Miss Mary, led by May, was taking a stroll after breakfast, when Harry
arrived.
"We shall be truly glad to see your mother as she so seldom visits us,"
said Miss Mary, mildly; "and as I hope she and Julia will stop to take
luncheon, I will go in and order preparations, for Jane is out visiting
at some cottages in the neighbourhood and may not be back just yet. As
I suppose you do not wish to be idle, pray, if you feel disposed, go on
in the meantime with the grotto, and May will, I daresay, be glad to
assist you."
Harry, after his conversation with Headland, had been more observant
than usual of May's behaviour. A blush suffused her cheeks as Miss Mary
said this, and as her eyes met Harry's he was convinced that she had no
disinclination to do what Miss Mary proposed.
Accordingly, after they had attended Miss Mary to the house, they went
together, Harry carrying a fresh basket of shells brought up by Jacob on
the previous evening. May was more silent than usual, though she
answered when Harry spoke to her in that soft tone he so much delighted
to hear, which she had learned from Miss Mary rather than from her elder
sister.
Harry at length made a remark which caused her to reply.
"I am thinking of the visit we are to receive from Lady Castleton and
your sister, and I confess that I feel somewhat nervous."
"Why so?" asked Harry.
May looked up in his face but did not answer.
"Do you fancy they can do otherwise than admire you, and think you all
that is sweet, and charming, and excellent, and loveable as I do, May,"
and he took her hand which she did not withdraw, though her eyes were
cast down, and the blush deepened on her cheeks. "Oh, May, I did not
intend to say so much, but I had resolved to tear myself from you unless
I could hope that you were not indifferent to me."
"Harry," said May, trying to calm her agitation; she had always before
called him Mr Harry, "I was thinking of your mother's proposed visit,
and afraid lest she should believe that I was the cause of your frequent
visits to Downside. Knowing, as I do, the pride of your family, I
feared that you might be induced to give up your visits here; and oh,
Harry, that we might be parted."
"No, no, May," exclaimed Harry, letting all his sober resolutions fly to
the wind, and pressing more lovingly her hand. "My parents, even should
they wish to do so, have no right to insist on my giving up one against
whom they cannot allege a single fault. The circumstance of your birth
ought not to be an impediment, and believe me, May, with all the desire
I possess to be an obedient son, I could not be influenced by such a
reason. I do not invite you to share poverty with me, for I have
already an ample income to support a wife, and as I need not ask my
father for a single shilling, I do not think he will have any just
reason to oppose my wishes."
"Harry," said May, "I own I love you, but I must not run any risk of
creating dissension between you and your parents. That and that alone
can prevent me from giving you my hand as you already have my heart. I
have been told of a sad history of a member of your own family, your
father's brother, who, against his parent's wishes, married a young lady
to whom they objected on account of her birth, and he was banished from
his home ever afterwards, living an exile in foreign lands. I should
fear that your father and mother would look upon me as an unfit match
for you, and discard you, should you persist in marrying me."
"You speak of my uncle Ronald," exclaimed Harry, "who married, I am
told, a very lovely girl, and simply because she could not trace her
pedigree to the same stock as the Castletons, my grandfather refused to
receive her as his daughter-in-law, and my uncle, rather than subject
her to the annoyance to which she might have been exposed at home, took
her abroad. Surely my father, after he has seen the consequence of the
harsh treatment his brother received, would not behave in the same way
to me; besides, you know, he is my father's eldest brother, and it is
not at all certain that he is dead, so that he may some day return and
claim the baronetcy and Texford, and if so, I shall be but a younger
brother's youngest son, and no one need trouble their heads who I marry.
But, my dear May, if I wore a ducal coronet, you would be the richest
prize I could wish for to grace it; though do not suppose, though I
would rather, for the sake of avoiding difficulties, be of the humblest
birth, that I consider you unworthy of filling the highest rank in the
realm."
May had never told Harry that she was not Dame Halliburt's daughter.
Why she had not done so she might even have found it difficult to say.
At first, a feeling of modest reserve had prevented her from speaking
about herself. The Miss Pembertons, in their simplicity, had not
thought it likely that Harry would fall in love with her, merely by
coming a few times to the house, if he supposed her to be Adam
Halliburt's daughter; but they had sufficient worldly wisdom to know
that should they excite his interest by telling him her romantic
history, he, in all probability, would be moved by it. May herself,
however, now felt she ought not longer to conceal the fact from him. It
could not fail to be a satisfaction to him, as both the ladies and her
foster-parents were fully convinced that she was of gentle birth. She
was on the point of telling him when Susan hurried up with the
information that Lady Castleton's carriage had just driven to the door.
The young people had not marked how rapidly the time had gone by.
May suddenly felt even more agitated than before. Harry's declaration,
though delightful, was not calculated to prepare her for receiving his
mother and sister with the self-possession and calmness she would have
wished to exhibit.
"Do, Harry, go in first, and I will come into the drawing-room as soon
as I can compose myself. You have made me very happy, but I must be
alone for a few minutes before I can meet any one."
They returned to the house together. Susan had gone on before.
Lady Castleton and Julia had been for some time seated in the
drawing-room when Harry entered.
"I am glad to find Harry makes himself so useful to you," observed Lady
Castleton to Miss Jane, as he took his seat near Julia, who was talking
to Miss Mary.
"Yes, indeed, we are much obliged to him, and hope to have the pleasure
of showing his handiwork to you after luncheon," answered Miss Jane.
"He and the young friend residing with us have done nearly the whole of
the ornamental part of the work, and have exhibited a great deal of
skill and taste."
Harry overheard the remark, and feared that his mother would inquire who
the young friend was; but she observed instead--
"It is a great thing when naval officers are on shore if they can find
employment. So few care for field sports, and as my brother, Captain
Fancourt, observes, they too generally fall in love with some fair face
and marry, and then have speedily to go off, and leave their young wives
to pine in solitude, often for long years."
Harry dreaded what next might be said.
"Ah, they are greatly to be pitied," observed Miss Jane.
"My mother will be sure to suspect me the moment she enters," thought
Harry. "I almost wish that I had not persuaded her to come here; and
yet she cannot but be satisfied with my choice; she and Julia must love
May the moment they see her."
Harry tried to join in the conversation which Miss Mary and Julia were
carrying on. Julia had always liked their blind cousin, and now exerted
herself to amuse her, mentioning only such subjects as she thought would
do so. Harry found, however, that his remarks were not very relevant.
Miss Mary was more surprised than Julia. At last he got up and went to
the window, whence he could watch the door.
At length it opened, and Lady Castleton and Julia turned their heads as
May glided into the room. Both instinctively rose from their seats as
Miss Jane introduced her as "a friend who is living with us."
They bowed, and, taking their seats, continued their conversation, while
May took a chair a little on one side between where Harry was standing
and his mother and sister.
They both looked at her several times, and Harry observed that their
countenances exhibited surprise, and he believed at the same time no
small amount of admiration.
At last Julia, drawing her chair a little back, addressed May, and asked
if she had been long at Hurlston.
"Yes, ever since I was a child," was the answer.
"May has resided with us several years, and a great blessing and comfort
she has proved to me especially," observed Miss Mary.
Julia looked more puzzled than ever. More than once she glanced up at
Harry, who now came forward and took a seat near May.
"I was not aware that you had any guest in your house," said Julia; "but
I hope we shall now have the pleasure of frequently meeting each other,"
and she looked towards May with a slight bow.
"It will give me very great pleasure to see you, Miss Castleton," said
May, who, in spite of her efforts, found herself blushing whenever she
spoke, conscious as she was, too, that Lady Castleton was watching her
from the other side of the room.
Though she would have liked to talk to Julia, she wished that Miss Mary
would again engage her in conversation. Julia, on her part, was
somewhat puzzled what to say without appearing rudely inquisitive, and
yet she was eager to know who the beautiful young creature could be who
had been so long living with her cousins; possibly she was some orphan
whom they had protected.
At this juncture luncheon was announced. Miss Jane conducted Lady
Castleton into the dining-room, telling Harry to take care of his
sister, while May, as usual led Miss Mary.
"What a beautiful creature; who is she?" whispered Julia, looking up in
her brother's face.
"I knew you would admire her," he answered, evasively, meeting her
glance, without as he hoped betraying himself. "Our cousins consider
her as excellent in every way as she is lovely."
"But what do you think of her?" asked his sister.
"My eyes are not more penetrating than yours: you shall form your own
opinion before I reply."
They entered the dining-room before Julia could make any further remark.
May attended to Miss Mary with all the calmness she could command,
though she felt that Julia's and Lady Castleton's eyes were fixed on her
all the time.
Harry exerted himself with considerable success to entertain his cousins
and their guests. He could not help wishing, however, that his mother
and sister would take their departure as soon as they had seen the
garden, for he longed to be again alone with May, and he dreaded lest
they might ask their cousins who the beautiful young stranger was. He
wished them to admire her first, and he was sure she could not fail to
win their admiration, and that they would then be less unwilling than
might otherwise be the case to receive her as his promised wife. He
would not, indeed, allow himself to see the difficulties which would
certainly arise directly they learned who she was; nor could he bring
himself to believe that, however great might be their admiration, it
would vanish immediately the truth was known. Though May spoke but
little, her voice was sweet and musical, and what she said showed her
sense and judgment.
After luncheon, Miss Jane invited Lady Castleton and Julia to walk
through the grounds, and to see their grotto.
"And is this all your doing, Harry?" asked his mother, after they had
admired the grotto and its surrounding rock-work, with the clear pool of
water shaded by lofty wide-spreading trees.
"Only partly; I did not originate the designs, to that young lady is due
all the credit which they deserve," he answered, looking at May. "I had
merely acted as a workman under her superintendence."
"I must not allow the merit they possess to be given to me; Mr
Castleton suggested and executed many of the designs," said May,
heartily wishing that the ladies had not brought their guests to see the
grotto at all.
Lady Castleton was evidently more than ever puzzled. Knowing the world
she was now very certain that this fair stranger was her son's chief
attraction to Downside, and determined to cross-question him on the
first opportunity.
They returned to the house where, after sitting a few minutes, Lady
Castleton begged that her carriage might be ordered. As Harry handed
his mother into it, she said quietly--"I am not surprised that you take
so much interest in grotto building. You will follow us soon, I hope."
"Oh yes," answered Harry, telling the coachman to drive on. "We shall
have time for a little more work," he said, entering the hall where Miss
Jane stood watching her departing guests. May resumed her hat and
accompanied him to the grotto.
"I feel as if I was acting the hypocrite to my kind friends. I ought to
tell them, Harry, and not allow you to come here under false pretences."
"They cannot object to my coming even though you are the attraction. We
will tell them at once."
May and Harry, as may be supposed, did very little work; they would
probably have been less successful than usual had they attempted it.
At length his watch told him that it was nearly time to return to
Texford. They went into the house and found the ladies in the
drawing-room. May sat down next to Miss Mary and took her hand.
"I ought to lose no time in telling you what has occurred," she said,
trying to maintain her calmness. "Mr Castleton has asked me to marry
him."
"My dear!" exclaimed the two Miss Pembertons, in different keys, Miss
Jane fixing her eyes on Harry.
"What have you said in reply?" asked Miss Mary.
"Do you suppose that I could refuse him."
"I see, my dear, that you have not," observed Miss Jane, "judging from
his countenance. We love you both, and I am sure no two young people
could be better suited to each other. But when we invited Harry here we
did not dream of such a result. Have you both considered well the
consequences."
Yes, Harry declared that he had thought them over seriously.
"At all events, cousin Jane," he exclaimed, jumping up and taking her
hand, "you and cousin Mary will not object to my continuing to come
here."
"You know we ought to do so should your father and mother not approve of
your intentions."
Harry replied that now his mother and sister had seen May, they could
not fail to love her.
"Of that I have no doubt," whispered Miss Mary, pressing May's hand.
Miss Jane was less sanguine. Still they would be happy to see Harry
until Sir Ralph prohibited his coming.
Harry continuing to refuse to see any clouds in the horizon, rode home
rejoicing that he had won Maiden May.