"'Gainst love's unerring arts there's no defence--
They wound the blockhead and the man of sense."
FAWKES.
The time was now arrived for Markham to renew his attention to
professional pursuits. His native air soon restored his health in all
its firmness and vigor; and he had been but a short time in London,
before he found that his temporary absence from England had not
materially interfered with his professional success. He had, indeed,
some reason to suppose that this absence, or circumstances connected
with it, had been the means of forwarding him in his profession.
Mr. Martindale had not yet arrived in town with his family; for after
leaving the sea-side he took them to Bath and Cheltenham, to both of
which places they were followed by the indefatigable Mr. Tippetson:
much to the annoyance of two parties--to that of Clara whom he pursued,
and to that of Miss Henderson whom he forsook. But Miss Henderson was
not in despair, though she began to tremble lest she might lose the
sweet gentleman to whom she had so liberally given her heart. But if
she might judge from past experience, the loss was likely to be soon
supplied. It has been stated that Signora Rivolta interfered with
and interrupted the correspondence between Clara and Miss Henderson;
but it is not to be imagined that Clara could in so many words tell
Miss Henderson that the correspondence must cease on account of the
absurdity of her part of it: some other excuse was therefore to be
found, and it was found accordingly. Now Miss Henderson could not help
thinking, and indeed who could in her situation? that Clara was about
to supplant her in the heart of Mr. Tippetson. This she thought was
very unkind; but it was the way of the world, and it was not the first
time that she had been so deceived. But as she was by no means of a
vindictive spirit, but rather addicted to the romantic, and as she
saw or thought she saw that Mr. Tippetson was about to leave her, it
occurred to her whimsical imagination that it would be an act of heroic
virtue and self-denial, if she should magnanimously and deliberately
and calmly surrender all interest in the heart and affections of Mr.
Tippetson, and make over and transfer the same to Clara Rivolta, to
have and to hold as her own to all intents and purposes.
As the voluminous, formal, and sentimental correspondence had been
declined on the part of Clara, but without any expression or intimation
of ill-will and ill-humor on either side, it did not appear that
there was any serious obstacle or impediment to sending or receiving
a letter as matters of business; for the friendship between the
parties had not been renounced, they had merely ceased a regular and
copious correspondence. Miss Henderson, therefore, in the heroism
and magnanimity of her soul, resolved to send an epistle to Clara,
surrendering in her favor the heart of Henry Augustus Tippetson. This
is a very rare specimen of resignation; so rare indeed, that though we
shall favor our readers with a copy of the letter, we rather give it
as a curiosity than as an example likely to be followed, or a pattern
which may in any probability be imitated. Such exalted generosity is
not common in those degenerate days; and it is very delightful and
refreshing amidst the selfishness with which we are surrounded on
all sides, to find so pure and delectable a specimen of grandeur and
sublimity of soul. The letter is as follows:
"Once more, my ever dear Clara Rivolta, I take my pen to address you,
and perhaps it may be for the last time. We are separated by distance
of place, and still more so by the cessation of a correspondence which
gave me at least infinite pleasure and inestimable benefit. As I can
no longer hope to receive your truly intellectual communications, I
read over and over again those most delightful and improving letters
with which you once condescended to honor me: and indeed it was a
condescension in you to stoop to let down your fine mind to correspond
with me. I feel I acknowledge your superiority; and not only do I
acknowledge and feel it, but it is manifest to others too. Tippetson
is your slave. Nay, start not, I repeat it, Tippetson is your slave. I
am well aware that I possess not powers of mind to retain him. Clara,
he is yours. Yes, my ever dear friend, Tippetson is yours. I surrender
him entirely, unreservedly, calmly. Do you doubt it, my Clara? Do you
distrust me? Oh, no, you cannot. See how steadily and firmly I write.
My hand trembles not; my cheeks burn not; no tear blots the paper; nor
do I repent what I have said, or wish it unsaid. Tippetson appreciates
your merits. You have the power to rule and charm his mind. The world
may call him frivolous, but can that be a frivolous or common-place
mind that can comprehend and rightly appreciate the superior mind
of Clara Rivolta? You, my dear friend, know that Tippetson is not
frivolous, that he has powers of mind far above the ordinary average
of human intellect. Take him, dear Clara, he is yours for ever. And
do not think that in thus surrendering him to you, I renounce your
friendship; nay, rather do I seem to have a stronger claim on it and
on your gratitude for this surrender. But I may not enlarge. I must
not endeavour to renew a correspondence, which you, no doubt for the
best of reasons, have declined. I have written by this day's post to
Tippetson to the same purport that I have written to you. May Heaven
bless you both with all imaginable happiness! Think nothing, I conjure
you, of the pain which this sacrifice has cost me, that is now over
and past. It is done. Every other consideration must give way to the
sanctity of friendship. Farewell, a long farewell.
"Ever and unchangeably yours,
"REBECCA HENDERSON."
This act of heroic generosity, flattering as it might have been
to the mind of Miss Henderson, admirable and beautiful as it may be
considered in itself, was not by any means pleasant or agreeable to
Clara. Could Miss Henderson have seen Clara's countenance while she
was reading the letter, or could she have heard Clara's remarks when
she had finished the letter, her vanity would not have been at all
gratified. Clara was very much mortified and vexed when she read that
part of the letter which referred to a communication addressed to Mr.
Tippetson: for thus was she threatened with immediate and unavoidable
persecution. The young gentleman had by habit become tolerable as an
acquaintance, but on a sudden and with such circumstances to become
a professed lover would be absolutely intolerable. For any thing
that Clara knew to the contrary, Miss Henderson might have given
Mr. Tippetson reason to suppose that his addresses had been all but
invited; so that the poor girl was in a most awkward and distressing
perplexity. There was, however, one piece of service which this letter
did for her, and that was, that by abruptly presenting and proposing
to her Mr. Tippetson as a lover, it prevented the young gentleman
more effectually from insinuating himself gradually and successfully
into her good graces. For as we have above observed that he had
become gradually more tolerable as an acquaintance, it is not to be
thought unlikely that he might make farther progress in her good
opinion. But whatever effect Miss Henderson's letter might produce
in the determinations and prospects of the young gentleman, it did
not by any means prompt him to an immediate avowal of his affection
for her, and that was some relief; but his attentions were continued
and unremitting, and against these Clara was more effectually on her
guard than she might have been, had she not received this fortunate
intimation from her friend.
We have not described Miss Henderson as a faultless model of the
fair sex, though peradventure some of our readers may imagine that
the instance which we have above related of her elevated generosity
is a specimen of very sublime virtue, and hardly compatible with any
but a faultless or almost faultless character. From this sublimity
we must however detract something by stating two important facts,
which somewhat let down the dignity and pure disinterestedness of the
surrender. The facts are these: that in the first place, Miss Henderson
had every reason to suppose that she had no chance of obtaining Mr.
Tippetson for herself; and that in the second place, fearing this
loss, she had provided herself with a new flame and a fresh object of
admiration in the person of Markham. It is very mortifying to think
that such is the weakness of our nature, such the constitution of
humanity, that we can scarcely ever quote a specimen of the greatness
of the human mind without being shocked by the vicinity of some
corresponding littleness. So it ever must be: mountains imply vallies;
and the higher the former, the deeper are the latter.
The circumstances which led to an acquaintance between Miss
Henderson and Horatio Markham were these. Markham, as we have said,
hastened to town after paying due respects to his friends in the
country, and set seriously to work to recover lost time. But though
the young gentleman was very diligent and assiduous in applying to
business, he did not let it so far occupy all his thoughts and all his
time as to omit an attendance at church. Like the rest of the world
who go to church, he was much better pleased with that which amuses
than with that which instructs; and though Mr. Henderson's chapel was
at an inconvenient distance from Markham's chambers, yet the young
gentleman was so partial to fine preaching, that he did not hesitate to
take a very long walk for the sake of hearing a very fine sermon. By
some accident, it so happened that he sat in the same seat which was
formerly occupied by Mr. Tippetson. When Mr. Tippetson had deserted
that seat, Miss Henderson thought that it looked very gloomy, and
her heart swelled nigh unto bursting; but when the seat was occupied
by Markham, that pew did not look so dreary. Markham was not so nice
a man as Mr. Tippetson, nor did he look so very earnestly at Miss
Henderson; but he did look at her once or twice, and that was better
than nothing. He was also very attentive to the preaching, and that
was a recommendation to Miss Henderson. Markham attended the chapel
regularly, and by degrees Miss Henderson thought him a very sensible
man; for she observed that, whenever any very splendid tropes, figures,
or metaphors, were uttered by her pa, the young gentleman looked
particularly well pleased. This raised him in her estimation very
highly; for she was certain that he was a man of taste as well as of
superior understanding. Sometimes, and on some occasions, Mr. Henderson
would be very pathetic; and on these occasions Miss Henderson discerned
that Markham was a man of feeling as well as taste. Her anxiety was
excited to know who this stranger could be. That curiosity was soon
gratified, and she learned that it was no other than Mr. Markham, the
rising young barrister, who was so remarkable for his judicious mode of
conducting his causes. Miss Henderson thought it could be no one else.
It was very gratifying to her that such a man as Markham should pay her
pa the compliment of attending so regularly at his chapel. She wished
in the fulness of her heart to express her sense of gratitude for
that compliment, and she did not know what reward was in her power to
bestow but her own self. But she could not make Mr. Markham an offer,
and he was not likely to offer himself till he had been introduced to
her acquaintance. It was not long before an opportunity was afforded
her of being introduced to this sensible young gentleman. They met,
as it is called, by accident, at the house of a mutual friend.
Markham was evidently received with distinguished attention. He was
listened to when he talked, and Miss Henderson was astonished at the
extent of his information and the soundness of his judgment. We have
already intimated that Markham was a little disposed to pedantry: when
therefore opportunity occurred of speaking of law, he was fluent and
copious in his talk; and when poetry was the subject of conversation,
he was eloquent on that topic also. His talk generally was much from
and concerning books. In youth that is very pardonable. Miss Henderson
thought it was altogether admirable, and was enraptured with the great
extent of erudition which the young gentleman displayed, and thought
what a pity it would be if so sensible a man as Mr. Markham should have
the misfortune to be captivated by some pretty-faced simpleton, and
so be cruelly destined to spend all his days with a woman not capable
of appreciating his merits, and without power or inclination to amuse
and delight his mind with intellectual talk and discussion. It was so
great a pity that there should be any danger of such calamity happening
to him, that Miss Henderson grew more and more anxious that he should
be placed out of the way of such calamity by becoming engaged to her,
whose intellect was of such superior order, and who could so well and
properly appreciate his excellencies, and by whose conversation his
spirits might be cheered and refreshed after the toils and labors of
the day. But the great difficulty was how to effect this engagement.
She could not ask him, nor could she ask him to ask her; but she could
and she did take very great pains to make herself agreeable: she echoed
all his remarks, and was ready with a smile for every thing that he
might say in the shape of or with pretension to wit: nay more, if he
had been disposed to be pathetic, she was ready with her tears and
sighs. Now Markham must have been downright rude and ungrateful had
he not returned attention with attention; and if Miss Henderson was
pleased to pay him compliments, it became him gratefully to acknowledge
those compliments. Clearly, therefore, the young lady began to hope
that some progress was made in his affections, or at least very soon
would be. It was not in her power to ask Mr. Markham to visit her pa;
but it was in her power to manage so to bring Mr. Henderson and Mr.
Markham together in this party, that an acquaintance might thereby
be formed between them. As Mr. Henderson was rather proud of his
pulpit performances, he readily accepted Markham's compliments, and he
expressed a wish to be better acquainted; and Miss Henderson took care
that the conversation should not drop here, but with great ingenuity
so contrived that they did not part that evening before Markham had
arranged to call on Mr. Henderson.