"Well, what can she say more than that we are an engaged couple? And is this not true, Francis?" I said, gently taking her hand in mine.
"You come back to the subject again, even now you know all," she murmured; "but you have not calculated all the troubles and burdens which would fall upon you: Rolf, whom we could not send away from the Werve; my grandfather with his large wants--and small income. Oh yes, I know you are going back to the Hague to reconcile yourself with your uncle the minister, as the General has advised you to do; and I understand why. But don"t do so for my sake, Leopold, for you have yourself said it would demean you."
"Rea.s.sure yourself on that point, Francis; I may forgive my uncle and seek to be reconciled to him, as my religion bids me; but never for the sake of his favours. But why so many difficulties? Don"t you see I love you, Francis; that during the last few days I have been at some pains to suppress my feelings, and have therein succeeded better than I gave myself credit for; that, now I have told you all, we must either part for ever, or I must have the a.s.surance you will accept me as your husband? I desire it, Francis; I desire it with a firmness of will that despises all objections and will remove all difficulties."
"Leopold," she replied, "don"t talk to me like this. No one ever spoke to me as you have done--you make me beside myself. And yet I ought to resist. I don"t wish to be an obstacle in the way of your happiness, whatever it may cost me."
I took both her hands in mine. "Francis," I said, "I love you!" This was my only answer.
"You persist? Can it be? May I still be happy!"
"Enough, Francis; you are mine! I will never forsake you; you are mine for life!"
"For life!" she repeated after me, becoming so pale that I was afraid she would faint. "Leopold, yes, I am yours; I put my trust in you, and I love you as I have never loved before--never before," she whispered quite low.
"At last!" I cried; and pressed the first kiss of love on her lips.
I need not tell you we came in too late for luncheon. It is true we were not hungry. We returned to the house slowly, and almost in silence, and we even slackened our pace as we drew nearer the Castle. Francis, especially, seemed loath to enter.
"Let us rest on the moss at the foot of this large oak tree," she said; "it seems to me that all my misfortunes will come back to me as soon as I enter yonder. I cannot yet separate myself from my happiness. Oh, Leopold! I wish we could fly away together, that no one might interpose between us two."
"We will fly away, dearest; but first we must go through certain formalities which will give us the right to appear in the world as man and wife, and lift up our heads with the best of them."
"And then will follow the breakfast, the visits, and the congratulations of mean and false people, who come with a hypocritical smile to wish us joy, whilst behind our backs they will make a mock of the man who has dared to marry Major Frank!"
"Oh, what a supposition!" I replied; "you must pay for that," kissing her sad face into cheerfulness.
"I don"t understand," she continued, "how people can treat so serious a subject as marriage with such lightness. The woman especially makes an immense sacrifice--her name, her will, her individual self; a sacrifice which I always considered it would be impossible for me to make, until I met you."
"And now?" I asked, kneeling before her on the moss, the better to see into her beautiful eyes, which sparkled with happiness and tenderness.
"Now I have no longer so many objections," she replied with her sweetest smile. "But do not remain in that position before me, Leopold. It is only acting a lie, for I foresee you will be my lord and master. But let us now go in, my dear, otherwise they will be alarmed about us at the Castle. They won"t know what to think of our long absence."
"Just let me say, Francis, it must be with us as Tennyson puts it--
"Sit side by side, full summed in all their powers, ------ Self-reverent each, and reverencing each: Distinct in individualities, But like each other even as those who love."
"Exactly my opinion!" she exclaimed, applauding the sentiment.
CHAPTER x.x.xII.
It was just as well we went in, for we met Rolf and Fritz, who had been sent out in search of us, as the General, though in a good humour, was most impatient to speak to us. When we entered his room he was arranging his papers, and did not give us time to announce our engagement, as we intended.
"Francis," he cried, "why did you stay out so long when I have such good news to tell you?"
"That"s just what I have to tell you, grandfather; but what can have pleased you so much? You have not been made heir to Aunt Roselaer"s property, have you?"
"It comes almost to the same thing, my child. Know then that the heir to Aunt Roselaer"s property asks your hand in marriage. It is one of the conditions of the will; and I believe he will be agreeable to you."
I smiled, though I found that Overberg and Van Beek had been in too great a hurry to inform the old Baron of the real state of affairs. I had wished to be the first to break this agreeable surprise to Francis.
She stepped forward towards the General, and in a firm voice she said--
"I am sorry, grandfather, to disappoint you. The gentleman comes too late, for I have just promised my hand and heart to my cousin, Leopold van Zonshoven--and that is the good news I came to tell you."
"But that"s all the better, dear child--all the better; for the heir to Aunt Roselaer"s property and your cousin Leopold van Zonshoven are one and the same person; and on the condition that you should marry the heir."
Francis, turning on me brusquely, cried, "It is not true, Leopold? Oh, say it is not true!" she exclaimed, violently agitated.
"Then I should not speak the truth," I answered. "The only difference for you," I continued, "is this: you thought you were giving your heart to a "poor gentleman," and now, like a prince in the fairy tales, he turns out to be a millionaire. Can such a surprise be disagreeable to you?"
"Not a disagreeable surprise to me"--she almost shrieked, with scintillating eyes and flushed cheeks--"to find you have put on a mask to deceive me! Have you not succeeded in inspiring me with esteem for you by your proud and dignified behaviour, and the elevated sentiments you professed? And do you think I can be happy to find that all this was but a comedy? Could a gentleman have treated me so? But you have deceived yourself, Jonker van Zonshoven. I gave my heart to a young man without fortune, whose upright and n.o.ble character I admired, and in whom I had more confidence than in myself; but for the intriguer, who, to seize upon my aunt"s fortune and make sure of it, has put on a disguise to win the heart of the woman he was ordered to marry, for this hypocrite, this pretended sage, I have nothing but--my contempt!"
"Be careful, Francis; I know your violent temper often causes you to say that which in cooler moments you regret; but don"t insult in such a manner the man you have just accepted as your husband--a man whom no one ever dared to address in such language, neither will he meekly bear it from any living being."
"Need I make any respectful apologies, or do I owe any excuses to you, who have deceived me, lied to me, who have introduced yourself here like a spy, and carried on your mean and degrading speculations up to the very moment when you thought it impossible for me to retract my word? Once more, sir, I tell you, you are mistaken in my character. I will never pardon a man who has abused my confidence!"
"I have not abused your confidence, Francis," I answered, in as calm and gentle a tone as I could; "I have only been studying your character, and trying to gain your affections, before I would venture an avowal of my sentiments--that is all I have done."
"You have been false, I tell you. How can I any longer believe in your love? You came here to make what is called a good stroke of business, to gain your million. It is true, I loved you such as you were not as you now appear in my eyes. I will not be disposed of in marriage by any person dead or alive; and as for you, I refuse your offer. Do you understand me? I refuse you!"
Upon this she fell back in an armchair, pale as death.
I was myself obliged to lean on the back of a chair, for I felt my legs trembling under me. Rolf, tender-hearted as ever, had withdrawn to a corner of the room with tears in his eyes. The General, with agony depicted on his face, sat in his chair wringing his hands, and seemed unable to move from the spot.
"Francis, Francis," he said, "don"t let your temper overmaster you in this way. Reflect that the Castle is mortgaged to the last stone, and that the last six months" interest is not yet paid. If sold to-morrow it will not fetch a third of the amount for which I have mortgaged it, and it is only by the generosity of Jonker Leopold that the sale can any longer be delayed. He has offered to take it off my hands, together with all the mortgages with which it is burdened, and to allow me a yearly income which will make me comfortable for life; but you must marry him, otherwise all our plans come to nought. Understand that, and don"t insult a man who has such generous intentions towards us. He is still willing to forgive you, if you don"t persevere in your senseless refusal, I am sure; for I have for some time already been aware he loves you. And we have not to deal with him alone; there is a will made, and executors and lawyers appointed to see its provisions carried out. Now what shall I write to Overberg?"
"Write, grandfather," said Francis, rousing herself with an effort, "that Francis Mordaunt will not suffer herself to be disposed of in marriage by anybody"s testamentary disposition; that she will neither sell herself for one million nor for two millions, and that she has decidedly refused Jonker van Zonshoven"s offer of marriage."
Feeling confident Francis would do me justice when more calm and resigned, but feeling also the necessity of not giving way to violence in dealing with a character such as hers, I said--
"I who have your promise and will not release you from it, I request the General to write to Overberg that Miss Mordaunt has accepted my offer, and that the transfer of the Castle de Werve can forthwith be concluded."
"If I will consent to the sale," interposed Francis, still pale and unmoved.
"I beg your pardon, Miss Mordaunt," I rejoined, "your grandfather is the sole owner of the Castle; and during his life the will by which it is bequeathed to you has no force nor value."
"Ah! if she could only be brought to see all the circ.u.mstances in their true light," sighed Von Zwenken.
"Well, uncle, you write what I have requested you to write; you know only too well the consequences of any other decision."