Harry had returned to his room when the surgeon, Mr Curtis, arrived.
"Pulse is not as satisfactory as I should have wished," he observed.
"We must keep you quiet, Mr Harry, and I must request you to remain in
your room till I see you again."
"What!" exclaimed Harry. "I thought of taking a ride to-morrow. I am
very anxious to go over to Downside."
"Totally out of the question, Mr Harry. You would very likely bring on
a fever, and I could not answer for the consequences."
"Have you seen the Miss Pembertons lately?" asked Harry.
"Yes. Miss Jane, though she generally considers her skill superior to
mine, sent for me to attend the young lady who lives with them, and I
suspect, Mr Harry, that you had something to do with her illness,
though I am happy to say there is nothing serious. She heard somewhat
abruptly of your having been attacked by the robbers, and it was said
that you had only just time to reach the hall and fall down in a dead
faint. When I assured her that you were in no danger at all, and would
soon recover if you followed my advice, she quickly got better, and I
hope to find her quite well when I next call."
"Though I may not ride, could I not drive there?" asked Harry. "I must
see her, or she may still be fancying that I am worse than is the case."
"Not with my leave, certainly," said the doctor. "I will take care to
let her know how you are getting on, and if, as I suspect, you are not
indifferent to the young beauty, I shall be happy to bring you any
message she may send you."
"I will write to her," exclaimed Harry. "I will not detain you long."
"No, no, my friend, I am happy to convey any verbal message, but must
decline being the carrier of written despatches. I might possibly hand
them to the wrong persons, and instead of a prescription which I had
intended to leave, some demure middle-aged maiden might find herself in
possession of a love letter. I know well enough all you have to say,
and trust me for making the young lady understand you."
"By-the-bye, have you seen Dame Halliburt? I wish to know how she and
her husband bear the loss of their son."
"She is about again, and both keep up their spirits in the hopes that
the lad will manage to make his escape from the smugglers, and return to
them before long. It is a sore trial for them though, as he was their
only remaining child."
"The doctor forgets May," thought Harry; and very naturally did not
mention her, by which he lost the opportunity of learning a fact which
might have been of considerable consequence to him.
The doctor as he went down saw Lady Castleton and Julia, and charged
them on no account to let Harry go out.
"I cannot be answerable for his life if he does," he observed, more,
perhaps, for the sake of inducing them to be firm on the subject than
because he had any apprehension of Harry's safety.
Sir Ralph kept to his resolution of going over to Downside. He set out
followed by his groom, both of them carrying pistols in their holsters,
while the baronet in addition wore a sword by his side, in case any of
the gang of ruffians who had attacked his son might set upon him.
The Miss Pembertons had in the meantime kept to their purpose of making
a will in favour of Maiden May. Mr Shallard arrived unexpectedly one
morning. They explained their views, and as there was nothing
intricate, he was able to draw it up at once, and Adam Halliburt and
their gardener, who had been sent for, acted as witnesses. Adam's
satisfaction at seeing his Maiden May thus amply provided for was very
great.
"God bless you, ladies," he exclaimed; "if there is anything that could
make me feel happy it is this."
"I remember your mentioning the little girl to me some years ago,"
observed Mr Shallard to Adam; "and I am afraid we have been remiss in
not making more efforts to ascertain to what family she can belong,
although the difficulties have increased by the length of time which has
elapsed. The expense, however, will, I fear, be considerable, though
really for the sake of so interesting a young lady I should be happy to
bear it."
"If it would prove to May's interest to discover her parents I would
also assist, and so would my sister Mary," said Miss Jane.
"We will see what can be done," said Mr Shallard, at length preparing
to take his departure. Just as he reached the hall door, Sir Ralph rode
up. "Good-day, Mr Shallard. What, have my good cousins been requiring
your services?"
"Had I called professionally I should have been bound not to reveal the
business even to you, my most respected client," answered the lawyer
evasively. "I trust you can give me a favourable account of Lieutenant
Castleton. We must hunt up the scoundrels who attacked him, but as yet
the myrmidons of justice have made no progress I fear."
"They have not, and the country is indeed in an unsatisfactory condition
when such outrages as have lately occurred can be perpetrated with
impunity," observed Sir Ralph.
Mr Shallard, however, not wishing to have any longer conversation with
the baronet, wished him "good morning," and rode off.
May had just been summoned to the drawing-room after the lawyer's
departure. She was seated by Miss Mary's side, engaged with her needle,
the light which streamed through the bay window falling on her fair
countenance, and showing the golden hue in her hair. Had she
intentionally placed herself in a position for appearing to the best
advantage, she could not have been more successful. Miss Jane was
seated nearer the door, when the baronet entered.
"Though your visits are rare we are glad to see you whenever you do
come, Sir Ralph," she said, rising and putting out her hand, which the
baronet lifted to his lips with his usual courtly politeness. "Here is
Sir Ralph, Mary," added Miss Jane.
Miss Mary rose as did May in a graceful way, standing with one hand on
the chair, as she felt an unusual trepidation seize her.
The baronet advanced, fixing his eyes on her, and then having pressed
Miss Mary's hand, he made her one of his most courtly bows.
"Let me introduce our young friend to you," said Miss Jane, who had
observed Sir Ralph's glance of admiration.
He was of too unbending a nature, however, to allow May's beauty to
alter his determination. He entered into conversation, however, with
the freedom of a man of the world, making the ladies believe that his
visit was only one of courtesy. His critical taste could not help being
satisfied with May's manners and the remarks she made, as much as it had
been by her beauty, and she began to feel that regard for him which she
naturally wished to have for the father of her intended husband.
The baronet, rising, said in a more formal tone than he had hitherto
used--
"I must beg of you, Miss Pemberton, a few minutes private conversation
before I bid you farewell."
"If you wish it we will go to the dining-room, or Mary and May will
leave us alone."
"Not on any account would I have them quit the drawing-room," answered
Sir Ralph, and stepping up to Miss Mary he lifted her hand to his lips,
bowing at the same time to May, with that courtesy which he considered
her beauty demanded, though his cold look gave her an unsatisfactory
feeling.
"I am obliged to you for allowing me an interview in private," he said,
as soon as he and Miss Jane were seated in the dining-room. "I wish to
make enquiries with regard to the young person residing with you, and
with whom, it appears, my son Harry has fallen in love. With all
respect to you you must be aware that I cannot consider a person in her
situation in any way a suitable wife for a son of mine, and though I do
not wish to throw blame upon you, I cannot help feeling that you have
been guilty of indiscretion, to use no stronger term, in allowing the
young people to meet in the way it appears they have done. I should
have expected, under the circumstances, that you would not have invited
him to the house, and had he called of his own accord would have kept
the young lady out of his way. I must therefore hold you responsible
for the consequences."
The tone of this address--so unlike that in which Sir Ralph had been
speaking in the drawing-room--took Miss Jane considerably aback; but she
was not to be easily brow-beaten even by her cousin.
"I am not conscious, Sir Ralph, of having acted in any way in which I
can blame myself," she answered, with as much dignity as she could
command. "We had no design when we expressed our pleasure at seeing
Harry at Downside, nor did we think of his falling in love with our
young friend."
"May I ask whether she is a relation, or to what family she belongs?"
asked Sir Ralph, abruptly.
"She is no relation, though we love her as one," said Miss Jane. "Has
not your son told you her history?"
"Not a word; he declined doing so," said the baronet.
"It is a very romantic one," answered Miss Jane, and she described the
way May had been rescued.
"Judging from her appearance, she may be of gentle birth," observed Sir
Ralph, "but the fact that her family have not been discovered tends to
prove the contrary, and nothing you have said alters my determination
not to sanction my son's marriage to a girl depending on charity for her
support."
"That alone interests us, and makes us more than ever ready to care for
her," said Miss Jane. "We have this very day left her all the property
we possess, or which may ever come to us, and she is therefore no longer
helpless and dependent, as you suppose."
"I should have concluded you would have wished to leave to the Castleton
family what originally came from them," remarked the baronet, with some
heat in his tone.
"That is not a matter I am disposed to discuss," said Miss Jane. "Your
daughter is, I conclude, well provided for, and we have not acted
contrary to the wishes of your son Harry, who is the only other person
we should have thought of making our heir."
"As you think fit--as you think fit," said the baronet. "I have only
now to request that you will inform your protege if she marries my son
Harry she will not be received by his mother or me as a daughter, and
will certainly justly compel us to discard him for his disobedience."
"Do you insist on my giving such a message to the poor girl?" asked Miss
Jane, feeling very indignant, but, at the same time, still hoping to
soften her cousin's heart.
"If you do not give it, I must myself. To tell you the truth, I came
here for that purpose. It is always better to settle matters of this
sort summarily."
"Oh!" said Miss Jane.
"Concluding that you will do as I request, I must wish you good
morning," said the baronet. "I have further to beg that you will not
admit my son into your house."
"I can make no promises," said Miss Jane. "I will, however, give your
harsh message to our young friend, though I cannot undertake to advise
her how to act. I regret, Sir Ralph, that the only visit with which you
have honoured us while at Texford has not terminated in a more
satisfactory manner to you and to ourselves."
Miss Jane did not even put out her hand, she felt too indignant with her
cousin at what she considered his harsh and cruel conduct. He turned
towards the door which she stepped forward and opened, accompanying him
through the hall. He, not forgetting his usual courteous manner, turned
and lifted his hat before descending the steps, at the bottom of which
his groom stood holding his horse.
No further words were exchanged between the cousins, and Sir Ralph rode
back to Texford satisfied at having exhibited his resentment to the only
person on whom he could fix it, and, as he hoped, put an end to any
further intercourse between his son and Maiden May.