"Never!" said Cadurcis. "The experience of these last few weeks, which yet have seemed an age in my existence, has made me resolve never to quit a society where I am persuaded I may obtain a degree of happiness which what is called the world can never afford me."
"What will your guardian say?"
"What care I?"
"A dutiful ward!"
"Poh! the relations between us were formed only to secure my welfare.
It is secured; it will be secured by my own resolution."
"And what is that?" inquired Dr. Masham.
"To marry Venetia, if she will accept me."
"And that you do not doubt."
"We doubt everything when everything is at stake," replied Lord Cadurcis. "I know that her consent would ensure my happiness; and when I reflect, I cannot help being equally persuaded that it would secure hers. Her mother, I think, would not be adverse to our union. And you, my dear sir, what do you think?"
"I think," said Dr. Masham, "that whoever marries Venetia will marry the most beautiful and the most gifted of G.o.d"s creatures; I hope you may marry her; I wish you to marry her; I believe you will marry her, but not yet; you are too young, Lord Cadurcis."
"Oh, no! my dear Doctor, not too young to marry Venetia. Remember I have known her all my life, at least so long as I have been able to form an opinion. How few are the men, my dear Doctor, who are so fortunate as to unite themselves with women whom they have known, as I have known Venetia, for more than seven long years!"
"During five of which you have never seen or heard of her."
"Mine was the fault! And yet I cannot help thinking, as it may probably turn out, as you yourself believe it will turn out, that it is as well that we have been separated for this interval. It has afforded me opportunities for observation which I should never have enjoyed at Cadurcis; and although my lot either way could not have altered the nature of things, I might have been discontented, I might have sighed for a world which now I do not value. It is true I have not seen Venetia for five years, but I find her the same, or changed only by nature, and fulfilling all the rich promise which her childhood intimated. No, my dear Doctor, I respect your opinion more than that of any man living; but n.o.body, nothing, can persuade me that I am not as intimately acquainted with Venetia"s character, with all her rare virtues, as if we had never separated."
"I do not doubt it," said the Doctor; "high as you may pitch your estimate you cannot overvalue her."
"Then why should we not marry?"
"Because, my dear friend, although you may be perfectly acquainted with Venetia, you cannot be perfectly acquainted with yourself."
"How so?" exclaimed Lord Cadurcis in a tone of surprise, perhaps a little indignant.
"Because it is impossible. No young man of eighteen ever possessed such precious knowledge. I esteem and admire you; I give you every credit for a good heart and a sound head; but it is impossible, at your time of life, that your character can be formed; and, until it be, you may marry Venetia and yet be a very miserable man."
"It is formed," said his lordship firmly; "there is not a subject important to a human being on which my opinions are not settled."
"You may live to change them all," said the Doctor, "and that very speedily."
"Impossible!" said Lord Cadurcis. "My dear Doctor, I cannot understand you; you say that you hope, that you wish, even that you believe that I shall marry Venetia; and yet you permit me to infer that our union will only make us miserable. What do you wish me to do?"
"Go to college for a term or two."
"Without Venetia! I should die."
"Well, if you be in a dying state you can return."
"You joke, my dear Doctor."
"My dear boy, I am perfectly serious."
"But she may marry somebody else?"
"I am your only rival," said the Doctor, with a smile; "and though even friends can scarcely be trusted under such circ.u.mstances, I promise you not to betray you."
"Your advice is not very pleasant," said his lordship.
"Good advice seldom is," said the Doctor.
"My dear Doctor, I have made up my mind to marry her, and marry her at once. I know her well, you admit that yourself. I do not believe that there ever was a woman like her, that there ever will be a woman like her. Nature has marked her out from other women, and her education has not been less peculiar. Her mystic breeding pleases me. It is something to marry a wife so fair, so pure, so refined, so accomplished, who is, nevertheless, perfectly ignorant of the world.
I have dreamt of such things; I have paced these old cloisters when a boy and when I was miserable at home, and I have had visions, and this was one. I have sighed to live alone with a fair spirit for my minister. Venetia has descended from heaven for me, and for me alone.
I am resolved I will pluck this flower with the dew upon its leaves."
"I did not know I was reasoning with a poet," said the Doctor, with a smile. "Had I been conscious of it, I would not have been so rash."
"I have not a grain of poetry in my composition," said his lordship; "I never could write a verse; I was notorious at Eton for begging all their old ma.n.u.scripts from boys when they left school, to crib from; but I have a heart, and I can feel. I love Venetia, I have always loved her, and, if possible, I will marry her, and marry her at once."
CHAPTER V.
The reappearance of the ladies at the end of the cloister terminated this conversation, the result of which was rather to confirm Lord Cadurcis in his resolution of instantly urging his suit, than the reverse. He ran forward to greet his friends with a smile, and took his place by the side of Venetia, whom, a little to her surprise, he congratulated in glowing phrase on her charming costume. Indeed she looked very captivating, with a pastoral hat, then much in fashion, and a dress as simple and as sylvan, both showing to admirable advantage her long descending hair, and her agile and springy figure.
Cadurcis proposed that they should ramble over the abbey, he talked of projected alterations, as if he really had the power immediately to effect them, and was desirous of obtaining their opinions before any change was made. So they ascended the staircase which many years before Venetia had mounted for the first time with her mother, and entered that series of small and ill-furnished rooms in which Mrs.
Cadurcis had princ.i.p.ally resided, and which had undergone no change.
The old pictures were examined; these, all agreed, never must move; and the new furniture, it was settled, must be in character with the building. Lady Annabel entered into all the details with an interest and animation which rather amused Dr. Masham. Venetia listened and suggested, and responded to the frequent appeals of Cadurcis to her judgment with an unconscious equanimity not less diverting.
"Now here we really can do something," said his lordship as they entered the saloon, or rather refectory; "here I think we may effect wonders. The tapestry must always remain. Is it not magnificent, Venetia? But what hangings shall we have? We must keep the old chairs, I think. Do you approve of the old chairs, Venetia? And what shall we cover them with? Shall it be damask? What do you think, Venetia? Do you like damask? And what colour shall it be? Shall it be crimson?
Shall it be crimson damask, Lady Annabel? Do you think Venetia would like crimson damask? Now, Venetia, do give us the benefit of your opinion."
Then they entered the old gallery; here was to be a great transformation. Marvels were to be effected in the old gallery, and many and multiplied were the appeals to the taste and fancy of Venetia.
"I think," said Lord Cadurcis, "I shall leave the gallery to be arranged when I am settled. The rooms and the saloon shall be done at once, I shall give orders for them to begin instantly. Whom do you recommend, Lady Annabel? Do you think there is any person at Southport who could manage to do it, superintended by our taste? Venetia, what do you think?"
Venetia was standing at the window, rather apart from her companions, looking at the old garden. Lord Cadurcis joined her. "Ah! it has been sadly neglected since my poor mother"s time. We could not do much in those days, but still she loved this garden. I must depend upon you entirely to arrange my garden, Venetia. This spot is sacred to you.
You have not forgotten our labours here, have you, Venetia? Ah! those were happy days, and these shall be more happy still. This is your garden; it shall always be called Venetia"s garden."
"I would have taken care of it when you were away, but--"
"But what?" inquired Lord Cadurcis anxiously.
"We hardly felt authorised," replied Venetia calmly. "We came at first when you left Cadurcis, but at last it did not seem that our presence was very acceptable."
"The brutes!" exclaimed Lord Cadurcis.
"No, no; good simple people, they were unused to orders from strange masters, and they were perplexed. Besides, we had no right to interfere."