Though this unfortunate occurrence in the curate's family was, according
to his own phrase, "to be hushed up," yet certain persons of his, of the
dean's, and of Lord Bendham's house, immediately heard and talked of it.
Among these, Lady Bendham was most of all shocked and offended: she said
she "never could bear to hear Mr. Rymer either pray or preach again; he
had not conducted himself with proper dignity either as a clergyman or a
father; he should have imitated the dean's example in respect to Henry,
and have turned his daughter out of doors."
Lord Bendham was less severe on the seduced, but had no mercy on the
seducer--"a vicious youth, without one accomplishment to endear vice."
For vice, Lord Bendham thought (with certain philosophers), might be most
exquisitely pleasing, in a pleasing garb. "But this youth sinned without
elegance, without one particle of wit, or an atom of good breeding."
Lady Clementina would not permit the subject to be mentioned a second
time in her hearing--extreme delicacy in woman she knew was bewitching;
and the delicacy she displayed on this occasion went so far that she
"could not even intercede with the dean to forgive his nephew, because
the topic was too gross for her lips to name even in the ear of her
husband."
Miss Sedgeley, though on the very eve of her bridal day with William,
felt so tender a regard for Henry, that often she thought Rebecca happier
in disgrace and poverty, blest with the love of him, than she was likely
to be in the possession of friends and fortune with his cousin.
Had Henry been of a nature to suspect others of evil, or had he felt a
confidence in his own worth, such a passion as this young woman's would
soon have disclosed its existence: but he, regardless of any attractions
of Miss Sedgeley, equally supposed he had none in her eyes; and thus,
fortunately for the peace of all parties, this prepossession ever
remained a secret except to herself.
So little did William conceive that his clownish cousin could rival him
in the affections of a woman of fashion, that he even slightly solicited
his father "that Henry might not be banished from the house, at least
till after the following day, when the great festival of his marriage was
to be celebrated."
But the dean refused, and reminded his son, "that he was bound both by
his moral and religious character, in the eyes of God, and still more, in
the eyes of men, to show lasting resentment of iniquity like his."
William acquiesced, and immediately delivered to his cousin the dean's
"wishes for his amendment," and a letter of recommendation procured from
Lord Bendham, to introduce him on board a man-of-war; where, he was told,
"he might hope to meet with preferment, according to his merit, as a
sailor and a gentleman."
Henry pressed William's hand on parting, wished him happy in his
marriage, and supplicated, as the only favour he would implore, an
interview with his uncle, to thank him for all his former kindness, and
to see him for the last time.
William repeated this petition to his father, but with so little energy,
that the dean did not grant it. He felt himself, he said, compelled to
resent that reprobate character in which Henry had appeared; and he
feared "lest the remembrance of his last parting from his brother might,
on taking a formal leave of that brother's son, reduce him to some tokens
of weakness, that would ill become his dignity and just displeasure."
He sent him his blessing, with money to convey him to the ship, and Henry
quitted his uncle's house in a flood of tears, to seek first a new
protectress for his little foundling, and then to seek his fortune.