"In a situation like mine, with a daughter to educate, the choice of a wife is particularly important. Of course I feel much anxiety as to the decision of a woman like Miss Wyllys, one whose good opinion is worth the wooing: and yet, if I do not deceive myself, her manner is not discouraging."
"Is she aware of your feelings?" asked Harry.
"Yes; I have only proposed in form quite lately, however, a day or two after you arrived. Miss Wyllys scarcely seemed prepared for my declaration, although I thought I had spoken sufficiently distinctly to be understood, some time since. She wished for time to consider: I was willing to wait as long as she pleased; with the hope of eventually succeeding. Her friends are quite well disposed towards me, think. Mr. Wyllys"s manner to me has always been gratifying, and I hope her aunt is in my favour. To speak frankly, there have been times when I have felt much encouraged as regards Miss Wyllys herself. You will not think me a c.o.xcomb, Hazlehurst, for opening my heart to you in this way."
"Certainly not; you honour me by your confidence."
"I should like to have your honest opinion as to my future prospects; for, of course, one can never feel sure until everything is settled. Josephine is hardly a fair judge--she is very sanguine; but like myself she is interested in the affair."
"Mrs. Creighton has so much discernment, that I should think she could not be easily deceived. If my kinswoman knows your views, I should say that you have reason to be encouraged by her manner.
There is nothing like coquetry about her; I am convinced she thinks highly of you."
"Thank you; it gives me great pleasure to hear you say so. The question must now be decided before long. I was only prevented from explaining myself earlier, by the fear of speaking too soon.
For though I have known Miss Wyllys some time, yet we have seldom met. I dare say you are surprised that I did not declare myself sooner; I am inclined to think you would have managed an affair of the kind more expeditiously; for you are more rapid in most of your movements than myself. But although I might imagine love at first sight, I never could fancy a declaration worth hearing, the first day."
"Do you insinuate that such is the practice of your humble servant?" asked Hazlehurst, smiling.
"Oh, no; but I was afraid you might disapprove of my deliberation. My chief hope rests upon Miss Wyllys"s good sense and the wishes of her friends, who, I think, are evidently favourable to me. She has no silly, high-flown notions; she is now of an age--three or four-and-twenty I think--to take a reasonable view of the world; and I hope she will find the sincere affection of a respectable man, whose habits and position resemble her own, sufficient for her."
"You wish, I suppose, to hear me repeat, that such will undoubtedly be the result," said Harry, smiling again.
"Perhaps I do," replied Mr. Ellsworth, in the same tone. "I suppose you are discerning enough to be aware that I have a rival in Mr. Stryker."
"Stryker attentive to Elinor? It has not struck me; I had fancied him rather an admirer of Mrs. Creighton"s."
"Of Josephine? Oh, no; she can"t endure him, they are quarrelling half the time when together. No, it is very evident that Stryker is courting Miss Wyllys"s favour. But I confess I feel encouraged by her conduct towards him; there is a quiet civility in it, which speaks anything but very decided approbation."
"I know Elinor too well, not to feel a.s.sured she must despise a man of Stryker"s character," said Harry, with some indignation.
"He can"t appreciate her; it can be nothing more, on his part, than downright fortune-hunting."
"No doubt; there you mention another motive I have, for not being too hasty in my declaration to Miss Wyllys. I could wish to convince her that my attachment is sincere."
"Certainly. I forget twenty times a day that she is now a fortune, until I see some fellow, like William Hunter, or Stryker, paying their court to her. I have never been accustomed to consider her in that light, of old. In fact I had no idea of her reputation as an heiress, until I found it so well established when I arrived here. But Saratoga is just the place to make such discoveries. I was quite behind the age in every respect, it seems; for although it did not require much penetration to find out your secret, Ellsworth, yet I was taken entirely by surprise. You never made any allusion to anything of the kind, in your letters to me."
"It was so seldom that I met Miss Wyllys, that for a time my mind was undecided. But, of course, I should have written you word, if anything had been finally settled; even if you had not come to look after me in propria persona."
Having reached their hotel, the gentlemen parted. Mr. Ellsworth would, in all probability, have been less communicative with his friend Hazlehurst, on the subject of their recent conversation, had he been aware of the state of things which formerly existed between Elinor and himself. He had only heard some vague stories of an engagement between them, but had always supposed it mere gossip, from having seen Harry"s attention to Jane, when they were all in Paris together; while he knew, on the other hand, that Hazlehurst had always been on the most intimate terms with the Wyllyses, as a family connexion. He was aware that Harry had been very much in love with Miss Graham, for he had remarked it himself; and he supposed that if there had ever been any foundation for the report of an engagement with Elinor, it had probably been a mere childish caprice, soon broken, and which had left no lasting impression on either party.
CHAPTER IX {x.x.xII}.
"Nor have these eyes, by greener hills Been soothed, in all my wanderings."
WORDSWORTH.
{William Wordsworth (English poet, 1770-1850), "Yarrow Visited, September 1814" lines 11-12}
CHARLIE HUBBARD had been at Lake George for some days; and it was a settled thing, that after he had established himself there, and fixed upon a point for his picture, his friends from Saratoga were to pay him a visit. Accordingly, the Wyllyses, with a party large enough to fill a coach, set out for the excursion, leaving Mrs. Stanley, Jane, her sister, Mrs. Hazlehurst, and their children, at the Springs. The weather was fine, and they set out gaily, with pleasant prospects before them.
Charlie was very glad to see them, and as he had already been some time on the ground, he thought himself qualified to play cicerone. Most of the party had a relish for natural scenery, and of course they were prepared to enjoy very much, a visit to such a lovely spot. Robert Hazlehurst, it is true, was indifferent to everything of the kind; he acknowledged himself a thorough utilitarian in taste, and avowed his preference for a muddy ca.n.a.l, running between fields, well covered with corn and pumpkins, turnips and potatoes, rather than the wildest lake, dotted with useless islands, and surrounded with inaccessible Alps; but as he frankly confessed his want of taste, and a.s.sured his friends that he accompanied them only for the sake of their society, they were bound to overlook the defect. Mr. Stryker also said a great deal about his indifference towards les ormeaux, les rameaux, et les hameaux, affecting much more than he felt, and affirming that the only lakes he liked, were the ponds of the Tuileries, and the parks of London; the only trees, those of the Boulevards; and as for villages, he could never endure one, not even the Big Village of Washington. He only came, he said, because he must follow the ladies, and was particularly anxious to give Mrs. Creighton an opportunity of finishing his education, and--to fish. Some of the party were: sorry he had joined them; but Mrs. Creighton had asked him.
{"cicerone" = guide (Italian); "les ormeaux, les rameaux, et les hameaux..." = elms, branches, and hamlets (French)}
"Are Mrs. Hilson and her sister still at Saratoga?" inquired Charlie Hubbard of Hazlehurst, the evening they arrived at Caldwell.
{"Caldwell" = village at the southern end of Lake George in New York State; the village has since been renamed Lake George}
"I believe so; they were there the day before, yesterday, for Mrs. Hilson asked me to a pic-nic, at Barkydt"s {sic} --but I was engaged. I think I saw Miss Hubbard in the street, yesterday."
{"Barkydt"s" = Barhydt"s Pond, a "little ear-shaped lake...surrounded by pyramidal firs, pines and evergreens," once famous for its trout fishing, owned by Jacobus Barhydt (often spelled Barhyte). A pleasure spot two miles east of Saratoga Springs, it was, in the 1830s, the site of a popular tavern and restaurant. Jacobus Barhydt died in 1840, and the property was dispersed; to be rea.s.sembled in 1881 by New York banker Spencer Trask as a summer estate After many changes, it is now owned by the Corporation of Yaddo, and run as a world-famous summer center for creative artists and writers}
"Had they the same party with them still?"
"Yes; it seemed to be very much the same party."
Hubbard looked mortified; but he was soon busy answering inquiries as to the projected movements for the next day.
The following morning the whole party set out, in two skiffs, to pa.s.s the day on the lake. Under Charlie"s guidance, they rowed about among the islands, now coasting the sh.o.r.es, now crossing from one point to another, wherever the views were finest; generally keeping near enough, as they moved leisurely along, for conversation between the two boats.
"How beautifully clear the water is!" exclaimed Elinor.
"The water in the Swiss lakes is limpid I suppose, Charlie, like most mountain streams?" observed Mr. Wyllys.
"It is clear, sir; and in the heart of the Alps it has a very peculiar colour--a blueish tinge--from the glaciers, like molten lapis lazuli; entirely different from the deep, ultra-marine blue of the Mediterranean."
"Have you any views of the Swiss lakes?" asked Elinor."
"Yes; I can show you several--and, as usual, there is a difference in their colouring: from Lugarn; a little bit of lapis lazuli, lying like a jewel, in the green pastures, half way up the Alps, just below the ice and snow, to the reedy lake of Morat, on the plains of Neufchatel, more like an agate," added Charlie, smiling.
"We shall hope to see them, when we pa.s.s through New York," said Elinor, listening with interest.
"I will show them to you with great pleasure, faute de mieux, Miss Elinor; but I hope you will one day see the originals."
{"faute de mieux" = for want of something better (French)}
"In the mean time, however, we shall be very glad to enjoy your pictures. Have you any Italian views?"
"Yes, quite a number; wherever I went, I made sketches at least; though I have not yet had time to finish them all as pictures. In my boxes there are Venetian lagoons, and Dutch ca.n.a.ls; a view of the Seine, in the heart of Paris, and the Thames, at London; the dirty, famous Tiber, cla.s.sic Arno, and cla.s.sic Avon."
"You make our eyes water, Charlie, with such a catalogue," said Mr. Wyllys. "You must certainly get up an exhibition, and add several of your American pictures to those you have just brought home."
"I really hope you will do so," said Elinor. "The transparent amber-like water of the Canada, and the emerald colour of Niagara, would appear finely in such a collection."
{"Canada" = from the context, probably Trenton Falls on the West Canada Creek, a major tourist attraction during the 19th century}
"I shall never dare attempt Niagara," exclaimed Charlie. "All the beauties of all the other waters in the world are united there.
It will not do to go beyond the rapids; I should be lost if I but ventured to the edge of the whirlpool itself."
"I have no doubt you will try it yet," said Harry.