Incessantly anxious about the babe, Lady St. Aubyn could not soon permit
it to be removed from her apartments, it lay therefore with its nurse in
a smaller room within that where Lady St. Aubyn slept.
It was about six weeks after this event, so interesting to all parties,
had taken place, and Ellen had for some time been returned to the
society of her own family, that one day, just as they had finished
dinner, St. Aubyn was told two gentlemen in a chaise and four had just
arrived, and requested to speak to him immediately. He changed colour,
but conquering his purturbation, desired they might be shewn into his
study, and he would go to them. "Who are they?" said Lady Juliana. "I
did not know, nephew, you expected any company." "Perhaps," said St.
Aubyn, evading her questions, "they may not remain here an hour, perhaps
till to-morrow morning." He hastily left the room, and Ellen was
convinced these strangers were the persons at whom St. Aubyn had often
hinted as connected with the mystery which hung around him: she
trembled, and felt dismayed, but endeavoured to be as composed as
possible. In a few minutes after St. Aubyn had left the room, Mr.
Mordaunt was sent for; and as he had been some time an invalid, St.
Aubyn desired a carriage might be dispatched to bring him to the Castle.
Ellen passing soon after up stairs to the nursery, crossed him in the
hall, followed by his assistant with a quantity of papers and
parchments: they bowed, and went into the study. "Oh, I know now," said
Lady Juliana, who was with her, "who St. Aubyn has with him: it is I
suppose Lord De Montfort, and his guardian and tutor, Mr. O'Brien, a
Catholic priest, who has the entire management of the young man, and
will I suppose now have the entire direction of his estates, which have
till now been under the care of my nephew, who was appointed by his
father's will the young Earls guardian, as far as related to his English
property, till he should be twenty-four, though his Catholic relations
have had the care of his person. Rejoiced shall I be when St. Aubyn has
finally concluded all his concerns with that family. Heaven knows they
have given him trouble enough already! and this young man I know hates
him. I don't suppose he will stay an hour after the accounts are
settled, indeed he would not have come at all, only Mordaunt having all
the affairs in his hands, and being too unwell to go from home, it was I
conclude necessary: this I know, if these people stay here to-night, I
shall remain in my own room."
Ellen carefully and anxiously attended to all she said, yet this
discourse gave her no clue by which to unravel the mysterious speeches
of St. Aubyn. After spending an hour in the nursery, both ladies
returned to the drawing-room, and sent a servant to know if coffee
should be carried into the study, or if Lord St. Aubyn and his guests
would join the ladies. Orders were given for tea and coffee in the
study; and Lady Juliana could not restrain her curiosity enough to
refrain asking who was with Lord St. Aubyn: from the servant she
learned that the party consisted of his Lordship, Mr. Mordaunt, his
clerk, and two strange gentlemen, one elderly, the other young, and
apparently in ill health. This confirmed her surmises, and soon after
tea, not wishing to see Lord De Montfort, should he make his appearance,
she retired to her own room, leaving Ellen and Laura together, with a
strict injunction to the former not to be kept up too late.
Ellen's anxiety made her somewhat silent; and Laura, never very
talkative, easily fell into her present humour, so that for some time
very little conversation passed between them. Laura was netting, and
Ellen attempting a drawing; but her hand was unsteady, and her attention
divided, therefore finding she should not succeed, she threw down her
pencil, and listened in silence to a loud equinoxial wind, which howled
around, and shook with "murmur not unlike the dash of ocean on his
sounding shores" the ancient trees which grew near the mansion. A
chilling sensation insensibly stole upon her, and at length, to break
the melancholy silence of the apartment, rather than that she wished to
speak, she said, "'Tis a rough night, and cold."
"Yes," said Laura; and they both drew nearer the fire.
"Do you know Lord De Montfort?" asked Ellen.
"I have seen him when a boy," replied Laura, "and think I should know
him again, though six or seven years make a great alteration at his
age."
"Was he handsome?"
"Yes, but not so much so as his sister."
"Is he like her?"
"A little, but of a darker complexion: her's was a clear lively brown;
dark hazle eyes, full of spirit, and indeed at times of scorn, a Grecian
nose, full lips, the upper one curled a little, which gave a haughty air
to her countenance; Edmund was thinner, paler, and his eyes had a
softer look."
"Edmund is his name?"
"He has a long list of names, according to the Spanish custom; but his
sister always called him Edmund, which was his father's."
"I wonder whether we shall see him?"
"Of course,--I suppose so," said Laura, with some surprize: "it is too
late for him to quit the Castle to-night, and he will without doubt pay
his compliments to you before he departs."
"I think," replied Ellen, "from what Lady Juliana said just now, that
St. Aubyn and Lord De Montfort are not on very good terms, that made me
doubt whether he would stay the night."
"It may be so," said Laura, "yet unless they are decidedly at enmity,
the young man cannot avoid seeing you."
Soon after the supper tray was brought into the room, and on its being
announced to the gentlemen, St. Aubyn came to the library, accompanied
by Mr. Mordaunt and Mr. O'Brien, the latter of whom he introduced to the
ladies. St. Aubyn looked pale, and his manners had lost some of its
usual composure. O'Brien was a grave, respectable old man, of Irish
extraction, but bred in a convent abroad, and speaking English but
imperfectly.
"I will return to the study," said St. Aubyn, "and see once more if I
can persuade Lord De Montfort to take some refreshment. You remember De
Montfort, Miss Cecil?--He is my other guest, but he pleads fatigue, and
disinclination to see any one, and will not be prevailed on to take even
a glass of wine. I will once more endeavour to induce him to join you."
"Indeed, my Lord," said Ellen, "I hope he will: if he be fatigued, he
must the more need refreshment."
"My love," said St. Aubyn, "will you have the goodness to order beds to
be prepared for Lord De Montfort and Mr. O'Brien. They remain here this
night."
He then left the room, and Ellen ringing the bell, desired Mrs. Bayfield
might be sent to her dressing-room, whither a few minutes after she went
herself to give orders respecting the beds. As she passed the study
door, which was not quite close, she distinctly heard St. Aubyn say:--
"For Heaven's sake, De Montfort, be persuaded; do not wrong me so
cruelly! Why condemn me on mere appearances?"
Ellen passed hastily on, and heard St. Aubyn close the door with some
violence, warned perhaps by the light she carried that some one might
overhear him.
In her dressing-room she met Mrs. Bayfield, and was instantly struck
with her pale countenance and agitated appearance.
"My good Bayfield," said Ellen, "I sent for you to request you would see
chambers prepared for the strange gentlemen; but you look ill, pray go
to bed: Jane shall go with the housemaids and see that all is right."
"I am not ill, my Lady," said Mrs. Bayfield; "but a glimpse I caught of
Lord De Montfort just now, and the tone of his voice, reminded me of so
many painful events--"
She paused, sighed, and the tears ran down her cheeks as she added:
"I wish he had not come here; I wish he was gone back to Spain; I cannot
bear to see him."
"His likeness to your late lady affects you perhaps, my good friend?"
said Ellen.
"Oh, no, Madam; it is not that; he is like her to be sure; but it is not
_that_. I feel so uneasy when I see him.--He does not love my Lord; and
yet he used to love him. But forgive me, Madam; I forget myself: will
your Ladyship please to give your orders now?"
"I will leave all to your care, my good Bayfield. I suppose the
gentlemen will like to be near each other: the two chambers at the end
of the gallery where I sleep (those next to that your Lord sleeps in at
present, I mean) will suit them best, I think: see that they have good
fires, for it is cold to-night: the wind is really alarming."
"Your Ladyship had better take another shawl round your shoulders: the
staircase is cold."
Ellen thanked her careful old friend, and returned to the company.