“Charlie, my dear boy,” said Mrs Atheling, with a slight tremble in her
voice, “I suppose it may be months before we see you again.”
“I can’t tell, mother; but it will not be a day longer than I can help,”
said Charlie, who had the grace to be serious at the moment of parting.
“There’s only one thing, you know,—I must do my business before I come
home.”
“And take care of yourself,” said Mrs Atheling; “take great care when
you are going over those mountains, and among those people where bandits
are—you know what stories we have read about such robbers, Charlie,—and
remember, though I should be very glad to hear good news about Louis,
Louis is not my own very boy, like you.”
“Hush, mother—no need for naming him,” said Charlie; “he is of more
moment than me, however, this time—for that’s my business. Never
fear—thieves may be fools there as well as at home, but they’re none
such fools as to meddle with me. Now, mother, promise me, the last
thing,—Agnes, do you hear?—don’t tell Marian a word, nor _him_. I’ll
tell old Foggo the whole story, and Foggo will do what he can for him
when he gets to London; but don’t you go and delude him, telling him of
this, for it would just be as good as ruin if I don’t succeed; and it
all may come to nothing, as like as not. I say, Agnes, do you hear?”
“Yes, I hear, very well; but I am not given to telling secrets,” said
Agnes, with a little dignity.
Charlie only laughed as he arranged himself in the corner of the
second-class carriage, and drew forth his grammar: there was no time for
anything more, save entreaties that he would write, and take care of
himself; and the train flashed away, leaving them somewhat dull and
blank in the reaction of past excitement, looking at each other, and
half reluctant to turn their faces homeward. Their minds hurried forth
faster than either steam or electricity to the end of Charlie’s journey.
They went back with very slow steps and very abstracted minds. What a
new world of change and sudden revolution might open upon them at
Charlie’s return!
Mrs Atheling had some business in the town, and the mother and daughter
pursued their way silently to that same noble High Street where Charlie
had seen Lord Winterbourne, and where Lord Winterbourne and his party
were still to be caught sight of, appearing and reappearing by glimpses
as they “did” the halls and colleges. While her mother managed some
needful business in a shop, Agnes stood rather dreamily looking down the
stately street; its strange old-world mixture of the present and the
past; its union of all kinds of buildings; the trim classic pillars and
toy cupolas of the eighteenth century—the grim crumbling front of elder
days—the gleams of green grass and waving trees through college
gateways—the black-gowned figures interrupting the sunshine—the
beautiful spire striking up into it as into its natural element,—a noble
hyacinthine stem of immortal flowers. Agnes did not know much about
artistic effect, nor anything about orders of architecture, but the
scene seized upon her imagination, as was its natural right. Her
thoughts were astray among hopes and chances far enough out of the
common way—but any dream of romance could make itself real in an
atmosphere like this.
She was pale,—she was somewhat of an abstracted and musing aspect. When
one took into consideration her misfortune of authorship, she was in
quite a sentimental _pose_ and attitude—so thought her American
acquaintance, who had managed to secure an invitation to the Hall, and
was one of Lord Winterbourne’s party. But Mr Endicott had “done” all the
colleges before, and he could afford to let his attention be distracted
by the appearance of the literary sister of the lady of his love.
“I am not surprised at your abstraction,” said Mr Endicott. “In this,
indeed, I do not hesitate to confess, my country is not equal to your
Island. What an effect of sunshine! what a breadth of shade! I cannot
profess to have any preference, in respect to Art, for the past,
picturesque though it be—a poet of these days, Miss Atheling, has not to
deal with facts, but feelings; but I have no doubt, before I interrupted
you, the whole panorama of History glided before your meditative eye.”
“No, indeed; I was thinking more of the future than of the past,” said
Agnes hurriedly.
“The future of this nation is obscure and mysterious,” said Mr Endicott,
gathering his eyebrows solemnly. “Some man must arise to lead you—to
glory—or to perdition! I see nothing but chaos and darkness; but why
should I prophesy? A past generation had leisure to watch the signs of
the times; but for us ‘Art is long and time is fleeting,’ and happy is
the man who can snatch one burning experience from the brilliant mirage
of life.”
Agnes, a little puzzled by this mixture of images, did not attempt any
answer. Mr Endicott went on.
“I had begun to observe, with a great deal of interest, two remarkable
young minds placed in a singular position. They were not to be met, of
course, at the table of Lord Winterbourne,” said the American with
dignity; “but in my walks about the park I sometimes encountered them,
and always endeavoured to draw them into conversation. So remarkable, in
fact, did they seem to me, that they found a place in my letters from
England; studies of character entirely new to my consciousness. I
believe, Miss Atheling, I had once the pleasure of seeing them in your
company. They stand—um—unfortunately in a—a—an equivocal relationship to
my noble host.”
“Ah! what of them?” cried Agnes quickly, and with a crimsoned cheek. She
felt already how difficult it was to hear them spoken of, and not
proclaim at once her superior knowledge.
“A singular event, I understand, happened last night,” continued Mr
Endicott. “Viscount Winterbourne, on his own lawn, was attacked and
insulted by the young man, who afterwards left the house under very
remarkable circumstances. My noble friend, who is an admirable example
of an old English nobleman, was at one time in actual danger, and I
believe has been advised to put this fiery youth—”
“Do you mean Louis?” cried Agnes, interrupting him anxiously. “Louis!—do
you mean that he has left the Hall?”
“I am greatly interested, I assure you, in tracing out this romance of
real life,” said Mr Endicott. “He left the Hall, I understand, last
evening—and my noble friend is advised to take measures for his
apprehension. I look upon the whole history with the utmost interest.
How interesting to trace the motives of this young mind, perhaps the
strife of passions—gratitude mixing with a sense of injury! If he is
secured, I shall certainly visit him: I know no nobler subject for a
drama of passion; and dramas of the passions are what we want to ennoble
this modern time.”
“Mother!” cried Agnes, “mother! come; we have no time to lose—Mr
Endicott has told me—Mamma, leave these things to another time. Marian
is alone; there is no one to support her. Oh, mother, mother! make
haste! We must go home!”
She scarcely gave a glance to Mr Endicott as he stood somewhat
surprised, making a study of the young author’s excitable temperament
for his next “letter from England”—but hastened her mother homeward,
explaining, as she went, though not very coherently, that Louis had
attacked Lord Winterbourne—that he had left the Hall—that he had done
something for which he might be apprehended. The terror of disgrace—that
most dread of all fears to people in their class—overwhelmed both mother
and daughter, as they hastened, at a very unusual pace, along the road,
terrified to meet himself in custody, or some one coming to tell them of
his crime. And Marian, their poor beautiful flower, on whom this storm
would fall so heavily—Marian was alone!