_El. Lo._ Mistress, I came to see you.
_Lady._ That's happily dispatched--the next!
_El. Lo._ To take leave of you.
_Lady._ You need not have despaired of that, nor have
used so many circumstances to win me to give
you leave to perform my commands. Is there
a third?
_El. Lo._ Yes! I had a third, had you been apt to hear it.
_Lady._ I? never after--Fast, good servant, fast.
_El. Lo._ 'Twas to intreat you to hear Reason.
_Lady._ Most willingly--have you brought one can speak
it?
_El. Lo._ Lastly, it is to kindle in that barren heart Love
and Forgiveness.
THE SCORNFUL LADY.
"I am sorry you are going to-morrow," said Mr. Humphries the next
morning at breakfast to Mr. Gage; "I wanted you to see my Arab."
"I will ride over this morning," said Mr. Gage, "I have nothing else to
do."
"He was so sick on the passage, that they did not think he would have
lived." said Mr. Humphries, turning to Margaret. "He's better now."
"Poor creature! I didn't know horses were ever sea-sick," said Margaret.
"They are wonderful animals," said Harriet, "I wish somebody would write
a novel about a horse."
"You used to be so fond of horses," said Mr. Singleton.
"So I am, comparatively," said Harriet, glancing around at the gentlemen
present.
Margaret had often a hard matter to preserve her gravity, but now she
was vexed with Harriet, who had employed herself ever since she came
down stairs in petting Mr. Humphries, on purpose to pique Mr. Gage. She
offered him cream and sugar; she gave him advice about his diet; showed
him the best way to eat a smelt; fussed about his toast; and took more
trouble to make him comfortable, than she had ever done with anybody
before.
Mr. Singleton, from his partiality to Mr. Humphries, took it all in good
part; but Mr. Gage looked very cloudy. He rose as soon as possible and
left the table, and walked up and down the room, keeping his eyes fixed
upon Mr. Humphries and Harriet.
Harriet rose and looked about among the dishes.
"You can tell me, Mr. Humphries," she said, "what is the best thing I
can give my terrier. He only eats twice a day, and I never let him touch
raw meat."
"Oh! I don't know--I--it does not matter what you give him," said Mr.
Humphries.
"A slice of this cold beef then," said Harriet, "will you cut it for
me?"
Mr. Humphries complied; nearly cut his own hand, as might have been
expected, but succeeded in getting off a slice.
"A little bit more," said Harriet, looking coaxingly at him.
"Oh! upon my word, that is plenty!" said Mr. Humphries.
"No, just one little bit," said Harriet stretching out the plate.
Mr. Humphries laughed awkwardly and cut it.
"You will spoil your dog, you know," he said.
During this little bit of coquetry, on her part, Mr. Gage had been
increasing in rage, but she passed close to him without seeming to be
aware of his presence, and left the room.
Her dog was fastened up in a small summer-room that looked into the
garden, because it had a fancy for quarrelling with one of Mr.
Humphries' spaniels that he had brought with him.
Harriet unfastened the little sinner, and it bounded up and down like a
ball. She put the plate on a ledge under the window, and began to cut
the meat into small pieces. While she was thus employed, Mr. Gage came
abruptly into the room, and stood before her.
"Take care of the dog," said Harriet, stooping down, and catching
Donald by the collar; "he is apt to snap at strangers."
"Strangers!" exclaimed Mr. Gage, in great indignation. "This from you,
Harriet! But you have deceived me--made me wretched long enough. It is
well that all is at an end!"
Harriet stood up. To do her justice, she tried to look as grave as she
could, though she had a great inclination to laugh.
"I did not give you credit, Sir, for knowing so much of your
profession," she said, coolly; "you have learned, I see, that it is a
better plan to attack than to defend."
"I--what have I to defend?" said Mr. Gage. "Can you deny that you long
made me believe you were going to be married to Lord Raymond?"
"Really, Mr. Gage," said Harriet, "your remarks are very original;
unexpected, at least. I believe, for a long time we have had as little
confidential communication as any two persons in the world. People were
at liberty to conjecture what they pleased from Lord Raymond's intimacy
with my family."
"People!" echoed Mr. Gage, highly offended at being thus classed with
the multitude.
"Men, women and children!" said Harriet, very contentedly, and turning
to the window ledge, she began to give Donald his dinner.
Mr. Gage's indignation was now at its height; but he endeavoured to veil
it under an appearance of great calmness. Harriet, as cool as himself,
went on mincing Donald's cold beef.
At last he said, that if it was not taxing her memory too far, he should
be glad to know her motive for allowing Lord Raymond to be recognized as
her lover; had she preferred Lord Raymond, he should have respected the
feeling, although he should not, certainly, have thought very highly of
her taste.
"As that preference has been entirely a little fancy of your own," said
Harriet, with spirit; "I think it not worth while to defend my taste on
an imaginary point."
"Still," said Mr. Gage, "you suffered me to remain in error on a subject
which you well knew to be of great importance to my happiness."
"As I am not appointed guardian to your happiness, Mr. Gage," said
Harriet, with mock civility, "I do not feel any remorse upon that point.
If you chose to compliment my taste, by inventing an attachment between
me and a remarkably attractive man, I will take this opportunity, if you
please, of returning you my best thanks."
Mr. Gage looked still more stormy, but he seemed determined, in popular
phrase, to "have his say out."
"You never were attached to Lord Raymond then?" he said.
"Never, as it happened," returned Harriet, with great indifference.
"Then why give me to understand--" Mr. Gage began.
"Stop there!" said Harriet, "don't ring the changes, my good friend,
upon your misapprehension. I was not likely to tell _you_, of all
people, my family secrets. Lord Raymond was always on an intimate
footing with me. I could not remove the confusion in his affairs, nor
help his mother dying at the wrong time: and these were the only things
that prevented his marriage with Lucy from taking place earlier."
"You knew when I was at Chirke Weston," said Mr. Gage, "that my feelings
towards you had undergone no change, and yet you not only suffered me to
be in an error, but you encouraged my belief that you were engaged to
that man to the utmost of your power."
"Well," said Harriet, "I am not going to tell any lies. Perhaps, I did.
I was rather amused to see you making a blunder."
"You confess it," said Mr. Gage; "and now you are acting the same part
with that wretched idiot, Humphries; though you still see that I cannot
forget you, as I wish to Heaven I could."
"Poor dear Mr. Humphries!" said Harriet, leaning against the window,
and, throwing the pieces of meat slowly to her dog, "he is to be called
an idiot, because I am commonly civil to my uncle's guests."
"I suppose I am not to be considered as your uncle's guest?" said Mr.
Gage.
"Not when you behave so ill," returned Harriet.
"I--what have I done?" asked Mr. Gage.
"Recollect the ball, Sir!" said Harriet; "remember how you tricked me
into dancing with you."
Mr. Gage smiled a little. "Allow that you brought it on yourself," said
he. "You _could_ not dance with Sir Hawarth."
"Could not?" asked Harriet. "I imagine I have every right to please
myself in such things. Besides, you have been very rude to me ever since
you came; and did not leave the house when I desired you."
"You know that it was impossible," said Mr. Gage; "besides, I gave you
my reasons for not obeying you."
"I did not want any reasons," said Harriet.
"I believe you," said Mr. Gage; "but Miss Capel was evidently on my side
then, as well as at the ball. I wish you would speak to her on the
subject. I never met any woman with more delicacy of feeling."
"It is a pity you don't marry her, then, if you think so highly of her;"
said Harriet, perversely.
"I did not come here to marry Miss Capel, but to marry you," replied Mr.
Gage, coldly.
The deepest carmine colour flew into Harriet's face, but she still
remained pelting her dog with the little pieces of meat. Mr. Gage stood
waiting to hear what she would say.
"Ah! but George, do you mean it?" said Harriet, looking up archly in his
face.
"Do I mean it?" asked Mr. Gage; "when I give you the power of rejecting
my hand again."
This was so characteristic of the degree of estimation in which Mr. Gage
held himself, that Harriet burst into a prolonged peal of laughter.
"Well, then, George," said she, holding out her hand.
"Well, then, Harriet," he replied, clasping it.
"But I tell you what," said Harriet, as she was leaving the room, "you
may go and make your own story good to my Uncle Singleton, for if you
think I shall take all that trouble, you will find yourself very much
mistaken."
The next report current in the house was that Mr. Gage's horses were not
going to Chirke Weston; and the presumption, therefore, was, that their
master had determined to prolong his stay at Singleton Manor.