However, I thought that better than a trial too; not that she would have broken her heart at a separation, you"ll believe; but then ... there"s a certain horrid thing called damages! And then my father"s particularities,--and my mother"s seeing things in such strong lights--and a parson"s son,--and all that."--
Camilla, shaking and pale, now entreated him to get her a gla.s.s of water, and, for a while, at least, to forbear continuing this terrible story.
He consented to ring for the water, and then, more briefly, went on.
"Finding it vain to hope any longer for entire concealment, I thought a private discovery less shocking than a public one; and therefore, telling my story as well as I could, I stated that three hundred pounds would save both the expences and publicity of a trial; and, with every possible profession of contrition and reformation, I humbly pet.i.tioned for that sum from my uncle."
"My poor uncle! alas! what unreasonable--unmerciful claims every way surround him!"
"He"s well revenged for mine, I promise you! There"s no plague lost between us, as you"ll own, when you"ve heard the end of my poor pet.i.tion. I followed up my letter, according to my usual custom, the next day, in order to receive my money, knowing poor uncle hates writing worse than giving: well, and when I arrived, my mind just made up to a few gentle reprimands against naughtiness, and as many gentle promises to do so no more; out pops me the old butler, and says his master can"t see me! Not see me? Why, who"s with him? Your father, Sir! O,--then for your life, cries I, don"t say I have been here--but now--Camilla will you think me punished or not?--My uncle had a little gout in his right-hand, and had made my father open and read--that very day,--all his letters! If ever you knew old Nick serve a poor young fellow a worse turn than that, tell me so? I owe him such a grudge for it, I could almost find [it] in my heart to turn parson myself."
Camilla could not utter a word. She dropt her head over her folded arms upon the table, to hide her offending brother from her sight, whom now, placed in opposition to her all-excellent father, she blamed beyond her powers, beyond what she conceived even her rights of expression.
"Why now, my dear Camilla, what do you hide your face for? Do you think I"m not as sorry for this thing as you can be for the life of you?
However, now comes the worst; and if you don"t pity me when you hear this, you may depend upon it you have no bowels. I was making off as fast as I could, mum the word to the servants, when in comes old Jacob with a letter. I s.n.a.t.c.hed it from him, hoping my uncle had privately sent me a draft--but the direction was written by my father! Don"t you begin to feel a little for me now?"
She could only raise her head to e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.e, "My poor--poor father!" and then, nearly in an agony, drop it again.
"Hey-day, Camilla? how"s this? what! not one word of poor, poor brother, too? why you are harder than flint. However, read that letter. And then, if you don"t think me the most unhappy young fellow in existence, you are fit to devise tortures for the inquisition."
She took the letter eagerly, yet awfully, kissed in weeping the hand-writing, and read what follows:
_To_ LIONEL TYROLD, _Esq._
To have brought up my family with the purity of principle which the holy profession of their father ought to inspire him to teach, has been, from the hour that my paternal solicitudes commenced, the most fervent of my prayers. How my hopes have been deluded you have but too long known; how grossly they have failed has reached my own knowledge but this moment. I here resign the vain expectation, that through my son the community might bless me: may a forfeiture so dread not extend to me, also, through my daughters!--
Camilla stopt, sunk upon her knees, and devoutly repeated the last sentence, with her own ardent supplications joined to it before she could proceed.
A few words more must, for the present, suffice between us.
Accident, by throwing into my hands this last letter to the uncle whose goodness you have most unwarrantably and unfeelingly abused, has given birth to an investigation, by which I have arrived at the discovery of the long course of rapacity by which you have pillaged from the same source. Henceforth, you will find it dry. I have stated to my brother the mistake of his compliance, and obtained his solemn word, that all intercourse between you, that has not my previous approbation, shall here finally cease. You will now, therefore, empty no more those coffers which, but for you, have only been opened to the just claims of benevolence.
You will regard this detection as the wrath of ill-fortune; I view it, on the contrary, as the mercy of Providence. What were further pecuniary exonerations, but deeper plunges into vilifying dissoluteness? If, as you intimate, the refusal of your present demands will expose you to public shame, may its shock awaken feelings that may restore you to private virtue! I cannot spare you from disgrace, by aiding you in corruption; I cannot rescue you from worldly dishonour, by hiding and abetting crimes that may unfold to eternal misery. To errour I would be lenient; to penitence I would be consoling; to reformation I would open my arms: but to him who confesses his guilt only to save himself from punishment, to him who would elude the incurred penalties of his wickedness, by shamelessly soliciting a respectable old relation to use bribery for its concealment,--to him, I can only say, since all precepts of virtue have failed to shew thee its excellence, go!
learn of misfortune the evils, at least of vice! Pay to the laws of society what retribution they require for their violation--and if suffering should lead to contrition, and seclusion from the world bring thee back to rect.i.tude, then thou may"st find again thy father
AUGUSTUS TYROLD.
Another name I mention not. I present not to this sullied page an image of such purity: yet, if thy own thoughts dare paint it to thy view, will not thy heart, O Lionel! smite thee and say,--From her native land, from her sorrowing husband, from daughters just opening into life, by my follies and indiscretions I have driven my mother--by my guilt I shall make her blush to return to them?--
Camilla wept over this letter till its characters were almost effaced by her tears. To withhold from her father the knowledge of the misconduct of Lionel, what had she not suffered? what not sacrificed? yet to find it all unavailing, to find him thus informed of his son"s wanton calls for money, his culpable connection, and his just fears of seeing it published and punished,--and to consider with all this, that Edgar, through these unpardonable deviations from right, was irretrievably lost to her, excited sorrow the most depressing for her father, and regrets scarce supportable for herself.
"Well," cried Lionel, "what do you think of my case now? Don"t you allow I pay pretty handsomely for a mere young man"s gambol? I a.s.sure you I don"t know what might have been the consequence, if Jacob had not afforded me a little comfort. He told me you were going to be married to "squire Mandlebert, and that you were all at Southton, and that he was sure you would do any thing in the world to get me out of jeopardy; and so, thinking pretty much the same myself, here I am! Well, what say you, Camilla? Will you speak a little word for me to Edgar?"
Shame, now taking place of affliction, stopt her tears, which dried upon her burning cheeks, as she answered, "He is well known to you, Lionel:--you can address him yourself!"
"No; that"s your mistake, my dear. I have a little odd money matter to settle with him already; and besides, we have had a sort of a falling out upon the subject; for when I spoke to him about it last, he gave himself the airs of an old justice of the peace, and said if he did not find the affair given up, nothing should induce him ever to help me again. What a mere codger that lad has turned out!"
"Ah, n.o.ble Edgar! just, high-principled, and firm!" half p.r.o.nounced Camilla, while again the icicles dissolved, and trickled down her face.
"See but the different way in which things strike people! however, it is not very pretty in you, Camilla, to praise him for treating me so scurvily. But come, dost think he"ll lend me the money?"
"Lend," repeated she, significantly.
"Ay lend; for I shall pay it every farthing; and every thing else."
"And how? And when?"
"Why,--with old unky Relvil"s fortune."
"For shame, brother!"
"Nay, nay, you know as well as I do, I must have it at last. Who else has he to leave it to? Come, will you beg the three hundred for me? He dare not refuse you, you know, in your day of power."
"Lionel," cried she, with extreme emotion, "I shall see him no more!
nor, perhaps may you!--He has left England."
"Impossible! why Jacob told me unky was working night and day at preparations for your keeping the wedding at Cleves."
"I cannot talk upon this subject. I must beseech you to reserve your enquiries for Eugenia."
"I must go to her then, directly. I have not a moment to lose. If you won"t make Edgar help me in this business--and I know he won"t do it of his own accord, I am utterly done up. There will remain but one single thing for me. So now for my roquelo. But do only tell me, Camilla, if you ever knew such a poor unlucky wight? for before I came to you, certain it would not be easy to make that young prig do any thing he had already declared against, I found out cousin Clermont. What a handsome c.o.xcomb that is! Well, I told him my case, for one young fellow soon comprehends the difficulties of another, and begged him to ask for the money of uncle Hugh, as if for himself, telling him, that as he was a new-comer, and a new beginner, he could not so readily be refused; and promising to serve him as good a turn myself, when he had got a little into our ways, and wanted it, with my good uncle Relvil. Well! what do you think was the next news? It"s enough to make a man"s hair stand on end, to see what a spite fortune has taken to me! Do you know he has got debts of his own, of one sort or another, that poor unky has never heard of, to the amount of upwards of a thousand pounds?"
He then m.u.f.fled himself up and departed.
CHAPTER V
_A Self-dissection_
Camilla remained in a state of acc.u.mulated distress, that knew not upon what object most to dwell: her father, shocked and irritated beyond the mild endurance of his character; her brother, wantonly sporting with his family"s honour, and his own morals and reputation; her uncle, preparing for nuptials broken off without his knowledge; Edgar, by a thousand perversities of accident, of indiscretion, of misunderstanding, for ever parted from her;--rushed all together upon her mind, each combating for precedence, each individually foiled, yet all collectively triumphant.
Nor were even these her sole subjects of affliction: yet another cause was added, in debts contracted from mingled thoughtlessness, inexperience, and generosity, augmented to she knew not what sum, and to be paid by she knew not what means. And this topic, which in itself seemed to her the least interesting, soon, by the circ.u.mstances with which it was connected, grew the most pressing of any. How, at a moment like this, could she make her purposed confession to her father, whose wounded mind demanded all she could offer of condolement? How call upon her uncle to be responsible for what she owed, when she now knew the enormous accounts preparing for him from Clermont, of which he was himself yet uninformed?
Lionel soon returned. "So it"s really all off?" he cried; "dame Fortune, methinks, has a mind to give me a taste of her art that I shan"t easily forget. Eugenia would tell me no particulars. But, since things are thus, there is only one step left for poor Pillgarlick. I must whisk over to the Continent."
"To the Continent? without consulting my father? without--"
"My father?--Why, you see he gives me up. He thinks--I thank him!--a little wholesome discipline will do me good. Don"t you understand what he means by _seclusion from the world_? A prison, my dear! a gaol!
However, I"m not quite of that opinion. I really think a man"s as well off in a little open air. So fare thee well, child. As soon as ever my dear uncle Relvil says good night, I"ll come home again, and wish you all good morning."
"Lionel! Lionel!--"
"Well, well! I know it"s very wrong, and all that; so say nothing. Don"t distress me, I beg, for I hate to be hipped. Besides, old Relvil don"t deserve much better; why can"t he behave like a man, and settle an annuity upon himself, and an old servant, and a dog, and a cat, and a parrot, and then let an honest young fellow see a little of the world handsomely, and like a gentleman? But your bachelor uncles, and maiden aunts, are the most tantalizing fellows and fellowesses in the creation."
He then kissed her, and was going; but, earnestly detaining him, she conjured that he would let her first hint his design to their father, that at least it might be set aside, if it would still more deeply disturb him.