, and stopping to watch till the carriage turned the corner, and +was only visible down Amy's point of observation on the wall. She then +came back with her cheeks crimson, and putting her arm round Mabel's +waist, she whispered-- + +"Who do you think passed while I was holding the gate?" + +"Who?" said Mabel, a little surprised at anything like an apparition in +their quiet village, and not yet quite aware of their Bath cousin's +usual train of thought. "I cannot guess." + +Lucy's cheeks were of a deeper tint, as she whispered-- + +"Captain Clair." + + + + + CHAPTER VII. + + But when the weight of sorrow found + My spirit prostrate and resigned, + The anguish of the bleeding wound + Taught me to feel for all mankind. + + ELIZA COOK. + + +Mrs. Lesly's ill health had made her rather retire from society, than +take any pains to seek it, during her widowhood, and she had gradually +drawn her circle of friends so closely round her, that it now scarcely +extended beyond her immediate neighbourhood. Mabel, whose affectionate +attendance was necessary to her mother's happiness, never thought of +leaving her, by accepting any invitation to stay from home; and years +had almost insensibly passed away in the cultivation of elegant tastes, +and in constant, but local benevolence, without their being tempted to +ask any distant relative or friend to visit them. + +Mabel was, therefore, at first, a little puzzled to think how she might +render their quiet home agreeable to the gay girl who had so +unexpectedly entered it. Lucy, however, seemed determined to be pleased, +if only allowed to be moving, and she ran away with great cheerfulness, +to prepare for the walk which Mabel proposed soon after the departure of +Mrs. Villars. + +"Do you often call at the rectory?" she asked, as they strolled up the +hill leading through the village. + +"We will call as we return from our walk," replied Mabel, "if you fancy +going there with me." + +"Oh, yes," said Lucy, "I should like it so much, for you said Mr. Ware +was such a nice man; his sister, I suppose, is quite an old maid." + +"She is such a pleasant old lady, that you cannot help liking her," +said Mabel; "but I ought not to say that, I suppose, as some people +always dislike those they are told they shall like, and I should be very +sorry if you were not pleased with them both." + +"Oh, I shall be sure to like them if they are favorites of yours. But do +look how lovely;" she exclaimed, as a sudden turn in the winding walk +they had chosen, gave them a fine view of the distant country, with +Aston manor in the fore-ground. "What a beautiful house. Is that the +house we saw from the garden? Is that Harry Hargrave's?" + +"Yes," was the laconic reply. + +"Why do you look so grave?" + +"I did not mean to look so," said Mabel; stopping by an old hawthorn +tree, which was lying upon the ground, though the branches were still +covered with foliage. "Let us sit down here, for the sun is quite +oppressive. This," continued she, "is a favorite seat of mine; the tree +fell a long time ago, and has been left as it is, ever since. You will +get a better view of the house here, than you will find any where +else." + +Lucy readily seated herself by Mabel's side, upon the old tree which had +fallen in a pleasant spot. A high hedge shaded it from the sun on one +side, and clusters of wild roses hung down it, and scented the air. A +gentle breeze stole up from the valley, and a small stream rippled by in +melodious monotony, falling in a tiny cascade over the bank into the +river below. The songs of many birds came from all sides of the well +wooded country--and here and there a gay butterfly crossed over the +fields. + +They continued for some little time in silence, which Lucy was the first +to break, by enquiring if Aston Manor were as pleasant inside as it +seemed to promise to be. + +"Yes, even more pleasant," replied Mabel; "it is a very compact house, +the rooms are of a very good size--and the whole place splendidly +furnished, and generally admired in our county; the hall is surrounded +by a gallery, hung with paintings of great value. The gardens are very +beautiful, and every thing else in keeping. Indeed, I think it is quite +a bijou of a place." + +"Is there any room that would do nicely for a dance?" enquired Lucy. + +"They used to have many pleasant dances there, in good Mrs. Hargrave's +lifetime, which mamma remembers well." + +"Oh, that will be so nice," said Lucy. + +"What will?" said Mabel, in surprise. + +"Why, when our castle in the air marriage takes place," said Lucy; +"because Caroline is so very fond of dancing, and could lead off a ball +with such spirit; and I shall contrive to be nearly always staying with +them." + +"Why do you suppose every thing so certain," said Mabel, startled, alike +at the indelicacy of the scheme, and Lucy's cool thoughtlessness in +speaking of it. + +"Do not say it will not be," said Lucy, "or I shall punish you some how +or other. Now, would you not be glad to have us down here, Colonel +Hargrave and all; think what nice parties there would be; and who knows +what nice beau might come down and take you away with him." + +Mabel's cheek blushed scarlet, and her lips curled in preparation for +some angry retort--suddenly she checked herself as she remembered the +conversation of the preceding night. Have I then failed so soon, thought +she to herself. + +"Ah, mamma, you know my vain wicked heart better than I do--for the +first observation that seems to point me out as single, and needing a +lover, makes me angry." + +"Ah, you blush, Mabel," pursued her heedless tormentor, too unaccustomed +to feel for others, to be able to read her countenance, or tell why her +words had given pain; "perhaps, you are engaged to some one, under the +rose, all the while." + +Mabel was silent for a moment; it required that moment to seize the +reins with which she usually held her temper in check, and then she +replied, gently, but gravely. + +"I am not engaged to any one; you mistake my face entirely, but I +colored because I was silly enough to feel angry at your thinking I was +wishing to be married--but it was wrong of me, because you could not +understand my feelings without being told. So I must tell you," she +continued smiling, "that I am a determined old maid; though, perhaps, +you may think such a resolution needless in a place where gentlemen +seldom come to disturb our equanimity." + +"What, wedded to your duties, are you? Or what other queer reason may +have led you to such a determination," enquired Lucy, who could not help +feeling that her new friend's speech meant more than it usually does in +the mouth of a beautiful girl; and she was surprised to think she should +wish to retire from the field of conquest, before actually driven from +it by dulness or age. Her own vanity could not conceal from her, a +certain indescribable something which rendered her cousin particularly +attractive, and, though she certainly ranked her second to herself, +that did not imply any very low degree of merit. + +Mabel's composure, which was seldom lost, was now entirely restored, and +she answered Lucy's wondering eyes with one of her peculiarly sweet and +gentle smiles. + +"You may well wonder," said she, "that I, who seem so little your +senior, should already have made such a resolution. I too, who am fond +of society, fond of companionship, and all that is domestic, and choose +solitude only as wholesome medicine; but some destinies are fixed early, +others late; and I, who once thought, and still think, marriage, with +its social harmony and sweet feelings of dependence, most fitted for a +woman's nature, have yet quite made up my mind to remain single." + +"I shall not believe you till you give me some good reason," said Lucy. + +"You are too kind," replied Mabel, as her voice slightly trembled, "to +seek to probe a wound only from the curiosity of seeing how deep it +is--when you have no power to heal. I speak of myself now," she added, +hastily; "lest in our future conversations, you may pain me without +knowing it, and perhaps I might think you unkind when you were only +seeking to amuse me. Oh, Lucy," said she, turning round with sudden +energy, "I have suffered terribly, and still suffer, when I lose my +self-command for a moment--do not then talk of my loving or needing +love--do not tease me with the intention of pleasing--do not talk--" +Mabel suddenly stopped and burst into tears--for a very long time, she +had never spoken intimately with a young girl in her own station of +life, and the novelty had surprised her. A few large drops rolled +quickly down her crimson cheeks, but were soon brushed away, and half +smiling, she begged her cousin's forgiveness for speaking so hastily--in +a few more seconds, she was again gentle and submissive as a child. + +"Then must I never speak of love at all?" said Lucy, fearing that all +the most interesting of her stories would find an unwilling listener. + +"Oh, you mistake me," said Mabel; "do not think me so selfish--talk as +much as you like of yourself, and forget me; and you will, perhaps, find +me a better listener, perhaps a better adviser, because I have +altogether retired from the lists of conquest; and, be assured, the +necessity of placing a guard over myself, and the difficulty of doing it +effectually, only tells me how much I ought to feel for others. If you +will always let me speak the truth, without being offended with me, I +will take interest in your feelings at any time, only remember that mine +are like 'The Arab's sealed fountain,' whose waters will never see the +light again." + +"You are a very strange girl, my sweet, new friend," said Lucy; "but I +love you better for having a history, although I see I must not read it +quite yet; at all events, not till I know you better, and you learn how +well I can keep a secret." + +"No, not even then," replied Mabel, "I cannot speak of myself without +speaking of more than myself; so content yourself with what I have told +you, and do not think of me again, or I shall repent having said +anything." + +"Well, it shall be quite as you like, I will do anything you wish, only +you must tell me, that you love me very, very much indeed." + +"I will tell you no such thing," said Mabel, laughing; "remember, I only +met you yesterday morning." + +"Well then, come and call at the rectory, and that will shew me you love +me." + +"But I could do such a little thing, whether I loved you or not," said +Mabel; "so I will take you for charity's sake, for I see, like the cat +who was turned into a lady, and yet ran after mice--you cannot go +without your accustomed food." + +"I thought you said you liked society," said Lucy. + +"And so I do--so let us walk on, for this green lane will lead us round +to the rectory." + +One of the rectory pets was an immense Newfoundland dog, who began to +bark loudly as they approached the house. + +"Oh!" said Lucy, with a half scream, "I cannot go on--I am sure he is +untied--nasty thing." + +"No, he never barks when he is loose--come on, dear, I am sure he will +not hurt you." + +Lucy clung to her arm in real or affected terror till they reached the +house door. + +Much to her disappointment, they found no one but Miss Ware at home, and +she sat up during the visit, as silent, and apparently as timid, as a +child, amusing herself by poking her parasol through the cage of the pet +parrot, who appeared highly offended at her familiarity. + +Mabel was a great favorite at the rectory, and Miss Ware, certain of +finding her interested in her news, had many little things to tell her; +she had had a letter from one old friend, and had worked a birth-day +present for another, with many other little incidents to notice, which +Lucy amused herself by silently turning into ridicule, though they were +so kindly told that few would have found it difficult to enter into the +little cares and joys which, after all, were never selfish. + +"My brother and nephew are gone to look over the church," said she, +"which I conclude Miss Villars has not yet seen. Edwin is always wishing +to improve the old tower, and to scrape away the mortar and white-wash +from the walls inside the church, for he says they are painted with +beautiful figures--but he will never have money enough for that I am +afraid--yet he puts by all he can spare--for he does not like running +into debt, and I agree with him, it is doing evil that good may come. So +he saves every year--but I fear he will not get enough in his lifetime, +to carry out this pet scheme." + +"I wish we were all rich enough to raise a subscription," said Mabel, "I +should so much like to see him fully employed in finding out all the +beauties of our dear old church." + +"Yes," said Miss Ware, "I like to hear him talk on the subject, because +he enters upon it in the true genuine spirit--he feels it to be almost +an insult to religion to allow its altars to be kept in the slovenly +state they too often are; grudged almost the necessary repairs by those +who are lavish where their own minutest comforts are concerned. The +Roman Catholics might cry shame at us." + +"Why do you not ask Colonel Hargrave, ma'am?" enquired Lucy, turning +round from the parrot. + +"My brother has mentioned the subject several times," said Miss Ware, +"without being able to interest him. Young men too seldom enter, with +warmth, on these subjects, and he has now left us so long." + +"Oh, I will tell him he must," said Lucy, "with his fortune it is +really quite shabby of him." + +"Do you know him then?" enquired Miss Ware. + +"Yes--no--not exactly--but he is a relation of ours. He is coming to +stay with us in Bath, and I will take an early opportunity of mentioning +the church to him." + +"Oh, I remember," said Miss Ware, "he is, I know, related to you through +Colonel Lesly, but I am afraid you will scarcely succeed, where my +brother has failed--if strength of argument be needed, few can put a +thing in a stronger light than Edwin can." + +"Oh," said Lucy, laughing, "I never condescend to argue with a man--I +will tell him he _must_--suggest that not to do so is shabby, mean--with +a few more epithets to match, and then leave his own good taste to draw +the conclusion." + +"Well," said Miss Ware, recovering from her slight pique, at thinking +any one could succeed where Edwin failed, "if you never use your +ridicule for a worse purpose, you will do well." + +The subject here took another turn, and Lucy again applied herself to +tease the parrot with the same listlessness as before--thinking the +conversation very dull, yet too idle to throw in her share. She was +aroused from her apathy, by hearing Miss Ware ask Mabel if she would +bring her young friend to tea on the morrow, if Mrs. Lesly could content +herself with Amy's company; for to ask her, she knew to be useless. Lucy +feared Mabel was going to decline, and she cast such an imploring look +at her as to decide the question, and make her promise that, if Mrs. +Lesly continued as well as she had been, and would consent to part with +them, they would come with pleasure. Lucy thought this, a very +satisfactory conclusion, to so dull a visit, and once again all smiles, +shook Miss Ware warmly by the hand, as Mabel rose to leave, and returned +home in high spirits. + + + + + CHAPTER VIII. + + A parent's heart may prove a snare; + The child she loves so well, + Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, + Down the smooth road to hell. + Nourish its flame, destroy its mind, + Thus do the blind mislead the blind, + Even with a mother's love. + + +Lucy Villars was a pretty girl, with fairy-like figure, small features, +laughing mouth, bright blue sparkling eyes, and a profusion of light +ringlets. Her step was buoyant, and her voice full of animation. It +might have been vanity that made the sparkle of those eyes so brilliant, +and her smiles so frequent, but as her merry laugh echoed back the +joyousness of her own heart, few were disposed to condemn the feeling, +whatever it might be, that rendered her so seemingly happy with herself, +and all around her. + +What mental abilities she might possess, however, were completely +overshadowed by the mistakes of early education; at times they would +peep forth when her feelings were really stirred by any strong impulse +of good or evil; but so uncommon were these indications of mind, that no +one could regard them as any true sign even of an originally strong +intellect; and her ordinary flippancy was, perhaps, more certainly +chosen as an index to the spirit within. + +She had been but an apt pupil in a bad school. When scarcely more than a +tottering child, she had taken her place at the dancing academy, +learning in her lisping language to compare waltzes and polkas, and +criticise dress, and to display her tiny figure for the admiration of +spectators; feeling her little heart bound when perhaps she attracted +notice from being the smallest and gayest of her companions. Then, in +the juvenile party, where the lesson of the morning could be so well +displayed, where she early learnt to hear her nonsense listened to with +pleasure, and, where, even the old and sensible regarded her little +affectations with a smile, she found another opportunity for display in +the world for which she was educated. + +These were too tempting after the dry formula of French verbs and +geography lessons, not to engross the greater part of her thoughts; and, +as she grew older, the evening ball, with its glare of light, its +flirtations and too visible admiration, and the morning promenade, +concert, or town gossip, served to keep up the excited, thoughtless +feeling to which she had been so early trained. Oh, England, do you +educate all your daughters in this manner! Your matrons, reverenced by +all nations, answer no! + +It could scarcely be wondered at, that Lucy Villars had thus learnt to +place too high a value on personal beauty. We would not for an instant +deny its merit. We reverence all that is beautiful in art or nature, we +glow with admiration of a fine picture, and the sight of a rich +landscape elevates the feelings of him who gazes upon it; we picture +angels beautiful, and we look forward to a heaven where all is perfect +beauty. It cannot then be valueless when exhibited in the human face or +figure. It has indeed been much over and underrated. May we not look +upon it as a talent bestowed for some high purpose, as a means of +influence which must be some day accounted for. + +No such thoughts ever occupied Lucy's mind for a moment; she had learnt +her own estimate of its value from the frivolous admiration of a gay +city; she had heard it praised in others as if of the greatest +importance; and she had chosen her acquaintance amongst those who +studied every means of enhancing its charms. + +She now entered on her country visit with the same feelings; and, bent +on displaying herself to the best advantage at the rectory, she spent +the greater part of the next morning, during the hours usually occupied +by Mabel in attending to Amy's lessons, in selecting from her wardrobe a +dress best suited for the occasion. Mabel was again and again consulted, +and Amy began to show great impatience at her sister's divided +attention, usually all her own, during her study hours. + +But Mabel, much to her disappointment, not unwilling to teach her +self-denial, persisted in attending to Lucy's questions, and in the +evening the latter found herself attired to her perfect satisfaction, +and looking remarkably well. + +"You seem to think dress of little importance," she said, lounging into +her cousin's room, and stopping to take another peep in the glass, +without seeing that Mabel had not finished dressing, and was a little +late. + +"No indeed," replied Mabel, fastening a bouquet of geraniums in her +simple white dress, without the aid of the usurped mirror, "I think it +of so much consequence, that no woman should be indifferent to it, when +at her toilet, or with her milliner. They say a lady's taste is to be +read in her dress, and I should not like to give soiled lace or badly +blended colors, as an index to mine." + +"Do you find any fault with my dress to-night?" enquired Lucy. + +Mabel only suggested that a simple brooch might be preferred to the +bright bow which ornamented her bosom, but she had ample time to repent +the observation, for Lucy insisted on going over her whole box of +jewelry to find a substitute, and was scarcely ready by the time when +Mabel, having provided books, work, tea, and every thing she could think +of for Mrs. Lesly and Amy, waited for her in the garden. + +They found Mr. Ware looking for them at his garden gate. Mabel hurried +forward to meet him, and then turned to introduce her cousin. + +"Most welcome, my dear young ladies," said he, extending a hand to each, +"my sister has no mean opinion of her own hospitality to venture on +inviting you to join our party." + +Lucy blushed with conscious beauty, while Mabel said, with a smile-- + +"You throw all the blame on Miss Ware. I fear then, you would not have +asked us to come yourself." + +"Nay, nay, I cannot exactly say what I would have done; but here is +Arthur, no doubt he can play at words better than I can." + +Captain Clair gracefully raised his hat as he came in sight, and then +shaking hands with Mabel, requested, in a low voice to be introduced to +her lovely cousin. The "lovely," was pronounced distinctly enough to +reach Lucy's ears, and the blush with which she received Mabel's +introduction shewed him that the compliment had been accepted. + +As the party lounged round the garden, Mabel reminded Mr. Ware of his +promise to show her some improvements he had been making amongst the +evergreens in the shrubbery; and Lucy Villars gladly seized the +opportunity of commencing a flirting conversation with Captain Clair, +who, being well drilled in the accomplishment of small talk, by long +practice, easily fell into a _tête-à-tête_. + +Mabel's hand was placed affectionately in the old man's arm, as they +walked on together, finding some kindred thought from every topic they +chose. He had been kind to her when a firm friend had been most needed, +and she now sought to shew, in every way, that he had not bestowed that +kindness on one incapable of appreciating it. + +The ready sympathy she felt in all in which he took any interest, was, +perhaps, the best return she could have thought of. We value most that +for which we pay the highest, and friendship is purchased by no common +coin. + +It was a great pleasure to Mr. Ware, to have her society and ready +sympathy. Few friends lay within reach of Aston, and her elegant mind +supplied what would otherwise have been wanting in his simple home, and +gave him an opportunity of conversing on his favorite topics. + +"We shall not be seeing so much of you I fear," he said, as they walked +back towards the house, "but I must not be selfish." + +"Indeed I hope that will not be the case," she replied, "do come and +walk with us whenever you have time. No one can shew the the beauties of +our county better than you can, and I never enjoy a party so much as +when you are with us." + +"If you are in earnest I feel inclined to gratify you, if not, to punish +you, by accepting your invitation." + +"Do not let us even pretend to be insincere," said Mabel, eagerly, +"hypocrisy is so hateful. Take me at my word, and trust me till I break +it." + +"Well, then, so I will; I scarcely know which I like most, to trust or +be trusted, both are so pleasant; so, if you are going to do any thing +delightful out of doors, like a walk or a nutting expedition, ask us to +join you, and we will do the same, so we shall the better be able to +amuse our guests. People often require too good a reason for meeting--we +will have none." + +"I will most willingly promise," returned Mabel, "only remember, that on +some days mamma feels so low that I never leave her--then you must +excuse me, for every thing at home depends on her." + +"You are quite right to let it be so," said Mr. Ware, "and I will never +say a word against such an arrangement. Only tell her we mean to take +her by storm some night and come to tea. You shall give it us on the +green, and then she can look on without minding our noise." + +"Mamma will be very glad to see you, I am sure," said Mabel, "if you +will only propose it. The effort would do her good." + +"Very well then, I will tell her when I see her next," said Mr. Ware, +with a smile. + +They had now reached the open window of the sitting-room, where Mabel +was welcomed by Miss Ware. + +"The evening is really quite sultry," said she, "yet the air at this +time of day so often gives me cold, that I had not courage to venture +out, though I so much wished to join you." + +"Had I known that, my dear Miss Ware, I should not have been tempted to +remain out so long." + +"No, no, dear child, I am not so selfish, for I know when once you begin +to talk to Edwin there is no leaving off; but I hope you have not +forgotten your pretty cousin to-night. You promised to bring her with +you." + +"Oh, yes, she is with us," said Mabel, turning round, but no Lucy was to +be seen. + +"Oh, Arthur is taking care of her, I believe," said Mr. Ware, "and they +will be here soon, I dare say." + +It was some little time, however, before they did appear, and then they +were seen advancing down the gravel walk, both laughing, and Lucy with +a very high colour. + +"Why," said Mr. Ware, "you stole a march upon us, Arthur, where have you +been keeping this young lady in the damp?" + +"Are we at the chair of confession?" asked the young officer, still +laughing. + +"Yes, yes, every one confesses everything here; but sit down to tea +first, and take off your bonnet, Miss Villars." + +"Well then," said Clair, when they were comfortably seated at the +tea-table, "I perceive I must apologise for a very grave offence in +keeping Miss Lucy Villars so long absent; the whole crime, I fear, lies +with me, I indeed, the scape-goat for every offender, must, I fear, take +the blame on myself." + +"Come, come, Arthur," said his uncle, "be laconic." + +"My dear uncle, you should allow a prisoner to state his own case +fairly--if he has not studied Burke on the 'Sublime and Beautiful,' the +'Patriot King,' and other models of pure English composition, you must +let a poor fellow express himself as he can, so that he speaks the +truth. So to proceed; we were talking of country pursuits, and Miss Lucy +could not understand how I could contrive to while away my time, after +being accustomed to town, Portsmouth, Southampton, Cheltenham, +Scarborough, Bombay, Calcutta and such places; how, in fact, I contrived +to vegetate here." + +Lucy laughed merrily, and displayed in doing so a very pretty set of +white teeth. But Mr. Ware saw with regret that a new spirit had entered +their small circle of society, whose influence might do much to +counteract his own on the versatile disposition of his nephew, even +without being conscious of it. + +"Well, aunt," Captain Clair continued gaily, "you look serious, as if I +meant any bad compliment to the sweetest village in England; though, my +dear aunt, vegetation is vegetation after all, whether displayed on the +Cotswold hills or in the back woods of America." + +Mabel looked at him for an instant, and her deep blue eyes seemed to +deprecate a remark which her ever kind heart told her was giving pain. +Clair bowed, and then said almost in a whisper: "Thank you, I was +wrong," and continued his narrative, after a moment's pause. + +"Well, as I before said, Miss Lucy wished to know how I amused myself in +the country, and, amongst other things, I mentioned my workshop, +situated, as you may remember, over the stable, and accessible only by a +ladder. However, this lady honored me by expressing a wish to see it, +and you know how difficult it is to refuse to gratify a lady's taste for +a hobby of our own, therefore, we proceeded to the stable, where, after +some time being spent in the ascent of the ladder, in looking at my +tools, and all my attempts at carpentering rickety garden chairs, and +tables that never will be persuaded to stand even, and after my giving +her a promise to turn her a jewel box, (which I hope she did not +believe) we experienced the same difficulty in coming down, that we did +in going up, but at length we are here, and at your service." + +"What a long story about nothing," said his aunt. + +"Then, if you think so, you do neither me nor my narrative justice; I +have given it for the amusement of the public, and feel myself ill-used +to find it not appreciated. Miss Lucy you play chess, you said. Honor me +by playing? We are ill-treated by the rest of the company, so may well +retire from notice." + +Mabel was surprised to see the sudden intimacy which had sprung up in +less than an hour, and expected that Lucy would evade the familiarity +with which she was so soon treated, by some evidence of woman's tact; +but she very soon saw her seated by the little chess-table, in the +corner, apart from the rest, and listening to the low conversation +addressed to her, as if her host, and hostess, and friend, had not been +in the room. + +She could not help feeling a little angry at her cousin's total neglect +of the friends whom she had ever been accustomed to treat with affection +and respect, but studiously endeavoured to engage their attention, and +to prevent their thinking of it. Still, it is never so difficult to talk +as when we most try to do so, and, almost for the first time, with them, +she felt it tedious to support the conversation. + +At length, after giving Lucy two or three games, which her inferior play +would never have won, Captain Clair shut up the board, and the two +turned round for amusement to the rest of the company. + +"Do you know, Mabel," said Lucy, "that Captain Clair came home from +Malta with Colonel Hargrave." + +"Yes, Mr. Ware told me so." + +"Do then join with me in begging a description of him." + +"Surely," she replied, "Captain Clair does not need two requests." + +"Do then," said Lucy, turning to him, "give us a nice long description +of him." + +"I really do not know where to begin," said he, "particularly as you say +you will see him so soon." + +"Oh, yes," said Lucy, with quiet pride, "he is coming to see us in Bath. +But now do describe him," she reiterated, with her prettiest look of +entreaty. + +"Well then, though it is hard to have to describe a character that +throws one's own into shade." + +"No, my dear boy," said Mr. Ware, his eyes glistening at this modest +avowal; "true praise of another's worth only enhances your own." + +"Not in every one's opinion, I fear, uncle; virtue seems to stand so +much by comparison, at least, I have often found it so; but that shall +not prevent my giving as faithful a picture as I can remember of +Hargrave. I am rather fond of studying character." + +"How you wander," said Lucy; "do begin--." + +"No, miss Lucy, I was not wandering so much as you think, my observation +on character might after a bit have led to Hargrave--but, like a true +knight, once more I obey. What shall I begin with? A man's agreeable +qualities are generally judged by his acres; allow me," said he, waving +his hand towards the window, and pointing to the landscape of hill and +vale, and rich woods, and winding river, over which the moon was +shining, to shew you his most agreeable phase in the eyes of fair +ladies. + +Lucy visibly colored, and Clair looked at her scrutinisingly, till she +laughingly told him to go on. + +"Well, if that description does not satisfy, I must be more minute, and +bring up qualities, which, in these refined days, are not so much +thought of, unfortunately. First, then, his personal appearance. He is +very tall, and broad shouldered, and athletic; yet, at the same time, +though he is as strong as a giant, you might almost call him graceful. +He seems to have acquired the difficult art of standing perfectly still; +no shifting from one foot to another, a habit, Miss Lucy, I am prone to +indulge in. Now then for his face, dark eyes, dark hair, dark +complexion, white teeth, and a good nose, and I suppose my description +is complete." + +"No, not yet, by any means," said Lucy, "tell us a little more." + +"Ah, I forgot his sneer, which is perfect, I never saw one so cutting +before; but then his smile atones for it, though as rare as the sunshine +in November. The sneer is that of a proud, contemptuous, arrogant +man--the smile, that of an infant. Then, his eye--there is no describing +his eye--you, may remember it, uncle; it seems as if continual fire were +sleeping in it, like the fire of uncurbed intellect; an eye capable of +reading the countenance of another, yet, almost slothful in the attempt +to do so." + +"What a horrid man!" exclaimed Lucy. + +"You will not think so when you see him, or if you do, you will be +singular," said Clair. "Then I was going to tell you, that he is +changeable as the moon. Perhaps, when you are alone with him, he will +startle and entrance you, by his eloquent observations on men, and +things; and you will invite your friends to meet him, expecting them to +be equally fascinated; but, perhaps, during the whole evening, he will +scarcely make even a common-place observation. He is, indeed, a curious, +fascinating, wilful being; clever, and accomplished, beyond a doubt, and +his character is unimpeachable; yet he always seems to want something to +make him entirely happy." + +"Poor fellow," sighed Mr. Ware. + +"Perhaps he is in love," suggested Lucy. + +"Hardly unsuccessfully, I should think; indeed, were I he, I should +never despair--but I own," said he, laughing; "I have sometimes caught +him looking at the moon." + +"Well," said Mabel, rising; "I am sure we have to thank you for your +description of our lord of the manor, though you have made him rather a +terrible personage. Come, Lucy, I fear we must go." + +"If you must, you will allow me to see you home," said Clair. + +"I always take Mabel home," said his uncle; "but, if you will come with +us, as there are two ladies to be taken care of, we shall walk home +together." + +Clair gladly assented to this arrangement; but, to Lucy's surprise, +offered Mabel his arm, leaving her to walk with his uncle; a plan she so +decidedly disliked, that she insisted on keeping her pocket-handkerchief +to her mouth the whole way home, though the night was remarkably clear, +and her stifled and negligent answers gave little encouragement to her +companion's attempts at conversation. + +When they reached home, they found only Betsy, waiting up for them, and +Mabel begged Lucy to go as quietly as possible to her room, for fear of +waking Amy--but she insisted on following her, without stopping to +remark the expression of unusual paleness and fatigue, which was visible +in her countenance, and compelled her to listen to the story of her +evening's adventures. + +"You know," said she, blushing, "when I was up in that high poky place, +at the top of the long ladder, Captain Clair said he would not let me go +down till I gave him some reward; of course I knew he wanted a kiss, but +I was not going to give it him, and so I stood still, till I was so +tired, that I compromised the matter by giving him my hand to kiss; so +then he let me go, saying, he supposed he must be contented." + +"Oh! Lucy," cried Mabel, "how could you be so imprudent as to go up +there alone--how impertinent of him--why did you let him take such a +liberty." + +"Come, nonsense, now sweetest, do not be a prude, it does not become you +to look like an old maid. What is the harm of having a kiss on one's +hand, one's cheek would be different, and, of course, I would not allow +him to do that." + +"But, Lucy, dear, is it not imprudent to place yourself in a position +which would allow him to ask such a thing--will it not make you appear a +flirt--does it not lower you to allow him to be so free, after seeing +him only for a few hours. Do consider." + +"Why, one would think I was a grandmother. I hate being cross at every +little thing. I am sure it is more wicked to quarrel, after all." + +"Yes, but if you would only understand me," said Mabel, "you would know, +I would not have you quarrel, either. But if you will let me, we will +talk of it again to-morrow, for now poor Amy is waking. You know," said +she, gently putting her arm round her pretty cousin, and kissing her +forehead softly; "you know you promised to let me talk to you in this +way, and you half promised to listen." + +"Well, sweet cousin, I think you may be speaking the truth, after all. +It was very naughty of me, perhaps," she added, with a smile, "to go up +in the loft, and so I will try and be better in future. Oh dear! dear! +Amy is awake; well, I am very sorry. Go to sleep, child, Mabel is +tired," and off she ran to her own room, leaving her cousin to soothe +the restless child as she could. + +Perhaps it was as well that Mabel was thus prevented from following the +train of depressing thought into which she seemed to have fallen on her +return from the rectory, for, as she sunk to rest, with Amy's head upon +her arm, she remembered, that if sorrow had ever laid its heavy hand +upon her life, the treasure of a sister's love had yet been given her--a +sister rendered more dear by sickness and weakness. And in these +thoughts the unselfish girl soon forgot all other feelings. + + + + + CHAPTER IX. + + But a trouble weigh'd upon her, + And perplex'd her night and morn. + + TENNYSON. + + +Mr. Ware and his nephew did not neglect to take advantage of Mabel's +proposal, that they would mutually help to pass the few weeks that +remained of the warm weather, more pleasantly than usual. Each bright +day of autumn we value the more highly, as we fear it may be the last; +and the little party of friends took every opportunity of visiting the +prettiest sights of the neighbourhood, either on foot, or in Mr. Ware's +carriage. Much as she enjoyed these excursions, Mabel, at length, found +that she was frequently obliged to excuse herself. The slightest +additional pallor on her mother's countenance, had always been +sufficient to make her give up the merriest party, or the most +engrossing study; and she now tried in vain to hide from herself the +growing weakness, and the fading and changing color she often +wore--though, with her accustomed buoyancy of disposition, she believed +that, the few autumn months once passed, her mother would again be +strong. + +Mrs Lesly, sometimes tried to bring the subject of her precarious state +of health before her, yet could scarcely find courage to damp her hopes. +Since her sister's visit, she had felt an uneasiness which she found it +difficult to suppress, and, instead of being relieved on her children's +account, by the promise that they should share the comforts of a home +with her sister's own family, she experienced a sensation of vague +terror, which she found it impossible to define. Even the loss of six +hundred pounds, supposing them lost, could not be equivalent to the +pain she suffered. + +The magnitude of our misfortunes depends, not so much on themselves, for +the pain they give us, as upon the state in which they find us. In good +spirits, and vigorous health, we may, perhaps, smile at trials which +would make another's cup of sorrows run over. + +Poor Mrs. Lesly, weakened in health, and with feeble nerves, began to +entertain suspicions that she had acted imprudently. A fear, of she knew +not what, entered her mind, and she began to feel a restless impatience +to find the written promise given by her sister, which remained as the +only security for the money with which she had so weakly parted. This +anxiety seemed, for a time, to conquer her constitutional indolence, and +much of her time was spent in looking over old drawers, desks, and +boxes, and the search always ended with the secretary, where she turned +over every paper in a vain investigation. Every excuse she could make +for being alone, she eagerly seized upon to renew it; for, while she +had, at first, felt it difficult to explain to Mabel, that she had +risked the greater part of her small fortune, not from any strong +motive, but, simply because her sister had been extravagant enough to +embarrass herself by the purchase of luxuries, and she had been too weak +to refuse the loan which the superior claim of her children had rendered +rather unjust than generous, she now found this difficulty increased by +a constant fear that she should guess the truth. It was, therefore, +necessary to carry on the search unobserved, and the wish to do so, +fixed upon her like a spell, and harassed her continually. She would, +then, on the morning of any proposed expedition, endeavour to appear as +gay and well as possible, that she might induce Mabel to join the party; +but, on their return, hours of harassing disappointment generally shewed +themselves in her sickly appearance at night; and Mabel was grieved to +find that, instead of welcoming her return as usual, after even the +shortest absence, she seemed rather surprised to find she had come back +so soon; regarding her presence almost with feverish impatience. In +vain, Mabel entreated to be allowed to know the cause of this change. +Mrs. Lesly only answered her questions by excuses; or, if much pressed, +by tears, causing poor Mabel the utmost uneasiness. The restless +agitation she continually felt, rapidly wore upon both health and +spirits, and their failure only increased the nervous desire to find +what now seemed of tenfold importance to her disordered fancy. + +It is melancholy to trace the effects of bodily illness, when it finds, +as it were, an echo in the mind of the sufferer. + +It was in vain that Mrs. Lesly reasoned with herself, trying to believe +that she could perfectly rely on her sister's promise. She could not but +remember her wanton extravagance, and the little guard she had ever +learned to place on herself, even in the indulgence of the slightest +whim; and her affection for her could not blind her to the fact that she +had chosen for her children a guardian too weak to protect herself from +the slightest temptation. Again and again, the same thoughts pressed +upon her, and the same course of reasoning occurred, giving her less +satisfaction on every recurrence to it. + +Then followed the burning desire to recover the lost papers; with +renewed impatience she would return to the secretary--till wearied and +worn out she would sink into her chair disappointed and spiritless. + +"Ah, dearest Mamma," said Mabel, when having determined to remain at +home, though the day was lovely, and favored a walk to the woods which +had been agreed on, she entered the room, and found her seated, +unoccupied, except by her own harassing thoughts. "You are unhappy, and +will not tell me why. Is not this unkind?" + +"Unkind," echoed Mrs. Lesly, vacantly, "yes, I have been very unkind to +you both." + +"No, no, dear Mamma, I do not mean that--not really unkind--only it +vexes me to see you so sad." + +"I am sad indeed, my dear," returned Mrs. Lesly, in the same absent +tone, "but I cannot find them, though they are all here." She stopped +and glanced at the secretary wistfully, as if its old-fashioned drawers +could speak if they liked. + +"What is lost?" said Mabel, "let me try and find it--I will look over +all the papers if you will let me." + +"No, no, what I have lost I ought to find, it is my own indolence which +has done it." + +"Yes, but do not think of that now, mamma, love, remember Doctor +Parkinson said you were to be kept quite quiet, and now you are +wandering about all day--only think how precious your health is to us, +and how happy we all are when you are well." + +"Mabel, you kill me by these words--I feel that I am dying, but do not +kill me before the time appointed." + +Mabel was silent, and stood looking at her mother with painful +earnestness. + +"Do not look at me so, sweet child. Well may you be surprised when I +have ruined you both." + +"Ruin! my own mother, what do you mean?" + +"Ah, you may well wonder at me," replied Mrs. Lesly, much excited, "how +could I be so silly as to injure my own children." + +"Ah, now you are unkind," said Mabel, "why not tell me--is there a +sorrow I have refused to bear--is it not my privilege to be sorrowful." + +Tears rolled down her heated cheeks, and Mrs. Lesly continued to regard +her in silence. + +"Is it not unjust to me, your own child," continued Mabel, (for she had +often before failed in obtaining her confidence,) "day after day you are +wearying yourself with something you will not let me know, and injuring +your health, which is more precious to us than any thing else--mamma--I +did not know you could be so unkind." + +"Dear child, do not talk in this way, my only thought is of my children, +and oh!" said she, turning her head towards the secretary, "if I could +but find them." + +"What?" + +"The papers." + +"What papers? Do tell me, can any thing be worse than this +concealment--you have always told me everything." + +"Ah, if I had," said Mrs. Lesly, with a sigh. + +"But do tell me now, I would rather hear any thing than see you suffer." + +"Can you really bear it?" enquired her mother, seeming to shake off the +oppressive calmness with which she had been speaking before, and looking +attentively at her daughter, whose warm feelings were almost ready to +burst control. + +"I will bear any thing," answered Mabel, walking to her, and kneeling +by her side, "any thing you can tell me." + +"Then you shall hear me now, lest you have cause to curse your mother's +memory, if you heard it when I was gone from you. Your poor father put +by a thousand pounds, which I never told you of before. It would have +been but a poor pittance--yet it would have saved you from want; but +this is nearly all gone now, for my sister has been borrowing of me from +time to time, promising to be a mother to my children--I have lent her +six hundred of the thousand, and I have lost her promises to repay them +back. Should any thing happen to either of us, what will you do?" + +"Trust to me, mother, dear. He who has supported me through far worse +trials will support me still." + +"Reproach me now, Mabel," said Mrs. Lesly, sorrowfully, "but do not live +to curse me in the bitterness of your heart." + +"No, my loved mother," said her daughter, looking up in her face with +unmistakeable cheerfulness, "think no more of this now. Amy shall not +suffer while health is left me, and power to use the education my dear +father gave me; and I am so happy to think nothing worse is to be +feared, even should any thing so strange occur as that aunt Villars +could not pay us. And do you think I could once forget that it was +because you were kind, unselfish and generous, that you lent the money." + +Mrs. Lesly lent down and folded her child in her arms, saying, in a low +repentant voice-- + +"Not generous but weak, we should but injure ourselves, not those +dependent on us in order to serve others." + +Yet she felt as if a weight had passed from her heart, and though she +was still apprehensive, she was no longer despairing. + + + + + CHAPTER X. + + How brief is the time since her voice was the clearest, + Her laughter the loudest, amid the gay throng. + + HEMANS. + + +Could the selfish but remember how much less they would feel their own +sorrows by sharing those of others, they would learn an easy way to +alleviate the unhappiness they are continually guarding against, by so +occupying themselves in thoughts of pity and kindness as to leave little +room in their own minds for fear or regret. + +The kindhearted very soon begin to feel an interest in those who are +thrown much with them, and, though Lucy presented many faults to her +notice, Mabel learnt to watch her with great interest. It soon became +evident to her that she was perfectly in earnest in her attempts to +engage the affections of Captain Clair, and, though at first she had +been disgusted and pained at the idea--more ready to pity than +condemn--she felt for Lucy when she perceived, by her variable spirits, +that her heart was engaged in the flirtation she had so thoughtlessly +commenced. The conduct of Clair puzzled her, she wished to believe that +his attentions were serious, and yet she could not help thinking they +meant nothing beyond the fashionable love he might often have professed +for the most pleasing young lady of any society in which he happened to +find himself. Still, she hoped she was mistaken; and thought, over again +and again the little anecdotes which Lucy daily brought to her +confidence, assuming them as unmistakeable signs of an affection which +would soon declare itself. + +Mabel knew that a look, a single word, even an emphasis on an ordinary +word are sometimes the evidences of affection. Yet, all that Lucy told +her, seemed to fall short, certainly of her ideas of love, formed, as +they had been, from her own unhappy history. Yet she hesitated to speak +her opinion freely; for, after all, it might be only a very unkind +suspicion of one who had not given any very good cause for believing him +to be a trifler. He had, besides, been so kind to herself, that she +could not help feeling prepossessed in his favor. + +Meanwhile, Clair appeared as attentive as ever, but his attentions were +never varied by ill humour or depression. Still Lucy rested confident in +the power of her own attractions--and, persisting in believing he was +only diffident--she became more and more lavish of encouragement, +without, however, finding her admirer become either warmer or bolder. + +What was to be done? Her letters to Bath had been full of the +admiration she had inspired in the young officer, and of expectations +that, in a few more posts, she would have to announce his decided +proposals. The letters she received in return were full of delighted +badinage from her sisters, and good advice from her mother. How then +could she bear to return home with the tacit confession that her vanity +had deceived her; and thus subject herself to her sisters' cutting +jests, and the bitterness of her often disappointed mother. The poor +girl had been spoilt by education and companionship, and she was, +according to her own idea, forced to play desperately in order to +justify what she had written home. She did not stop to consider that all +delicacy, modesty, and all that is precious in a woman, would be risked +in such a game, when she read such words as these in her mother's +letters, "you might well pride yourself," she wrote, "on being the first +of my daughters whom I shall have the pleasure of seeing married. +Indeed I have always flattered myself, that my Lucy would be the first +to secure herself an establishment." + +The seeds of vanity, thus sown by a mother's hand, grew quickly in the +daughter's heart. To be the first to be married was an idea that filled +her with pleasure; she did not stop to analyze, or she might have +discovered that the hope of mortifying her sisters by her marriage, was +inconsistent with the love she believed she felt for them. + +But now, what could she do! how could she bring her backward lover to a +proposal! She eagerly seized any opportunity of meeting him, and never +neglected pursuing any conversation which seemed likely to lead to love. +Still she was as far from her object as ever, and at length she felt the +feverish eagerness of a gambler to bring the game to a successful close. + +Mabel, who saw she suffered, sincerely, pitied her, though unable to +divine her thoughts. Disappointed affection the poor girl might have +successfully struggled against; but she could not banish the idea of +the sneers and jests, which, in contrast to her present popularity, +would meet her at home. Home, which in its sacred circle ought to have +afforded a refuge from every evil passion, as from every outward danger. +She knew it would not be so, and willingly would she almost have thrown +herself at the Captain's feet, and begged him to protect her from it, +rather than oblige her to return to such a sanctuary. + +Oh, fashionable and speculating mothers, why do you crush in your +children some of the sweetest and loveliest of their feelings. Why are +you so utterly foolish, as, first to make them unworthy of a husband's +trust and confidence, and then wonder that they do not obtain them. A +man seeks, in his wife, for a companion to his best feelings, fit your +daughters to fill such situations, and, should they then fail to obtain +them, they will still hold an honored place in society. + +Lucy felt that her success, in a matrimonial point of view, was all that +her mother regarded, that she seemed to view her daughters with the +eyes of the public, and valued them in proportion to the admiration they +excited, and she now strained every nerve to gratify both her and +herself. + +There was one little plan to which she looked with great interest. Mr. +Ware's proposal of their taking tea in Mrs. Lesly's garden, was to be +carried into effect. They were all to dine early, and drink tea soon +enough to prevent any danger of taking cold, and Mabel was to prepare +them tea and fruit in the garden, while Miss Ware would take hers +quietly in doors with Mrs. Lesly. Amy talked herself tired with planning +it, for a week before, asking Mabel for an exact list of all the fruit +she meant to get for their entertainment. Lucy looked forward to it more +seriously; she fancied Clair entered so eagerly into the plan that she +hoped he had some particular reason for wishing it, more than the mere +pleasure of taking tea in the open air. Was it not very likely, that +lounging down one of the shady walks which skirted the garden, he might +find courage to tell all she so much wished to hear. + +The expected evening at length arrived. + +Mrs. Lesly was unusually well, for the renewed confidence between +herself and her daughter had produced the most happy effects. Lucy was +all sparkling animation, and Clair forgot to be rational in the +effervescence of his good spirits. Lucy, whose fear of caterpillars was +quite touching, had persuaded Mabel to place the tea-table on the open +grass-plot--and there the sisters had delighted themselves in arranging +the simple repast. Amy was so accustomed to bustle along by Mabel's +side, that she had come to the belief that she could do nothing well +without her; and she now hurried about, laughing merrily, as she +conveyed to the table, plates of early fruit, which old John had always +carefully matted through the summer. Mr. Ware was particularly fond of +fruit, and it was a great pleasure to the sisters, to store up every +little luxury for him. + +The table looked very pretty with its fruit, and cream, and flowers, and +the little party was a merry one, ready to take pleasure and amusement +in anything. Mr. Ware told stories of other days, and Clair brought +anecdotes of the fashionable world of his day, while the girls were +well-pleased listeners. + +When tea had been fully discussed, they strolled round the garden, +watching for the sunset, which was to be the signal for taking shelter +in the house. Lucy, the captain, and Amy, went off laughing together, +while Mabel, choosing the driest path in the garden, paced up and down +by the side of Mr. Ware. + +"It is very kind of you," he said, "to prefer my company to those who +are gayer and younger; but I am sorry to perceive that you are not quite +in your usual spirits--I hope you have no reason to be depressed." + +"None at all," replied Mabel, "and yet I am foolish enough to feel +low-spirited. But have you never felt a vague apprehension that +something dreadful was going to happen--I cannot overcome it to-night." + +"I have often felt the same from no reason, as you say, and have as +often found my fears groundless. Do you not remember those beautiful +words--'_He feareth no evil tidings_?'" + +"Oh yes--I must not think of it again." + +Mr. Ware thought this might be no bad opportunity of speaking of Mrs. +Lesly's delicate health, and leading her to prepare herself for a trial +which he foresaw was not far distant; but at the very moment that he was +thinking how to introduce the subject, the sound of merry laughter came +from the other side of the garden, and Mabel exclaimed-- + +"Oh, I fear they are at the swing, and John says it's unsafe. I must go +and stop them." + +And so saying, she ran quickly across the garden, till she reached the +spot where the swing was suspended from the branch of two tall fir +trees. + +Amy was in the swing, which Captain Clair was pushing, while Lucy was +clapping her hands as each time the child rose higher in the air. + +"Oh, do stop," said Mabel, running up to them quite out of breath, and +scarcely able to say any more. + +"No, no," said Lucy, "we want to see if Amy can touch that bough. What a +beautiful swinger she is--she nearly did it then, I declare--try again, +Amy." + +"John says it is unsafe," cried Mabel, trying to be heard, "do, do +stop--for mercy's sake, Captain Clair, do stop her." + +Both were, however, deaf to her entreaty. Lucy rejoiced in what she +thought superior nerve, and called to her not to be an old maid, +frightened at everything; while Clair thought her very feminine and +pretty, but apprehended no real danger. + +Mabel continued to exclaim, till unable to get a hearing, she burst into +tears of vexation and alarm, fearing to touch the rope, lest she might +cause the accident she feared. + +At the same moment, while she watched Amy ascend quickly through the +air, till her feet scattered a few leaves from the bough she had been +trying to touch, there came a heaving sound, then a loud crash--the +swing gave way, and Amy fell violently to the ground. With a scream of +piercing anguish, she sprang to her side, where she lay close by a +knotted root of the tree, which she had struck in falling. + +Lucy stood blushing and terrified, uttering some confused excuses for +not listening to one who justice whispered was never fanciful. + +Captain Clair looked bewildered and thoroughly ashamed, for often the +only excuse for daring is its success. + +Mr. Ware fortunately soon reached the spot, and though extremely vexed +at such a termination to the day's enjoyment, merely roused his nephew, +by telling him to carry the poor child into the house, and then to fetch +a doctor, that they might be certain she had sustained no serious +injury. + +His nephew, too happy to have some duty assigned, raised Amy in his +arms, for she was perfectly insensible, and, as Mabel supported her +drooping head, carried her into the house. Mabel's conduct during that +short walk cut him to the heart; she seemed entirely to have forgotten +that his obstinacy had injured her sister; and in her anxiety for her +safety, she did not suffer a complaining word to escape her. Those who +possess little control over their own feelings, often reverence those +who have great self-command--and to Clair, who a few minutes before, had +been laughing with almost childish excitement, and was now utterly +depressed, Mabel seemed like a superior being in the calm dignity of her +silent distress. + +At length, Amy was safely placed upon her bed, and leaving Mabel and +their servant-maid to try every means to restore her to consciousness, +he hastened in search of a surgeon. He met Lucy in the lane, who told +him that she had anticipated his errand, but that the doctor had gone to +see a patient many miles away. + +"Then I shall go for a horse, and follow him," said he, "anything will +be better than this suspense." + +"And what shall I do?" cried Lucy, wringing her hands; but Clair had no +comfort to offer, and hurried on to the village to find a horse. + +Lucy returned to the house, frightened, and ashamed. She did not like to +remain alone, yet there was no one in the sitting-room; and not daring +to seek any one, she retired to her own chamber, which looked so still +and lonely, that she put the door half open, and seated herself in a +chair close by, to listen for any news from Amy's room. She could not +help recalling to herself the wild laugh of the poor child only half an +hour before, and she could not bear to think of how still she was lying +there. + +At length she heard Betsy, the privileged maid, say:-- + +"It is all Miss Lucy's fault, I know, for the house has not been the +same since she came into it." + +"Hush, Betsy," was the murmured reply, in her cousin's well known voice; +"those thoughts will only make it harder to bear." + +Betsy was not so easily stopped, but Mabel seemed to reply no more. + +Every word went to Lucy's heart. The frequent question of despairing +feeling. "What shall I do?" received no answer, and she sat on in her +desolate seat, or varied her watch by stealing on tiptoe to the end of +the passage. Thus the weary time slipt away, and she had listened to the +church clock, as it struck the hours till midnight--she then heard the +sound of horses' feet, and anxious for any change, she ran down +stairs--but she found that Clair and the surgeon had already been +admitted by Mr. Ware, who was watching for them, and, feeling herself of +no use, she again crept to her room to listen, trembling for the +doctor's opinion. The examination lasted a long time, and she became +nearly worn out with waiting, and trying every minute to divine +something from the hurried voices, or hurried steps of the attendants in +the sick room. But she could learn nothing, till she heard the doctor +leave the room, and lead Mabel to that next her own, and then she heard +her say in a tremulous voice. + +"What do you think of her, Mr. Williams?" + +"The accident has been a severe one," he returned. + +"Can she recover?" was asked, in a tone which Lucy trembled to hear, and +she leant forward to catch the answer. + +"A complete cure is beyond hope, my dear Miss Lesly; I entreat you to +bear up against this blow," were the words she caught; "my heart bleeds +for you, but I see the back is broken, and you know--" a groan of +anguish, which she would have fled miles to have escaped hearing, was +the only answer sentence thus given. + +Then followed confused words, as if he were trying to comfort, broken by +suppressed sobs. + +An agony of terror, alike for Amy and her sister, then seized her--she +trembled in every limb; and when she attempted to cry out, her tongue +seemed to refuse to utter a sound. She sank upon the floor, too +overpowered to move, and yet without the relief of fainting. Her +thoughts became more and more distinct--of Amy, growing, perhaps, in +beauty and womanhood, stretched on the bed of helpless sickness, unable +to find advantages in either. What a blight had she cast upon a home she +had found so happy. And Mabel, too, the beautiful unselfish Mabel, no +longer the playfellow of innocent childhood, but the hopeless nurse of +youthful decrepitude. + +Too carelessly instructed as she had been, in the forms, and almost +wholly deficient in the spirit, of the religion she professed, she knew +of no balm that could heal a wound of such bitterness--she saw no light +that could have guided her to comfort. Highly as she prized youth and +its enjoyments, its hopes, and its ties, much as she sparkled in +company, and revelled in the admiration she excited, so much did she +feel the reverse to be dark and hard to bear. She pictured Amy passing, +in one five minutes, from her joyous youthfulness, with its light laugh, +and bounding glee, to the trials of sickness which she might never more +escape; probably, too, the highly intellectual child becoming only the +feeble-minded woman, weakened by disease and suffering, and cut off from +all those endearing ties so prized by a woman's heart. As these thoughts +passed slowly, and impressively before her--she covered her face with +her hands, and wept long and bitterly. + + + + + CHAPTER XI. + + Oh, how much more doth beauty beauteous seem, + By that sweet ornament which truth doth give. + The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem, + For that sweet odour which doth in it live. + + SHAKSPEARE'S SONNET. + + +How awful is the feeling with which morning breaks in a house where +sudden grief and desolation has been wrought. Like Adam and Eve in the +garden, we shrink from each other, as if we feared to read our own +feelings in the faces of others, whose sufferings only embitter our own. + +The stillness of the past night broken by household sounds usually so +familiar as to attract no attention, recall the mind to the fact that +another day has opened on our life, showing more clearly the sorrow of +the night before. + +Poor Amy! Mabel's love had thrown a kind of halo round the orphan child, +and those who did not love her for her own, loved her for Mabel's sake. + +Old John went heavily to his work, to move the benches and other signs +of the last evening's simple pleasure. + +"Miss Mabel shall not see them again," he said to himself; "I cannot +give her much comfort--but I may spare her a little pain." + +Mr. Ware and his sister had gone home, after affording all the comfort +and assistance in their power. + +Mrs. Lesly had been persuaded to lie down, for, terrified and ill, she +needed repose, and Mabel, in grief, as in gladness, always took the +lead. + +Lucy, exhausted and spiritless, too weary to get up, and too irresolute +to undress, had thrown herself upon her bed, and fallen asleep. + +When she again opened her eyes, the noon-day light was streaming in upon +her bed, and, to her great surprise, Mabel was standing by her; she was +pale as the dead, and her countenance gave evidence of the agony of the +last few hours--but there was a pale light in her eyes, and a still +repose about her, that seemed to hallow the grief they concealed. + +"I am glad you are awake," she said, in a voice scarcely above a +whisper--"I feared you might be ill--you slept so long." + +Lucy's eyes were swollen with weeping and watching, and she looked at +her for a moment in despairing silence; at last she raised herself, and +seizing Mabel's hand, grasped it eagerly. + +"Oh, Mabel, Mabel," said she, "what have I done--where can I hide my +face?" + +And she sank again upon the bed, and buried her face in the pillow. + +"You meant me no harm," replied her cousin--"at least, not much--and I +forgive you from my heart. My grief is too heavy for resentment. But +get up, Lucy, and do not distress me still more by giving way in this +manner." + +"Oh, how I despise myself! to think that I am lying here while you are +waiting on me." + +"Well, dear Lucy, get up now, for you will be better doing something, +and I cannot help pitying you here alone." + +"Then tell me something I can do for you. Oh, I will do anything, but I +cannot get up to sit as I did last night." + +"This is Saturday," replied Mabel, "and there are many things you can do +for me, which will enable me to be entirely with my poor Amy. Shall I +leave them to you?" + +"Oh, yes," cried Lucy, jumping up, and throwing her arms round her; "you +are an angel--I cannot forgive myself--yet you forgive me before I ask +you." + +Mabel kissed her silently, and gliding from the room, was soon again by +her sister's bed. + +Amy was feverish, and perpetually wanted something to drink, but it was +touching to see how gently she asked for it, and how earnestly she +seemed to try to repress her own fretfulness, with her large blue eyes +fixed on her sister's face, as if trying to read her approval of every +checked complaint. + +"It was very naughty of me," she whispered, "to get into the swing, +Mabel dear, when you told me not in the morning. Will you forgive me?" + +"You are in pain, love," said Mabel, tremulously; "and I cannot call you +naughty now." + +"Then I am glad you have taught me not to want to be told--but I shall +not be happy till you just say you forgive me." + +"My own darling, I forgive you a thousand times--would that I could +suffer instead of you." + +"If I had not done wrong, I should not so much mind," said Amy, +thoughtfully; "but give me a little water, dear." + +Mabel held the water to her lips, and Amy looked at her earnestly as her +hand trembled. + +"Do not cry, Mabel dear," said she, in a feeble voice, "I shall very +soon be well again." + +And weary with the pain she was bearing, without a murmur, she closed +her eyes. + +Mabel's restrained tears fell fast, for well she knew that years to come +might find her the same helpless invalid as she now lay before her. + +The surgeon had given little hope, even in the first moment, when it is +seldom withheld; and she threw herself upon her knees, and covered her +face with her hands. Amy's fortitude and patience, while it deeply moved +her, made her thankful to find that her early lessons had not been +bestowed in vain. + +Meanwhile Lucy roused herself with a stronger desire to be really useful +than she had felt for years. Mrs. Lesly had gone to sit with her two +children, so that she required nothing from her. She felt Mabel could +not more effectually have forgiven her than by allowing her to assist +in her duties, for it prevented her feeling the remorse of the evening +before. She ran down stairs with cups and waiters from the sick room, +which, if allowed to accumulate, give such real discomfort to the +sufferer, and even busied herself in helping Betsy in the kitchen, spite +of the sulkiness with which her services were accepted. + +But idle habits are not easily thrown aside with the distaste for them; +and, as the day wore on, she began to feel so fatigued that she could +not think how Mabel managed to do everything she did on ordinary +days--when, spite of her desire to please her, she felt her strength +fail in a few hours. + +"But I have not been brought up like Mabel," she thought, too willing to +throw the blame on others, if by so doing she at all removed it from +herself. "How can she ever get through it," she said to herself, eying +disconsolately the large basket of clean linen, caps, and frills, which +Betsy had just laid down before her, saying that Miss Lesly had said +she would be kind enough to sort them. + +She forced herself, however, to attempt it with many a sigh over its +difficulties. She had scarcely finished her task, when she saw Clair +coming up to the house, and, feeling a better conscience from her +exertions, for her spirits were easily elated, she went down stairs to +meet him. + +When she entered the sitting-room, where, not venturing to knock or +ring, he had already seated himself, she found him with his head buried +in his hands, which rested on the table before him. He looked up as she +entered, and a momentary shudder passed over him, which she could not +help perceiving. His face was deadly pale, and his features drawn +together, and bearing the traces of deeper thought than that in which he +usually indulged. He had indeed done many things more careless, and ten +times as wrong, but the consequences had never followed so rapidly nor +been so heart-rending. + +"Oh, you have suffered," exclaimed Lucy, "and what a night I have +passed!" + +"If you can see Miss Lesly," returned Clair, scarcely heeding her +observation, "ask her, in mercy, to see me for a few minutes." + +His first thoughts are of Mabel, thought Lucy, with ready jealousy, not +one kind word for me. + +"Will you?" said he, seeing her hesitate, "will you ask her to see me? +What does she say? How does she bear it? Does she reproach me?" + +"What question shall I answer first?" said Lucy, with a little of her +returning levity. + +Clair bit his lip, and looked at her with surprise, but Lucy quickly +recovering herself, said quietly, + +"She bears it as we might have expected from her, she never spoke of +you--and forgave me before I dared ask for forgiveness, and she would +not suffer her servant to reproach me to her." + +"Then there is some hope for me," he exclaimed, "but oh! how ten times +more killing is it to have injured one who will not return an injury by +an unkind word. Last night she looked at me with such pity in her +beautiful eyes, that I could have worshipped her. But do go." + +Lucy burst into tears. + +"What!" thought she, "was I earning for Mabel, when I was trying to shew +how much more nerve and spirit I possessed?" + +Clair sat in silence, he did not spring to her side and take her hand, +soothing her, as only a lover knows how; and she left the room to seek +Mabel with feelings of indescribable remorse. Having delivered her +message to Betsy, she locked herself in her room, and once more gave way +to the most passionate grief. + +Clair was left only a short while alone, before Mabel entered the room. +One glance at her pale cheek and sorrowful countenance, was sufficient +to tell, at once, how great the suffering had been, and how it had been +borne. + +"Ah, Miss Lesly," he began, hurriedly, "can you ever look upon me again +without shuddering? I, who have been the cause of this dreadful, +desolating blow. Is it possible you can ever forgive me? but I know you +can; were I the vilest person on this earth you would forgive me, if I +asked it, but never will you look on me without lamenting the horrid +scene I shall always recall. Yet, I must hear your forgiveness, and oh! +if you could know what I have suffered, in these few last wretched +hours, you would pity me." + +"I should not do you justice, Captain Clair," replied Mabel, trying to +speak steadily, "if I did not pity the pain you must feel in having been +the most unwilling cause of such an accident; but you must not forget +that it was unintentional: and I forgive you, from my heart, for any +share you may have had in this unhappy accident." + +"They tell me," said he, shuddering, "that she never can be quite well +again. Oh!" cried he, throwing himself on his chair and groaning +heavily, "that I should have lived to be such a curse." + +"You are but the instrument in a Hand mightier than your own," replied +Mabel. + +"Few punishments can be so great," replied Clair, bitterly, "as to be +chosen for the instrument of justice. It is only the worst soldier in +the army that is forced to inflict death on his condemned brother. You +will hate the instrument that has been raised to afflict you?" + +"Should I not then be rebellious against the Hand that raised it?" +replied Mabel. "But, for my sake and your own, command your feelings. I +dare not think, yet, and you would force me to do so. Why this has been +suffered I must not ask now, for my faith may be too small for argument, +while grief has almost robbed me of my senses. But I can see that you +may have been made the unwilling cause, possibly that you may _think_. +Do not forget the merit of suffering, for, if it chastens, it often +purifies the heart; and do not let poor Amy's health and hopes in life +be offered up for nothing, for there is a nobler self within you, which +sorrow for our loss may call forth--shake off all that sullies your +character--all its littleness or frivolity--and be yourself. Devote your +life to some higher purpose, and to nobler aims--go forth to the world +again, a blessing to those around you--and then," said she, sinking her +voice as her eye lost its brilliant fire, "and then Amy, on her sick +bed, will feel that her loss has been your advantage." + +Clair almost held his breath while she spoke, and then exclaimed, with a +soldier's energy, as his eye seemed to have caught the fire which had +died in hers, + +"I will, I will! You have doubly forgiven, for you have bestowed +thoughts which inspire me with hope. You," said he, as he respectfully +raised her hand to his lips, "you have more than forgiven, and I bless +you from my very soul." + +Mabel gently withdrew her hand, and, excusing herself from staying +longer, left him to indulge the new reflections which her words had +awakened. + + + + + CHAPTER XII. + + In the service of mankind to be + A guardian god below; still to employ + The mind's brave ardour in heroic arms, + Such as may raise us o'er the grovelling herd + And make us shine for ever--that is life. + + THOMPSON. + + +It was with increasing uneasiness, that Mabel perceived the effects of +their common grief on the weakened constitution of her mother. Mrs. +Lesly, at first, insisted on being constantly with her sick child, but +day by day her cheek became more pale, and her low hollow cough more +frequent, until she could scarcely reach Amy's room without fatigue, +and, instead of being able to nurse her, required, herself, a further +exertion of Mabel's ever watchful care. Grateful indeed did the latter +feel for the strong health, and stronger nerves, which enabled her to +maintain the watching and waiting required of her--while the +consciousness of being loved taught her that each personal service rose +in value because she rendered it. Lucy still remained with them; she had +insisted on her services being received; and, though the idle girl was +rather giving trouble than making herself useful, Mabel did not refuse +her offer to continue with her, hoping that the wish to serve might be +the seed of better feelings and stronger self-denial. + +But Lucy had not perhaps fully understood her motives, when she ascribed +her wish to stay to the desire to be of service. + +Clair seemed entirely to have forgotten her, or only to make use of her +to deliver messages, or to convey grapes and other luxuries to the +little invalid; but it seemed entirely to have escaped his memory, that +any thing, even so interesting as a common flirtation, had ever taken +place between them; and indeed he seemed in every way altered, as if he +were trying to convince her that he was scarcely the same person. +However, she did not altogether give up the hope of regaining the +affections she had before so fully counted upon. Yet, having thrown +aside the light and fashionable gallantry which he had delighted to +display, he was now utterly impervious to all the common attacks of even +the most accomplished flirt; and, however clever she might be in +raillery, badinage, and spirited nonsense, Lucy had learned little of +that language which springs from heart to heart, in trouble and +suffering--or of those serious and elevating thoughts which alone bring +with them consolation to the deep thinking. + +She was, then, entirely at a loss when she found her former companion, +rather annoyed than otherwise, by conversation which would formerly +have amused him for half a-day; but this change only increased her +affection, while it effectually removed him from her power; she +listened, waited, and watched for him, but, though she tried every +capricious art to bring him again to her side, she found that nothing +prevailed, and, at the close of the day, she had not even the lightest +word to treasure up, as an evidence of the love she had already spoken +of as certain, to her friends in Bath. + +One evening, as events were progressing in a manner so unsatisfactory to +Lucy, Mr. Ware and his nephew might have been seen pacing up and down +the lane leading to Mrs. Lesly's house, which was rendered romantically +pretty, by the trees which overhung it, from the garden which was +considerably raised above it. + +Clair had been for some time engaged in silently beating down the leaves +and branches, which grew most prominently in the hedge above their walk, +with a light cane he carried in his hand, when Mr. Ware, turning +kindly, yet with a slight tone of embarrassment, said to him-- + +"My dear boy, I would not wish to presume a moment either upon my age or +my relationship to you, but would rather gain an interest by favor, and +as a friend; may I then ask a question, which my anxiety for you alone +dictates." + +His nephew looked slightly surprised at this address, but replied in a +depressed tone. + +"You may say any thing you like uncle, without fearing that I shall +mistake the kindness which leads you to speak at all. You have been too +kind to me, ever since I have been with you, not to make me feel that +affection must ever second the duty and respect you deserve from me." + +"Thank you," replied his uncle, "I feel that the late unhappy accident +has much changed you; and what you now say convinces me that the change +is one which, however it may sadden you, cannot be regretted." + +"I hope not," replied Clair, in the same tone of depression; "can you +understand what I mean, when I say that I feel, that, though I had no +intention the other evening beyond causing a momentary pain, which, in a +beautiful girl I thought charming, I yet feel that I have been so +thoughtless of the comfort of others, during my past life, that I have +deserved to be the agent of such a misfortune, in retribution, as it +were, for all that has before gone unpunished. Little Amy's sweet voice +rings in my ear wherever I go--such as it was when I first saw her, when +she looked up from the wild wreath she was twining, to give some kind +word to the laborers as they passed her, the morning after my coming +here. Her simple questions return to my memory, and her purity and +innocence have made a deeper impression on my mind, by the sad reverse +which has followed my acquaintance with her family--I cannot help +thinking what an interesting young woman she might have been, through +the careful training of such a sister, who has planted in her mind, +young as she is, her own childlike tenets of religion. When I reverse +the picture, I see her growing up a weak unhappy cripple, perhaps, +sinking under accumulated disease, the victim of an early grave. Can you +wonder that I am changed, uncle, and that I now find the follies and +amusements, in which I have too often sought forgetfulness of the +weakness of my own heart, now utterly repulsive to me? When I see Mabel +Lesly forgiving without reserve, and enduring without complaint, sorrow +which would have found me in a very different temper, can you doubt, +dear uncle, that, contemplating such rare and beautiful virtues, I have +been led to seek the cause, and to find out on what basis they are +founded; and, while raising my thoughts to the source and spring of +every true virtue, and pouring its healing waters on my soul, must I not +shudder to discover there, nothing but pollution, and feel depressed and +sad, with the sense of what I am, and what I have been. + +"Yet do not think this dejection is attended with anything like despair; +no one, who had conversed with your sweet friend, would long retain such +a feeling. A few words, indeed, from her, while they convinced me of the +aimless existence I have been rather enduring, than living, gave me an +inspiring principle which spoke of better things. You may think I am +suddenly turned into an imaginary, but you can scarcely tell how deep an +impression this late accident has left upon me." + +"Not so," replied Mr. Ware, "the heart that awoke to chivalry in other +days, is not dead because chivalry has assumed another form--and, +indeed, we too often try to be lukewarm in our feelings. But, to be +candid, my dear Arthur, I do think, as you say, that too much of your +time has been trifled away in the pursuits of garrison glory, and +watering-place amusements. I have been, for some weeks, patiently +waiting for some season or time, when I could enforce the necessity of +sowing a richer harvest for the decline of life, than you have hitherto +been doing. Could I have chosen some other less touching call to +wakefulness, I would have done so; but these things are not in our own +disposing--it only belongs to us, to use well the circumstances and +opportunities which are given us; and I was even now going to say what +you have anticipated. Grateful, indeed, am I to think, that, even so +trying a time, can yield its sweetness, for I hope you speak of your +feelings without any exaggeration." + +Mr. Ware paused, but, as Clair did not seem disposed to reply, he +continued-- + +"There is one subject in which I feel particularly concerned--may I--I +ask it as a favor--may I speak candidly upon it?" + +"You may speak with candour on any subject, sir, without fearing that I +shall be weak enough to take anything but in good part." + +"Thank you for this confidence. May I then ask if you are quite sincere +in your attentions to Miss Villars? and, if so, why your behaviour has +so decidedly changed with regard to her? Forgive me for asking so +delicate a question, which nothing but the interest I take in your +happiness could excuse." + +"Oh, do not be so alarmed on my account," said Clair, half smiling, "it +is only my tenth garrison flirtation, and you cannot think me seriously +entangled." + +"Then," said Mr. Ware, with a tone of severity, which he very seldom +used, "what do you mean by becoming her constant companion--paying her +every attention, short of actually making love. Shame on your new-found +repentance--if this be the fruit of it." + +"Do not be too hasty in forming your judgment," replied Clair. "I have +only done what most other young men would, under the same +circumstances--though, I own, my changed opinions have led me to +withdraw the attentions you condemn." + +"I own that I would much rather have had your thoughts fix upon a girl +more like her cousin; but, when I believed you sincerely +attached--since you persisted in your attentions spite of my hints--I +thought it could not be helped; and, perceiving she returned your +attachment, I ceased to object, feeling that love corrects many faults. +Little knowing that all this time, you were acting a part which should +have made me blush for shame." + +"Uncle, you are passing a stern judgment--sterner far than I deserve; +give me your patience for a few minutes, and I will convince you that I +am not so much to blame. Lucy Villars is one of that class of girls +called flirts, and, for a flirt, she possesses all the necessary +qualifications. She is chatty, thoughtless, and good-humoured--and, +better than all, has no heart. She is, however, something more than a +flirt--she is a husband hunter, and set her would-be affections on me, +before she knew a single feature of my face, much less a quality of my +mind--so that I do not flatter myself with possessing anything in her +eyes beyond an average fortune and family. Had I been a man of no +discrimination, I might have fallen a victim to a very bold game; but, +as I happen to have seen a little of the world, I have spent a few weeks +more pleasantly than ordinarily. And now may I ask you, uncle, would +you, even with your high sentiments of right, expect me to marry a girl +whom I could never trust--who would jilt me for a richer man to-morrow, +and if not so, granting even that she loved me, would form but an +insipid companion at the best." + +"You are wrong," said Mr. Ware, who had been listening with great +impatience, "and you know that you are wrong, or you would not use so +much sophistry to convince me you are right. Let me ask you, if she be +the girl you describe her to be, was she a fit companion even for your +idlest moments? If she be the designer you would prove her to be, was it +right to place yourself in daily temptation, by communion with one whose +sentiments must be corrupt, if they rise from such a polluted spring? +Were you right in choosing for the object of your admiration, one whom +you despised in your heart? Sorry am I that you had not courage to +withhold your countenance from one whom you did not approve, but could +rather act so deceitful, so mean a part. But, think again, your judgment +may have deceived you, and, if she be not what you say, may she not have +given you a heart, which (if it be so) you have obtained in so unworthy +a manner." + +"Could I think so," replied Clair, "I should be more vexed than you will +give me credit for; but I am too well acquainted with the world, to +believe anything like real affection can be hidden under such open and +daring encouragement as I have received from her; and, really, my dear +sir, you must not be grieved on her account, or my own. I feel too much +the frivolity of my past character, to try such amusements again; but, +at the same time, no chivalrous principle tells me that I should do +right to bring into my confidence, or to unite myself in, the holiest of +self-formed ties that can exist on earth, with a girl whose character +is so feathery. Far different would my choice be when thinking seriously +of marriage. The woman I should choose for a wife would be one who would +inspire me with higher thoughts and lead me to better things. One, who +pure as sensible, would make my home a paradise, and while, by her zeal, +she led me to heaven, would, by her womanly attentions to my wishes, +make a happy road to it. Such a woman would as much excel a flirt as a +small piece of gold would one double its size in tinsel." + +"Arthur, your eloquence and sophistry are carrying you away altogether. +Had you acted thoughtlessly only it would have been easier to excuse; +but, now, I see, that with proper ideas and the most worthy sentiments, +you have yet been capable of acting a part as unlike to them as your own +comparison of gold to tinsel. Your excuses are common ones, and I fear +will not privilege you to minister to the follies of others by indulging +your own. How much kinder would it be to withhold undeserved +admiration, and to shew that yours is only to be earned by what really +deserves it. Would you not in this way, perhaps, find an opportunity of +reading a lesson without words, to many, who are still young enough to +improve by it. By refraining altogether from such deceitful flirtations, +you might tend to discourage those mothers who educate their daughters +for display, and force them to try for an advantageous settlement." + +"And how many do you think would follow my example?" enquired the young +man with a smile. + +"It is a consideration of no weight when making up your mind to do +right--though it sweetens a good conscience and embitters an evil +one--to remember that no one is so mean as to give no impulse to virtue +or vice by his example. One great mistake is, that men unfortunately +forget that they are christians, when in the fashionable world, as if +our duties were altogether banished by an evening dress, or the light +of conscience entirely eclipsed by the brilliant and fantastic tapers of +a ball-room. It is for this reason that so many turn anchorites: +forgetful that the world may be enjoyed with a christian's dress, and a +christian's thoughts, they only remember, that when they visited the gay +scenes they have resigned, they did so with a conscience peculiar to the +occasion, and entirely different from the one they were familiar with in +retirement." + +"You speak severely," said Clair. + +"I speak with the courage which arises from my knowing, that, though you +are thoughtless enough to err, you possess sufficient candour to bear +reproof without reproach to him who offers it, and, however scrupulous I +may in general be about offering advice, or venturing to find fault, I +cannot allow such sentiments as you have just expressed to be uttered in +my presence without testifying my sense of that error, if heard in any +company and from any person, much less from one so dear to me as +yourself, and I have spoken boldly, hoping to lead you to refine your +sense of honor, till it reaches a standard which a christian soldier may +not justly be ashamed to acknowledge." + +A few weeks since Clair might have smiled at the simplicity and +unworldliness of his uncle's remarks, but there was something within him +then that told him they were stamped with the irresistible force of +truth. + +He walked on in silence, pushing aside with his feet, the few withered +leaves which were straggling in his path. It was one of those dark, +mysterious days, when the wind blows sullenly amongst the trees, +speaking strange words, in its own wild tones, of the year that is past; +and the withered leaves as they spin round in the eddying wind, seem to +call attention to themselves, and to ask what men have been doing since +they budded forth in the gay spring, full of hope and promise to the +sons of earth. They had played their part well and merrily, they had +gladdened the heart and delighted the eye, they had made fair and +beautiful the spots where their short day of life had been spent, and +now, as they fell with their fantastic motion to the ground, their +rustling music seemed to speak in forcible language to the heart of him, +who had idled away part of the glowing summer of his life with few +thoughts but of selfish amusement. + +With some such thoughts as these the two continued their short walk, +which had been confined to the dry bit of road under the trees, which in +damp or dirty weather was often chosen as a sort of promenade. + +Mr. Ware was not sorry to see his nephew's unusual silence, for he was +naturally too ready to act without thinking, and often, by the readiness +of his professions in favor of any new idea of improvement, cheated his +conscience of its performance, and he now watched him, with the grave +interest which a good man feels, when he looks on the struggles of +conscience, and does not know on which side the victory will lie. + +"Even you, sir," exclaimed Clair, rather suddenly, "would not wish me to +marry Lucy Villars! fool as I have been, you do not think I deserve so +great a punishment, as the possession of such a wife." + +"I wish you," replied Mr. Ware, "to do neither more nor less then your +own sense of honor and good feeling may dictate, under the difficult +circumstances in which you have placed yourself." + +"I cannot--I never can do that!" exclaimed Clair, vehemently. + +"Neither will I ever ask you to approach so sacred a rite with +lightness, much less with repugnance; but, at the same time, you ought +to understand, that your attentions have been sufficiently pointed, to +make people suppose that you only wanted a convenient opportunity of +declaring yourself." + +"Impossible! Who ever heard of a man's making serious love in such a +manner. You at least do not believe it." + +"Now, certainly I do not, for your words bear a different +interpretation, and, if I mistake not, the opinion you now entertain of +her, arises from comparison with another character of a higher +standard." + +Clair colored, but he answered quickly. + +"If you have so far read my thoughts, do you find it possible to blame +me. Could I be insensible to the attractions of a girl of such uncommon +excellence?" + +"Alas, I do blame you," replied Mr. Ware, sadly, "for you have been +acting a doubly deceitful part, but I cannot withhold my pity, for you +must meet the difficulties with which you have entangled yourself." + +"I must think uncle, I must think," said Clair, stopping, "you put my +mind into complete confusion--I believed I was going to act for the +best; now, I do not know what to be at, though my chief consolation is +that Lucy Villars never cared a straw for me. I know you lay bare the +wounds of conscience only to heal them, and though you have spoken +severely I know you feel for me. What am I to do under these +circumstances? I feel I have been wrong, and would willingly make any +atonement, but remember, how many struggles there are in the world to +make us wretched, without our adding a desolate hearth, and a miserable +home to make everything else doubly hard. I must go and think alone." + +"And remember," said Mr. Ware, "that Miss Lucy may deserve some +allowance for her feelings. I am not quite certain that she is so much a +trifler as you would make yourself believe." + +"Why you will drive me out of my senses, uncle, I cannot increase my +difficulties by thinking that to be possible. I know women too +well--but, for the present, good bye," he said, laying his hand on the +stile which divided the path to the Aston woods from the road, "but do +not, at least till we meet again, think even so hardly of me as I +deserve," he added, in a tone of gentle persuasion, which often screened +him from blame, or, if not altogether so, had obtained the love of +those with whose esteem he often trifled. + +Then, with a light bound, he cleared the stile, and, walking quickly +onwards, he was soon lost in the windings of the path he had chosen for +the scene of his meditations. + + + + + CHAPTER XIII. + + My friend, your house is made of glass, + As any one may see, + I pray you, therefore, have a care, + How you throw stones at me. + + CULVER ALLEN. + + +"If you please miss," said Betsy, entering Amy's room, where Mabel was +sitting, "will you go to Miss Lucy's room for she is crying and sobbing +like any thing, and she has got the door locked and will not open +it--something must be the matter." + +"I will go to her directly, and will soon be back, love," said Mabel, +kissing her sister, who never saw her leave without regret. + +She then went to Lucy's room, and tapping gently, demanded admittance. + +After a short pause the door was opened by Lucy, whose eyes were swollen +with weeping, and her cheeks wet with the tears which were flowing +quickly. She had been lying on the bed, and, content with letting Mabel +in, she threw herself again upon it hastily, rubbing her eyes with her +pocket-handkerchief, though the tears burst forth afresh on every +attempt to clear them away. + +Mabel's woman's heart quickly thought of Clair, and, seating herself by +her side, she waited patiently till she became a little composed, and +then begged her to say if she could do any thing for her. + +"Nobody can do anything for me," said Lucy, and the effort to speak +called forth a fresh burst of sobs and tears. + +"What has happened, do tell me?" said Mabel, "has any one been unkind +to you, dear Lucy." + +"The wretch," sobbed Lucy, "the mean-spirited wretch." + +"I hope you do not speak of Clair," said Mabel, "what can he have been +doing?" + +"Oh, go away," cried Lucy, "go away, I am so unhappy, so wretched, I +wish I had never seen him--never come here. Oh! leave me, go away, where +shall I hide my face." + +"I cannot leave you thus--do tell me what he has been doing?" + +"They will laugh at me at home. What will Miss Lovelace say--oh dear!" + +"Come, do tell me," said Mabel, anxiously, "I may be able to give you +comfort." + +"Oh, I cannot tell you." + +"Why not?" + +"Ah, Mabel, if I were as good as you I should not cry." + +A faint blush passed over her countenance, and she was silent, till, +presently, after many tears and sobs she told Mabel the cause of her +distress. + +She had been walking in the nut avenue by the side of the lane, and had +thus overheard the greater part of the conversation between Mr. Ware and +his nephew, narrated in the last chapter. The sound of her own name had +attracted her attention, and, having once yielded to the temptation of +listening, she found, as she imagined, sufficient excuse for wishing to +hear all--and enough had, in this manner, reached her ears to send her +home full of mortified feeling. + +Mabel listened, with unfeigned surprise, to the story of this +adventure--and to those sentences, which, applying directly to herself, +Lucy had most accurately remembered--but, when she heard from her of the +admiration which she had so unconsciously inspired, she looked entirely +amazed, and at a loss. This Lucy dwelt upon with a candour which +surprised her. + +"The wretch," said the latter, when she had concluded her story--"the +worst of it is, that I cannot hate him as he deserves." + +"Do not say so," replied Mabel, "if you are able to forgive him so +easily, you will have much less to suffer; there is nothing so painful +as the indulgence of sinful or angry passions." + +"Mabel," said Lucy, gravely, "you will marry him, of course, and I will +try to wish you both happy." + +"Dear Lucy," replied Mabel, taking her hand kindly, "I am very, very +sorry for you, but rely on my friendship if you can, and I, who have +suffered as much as you are suffering now, may be some support to you. +Do not, for one moment, imagine, that, should Captain Clair ever place +it in my power to marry him, I should for an instant think of it. I have +told you already, that unhappy circumstances have rendered all thoughts +of love repulsive to me, and, even if it were not so, I could not give +my affections to one whom I have so long regarded as your lover." + +"Do you really mean that?" cried Lucy, with the desperation of a +drowning man catching at a straw. + +"I do indeed. Do you think I would trifle with you, when you are in +distress. You must not let his unhappy preference prevent your trusting +me as much as before, and you must let me guide you till you are strong +enough to guide yourself." + +Lucy flung her arms round her neck, saying heartily-- + +"You shall do anything you like with me, my own sweet friend; but, oh, +there is something wanting in my heart which you have not the power to +heal; but let me talk to you for a few minutes--if you understand me, +you can better advise me." + +Mabel was silent, and Lucy, leaning back upon her pillow, and looking +fixedly at her, said, after a moment's pause-- + +"I have been brought up in a very different home from yours--and when +you think of me, you must give me all the excuses my circumstances +claim. I feel I might have been happier in a different life, yet, as it +is, I have been happy enough. When I first came here, I thought I never +could live in so dull a place, though I appeared delighted with it, +because I feared to offend you; but now I dread nothing so much as +leaving, and going back to Bath. Mamma talks a great deal of being very +fond of us--but she despairs of getting so many girls married, and would +give her right hand to get rid of us in a respectable manner. Very +little is talked of when we are alone, but the chances of this or that +young man's coming forward. I confess, with shame, that no one has +talked on this subject, with more zeal than I have done--and I boldly +determined to do my very best to get married. You will call this all +very unwomanly, and so I acknowledge now, but anything seemed preferable +to being an old maid. So far, you see, Arthur Clair was right; when I +first saw him--marriage being at all times uppermost in my thoughts--I +wished to make a conquest of him, if possible. You see how far I +succeeded--even you were deceived, and thought him sincere, while, it +appears, he was only trifling with me, as I deserved. I wrote home +glowing accounts to Bath--and by this time, it is whispered half over +the town, in all the coteries where mamma visits--and I shall now have +to go back to disappoint them, and be laughed at myself; but this would +be nothing, if I could go back, as light-hearted as I came here. Arthur +Clair is wrong in supposing I have no heart--but I do not love him less +for despising the character he supposes me to be. It was very cruel of +him to act as he did--but yet I must have appeared to him a sad trifler, +and worse than that, for, while I really loved you more than I do any +other girl I know, I was, when with him, perpetually turning you into +ridicule to prevent his admiring you. You, too, must hate and despise +me; but I am tired of deceit, and will have nothing more to do with it." + +Mabel's quick judgment foresaw that her cousin's repentance was +probably as light, as her confession of deceit was easy--but she knew, +at the same time, that she had no right to take this for granted, and +that her only duty was to catch at even the lightest spark of virtue, +and use her utmost power to kindle it into a bright and lasting flame. +Sorrow was around her in every shape, destitution and dependence were +before her, yet, no grief of her own, could prevent her turning a +willing ear to the complaints, which, her truly womanly nature told her, +arose from that suffering which is perhaps the hardest a woman can feel. + +With extreme gentleness she offered comfort, mingled with the censure, +she could not in sincerity withhold, and Lucy listened with surprise to +advice unmingled with any taunt or reproach. + +"Do you not think," she said, "that I had better tell him I heard what +he said, and that I know that I do not deserve that he should think well +of me." + +"By no means," replied Mabel; "I would strongly advise you to give up +all thoughts of him at once, for you are convinced that he does not care +for you, and you acknowledge that you have, in a great measure, brought +this unhappy affair upon yourself. You must forgive him fully, for, from +what you tell me, he certainly does not seem so much to blame as I +supposed; and, if you took any unworthy means to obtain his good +opinion, you certainly fully deserve to have lost it. I do not admire a +prude, but I do think that no woman has a right to make the first +advances, and, if she does so, she certainly must be prepared to take +the consequences. But let me earnestly beg you, to spend this season of +affliction in schooling your own heart against this and future +temptations, and hasten to vindicate your character to yourself, and to +him. Shew him, that if you have been wrong, you are changed. It will be +very difficult, I own, to teach him thoroughly to respect you; nay, do +not curl your lip at the mention of respect; there may be a time when +you will learn, how valuable, how necessary, respect is to a woman's +peace; and the calm dignity with which you can bear this disappointment +may purchase it, even from the doubting Clair. A calm and composed +behaviour you must aim at--do not assume total indifference, for that +will soon be perceived--but submit, if possible, without complaint, and +without resentment--you will find this the easiest way of bearing +trials." + +Mabel secretly hoped, that, by following her advice, Lucy might not only +reform her character, but also display it to advantage in the eyes of +the man she loved--nor did she think it improbable, that, disappointed +in his suit to herself, he might find in Lucy's altered behavior, a +charm sufficiently strong to lure him to a real, instead of a feigned +affection, and thus preserve her from the snares which surrounded her in +her own home. + +With these thoughts she returned to the sick chamber, leaving Lucy to +think over what she had said. + +During the last few weeks, she had allowed herself but little repose. +Her time was spent alternately with her sister and mother, who in their +separate rooms, each needed the refreshment of her presence. Her step +was quick--her ready hand untiring--and her watchful eye always +observant--yet, though no complaint had passed her lips since the sad +night of Amy's accident, few could fail to observe how heavily she felt +the sorrow by which she was subdued. + +The nights passed wearily, marked only by the hollow cough, which told +her of her mother's failing health, and the loud wintry wind which +whistled in the crevices of the house, or swept by it in loud blasts +from the hills. + +All who have felt sorrow, or who have been called to watch by the bed of +the sick, must remember how much more sad these times appear in winter, +than in any other time of the year. + +We need our best spirits to laugh away the frost, and snow, and foggy +days, and all the associations called up by the withering earth and +closing year. + +Yet all these, with present trouble, past regret, and future fears, +marked this sad time to Mabel. Her greatest satisfaction now, was the +paying the most lavish attention to the two invalids. + +Though their means were at all times limited, she spared no expense, +where it could be likely to be of any service to the sufferers; she +prevailed upon her mother to allow her to draw, as she pleased upon, the +few hundreds still remaining of her savings, and this enabled her to +procure, for both, the best medical advice which England afforded, +though at a cost which the warmest of her friends could scarcely +advocate. + +All her efforts, however, were unavailing, her mother's strength rapidly +failed, and the utmost care could scarcely keep her sister from sinking +under the pain she suffered. + +Day after day, the opinion of the medical man fluctuated, until he +scarcely gave any hope--for he well knew that Amy's constitution, from +infancy, little fitted her to struggle with disease of any kind. Still +Mabel clung fondly to the possibility of her recovery, with a +pertinacity which made her enter eagerly into any new course of +treatment, which she hoped might prove more successful. + +It was with difficulty that she found time to think of Lucy--yet a +willing heart can do much. She endeavoured to keep as much with her as +possible to support her, in her new formed resolutions--and she was +gratified to find, that Lucy had been able to meet Clair several times, +with the composure she had recommended. + +Poor Lucy's dignified calmness, however, very much resembled pouting, +and, instead of inspiring Clair with any great respect, a little amused +him; for he looked upon this change in her manner as a new mode of +attack, against which he resolved to be armour proof. Her stability of +character being not very great--she could scarcely preserve her manner, +when she saw it produced no immediate effect as she had anticipated. It +was vain to hope that he would notice her composed forgiveness; and her +well-meant resolution faded away before the disappointment of failure. + +She was one afternoon engaged busily in blaming him, and excusing +herself, when he entered the morning-room, where she was seated at work, +and, saying he had been to meet the postman, presented her with a letter +from Bath. It contained the news, that Mrs. Clifford, one of the richest +ladies in the town, intended giving a fancy ball at the Rooms which was +to eclipse everything that had been seen for many seasons, and Mrs. +Clifford was very anxious she should return for it. Besides, Colonel +Hargrave had accepted the invitation to visit them, and was expected in +Bath the following week. The letter was of great length, but contained +little more than those two pieces of news greatly enlarged upon. + +It seemed as if all Lucy's grief and gravity had disappeared, like the +mist before the sunshine; for, starting up, she gave three bounds +towards the ceiling, clapping her hands in utter thoughtlessness. + +"Miss Villars," cried Clair, indignantly, "can you forget where you are? +How can you give vent to such expressions of joy, in a house you have +helped me to make desolate?" + +"I wish," exclaimed Lucy, turning round pettishly, "that you would not +preach to me all day the same disagreeable truths, with a face as long +as that of a methodist parson--and such a face too, 'tis indeed a pity +it covers such a wicked dissembling heart; but there is no trusting +appearances in these days." + +"What do you mean, Miss Villars?" he enquired, coloring violently. + +"Ask your own conscience, and then, if it has not forgotten how to speak +the truth, you will find which is the greatest sinner, you or I," said +she, trying to speak playfully, to hide the real passion which burnt in +her eyes, and tingled in her cheeks. + +"Surely," said Clair, a little haughtily, "you do not allude to the +silly flirtation, which I have quite sufficiently repented, as my +manners may have already expressed." + +"You double dealing wretch," exclaimed Lucy, in a perfect rage at the +superiority he assumed, "you oily-tongued hypocrite, how dare you talk +to me in this way? Why, I heard you talking to Mr. Ware, when you little +thought I was walking in the nut-avenue. You despised me, did you, in +your vaunted goodness--and, because you are fickle enough to turn from +one girl to another, you try to justify your behaviour, by abusing me to +one too good to listen to such stuff about either of us. What do you say +to me now?" she said, her eyes dancing with delighted passion at seeing +him utterly confounded. "Now carry your sanctimonious looks elsewhere, +for they will not take with me, I can tell you. I could have forgiven +your flirting, because they say--'a fellow feeling makes us wondrous +kind;' but, bad as I am, I never abused a man that had been silly +enough to admire me--nor did I ever set myself up as anything better +than I am. I am glad you feel what I say, and now go to the +noble-hearted Mabel, and say, 'Here I am--I have been flirting, before +your very eyes, with a girl I despised; but she served to make a few +weeks pass more pleasantly than they might otherwise have done. I have +been sporting with her feelings instead of making honest court to you.' +And then, flushed with the success, purchased by such hypocrisy, tell +her, that you have come to lay your laurels and a deceitful heart at her +feet, and that you think them just offerings to her purity, and an ample +return for the cruelty you were led to commit, by my persuasion. It will +be safest to lay all the blame on me, to her, as well as to Mr. Ware. It +told with him, and it may with her--go and try." + +She here stopped for want of breath, but, as Clair made no reply, she +quickly resumed. + +"You have not a word to answer me, have you now? How very pretty you +look, standing abashed before the girl you despised. If I were a man +you might run your sword through me, for want of a better argument in +your favor, but, as it is, I am afraid there is nothing to be done," she +continued, (as her companion threw himself into an arm chair and seemed +determined to let her say her worst, without the slightest attempt at +interruption,) then walking to the window she began singing part of the +Spanish girl's song to her Irish lover. + + "'They say that the spirit most gallant in war + Is always the truest in love.'" + +"For Mrs. Lesly's sake do not make so much noise," said Clair. + +"Unfortunately," replied Lucy, "I am not so unfeeling, for Mrs. Lesly's +room is at the other end of the house. You said, if I remember rightly, +that my character was too feathery to suit you--nevertheless, I think +for a feather my strokes are rather hard. Have you nothing to say for +yourself?" + +"Yes, when you have blamed me as much as you may think I deserve, I +will venture to reply." + +"Oh, say on, I have done." + +"Then, if you have leisure to hear me, I will now say, that, before this +conversation, I thought I might have been wrong; but I am now fully +convinced by the indignation you so openly express, that I have been +mistaken in you. I confess that I have injured you in the most +ungenerous manner--for which I dare not offer any excuse, since every +one would be too light to have any weight. I will then only ask you to +be generous enough to forgive me?" + +Lucy, whose feelings were ever subject to the most sudden variations, +burst into tears and ran out of the room, but, as Clair continued +regarding the door through which she had made her sudden exit, it opened +as quickly as it had closed, and she again entered; holding out her +hand, as she walked up to him. + +"I am glad you are not gone," said she, panting for breath, "because I +can tell you I forgive you on condition that you forgive and forget all +I said in my passion just now." + +"It was richly deserved," said Clair, grasping her hand warmly. + +"But that does not make it the more easy to bear, you know. If it is +quite unjust we let it pass as 'the idle wind which we regard not,' but, +if it be just, we take it more to heart, and, seriously, I am very sorry +for what I said just now." + +"And I," said Clair, "am very sorry for a great many foolish things I +have said and done in the last few weeks." + +"Well then," cried Lucy, "we are both sorry, so let us be friends, and +talk no more about love and all that kind of nonsense. I shall go home +in a day or two, and then," said she, with a half sigh, "all I ask is, +that you will not think me quite so thoughtless and foolish as you did; +or, if you do," she added, smiling quickly, "remember you were as weak +and thoughtless as myself." + +"I will not fail to do so," he answered, returning her smile, "if the +remembrance of your present generosity, does not make me forget +everything which caused it to be called into exercise." + +"I have had quite enough of your flattery," said Lucy, holding up her +finger, "do not give me another dose, or I shall be obliged to repeat +the antidote, and give you another scolding. Come now, I am thinking of +the fancy ball, and, as I am determined to be in time for it--for I am +of no use to Mabel by staying here--I shall choose my character at once. +Here," handing him a book of Byron's beauties, "choose me the one you +think would suit me best." + +"Let me venture to suggest," replied Clair, as he took the book and +turned over the leaves thoughtfully, "that leaving such a house as this, +it would scarcely be right for you, to appear at a fancy ball at all." + +"Oh, you methodist! give me the book." + +"You will not then be persuaded," he said, laying his hand gently on the +sketches of the frail beauties she had asked him to choose among. +"Think, that for the sake of a few hours of doubtful enjoyment you lay +yourself open to severe self-reproach, and may wound the feelings of +your friends here. It may sound odd that I should venture to speak so +seriously, but--" + +"Yes, it does seem very odd, certainly, and I thought I had given you a +surfeit of preaching just now." + +"Yet before you decide, I would ask you to consider whether you are not +wronging yourself, by acting so thoughtlessly." + +"Now let me ask you in return," she replied, pettishly, "if I am at Bath +what harm my going would do or what good I could get by staying away?" + +"Very little, perhaps, actually, but no one could think any unkindness +intended by your remaining at home. I can hardly expect you, however, to +listen to me, but, should your own better judgment lead you to come to +the same determination I shall be rejoiced." + +Lucy sat down, half sullenly turning over the book of beauties, and +seeming to be examining their dresses with the greatest attention, as if +she were trying to discover how they might be imitated by tinsel and +gauze. + +The Captain stood looking at her earnestly. Mr. Ware's advice recurred +to his mind, and, though he had found it difficult to follow it, he had +tried his best. + +Lucy, with her face glowing with excitement, her eyes moist with recent +tears, looked exceedingly pretty, and he could not help longing for the +power to plant a different spirit within her, at length he exclaimed, +with sudden energy-- + +"Lucy Villars, will you not listen to me. Do not trifle, after the +fearful judgment that has fallen upon this house, through our means. Is +it possible you can forget what a withering blow it has been. Surely, +surely you will not go to a fancy ball, while Mabel is watching over her +suffering mother and sister. You do not mean it, you surely cannot; only +think for one moment," said he, laying his hand upon hers, and staying +the quick motion with which she turned over the leaves of the book. It +is doubtful how Clair might have felt (for he had certainly deceived +himself when he imagined she had never made any serious impression upon +him) had his advice, his first effort at serious advice, been well +received, for there was an earnestness in his manner, which he had never +before displayed. But Lucy rose hastily, and brushing his hand aside +with an indignant motion, prepared to leave the room; turning at the +door, she said coldly-- + +"There might have been a time when Captain Clair could have asked a +favor, without risk of being charged with interference or impertinence, +but I can now see no excuse which would lead me to make his wishes the +rule of my actions--I would advise you in future to obtain influence, +before you seek to use it." + +So saying, and bowing coldly, she left the room. + +Her return home, and her plan of travelling, were soon settled by her +hearing of a friend who was at this time returning to Bath from +Cheltenham, and whose escort was offered her. + +Perhaps the pleasure of piquing Clair, added a little zest to the +preparations which were carried on with a cheerfulness that surprised +him. Deeply touched himself by recent events, and quite unable to +recover his spirits, he regarded her with a wonder not a little mingled +with contempt. + +Mabel herself, as keenly susceptible to pain as she was open to +pleasure, could scarcely understand the variable nature of her cousin's +disposition, which, at times attracted her by its _naiveté_ and candour, +at others, alarmed her by its indifference and frivolity. Though really +a little hurt at the coolness with which she prepared to leave her, +directly it suited her own convenience, after her many professions, she +suffered her to take her course without remark; particularly when she +found, from the account she received of her conversation with Clair, +that she could not preserve towards him, the composure necessary to +ensure her own dignity. + +All was, therefore, soon arranged, and Lucy, as the parting drew near, +became so affectionately distressed, that Mabel quickly forgave her +previous indifference, and parted from her with a regret, she had +scarcely supposed she could have felt a few weeks before. + +As she stood for several moments in the garden, watching the vehicle +which bore her from the village, her thoughts naturally recurred to the +hour when, with far different feelings, she had stood in the same place +to wait her coming. The scene was the same, and yet how changed. There +was not a leaf upon the many bold trees which skirted the landscape. +Here and there round the garden a single monthly rose bloomed in place +of the many gay, autumnal flowers, which had then been so brilliant. +Heavy clouds hung overhead, and silently and gloomily feathery pieces +of snow fell through the cold air. + +"It is the sunshine of the heart that is gone," thought Mabel, +unconsciously clasping her hands, and glancing at the scene around her; +while she remembered how comparatively free from care she had been that +day, and how gladly had the little Amy waited to catch the first sight +of the expected carriage, how eagerly she had watched the first peep of +the high road. Where was she now, poor child? when would her light feet +carry her so merrily to that gate again. + +"I know it must be right," thought Mabel, as if unwilling to dwell +longer on feelings and afflictions which unnerved her; but sick at +heart, and with tears swimming in her eyes, she turned towards the +house. She stopped on hearing Clair's voice, who approached to meet her, +having waited till the parting was over, hoping to remove any feeling of +loneliness she might experience on Lucy's departure. His steps were +sedate, and his countenance serious and reflective, as it had of late +become. + +"Ah," said he, as he joined her. "Happy would it have been for you had +neither of us crossed your path, to throw the shadow upon it we have +done." + +"We will not blame poor Lucy now she is gone," said Mabel, "and do not +blame yourself again. I did not think I should miss her as much as I do; +but there is such a pleasure in meeting a friend of about my own age." + +"If there are three dark sides to a subject, and one bright one, you are +sure to turn to the bright," said Clair. + +"Should we not do so?" said Mabel, smiling faintly--"particularly when +we must feel that even the one bright side is undeserved." + +"I should very much have liked to have known your poor father," said +Clair, rather abruptly. + +"You would, indeed," said Mabel, "but what made you think of him?" + +"Because I have heard that the lessons he gave you were so admirable; +and practically illustrated--they are beautiful!" + +"Nay, if you wish to flatter me, speak of him--not myself; truly, he was +a gentleman, a scholar, and a soldier," said Mabel, as her eyes +brightened, "and I cannot tell how much I owe to him. Now, if I am +tempted to do anything wrong, his spirit seems to stand between me and +the temptation. See what an advantage it is to be good," said she +smiling, as if fearful of speaking too much of herself, "what an +influence you possess." + +"You do, indeed, possess an influence," said Clair, emphatically, as he +turned his eyes to hers, with an expression of mingled admiration and +respect. + +"I must go in," replied Mabel, hurriedly, "talking of my dear father has +cheated me into staying longer than I meant to have done. I must go to +my dear child--good bye," said she, extending her hand frankly. "Go, and +do anything but be sad about me." + +Without waiting for a reply, she ran into the house, and Clair leant +upon the gate and watched her departing figure, like one entranced, +till, fearful of attracting observation, he briskly roused himself, as +if from some pleasant dream, and pursued his walk through the village. + +Meanwhile, Lucy continued her journey. At first the natural pain of +parting from Aston led her to a train of sorrowful reflection. Perhaps +she too remembered how different the home she had left had been when she +entered it; but she had also to remember many mortifying things besides. +Her easy conquest, as she imagined, had ended in total failure. If she +had unintentionally brought evil on Mabel, she had also brought good, in +the admiration of the fascinating Clair. Her recollections soon became +too painful to be encouraged, and she took the ready source of comfort +open to those who do not care to probe the conscience, and tried not to +think at all. It was easiest and most agreeable, but she had to arm +herself for the reception she would probably meet at home. How could she +say she had entirely failed; and what reason could she give for +believing that Clair was in earnest; she had not the heart to blame him. +"If Mabel had not been there," she thought, "he never would have +changed, but I will not think any harm of her, I _suppose_ she could not +help it." + +"Once in Bath, this country dream will be over, and I shall have the +pleasure of preparing for the fancy ball--and then, the arrival of +Colonel Hargrave, and possibly--if he is not attracted by Caroline's +majestic style of beauty, who knows but he may find other objects of +admiration--" and she glanced down upon her pretty little foot, with an +air of condescending affection, as it rested on the shawl which lay +beneath it. Then came the remembrance that Mabel had lent her that +shawl, and had herself wrapped it round her with that attention to the +comfort of others, which was so peculiar to her, and she lent back and +wept bitterly for some miles. + +At Cheltenham, however, she was joined by her promised fellow traveller, +also returning to Bath for the season. Mrs. Richardson, for this was her +name, was a good-tempered, stout little lady, who possessed a great +fondness for young people, particularly for those who, either pretty, +witty, or engaging, were sure to be popular in society. She formed a +very useful chaperone, in case of necessity, never being unwilling to +join any party of pleasure, from the most crowded rout, to the dullest +and quietest card party. + +Lucy had not been slow in finding out this useful virtue, and, Mrs. +Richardson being a great admirer of hers, they usually got on very well +together. But now, the badinage she had to endure, on the many conquests +she must have made, during her country visit, amongst rich squires, +grated sadly on her ears; while her attempts to divert the +conversation, only renewed her companion's desire to obtain an account +of all she had been doing and seeing. + +The tedious journey, however, drew at length to a conclusion, and she +found herself once more in Bath. Again settled at home, she was not a +little surprised, and not quite pleased to find that her Aston adventure +had occupied far less of the family attention than she had imagined. +Indeed, so thoroughly were they occupied in preparing for Colonel +Hargrave's visit, that they scarcely listened to her accounts. The whole +house, and household furniture, seemed stirring up to look their best +welcome to the rich Indian wanderer. The best stair carpets were laid +down, and the best drawing-room was uncovered and made habitable, and a +thousand little expenses were excused, under the pretence of necessity, +on such an occasion. The name of Hargrave was passed perpetually from +one to another, and Caroline already fancied herself mistress of Aston +Manor. + +"Oh!" thought Lucy, "could I have thought they cared so little about me, +I would have been more independent of their opinion." + +She, however, soon endeavoured to dispel the listlessness which followed +her return to old pursuits, by entering into the subject of general +interest, with as much seeming zest as her sisters; but, sometimes, when +she seemed the merriest of them all, her thoughts would revert to Aston, +and her gay laugh would find a check. Gaiety may sear, but it never yet +has healed a wounded heart. + + + + + CHAPTER XIV. + + He shall again be seen when evening comes, + And social parties crowd their favorite rooms, + Where on the table pipes and papers lie, + The steaming bowl and foaming tankard by. + + CRABBE. + + +Almost every village possesses a house of public entertainment, however +humble in appearance. Unfortunately, this is generally the most +comfortable place accessible to the lower orders, who are often +unwittingly tempted to increase the one pint of beer, which secures a +seat by the large inn fire, drop by drop, till habits of drunkenness are +too readily acquired. Some have recommended the establishment of +something similar to a coffee-room in every village, where laboring men +might enjoy the pleasures of society and conversation, without the +temptations to a vice which adds many a tragedy to "the short and simple +annals of the poor." + +It could indeed scarcely be wondered at, that at Aston, many of the +laborers left their weather-beaten cottages, which, in some cases, +formed scarcely a shelter from the wind and rain--and, without stopping +to calculate the mischief which might ensue to their neglected families, +should frequently resort to the "Hargrave Arms," where a blazing fire +and a comfortable seat by a chatty neighbour were generally to be found. +Here, at least, poverty and discomfort might be forgotten for a while, +even by those who did not seek to drown remembrance in the fatal +draught. + +One Friday evening, many of the regular customers of the house assembled +themselves as usual, more, perhaps, to chat than to drink, for they +seldom carried their conviviality to any great height, except on the +Saturday, when the young men of the village brought, too often, the +first fruits of their week's earnings. On the occasion we now mention, a +more sober conclave was assembled. The white haired Giles, whom Clair +had visited with his uncle, on the first morning of his visit, was one +of the guests. Not, now, with his head bent, and his hands extended over +the dying embers of his wood fire, but with head erect in a comfortable +corner, with the air of a man whose opinions are respected, and whose +words claim immediate attention. Martin, the poacher, was also there, +smoking a pipe, whose dusty colour bespoke long service. Besides these, +were several of the most respectable labourers of the village, young and +old. + +The landlord, himself, was a middle aged, sleepy looking man, with eyes +that seemed to say that they had no particular time for taking rest, +but seized every opportunity that occurred for shutting up at a moment's +notice. + +The night was cold and gusty, and the large fire burnt with peculiar +brightness--conversation went on briskly; when a new object of attention +presented itself in the sound of horses' feet, which at this hour were +very unusual. + +This caused the landlord's eyes to open to the things about him, and he +walked to the door to offer whatever hospitality might be required by +the new comer. + +By the time he had reached the open air, which he did with some +reluctance, he found that the rider had dismounted. His horse appeared +to have been well ridden, for, though a fine strong built animal, fitted +for the hilly country he had been through, he seemed exhausted, and +covered with dust and foam. The gentleman, on the contrary, seemed +perfectly cool and free from fatigue, and equally indifferent to the +weather, though the wind was high, and easterly, and his short cloak was +whitened by the snow, which had been falling, at intervals, during the +afternoon, giving signs of an early coming winter. There was sufficient +of that nameless something in his appearance, even by the light of our +host's lantern, to speak him a gentleman, and to procure for him a +series of nods, intended for graceful acknowledgments of welcome. + +"My horse wants rest, and a good stable," said the new comer; "light me, +and I will see him housed, myself. I will follow you." + +This was spoken in a tone of accustomed and easy authority, and taking +the bridle over his arm, he followed his landlord to the stable; where, +with indifferent extravagance which baffled any interference, he seized +an immense armful of straw from a heap which lay in one corner, and +threw it on the bed, which already seemed tolerably supplied. So rapid +and easy were his movements, that, before his astonished landlord had +framed the remonstrance he meditated offering, he announced himself +ready to accompany him to the house. + +"Would you like dinner in the parlor, sir," enquired his sleepy host, +leading him back through the court-yard. + +"No, I will take a glass of grog, in the bar." + +"The bar is full, sir; and maybe you will not like--." + +"What," enquired the stranger, "to sit side by side, with a poor +man--you are mistaken, but heark-ye," said he, stopping, "the less +civility you show me the better, I will pay you." + +"I twig," he replied, shutting one sleepy eye with an attempt to look +cunning, while, at the same time, he was a little startled at the deep +and peculiar tone of the voice which addressed itself so particularly to +his ear, and he was not sorry to catch a full view of his own huge +blazing fire, and the familiar faces around it. + +"A stranger wants a seat by the fire," muttered he, as he entered the +bar. + +"A stranger should have the best seat," said old Giles, moving quietly +to offer him his arm-chair. + +"I have been accustomed, sir, to take place according to my years," said +the stranger, in a voice of peculiar melody, as he declined the offer, +and, at the same time, chose a seat further from the fire, where the +fitful light only sometimes partially illumed his countenance. + +"Landlord," said he, "your guests will, I dare say, join me in my grog; +bring enough, not forgetting yourself." + +A short silence followed this speech, partly caused by the landlord's +absence; during which all eyes were turned to observe the appearance of +the last arrival. His figure was considerably above the middle height, +but his limbs were in such exact proportion, that he preserved the +appearance of strength which tall men often lose. His shoulders were +broad, and his chest wide and expansive. The only sign of delicacy about +him appeared in his hand, which, for his height, was small, and very +white and smooth, ornamented by a plain signet ring. This, they had an +opportunity of observing, for his head was resting on his hand, though, +seemingly more in thought than fatigue. His eyes were large, dark, and +penetrating, made to flash with anger, to command, or reprove; yet, +bearing in general a cold still hue, as if more accustomed to command, +or to suffer, than to ask, or supplicate the world's favour. The mouth +was expressive of great sweetness, as long as his features continued, in +repose, though the lips seemed especially capable of curling into a +sneer. His nose was long and aquiline, and gave a character of boldness +to the countenance; and a finely sloped head, well set upon his +shoulders, added to his lofty bearing. + +All these features, fitted to form a face of striking manly beauty, were +quite spoilt by the fact that, while the whiskers, moustache, and finely +arched eye-brows, were black; his hair, of which he wore a great deal, +and that, too long for the English fashion, was of a bright red, and +gave a very peculiar shade to his countenance. + +His dress was half military, though remarkably simple, and on the +present occasion, much soiled with long riding, and even shabby; with +the exception of his boots, which appeared to have shared the care which +had secured to the hand the marks of gentle breeding. It would have been +very difficult to trace his age, in any part of his outward bearing, +beyond the certainty that he was neither twenty nor fifty--anything +between these two periods might have been attributed to him without much +difficulty. Since his entrance he had not changed the position into +which he had thrown himself; perfectly at ease in every limb, and still +as a statue, he seemed scarcely aware of the observation he excited from +his companions. + +Probably he was inured to the weather, and indifferent to its effects, +for he did not attempt to dry his clothes by drawing nearer the fire. +Perhaps, his studious silence was intended to set his companions at +ease, or, perhaps, occupied with other thoughts, he really forgot them +after the first order he had given for their entertainment. However it +might be, conversation gradually returned to its former channel, and he +remained almost unnoticed. + +The snowy afternoon led them to speak of the weather, when Martin +enquired, with an indifferent tone-- + +"Did it come in upon you last night, Giles?" + +"It did sadly," he replied; "I was obliged to get up, and move my bed." + +"Has the rain been so heavy here then?" enquired the stranger with some +interest. + +"Not in particular, sir," said Martin, "if our roofs were +waterproof--but they ain't; I don't care who knows it. Look at this old +man," he said, turning to Giles, "is he fit to live in a hole with the +roof half off, and the sun and rain coming in every where. It almost +drives me wild to think of it--and if it goes on much longer, there'll +be mischief come on it, that I know." + +"Do not talk in that way," said old Giles, gently, "if I am content with +my house, you should not make it a cause for dispute." + +"Yes; but if any one could claim a proper shelter for his head, it is +you, Giles. You served the family for fifty years, and after spending +the best part of your life working for them, the least they could do, +would be to keep the wind and rain off your old white head." + +"It is not right to talk like this, Martin," returned Giles, gravely, +"for you might make me discontented with my lot. You forget that by +allowing me to work for them, they gave me food for all those years--and +if I did my work honestly, only for the reward they had to give me, I +deserved to lose it." + +"Of what family are you speaking?" enquired the stranger, slightly +rousing himself, and drawing a little more into the circle. + +"Who is your landlord, and what prevents his seeing to your comforts?" + +Martin seemed anxious to reply; but he was prevented by Giles. + +"Our landlord is Colonel Hargrave, a very brave officer, I have heard; +but, in looking for glory abroad, he has, unfortunately for himself and +us, forgotten his dependents at home. He has scarcely seen anything of +us since he came into the property." + +"But surely," said the stranger, warmly, "if he did spend his time +beyond the seas--I dare say, for some private reason--he must have left +some trusty steward, who could take charge of his property during his +absence, and protect the labourers on his estate from the privations you +speak of?" + +"Trusty steward, indeed," Martin began, in a growling voice, but Giles +again interrupted him. + +"Sir, it is kind of you to take so much interest in our concerns. It may +be that you have estates somewhere yourself--it may be that you have +left them to the care of others, believing that you are trusting honest +servants; but, if you could see how much we have suffered, you would +never do so again. Our landlord has left with us an oppressive and cruel +man, who takes pleasure in shewing his power in the smallest thing. In +our good lady's time, we were allowed to pick up any wood that the wind +blew down, so that our firing cost us next to nothing; but now this is +entirely done away by the keepers. Many of our little rights too he has +taken away, according, as he says, to his master's orders, though 'tis +not very likely a gentleman abroad would think of such things so many +miles away. He receives our rents without spending any part of them in +repairing our cottages, and the consequence is, they are tumbling down +for want of repair, while the same rent is demanded for them. This +brings much illness and discomfort--but what I lament over most," said +the old man, with a sigh, "is that the feelings of every one are +aggravated against Colonel Hargrave, who, it may be, knows nothing +about it." + +"Then he ought to know," said Martin. + +"There is a sad spirit spreading, sir," said Giles, casting, as he +continued, a reproving look on Martin, "amongst our young men, and a +hatred of the gentry, which cannot be right, though it is hard to keep +them from it when we have so much privation." + +"Aye, that is true enough," said Martin, glancing at his younger +companions. + +"Why do you not write to Colonel Hargrave?" said the stranger, bending +forwards, and suffering his large full eye to fall on Martin for an +instant, "surely you should not judge him so hastily." + +"Parson Ware has written, and the only answer he gets is, that Mr. +Rogers is an old and tried servant, and he can depend on his doing for +the best." + +A bitter laugh went round the circle in echo to this unpopular opinion. + +The stranger lent back in his chair, and fixing his eyes on the fire, +seemed inclined to leave the conversation, which the wounded feelings of +those present appeared likely to render too heated. + +"Things never went right," said a little old man in the chimney-corner, +in a deep husky voice, for he prided himself on being a sort of prophet +in the village, "since he went to France, and I never had no very great +opinion of Frenchmen before--ha, ha, ha!" There did not seem much to +call for laughter; but he generally accompanied his speeches with that +peculiar chuckle, which sounded anything but pleasantly to those who +were not accustomed to him. "I saw him many times after that," continued +he, "and he warn't the same open-hearted gentleman he was afore. He +often looked as if he'd got some one looking over his shoulder as he +didn't over relish--ha, ha!" + +The sepulchral chuckle which followed this remark produced a short, +uneasy silence, which was broken by Martin, who enquired-- + +"Do you think his religion has anything to do with our houses and +wages?" + +"Yes," replied Giles, "can we expect that he who has proved disloyal to +his Maker, would be thoughtful for his fellow men." + +He spoke in a tone of such gentle authority, that even Martin was +silent, and, for a few seconds, the ticking of the old-fashioned clock, +and the crackling of the wood on the fire, were the only sounds. + +"I can call to mind," resumed the old man, interrupting the silence, +which had followed his last remark, "a time of much sorrow to me, and I +never think of it without trembling. It is some years since, now, when I +worked on the Manor, and I used to be something of a favorite of my +young master's; and I am sure, at that time, I would have given my life +to serve him; he had such a way with him; no one had anything to do with +him without loving him. Well I remember how glad I was when he ordered +me to go out with him to beat up the bushes for game. But the time I +said I was sorry to remember, was when, one Saturday night late, he came +down here in a great hurry, and he said he must go again on the Monday, +and so he would look about him. I can't tell how it was we took so to +each other; but I was strong and hearty then, though 'tis but a few +years ago. Martin speaks truth when he says I have served the family +fifty years, for I began by running errands for the servants, when I was +but a little boy, and I am now nearly seventy; but I was quite a strong +man at that time I have been talking about, and I used often to go out +shooting with Master Hargrave, to carry his game, and such like. Well, +on this Sunday morning, he told me to take his gun, and wait for him at +the entrance of the wood. Nobody ever said no to him then, and I had not +the courage, and, though I knew that I was doing wrong all the while, I +took the gun; and went as he bade me. We had a regular good day's +sport, and we went to the woods furthest from the village, for fear the +guns or dogs might be heard. 'Twas a beautiful autumn afternoon, I know, +as we came home, and, when we came to the wood overlooking the church, +the bells rang out such a merry peal. I had forgot 'twas Sunday, for my +blood was hot, and the sport was good; but now, as we stopped on the top +of the hills, like thieves, I could not help wishing we had never been +out, and I said so with a dogged, frightened air, for I was afraid of +him all the while. He laughed at my fright, and began talking as if +going to church were all mummery. Well, I could not help listening--what +he said seemed so clever and funny, I could not answer him. After that +day, I began to doubt and doubt, till I believed nothing the minister +said, and left off going to church." + +"And what turned ye?" enquired the little man in the chimney-corner. + +"I was wretched," replied Giles; "I felt that I had no comfort upon +earth, and no hope beyond it. Till, at last, I thought that this +unbelief was only a curse for having done wrong. So I took to prayer, +and never gave it up till better thoughts came." + +"But how," asked the stranger, bending forward, and regarding the old +man earnestly, till it made him almost shrink from that dark eye, which +looked almost piteous in its intensity, while the voice of the enquirer +was touching, deep, and melodious, "how could you pray when you had no +faith." + +"Sir," said Giles, "whatever creed or religion you may profess, you must +still feel, that to doubt as I did, is the greatest curse that can fall +upon the heart of man, and doubt as we may, we know it to be a curse. If +you ever feel as I did, do not ask questions, and put yourself wrong, +and then try and set yourself right by your own judgment, as I did; but +go down upon your bended knees, and pray for light as a child might +pray--I never found peace till then." + +The stranger folded his arms upon his breast, and, with his eyes fixed +on the fire, as before, gave no sign that he had even heard the reply to +his question. + +Giles, perhaps, thought he had said too much, and remained in confusion, +glancing uneasily at him. The wind, which had been rising more and more +during the evening, now howled aloud increasing the comfort of the inn +fire, and the dislike of the party to separate; yet no one seemed +inclined to speak, and the wind roared on, yelling as it swept in heavy +gusts through the building. + +Suddenly, a loud and tremulous knocking was heard at the door, together +with voices demanding admittance. After a little hesitation, the door +was opened by the landlord, and several women rushed in, crying +vehemently. + +"For, heaven's sake, come and help us, for the place is all on fire!" + + + + + CHAPTER XV. + + She came with smiles the hour of pain to cheer; + Apart she sighed; alone she shed the tear. + Then, as if breaking from a cloud, she gave + Fresh light, and gilt the prospect of the grave. + + CRABBE. + + +On the night which followed Lucy's departure the cottage seemed +singularly lonely. The wayward girl could not but be missed in so small +a household. Her very waywardness, indeed, had caused excitement, which +slightly roused Mabel's thoughts from present and coming evils. + +It was night--how strange is its power over us? Can it be more than +fancy that the spirits of darkness have freer power to wander unseen +upon our earth? Why else should we start with such vague terror, at the +slightest sound which breaks the stillness? Why should we often feel +almost a childish desire for companionship? + +Mabel had stolen to her mother's room to persuade herself that she +slept, and stood for a moment watching her. The feeble light of the +night lamp shone upon her features, and she trembled when she marked the +sunken cheeks, and the countenance deeply traced and drawn down by care +and pain. It seemed as if, in that moment, the conviction which she had +so long defied, forced itself upon her mind, and she felt that that +loved parent must die. Those only who have experienced that sudden +belief can tell of the bitterness with which it comes. And it is sudden, +for we may speak of death as possible, nay, even probable, with +calmness; but this is not belief, not the feeling which comes when the +varying color, the emaciated hand, or the hollow eye attracts our +attention, and we feel the truth striking coldly on our hearts. Then, +almost for the first time, the full power of fear and love is known. We +long to arrest the hand of death by the vehemence of our passion; and, +though we know such efforts are vain, yet how difficult is it to be +resigned. + +Mabel turned from her mother's room with the choking sensation, of +tears, that will not be suppressed. The cold, loud wind beat against the +cottage, tossing dry leaves and broken sticks against the casement, then +howling round, as if in derision of her grief. Amy was sleeping, the +sweet, gentle, exhausted sleep, that sometimes follows pain; but Mabel +knew that in a short while she would awake, and require refreshment, and +she did not care to lie down, till she had made her comfortable. + +There was a letter lying upon the dressing-table, placed so as to catch +her eye; the sight of it was a relief to her, and she took it and broke +the seal, then shading the light from her sister, she sat down and read +as follows:-- + + "DEAR MISS LESLY, + + "I will trust that you will forgive me the liberty I take in + addressing you by letter; for your unwearied attention to those + who now claim your care, gives me little hope of speaking to you + without interruption. I might not have time to tell you that the + remembrance of my share in the late unhappy accident renders me + miserable when I am compelled to watch your patient suffering, + without the power to afford you the least redress or comfort. It + is impossible to remember the last few happy weeks, without + contrasting them, but too painfully with the present. I cannot + forbear continually reproaching myself with the change, nor shall + I cease to be unhappy till I may, in some way alleviate your + sufferings. Let me entreat you, then, to forgive my presumption, + in seeking a remedy in the gratification of the fondest hopes of + my life. I needed some acquaintance with you, to remove the + prejudices which I have been led to form, through the too + thoughtless behaviour of some ladies, it needed, I may say, even + the last bitter trial, to shew me the nature of your character, + and the refinement to which sorrow could bring it. How else could + I have been aware of the existence of such uncommon resignation, + and such sweet forgiveness. They have inspired me with a feeling, + which, while hope remains, softens the pain I feel; they lead me + to aspire with boldness, which may surprise you, but I am a + soldier, and though too accustomed to feign sentiment which does + not exist, I am only capable of bluntness where my heart is really + touched; and, therefore, at once, most boldly, but most + respectfully do I ask you to be my wife. + + "The fortune with which I am blessed, renders my profession more + an amusement than a necessity, and it would be amply sufficient to + secure your sweet sister all the comforts which may alleviate + pain, and all the medical advice which may help to remove it. Only + give me the power to protect you from the cold blasts of the + world, and the right to aid you in taking charge of one, whose + helplessness has been caused by my fault, and I will shew you that + a husband's tenderest love and a brother's most watchful care will + ever be ready to protect you both. One word more. Though with the + most jealous hand I would guard you from all pain, I must, though + but for a moment, inflict it in alluding to past events. I am + aware of much, if not all, of your early history, and know that I + cannot be the first object of your affections; yet would I rather + have your second love, or even your friendship, than the warmest + attachment of any other woman living. + + "Do not then turn away from me without consideration, think of + your sister--of me--and of yourself, unprotected in a world of + strangers, and, if you can, accept the love of + + "Your most devoted and respectful + + "ARTHUR CLAIR." + + "The Rectory, + "Friday Evening." + +Mabel was troubled, not only by the generous tone of the letter, but +because it brought to view, subjects which she had not allowed herself +to think upon; for her real strength consisted in a knowledge of her +weakness, and she knew that she should be quite incapable of acting, if, +to present pain, she added the contemplation of future trials. But now, +Clair, in offering her a provision for the future had forced her to +think of it. Perhaps generously to save her from the imputation of +accepting him, only when pressed by circumstances, as she might be, in +but a few weeks. + +Now the letter as it lay before her would have her think. She had but a +few minutes before left her mother's room with the saddest conviction; +and now, crowding on her remembrance came a thousand little speeches, +that told her, how earnestly, that dear mother had tried to warn her of +her approaching death. Speeches which then appeared but the result of +nervous weakness, now occurred to her as truths, which no reasoning +could controvert. Some of their little property she knew rested in the +hands of an improvident and extravagant aunt, and the remainder of their +income would fail altogether when her mother's pension dropped. + +And Amy, whose precarious health rendered her now unable to be even +moved from room to room, she on whom she had lavished all the comforts +which affluence can invent, how could she bear the trials of poverty? +How could she suffer the privations to which they would inevitably be +reduced; she who could scarcely hear the sound of a heavy footfall +without pain, or be moved, without the greatest agony, from the couch on +which she constantly lay. Not that she wavered with regard to Clair, but +his letter made her uneasy. Poverty, death, and even that place where +"all that's wretched paves the way to death," she would have preferred +to marriage, if she could but have endured them alone. But who would be +her companion? She turned her eyes to the bed where, with cheeks flushed +and eyes that scarcely closed, lay the little sufferer, her small, +wasted hand tightly compressed as if with pain. At this moment she +slightly moved, and Mabel was instantly by her side. Her eyes glistening +bright with fever were now opened wide, and gazing anxiously on poor +Mabel's tell-tale face. + +"Mabel," said she in a low, sweet but peculiar voice, "sit down by me, +for I must talk to you to-night, as my pain is all gone." + +Mabel seated herself by her, and took the little hand in hers. + +"You will not be frightened, Mabel dear," said the child, "if I talk +about strange things, and about going away." + +"No, sweet one, no," replied her sister, "talk of anything you like; but +where are you going?" + +"Mabel, dear," she returned softly, "I suffer such pain that I do not +think it will be much longer--I must die soon, and then I hope I am +going to that beautiful country we have talked of so often in the +church-yard. I wish you could come with me, Mabel dear, for I dream so +often that papa is waiting for me, and it is all so beautiful." + +A quiet pressure of her hand was the only answer. + +"But I cannot help thinking of you, love," continued Amy, "and what you +will do without me when I am gone; but yet, Mabel dear, think how +strange it would be to me to lie here always; and, if I grew big like +this, you would only cry over me, as you do when you think I am asleep; +so, Mabel dear, let me go to heaven." + +The last words were spoken in the coaxing tone with which she used so +often to carry her point in some little argument, and, finding no +answer, she pat her hand under Mabel's head, which was bent down, and +raised it gently, her face was very pale, and tears were streaming from +her eyes. + +"Mabel, dear, dear Mabel," cried Amy, "I, who have been such a trouble +to you all my life, are you so sorry to part from me, your naughty +child. But now, I know it was very good in you to correct me sometimes, +or I never should have been as happy as I am, and now, I feel it to be +all right that I should be in such pain. Will you not rejoice too, +darling? Look at me, there are no tears in my eyes though I am talking +of leaving you." + +But the moment the sisters' eyes met, Amy's were filled with tears, and +her head sunk back exhausted. Mabel could not trust herself to say +anything; but, gently smoothing her pillow, she suffered her own head to +sink upon it, and, fatigued alike by grief and want of rest, she closed +her eyes, and fell asleep. + + "Tired nature's sweet restorer balmy sleep," + +Of what untold comfort are you to the mourner. Cares, that bow the head +to the earth at night, seem lighter to the waking thoughts, refreshed, +perhaps, by good angels while we sleep. Were there no such sweet +forgetfulness of sorrow, could we bear to look upon it long? + + + + + CHAPTER XVI. + + But oh! to him whose self-accusing thought + Whispers: ''twas _he_ that desolation wrought.' + + HEMANS. + + +"Fire! fire?" Who starts not at that terrible cry? + +The terrified women had scarcely told their tale, before all the men in +the "Hargrave Arms" were on their feet, starting into the open air. They +soon perceived cause for alarm. Proceeding from that quarter of the +village where the houses lay closest together, rose a column of smoke +and flame, blown hither and thither by the boisterous wind, which was +spreading the red sparks in every direction, tossing them high in the +air, and then suffering them to fall on some distant cottage, whose +thatched roof rendered it a ready prey. + +So rapidly had the fire spread, that several cottages were already +burning, and the men ran hither and thither from one to the other in +consternation, and uncertain what course to pursue to save their +property. All seemed at stake--wives, children, the sick, household +furniture, the cherished articles purchased, perhaps, by long and mutual +saving before marriage, and therefore doubly dear--and these thoughts +occurring to each, confused the movements of all. + +But, in the midst of these sudden difficulties, the coolness of the +stranger did not desert him. He had followed his companions from the +inn, to ascertain the cause of alarm, and he was almost immediately +after seen leading his horse. Arresting the attention of old Giles, he +enquired-- + +"Where shall we send for fire engines?" + +"There is not one to be had nearer than Cheltenham," was the reply. + +"Now then," cried he, seizing a young man, who was hurrying about, +scarcely knowing what he did, "do you know the road to Cheltenham?" + +Being answered in the affirmative, he bade him mount his horse, and ride +as fast as possible in search of engines. Well he knew his own good +steed would die rather than give up the journey, and, though he sighed +as he thought how long the way would be, he dared not reckon his horse's +life against those of his fellow creatures. + +His next effort was to bring the scattered crowd a little into order, +for the purpose of checking the rapid spread of the fire. Nothing +secures obedience to a command so much as the decision and coolness with +which it is given; and all were soon engaged in pulling down, at his +suggestion, the cottage which lay nearest to those already burning. + +But the futility of the attempt was soon perceived by the sparks leaping +over and catching the roof of a more distant tenement. As soon as the +fire touched it, an up-stair lattice-window was thrown open, and a woman +leaning out, and raising her hands wildly in the air, cried aloud for +help. + +"Come down," said the stranger, in a voice distinctly heard above the +tempest, and the confused noises around him, "come down, and you are +safe--nothing hinders you." + +"My father!" screamed the woman, "I cannot move him--come up, in mercy, +come to me. Help! help!--we are all on fire!" + +The stranger, followed closely by Clair, who, on hearing the tumult had +hurried to the scene, accompanied by his uncle, hastened into the house, +and soon reached the upper room, from which the woman had called for +assistance. The strong fire-light gleaming on all around, disclosed to +their view a room, which made the stranger shudder. A low bedstead, +scarcely raised from the ground, with a box in one corner, on which an +old coat was lying, formed the only furniture of the room; while thin +holes in the lath and plaister wall, let in the cruel blast. On the +floor was lying an old man, with some bed-clothes huddled round him. It +seemed that his daughter had dragged him from the bed; but had been +unable to get him farther than the door. + +"Father's been bed-ridden these two years," said the woman, hastily, "he +cannot crawl down stairs, and I cannot carry him." + +"You are safe now," said the stranger, in a re-assuring voice. "Follow +us;" and he took the old man up in his powerful arms. "Why do you stay?" +he said, turning at the door. "Could there be anything worth saving," +thought he, "in this wretched hovel--anything but life?" + +The woman soon joined them, bearing in her arms, a small geranium-pot, +and an old Bible. + +The stranger turned aside his head, and the old man wondered to see a +tear in his fearless eye. + +Gently placing his burden on the ground, he returned to the house, and, +leaning his shoulder against the door, forced its rusty hinges to give +way, then, throwing the scanty mattress upon it, he lifted up the old +man, and placed him securely on this hastily formed litter, which had +been constructed before the woman had time to think of her deliverance. +He then called to two or three able-bodied men, + +"For the love of mercy," cried he, "carry this poor man to Aston Manor, +and tell the house-keeper to see to his comfort." + +"She'll never open the doors," growled the men in surprise. + +"I tell you she will," cried he, as quickly roused by opposition as a +spoilt child, "take him along with you." + +Thus urged, the men took up the rude litter, and, attended by the woman +bearing her cherished treasures in her arms, they made as much haste as +could be, to the Manor House, leaving the burning village behind them. +They needed neither moon nor stars to help them on their way, for the +sky was red with light, and the hills around reflected back the +fire--many times had they to rest, and often, as they did so, they +turned their eyes back--where sometimes the attempts of the villagers +would give a temporary check, or, the falling in of some roof, would +damp the flame, and give a moment's hope, till, presently, it would +again burst forth with wilder fury than before. + +Then, urged with the desire to get back, or the curiosity to know +whether they would really be admitted beyond the closely shut door of +the Manor House, they moved on more quickly up the narrow pathway which +lay most directly in a line with it. Presently, they perceived a man +hurrying towards them, with a frightened and bewildered air. On coming +closer, they recognised the hated bailiff Rogers--he was one whose +manners, though smooth and oily to his superiors, were, to his +inferiors, blustering and loud; not indeed the off-hand manner which +often accompanies and conceals a good and kindly heart, but rather a +studied recklessness of wounding the feelings of others, a total +forgetfulness of the circumstances and tempers of those dependent on +him, to whom a kind word would have cost him nothing. Alas, since our +feelings are so finely tuned, why are we not more careful how we play on +those of others. But Rogers found that this deliberate carelessness of +offence, was, with the timid, a skilful weapon, for it made them fear +him, and he rejoiced in the influence this fear gave to him. He forgot +in the day of power, how little substance it possesses, or that the sway +of tyranny bears in itself the elements of decay, and must crumble away +before the force of circumstances. + +He was evidently at that moment feeling at a disadvantage. His thin, +lanky figure hastily attired, looked not half so important as usual, +and he was trembling within with agitation or cold. + +The whole party stopped; and the eldest of the young men, whose +countenance was very far from prepossessing, drawing the bailiff aside, +said, with a low, chuckling kind of laugh-- + +"Are you going down to the village, sir?" + +"Yes," replied Rogers, "I have not come from it very long, and only just +stepped back to the Manor. But why do you ask?" + +"Because, if you take my advice, you'll keep as clear of it as you can, +for the men are hot, and you know, sir," he added, with a low laugh, +"they aint all on em very particlar friends o'yourn. I heard words spoke +to-night, as may be you would not like." + +"I must go, however," replied Rogers, with a shaky attempt to look +swaggering, "and I should like to see what the cowards dare do." + +"I tell you ye'd better not," said the young man, decisively, "but I've +given my warning, I heard some one say, it was very hard if one life +was not lost in the bustle to-night--though I do not like peaching, but +I owe you a good turn for sending Sally Lyn and her old sick father out +of their cottage, that cold Christmas night, at my asking," he added, +with a bitter laugh. + +Rogers did not look particularly obliged by this grateful reminder, that +he had once lent himself to his revenge at an easy bribe. As the mingled +smoke and flame rose in columns of awful majesty, like the workings of a +supernatural power, till he felt sickened at the sight, he would have +given a great deal could the young man have recalled one single act of +disinterested mercy. + +"Yet I must go," he said, at length, "I cannot help it." + +"Well, then, be careful, that is all," replied his companion. + +Rogers smiled nervously, and passed slowly on towards the village, +leaving him to join the others, who, anxious to complete their task, +were waiting impatiently for him. + +They had not much further to go, and soon entered a side gate from which +a narrow pathway led through a shrubbery of evergreens, round to the +back entrance. Here two or three dogs began to greet them with a loud +bark, giving no very pleasing indications of welcome; and, as they +carried their living burden up the court-yard, they felt half inclined +to turn back or to leave the sick man at the door to speak for himself; +but the woman hastily prevented them by ringing loudly at the bell, +which sounded through the building, making her heart sink. There was +rather a lengthened pause, and, tired with waiting for the unexpected +welcome, and anxious to shift the responsibility from themselves, the +men laid down their burden, and, spite of the woman's entreaties, left +them to their fate. They had scarcely passed the court-yard before they +heard the sound of doors unbolting, but they did not stop to enquire +further, and hurried back to the village, glad to escape from an office +of which they were heartily tired. + +On their return, they found the place full of confusion; women and +children, endangered by the falling sparks, were running in all +directions; Mr. Ware, with a bottle of brandy and a glass, was moving +about, giving enough to the fainting men to keep up their strength, and +to encourage them to continue the labour of carrying water to throw upon +the flames. + +"We must save the Manor House and the rectory, at least," said the +stranger, to a group of men who thronged around him in despair at the +failure of every effort; "but I see no hope for the thatched cottages." + +"And the church," said Mr. Ware; "but that stands alone, and, I hope, is +safe." + +"I would not raise my hand," said a sullen voice, which all recognized +as that of Martin the poacher--"I would not raise a hand to save the +Manor House, if I were to die for it." + +"Shame on you," said the stranger; "if it be necessary, I will make +you." + +"I should like to see how," said Martin, scowling on him; "there is not +many as can make me do as I don't like. And I say, if the master leaves +us to starve, he may take care of his house himself. Share and share +alike. We owe him little enough." + +And he turned his eyes towards the fire, and pointed to his own cottage +which was smouldering in ruins. + +The stranger fixed his quick eye upon him for a moment, and then turned +to Rogers, who, making his way through the crowd, came up, and whispered +for a few moments in his ear. He bent his head to listen, and then +looking at those around him, he said, as he fixed his keen eye on +Martin. + +"I have received a message, which tells me, friends, that Aston Manor is +now open, for the women and children who may like to take refuge in it; +and you may put any of your furniture, which you can save, in the +stables; there it will be in safety. I understand that there are many +fine pictures, statues, and ornaments of every kind there, and I need +not ask you to take care of them." + +Every one listened with surprise to this unusual news; but he bade them +hasten to send their wives and children away. "We shall be able to act +better when they are gone, sir," he said, bowing, for the first time, to +Mr. Ware, who failed not to applaud a measure, at once humane and +judicious, since it gave an object, to the discontented, to protect the +mansion should it be necessary. + +In a short time, all the children had left the scene; but most of the +women remained, employed in dragging the furniture from the fire, either +laying it in heaps, or carrying it towards the stables. + +Suddenly a frightful yell burst upon every ear. + +"Some poor creature is in danger," said the stranger, who was the first +to speak--"I thought you had searched the burning houses. Come all of +you." + +So saying, he sprang to the nearest cottage, whose blazing roof +threatened every moment to fall in. + +Clair followed him closely, crying aloud-- + +"Do not venture, the roof is coming down--I have searched that place +myself." + +But, as he said so, another yell sounded upon their ears. + +"The door is tied here," said the stranger, tearing at a well-knotted +cord with impatient violence--but it would not give way. "Help me then," +he said to Clair; and, leaning his shoulder against the door, the hinge +snapped, though the cord remained firm. + +The apartment, on which they thus entered, was bare of anything, save +one living object. Both started, as they beheld the wretched Rogers, +tied round the waist, by a thick cord, to a strong piece of wood which +ran up the side to the ceiling. His eyes were glaring and distended--his +face filled with death-like anguish. Blood was gushing from his mouth +and nostrils, for he had ruptured a blood vessel in his attempts to +free his hands and mouth from the bandages, which appeared to have been +tied over them. + +"Wretched man, repent before it is too late," said the stranger, as he +hastened to undo the cords which bound him. + +It was not an easy matter, and every moment seemed an age of peril to +the three. + +Rogers opened his eyes, wide with horror, upon the stranger, for a +moment, and then turned aside his head and fainted. The room was heated +to suffocation, and fast filling with smoke. Clair felt sick with +horror; but the stranger, whose thought seemed action, raised Rogers in +his arms. With his head laid carefully on his shoulder, and his own +hands and garments dripping in his blood, he bore him out, assisted by +Clair. Scarcely had they cleared the threshold, when the roof fell in, +and the cottage was in ruins. + +A shout, from those who had feared to follow, welcomed them as they +appeared; and the stranger staggered through the ruins spread around +him, to the group who anxiously waited them. He singled out Mr. Ware, +and laid his fainting burden at his feet, then, bending his knee in +Eastern fashion before him, he said-- + +"Father, judge who hath done this, for he is a brother, though a sinful +one." + +A murmur of horror passed through the crowd; and Mr. Ware, kneeling by +the side of the hated Rogers, tried to reanimate him. + +"He is not dead, sir," said he, in a low voice; "he will live, I trust, +if we can once revive him." + +"He will have time to repent, I hope," said old Giles; "bring some water +to moisten his lips, and let us clear the blood from his mouth." + +"Will you watch by him, sir?" said the stranger, again addressing Mr. +Ware, "he is too sinful to die; and if he wakes, you can give him +comfort." + +"I will," said he, "I will take care of him." + +The stranger covered his face with his hands, as if anxious either to +shut out the scenes which had terrified him, or to collect his thoughts. + +Then rose a hasty cry, "Widow Dacre's--the fire has taken it--there are +sparks on the roof." + +He started, as if with sudden pain, and then ran wildly towards the +hill, at the bottom of which lay the widow's cottage. On its height the +church looked down in its holy stillness, and between both lay the +picturesque thatched cottage belonging to Mrs. Lesly. + + + + + CHAPTER XVII. + + But when I see the fair wide brow + Half shaded by the silken hair, + That never looked so fair as now + When life and health were laughing there, + I wonder not that grief should swell + So wildly upward in the breast, + And that strong passion once rebel + That need not, cannot be suppressed. + + +All hands were now directed to save the small cottage belonging to the +Widow Dacre, but with very little effect, for the wind which came down +from the hills with furious blasts seemed to mock at every effort to +extinguish the fire, while it fanned the faintest spark into a flame, +and then spread it with wonderful rapidity. But it was not for the sake +of the tiny cottage, which its owner had long since vacated, they all +labored so zealously, but because it now seemed a link between the +ruined village and the dwelling which all looked upon with interest. +Romance seemed to have cast a kind of charm round the little family, to +which Mabel belonged. + +Upon whose threshold had Mabel's light step been unwelcome? And who was +not ready to protect the roof that sheltered her from danger? + +Now, as all eyes watched the building, it was, for the first time, +perceived, that no one stirred within; the shutters were fast closed, +and there was not the slightest sign that the general alarm had reached +it. + +"Is it possible," said the stranger, turning to Clair, "that amidst all +this din and confusion they should sleep on and hear nothing?" + +"I will go and try to get in," said Clair. + +"And I," said the stranger, as they walked both together to the door and +rung the bell, at first gently, but more loudly as they heard no one +moving. + +Presently a shuffling step was heard, and a somewhat sulky "Who's +there?" from within. + +"It is I," said Clair, "open the door, for the village is on fire." + +The door was immediately thrown open and old John the gardener staggered +back as he perceived the red sky, which glared above him on all sides. + +"The ladies!--" he exclaimed. + +"We will take care of them, only go and dress, and then come and help +us," said Clair. + +John speedily availed himself of this permission, and then, with +considerable coolness, he hurried to the stable after his mistress's +Bath chair, which had not seen the light for many a month. + +Meanwhile, the two gentleman hurried up stairs; they had, however, +scarcely reached the landing-place, when they heard a shout from the +outside, which made the stranger spring back down the stairs to +ascertain the cause, begging Clair to remain. The latter, accordingly, +began to search for the bed-rooms inhabited by Mrs. Lesly and her +daughter. Having hastily tapped at one, and receiving no answer, he did +not hesitate to open it. Here a night lamp was dimly burning, and, when +he looked at the heavy oak shutters, and the closely drawn curtains, and +perceived the stillness within, he no longer wondered that they slept. +This was Mrs. Lesly's room, and, on a bed at her feet, reposed the +faithful servant Betsy, and so soundly that Clair had to shake her with +some little violence before he could awaken her. Her expressions of +terror soon roused Mrs. Lesly, to whom Clair explained as much as he +thought proper, begging her to get up and allow him to take her from the +house, should it be necessary, saying he would wait for her on the +outside. + +She needed no second bidding, but suffered the affrighted Betsy to +assist her to rise. Clair left the room with the intention of conveying +the same warning to Mabel, but, before he could do so, the stranger +hurried to him, and, seizing him by the hand, he wrung it wildly, +saying, + +"That shout told that the back part of the house is already burning. +Will you take care of Mrs. Lesly and her maid? promise me not to leave +them till they are safe, and I hope I can manage the rest." + +There was one other duty which Clair would willingly have chosen, but +there was now no time for parley, and the eager pressure of the hand, +which the stranger returned for his promise, made him no longer regret +it. But, as he leant against the wall of the passage, waiting for Mrs. +Lesly, his countenance became more and more haggard in appearance, and +his bloodless lips and heavy eyes rather spoke of mental pain than the +fatigue of bodily exertion. + +But, there was not much time to think, the passage in which he waited +began to feel intolerably warm, and the air gradually thickened with +smoke. + +He then called eagerly to Mrs. Lesly, and once again entering the room +where poor Betsy was sobbing with alarm, he hastily finished her +preparations, by taking up an immense cloak which lay on the floor, and +wrapping it round the poor invalid, who was coughing violently from the +exertion of dressing, he hurried her from the room, and down stairs to +the open air. + +Here he was rejoiced to see the faithful gardener. + +"Put missis in here," he said, dragging the chair forward, which he had +provided for her--"for I don't know which'll do her most harm, the fire +or the air." + +"That's right," said Clair, placing her in it, and as he did so, +stooping down kindly, to sooth her anxiety for her children, and +covering her up from the night air, which blew chilly upon her, for she +had not left her bed for several weeks. + +Hiding her eyes with her pocket-handkerchief, she turned away at once +from the terrific scene before her, and the many cherished objects of +her home, soon, perhaps, to be the spoil of the raging fire. A thousand +recollections crowded upon her mind, which was too sensitive, and too +delicately framed for the struggles of common life. The acuteness of her +feelings, added bitterness to every trial, by representing them to her +in the most touching, and even poetical light, till her heart was +entirely overcome by the sufferings she was too skilled in describing to +herself. In vain Clair endeavoured to comfort her, as he accompanied her +a little way on the road to the Manor House, when, finding his presence +of little service, he left her in the hands of her careful servant, and +hastened back to afford any assistance he could offer to the sisters. + +During his absence, the stranger had not been idle; assured of Mrs. +Lesly's safety by the promise which Clair had given him; he turned to +another door, and, too impatient to summon its owner, he opened it +gently. Here, too, a lamp was burning, and the light that it spread +around, was quite sufficient for his rapid gaze. He turned to the bed +where lay the beautiful, delicately shaped child; her countenance still +wet with tears, yet serene and happy as if her dreams were not of earth. +Mabel's head lay upon the same pillow; the little hand in hers, and the +rich curls of her chestnut hair, half concealing her face; she seemed, +in her motionless slumber, like some trusting child, who knows that +watchful eyes guard her from danger--yet sorrow in many shapes, had +been, and was still around her. + +He paused--the hasty call which would have wakened both, died upon his +lips; and he stood, as if entranced, and forgetful of the danger which +every moment's delay increased. He bent forward, and earnestly +contemplated the sleepers, and, as he did so, a smile passed over +Mabel's face, and she murmured something which made him listen still +more earnestly. + +But, now she starts, her bosom heaves as if something troubled her. +Again, she sleeps--but only to start again--her hand unclasps, she turns +as if in pain--then, leaping to her feet--she suddenly stands before +him--yet scarcely roused from the dream which had awakened her. + +Light, brighter than the moon, and more glowing than the sunshine, +streamed in upon the room, and rendered the stranger's face clearly +visible; Mabel's eyes fixed upon him with something between terror and +surprise; she tried to speak, but her lips trembled so convulsively, +that she could not utter a sound--she tried to advance, but she felt +that his eye quelled every movement; and what did that dark look mean, +with which he regarded her; and why, as it grew more dark, did Mabel's +form become more erect, while her lips curled, her cheeks flushed +crimson, and her eye also fixed on his, flashed with a fiery pride, +which but seldom showed itself upon her face. Yet, this was but for a +moment, for the stranger taking the cloak which he had brought for the +purpose, he threw it round her, and raising her almost from the ground +with the rapidity of his movements, he hurried her from the room, and +down the stairs. When they reached the garden, he loosened his hold, and +suffered the cloak, which had entirely covered her face and head, to +fall back. Mabel looked wildly round; a busy crowd was about the house; +the sickly smell of fire was in the air, and, as she gazed back, she saw +flames bursting from the lower windows of their cottage. In an instant +she had freed herself, and springing past him with a wild cry of terror +and agony, she entered the house, and through the smoke and sparks +scattered about her, she was once again by Amy's side, who was awake, +and greatly terrified; and, as Mabel threw herself upon her knees +beside her, she cried:-- + +"Do not leave me, Mabel dear--I shall die if you do." + +"Leave you, my darling," cried Mabel, "nothing but death shall part us." + +"If you had waited but a moment, I would have brought her to you," said +the stranger. + +"Oh, why did you think of me first," cried Mabel. + +"'Twas wrong, perhaps," said the stranger; "but it made only the +difference of a few moments. Come, my child," said he, stooping to lift +her from her couch. + +"No, no," said Mabel, "you must take couch and all. Oh!" said she, +wringing her hands, "will no one come and help you?" + +"I am not afraid of fire," said a gruff voice, and Martin entered; "I'll +help, but you must make haste." + +"But my Mamma, where is she?" exclaimed Mabel. + +"She is safe, and the two servants are with her." + +"Oh then, dear Amy, let us go to them," she said; and, in a quick but +concise manner, she explained how the springs of the couch might be +altered, so as to render the carriage of it more easy. + +The counterpane was then laid closely over, and a shawl placed over +Amy's face, and the stranger and Martin, carrying the couch, proceeded +carefully to leave the house--Mabel, bending over her sister, and +soothing her at every step, while she placed herself in the way of +anything which was blowing towards them, seemingly forgetful of her own +safety; but, though nothing shielded her, she passed through the fire +entirely uninjured. + +Occupied as all were, each with his separate interests, few could resist +a feeling of admiration for the beautiful girl, who, in her own simple +neighbourhood, had won so much of the love of those around her. + +Bending over the couch, which the stranger and Martin bore between them, +her hair blown in wild disorder about her face, which shewed a thousand +mingled feelings, as she sometimes turned, shrinking, from the terrible +scene around her, to which she had so suddenly awakened--sometimes, +looking up in strange bewilderment, but always, with out-stretched +hands, placing her unprotected figure between the loved child, and the +sparks and timbers, which were repeatedly blown across the road; she +looked like some wild and beautiful spirit of the storm, which it had no +power to harm. The uneasy motion gave the greatest anguish to poor Amy, +who, though usually so patient, uttered shriek after shriek of agony, +which pierced the hearts of those who hurried round in the vain hope of +affording assistance. At every turn they took, fresh torturing cries +broke from the little sufferer, who, agonised with pain, and terrified +at the scene around her, lost every power of self-control. + +Entirely overcome by the cries, of the poor little sufferer, Mabel +entreated them to stop, and rather to lay her on the road side, than +take her further; Martin, who, though a bold, and not an over humane +man, looked pale and sick with the duty he had undertaken, readily +suggested that they might place her in the lodge, which had long been +deserted by its owner--an old woman--who had taken refuge with the +children at the Manor House. + +To this the stranger consented; and, after some little difficulty, they +contrived to lay her in the old woman's room. + +"It is the hardest night's work I've ever had," said Martin, as he +turned away. "I'll go and send some one to her, sir, as will do more +good than I can." + +Poor Amy's shrieks had been heart-rending when they laid her down; but +shortly afterwards, they subsided into a low moaning sound. + +"Though there's plenty of fire," said Martin, "I don't think there's a +candle left in all the place; but I'll find one if I can." + +He then went away, and the stranger alone remained, for no one else had +followed so far but Clair, who had now gone to call his aunt. + +"Can I do anything more for you?" said the stranger, in a voice +trembling with emotion. + +Mabel raised her eyes, and as they met his for an instant, a warm blush +overspread her pale countenance. + +"Bless you for what you have done," she murmured, despairingly. + +"Water?" said Amy, opening her eyes. + +Mabel turned entreatingly to the stranger, who, without another word, +left the room. + +Martin soon afterwards returned with a light, and placed it on the +floor, and Mabel again entreated for water to moisten Amy's parched +lips; but it was more difficult to obtain than she imagined, for the +whole furniture of the house had been long since removed, and the empty +cupboard looked comfortless indeed. + +But, in a short while, the stranger returned, and presented her with a +cup of pure water, which she eagerly gave to Amy. + +"Thank you, sir," said Amy, gently, "and thank you for carrying me. Did +you mind my crying? I felt very ill, and could not help it," she looked +at him timidly. "Sir," she continued, rousing herself with an energy +which surprised him, "Mabel will soon be alone. Do you think any one +will comfort her, and take care of her?" + +"May I," said he, to Mabel, suddenly moving towards them, "may I speak +to her alone?" + +"Yes, yes," said Amy, eagerly, "let him speak to me." + +"Her time is precious;" said Mabel, rising reluctantly, "do not keep me +from her long." + +"No, I will not, but a few minutes," said the stranger, hurriedly, and +Mabel leaving the room went into the open air, and, leaning against the +door way, she tried to tranquillize her thoughts. The village was shut +out by the tall trees which surrounded the entrances to the Manor House, +and the low sighing of the wind, which was now beginning to sink, was +the only sound which met her ear, while the busy clouds, dimly lighted +by the occasional appearance of the moon, traced their way across the +heavens. There were wild thoughts in her own mind, which made her heart +beat tumultuously. With a sudden burst of anguish, she threw herself +upon her knees, and laid her forehead upon the cold earth in the +bitterness of her soul. + +She only rose when she heard the stranger's step, and then, passing him +quickly, for she dared not trust herself to speak, she re-entered the +room. + +Amy's cheeks were flushed, and the look of pain seemed entirely to have +passed away. Her eyes were bright, "as if gazing on visions of +ecstasy," while over her white countenance was spread a halo, at once so +childlike and so serene that Mabel stepped more softly and knelt in +silence by her side. + +Amy put out her hand, and fondly stroked her cheeks and smoothed her +hair. + +"You are very beautiful, Mabel dear," she said, with gentle pride, as if +she spoke to her own thoughts, "and you look more and more beautiful +because you are so good, and what pretty hair," she said, still speaking +to herself, while her sister blushed unconsciously at her praises. + +"Oh, it is a dear, good Mabel," said Amy, fondly; then changing her +tone, and dropping her hands upon her bosom with simple devotion, she +said, softly-- + +"Sing me to sleep." + +Mabel made a strong effort to overcome her emotion. + +"I hear old John outside," said Amy, suddenly, though her sister could +hear nothing, "but I cannot see him," and her eyes filled with tears, +"but will you tell him to let no one else come, for I want to be alone a +little while, I feel better with you. Ah, poor mamma," she added, +thoughtfully, "but I cannot see her either, to-night." + +Old John was at the door as Amy had said, and Mabel telling him to keep +any one from coming in, as Amy was going to sleep, returned to her and +then began the evening hymn. Sweetly did those beautiful lines sound, +breathed in low and trembling melody, but she had scarcely finished the +third verse when sobs stopped her utterance, she was, however, trying to +go on, but Amy laid her hand upon her lips. + +"Don't go on, Mabel, dear, I shall soon hear angels' music. They are +waiting for me now, but I must go alone," she said, "and your dear voice +is the last sound I wished to hear on earth. Do not leave me," she +added, seeing her attempt to rise, "you have done all that can be done +for me, and you must not go away now." + +Mabel saw indeed that it was too late to call for assistance, and she +scarcely breathed, lest a word might escape her ear. + +"You have been very kind to me," murmured Amy, in faint accents, "and it +is very hard to part, but listen, listen," said she, holding up her tiny +hand; then, as if the sound were dying away, her hand fell softly down, +and all was over. A holy stillness stole over the chamber of death, +unbroken by a sound, for Mabel's anguish was too great for tears. + +The old gardener had seated himself on the door step, and tears chased +each other down his weather beaten cheeks, as he listened to Mabel's low +singing, and remembered how often the voices of both had mingled in gay +and thrilling merriment, which had made his old heart dance, when he had +pretended not even to hear them. + +"Ah," thought he, "let the old house burn since they that made it glad +are going or gone." But then came thoughts of the sunny garden, made +more pleasant by the cheerful faces and glad voices now hushed by death +or sorrow, his grief burst out afresh, and, burying his head in, his +knees, he gave himself up to old recollections, heedless of every thing +about him. + + END OF VOL. I. + + + T. C. Newby, Printer, 30, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square. + + + + +Transcriber's Note + + +"_" surrounding a word or phrase represents the use of italics in the +original text. + +Obvious typographical errors were corrected, as listed below. Other +apparent inconsistencies and errors have been retained, including a +mixture of British and American word usages. Perceptible missing or +incorrect punctuation or capitalization has been silently restored and +hyphenation has been made consistent. Period spellings, punctuation and +grammatical uses have been kept. + +Page 5 and 332, "chesnut" changed to "chestnut". (Wide spreading oaks +and tall beeches, with the graceful birch and chestnut trees bending +their lower branches nearly to the green turf beneath,...) + +Page 8, "of" changed to "or". (Though a little under the middle height, +there was a gentle dignity in his manner that could scarcely fail to be +noticed, or if not noticed, it was sure to be felt.) + +Page 10 and 206, "recal" changed to "recall". (... we sigh to think that +childhood is gone--but no sigh will recall it.) + +Page 22, "comtemplating" changed to "contemplating". (By the fire was +seated a strong hale young man, with his hands upon his knees, +contemplating it with gloomy fixedness.) + +Page 23, "morniny" changed to "morning". ('_cursed is he that keepeth a +man's wages all night by him until the morning_,') + +Page 23, "no" changed to "not". ("It is very hard, I allow, Martin," +said Mr. Ware, "but the wrong done you does not excuse your sitting here +idle; have you been trying for work?") + +Page 28, "therfore" changed to "therefore". (Besides, I do not much +approve of giving where it can be avoided; and, therefore, husband my +means for the scarcity of the coming winter.) + +Page 50, "eommon" changed to "common". (I would not have any one +indifferent on common subjects, but too great attention to things of +this kind must be wrong.) + +Page 61, "thonght" changed to "thought". (... so I thought it best to +avoid Mary Watson, as I could scarcely hope you would do her very much +good, and she might do you harm.) + +The third paragraph on page 62 appears to contain speech from both Amy +and Mabel, and inconsistent use of double quotation marks. This has been +left as it appears in the original. + +Page 72, "stffliy" changed to "stiffly". (Mrs. Villars was of imposing +appearance, though too bustling in her manners to be altogether +dignified, with colour a little too brilliant, and hair a little too +stiffly curled, to be quite natural.) + +Page 85, "subjecttion" changed to "subjection". (I should think he was +too easily won to be kept long in subjection.) + +Page 98, "seeemed" changed to "seemed". (It seemed that he had been in +the constant habit, of confiding every thing to her, and had always +found an admiring listener to his thoughts on most subjects.) + +Page 99, "opprtunity" changed to "opportunity". (... he courted every +opportunity of disputing with them on the nature of their opinions.) + +Page 104, "let" changed to "left". (Without another word to Mabel, he +left us, and I have never seen him since.) + +Page 104, "wisper" changed to "whisper". (Amy sat upon her pillow nearly +all day, and would whisper, 'don't cry, dear Mabel.') + +Page 116, extra "you," deleted. ("I meant it most kindly, I do assure +you," you," said Mrs. Lesly.) + +Page 124, "Leslie" changed to "Lesly" for consistency. ("Well, dear," +said Mrs. Lesly,...) + +Page 124, "droppiing" changed to "dropping". ("My money," said Mrs. +Lesly, with unusual gravity, "has been reduced for your sake, to a very +few hundreds, a mere trifle, but my children!" exclaimed she, suddenly +dropping her pen, and clasping her hands convulsively.) + +Page 127, "than" changed to "then". (... where right and wrong is +concerned; and then come second thoughts--why did she wait for them?) + +Page 139, "und" changed to "and". (The gardens are very beautiful, and +every thing else in keeping.) + +Page 150, "any ony one" changed to "any one". ("Well," said Miss Ware, +recovering from her slight pique, at thinking any one could succeed +where Edwin failed, "if you never use your ridicule for a worse purpose, +you will do well.") + +Page 158, "siezed" changed to "seized". (Lucy Villars gladly seized the +opportunity of commencing a flirting conversation with Captain Clair, +who, being well drilled in the accomplishment of small talk, by long +practice, easily fell into a _tête-à-tête_.) + +Page 163, "compostion" changed to "composition". (My dear uncle, you +should allow a prisoner to state his own case fairly--if he has not +studied Burke on the 'Sublime and Beautiful,' the 'Patriot King,' and +other models of pure English composition, you must let a poor fellow +express himself as he can, so that he speaks the truth.) + +Page 164, 201 and 213, "Clare" changed to "Clair" for consistency. +(Clair bowed, and then said almost in a whisper: "Thank you, I was +wrong," and continued his narrative, after a moment's pause.) + +Page 169, "n" changed to "in". (... yet, almost slothful in the attempt +to do so.) + +Page 173, "hm" changed to "him". ("Oh! Lucy," cried Mabel, "how could +you be so imprudent as to go up there alone--how impertinent of him--why +did you let him take such a liberty.") + +Page 187, "fee" changed to "feel". (The kindhearted very soon begin to +feel an interest in those who are thrown much with them, and, though +Lucy presented many faults to her notice, Mabel learnt to watch her with +great interest.) + +Page 188, "Clari" changed to "Clair". (It soon became evident to her +that she was perfectly in earnest in her attempts to engage the +affections of Captain Clair ...) + +Page 202, "answe" changed to "answer". (... which she would have fled +miles to have escaped hearing, was the only answer sentence thus given.) + +Page 224, "past" changed to "passed". (Little Amy's sweet voice rings in +my ear wherever I go--such as it was when I first saw her, when she +looked up from the wild wreath she was twining, to give some kind word +to the laborers as they passed her, the morning after my coming here.) + +Page 228, "forning" changed to "forming". ("Be not be too hasty in +forming your judgment," replied Clair.) + +Page 235, "edying" changed to "eddying". (... and the withered leaves as +they spin round in the eddying wind, seem to call attention to +themselves, and to ask what men have been doing since they budded forth +in the gay spring, full of hope and promise to the sons of earth.) + +Page 238, "highter" changed to "higher". (... if I mistake not, the +opinion you now entertain of her, arises from comparison with another +character of a higher standard.) + +Page 274, "attemps" changed to "attempts". (... while her attempts to +divert the conversation, only renewed her companion's desire to obtain +an account of all she had been doing and seeing.) + +Page 278, "errect" changed to "erect". (Not, now, with his head bent, +and his hands extended over the dying embers of his wood fire, but with +head erect in a comfortable corner, with the air of a man whose opinions +are respected, and whose words claim immediate attention.) + +Page 286, extra "you" deleted. ("Do not talk in that way," said old +Giles, gently, "if I am content with my house, you should not make it a +cause for dispute.") + +Page 290, "did'nt" changed to "didn't". (He often looked as if he'd got +some one looking over his shoulder as he didn't over relish--ha, ha!) + +Page 294, "yonr" changed to "your". (If you ever feel as I did, do not +ask questions, and put yourself wrong, and then try and set yourself +right by your own judgment, as I did;) + +Page 301, "repectful" changed to "respectful". (Your most devoted and +respectful ARTHUR CLAIR.) + +Page 302, "altogther" changed to "altogether". (Some of their little +property she knew rested in the hands of an improvident and extravagant +aunt, and the remainder of their income would fail altogether when her +mother's pension dropped.) + +Page 303, "footfal" changed to "footfall". (... she who could scarcely +hear the sound of a heavy footfall without pain, or be moved, without +the greatest agony, from the couch on which she constantly lay.) + +Page 326, "wonnderful" changed to "wonderful". (... for the wind which +came down from the hills with furious blasts seemed to mock at every +effort to extinguish the fire, while it fanned the faintest spark into a +flame, and then spread it with wonderful rapidity.) + +Page 331, "touehing" changed to "touching". (The acuteness of her +feelings, added bitterness to every trial, by representing them to her +in the most touching, and even poetical light,...) + +Page 332, "haud" changed to "hand". (Mabel's head lay upon the same +pillow; the little hand in hers, and the rich curls of her chestnut +hair, half concealing her face;) + +Page 344, "murmered" changed to "murmured". ("You have been very kind to +me," murmured Amy ...) + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Mabel, Vol. I (of 3), by Emma Warburton + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41564 *** |