Mr. Grey explained to Margaret as he had before explained to Mr. Haveloc his reasons for insisting on this measure.
When he had finished, she burst into one of those paroxysms of tears that she only gave way to under very strong emotion. Mr. Haveloc hung over her chair in speechless distress. Mr. Grey endeavoured in the tenderest manner to moderate her agitation.
"You see, my child," he said, "you are but seventeen, and very young for your age; and this fellow here, somewhere about two-and-twenty. It is very important you should both know your own minds a little more clearly than you can do now. In such serious affairs, it is right to be very cautious. You see, my dear little girl, what day of the month is it? You see, a year soon pa.s.ses; and next 14th of June, he will be here again."
Margaret checked her tears, and tried to reward his efforts with a smile.
"Well, then, Claude, you and I must have a little conversation together.
Wish him good night, my child; you had better part now and not see each other to-morrow morning. It is wisest, is it not Claude? There give her a kiss and have done with it. That"s good children!"
Margaret was speechless with grief: the last words Mr. Haveloc addressed to her as he led her to the door, were, "If I ever bestow a thought upon another, forget me; I can invoke no heavier curse upon my head."
CHAPTER III.
_Ansel._ His food--sharp sorrow, ever galling doubt, Fear, that aye nettles near the core of love-- And long suspense that maketh faint the heart; Patience it may be, and much jealousy, And all that fretteth youth to timeless age.
_Isa._ And what the recompence?
_Ansel._ To sleep awhile; Dreaming of fairy worlds bestrewn with flowers.
And close companionship of equal hearts; Warm, faultless, kind, unspotted, human hearts!
Of hope so bright, as never felt a care, And love, that if care was, would smile it down.
Then wake--like Ariadne on the sh.o.r.e, To battle with the tempest--but alone!
ANON.
Aveline was up the next morning as early as she had threatened; and with the restlessness peculiar to her complaint, she was not content with a walk to the fisherman"s cottage to buy prawns, but when she returned, finding that it still wanted some minutes to breakfast time, she wandered out into the garden, and began working at the flower-beds.
Mrs. Fitzpatrick was perfectly astonished when she came down to find her daughter weeding and hoeing, in her straw bonnet and garden gloves.
"I really cannot help it, mamma," was Aveline"s reply to Mrs.
Fitzpatrick"s remonstrances; "it is so pleasant to feel better, that I could not resist a little independence of action. I have made your petunias look quite another thing."
"Here are some beautiful strawberries, Aveline," said her mother, "if you go out rambling to-day you must fortify yourself with a good breakfast."
"Yes! not strawberries, mamma. I will try some prawns. Jane"s brother caught these. Tom. I don"t know if you have ever seen him. There are two Toms. The other one is a cousin, and not nearly so good as the real Tom, Brand"s eldest boy. I am afraid the other Tom is rather suspected of smuggling; but then what a temptation. This is just the coast for adventure."
"But all this time, Aveline, you are eating nothing," said her mother, looking anxiously at the trembling hands with which she held her tea-cup.
"Presently, mamma. I always need a little self-encouragement before I begin anything so important as breakfast. No, I think I will not venture on the prawns. I will take some strawberries; they are too fine to be wasted. I am going to have some cream with them--to make quite a feast, as the little children call it. And now, mamma, you must have one half, and I will take the other."
Aveline having divided the strawberries, tasted them, and they shared the same fate with the prawns; then she broke a delicate crust off the little loaf, and having tasted that, declared that she had finished her breakfast, and that as soon as Mark could clear away, she meant to sit down to her drawing for a little while.
"You must not undertake too much, Aveline," said her mother. "Remember that you can only expect to get well by degrees."
Aveline laughed and brought forward her portfolio to select a sketch.
"This is the one I wished to finish, mamma," she said. "Brand"s cottage, with all those good ma.s.ses of rock behind it, and the nets and children at the door. I sketched it before I went abroad."
"Let me rub your colours for you," said Mrs. Fitzpatrick, taking a cake from her daughter"s unsteady hand.
"Thank you, mamma. I am really very idle to let you do it for me," said Aveline, setting to work hurriedly. "I feel at home with my pencil. I wish I could model a little better. There is something so incomplete in all my busts; but that must be a consideration for the future. When I get strong, I shall delight in improving myself in sculpture."
"My love, that is the last thing I am anxious about," said Mrs.
Fitzpatrick. "You do already much more than most girls, and most grown women. Whatever study you have pursued, you know thoroughly."
"Yes, to a certain point; but how much I have before me. There is such a pleasure in acquiring knowledge."
Mrs. Fitzpatrick was turning over her daughter"s portfolio.
"Where is that beautiful drawing, Aveline, which I used to think your best? That part of the coast, near Sorrento, at low water."
"I have not kept it, mamma."
"Did you give it away, my dear?" asked Mrs. Fitzpatrick with a smile.
For it was at Sorrento that Mr. Haveloc had been very much with them; and, during the progress of the drawing, as he was very fond of the art, and a pretty good draughts-man himself, he had often interfered, greatly to the benefit of the picture, as Aveline then declared.
"No, mamma," said Aveline, after a pause.
"Have you lost it then?" asked Mrs. Fitzpatrick, thinking it not unlikely that Mr. Haveloc might have stolen it as a remembrance of the hours they had pa.s.sed together.
"No, mamma," said Aveline speaking very distinctly, but with much effort. "I destroyed it."
"And why, dearest?"
"I thought it wisest, mamma," said Aveline, going rapidly on with her drawing.
"Dear Aveline," said her mother, taking her in her arms. "Now that we are at home, and at rest--are you unhappy?"
"No, no, indeed, mamma!" said Aveline, hiding her face upon her mother"s shoulder. "Not unhappy! n.o.body can tell but myself how deeply I have longed for home and rest; often, when I have thought I should never rest again."
"But how was that, my Aveline?"
"It was not that I did not despise myself every day and every hour for my folly," said Aveline, plunging at once into the confession that she had often longed to make. "It was no cherished weakness, you will believe that, mamma."
"I do, my dear."
"And it was not because he defended us from the brigands. I know it is common enough for men to be brave. But then he thought so little of it--he always made so light of it; and we should have never known he had been wounded, if his man had not told our courier, when we met at Sorrento."
Mrs. Fitzpatrick pressed her daughter"s hand.
"And then seeing him day by day at Sorrento; although he never said any thing that might lead me to think he noticed me more than a sick child.
Always so kind--more than attentive; so vigilant that I should not be fatigued. So active in choosing resting places for us on the sh.o.r.e, and finding views for sketching; and I watching every time he spoke for some word that might show I was as much treasured in his secret heart, as he was in mine;--it was almost too hard. Oh! how glad I was when he left Sorrento. And yet it seemed so dreary that I was glad to go too. Then, I had nothing to do but to forget all that was past; and that was hard.
There was that drawing--he had helped me with the sky, and most of the distance. I destroyed that, when I found myself always looking at it; and the cornelian amulet, that he used to laugh at me for wearing. I gave it to Mrs. Maxwell Dorset, you remember."