"And you commission me, then, to speak to our dear Jemima?" said Mrs
Dale joyfully, and without any bitterness whatever in that "dear."
DR RICCABOCCA.--"Nay, before speaking to Miss Hazeldean, it would
surely be proper to know how far my addresses would be acceptable to
the family."
MRS DALE.--"Ah!"
DR RICCABOCCA.--"The Squire is of course the head of the family."
MRS DALE (absent and _distrait_.)--"The Squire--yes, very true--quite
proper." (Then looking up and with _naiveté_)--"Can you believe me, I
never thought of the Squire. And he is such an odd man, and has so many
English prejudices, that really--dear me, how vexatious that it should
never once have occurred to me that Mr Hazeldean had a voice in the
matter! Indeed, the relationship is so distant--it is not like being
her father; and Jemima is of age, and can do as she pleases; and--but,
as you say, it is quite proper that he should be consulted as the head
of the family."
DR RICCABOCCA.--"And you think that the Squire of Hazeldean might
reject my alliance! Pshaw! that's a grand word indeed;--I mean,
that he might object very reasonably to his cousin's marriage with
a foreigner, of whom he can know nothing, except that which in all
countries is disreputable, and is said in this to be criminal--poverty."
MRS DALE, (kindly.)--"You misjudge us poor English people, and you
wrong the Squire, heaven bless him! for we were poor enough when he
singled out my husband from a hundred for the minister of his parish,
for his neighbour and his friend. I will speak to him fearlessly--"
DR RICCABOCCA.--"And frankly. And now I have used that word, let me go
on with the confession which your kindly readiness, my fair friend,
somewhat interrupted. I said that if I might presume to think my
addresses would be acceptable to Miss Hazeldean and her family, I was
too sensible of her amiable qualities not to--not to--"
MRS DALE (with demure archness.)--"Not to be the happiest of
men--that's the customary English phrase, Doctor."
RICCABOCCA (gallantly.)--"There cannot be a better. But," continued he
seriously, "I wish it first to be understood that I have--been married
before."
MRS DALE (astonished.)--"Married before!"
RICCABOCCA.--"And that I have an only child, dear to me--inexpressibly
dear. That child, a daughter, has hitherto lived abroad; circumstances
now render it desirable that she should make her home with me. And I
own fairly that nothing has so attached me to Miss Hazeldean, nor so
induced my desire for our matrimonial connection, as my belief that she
has the heart and the temper to become a kind mother to my little one."
MRS DALE (with feeling and warmth.)--"You judge her, rightly there."
RICCABOCCA.--"Now, in pecuniary matters, as you may conjecture from my
mode of life, I have nothing to offer to Miss Hazeldean correspondent
with her own fortune, whatever that may be!"
MRS DALE.--"That difficulty is obviated by settling Miss Hazeldean's
fortune on herself, which is customary in such cases."
Dr Riccabocca's face lengthened. "And my child, then?" said he
feelingly. There was something in that appeal so alien from all sordid
and merely personal mercenary motives, that Mrs Dale could not have had
the heart to make the very rational suggestion--"But that child is not
Jemima's, and you may have children by her."
She was touched, and replied hesitatingly--"But, from what you and
Jemima may jointly possess, you can save something annually--you can
insure your life for your child. We did so when our poor child whom we
lost was born," (the tears rushed into Mrs Dale's eyes;) "and I fear
that Charles still insures his life for my sake, though heaven knows
that--that--"
The tears burst out. That little heart, quick and petulant though
it was, had not a fibre of the elastic muscular tissues which are
mercifully bestowed on the hearts of predestined widows. Dr Riccabocca
could not pursue the subject of life insurances further. But the
idea--which had never occurred to the foreigner before, though
so familiar to us English people when only possessed of a life
income--pleased him greatly. I will do him the justice to say, that he
preferred it to the thought of actually appropriating to himself and to
his child a portion of Miss Hazeldean's dower.
Shortly afterwards he took his leave, and Mrs Dale hastened to seek
her husband in his study, inform him of the success of her matrimonial
scheme, and consult him as to the chance of the Squire's acquiescence
therein. "You see," said she hesitatingly, "though the Squire might be
glad to see Jemima married to some Englishman, yet, if he asks who and
what is this Dr Riccabocca, how am I to answer him?"
"You should have thought of that before," said Mr Dale, with unwonted
asperity; "and, indeed, if I had ever believed anything serious could
come out of what seemed to me so absurd, I should long since have
requested you not to interfere in such matters." "Good heavens!"
continued the Parson, changing colour, "if we should have assisted,
underhand as it were, to introduce into the family of a man to whom
we owe so much, a connexion that he would dislike! how base we should
be!--how ungrateful!"
Poor Mrs Dale was frightened by this speech, and still more by her
husband's consternation and displeasure. To do Mrs Dale justice,
whenever her mild partner was really either grieved or offended, her
little temper vanished--she became as meek as a lamb. As soon as she
recovered the first shock she experienced, she hastened to dissipate
the Parson's apprehensions. She assured him that she was convinced
that, if the Squire disapproved of Riccabocca's pretensions, the
Italian would withdraw them at once, and Miss Hazeldean would never
know of his proposals. Therefore, in that case, no harm would be done.
This assurance coinciding with Mr Dale's convictions as to Riccabocca's
scruples on the point of honour, tended much to compose the good man;
and if he did not, as my reader of the gentler sex would from him, feel
alarm lest Miss Jemima's affections should have been irretrievably
engaged, and her happiness thus put in jeopardy by the Squire's
refusal, it was not that the Parson wanted tenderness of heart, but
experience in womankind; and he believed, very erroneously, that Miss
Jemima Hazeldean was not one upon whom a disappointment of that kind
would produce a lasting impression. Therefore Mr Dale, after a pause of
consideration, said kindly--
"Well, don't vex yourself--and I was to blame quite as much as you.
But, indeed, I should have thought it easier for the Squire to have
transplanted one of his tall cedars into his kitchen-garden, than for
you to inveigle Dr Riccabocca into matrimonial intentions. But a man
who could voluntarily put himself into the Parish Stocks for the sake
of experiment, must be capable of anything! However, I think it better
that I, rather than yourself, should speak to the Squire, and I will go
at once."