Harry had paid several visits to Downside. The old ladies welcomed him
cordially, and were much pleased at the interest he took in their
grotto.
"It got on rapidly," they observed, with the assistance he so kindly
gave May. She received him as a relative of the ladies without
supposing that had she not been his fellow-labourer he might not have
taken so great an interest in the work. Frequently Miss Jane and Miss
Mary were present, but sometimes they sent May and Harry by themselves,
and only followed when at leisure. Those moments were very delightful
to the young people. They did not perhaps hurry on with the grotto as
fast as they might otherwise have done, and when the ladies arrived they
had not always made much progress. Yet Harry believed that he said
nothing to May which he would not have been willing for his cousins to
hear, and probably had he been accused of making love to the fisherman's
daughter, he would indignantly have denied that he was doing so. She
did not stop to enquire why she felt unusually dull when he did not
come, or why her ear was so eagerly on the watch for the sound of his
horse's hoofs at the hour he generally arrived.
Every day Harry fancied that he had discovered new graces in her mind,
and the slight degree of rusticity which he might have first detected
when he compared her with his sister Julia, had entirely worn off. In
person he thought her faultless.
Harry was anxious that his mother and sister should see May without
knowing who she was--he was sure that the Miss Pembertons would be
pleased at receiving a visit from them, and he was in hopes that he
might be able to induce them to call without showing his anxiety that
they would do so. He made no secret at home of his visits to Downside,
observing that the Miss Pembertons had employed him to ornament a shell
grotto for them, and as he hated to be idle, he was very glad to find
employment suited to his taste, and at the same time to do anything to
please the kind old ladies.
Sir Ralph had been called to London on political business, and was
likely to remain some time away. Most of the visitors had left Texford.
Those who remained were able to amuse themselves, and did not require
the attention of their host and hostess. Captain Headland, being looked
upon as Harry's guest, was quite independent. Lady Castleton was
therefore more at liberty than she had been for some time.
"By-the-bye, mother, you should drive over some day and call on our
cousins, and see the grotto. They will be much pleased, I am sure, with
the visit, and will be delighted to show you over the garden, which is a
perfect gem in its way."
"I confess that we have somewhat neglected our cousins, but your father
was annoyed with the way Jane spoke to him, and was afraid that she
might come here oftener than would be agreeable, so that he begged me
not to encourage her," said Lady Castleton. "However, as she has shown
no inclination to do that, he will not object to my calling again, and
Julia and I will drive over there to-morrow."
"I am sure they will be pleased to see you, and I will go on ahead, and
let them know that you are coming, lest by any chance they may have
thought of going out," said Harry, well pleased that his suggestion had
been taken.
"You appear to be very fond of the old ladies, Harry," observed his
mother.
"They are kind good creatures, and are so pleased to see me that I
cannot help liking them," and Harry turned away, lest further
observations might be made.
Although he was unwilling to mention May to his mother and sister, and
still more so to his brother, he did not hesitate to speak of her to
Headland.
"But, my dear Harry, have you well considered what will be the
consequence of your frequent interviews with this beautiful young
creature?" asked his friend. "You appear already to have lost your
heart, and what will be the effect of your attentions on her?"
Harry was what he would have called taken aback at the question.
"You are right in supposing that I have lost my heart, but if I know
what love is, I believe that I love her as sincerely and devotedly as a
man can love a girl. Had she been uneducated and living with her father
and mother, I would not have attempted to see her again. When I found
her as lady-like and refined as the best born in the land can be, I
could not resist my cousin's invitation, and, I own, yielded to her
attractions without considering the consequences. Still, whatever may
be my feelings, I have done my utmost not to exhibit them, and she
receives me so calmly and modestly, simply as a visitor to the Miss
Pembertons, while she appears so unconscious of her own beauty, that I
am not vain enough to suppose her feelings are in any way interested in
me."
"I am a person of little experience with regard to women's hearts," said
Headland; "but it strikes me that a country girl wholly unaccustomed to
the society of gentlemen is very likely, in spite of all your caution,
to be more interested in you than you may in your modesty suppose.
Whatever your cousins, who, from your account, must be unusually
simple-minded, unworldly ladies, may think, their young protege may
suspect that you would not come over every day for the sole purpose of
working at their grotto, and may have a suspicion that she herself is
the attraction."
"Indeed, I believe I like them so much, that had they asked me to come
and make a grotto for them, I would have done so even if Miss Halliburt
had not been with them!" exclaimed Harry. "Though I confess that the
pleasure is enhanced by working with her."
"It may be so, Harry," said Headland. "But if Miss Halliburt is there,
and you admire her so warmly, can you sufficiently conceal your
admiration as to convince her that she is not the attraction, and if you
did so, might she not be unconsciously piqued by wishing to bring you to
her feet."
"She is too pure and simple-minded to do anything of the sort!"
exclaimed Harry in an indignant tone. "If I find I have gained her
affections, I will offer her my hand, and stand the consequences. I
shall feel that I am in honour bound to do so; indeed I should be
utterly miserable if, conscious that I possessed her love, I was
compelled to give her up."
"My dear Harry, it is not for a man of unknown birth like myself to warn
you against the consequences of a misalliance; but you tell me that the
Castletons are a proud race, and that your father and brother are like
the rest of the family. You cannot for a moment suppose that they would
be otherwise than indignant were you to propose to marry this girl,
charming and beautiful as she may be. And I am afraid that your mother
and sister, though they might be pleased with her, would strongly oppose
your wishes."
"I should have hopes of winning them over. Algernon has no right to
interfere, and I do not think he would; and my father, proud as he is,
has so great an admiration for female beauty, that I believe were he to
see May, he would be compelled to acknowledge I had ample excuse for
wishing her to become my wife."
"I trust it may be so, Harry," said Headland. "I have spoken to you as
I felt bound to do as one of your oldest friends, and as I know you to
be thoroughly honourable and right-minded you would not be the cause of
pain and disappointment to any woman, especially to the young and
innocent creature you admire so much."
"I am grateful to you, Headland, indeed I am," exclaimed Harry, taking
his friend's hand. "I should have been wiser had I not spoken a second
time to Miss Halliburt, but I am sure that I should have been less than
human had I not done so. The fact is, my dear fellow, I am in for it.
But I will remember your warning, and, for her sake rather than my own,
not make love to her, and then, at all events, I shall have to suffer
alone, should insuperable difficulties to our marrying arise."
Though Headland had spoken thus frankly and faithfully to Harry, Harry,
from delicacy, could not bring himself to speak in the same way to his
friend. He felt very sure that Headland admired Julia, and from what
she had said, he fully suspected the secret of her heart. Would not his
father, however, object as much to Julia marrying Headland as he would
to his marrying the fisher-girl. The cases were, however, very
different. Headland, though of unknown birth, had gained a position for
himself, and Captain Fancourt had written in the highest terms of him,
and would, he thought, support his suite if he proposed. Still he was
too well acquainted with his father's proud unyielding temper not to
fear that in either case there would be difficulties to contend with.
Headland had already made a considerable sum in prize money, so that the
only objection which could possibly be raised against him was his
ignorance of his family.
Harry trusted that as he himself was a younger son, his father might not
object so much as he would have done, had Algernon been in his place.
This gave him some slight hopes that the difficulties which he knew must
arise would finally be overcome. At all events, as long as the Miss
Pembertons wished him to come to their house, he arrived at the
conclusion that he was perfectly justified in going there.