Emmeline Part 74

'Fitz-Edward,' cried she, detaining him, and speaking in an half whisper--'Fitz-Edward, hear me! Do you design to kill me?'

'To kill you?' replied he. 'No surely.'

'Then do not go till you have heard me.'

'It is unpleasant to me to stay in G.o.dolphin's house after what has just pa.s.sed. But as you please.'

She led him into a little breakfast room; and regardless of being without light, shut the door.

'Tell me,' said she, 'before I die with terror--tell me with what intention you come to-morrow?'

'Simply to have a positive answer from Mr. G.o.dolphin, if he will, together with his brother, allow me, when the usual mourning is over, to address their sister with proposals of marriage; which in fact they have no right to prevent. And if Mr. G.o.dolphin refuses----'

'What, if he refuses?'

'I shall take my son into my own care, and wait till Lady Adelina will herself exert that freedom which is now her's.'

'G.o.dolphin doats on the child. Nothing, I am persuaded, will induce him to part with it.'

'Not part with it? He must, nay he _shall_!'

'Pray be calm--pray be quiet. Stay yet a few months--a few weeks.'

'Not a day! Not an hour!'

'Good G.o.d! what _can_ be done? Mischief will inevitably happen!'

'I am sorry,' replied Fitz-Edward, 'that you are thus made uneasy. But I cannot recede; and my life has not been pleasant enough lately to make me very solicitous about the event of my explanation with Mr. G.o.dolphin.

Conscious, however, that he has some reason to complain of me, I do not wish to increase it. I mean to keep _my_ temper, _if I can_: but if he suffers _his_ to pa.s.s the bounds which one gentleman must observe towards another, I shall not consider myself as the aggressor, or as answerable for the consequences.'

'But why, oh! why would you come hither? Wherefore traverse the garden of a night, and suffer appearances to be so much against you, and what is yet worse, against Lady Adelina?'

'Who told you I have done so--G.o.dolphin?'

'No. He was, you well know, absent. But I saw you myself; with terror I saw you, and meditated how to speak to you alone, when our unhappy meeting in the wood this evening put an end to all my contrivances.'

'Yet I had no intention of terrifying you, or of abruptly rus.h.i.+ng into the presence of Adelina. It is true, that for some nights past I have walked under the window where she and my child sleep: for _I_ could not sleep; and it was a sort of melancholy enjoyment to me to be near the spot which held all I have dear on earth. As I pa.s.s at the ale house where I lodge as a person hiding in this island from the pursuit of creditors, my desire of concealment did not appear extraordinary. I have often lingered among the rocks and copses, and seen Adelina and my child with you. Last night I came out in the dusk, and was approaching, to conceal myself near the house, in hopes, that as you love walking late, and alone, I might have found an opportunity of speaking to you, and of concerting with _you_ the means of introducing myself to _her_ without too great an alarm.'

'Would to heaven you had! But now, since all this has happened, consent to put off this meeting with G.o.dolphin. Do not meet, at least, to-morrow! I entreat that you will not!'

'On all subjects but this,' said he, as he opened the door--'on all subjects but this, Miss Mowbray knows she may command me. But this is a point from which I cannot, without infamy, recede; and in which she must forgive me, if all my veneration and esteem for her goodness and tenderness does not induce me to desist.'

He then went into the hall; and by the lamp which burnt there, opened himself the door into the garden, and hastily walked away. While the trembling and harra.s.sed Emmeline, finding him inflexible, went back to G.o.dolphin, with very little hopes that she should, with him, have better success.

CHAPTER XIII

On entering the room, Emmeline sat down without speaking.

'How is Adelina, my dearest Miss Mowbray?'

'I know not.'

'You have not, then, been with her?'

'No.'

'Were it not best to enquire after her?'

'Certainly. I will go immediately.'

'But come to me again--I have much to say to you.'

Emmeline then went up stairs. She found that the composing medicine, which Barret had been directed to keep always by her, had been liberally administered; and that her lady was got into bed, and was already asleep. Barret sat by her. Deep sighs and convulsive catchings marked the extreme agitation of her spirits after she was no longer conscious of it herself. With this account Emmeline returned, in great uneasiness, to G.o.dolphin.

'I thank Heaven,' said he, 'that she is at least for some moments insensible of pain! Now, my Emmeline, for surely I may be allowed to say _my_ Emmeline, sit down and try to compose yourself. I cannot bear to see you thus pale and trembling.'

He led her to a seat, and placed himself by her; gazing with extreme concern on her face, pallid as it was, and expressive only of sorrow and anxiety.

'Whence is it,' said she, after a pause of some moments, that I see you here? Did I not come hither on the a.s.surance you gave me that you would long be detained in or near London by the business of your sister?'

'I certainly did say so. But I could not then foresee what happened on the Sunday after you left London.'

'Has, then, any thing happened?'

'The return of Lord and Lady Westhaven, with Lord Delamere.'

'Are they all well?'

'Tolerably so. But my brother is very anxious to see Adelina; and expects _you_ with little less solicitude. He could not think of giving Lady Westhaven the trouble of such a journey; nor could he now leave her without being unhappy. I therefore, at his pressing request, came myself to fetch you both to London.'

'And do you mean that we should begin our journey to-morrow?'

'I _meant_ it, certainly, till the events of this evening made me doubtful how far my sister herself may be in a situation to bear change of place and variety of objects; or being able, whether she may chuse to leave to me the direction of her actions.'

'Ah! impute not to Lady Adelina the meeting with Fitz-Edward; it was entirely accidental; it's suddenness overcame her, and threw her into the way in which you saw her.'

'And what has a man to answer for, who thus comes to insult his victim, and to rob her of the little tranquillity time may have restored to her?'

'Indeed I think you injure poor Fitz-Edward. Fondly attached to your sister, he has no other wish or hope than to be allowed to address her when the time of her mourning for Mr. Trelawny is expired. For this permission he intended to apply to you: but the severity with which you ever received his advances discouraged him; and he then, in the hope of hearing that such an application would not be rendered ineffectual by her own refusal, and languis.h.i.+ng to see his son, came hither; not with any intention of forcing himself abruptly into the presence of Lady Adelina, but to see _me_ and induce me to intercede with her for an interview. Accident threw us in his way; your sister fell senseless on the ground; and when she did recover, endeavoured to avoid him: but she was too weak to walk home without other a.s.sistance than mine, and I was compelled to accept for her, that which Fitz-Edward offered. On hearing from Barret that you was returned, the terror which has ever pursued her, lest you and Fitz-Edward should meet as enemies, again overcame her, and occasioned the scene you must, with so much astonishment, have beheld.'

'Has Adelina had any previous knowledge of the proposals Fitz-Edward intends to make?'

'None, I believe, in the world.'

'Do you know whether they have ever corresponded?'