She said this with her eyes full of tears; partly on account of the delicate white c.r.a.pe dress, which was laid out in her room with its pretty garniture of lilac primroses.
Elizabeth was all kindness. She would not hear of her giving up the ball, but took her into her own sitting-room, and tried every remedy that her ingenuity could suggest. At last, while bathing her forehead with eau de Cologne, she exclaimed, "My dear child, I hope that foolish Harriet has not been persuading you to smoke."
"No, indeed!" said Margaret earnestly, "but it was the horrid scent of those cigars. I had no head-ache before."
"How vexatious!" exclaimed Miss Gage. "I must read her a lecture upon it. But if you keep very quiet until we set off, my dear Margaret, you may be able to go. I cannot endure that you should be disappointed.
Indeed, two or three people," said she smiling, "will endure it as ill as myself."
Margaret blushed, and wondered to herself who Elizabeth could mean; but she was suffering too much to make the attempt. She was too giddy to stand, too ill to think of undergoing another toilet, or to be able to sit up all night afterwards. She made the best of it, however; said the pleasure was only postponed; tried not to think of her lilac primroses, and laughed at Harriet who was really distressed, when she learned that she had caused her little friend"s illness.
Hubert Gage was very much discomposed. He was quite certain that Margaret had not tried the proper remedies, and that if he could see her, he would set every thing to rights in a moment. She ought to have brandy--but ladies never knew what was good for them. His complaints were disregarded however; so he turned away and asked Blanche Somerton to dance with him.
Mr. Haveloc looked annoyed, "regretted exceedingly to hear that Miss Capel was suffering," and went to learn the particulars of Miss Gage.
George seemed the most vexed of the party; for he naturally thought it was very wrong that every thing should not happen just as he liked, and he had wished to waltz with Margaret.
He therefore said, that for his part he did not think he should go to the ball that evening. He was not fond of dancing, and he really did think somebody ought to be at home, in case of Miss Capel becoming worse.
At this considerate announcement, Harriet drew up her handsome mouth as if she was going to whistle, and then coming forward, said, "I stay at home, Mr. Gage, and I imagine that I shall be very well able to take care of Miss Capel. Therefore you had better go and make yourself decent, and accompany your friends to the ball."
This remark, which seemed to convey an opinion by no means flattering to Mr. Gage"s costume, appeared rather to amuse him.
He said, that he did not know Miss Conway was such a judge of dress; and asked her if she could recommend him a model.
Captain Gage, hearing his son"s declaration that he would stay at home, now came up in a great bustle. He had no idea of not taking with him both his handsome sons, as well as his daughter. He was very proud of his children, and pleased himself in the thought that they would excite great attention in the ball-room.
"No, my dear boy, you can"t stay at home. Impossible!" he said. "We would all stay at home if we could do the poor thing any good. But here you would be only in the way. Would he not, Harriet?"
"Decidedly," said Harriet, with one of her flashing looks.
Mr. Gage bit his lip, and turned to leave the room.
"There, go and make yourself decent," said Captain Gage, echoing Harriet"s words. "Upon my honour, I am very sorry for the poor little girl. Her first ball too!"
CHAPTER XI.
Aos homens todos Lhes deu um livro so" a natureza, O proprio coraco.
CATaO.
Nature hath given to all men one same book, "Tis their own heart.
E se voi stanchi fossi d" ascoltare Si vi potrete riposar in tanto.
ZINABI.
"I don"t know when I have been so vexed," said Harriet, who was sitting with Margaret, while the ladies went up to dress. "I"m sure you will never be friends with me after this contretemps."
"Indeed I shall," said Margaret. "You could not help it, I know; and it is no such great misfortune after all."
Harriet drew the fire together, rang for coffee, and pushed over a footstool to Margaret.
"We will try to make ourselves comfortable," said she. "I have told the women to come in and show you their dresses before they start. Then you shall have some strong coffee, and then to bed."
"I wish," said Margaret hesitating, "I wish you would tell me your history, as you promised."
"That is very sly," said Harriet laughing, "because I cannot refuse you anything under the circ.u.mstances. But I will do it, and the more readily, as I have not much to tell, so drink your coffee, and listen.
Once upon a time--"
"Oh, but a real history if you please!" said Margaret.
"This is real," said Harriet, laughing.--"Must I not begin at the beginning? Well, if you like it, _tout court_. I am the youngest of the family. Mamma doats on me--Papa likes me very well. Charles, the one you have seen, is the eldest--he wears his gla.s.s in his eye--I do not think he has any other peculiarity. Then comes Lucy, she is a good girl, and I am very fond of her. I could tell you a secret that would a little surprise you; that is, if you have observed any of the bye-play of the last day or two."
"Oh, do!" said Margaret. "I really will keep it."
"I believe you!" said Harriet. "It shall come in due course. My second brother, Evan, is just called to the bar. He has a good deal of character, and is therefore my favourite. I should rather like you to see Evan. Alfred, the youngest son, is in the army; and there is the outline of a Baronet"s family."
"It is very amusing," said Margaret. "I like better to hear real stories than to read them."
"For me," said Harriet. "I was very sickly as a child, and I spent most of my time with an uncle, who is very fond of me, and who lives in a romantic part of the country, and keeps up an old manor-house in the old English style. My uncle and aunt Singleton are both characters--but I can"t stay to describe all my relations."
"Oh do! I like descriptions," said Margaret.
"Well. Aunt Singleton is the quietest little dormouse that ever was seen. She creeps about the house in her black silk gown, is as deaf as a post, and speaks in a whisper. My uncle is a keen sportsman; he taught me to ride, and drive, and angle; and established my health, without improving my manners. He is very proud of me, because he has made me what I am. People think I am trying to imitate Die Vernon, when I am merely following the pursuits natural to such a course of education."
"And how did you learn your lessons all the while?" asked Margaret.
"Never learned any;" replied Harriet. "I picked up French from a lady"s-maid; Italian, from a music master, who could not speak English; and Spanish, when my father was Envoy at Madrid. I can speak and write these languages almost as well as my own; and this with a good deal of desultory reading, is the sum total of my education. I don"t even know the multiplication table!"
Margaret laughed.
"You saw Lord Raymond on the course to-day."
"Yes," replied Margaret.
"He used often to pay my uncle a visit, and he always took the notice of me that men are apt to take of children. I used to ride with him and my uncle. I was very fond of horses and dogs, and enjoyed field sports as much as he did. Every visit he paid, Lord Raymond asked me if I would be his little wife; and I as regularly said, "no, thank you." I always thought he was unable to leave off any habit. He has just left off this one though."
"Has he?" said Margaret inquiringly.
"You shall hear. Well, when I was about seventeen, George Gage came to see my uncle. We took a vast fancy to each other; that is, after our fashion:--we were neither of us in the Romeo and Juliet school.
Fools--as you can imagine."
Margaret"s interest became very deep at this crisis.