"Mr. Thwaite," said the Serjeant, as he re-entered the room, "you probably know that I have been counsel for Lady Lovel and her daughter in the late trial." Daniel a.s.sented by a nod of his head.
"My connection with the Countess would naturally have been then closed. We have gained our cause, and there would be an end of it.
But as things have turned out it has been otherwise. Lady Anna Lovel has been staying with Mrs. Bluestone."
"In Bedford Square?"
"Yes, at my house."
"I did not know. The Countess told me she was not in Keppel Street, but refused to inform me where she was staying. I should not have interfered with her ladyship"s plans, had she been less secret with me."
"Surely it was unnecessary that she should tell you."
"Quite unnecessary;--but hardly unnatural after all that has occurred. As the Countess is with you only a friend of late date, you are probably unaware of the former friendship which existed between us. There was a time in which I certainly did not think that Lady Lovel would ever decline to speak to me about her daughter. But all this is nothing to you, Serjeant Bluestone."
"It is something to me, Mr. Thwaite, as her friend. Is there no reason why she should have treated you thus? Ask your own conscience."
"My conscience is clear in the matter."
"I have sent for you here, Mr. Thwaite, to ask you whether you cannot yourself understand that this which you have proposed to do must make you an enemy to the Countess, and annul and set aside all that kindness which you have shown her? I put it to your own reason. Do you think it possible that the Countess should be otherwise than outraged at the proposition you have made to her?"
"I have made no proposition to her ladyship."
"Have you made none to her daughter?"
"Certainly I have. I have asked her to be my wife."
"Come, Mr. Thwaite, do not palter with me."
"Palter with you! Who dares to say that I palter? I have never paltered. Paltering is--lying, as I take it. Let the Countess be my enemy. I have not said that she should not be so. She might have answered my letter, I think, when the old man died. In our rank of life we should have done so. It may be different with lords and t.i.tled ladies. Let it pa.s.s, however. I did not mean to make any complaint. I came here because you sent for me."
"Yes;--I did send for you," said the Serjeant, wishing with all his heart that he had never been persuaded to take a step which imposed upon him so great a difficulty. "I did send for you. Lady Anna Lovel has expressed a wish to see you, before she leaves London."
"I will wait upon Lady Anna Lovel."
"I need hardly tell you that her wish has been opposed by her friends."
"No doubt it was."
"But she has said with so much earnestness that she cannot consider herself to be absolved from the promise which she made to you when she was a child--"
"She was no child when she made it."
"It does not signify. She cannot be absolved from the promise which I suppose she did make--"
"She certainly made it, Serjeant Bluestone."
"Will you allow me to continue my statement? It will not occupy you long. She a.s.sures her mother that she cannot consider herself to be absolved from that promise without your sanction. She has been living in my house for some weeks, and I do not myself doubt in the least that were she thus freed an alliance would soon be arranged between her and her cousin."
"I have heard of that--alliance."
"It would be in every respect a most satisfactory and happy marriage.
The young Earl has behaved with great consideration and forbearance in abstaining from pushing his claims."
"In abstaining from asking for that which he did not believe to be his own."
"You had better hear me to the end, Mr. Thwaite. All the friends of the two young people desire it. The Earl himself is warmly attached to his cousin."
"So am I,--and have been for many years."
"We all believe that she loves him."
"Let her say so to me, Serjeant Bluestone, and there shall be an end of it all. It seems to me that Lord Lovel and I have different ideas about a woman. I would not take the hand of a girl who told me that she loved another man, even though she was as dear to me, as,--as Lady Anna is dear to me now. And as for what she might have in her hand, it would go for naught with me, though I might have to face beggary without her. It seems to me that Lord Lovel is less particular in this matter."
"I do not see that you and I have anything to do with that," replied the Serjeant, hardly knowing what to say.
"I have nothing to do with Lord Lovel, certainly,--nor has he with me. As to his cousin,--it is for her to choose."
"We think,--I am only telling you what we think;--but we think, Mr.
Thwaite, that the young lady"s affections are fixed on her cousin. It is natural that they should be so; and watching her as closely as we can, we believe such to be the case. I will be quite on the square with you, Mr. Thwaite."
"With me and with everybody else, I hope, Serjeant Bluestone."
"I hope so," said the Serjeant, laughing; "but at any rate I will be so with you now. We have been unable to get from Lady Anna any certain reply,--any a.s.surance of her own wishes. She has told her mother that she cannot accept Lord Lovel"s addresses till she has seen you." The Serjeant in this was not quite on the square, as Lady Anna had never said so. "We believe that she considers it necessary, to her conscience, to be made free by your permission, before she can follow her own inclinations and accede to those of all her friends."
"She shall have my permission in a moment,--if she will ask for it."
"Could you not be more generous even than that?"
"How more generous, Serjeant Bluestone?"
"Offer it to her unasked. You have already said that you would not accept her hand if you did not believe that you had her heart also,--and the sentiment did you honour. Think of her condition, and be generous to her."
"Generous to her! You mean generous to Lady Lovel,--generous to Lord Lovel,--generous to all the Lovels except her. It seems to me that all the generosity is to be on one side."
"By no means. We can be generous too."
"If that be generosity, I will be generous. I will offer her that permission. I will not wait till she asks for it. I will beg her to tell me if it be true that she loves this cousin, and if she can say that it is true, she shall want no permission from me to be free. She shall be free."
"It is not a question, you see, between yourself and Lord Lovel. It is quite out of the question that she should in any event become your wife. Even had she power to do it--"
"She has the power."
"Practically she has no such power, Mr. Thwaite. A young person such as Lady Anna Lovel is and must be under the control of her natural guardian. She is so altogether. Her mother could not,--and would not,--constrain her to any marriage; but has quite sufficient power over her to prevent any marriage. Lady Anna has never for a moment supposed that she could become your wife since she learned what were the feelings of her mother and her family." The Serjeant certainly did not keep his promise of being "on the square." "But your generosity is necessary to enable Lady Lovel to bring to a happy termination all those sufferings with which her life has been afflicted."
"I do not owe much to the Countess; but if it be generous to do as I have said I would do,--I will be generous. I will tell her daughter, without any question asked from her, that she is free to marry her cousin if she wishes."
So far the Serjeant, though he had not been altogether as truthful as he had promised, had been discreet. He had said nothing to set the tailor vehemently against the Lovel interest, and had succeeded in obtaining a useful pledge. But, in his next attempt, he was less wise. "I think, you know, Mr. Thwaite, that the Countess also has been generous."
"As how?"