They returned to the lodge at an early hour, and Mrs Wilson, after
meditating upon the course she ought to take, resolved to have a
conversation with her brother that evening after supper. Accordingly, as
they were among the last to retire, she mentioned her wish to detain
him, and when left by themselves, the baronet taking his seat by her on
a sofa, she commenced as follows, willing to avoid her unpleasant
information until the last moment.
"I wished to say something to you, brother, relating to my charge: you
have, no doubt, observed the attentions of Mr. Denbigh to Emily?"
"Certainly, sister, and with great pleasure; you must not suppose I wish
to interfere with the authority I have so freely relinquished to you,
Charlotte, when I inquire if Emily favors his views or not?"
"Neither Emily nor I, my dear brother, wish ever to question your right,
not only to inquire into, but to control the conduct of your child;--she
is yours, Edward, by a tie nothing can break, and we both love you too
much to wish it. There is nothing you may be more certain of, than that,
without the approbation of her parents, Emily would accept of no offer,
however splendid or agreeable to her own wishes."
"Nay, sister, I would not wish unduly to influence my child in an affair
of so much importance to herself; but my interest in Denbigh is little
short of that I feel for my daughter."
"I trust," continued Mrs. Wilson, "Emily is too deeply impressed with
her duty to forget the impressive mandate, 'to honor her father and
mother:' yes, Sir Edward, I am mistaken if she would not relinquish the
dearest object of her affections, at your request; and at the same time,
I am persuaded she would, under no circumstances, approach the altar
with a man she did not both love and esteem."
The baronet did not appear exactly to understand his sister's
distinction, as he observed, "I am not sure I rightly comprehend the
difference you make, Charlotte."
"Only, brother, that she would feel that a promise made at the altar to
love a man she felt averse to, or honor one she could not esteem, as a
breach of a duty, paramount to all earthly considerations," replied his
sister; "but to answer your question--Denbigh has never offered, and
when he does, I do not think he will be refused."
"Refused!" cried the baronet, "I sincerely hope not; I wish, with all my
heart, they were married already."
"Emily is very young," said Mrs. Wilson, "and need not hurry: I was in
hopes she would remain single a few years longer."
"Well," said the baronet, "you and Lady Moseley, sister, have different
notions on the subject of marrying the girls."
Mrs. Wilson replied, with a good-humored smile, "you have made Anne so
good a husband, Ned, that she forgets there are any bad ones in the
world; my greatest anxiety is, that the husband of my niece may be a
Christian; indeed, I know not how I can reconcile it to my conscience,
as a Christian myself, to omit this important qualification,"
"I am sure, Charlotte, both Denbigh and Egerton appear to have a great
respect for religion; they are punctual at church, and very attentive to
the service:" Mrs. Wilson smiled as he proceeded, "but religion may come
after marriage, you know."
"Yes, brother, and I know it may not come at all; no really pious woman
can be happy, without her husband is in what she deems the road to
future happiness himself; and it is idle--it is worse--it is almost
impious to marry with a view to reform a husband: indeed, she greatly
endangers her own safety thereby; for few of us, I believe, but find the
temptation to err as much as we can contend with, without calling in the
aid of example against us, in an object we love; indeed it appears to
me, the life of such a woman must be a struggle between conflicting
duties."
"Why," said the baronet, "if your plan were generally adopted, I am
afraid it would give a deadly blow to matrimony."
"I have nothing to do with generals, brother, I am acting for individual
happiness, and discharging individual duties: at the same time I cannot
agree with you in its effects on the community. I think no man who
dispassionately examines the subject, will be other than a Christian;
and rather than remain bachelors, they would take even that trouble; if
the strife in our sex were less for a husband, wives would increase in
value."
"But how is it, Charlotte," said the baronet, pleasantly, "your sex do
not use your power and reform the age?"
"The work of reformation, Sir Edward," replied his sister, gravely, "is
an arduous one indeed, and I despair of seeing it general, in my day;
but much, very much, might be done towards it, if those who have the
guidance of youth would take that trouble with their pupils that good
faith requires of them, to discharge the minor duties of life."
"Women ought to marry," observed the baronet, musing.
"Marriage is certainly the natural and most desirable state for a
woman," but how few are there who, having entered it, know how to
discharge its duties; more particularly those of a mother! On the
subject of marrying our daughters, for instance, instead of qualifying
them to make a proper choice, they are generally left to pick up such
principles and opinions as they may come at, as it were by chance. It is
true, if the parent be a Christian in name, certain of the externals of
religion are observed; but what are these, if not enforced by a
consistent example in the instructor?"
"Useful precepts are seldom lost, I believe, sister," said Sir Edward,
with confidence.
"Always useful, my dear brother; but young people are more observant
than we are apt to imagine, and are wonderfully ingenious in devising
excuses to themselves for their conduct. I have often heard it offered
as an apology, that father or mother knew it, or perhaps did it, and
therefore it could not be wrong: association is all-important to a
child."
"I believe no family of consequence admits of improper associates within
my knowledge," said the baronet.
Mrs. Wilson smiled as she answered, "I am sure I hope not, Edward; but
are the qualifications we require in companions for our daughters,
always such as are most reconcileable with our good sense or our
consciences; a single communication with an objectionable character is a
precedent, if known and unobserved, which will be offered to excuse
acquaintances with worse persons: with the other sex, especially, their
acquaintance should be very guarded and select."
"You would make many old maids, sister."
"I doubt it greatly, brother; it would rather bring female society in
demand. I often regret that selfishness, cupidity, and the kind of
strife which prevails in our sex, on the road to matrimony, have brought
celibacy into disrepute. For my part, I never see an old maid, but I am
willing to think she is so from choice or principle, and although not in
her proper place, serviceable, by keeping alive feelings necessary to
exist, that marriages may not become curses instead of blessings."
"A kind of Eddystone, to prevent matrimonial shipwrecks," said the
brother, gayly.
"Their lot may be solitary, baronet, and in some measure cheerless, but
infinitely preferable to a marriage that may lead them astray from their
duties, or give birth to a family which are to be turned on the world--
without any religion but form--without any morals but truisms--or
without even a conscience which has not been seared by indulgence. I
hope that Anne, in the performance of her system, will have no cause to
regret its failure."
"Clara chose for herself, and has done well, Charlotte; and so, I doubt
not, will Jane and Emily: and I confess I think their mother is right."
"It is true," said Mrs. Wilson, "Clara has done well, though under
circumstances of but little risk; she might have jumped into your fish-
pond, and escaped with life, but the chances are she would drown: nor do
I dispute the right of the girls to choose for themselves; but I say the
rights extend to requiring us to qualify them to make their choice. I am
sorry, Edward, to be the instigator of doubts in your breast of the
worth of any one, especially as it may give you pain." Here Mrs. Wilson
took her brother affectionately by the hand, and communicated what she
had overheard that evening. Although the impressions of the baronet were
not as vivid, or as deep as those of his sister, his parental love was
too great not to make him extremely uneasy under the intelligence and
after thanking her for her attention to his children's welfare, he
kissed her, and withdrew. In passing to his own room, he met Egerton,
that moment returned from escorting the Jarvis ladies to their lodgings;
a task he had undertaken at the request of Jane, as they were without
any male attendant. Sir Edward's heart was too full not to seek
immediate relief, and as he had strong hopes of the innocence of the
colonel, though he could give no reason for his expectation, he returned
with him to the parlor, and in a few words acquainted him with the
slanders which had been circulated at his expense; begging him by all
means to disprove them as soon as possible. The colonel was struck with
the circumstance at first, but assured Sir Edward, it was entirely
untrue. He never played, as he might have noticed, and that Mr. Holt was
an ancient enemy of his. He would in the morning take measures to
convince Sir Edward, that he stood higher in the estimation of his
uncle, than Mr. Holt had thought proper to state. Much relieved by this
explanation, the baronet, forgetting that this heavy charge removed, he
only stood where he did before he took time for his inquiries, assured
him, that if he could convince him, or rather his sister, he did not
gamble, he would receive him as a son-in-law with pleasure. The
gentlemen shook hands and parted.
Denbigh had retired to his room early, telling Mr. Benfield he did not
feel well, and thus missed the party at supper; and by twelve, silence
prevailed in the house.
As usual after a previous day of pleasure, the party were late in
assembling on the following, yet Denbigh was the last who made his
appearance. Mrs. Wilson thought he threw a look round the room as he
entered, which prevented his making his salutations in his usual easy
and polished manner. In a few minutes, however, his awkwardness was
removed, and they took their seats at the table. At that moment the door
of the room was thrown hastily open, and Mr. Jarvis entered abruptly,
and with a look bordering on wildness in his eye--"Is she not here?"
exclaimed the merchant scanning the company closely.
"Who?" inquired all in a breath.
"Polly--my daughter--my child," said the merchant, endeavoring to
control his feelings; "did she not come here this morning with Colonel
Egerton?"
He was answered in the negative, and he briefly explained the cause of
his anxiety. The colonel had called very early, and sent her maid up to
his daughter who rose immediately. They had quitted the house together,
leaving word the Miss Moseleys had sent for the young lady to breakfast,
for some particular reason. Such was the latitude allowed by his wife,
that nothing was suspected until one of the servants of the house said
he had seen Colonel Egerton and a lady drive out of the village that
morning in a post-chaise and four.
Then the old gentleman first took the alarm, and he proceeded instantly
to the lodge in quest of his daughter. Of the elopement there now
remained no doubt, and an examination into the state of the colonel's
room, who, it had been thought, was not yet risen, gave assurance of it.
Here was at once sad confirmation that the opinion of Mr. Holt was a
just one. Although every heart felt for Jane during this dreadful
explanation, no eye was turned on her excepting the stolen, and anxious
glances of her sister; but when all was confirmed, and nothing remained
but to reflect or act upon the circumstances, she naturally engrossed
the whole attention of her fond parents. Jane had listened in
indignation to the commencement of the narrative of Mr. Jarvis, and so
firmly was Egerton enshrined in purity within her imagination, that not
until it was ascertained that both his servant and clothes were missing,
would she admit a thought injurious to his truth. Then indeed the
feelings of Mr. Jarvis, his plain statement corroborated by this
testimony, struck her at once as true; and as she rose to leave the
room, she fell senseless into the arms of Emily who observing her
movement and loss of color had flown to her assistance. Denbigh had
drawn the merchant out in vain efforts to appease him, and happily no
one witnessed this effect of Jane's passion but her nearest relatives.
She was immediately removed to her own room, and in a short time was in
bed with a burning fever. The bursts of her grief were uncontrolled and
violent. At times she reproached herself--her friends--Egerton; in
short, she was guilty of all the inconsistent sensations that
disappointed hopes, accompanied by the consciousness of weakness on our
part seldom fail to give rise to; the presence of her friends was
irksome to her, and it was only to the soft and insinuating
blandishments of Emily's love that she would at all yield. Perseverance
and affection at length prevailed, and as Emily took the opportunity of
some refreshments to infuse a strong soporific, Jane lost her
consciousness of misery in a temporary repose. In the mean time a more
searching inquiry had been able to trace out the manner and direction of
the journey of the fugitives.
It appeared the colonel left the lodge immediately after his
conversation with Sir Edward; he slept at a tavern, and caused his
servant to remove his baggage at daylight; here he had ordered a chaise
and horses, and then proceeded, as mentioned, to the lodgings of Mr.
Jarvis. What arguments he used with Miss Jarvis to urge her to so sudden
a flight, remained a secret; but from the remarks of Mrs. Jarvis and
Miss Sarah, there was reason to believe that he had induced them to
think from the commencement, that his intentions were single, and Mary
Jarvis their object. How he contrived to gloss over his attentions to
Jane in such a manner as to deceive those ladies, caused no little
surprise; but it was obvious it had been done, and the Moseleys were not
without hopes his situation with Jane would not make the noise in the
world such occurrences seldom fail to excite. In the afternoon a letter
was handed to Mr. Jarvis, and by him immediately communicated to the
baronet and Denbigh, both of whom he considered as among his best
friends. It was from Egerton, and written in a respectful manner: he
apologized for his elopement, and excused it on the ground of a wish to
avoid the delay of a license or the publishing of bans, as he was in
hourly expectation of a summons to his regiment, and contained many
promises of making an attentive husband, and an affectionate son. The
fugitives were on the road to Scotland, whence they intended immediately
to return to London and to wait the commands of their parents. The
baronet in a voice trembling with emotion at the sufferings of his own
child, congratulated the merchant that things were no worse; while
Denbigh curled his lips as he read the epistle, and thought settlements
were a greater inconvenience than the bans--for it was a well known
fact, a maiden aunt had left the Jarvises twenty thousand pounds between
them.