And thus dismissed, Mary went to her room, but not to take up her usual window-seat. There would be no interest in looking across the park that night. No--nor for a great many nights to come.
Most of that next month pa.s.sed without much outward change or excitement. Mrs. de Burgh declared that the extreme dulness made Mary look quite listless and ill.
On the first of September, however, there was a shooting party, and a few other gaieties in the neighbourhood, the country houses beginning again to fill.
Mary during this interval of time had received one piece of information, which rejoiced her greatly, if it did not succeed in making her so completely happy as she fancied it would have done a month or two before.
Her brother Arthur wrote word, that he should be in England towards the end of the autumn. He gave no very flourishing account of their property and affairs. He spoke of the necessity for his entering into some profession, and of his wish of following up the study of the law. But all was written in as cheerful a strain as if his communication had been of a contrary nature.
Who but the young can thus look cheerfully into the face of the grim monster poverty, and say "be welcome," feeling now that talents which had otherwise been weighed down beneath the deadening power of affluence, may now be given eagle wings wherewith to mount above to honour and renown? For as the German author writes:
"Riches often weigh more heavily on talents than poverty; but," he beautifully continues, "Just Providence preserve the old man from want, for h.o.a.ry years have already bent him low, and he can no longer stand upright with the youth, and bear the heavy burden on his head. The old man needs rest on the earth, ever while he is upon it, for he can use only the present, and a little bit of the future, and the past does not reflect for him as in a gla.s.s the blooming present."
It was not till the middle of September that Eugene Trevor returned.
Mary saw him first again at an archery _fete_ given in the grounds of Morland, the scene of their former meeting and acquaintance.
But that it would prove a day coloured by the same bright remembrances, appeared at first unlikely.
For some time, Mary feared that the expectations of his being present at all were doomed to disappointment, for he did not make his appearance till very late; and Mary walked about with her cousin Louis (who on this occasion proved a better _chaperon_ than on the former), trying to look more cheerful than she really felt.
An hour before dinner, he was discerned among the gay throng, but as Mr.
de Burgh did not direct his course that way, he remained--as Mary was too easily inclined to imagine, coldly aloof--either she thought offended, or discouraged by the recollection of the coldness of manner she had shown towards him on his parting visit, or--(why should she imagine it otherwise?) the new pursuits and scenes of interests in which he had been engaged, had effaced all traces of any slight impression she might have made upon his mind or feelings.
No greeting pa.s.sed between them until, on their way to the _dejener_, Eugene pa.s.sed her with another lady on his arm, and the one they then exchanged was necessarily slight and hurried, signifying nothing.
His companion was young and beautiful, and Mary, with pardonable curiosity, inquired who she was of the gentleman who escorted her.
She was told it was the young Lady Darlington, lately married, and we will not say that the substance of this communication was not a relief to Mary. They sat at the same side of the table, not very far divided, and Mary"s companion must have found her rather an absent neighbour, she so often discovered her attention directed to what was being said by Eugene Trevor, though there was nothing very particular to interest an indifferent listener in his conversation with the young Countess.
Indeed, even to Mary it might have seemed most satisfactorily uninteresting, neither did it appear incapable of speedy exhaustion, for before the close of the repast, the Countess had turned her attention to her other neighbour, a young captain of the Guards, who seemed to have a greater flow of small talk at his disposal, whilst Eugene was joining in general conversation with others of the company, or leaning forward ever and anon, as if carelessly to review the guests beyond.
At length, Mary heard some remarks made upon some figs of peculiar growth, which had appeared upon the table. A few minutes after, a servant, to whom Trevor had been whispering some directions, brought the dish containing them round to a lady, a seat or two below, and said, distinctly enough for Mary to hear:
"Mr. Trevor sends these, Miss, with his compliments, and hopes you will take one, as they come from Montrevor."
The lady, not a very attractive person, acceded to the request, most graciously bending forward to smile and bow her acknowledgment of the flattering attention bestowed upon her.
But Eugene Trevor, who had also bent forward, seemed anything but gratified. On the contrary, he looked back in an irritated way at the servant, as if dissatisfied with the manner in which he had performed his behest; and in a few seconds more he had risen, and was standing himself behind Mary"s chair.
"That fool of a man," he said, in a suppressed tone, "evidently would not know a rose from a peony. I told him to take those figs to the young lady with the blue forget-me-nots in her white bonnet, and he took them to your neighbour with the unconscionably large china-asters. You must oblige me by taking one. They come out of my father"s hot-house. I had them picked on purpose to send to Silverton, as I remembered hearing you say they were your favourite fruit; but Lady Dorington happened to call, and carried them off for this affair of to-day."
Mary turned her head, and lifted up her face towards the speaker. A look met hers from the dark eyes of Eugene Trevor--a look surely possessed of deeper meaning--which must have been intended to plead a greater boon than her acceptance of the fruit of his father"s garden. And though the next moment he was gone, and she left with a beating heart to taste the luscious offering--nay, though he was scarcely many minutes by her side again that afternoon--for dancing quickly succeeded the repast, and Trevor did not dance, while Mary"s hand was in great request--yet a feeling of such perfect happiness had suddenly taken possession of her soul, that she was fully contented to feel that, as he stood apart amongst those not joining in the dance, Trevor"s eye was constantly following her every movement with earnest, never-diverted attention.
How strange the secret power which sometimes attracts one towards the other, two beings of natures the most opposite!
Perhaps if two individuals had been chosen from amongst that large a.s.sembly, by those who knew them best--who on the score of incompatibility were least calculated to blend harmoniously together--it would have been that pure-hearted, single-minded, high-souled girl, whose ideal standard of the good and beautiful was of so refined and elevated a nature, a standard hitherto kept intact by the peculiar circ.u.mstances of her youthful existence--from whose very outward aspect seemed to breathe the undisturbed harmony of her lovely character;--she and that man, of a corrupted and corrupting world, upon whose brow was set the mark of many a contracting aim, many a darkening thought, a debasing pursuit, upon whose soul lay perhaps as dark a stain of actual crime as any in that company;--yet it seemed that this mysterious unaccountable power, did from the very first draw their hearts with sympathetic unison one towards another.
Well it showed at least that Trevor"s soul was not as yet "all evil,"
that it could still bow before an image of purity and goodness, such as was enshrined in Mary"s breast, and _she_--
"Why did she love him?-- Curious fool be still-- Is human love the growth of human will?"
Absorbed in her happy dreams, Mary drove home that evening with her cousins, too happy, even, to be much disturbed by that generally most fruitful source of disturbance, the bitter words pa.s.sing between her companions.
They seemed now to have been provoked by some imprudence of Mrs. de Burgh"s during that day; her husband"s animadversions thereupon exciting the lady"s scornful resentment; but its exact nature, Mary had too little observed Mrs. de Burgh during the day, to be able fully to understand.
Mrs. de Burgh, on her part, had been too much occupied with her own pleasure and interests to attend much to Mary and her concerns; but she told her, as they parted for the night, that she expected Eugene the next day to dinner.
Mary also had received information to the same effect, communicated in her ear, as she was being handed to the carriage.
Expectation on this point was, however, doomed to disappointment; the next evening, about the time that Eugene Trevor generally arrived, when he was to dine and sleep at the house, a horseman was seen approaching across the park, which proved to be a servant from Montrevor, mounted on his master"s beautiful chesnut. He was the bearer of a note to Mrs. de Burgh.
Eugene Trevor wrote word that in returning home the preceding night, with a friend, he had received a kick from his companion"s horse, and was now a prisoner to his bed. It was to him a most provoking accident, on many accounts, but he supposed he must submit to at least a week"s confinement, as the medical man considered it his only chance of a speedy recovery. Mary looked a little pale at dinner after this intelligence, but was otherwise as cheerful, as calmly happy, as she had been since the _fete_.
Mrs. de Burgh afterwards sent over to inquire after her cousin, and once Mr. de Burgh, having occasion to ride into the neighbourhood, called to see Trevor, and brought back word of his progress towards recovery.
The injury proved, however more tedious than it had at first been antic.i.p.ated. October had set in before he was allowed to walk; but still Mary"s spirits did not fail her.
If "love could live upon one smile for years," much more throughout a few weeks of such unavoidable and accidental contingency.
CHAPTER XI.
I thank thee for that downcast look, and for that blushing cheek, I would not have thee raise those eyes, I would not have thee speak.
Tho" mute, I deem thee eloquent, I ask no other sign, While thus thy little hand remains confidingly in mine.
HAYNES BAYLEY.
A friend of Mrs. de Burgh"s came to stay at Silverton about this time, a lady of a certain age.
She had lately lost her husband.
Though malicious report spoke her to have loved him little during life, she now mourned with considerable effect at his decease; and though there was but the family party--for which circ.u.mstance she had been prepared--staying in the house--this being the first visit she had paid since her bereavement, she had not yet--though several days had elapsed since her arrival--been able to muster sufficient nerve to issue from the luxurious apartments a.s.signed to her.
Mr. de Burgh maliciously expressed himself fearful that the cap was not becoming, hearing that the dainty, but not unsubstantial meals so plentifully partaken of by the fair widow in her retreat, did not well agree with any very wearing sentiment of grief.
But Mrs. de Burgh said it was just like his ill-nature on every subject connected with _her_ friends--and _faute de mieux_, rather enjoyed the lounge of Mrs. Trevyllian"s room, where she spent a great part of her time.
One evening, about the end of three weeks after Eugene Trevor"s accident, having remained talking to Mary some time after they had left the dining-room, Mrs. de Burgh announced herself obliged to go up stairs to Mrs. Trevyllian, for the rest of the evening, that lady having made her promise so to do, she being in more than usually bad spirits that day.
"I know you do not mind a quiet evening for once," she added, "and I have already seen you cast many a wistful glance at those books on the table, whilst I have been talking nonsense; so make yourself comfortable and if you find it dull come up to us. Mrs. Trevyllian will not mind you. You will not have Louis" company to-night, for he has ordered candles in the library, and means to adjourn there with his landscape gardener when he leaves the dining room."
Mary was accordingly left in solitary possession of the fair saloon, through which the soft clear lamps and ruddy fire cast so cheerful a radiance, feeling quite capable of appreciating the enjoyment, nay luxury, of occasional solitude of the kind under similar auspices.