RANDAL (taking aside the parson).--"He was anxious to get back to Mrs.
Hazeldean, who was naturally very uneasy about her son and this foolish marriage; but I am happy to tell you that that marriage is effectually and permanently broken off."
MR. DALE.--"How, how? My poor friend told me he had wholly failed to make any impression on Frank,--forbade me to mention the subject. I was just going to see Frank myself. I always had some influence with him.
But, Mr. Leslie, explain this very sudden and happy event. The marriage broken off!"
RANDAL.--"It is a long story, and I dare not tell you my humble share in it. Nay, I must keep that secret. Frank might not forgive me. Suffice it that you have my word that the fair Italian has left England, and decidedly refused Frank"s addresses. But stay, take my advice, don"t go to him; you see it was not only the marriage that has offended the squire, but some pecuniary transactions,--an unfortunate post-obit bond on the Casino property. Frank ought to be left to his own repentant reflections. They will be most salutary; you know his temper,--he don"t bear reproof; and yet it is better, on the other hand, not to let him treat too lightly what has pa.s.sed. Let us leave him to himself for a few days He is in an excellent frame of mind."
MR. DALE (shaking Randal"s hand warmly).--"You speak admirably--a post-obit!--so often as he has heard his father"s opinion on such transactions. No, I will not see him; I should be too angry--"
RANDAL (leading the parson back, resumes, after an exchange of salutations with Avenel, who, meanwhile, had been conferring with his nephew).--"You should not be so long away from your rectory, Mr. Dale.
What will your parish do without you?"
MR. DALE.--"The old fable of the wheel and the fly. I am afraid the wheel rolls on the same. But if I am absent from my parish, I am still in the company of one who does me honour as an old parishioner. You remember Leonard Fairfield, your antagonist in the Battle of the Stocks?"
MR. AVENEL.--"My nephew, I am proud to say, sir." Randal bowed with marked civility, Leonard with a reserve no less marked.
MR. AVENEL (ascribing his nephew"s reserve to shyness).--"You should be friends, you two youngsters. Who knows but you may run together in the same harness? Ah, that reminds me, Leslie, I have a word or two to say to you. Your servant, Mr. Dale. Shall be happy to present you to Mrs. Avenel. My card,--Eaton Square, Number --. You will call on me to-morrow, Leonard. And mind, I shall be very angry if you persist in your refusal. Such an opening!" Avenel took Randal"s arm, while the parson and Leonard walked on.
"Any fresh hints as to Lansmere?" asked Randal.
"Yes; I have now decided on the plan of contest. You must fight two and two,--you and Egerton against me and (if I can get him to stand, as I hope) my nephew, Leonard."
"What!" said Randal, alarmed; "then, after all, I can hope for no support from you?"
"I don"t say that; but I have reason to think Lord L"Estrange will bestir himself actively in favour of Egerton. If so, it will be a very sharp contest; and I must manage the whole election on our side, and unite all our shaky votes, which I can best do by standing myself in the first instance, reserving it to after consideration whether I shall throw up at the last; for I don"t particularly want to come in, as I did a little time ago, before I had found out my nephew. Wonderful young man! with such a head,--will do me credit in the rotten old House; and I think I had best leave London, go to Screwstown, and look to my business. No, if Leonard stand, I roust first see to get him in; and next, to keep Egerton out. It will probably, therefore, end in the return of one and one or either side, as we thought of before,--Leonard on our side; and Egerton sha"n"t be the man on the other. You understand?"
"I do, my dear Avenel. Of course, as I before said, I can"t dictate to your party whom they should prefer,--Egerton or myself. And it will be obvious to the public that your party would rather defeat so eminent an adversary as Mr. Egerton than a tyro in politics like me. Of course I cannot scheme for such a result; it would be misconstrued, and damage my character. But I rely equally on your friendly promise."
"Promise! No, I don"t promise. I must first see how the cat jumps; and I don"t know yet how our friends may like you, nor how they can be managed. All I can say is, that Audley Egerton sha"n"t be M.P. for Lansmere. Meanwhile, you will take care not to commit yourself in speaking so that our party can"t vote for you consistently; they must count on having you--when you get into the House."
"I am not a violent party-man at present," answered Randal, prudently.
"And if public opinion prove on your side, it is the duty of a statesman to go with the times."
"Very sensibly said; and I have a private bill or two, and some other little jobs, I want to get through the House, which we can discuss later, should it come to a frank understanding between us. We must arrange how to meet privately at Lansmere, if necessary. I"ll see to that. I shall go down this week. I think of taking a hint from the free and glorious land of America, and establishing secret caucuses. Nothing like "em."
"Caucuses?"
"Small sub-committees that spy on their men night and day, and don"t suffer them to be intimidated to vote the other way."
"You have an extraordinary head for public affairs, Avenel. You should come into parliament yourself; your nephew is so very young."
"So are you."
"Yes; but I know the world. Does he?"
"The world knows him, though not by name, and he has been the making of me."
"How? You surprise me."
Avenel first explained about the patent which Leonard had secured to him; and next confided, upon honour, Leonard"s ident.i.ty with the anonymous author whom the parson had supposed to be Professor Moss.
Randal Leslie felt a jealous pang. What! then--had this village boy, this a.s.sociate of John Burley (literary vagabond, whom he supposed had long since gone to the dogs, and been buried at the expense of the parish)--had this boy so triumphed over birth, rearing, circ.u.mstance, that, if Randal and Leonard had met together in any public place, and Leonard"s ident.i.ty with the rising author had been revealed, every eye would have turned from Randal to gaze on Leonard? The common consent of mankind would have acknowledged the supreme royalty of genius when it once leaves its solitude, and strides into the world. What! was this rude villager the child of Fame, who, without an effort, and unconsciously, had inspired in the wearied heart of Beatrice di Negra a love that Randal knew, by an instinct, no arts, no craft, could ever create for him in the heart of woman? And now, did this same youth stand on the same level in the ascent to power as he, the well-born Randal Leslie, the accomplished protege of the superb Audley Egerton? Were they to be rivals in the same arena of practical busy life? Randal gnawed his quivering lip.
All the while, however, the young man whom he so envied was a prey to sorrows deeper far than could ever find room or footing in the narrow and stony heart of the unloving schemer.
As Leonard walked through the crowded streets with the friend and monitor of his childhood, confiding the simple tale of his earlier trials,--when, amidst the wreck of fortune and in despair of fame, the Child-angel smiled by his side, like Hope,--all renown seemed to him so barren, all the future so dark! His voice trembled, and his countenance became so sad, that his benignant listener, divining that around the image of Helen there clung some pa.s.sionate grief that overshadowed all worldly success, drew Leonard gently and gently on, till the young man, long yearning for some confidant, told him all,--how, faithful through long years to one pure and ardent memory, Helen had been seen once more, the child ripened to woman, and the memory revealing itself as love.
The parson listened with a mild and thoughtful brow, which expanded into a more cheerful expression as Leonard closed his story.
"I see no reason to despond," said Mr. Dale. "You fear that Miss Digby does not return your attachment; you dwell upon her reserve, her distant, though kindly manner. Cheer up! All young ladies are under the influence of what phrenologists call the organ of Secretiveness, when they are in the society of the object of their preference. Just as you describe Miss Digby"s manner to you, was my Carry"s manner to myself."
The parson here indulged in a very appropriate digression upon female modesty, which he wound up by a.s.serting that that estimable virtue became more and more influenced by the secretive organ, in proportion as the favoured suitor approached near and nearer to a definite proposal.
It was the duty of a gallant and honourable lover to make that proposal in distinct and orthodox form, before it could be expected that a young lady should commit herself and the dignity of her s.e.x by the slightest hint as to her own inclinations.
"Next," continued the parson, "you choose to torment yourself by contrasting your own origin and fortunes with the altered circ.u.mstances of Miss Digby,--the ward of Lord L"Estrange, the guest of Lady Lansmere.
You say that if Lord L"Estrange could have countenanced such a union, he would have adopted a different tone with you,--sounded your heart, encouraged your hopes, and so forth. I view things differently. I have reason to do so; and from all you have told me of this n.o.bleman"s interest in your fate, I venture to make you this promise, that if Miss Digby would accept your hand, Lord L"Estrange shall ratify her choice."
"My dear Mr. Dale," cried Leonard, transported, "you make me that promise?"
"I do,--from what you have said, and from what I myself know of Lord L"Estrange. Go, then, at once to Knightsbridge, see Miss Digby, show her your heart, explain to her, if you will, your prospects, ask her permission to apply to Lord L"Estrange (since he has const.i.tuted himself her guardian); and if Lord L"Estrange hesitate,--which, if your happiness be set on this union, I think he will not,--let me know, and leave the rest to me."
Leonard yielded himself to the parson"s persuasive eloquence. Indeed, when he recalled to mind those pa.s.sages in the ma.n.u.scripts of the ill-fated Nora, which referred to the love that Harley had once borne to her,--for he felt convinced that Harley and the boy suitor of Nora"s narrative were one and the same; and when all the interest that Harley had taken in his own fortunes was explained by his relationship to her (even when Lord L"Estrange had supposed it less close than he would now discover it to be), the young man, reasoning by his own heart, could not but suppose that the n.o.ble Harley would rejoice to confer happiness upon the son of her, so beloved by his boyhood.
"And to thee, perhaps, O my mother!" thought Leonard, with swimming eyes--"to thee, perhaps, even in thy grave, I shall owe the partner of my life, as to the mystic breath of thy genius I owe the first pure aspirations of my soul."
It will be seen that Leonard had not confided to the parson his discovery of Nora"s ma.n.u.scripts, nor even his knowledge of his real birth; for the proud son naturally shrank from any confidence that implicated Nora"s fair name, until at least Harley, who, it was clear from those papers, must have intimately known his father, should perhaps decide the question which the papers themselves left so terribly vague,--namely, whether he were the offspring of a legal marriage, or Nora had been the victim of some unholy fraud.
While the parson still talked, and while Leonard still mused and listened, their steps almost mechanically took the direction towards Knightsbridge, and paused at the gates of Lord Lansmere"s house.
"Go in, my young friend; I will wait without to know the issue," said the parson, cheeringly. "Go, and with grat.i.tude to Heaven, learn how to bear the most precious joy that can befall mortal man; or how to submit to youth"s sharpest sorrow, with the humble belief that even sorrow is but some mercy concealed."
CHAPTER XIII.
Leonard was shown into the drawing-room, and it so chanced that Helen was there alone. The girl"s soft face was sadly changed, even since Leonard had seen it last; for the grief of natures mild and undemonstrative as hers, gnaws with quick ravages; but at Leonard"s unexpected entrance, the colour rushed so vividly to the pale cheeks that its hectic might be taken for the l.u.s.tre of bloom and health. She rose hurriedly, and in great confusion faltered out, "that she believed Lady Lansmere was in her room,--she would go for her," and moved towards the door, without seeming to notice the hand tremulously held forth to her; when Leonard exclaimed in uncontrollable emotions which pierced to her very heart, in the keen accent of reproach,--
"Oh, Miss Digby--oh, Helen--is it thus that you greet me,--rather thus that you shun me? Could I have foreseen this when we two orphans stood by the mournful bridge,--so friendless, so desolate, and so clinging each to each? Happy time!" He seized her hand suddenly as he spoke the last words, and bowed his face over it.
"I must not hear you. Do not talk so, Leonard, you break my heart. Let me go, let me go!"
"Is it that I am grown hateful to you; is it merely that you see my love and would discourage it? Helen, speak to me,--speak!"
He drew her with tender force towards him; and, holding her firmly by both hands, sought to gaze upon the face that she turned from him,--turned in such despair.
"You do not know," she said at last, struggling for composure,--"you do not know the new claims on me, my altered position, how I am bound, or you would be the last to speak thus to me, the first to give me courage, and bid me--bid me--"
"Bid you what?"