She then saw, parading up and down the hall, a figure wrapt round in a dark blue roquelo, with no part of his face visible, from the flaps of his hat.
At another time she might have been startled: but she was now indifferent to everything, and only enquired what was his business.
He made no answer but by a low bow, pointing, at the same time to the door of one of the parlours, and then, in a supplicating manner, putting together his hands, as if begging to speak to her in private.
Careless, rather than courageous, she was going into an empty room with him, when the servant whispered her to be upon her guard, as the man had a very suspicious look.
Stopping short, then, she again repeated her question, adding, "I can hear anything you have to say where we now are."
The stranger shook his head, with a motion towards the servant, that seemed to demand his absence.
Alas! thought she, it is some gentleman in distress, who wants to beg and is ashamed. I have nothing to give him! I will, at least, therefore, not insist upon his exposing himself. She then whispered the footman to keep in the hall, and near the parlour, which she entered, telling the incognito he might follow.
But she was seriously alarmed out of her apathy, upon seeing him cautiously shut the door, and sedulously examine the apartment.
She wanted not presence of mind, when not robbed of it by some peculiar and poignant feelings. She turned immediately to the bell, certain its first touch would bring in the footman: but, perceiving her purpose, the stranger seized her by the arm, and in a hoa.r.s.e low voice said: "Are you mad, Camilla? don"t you know me?" and she recognized her brother.
She expostulated upon his having so causelessly terrified her, and enquired why he came so disguised.
He laughed heartily at her affright, and extolled his own skill in personating a subtle ruffian; declaring he liked to have a touch at all trades, in case of accidents.
"And have you come hither, Lionel, only for this foolish and very unpleasant trick?"
"O no, my dear! this was only for my opening. I have an hundred smart freaks in my head, any one of them worth a little trip to Southampton.
Besides, I wanted to know what you were about. How does a certain master Edgar Mandlebert do? Don"t blush, child. What a little sly rogue you have been! hey ho? Tears?--My dear Camilla! what"s all this?"
She entreated him to make his enquiries of Eugenia.
"Well, you took me in, I promise you. I fully thought the young Baronet had been the man. And, really he"s as fine a fellow as I ever saw."
"Do not speak of him, I beg! O Lionel!--if you knew--" She was going to say, how through your means, that affair has injured me--but she checked complaints which she now regarded as useless, and therefore degrading; and, wiping her eyes, asked if he had yet considered the large sum, for the obligation of which he had made her seem responsible to Sir Sedley, whom she should not know how ever to meet, nor consequently, how ever to visit in the county, till some payment, if not made, were at least arranged.
"Pho, pho, my dear child, don"t be so Vellum-like; you"ll be fit for nothing, soon, but to file bills and score accounts. What"s two hundred to him? Hang him! I wish "twere as much again--I hate making a fuss about nothing. But come, tell me something to raise my spirits--I am horribly melancholy. I"ve some notion of making a little sport here with Miss Scare-crow. How does she go on? Waspish as ever?"
"Do tell me, seriously, Lionel, what it is has brought you hither?"
"Two things, my dear. The first of which is the pleasure of seeing you; and the second, is a little amus.e.m.e.nt I propose myself with old Dr. Hic, Haec, Hoc. I find Clermont"s had rare sport with him already. It"s deuced unlucky I did not come sooner."
"Clermont? When did you see Clermont?"
"Don"t be curious, child. I never encourage curiosity. It always leads to disagreeable questions. You may tell me any thing you please, but ask nothing. That"s my manner of dealing with little girls. How did you like my sending the Major to you? Was not that good fudge? What do you look so grave for, my dear? You"re enough to give one the vapours."
Camilla attempted not to rally; she felt pierced as by a poniard at the very sight of Lionel. The debt he had made her contract with Sir Sedley, the secrecy it exacted, the correspondence it had drawn on, the cruel circ.u.mstances it had produced, and the heart-breaking event to which it had, ultimately, led, made his view excite sensations too corrosive, and reflections too bitter, for any enjoyment of a gaiety, which her utmost partiality could not disentangle from levity the most unfeeling.
"Come, come, for pity"s sake, be a little less stupid, I conjure you.
How terribly you want a good shaking! shall I give you one? By the way, you have never thanked me for sending you that smart young tinker. You are horribly ungrateful to all my tender care to provide you a good spouse. What! not a smile? Not one dear little dimple for all my rattle?
Nay, then, if that"s the case, let"s to business at once. Anything is better than mawkishness. I always preferred being flogged for a frolic, to being told I was a good boy, at the expence of sitting still, and learning my lesson."
"And what business, my dear Lionel? Have you really any?"
"O yes, always; n.o.body has more; only I do it so briskly, people always suppose it nothing but pleasure. However, just at this minute, I am really in rather an ugly dilemma. You know, my dear girl, there is a certain little rather awkward affair of mine, which I once hinted to you."--
"Lionel, I hope, at least,----"
"O, none of your hopes with that grave face! Hope, with a grave face, always means fear. Now, as I am already half shoes over in the slough of despond, "twill be horrid ungenerous to poke me still lower."
Camilla now began to tremble, and would ask no questions--Lionel, when he had silenced her, seemed at a loss how to proceed; he walked about the room with quick jerks, opened and shut the window, seated himself upon every chair, and every table; and then, in a half pa.s.sion, said: "so you don"t want to hear any more? and you don"t care a fig if I"m hanged or drowned?"
"My spirits are not high, my dear Lionel; and my head is full, and my heart is oppressed: if you have any thing, therefore, important to say, speak, I beg without trifling."
"Nay, there"s nothing new; so don"t look frightened; it"s all the same old story."
"You continue, then, that dark, mysterious connexion? O brother!"
"Why she"s so pretty! so monstrous pretty! besides, she doats upon me.
You don"t half conceive what a pretty fellow I am, Camilla. A sister never knows how to judge a man. All the women like me prodigiously."
"Indeed, Lionel, you take an undue advantage of my affection. I must seriously insist that you mention this subject to me no more."
"I don"t intend it. I intend to finish with this once--provided you do me one last good turn. Will you, now? Come, don"t be queer."
"I will do nothing, absolutely nothing in so improper--so shocking a business. Indeed, I know not how to forgive you for naming it again."
"Well, then, I"ll pledge you my word and honour you shall never hear of it more, if you"ll only grant me this one favour."
Displeased at the past, and frightened for what might be to come, she protested she would immediately leave the room, if he continued this persecution: adding, "how affectionately I love you, I need not, I am sure, say; but a confidence such as this, from a brother to a sister, disgraces us both: and let me penetrate, but not irritate you, if I own, that I much doubt whether I ought not from the beginning, to have revealed this transaction at Etherington. Do not be angry Lionel: has not every consideration been surmounted by the fear of giving you pain?"
Finding he still would be heard, she was peremptorily quitting the room; but when she had her hand upon the door, he effectually stopt her, by saying, "Nay, then, if nothing will content you but getting the whole out at once, you may make yourself easy, the business is at end, for----we"re blown!"
"I must certainly be glad if such a business is at an end, Lionel; but how do you mean blown? to whom? in what manner?"
"To every body, I"m afraid; for the husband"s upon the point of getting at it."
"Husband?"
"O, the deuce! I did not mean to say that: however, it"s out! and as it must have been known sooner or later----"
Camilla now had an air the nearest to severity she had ever worn: "Adieu, Lionel!" she cried, "I am sorry for you, indeed; but you must find another hearer for this guilty history.--I will listen no more!"
Lionel now detained her by force. "How can you take up the thing so wrong," said he; "when I tell you it"s over, isn"t that enough? Besides, I promise you I have not wanted for my punishment: when you hear all, you"ll find that."
Too sick for speech, yet too weak for resistance, she was constrained to return to her seat, and hear what he pleased to relate.
"My adventure, my dear, was discovered entirely by the want of a little hush money. "Tis the very deuce and all for a man to be in love when he is poor. If I had only had a little hush-money--yes, yes, I understand that eye! but as to those paltry sums I have had, from time to time, since this affair, why they could not be expected to last for ever: And the first went to a housemaid,--and the second to the groom,--and the third----"
"Lionel! Lionel! is this a communication--are these particulars for me?"
"Nay, I only mention it to let you know it"s all gone fairly. Besides, as to her being a married woman, which, I see, is what you think so much the worst of all, I a.s.sure you, if you knew her husband, you would not wonder; he deserves every thing. Such a tiresome quiz! It was often hours before we could get rid of him. You never knew such a blockhead.
The poor thing can"t bear him. But she"s fond of me to distraction. Nay, nay, don"t frown so! If you"ll believe me, Camilla, you"ll quite spoil your face. Well, the fellow that threatens to betray us, won"t keep our secret under three hundred pounds! There"s an unconscionable knave!