"Well?--well?" he asked feverishly.
"Yes, it is well," was the enigmatic and gloomy answer; "I see what a fool I have been, Mr. Wesden. I know myself for the first time--good evening."
Mr. Wesden opened the door for him, and he pa.s.sed out; the old man watched him for a while, and then returned to his favourite chair in the back parlour.
Harriet ran to him as he entered, and flung her arms round his neck.
"I have you to love, and look to still. Not quite alone--even yet!"
CHAPTER IV.
MORE TALK OF MARRIAGE AND GIVING IN MARRIAGE.
Maurice Hinchford pa.s.sed away from this story"s scene of action.
Suddenly and completely he disappeared once more, and they in the humble ranks of life knew nothing of his whereabouts. From Paris his father had received a letter that perplexed and even irritated him, for it was mysterious, and the head of the house of Hinchford detested mystery.
"I have run over here for a week or two--perhaps longer, perhaps less, according to circ.u.mstances," Maurice wrote; "you who are ever indulgent will excuse this flitting, which I will account for on my return. If anything calls for my especial attention at the bank, telegraph to me, and I will come back."
No especial business was likely to demand Maurice"s return; the bank went on well without him, good man of business as he was when he set his mind to it. His father"s indulgence excused the flitting, though he shook his head over his son"s eccentricity, after the receipt of the incomprehensible epistle. "Another of those little weaknesses to which Maurice had been subject," thought the indulgent father; "time he grew out of them now, and married and settled, like other young men of his age. If he would only sow his wild oats, what an estimable man and honoured member of society he would be. Poor Maurice!"
Sidney Hinchford, who, from his cousin"s hints, had antic.i.p.ated a second visit from Maurice, felt even a little disappointed at his non-appearance. Sidney was curious; he would have liked to know the result of Maurice"s proposal to Harriet Wesden, but he kept his curiosity to himself, and did not even mention to Mattie the advice which he had bestowed upon his cousin. He knew how the matter had ended well enough; Maurice was in earnest, and would beat down all doubts of his better nature developing itself at last; the old love-story would be resumed, and all would go merry as a marriage bell with those two. He congratulated himself upon having done some good even at the eleventh hour, in having helped to promote the true happiness of the girl he had once loved.
Once loved!--yes, he was sure that pa.s.sion belonged to the past; that it had died out of inaction, and left him free to act. He was not happy in his freedom; his heart was growing heavier than ever, but he kept _that_ fact back for his friends" sakes, and was, to them, a faint reflex of the Sidney Hinchford whom they had known in better days.
He fell no longer into gloomy reveries; he took part in the conversation of the hour; there came, now and then, a pleasant turn of speech to his lips, a laugh with him--the old rich, hearty laugh--was not a very rare occurrence; he believed himself resigned to his affliction, content with his position, and, for many mercies that had been vouchsafed unto him, he was truly grateful.
How to show his grat.i.tude did not perplex him; he had made up his mind after Ann Packet had given him a piece of hers--he had watched for words, signs, sighs--he was only biding his time to speak. But he remained in doubt; it was difficult to probe to the depths; he was a blind man, and far from a clever one; he could only guess by sounds, and test all by Mattie"s voice, and he was, therefore, still unsettled.
He resolved to end all, at last, in a quiet and methodical manner, befitting a man like him. He was probably mistaken; he had no power to make any one happy; his confession might dissolve the partnership between Mr. Gray and himself--for how could Mattie and he live in the same house together after his avowal and rejection?
But he had made up his mind, and he went to work in his old straightforward way one evening when Mattie was absent, and Mr. Gray was busy at his work beside him.
"Mr. Gray," said he, "I want to bespeak your sole attention for a few minutes."
"Certainly, Sidney," was the reply. "Shall I put my work away?"
"If you do not mind, for awhile."
"There, then!"
Sidney was some time beginning, and Mr. Gray said--
"It"s about the business--you"re tired of it?"
"On the contrary, I am pleased with it, and the work it throws in _my_ way. But don"t you find me a little bit of a nuisance always here?"
"You know better than that. Next to my daughter, do you hold a place in my heart."
"Thank you. Now, have you ever thought of me marrying?"
"Of _you_ marrying!" he echoed, in a surprised tone, that was somewhat feigned. "Why, whom are you to marry, Sid?"
"Mattie, if she"ll have me."
The lithographer rubbed his hands softly together--it was coming true at last, this dream of Mattie and his own!
"If she"ll have you!" he echoed, again. "Well, you must ask her that."
"Do you think she"ll have me--a blind fellow like me? Is it quite right that she should, even?"
"I don"t know--I have often thought about that," said Mr. Grey, forgetting his previous expression of astonishment. "I don"t see where the objection is, exactly, Sidney. You"re not like most blind men, dulled by your affliction--and Mattie is very different from most girls.
If she thought that she could do more good by marrying you, make you more happy, she would do it."
"I don"t want a sacrifice--I want to make her happy," said Sidney, a little peevishly. "If she could not love me, as well as pity me, I wouldn"t marry her for all the world."
"You must ask her, young friend--not me, then."
"But you do not refuse your consent?"
"No. My best wishes, young man, for your success with the dearest, best of girls. I," laying his hand on Sidney"s shoulder for a moment, "don"t wish her any better husband."
Sidney had not exhibited any warmth of demeanour in breaking the news to Mr. Gray; many men might have remarked his quiet way of entering upon the subject. But Mr. Gray was of a quiet, unworldly sort himself, and took Sidney"s love for granted. How was it possible to know Mattie, to live beneath the same roof with her, and not love her very pa.s.sionately?
"I think--mind, I only think--that Mattie will not refuse you, Sidney,"
said Mr. Gray; "she understands you well, and knows thoroughly your character. It"s an unequal match, remembering all the bye-gones, perhaps--but you are not likely to taunt her with them, or to think her any the worse for them, knowing what she really is in these days, thanks to G.o.d!"
"Taunt her!--good heaven!"
"Hush! that"s profane. And the match is not very unequal, considering the help you need--and what a true comforter she will be to you. We Grays are of an origin lost in obscurity; you Hinchfords come of a grand old stock--you don"t consider this?"
"Not a bit."
"Nor I; but then, men who don"t spring from old families are sure to say so. I"m not particularly struck with the advantages of having possessed a forefather who came over with the Conqueror. William the Norman brought over a terrible gang of cut-throats and robbers, and there"s not a great deal to one"s credit in being connected with that lot."
Sidney laughed.
"I never regarded it in that light before. What an attack on our old gentility!"
"Gentility will not be much affected, Sidney. Have you anything more to tell me?"
"Nothing now."
"Not that if you marry Mattie, the crabbed, disputatious local preacher may stop with you?"
"I hope he will. He has been a good friend to me, and will keep so, for his daughter"s sake."