"But not probable," whispered Freda.
"Oh, Freda! don"t you like him? I am thure you ought; he managed everything tho nithely for you yethterday. Mamma thaith--Ah! there is Colonel Vaughan coming up the drive."
Miss Hall looked across at Freda, and remarked that she began to draw most industriously, and did not glance out of the window as Miss Nugent did.
"Mamma thaith," began that young lady, "that the colonel ith the motht accomplithed and agreeable man in Waleth."
"How can she tell that?" asked Freda, with feigned surprise. "There are so many clever men in Wales. I a.s.sure you we are a talented race."
"I am thure of that, Freda; but I think the Englith are more thinthere; mamma thaith tho."
"Ah, she must be a good judge," said Freda, somewhat ironically.
"Yeth; mamma ath theen a great deal of the world," replied the unsuspecting Miss Nugent.
Here Colonel Vaughan made his appearance, and that young lady gave him her mamma"s invitation, which he said he should be delighted to accept, if his friends did; so Freda said her papa was out, but she would send Lady Mary Nugent an answer when he came in.
"Ah! this _is_ a sketch, Freda," said Colonel Vaughan, who had somehow returned to the old familiarity of earlier days. "How can I thank you sufficiently? who could think that the child I left twelve years ago would be such a good artist when I returned? But that was the cleverest bit of life-like drawing I ever saw, that sketch of your old pony. By the way, do you know who this is?"
The colonel opened a sketch-book that he had in his hand, and put it into Freda"s.
"Why, this is Gladys, Mrs Prothero"s Gladys. How could you prevail on her to stand for her picture? Look, Serena, how well Colonel Vaughan has. .h.i.t off her expression and general effect in those few touches!"
"I went to see Prothero, who used to be a good friend of mine in old times, and whilst I was waiting for him and looking out of the window, I saw this Gladys in the garden, and made the attempt you are pleased to praise. Certainly she is about the loveliest specimen of country beauty I ever saw in my life."
"Do you admire her, Colonel Vaughan? I think the ith tho very pale and thupid."
"I never contradict a young lady, and suppose you must be right; but in the present company, one cannot think of other belles. It would be a case of looking for stars in the presence of the sun."
Colonel Vaughan glanced from one to the other of the ladies. Freda bent more closely over her sketch, but coloured perceptibly. Miss Nugent simpered and looked very handsome withal.
Miss Hall was struck with her beauty as she then appeared; a perfect profile, perfect complexion, perfect features, beneath a most becoming straw hat and feathers. Such a colour and complexion, but no expression, not even the sarcastic turn of the lip of the mother.
"Perfectly child-like, amiable, and silly," thought Miss Hall, "and yet Colonel Vaughan admires that statue more than the n.o.ble face and grand expression of my Freda."
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE PREACHER.
As Mr Jonathan Prothero"s sprain proved to be a very bad one, Rowland was obliged to undertake his weekly as well as his Sunday duty, and being summoned to the vicarage early on Sat.u.r.day morning for a wedding, and finding other clerical duty in the afternoon, he had no time to revise his sermon until the morning on which he was to preach it. His mind was still in a state of so much excitement, that he found, on reading it over, that he had no power to amend what he had written hastily, but feeling that it was what he earnestly desired to act up to himself, and to bring his own mind down to, he hoped the words would not be without effect on his hearers. If Miss Gwynne took them as intended personally to touch her, why, he could not help it, and besides, she probably would be at Llanfawr church, to avoid seeing him.
But this was not the case. Gwynnes, Nugents, Protheros, and many others of Rowland"s neighbours, helped to fill the little church that Sunday, all anxious to hear him preach; this made him feel nervous in spite of himself. In vain he reasoned with himself, prayed to forget himself, and those present--he could not get rid of those haunting words of Miss Gwynne"s, or of the consciousness that she was listening to him.
However, he read the service clearly and impressively, in the manly tone, and simply religious manner of one who knows that he is leading the prayers and praises of a congregation who cannot express their wants too humbly and naturally, to One who knows what they desire, even before they ask. No one in that church prayed more earnestly to be delivered from "all blindness of heart, from pride, vain-glory and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness," than he did. And as he proceeded with the litany, his mind grew calmer, and he gradually received strength to overcome the great inward struggle that he was suffering from.
Before reading the thanksgiving, he gave out in a tremulous voice, that a "member of that congregation was desirous of returning thanks to Almighty G.o.d for her recovery from dangerous, illness." When he thanked G.o.d for all His mercies to all men, "particularly to her who desires now to offer up her praises and thanksgivings for late mercies vouchsafed unto her," every one felt that he was returning thanks for his own mother"s recovery, and joined him in so doing. His father was seen to put his handkerchief to his eyes, as he lifted up his heart in praise.
His earnest manner evidently impressed his congregation, who were usually accustomed to the somewhat monotonous reading of his uncle, and to his rather learned discourses.
It is generally the case, that words spoken from the overflowings of the speaker"s own heart and feelings, make the greatest impression on the hearts and feelings of his hearers; so it was now. When Rowland, in simple and forcible language, told his listeners that the first words of our Lord"s Sermon on the Mount were to bless the poor in spirit, and to promise them the kingdom of heaven; and went on to contrast such poverty of spirit with the pride and vain glory inherent in man, and to call up the various scriptural examples and texts that bore upon the subject of humility; he gained the attention of all. Then he enlarged more particularly on the necessity of curbing and bridling and keeping down the spirit, until it attained that lowliness to which Our Saviour alludes in the very first of the beat.i.tudes; and finally went through that Saviour"s life, as the great example for all men, of meekness, gentleness, and humility--the interest in his words increased.
Rowland preached from the heart to the heart, and so his sermon that day was not in vain, albeit not perhaps written in the very best of moods.
There was no poetry, no overheated enthusiasm no display of eloquence, but the plain, straightforward announcement to rich and poor alike, that to enter G.o.d"s kingdom the spirit must become even as that of a little child.
Perhaps this is the least understood, and least palatable of all subjects, and when brought before a congregation, and well discussed for half-an-hour, must make many of its members pause to consider whether, on such terms, "theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Miss Gwynne was one of those who paused so to consider, and acknowledged to herself that she had never looked upon our Lord"s Sermon on the Mount, as so practically and so particularly addressed to herself before. She did not for a moment believe that the sermon was intended for her, more than for the rest of the congregation, but she felt, for the first time, that she had been proud and overbearing in her conduct to the preacher, as well as to many others whom she chose to think her inferiors.
She left the church, resolved to make such amends as were in her power, for the hasty and haughty way of her rejection of Rowland, and to strive to be less proud for the future.
When she was without, her father said to her, that he must go into the vicarage to congratulate the vicar on his nephew"s preaching, and to ask Rowland to dinner. Miss Gwynne endeavoured to dissuade him from doing so, but Lady Mary Nugent expressed her intention of performing similar civilities; consequently the whole party, Colonel Vaughan and Miss Hall inclusive, walked across the churchyard to the vicarage, which lay just the other side of it.
The vicarage was a snug little cottage, with a rustic porch, adorned with the Virginian creeper, which, together with the ma.s.sive ivy, also nearly covered the house. Red and cheerful looked the tiny dwelling beneath the autumn sun; and very pretty was the garden which surrounded it, still bright with dahlias, fuchsias, red geraniums, and monthly roses. It was here, years ago, that Rowland, Miss Gwynne, and Netta had often played together; and it was here that Rowland had pa.s.sed the princ.i.p.al part of his holidays when at home from Rugby or college. It was here that Mrs Jonathan had done her utmost to make a gentleman of him, and had succeeded to her heart"s content. Rowland had been very happy with his uncle and aunt, and loved them almost as well as his parents.
In the pretty garden were innumerable wonderful stones heaped into all sorts of ma.s.ses, which he had helped his uncle to bring from various parts in the neighbourhood, and all of which were curiosities in their way; and there, also, was a fernery which he himself had made, and which contained all the remarkable ferns of a country rich in those beautiful productions of nature. The vicarage and its garden were neatness itself.
Mrs Jonathan prided herself on them, and took great pains to prove that there could be, in a Welsh country village, a clergyman"s abode something akin to the far-famed dwellings of the English ecclesiastic.
The party from the church quite filled the little drawing-room. Mr Jonathan Prothero was in an easy-chair, with his foot on a cushion, and looking very much like a caged stork.
Every one began by congratulating him on the success of his nephew in the pulpit.
"He must become a popular preacher," said Lady Mary Nugent.
"I must say I have seldom heard more simple yet forcible language,"
said Mr Gwynne.
"He touched us all upon our besetting sin of pride," said Colonel Vaughan, glancing at Miss Gwynne, who said nothing.
"And thuch a beautiful voice!" remarked Miss Nugent.
Mrs Jonathan looked delighted.
"But where is he all this time, my dear?" asked the vicar.
We must answer the question by informing the reader that, having watched his congregation leave the church, he went into the vestry and sat down there, in order to avoid meeting any of the Gwynne party; when a messenger from his aunt came to inform him that he was wanted at once.
He inquired by whom, and on hearing, tried to arm himself for an unavoidable encounter with Miss Gwynne.
When he entered the room she was talking to his uncle, and had her back turned to the door. He was at once greeted by Mr Gwynne and Lady Mary Nugent, so that he did not find it necessary to shake hands with every one, and made a kind of general bow, which he addressed to Miss Hall particularly, and was therefore unconscious of the half-attempt of Freda to rise from her seat as he entered. Miss Hall, alone, saw the flush on her cheek, as she relapsed into her position by Mr Jonathan Prothero and professed to be listening to the cause of his accident. His adventurous search after trin.o.bites in a celebrated quarry, the slipping of a stone, and consequent spraining of his right ankle, sounded into one of her ears, whilst the following conversation, entered the other:--
"I hope you will give us the pleasure of your company on Tuesday," said Lady Mary Nugent. "We shall not be a large party."
"And will come to us on Wednesday," said Mr Gwynne. "We must have some more chess. I have never met with a fair opponent since--hem--I beg your pardon, Lady Mary--Ah--yes--or, on Thursday. You see we did not like to ask you whilst your mother was so ill; my daughter thought it would be useless."