|I thought I should be required as an important witness in the inquiry
which I understood is going on here,” said Emmeline, stepping quickly
forward, “so I have come to give my evidence.”
“You are too late, my love,” said Lady Thicknesse. “The inquiry is
over.”
“Has it ended satisfactorily?” asked Emmeline.
“Not to me,” replied Chetwynd. “Your cousin Scrope has endeavoured to
show that if you had not intentionally been kept in the dark as to
certain matters, you would not have entered into an engagement which he
holds to be utterly unworthy of you. Nor has he acknowledged his error,
though every assurance has been given him that he is mistaken.”
“Will my amiable but incredulous cousin accept my assurance to the same
effect?” observed Emmeline. “He shakes his head, and declines to answer.
He is, therefore, out of court. Nevertheless, I will tell him, and all
who choose to listen to me, that Mr. Chetwynd Calverley has behaved in
the most honourable manner, and has concealed nothing from me. I will
also tell my proud cousin, and he may make what use he pleases of
the information, that I have engaged myself to as good a gentleman as
himself, and that nothing that he or any one else can say will induce me
to break my promise.”
“Thank you, from my heart!” said Chetwynd.
“Now is your time to speak, if you have anything to say,” observed
Emmeline to her cousin.
But Scrope shrugged his shoulders, and declined the challenge.
“Then I will tell you one thing, which you don't know, and, perhaps,
won't believe when you are told it,” said Emmeline. “Chetwynd himself
proposed to go through a period of probation before our engagement took
place: and he readily agreed that the marriage should be deferred for a
year. Will that content you?”
“I should be better pleased if it were postponed altogether!” muttered
Scrope.
“Let me say a word for my friend Chetwynd,” interposed Sir Bridgnorth.
“As yet, it is somewhat early to declare that he has reformed, but I
sincerely believe in his professions, and I feel persuaded he will carry
them out.”
“I won't disappoint you, Sir Bridgnorth!” said Chetwynd, earnestly.
“I have entire confidence in you,” rejoined the baronet.
“And so have I,” said Lady Thicknesse. “I am so well satisfied with
the explanation that has taken place, that I give my full consent to
Emmeline's engagement.”
“I am delighted to hear you say so, dearest aunt!” cried the young
lady. “You make me quite happy. It would have grieved me to incur your
displeasure. I don't care a bit about Scrope!”
“Won't you even give me credit for the desire to serve you?” said
Scrope.
“No. I am displeased by your uncalled-for interference. You do more harm
than good!”
“Before deciding against my friend Chetwynd, Scrope,” said Sir
Bridgnorth, “you ought to give him a fair trial.”
“That is all I desire,” remarked Chetwynd. “Six months hence, if I have
not proved myself worthy of Emmeline, I will retire from the field.”
“I take you at your word,” said Scrope. “Am I to decide the point?”
“No; because you have shown yourself unfair and ungenerous,” said
Emmeline.
At this juncture, Captain Danvers entered the room, and uttered an
exclamation of surprise on seeing so many persons present.
“I wondered where you all were,” he said. “What important affair have
you been discussing?55
“A marriage!” replied Lady Thicknesse.
“And everybody, except Scrope, is pleased with it!” said Emmeline.
“Oh, never mind him!” remarked the captain. “He'll come round to the
general opinion.”
“Don't be too sure of that!” said Scrope.
“Ten to one you come round before a month!” said his brother.
“Done!” rejoined Scrope.
“I wish I could bet!” said Emmeline. “I'd lay fifty to one that in less
than a week Scrope will own his mistake, and ask my pardon!”
“I'll back you!55 said Sir Bridgnorth, looking at Scrope.
“Taken!” rejoined that person.
“And now let us go up-stairs,” said Lady Thicknesse.
“Not to the drawing-room, dear aunt,” rejoined Captain Danvers.
“Why not there?” inquired her ladyship, surprised.
“Because we should interrupt a very tender interview,” said the captain.
“Lord Courland and Mrs. Calverley are in the drawing-room, dear aunt.”
“I should think the affair must be settled by this time,” observed
Scrope.
“Give them another quarter of an hour,” said the captain.
The proposition was unanimously agreed to.
That morning, Mrs. Calverley's lady's-maid, Laura, had delivered to
her mistress a little _billet doux_ from Lord Courland, entreating the
favour of a private interview.
The request was granted, and, through the instrumentality of Mr.
Higgins, who was consulted by Laura, it was arranged that the meeting
should take place in the drawing-room, the obliging butler undertaking
that the pair should not be interrupted.
Never had the charming widow looked more beautiful than on that morning.
As she sat in the drawing-room awaiting Lord Cour-land's appearance,
her breast swelled with triumph, and her eyes shone with more than their
customary splendour.
Great pains had been taken with her toilette by Laura, who assured her,
with a smile, that she looked enchanting, and added that there was not
another person in the house to be compared with her.
The fair widow believed what was said, and might be excused for doing
so under the circumstances, since she had at once carried off the grand
prize from those whom she regarded as competitors.
Lord Courland was enraptured when he beheld her.
He did not throw himself literally at her feet when the discreet
Higgins, who had ushered him into the room, had retired, but he
manifested all the ardour of an impassioned lover.
He gave utterance to a few expressions of delight as he sat down beside
her on the sofa, and pressed her hand to his lips, but his looks were
far more eloquent than his words.