Datasets:

NicholasSynovic
/

Modified-VEAA

Dataset card Data Studio Files Files and versions Community

Split (2)

train · 42.9k rows

text stringlengths 1.96k 5.76k	author int64 1 50
year it can have no superior although the vegetation to the in december and january there is seldom a day when the weather is warm on the in thirteen successive years the and on the during those months this is several degrees warmer than nice or most of the i found a in the air that acted like medicine to my tired nerves and made me feel as if i could spend the entire winter there without wishing to go further the street scenes are most inspiring to one who sees for the first time as i then did that mixture of races which is found so commonly in the towns of the east at every step is met the veiled wife of the with her trousers her face hid in an that the foreigner seldom in passing her lord the with his head his white and an air that him as the most dignified and of men the negro than any ace of as thoroughly in religion as the sons of the of a stock somewhat similar to the and yet of a race apart his women having their faces uncovered and besides these representatives of almost every european people attracted either by business or pleasure to this princess of winter a writer who is evidently thoroughly familiar with the old or quarter of describes it so well that i feel justified in quoting a few lines the streets he says seem a curious for old testament and the actors in the nights the on the floor of the out of t over their coffee and draughts group themselves like a picture of joseph s brethren it might be or who is driving the flock of brown or which you off the pavement you turn up some steep alley with the houses meeting overhead and some lovely old door opens and out veiled in white with her copper water jar on her shoulder giving you a momentary glimpse of cool court yards with slender pillars and bright across the opening at the top of the alley passes a slim handsome boy all in white except for a long mantle of grass green then you meet a in a black skull cap and a in blue satin over a gold but this is not the place to sing the loveliness of and its i only note enough of them to show why i lingered there for weeks when the i had begun bore no fruit the pleasure of finding such a hotel as that of the as good as most of those in paris itself and situated better than any of them helped to me the young proprietor m and his girl wife had evidently learned their business well it was very interesting to watch the latter then at an age when american girls would be their and at the s desk with all the gravity of one twice her years and giving orders to servants in a tone that showed how competent she for the management of her department and there was a head porter or named victor who had mastered the art of and could tell you anything you pleased to inquire like a walking in and about a soon discovered that victor remembered miss well she was accompanied when at the hotel by a french maid and an oriental whose impressive robes made a sensation among the other guests there was a legend that had said that she always felt ill dressed in the presence of this magnificent fellow in his blue and white no victor did not remember that the lady had any acquaintances at certainly none had called for her at the hotel for his memory was perfect in such matters miss had spent money liberally driving a great deal going to the theatre and every quarter of the city with care her tips to the of the hotel had been so liberal as to make her a marked guest among them she did not stay in steadily the winter she was there although she retained her rooms she went into the interior with her maid and sometimes also with a native guide and was gone as much as two weeks at a time victor was positive that nothing resembling a gentleman friend had loomed upon the horizon he had marked that fact and commented upon it to his wife who was a de and had taken care of miss s apartments they had come to the conclusion that the fair was a man for though she dined in the general room and was the subject of many admiring glances she seemed wholly blind to the interest she excited among the masculine set this information was not obtained all at but in a way not calculated to excite undue suspicion victor received the five pieces that out op i out to him and gave me the most charming imaginable but that was all the good it did believing that i should only waste my time by my stay in the city i determined to tour the rest of as a matter of pleasure the travellers i met who had been to and gave me glowing accounts of the beauties of those places and my expectations consoled me in some degree for the disappointment i had experienced but on the evening before i was to leave the city of i was witness to a most novel event it made a great impression upon me and i can do no less than describe it here i was strolling at random through the town late in the afternoon when my attention was attracted by what may have been either a military review or evening a regiment of soldiers was going through in an open square of large size and as a small crowd was gathering in the vicinity i followed the rest before the parade was dismissed and the soldiers had returned to their i was treated to	1
and said she could not help expressing a hope that i would find pleasure in a country she had so much admired i wish you had told me your destination she said for having passed a whole winter in that section i might have been able to tell you something of value this will probably reach you too late to be of service all i can do then is to beg you if you will be so kind to remember me to m and of the hotel de and to victor the and his wife if you go from to spain you will find the the best hotel in and the the best not only in but in all the when are you to return to america i shall be glad to meet you again now you have visited scenes where i experienced so much pleasure it was easy to detect the sarcasm beneath these apparently innocent lines miss suspected that i was upon her track and wished me to understand that she laughed at my her mention of spain convinced me that she believed i would follow her footsteps to that country from africa she took pains not only to mention the cities but the very hotels at which she had stopped she had no fear that i would discover anything and her derision seemed well founded i had been abroad five m he insulted a woman months and had seen nothing that in the least explained the great puzzle i had started so to solve chapter xix he insulted a woman my way to spain was where i was to take a steamer to most of the country on the way is of an uninteresting nature but there are points where the traveller may stay over with profit walked about for a day or two taking in th views and learning the history of the which has been the prey of the and french the site was also occupied by the whose those ever evidences of the huge paper chase performed by the world s are still found occasionally by some although most of the present inhabitants are of anything but french origin the town like everything else that the is french in government to the smallest particular i contend that the frenchman makes the best on african soil and that it would be a good thing for and the world at large if every foot of that empire was under the direction of the e the boats that cross to the european coast are good enough affairs not remarkably large or fast out of but there were few passengers on the one i took and after we had started which was in the evening i went upon the deck to have a smoke and enjoy the seclusion of a calm and rather dark tropical night there were not many and what there were scattered as far apart as possible an english clergyman of the established church with his wife occupied one of these a frenchman with what appeared to be a very recently wedded bride had another and three spanish friends a third i was not surprised therefore when a gentleman who had just come up the approached me politely and said pardon but i think you have room for me the expression was in french and though i am by no means an expert in that language i have no difficulty either in understanding it or in making myself understood one of the things to me in foreign journeys let me say in passing is the almost and good fellowship i have met with from travellers of other in countries where i have had but the most meagre command of the language i have found natives so polite so anxious to explain a point or to do me a favor that i have blushed at the contrast with my own countrymen on like occasions in america the struggle of a foreigner with the english tongue is considered a thing for mirth seldom wholly restrained even in the best circles the inability of a person to speak english is taken to imply ignorance on his part so gross as to be astonishing in other lands on the contrary the traveller who finds himself in a he ik a woman is offered the best services of to whom he applies a frenchman once told me that the reason his people did not laugh at french was because it had for them no element of humor he could not understand why it seemed funny to anyone a very sensible way of looking at it it seems to me i therefore said certainly to the stranger and further showed my good will by offering him a cigar which he accepted in a few minutes we were talking familiarly as travellers do it was not light enough to make out his features distinctly but his voice had a melodious sound that was most agreeable learning that i had been all winter in africa he asked what part i liked best to which i responded that on the whole i preferred do you he exclaimed in a cynical tone a l think it the most detestable spot on the globe perhaps you did not remain long enough to appreciate its beauties i suggested mildly i have been there five or six years most of the time he responded with a laugh that was distinctly disagreeable i wished it were light enough to see his face the mention of the word seemed to have wrought a complete change in him for a man who disliked it so much you made a fairly long stay i remarked yes he replied but sometimes there are circumstances over which one has no control i begged his pardon for the i had exhibited but he the least and his voice again took on the tone out of that had pleased me learning that i was an american	1
a continental european seldom knows how to distinguish us from the english he showed a deep interest in my country and overwhelmed me with questions about it he said he had long wished to cross the atlantic and believed he should soon do so then you will not return to i remarked innocently i hope not he exclaimed and i saw that i had touched a tender place again no i never mean to see that cursed spot i shall visit some relations in spain and then if i do not change my mind i shall go to france the moon had begun to rise and as the night grew lighter i glanced with great interest toward my companion his figure itself by degrees but it was some time before i could discern his features as we were sitting my own face came first into the light and i fancied my companion was looking at it intently as if he had discovered something in it of peculiar interest suddenly the moon shone out and as if a curtain had been drawn away i saw distinctly the man who occupied the seat with me you recognize me he said with an uneasy laugh i bowed he was the man who had been marched around the up ranks of soldiers then and taken back to confinement you are not flattered at discovering with whom you have been talking so long he said well i do not blame you and yet when i saw you that he insulted a woman day i believed there was in your eyes the quality of mercy i hastened to assure him that he was judging me too quickly if he imagined i had any disposition to avoid him i admitted that i was slightly affected by the of the occurrence but that i was quite as glad to have him for a companion as if i had not been the witness of his unhappy experience you are not a frenchman said he after returning a low bow to my remarks otherwise you would the sentiments which you mention and which i am bound to believe you state correctly it is plain to you that i have been the sentence of a court martial for an of which i was guilty it is all very well for a convicted man to declare himself innocent they all do that but people are not supposed to believe them having then according to the record disgraced my service my family and my rank i could only live in peace in france by assuming a false name and hiding myself in some country village or in the corners of our great capital neither of these things am i willing to do and i shall consequently either to america or go to some other distant point where i am unlikely to meet many of my countrymen i again begged my companion to believe that he had not read the sentiments which affected me on the day i first saw him and i added that i could say with equal earnestness that i felt assured that an injustice had been done him in some way you are most kind to say so he answered if our or we remain long together i will tell you the simple truth about the whole affair and you may judge whether i have been wronged for the present let us leave a disagreeable subject will you kindly tell me whether you are a member of any of the professions or whether you are engaged in commercial pursuits though he added with a winning smile americans are so wealthy i suppose few of them do anything toward gaining a in response i handed him my card and received his own on his were engraved the words one of the first things that my new friend asked was that i should call him to which i consented with some we passed a pleasant evening and the next day he agreed to go with me through the southern part of spain as he had some days to spare before he expected his brother to meet him a description of the pleasures of our journey would be superfluous here but you may find more interesting an account of some conversations that i had with m from time to time on the trains as we passed through the country your name is not wholly french is it i asked him one day it sounds to me as if it had an italian origin you are partly right said he it was originally like that of the but we think ourselves as french now as the president my family has been very proud of its standing our representatives having held office under most of the recent legitimate sovereigns and been selected for insulted a woman important posts even under the republic this generation is the first he added bitterly to be accused of its fair name i took advantage of the opportunity to remind my friend that he had not yet told me anything of the trouble to which he referred i will not deny that my curiosity has been much excited over your case i said i felt even by that brief look in your eyes when you were marched by me a prisoner that you were the victim of some terrible wrong my closer acquaintance makes me all the more certain that such is the case that you must have been punished for an you never committed he paused for some seconds apparently engrossed with the hedges that lined the railway for miles hedges from whence come the red and white roses that adorn the dark of the spanish beauties at church theatre and ball i intend to tell you everything by and by he said slowly to day let me only correct you in one important point the with which i was charged was one i really did commit it was	1
an attempt on the life of a brother officer the fact was as stated in the complaint i did my best to kill him had i succeeded i might not be sitting here talking with you luckily as i now view it the bullet i fired did not penetrate as deeply as i intended it should i was surprised at this confession which i had not in the least anticipated looked at me to note the effect of his statement and i did my best to conceal the shock it gave me before you condemn me too severely he said s of let me a word of explanation in raising my hand against that man i had no private grief to satisfy we had been friends for years were at that very time or a moment before the comrades in our division what was the matter then he did something that i d not forgive in any man no matter what ties bound him to me he insulted a woman in my presence chapter xx astonished it was growing interesting the closing statement had indeed put a different aspect on the affair my friend was no ordinary no mere who could not control his temper when his pride was touched but a who had resented an injury to the feelings of a lady it must have been a very gross insult i suggested it was so gross that i found my blood on fire in an instant and grasping a revolver i discharged it at my friend before i had time to form a thought in due time i was put on my trial in spite of all attempts to me i refused to explain the cause of my act my brother soldier did all he could to save me though his hurt was so great that he had to leave the service and i fear will never fully recover my sentence at first much more severe was at last to five years astonished ment with a semi annual proceeding of the kind you witnessed to the efforts of the man i wounded i am indebted for the pardon which has set me free but leaves me little better than an alien of the country to which i would gladly give my life the concluding words were spoken with deep feeling and my warmest sympathy as had into silence i did not annoy him by questions though i wanted very much to hear fuller particulars it was several days later after we had visited and were on our way to that the matter was referred to again does the lady for whom you struck your brother officer know of the trouble your act has caused you i asked yes he replied she should have been profoundly grateful i said i hope her actions showed that she appreciated it ah he answered there was no question of that ashamed to draw him out as i was doing i could not help nevertheless from pursuing my a romance has sprung before now out of a lesser circumstance i suggested to make it complete in your case this lady should have married you he shifted uneasily in his place and waited a minute before replying a man under sentence a disgraced man is not the finest match in the world he said besides the fact is i am married i said oh and bade adieu to what out of i had hoped would prove a more entertaining episode you have spoken of your brother officer so often and never of your wife i explained that i naturally supposed you single and madame she is in france i presume a strange mixture of emotions my companion s features it is a long time since i have seen her he said we have separated for good a sort of american custom is it not i have heard that your marriage ties are very easily arranged i could not help asking just one more question when he had last seen the lady in whose behalf he had made so great a sacrifice he answered that his arrest had prevented his seeing anyone until within the present month but i said you will now seek to renew your acquaintance with her although i am married he replied with a rising there are that do not depend on love i replied with some confusion even between men and women he asked me certainly some of the best and truest he looked at me earnestly i believe you wholly he said in spite of at the evil there is in the world some hearts remain true and good but in the case to which you refer i fear my presence would not be welcome i should only recall a scene that must have been very dis i astonish but the lady i asked was she of your country no she was english or perhaps american i know she spoke the english tongue though i did not understand it well enough to talk much with ver in an instant my imagination took a wild flight could it be that i had stumbled on something that would give me a clue to miss s secret after searching for it in vain so long at all i had learned was that she had stopped at the with her maid the having been dismissed at at and the other places en route this was the only story in connection with her visit never a man that had been seen speaking to her nothing in the least she was seldom out at night and then the of the hotel to accompany the two women she had left behind a memory of good nature extreme politeness and generosity could it be that the english or american lady and never can tell them apart was the daughter of george on what could i base such a theory on the mere fact thus far that a lady	1
who spoke english had been known by my new acquaintance in had been insulted by his brother officer and the officer had been wounded of what did the insult consist a thousand possibilities filled my brain my theory became so fascinating that i feared to ask anything more in relation to it lest it should by the first reply be dashed to the ground pardon me i said when i was unable to contain our or myself any longer do you know the name of this lady he flushed a not habit that he had when if i did he answered i could not of course it as a matter of fact i do not i only know what i presume are her and of that i am not entirely certain i must find out whether there was anything in my guess and i hesitated no longer were those asked anything like b b sprang up greatly excited presently however he fell back into his seat and gasped out a question were those at random m not at all i answered i know a lady who bears them and i know she was several years ago in for the winter there are other things that lead me to fancy she may be the heroine of your story he breathed hard evidently overcome with astonishment what other things he asked she has told me a strange tale including a statement that a certain man met with a violent death you say that your brother officer narrowly escaped losing his life as gasped again i thought how impossible it was for the one who attempts a even in the best cause to forget what he has done when did you last see the lady you speak of asked with great earnestness last autumn astonished in england in america what was she doing there she was spending her time principally in the care of her infant again the frenchman rose to his feet trembling in every limb i think we had best drop the subject i remarked uneasily no lie said sharply i insist that you answer me how old is this infant i him to regain his seat and he complied then i gave him the child s age as well as i could whereupon he me with more questions than i could answer very well he said finally you are right the best thing is for us to talk of something else not on my account i said i am willing to admit now that we have gone so far that my chief object in coming to africa and spain was to obtain tidings of this very matter another of his impetuous motions betrayed the nervous nature that was in him she sent you he no i explained to him my connection with the estate and what do you conclude now he asked i think the child of my friend miss b i answered slowly is also that of the officer you my companion shook his head then he murmured absurd and seemed much agitated i wish to know that officer s name his rank his out of family and his present residence i continued when i have ascertained these facts i shall hav done how will you get them by returning at once to smiled faintly i will save you all that trouble he replied politely he was a colonel his name is louis and his city is taking out a book i noted each of these facts carefully now said coldly there will be ing i presume to detain you in europe let me only suggest that if you speak of me to the lady we have been so freely discussing you will use me as gently as you can i assure you i have given correctly the information you in return will you favor me with your full american address in order that i may communicate with you in case i ever ascertain anything else of importance i handed him my card with the address of my banker at new york written and we parted without enthusiasm when his brother met him at chapter xxi goes abroad in hast i will not pretend that i was wholly comfortable in mind after i parted from i had endeavored to into the secrets of a fellow goes abroad ha t traveller in a way that could hardly have raised in his estimation by answering my inquiries in respect to in such a frank way had given a final stroke to my he had been in all things the thorough gentleman while i had acted like an of the police bent on discovering certain facts at any cost it was growing warmer and i leisurely toward the north i had no desire to return to america at that time of year the rays of the sun on the soil of my country during a great part of the summer make it to one who has experienced the more temperate airs of europe but i could not refrain from writing an answer to the letter i had received from miss to show that her sarcasm was not wholly deserved and that i was not in such total ignorance of her adventures as she believed there was not much to tell it is true but i had enough to her this is the letter i wrote my dear miss your very considerate note reached me just as i was leaving africa i remembered you with pleasure to and madame but i had already talked about you with them and discovered that they were much interested in your welfare victor and his pretty wife had also learned that i knew you for a lady who spent so brief a season in i must say you left a remarkably pleasant impression i am now on my way to paris where i expect to stay till about the first of july from there i shall go	1
to sur a place i would advise you to visit the next time you go abroad i shall make but few stops on my way north and spend not more than a day or two in a place unless it be at where i intend to see some old friend out of by the name of whose son louis was badly wounded some time ago in i wondered if you knew of the circumstance it is said that a peculiar affair of the heart preceded it but these french call all sorts of things affairs du it made a sensation at the time his the young and dashing m f was a general favorite and his sentence provoked regret may i beg that you will kiss master for me and that if you have the time to spare you will send me a line with the latest news addressed in care of de ever your friend j m at paris i engaged a of rooms on the this was a pleasure i had promised myself years before on the occasion of my first visit to the imperial city i do not know what makes this seem to me the most majestic in all paris but that is the impression i have always had there is an some thing that none of the others grand though they be can boast a letter from a banker at proved that was well known there as well as the fact that he was injured in in a private quarrel his health was still poor and he was supposed to be travelling this proved that had been honest with me a fortnight later i received a second letter from miss she had evidently wasted little time before replying to my communication and she had thrown aside all of her your letter she said interested me more that i can explain and now i want to ask a favor of you tell me without from whom you o i s abroad in haste learned the facts of the assault on d and the sentence of f do what i ask and i may soon be able to tell you more than i have yet revealed to any human being of that episode in my life at which the world seems astounded and for which i am still by my friends do not hesitate i pray the matter has gone beyond the trivial stage and is of the greatest seriousness to me i smiled with the air of a conqueror when i read these lines it was plain that i had touched my correspondent in a tender place and that i should accomplish most of what i had resolved upon when left dr s office six months before my next letter was brief but written with care receive my assurance i said if you need it that i would do anything to serve your true interests while i have learned much about your winter in i have nothing except the fact which you certainly do not appear to wish concealed that you are a mother my chief was m who was for some time my travelling companion he received his pardon two months ago or so and has left i had been about a fortnight at sur each day i was growing of the lazy life by the sea the odd machines in which one takes his long ride into the surf the who draw the out or in according to the direction the tide is moving the picturesque figures in bathing that cover the by the hundred the attired ladies and gentlemen who occupy chairs along the beach or sit under to watch the never ending show all make out of one of the most delightful spots during the season in the evening there are drives and to the grand heights above and the watching of the and clad in their quaint bare legged and crowned with the hats you ever saw and then the handsome that fill the and its illuminated grounds in the village streets i could walk for days glancing at the clean of the low houses where the heavy wooden beds and of the present occupants put to shame the modern spider legged and where the indispensable in all its glory of gilt seldom attempts in any way to indicate the passing hours i prefer you to to even to that loveliest of american pier i knew that one of the had made her landing but something more attractive chained me to the hotel a north of england girl twenty years of age with a that could not be was telling me that the only fault she found with was the warmth of the water she was accustomed to every day at home in the north sea whose temperature i understand is about that of ordinary ice water and the waves at which i thought rather chilly struck her as merely the girl had the english color her eye was bright her arms showing through the lace like sleeves of her were round as a child s she weighed as she herself informed me thirteen stone i had to reckon it into pounds though she was but five feet three in height she had a hand and foot that would not be considered goes abroad is haste small in american circles but they fitted the rest of her figure to perfection i have always felt a sense of gratitude to mr because he was willing that his gigantic heroine should have feet in proportion to her size this north of england girl was a fine specimen from every sensible and no atlantic was sufficient to me from her time passes more rapidly than one can account for when such pleasant company is being enjoyed before i should have supposed it possible for the steamer s passengers to reach the hotel a garden came into the parlor and handed me a note my	1
surprise could hardly be exceeded when i saw the signature of at the end she had just arrived and wished to see me without delay in her private parlor myself to my companion i fancied a shade of came into her ruddy countenance i went at once to miss s rooms the familiar face met my eyes as soon as the door was opened to me but it was not the happy com posed face i had known in new york it was thai of one who had been in deep trouble i beg pardon sincerely r sending for you in such haste she said as soon as she had taken my hand and me to a seat i am very tired and a sea voyage always me you were ill on the ocean i asked yes it was a most unpleasant passage you did not expect me did you i thought at first of but it seemed absurd really i am making you no of annoyance i wonder what you think me oft of i assured her that she had not troubled me at and that i was most pleased to see her and render any service in my power then i inquired after the health of the child and with whom she had left it good heavens did you imagine i could go away so far without she exclaimed he is in the next room with being put to bed for his nap you must have started in haste i observed if you came after you received my last letter miss clasped her hands nervously together oh i did she replied i wanted to know so many things and and it takes so long for the i waited patiently for her to continue she was evidently influenced by some intense emotion i would gladly have helped to soothe her had i known the best way to do it why did you interest yourself in my secret she ejaculated as if in pain i was happy and contented and now i am utterly miserable i do not understand how anything have done should have that effect on you i exclaimed astonished miss turned her face from me apparently to conceal some that was about to cross it of course you don t she i and i cannot make you unless i tell you every r which i cannot yet do you have a theory i am sure about me about this affair won t you tell me what it is miss i said the state of mind in which i find you me greatly i supposed goes abroad in haste from all that you had said to me and what others had told me that you were perfectly certain that you had done right that you had no regrets on account of your child now i am led to believe she stopped me before i could go any farther this is too cruel she cried you are imagining things that have no foundation i love my child as much as ever i have no regrets in connection with aim not one but you have been in you have met you say a certain gentleman and what i ask is what theory have you in spite of the assurances she had given me i had r feeling of a decidedly unpleasant nature when i told her what i suspected namely that was the father of she uttered a little oh and covered her face with both hands for a minute i thought she was about to burst into tears he did not say that sh j asked in low trembling tones no he said little except that he had tried to kill his friend on your account and he gave me a few particulars about himself such as that he had a brother at and a wife somewhere he my companion rose to her feet and stared at me wildly a wife she exclaimed he has married then since i saw him long before i replied judging by the way h spoke he said she had gone her way and he did intend to search for her he seemed by her desertion at a time when he most needed her sympathy and i connected the occurrence with his out of a thousand emotions chased each other over the face that was turned toward me but at the time i had no key to a single one of them and i think you wrote me that you told him about she said next yes what did he say he seemed intensely surprised miss nodded her head more to herself than to me and gazed at the carpet for some seconds without speaking you are going to remain at for some time longer i presume she said finally then when i had responded in the affirmative she added i am so tired now that i will ask you to excuse me to morrow if you are willing i will talk with you again she bowed me out politely and i went in search of my north sea divinity but she had fled and the parlor that had known her knew her no more that lay chapter xxii age as tu mon be g when sur is open to anyone who chooses to go there it ought not to have surprised me to see a few days after the arrival of miss the two brothers along the j met them and all three of us age as tu mon raised our hats after the european custom i did not intend to stop for my parting with had been rather cold but first addressing some remark in a very low tone to his brother stepped aside and gave me his hand cordially i did not expect to meet you he said with a smile it is some distance from here to yes i admitted but is an old friend of mine besides i added	1
with a glance at i have acquaintances here from america a certain lady of whom i spoke to when we were in spain flushed visibly at my statement he seemed ill at ease and turning abruptly to his brother alluded to an engagement that they were on the way to keep when my presence interrupted their walk it is eleven o clock already he said we shall certainly be late directly mon replied the lady is then of particular interest to you i judge he said to me a sweetheart perhaps or but i think you are not married excuse us won t you spoke up with agitation we will see you later in the day you are so careless about he added to his brother that i really must remind you again of the hour good day at the same time that he said these words with his eyes a plea that i would make no further allusion to the american lady before his brother and i saw no reason why i should out of not oblige him consequently i mentioned that i also had an engagement and that i hoped to meet them in the evening at the two hours later as i was coming from breakfast or lunch as the americans would say i met who a brief audience in my private apartment don t my conduct too strongly were his first words when we were inside my parlor i know i seemed disagreeable to you at but i had things to trouble me we are still friends i hope or at least not enemies what i wish to ask is that you will refrain from alluding to madame in the presence of my brother he he does not understand and it is for the advantage of all concerned that he should not give me your word as a gentleman that you will do this and i shall feel secure otherwise i must make an excuse to get him to leave at once more mystery i shall be very glad to make your mind easy i said but he is likely to learn of the matter from others if he remains here miss is in this very hotel with her child and she may meet you and him at any moment he glanced at the door as if he expected she might enter in this house he repeated she and her child yes they arrived on the last steamer he seemed lost in thought for several minutes pardon me he said at last i answered a age as tf mon great many questions for you when we were at will you answer a few for me if i can why did how do you pronounce her name ton why has she come to europe at this time well i answered to be frank with you she came on account of a letter i wrote informing her that i had heard of her african experience looked greatly puzzled she came all the way across the ocean on that account he said yes she wanted to hear the fullest particulars from my own lips and lost no time in doing so an atlantic journey is not so great an undertaking as it once was the frenchman measured his words with and when she arrived you told her what that i had met you and that you had told me i told you nothing i beg your pardon i told her i had learned about her child s father that was it in brief as if a ball had by his eyes you told her he echoed i told her what i knew s face wore a strange expression and what did the lady say he asked what could she say out of how long will she remain abroad a long time probably for what purpose he inquired suspiciously perhaps to see or you i at random he rose took a few strides up and down the room and ejaculated oh no with some vigor no indeed if she knew i was in she would leave it to morrow i think you had best tell her if you will be so kind has planned to stay a month and we shall be in constant danger of running across ton which d be i remarked that i should certainly inform her that he was in the village if he desired it but that a brief note from his own hand would answer the same purpose i write so after my long confinement at manual labor he said in excuse that i fear she could never read it just mention that i am here speak as if i were alone you know for of course she does not know anything about the other members of my family and mark the result on the next morning she will pack her and start for some other quarter of the globe by the way could you manage to let me see her boy i ca v ed a servant and gave him a note to miss in which i stated that an acquaintance of mine wished to see her offspring and would she allow him to be brought up for a few minutes when reached the room which was half an hour later so anxious had the fond mamma been to make him thoroughly examined him with the greatest interest age as tu mon age as tu mon he said passing his hands through the little fellow s curls he does not speak french i explained when the boy looked at the face and listened to the strange tongue pas un f not one who should have taught him said to be sure in a low tone and resumed his inspection of the infant why the deuce did i never learn english he exclaimed to think that i can t ask this chap his age in a way that he can understand his mother is	1
equally ignorant i think of the most beautiful tongue f well he is a pretty fellow and i am infinitely obliged to you as he was apparently through with his inspection i took to the maid who was in waiting outside my door and delivered him into her what is that name you called him asked when i returned he repeated struggling with the what kind of name is that i told him it was probably a mere fancy a name that happened to suit the taste of his mother oh i remember he replied you do not name children after the saints as we do i thought there could be no st well the name is good enough and you tell me she calls the boy ton yes shook his head but does not that excite comment he asked what kind ot arrangements you in america out of by which a child takes his mother s name instead of his father s is that the custom in your country explain it to me please i did not know as i had a right to enter into a full explanation especially as it was doubtful if he would appreciate the very peculiar circumstances of this very peculiar case so i told him it was another fancy of miss s she always calls herself ton does she he asked not madame exactly she is a very independent woman with a fortune of her own and does as she pleases he murmured that it was most unaccountable feeling that one good turn deserved another and that i ought to receive something in return for the information i was i tried to get him to tell me fuller particulars about his part in the affair but he was still won t you say in what your friend the colonel s insult consisted i asked u ah mon ami you must excuse me that matter is of such a painful nature that i cannot bear to recall it poor louis has paid dearly for his fault but i do not see why she should avoid you i said your part in the matter seems to have been a most honorable one he thanked me by a low bow and said it did not follow that madame held that opinion besides why did i not question her in relation to it if she was willing to tell me he would no objection as there was no more to be got out of him i was not sorry when he brought the interview to a close age as tu mon it had taken up an hour of my time not worth much it is true but worse than wasted so far as i could see that evening while sitting on the with miss who spent considerable of her leisure time in my company i resolved to tell her that was at and mark the effect of the news i met an old acquaintance of yours to day was the way i began it then as she glanced at me i continued from the color left her cheek as she turned a frightened face toward me who she whispered here i she cried here in this hotel he was in my room for an hour this very afternoon she drew a long breath and her eyes opened wider and it was he to whom you showed my boy i nodded to admit that she was right in her supposition mr she said biting her lips that was not fair so far as i knew it was perfectly right i replied if you persist in keeping the main facts of your case from me you must not be surprised if i in judgment groping as i am in the dark i could see that she what did he say about she inquired breathing heavily that he was a handsome child and that he regretted they could not speak a common tongue out or was that all that was all and about me that you would leave if you knew he were here with the of a woman or a criminal lawyer she cross questioned me for some minutes in relation to the frenchman but i had nothing more to tell her when i asked again if she would not make me a in the full secret she was carrying she shook her head and said not quite yet in a way that left me certain she had a pain at her heart that prevented her speaking the next day i did not see either of the brothers they must have kept out of sight on purpose for i took my morning bath in the surf and spent much of the afternoon in the where all the men were in the habit of after dinner i proposed to miss that we take a stroll together something we had been talking of doing the first pleasant evening and she made the excuse that she had some letters to write and should not go out rather lonely i waited till after nine o clock and then took my solitary way along the path that to the cathedral on the heights above having the neighborhood often i walked along bent merely on killing the heavy hours that between me and occasionally figures passed me mostly of the who live in that vicinity but a different sight suddenly met my vision one that caused me to step aside and hide myself for a minute in the shade of a of trees two people were walking together a man and a woman they at sur passed within twenty feet of me and their faces were close together like of people who do not mean to be overheard the few words that reached my ears showed me that the woman was speaking french with a very broken accent and that her companion was having difficulty in her chapter at sur conceive anything you please it	1
cannot be too strong to express my surprise that two persons who had both given me to understand that a cordial dislike kept them apart should be walking in the most friendly manner along that path at ten o clock at night and miss so far as i knew with any foreign tongue was trying to converse in french proving that she was as anxious as he for the meeting most of us have nerves that may be touched by the discovery that we have been my head grew hot as i thought of the situation i would have given a good deal to be able to follow those people without discovery and learn what they were saying as they had passed into the open this was of course impossible the moon was bright enough to disclose any object not hidden by a tree or a building i could only out of stay till they had gone completely out of sight and then return to my hotel and await these people were evidently too deep for my slender capacity as a all i had discovered was the result of chance not ability so disgusted was i that i sank on the ground under the trees and gave myself up to my thoughts within a few minutes however i heard low voices and peering through the i saw my friends if such i could now call them returning they had apparently little fear of being discovered for the hour was late and there were few but themselves on that side of the height they walked very slowly and every few moments stopped for a second or two miss s french was so imperfect that with all his politeness was obliged frequently to confess that he could not make it out one of their stops was near enough to where i lay for me to hear a part of the conversation i cannot you believe was what miss v ui saying to her french into anything its english equivalent i saw never who looked like priest i not french then spoke that could not be good law i have not understand but i am sure responded the tones of it was no priest in that you are right but the mayor of the place which is according to our custom he is there still i presume you could go and see miss shook her head decidedly like one who is unwilling to be convinced why have you learned french asked as they began to move on at to with talk after she answered he must the language learn of his father but he has no father according to your belief replied the other if you call him and tell him he is french he will ask you many questions no i him will explain they had gone too far for me to follow their conversation at that time and i rose to my feet more puzzled than ever miss had told that she had seen no one who resembled a priest and he had said it was no priest but a mayor that meant nothing to me the mayor he had added was still there there where at some place in nd doubt she could go to see him would she go what would she do if she did go the key to the entire mystery might be in that question after i reached my apartments i was surprised by a card from miss s maid who informed me that her mistress wished very much to see me for a few moments i followed her to the occupied by my and found the latter in a state of decided i am in much trouble she said as soon as i had entered the room and closed the door there is no one else on this side of the ocean that i can call to my aid and yet i fear you must by this time think me an intolerable nuisance i responded with due politeness and waited for her to proceed it may be necessary for me to make a journey to she said speaking hesitatingly not at this season of course for it would out of health of my boy and i could not think of going without him i want to ask if you intend to stay another winter abroad and it looks like a great request doesn t t if you could make it convenient to spend a month or so in africa with me say in october i looked into the anxious face and marked the movements of the nervous hands how much easier all this would be i said if you would confide your entire story to me how can you tell that i might not be able to give advice that would be of value at present both of us are groping in the dark she shook her head doubtfully and in the charming way she had i am so sorry she said i would trust you sooner than anyone else but i cannot tell my secret yet to any man not even to i asked stung to the quick miss s expression showed that the shot had struck home she turned pale a little and then leaning forward put both her hands on my arm what did you mean by that she asked breath only what i said if anyone is to go to with you it ought to be he he knows the country he knows more than he has told me of the adventure that you had there he is so far as i am aware free from engagements of any kind why not ask him r she eyed me with curiosity and an intense desire to learn what i knew at i could not ask him she replied and if you are as wise as you like to have me believe you will understand the reason and yet i answered you can	1
walk about town with him under the moonlight walk with him she exclaimed with such well astonishment that nothing but my own would have made me doubt her certainly i said i was not upon you but i saw you distinctly anyone could have seen you for you made no attempt at concealment i shall not admit that i am mistaken for i know you very well and i also know the lady had risen and seemed prepared at first to utter a vehement denial of my statement but when closed she threw herself again into her chair and attempted to regain her composure so you saw me with she said yes i had something of importance to tell him and as you say we did not attempt to conceal ourselves i learned that he was going away and i did not wish to lose the opportunity i said again that i thought would be her best escort to as for myself i wanted to do anything reasonable in the way of obliging her but i was not ambitious to be served in the way i had been if i was to accompany her i must be put in possession of the reason why she proposed making the journey and told you he was going away i added he is much more confidential with you than with me for he mentioned nothing about when i saw him this afternoon at the out of yes she answered simply his brother went yesterday and he will go to morrow where are they going he did not say we talked in this manner for fully an hour with little result so far as my learning anything was concerned the of the discussion was that i agreed to sleep over the matter and let her know my answer on the following morning you will go i know you will she said to me in her sweetest manner it will only take a few weeks of your time and then i shall return to america with a more peaceful mind i hope before you retire now i want to show you the prettiest sight you ever saw in a minute i will be with you much wondering what she intended to exhibit i waited while she stepped into an adjoining room presently she came to the door and beckoned me with a motion that i soon saw the object of her solicitude in a small bed by the side of her own larger one lay master in the loveliest of childhood s he is mine mine alone said the mother earnestly when she had closed the door no one else can claim him no one i will never divide his the next morning after the matter as fully as i could i told miss i would go to with her if she was of the same mind when october came in the meantime i would resume my travels as i intended to go to and other points during the summer if she wished to com everything up to date h with me she had only to send anything in care of the banker she thanked me with a thousand kind expressions and the following day i took my leave of sleeping the next night at mr again chapter xxiv everything up to date mr paused at last with the sentence quoted at the close of the preceding chapter although he had taken the greater part of the afternoon and evening in his recital he had not tired me in the least is that the end i asked for the present yes after i have been to with her there ought to be something more to tell and you will go if i live i have promised you remember what do you think of my story i answered that it was most interesting can you interpret the riddle he inquired hardly if it was a piece of fiction i would hazard it but real life is always playing unexpected tricks out of mr bowed to show that he agreed with this statement you see how it is he remarked m is undoubtedly the father of this child notwithstanding the fact that he was wounded by the latter is still his friend and would do anything to serve him now what does m want does he wish to claim his son or does he not it is evident that miss believed him dead until she received my letter informing her to the contrary i have made every effort to find him but without avail from only showed that he is travelling miss seems to place reliance on as shown by her confidential talk with him the night i saw them together at and yet she would not let him accompany her to even acting astounded at my proposition to that effect if i could get an hour s talk with louis i would find out something worth knowing as he seemed to expect me to say something i tried to oblige him though i should have preferred to sit an hour in silence the better to compare the various bits of evidence that presented themselves in the case is there no possibility i said that else is this child s father for instance f mr stared at me strangely i don t see how you can think that be replied he tells me he has a wife i elevated my brows and responded well my companion looked at me with a puzzled face a men have been known to break their vows everything up to date said besides miss you say showed great astonishment when you told her was married but he never was shot exclaimed that is a vital thing in this affair is living but he was shot and it was supposed he would die so far as i can learn has had no bullet wound i had to admit that this was a point	1
i beg your pardon i said but i am going to take the same trip to morrow and i shall be more than pleased if you will honor me with your company the frenchman hesitated me with some surprise you are extremely kind he replied as i was saying i dislike these lonely journeys are you is there anyone else to go with you no i said unless you accept i shall be entirely alone then he answered as if relieved i shall do so with great pleasure remarking to the agent that he would not need a carriage of his own now the gentleman walked out of the office with me our conversation begun so abruptly continued as we strolled together along the line of the sea coast in an opposite direction from my hotel when i him my card he searched in his pocket for his own card case and then finding that he had left it in his room informed out op me that his name was and that he was the country for pleasure like myself i learned in the course of the next hour that this was his second visit to africa and that he had also the on a previous occasion it is worth seeing a second time he remarked earnestly i think it one of the most entertaining places i ever saw the last time i was there an event occurred that i shall not soon forget i looked the inquiry i did not need to put into words it was a strange affair continued m i was with a party of sight among whom was a very young lady of your perhaps i should bore you with ihe history i had caught so eagerly at the few words already uttered that i had difficulty in my if ty to hear the rest lest i should excite his suspicions i replied as calmly as possible that i should like very much to hear of ihe as of the common possessed a peculiar charm for me well said m a moment s pause it was this way there was in the party a gentleman who had it seemed conceived a violent passion for the young lady which she did not wholly return he had formed the very unique plan of one of the lo marry them without her knowledge i uttered an exclamation of surprise her knowledge i yes it was this way m had like many men a warm lo a phrase the young lady understood very hide if meeting ny french which was the native tongue of her he believed in his and you know there is nothing so blind as a lover that if he could get a ceremony performed he could persuade her to abide by it and become his wife in reality i interrupted to ask what had taken place up to that time whether the gentleman had told the lady of his love and been rejected or whether he had held his secret locked in his own bosom it was this way replied m the gentleman had been presented to the lady and had made known his passion she had answered by the very strange statement that she was wholly averse to marriage and would not listen to a proposal of that kind from anyone at first he thought this a mere pretext a more courteous way of saying farewell than by a direct being in love to an extreme degree he was not willing to surrender his hopes without doing his utmost to bring them to full he therefore as is customary in such cases made liberal presents to the lady s maid and seeking to learn through them the real condition of her mind in spite of his generosity both of them persisted that had told him the truth they said she was one of those women who have a positive aversion for matrimony and being possessed of an ample fortune had determined to enjoy it alone by the of the wedded state do what he could they stuck to one story the same in effect that the lady had given him then it was that he resolved to try the plan i have mentioned believing she might when he had a document in his hand that she was already his wife out or it was an odd history truly and i showed the interest i felt so strongly that my companion looked gratified one of the things about any recital is to secure a thoroughly attentive listener and did the scheme succeed i asked though feeling certain that miss was the lady i need not say the question was superfluous no said m and i thought he spoke it was this way the idea was to arrange the matter with one of the oldest the lady was told that she would see an of the work of the order the way was led into the chapel and the services proceeded to the evident entertainment of all was apparently going well there were no persons present except the three i have mentioned the lady s maid and myself i interrupted to remark that my had evidently been let into the secret of his friend s purpose yes he said it was this way i fully with his ardent desire to possess that beautiful creature his intentions were in the highest degree honorable though his method of the desired result could only be justified by the proverb all s fair in love and war my friend be it understood belonged to both those branches holding a commission in the service of the republic and being at the time near here with his regiment i reasoned that there would be no harm in the affair for even if the performed a religious ceremony which the lady accepted it would according to french law require still another ceremony a civil meeting one to make it binding it was merely	1
a bit of to bring the lady to a sensible view of her natural destiny and it would have been successful but for the fact that father had his suspicions aroused and refused to finish the work he had begun as it was the dinner hour i suggested that we our steps which we did walking slowly you never saw anything progress better up to the critical moment continued my new acquaintance the lady was engrossed in the of the service she did not in the least comprehend her maid in advance gave the most plausible explanations to each part of the ceremony and the lady answered when told without question don t know what made it enter the head of that confounded that anything was wrong but he certainly got that impression and before he reached the more important words he called a young assistant and despatched him for a member of the who understood english that his efforts were destined to be my friend admitted his fault to the who him without and in such a tone that the lady became alarmed the carriages in which we had come were sought without waiting for the arrival of the other and we left the disappointed scheme but luckily without having the least suspicion aroused in the mind of the one most concerned was it miss i wanted desperately to know but i did not intend to repeat the error as i had always considered it which i with out of it was for me to learn all i d from this stranger and give him as little as possible in return as coolly as possible i asked if this was the end of his remarkable story no he answered with something like a sigh it is however all i feel justified in telling at present is it not the most peculiar account you ever heard i admitted that it was indeed strange but said i could match it if i chose with one equally out of the common my only trouble was that i doubted my right to reveal what was the secret of another i am sorry you are under that he said c is the matter one that came under your own observation it was told to me i replied there was also a young lady in it and a french officer yes an officer stationed in m looked at me quickly his eyes dilated and his cheeks grew red you mean more than your words imply he said if you have any knowledge of the lady of whom i have been speaking i trust will confide it to me he had been too rapid for my plan now that the point was raised i could do no less than try to meet it how can i tell whether it be the same lady i asked when you have not even given me her name colored still more you can understand that that might be impossible he said hardly m one cannot use the name of a lady in such a case without her consent then i said how shall we proceed to decide if it be the same one ah he exclaimed it is indeed a difficulty but have you told me all you can the lady you speak of had some relations with a french officer stationed when was this about three years ago i could feel the almost start that greeted my reply can you tell me where this lady is at the present time he asked with suppressed eagerness i smiled at the question i have no right to do so without her consent i said using his own expression he bowed admitting the truth of my observation by his manner you will perhaps tell whether you have ever met her he asked his eagerness returning i have no reason to deny that i have very long ago some time after the episode i answered and was she well in health remarkably so seemed uneasy at the sharp looks with which i regarded him you will comprehend the reason of my inquiries he said when i tell you that i expect to meet my friend the officer soon and i know he will be most anxious this was news indeed out of you expect to return to france i said inter before a great while you will be more lucky than other people if you ind your friend i could not help saying he has not been at for many months m opened his eyes wider why should you think he would be at he asked because it is the home of his family while i cannot discuss the lady in this case beyond a certain point there is no reason why we should hide the name of the gentleman i trust if you have the present address of m you will give it to me as i have most important business which i would be glad to him my companion had stopped on the and was regarding me with an expression too peculiar to m he exclaimed m louis precisely the lady i speak of had relations of the most important character with that gentleman i have tried my best to find him during the summer that is just past i have a number of questions to ask him that i think he will not refuse to answer was agitated let me tell you he said that the friend to whom i referred was not m when you say mile b i interrupted we will call he mile b he caught his breath we will call her miss he corrected meeting now when you say that she had relations ot an important character with m i wish you would indicate in some manner what you mean the attitude which m had suddenly assumed was so different from that of a few moments before almost in fact that i did not know what	1
to say i was sorry that any had arisen for i had begun to like the fellow and had contemplated the ride with him on the morrow with the greatest satisfaction i could not get very angry as i knew nothing that should cause the frenchman s change toward me and yet i did not like the tone he used there is a misunderstanding i replied i had not the slightest doubt until a minute ago that you were talking all this time of m louis of the lady i mean certainly had the very friendship if the word is sufficiently strong with that gentleman it was so far as i knew a matter of greater interest to themselves than to anyone else being connected with her family in a financial way i have reasons for wishing to meet him why you excite yourself over the affair i am at a loss to conceive my companion caught every word with breathless interest when i had finished he drew from his pocket a photograph and presented it before my eyes is that the lady he demanded it certainly was miss a glance at the card showed that it was taken by an and the likeness was excellent there was out of no need that i should admit as much in words for my face must have told its story i shall have to bid you adieu said m grimly putting the picture back into his pocket and as i leave for france on the boat to morrow i shall be unable to accept your hospitality on the way to la he looked so dark and was so evidently affected by some concealed emotion that i viewed him with genuine concern but i had so little idea what was the matter that i could say nothing to alter his determination my friend pursued m in a cold set voice will have business to with m of more importance than yours can possibly be unless i the the gentleman from will be in no condition to see you after my friend has done with him turning on his heel with a lift of the hat made his i was too astonished to follow him or to utter another word it was fully fifteen minutes later that i thoroughly comprehended what his wild expressions probably meant louis had offended an unknown admirer of miss s and was likely to pay for the with his life a visit to a chapter xxvi a visit to a i am sometimes a little slow in coming to a decision but when made it is not long in being executed the boats that between and the trains that go from thence to are of reasonable swiftness but there is one thing that travels much faster than either the telegraph if m was determined to send his friend to with the intention of drawing m into mortal combat i did not for an instant accuse him of a more sinister purpose there was but one manner in which i could prevent a collision i must warn in what manner clearly in a way that would not leave him to face the charge of cowardice i could not wire him of the truth because however unwillingly he would have to wait and meet his enemy i must invent a plan that would take him away from before the friend of arrived there there are times when several birds may as well be killed with one stone as with more if was at no one wanted to see him more than i if he could be induced to come to i might accomplish the double result of asking the questions i had waited for so long and putting him out of the reach for the present of s friend if he was not at my would not out of reach him but neither would his angry it was worth trying after some hours of study i the following despatch le colonel louis a matter your highest honor demands your presence instantly at come without a second s delay hotel de proceeding to the post office from which ail are sent in as in most european countries i copied this despatch on a blank that was handed me then drawing out my purse i awaited the announcement of the sum to be paid several louis in my hand i knew that the would have to be five hundred miles under the and then repeated and sent five hundred miles more to its destination familiarity with american and the prices charged for use of the atlantic had made me believe that my message would cost eight or ten dollars judge of my surprise then when i was informed that the entire charge would be fifty two cents the rate is a cent a word in or france you know said the clerk when i repeated the figures in an astonished tone but for the cable the charge is also a cent which makes the rate double cheap enough if it the result hoped for was my mental comment as i turned away i found miss ready to dine and her to the pleasant d which was nearly filled when we arrived among the a visit to a guests was an english who a short time ago made a fortune by playing in the united states and who at one time bore the reputation of being the lady in the world she was accompanied by the of one of the most famous english who ever lived a youth some ten years her junior and they were the observed of all i whispered to miss who they were and immediately regretted having done so for she replied coldly that she had no interest in such people and did not care to look at them although they remained the next two days at the hotel with us never saw their faces the only woman there i	1
am sure who could say as much i could not help thinking how much greater was the fault of the american lady judged by the standard of the world than that of the english one the latter had at least no living evidence of her in the face of all who cared to know i had taken pains on my own account to give the impression to victor and the that was an adopted child for otherwise we should have been watched as intently if not more so than the other party miss realized what was passing in my mind and when we had gone to her to take the coffee that was usually served to us there she began to talk of the matter you have never changed your opinion about me i see was the way she began i am the same foolish wicked girl to you still i asked her why she said that don t you think i can read your mind she ut of inquired you considered it inconsistent of me to speak so harshly of mrs i myself have ignored the opinion of society let me beg you to tell me candidly can you see no difference i responded to this direct question that i had never the matter of her conduct and did not intend to begin now very well she said smiling gravely at my discomfiture which was evident i must defend myself without your aid that woman you saw in the dining room if is to be believed married an english gentleman and then left him in order to gratify her love for flattery and luxurious living she is noted chiefly for her numerous lovers and the fortune she has accumulated out of their gifts that she has borne no child is evidence against her of a much more character and yet you think me as bad as she because to meet the mother craving in my heart i stepped aside just once her voice was trembling as she reached the concluding sentence and her eyes were moist with tears we shall gain nothing by this line of conversation i said which must necessarily be one sided let us return to something of more moment i came here with you at your earnest we have been here nearly three weeks and i cannot see that i have been of the slightest use by our understanding i was to remain a month and i must remind you that the time will soon be ended i am sorry you find it so dull she replied but t know it must seem so as you spent so long a time here before the matter i am has taken me a little longer than i supposed it would a visit to a but i think it will be finished very soon now your presence is of immense moral value and even if you should be compelled to stay a few days beyond the time i spoke of i hope you will not be too much to oblige me i asked her if she was still unable to confide in me to any extent whatever at present yes she answered sadly but i am liable at any moment to need your advice in which case i may be compelled to tell you everything i mentioned the intention i had of going to la on the following day and noticed the start she gave at the name have you never been there she asked oh yes i have been everywhere in this neighborhood but one must do something to pass the time would you like to go i added as the thought struck me i no i think not you have been there yes she responded they are a set of nice old men but i would not care to see them twice besides would find the journey tedious and i could not think of leaving him i had no desire to excite her suspicions and i said no more about the in the morning i made an early start as it was rather warm in the middle of the day being early in november upon arriving i inquired for father and put myself under his guidance he had not seen me on my previous visit and he went through the extensive farm which the cultivate showing me the cattle the wine presses the store houses and other evidences out or of prosperity which these strange possess when we reached the chapel i drew his attention gradually to the matter which m had confided to me and found that he remembered it very well it was a narrow escape he said if my wits had not come to me just as they did i should have pronounced the couple man and wife their flight proves that i guessed correctly the man did not dare await the coming of a brother who spoke english a friend of the gentleman told me all about it i explained he says the lover was so with the lady that he took this means to put a moral pressure upon her intending later to have the civil ceremony in she supposed you were simply giving them your blessing the crossed himself devoutly the devil is fruitful of to the faithful he said the lady was a very beautiful creature one whose worth was evident to any who saw her countenance i trust she has escaped the of such a wicked man something impelled me to relate a little of the subsequent history of miss to this i wanted to know what he would say when i told him all i knew she has very peculiar ideas good father i responded for instance she believes that marriage is not a necessary of st preserve us cried the priest yes i continued she is now the mother of a boy two years of age and still understand this is merely carrying out a doctrine	1
that she a visit to a firmly believes in not a yielding to passionate instinct the crossed himself again so innocent she looked he exclaimed ah how little one can tell by the faces of these women one came here from only the other day of whom the most dreadful things are said and before i knew i had remarked to one of our brothers who has a talent for painting that she would make a lovely the simple lunch served at the was of and i rested in the shadow of its walls until the sun was well on the way toward the horizon before departing i purchased a number of carved by the to keep or give away as when i reached the hotel de miss had dined it being so late that she had ceased to expect me i soon found that she was holding an audience with my rival in her temporary regard the who had been absent for the previous three or four days not caring to intrude on a conversation i had reason to suppose would have elements of privacy i went out for a stroll along the de la that magnificent way which cost it is said the sum of forty million dollars to create when i returned i was informed that miss wished to see me immediately and i went without delay to her rooms can you leave here with us in the morning was the question that greeted me as she opened the door for what point i asked somewhat astonished for out of having heard nothing about that city in connection with the business on hand i was naturally much surprised we shall stop for a night at on s account and go on the next day explained miss i could not think of anything to prevent my going my baggage could be packed in fifteen minutes have you heard news i asked yes she said and her voice lacked but nothing you can tell me not not yet the beautiful eyes faltered before my gaze after shall i still be kept in that will depend she said hesitatingly on your whim i inquired without undue politeness no oh no on circumstances that may arise trust me a little longer i pray in the morning remember she added as i rose to go get the garden to rouse you for the train goes early i told her there was no need of informing the g as i was an early and would not fail to be on time but when i was about ready for breakfast on the following morning one of the came to call me saying he had been asked to do so by miss on the train i occupied myself with amusing master who grew interested from time to time in the of mounted sometimes on sometimes on and again on horses which could be seen in the highway that is to be seen from the railroad across nearly the whole the priest told you of french africa this road is to be seen built of cracked stone after the plan invented or applied by and as well cared for as any drive around boston new york or through it is built up to a higher level with at frequent intervals for the quick rains through hills it is as carefully as the railway itself and even are found where required the object of all this expense is military the owners of the territory wishing to march their men or draw their cannon with expedition in case of need but the value to the country is as great as if it had been constructed solely for the use of peaceful travellers when the boy went to sleep i talked with miss about the territory through which we were passing and which both of us had seen before we said nothing that day in reference to her private affairs they might have escaped my mind but for the silent witness to what had been the pretty child lying on its pillow by its mother s side chapter the told you i was glad the stop was made at in passing through this section before i had only caught a glimpse of that most remarkable natural wonder the boiling which falls thirty feet over white rocks at a temperature of out of from whence comes this volume of water the thousands of that flow each minute day after day the year through and have done so for of centuries every little while the from below the can see small fish and floating in the stream showing that at some point below the surface rivers of cool water are into the and sent forth in those the steam not only from the great fall but from several smaller springs in the vicinity is constantly the air in the neighborhood and the effect of the whole scene is weird and marvellous the heat is so great that even at a distance of seven hundred feet away one cannot hold his hand in the running water the hotel was the i ever saw it consisted of the owner s residence the only part of which used by the guests appeared to be the and office with arranged in at some distance from the house built in rows like negro in the south of america the of the country made the appearance of these anything but assuring for they were with the main mansion by a bell or other contrivance and to add to the strangeness of the situation we could see from our windows the camp fires of wandering not a quarter of a mile away miss declared at once that she could never close her eyes in such a place she began to shut her windows and arrange a for her door besides ordering to sit at the entrance armed to the teeth against possible invasion the servants of the hotel	1
laughed at her fears saying the priest told you they had never heard of anyone being hurt by the natives or of having anything stolen it was the universal custom to leave all windows and doors wide open both day and night no matter what were inside as the evening was warm and the rooms stifling if tightly closed i decided to follow the advice given me though i could not entirely quiet the alarm of my fair companion i had seen plenty of and liked them as a people immensely placing a chair by my window which was only four feet from the ground i hung my clothing upon it with my purse and watch in their usual places and then with window and door wide open passed into a sweet and refreshing sleep which lasted for eight hours you can do this in africa mind where the native is called savage or half civilized but not in england or the united states in any section of them with which i am acquainted miss confessed when we met at breakfast that she also slept fairly well she did not intend to close her eyes at all so disturbed was her mind at the situation but slumber came of its own accord who had lain on before that night looked completely refreshed and all of as were ready to take the train for when it arrived there are few places so well designed by nature for a fortress as this same city of it is an inland reached by an artificial bridge situated on a series of rocks and surrounded by a very deep though there are few things of great moment to the sight other than the place out of itself it is well worth visiting and remaining at for several days if not more as we approached the city i began to discuss its points of interest with miss you have been here i believe i said she nodded assent at what hotel shall you stay the hotel de paris has arranged for rooms i suppose you wish to remain with the party i said it was and that i would do as she desired i then inquired with a slight vein of irony whether my services were likely to be wanted don t me with sarcasm if i am obliged to make my usual reply she answered at any moment your presence may be of the first importance to morrow you will be free after that if you will be so kind as to consult with me each evening i bowed to show that the arrangement was entirely agreeable and the subject was dropped for the present the next morning miss ordered a carriage early and with and her maid drove away saying she expected to be back to lunch it would have been an easy matter to follow her but i saw no reason to play the spy at this time to tell the truth i was getting tired of the entire matter and would have felt relieved had she told me she was about to return to europe or america i had stirred up a s nest as the saying is by some innocent letters written to her from paris i deserved very likely the punishment i was receiving and should bear it like a respectable martyr the priest told you but at noon when miss returned to the hotel she was in a state of the greatest her maid came to inform me while i was waiting for lunch that her mistress was actually ill and that a physician had been summoned i asked the girl what had caused the and she said she did not know where had they been to the miss with had gone inside to see ihe mayor while remained in the suddenly she heard voices one of which she recognized as miss s raised in earnest argument she caught but a few words no no i will not believe it that cannot be the law and similar when her mistress came out she was weeping and so weak that she had to be supported to her carriage she knew no more these facts it may readily be conceived i drew out of the girl by the promise of a sufficient number of which i promptly paid as soon as she finished i saw the doctor who was called to attend my who advised me that his patient was in a very nervous state and must not be disturbed met me several times in the course of the next two hours but as he volunteered no information i was no wiser i would not have a single question to him to save his neck i put the words reported by the french maid together with all i knew or suspected into one lump and they explained nothing the what had happened at the over and over i asked myself this and received no response then all at once the words spoken by out of to miss on the hill at sur came to me it was no priest in that you are right but the mayor of the place which is according to our custom he is there still i presume you could go and see him there was no doubt that the mayor of was the individual referred to in this manner that knew more about the secret than i did had been sent to him and having returned to miss had decided to go for a personal interview she had seen him with the result that she was now on a bed of illness and during the time she was in his office she had been heard to utter no no i will not believe it that cannot be the law h feeling justified in this affair to the bottom at this stage i took a walk without delay to the hotel de and asked for the mayor	1
unfortunately the attendant replied his had taken the train shortly before for some point in the interior he would be back in a day or two exactly when he could not say it was very i had been within sight of the information i sought and had stood waiting until just too late to find it out miss was still ill that night but she sent for me and i was asked to step into the chamber where she lay when we were alone she turned toward me a pair of swollen eyes and looked so pitiful that i could not help with her deeply my friend she said i have heard distressing told you v news i have hopes that things are not as bad as they have been represented but until i am sure i cannot help being troubled in the morning i shall see one of the most eminent in the province if he what i have been told i shall start immediately for europe whether the doctors call me sick or well she paused and i remained silent there nothing so far as i could see for me to say you still wonder that i do not confide in you she cried i am afraid cannot much longer refrain from doing so if you had chosen that course earlier miss it would have been better i replied at present your attitude keeps me from discussing with you some discoveries of my own she raised herself on her elbow and looked at me earnestly discoveries she repeated yes they amount to nothing without the key which you so persistently hide but combined with what you yourself learn they might be of value the girl let her head fall again on the pillow you see how ill i am and yet you tell me this she said what have you learned i beg you conceal nothing i remarked that the doctor had left word that she must not be excited ah she cried what can excite me more than these horrible possibilities worse even than the knowledge that they were true it is uncertainty that gives the keenest pang you have heard here not here i replied at out op she looked relieved oh at she repeated at la i explained she regarded me with a vacant expression you went to la once with a gentleman i said one of the holy fathers took you into the chapel where he began to hold a service suddenly he ceased to speak the words of his text and appearing angry addressed such language to your escort that he left the place with you do you remember that miss stretched her arms above her head in a disappointed way is that your discovery she asked why i would have told it to you and welcome perhaps you learned what we had done to the i did was my response what was it she asked curiously he found he had been within an ace of marrying you it is a part of miss s nature to be strongest when under the trial many women would have fainted at this moment for it was apparent that my statement was her first intimation of the truth instead of she sat almost upright in bed and spoke in the tone are you certain of this yes the priest told you he was repeating a marriage service he did how came he to speak of it because i asked him her expression grew more puzzled than before the priest told you i don t understand she said if you asked him you must have heard of it before how could that be a gentleman who was present in the chapel at the time told me i explained a gen agitation the most extreme showed in my companion s face when did he tell you she demanded almost the day before we left i answered calmly with a movement that was wholly maternal miss s hand swept across the until it rested on the cot where her child lay close to her own bed when her eyes met mine again they were fixed and strange i do not see why you should excite yourself said i the attempt to make you his wife would not have been binding on french territory unless by a civil contract she bowed and closed her eyes as if in pain good night she said reaching a hand toward me that wandered like that of a sleep i took the sudden dismissal without comment more in doubt than ever as to the cause of these peculiar the next morning i was informed that was rather better and i took a carriage ride into the country to pass the time away till noon when i returned i was given a letter containing the startling information that miss with her out of and maid had taken the train to an hour before i could not help it there was no alternative meet me in new york that was the extent of the and as if this was not enough to destroy my a card was brought me while i read the letter and on it were the names and titles of louis chapter a great clue exploded why had miss gone to undoubtedly to catch the evening steamer for france why had she fled in this manner evidently on account of learning the of the man she feared while not flattered at her desertion after my devoted attachment to her fortunes i could not help admitting that she was in a measure justified in her action she had taken the means to escape a meeting which she hated above all things is but four hours ride from and the nearest port by which she could leave the country there are times when one cannot spend many minutes in consideration miss had packed her things and embarked with her maid and because it was the	1
only thing to do a great clue exploded m that i will see him here was my reply to the who brought the card a few minutes later i admitted to my a frenchman of about forty years of age of medium height and a most manner sallow as if from a long residence under tropical pale as might be expected from the wound he had received weak like one whose vitality is being slowly but surely m he asked with a low bow i acknowledged the intimation and pronounced his name in return referring to his card which i still held in my hand will you be seated i added him to a chair which he graciously accepted for a moment we regarded each other with apparently equal interest i did not expect you at i ventured to say i suppose not he replied pleasantly but learning that you had left i thought it as well to join you at once i judged from the tenor of your despatch that your business was of a pressing nature i wanted him to lead as much as possible you have travelled very quickly to go so soon from to and reach here to day i remarked i made a much journey said he when i reached i to to say that i was coming and the reply informed me that you had left the hotel de for this city consequently i took the steamer and came out or i said he was very kind to respond with so little delay not at all he answered i have been filled with a lively curiosity on your account i heard several months ago that a gentleman of your name was making inquiries for me and when your interest took the shape of that summoned me to i could wait no longer i looked at him intently and saw nothing in his countenance which indicated anything but perfect shall i understand i asked that you have no idea what i want of you that is precisely what i mean to convey he said with a smile there was an awkward pause for it was now evident that i must take the then i said i shall be obliged to take you back to an experience that must prove unpleasant to your memory will you give me leave to be perfectly frank he looked surprised but replied he hoped i would be completely so nearly three years ago i began you were wounded by a pistol bullet he bowed flushing slightly shall i go on by all means that wound was caused by the act of a brother officer yes who was afterward tried and punished for the all of which interrupted a great clue exploded is on record in the of the african branch of the war department i agreed to this with a nod but the cause of your brother officer s act the reason that induced him to fire the shot is not a matter of record i said true if that is what you wish to ascertain i shall oblige you without hesitation though it anything but credit upon myself i am glad to relieve my friend of blame in a matter through which he has suffered so deeply the shot was richly deserved as i have always admitted i was at the time or the provocation never could have occurred his reason for me was on account of an insult to a lady i broke in rather surprised m admitted that my statement was correct which lady i continued slowly you doubtless expected to find here with me at at this col started from his chair here with you he exclaimed i beg your pardon but how could i have such an expectation when i had never heard your name in connection with hers in the remotest way i paused reflecting how likely this was to be the correct state of the case we mean to be frank with each other i believe said i on my part there is certainly the fullest intention of being so he replied and you did not know that miss had been here out of i assure you no at least not during the past two years the best actor in the could not have looked as he did while telling a falsehood let me tell you then i said that she has been here with me and that it is but an hour or two since she departed he drew a long breath that seemed to indicate relief how does it happen he asked that you did not accompany her i did not know she was going i presume she heard of your arrival during my morning absence and acted without delay the frenchman quivered a little about th shoulders as if he did not relish my expressions that seems incredible he answered i would not have hurt her poor girl it is very unfortunate if true she did not know then that you had to for me by no means i said later when i explain everything you will understand why it is very mysterious he remarked if i had gone to it appears in response to your earnest request i should not have found you there it was the first time i had thought of the matter in that light we had left so suddenly that the to m had for the time escaped my thought altogether i left in great haste was my reply i expected to return shortly and having written for tidings of you several times i presumed you would be a week or more in coming if indeed you came at a great club exploded all my main object however was to get you away from m stared at me and remarked with great coolness that i was speaking in i will be plain on at least one point i answered the evening i sent you that	1
despatch a gentleman left for with the apparent intention of upon you a serious injury there was a sarcastic curl to the frenchman s lip his touched by the you have hardly made the point plain yet he remarked i will do so i answered the gentleman s name was do you understand now not in the least he replied promptly i confessed myself much puzzled by this answer m had a friend an intimate friend said i who had a violent attachment for miss having learned of your intimate relations with that lady col uttered a loud exclamation my relations with with miss he cried exactly what relations he inquired i am getting out of patience the relations i said sharply that made you the father of her child for a moment the frenchman eyed me with an expression that i could not are you sane he asked or some madman escaped from confinement apparently in the possession of my senses i said boldly i am of the estate of and have the best of reasons for the interest i take in this matter your manner is a strange one after the pains i have taken to warn you of your danger the next sentence uttered by m was so mixed with that i fear to use it in this narrative all his polite vanished he informed me roughly that he was afraid of nothing that walked the earth or traversed the air if had gone to to call him to account for anything i had done a great wrong to put him in the position of a coward as to the lady whose name i had used his only connection with her was on the unfortunate occasion which m had promptly he had never met her before or since that day if she had become an mother which he would have sworn impossible on any other evidence than mine he could easily guess her child s though wild horses should not drag his suspicions out of him and he rattled on at this rate for at least five minutes until he was so exhausted by his efforts that he could proceed no farther somewhat abashed by the failure of my great discovery i begged the officer s pardon for my mistake then i told him the history of the family the strange ideas advanced by the daughter and what facts i knew concerning the birth of her son he grew calmer as i proceeded and listened with the deepest interest uttering many ah s and oh s r i give you my word as an officer and a gentleman he said when i had concluded that i never spoke a syllable to miss but once and that i never saw her alone what i did was to use a great clue exploded for which i am ashamed while under the influence of strong liquor to which i am m acting under the impulse of the moment drew a revolver and shot me precisely as he ought to have done if i had been killed i should have received only my just deserts as it was my life was cut short the doctors tell me another year is all i can count on with certainty you see i nothing i have succeeded in poor and now i await the execution of my own sentence the the gentleness the politeness of the frenchman had returned with full force i have never seen such perfect combination of courtesy bravery and manhood why did you lay this sin at my door he asked after a pause on account of a chain of evidence that seemed sufficient i replied in a discouraged tone i saw m while he was his imprisonment at although we exchanged but one glance he knew that i with him after his release we met accidentally and travelled together he told me he was convicted of a brother officer with intent to kill he said the cause was an insult to a lady so gross that it set his blood on fire then he related how the injured man had labored to save him and had finally obtained his release i easily recognized miss as the probable heroine of this tale and informed m that i intended to return to and ascertain your to this he answered quietly that he would save me that trouble giving me your name and address after obtaining it i told him my out of that you were s father he replied absurd but did not convince me in writing to miss who was then in america i told her what i had learned though not all i guessed in doing this i alluded to m as my as soon as she could reach me i was at sur she came i found her much excited she asked me again and again to repeat what i had heard when i reached my conclusion tha ty u were her child s father she only cried oh and had difficulty in her tears within a short time i found that she was holding with afterward she begged me to accompany her back to seeming to carry with her a most secret everything continued to point to you as far as i could see miss and myself were pursuing our separately and i was kept in the dark completely as far as she was concerned the climax came this noon when in one moment there was placed in my hands a letter stating that she had fled the country and a card containing your name what could i think but that the knowledge of your arrival had caused her flight m bowed a lt was a strange combination he said you started with a wrong and each step you took was consequently but who is this fellow whose friend is to fight or me i never heard of a man of his description was it was it	1
m had made a similar discovery and that both these gentlemen were at or on the way there lost in admiration of the excellent qualities of these individuals i inquired how they had obtained possession of all these facts by a free use of said a to and its answer proved that you had left there another to showed that m had taken passage on a steamer for another sent yesterday to showed that you were both at the hotel de paris could anything be more simple nothing could i was obliged to acknowledge it follows from your statement i said that m and his friend are here there was an instant of on ihe part of m i that out unwillingly he said il can make no difference m and his friend were here naturally when he sent the at ihe moment they are at m in relation to the you made the sprang lo my forehead i am obliged to confess that i made thai under a great error i replied i have left a explanation to that effect col you will remember i that i believed m the father of miss of s child until my interview with him i still held that opinion which i am now certain is when i told m i was laboring under that delusion sprang to his feet and uttered a cry and you meant that and that only by what you said of him to m he exclaimed that and thai only i answered surprised al his another word he strode at a quick pace from the room leaving me for several minutes alone you have astonished me intensely said when he returned perhaps your explanation has come in time to prevent a very proceeding perhaps on the contrary it not i have sent a message to m and his friend he took out his watch and consulted it carefully it is a close he continued but we will hope for the i at the speaker there could not have been much harm done i stammered they would have read my written statement and that would have ended the they might and they might not was the quiet reply when a gentleman feels that all his finer have been when he hears one he considered his true friend has all the of where in short he is led to believe that a woman dearer to him than life itself has been degraded for the second time by a certain person he is in a condition of mind that does not easily accept explanations the gentleman of whom i speak is now with m in the city of con he is her husband if the train which took him there is on time he would not m in cold blood but he might give him such provocation that a could not be averted this was not pleasant to hear to say the least the murder for i could call it no less of an innocent man might be the result of my too hasty jump at an conclusion i was in a very nervous state and the recollection that miss was at the moment within a few hundred yards liable to meet some of these people and learn the truth did not add to my serenity but what did m mean by his wholly mysterious remark about the friend of m holding that lady dearer to him than life itself who could this unknown be that had conceived such a violent affection for miss a woman whose acquaintance with men had been of the most limited description i am at a loss to know i replied when i could get breath who can claim such a deep interest in my american friend he must have a very warm place in his heart for her to travel hundreds of miles merely for the sake of this meeting it was now the turn of to stare do you wish me to understand he asked slowly that you have no conception whatever as to who this gentleman is i have none was my positive answer then he said i will tell you for there is no longer any use in he is her husband i her husband whose husband i asked him feeling a blindness crossing my vision the husband of the lady you call ton out of i heard him distinctly enough but the words did not seem to have any definite meaning i had never connected the word husband with george s daughter and i could not do so now she who hated marriage who had it who had the of the whole world by her contempt of it who had drunk to the confusion of all wives who had the standard of free and independent husband s husband it could not be i think you are mistaken i managed to articulate at last non he responded sharply and there is nothing that means more than this expression thus uttered by a french tongue strange thoughts were passing through my brain poor i wished i had never mixed in her private affairs i wished i had let the of her boy lie in the darkness where she wanted it to remain she did not want a husband she would blame me for this upon her i had brought nothing but trouble to this girl whom i would have done anything to serve how could i help her escape its consequences and all this time she was resting in ignorance of her danger within pistol shot of the parlor in which we were talking i cannot dispute you i said at the same time rising with the intention of reaching my hotel as soon as possible i repeat that i was entirely unaware of the fact you state and that i cannot yet comprehend how it can be true will you give me any further t i added is her husband leaning my	1
arm on the back of a heavy chair for the support i was beginning to need he bowed politely ask anything you wish he said when and where did this marriage take place in december three years ago at the of the where did the couple go then to the fort where the husband was confinement i began to wonder if i was not dreaming after all how long did they stay there she about a month he several days longer replied like a well informed witness at some ordinary investigation the lady being at liberty as her husband was not went out nearly every day into the city on the occasion of one of her she failed to return it was growing slightly clearer but there were still many things to explain can you account for her desertion asked one does not account for the actions of a woman he replied but miss certainly told her friends i remarked with an effort that the father of her child was dead that he died a long time before tho boy s birth and that the cause of his death was a bullet wound m who had also risen and was standing near me bowed with the utmost dignity all of which he said she had reason to be out of at the time she left her husband he was under sentence of death ah the light was growing a little stronger i could almost see the day break in the mist that had so long surrounded this matter that sentence must have been the reason why she married him at all i said the evidence points in that direction was the solemn reply she thought he had but a few weeks to live it was not a husband that she wanted but a child i can comprehend the case perfectly i wanted to get away i was anxious to reach miss i could call her nothing else but the fascination of this story chained me a minute longer to the room and the husband he suspected nothing i ventured you may be certain of that he is a man of the highest honor who would have indignantly such an arrangement he loved your country woman then as he does to day with a passionate devotion the first and last love let me add that he has ever felt the thought that had treated her made him almost insane although he has never seen her since her sudden departure and does not expect to meet her again i caught eagerly at this straw if s husband was content to leave her in peace she might yet escape from this wretched into which i had led her and never know the worst another question i said if this gentleman was possessed of the highest sense of honor how a day at did he happen to be under a death sentence had he committed no crime none whatever replied his innocence was afterward fully established and he was set free with a note of regret and full from the department chapter xxx a day at and grew the horizon but there is one thing i do not yet understand i remarked if his love for miss for his wife was and still is so strong why did he permit her to desert him without protest is this the act of a man who loves exactly that replied m he had sought her by every honorable means using an for he could not speak her language nor she his he secured her hand in marriage only when it appeared to him that his days were numbered he made a will leaving her all the estate he possessed which was not the few weeks he passed with her were so that he almost forgot the suspended sword that hung above his head when she left him of her own free will he could not pursue her her happiness was more to him than his own to follow her to seek her out and urge his love again would only give her annoyance he sacrificed himself on the altar of our of his affection no lover ever made a nobler the dawn was quite clear miss s story was explained all but her denial of the marriage that was still to come but now pursued m u matters have assumed a different aspect this gentleman has learned that he is a father he cannot be made to believe that his wife seriously wishes to go on bearing the of being an mother he means to find her and establish his son s he will not force himself upon his wife his self is complete he only wishes to serve her and his boy when their interests are thoroughly protected he will retire from the scene and trouble them no more i believed him completely i determined to go to miss and tell her all i had learned it seemed to me i could do her no greater service perhaps now she would share her secret with me when i had discovered most of it without her aid au i stammered there was no use in attempting a more elaborate farewell i shall see you again i trust he said holding out his hand although i did not believe he ever would i in his suggestion and a minute later was walking rapidly to my hotel a met me at the door have been looking everywhere for you he exclaimed what a pity you were not here minutes ago t and why to go with the rest of your party they took a at the train after waiting the latest second for you here is a letter i must be dreaming again or else miss i could not call her madame even in my gone to when the boat for would set sail within four hours what was she thinking of i have discovered here the presence	1
of a man i most dread to meet she wrote and see no way of escape but to take the railway to some other point on the coast he undoubtedly knows i am by to night s steamer and this will throw him off my track i shall go to if i can if not straight to i wish to get out of french territory as speedily as possible and shall aim for italy or spain i still hope you will return to the hotel in time to go with us but if not pray believe me most sorry for the trouble i have caused you as soon as i arrive on european soil i will telegraph my address to with instructions to give it to you on application i long for america and shall waste no time in getting there when once i feel safe i stood rooted to the spot like one she was rushing to the city where the man she sought to avoid had gone before her his face might be the first one she encountered at the hotel de paris could anything be done turning from the astonished garden i ran in anything but a dignified way down the street toward the station i knew that people were stopping to look at me that an impression was abroad that i was a lunatic but i kept on till i arrived at my destination finding the de i demanded if there out of was any possibility of a and catching the train that had left half an hour previous satisfying himself after awhile that i was sane the official replied that such a proceeding was he had never heard of pursuing a train in the manner proposed would it not be as well to wait until the next morning and take the regular conveyance when i offered to pay any price he would name for the accommodation he said there was no of for used as train and he should not know what to charge me in short he would do nothing about it whatever i was was there anything else left yes it struck me with a joyful sensation the telegraph i wrote a message to miss on board train for at to make sure and allow for delay that place being twenty nine miles from i told her to alight at the first station where the guard said there was a hotel to remain there in the utmost seclusion till i arrived the next morning and to telegraph me as soon as possible what town she had selected the man you dread to meet has gone to before you i added in explanation to prove that i know this let me tell you who he is your husband the answer came in due time to my delight she would alight at so far so good i was sufficiently relieved to make a toilet and go down to dinner i ate heartily and arose much refreshed from the table having nothing else to do as there was o other train till a at morning i went down to the and watched th departure of the steamer as i was turning back toward the town came up and addressed me you did not sail then he remarked with a tone of slight surprise no i have been detained on a matter of business i may have to return to indeed i hope it will be by the morning train then he answered as i have decided to take it myself my ease vanished quickly if there was anything i did not want it was to have him see me on that train there was nothing to do however but make the best of it i began to whistle and found that the effect on my courage was i then went to s hotel and played cards with him losing about two hundred mainly through the fault of my in the morning i went early to the station and selected a seat in a that was already full with that exception thinking thus to rid myself of the too close companionship i did not wish but came to the door with a winning smile remarking that there was a whole side vacant in another part of the train and that he wished i would come there and enjoy a cigar and a chat with him there was nothing to do but accept for to refuse would have of the train started with us in the and as it happened quite alone you wonder no doubt remarked when we were well under way why i take such an out of interest in your fair american friend it is more than probable i shall be able to explain that fully soon after we arrive at a message reached me this morning from m that is at least on one point his friend is perfectly satisfied with the statement you made regarding m not only was a quarrel avoided m time but the two gentlemen who have had an attachment of long standing for each other have met with all the imaginable it only shows how little is sometimes needed to a great fire and how easily the right kind of will put it out it shows more than that begging your pardon i replied it shows that much trouble may be avoided by explanations and that there is little excuse for mystery among friends i was possessed of enough in this affair to make a rope if i had known how to combine them for instance i accidentally overheard at sur a part of the conversation you had with miss coming down the height that evening i was not seeking it i added as i saw his quick flush but you paused within a few feet of me and your words were quite distinct it is now clear that you were telling miss that you knew of her marriage	1
to learn of his errand yesterday and the telegraph played another part in the affair this husband of yours is now satisfied it appears that his friend louis has committed no against him or you if you had given me the least confidence i concluded in my own none of these things could have happened miss nodded to show that she would not attempt to my assertion you forget so much she said wearily in a gentleman op your heart of hearts i am to you a woman lost to all sense of delicacy if not of shame you never will understand the depth of the sentiment that made me resolve to be a mother but no wife i despair of making anyone comprehend it and sometimes i almost wish i had endured my cross as other women do without seeking to establish a little heaven of my own on this earth i have tried and i have failed the mayor of tells me the record m my husband and that according to human law the child i have considered wholly mine is equally his if he chooses to claim it rising from the chair i occupied i took a step nearer the speaker before i realized what i was doing which of us had lost his senses it could not be for he himself had told me the husband was at while he and i were discussing the matter in his hotel at m your husband i gasped oh dear didn t you know exclaimed miss in the most charming confusion but i don t understand he was not at at all he came on the train with me this morning it was now the lady s turn to snow astonishment more than that she exhibited decided fear and her eyes wandered to an inner door behind which i rightly guessed master was hidden m came to with you she cried yes but not to stop i escaped him he has out of gone on to where he supposed i would accompany him he does not know you are in africa at least i think not i added it was he who told me that your husband was at that he had gone there to meet m i am more at sea than ever heaved a sigh of relief from a danger she had thought nearer you are certain he went on with the train she asked he could not have alighted here without your knowledge i am quite certain she took a from the table and consulted it the first station is thirteen away she mused the next steamer leaves to morrow evening we may escape him yet i could do no less than but i begged her to tell me her story in something like form although her mind was fully made up to this she hesitated for several minutes before beginning the recital in the meantime she went to the next room and brought in for me to see when i had admired him sufficiently she started to take him back to his nurse but thought better of it and sat down with him in her lap as if his presence would help her to the courage and strength she needed i will do the best i can she said at last but i shall make the story as brief as possible and omit everything you already know except such matters as are necessary to give to the narrative i bowed and she began again a gentleman of m it was two years ago last october she said that i first met m at a hotel in a certain city in the south of spain i had recently discharged a with whom i had left paris and was travelling alone with a maid there was trouble over a bill which was so that i refused point blank to pay it i could not speak spanish and neither could my maid and i was resolved not to be imposed upon so as the landlord had attempted a gentleman whom i had seen at table in the dining room noticed my and in the most courteous manner addressed me in french asking if he could render any assistance i bade my maid explain the situation to him upon which he had some warm words with the proprietor of the hotel the result being that the charge against me was reduced to proper dimensions having accomplished this he lifted his hat bade me adieu and went his way so far there had been nothing between us but such a courtesy as a man may render at any time in any country to a woman in distress miss paused drew a long breath kissed glanced at me to note my expression which was and then proceeded the next city at which i stopped with my maid was a port at which i was to take ship for i a and was about to engage one who presented himself when my newly made friend m appeared again learning from my maid that i thought of the fellow he urged her to advise me against it saying that he knew him to be and he recommended in his place an oriental named who had just finished out of a tour with another american lady to whom ae referred me his advice was followed and my thanks were conveyed to him at this time i supposed the meeting was our last understand he had never spoken to me directly except once and that i could not comprehend or reply to him all he had said was to but he had rendered me two important services i bowed if there were questions i wanted to ask i knew the wiser way was not to interrupt her she kissed the child again lying against her breast with eyes wide open as if he wanted to hear the story too in the evening when out at	1
sea m came upon the deck where i was he looked surprised i thought annoyed and made no attempt to intrude himself upon me asked about him and that was the first time we learned his name he was it appeared a french gentleman of fortune who had travelled and now held a commission in the army at we lost him while we remained in that town and vicinity about a week he went directly to but the second day after we reached the latter place we saw him again it was at a review and he was with his regiment a expression crossed the face of the at this point and i listened intently for what was to follow he saw me and called my attention to him after that he appeared before me nearly every day in some way or other sometimes he dined at the hotel de with a group of officers one evening i recognized in his party a gentleman to whom a gentleman of france i had been introduced in france a relation of a lady whom i knew at home after dinner this gentleman spoke to me and as we were conversing m passed allow me to present my friend said the america n and the formality was achieved but knowing nothing of each other s languages this seemed of little moment i am sure i thought nothing of it and i should have left with only the faintest memory of m had he not sent me this letter the which she handed me was in french written in a bold hand and with unusually clear it was a plain straightforward proposal of marriage you will wonder said the letter at the extreme of a man who has only met you once in a formal way but i love you i have oo patience to wait till i can acquire the tongue you speak nor to take the slow and path that winds through the ordinary road to matrimony i a list of as to my standing and reputation i am a gentleman to whose family and fortunes you need not be ashamed to ally yourself as the expression may appear it is the first time i have ever cared for a woman take time for your answer if it is necessary but at least give me the opportunity to meet you again even should it be on terms of friendship alone i am not quoting the letter literally but its purport was to the effect i have stated this letter continued miss when i had finished reading it aroused my interest still more in the gentleman i had not the slightest idea of falling in love with him and my aversion to out of was too firmly fixed to enable me to give him the answer he desired but i had for me a kind note declining his offer and saying that i would be glad nevertheless to have him call on me at any time after this was written it occurred to me that a meeting at the hotel would attract attention i had the maid tear up that note and write another containing only the and a statement that i would try to see him at some time to be decided later it happened that while i was going to la to visit the a carriage containing m overtook mine the meeting was entirely accidental he saluted me in answer to my bow and when the horses were stopped for a rest he came and spoke to me by the wheel of my vehicle ah interpreted his remarks which were most courteous and respectful before we started again he requested permission to ride with myself and the and it was granted taking the seat he had in his carriage our conversation carried on through the was necessarily slow but i found him interesting and learned much of the country through which we were passing and of in general during the next few hours at the a brother took us in charge and we visited the points usually shown to travellers finishing with a light lunch then told me that i might see a ceremony in the if i chose to accompany the priest and m and i went with eagerness in the midst of this ceremony to which guided my consisting only of the word out there was a pause the ceased to speak to us and stepping into a gentleman of the called out something in a loud voice and m exchanged a dozen sentences all of course greek to me and then we hastened to our carriages and drove away all i could learn was that something had the and that it was best for us to leave at once the true cause i never dreamed of until you told me the conversation you had with i interrupted it now appears that a marriage service was being repeated and that the words i was were promises to love honor and obey for the rest of my life a man i had recently refused the ceremony would not have made me a wife in the eyes of the law without being by another from the civil authority but it is none the less startling to think i should have been drawn into anything of the kind suspecting nothing i returned to and parted with m just before entering the city i wanted to ask about s part in this affair but i thought it best to let her finish her story first a few days later continued arranging in a more comfortable position he having fallen asleep in her lap i went to m to my surprise joined us there he had been ordered to make a tour of some of the and his proposition to take our party with him was accepted with little hesitation affording such a fine opportunity to get at the inside of things in that	1
semi civilized land i had and besides my own strength and courage and i felt sure at that time that m was one of the out of most perfect gentlemen that ever breathed during the next month my journey was made as agreeable as possible every point of interest was visited and under such circumstances as few travellers enjoy i grew to like the french gentleman very much i trusted him above all his in the face of the refusal i had sent him were remarkable and in all this time he neither spoke nor wrote anything that would re open the subject of his love for me he was courteous attentive thoughtful but never if i had not been so determined never to marry i might have in the face of such admirable conduct but my story is getting long mr are you certain it is not you chapter if you had searched the world assuring her briefly on this point i waited for her to proceed tired i had never felt less so in nay life i returned to before m and for a week did not see him then there came the most appalling misfortune from which all our misery has arisen i will choose the words possible for the remembrance makes me suffer horribly i went one afternoon upon invitation to visit tht where m s regiment was if you had searched the world i was accompanied inside the buildings by leaving ah in the carriage a young officer came to meet us and announcing to me through that he was m s brother invited us into a parlor to await that gentleman who was expected while we were there a colonel it was m shuddered and for an instant acted as if she could not continue m she repeated came in he was partially and before any of us had the least idea what he meant to do he had to my side of the room and with an expression that would never repeat but which must have been wholly objectionable placed his hands roughly on my shoulders instantly as it seemed to me there was a loud report and the colonel fell at my feet with a groan the shooting had been performed on the spur of the moment by m s brother who would have fired a second time had i not had the presence of mind to spring in front of him and grasp his arm he was insane with rage and i together could not keep him from kicking the prostrate and apparently senseless form on the floor upon which he would have still further vengeance but for our combined efforts in the midst of this m entered the room i could not help speaking in the interval which miss took to her nerves shaken at the fearful recollections but i always understood certainly he told me so that fired the shot himself so he did it was i have tried to make that plain enough m had not yet arrived of but he came in a moment too late there lay to all appearances a dead man there stood the brother with us two women between him and the colonel the revolver still smoking in his hand and his face with passionate anger luckily the noise had attracted no attention for the sound of is too common in a military post to be noticed the first act of m was to lock the door by which he had entered the second was to take the pistol from his brother the third was to beg me to be seated as i could tell he did by the motion which he made toward a chair and the fourth was to ask to give him as quickly as possible an explanation of the affair ah what a complicated story each hundred words of it offered some new puzzle it was not then who had made an offer of marriage to miss who had her over the provinces of and but who had now gone to and was to meet him there it was who was the friend of m and the husband of and the father of heavens how many men i had accused of that child s m was very grave at this moment continued miss the duty of an officer who had discovered a crime overcame for an instant every other feeling to speak but he was sternly commanded to keep silence he was no longer a brother but an officer of inferior rank in fifty words told exactly what had happened and the change wrought in m s countenance was terrible he strode to the wounded if had searched the world man and turning him over roughly in his ear that he had received just punishment then he went up to and clasped him wildly in his arms tears streaming down both his cheeks was conscious and began to speak in low but audible tones i learned from what he was saying he believed his wound mortal but made no attempt to defend his act or to accuse his fly he whispered you can get the evening steamer for italy it was the brandy that did it my friend not i leave me all of you and reveal nothing till is free go go for the love of god m upon recovering himself turned to me and spoke rapidly i must re enter my carriage and drive to the hotel without delay he would trust me to keep secret the affair that had led his brother into this deplorable action it would be best for me to leave in the morning lest i should be summoned as a witness and put to inconvenience tell her he said as we were at the door that i love her that i never did and never shall love another but my duty now is to when he is safe i trust to meet	1
speak a perceptible thrill passed over her body his english was ery good but strongly marked with the french ascent his voice was low and sweet his that ef a man who has no higher wish than to speak the truth when i remembered that he had learned the language within three years i thought he did remarkably well i hardly know how to address you madame he said when i find you in this unexpected place with my child in your arms if i do not make my thoughts as plain as i could wish you will remember that the situation is a trying one as well for me as for you i am speaking a tongue of which i did not know ten words when i met you a little over three years ago i have learned it for the sole purpose of conversing with you in it if ever that happiness should be mine he waited apparently for some sign to guide him in what he should say farther but the wife s face had no signal for him the woman s eyes were fixed on the figure of her child i have learned he proceeded presently that you accuse me of grave it is true that i tried to have a religious service performed upon us at the but i call heaven to witness that my intentions were the purest in the world i would have told you what had happened explained my reasons and have left the rest to your judgment i was very much in love with you i could not out op bring myself to believe that you would not n time my affection but at i swear to you before god i was as much deceived as you it was s too great fondness for me that led him into making the arrangements that he thought would please me best i accepted you before the law as my true wedded wife with all honesty i had as i believed but a few days more of earth indeed your presence made me feel that heaven s gates had already been opened then you went away and they came to tell me i was free but i would rather have met the firing with your kiss on my lips yes i assure you i glanced at from time to time and saw that her mouth trembled for myself i will not deny my eyes were moist s tone was so tender and his words so apt i would like to know if you believe me continued the speaker pausing yes yes came the scarcely audible answer that me he said brightening and now that i have been the unfortunate means of making you a wife when you did not wish to be one what is there that i can do and the little boy you do not give him my name i have heard and you even call yourself instead of madame that is not right it will not be well for for the baby by and by also he must inherit my estate if i were living with you as your husband i would not have to say these things but you do not want me i am afraid shook her head slowly as if the of her neck were swollen you must have suffered from those who knew caught ik a trap you a mother and thought you no wife he said very gently let me at least go to your home with you and tell them i am your husband let me right you my dearest one before the then if you bid me i will depart and in the meantime i will ask nothing of you the fair young head shook slowly again but the lips did not open you will think better of it some day said uttering her name as simply as the rest of the words he was speaking and now this is all i wish to say to you at present you do not need to be told how true my love is what suffering i have to endure because i have lost you you were my wife for twenty days you know you know and in all that time he added there was nothing to show that you hated me nothing miss began to cry softly perceived it and put his hand to her cheek with the single word mamma as ceased herself for a brief reply she realized the necessity of saying something that this terribly earnest man would understand she said in a voice so low that we had to bend forward to hear her if i were capable of loving any man i am sure it would be such a one as you but i cannot love a man i can only love a child this infant has every drop of affection that runs through my being he and i want nothing but each other if you truly care for us you can best show it by leaving us entirely alone out of m arose and stood a very pathetic picture gazing upon his sweetheart and offspring i shall do it madame he said and his tone had never sounded so musical from this moment you will not see me again unless by some accident i cannot prevent i do not hold to the old views about marriage to me no love of woman is desirable when it has to find its basis in duty alone i will send you my permanent address at paris should you ever want me i will fly to you from any part of the earth where i may happen to be unless i receive such a message i shall never intrude myself upon your presence i only ask one thing now let me kiss our child for one second she drew the boy away from him then she raised to the face of his father adieu	1
said m adieu murmured miss as soon as the frenchman had left the deck which he did immediately with his brother begged me to assist her to her her strength had left her completely the maid who had sat but a little way from us came to carry the child and i had to do almost as much for its mother she leaned nearly her whole weight on me and her breath came in quick short if it were not for my baby she whispered to me on the way j i would throw myself into the sea i would never have believed myself capable of such pain did you see his face when he kissed i told her i did and that i pitied him sincerely not than i she said passionately not he looks like more than i if there were only something i could do for him but there is nothing nothing but to become his wife and that cannot be how he must despise me in h s heart i despise myself i am sure oh she cried what have i not endured for your sweet sake and you are still mine all mine no one else can claim a hair of your darling head chapter he looks like we did not see again on that steamer before we reached came to bid me farewell but refrained from alluding in any way to his brother he gave me a hand that trembled and i knew well that the sufferings of the husband and father were shared by this devoted relation their a was of the strongest kind one that i have seldom seen i could not feeling that i had never met men who appealed more to my sense of what brotherhood ought to mean than these same gentlemen on the pier at new york we found good dr awaiting us accompanied by mr and mrs drew s home was in perfect order and she seemed like another child when she stepped across the familiar threshold only the usual common places had been exchanged in the but now spoke to me with an earnestness out of that her sincerity and bade me tell her entire story to her friends as soon as i could find it convenient they may as well know now that the secret is out she said and that very evening when was in her private apartments with the baby i the strange story i have given to you thank god she is a wife after all exclaimed mrs drew devoutly when i had finished thank god that little is the offspring of a legitimate union but she will never live with her husband i said she has positively refused to recognize him in any way the next thing likely is a divorce that does not alter the case replied the lady she has to the law we can tell that their dreadful suspicions were it us of a terrible load and i for one breathe easier over this affair let her get the divorce if that is her wish people will not blame her seriously had a divorce you know and now she is married again indeed i had not heard of that oh yes to a very nice fellow too he was in the same trouble as she married to a woman he could not get along with so and he arranged it she promised to marry him as soon as he was free and a month ago they got the papers and were joined by a clergyman the same evening she is quite happy at last poor child i thought of an expression that has applied to our american system of divorce and re he looks like marriage it seemed to fit the present case did she ever hear what became of i inquired yes said mrs drew he married an lady as soon as got her separation from him and i learn is spending a small fortune that she had left her as fast as he can i shall feel so different about she added returning to that subject with evident satisfaction one can go anywhere with her now if only she would call herself madame what s his name instead of miss i shall talk to her she owes something to those of us who have stood by her through this affair don t you think she will give in that much for our mr i replied that i was very much in doubt of it that i saw nothing to give me any such impression she was very proud of her name and wanted to ter it on the steamer s passenger list with the words and child added the of the list what he took to be an error by changing the miss to mrs but her entry was plain miss and child well we will hope for the best said mrs dr w with a sigh and you say this mr he is a nice gentleman one of the most perfect i ever met i answered on my own account i began a correspondence with m i wanted to assure him of the state of my feelings and to let him know that if i could at any time aid him in his position i should do so among other things out of i requested his photograph explaining that i to own it in case anything happened to his wife and i was left the guardian of his child in due course an answer came breathing the same devotion to those he loved that i had seen in his attitude on the steamer and with it the picture he mentioned in his letter that he was anxious to visit america and would be glad to see me but intended to avoid a meeting that might be disagreeable to his wife i answered that i would do all in my power to make his stay in	1
new york and finally an answer came to this letter stating that and he would sail on the on a date not far distant seemed to have forgotten her intention of securing a divorce now that she had the sea between her and her lord her life was spent in the old way mainly with her son i took dinner with them generally by a sort of regular understanding and one day at the table i took m s portrait from my pocket and handed it to to my surprise she made no fuss whatever the only thing noticeable was a quiver of the as she remarked that the likeness was excellent he is a splendid fellow she added with enthusiasm have you two of these i would like one much i told her i had but one but she should take it with pleasure if she wished for it was worth more to her than to me it is indeed she replied then she called the attention of the young gentleman in a high chair by her side see here master this is your father is he not a handsome man and he s as hb looks like good as he is handsome if you want to make your mamma happy be as noble as he when you grow up she accepted the picture and had it put in a frame on her mantel i was in her rooms one day when mrs formerly miss drew and later mrs was calling there s attention was called to the photograph and she casually inquired who it was oh that said raising her eyes that is s father m exclaimed the other it more closely yes he looks very dignified was s next comment not at all like i imagined him let her eyes fall on the picture he is a good man she said simply ah very good repeated u he is the best man i ever knew except my father i agree to that perfectly i remarked and i must add that fate is too severe when it him of a wife and child he miss was silent she evidently did not like to enter into a discussion in which she must take the he looks like said regarding the picture intently i should think you would want him with you to help guide your boy when he grows older a father is needed then a good father and no mother can fill his place turned toward us with both her hands outstretched out of why are you all so cruel to me she cried you know i have thought of all these things that i would love to have him here for s you know the obstacles in my way a father yes that is well enough but to gain that relation m would have to assume also that of a husband to day i am free independent my own mistress married i should be under the authority of one who could if he chose make my life a hell it is well enough to say that m would not do that but who knows there are people in who place their heads in the mouths of lions for a number of seasons they do this with and then without warning the great jaws close i cannot bear to give even the best of men such rights over me i cannot no i cannot looked at the speaker strangely there is a difference in men she said mr and mr are both men but such a i do exactly as i like now and i think that is the way every wife should do miss heard her impatiently you do as you like because he lets you she said when he takes the notion you will do as likes i know how it is authority is by the law in the man suppose i agreed to live with m as his wife everything would go smoothly for a number of weeks perhaps then there would come a day when he would say yes and i would say no he would insist and i would insist i would put on my hat to leave the house and he would order me to take it off who would win he of course my father kept my mother a prisoner for he looks like months because the law constituted him master i have too much spirit to endure that kind of and i have no reason for my liberty at present i can eat when i like drink when i like go to bed when i like get up when i like i have no one to consult no one to ask consent of if i wish to take a trip to street oi a negro in might as well demand another that would him to slavery as i to have the bonds of matrimony around my limbs when was gone i asked if she remembered what i had told her at and i repeated it you love i said you love him as he loves you perhaps perhaps she answered but if i worshipped him i would refuse just as strongly to be his wife we could not live in that close without my wanting to him her half admission surprised me greatly i was encouraged to tell her that her husband was coming to america on a tour of sight seeing and that i wished she would invite him to visit her he may come i would like to have him come she replied without hesitation so long as he only asks my friendship i shall be much pleased to see him when i repeated this to dr and asked him what he thought of it he shook his gray mane savagely don t put to me he said i out of used to think i knew something of the workings of the human mind but i don t	1
a month later i entered the house with came forward to greet us m in a wonderfully self possessed mood and introduced him to dr and mrs drew as my friend m that you have heard me speak of so often the frenchman much acknowledged the that he received and himself admirably if did not fall in love with him she was the only one of the household of whom that could be said seemed to like him immensely when left he received an invitation to call again the second time he was asked to remain to dinner and to bring with him you cannot imagine a party than we all made with this father mother and child at one table under the very strange circumstances of the case addressed her husband as and he called her madame the boy was not well enough in any language to talk a great deal or he might have complicated matters still more mrs drew was particularly sweet to followed her lead as usual dr was courteous to everybody but once in awhile i caught him throwing despairing looks at as if to ask her when she would end the part of this affair we managed to leave m and alone together more or less we guessed that there were things they might like to discuss in private but the he looks like door to the parlor they occupied on these occasions seemed to be purposely left open or at least in this way several weeks passed the brothers dined at the house nearly every day and usually remained most of the evening with at eleven o clock the visitors always took their leave my own rooms were in the direction of the hotel they occupied and we walked out together but nothing was said nothing by either of us one evening this was only a few weeks ago the clock struck the customary hour for leaving without having any perceptible effect on or her we waited ten minutes which seemed very long ones and still they did not come slightly but maintained silence five minutes more mrs drew rose and out of the room a moment later she returned with her eyes wide open and her parted oh she exclaimed what do you think i knocked gently and they did not answer and then i pushed open the door and well cried we all in one breath why was lying in his arms her face all wet with tears and and he was kissing fur f out or ready for the jury chapter and now suit yourselves mr paused and turned to me with a look that s t as clearly as words what have you got to say and he did not seem particularly flattered when i replied that his story had turned out precisely as i expected it would women are women after all i explained let them get as far as they may out of the paths followed by their inherited instincts are stronger than resolutions your friend will be madame the rest of her life and probably all the happier for the way she took to achieve her destiny the retired smiled with one of his triumphant expressions we don t know yet whether she will or not he said she still lives at her own house and he at his hotel nearly every day he comes to dinner and remains for the evening and sometimes she walks out with him but so far as we can see this is all she has given us no indication that she to change this manner of life in response to a direct question of mine just before i left new york she shook her head and now suit yourselves you are a man of sense i answered and you know this can t go on forever they are by your own account lovers and time will surely bind them closer mark my he raised a finger to stop me don t miss is a puzzle that those who know her best have found impossible of solution there is no doubt that she loves this frenchman but she has an fear of putting herself as she calls it in his power she is now free to love or to cease to love and she wishes to remain so she wants the right to live near him or to go to the farthest end of the earth to submit her lips to his kisses or to close them merely because she wills it she that breaks from a woman the wings that god placed between her shoulders and her to suit her pace to that of a man she may learn to dread like death to be sure she may change all of these views on the contrary she may not neither of us can tell that most women would change is no proof that she will for is not like other women i remarked that i wished miss or madame or whatever she elected to be called would make her decision and have done with it and i gave as my very good reason that i had a novel to write and wanted to use her history as its basis and could not wait a great while for the my readers especially the feminine ones i said will demand to know the result of this lady s peculiar doctrines or in other words how she came out mr replied that he had thought of that of he believed the best way was to write the story up to date the public a jury to try the case of the state they could argue it pro and con and fix up conclusions to suit their individual selves and in a subsequent story i could tell them what the real ending was after time had developed it the more i considered this idea the more i was pleased with it and finally i	1
who might have had rich miss asking so of both parties nobody was surprised at old mr s shutting his doors for ever against the young couple or wasted much thought on the te of the fine young man and the beautiful girl after the first excitement of astonishment was over except dr the of and he was second sin to henry so no wonder miss having exhausted her on the subject of her sister s match found herself in her twenty ninth year on the verge of with nobody c to marry her nobody coming to not even a poor and the subject was to her considerable uneasiness when her father s heir at mr james who for many years had regularly visited park place in the shooting season came down for the vol i a e t in a coarse apron or a gown pulled through the pocket peas or making a for lady had no notion of a parson s wife sticking up to be a fine lady indeed the character of a fine lady was the object of her supreme contempt for though she herself much on her ancient birth being descended from the de that went on the first yet she considered it no degradation of her dignity to check her steward s accounts look after her the village children and give mrs a by word of mouth for that combination of a the sir john had been something of a knowledge is power said he the power of making one s self disagreeable that he might not make himself disagreeable he never opened a book after he became his own master but devoted himself to the gratification of an extraordinary passion for bell ringing at first he used to practise in the parish church but his constant disturbing the studies or the of mr s a quarrel ensued between and and sir john set up an opposition in his own grounds hei he and his men servants amused themselves many a long hour the good people of out of their senses and wearing mr to a thread with low spirits except when a north wind carried the noise to and nearly put a stop to the business of the place sometimes they at other times they at length death out of patience at so much without any took off sir john his sold the bells and the fell into decay mrs from her cheerful disposition became a great favourite with the old a character which on her so much interference that she was often led to regret its and could only be re to it by the reflection that lady whom no could possibly force into indignant silence would be ten times more troublesome as an enemy than as a friend she wondered that henry appeared insensible to the annoyance and was often provoked at the hearty cordiality of his my dear lady how kind of you to look in upon us with so little ceremony men have small sympathy with female at being caught mending shirts or dressed in beyond e trials mrs had f w that not f u tile lot of every housekeeper with a limited income she kid a little difficulty in making both ends meet but her husband reminded her that they were better off than dr johnson s country friend who brought up nine children on ap de her boys and g admirably on their plain fare and often did the traveller whom the beauty of the scenery had to pass through pause to gaze on the picturesque group of healthy hanging over the or riding a rough donkey in the adjoining shadowy lanes the news of old mrs s death was her through friendly medium of dr who had often attempted to obtain a of the parental sentence in less than a old mr followed his wife to the grave and after a fourteen years silence condescended to announce the misfortune to her sister there is no mention of you she wrote in his will but as he said that he forgave you on his death bed i see no in writing to you shall be glad to hear from you in return enclosed is a fifty pound note for your mr halted the word with angry his wife touched by softened of home was sure poor meant kindly she wiped away son e natural tears and lost no time in answering her sister s letter the correspondence between them however in spite of mrs s to keep it up and some months had elapsed in silence when mrs at length wrote to the following effect i may th ear i received of t e si d of i am ry to hear mr was troubled with the ache when you wrote why does he try nut mr says there s nothing like it don t tell me says he of try nut a is much the same in health as she used id be but i ages very mu ih f or all her fresh i should not l e surprised at her off any day mr i is well though very i ji as to b clear fm sure i haven t known what it is to have t good night i don t know how long mr says he thinks i should be better for change of scene and i think so too for i am sick of but mr does not like moving i tell him he is an old man before his time for he is as fixed in all his ways and as much nailed to one place as if he was seventy however i don t know if it came to the push whether i really could make up my own mind to stir for there is so much vexation and trouble in travelling and besides i don t know who i could comfortably leave	2
will be quite soon enough quite my dear love and i am glad to be the task as i must go to see poor who is ill mrs scarcely his parting but a moment after he had quitted hie house she recovered from her reverie and desired one of her little boys to run his papa and inquire whether he meant to drink tea at mr green way s that evening her sister s letter had made her forget the invitation harry with an answer in the x and mrs was soon intent on household v c chapter ii domestic the letter which was to decide the of w w not written for some time mr on the day following the discussion with his wife had a feverish attack of which he at first made light but which became sufficiently serious to confine him to the house on the second day of his illness he grew so much worse that mrs mr who no sooner beheld his patient than he pronounced his fever to have been caught of ana advised mrs to send her children instantly beyond the reach of to receive them beneath his own roof she accepted the proposal however now about thirteen years of age earnestly implored leave to remain as assistant nurse she had been in heir father s room she said the whole of the day had often held his hand in hers and felt his breath on her cheek therefore in all probability had either taken the already or was not liable to it mrs consented and the girl took her place at her s bedside held the draught to his lips and pressed his burning forehead with her soft cool when after a night he for a short time recovered his senses he seemed uneasy at her presence and asked why she was allowed to so much danger but her answer satisfied him and he soon was again insensible to any thing that passed around him poor mrs beholding the rapid progress of the disorder was so bewildered by grief as to be scarcely capable of acting while pale as death but perfectly collected moved to and fro with noiseless steps tne room administered the and followed every direction which mr had given her mother in her hearing it was strange and beautiful to see so yoimg a girl made regardless of her own danger by intense affection and preserving through the very intensity of that affection the self possession which enabled her to control her tears and perform every necessary office with the of an person on the third day mr breathed his last he became sensible a short time before his murmured blessings on his wife and daughter and expired in their whom tho village experience of a few days seemed to have into excellence would now hare abandoned herself to the wildest had she not been awed into the restraint of her feelings by the speechless agony of her all the simple arts of were wed by her to rouse mrs from the of despair and when the unhappy widow at length burst into tears found m sobbing on her bo om the loss of such a husband and as mr was if sympathy could haye healed the affliction of his their tears would soon have i wiped away for every one loved and pitied them it was soon necessary to leave the to make way mr successor and as mrs had no wish to quit the neighbourhood she took a large cottage in good repair on the skirts of the low rent of which was to her if stood at the extremity of a pleasant in the valley behind the church and was capable of being made a pretty residence judicious direction the grief and the bustle of moving being over every thing in their new home tended to subdue the sorrow of the widow and to that tone of quiet regret which we would not if we could dismiss from our hearts after the loss of an object a few days after their establishment the new arrived a mr whom every body was sure beforehand they should dislike this being the case no wonder that many were drawn the sunday between and mr mr ht his sermon too mr good too while miss margaret holland pronounced it a quarter of an hour too long and farmer holland declared nothing but curiosity had prevented his asleep holland had some hopes of his proving a marrying man in more senses one and from at the first glance hat he was at least thirty oh certainly thirty or more the gradually made more and more allowance for a staid of countenance and set him down for six or seven and twenty his person was pleasing his manners gentlemanly and quiet every one soon liked him very well except the and perhaps their mother chapter iii the s when lady heard that mrs had taken john cottage at the end of the lane she remarked that she feared the poor woman would find her less than formerly for that the though very easy to come down was mighty hard for her to climb up again perhaps mrs might have already derived a momentary satisfaction from the idea that this would be the case though we will not suppose her to have chosen an abode in the valley for the express purpose of herself from an interfering and indeed fourteen years of intimacy had so her to the old lady s ways that she was not so sensible in this instance as many woman might have been of the gain of a loss curiosity induced lady to brave of the walk a few days the widow s removal to tne white cottage when she took occasion to find fault with the colour of the parlour walls which she said might have been washed with a good at half the expense green indeed	2
there was too much green every where round them already green hedges green trees green one would think they had sore eyes and to be sure mrs s did look rather blood shot would have been cheaper and twice as cheerful her took leave with a threat that she should not be able to call again for some time however the morning mr s first sermon she could restrain herself no longer and posted down the lane to her old friend and favourite a very promising young man said she as soon as she recovered her breath is our new minister he dined with me yesterday after service which i never could prevail on mr to do and extremely to the purpose was his conversation i assure you i have no doubt he will do an amazing deal of good and i am sure there is enough need for it john in particular is as hardened a sinner as ever lived and your poor husband was not half sharp enough upon him i took the opportunity of letting mr into the characters of a great many of the most of his flock and i am persuaded he will lose no time in act village b ing upon the hints i threw out oh ive ways and means of finding out a good deal that you would not give me credit for the hack window of my dressing room you know commands a view of the white and i always make my sally sit there at her work and tell me what idle fellows go in and out there are some you would hardly suspect of drinking that pay pretty long visits there three and four times a week the money they ought to take home to their hut i don t tell all i see to every only keep it hanging over their heads how was it you weren t at church yesterday i could not up my mind to the effort why you took courage the sunday to be sure now that mr is settled among us for good it a trial the first time you see him in the pulpit but as it must come first or last i should think the sooner you get over it the better do you know whether old is out of employ yet mr asked if i could recommend him a gardener for he said he could not bear that a spot which bore the marks of feminine care should run to waste i told him mr always managed his garden himself but he said he had not a turn for and and hardly knew a from a so then i recommended old joe and said if he had him twice a week that would be quite enough i asked him if he meant to marry at which ne laughed and said no he was a confirmed old bachelor i said that was lucky for that unless he stuck up to you who were too old or your daughter who was too young there was no choice for him except among the lands who between ourselves are too besides who are they below him in birth any way so that really ha ha if he ever should take matrimony into his head think his best chance would be with you and then you know you could all go back to the oh pray pray lady if you have the smallest regard my feelings never well well i won t i was only in joke but i see you are not able to bear that yet and seriously speaking he is much too for you for i asked him his age and he said six and twenty he looks more and so i told him if mr had been desirous of himself with mrs he might with reason have exclaimed save me from my friends certainly witli the most candid of dispositions and every wish to do him mrs well ford s dread of seeing him and to the mention of his name were doubly increased by lady at the expense as it were of the dead and more especially by her acknowledgment of having alluded to mr of the possibility that the dead should ever be forgotten the sunday was looked forward to with pain before it arrived however the new thought proper to pay his respects at the white cottage and in spite of s many against him she felt her dislike away under the influence of his mild pleasing manners he entered easily into conversation spoke of their mutual friend dr and of which it seemed he had lately visited praised the scenery of summer field then went on with english scenery in general and compared it with that of where he said he had spent the preceding winter with a beloved sister mrs noticing an expression of melancholy in his tone inquired whether ill health had been the motive of the journey yes he said his sister had been in a decline and a air had been recommended but not even could save her he was left alone in the world mr then cleared his throat and spoke of the noise and discomfort of there was nothing to it desirable for an invalid he observed except the air were he in ill health he should prefer taking his chance at home abruptly the subject he noticed the pretty view of the church from the parlour window and whether she did not think it would make a g ood sketch and whether she drew he then spoke of the lower order of his and made several inquiries of mrs respecting their characters and wants mr had too much tact to hint how sorry he was sure she must have been to have quitted the but he expressed his delight at the beauty and neatness of his new residence which he said he should have pride in preserving in	2
its present order offered to take on his knee for which he was rewarded with a push and asked for one of her which were finer than any in his own garden i think mamma said timidly when their visitor was gone mr seems a person whom we shall learn to like in time at first i was almost sorry and i am afraid rather envious when i heard people praise him it seemed as if they were papa of his rights but now i begin to feel that we should be thankful he has been succeeded vol l b village by some one who can appreciate the good he did among the poor and carry on his plans how much more painful would it have been if a red faced hunting sporting clergy man had been sent to us like the at i dare say you are right my dear said her mother with a sigh mr s character was in fact of a higher class than that of his amiable with fewer shining qualities than mr he possessed greater grasp of mind he had fewer accomplishments less manners but stronger sense he appealed to the passions and more to the understanding to one accustomed to the of mr s countenance and manner mr especially while still suffering from a domestic calamity necessarily appeared grave and reserved his disposition was excellent yet where mr would have acted from the spontaneous impulse of the heart mr often acted from principle mr s disposition was essentially social he had no higher enjoyment than that of conversing with his wife his children and his mr had greater sources of happiness within himself it sometimes cost him an effort to lay down a favourite author and visit a sick but the volume was always closed and the peasant always visited and the consequent glow of self approbation amply repaid the exertion of rousing himself from luxurious mrs who had written more than one letter to her sister now re urged her sending one of the girls to park place mrs s spirits became very low at the thought of parting with any of the dear members of her diminished circle and she long endured all the discomfort of but recalling to mind her last conversation with her husband to whose sentiments and wishes she now attached a species of she at length made up her mind to part with her little and wrote the answer to her sister s invitation with fond self deception she avoided fixing any specific time taking advantage of such phrases as the next opportunity a escort c but mr and mrs good being summoned to london by the death of a relation that very week they to the little girl at stock in their way and the proposal was too to be refused the suddenness of the resolution prevented much time for regret was in high spirits to the last moment and it was not t i were village drawn up and the stage through that the little began to roar at the top of her lungs without describing the adventures of a heroine in her eighth year during the course of a forty miles progress over a road it may be necessary to state that the evening of the same day saw her safely consigned to a powdered footman at the lodge of park place with silent awe accompanied him to the house beneath the of which stood a middle aged gentleman who honoured her with a kiss saying so you are my little niece are you i am sure you seem a very nice little maid thence she was conducted to the drawing room where sat mrs and old mrs she was welcomed by the former with a delight such as a child might display at tne of a new toy and how is your mamma love cried the lady her niece s bonnet lord what a fine child i do look at her aunt was indeed well worth looking at her locks let them be or brushed which way they might persisted in themselves into large laughing eyes were and her cheeks of the colour and of a mrs smothered her with kisses and mrs observed that she was an uncommon fine child indeed this evening every body was pleasant and pleased the next was not quite so agreeable had been noisy all day and in the afternoon had her uncle to swing her in the garden mrs at being deprived of a of which she was nevertheless already becoming tired summoned them in doors they returned in high spirits and renewed the in the drawing room and then she began to be jealous that whom she had got for should so visibly prefer the company of the gentleman she declared she could bear such a noise no longer so miss was sent to bed after she was gone mr sat down took up a newspaper which he had read before and commenced the following dialogue with his wife well my dear how did mr find you to day he said mr that i ve a great deal of h heat about me and am r from well r well i am glad to hear it village glad to hear what mr raising her voice and speaking distinctly he says i m far from well oh far from well that the case fm sorry to hear it i don t think you care much it what a sturdy little thing that is it is what strength she puts out that s no answer mr to my observation what observation my dear i did not hear you make any no i dare say such a fine uproar as you have been making ever since tea it would be just the same i dare say if i were dead deaf my dear no such thing dear me mr who said you	2
were i said dead not deaf oh was it so my dear i am thinking if you took as much pains to pronounce your as your i should hear you perfectly well you have got into rather an indistinct way of speaking the last year or two well i never to lay the fault of your hardness of hearing to my my dear i hear perfectly well yes because she it does not appear so to me because you re deaf i m sure her voice went through my head this evening observed mrs oh and mine too she s very lovely certainly but no one would take her for a gentleman s child it will be the ruin of her if we continue to let her go on as she has done to day i must endeavour to bring her into some sort of order this was spoken in mrs s ordinary tone of voice and drawing her chair towards mrs she left her husband to enjoy his and his newspaper together should not you call on mrs soon said mrs yes i think i ought though i ve a good mind to punish her for her abominable haughty independent manner by staying away a little longer what a terrible large family that is to be sure the doctor has a handsome income but i can hardly imagine how he will provide for them all oil the ton and daughter are settled yes but then there are the two next girls nearly ready to come out who most likely will not marry so well as mrs then there are and i m sure their father would do much better to send them to good schools than to bring them up at home for they are very noisy young people but there s so much talk of their superior education and when one goes there one hears so much about experiments and air and machines that it makes one quite sick there did not use to be any of this nonsense when i was a girl it was but last week the doctor let them send up a fire i told him i thought it was very dangerous ah they ll repent it some of these days said mrs so j say rejoined mrs but dear me did you hear mr s story of major that used to dine here in my father s time dropping down dead it was very shocking really he was not older than mr and much the same sort of looking man a full habit and complexion i should not be surprised at his going off in the same way some of these days for he has a great many of the symptoms mr mentioned and so i said to mr and he said if any thing of that kind should ever occur the best thing would be for him to marry my widow said mr in his usual quiet voice la mr cried his wife looking vexed and confused who would have thought of your hearing what we were talking about what you were talking about my dear you mean for i did not perceive aunt s lips in motion well all i know is said mrs that it s very disagreeable to live with a person that sometimes is deaf ana sometimes is not my dear the fault is not in my which is never to great as you will persist in maintaining it is but in your having got such a habit of speaking in a shrill key that you don t know when you are making use of it j speak in a shrill key why not long ago you accused me of muttering only of speaking my love which prevents my by your agreeable conversation and then fancy i am deaf village well there really is no pleasing you one way or the other cried mrs very and retreating with a as she spoke i think deaf pr not deaf you are enough to tire the patience of job chapter iv absent without leave there being no necessity for tracing little s history during her abode at park place it need merely be stated that mrs soon discovered her grievous mistake in supposing she could le to be fond of children and that the system of management pursued by her was such as to have a effect on her s temper and happiness indulgence was shortly followed by severity or rather by a course of petty and as difficult to bear as the exercise of power on a scale one circumstance indeed s fate mrs educated and without taste or talent for communicating or acquiring knowledge was ill qualified to teach her charge more than she knew already and a temporary illness induced her to accept mrs s friendly proposal that the little girl should be sent to the every morning to take her lessons with and mrs made the offer in fact more in compassion to the niece than the aunt but mrs found herself so much the by three hours daily quiet that though she commanded to return the instant lessons were over she allowed the plan to be pursued after the motive for its had ceased satisfying her pride and her conscience by the reflection that it was no great favour from the after all as mr had been the doctor s second cousin regularly poured forth her woes in confidence to her young companions who deeply resented her wrongs and looked upon mrs as the greatest tyrant that ever lived however though it could not heal her childish as she increased in years and understanding village her dependent situation instead of growing more from habit became more intolerable a warm heart warm temper and quick apprehension gave edge to the which mrs when in an ill temper and that was sometimes seven days in a week at her mother and family much harder to	2
bear than the restraint on her activity and noisy spirits which had formerly called forth her childish tears there were other methods of making her feel dependent and degraded every year mrs now made a point of sending her sister a silk gown no very great gift certainly considering the of her own circumstances but were the allusions made in all companies to this annual present ah that is a pretty of yours mrs just the colour of the last i poor sister no i think her s was more of a she has not long been out of mourning you know and in her circumstances it s best to have something that will hide the dirt didn t buy her a figured one because a plain silk will turn i dare say she ll make it last in a confidential tone till i send her another i wish i could do more but you know have this girl to keep mrs jones may i trouble you for a pin ah your pin cushion is the same piece as a gown i bought yesterday for mrs i do believe you got the silk at mr price s i dare say ah yes four and a yard the very same it was almost as intolerable to be pointed out to every morning as one of poor sister s children a terrible large family left quite so that she took her entirely out of charity poor learnt how salt is the of another person s bread and how hard it is to climb another person s stairs often the burning tears her daily portion of and often they her sleepless pillow as she lay thinking of the home despised as it seemed by all others but dear beyond to her who had been sent from it to prove the wretchedness of splendid dependence not she was deprived of her only consolation the society of the young till she had herself for some real or imaginary fault which to a temper like hers was and attained her twelfth year and her disposition appeared to be reckless and sullen her letters to her mother were always submitted to the of mrs whose temper was not by m village time while mr was of too passive a nature to attempt interference and mrs if not so cross was even more formal and than her niece affairs at length came to a crisis took an extraordinary and acted upon it she ran away her and in this daring step was he it was who fired by the recital of her wrongs at a moment when her heart was almost to bursting declared that if he were in her place he would endure such tyranny no longer the of a return to lent her a guinea to pay her coach hire hailed the stage as it passed the gate saw her safely placed in it wished her good luck and called out all right he returned to the with a confidence of a boy of fifteen not without a of mischief in his composition and ready to endure whatever punishment might await him for having freed innocence from while terrified almost out of her senses at the of the yet trembling with delight at her shrank into one of the corners of the stage as it passed the lodge of park place and turned pale with alarm when it drew up at inn to receive and passengers the door was abruptly opened and she started with the of guilt in the expectation of seeing some member of her uncle s household but it was only the coachman who jerked in a brown paper parcel and then his box they over the bridge which separated from the adjoining parish trees houses and faded in the distance and the agitated girl began to hope that now unless some very cross accident indeed should happen she was beyond the reach of pursuit but there was still sufficient uncertainty hanging over her fate to ent her feeling comfortable the possibility of her mother s displeasure haunted her mind and by the time she had reached this source of apprehension had worked her up to such a state of agitation that on entering the room where mrs and sat at tea she could only reply to their eager and anxious inquiries by a torrent of tears when at length she could speak she gave an account of all her the of which again choked her utterance and she murmured an almost request that her mother would not send her again to park place to repeated mrs whose cheek k village glowed with colour no did i even wish it there is no that your aunt would receive you again the doors of that house we may consider as closed against us for ever you have certainly acted and in taking so important a step as a home in which your friends had placed you however that is past now and cannot be recalled you have i fear been treated and now that we are once more united no consideration on earth shall tempt me to consent to a second separation it has been painful enough to both of us tears fell from the mother s eyes as she stooped to kiss s cheek i hope your future conduct will prove to me said she that what has passed has been more to adverse circumstances and your aunt s imperfect knowledge of the management of children than to the of your own temper sighed and secretly resolved that whatever the faults of that temper had hitherto been they should be seen no more and now that the dreaded explanation had taken place and she was received into favour she had leisure to kiss again and observe with wonder how much she was grown and improved was at this time between sixteen and seventeen and like s rural heroine	2
thoughtless of beauty she was beauty s self it might be said of her features that they reminded you of the though not strictly to it and they completely with the calm pure and spirit that shone through them her countenance if seldom radiant with vivacity was generally smiling and tranquil and her dark blue eyes if they did n ot sparkle with genius at least beamed with intelligence and sweetness was as much struck with s growth as was with s beauty and now that the absent had returned the long long lost was found there was l to be told and inquired into on both sides enjoyed the consciousness of being once more at home though every thing looked very small to her and her spirits rapidly rose her mirth was rather hysterical she ran into the kitchen to see her old favourite d nearly recalled her by w village ing how in the world she came from park place but the choking in her throat soon subsided and before her gossip was half at an end she was called off by the sound of her brother s voice now a fine boy of fifteen was serving his time with mr good under whose roof he lived though he ran down to the white cottage whenever he had an opportunity he welcomed his younger sister with noisy joy was inquisitive into the story of her wrongs indignant at mrs s ill usage and pitied her so much that went to bed impressed with the conviction that she had been a heroine in distress saw the mischievous tendency of s and was sorry for it but was more indignant at her sister s conduct in s presence she had thought fit to express in the course of the following morning ran in from the garden exclaiming that tiresome mr is coming down the hill i tiresome repeated with surprise nobody thinks mr tiresome now dear me cried why none of us could bear him when i went away true my dear said her mother but that was because we did not know him mr is an excellent young man and does great good among the poor he may be very excellent said but i m sure he is not very young however here he comes mr entered with several books under his arm well said he smiling here is s life of for you at last morning to you mrs ah how do you do all were surprised at the of this last salutation are you not astonished said mrs to see among us once more no said he i was astonished to hear of it but news travels fast in villages looked in upon me on his return to mr good s and communicated the intelligence she did not follow quite the usual observe by young ladies in setting out on their travels said mrs so i hear returned mr looking gravely at who felt rather abashed after inquiring for his the he proceeded to talk about books and one village y a village who had made some in to the surprise and of who had expected him to some en respecting her adventures she thought liim a more disagreeable person than ever and wondered how could read his stupid in the afternoon a furious letter came from mrs both and her mother of meanness im and ingratitude saying that all was crying out at s unheard of conduct and that the young were in high disgrace for having at her she added this was the last time she would hold any communication with a branch of her family so wholly of her patronage mrs burnt the letter without in to her daughters merely telling them that their aunt as might naturally have been expected was exceedingly angry every one being now thoroughly well informed that miss had run away from park place and returned to she soon sank into the of a little girl of twelve years old and quietly resumed her usual in the course of a week she received a letter from in answer to one which her mo ther had allowed her to send in a parcel a guinea to hoped she was well and had found her mamma and sister so likewise and stated that both she and had been in sad disgrace but were now forgiven the rest of the was about birds flowers and the french as neither of the young friends had much money to in the correspondence was renewed only at distant intervals chapter v female accomplishments it is sometimes possible to run away from a bad habit an individual who in some particular circumstances is conscious he has deserved the of his acquaintance has the power and often the inclination on entering a new society of a without the annoyance of its being generally that reform is needed he turns over a new in short with a this was partly the case of who conscious of her of temper resolved that they should never betray her now that she was once more in her dear home where every one was kind and good humoured the acting on this prudent determination together with her mother s gentle system of management and the of temptation effected a considerable improvement though her were yet fer from being in consideration both in speaking and acting was the failing which required her mother s and next to this a want of application to any pursuit when it ceased to be amusing had been so well in the elements of many feminine accomplishments by the that it only required her own diligence to attain excellence in almost any pursuit she chose to undertake and mrs was very anxious that she should to the plans already commenced with so much success s le in every thing she undertook bore an accurate likeness to her own disposition her handwriting for instance was more	2
and modern romance for like s spirits they did not come when she did call for them at one time from the of mr s visits she really began him of intending to make an offer on which she immediately discovered him to be endowed with a thousand good qualities to which she had heretofore been blind he was not so very old after all and certainly not at all old in his ways i but the offer was not made and wondered how she could have changed her opinion of him for he was just the same good sort of a man as ever then he began to pay more attention than formerly seemed suddenly aware that the young lady was rising into the young woman look the liberty of telling her of a few of her faults at first then seriously was evidently gratified by her improving on some of his hints and vexed and even cross at her his advice on some other points what could all this interest in her mean he had become such an habitual visitor at the white cottage that it was looked on as remarkable if two days passed without seeing him was it possible that could be the attraction that was too yet it was better at least more entertaining for a man to be even ridiculous than merely solemnly stupid there would be some in refusing him all the village would know it and be astonished at her and pity him nay the poor man was so al le that she really she should him herself mr ru ell however poor mr continued to eat drink and sleep as as quite unconscious of the bold step that was expected from him and felt ashamed of herself for having indulged silly and improbable speculations it was plain he wa in love with neither of them most probably he had been disappointed in early life e was no one else whom even her fertile fancy could into a hero an old friend indeed of mr s one dr black was occasionally known to be at the and he even drank tea at lady s and mrs s but this man particularly detested it was to no purpose that mr for him village on the score of his his deep learning and varied powers of mind he had a grating voice a figure not unlike that of dr a pair of legs in every body s he dissolved nine of sugar in every cup of tea played with keys or whatever lay within his reach while speaking and sometimes in his fits of abstraction dropped the keys or into his immense pocket it was impossible to endure dr black then the were visited by occasional troops of odd looking cousins from london whose manners even s knew to be and mr good had two in the next market town one to a the other an in a public school who dined with him every sunday and as often on week days as he thought proper to invite them sam the clerk was and disagreeable the pale and neither could by any stretch of fancy be into heroes though they did tolerably well for partners in an occasional dance so with the conviction that in due time she and would add two to the much abused of old maids miss was to remain contented chapter vi a bachelor s tea table man is animal ft walks to and whether to his thought or his er either in his study in his garden on his terrace or fate is kind enough to afford him room for stretching his legs the and were people they had actual built of marble sheltered fi the weather and adorned with pillars and statues the reverend william was not so well his library was fourteen feet by sixteen without for the and five strides him from one extremity to the other even if he took the of the square so he bought himself a library chair and when his thoughts re shaking he stepped out into the churchyard was a lime tree walk v s church it either as or to have been stated stood on the brow of a hill when mr passed through the little garden gate which opened into the churchyard he might if he turned to the right behold a very pleasing prospect towards the east was seen the steep straggling street which composed the village a confused and picturesque mixture of white washed and red brick projecting ends and tall chimney beneath elm and horse trees lady grounds rising immediately behind and in the extreme distance a range of chalk hills at the foot of which ran the high road yet towards this view pretty as it was in itself mr seldom turned when leisure allowed him to chose between his right hand and his left on the south side of the churchyard lay his favourite gravel walk shaded by where he could the and of his sermon or pause to gaze in pleased reverie on the scene below the valley on this side was deeper than that towards the village and completely shut in by a chain of hills the scenery was essentially rural not a single habitation being in sight though the smoke from mrs s chimney rose from behind a of trees the valley was by a stream and chiefly used for pasture in one spot therefore might be seen a like group of cows either or standing mid leg in the water while at a little distance a snow white flock of sheep the grass and the s call and the shepherd boy s whistle were in perfect harmony with the of the picture occasionally too might be seen watering the flowers in the neat garden which though closely w as from the height on which the churchyard stood completely overlooked and in the perfect stillness which reigned	2
around might even be heard the distant tone of s girlish voice as she sat at her work beneath the tree such was the scene which mr loved full well to contemplate and which one fine july evening after some hours of close study he stepped forth to enjoy the valley was in all its beauty the sun threw its beams on the varied green of the foliage and the rich purple of the distance the in her red and white apron was driving home her cows and singing as she went the boy was a willow and whistling loud and clear the insect world were on the wing and the air was loaded with happy sounds of too in her c white was beneath the tree ap with the feelings which made dr exclaim it m a happy world after all and mr eyes after the circuit of the valley were gradually returning to dwell on its gentle heroine when he aware that another was also drinking in its beauties on a grassy bank at a short distance from the church and rather below it commanding a view of mrs s cottage as well as of the surrounding country sat a young man very intently engaged in drawing what was a sketch of the scene before him as he frequently regarded it attentively for a few minutes and then resumed his occupation the bold rapid motion of his hand and arm conveyed the idea of a touch yet he seemed dissatisfied with his success for he now and then paused shook his head and wistfully the prospect mr who was unable to see his face judged him from his figure and occupation to be a stranger and after watching his movements a little while with considerable interest had enough of the paul in his composition to open the gate and walk towards him perhaps he thought it might be or as he approached from behind the young stranger all at once gave up his attempt changed his position to one of entire and his sketch book on the grass so that mr nearly stumbled over it footsteps and a little exclamation scarcely to a word made the artist aware of his vicinity he started from his luxurious half incumbent position and stretched out his arm to remove the with a good natured i beg you pardon no pardon is necessary sir allow me said mr stooping to assist him to collect numerous little scraps of paper which fluttered from the leaves of the sketch book some of which he took pains not to see were poetry pray do not trouble yourself sir i am an awkward fellow said the stranger together the fugitive pieces i am infinitely obliged to you as the last of the evidently a fine drawing was restored by mr i wish said the smiling i could be bold enough to hope that my little service might be rewarded by a sight the i have had the pleasure of restoring the young man gave him a good humoured but searching look with a pair of brilliant black eyes oh certainly if you wish ii returned he after a second glance on his drawing you guess it i suppose to be a view of the before us you are welcome to see the sketch though i fancy it is very different from what you expect tb find it mr eagerly examined the which was held out to him and great surprise beheld ot only a of the scenery immediately surrounding the white cottage but herself seated on her garden chair beneath the tree a few clever touches had g ven the easy outline of her figure and the general of her simple and imagination easily supplied the of the sweet and thoughtful face resting on her hand beneath the graceful of her light brown hair that figure comes in well i think said the artist mr looked at it long and intently at length he replied with an accent of much pleasure yes she in well as you say you have caught the sir even better than that of the scenery and i may say in the words of milton much i the place admire the person more tour representation of place and person i mean it is odd enough cried the young man with a delighted look that the same or nearly the same passage should have occurred to both of us k was but a minute ago that i was silently applying to myself the beautiful which immediately follows the line you have just quoted you doubtless remember it mr looked as if he did not remember it and the artist with at least as much energy as the required repeated the following lines as one who lone in cities pent where houses thick and annoy the air forth issuing on a summer s day to breathe among the pleasant and farms each thing met delight the smell of grain or grass or or each rural sight each rural sound if chance with n steps ir maiden pass what pleasing seemed through her now pleases more she and m her look sums all delight imagine sir continued the enthusiastic speaker after village very this difficult passage imagine sir the force with which these lines must be felt by a man passionately fond of nature in all her varied forms compelled by his profession to pass half the year in the feverish excitement and atmosphere of london and who escaping at length from his bondage into the country and comes all at once on such a scene as this it must indeed be delightful said mr it is almost exclaimed the stranger who paused apparently inclined to laugh af his own warmth of expression he tied the strings of his and added in a more temperate tone i assure you that when i sprang off	2
more that never can be taught he must understand moral as well as physical i mean the rent forms in which passions express themselves so as to be able to represent human beings under their influence what laborious thought and practice this and when balls labour has won victory tke b of the traces of that the over the to make all look finished and ev what says l fa si is not enthusiasm to carry a man through till this talking of the of the mind what able opportunities sir must your roman catholic brethren have of a knowledge of it through the medium of confession what must it be to see man s heart laid bare to the to hear all the impulses and suggestions that led to crime described with the eloquence of remorse pretty young on the other hand showing their purity of mind by their for some fault some harmless piece of or trick played on the old truly it would be amusing enough to have a week s play at ther taking his own and into consideration why yes i think so he his hard before daybreak with less reluctance of course than if it were of down a procession of his brethren which if he have the smallest taste for the picturesque must be very gratifying to his imagination them to a splendid chapel hears a mass of the most divine music some master piece of or then again to his cell to whip himself with a small cord which is the least agreeable part of the business i grant though it must be remembered that the degree of severity with hich he the is entirely and some we may guess the with considerable gentleness then comes his breakfast a glorious one nine times out of ten it is and even if it be a fast day one may have something worse fish after breakfast he and a brother take a walk and if we may judge from s they do not object to stop before a show a or what ever amusement may be going on they say to every pretty come hon to a second mass carry the host perhaps to some dying sinner in a marble palace dine and sing mass gain then for his afternoon ment our steps into his where a second possibly comes to afford him ten times the excite ment of mrs s best novel or without second i ox his vanity is gratified by the of a still mr custom oh sir your servant i only said for a week a pause r ensued such as the most clever and cannot always prevent which was broken by mr s asking whether he were acquainted with a young painter a of his by name frank do i know honest frank v cried gaily frank the most industrious of the of students the prince of good fellows not to know him would argue myself unknown he is to be found mirth in every your description of him is likely enough to be exact said mr and accounts i am afraid for his not making any very rapid advance in the arts i will tell you the secret of frank s slow progress sir he does not want talent but he is in too easy circumstances he wants poverty to make him a good painter nothing like a little starvation or the dread of it to spur genius so long as he does not depend on the sale of his pictures for his daily bread he will not care that no one offers to buy them he only puts his hands in his pockets and laughs tell him that he has committed some fault in drawing and he replies that it does not signify he copies well he makes a fine show at the british gallery where he generally some picture that has plenty of background background is his a with only a nose and a piece of cheek standing out from a mass of black suits him exactly he set about an original historical composition on a large scale so sanguine was he of success that before the group was half painted in he bought an expensive frame for it afterwards he became dissatisfied with his work thought it too diffused painted out the subordinate figures and contracted the principal mass till nothing but a little island of light remained oh this his vast ocean of back ground gradually till the little island was finally swallowed up and nothing but a large mass of blackness was meanwhile frank had invited some professional friends to sup with him nothing else would suit the fellow than to mount this total without sun or moon into his magnificent frame every one of course no sooner saw it than they were with laughter and their mirth was increased by his gravely telling them that it was an f piece l c s of the q he it in the same class with s poor t notwithstanding his weakness for b he is a very as well as gentlemanly fellow every body likes him and there is more the sur ce than many suppose though the waves are the ocean is deep before mr and his new parted for the night an arrangement was made for their visiting the remains of an old at a few miles distance on the following day the appointment was kept the weather the scenery and the associations connected with ruins to s enthusiasm and render him a more agreeable companion before they again met in the evening and drank their coffee at the large window of mr s study through the open of which came the mingled perfume of sweet and i like the air of this old exceedingly said mr though not positively picturesque in itself it becomes so from the scenery in which	2
it is and the graceful mantle of trailing plants flung over it the owes the latter attraction said mr to those who were prevented from the reward of its beauty mrs and miss planted the and s just before i came to enjoy the improvements which resulted from their taste miss repeated that was the young lady we met to day in the lane no her elder sister when i first came here and saw so many minute evidences of care and orderly arrangement on every side i could hardly help considering myself a and felt something like remorse when i beheld an orphan thrust into a cottage scarcely superior to that of a common that i a single man might sit down surrounded by of room that must have been a painful feeling to a generous mind but are the family you speak of reconciled to the change in their situation completely i believe so far as pecuniary circumstances are concerned their tastes refined and yet simple are fully satisfied and the universal rush and struggle for wealth and luxury is never more surprising to me than when i have just been witnessing how much happiness is with an income as limited s theirs mrs has always pre vol i d a served the respect that was her due as the s wife i and from my being unmarried has never had occasion to the duties of that station she is a very charming tastes refined and yet simple repeated mr after musing on the s description how seldom they are to be found i i should be curious to see union of refinement and simplicity come said mr v ith more than usual what say you a visit to the white cottage i should like to show you that the union does not exist merely iii my own fancy you robbed the miss of their guest last night so it but fair that this evening they should have two with all my heart said his seat with alacrity they accordingly left the together chapter vn an a r a in her morning walk had encountered mr and mr the former without offering to introduce his companion had merely smiled and said good morning leaving her to marvel exceedingly as she proceeded down the lane who the intelligent looking young man could be by whom he was accompanied she had heard of a mr frank and of a younger brother of dr black s but there was as much between mr s old and this young unknown as between black and white she was sorry she had on her old bonnet and on her return home related to her mother and sister what she persisted in calling the adventure really said much amused i cannot call your passing mr and probably some cousin or college friend of his much of an adventure you may laugh said but seldom as we see a new ace in it i a kind of adventure nevertheless in the evening as she was reading beneath her favourite tree heard animated voices in the lane and village recognized the tones of mr that he was coming to call on her mother accompanied by his unknown friend she started up without exactly knowing why and leaving her book on the seat ran into the house in another minute she perceived through the parlour that the two gentlemen were actually in the garden and communicated the remarkable intelligence to her mother and sister feeling very thankful that she had put on her frock instead of her muslin as they passed the garden seat pointed to the book had forsaken in her flight and which had a of between its leaves saying with something of charles s expression in hamlet do you see nothing there v yes indeed do i cried mr taking up the i see my s essays lying out of doors exposed to the chance of bad weather or for which i shall take the liberty of scolding miss accordingly he entered the parlour with the witness in hand exclaiming so this is the you treat my books s introduction th n place and while mrs was receiving his pre tory remarks on the weather and the scenery very politely mr found an opportunity of whispering to a artist a surprising genius with whom i fell in yesterday by chance know little of him except that he is well acquainted with a cousin of mine and has evidently had the education of a gentleman but i think you will find him quite a looked towards the stranger with interest and curiosity at the same time mr turning to address himself her gave mr an opportunity of which he presently availed himself of repeating nearly the same aside to mrs what an spot began you have chosen for your delightful retirement here you seem to have every thing around you which the poets tell us is necessary or to perfect happiness retirement rural quiet friendship books and i may add music may not i you have an instrument i perceive i neither sing nor play replied but my sister does both she has a charming resource then i can hardly b how ladies fill up their time without music but perhaps you pursue the sister art you are fond of painting very fond of looking at drawings said but unfortunately i have no genius and never made a tolerable drawing in my life my sister however how much she is to be envied for having two such delightful talents music and painting are twin sisters and ought never to be separated but is it possible you admire both these fascinating arts yet have made no in either i fancy the denial is owing to your modesty or perhaps poetry is your study s wondering eyes turned from the smiling of these questions whom she could hardly tell whether to believe an	2
actual or not to her sister who replied with perfect simplicity yes i am very fond of poetry though i hope i do not allow it to become my pursuit pursuit oh then you write oh dear no nor your sister inquired he looking towards who with a little colour and little laugh replied in the negative after all said mr we must allow fine taste to be the most attribute in a woman genius a more masculine grasp of mind and is hardly suitable to the delicacy of the sex they sink under it like beneath the sparkling of now and then we find a lady strong enough to the heavy lance of the but such a is uncommon and perhaps not very pleasing and yours is the sex you know ne pour no said we are of the sex whom man was born to please but does one quotation contradict the other interposed mr for my own part i believe that the most important business both of men and women is to please indeed cried with surprise i should never have suspected of thinking so yes the grand the important business is to please tho only question on which people split is whom are they to please some say themselves you village others the world others are old fashioned enough to say their maker i might have guessed a moral was coming said smiling though i acknowledge that it is a very good one but surely mr you are rather severe towards us poor ladies in denying that we can possess the smallest of genius without becoming disagreeable no no he replied i did not deny that no i love and admire every indication of talent in women but the most attractive degree of it is perhaps what happily call ce talent qui v indulgence et qui stay i hope memory will not play me false qui de r et se de amuse les d solitude that is a very beautiful quotation said mrs yes said mr and it completely my ideas of what feminine accomplishments ought to be it the in which they should be kept to higher pursuits to render them harmless or even pleasing however i must do you the justice to acknowledge that without being disagreeable you have more than a talent for drawing indeed cried assuming an air of such perplexity that and could not refrain from where am i then what will become of me after all the treason i have been uttering you must said mr aye so that you will but dictate the form returned but who will the acceptance of my i have involved myself in an awkward scrape there is one hope left perhaps you deceive yourself mr or deceive me in saying that this young lady really has more than a talent for drawing pray help me out of my difficulty added he turning to by me your port that i may satisfy myself you draw very badly laughed but shook her head was not discouraged and after some general discussion of the news of the day renewed the attack are you quite resolved not to make me easy indeed i see you are very i dare say you will never forget what i said about talent no i dare say not ia b are there no hopes for me even of distant forgiveness oh forgive and forget are different things yes but like hare and they usually go together i am afraid i am a lost man my case is quite hopeless if you felt the least you would not refuse me a little specimen if it were but a mere sketch so trivial a favour and yet is it worth so much asking a slight one for you to grant but a great one for me to receive i wish your sister would for me oh it would make no difference what are you so little accustomed to grant her are you on such bad terms with each other how people may be by countenances to think that the minds of two such apparently amiable young ladies should be occupied by the evil passions of hatred envy and or at best by indifference laughed again and thought mr very odd he afterwards turned to reply to an observation of mrs and remained for some time unusually silent apparently listening to her dialogue with mr but actually occupied in admiring the delicate tints of s complexion and considering with what colours it could be it seemed to him the very complexion which sir had attempted to when he desired his pupils to think of a pearl and a it was neither red nor white but composed of a of hues more beautiful than either wishing at length to induce her to speak he re commenced the subject oi his dialogue with may i ask in what style your sister s in all i think said indeed that is i hardly know what you mean by a style whether the word applies to the subject or the manner of treating it she draws any thing that strikes her in reading or that she sees in her walks that is no common talent how can you have the cried mr to let mr fish by the hour together with the industry of an without having to boast of so much as a drawings are meant to be shown as bread is meant to be eaten come let me add my entreaties to his that you will favour us with a sight of your e i am very mistaken if mr will not take the liberty which i sometimes take of telling you of a few of your faults if you give him encouragement which you never require said laughing well my poor little shall be though it	2
nothing worth seeing and with a mixture of dread and self she spread her little collection before the artist was surprised to see instead of the formal mounted copies which are found in young ladies drawing books a variety of original designs some on scraps of card or drawing paper some on letter backs varying in their degrees of merit full of faults but displaying considerable power of imagination and freedom of execution here is no half talent said h as he turned over the contents of the here is real genius even though it be may i freely certainly said my daughter will be grateful to mr said mrs well then he resumed to begin with this little group which seems from the quotation beneath it to represent the arrest of mary of and he pointed out its merits and defects what she must avoid and she must avoid with many striking illustrations of the he was the whole of his little lecture contained such evidence of talent and good sense that mr and mrs clearly saw that he was master of his subject to some position he was laying down mr produced what he called his pocket a little volume scarcely exceeding a book in size and neatly with a button and string here were many first thoughts hastily down odd caught in the streets and m stage picturesque fragments of various kinds and several musical airs written out on fairy like lines s eye was caught by these miniature songs and as the book was freely handed from one to another she asked permission to examine mr s little selection of music he immediately offered to lend it to her most of these songs are italian i see said that is a language of which unfortunately i know nothing you will like that little air of s however said village even if you content with merely playing it let us hear the air said mr she was sure she should find it too difficult but had moved chair towards the piano and raised the music desk the first trial was not quite successful mr the song to set her right the second time it was better played and every one admired it mr pleaded however for a little more expression and mrs asking whether he could not sing he laughed and said oh no notwithstanding which he immediately accompanied with a penetrating voice such as she had never heard before looked at her mother and mr began for the first time to believe in stories of universal it is sweet but monotonous said abruptly turning from the piano very sweet said mrs and yet as you observe mr continued mr the air is monotonous now an idea strikes me i dare say i am wrong for i know nothing of music not so much as the difference between a sharp and b flat i should wonder if you did thought but he continued if seems to me that monotonous music when sung by a fine rich voice has a deeper on the mind than music which has more variety undoubtedly it has said on a mind which is either wholly without cultivation or which has arrived at the highest pitch of refinement the ear can relish none but simple when the ear begins to be cultivated it also becomes and takes pleasure in variety and apparent difficulty it must even be kept from by as we go on the taste itself and we reach our original love of simplicity we find we have travelled in a circle and that when we fancied ourselves farthest from ignorance we were at exactly the same distance from perfection it is the same with every dress eating books manners habits of life the comes back to her white gown the to his boiled chicken the man of fortune to his cottage we take great trouble to acquire tastes and then have to them while was considering how much of this true and how much new that her mother s guests were taking leave much pathos was there in her village to mr and very was she to receive his bow as soon as he was fairly gone her clothed themselves in words my dear mamma my dear did you ever know such a charming person did you ever meet with such a universal genius such an voice and such wit and such eyes softly softly unless you would have us think that like king your wits begin to but seriously mamma did you ever know any body at all to compare v ith this mr yes my dear ah you are thinking of poor papa but you you who are impartial do not you think of him as i do he seems very clever indeed said though i cannot go so far with you as to admire his eyes he looks one out of countenance oh my dear that was the only the natural consequence of his admiring you so much i like him the better for it what for looking people out of countenance no mamma for admiring you know he portraits and portrait painters are obliged to study people s so constantly that it must necessarily become a habit did not observe that he looked any one out of countenance well i must say i am surprised at you both i thought you seemed so delighted with him my dear because we steady old ones cannot quite keep pace with your there is no reason why you should set us down as insensible to the merits of your hero his conversation was amusing hid singing delightful and his manners quite superior for a drawing master a drawing master my dear mother what are you saying mr is no drawing master mr says he is a rate artist a royal or associate i forget which i dare say he would be quite at one	2
s offering to engage him as a teacher though he offered to teach you ah the case is plain you are kindred souls and hav fallen over head and ears into love at first sight oh i am not to be laughed out of my opinion in that way j nor need you miss look so arch i shall be grateful to mr as long as i live for having introduced such a charming acquaintance to us ah here is his dear little book i declare i did not think it had been a left behind i shall carry it up stairs with me out of s reach and i wish you two insensible ladies a very good night which i have no doubt you will enjoy no drowsy indifference for me the following day was trying over mr s songs admiring his sketches and her drawings according to the advice he had given her till dinner time more than once she went to the window and looked up the lane to see if any body were walking down it but was disappointed for mr had carried to a beautiful view six miles off in the afternoon declared she must walk to some new bonnet ribbons for her old were quite shabby and she tried to persuade that her s were the same was not to be convinced against the evidence of her own eyes though as her sister was bent on making the purchase she consented to accompany her notwithstanding the heat of the weather along two miles of the dusty high road therefore they proceeded the patient making no complaints and on their arrival at the little shop they had the gratification of finding the services of all the by their saturday customers was glad to rest herself on the summit of one of the high which had often excited her sister s ridicule while less tired or not choosing to own it had the pleasure of receiving a bow from good as he passed with a me of trying to look as if he were independent of them the blue ribbon was at length bought and also a pretty pair of french gloves which in her own mind set down to the account but she made no remark and they toiled home looking as their mother told them with a smile very hot to s prodigious vexation she learnt that mr had called in their absence not even mrs having been at home the walk had given a head ache and she sat languidly turning over the leaves of a book at the open window while her whole soul intent on the new of her bonnet was and placing and that she had not bought another half yard village chapter viii a sudden convert sunday morning clear and bright and dressed accompanied her mother and sister to church feelings of great she could not help stealing a glance around to see in whose mr might be sitting but no mr was jo be seen a circumstance not to her devotion after service ran to divide his mother and eldest sister and accompany them down the lane and sam good in the glory of a new blue coat with bright metal buttons and a waist coat walked by the side of flourishing his cane drawing up his little figure and observing that the weather was uncommonly charming he came on s invitation to lunch at the white cottage and then to s relief they set forth on a walk there was a poor lame boy named henry who lived in a small cottage on the chalk hills which bounded the valley opposite to the church to whom as he was unable to attend the service always went to read for half an hour before dinner on sundays thither she was now accompanied by and as they were proceeding down the lane mr crossed a which brought him immediately in their path he looked pleased at the bowed hoped mrs was quite well and took the same direction as that which they were keeping i have had a delightful morning said he on these downs you were not at church then said no that was very wicked of me was it not said mr laughing and looking at her as if he did not expect to be judged very severely i have been lying under a venerable tree miss listening to the harmony of the birds and the distant of the village bell and watch the various picturesque groups of as they ed the hills how much more is a sunday in the country than in london there you are by strings of dressed looking people pouring from churches and or nearly run over by in their one horse setting out on to high gate or you of meeting the tions face to face mr said are we to understand then that you do not add one to their number that is a very he replied smiling oh i assure you i go to church sometimes however i will acknowledge that my attendance might be more regular but shall i also own to you that the green hills and the clear blue vault of heaven form in my humble opinion a temple for the worship of their maker th the most gorgeous building which man can raise looked at him in quiet surprise am an idle fellow and talk a great deal of nonsense i dare say but there is to me so much of formality of repetition in the prescribed service so much of the tiresome or ridiculous in the manner in which it is usually performed as to or at any rate interrupt feelings of devotion a is a good thing an established there ought to be i agree with you there those that have no ideas of their own to express must have words put into their mouths	2
but the helps which are given to piety are and real piety wants none a miserable chorus of charity children often a preacher always a bad clerk are the chosen for the majestic trains of priests and melodious who presided over the worship of the surely continued he more earnestly and stooping as he spoke to gather a of flowers more real advantage maybe derived from over one of these which spring beneath our feet than in listening to one of those well paid gentlemen who reading they never wrote just fifteen minutes up their work and with a well bred whisper close the scene w you should hear mr said with energy yes he is a man of talent and doubtless well but will you not allow that in general my idea is correct i i dare say that the study of the may awaken some very good feelings but but what should we rest there that does not amount does it to more than the religion of nature well e bt and for a moment looked triumphant well repeated he what have you to say the religion of nature nothing against it only that there are six days in on which we may study the seventh requires something more you are right said mr looking pleased and after a short pause he added i like to hear women plead for religion as if it were something intimately connected with themselves they had now reached henry s cottage and who had attentively listened to the dialogue between her and their new acquaintance opened the garden gate you are bound on some errand of charity i suppose said mr as he glanced at the mean exterior of the cottage well miss j am a thorough convert you believe me i assure you see here goes the f and this afternoon i shall make a point of hearing your mr every body s mr said nay the was and embraced the whole parish till i have the honour miss of a more intimate acquaintance the you must occasionally all while we stands for the busy world of london with myself as one of its inhabitants mr bowed respectfully and and passed on what a study she would make i thought he if i could but persuade her to give me a few chapter ix a village girls said lady entering mrs s parlour the following morning tm come to tell you rob mv poor breath when shall i get it again this nasty hill of your s i wish to goodness you d stayed at the i was your going to tell us vol i e as soon as visitor appeared in a speaking condition that you and your mother must come and drink tea with me to for the goods have promised me and moreover they are going to bring and there ll be margaret and holland can t be spared on account of s but i ve a stranger coming whose name i shan t tell you beforehand oh i how can your be so cruel won t you even say whether it is a gentleman or a lady no no no not a word perhaps it s the mrs you ve heard me talk so often about it s my nephew the captain perhaps it s neither what are you doing with that bonnet it again i took notice of your new ribbons yesterday i assure you you have cut the strings too short in allowing too much for the bow but that can t be helped now you will only make matters worse satin ribbon always and why could not you have bought white to be like your sister oh i don t see why sisters should always dress alike especially when they have different white suits very well but really my brown skin requires something brighter to set it off it stands to reason that what is becoming to a ir person m st be to one who is dark upon my word i and how long have you paid such attention to the becoming and i thought your mother had taught you to consider only what was neat coloured this comes pursued her in high of letting such young girls have when i was a child of your age i had a guinea to keep in my pocket and never was allowed to buy myself so much as a box of patches and as to a or a e t pray lady what kind of things may those be i never heard of them before pretend never to have heard of a or a come to me some morning and i ll you what they are i ll you the that i was married in when i only measured twenty one inches round the waist one of your good old th t would last a woman s lifetime not like the they make up now and i might wear it to this day if i could but get into it why is your mother always out when i come she not guess that your meant to call upon her this morning she has only gone to speak to dame ah she may perhaps stay with her for an hour has no objection to let her irons get before the fire while she is telling all the news of the village it was always her character i remember her as a to mrs about fifteen years ago a rosy faced girl as you d wish to see and she was always at the shop or running over to the white she had a with the baker s man and every body thought a match would of it but i knew better so at last you see she was obliged to take up with that s almost always the	2
way with beauties they think they may whom they like and themselves upon it till are obliged to sit down with worse luck than their mind that young ladies but it s of no use for old folks to talk for young folks won t mind them there was mr read us a fine chapter yesterday about young women not clothing themselves in pearls and costly array but i dare say sam good put it all out of your head before you walked half down the lane i am sure sam good had not the power of making me think of any thing but his own extreme said scornfully lady took a pinch of and then said well i may depend on seeing you early for of course you ve no other engagement and be sure you make very smart for your new beau oh it is a gentleman is it there i ve let the cat out of the bag but it s no one you have ever seen surely lady you may as well tell us all now it can t be captain for i know he s at no he isn t he s at no this is the of an old flame of mine whom i danced with many s the time when i was a girl i fell in with this young man an hour ago when he was taking a sketch in my park mr said both of the girls yes it is but how do you know any thing of him oh mr introduced him to us on friday and we were all quite delighted with him so then you know all about him all about him i did not know the lad was in existence for the last time i saw was at an d ball in the year let me see no matter we were both of us single then that was the grandfather you understand s very fine man he wore the willow for me two or three years and then married a miss his only son grew up to be a fine young man too and he bought a commission for him but then you see this son thought proper to marry without his father s consent and afterwards he was killed in america so now you know all that i can tell you this young man is as like his grandfather as possible allowing for the disadvantage of his not wearing powder and it seems that he has been brought up to painting bless me if old captain could look out of his grave and see one of his descendants taking money for pictures i however he s by all his father s relations notwithstanding which r don t see harm in having invited him to tea well cried when lady was gone it seems he is a gentleman by descent at any rate in the evening or rather afternoon when mrs and her daughters entered lady s drawing room they found mr already arrived and listening to an account of a public breakfast at which his grandfather had figured years ago he gave up his chair to mrs and to get a seat next to in which however he was disappointed and before he had had time to suffer much from his loss the three miss arrived and a explanation took place how that was able to come all because aunt had unexpectedly come from town and papa had always aunt s nursing more than that of any one else they were soon followed by mr and mrs good and by was a good and good looking young man of about twenty ir haired and something of s countenance to s thoughtless spirits miss holland often condescended to bestow a few smiles on him to which gratefully replied by some first attempts at easy compliment though he often complained to his sisters with much pathos that there was not a woman in worth speaking to with considerable good taste and of apprehension was not free from and when he bad nothing to say he ma e up for it by a laugh his communications to which let them have been separated for ever so short a time were always very he conveyed to her this evening in the following manner we got a new patient to day a rich old fellow mr who lives at the grove you know eight miles on he always used to have of but was out of the way so the servant came on to us and it s my opinion that now we ve got our foot in there we shall keep our ground is a disagreeable fellow disliked by all the ladies and nothing would have got him into such practice but a opinion of his he s nothing i nothing at as people will find out at last well and so as mr good was to g off to the grove you know i was obliged to step over to the miss at and very pretty girls they are i assure you there was one laying the harp the old lady seemed at first rather dissatisfied at the s not going over himself but i explained how that was so then all was right and we got on i went on the mare oh by the by what do you think sam good me over the last of the so i have dipped into it once or twice behind the counter and to night i mean to cook out of a long piece of candle and ave a good spell of it don t you envy me you shall have it when i ve done with it if you like thank you but i don t think mamma would like my novels of sam good oh but i needn t tell sam he s i no hurry for it but do as	2
you like does it seem very oh beyond every thing the hero is a black i mean a red a red indian i what do you think of that v how frightful not at all he is very handsome so lowering his voice that is the mr you were telling me of ho seems a lively little fellow how he is running on to he makes himself quite at home these are london manners i suppose i wish i could rattle away in that but i don t know how it is i never can find any thing to say don t laugh now i mean except to you and to day for instance all the way to i was thinking now i should make myself agreeable and settling just the easy kind of way i should go in and the easy kind of things i should say all quite pat but when the time came i could not bring one of them in was not that tiresome f mr at this made his and appeared surprised though pleased to find in the circle seemed to renew hie confidences to the worst of it is i shall never have tm of improving my manners in this wretched neighbourhood and manners are of such immense consequence in a medical man i there s now might carry off all our business if he had but good manners look at that mr he s laughing and joking with mrs and lady and yet you know he is not acquainted with any of their connections so that one would think he could have nothing but the weather to talk to them about i think i shall go and profit by his agreeable quitted his seat but before he attained the object of his journey he was arrested by miss holland ah mr i saw you ride by to day on your where were you going to see some very pretty young ladies i can tell you miss some very pretty young ladies well who could they be i don t think there are many pretty young ladies in this neighbourhood oh pardon me miss i think i could name two or three dear me could said she laughing and evidently thinking that she must be included in the number well now really with the exception of your sisters i should be puzzled to find any good to be sure be a beauty some of these days but she s so very young yet i should hardly think you alluded to any young ladies that weren t in their oh but indeed i to one ha ha ha well at any rate your pretty young ladies this morning were not in the immediate neighbourhood or else you would not have gone on horseback that s a clever guess of yours now try then if you can guess their name let me see the fields you don t call them beauties i hope he he oh there s no you know for tastes i dare say they have their admirers well then the out again the miss no tell me in which direction you east west north or f oh that would be telling yon at once not the no nor the r no nor the fields no well i give it up the miss it indeed had now exhausted his agreeable so he walked ofi after tea lady made up her card table and the young people before the open window h looked out on a terrace why should not we take a turn in the grounds said it would be pleasanter this hot evening than staying in doors it would be delightful said running down the steps be prudent young ladies cried mr good from his card table there is an air stirring this evening it is very disinterested of me to give you warning yes but very sly of you mr good returned mr to bring out a young pupil whose temptations to im prudence are likely to meet with attention than your come shall we be enough to follow the general example added he offering his arm to yes yes mr cried lady you had better follow the to keep them in order fm sorry young ladies there s no for you however holland is only a year younger than mrs so do quite as well miss holland laughed as gaily as she could and took s offered arm which way shall we go said she what is that curious old building i see among the said is it a ruin that is the said sir john rung many a peal in it and after his death the country people used sometimes to on stormy nights they heard his ghost still trying the indeed i i should like to have a nearer view oi it placed between and the youngest miss holland and and mr soon found themselves left behind i was not a little astonished said mr to find mr here this evening has he some spell which opens the doors of people s houses how did lady become acquainted with him she met him in her park this morning said and as ceremony seldom prevents any one comes in her way they entered into conversation in the course of which she discovered him to be the of an old acquaintance an old acquaintance so far so good said mr i don t think mr would impose on the old lady impose surely not said besides she says he so closely his grandfather that she should have known him any where for a that is another lucky circumstance observed he for lady has a quick eye and a good memory well i am glad to have some one s authority besides his own for the respectability of his connections his manners indeed speak for themselves	2
else have you sat apart like milton s angels without to listen to the innocent trifles at which miss and miss holland have been in the midst of their mirth and of my i not help glancing occasionally towards this bow window where i you were entertaining thoughts more and holding debate on what shall i say not on fate and fore knowledge but on vol i r broken hearts and cap and expectations sure was i from the truth i shall not tell you why should ladies be unable to talk of any thing better than and caps v i do not question the ability only the will they may talk of better things they cannot talk of prettier things unless they talk of themselves miss laughed thought the last turn very neat but with regard to continued sitting down by there may a great difference of tastes between us now i once had a conversation about with a royal with a royal yes why not is there anything so very odd in a s to the beauty or of a bonnet we agreed that the more battered and mis it could be the better the better yes for purposes i was painting a fancy portrait of a lady sitting out of doors and we had down all my mother s and sister s to see which would come in best there was a black silk and a white satin and a straw and a pink not one of them wa picturesque we had up the maid servant s her best and her worst still too good at that moment a little beggar girl happened to be hanging over the rails we threw tip the window concluded the bargain in two minutes for and took in the old hat on a stick it was the essence of shape and colour my dainty would however by no means put it on so we fitted it on a block it was the admiration of all house after this madam do not suppose it beneath a man s genius to of a bonnet paused and then renewed his request for music have you any idea on hat sort of an instrument you are inviting me to play said no its outward appearance is certainly rather antique but is it so miserable a piano a of the worst description the first i should strike on its keys would make you run out of the room village oh terrible i i certainly think people are not justified in inviting acquaintance to their houses unless they are pro with some means of entertaining them why as to that interposed if people are but got together no matter how i think they may always entertain themselves by laughing at each other no by talking as we are doing now oh entertaining themselves by entertaining each other why as to talking as we are doing now that is beyond the power of some people are so foolish as generally to set about talking on those tl of which they know least a tries to discuss and very with an the makes about and a lady talks to a gentle of and he returns the compliment by on well and in this way you get a great deal of general conversation yes they do well to stick to for not one of them is competent to descend into to prevent their finding out each other s there ought to be the for music and dancing port of prints or for and what are they inquired miss is it possible you have never seen an acted oh it is the prettiest amusement in the world and allows the scope imaginable for fine wit fine dress and fine attitudes could not we get one up now these would be very convenient and i should think lady wardrobe would furnish a most amusing of yes for old and said but are the actors speeches it must be very oh by no even the could speak prose without knowing it and as for blank verse if you are at no loss for sentiments the will come of itself i doubt that said taking a deep breath tis the easiest thing in the world cried why i could talk to you in blank verse for an hour together if you would listen to me no matter the subject lend me your ears village b he talked in for the came not like the coach of which came not when twas for the came without calling therein waa the difference and judgment s in differences as wit in miss how do you like my speaking in blank verse t oh excellent excellent cried she pray do it again tis gone said waving his hand the spirit has passed but do tell us more about these mr said cannot you describe one to us not i fear so as to give you any idea of their spirit but i will just sketch you an outline imagine us all to be sitting here in darkness as spectators while shut out half a dozen actors from our view well the door opens we see an shop counter with a behind it setting out his wares consisting of in comes a very customer ah hum ha my fine what did you mean by furnishing me with a ha perfectly useless a useless i don t understand what you mean come mr a a you make any difficulty in taking back your bad goods and restoring rate my money i ra take the disagreeable trouble of you and your into the street let me tell you i won t put up with no such language from no man neither will i return	2
walked beside mrs and proposed seeing them home and who led the way with soon left the more leisurely behind what a pleasant this has been said famous said i only wish sam good had been with us i am sure i wish no such thing said sam is a good fellow replied though i allow not to this mr and yet we might have been as merry if instead of him we had had sam oh how can you think so you are all for new faces i am more steady to old ones what do we know of this fine rattling gentleman there is a something about him certainly which i feel i want a kind of ease off lightness brilliancy what french people call je ne and yet i can t recollect any thing he said which was particularly clever nothing equal to that bon of sam s oh do not give me any of sam s bon tonight very well you are yourself for the bon was a very good here we are how brightly the moon shines what an immense time they are coming down the lane well good night you know i am impatient to return to the last of the chapter x drawing lessons mr was in the practice of his art he rose with the lark and sketch book in hand daily in search of the picturesque till scarcely a tree or cottage or but had found a place in his the rural were pleased with the clever young gentleman who praised the beauty of their children asked leave to copy their old tables ana chairs and them the views he had already taken of the church and the they were proud that he should think it worth his to copy anything of theirs into his book and remarked to one another that whereas they had heard say that painters got great sums of money from for drawing their pictures this young painter was another guess sort of body for he gave half pence and to folks for letting their be taken viewed with the heads of john and joe and mary smith of which he had thus been enabled to make studies but there was a darling wish of his soul yet every time he saw h he was more and more struck with her like loveliness and his desire to paint her portrait was increased rather than diminished by the pf obtaining her consent he often tried to sketch the outline of her placid features from memory and as often gave up the attempt in despair frequently spent his evenings at the and the knowledge that mr was v ami at the white cottage would have induced him to have requested his had not a certain indescribable feeling persuaded him that mr would be the worst person in the world to with such an office i shall remain here a little longer however for the chance thought and his two or three days at the white accordingly lengthened into two or three weeks one morning soon after the party at lady called at the white cottage to ask for his little book if she had no longer any need of it the two young ladies and their mother were seated at a table covered with work and drawing materials and at his earnest entreaty was prevailed on to him the sketch which she had corrected according to his directions was surprised pleased at the intelligence with which she had acted on his hints he spoke to her with real interest and enthusiasm of his art not as if he were dressing his thoughts to please ihe idle fancy of a mere common place young lady but as if he felt he was addressing himself co one who could sense and genius not only but her mother and sister listened with delight this is a surprising young man said mrs when he was gone i you will have the good sense to improve by his instructions without being spoilt by his praise certainly certainly replied you see mamma he speaks to me as if i were a reasonable being he tells me my faults thought this was the first time her sister had ever mentioned that circumstance in any one s the next day and the next and the next mr looked in as he said just for a minute to direct s pencil and the minute was lengthened into an hour often passed in nearly silence but silence that a word a direction set to work with an industry and interest in her subject which her joining in conversation cast the or placed the bust which she was to copy in the right light and then sat half behind her chair watching his pupil s progress with real interest and speaking from time to time to mrs or admiring s as she bent over her work the quiet and of these proceedings in which mrs always took a share prevented her from any coldness into her manner when the young artist with a half tone daily entered with well madam here i am again you see punctual as the clock there will be no breaking off my bad habit unless you fairly turn out so said mr one afternoon as he passed the garden gate and saw her just within it collecting some seed you are taking regular drawing lessons i find who told you so said she blushing what does that signify would it alter the case i suppose you will be a mrs some of these days whether mr used these words in the sense in which took them remains to be proved but certain it is that she blushed did a little italian boy come here this morning with some casts he worrying off a of sweet as he spoke oh yes cried starting	2
up and letting her seed i bought half his remaining stock luckily mr was here so that he told me which were worth buying and which were not the boy was quite a y b model for a painter was he not t mr had a great mind to take his likeness and he talked to him for some time in italian i was so sorry i did not understand italian but mr told me the boy said his name was and that he came from which perhaps the might have told if you had asked him in english however it is a very good thing to be able to speak italian have you finished the first volume of dr s remains not quite are you in want of it no there is no hurry i shall not return it till mr goes to town which i suppose will be this week or the next most probably he will be polite enough to take charge of a parcel good afternoon you have an hour s work before you i see in picking up that seed often wished that had possessed s or s beauty fate seemed to oblige im to be occupied with the sister who attracted him least it was always whose drawings he had to correct to whose he was to sing and to whose he was to find and thus without the smallest deceit it was natural for both sisters to w as preferred how it happened that s tranquil countenance and manner should have more charms for the artist than s glowing complexion brilliant eyes and quickness of intellect only be accounted for on the principle that people frequently are most attracted by their s want of genius in s art vexed him no than as it prevented his having so much direct intercourse with her as with her sister it would not her beauty thought he nor if she should some happy day become a painter s wife would it be necessary or desirable that both of us should paint of my and brush of my brush would soon cease to be either convenient or entertaining so re turned to watch s the very best efforts of a female pencil or must always far below those even of many second rate masters the mind as dr johnson said x f does its part but the hand fails the knowledge of is wanting and even who went through an ordeal to which no woman of delicacy would submit can only her father used to take her to the academy in boy s clothes claim the merit of being a artist a painter ladies but only a lady among is all that is granted us if the hand is mechanically obedient to the eye grasp of mind and accurate knowledge of the human figure are wanting if the imagination is brilliant the mind is willing but the hand is found to be weak how should it be otherwise when it is considered that art is long but life is short that the painter must rise early and study late scarcely let an hour pass without a line try the improvement of his have an eye in all societies and situations for lights shades and happy and that all these must be worked out on his with patient labour in spite of temptations to pleasure or idleness that art in feet besides the of a cultivated mind and vigorous imagination demands as complete an as any trade it must be seen that no woman with the thousand breaks in on her leisure to which she is liable can hope to arrive at perfection in this charming pursuit with the duties becoming her sex nor would any but the most vanity induce her to suppose that her casual efforts could attain that which costs men of genius a lifetime nevertheless without an sacrifice of time a female artist may proceed to a certain point brilliantly and excite both pleasure and surprise without provoking envy we are always struck at beholding effects produced by apparently inadequate and intelligent artists wh are perfectly aware of the gulf between them and their female are always ready to yield indulgent praise to their graceful while the ladies are generally too proud that one of their sex should seem likely to share the wreath with haughty man to be jealous at being in so quiet a pursuit mr watched s progress in the same manner as a sage might watch i clever little girl learning to read feeling curious to know how far she would proceed at the same pace though pretty certain she would never gain the lofty eminence on which he himself stood s manner combined the indulgence and respect due to the sex of his scholar with the sympathy of one who knew every step of the path she was treading and the with which he conversed with her on his favourite art contributed to the mistake into which the sisters had fallen there was a beautiful view to be seen from common at about four miles distance from which village had not yet discovered and mrs finding herself unable to give him an exact direction to the spot in consequence of the variety of tracks which crossed the proposed to him the way in the the distance was allowed to be too great for female feet but a donkey chaise could be borrowed of the miss by means of which they might all have an agreeable excursion the young people were charmed with the plan and soon after an early dinner the donkey chaise was sent for and obtained mr passed the cottage at the moment that the rural drew up and on learning the object of the expedition he said he would gladly one of the party the sketch books were safely beneath the seat and mrs assuming the office of asked which of	2
the young ladies intended to favour her with her company reasons well known to herself had decided on walking and she said so much more than the occasion required about being an excellent never feeling tired donkey c that without more took the vacant seat and the party set off mr his arm to walked next to her on the opposite side and for some little time the whole party continued together exchanging remarks on the scenery and the weather but presently coming to a steep cart track ran forward to support the chaise which seemed to him in imminent danger of losing its balance and he continued to keep his hand on the side rail while answering some inquiry of mrs s arrived at the end of the lane a fine down opened before them the donkey began to trot and to run still keeping his hold on the chaise elbow and continuing his laughing dialogue with the ladies which from the rattling of the wheels was necessarily carried on in a raised tone of voice the clear fresh air of the heath heightened the of and each of whom thought they had never seen the other look so handsome and the race continued till a slope in the downs carried them out of sight of and mr looked back them once or twice and asked her mother if they had not better wait that is easier said than done replied mrs smiling as she vainly pulled the rein our donkey seems to have inspiration from the air i this best driving madam asked i thought you had been a better whip ah the rein you are your gloves more than his mouth this unwonted speed will soon depend upon it and we may as well await our companions at the foot of the next hill as any where else acting on this resolution they half traversed common in the mean while had been rather annoyed at being left behind with mr he had joined them she said to herself without being wanted by any body and now had completely broken up the party had not we better walk said she gently dragging him forward as she spoke they will be out of sight presently but no mr hung heavy on hand we cannot keep up with them said he and i dare say they will wait for us at the bottom of the slope oh don t trust to that cried eagerly for i know the holland s donkey of old and when it once takes to trotting on heath it never stops till it reaches the foot of white thorn hill in that case replied mr there is still less chance of our keeping up with them so you see it was a lucky thing i fell in with you or you would have been left to yourself no that i should not i am sure cried indignantly tossing her chin don t you think resumed she again endeavouring to her companion a little that we had better try to gain the slope at any rate before they are out of sight that we may see which track they take oh continued mr i know my way to the brow of the hill perfectly well but i am not so sure that mamma does interrupted if she loses her way replied he we are not for it since she has run away from us not we from her however we shall all meet at our journey s end i make no doubt could not help letting her lips betray that note of vol village impatience which can only be imperfectly implied on paper by the syllable tut the vexation was increased by her companion s coming to a full stop apparently for no other purpose than to scent the air delightful exclaimed he at length with a tone and countenance of keen enjoyment here indeed as your fa expresses it the sense is with of unexpected sweets my favourite repeated with contempt s favourite if you please i haye to taste for such dull writers who instead of giving airy a local habitation and a name describe just what is before their eyes and no more with the accuracy of a the lay of the last is worth all that a thousand could write the task too such a name enough to one at the very outset there is a great deal in a name though chose not to think so and fixed on one equally hateful to teacher and scholar very good said mr laughing there is much originality in what you say and i always derive amusement from your ideas though they are not or more properly because they are not in exact accordance with my own as to your opinion on the subject of i agree with you that miss was very when she exclaimed what s in a name v and that she would have been compelled to answer a great deal if it could have been proved that the so called sign or had no right to any other than plain or her love would speedily have been in the bud we may be certain i myself am not a little proud of a name which associations with the noble the brave and the patriotic and mr would fall five per cent in your estimation i dare say if he were to turn out a mere smith or some people said have more to boast of than their names why that is true too rejoined mr and i think you are among the number for is not a very striking name is pretty and italian like enough but has not much to recommend it take my advice therefore and change it as soon as possible village really mr exclaimed v ry really what miss why you sometimes me of sense but your nonsense is ten times worse mr laughed	2
you like a little sometimes it is impossible to be out of temper with you long together out of temper he do you j s so much give me thy hand come answer as did heart with it i will put no unfair interpretation on the words i promise b you you well then i must say that are ft very odd sort of person too and that it is impossible to be out of r with long together we have made up out reconciliation just in time for sure enough there is the donkey chaise where you said it would be at the foot of the hill bo now it will be but fair that and should be left to toil in the rear as we have done while mrs you and i ascend the hill with the speed of the wind not even the conclusion of this speech could now put ro out of humour she walked forward briskly and they soon came up with the donkey party who looked the picture of content ran towards as she approached and offered her his arm thus supported on either side h told she k very well up the hill though her late complaints to mr her from again maintaining that she felt no they all to their place of with in high spirits and in the overflowing of her many smiles and lively on mr thought he to himself my young lady is fairly caught for the present but it will not last long and i know why without stopping to search the meaning of this mysterious i know why we must proceed to the summit of the hill where mr as all had expected was much struck the view which opened before him it was too however he said to be a fit subject for a sketch it was vast but not picturesque much was discussed and on d mi grand masses broken light and shade at length mrs proposed returning mr does not seem quite ready to go observed ro see how ke stands with folded arms quite absorbed m meditation what are you considering mr f nothing very particular replied he turning round with a i was merely letting myself be breathed on b this delicious wind or if i was thinking at all i believe it was that i rather hungry what a poetical exclaimed i expected to you bad been engaged in some very sublime v u tne leave to have y m yea i have well i have not the next time we compare tha relative of our ideas let us start ir on this point at present you have the advantage of me the laugh waa now against offered to walk and her younger sister seated herself in the chaise without complaint the and kept more together on return than they had done before and on reaching the white cottage they separated with mutual e of satisfaction at their excursion chapter xl al the re t was made and finally granted whose secret admiration of was daily acquiring greater warmth and reality at first then seriously entreated her to sit to him for her picture and begged mrs to add her to his own the mother s pride in her daughters beauty was gratified she was also gained by s manner which seemed to attach just it without too great to the respectful and though with was astonished at the proposal and shrunk with natural aversion from deliberately sitting to be looked at but when said he would not insist on her fixing her eyes on his ugly lamented the of finding ood and in conclusion proposed some subject m which he also introduce the portraits ef her and sister softened and at length yielded a reluctant the was rapidly chosen by the painter it should be the departure ot and for the holy and their parting from s was not of the oriental style but bo matter its y expressed moral beau dignity and ft ef the a darker the a h mi oe well and mrs s deeply and expressive countenance beneath a head dress could not fail to give interest to was enchanted with the subject and her mother and sister were scarcely less struck with s genius when they saw his rough sketch from the text kissed her mother in law but unto her the woman of many sorrows was seen turning her cheek to the retiring while supporting her arm and waist looked up in her face with tender as she prepared to lead ner steps through the desert which opened before th em in the distance amid palms and were seen the walls and towers of the city to which was while overhead was the glowing sky of an eastern climate nothing had been forgotten which was necessary to the complete of the scene saw at a glance that s sketch of her figure possessed much of the beau ideal and attributed to his partiality what she should rather have laid to his science the colours and arrived in a few days from town the former not exceeding the size of a cabinet picture as maintained that what would be gained by increased space would be lost in delicacy and that grandeur of design might as well be compressed into a as expanded on an altar piece the question now became where should the take place the parlour was too small to render the apparatus of very convenient or the smell very besides which the window with did not admit a sufficiently broad light it was resolved to place the in the garden beneath the huge tree the hedge was so high and thick as to prevent much chance of being overlooked but with the assistance of s clothes lines and a picturesque was stretched beneath the e to screen them entirely from observation and prevent the fluttering of the	2
leaves from interrupting the light delighted with the romance and novelty of the plan the more so that it had been suggested by the painter himself thought of many little improvements which she effected with great ingenuity and self approval behold then the artist lover the shade his the sun and air the ready dry s of his colours and the green foliage and purple distance the appropriate back ground of his her mother an exquisite firom s village the sketch was improved the and the from the sketch so that no head could be more it a sin to cover more of a was absolutely necessary with a muslin veil carelessly thrown back and wound a crimson round her own dark in a manner which she defied mr to prove had never been the in and which was too becoming for him seriously to at an hour was spent in arranging every thing conveniently in making the stand firm on the ground in picking the little flies out of s and and in that the sun should shine on the ladies without or blinding them all these difficulties being mastered commenced his work with the most alacrity the three or rather had secretly felt by r the greatest pleasure at the idea of having her picture taken bv mr yet to say she was first to feel tired what she would have liked would have been to sit in a chair so that she could see the artist and every other minute to jump up and watch his progress instead of hich till the was begged them all to stand as still as possible in attitudes which as she observed were mighty her on the point of touching her mother s cheek and her figure in such a ul twist as to give her an intolerable pain in the side to do him justice allowed them a momentary change of posture every five minutes and promised to relieve two of the three in a quarter of an hour b t his one minute more lasted much longer than he had led them to believe and the earnestness with which he worked made him terribly silent at length the ladies were released from their the he told them was obtained and they gathered round the to wonder and admire their were such as might have satisfied any man not bent on that his admirers should be thoroughly competent judges of his art the picture was lovely striking astonishing now began to bring up the back ground to the same state of with the figures during which time the ladies much interested in the novel hanging of a kind of new to them watched his and expressed their at ever new effect went away an presently returned with some beautiful k was a good thought and ran off to gather enough village for the whole party meantime bad given a few her mother and was going to r the remainder to mr when she blushed slightly and said she would fetch a plate as if said stopping her and looking the finest china would them more acceptable coloured again but gave him the fruit with perfect simplicity and soon returned with a more abundant supply they carelessly laughed and till all the were eaten and then returned to his work which he pursued till the village clock warned him and his charming companions that they must separate for dinner in the afternoon mrs desired her daughters to carry a trifling message to mrs they were just the cottage when they met mr at the door he had just looked in he said not to paint but to see his morning s work with fresh eyes they all accompanied him to the tree beneath which it still stood that the sun might dry it quickly and notwithstanding his resolution the offered itself so to his hand that he could not resist touching up something which it would be a pity to leave in its present state once with the magic brush m his fingers it seemed impossible to lay it down and deceived at first into the belief that his one minute would literally consist only of sixty seconds aroused herself from her trance and reminded of their mission are you going said indeed mr said mrs who had never seen painting thus taken by storm and began to be alarmed for his health i think it would be much better for you to lay aside your take a walk also you have painted many hours and i am sure your mind must want s were immediately whether mrs had intended that his walk should be in the same direction with her daughters or not he chose to understand that it was to be so and the was instantly cleared he requested the young ladies to grant him one more minute s patience and as soon as his were washed he accompanied th on their walk a lovely day was now giving place to a still more lovely evening and the spirits and of the were in happy tune s first inquiry was pray mr are you a prophet not that i am aware of replied he a if village ing for an encounter of wits if i were i would tell your fortune immediately but what occasioned the question simply because the of old used to reckon years as days and seemed to me to bear the same proportion to ordinary of time laughed though he did not appear exactly to know to what she referred mr does not understand you said with a quiet smile that seemed to say j do why have you not often threatened me s drawing lesson pursued which has as often been lengthened into an hour and did you not cheat poor into standing twenty minutes in a most uncomfortable position by telling her she should be released from it in a moment	2
did you not mean to paint only a minute this afternoon and to be occupied another minute in washing your now laughed gaily the fact is said he that it is impossible to take note of time in the society ah mr i dare say you use all your just as perhaps i do when they me equally i leave you to decide how often that is likely to be the case painting must be a very fascinating pursuit said trying to turn the conversation to undoubtedly it must be said oh there is mrs i declare just going into mrs good s i must try to deliver mamma s message before the servant opens the door away she ran leaving and mr to follow her at their leisure they did so in perfect silence though longed to speak just as he thought of something to say to his beautiful companion they were re joined by this is too warm weather for running exclaimed she there is no need of our going to mrs s now said what shall we do go home home exclaimed both her companions at once surely not said where shall we go then inquired let us sit down on the bench just beneath the churchyard said till i have recovered myself and then we can go into park we have scarcely walked half a mile i l they accordingly proceeded to the seat which had be ki erected by some forgotten of the man of it was nearly at the point where mr had first seen how pleasant rest is when we are tired i said yes and how pleasant is when we hav earn ed it by industry said even such weather and scenery as this would be delightful but with companions feminine companions one is so glad too of having gained a point i began to be afraid at one time miss that i should leave without having painted your picture felt she was expected to speak yet knew not exactly what to say she was not so ready in playful speeches as her sister it was a bold project certainly how many arguments and how many little arts was i obliged to use before i could attain it he looked at her with a smile full of earnest meaning and s eyes sank to the ground saw the look i am yes i am glad thought she that he does justice to s beauty no painter could fail to admire that sweet countenance but conversation his instruction and his playful wit are all reserved for me while trying to convince herself that this was really the case she was unconscious how long they had sat in thoughtful silence when quick cheerful voices at no great distance roused each of from their and looking round they perceived mr and another gentleman passing through the church yard gate another thought as she rose to pursue her walk while gave a look first of careless inquiry and next of half doubting surprise at stranger he was a tall striking looking young man of about one and twenty with a which at this moment was beaming with gaiety and good humour exclaimed in a suppressed but energetic tone i think yes i am sure it is who could hardly have recognized had he not been told by his companion that the two young ladies before him were the s approached a gladness of manner equally free from and exaggeration i said he half doubtful of being remembered her bright glance instantly that she v a s knew him perfectly well and she held out her hand with a mile of pleasure as she said who would ha e thought of seeing you in mr she introduced him to her sister and named to him mr whom measured with his eyes from head to foot as he to him with great grace but a little this spot seems destined for the scene of pleasant meetings said mr to with a smile then turning to well said he did not i you right in not telling you that your old and was to the you remember the provocation coloured we were just coming to call on pursued mr shall we all proceed to the white cottage together or have you any other plan in view we will return by all means said immediately offered her his arm and she accepted it with a slight blush wondering whether mr would think it strange and led the way he drawing her arm beneath his with the security of an old friend and at the growth and exceeding of the little girl whom he had so often tempted into or from as events might happen while she with a thousand questions relative to acquaintance hovering on her lips scarcely felt sufficiently at ease with him to give them utterance five minutes to however that if had added some inches to his height and some man hood to his countenance and carriage since they had last seen each other his manners were nearly as carelessly boyish as ever meanwhile they were putting a gradually increasing space between themselves and the more leisurely behind what was that mr said about provocation said smiling after answering a few of her inquiries respecting his family provocation repeated affecting forgetfulness yes something in connection with you and me was it not ah you remember it i see by your blushing blush mr said i assure you i do no such thing nay no offence replied he with perfect even if i judged vou know the mistake did not amount to a crime what s his name the vol h village of you ladies dr says that a blush is the most powerful charm of beauty at least i have s authority for saying so for you may be sure i never	2
read his precious stuff about friendship love and matrimony myself but mr what do you mean by that not to me i hope you know we are and i do not mean to my privilege of calling you i assure you and i hope vou i shall always be as i was in old times dear old times i was going to call them but they were not very dear to you who were so treated by mrs by the by that woman whom i have never forgiven has left park place time indefinite to wander up and down the face of the earth felicity hunting with her poor worn out husband and old mrs a charming party to travel over the continent with don t you think so i was rather astonished they did not invite mr to make a fourth for mrs can scarcely bear him to be out of her sight but perhaps was wise and preferred peace and quiet to an but you have not told me a word of dear oh is as much altered as you are though the girl will never be handsome however she is sharp and good humoured which does quite as well for a sister my is not a day older than when you saw him and as lively and indulgent as ever i was the envy of half the men in oxford in that respect nothing to do but to write for money and it was sure to come without any to be sure he once made me feel rather ashamed of myself how was that inquired oh said laughing and the hedge with cane the long and the short of the business was that i had been extravagant and actually felt myself blushing as red as fire when i wrote for fresh supplies i half expected they would not be however the letter came with the needful and a line to say that dr had great pleasure in paying his son s necessary expenses though the poor must this winter suffer for it and that to be sure the repetition of such a demand as the last would oblige him to put down his carriage a very luxury to a hale old man and four healthy females how hot i felt at that moment bills must be paid you know there was no help for that but i was as as all the rest oi the term and the next time i saw my father i wrung his hand and vowed i never would exceed my allowance again he hoped i should keep my promise wished he could afford me more and we were as good friends as ever dear excellent man but your mother and your brothers and sisters oh ned is at and are with at the isle of their after a london campaign and the young ones are pursuing the same routine under as we did before them by the by that french woman wears uncommonly well what with her and false hair nobody would suppose her more than thirty and she dresses with as much precision as ever has taken to my father and mother cry i nonsense no such thing but and i are convinced of it you know what teeth and eyes she has when i first came home positively looked so handsome that i had a great mind to strike up a but considering that she had helped me through the hard words in l ami des it proved too ridiculous however we still often have a little scene stands secure in the consciousness of having refused several good offers and has no objection to a little harmless rattle we have quite and mr said looking back shall we not wait for them certainly we will what a sweet countenance your sister has and who is that mr hunter are they engaged oh dear no oh dear no repeated he laughing that look and tone give me reason to suspect something in another quarter you may suspect whatever you like but you are talking quite at random oh i shall be more au by and by i have pretty quick eyes and shall make my silent observations silent observations horrible exclaimed pray do not trouble yourself to do any thing so disagreeable oh i shall not mind its being disagreeable said but i shall i assure you cried for nothing is so what she did not reply and he continued oh i shall keep a good o t on this mr hunter is he one of the neighbouring gentry no w vii b b where is he staying then at the inn oh at this moment the person in question together with and mr came they were speaking of s picture which mr was curious to see what is this picture they are talking of inquired of as they pursued their walk oh a beautiful painting of mn s in which he is introducing all our cried raising his eyebrows then he is nothing but a portrait painter after all hush he will you you are mistaken what is he only an amateur then why not exactly he is a very distinguished artist i never heard his name observed you will some of these days said with quickness mr says he is a very great genius i am glad to hear it replied as a proof of it continued he not only but is extremely well read in poetry and the knows a deal of history and sings delightfully i am even not quite sure that he does not write verses so much the worse for his painting said not at all cried an artist as well as every one else must have occasional and how much better are these than gambling and with low company perhaps he may do that too i am certain he oh said with a smile i see you	2
are talking of mr hunter i thought you speaking of artists in general heaven forbid tliat i should accuse or suspect a man of whom i know nothing and who may be better than myself it would be ill bred as well as for me to pretend to judge of mr hunter mr i beg his pardon of mr s merits or what do i know of him by the by that is a pretty little cottage that is our cottage said feeling rather ashamed of it for the first time it is very small but quite large for happiness without doubt ob t jim an advocate for cottages i assure to mi f i village say truth i went through a pretty severe course of novels last winter when i had a ah mamma has the tea things placed under the tree cried joyfully how very pleasant chapter tea party under a tree mrs had expected to return with her daughters but she was rather surprised to see an addition of two gentlemen to the party and still more surprised to be introduced to as the son of an old and highly valued friend and in some sort as a relation she gave him a most cordial reception and immediately expressed her hope that he and mr would join their little tea party every one was pleased with the idea of drinking tea out of doors and having laid aside her bonnet and took her accustomed seat as president so many inquiries after friends required answers from that the picture was at first forgotten mr at length looked round for it and brought it from the house mr was even more struck with the painting than had been expected and seemed scarcely to know which most to praise the design or the execution was gratified by his which were those of a man of taste though not a was disposed to be pleased with every thing yet he could not make due for the first stage of colour and at the hue of s complexion he said he should like to have been reminded of sir s colouring rather than of the dirty in street and advised mr to inquire of where a velvet brush dipped in honey was to be found he should paint miss s portrait with no other said but did not think she looked very angry they were n w summoned by to the tea table and pray how came to be honoured h b s by your presence inquired mrs was this excursion or al in he laughed and replied oh there was nothing to keep me at home and had written such praises of this part of the country that i thought i should like to come and look about me next year i shall travel and it is foolish of a man to go abroad he has seen his own country are you going then to make the tour of england why i don t exactly know about that i shall probably go a little further west and about for a few weeks here and there wherever i find any thing to please me how extremely like he is to his mother i said mrs to mr the same eyes not quite said her s are dark blue and mine are grey i do not wish my eyes to deceive you ma am even in colour and yet again your nose is certainly something of the doctor s i had rather be like him in any thing else observed what do you say you have seen my since mrs has are our noses alike i am sure i do not know said in a tone as if she had never seen a nose in her life eyes and nose a strange contest arose said laughing and i deny that mine has that venerable arch in the middle or that at the lower extremity which my father s organ of scent nay if i have any vanity it is of this very feature and when i swear which i assure you ladies is but seldom it is always by my nose you need not be at being thought like your father for at the time i married he was a very handsome man so he is still for his age but my mother i think is more altered though her manner is as of cheerfulness and sweetness as ever her s has been a life of more anxiety and care she has had a large family to attend to and a great deal of ill health thank god she is now tolerably well but i do not know what would have done us all if it had not been for your mother was a charming woman when i knew her so she is ma am to this day i did not always know her value may remember that as children we al villa b ways had rather mere in dread than my her well when i had been from home a few months i began like many other fools to it was exceedingly weak of me to be held any longer in and resolved quietly to throw aside the yoke at the first o will you believe it on returning with my tastes somewhat and my knowledge of men and women more enlarged i found my self for the first time capable of this admirable mother and aware of the distinction of possessing friendship stay surely she charged me with a letter to you i believe it is in my is this it oh no this is one to yoa from which had slipped my memory i now recollect her something my pocket just as i was mounting my horse with some which i had not time to listen to for shame cried tearing it open i dare say you have forgotten	2
some message which i should have thought of great importance if i had known it had been for you replied he i would have paid more attention to her certainly but i thought she had merely been giving me some to prevent my starving on the road has always so many last words when i am on the point of setting out on a ride either a charge to the woman at the library for not sending her the last volume of some novel or a message to the or a note to drop at aunt margaret s that i now only hear her mechanically and cry ay ay depend upon me without being quite clear whether i am to go to the aunt s the s or the s you do not deserve such a sister as i am afraid said mr nobody deserves her i replied he with energy nobody in you mean i hope she is not of your way of thinking pretty nearly so i believe she is used to describe you and your sister as nearly said so we are still when i am at home replied he my father says that and seem always connected with like and said not exactly said their resemblance was more of person than mind is more of mind than person had now hastily the contents of her letter i village a few towards the conclusion made her blush rosy red and washing to appear she said as she folded it up you seem to have had a very gay spring at such gaiety as a country town always affords answered a regular succession of parties beginning with the and ending with the repeated mrs there were no such names in the town when i left park place and yet count them among our old established set now oh there are many among us compared with whom the and are quite antique i dare say mrs you would hardly know again four or five years in these stirring times make an immense difference i myself can recollect when we had neither library music shop nor bank when cotton row was not built when there was only one s one linen s and one s now we have two handsome two a physician and a does not that speak for the growing importance of but you would see no alteration in park place it stands aloof from the town with the same dignity as ever and the stately old trees have not as yet become the prey of a heir young james perhaps may make the axe play amongst them freely some of these days i hope riot said mrs so do i said for i have lain so often under their shade that i look upon them in some measure as my own property if such a claim as that could be made good in a court of law said i should have as pretty an estate as any man in the kingdom is nine points of the law said and there is many a nook in the woods of park place which i and the have hitherto had to ourselves a certain bank in particular that will always be associated in my mind with ah how often have i wished to read exclaimed i think you would be disappointed in him said disappointed in i exclaimed i can only say that devoured his pages with the keenest delight and that his chronicle appeared to me the most vivid and entertaining picture of the times that could well be imagined and what times were they rejoined times when every public and private duty was and the most crimes committed without exciting surprise times full of romantic incident however said yes the incidents were romantic but has a dry uninteresting way of telling them how much more he might have made of some of his stories by some particulars and many others you are difficult to please sir to me i must confess his style has something quaint and delightful he tells you the whole affair from beginning to end so that it seems to rise before your eyes how that sir john sat at meat when young earl s page after a night of peril brought him the ring how he washed his hands and sat before he resolved to forget old and go to the earl s assistance all this gives a great deal of spirit and life but does not argue much more genius for than that possessed by every old nurse he makes no selection a modern writer would select and leave nothing but the bare skeleton said i like dead heroes to stand before me in all the reality of flesh and blood how i over the exploits of that old sir john and how i loved the pleasant stories of sir de as he and rode at a bridle pace beside some fair river how i enjoyed the of the gallant and pages as they sat round the fire at the court of beam each man telling his tale of war or love how my blood at the murder of little de do you find any thing more poetical in ah a man must be fastidious who cannot relish how say you to tell you the truth replied mr i never read the tea being now removed brought her mother s work bag and her own from the parlour and accepted s offer of holding the of silk she was about to wind on looking round when his task was half finished perceived that mr was helping to water her flowers and he immediately began to wish himself at liberty as soon as he was he walked towards the flower border and seeing a pretty rose be stopped to gather it village ob cried in terror part real and part you	2
positively shall not have that rose it is the only one i have any other that you will moss or china with all my heart said a rose gathered by myself would do only to smell twice or thrice and throw over the hedge whereas one presented by you will have an value it is a spanish compliment you know to give a rose to a stranger are you resolved to call me one well which colour will you have the colour of the lips of a young lady of my acquaintance no not that it is too pale how can i tell what colour you mean said stooping over her will this do yes said he softly taking the rose and approaching it to her lips hastily turned away and nearly ran against mr who was returning with her watering pot are you giving away flowers miss like another said he i am sure i have earned one no no said laughing they are all for me how can you say so said scornfully mr has earned one very here mr is a perfect beauty you deserve one for filling my this is lovely enough to inspire a said and he immediately began to hum oh my love like the red red rose his voice reached the party under the tree j mr called out to beg he would go on and laughing as though he scorned himself for singing continued with more emphasis though still in an apparently careless manner to run through the second verse of the ballad no woman musical enough to appreciate simple melody and youthful enough to believe in the possibility of her having excited interest in the young painter s heart could have listened unmoved to his of and i will love thee still my dear till the sands of life are run village its pathos was by a gentle sigh from the bosom of each of the younger ladies and with an impatient wished fate had enabled him to sing as well and then himself by doubting whether it were a manly accomplishment after having with unusual benevolence watered s flowers as well as her own returned quite tired but in spirits to rest beneath the tree the moon presently rose brightly behind the hills and mrs thought it time to return to the house this movement was received by the gentlemen as a hint to wish good evening which they accordingly did after waiting to see the moon enter a cloud und to make rival from milton and pope the last good night was said and smiled still lingered to utter more last words while mr led the way up the lane and called s attention to the glow worms sparkling on the banks what an entertaining day this has been exclaimed as she laid her head upon her pillow s opinion of it had not been very what a smile has exclaimed he abruptly after had quitted them she is so much altered since i last saw her that i should scarcely have known her again as for her mind that is altered too however i have watched its in her letters what exclaimed mr with surprise did you correspond no no her letters to which i often saw though without s it why they were living pictures not a corner of this village not a creature who it not a tea party at lady s or a visit from you added he laughing that was not recorded i have often thought said mr rather gravely that was inclined to be but i did not imagine she allowed her to carry her these but not a word of ill nature in them interposed they were in that respect and the ardent affection they discovered towards her mother and sister i have this evening seen displayed with my own eyes i like the elder sister too she reminds one of milton s description of melancholy though there is nothing melancholy about her she seems devout and pure sober steadfast and village s character deserves all those except the last said mr in common stands for a sort of affected modesty whereas hers is completely woven into her mind and is too to be worn as a mere ornament has more natural vanity she has more to be vain of observed and often says does and things continued mr which would never enter s imagination but her innocence of mind and natural vivacity of disposition form i think her best and as her experience and power of reflection increase she will if she has sufficient strength of mind to correct her little become a very i perfectly agree with cried with energy yes yes she will as you say become an character and i hate a perfect woman chapter nut this had been a day of unusual excitement at the white cottage nor did it seem likely that events would very soon return to their former sleepy course s picture and s arrival formed ample subject for conversation at mrs s breakfast table the morning and before eleven o clock the artist came to request his to resume their attitudes soon arrived with his mother s letter and was delighted to watch s progress and in the course of the afternoon and sam good looked in to inquire what was going on laughed heartily at what he called his sisters dresses and then entered into conversation with who pleased him exceedingly sam was meanwhile employed in asking a thousand absurd questions and paying foolish compliments at length the young men set out on their walk and was with some difficulty persuaded by to accompany them the painting scheme completely interrupted the usual routine of feminine occupation mr and the goods were eager to look on and give their opinion so that for the first week mrs s garden was a perpetual and found his progress	2
greatly by the admiration criticism and small talk of the by the charm of variety however he knew would soon cease and than he should be left in comparative quiet till that period arrived he postponed the luxury of painting s portrait and occupied himself with his study of this flattered her imagination and awoke both the interest and jealousy of who at first was angry with him for not doing justice to her and then for dwelling as he on her features s character was not such as one sees every day disposition was affectionate his imagination lively and his mind with a of romance which united to manners of boyish gaiety and sincerity was rather apt to make the and cautious give him less credit for strength of judgment and principle than he really deserved while it remarkably him to by whom he was intimately known to hint that he came to on purpose to fall in love with would ruin my hero in the opinion of his judges although such a result might appear the natural and proper consequence of his visit the motives which had him however were thoroughly characteristic of himself s childish beauty had had as little as might have been expected on his boyish imagination but in after years his parents partial reminiscences of her and the of her clever letters which occasionally read aloud for the doctor s amusement kept alive his remembrance of her and excited some degree of curiosity to know whether this lively and secluded young beauty were all that his imagination pictured was thought of by as a little nest of loveliness where the trees were and the air sweeter than any where else and he could not help considering himself the of the happiness which breathed throughout s letters since he it was he who had contrived the scheme of her from park place an achievement which in spite of the disgrace it had on him he always remembered with amazing satisfaction he resolved that if he should ever make a tour through the western of england he would take in his way and on college idleness soon gave a substantial form to tne plan which had once or twice floated vol l i v i through his he told his father he should like to his and his health hy a little excursion through some of the neighbouring and that he thought he mis ht as well begin by spending a week or ten days with that honest fellow dr looked at his arch countenance and elastic figure and could see no made either by sickness or over study however he had no objection to the boy s having a little change and was well convinced he could learn no harm of mr so on a good horse and with a pound note in his pocket started for here he found himself so exceedingly comfortable that he thought for the present the western might take care of themselves mr was a most hospitable host with enough love of humour to relish all s and of indulgence to in much of his romance their and dinners were discussed with the utmost harmony for the rest of the day mr was quite as much at liberty as ever to write in his study or visit his for either rode about the country or the hours away at mrs s here he was always sure of smiles and a little into the bargain could not be prevailed on to acknowledge the contents of the which she had torn off s letter before she gave it to her mother and sister that it contained some laughing concerning was rendered as probable from her confusion as from the enthusiasm and romance which made so closely resemble her brother if however had possessed as much judgment as kindness she would have left the since induced by it to fancy a lover from the outset shrank from his advances with a feeling of consciousness which not even her inclination to could overcome her vanity made her of the of her charms her modesty made her shrink even while she longed for admiration from the language of love and thus there were as many pretty and starts and and as a mischievous could desire for amusement was puzzled attracted and deceived he became interested in the pursuit and little doubtful of success yet he was not without his he was at first uncommonly charmed with the daily under the tree which afforded such opportunity for pleasant and looking to and fro between the village and soon began to discover that these regular proceedings were monotonous and tiresome and of pleasant t te a t te through the green lanes while if he contented himself with the ladies in their evening walk and took a ride in the he thereby left the field occupied by a rival whose genius sadly balanced against his own good looks this conviction when it first broke upon him was that his inferior in station fortune and education perhaps also in character inches shorter and a mere painter to boot should actually be his rival s contempt for him seemed in a way of changing into dislike he was however by thinking that the picture would soon be finished and the artist recalled by business to london vain thought with the whole summer before him and a picture in hand to which he was resolved to give the finish was in no hurry to depart and as living at an inn was too expensive he engaged a lodging at a little cottage in the valley where he might remain all the autumn if he were so minded thus settled at his ease he pursued his occupation in the most leisurely manner touching and s face and figure till they possessed the finish of a miniature apparently as it seemed to for the purpose of him out and victor by his	2
mere of the ground as had no tolerable pretence for remaining at longer than a fortnight or three weeks this plan seemed beyond the patience of a mortal to bear and he devoutly wished he could find some london acquaintance who had a pretence for taking out a writ of against the artist if were thus alternately in by s and by her preference of his rival was happier than he had ever been in his life though not from tne cause which mr suspected he was engaged on a picture which pleased him he was daily in the enjoyment of refined and pleasant society he was shone on by the smiles of beauty and had op s of improving his acquaintance with the charms of s mind while the delight of finishing her portrait was yet in store he was now on speaking terms with every one in the s pleased him most bat he also liked mr and mr and mrs gk od while partiality threw a round g j o m les to sm h service along the banks of r which wound through the it was a well w t shade wi v i j i from the bottom of his l l t f y h first attract him d f t loneliness of feminine virtues which si p l ould while z t m f li p e l to him that h s to excite attachment might be h r y pride of intellect no undue n f t a u l s l nd felt that the i j h p f i d while pursuing red l m v d l whether l s fit t t on the ground ted h t p f t s w s he use sat t y t sound no tax soon after some one t t an mr said sam with the ease of w v s fi nearer as he spoke i a morning id you said s e day is n t it very replied j v l j in church to be sure and i have picked out a nice cool place hall s g y i i j i re y o in sweet i i oh said with mortification i thought you were speaking of miss no for my money such a kind of complexion such a and such eyes yes said miss is exceedingly pretty but her sister is by far the more beautiful girl rather an old girl i think said sam old cried looking as if he could have knocked him down yes old repeated the little clerk she looked as womanly as she does now when i was leaving school and was a tall girl paying visits with her mother when i used to run about in i m sure she can t be far from three and twenty and that for a girl i call old sam finding he had all the conversation to himself soon afterwards walked ofi and remained throwing stones into the water and pondering on a young girl growing up in beauty without its being seen and admired by any one without even dreaming herself of her own exceeding there was something which interested his in the speculation he wondered at sam s audacity in calling by her christian name it was a privilege he had envied mr but then mr had known her from a child and was almost old enough to be her ther at any rate her uncle sam good s impertinence was chapter xiv suspicious appearances well how go on in general rosy said one afternoon as he opened the garden gate in general repeated she laughing that is like sam good come and see she led him towards mr s picture oh capital upon my word mr is quite a what shall i say a second only don t fancy rosy that you are half so handsome as your picture to be sure i shall not said she removing his i from her chin but i you leave off me rosy does it and i don t like it at all by the by where is i thought i should find him here he is riding somewhere i suppose i cannot presume to say where can t you i should have thought would hare known at any rate what a fine spirited open hearted fellow he is so i think said his mother i am glad you seem to like each other i am glad you think he likes me said dear i why should he not cried need not be fastidious no man had better be but if any one has a right to be so surely has i do not know why he is not particularly clever not deficient either and particularly pleasing at any rate he never says any thing very brilliant oh as to that how few people do the most agreeable companions are not those who are always striving to shine indeed the very effort has something disagreeable in it ah but clever people can be brilliant effort how long is going to stay there said taking hold of one of s how should i know how should we know said she quickly examined the picture for a few minutes and then suddenly exclaimed i can tell you a piece of news if you like to near it what is it inquired guess returned he what a tiresome way	2
that is of answering cried just like mr why rosy said good first you accuse me of sam good next next mr to hear you talk one would think i up all the cast off bad habits of the parish have i learnt any thing of hey bill she blushed and well does news re late to f none of the present company said sam good v no the miss of then i suppose one of them is going to be you girls must always be thinking of said oh you are quite out it is nothing serious as matrimony mrs has returned to the is that all all i ton would have thought a great deal of it a month ago but lately these paintings and have made you so dissipated that you can t be surprised at any thing only a little out of the common yes she has come back from the continent at last and mr good was sent for this morning to attend the housekeeper but as it is only the housekeeper i dare say i shall go to the to morrow don t you envy me envy you no why should i you have often said you should like to see the house and grounds oh yes but not in that kind of way that kind of way let me tell you miss rosy there is nothing in that kind of way a you call it a medical man is cm equal terms with his but your patient is only a housekeeper but mr saw mrs herself and with her into the bargain don t be high and mighty rosy i f you had not these fine airs till lately and what right have we to fine airs any of us excellent said his mother with a smile circumstances seemed to unfortunately against the success of s s fancy and as she believed her heart were completely pre occupied by his rival she made frequent between them and s genius and accomplishments rs bore the palm even the and of which formed the greatest charm of s character were against him under since they were completely opposed to the austere grace and m r dignity which considered could alone in a hero for the of the fire of genius his wit only to and he rarely s even her sake to amuse and i w w village be amused seemed with him a greater object than to shine his partiality for her was too openly and expressed ai d to sum up his he had now ana then when tempted by a little extra kindness ventured to call her rosy how v it possible to endure such an even from a second cousin or to believe that the person who voluntarily so addressed his mistress could have a spark of or impassioned feeling in his composition instead of her into a goddess it was dragging her down to the level of a t was even perverse enough to be secretly angry that should be better looking than mr and she would never allow the fact to her mother and sister saying that they might seek in vain for s genius in s eyes indeed her conversation had generally so much direct or ence to this very circumstance might have taught her that hers was not the sweet silent passion of the heart but merely a feverish dream of the imagination was well persuaded of it and was even convinced that s admiration of her sister had little depth though she was unaware of the stronger feeling which she had herself excited mrs and the young painter were almost the only persons who had not penetrated or guessed what secret of her heart from the latter she had skill and delicacy enough to enable her successfully to conceal it and of her mother she was sufficiently afraid to beware of laying herself open to and reproof mr was much more aware of all that was going on than she suspected and whose vision was sharpened by jealousy saw a good deal both of what did and what did not exist in the first place he was puzzled to decide whether s conduct sprang from from of his attachment or from actual preference of his rival but the conduct of that rival appeared much less doubtful the intensity of expression in s eyes when he looked at and the softness of his voice in addressing her convinced that much more was here than simple politeness and he believed that was playing a double part towards the sisters of this was indeed but appearances were against him and as it was impossible he should marry both believed he was only trifling with either and boiled with indignation at the thought his suspicions were also awakened in another quarter when we have looked long on a bright object every thing else seems village to out eyes to the same hue ii by considering what an match might he made his two mr and and arguing on rather premises he at length persuaded himself that the gentleman at least was not and in deeply though in love could find no more work for the l ind god in to think of and holland was too ridiculous chapter xv civil mrs good gave a tea party the and mrs were invited to make up a table for lady and the young the miss mr mr and were free to amuse as they pleased with music or conversation was cut off from by mrs good miss land and mr who formed a little knot at one of the open windows therefore au he played the agreeable to did you ever try the said he suppose we try our fortune he opened a book at hazard the first sentence that met his eye was a woman i who from a becomes neat or from being	2
neat becomes a is assuredly in love ladies i who does that apply to said looking round not to me i am sure said meeting his eye securely i never was a oh nor i cried miss holland i would not be a for all the world well we will try again said taking up another book perhaps the random shot may hit some of ua more closely the next shall be for me ah me they little know under what i raised his eyes hoping to meet those of but unfortunately they encountered try said impatiently the milton and read my sentence is for open war of more i boast not i hope that does not hit said laughing not very far from the mark however thought i will dip again for you continued this time it shall be into there are none of my uncle s marks upon you he taught me how to know a man in love in which cage of rushes i am sure you are not prisoner his marks were a lean cheek which you have not a blue eye and sunken which you have not and a beard neglected which you have not smiled and here is another for somebody cried reading over s shoulder by my i was seeking for a fool when i found thank you said good gently said remember it is playing with edged tools es but the joke is returned that nobody must complain if they cut their fingers dear i think it is very entertaining said miss do let me try she took up a book and read with amusing emphasis happy be our renowned duke who is out duke inquired she looking round with an air of perplexity nobody could tell her and began to laugh that is a very stupid one said with disappointment she made two or three other attempts but they were equally unfortunate well i cannot think how you do it said she laying down the book a chance ma am said i think said little good who had been a silent but not that mr does not always read quite the words he sees but that he looks down the page and that if he sees any thing like he village ill oh hush hush said laughing heartily and drawing her away oh do let me go i lid she struggling and i won t say any thing again what do you of this said in a low voice pointing to a line in one of madame de s works which he was not malicious enough to read aloud se un cruel d des est k ne well said though she coloured application looked at her and seeing nothing to hope for in her countenance sighed and turned away pray dip for me mr cried she with assumed eagerness you promised you would dip for me and you have not done so yet dip ay if you will replied he into the depths of the ocean that would be rather too cruel of me to exact and do not you love cruelty said he little thought that he was alluding to come here is something about that may stand for may not it who se s the heavenly that like a rude and savage man of at the first opening of the gorgeous east bows not his head and stricken blind kisses the base ground with obedient breast laughed oh pray dip for me mr cried miss certainly replied again opening milton but who is this what thing of sea or land thai oh this won t do at all cried he yes yes pray go on implored miss resumed who is this that and gay comes this way sailing like a ship with all her bravery on and tackle trim sails filled and waving b lu s d r i m sure i am not like a said glancing at her no not the least in the world i i told you it was quite li said turning from her and an arch look with what game have you there ladies and gentlemen which seems to entertain you so much said mrs good they call it said approaching her with a rather dissatisfied air it is very entertaining a little of it but one gets tired of it in time will you favour us with a little i then said mrs good rising to open the piano hastened to save her the trouble and having launched miss into a returned to i agree with miss said in a l w voice glancing at the same time towards and who were deep in that one may push a little too far mr has under their protection insulted or flattered t every one of the party and did not you take advantage of them to push rosy rather hard inquired i saw her blush pretty deeply the little party at the window being now broken up and mr approached the table so you have been playing at said mr had you any clever some rather hard said they that play at you know the rest looked up from the book he had casually opened struck by some rather daring speech of s he glanced across the table saw brilliant in beauty and reckless spirits f whose back was towards him rattling on with great animation and obvious encouragement and biting his lip as he silently turned over a of prints he looked down again on his book but it was and he caught of the conversation miss coming to the of her air s and s voices were accompaniment and the paused in mid career mrs good now asked to play she required rather more pressing than usual but at length placed herself at the piano she began one of s songs mr could not help being amused hj	2
s movements first he started at hearing the well known but continued turning over the hen he paused with eyes fixed on uie before him but evidently not thinking of it then he hastily looked round but a side view of resumed his original position still however intently listening at length when the second verse commenced with a line of which he particularly admired the sentiment arose pushed away the prints and in another moment was leaning over the piano sweet has conquered thought mr and he turned to see if had been observing the little scene but she was speaking to good was called away and mr approached with a book in his hand i have been trying said he my luck at the but i have not opened yet on a single passage let me make one more attempt and if that is unsuccessful i shall give it up in despair he opened at hazard and began to read a smile stole oyer his countenance this is pretty is not it said he and sitting down by he read in an under tone the following passage happiness is the natural design of all the and every thing we see done is in order to attain it my imagination places it in friendship by friendship i mean an entire communication of thoughts wishes interests and pleasures being a mutual esteem which naturally carries with it a pleasing sweetness of conversation and in the desire of making one another happy without being forced to run into visits noise and which serve rather to trouble than compose the thoughts of any reasonable creature i take you to have sense enough not to think this romantic what do you think of it said he i think that it is romantic said smiling but very beautiful and not impossible do you think it not impossible merely from judging of your own mind or from any example you have observed in the conduct of others considered and replied from both my own feelings make me believe that i could be happy in the cultivation of such a friendship and i also think that a friendship such as you have described does exist between my mother and myself vol i k im b mr dark eyes said yery at thai moment if but have translated their but said he the friendship spoken of in this book is supposed to exist between persons of different sexes in that case said slightly blushing would not the feeling be called love here interrupted them by offering a plate of sand there had been a little stir going on in the room for some time on account of the arrival of lady carriage and the supper having consequently to be hurried her never gave and was angry with those who did she therefore cast an evil eye on the cakes and which mrs good s hospitality had provided and which the servants in their haste had set in wrong places declaring she would not touch one of them yet nevertheless every thing mr good put upon her plate she was du y handed out and bowed away and then mr declaring he had no notion of letting the old lady break up the party went his rounds with the various good things which he pressed every one to taste the young men followed his example and and each bringing trifle nearly broke a plate between them in trying which should be first j was the said laughing and i had the merit of the lady s wishes before they were named said how silly to dispute about a trifle i cried came first therefore i command you mr to eat what you have brought yourself oh that all ladies commands could be as pleasantly obeyed he exclaimed that is a double said do you mean that the peculiarity of the pleasure exists in obeying the lady or eating the trifle what a question for a gentleman to answer i returned gentleman said to himself he is but a painter perhaps if he were a gentleman i might make him either answer it or answer or it will you be so kind as to give me a glass of water said who saw that something had vexed him with pleasure said he starting at the sound of her gentle voice will you not let me put a little wine in it v village none i thank you if you were any one but miss returned he smiling i should accuse you of having my in not having asked you to take wine with me but as i am miss replied she you will i hope give ae credit for not meaning to even when appearances are against and perhaps in rather a lower tone you will extend your credit to others also i wish all others were as single hearted said he her to fulfil her request at the same moment said here mr as mr brought me the plate i shall insist on your it on the table how you hold the between your slaves what is that about slaves cried mr are you discussing the slave trade mr there is a curious paragraph on it in this paper caught in the trap was forced to glance over the paragraph and before he laid down the newspaper he perceived some intelligence which made him forget and enter into conversation with mr good and mr the party now broke up and s lodgings lying in the same way as mrs s cottage he accompanied them to gate walking at the side of mrs while the girls arm in arm followed closely behind lighted his bed candle the moment he entered the parlour good night mr said he good night i hope you have had a pleasant evening	2
very replied with strong emphasis milton might well call woman a mischief come come said mr don t go to your pillow in wrath the fault was not all the lady s led her on you mean i if no i i just yet interrupted his friend i did not mean i was thinking of yourself i what have i done i will tell you you have by your attention and flattery turned the head of a very lively inexperienced young girl already too prone to vanity her heart has had no time to any depth of feeling she is proud of her power over you and il has it all to answer for not i said but why i be surprised all women are more or less ow you are falling into the vulgar error my friend and prefer laying the fault of an on whole sex to that individual to be less perfect than many others nay you are doing injustice in calling her a though i own her conduct to night deserved the epithet of but many circumstances and your ill concealed vexation among the rest to make her act and foolishly perhaps even by this time she may be sorry for her levity endeavour to judge of her less like a lover and more like a reasonable being if possible and neither exact feminine perfection nor your goddess into a the most contemptible character to be found among the sex sighed and repeated his chapter xvi a of pleasure the following day v as sunday the son of a and the guest of a had no intention of feelings at with the duties of the day by calling fit the white cottage and far from sentiments of enmity towards he felt more kindly as he knelt by her side and repeated the same prayers who can be angry on a sabbath not those who after a week of trouble and toil wake to a consciousness that the ringing of the has ceased that the lies silent on the floor that the and the taste of the strange thing leisure and that the bell is rich and poor to learn the same duties and the same blessings in the temple of god not those who feel that whatever bad passions they foster six days in the week pride should be in and hushed while the air around them is yet musical with to love and peace and with the mingled of assembled multitudes not those who if they ever pause and think in the midst of s feverish career it is on that day when the laws of this country cause places of amusement to be closed and commerce to stand still that the small voice of conscience and the cry of nature may for a few short be afternoon service was just beginning when the unusual sound of carriage wheels was heard without and shortly after a very pretty woman in a very pretty bonnet entered the church and advanced towards the s ample this as mr had no occasion for its use had continued to be occupied by the who now with silent smiles made room for the unexpected this lady was mrs of the her country seat in the adjoining parish but she was in the habit of coming once or twice in the course of the summer to hear mr s afternoon sermon only a sort of bowing acquaintance had hitherto existed between her and the on the present occasion however mrs was disposed to be very friendly and gracious during the two years she had spent on the continent and had grown from mere boy and girl into very looking young people and she had heard of mrs and from mr to make her resolve to improve their acquaintance on the first opportunity no sooner therefore had the service ended than she shook hands all round ing for and for his younger brother harry no wonder she was surprised at his growth and the mistake was not thoroughly explained till they reached the churchyard then she laughed at her own blindness wondered she should have fancied a likeness where there was no relationship was corrected in that particular and finally invited the whole family to a long day at the mrs excused herself on plea oi the distance but mrs increasing in earnestness in proportion to the difficulties started take no refusal and to send her carriage for them on the following day if they had no other engagement she smiled so that it was impossible to refuse mr and were included in the invitation and the lady drove off after making captive at least half a dozen hearts charming woman exclaimed warmly as they walked home how completely her manners are removed from and i while it is impossible not to feel that they are those of high breeding i i best of it is i id mrs that it is not mere which us in mrs but real kindness of heart mr tells me he knows of no one possessed of more genuine excellence of disposition it is true she is fond of the of a london spring formed as she is to give and receive pleasure in society who can wonder at it enough of the summer autumn and winter still remains for her to have much leisure for self improve ment and for doing a great deal of among her poorer exactly the sort of woman i should like to be and the sort of life i should like to lead said with such good looks such resources and such a fortune a woman of of her age may be quite as happy i should think as in the bloom of youth who can doubt it said no one so sage as you are of course returned laughing but i for one have always wished le de la could be perpetual a	2
very foolish wish my dear observed mrs happiness depends on the moderation and gratification of our desires not on the number of years we have told but suppose mamma those desires should be for a con ol youth beauty and admiration then i should say the person that had formed them was very weak and as much an object of contempt as pity very likely but still that does not prove that the dark brown years are naturally as happy as those of youth you just now said interposed that you thought a woman of mrs s age might be quite as happy as in the spring of life ay but how few mrs there are and even she in another ten or fifteen years will no longer be if her sight fails what will become of her reading if she grows what pleasure can she take in society or if what will become of her charming rides in her ton even with all these attendant on old age said she may yet be happy there is a passage which struck me last night what at mrs good s r yes in one of the books which had be n used for the it was in one of lady mary il t letters concerning e comforts peculiar to old age i cannot repeat it to you word for word but i will it to you when we reach home remembered her promise and looked out the passage you must said she that was nearly seventy years of age when she wrote this letter in a foreign country removed from all her and almost wholly prevented by weak sight from reading in her youth she had been a wit beauty and few therefore could have had a better opportunity of comparing feverish exciting pleasures with those of monotonous tranquillity yet what does she say it was formerly a view to m that i should one day be an old woman i now find that nature has provided pleasures for every state those alone are unhappy who will not be contented with what she gives but strive to break through her laws by affecting a of youth which appears to me as little desirable at present as the do to you that they were the delight of your infancy she was happy you see yet she had no very lively feelings of religion she does not say that god has provided but that nature has provided pleasures for every state if such content and are the result of mere philosophy what would be the increased happiness of a w of religion one who could look back not on a youth of and vanity but of well sustained trial very well argued indeed said certainly you are cut out for a parson s wife what an excellent you would be to darling mr you would not only make his but make his sermons did not lose her composure nor even blush at this sarcasm i have no ambition to fill the post you me said she nor do i think my interference be wanted either in mary white s or mr s sermons perhaps not returned but remember after all the old age you have been describing is that of a wife or widow not even you can soften the dismal fate of an old maid nay said try the passage i have been reading in another way it was formerly a view to me that i should one day be an old maid i now find that nature has provided pleasures for every state it reads quite as well ay but it has never been written it is no result of ex oh my dear the old age of a single woman must be very forlorn why so said unless she has all her friends which i grant must be melancholy enough in any state she has the connections of her youth who have grown old with her the same useful and innocent pursuits nd the same religious ah but my dear the ridicule for what do women always sensible men oh certainly not what honour is there then in the addresses of a fool surely the woman who a weak worthless man merely to avoid the name of an old maid is more ridiculous than one to whom only the negative of never had an is that the indispensable requisite ladies would do well then to pin a list of their con knights on their sleeve but i did not know that the diamond of which of have inquired the price was more valuable than those shut up in the drawer or sleeping in their mine my dear exclaimed with sudden energy i am certain that if you should have the misfortune to be an old maid you will be the best that ever lived i smiled but sat down to read without replying the following morning was as fine as had hoped and anticipated in preparing to visit so a lady as mrs even was obliged to devote twice as much time as usual to the cares of the mr was consequently disappointed of his for could scarcely spare time to run down stairs to make their excuses poor mr cried she as she was returning to the bed room where was and ribbons he looked so disappointed what a thousand he is not going to the nay it will be too ridiculous of you said if you spoil your day s pleasure by the absence of a person you see at least once in every twenty four hours who would have thought of the philosophic s quoting ridicule as an evil to be avoided said with some you dread it so much sometimes said that i thought i could urge nothing more likely to frighten you common sense and do you really think my dear i am so very deficient in common	2
sense i think you now and then discover sense said hark there is calling to us beneath the window said running to the will some of you come down cried he we cannot we are dressing wait a little while i cannot wait he replied i have run down the lane to tell you i shall not be able to go with you to mrs a old has sent over express for mr good so i can t be spared oh what a disappointment yes it is a disappointment however i am in tha place to that you know will make some amends added he laughing where is f i know she can t have her hair in curl papers oh there you are good by give my love to my mother looks quite like a it is a pity is not here to play i am glad you have such a cool day kissed his hand and ran off exact to the time appointed mrs s carriage and to the ladies praise be it spoken it was not waiting the five miles drive was extremely pretty and was enchanted with the scenery the weather and the easy motion of the a neat lodge gate admitted them into mrs s grounds and after passing through a winding plantation they found themselves at the the house was such a mixture of all that it was difficult to say whether castle cottage or villa no one would ever have designed a whole such as it now stood and it was evident that each had run up his own portion of the edifice with more regard to his own peculiar taste than to what already displayed that of his time had thrown its hue over all and a variety of creeping plants connecting balcony and what was seen and hid what was in a small hall lighted with coloured glass mrs was waiting to receive her guests accompanied by a f young lady whom she introduced as her niece un and had been laid aside e village s and preliminary subjects discussed mrs proposed a walk through the saying she thought it would be pleasanter to go oyer the grounds in the cool of the evening are you fond of v rs asked miss of as they proceeded towards the yes said but is much the best perhaps you are like me and think it pleasanter to smell look at flowers than to learn their long names i never could conquer the and of the dictionary or perhaps luckily in my superficial education the learned languages were neglected and i must say i infinitely prefer the poetical and simple names of our flowers to your latin there is a great deal of sentiment in many of them what can be prettier for instance than s eye which men call the eye of the or heart s ease which in france they call again does the ugly word convey any sentimental ideas but forget me not at once reminds us of the of the slain at and the tale of the gallant knight who plunged into a lake to gather a of flowers for his lady love arid had only time to fling them on shore and exclaim forget me not when he was in the watery deep where did you find that romantic story maria mrs i read it in a book aunt i assure you thou not in the magazine the lady must have been very passionately fond of flowers if she did not think them too dearly purchased said mrs and the gentleman must have been a very modest to have set his life at the same value as a of forget me not added mrs oh you ladies view the matter in too straight forward a light how could he take a better method of proving how highly he valued her slightest wishes a method which we need not fear will become too no indeed every spark of romance is now extinguished i should like to tell the story to charles he would say the man not mean to drown or else question the of the story that is the way people meet with any thing which they cannot reconcile to their own of thinking and acting oh i will tell the story to charles and mr hope hy and hy and hear what they say to it so thought other mr and are expected do you visit the hopes said miss turning to no ah i thought the must be too great too great indeed thought but there are distances of rank as well as of charles can make only one objection to mr hope pursued maria that he does not employ he has offered to introduce them to each other the next time he is in town only think of an introduction being to a tailor strange indeed pray who is charles oh my brother i forgot you did not know him by same charles is a great in dress he has written some valuable notes i assure you on the he says if he ever it shall be a little work which he has long had by him and to which he is making continual additions on the subject of hats he wishes to create a standard of taste oh you laugh but the manuscript really exists and is full of and now do not let me prejudice you against charles by these little anecdotes for he is one of the best creatures in the world only a little inclined to satire and and miss had made the tour of the long before mrs and had sufficiently examined half its contents shall we wait or proceed to the picture gallery said maria oh the picture gallery by means replied this way then to tell you the truth i am delighted to leave that atmosphere what can be more intolerable than a at the beginning	2
won t have much objection to that will he he likes going to yes it was a disappointment nevertheless what sort of people are oh i only know them from seeing the young men and women ride about on horseback they are very rich and live in an old house something like a tea i have seen it in my rides i asked a whose house it and he told me mr s there are two trees in the garden one village w a the other a did you enjoy your ride here to day yes very much it was delightful dinner was now announced and her his arm every one else had heen laughing at some of mr s which wished had not prevented her hearing you see i have made no strangers of you said mrs as the first course of an elegant but dinner was uncovered is that an excuse or a boast my dear aunt inquired mn oh perhaps a little of both why do you ask because the former is quite out of fashion and the latter might be made by the poorest person in the kingdom you are a fellow said his aunt good pray mrs is lady ill or absent from i missed her yesterday in her accustomed lady has a severe cold said mrs which she made worse by going home late fr ta mr od s on saturday i rather wonder at mr good s tempting her to go out his duties as an and a hospitable neighbour were in opposition said mr mrs good s invitations were already issued and lady did not like to be disappointed of her rubber in such a ease you know a medical ma i could only say i think you had better not come though i shall be happy to see you an odd time of year this jo take cold observed mr oh people may have any time of the year in this climate said maria but the weather has not changed lately returned charles i can tell you how lady caught her cold since it so much speculation said laughing she has been very busy lately the painting and of her house that the workmen being rather worried by her constant interference pretended one day not to know she was underneath the and upset a of water which her from head to foot ha ha hat a capital shower bath cried mr i lis but mr though the certainly how do you know that the men were worried and that it was not an accident oh lady told me she was sure they had done it oa purpose and as to her worrying the men i said she did because she does so always that was ir said glancing at mr poor woman said mrs she was very warm at the time and of course unprepared for the shock then she stood scolding the men instead of immediately changing her clothes so that it was i wonder that for three or four days she should be seriously and she might have so to this day if it had not been for the nursing of some very kind young ladies observed the miss of course said mr am and pray miss may i be so bold as to inquire how you entertained the old lady probably you read to her works of pious instruction and received from her lips those of morality and propriety which experienced age is so well qualified to for shame charles said miss no said smiling i used to read the to her and sometimes play a game of at other times i took my work and told her whatever i could think ot to her uttle innocent scandal i rejoined mr talking of scandal there was an anecdote i heard the other day quite true i can pledge my word for it though i won t name the parties a certain was in want of a companion in common a you know the species don t you one that hears everlasting stories with ind patience and keeps bowing and bowing in sign of attention and nurses the sick and the cushions and writes confidential letters and keeps accounts well some one thought the situation would be highly eligible for the daughter of an we won t mention who was on the point of but doubted whether she would be qualified for it account of her want of education she described the girl as in nothing but dancing and dress and doubted whether she understood simple oh mind said the gentleman whom she was on he subject never mind h r i i f if she k understands i say that will answer purpose but not very politely brought in i think said mrs charles put on one of his incomprehensible looks which made every one laugh maria s mirth lasted the longest i cannot imagine what all this laughing is about said he mrs may i have the pleasure the ladies anxious to avail themselves of the of the evening did not linger over their and the were too gallant to keep them long in waiting they re united on the hall steps and mrs led the way with there s old s done in lead you see said mr pa pointing to a figure with his cane cold the old fellow looks among the quivering and as if he were a little ashamed of his roman among our and french there again stands good as new and quite handsome but who the next is intended to whether a lamp lighter or alexander seizing a with zeal to destroy i protest myself unable to inform you silly charles cried maria do not you see that it is with his torch is it nay then he should have been placed next to marry	2
us is that bad miss miss i beg you will not encourage him by laughing charles sets up for a fine gentleman which he will never be as long as he makes bad a is on a level with a prove it prove it maria nay i have dr johnson s authority for saying so i leave proofs for gentlemen assertion is enough for ladies luckily for them sweet creatures who would often find it to their but the assertion in the present case was a gentleman s said mr can you us miss with dr johnson s reasons for treating poor with such severity no mr i do not remember that any were stated nay then for the of our sex we will find for him not mi charles for i tow i a and it is sufficient for the world to know it is by myself and e said maria come and admire this pretty cried a little in it was a whim of maria s said mrs the motto is happy is it not ne la il la ha di o il happy fox that choose to apply it with a to themselves said charles it rather cuts up us poor west what does it mean asked of mr in a low voice let me see said he i must ru up my italian it means i believe the shades are virtue s home her alone is found in cities sometimes but her name s d mrs uses so few superfluous that he cannot be but you have half a line and half an idea interrupted mr to mj version and judge which is most faithful virtue lives in the woods and deeply the who have her name and her old clothes exquisite poetry said how is the idea of walking to and fro in virtue s cast off garments sneer at not at me said mr why tis a sight vou may see every day in london streets affectation in an old veil of modesty assurance in a cast off of frankness flourishing a cane that had been dropped by bravery and so forth to the end of the chapter all a sham as says where are we going to the water side suppose we have a little row do you mrs had reached the river side where a was to a landing place l c l l are afraid mn said mrs not u the least she replied let me hand yon in then t said jl see there are some nice repeated yes not dead men s bones but little oars or oar were in a boat before no said the you know is not at let me give you a word of then do not mistake the boat for a drawing room for if you attempt to in it we in be upset is there any danger said drawing back her foot the seat seems very near the s edge no no no danger in the world said i did m to have had a railing made but we so long ourselves to use the boat without one that we hav no fear and the water you see is so shallow that the sand and pebbles can be perceived beneath thus re assured ventured to enter and as charles and intended to row mr seated himself with the ladies finding how the boat was trimmed began to be ashamed of her fears and bent over the water to watch the fish darting to and so as now and then to alarm her mother who begged her to sit still she frequently said dear mamma there is no danger and secretly wondered how any one could be afraid there is something in the motion of a boat which people to reverie and mr and were unusually silent not so the whose exertions began to make them rather too warm having passed the skirts of the pleasure ground the river wound among sloping meadows and the trees no longer them from the south west wind who had been out of practice since his oxford found his hands rather and proposed raising the sail the ladies had no objection and charles prepared to act as after flapping to and fro for a little while so as to alarm the the sail the wind and they glided rapidly forward how delightful said raised his glowing with and animation tee said he this quick easy motion ia much more luxurious the regular of i i must take care however to still for every thing depends on the of the boat more than on the of a hat i can tell you said charles or of an m p maria oh there ist no fear said my dear pray attend to s directions said her mother a little fear is to danger certainly said smiling and dipping her pretty fingers in the water she began to hum merrily merrily bounds the bark to which maria added a second i propose said mr that instead of us by singing you should awaken the echoes with some boat glee song in right earnest take care charles or you will run us we are coming to the never fear said he i know the river well enough by the hy maria do you remember that ridiculous accident happened to old mrs when we were going up to for shame charles the woman was almost drowned this mrs pursued charles laughing measured nearly two yards in and probably weighed a ton how any one could think of inviting her to partake of an excursion i cannot imagine she was terrified lest every and bridge on the river should fall foul of us and when the steamer went by good heavens how she was alarmed at the swell at length w hoisted a sail ha ha i think see her now	2
she shut her eyes clenched her hands ha ha and thought every moment would her into eternity at every tack she nearly fell into and at length ha ha ha at length ho ho a overtook us she set up one to match it ho i ho t ho and was launched into the shocking cried mrs and what became of her her continued he her orange coloured with and for a time bore her up her ho ho which she grasped vigorously with both caught the wind and conveyed r like a majestic right towards the coast rich as you know in and rushes and there among the ted mud of ages she was safely deposited howl ing while all o beheld her were ia pray maria said mrs how much of this tale may we credit indeed aunt said maria laughing nearly the whole of it is true we were not r however from shore and the was an umbrella so that the adventure was not quite so miraculous and did none of you fine gentlemen try to save her inquired mr not one of us returned charles she would have sunk any one who had taken her in tow i indeed thought of jumping in just for the look of the thing but by the time i had taken off and folded up my coat and she was safely good lack what a she was in indeed she was ejaculated maria such a i l and such legs poor woman said how very ridiculous said i begged her umbrella as a of the catastrophe said mr and the print of her nails is to be seen in its handle to this day oh charles charles to finish the scene she lifted up her voice and wept so that the of lord ana the of rushed down to the water side to see what was the matter charles charles ha ha ha ho ho shouted mr ing i shall never forget that day the party was ue in every respect mrs s husband was a little fellow that put one exactly in mind of a hall then there was a girl who ed off a fine airs on me and was continually placing her foot in my way for no other reason that i could perceive than me that for she had on silk for she had thick there was a pair of lovers too and of which i sitting directly opposite had the fuu benefit and never was i more annoyed m my life i don t love making i thought the ladies were going to us with a song said mr wiu you join us in a glee charles said i you know he replied what poor assistance i can give you perhaps miss oh indeed indeed i cannot sing interrupted that of course returned mr i to obtain a song from any young lady not professional with less than half an hour s entreaty i will take out my watch now for it mind the turn of the river miss as he spoke the sail catching the breeze in a new direction changed sides so suddenly as to excite a scream from all the females exclaimed sit still but on the side unexpectedly lowered unable to control her alarm started up lost her balance and was into the river the boat would assuredly have upset had not mr saved it by immediately rising while with a hasty sprang into the water after it was little more than breast high therefore not very dangerous and whether by ing or soon conveyed his mistress to the shore where still supporting her and trembling form he looked at her with a mixture of partiality and reproach as he said did not i advise you to sit still they were both too much agitated to have even heard the cry of terror which arose from their companions at the moment of s charles who had hastily scrambled over the ladies from his post at the seized one of the oars while mr took the other and a few vigorous strokes brought them to the side of the pair the three minutes which had seemed interminable to mrs and appeared less than a moment to wet forlorn and terrified had not yet lost much of her usual self as to be quite insensible to ridicule she hastily released herself from s arms cast a fearful glance at her mother whom she expected to look angry and at mr whom she expected to then turned half towards whom she knew not how to thank and burst into tears was at her side in aa instant and s arm in th of the moment again thrown round her waist while every one s countenance expressed sincere concern but again quickly put back s offered support wiped her eyes and with many assured her friends that she was very silly and had been very much frightened but not at all hurt tne fear was of her catching cold and it wa village rapidly resolved that she should return to the house on foot as as she could accompanied by and maria while the elder ladies walked home at a more moderate pace and mr and charles took back the boat made the best of his way to mr s dressing room where he obtained a temporary change of clothing and charles returned to the boat extremely concerned since it makes a great difference whether the person be a pretty woman or a fat matron weighing a ton not the sincerity of his and though her mother s how could you be so foolish my dear more of pity than displeasure in it she dreaded that the time would when she should be both and her of not being afraid had	2
my throat and like the mai in the old song never a word could i say i am of it said for i would not owe any change in her manner to interference no let her feel and e for herself though i wish to heaven we were fairly rid of that sly malicious double faced my dear interrupted mr i cannot hear poor thus abused it is not bis fault that a lively thoughtless girl should be dazzled by his wit genius and varied power of pleasing mr said gravely it is fine to preach moderation to another but wait till your own time comes wait till he yourself and then see what becomes of your patience perhaps the trial may not be so very far off i am at a loss to understand you said mr me in what manner what do you mean laughed and replied we lovers mr are quick sighted i had thought tiu now rejoined his friend that love was blind yes to the faults of his mistress said still laughing but lovers like free have a wonderful of finding out each other they walked on in silence till mr resumed with but i wish you would tell me what you alluded to just now me what could you be thinking i that does it said my meaning was full plain i think obscure enough for a dull fellow like me to miss il said mr rather uneasily where i have advanced no pretensions i do not see how i can well be is not my cousin inquired with a smile almost as charming as her sister responded mr and is not a a most sweet robe of very good i take laughed you are very sly and very silent and i am just the reverse of both s but take heed i advise you ir and softly do not win the day found a letter from awaiting him at the at the head of the sheet was written in dr s large firm hand dear son what are you doing at i believe said as he read this inquiry to his friend my truest answer would be dear father playing the fool do you think your father would be perfectly satisfied at your engaging yourself to i don t know said gloomily yes i think he he is not once when i used to a good deal with a miss an he said i rather be pleased with my daughter in law s disposition than her fortune if you have any doubts now is the time for acting with decision and tearing yourself from while her affections are apparently her own i have not spoken so plainly before because you never treated me with sufficient confidence to excuse my doing so you will attribute my straight to the right motive for i need hardly say that the loss of such a guest as you are will be excessively regretted by me come when it may i must not linger here much longer sighed twisting s letter into a thousand shapes september has come and i am just where i was in august only some deeper in love here the dialogue ended awoke on tuesday morning to a consciousness of all the miseries of a severe cold among her most habits was that of rising early like s to sport and trip along in cool of day and even could not incline her to feel a spent in bed in any other light than that of a penance her mind was quite on the alert and the sound of voices in the parlour beneath soon after breakfast increased her mortification at being kept in confinement what ba kept you so long cried she rather as ber sister re entered her bed room did not i bear voices down stairs yes mr called and i bad to tell him of your as an excuse for our not sitting to him to day it was very kind of you said to sacrifice yourself for me sacrifice myself repeated laughing that is certainly rather a strong expression i do not feel it to be any sacrifice i am afraid i should in your place said i shall enjoy myself much more said sitting by your bed side and talking over all that happened yesterday than in sitting for my likeness to mr dear i shall love him as long as i live how he behaved so he did certainly said and yet the water was not very deep that was not s fault returned gaily and it was quite deep enough to drown you if he had not sprung to your assistance no body else in the boat would have acted with such unless indeed mr oh no man would stand by and see a woman drown especially in the presence of ladies well perhaps not replied but there are different ways of setting about a thing mr would have stopped to fold up his coat and waist coat my dear you cannot conceive what a dread i have of that man did not he frighten exceedingly not in the least said his wit amused me and i felt myself far too insignificant a person to attract his ill nature no gentleman would dare to ridicule a lady to her and as to what he might say of me in my absence i shall probably never see him again therefore it does not give me the slightest concern how tranquil you are said with a i wish i had half as much philosophy the worst he could say of us pursued would be that we were country girls without wit or and where would be the mighty harm in that they say resumed after a pause that there i but one step between the sublime and the ridiculous in a romance it seems	2
very grand for a lady to a river and for a gentleman to bring her out again but it to be plain matter of fact there are many little things which a takes care to leave out and which i am afraid give the whole business rather a ridiculous air if that is the case said every one was too much alarmed to notice it mrs was as pale as death and mr and mr rowed as if their lives depended on every stroke i thought i never saw any one look more noble than did when he came up to you flushed with exertion and glowing with courage and affection and every honest feeling i hardly dare ask you how looked said wistfully why certainly said smiling i have seen you to more advantage when you first appeared from the water you were clinging fast to s neck and glad enough i was to see you but when we landed you were standing with your back to him looking very red and very sulky your covered to your knees with mud your hair your bonnet out or shape and in short if mr had been inclined to laugh horrible i see myself exactly cried tossing on her pillow do not go on for pity s sake do you know pursued i thought you behaved rather to your my when the water was not four feet deep well then to poor i can make allowance for all awkwardness of feeling but still instead of looking as if he had done you an injury rather than a service i should in your place have thanked him gratefully and there would have been an end of it my dear you always do no more than just the thing you ought i could not trust myself to speak a syllable so afraid was i of that odious mr still ridicule said what a pity it is you allow yourself to be so much governed by so weak a fear oh i am too to bear today do fetch a book there is a dear girl and read to me for i have thought enough of these cross accidents all night complied with her wish and was what book she take up to her sister when she was again detained by a visitor it was s bells good morning said he how are you all this morning and especially how is after her accident i am sorry to say she is confined to her bed replied indeed exclaimed a look of alarm but there is no need for apprehension she continued takes a fit of illness as she does a fit of any anger for instance it comes on very suddenly and goes off almost as rapidly a fit of anger repeated smiling what a sister you are but should not have advice oh mamma knows perfectly well how to treat a we may be thankful that she has escaped with nothing worse we may indeed said and i hope you will not for your heroic conduct added she we shall never forget it heroic you will make me ashamed of cried the water was scarcely breast high true but as we were observing just before you came you did not pause to consider its depth yours was the action of a moment did say so asked quickly i think said the truth telling the observation was mine and that it was who assented to it at any rate thought complacently they have made the affair the subject of conversation my dear said he drawing his chair closer to hers to deal frankly with you who have so much sincerity yourself i was rather come i must speak the truth rather hurt at s conduct yesterday as to thanking me or any thing of the sort that would have been nonsense but without setting any value on the little service i was able to render her surely a wet jacket deserved a smile hey a word or a look she would have given as much as that would not she to mr if he her an umbrella on a rainy day oh i said smiling you must not be hard upon you know her chief almost her only fault is being too keenly alive to ridicule that mr with his story pf the fat old lady so alarmed t ih i village her imagination that she scarcely dared to look or speak for fear of exposing herself to his irony was that all cried insolent if he had dared to utter or even look irony at such a moment as that i would have knocked him down and starting up walked towards the window and through the open apparently occupied in the perfume of sweet peas and which it admitted after a pause of some length he exclaimed what a sweet place this is i envy the power of in it you would hardly wish however to change situations with him i should think as to that nobody you know would like to give up their identity but distinct from such a feeling why do you think i should not be happy to change with mr he has a limited income a small establishment no wife or near relations little congenial society and a variety of duties which he must regularly perform willing or unwilling still he is contented and might be happy if he would but marry perhaps he thinks he is not rich enough he has more than he can spend as a single man except in charity an uncle left him four or five thousand pounds last year i suppose then he prefers a single life why we must think so for want of a better supposition and yet no one is more to appreciate really good female society perhaps however he is a despised man or has reason to think that he	2
should be one i can hardly think that looked at her earnestly there was no covert meaning to be detected in her face meeting his eyes however and perceiving their penetrating expression slightly blushed at the idea of having possibly said too much mrs entered at the same moment followed by who shook heartily by the hand you are a fine fellow said he my mother tells me you have saved from drowning made light of the well said i am glad you seem none the worse for it but is in bed i hear shall i step up to hen i will her if you like mrs did not consider this measure advisable and prepared to return to now that her mother and brother could supply her place in the parlour tell her cried calling after her as she went upstairs that if she likes to be fm no i opened a vein for mrs yesterday therefore need not laugh at me ive practised upon the poor this chapter xviii all in the was so much better the n day as to be able to leave her bed though her mother still imprisoned her to her room her books and drawing materials and s society left her little to complain of and a little rose coloured note of inquiry from miss assisted in raising her spirits voices in the parlour beneath again provoked her curiosity and while she was whether the tones were those mr or made her appearance mr and miss holland are down stairs said she mr and holland repeated what did they come together i believe they fell in with each other in the lane miss came to ask us to accompany them on a party to morrow the are staying at the and the goods are going to join them in a i suppose mamma will say i am not well enough observed is any one else to be of the party mr and and now has given a sort of joking invitation to mr i should like to go will mamma let me do you think i am sure i am well enough mamma at first refused outright but so much was said about it that knowing how quickly your pass off she began to and sent me up stairs to ask what you yourself thought about it the woman that is lost cried joyfully since mamma you may be sure she will let me go my dear tell her i never felt better in my life but but say no more about it i assure you it is the ct there was not the least occasion for my remaining up stairs to day feel my hands are they feverish i am perfectly well i hope you are said slowly retiring depend upon it my dear make haste and mamma i hope she will accept the invitation by all means s spirits prevented her any signs of during the remainder of the day called but only saw mrs on the following morning actually felt quite well but now an obstacle to the party presented itself mrs arose with a very bad headache which completely her to join the the girls immediately gave up every idea of her but though they said nothing of their disappointment their was vexed to occasion it and proposed their ac mr and mrs she required no nursing nothing but darkness and quiet and after a little good natured yielded more for s sake than her own accordingly at about one o clock to mr gk od s they proceeded and found tom william and who were to be of the party up and down stairs in high spirits ran in from the to have a kiss from his sisters and ten minutes gossip he could not be spared to accompany them he was going over to old of the grove and seemed so happy in his growing importance as to have little room for regret he told she looked feverish wished would wear looking but allowed that as times went neither of the girls were ugly after which with another kiss from each he ran away mrs good in a new bonnet was packing up cold chicken tongue and apple and presently h band drove up to the door after going his morning rounds jumped into the g received his parting for the grove and went off mr good was find every one and every thing ready to the appointed minute and the walking party proceeded to the here they found tongues provisions packing and silk pop in and out of rooms and with prodigious rapidity the miss were old acquaintance and they me a b bs li more and more finely dressed than the want of in the was regretted at length made his appearance but had to for the non attendance of mr he had not seen since the day at the and having hurried h his excuses as speedily as possible he approached her to hope that she had entirely recovered from her cold blushed and attempted to her thanks but became embarrassed ana was glad that he interrupted her with after her mother mr had made his immediately after and he no sooner perceived than his dark eyes and he hastened to congratulate her on her recovery your accident was truly alarming said he how fortunate it was that mr acted with such courage and no man ought to have done less but few men have an opportunity afforded them of doing so much and you will pardon me i think for being thankful that such is the case i would hardly wish you a second fall into the water even that i might be at hand to jump in after you smiled and looking towards who was within hearing saw him shrug his shoulders and curl his lip in another moment he was at her side and had drawn her arm with a smile	2
within the last month you have been kind enough to bestow much attention upon me but that does not necessarily oblige me to return your affection does it nay ar our affections in our power i am sure they are not accompanied her silently for some time and then as if to himself rather than her murmured is all the counsel that we two have shared when we have the hasty footed time for parting us oh and is all forgot he looked earnestly at her breathed quickly but made no answer then with sudden passion he exclaimed detested it is he who has stepped between us mark my you think he loves you but bit will you the mistake at some future day he is wholly unworthy of you you know nothing of him and it is astonishing to me how your mother and mr could ever allow a man of his description to obtain such a familiar footing among you he is playing a double part and if i had a brother s right to call him to account he should for his conduct or i would blow brains out i this is dreadful cried terrified at a threat which would highly have amused dr vol l n iso ton i could not have believed you capable of such jealousy not half an hour ago mr was warmly you who speak of him so let us say no more of the subject had better be at rest between us obeyed and walked at her side in perfect silence at length after full ten minutes endurance he exclaimed i can bear this no longer i must leave you after what has passed how can we or at least how can i speak look or move in the presence of those people with tolerable composure you must necessarily wish for my absence the goods and your sister are resting on that at the foot of the hill will you dispense with my escort for so short a distance willingly gladly said farewell then returned he hastily tell them i have a headache what you will to be forced to sit laughing and talking nonsense among a set of thoughtless boisterous people when one s heart is full of bitterness in the presence of a rival too would be intolerable farewell she thought at that moment of the instant when the waters had closed over her at mrs s said she ha what cried with eagerness i only wished to say that if i have spoken more than the occasion required i hope you will forgive me ana that i shall never forget the day at the and and what pray say nothing to my mother of what has passed is that all said he with a look of disappointment you may depend upon me farewell in a moment he was gone luckily there was no water to put him in of making a short end to his woes as he walked home the sprang from beneath his feet as he returned through the but no pleasing associations with and joe did they awaken in his gloomy mind he reached the and shut himself up in his bed as for the author of his misery she waited till his retreating footsteps could no longer be heard and then when all the weeping of could not have brought him back she burst into tears village chapter xix a whether s tears originated in a little remorse a little repentance a little love a little agitation at the nature of s language or a little of spirits occasioned by the heat the fatigue of walking and a mixture of all the above mentioned emotions together it may be difficult to determine j but as no time could be worse chosen for weeping than the epoch of a f te her eyes were speedily dried and she walked forward without casting one lingering look behind the space which she had to before reaching her sister and the goods might be about half a quarter of a mile which let her pace it as leisurely as she might allowed no great time for the of her looks and feelings if i could but follow s example thought she as she wiped away her tears and run home but that would never do would be frightened and what would the goods and the and the and mr think ten to one they would guess the truth and i should never hear the end of it my mother too would find all out immediately after all why should i be the least concerned about what has passed has behaved very ill i will go through with it with spirit in of this noble resolution walked on trusting that the open air would destroy the traces of her tears but to avoid all danger holding her between herself and mr good though the sun shone in an opposite direction shouted mr good as soon as she came within hail what have you done with your beau did not think it necessary to scream in return but as soon as she arrived within speaking distance she replied with tolerable carelessness said he had a bad head ache which would make the noise and gaiety of the party too much for him so he went home upon my word the thing i ever heard of in my life to leave a young lady to find her own way through a wood it does not speak very highly of mr s politeness i hope this headache is not a mere sham to cover something worse i thought seemed before we set out said los he flushed and spoke more hurriedly than usual so he did said mrs good oh he would hardly have in this abrupt way if he had not really felt nothing	2
is more unpleasant than a sick headache when one is expected to be merry and well said mr good we must not here any longer at all events or we shall arrive at the g end of the dinner and i am one of those who love the latter end of a and the beginning of a feast he offered his arm to his wife as he spoke and the two sisters followed together had detected the traces of emotion on s countenance but she at present to make any inquiry it struck her that she and had most likely had a little quarrel and she was sorry for it but doubted not that all would be set right again at their next meeting had long been only able to guess at what kissed in her sister s mind and she had little suspicion of its wholly occupied by thoughts of mr mrs whose figure w as rather more than began to complain of the heat my dear said her husband for your comfort there are some good substantial looking clouds coming up in the south which exceedingly remind me of my first water colour piece when i was a school boy storm coming on my stars i if it should rain i what will become your new bonnet don t put disagreeable thoughts into my head my dear returned mrs good gaily when the rain actually comes it will be time enough to think of my bonnet you are your pace however on the strength of my suggestion so you have been to mrs s i hear since you were at our house and had a delightful day has been telling us all about it you had an adventure too were into the water and a young gentleman jumped in after you all this was mighty pleasant and romantic it was lucky however that neither of you caught cold i did take cold said and only left my room this morning then i think your mother did not her usual prudence in sending you out to dine on the grass however your cold was not very bad i ll answer for it or you would have sent for me there go the i r village shall try id have a day s shooting this week is your young cousin your mr much of a shot no i think not said no he never shoots said mr was laughing at him for it on monday evening and calling him a i thought few young men would have borne with so much and good humour he could bear to be shot at then it seems observed mr good and by the of weapons the poisoned arrow of irony well i like the young man the better for it it speaks well for him it is what few are equal to though as to not shooting on the score of its being a cruel amusement that s all nonsense nobody thinks any thing of it would tell you returned that people choose not to think of it because if they did they must confess that it is a cruel amusement then he would talk nonsense said mr good those kind of speeches make a young fellow appear very if mr chooses to run counter to established customs he should be contented to indulge his own without wanting to them on other people all that over refinement and making one s self out to be better than any body else has a very tendency and i don t a fine young man such as mr to be a mrs good warmly defended from any taint of and before the subject was exhausted they reached the where the elder miss were busily the baskets and settling between lamb and chicken while and brown were with was not missed till on sitting down to their miss holland exclaimed where is mr dear yes where is he echoed miss i declare we had quite forgotten him he has made off ladies said mr good without saying with your leave or by your leave gone home in a fit of the or with a sick headache whichever the case may be cool said cool i never heard any thing so odd cried miss so rude i may say extremely tiresome when we have so few gentlemen oh you can t pretend to miss him at any rate as you owned just now you had quite forgotten him n only what sending an excuse and another not coming and another the is quite np and after setting out with ns and all in brown men give such airs now so they did in my said mr good i don t think they are a altered well i think they are said miss holland dare say we shall well without mr dear yes we re quite independent of him said miss i only wish we had asked mr sam instead always sets something pleasant and is not too fine for his company added miss margaret no indeed if there s anything i dislike it s and what yon call caprice if these are the delights of a thought one may almost as well dine indoors as on the grass had been playing with the young goods and chasing them oyer the heath he now ran off in his turn followed by the children in full cry and instead of returning to his old quarters took refuge between the miss the youngest of whom smiled complacently at the mine was a walk this morning whispered he to if you knew what hard work it is to play ter to fire plain women at once i shall take care to avoid such a scrape again then turning to what a pretty spot this is said he for a we want nothing but a some floating through those trees caps	2
and for mr good and myself and ball for the ladies to render the whole group fit for to this it might be objected said with a smile that the would be utterly useless that nobody could play on the that in ball dresses we should catch cold and that mr good s cheerful countenance quite in keeping with his blue coat and hat would be completely out of character with a spanish hat and feathers you do not object to my the cap and cloak i per at any rate and how do you know that i cannot play the can i assure you i have been a scholar of s o indeed i smiled if you should hear a beneath your window night said he be sure not to suspect me of the but indeed i shall she returned a repeated she to herself how romantic how delightful i cannot tell resumed to in a lowered tone what makes me in such high spirits to day i seem at the summit of felicity every thing wears a smile to me not every body though thought he as he caught a look from miss fine weather often makes us feel happy without our knowing why said at least it often has that effect on me how pleasant it is to sit here in the shade looking at the sunshine contrast contrast the grand principle of enjoyment in the shade we look for sunshine in the desert the traveller looks towards the as retirement to the so is the gaiety of london to the retired man did you never consider how much of our happiness depends upon contrast i think that health and sickness prosperity and wonderfully relieve each other you use the word relieve in a painter s sense said smiling with pleasure i will tell you where one powerfully feels the effect of contrast at house amid the heat glare and crowding of the exhibition i have gazed with delight on some rural landscape which has transported me in imagination from the fashionable flutter around i have longed to breathe the cooler air and the fragrant that have seemed to belong to the miniature prospect but sitting at our ease on some bank or rustic bench and enjoying the variety of rural sounds around us we are apt to fancy it is their comparative stillness whereas it is the sense they convey of life and activity which interests the mind the of busy birds the hum of industrious bees the running to and fro of the s call and the s all bring our own luxurious idleness in pleasant contrast with others employment the salt mr if you please said miss brown in a tone which that the contrast of his own idleness with others employment was not quite pleasant to every one may i have the pleasure of wine with you miss brown said he anxious to re his ruling character village you are making nothing of a dinner said mr good for my part i declare that this brisk air makes me eat as though excess of appetite did grow by what it fed on i am uncommonly fond of these rustic parties said miss brown they always put me in mind of s as you like it what where comes in at dinner time with his sword drawn and bids the company forbear and eat no more said unpleasant that said mr good taking another of tongue n it was very pretty though to see the duke and his court dining under the trees said bless me miss did you live in forest in those times la mr good you know i mean at a play oh trees were they well every one to their taste but i must say that there is nothing at which i less like mere looking on than a dinner i wonder if we shall have any company at this season said miss holland i hope we shall cried tom good for papa has promised we shall go the next time there is a play have you usually a good company inquired pretty fair said mr good i am a great friend to and usually give the theatre the benefit of my patronage the poor wretches are miserably fitted out and are obliged to be of all work i often see the same coat figure in tragedy and farce in the course of one night and a which has begun the evening as a to lady s royal robe has next made its appearance on the dress of a russian in love in wrinkles and finally encircled the neck of our mrs said mrs good tell me not of mrs to me they are and mrs i like the spirit of good nature which in our little company and which makes them willing to share all things in common that is actually the property of our miss o the village t of these two might put some greater stars to the blush it is beginning to rain i declare i cried brown in alarm i felt a great drop fall on my face alas my wife s bonnet cried mr good i laid her a it would be spoilt the first time she were it my dear i with your feelings yes the sky looks very threatening you ladies had better get under cover why did you insult us by coming in a gown that would not spoil malicious girl i you will do nothing but laugh at the uneasiness of others never mind the dirty let it lie is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens to wash it white a snow your tions from mr good are certainly said laughing the rain now commenced what miss brown termed a regular and the ladies hastily beneath the shelter afforded by a few large trees where	2
by means of and they succeeded in securing their dresses from injury some little time and trouble however were expended in their arrangements and a few little at temper were afforded to the keen young artist i declare my silk slippers will be spoilt for ever and ever said miss brown i told you how it would be said there don t put me in mind of it now what s done can t be no but some people will never be the better for if this should bring on one of your attacks on the chest now you ll be sorry for it you have yourselves indeed said mr good rubbing his hands as he approached and looking as merry as if nothing were the matter this is a famous firm dry bank and i don t think the rain will penetrate the leaves we will sit upon the ground and tell strange stories of the deaths of kings come tom you shall the death of a king papa said tom with simplicity will william do extremely well my boy said his father laughing tom told his tale and was rewarded by the ladies village praises of his memory by the he had received he pulled mr by the arm it s your turn now said he with all my heart said always ready to answer an unexpected on his imagination how mast i begin in the old fashioned way once upon a time did you ever hear of king i should think so said tom proudly then listen lords and ladies gay for i am g to tell you a very moving story remembered the tradition which related that did not die on the field of but was found the night after the battle by his wife and a who recovered him from his and conveyed him to a where he remained concealed for many years worked these circumstances which he imagined to on his dying bed to william the conqueror in a very striking manner it was just such a tale as might have been admitted into one of our fashionable and it was received with exclamations of beautiful excessively pretty very none of us can hope to invent any thing like that i am sure said mrs good no indeed said oh do let us try cried holland it is a capital amusement and mr good was very clever to set it going nay the merit of doing that lies with tom said he but pray carry it on ladies it is your turn now miss said mine oh fm sure i shall never be able to think of any thing it s so long since i read any thing about kings not since i was af school i m sure dear me let me see would the story of king charles in the oak do f as king charles did not die in the oak it certainly will not said mr good ah true well i m sure i can t recollect how he died in his bed i suppose oh yes charles the first second i mean died in his bed at an advanced age in spite of the of his friends and and was deeply lamented by his subjects young and old o especially the muttered who though they village b knew they might have had a better king thought they should most likely have a worse very good i said miss there i i have told my said looking round for applause and x hope you all like it excellent admirable said we can only lament that it should be so very oh dear i am nothing of an tn or whatever you call it so now mr good i call upon upon you oh you and mr have quite put me in the replied he mr should have been here to help us said to she smiled assent after all said miss margaret holland it is not much of a game we can only tell things you know that may be better read in books and we are not quite such children as to like stones if we had thought now of bringing a pack of cards we might just as well have remained ill the parlour said mr good why yes so we might and as it has turned out that would have been the best plan after only we should not have had a i wish i had a sham said mr good for this is a vile corner i have chosen and i believe i have caught a cold in my head already good joyfully announced that the rain had ceased ana after waiting till the from the leaves had a little subsided it was agreed that they should pick their way back to the as well as they could ing the last half hour had been paying more attention than he had ever ventured to do before and now that she walked between holland and miss he fluttered round the party and in the absence of other laughed and talked as much nonsense as any three might have done he was as he himself observed in unusually high spirits and mrs s absence and the inseparable from an out of doors party gave a lively freedom to his looks and language which in proportion as he advanced made retreat she had never felt any thing particular in his manner to her before and in the course of this afternoon was or twice rendered uncomfortable by it was not wholly without found so village much to say to every body that no one and she least of all could complain of neglect yet she would have wished his attentions not quite so general on reaching the they found that mrs well ford had sent them dry shoes and and and holland came towards with a painful blush and asked	2
her whether they might not as well go home at once why inquired who was stooping to tie her and consequently did not perceive s uneasiness we are very wet and your cold may be made worse you know i think we might as well go we have been et you mean we are not wet now and my cold is quite gone oh i think we had better stay it will seem so odd to go before tea very well said who thought it might seem odd and also dreaded mr s offering to escort them home the miss brother richard who had been expected the night before had arrived at the in their absence and was coming to t ea he presently entered with hie sam good i thought would be here said he to after looking round the room he was here in the he went home with a headache did he if i had known that i would have looked in on him i would rather have spent a quiet half hour with him than have come into this noise and bustle for i feel rather stupid this evening myself what an uproar the miss are making with mr did yo have any champagne to day every body seems in tip top spirits i am sure i am not no you look pale and tired ten to one you have increased your cold by getting very warm with walking in the sun in the first place and then sitting on wet grass or standing under a tree where there is always sure to be a draught enough to give half of the party don t put such shocking things into my head well i hope nothing will come of it how i feel this evening mr is with now i suppose he ll the tour of the room i don t think so much of his manners now i have seen is a man of the world but is a man of birth and breeding good heavens what a laugh brown has not much breeding to spare in that quarter i think people may come from london and yet not abound in gen i wonder whereabouts that is they are always talking of a good way from the west end i should fancy why what makes you so bitter to night am i bitter well then to please you i ll try to be sweet what a sweet miss holland has on you ought to offer your services to her at the tea table no no there are men enough to do that without me i shall pretend not to see i am wanted we are such a large party that there are not enough chairs and if i were to leave my place mr would whip it up before i could say jack robinson he has been shifting from one foot to another these ten minutes i dare say he is tired with his walk his walk i what a walk not half so far as i have been to day all over to on foot and nobody at home when i got there if that was not enough to ha ha ha what are you laughing at i have found out what makes you so surly i surly colouring if i am surly it is because i am tired and vexed with walking five miles in the sun and five miles back again in the rain and all for nothing there i have caught miss holland s eye now she to i must go what a pity when you and i were so pleasantly talking off our weariness to each other lost his place as he had anticipated and seemed resigned to the change in her companions a noisy tea was succeeded by a more noisy game of for the sake of the young goods though it was carried on with equal spirit by many of the grown up members of the party farmer holland loved to promote merriment and and delighted him by the with which they kept up the game towards nine o clock found himself walking home between his sisters well said he i hope you and mr have been talking nonsense to each other s satisfaction now don t be ill humoured people do not vol i oat to make themselves disagreeable to their hosts and do they why only i think there was rather too of it to night of what of noise and and oh i know what else you could call holland s ofi with mr s hat and his running her oh there i with you i thought you were alluding to me and even you began and even then said appearing not to hear him it was holland s and poor mr ran after his hat very unwillingly it is my opinion said abruptly that grown people ought never to play at children s games they are sure to go too or else look awkward as did tonight when it was her turn to their mirth can never be like the mirth of children ignorance of decorum and wilful forgetfulness of it are two very different things very different repeated and i am sure you wished more than once that my mother had been of the party well said with a sigh altogether it has been a pleasant day i should not have thought a rainy could have been very delightful oh but my dear the rain did not begin till dinner was quite over and even then we amused ourselves very well under the trees how by telling stories mr invented a most beautiful tale i on the spur of the moment i and what do you think i he plays the i i repeated he with emphasis that has lowered him ten per cent in my opinion how ridiculous how	2
her consciousness alas i how much was wasted mr joseph all illusion by saying a letter miss touched his hat and was gone felt a pang of disappointment she recognized s hand writing and hastening to the most sheltered part of the garden she tore open the letter and read as follows if there had been the slightest word look or action of year s daring our yesterday s conversation on which o village i could upon reflection build any hope i would not now leave but i can recall none i i as hut away by you were angry with me but still if you had felt any latent emotion of tenderness towards me you would have betrayed some some disposition to bear with my and to set matters right between us there was nothing of this kind your assertion that you could not return my affection was by your look and tone be it so then heaven knows in what a delusion i have been living during the last month but it must have been of my own creating i suppose i came to convinced that such a wondrous fine fellow as myself must carry all before him certainly i little thought of rival and never of the possibility of your affections being pre engaged i am now no longer or unjust i no longer accuse you of as you truly said yesterday our affections are not in our own power i feel that they are not a mist seems to clear from before my eyes and i see that from the very first evening of my arrival here you preferred i believe that you had and have some f feeling towards your old and cousin and to this i now all the looks and words which at the time i attributed to a warmer interest give me credit for this a sleepless night has been spent in it to be equally willing to allow the of another is out of the question no i cannot think of him with temper i believe he is deceiving you beware therefore dear lest you lean too strongly on a broken reed be very cautious lest you should awake to all the anguish of disappointment even supposing him to be sincere i cannot consider him worthy of you neither am j it may be said there is some difference however between us in birth connections and education no matter these may not be indispensable points therefore i breathe my wishes for your happiness your mutual happiness in accordance with your request i have kept our secret though i had to stand rather a severe cross examination from mr perhaps oh how hard it is to preserve this cold style in another half hour i shall leave this place which in spite of what has passed bet us will always be dear to my memory i know your mother will think it strange that quit without again seeing her but i could not meet you without my self command and rather village than give you pain or your displeasure i prefer being accused of want of politeness i cannot as yet return to my happy home i shall go on to worth where an old of mine lives who is at present very ill there i shall probably overcome the first anguish of my disappointment and then not till then prepare to the inquiries and penetrating eyes of my father and mother the last month has been spent in a manner worse than u active exertion is what i owe to others and myself and will prove best medicine once more s tears fell over this letter he does me more than justice said she to herself i have not been as free from as he allows ah warm and impetuous as he always is vexed as he was yesterday what must it have cost him to acquire this temperate tone he wishes his rival may be happy he dares not return to his beloved home generous with a heavy sigh folded up the letter its re perusal till she was secure of meeting with no i r she paced the garden endeavouring to tranquillity till summoned her to breakfast the day was bleak and cloudy after break st i ia brought out her drawing materials and began to rather since had been engrossed by his own picture he had had little time to spare for giving her instruction and deprived of this exciting motive for perseverance s diligence had sensibly her mother did not indeed derive much benefit from this circumstance gave her as little assistance in and household cares as when her drawing lessons first began to all her mornings neither had she lately made any progress in books of improvement much of her leisure was spent before the looking glass at other times she read in a manner away half hours and hours in work that might be conveniently taken up when visitors were by or idly sat over her drawing book pencil in hand wondering in what sort of a house mr lived and how she should like london and what she should be thought of if it should ever be her te to be established there dinner parties silk new furniture gay acquaintance the opera the theatres park flitted before her eyes miss was in a ir way of being spoiled nothing but a little had much chance of saving her called as had set out her colours to request she would allow to finish her picture she was just in the to and quickly removed her desk and it was too cold for sitting out of doors and several arrangements were necessary in order to make room for s apparatus every at length was settled to his mind and while engaged in laying his he talked over the mrs had only had a	2
r of ct account from and bits and from consequently s lively sketch combined novelty with amusement had no want of deference to complain of to day the earnest admirer had sunk into the industrious artist and no sooner was the laid than grasping the rest stick and as jove might seize his he plunged into his task and never broke silence except to his request that would turn her head a little more to the right thus with her eyes averted from the and nothing to divert her mind her thoughts whether she would or no followed gloomily riding to had lately seldom pursued his work with such freedom from interruption and his progress was rapid mrs was called off from watching his brush and unwillingly quitted the leaving occupied as she had recently been herself how the finishing tou miss said yes indeed said you put touch on touch where i can see no need for them and the result is perfect magic it is the the little more replied which to detect the difference between an original and a copy vulgar eyes cannot perceive the fine touches which give the living spirit to the whole and vulgar hands cannot execute them there i i think i have finished my work for this morning stay there is a light catching the hair which i have not yet touched in observe continued he with animation how beautifully the sun on that dark making it absolutely glitter in its brightness s heart beat with the idea that he was admiring her whereas he was only admiring the effect i have caught it said he come miss and see how starts from the was called from the room by her mother sat down to re touch a of the and bent earnestly over his work while s hand rested on the back of his chair there exclaimed he looking up triumphantly as his brush produced an unexpected effect what do you think of that at this moment mr entered and thought she had never seen him look so cross his brow was clouded and his countenance had lost its usual benevolent smile shook him by the hand with friendly warmth but mr greeted him coldly and stood for a minute looking at the picture though it did not seem to fix his admiration or even attention i suppose it is nearly finished is it not v said he what can make mr so ill humoured thought can my refusal of but she remembered that had kept her secret and she then supposed t he must have been displeased at seeing her leaning on the back of mr s chair can he be jealous surely not thought she yet was beginning to be very of her own mrs and immediately followed mr into the parlour how is inquired mrs is gone replied mr gone repeated mrs and yes said he gravely his departure was sudden thought that his eye fell on her i knew he was going to leave said mrs rather hurt but i certainly expected he would call to take leave of us i told him as much yesterday evening he me with his apologies said mr rather abrupt this said turning suddenly towards with a smile she blushed like crimson immediately the truth or something like the truth flashed on s mind very strange indeed repeated mrs i should not have expected this of so much as he has been with us appearances are against him i must confess said mr village but i can assure you that nothing was farther from his wish th n that you should think him or ungrateful politeness has never been a question between his family and mine said mrs still evidently hurt i had thought we had been on a more friendly footing than that of mere politeness well you must demand an from him the next time you see him and in the mean while argue as i do from his known character that he had some good reason for his conduct we can do nothing else unless any of the present company can us he will be much missed by you said as he will by all of us i do not know how you ladies will miss him returned mr you take these things very but shall miss him i assure you i i never lived under the same roof with a more companion his lively spirits were accompanied by a certain warmth of feeling which prevented them from ever and beneath all that boyish carelessness of manner was more solid sense than some might give him credit for a pause succeeded this broken by mr s with had you a pleasant day yesterday very pleasant extremely pleasant replied she colouring i am glad to hear it said he though in a voice that did not express much satisfaction i should have thought you would hardly have recovered so soon after your narrow escape from drowning oh i am none the worse for it said playing with her pencil have you seen any thing of mrs since she sent very politely to inquire after the next day said mrs and the servant told us she was quite well where a lady is in the case observed mr there is seldom any lack of inquiries and concern and consideration no servant came to inquire after that would have been too ridiculous said we are supposed to be able to shift for ourselves i was glad though to find said hesitatingly that was not the worse for the accident how do you know that he was not think he was village do you dear me i aim very sorry is gone to is he not said yes to mr s how long will he be on the road a day and a half or perhaps two days perhaps	2
i shall have pleasure in sending for my italian books from i think said mrs will hardly have leisure or perseverance surely i am not wanting in perseverance with a air you know mamma miss reads italian and perhaps when i am at the she will me a little instruction i may not have such another opportunity are you going from home cried yes i am going to mrs s on friday s eyes flashed with a momentary expression which was quite inexplicable to she tried to fancy it was only surprise and yet it had seemed like exultation well i must try to get on with your sister s picture and surprise you on your return said he unable to prevent a look of from stealing over his features the is a very beautiful place is not it you must take your sketch book with you and endeavour to seize some of its finest points of view after a short silence he rose and wished good morning forgetting his proposal to take part in oh remained thoughtfully leaning over the songs mr did not mean that music to be accepted as a present did he said mrs v i do not know said she starting why do you ask because i should not wish it to be accepted it would not be right no certainly not said colouring oh mr never thought of such a thing he only meant to lend it you know he said that his sister had found the songs in an old port said they look new and clean however said mrs here is one which is soiled said oh we need not doubt his word even if he has been so gallant as to buy them and invent the story of the port we need not be so scrupulous as to an inquiry surely that would be wrong and unnecessary said mr all that i beg is that the songs may be learned or copied but not kept instantly looked for some music paper and the afternoon was spent in and mr s songs on monday she sat to him for the last time and again a little circumstance happened which gave her uneasiness the day was so fine that they had resumed their seats in the and as stood looking at her sister s picture she a rose and some which had somewhat faded from her bosom and threw them away finished his morning s work and the ladies who were going to returned to the house to dress themselves for the walk however missed her handkerchief and returned back to look for it she saw whose back was towards her stoop eagerly to pick up the discarded flowers press them to his lips with energy and hastily conceal them stood for a moment and then hurriedly her steps no sooner was she out of sight than she stopped her cheeks in a glow to consider what had happened here had been no no attempt at could not have suspected that a creature was near him his action had been the romantic and spontaneous result of his feelings was bewildered amazed and angry yet could hardly her own suspicions conviction under the persuasion that she must have been mistaken she entered the house but although tried to deceive herself she could not maintain her usual ease of manner towards mr she coldly drew back from his offered arm as he prepared to accompany them on their walk and took that of her mother he deserves a little punishment at any rate thought she rather surprised but not a whit disappointed offered the rejected arm to and seemed little sensible of the designed mortification mrs and were equally cheerful and alone wits sad and silent in the evening drank tea with his family and an important question was discussed how could be conveyed to the miss had made no mention of mrs s carriage and though this might be from forgetfulness it was awkward to depend upon an uncertainty mr good s did think it would be asking too much to request that he might drive his sister over would mr good be would it be putting him to much inconvenience did not know as to mr good s being there was not the least chance of that he had never known him but once in his life and that was by of he would not for the plump if he thought it could be spared the thing was that old required now to be seen every day and the grove lay in an opposite direction to the however if rosy was not tied to any particular time and did not care whether she went late or early he v see what could be done mr came in just as the tea things had been removed he was anxious to know whether had tried his music after a little persuasion the piano was opened and and song succeeded each other till the collection was exhausted was delighted with the manner in which accompanied him and she in spite of the little in the morning was only too well pleased with his praise mrs pursued or laid down her listened to the singers and talked to by turns who began to believe that was to be his brother in law whether playing were a manly accomplishment or no mechanically to pieces a remnant of ribbon which had intended for a bonnet string and drew heads of dogs and horses on the cover of her scrap book this had heretofore been devoted to from ancient and modern authors of poetry historical traits of village character and such remarks on books scenery flowers and natural history as might engage the mind of an innocent and inquiring girl of sixteen or seventeen some lines in sam good s round text on the last s day first broke the of the	2
f written pages they began with come with me the trees were never a falsehood which nothing but the difficulty of finding a rhyme could have excused from this era the scrap book assumed a different character idleness had caused it to be laid aside till had become in the family and to sam good s verses succeeded some closely written pages on colouring and perspective the result of s verbal instructions to these were some by written down by from memory and here remarked the scrap book opened of its village own accord several from followed all affecting to be general though bearing some allusion to for instance old song beginning with he that loves a cheek the same poet s lover s complaint now all things smile only my love doth lower and two or three rather pointed passages from madame de saw their application and shut the book with an sigh unusually idle sat by the piano her cheek resting on her hand and her mind into that passive enjoyment of the present and absence of regret for the past or anxiety for the future which the dearly purchase by the use of their but dangerous was perhaps inspired by her softly smiling eyes mild as the which on fountains tremble his voice had certainly never owned more fascinating tones sighed with regret when the evening terminated her suspicions had been completely forgotten unfortunately for her present tranquillity they were soon to be re awakened lady had not been seen or heard of for several days mrs fearful she had had a wished one or both of her daughters to call on the old lady as was finishing some fine work for she offered either to accompany her or work for her in her absence the latter of which on account of her approaching visit to mrs preferred it was a pleasant walk to lady s and she arrived at the house without any adventure her was rather but by no means seriously and very glad to have some one to listen to the detail of her complaints when she had exhausted the subject of her growing her began to inquire for the news of the village and on finding that had she so soundly for letting him as she termed it slip through her fingers that was very glad to take leave instead of returning by the newly carriage road she took a narrow path leading through a small which terminated in a gate in the park dis village bells by the of lady f e she gravely walked on her eyes fixed on the ground she j startled by the quick of the little gate she looked up expecting to see some one approaching but the gate before her and nobody to be seen it was evident therefore that some one had preceded her who might possibly have been sitting on a wooden bench at no great distance the gate as passed it she saw what seemed a letter lying on the ground and taking it up she looked for the direction to discover to whom she might return it to her no small surprise it proved to be a drawing of s folded up in a shape the reverse side closely covered with writing how a drawing of s could possibly come into such a situation could not divine it was one of her best attempts at from nature and merely consisted of a coloured group of turned the paper and seeing some verses headed the violet began to re them supposing her sister had been struck with their and had copied them from some book the writing was so cramped in order to get several into a little space that it might be that of or any one else how o was her surprise when she read as follows where shall i match my fair one s eyes not in the of the skies the bird s eye is a shade too pale so is the of the only the violet s darker can match the colour of her eye where shall i match her breath s perfume not where the and bloom not in the s sickly smell not in the s scented bell such heavenly fragrance may be met only in the violet where shall i match my fair one s mind no emblem of its charm i find in the heat and vulgar glare of the gaudy bright j should i seek her yet tis still tis the violet in fragrance modesty and hue two sweet here i view but oh fell thought the dead i ve seen young scattered cease must s bloom like theirs be gathered for the tomb stood aghast the colour suddenly rose to her temples and as suddenly away the were s he loved sitting down on the bench she remained with her eyes fixed on the tell tale paper till tears came to her relief but they were quickly checked by indignation had been right had been playing a double part how s heart swelled with anger disdain and shame at the idea he should find that he could deceive her no longer she would him that she completely saw through him and that his conduct excited no other emotion than the most entire co but had mr really deserved that epithet could she bring any particular speech or action of his to the charge many many i was at first her answer to herself but on rapidly running over the past she knew not on what to x her accusation his crimes were as as in his language had been that of common gallantry looks and tones had been felt as meaning much but had they been intended to mean as much as had been understood by them seemed unable to address a woman except with had often been angry with him for throwing away sentiment on holland and	2
it was to he quite she sighed as she pinned and placed the sleeve of a frock which she was the sleeve was into the wrong and made up inside so all her work had to be done over again and while she was over her stupidity she forgot to think of mr then when all was once more in a fair train her thoughts were no sooner off duty than they flew hack to the to the to the under the tree and just as she was beginning to feel that she should never he happy again it occurred to her to wonder whether miss always wore silk stockings let no one laugh at for amidst the deepest grief the mind has a natural to relieve itself by momentary of a similar tendency friday came and was to drive his sister to the between the hours of three and four but at two miss made her appearance in her aunt s pony she had had no idea that it had not been promised and expected only imagine if after all the doubts and difficulties that had occurred two at s disposal had driven down the lane t once would have found that mrs carriage literally stopped the way maria had heard that the lived in a cottage a very comprehensive word which sometimes a ground floor palace certainly she was rather surprised to find the white cottage so very in appearance but she praised and admired every thing there was to praise and admire and drove off with leaving mrs and convinced that she was one of the women in the world this was very kind and judicious of maria for it is easier to put a family out of conceit with their house than to give them another and a lady cannot help seeing at a glance what it would take a a to discover a few flower pots a few books and one or two pretty faces convince a gentleman that a mere is a cottage a lady sees that the carpet has been that the furniture has washed out and that the apparently rose wood table is an imitation mrs s table was mahogany once out of so many subjects offered for con that it would have been for the most to have nursed her secret was at once out of her little world and at the end of five miles drive found herself among people who thought seldom of mr of and had never heard of mr mr had gone to scotland to shoot the domestic society therefore at the was as confined as that which had left behind her but besides the exertion of mind always excited by strangers and in a higher sphere than ourselves there was a great deal of quiet gaiety in mrs s mode of life morning visitors were not and scarcely an afternoon passed without a call being made at some park lodge or villa in the neighbourhood this gave an opportunity of seeing a greater variety of society than had ever before been afforded her and her situation as a visitor to mrs caused her to meet with attention and politeness one of their earliest calls was on the of they found the at home and yet not at home that is to they were on a lawn in front of the drawing room windows mr hope and one or two other were looking on and a good deal was said about hearts and and and was disappointed in her brother s the eldest miss was plain and the younger sisters were affected there was a kind of about them however which might impose on a very young man they dressed talked and carried themselves like beauties though beauties they were not at present was the grand important business of life at and nothing could be talked of but the lovely white hats and green feathers of the uniform miss s graceful attitudes and mrs s bad shooting much discourse was passing between tbe self important mr hope and one of the young mr s about a lady jane somebody with whom they seemed on very familiar terms whose imagination was dazzled by grand names listened attentively to of their conversation and thought lady jane whoever she was must be a very odd person mr hope talked in of the old girl her it appeared was a she had lately hurt herself in clearing a five barred gate her were mentioned and mr hope expressed with strong feeling his i emotions on being at first told that they could not save her tom declared his opinion that she was mr hope contradicted him with eagerness and him that in another season she would be as well as ever he should turn her out to grass jane proved to be a mare at mr field s at field house they found the table covered with books and heard doctrines discussed and in a manner wholly new to her there was a union of simplicity and energy in mrs and miss field s manner which rendered it impossible to suspect them of and the new ideas they awakened furnished with materials for profitable consideration at lodge again the miss made such a display of accomplishments and blue is m as to give her a sickening of and at only five miles from her native village old mrs and her had so much to relate of their neighbours the and the and the and the and appeared to deem all the rest of the world so uninteresting in comparison that was led to question whether she herself were not somewhat too much disposed to think of importance mrs and miss amused themselves by on the varieties of character which they met in these visits without indulging in ill nature and more by the casual morals thus drawn than if they had fallen from the lips of	2
persons of whose station and opinion she stood less in awe she saw miss receive attention and admiration without displaying any or self conceit she heard folly as freely in the wealthy and as in the cant she heard and conscientious of expenses praised she heard girls laughed at for dressing beyond their station and domestic duties and their parents blamed with more severity for bringing them up miss was lively and acute mrs s conversation without any tinge of effort or united enough of natural wit with acquired knowledge to require a little effort to keep up with her she played extremely well on the harp and had an opportunity of pleasantly improving herself by accompanying her on an excellent grand piano her fancy for learning italian return ed when she listened to maria s of and saw the beautiful in mrs s an hour devoted every morning to this study agreeably exercised her mind and the profusion of fine prints and the port around her only made it a difficult task to decide which she should first attempt to copy the library was a world of happiness in itself surrounded by so many sources of amusement what wonder that s spirits should rapidly from their depression and that she should learn to think of mr with a degree of indifference which to herself she called resignation absence it has been observed like a puff of wind makes a well kindled burn brighter but blows a smaller one out the visit was prolonged from a week to rather more than a fortnight and its conclusion was than its opening mr hope and the s dined at the and perhaps s estimate of mr s and education was rather altered by the glimpses thus afforded of young men in a rank of life superior to his own so that from thinking of him somewhat more highly than he deserved she now began to rate him rather below his real worth on the day after her the mrs and miss were going to she returned to with abundant materials for long details to her mother and sister and with a heart scarcely retaining the impress of its sometime love chapter fine arts and how sped mr s painting and with almost with exultation he had heard of s projected absence somehow she had always seemed to stand across his path his feelings and language had been nor did there seem any chance of his explaining them till he had an opportunity of speaking in terms than he had yet dared to use was gone and the path was clear he could finish s portrait and her heart at the same time vol i q village s but was very war he was in thorough e m and his genius was as remarkable in jove making as in an other art accomplishment or science which he had yet mastered the more his acquaintance with improved the more he became sensible of the difference between her retiring manners and the of her sister and of the difficulty of awakening her passions and her imagination but remembering that the placidly smiling wave may anon be roused by the winds to and foam on the rocks and that thunder sleeps in the summer cloud trusted that s heart if once awakened might glow with all the intensity of feeling he wished to excite leaving little to depend on her and vanity and wisely judging of her character he resolve d to begin by making her like him hoping that in time she would like him better than she loved every one else he entered with interest into all her pursuits encouraged her to talk to him of her books her flowers her brothers and the villagers discovered a wonderful of feeling between them declared his passionate fondness for a country life immediately after giving descriptions of london expressed her own opinions for her better than she could have done herself or replied to her remarks by a bright intelligent smile and a gratified that is exactly what i think that is what i was going to observe he praised her favourite authors detected her fa passages frequented her favourite walks and her favourite flowers have wanted interesting associations to me hitherto said he but will always remind me of you then he appeared so sensibly to appreciate the excellence of mrs s character and spoke so well of mr and so often of and that s good will was completely secured good will indeed does not amount to love but it affords excellent opportunities for making it did not run in from the garden if she saw mr coming down the lane and whenever she went to the village or the scattered cottages around it he seldom failed to meet her and to escort her back why should she shrink from his society he never talked nonsense as she had occasionally heard young men do about bright eyes and wounds to miss holland for whom he cared not a straw love was the of his lay while to her he always spoke as to a rational being e indeed the point of their of tastes and sympathy of minds seemed established beyond dispute his speech became more explicit though still it was he spoke of love not of his own but of others and history poetry common life were all in turn for illustrations leading to on constancy de ness affection without hope all treated as general subjects though broken off with a pause and a sigh till like the heroine of mrs s exquisite dwelt in the atmosphere of love and felt the of ms wings unconscious of his presence her mother was more clear sighted but she liked and believed be might make happy it would not be a brilliant match for either both had treasures of mind of fortune none italian became another vehicle of	2
s passion attracted by the appearance of the books which he had sent for and rather ashamed of her sister s of purpose said she should attempt to make use of them herself and eagerly offered himself as her teacher meanwhile was beginning her acquaintance with the language under the direction of miss but the progress of the sisters was very different toiled through the tedious routine oi and exercise books over as much of the dry part of the business as possible and endeavoured to lead by a new and quick road to the sense of her author he made her read after him a from his pocket assisted her in it and by frequent repetition possessed her of the then taking the book from her hand he translated for her page after page of the fascinating story closed it with a smile and to her to the sound repeated some favourite verse or sentiment in his beautifully tones till she caught not only the accent but the very tone and emphasis of her lover delighted with her and with himself frequent repetition of her lesson for her own improvement as he would have it believed but in reality to in hearing the voice of her he loved utter beautiful thoughts in the most musical of languages well might milton say e di si love breathes in its softness its of sound its in with each other so naturally that an italian lover can scarcely escape being an so many minutes hours half mornings and whole evenings did contrive to spend with that he was seldom out of her sight and out of her thoughts like the coin which impressed on our hand we seem still to hold after k is removed he being absent appeared still present and over her italian lessons her flowers or her needle had still one image before her eyes coming like and changing as rapidly as in his chapter observations on the artist had o much to relate and her were so much interested in the narrative of her visit that bed time had nearly arrived before she made the inquiry well f and how has every been going on here much as usual i believe said that means mr has called three or four times each week mr has drunk tea with you twice and holland called once mr has heen seen in the village and lady at church mrs has met you at the shop and told you that she has had a charming letter from anne and on monday you were caught in the rain and on tuesday you carried an umbrella to and back without wanting it would not that be much as usual f but we have not been to an evident proof that i was not at home what a whole fortnight by a walk to no ribbons oi needles wanted nor any wants invented you must have been dismal or excessively happy which not dismal said in the smiling consciousness of having been th reverse village not dismal at all said mrs looking at well i wonder at that considering was away i am of less importance than i thought i was at night when went to her bed room window he called to see how beautifully the moon was shining obeyed and after a few moments silence gently repeated un non non why cried with surprise are you able to quote italian i have been learning a little in your absence replied she smiling i have been learning italian too but you s em to know much more about it than i do your in so short a time is quite surprising i i should never have suspected you of a talent acquiring languages the next morning the two sisters were sitting at work and was wondering to herself what advances mr had made during her absence in s affections she was just going to ask whether the picture were finished and suddenly looked up when she perceived a crimson blush on the cheek of her sister whose eyes were turned towards the garden looked the same way and saw mr passing the gate that blush told volumes again glanced at who was quietly her work while her colour was gradually returning to its usual delicacy of tint before had much time for speculation entered there was ease as well as pleasure in his manner of meeting her he held out his hand was surprised she gave her hand to him however with as much coolness as she could and looked towards her sister though still slightly blushing received him with as much of manner as usual it was only from s look and tone that anything could be gathered and they were less more open more expressive of affection than had anticipated she could hardly ui his having gained so much ground in so short a ft t s m time to fed on tbe lover will you walk this said after for a short time on in different topics do yon not mean to paint with a little surprise oh no the colours are not dry i should do more than good if i touched the to day ck me let me persuade you the weather is you had b er walk i hardly know this morning said hesitatingly why should this morning be more un than yesterday to morrow or any other morning said rapidly there can be so little rational hope that such fine weather will last long that you should avail yourselves of it as much as you can what do you think again inquired with unusual if you and mamma have no objection said smiling at her i can have none mamma is engaged she will not be able to accompany us perhaps i had better go and ask her said and she left the room you	2
have had charming weather during your visit to mrs s said playing with s i suppose you had a walk every day a drive every day a drive ah true i forgot what grand ladies i was i of a carriage is a fine thing however laughing i doubt not whether we have not the most enjoyment after all have not is better than had not certainly thought she could not help feeling that he addressed her with more freedom and yet more indifference than hitherto his e open way of asking them to take a walk was something new formerly he had occasionally accompanied them but only by accident or on returned to say that her mother had no objection to their walking but that she should be unable to accompany them i suppose said as she and her sister dressed themselves mr been here a good deal in my ab ence hey yes that is as usual why do you ask oh do not know he seems more at here than he well and in proportion as our acquaintance is that not natural t oh very natural i dare say said laughing as she ran down stairs the walk was as pleasant as walks generally are when a gentleman dividing two ladies pa rs considerably more attention to one than the other knew that this would often be the case now and was resigned she could remark without bitterness of feeling s softly smiling countenance and downcast had often how would look if she should ever be in love or whether she were capable of ever in love at all the doubt was now answered and it seemed to her that looked and spoke exactly as might have been foreseen by any one who had had of judging of her character on their return they fell in with mr he smiled but with a certain degree of gravity as he spoke to them mr has not lost his austere looks yet thought am i still out of his good graces chapter xxiv the next post brought her the following letter from oh i am and angry with you i i need not say why for though will not speak honestly to me i can his manner at much that has at he came home three days ago and seems as glad to see us as usual the only suspicious circumstance was his extreme in neither saying too much or too little and when you consider s character you will grant that this was enough to set our minds at work when we asked him if he had had a pleasant excursion he said very and began to praise the roads and scenery papa village told him that would not do that a man who had lived a month in a country villa must have characters as well as roads to talk about he then began to speak of mr of your mother ot your brother your sister every one in short except yourself and when i asked him pray do not blush whether you were a pretty girl he replied so they are boil he gave a half sigh but no more could and i out of him except yes yes yes when we asked if you could do this that or the other and when he began to play with the children and talk absurd french to we knew the case was hopeless for that night next morning to our surprise and vexation he began to talk of his travels and told my father that instead of waiting till next spring he had been thinking he might as well spend the approaching winter in any you know has always had a fancy for rambling and used to frighten mamma when he was a boy by declaring that as soon as he was of age he should set off to discover the source of the since he has grown older the scheme has passed off and mamma is well content to hear him talk of germany and italy as a distant prospect but this sudden idea alarmed us all with the exception of my father to day they have been seriously talking on the subject and i really believe it will end in his going to oh i this is all owing to you i am convinced of it was growing out of his boyish and if it had not been for a disappointment would have cared as little for as for the and now what a brother we shall lose and i are at the last gasp of despair but i am the most to be pitied for i have always been his chosen companion and three years ago when he fancied himself in love with a miss who by the by is nearly twice his age was made the of all his little triumphs and therefore now when i suspect there is some real feeling excited it is doubly that he should be so close that mv suspicions are not quite without foundation i am certain from what passed this morning for as he was ng upon a sofa reading or pretending to read i came on him by surprise and said come dear now that we are quite by ourselves tell me all about it about miss said he starting and colouring h said i i am sure you would not be in this hurry to set off for germany jf there were not some disappointment in the case disappointment nonsense cried forcing a laugh you girls always that love must he the prime of all our actions tell you what i don t think either yon or shall ever marry so some of these days we ll set up housekeeping together and have our hooks and our horses and our garden and he the happiest old and old maid that ever lived	2
with these words he walked off and set out on a long ride from which he has not yet returned leaving me convinced that he or you might clear up a good deal of mystery if you chose have you quarrelled do tell me if that is the case has the sweetest disposition in the world but he is a little warm sometimes and he may have offended you or you may have offended we quarrelled once hut we soon made it up again and were better friends than ever afterwards and so may you still be if yon choose i suppose you know that your aunt is lying ill at mr was summoned by express yesterday to attend her i wish her money would go to you instead of to mrs who does not want it what a it would make to us if you lived at park place the house is shut up now and we shall not be much when your aunt and uncle return we are poorly off for neighbours it be confessed however thank goodness we are completely independent of them and papa and i pursue our study of natural history with is still with the at but she will return to in a fortnight mamma desires to be affectionately remembered to mrs and in love and good wishes to you with your always affectionate s feelings on reading this letter bordered on regret certainly it would have been better thought she with a sigh if neither nor i had been quite so he had a thousand good qualities it must be confessed and begin to doubt whether there are many people either so amiable or so entertaining he had good principles too i sometimes doubt whether mr s principles are very firm and if could not sing it is not quite certain that mr can dance is a very fine thing but so is good temper and it is to be doubted whether if mr hunt temper were tried it would prove quite equal to s im village if for instance were to him as i to and even as to genius certainly had i can recollect two or three rather clever things of his saying one day i remember hearing him say to many people fancy themselves capable of their who find iti mighty hard to forgive their friends and another time he said that mr would have to answer for the sin of making him love the better than the constant and that though was crossing the desert there could be no desert where there was sighed again and folded up her letter she shrank from the task of answering it and resolved to the duty for the present as it was impossible to the letter to her mother and sister she had some doubt whether it would not be as well to say nothing of having received it here however the matter did not rest in her own hands for mrs happened to have seen the at the gate said as carelessly as she could that she was not quite at liberty to tell what had written about and no more questions were asked though she herself by wondering how much was suspected she mentioned her aunt s illness and it was well she did for the next post brought mrs a letter from mr announcing mrs s death the letter was brief and rather stiff in the course often days however it was followed by a second much more stating that the bulk of mrs s property had as was expected been left to her eldest niece but that mrs had a of eight hundred pounds never was more harry was now old enough to leave school and it was high time for to visit the london here were fund sufficient to supply their approaching expenses and such a world of anxiety was removed from mrs s mind that she did not breathe a single impatient sigh at the difference between her sister s and her own found himself excluded from the cottage during the interval between mrs s death and her burial he was surprised at the thus occasioned in his mind and endeavoured to cheat the consciousness of it by longer extended than he had been of late in the habit of taking and by occasionally his idleness on mr of whom he had lately seen little mr did not receive him with coldness but there was more penetration exerted inclination to take s opinions on trust than formerly himself engaged in rather deep where conscious of his own want of power he endeavoured to by allusion and rather than by boldly his or more frequently let mr have his own way after a little faint opposition secretly wearied with the subject and wishing to him back to to his joy he was soon re admitted at the white cottage and the sight of in her mourning him for all the of his but he had for the present lost the first place in s thoughts mr good had advised s going to town without loss of time himself wished it and preparations for his journey and grief at the prospect of the separation engrossed the minds of his mother and sisters as was her own disposition and dazzled by the prospect of whatever was lively or new had the to wonder and be a little hurt at her brother s delight at leaving and to think him rather on the evening before his journey however came to drink tea with his family j and while his mother and were packing up his linen he asked to put on her bonnet and take a turn with him in the lane she found her arm pressed rather tightly to his side though he began by whistling a bar or two of cherry ripe well said he with a smothered sigh i shall not be here	2
to morrow evening rosy nor the next nor the next it will be a good while before we shall meet again and how many things may happen in the mean time i shall i find you all such as i left you that is more than you can tell or i either i if this is to be my brother in law after all or not do you wish he should be upon my honour rosy i can hardly tell you at one time i fancied that it was you and he that were in love with each other and then i could not bear him but now somehow well now somehow that he is evidently attached to and that she is pleased with him i seem to see his character in a different light there appears to be more sincerity more depth of feeling about him than i thought there was at first and yet rosy in spite of his wit and genius and all that i cannot feel quite cordial towards him i cannot that he is worthy of who can be i wonder if mr is not ah you may say so but it is not wit and alone that will make a woman happy you laugh but i am not speaking at is happy now and i could not bear ever to see her otherwise wit ana genius alone will not make happy there must be temper and principle besides and on these points i have my of he may or may not possess them but we know very little of him well things must take their course who knows what may happen to me in the next do you recollect the queer map that mr once us drawn by martin which took with him on his first voyage islands and straits and and all set down by guess the imaginary kingdom of st on one hand on the other the island of in one place was written no ships can sail among these islands on account of the with which they abound in another sing along these yes i recollect it what of it why i am going to make a fine is not that just like the ocean of life we expect to meet dangers and pleasures but we cannot with all our calculations beforehand tell when we shall come upon them those we expected to meet with prove and we find others in their stead so all the we make at what will and what will not be are about as useful to us as martin s to and all we can do is like to set a bold ce on the matter and take storms and sunshine as they are given us well you have made something grand of martin at last be sure you write to us o n as often as i can but you know what with attending lectures and and walking through and now and then perhaps going to the play i shall not have much time to spare therefore don t fancy because i do not write to you regularly that i must have my finger or caught the fever i will write to you when i have leisure and when i have anything to say oh you will always ve plenty to say in london and mind that you write frequently to me too i shall be very industrious and very economical my mother has been so p that it would be a shame if i were to be otherwise and i shall come back to see you at christmas and some of these days perhaps mr good may take me into m or of may sell his business harry will be in mr smith s office and my mother and will perhaps in time keep house for one of us for must not marry rosy nd and why am i left out oh you and sam nonsense well then you and nonsense i you won t hear me out well then my mother and shall keep house for harry and you shall live with me do you mean then to be a bachelor why not after a pause he added carelessly by the by perhaps you do not know that the are to live on the continent are they well toe shall not miss them much that it one comfort began to whistle again but this time it was oh no we never mention her her name is never heard how beautifully mr sings that song said does he e there is to us at the gate let us have a run down the lane chapter xxv mr with all his goodness of heart and strength of judgment was but a man he had his prejudices and one day he was angry with for calling lord the greatest of modem poets a great poet replied he is one who your mind instead of or it either this actual earth with a ir and exquisite creation of his own or it altogether and with you into the world of vol i b intellect leading no disgust no clinging to you when he is laid aside but making you wiser and better than you were before milton does this and even in these present times there are poets who have aimed at and better things than l and whom i consequently esteem better poets they are the best who raise you highest this was to whose admiration of his favourite writer approached he defended him with warmth quoting passage after passage from and exclaiming you cannot deny the splendour of that thought you will acknowledge the beauty of this while mr whose opinion of their moral or tendency somewhat obscured his perception of their beauty remained fixed in his original way of thinking the discussion was dropped but they	2
were not quite so pleased with each other as before silently mr of and mr thinking s opinions too free mr had not been often at the white cottage lately one morning soon after s he called and found sitting to for her picture mrs reading mr good s daily paper and one of s illustrations of the greek which had been lent her by mrs mr admired the accuracy of her drawing and began to speak of the fable which it illustrated and of the of the heathen absurd as it was observed we artists may be to it for the finest in the world and can you really be thankful that of human beings should for ages in the merely because the hence had fanciful subjects offered to his of course i spoke only in jest though and had never been the genius of would not have slept no of all it appears to me the greatest that man should worship the work of his own hands said mr is as natural to barbarous as is to half civilized minds a vivid ill regulated imagination leads to one and a cold imagination to the other the man whose feelings and fancy are equally sees god nowhere the man whose lively mind is by knowledge and reason sees every where not village one but gods he is brought into close contact with the mighty works of creation and is unable to their laws to him the sun because beyond his control appears the seasons returning regularly seem to do so of their own accord and what he or fears he thus arise a host of imaginary horrid king with blood queen of heaven with horns did it ever occur to you mr as an argument against the oi that there is no mention of worship in his poems his gloomy chiefs erect no pour no it is enough for me said laughing that a regular in six books should have been translated from which are nowhere to be seen and that his are ladies of the utmost delicacy and refinement white handed and white footed in spite of exposure to the sun and air with no more than playing on the harp and their golden hair and why should not they play on the harp and their hair said who loved not wisely but too well k i might differ from a lady i should say that the wives of and were more likely to have occupied themselves in sewing together their garments of skin and dressing the game which their husbands brought from the hills ah mr and ha you no admiration of mourning that he is unworthy to bear the shield of his fathers or or of the dark brown hair and what do you say mr to the address to the sun an imitation gross palpable of the passage which describes him coming from his chamber as a bridegroom and rejoicing as a mighty man to run a race oh very very different mr think of the old blind melancholy man of the past and hopeless of the future unable to behold the sun that his chilly limbs and sorrowfully saying thou perhaps art like me for a season thy years will liave an end thou shalt sleep in the clouds careless of the voice of the morning oh mr mr is there no poetry in this their looks told her that there yes said mr whether the merit lies with you or or the picture is striking le we think of an old man thus of his most and his dearest kindred nothing left to enjoy on earth and no hope the grave we are almost to exclaim with lord bacon i would rather believe the of or the than be an i cannot go quite so far with you as that said the is mistaken and unhappy but there is something childish degrading in superstition we are usually more indulgent to the vices of the day than to those which have gone out of fashion the vice of the day looking rather alarmed do you think is common now an is one who does not believe in the existence of a god now the seeds of truth are so deeply planted in our hearts and a certain degree of religious know ledge is so common to all that i believe there are very few who would seriously calmly and decidedly themselves but when does take root should say when the mass of population is in large cities when wants to an endless extent are created j nd much time employed in satisfying those wants when all make pretensions to freedom from prejudice and all are sensible of ridicule when each to a knowledge of but his own conscience little and the works of nature less am i right do you think then the selfishness by dwelling in a large community where it is impossible to with all and each must look to his own interest and the suspicious temper created by frequently above all the constant whirl of and amusement particularly the mind to feel any interest in religion again the dread of makes many pious persons try to appear like those around them carefully avoid speaking on serious subjects and effect to be as much engrossed by the of the minute as their neighbours when they have scarcely risen from their knees these grow in faith while others gathering strength from their weakness openly make a jest of all that is sacred i us as cities and luxury too very true said throwing aside his hut now come and tell me what you think of my morning s work how do you like my fair extremely there is a moral beauty her h i village does credit both to your hand and the mind which directed it but do you usually paint at the rate you have	2
done the last two why because if you do you must be a very fellow in your demands to make your profession pay tolerably laughed i certainly have taken this picture very leisurely but my time has not been wasted for i have made many sketches which will ber very useful to me hereafter i have painted the head of my landlady too mrs in burnt by candle light and i have an unfinished study of miss which some of these days i mean shall rival sir i am rather by tne consideration that as you have taken the of almost every one in the neighbourhood you have never once offered to paint me i will sketch you out if you like but i fear we shall never agree about your attitude and costume you would dislike a fancy character now i scorn the idea of mere portrait painting and cannot consent to paint any thing that is not either picturesque or historical is there not something graceful in the folds of a said mrs or is a plain suit of black so very hard to paint suggested it will never do ladies no no if mr will be a pope or a or even a begging we will soon strike a bargain but if he refuses to be un on i will have nothing more to say to him a or a or he loses his head who is that coming in said mrs looking up as something very gay passed the window and darkened the room miss holland i should guess from the impression of the foot said glancing out at the moist gravel ex mr smiled hush said it is mrs green way mrs entered she had never possessed great beauty but what little she had had been very well preserved so that no one would have guessed her to have been considerably mrs s senior she had not much to say for herself although fond of talking but she had a very good memory for the sayings of others so that her pleasant smile and quiet voice if she happened to have be lately in e of a clever person she could be very the only complaint that could be made was that as her mind was rather than she remembered as much of miss holland s opinion on the comparative merits of and de as of mr good s notions of the catholic question one of the first inquiries made of mrs was a laughing question whether she brought any news of it was odd enough that the first intelligence received of him after his arrival m town came through the miss he had taken charge of a parcel for them which he delivered in person at the house of their uncle a physician of tolerable under whose bands the youngest miss was at present placed for the benefit of her health thought an introduction to dr might be no bad thing for him and conducted himself so well as to secure a dinner invitation the miss wrote to tell their mother that their uncle thought mr a young man and s first letter was in praise of the of square that the of which he had been so as to call in question no he hasn t been at my brother s lately said mrs oh indeed you have no right to complain of him if he writes to you once a week my girls only write twice and you know women are always better than men but mrs he finds time to write to sam good oftener than to us now is that not abominable sam good is always finding opportunities to walk over here and drop of what tells him just as if we were from his confidence is not that too bad mrs laughed looked arch and said perhaps d might have a better reason for walking over s look of scorn highly amused mr without pa mrs a higher compliment than a few minutes from his occupation took up his brush and after touching and re touching the soon resumed his in earnest this attracted the of mrs who came behind him to wonder and that face looks so very natural said she looking at s portrait as mr said the other day village ms you y snatched a grace beyond the reach of art i should like one of my girls to be able to paint in but has no notion of drawing and does not to touch a pencil now her uncle has her to a board dr is a sad enemy to study and accomplishments young girls he says do too much now a days they are expected to be in every thing and for all that i don t find that they make better wives and of families than they did fifty years ago when a woman was thought to be well brought up who could read her bible and make a mr and mr instantly stood up in defence of female cultivation mrs to them with perfect and then replied oh i agree with you entirely i am quite of my husband s opinion things are done in the world and certain things must be done in the world or else people are singular it won t do to say every boy need not learn latin every boy must because every boy does and it is the same with girls and their drawing and music nothing but poor s health should have made us give up her drawing in spite of what lady has always said about our throwing away so much money on our girls education it was but the other day she attacked mr and me about it fiddle sticks ends said she what haye who have no pupils to teach what have schools masters daughters i say to do with learning the harp and v	2
leads us to them all the divine are contained in a very small portion of the little volume which i grasp in my hand the laws of our country mr fill some hundreds of volumes and employ some thousands of brains in comprehend ing them yet are good citizens nowhere found and does the spirit of hunger which makes a man steal a leg of mutton excuse him in the eyes of his countrymen what becomes of your argument it was impossible to chain down to any thing like a serious discussion the easy brilliant way in which he handled amusing trifles made many give him credit for depth of mind but as soon as any thing with pleasure or interest required serious thought he flew ofl from the point taking the bible from mr and turning over its leaves something caught his eye which he read with great interest and while the was expecting some to be started what poem ancient or modern can the hook of exclaimed he i am glad the idea struck me of it how exquisite is the feminine of this speech entreat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee for whither thou i will go where thou i will die and j here will i be buried exquisite if my i i ta ould say as much to me i have a great aid he laughing to make you my stop cried mr with a sudden emphasis which made start i wish for no confidence my suspicions are my own they may be founded or but you must act for yourself certainly i had no idea of offending you by the of my confidence said looking surprised and hurt you have not offended me but confidence certain duties on the part of the which i am not altogether inclined to fulfil what duties secrecy sympathy assistance assistance i do not want said proudly secrecy is not altogether indispensable nor very hard to if it were and sympathy mr though our acquaintance cannot boast very ancient date i own i did not expect you to refuse well i am sorry for this it seemed to me that we understood each other what am i to think then that we are rivals mr was silent enemies perhaps no far far from it i have derived much more pleasure firom your society than mine could possibly bestow m return why should we say any more on the subject let us each be satisfied to pursue our own paths and continue to enjoy friendly companionship without or seeking confidences which might probably lead to and disappointment as you will said looking proudly resigned and a short pause six o clock exclaimed he as the church clock struck i must not here any longer mrs made me promise to drink tea with her a pleasant evening to you and humming an opera song he walked down the hill mr remained on the seat under the lime tree watching the young painter till he over a and disappeared behind a hedge then he gave a deep sigh how many qualities does that young man possess said he mentally and yet how little and religious principle form the basis of his character he is governed solely by feeling and as long as that is good so long and no k his virtue exists and shall such a character rule the destiny of will she temperate and right judging i as she is be dazzled by the qualities of one with tottering or rather can il of success with any woman capable of feeling the of and never foresaw the danger and i might have prevented it l with a second sigh deeper and more impatient than the first mr started up and returned to the chapter a bachelor s have you been this afternoon inquired of as he joined them at the tea table no said he with a smile i have been better indeed i how so what do you think of my sitting under an old tree reading the bible with mr are you in earnest so i assure you now do not laugh at me laugh repeated with unusual energy no i need fear no ridicule here i am well assured though among certain town acquaintance i should have not escaped so easily what a cowardly weapon satire is i exclaimed yes the old laws of chivalry a warrior to strike at the arms or legs of his opponent it would be as well if there was some moral rule answering to this in the code of the permitting him to lash crimes and follies but forcing him to respect what is good and looked pleased and this short dialogue did more for than many of his most brilliant flashes of wit from this time mr often met the lovers as they must now be called strolling through the pleasant lanes ana of and the smiling happiness of s downcast look made his heart ache more than the triumphant glance rf s black eyes these were now the only on which they met j for mr was no longer a visitor at the white cottage and it was remarked that ne seemed grave and unhappy mrs w q veiled what had him from her family and left pretty much to herself became rather impatient at the absence of the only person who had lately seemed to think her worth particular attention if however mr vexed the mother and daughter by his he punished himself much more attached to intelligent female society and disposed to look to women for sympathy and amusement yet by the companionship of wife mother or sister it was in vain that this obstinate man sought for interest and employment among his books if a clever remark occurred to him he had no one who could benefit by it and	2
admire his ingenuity at the same time nay the pen fell from his hand while his wandering thoughts pursued a channel as ill adapted as could well be imagined to the for whom he was a sermon white remarked that master had never been so hard to please or she might say so impossible to please at all for if she sent up his ever so nice he did not say it was well dressed nor even seem to relish it one day after reading a passage of six times without understanding it he threw the book aside and forth with the air of a man who had formed a courageous resolution muttering to himself i am weak as well as wrong in remaining passive both duty and inclination call on me to speak acting on this conviction mr walked down the lane till he came within sight of mrs s gate when his began to cool he asked himself what are the motives at this moment me am i not self deception and choosing to believe that i am undertaking a duty when in fact my interference is owing to jealousy and selfishness alas mr could not answer the question to his mind and seeing no inviting faces at the windows he passed the gate with a sigh and pursued the of the lane on reaching the foot of the chalk hills his bitter meditations on the past and the future were given up for thoughts of the present when he saw and coming down a steep and narrow path he standing a little below her and holding her hand to enable to enable her to make use of the precarious footing with safety while she with cheeks glowing with timidity health and exercise was smiling assent to something he was saying before them in chase of a little dog ran fearless of danger her straw bonnet blown back and her brown scattered over her and throat vol l ko what a coward you are exclaimed she back and laughing and at the same moment her foot slipped on the wet chalk and mr was just in time to save her from a thank you said she recovering herself with it was lucky for me mr tbat you were at hand come here t i o look at my little dog this is a new acquisition mine holland gave him to me did you ever see such a curly little thing in your life i love him beyond any thing but he has a terrible trick of running away he won t do that i dare say when ha knows you as well as i do said mr trying to smile as they were joined by and thank you for the compliment mr i don t recollect your ever paying me so fine a one before but you really cannot think what a troublesome little animal this is now i will just give you a specimen of the way in which he has worried me already on monday no on tuesday we took him out with us and he ran away from us just by mrs s cottage well all mr s whistling would not bring him back and i was determined not to lose him ran after him all across mr holland s fields till he actually took refuge in the stable the very same afternoon we were again and all at once mr missed him without our having any idea where he could b l i had not the smallest notion which way to turn so mr proposed that he should go one way and i the other which we accordingly did and half an hour s useless hunting tired enough i was when i reached the place we had settled on for a mr had been much than i had but he had got back and was resting himself quite exhausted on the seat where had been waiting for us and all this was for nothing for where do you think dash was after all safe at home in the parlour and i can t think who had shut him up mamma was at mrs s and declared had in the house since we had left it and yet mr is as fond of this tiresome little pet as i am and will not come out without him on any account s stories of her dog lasted till they reached a small cottage where mr wished his companions good morning how excessively grave and austere mr has become lately exclaimed as soon as he had en the cottage he quite puts one in mind of melancholy i i cannot think what is the matter with him nor i said my opinion of him has changed i still believe him sensible and well but i no longer think him good humoured gently defended mr from the charge of ill humour something might have happened she pleaded to cloud his spirits but she had had opportunities for many years of judging of his temper which had always the test it was hard to accuse him of ill humour because he could not appear to relish which perhaps he might fed to be ul timed lady called in the course of the afternoon inquiring whether and her boy as she always called harry had lately been heard of she put poor to the blush by saying in a significant manner well when is it to be and when in a voice that seemed to dread an answer what does your mean she replied with a noisy laugh why your wedding to be sure t every body says it is a settled thing s colour mounted for her sister and looked to her mother for assistance every body seems much better informed on the subject than we are said mrs calmly but pray who does every in the present case happen to be	2
oh i can ive you my authorities mrs good and mrs and will your be kind enough to tell us what day they have fixed on for s wedding that s the very question mrs good asked me this m oh then it appears that every body does not it is a settled thing but wishes to know when it it will be a settled thing you need not make yourself uneasy perhaps when harry comes from school we may hear as ingenious reports set afloat concerning him and lady laughed and asked them to drink tea with her mrs accepted the invitation and her terminated the visit saying she should expect to see mr with them village chapter mr and ihe goods helped to form ihe at lady s the evenings now pr who were not fond of cards from having in park and as soon as the opened mr if he played yes said he miss has just asked i same question and i have her to a game it seems then said mr to with of resignation thai you and must he contented only idle ones of the party i am not going to be idle i assure you replied sh i have brought my have you then i am reduced to seek for in the morning post perhaps you would like b who s in who s out who loses and who wins drawing one of the candles nearer to him mr out occasional articles of miscellaneous intelligence w thought likely to amuse till an signed caught attention and left his companion to her own resources for entertainment at length m sell laid down the paper and gave rather a deep sigh that is a pretty purse you are making quickly as she looked up from her do you no indeed do not it is and promises for some more favoured than myself i su rejoined he in a lone so different from gaiety that raised her eyes in surprise he was looking at players but aa there was nothing extraordinary in ll gravity which his countenance was don t be uneasy said laughing the p for mamma and if you are really in want of one tl which i net shall be for you thank you thank you said he moving hia no longer to face and stooping to r with an air of interest but surely this colours will be loo gay for one of my years and what will you then blue the colour of in i pray gentle lady mock me not what can a forlorn fellow like myself have to do with hope then green or yellow no no that would r me of the melancholy which devoured s poor sister besides those colours for jealousy do they not i would not wear the of so odious a passion perhaps black would suit you nay i have enough of black already j i need not put my purse into mourning violet then violet yes i like that colour i am fond of y tt violet colour is mourning too you know in france court mourning what think you of brown oh dismal to a degree to a degree i that is quite young lad s expression well cannot we find any colour to please both of us what say you to crimson yes crimson will look very well then crimson let it be since i see you are resolved on making me very gay i wish i could said with a smile hey what do you mean oh nothing replied she pursuing her work i am sure you are too sensible to talk at random indeed mr i meant nothing very deep i said i wished i could make you gay because i am fond of gaiety myself and like other people to be gay and you have seemed rather the reverse lately that is all i assure you have you observed it said he in a lower voice it is true enough but i did not suppose any one had noticed it you are very quick sighted and with a sigh mr had recourse to the morning post ha exclaimed he my cousin frank has returned from an idle young acquaintance has applied to him for i suppose i shall hear from him soon has frank returned said looking up from the board i shall have some curiosity to see his port he sketches beautifully though he leaves his drawings unfinished perhaps i may run over to next year myself though and rome have more attractions for me should like to see laid he in a softer tone to village here s a medical gentleman near london of receiving an insane to be treated as one of the y said mr a taste he must have queen of the a tragedy it is a singular fact that women should have changed the religion of the greater part of europe this introduced into france the sister of the emperor henry the second did the for the of for the poles and queen for the you may be proud of the spiritual achievements of your sex pray have you heard from your friend lately about ten days ago you know is gone to yes he wrote me word of his intentions soon after he returned to s letter was little more than a lecture on what is just now her pursuit natural history ah she is a pupil of the doctor s he must be very glad to have some one to with him in his darling study many a time have i seen him on returning from a walk his handkerchief and display a collection of stones and hedge plants with something interesting to tell of each what i particularly admire is the humanity with which he treats his live but allow me	2
provoked with mrs for with such on his having been the as a for s honour he had indeed early satisfied on this score by writing a letter of inquiry to his cousin frank but after vainly expecting an answer for several weeks he learnt that frank had set off some time before on a tour through ere his letter could have reached him and s increasing intimacy with the well in the meanwhile had rendered it more difficult and to put them on their guard while greater opportunities of judging of his habits and opinions made the anxious still more that much which was taken for granted existed only oa the surface these were the doubts and difficulties which had lately withheld him from the white cottage where he had not quite temper enough to behold established on the morning after lady s tea party mr sell was not a little pleased by the receipt of a thick packet from his frank all suspicions will at length be banished or confirmed thought he as he tore off the envelope the young artist s letter was as follows greek street september dear only two days returned from a most three months which has enriched my port with sketches innumerable and my memory with subjects for many a dream on eve by haunted stream had you accompanied me on shoulder you would certainly have laughed when scenes more than my imagination had ever conceived made me dance and almost shout with ecstasy and as i can t bear to be when the fit is on me it is lucky that you were not within sight and so here is a letter from you that has been lying on my writing table ever since june th with regard to this young you have written to me about i suppose by this time you can say he has come he is gone we have met and may meet perhaps never or at any rate you have had abundant time to make out his character for yourself so that any attempt to it will be useless a fascinating young fellow he certainly is as of course you have discovered and though rather in some of his notions by no means so bad as to run away with any of the of your little flock provided papa and mamma a prudent look out in short the only september i was interrupted here by a who carried me off to see a capital just imported a thousand things have me since and among others i have called on mrs perhaps you know has a mother and sister the latter a charming creature fair gentle and from them i learnt that is still at and what keeps him so long in such an obscure place can only guess as he never them with very letters however that is his sister there is some attachment in the case as he has sent to her for music italian books and i know not what besides all evidently for female accommodation she says she hopes it may be so as she thinks arthur would be a better ana a happier man if he were united to a wife whom he thoroughly esteemed as well as loved and as there thus appears some probability that he actually does stealing one of your i may as well tell you all i know of him from first to last of which information you can then make what use good to tell the truth i began this sheet intending to dismiss the matter in a brace of sentences and to devote the remaining space to a description of the but having broken the chain of my ideas and beginning to i take some interest in the subject in hand you shall have the whole story without further is by birth a gentleman and his talents as you t have discovered are of the first order he industry to genius and it is therefore probable that he will rise to considerable eminence in his profession his ther married a very beautiful and amiable young woman whose rank in life was not equal to his own the daughter of some music master or i believe i am not sure which this offended his family who would never take the smallest notice of him nor of his widow and children after his death will you believe it is very sore on this point and cannot forgive his mother for as he considers her the cause of his being confined to a rank beneath that in which he is entitled to shine captain left his widow two or three hundred a year on which she managed to live in a cheap part of the country she had previous to this time and in the of her husband s relations given up the charge of her son to an old aunt of captain s the only member of the who had not utterly cast him off ana thus the opportunity was lost of ri the boy s affections on his mother and him to home the old lady brought him up very spoilt him by indulgence exerted no control over his temper and taught him to hate and despise his mother s the worst of it was that being literally one of the children of this world i e endowed him with no religious principle luckily for this old died when he was about twelve years old but she did all the harm she could by leaving what little property she had to become his on majority while the meantime was to the expenses of his education and supply him with pocket money was now sent to school for a few years and his instead of being spent at a luxurious home were passed beneath the humble roof of his mother his for painting had early itself and as no one united the wish	2
the afternoon when observed how very oddly mr had behaved in the morning and indeed how strange and unaccountable he had been for some time mrs smiled with great significance and his conduct really w is unaccountable unless he were i love and on s exclaiming surely that would be too ridiculous her mother with the observation that stranger things had happened coloured and kept her surprise to herself somehow it never occurred to her that could have two admirers within a day or two mr happened to have business at and on returning through the town he saw the miss in the principal shop parcel s parcel s parcel s he went in and found buying gloves and and amusing themselves with examining the contents of the which contained three sets of travels and twenty novels was himself with the choice passages in pencil or with thumb nails by and marked by such as excellent how affecting how true to nature c was deep in one of the scotch novels which she declared she must take home to amuse and to gratify her filial piety mr dropped two volumes into one pocket and a third into the other thus he drew her arm within his observing that it was now her duty to the weariness of his journey homeward told her that she had selected the least worthy of sir walter s works but added that his worst was better than most men s best and that for his own part he loved even his mr observed that this was letting partiality have too much influence over judgment and would you always have partiality kept within the bounds of yes always i would love what was good and blame what was bad in any book any thing or any person then if the good over the bad in either the thing or the person i think you are cruelly strict because no one is perfect but that is no reason why are not to be corrected it is a reason why some faults should be give me a friend that would love me wholly and all such a person would not be a friend because a real would tell you of your faults village a friendly eye would never see such it would not though they were as high as huge but as far as regards a plain spoken i think he would try to conceal them from other eyes but endeavour to make them as clear as daylight to an office mr which plenty of friends are always mighty willing to undertake friends in whom it would sometimes be difficult to find any other mark of friendship oh i hate i your friendly depend upon it they cause half the and that arise among relations and neighbours a man who another stands for the moment on higher ground he has the power of saying i am better than thou to some one who in every point but one is very likely his superior i have heard that it is or was the practice in the schools when a little boy came up with his class without having performed his morning to pick out a clean little girl who was instructed to approach the dirty little boy and give him a slap on the face t always appeared to me a likely plan to make the clean little girl malicious and con had the laugh on his side and the of the path obliging the to separate into couples he led the way with to her mr reminds me of reproof of in king this is a man who having been praised for doth affect a surly and the garb from his nature he cannot flatter he an they will take it if not he s plain but perhaps i am wrong in demanding friendship from man it is only woman who can love through clouds and sunshine and see no in those to whom she is attached mr was meanwhile observing to would any one think now to hear mr claiming partiality that he could ever laugh at a distant friend or turn a relation into ridicule he certainly in satire sometimes said yes we often find that those who most dislike s have least objection to inflict it on others village here mr fell into a and as he walked very slowly asked him if he were tired of carrying the books not in the least replied he rousing up i had entirely forgotten them what is a weight in the pockets to a weight on the mind if the novel is no heavier to read than it is to carry you may think yourself very off i hope you do not think me very foolish for liking novels foolish i think a good novel is a very rational oh no it is some time since i have thought you foolish you own that you did once mr why once i did indeed have some how you might turn out but time has convinced that a may be indulged in a little at sixteen without being utterly hopeless at sixty no no one could love and live with your mother and sister and yet be foolish i am glad to hear you say so for sometimes when i think how completely different i am from i almost despair of being any thing better than a grown up child if i lived to the age of and how often are you troubled with these serious reflections ob oftener than you would suppose mr good vexed me one day when mamma had been telling him that one of her daughters had said so and so by replying oh you need not tell me which of your daughters no one could mistake a speech of s for s or vice now as the remark in question was rather p one you	2
burn when he hears how she died and how she was buried he never will returned mysteriously depend on it his days were cut short long since by what cried the stranger the chapter ii a journey it is night pitch dark and cold a lamp throws its yellow wavering light on the blue pinched features of a government official who stands beneath the open of a remote post station holding a dialogue with a fair fresh coloured young man of two and twenty with curling light brown hair and beard and frank pleasing countenance who is dressed in the ordinary long blue coat closely to the throat which is worn by the respectable of the lower ranks the of horse bells is heard approaching wake up you lazy i says the official kicking a dark heaving mass on the ground which speedily itself into half rough looking who start up rubbing their eyes a approaches cries one of them now then draw lots and before the reached the post station the die had been cast and and the speaker proved to be the man who must change the horses while his more fortunate comrades immediately flung themselves down on the ground and resumed their nap tis she this time said the young man as the drew up and discovered a female veiled and muffled in is any one waiting for me here said a sweet but anxious voice speaking french in an accent neither purely french nor russian here is a escort sent with a private carriage to conduct you to your journey s end said the officer will it please you to alight will you take some refreshment some tea the is ready i shall like a cup of hot tea very much replied she preparing to quit the and doubtless you have brought tea with you said the official handing her out i no indeed i i thought you had some your pardon i said i had an urn and hot water oh well it is only another little disappointment said the poor young lady with great disappointment in her tone what a strange country i am with cold but yet i cannot drink boiling water a small and a little brandy oh no i have not yet become accustomed to the sight of women drinking raw brandy but with a little boiling water in it you will find it no bad thing mr continued the officer turning to the young man who having given some orders and a few to the driver na i e for brandy had followed them into the house perhaps you may have brought some tea certainly i have replied and fowls e ham and white bread could i have been when the would arrive and that she would travel all should have been ready but all be ready soon added he kindly as he looked full into her face and observed two warm tears ready to fall and on her cold cheeks she had seated herself in arm chair beside the stove and thrown up her veil thereby a very pleasing and almost beautiful face though neither in its nor russian in its pure pink and white the complexion was clear soft with a healthy english colour but was now glazed with cold while every feature and gesture betrayed forlorn discomfort all will soon be ready repeated in a still more tone and hastening to fulfil lo and his promises the tea was soon the dirty table soon covered witli a clean white cloth the urn soon filled with boiling water and bread ham and eggs soon placed on the board speedily brought a steaming basin of tea though without milk or sugar to his fair charge and helped her to withdraw the thick gloves from her fingers tears were still quietly down her face but she gratefully took the basin drank the tea was warmed and comforted next presented a ham which was accepted then an egg boiled soft but this was declined so he boiled it hard and put it away cold he knew they should need all their stores on the road they were to go meanwhile the luggage of the a rude vehicle somewhat resembling a large cradle on four wheels was transferred to an exceeding shabby old french open c ash that had been supplied with three fresh horses abreast by the who had drawn the lot and who now in his hat and coat with a belt stood whip in hand ready to start the lady found that her new acquaintance was making ready to travel with her and though somewhat startled at the idea of performing so wild a journey with an entire stranger the goodness and honesty of his and countenance prepared her to trust him and to think it rather to travelling by herself accordingly he having already away under the apron of the the miscellaneous stores he had brought with him tucked his companion warmly up in her let down the which formed a kind of curtains to the hood of the and placed himself at her side the official lifted his hat and said god speed you the cracked his whip and uttered a shrill cry and the horses sprang forward their bells into the darkness of night the travellers were profoundly silent each gave the other every facility for meditation or sleep they were galloping along a rude road through an interminable forest with boughs of trees laid across here and there where the ground sank into holes the bells and the wild song of the driver prevented the of the wolves from being heard till the horses suddenly stood still fixed in a bed of sand put his head out between the the alighted cracked his whip at the horses mouths and endeavoured to the by pushing it from behind they continued immovable then it was that the young thrilled at the of the wolves	2
perhaps her sensations or possibly feeling impatient on his own account sprang out and set his shoulder to one of the wheels and with the s help urged the carriage out of the hollow then he resumed his seat and they pursued their journey but more slowly and noiselessly than before so that the wolves could still be occasionally heard s repose has been disturbed said in excellent french oh i was not sleeping replied she i was thinking of home an english home yes an english country unlike anything you have here our clergy are not like the either said they marry and live comfortably with their wives and children so i have heard may i ask who you are m s son m has no son though all call their master father his only child is a daughter named of whom he is as fond as he is capable of being fond of anything and so desirous that she should have every advantage that he can bestow that he has sent for you to come all the way from england to make her what she ought to be and you are his his slave and we are all slaves either of the emperor or of the landed but you speak french like a native have a remarkable facility m acquiring languages like a gentleman i was going to say and yet you say you are not one we slaves wear gilt sometimes said rather bitterly if we show any signs of talent for music or painting for instance or for any particular mechanical art our masters cultivate it at their own expense but for their own profit and advantage now i as a boy was considered to show promise of talent in more ways than one and therefore my master with it as he would with anything else sent me to st to to to paris and gave me the best of as far as it went since he has educated you like a son he might as well treat you like one his son you don t know him i meant by you as our old english merchants and sometimes adopted their clerks and he might repose confidence in you look on you as his right hand he does both whenever it suits his purpose but that is not like being a father what is your father and he is dead or lost lost i he disappeared stopped short she had heard vague reports of and deaths but was not particularly well read on the subject her father s little library indeed few books relating to russia she feared to her companion s feelings by pursuing a subject that might be too dreadful to be approached without great emotion and therefore after a short abruptly asked what was like like a well disposed but girl of sixteen was his reply she is blooming as an apple blossom pure pink and white tall as a pine and slight as a she has a wiu of her own but may be easily guided by those she loves she is profoundly ignorant but very capable of improvement you may do with her what you like does she love her father i suppose so and he is not amiable not exactly said he is in some business i think he has a provincial government office do not trade here the road becoming harder the horses in and their speed and the driver s song rising louder and put a stop to further conversation on what she had heard and was growing drowsy when they reached the next post station would you like to go on or to alight said i am very tired could we remain here till daybreak can the lady sleep here said to the official oh certainly that is at the tavern adjoining there is plenty of accommodation we will not have the put up however said to till you have seen your bed she felt as if any bed would be better than none and entered the house but presently came forth in dismay there is no bed said she to men women and children are sleeping on the oven on the floor and on a sort of shelf round the room it is so stifling i cannot breathe in it i guessed it would be so said nothing better will occur on the road you had best sleep in the and i will lie on that bench under the and play what is the is the domestic of i and every family who does all the rough work by day and plays all night there now is drawn up in the stable and muffled and as as she could be in a house as the window is and the open i shall lock you in and drag my bench across the door chapter iii on being left alone arranged her quarters rather more to her mind by the light of a lantern that hung from the and then stretching herself at full length in her strange bed whispered her prayers and almost instantly fell asleep she dreamed of home she seemed amidst the familiar circle herself unseen there was her pale mother in widow s weeds knitting by stretched along the window seat straining his eyes over a book in the fading twilight sewing with all her might the two little girls and sitting on the rug with their arms round each other s neck deep in some childish do let me come to the fire said or seemed to say i m so cold i and you two take up all the rug you didn t want the fire as long as you could see to read oh don t touch me with your cold fingers c and hush children hush says the gentle mother there is room for all have you forgotten already	2
present you to the emperor yet if you merely want access to him i will lend you a a carriage and my own servants shall announce you by my name knelt at the s feet and gratefully accepted the offer and the succeeded the emperor hearing the announced advanced to meet her but stopped short on perceiving a stranger sprang forward with clasped hands and fell at his feet exclaiming pardon your imperial majesty pardon v he raised her and mildly asked what she sought bursting into tears she briefly related her story and held towards him her papers which the emperor took and attentively read his countenance which she anxiously watched did not betray the impression they made on him but when he reached the end he briefly said your brother is overpowered by her feelings she sank at his feet he raised her and conducted her to the door of the apartment on returning to her temporary home where some days passed without her receiving any confirmation of the good news suspense and excitement brought on a nervous fever attended with delirium during which her brother s appeared to stand at her side she was just recovering when one of the imperial attendants brought her a packet which proved to contain s pardon formally made out the minister of the interior offered to forward it to but so fearful was she of any that she resolved on carrying it herself she therefore immediately started for he en and which she reached in three days but the town to the governor of which her paper was addressed was nine thousand from and the fortress where her brother lay captive was a considerable distance beyond that she travelled fast seven days and seven nights only sleeping in the then rested two days then posted seven more days and nights she had no companion and for hundreds of she saw no living creature hunger was added to fatigue for often she was unable to obtain food the journey was horrible in the highest degree at length she reached the fortress and was courteously received by the she presented the pardon to him in a flutter of hope and fear as he read it his countenance became more and more grave and she wondered why he read it so slowly at length he looked up at her and said i am sorry but is dead ah i ejaculated there was nothing for it continued but for her to return homeward with a torn heart she had travelled to in hope she quitted it in despair on her return to st she was welcomed and as a wonder but there was no spirit left in her did you see her and yes what was she like a good humoured well grown pleasing girl with dark eyes and luxuriant light hair nothing more perhaps her brother was dead after all that had not occurred to me said but no no it could hardly have been so you know she saw his as this argument did not appear to she was silent and they presently reached the bank of a frozen river which it was necessary to cross on a the little variety which this afforded to the monotony of the road was not of long continuance again they were bleak plains on a road which was being repaired at long intervals by wretched of guarded and in chains we have no such sight as this in my country said unless in a few dock yards how degraded how repulsive their countenances are it is almost to meet them than to travel along a perfectly desolate road at this instant the suddenly and it would have ill with the travellers but for the aid of the gang they had just passed who with their guard came running up to help them with a good deal of noise and bustle the was set and up again and its scattered luggage replaced distributed among the poor men what small coin she had and gave them a cracked bottle of brandy very little of which had been and which they received with a grin of delight one man shaggy and remained a little apart rooted to the spot where he stood just as they were driving oflf who are you he cried hoarsely made no answer to what seemed an impertinent question what s your name shouted the man after him suddenly forward out of the looked back and cried a roar rather than a human cry came back upon the wind half drowned in the noise of the it was followed by a brutal laugh of many voices and then by the echo of the sound which had first made turn red and then deadly pale he started up as if to stop the driver sat down again rose up looked and finally sank down buried his face in his cap and turned away he scarcely spoke again for some hours the words which the had shouted back to him were he says lie s your father chapter iv the journey ended from this time s journey was rendered still more dreary to her by the gloomy silence of her companion when at length he spoke it was to relate dismal stories of men devoured by bears of children torn from their by wolves or by the malignant spirit called the of slain by their masters and of masters slain by their of lost in ice holes and of villages swept away by as these were not cheerful subjects inquired what was the of the interminable ballad the was singing it was all on love and courtship but being in a minor key the was plaintive all our national airs are plaintive said abruptly and then into silence towards the afternoon was glad to find a portion of their journey was to be performed by water on a	2
river not yet frozen across only with many blocks of ice they embarked on and board a large passage boat which also received the the urged it along with long poles which aided them also in oflf the ice they were constantly running from one end of the boat to the other was glad to find a poor woman on board the wife of one of the she looked patient but melancholy and held an infant in her arms in broken endeavoured to ask her its name and how old it was when she at length made herself understood the mother drew a handkerchief over the child and carried it into the cabin she is afraid of the evil eye said in explanation it is very unlucky to ask the name of a child had she told you any name it would certainly have been a wrong one watched the shores of the river till it grew dusk they were flat and clothed with and now and then a clearing disclosed a distant village a country seat or a church with blue or green sprinkled with golden stars sometimes other boats passed them laden with and hides when there seemed any danger of a collision the men in each boat uttered loud cries and rushed to and fro as if frantic passed the night more comfortably than the preceding woman made up a little bed for her in the cabin and now that the baby was and hidden away was attentive and obliging though in deeds rather than words the next morning they proceeded till the ice prevented their progress with some danger and difficulty and a great deal of noise they were landed and once more pursuing their journey in the still nothing but plains arid plains and pine forests with now and then a poor village consisting of a double row of log huts with and with their towards the road yet maintained that in summer time the country was pretty even beautiful wait till it comes you will pronounce it so felt persuaded to the contrary but it was cheering to think that this dreary weary journey was near its end just as night was closing in they reached a long straggling of wooden houses for the most part painted grey black or yellow with cheerful or lamp light here and there shining through the of windows here and there were muffled people moving along with or entering shops lighted with oil especially the tea and brandy shops which seemed full of customers now over a bridge now past a public building or a church at length the drove into a court yard with a lamp over the house door and stopped a came up and helped the travellers to alight they entered a x and hall the warmth of which was grateful several servants hastened forth who busied themselves about the luggage and at the same time some one over the of the staircase and cried out in a young eager voice who is it who is it replied looking upward c est la immediately a figure light as a and draped in soft clear white came springing down the stairs and catching up a light from the hall table held it full in s face and gave her a searching look apparently the investigation was satisfactory for the next moment the young girl set down the lamp and welcomed with a hearty kiss come in come in said she cordially how cold and tired you must be she drew her towards the parlour at the door of which however appeared some one very different from the blooming young russian an elderly austere looking man who putting back the young lady and shutting her out led up to the light and her as keenly as his daughter had done chapter v t u are very said he with marked x dissatisfaction i had understood you were a lady of mature age hope my e will prove the only thing sir you do not like said quietly i don t know i don t know returned he rapidly and in very indifferent french youth has its inseparable follies and weaknesses two what can i expect what what experience i am sorry sir these objections did not occur before i travelled so far said much hurt i have been deceived probably we have both been deceived said he how old are you twenty two twenty two and i expected a woman of two thousand a year to a girl of twenty two a thousand will be enough you do me injustice sir said with spirit and be content we have each a different bargain from what we looked for you will take a thousand certainly not twelve hundred then sir i cannot think of lowering my salary i have performed this long journey on the express understanding that i was engaged for two thousand a year my agent has deceived us both that is no fault of mine in consideration of which i will give you twelve hundred no sir i can make no be content say fourteen hundred i cannot and will not what do you expect the salary which was offered me and which induced me to leave home the bribe was enormous i grant and might well have done that but you were represented to me as a person of mature age should i otherwise have sent you so young an escort i have nothing to do with that sir two such young persons travelling together for days in each other s company was highly improper that was your own arrangement sir i was helpless and what will your friends in england say my friends in england will be exceedingly sorry i ever left them and s tears began to fall you think to move me not at all frequently but it does not me in the least what	2
am i to do sir am i to return if you do it will be at your own expense and peril what am i to import you for nothing what then is to be done you may remain at fifteen hundred no sir i cannot i have left a and mother whom i dearly love solely that i might contribute to her well in consideration of that i will make it sixteen hundred paper but you are young too young i should be the same sir at any true and therefore you would be dear to me at any price however we have settled it now so go lay aside your travelling dress no sir we have not settled it unless i am to have two thousand what so young and so but you have been brought up in a bad school the school of poverty i have not been brought up in a bad school sir but by virtuous and wise parents nor were we d and poor till my father died though our style of living was simple and a conscientious man will not leave his widow and a country sir may be able to meet the expenses of a large family but can hardly save you mistake you mistake all may save you with fifteen hundred or with a thousand will save of course sir my object is to contribute to the support of my family but i shall not take less than two thousand had ever a young person such or such it does not speak well for you i can tell you i sorry for it sir but come you are fa ed and look harassed sit down we can talk as well sitting as standing what think you of russia i have not seen much yet sir to me in its favour no no not while it is buried in snow but you will like it by and by when the frost it is a fine country fine country finer than england i am not surprised to hear you say so sir indeed you are improving i thought you would not have admitted it ff and i have had no opportunity as yet of drawing a comparison and to each their own country is dear what can you teach music drawing french italian french we are familiar with already and music and drawing are better taught by masters can you impart and a general air of high breeding and style i will do what i can sir dancing i do not insist on has a dancing master twice a week and a religion master twice a week so you will not interfere with her christianity they come on alternate days i am glad they do not come on the same day sir no that would be too you must not over fatigue your pupil but impart to her all you can in the easiest possible manner otherwise she will not bear it is she delicate sir why no not exactly though she has grown fast but her temper is peculiar she is not accustomed to yield to any one but to me if you guide her it must be by a rein of silk i trust no other will be needful sir but you must be very watchful very watchful you must inform me of everything sl e must form d and no acquaintances pay no visits receive no visitors no letters without my knowledge my private knowledge you understand she is known to be a girl of great wealth and will doubtless be considered a good match by many whose addresses i should not approve of you will therefore gain her confidence to betray it sir who talks of such a thing with respect to a mere child in one word it is i who shall be your and to whom you therefore owe do you own this of course sir if i am not to be a spy a spy go go there are in all russia aye and in every country and every circle though we the word you must be my daughter s adviser a second mother it is a sad thing to have lost a mother it is indeed sir well we understand each other now as soon as you are ready we will sit down to table first am i quite sure i do understand you sir two thousand two thousand fifteen hundred that is sixteen hundred paper no no yes yes indeed sir i cannot and you are the dinner the fish will be in rags well well then two thousand paper which you must repay me for in the best way you can but it is too much too much for i expected a woman of mature age now go and pray do not make too tedious a remember the and retired hardly knowing whether she felt most inclined to laugh or to cry immediately outside the door she encountered her new pupil who gave her an intelligent lo put her finger on her lips seized her round the waist and half dragged her up stairs the room into which she conducted her was well warmed and lighted but small and poorly furnished i heard every word cried kissing her again and then almost forcing her into an arm chair dose to the stove i listened at the door oh what meanness what meanness indeed said unable to refrain from laughing but i wonder at your acknowledging it to be such because he is my own father you mean because you are your own self dear we shall soon i hope know and understand each other better we do neither at present but now i must dress as quickly as possible for i am told dinner is ready and let me help you or shall i ring for your	2
maid mine is a professed lady s maid trained by a french at st and called though her russian name is very pretty very clever and very good in the main is deeply in love with her but of course i shall not let her marry him as i should then lose her services nor will my father hear of s his freedom he puts him off with fair words and raises his price year by year but for you i appointed a russian girl new to service her name is she will i hope suit you but if she prove awkward you must box her ears or if you prefer it i will do so myself i hope to have no need for either said herself in a small box pray do not do that yourself the servants will only despise you i will ring for and she did so as she spoke the bell was answered by a pretty young russian in the national dress a tight fitting crimson that is with gold buttons up the front over a full tied with blue ribbons and her long fair hair in a thick which hung down her back as she and had no mutual language remained in the room under pretence of being but in reality to see the contents of the box and who would rather have with the company and of but feared to appear hastily finished dressing amid much chattering and then repaired to the dining room again flinging her arm round her and bearing her with a dancing step as if they were performing a without music m received them as a hungry man might be expected to do who had only had and a small glass of brandy at a side table to his appetite that is if not with impatience he placed himself in the centre of an oval table with a young lady on either hand the fish was spoilt he raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders as if it were no more than he expected a tall awkward man servant in ill fitting livery brought him a dish of roast and stumbling dropped the joint on the floor go into the comer michael said m on which the abashed meekly went up to a corner of the room and placed himself there with his hands straight to his sides while knew not which way to look and could hardly help laughing who was watching her with the of a hawk saw the difficulty with which she was her and burst out into a perfect peal of merriment this will never do thought who conquered herself immediately by a strong effort chiefly and enforced by the consideration of the poor footman s supposed annoyance what is that for said m with surprise because papa it is so funny to see made ready to burst with laughing yet not daring to do so she is better bred than you are there is nothing to laugh at she will get used to our customs presently oh yes very soon said i have no disposition to laugh i assure you but am very sorry for the poor man and that it should have been needful to you to correct him perhaps in consideration of the pain i have been the means of giving him his punishment may now be change my plate michael said m him however as he did so and beware of such awkwardness again or i shall send you to the police station as this was to a threat of a good poor michael looked penitent enough m then asked several questions about her journey the state of the roads her passage from england and similar topics but so much de en that she felt chilled seemed chiefly occupied in watching her and when she spoke it was generally to utter something or and childish she was much prettier however than had given reason to expect and dressed with a lavish profusion of ornament to which her english eyes had not been accustomed it seemed the result of extremely girlish tastes by authority or by limited means the instant they had dined said now papa we will leave you to your wine and in her too familiar caressing way led into the drawing room whispering with a suppressed laugh i might have added to his nap too as soon as had seated herself threw herself on a cushion at her feet and indulged herself with another good investigation saying i know i shall like you though i did not expect it for you exactly resemble the heroine of the last french novel i read les de un grand front les le la figure i know we shall like each other pray what do you think i do not form my conclusions as rapidly as you do said you must give me at least a fortnight to make up my mind that reply is arid and to the last degree said but i know what it means that you are afraid of committing yourself you are either afraid of me by saying how and forward you think me or you are afraid and of flattering me by saying you think me altogether charming aye which said no matter cried all will come straight i mean to put myself completely under your control till i find i don t like it nobody you know could make me do that but myself for though i heard papa tell you that nobody could manage me but himself the fact is no one but i can manage him and i could get him to dismiss you directly i give you my word but don t be afraid i don t want to do so i want you to take me in hand and make me just what i wish a in short will you i	2

Subsets and Splits

No saved queries yet

Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.