The next instant, they perceived a man, looking earnestly around, as if to discover who had echoed the scream; the place they occupied was in the shade, and he did not observe them. He soon rushed hastily on, and seized the white garment of the flying figure, which appeared, both by its dress and form, to be an elegant female. She clasped her hands in supplication, cast up her eyes towards heaven, and again shrieked aloud.
Camilla, who possessed that fine internal power of the thinking and feeling mind to adopt courage for terror, where any eminent service may be the result of immediate exertion, was preparing to spring to her relief; while Miss Dennel, in extreme agony holding her, murmured out, "Let"s run away! let"s run away! she"s going to be murdered!" when they saw the man prostrate himself at the lady"s feet, in the humblest subjection.
Camilla stopt her flight; and Miss Dennel, appeased, called out; "La!
his kneeling! how pretty it looks! I dare say it"s a lover. How I wish one could hear what he says!"
An exclamation, however, from the lady, uttered in a tone of mingled affright and disgust, of "leave me! leave me!" was again the signal to Miss Dennel of retreat, but of Camilla to advance.
The rustling of the leaves, caused by her attempt to make way through the breach, caught the ears of the suppliant, who hastily arose; while the lady folded her arms across her breast, and seemed e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.n.g. the most fervent thanks for this relief.
Camilla now forced a pa.s.sage through the hedge, and the lady, as she saw her approach, called out, in a voice the most touching, "Surely "tis some pitying Angel, mercifully come to my rescue!"
The pursuer drew back, and Camilla, in the gentlest words, besought the lady to accompany her to the friends she had just left, who would be happy to protect her.
She gratefully accepted the proposal, and Camilla then ventured to look round, to see if the object of this alarm had retreated: but, with an astonishment that almost confounded her, she perceived him, a few yards off, taking a pinch of snuff, and humming an opera air.
The lady, then, s.n.a.t.c.hing up her letter, which had fallen to the ground, touched it with her lips, and carefully folding, put it into her bosom, tenderly ejaculating, "I have preserved thee!... O from what danger!
what violation!"
Then pressing the hand of Camilla, "You have saved me," she cried, "from the calamity of losing what is more dear than I have words to express!
Take me but where I may be shielded from that wretch, and what shall I not owe to you?"
The moon now shining full upon her face, Camilla saw seated on it youth, sensibility, and beauty. Her pleasure, involuntarily rather than rationally, was redoubled that she had proved serviceable to her, as, in equal proportion, was her abhorrence of the man who had caused the disturbance.
The three females were now proceeding, when the offender, with a careless air, and yet more careless bow, advancing towards them, negligently said, "Shall I have the honour to see you safe home, ladies?"
Camilla felt indignant; Miss Dennel again screamed; and the stranger, with a look of horror and disgust, said; "Persecute me no more!"
"O hang it! O curse it!" cried he, swinging his cane to and fro, "don"t be serious. I only meant to frighten you about the letter."
The lady deigned no answer, but murmured to herself "that letter is more precious to me than life or light!"
They now walked on; and, when they entered the lane, they had the pleasure to observe they were not pursued. She then said to Camilla, "You must be surprised to see any one out, and unprotected, at this late hour; but I had employed myself, unthinkingly, in reading some letters from a dear and absent friend, and forgot the quick pa.s.sage of time."
A man in a livery now appearing at some distance, she hastily summoned him, and demanded where was the carriage?
In the road, he answered, where she had left it, at the end of the lane.
She then took the hand of Camilla, and with a smile of the utmost softness said, "When the shock I have suffered is a little over, I must surely cease to lament I have sustained it, since it has brought to me such sweet succour. Where may I find you tomorrow, to repeat my thanks?"
Camilla answered, "she was going to Tunbridge immediately, but knew not yet where she should lodge."
"Tunbridge!" she repeated; I am there myself; I shall easily find you out tomorrow morning, for I shall know no rest till I have seen you again."
She then asked her name, and, with the most touching acknowledgments, took leave.
Camilla recounted her adventure to Mrs. Arlbery, with an animated description of the fair Incognita, and with the most heart-felt delight of having, though but accidentally, proved of service to her. Mrs.
Arlbery laughed heartily at the recital, a.s.suring her she doubted not but she had made acquaintance with some dangerous fair one, who was playing upon her inexperience, and utterly unfit to be known to her.
Camilla warmly vindicated her innocence, from the whole of her appearance, as well as from the impossibility of her knowing that her scream could be heard: yet was perplexed how to account for her not naming herself, and for the mystery of the carriage and servant in waiting so far off. These latter she concluded to belong to her father, as she looked too young to have any sort of establishment of her own.
"What I don"t understand in the matter is, that there reading of letters by the light of the moon;" said Mr. Dennel. "Where"s the necessity of doing that, for a person that can afford to keep her own coach and servants?"
Mr. Dennel was a man as unfavoured by nature as he was uncultivated by art. He had been accepted as a husband by the sister of Mr. Arlbery, merely on account of a large fortune, which he had acquired in business. The marriage, like most others made upon such terms, was as little happy in its progression as honourable in its commencement; and Miss Dennel, born and educated amidst domestic dissention, which robbed her of all will of her own, by the constant denial of one parent to what was accorded by the other, possessed too little reflexion to benefit by observing the misery of an alliance not mentally a.s.sorted; and grew up with no other desire but to enter the state herself, from an ardent impatience to shake off the slavery she experienced in singleness. The recent death of her mother had given her, indeed, somewhat more liberty; but she had not sufficient sense to endure any restraint, and languished for the complete power which she imagined a house and servants of her own would afford.
When they arrived at the hotel, in Tunbridge, Mrs. Arlbery heard, with some indignation, that Sir Sedley Clarendel was gone to the rooms, without demonstrating, by any sort of inquiry, the smallest solicitude at her non-appearance.
CHAPTER II
_The Pantiles_
A servant tapt early at the door of Camilla, the next morning, to acquaint her that a lady, who called herself the person that had been so much obliged to her the preceding day, begged the honour of being admitted.
Camilla was sorry, after the suspicions of Mrs. Arlbery, that she did not send up her name; yet, already partially disposed, her prepossession was not likely to be destroyed by the figure that now appeared.
A beautiful young creature, with an air of the most attractive softness, eyes of the most expressive loveliness, and a manner which by every look and every motion announced a soul "tremblingly alive," glided gently into the room, and advancing, with a graceful confidence of kindness, took both her hands, and pressing them to her heart, said, "What happiness so soon to have found you! to be able to pour forth all the grat.i.tude I owe you, and the esteem with which I am already inspired!"
Camilla was struck with admiration and pleasure; and gave way to the most lively delight at the fortunate accident which occasioned her walking out in a place entirely unknown to her; declaring she should ever look back to that event as to one of the marked blessings of her life.
"If you," answered the fair stranger, "have the benevolence thus to value our meeting, how should it be appreciated by one who is so eternally indebted to it? I had not perceived the approach of that person. He broke in upon me when least a creature so ungenial was present to my thoughts. I was reading a letter from the most amiable of friends, the most refined--perhaps--of human beings!"
Camilla, impatient for some explanation, answered, "I hope, at least, that friend will be spared hearing of your alarm?"
"I hope so! for his own griefs already overwhelm him. Never may it be my sad lot to wound where I mean only to console."
At the words _his own_, Camilla felt herself blush. She had imagined it was some female friend. She now found her mistake, and knew not what to imagine next.
"I had retired," she continued, "from the glare of company, and the weight of uninteresting conversation, to read, at leisure and in solitude, this dear letter--heart-breaking from its own woes, heart-soothing to mine! In a place such as this, seclusion is difficult.
I drove some miles off, and ordered my carriage to wait in the high road, while I strolled alone upon the common. I delight in a solitary ramble by moonlight. I can then indulge in uninterrupted rumination, and solace my melancholy by p.r.o.nouncing aloud such sentences, and such names, as in the world I cannot utter. How exquisitely sweet do they sound to ears unaccustomed to such vibrations!"
Camilla was all astonishment and perplexity. A male friend so beloved, who seemed to be neither father, brother, nor husband; a carriage at her command, though without naming one relation to whom either that or herself might belong; and sentiments so tender she was almost ashamed to listen to them; all conspired to excite a wonder that painfully prayed for relief: and in the hope to obtain it, with some hesitation, she said, "I should have sought you myself this morning, for the pleasure of inquiring after your safety, but that I was ignorant by what name to make my search."
The fair unknown looked down for a moment, with an air that shewed a perfect consciousness of the inquiry meant by this speech; but turning aside the embarra.s.sment it seemed to cause her, she presently raised her head, and said, "I had no difficulty to find you, for my servant, happily, made his inquiry at once at this hotel."
Disappointed and surprised by this evasion, Camilla saw now an evident mystery, but knew not how to press forward any investigation. She began, therefore, to speak of other things, and her fair guest, who had every mark of an education rather sedulously than naturally cultivated, joined readily in a conversation less personal.
They did not speak of Tunbridge, of public places, nor diversions; their themes, all chosen by the stranger, were friendship, confidence, and sensibility, which she ill.u.s.trated and enlivened by quotations from favourite poets, aptly introduced and feelingly recited; yet always uttered with a sigh, and an air of tender melancholy. Camilla was now in a state so depressed, that, notwithstanding her native vivacity, she fell as imperceptibly into the plaintive style of her new acquaintance, who seemed habitually pensive, as if sympathy rather than accident had brought them together.
Yet when chance led to some mention of the adventure of the preceding evening, and the lady made again an animated eulogium of the friend whose letter she was perusing; she hazarded, with an half smile, saying: "I hope--for his own sake, this friend is some sage and aged personage?"
"O no!" she answered; "he is in the bloom of youth."
Camilla, again a little disconcerted, paused; and the lady went on.
"It was in Wales I first met him; upon a spot so beautiful that painting can never do it justice. I have made, however, a little sketch of it, which, some day or other, I will shew you, if you will have the goodness to let me see more of you."