I call it a very happy accident which gives a gentleman an opportunity of spending six weeks under the same roof with the lady of his love. Mr. Graham is a man of spirit, and I am by no means sure that he did not break his bones on purpose."
Augustus for a moment thought of denying the imputation with regard to his sister, but before he had spoken he had changed his mind. He was already aware that his friend had been again invited down to Noningsby, and if his father chose to encourage Graham, why should he make difficulties? He had conceived some general idea that Felix Graham was not a guest to be welcomed into a rich man"s family as a son-in-law. He was poor and crotchety, and as regards professional matters unsteady. But all that was a matter for his father to consider, not for him. So he held his peace as touching Graham, and contrived to change the subject, veering round towards that point of the compa.s.s which had brought him into Harley Street.
"Perhaps then, Miss Furnival, it might answer some purpose if I were to get myself run over outside there. I could get one of Pickford"s vans, or a dray from Barclay and Perkins", if that might be thought serviceable."
"It would be of no use in the world, Mr. Staveley. Those very charitable middle-aged ladies opposite, the Miss Mac Codies, would have you into their house in no time, and when you woke from your first swoon, you would find yourself in their best bedroom, with one on each side of you."
"And you in the mean time--"
"I should send over every morning at ten o"clock to inquire after you--in mamma"s name. "Mrs. Furnival"s compliments, and hopes Mr.
Staveley will recover the use of his legs." And the man would bring back word: "The doctor hopes he may, miss; but his left eye is gone for ever." It is not everybody that can tumble discreetly. Now you, I fancy, would only disfigure yourself."
"Then I must try what fortune can do for me without the brewer"s dray."
"Fortune has done quite enough for you, Mr. Staveley; I do not advise you to tempt her any further."
"Miss Furnival, I have come to Harley Street to-day on purpose to tempt her to the utmost. There is my hand--"
"Mr. Staveley, pray keep your hand for a while longer in your own possession."
"Undoubtedly I shall do so, unless I dispose of it this morning. When we were at Noningsby together, I ventured to tell you what I felt for you--"
"Did you, Mr. Staveley? If your feelings were anything beyond the common, I don"t remember the telling."
"And then," he continued, without choosing to notice her words, "you affected to believe that I was not in earnest in what I said to you."
"And you must excuse me if I affect to believe the same thing of you still."
Augustus Staveley had come into Harley Street with a positive resolve to throw his heart and hand and fortune at the feet of Miss Furnival.
I fear that I shall not raise him in the estimation of my readers by saying so. But then my readers will judge him unfairly. They will forget that they have had a much better opportunity of looking into the character of Miss Furnival than he had had; and they will also forget that they have had no such opportunity of being influenced by her personal charms. I think I remarked before that Miss Furnival well understood how best to fight her own battle. Had she shown herself from the first anxious to regard as a definite offer the first words tending that way which Augustus had spoken to her, he would at once have become indifferent about the matter. As a consequence of her judicious conduct he was not indifferent. We always want that which we can"t get easily. Sophia had made herself difficult to be gotten, and therefore Augustus fancied that he wanted her. Since he had been in town he had been frequently in Harley Street, and had been arguing with himself on the matter. What match could be more discreet or better? Not only was she very handsome, but she was clever also. And not only was she handsome and clever, but moreover she was an heiress. What more could his friends want for him, and what more could he want for himself? His mother did in truth regard her as a nasty, sly girl; but then his mother did not know Sophia, and in such matters mothers are so ignorant!
Miss Furnival, on his thus repeating his offer, again chose to affect a belief that he was not in earnest. I am inclined to think that she rather liked this kind of thing. There is an excitement in the game; and it is one which may be played without great danger to either party if it be played cautiously and with some skill. As regards Augustus at the present moment, I have to say--with some regret--that he abandoned all idea of caution, and that he showed very little skill.
"Then," said he, "I must beg you to lay aside an affectation which is so very injurious both to my honour and to my hopes of happiness."
"Your honour, Mr. Staveley, is quite safe, I am certain."
"I wish that my happiness were equally so," said he. "But at any rate you will let me have an answer. Sophia--"
And now he stood up, looking at her with something really like love in his eyes, and Miss Furnival began to understand that if she so chose it the prize was really within her reach. But then was it a prize? Was not the other thing the better prize? The other thing was the better prize;--if only that affair about the Orley Farm were settled. Augustus Staveley was a good-looking handsome fellow, but then there was that in the manner and gait of Lucius Mason which better suited her taste. There are ladies who prefer Worcester ware to real china; and, moreover, the order for the Worcester ware had already been given.
"Sophia, let a man be ever so light-hearted, there will come to him moments of absolute and almost terrible earnestness."
"Even to you, Mr. Staveley."
"I have at any rate done nothing to deserve your scorn."
"Fie, now; you to talk of my scorn! You come here with soft words which run easily from your tongue, feeling sure that I shall be proud in heart when I hear them whispered into my ears; and now you pretend to be angry because I do not show you that I am elated. Do you think it probable that I should treat with scorn anything of this sort that you might say to me seriously?"
"I think you are doing so."
"Have you generally found yourself treated with scorn when you have been out on this pursuit?"
"By heavens! you have no right to speak to me so. In what way shall I put my words to make them sound seriously to you? Do you want me to kneel at your feet, as our grandfathers used to do?"
"Oh, certainly not. Our grandmothers were very stupid in desiring that."
"If I put my hand on my heart will you believe me better?"
"Not in the least."
"Then through what formula shall I go?"
"Go through no formula, Mr. Staveley. In such affairs as these very little, as I take it, depends on the words that are uttered. When heart has spoken to heart, or even head to head, very little other speaking is absolutely necessary."
"And my heart has not spoken to yours?"
"Well;--no;--not with that downright plain open language which a heart in earnest always knows how to use. I suppose you think you like me?"
"Sophia, I love you well enough to make you my wife to-morrow."
"Yes; and to be tired of your bargain on the next day. Has it ever occurred to you that giving and taking in marriage is a very serious thing?"
"A very serious thing; but I do not think that on that account it should be avoided."
"No; but it seems to me that you are always inclined to play at marriage. Do not be angry with me, but for the life of me I can never think you are in earnest."
"But I shall be angry--very angry--if I do not get from you some answer to what I have ventured to say."
"What, now; to-day;--this morning? If you insist upon that, the answer can only be of one sort. If I am driven to decide this morning on the question that you have asked me, great as the honour is--and coming from you, Mr. Staveley, it is very great--I must decline it. I am not able, at any rate at the present moment, to trust my happiness altogether in your hands." When we think of the half-written letter which at this moment Miss Furnival had within her desk, this was not wonderful.
And then, without having said anything more that was of note, Augustus Staveley went his way. As he walked up Harley Street, he hardly knew whether or no he was to consider himself as bound to Miss Furnival; nor did he feel quite sure whether or no he wished to be so bound. She was handsome, and clever, and an heiress; but yet he was not certain that she possessed all those womanly charms which are desirable in a wife. He could not but reflect that she had never yet said a soft word to him.
CHAPTER LXVII.
MR. MOULDER BACKS HIS OPINION.
As the day of the trial drew nigh, the perturbation of poor John Kenneby"s mind became very great. Moulder had not intended to frighten him, but had thought it well to put him up to what he believed to be the truth. No doubt he would be badgered and bullied.
"And," as Moulder said to his wife afterwards, "wasn"t it better that he should know what was in store for him?" The consequence was, that had it been by any means possible, Kenneby would have run away on the day before the trial.
But it was by no means possible, for Dockwrath had hardly left him alone for an instant. Dockwrath at this time had crept into a sort of employment in the case from which Matthew Round had striven in vain to exclude him. Mr. Round had declared once or twice that if Mr.
Mason encouraged Dockwrath in interfering, he, Round, would throw the matter up. But professional men cannot very well throw up their business, and Round went on, although Dockwrath did interfere, and although Mr. Mason did encourage him. On the eve of the trial he went down to Alston with Kenneby and Bolster; and Mr. Moulder, at the express instance of Kenneby, accompanied them.
"What can I do? I can"t stop the fellow"s gab," Moulder had said. But Kenneby pleaded hard that some friend might be near him in the day of his trouble, and Moulder at last consented.