EMILY HOTSPUR'S SERMON.
The greater portion of the journey back to Humblethwaite was passed
in silence. Sir Harry had undertaken an experiment in which he had no
faith himself, and was sad at heart. Cousin George was cowed, half
afraid, and yet half triumphant. Could it be possible that he should
"pull through" after all? Some things had gone so well with him. His
lady friends had been so true to him! Lady Altringham, and then Mrs.
Morton,--how good they had been! Dear Lucy! He would never forget
her. And Emily was such a brick! He was going to see his Emily, and
that would be "so jolly." Nevertheless, he did acknowledge to himself
that an Emily prepared to assist her father in sending her lover
through the fire of reform, would not be altogether "so jolly" as the
Emily who had leaned against him on the bridge at Airey Force, while
his arm had been tightly clasped round her waist. He was alive to the
fact that romance must give place to business.
When they had entered the park-gates, Sir Harry spoke. "You must
understand, George"--he had not called him George before since the
engagement had been made known to him--"that you cannot yet be
admitted here as my daughter's accepted suitor, as might have been
the case had your past life been different."
"I see all that," said Cousin George.
"It is right that I should tell you so; but I trust implicitly to
Emily's high sense of duty and propriety. And now that you are here,
George, I trust that it may be for your advantage and for ours."
Then he pressed his cousin's hand, if not with affection, at least
with sincerity.
"I'm sure it is to be all right now," said George, calculating
whether he would be able to escape to London for a few days, so that
he might be able to arrange that little matter with Mr. Hart. They
couldn't suppose that he would be able to leave London for two years
without a day's notice!
Sir Harry got out of the carriage at the front door, and desired
Cousin George to follow him into the house. He turned at once into
the small room where George had drunk the sherry, and desired that
Lady Elizabeth might be sent to him.
"My dear," said he, "I have brought George back with me. We will do
the best that we can. Mrs. Quick will have a room for him. You had
better tell Emily, and let her come to me for a moment before she
sees her cousin." This was all said in George's hearing. And then Sir
Harry went, leaving his cousin in the hands of Lady Elizabeth.
"I am glad to see you back again, George," she said, with a
melancholy voice.
Cousin George smiled, and said, that "it would be all right."
"I am sure I hope so, for my girl's sake. But there must be a great
change, George."
"No end of a change," said Cousin George, who was not in the least
afraid of Lady Elizabeth.
Many things of moment had to be done in the house that day before
dinner. In the first place there was a long interview between the
father and daughter. For a few minutes, perhaps, he was really happy
when she was kneeling with her arms upon his knees, thanking him for
what he had done, while tears of joy were streaming down her cheeks.
He would not bring himself to say a word of caution to her. Would it
not be to paint the snow white to caution her as to her conduct?
"I have done as you bade me in everything," he said. "I have proposed
to him that he should go to Scarrowby. It may be that it will be your
home for a while, dear."
She thanked him and kissed him again and again. She would be so
good. She would do all she could to deserve his kindness. And as for
George,--"Pray, Papa, don't think that I suppose that it can be all
done quite at once." Nevertheless it was in that direction that her
thoughts erred. It did seem to her that the hard part of the work was
already done, and that now the pleasant paths of virtue were to be
trod with happy and persistent feet.
"You had better see him in your mother's presence, dearest, before
dinner; and then the awkwardness will be less afterwards."
She kissed him again, and ran from his room up to her mother's
apartment, taking some back stairs well known to herself, lest she
should by chance meet her lover after some undue and unprepared
fashion. And there she could sit down and think of it all! She
would be very discreet. He should be made to understand at once
that the purgation must be thorough, the reform complete. She would
acknowledge her love to him,--her great and abiding love; but of
lover's tenderness there could be but little,--almost none,--till the
fire had done its work, and the gold should have been separated from
the dross. She had had her way so far, and they should find that she
had deserved it.
Before dinner Sir Harry wrote a letter to his lawyer. The mail-cart
passed through the village on its way to Penrith late in the evening,
and there was time for him to save the post. He thought it incumbent
on him to let Mr. Boltby know that he had changed his mind; and,
though the writing of the letter was not an agreeable task, he did it
at once. He said nothing to Mr. Boltby directly about his daughter,
but he made it known to that gentleman that Cousin George was at
present a guest at Humblethwaite, and that he intended to pay all the
debts without entering into any other specific engagements. Would Mr.
Boltby have the goodness to make out a schedule of the debts? Captain
Hotspur should be instructed to give Mr. Boltby at once all the
necessary information by letter. Then Sir Harry went on to say that
perhaps the opinions formed in reference to Captain Hotspur had been
too severe. He was ashamed of himself as he wrote these words, but
still they were written. If the blackamoor was to be washed white,
the washing must be carried out at all times, at all seasons, and in
every possible manner, till the world should begin to see that the
blackness was going out of the skin.
Cousin George was summoned to meet the girl who loved him in her
mother's morning-room, before they dressed for dinner. He did not
know at all in what way to conduct himself. He had not given a
moment's thought to it till the difficulty flashed upon him as she
entered the apartment. But she had considered it all. She came up to
him quickly, and gave him her lips to kiss, standing there in her
mother's presence.
"George," she said, "dear George! I am so glad that you are here."
It was the first; and it should be the last,--till the fire had done
its work; till the fire should at least have done so much of its work
as to make the remainder easy and fairly sure. He had little to say
for himself, but muttered something about his being the happiest
fellow in the world. It was a position in which a man could hardly
behave well, and neither the mother nor the daughter expected much
from him. A man cannot bear himself gracefully under the weight of a
pardon as a woman may do. A man chooses generally that it shall be
assumed by those with whom he is closely connected that he has done
and is doing no wrong; and, when wronged, he professes to forgive
and to forget in silence. To a woman the act of forgiveness, either
accepted or bestowed, is itself a pleasure. A few words were then
spoken, mostly by Lady Elizabeth, and the three separated to prepare
for dinner.
The next day passed over them at Humblethwaite Hall very quietly, but
with some mild satisfaction. Sir Harry told his cousin of the letter
to his lawyer, and desired George to make out and send by that day's
post such a schedule as might be possible on the spur of the moment.
"Hadn't I better run up and see Mr. Boltby?" said Cousin George.
But to this Sir Harry was opposed. Let any calls for money reach them
there. Whatever the calls might be, he at any rate could pay them.
Cousin George repeated his suggestion; but acquiesced when Sir Harry
frowned and showed his displeasure. He did make out a schedule, and
did write a letter to Mr. Boltby.
"I think my debt to Mr. Hart was put down as £3,250," he wrote, "but
I believe I should have added another £350 for a transaction as to
which I fancy he does not hold my note of hand. But the money is
due."
He was fool enough to think that Mr. Walker's claim might be
liquidated after this fashion. In the afternoon they rode
together,--the father, the daughter, and the blackamoor, and much was
told to Cousin George as to the nature of the property. The names
of the tenants were mentioned, and the boundaries of the farms were
pointed out to him. He was thinking all the time whether Mr. Hart
would spare him.
But Emily Hotspur, though she had been thus reticent and quiet in her
joy, though she was resolved to be discreet, and knew that there were
circumstances in her engagement which would for a while deter her
from being with her accepted lover as other girls are with theirs,
did not mean to estrange herself from her cousin George. If she were
to do so, how was she to assist, and take, as she hoped to do, the
first part in that task of refining the gold on which they were all
now intent? She was to correspond with him when he was at Scarrowby.
Such was her present programme, and Sir Harry had made no objection
when she declared her purpose. Of course they must understand each
other, and have communion together. On the third day, therefore, it
was arranged they two should walk, without other company, about the
place. She must show him her own gardens, which were at some distance
from the house. If the truth be told, it must be owned that George
somewhat dreaded the afternoon's amusement; but had she demanded of
him to sit down to listen to her while she read to him a sermon, he
would not have refused.
To be didactic and at the same time demonstrative of affection is
difficult, even with mothers towards their children, though with
them the assumption of authority creates no sense of injury. Emily
specially desired to point out to the erring one the paths of virtue,
and yet to do so without being oppressive.
"It is so nice to have you here, George," she said.
"Yes, indeed; isn't it?" He was walking beside her, and as yet they
were within view of the house.
"Papa has been so good; isn't he good?"
"Indeed he is. The best man I know out," said George, thinking that
his gratitude would have been stronger had the Baronet given him the
money and allowed him to go up to London to settle his own debts.
"And Mamma has been so kind! Mamma is very fond of you. I am sure she
would do anything for you."
"And you?" said George, looking into her face.
"I!--As for me, George, it is a matter of course now. You do not want
to be told again what is and ever must be my first interest in the
world."
"I do not care how often you tell me."
"But you know it; don't you?"
"I know what you said at the waterfall, Emily."
"What I said then I said for always. You may be sure of that. I told
Mamma so, and Papa. If they had not wanted me to love you, they
should not have asked you to come here. I do love you, and I hope
that some day I may be your wife."
She was not leaning on his arm, but as she spoke she stopped, and
looked stedfastly into his face. He put out his hand as though to
take hers; but she shook her head, refusing it. "No, George; come on.
I want to talk to you a great deal. I want to say ever so much,--now,
to-day. I hope that some day I may be your wife. If I am not, I shall
never be any man's wife."
"What does some day mean, Emily?"
"Ever so long;--years, perhaps."
"But why? A fellow has to be consulted, you know, as well as
yourself. What is the use of waiting? I know Sir Harry thinks I have
been very fond of pleasure. How can I better show him how willing I
am to give it up than by marrying and settling down at once? I don't
see what's to be got by waiting?"
Of course she must tell him the truth. She had no idea of keeping
back the truth. She loved him with all her heart, and was resolved
to marry him; but the dross must first be purged from the gold. "Of
course you know, George, that Papa has made objections."
"I know he did, but that is over now. I am to go and live at
Scarrowby at once, and have the shooting. He can't want me to remain
there all by myself."
"But he does; and so do I."
"Why?"
In order that he might be made clean by the fire of solitude and the
hammer of hard work. She could not quite say this to him. "You know,
George, your life has been one of pleasure."
"I was in the army,--for some years."
"But you left it, and you took to going to races, and they say that
you gambled and are in debt, and you have been reckless. Is not that
true, George?"
"It is true."
"And should you wonder that Papa should be afraid to trust his only
child and all his property to one who,--who knows that he has been
reckless? But if you can show, for a year or two, that you can give
up all that--"
"Wouldn't it be all given up if we were married?"
"Indeed, I hope so. I should break my heart otherwise. But can you
wonder that Papa should wish for some delay and some proof?"
"Two years!"
"Is that much? If I find you doing what he wishes, these two years
will be so happy to me! We shall come and see you, and you will come
here. I have never liked Scarrowby, because it is not pretty, as this
place is; but, oh, how I shall like to go there now! And when you are
here, Papa will get to be so fond of you. You will be like a real son
to him. Only you must be steady."
"Steady! by Jove, yes. A fellow will have to be steady at Scarrowby."
The perfume of the cleanliness of the life proposed to him was not
sweet to his nostrils.
She did not like this, but she knew that she could not have
everything at once. "You must know," she said, "that there is a
bargain between me and Papa. I told him that I should tell you
everything."
"Yes; I ought to be told everything."
"It is he that shall fix the day. He is to do so much, that he has a
right to that. I shall never press him, and you must not."
"Oh, but I shall."
"It will be of no use; and, George, I won't let you. I shall scold
you if you do. When he thinks that you have learned how to manage the
property, and that your mind is set upon that kind of work, and that
there are no more races,--mind, and no betting, then,--then he will
consent. And I will tell you something more if you would like to hear
it."
"Something pleasant, is it?"
"When he does, and tells me that he is not afraid to give me to you,
I shall be the happiest girl in all England. Is that pleasant?--No,
George, no; I will not have it."
"Not give me one kiss?"
"I gave you one when you came, to show you that in truth I loved you.
I will give you another when Papa says that everything is right."
"Not till then?"
"No, George, not till then. But I shall love you just the same. I
cannot love you better than I do."
He had nothing for it but to submit, and was obliged to be content
during the remainder of their long walk with talking of his future
life at Scarrowby. It was clearly her idea that he should be
head-farmer, head-steward, head-accountant, and general workman for
the whole place. When he talked about the game, she brought him back
to the plough;--so at least he declared to himself. And he could
elicit no sympathy from her when he reminded her that the nearest
meet of hounds was twenty miles and more from Scarrowby. "You can
think of other things for a while," she said. He was obliged to say
that he would, but it did seem to him that Scarrowby was a sort
of penal servitude to which he was about to be sent with his own
concurrence. The scent of the cleanliness was odious to him.
"I don't know what I shall do there of an evening," he said.
"Read," she answered; "there are lots of books, and you can always
have the magazines. I will send them to you." It was a very dreary
prospect of life for him, but he could not tell her that it would be
absolutely unendurable.
When their walk was over,--a walk which she never could forget,
however long might be her life, so earnest had been her purpose,--he
was left alone, and took another stroll by himself. How would it suit
him? Was it possible? Could the event "come off"? Might it not have
been better for him had he allowed his other loving friend to prepare
for him the letter to the Baronet, in which Sir Harry's munificent
offer would have been accepted? Let us do him the justice to remember
that he was quite incapable of understanding the misery, the utter
ruin which that letter would have entailed upon her who loved him so
well. He knew nothing of such sufferings as would have been hers--as
must be hers, for had she not already fallen haplessly into the pit
when she had once allowed herself to fix her heart upon a thing so
base as this? It might have been better, he thought, if that letter
had been written. A dim dull idea came upon him that he was not fit
to be this girl's husband. He could not find his joys where she would
find hers. No doubt it would be a grand thing to own Humblethwaite
and Scarrowby at some future time; but Sir Harry might live for these
twenty years, and while Sir Harry lived he must be a slave. And then
he thought that upon the whole he liked Lucy Morton better than
Emily Hotspur. He could say what he chose to Lucy, and smoke in her
presence, own that he was fond of drink, and obtain some sympathy for
his "book" on the Derby. He began to feel already that he did not
like sermons from the girl of his heart.
But he had chosen this side now, and he must go on with the game.
It seemed certain to him that his debts would at any rate be paid.
He was not at all certain how matters might go in reference to
Mr. Walker, but if matters came to the worst the Baronet would
probably be willing to buy him off again with the promised income.
Nevertheless, he was not comfortable, and certainly did not shine at
Sir Harry's table. "Why she has loved him, what she has seen in him,
I cannot tell," said Sir Harry to his wife that night.
We must presume Sir Harry did not know how it is that the birds pair.