"Most faithfully, then, Elinor, yes! All the happiness of my present life is founded upon my belief of a life to come!"
Elinor held up her hands. "Astonishing!" she cried. "Can judgment and credulity, wisdom and superst.i.tion, thus jumble themselves together! And in a head so clear, so even oracular! Give me, at least, your reasons; and see that they are your own!"
Harleigh looked disturbed, but made not any answer.
The wan face of Elinor was now lighted up with hues of scarlet. "I feel," she cried, "the impropriety of this intrusion;--for who, if not I,--since we all prize most what we know least,--should respect happiness? When you have finished, however, your present conference, honour me, both of you, if you please,--that the period so employed may be less wearisome to either,--with a final one up stairs. Harleigh! A final one!"
Harleigh was still silent.
A yet deeper red now dyed the whole complexion of Elinor, and she added, "If, to-day, you are too much engaged,--to-morrow will suffice. To-day, indeed, your solemn protestations of belief, upon a subject which to me, is a chaos,--dark,--impervious, impenetrable! has given ample employment to my ideas."
Repulsing, then, his silently offered arm, she returned, with Selina, to the chamber consigned to her by Mrs Ireton.
CHAPTER LXIV
Harleigh, confused, disconcerted, remained motionless; but when the conscious Juliet would have glided silently past him, he entreated for a moment"s audience.
"Oh no, Mr Harleigh, no!" she cried: "these are scenes and alarms, that must be risked no more!--"
She was hurrying away; but, upon his saying, "Hear me, at least, for Elinor!" she turned back.
His eye, now reproached even her compliance; but he rapidly communicated his opinion, that the conference demanded by Elinor ought, in prudence, for the present, to be avoided; since, while she had still some favourite object in view, life, would, unconsciously, be still supported. Time, thus, might insensibly be gained, not only for eluding her fatal project, but happily, perhaps, for taming the dauntless wildness that made her, now, seem to stand scoffingly at bay, between life and death.
Juliet saw nothing to oppose to this statement, and thanking him that, at least, it liberated her, was again hastening away.
"Hold, hold!" cried he, stopping her: "it is not from me that it must liberate you! Elinor has ratified the restoration of your word--"
"Oh, were that all!--" she cried, hastily; but, stopping short, deeply blushing, "Mr Harleigh," she added, "compel me not to repeat declarations that cannot vary!--Aid me rather, generously,--kindly, shall I say?--aid me,--to fly, to avoid you,--lest you become yourself ..." her voice faltered as she p.r.o.nounced, "the most fatal of my enemies!"
The penetrated Harleigh, charmed, though tortured, saw her eyes glittering with tears; but she forced her way past him, and took refuge in her chamber.
There, in deep anguish, she was sinking upon a chair, when she received the gentle balm of a letter from Gabriella, written with exstatic joy at the prospect of their re-union.
This decided her plan of immediate escape to London, under a full conviction that Harleigh, to obviate any calumnious surmizes from her disappearance, would studiously shew himself in the world; however cautiously he might avoid any interview with Elinor.
The shock of Juliet, at this unfortunate intrusion, somewhat abated, when she reflected that confirmed hopelessness might, perchance, lead Elinor to acquiescence in disappointment; for hopelessness, equally with resignation,--though not so respectably,--terminates all struggles against misfortune.
She now, therefore, seized an opportunity, when she knew Mrs Ireton to be engaged with Mrs Maple, for going forth to secure a place in some machine, for a journey to London on the following morning.
This office performed, she thought, while returning home, that she perceived, though at a considerable distance, Harleigh.
In the dread of some new conflict, she was planning to seek another way back, when recollecting that she had his bank-notes in her work-bag, she judged that she might more promptly return them at this accidental meeting, than in the house of Mrs Ireton.
She slackened, therefore, her pace, and, taking out her ever ready packet, turned round, as the footstep approached, gravely and calmly to deliver it; when, to her utter surprize, she faced Lord Melbury.
Pleasure emitted its brightest hues in the tints of her cheeks, at sight of the marked respect that chastened the visible delight with which she was looked at and accosted by the young peer. "How fortunate," he cried, "am I to meet with you thus directly! This moment only I dismount from my horse. I have a million of things to say to you from Aurora, if you will have the goodness to hear them; and I have more at heart still my own claim upon your patience. When may I see you for a little conversation?"
The pleasure of Juliet was now severely checked by perplexity, how either to fulfil or to break her engagement. Observing the change in her countenance, and her hesitation and difficulty to answer, Lord Melbury, whose look and air changed also, said, in a tone of concern, "Miss Ellis has not forgotten her kind promise?"
"Your lordship is extremely good, to remember either that or me; yet I hope--"
"What does Miss Ellis hope? I would not counteract her hopes for the world; but surely she cannot be so cruel as to disappoint mine? to make me fear that she has changed her opinion? to withdraw her amiable trust?"
"No, my lord, no! not a moment could I hesitate were trust alone in question! but the hurry of this instant,--the impossibility of detailing so briefly, and by an imperfect account--"
"And why an imperfect account? Why, dear Miss Ellis, since you have the kindness to believe I may be trusted, not confide to me the whole truth?"
"Alas, my lord! how?--where?"
"In some parlour,--in the garden,--any where.--"
"Ah, my lord, what I have to say must be uninterrupted; unheard but by yourself; and--I can command neither a place nor a moment free from intrusion!"--
"Sweet Miss Ellis!--sweet injured Miss Ellis! I know, I have witnessed the unworthiness of your treatment. Even Aurora, with all her gentleness, has been as indignant at it, nearly, as myself. All our wonder is how you bear it!--We burn, we expire to learn what can urge so undue a subjection. But I have not obtruded myself upon you only for myself; I have galloped hither to prepare you,--and to entreat you not to be uneasy,--and to save you from any surprize, by acquainting you that my uncle Denmeath--"
He stopt short, as if thunderstruck. Juliet, alarmed, looked at him, and saw that, in bending over her, to name, in a lower voice, his uncle, his eyes had caught the direction of her packet, "For Albert Harleigh, Esq."
Shocked at the evidently unpleasant effect which this sight produced, and covered with blushes at the suspicions to which it might give rise, Juliet hastily exclaimed, "Oh my lord! I must no longer defer my explanation! any, every risk will be preferable to the loss of your esteem!"
Delight, enchantment again were depicted on the countenance, as they seized the faculties of the young peer; and, involuntarily, his eager hands were stretching forwards to seize hers, when he perceived, just approached to them, pale, agitated, and with the look of some one taken suddenly ill, Harleigh.
The colour of Juliet now rose and died away alternately, from varying sensations of shame and apprehension; to which the deepest confusion soon succeeded, as she discerned the contrast of the cheeks, whitened by pale jealousy, of Harleigh; with those of Lord Melbury, which were crimsoned with the reddest hues of sudden suspicion, and painful mistrust.
Harleigh, with a faint and forced smile, bowed, but stood aloof: Lord Melbury seemed to have not alone his sentiments, but his faculties held in suspension.
Juliet, with cruel consciousness, perceived that each surmized something clandestine of the other; and the immense importance which she annexed to their joint good opinion; and the imminent danger which she saw of the double forfeiture, soon re-invigorated her powers, and, addressing herself with dignity, though in a tone of softness, to Lord Melbury, "If you judge me, my lord, from partial circ.u.mstances," she cried, "I have every thing to apprehend for what I value more than words can express, your lordship"s approbation of the favour with which I am honoured by Lady Aurora Granville; but let me rather hope,--suffer me, my lord, to hope, that by the opinion I have formed of the honour of your own character, you will judge,--though at present in the dark,--of the integrity of mine!"
Turning then from him, as, touched, electrified, he was beginning, "I have always judged you to be an angel!"--she would have presented her packet to Harleigh; though without raising her eyes, saying, "Mr Harleigh has so long;--and upon so many occasions, honoured me with marks of his esteem,--and benevolence,--that I flatter myself,--I think,--I trust--"
She stammered, confused; and Harleigh, who, from the moment that Lady Aurora had been mentioned, had recovered his complexion, his respiration, and his strength; recovered, also, his hopes and his energy, at sight of the embarra.s.sment of Juliet. Not doubting, however, what were the contents of the packet, he held back from receiving it; though with a smile that conveyed the most lively expression of grateful delight, at her palpable anxiety to preserve his esteem.
"Nay, you must take your property!" she resumed, with attempted cheerfulness; yet blushing more deeply every moment, at thus betraying to Lord Melbury that she had any property of Mr Harleigh"s to return.
"I will take your commands in every shape in which they can be framed,"
cried Harleigh, gaily; "but you must not refuse to grant me, at the same time, directions for their execution."
The interest with which Lord Melbury listened to what pa.s.sed, was now mingled with undisguised impatience: but Juliet could not endure to satisfy him; could not support letting him know, that she retained money of Harleigh"s in her hands; nor yet bear to suffer Harleigh, now the address had been seen, to leave it still in her possession: hesitating, abashed, she turned from one to the other, with looks at Lord Melbury that seemed appealing for forbearance; and to Harleigh with down-cast eyes, that had not force to encounter his, but that were expressive of distress, timidity, and fear of misconstruction.
This pause, while it astonished and perplexed Lord Melbury, gave rise, in Harleigh, to the most flattering emotions. Her disturbance was, indeed, visible, and cruelly painful to him; but, since their meeting in the church-yard, the severity of her reserve had seemed shaken, beyond her power, evident as were her struggles, to call back its original firmness. The more exquisitely he felt himself bewitched by this observation, the more fondly he desired to spare her delicacy, by concealing, though not repressing his hopes; but his eyes, less under his controul than his words, air, or address, spoke a language not to be doubted of tenderness, and sparkled with l.u.s.trous happiness, Juliet felt their beams too powerfully to mistake, or even to sustain them. Her head dropt, her eye-lids nearly closed; blushing shame tingled in her cheeks, and apprehension and perturbation trembled in every limb.
Perceiving, and adoring, her inability to find utterance, Harleigh, with subdued rapture, yet in a tone that spoke of his feelings to be, at length, in harmony with all his wishes, was gently beginning an entreaty that she would adjourn this little dispute to another day, when the words, "Well! if here i"n"t the very person we were talking off!"
striking his ears, he looked round, and saw Miss Bydel, accompanied by Mr Giles Arbe; whose approach had been unheeded by them all, from the deep interest which had concentrated their attention to themselves.
"Why, Mrs Ellis," she continued, "why what are you doing here? I should like to know that. I"ve just had a smart battle about you with my good friend, Mr Giles. He will needs have it, that you paid all your debts from a h.o.a.rd that you had by you, of your own; though I have told him I dare say an hundred times, at the least, I must needs be a better judge, having been paid myself, for my own share, by that cross-grained Baronet, who"s been such a good friend to you."