Harriet threw her curls off her forehead, and went on.
"He admired my riding and my eyes, and, in fact, every thing I said and did. My uncle was contented; Captain Gage was pleased; we were said to be too young, and the affair was put off for a year or two. Never do that, by the way, if you care about the man. I like to mix a little useful advice with my tale, you observe."
"Why, I think," said Margaret, "that if his love would not last any time, it had better go before than after marriage."
"I thought," said Harriet, "that he had enough love to last to all eternity; but I was mistaken. And if he thought the same of me, he was mistaken too."
At these words she drew herself up proudly, and again scattered her short curls.
"He went off to his regiment; and the next thing I heard of him was that he was at the feet of a married woman--a lady famous for detaching men from their lawful allegiance, whether as husbands or lovers. This Mrs.
Max--but we will not mention names."
"Mrs. Maxwell Dorset!" exclaimed Margaret starting up in her chair.
"What, you have heard of her?" said Harriet, "I believe she enjoys a pretty extensive reputation. Is your head worse? I have been talking too much for you, I am afraid."
"Not at all," said Margaret, leaning back again, "pray go on; and will you give me another cup of coffee?"
"You shall have it," said Harriet, "one need not forget to eat and drink; that is the last stage of that most deplorable folly--love.
Well--I do not look like a person who would put up with such conduct, do I?"
"No," said Margaret smiling.
"I wrote immediately to George to signify that as he had made his choice, he might abide by it--that he was welcome to be Mrs. such a one"s slave, but that I resigned every sort of claim to the honour. I thought he deserved a little better than Lazarillo de Tormes, who played the part of lackey to seven mistresses--the rascal--and at last was almost demolished by two viragos who contended for his services in the open street."
She laughed scornfully, and went on.
"This made rather a cabal in the family, you may suppose. Papa, who thought one daughter was disposed of, looked very blank upon my proceedings. Captain Gage--just like him--took my part. He said that George had behaved shamefully, and though he hoped it would all come right again, he could not wonder at my determination. But these things never do come right again, Margaret."
Margaret sighed.
"The strangest part of the whole affair was George"s conduct. He had been, before this transaction, not at all better than his neighbours--and that is saying little enough for any man--indeed, as my good aunt told me, I might reasonably have expected what happened. My aunt was right, though I own, I could have called her out at the time for saying so. Well, he suddenly turned over a new leaf; renounced his extravagances, cut Mrs. Maxwell Dorset, and became quite a moral character. In fact, behaved as people are supposed to do upon an engagement instead of a repulse. This was all his pride; just to show me what an exemplary character I had thrown away."
"And you," said Margaret, "how did you bear it?"
"Very coolly, I promise you;" said Harriet, "I grew thin, and irritable, and so yellow that I was afraid to look at my own face in the gla.s.s.
Aunt Singleton plagued me with a.s.ses milk. Uncle Singleton gave me a capital hunter. I don"t know which remedy it was, but I very soon forgot all about Master George."
Margaret did not quite believe this, but she made no remark.
"Still," continued Harriet, "I was very glad when papa was appointed Envoy to Madrid. I insisted on going with him, and enjoyed our residence in Spain beyond all description. Just before we set out, Lord Raymond asked me again to be his little wife. I was not exactly in the frame of mind to feel pleased with his politeness; so I told him, that I was tired of having to answer the same idle question, and so took leave of him in a pet.
"We were two years at Madrid; when we came back, the first person I saw was Lord Raymond. I was afraid he was going to bore me again. Not at all. He took the first opportunity to tell me that Lucy had been more complaisant than I had; that they were engaged, but wished to keep it a profound secret for the present, while his pecuniary affairs are undergoing certain regulations. But that dog in the manger, George, thinks that Lord Raymond"s attentions are directed to me; and cannot contain his malice on the subject, although it is certainly no concern of his."
"I do not wonder he thinks so," said Margaret, "I am sure I did."
"Yes! because poor Lord Raymond cannot pay Lucy the attention he would wish to do," said Harriet, "and because from habit, he has always been used to consider me as somebody that he ought to follow about, and make a fuss with; and as he is really kind-hearted, he fidgets about me ten times more, now that I have been very ill."
"And about your illness," said Margaret.
"Nothing romantic, I can a.s.sure you," said Harriet. "I went to see my Uncle Singleton on my return, and one day, having paid a visit to the wife of one of his park-keepers, a young woman who had formerly been my maid, and who was then ill, I had the bad luck to catch her complaint, which was typhus fever. You cannot imagine a greater bore; and I have lost all my hair you see, I have had both disorders, and I p.r.o.nounce typhus fever to be considerably worse than the tender pa.s.sion. I hope you may have neither. It is the best wish I can frame for you."
"Thank you for your wish and your story," said Margaret, "it is really a romance."
"That is the worst of it," said Harriet, "I am twenty, and I have already lived a whole life; there is no more excitement for me. I shall marry a country curate, and teach at Sunday schools, I think."
"What a great deal of romance there is in the world," said Margaret.
"True," said Harriet, "some writer says, "that everybody"s heart would be a romance if it were accurately delineated;" not everybody"s, though!" she exclaimed with a peal of laughter, "that man who set next to me at dinner. What was his name?"
"Mr. Elliot," said Margaret, beginning to laugh in her turn.
"Aye, Mr. Elliot--fancy his heart!" exclaimed Harriet, bursting into fresh peals of laughter, "the keenest pang he could feel would be hunger; his most exquisite enjoyment a pocket-full of money. No, cry you mercy--there must be some exceptions to the poet"s rule."
"On my word, you two seem to be very merry," said Miss Gage, coming in, "I hope not more merry than wise. How is all this to agree with your head, my dear Margaret?"
"Oh, I have been so amused," said Margaret, taking Miss Gage"s hand, "that I have forgotten the pain. How beautiful you look, Bessy."
"Yes," said Harriet looking attentively at her, "that white gauze with corn-flowers, has a very tolerable effect. How well they look on your light hair; commend me to such a high tiara of flowers. It gives you the aspect of an empress."
Miss Gage laughed; and Harriet calling in the other ladies, commented upon them with as much indifference as if they had been a set of wax figures.
"There," said she, "what do you say to Lucy? Do you like pink c.r.a.pe, little one? It is very well made; but I prefer white for candlelight.
Well, that is the most knowing little cap I have seen a long time, look Margaret; it is made of gold twist. Bravo! Miss Lawson Smith. That is an Indian fan, I suppose, Miss Selwyn. After all, I think Miss Somerton has the prettiest dress; those little bouquets are placed to a wish. Eh, Margaret!"
"They are all charmingly dressed," said Margaret, "pray, dear Bessy, remember to tell me all about it."
"I will, indeed," said Elizabeth, "I will try and recollect everybody"s partners; and the different ices at supper. Those are the two leading features of a ball."
"Shall you dance the Mazourka, Bessy?" asked Margaret.
"I--no; I dance very little," said Elizabeth, "a quadrille or two, just for form"s sake."
"She stands talking to her father," said Harriet, as soon as the ladies had withdrawn, "that is the way she spends the best part of the evening.
I often wonder how Bessy can manage to keep single. She is so very much admired."
"How is it then?" asked Margaret.
"I suppose her father makes her fastidious," said Harriet, "indeed, I do not suppose she would easily find such a person as Captain Gage. I know two people now who would be very happy to die for her."
Margaret opened her eyes.
"Young Haveloc has been talked of for her; because they live in the same county," said Harriet; "but any child can see there is nothing in that quarter. By the way, he is very intimate with my brother Evan."
"Indeed," said Margaret.
"Well, good night, my poor little martyr," said Harriet; "I am heartily sorry for you, because, until you have tried, you cannot possibly know what a very stupid affair a ball is."