Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

son, while he replied to the marquis's compliments; and, strange to say, for the first time in his life, seemed afraid of looking in the face of the person he addressed. At length, breaking silence, he said, "How I wish this whole affair could have been avoided!"

"I believe you," replied the marquis, "and to say so is to say every thing. Need I add, however" (and he sighed as part of the sentence escaped him), “if our dear Constance is to lose this fine inheritance, my satisfaction that you are the person who obtains it?"

"I thank you," said De Vere, with an air of thoughtfulness; "but I am by no means satisfied with the soundness of the decree. It was evident to me that the deed was good for nothing, and then Lady Constance ought to have succeeded. Would to God that-" and he stopped in evident agitation.

"That what?" asked the marquis with interest.

"That she, that you, that all whom it concerns would still so consider it."

The marquis looked amazed, and asked his meaning. "It is difficult to bring it out," answered De Vere; "difficult to and yet I have it written here," added he (placing his hand on his breast), "in characters as plain and intelligible as if they were printed."

The marquis still looked, as he was, in ignorance; though a faint gleam of what was meant began to open in his mind, and with some suffusion in his countenance at the magnanimity he suspected, he asked for a more definite explanation.

"I could," said De Vere, still faltering, and now keenly watching the marquis's eye, "not only satisfy real justice, but take a noble revenge on the world."

"What has the world done to offend you?" said Lord Clanellan.

"It has thought me a scoundrel," answered De Vere. "It has dared to suppose that I have appeared to this suit in order to rob an angel of her own."

"Whoever thought so could himself only be a robber," replied the marquis. "But, my dear De Vere, you are not yourself; your imagination is too raised; your ideas too wild for your judgment: your very eye shows too much fire."

"Will you not aid me then to quench it?"

"By all means, if you will tell me how."

"Restore this fortune, this robbery, to its rightful

owner," said De Vere, "and I shall then be restored to my senses."

The marquis was about to reply, but De Vere continued "Yes! I shall then convince an unjust world, and Lady Constance herself, if ever she imagined such a thing. But no! that heavenly mind is too pure and single in itself, to imagine aught against another without proof." He again paused, but the marquis, willing to hear him out, would not now interrupt him.

"I can convince them all," continued De Vere, with great elevation, "that it never was my design to feed upon an orphan's substance, which is even now mine only through the imperfection of law."

"I now understand your generous purpose," said Lord Clanellan, "and, as guardian to Lady Constance, my heart thanks you for it. But on her part, have a care lest the heavenly mind you talk of should not equally reject an advantage which might also be hers only by the imperfection of law. The true measure of all this difficulty is the intention of him who made the settlement; and supposing that to point at you, had it been really set aside only from defects in technicality, could Lady Constance, think you, any more than yourself, submit to succeed against the unequivocal intention of your common ancestor? While I give you, therefore, all the admiration you deserve for this feeling, be assured I will never affront a mind as generous as your own by laying your desire before her as a proposal to be answered; though such an intention ought not, and will not, be lost upon her, any more than upon the world."

66

Nay," cried De Vere, now in most agitated alarm; "this must not be. Never will I consent to be held up to man, or to woman, as a person who professed a purpose which he knew could not be effected; and if you, with your cool judgment, tell me, even as guardian to Lady Constance, that you cannot and will not aid me in my desire, I request, I insist, nay, I exact it, marquis, of your honour, that you will not expose me to the meanest of all suspicions,-that of a design to acquire credit for a disinterestedness which never was in danger."

De Vere said this with warmth, and almost with heat. He grasped the marquis's hand, which he pressed violently with both of his, as he added, "Promise me this, and you will be the noble friend I have always thought

you. Refuse it, and I will ever set you down as my most cruel enemy.'

99

The marquis was much moved. He had admired De Vere before for his unparalleled generosity; he admired him more now for his genuine magnanimity. Yet was he in a difficulty how to reply. He felt the call so energetically made upon him, he felt that if he complied, and gave the promise exacted, he must keep it. The mar quis was neither casuist nor sophist; he was an honest man, and as such he knew what would be right; and having preserved his truth for fifty years, he was not now going to tamper with it. But he felt also that it would be most unfair for De Vere, considering what had beenthe talk of the world, and particularly unfair upon him in respect to Constance, to conceal from every one the nobleness he had displayed. He therefore hesitated, and while De Vere hung upon his answer in expectation almost breathless,

"It would be easy," he observed, "to evade the question you put so home to me, or, if I gave the promise, to elude it. But I am not a person who has mental reserves, and I will never bind myself to surrender my discretion in the power of doing justice to one who deserves it. Surely," added he, perceiving a sort of anger in De Vere's countenance, "I may pretend to sufficient character with you to be trusted with your delicacy, as well as with your honour, and you must not take it ill if I request to be so trusted."

It was some time before De Vere could reply, so deeply did he seem to brood over what pressed upon him. At length, with some effort, he ejaculated, "We differ wide as the poles; I know not your design; but if you give me not this promise, I am ruined.”

Think

"My dear De Vere," replied the marquis, "compose yourself, nor fancy design where there is none. only, that a man of prudence as well as honour does not unnecessarily fetter the future; and trust that a person who is twice your age, and who loves you, will not easily be brought to do you harm. But I must leave you, to inform my poor Constance of the events of the day. Poor indeed she is not, cannot be while so rich in principle. For I know that had she succeeded and even Lord Cleveland had been supposed the rightful heir to these estates, she never would have enjoyed them."

So saying, he embraced De Vere, with many professions of regard and esteem, which he was most sincere in saying had been much raised by his conduct on this trying occasion.

CHAPTER XLI.

RESIGNATION.

Mine ear is open, and my heart prepared.

The worst is worldly loss thou canst unfold.

Say, is my kingdom lost? Why, 'twas my care,

And what loss is it to be rid of care?-SHAKSPEARE.

ON the marquis's quitting him, De Vere's first impulse was to be himself the bearer of the tidings of his success to his mother. But his mother was with Constance, and Constance he was absolutely afraid to see.

"No!" said he, " my visit would be one of triumph, of insult; and sooner would I personally carry the news of my defeat."

Exclusive of this, he had a thousand people to see, a thousand matters of business to settle; and had Lady Eleanor been alone at Talbois, he scarcely could have left his post. He sat down, therefore, to write a long detailed account of the proceedings in court; which was much diverted, it must be owned, by long digressions into his own feelings and views of futurity; and of these he felt so little satisfied, that he was often tempted to renounce his task in despair. He finished it, however, and then liked it so little that he tore it in pieces at the end of a full hour's work, and contented himself with a communication of scarcely greater length than a note.

Short as it was, it was all that his mother and cousin were destined to receive; for another plan of communication, devised by the kindness of Lord and Lady Clanellan, was rendered abortive by events to which we shall presently come.

The first lines of Mortimer's note produced agitation in both ladies; for as they had no secrets, though of interests apparently so opposite, Lady Eleanor read

aloud.

"It has pleased Providence," said the note, "that Lord Cleveland should be defeated; and that we-oh! my dear mother prepare yourself for a trial which, from my own feelings, I know will be a severe one."

Lady Eleanor immediately paused, and with concern exclaimed, "Does he then think defeat disappointment? And does he bear it so ill? Can this be De Vere? Can it be my son ?"

66

Judge him not too quickly," said Constance, “but proceed; my cousin will assuredly rise superior to any trial he can have."

She said this with an anxiety for the event which proved that she too expected to undergo a trial, though it arose from any thing rather than fear about her fortune. When her aunt, however, resumed, and dropped her voice as she read, and her cheek became flushed, and her features moved, Constance with firmness cried out. "Unfold this, whatever it be, my dear aunt. It is quite enough that Lord Cleveland has failed. For any thing else I am fully prepared."

"I know all your noble nature," replied Lady Eleanor; "but I own, with all our preparation, I expected not, as Mortimer himself says, that any one of our house should have struck this blow. Ah! what injustice have I done my son !"

Constance, with unabated firmness, took the letter from her aunt's hand, and read as follows:

"Yes! the decree is in our favour; and it must be a trial to you as well as to me, to think we are the unwitting, and surely the unwilling instruments of rending (I still think against justice, if not against law) the fairest part of her inheritance from such a being as Constance.” "And if I am to lose it," said Constance, cheerfully, "does he think I can repine-nay, that I do not even rejoice that you, my dear aunt, are to profit by it?"

"Were the thing clear!" answered her aunt, "but you see he thinks otherwise ;" and Lady Eleanor seemed much lost in the reflection.

Constance, however, went on.

"The thought," continued the letter, "is hateful to me, nor shall I ever rest till wrong is set right. It will be my heart's glory to repair this injustice. The world shall never say that I instigated the suit; that I am a calculating, deliberate invader, like Cleveland."

"Ah!" said Constance, overpowered, "I now see what he meant when he talked of the injustice of the world.

« ZurückWeiter »